or to trauaile or for any other occasion whatsoeuer may haue mony in any manner or fashion that can happen nor lesse may he receiue it for recompence of his labours breiflely no Brother may touch or possesse mony for any necessity that may befall him vnlesse it be to releiue the vrgent need of the sick Brethren because we must no more esteeme mony then stones or thornes to the end that sith we renounce and abandon all our temporall substance in this life we doe not afterward for so small a matter make shipwrack of the eternall kingdome If peraduenture we chaunce to finde mony in som place lett vs no more regard then durt because whatsoeuer is in the world is meere vanity But if it should happē which God forbid that any brother receiue mony excepting vpon the aforesaid necessity of the sicke lett him be reputed by the Confraternity for a false Religious and thefe as he that taketh a purse if he be not truely penitent Lett not the Brethren in any manner in the world receiue mony or cause it to be receiued nor much lesse lett them demaund or procure it to be demaunded by a third person in any sort whatsoeuer nor lett them goe in company of men that demaund it for them But the Brethren may in the houses and places whither they shall goe exercise other seruices that shall not be contrarie to our Religion and rule with the benediction of our Lord. They may demaund almose for the leapers only whome they know to be in great necessity but lett them be very wary of mony and lett them likewise take keed not to search the world for any occasion of vnlawfull gaine that may be presented Of the manner of demaunding almose and of their ordinarie diet and refection THE IX CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren laboure to imitate the pouetty and humility of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and lett them remember that nothing is necessary in the world but as the Apostle saith to haue wherewithal to releiue and couer vs wherwith we ought to content vs and seek no more We must reioyce when we conuerse with poore and base personnes that are contemned of the world but especially with the diseased leapers and poore begars thorough the streetes Whē it shable necessary to goe to demaūd almose att the doores lett thē goe without any feare or shame calling to minde that the sonne of Almighty God presented his countenance as a hard stone to the blowes and affrontes of the world and he was nothing ashamed to be poore and a stranger and to liue vpon almose together with his most sacred mother the virgin Mary And if men deny almose and retourne disgraces to the brother that shall demaund it lett him thanck God sor it and pray for them because he shall receiue saith IESVS CHRIST great honour of the shame that men shall procure him and lett him know that the iniuryes and scornes which shal be don him shall not be imputed as a fault to him that shall receiue them but to him indeed that shall offer them likewise that almose is a rent and obligation due to the poore which our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath merited purchaced and left vnto vs. And the Brethren that trauaile in seeking almose shall haue great recompence therof besides that they procure a meritt to them that giue it for whatsoeuer men doe in this world shall dissolue to nothinge excepting almose and worckes don in charity for which they shall receiue of God an eternall recompence Lett each Brother with all assurance discouer his necessity to his fellowes that they may comfort him with good wordes and actually assist him according to their abillity and lett each of them loue and cherish his Brothers as the mother loueth and cherisheth her owne child in what God shall giue him grace and faculty to assist him He that eateth not lett him not contemne him that eateth and he that eateth lett him not the more esteeme of him that eateth not If any necessity happen it shal be permissable to all the Brethren where they shall reside to eat of all humane thinges as God said of Dauid who did eat the bread that was permitted to Preistes only to eat Lett the Brethren remember that which IESVS CHRIST saith Beware of chardging and ouerburdening your hart with two much drincking eating for feare that sleepe incontinently surprise you and that sloath be occasion that in the latter day you be intercepted in the snares of death the which before the entrapping of each man liuing shall neuertheles haue diuerses effectes according as they shall finde the soule disposed either to life or to death the one and the other eternall But in time of manifest necessity lett the Brethren behaue themselues as their need shal import as our Lord shall better instruct them because necessity is not subiect to law In what manner the sick Brethren ought to be serued THE X. CHAPTER IN any place where a Brother shall fall sicke lett him not be left alone but lett there be alwaies one or more if need require to serue him as they would desire to be if they were in his place if vpō necessity there be no Brother lett care be taken to leaue some charitable persō to attēd and serue him in his sicknes and I pray the sick Brother that what soeuer may happen vnto him he alwayes giue thancks vnto God and be content to be such as God would haue him to be either aliue or dead that he continue in sicknes or recouer his health because all they whome God hath predestinated to eternall life are ordinarily by him instructed and diciplined with the rod of his afflictions and sicknesse with a spiritt of compunction and bitternes as he saith in the third of the Apocalipse I chastice and correct him whome I Ioue And if the sicke be disquieted and passionat against God or the Brethren or haue an ouer greedy affection to phisicke desiring and procuring beyond reason to free his ffesh which hath so litle time to liue and the which is ennemy to the soule the said sick Brother must not esteeme the same to proceed of a good ground but lett him assure and repute himselfe to be carnall for he doth not seeme to be of the nomber of the true seruantes of God sith he more affecteth the body then the soule considering that he striueth to worck more therin then the Phisition findeth for his cure That the Brethren ought mutually to loue each other that they ought not to calumniat any person nor in any sort to murmure THE XI CHAPTER LEtt the Brethren be wary not to accuse any of malice or to calumniat him and lett them not be contentious among themselues or with others lett them also shunne perfidiousnes and disloyalty but lett them be carefull to performe their exercises in the grace of God with silence and lett them not maintaine quarelsome disputes neither among them selues nor with others but rather
Father as our protectour I beseech you my Brethren euen humblie kissing your feet and with the greatest charitie I can I doe exhort you to reuerence and honour with your vtmost ability the most sacred sacrament wherby heauenly and earthlie matters are reconciled with God I beseech all my brethren that are Preistes and such as in the name of God shal be when they intend to celebrate the diuine masse to be pure and neat that they may worthelie offer the true sacrifice of the most sacred bodie and bloud of our lord IESEVS CHRIST with the greatest reuerence puritie holie inteÌ„tion that they shal be able not for any humane respect for any feare or loue but that their intention be directed to God desiring to please onlie his Maiestie who sayth Doe this in remembrance of me Know then yee Preistes that he who shall doe otherwise shal be like vnto Iudas Remember the saying of the Apostle A man making the law of Moyses frustrate without any mercy dyeth vnder two or three witnesses How much more thinck you doth he deserue worse punishmente which hath trodden the Sonne of God vnder foot and esteemed the bloud of the testament polluted wherin he is sanctified and hath done contumelie to the spiritt of grace For then is a man irreuerent and treadeth on that lambe of God when as the Apostle saith he doth not examine and make a difference betweene this true bread of God and that which he doth ordinarily eat and therfore he receaueth it vnworthely For God saith in Ieremie The man is cursed that doeth negligently and feinedly And the Preistes that will not haue this care to celebrate so excellent a Mystery the most worthely that possibly can be shal be condemned of God who saith I will tourâ—e your benedictions to maledictions on your selues My brethren heare me I pray you if the glorious virgin be so much honoured as she deserueth for hauing receaued into her chast wombe our lord IESVS CHRIST If. S. Iohn Baptist trembled and durst not touch the head of IESVS CHRIST and finally if the holy sepulchre wherin IESVS CHRIST was buryed for his so small time of residence is so much reuerenced how much more ought he to be iust holy and well purged who with his handes doth handle and with his proper mouth doth receaue so high infinite a Maiesty and doth administer the same to others Remember that he is an immortall and eternall God that liueth glorious and eternall with contemplation of whose Maiesty the Angels themselues cannot be satisfied Preistes know your dignitie and be holy for God is holy and as in regard of so great a mystery and dignity you haue bin more honoured then other men remember in like sort to be also more gratefull vnto God and to reuerence loue and honour him for otherwise your misery is exceeding great and deserueth continuall teares in that you hauing in your handes the almighty God the fountaine of all good thinges you procure to haue transitory and terrestriall thinges all the world ought to tremble with feare and sweetly weepe whiles the Angels themselues bend their knees when IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of the most high is vpon the altare betweene the handes of man O merueillous highnes and diuine debasement O most high humility that the Sonne of God yea God himselfe the master and lord of the vniuersall world should so humble himselfe as to giue himselfe vnto vs hidden vnder the forme of bread Consider my brethren so profound a humility and purifie your hart before his diuine Maiestie to the end he receaue all as he giueth himselfe to all Therfore I aduertiâ—e you in the name of God that in all places where the Religious are you celebrate but one masse a day and though you haue diuers Preistes lett the rest be content to heare it for although it be seene in many pertes yet is it one and indiuisible and without any detriment true God and true man so in one sole masse he can communicate his grace to all present and absent that make themselues worthy one onlie and verie God Father Sonne and holie Ghost worcking this Amen Of the faith and knowledge of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and of the sacred Sacrament THE XLV CHAPTER TO all Christians Religious Ecclesiasticall lay men and women that are in the world Brother Francis their seruant and subiect in God desireth withall reuerence a true peace in heaueÌ„ by the sincere charity which is discended on earth As I am the seruant of you all so am I obliged to serue all and to administer vnto you the most sweet word of my lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Considering therfore in my soule that by reason of the diuers infirmities that afflict my body I cannot by corporall presence as I desire visitt you my selfe I haue thought good to supply the same by letters and by them to administer vnto you the worde of IESVS CHRIST who is the word of the eternall Father the wordes of the holy Ghost which are spiritt life I then admonish you Brethren to confesse your sinnes to a Preist with all the dilligence you can possible and att his hand to receaue the true body and bloud of IESVS CHRIST For as our Lord saith he that eateth not my flesh and drincketh not my bloud cannot haue eternall life Lett vs then endeauour worthely to receaue such so eminent a maiesty for he that receaueth it vnworthely in steed of saluatioÌ„ pourchaceth death Besides I exhort you often to visitt the holy churches and to reuerence Preistes not so much in respect of themselues if they be sinners as for reuerence of the function and dignity which they haue in being ministers of the most pretious body and bloud of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which by them is offered on the altare receaued and administred vnto vs without which none can be saued by the holy wordes which they vtter and minister he discendeth from heauen to earth and none but they can doe it O how happy and blessed are they who loue God withall their hart with all their soules and with all their forces and their neighbour as themselues I inuite you all my brethren and you my sisters to this loue lett vs all with one accord loue God with one pure affection of our hart adore him because that is the thing which he especially requireth and demaundeth of vs as himselfe hath said the true adorers adore in spiritt and truth and it is necessary for them that adore him to doe it in that manner Our lord said to his disciples I am the way the verity the life No man coÌ„meth to the Father but by me If you had knowne me my Father also certes you had knowen from hencefoorth you shall know him and you haue seen him Phillip said to him Lord shew vs the Father it sufficeth vs. IESVS said to him So long time I am
thou bestow on him that should giue thee feet and he answeared that he would giue him an hundred duckettes if he had so much And if one would giue thee handes he answeared he would giue him al his welth moueables immoueables If one would giue thee eyes to him sayd he I would oblige my selfe in seruice al my life You must now theÌ„ brother that in this world God hath giuen thee feet handes and eyes and the whole body with all thy teÌ„porall and spirituall substance therfore thou must endeauour to please him and to acknwledge such and so many benefites for which thou oughtest to serue him all the time of thy life A discourse of Faith THE XXIII CHAPTER ALl the thinges that can be seene related or imagined are as nothing in comparison of those that cannot be seene heard or coÌ„ceaued All the wisest and most holy personnes that haue bin are and shal be who haue spoaken and shall speake of God haue sayd nothing nor can say any thing in comparison of what he is no more then the point of a needle in respect of the heauens the earth and all the creatures therein contayned yea a thousand times lesse Two Religious of the Order of S. Dominick one day visiting Brother Giles and discoursing which him of faith one of them sayd sainct Iohn the Euangelist hath recorded many merueilous thinges of God Wherto the holy Father answeared Brother S. Iohn hath sayd nothing of God The Religious replyed Father consider well if you please what you say for S. Augustin is of opinion that if S. Iohn had spoaken more highly of God no mortall man could aue vnderstood him Br. Giles then againe I tell you brother and once againe I tell you that S. Iohn hath said litle or nothing of God These Religious being much troubled and scandalized att the holy Father would needes be gon and tourning away Br. Giles stayed them and shewed them a very high mountaine whereon was the oratory of Cettone neere where vnto they then were and sayd vnto them If there were one mountaine made of a thousand together so great as that you see and att the foot therof a litle bird did eat of it tell me brethren I pray you how much would he diminish of that mountaine euery day euery month euery yeare yea in an hundred yeares they answeared him that in a thousand yeares he would consume so litle as should not be perceaued The holy Father thervpoÌ„ inferred Know you my Brethren that the eternall diuinity is so immensiue and is a mountaine of such eminent hight that S. Iohn who was as a bird hath said litle or nothing in comparison of the greatnes of God These Religious acknowledgeing how prudently Brother Giles had spoaken fell att his feet confessing their errours and so retourned exceedingly edified Br. Giles one day discoursing of spirituall matters with a lawyer that was a Iudge in some place O Iudge sayd he beleeue you that the recompenses which God promiseth his seruantes are great the Iudge answeared he did Br. Giles proceeding sayd I will proue that you doe not How much are you worth the iudge answeared about a thousaÌ„d crownes Well said the Father se now how you beleeue it only in wordes for tel me if you could giue your thousand crownes for an huÌ„dred thousand would you not esteeme it a great gaine would you not presently employ them I beleeue you would and yet you will not giue them for the kingdome of heauen What followeth then but that you doe not much esteeme nor much valew the glory of the heauenly kingdome in regard of the friuolous follies of this world And the reason is because you haue no liuely faith Yet the Iudge vnwilling to yeld replyed to Br. Giles Father beleeue you that euery one worcketh as much as he beleeueth the holy Father answeared he that beleeueth well and perfectly worcketh and perfoâ—meth worckes correspondente as did the sainctes who did all the good they could and haue accomplished by pious desires what they could not performe in effect And if one haue a perfect and liuely faiâ—h he would arriue to that estate as God would giue him a perfect knowledge and assurance euen of diuine thinges as sayth the Apostle to the Romanes I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers neither thinges present nor things to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shal be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And the man that assuredly hopeth this eternall soueraine recompence doth not regard any afflictioÌ„ as on the contrary no good can satisfie him that despaireth of the eternal good in so much as a sinner should neuer despaire of the mercy of God whiles he hath life coÌ„sidering that there is no tree so thorny disordered but men if they list can prune and rectifie it Much lesse can there be so great a sinner in the world as that God cannot adorne him with his graces and vertues A discours of Charity and of what the Prophet meant when he said that all his friendes did deceaue him THE XXIV CHAPTER CHarity is the principall of all the vertues happy is he that feeleth not in himselfe any disgust of the thinges which he ought alwayes to desire Brother Giles put this question to a Religious with whome he was very familier doe you beleeue that I loue you the Religious answeared he did Wel then said the holy Father beleeue it no more for a creature ought not sincerely to loue but the Creatour who is pure and infinite An other Religious said to the holy Father I beseech you Father make me vnderstaÌ„d how that must be interpreted which the Prophet saith Euery friend deceiueth Wherto he answeared I deceiue you in that I doe not search your good as I doe mine owne For the more I repute your good to be mine owne the lesse shall I deceaue you the more a man reioyceth att his neighbours good the more doth himselfe participate therin therfore if you desire to participate therof striue to reioyce therat to procure Charity is the truest most sure way of saluation sith that therby one doth not only reioyce att the good of his neighbour but is also grieued att his crosses he beleeueth and iudgeth well of others and euill of himselfe he honoureth others and mispriseth himselfe He that will not honour an other shall not be honoured and he that knoweth not himselfe shall not be knowne he that will not weary himselfe shall not repose also the greatest of all labours and the most meritorious is to labour in piety and benignity he that doeth a good worck without loue and charity is not gratefull to God nor to his sainctes but he that for the loue of God maketh himselfe poore of temporall substance shal be rich of such as are celestial A man then ought
to be more tormented by her infirmities then she accustomed to be a sword of sorrow through-pearced the soule of her beloued daughters But a virgin seruante of IESVS CHRIST and a very deuout Religious of the Monastery of saint Paul and Order of saint Benedict had att that time this vision following It semed to her that she did visitt sainte Clare withall her sisters att saint Damian whom she saw in a sorrowfull yet precious bed about which they all lamēted expecting her death and withall she saw come to the bolster of the sayd bed a very beautifull woman who sayd to them that wept My daughters weep not for her that is yet to liue for she cannot dye til our Lord and all his disciples doe come A litle after the Romane Court was att Perusia where the encrease of sainte Clares sicknesse being diuulged the Cardinall of Hostia hastened with great dilligence to visite the espouse of IESVS CHRIST whose Father he was by office Gouernour by speciall sollicitude and Fosterer and friend in most pure and chast amitie and her he comforted applying and with his owne handes administring vnto her the most sacred sacrament of the Eucharist and then made a very deuout sermon vnto the Religious sainte Clare with great humility and in the name of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST besought him to accept in recommēdation that her family and all her other poore sisters of other Monasteries but aboue all she most instātly besought him to obtaine of the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinalls a priuiledge and confirmation of holy pouerty Wherto the Cardinall gaue his word and as a faithfull Protectour of her Religion one most deuout and affectionat to saincte Clare did afterwardes effect it For Pope Innocēt the fourth att her most instāt request confirmed the rule which the holy Father saint Francis had instituted for her as is formerly recorded of which rule S. Clare had neuer till then other cōfirmation written then that of the said Cardinall because the Pope supposing to induce sainte Clare not to bind her Religious to such an extreme pouerty did still deferre to confirme her rule by writing But Innocent the fourth seeing the perseuerāce and last will of sainte Clare graunted the same vnto her by a bull the eleuenth and last yeare of his raigne as we haue before recorded And the yeare being almost expired the Pope came with his Cardinals from Perusia to Assisium wherin the first vision touching the death of the holy virgin was accomplished for the Pope being in his office more then a man by the aucthority which he hath of IESVS CHRIST on earth whose person he representeth in the temple of the Church militant the Cardinals accompanying his holinesse represented the disciples of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How Pope Innocent the fourth visited S. Clare in her last sicknes and gaue her absolution THE XXIV CHAPTER THe diuine prouidence would no longer deferre the accomplishment of the will of S. Clare but her Spouse IESVS CHRIST came to eleuate into his celestiall Pallace his poore espouse and pilgrime on earth who desired nothing more that being deliuered of this mortall body she might haue the sight and fruition of her most glorious IESVS CHRIST in his kingdome Now then the members of this virgin being by continuance of her sicknes as vtterly decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being a token that she should in short time be called of God she also vsed it as a ladder to mount to eternall saluation Whervpon the Pope Innocent the fourth came to the Monastery of saint Damian accompanied with many Cardinals to visitt the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all women of his time and therfore worthy to haue her death honoured by his presence His holinesse then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin and comming neere to her bed he tendered her his hand to kisse which fauour saincte Clare with exceeding ioy receaued But besides that she with great humility besought him to aford her his feet to kisse The Pope to content her sate downe vpon a litle bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feet on which this sainct reuerently laid her face and mouth most affectionatly kissing them then with the serenity of an Angelicall countenance she demaunded of him remission of all her sinnes Wherto the Pope answeared would to God my deere sister I had need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefitt of absolutiō and the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receaued the most sacred communion att the hand of the Prouinciall of the Frere Minors of that prouince with her handes ioyned and her eyes eleuated towardes heauen she weeping sayd to her Religious My daughters prayse almighty God for the benefitt it hath pleased him to bestow on me this day which is such that the earth and the heauens are not of sufficiencie to recompence it sith this day I haue both receaued the same Lord and am esteemed worthy to see his vicar on earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes THE XXV CHAPTER THe daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in short time to remayne orphanes the cōsideration wherof through-pearced their soules with a most bitter griefe The heauines of sleep nor hungar could not draw them from the presence of their mother the contentment which they receaued in her presence made them forgett to eat and to sleep because all their exercise was to weepe and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the Monastery which she had newly erected att Florence to be present att her death Being then in this anguish she tourned towardes her sister and most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence Wherto sainte Clare answeared Deere sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull and weepe no more for I assure you our Lord will shortly come to you to visitt you with an exceeding consolation before your death Here followeth the testament of the holy S. Clare In nomine Domini Amen AMongest all other benefittes which we haue receaued of our bountifull benefactour the king of mercies and doe daily receiue of him for which we are most boud to praise him one is for our vocatiō which by how much greater it is by so much more are we bound vnto him the Apostle saith acknowledge your vocatiō God hath made himselfe a way which he hath shewed by word and example our holy Father S. Francis a most perfect zelatour and follower of the same way hath thaught vs wherfor my beloued Sisters we ought to marcke the vnmeasurable benefitt which God hath done vnto vs amongest the rest that which he hath vouchsafed to worcke in vs through his seruāt our Father S. Frācis not only after our cōuersion but
nor sowe I admonish you all my Sisters who are shall be that you labour to follow the way of simplicity humility pouerty and also the modesty of holy conuersation as we in the beginning of our conuersion haue bin taught of Christ and of our holy Father saint Francis through which not through our meritt but through the mercy of the liberall giuer the Father of mercies hath spread abroad the sauour of our good name as well vnto those who are far off as to such as are neere And for the charity of our Lord IESVS lett thē keepe the vniō of loue The charity which you haue interiourly shew it exteriourly by worckes to the end that through your exāple the sisters who are called vnto your profession may encrease in the loue of God mutuall charity Also I pray all those who shal be chosen in the offices of the sisters that they study to excell the others rather in vertue and modest conuersation then in their office to the end that by their example the Sisters that were called vnto the religion before them be moued to obey them not only in respect of their office but for loue The Abbesse must be carefull discreet towardes her Sisters as a good mother towardes her children She must also haue a prouident care of euery one according to their necessity of the almose which it shall please God to send her She must withall be so sweet and indifferent vnto all that the sisters may with out feare or doubt declare vnto her their necessity and that they confidently haue recourse vnto her when the Abbesse and the Sisters shall thincke it to be necessary The Sisters that are subiect lett them remember that for the loue of God they haue renounced their owne willes wherfore I will that they obey their mother as they of their one accord promised vnto God to doe to the end that their mother seeing the humility charity vnion which they haue vnto each other may easily beare the chardge with the office shesustaineth and because it is heauy bitter they must through their holy conuersatiō turne it into sweetnes And because the way is narrow the gate streight which leadeth vnto life few there are that walke in it and few that perseuer therin blessed are they that haue receiued the grace to walke in it and to perseuer vnto the end lett vs therfore be carefull if we be entred in the way of our lord that by out fault and negligence we doe not fall from the same to the end that we committ not that iniury vnto our lord to this blessed mother the glorious Virgin Mary to our holy Father sainct Francis and to the triumphant and militant church for it is written accursed are they who decline from your commandement For to obtaine this grace I bend my knee vnto the heauenly Father through the merittes of lord IESVS and of his blessed mother of our holy Father saint Francis and of all the Sainctes that it well please him of his diuine Maiestie who hath giuen a good beginning to graunt grace also that it may augment and perseuer euen vntill death Deerly beloued Sisters present and to come to the end that you may the better perseuer in your vocation I leaue vnto you this writing and in token of our Lordes benediction and of the benedictiction of our holy Father saint Francis and of me your mother and seruant The end of the testament of the glorious Virgin saincte Clare Here ensueth S. Clares Benediction vnto her Sisters present and to come IN the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen My deerly beloued Sisters our lord giue you his holy benedictiō and behold you with his holy eye of mercy giuing you his peace as also to all those that shall enter and perseuer in this our Colledge and monastery and vnto all other of the Order who shall perseuer vnto the end in this holy pouerty I Clare seruant of IESVS CHRIST and litle plante of our holy Father S. Francis your mother Sister though vnworthy doe beseech our lord IESVS CHRIST that by the intercession of his most holy mother of the holy Archangell S. Michaell and of all the holy Angels of our holy Father S. Francis and of al the holy Saintes that it wil please him to giue and confirme vnto you this benediction in heauen and in earth by multiplying in you his holy grace and in heauen by eleuating you into the eternall glory with his saintes And I giue you my benediction in my life and after my death in all that I am able and more then I am able Withall the blessinges wherwith the Father of mercies hath or shall blesse his spirituall children both in heauē and earth or that the spirituall mother doth or shal be able to blesse her spirituall chirldren Amen Be alwayes louers of God of your soule and of your Sisters and be alwayes carefull to keepe that which you haue vowed to God Our lord be alwayes with you and you with him Amē Of the death of the blessed Virgin S. Clare and of a vision which one of her Religious saw THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy virgin and seruant of IES CH. was many dayes towardes the end of her life afflicted with diuers diseases The faith deuotiō which att that time each one boare her exceedingly encreased yea so far foorth as she was honoured as a S. being ordinarily visited by Cardinals Bishoppes and other Prelates But which is more admirable to heare hauing bin seauenteen dayes without force to receaue any sustenāce that was presented vnto her she was neuertheles so fortified of God and encouraged of his diuine Maiesty that she exhorted all those that would comfort her to be prompt in the seruice of God A Religious mā intending to comfort her and to persuade her to haue patience in so grieuous a sicknesse that procured her so much torment she with a smiling countenance cleare voyce answeared him Brother since the time that I knew the grace of my God by meanes of his seruant saint Francis no paine hath bin troublesome vnto me no penance hath seemed difficult nor no sicknesse ircksome And as almighty God approached neere vnto her her soule being as it were att the dore to goe forth the blessed virgin would haue the most pious and spirituall Frere Minors to be present to discourse vnto her of the passiō of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and by their pious wordes to enflame her more in the loue of God Wherfore some of them who were vnto her true Brethren in our Redeemer CHRIST IESVS were present and amōg others Br. Iuniperus the familier of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who often vttered vnto her such fiery and enflamed wordes of the omnipotēt God that she by his presēce being filled with an extreme ioy one day demaunded of him if he then knew nothing new of almighty God whervpon Br. Iuniperus opening his
a difficult and dangerous enterprise we are therein much more induced by example then by any persuasions of whom soeuer though we acknowledg them to be certainlie true None could be found that would resolue ioyfully to embrace the vertue of pouerty humility chastity fasting and other peniteÌ„tiall labours if he knew not that others not only with wordes exteriourly but really with worckes haue embraced the same Neither was it for any other cause that our Lord IESVS Christ would personnaly come into this world but by example to shew vs the way of our saluation and his holy wil because the examples aduertissementes of his faithfull seruantes would not suffice to retire vs from our euill conuersation and way and to setle vs in his no not the preceptes which he had giuen in the first written law But when he began to walke this way how many were there that would accompagny him very seriously seruing him euen till their death and this only for his loue The Church therfore knowing right well the glory that redoundeth to almightie God and the fruit which men gather by the memory of the life of our lord IESVS Christ and of his sainctes doth euery day propose and sett them before our eyes in the diuine office in the sacrifices and solemnities that it should not be tedious vnto vs to follow and imitate them whome we prayse and whose memory we honour and that likewise we should not esteeme it labourious to walke that way which alone conducteth vs to eternall life Hereof mayest thou consider deuout Reader what vse almightie God maketh of his elect in fauour of vs because we are saith S. Iohn coadiutors to the saluation of soules we may hence also conceiue how greatlie we are obliged to the trueseruantes of God who haue so put themselues to paines in the exercise of vertues that they haue left the way open that such as seeke it may finde it and by their examples haue taught vs which it is and with whath force and industry we may attaine vnto true glory Those of former ages guided only by naturall light did vse exceeding diligence to induce and animate themselues by the examples of their famous predecessours vsing them as so many spurres vnto vertrue to the end they might in no time be defectiue in the obligation they had both to their natiue country and to their owne honour and indeed the milke wher with they nourced their childreÌ„ in their publique schooles was the generous actes of their ancestours which were red vnto them in poemes and orations that by meanes of those examples the children might be affected to vertue and enflamed with desire of glory although it was more vaine then vertuous This is of such force that euen at this present many of our Christians following the same practise cause their children to spend the most entiere parte of their age in committing to memory the heroyicall actes of the ancient Grecians and Latines But would to God that too many did not employ and wast all their life in this study and that many others were not more affected to Homer Cicero and Virgil then to IESVS Christ O extreme indignity of Christians deseruing sharp reprehension and eternall punishment in regard that they glory to be imitatours of the superstitious Gentils who as they wanted faith and the true light illuminating the hart of Christians so was not their vertue true and solid but exteriour and vaine And although that in that time of obscure darcknes they gaue to men some sparckle of light some litle knowledg of vertue more with wordes then with effect these Pagans neuertheles persiste in obscurity euen in the cleare day of the true light of our lord IESVS Christ the soueraigne truth and perfection and are vnworthy to be honoured in comparison of true Christians who being illuminated with the light of faith can easily discerne iudge and condemne the world with his vnwise adherentes because as the Apostle S. Paul Saith the spirituall man knoweth and iudgeth al thinges Pagans on the contrary glorying and esteemning themselues wise with their eloquence become sottish and ignorant as hauing attributed and giuen vnto creatures that which appertayned only to the Creatour but they whose cogitation and confidence is more setled and grounded on the diuine will and doctrine then humane and do follow celestiall not earthly Philosophy such I say shal only arriue to heauen whence first discended their knowledge they cannot erre being taught by the eternall wisdome neither shall they euer want glory euen amoÌ„g mortall people though they haue with all possibility shunned the same but shal be illustrious to all the world For though antiquity haue exceedingly honoured great ambitious personnes that desired to leaue some memory and renowne of themselues in this world after their death yet our holy mother the Church doth farre more exalt and make more glorious our Sainctes continually in the predications feastes and solemnities which for them and in their honour are celebrated besides that we beleeue that they liue and gloriously raigne in heauen in the contemplation of their Lord. So that the true seruantes of God are blessed among Angels and honoured among men as eminent sainctes as great they are and worthy of all reuerence Altars are euery where consecrated and churches bult in their names their images are honoured their wordes and workes are highly commended and preached their reliques are reuerenced and worshipped on earth their soules glorified in heauen and the miracles and excellent workes both ancient and moderne which our lord in them and by them hath wrought are with exceeding great glory admired Our Lord euen in this world recompenceth his elect who not in appareâ—e but in effect are vertuous and holy and incorruptedlie conserue their faith to their Creatour When was there euer found in any time among the ancient naturalistes such constancie such faith temperance magnanimity sweetnes mercy iustice fortitude and loyaulty as hath bin found in our Christians who by no kinde of threates or faire speeches of Tyrantes could be induced to leaue their obedience vnto God could neuer be corrupted by any promise or recompence nor haue bin inclined by any kinde of flatteries or fauours but persisting firme constant in the truth haue nothing esteemed nor feared the terrible and horrible tormentes were they neuer so barbarous nor in the extremity of them or death it selfe but haue alwayes remayned immoueable and inuincible in true vertu piety not desiring reuenge or detriment to the persecutours or executioners but pardon and saluation praying vnto God for them And all this not att their death only but euen in their life For there is no kinde of vertue wherin the sainctes haue not excelled some in purity of virginity others in continencie with great labour subiecting the flesh to the spirit that euen on earth leading a life more angelical then humane they might purchase eternall glory in heauen others renouncing kingdomes estates and dignities
and damnation to the disobedient and such as erre from the said most holy Faith and to this end would he by his immensiue charity assuming our nature therwith satisfie all our offences and die on the wood of the crosse for our sinnes and would afterwardes leaue vs the meritt of his passion in the sacrament of holy baptisme wherby we are new borne to eternall life that all our sinnes dying we may sett our selues free from the captiuity of the deuill and from eternall death which this cruell ennemy hath from time to time procured vs. Great Soldan proceeded the S. open the eares and eyes of thine vnderstanding misprise not the Embassadge which thine omnipotent eternall king sendeth thee permitt his grace to enter into thy hart and by his holy light he will giue thee instant knowledg of the great blindes wherin till this day thou hast liued and consider attentiuely how much thou art bound vnto his diuine maiesty letting thee now vnderstand that he can giue thee a kingdome in heauen much greater then this which he hath giuen thee here one earth But if thou perseuer in thine errour be thou assured of the punishment prepared for thee for thou must know that soone or late thou must fall into his handes yeld him an account both of thy sinnes and of thy vassals The holy Father spake these and many other like wordes with such feruour and vehemencie of spiritt that all those present though they were all infidels did manifestlie know that the said wordes proceeded of a more then humane vertue And they were indeed vttered with the same spiritt that God promised his seruantes saying I will giue you a tongue and wisdome which the princes of the world shall not be able to resist Now the Soldan acknowledgeing so great a vertue in the seruant of God he gaue him thanckes with much reuerence and tokens of curtesie then asked him concerning new difficulties being very attentiue to the answeares which the holy Father gaue him as a man sent him from God and therfore very instantlie prayed him not retourne to the Christians but to remaine with him the seruant of IESVS CHRIST cntierly circumvested with zeale of the faith thervpon made him this answeare Great Soldan If you with all your people wil be conuerted I will right gladly remayne with you and if you haue any doubt that detaineth you from leauing your beleefe for mine because the time is very short you may presentlie make proofe therof lett there be made a great fire in the middes of the army then call your Sacrificers and Religious command vs all to enter into the middes of the fire and afterwardes follow their faith that by their God shall be preserued The Soldan amazed att the proposition made by the holy Father said I doe not thinck that any of our Religious will make this triall Wherin he was not deceaued for he had scarcely vttered that word but one of his Collociers there present very aged and among the Turcks reputed for a S. hearing it incontinentlie slipt away fearing that the Soldan accepting the condition he should be deuoured by the flames The holie Father then addressing himselfe againe into the Soldan said Mighty Soldan wilt thou promise vnto God to become Christian if I my selfe alone goe into the fire Wherto I am now readilie prepared The Soldan answeared him that he durst not then make any such promise much lesse accept such offer fearing that such an vnwonted attēpt might raise some tumult in his army neuertheles it wrought much fruit in his hart and though for the present he did not resolue to be baptised yet he remayned exceedinglie aflected to the holy Father to whome he offered a great quantity of gold siluer and apparell for himselfe and his companions which the Saint no more esteemed then verie filth not vouchsafing to behold the same which much more amazed the Soldan yet he prayed him againe to accept those presents to dispose them in almose for his soule albeit he were not as yet resolued to be baptised But his requestes were vaine S. Francis then determined to passe further as not finding any firme and stable resolution in the Soldan though he prayed the holy Father to visitt him often affirming that he would conferre more amply with him graunted him letters patentes by vertue wherof he his Br. might freely preach ouer all his kingdome wherwith S. Francis departed How S. Francis and his companions preached the faith to the kingdome of the Soldan and how he miraculously resisted a More that tempted him to carnality THE LXX CHAPTER SAinct Francis diuided his companions and sent them ouer Egipt Syria and himselfe with Brother Illuminatus went through all the kingdome continually preaching the gospell And being on a time enforced to rest himselfe in a certaine place expecting the mitigation of the stormy weather he retired into a house to lodge where in was a More who in the lineamentes and proportion of her face was faire and of comely grace but in spiritt extremelie loath some she induced by the deuill that one each side cast his snares to surprise the S. went to him into a chamber where purposely she had placed him alone and instantlie prayed him to sinne with her the S. answeared her woman if thou wilt that I offend with thee thou must also yeld to me in my request Wherto the amourous More presentlie accorded S. Francis then incōtinently goeing to a great fire that was there spreding it abroad layed downe and stretched himselfe theron inuiting the More to keepe her promise and lye with him one that bed so gorgious and resplendat The More remayned a while pensiue betweene loue and feare expecting the issue but att length seeing him to turne one the coales as if he had bin one roses and lillies she acknowledged her selfe and her sinne and was baptised and afterwards by vertue of the miracle of the S. as an other Samaritane conuerted many Mores vnto IESVS CHRIST The S. hauing vpon this occasion seiourned there certaine dayes went on his iorney cōming within three or four leagues of Antioch to a place called Mōtenegro where was a Monastery of Religious of the Order S. Be. he there made some stay in such sort cōported him selfe that in few dayes the Abbott all the Religious renūcing all their possesiōs into the hādes of the Patriarck became Freer Minors In the meane while it chaunced vnto two other of his companions that they seeming to a More so miserable he of compassion offered them almose which they refusing in any sort to receaue the More demaunded them wherfore they would not accept the same wherto they answeared that for the Ioue of God they would possesse neither mony or any other thing in this world the More was therwith so touched that he sodenly receaued them into his affection yea into such amity that thence forward he had
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
manifestation that he had not any thing in this world and with the more facility to wrestle against his furious aduersary in this last conflict and triall wherin consisted the crowne he with an exceeding feruour and courage stript himselfe all naked as he had bin without any infirmity then cast himselfe on the ground couering with his left hand the precious wound of his right hand and tourning his ioyfull face towardes the kingdome whither he was to goe he began to prayse and blesse his sweet lord IESVS CHRIST that being dischardged and freed of all worldly impedimentes he might ascend to heauen and enioy his diuine Maiestie then tourning towardes his Religious he said vnto them My deere Brethren I haue to this present done what I ought to doe These wordes were diuersely vnderstood of the Religious some of them wept in regard he was to leaue them without Pastour and gouernour others because he seemed to leaue them as men forlorne others for other occasions only the Guardian whome he obeyed vnderstood the desire of the holy Father wherfore taking presentlie an habitt with the cord and linnen breeches brought and gaue it vnto him saying Father take this habitt which I lend you with the corde and breeches that you may be buryed therwith as a poore creature who of your selfe haue not so much as wherwith to couer your nakednes I command you to receaue it in this your last houre euen by the vertue and meritt of obedience wherof the Sainct discouered to haue the greatest contentment that can be imagined considering that in this extremity he had obserued his holy pouerty in such sort as he desired euen to the last end He contentedlie accepted the breeches but to conforme himselfe entierlie to his truely-beloued IESVS CHRIST that would dye naked on the crosse to the performance wherof wanting nothing but to dye naked hauing already bin and euen for the present being admirably crucified by the vertue of the almighty he commaunded his Religious not only to permitt him to dye on the ground but euen to leaue him there a long time after his death Hauing procured to be brought vnto him the holy Sacramentes and they being successiuely administred vnto him those I meane which the Church accustometh to afford such as are ready to dye he lastly tourned towardes his Religious to whome he made a worthy sermon exhorting them to the loue of God then of their neighbour and especially to obedience vnto his holie Romane Church next to obserue their pouerty and before the same and all other thinges to be alwayes mindfull to preferre the obseruance of the holy ghospell and the diuine counsailes therof Then crossing his hādes this great Patriarch of the poore gaue his holy benediction to all his Religious both present and absent saying My deere Brethren God of his mercy blesse you as also I blesse you be it his holy will to confirme me it in heauen Remayne ye all in his holy feare perseuering alwayes therin for the time of afflictions approach wherin they shal be happy who shall perseuer euen to the end remayne ye all in his holy obedience as you haue solemnely promised vnto him Finally remayne ye all in his most holy peace and in charity among your selues God blesse you I goe in great hast vnto God to whose grace I recommend you Amen Which hauing said he asked for the gospell and speaking no more to any person he only desired that place to be read vnto him where is mentioned the departure of our lord Ante diem festum paschae which being read to the end he began to say to himselfe Voce mea ad Dominum clamaui And being come to the verse Educ de custodia animam meam that is deliuer my soule if thou please my God out of this prison that it may attaine to thee my God and my lord where the iust expect me to the end thou mayest giue me my recompence Which being ended this holy soule at it desired was deliuered out of the prison of her proper flesh and eleuated to heauen there foreuer to enioy the eternall bounty with all the sainctes his elected of both sexes in that degree which his diuine maiestie ordayned and parepared for him How some saw the soule of the glorious Father sainct Francis ascend in glory THE LXXI CHAPTER THis holy soule failed not to appeare to some when it ascended to the celestiall glory For Brother Angelus a Religious of worthy sanctity being att that time prouinciall of the prouince of Naples and very neere his end saw in an instant the soule of the sainct as a resplendant starre on the toppe of a verie bright cloud to be transported aboue the great waters and directlie mounted and eleuated into heauen And albeit he had the space of two dayes lost his speech he neuertheles then resumed his spirittes for seeing the blessed spiritt of the sainct he began to crye out Stay for me Father stay for me for I goe also with you The Religious asking what he meant therbie See you not said he our holie Father sainct Francis that now goeth to the glory of Paradice which hauing spoaken he yelded his soule to God and followed his most holy Father The Bishop of Assisium being gone in pilgrimage to visitt the Church of S. Michael the Archangell on the mount Gargan S. Francis appeared vnto him the very night of his death and said My lord know that I haue left the world and goe to heauen The Bishop therfore being risen told his people that S. Francis was dead the night before which was proued to be true An other Religious of this Order being the same night rapt into deep contemplation saw the blessed Deacon of IESVS CHRIST vested with a very rich tunicle accompanyed with a great multitude of soules that attended him as a worthy Prince who so ascended into a pallace of merueillous beauty and eminency it is piously beleeued that the said soules were by his merittes deliuered out of Purgatory This glorious soule ascended to glory accompanied with many Angels that attended and visited him continually in this life and is now seated among the Seraphins which glory he merited not only in this life by the excessiue and Seraphicall loue of God but also it appartayned vnto him in regard of the Seraphicall vision of IESVS CHRIST who transformed him into himselfe making him a Seraphin by gtace and sealing the same with diuine seales as hath bin reuealed to many holy personnes worthy of creditt as well during the life of the Sainct as after his death The verie birdes and particulerlie the Larckes that were much beloued and verie familiar vnto him did exceedinglie reioyce att his glorie a great flight of them appearing verie earlie the next morning on the roufe of the house where sainct Francis lay dead warbling a verie delightfull and extraordinarie note yea as it were miraculous which continued diuers howers celebrating the prayses
the holy Father S. Francis had with God euen in desperate matters An other accident like vnto this happened att sainct Seuerin in the Marquisat of Ancona in this sort A very great stone being brought from Constantinople and by the helpe of diuers men carryed into the Church of the said S. in laying it downe it so slipt that a man fell directly vnder it but the stone att the very instant raysed it selfe S. Francis appeared to the miserable labourer whome he caused sound safe to arise albeit he was esteemed vtterly crushed in peeces A Burgesse of Gayette called Bartholomew earnestly employed in building the Church of S. Francis there to be erected a beame of timber being not well setled fell vpon his neck so that he was esteemed a dead man as well therfore as he could he required the B. Sacrament of a Religious there present who supposing it impossible for him to liue till the same might be procured vsed vnto him these wordes of S. Augustin Crede manducast◠beleeue and make account that thou hast eaten and receaued it then he caused him to be carryed to his house The night following S. Francis with eleuen Religious appeared vnto him holding before him a litle lābe and drawing neere the bed he called him saying Bartholomew feare not for the deuill shall not be able to hinder thee from labouring in my seruice Behold the lambe which thou diddest require to be giuen thee whome thou hast receaued by thy good and pious desire and by vertue wherof thou shalt recouer health of bodie and soule Then hauing layd on him his sacred hand and giuen him his holy benediction he commanded him to goe finish the worck begun He being vtterlie amazed arising in the morning entirely cured of so mortall a blow retourned with alacrity to his labour which passed with incredible admiration to all those that had left him for dead who awakened their soules disposing them to loue and deuoutlie to reuerence the holy Father S. Francis In the towne of Ceperan there was a man called Nicholas who was so wounded by his ennemies that they left him for dead vpon the pauement But whiles they stroke him he alwayes with a loud voice cryed out S. Francis helpe me which crye was heard a farre of by diuers who from the place where they were could not so redely releiue him but came to see him when the fact was done and carryed him into his house where he assured them that albeit they saw him all bathed in his bloud notwithstanding he should not dye of those woundes wherof he neither felt any kinde of paine and that this proceeded of the helpe he had receaued of the holy Father S. Francis and also that he had obtayned of God time for to doe penance The successe confirmed the same for being washed from his bloud he was withall cured of his woundes to the great astonishment of those that had seene and carryed him into his house In the towne of S. Geminian a gentlemans sonne had a flux of bloud issuyng out of his eyes and mouth which had brought him to extremity that nothing was expected but his death and had in deed diuers effects or tokens of death as feeblenes of his spiritt losse of his hearing his members also were so weakened that he seemed insensible and att euery moment was expected the yelding vp of his spiritt Many therfore of his fathers freindes repairing as the manner is to comfort him they had no other discourse but of his buriall But the father that had a great faith and confidence in God though as a man he was exceedinglie afflicted entertayned in his conceit a pious cogitation which he put in execution for leauing all those that were come to comfort him he retired himselfe alone into the Church of S. Francis that was neere vnto his house where falling prostrate on the groōd he putt his girldle about his necke and prayed to S. Francis that he would please to be a meditatour for the health of his sonne in such sort and with so great a faith so profound a humility and such dolorous plaintes and teares that he merited to be heard of IESVS CHRIST then filled with hope he retourned to his house where he found his kinred and freindes full of ioy for the health which his sonne had recouered so that they and he together chaunged their teares into ioy and their affliction into contentmēt So by the intercession of the said S. the death of the sonne was tourned into life And afterward they altogether gaue thanckes to God and his freindes and kinred departed exceedinglie comforted and edified by the vertue of the holy father S. Francis Our Lord IESVS CHRIST wrought a like action by the merites of this glorious S. in a towne called Tamarit in Catalonia where he restored health to a yong gentlewoman as also to an other of Ancona who had a daughter ready to dye through the extremity of her disease whose father inuocating the S. obtayned his daughters health A Preist named Mattheiw of a citty called Ville-blāche hauing drunk a deadly poyson incontinentlie lost his speech his tongue and bodie swelled in such sort that death only was expected An other Preist being present att this pittifull spectacle persuaded him to be incontinentlie confessed the other fell on his knees but could not vtter so much as one word wherfore making vse of reason he humblie recommended himselfe vnto God in heart beseeching him to vouchsafe by the merittes of his seruant Francis to free him from such an odious death At the verie instant which was admirable he began with a loud voice to inuocate the name of S. Francis then he vomited the venime which he had receaued yelding thanckes to God and S. Francis How S. Francis deliuered many pilgrimes from tempests and misfortunes of the sea THE VIII CHAPTER CErtaine nauigatours were on a time in this sort in peril of death they being some fiue leagues distant from the harbour of Barut the windes and tempestes growing violent fearing to be drowned they cast ankor but their disaster by the impetuositie of the windes so encreased and the seas in such sort swelled that the cables breaking the ankors did stick fast to the bottome and the vessell floated heere and there without hope of safety by reason of the incertaintie of the course of the waters and the inequalitie of the tide till it pleased God to calme the sea when the mariners as halfe dead began to seeke their ankors in the sea where they perceaued the cables there employing all the dilligence and art they could deuise But their labour vainlie spent they inuocated the assistance of diuers sainctes And being exceedinglie wearied one of them whose name was Perfectus though of condicion verie lewd and imperfect said in scoffing manner to his companions You haue implored the assistance of so manie Sainctes yet haue they not heard you lett vs a litle inuocate that
prepared for thē that loue him perfectly And as the cōtēplatiue S. Bernard saith it is not permitted to all or in one same place and degree to enioy the secrett and glorious presence of God but according as the celestiall Father determineth to each one because we haue not elected God but he vs who hath giuen place proper to each one of his SS each one is where he hath bin placed S. Mary Magdalē found place to her was graunted the feet of our Lord I. C. S. Thomas the Apostle was admitted to his side S. Peter to the bosome of the Father S. Iohn to the breast of I. C. S. Paul was eleuated to the third heauē the sacred woūdes of our Lord I. C. were cōmunicated vnto S. Francis Who thē shall presume to haue a desire to know the perfectiō merittes of such a greatnes as S. Mary Magdalē reposed on the bed of true penance S. Thomas in the light of truth S. Peter in the chaire of faith S. Iohn in the fournace of charity S. Paul in the throne of wisdome and S. Francis in the loue trāsformation of I. C. we cānot for it is not permitted vs but only to follow imitate the SS in the worckes perfections which are mercifully reuealed by our Lord I. C. therfore to giue in finite thanckes to the author of all goodnes that by the merittes of his sainctes by their intercession and his diuine grace he conduct vs to that perfection in this life and that in the other we may enioy the eternall glorie Amen The end of the third booke and first volume of Chronicles of the Frere Minors wherin is conteined the life death and miracles of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS CONTEINING THE MARTYRDOME of diuers Religious of the Order of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis Translated by the partie aforesaid THE SECOND VOLVME How S. Francis sent certaine Religious to preach the faith of Iesus Christ vnto the Mores in Spaine THE FIRST CHAPTER IN the yeare of grace 1219. the glorious Father S. Francis kept the great generall chapter att Pentecost wherat all the Religious of his Order assembled as it hath bin amplie declared in the first booke of the first volume of these present Chronicles This Chapter was held eleuen years after that Pope Innocent the third had with his owne mouth confirmed the Order of the Frere Minors the fourth yeare of the Popedome of Pope Honorious the third of blessed memory who then piously gouerned the Church In this Chapter it was reuealed vnto S. Francis that he should againe send his Religious ouer the world to preach the faith of IESVS CHRIST as well amongest Christians as Pagans After this the most capable Religious of the Order were chosen for Prouincials S. Francis applyed himselfe to obey the holy will of God And because the rage of the Mores was spred ouer three partes of the world Asia Africa and Europe he resolued to send his Religious into those partes to preach the truth of the faith of IESVS CHRIST to reduce the Pagans from their damnable errours And to make a beginning he chose Asia for himselfe whither he went with eleuen of his Brethren and preached to the Soldan and the Mores of his kingdome He sent Brother Giles into Africa with Religious of like feruour and deuotion who thincking to preach to the Mores were apprehended by Christians and very vnwillingly brought back into Italy He sent six Italian Religious of very perfect life into Spaine where the Emperour Miramolin of Marocco persecuted the Christians The said Religious were Brother Vital Brother Berard Brother Peter Brother Adiutus Brother Accursus and Brother Otto of whome the first Brother Vital was by the holy Father constituted their superiour Brother Berard was an excellent preacher in the Arabian tongue Brother Otto was a Preist Brother Adiutus and Brother Accursus were lay Brethren the rule so tearming the Religious that keep not the quiet Now sainct Francis hauing called them said My children God hath commanded me to send you to preach the holy faith vnto the Mores and to impugne the sect of Mahomet and therfore my freindes hold your selues ready to execute his holy will in such sort as you shall see cause Goe yee I say my beloued ioyfully preparing your soules to the crowne which it shall please his diuine Maiesty to bestow vpon you performing his holy will according as you shall feele your selues inspired They as obedient children only bended their heades and crossed their armes expecting his holy benediction but the holy Father first made them this exhortation My deere children I haue certaine wordes to deliuer you that you may the better effect this commandement of God to his glorie and the saluation of your soules Be yee carefull to keepe peace among your selues and be not Brothers so much in habitt and profession as in spiritt and will Next haue speciall care to fly enuie which was the first cause of our damnation support with patience and be ioyfull in persecutions and humble before God and men and by this meane you shall obtaine victorie against your ennemis visible and inuisible Be yee mindefull to imitate with all your power our Lord IESVS CHRIST and to follow him in the strictest manner you can in all the three vowes in obedience obeying your superiour as he one earth obeyed his parentes in pouerty liuing therin as he did for he would be borne liue and dye poore and did alwayes preach pouerty to teach vs the same and in chastity liuing and persisting chast not only in bodie but euen in spirit sith our Lord so muchloued this vertue that he would be borne of a virgin and presently after his Natiuity would haue for his first fruites the holie Virgin Innocentes and being on the Crosse he would dye betwene two virgins his Blessed Mother and S. Iohn the Euangelist Cast all your cogitations and hopes in God and he will assist and conduct you Carry with you the rule and the Breuiary and say the diuine office the most deuoutly you can Lett Brother Vital be your superiour and therfore obey him entierly but aboue all be mindefull to meditate cōtinually on the passion of our lord IESVS CHRIST for that is it which shall make all incommodities sweet vnto you and all trauell pleasing in this long iorney into Spaine which you are to attempt and in the conuersation and commerce which yee are to haue with the Mores the ennemies of their Creatour Beleeue I pray you that there is nothing doth separate you from me but the glorie of God and the saluation of soules for but for that I would neuer disioyne you from me And God knoweth the greife and affliction which my hart feeleth for your departure though in deed your prompt obedience doth much comfort me but it is necessarie that we preferre the will of our lord before our owne These good
blindesse that held him in the handes of the deuill in this life and led him to eternall damnation in the other inducing him to embrace the sole true faith of IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour who out of pure loue being God vouchsased to become man and to dye on the tree of the Crosse to deliuer him from eternall death and ascending into heauen prepared for him an immortall life But this Morian king and his people shewing themselues deafe to this discourse determined to separate these Religious one from an other and then to each in particular were offered in the behalfe of the king richesse and honours att lenght they were threatened with most cruell tormentes yea with death it selfe if they would not accept of their law Their threates auayled as much as their promises for God had so transpearced their spiritt with the sweet nailes of his loue that they all in their hartes spake these wordes of S. Paule Who shall euer separate vs from the charity of IESVS shall the sword afflictions worldly fauours and richesse the pleasures of the flesh or any other allu rementes and withall couragiously answeared and derided their threates accusing Mahomett whome they tearmed accursed and his law contemptible carnall and damnable A certaine Preuost then drew his sword and gaue their superiour Father Daniel a dash on the head then ayming his sword point att his face and att his hart he said conuert thee traytor or I will procure thee a cruell death which he did to terrifie the other six who were by the Iudge and the Counsailers there present persuaded not to misprise the fauour of the king and to haue compassion att least of their miserable liues but they confidently answeared them and exhorted them that being old and already as it were in the mouth of death so that they could not long enioy the contentmentes of this life they would not persist in obstinacy least their soules were eternally condemned to hell for adhering to men of this world and to a law that their owne consciences knew to be false as apparently as a thing to be touched with the finger But these old men held themselues so offended with this speech though they had bin very fauourable and respectiue vnto them that they resolued their death How the seauen Martyrs were condemned to death and beheaded THE XXXIV CHAPTER THe iudge therevpon gaue Order that as enemies of the law of God they should be beheaded wherwith the holy Martyrs exceeding well pleased did encourage each other and then the six Religious addressing themselues to their superiour Father Daniel and kissing his handes gaue him thanckes for procuring them these marriages each of them asked his benediction and the grace to be the first martyred for the loue of God This good Father hauing his eyes beteared with ioy thancking God for such a singuler gifte and giuing them his benediction he said My deerly beloued children lett vs all reioyce in God in this festiuall day which he hath pleased to ordaine for the last of our pilgrimage and be not terrified for all his Angels are present prepared to assist vs they haue opened vs the gate of Paradice whither if he please we shall this day arriue together to receiue the crounes of martyrdome and to be eternally glorious These wordes ended the executioners stripped the seauen martyrs inuincible champions of IESVS and hauing bound their handes behinde their backes they conducted them out of the kinges Pallace with a trompettt before them as if they had bin attainted of some notorious crime But these holy Religious as meeke lambes went to the slaughter and hauing their spiritt eleuated to the soueraigne God ceassed not preach to the Mores by the way Being come to the place of execution they fell on their knees and recommending thēselues to God they ioyfully receaued martyredome offering vp their innocent soules vested with the pious purple of their very bloud with a great admiratiō to the Mores who as enraged were not satisfied herewith esteeming themselues as indeed they had reason rather vanquished then to haue ouercome These Ministers of the deuill tooke those holy bodies dismembred them and trayned them thorough the dirt till they were weary and then the Christians secretly gathered them vp and carryed them into the suburbes where they were and are honoured and reuerēced for many miracles which by their merittes God wrought there wherof hauing no other asseurance then the affirmation of the inhabitants of the place I thought it not expedient to committ them to writing as determining to insert nothing in these chronicles but what is most true and autenticalll It sufficeth that Pope Leo the tenth graunted and permitted the Freere Minors to celebrate their feast on the day of their Martyrdome which was the tenth of October 1227. a yeare after the death of S. Francis So is it att this day celebrated in the bishopprick of Brague the Primacie of Spaine though in the office of Bracare it is put in the yeare 1221. but it is an errour of the Printer It is recorded in the end of the legende that a Prince of Portugall by a speciall fauour obtayned these resiques and carryed them into Spaine but there is not to be found any other perticuler mention of certainty in the bookes of the Order The 35. Chapter is put after the 39. of this very booke as more proper vnto it The triumph of two Martyrs of Valencia How two Religious which S. Francis sent to Valencia in Arragon were Martyred there THE XXXVI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis sent two Religious of pious life to the kingdome of Arragon to witt Brother Iohn a Preist Peter a lay Brother who arriuing att the citty of Teruel they caused a chappell to be built there wherin they dwelt employing their time in pious exercises and prayers and liued vertuously with exceeding edification and by their preachinges filled the citty with a most sweet odour of their sanctity The citty of Valencia was then possessed by the Mores mortall ennemies of the Christians and therein raigned their king Azot a most cruell persecutor of the faith of IESVS CHRIST and therfore these two seruantes of God resolued to preach there and to offer their liues for the saluation of soules so passionate was their zeale of the faith and their desire of Martyrdome So then goeing and entring in to the Citty they began to confesse and resolutely denounce to that people the word of God condemning their erronious sect as pernicious and damnable Wherof the king hauing first made them all kinde of gracious offers to allure them to his law them vsing terrible threates to feare them and perceiuing that he no more auayled in the one sort then the other he caused their heades to be cutt off on the feast of the decollation of S. Iohn Baptist in the yeare 1231. and their bodyes were carefully gotten and buryed by the Christians God by their merittes working many miracles How the reliques
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
a heat and sting of sensuality that loosing all hope of force to ouercome so great a temptation he diuers times required his apparell of the sayd Father Simon to retourne to the world affirming that he could no longer remaine in Relligion but the good Father comforted him and still deferred him to an other time Neuertheles his temptations encreased daily And as one day he exceedingly vrged him to permitt him to depart out of relligion this holy Father hauing compassion of him commanded him to sitt downe by him which the nouice hauing done he layd his head on his lappe then lifting his eyes towardes heauen he with such feruour prayed for him that being rapt in extasie he was heard in such sort that the Nouice was so deliuered of his temptations that thenceforward his sensuall heat was tourned into the fier of charity wherof he made demonstration after he had made his vow by this accident A lewd fellow was condemned for his misdeedes to haue his eyes crushed out this Religious hauing heard report hereof moued with charity towardes his neighbour went and most instantly prayed the iudge to temper iustice with mercy and to mittigate the sentence giuen against that criminell The Iudge answeared that he could not This good Religious then fell on his knees before the Iudge and with tearfull eyes besought him that the sentence then might be executed on himselfe in regard that the party condemned would not endure the torment nor support the disgrace so patiently as himselfe The Iudge moued with such wordes and admiring the Charity of this Religious pardoned for that time the malefactor This holy Father being in prayer in a solitary place many birdes came ouer him and by their singing made so great a noyse as they distracted him Wherfore he commanded them in the name of God to depart and they redily obeyed The houre of death of this worthy seruant of God being att length come and his yeares being accomplished he yelded his soule to his Creatour adorned with vertues and sanctity He was buryed in the Couent of Spoletum where his notable merittes haue bin manifested he hauing obtayned many graces of God for the comfort and benefitt of infinitie personnes that haue implored him as their intercessour The life of the glorious Father Brother Christopher Of the mortification charity abstinence and affliction of body of the glorious Brother Christopher THE XLVIII CHAPTER THe venerable Brother Christopher was borne in Romania he was Preist before he entierly left the world to follow IESVS CHRIST he was moued thervnto by the example predication of S. Francis who hauing admitted him to the habitt and profession of the Frere Minors sent him into France to the Prouince of Gascone the yeare 1219. there to edifie soules and to plant the seed of Religion This Father was of a profound humility and simplicity especially pittifull to the afflicted He succoured assisted and serued the leapers with great deuotion and dilligence washing their feet dressing their soares and vlcers making their beddes paring their nayles and giuing them comfort in all their necessities But how much he was pittifull in the behalfe of others as charity commanded him so much was he seuere and rigorous to himselfe weakening him selfe by continuall fastes and wearing a grosse hairecloth hauing besides for a long time worne a coat of maile the more to torment his flesh His perseuerance in rigour of life was such that being an hundred yeares old he did eat but once a day except the sondayes and principall feastes of the yeare so that albeit his body grew old and decayed he was neuettheles alwayes yong and firme in vertues Notwithstanding such mortifications and abstinences he had a face very cheerfull for the interiour ioy shined and appeared exteriourly and the most sweet and gracious loue of his hart towardes his God made all the afflictions sweet which his body endured Of the diuine consolations which he receaued in prayer and att Masse THE XLIX CHAPTER THis holy Religious neuer spent his time idly but euer employed himselfe either in prayer or reading or in manuall exercise in the garden or in some other seruice necessary to relligion He was wery dilligent in prayer and had the grace of shedding many teares And that he might the more commodiously apply himselfe to prayer he made choice of a very litle cell made of earth and boughes of trees separate frome the others wherin he spent most of his time which was a thing in manner generall to the first Fathers of that time and there was he often visited diuinely as also the glorious Virgin Mary appeared vnto him one time with her mother S. Anne comforted him that was particulerly deuout vnto them He euery day said masse with great deuotion and abondance of teares which was very gratefull to IEVS CHRIST as by the sequell appeareth This venerable Brother saying masse one morning one of the candels on the altare was casually putt out and there was seene a light instantly to discend from heauen that lightened it againe There was often seene a white pigeon houering ouer his head whiles he said masse the Religious that serued and assisted him did often see it he was a yong man very neat and an innocent disciple of his called Brother Peter who hauing forsaken his kinred his friendes his patrimony and all the world besides on whose fallacious and deceiptfull apparences he would not relye entred into the Religion of Frere Minors where he ascended to such sanctity that in regard of his pure simplicity he merited often times to see and speake with his good Angell Gardien The first time that he saw the pigeon discend vpon the head of the glorious Br. Christopher not knowing what it signified he sought to driue it away wherin he exceedingly troubled his master who was enforced to will him to lett it alone and therby it was knowne what it was This venerable Father one time calling to minde his sinnes committed in the world extremely feared the punishment they deserued conformably to that which the scripture sayth Happy is he that alwayes feareth and therfore he prayed this Angelicall yong man Br. Peter whose conscience he knew very well to demaund of his familier Angell his estate touching his former sinnes who made him this answeare Tell Brother Christopher he need not feare his sinnes past because God hath pardoned them entierly But lett him striue to perseuer in his good worckes begun that he may meritt eternall life The rest of this Chapter is inserted in the end of the 71. chapter of the second booke being a vision that this holy Father had of the death of Sainct Francis Of some miracles wrought by this glorious Br. Christopher in his life time THE L. CHAPTER ALthough this holy mā did not publikely ascend into the pulpitt to preach the word of God yet did he deliuer it to such people as he conuersed withall giuing them profitable admonitions accompanyed with seuere reprehensions so
the good of the seruice of God and of their Monastery lett them be bound and obliged to choose an other as soone as they can according to the said rule And lett her that shal be chosen consider well what is the burthen which she hath taken on her and to whome she must yeld an account of the sheep wherof she hath taken chardge Lett her endeauour to be rather Superiour to precede her Religious in vertues and pious conuersation then in honour and dignity to the end that the sisters induced by her example obey her more for loue then for feare Lett not her carry any particuler affection for feare that in louing one she may scandalize others lett her comfort the afflicted and be alwayes the first and last in assisting art diuine seruice Lett her be the reliefe and recourse of the afflicted that if the remedies of saluation faile them she att least exempt and deliuer them from the disease of despaire Lett her haue a very diligent care of the comunalty in all thinges but principally in the Church in the dormitory in the refectory in the infirmary and in their cloathing And lett her Vicaresse be in like sort obliged to all the aforesaid Lett the Abbesse be obliged to assemble all her Religious in the chapiter att least once a weeke in which place as well she as the others shall accuse themselues of all their publike sinnes and of all their defaultes and negligences Then lett her there treat and consult with her sisters of the affaires of their Monastery because God doth oftentimes communicate and giue his spiritt to the meanest of the company Lett her not enter into great or important debt but by the common consent of all the Religious and vpon a manifest necessity and withall lett it be by the entermile and mediation of the Procuratour of the monastery Lett the Abbesse as also the sisters be carefull not to receaue any pledge or gage into their Monastery in regard of the troubles encombers and scandales that often arriue therby Lett all the officers of the monastery be also elected by the common consent of the Religious the better to entertaine peace and fraternall vnion among them and likewise shal be chosen and elected att least eight Religious of the most discreet of whome the Abbesse shal be obliged to take counsaile in such matters as our rule requireth The Religious likewise may and ought if they know it to be necessary put out such officers as are indiscreet and incapable and choose others in their places Of silence and of the manner of speaking in the speake house and att the grate THE V. CHAPTER THe sisters shall keep silence from Cōpline till the Third hower those except that serue without the monastery But let it be alwayes kept in the dormitory and in the Church as also in the refectory att the houre of repast sauing in the infirmary were the Religious may alwayes speake discreetly for the recreation and seruices of the sicke They may also briefly and in a low voice open their necessities It shall not be permissable for any sisters to speake att the speakehouse or grate with out permissiō of the Abbesse or of her Vicaresse And lett not those that haue leaue to speake in the speakehouse presume to speake there but in the presence of two sisters that may heare whatsoeuer is there spoaken But lett them not presume to goe to the grate if there be not att least three sisters present sent by the Abbesse or her Vicaresse who shal be of those that are chosen by the Religious to be Counsailers to the Abbesse And lett the Abbesse and Vicaresse be obliged to obserue this order of speaking as much as shal be possible and lett not any speake att the grate but very rarely and att the gate neuer Lett there be putt before the grate within to couer it a curtaine of black cloth which shall not be drawne but for more conuenient hearing the sermon or when a sister would speake with any one Lett no Religious speake att the grate with whome soeuer in the morning before the sunne arise not att night after the sunne is sett Lett there be alwayes a black cloth before the speakehouse within-side which shall neuer be drawne Lett no sister speake in the lent of S. Martin nor in the ordinary lent in the speakehouse but to a Priest to confesse or for some other manifest necessity which shal be referred to the discretion of the Abbesse or her Vicaresse That the Religious may not receiue nor haue any Possessions nor any thing proper in their owne or any third persons Custody THE VI. CHAPTER Here is an adiunction of S. Clare proper to her rule which hath bin here annexed since the death of S. Francis IT hauing pleased he most high celestiall Father to illuminate my hart with his diuine grace that I might doe penance by the example and doctrine of the holy Father S. Francis a litle after his conuersion my selfe and my Religious promised obedience vnto him Now the holy Father seeing that we feared no kind of pouerty labour affliction or contempt of the world yea that all these thinges did exceedingly content vs hauing compassion of vs he prescribed vnto vs a rule to liue in this manner Sith you are become daughters and seruātes of the most high by diuine inspiration of our Redeemer and that you haue resigned and committed your selues to the conduct of the holy ghost I will and promise for my selfe and my Religious to haue alwayes care of you as of our selues and this with a particuler care and diligence which I will carefully accomplish and obserue during my life and will that my Religious very diligently accomplish and obserue the same for euer Now to the end we might neuer leaue the most holy pouerty which we haue vndertaken that this might be knowen to those that shal succeed vs a litle before his death he left vs his last will in these termes I Br. Francis poore wretch and caitife will follow the life and pouerty of my most high Lord IESVS CHRIST and of his most holy mother and therin perseuer to the end And I beseech all you poore sisters and counsaile you to liue alwayes in this most holy life of pouerty and aboue althinges to keep your selues from forsaking it vpon whose counsaile or doctrine soeuer that would persuade you the contrary But now as my selfe and also all my sisters haue euer bin carefull to obserue the holy pouerty which we haue promised to God and to our holy Father S. Francis I desire also that the Abbesses which shall hereafter come to succeed me in this chardge be obliged with all their Religious to haue diligent and inuiolable care not to receaue possessions inheritances or other thinges proper whatsoeuer reserued of their owne or from others that may giue them nor whatsoeuer other thing that may be called proper but that which shal be needefull to a requisite
albeit his life and the Countesse his wiues were stored withall kind of vertues yet in his last dayes speaking of her being vrged by the holy Ghost he vttered to those present these wordes The infidell man is sanctified by the faithfull woman whome I leaue a virgin in this mortall life as I receaued her a virgin and vnspotted This holy Confessour of IESVS CHRIST changed this life for a better the yeare of grace 1327. Father Francis of Maronis a famous preacher and Doctour was present att his death The very daye of his departure he appeared in all glory vnto his wife who was them in her Countie in Prouence to whome he vttered these wordes of the Psalmist The snare is broaken and we are deliuered and so without any other word he vanished The Contesse the same day recounted to all her company the death of her husband it being the 27. day of September He was buryed in the church of the Cordeliers att Paris clothed in the habitt of the third Order and the same yeare his body was translated into Prouence to the Couent of Apte in which his sanctity was by many miracles diuulged for which he was by the Apostolike sea canonized His feast is celebrated the 27. of September The Countesse Delphine his wife liued many yeares after him perseuering in piety being dead she was buryed by her husband hauing the the habitt of the Frere Minors as a disciple of the holy Father S. Francis and of the third Order Att the death of this Countesse and till her body was enterred a most sweet harmony was heard in the aire as they haue testified and assured who were neere her body It is piously beleeued that they were Angels singing as true friendes of virginall purity Our Lord wrought many miracles as well in the life time as att the death of this holy woman and in such quantity as there is no doubt but that our lord had canonized her in heauen The life of the blessed Yues of the 3. Order S. Francis Of the holy exercises and mortification of the flesh of S. Yues THE XXII CHAPTER YVes florished in that time in the Duchy of Bretanie within the diocese of Tâ—iguier He was a man of eminent sanctity and led a merueillous austere life for which cause almighiy God made him famous by many miracles This holy man was the sonne of a very rich vertuous man by whose good example he was from his tender infancie a patterne of commendable conuersation His Father sent him to study humanity att Paris thence to Orleans to study the Canon and Ciuill law but much more did he profitt in diuine wisdome for there manifesting his doctrine he layd open to many the true knowledge and assured way of iustice And being to retourne to his Father the Bishop of Triquet hauing heard the fame of his excellent vertues and sanctity made him his Officiall or commissary with very ample aucthority And albeit the holy man withall his power withstood the acceptance of this cha dge yet was he att lenght constrained therevnto He with such prudence and without acception of persons administred iustice that the ballance was alwayes equall which he performed with such sincerity that he would neuer receaue any â—ecompence for it in this life A litle after by diuine prouidence he became Priest in which ministery he offered his body a liuely sacrifice vnto almighty God His habit was then according to his quality common decent and modest But vnder he woare a very sharp hayr-cloth Wheâ—with he afflicted his body did weaken it by frequeÌ„t and austere fastes by coÌ„tinual watchinges When he was admitted into the confraternity of the Penitents of the third Oâ—der of S. Francis he reiected all his fine apparell though most modest and plaine which he ware according to his quality cloathing himselfe with very grosse and course gray cloth and wearing rude and homely shooes as poore Religious ordinarily vse He wâ—are vpon his hair-cloth that it might not be seene a shirt made of towe raw or vndressed He slept very litle and then only when nature was wearyed with prayer study or spirituall exercise or burdened with naturall necessity of sleep his repose was short and he alwayes tooke it cloathed His bed was the bare ground a hurdle or some gâ—osse stickes wreathed together his pillow the bible an instrument of litle sleepe and of much dilligence he being mindfull and taking comfort of these wordes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST They that are clothed in soft garments are in kings houses Of the abstinence charity prayer and the manner of saying the diuine office of S. Yues THE XXIII CHAPTER THis holy man did neuer feed on delicate meates but such as were very grosse which he did to reserue of his reuenue wherwith to reliue many poore people On fasting dayes commanded by the Church he vsed only bread and water ordinarily did with great abstinence fast the wednesday and saterday He had customarily strangers and pilgrimes in his house he was very dilligent in the practise of the worckes of mercy he entertayned poore people and particulerly the sick and lame with exceeding pitty and compassion and conuersed with them so mildly and familiarly as if they had bin his brethren he serued them and made their beddes washed their feet and did them all other seruices that they could need Being no lesse carefull to administer vnto them the spirituall food of the word of God then the corporall he made them notable exhortations wherin he multiplyed the talent of the Euangelicall doctrine to those that were vnder his chardge He was very prompt in according dissentions and procuring of peace with all persons He had the grace to conuert sinners to pennance He was so addicted to prayer and contemplation that he would sometimes neglect to take his ordinary repast and dyett And one time he continued fiue whole dayes in prayer in his chamber without asking or being offered him any thing to eat And yet when he came forth his countenaÌ„ce was so pleasing ioyful and vermillioÌ„ as if he had bin pampered with most exquisite meates As he celebrated masse with great feruour so did he therin receaue of God notable feelinges and graces as one day did appeare for as he eleuated the most sacred sacrament there discended from heauen an admirable splendour and brightnes which enuironned the sacred host together with the chalice He red the canonicall houres with admirable attention deuotion and did alwayes rise att midnight to say his Matins He diuided the office into all the houres of the dayes in imitation of the Prophett Dauid who praysed God seauen times in the day Of the blessed death of S. Yues THE XXIV CHAPTER THis holy Religious being complete in the perfectioÌ„ of all vertues exceeding deuout vnto IESVS CHRIST very austere towardes himselfe extreme curteous and charitable towards others as he was by diuine grace of a singuler life and admirable in
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
Of Br. Gyles p. 568 A discourse of Obedience p. 614 Order or Rule How S. Fran. tooks occasion first to begin his order p. 18 Of the the first Rule he ordained for the Frere Minors p. 27 Of their habit p. 28 Seruice their Fasting and Obedience p. 29 Of correction in case of offending pag â—30 That they must receaue no monie p. 32 Of their asking of almes diet and refection p. 33 How the sick ought to be serued pag. 34 Against murmuring and calumniation p. 35 Not to conuerse with women pag. 36 Punishments for the sinnes of the flesh ibid. Of their maÌ„ner of trauelling thorough the world p. 37. 38 Of the preachers p. 38 How and when they ought to assemble p. 40 Of confession and communion ibid. Of the miraculous approbation of the Rule p. 44 A parable of S. Fran. to the pope to confirme his rule p. 46 The popes confirmation therof p. 47 Of the second Rule instituted by saint Fran. p. 224 The confirmation therof by Pope Honorious the second p. 229 Of the third order of penitents and of the first occasion therof pag. 279. 280 Of the confirmation of the Rule of S. Clare p. 647 The third order of sainct Francis p. 695 Diuers breues in confirmation therof p. 679. c. Of the holie persons of the third order of S. Fran. p. 729. 730 How by the merits of S. Fran. certainâ— religious were conserued in their order p. 742 APPROBATIO NOS IACOBVS BLAZEVS Dei Apostolicae sedis gratia Episcopus Audomarensis hunc librum cuititulus THE CHRONICLE OF THE FRERE MINORS à probo Catholico viro D. Guilielmo Cape in linguam Anglicanam versum à Carolo Boscardo huius Ciuitatis Typographo typis mandari ac diuulgari permittimus cum ex fidedigno testimonio teneamus illum nulla ratione voluisse sciens volens quicquam corrumpere aut à germano verborum sensu transferre Actum Audomaropoli in Palatio nostro Episcopali die xxij Ianuarij 1618. De mandato Reuerendissimi Domini Episcopi Audomarensis Praefati L. DESCAMPS Secret 1. Cor. 20 Phil. 3. Matth. 11 Ephes 6. Icrem 35. 1. Col. 2. The birth of S. Francis He was borne in a stable S. Francis his youth What a great almose-giuer he was The good nature of S. Francis PredictioÌ„ of his sanctitie He was prisoner His extreme charity A vision which he had A Crucifix speaketh vnto him He kisseth a Leaper God appeareth vnto him Matt. 16. Matt. 13. A worthy prayer of the S. A Crucisix speaketh againe vnto him He selleth his fathers marchandise to repaire a Church S. Francis reputed a fool of his companions Ill entreated of his owne Father Luc. 14. Treated as atheife His mother setteth him att liberty His father hauing his mony is appeased S. Francis is naked to reÌ„der his clothes to his father The first religious habit of S. Francis S. Francis was beaten of theeues S. Francis serueth leapers Esaye 53. He demaÌ„ded almose for them Admirable mortificatioÌ„s of saint Francis Hecureth one of an vlcer in kissing it His charitie towarde the poore He laboured to keep the churches and their ornameÌ„ts in decencie How he affected pouerty He will not liue but by almose Herepaireth the Church of S. Peter And that of our lady of Angels Mat. 10. How he tooke occasion to begin his first rule The first institutioÌ„ of the order of Frier Minors Ephes 2. 1. Cor. 3. Matth. 7. A Gentleman desireous to knowe with what spiritt S. Francis was moued and proued him The prayer of S. Francis An other occasion of the first rule of S. Francis Br. Bernard Quintaualle giueth his substance to the poore to become a Frier Minor As also Brother Peter Catanio Giles miraculously findeth S. Fran. He receiued afterward the habit of the Order of S. Fran. Foure other are receiued into the said Order That the Frier Minors ought to be trauailling ouer the world Psal 54. What the good Religious endured in this first obedience S. Fran. obtameth of God speedâ—ly to see his Religious so far remote one from an other Matt. 19. Matt. 16. Luc. 14. Matt. 19. The capperon is a peece of cloth which the nouices weare on their brests from the neck to the cord Matt. 11. Marc. 9. Matt. 6. Luc. 10. Matt. 20. Hebr. 13. Hebr. 10. Note this word Matt. 9. Luc. 12. Psal 1â—8 Psal 127 â— Thes 3. S. Hier. Matt. 10. Ioan. 3. Ioan. 12. Ioh. 5. Matt. 5. Matth. â— 6. Iâ—â— 5. Ioan. 6. Matt. 26. Matth. 5. Matt. 15. Luc. 8. Matt. 8. Luc. 11. Luc. 21. Matt. 6. Ioan. 4. Ioan 10. Matt. 23. Ioan. 15. 6. 13. Ioan. 17. A dreame of S. Francis A dreame of the Pope An other dreame and visioÌ„ of the Pope The parabole which S. F. vsed to the Pope to persuade him to confirme his rule A probation of the Pope for the rule and life of the Frier Minors S. F. was made Minister generall of the Order by the Pope S. F. and his Religious miraculously prouided for Why they confirmed and iterated the strict vow of pouerlie God manifesteth to S. Fra. that he would be serued of his Order in the actiue life How S. F. taught his brethren to pray 4. Reg. 2. 4. Reg. 6. The bishop and canons of Assisium deny a place to S. Fra. to ledge him and his An Abbott of the Order of S. Benedict doth accommodate theÌ„ Why the monastery of S. Mary of Angels is cheife of the Order of the Frier Minors What reÌ„t S. Fra. gaue for the monasterie How much the preaching of S. Fr. did profitt A vision of Brother Siluester before he was religious S. Fr. telleth that Maurice should be a Freer Minour and cured him of a desperat disease The first infringer of the rule of the Frier Minors as an other Iudas att lenght did hang himselfe How Brother Pacifious miraculously entred the Order of the Frier Minors 3. Reg. 19. Merueilous simplicite of Br. Iohn Br. Iohn after his death called saint Matth. 19. Seculer almose RepreseÌ„tation of a Christian life by the Br. of S. Francis Matth. Our lord Iesus Christ appeared to saint Francis and his Greatferuour of the first Freer Minors Notable chasticements for inconsiderate words Act. 2. 4. Matt. 10. Isai 52. Rom. 10. S. Fr. solicitous of the leapers S. F. care of the churches 2. Cor. 6. Instructions of S. F. vnto his Br. going through the world 1. Pet. 2. Why the Religious of S. Fr. were first called Freer Minors The Freer Minors ought not to contemnenor condemne any man What vertue was most recomended by S. Fra. Matt. 19. Matt. 16. Prayer singulerly recomended by S. Francis Galat. 5. A memorable speech of S. Franc. S. F. and his Religious during his life did alwayes eate on the grouÌ„d The LeÌ„ts which S. F. fasted euery yeare What poore are theeues DiscretioÌ„ of the S. Matt. 10. How he slept His habit Matt. 11. A graue answeare of S. Fra. S. F. was not
lay men and women healthy and diseased children yong and old to all people families tongues to all nations and all the men of the whole earth that are and shal be the grace of true pennance in this life and so perseuerance in the true faith without which no man can be saued and we beseech thee to graunt vs grace together with theÌ„ to loue thee withall our hart withal our spiritt with all our forces withall our vnderstanding and withall our affections desires and interious willes sith thou alone hast giuen vs soule body and life creating and redeeming vs by thine only mercie thou hast saued vs and hast giuen vs miserable rotten and putrified ingratefull and ignoraÌ„t lowed and rebellious wretches dayly doest giue vs infinite benefittes Permitt then good God that we neuer desire nor seeke other thinge and that no other thing seeme good vnto vs or delight vs but they selfe our Creatour Sauiour and Redeemer only true God that art the perfect good all true and soueraine good that only is good and pitifull meeke and delightfull that only is holy iust true and vpright of whome for whome and in whome consisteth all our pardon all the grace and glory of all penitentes of all the iust and of all the blessed that raigne in heauen Permitt also Lord that nothing preuaile and hinder vs but that in euery place in all time att all houres continually we loue thee in verity and humility and that we hold thee imprinted in our hart as our true God And graunt if thou please that we loue thee honour adore serue prayse glorifie and preach thee for great and glorious and that we thank thee thou that art most high and God three and one Faâ—her Sonne and holy Ghost Creatour of althinges and Sauiour of all them that beleeue in thee and haue placed in thee their only hope and loue who art without beginning and without end immutable inuisible inenarrable ineffable incomprehensible inscrutable blessed praysed glorious glorified high amiable agreable delectable and aboue all thinges desirable world without end Amen Of the intelligence and spiritt of prophetie which this S. had THE CXI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis had in such sort cleared his soule illuminated and vnited it to our soueraine God by the continuall exercise of prayer that albeit he had no ouer-great vnderstanding of holy scripture being neuerthelesse illuminated by the beames of diuine reuelation he did penetrate the sublimity of the said scripture with an admirable intelligence of the diuine mysteries by which acquired science remayneth excluded the infused of diuine loue entring in his place And therfore what he read in holy scripture he vnderstood by diuine reuelation as a dilligent disciple of the holy Ghost he first imprinted it in his memory and then ruminated the same with an interiour tast of deuotion And if God inspired him not he neuer reuealed it to any person to appeare a learned master as now the practise is The Cardinall of Hostia Protectour of the Order who was afterward Pope Gregory the ninth secretlie requested him one time for the consolation of his soule to expound vnto him certaine profound places of holy scripture I doe not said he demaund this theologicall exposition of you as of a great doctour for I know well you haue not studied But I require it as of a man illuminated of the holy Ghost The S. satisfied him and gaue him such contentment as he could desire no more Being one day att Sienna a Religious diuine asked him how the Prophett Ezechiel is to be vnderstood where he saith If thou doe not admonish the impious of his impiety an account of his eternall death shal be exacted of thee the holy Father answeared if those wordes be to be vnderstood generally as they sound I thus vnderstand them that the seruant of God ought in such sort to burne and giue light by exemplare life and by his pious conuersation that he seeme silently to reprehend all the impious for by such in deed he preacheth their vices Wherein is duely to be considered how much more a Religious is obliged herevnto by the light of his good life seeing that it is here apparent that if he doe it not he cannot escape the terrible iudgement of the liuing God which prudent and true interpretation the diuine affirmed to proceed directlie from heauen and that himselfe could not giue a more direct exposition then was giuen by him with the swift speedy winges of the eagle soaring from infused science And affirmed with all that our interpretation was not such which proceeding from our blinded vnderstanding goeth naturally as a serpent trayling his body on the earth The said Religious did not try the holie Father in this matter onlie but in diuers others also in all which he rested fully satisfied and exceedinglie admiring att the grace which God had giuen him which was so great that he could not only discouer and vnderstand mysteries past but which God alone of himselfe can doe he discouered eueÌ„ the thinges to come as if he had had them then before his very eyes as by this example and them that follow shall euidentlie appeare The holie Father being yet in the cittie of Sienna he once demaunded a charitie for the loue of God of an affectionate freind of his who directlie answeared him he would not graunt it but that he should first tell him the certainty of his predestinatioÌ„ a demaund doubtles verie strauÌ„ge yea exceeding terrible But God that would for his profitt manifest vnto the world the merits of this his so glorious seruaÌ„t was coÌ„tent he shold promise to assure him Being theÌ„ amazed att this so inciuill request he eleuated and addressed his countenance to heaueÌ„ but much more his spiritt and so remayned in prayer a certaine space wherin was reuealed vnto him that this man was of the noÌ„ber of the predestinate and then he promised his deuout freind eternall life assuring him of his saluatioÌ„ But this good man vnable to conceale this his so extreme spirituall alacrity and so coÌ„ming to the eares of the afore said Religious diuine he was exceedinglie scaÌ„dalized att the presuÌ„ption of the holie Father Therefore repayring vnto him filled with choller as an other Pharisie he demaunded if it were true the S. answearing affirmatiuelie he laughing and deriding him said and who hath reuealed vnto youthat this your freind should be saued to whome the S. verie iealous of the honour of God openly answeared he that also told me that the last night thou committedst such a secrett sinne and that therfore in short time thou shalt abandoÌ„ thy habitt But because the Religious deserued not pardon though by manifestation of his sinne he might be well assured of the ensuying punishment which he prophesied vnto him he neuertheles did not penance as the holie Father then admonished him God permitting him to die out of his Order that by his
in respect wherof he did euer after so disaffect him that he could not endure to behold him which was not long vnperceaued of Brother Helias and therfore being verie cautelous and subtill he so laboured and wrought by signes of humility and importunity that he gott knowledge of all wherewith he was so terrified and amazed that with abondant effusion of teares demaunding pardon of S. Francis he neuer ceassed to supplicate him that considering he was also by the passion of our lord one of the sheep of his fold he would not abandon him but that like a good Pastour as he was he would please to reduce the strayed sheep vnto the flock and so deliuer him from eternall death alleadgeing that vpon chaunge of the sinners life God could easily reuoke his sentence Father said he such is my confidence and deuotion vnto you that were I in hell it selfe I would hope to come foorth vpon your prayers for me so that I am fully assured that if you please for me to implore the diuine mercie my sentence shall be reuoked The holie Father moued by these prayers could not att lenght denie him so that with a very great feruour he entierly cast himselfe into the armes of God in such sort praying for this lost soule that God answeared him that he should doe penance for his sinnes and should not be damned but for dying out of the Order he could not be otherwise satisfied and so it arriued for he dyed out of the Order with manie signes of contrition according to the opinion of some in the habitt This that folloueth is of the aforesaid 32. chapter of the second booke the better to obserue the Order of all that appartaineth to renountiation of the office of Generall The holy Father S. Francis being by a Religious freind of his entreated to tell him what had moued him to make that renountiation and to committ it to the chardge of an other as if they were not his children who had bin such made nourished and instructed by him he answeared know my child that I loue you all more deerly then any man can imagine and if all would follow my will I would loue them more and would not haue left their administration But I haue bin cōstrayned therevnto because there are many Religious that esteeme more of the aduice of some of their superiours by whome they are drawne to other matters by example of the auncient and which is directly cōtrary to my rule and so they make very litle esteeme of mine aduertismētes but in the end they wil more euidētly find their errour The holy Father being on a time as it were oppressed with his infirmities and hearing some speake of the aforesaid matters and particulerly of the ouer-much indulgence of the superiours and of the euill examples they gaue their subiectes he lifted vp his head and cryed out Ah! ah couer me couer me who are they that withdraw the Religious from mine Order and from my way and my examples If I once goe to the Generall chapter I will shew my Brethren what is my desire and mine intention that they permitt not themselues to be deluded Being also an other time sick a Religious said vnto him O Father it seemed that att the beginning our Religiō we striued to liue in al austerity and pouerty we were poore in our habitt in our diet in our dwelling in our moueables in our bookes and in all our other corporal necessities for which we tooke no care by reasō of this pouerty exteriour the interiour daily proceeded frō good to better because we were al of the same feruour of the same will with one cōsent cōspiring to the entier obseruāce of our rule and alwayes to giue good exāple to our neighbour finally we obserued the gospell the most exactly that we could But of later time it seemeth that the purity of this our first vocatiō is much deminished vpon excuse that it cā no longer be obserued as before by reason of the great multitude of brethren yea there are some that beleeue that the people are much more edified by this theire moderne and new inobseruance and mortification of their proper will and of their sences then they were when they all liued in such deep austerity of life and they thinck it a matter more Religious to liue after this new manner thē according to the ancient and former which they hold for crowned as proceeding of simplicitie and holy pouertie which were the foundations of this our holy Religion Now perceauing this and beleuing that you likewise perceaue it and are therewith exceedingly displeased I meruaile you doe not labour with all speed to hinder the further progresse of this euill nor doe correct it whiles you haue power and meane to doe it S. Francis hauing with great affliction of spiritt heard this long discourse thus answeared Our Lord IESVS CHRIST pardon you that which you suppose I ought to doe which I am not obliged to haue care of neither by chardge nor by office for whiles I was Generall though from the beginning of my conuersion I haue almost continued in sicknes I haue not yet failed either in cogitations or effectes to satisfie my duety both by example and gouernment But hauing well considered that God did daily encrease the nomber of Religious and that they already began to leaue the secure strict and difficult way wherin they first walked and in such sortas you say strayed from it without correcting themselues notwithstanding all my demonstrations predications and good edification that I gaue them I then resolued to leaue the office of Generall as I did and though when I renounced it I failed not att the chapter to excuse my selfe by mine infirmities as was partly true alleadgeing that by meanes therof I could no longer dischardge so burdensome an office Neuertheles my sonne I assure you if the Religious would now liue conformably to my rule and to my pious intentiō I would againe accept the office of Generall and would excute it so long as it should please God to giue me life considering that so the care of that chardge would not be painfull vnto me for certaine it is that whē the faithfull subiect knoweth the good will of his superiour he striueth to obey him in euery thing so that it is no great difficulty to gouerne him yea I should reioyce and be exceedingly comforted in their spirituall progresse and in the honour that therby redoundeth to his diuine Maiesty and though I should be cōtinually sicke on my bed yet should it not be tedious nor troublesome vnto me to giue them content in all thinges but because I see I can no longer dischardge mine office which is spirituall and opposite to vices in correcting them either by loue or by aduertissement I will not retourne to the chardge to be their executioner chasticing them with the rodde of disciplin as the princes of the world doe iustly correct their rebelles
neuertheles I hope in God that the inuisible ennemies the deuils that are his executioners to chastice the disobedientes in this world and in the other will also chastice the transgressours of the vow of their profession therby to their shame and forciblie to make them retourne to their first vocation to this effect I will not omitt to assist them whiles I liue att least by prayers and example sith otherwise I cannot and to instruct them the secure way which I haue learned of my God as I haue formerly done that they may haue no excuse before his diuine maiesty No further doe I hold my selfe obliged Such was his answeare which satisfying the Religious procured an inestimable greife to all the hearers wherby it also manifestlie appeared what reason the S. had to leaue them and what occasion they had to know themselues and by a pious acknowledgement of their fault and true repentance to haue recourse vnto him The end of the first booke of the Chronicles of the Friere Minors THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS PROSECVTED THE discourses of the life death and miracles of the Seraphical Father S. Francis translated out of french into English Of the plenary indulgence graunted by Iesus Christ to the Church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula THE FIRST CHAPTER THE more the glorious Father S. Francis profited in perfection and endeauoured to vnite himselfe with God the more did he poure out teares and felt intollerable greife att the losse of soules redeemed by the price of the precious bloud of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST Wherfore not ceassing to desire mercie of God for sinners as he thirsted to haue all saued the yeare of grace 1223. being to that effect in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him and bid him incontinentlie to repaire vnto the church because our Lord IESVS CHRIST with his glorious Mother and a great number of Angels there expected him Hauing receaued this gracious embassadge he hastened thither and there found our Sauiour sitting in a Royall throne on the high altare and the Virgin Mary att his right hand enuironned with an innumerable multitude of blessed spirittes The holy Father incontinentlie falling prostrate on the earth heard the diuine voice of IESVS saying Francis Know that I haue heard thy feruent prayers and because I know with what solicitude thou and thy Religious procure the saluation of soules aske me what grace thou wilt for their soules benefitt and I will graunt it thee The S. being by such an answeare emboldened most humbly answeared My Lord IESVS CHRIST I miserable and vnworthy sinner with the greatest reuerence I can require of thy diuine maiesty that it will please thee so much to fauour all Christian people as to graunt them a generall pardon and plenary indulgence of all their sinnes I meane to all them that shall enter into this church confessed and contrite I also beseech thee O glorious holy Virgin mother and our Aduocatrix that it would please thee to make intercession to thy most gracious sonne for me and for all Christian sinners Our Lady was instantlie moued with these wordes and began in this sort to pray our Redeemer in his behalfe O my most high Lord and sonne of my bowels I beseech thee graunt vnto this thy faithfull seruaunt this grace which he hath demaunded with so great a zeale of the saluation of soules which thy selfe aboue all other thinges disirest My God graunt him this grace in this place to thine honour and the edification of thy holy church Our Lord sodenlie answeared Francis that which thou demaundest is great but this thy desire conformable to mine deserueth much more and therfore I graunt thy request But goe to my Vicar to whome I haue giuen al power of vnbinding and binding here on earth and in my name demaund it of him which said he disappeared The Religious that had their celles neere therevnto saw the splendour and heard some speach but durst not approach for reuerence and great feare that possessed them The holy Father S. F. hauing thācked God presētly called Bro. Macie in whose cōpany he wēt to Perusia where thē was Pope Honorius with his court befor whose holines he thus spake Holy F. I haue reestablished a church that was very ruinous desert called S. Mary of portiūcula very neere vnto the citty of Assise wherin are residēt your Religious the Frere Min. I beseech your holines by our Redeemer I. C. his most glorious mother to voutsafe for the benefitt of the soules of all faithful Christiās to graūt a plenary indulgēce and remission of all their sinnes to all them that shall visitt this church in good estate without giuing any almose in the same The Pope answeared him that the Apostolike sea did not accustome to graunt indulgēs without giuing of almose because it will that they be gayned by thē He thē asked him for how many yeares he desired the indulgēce S. Francis answeared Holy Father I desire not yeares but soules How soules said the Pope S. Frācis replyed I require that euery Christian confessed and contrite that shall come to visitt the said Church receaue plenarie absolution in earth and in heauen and that of whatsoeuer sinnes he shall haue committed from his Baptisme to that very houre I require not this in myne owne name but in our Lord IESVS CHRIST who hath sent me to your Holines Which the Pope hearing inspired of the holy Ghost he thus spake thrice with a loud voice I am content to graunt it as thou hast demaunded it But the Cardinals present aduised the Pope to consider well what he graunted because by that act he would destroy the indulgences of the holy land and of Sainct Peter and S. Paul att Rome which would no longer be regarded The Pope answeared that he would not reuoke what he had att that present graunted They replyed that att least it were requisit he should limitt the said indulgence to a certaine time and moderate it to a certaine prefixed day of the yeare The Pope then said We graunt to all faithfull Christians that being truely confessed and contrite shall enter into the Church of our Lady of Angels plenary indulgence and absolution both of paine and fault and we will that the same be of force for euer for one entier day that is from the first euensong till the sunne sitting of the day following Which the holy Father Sainct Francis hauing obtayned he kissed his feet then demaunded his benediction which receaued he arose to depart But the Pope recalling him said Whither goest thou simple man what specialtie hast thou of the indulgence obtayned The holy Father answeared that his word should suffice and besides that this worck was of God and therfore it should be published and supported by his diuine Maiesty and withall that he would haue no other Bull but the Virgin Mary IESVS CHRIST for Notary and the Angels for witnesses Which
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
ghospell saying If any man will come after me lett him deny himselfe lett him know how much he is deceaued that esteemeth himselfe of any worthe lett him hate and dye in himselfe that he may know me loue and liue in me and I in him And as the nature of fire is to ascend on high so the nature of a soule free and disburdened from the waight of selfe and naturall affection is to mount and ascend into God which is her proper place where she was created to repose in him blessedly perfect and eternall As it is the nature of a stone by meane of his naturall waight to decline vnto his center so is it naturall to the hart loaden with loue of it selfe and other creatures to fall by his owne fault into hell Lett the soule then that shall haue placed all his end in God and desireth to ascend to the throne of grace of the true Salomon IESVS GHRIST who being a most gracious and peaceable king fitteth art the right hand of his Father in whome all the desires of Angels and glorious soules are absolutelie effected lett that soule I say behold in this dayes exercise the ladder of Iacob whose hight toucheth the heauen and that she the more easely and with better order ascend she may make seauen seuerall degrees or steppes which are so disposed by Vbertin The first is the tast the second the desire the third satiety the fourth excesse or spirituall extasie the fift asseurance the sixt tranquility God only knoweth the name of the seauenth We attaine to the knowledge of these degrees and exercises rather by the effectes and actions as it is in other spirituall thinges then of themselues they being perceiued with spirituall eyes wherto althinges are apparant but especially those that concerne the sweet effectes and graces therof The soule therfore that will profitt in them the more that she shall finde her sight cleare to know her weakenes shall correct her faultes and shall perseuer in mortification and exercise of worckes of charity so much lesse sight shall she haue to cast her eyes on the degree or on the height of her perfection leauing the care therof to God alone imploying her selfe onlie in her humility he that hath any litle knowledge of spirituall thinges will easilie comprehend that to search after that which appertayneth only to God to witt to labour for perfection and not for mortification that it followeth therof that there are so few truely spirituall and that deserue this name though many by their profession or exercise pretend so to be Of the first degree and exercise of contemplation THE II. CHAPTER THe first degree then of contemplation as we haue said is the tast wherof Dauid seemeth to speake when the saith Tast and see how sweet God is blessed is he that hath put all his hope in him The Prophett speaketh to smners who thinck to haue no other gaine nor tast but of the world Tast yee sinners saith he and see your errours and you shall know what you loose euen in this life And as the first steppe of the ladder raiseth a man from the earth so the exercise of this first degree is to sequester one from sinnes and the indirect way and to loose the tast of lewd wordlie contentementes yea to hate and detest them so to receaue the tast which God giueth to the soule of a cleare conscience Therfore his diuine Maiestie to draw vnto him the soule accustomed to sensnall thinges giueth vnto her spirituall consolations in the beginning for it would be verie difficult to draw the cold and feeble soule to diuine thinges without this new tast which is giuen her of God as a sensible Manna and therfore the other exercises of this estate are true contrition frequent confession full satisfaction and most profound acknowledgement of ones owne fault ingratitude malice and rash presumption against God Of which thinges proceed desires to satisfy the diuine iustice for satisfaction in other respectes should already be done being neuer wearyed wiâ—h sighing and repenting to haue offended God and so with a feruent zeale of iust correction for God to addict himselfe to penance to fastinges disciplines austerities and wachinges labouring with great patience to offer such prayers as proceed rather from the hart then the mouth And because it will seeme difficult to the penitent to performe this appearing repugnant to his nature he must endeauour to prepare and enable his hart by pious cogitations and meditations and by the remembrance and tast of God as to thinck on death on the generall iudgement on the feare therof on hell and the paine therof one Paradicice and the glory therof on the benefittes and graces of his diuine Maiesty as well in generall as in particular bestowed on all personnes and aboue all lett him not forgett the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST as a soueraigne benefitt of God bestowed on vs wherin consisteth all our consolation and hope When the sinner calleth to minde his great ingratitude towardes God in as much as lyeth in him by his sinnes crucifying him againe and after he had bin so deerly redeemed with his precious bloud and most cruell death destroying himselfe againe by yelding himselfe to the deuill to the great misprise and contempt of his God he cannot but carrie a great hatred to his sinnes and desire to doe great penance therfore that he no more erre from the way of God he considereth how he ought to liue he sequestreth himselfe frome idle and vnprofitable conuersations he smothereth peruerse inclinations and appetites endeauouring to gett an hatred of his owne affection a contempt of the world and finally a victory of him selfe to yeld himselfe absolutely vnto God IESVS CHRIST taught this first degree to his seruant Francis when appearing vnto him att the beginning of his conuersion he told him that it was necessarie for him to chaung the corrupted and infected tast which he had and to make him finde tast in that which till then he had misprised and that what soeuer he had sound pleasing should proue distastfull and bitter I know not indeed of what Sainct are recorded greater exercices in this separation deeper foundation of penance and more labours then of him and doubles it was requisite for him for he was to ascend vnto such a perfection and to be an example in the church to fly the world to make his habitation in solitary places and desert woodes to renounce monie and his fathers patrimonie euen to this shirt to displaint himselfe from his kinred and freindes from conuersations and ordinarie courses of life euen by the root to trans-plant himselfe into God and with such courage that it was not needfull for him to fly into the desert thenceforward to sequester him selfe from the world He powered out an abondant quantitie of teares and sighes with a feeling coÌ„passion meditating on the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST wherof he learned to liue in such
spēd time with this simple and inconsiderat multitude of people considering the litle hope we haue being so few to suppresse their obstinacie lett vs rather repaire to their king endeauouring first to conquer the head so with more ease facility to gett victory of the mēbers afterward Lett vs giue him the on sett couragiously and ioyfully lett vs goe then lett vs goe preach and tell him the verity of the faith of IESVS CHRIST of Baptisme of penance in remission of sinnes Lett vs boldly confesse before him that IESVS CHRIST the sonne of God is true God and man who would be borne dye for sinners with his owne bloud redeeming vs from eternal death rising againe after his death ascended vnto heauen and sitteth att the right hand of his Father Iudge of the liuing dead where he expecteth vs to croune vs with his holy martyrs for euer How these fiue Religious preached before the king of the Mores the faith of Iesus Christ our Sauiour and what sueceeded therof THE VI. CHAPTER THese Religious being thus mutuallie animated went directlie to the Pallace of the king att the entrie wherof being intercepted by the guard their Captaine who was a gentleman of note demaunded of them what they were They answeared that they were Italiens and desired to speake with his maiestie of matters of great importance as well touching his owne particuler as his whole kingdome Whervpon the Captaine demaunded if they had no letters or other token of commendations to deliuer him They replyed that their embassage was to be deliuered by mouth and could not be writtē but in hartes by tongues The Captaine willed thē securely to commend the affaire vnto him promising to deliuer it faithfully vnto the king they prayed him againe for conclusion to conduct them only to the presence of the king where he might also vnderstand what they had to say The Captaine related the whole vnto the king who commanded them to be brought before him where being present he demaunded them what they were whence they came who sent thē vnto him wherfore they were come Wherto they answeared that they were Christiās that they came frō Rome sent frō the king of kinges and Redeemer of the world IESVS CHRIST to preach vnto him his holy faith so that their bussines tēded only to the saluatiō of his soule which should be effected if he would no lōger beleeue the doctrine of Mahomet but in IESVS C. the true God receauing baptisme in the name of the most sacred Trinity that he could not be saued by any other meane The Mory king that expected no such greeting became despightfully furiours for he esteemed the seruantes of God to haue giuen him an extreme affrōt to whome he said O ye poore braineles men sottish and miserable as ye are how can ye possibly presume to vtter this speech in my presence without more respect vnto my crowne or feare of the losse of your liues already infallibly incurred by the great blasphemie committed against my most holy Prophet But tell me are yee come hither expresly and in my only particuler respect or to preach also vnto my people and to delude them dissuading them frō mine obedience and their alleagiance Hereto the good Religious with a bold and smiling countenāce answeared O king know that we are come to thee as to the chiefe of all this sect of Mahomet filled with diabolicall spiritt and to him that in the bottome of hell shall be more rigorously tormented then thy subiectes that shall persist in obstinacie to the end that thou being reduced into the way of truth saluation thou mayest be a meane of their conuersion as thou art now the cause of their damnatiō for auoyding wherof thou must beleeue in IESVS CHRIST our Redeemer who sendeth vs vnto thee saying in the Gospell Goe and teach ye all nations baptising them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost adding afterward for thē that would not yeld thervnto he that will not belieue shal be damned eternally This king stopping his eares began to rage and crye out O cursed wretches your former lewd behauiour no doubt hath brought you hither where it shal be rewarded instantly neither is there any other meane to deliuer free your selues but that you vnsay whatsoeuer you haue now foolishly and rashlie vttered and to receaue and espouse the Religion of our great Prophett for so doeing I will not only pardō you but will also make you great and rich in my kingdome that it may publikelie appeare how much we prise and esteeme the greatnes of our Prophett and how much we honour respect and enrich those that preferre our Religion before their owne but otherwise you shall for your sollie dye with infinite torments or I will enforce you to beleeue me The Religious replyed if your law were not full of lies false impious as it is but iust and conformable vnto truth we would receaue it but because it doth eternallie damne the followers therof we respect not all treasure nor feare tormentes for false honours are the baites and delusions of you Mores who truely miserable doe end together with them because they haue no longer continuance and you are eternallie damned the meerlie contrarie happening to vs considering that by the pouertie and contempt of our dayes of this life we pourchace eternall treasures and honours in heauen as our Lord teacheth vs when he said Heap not vp your treasure in earth where nothing is secure but in heauen where you may for euer enioy the benefitt therof And therfore O king be thou conuerted to receaue this true and holie law in regard of this recompence And if thou so much esteeme a kingdome of this world how much more oughtest thou to esteeme this eternall kingdome of heauē tourne thy hart to the soueraigne and true God who hath thus long expected thy penannce and now sendeth vs vnto thee as his messengers to deliuer thee from the eternall tormentes of hell which are prepared for thee and all them that follow the absolutely accursed Mahomett Take heed how thou misprise the grace which God by meanes of vs doth offer vnto thee How the fiue Martyrs were adiudged to death by the Morian king who att the instance of the prince his sonne reuoked his sentence THE VII CHAPTER THe Morian king could no longer endure nor heare the preaching and remonstrance of the Religious against his sect but being exceedingly afflicted and enraged commanded them to be expelled his presence and condemned them to be cruelly whipt and then to haue their heades cutt off The Martyrs then hastened to death with a courage and countenance very ioyfull and contented as they that knew themselues neere to the accomplishment of what they so much desired and to encourage each other they mutually said Behold brethren behold how God doth benignely offer vnto vs that which we haue so long desired
attaine the eternall kingdome And hauing spoken this touched with a iust and zealous disdaine spett twice vpon the ground in token that he abhorred the Mores proposition which the More tooke so offenciuely that in extreme fury he would willingly haue drawen his sword to haue slaine him but that it was death to draw a weapon in the kinges house and therfore he only gaue him a sound buffett saying goe sir master and learne to gouerne your tongue an other time This good Religious then as a true disciple of IESVS CHRIST incontinently answeared Brother God pardon you for you know not what you doe then tuurning his face he offered him the other cheeke bidding him strike as rudely as he would being as ready to eudure both that and more for the faith of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST The More not well hearing this reply was exceedingly amazed when he was aduertised therof and tourning towardes his owne people he said These lewd Christians shall not escape the iustice of our king which this day shall sharply be inflicted on them But these miserable wretches vnderstood not that kinde of reuenge knowne only to a few of the true seruantes of God How the king attempted againe to stagger and corrupt the holy Martyrs by promises THE XVI CHAPTER THe king in the meane time resolued to assault them with a new temptation wherby presuming to preuaile he reasoned with them in this manner you would repute your selues truely and really happy if you knew the grace which God and our great prophett offereth you in that they so pacifie my courage as I cannot reuenge me on you in such sort as your offences and demerites require but on the contrary in steed of punishing you I seeke by all meanes to gratifie you Herevpon the king freed his chamber of all the company but some few fauourites and caused to enter fiue faire and yong gentlewomen richely attired then said to the fiue Martyrs Note well what is in my clemencie I know well that your extreme pouerty and misery such as your habittes doe demonstrate hath troubled your braine but I hope by curtesie and my meree liberality to cure you for I will espouse you to these gentlewomen with whome I will giue a rich dowrye besides the portion of their parentes who are the greatest Peeres of my kingdome and whose substance you shall enherit vpon this only condition that you accept of our Religion which so many kingdomes and great personnages doe embrace The holy Martyrs stopped their eares against these deluding promises made by this subtill and creafty tyran whome they freely answeared O accursed of God assure thy selfe these thy delightes will shortly conduct thee to the goulfe of hell in the bottome wherof thy false messenger of God Mahomet attendeth thee to the end that as thou obeyest him in his law thou eternallie accompany him in tormentes And because thou art great in this world thou shalt also be greatly tormented and so much aboue others as thou hast more pleasure then they in this miserable life Ah wretched and miserable acknowledge the errour which thou so obstinatlie maintaynest As for vs by the grace of God we know well how to fly these false and transitorie pleasures hereafter to enioy those that are reall and eternall in the glorie of God which also we offer vnto thee in his behalfe with remission of all thy sinnes for our mercifull Lord IESVS CHRIST dyed as much for thee on the tree of the crosse as for vs. And if thou wilt not be ingratefull towardes his diuine maiestie acknowledge his graces and repent thee of this filthy life thou leadest which hath bin taught by thy false Prophett to thee and thine whome he leadeth as beastes by the nose of the sences after these carnall pleasures insteed and recompense wherof thou shalt eternallie burne in hell The king by this answeare perceaued well that his fauourable wordes avayled no more then his promises Wherfore as halfe enraged with fury for the iniuryes vttered against his Prophett and himselfe sith said he you will not conceaue your owne good I will make you proue what it is to offend the deity of our great Prophett and the maiesty of a croune for my selfe will reuenge the same with my owne handes for him and me which said he prepared himselfe to play the executioner How the holy Martyrs were beheaded by the very hand of the king Miramolm and how they appeared to the Infanta Madam Sanctia THE XVII CHAPTER BVt the beloued sainctes of our Lord neuer in all their life heard more welcome newes And therfore exceedingly ioyfull and content and replenished with an admirable consolation as knowing themselues to be neere their so desired recompence they with a great vehemence and feruour answeared in this sort O king our bodies only are in thy power and therin consisteth the greatest hurt thou canst doe vs which also redoundeth to our exceeding good with God therefore dispose of them att thy pleasure for our glory shal be so much greater in heauen where his diuine maiesty prepareth vs his crowne in regard that we dye for his holy faith in zeale wherof we againe admonish thee and in as much as the saluation of thy soule is precious vnto thee doe pray thee to leaue thy errours wherin the diuell hath drowned thee and to embrace the faith of the liuing God and of his only sonne IESVS CHRIST who seeketh to saue thee because this flesh which thou so much tenderest shall shortly be food for wormes and thy miserable soule shall feele the cruell and eternall paines which the damned endure in hell The king heard not the end of this discourse but commanded them to be conducted to a place before his palace that there he might execute them himselfe and that thereby the zeale he had to the law of Mahomett might publikely appeare after that he walked thither with his people where taking his great hanger he separated them then cryed out I am now to reuenge the cause of our holy Prophett and the derisions of our law with myne owne handes which said full of diabolicall fury he gaue to each of the Martyrs a blow on the middest of the head which cleaued it euen almost to the chinne then he pleased himselfe in cutting their throtes glutting his fury by the sight of their bloud So being deuoutlie on their knees praying God to pardon their persecutors they by the handes of this great executioner yelded their soules vnto God the yeare of grace 1220. and the fourth yeare of the Papacie of Pope Honorius the third the sixt of Ianuary somewhat lesse then seauen yeares before the death of the glorious Father S. Francis These were the first of his Order which he sent vnto heauen Att the same time the fiue Martyrs appeared to the foresaid Infanta in the citty of Alenquer about eleuen of the clock in the forenoone she being very deuoutlie praying in her chamber They had in their handes each
lept sound out of his bed with a loud and cleare voice praysing God The Prince being by affaires hindred from present goeing to Conimbria he sent thither the said reliques conducted by a gentleman of note called Asphonsus Perez of Aragon who attended them accompanyed by many knightes and gentlemen The king Alphonsus and the queene Vraca his wife being therof aduertised sent vnto them with Order to haue the said reliques stayed in a place neere the citty that they might present themselues before them together with the Clergie to giue them such entertainement as they worthely deserued How the holy reliques were carryed to the citty of Conimbria in generall procession where the king was present and how they miraculously chose the place where they would rest and how they transported themselues to diuers places and of the conuersion of S. Antony of Padua which by example hereof came to passe THE XXII CHAPTER ALl thinges being fitly disposed and accommodated the king queene attended with all the nobility the Clergie and people went a foote in procession with great deuotion vnto the said reliques with many crosses and banners in token of the triumphant victory of the holy martyrs Comming to the place where the reliques were hauing deuoutly saluted them they caused the mule that carryed them to goe before that she her selfe might choose her way as she had alwayes done before So without the conduct of any personne she went directly to Conimbria where she entred into Sampsons street att this day called the street of the old figtree and then to the monastery of sainct Crosse att which gate she stayed till it was opened though the intention of the king were to place the said reliques in the great church The gate of the said monastery being opened the mule of her selfe entred into the Church and went directly before the high altare where she kneeled downe and so remayned till she was disburthened of the said reliques each one admiring the miracle wherby the holy martyrs did choose and make knowne where they would haue their reliques to repose for which they were all thanckfull vnto God and there ended the Procession The king erected a sumptuous chappell att the place where the mule kneeled downe and a rich shrine wherin were putt the greatest part of the said reliques others in an other shrine in the cloister of the said monastery the litle that remayned was sent part to the Church of the holy Ghost of Goueau where there was a Couent of Religious of sainct Francis Order and an entiere body to the monastery of sainct Bernard of Loruant three leagues from Conimbria becausse the Abbesse of that monasterie was sister to the king Now the very day that the reliques were brought into the monastery of S. Crosse they began there to shine by miracles for they cured a great multitude of diseased persons there present and from that time the miracles haue so continued euen to this day that they deliuered from perill all such as recommended themselues vnto them vpon which occasion it is that so many strange pilgrimes doe frequent that place The greatest gaine of that day wheron the reliques were receaued was of S. Antony of Lisbone called of Padua who was then a Canon Reguler of S. Crosse and as such in the said procession gaue praise to God among the rest and solemnised the arriuall of the holy reliques for he merited to be inspired of the holy Ghost who anymated him with a great zeale vnto his honour in such sort as he resolued to offer his life for the confession of the holy faith by the example of the said martyrs whome desiring entierly to imitate he would begin by the habitt and rule of sainct Francis whose true disciples these martyrs had bin Of the death of the queene Vraca prophesied by the holy martyrs as before in the third chapter hath bin recorded and of a vision which her confessor had therevpon THE XXIII CHAPTER THe Queene Vrraca had great care of her death because the holy Martyrs had prophesied vnto her therof yea she was in extreme affliction considering that their death and the translation of their bodyes was effected as they had foretold but the issue of what she doubted did succeed for as soone as she came to the holy reliques she began to feele her selfe ill so that she could not accompany them but was constrained to goe to her bedde and the night following she dyed That very night Peter Nuguez Canon reguler of the monastery of sainct Crosse a man of exceeding piety and Confessor to the said queene Vrraca had this vision He saw a great multitude of Frere Minors wherof fiue went before but they were conducted by a Religious Father of their Order that gaue a very great splendour and they entred in to the quier of the said Church of S. Crosse in procession where they very melodiously sung matines he extremely amazed att what he saw began to discourse with himselfe how so many Religious could enter the dores being shutt as they were and why they sung matines without any precedent ringing Being in this vehement admiration he questioned with one of the Religious asking him who they were how and where they entred into the monastery att such an hower The Religious answeared him We are Frere Minors and because thou wert Confessour to the Queene and fearest God it hath pleased his diuine goodnes to reueale vnto thee this vision He whome thou seest to precede the rest with such glory is our holy Father S. Francis whome thou hast so much desired to see in this life and the fiue which thou seest to follow him are the fiue Martyrs of Marroccho which are here shrined Know besides that the Queene Vrraca is this night departed and because she exceedingly affected our Order our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath sent vs all hither solemnely here for the benefitt of her soule and for her obsequies to sing these Matines doubt not of her death for as soone as we are departed hence one shall come to aduertise thee therof And the Matines and prayses of God being ended this glorious procession disappeared and therwith one knocked att his dore to aduertise him of the death of the queene How our Lord chasticed the citty and king of Marroccho for the cruell death of his holy Martyrs THE XXIIII CHAPTER THe king of Marroccho remayned not vnpunished no more did his contry for the very same yeare did his arme and right hand which he had so wicke dly stretched out against the holy Martyrs wither as also did all the right side of his body from the head to the feet The people were punished in an other manner for in three yeares after this Martyrdome neither in the said citty nor in a great circuit therabout did there fall one drop of raine which caused an extreme dearth and mortality of catell then correspondently to the nomber of the Martyrs the plague continued for fiue yeares after wherof dyed the
as precious stones and iewels that cannot be sufficiently esteemed So called he the affrontes and iniuries done vnto him precious stones and of notable value with God An other time being in the citty of Spoletum he vnderstood that there was a feast to be solemnised att Assisium whither would repaire from most parts of the world nott minding too loose the gaine he hoped to make there he determined to goe to the feast in the fashion aforesaid and being in the citty he went expresly to be seene and the more to be mesprised of the people into the principall streetes which was presently related to his Brethren as he well expected Wherfore being come to the monastery they all chardged him with notable iniuryes calling him foole and worthy to be layd in irons for dishonouring their house and Religion all concluding that he deserued a great penance Wherevpon the Guardian hauing before all the company giuen him a rough and rude chapter sayd vnto him O miserable wretch what pennance can I impose on thee correspondent and worthy the excesse of thy notorious fact Herevnto Brother Iuniperus very humbly ausweared Father the correction you should giue me is to permitt me to retourne in the same manner I came and the same way Herbie the Religious vnderstood well what had bin the cause of his comming and being qualified and appeased they pray7s ed God for it How Brother Iuniperus abhorred honours and consolations THE XXXVII CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus being sent to Rome there to remayne where the reputation of his vertues liued some that were deere freindes to him and deuoted to the Order vnderstanding therof went out of the citty to meet him so to entertayne him curteously and to honour him But this holy Religious seeing them comming and suspecting the occasion which he extremely detested and shunned he was att the first apprehension exceedingly troubled to resolue on some meane to auoyd that honour Att leÌ„ght after he had some time discoursed in his spiritt of this subiect still goeing on his way he found children busyed in this sport following they had layd a peice of wood crosse vpoÌ„ a wall att each end wherof was a boy sitting astride who by equall waight did alternatiuely mount each other vp and downe Brother Iuniperus gott one of the places and began to sport with the boy att the other end His freindes and affectionat comming there did not yet forbeare very reuerently to salute him well knowing his fashions and customes but he persisting firme and constant in his purpose would not seeme to see or heare them so atttentiue did he appeare in that sport and so long he continued and so resolutely that trying their patience he enforced them att last to retourne home much discontented and disedifyed att the inciuillytie and folly of their freind and afterwardes he secrecretly slipt into his Couent very ioyfull in hauing so auoyded the vaineglory of that worldly entertainement An other time he hauing bin against his will commanded to goe to the house of a gentleman that desired much to discourse particulerly with him he was thervnto constrayned by obedience but by whatsoeuer meanes the gentleman could deuise to occasion him to discourse he could not wrest so much as one good word from him Yet supposing him to be weary or distempered with some indisposition he for that night conducted him into a chamber very commodiously furnished for his repose but very early the next morning without speaking a word to any person he departed leauing the bed and other furniture disorderly and confusedly heaped together to be esteemed a foole Which the gentleman hauing seene he was exceedingly confounded and scandelized att this Religious that thus disgraced him and complayned therof to the other Religious who exceedingly checked him for it And then in their presence he reprehended himselfe acknowledgeing that he did not only deserue to be rebuked but also to be seuerely punished Brother Iuniperus discoursing one time with some Religious touching death one of them said God graunt me the grace to dye in some Couent of the Order in the company of my Brethren that my soule may be comforted and assisted by their prayers and that my body may be buryed with other Religious Herevpon Brother Iuniperus tooke occasion of speech saying I would that at the houre of my death my body might be so loathsome and stinking that no Religious would aduenture to come neere it but that they would therfore cast me into some priuie or smoke and there leaue me as most abhominable and afterwardes being dead would not aforde me any buryall but that foules might deuour my body The humility of this holy Religious was so admirable as also his desire to be misprised for the loue of IESS CHRIST that he could neuer esteeme himselfe in any sort sufficiently burdened with reproches iniuryes vilainies and infamies in his life and in his death In which repect we may iustly say Non est inuentus similis illi that more precisely then he obserued to repay this law vnto our Lord in the same mony and coyne of reproches as he suffered for vs and with such â—oue as this holy Religious and that more euidently discouered in himselfe the perfection of S. Paul in effect Mihi mundus crucifixus est ego mundo for he alwayes contemned it withall the pompes and vanities therof esteeming the world to be but a foole Of the remedy which Brother Iuniperus vsed against the temptations of sensuality THE XXXVIII CHAPTER BRother Giles Brother Ruffinus Brother Simon and Brother Iuniperus being on time together in spirituall conference and conuersation Brother Giles sayd to the rest My Brethren I beseech you tell me how you arme your selues against the temptations of sensuality Br. Simon of Assium answeared I consider the loathsomnes of this sinne how detestable it is not only in the presence of God but euen before men who though impious yet seeke to conceale and couer themselues from being seene in the exercise of such a filthy act This consideration procureth in me a displeasure and detestation of this sinne and deliuereth me of the temptation Then Brother Ruffinus spake as thus For my part when I am tempted with that sinne I fall on both my knees vpon the ground I implore the assistance of the diuine clemencie and of the glorious Virgin Mother and so continue in prayer till I feele my selfe freed Brother Iuniperus then spake to this purpose When I perceaue such diuelish temptations are represented to my senses forcibly to assault me I instanly shut the gates of my hart whereto I constitue for seuere guardes holy meditations and pious desires for security of the castell wherin resideth the soule and when their ennemies make their approches to giue an assault to that place I that command in that forteresse cry to them from within Goe your wayes gett yee gone the place is possessed for others yee are discouered I am fortified with whatsoeuer is necessary to
a mountaine where he found a litle chappell hauing bin an hermitage called S. Laurence farre distant from habitation and consequently very solitary there he resolued to spend his lent but three dayes after he was there arriued it did so snow and freeze that they could not possibly goe abroad The holy Religious seeing there was no meane to goe foorth to seeke bread sayd to his companion Brother lett vs make petition to almighty God that he will please in our necessity to send vs bread sith there is none but he that can heare and releiue vs. Then he recounted an history of certaine Religious who wanting bread in the like necessity had recourse to him and were heard Being moued by such an example they began on the euenning to pray with loud voice vnto almighty God so perseuered till the breake of the day following when as God inspired a good man of a neighbouring place who seeing the snow so extreme called to minde that he had seene att other times Hermites att S. Laurence thought with himselfe that if then there were any there they could not come foorth to seeke food which mouing him to compassion he went out of his house with bread and wine which he gaue to the Religious and being retourned to his house he aduertised his neighbours and friendes of the necessity of the said seruantes of God and so procured that they wanted not wherwith to liue the rest of the lent which happened to good purpose for them in regard of their extreme necessity Br. Giles desirous to acknowledge the great charity vsed vnto him by those people he said to his companion hitherto we haue prayed to God for our selues to be relieued in our necessity heceforward we ought to pray vnto him for our benefactors so that persisting night and day in these petitions our Lord bestowed such graces and fauours on the inhabitantes of that place that neuer Frere Minor hauing bin formely seene there many among them neuertheles being moued by the example and pious exhortations of the sayd Religious forlooke the vanity of this world and became Frere Minors and such as could not serued God by prayers and did penance in their owne houses and by this meane for corporall benefittes they gaue in exchaunge spirituall in double mesure Of the humilitie and obedience of Br. Giles THE V. CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis cordially loued Br. Giles for his great perfection in all vertues and his promptitude in doeing well and therfore did often obserue him and would say to his other Religious that he was one of his knightes of the round table so did he call the humble and deuout Religious Now Br. Giles one day demaunded obedience of S. Francis to goe where he pleased or to remayne where he was the holy Father answeared him your residence is prouided goe where you will whervpon hauing demaunded and receiued his benediction he went and walked in this freedome fower whole dayes but finding his spiritt much disquieted he retourned to S. Francis Father sayd he I beseech you designe me a certaine place whither to goe because goeing according to my owne liberty I cannot haue my conscience free the S. sent him to the Couent of Fabrian whither he went barefoote with a very ragged habitt though the season were extreme cold On the way he mett a passenger that sayd vnto him I would not goe so poorly cloathed in so cold a season were I therby to pourchace paradice by which wordes the deuill so augmented the cold that he expected death therby but he incontineÌ„tlie called to minde that our lord IESVS CHRIST went barefoote and poorely cloathed through the world and endured far more cold and other labours for our sakes these pious cogitations did in this sort warme first his hart and then all his body with a diuine heat wherfore he began to praise God his sweet lord who had thus warmed him not with materiall fier but by the only burning heatof his diuine loue So Br. Giles remayned many yeares in the sayd place where one day weighing his sinnes he ascended on a mountaine neere by whither he carryed a yoÌ„g Religious whome he commanded with a cord about his necke to lead him naked to the place where the other Religious were and entring in this sort before them he began with teares to cry Haue compassion and pitty of me miserable and detestable sinner The Religious beholding him in such a gastly plight began all to weep and prayed him to putt on his habitt but he answeared with bitter teares and extreme sighes that he was vnworthy to be a Frere Minor Yet if you will that I take the habitt againe said he I will as an almose receaued of you though I doe not deserue it and so he cloathed himselfe and there remayned labouring with his handes in making caskettes of straw to couer or keep glasses and litle baskettes which he and his companion carryed to the neighbour towne and villages and in exchauâ—ge receaued what they needed either of food or cloathing and with the rest he cloathed other Religious saying that such almose done to any Religious prayed for him when he slept and could not then pray himselfe This good Religious retourning one day from the fieldes hauing in his handes a reed and a hatchett he past before a church the Chappelaine wherof seeing him called him hippocrite which did so grieue and afflict Br. Giles that he wept bitterly A Religious finding him thus lamenting demandindg the occasion of his teares he answeared him because I am an hippocrite as a Preist did now instantly assure me The Religious replied poore man doest thou then belieue it to be true Br. Giles answeared that he belieued it because he was a Priest that auouched the same and he could not conceaue that a Priest would lie The Religious replyed Brother be no longer disquieted for it may be thou art no hippocrite because the opinion of men is most often farre from the iudgement of God Br. Giles with this reasonnable answeare was somewhat satisfied and comforted saying that if he were not such it was by the pure grace of God Hearing one day relation of the fall of Br. Helie that had bin Generall of the Order whence he was an Apostata then liuing excommunicated thence in the traine and seruice of the Emperour Frederic the second then a rebell vnto the Church he with extreme griefe fell flatt vpon the ground and there contemptibly tourned and tumbled himselfe affirming that he would discend as low as he could because the other had wrought his owne distruction by clymeing so high This great seruant of God being one day out of the Couent he receaued a letter and therby commaundement from his Generall to meet him att Assisium whither he instantly tooke his iorney his companion putting into his minde that it were good to retourne first to the Couent to aduertise the Religious therof he answeared Brother I am commanded to goe
your fault Br. Gerardin hauing a litle smiled acknowledged his fault then Br. Giles againe This fault is not of force When the penance is not admittable and in due forme no grace can be obtayned therby But tell me canst thou sing Br. Gerardin answeared he could sing then with me sayd Br. Giles and drew out of his sleeue a litle instrument made of willow like those litle gitternes or fidels wheron children play wherof touching the stringes he began to proue and demonstrate the propositiō of Br. Gerardin to be notoriously inuallible false thus affirming on the first Br. I speake not of the being of man before the creation I know then he was nothing and therfore could doe nothing but I speake of his being since the creation wherin man receiued of God a freewil wherby he might merit or demeritt meritt consenting to good and demeritt yelding to euill so that you haue very erroniously spoaken And I thinck you intended to circumuent me for S. Paul in the place by you alleadged speaketh not of the nullity of the substance nor of the puissance but of the nullitye of meritt conformably to what he sayth in an other place If I haue not charity I am nothing Neither did I intend to speake of the soule in separation or of the body dead but of man liuing who consenting to grace hath power if he list to doe well and being rebellious to doe euill which is no other thing then not to doe well Where as you say the corruptible body burdeneth the soule the holy scripture doth not yet say that the same taketh away freewill from the soule leauing her no power to doe good and euill but the signification is that it is an impediment to the vnderstanding and that the affection and imagination of the soule is imployed and entangled in terrestriall affaires therfore is it sayd a litle before The terrestriall habitation depresseth the sences distracted in many cogitations and in diuers scattered affaires which permitt not the soule freely to search the thinges of heauen where our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST sitteth att the right hand of the Father almighty because the sight is a subtility of the puissances of the soule which are made dull and obscure by the diuers inclinations and occupations of the inferiour and corporall powers Thus did Br. Giles by order refute all the reasons of Br. Gerardin who much admiring the same againe with affection and great deuotion acknowledged his fault Brother Giles then sayd this is the acknowledgement of the fault Brother that auaileth and striketh the stroake But will you that I yet more manifestly demonstrate that a creature can doe somewhat Brother Gerardin answeared Father I heseech you Brother Giles then getting vp on a graue cryed out O thou damned that art tormented in hell Then himselfe in the personne of the damned with a lamentable horrible and terrible voice that made those present to tremble answeared Oh that I am miserable that I am wretched and accursed then assuming his ordinary voice he proceeded Tell me caitife wherfore art thou damned And taking againe that lamentable voice he answeared himselfe Because I haue not done the good I could nor shunned and auoyded the euill as I might haue done He asked him againe in his naturall voice Thou damned wretch what wouldest thou doe or what wouldest thou giue if it were permitted thee to doe penāce He answeared in the gastly voice if al the world were mine I would giue it and would content my selfe to dwell in a fire for many worldes prouided that it were such as by litle and litle I could endure only to auoyd eternall death for so my paynes should one day att least haue end but my damnation is eternall Which said he retourned towardes Brother Gerardin and sayd Well haue you heard Br. haue you heard how a creature hath power to good or euill And after many other spirituall discourses Brother Giles said to Br. Gerardin Brother that you may not esteeme this to be a fiction tell me if a drop of water fall into the sea doth it then giue a name to the sea or the sea to it He answeared that the substance of the drop of water being swallowed vp it tooke denomination of the sea and not the sea of it Br. Giles replyed You haue reason and for proofe therof he was in the very instant rapt into extasie so that he demonstrated by effect that his soule casting it selfe into the profound ocean of the diuine loue and glory being entierly swallowed vp in God changed her essence of grace into that of glory How the blessed Br. Giles had the spirit of Prophesie THE XVI CHAPTER A Dominican Frere being Doctor of diuinity was assaulted with a grieuous temptation for the deuil would put him in doubt of the most pure virginity of the virgin Mother of God wherin whatsoeuer remedy he applyed nothing did auayle him and perceauing that his learning nor vertuous exercises would nothing profitt him he much desired to be assisted by some spirituall personne that could deliuer him of this grieuous affliction Wherfore hauing heard the same of the vertue of Br. Giles and that he was a Religious illuminated of God he repayred vnto him and att the same time the holy Ghost reuealed vnto Br. Giles the comming of this diuine and the occasion therof wherfore he went out of his cell and mett him And entertayning him curteously before the Religious began to speake he sayd vnto him Br. Preacher she was a virgin before her child birth then with a litle stick which he had in his hand he stroake the ground and presently there did spring vp a faire lilly then he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin in her childbirth and likewise striking the earth with his sticke there sprung vp an other lilly and thirdly he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin after her childbirth and hauing touched the earth as before the third lilly appeared Then hauing made these three admirable demonstrations and the sayd Religious being entierly freed of the temptations the lillyes vanished The holy Father with all speed retired into the Monastery leauing the Religious full of astonishment and admiration who gaue thanckes to God for his miraculous deliuery from so troublesome a temptation of the deuill Certaine Frere Minors determining to make a well on a mountaine neere to Perusia where Br. Giles was resident and not according together touching the place they repayred to him for his aduice and presently tooke a staffe went to the place that God had inspired him where striking the ground with his staffe there sprung vp a most delightfull violett and then he willed the Religious to dig there which vpon sight of that miracle they did and there found abondance of water wholsome and pleasant to drinck and so they finished their well to relieue their necessity How Br. Giles was visited by S. Lewes king of France and what passed betwene them THE XVII CHAPTER S. Lewes
serued but wormes stinch and eternall death Better were it for you my child beleeue me to endure a litle here so to receaue in heauen that incomprehensible recompence which by no humane tongue can be expressed A discourse of Religion and Obedience THE XXXIX CHAPTER I Would more respect a litle grace from almighty God in Religion then much more in the world because there is more perill and lesse helpe in the seculer estate then in Religion and yet a sinfull man hath more feare of his good then of his euill because he feareth more to doe penance entring into Religion then to persist in sinne in the world They that enter into Religion and performe not what is conuenient to their vow are like a common labourer that adorneth himselfe with the armour of a braue soldier and when he must fight knoweth not how to vse it I doe not esteeme it much to enter into the Court of a king and to gett fauour of him but I much esteeme to know how to liue in a Court as one ought and so to perseuer The Court of a great king is Religion wherin it is a small matter to enter and to receaue some gift of Almighty God But to know how to liue there and to perseuer in holy deuotion to the end is a matter very laudable and estimable Wherfore I had rather liue in seculer estate with desire to enter into ReligioÌ„ then to be Religious with wearinesse and ircksomnes The glorious Virgin Mother of IESVS CHRIST was borne of sinfull man woman and liued not inclosed in any Religion neuertheles she was is as she is But when a Religious hath made profession he must beleeue that he neither knoweth nor can liue out of Religion It doth vndoubtedly seeme vnto me that the Religion of the Frere Minors was sent of God into the world for a great benefitt and profitt to al men but we shal proue extremely miserable if we be not such as we ought to be I esteeme the Religion of the Frere Minors to be the poorest and the richest of the world but we haue this deâ—ect that we aspire to rise to high when a shippe is broaken by a tempest though the affliction be great he that can striueth to saue himselfe Considering all the Religions that are and haue bin from the beginning of the world to this present I find none so reasonable conuenient nor better then this of the Frere Minors He is rich that playeth the part of a rich man he is wise that imitateth the wise he good that imitateth the good and he noble that is a true follower of our most noble Lord IESVS Vertuous conditions open vs the way to all happines and vicious to perdition And therfore the more a Religious submitteth himselfe vnder the yoke of odedience the more fruit doth he produce and the more obedient a Religious is and more subiect to his Superiour for the honour and loue of God so much more is he poore of spiritt and purged of his sinnes A Religious truely obedient is as a soldier well armed and as a horseman mounted on a gallant Courserâ— who securely breaketh through the middest of his ennemies without detriment The Religious that obeyeth with murmure is as a disarmed horseman on a cowardly iade that passing through his ennemies stumbleth and is taken prisonner The Religions that seeketh to liue according to his will desireth to goe to the fire of hell When the oxen submitt their neck to the yoke then are the corne-loftes full with graine but when they run wandering ouer the fieldes and taking their pleasure it is a signe that the garners are empty The more eminent and wise personnes yeld their head vnder the yoke of obedience but the il-aduised and ignorant retire themselues and contemne to obey The mother doth often bring vp her sonne and rayse him to honour and the vngratefull sonne disobeyeth his mother and derideth her Many Religious doe the like to Religion their mother ther. I more esteeme to obey a Superiour for the loue of God then to obey God himselfe for he that obeyeth the vicar of IESVS CHRIST with greater reason would he obey God himselfe if he command him He that submitteth his head vnder the yoke of obedience and afterward remoueth it to follow of himselfe the way of perfection according to his fantasie he discouereth his interiour pride Wherfore it seemeth to me if one had obtayned the grace to speake with the Angels were att the instant called by his superiour he should incontinently leaue his conference with the Angels and obey a man to whome he hath voluntarily made himselfe subiect for the loue of God Our Lord and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath made the verity of this doctrine appeare in Br. Andrew my deuout companion who being in feruent prayer in his cell his diuine Maiesty appeared vnto him in forme of a very beautifull child who by the splendour of his contenance and the familiarity which he shewed him filled him with an ineffable consolation But in the meane whiles it runge to Euensong the poore Religious then not knowing what to doe resolued to leaue his God and went incontinently to the quier saying that it was the better to obey the creature for the loue of the Creatour in this maÌ„ner giuing satisfaction to both the one and the other The sequell discouered how pleasing this his opinion was vnto God for the euensong being ended Brother Andrew retourned to his cell and there yet found the litle child IESVS who sayd vnto him If thou haddest not gone to the quier I had presently gone hence and neuer retourned A discourse of vertues and vices in generall and of Prayer THE XL. CHAPTER DIuine thinges make a man rich and humane thinges make him poore Wherfore men should follow and loue the one and the other For as all the wayes of the earth are full of vices and sinnes so they of heauen are full of vertues which being prepared for creatures call to each one saying come and entertaine vs and we will teach you the way of saluation but man miserable as he is hath no mind that way Whose fault is it then if he liue in misery and pouerty sith being called of God he will not take the paines to come to his presence wherby he maketh himselfe guilty of eternall death For as vertues and graces are the way and ladder leading to heauen so sinnes are the downfall descending into hell But it is very perillous to demaund of God vertues and graces because if hauing receaued them we doe not good worckes accordingly we make his diuine Maiesty more our ennemy and prouoke his wrath to chastice vs for our ingratitude in respect that by how much greater the gift is which God presenteth to his creature the more vngratefull doth he proue that conserueth it not The more a man is surmonted by vices and sinnes the more ought he to hate and abhorre them By prayer a man
the ayre where she did some seruice to an other woman there came a wolfe which being taken by the girle but for a dogge he lept on her neck tooke hold of her head The other woman and the mother of the girle there present ran after and cryed for helpe inuocating sainte Clare and it was admirable to heare that the child being in the teeth of the wolfe reprehended him saying Thou theefe how canst thou carry me farther I being recommended to that holy virgin The wolfe as daunted with those wordes gently sett the girle on the ground and as a theefe found and taken in the fact he fled and the girle retourned without any hurt vnto her mother How diuers were deliuered from drowning and danger of sea hauing iâ—uocated S. Clare THE XXXII CHAPTER AShippe fraught with many personnes departing out of the port of Perusia for the I le of Sardinie the first night there arose such a terrible tempest that the force therof leaked the bottome of the vessell which made apparent to all therein that they were in most euident perill of shipwrack wherfore they began to inuocate the Queene of heauen and many other sainctes to assist them Att length perceiuing no apparence of their liues safety they addressed themselues to saincte Clare and vowed to her that if by her intercession they were deliuered they would goe all naked to their very shirtes with their girdle about their necks to visitt her sacred reliques att Assisium carrying each a wax light of two poundes in their handes This vow being made they saw three great lightes discend from heauen the one wherof setled on the forepart of the shipp an other on the poupe and the third on the pumpe by the vertue wherof the leakes where the water entred did close and the sea became so quiet and calme that with a gracious wind the vessell was accompanied and conducted by the said lightes to the part of Arestan whither being arriued and landed the marchandise all safely putt on shoare the sayd lightes vanished and which was admirable the shippe presently sunk and was cast away They that had gone out of her acknowledging the miracle att their retourne to Pisa deuoutly accomplished their vow yelding infinite thanckes to almighty God and to the virgin sainte Clare for the great benefitt receaued by her intercession How S. Clare was canonized by Pope Alexander the fourth THE XXXIII CHAPTER POpe Innocent the fourth liued so litle time after the death of sainte Clare that he cold not canonize her The holy siege hauing bin two yeares vacant Alexander the fourth was chosen Pope who being exceedingly deuoted and a friend to piety protectour of Religious hauing heard true relation both of the miracles which our Lord IESVS CHRIST wrought for the glory of his holy seruant and of the renowme of her vertue which daily more and more diuulged it selfe in the Church knowing also that her canonization was generally desired his holinesse being also induced by the assurance of so many miracles therfore begaÌ„ to treat in the Consistory of her canonizatioÌ„ Wherin to proceed more maturely there were elected prudent and vertuous men to examine the sayd miracles and the irreprehensible life of the sainct Which being done and this holy virgin being found and proued to haue bin in her life an vnspotted mirrour of all vertues and to haue bin ennobled of almighty God after her death by true and approued miracles the day of her Canonization was appointed when were present with his Holinesse many Cardinals Archbishoppes Bishoppes other Prelates and a great number of Priestes and Religious with infinite noblemen gentlemen and others each in their degree and quality before whome the Pope proposed this sacred affaire demaunding the opinion of the Prelates who with one accord gaue consent and affectionatly besought the said sainct might be canonized in the Church as IESVS CHRIST had glorified her in heauen In this sort then three yeares after her happy decease Pope Alexander caused her solemnely to be enrollod in the Catalogue of Sainctes ordayning her feast to be celebrated with solemnity in the Church the 12. of August This Canonization was performed the yeare of grace 1255. and the first of the raigne of the Pope to the praise and glory of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST The life of saincte Agnes sister to saincte Clare The conuersion of this Sainct is described before in the fift chapter of this present booke and therfore to auoyd reiteration it is here pretermitted How saincte Agnes was by the holy Father sainct Francis sent to Florence there to build a Monastery THE XXXIIII CHAPTER THe virgin and espouse of our Redeemer IES CH. Agnes true sister companion of S. Clare as well in bloud as in vertue and Religion perseuered and persisted in notable sanctity of life in the Monastery of sainct Damian and from the time of her entrance into Religion euen to her death she alwayes woare a very rough haircloth next her tender flesh Her ordinary refection was almost alwayes bread and water she was naturally very pittifull to euery one Sainct Francis finding this virgin to haue obtayned of God by meane and assistance of her sister a worthy perfection he sent her to Florence there to found a new Monastery of poore sisters called Mount Celi wherof sainct Francis made her Abbesse This holy virgin induced many soules to abandon the world to serue IESVS CHRIST which she did by meane of her pious conuersation and sanctity of life by holy discourses and wordes of God that sweetly flowed out of her mouth and as a perfect Contemptrice of transitory thinges and follower of IESVS CHRIST she planted in this Monastery conformably to the desire of the holy Father sainct Francis and of saincte Claâ—e the obseruance and profession of Euangelicall pouerty but being exceedingly grieâ—â—d with the absence of her sister she wrote this letter following vnto her and to all the Religious of the Monastery of sainct Damian wherin she had receaued her education and spirituall nourriture A Copte of the letter which saincte Agnes wrote to her Sister saincte Clare and to all the others sisters of her Monastery THE XXXV CHAPTER TO the venerable and beloued Mother in our Lord CHRST IESVS Clare and to all her Couent humble sister Agnes the least of the disciples of IESVS CHRIST and of yours recommendeth herselfe vnto you all and prostrate att your feet doth yeld you all submission and deuotion wishing vnto you what is most precious from the most high king of kinges To the end that all nature which hath bin created of God doe acknowledge it selfe to be such as none can persist of it selfe in its owne essence the diuine prouidence most prudently permitteth that when any one esteemeth himselfe to be in prosperity then is he drowned and plunged in aduersities This I tell you my most deere Mother that you may know what affliction and extreme heauines possesseth my spiritt being so tormented that
CHRIST seruing him alone in pouerty and humility This sainte Agnes of Bohemia being illustrated by many vertues and miracles hauing assembled an infinite number of Religious in diuers Couents and hauing with them perseuered in all perfection of vertues she left this transitory world to take eternall possession of her glorious celestiall Spouse CHRIST IESVS who honoured her and made her blessed as he hath manisested by many miracles which he hath wrought by her great merittes intercessions The Emperour Charles the fourth who was also king of Bohemia was two seuerall times deliuered from death by the intercession of this celestiall Princesse and therfore att his death he enioyned his sonne Wenceslaus and successour in the Empire to procure her canonization But he was hindered by important and continuall troubles and affaires that disabled him to execute the pious and iust desires of his Father Of many other Religious that florished primitiuely in the Order of S. Clare THE XLI CHAPTER THere was an other holy Religious of the royal bloud of Polonia called Salome whose sanctity was manyfested by diuers miracles which God wrought after her death she by her merittes deliuered many women from perill of death in trauell of child many lame were restored to the vse of their limmes blind recouered sight and wounded personnes were cured A holy Religious of Padua called Helena florished in great perfection of life in the monastery which was builded by the Seraphicall Father S. Francis and in which the blessed Father S. Antony of Padua yelded his spirit vnto almighty God This holy Religious liuing in that place after she had there obtayned of God many vertues she was tryed by IESVS CHRIST and refined as gold in the furnise of afflictions For she kept her bed depriued of all corporall force yea and of her speech for 15. yeares during all which time she ordinarily demonstrated by signes and gestures an exceeding great alacrity and ioy in her hart Our Lord reuealed many thinges to this sainct which she manifested to the Religious who curiously recorded the same to be kowne to posterity The sayd religious sisters being demaunded how the infirme Religious could make the vnderstand those wordes sith she could not speake they answeared that themselues then obserued so strict a silence that they scarcely spake att all but demaunded and opened their necessities by signes which were well vnderstood among them for expressing whatsoeuer they desired to haue knowen And in that sort had they vnderstood the sayd S. whose body for many yeares after the sayd Religious sisters did shew to such as in deuotion repayred to see it remayning entire and incorruptible yea her nayles and haire did grow as if she had bin liuing By her merittes God wrought many miracles and particulerly on the Marquesse of Parma who was of the family of Lupi called Boniface who being in the anguish of death the Marquesse his Lady making a vow to this sainte Helene for his health it was perfectly restored vnto him In the beginning of the Order of saincte Clare there was also of it the daughter of a king of Hungary called Cuiga sister vnto blessed sainte Elizabeth the widowe who hauing taken the habitt and made profession of the rule of saincte Clare became so famous after the death of sainte Elizabeth in sanctity and miracles both during her life and att her death that question is att Rome touching her canonization The end of the 8. booke and second volume of the first part of the croâ—icles of the Frere Minors THE NINTH BOOKE OF THE SECOND VOLVME AND FIRST PART OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE INSTITVTION and rule of the third Order called of penitents made by the holy Father S. Francis And the liues of many of the said Order especially of Sainte Elizabeth Queene of Hongary How the Order of the seculer penitents was instituted by the holy Father S. Francis THE FIRST CHAPTER THE Seraphicall Father saint Francis sowing ouer Italy the word and seed of life a good part therof fell into the hartes of men that were bound by the knott of Matrimony and of personnes of such like condicion whose soules could not freely follow the spiritt of penance as they desired yet their feruour was such that sometimes eueÌ„ whole townes and villages were dispeopled in following the holy Father saint Francis who purchased the saluation of their soules Wherupon this holy Father being requested yea importuned generally and particulerly to institute an Order and rule wherin seculer and marryed people might liue to doe penance and to liue in a more secure estate for their saluation The yeare 1221. he instiruted the Order of Generous Penitents whereof all Christians that liue not in monasticall Religion might yet be meÌ„bers The first that entred this Order was an holy man called Lucius and though no rule is found to be recorded att that time nor forme of liuing prescribed by S. Francis to these Penitents yet it is most assured that he gaue them certaine rules according to which they should temporally and spiritually gouerne themselues were it to fast or pray more then other seculers to know what office and deuotions they should vse what almose they should giue how they should be cloathed and what rigour of penance they should vndertake of which ordoÌ„nances deliuered by S. Francis and recorded by them to whome he taught the same Pope Nicolas the fourth cutt off one part and left only that which was most easie instituting a rule which here we will insert which was also afterward confirmed by the Apostolicke sea by three most ample letters patentes And albeit the first and ancient habitt of these penitentes was afterwardes different in diuers prouinces yet is it most probable that the most common and general was the same which those of the third Order yet weare in Italy as most conformable to their statue The colour is gray like to that of the Frere Minors but the forme and fashion is as others seculers doe weare and it is credible that S. FraÌ„cis his will was that the sayd Penitentes should weare this habitt siâ—h in those places where this Order was by him first instituted and where he most conuersed this manner of habit was vsed These sayd Penitents may not weare the cord as the Frere Minors These of the third rul which haue succeeded those who liue in coÌ„mon and are Religious by vow can lesse auouch the wearing of a cord but must vse a leather belt And it is to be noted that the Frere Minors cannot receaue these Penitents to the profession of Religious obedience or to any vow but only may admitt and receaue them to the sayd rule of life and company of the Penitents exhorting and admonishing them to obserue the same They may also assist them in confession and other spiritual worckes as CoÌ„freres and true Brethren of the Order Neuertheles the Religious may not be their Prelates or Superiours because they are
subiect to seculer ecclesiasticall iurisdiction These Penitents may yet as is practised in all their Cōfraternityes create an head or chefe by the title of Minister Rector or Priour who shall haue care to assemble the Brethren att certaine times to consult of matters touching their company It is also manifest that S. Francis alone among al other authors of religions did institute and ordaine the Brethren and sisters of the third Order of Penitents And because he had formerly instituted two rules the one of Frere Minors and the other of poore Sisters this Confraternity of Penitents was called the third Order thence is deriued their denomination Since that time some others Orders principally the Begging Freres endeauour to imitate S. Francis and to institute also other Confraternities of imitating Penitents or what such other denomination they will and submitting themselues in some sort to the sayd Orders they withall enioy their priuiledges But to the end more apparent knowledge may be had of this first and true Order of Penitentes instituted by the holy Father S. Francis and the holy sea and of the fruit which they haue produced in the Church we will proceed in declaration of this Order First we will sett downe certaine Apostolicall fauours and concessions bestowed on this confraternity in the beginning therof then the rule which the said Pope Nicolas the fourth of blessed memory compiled approued finally we wil deduce the illustrious personnes that haue florished in the sayd Order in all sanctity which wil be a matter gratefull and worthy to be recorded The Briefe of Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he declared this Order to be confirmed and fauoured by Pope Honorius the 3. THE II. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to all the Brethren of the Order of Penitents instituted in Italy Forsomuch as the detestable enuy of the ennemy of mankinde doth with greater obstinacy persecute the seruants of CHRIST IESVS spreading his snares against them and with all his power seeking to withdraw and remoue them from the seruice of the king of kinges by malicious inuentions we knowing that these hauing forsaken the vanitie of the world though they be yet with their bodies on earth neuertheles in soule and spiritt they conuerse in heauen renouncing worldly desires for the loue of God they enioy not only transitory pleasures but eternal richesse so much more also doth he torment them no otherwise then did the Egiptians persecute the people of God that went out of the Egipt of this world till they perished by diuine punition and a new manner of death finding receauing the end which their worckes deserued And after our Sauiour and Redeemer IESVS CHR. hauing receaued holy Baptisme went into the desert where hauing fasted 40. dayes and 40. nightes the same wicked spirit feared not to tempt him Therfor he that addicteth himselfe to the seruice of God must according to the sentence of the Sage prepare his soule vnto temptations Which being considered by Pope Honorius the 3. our Predecessour and that doeing worckes of Penance you were afflicted by the children of this world by diuers afflictions and crosses that therfore you had need to be nourished and fauoured by laudable worckes he embracing and louing your Religion in the bowels of IESVS CHR. gratified the same with speciall grace commanding all Bishoppes and Archbishoppes of Italy to exempt and free you from such oathes as are accustomed to be exacted of Gouernours of townes and other officers of others places and to protect you that you be not constrayned to accept publicke offices and chardges or to be receauers of common rentes and such like affaires But because the children of darcknes who by their humane prudence haue learned to repute darcknes light and light darcknes and this by calomnie of sinister interpretation haue so afflicted you in the preiudice of your priuiledges that you are for more vexed and chardged then before you had those priuiledges for albeit the sayd Officers cānot exact your oathes they find other occasions to enforce you to sweare not permitting you to giue your reuenues in almose where you please Wherfore you haue with great humility demaunded that we deliuer you from the obligation of such oathes as you haue made those accepted of peace faith and testimony and that you may not be chardged with impostes and contributions more then your other fellow Cittizens that you may employ your reuenues in pious vses and distribute it att your pleasure and may not be troubled for the debtes and faultes of your neighbours but that you be obliged to answeare the debtes of others for which you shal be engaged We then considering that you enter into the way of perfection and that the children of the world will so much the more hinder you as they are and know themselues different frō your holy life and that they make a confused heape of peruerse oppositions to hide and obscure the veritie doe by aucthority of these present letters giue and graunt to all you in your vniuersity of whose faith and Religion we hold our selues assured the permission which you demaund of vs in all the sayd matters most expresly commanding you that yon endeauour to vse the grace and fauour well which we bestow on you and that none of you abuse the same Vnlesse you wil be frustrated and depriued of the priuiledge which we graunt you and therfore lett none c. Giuen at saint Iohn Lateran the 30. day of March and second yeare of our Popedone This present Breife was giuen the yeare of grace 1228. wherin appeareth that the Confraternity of the Penitentes was not exempted from seculer or ecclesiasticall iurisdiction though in this Briefe it be tearned Religion because this title of Religion is taken and vnderstood lardgely for Christian Religion The Briefe of the said Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he permitteth the Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis to heare diuine office in time of interdiction THE III. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to the Archibishoppes Bishoppes and Prelates of the church of Italy It being euident that the intention of those who are mindfull of death is not to follow the vanitie of the world but IESVS CHRIST doeing pennance with an humble hart by true contrition chasticing and subiecting the sences to reason and that their intention is to apply themselues to the seruice of God So that it were an iniust thing that these cōfraternityes should be separated and depriued of the diuine offices Ecclesiasticall sacraments it being reasonable that they receaue some speciall fauour of the holy Apostolike sea in these and other matters that concerne the seruice of God There being then many through Italy that obserue this order of life which some call Brothers Penitents we cōmand your prudence by this our Apostolicall Briefe that in the Churches of your iurisdiction wherin it is generally permitted you to say the
then got a note of all the poore of the Citty relieued them therwith An other time wanting mony for the like supply she sold her iewels and with the price therof â—eleiued the needy She would often times withdraw thinges necessary from her selfe her women and maydes to supply the necessity of the poore She caused an hospitall to be builded att the foot of her castell which was very high where she placed all the poore sick people and euery day went downe to visitt them albeit the discent was very troublesome and difficult and releiued their necessities exhorting them to patience and to purge their soules by confession and communion She serued attended and dressed them withan exemplar humility supporting with an extreme patience the loathsomes that issued out of their soares and sometimes hauing no other linnen att hand to make them cleane she would putt off her coife disfurnish her head to dry and wipe off the filthy matter of the said soares which so strongly sauoured that her Ladies could not endure them Of the death of the Duke her husband and of many afflictions which she endured in her widowhood THE XIII CHAPTER OVr Lord had by his grace and by the prayers and petitions of the Duchesse coÌ„uerted the LaÌ„tgraue so that albeit he were by the affaires of his estate and his possessions exceedingly hindered froÌ„ the seruice of God yet did he not omitt to haue good desires and with his vtmost put in practise good worckes But because he could not persist in spirituall exercises he permitted his wife to employ her selfe therin for the honour of God and the benefitt of both their soules And this vertuous woman desiring her husband should employ his forces in defence of the Catholike faith she induced him to visit the holy land and to assist the Christians in recouery therof He then to this effect hauing with his troupes for so laudable an enterprise aduanced his iorney so far as Italy rested att Brindes to attend conuenient time and weather to take shipping But it pleased God that he ther fell sick of a mortall infirmity so that he shortly after with an exemplar contrition yelded his spiritt vnto God S. Elizabeth being aduertised of his death receaued her widowhood with almost the like wil as she had don her mariadge resoluing to apply her selfe entierly to the seruice of her celestiall Spouse And so almighty God began to visitt her with greater afflictions as hauing a soule more free and was a litle more sublime then euer For as soone as the death of the Lantgraue was diuulged she was by his kinred and vassalles expulsed her palace as if she had bin a prodigall waster of the reuenue of her estate and was so abandoned that the night following as a reiected creature not knowing where to repose she retyred in to a cottage employed for the shelter of beastes There she ioyfully gaue thanckes to God for her misfortune which she reputed as a great fauour and most singuler grace The next morning she repayred vnto the monastery of the Frere Minors and prayed the Religious to sing Te Deum laudamus in thanckes-giuing to God for that according to her desire he had afforded her the estate of pouerty After that she ordered her children to be disposed into diuer s places to be instructed and educated according to their quality and degree hauing no meane to retaine them any longer with her many iniuryes and affrontes being imposed on her by the kinred of her deceased husband in his vassals which she ioyfully with inuincible patience supported as a fauour sent her by almighty God An archibishop that was her vnckle caused her no small affliction in that seeing her yong and reduced to such pouerty he resolued to bestow her honorably in mariage But the espouse of IESVS CHRIST hauing layd a firme resolution rather to dye then to mary againe obtayned of God by meane of prayer the victory in so strong a conflict Whiles she honorably remayned in a castle of her vnckles the body of her husband was brought from Brindes which was receaued by the sayd Archibishop with a very solemne troup and procession of the Clergie and accompayned by the sayd Princesse with many teares she thus speaking vnto almighty God I giue thee infinite thanckes O soueraine Bounty that it hath pleased thee to comfort me with the receipt of the bones of my deceased husband thy seruant Thou alone knowest my God how much I loued him because he loued and feared thee And neuertheles thou knowest also what consolation I haue receaued of his death being depriued of his presence euen for thy loue in that he went to serue thee for the recouery of the holy land and albeit I receaued an exceeding contentment to liue with him yet was it with condicion that we both together might trauell as poore beggers ouer the world But sith that may not be thou knowest my God that if it were in my power to restore him to life I would not doe it nor were it requisiâ— for me to employ therin one haire of my head if I thought it not thy holy will But I recommend his soule and mine to thy diuine clemencie The king of Hongary hauing vnderstood the death of the Lantgraue his sonne in law and the miserable estate of his daughter and with what impiety she was persecuted by the subiectes of her husband he sent one of the principall Earles of his kingdome to bring her vnto him who hauing sought her found her spinning of wooll among very poore women wheratt he so admired and was so gâ—ieued that he began to breake out into exclamations regrets and complaintes and att lenght deliuered his cha dge aduertising her of the will of her Father But in vaine did he striue to perswade her to retourne to her contry for she as a generous Princesse choie with the Prophett Dauid rather to liue abiected with the poore in the house and seruice of God then honoured in royall delightes and in the palace of terresiâ—â—all Princes How S. Elizabeth became religious and founded a great hospitall for the vse of poore sick people THE XIV CHAPTER THis blessed widow had vowed that if she ouer-liued her husband she would spend the rest of her dayes in perpetuall chastity obedience and pouerty which she failed not with much feruour to accomplish and theâ—fore she toke the habitt of the Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis and being clothed in a coat and cloke of grosse gray cloth all patched with sackloth she promised obedience to her Confessour called Fa. Courad a Religious of notable sanctity which she most exactly obserued euen in worckes of penance as fastes disciplines and other mortifications in which vertues this holy Religious man did exercise her for the greater benifitt of her soule And to the end she might entierly deliuer her hart in possession vnto God without being distracted or hindered by any temporall affection she besought
this laughter tourned into weeping then againe openning her eyes she shewed the like signes of ioy as before and shutting them she began againe to weep thus continuyng without speech till Compline And then she began to say O my God if thy holy will be to remaine with me I most humbly beseech thee to beleeue that I affect not nor desire any thing more passionatly then to remayne eternally with thy diuine maiesty Her companioÌ„s hauing prayed her to tell them for the glory of God and the edification of their soules what she had seene she sayd my beloued sisters I haue seene heauen open and my Lord IESVS CHR. benignely bowing vnto me shewing vnto me his holy gracious countenance Whiles I beheld him I was filled with incompreheÌ„sible ioy but not seeing him I was oppressed with inestimable griefe therfore did I so bitterly weepe And therfore God haâ—ing compassion of me he againe coÌ„forted and reioyced me with remonstrance of his glorious face replenished with inessable splendour who asking me if I would remayne with him I answeared as you haue hea d. Her companions further prayed her to impart vnto them the reuelation she had a litle before being before the altare She answeared I may not tell you what I haue seene yet I tell you I saw a merueillous matter of almighty God my hart was filled with his ioyful gracious visitation This S. was so visited of God in diuers manners though she reuealed nothing to her coÌ„panions therof nor what she knew to be the wil of God who soueth the secrecy of his friendes Our Redeemer would manifest the feruent charity of this blessed S. hearing her prayers by diuers effects wherof we will heere record the two examples following It happened one night as she slept that her mother appeared vnto her in vision on her knees in this sort entreating her alas my daughter remember the paines I endured in thy birth and pray for me for thou must know I suffer extreme torment for hauing liued too negligently not done penance for my sinnes The S. with this complaintive voice awaking and touched and moued with compassion towardes her mother she fell on her knees and made her prayer to God demaunding mercy of him for her mother And after a long and seruent prayer she fel a sleep and an other time saw her mother in vision with a ioyfull countenance who sayd My daughter I am by thy prayers deliuered of the paines wherwith I was tormented in purgatory and am now goeing to heauen This saynt seeing a yong man very sensuall and full of vanity had pitty of him and prayed for him whome also she persuaded to pray to God for himselfe wherto he accorded So whiles they both prayed the yong man began to cry out Madame pray no more for me pray no more forbeare if you please Which the S. hearing she redoubled the feruour of her prayers and the yong man began againe to cry lowder Madame pray no more for me I am all burned which exteriourly appeared for all his body did smoake by the extreme sweat wherin he was which made him tremble lift vp his armes and his countenance to faile They that found him there touching his flesh could not endure their handes on it his cloathes were al wet with the excessiue sweat that bathed him and therfore he stil encreased his cryes saying that he burned But the prayer of the sainct being ended this extreme visible heat left the yong man who retourning to the true knowledge of himselfe was then so purged and illuminated with diuine grace that the entred into the Religious Order of Frere Minors where he liued died piously and so God shewed the force and vertue of the prayer of his holy seruant not in these two examples only but also in many others Of the blessed death of S. Elizabeth and of the great miracles she wrought and how Pope Gregory the 9. canonized her THE XVII CHAPTER THe time of peregrinatioÌ„ of this holy widow being expired our lord appeared vnto her in vision and very familierly sayd Mine elect come possesse the celestial habitation In the morning she related this newes to her companions then by order she receaued with an examplar deuotion all the sacraments of the Church after that she prepared what was necessary for her obsequies and the night following tourning towardes a corner of the bed they that were neere her heard a cleare voice most sweetly singing wherupon one of her familier companions asked her who it was that did sing there and she mildely answeared that there was a litle bird which by the pleasing melody of his tune had induced her to sing then she began to cry auoyd auoyd auoyd wicked spiritt So that the deuill being come to see if he could find any thing for him in this sainct vanished att that voice And she hauing her countenance very ioyfull and her spiritt by prayer eleuated vnto God demaunded if it were not yet midnight att which houre our Sauiour voutsafed to be borne in the world and layd in the cribbe then saying that the houre was come when God would inuite her soule to the celestiall mariadge she sodenly mounted vnto heauen Her body hauing remayned foure dayes vnburyed continued so beautifull and yelded so sweet a sauour that it represented rather a glorious then mortall body There appeared at that instant on the roofe of the church a great noÌ„ber of birdes of strange kind which did so sweetly sing that they filled those that saw and heard them with extreme admiratioÌ„ this was to make knowne the feast which was celebrated in heauen att the entertaynment of this blessed soule her funerals were filled with great clamours complaintes and lamentations particulerly of the poore for the death and absence of her that loued attended and dressed them as amiably as if she had bin the carnal mother to them all There repayred thither a great confluence of people that with much deuotion weâ—e present att her obsequies each one entitling her a sainct and blessed He that could gett so nere her body as to haue one of her haires or part of her habitt esteemed it as a notable treasure Then would our Lord make knowne the glory of this his faithfull seruant by many miracles which by her merittes he wrought restoring sight to the blind curing the lame cleansing the leprous dispossessing the possessed giuing also sight to one borne blind and her selfe being layd in her graue deliuered many by her intercession from death Wherof Pope Gregory the ninth being adâ—ertised authentically assured of the miracles Wrought att the sepulchre of this holy womaÌ„ to whome liuing he carryed a perticuler deuotion after due and ordinarie information in such case procured and the examen of her life and miracles effected with the consent of al the Cardinals and Prelates of the Church that could be assembled the sayd Pope enroled her in the Catalogue of SS ordayning her feast to be
and halfe starued with hungar and cold not able to passe farther they there stayed without dreaming what danger might there befall them and sent to pray this tyrant to entertayne lodge and refresh them that night for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST This noble man by diuine inspiration willingly receaued them into his house and commanded incontinently a good fire to be made them then caused them to cat with his people At which time one of the Religious that was a Priest and had a speciall grace in preaching well perceauing that att this table there was no speech but of robbing killing and pilling each one vaunting of his villanies and glorying in his murders and theftes committed the good seruant of God resolued after supper to make them an exhortation in the behalfe of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST with the greatest feruour he could procure And so grace being sayd vnable any longer to retaine his zealous spiritt he addressed himselfe to the tyrant and sayd Hauing receaued of you such a charity for the loue of God we should proue too ingratefull if we did not beseech the diuine maiesty to reward you for vs and did not endeauour to requite you by some documents conformable to our pouerty that may benifitt your soules and your peoples whome I beseech you heere to assemble together we desiring to giue to you all a spirituall refection for the corporal which you haue giuen vs. This noble man hauing conuocated all his people and they hauing setled themselues to heare the sermon the Religious began with exceeding feruour to discourse of the glory of Paradise in these termed My beloued Brethren in CHRIST IESVS if the eternall felicities for which God hath created vs were knowne vnto vs and that we did often well consider them what paine would we not vndertake to serue him and neuer to offend him for feare to loose that ioy and glory without end for so base a trifle as the world that sweet society of the Angels that life and security of the blessed that glorious satiety of the elect that supreme light without night and darcknes that perpetuall peace and amity without any feare or perturbance and all the happines that we can desire free and secure from all disaster with that diuine fountaine of the presence and glorious communication of the eternall God And sith that man so blinded and miserable for so base and loathsome a thing so short and of so sclender value as is sinne will loose such innumerable and infinite felicities he shall deseruedly goe into hell there to endure eternall hungar thirst cold all kind of torment and perpetuall affliction in the company of cruell deuils serpents and dragons where is a continuall death without end and without hope of life with palpable darcknes And finally greater miseries then we can imagine considering that there is nothing but howlinges lamentations despaires and eternall torments and all euill voyd of all good wherinto my brethren you haue merited to be throwne and imprisoned for the sinnes which you haue perpetrated â—o precipitiously without any apprehension of the diuine iustice att least according to the inference of your discourses which haue testified vnto me your vicious and detestable life you therby giuing demonstration that you neither feare God nor esteeme of his commandements nor regard the doeing of any good woâ—ck Therfore my beloued brethren doe I admonish you in the behalfe of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who for you was fastened on the hard wood of the crosse and pardonned the theefe to giue vs confideÌ„ce of his mercy and doe counsaile you by the â—euerence of the omnipotencie of the Creatour of althinges not to make ship wrack and exchaung of the celestiall and eternall richesse for the briefe pleasure of sinnes which as you experience vanish as a shadow Retourne then with great promptitude vnto God to the end he thrust you not into hell denying you time and space to doe penance so many yeares hauing fleeted away wherin he hath so patiently expected you though you haue giuen no signe of regarding it This Religious vttered these thinges and much more with such a zeale that they pearced the hart of the Tyrant who being touched by the holy Ghost and already stricken with contrition fell to the ground together with all his people bittetly lamenting their sinnes They shewed signes of penitence and after many teares the tyrant with great instancie required the Religious to sett them in the way to saue their soules sith God had sent him hither for their saluation And the Religious aduised them to make a generall confession of all their sinâ—es Which being with notable deuotion and contrition performed he sayd It is now necessary that for penance for your sinnes which are enormous and in nomber infinite you goe in pilgrimage to visiâ— the holy places and that you mortifie your flesh by fastes watchings and prayers giuing many almoses and performing other worckes of piety But you must begin with satissaction restoring what you iniâ—stly deâ—aine Wherto he answeared Father I am content to satisfie whatsoeuer I am bouÌ„d vnto But because I was neuer out of this contâ—y nor can write not read no not the Pater noster nor can fast I beseech you for the loue of God to giue me some other penance that I may be able to performe The Religious replyed I will for the loue of God doe penance and pray vnto IESVS CHRIST for you that your soule be not lost I will not for the present giue you other penance then for mortification your selfe to bring vs hither a litle straw wheron to repose our selues The tyrant becomming a lambe presently brought straw for the Religious to rest on and prepared their place himselfe Then considering with himselfe the discourse that the Religious had made him and how speedily he had conuerted him to penitence he reputed him a sainct and resolued to watch him all that night to see what he would doe Now the Religious att his houre layd himselfe to repose and when he thought they all slept he arose went out of the house to doe penance for the penitent as he had promised him Lifting then his handes to heauen he with many teares demaÌ„ded pardon of almighty God for the sinner praying with exceeding feruour his body was eleuated froÌ„ the earth the hight of a tour in that manner bitterly bewayled the soule of that noble man begging pardon of IESVS CHRIST for his offences in such sort and with a charity so passionate that he merited to be heard as appeareth by what ensueth for the penitent hauing seene and heard all this not without exceeding terrour contrition and abundance of teares accompanyed with consolation perceauing with what feruour the seruant of God offered his prayers to the diuine Maiesty for the saluation of his soule very early in the morning he sell att the feet of the Religious praying him with great compunction to setle him in the direct way
Francis is beaten of the deuils And wherâ—â—re The praise of pouerty How pouerty was graunted to S. Fr. for his Order S. Fran went attired in disguise of a begger to shew correct some litle defects of his Religious He exhorteth them to obserue pouerty S. Franc. multiplied bread by the signe of the crosse S. Franc. miraculously obtayned bread in a necessity S. Franc. would rather that the ornaments of thealtare should be sold then the vow of pouerty in necessity infringed God promiseth S. F. to haue care of all the necessities of the Frere Minors that hope in him What is true necessity Iust displeasure of S. Fr. for the first delicate ample habitt of the Freer Minors that was made in his time S. Franc. made all the Religious of a Couent to depart thence because it was told him that it was the Frere Minors S. Franc. left his cell because speaking to him one called it his Matt. 8. Matt. 6. S. Franc. endeauoured to pul down a house which was builded to serue the Religious only in time of the Generall chapter What kind of churches the Frere Minors should haue S. Franc. foretold what the Frere Minors haue don in their buildinges 1. Cor. 8. Straung temptation of a Frere Minor to haue a psalter Matt. 13. Apothegma of S. Francis Matt. 7. Luc. 10. S. Fr. did not desire that his Religious should studie Therfore he cursed a Prouinciall because he had established a study against his will How he would that his Religious should study Matt. 10. Very remarckeable sentences of S. Franc. Exhortations for the preachiÌ„g Frere Minors 1. Cor. 1. Matt. 23. The humility of the first Frere Minors Marckeable satisfactioÌ„ How much S. F. was troubled to heare that his Religious gaue scandall Terrible imprecation of S. Franc. against the scandalous The answere of S. Franc. to his Religious that desired to haue generall auctority to preach Prophesies 〈…〉 Francis Dan. 3. PredictioÌ„ made to S. Fr. of the four first times or estates of his Order The first estate compared to a head of Gold The second to the brest and armes of siluer The third the belly of metal The fourth in the leggs of iron Sap. 6. S. Franc. did once eat in the night with all his Religious to accoÌ„pany a Brother that hunger oppressed to death The first occasion and originall of the penitents of the third Order of S. Franc. An attempt assembly of deuils against the Order of Frere Minors Matt. 6. e S. Franc. was moued and stayed of it selfe to giue him better commodity of preaching Swallowes are silent at the comandement of S Franc. and of a scoller at his inuocation He cured a benummed child One sick of the palsey One of the dropsie One crooked He restored the vse of a womans hands He restoreth sight to one blinde An other On blind of one eye One possessed An other One of a strange disease A cord of the said S. wrought many miracles And the crummes that remayned after his refectioÌ„ The miraculous entertainement giuen to S. Franc. on the mount Aluerric God graunted four priuiledges to the Order of Frere Minors The deuil striueth violently to kil S. Francis Who was receiued of a hard rock as of waxe The brut beastes honoured S. Fr. shewing to acknowledg his sanctity A sheepe sheweth a will to honour praise adore God And a lambe likewise A leueret became tame vnto him at an instant A wild conny likewise And a water bird As also a great fish Birdes obeyed S. Francis Of a grasse-hopper Of a phesant Of a Faulcon that serued S. F. for an alarme Of a nightingal What esteeme he made of larckes How he loued the elemenâ— of fire And the water The stones The wood And the flowers The ants obey S. Francis Why S. Francis loued not the antes Matt. 6. The deuil visibly â—aried away a woman for troubling a sermon of S. Fr. God sent a light to enligh ten S. Francis in a darck night He aduertâ—seth the preists of his Order of their duety Marc. 26 â—eb 10. 1. Cor. 11. Iere. 48. Malac. 2. Lnc. 1 2. 11. Matt. 3. Esay 11. 1. Pet. 1. Of the dignity of the B. Sacrament of the altar how on ought to reuerence it Ioan. 6. Mat. 22. Luc. 10. Luc. 4. Ioan. 14. Ioan. 1. Ioan. 6. Mat. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Ioan. 6. Mat. 2â— Matt. 5. Matt. 15. Gen. 2. Ioan. 12. Luc. 14. Wheriâ— ought to consist the true spirituall ioy of a Frere Minor 1. Cor. 14 Worthy aduertisment to Superiours of the Frere Minors Mat. 20. Luc. 21. Gal. 6. Matt. 6. Ioan. 17. Matt. 15. How we ought to prepare our selues to dye Iere. 17. 1. Cor. 3. Psal 118. Mat. 22. Luc. 18. S. Franc. obtayned raine by prayers The frogges obey him Swallowes couers the hearers of his sermon He cureth a crooked lame mute child A mortal wound He conuerted water into wine He also conuerteth vinegar into wine He raiseth one dead S. Franc. did eat but halfe a loafe in the whole lent â—say 6. Esay 6. Brother Leo and Br. Ruffinus S. Clare the Cardinal protector and the bishop Vgolino saw the holy Stygmates woundes of S. Fr. in his life time The water that issued out of the stigmates of S. Fr. cured cattell infected with the plague An ordinary teÌ„mpest that destroyed all fruit neere the Mount Aluerne ceassed after S. Francis had there receaued the stigmates S. Franc. with his haÌ„d touching a man that was extrem cold did warme him A womaÌ„ being in extreme daÌ„gerous labour was deliuered by holding the bridle which S. F. did ride with all Pope Gregory by a bulle assureth and confirmeth the truth of the stigmates Plus vnus oculatus quam decem allriti Pope Alexander the 4. did as much And Pope Benedict the 2. S. F. vsed a staffe to goe with all the two last years of his life by reason of his stigmates as he had don the two first yeares of his conuersion Luc. 10. God sent Angelicall musick to comfort S. Franc. in his sicknes And also sent him fish and lettice miraculously in his sicknes The Assisians sent to pray S. Franc to dwell and end his dayes att Assisium The assisians found food for the loue of God which was denied them for mony S. Franc. prophesieth that S. Clare shall see him before her death S. Franc. knew in spiritt that the lady of the Seauen-Sunne came to see him S. Franc. foretold the dayes of his death buriall S. Francis before his death stript him selfe all naked S. Fran. receaueth the holy Sacraments before his death And gaue his holy and last benediction to his Religious The death of S. F. the 45. yeare of his age the 20. of his conuersion of our Lord the 1226. The soule of B. Angelus accompanieth that of S Fr. into glory He appeared to the Bishop of Assisium presently after his death Vision of the passadge of the soule of S. Fr.
they must be Frere Minors not only in their health but euen in their sickenes and that therfore they should not haue an insatiable spiritt nor admitt all the commodities that the delicate of the world enioy for so there would be no difference nor should they meritt before God for whose loue they ought to be content to endure some inconueniences yea euen in their sicknesses Now though this holy Pastour did zealously vtter these wordes yet such was his charity that seeing them sicke he could not but releiue them and seek to supply their necessities and cherish them to his power as by this example may appeare One of the most ancient Religious of the Order being sicke the S. moued with cōpassion to see him so afflicted said to himselfe if this Religious had eate grapes he would be better then calling the Religious he conducted him into a vineyard neere vnto the Couent whither being come that the Religious might not be ashamed he began first to eat grapes then gaue to him and made him sitt downe and so entertayned him that he arose as sound as he had euer bin the vertue of God worcking by the charitie of his seruant which the said Religious diuers times with teares recounted to his brethren How the holy Father S. Francis did eate with S. Clare and how both were rapt into extasie This is taken out of the 4. chapter of the 10. booke and hither tranfferred to his proper place SAinct Francis being att our Lady of Angels was infinite times importuned by his first spirituall daughter S. Clare to take his refection once with her Yet though she were of sanctity sufficientlie knowne to all people he would neuer consent thereto att lenght the glorious saincte fearing that when she least thought therof God might call vnto him the holy Father such being the infirmities whervnto he was subiect so that she should neuer enioy that consolation in all her life she so much solicited all Religious that were most auncient and best beloued of the S. to obtaine so honest a request in her behalfe that they together so affectionately entreated him as that in the end he consented therevnto But to auoyd scandall and ill example to his Religious and that they should not therby challenge a consequence of goeing to eat att the monasteries of Religious women he caused S. Clare to come with some of her Religious to our Lady of Angels where he had consecrated her vnto God and he very curteously entertayned her with all her Religious then hauing with her made a long prayer vnto the Virgin Mary and hauing deuoutly visited the altares he made preparation according to his custome vpon the ground and att the ordinary houre they sate downe where for the first course he began so highly to discourse of God that himselfe S. Clare and all the Religious were so rapt in extasie that they were no longer of this world but hauing their eyes lifted vp they were as it were out of themselues Att that instant it seemed to the Burgesses of the citty of Assisium that they saw the house of our Lady of Angels with althe circuit the very Mountaines to burne they seemed also to see an exceeding great fire ouer the monastery much more violent then the rest wherfore they all ran hastely to quench it But being come to the church they found neither fire nor flame but that of the holy Ghost which they considered and very well perceaued in the countenances and aspectes of those whome they found yet fitting and swallowed vp in God with S. Clare and all her companions from whence awaking all finally finding the grace of God they did eat vse litle other thinge being already satisfied and filled with that celestiall food So euery one departed giuing thanckes to God who alwayes offereth and presenteth himselfe to them that in charitie vnite themselues vnto him Saincte Clare retourned to her monasterie of S. Damian wher here Religious receaued her with much consolation because they feared that S. Francis would haue sent her to found some monastery other where as he had done her Sister Agnes whome he had sent to Florence The 31. and 32. chapters are formerlie inserted after the last chap. of the first booke so to obserue the true Order of the life of S. Francis How S. Francis knew that it was the will of God he should helpe to saue soules by his preaching and not only by prayer and how he instituted the Order of Penitents called the thirde Order THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe true seruant of God desiryng to serue his master entierlie in such thinges as should be most gratefull to his diuine maiestie in fidelitie and perfection of life without respect to any kinde of consolation temporall or spirituall there arose a doubt in his spiritt wherof he diuers times conferred with his Brethren in this manner My brethren I beseech you by the charitie which liueth and is amongst you to tell me what I ought to doe and whither of these two exercises you esteeme more to the seruice of God either that I applie my selfe entierlie to prayer or that I also labour in preaching so to instruct the ignorant the way of God I am of litle and simple stature as you see and cannot teach with wordes full of doctrine and withall hauing on the other side receaued a greater grace of God to pray then to speake I would more willinglie applie me to continuall prayer besides that I know by experience that there is a great gaine and a certaine augmentation of grace in prayer wheras to preach is to impart and communicate to others those litle giftes which one receaueth of God prayer is a lustre of good desires and of the pious affections of the soule and a collection of celestiall vertues vnited to the true and supreme good but preaching is to bedust the spirituall feet that is the amourous affections of the hart towardes God which serue as feet and foundation to all the spirituall edifice a man by it detourning himselfe from seuerity of life and rigour of discipline In prayer we speake vnto God and harcken vnto him when he speaketh to vs and leading a life in manner Angelicall we more conuerse in heauen with the Angels then here on earth with men wheras preaching we must alwayes conuerse with men and liue among them to conuert them to tell them the truth and to heare many worldly thinges of them Neuertheles there is one thing in preaching verie contrarie to all these which maketh much in behalfe therof and is worthy of great consideration discouering vnto vs that God maketh esteeme therof which is that his only Sonne who is soueraigne goodnes the only modell of diuine wisdome descended from the bosome of his eternall Father to enstruct the world to teach by his holy example and to preach vnto men the word of saluation wherby he afterwardes saued the predestinate soules washing them with his precious bloud reuiuing them
by his death and maintayning them by his most sacred body in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist not reseruing any thing to himselfe which he did not graciouslie giue vnto vs to further our saluation In that respect we are obliged by his example to doe whatsoeuer we thinck may be pleasing vnto him to leaue all our affections and for a time omitting prayer to applie vs to preaching Further to tell you the truth on the one side mine owne will allureth me to repose on the other I remember when I retourned from Rome wtih the confirmation of the rule God reuealed vnto me that his intention was I should remaine not in desertes but in the world to assist the redemption of many soules from the swallow of the deuill In regard of all these considerations I craue your counsaile because God would neuer reueale it vnto me for I euery day with verie great instance demaund the same of him All the Religious answeared that they were not capable to counsaile and satisfie him therin then calling Brother Macie he said Goe to thy Sister Clare and in my behalfe will her with all her sisters to pray vnto God that he will please to teach me to performe his seruice in this point and hauing done this message goe to Mount Subasio to Brother Siluester who by the holy Ghost is made worthy of diuine discourse and who by his merittes obtayneth of God what grace he pleaseth to him deliuer from me the same message Brother Macie hauing accomplished his commission and retourning S. Francis receaued him with verie great charitie for he washed his feet and made him eat then conducted him to the toppe of a mouutaine where kneeling downe with his head bare and armes crossed he said to Brother Macie What pleaseth my Lord IESVS CHRIST that I doe who answeared that Brother Siluester setling himselfe to prayer assoone as he had spoaken he had reuelation frō God that he had not called him to this vocation for his proper and particuler benefitt but that by meane of his preaching many lost soules might be conuerted to pennance and told him withall that the same had bin reuealed to S. Clare God would haue this matter thus to proceed that euery one might by diuers testimonies know wherfore his diuine Maiesty had sent this his seruant into the world The S. of God standing vpon his feet hauing heard this answeare which he desired to heare on his knees as a resolution from the almighty replenished with the holy Ghost and enflamed in the loue of IESVS CHRIST he answeared Brother Macie lett vs then goe Brother in the name of God and so transported by the holy Ghost he that very houre put himselfe in iorney hauing called Brother Angelus for a third companion he knew not whither he went but committed himselfe to the conduct of the holy Ghost and so he arriued att a towne called Carnerio two leagues from Assisium where he preached to the people with so great a feruour and generall edification that as well the men as women hauing heard him so piously to discourse of the contempt of the world and seing that God spake by him they were so moued that almost all of them would haue abandonned their owne houses and followed him to effect his holy counsailes but that the S. inspired of God willed them not to stirre but that they should liue vprightly in the feare of his diuine Maiesty obseruing his holy commandementes and should educate and trayne vp their children and family christianlike alwayes hoping in God and shunning sinne as their greatest ennemy and told them he would not faile to enstruct thē the way to find pardon att Gods handes But all these wordes were vaine for these people hauing no further power to resist the holy Ghost that boyled in their hart would not yeld to him nor be satisfied till he had receaued them al for Brothers sisters of his order and so by diuine inspiration the glorious Father S. Francis instituted the third order of penitentes which is for personnes of all qualities virgins maryed people widowes of both sex wherof we shall particulerly treat hereafter in the ninth booke of the second part Of the first Chapter of the third Order and of the reuelation made by one possessed vnto S. Francis This was the eight chapter of the ninth book and here placed as a matter particulerly appartayning to sainct Francis THe yeare 1222. there was among others a man of this Order called Bartholameo a Procuratour who hauing heard a sermon of S. Francis was conuerted to God and gaue ouer the processes of the world and being cloathed in the habitt of the third Order he endeauored by a continuall spirituall labour to produce fruites worthy of pennance so that he attayned to such a sanctity of life and familiarity with the holy Father S. Francis that he authorized him in his place for euer to admitt men and women into the third Order It happened that this m◠had accidentally a possessed person in his house that did neuer rest babling neuertheles att the comming of S. Francis he became mute and so continued for three dayes the time of S. Francis his aboad there Which the master of the house found very straunge yet not to molest the holy Father to whome he carryed a singuler reuerence he forbare to discouer any thing vnto him the holy Father being departed and the possessed beginning againe to talke the said Bartholomeo asked him in the name of God why he had bin so mute wherto the possessed resisting and the coniurations augmented att lenght he said know that till that Religious was departed I was so bound of God that I could neuer vtter one word This man of God replyed hath then that Religious so great vertue as for three dayes to make thee mute the possessed answeared it is not long since that our Prince being with all his troupe assembled gaue vs to vnderstand that God had neuer abandonned the world but that he sent it some of his seruantes as Noe Abraham Moyses and att lenght his Sonne himselfe and since that time the charitie of Christians being was so cold that the benefitt of the passion of his Sonne was as it were vtterlie bannished all memorie and consideration wherfore he our Prince much admrred that God did so long foabeare to giue it succoure but when he saw this Religious to issue foorth with such a sublimity of cōtempt of the world and with such a resignation of himselfe vnto God yea to renew the life of IESVS CHRIST on earth drawing after him such a multitude of the world and particulerlie of perfect men he manifestlie knew that this was the man whome he feared to come he therfore excited vs all to persecute him and to that purpose it is not long since that manie thousandes of vs were assembled in an oratorie where we found meanes to ruinate his Order for we will induce therinto the familiarity of women
length by the holie Ghost conducted to Padua where he had formerly much profited In respect wherof he was very particulerlie loued and reuerenced of the inhabitantes of that citty and therfore when he began to preach there againe such was the confluence of people that pressed to heare him that he was forced to preach in a spacious field without the Cittie there being no Church capable of the people that from all partes flocked thither though there were some verie great Wherfore from the beginning of Lent the deuill perceauing the great fruit which he did and would produce he tooke him and so wrested and crushed his throat that as he after confessed to his companion if the sacred virgin whome he inuocated had not assisted him appearing vnto him with a great light and to his confort he had bin strangled but arming himselfe with the signe of the crosse and so deliuered from the ambushes of the deuill he gaue infinite thanckes to God and to his glorious Virgin mother And being become more couragious though he were verie feeble by reason of his abstinence and the labours which he ordinarily vndertooke which so depressed him that he had daily a litle fitt of an ague his zeale of the saluation of soules being more forcible with him then whatsoeuer other consideration he ceassed not to preach all the whole Lent and to spend all the rest of the day in spirituall exercises as to heare confessions and to giue Counsaile but it was a worthy thing to behold the feruour and deuotion not only of the Paduans but also of the inhabitantes of the townes borowes villages and castels there about that in such abondance flocked to his sermons that some went with light in the night to take their place in the field The bishopp was present att his preaching with all his Clergie as also the principall of the Cittie maryed women maides and yong gentlewomen frequented them withall comlines and modesty and without any pompe wherby it was easy to iudge with what spiritt they were induced to heare him During his predication all the merchantes and artificers did shutt vp their shoppes audience of iustice was omitted and all other offices ceassed so that it seemed some solemne feast In the time of his sermon the audience was so quiett that so much as one word was not heard amongest thirty thousand personnes there present and it succeeded that they all retourned replenished with the spiritt of compunction He that could touch the sainct or speake vnto him esteemed himselfe happy and if he had not bin purposlie guarded they would haue rent and cutt his habitt from his back and left him naked for such was the feruour of these people that they seemed to see in him a true Apostle sent to them by almightie God By his meane notorious and inueterat quarrels were appeased prisonners sett att libertie debtes quitted and forgiuen offences and iniuries pardoned and forgotten and mony and other thinges stolen or ill gott were restored Briefly what els men and women long accustomed to sinne were publikelie conuerted and did penance for their sinnes in such sort frequenting the sacraments that the Priestes had scarce time to serue them The glorious sainct hauing filled the Garner of almightie God with most pure corne after he had tryed it and burned the cockle att the verie time that he resided att Padua and hauing finished his three bookes of sermons vpon the sondayes and the Quarantine or sermons of Lent and the booke of the sermons of Sondayes full of verie deep subtilitie and morall droctrine which he had vndertaken and accomplished to satisfie his holinesse and the Guardian of Hostie he began to feele that God intended to call him vnto him and by signes and miracles to demonstrate the merittes of his most faithfull seruant wherein the people had such confidence that whosoeuer could haue a bitt of his habitt held himselfe happy and kept it carefully as a precious holy relique Of his last sicknes his prophesie of his future glory his vision of God and his death THE XXVII CHAPTER THis lent being ended S. Antony desiring to repose himselfe a litle retired to S. Peters fielde a place appertayning to a gentleman of Padua called Tise one that was exceedingly affected vnto him this place was neere to the Couent of the Frere Minors which this gentleman in manner alone mayntayned Now it may well be imagined with what countenance he entertayned the S. doubtles as if he had bin an Angel of Paradise sent vnto him by almighty God vnderstanding his intention he caused to be made him three celles of ozier one for himselfe and the other two for Brother Lucas and Br Roger his companions and familiers He remayned not long there till he felt himselfe assaulted with a great feeblenes that daily augmented but thincking to ease himselfe by trauaile he went to the next couent of Frere Minors where his infirmitie did oppresse and vtterly ouercome him There did God reueale vnto him that he should soone dye and what glory he should haue both in heauen and on earth Wherfore beholding and considering the amenity and good aire of the plaine and scituation of Padua that did neighbour the place where he was tourning towardes his companion he vttered these wordes this plaine shall shortly be illustrated and honoured with great glory as in deed it hath bin from after his death till this present yea more then he foretold in regard of the great confluence of people that haue and daily doe resort thither to visitt and honour his holy reliques And doubtles this citty may be tearmed happy and glorious hauing in it such a treasure that hath not enriched only it but all the world with singuler giftes and graces obtayned of God by the merittes of this glorious S. Now the S. foreseeing that his houre drew neere he told Br. Roger that if in case he should dye of that infirmity he would not be troublesome chardgeable to the Couent where he then was and therfore prayed him to gett him conducted to the Couent of the Virgin Mary att Padua where the Frere Minors were which the Religious approuing he layd him on a wagon to the great discontentment of all the Religious of that oratory And as they conducted him to the Citty they mett a deere freind of his in the way who knowing whither he way carryed caused him to change his purpose and persuaded him to goe to a Monastery out of the Citty called Arcele alleadgeing that the visitations he should haue att Padua would be very troublesome vnto him Being then arriued att Arcele and hauing there receaued all the sacraments God speedily called him for hauing with his Religious said the seauen Psalmes and alone that worthy hymne O gloriosa Domina as the glorious virgin Mother had alwayes in his life bin very gracious vnto him so for his comfort defence he saw her att his death then a litle after he saw her beloued sonne
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