afrighted and leaping of his horse fell prostrate at the Bishops feete now likewise alighted from horse back humbly crauing pardon of his fault The holy man touching him as he lay along with his rodd Soe S. Pâ—ter prono â—â—eed death to Ananias Act. 5. with an Episcopall authoritie vsed these words I tell thee sayd he that because thou had refused to refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that verie house thou shalt breath thy last All which came afterwards to passe as holy CEDDE had foretould For within a short time by the hands of the same Earle and his brother the king was most cruelly murthered in that house his butchers alleadging noe other cause mouing them thereunto but his ouermuch clemencie and mercie in romitting offences committed against him soe that it is credibly thought that this vntimely death of soe good and vertuous a Prince did not only wash away his fault but increase his meritt III. THIS blessed Bishop was wont sometimes to visitt his countrey in Northumberland and to comfort his countreymen there with his diuine preachings and godly exhortations whereby he gott soe much fauour with king Edilwald sonne to king Oswald that raigned ouer the people of that countrey called Deiri that mooued thereunto both by the sainctitie and wisedome of this vertuous Bishop and allsoe by the meanes of his good brother Celin chaplaine to the king and court he gaue to S. CEDDE a peece of land for the building of a Monasterie whither he and his people might resort to serue God receiue the Sacraments The holy Bishop made choise of a place for this purpose in the desert mountaines which before that time was rather a couert for theeues wild beasts then a fitt habitation for Christians But he would not permitt the foundatioÌ„ to be laid before he had purged and consecrated the place with fasting and prayer both which he performed euerie day vntill the euening and then he contented him self with one and that a small meale consisting of a little bread one egge a little milke mingled with water Thus he passed all the lent excepting sundaies vntill Fasting in Lent vntill euening he was called away from this holy exercise vppon some speciall busines of the king by which he was forced to intermitt his pious de seigne when there remayned only tenne daies of the fortie to come But because he would not let his holy taske be there broken off he intreated Cimbell avertuous Priest his naturall brother to finish the godly worke he had begunne according to the fore-shewed example Which being by Cimbell gladly vndertaken and as piously He buildeâ—h a monasterie performed soone after Bishop CEDDE erected the Monasterie now called Lesting ordering it according to the same lawes and discipline of religion as that of Lindisfurne or Holy Iland where he had learned his first lesson and rudiments of vertue IV. BVT IN that great controuersie which arose afterwards betweene the old Scottish or Irish Monks and the Monks of S BENEDICTS order the Apostles of England touching the celebration of Easter in which it was sharpely disputed an each side especially betweene S. WILFRID the Benedictine Monke and Bishop Colman a Scott holy CEDDE being a diligent interpreter for both parts was soe conuinced by the diuine arguments of S. WILFRID that he quite gaue ouer to follow the footsteps of the Scotts and came to the knowledge of the true and Catholicke manner of obseruing the feast of Easter and allsoe to weare a round shauen crowne after the Monasticall fashion of Benedictines brought first into England by S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle and his fellowes that were all Benedictine Monks And afterwards by the perswasion of WILFRID Colman and his adherents being fled into Scotland S. CEDDE him self receiued the rule of our most holy father S. BENEDICT and induced all the Monkes of his new Monasterie of Lesting of which he was head to doe the like vnder the same holy rule he gouerned them in all manner of vertues vntill his death Thus after some yeares well spent both in gouernment of his Bishoprick and this Monasterie at the length as he visitted the same in time of plague he fell into a sicknes which sett free his soule from the teadiousnes of this worldly life to tast the desired ioyes prepared for the reward of his merits and good works in heauen He was first buried abrode but afterwards a Church of stone being built there in honour of S. Cedde dieth our blessed Ladie he was taken vp and layd at the right side of the aultar At his departure he resigned the gouernment of the Monasterie to his brother S. CHAD whose life you may reade the second of March V. WHEN the Monks of the Monasterie he had erected amongst the East-Saxons vnderstood of his death thirtie of them went into Northumberland desiring eyther to liue by the bodie of their holy father or if God soe pleased to die and be buried there Such was the great loue they bore vnto this blessed Saiuct But in that time of mortalitie they all walked the pathes of death excepting one litle boy who as it was piously thought was preserued from death by the speciall prayers and intercessions of this holy Bishop For liuing manie yeares after and studying holy scriptures he came at length to knowledge that he had neuer receiued the Sacrament See the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God of Baptisme wherevppon he was forthwith christened and afterwards being promoted to priesthood he became a verie profitable member of Gods Church hauing been by the prayers and merits of S. CEDDE miraculously preserued from the danger of a temporall and eternall death S. CEDDE died about the yeare of our Lord 664. Of him doe make mention S. BEDE whom we haue followed IOHN CAPGRAVE WILLIAM MELMESBVRY de Pontific Lond. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 13. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 4. cap. 66. and manie others The life of S. WVLSINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 8. SAINCT WVLSINE borne in London of worthie parents was carefully brought vp in the seruice and feare of God vntill he was growne out of his childhood and then they offered him vnto God and S. BENEDICT in the Monasterie of the Benedictine Monks at The vertue of his youth Westminster to be trained vp in that diuine schoole of vertue wherein he became soe good a proficient that in a short time his graue cariage and religious behauiour gaue a great testimonie â—f future sainctetie By watching fasting and prayer he ouercame the two sworne enemies of goodnes the flesh and the Deuill Soe highly he contemned the pleasures and vanities of the world that nothing seemed to him more irksome and teadious then the verie thought thereof in respect of the great comfort he receiued out of the diuine contemplation of heauen and heauenly things whereunto he addicted all the
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
from this wickednes but finding their cruell minds to be soe obstinately bent to that blouddie purpose as they grew rather worse by entreaties she had recourse vnto allmightie God her only refuge in distresse humbly desiring him to hinder the execution of their malitious intent On the day appointed when they went about to act this blouddie scene they saw the verie for me and figure of the man they meant to murder and taking a figure for the true body as our ProtestaÌ„ts doe they ranne after with great furie to kill one whoe was dead allreadie and hauing giuen him as manie mortall wounds as were sufficient to haue murdered the strongest liuing man they returned victorious to bring newes of their triumphe vnto S. BRIGITT who smiling at their mistake tould them the man they thought they had slaine was yet aliue and that their courage had exercised his crueltie only vppon the imaginarie figure of their enemie and noe man Herevppon being much astonished they acknowledged their fault and repenting them of their wicked purposes corrected their liues euer after XII OVR Lord wrought diuers other miracles by the holy meritts Manie miracles done by S. Brigitt of this blessed virgin the blind their sight the dumbe their speech leapers and other diseased persons recouered their health By her prayers she turned water into beere and stones into salt she chainged the course of a great riuer and which is more by her good perswasions manie desperate wicked fellowes withdrew them selues out of the gulphes of their vicious manner of life and entred into the sure port of religion where they finished their dayes in the seruice of IESVS CHRIST When this blessed virgin â—ad happily ended the course of her life and endured maniÌ„e great labours for the loue of IESVS CHCIST her deare spouse being aduertised of her death and hauing made it knowne vnto one of her sisters specifiing Her death the day hower thereof she gaue vp her pure soule into the hands of her deare Redeemer the first day of February in the yeare of our Lord according to Sigebert 518. but Marianus Scotus sayth 521. in the raigne of the Emperour Iustin the elder Her life was written by an aâ—thour of her time named COGITOSVS and by IOANNES ANGLICVS IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of S. BRIGITT as allsoe that of S. BEDE VSVARD and ADON and BARONIVS in his seauenth tome of Annalls But GYRALDVS CAMBRENSIS a verie graue authour in his Topographie of Ireland amongst manie other miracles of this Blessed sainct maketh mention of S. BRIGITTS fier Miracle of S. Brigitts fiâ—r which is reported to be vnextinguished not that it cannot be extinguished but because the Nunnes did soe carefully and continually nourish and feed it wich new matter that from her time for manie hundred yeares after it neuerwent out and in the consuming of soe much wood which had bin burnt there in all this time the ashes neuer encreased This fier was compassed about with a little hedge of twigges within which noe man dared to enter yf at anie time some did presume soe to doe their presumption was punished by a reuenge from heauen Woemen only did blow it and that not with their mouthes but eyther with bellowes or a fanne An Archer that rashly attempted to leape ouer the headge and blow S. BRIGITTS fier with his mouth suddenly lost his witts and fell into madnes and running vpp and downe the towne putt his breath in the faces of all he mett saying doest thou see thus I blew BRIGITS fier and wheresoeuer he found anie fier he would blow it still repeating the same words till at length being taken by his companions and bound hand and foote he desired to be brought to the next water where he dranke soe much to quench his extreme drought that he burst his bellie and died Manie others sayth GIRALDVS were punished for the like attempt XIV But who doeth not behould admire in the life of this glorious A breef coÌ„sideration of her vettues and miracles Sainct the wonderfull greatnes of the goodnes of allmightie God who out of the sinne of her Parents drew soe pretious a iewell as S. BRIGITT making a poore slaue to be the mother vnto her that deliuerâ—â— soe manie captiue soules out of the seruitude and slauerie of sinne How could the fraile vessell of a poore bondslaue gyrlo be capable of the noble condition of soe great loue vnto vertue and of such a boyling desire of pure Virginitie that for the preseruing thereof she chose rather to loose the tendrest part of her bodie her eies and to deface her beantie the verie Idoll of woemen then to consent vnto a lawfull mariage How manifestly it appreares hereby that our B. Sauiour is sweet and gratious to his true seruants in restoring vnto BRIGITT her beautie of which at her owne request and for her greater good he had before depriued her Soe that it is noe wonder yf she that knew soe well how to keepe her owne virginitie vntouched and sacrifice it vnto her deare lord was allsoe of power by her prayers to obtaine the like fauour for other yong woemen and deliuer the innocence of the good Bishop from the calumnie which that wicked woeman layd vppon him and that God hath wrought by this blessed virgin the miracles before rehearsed Let him be euer Praysed and glorified as well for that which he is in him self as allsoe for what he worketh by his saincts Amen S. LAVRENTIVS ARCHIEPISCOPVS CANTVARIEN Monachus Benedictinus Feb. 2. The life of S. LAVRENCE Archbishop of Canturbury of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 2. Out of Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT LAVRENCE was one of those Benedictin Monks whom Pope GREGORIE the great sent with S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of IESVS CHRIST to our English nation in which pious worke he laboured wonderfully to gaine soules out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the light of the true Catholicke faith He was a man of excellent learning and vertuous life And when Ethelbert King of Kent and most part of his kingdom were baptised S. AVGVSTIN sent the holy monkes LAVRENCE and PETER to Rome to bring vnto the holy Pope the ioyfull tidings of their happie successe S. Austin chooseth Laurence for his successouâ— in Canturbury After his returne into England when S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturburic perceaued the time of his death to draw neere lest that Church as yet but raw rude in religion being one hower destitute of a pastour should begin to wauer he ordayned Laurence for his successour plainly following herein the example of the first Pastour of the vniuersall Church the Prince of the Apostles Sainct PETER who in like manner instituted Clement to succeed him in the primacie of the sea of Rome S. LAVRENCE being installed in the dignitie of the Archbishoprick beganne with great courage and industrie to augment and promote the foundations of
he would receaue it he humbly desired pardon of all his brethren yf in anie thing he had offended them and imparted the like courtesie vnto them earnestly crauing it of him and then with great reuerence fortifieing him self with that heauenly Viaticum he prepared his pious soule to enter into the happie voyage of euerlasting life V. THIS done he asked the assistants how long it was to the hower that the Monkes should rise to Mattins They answered that the time was not farre of Well then sayd he let vs quietly expect that Blessing with the signe of the Crosse good hower And within a while when the standers by nothing suspected his death arming him self with the signe of the holy crosse the only signe of our redemption and softly inclining his head vppon the pillow he tooke a sweet slumber and therwithall in great His death correspondent to his life silence and tranquillitie both of mind and bodie he deliuered vp his still soule into the hands of his redeemer Soe that by the diuine prouidence it came to passe that euen as he serued our Lord in his life time with a pure and quiet deuotion of mind soe leauing this world he went to enioy the cleere vision of him he had serued by a peaceable and vntroubled death And that elegant tongue which had sung so manie sweet lines poems in prayse of his creatour did close vpp the breath of his last words to gods honour glorie when blessing him self with the signe of life recōmending his soule into the hands of his deare redeemer he changed this temorall life for an eternall He died about the yeare of our Lord 670. After the time of King William conquerour his bodie was found among the ruines of the monasterie of Streanshall and honourably shrined sett vpp in a Inuention of his bodie place worthie soe great a relique where the manie miracles wrought through his meritts are euident witnesses of what high esteeme he was in the fauour of allmightie God who is euer gloriousi n his saincts Amen His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. lib. 4. cap. 24. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 36. William Malmesbury de gest pont Aug. lib. 3. Arnould Wion l. 2. cap. 62. and other grau◠authours make honourable mention of him And be is highly commended of all for his great vertue and holy life and conuersation The life of S. ERMENILD Queene and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 13. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT ERMENILD was daughter to Erconbert King of Kent and S. SEXBVRG his queene naturally and from the womb she inherited her good mothers propension to workes of pietie compassion and relieuing of euerie ones necessitie Both mother and daughter vsed the same bountie and charitie towards all and being both queenes on earth they had both the same pious desires and affectiōs to the King and kingdom of heauen ERMENILD was giuen in mapiage vnto Wulfere King of the Mercians and by that meanes the kingdom of Kent was happily vnited to that of the Mercians At that time her husband Wulfere being but newly baptised his poeple were but rude and scarse well setled in the Catholick fayth but S. ERMENILD who had bin trayned vp from her infancie in true vertue pietie and religion with her care and singular example of holy life her wise and prudent exhortations and manie benefits liberally bestowed vppon them tamed the obstinate heartes of that rude and vnlearned poeple and brought them vnder the sweet yoake of IESVS CHRIST by a mild force and a forceble mildnes subduing those peruerse rebellious mindes to the obediēce of the Catholick Church II. SVCH and soe great was the feruour zeale of this holy woemā to the seruice honour of allmightie God propagation of Christiā religiō that she was wholely carelesse of all other affayres in respect thereof neuer ceasing vntill she had quite destroyed Idolls rooted out all the diuelish rites of Idolatrie and furnished her Kingdō with churches Priests for the cōfort saluatiō of her poeple whom in the end she accustomed diligently to frequent the diuine seruices and sacraments and all other duties of Christian pietie and deuotion And this her godly zeale was much promoted by the royall power and authoritie of the king her husband who inuited by her pious example much aduanced her good endeauours and did manie good workes him self admiring to see the whole intentions mind of his wife amōgst the turbulent broiles of the world to be allwaies soe truely fixed on the contemplation of heauen and heauenly things Besides she did abound in charitie and compassion towards the poore all such as were in necessitie and affliction in soe much that neuer anie came to her that departed without consolation and her liberall almes to relieue their want III. AT length after the death of her husband with whom she had She taketh the habit of S. Benedicts order liued seauenteen yeares and been mother of S. WEREBVRG whose life you may read the third of this moneth hauing hither vnto ouercome all others she now ouercame her self for goeing to the monasterie of Benedictin Nunnes at Ely she renounced all mortall pompe and glorie for the pure loue of the immortall and putt on the habit of S. BEMEDICTS order vnder the gouernment of her holy mother S. SEXBVRG then Abbesse of the same place Where by humilitie and obedience she became queene of her owne passions and spent the remnant of her life in continuall fasting and prayer and all other austerities of a vertuous and religious life And after the death of the Abbesse S. SEXBVRG S. ERMENILD was chosen in her place in which office whilest she dischardged the dutie of a verie religious vertuous Matrone inciting her subiects by her owne good examples to embrace the rules of true religion she was deliuered out of this mortall prison and called to receaue the euerlasting reward of her labours in heauen the thirteenth day of February about the yeare of our Lord 685. and was buried in the same monasterie Where after her death it pleased allmightie God for the honour and glorie of this sainct to worke manie miracles at her tombe Whereof one was that a Saxon condemned for some offence to be bound with iron chaines or rings being on a time present at Masse in the monasterie of Elie and as he prayed before the bodie of S. ERMENILD about the time the ghospell was reading his irons forced by some secret and diuine power fell suddenly from his armes to the great admiration of manie that were present at the sayd masse Her life we haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue William Malmesbury de gest reg Angl. lib. 2. cap. 13. de gest pontif lib. 4. Mathew Wistminster anno 676. and Wigorniensis an 675. mention is made of her by Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter in
of sainctitie which be had gotten in the world nor despised others in respect of such vertue seemeth by manie degrees to excell both the wonder of his coate of maile and whatsoeuer else in him as truely there are very manie things worthy greate prayse and admiration was most notable and famous And as allmightie God sent him these sharpe visitations to make triall of his constancie soe on the other side his diuine goodnes did soe highly confort him with heauenly benefitts guifts and graces of prophefieing and doeing manie wonderfull cures and ennobled his worthie patience with such renowned triumphes against his infernall enemies that he might truely Psal 9 3. 19 with the royall prophet say of him self According to the multitude of my griefs thy consolations haue reioyced my soule VI. FOR HE chainged water into wine and by his holy benediction he encreased and multiplied one little loafe of bread to soe His manie miracles great a quaÌ„titie that he satisfied fortie poore poeple there with The water which he hallowed cured verie manie dangerous diseases He restored light and perfect sight vnto one whose eyes were digged out of his head He saw manie thinges that were done in farre distant places as distinctly as if they had passed within the coÌ„maund of his corporall sight And often times he foretould things to come and namely to King Henry the first setting forth in his last iourney to Normandie that he should neuer more returne And in the Kings absence he reuealed vnto the Lord of the village the verie day of the kings death And count Stephen coming vppon a time vnto the holy man he saluted him as king to the great admiration of all that heard it and ingenuously tould him that he should be souueraigne Lord of England giuing him pious admonitions carefully to maintaine peace and iustice and defend the rightes of Gods Church VII WHAT now shall I say that the holie Angels yea and the king of angels CHRIST IESVS haue appeared vnto him and comforted his habitation in this world with the heauenly and vnspeakeable splendour of their presence And being on a time at the aultar executing that dreadfull sacrifice of Masse hauing past the Pater noster The wine in his chalice appeareth in forme of bloud being suddenly stricken with a doubt whether he had mingled as the custom is water with his wine or not hauing defired allmightie God to free him from that scruple behould the chalice appeared vnto him full to the very brimme of fresh rosie bloud which the vnspotted lambe shed for our redemption and returning straight againe to the forme of wine he deuoutly consummated that heauenly draught And allbeit sometimes by the permission of allmightie God to trie his seruant he was as we haue sayd cruelly deluded vexed and tormented by the mischieuous enuie of hells inhabitans yet manie times he triumphed most nobly ouer them and their diabolicall practises When by his holy prayers he not only banished them out of the bodies of possessed persons but sometimes held them soe fast bound that they could not depart but by his licence But of all that euer he did in that kind this which A poore ma giueth his soule to the deuill now you shall heare was the most notably famous VIII IN THE North parts of England dwelt a mise rably-wretched man who not able to endure the pouertie of his owne fortune had renounced the Christian Catholick fayth and in a horrid couenant had wholely coÌ„secrated and bequeathed him self to the Deuill who hauing for a time sate abroode vppoÌ„ that prey to hatch his soule for hell fier the wretched man coming a little to vnderstand his more then miserable estate beganne to be ashamed and repent him of this horrible act deliberating debating with him self to what Patrone or protection he should committ the care of deliuering his engaged soule out of the iawes of eternall death Till at length hauing heard the great fame of S. VLFRICKS holy life he resolued to make vse of his counsell in this weightie affayre and being verie sollicitous of his good successe herein and hauing opened his mind to one of his neerest and dearest friends the deuil with whom he had made this hard bargaine appeared to him in his knowne and accustomed shape and with shew of extreme vnkindnes accused him of disloyaltie and threatned him with most cruell punishment yf he dared but to attempt anie such treason againe The poore man The deuill knoweth not the secrets of mans heart perceauing that this hellish marchant had noe knowledge of the intentions of his heart till by word of mouth he had reuealed them vnto his friend froÌ„ that time kept close his good purposes vnder the vayle of silence and meaning as the prouerb saies to cozen the old ourtier he dissembled for a while his intended penance till at length when he thought his enemie sleeped he entred into his iourney towards S. VLFRICK wherein he had prosperous successe till he came neere vnto the Village of Haslebury where entring the foord of the riuer that ranne thereby with great hope to receaue help from the holy man his ancient enemie the deuill suddenly layd violent hands vppon him bellowing in his eares with a hellish furie and anger such rude and rough speeches that struck terrour into the poore man O thou traytour sayd he what meanest thou to doe In vaine thou endeauourest to breake off our former bargaine for as well for they first treason in reuouncing God as now for seeking to renounce me to whom thou belongest thou shalt presently suffer a iust punishment in this water And withall he held him soe fast in the midest of the riuer that he could nether stirre forward nor backward In the meane time S. VLFRICK who had a reuelation of all this passage called his Priest vnto him and bad him presently take the crosse and holy The vertue of holy waer water in his hands and make great hast to succour a poore man whom the deuill held captiue in the riuer at the townes end Who speedyly obeying his commaund ranne thither and found as the holy man had foretould a man sitting an horseback in the middest of the riuer not able to mooue on whom presently in the name of IESVS CHRIST and in vertue of his master hauing cast some of his holy water he redeemed the prey and patt the tâ—eefe to flight This done he returned with ioy to S. VLFRICK togeather with the poore man whose coÌ„panie the deuill being verie vnwilling to loose followed after his late prey and seeing him stand before the holy man he sayd fast hould on him who cried maynly out to the seruaÌ„t of god for succour TheÌ„ S. VIFRICK taking him by the right haÌ„d He freeth one giuen to the deuill the deuill was soe bold as to shake him by the left striuing as much as he was able to drawe him away with him till the Sainct throwing with
his other haÌ„d some of the holy water which him self had blest against that vgly fiend he droue him away from the house with greate confusion And then leading the poore man newly redeemed out of the iawes of death quaking and treÌ„bling with feare into his inner cell he disposed his soule with good instructions for Auricular conâ—ession the better receauing of the sacrament of peanance Which done the poore man falling downe on his knees before the holy Sainct proclaimed him selfe guiltie at the sacred barre of confession by which he clearly purged his conscience from all the infectious venoÌ„ which the deuill had planted therein and hauing receaued his absolution pronounced by the mouth of S. VLFRICK he desired likewise to communicate the blessed sacrament of the Aultar at his hands Who houlding that dreadfull misterie before his face at the Altar demanded yf he did truly sincerely beleeue the bodie of CHRIST to be really vnder that forme of bread I doe beleeue confesse it sayd he for wretched sinner that I am I see the bodie of my lord IESVS in thy hands in the true forme of flesh God be for euer praysed replied Behould the â—eall presence in the sacrament the holy man and presently at his prayers the sacred Eucharist returning to the vsuall forme of bread he gaue it the poore man who from this time forwards was euer free from the burthen of that diabolicall yoake and from all trouble and vexation of those hellish monsters IX A PIOVS woeman on a time sent three loaues of bread vnto S. VLFRICK by a messenger who hid one by the way and deliuered Note a rare miracle the other two only but goeing back he found his loafe to be chainged into a stone soe hard that his iron and steele turned edge as he endeauoured to cutt it asunder But that hardnes melted his heart with sorrow for returning in great hast to S. VLFRICK he discoured this strainge accident humbly desiring pardon of his temerarious offence Who not only forgaue him but making the signe of the crosse vppon that stonnie bread he brake it with great facilitie and giuing part thereof vnto the messenger sent him away greatly edified to haue seene such vertue X. A GREAT noble man of king Henries court hauing heard of the A Nobleman punished by God for detracting S. Vlfrik fame of S. VLFRICK sayd that the King might doe well to send some officers to the Cell of that craftie seducer to take away his money whereof he could not but haue great store such a mightie concurse of poeple dayly flocked vnto him These words were noe sooner spoken but by his diuine power who is euer zelous in behalf of his saincts the mouth of that rash man was writhen and stretcht to his eares and he him self dashed violently against the ground where he lay for a time sprawling and foaming in miserie The king vppon this occasion went to the holy mans poore habitation and carefully recoÌ„mending him self vnto his deuout prayers earnestly petitioned withall for the noble man I impute not this sinne vnto him replied the Saint but doe heartily desire that he may haue pardon at the hands of allmightie God being my self in the meane time most readie to doe whatsoeuer is conuenient for me And at the same instant one of the standers by tooke the holy Saint by the hand and applying it to the face of a sick person there present restored him to perfect health with the only touch of those holy fingers XI THIS Blessed Sainct as you haue heard before prophesied vnto His guift of prophesie count Stephen then a priuate maÌ„ that he should be owner of the realme of England during whose raigne manie warlick commotions troubles molested the coÌ„mon peace all which likewise S. VLFRICK foretould vnto the lord of his village as allsoe of the captiuitie of the same King and of his deliuerie At length King Stephen coming to his cell on a time the holy man after manie zealous rebukes and profiteable exhortations foretould him among other things that he should raigne during his life time admonishing him by all meanes to doe worthie penance for the same for otherwise he should neuer enioy ether suretie in his Kingdom or peace from those rude broiles which to his cost he had loÌ„g experienced Wherevppon King Stephen confesseth to S. Vlfrick the King with teares trickling downe his cheekes witnessed the inward sorrow of his mind and making a sincere confession of that sinne willingly performed the penance which the propheticall Sainct inioyned him See the wonderfull force of Gods grace that giueth power to a poore sillie creature to make the stubborne hearts of kings to relent and returne from the wild deserts of iniquitie to the direct high way of iustice I can neuer too often repeate that saying of the prophet God is wonderfull in his saincts XII ABOVT a yeare before his death sitting one day in his cell Psal 67. v. 38. the ioints of his iron coate miraculously dissolued and it fell downe to his knees which he presently tooke vpp and fastened againe about his shoulders with more strong stayes And his whole bodie which before seemed to imitate iron in hardnes beganne to swell with little blisters and plainly to shew it was but flesh soe that his coate and his flesh with a like token foreshewed the time of his warrefare in this world to draw neere to an end Therefore after a while he called his priest vnto him and tould him that the hower of his departure was at hand for the next saturday sayd he I must prouide my self for my last and happiest iourney which soe long I haue desired And in the verie hower which he foretould ioyning and directing his hands and eyes towards heauen whither he was goeing he deliuered vpp his blessed soule out of the thraldom of this world He foretelleth the time of his death to the neuer dieing ioyes of heauen the twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1154. shortly after the coronation of Henry the second King of that name in England His life is written by Ioannes Anglicus or Iohn Capgraue Mathew Paris in Henrico 2. fol. 88. and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 29. out of whom we haue gathered this present historie Henrie Huntington and other English Historiographers make honorable mention of him S. MILBVRGA FILIA MERWALDI REGIS IN ANGLIâ—… Virgo ac Abbatissa Ordinis S. Benedicti Feb. 2 3. Mâ—â—â—… The life of S. MILBVRG virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEBR. 23 Written by Gotzeline moÌ„ke ETHELBERT king of Kent and the first of our English kings that receaued the Christian fayth was S. MILBVRGS great grandfathers father she was daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and his queene Dompneâ—e by some called Ermenburg Milburg therefore Her royall paâ—â—nts inheriting the royall splendour of two princely kingdoms Kent and Mercia as the ornament
his bishoprick led a priuate life in the Kingdom of Mercia or Middle England This done our holy SWIBERT adorned with episcopall authoritie fortified with the comfortable speeches of S. WILFRID returned againe to Utreight He iâ— famous ouer the coutrey courragiously to follow on his pious enterprise adorning his new receaued dignities with a new list of vertues behauing him self from hence forth with great humilitie meeknes simplicitie iustice and all other degrees of perfection and making these vertues as it were the baites to take and winne soules out of the deluge of Idolatrie to the secure and quiet shore of CHRISTS Church by the force of his diuine learning and vnwearied labour of preaching Which tooke soe good effect that in diuers parts of Friseland and allmost all the countrie of Teisterband the poeple were conuerted to the fayth and manie Churches raysed and built on the ruines of Idolatrie were consecrated to the seruice of IESVS-CHRIST Soe that S. SWIBERT growing to be of great fame and estimation in all those countries for his singular vertue and miracles and being an amazement to the Pagans and Pagan priests it pleased the diuine goodnes to glorifie him more and more with wonders to the confusion of the â—â—ntils and great aduancement of his Church VII FOR being to dedicate a Church at Malsen in the Countie of Teisterband vppon the riuer Linghen a yong gentleman called Splinter van Andengin desiring out of curiositie to see the rites and ceremonies which the Christians vsed in the dedication of Churches and chiefly to see SWIBERT their bishop of whom he had heard such wonders coming ouer the riuer Rhene fell by chaunce out of the boate drowned leauing both the shores full of the fruitlesse lamentations and teares of his fellowes and seruants that dolefully bewayled their losse The same day about noone he was taken vp by certaine fishers and brought as dead as a hearing to Duerstat to the sorowfull house of his vnconsolable parents who through the perswasion of their Idolatrous Priests caused him to be carried to the Temple of Mars trusting that he could cure the wound giuen by Neptune and to that end they besought his warlik power with The God mars called vppon in vaine manie sacrifices to restore the yong man to life but all in vaine Which his father perceauiÌ„g coÌ„sidering that their poore Gods were not wont to bestow guifts of life soe liberally he was perswaded by some deuout Christians to entreate B. SWIBERT to come to his ay de who was the likelier to prooue a better Aduocate in his behalf in that matter of life and Death To him thereforeÌ„ he went and falling at his feet he began to open his miserie when a floud of teares soe stopt the current of his discourse that in them and his sighs the whole force of his eloquence seemed to consist But the holy Bishop S Swib entreated to ralsea dead maÌ„ refuseth gathering his meaning out of that dolefull speech was very vnwilling to vndertake a matter of soe great presumption till ouercome with the weeping rhetorick of his importunitie the prayers of Werenfride and Marcellin his fellowes he went with him whom an infinite multitude of poeple stood expecting on the banks of the Riuer Rhene When entring the village Duerstat the dolefull mother of the drowned youth carried beyond all degrees of sorrow ranne to meet him and falling at his feet in the midst of the street cried out O seruant of the true God helpe me and reuiue my sonne by the power of thy God for our Gods are all too weake to doe it S. SWIBERT applying a salue of comfort to the deepe wound of her sorow went to the house where the dead bodie was layd and commaunding his fellow-disciples to fall hartily to their prayers he allso betooke him self earnestly to his in the midst of that weeping multitude of poeple and trembling Flamins of the Pagans His prayer ended he arose and putting his whole confidence in our Lord IESVS-CHRIST he sayd O thou only comforter of our sadnes who didest once affirme with thy sacred mouth whosoeuer beleeueth Ioan. 14. v. 12 in me the works that I doe he allsoe shall doe and greater then these he shall doe voutchafe to shew the power of thy Diuinitie in raysing this man from death to life And taking him by the hand he sayd 〈◊〉 He rayseh a dead man to life the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST crucified I bid thee rise and liue and prayse thy creatour At these words he that before was dead opened his eyes and waking as it were out of a profound sleepe he arose and embracing the holy Sainct cried out with great sighs there is noe other God in heauen and earth but IESVS-CHRIST crucified whom SWIBERT preacheth O the wonderfull life of this blessed Sainct whose prayers banished death from the bodie of an other and spoiled hell of its pray And presently all the beholders much astonished with the noueltie of this great miracle highly extolled the diuine pietie with loud shouts of ioy and thanksgiuing that daigned to ennoble his seruant with soe miraculous a remonstrance of his goodnes And the Heathen Priests togeather with the parents of the new reuiued youth and a great multitude of poeple renouncing the errours of Idolatrie beleeued in IESVS-CHRIST soe that there were baptised 126. persons besides woemen and children When soe great a noise and clamour was raysed in 126. persons conuerted the street by the Pagans that desired to see the newly reuiued yong man that S. SWIBERT compelled therevnto for the greater honour and glorie of God lead him out amongst them in his hand as a liuing trophie of his owne vertue to be seene of all that pressing multitude of poeple who when they beheld him walking in the street with lowd shoutes and cries they made the heauens resound with the Ecchos of these words Great is the God of the Christians and manie beleeued in CHRIST the worker of miracles through the perswasion of the holie Bishop and had their soules reuiued in the sacred font of baptisme With whom S. SWIBERT remayned a good while feeding and confirming the weakenes of their fayth with the solid foode of his learning till the whole village of Duerstat was throughly conuerted to the truth VIII IN the meane time S. WILLIBRORD ordayned Bishop of Frizeland by the speciall authoritie of Pope Sergius returned from Rome and placed his episcopall sea in the towne of Vtreight in a Cathedrall Church of Benedictin Monks-Canons dedicated to S. MARTIN Willibrord Bishop of Vtreight Bishop of Tours vnto whom the Benedictines were allwaies peculiarly deuoted And Radbod king of Frizeland being dead the two holy Bishops obtained greater libertie publickly â—opreach the ghospell of CHRIST throughout the whole couÌ„trey whereby their holy labours tooke soe good effect that the couÌ„tie of TeisterbaÌ„d allmost all HollaÌ„d a great part of neather Friseland were awaked out of the
morning to the great admiration and ioy of all he made knowne by the soundnes of his witt and vnderstanding that he had there receaued the cure of his madding phrensie The place of his buriall is inclosed with a wodden chest which hath a hole on the one side through which those that came thither for deuotion were wont to reach forth some of the dust and hauing dissolued it in water it cured both man and beast that drank it of what disease soeuer they were infected The life of this B. Sainct we haue gathered chiefly out of S. Bedes History of England Iohn Capgrane hath the same in his lines of English Saincts Trithemius in his treatise of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 117. Arnould Wion Baronius Camden and others make worthie mention of him In the Prouinciall CoÌ„stitutions of England his feast is ordayned to be celebrated with nine lessons and soe it was obserued in the Sarum Breuiarie But since Breuiaries were made treason in England all goodnes was banished the Psal 150. v. 1. publick view of that vnhappie Countrey and God whom the Psalmist bids vs to praise in his Saincts is depriued of his due honour and glorie and his Saincts are quite robbed of their part therein The life of Sainct WILLEICK Priest and Confessor monck of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 2. Out of Marceline in the life of S. Swibert S. WILLEICK borne in England went ouer into lower Germanie S. Willeick a Monk-Canon of Vtteicht in low Germanie where togeather wich S. SWIBERT and other English Benedictine Monks he preached CHRISTS ghospell to the Pagans and conuerted manie to the true fayth He was one of the first Monk-Canons of the new Cathedrall Church of Vtreiâ—ght where he who had left the world with a pure intention soe sincerely endeauoured to perfect him self in the seruice of CHRIST IESVS that he appeared as a sweet vessell of vertues to the rest of his brethren For from his youth he had liued allwaies with the great S. SWIBERT in the continuall exercise of prayer continencie and meditation of the holy scriptures euer striuing to make him self as pure wax to receiue the impression and seale of that worthie Saincts vertues He was skillfull in holy scriptures and well practised in the Latin and Dutch tongue verie cloquent in his discourse but meeke and humble in his behauiour a conquerour of wrath and couetousnes a despiser of pride and vaine glorie and a comfortable father to the poore and sickly For whom carefully to prouide he was inclined not only out of an innate pietie of mind but made that appeare by his great labour and paines taken in prouiding and succouring their necessities him self He conuerted allsoe manie Heathens through the Prouinces as he trauelled from the venom of Idolatrie to the sweetnes of CHRIST fayth II. AFTERWARDS being made Priour of S. SWIBERTS Benedictine monasterie at Werdt he became a true mirrour and paterne of all He is made Priour of the Monasterie of Werdt true vertues to his brethren whereby manie by his example and authoritie were curbed within the rules of a regular life Neyther was he profitable with his vertues and good example to the monasterie only but by his deuout exhortations and pious sermons he conuerted the neighbouring poeple from the sottish customs of their Idolatrous life to the loue of CHRIST heauenly things And the greatnes of his vertue and meritt was testified by miracle For being on a time at Cullen with the most deuout Dutchesse Plectrude of whom mention is made in the life of S. SWIBERT one Gothebald a chief man of the towne lay languishing vnder the pittilesse burden of such a cruell disease that depriued of all vse of his limmes he seemed indeed to be quite dead when his funerall rites were allreadie prepared and his graue gaped to receiue him In the meane time Marie that was his wiues name obtained of the Dutchesse to haue Willeick the disciple and priest of great S. SWIBERT to come visitt He cureth a sickman that diyng man Who coming into the chamber and hauing made his prayers to allmightie God he gaue him his benediction when presently the sick man arose in perfect health out of his bed gaue thanks to the supreme giuer of all goodnes and sate at table with the rest in great ioy and alacritie and S. Willeick whose companie he much desired could hardly be drawne from his deuotions of thanks giuing to take his repast with the rest Herevppon the deuout Dutchesse Plectrude held this holy man in farre greater honour and esteeme theÌ„ before yeelding infinite prayses to the omnipotent worker of wonders But S. WILLEICK hauing gouerned his monasterie His death the space of thirteene yeares in all tenne after the death of his master S. SWIBERT in great holines of life and conuersation gaue vp his blessed soule to the neuer-dieing rewards of his labours to beare a part in the quire of Benedictin Monks in heauen He died the second day of March in the yeare of Our Lord 727. At whose tombe in testimonie of his vertues and holy life were wrought maine miraculous cures of diseases Of him make mention besides the foresayd Marcelline Trithemius in his 3. booke and 167. chap. of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Wion in his Benedictine Martirologe and others The life of Sainct WINWALOKE Abbott and Confessor MAR. 3. Gathered by Surius out of auÌ„cient manuscripts SAINCT WINWALOKE sonne to Fracanus cosen germane of Cotton king of the Brittaines began from his tender age to giue greate signes of his ensuing vertue and good life despising the pleasures of the world and wholly bequeathing him self to the diuine seruice of allmigthy God His desire of a deuout life And the better to put his good purposes and pious inspirations in execution he desired leaue of his father to goe to a holy man of that countrey to perfect him self in that diuine schoole in the studie of vertue and learning But his father who desired rather to see him aduanced to worldy preferment and honour flatly denied his godly request Wherevppon this blessed yong man appealed to his allmightie father in heauen earnestly crauing his assistance in this case And his prayers were not in vaine for not long after his father being abrode in the plaine fields in a sayre sunny day on the suddaine there happened such a horrible tempest of rayne hayle and snow seconded with the roaring of such dreadfull thunder and flashes of lightning falling thick about him that strucken with the exceeding terrour thereof he fell flatt on the ground where musing with him self what might be the reason of such an vnexpected storme it came into his mind that perhaps it was a punishment sent him from God aboue for detayning his sonne in the tempestuous world out of the sweet hauen of his diuine His father giueth him to God seruice HerevppoÌ„ he
prayer springling him with holy See the vertue of fasting and prayer water draue away all power of the deuill and restored him safe and sound to his friends The other was freed by gyrding him self with S. GVTHLAKES Gyrdle About the same time the venerable Abbesse Eaburga sent a leaden coffin with a fine linnen shrowd to S. GVTHLAKE humbly and earnestly entreating him to permitt his bodie to be buried therein after his death desiring withall to vnderstand He foretelleth his successour who should succeed him in his hermitage The holy man vnwillingly receauing the present sent her word back that his successour was as yet a Heathen who shortly hauing receaued the sacramet of baptisme should inhabite that place as it came to passe for one called Cissa after his decease receaued the fayth of CHRIST and became his successour X. AT length the day of his death drawing neere he called Bertelinâ— vnto him And now sayd he my deare sonne I am goeing to receaue the rewards of my labours I desire to be dissolued to raigne He foreseeth his owne death with CHRIST my beloued Lord and Sauiour And after manie speeches he enioyned him to salute his sister Pega in his name entreate her to come to the buriall of his bodie I haue sayd he auoided her sight hitherunto in this mortall life that more securely we may enioy one and other in the immortall And as he pronounced these and manie other words full of pietie and consolation soe great a sweetnes proceeded from his mouth that Bertheline seemed to smell like flowers of roses scattered in the ayre or the distilled liquour of baulme But allmightie God as he had adorned him liuing in this world with manie worthie fauours and benefitts as well for his owne as for the health of others soe at the verie hower of his death after his departure he made him famous to the world with manie singular graces For falling sick the wendsday before Easter and departing this life the seauenth day following allbeit his forces were His denotion in his sicknes weake yet he forced him self beyond his weakenes to celebrate the dreadfull sacrifice of our sauiours Passion at the aultar on Easter day And from midnight vntill the morning before he died a bright shining light encompassed the little house where he lay At sunrising hauing strengthened him self againe with the viaticum of our Lords sacred bodie he spake to his faythfull disciple Berteline saying The His death time is come my deare sonne wherein I must passe to CHRIST lifting vp his hands and eyes to heauen he yeelded vp his most pure soule to receaue her reward in the heauenly paradise of all puritie the eleauenth day of Aprill When at the verie instant Berteline saw as it were a fierie tower reaching from heauen downe to the earth the brightnes whereof was soe wonderfull that the pale sunne might enuie soe great a lustre And the whole Iland seemed to be spread all ouer The Angels 〈◊〉 at his buriall with a most pleasant sweet smell of heauenly odours whilst the Angels them selues were heard to sing melodious tunes of ioy to the honour and encrease of his glorie In the meane time his godly sister Pega reioycing more then can be expressed at soe great glorie of her brother buried his holy bodie with great reuerence in his owne oratorie and at his buriall a blind man washing his eyes with the water whereinto was putt some salt hallowed before by S. GVTHLAKE receaued perfect sight XI HE DIED at the age of fortie seauen yeares at fower and twentie he begaÌ„ to follow the warres eight yeares he remayned in that fierce His bodie is found vncorrupted life and fifteene yeares he liued in the seruice of God in the desert But a yeare after his death his sister desiring togeather with manie other reuerend and holy Priests to translate his bodie to a more decent and eminent place they found him most whole and entier more like a man asleepe then dead For all the ioynts of his bodie were flexible agile as yf the humours had runne through the veines by force of the vitall spiritts and all the cloathes he was wrapped in were as fresh and fayre as the first day they were layd in Then the bodie was honourably placed in a tombe aboue ground with great ioy reuerence deuotion of all But the exiled King Ethelbald spoken off before hauing vnderstood the death of the holy man came in mornefull manner to the sepulcher where powring out manie teares he complayned that now he was truely left forsaken desolate more theÌ„ euer humbly desiring the Blessed Sainct by his meritts and intercession to obtaine his deliuerance out of those miserable afflictions Vnto whom S. GVTHLAKE appeared one night incoÌ„passed with resplendent bcames of glory coÌ„maunding him to sett aside all He appeareth to king Ethelbald care for that verie shortly all things would succeed according to his owne desire Which prophesie was not spoken in vaine for within a yeare his aduessarie died and he was restored againe to the free possession of his kingdome XII IN THE meane time S. GVTHLAKES tomb beganne to florish with wonderfull miracles for as manie faythfull Christians as came thither to demaund helpe in their necessities through his meritts intercession were not frustrate of their desire Nether was Ethelbald being restablished in his kingdome vnmindfull of his beloued Patrone For in the same place he built a goodly Church and a monasterie for the Benedictine Monks enriched it with abundant rents King â—thelbald buil 〈…〉 a the Benedictin Abbey of Croâ—â—and and reuenewes which was after called the Abbey of Crowland And in the same Church he erected a verie sumptuous and rich tombe ouer his sacred bodie Where allthough the place were full of fennes and marshes being seated betweene the riuer Nine the I le of Elie that it could not be come at but by boate yet that house was allwaies most opeÌ„ to the hospitalitie of all men in soe much that it â—as honoured with the litles of bountie ciuilitie and curtesie euen to the leter times Afterwards manie other kings and Princes endowed Jngulphus Hist Croiland the same monasterie with allmost innumerable riches and reuenews as appeareth by the history of Jngulphus a MoÌ„k of the same Abbey In which allsoe it is to be noted and not without cause that in all the variable chainge and declining of the times in soe long and furious an outrage of the Danes which ruined all such other monasteries this remayned allwaies inhabited allbeit the Church and other buildings were quite ruined and burnt with fier For in that time when the barbarous Danes spoyled wasted and robbed all the Monasteries of England the Abbot of Crowland called Theodore vnderstanding of their neere-approching ruine and threatned destruction sent all the yong monkes to the number of thirtie with the riches and reliques of S. CVTHLAKE and others
S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturbury perceauing had recourse to the refuge of prayer making an humble suplication to the all-foreseeing wisedome of God to voutchafe to shew whom his diuine maiestie iudged worthy for the gouernment of that Church And as he deuoutly and often repeated ouer his prayers S. ANDREW the Apostle appeared to him with these words Why art thou soe sad why doest make such lamentable complaints Arise and place the Abbot ELPHEGVS in the vacant Episcopall sea of that desolate Church Nether let anie contrarie power withstand thee in this for not from anie man but from God him self this sentence of him hath proceeded And left thou distrust anie thing in mee know that I am He is made Bishop the yeare 984. ANDREW the Apostle of IESVS-CHRIST and a most faythfull guardian of thy health and saluation DVNSTAN much encouraged herewith consecrated Blessed ELPHEGVS bishop as he was commaunded and sent him honourably to the sea of Winchester IV. BEING installed in that sacred dignitie he soe wisely framed and The seueritie of his life conformed him self to the manners and humours of all men that he became most beloued of all and which is rare among mortals noe man enuied at his glorie He was most mercifull vnto all others but to him self he appeared most cruell and seuere For in the verie dead time of winter amidest the frost and snow at midnight when all his poeple lay buried vnder the heauines of sleepe he was wont secretly to rise out of his bed and goe out barefooted with one single garment See the holy mans wonderfull â—eannes a bout him to busie him self at his prayers and meditation till morning In his diet he was soe extreÌ„ly sparing that he would rise froÌ„ table all most as emptie as he sate downe wheÌ„ce it came to passe that his bodie was taken downe to such a low degree of leannes that wheÌ„ at Masse he eleuated the holy sacrament the cleernes of the light might be seene through the ioynts in the palmes of his hands He knew how to temper fashion his mind and speech to all kind of men He permitted none of his diocessans to beg publickly froÌ„ doore to doore nether did he suffer the poore of other places to depart without an almes iudging it an vnreafonable horrible offence for a man to vsurpe that as a propertie of his owne which nature ordayned to be common to all Wherefore he carefully maintayned that he was noe true member of our Lords bodie that did not succour the necessities of the poore For yf when one member of the bodie is in paine the rest out of a coÌ„passioÌ„ doe not suffer with it it is manifest that that is not a member of the same bodie which in the suffrance of an other is not disposed to compassion But when those meanes were exhausted which by right of the Church belonged to the maintenance of the poore he caused the manie treasures which he had layd vp for that purpose to be distributed amongst them giuing posteritie a lesson hereby that Churches were endowed with store of riches to serue in time of plentie for an ornament and in time of want for profitt V. BVT when that worthie Pillar of our English Church S. DVNSTAN perceaued death to be at hand and feared by the succession of some wicked person the coming of trouble into the Church which now was well setled in peace and tranquillitie he sollicited with manie prayers the diuine mercle that he might haue Eâ—PHEGVS his successour in the sea of Canturbury His petition was heard in the holy court of heauen and a graunt promised allbeit the promise were not straight fullfilled Which perchance was deferred that more cleerly it might appeare vnto the world how highly S. DVNSTAN was beloued of God who soe truelie performed a long time after his death that which he promised in his life time and that S. ELPHEGVS might fall into such times as should aduance him to the glorious crowne of martyrdome Therefore in the yeare of our lord 1006 and from the coming of the English into Britalne 578. S. ELPHEGVS in the two fiftith yeare of his age when he had gouerned the sea of Winchester twentie two He is made Archbishop of Cant urburie yeares was raysed to the Archiepiscopal dignitie of CaÌ„turbury Who trauayling towards Rome to obtaine his Palle as he entred to lodge in a certaine towne by the way the townsmen perceauing him to be a straÌ„ger being verie greedie of their owne gaine brake into his lodging robbed him of what he had with stripes coÌ„pelled him poore bare as he was to gett out of their towne Which Iniuries man bearing away with patience only a little grieued for his companies sake returned the same way as he came When he had not gone farr from thence but horrible cries were heard from the walls which proclaimed the sudden ruine of the whole towne For an outrageous flame layd hould of the buildings which furiously began to consume all to ashes and seeing it still soe vehemently â—ncreasing that there was scarse anie hope of escaping a generall destruction suspecting that it might be a punishment for that rude violation of hospitalitie they ranne after the holy man humbly coÌ„fessing their fault and desiring pardon The sainct present taking compassion on their miserie made his prayers to allmightie God He receaneth his pall of Pope Iohn the 19 and these horrible flames were presently extinguished and their furie ceased Therefore his goods being restored be happily ended the rest of his iourney and returned againe into England with his Palle And being setled in the Metropolitan sea of Canturburie he excellently performed whatsoeuer belonged to the dignitie and function of a good bishop The vertue of chastitie commaunded soe high a seate in his soule that noe man in his hearing durst bring forth a word anie way drawing to obscenitie nor as much as relate anie dishonest storie He was the comfort of the poore the relieuer of the oppressed and the sole refuge of the afflicted VI. BVT ô the variable condition and inconstant state of this world The holy man had gouerned his Church but fower yeares The Danes spoyle England These miseries were reâ—ealed to S. Dâ—nstan long before when behould two Danish Princes called Swane and Turkill entred into England vsing great outrage in some parts thereof as a punishment for the poeples sinnes But Swane being by the secret disposition of god terribly slaine Turkill hauing obtained the principalitie of a wicked inheritance wasted and spoiled manie Prouinces in England with fier and sword For king Etheldred being a weake impotent man not giuen to warlick affayres made shew in his actions rather of a monk then a souldier and the people of the Countrey corrupted with the possession of their riches and tied to their owne pleasures thought nothing honourable but the sole priuate commoditie of their owne bodies Therefore euerie one
countenance in which a kind of sweet pleasantnes shined through a venerable seueritie Wherevppon to good and deuout persons he was affable but terrible to the negligent and high-minded and yet he carried him self with soe great meeknes and humilitie to all that in the whole Monasterie in which were six hundred Monkes is was hard to find his equall in true vertue and religion VIII BVT aboue all the pure holines and holy purenes of his life and mind appeared more excellently at his death the manner whereof we haue related out of Cuthbert his disciple afterwards Abbot Cuthbert in ep ad Cuth winū condiscipulum of the same monastery who was present at his holy departure He fell first into sicknes allmost a fortnight before Easter from which time vntill Ascension-day he laboured grieuously with a weaknes in his stomake and the shortnes of wind yet he ceased not to dictate dayly to his schollers at his accustomed howers and spent the rest of the day in reciting of psalmes and prayers and the whole night vnlesse when a litle sleepe did hinder him he passed ouer in spirituall ioy and thanksgiuing striuing by these pious exercises to deceaue the sharpnes of his disease I confesse truly sayth the Authour His employments during his sicknes that I neuer saw or heard off anie one other that soe diligently gaue thankes vnto allmightie God O truely blessed man During this sicknes besides these employments he turned the Ghospell of saint IOHN into English and gathered some memorable notes out of the bookes of saint ISIDORE vsing these words to his schollers Learne my children whilst I am with you for J know not how long J shall subsist or how soone my creatour will take me away that my soule may returne to him that sent it J haue liued a long time my Lord God hath well prouided for me in this space of life now I desire to be dessolued to liue with CHRIST IX ALLSOE a firme hope of the ioyes to come and a pious feare of the fearfull iudgemēts of allmightie God being sett in an equall proportion A pions lesson in the ballance of his mind he vsed that sentence of saint PAVL Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viuentis It is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God and manie other such like out of the sacred scripture whereby he exhorted his schollers and brethren that were about him to awake out of the dullnes of the soule by the remembrāce of the last terrible hower adding a speech in the mother-tongue of the fearefull seperation which death makes between the soule and the bodi◠Then he would sing himnes and Anthimes to the great consolation of him self and all the assistants till teares of deuotion trickling downe his cheekes hindred his pious musicke and made the attendants that endeauoured to helpe him out to weepe singing and sing weeping striuing as it were with their songs to serue him singing and with their teares to helpe him weeping But he allbeit he wept enioyed soe great comfort and spirituall ioy in his soule that when he was most cruelly oppre sled with the burden of his disease he gaue thankes vnto allmightie The securitie of his conscience God for his goodnes in soe punishing him Vsing those words of the Scripture God scourgeth euery child that he receaueth and alluding to the words of saint AMBROSE dying I haue not liued soe amongst yee that I need be ashamed of my life and nether doe I feare to die because we haue a good Lord. Thrice happy soule that could speake with soe great securitie of conscience that he was nether ashamed to liue nor afrayd to die not fearing the sight of men in this world and with a quiet mind expecting the secret iudgement of God in the next X. BVT on tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord his sicknes His siknes encrea seth beganne more grieuously to afflict him and a little swelling appeared in his feet an vndoubted presage of his neere-approaching death Yet all that day he passed ouer ioyfully teaching and dictating to his schollers the night following he watched singing himnes and psalmes of prayses and thanksgiuing to Allmightie God till the next day which was the last of his labours first of his rest brought him the embassage of his ensuing happines when he still diligently dictated to his brethren about him whilst the bitter teares of the writers greeuing to be depriued of soe good a Master were as gaules to make their inke more black and dolefull In the after noone he sent his beloued disciple Cuthbert who writt this historie to his Cell to fetch thence such small guifts as he had to be disposed amongst his more familiar friends for a memorie of him Then a great part of the Priests other monkes of the monasterie being He receaueth the last sacraments gathered togeather they fortified the holy man with the sacraments of Extreme Vnction and the sacred Eucharist who hauing giuen the salutation of peace vnto all his Brethren beseeching each one in particular to be mindfull of him in their Masses and prayers he ioyfully expected the happy minute that should free his soule from the burden of her mortalitie to the immortall reward of his labours But sayd one of his deuout Schollers my beloued Master yet there remaines one sentence vnwritten Write then quickly replied the holy Doctour for my time is short Which being done now answered he I haue written it and the whole worke is ended Thou sayst well replied the Sainct that it is ended for now I desire to end allso to liue with my Creatour And causing them to place him towards the oratorie where he was wont to pray lying downe vppon a hayre-cloath with perfect sense and a ioyfull countenance he inuited the grace of the holy Ghost deuoutly singing this Anihime O rex gloriae Domine virtutum qui triumphator hodie super omnes caelos ascendists ne derelinquas nos Orphanos sed mitte promissum His last song of deuotion Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis and hauing added Gloria Patri filio spiritui sancto he deuoutly rendred vp his blessed spirit to the euerlasting Kingdom of all blessednes when such sweet and fragant odours followed his swan-like soule that the amazed assistants throught them selues in a Paradise of heauenly baulmes and all generally Sweet odouts at his death affirmed that they neuer saw anie man end his life in soe great tranquillitie and deuotion He died on the feast of our Lords triumphant Ascension into heauen the twentie sixth day of May but his feast is obserued the twentie seauenth of the same because the twentie sixt was solemnly obserued to the honour of our glorious Apostle Saint AVGVSTINE throughout all England His death was about the yeare 735. at the age of nintie or as others say of an hundred and fiue yeares for in the computation of his age
inuincible valour strength of bodie others iudged it a safer way to preferre ALFRED thereby to gaine the power of the Normans in that Richard then Duke of Normandie was hâ— vncle But the high and mightie ruler of all things p 〈…〉 t and fâ—ture foreseeing the short life of the one and the immature death of the other turned all their voices and consents to the châ—ldâ—nborne and mooued them to elect for their king an insant â—â—â—vard 〈…〉 as yet â—onâ—ayâ—eâ— in the weake cloisters of his mothers wombe sâ—e thâ—t the whom the land did not yet enioy was ordayned Lord Gorernor of the land and the nobles and Peeres with great ioy did sweare alleageance vnto him of whose birth they were ignorant and vncertaine But this vncertaintie was shortly after taken away by the happie and wished birth of king EDWARD soone after which the fuâ—â—rie of the Danes cruelly inuaded the realme of England spoyling and destroying a great part thereof with fier and sword which mooued king Ethelred to send the queene with her children into Normandie out of the reach of the Danish crueltie where our princely EDWARD S. Edward his vertues being a boy liued in his vncles house a child among others his equalls but allwaies free from such vices as that age is wont to bee inclined vnto He was chast of bodie sparing of his speach plaine in his actions pure in his affections He tooke great delight often to frequent Churches more often to be busied in his prayers to be present at the holy sacrifice of Masse to visit Monasteries religious houses and to enter into a strict league of friendship particularly with such monkes whom true vertue and Religion made worthie to be loued aboue others II. IN THE meane time the enemies sword committed such outrage The Barbarians waste England within the realme of England that all places were filled with slaughter and destruction nothing appeared that was not masked with the grimme vizard of sorrow lamentations clamours and desolation Churches were burnt Monasteries pulled downe and Priests chased out of their seates compelled to lie in secret and desert places to bewaile the coÌ„mon miseries of their countrey When among others the venerable man BRITHWOLD Bishop of Winchester as full of agonie as pittie greif and sorrow could make a pious heart retired to the Monastery of Glassenburie putting his whole confidence in prayers and psalmes to allmightie God Where as in great abundance he powred out his deuotions washt in teares for the deliuerie of the kingdom and people out of these calamities at length he burst out into such like words saying And thou 〈◊〉 Lord how long â—s 12. 43. 87. 〈◊〉 3. how long doest thou turne away thy face doest thou forgett our miseries afflictions They haue slaine thy Saincts destroyed thy aâ—ltars and there is none that can redeeme vs nor bring health vnto vs. I know ô Lord I know that whatsoeuer thou hast done vnto vs is by thy iust iudgement done But what wilt thou for euer cast vs off and wilt thou not beginne to be Psal 76. more pacified as yet When when ô my Lord God shall there be an end of these calamities Or will the sword of thy wrath for euer exercise his crueltie and make a generall slaughter among vs A vision shewed to Bish. Brith wold At length amidst these prayers and teares a sweet slumber seased on his sorrowfull senâ—es wherein as it were in a dreame he beheld the B. Apostle S. PETER seated in an eminent place and king Edward clad in Royall ornaments standing before him with an amiable countenance in most comly and decent manner vnto whom the holy Apostle hauing first with his owne hands consecrated and anneiled him King piously imparted some admonitions and precepts tending to the health and saluation of his soule aboue all things recommending vnto him a single life he reuealed how manie yeares he should raigne and gouerne the Kingdom The Bishop much amazed at this strange vision humbly craued of the Apostle to make knowne the misterie thereof vnto him desiring withall to vnderstand of the present state of the realme and to know his sentence touching the end of their instant miseries To whoÌ„ the Apostle with a pleasing countenance This kingdom said he is our lords who will raigne ouer the sonnes of men he it is that transferreth Dan. 2. kingdoms and chaingeth Empires and to punish the sinnes of the people giueth the gouernement to an hipocrite By sinne the people haue offended our Lord who hath deliuered them captiue into the hands of the Gentils and their hatefull enemies and strangers haue obtained soueraignâ—ie ouer them But God will not forgett to be mercifull neither in his ire will he containe his mercie from you And it shall Psalm 76. come to passe after thy death that our Lord will visitt his people and worke their redemption For he hath selected a man according to his owne heart who in all points shall fulfill his will pleasure and who hauing by my assistance obtained the kingdom of England shall sett a periode to the Danish furie He will be acceptable vnto God gratefull to men dreadfull to his enemies louing to his countrey profitable to the whole Church and at length shall conclude his worthy life with a most blessed and happie end But as the Bishop A Worthie commendation of king Edw. enquired further of Saint EDWARDS posteritie The kingdom of England answeared the holy Apostle belongeth vnto God himself who after this will prouide a king according to the diuine ordinance of his owne will and pleasure III. BVT as yet the furie of this Danish tempest continued and the waues thereof were exalted to the height of an insulting and imperious pride in so much that the common miseries of the land were much encreased by a ciuill discord inward iarring of mens minds amoÌ„gst them selues noe man knowing whom to trust with the secrets of his heart The whole Iland was full of traytours noe true faith to be found noe friendship but was scarred with suspition no coÌ„mon conference but was cloaked with deceitfull dissimulation Till at Canutus king of the Danes a ChristiaÌ„ of great piety chosen king of EnglaÌ„d ann 1016. the lawfull heires being reiected for the vniust murder of S. Edw. the martir halfbrother to Ethelred length the treason of the countrey the craft of the enemie preuayâ—â—ed soe farre that king Ethelred being dead most part of the realme â—or saking the lawfull heyres of their late king gaue vp obedieÌ„ce vnto Canutus that wroÌ„gfully had inuaded cruelly spoyled the kingdom and the mightie Edmond Jronside when he had valiantly ouerthrowne the Danes in three seuerall battles being at length by the treacherie of Eadrick Duke of the Mercians cruelly murdred his little children were taken out of their cradles deliuered to the pittilesse furie of the Barbarians to be slaine And ALFRED S. EDWARDS elder
according to the number of shares and Bishop ALWINE nine others to the sayd minster for euer and enriched the same with manie fayre ornaments VIII AS ONCE on the feast of Pentecost the King was present at the diuine misteries of Masse in time of the eleuation of the sacred bodie of Christ he beganne on a suddaine allwaies obseruing his princely grauitie to shew some more then vsuall alacritie and mirth in his lookes and countenance which he expressed with a graue and moderate smiling to him self whereat all that were present beganne to admire and not without cause knowing that to haue befallen him contrarie to custome And therefore Masse being ended some of his most familiar friends earnestly entreated him to declare the reason He euer endowed with a sincere simplicity plainly confessed the truth saying The His visiot of the Danish kings destructioÌ„ Danes mett and agreed togeather with their King to enter againe into the course of their auncient fâ—rie and malice to disturbe and ouerthrow that peace which the mercifull goodnes of God both bestowed vppon vs and being ignorant of his diuine iustice that hath scourged and chasticed our offences they attribute it to them selues extolling their owne strength and saying Our hands are mightie and not our Lord hath wrought all Deut. 32. these things And because the Allmightie being angrie with our forefathers did deliuer vs to the mercilesse power of these Danes they referring this to the vertue of their owne forces iudge it an easie matter to bring vs to the like miseries againe not vnderstanding that the same God that giues the wound giues allsoe a salue to heale it and the same that mortifieth reuiueth Ibidem sendeth to hell and reduceth from holl againe For this verie day the King of Denmark hauing gathered a huge armie togeather finding the winds to blow with his desires commaunded a nauie to be prepared And now the ships were readie to be committed to the sayles and the sayles to the winds when the wicked king whose hastie ambition not able to be contained within him self as out of a little boate he entred into his ship his feet slipt out and he betweene both fell hedlong into the sea in whose mercilesse depth and swelling waues he was instantly deuowred and swallowed vp And thus by his sudaine death the Danes and English were both sett free from sinne and danger And I hope in our Lord God and his most sweet mother that during my time their blouddie endeauours against vs shall neuer take effect This it is which by the reuelation of CHRIST I did both see and know and at which I seemed to reioyce and smile Our Lord made me reioyce and whosoeuer heareth this may reioyce The truth of his vision proued with me The time and hower being recorded spies were sent into Denmark who found all to be most true and to haue happened at the same instant as it was reuealed vnto this B. King IX THESE things thus prosperously succeeding the king not vnmindfull of his vow of pilgrimage and calling to mind the great benefits he had receiued at the hands of all mightie God who His care to performe his vow had enriched his pouertie exalted his humilitie and ennobied his low estate with glorie made diligent preparation for the performance of his promise with money to desray the charge oâ— his â—ourney rich guiâ—ts to bestow at Rome And therefore hauing assembled the Nobleâ— and Peeres of the Realme he made a speech before them of the state of his kingdom and of his pilgrimage to the sacred shrines of the Apostles in this manner You cannot haue forgotten His speech to his nobles how by the cruell inuasion of barbarous people into our inheritance we haue bin made a scorne to our neighbours and a scoffing mockerie to those that are round about vs. For some being slaine others oppressed with the hard yoake of an ignominious slauerie they left neyther honour nor glorie to our nation At length my father being dead my brethren murthered my nephews cast into banishement fortune soe highly fauoured our enemies in all things that indeede it seemed to me that there was noe remnant of anie hope left that promised anie redresse of our miseries When contrarie to all expectation yeelding my self vp to the mercie of Allmightie God and putting my whole confidence in him alone I vowed my pilgrimage to the sacred tombes of the Apostles in Rome and committed my self from thence forth to his diuine protection and disposing And he like a pittifull Father gaue such eare vnto my supplication and was soe farre from disdayning my prayers that he freed me from all blemish of scorne and restored me from an exiled life to the quiet possession of my fathers kingdom Moreouer to the increase of my gloriè he added heapes of worldly riches and ennobled all the rest with manie spirituall guifts and graces from heauen He it was that without anie bloud-shed brought our rebells vnder subiection made vs triumph ouer our enemies and composed all our disioynted affaires and inward broiles with a most amiable and desired peace Now God forbid that we should prooue vngratefull for such soe manie and soe great benifits but rather being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies let vs endeauour to obey and serue him in all truth and iustice following the Royall Prophets counsell that sayth Make vowes and render them vnto your Lord God Therefore it behooâ—es you togeather with Psalm me to determine and ordaine after what manner this realme may be gouerned dureing the time of my pilgrimage by what law what peace what iustice and what iudge things may be ordered and by whose courage and prudence our castles townes citties ports and all our publicke and priuate affaires shall be ruled My first hope is that God him self will be the cheif and supreme gouernor of all in generall and he alone will be LORD-PROTECTOVR of the sweet peace he hath bestowed vpon vs and he I hope will alwaies be with me and guide me in my iourney vnto whose sacred protection I committ you all humbly beseeching his heauenly maiestie to preserue and keepe you and soe to dispose of me that once againe I may see you Then all the whole companie with one voice cried mainly out vnto the King alleadgeing manie reasons and arguments that they ought not soe to be forsaken and exposed to the swords of their enemies that the countrey was not to be left soe naked and open to forreigne treacheries nether was it fitt they should runne the hazard of soe manie dangers for one and that but a seeming good deed Whereat the King finding him self to be not a little vrged and mooued with their woefull cries lamentations and prayers was verie wauering and doubtfull in mind not knowing for a long time what course to take For on the one side to omitt the performing of his vow he iudged most dangerous and on the other not
certaine poore pilgrim his Chamberlaine being absent importunately asked him an almes in the name of God and S. IOHN He hauing nothing else in a readines gaue him a ring of great value of his finger Not long after two Englishmen going in pilgrimage to visitt the holy sepulcher at Hierusalem lost their way and wandered a long time throught strainge and vncouth places till the sunne goeing to sett the darksom night approached and encreased their ignorance soe that not knowing what to doe nor which way to turne there appeared a venerable graue old man that brought them to a towne hard by where they were receaued kindly and entertayned very sufficiently with diet and lodging The next morning as they were departing the same old man putt them in their right way and in takeing leaue of them Brethren sayd he be of good cheere and doubt not but you shall returne to your countrey in safetie for allmightie God will make your iourney prosperous and I my self for your good kings sake will haue care to direct you in all your waies For I am IOHN the Apostle who affect your King with all loue for his pure vertue of chastetie S. Iohn loueth him for his chastetie j which highly deserues it Take therefore this ring which he gaue me for an almes appearing in the habit of a pilgrim and deliuer it vnto him againe telling him withall that the time of his death drawes neere for six moneths hence I will visitt him and bring him where togeather with me he shall follow the lambe which way soeuer he goeth At these words he vanished away and Apoc. 14. v. 4. they hauing visitted the holy land returned safely into their countrey and related orderly to the King what they had seene and heard And in testimonie of all gaue him the ring which was afterwards kept with great reuerence as a holy relique in the great Church of Westminster and by vertue of it manie were cured of the falling sicknes and of the contractions of their limmes XXIII NOT LONG after the blessed man fell into a grieuous sicknes during which he was in such an extasie that for the S. Edw. in an extasie space of allmost two daies he lay without anie signe of life At length waking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he opened his eyes and sitting vpp in his bed spake to the attendants in this manner When in my youth I liued a banished man in Normandie I euer held the friendship and companie of good and vertuous persons as most deare and gratefull vnto me and chiefly those Monks and Religious men that excelled others in vertue and religion I obserued and with them I conuersed most familiarly among whom two Monks Benedictines had obliged me in the bands of charitie verle particularly vnto them by their honest His loue to Benedictine Monks conuersation their holy life their sweet behauiour and their affable and courteous discourse These I more frequently visitted their discourses being to my soule as sweet meates to my pallate And these being some yeares since translated out of this world to the ioyes of heauen I beheld in this my sleepe standing before my face rehearsing according to the will of God what shall befall this countrey after my decease They say that the wickednes of the English nation is growne soe full and to such a height that it prouoketh Gods wrath and hasteneth his His prophesie of England reuenge The Priests haue broken their couenant with God they handle the sacred misteries with polluted soules and defiled hands They are not true pastours but mercenaties that doe noe protect their flock but expose it to the deuouring iawes of wolues seeking only their owne priuate commoditie of the milke and the wooll neglecting the good of their sheepe that at last eternall death may iustly deuoure and swallow both sheepe and sheapheard in the bottomlesse pitt of hell The Princes allsoe and gouernours of the land are vnfaythfull companions of theeues and wasters of the countrey they neyther seare God nor honour the lawes men to whom truth is grieuous and burdensom righteousnes contemptible and crueltie delightfull soe that neyther the Prelates heare anie respect to iustice nor the subiects haue anie regard of good order and discipline And therefore our Lord And the comeing in of the Normans hath drawne his dreadfull sword he hath bent and prepared his bow to shoote-forth the arrow of his iust wrath and reuenge against this nation into which he will send a mission of wicked spiritts to whose power they shall be deliuered in one yeare and one day to be punished with fier and sword With that sighing and grieuing at the newes of this calamitie threatned against my wretched countrey ô yee witnesses of the heauenly secrets sayd I what if this people beiog conuerted from their wickedenes shall doe worthie works of penance will not God graunt thē pardon leaue his blessing among them Penance is of such force that it suspended the dreadfull sentence of death pronounced by Gods owne mouth against the Niniuites and allso differed Joan. 2. 3. Reg. 21. the imminent reuenge due to wicked Achab. Therefore I will perswade my people to doe penance for their offences past and carefully beware those to come and perhaps our Lord will be mercifull and not powre out these great calamities vppon them but with his wonted pietie will receiue them then returned vnto his seruice whom peruerted from him by their wicked life he was prepared to punish and destroy with this heauie iudgement No no replied they it will not fall out soe happily for the hearts of this miserable people are soe hardned their eyes soe blinded and their eares soe fast dammed vp against all goodnes that they will neyther hearken to anie correction nor vnderstand anie good counsell they are neyther with threats terrified from euill nor with benefits prouoked vnto good At these their words my grief and care encreasing What sayd I will our Lord shew his anger for euer will he not at last beginne to be more pacified When then shall ioyes succeed these soe manie miseries what comfort or consolation shall moderate Psal 76. these great aduersities What remedie is to be expected in these An obscure promise of Gods mercie towards England euills that as on the one side we are terrified and contristated at our future rebukes soe we may be a little comforted with the promise of the diuine mercie that followes them Herevnto the Saincts proposed vnto me this Parable When a greene tree cutt downe from the stock remooued three furlongs distant from his owne roote shall without the helpe of anie mās hand or by anie externall ayde returne againe to his owne roote and placing it self thereon shall resume iuice againe to florish and bring forth fruit then and not before some comfort may be hoped for in this tribulation and a remedie against the foretould aduersitie may be expected Hauing
of Deus-dedit or Gods-guist sixth Bishop thereof was vacant and destitute of a Pilote when the people and Clergie of Benedictin Monks mooued Egbert then King of Kent and Oswin king of the Northumbers to send one Wighart aâ—vertuous and holy Priest to Rome to be consecrated Kings of Engl. sent to Rome for an Archbishop of Canturb Bishop of Canturbury But Wighart coming to Rome in the hott time of plague died before he had receaued his intended dignitie Wherevppon Vitalianus then Pope sent for S. ADRIAN out of his Monasterie of Niridan and desired him to accept the charge and dignitie of the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury But he refused this offer humbly answearing that vnworthy hy was to vndertake and more vnable to performe anie such weightie office in Gods Church And therefore desired some daies of deliberation to search S. Adrian refuseth the Archbishoprik out an other whose worth did more worthilie correspond with soe hight a degree and calling In this while he found out a holy Benedictin Monk of his acquaintance called Theodore that liued in Rome and him he presented vnto the Pope as one fitt for that dignitie he being a man excellent in the two chiefest ornaments of the mind learning and vertue This man the Pope accepted and consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury on condition that ADRIAN who had refused the chief dignitie should at lest accompanie him into England as his coadiutour in that Apostolicall mission Herevnto the blessed Sainct willingly consented and vndertooke the voyage making him self a subiect where he might haue been a commaunder His great humilitie and choosing rather to profitt the nation with his preaching and learning then gouerne it by an Episcopall authoritle such was his wonderfull humilitie and burning zeale to gayne soules to God III NOW therefore this holy couple tooke their iourney towards England and coming into France S. ADRIAN who was famous in that countrey for hauing been sent on diuers embassages betweene Christian Princes was for his greater meritt suspected to goe to the Kings of England on some busines of estare from the Emperour plotted against the French and therefore was stayed by the King of the Gaules vntill he had cleered him self of that suspition Which done he went after Theodore into England where within a yeare or two he was by the same Theodore made Abbot of the Benedictin Monks in the monasterie of S. PETER in Canturbury now called S. Austins from the Benedictin Monk S. AVSTIN our Apostle He is made Abbot of S. Peters in Canturb who lies buried there In this place S. ADRIAN gathered togeather a great number of disciples whom he taught and instructed out of the holy scriptures to find the readie way to euerlasting life and besides this he taught them Musick Astronomie and Arithmetick as allsoe the Greek and Latin tongue which his pious labours tooke soe good effect that manie of his schollers spake Greek and Latin as perfectly as their owne mother tongue and especially two farre exceeded their other fellowes in all manner of learning one was called Albin who succeeded S. ADRIAN in the regencie of the Abbey the other Tobias who was afterwards Bishop of Rochester IV. Moreouer this blessed Sainct was of soe great meritt and soe highly esteemed before allmightie God that he is reported to haue bin the worker of manie miracles and that by his intercession a deâ—d man was raysed to life At length hauing laboured in the vineyard of our Lord a long time both in Jtalie and England leauing His death behind him manie learned disciples the fruits of his labours the thirtie ninth yeare after he came to Canturbury he left this world to receaue his reward in heauen the ninth day of January the yeare of our Lord 708. He was buried in the Church or chappell of the B. Virgin MARIE which King Edbald had built in the foresayd Monasterie of S. AVGVSTIN And this Church happening afterwards to be burnt S. ADRIAN appeared to one of the Monks and coÌ„maunded He appeareth in glorie him to goe to S. DVNSTAN who then was Archbishop of Canturbury with these words in his name Thou liuest in houses well couered and fenced against the weather but the Church of the Mother of God wherein I and other domesticks of heauen doe inhabite lies open exposed to the iniurious stormes of the wind Wherevppon S. DVNSTAN carefully caused that Church to be repayred which him self afterwards frequented euerie night such diuine sweetnes he receaued by his prayers offered to God in that place But one night entring into it he beheld S. ADRIAN seated amongst a glorious quier of Angels and Saincts praysing and glorifieing allmightie God His bodie was allwaies held in great veneration but especially from hence forth and manie miracles are reported by the authour of his life to haue been wrought at his tombe which for breuities sake we omitt desiring of allmightie God grace rather to imitatehis vertues then to admire his wonders Of S ADRIAN maketh mention S. BEDE as before BARONIVS tom 8. ann 668. TRITHEMIVS in his 3. booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 8. 9. MOLANVS IOHN CAPGRAVE and others The life of S BRITHWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. Out of venerable Bede hist. de gest SAINCT BRITHWALD a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order in the famous Abbey of Glassenbury was made Abbot of the monasterie called Reaculer in Kent where at that time the Kings of Kent sometimes kept their Court allbeit now saith Camden it be but a poore village not farre distant from Tanet Being a man of verie great learning and knowledge in diuine scriptures and wonderfull well practised in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall discipline he was chosen by the Benedictins of Canturbury to succeed S. THEODORE in that sea which had bin vacaÌ„t the space of two yeares in the yeare 692 and consecrated Archbishop thereof the yeare following He was the eight Archbishop of Canturbury and gouerned his Chutch with all true vertues belonging to a good Bishop the space of thirtie seauen yeares six moneths and fourteen daies In his time a Councell was held at London wherein the point of worshiping holy Images was handled and confirmed At length this holy man loaden with manie yeares of venerable ould age and full of vertues holines yeelded vp his blessed soule to the beginning of that life which neuer ends the ninth day of January in the yeare 731. William Malmesbury a very graue authour affirmeth out of Goscelinus who writeth the acts of the first nine Archbishops of Canturbury that S. BRITHWALD was famous for working of manie miracles And he is reported to haue written the historie of the bâ—ginning of the Benedictin monasterie of Euesham with the life of S EGVINE Bishop of Worcester Thus much out of venerable BEDE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others TRITHEMINS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order WION
the venerable and beloued man of God Sigfrid Luc. 11. v. 17. hauing passed through the fier and water of temporall tribulation was by a wellcome death brought into the sweet refreshing of an euerlasting rest And at length after fower moneths more the excellent worker of vertues and great conquerour of vices S. BENNET conquered with the weakenes of his earthly body came to his last It was when the frozen night came on with his winter blasts to begett a sacred day of eternall and cleere light of felicitie His watchfull brethren mett togeather in the Church with prayers and psalmes to driue away nights horrid shadows and to comfort the grief of their deare fathers departure with the continuall singing of the diuine prayses Some would not bouge out of the chamber and from the beds side in which the strong sickman lay expecting by the passage of death to take the sweet entrance of life With desire they expected that as his example taught them how to liue well by the same they might likewise learne how to die For the further mitigating of his grief the Ghospell was read all night as it was wont by a Priest that attended on him The hower of his departure drawing neere the Sacrament of CHRISTS facaed bodie was giuen him for his viaticum and soe that blessed soule hauing bin a long time parched and examined in the flames of an happie tribulation forsaketh the earthly furnace of the flesh and being at libertie tooke a long desired flight to the neuer-dieing glory of His death celestiall happines This glorious Confessor died in the yeare of our Lord 690. the twelfth day of Ianuary when he had gouerned his monastery sixteene yeares eight by him self and other eight with the assistance of his holy Colleagues Eosterwin Sigfrid and Colfrid He was buried in the Church of S. PETER which he built that soe he might not be separated from him in death whom he euer loued in his life and by whose ayde the gates of heauen were opened vnto him His life is written by S. BEDE whom we haue followed VSVARD MALMESBVRY WIGORNIENSIS IOHN CAPGRAVE BARONIVS and other graue Authours make honourable mention of his vertues This Sainct BENNET was the first that reduced the BENEDICTIN order in S. Bennet Batrone of the moderne Congregation of England England into the forme and gouernment of a Congregation that is when manie monasteries are vnder owne head or superiour who during his time whether it be perpetuall or determined vppon yeares is supreme monarke as it were of them all And for this cause the English Congregation of Benedictin Monks now extant and deriued immediatly from the auncient Congregation of England both by succession and Apostolicall priuiledge honoureth this glorious Sainct as their chief Patrone next after the vniuersall Patriarke of the whole order great S. BENEDICT him self and Sainct AVGVSTIN our first Apostle For allbeit in the beginning the Congregation which he erected consisted only of two monasteries as may be seene in his life yet afterwards the whole number of the Black Benedictin Monks in England was ranged into one Congregation as appeares by the bulle of Pope Innocentius the third graunted vnto them And in like manner as the Congregation of Clunie and others beganne srom a small number to grow to such greatnes soe likewise did that of England from the vniting of the sayd two monasteries by S. BENNET BISCOP encrease to a generall vnion of all the Benedictin Monks throughout the vvhole Jland The life of S. ALVRED Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by John Capgraue ALVRED borne in England of nobles parents was brought vp from his tender age in the feare of God and good learning he learnt euen in his youth to vndegoe the sweet yoake of our Lord remayning allwaies in the innocencie of his life pure from all spott of sinne His pietie and learning encreasing daily with his age he gayned soe great fauour and loue with Dauid King of the Scots that he esteemed him before most of his court and had exalted him to a Bishoprick had not his entrance into a He refuseth a Bishoprik religious order hindered it In all occasions this holy youth carried him self with soe great pietie and meeknes as noe iniurie could moue him to anger noe opprobrious speeches could prouoke him to reuenge he allwaies endeauoured to repay hatred with loue to render good for euill to ouâ—rcome enuie with dutie and seruice A certaine knight perceauing him to be beloued and honoured of the King more then anie other raysed a hatefull and malignant persecution against him and grew so fierce in his malice that he was not afray sometimes openly to vomitt part of his venom against him with iniurious words before the King him self To whom the holy man with a mild and vnmoued countenance You speake verie well sayd he and honestly I know your tongue was neuer acquainted with vntruths and therefore I take you to be His rare humilitie patieÌ„ce my verie good friend The knight finding him to be a firme rock whom all the outrageous stormes of his malice and hatred could not moue nor stirre from the ground of vertue suffred a willing ouerthrow in his wicked endeauours and shewing the effects of a repentant mind demaunded pardon for his great temeritie promising from thence forth euer to oblige himself vnto him in an vnsayned league of friendship To whom ALVRED I confesse sayd he I reioyce hartely at thy repentance and therefore I shall loue thee better farre then euer for thy hatred to me hath encreased my A good lesson loue to my deare Redeemer and my patience being exercised and tried hereby hath perhapps bina meanes to make me profitt a little in my dutie to allmightie God Thus this B. man froÌ„ the briers of other mens malice reaped the sweetroses of vertues vnto him self II. AFTER this meaning to bidd adieu to the world and all He taketh the habitt of a monk the vanities thereof he went vnto the Abbey of Rhieuall or Ridall in Yorkshire and putt on the habitt of a Bernardin Monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT In which solitarie kind of life giuing him self wholly to contemplation of heauenly things and the continuall exercise of true religious and monasticall vertues he attained to such perfection that like the moone amongst the lesser starres he shined amongst the rest of his brethren in all manner of vertuous life and behauiour And shortly aster he was soe He is made Master of the nouices good a proficient him selt that he waÌ„s thought able to read a lesson of vertue vnto others and therefore the education of the nouices or probationers was committed to this chardge But whilest he executed that office there was an vnconstant Clerk that entred into the order whose vocation after a small triall beganne to wauer like a reed in the wind His vnstedfast mind being
an ignoble buriall it pleased allmightie God to make knowne of how great meritt the holy man was by an heauenly light which appeared euerie night ouer his graue vntill the neighbours vnderstood thereby that certainly it was a holy man that lay buried there and being better informed who it was and whence he came they tooke away his bodie and carried it to the cittie of Bullein where it was buried in a Church after such reuerend and honourable manner as became soe worthy a holy man He died about the yeare of Christ 607. Of him doe make mention beside S BEDE TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order MOLANVS in his Catalogue of the Saincts of Belgia and others whom we haue followed The life of S CEOLVLPHE King and Confessor Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 15. Out of venerable Bede de gest Angl. CEOLVLPH after the death of King Osrick was made King of the Northumbers but the beginning and progresse of his gouernement was encumbred with soe manie difficulties and aduersities that after some yeares triall thereof entring into a serious consideration with him self of the miserable vncertaintie and vncertaine miserie of mans life and perceauing how dangerous were the tumults and precipices of this world and that the greatest and most prosperous fortunes of Princes were most of all subiect to decline and chainge euen in a moment and calling to mind the strict and rigid accompt that we must render of all our thoughts and actions at the day of iudgement before the dreadfull tribunall of the all seeing Iudge he beganne soe farre to loathe the care of worldly things and soe to despise those vaine honours He resolueth to be a Benedictin monk that forsaking the Royall estate and robes of Maiestie he put on the poore weeds of a monasticall humilitie in the Benedictin monasterie of Lindissarne or Holy-Iland piously following herein the footsteps of six others his predecessors English Kings Now insteed of his crowne of gold the token of soueraigntie he wore his hayre shauen with a crowne made of the same as the badge of a punishing humilitie his royall sceptre by vertue whereof he bore sway and authoritie in the world was now turned to a breuiarie wherevnto he was wedded and he that before ruled a kingdome was now vnder the check and commaund of a poore monk his superiour for his chaines of gould which were the ornament of his princely body he is now content to vse a poore payre of beades and thereon daily to reckon the number of his allmost numberlesse deuotions He was a man in whom a great knowledge of things diuine and humane was ioyned with an excellent pietie and singular deuotion soe absolutely learned that venerable BEDE the greatest scholler His learning and pietie and writer of our nation dedicated his historie of England vnto him with the title of MOST GLORIOVS KING to be by his wisedom not only reuiewed and read but allso approued and if need were corrected The often reading of these bookes he being of him self much addicted vnto the knowledge of antiquities and especially of England was a spurre vnto him allreadie inclined therevnto to vndertake this monasticall life In which when he had liued the space of all most twentie yeares in the continuall exercise of pietie and deuotion he gaue vp his holy soule to receaue for a temporall kingdom an eternall amongst other blessed Kings whom the same pious considerations had caused to leaue their scepters purples to be ranged vnder the humble enseigne of S. BENEDICT The day of his death is vnknowne but how full of merits and good workes he died his buriall which was neere vnto His death the great Benedictin monk S. CVTHBERT and the manie miracles which it pleased God to shew at his tombe doe giue sufficient testimonie Afterwards his bodie togeather with S. CVTHBERTS was taken vp and placed in a rich shrine in a more eminent place Thus much of him we haue gathered out of venerable BEDE WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 3. BARONIVS tom 9. ann 737. NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 8. cap. 21. ARNOLD WION lib. 4. ligni vitae cap. 6. de Regibus regnis Benedictini ordinis and other graue Authours The life of S. FVRSEVS Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 16. Out of venerable Bede FVRSEVS borne in Ireland of Royall parents but more ennobled by his vertues then his birth was famous for dignitie amongst his friends but excelling ouer the world in the speciall guift of diuine grace He was of a beautifull forme chast of bodie deuout in mind affable in discourse of an amiable aspect and replenished with grace and good workes brought vp from his verie infancie in the continuall studie of holy scripture and monasticall His youth and learning discipline And as he grew in yeares soe grew he allsoe in the daily increase of vertue and pious desires For the better accomplishment whereof he forsaked his parents friends and natiue soyle and betooke him self for the space of some yeares to the studie of holy scriptures in which in short time he became sufficiently well instructed But that the world might know that he did not only labour for him self but for all those that sought the truth he built a monasterie which serued as a free-schoole of vertue wherein he taught all that came vnto him the true way of saluation Great was the number of people that flocked togeather vnto this holy teacher of vertue by whose godly preaching and deuout exhortations manie were not only retired from their bad manner of life and brought into the right way of saluation but allsoe were subiected vnto the regular obseruance of a monasticall order Amongst these he was desirous to haue the companie of some of his owne kinsinen and for that end he made a iourney vnto his natiue countrey but in the way he happened to fall sick and in this sicknes his soule being as it were separated from her earthly lodging enioyed a most delightfull vision of Angels that seemed to lift him vp towards heauen were he beheld an infinite companie of heauenly citizens who with their sweet melodie filled his rauished vnderstanding with inestimable ioy and comfort The dittie of their A vision song was that versicle of the Psalme Ibuâ—t Sancti de virtute in virtutem viâ—ebitur Deus Deorum in Sion Holy men will proceed from vertue to vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion This song they repeated often-times with such rauishing tunes as it is farre beyond the force of weake wordes to expresse But being restored to his bodie and him self againe about the time that the cock giues warning of the dayes approach he heard in steed of the melodious harmonie of the Angels the wofull lamentations and cries of his friends and kinsfollies who all this time had watched at his bodie which they supposed to be dead
great benefactour of S. BENEDICTS order died the thirtith day of January but her feast is celebrated this day She flourished about the yeare of our Lord 669. Besides the authour of her life extant in the first tome of LAVRENCE SVRIVS whom we haue followed the Roman Martirologe VSVARD BARONIVS tom 〈◊〉 ann 665. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. c. 112. and manie others doe largely celebrate her prayses The life of S. SEXVLPH Bishop and Confessor of S. BENEDICTS order IAN. 28. THIS holy man was the first Abbot and in some kind founder of the Benedictine Abbey of Medishamsted dedieated to S. PETER which afterwards by reason of the greatnes was called Peterborough In which office hauing for some yeares dischardged the By his per swasion king wulfere built this Abbey part of a good and religious Prelat by the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury he was consecrated Bishop of Lichfield in place of Winfrid deposed from that Sea for his disobedience He gouerned his people with verie great sainctetie of life and examples of good workes for the space of three yeares when being loaden with vertuous deeds he left this world to take his place among his fellow Benedictin Monks in heauen about the yeare of our Lord 700. MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 614. HARPSFIELD saec 7. c. 23. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. c. 46. TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 4. cap. 158. CAMDEN in desoritt com Northampt. and others make worthie mention of S. SEXVLPH The life of S. GYLDAS Abbot and Confessor IAN. 29. Out of an anncient authour recited by Iohn Capgraue GYLDAS borne in that part of Brittanie now called Scotland and one of the twentie fower sonnes which a King of that countrey had by one wife was from his youth of a verie vertuous disposition and much inclined to the knowledge of all manner of learning for the better obtaining of his desire therein he passed ouer into France where he employed seauen yeares in the continuall studie of all goods sciences and returned into Britanie loaden with great store of bookes and learning But to the end he might with more freedom attend vnto the contemplation of heauenly He goeth into Frace to studie things he with drew him self from the tumults of the world into a solitarie place of aboade where he led the life of an hermite continually chastising his bodie with fasting prayer watchings and hayre-cloath Yet his vertue could not lie soe hidd but that manie were drawne to him with the noyse of his great fame to be instructed both in religion and learning and at their departure they serued as trumpetts to inuite others vnto him such great content they receaued in his vertuous life and rare learning Whatsoeuer guifts he receaued from the charitie of the richer sort he allwaies distributed vnto the poore contenting him self with the riches of his His great austerity of life owne pouertie He neuer tasted anie flesh his ordinarie foode was herbes and barly bread mingled with ashes in steede of spice his drinke pure water out of the fountaine His continuall abstinence had brought his face to such leannes that he all waies appeared like a man that had a feauer At midnight his custome was to enter into the riuer vpp to the neck and in that sort he powered out his prayers to almighty God while his teares stroue with the streames which should runne fastest afterwards he repaired to his oratorie and spent the rest of the night in prayer His cloathing was one single garment in which only he tooke his rest lieing vppon the downe of a hard rock Hauing taught manie both in word and deed to follow the rules of good life he departed into Jreland where he conuerted a great multitude of that rude people to the faith of CHRIST Shortly after returning into Britanie he found his brother Howell slaine by King Arthur who humbly crauing pardon of his fault receaued from the Sainct a salutation of peace friendship and forgiuenes He was a perpetuall enemie vnto the Pelagian Hereticks and to be the better informed against them and their doctrine he made a iourney Against heresies he consulteth the Roman Church to the fountaine of true religion Rome and returned not only better instructed against them him self but able to fortifie and strengthen others with such sound principles of Catholicke religion that they might easily defend their cause against all the vaine batteries and proud bull warks of heresie II. AT LENGTH he built a little Church vppon a rock in an Iland neere vnto the riuer Seauerne where spending his time night He buildeth an ermitage and day in continuall prayer he kept his mind wholly vacant and free from the world and worldly creatures seriously attending the contemplation of the diuine goodnes of his Creatour But being in such want of fresh water that he had noe other store but what was retained after a shower in little holes of the rock he made his prayer to allmightie God who sent him a cleere spring of water gâ—shing out of the same place But by the frequent iniuries and incursions He departeth to Glasten bury of Pirats he was compelled to depart from hence to Glastenbury being honourably receaued of the Abbott he instructed the Monkes and people thereabouts in the science both of humane diuine things and building a little Church not farre from thence he led there an eremiticall life in great austeritie and penance Vnto whom as vnto an oracle manie came from all parts of Britanie to partake of his wisedome and learning He whose holy desires tended only towards heauen striued with all the force of eloquence he could to diuert their minds from the transitorie things of this world and settle them on the only consideration of heauen Hauing in this manner spent some yeares in this habitation the holy man fell into a grieuous sicknes which made him quickly vnderstand that the hower of his death was nigh therefore earnestly desiring of the Abbot to haue his bodie buried at Glastenbury and recommending his soule vnto the hands of allmightie God he left this miserable world to receaue his reward in a better the twentie ninth day of January in the yeare of our Lord 512. His bodie according to his desire was buried at Glastenbury in the middest of the ould Church Of this holy Sainct make mention MATHEW WESTMINST N. HARPSFIELD saec 6. cap. 23. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others whom we haue followed The life of S. BIRSTAN Bishop and Confessor IAN. 30. Out of William Malmesbury and Westminster SAINCT BIRSTAN being a man of most pure and sincere life was chosen Bishop of Winchester where he ruled the space of fower yeares He was wont euerie day to sing or say Masse for the soules departed and by night without anie feare he would walke about the Church-yard reciting psalmes and other prayers to the same end And as once in his
wonted deuotions he went this round Masse and prayers for the dead and added to the end of his prayers Requiescant in pace he heard from the ground the voyces as it were of an infinite armie that answeared Amen Whereby he found his labours and prayers to be verie gratefull and profitable vnto the soules departed The same holy man being an ardent follower of our Lords example would euerie day without anie spectatours execute acts of profound humilitie in washing with his owne hands the feete of diuers poore people couering them a table giuing them sufficiencie of meate and at length His works of humilitie as their deuout seruant taking away what was left This seruice being finished and his poore guests dismissed he would remaine in the same roome the space of two or three howers at his prayers Vntill once entring according to custom to exercise these pions offices not hauing bene before troubled with signe of anie sicknes suddenly vnknowne to all his soule departed out of his mortall lodging The māner of his death leauing it void of all vitall spiritt His familie and seruants that had long bene acquainted with his customs thinking that then he was alsoe busied at his prayers let him lie there a whole day And the next morning breaking into his chamber they found a dead bodie starke and stiffe without anie signe of life Therefore with great cryes and lamentations they buried him in the Church of Winchester But the Citizens of the towne because they sawe him intercepted by a kind of suddaine death buried the worthie memorie of the holy man in the deepe caues of silence being ignorant that it is written The man that liueth well cannot die ill And by what Sap. 4. death soeuer the iust man shall be preuented and ouertaken he shall be in a place of refreshing and comfort But a long time after this their rashnes was corrected by the allmightie power of him that cannot erre for to Ethelwold Bishop of the same place as one night he watched and He appeareth to S. Ethelwold prayed according to his custom before the reliques of the Saincts in the Church of Winchester there appeared three persons which stood by him not in an extasie but fully awake The middest of the three spake these words I am BIRSTAN in times past Bishop of this cittie This on my right hand is BIRINE the first preacher and that on my left is SWITHINE the speciall Patron of this Church and Cittie And thou must know that as thou seest me here present with them soe doe I enioy the same glorie with them in heauen Why therefore am I depriued of the honour and reuerence of mortall men who am highly exalted in the companie of heauenly spirits Saincts are to honoured At these words they vanished and euer after by the commaundement of S. ETHELWOLD his memorie was celebrated with great veneration By this we may learne that holy men the prouidence of heauen soe disposing may sometimes be taken away by suddaine death and not without a speciall fauour in getting by a minute of paine that which others cannot obtaine but by manie yeares torments of sicknes This holy man was consecrated B. an 932. died in the yeare of our Lord 934. Thus much of him we haue gathered out of WILLIAM MALMESBVRY lib. 2. de Pontific Angl. and MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 932. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 10. cap. 8. POLIDORE VIRGILL lib. 6. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. lig vitae and others mak◠worthie mention of him The life of S. WILGIS Confessor and Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 31. Out of S. Alcuinus in the life of S. willibrord THERE was in that part of the Brittsh Iland called Northumberland a househoulder named Wilgis by byrth a Saxon or Englishman who hauing bene naturall father vnto WILLIBRORD afterwards a Sainct and Archbishop of Vtreight as if he had perfourmed the whole dutie of his mariage resolued both he and his wife to leaue the world and vndertake a religious course of life which holy purpose how vertuously he accōplished was by miracles afterwards sufficiently testified and made knowne to the world For hauing left his secular garments he putt on the black monasticall habitt of the holy order of S. BENEDICT and made profession of a Monk not He taketh the habit of S. Benedict vppon a forced seruice but out of a true will and desire to religion And because in leauing his house and temporall goods enrouling him self into a spirituall warrefare in the campe of IESVS CHRIST he had vndertaken a perfect life he would not therefore be backward in what he professed but in all things shewed him self to be a most perfect seruant vnto the deare master he serued But when he had for a while giuen a patterne of his vertuous life in the schoole of the monasterie he became soe braue a souldier that the rudnes of the fearefull desert could not afright him for shutting vp him self within the limitts of a streight and narrow cottage that stoode between He leadeth an eremiticall life the Ocean and the riuer Humber dedicated to S. ANDREW the Apostle he laboured in the exercise of a solitarie conuersation and imitating his grand master S. BENEDICT he led a heauenly and angelicall life on earth in purenes exceeding the ruddie blush of the rose or the whitenes of the fayre lillie but delightfully shining with a more sweete varietie of vertues then doth a doue in the beames of the sunne with diuersitie of colours Within a short space his desire to lie hid was betrayed by the wonder of his frequent miracles and his name was blowne soe farre abroade with the trumpet IAN. 31. of fame till it arriued at the Kings Court and sounded such an alarum all ouer the countrey of Scotland that great store of people flocked vnto him whom he neuer sent away emptie but allwaies loaden with the sweet instructions and admonitions of his heauenlie learning The fame of his vertue drawes manie schollers being compelled herevppon to labour sometimes in a contemplatiue and other times in a practicall manner of life He became at last of soe great esteeme and honour with the King and Nobles of the Realme that they gaue him the possession of some lands neere adioining and bestowed manie other rich guifts vppon him by help whereof he built an honourable Church on the Sea side in honour of the B. Virgin MARIE and gathered togeather a Conuent of Beuedictine Monks small in number but great in the exercise of true vertue and religion These he gouerned as Abbott with all sainctitie of He buildeth a monasterie life doctrine vntill the diuine clemencie willing to set a period to the conflicts of his holy labours absolued this his worthy champion from the most painfull warrefare of this present life to raigne in his heauenly Court which soe long he had thirsted for and desired He was very honourably buried
vnder a hedge being exposed to the iniurie of the wind and weather But allmightie god who neuer forsaketh his seruants sent forth a bright shining light which incompassed the holie man with such splendour that the next approching morning might well blush at the luster of his brightsom night And the same allmightie power shott a dreadfull thunderbolt into that village which had refused to harbour his messenger whereby it was fiered destroyed and buried for euer in its owne ruines Afterwards Tonanus a Bishop of Jreland vnderstanding of the fame of S. LAVRENCE and of his preaching came to see him and hauing heard him dispute of the Apostolique institutions of the Catholick Church and of the true obseruance of Easter he embraced the truth and earnestly endeauoured to reduce his owne countrey vnto the same V. LAVRENCE returning againe into Kent happened by the way to lodge in a house where his Hosts sonne was newly dead and He rayseth a dead boy to life the father and mother wonderfully lamenting their losse desired him yf he would haue them beleeue in the fayth of him he preached to restore their sonne to life againe The Holy Bishop hauing made his prayer vnto allmightie God full of faith and confidence in him that promised whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name shall be graunted vnto you coÌ„maunded the boy to rise and he arose forth with and related how when S. LAVRENCE prayed for him he was by the hand of bright-shining Angels taken out of the vgly clawes of the black horrid spirits and restored to his bodie againe Moued with this miracle the father and mother of the boy togeather with all their whole houshould and Kinred receaued the faith of CHRIST and were at the same time washed in the sacred font of Baptisme At length this holie Prelat hauing for the space almost of eleuen yeares gouerned the Sea of Canturburie continually labouring in His happie death the promotion of gods cause left this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of his labours in a better the second day of February in the yeare of our Lord 619. He was buried neer vnto S. AVGVSTIN his predecessour in the Benedictin Abbey of Canturbury dedicated vnto S. PETER and S. PAVL which had bin founded in S. AVGVSTINS time but was perfected and consecrated by S. LAVRENCE And in the Epitaph ouer his tombe mention is made of his scourging in this verse Pro populo Christi Scapulas dorsumque dedisti A long time after his death togeather with his fellow-Bishops and Saincts AVGVSTINE and MELLITVS he appeared in glorie to a lame cripple whose legges by the contraction of the sinews grew fast to his haunches but as he prayed for help in the same Church the Blessed Sainct with his owne hands seemed to dissolue his ioynts sinews soe that he suddenly found him self to be perfectly cured This life me haue gathered cheefly out of VENERABLE BEDE de geft Ang. lib. 2. and IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe this day TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 59. Harpsfield sâ—c 7. cap. 7. MALMESBVRY de gest reg Angl. lib. 1. cap. 1. and de gest Pâ—ntif Angl. lib. 1. and all our English historiographers doe whorthyly speaks his prayses The life of S. WEREBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the Holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 3. Out of diuers graue onthors AS a pretious diamond when it is artificially and well sett in a gould ring giueth a double lustre and grace vnto the eye soe the vertues of the mind which are engraffed in the nobilitie of birth and beautie of bodie doe shine with a farre greater glorie and dazle the beholders with more admiration A strong proofe hereof we haue in the life of the glorious virgin S. WEREBVRG who by the Sainctitie and vertues of her good life ennobled the resplendent royaltie and no blencs of her birth She was daughter vnto Wulfere Her royall parentage King of the Mercians and S. ERMENILD his Queene Being therefore borne of a noble and holie race and in beautie excelling manie other of her equalls she iudged it a thing verie vnseemly to degenerate from the vertue and glorie of her Ancestours or that the vilences of a corrupted soule should blemish and deforme the beaâ—teous grace of soe faire a bodie And because she had her beginning from noble progenitors she abhorred the terrene desires of the louers of this world to vnite her self to the most worthie spouse of all chast soules CHRIST IESVS vnto whom she betrothed the pure and holie soule of her vnstained bodie Gould gemmes costly apparell and whatsoeuer else the gorgeous pompe of this world doth bragge of seemed vnto her rather odious then glorious II. AT LENGTH the time being come when she was resolued to celebrate her spirituall spousage she went to the monasterie of Benedictin She taketh the habitt of S. Benedict Nunnes at Ely where CHRIST and his angels being witnesses she receaued the sacred vaile of virginitie and ranged her self into the companie of those holie virgins vnder the rule of S. BENEDICT and the gouernment of Etheldred her aunt theÌ„ abbesse of the same place From which time treading vnder foote the vaine pride of the world she euer shewed her self an humble handmayd of CHRIST by submitting her self to all her other sisters she ouercame them all in the vertue of true humilitie allwaies seruing their necessitie with the pious workes of a boyling charitie not forgetting likewise to keepe a speciall guard ouer her owne actioÌ„s lest she should committ anie small ouersight which might be displeasing vnto her heauenly spouse for whose loue she had forsaken the pompe of the world which mortalls soe much admire The whole forces powers of her soule were bent only to endeauour which way she might become excellent in silence abstinence watchings pious reading and holie Her pious exercises meditations That in a short time she went as farre beyond her other companions in these and all other vertues as she excelled the in the nobilitie of bloud yet allwaies thinking soe humbly of her self that she was euer most readie to obey them all and to vndergoe the basest offices of the howse In a word all her life was such that allthough as others doe she carried her bodie vppon earth yet she alwaies had her mind fixed in heauen and heauenly things III. AFTER she had a long time giuen such a patterne of vertue and religion in the monasterie of Ely king Wulfere her father being She is made Abbesse of three Nunneries dead Etheldred her vncle then raigning ouer the kingdom of Mercia sent for her home into her owne countrey and gaue her the gouernment of three monasteries of Benedictine Nunnes to wit Trentam and Hindbury in Staffordsshire and Wedune in Northamptonshire that with her good and pious example she might there promote the obseruance of heauenly and immortall life
where she had first receaued her mortall breath In this authoritie she caried her self with soe great sainctitie and prudeÌ„ce that she worthily obtained a wonderfull prayse and name in the world of pietie wisedom and discretion For in such wise she exercised the authoritie of a mistresse that she seemed allsoe to beare the condition of a seruant instructing her subiects in the way of vertue more by her owne example then by imperious commaunding IV. AS ON a time she made some stay at her monasterie of Wedune neere Southampton newes was brought that an infinite companie of wild-geese yearly accustomed to make a verie great spoile in the corne and other pastures belonging to the monasterie Wherevpon she commaunded the messenger to returne and bring them all before him into the pound He allthough he imagined the holy Note a wonderfull miracle virgin flowted him went into the fields and seeking to driue those wild foules off the corne he found that not one of that allmost infinite multitude once offered to lift vpp his wings to flie away therefore perceauing now a possibilitie in what he iudged before impossible he began to driue them forward when they went before him like soe manie sheepe on a foote pace hanging downe their heads as it were out of the confusion of their owne guiltines till he had them in the place appoynted where he shutt them vpp as close prisoners all that night Neuer were soe manie wild The Wild fowle obeyeth her commaund creatures at once vnder lock and key before The next morning betimes with their cackling notes they began to crie out like poore prisoners for pardon for their offence or at lest for sustenance to maintaine nature aliue The holy virgin who was euer of a mild disposition towards all creatures commaunded them to be sett at libertie with a straight charge threatned against them neuer to returne againe into those parts She had noe sooner spoke then obedience followed for the whole troupe of those geese fled away soe farre that neuer after anie of the same kind once appeared within the confines of that monasterie V. A HEARDSMAN belonging vnto her monasterie called Alâ—…thus a man of verie good life was oftentimes much iniured and at length in presence of the holy Virgin sorely beaten and wounded by the Baylyf of the same place all which the good man quietly bore of with the buckler of patieÌ„ce whilst S. WERBVRG on her knees with prayers mingled with threatnings cried out on him to spare the One straingely punished for notobeying S. Werburg poore innocent but his furie and pride swelling in her humilitie disdayned to listeÌ„ to her pious entreaties but pursued his rude crueltie when by the iust iudgment of god he receaued his punishement for presently his stubborn eneck and frowning visage was after a horrid manner writhen and turned backwards to looke behind him since he refused a good looke to the seruant of god which kneeled for pittie before him This made his stout heart to relent and throwing him self prostrate at her feete with repentant teares he demaunded pardon of his offence soe that she from a defendant became a iudge by whose holie mediation and suffrage vnto the eternall iudge he had his face restored vnto the auncient seate againe And the same Heardsman Alnothus led a solitarie and anachoreticall life in a wood neere adioyning vntill he was martyred by the theeues that haunted the same VI. AT LENGTH the B. Virgin WEREBVRG hauing for manies yeares prudently done the office of a louing mother ouer her three monasteries foreseeing the time of her death to be at hand she commaunded her Nunnes that wheresoeuer she died they should burie her bodie at the monasterie of Handbury And within a short Her happie death time after being then at Trentham she went out of this world to goe to the heauently vnion and mariage of her deare and long desired spouse in Paradise She died the third day of February about the yeare of our Lord 676. and her bodie was honorably buried at Her bodie found vncorrupted the monastery of Handbury where her tombe was famous for manie miracles Nine yeares after her bodie being taken vpp it was found vncorrupted with her cloathes on her face lillie white only her cheekes a little sprinkled with red all in the same manner as when she was aliue and thus she remayned without corruption vntill by the iust iudgement of god the sinnes of our wretched countrey were punished by the Danish sword when left soe pure a relique should be profaned by the hands of those Barbarous and incredulous people her body resolued into dust and her bones were remoued to Westchester into the Benedictin monasterie where afterwards a goodly Church was built by Hugh Earle of Chester and dedicated to her name which to this day is called S. WEREBVRGS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie Manie miracles were wrought in those dayes at her holie reliques and the like without question would allsoe be done in these our times were not the present fayth of our countrey such and soe great as it is noe fayth at all Her life we haue gathered chiefly out of IOANNES ANGLICIVS or IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist Eccle. saee 7. cap. 23. and WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest reg Ang. lib. 2. cap. 13. and de gest Pontif. lib. 4. FLORBNTIVS WIGOâ—NIENSIS an 676. POLIDORE VIRGILL lib. 4. de regno Merciorum CONTINVATOR Bâ—DAE lib. 2. cap. 33. IOHN SPEED in his historie of England and others doe make honorable mention of her The life of S. GILBERT of Sempringham Confessor Author of the Gilbertin monks FEB 4. Out of Nicholas Harpsfield and others SAINCT GILBIRT was sonne to Ioceline a worthie Norman Souldier his mother was an English woeman who before his birth had a famous vision foreshewing his greatnes when in her sleepe the moone seemed to fall into her lappe He was borne at Sempringham in Lincolnshire In his fathers house he was of soe poore esteeme that the verie seruants would scarse daigne to eate their meate with him For in feature of bodie he was something rude and vnhandsom Being sett to schoole and profitting but poorely he went into France where by his good endeauours he attayned vnto the degree of master in the liberall sciences Afterwards returning into England His care in bringing vp yong children he bent his whole labours piously and freely to bring vpp children of both sexes whom he not only instructed in the rudiments of learning but allsoe gaue them exact and as it were monastical rules of good manners prescribing vnto them certaine times and places when to reade their lessons when to talke and when to be silent allwaies endeauouring from his verie youth to winne soules vnto CHRIST and to profitt whomsoeuer he could by word work and good example In the meane time his father who was Lord of the two Churches Sempringham and Tyrington being much delighted with the vertuous life
this vnexpected Metamorphose and stood staggering a while in the consideration thereof When the Queene taking her time by the foretop with a smiling countenance asked him Whither sayd she my souueraigne lord is all yesterdaies glorious spleÌ„dour vanished where is all that superfluous riot What is become of all those curious and exquisite cates sought for by sea laÌ„d to satisfie the inordinate appetite of gluttonie Where are the gould and siluer vessells which but yesterday made the table bow vnder their massie weight Where is all the noyse of our loud Thus passeth the glorie of the world mirth and iollitie Is it not vanished like a blast of wind or a vaine puffe of smoake and doe not wee that fill our selues more daintyly largely corrupt afterwards more miserably Behould then the true picture of the glittering vanities allurements of the world learne at last to shunne flie them She sayd no more When it was strange to see what a deepe incisioÌ„ this made in the Kings heart how much more she had gayned by the rudenes of this visible spectacle then by all her former persuasions that not without cause the Poet sayd Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures FEB 7. Horat. de arte Poetica Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator IV. IN SVMME this strainge Pageant wrought soe farre in the good Inas resolueth to forsake the world Kings mind that now he began seriously to consider with him self of the vanitie of worldly state and finding one what sharpe thornes of cares grew the sweet seeming roses of a crowne he putt on a strong resolution with him self to bid adiew to the world And now when he had gouerned his common wealth with a name of greate prayse and prosperitie and shewed manie benefitts therevnto for the space of thirtie seauen yeares and odd moneths renouncing the resplendent glorie of his present and princely estate he voluntaryly left his temporall Kingdome which with victorie soe long he had ruled and for the loue of allmightie God and the gaine of his eternall kingdome he that heretofore had conquered princes now gott the vpper hand and conquest of him self and with a greater glorie then he had borne them he robbed him self of the princely spoiles of his bodie the better to ennoble and enrich his soule Which that he might more conueniently and fructfully He goeth to Rome bring to passe he went to Rome the head of Catholick religion to visitt the sacred tombes of the Apostles vnder whose protection he hoped more easyly to obtaine the grace and fauour of allmightie God wheÌ„ce his countrey had first receaued the Christian fayth resoluing to spend the remnant of his life with a quiet and contented mind farr from all worldly cares and troubles in a holie conuent of Monkes Which with great pietie he perfourmed putting on the habitt of a Benedictine monke vnto which order He taketh the habit of S. Benedict he had euer bin a worthie benefactour not in a publick concourse of poeple which doubtlesse would haue been great at soe vnwonted a spectacle but priuately before God alone and the Conuent of monkes giuing hereby a liuely example of humilitie and true contempt of the world in not desiring to haue this his heroick act of pietie anie way to redounde vnto his owne glorie out of the vaine prayses and false honours of the flattering world V. HE was the first of our English Kings who to shew his great His deuotion to the Roman Church deuotion vnto the Church of Rome caused the annuall tribute called Romescote or Peter-pence to be payed vnto the Pope which was a pennie out of euer ie familie in England and was afterwards duely payd for the space of manie hundred yeares and which is most to be wondred at noe sooner ceased this payment but our English Church was swallowed vp into the gulph of heresie and togeather with the temporall lost all spirituall subiection vnto the Vicar of CHRIST vppon earth Allso this holie King INE built at Rome a Church in honour of our Blessed ladie in which all English that He built a Church at Rome came thither might heare masse and receaue the Sacraments and be buried yf need were With like pietie he erected there a schoole giuing yearly annuities therevnto wherein his Countreymen might And a free-schoole be brought vp in all manner of good learning and Christian religion and discipline Which seemeth to haue bin in that place which now is called the English Hospitall and is inhabited by English Priests being of noe small commoditie for the entertaynment of Pilgrins which now adayes flock thither out of England VI. Now he that in former times had ruled a Kingdome begaÌ„ in this sweete schoole of vertues to find that in rendring him self subiect for The happines of a religious life the loue of CHRIST he enioyed a greater Kingdome and that to be master ouer his one passions was the only best and truest dominion Now he had time freely to insist in the meditation of the diuine goodnes wherein he found the trueth of that versicle of the Royall Psalmist TAST AND SEE FOR OVR LORD IS SWEET He found how sweet a thing it was to carrie the yoake of our Lord in the Psalm 33. 58. continuall exercise ef patience humilitie and obedience in which and other pious offices of vertue and religion he spent the rest of his mortalitie vntill by the king of Kings vnder whose ensigne he had serued he was called into the heauenly kingdom to receaue a His happie death crowne of eternall glorie insteed of the temporall crowne which for his loue he had left He died a Benedictin Monk at Rome about the yeare of our Lord 727. and lies buried at the Entrance of the Church of S. PETER and PAVL as the tables of the same Church doe testifie His life me haue gathered cheefly out of WILLIAM MALNESRVâ—IE de reg Ang. and NICOLAS HARPFIELD hist Eccl. saec 8. cap. 10. Polidore Virg. lib. 4. Mathew westminster an 727. Baronius and all our English Historiographers make verie honorable mention of him and he is highly commended of all for his wonderfull contempt of the world and loue to pietie and relig ion The life of S. ELFLED Virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 8. Taken Out of venerable Bede SAINCT ELFLED was daughter vnto Oswy King of the Northumbers who after manie cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and verie rich iewels all which the barbarous Tirant reiecting pursued his deadly enterprise protesting vtterly to extinguish him and his countrey King Oswy humane meanes fayling him had recourse vnto a higher power making a sacred vow vnto the allmightie god of armies that he would consecrate his daughter ELFLED to the profession of perpetuall
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
because it was to consist cheefly of Nouices both in fayth and vertue that came thither mooued with the great fame of his Sainctitie to be brought vp in the right way of good life he was not soe strict and rigorous in prescribing them the lawes of regular discipline following the words of our Saui our My yoake is sweet and my burden light But him self with certaine other old beaten disciples of his led a farre more Math. 11. rigid and austere kind of life thereby to draw the yong beginners by litle and litle to the same straightnes of monasticall discipline In the meane time S. SWIBERT ceased not dayly to preach to those rude stiffe-nekt people whereby maine were conuerted to the fayth and baptised He was wonderfully inclined to giue almes a great contemner of worldly pompe vanities with hope of eternall rewards his mind was aspiring in nothing but to the loue of God the kingdome of heauen and heauenly things and therefore he was specially endowed by God with so manie diuine guifts vertues and graces whereby he appeared most gratefull to the whole world and shined as a pretious gemme amidst his monasticall clergie And as among the Gentils he wrought famous deeds for the aduancement of the holy Ghospell our lord him self cooperating and confirming his speech with Mar. 16. signes of diuers miracles following soe likewise in his monasterie at Werdt he worthyly profitted both him self and others in the continuall exercise of monasticall rule and discipline dayly proceeding from vertue to vertue to come to the cleere vision of the God of Gods in Sion Psal â—3 v. 7. At length when he had most worthyly gouerned his monasterie the space of three yeares allmightie God the superabundant reward of his seruants who through a corporall death translateth the liuely stones of his Church to his heauenly building voutchafed to call this glorious champion of the Catholick fayth S. SWIBERT out of this He falleth sick earthly conflict to receiue the euerflorishing crowne of his labours in heauen For in the yeare of our lord 717. replenished with all manner of vertues and good workes burning from the verie bottom of his heart with an extreme desire to enioy the vision of allmightie God on the feast of S. PETERS chayre in Februarie hauing celebrated the dreadfull sacrifice of the Altar he was taken with a grieuous disease which confined him to his bed and feeling it dayly grow more and more vppon him he assembled his Conuent of Monks togeather with a dieing voyce admonished them to remayne in the true obseruance of mutual loue and charitie and of monastical and regular discipline letting them know withall that the hower of his departure was neere at hand Which words caused a showre of teares to beare witnes in them how dearly they loued and what a greef is was to them to be separated from soe good and pious a Father But he cheering them vp sayd They ought rather to reioyce then weepe for that he was goeing to receaue the most glorious reward of his labours desiring them to arme the departure of his frailtie with the charitable dutie and protection of their prayers At length the happie hower being come he caused masse to be celebrated before him encompassed round with his holy monks and strengthening him self with the sacred viaticum of His happy death our Lords bodie he gaue his benediction to all the assistance and in a sweet sleepe of death gaue vp his blessed soule into the hands of his creat our His face seemed presently to shine with beames of glorie and the chamber was replenished with most sweet and comfortable perfumes to the great ioy and admiration of the assistants He died in the threescore and ninth yeare of his age the first day of March being friday at noone the same hower that the Sauiour of the world reuiuing vs sinners with his bitter death and passion layd open the gates of heauen vnto vs. XII HIS holy bodie being placed in the midst of the Church Miracles at his dead bodie whilst the monks executed his funerall office one possessed with the deuill by touching the biere whereon he lay was perfectly deliuered from that hellish guest And by the same meanes and at the same time a blind man recouered his sight and one that was quite madd was restored to the perfect vse of his senses to the great ioy and comfort of the beholders The sunday following with great deuotion and solemnitie his sacred bodie was committed to a house of clay by S. WILLIBRORD Archbishop of Vtrieght and S. WILLEICK his companion in the Church of his owne Monasterie at Werdt Manie other miracles done at his toÌ„be are very authentically recorded by S. MARCELLINE which for breuities sake me omitt Only one I will briefly rehearse of which as of all that hath been sayd the same authour S. Marceline was an eye-witnesse XIII A YONG man of Werdt called Sweder chancing to dine in the companie of some wicked Westphalians at a Pagâ— towne named S 〈…〉 the whole discourse of those bacon-fed Wesâ—phalians grew to be of the generous power of their Pagan-Gods and the impotencie of CHRIST the God of the ChristiaÌ„s which Sweder who was a Christian not able to endure very honestly began to rehearse in his defence the vertues and miracles which our Lord had wrought did daily worke at Werdt by the merits of S. SWIBERT The Pagans whose heads were now a litle too full of the vertues and strength of their God Bacchus finding Sweder to be a Christian rose vp in great furie against him and hauing with manie blowes layd on his back and sides made him feele some part of the strength their gods had giuen them they cutt out his tongue that had been soe nimble in praysing the God of the Christians hoping thereby to gett them selues crownes of baies from their owne Gods This done they returned Diuers strucken blind for biasphemie in iouiall triuÌ„ph to their dinner where as in their winie conference they vomitted manie opprobrious blasphemies against CHRIST and his holy Bishop S. SWIBERT they were suddenly strucken with blindnes and the loaues of bread before them which they could not see were turned into soe manie stones Whilst poore Sweder the enemie of their gods lay as a miserable creature in the durtie streets wallowing in his owne bloud being not able for want of a tongue to call for anie helpe in his miserie but in heart he deuoutly prayed vnto S. SWIBERT for the conuâ—rsion of those blasphemous Heathens who now finding but not seeing that the râ—uengfull God of the Christians had giuen them a remembrance of his power they began with repentant teares to call vppon S. SWIBERT for ayde desiring withall to haue the poore Christian whom soe roughly they had handled to be brought in to demaund of him pardon for their fault But noe man gaue eare to their crying all the seruants of the house running
his feete humbly desiring his prayers for the remission of his sinnes The Sainct lifting him vp encouraged him with a familiar exhortation to the conteÌ„pt He connetteth a King to good life of the world the diuine loue of heaueÌ„ with such a liuely moouing discourse that the king receaued wonderfull great cofort thereat and returning againe to his pallace reformed his bad life euer after Manie other miracles are reported to haue been wrought by the meritts of this blessed sainct which exceede our breuitie to relate our discourse hasteneth now towards his death which as it could not come vnto soe holie man in an ill season soe it could not befall him in a better time then it did For the night before his departure hauing had a reuelation of that happie hower he made it knowne vnto the rest of his brethren who with bitter teares witnessed the sorrow they conceaued for the losse of soe good a father and entreated him to appoint one to succeed him in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Monasterie whereunto he willingly consented And on the morrow hauing celebrated The mannâ—r of his death the holy Sacrifice of Masse and receaued the sacred bodie bloud of our lord standing yet at the aultar he sweetly rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deare redeemer without anie apparance of sensuall paine at all After which quiet separation his bodie by the hands of his brethren was reuerently committed to a poore house of clay in the earth and his vnspotted soule freed from her terrene habitation was coÌ„ueyed into the heauenly court of allmightie God by a Sacred Conuoy of celestiall spiritts He florished about the yeare of our lord 459. and died the third day of March in the first weeke of Lent His holy reliques were translated afterwards to S. PETERS Abbey of Benedictin Monks in the cittie of Gaunt in Flanders The memorie of which translation is celebrated the first day of August His life is found written by Joannes Anglicus JOHN Capgraue and other auncient manuscripts sort downe by SVRIVS on t of which me haue gathered it VSVARD MOLANVS doe make mention of him The life of Sainct OWEN Confessor and Monk of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR. 4. Out of venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT OWEN being chief steward of the royall familie of S. ETHELDRED wife to Egfrid King of the Northumbers encreased so excellently in the feruour of vertue that forsaking that princely seruice and all the pleasures and riches he enioyed in the world he putt on poore apparell and went to the monasterie of Lesting where the holy Bishop S. CHAD then liued He brought nothing with him but an axe in his hand to shew that he came not to the monasterie He forsaketh the world to liue idlely as manie doe but to gett his liuing by the labour of his hands which afterwards by his great industrie he prooued for hauing receaued the habitt of a Benedictin monk in the same place by how much his want of learning did disfurnish him of abilitie to meditate on the misteries of the holy scriptures by soe much the more he employed and applied his whole endeauours to serue the monasterie with the labour of his hands But when the holy Bishop S. CHAD remooued his seate to Lichfield he tooke this holy monk along with him and iudged him worthie to be one of those eight whom as we haue sayd in his life he made his more familiar companion in that little retiring place of his deuotions which he built neere adioyning vnto the Church for his more priuate exercise of pietie There S. OWEN being for reuerence and respect of his deuotion numbred a mongst the other brethren when the rest were earnestly busied at their prayers and meditations he laboured abrode in making prouision of such things as were necessarie He was a man of verie great meritts and one who had left the world with a pure intention sincere desire of the eternall reward promised to such as follow the footstepps of CHRIST and his Apostles And therefore he His guift of reuelation was esteemed of allmightie God to be in all things most worthie to whom he might more peculiarly reueale his heauenly secrets being for his sinceritie most worthie to be beleeued in his relations For this cause the glorious vision of the Angelicall troupes which came from heauen with their melodious tunes to bring newes of the neere-approching death of S. CHAD was shewed vnto this holy Monke as he laboured without when the holy Bishop was at his prayers within This you may reade in the life of S. CHAD the second of March And this only testimonie of alimightie Gods particular fauour vnto this holy sainct may serue for a sufficient proofe of his great vertue and sainctitie who after the death of the holy Bishop hauing long exercised him self in the execution of his His happie death pious vocation left the world the second time to receaue an euerlasting reward in heauen for hauing renounced it at first and yielded vp his pure soule into the hands of his most deare redeemer Thus much of him we haue gathered chiefly out of S. BEDES-historie of England Trithemius in his third booke and 118. Chapter of the illustrious men of S. BENEDICTS order and Arnold Wion in his Appendix to his Martirologe doe both make worthy mention of him What day he died it is not knowne The life of Sainct PIRAN Bishop and Confessor MAR. 5. Written by Joannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue SAINCT PIRAN borne in Jreland of a noble race for the loue of God contemned the riches of the world and became an Hermite in the same countrey leading the space of manie yeares a very strict and rigid manner of life by which and his concontinuall preaching and working of manie miracles he drew diuers out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the true fayth of CHRIST He was His vertuous life wonderfull sparing in his diet continuall in watching and prayer and from his very childhood to the hower of his death allwaies employed in reading teaching practising the workes of charitie humilitie coÌ„tinencie all other vertues Being made Priest he omitted noe dutie belonging to that dignitie feeding the hungry cloathing the naked instructing the ignorant restrayning froÌ„ vice moouing to vertue At length he departed out of Jreland came into that part of England called Cornwall where with some others in a poore little habitation he prepared himself for death the hower whereof being The manner of his death partly by a grieuious sicknes of which neuer in his life he had tasted before and partly by a diuine inspiration made knowne vnto him he caused his graue to be opened and entring him self into it yielded vp his blessed soule out of that house of clay to be carried vpp to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same
the midst the signe of the Crosse which was wont to be carried before him togeather with other Bishops of the realme he consecrated EDWARD their King and embraced him euer after while he liued with a true paternall loue hauing from his tendrest yeares adopted him to be his child EDWARD therefore hauing taken into his hands the Scepter and gouernment of the Kingdom was by CHRIST the greatest and chiefest King of Kings directed in the way of truth and iustice and albeit he were seated in the height of royall maiestie yet he dayly encreased more and more in submission and humilitie of mind And the better to rule his His prudence in gouerning Kingdom with the raines of prudence he refused to vse the counsell of yong Princes and Lords of light and youthfull heads but obeyed in all things the admonitions of the worthie Prelat S. DVNSTAM and following his and other graue religious mens counsell of approued life he would pronounce his sentence in iudgement And inheriting the vertues of his thrice His loue to Monkes worthie father with great strength and magnanimitie of mind he behaued him self in managing the affaires both of warlick and Ecclesiasticall discipline allwaies appearing seuere and terrible to his enemies and other wicked persons but according to his fathers lesson most curteous and humble to good men and especially to monks and religious persons whom allwaies he defended from all trouble and vexation Moreouer his dayly exercise was to feed and mayntaine the poore to cloath the naked and to esteeme that his greatest gaine which he bestowed in these pious works Wherevppon through the goodnes of allmightie God great ioy stedfast peace and wonderfull abundance of wealth and riches florished all ouer England to behold their king in the flower of his youth giuen to such pious endeauours soe affable to all men venerable in chastitie pleasant and comly of countenance and most excelling in prudence and good counsell III. BVT THE common enemie of mankind being enuious at soe The malice of his Stepmother Alfrith great vertue pietie endeauoured by all meanes to ouerthrow his happie deseignes and to disturbe the generall peace and ioies of the whole realme and to this end he enkindled the wrath of Alfrith his Stepmother against him who from the beginning tooke it in ill part that he was preferred to the crowne before her sonne Ethelred And therefore this detestable ambitious woeman could noe lōger keepe fecret the wicked intentions of her mind but cōmunicated thē vnto her impious consellers desiring and entreating them to fauour her designes and inuent some way whereby they might depose EDWARD out of his lawfull throne putt the scepter of the gouernmēt into the hands of her sonne Etheldred and all this her factious mind endeuoured to bring to passe not soe much that he might gouerne but that he beīg but a child gouerning she her self might gett a fayre pretext to take the soueraigntie into her owne hands which was the mayne marke of her endeauours But who were her fauourites and Hist Eccl. sec 10. cap 4. Gulmalm 2. de reg cap. 9 Baron an 975. counsellors in this practise of mischiefe Those chiefly sayth Nicholas Harpsfield following other Ecclesiasticall writers were the secular Clergie men and their adherents who greeued to see their chops bereaued of soe worthie a morsell by the monks And among others Alfere Duke of Mercia stood stiffely for her cause But whē he perceaued that he could not satisfie his impotent desires this champion of wickednes turned all his wrath and vnbridled crueltie to the ruine and destruction of all the Benedictin monasteries within his dominions Till God the allmigtie defender of his seruants sent him afterwards a deserued punishment by the meanes of wormes and lice which swarmed all ouer his bodie in such abundance that they eate him vp aliue But the importune Queene who therein chiefly playd a woemans part not able soe soone to disburden her mind of her Duke Alfere punished preconceiued mischief expected still a fitt occasion to putt her impious desires in execution IV. AND NOW the holy King EDWATD had raigned three yeares and eight moneths when it happened one day that he went on hunting into a forrest neere the towne of Warrham in Dorsetshire which at that time was great and full of godly wood although now there appeare nothing but bushes of brambles rubbish Where hauing King Edward goeth to visit his Brother Ethelred wandred a while vp downe after his game he had a great desire to goe see his brother Ethelred whō he loued dearly who was brought vp in a castle of his mothers called Corfe but three miles distant from Warrham Thither-ward the good King accompained with some few of his followers bent his course but his cōpanie foolishly wandring after the pleasure of their owne game and pastime left the King alone who being within view of his Stepmothers house like an innocent lambe thinking nothing of the mischiefe and treason prepared and knowing his owne conscience most free from offence of anie man went securely thither alone The Queene was presently aduertised of this coming who reioycing to see a long expected occasion brought soe to her hand and making curtesie the outside of mischief with a face as meaning noe guile ranne forth to meete him cherefully saluted and bad him welcome desiring him to grace her and her sonne with his presence that night The good King refused to light from his horse saying that his coming was meerly to salute his brother and talke with him Then the false-hearted woeman caused straight a He is martired by the commaund of Alfrith cupp of wine to be brought him The wine being come the cupp was noe sooner at his mouth when thinking noe harme he felt a Knife in his back which one of that treacherous Queenes seruants bolder in wickednes then the rest and readier to execute a mischief fayning to salute the King as Judas did our Sauiour had violently strucken into his bodie Hauing receaued this mortall wound with all his strength remayning he sett spurres to his horse thinking to returne to his more faythfull companie Till fainting through losse of much bloud he fell from his horse and one foote being intangled in the stirropp he was pittifully dragged vp and downe through woods and lands leauing all the way as he went bloudie signes of his death to those that followed him The bloudie scene of this barbarous fact was acted in the yeare of our Lord 981. Baronius sayth 978. and which is horrible to be spoken within the sacred time of lent that is the eighteenth day of March. And doubtlesse it fell out soe by a particular dispensation of the diuine prouidence to the greater glorie of his holy Martir that he who according to the laudable custome institution of true Christians did worthyly prepare him self to celebrate the most sacred time of our Lords Resurrection in mortifying
which best becomes all teachers making his owne example and outward manner of conuersation the perfect rule of what he taught And of his internall vertues perfection the signes and miracles which he wrought as he trauelled ouer Manie miracles his diocesse preaching teaching and confirming his poeple gaue sufficiét testimonie One Baldhelm a seruāt of one of King Egsrids noble men and the wife of a great Count drinking only of the water hallowed by his prayers were both suddenly perfectly cured of most grieuous and mortall diseases when all men quite despayred of their health An other holy Virgin who a long time had layn languishing of a grieuous payne in her head and side being annointed with holy oile hallowed by S. CVTHBERT felt her self better at the verie same instant and within a few daies was perfectly cured And Hildmer an officer of King Egsrid in drinking a little water into which was putt some bread hallowed by S. CVTHBERT receaued a perfect recouerie of a disease incurable by anie humane skill XIII As ONCE he visited his diocese he chaunced to come among the rude mountaines and rocks to teach and confirme those rustick poeple who not hauing anie Church neere to receaue the holy man into they erected tents and boothes in the way such as they could make of boughs branches cutt from the greene trees where he remayned for the space of two dayes preaching ministring the The sacrament of confirmation giuen by S. Cuth He cureth two of the Plague sacrament of Confirmation to such as had not yet receaued it whē in the midest of all behould there came some woemen to him carrying a youth grieuously infected with the plague humbly desiring the helpe of his holy prayers benediction by vertue of which presently he restored that diseased person to perfect health whose disease had allreadie giuen the foile to all the skill of phisick But hauing receaued his holy benediction he whose weaknes was carried thither walked home with the rest in health and iollitie In like manner he cured an other child dying of the plague by giuing him a kisse and making the signe of the Crosse vppon him And by vertue of the same Crosse he turned water into wine But we should neuer haue an endyf we rehearse all his vertues in particular XIV THEREFORE hauing exercised the office and dignitie of a Bishop for the space of two yeares with an admirable applause both He leaueth his Bishoprick and returne to the desert of holines and miracles foreseeing by the spiritt of prophesie that the hower of his death was at hand he resigned vp his pastorall charge and withdrew him self againe to the beloued habitation of his solitarie and eremiticall life there to consume with the flames of his auncient compunction whatsoeuer staines he had contracted in the managing of his worldly care and charge At that time of his departure being demaunded by one of his ancient monks when they should hope for his returne He answeared When you shall carrie my bodie hither And hauing passed ouer allmost two moneths in the great ioy of his recouered quietnes bruising his mind and bodie with the rigour of his accustomed peanance being taken with a sudden infirmitie he began through the fiers of a temporall grief to prepare his way to the sweet ioies and refreshments of eternall happines Three weekes togeather he was continually afflicted with sicknes vppon a wednsday he fell first into his disease and vppon a wednsday he died But what sore grieuances he endured all this time as well by his sicknes as the infernall spirits it is not easie to expresse especially for the space of fiue daies in which being destitute of all humane helpe and companie he was not able to mooue out of the place and being tormented with an extremitie of thirst he had nothing wherewith to refresh him self and quench it but one poore onion of which in those fiue dayes space he had scarse consumed the one half Then he desired his brethren to burie him in the same Iland of Farne on the East side of his Oratorie nere vnto a Crosse which him self had there erected but being ouercome with the vehement persuasions and earnest entreaties of the monks of Lindisfarne with much difficultie he consented they should burie him in their Church And at the same time a monk which only touched Touching the holy Bishop cureth the bloudie fluxe his bodie as he assisted him in his sicknes was cured of an otherwise incurable disease of the blouddie fluxe At length coming to the extremitie of his infirmitie which scarse allowed him strength to speake he began to bid his last adiew to his brethren earnestly recommending vnto them the obseruance of mutuall peace and charitie the care of keeping hospitalitie and aboue all things he strictly chardged them to remaine in the vnitie of the Church and in noe sort to haue anie communication with those who contrarie to the rites and custom of the same Catholick Church swearued from the Scismaticques must be auoyded true obseruance of Easter and he wished that they should rather leaue their monasterie and goe seek an habitation where it should please God to direct them then to vnite with such who like Schismaticks celebrated the feast of Easter at a wrong time Moroeuer endeauour most diligently sayd he to learne and obserue the Catholick statuts of our forefathers and particularly be verie carefull to follow those institutions of regular life which by my meanes the diuine goodnes hath voutchafed to bestow vppon you For His departure and buriall I know allthough in the iudgement of some I haue liued contemptibly yet after my death it will appeare what manner of man I haue bin and how my doctrine is not to be contemned With these and such like words this holy man hauing exhorted his dolefull brethrē and the night following hauing armed him self with the Sacred Viaticum of our Lords bodie lifting vp his hands and eyes towards heauen he yeelded vp his Blessed soule to the euerlasting ioies of heauen the twentith day of March in the yeare of our Lord 698. as sayth Baronius but 687. according to Sigebert His Sacred bodie was brought to Lindisfarne and there receaued by the conuent of Monks singing the prayles of allmightie God and with the resounding notes thereof it was buried with great solemnitie in S. PETERS Church in a coffin of stone on the right side of the aultar where with working of new miracles he witnessed the greatnes of the glorie and fauour he enioyed before the face of allmightie God XV. THERE was a child soe vehemently oppressed tormented by A Child miraculously dispossossed by the merit◠of S. Cuthbert the deuil that noe prayers nor exorcismes could worke anie good towards his deliuery from that wicked guest vntill a priest hauing compassion on his dolefull parents tooke some of that earth whereon the water was shed wherewith S. CVTHBERTS bodie was
within my diocesse And because he hath appealed to my Lord of Canturbury for my part let him doe according as he will answere before the most iust and dreadfull tribunall of CHRIST This couragious constancie of the blessed man putt them quite off from euer more attempting to moue him in that matter In like manner he proceeded against three Vicars who were conuicted for publick keeping of concubines For when they refused to dismisse those lewd mates he gaue sentence against them whereby they were quite discarded from their benefices He compelled others that had violently drawne a theefe out of the Church to the gallowes to digge vp his stinking dead carcas after fifteen daies lying in the ground and carrie him on their owne shoulders into the Church from whence they had taken him at the first X. NEWES being brought him of a great domage he had receaued His contempt of wordly goods by fier which had consumed noe small quantitie of his buildings and houshould stuffe when his whole familie was filled with weeping wayling and lamenting he was nothing moued at all but with a smoothe and pleasant countenance gaue thanks to allmightie God and bad them be of good courage saying Doe not greeue nor afflict your selues there is yet left sufficient abundantly enough to maintaine vs in our necessities And truly I think this losse hath befallen vs in that we haue not vsed such care and liberalitie to the poore as we ought Hence forth therefore I commaund that our almes be more large and frequent O treasure of a generous mind Which in wanting knew not how to wante and in loosing was ignorant how to loose but out of the very losse of his owne goods knew how to heape vp a new increase of vertues vnto himself He was wont seuerely to commaund all the stewards and other officers of his diocesse calling the diuine iudgment to witnes He forbids vâ—â—â—st exactions and on payne of the vtter ruine of their soules that they should not exact anie thing contrarie to iustice nor molest his Diocesans with the vttermost extremitie of anie debt or dutie And he him self would oftentimes out of his mildnes and clemencie remitt a debt otherwise due to those that asked him Furthermore he would neuer by anie meanes admitt his kinsfolks and allies allbeit well deseruing to ecclesiasticall Benefices knowing that the Lord and Prince of Pastours CHRIST IESVS did not deliuer the vniuerfall gouernment of his Church vnto his cozen by bloud S. IOHN the Euangelist but to saint PETER who was nothing allied vnto him at all Matt. 16. XI ALLSOE he vsed soe great moderation and curtesie towards his Clergie that rising manie times verie earlie to performe the office of Mattins and finding his Clergimen yet lying vnder the heauie wings of sleepe he would in the meane time betake him self to his priuate deuotious permitting them to take their sweet rest and repeating with him self those words of our Lord and sauiour Dormite iam requiescite sleepe ye now and rest Otherwise indeede he was woÌ„derfully delighted to see the diuine office religiously deuoutly performed Math. 26. which may sufficiently be prooued with this one example that when he ether visited religious men or entertayned them with a holy salutation when they came to him he was wont to say It is good to kisse those lippes which yeeld a sweet perfume of their holy prayers offered vnto allmightie God which saying as him self did often witnes he learned of his old master sainct EDMOND who was wont to vse the same XII MOREOVER with how great care and diligence this blessed man preached the word of God in other diocesses with what pietie and clemencie he cherished repentant soules heard them confesse their sinnes instructed their ignorance absolued them imparted his good counsell vnto them with-held and encouraged the desperate from falling into desperation exhorted the stronger sort to perseuerance strengthened the vncoÌ„stancie of weaklings and in fine how in all things he conformed him self to all sorts and conditions what penne is able worthyly to expresse For the raysing of an expedition of ayde and rescue for the holy land he vndertooke the preaching of the holy crosse recommended vnto him from the Bishop of Rome and beginning at his owne Church of Chicester he tooke his progresse along by the sea side till he came to Canturburie But tenne daies before he arriued at the famous hauen towne of Douer he fell into a sicknes which he suffered not to hinder his pious interprise for he ceased not to labour on in the vineyard of our Lord all waies preaching confirming children hearing confessions giuing holy orders till he exhausted allmost all the strength of his bodie Coming at length to Douer he was receaued as a guest into a certaine hospitall called Gods-house and at the intreatie of the master of the same Hospitall he consecrated a Church with a Church-yard for the buriall of the poore in honour of his old lord saint EDMOND where he declared publickly in his sermon the same day that from the first time he was made bishop he had allwaies a longing desire to consecrate before he died at the lest one Church to the honour of that holy saint his auncient Lord and master giuing there heartie thaÌ„kes to allmightie God who had not frustrated his desire therein Adding withall that now he knew that the time of his departure was at hand and therefore he earnestly recommended him self to the suffrages of their good sacrifices and prayers XIII THE day following being sunday allbeit he was allmost quite as a man spent and ouerthrowne with sicknes labours notwithstanding Heapplieth him self to diuiâ—â— eâ—â—rcâ—â—es beyond his forces at his accustomed hower of rising he made noe delay but gott into Church where with great deuotion he beganne to sing his office And being present at the holy sacrifice of Masse his sicknes still encreased soe strongly vppon him that not able anie longer to beare vp his feeble limmes he fell flat on the ground Then he was carried back into the Hospitall by some of his seruants and layd on a bed Where to one William his Chaplaine with whom he was euer verie familiar he declared that he should not escape that disease commaunding him to prepare things necessarie for his funerall but priuately lest familie perceauing might be troubled and to Simon Terringes he foretould the day of his death Then he desired them to bring a Crucifix which most deuoutly he embraced piously kissing the place of the wounds as yf then he had beheld our Lord and Sauiour dying and breaking forth into these words I giue thee infinite thanks O my Lord IESVS CHRIST for all thy benefitts bestowed vppon me for the paines and reproches which for my sake thou hast suffered which were such and soe great that thou mightest worthyly say that of thy Prophet There is noe griefe like my griefe Thou knowest O lord that yf it be thy blessed
will I am most readie to endure all Thren 1. reproches and torments and death it self for thy sake and as thou knowest I speake the truth soe I beseeth thee to haue mercie vppon me for into thy hands I commend my soule And he repeated often times that of the Psalmist Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spiritt Turning him self allsoe to the B. Virgin MARIE Psal 10 Mother of God he sayd Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste protegs hora mortis suscipe commaunding his Chaplains continually to sound those words in his cares And soe betweene the sighs of his pious deuotion and the words of sacred prayer in presence of manie religious priests and Clergimen and other faithfull Christians sainct RICHARD yielded vp his His blessed death soule into the hands of his Creatour to liue in the most happie societie of the heauenly citizens for euer about the six and fiftith yeare of his age the 9. yeare of his bishoprick the third day of Aprill about midnight At what time the heauenly spouse is sayd to Matth. 25. come to the eternall wedding His soule was noe sooner departed but his sacred bodie which in his life time had been tired with The beautie of his dead bodie much watching worne out with lying on the ground consumed with fasting torne and afflicted with stripes and other voluntarie punishments beyond humane suffrance appeared most cleere and beautifull in soe much that it seemed to beare a notable signe or token of the future resurrectior and next his skinne was found a sharp hayre-shirt and manie other iron girdles He was buried in the Church which he had newly consecrated a huge concurse of people coming from all parts of England to the celebration of his venerable exequies euerie one thinking himself happie that could but gett to touch ether the biere he was carried on or the lowest hemme of his sacred garments Rings and bracelets that had but touched his bodie they held for verie holy things and kept as reliques XIV AFTERWARDS his sacred bodie was translated to Chicester according to his desire and buried in a meane place before S. EDMONDS Altar which himself had erected in the north side of the Church Where as in his life time God allwaies wonderfull in his Saincts had wrought by him manie miracles curing the blind lame Manie miracles and diseased soe after his death he shewed by the merits of this holy man noe lesse but rather more wonderfull signes of holines when besides manie other benefitts and strange cures he restored three men from death to life and one child borne dead but reuiued by his meritts was presented at the age of fower yeares before the Inquisitours that were appoynted to take the information of saint RICHARDS life and miracles Nay his apparell being worne or but touched cured manie diseases and the sick persons that lay in his bed presently recouered their health All which miracles and manie more for breuities sake here omitted were written in those dayes as manifest and certaine truths and the booke was reserued in the Benedictin Abbey of saint Albans Which moued Pope Boniface the fourth to enroll him into the number of canonized Saincts about 20. yeares after his death in the raigne of Edward the first and his feast was celebrated in the Breuiarie of Sarum with an office of nine lessons this third day of Aprill This historie of his life is gathered out of that which is written at large by Radulph Bocking his confessor about the yeare 1240. Mathew Paris an 1259. Mathew Westminister an 1262. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 13. cap. 17. Camden and other graue authours make verie worthie mention of his vertues And Baronius sayth that Vrban the fourths letters for his canonization are extant in the Vatican librarie at Rome The life of Sainct ELSTAN Bishop of Wilton and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT APR. 6. Out of William Malmesbury de gest Pont. Anglo ELSTAN first a monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT in the monasterie of Abington vnder the gouernment of the famous S. ETHELWOLD afterwards bishop of Winchester was a man of wonderfull simplicitie and obedience A rare proofe thereof is seene in this accident For being commaunded by his foresayd Abbot to see that the workemen and artificers of the monasterie were dayly and duely prouided with necessary victualls he vndertooke that labour with great deuotion and playd the cooke himself in the preparing of their accustomed diet and serued them verie diligently and afterwards washed the dishes and other vessels with his owne hands whilst the Abbot all waies thought he had performed this dutie of obedience by the helpe of a seruant Till one day goeing about the offices of the monasterie as his custom was he chāced vnawares to to find ELSTAN standing by the cauldron that boyled on the fier and all the vessels verie neate and cleane and the roome newly swept The Abbot much delighted hereat Brother ELSTAN said he this Not the vertue of Prompt obedience obedience thou hast stolne from me But if thou art such a champiō as thou seemest to be putt thy bare hand presently into the boyling cauldron and fetch me a peece of meate out of the bottom The commaund was noe sooner out of his mouth but FLSTANS hand was in the boyling water whose vnresistable heate yeelded to the courage of his true fayth and obedience and did him noe hurt at all to the great admiration and comfort of the holy Abbot ELSTAN afterwards was made Abbot of Abington and lastly Bishop of Wilton in both which charges he discharged the part of a holy Prelate and ended his dayes verie happyly to receaue the reward of his obedience in heauen He florished about the yeare of our Lord 980. Thus much of him we haue gathered out of William Malmesbury de Pont. l. 3. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10 cap. 9 and Wolstan in the life of S. Ethelwold the first day of August The life of Sainct GISLA and Sainct RICTRVDE Virgins of the sacred order of Sainct BENEDICT APR. 9. Out of diuers Authours GISLA and RICTRVDE borne in Kent of noble parents but much more ennobled with vertue and good learning from their verie youth gaue them selues to the studie of the elegancie of the latin tongue and other sciences vnder that excellent master S. ALCVINE a Benedictin Monk After whose departure out of England they liued in a monasterie at Canturbury vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT labouring and profitting dayly in the continuall exercises of vertue and learning diligently imitating S. MARIE Magdalen◠in the sweetnes of a contemplatiue and MARTHA in the labours of Their skill in learning an actiue life Being carefull first to profitt them selues in mortifications and meditations and then to shew external workes of charitie to their neighbours and peculiarly to comfort the afflicted Whence it was that hauing attayned to a sufficiencie of
caring only for him self and his owne goods all refrayned from making warre and noe man vndertooke the common cause and quarrell of the whole countrey since therefore it was to be fought that euerie one should winne that glorionsly with the sword which he desires to be master off But among all these dangers our couragious holy bishop S. Elephegus precheth to his enemies the Danes was wont to preach the word of life to these enemies the barbarous messengers of death to ransome captiues and prisonners and carefully to feed those whom hunger had allmost brought beyoÌ„d necessitie WherevppoÌ„ by how much he was honoured and reuerenced by the faythfull by soe much he was coÌ„temned abhorred by those infidels But he chosing rather to be called Beelzebub with our Lord then Rabbi or master with the Pharisee ceased not to follow on his pious worke endeauouring to comfort and encourage the Christians in their fayth and to couuert the infidels to the fayth VII THE king had ordained one Edrick prefect ouer the whole realme a man of base parentage but one that with his tongue had purchased both riches nobilitie yf that may be called nobilitie of a subtle witt a pleasing discourse and one who had gone beyoÌ„d all mortall meÌ„ in the crooked waies of enuie falsehood pride crueltie This maÌ„s brother being slaine by the nobles of Canturburie and his house burned for playing the pick-thanck in detracting them before the king violently by vniust meanes inuading manie of their hereditaments Edrick demaunds iustice and reuenge the king denies his petition affirming that his brother iustly suffered death Therefore this prefect hauing gathered an armie of tenne thousand men endeauoured to reuenge his brothers death by the sword which he could not by law But his attempts taking small effect he desired ayde from the Danes not only to destroy the cittie of Canturbury but to inuade the whole realme of England which after the victorie should be deuided amongst them by lotts The match is made they shake hands and take solemne oathes for the performance and first they resolued to destory Canturburie Which the holy bishop vnderstanding he called the poeple togeather saying Be of good courage my deare bretheren and place the maiestie of allmightie God before your eyes feare nothing but him who Matt. 10. Joh. 13. 18. hath power to destory both bodie and soule into hell arme your selues with true humilitie and patience For CHRIST him self when he was God and his father had giuen all things into his hands would not be reuenged on his enemies but commaunded the sword embrewed in the bloud of Malchus to be sheathed againe into the scaberd of peace and patience VIII AT length the cittie of Canturburie hauing been besieged The yeare 1011. the Daneâ— besiege CaÌ„tâ—rbury by the Danes the space of twentie daies and the greatest part of their victuals and prouifion within being spent the holy bishop sent a messenger to aduise those barbarians to cease from that wicked enterprise and saue the liues of the innocent poeple lest too insolently they abused the scourge of Gods diuine wrath grauÌ„ted for a time to chastise of his children But the enemies scornefully despising his commaunds began rather to double their furie then anie way to relent raysing of bulwarks battring the walles casting of wild fier into the towne Till by the treason of Elmerick the Archdeacon whose life S. ELPHEGVS had saued before one part of the cittie was sett one fier The it was a pittifull spectacle to see how that deuouring element being blowne with the furie of a south wind did disperse it self consuming all the buildings as it went TheÌ„ the cittizens entred into a woefull deliberation with them selues whether they should forsake the defending of their walles to runne to their owne houses or neglect them stand stiffely in defence of the cittie But the common good was ouerthrowne with priuate affection the sweet remembrance of their children a naturall coÌ„miseration to defend their familie made them leaue the defence of the towne They runne therefore to deliuer their wiues children Canturbury miserabâ—y sacked froÌ„ a midst the rauenous flames to reserue them for the butcherie of the Danish furie whose edge they shall quickly feele For in the meane time the walls are broken downe the furious armie enters with such a horrible noyse what with the clamour of voyces and sounding of trumpetts that the verie foundatioÌ„ of the cittie seemed to shake fearing to be oppressed with the ensuing ruines Then they began to reape a bloudie haruest in a field of miserable disorder and confusion the whole cittie was a woefull stage full of nothing but bloud and horrour some were cutt of with the prince of weapons the sword others consumed with fier whose outrageous flames seemed to enuie that some part of their prey was snatched Inhumane cruelties out of their iawes by the sword manie were throwne hedlong from the walls that died before they came to their iourneys end Matrones compelled to discouer treasures which they had not are dragged by the hayre of the head and cast into the vnsatiable flames Little babes snatched from their mothers breasts are pierced with their lances or cruelly bruised to death vnder cart wheeles In the meane time S. ELPHEGVS who grieued to see such a generall ruine amonst his poeple being then in the Church with his monks brake suddenly out of their hands that held him and with a courragious resolution ranne into the verie midst and thickest of The wonderfull courage oâ— SEl phegus that murdring armie crying out with a loud voyce Spare spare sayd he and as ye are men cease to persecute this poore innocent age Iâ— is not a victorie wherein the innocencie of sucking childrâ—â— is slaine nether is there anie prayse or glorie purchased by exercising deaths cruelties vppon the meeke and humble Looke vppon me here that haue all waies giuen my tongue free scope in chastising your impious crimes I am the man that soe often haue nourished clothed and redeemed the captiues and poore prisoners by you punished Rather lett the whole furie of your wrath and anger be quenched in my bloud then in the slaughter of poore innocents O sacred courage of a generous mind ô inuincible Pastour of the faythfull whom noe entreaties nor prayers of his chiefest friends could perswade to leaue his flock for the fasegard of his owne life How worthyly may that sentence of our Sauiour be applied to this glorious Prelate Bonus Pastor animam suam ponit pro ouibus suis A good Pastor setteth his life at the stake for his sheepe IX THEREFORE he was presently apprehended and the He is apprebended and emprisoned threed of his speech cutt of by their violent hands that tooke him by the throate his hands were bound behind him his cheekes were rent and torne with their deuilish nayles his sides endured manie a sore blow layd on with their
his pleading that with sharpe threatning words he affirmed that the king would rather hazard the losse of his whole kingdom then be depriued of this right Nether would I answered the pope graunt him this power allthough it were to saue my owne life And with this resolution he dismissed the Embassadours who returned towards England But by the way the fornamed William declared by the kings commaund vnto S. ANSELME that he must cease from entring more into England vnlesse he were resolued to obey the Kings will Soe that sainct ANSELME diuerted to his ould lodging at Lions where he remayned the space of a yeare and fower moneths XVI IN the meane time king Henry seazed on all the goods and lands belonging to the Archbishoprick and challenged them for his owne vse When the Pope seeing noe hope of reconciling the King to S. ANSELME purposed by excommunication to cutt him off from the communion of the Church Which resolution of his being made knowne to the king touched him to the quick and made him begin more exactly to take saint ANSELME cause into his consideration And at length he called him to him out off France into Normandie where they came to a parely at the Abbey of Bec In which the King patiently taking the holy Archbishops reprehension for manie abuses promised a future amendment and neuer more to disturbe the peace or exact anie fruits belonging to the Church or Churchmen and herevppon he receaued S. ANSELME into his fauour and sent him in peace to his Archbishoprick to the great contentment and enioy of the whole Kingdome Here now we may see of what power the constancie of a good Prelats is when purely and sincerely for the only loue and seruice of God they defend the authoritie of the Church without anie pretence of temporall respects by flattering kings in their iniustice and suffering them selues to be carried away with the wind of wordly fauour We may see allsoe the great grace which God shewed to kings that respect his Church Church-men for as soone as King Henry had submitted him self our Lord gaue him a noble victorie against his Brother Robert by meanes whereof he gott the Seigniorie of the Dukedom of Normandy Of which victory he presently made sainct ANSELME acquainted by letters ending thus Werefore Venerable father Wâ—ll Malm. l. 1. de PoÌ„t sayd he humbly and deuoutly prostrate at the feete of thy sainctitie J beseech thee to pray vnto the supreme iudge by whose will and arbitremeÌ„t J haue gayned this glorious and profitable triumph that it be not to my domage and detriment but for a beginning of good works and the seruice of God to settle and confirme the state of Gods-holy Church in peace and tranquillitie that from hence forth it may liue free and not be shaken with the tempest of warres XVII AFTER the kings returne out of Norman-die a famous Synod A sinod held at London was held at London in which in presence of S. ANSELME and all the bishops Abbots of England he resigned all the power which hitherunto he had vsurped in creating ordayning bishops to the Pope and Clergie S. ANSELME therefore being installed againe in his Church in great peace and quietnes performed the part of a most holy and vigilant pastour the space of about three yeares S. Anselme falleth sick when loaden with old age labours and merits he fell into a great sicknes and specially in his stomake which made him abhorre all sustenance till by little and litle the forces of his bodie being exhausted he fainted And when the infirmitie of his bodie was such that it would not suffer him to goe to the Church notwithstanding he was carried thither euery day in a chayre to be present at the sacred misteries of the masse whereunto he bore a singular great deuotion pierie and reuerence At length seeing him self to draw neere his end he receiued the holy sacraments of the Church and gaue his benediction no the assistance humbly recommending the king queene and all the whole Kingdom to Gods holy protection and lying on a hayre-cloath strewed with ashes according to the pious custom of those times he rend râ—d vp his blessed soule to the euerlasting possession of all blessednes on wensday morning His happie death before Easter the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1109. the sixteenth since he was made bishop and the threescore and sixt of his age He was buried in great solemnitie and lamented by his Church and the whole Kingdom of England which lost a Master a Father and a Pastour soe holy soe wise soe couragious and soe venerable XVIII Our Lord ennobled this glorious Sainct with manie miracles His wonderfull miracles both during his life and after his death 1. As he was one night at his prayers he was seene to be encompassed round about with the brightnes of a heauenly splendour 2. One that dranke only of the water in which he had washed his hands was cured of a most pittifull leaprosie that raygned all ouer his bodie 3. By the signe of the crosse he quenched a mightie fier that was readie to deuoure the chamber where he â—ay 4. One of his religious most cruelly possessed with the deuill was cured only by the well-wishes of S. ANSELME 5. Manie diseased persons were cured by his prayers or eating only the reliques of his dinner 6. The shipp which carried S. ANSELME allbeit a boord brake out of it yet the water was miraculously hindered from entring 7. At his death the balsome which anoynted his bodie like vnto the flower of Holy was miraculously encreased 8. And the stone in which his bodie was to be buried being not of sufficient capacitie to receaue it was suddainly enlarged without humane helpe to the great admiration of the beholders Manie other miracles we omitt But the greatest miracle that euer God wrought by saint ANSELME was saint ANSELME himself and his life more diuine then humane He writt manie admirable workes with which he enriched the Catholick Church and with the singular reach of his vnderstanding and doctrine and a peculiar guift from heauen he gathered togeather His admirable writings the subtilitie and excellence of manie Theologicall questions seasoned with the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion Of whom a graue authour Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S BENEDICTS order sayth That he was a man well acquinted in holy scripture and the learnedeâ—st of his time in humane doctrine most holy in iâ— life and con 〈…〉 tion most deuout in his soule eloquent in his discourse and full of effiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 his workes He was of an angelicall countenance of a graue gate of an exemplar life continuall in the studie of holy scriptures and one in whom lay hid a goulden mine of vertues and goodnes He was mirrour of Prelates the glorie of his countrey a pillar of Gods Church and a bright ornament of the Benedictine
thy Church with ample guifts and reuenewes Then causing a banner of that Church to be carried before him he marched couragiously against the Scotts who hearing of his coming fled ouer into Scotland and there expected him Ethelstane hauing fixed his tents on the other side of the riuer Ethelstane victorious by the merits of S. Iohn S. IOHN appeared to him and bad him goe ouer couragiously and assault his enemies Which the next morning he performed and in that conflict manie of the Scotts were slaine and their whole armie discomfited Then King Ethelstane hauing humbly desired of saint IOHN to haue some signe which might serue as a perpetuall testimonie of the King of Englands prerogatiue ouer the Scotts he struck his sword into a hard rock neere Dunbar castle where for manie ages after remayned a marke the length of a yeard made hollow in the same stone with the blow And for proofe hereof wee haue that king Edward the first when there was question before Pope Boniface of his right and prerogatiue ouer Scotland brought this historie for the maintenance and strength of his cause VI. KING ETHELSTANE hauing obtayned the foresayd Beuerley a Sainctuarie victorie honoured saint IOHN euer after as his peculiar Patrone and Guardian and ennobled the Church of Beuerley with manie great freedoms graunting vnto it the right of Sainctuary to be a safe refuge for all criminall and suspected persons of what offence soeuer Manie other famous miracles here omitted haue been done by the meritts of this glorious Bishop all which moued Alfrick the seauenteenth Bishop of York after him Translation of S. Iohn to take vp his holy reliques three hundred and sixteen yeares after his death and place them in a precious and rich shrine the fiue and twentie day of October which is the feast of his translation on which verie day in the yeare of our Lord one thousand foure hundred and fifteen the most inuincible King of England Henry the fift of that name wonne the memorable battle of Agiâ—court against the French Which the King ascribing to the meritts of the most blessed Bishop saint IOHN at his triumphant returne into England caused the feasts both of his deposition and translation to be solemnly celebrated throughout the Prouince of Canturbury as it was allreadie in that Yorke And in the Prouinciall Tit. de script Constitutions of England made in a Prouinciall Synod vnder Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canturbury is found a decree hereof made at the instance of the same most Christian King Henry the fift Whereby it appeares that this most holy Bishop saint IOHN of Beuerley hath been an ayde to the Kings of England in the necessitie of their warres not only in auncient but allsoe in these later ages God of his infinite Mercie make vs partakers of his glorious merits His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Aug. lib. 5. cap. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. William Malmesbury de gest Pontif. Aug. lib. 3. Mathew Westminster anno 680. 686. 721. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 8. cap. 22. Thrithemius of the famous men of saint BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 129. lib. 4. cap. 68. and 170. and Iohn Capgrà ue or Ioannes Anglicus The Româ—â— Martirologe Polidore Virgil Vsuard Arnold Wion Camden and all our English writers doe worthyly celebrate his prayses The life of Sainct WYRE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY. 8. Out of an auncient manuscript recited by Su rins SAINCT WYRE borne of worthy parents in Scotland hauing passed his infancie was sett to schoole when being preuented by the inspiration of an heauenly grace he began in his tender His vertues and exercises age to beare the yeares of a man both in mind and manners proposing to him self the examples of his elders to be the rule and guide of his youthly actions In the meane time he encreased in yeares but more in mind neuer yeelding to anie vaine allurements nor drawing back his foote once sett forward in the stepps of vertue contemning all transitorie and wordly things aspiring with all the forces of his soule to the loue of the eternall soe that his holines of life increasing dayly with his yeares he became gratefull and beloued both to God and man He was nether broken with aduersities nor exalted with prosperitie neuer tired with watchings Herefuseth a bishoprick prayers were his foode and fasting his delights in summe nothing could mooue him from the desire and pursuite of vertue Not long after whilst thus he shined to the world in all kind of true religion and holines of life the Church of that countrey was voyd of a pastour when all with one voyce desired WIRE for their bishop him the clergie him the people him all the world proclaymed to be a man sent from heauen to gouerne his natiue countrey with episcopall dignitie But the holy man being quite of an other mind farre from desiring to clime the slipperie degrees of fading honours lay close vnder the wings of humilitie and vtterly refused to accept anie such charge affirming that he had more need him self of a Master then to become a teacher and ruler of others II. AT length ouercome with much opportunitie of the poeple he yeelded to goe to Rome to be consecrated reioycing for soe good an occasion to performe that soe desired pilgrimage And thither he went not out of an ambition of worldly dignitie but of a desire he long had had to vndertake that iourney of deuotioÌ„ Being come to Rome togeather with sainct PLECHELME a venerable priest and monk and Otgerus a deacon they all three visited with great deuotion the sacred shrines of the Apostles watring the pauements with the holy baulme of their deuout teares The Pope vnderstanding of them sent presently for sainct WYRE who togeather with The Pope compells him to be bishop his fellowes came before him where he was receaued with wonderfull great ioy and familiaritie When sainct WYRE hauing first plainly tould the cause of his coming fell prostrate at the Popes feet humbly crauing to be freed from the charge of the Bishoprick But the Pope nothing mooued with his prayers chose rather to prouide Gods poeple with a holy prelate then to hearken to sainct WYRES priuate deuotions and therefore he ordered him Bishop much against his will and sent him back into the countrey with a strict commaund to cease from vndertaking anie pilgrimage before he returned to his poeple Whose precept the holy man obeyed and returned straight ouer the frozen Alâ—es and swelling waues of the sea to come againe into his countâ—ey where he was receaued His returne from Rome with great ioy honour and solemnitie Then it was wonderfull to see how he shined in all vertue religion and pietie amongst his subiects making allwaies his owne lifâ— correspondent to the doctrine he preached vnto others And allthough then he none could better discharge the office of that high calling with all parts
holy virgin and courteously saluted her rauished with the beautifull beames of her fayre face he began with these sugred words to batter her pious resolution DIMPENA my onely daughter my loue my desire my All what necessitie moued thee soe to contemne the royall dignitie of thy natiue countrey to liue amongst strangers and soe to forgett all filiall loue as to forsake a king thy father and follow this decrepite old Priest obeying his commaundements as his daughter Why hast thou thus despised the royall court who art the only heyresse of the Kingdom of Ireland after thy father Be ruled therefore by my counsell and returne againe into thy countrey with vs for yf thou wilt but consent to thy fathers affections thy head shall be crowned with a royall diadem and thou shalt haue soueraigntie ouer all the princes matrones and Virgins of my kingdom Moreouer I will giue thee a place amongst the Goddesses and cause a temple of white marble to be built into which an image of thy beautie curiously wrought of gould and pretious stones shall be sett to be adored of all the countrey To these words as the holy Virgin thought to answere the venerable Priest Gereberne tooke the word out of her Gereberne reprehendâ— the king mouth and verie sharply rebuked the king with the titles of most wicked and abominable wretch in that he desired incestuously to defile his owne daughter a thing scarse euer within the thoughts of the most lasciuious lechers of the world Admonishing allsoe the then trembling Virgin not to consent to this filthy king lest she should incurre the indignation of the eternall king her spouse whose sweetnes she had allreadie tasted Hereat the king and all his followers pronounced the sentence of death against Gereberne as the authour of the flight and subuersion of Dimpna Therefore with great furie they drew him out of her sight and with their swords cutt him into peeces whereby he Gereberne is martired receaued the glorious crowne of martirdom for the defence of iustice V. THE KING hauing satisfied his furie on the bodie of this holy martir returned againe to his daughter and with a pleasing countenance began againe to perswade her to yeeld to his desire vsing all the reasons and arguments in loues Logick to winne her all which were but as soe manie arrowes shott against a fayre marble for the holy virgin retorted them with S. Dimpna answereth her father these words Wherefore thou vnhappie Tyrant doest thou endeauour with thy wilie promises to peruert me from my holy purpose of chastitie Doest thou thinke thou wretch that I will betray my deare spouse CHRIST IESVS and giue vp my bodie to be possessed by an other Thy princely delights I contemne desiring with my whole soule to obtayne the promises of my heauenly spouse which farre excell all other desires and in comparison hereof I disdaine to be adored in thy countrey as a Goddesse therefore vrge me noe more with these vaine friuolous speeches Then the kings lust turned into furie and his loue into a deadly hate the more he found the feruour of Christian religion to boyle in the brest of his daughter the more fiercely he endeauoured to peruert her And doe not think sayd he to wearie and delude me with thy vaine answers eyther suddenly graunt what I aske or expect to feele the smart of thy fathers anger as thy impostour Gereberne hath done who hath lost his head for the libertie of his tongue VI. WHEREFORE replied she most cruell tyrant hast thou slaine the beloued seruant of God Gereberns in whom thy malice could find noe fault Surely thou shalt not escape the iudgement of allmightie God for this foule act thy Gods and Goddesses I detest and wholly committ my self to the protection of IESVS CHRIST He is my spouse my glorie my health and my only desire Torture me kill me cutt me in peeces I am readie to suffer ioyfully for his sake all the studied cruelties thou canst imagine or inuent It was noe more hate and furie but rage and madnes that now possessed the soule of that miserable king hearing these words from his daughter whom presently he commaunded to be beheadded But all his companie fearing to execute his Dimpâ—a martired by her father cruell commaundment on soe fayre a subject him self quite forgeting all royall nobilitie and clemencie with his owne hands armed with his owne sword cutt off his owne daughters head who when his cruell arme bent that deadly blow against her coursgiously implored and recoÌ„mended her soule to the diuine goodnes which by that cruelly-happie separation was receaued into the heauenly pallace with the glorie of virginitie wayting on the triumph of martirdom O barbarous crueltie of the father I Oglorious triumph of the virgin The father was not ashamed to defile his hands in the bloud of his daughter and she was ioyfull to winne by that meanes the possession of a neuer ending glorie VII THE murderer with his followers returned into his countrey leauing the bodies of those holy martirs in the fields to be deuoured with wild beasts and fowles but CHRIST the king and crownâ— of his martirs did not permitt them to be torne whilst they lay exposed to the open ayre hauing at length stirred vpp some oâ— the adioyning inhabitants who moued with compassion buried their bodies in a caue where our Lord began straight to magnifie their glorie with manie great miracles which were dayly done in that place This gaue occasion to the neighbours thereabouts Miracles at her tomb to seeke those holie reliques and hauing digged deepe in the ground they found two tombs of pure white marble allbeit that countrey yeelds noe stones but what are black and browne and to shew that it was the worke of angels the marble was soe curiously wrought that both the tombs seemed to be of the same peece allthough they were seperated one from the other This miracle encreased the fayth and deuotion of the poeple that flocked thither from all partes to obtaine their health and other fauours of God by the intercession of these holy martirs which were verie liberally bestowed vppon them Afterwards the bodie of S. GEREBERNE was carried to Xaintes and and S. DIMPNAS remayned at Ghole the place of her martitdom till after some yeares the Bishop of Camâ—ray accompained with all his Clergie and an innumerable multitude of poeple translated Translation of her bodie her sacred reliques out of the tomb of marble into a shrine of siluer guilt and adorned with manie pretious stones the fifteenth day of May her martirdom was the thirtith of the same about the yeare of our Lord 600. At this time when the sepulcher was opened they found on the breast of saint DIMPNA a pretious stone like a rubie in which was written DIMPNA VIRGIN AND MARTIR VIII WHO can reade this life without amazement in acknowledging the frailtie and miserie of a man that should fall into such Consideration
vnder them whereby manie of them were sorely hurt whilst the other part where S. DVNSTAN his adherents were remayned vnshaken and moueable And with this fall fell likewise the cause of the secular Clerkes and the Monkes remayned more firmely and miraculously established and confirmed in the possession of their Monasteries Soe that as we haue sayd by the meanes of saint DVNSTAN and the assistance of the worthy Bishops saint OSWALD and saint Fortie eight monasteries of Benedictines ETHELWOLD the number of fortie eight Monasteries of Monkes and Nunnes of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT were founded and repayred and replenished with Conuents of religious persons that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and liued a most holy and vertuous life XVIII BVT allthough this most holy Bishop hath deserued eternall How he conformed the Benedictine Order prayse and glory for his worthie endeauours bestowed thus in restoring the Monasticall Order yet the chiefest title of honour is due vnto him in that he laboured not only to repayre the outward walles and buildings of monasteries to replenish them with store of Monkes but allsoe made it the highest point of his ayme and studie to reduce the Monasticall discipline it self to the auncient and primitiue rigour and vigour of our holy father saint BENEDICTS Rule And to this end he sent for manie learned and vertuouâ— Monkes out of the most reformed Monasteries of France to teach the true pactise of the Benedictine discipline in England and him self left written a notable monument of monasticall obseruance and and auncient pietie which is called A regular Concordance of the Monkes and Nunnes of the English Nation whereby all the monasteries throughout England allbeit before they all obserued the Rule of the most holy Patriarke of monkes saint BENEDICT yet because allmost euery one had some diuers customs and Ceremonies different from the rest were reduced to one and the same vnanimous obseruance of regular discipline in all things to the great conseruation and encrease of charitie and true religion He that desires to reade this foresayd Regular Concordance of saint DVNSTAN may find it sett forth not long since in the third Appendix to that worthy latine treatise Intituled The Apostleship of the 〈◊〉 in England XIX FVRTHERMORE how zealous this holy Bishop was in the S. Dunstans zeale to iustice execution of iustice and rooting out of wicked persons out of the Countrey is made manifest by this example Three false coyners of money being by the lawes of the realme condemned to death the officers differred their execution by reason of the feast of Pentecost which the holy man vnderstanding refused to celebrate his Masse before iustice was done allbeit some thought this act to be too rigorous and inhumane yet our Lord made it manifestly appeare that it proceeded from a true zeale of iustice of the good of the common-wealth for as soone as those malefactours were dispatched the holy Bishop went to Masse when being in the midst of that dreadfull sacrifice a doue as white as snow was seene by all the A whiâ—e doue â—uer his heâ—d at Masse assistants to descend from aboue and sitt vppon his head whence it did not stirre vntill he had finished that sacred Offring with extraordinarie teares and deuotion in testimonie that allmightie God was pleased with the affection of his seruant which was more iust then seuere without which it is most hard to conserue Kingdoms in peace XX. BVT the busines which had hindred King Edgar from being crowned in royall manner being now buried in obliuion saint DVNSTAN in presence of all the Lords and Peeres of the realme placed the Royall diademon his head to the wonderfull great ioy and exultation of the whole Kingdom And after two yeares space this noble King and worthie Benefactour of the Benedictine Order by a happie death chainged his mortall Kingdom for an King Edgars death immortall raigne in heauen whom a graue Authour affirmeth to haue been no lesse memorable among the English then Romulus to the Romans Cyrus to the Persians Alexander to the Macedonians Arsaces to the Parthians and Carolus Magnus to the French He was buried in the Monasterie of Glastenbury where as the records of the same Monasterie doe testifie his bodie was found without anie spott of corruption after manie yeares lying in the ground EDWARD his Sonne succeeded in the Kingdom who being consecrated by S. DVNSTAN against the will of his step-mother Edward the Martir and manie of the nobles that tooke her part was within few yeares cruelly martired through her malice as is aboue sayd in his life the eighteenth of March. Ethesred the sonne of that wicked mother inherited the Kingdom being indued rather with the ignominie of his mother then anie good part of his fathers Vnto whom S 〈◊〉 Prophesietâ—â— being installed in the royall throne S. DVNSTAN opening his prophetick mouth foretould that because he had obtayned the Kingdom by the shedding of his brothers bloud his whole gouernment should be in bloud by the frequent inuasions of barbarous and forreigne enemies Which words by time were too truly verified And not only in this but in manie others saint DVNSTAN had the guift of prophesie by which he foretould to the Bishop of Râ—chester and Saint ETHELWOLD of Winchester the time and hower of their deaths XXI WEE shall neuer come to an end yf we goe about to load this paper with all the noble vertues and excellencies of this thrice happie and glorious Prelate S. DVNSTAN our discourse now hasteneth towards his blessed death the end and reward of his labours It was on the celebration of that day in which our Sauiour hauing triumphed ouer death ascended gloriously into heauen when this holy Bishop after the performance of the night-office in the quire remayning alone in the Church of CHRIST at Canturbury more seriously A most pleasant vi fion shewed to S. Dunstan to contemplate those great ioies and as it were to vnite him self in soule to the glorie of our glorious Redeemer he beheld a heauenly vision of a great multitude of celestiall citizens shining with inestimable spleÌ„dour to enter into the Church with glittering crownes vpoÌ„ their heads who brought him this message from IESVS-CHRIST that if he were readie and disposed he might goe with them to celebrate the glorie of that Solemnitie in the triumphaÌ„t cittie of heaueÌ„ To whom the blessed man with inestimable ioy and vndaunted alacritie See his great perfection of mind answered What honour what hope and what ioy by this Ascension of the Sonne of God hath happened vnto mankind it is well knowne vnto you who are participant of his vnspeakable glorie Yee know allsoe that it is my dutie and office who haue the sheepe of my Lord commended to my charge to feede them this day with the bread of euerlasting life and to informe them how to follow his footsteps to heauen therefore I
cannot come this day to the desired place yee inuite mee The Saincts finding his hindrance reasonable bad him be readie prouided against the saturday following to enioy their companie sing with them Holy Holy Holy for euer DVNSTAN promised he would and those glorious spirits vanished out of his sight A holy Priest named Elfgar was at the same The witnes of his vision time made participant of this heauenly vision who afterwards became a faythfull witnes thereof vnto the world XXII THEREFORE S. DVNSTAN acknowledging that the time of his death was at hand and being secure of his eternall happines piously reioyced in our Lord and was replenished with a spicituall mirth towards all men And now the hower of the diuine office was come when the holy Bishop went ioyfully to the Aultar to sacrifice the Sonne of God to his eternall Father The Church was filled with a greater multitude of poeple then euer drawne thither by I know not what instinct as it were to heare some strange newes that had not been spoken off before Therefore the Ghospell at Masse being sung the Bishop went to preache vnto the The excellencie of his â—ast sermon poeple when the holy Ghost gouerning his heart and tongue he spoke more excellently then euer he had done before Then returning to the aultar he finished that dreadfull sacrifice and being come to the Benediction at the end of Masse which by bishops is more solemnly giuen he went againe into the pulpit where soe admirably he treated of the reall presence of the future resurrection of our bodies of the ioies of euerlasting life that one vnacquainted The reall presence with him before would haue iudged those words to haue proceded from the mouth of an Angell This done he returned to the aultar and solemnly gaue the poeple his benediction But being much wounded in his mind with a pious feare lest his dearest friends and children being strucken with the sudden blow of his death should grieue more vehemently then they would being forewarned of that dolefull separation to the great admiration of all he went the third time to the poeple WheÌ„ he noe sooner opened The wonderfull brightnes of his face his mouth to speake but like an other Moyses his face shined with such glittering beames of glorie that not one of all that huge assemblie was able to fixe his sight vppon him The inestimable sweetnes and ioy that then possessed the hearts of the assistants noe penne is able to describe But when the Seruant of God began to discouer the day of his death then all that mirth was turned to mourning and such mourning that DVNSTAN him self who was now destined to euerlasting ioies being mooued with naturall pittie and compassion seemed to beare a part in that dolefull consort But vsing violence to him self weeping he endeauoured to comfort the weeping affirming that they ought not to be sorow full for his departure whom noe labour or payâ—e but eternall rest and glorie would receaue and noe man that is grounded in the roote of true charitie should more esteeme his owne priuate and temporall comoditie then the eternall benefitt of his neighbour And allbeit he were absent from them in bodie yet The spirituall presence of the Saincts in spirit he would be allwaies present to helpe and ayde them with his prayers Hauing spoken to this purpose he recommenced them all to CHRIST and left them vnwilling to be depriued of the sight of his glorious countenance XXIII THE same day after dinner accompanied with a venerable troupe of monkes and other his friends he returned to the Church and hauing designed a place for his buriall he commaunded S. Dunstan falâ—eth sick to haue his graue opened And then a cruell sicknes seazing one his holy bodie confined his weake limmes to rest in bed where he lay all the friday following incessantly attending to God and diuine things and inciting all that came about him to adhere to the examples and footstepps of CHRIST-IESVS Thus conquering the strength of his disease with the weapons of a fir me fayth and deuotion he passed ouer that day till the morow which was the last of his labours and first of his desired rest arriued Then the Clergie and poeple flocked about him with a fearfull expectation of the euent which he had foretould of him self And DVNSTAN being most desirous to enter into the ioy of his Lord and hauing strengthened him self with the sacred bodie and bloud of CHRIST ioyfull expected the happie hower foretould in He is miraculously raysed togeather with his bed the foresayd vision When suddenly to the great astonishment of them all by the hidden power of the allmightie Deitie togeather with the bed wherein he lay he was miraculously eleuated three times to the top of the chamber and as often let quietly downe againe Then the holy man behoulding a companie of his amazed monkes and spirituall children about him sayd My most deare brethreÌ„ His last speech the beloued sheepe of my pasture your owne eyes haue beheld whither I am called whither I am going Yee are well acquainted with the path of my footstepps yee know the labour of my life past behould now the consummation thereof lifts me on high Wherefore with the briefe admonition of my dying voyce I exhort and counsell yee that yf yee desire to come whither I am going yee be not flack to apprehend the way that I haue walked in Allmightie God him self who hath directed my iourney to him self direct allsoe your hearts and bodies to fullfill his diuine will in peace And the whole coÌ„panie hauing answered Amen that blessed soule passed His glorious departure out of this world and by a sacred conuoy of heauenly spirits was coÌ„ducted into the heauenly lodgings to enioy the ineffable vision of Iâ—SVS-CHRIST God and man the glorious crowne and euerlasting reward of his labours XXIV THIS glorious Prelate died in the yeare of our Lord 988. His buriall when he had gouerned the Mettopolitan Sea of Canturbury twentie seauen yeares He was buried with greate reuerence and lamentation of his Monkes in the place which him self had designed within the quire before the degrees ascending to the high aultar in CHRISTS-Church Which we doubt not to haue been by him with great affection of pietie soe disposed that lying in bodie before the face of his beloued children whom he had left in the turbulent dangers of the world they might confidently haue recourse to him in thier necessities who in spirit according to his promise made would allwaies be present amongst them And indeed the manie miraculous effects wrought there at his intercession are manifest testimonies hereof Of which we will briefly relate some few only out of such authors as were Manie miraces wrought at his Tombe eye-witnesse of them Fiue woemen and one man receaued their sight as they prayed at his tomb others recouered their legges and other parts of their
the hedge But he resolued with him self not to depart without the good leaue and licence of sainct DVNSTAN which out of his deceaued mind he falsely hoped for Therefore hauing setled the purpose of his flight togeather with an other companion whom he had made guiltie of his intention therein he prepared for that vnhappie iourney and taking his opportunitie when the other Monkes rested after dinner be went first to sainct DVNSTANS Tombe where he layd open manie complaints of the iniuries he had receaued from his brethren humbly desiring See yf the Saincts are ignorant of mortall affaires him that he would not take this last refuge of his departure in ill part And going presently out of the Church he mett with a MoÌ„ke of a verie reuerend countenance who with a staffe in his hand hindered his expedition and commaunded him to returne to the Tombe and there to chainge his mind and manner of prayer He returned to the holy tombe renewed his former petition and streight prepared him self for the flight Againe he happens vppon the same Moke who gaue him the same but a much sharper rebuke for that attempt threatning to make him feele his staffe vnlesse he obeyed But he allbeâ—t much affrighted returned to the Tombe where againe he repeated his old song came back to the Church-doore and finding the Monke his opponent to be gone he thought that now he was right and therefore hastened towards the monasterie gate to depart But there he mett with the same Monke againe who now the third time stayed his euill-intended iourney and reuealing him self to be DVNSTAN the Archbishop and carefull prouisour of that place he not only with words chastised him S. Dunstan beateth back a fâ—gitiue monke as a light fugitiue of his vowes and religion but allsoe with manie sore blowes layd vppon his head back and sides he made him seele the piously cruell reuenge of his staffe and presently vanished out of his fight The poore Monke who out of weakenes could now nether goe nor stand was carried by his brethren into the Infiâ—marie where his griefes grew dayly soe vehemently vppon him that the Monkes despayring of his health began with prayers to recommend his departing soule to God and his saincts In which hauing recited the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and being come to these words in the Litanies Sancte DVNSTANE intercede pro anima cius which out of their deuotion to the holy Sainct they repeated the Prayer to Saincts profitable sick man began to be better to looke vppon the assistants with more liuely tokens of life â—nd hauing sent for Henry the Priour of the monasterie he made knowne vnto him the whole manner of this storie of his intended flight and how and by whom he was hindered affirming that now he was greeuously sorrowfull repentant for his fault from which he humbly desired to be released by the power of his priestly absolution Which done finding his conscience eased from the guilt and burden of sinne he departed ioyfully Confession o◠〈◊〉 oâ— a Priest out of this life The Priour relating all these things afterwards to the monkes behould he that was guiltie of this flight of whom no man knew anie thing nor he him himself hitherunto what had passed between Edward and S. DVNSTAN fell prostrate before the whole Conuent and with teares trickling downe his cheekes ingenuously confessed his fault that he had allsoe been consenting to the others desire of flight And the Authour of this storie allsoe is a witnes beyond all exception since he relates a thing which him self both saw and heard XXIX MANIE other miracles are reported by verie graue Authours to haue beene wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct Of the träslation of S. Dunstan both during his life and after his death which fearing to be ouer teadious I omitt Only I will admonish my good readers yf perchance they light vppon those fabulous writings which affirme the sacred reliques of Sainct DVNSTAN to haue been translated froÌ„ Canturbury to Glastenbury in the yeare of our Lord 1012 and about the fower and twentith yeare after his death that they suffer not them selues to be easily deceaued For Eadmer a man most worthie of credit and one very familiar with Sainct ANSELME Archbishop of Canturbury doth vtterly hisse out that fiction from the schoole of true historie and cleerly sheweth that he being a boy by LANFRANK Archbishop Gunduphe Bishop of Rochester Scotland Abbot of Sainct AVGVSTINES in Canturbury in presence of the Conuents of both those Monasteries and an infinite multitude of all order sexe and condition that sacred bodie was translated out of the auncient Tombe in which it was found with the mitre ring palle and other pontificall ornaments with a plate of lead and a writing which testified that it was Sainct DVNSTANS bodie into the new Church newly built by blessed LANFRANK Moreouer a few yeares Sec. 10. cap. 7. before I was borne sayth Nicholas Harpsfield that is the yeare 1508. William Warham then Archbishop of Canturbury caused this tombe allsoe to be opened when the head and all the bones were found as allsoe the leaden plate spoken off before All which manie besides the Archbishop men famous for dignitie and learning had the happines to behould and reuerence And in the perpetuall testimonie and memory hereof by three publick Notaries John Barreâ— John Colman and Willian Potkins the matâ—er was written testified and subsigned And the letters of the Archhishop to the Abbot and monkes of Glastenbury who against soe great and soe certaine proofes bragged that with them reposed the reliques of Sainct DVâ—STAN and not at Canturbury are yet extant to be seene to the vtter disproofe of that vaine assertion XXX To conclude at length the life of this most glorious The Conclusion Prelate vnshaken columne of the English Church incomparable restorer of our Ecclesiasticall and monasticall discipline worthy Pillar and ornament of the Benedictine Order vndaunted Tamer of vices and most zealous Aduancer of vertue religion and iustice I thinke I can wish noe greater happines to the Christian world then that at this day it were adorned with manie such Bishops as Sainct DVNSTAN and manie such Princes as the noble EDGAR was that soe the Spouse of Christ the Church might be purged from all spott of vncleannes and Kingdoms gouerned with true equitie and iustice in the waies of all pietie fayth and religion But alas where is that Bishop now that dare attempt to rebuke or curbe the vices of a king or a Prince as DVNSTAN did And where is that king that being iustly repreheÌ„ded will huÌ„ble him self as our EDGAR did Surely the zeale coÌ„staÌ„cie of this admirable Bishop in curbing of vice was excelleÌ„t and the humilitie of this noble king in obeying the reprehension of the Church was most memorable God of his infinite goodnes graunt grace vnto the spirituall and temporall gouernours of his Church to imitate
vtterly against it as others affirme or whether at length he did winke at her wicked course and seeme to be ignorant of her mischieuous practise as manie asseuer howsoeuer I say it came to passe certaine it is that betweene them was shewne an example of as detestable perfidiousnes as anie that is recorded in historie For breaking the sacred lawes not only of hospitalitie but allsoe of all goodnes and pietie they caused holy king ETHELBERT to be cruelly murdered in king Offas owne house by the bloudie hands of one winebert who had been brought vp a seruant Ethelbert cruelly murdered vnder Sainct ETHELBERTS father and now to recompence his former fauours receaued became the cruell Minister of his death being drawne thereunto with the couetous desire of reward To what wickednes doeth not the vnsatiable hunger of gould compell mortall hearts This false winebert brought holy ETHELBERT from his faythfull companie into a priuate roome who like an innocent lambe suspecting noe harme at all went securely with him Then hauing bound him fast with a most cruell blow he strake off his head who with his hands and eyes lifted vp towards heauen yeelded vp his soule soe pure in innocencie and soe glorious with martirdom into the hands of his deare creatour and redeemer the twentith day of May. Which being perceaued by his intended spouse Alfrid with a mind quite ouerthrowne with sorrow to see her royall hope soe suddenly dasht she went forth to his companie that without doores expected the coming of their beloued Master and with a lamentable noyse related the crueltie of this tragicall scene Who bearing this sorrowfull newes and being not able to reuenge his death returned in dolefull manner into their downe countrey being compelled insteed of a wedding-song to sing an Epitaphe for the losse of their holy King Then Alfrid renewing her complaints Alfrid becometh a Nunne Jngulphus in hist Croyland foretould manie miseries to her Mother which afterwards fell out accordingly And she her self refusing to admitt anie other mortall woers consecrated her virginitie to her immortall spouse CHRIST-IESVS and in the fennes of Crowland she tooke the habit of a Nunne and lead a solitarie liâ—e vnder the holy rule of saint BENEDICT for the space of fortie yeares after But King Offa her father which much encreased the suspition that he had been allsoe consenting to saint ETHELBERTS death presently lead his armie into the prouince of the East-Angles soe suddenly depriued of their King and by force of armes subdued it to his owne dominion IV. THE bodie of this holy King thus traiterously slaine was by the commaund of Offa committed to an ignoble buriall in the bankes of the riuer Lugge at a place now called Marden Whither as those cruell ministers carried it in great scorne it was found to be soe light as if it had been allreadie ennobled with the dotes of heauenly glory But the allmightie Goodnes euer zealous of his seruants suffered not the holy reliques of this Sainct to be buried in obliuion in that base place but miraculously testified his vertue and pietie to the world For the night following was made glorious with a heauenly A light appeareth ouer his graâ—e light that appeared ouer the graue of this holy martir to the great astonishment and terrour of the countrey adioyning And the third night after his sacred Martirdom saint ETHELBERT appeared in a vision to a simple man thereabouts and commaunded him to transport his bodie to the monasterie built on the bankes of the riuer Wye Which was faythfully performed and by the way a blind man was restored to sight by the merits of the holy Sainct It was then buried in a place aunciently called Ferne-wood where now stands the towne of Hereford And ouer his holy sepulcher for the space of manie yeares glittered euery night a heauenly splendour to shew of how great merit his blessed soule was in the sight of Allmightie God V. BVT King Offâ— greatly terrified with these miracles and the A Church dedicated to S-Ethel bert guilt of his owne conscience became wonderfull penitent for his former life and making his sonne Egfrid a King with him self in great deuotion went to Rome the better to expiate his foule and bloudie deeds past At Rome following the zeale and example of INAS King of the West-Saxons he made his Kingdome subiect to a Tribute then called Peter-pence afterwards Rom-scot After his retune into England for the greater satisfaction of his sinnes at a place in Hartfordshire then called Holmehurst now saint ALBANS he built a magnificent Monastery in honour of the worthy Protomartir of great Britaine saint ALBANE whose sacred reliques See more in the life of S Albane Iune 22. after long lying hid came miraculously to light about the same time which was in the yeare of our Lord 795. He allsoe endowed the same Monastery with manie lands and rich reuenewes for the maintenance of a goodly Conuent of aboue an hundred Monkes of the holy Order of saint BENEDICT Allsoe for a further testimonie of his penance he gaue the tenth of all his goods vnto the Church and the poore He founded allso the Benedictine Abbey of Bathe and in Warwickshire he built a Church where the adioyning towne from it and him beareth the name of Off-Church But after the death of King Offâ— which was in the yeare of our Lord 797. Milfrid a pettie King of the Mericans moued with the continuall and dayly miracles wrought at saint ETHELBERTS Tombe gaue infinite treasure thereunto and built a famous Church of stone to his honour which remayneth to this day in Hereford by the name of saint ETHELBERTS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie S. Ethelberts well And then that place was first made a Bishops-sea But out of the place where the holy bodie of saint ETHELBERT had layne before issued forth a fountaine of most cleere water called saint ETHELBERTS well ouer which now stands a Church which without doubt was built in honour of this holy martirs buriall there For it must needes be some strange motiue that made men build a Church in that place which is within tenne yards of the riuer Lugge which at euerie floud ouerflowes it soe that it cannot be come at but by boate The well I haue seene my self it is of a most pure water and much esteemed of all good Christians thereabouts In which one thing to this day is most strange and miraculous that when the riuer Lugge adioyning ouerflowes his bankes and that within Note a strange thing the forsayd Church it is knee-deepe and more of that muddie-red water this Well of saint ETHELBERT allbeit it be quite â—uerâ—lowne yet it remaynes most pure and cleere amidst those â—roubled waters vnworthy to be mingled with the puritie thereof And this I haue heard constantly and faythfully affirmed by manie of the Inhabitants thereabouts who are not ashamed to acknowledge a miracle done by the meritts of
because he exactly made his prayers vnto allmightie God for them for whose amendment he writt and his holy prayers tooke a fruitfull and happie effect V. BVT amongst the rest this Blessed man built a Church to saint Note a miracle MICHAELL the Archangel and an other farre more magnificent to the Blessed Virgin MARIE in which worke he is reported miraculously by his prayers to haue restored a beame that was too short to a iust length for the purpose to the great astonishement of all that were present And that which encreased the miracle was that all the rest of that Church being twise consumed with fier that beame only remayned without iniurie amidst those deuouring flames But now the renowned fame of saint ALDELME could not be contayned within the bounds of the Ocean it was past ouer the seas tranâ—eeâ—ded the Alpes and entred into the Seauen-hill'd Cittie of Rome Whither being sent for by Pope Sergius he went and was verie honourably receaued where two memorable things happened One was that hauing sayd masse one day in the Lateran Church he putt off his vestment which the seruant neglecting to take was miraculously sustayned from falling in the sunne-beames that shined through the window on which it hung a while to the wonderfull admiration of the beholders And the same Vestment being brought to Malmesbury Abbey was preserued there vntill our Authours time as allsoe a white marble altar-stone which being broken was made sound againe by his prayers And the other that Pope Sergius being falsely accused of incest by some euill-minded persons of He freeth the Pope from â—nfamâ—e by miracle Rome saint ALDELME caused the child to be brought into the presence and commaunded it in the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST to confesse whether Sergius were guiltie of the incest or not When to the great amazement of all and the vtter confusion of the detractors the child that was scarse nine daies old spake in the hearing of all the standers by and plainly declared the Popes innocencie Whereby saint ALDELME freed his friend from the imputation of infamie and purchased an increase of loue fauour and admiration to him self And these things are not only rehersed for truths by our Authour and others whom it were a temeritie to reiect but allsoe which moues me more these amongst other the like were curiously engraued in the outside of the old chest in which his sacred reliques were kept long before our Authours time VI. THE Pope greatly honoured saint ALDELME for the foresayd He is made Bishop of Sherburne benefitt and hauing liberally graunted him verie ample priueleges and prerogatiues for his monasteries dismissed him to returne into his Countrey Where his fame dayly encreasing he was at length found to be the worthiest to succeede Hedda bishop of Winchester to whose gouernment then all that Prouince was subiect which now is deuided into fower bishopricks Cicester VVinchaster Sherburne afterwards translated to Salsebury and Oxford But Hedda being dead it had two bishops Daniel of VVinchester and S. ALDELME of Sherburne To which dignitie the more constantly and obstinatly he resisted the more eargerly and earnestly he was desired At Canturbury therefore by the hands of BRITHWAID the Archbishop he was consecrated and ordayned bishop of Sherburne When going to Douer he bought of some French marchants the new and old Testaments a thing of venerable antiquitie which remayned at Malmesbury vntill our Authours time But walking then on the sea shore the mariners that petulantly derided and scoffed at the humilitie and pouertie of the holy man were suddenly as they sett out of the hauen taken with such a horrible tempest that they were sooner in danger then they were aware of change Soe that necessitie and feare of death compelled them to acknowledge their fault and call to saint ALDELME for helpe Who entring He calmeth a tempest into a boate to succour those distressed creatures he had noe sooner committed his holy bodie to the supportment of the waters but the winds ceased the sea was calmed and those wretched marriners were deliuered out of all danger Afterwards saint ALDELME being returned to his episcopall Sea of Sherburne he gouerned his subiects with all holines of life and learning omitting nothing that belonged to the office and dutie of a most holy and learned Prelate And when he desired to haue an other to succeede him in the regencie of his monasterie his monkes were soe bent in affection to him that during his life they could not be drawne to admitt anie other to be their Abbot To whose will he yeelded because he knew not how to resist it and graunted that he being dead they and their successours in after ages might freely chose their Abbot according to the tenour and practise of sainct BENEDICTS Rule Which decree of his was afterwards ratified by the authoritie of a Synod and of holy King INAS VII AT LENGTH this blessed Sainct when he had worthily gouerned his bishoprick for the space of fiue yeares in the yeare of His happie death our Lord seauen hundred and nine gaue vp his pure soule into the pure hands of him who had created him for his glorie He died at a place called Doulting in Sommersetshire in a poore wodden Church into which he had caused him self to be carried being aliue Which being afterwards built of stone when it was consecrated according to the Catholick custom a blind woman running to the aultar recouered her sight Yea and at the stone on which he fate there at his death manie were cured of mortall diseases That place was fiftie miles distant from Malmesbury But EGVINE the holy bishop of Worcester being admonished by a heauenly vision of the death of S. ALDELME hastened â—o the place where his bodie was and caused it to be brought with great pompe and solemnitie to the Abbey of Malmesbury and at euerie seauen miles end by the way where they rested Note the auneâ—â—nt Practâ—â—e of setting vp Crosses with those sacred spoiles he erected a crosse of stone as soe manie monuments and memories of saint ALDELME Which were afterwards made more famous because manie that flocked to them for deuotion were wonderfully cured of diuers diseases and these trophies and benefitts lasted to our Authours dayes These and suâ—â— like memorable wonders moued the King in the yeare of grace nine hundred fortie nine to cause his sacred reliques to be inclosed in a verie rich shrine on the top of which stood a cristall with his name inscribed in goulden letters Till saint DVNSTAN miraculously foreseeing the insuing destruction of all humane ad diuine things His bodie obscured for feare of the Danes which the barbarous Danes should bring to our wretched couÌ„trey translated those sacred reliques out of the rich shrine into a plaine one of stone lest perchance the splendour and price of the other might giue occasion to haue the reliques taken away or iniured Nether was his diuine prophesie false for
and she dispersed all she had I say nothing of her great care and pietie shewed to sick persons orphans and widdowes to whom she was allwaies a most indulgent and pious Motheâ— I passe ouer in silence the affâ—ction reuerence she bore to Hermites and true religious mâ—n whom sometimes she visited and dayly furnished with sufficiencie Euery morning she The rare pretie of the King and Queene nourished nine orphan-children and gaue them victualls with her owne hands Besides these her custom was to receaue three hundred poore poeple into the pallace and hauing 〈◊〉 the doores she ranged them into order when the king on the on side and the Queene on the other serued CHRIST in his poore and gaue them meate with their owne hands peculâ—rly prouided for that purpose O the wonderfull pietie of these royall persons This done she went to the Church where during the time of the holy sacrifice of Masse she sacrificed her self to allmightie God with the long continuance of manie prayers sighs and teares And before the high Masse beganne she heard fiue or six priuate Masses euery day VI. THEN she returned to dinner rather to maintaine life then Her spare diet to satisfie the delights of her appetite for in her diet she was soe sober and sparing that her meales rather sharpened then extinguished her 〈◊〉 and she seemed rather to â—ast then to â—are her meate Throughout the whole Lent and fortie daies before Christmas she mortified her bodie with an incredible abstinence in soe much that out of the austeritie of her fasting she endured most sharpe paynes and gripings in her stomake all the daies of her life but the weaknes of her bodie could nothing weaken the strength of her vnconquered vertue At length falling into a grieuous ficknes she sent for her Confessor 〈◊〉 the second Prior of the Benedictine Monastery of Durham of wâ—om hauing first declared the manner of her life and at each word of the consolation which he gaue her powred out whole flouds of deuout teares she tooke her last farewell for sayd she I shall not long remaine in She desireth Masses and prayers after death this mortall life and thou wilt shortly follow me Two things therefore I desire of thee the first that during thy life thou be allwaies mindfull of me in thy masse and other prayers the second that thou take care of my children and keepe them allwaies in the feare of God lest the prosperitie of the world wheÌ„ they attaine to the height of terrene dignitie make them loose the happines of eternall life VII AFTERWARDS the vehemencie of her disease encreasing she was noâ—able to rise but seldom out of her bed But the fourth day The slaughter of King Malcoline before her happie departure the king being then abroade in a warlick expedition she grew on the suddaine more sad then her wonted custom saying to the assistants I feare more misfortune hath happened this day to the Kingdom of Scotland then in manie yeares before And soone after they vnderstood that the King and his sonne Edward had that very day lost their liues in the warres The fourth day after the kings death her sicknes giuing some truce to the former vehemencie of her paine she rose and went into her chappell and armed her approching end with the last Sacrament and the Viaticum of our Lords most pretious bodie Then the crueltie of her griefes laying her againe prostrate on her death-bed she vnderstood by the new arriuall of her sonne Edgar from the arâ—ie of the late ouerthrow receaued by their enemies when lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God who at the hower of her departure out of this A vvorthy example of patience world had sent her an occasion of soe great anguish for a triall of her patience by the suffrance of which she hoped to be clensed from some of her former sinnes In the meane time feeling the secret messengers of death to summon her departure she beganne deuoutly to recite this prayer Domine Iesu Christe qui ex voluntate Patris cooperante She dioâ—â— happily spiritu Sancto per mortem tuam mundum viâ—ificasti libera me and and at that word her soule being deliuered out of the chaines of the bodie quietly passed to the Authour of all true libertie CHRIST-IESVS whom soe dearely she had loued in her life time being made participant of the happines of those glorious spirits whose vertuous examples she had been all waies carefull to follow And her face which during her sicknes was soe wane pale returned after death to soe fayre a mixture of a red and white complexion that to the astonished behoulders it seemed to sett forth the countenance of a sleeping or liuing bodie rather then of one that was dead She died the tenth day of Iune in the yeare 1097. and was buried in the Church of the Blessed Trinitie which she had built in her life time The life of this glorious Queene hath been written by S. Alured Abbot of Rhieuall recited by Surius tom 3. and by Turgot second Prior of Durham whom we haue followed Allso Deidonatus lib. 12. hist Scotorum maketh ample mention of her as allsoe the Roman Martirâ—loge Vsuard Molanus and others The life of Sainct EADBVRG Virgin and Nunne of the holy Order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 15. Out of William Malmesbury and others EABVRG daughter to Edward the Elder King of England and Queene Elsgiue his wife Her parents at the age of three yeares gaue a notable proofe of her future Sainctitie For her father being desirous to trie whether the litle infant would be inclined to God or the world layd the ornaments of diuers professions in his chamber before her on the one side a chalice and the Ghospell and iewells rings and bracelets on the other Thither the litle gyrle being brought in the armes of her dandling nurse she was seated on her fathers lappe who sayd Choose my EADBVRG which of these things doe most delight thee She with a countenance as it were despising the rest greedily layd hould on the chalice and booke embracing them with Note her choise of a religiouslife a childish innocencie The whole companie of assistants cried out that it was an euident presage of future sainctitie in the gyrle and the father most tenderly kissing clipping his child Goe thy waies sayd he whither God calls thee follow happily the diuine spouse whom thou hast chosen and happy indeed may thy mother and I esteeme our selues being in religion ouercome by a daughter Therefore when riper yeares allowed her the perfect vse of discrecretion she went to the Benedictine Monasterie which her father had She taketh the habit of a Nunne built at Winchester and putt on the habit and profession of a Nunne vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT when soe rarely she conformed her life to the lawes of her profession that by the
diligence of her dutifull seruice she greatly inuited all the rest of her sisters and fellow-Nunnes highly to loue and honour her Nether did the greatnes of her bloud and royall byrth make her more nice or backward to vndergoe the austeritie of her profession because she iudged it a thing most glorious to be huÌ„bled vnder the sweet yoake of the seruice of CHRIST-IESVS Her sainctirie encreased with her age and her humilitie florished with her youthfull yeares in soe A rare example of humilitie much that by night she would play the part of a pious theefe and steale the sockes of all the other nunnes hauing carefully washed and annoynted them she restored them againe to their bed sides Wherefore allbeit allmightie God hath ennobled her aliue with manie famous miracles yet this one example is before all most worthie of prayse that charitie beganne and humilitie finished all the workes of her whole life At leÌ„gth passing happily out of this world Her happy death her pure and innocent soule was carried on the wings of these two vertues to be perfectly vnited with her euerlasting spouse in heauen the fifteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 920. Her bodie was first buried in the same Monasterie but some of her bones were afterwards translated to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore in the Diocesse of Worcester where they were reserued with great reuerence and deuotion at both which places the holines and integritie of her life was witnessed with manie famous miracles as the gouernours of the same Churches could affirme in the time of my Authour The life of S. Eadburg sayth Iohn Pits is written by one Osbertus Clarentius a Benedictin Monke of Winchester about the yeare of Christ 1136. which I haue not seene But thus much of her I haue taken out of William Malmesbury de reg lib. 2. cap. 13. and de Episcop lib. 4. de monasterijs diocesis Vigorn and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10. cap. 8. Mention is made of her by Roger Houedon priori part Annal. an 899. Polidore Virgill lib. 6. Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter de natalibus in his catalogue lib. 11. cap. 69. and others And in an auncient manuscript breniary of S. Benedicts order with belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find her feast celebrated this fisteenth of Iune with three lessons and a proper Collect. The life of Saint BOTVLPHE Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 17 Written by Folchard a Monke of Thorney BOTVLPHE and ADOLPHE brothers borne of noble parents were both as neere of kinne in vertue as in byrth and both equally ennobled the nobilitie of their bloud with the resplendent excellencie of their holy life Who because in England then but newly conuerted the Catholick religion and discipline of a monasticall life was not yet established in that perfection as their minds aspired vnto went on pilgrimage ouer into France or Belgia Where because vertue is no where a stranger but is euery where honoured euen amongst strangers ADOLPHE was at length aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Bishop and BOTVLPHE hauing been a long time He professeth a religious life exercised in the stricter discipline of a monasticall life togeather with his brother and putt on the habit and profession of a Monke vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT resolued to returne into his owne countrey being courteously recommended to ETHELMVND king of the South-Saxons by his two Sisters who at that time led a religious life in France Therefore S. BOTVLPHE hauing passed the seas was kindly entertayned by king Ethelmund who hauing vnderstood the desire of his sisters gaue him a peece of land in Lincolneâ—hire not farre from the cittie of Lincolne The name of the place was Icanhoe a forsaken vnhabited desert where nothing but deuills and goblins were thought to dwell But S. BOTVLPHE with the vertue signe of the holy Crosse freed it from the possession of those hellish He buildeth a Monastery inhabitants and by the meanes and helpe of Ethelmund built a monasterie therein which he filled with a Conuent of religious monkes vnder the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT II. THESE he gouerned both by word worke and example according to the stricter discipline of a monasticall life which he had learned in forreigne countreies drawing them by the mildnes of his dayly pious admonitions to embrace the sweet austeritie of a vertuous and holy life in soe much that he was highly esteemed and His pietie in sicknes beloued of all and by a speciall fauour of allmightie God ennobled with the guift of prophesie and working of manie miracles Being oppressed with sicknes of bodie he imitated the patience of holy Iob and gaue infinite thankes vnto the diuine goodnes for that visitation all waies discoursing of the soules departure out of the bodie and of the ioyes of euerlasting happines which followed With these and such like pious exercises he spent his whole time till he attayned to the happines to be by old age ouertaken in the diuine seruice When the end of his life drawing neere and the vehemencie of his sicknes encreasing he ceased not to exhorte his deuout children carefully to obserue the rules of monsticall life which he had planted amongst them and to maintaine peace and charitie in the Monasterie Till adorned with the long studies of all vertues this vntired Hâ—s happy death champion of CHRIT being oppressed with the crueltie of a teadious disease of bodie yeelded vp his blessed soule out of her mortall habitation to the immortall reward of her labours the seauenteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 680. He was buried in the same Monasterie where his memorie was yearly celebrated being famous for miracles both in his life and after his death But that place being afterwards destroyed by the Danes the worthy restorer of the Benedictine discipline S. ETHELWOLD bishop of Winchester caused his sacred reliques to be taken vp and translated to the Translation of his bodie two Benedictine Abbeies Ely and Thorney And it hath been found writteÌ„ in the booke of S. BOTVLPHES Church neere Aldergâ—â—e in London that part of his holy bodie was by King Edward giuen to the Abbey of Winchester The memory of this glorious Sainct hath in former times been very famous in our Iland of great Britaine and in Lincolneshire there remaines yet a renowned towne which from his name was called Botulphs-Towne but now by corruption of the word is named Bâ—ston situate on the bankes of the riuer Witham His life hath been written by Folchard a monke of Thorney and by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts S. Bede in his history of England Florentius Wigorniensis an 654. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare Nicholas Harpsfied saec 7. cap. 24. William Camden in descriptione comitatus Lincolâ—iâ— Molanus in his additions to Vsuard and manie others make worthy iâ—eâ—tion
of him And in an anncient Breâ—iary of S. Benedicts Order which belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find his death celebrated with an office of three Lessons S. ALBANVS PROTOMARTIR IN ANGLIA Iunij 22 〈…〉 The life of Sainct ALBAN the first Martir of Great Britaine IVNE 22 Out of Venerable Bede and an auncient manuscript of S. Albans WHEN the bloudie persecution which the two cruell Emperours Diocletian and Maximian raysed against the Catholick Church raged ouer the world the furie thereof was soe cruelly outrageous that it could not be contayned within the bounds of the Ocean but powred it self out in crueltie euen into the remotest Ilands of the Christian world and amongst others into our famous Iland of Great Britaine Where saint ALBAN was the captaine and leader of that sacred warrefare who being a citizen of the auncient Cittie of Verulam which The place of his birth at that time was a Colonie vnder the Roman Emperours and borne of a famous stock receaued first the Christian fayth by the precepts and instructions of the most holy martir Amphibaluss of whom allsoe we must in this history make often and honourable mention For after that by preaching he had purchased other countreies to CHRIST being enkindled with an ardent zeale of gayning more and more soules to Gods Church he came to Verulam where first with courteous hospitalitie he was entertained by our ALBAN as yet a Heathen But vnderstanding that his new guest Amphibalus was He defireth to know the points of fayth not only a professour but a teacher all soe of the Christian name he was desirous to heare him discourse of the assertion of his fayth and Amphibalus was as eager to giue his Host an accompt thereof hoping to winne him to the same profession Therefore he shewed him how allmightie God consisting of one essence three persons soe dearly loued the world that he sent the second person in Trinitie his only Sonne froÌ„ heauen as a witnes and messenger of his loue for the reconciliation and redemption of mankind Who when he was true God of God yet soe farre he humbled him self for our healths sake that he voutchsafed to take humane flesh vppon him and be borne of a Virgin allbeit he were the maker and creatour of the same flesh and of his mother the Virgin And these sayd he are the principles of our Fayth these by the instruction of the holy Ghost were manie ages agoe knowne and foretould by manie of the Iewes and since confirmed by the wonderfull workes of CHRIST him self and receaued by the common consent of allmost all nations and in embracing of these points consisteth the height of all felicitie and perpetuall miserie followeth all that denie them II. BVT at first ALBAN seemed to laugh at these things and contemne them and to hould the teacher of them him self not only to He laugheth at the misteries of Fayth be vaine in his doctrine but allsoe scarse sound in his witts in auoching such paradoxes soe abhorring as he thought from all sense and reason For who can be brought to beleeue sayd he that sayd he that God had a Sonne and the same soone to be made man and borne of a Virgin without a father and she to remaine both a Virgin and a Mother In summe that daies discourse was broken off and ALBAN being displeased with Amphibalus and his doctrine went to please his troubled mind in his bed whilest his holy teacher Amphibalus sorrowfull that his words had taken noe deeper roote in the mind of his kind Host and still remayning carefull for his soules health betooke him self to his prayers in steed of sleepe nether was his petitioÌ„ to allmightie God in vaine For ALBAN being oppressed vnder the heauie wings of sleepe seemed to behould His vision being asleepe the whole tragedie of our Lords sacred passion soe perfectly acted before him that to his imagination it appeared not soe much to be in a dreame as in very deed represented to his corporall sight Terrified therefore out of his sleepe with the strangenes of this vision he went forthwith to Amphibalus and desired him yf those things which he preached of CHRIST were true to expound allsoe the meaning and interpretation of his dreame Who hauing first giuen thankes vnto allmightie God for soe wonderfull a vocation of his beloued Host drew out a Crucifix Amphibalus expoundeth his dreame which he allwaies carried about him and shewed in that signe how he might plainly vnderstand what his nightly vision did portend And following on with a declaration of CHRISTS Ghospell and passion conformeable to what he had seene in his sleepe he soe solidly discouered the mistery of CHRIST crucified that there was noe place for anie doubt left in the mind of ALBAN soe powerfully the holy Ghost had planted the truth of fayth in his soule By whose sacred vnction ALBAN Note the strange suddaine eonuersioÌ„ of S. Alban being wholly replenished with vnusuall sweetnes and contentment of mind desired now nether teacher nor arguments to instruct him but of his owne accord detesteth his false Gods abiureth his Idols professeth to acknowledge no other God to beleeue no other in his heart to confesse no other with his mouth but God the father and his sonne CHRIST-IESVS and him crucified He admireth the greatnes of the diuine pietie and goodnes in the redemption of mankind and beginnes wholly to be inflamed with his loue who voutchsafed first soe to loue humane frailtie that he vndertooke not only our nature but allsoe all the miseries adherent thereunto as allso a most shamefull death it self to redeeme man from the tirannie of eternall death to the glorie of Gods elect poeple Nay falling He worshippeth the Crucifix prostrate before the Crosse as yf he had seene CHRIST him self really hanging thereon he embraceth and kisseth his wounds giues him infinite thankes for calling him to the knowledge of his fayth being wholly carried beyond him self to thinke how to appeare worthily gratefull for the benefitt of soe vndeserued a vocation Therefore he bad adiew to all worldly pleasures and embraced teares and sighs for his greatest delights all other things he contemned that he might gaine CHRIST alone for all in him he placed all his hope and loue to him he soe perfectly vowed him self and all he had that he would rather a thousand times endure to be robbed of this life then to be separated from the fayth and charitie of his deare redeemer III. IN the confession of these and such like things Amphibalus admitted ALBAN to the purifying grace of Baptisme and at his He is baptised earnest entreatie remayned there some daies more amply to instruct him in all things that belonged to the profession of his receaued religion But in the meane time the renowned name of ALBAN and the fame of this fact allbeit secretly performed made that it came to the eares and knowledge of the