seemed to sleep He dyed in the citty of Cahors the yeare of grace 1272. hauing spent fifteen yeares in the Order of the Frere Minors att six of the clock att night the Eue of Alsaintes to reigne eternally with them Att the very houre of his death two Religious women ancient both in Relligion and vertues did testifie to haue heard Angelicall musike exceedingly mellodious accompanying the soule of this worthy seruant of God vnto heauen A man of the third Order of that citty in a vision saw the soule of this glorious Father att the hower of his departure carryed by Angels with great ioy into Paradise The same night a Burgesse of Cahors called Peter saw in vision the soule of this holy Father sitting on a very resplendant couch that did spread and sparckle glittering beames as the sunne of whome demaunding who he was I am said he the soule of Br. Christopher that haue left my body on earth and am goeing to heauen This man sodenly awaked and arising likewise awakened all his familie to whome he recounted his vision then went to the monastery where he found the body of the holy Father alredy according to the custome carryed into the Church thence to be enterred else where The day following the death of this holy Father being diuulged there repayred such a coÌ„course of people to see this blessed body that he could not be taken out of the handes of those that desired to touch him to kisse teare off part of his habitt to keepe for reliques and to demaund some grace of God by the merittes of him that had worne it This body being with much a doe att length takeÌ„ out of the Church embalmed with precious liquours and aromaticall oyntments it was on the third day putt in a coffin of wood and enterred in the Church of the Frere Minors with great solemnity and reuerence Of the dead raysed by the inuocation of this sainct THE LIII CHAPTER ALmighty God voutsafed also to demoÌ„strate the exceeding great miracles which by the merittes of this his gratefull seruant he wrought in the bishopprick of Cahors for a mother hauing casually left her child vpon a bridge he fell into the water and was drowned The mother seeing her child dead filled all the village with compassion of the sorrow and griefe which by her extreme lamentation she did discouer Att length she had recourse to S. Christopher to whome she vowed to visitt his sepulcher and to present vnto it an image of waxe if he would raise her sonne The vow being made the child began to moue his lippes then to open his eyes and by the merittes of such an intercessour in presence of many people he retourned to life and â—afety A creature being wrested dead out of the mothers wombe was restored to life by the prayers and intercessions of this sainct who was exceedingly importuned and induced thervnto by those that were present In the same citty a mother had layd her child of two yeares old in bed betweene her husband and her selfe but awaking she found the child smothered and dead after many regreets she made vow to S. Christopher that if by his intercession the child might reuiue she would carrie it to his sepulcher and there would present a light and image of waxe Which vow being made the child began to gape then to moue the armes and att length opening his eyes it retourned to life In the same citty and after the same manner the S. being inuocated for a dead child by the father who was deuout vnto him in these tearmes O saint of God rayse my daughter and I promise thee to carry her to thy sepulcher where I will offer there an altare cloth and an image of waxe she vpon this vow retourned to life and the Father and others present gaue thanckes to almighty God and to the S. In a towne called Concet neere to the said citty there was a youg man so weakened with a continuall feauer that he was generally esteemed for dead no motion could be perceaued in him not so much as of his pulse wherfore his mother in extreme affliction perceauing all humane helpe to faile had recourse to almighty God whome she inuocated by the merittes of S. Christopher of whome she had heard many miracles recounted to restore her sonnes health vowing to carry him to his sepulcher there to present an altare cloth and an image of wax The effect was admirable for the presenting of her vow being finished he began to amend and in short time was entierly cured to the great astonishment and content of all his friendes and kinred who fayled not to giue thanckes to God and to accomplish their vow Health was also restored to an other yong man called Iohn desperatly sick att Cahors in the manner aforesayd A Relligious of the Order of S. Clare called Sister Mary being so extremely weakened with sicknes that she could not remoue her selfe in her bed nor much lesse take her rest therin she expected only death but hauing heard it reported that the holy Father Christopher was deceassed and that he wrought infinite miracles she bitterly lamenting presented vnto him this request O holy Father that hast often heard my confession pray vnto almighty God if thou please that I may recouer my health to serue him Which spoaken she fell into a sweet sleep from whence the next morning she awakened full of comfort and consolation and went to the quier to communicate with her other sisters who theratt were much amazed and afterwardes they all together gaue thanckes to the omnipotent bounty of God and to his holy intercessour by whose merittes he so compassionatly assisteth those that addresse their petitions vnto him Of other miracles wrought in the cure of many dangerous and incurable diseases THE LIV. CHAPTER VPon the Mount Abban in the bishopprick of Cahors a child reduced neere vnto death and his mother extremely afflicted by dispaire of her sonnes recouery which hauing exceedingly weakened her by the great wearines of labour that this sicknesse causer her she fell into a litle sleep wherin she heard a voice that sayd vnto her Woman feare no more but make a vow for thy sonne to S. Christopher and God by his merittes will cure him This woman awaking and hauing made her vow her sonne was cured and the mother carryed him to the sepulcher of the sainct wher she thancked God and her Intercessour for it A woman of the said citty of Cahors called Valeria was so sick that the Phisitians iudged her as dead and withall had alredy lost her speech and the motion of all her members and was as black as pitch a priest also comming to heare her confession was constrayned to retourne without vsing his function for she could neither speake heare nor make any signes But her kinred and freindes that were present greiued att the losse of a woman whome they cordially loued fell deuoutly on their knees lifted vp their ioyned
hath receaued of God faithfully labouring therin for oftentimes the fruit doth perish by meane of the leafe and the graine by the huske God graunteth to some fruit and a few leaues and to others neither the one nor the other I doe more esteeme the conseruation of the benefittes receaued of God then the getting of thē He shall neuer be rich that knoweth how to gett but not to keep Wherfore many after much gaine haue bin neuer the richer because they knew not how to conserue yet is it not so great a matter to know how to conserue vnlesse also one know how to gett There are some that gainning but litle become incontinently rich because they know well how to keepe what they haue gotten The riuers would not be so often dry if running continually they did not cast thēselues into the sea Man demaundeth of God graces without measure and end and yet will make vse therof with measure and end but he that wil be loued and recompenced without end ought to loue and serue without end Happy is he that employeth his time body and spiritt in the loue of God that attendeth no recompence vnder heauen for the good he doeth If one should say to a very poore man Friend I lend thee this my house to make vse therof for three dayes in which time if thou knowest how to employ it thou mayest gaine an inestimable treasure this being assured and confirmed vnto him for most euident would not he vse all his endeauour to make this gaine That which is lent vnto vs of our lord is our flesh our life and whatsoeuer benefitt we can make therin is in a maner but as three dayes If the graine of corne doe not corrupt it cannot only produce no fruit but it also withereth and consumeth entierlie of it selfe without any encrease wherfore is it not better to make it to rott to the end it may spring be gathered threshed in due time and then layd vp into the garner of eternall life A man doth seldome take counsaile to doe ill but being to doe good the first thing is to take counsaile of all the world The prouerb sayth one must not putt the pott to the fire in expectation of a promise A mā is not happy for hauing only a good will but he must rather with all possibility labour to accomplish the same by good and pious worckes because God giueth his grace to a man to the end he follow the same A man one time praying Brother Giles to giue him some consolation he answeared Endeauour to doe well and thou shalt be comforted for if a man doe not prepare in himselfe a place for God he shall not find him in his creatures What man is there that will not doe that which is best not only for his soule but euen for his body in that which concerneth this life I can truely affirme that whosoeuer shaketh off the sweet and light yoke of our Sauiour shall find it afterward far more painfull and he that therwith burdeneth himselfe most att lenght shall find it most light Would to God all men would doe that which they may acknowledge to be best for their bodyes euen in this world for he that made the other world hath made this also and can giue to man in this world the benefittes which he giueth in the other and the body feeleth the happinesse of the soule A Religious hearing Brother Giles to speake these wordes sayd vnto him Tell me Father if you please we may perhappes dye before we haue any experience of any good The holy Father answeared The Furriers are knowen by skinnes Shomakers by shooes and forgers by iron But tell me Brother can a man be knowne by an art that he neuer practised Thinck you that Princes and Potentates bestow great fauours and prefermentes on sottish personnes and without iudgement there is no probability Good worckes are the true way and meane to the fruition of all happines as ill deedes to fall into all miseries happy is he that feeleth no scandall att whatsoeuer matter vnder heauen and he that is edifyed with whatsoeuer he seeth and heareth and that amongest all thinges chooseth only those that he may vse to the most benefitt of his soule A discourse of the contempt of the world THE XXIX CHAPTER VNhappy is the man that setleth his hart his desires and his hopes on earthly thinges for which he looseth all celestiall happinesse If the Eagle that soareth so high had to each of her winges fastened one of the beames of the Carpēters worck att S. Peters in Rome it is most certaine she could not mount into the ayre As I obserue many that labour for the body so doe I find few that trauell for the soule Many take exceeding paines for corporall affaires breaking and cutting the marbles digging mountaynes labouring the earth furrowing the sea and performing many other painfull exercises but who is he that laboureth manfully and with feruour for the soule The auaricious is like the Mole that thincketh there is no other good but to digge the earth and therfore therin setteth vp his rest yet doubtlesse ther is an other treasure vnknowne to the Mole The birdes of heauen the beastes of the earth and the fishes of the sea content thēselues when they haue sufficient to eat but because man cannot content himselfe with what the earth affordeth he alwayes sigheth after somewhat else It is certaine that he was not created principally for these base thinges but for such as are high and supreme for so much as the body was made for the soule and this world for loue of the other This world is a field of such quality as the that hath the better and greater part therof hath the worse share This holy Father to this purpose alleadged that the holy Father sainct Francis did not loue the Antes because of their ouer much care to assemble their prouisions but loued the birdes much more because they made no prouision to liue vpon but depending on the diuine prouidence made only search from houre to houre according to their need A discourse of Chastity THE XXX CHAPTER A Religious demaunded of the venerable Br. Giles how a man might best keepe himselfe from the vice of the flesh and he answeared he that will remoue a grosse stone or beame vseth therin more industry then force so must he doe that will preserue his chastity for it is like to a most cleare looking glasse which may be blemished and stayned in his brightnes by one only breath It is impossible that a mā can attaine the diuine grace whiles he is delighted in sensuall pleasures Consider althinges behold tourne and retourne vp and downe and from one side to an other you shall finde att lenght that nothing is more necessary then to fight against the fles◠which seeketh day and night to deceaue and betray vs he that surmounteth it hath ouercome all his ennemies and becommeth afterward
thing proper neither house nor place nor what soeuer other thinge but lett them liue in this world as pilgrimes and strangers and lett them serue God who hath redeemed vs in pouerty and humility and seeke almose with out shame or dishonour considering that our lord Iesus-Christ would be poore for vs. Now by the liuely example of this Order and by the so great austerities and strict obseruations our lord reprehendeth the frensie and folly of the Christians who forgetfull of the pouerty of our Redeemer Iesus-Christ and of his seruantes doe ruine themselues by auarice by delicacies and dissolutions We hope that God will neuer permitt vs to want perfect Religious of this Order that shall admonish vs of our duety by their example before the eyes of his diuine Maiestie But S. Iohn the Euangelist and Prophett in his reuelations doth more particulerly demonstrate the time and estate of the glorious Fa. S. Francis and his holy disciples saying And I saw when the Angel had opened the sixt seale there was made a great earthquake and the sunne became black as it were sackcloth of haire which is a garment made of the haire of a horse and of very grosse woll and the whole moone became as bloud and the starres frō heauen fell vpon the earth After these thinges I saw foure Angels standing vpon the four corners of the earth holding the four windes of the earth that they should not blow vpon the land nor vpon the sea nor on any tree And I saw an other Angell ascending from the rising of the sunne hauing the signe of the liuing God and he cryed with a loud voice to the foure Angels to whome it was giuen to hurt the earth and the sea saying hurt not the earth and the sea nor the trees till we signe the seruantes of our lord in their foreheades This Prophesie occording to the testimony of Vbertinus was preached by S. Bonauenture att Paris in a Prouinciall chapter as already verified in the Person of the holy Father S. Francis adding that he was by diuine reuelation assured that S. Iohn the Euangelist in this passadge had his eye on S Francis and on his sacred Religion The same is affirmed by Brother Iohn of Parma who was a right holy and Religious man and famous by many miracles that God wrought by him But for the more easie intelligence hereof it must be vnderstood that by the seauen visions of S. Iohn in his Apocalipse are signified the seauen ages or estates of the Church The first age was of the foundation therof made by our Lord IESVS Christ and his Apostles in Iurie which began at his preaching and continued till the Martyrdome of the Apostles This was figured by the first vision of the seauen Churches in the first and second chapter The second age was of the confirmation of the faith with the bloud of the martyrs shed thorough all the world by Pagans and Idolators which began att the persecution of Nero figured by the second vision of seauē seales in the 5. chapter The third age was doctrine in the same being declared the mysteries of our faith and all heresies clearlie refuted It began in the time of the Emperour Constantin who assembled the Councell of Nice against the heresie of Arius figured by the third vision of the seauen trompettes in the seauenth chapter The fourth age was solitary and Eremeticall life performed with long and great austeritie of life and contemplation of spiritt till the time of S. Antony figured in the fourth vision of the woman clothed with the sunne in the twelueth chapter The fift age was when the holy Church began to abound in temporall riches as well Religious as Clearkes it began in the time of Charles the great figured by the fist vision of the seauen golden vessels in the fifteenth chapter The sixt age of the renouation of Euangelicall life is of the warre against the sectes of Antechrist performed by the voluntary poore who possesse not any thing in this life it began in the Seraphicall Father S Francis author and institutor of the Frier Minors figured by the sixt vision of the abhominable and puissante woman of Babilon in the seauenteenth chapter The seauenth age shal be hereafter both in a merueillous repose and participation of warre which is to come in earth and shall shortly come in perfection in the generall resurrection of all the sainctes of God it shall haue his begymning in death before the comming of our Redeemer IESVS Christ to iudge it is figured in the twentith chapter of the Apocalypse when the dragon shall finally be condemned and the elect glorified So that in the first age did florish the perfection of Prelacie and the Pastorall care of the Church those were the holy Apostles In the second florished the estate of Martyrdome by the combatt and triumph of the Champions of IESVS Christ In the third florished the Voice of Preachers and Doctours the trompett of the diuine wisdome In the fourth the sanctity and ornament of contemplatiue life in those that liued and led an Euangelicall and celestiall life on earth In the fift florishhed the zeale of iustice by which one discendeth to a commune and lesse perfect life in the zealous iust institutors of Reguler estates In the sixt florished the estate of the imitation of IESVS Christ reformed by the Church in the true imitators of Euangelicall life In the seauenth afterward shall florish the tast and swetnes of the glory which God shall communicate vnto his elect for the wearysome labours which one shall haue voluntarily and affectionatly suffered here on earth as farre foorth as humane infirmity shall haue ability to support and God shal be pleased to inspire into vs. And our Lord hath ordayned these estates and these ages according to the necessities of the holy Church against his ennemies the diuels and against wicked men their followers who together maintaine ancient warre against his Church though tolerated by God for the greater glory of the elect for none shal be crowned but he that couragiously combatteth So was the first estate against the carnall and grosse intelligences ceremonies of the Iewes The second against the idolatry of the Pagans The third against the Arrians and other heretikes The fourth against the carnall and detestable sect of Mahomet The fift against the life of loose Christians dishonoring thēselues The sixt against the pestiferous poyson of Antechrist The seauenth against the army of deuils and their sectatours who in these latter dayes shall trouble the Church more then euer We ought neuertheles to conceiue that though the said estates be thus separated and each one haue his particuler property yet the one participating of the quality and property of the other they come in a certaine manner to entermingle together by reason that there euer haue bin and shal be in the Church of God Prelates Martyrs Confessors all affectionate and perfect imitatours of IESVS Christ It is a
to choose and loue diuine thinges and misprise particuler thinges for what can be greater then to know how to prayse the benefitts of God and to check himselfe for his proper malice I would I had bin taught in this schoole from the beginning of the world and there would study to the end therof if I were so long to liue there to contemplate the prayse dew to the benefites of God and the reprehension and chasticement due to my euill worckes True it is that if I must committ an errour I had rather it were in the consideration of my wickednes then in the acknowledgement of the benefites receaued of God For if we see many that for some litle seruice done them retourne many prayses and thanckes how much more are we obliged in that kind of acknowledgemēt vnto almighty God And in deed a man ought neuer to make any comparison with this loue towardes him that hath a will to deliuer vs from all miseryes and to conduct vs to the fruition of al good and that would euen dye to procure vs to liue A discourse of humility THE XXV CHAPTER A Man cannot attaine to the knowledge of God but by meane of humility sith that the true way to ascend on high is to debase ones selfe All the euils and all the ruines of this world proceed of pride as is seene in the euill Angell and in the first man wherof the one was created in heauen and the other in Paradice which also may be obserued in the Pharisie spoaken of in the Ghospel and in many others And on the contrary all good that euer hath bin done hath bin wrought by humility as is remarqued in the most sacred Virgin in the Publican in the Theefe and others But good God why doe we not ordinarily carry on our shoulders some weighty burthen to crush downe our hard head and to debase and humble it A Religious one day demaunding of Br. Giles how one might shunne pride he answeared Brother wash your handes put your mouth where your feet are consider your sinnes and haue contrition for them and then often incline your selfe towardes the ground Wretched is he that desireth glory and honour for his owne sinnes vanities A man is ascended to an high degree of humility when he acknowledgeth that himselfe is contrary to his owne good I also esteeme it a branch of humility to yeld to an other and not to appropriat to ones selfe I dare affirme that as one ought to attribute to God all goodnes as proper vnto him so to our selues all euill Happy is he that sheweth himselfe so vile before mē as he is before God Happy is he that walketh faithfully vnder the obediēce and iudgement of an other as the holy Apostles did after they were replenished with the holy Ghost He that will haue peace and tranquillity in him lett him repute al men greater then himselfe Happy is he that desireth not to be seene in his wordes and behauiours that are commendable but rather in the compunction and abiection wherin the diuine grace putteth him He that is the holyest man in the world and reputeth himselfe most vile he hath true humility Humility knoweth not how to speake and dareth not be talkatiue Humility is like the brightnes of heauen for as of the same brightnes and of vapours doe proceed thunders and earth quakes wherof in an instant no more is seene so humility doth ruine vices wickednes and the high toures of her ennemy pride and then causeth a man after the performance of great matters to repute himselfe nothing By humility a man findeth the grace of God and peace with men For euen as if a mightie Prince would send his owne daughter into a farre country he would not mount her on a restiue and proud horse but on a gentle nagge that shall amble easily and securely euen so God as soueraine king giueth not his grace to the proud but only to the humble A discourse of the seare of God THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy feare of God expelleth out of man impious worldly feare and is the guard of those goodes which cannot be expressed not so much as by imaginatiō But to haue this feare is a speciall gift not graunted to all He that feareth nor sheweth that he hath nothing to loose The feare of God guideth and gouuerneth man and causeth him to find grace with his diuine maiesty by which whē he hath receaued this feare he conserueth it and hauing lost it doth recouer it All reasonable creatures that haue forgotten themselues in foule disorders had neuer fallen therinto if they had this gift of God which is proper vnto the sainctes And the more one is replenished with grace the more is he humble and fearfull Now albeit this vertue is least esteemed of men yet is it not therfore lesse then others for a man that in regard of his enormous offences committed against God is worthy of death cannot haue any assurance wherwith to shew himselfe in his diuine presence Happy then is he who acknowledgeth that to dwel in the world is to be in a prison and that there one daily offendeth God A man should alwayes feare that pride conduct him not into hell Thou oughtest to haue feare of thy selfe and thy like and to carry thy selfe respectiuely and warily for a man that liueth in the middest of his ennemies cannot be in perfect assurance Our flesh is our ennemy which with the deuill is continually aduerse to our soule A man should more feare to be surmonted and ouercome by his owne malice then by any other thing for it is impossible for a man to ascend to the glory of God or there to perseuer without a holy feare Not to haue it is a signe of perdition This feare causeth one to obey with humility and to stoope euē to the earth vnder the yoke of holy obedience and he that hath the greater feare is the more deuout in prayer and he that hath the grace to pray hath obtayned no litle grace of God The worckes of men appeare they neuer so great ought not to be iudged by humane iudgement but according to the diuine will and institution Therfore ought we my Brethren in IESVS CHRIST euer to liue in feare A discourse of Patience THE XXVII CHAPTER HE that for the loue of God could support with patience all afflictions should in short time obtaine abondance of graces and should be Lord of this world and haue one foot in the other All thee good and euill which a man doeth he doth it of himselfe therfore thou shouldest not be scandalized if one doe thee iniury but shouldest rather haue compassion of him Support iniuryes patiently for the loue thou owest to thy neighbour how much a man is prepared for the loue of God to endure abuses and affrontes so great is he before his diuine maiesty and no more and how much he is feeble and weakely prepared to support the same thinges
that prayeth continually for all the people and for the holy Cittie which the sayd Religious vnderstood to be Brother Giles A woman of the citty of Perusia hauing no milke wherwith to suck her litle child had recourse to this holie Father to whome she was much deuoted but he being in extasie she could not speake vnto him And she not hauing leasure to expect came neere him where he prayed whose breast hauing with exceeding faith and deuotion touched she had milke sufficient to nource her child How God communicated to Br. Giles a most pleasing seeling of glory before this death THE XLIII CHAPTER THis holy Father a litle before his death retourning from prayer into his cell replenished with a merueillous ioy sayd to his companion My child giue me thy iudgement in this I haue found a treasure of such worth and excellency as no humane tongue can expresse and therfore my child I pray thee againe speake thine opinion therof Which he diuers times repeated with an exceeding feruour of spiritt and with such enflamed charity that he seemed to be really druncken with the wine of the loue of God and the abondance of his grace But this Religious hauing told him that it was time to goe take his refection he ioyfully answeared him My child this is a singuler refection and farre better then any other The Religious thincking to tempt him sayd Father lett vs not now thinck of these thinges but lett vs to goe to dinner Wherto the venerable Br. Giles replyed that such speech was iniurious vnto him and that he should haue done him greater pleasure to haue stricken and wounded him to the bloud Now one may piously presume that this holy soule had notice that it should shortly leaue the flesh to enioy that notable treasure of eternall glory which it so much desired there to haue fruition and tast of the most sacred presence of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST About that time a Religious told him that the holy Father S. Francis had sayd that the seruant of God should alwayes desire to end his life by martyrdome wherto he answeared For my part I respect not to die better then in contemplation Of the admirable prophesic he made of himselfe and of his death THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Giles besides his age being wasted by grieuous insrmities as ache in his head and stomache by a very troublesome cough and burning ague so that he could neither eat sleep nor repose The Cittizens of Perusia out of great deuotion towardes him sent many armed men to guard him that being dead his body might not be buryed other where well knowing that he did not only desire but would order to be buryed att our Lady of Angels Vnderstanding then that he was guarded with armed men with great seruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Brethren tell the Perusians that the belles shal neuer ring for my canonization nor for any miracle of mine and that they shall haue no other signe but that of the Prophet lonas Which the Perusians vnderstanding they answeared they would haue him in their cittie though he should not be canonized and so the eue of sainct George att the houre of Mattins as soone as the Religious had layed him on a bed to repose hauing receaued the holy sacramentes ordayned by the Church without any acke of his body that might discouer and make appeare the agony of his death only shutting his mouth and eyes this contemplatiue soule was dissolued from the body with great repose God hauing for all eternity eleuated it vnto his glory This holy Father departed this life the yeare of grace 1260. and of his conuersion to Religion 52. haning merited to ascend vnto heauen their to raigne eternally the same day that he receaued the habitt of the holy Father sainct Francis becomming his true follower and disciple The Perusians after death seeking stones to make him a tombe found a sepulchre of marble wherin was carued the history of the Prophett Ionas where they layd his body according as he had prophesied Of the reuelation of the glory of this S. THE XLV CHAPTER A Person of notable sanctity saw in vision the holy Br. Giles accōpayned with a great number of soules of Religious others that then were dead and comming out of Purgatory they with him ascēded into heauē He saw our lord IESVS CHRIST with a great multitude of Angels that came to receaue him with musicke exquisitely melodious made by those Angelicall quiers these blessed soules were with great honour entertayned of our Redeemer into his kingdome were he seated them on a seat of merueillous glory Att the same time that Br. Giles was sicke of his last sicknes an other Religious fell also sick euen to death who was instantly prayed by a third Religious his Friend that if it should please God to call him he would reueale vnto him his estate if the diuine Maiesty would permitt it which the sick Religious promised Wherfore he dying the same day that Br. Giles did appeared to this his Religious friend and thus spake vnto him Br. giue thanckes vnto God for that it hath pleased him to graunt and giue me his glory deliuering me with many other soules from the paines of Purgatory by the merittes of Saint Giles Which sayd he vanished This Religious not daring to reueale this apparition to any fell grieuously sick But conceauing that this sicknes might be sent him for not diuulging the glory of Br. Giles he instantly called into his Couent some Frere Minors to whome and to many other Religious he recounted the foresaid apparition and was with all miraculously recouered S. Bonauenture said of this holy Br. Giles that God had giuen him one speciall grace which was that whosoeuer did inuocate him in matters concerning the saluation of their soules were heard Our lord wrought many miracles after his death by his merittes and intercession He cured three personnes of infirmities in their eyes fiue that were lame and two of paine in their feet that hindred them from mouing three of the sqinancie a woman in trauell of child two of agues one of the stone and many of diuers other diseases The end of the seauenth book and second volume of the first part of the present Chronicles THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE LIFE OF the glorious Virgin S. Clare the institution of her rule the conuersion of S. Agnes her sister and of an other S. Agnes daughter to the king of Behomia Of the intention of our Lord in the vocation of S. Clare and of her contry her father and mother Of a reuelation vnto her mother touching her sanctity and of her birth THE FIRST CHAPTER SIX yeares after the conuersion of the holy Father S. Francis and the fourth yeare after the confirmation of his rule by Pope Innocent the third the yeare of grace 1212. the omnipotent Father of light hauing framed and sent into the world
to be more tormented by her infirmities then she accustomed to be a sword of sorrow through-pearced the soule of her beloued daughters But a virgin seruante of IESVS CHRIST and a very deuout Religious of the Monastery of saint Paul and Order of saint Benedict had att that time this vision following It semed to her that she did visitt sainte Clare withall her sisters att saint Damian whom she saw in a sorrowfull yet precious bed about which they all lamēted expecting her death and withall she saw come to the bolster of the sayd bed a very beautifull woman who sayd to them that wept My daughters weep not for her that is yet to liue for she cannot dye til our Lord and all his disciples doe come A litle after the Romane Court was att Perusia where the encrease of sainte Clares sicknesse being diuulged the Cardinall of Hostia hastened with great dilligence to visite the espouse of IESVS CHRIST whose Father he was by office Gouernour by speciall sollicitude and Fosterer and friend in most pure and chast amitie and her he comforted applying and with his owne handes administring vnto her the most sacred sacrament of the Eucharist and then made a very deuout sermon vnto the Religious sainte Clare with great humility and in the name of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST besought him to accept in recommēdation that her family and all her other poore sisters of other Monasteries but aboue all she most instātly besought him to obtaine of the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinalls a priuiledge and confirmation of holy pouerty Wherto the Cardinall gaue his word and as a faithfull Protectour of her Religion one most deuout and affectionat to saincte Clare did afterwardes effect it For Pope Innocēt the fourth att her most instāt request confirmed the rule which the holy Father saint Francis had instituted for her as is formerly recorded of which rule S. Clare had neuer till then other cōfirmation written then that of the said Cardinall because the Pope supposing to induce sainte Clare not to bind her Religious to such an extreme pouerty did still deferre to confirme her rule by writing But Innocent the fourth seeing the perseuerāce and last will of sainte Clare graunted the same vnto her by a bull the eleuenth and last yeare of his raigne as we haue before recorded And the yeare being almost expired the Pope came with his Cardinals from Perusia to Assisium wherin the first vision touching the death of the holy virgin was accomplished for the Pope being in his office more then a man by the aucthority which he hath of IESVS CHRIST on earth whose person he representeth in the temple of the Church militant the Cardinals accompanying his holinesse represented the disciples of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How Pope Innocent the fourth visited S. Clare in her last sicknes and gaue her absolution THE XXIV CHAPTER THe diuine prouidence would no longer deferre the accomplishment of the will of S. Clare but her Spouse IESVS CHRIST came to eleuate into his celestiall Pallace his poore espouse and pilgrime on earth who desired nothing more that being deliuered of this mortall body she might haue the sight and fruition of her most glorious IESVS CHRIST in his kingdome Now then the members of this virgin being by continuance of her sicknes as vtterly decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being a token that she should in short time be called of God she also vsed it as a ladder to mount to eternall saluation Whervpon the Pope Innocent the fourth came to the Monastery of saint Damian accompanied with many Cardinals to visitt the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all women of his time and therfore worthy to haue her death honoured by his presence His holinesse then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin and comming neere to her bed he tendered her his hand to kisse which fauour saincte Clare with exceeding ioy receaued But besides that she with great humility besought him to aford her his feet to kisse The Pope to content her sate downe vpon a litle bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feet on which this sainct reuerently laid her face and mouth most affectionatly kissing them then with the serenity of an Angelicall countenance she demaunded of him remission of all her sinnes Wherto the Pope answeared would to God my deere sister I had need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefitt of absolutiō and the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receaued the most sacred communion att the hand of the Prouinciall of the Frere Minors of that prouince with her handes ioyned and her eyes eleuated towardes heauen she weeping sayd to her Religious My daughters prayse almighty God for the benefitt it hath pleased him to bestow on me this day which is such that the earth and the heauens are not of sufficiencie to recompence it sith this day I haue both receaued the same Lord and am esteemed worthy to see his vicar on earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes THE XXV CHAPTER THe daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in short time to remayne orphanes the cōsideration wherof through-pearced their soules with a most bitter griefe The heauines of sleep nor hungar could not draw them from the presence of their mother the contentment which they receaued in her presence made them forgett to eat and to sleep because all their exercise was to weepe and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the Monastery which she had newly erected att Florence to be present att her death Being then in this anguish she tourned towardes her sister and most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence Wherto sainte Clare answeared Deere sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull and weepe no more for I assure you our Lord will shortly come to you to visitt you with an exceeding consolation before your death Here followeth the testament of the holy S. Clare In nomine Domini Amen AMongest all other benefittes which we haue receaued of our bountifull benefactour the king of mercies and doe daily receiue of him for which we are most boud to praise him one is for our vocatiō which by how much greater it is by so much more are we bound vnto him the Apostle saith acknowledge your vocatiō God hath made himselfe a way which he hath shewed by word and example our holy Father S. Francis a most perfect zelatour and follower of the same way hath thaught vs wherfor my beloued Sisters we ought to marcke the vnmeasurable benefitt which God hath done vnto vs amongest the rest that which he hath vouchsafed to worcke in vs through his seruāt our Father S. Frācis not only after our cōuersion but
subiect to seculer ecclesiasticall iurisdiction These Penitents may yet as is practised in all their Cōfraternityes create an head or chefe by the title of Minister Rector or Priour who shall haue care to assemble the Brethren att certaine times to consult of matters touching their company It is also manifest that S. Francis alone among al other authors of religions did institute and ordaine the Brethren and sisters of the third Order of Penitents And because he had formerly instituted two rules the one of Frere Minors and the other of poore Sisters this Confraternity of Penitents was called the third Order thence is deriued their denomination Since that time some others Orders principally the Begging Freres endeauour to imitate S. Francis and to institute also other Confraternities of imitating Penitents or what such other denomination they will and submitting themselues in some sort to the sayd Orders they withall enioy their priuiledges But to the end more apparent knowledge may be had of this first and true Order of Penitentes instituted by the holy Father S. Francis and the holy sea and of the fruit which they haue produced in the Church we will proceed in declaration of this Order First we will sett downe certaine Apostolicall fauours and concessions bestowed on this confraternity in the beginning therof then the rule which the said Pope Nicolas the fourth of blessed memory compiled approued finally we wil deduce the illustrious personnes that haue florished in the sayd Order in all sanctity which wil be a matter gratefull and worthy to be recorded The Briefe of Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he declared this Order to be confirmed and fauoured by Pope Honorius the 3. THE II. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to all the Brethren of the Order of Penitents instituted in Italy Forsomuch as the detestable enuy of the ennemy of mankinde doth with greater obstinacy persecute the seruants of CHRIST IESVS spreading his snares against them and with all his power seeking to withdraw and remoue them from the seruice of the king of kinges by malicious inuentions we knowing that these hauing forsaken the vanitie of the world though they be yet with their bodies on earth neuertheles in soule and spiritt they conuerse in heauen renouncing worldly desires for the loue of God they enioy not only transitory pleasures but eternal richesse so much more also doth he torment them no otherwise then did the Egiptians persecute the people of God that went out of the Egipt of this world till they perished by diuine punition and a new manner of death finding receauing the end which their worckes deserued And after our Sauiour and Redeemer IESVS CHR. hauing receaued holy Baptisme went into the desert where hauing fasted 40. dayes and 40. nightes the same wicked spirit feared not to tempt him Therfor he that addicteth himselfe to the seruice of God must according to the sentence of the Sage prepare his soule vnto temptations Which being considered by Pope Honorius the 3. our Predecessour and that doeing worckes of Penance you were afflicted by the children of this world by diuers afflictions and crosses that therfore you had need to be nourished and fauoured by laudable worckes he embracing and louing your Religion in the bowels of IESVS CHR. gratified the same with speciall grace commanding all Bishoppes and Archbishoppes of Italy to exempt and free you from such oathes as are accustomed to be exacted of Gouernours of townes and other officers of others places and to protect you that you be not constrayned to accept publicke offices and chardges or to be receauers of common rentes and such like affaires But because the children of darcknes who by their humane prudence haue learned to repute darcknes light and light darcknes and this by calomnie of sinister interpretation haue so afflicted you in the preiudice of your priuiledges that you are for more vexed and chardged then before you had those priuiledges for albeit the sayd Officers cānot exact your oathes they find other occasions to enforce you to sweare not permitting you to giue your reuenues in almose where you please Wherfore you haue with great humility demaunded that we deliuer you from the obligation of such oathes as you haue made those accepted of peace faith and testimony and that you may not be chardged with impostes and contributions more then your other fellow Cittizens that you may employ your reuenues in pious vses and distribute it att your pleasure and may not be troubled for the debtes and faultes of your neighbours but that you be obliged to answeare the debtes of others for which you shal be engaged We then considering that you enter into the way of perfection and that the children of the world will so much the more hinder you as they are and know themselues different frō your holy life and that they make a confused heape of peruerse oppositions to hide and obscure the veritie doe by aucthority of these present letters giue and graunt to all you in your vniuersity of whose faith and Religion we hold our selues assured the permission which you demaund of vs in all the sayd matters most expresly commanding you that yon endeauour to vse the grace and fauour well which we bestow on you and that none of you abuse the same Vnlesse you wil be frustrated and depriued of the priuiledge which we graunt you and therfore lett none c. Giuen at saint Iohn Lateran the 30. day of March and second yeare of our Popedone This present Breife was giuen the yeare of grace 1228. wherin appeareth that the Confraternity of the Penitentes was not exempted from seculer or ecclesiasticall iurisdiction though in this Briefe it be tearned Religion because this title of Religion is taken and vnderstood lardgely for Christian Religion The Briefe of the said Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he permitteth the Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis to heare diuine office in time of interdiction THE III. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to the Archibishoppes Bishoppes and Prelates of the church of Italy It being euident that the intention of those who are mindfull of death is not to follow the vanitie of the world but IESVS CHRIST doeing pennance with an humble hart by true contrition chasticing and subiecting the sences to reason and that their intention is to apply themselues to the seruice of God So that it were an iniust thing that these cōfraternityes should be separated and depriued of the diuine offices Ecclesiasticall sacraments it being reasonable that they receaue some speciall fauour of the holy Apostolike sea in these and other matters that concerne the seruice of God There being then many through Italy that obserue this order of life which some call Brothers Penitents we cōmand your prudence by this our Apostolicall Briefe that in the Churches of your iurisdiction wherin it is generally permitted you to say the
this laughter tourned into weeping then againe openning her eyes she shewed the like signes of ioy as before and shutting them she began againe to weep thus continuyng without speech till Compline And then she began to say O my God if thy holy will be to remaine with me I most humbly beseech thee to beleeue that I affect not nor desire any thing more passionatly then to remayne eternally with thy diuine maiesty Her companioÌ„s hauing prayed her to tell them for the glory of God and the edification of their soules what she had seene she sayd my beloued sisters I haue seene heauen open and my Lord IESVS CHR. benignely bowing vnto me shewing vnto me his holy gracious countenance Whiles I beheld him I was filled with incompreheÌ„sible ioy but not seeing him I was oppressed with inestimable griefe therfore did I so bitterly weepe And therfore God haâ—ing compassion of me he againe coÌ„forted and reioyced me with remonstrance of his glorious face replenished with inessable splendour who asking me if I would remayne with him I answeared as you haue hea d. Her companions further prayed her to impart vnto them the reuelation she had a litle before being before the altare She answeared I may not tell you what I haue seene yet I tell you I saw a merueillous matter of almighty God my hart was filled with his ioyful gracious visitation This S. was so visited of God in diuers manners though she reuealed nothing to her coÌ„panions therof nor what she knew to be the wil of God who soueth the secrecy of his friendes Our Redeemer would manifest the feruent charity of this blessed S. hearing her prayers by diuers effects wherof we will heere record the two examples following It happened one night as she slept that her mother appeared vnto her in vision on her knees in this sort entreating her alas my daughter remember the paines I endured in thy birth and pray for me for thou must know I suffer extreme torment for hauing liued too negligently not done penance for my sinnes The S. with this complaintive voice awaking and touched and moued with compassion towardes her mother she fell on her knees and made her prayer to God demaunding mercy of him for her mother And after a long and seruent prayer she fel a sleep and an other time saw her mother in vision with a ioyfull countenance who sayd My daughter I am by thy prayers deliuered of the paines wherwith I was tormented in purgatory and am now goeing to heauen This saynt seeing a yong man very sensuall and full of vanity had pitty of him and prayed for him whome also she persuaded to pray to God for himselfe wherto he accorded So whiles they both prayed the yong man began to cry out Madame pray no more for me pray no more forbeare if you please Which the S. hearing she redoubled the feruour of her prayers and the yong man began againe to cry lowder Madame pray no more for me I am all burned which exteriourly appeared for all his body did smoake by the extreme sweat wherin he was which made him tremble lift vp his armes and his countenance to faile They that found him there touching his flesh could not endure their handes on it his cloathes were al wet with the excessiue sweat that bathed him and therfore he stil encreased his cryes saying that he burned But the prayer of the sainct being ended this extreme visible heat left the yong man who retourning to the true knowledge of himselfe was then so purged and illuminated with diuine grace that the entred into the Religious Order of Frere Minors where he liued died piously and so God shewed the force and vertue of the prayer of his holy seruant not in these two examples only but also in many others Of the blessed death of S. Elizabeth and of the great miracles she wrought and how Pope Gregory the 9. canonized her THE XVII CHAPTER THe time of peregrinatioÌ„ of this holy widow being expired our lord appeared vnto her in vision and very familierly sayd Mine elect come possesse the celestial habitation In the morning she related this newes to her companions then by order she receaued with an examplar deuotion all the sacraments of the Church after that she prepared what was necessary for her obsequies and the night following tourning towardes a corner of the bed they that were neere her heard a cleare voice most sweetly singing wherupon one of her familier companions asked her who it was that did sing there and she mildely answeared that there was a litle bird which by the pleasing melody of his tune had induced her to sing then she began to cry auoyd auoyd auoyd wicked spiritt So that the deuill being come to see if he could find any thing for him in this sainct vanished att that voice And she hauing her countenance very ioyfull and her spiritt by prayer eleuated vnto God demaunded if it were not yet midnight att which houre our Sauiour voutsafed to be borne in the world and layd in the cribbe then saying that the houre was come when God would inuite her soule to the celestiall mariadge she sodenly mounted vnto heauen Her body hauing remayned foure dayes vnburyed continued so beautifull and yelded so sweet a sauour that it represented rather a glorious then mortall body There appeared at that instant on the roofe of the church a great noÌ„ber of birdes of strange kind which did so sweetly sing that they filled those that saw and heard them with extreme admiratioÌ„ this was to make knowne the feast which was celebrated in heauen att the entertaynment of this blessed soule her funerals were filled with great clamours complaintes and lamentations particulerly of the poore for the death and absence of her that loued attended and dressed them as amiably as if she had bin the carnal mother to them all There repayred thither a great confluence of people that with much deuotion weâ—e present att her obsequies each one entitling her a sainct and blessed He that could gett so nere her body as to haue one of her haires or part of her habitt esteemed it as a notable treasure Then would our Lord make knowne the glory of this his faithfull seruant by many miracles which by her merittes he wrought restoring sight to the blind curing the lame cleansing the leprous dispossessing the possessed giuing also sight to one borne blind and her selfe being layd in her graue deliuered many by her intercession from death Wherof Pope Gregory the ninth being adâ—ertised authentically assured of the miracles Wrought att the sepulchre of this holy womaÌ„ to whome liuing he carryed a perticuler deuotion after due and ordinarie information in such case procured and the examen of her life and miracles effected with the consent of al the Cardinals and Prelates of the Church that could be assembled the sayd Pope enroled her in the Catalogue of SS ordayning her feast to be
danger of vniust exactions and disposed him to follow his steppes reiecting al other possessiō to enioy the most precious pearle of Euangelicall perfection whichwith his vtmost possibility he sought found and purchased And in testimony and assurance of a true quiet and full possession therof our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST made him a contract therof written on the parchement of his owne flesh signed and sealed by the hand of the seller himselfe IESVS CHRIST with the seale of his most sacred woundes which he did to bannish from the world by meane and example of this his most deuout seruant the enormous and intollerable banckes and vsuries and the fraudes in traffikes too commonly practised in the worlde to the end to further poore Christians in a desire of buying the said precious and celestiall pearle by the traffike of penitence of vertues and of the glorious following and imitation of IESVS CHRIST Of his laborious endeauours to separate himselfe from the vvorld THE III. CHAPTER FRancis being very carefull and often consulting with himselfe how he might become more poore to please IESVS CHRIST renouncing the world and forsaking whatsoeuer therof appertayned vnto him with distribution therof vnto the poore there being no person to counsail him in this matter but his Sauiour IESVS CHRIST his diuine goodnes omitted not to visitt him further by his holy grace For departing out of the citty of Assisium with intention to seeke some solitary place to mediate and performe his deuotion he past by the side of a Church of S. Damian which by reason of extreme antiquity was euen ready to fall He being touched by the holy Ghost entred in and falling on his knees before the image of the Crucifix he felt his soule replenished with an admirable consolation of the holy Ghost wherfore with an extreme feruour he thrice iterated this prayer vnto God O high and glorious God my Lord IESVS CHRIST illuminate and lighten the obscurities of my hart giue me if it please thee a right faith an assured hope a perfect charity a knowledge of thee my God in such sort that he may euer performe thy true and holy will Amen Beholding afterwardes the Crucifix with a serious attention his eyes filled and his face bathed with teares he heard with his corporall eares a voice addressed vnto him from the Crucifix which three seuerall times thus spake vnto him Goe Francis and repaire my house that is ready to fall This so merueillous voice did exceedingly terrifie him being alone in the Church wherupon vtterly amazed and feeling in himselfe the force and vertue of those wordes he fell into a sound but retourning att lenght to himselfe he incontinently prepared to obey and to reestablish that materiall Church wherin he had presented his said prayer not as yet vnderstanding the sence of the wordes of God to be that he should repaire that other Church redeemed by his precious bloud So that rising from the ground and signing himselfe with the holy Crosse he retourned to the citty where he assembled all the marchandise that his Father had committed to his charge to traffike and sent it to Foliginum where he sold it all and the horse also wheron he rode then hastened to the said Church of S. Damian there to accomplish that which he supposed God had commanded him In which place hauing offered his deuotion he saw the Preist that serued there to whome he presented all the mony he had to rebuild and repaire that church and to releiue the poore besides he humby besought him that he would for certaine dayes receiue him into his company The preist answered that he would willingly entertaine his person but would not accepte his mony in regard of his Father and his kinred and therfore the true mispriser of richesse castinto a windoe that there he saw against a wall the pursse wherin his mony was which he there left in contempt as base earth regarding nothing but to vnite himself with God in the company of that Preist His Father vnderstanding all this full of indignation and anger against him laboured to find him out but Francis getting aduertisment therof as yet a fresh soldier of IESVS CHRIT fearing the threates of his Father and to giue way to his choller hid himself in a caue where he continued certaine dayes with abondance of teares continually praying God to vouchsafe to deliuer his soule from the handes of those that persecuted him and that his holy will would so much fauour him as being to effect the pious desires which he had vouchsafed to inspire vnto him After he had a certaine time continued his prayers he began to condemne himselfe of litle courage and therfore expelling all feare he arose out of the caue and went to Assisium armed with the magnanimity and vertu of the most high to tread vnder foot the serpentes of worldly persecution wherby the deuill thought to enforce his retire His fellow cittizens seeing him vtterly disfigured as if he had bin bereaued of his sences said that he was mad and the litle children followed him casting stones and dirt att him and crying after him in the streetes as if he had bin a foole But the seruant of IESVS CHRIST in regard of all that lost not his courage nor altered his purpose for whatsoeuer he iniustly endured but went peaceably as if he had bin deafe blind and insensible respecting litle or nothing to be reputed a foole in the world prouided that he might afterwardes proue wise with IESVS CHRIST in heauen Now his Father hearing these cryes and seeing his eldest sonne thus abused he ran as a roaring lyon not to deliuer him from those contemptible reproaches but himselfe to treat him more disdainfully then all the rest as if he had bin no longer his Father In such sort that he conducted him to his owne house where hauing extremely iniuried and beaten him he caused him to be chayned and so shutt into a chamber vsing him himselfe as if he had bin a foole thincking by these tormentes to reduce him vnto his former estate But so far was the true seruant of IESVS CHRIST from being any way terrified or withdrawen from his former pious resolution that on the contrary he became therby more firme and constant and more accustomed to support all calling often to his minde that worthy saying of the Gospell Blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen and that which our redeemer himselfe said If any man come to me and hateth not his Father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life besides he cannot be my disciple The which speculation was then most exquisitely practised by God in the person of his seruant Francis who was not only derided of his freindes and kinred but much more of his Father himselfe It might doubtelesse be esteemed a hart of flint or steele that was not moued to
compassion to see him so tormented by his owne Father and that admired not the cruelty of the one and the patience of the other But glorious Francis who had his spiritt vnited with IESVS CHRIST by whome he was comforted did in the meane time thus encourage himselfe that by these strokes of the hammer of affliction God would forge of him a merueillous and admirable vessell baked and purged in the fournace of most panifull crosses and labours to dilate and amplifie his glory and to renew his memory on earth Certaine dayes then after yong Francis was committed to prison his father vppon occasion of his affaires being gone out of Assisium his mother who was not pleased with that her husband had done conceiuing a naturall compassion of her sonne went to see him and with the gentle and sweet speeches of a mother endeauoured to persuade him to obey his father accompanying her wordes that were of them selues sufficiently pregnant and effectuall with abondance of teares This certainly was no sclender assault and combatt to the new champion whose mother could nothing preuaile in that she desired for he lett her know that his obligation was more to God then to his father or mother and besides that he was resolued to follow the inspiration which he had receiued of the holy Ghost Then he tourned his speech to his mother her selfe exhorting her to acknoledge the great benefitt which she had receiued of God in that he called her sonne to his seruice and that therfore she ought to be thankfull vnto him This woman att length ouer comme with the reasons of her child and desperate of force euer to supplant his firme resolution and constantie and with all touched with a motherly compassion loosed his chaines and imparting vnto him her benediction she dismisses him Francis finding himselfe att liberty saluted his mother and prayed her to be no more afflicted in his regard and then retourned to the fore said Church to giue thankes to the Soueraigne Redeemer for what soeuer had happened vnto him But his father being retourned and not finding his sonne in the place where he left him hauing greiuously checked and iniuried his wife for dismissing him he ran vtterly enraged into the said Church with resolution to procure his banishment out of his contry as a dishonour vnto him if he should persist in his former resolution The victorious Francis presented himselfe before his Father to intertaine him graciously notwithstanding he preceiued him to be extreme furious and with an assured and ioyfull countenance said vnto him Father I feare not att all your threates your beatinges your fetteringes nor all you tormentes for I am ready to endure such persecution as you desire to inflict on me for the loue of my God Which his father hauing heard and knowing well that he should neuer moue nor stagger his stable and cōstant resolution he then thought att least to redeeme and recouer the mony which his sonne had receiued for his merchandise and to that end sought information of the Preist how it was imployed but in the meane while he seemed to perceiue a great purse vpon a window whereto goeing neere he found that it was his mony which hauing seazed on it much appeased his fury the burning thirst of his auarice being somewhat moderated by the application of this medicine How the seruant of Iesus Christ Francis renounced his father not only touching his due but euen restored vnto him all the garments wherwith he was cloathed disapparelling himselfe euen to his shirt and this in presence of the bishop of Assisium THE IIII. CHAPTER THe terrestriall father of the glorious Francis being not yet satiated with the cruelties inflicted on him would tempt the sonne of grace in temporall abilities seeking to constraine him to render and renounce the dew portion which of his father he was to haue and to this effect conducted him before the bishop of the citty Now the father thus proceeded for feare that being dead his sonne should distribut the part of his succession among the poore S. Francis vnderstanding it went very willingly before the bishop as a true louer of pouerty and obedient child without expecting further summoning and without◠any consideration of the matter and there he did not only most readily renounce his paternall succession but euen putt off the garmentes wherwith he was cloathed to his very shirte in presence of the bishop and diuers others without blushing any thinge theratt being mindefull of our most gracious IESVS CHRIT who for vs was nailed naked vnto the crosse Then he made a litle bundle of his cloathes and deliuered the same to his father saying Till this present I haue called you father and haue reputed you so in this world but from hence forward I may securely say Our Father which art in heauen to whome I haue giuen in custody my treasure and in him haue reposed all the hope of hereditary succession The bishop seeing so strange a specctacle nothing resting on the body of poore Francis but his haire cloth and preceiuing on the other side that the father supported and endured to see his sonne naked without any compassion of his hart considering with all in the sonne such an extraordinary feruour with so admirable and excessiue patience he reputed him the true seruant of God and therefore arising and standing vp he with gracious sweetnes receiued him into his armes and as a pious Pastour couered him with his owne gowne and commanded his seruantes to bring him a garment whervpon they brought him an old base coate of a poore labourer which Francis gratefully receiued without expecting any other and requiring that there might be brought him a paire of Cicers he so fashioned the same that it couered a man in forme of a Crosse A right heroicall act worthy of very great consideration and merueillous to see after what manner the world the true soldier of the deuill our cruell ennemie reduceth to nothing those that desire truely to serue God leauing them euen naked without wherwithall to couer them We ought here to consider how necessary it is for the good and vertuous to mesprise the wealth of the world and not to feare the inconueniences therof to disburthen them of the weight of the earth with the greater alacrity to carry the burden of our Redeemer and finally in a certaine sort to disnaturalize them selues forsaking father and mother and worldly kinred to become cittizens of heauen Thus was the seruant of the most mighty Monarque dischardged of his terrestriall father to follow our naked IESVS CHRIST crucified whom he loued and so armed with the armours of the crosse he recommanded his soule to the tree of life by the vertue wherof he secured himselfe from the tempestuous sea of this world Of the exercises wherin the seruant of Iesus Christ Francis thence forward employed himselfe THE V. CHAPTER THis contemner of the world being then freed of the chaines and
and others others brought thither the disobedient who entred into it with a great indignation of spiritt and besides his sences as one that by his disobedience was already in the diuels possession He also commanded the Brethren to couer him instantly with earth but being scarce halfe couered the deuill by the merittes of the S. Hauing left him he began bitterly to weep saying The deuill that had hardened my hard hath now altogether left me but proceed you bouldly in couering me for I haue well deserued this death and a more greiuous The Brethren hearing him began to weep with him and some of them aduertised the S. of his conuersion who commanded that he should be taken vp and brought before him where being he said vnto him Choose what house you will wherin you may be comforted and there shall you dwell vpon obedience which the Brother hearinge with bitter teares he answeared not so my most gracious Father if you please but the greatest consolation you can giue me is that I accomplish my first penance the holy Father being moued with these wordes gaue him his benediction Thus hath he shewen vs by these examples that the end of the chasticement of Religion ought to be penitence and amendement of the sinner on whom if he acknowledge himselfe chasticement ought not to be inflicted but fatherlie consolation rather as IESVS CHRIST hath taught vs in his worthy parabole of the prodigall child who being repentant of his offences demaunded pardon of his father and the father very tenderlie embraced him and with great ioy conducted him into his house How S. Francis sent Brother Ruffinus to preach without the caepuce in vertue of obedience and of the penance which thersore he inflicted on himselfe THE XLI CHAPTER BY this that followeth there appeareth a merueillous order for gouernment to witt that the Superiour ought not to command vnto his subiects the thinge that himselfe would not doe S. Francis one day called vnto him Brother Ruffinus whome he commanded to goe preach in the cittie of Assisium and to deliuer vnto the people onlie what God should inspire vnto him but Brother Ruffinus making his excuse answeared Pardon me if you please good Father you know I am not apt to preach because I haue not any grace in my speech as being too simple and an idiot Which he spake with much humilitie And though in deed he had bin a discreet knight in the world he was neuertheles so chaunged in himselfe by meanes of the grace of contemplation which he had receiued of God that he was manie times out of himselfe and spake verie seldome and yet that litle was with such difficulty that he seemed to speake with exceedinge paine but the S. reprehending him for not hauing instantlie obeyed commanded him further vpon obedience and gaue him for penance to goe without his capuce The obedient Brother Ruffinus then without farther contradiction hauing put off his capuce and falling one the ground demaunded his benediction which hauing receiued he went to Assisium and first entred into a church there to make his prayer which done he ascended the pulpitt and began to preach The people then assembled who admiring to see him without capuce and amazed att such a noueltie said one to an other these poore Freers doe such austere penance that there withall they loose their witts So whiles this good Brother preached S. Francis considering the prompt obedience of Brother Ruffinus and the rigour of his commandement he began to check himselfe thus reasoning the matter What will hast thou gotten thou sonne of Peter Bernardone thou of so meane estate to command Brother Ruffinus who is one of the principall gentlemen of Assisium to goe preach without his capuce I will make thee to be an example of what thou hast commanded to an other and speaking thus to himselfe he hastiely tooke the capuce from his owne head and taking Brother Leo for companion he went to Assisium Being come into the church where Brother Ruffinus preached the people that saw him without capuce esteemed him to be likewise foolish beleeuing that the Br. Ruffinus and he were become sottish by meanes of their ouer sharpe penance many people therfore flocking thither Brother Ruffinus in the best manner he could deliuered this speech My beloued Brethren shunne the world leaue sinne retourne to the socure way if you desire to avoid hell obserue the diuine preceptes loue God and your neighbour and doe penance because the great kingâ— dome of heauen approacheth att least if you will possesse it But as soone as he perceiued S. Francis he discended from the pulpitt to come vnto him and the S. incontinentlie ascended The Church was then entierlie full of wordlie people for some came thither to see the extremitie of that life others moued with compassion and deuotion and others to deride them reputing them senceles but the holie Ghost that was in S. Francis caused him to vtter such worthy and merueillous matters of the contempt of the world of holie and necessary penance and of voluntary pouerty of the desire of the kingdome of heauen of obedience of the nuditie ignominies and passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and other like thinges which he declared in such manner and with such feruour that they who formerlie derided the noueltie of his habitt and reputed these Brethren to be out of their right sences did now bitterly weepe and such was that weeping and so violent for the compassion which they had of the death of IESVS CHRIST crucified and the feare which they conceaued of hell that they began to crie for mercie as if it had bin an other good friday on which day the Passion is preached so patheticallie in Italy that all the world cryeth mercie as one would doe att the sacking of a towne Wherfore the people being so edified and contrite Brother Leo who had brought with him both the capuces gaue to each one his owne they afterward retourned to their Monasterie praysing God for his great mercie sith by the vertue of holie obedience they had obtayned victorie ouer themselues and manifested how much they contemned the world They had much to doe to be ridd of the people that before reputed them for fooles and now he that could touch or kisse their habittes esteemed himselfe happy It appeared by the end of this worck that the beginning proceeded of God though it were wrought by an excessiue meane as the worcke of the Prophettes not so much to be imitated as for a signe of approbation of holy obedience of mortification of selfe will and contempt of the world and that we might know what glorious end God giueth to the worckes of holy obedience either secrett or manifest as it pleaseth him Of the loue which S. Francis boare to pouerty THE XLII CHAPTER AMong many giftes and singuler fauours which the glorious S. receaued att the bountifull hand of God one of the principall was that of
this that followeth in my selfe I purpose to goe to the chapiter where shal be assembled all the Religious who will receaue me with great reuerence as their superiour afterward lett them pray me to comfort them explicating vnto them the word of God which for their satisfaction performing lett them all arise and say Hold they peace we well haue thee no longer for Superiour for thou art an idiot block-head and ignorant and with all knowest not what thou sayest wherfore it is ouer great shame to haue such a superiour then be it that you detrude me out of the chapter with vtter dishonour as deseruing the same I would not I say esteeme me a good Freer Minor if I did not support all that with the same promptitude and ioy as if I heard my selfe praysed for if I reioyce att honours what profitt reape I therby I putt my soule in perill of vaine glory without hope of any benefitt but if I be contemned my soule is therby secured and profiteth in spiritt In regard of his exceedingly zeale vnto this humility when it happened that any praysed him either for his preaching or vpon any other occasion he commanded his companion to contrary it and to giue him wordes of disprayse which doeing though vnwillingly the holy Father would answeare God blesse you because you speake the truth and that which the sonne of Peter Bernardone doth deserue Being one day att out lady of Angels Brother Macie had a desire to trie the humility of S. Francis though he were his perticuler freind only because he knew it would be gratefull vnto him Being then in his presence he twice iterated these wordes Wherfore to you wherfore to you as if he would inferre Francis wherefore doe people so much honour you The holie Father smilinglie answeared What meane you by that brother Macie All the world replyed brother Macie runneth after you euery one desireth to see you to heare and obey you and for any thing that I know you are neither personable learned eloquent nor noble whence is it then the world doth follow you The S. then vested with his accustomed humilitie hauing lifted his eyes to heauen and a litle prayed and thanked God thus answeared his deere freind Will you know Brother Macie whence it proceedeth that as you say such resort of people doe follow me and willinglie heare me This proceedeth of the eyes of the great omnipotent God which in all places beholding both the good and bad hath pleased to choose me as the most simple and vilest sinner in the world for God doth choose the most feeble and infirme thinges with them to confound the noble potent strong and worldlie wise that the glorie may be his alone and that the creature being in presence of his Creatour may haue nothing wherof to glory An answeare doubtles more then humane and descending from heauen where the spiritt of this holy Father learned of that high and potent God who hath euer his eyes fixed on the humble of spiritt as likewise the most sacred virgin learned when she answeared to the prayses of S. Elizabeth by these wordes My soule doth prayse God because he hath beheld the humilitie of his hand maid How S. Francis reputed him selfe the greatest sinner of the world THE LXXXI CHAPTER THat the more he humbled himselfe on earth the more he was exalted in heauen was manifested vnto Brother Ruffinus in a reuelation whiles he was praying for being rapt in spiritt he saw an high and eminent place in heauen wherin was the Order of Seraphins and among them a seat void farre more resplendant then any other and all couered with precious stones Wherevpon with exceeding admiration he demaunded for whome that seat was prepared and he heard a voice that said this seat was one of the principall Seraphins that fell into hell and now it is reserued for the right humble Francis After this vision Brother Ruffinus had an extreme desire to know wherin principally consisted that so great humility which was so meritorious in the blessed Father saint Francis hauing therfore some discourse one day with him he said My beloued Father I hartely beseeche you to tell me certainely what is your owne esteeme and what opinion you haue of your selfe Sainct Francis answeared Verily I hold my selfe for the greatest sinner of the world and toe serue God lesse then any other Brother Ruffinus replyed vnto him that he did not thinck he could speake the same sincerily and with a cleare conscience it being so that others as was apparent did committ many greiuous sinnes wherof by the grace of God he was innocent To this S. Francis answeared If God had with so great mercy fauoured those others of whome you speake I am assured that how soeuer wicked and detestable they may be now they would farre more gratefully acknowledge the giftes of God then I doe and would serue him much better And if my God should now forsake me I should perpetrate more enormities then any other In regard therfore of this ineffable grace done vnto me I accuse and acknowledge my selfe to be the greatest sinner that is Brother Ruffinus by this answeare was thoroughly confirmed in the vision which God had shewed vnto him hauing found good demonstration of the meritt of the holy Fathers humility But because humility ought alwayes to haue verytie for foundatiō it seemeth one may make a sufficient reply to this his answeare and not without reason For some one might thus argument Most holy Father tell me if you please by the excessiue loue which in this world you haue borne to the hūble Jesus Christ and att this presēt more thē euer doe beare him where haue you learned that if an other sinner had receaued or should receaue the talent of grace which God hath giuen you that he would more acknowledge it and make better profitt therof then you haue done Vpon what reason vpon what doctrine and on what spiritt is grounded the foundation of this feeble opinion which you seeme to haue of your selfe For I firmely beleue that if God had knowne it he would neuer haue bestowed this grace on you but rather on that other The most humble Father to this obiection might well answeare that he had learned it of the doctrine of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST who with his mouth hath said The spiritt breatheth where he will and of S. Paul that neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but he that giueth the increase God wherof he might thus inferre I not being Francis without God that worcketh in me when he had pleased to inspire an other there is no doubt but he had done the like and euen more according to his grace And wheras you beleeue that if God had giuen it to an other it had bin knowne that he had done this or more your beleefe is false for as the same S. Paul saith it is in the power of
the Potter to frame one pott for honour and an other for dishonour one for vse of meat and an other to serue for the chamber Neuertheles it would be ridiculous for the vessell to complaine and say why is this honour giuen to him rather then to me for thus it hath pleased him because he is the master But he might farther and with much more reason alleadge the saying of the Espouse Consider me not nor doe not admire that I am black because the sunne hath taken away my collour which hath no other signification but that one should not beleeue that this great deformity which the humble presupposeth in himselfe doth proceed of what soeuer cause indifferently but that the sunne of iustice the liuing God maketh it appeare so foule vnto his eyes and not the light of the Moone which is worldly wisdome And this I say proueth not that he maketh the faire foule in essence but in apparence only by comparaison made of a thing imperfectly faire with an other beautifull in the highest degree It being supposed then that I haue yet in me some good as it may be neuertheles when I fix mine eyes on that diuine sunne of iustice I am enforced and constrained to behold the great multitude of sunne motes of mine imperfections in his cleare beames wheron reflecting as one ought I know my basenes and mine imperfection to be infinite and to become as a nothing in this mine accident all beauty But because that which is true cannot be otherwise I retourne and reenter into my selfe where considering the greatnes of my naturall basenes I acknowledge nothing in my selfe but the grace of God that doeth any thing because as man there is no sinne but I might haue cōmitted In which respect I ought to humble my selfe and beleeue that touching this point there is no man in the world any way inferiour vnto me This equality layd the force of humility doth after enter into his meritt wheras among men we are all naturally equall in imperfections therfore the truly humble doth honour and repute all other as greater then himselfe and that is the black colour which the Sunne of his grace doth by his goodnes giue him with which humilitie God himselfe made man being cloathed said I am not a man but a worme the contempt of men and out-cast of the people And if IESVS CHRIST spake this of himselfe who is the mouth of trueth who can euer contemne a man and say that he doth falsely esteeme himselfe lesse then other men And therfore God doth farther say learne of me because I am meek and humble of hart learne of me saith he because he knew that proud humane ignorance could not conceaue I will not say teach this doctrine more then humane by its apparent and sophisticall reasōs But learne of me to wit what God is and what is mā for I being the one and the other together none can better know thē my selfe what difference there is betweene thes two Now of this consideratiō proceedeth true and perfect humility and therfore it is greater in the blessed that clearly see the Sunne of iustice in his splendours then in themselues walking in the pilgrimage of this world wherin by faith and imperfect charity they receaue the diuine beames only by reuerberation and reflection in the cloud of their imperfection and therfore the nerer the true seruant approacheth vnto him with the vnderstanding the more humble he is So as the glorious virgin Mary was the most humble of all creatures on earth euen so is she most humble of all in heauen though she be att the right hand of her Sonne because the more she doth participate of that diuine and infinite light and doth more clearly and with greater glory contemplate that so great depth of the infinite and high diuine bounty so much better doth she see the goulfe of her litlenes which in the end is to be a creature which is nothing in comparison of her Creatour before whome she bendeth her knees with farre more reuerence then euer did the foure and twenty ancientes whome S. Iohn saw prostrate before the throne of the liuing God because she hath a deeper knowledge of him then they Therfore lett all humane reason be silent mute and giue place in the certaine contemplation of true diuine humilitie sith it cannot penetrat the deep secrettes of God by meane wherof with a most miraculous operation it then raiseth a soule more high when it most debaseth her to the profundity of her consideration and then it procureth her a crowne in heauen and maketh her true Queene in that eternall kingdome when it causeth her to be inferiour slaue and subiect to all creatures for the only loue of God which being her foundation it is not to be admired if her building arise to such an hight For humilitie is no other thing then a profound and continual humiliatiō of the soule vnto his diuine Maistie caused by his diuine liberality And therfore she ought duely to consider with what benignity his maiesty vnited himselfe vnto vs receauing into him our so base and abiect nature wherof he would make vse to raise and relieue our so extreme pouertie of this knowledge will grow and encrease in the soule the true loue and approbation of the obligation we haue vnto God It cannot be expressed how insatiable a thing it is to desire alwayes to correspond vnto IESVS CHRIST in worckes misprising ones selfe for his loue and euer desirously giuing eare vnto the foresaid voice Learne of me by the true doctrine whereof there arriueth vnto the soule by such a humility subiection not only vnto God and his commandementes but euen for his loue vnto all creatures and she reputeth them her betters and superiours though they be sinners hauing her eye only one her basenes or lownes which is such as cannot be greater So misprising her selfe to the vtmost she saith with her Lord IESVS CHRIST I am a worme and not a man the contempt of men and the out cast of the people By which wordes the question is cleared and resolued Of the discourses and exercises of the humility of S. Francis THE LXXXII CHAPTER THe said holy Father would not haue any thing in his Religion were it neuer so excellent but it should in its kinde euen exteriourlie preach Lowlinesse and Humilitie Wherfore he reiected the title of preacher of Pennance which Pope Innocent the third had graunted to him and his and would that his Religion should be called Minors and that they should conserue them selues liuing like Minors as true children of the Apostolicall rule And for the same cause he would not that the superiours should be called Priors but Ministers and seruantes A name imposed by IESVS CHRIST in the gospell when he said that he was come to serue to the end that by such a surname they might be alwayes mindfull both of their office and of their author
shunned sensuall light as distractiue vnto the hart and hauing giuen some repose vnto his body in the beginning of the night he spent the rest in most deepe silence in high contentment with his beloued God The sixt condition of perfect prayer is a feruent charity towards God without all feare not like vnto that of the cold negligent and new beginners for this perfect charity expelling all base feare and labour doth by loue vnite the hart of man with the goodnes of God This loue was such in the holy Father that it continuallie burned in his hart as a liuing fire the flame wherof dilated it selfe in charity to the benefitt of his neighbour through all the partes of the world Of the perseuerance of his prayer and of the effect it wrought and continued in S. Francis THE XCIV CHAPTER THe seauenth condition is perseuerance therin because God saith we must alwayes pray and not ceasse Of this point it may be alleadged that the life of S. Francis was a continuall prayer vnto God either for his owne saluation or his neighbours desiring to communicate his Redeemer IESVS CHRIST vnto all Creatures that they might know and loue him as he did and that for his owne part he might euer dwell with his diuine Maiestie But being by the impediment of the weight of his terrestriall body that was a stranger and remote from his true country disabled to enioy his beloued he by perseuerant prayer endeauoured with all possiblity to keepe his soule alwayes vnited vnto him which was not ouer-difficult vnto him as hauing so mortified in himselfe earthly afflictions that he conuersed in spiritt on high with the blessed as a Cittizen of heauen and familier in the house of God Therfore prayer was vnto him a singuler refreshment in his labours an assured fortresse against temptations and a remedy in necessities for distrusting himselfe and his proper forces industry and knowledge he had setled and reposed all his hope in God by meane of prayer which he affirmed that euery faithfull Christian ought aboue all other things to demaund of God in this life considering that without it one can make no profitt nor progresse in spirituall life and therfore to be an example vnto his Religious he made alwayes to appeare exteriourly and interiourly that trauailing or praying being in action or rereposing his spiritt was continually attentiue vnto prayer And therfore it seemed that he had not only dedicated his soule and body vnto his beloued God but euen the very momentes of time to the end that no visitation of the holy Ghost should by his negligence passe and be lost as not finding him disposed to receaue it Therefore when in his iorney he felt the same he would stay and lett his companion passe on to know with a very deep attention what God inspired vnto him And when he was in solitary places he filled the mountaines with sighes and bathed the earth with a flud of teares he beat his brest for the offences committed against his God Sometimes he accused himselfe as if he had bin before a Iudge other times he demaunded mercy as a child of his gracious Father sometimes he sweetlie discoursed as if he had bin priuately with his intimous freind he hath att such time bin heard of his Religious to inuocate the clementie of God by the great commiseration which he felt in himselfe of the death and passion of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST as if he had seene him crucified He shewed exteriour gesture conformable to the interiour effect Sometimes he held his mouth against the earth now he was on his knees then vpright on his feet now he held his armes crossed then his handes ioyned towardes heauen And praying after this manner he was most commonlie seene enuirouned with a great light and lifted into the aire in testimony of the interiour light and affection towardes God and then did he participate of the diuine secrettes which he neuer reuealed but when it was requisite for he ordinarily said that one did often loose an inestimable treasure for a very base price offending the giuer with daunger neuer to haue it againe For which cause when he retourned from his exercises he in such sort composed and dissembled his countenance that he that had not much experienced it would neuer haue suspected that he had prayed in such excesse of spirit When he prayed with his Religious he retayned his sighes and all other gestures wherby he might be obserued He taught the manner to pray secretlie then to say My God I recommend vnto thee this consolation which it hath pleased thee without any meritt of mine to graunt me to the end I steale not this great treasure He assured them that by this meane they should obtaine that God inuiting them would say Freind because thou hast bin so humble ascend now vnto an higher place Of the attention which S. Francis had in his prayers and of the deuotion he had in diuine seruice THE LXXXXV CHAPTER HE said the canonicall houres with so great reuerence and deuotion that albeit he were most commonly weary and feeble by reason of his infirmities yet making no esteeme thereof he was alwayes standing or kneeling with his head bare reading verie distinctly If he trauiled when the time of prayer and saying the said houres was he would stay This practise did he neuer omitt whatsoeuer rayne or storme did happen saying If the body that is to be food for wormes desired to eat in repose with how much more reason ought one to giue repose to the soule when she receaueth the refection of the life which she is eternally to possesse without corruption He said his psalmes and what soeuer was to be said with such attention as if God had bin before his eyes When he was to name the name of God he pronounced it so sweetly that he seemed to lick his lâ—ppes such contentment felt he in his soule yea he commanded his Religious carefullie to gather vp all the papers they found wherin was written the name of IESVS that it might not be troddeÌ„ vnder foot He reputed it a great offence when one spake vnto God to thincke of other matters And if he chaunced sometimes to apply his spiritt on other affaires though spirituall he would accuse himselfe thereof in confession yea albeit he had his interiour powers so recollected within him by meane of the continuall and assiduous exercise therin employed that the flyes of the world molested him very seldome Being one lent att an hermitage he attempted for exercise to make an osier basket but the time of prayer being come because in saying the third houre the basket came to his minde he tooke it and incontinentlie threw it into the fire with these wordes I sacrifice thee vnto God in place of his seruice which thou hast interrupted This glorious Sainct held the feast of the natiuity of our Sauiour in particuler deuotion Being on
morning sacrifice and he as a sacrifice of the euenning God permitting that according well on earth they should by the merittes of the prayer of his seruant be also vnited in heauen leauing to the inhabitantes of that place a perpetuall memory of so worthy a miracle Of certaine apparissions made vnto S. Francis in his contemplation THE XCIX CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis alwayes sought solitary places wherrin he might more freelie conuerse with God and discourse with his Angels and there making his celle of bowes of trees distant from those of the other Religious he enioyned Brother Leo his companion to visitt him no more then once a day and to bring him only bread and water and once in the night att the houre of Matines and att his comming to say Domine Labia â—ea aperies and if he answeared Et os meum aâ—nuâ—ciabit laudem tuam then he should enter to say matines with him but if he answeared not he should depart in peace because he was sometime so rauished in extasie that he could not speake day nor night Brother Leo very seriously obserued the commandement of the holy Father neuertheles he sometime watched him for his consolation he oftentimes saw him eleuated into the aire and then he boldly embraced his feet when they were low enough to doe it for att such time he was lifted higher then a great tree and att other times so high that the eye of man could not attaine the sight of him which when Brother Leo saw he would fall on his knees vnder him and aske mercy of God This Religious â—â—counted that he saw him once on his knees hauing his countenauce fixed towardes heaven and his handes ioyned together when he heard him vtter these wordes which with great effusion of teares he often repeated Who art thou my God and who am I att which wordes he saw a light to descend on his head and in the same heard a voice that spake vnto him but he could not vnderstand the wordes being remote from him for feare the Sainct should perceaue him and of reuerence reputing himselfe vnworthy to heare the diuine secrettes he only saw S. Francis thâ—ise to putt his hand into the said flame of fire which done the vision disappeared But Brother Leo could not goe so gently but the holy Father heard some noyse and therefore sayd I command thee in vertue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST whosoeuer thou be to stay there Brother Leo staying said Father it is I. S. Francis calling him checked him for it but Brother Leo acknowledging his fault prayed him that sith he had pardonned him he would also so much fauour him as to tell him what signified the vision which he had seene The holy Father willing to satisfie him in this manner expounded it vnto him Know that when you saw that light discend from aboue God communicated vnto me the knowledge of his diuine maiesty and of my selfe which was it that I demaunded of him saying My God who art thou and who am I that is his greatnes and worth and my extreme basenes and the very nothing that I am and therefor I neuer accustomed to reiterate those wordes After this reuelation I said vnto him whence is it then my God that thou voutsafed so to gratifie a worme of the earth such as my selfe so abiect and vile and he answeared me such high matters as humane vnderstanding is not capable to conceaue them Before he departed he demaunded of me to offer him some thing I answeared that I had nothing in this world and that my selfe was his that I had giuen my selfe to him for â—uer and therfore knew not what to offer him Then he commaunded â—e me to putt my hand into his bosome and to present vnto him that which I should founde there which I did And I found there three medalles or balles of gold which I three seuerall times offered vnto him Then he pleased to explicate vnto me that those three balles signified precious pouâ—rty resplendent charity and rich and golden obedience which by his grace I acknowledged to haue in such sort offred vnto him that my conscience doth not any way reprehend me in the obseruation of them Now in counterchaunge of this gift which I presented he of his infinite bounty graunted me that I should euer be thanckfull vnto him both in mouth and hart for this and all other benefittes which his diuine maiesty hath bestowed on me and which I reputed not mine but his For this then was it that thou sawest me stretch out my hand three seuerall times Now sith I haue satisfied thee I command thee that whiles I shall liue thou discouer it to no person of the world and that thou watch me no more when I shal be in prayer Goe then with the benediction of God into your celle and pray to God for me for with in few dayes God will worck such meruaylous thinges in this mountaine that all the world shall admire it He meant the holy impression of his stigmates Of an other apparition vnto the holy Father THE C. CHAPTER AVery yong and simple Religious being in an Oratory where the Religious accustomed to retire themselues when they went into the desert S. Francis being then there and being surprised by the night he was to remaine there to take his rest and then he determined to see that which he had so often heard spoaken of the holy Father S. Francis to witt that when he prayed in the night he did merueilous thinges Wherefore euery one being gone to rest he placed himselfe att the feet of the holy Father and that he should not goe away without him he tied their girdles together to the end that if he arose he might be awakened But this deuise litle auayled for S. Francis arising very gently loosed the cordes and went to pray otherwhere The Religious that was a sleepe with his cogitation running on his desire was not long from awaking and finding himselfe alone and deceaued purposed att aduentures to follow him through the woods to whome God was so fauourable that he found the holy Father in prayer on the toppe of a Mountaine and he seeming to heare some speech saw a merueilous spleÌ„dour that enuiroÌ„ned the S. and therin our lord IESVS CHRIST with the glorious virgin his mother S. Iohn the Euangelist and an infinite nuÌ„ber of Angels that were there present which the Religious seeing he was seased with such a terrour that he fell as dead to the ground and had no feeling till the holy Father hauing ended his prayer and retourning to his celle by reason of the darcknes of the night stumbled against him So conceauing presently who he was embracing him and laying him on his necke the best he could and God assisting him as a good Pastour he carryed his beloued sheep to the folde and hauing reduced him to himselfe made him report what he had seene he likewise commaunded him not to
holy Father carried the gospell better written in his hart then is seene on paper Wherfore he often put his Religious in minde of those wordes of Dauid My soule hath reiected consolation I haue bin mindefull of God and haue reioyced as if he said that he respected no other temporall consolation sith he enioyed all consolation in the passion of his sweet IESVS CHRIST And therfore he exhorted his Religious often to tourne the leaues both night and day of this pious booke of the passion of IESVS CHRIST without care of any other And all his sermons and exhortations were accordinge to the abondance of his hart of this crosse and most sacred passion to perfect them therin as a most assured way of saluation An exhortation of the holy Father S. Francis to the meditation of the passion of our Redeemer Iesus Christ THE CIV CHAPTER BE alwayes mindefull said the holy Father of the way of humility and pouerty of the crosse wherby our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST hath walked for our example considering that if it were necessary for his diuine Maiesty to enter into his glory by meane of this his passion it is farre more necessary for vs detestable sinner to tread the same path And if euerie faithfull Christian be obliged therevnto much more are we we I say who make profession to follow the crosse which God will that we doe not onlie beare but that by our example and doctrine we procure others to beare it and doe induce them after vs with them to follow him that is our guide Considering withall that the good wil to imitate the passion of our Sauiour is a particuler grace which the holy Ghost bestoweth on the soule that truelie loueth and serueth him for the soule that is selfe-affected and a freind to her selfe doth not taste but repugneth this doctrine of the holy Ghost nor reputeth this participation of the passion of our Lord necessary to perfection yet pretending to make greater benefitt by other wayes not wayes but hidden downe falles shunning the gall of tribulations and the bitternes of the crosse of our Lord IESVS CHRIST she holdeth her hart drowned and blinded in selfe affection by other naturall and voluntary cogitations resting assured that she serueth God better in that liberty of life without respect of the infinite pleasures and contentmentes which the soule receaueth interiourly in this contemplation and compassion of her God because they can finde no tast but in suffering for him but the soule purged and entierly exempted from her proper interestes permitteth her selfe to be guided by the holy Ghost that he worâ—k in her att his good pleasure as an excellent master of the singuler doctrine which our Lord left written in the bookes of his humility patience and passion the infallible wayes of Christian perfection Therfore the soule that obtayneth of him greatest purity seeketh also to transforme herselfe in to his dolours reputing all other wayes as mortall food and this alone for a medicine bitter vnto the tast but right pleasant in fruit bitter to tast delicious in operation So preferring health before the tast she experienceth how admirable this tast of eternall life is to haue reiected the former that is fraile transitory and mortall For she experienceth that his loue doth not better appeare in any other then in his charitable passion and that the more she transformeth her selfe into IESVS CHRIST crucified the more she is transformed into the high and glorious God because the humanity cannot be separated from the diuinitie and himselfe requireth it as a grace of his Father when he saith I will that mine be where I am And so the soule contemplateth both the one and the other estate of her God that she may neuer be separated from him as she should be in shunning his passion according to the wordes of S. Paul That he who suffereth not with him shall not raigne with him she therfore considereth him mortall immortall of which estates the one is of them that run the race the other of them that haue already gotten the price Now as the price is not giuen but to them that run so heauen is not giuen but to them that cary the crosse Neither is it reasonable that the seruant be aboue the Lord or the disciple aboue the master therefore we see that God communicateth his grace to them that follow him in the aforesaid maÌ„ner and on the coÌ„trary he taketh it from those presumptuous who affirme that they will adhere vnto him by other inuentions and neuertheles doe neuer leaue themselues and in the end also they are seene erroniously to fall How the holy Father knew the will of God to be that men should exercise them selues in the passion of Iesus Christ THE CV CHAPTER THe holy Father did not without cause affirme the aforesaid considering that desiring no other thing then IESVS CHRIST crucified with S. Paul and teaching no other vnto his Religious the better to secure them and himselfe he demaunded of God that he would voutsafe to reueale vnto him in what exercise he and his might appeare most acceptable vnto his diuine maiesty and being inspired of God arising from his prayer before the high altar where he was he tooke the missal that lay theron wherevpon making the signe of the crosse he began againe to pray vnto God that he would please by the opening of that Missall to manifest vnto him wherein he was best serued Then opening it he found the passion of our Redeemer and not trusting the first time att the second he found the like and the third time the same Being thervpon fully encouraged he prepared himselfe to suffer and as presaging what should arriue vnto him he gaue thanckes vnto God that he would please to make him participant of his passion so that being no longer able to conceale the alacrity of his hart as drunken with the spirit of diuine loue he shewed it exteriourlie singing prayses vnto God in the Italian tongue and in French and often times with two stickes whereof he held the one in forme of a violl on his breast and the other he vsed for a fidle stick But he neuer ended his songes till he was vtterly melted into teares with such an excessiue dolour that what he held fell out of his handes through his extreme feeblenes without any feeling of his washing his soule with the teares of his corporall eyes which he made blinde to illuminate his soule interiourly And though he had attained to such degree of perfection and sanctity he answeared his Phisitian who told him he would destroy his eyes if he did not abstaine froÌ„ such weeping that he would rather loose the eyes which he had coÌ„mon with flies theÌ„ the teares by meane whereof he illuminated the eyes of his spiritt and made them like vnto those of Angels in the contemplation of God Notwithstanding which torrent of teares he alwayes sheued a gracious face as one that by reason
in the pulpitt he made a sermō to the people that thither by Goddes prouidence were abondātly flocked from all the neighbour places with an extreme feruour explicating vnto thē this so great treasure which he performed with such deep doctrine that it seemed rather the discourse of an Angell thē of a mā vnlearned as he was Att the end of this sermō he denoūced vnto the people in the name of God his most sacred mother the indulgēce in these words Whosoeuer being truely cōtrite cōfessed shall visitt this church the first day of August from the euensong therof and the night and daie of the feast it selfe to the sunne setting he shall gaine a plenary indulgence which is graunted him first by God secōdarily by his Vicare Pope Honorius and the same to cōtinue for euer on that day The bishopps there presēt to cōfirme the speech S. Frācis would not accord to that for euer The bishop of Assisiū therfore cōfirming the indulgēce to the people purposing to limitt it to ten yeares could neuer vtter it but was cōstrayned to say for euer the like happened vnto the other bishoppes This miracle being very euidētly knowne vnto the people it encreased their faith preuēted the doubt which some might haue had that God himselfe had not graūted this indulgēce Therefore the publicatiō being ended the bishoppes being exceedingly amazed att the miracle did with great solēnity consecrate the said church which continued for euer endued with this great treasure to the glory of our lord his holy mother the virgin Mary and his seruant S. Francis and to the soules health of all Christians Of certaine miracles wrought by Godin confirmatiō of the said indulgence THE IV. CHAPTER IT pleased God besides the fore mentioned to cause this so great indulgence to be beleeued and reuerenced in due mannner for the publike good by such miracles and reuelations as we shall now relate The yeare following a great number of people being come to gaine the said indulgence whiles they watched by night in prayer vnto God in the said church there arose in a moment such a rumour among the people there assembled that the Religious who were att rest were awakened therwith Comming therfore into the church they saw a Doue whiter then snow that flew fiue times about the Church One of them stepping forward the better to see came neere the high altare where he found Brother Corrado of Offeida a right holy Religious of an exceeding exemplare life and famous for miracles whome he prayed to lett him better vnderstand the occasion of the great murmure that was among the people who verie pitifull cryed out This venerable Father answeared that he was content to tell him conditionally that he would promise not to reueale it to any person during his life Which being condicioned he said I saw the Queene of heauen to discend cloathed with an ineffable splendour as holding her Sonne in her armes and to giue her holy benediction vnto all present then this Doue which was with her on the altare began to fly to signifie the visitation of God it hath here flowne round about the church Which the people seeing though they knew not all began thus to crye out towardes heauen The same day the mother of our lord was seene to enter into the Church with the Religious and to accompanie the ordinarie procession with a great troupe of Angels that sung prayses vnto God This was seene by Religious of pious life and also by certaine pilgrimes As in the Marquisat of Ancona one coniured the deuill that vehementlie afflicted a poore possessed woman to enforce him to tell what course was to be vsed to expell him he answeared att lenght that he tormented not the woman for any sinne of hers but onlie to the end God might be praysed by her and that therefore there was no other remedie to deliuer her but to procure her to gaine the indulgence of our ladie of Angels and that he spake thus much as forciblie cōstrayned to speake against him selfe as he likewise confessed that by the same indulgence he lost a great multitud of soules which he already held as his owne by reason of the enormous sinnes they had committed The woman was therfore with great affliction and greife brought to our ladie of Angels the verie day of the indulgence and as soone as she was entred the effect succeeded for the deuill lifting her into the aire departed and the poore woman fell as dead to the ground But by the merittes of the glorious Virgin she incontinentlie arose verie sound of bodie and soule hauing bin confessed to gaine the indulgence There are besides manie true testimonyes to whome haue appeared the spirittes of diuers deceassed reuealing vnto them that hauing certaine dayes before their death gayned the said indulgence they were sodenlie by the glorious Virgin Mother conducted into Paradice without feeling any paine of purgatorie others also gayning this indulgence that was applyed vnto them by forme of suffrage after their death by meane of some liuing freindes were deliuered of the paines of Purgatorie as by this ensuying discourse shall appeare A Venetian Gentleman that was a verie spirituall Preist desiring to gaine this indulgence as he prepared himselfe to goe thither he fell sicke and of the same sicknes dyed but before his death he said to a very freind of his My good freinde I desire you to beleeue that there is no man in the world of my kinred or whosoeuer other in whome I haue more confidence then in your selfe nor of whome I hope to obtaine what I desire for the saluation of my soule I therfore pray you that if it please God to call me vnto him you will vndertake so much labour as to goe to our ladie of Angels to gaine the plenaire indulgence for the benefitt of my soule and to defray your chardges in the iorney demaund what you will and I will giue it you that the indulgence being mine you receaue no detriment therby This freind took what was requisit for his expences and promised to goe Now this Preist being dead and the time of Pilgrimage being come his deere freind though he saw manie that prepared them selues to the iorney he as if he had made no promise deferred his iorney purposing with himselfe to goe the yeare following which is a thing but too ordinarie to ingratefull persons kinred and freindes neglecting and forgetting the poore decassed the Preist appeared to this vnworthy freind in his sleep the same night that he had made the foresaid purpose and with an angry countenance reprehending him he said Goe on thy iorney now with such as prepare themselues therto He awaking determined to doe that for feare which he had neglected to doe for respect of amitye Hauing effected the promise the same day that he entred into the church and gayned the indulgence for the deceased the Preist in the night ensuying appeared vnto
him not as before in choller but bright and resplendent as the sunnet and thancked him and reuealed vnto him that then when he entred into the church he entred into Paradice Of other miracles of the same indulgence THE V. CHAPTER THis famous indulgence being diuulged ouer almost al Christendom there departed from Sclauonia about twenty pilgrimes to gaine this Iubileye but landing att Ancona and there hauing visited the principall churches they repayred to a monasterie where were shewed them many precious reliques The Sacristine that shewed theÌ„ asked theÌ„ whither they went in Pilgrimage they answeared to our Ladie of Angels to gaine the indulgence wherof the day approached The Religious then said O simple people to endure heat incommodities and trauailes without anie benefitt for there is no such indulgence as is spoaken of or att least there is no authenticall bulle of the Pope extant therof I blame you not to goe of deuotion to that church of our lady but for the indulgence I tell you your iorney is in vaine And if you beleeue me you shall saue much of the way for there are here in this church far more indulgences then in that whither you goe which if you be well aduised you may gaine and so retourne againe In confirmation of his speech he shewed them many priuiledges and bulles of Popes of lardge indulgences graunted to that church The Pilgrimes vpon these considerations beleeuing the Sacristine and repenting the wearisome trauaile they had vndertaken to come so farre followed his counsaile and hauing offered their deuotions in that place and gayned the indulgences there to be had determined to retourne Amongst them was a verie deuout woman that said vnto them I meruayle my freindes you are not ashamed vpon the opinion and discourse of one only man to loose the meritt of your pilgrimage Retourne you in Goddes name if you thincke good for my part I am determined to goe alone to visitt our lady of Angels though there were no indulgence in that church and so to accomplish my iorney so much aduanced so went she alone towardes Assisium But by the will of God that she might not trauaile alone she erred from the direct way being therefor much troubled and sollicitous how to finde the ordinary way there appeared vnto her a right venerable old man all gray cloathed in a long habitt Religious-like who said vnto her Feare not my daughter for I assure thee thou art in a secure way for thy soule and know that thy companions shall instantlie ioyne vnto thee She looking behinde her saw them all wherat she was exceeding ioyfull being then together this venerable old man told them that they had done well to prosecute their attempted iorney because the said indulgence was true and that himselfe was present when the Pope Honorious confirmed it and that he knew it also to be confirmed of God though there were many that knew not all that and that denyed it and therfore bid them goe on confidentlie And after he had made them a worthie exhortation to persuade them to offend God so much no more he vanished in their presence leauing them exceedinglie comforted and thanckfull vnto God Coming to Assisium they manifested this accident and hauing gayned the indulgence they ioyfullie tooke their iorney of retourne The aforesaid woman by reason of a sicknes that happened her vnto remayned alone behinde but dying afterward she ouertooke them in spiritt and appeared vnto them on the sea and said vnto them Feare yee not for I am such a one your companion that am dead att Assisium The Virgin Marie hath sent me to assure you of the vertue of the plenary indulgence wherebie I passed incontinentlie to heauen without enduring the least punishment which said she disappeared Wherfore many of those Pilgrimes that saw this woman on the sea retourned often times with greater faith to gaine the indulgence and recounted the apparitions so that though no bulles were seene Sainct Francis not respecting them many of diuers nations repayred thither when neither warre nor plague did hinder them for God who graunted it and promised to fauour it also with his grace besides the reuelation therof vnto many did also inspire soules to seeke the pourchace of their saluation in that holie church An old man comming to gaine this indulgence recounted what he had heard spoaken by a Pilgrime that first doubted therof to witt that being in a solitarie place where he recommended himselfe to God he seemed miraculouslie to see the Pope the Cardinals and S. Francis conferring together and that according to the gestures and motions they vsed it seemed that the Pope would giue the bulle of this indulgence to S. Francis who refused it and one of the Cardinals standing vp tooke a booke in his hand wherin he read these wordes A plenarie indulgence of all sinnes att S. Marie of Angels graunted in earth and confirmed in heauen and tourning leafe by leafe he still read the same thing and hauing tourned it all ouer and so read the said booke the vision disappeared and the pilgrime to his great contentment rested fullie satisfied of the meritt and vertue of the said indulgence The Bishop of Assisium named Illuminato diuers times made relatioÌ„ of a gentleman a very deuout pilgrime to whoÌ„ being by some dissuaded from goeing to gaine the said indulgence there appeared as he was in prayer a Religious man in habitt of a Deacon cloathed in white and exceedinglie glittering who thrice said vnto him The indulgence is true come secâ—rely Being so assured by the true Deacon of IESVS CHRISTS Francis with great confidence repayred thither in all his iorney diuulging this indulgence wherof he so much doubted before being related by other he recounted this his vision to the said Bishop of Assisium Certaine Pilgrimes comming from the marquisate of Ancona to gaine the said indulgence they mett some yong men who vnderstanding by them whither they went one of them deridingly said that indulgence whither you goe is as true as that I hold in my hand that swallow that flyeth in the aire which hauing said he instantlie saw the swallow in his hand att which miracle both the pilgrimes and those present were all amazed the said yong man acknowledged hisfault and accused himselfe the Pilgrimes confirmed in faith proceeded on their iorney euery where recounting what had befallen them to the praise of God so highly zealous of the saluation of miserable soules Gerard de Fighnio being very passionately amourous of an honest woman to whom he could in no sort gett to speake by reason that she was almost alwayes retired in her house and accompanyed when she went abroad he attended an occasion the deuill hauing alreadie led him into error when according to her custome she should of deuotion goe to our Lady of Angels hoping either in the way or in the church some opportunity would be offered of speaking vnto her the time being come he ioyned himselfe in company with many
deuout personnes that went with the said woman to gaine the indulgence but the men being a litle separated from the women his first hope was vaine and his second more for it miraculously happened that he could neuer see her in the church though he well saw all her company Wherfore acknowledging his fault and repenting it he confessed himselfe gayned the indulgence chaunged his life and behauiour yea so far foorth that he shortly after became Religious where he liued and dyed vertuously What sanctity Sainct Francis would haue obserued in that church THE VI. CHAPTER AS well in respecte of the accidentes afore recited as diuers other which God wrought in this holie church the holy Father Sainct Francis avouched as being reuealed vnto him that it was loued of the Virgin Mary with a particuler deuotion aboue all other churches of the world Therin were also graunted verie great graces to the said holy Father and prerogatiues generallie and particulerlie for himselfe and for others and therfore that the Religious might neuer forgett with what deuotion and reuerence they ought to respect that church and that particuler memory might be had therof aboue all the memorable thinges of the Order being one day sicke in presence of his Vicar Generall and many other Religious in manner of a testament he left these wordes I will that this house and church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula be duely reuerenced and honoured of my Religious and that therein be the residence of the Generall of the Order that he may prouide vnto this house a pious family with greater deuotion and dilligence to the end it may serue for example and mirour in piety and good conuersation and especially that there be chosen very spirituall Preistes and Clarckes to minister with deuotion that the Religious and seculers comming hither to gaine this holy indulgence be well edified therby and likewise I will that the lay Brethten be chosen humble and of vertuous life and that they serue the Preistes with much respect and reuerence I will besides that in this place be obserued a perpetuall silence and that if there be necessity of speaking they speake only with their superiours and among them be very wary not to recount worldlie matters or other idle wordes yea that themselues giue no eare in such thinges to seculer personnes to the end that no worldly matter enter into this holie house and that the Religious may the better conserue their holy pouertie therin And with all that this habitation be not prophaned by earthly discourses but that therein the time be alwayes employed in himnes prayers and psalmes the most secure armour for guard of the hart And if any religious herein already placed become and libertine a obserue not this Order and course of life I will that the Guardian expell him and put an other such as he shall thinck sitt in his place To the end that if other Religious and monasteries established wheresoeuer els where doe erre from the puritie due to their estate and to their vocation and vow made to God this holy place att least blessed by our Lord may remaine and perseuer as a mirour and example of true Religion and euangelicall perfection and may be a candlelesticke before the throne of God and the glorious Virgin Mary euer burning and giuing light for whose sake God may pardon the faultes and offences of all the Brethren of the Order and that this plante of our Religion may be for euer conserued producing fruites worthy of merittes and so obtayning the most holie grace of God Such was the Order of the glorious Father S. Francis which was seriously obserued of his first Religious nourished and educated with the purest milke of sanctitie who knowing how much this place was loued of IESVS CHRIST and his sacred mother liued alwayes in this house in highest purity in perpetuall silence and in extreme pouerty When they chaunced to speake some litle out of the time of silence their discourses were of spirituall thinges of benefittes receaued of God of our ingratitude of his mercie and all with exceeding great humility and deuotion And if by misgard it happened which it very seldome or neuer did that some one of them began to speake some thing that was not of God or more necessary he was incontinently reprehend by the others and did penance for it att the same instant In this place they mortified their flesh not only by watching and fastinges but also by disciplines nakednes and the rigour and austerity of their habitt supporting the one in sommer and the other in winter and the lay Brethren by labouring in the feeld to gaine bread and to maintaine themselues and the other Religious by such and other vertuous exercises sanctifying themselues and the place where they dwell A very deuout Religious being yet in the world saw once in vision a great nomber of people kneeling before this churche with ioyned handes and eyes eleuated towardes heauen all blinde who with loud voice required mercy of God powring out abondance of teares and beseeching the diuine Maiestie to voutsafe to restore their sight which prayer ended he saw desceÌ„d from heauen an exceeding great light that illuminating all the place restored sight to the blind vpon which vision he afterward became Religious How sainct Francis instituted the second rule and of the Apostolicall Bulle of pope Honorius against the professed that leaue the Order THE VII CHAPTER THe Religion of the Frere Minors daily augmenting and manie entring therinto without well measuring their forces before by their weaknes of spiritt their first feruours incontinently decayed wherfore being vnable to continue firme vnder the hammer of Euangelicall life leauing the habitt they went out of the Order worse by reason of their apostasie committed then they entred in Others without leauing the habitt went wandring ouer the world others the rigour being not then so seuere liued att libetty affirming that they were not bound to obserue a rule that was not confirmed nor approued by the holy Apostostolike sea but only viua vocis â—raculâ— by the mouth and voice of Pope Innocent the third and approned but not priuiledged by Pope Honorious his successour The yeare of grace 1221. which was the fist of his Papacie his holines for the reasons aforesaid made his breuet following two yeares before the second rule was confirmed This following it the said Breuet extracted out of the 32. chapter of the tenth booke and transferred hither as its proper place HOnorious bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to our beloued sonne Brother Francis and to other Superiours of the Frere Minours health and Apostolicall benediction Because according to the opinion of the wise one ought to doe nothing without counsaile that being done no repentance ensue It is therefore necessary to him that will orderly and duely dispose a spirituall life and one more excellent then ordinary that he sett his eyes before his feet that is
of holy pouerty that in our behalfe they make intercessiō to God to graunt vs to be truely poore and his right humble disciples and graunt this priuiledge to our Order that there be alwayes therin such as are truely poore that honour and loue holy pouerty S. Francis with this feruour went to Rome in pilgrimage to visitt the holy Apostles beginning already to foresee the great persecutions which many of his Order would lay on pouertie after his death and that few would aduenture to passe with all Being then come to Rome he entred into the Church of S. Peter and being retired into a chappell with violent effusion of teares he demaunded of God that he would please to confirme vnto him the grace and priuiledge of most holy Euangelicall pouertie for himselfe and his Order inuocating for intercessors the glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul who in most glittering splendour appearing vnto him did embrace and salute him then said Brother Francis because with such deuotion thou demaundest that which God will and we obserue and counsaile to be obserued he hath sent vs vnto thee to aduertise thee in his behalfe that thou art heard in heauen and that he hath graunted the treasure of Euangelicall pouertie to thee and to all them that shall follow thee and that they shal be of the nomber of the blessed who shall embrace the same Which sayd they disappeared leauing the holy Father S. Francis exceedinglie comforted and recounting the whole to Brother Macie they according to their duety together yelded thanckes to God Of the pouerty which the holy Father S. Francis obserued and would should be obserued att table and how the Religious were often miraculously prouided for in their necessitis THE XVII CHAPTER SAinct Francis being in the Oratory of Rieta a Prouinciall repayred vnto him to celebrate with him the Natiuity of our lord Wherfore the Religious entending to honour the feast and the Prouinciall prepared the table with a cloth and white napkins fournishing it with neat vessel and meat a litle better then ordinary But the S. cōming that morning to eat with them in the refectory and seeing that preparation and that the table was raysed from the ground where it accustomed to be he secretly went foorth and finding a begger att the gate he borrowed his hatt and cloake then taking a companion with him they went out of the house and in the meane time the Religious sate downe att table for he had ordayned that when soeuer he was not found in the Couent att the houre of refection they should not attend him About the middes of their meale the holy Father retourned disguised as aforesaid and went directly to the refectory att the dore wherof he demaunded an almose for the loue of God The Prouinciall answēared him Brother we are poore as you are and therefore haue need of these almose but for the loue of God which thou hast named enter and we will giue thee part of the almose which IESVS CHRIST hath sent vs S. Francis entred and stood expecting to haue somewhat giuen him The Prouinciall gaue him his owne dish with the bread that was in it The S. receauing it discouered himselfe and sate downe on the ground before the Religious but being approached to the fire he sighing said My beloued Brethren this table so decently prepared is not fitt for poore Religious that ought euerie day to goe aske almes from dore to dore for the loue of God it would better beseeme you to follow the example of humilitie of our lord then of any other for to that end are we called considering also that we haue promised to obserue it now doe I esteeme me a Frere Minor beholding my selfe sitting on the ground The feastes of God and his sainctes ought to be honoured with that holy pouerty wherby they haue pourchased heauē and not with these superfluityes which they did vtterlie abhorre as thinges that did separate them from the loue of God It cannot be expressed how much the poore Religious were amazed hauing heard and seene this act for many did weep seeing their Father sitting on the ground with that habitt with so great humility correcting the fault which they had committed wherof accusing them selues they acknowledged their fault to the S. who blessing them bad them with all euer to keep their table so poore and hūble that the seculers seeing it might not be scandalized and that if any begger came he might be inuited to eat with them Besides he would that the bread which they begged should be so limited that there should remaine none superfluous in the house but what should only suffice the Religious assuring them that if they wanted God would prouide for them as by the ensuing miracle doth appeare The generall chapter being on time ended and the Ministers dimissed each one to his Prouince there remayned with S. Francis 31. Religious amōg whome was that Brother Monaldo that merited to see the S. as crucified att Arles as we haue formerly alleadged they being vpon departure and the S. desiringe charitably to eat with thē there was found only three litle loanes in the house which S. Francis caused to be brought made on thē the signe of the crosse thē diuided it amongest thē And God did so multiply it that it sufficed thē all with the fragmēts was filled a great baskett by meane of which miracle the Religious retourned exceedingly encouraged in the seruice of God and the loue of pouerty finding by experience that God was their procuratour On an other time S. Francis comming by night to the Oratory of Sō nino in Lombardy with many Religious exceedingly oppressed with hunger they found not in the house one only morcell of bread for their custome was to demaūd no more of almose then would suffice them for one day and if any remayned they presently distributed it to the poore The holy Father S. Francis vnderstanding thus much said to the keeper of the prouision goe to such a place and you shall finde a baskett full bring it vnto me He goeing thither brought thence a baskett full of bread which had bin miraculously conueyed thither to releiue the seruantes of God They all did eat with very great appetite finding it extraordinarily pleasing which did not passe without giuing thanckes to the diuine Maiesty for the almes which so liberall a hand bestowed on them Many other such miracles happened vnto these poore of God as this that ensueth How whiles the Cooke was att his prayers in the Church the refection was miraculously prepared The 33. chapter of the tenth booke transferred to this proper place SAinct Francis admitted to Religion a knight called Bennenuto who of his great humility made choice to liue alwayes in the kitchen It happened on a time that a Burgesse had a will to refect the Religious one morning and to that end sent them betimes what he thought conuenient therto that they might
life happily The second that whosoeuer shall against reason persecute the Order shal be notoriously punished The third that the Religious who shall perseuer impious in the said Order shall soone dye out of it or therin shall remaine confounded And the fourth that the Religion shall for assistance of holy Church continue to the end of the world The sequel is the rest of the 64. chapter of the first booke transferred hither as the proper place therof THe deuill being vnable to endure such perfection of S. Francis and perceauing the greate fruit which he did and might produce determined to kill him wherfore the S. being one morning att the toppe of the mountaine whence did hang a very deep downefall there praying to God with all his hart the deuill to ruine him in that downefall thrust him so violently that he cast him farre off vpon a great rock of the mountaine and wheras the deuill hath no farther power ouer vs then God permitteth him he could in no sort annoy him for the S. inuocating the helpe of his diuine maiestie the rock wheron he was cast receaued him in as if it had bin a heape of very tender wax or soft earth so that besides the space of his body which was enclosed in the rocke there remayned the hollow mould which he there made as also the impressiō of his hādes fingers when he tooke hold theron which character or impression to the great admiration of all people is att this present there to be seene for all is apparentlie to be discerned so that the deuill was confounded and enraged and the seruant of God miraculously conserued by that immensiue vertue which is euer present to his seruantes to releiue them as occasion shall require Such was the possession that God gaue to his seruant of this mountaine lett vs now then retourne to speake of the innocencye of the holy Father which caused the birdes as we haue said to secure themselues on him as on a solitarie tree they knowing his interiour and lett vs obserue how many other creatures did the like Of the familiarity and obedience which all kinde of creatures had vnto the holy Father S. Francis THE XXXVIII CHAPTER THe soule of the glorious Father S. Francis was in such sort endued with sanctitie that he euidentlie declared that he had obtained of God the first estate of innocencie interiour and exteriour for in this estate he conserued himselfe perfectly subiect and obedient vnto God whence followed that he was so much honoured and obeyed of other creatures his inferiours ouer whome God had giuen him dominion as by the examples ensuying we shall make appeare Passing one time by the citty of Sienna he found a great flock of sheepe feeding in a meadoe and comming neere them he very curteouslie saluted them They leauing their pasture as if they had bin capable of reason went towardes him and with their head lifted vp beholding him made shew that they reioyced att his presence The Religious companions of the S. and the shepheardes were exceedinglie amazed att such a nouelty that sheep muttons and lambes as reasonable creatures should demonstrate that they admired and reuerenced the S. They would not retourne to their feeding till the holy Father had giuen them his benediction Att our Lady of Angels one gaue him a sheep which he most gratefully receaued for the naturall simplicitie innocencie and meeknes which is in sheep This holy Father admonished this sheep to be carefull to praise God and to be wary not to offend or be offended by the Religious which the sheep to her vtmost obserued and performed yea so seriously as if it had discretion to obey a master When the Religious went to sing in the quire the beast went also and followed them to the Church where without any instruction she would kneele downe Then in steed of singing she would leap and bleat before the altare of the virgin Mary and of her Sonne the lambe without spott as if she would salute and prayse them And when one eleuated the sacred host att the Masse she inclined kneeling downe honouring and adoring her Creatour as if she would inuite deuout Christians to giue more honour to the Sacrament and check and reprehend the indeuout for their litle reuerence S. Francis had some time att Rome a litle lambe in memory and mindfulnes of the patient lambe IESVS CHRIST and being to depart he recommended it to a Roman gentlewoman his deuoted freind called Iaqueline of Sertesoli the lambe followed her as the S. commanded it goeing and retourning from church if the houre of masse did passe hauing heard the clock it solicited her with his voice and by gestures so that the disciple of S. Francis was master of deuotion vnto this gentlewoman Being in the Oratory of Grecio on presented him with a leuerett but he presently sett him att liberty that he might runne away but seeing that he would not runne away but was only remoued from him he recalled it and the leuerett incontinently lept on his legges and he embracing it as his child sweetly asked it why it permitted it selfe to be so taken then hauing compassion of it he deliuered it to a Religious to carry it to the mountaine to some desert and secure place and there to leaue it aduertising it first that it should be carefull not to be taken againe of any man Many other like accidentes happened vnto him In the lake of Perusia a wild conny being taken and giuen to the S. assoone as it saw him it ran and lept into his handes and bosome Passing by the lake of Reite to goe to the hermitage of Grecio a fisher presented him on great deuotion with a water bird which the S. ioyfully receauing opened his fist that it might fly away but the bird stirred not the S. lifting his eyes towardes heauen remayned long time as in an extasie then comming to himselfe as if he had retourned from some farre country seeing the bird still in his hand he gaue it his benediction and gently commanded it to goe whither it would and so the bird hauing receaued his benediction flew merily away In the same lake was giuen him a great fish aliue which hauing accepted and thancked the giuer he putt againe into the lake the fish mounting presently vpon the water alwayes followed the S. by the riuer side till he came to the place where the S. was to depart and there staying he began to sport aboue the water and would not depart till the S. had giuen him his benediction Of many other miracles like to the precedente THE XXXIX CHAPTER SAinct Francis passing with his companion by the Marishes of Venise found a great number of birdes on a tree which sung verie melodiously neere vnto whome he went with his companion to say his canonicall houres and to prayse God with them who stirred not yea the S. comming to say his office they so
bare to the holy Father S. Francis Of an other child which God raysed by the merittes of the holy Father S. Francis and of diuers other miracles wrought THE XLIII CHAPTER BEing att an other time lodged with a knight as they discoursed of spirituall matters there came a seruant all chafed and full of teares telling this geÌ„tleman his master that his sonne was att that very houre drowned in a chanell wheratt the Father and mother pittifully lamented S. Francis was moued to coÌ„passion and after that he had comforted theÌ„ willing theÌ„ to haue hope in God he fell to prayer beseeching his diuine Maiesty to reueale vnto him the place where he might finde the child Now God hauing reuealed it vnto him he bad the gentleman to send vnto such a place where he should finde his child which being brought vtterly suffocated and drowned he raysed him an restored him to his Father in the name of God with an infinite ioy to all the assistantes who reÌ„dred thaÌ„ckes incessaÌ„tly vnto his diuine Maiesty The holy Father S. FraÌ„cis minding to preach in a certaine place within the diocesse of Cisterno where a great noÌ„ber of people were asseÌ„bled to heare him waÌ„ting coÌ„uenieÌ„t place to preach vnto theÌ„ coÌ„modiously by reasoÌ„ that it was a plaine he approached to an oake which was froÌ„ the bottome to the toppe all couered with antes which the holy Father hauing seene hecoÌ„manded theÌ„ to goe froÌ„ that tree and tourning to the people he willed theÌ„ to giue way to the said antes And theÌ„ which was admirable they in noÌ„ber almost incredible went that way which S. Francis had caused the people to make for them so that they neuer retourned more and this was cause of vnspeakeable fruit The holy Father S. FraÌ„cis of all other beastes had least affectioÌ„ to those antes because they employed ouer much dilligeÌ„ce in hoarding their prouisioÌ„ for the time to come And withall he affirmed that they deserued not to be nombred with the birdes of whome God said Behold the foules of the aire that they sow not neither reape nor gather into barnes and your heauenly Father feedeth them S. Francis would that all his Religious should haue the same faith and resignation of all their cogitations in his diuine prouidence that God would should be in his disciples In the same place and time that the S. preached there happened a fearfull miracle for there came a woman with a cow-bell to disturbe the company wherwith she made such a ringing sound that one could not heare what he said S. Francis reprehending her she encreased it such possession had the deuill of her Vpon this occasion the holy Father inspired of God and moued with zeale of his holy word and of the conuersion of soules vttered these wordes Carry her away Satan carry her away for she is one of they members and is thine O horrible and fearfull accident these wordes being ended the woman was incontinently carryed vp into the aire both body and soule in vew of all the world for which cause euery one was stricken in extreme terrour and feare of the diuine maiesty and thenceforward gaue eare to his holy worde in very great reuerence S. Francis walking with his companion on the banckes of the riuer Po and being ouertaken by the night he was exceedingly perplexed to get lodgeing by reason that the way was extreme foule and durty the aire very darck and the place not free froÌ„ theeues for though they had nothing to loose yet should they haue bin afflicted by them wherefore his coÌ„panion said vnto him Father pray vnto God if you please that he may voutsafe to be our guide and to deliuer vs froÌ„ this affliction The S. no otherwise answeared but God is able if he please and that it be for our good to deliuer vs and remouing this darcknes to giue vs his light Att this instant as he lifted vp his handes to heauen a cleare light appeared and so resplendant that being in all other places a very darck night they saw very clearly and perfectly nor only how to goe in their way but euery where about theÌ„ So by this light guided and comforted both spiritually and corporally they made such speed as they arriued att their place of retire singing prayses and himnes vnto God of whome S. Francis was assisted in his necessity He accustomed when he came to any place to preach therby the more coÌ„modiously to assemble the people to sound a cornet which to that purpose he carryed with him with two stickes of a paulme long which are to this day conserued in his church of Assisium in the sacristye hauing the endes garnished with siluer they are shewed with other reliques att all times when they are desired to be seene Certaine doctrines and discourse of the glorious Father S. Francis which haue bin found recorded Of the faith and reuerence due to the holy sacrament THE XLIV CHAPTER THe holie Father sainct Francis did not onlie seeke to edifie his neighbour in corporall presence and by example and preaching but also such as he could not assist by those meanes being remote from them he assisted by letters and aduertissementes which he caused his Religious to write wherof I thought it requisit to select the choice and principall to insert in this place specified according to the contentes A letter of the holy Father sainct Francis to all the Religious of the generall chapter IN the name of God of the most sacred Trinitie and soueraigne vnitie the Father Sonne and holie Ghost Amen To my beloued Brother the Minister Generall of the Order of Frere Minors and to all other Ministers that shall succeed him to all Prouincials Guardians and Preistes of our coÌ„frarernitie vnited in IESVS CHRIST and to all the humble simple and obedient first and last Brother Francis a man of nothing fraile and infirme your least seruant saluteth you in the name of him that hath redeemed you and hath washed vs with his owne bloud whose name we ought to adore prostrate on the earth with great feare and reuerence Most high lord IESVS CHRST Sonne of God is his name who is blessed for euer and euer Amen Harcken yee children of God and my deere Brethren imprint my wordes in your mindes incline the eares of your harte and obey the voice of the Sonne of God keepe with all your hart and obserue his sweet preceptes and embrace his counsailes with your entier will praise him for he is good and know that the eternall Father sendeth you into the world by your worckes and wordes to testifie his worckes and wordes And therefore striue to make it knowne to all people that he alone is almighty in all thinges perseuer in his discipline and obseruance and maytaine that which you haue promised him with a firme resolution siâ—h he as Father to his children giueth vs the true preseruing nourishment of spirituall and corporall essence and presenteth vs to his
Father as our protectour I beseech you my Brethren euen humblie kissing your feet and with the greatest charitie I can I doe exhort you to reuerence and honour with your vtmost ability the most sacred sacrament wherby heauenly and earthlie matters are reconciled with God I beseech all my brethren that are Preistes and such as in the name of God shal be when they intend to celebrate the diuine masse to be pure and neat that they may worthelie offer the true sacrifice of the most sacred bodie and bloud of our lord IESEVS CHRIST with the greatest reuerence puritie holie inteÌ„tion that they shal be able not for any humane respect for any feare or loue but that their intention be directed to God desiring to please onlie his Maiestie who sayth Doe this in remembrance of me Know then yee Preistes that he who shall doe otherwise shal be like vnto Iudas Remember the saying of the Apostle A man making the law of Moyses frustrate without any mercy dyeth vnder two or three witnesses How much more thinck you doth he deserue worse punishmente which hath trodden the Sonne of God vnder foot and esteemed the bloud of the testament polluted wherin he is sanctified and hath done contumelie to the spiritt of grace For then is a man irreuerent and treadeth on that lambe of God when as the Apostle saith he doth not examine and make a difference betweene this true bread of God and that which he doth ordinarily eat and therfore he receaueth it vnworthely For God saith in Ieremie The man is cursed that doeth negligently and feinedly And the Preistes that will not haue this care to celebrate so excellent a Mystery the most worthely that possibly can be shal be condemned of God who saith I will tourâ—e your benedictions to maledictions on your selues My brethren heare me I pray you if the glorious virgin be so much honoured as she deserueth for hauing receaued into her chast wombe our lord IESVS CHRIST If. S. Iohn Baptist trembled and durst not touch the head of IESVS CHRIST and finally if the holy sepulchre wherin IESVS CHRIST was buryed for his so small time of residence is so much reuerenced how much more ought he to be iust holy and well purged who with his handes doth handle and with his proper mouth doth receaue so high infinite a Maiesty and doth administer the same to others Remember that he is an immortall and eternall God that liueth glorious and eternall with contemplation of whose Maiesty the Angels themselues cannot be satisfied Preistes know your dignitie and be holy for God is holy and as in regard of so great a mystery and dignity you haue bin more honoured then other men remember in like sort to be also more gratefull vnto God and to reuerence loue and honour him for otherwise your misery is exceeding great and deserueth continuall teares in that you hauing in your handes the almighty God the fountaine of all good thinges you procure to haue transitory and terrestriall thinges all the world ought to tremble with feare and sweetly weepe whiles the Angels themselues bend their knees when IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of the most high is vpon the altare betweene the handes of man O merueillous highnes and diuine debasement O most high humility that the Sonne of God yea God himselfe the master and lord of the vniuersall world should so humble himselfe as to giue himselfe vnto vs hidden vnder the forme of bread Consider my brethren so profound a humility and purifie your hart before his diuine Maiestie to the end he receaue all as he giueth himselfe to all Therfore I aduertiâ—e you in the name of God that in all places where the Religious are you celebrate but one masse a day and though you haue diuers Preistes lett the rest be content to heare it for although it be seene in many pertes yet is it one and indiuisible and without any detriment true God and true man so in one sole masse he can communicate his grace to all present and absent that make themselues worthy one onlie and verie God Father Sonne and holie Ghost worcking this Amen Of the faith and knowledge of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and of the sacred Sacrament THE XLV CHAPTER TO all Christians Religious Ecclesiasticall lay men and women that are in the world Brother Francis their seruant and subiect in God desireth withall reuerence a true peace in heaueÌ„ by the sincere charity which is discended on earth As I am the seruant of you all so am I obliged to serue all and to administer vnto you the most sweet word of my lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Considering therfore in my soule that by reason of the diuers infirmities that afflict my body I cannot by corporall presence as I desire visitt you my selfe I haue thought good to supply the same by letters and by them to administer vnto you the worde of IESVS CHRIST who is the word of the eternall Father the wordes of the holy Ghost which are spiritt life I then admonish you Brethren to confesse your sinnes to a Preist with all the dilligence you can possible and att his hand to receaue the true body and bloud of IESVS CHRIST For as our Lord saith he that eateth not my flesh and drincketh not my bloud cannot haue eternall life Lett vs then endeauour worthely to receaue such so eminent a maiesty for he that receaueth it vnworthely in steed of saluatioÌ„ pourchaceth death Besides I exhort you often to visitt the holy churches and to reuerence Preistes not so much in respect of themselues if they be sinners as for reuerence of the function and dignity which they haue in being ministers of the most pretious body and bloud of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which by them is offered on the altare receaued and administred vnto vs without which none can be saued by the holy wordes which they vtter and minister he discendeth from heauen to earth and none but they can doe it O how happy and blessed are they who loue God withall their hart with all their soules and with all their forces and their neighbour as themselues I inuite you all my brethren and you my sisters to this loue lett vs all with one accord loue God with one pure affection of our hart adore him because that is the thing which he especially requireth and demaundeth of vs as himselfe hath said the true adorers adore in spiritt and truth and it is necessary for them that adore him to doe it in that manner Our lord said to his disciples I am the way the verity the life No man coÌ„meth to the Father but by me If you had knowne me my Father also certes you had knowen from hencefoorth you shall know him and you haue seen him Phillip said to him Lord shew vs the Father it sufficeth vs. IESVS said to him So long time I am
and att the verie instant he prophesied that he should liue and haue no children by his wife which came so to passe and all this was assured to Pope Nicolas the third by autenticall testimonie that was produced before notaries Of the exercises of the holy Father S. Francis and of the lent he kept on the lake of Perusiea THE LIII CHAPTER THe glorious S. after he was conuerted to God neuer remayned idle for he alwayes endeauoured to be employed in some action in example of Iacobs ladder wher on the Angels ceassed not to mount and discend receauing and carrying the pious worckes of the children of God to the soueraigne Father so the S. by contemplation mounted towardes God and by pietie and preaching discended to his neighbour thus did he employ all his time which had bin giuen him of his diuine Maiestie to meritt in the pious worckes which the holie Ghost did dictat vnto him Now the time of one of his lentes being come wherin as a carefull bee he collected the fruites and flowers of God by meane of prayer therof to compound the delicious honie of predications wherwith he might refectionat the hungrie chidren of the word of God he resolued to seeke out a place where he might performe the same commodiouslie solitarie and without any impedimēt to this purpose on Shrouetuesday he wēt vp to the lake of Perusia where a freind of his lodged him on the side of the lake whence the next morning he gott himselfe to be conducted in a barcke to the Iland that is scituat on the said lake then vnhabited with two litle loaues to sustaine him during the said lent he coniured his freind not to speake therof to any person for so much as he would not therin trust any of his Religious not hauing for that time taken any companion and enioyned his said freind not to come for him till Maundie or holie thursday Being then discended into this I le himselfe made a litle cottage of bowes of trees where he resided all the lent in continuall and holie contemplation and conuersation with God the Angels and blessed Saintes On holie thursday his freind comming earlie vnto him reconducted him to the Couent where he would communicate with all his disciples and wash their feet he restored a loafe and halfe to his freind of the two which he had giuen him the other halfe it is credible he did eat to obserue humane fast or not to giue subiect of vaine glorie to the deuill and not to equall himselfe to his God though God alone doth know and his seruant sainct Francis who would neuer reueale it to any man the combates he had during that lent against the inuisible ennemies the glorious graces he obtayned Afterward God voutsafed in some sort to reueale them worcking in that place manie miracles by the merittes of the Sainct whervpon the ile began to be inhabited and there was erected a Couent of Frere Minors which is exceedingly reuerenced in memory of the said miracle Of the lent of S. Michael which he kept on the Mount Aluerne THE LIV. CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 224. two yeares before the death of this glorious Father some dayes before the natiuitie of the Virgin Marie he repayred to the Oratorie of Mount Aluerne there to keep his lent that began the day after the said feast of the Virgin Marie continued til the feast of S. Michael the Archāgel according to his perticuler deuotion where he shutt himselfe into a celle sequestred from all others The first euening that he entred there he demaunded this grace of God that he would please to reueale vnto him in what he should serue him that lent as he accustomed to doe for he gouerned him in althinges according to the will of God and not according to his owne Now in the morning about the breake of day S. Francis arysing from prayer there incontinentlie flocked a great number of birdes that began to sing one after an other and hauing sung they tooke their flight and left the Sainct contented In that instant he heard a voice that said Francis let this be a signe of a notable fauour which God intendeth to shew thee in this place By which voice his hart was so altered that thence forward he felt a great quantitie of spirituall giftes in his interiour God continuallie visiting him and remayning there he burned with an ineffable flame of his loue and therfore he was often in his contemplations eleuated so high that as Brother Leo recounted who was then his companion and a curious obseruer of all his actions he could not discerne nor comprehend him with his sight surpassing the high cloudes of heauen which is not ouer-greatly to be admired considering that in this world he led a life more angelicall then humane He as he afterward recounted to his companions there demaunded as a singuler grace of his God to be entierlie transformed into his anguishes and dolours sith his Maiestie had not voutsafed to accept of his life which so manie times he had offered vnto him as the onlie thing he had to offer hauing no other thing in this world and hauing so often gone among the infidels there to receaue Martyrdome in the seruice of his diuine maiesty Wherfore it was incontinent lie reuealed vnto him of God that as he had alwayes endeauoured perfectly to follow and imitate his life and actions so should he be permitted to be like vnto him and to suffer with him in the dolours of his passion Which the holy Father vnderstanding albeit he were already exceedingly weakned by the rigour of his life past and by the continuall crosse with he had carryed yet he was fo farre from being troubled with all that he encouraged himselfe and enamoured himselfe the more to suffer a Martyrdome so noble and worthy aboue all others and by the interiour burning flame he extinguished the water of all the afflictions and dolours that euer could befall him and desired no lesse perfection to receaue in himselfe so inestimable a treasure How S. Francis receaued the sacked stigmates of our Lord Iesus Christ THE LV. CHAPTER THe most feruent Father S. Francis being thus highly eleuated in God by an extreme ardor of celestiall desires and transformed into IESVS CHRIST crucified for our sinnes by sweetnes of compassion on the day of the exaltation of the holy crosse which is the fourteenth of September a litle before the breake of day there appeared vnto him this vision following He saw an Angel descend from heauen like vnto the Seraphin with six winges in the Prophett Esay enflamed with a most resplendant fire whose beames were so glittering that to humane eyes they were insupportable This Angel approaching vnto the S. being already in the region of the aire so neere vnto him that he might see him there stayed and then the S. beholding him more attentiuely saw the image of IESVS CHRIST crucified imprinted in him which had the
with incredible paine and patience of the holy Father Neuertheles he would not haue them touched on the friday because he would endure the more and so suffer with his Sauiour Brother Ruffinus who as S. Francis affirmed was already for his sanctity of life canonized in heauen hauing many times seene the woundes of the handes and feet of the S. desired also very earnestlie to see that of his side wherof he held himselfe as fully assured by washing his linnen bretches which he alwayes found embrued with bloud on the right side and annoynting his stomack with oyntmentes insinuating himselfe and thrusting his hand farther then he needed did often touch it with his fingers and sometimes the S. felt much greife thereby neuertheles he had a verie extreme desire for his consolation to see it And therfore one day faigning to request the holy Fathers habitt of deuorion to chaunge it for his owne and requiring it for the loue of IESVS CHRIST he so wrought that the S. who could not deny any thinge that was demaunded him in the name of God not suspecting any other thing putting of his habitt to giue him he contented him therin though he did his endeauour to hide the same S. Clare that made him many plaisters for dressing therof deserued to see them the S. shewing them all vnto her in regard that she was such an Espouse of IESVS CHRIST as each one knoweth and the eldest daughter in God of the S. The said plaister is with great reuerence shewen for a relique in the Couent of S. Clare att Assisium The Cardinal of Hostia Protectour of the Order law them also and many personnes deuoted and affected vnto him as the bishop Vgolino and others How God by many miracles published the Sacred stigmates of his seruant S. Francis THE LVIII CHAPTER THe same God that had imprinted the sacred stigmates in his seruant for the good of the world would not haue them buryed in silence but did miraculously manifest them as to his maiestie seemed conuenient which he did as well for his owne glorie as for the benefitt of faithfull soules who seeing his sacred woundes in his seruant encreased in faith and glorifyed the author of them in his sainct There raigning a great pestilence among the cattell of the Country of Riete which procured their death notwithstanding any remedy that could be inuented God reuealed vnto a deuout person that he should procure to gett of the water that fell from the handes of his seruant Francis when he washed them and therewith should sprinckle the cattell and so they should be cured The man fearing God went and gott of the said water and with faith experienced the application and all the cattell that were touched therwith though halfe dead arose sound and secure on their feet Before S. Francis had the stigmates there arose euery yeare a cloud with a tempest neere the Mount Aluerne that destroyed all the fruit of that place But after he receaued them that tempest neuer appeared which procured great admiration to all the world Being one time accompanyed with a poore man himselfe riding on an asse by reason that the woundes that were vnder his feet hindered his goeing the night hauing surprised them they retired themselues vnder the couerture of a mountaine where the poore man for the extreme cold which he felt could not sleep and tourning himselfe from one side to an other did nothing but sigh and lament Whereof the holie Father hauing compassion touched him with one of his sacred handes and the poore man in steed of the bitter cold which he felt incontinentlie found himselfe so exceeding hoate that he seemed to be in a stoue or hoate house where he sweetlie slept till the morning and afterward affirmed that in al his life he neuer slept better A woman of Arrezzo had so dangerous a labour that she was abandonned of the phisicions and the health of her bodie being desperate there was no care but of her soule it happened by chaunce that the asse wheron S. Francis had ridden was brought to drinck neere vnto the house of the said woman which her kinred knowinge they tooke of the bridle which S. Francis sitting on the asse had held in his handes hauing with great faith girded the woman therewith she was presently without danger deliuered God wrought such miracles during his life that by them it might appeare that his sacred stigmates were truely worckes of his omnipotent hand but he made it much more apparent after his death as here ensuying shal be declared though they happening afterward seeme not conuenient to be written as yet neuertheles I doe it that the matter may be seene well vnited together Of the testimonies of the woundes of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis by the holy Apostolicall sea THE LIX CHAPTER POpe Gregorie the ninth himselfe saw and touched the handes and feet of the glorious S. and because he saw not that of the side he had no great beleife therof Wherfore some time before he canonized S. Francis one night in his sleep as himselfe often affirmed the S. appeared vnto him as in choller and reprehending him of his sclender faith lifted vp his right arme and shewed him the wound of his side then demaunding a cuppe it seeming to his Holynes that he deliuered him one it was presently filled with bloud By this apparition he afterward remayned assured of the wound which he so reuerenced that being vnable to endure the enuie and lewdnes of some that impugned the same striuing to darckē the glory of so singuler a miracle he commanded by the first bulle he published that this truth should be beleeued as affirmed by Apostolicall sentence The bulle beginneth The glorious Confessour then afterward he saith We by the tenour of these presentes declare vnto all people that the stigmates of this glorious S. hauing in his life time and after his death bin seene in his body the same hath bin approued with his other miracles by our venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the holy Church wherfore we haue had iust occasion to enrole him in the catalogue of SS And because in the beginning of this veritie there were two ecclesiasticall personnes that publiquelie declared themselues aduersaries to the said stigmates one of who was Brother Euerard an Alleman Preacher who in his sermōnes auouched that he neuer had those woundes and the other was the Archbishop of Colleigne who commanded the said stigmates to be putt out of his image the said Gregorie the ninth made and sent two breuies against them the one of which being directed to the Prouincials and Priours of the Order of Preachers was such Gregorie Bishop we hauing heard with no lesse greife then meruaile that a Religious of your Order named Euerard not remembring that the sermons of Preachers ought to be seasoned with the salt of grace being att Copania a citty of Morauia of a Preacher becomming a blasphemer was not ashamed to
conscience which knowing it selfe pure before God could feare nothing Not withstanding it was not conuenient in presence of so many seculers who all knew him to be nerre death to shew no signe of repentance of his offences past no remorse of his sinnes committed against God attleast in this terrible passadge of death S. Francis with great feruour answeared him Brother giue me leaue giue me leaue I pray thee to reioyce in God and in his prayses during this sicknes because by the grace of the holy Ghost my spiritt is in such sort vnited vnto his diuine Maiestie and so secure that it may reioyce Remember now that there are two yeares past since you deliuered me from him an aduertisment of this my passadge since which time I haue alwayes endeauoured to prepare my selfe lamenting my sinnes and satisfying God for them But sithence that by his immensiue grace he hath made me worthy of his glory as he hath reuealed vnto me I haue euer since endeauoured to reioyce and now so much more in that the time approacheth wherin my soule shall for euer be loosed from the waight of this body and shall goe towardes him who hath created it and in that he will not omitt in me to edifie this people How the S. made himselfe be carryed to our Lady of Angels finding his death to approach THE LXVI CHAPTER THe glorious Father therfore perceauing that the day of his death approached prayed all the gentlemen and his freindes there present to cause him to be carryed to his church of our Lady of Angels that he might render vnto God the spiritt of life where he had receaued of him the spiritt of grace So hauing obtayned permission of the bishop and Gouernour of the citty they went accoÌ„panyed with the greatest part of the said citty and comming to the hospitall which is in the great street betweene the citty and our Lady of Angels causing himselfe with his bed to be sett on the ground and tourning towardes the citty he gaue it his benediction saying Citty blessed mayest thou be of the soueraigne God because by thee many soules shal be saued and in thee many worthy seruantes of God of both sex shall make their residence and by thy meane many shall attaine the kingdome of glorie So hauing blessed the citty and proceeding his way towardes our Lady of Angels S. Clare his deere and true disciple imitatrice and daughter in IESVS CHRIST fearing she should not see him before his death sent to aduertise him that herselfe was also in such estate as she should not liue long after yea that she thought to goe first and that therfore she felt an extreme greife to dye without his holy benediction without seeing him who was her master and beloued Father in CHRIST IESVS and for that occasion she prayed him for the passion of our Lord I. C. with her knees on the ground not to permitt her to dye so discontent but sith he was in his iorney to doe her that last and singuler fauour as to visitt her before he went to our Lady of Angels The holie Father S. Francis felt the bowels of Fatherly coÌ„passion to moue in him in that he could not content her by reason of the immineÌ„t perill wherin he was and that the Phisicions nobles and gentlemen there present would not to permitt him yet procuring wherwith all to write he sent her by a Religious his benediction in writing then lifting his eyes to heauen he said vnto him Goe and comfort my beloued sister telling her this good newes that she shall see me before she dye which shal be shortly as shall all her Sisters to their exceeding consolation This prophesie fayled not in the effect for the holie Father being dead when the Cittizens carryed him to bury att Assisium they passed through the monastery of S. Damian as hereafter shall appeare and seeing the body of the Sainct with in their Couent they were all exceedinglie comforted therwith How a Romane Lady very deuout and affected to S. Francis called Lady Iaqueline of the seauen Sunnes came by diuine reuelation from Rome to the death of S. Francis THE LXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father approching neere vnto his death called a Religious whome he willed to finde out a messenger to goe with al diligence to Rome expresly to aduertise the Lady of the Seauen Sunnes that she should incontinentlie come to visitt him if she desired to see him liuing knowing in what affliction she would haue suruiued if she had not seene him before his death as he had promised her when he tooke leaue of her att his departure out of Rome and in meane while procuring wherwith to write he dictated this letter ensuying To the Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes poore Brother Francis desireth health in our Lord IESVS CHRIST Know my beloued Sister in IESVS CHRIST that God by his grace hath reuealed vnto me the last day of my life Wherfore if you desire to see me liuing hasten so much as sometime on saterday you may be att our Ladie of Angels and bring with you a morcell of gray cloth wherwith to coueâ— me and wax for my seruice Att the end of this letter it was reuealed vnto the S. that she would come wherfore he said to the writer Rent this letter for there is no need therof He had scarce ended those wordes but a messenger came from the said lady that told him she was att the gate of the Monastery with two of her children senaâ—ours of Rome and a noble and honourable company to visitt him A while after the said lady came who entring his chamber fell incontinently on the ground humbling her countenance as an other Magdalen towardes his feet bathing them with bittet teares and â—mprinting her lippes in his sacred stigmates with such ioy and consolation of spiritt as nothing could be more she could not be satisfied with kissing them embracing and clipping them with all reuerence in regard of their vertue representing vnto her those of our Lord IESVS CHRIST she could not depart from him no more could the Religious for she was entierlie rauished in this so singular sweetnes of spiritt without any speech att all till S. Francis called her att whose voice awakening she answeared the S. who asked her how it happened that she came so readily that being one night in prayer she heard the voice of God that said If thou wilt find Brother Francis aliue goe incontinentlie to our lady of Angels and carry with thee what thow knowest necessarie to his sepulture and such meat as thou gauest him att his being in Rome to comfort him in his sicknes Which hauing heard I prepared my selfe verie instantlie and thus am come S. Francis gaue thanckes to God and demaunding the said meates he refected his body with very great consolation Now this lady supposing that S. Francis would lye long time sick determined to send back her children to Rome and many personnes of note that
manifestation that he had not any thing in this world and with the more facility to wrestle against his furious aduersary in this last conflict and triall wherin consisted the crowne he with an exceeding feruour and courage stript himselfe all naked as he had bin without any infirmity then cast himselfe on the ground couering with his left hand the precious wound of his right hand and tourning his ioyfull face towardes the kingdome whither he was to goe he began to prayse and blesse his sweet lord IESVS CHRIST that being dischardged and freed of all worldly impedimentes he might ascend to heauen and enioy his diuine Maiestie then tourning towardes his Religious he said vnto them My deere Brethren I haue to this present done what I ought to doe These wordes were diuersely vnderstood of the Religious some of them wept in regard he was to leaue them without Pastour and gouernour others because he seemed to leaue them as men forlorne others for other occasions only the Guardian whome he obeyed vnderstood the desire of the holy Father wherfore taking presentlie an habitt with the cord and linnen breeches brought and gaue it vnto him saying Father take this habitt which I lend you with the corde and breeches that you may be buryed therwith as a poore creature who of your selfe haue not so much as wherwith to couer your nakednes I command you to receaue it in this your last houre euen by the vertue and meritt of obedience wherof the Sainct discouered to haue the greatest contentment that can be imagined considering that in this extremity he had obserued his holy pouerty in such sort as he desired euen to the last end He contentedlie accepted the breeches but to conforme himselfe entierlie to his truely-beloued IESVS CHRIST that would dye naked on the crosse to the performance wherof wanting nothing but to dye naked hauing already bin and euen for the present being admirably crucified by the vertue of the almighty he commaunded his Religious not only to permitt him to dye on the ground but euen to leaue him there a long time after his death Hauing procured to be brought vnto him the holy Sacramentes and they being successiuely administred vnto him those I meane which the Church accustometh to afford such as are ready to dye he lastly tourned towardes his Religious to whome he made a worthy sermon exhorting them to the loue of God then of their neighbour and especially to obedience vnto his holie Romane Church next to obserue their pouerty and before the same and all other thinges to be alwayes mindfull to preferre the obseruance of the holy ghospell and the diuine counsailes therof Then crossing his hādes this great Patriarch of the poore gaue his holy benediction to all his Religious both present and absent saying My deere Brethren God of his mercy blesse you as also I blesse you be it his holy will to confirme me it in heauen Remayne ye all in his holy feare perseuering alwayes therin for the time of afflictions approach wherin they shal be happy who shall perseuer euen to the end remayne ye all in his holy obedience as you haue solemnely promised vnto him Finally remayne ye all in his most holy peace and in charity among your selues God blesse you I goe in great hast vnto God to whose grace I recommend you Amen Which hauing said he asked for the gospell and speaking no more to any person he only desired that place to be read vnto him where is mentioned the departure of our lord Ante diem festum paschae which being read to the end he began to say to himselfe Voce mea ad Dominum clamaui And being come to the verse Educ de custodia animam meam that is deliuer my soule if thou please my God out of this prison that it may attaine to thee my God and my lord where the iust expect me to the end thou mayest giue me my recompence Which being ended this holy soule at it desired was deliuered out of the prison of her proper flesh and eleuated to heauen there foreuer to enioy the eternall bounty with all the sainctes his elected of both sexes in that degree which his diuine maiestie ordayned and parepared for him How some saw the soule of the glorious Father sainct Francis ascend in glory THE LXXI CHAPTER THis holy soule failed not to appeare to some when it ascended to the celestiall glory For Brother Angelus a Religious of worthy sanctity being att that time prouinciall of the prouince of Naples and very neere his end saw in an instant the soule of the sainct as a resplendant starre on the toppe of a verie bright cloud to be transported aboue the great waters and directlie mounted and eleuated into heauen And albeit he had the space of two dayes lost his speech he neuertheles then resumed his spirittes for seeing the blessed spiritt of the sainct he began to crye out Stay for me Father stay for me for I goe also with you The Religious asking what he meant therbie See you not said he our holie Father sainct Francis that now goeth to the glory of Paradice which hauing spoaken he yelded his soule to God and followed his most holy Father The Bishop of Assisium being gone in pilgrimage to visitt the Church of S. Michael the Archangell on the mount Gargan S. Francis appeared vnto him the very night of his death and said My lord know that I haue left the world and goe to heauen The Bishop therfore being risen told his people that S. Francis was dead the night before which was proued to be true An other Religious of this Order being the same night rapt into deep contemplation saw the blessed Deacon of IESVS CHRIST vested with a very rich tunicle accompanyed with a great multitude of soules that attended him as a worthy Prince who so ascended into a pallace of merueillous beauty and eminency it is piously beleeued that the said soules were by his merittes deliuered out of Purgatory This glorious soule ascended to glory accompanied with many Angels that attended and visited him continually in this life and is now seated among the Seraphins which glory he merited not only in this life by the excessiue and Seraphicall loue of God but also it appartayned vnto him in regard of the Seraphicall vision of IESVS CHRIST who transformed him into himselfe making him a Seraphin by gtace and sealing the same with diuine seales as hath bin reuealed to many holy personnes worthy of creditt as well during the life of the Sainct as after his death The verie birdes and particulerlie the Larckes that were much beloued and verie familiar vnto him did exceedinglie reioyce att his glorie a great flight of them appearing verie earlie the next morning on the roufe of the house where sainct Francis lay dead warbling a verie delightfull and extraordinarie note yea as it were miraculous which continued diuers howers celebrating the prayses
for in heauen Knowing therfore right well the conuersion life and merittes of the holy Father S. Francis Institutour and Gouernour of the Order of Freer Minors yea by our owne experience and by the testimony of others of most worthy creditt who haue seene the notable miracles which God by meanes of him hath wrought we are likewise assured that he is glorified in heauen his life and apparant renowne dissipating the obscuritie of sinners that liue and haue liued in the shadow of death both men and women for corroboration of the faith of the holy church and to the confusion of the malice of heretikes the contentment of a great nomber of them that haue and doe follow him yet florishing and leading a celestiall life Wherfore that it may not seeme we intend to frustâ—ate the said S. of the honour due vnto him permitting him to be depriued of the reuerence which men owe him as one already glorified of God by the aduise and counsaile of our venerable Brethren the Cardinals and of all the Prelates now here present we haue iudged it requisite to inscribe him in the catologue of SS that as a candle of God he giue light here belowe no way deseruing to be hidden vnder a bushell but to be sett on an high candlesticke of his holy Church We therfore command you in vertue of these preseÌ„t Apostolicall letters that for the vniuersall benefitt you awaken the deuotion of your people to the veneration of this S. of God euery yeare celebrating his feast on the fourth day of October and that you admonish euery one to obserue the same that by his prayers and merittes God may graunt vs his holy grace in this life and his glory in the other Giuen att S. Iohn Lateran the six and twentith of march the second yeare of our Papacie The originall of this authenticall bull is extant in the great Conuent of the Cordeliers att Paris Of the great deuotion which Pope Gregory the ninth euer had to the Order of S. Francis extracted out of the eleuenth chapter of the tenth booke and here put in due place COnsidering that we haue discoursed of the canonization of the glorious Father S. Francis performed by Pope Gregory the ninth it seemeth to the purpose to sett downe what also concerneth the said Pope touching the familiarity and deuotion which he euer carryed towardes this glorious S. and his Order and the prophesie wherby S. Francis often reuealed vnto him that he should attaine to the dignitie of the Papacie His holinesse being yet Cardinall of Hostia and Protectour of this Order had euer a perticuler deuotion to his Religion so that discoursing once together he said vnto him I beseech you Father for the loue of IESVS CHRIST tell me freely your opinion for I am determined to obey you in that you shall resolue me which I promise you and call God to witnesse to witt whither I shall liue in this dignity or serue God in your Religion leauing the world and vanities therof and be cloathed in your habitt Which S. Francis hearing and considering what a beneficiall member he was vnto the church answeared that on the one side he might doe the Church of God and the world good seruice in this present estate considering that he was a man of great experience very prudent and iudicious of Counsaile and on the other side being such and in such dignity in the Church and theÌ„ce entring into religion should giue a most worthy example and by his preachinges purc asing many soules to God should exceedingly benefitt the world therfore he could not herein resolue him without reuelation from God and so he left him extremely perplexed But a little after knowing by diuine reuelation that he should be Pope many occasions happening of writing vnto him concerning his religion he thus made the superscription of his letter To the future Father of the world the Cardinall and so it came to passe for after the death of Pope Honorius he was chosen in his place the same yeare that the S. dyed It is said that of deuotion vnto thaâ— Order he often went vnknowne in company of the Frere Minors wearing the habitt and particulerly on good friday when he went to visitt the Churches and in this sort did wash the feet of the poore with them Wherfore he failed not with his vtmost affection to fauour the two Religions of S. Dominick and S. Francis in such sort that he canonized this holy Father as we haue said the second yeare of his Papacie and S. Antony of Padua in the sixt as in due place shal be mentioned he also canonized S. Dominick the eight yeare of his Papacie How the body of the glorious Father sainct Francis was transported into his owne church THE LXXV CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 1230. the Frere Minors being assembled att Assisium there to hold their Generall Chapter when the translation of this holy body was to be made from the church of S. George into the new church builded to that purpose there repaired an infinite multitude of people from all partes of Italy and many further remote to see this precious body But brother Helias who by the fauour and assistance of the Pope and many seculer gentlemen though Brother Iohn PareÌ„t were Minister Generall caused the holy body without priuity of the said Generall or other persoÌ„ne to be secretly remoued permitting none sauing only certaine of his freindes to know where it reposed which he did for certaine humane considerations And this exceedingly disquieted the said Religious who came rather to see the holy body then to hold the Chapter Brother Helias satisfied them with very few yet witty wordes so that this notwithstanding the said translation was celebrated with a very sumptuous solemnity the Pope hauing expresly sent thither his Apostalicall Noncioes as well to make his excuse of not comming in person by reason of certaine lawfull impedimentes as also to adorne that new church with a great crosse of gold enriched with many precions stones wherin was sâ—tt a litle peice of the true crosse and also with many dressinges and vessels to trimme and decke the high altare and many other rich ornamentes and withall a good almose to defray the said translation and towardes the finishing of the said building then halfe erected His holines by Apostolicall authoritie exempted the said church as also his monastery from all the landes subiect to the Romane Church and would that it should be immediately subiect to the holy Sea himselfe hauing there laid the first stone Now this holy treasure being translated and transported thus sealed with the character of the omnipotent it pleased his diuine maiesty by meane of his seruant to worck many miracles therby to induce the faithfull by feruent imitation to follow his steppes considering that during his life he had bin so deere vnto him as that by conteÌ„plation he had transported him as Enoch into Paradice and as Elias had bin
well content to tell thee what I saw Thou shalt then vnderstand that in the yeare 1449. Pope Nicolas the fift who with an inestimable prouidence gouerned the holy Church goeing for certaine affaires of great importance to Asssisium or according to the opinions of some meerly and expresly to visitt this glorious body sent Sir Peter of Noceson his Secretary to giue the Guardian of the place vnderstanding therof who assembling his Religious communicated vnto him the intention of his holinesse Vpon consultation wherof they were exceedingly busied for fearing on the one side that his holinesse would take and transport it to Rome and on the other not daring to contradict him they knew not well how to resolue to answeare his holines but that the said Secretary being very prudent and discreet considering the anguish wherin the Religious were made answeare of himselfe and retourning to the Pope told him in their behalfe that none of his predecessours not the holy Apostolick Sea hauing attempted the same they knew not well how to resolue much fearing that he would depriue them of that precious treasure of their Father which the Pope vnderstanding he retourned his Secretary to secure them and putt them out of that doubt The Religious then accorded that he should freely come about midnight but most humbly beseeching him to come attended only with two or three personnes A bishop of Fraunce that was then neere his Sanctity hearing this was much scandalized saying that this was as it were to contradict and to limitte the Apostolicall authority and that if his holinesse did what those Religious required it were to giue ill example to the world and aduised him not to endure it The Pope answeared him that hauing good intention he would not haue it esteemed euill without subiect and so much the rather because they had very great reason for it being also requisite to goe into holy places with great humility wherby he hoped to obtaine of this S. that for which he expresly went att that time And therfore he chose only the said Bishop my selfe and his said Secretary and commaunded the Guardian to take the like nomber of his Religious to be present with him att the said visitation Now as we expected the hower the Guardian preuenting it came about three of the clock att night vnto his holines and hauing kissed his feet conducted him by diuers turninges to a grosse wall but lowe whither being come the three Religious which he had brought began to breake the wall so that thy made a hole fitt for vs to passe commodiously through we then began there to consider that vnto the place where the body of S. Francis was there was a long rew of steppes of marble by which goeing we came co a tombe made in forme of a vault vnder earth where the Guardian kneeling downe gaue a burning torch into the hand of his holines that he might the more securely enter Att the higher part of the vault we found a dore some what lowe that was of brasse very strong hauing three grosse barres of iron with their lockes that shutt very curiously and three great chaines of iron that crossed the dore which being opened there issued an odour so precious and rare that none of vs either felt or shall feele a sweeter on earth The Guardian then with his knee on the ground said to his holines that he might enter att his pleasure he entred alone we remayning without where we discoursed of diuers spirituall thinges and falling incontinently to the ground before the feet of the S. he began to sigh groane and weep so bitterly and so sorely that so persisting a good space we began to feare that some accident had befallen him We then determined to enter to withdraw him but that hauing of himselfe chaunged his lamentation into ioy which was an euident signe that he had obtayned of this glorious S. some grace of importance he called vs all in desiring to see the said place and to conferre with vs therof and so entring we fell on our knees and abbreuiating our deuotious to be lesse troublesome to his holines arising vp and lifting our eyes on high we remayned all amazed O how inscrutable freind Abbott said the Cardinall are the wayes of God! and how distant and different are his iudgementes from all humane prudence who in his life hath euer seene or heard of a body so many yeares dead to remayne and stand vpright on his feet without any rest or stay It is no baulme nor any drith of naturall coldnes but an only supernaturall and euidently diuine vertue that thus supporteth this holy body as if it were liuing in such sort as we haue seene it We may well acknowledge that the hand of God is no more abbridged in his behalfe then if he were liuing seeing that he is truely liuing aliue I say in God aliue in vertues aliue in miracles and aliue in image gesture and and flesh so that only breath yea breath alone is wanting But to tell your particulerly and by order Know Abbott that this place is made in forme of a litle chappell with three arched vaultes that in the middest seemed to be miraculously made were it in respect of the walles or pauement hauing in the middest a stone wheron the glorious body of the S. stood vpright on his feet as I haue said with his face towardes the west his eyes eleuated towardes heauē which they very attentiuely beheld as he accustomed in his life His handes were ioyned one in an other within the sleeues of his habitt after the māner of the Freer Minors rested on his brest This body was in all partes as entier and exempt from corruption as the first day of his death On the other side of this vault stood an other body likewise vpright and cloathed in the habitt of S. Dominick who seemed to pray with his handes ioyned on high and his eyes fixed towardes the feet of S. Francis and they were so liuelie cleare that to neither of both there wanted but speech They yelded such and so gracious a sauour that it could hardlie be supported for it was so admirablie subtile and penetrant that it rauished our spirittes into extaise Now the Pope hauing well seene and duely considered all this fell againe on his knees before the said body of S. Francis then very reuerently lifted vp one side of his habitt for the other side was fast vnder his foot which he would not pull vp because it could not conueniētlie be done without stirring the whole body wherfore he contented himselfe to discouer only the other foot which was all bare without sandale O happy were our eyes that then deserued to behold the sacred stigmates which God himselfe with his owne handes imprinted in his deerly beloued Happy doubtles are the vnderstandinges that can att their pleasure contemplate them for the wound was as fresh on the middest of ther foot as if it
fortified vs against that pusillanimity when he willed vs not to feare those that haue power only to torment this wretched vile and fraile body but him that can torment both our body and soule eternally in hell Therfore for as much also as we know that he only shal be crowned who shall constantly perseuer to the end doe what you will for we hope in the diuine Maiesty that your executioners shal be rather be weary of tormenting vs then we of ioyfully enduring for the loue of God considering withall that we repute this death receaued for IESVS CHRIST as the gate of life wherby we are to enter This iudge seeing their constancy coÌ„manded them to be separated and committed to seuerall places and cruelly whipt and that after the executioners were wearied there should salt be put and vinegar powred in to their woundes and lastly shutt vp in prison all which was done and the next morning he caused the same to be iterated and then he sent theÌ„ to a publicke place vnto the people that they might be reueÌ„ged on them for the iniuryes committed against Mahomett They were brought thither naked their handes bound behinde their backes and cordes about their neckes there were their woundes renewed and their passed afflictions redoubled for besides that they were cruelly beaten scourged they cast them vpon broaken glasse and sharp pointed flintes wheron they roled and tumbled theÌ„ afterward they cast boylling oyle on their bodyes omitting nothing that might exulcerate their woundes each of them esteeming it a great sacrifice vnto Mahomett to exercise most barbarous and beastly kindes of tortures or to inuent them for dischardge of their fury against the holy Martyrs who notwithstanding in the middest of the said afflictions did with a loud voice praise and cofesse our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST demonstrating that they respected not the tormeÌ„tes which they endured nor the iniuryes disgorged against theÌ„ for one caÌ„not imagine that beastly dishonest and infamous wordes which were not then vttered vnto them but the most insupportable vnto them were the blasphemies which they vsed against God The whole day and part of the night was spent in this pittifull spectacle theÌ„ were they retourned to prisoÌ„ wher with all their hartes they gaue thaÌ„ckes vnto God and encouraged each other Now the immensiue and infinite bounty beholding from heauen his holy seruantes voutsafed to giue them a farther consolation with his visible presence appearing vnto them in a most resplendent light wherin they found an inestimable sweetnes and such as they vtterly forgott whatsoeuer they had suffered and endured This light so spred it selfe that it was also seene of the keepers who therin seeing many shadoes of personnes were fearfull suspected the prisoners were escaped therwith And therfore they hastened to a prisoner that was a good Christian called Peter Hermand to whome they related that they had seene the holy Martyrs escape and ascend vnto heauen in a bright and cleare light He coniecturing that this might be some notable vision seene by them did comfort them bid them not to feare affirming that he had heard them all the night to sing praise God which they being desirours to proue as seeming probable they went and found them all in prayer very ioyfull and content in their prison as if they had not endured any affliction How they were presented before the king Miramolin whome they putt to silence and confounded THE XIV CHAPTER THe next morning the king retourning from the fieldes and vnderstanding what had passed touching the Religious heresolued to see the end of their proceeding and either to conuert them to the law of Mahomett or els to haue a most cruell reuenge vpon them Which the foresaid Prince of Portugall Dom Pedro perceauing repayred to the said President and prayed him that after the said Religious should be dead their bodyes might not be committed to the disposition of the Mores but of the Christians which he obtayned The said Martyrs were then brought before the king their handes manicled behinde their backes their face swollen blew buffeted rent and all bloudy as was all the rest of their body with the blowes of the day precedent seeming rather dead then liuing creatures the king then beholding them with fauourable eye said Well you now being in my presence whither do you rather desirer to be mine enemies and rebelles and as such cruelly to dye or my freindes and as such aduanced to the principall degrees of my kingdome The holy Martyrs answeared that he might well hold them for his good freindes sith they were come from so farre a contry only for his cause and for the loue of him and of his kingdome to saue them from perishing and goeing to hell eternally damned putting their liues in hazard for the saluation of their soules and bodies The king vpon these wordes considering the resolution and inuincible fortitude of the holy Martyrs was vtterly confounded in himselfe wherfore as extremely enraged he retired into his closetâ— to consult what to doe with them sith he could draw them to nothing either by sweetnes or extremity the holy Martyrs on the contrary praising God for that he had giuen them grace euer till then to preach his holy faith notwithstanding the buffets they â—ad receaued to putt them to silence Of a conference betweene the said Religious and a noble man of the Mores THE XV. CHAPTER THere was a warlike noble More desirous to attempt if he could by faire meanes and speeches gaine them but he no more preuailed then the others for he endeauoured by sweet wordes to persuade them to obey the kinge who was more carefull of their good then them selues considering that being in his power to torment them and prolong their tortutures in deferring their death he neuertheles endeauoured to make them see their errours notwithstanding the iniuryes he had receaued of them and their great blasphemies vttered against his great prophett Mahomett who all men know how gratefull he is to God sith with his owne mouth he hath dictated vnto him his holy law wherin if they would liue he would in behalfe of the king promise them they should be most aduanced in his kingdome and should euer rule and gouerne in this world expecting by the intercession of their great Prophett Mahomett a double croune of God after their death Whereto Brother Otho with a zealous feruour answeared Vade retro Sathana auant from my presence thou hideous and infernall deuill for we with a firme and liuely faith adore and plainly confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost God in Trinity and vnity but thou miserable wretch that art already condemned to the eternall fire where he is whome thou adorest hauing compassion of thy selfe and performing thy duety oughtest to be conuerted it were more necessary for thee to shew they selfe more respectiue of thy owne saluation then of ours we hauing made choice of this assured way the more readily to
attaine the eternall kingdome And hauing spoken this touched with a iust and zealous disdaine spett twice vpon the ground in token that he abhorred the Mores proposition which the More tooke so offenciuely that in extreme fury he would willingly haue drawen his sword to haue slaine him but that it was death to draw a weapon in the kinges house and therfore he only gaue him a sound buffett saying goe sir master and learne to gouerne your tongue an other time This good Religious then as a true disciple of IESVS CHRIST incontinently answeared Brother God pardon you for you know not what you doe then tuurning his face he offered him the other cheeke bidding him strike as rudely as he would being as ready to eudure both that and more for the faith of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST The More not well hearing this reply was exceedingly amazed when he was aduertised therof and tourning towardes his owne people he said These lewd Christians shall not escape the iustice of our king which this day shall sharply be inflicted on them But these miserable wretches vnderstood not that kinde of reuenge knowne only to a few of the true seruantes of God How the king attempted againe to stagger and corrupt the holy Martyrs by promises THE XVI CHAPTER THe king in the meane time resolued to assault them with a new temptation wherby presuming to preuaile he reasoned with them in this manner you would repute your selues truely and really happy if you knew the grace which God and our great prophett offereth you in that they so pacifie my courage as I cannot reuenge me on you in such sort as your offences and demerites require but on the contrary in steed of punishing you I seeke by all meanes to gratifie you Herevpon the king freed his chamber of all the company but some few fauourites and caused to enter fiue faire and yong gentlewomen richely attired then said to the fiue Martyrs Note well what is in my clemencie I know well that your extreme pouerty and misery such as your habittes doe demonstrate hath troubled your braine but I hope by curtesie and my meree liberality to cure you for I will espouse you to these gentlewomen with whome I will giue a rich dowrye besides the portion of their parentes who are the greatest Peeres of my kingdome and whose substance you shall enherit vpon this only condition that you accept of our Religion which so many kingdomes and great personnages doe embrace The holy Martyrs stopped their eares against these deluding promises made by this subtill and creafty tyran whome they freely answeared O accursed of God assure thy selfe these thy delightes will shortly conduct thee to the goulfe of hell in the bottome wherof thy false messenger of God Mahomet attendeth thee to the end that as thou obeyest him in his law thou eternallie accompany him in tormentes And because thou art great in this world thou shalt also be greatly tormented and so much aboue others as thou hast more pleasure then they in this miserable life Ah wretched and miserable acknowledge the errour which thou so obstinatlie maintaynest As for vs by the grace of God we know well how to fly these false and transitorie pleasures hereafter to enioy those that are reall and eternall in the glorie of God which also we offer vnto thee in his behalfe with remission of all thy sinnes for our mercifull Lord IESVS CHRIST dyed as much for thee on the tree of the crosse as for vs. And if thou wilt not be ingratefull towardes his diuine maiestie acknowledge his graces and repent thee of this filthy life thou leadest which hath bin taught by thy false Prophett to thee and thine whome he leadeth as beastes by the nose of the sences after these carnall pleasures insteed and recompense wherof thou shalt eternallie burne in hell The king by this answeare perceaued well that his fauourable wordes avayled no more then his promises Wherfore as halfe enraged with fury for the iniuryes vttered against his Prophett and himselfe sith said he you will not conceaue your owne good I will make you proue what it is to offend the deity of our great Prophett and the maiesty of a croune for my selfe will reuenge the same with my owne handes for him and me which said he prepared himselfe to play the executioner How the holy Martyrs were beheaded by the very hand of the king Miramolm and how they appeared to the Infanta Madam Sanctia THE XVII CHAPTER BVt the beloued sainctes of our Lord neuer in all their life heard more welcome newes And therfore exceedingly ioyfull and content and replenished with an admirable consolation as knowing themselues to be neere their so desired recompence they with a great vehemence and feruour answeared in this sort O king our bodies only are in thy power and therin consisteth the greatest hurt thou canst doe vs which also redoundeth to our exceeding good with God therefore dispose of them att thy pleasure for our glory shal be so much greater in heauen where his diuine maiesty prepareth vs his crowne in regard that we dye for his holy faith in zeale wherof we againe admonish thee and in as much as the saluation of thy soule is precious vnto thee doe pray thee to leaue thy errours wherin the diuell hath drowned thee and to embrace the faith of the liuing God and of his only sonne IESVS CHRIST who seeketh to saue thee because this flesh which thou so much tenderest shall shortly be food for wormes and thy miserable soule shall feele the cruell and eternall paines which the damned endure in hell The king heard not the end of this discourse but commanded them to be conducted to a place before his palace that there he might execute them himselfe and that thereby the zeale he had to the law of Mahomett might publikely appeare after that he walked thither with his people where taking his great hanger he separated them then cryed out I am now to reuenge the cause of our holy Prophett and the derisions of our law with myne owne handes which said full of diabolicall fury he gaue to each of the Martyrs a blow on the middest of the head which cleaued it euen almost to the chinne then he pleased himselfe in cutting their throtes glutting his fury by the sight of their bloud So being deuoutlie on their knees praying God to pardon their persecutors they by the handes of this great executioner yelded their soules vnto God the yeare of grace 1220. and the fourth yeare of the Papacie of Pope Honorius the third the sixt of Ianuary somewhat lesse then seauen yeares before the death of the glorious Father S. Francis These were the first of his Order which he sent vnto heauen Att the same time the fiue Martyrs appeared to the foresaid Infanta in the citty of Alenquer about eleuen of the clock in the forenoone she being very deuoutlie praying in her chamber They had in their handes each
not only to haue formerly studied the said hierarchie but euen to haue seene and frequented the same Wherevpon the afore said Abbot in the third chapter of his said commentary oftentimes reiterateth these wordes Loue penetrateth farther then exteriour science can doe as is read to haue appeared in many Bishoppes who not being learned yet very subtilly penetrated to the deepest secrettes of the most sacred Trinity as my selfe haue experienced in the holy Religious Br. Antony of the Order of Frere Minors by the familier conuersation which I haue had with himt for albeit he was litle conuersant in worldly sciences when he learned Mysticall diuinity he so penetratiuely vnderstood the same that I may truely say of him that which IESVS CHRIST affirmed of S. Iohn Baptist that he was a burning candell that illuminated the world in regard that he lightened the people exteriourly by diuine knowledge wherwith he burned interiourly by a celestiall loue Touching the lecture which he read the licence which S. Francis sent him was thus Br. Francis to his most deare Brother Antony health I am content that you read Diuinity to the Brethren prouided that it be in such sort as that the spiritt of holy prayer be not weakened neither in you nor them according to the rule He so reuerenced sainct Francis whome he called Bishop that he would neuer read Diuinity though he were by the Religious exceedingly importuned therevnto till he had receaued the said licence of him by vertue wherof he first read att Montpellier in Languedoc then att Bollonia and att Padua the greatest part of his learning he had obtained of God alwayes eleuating his spiritt in him as once it happened vnto him intending to preach before an Abbot of sainct Benets Order vpon the wordes of S. Paul written to sainct Denis for att that time he continued a long space rauished in extasie How he preached in France and of the miracles he wrought there THE VI. CHAPTER SAinct Antony was sent into France to be Guardian in the Couent of Limoges in Aquitaine by his workes and predications to conuert many heretiques that then were there and to confirme the Catholiques which he so happely performed that the memory therof remayneth euen to our dayes besides many miracles which God there wrought by him wherof we will recount some few As he preached the Passion on Maundy thursday night or good friday morning in the Church of S. Peter of Quadruuio in Lymoges at the same time that the Religious did solemnely sing Matines in the Couēt when they came to the lesson that was to be read he instantly appeared and read it all yet without leauing the pulpit where he preached void of his presence It may be thought that God interposed the ministery of some Angell that entertayned the people whiles he sung the lesson in the Qiuer Almost the like accident arriued att Mōtpellier where he was Lector for preaching one day to the people he remembred that he had not appointed any one to sing an Alleluia in his place it being his office to sing it whiles he was preaching he stouped in the pulpit as to repose himselfe and was att the same instant seene to sing the Alleluia in his Couent yet departed not from the great church where then he preached This diuine vertue in S. Antony is not to be so much admired as if the like had neuer bin for the same arriued to S. Francis when he was seene in a siery chariott and when he appeared in forme of a crosse att the Chapter of Arles as in his life we haue related And to S. Ambrose when in a moment he was present att the obsequies of S. Martin att Tours though he was seene att Milan the very same time How he deliuered a Religious and a Nouice from great temptations THE VII CHAPTER THere was in the said Monastery of Limoges a Nouice called Brother Peter who was exceedingly tempted to leaue his habitt S. Antony as a right vigilant Pastour ouer the flock of God knew this temptation in spiritt and therfore called and drew him a part then causing him to open his mouth he blew and breathed therin saying My sonne receaue the holy Ghost O admirable accident This Nouice fell instantly to the ground as dead The other Religious hastening to rayse him S. Antony took him by the hand and lifted him vp The Nouice then affirmed that he had bin in heauen and proceeding to recount what he had seene the S. bid him to keep it secrett which he did and was neuer after tempted to leaue his habitt but was an example of piety to all his Brethren About the same time S. Antony being gone to the Abby of Semoniaco depending on the bishopprick of Limoges a Religious of the said Abby was exceedinglie tempted with the flesh wherof finding no remedy by prayers watchinges or whatsoeuer other mortifications he resolued to haue recourse vnto S. Antony to whome in confession he discouered the secrett of his hart affectionatly beseeching him for the loue of God to assist him S. Antony hauing heard his confession putt off his owne coat and gaue it to the Religious to putt on which hauing done he so as if the very vertue which was in the S. had bin in his coat communicated vnto him his chastity that the temptation for euer ceassed as the Religious did diuers times afterward acknowledge and confesse Of the miracles which he wrought in France vpon two that were very deuout vnto him THE VIII CHAPTER IN the same citty of Limoges an honest woman deuoted vnto him and to his Order had a very peruerse husband iealous and without the feare of God who did often beat and torment her because she did too readily addict her selfe to the seruice of S. Antony and of his Couent as well in bestowing almose on them as in procuring it of others according to their necessity It happened one day that vpon some affaires of the Couent she priuately retired her selfe somewhat late wherwith her husband was so vexed that he cruelly beat and abused her for he tooke her by the haire and pulled it almost all off but this vertuous woman carefully gathered it together and layd it neatly on her pillow as if she meant to make them grow againe then simplie layd her selfe to rest and the next morning early she sent for S. Antony who came to her supposing she would be confessed But she related vnto him what she had endured for his seruice shewing him her haire and adding with all that she beleeued if he pleased to pray to God for her which she besought him to doe her haire would take roote againe the S. admiring hereatt retourned to the monastery where hauing assembled all the Religious he recounted vnto them the affliction of this woman and her request and therfore inuited them to pray together for her which they did and att the very instant the haires torne from this womans head were fast rooted as before
was he by a speciall grace of God alwayes preserued from vices and sinnes but being by his eternall maiesty induced to shunne the snares of the deuill hauing for the loue of IESVS CHRIST giuen all he had to the poore he in the time of Sainct Francis became a Frere Minor and hauing obtayned of God the grace of contemplation and Euangelicall perfection he withall his iudustry laboured that the same might not proue vaine and fruitlesse in him He therfore much exercised himselfe in the vertue of holy obedience which is more pleasing to God then sacrifices In the most violent and extremest cold being almost naked he trauelled for the necessities of the Religious he continuallie employed himselfe in prayer dailie examining his conscience for the most part his reliefe was only bread and water with abondance of teares and by such like abstinence he mortified the concupiscences of his flesh to be able with more puritie to offer vp his soule in sacrifice vnto God He was exceeding compassionate vnto afflicted personnes and with alacrity serued the sicke not only Religious but the seculer also If there wanted phisike he demaunded it for the loue of God as also all other thinges necessarie he was very humble and therfore desirously laboured in the kitchen washed the dishes swept the house and very willingly busied himselfe in all other offices of humility If by any word or act he had giuen occasion of troubles to any one he would presently put a cord about his owne neck and so goe aske him pardon though he endured iniuryes done to himselfe as patiently as if no such thinge had bin he liued fifteene yeares in such and the like exercises of vertue and afterwardes in his death and since God hath discouered how gratefull the life of this his seruant was vnto him before his last sicknes he reuealed the day of his death and the place which he declared to one of his companions He trauelled to Ciuitadochia where being arriued he fell sick and few dayes after the terme of his life being exspired one night att mattins he shewed such an extraordinary ioyfull face as if he had some vision that made him euen exteriourly to reioyce Wherfore the Religious that attended him demaunded if he had seene any Angell of heauen or the holy Father Sainct Francis he answeared that he had not seene the holy Father S. Francis but of the Angel he sayd nothing Being in those ioyes he aduertised his companions of the death of one deuoted vnto him which was reuealed vnto him saying that William was already departed out of this world vnto almighty God and that himselfe should follow him the same day betweene none and euensonge which came to passe for att the time foretold this holy Religious Ambrose yelded his soule into the handes of his Creatour Of many muracles wrought by this glorious S. Ambrose THE XXXV CHAPTER THe nomber of miracles by which our Lord would approue the life and sanctity of his seruant Brother Ambrose was such that Pope Gregory the ninth by an Apostolicall breuie commanded the Bishop of Ciuitadochia and the Priour of S. Iohn of the Order of S. Augustin to meet and to examine the life and miracles of the S. and hauing perused them to approue them for autenticall This Briefe was giuen att the Palace of Lateran the 13. yeare of his Popedome by vertue wherof the said Prelates hauing made a most dilligent search they found that fourteene lame persons had by the merittes of this seruant of God bin cured as also foure deliuered of the falling sicknesse one dispossessed in his life time and two after his death six cured of mortall impostumes and one of a fistula He restored hearing to one that was deafe four men were cured of seuerall diseases a woman of the bloudie flux and an other whose child had bin foure monethes dead in her wombe he restored sight to foure that were blind and finally raysed many from death The said Prelates tooke notice of these and many other miracles but the death of the Pope peruerted his inscription in the catalogue of the SS in the Church militant though he were recorded in heauen where he raigneth with IESVS CHRIST in his Church triumphant making supplication to his diuine maiesty for those that in their necessities haue recourse vnto him Of the life of Br. Iuniperus disciple of S. Francis Of the exemplare humilitie and singuler patience of Brother Iuniperus THE XXXVI CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus was one of the first and most perfect disciples of S. Francis for he was so grounded in the firme and assured foundations of humility patience contempt of the world and of himselfe that no tormenting temptations of the deuill nor persecution of the world could in any sort remoue or desioyne him from his estate of perfection There was neuer any that saw him troubled or disquieted so couragiously did he support all iniuryes of wordes or actions Which brought him to such misprise of himselfe that many seeing him in such poore apparance and so ill treated not knowing his perfection esteemed him for a foole and sencelesse But S. Francis that knew him right well reputing him in the nomber of the perfect sayd that he should be a good and true Frere Minor that attayned the misprise of the world and of himselfe so far foorth as had done Brother Iuniperus and oftentimes considering his simplicities the contempt of himselfe and patience in reprehensions giuen him he would say to the Religious present My Brethren I desire and would to God I had a great forrest full of such Iunipers This worthy seruant of IESVS CHRIST oftentimes found new occasions for exercise of his patience to be misprised and reproached yet without offending God neuer shunning to be reputed a foole as when he one time entred into the citty of Viterbium hauing made a fardell of his habitt bound vp with his cord which he carryed on his shoulders and so went into the marckett place where the children seeing him almost naked vsed him as a foole reuiled him with wordes cast stones att him and berayed him with filth After he had left these that thus tormented him he went to the Couent where the Religious seeing him in such pittifull estate and vnderstanding by him wherefore he had bin so handled they were much scandalized att what he had don and tooke it in very ill part bitterly reprehending him for it some told him he deserued to be cudgelled others to be imprisonned others to be hanged for the great scandall he had giuen to the people but he accepted all these indignities with a very contented and ioyfull countenance as matter much desired of him and in signification of the interiour contentment he conceaued he tooke the fore part of his habitt and beholding those Religious that were most offended with his fact and rebuked him for it sayd vnto thē My freindes fill this I pray you with these iewels doe so feare not for I receaue them
a heat and sting of sensuality that loosing all hope of force to ouercome so great a temptation he diuers times required his apparell of the sayd Father Simon to retourne to the world affirming that he could no longer remaine in Relligion but the good Father comforted him and still deferred him to an other time Neuertheles his temptations encreased daily And as one day he exceedingly vrged him to permitt him to depart out of relligion this holy Father hauing compassion of him commanded him to sitt downe by him which the nouice hauing done he layd his head on his lappe then lifting his eyes towardes heauen he with such feruour prayed for him that being rapt in extasie he was heard in such sort that the Nouice was so deliuered of his temptations that thenceforward his sensuall heat was tourned into the fier of charity wherof he made demonstration after he had made his vow by this accident A lewd fellow was condemned for his misdeedes to haue his eyes crushed out this Religious hauing heard report hereof moued with charity towardes his neighbour went and most instantly prayed the iudge to temper iustice with mercy and to mittigate the sentence giuen against that criminell The Iudge answeared that he could not This good Religious then fell on his knees before the Iudge and with tearfull eyes besought him that the sentence then might be executed on himselfe in regard that the party condemned would not endure the torment nor support the disgrace so patiently as himselfe The Iudge moued with such wordes and admiring the Charity of this Religious pardoned for that time the malefactor This holy Father being in prayer in a solitary place many birdes came ouer him and by their singing made so great a noyse as they distracted him Wherfore he commanded them in the name of God to depart and they redily obeyed The houre of death of this worthy seruant of God being att length come and his yeares being accomplished he yelded his soule to his Creatour adorned with vertues and sanctity He was buryed in the Couent of Spoletum where his notable merittes haue bin manifested he hauing obtayned many graces of God for the comfort and benefitt of infinitie personnes that haue implored him as their intercessour The life of the glorious Father Brother Christopher Of the mortification charity abstinence and affliction of body of the glorious Brother Christopher THE XLVIII CHAPTER THe venerable Brother Christopher was borne in Romania he was Preist before he entierly left the world to follow IESVS CHRIST he was moued thervnto by the example predication of S. Francis who hauing admitted him to the habitt and profession of the Frere Minors sent him into France to the Prouince of Gascone the yeare 1219. there to edifie soules and to plant the seed of Religion This Father was of a profound humility and simplicity especially pittifull to the afflicted He succoured assisted and serued the leapers with great deuotion and dilligence washing their feet dressing their soares and vlcers making their beddes paring their nayles and giuing them comfort in all their necessities But how much he was pittifull in the behalfe of others as charity commanded him so much was he seuere and rigorous to himselfe weakening him selfe by continuall fastes and wearing a grosse hairecloth hauing besides for a long time worne a coat of maile the more to torment his flesh His perseuerance in rigour of life was such that being an hundred yeares old he did eat but once a day except the sondayes and principall feastes of the yeare so that albeit his body grew old and decayed he was neuettheles alwayes yong and firme in vertues Notwithstanding such mortifications and abstinences he had a face very cheerfull for the interiour ioy shined and appeared exteriourly and the most sweet and gracious loue of his hart towardes his God made all the afflictions sweet which his body endured Of the diuine consolations which he receaued in prayer and att Masse THE XLIX CHAPTER THis holy Religious neuer spent his time idly but euer employed himselfe either in prayer or reading or in manuall exercise in the garden or in some other seruice necessary to relligion He was wery dilligent in prayer and had the grace of shedding many teares And that he might the more commodiously apply himselfe to prayer he made choice of a very litle cell made of earth and boughes of trees separate frome the others wherin he spent most of his time which was a thing in manner generall to the first Fathers of that time and there was he often visited diuinely as also the glorious Virgin Mary appeared vnto him one time with her mother S. Anne comforted him that was particulerly deuout vnto them He euery day said masse with great deuotion and abondance of teares which was very gratefull to IEVS CHRIST as by the sequell appeareth This venerable Brother saying masse one morning one of the candels on the altare was casually putt out and there was seene a light instantly to discend from heauen that lightened it againe There was often seene a white pigeon houering ouer his head whiles he said masse the Religious that serued and assisted him did often see it he was a yong man very neat and an innocent disciple of his called Brother Peter who hauing forsaken his kinred his friendes his patrimony and all the world besides on whose fallacious and deceiptfull apparences he would not relye entred into the Religion of Frere Minors where he ascended to such sanctity that in regard of his pure simplicity he merited often times to see and speake with his good Angell Gardien The first time that he saw the pigeon discend vpon the head of the glorious Br. Christopher not knowing what it signified he sought to driue it away wherin he exceedingly troubled his master who was enforced to will him to lett it alone and therby it was knowne what it was This venerable Father one time calling to minde his sinnes committed in the world extremely feared the punishment they deserued conformably to that which the scripture sayth Happy is he that alwayes feareth and therfore he prayed this Angelicall yong man Br. Peter whose conscience he knew very well to demaund of his familier Angell his estate touching his former sinnes who made him this answeare Tell Brother Christopher he need not feare his sinnes past because God hath pardoned them entierly But lett him striue to perseuer in his good worckes begun that he may meritt eternall life The rest of this Chapter is inserted in the end of the 71. chapter of the second booke being a vision that this holy Father had of the death of Sainct Francis Of some miracles wrought by this glorious Br. Christopher in his life time THE L. CHAPTER ALthough this holy mā did not publikely ascend into the pulpitt to preach the word of God yet did he deliuer it to such people as he conuersed withall giuing them profitable admonitions accompanyed with seuere reprehensions so
Br. Giles had the said vision this Religious saw in vision the sunne to arise out of the cell of Br. Giles and there-ouer to remayne till night and he afterward seeing Br. Giles so admirably chaunged sayd vnto him B other support and gouerne tenderly the Sunne of God and thou shalt be blessed Of the graces which God bestowed on Brother Giles in the said vision THE XI CHAPTER IF vnto any it appeare difficult to be beleeued that Brother Giles saw almighty God not only in imaginary and intellectuall semblance but euen in his diuine essence as this worthy seruant of God confessed affirming that God had depriued him of faith lett him read the epistle of sainct Augustin vnto Paulinam De videndo Deum wherin he shall find that speaking of the vision of God in essence he sayth It is not a matter incredible that God permitteth this excellencie of diuine reuelation in his substance to certaine holy personnes before theire death to the end their bodyes be buryed he vseth these wordes before they be dead for their sepulture because as they who manifestly see God enioyning his glory are entierly and totally separated from their mortall bodyes in the same proportion it is necessary for those that are to receaue such a reuolation to be separated from their bodyes according to the cognitiue and sensitiue puissance att least to their actions for this is in a certaine fashion to be out of the termes of this life Wherevpon sainct Paul said Were it that my soule were in my body or separated from it I know not God knoweth it it was transported rauished and eleuated euen to the third heauen Brother Giles speaking of the said vision which he had affirmed that he was therby so assured in the knowledge of almighty God and of his glory that he had lost the faith which he formerly had of him He also affirmed that he was directly of opinion that his soule entierly abstracted from the body saw almighty God After his death he reuealed vnto a Religious that also in the same vision he had bin replenished with the giftes of the holy Ghost and confirmed in graces and doubtlesly the merueillous effectes that remayned in the soule of Brother Giles confirme this verity for after this vision he was so often rapt in extasie that there is hardly found any other saint before or after him to haue exceeded him therin It appeared by his exteriour actions what esteeme he made therof for he seldome or neuer went out of his cell but employed himselfe in fastinges prayers shunning all idle wordes and all fruitlesse conuersation and if such discourses were forcibly vsed in his presence and that any would needes make him some relation to the preiudice of any other he would heare nothing therof affi ming that each one ought to be very wary and respectiue not to offend God his neighbour and his owne soule by such discourses And on the contrary when he heard speake of God he was presently rapt into extasie and remayned insensible as dead so that the fame of this sublime and singuler grace being diuulged and made knowne to all personnes euen to the contry people and to children when they mett him they would say Paradice Brother Giles and att the instant and very place where he heard that sweet and gracious word he would fall into extasie in such sort as if the Religious desired to talke with him of God and to receaue his consailes and doctrines they must be wary not to speake of the glory of the diuine vision least that being rauished in spiritt they were frustrared of their desire And because he liued sequestred from the other Religious Brother Bernard therfore as zealous of his neighbours good reprehended him therin calling him but halfe a man as regarding only his owne good But Brother Giles answeared that it was more secure to content himselfe with a litle then by attempting too much to endanger the losse of all considering that vpon a very small occasion a great grace is often lost so that one must be wary att such time not to loose that in laughing which is not purchaced but with much labour and weeping Being one day in spirituall conference with Brother Andrew and Brother Grātian two Religious of pious life and his spirituall children he told them that he was borne sower times first out of his mothers woombe secondly when he was baptised thirdly when he entred into Religion and fouerthly the day that IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto him and manifested vnto him his glory Wherto Brother Andrew answeared that it was true but if he should be in a forraine contry where it should be demaunded of him if he knew Brother Giles he might auouch that he knew thus much of him that it was twenty foure yeares since he was borne and that he had faith before he was borne but had lost it afterwardes Brother Giles replyed that all this was true because sayd he before I had not such faith as I ought to haue the which also God did take from me and gaue me a more cleare and perfect knoledge of him and of his glory and among many graces which I haue receaued of his diuine Maiesty this is one that I haue knowne and doe know my selfe to deserue to haue a cord fastened about my neck and to be in extreme disgrace trayned through all the streetes and publike places of the world so to receaue all the scornes and derisions that can be offered to the lewdest man in the world Whervpon Brother Andrew made him this demaund Tell me Brother if you haue not faith what would you doe if you were Priest and were solemnely to sing Credo in vnum Deum It seemeth you should necessarily say Cognosco vnum Deum patrem omnipotentem and incontinently he was rapt in extasie all this he said not that he had simply no faith but by reason of a greater light and illumination which God with apparant euidence had giuen him How Brother Giles was rapt in extasie before Pope Gregory the ninth POpe Gregory the ninth being with his court remoued to Perusia and vnderstanding that Brother Giles of whome he had heard merueillous thinges was neere thervnto he sent for him as desirous to know him Brother Giles came presently to Perusia But being entred into the Pallace of the Pope he felt himselfe interiourly moued with the spirituall sweetnes which ordinarilie arriued him before his extasie wherfore considering that it was not conuenient he should in that estate present himselfe before his holinesse he sent his companion to make his excuse But the Pope not admitting it would know why being within his Pallace he would not presently come to him so that his companion was enforced to say vnto him Most holy Father Brother Giles hath deferred to salute your holinesse for no other cause but that by signes ordinary vnto him he foreseeth that comming in your presence he shall fall into extasie The Pope
hereto replyed I come to Perusia more for this only respect then for any other thing and therfore bring him incontinently hither which was done but as soone as Brother Giles had in great humility kissed the feet of the Pope he scarcely began to speake vnto him but that he was rauished in spiritt and remayned immoueable with his eyes fixed towardes heauen which the Pope seeing he sayd verily if thou die before me I would seeke the knoledge of no other miracles to canonize thee An other time the said Pope goeing to the Couent of the Frere Minors of Perusia to visitt Brother Giles the Religious ran presently to his cell to aduertise him therof but they found him in extasie which the Pope vnderstanding he went to his cell accompanyed with many Cardinals and other noble men who all continued a long time beholding him and to see if he would retourne to himselfe But seeing it would not be in short time the Pope with his company departed much admiring and troubled that he could not speake with him as he desired He commanded that his extasie being ended he should be told his holinesse attended him to dine with him which was done and at dinner time this good Father went to the Pope whose feet he most reuerently kissed and was with al curtesie entertayned There was then with his holinesse a gentleman that sayd vnto him that he had heard report of Br. Giles his gracious and sweet singing praying his holinesse to cause him to sing therof to receaue some contentment and consolation The Pope as well in regard of his deuotion towardes him as of his desire to heare him prayse God said vnto him Sonne I should be glad you would comfort and reioyce vs in God by some gracious and deuout song Br. Giles answeared doth it please your holinesse that I sing which hauing diuers times reiterated he retyred himselfe into a corner and was presently rapt in extasie The Pope those with him desirous to experience the force of that extasie they felt found him withour pulse or heat The Pope being exceedingly troubled that he had lost the company and conuersation of this holy Religious sharply reprehēded the gentlemā that had persuaded him to cause him to sing The time of supper being come and Br. Giles still in extasie the Pope said to the Cardinals presēt I am sory this holy Father is not heere with vs but I am resolued to try in him the vertue of obediēce whereof haue bin seene many experiēces in the Frere Minors then cōming to Br. Giles he said vnto him Because the Order of the Frere Minors depēdeth immediatly of vs we cōmand thee vpon obediēce to retourne incōtinently to thy selfe The successe was admirable for att the very instāt this mā of God that had bin entierly insēsible as dead stood vp right on his feet and wēt fell on his knees before his holines with deep humility acknowledging his fault The Pope causing him to arise took him by the hād spake vnto him then Br. Giles demaūded of him how he did the Pope answeared that thāckes be to God he was well Br. Giles added Holy Father you haue great need of the help of God in the great importāt affaires which you haue For I suppose that the inquietude occupatiōs of the soule in exteriour matters are of great labour The Pope answeared My child thou sayest true therfore doe I pray thee to treat with almighty God for me that by meane of his grace I may the more easily carry the weight of this burdē Br. Giles replyed that he would willingly doe it and submitted his neck to the yoke of the cōmandement of God to that end instātly retired himselfe from the presēce of the Pope to performe his obediēce and employed himselfe in prayer where he was so rauished in spiritt that he retourned not thece in fower houres after In the meane while the Pope all his cōpany praysed God in his seruāt to whome he had imparted such a diuine familiarity that he cōuersed more out of then in the world though he were as yet in this mortall flesh Now Br. Giles being retourned to himselfe his holinesse sat downe att table willed he should eat with him which was an incredible contētment to the Pope who afterward cōmended him to a chāber to repose The day following his holinesse familierly discoursing with him asked him what should become of him The holy Father making his excuse of answearing thervnto the Pope againe vrged him att least to tell him what he should be Wherto Br. Giles hauing likewise replyed that he could not answeare therin being still pressed by his holinesse cōmandement he sayd holy Father endeauour to keepe both the eyes of your spiritt alwayes very pure the right eye cōtinually to contēplate high future thinges wherin we ought to addresse all our actiōs the left to order direct presēt matters that are vnder our chardge doe appertayne to the duety of our place and quality He spake many other thinges of notable edificatiō which are not extāt wherby appeared the great abōdance of diuine lighte imparted to this holy Religious The Pope therwith remayned more edified then euer and was enamoured of this sainct as being the true and perfect freind of God Of the exercises and of the affection Br Giles had to the contemplatiue life THE XIII CHAPTER THis true seruāt of God had his face alwayes cherfull ioyful and whē he spake to answeared any one he alwayes discouered himselfe to be full of ioy deuotion and entierly eleuated in God yea sometimes he so exceeded in this ioy that he oftē would kisse the very stones did such other like actes thervnto cōstrayned by the loue of his Creatour and perseuering in such grace he was very wary not to contristate the spiritt of God which he possessed so that it was exceeding troublesome vnto him vpon whatsoeuer occasion to leaue the diuine cōuersation and retourne to the cōsideration of these humane affaires He desired to entertaine his life with leaues of trees only so to haue more occasiō to shunne all humane cōsolation Whē cōming frō prayer he mett with the other Religious shewing himselfe to be ful of ioy he would say in a māner as did S. Paul The eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascēded into the hart of mā what thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him By which wordes he confirmed and enflamed the spiritt of the other Religious in the loue of God He held in exceeding reuerence and deuotion the sacramentes of the church the diuine seruice And if any discoursed vnto him of the cōstitutiōs decrees of the Church he in this sort with great feruour praysed thē O holy mother Romane Church Ignorant and miserable as we are we doe not know thee nor much lesse the zeale boūty wherby thou labourest to saue vs. Thou
hardly can I speake and this because I am corporally separated from you and my holy sisters with whome I hoped to haue happely liued and dyed in this world So farre is this my griefe from slacking that it continually encreaseth which as it had a beginning so doe I beleeue it will finde no end in this world For it is so continuall and familier vnto me that it will neuer forsake me I was persuaded that life and death should be a like without power of any separation on earth amongest them who haue one same conuersation and life in heauen and must haue one same sepulture them I say who one same and equall naturall profession and one same loue hath made sisters But as far as I can see being abandoned and afflicted on eache side I am much mistaken O my holy sisters I beseech you to be reciprocally grieued with me and lett vs weepe together I being assured that you shall neuer experience any doulour comparable to that which I now feele in being separated from them with whome IESVS CHRIST had conioyned me This griefe tormenteth me incessantly this fire burneth my hart continually so that being on each side afflicted I know what to thincke neither doth any hope remayne but to be assisted by your prayers that Almighty God easing this affliction may make it tollerable vnto me O my most gracious mother what shall I doe and what shall I say sith I know not that euer I shall see you more or likewise my sisters O that it were lawfull for me to vtter vnto you the conceiptes of my soule as I would desire or that I could open my hart vnto you on this paper then should you see the liuely and continuall dolour that tormenteth me My soule bâ—rneth interâ—ourly being afflicted with an incessant fire of loue and my hart groneth sigheth and lamenteth with desire of your presence Myne eyes cannot haue their fill of weeping and albeit I seeke some consolation against this bitternes yet can I find none but euery thing turneth into griefe and much more when I coÌ„sider the meanes to see you I am entierly steeped in these anguishes hauing none that can comfort me in this life but that I receaue a litle consolation from the liberal hand of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Which causeth me to beseech you all to giue thanckes vnto his diuine maiesty for this fauour and mercy extended towardes me and for that through his grace I finde in this Couent such concord peace and charity as by wordes cannot be expressed these sisters hauing receaued me with exceeding loue deuotion yelding me obedience with extraordinary promptitude and reuerence They all with one accord recommend themselues to our Lord IESVS CHRIST to you my sister and to all the sisters of the monastery and I recommend both my selfe and them to your prayers beseeching you as our Mother to be mindfull of them and of me as of your daughters and know you that they and I will all the dayes of our life obserue and keep your holy preceptes and aduertisementes Besides I desire you should know that the Pope hath accorded to whatsoeuer I demaunded him conformably to your intention and mine and particulerly in the matter you know viz. that we may not possesse any thing proper I beseech you my most deere Mother to procure of the R. Father Generall that he often visitt vs to comfort vs in God whose grace be with your spiritt Amen Of an extasie of S. Agnes and how S. Clare saw her thrice crowned by an Angell THE XXXVI CHAPTER SAinte Clare in her last sicknes obtained that her sister S. Agnes might come to see her in the monastery of S. Damian to keep her company during the few dayes she had to liue And so S. Agnes hauing left her Couent well grounded in Religion and sanctity she came to Assisium where sainte Clare being one night in prayer a part from her sister she neuertheles saw her being also in prayer lifted from the earth and an Angell to crowne her head three seuerall times with so many crownes The day following she demanded of her sister what player or contemplation she had made the night past But she of humility vnwilling to manifest her prayer being att length enforced by obedience made her this relation I considered the great goodnes and patience of almighty God wherby he supporteth such enormous offences of sinners which I considered with a deep sorrow and compassion Then I thought and yet doe thinck on the loue which almighty God beareth to sinners and how he endured death to saue them Thirdly I considered and doe consider and am with coÌ„passion exceedingly afflicted for the soules in purgatory and their great tormentes and because they cannot helpe them selues I asked mercy for them of the most sacred woundes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST How S. Agnes sent S. Clares vaile to the monasterie of Florence and of her death and translation to S. George of Assisium with all her Religious into a new Couent THE XXXVII CHAPTER AFter the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes sent her black vaile which she did ordinairily weare to the poore Religious of MouÌ„t Celi which she had founded att Florence which she did in regard of her great amity towardes them that they might inherite some reliques of sainte Clare for their comfort and deuotion That vaile is yet in the sayd monastery where it is so carefully preserued that in substance and colour it seemeth still new There is likewise to be seene in the same monastery a cloake of sainct Francis by which reliques our lord worcketh many miracles A litle after the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes also desired to be present att the mariage of the lambe whither she was inuited but she first receaued the consolatioÌ„ which sainte Clare had promised her that before she departed out of this life she should see her Spouse IESVS CHRIST as a tast of the eternall felicities wherto she was to be eleuated and conducted by her sweet Spouse CHRIST IESVS She dyed the 56. yeare of her age replenished with perfect sanctity and being deliuered out of this prison she went to possesse the kingdome with Angels and the holy virgins that had bin consecrated to IESVS CHRIST in which glory these two sisters and daughters of Sion companions in heauen by nature and grace doe prayse God without end There assembled a great multitude of people vpon the death of sainte Agnes and they with great deuotion ascended the ladder of the monastery of sainct Damian hoping there to receaue some spirituall consolation of sanctity but it happened that the chaine which held the ladder did slip so that al those that were on it fell downe one vpon an other which made a great bruit and clamour by those that were hurt who hauing with a strong faith inuocated S. Agnes were all cured The sayd holy virgin was enterred att S. Damian but afterward was transported into the Church of
albeit his life and the Countesse his wiues were stored withall kind of vertues yet in his last dayes speaking of her being vrged by the holy Ghost he vttered to those present these wordes The infidell man is sanctified by the faithfull woman whome I leaue a virgin in this mortall life as I receaued her a virgin and vnspotted This holy Confessour of IESVS CHRIST changed this life for a better the yeare of grace 1327. Father Francis of Maronis a famous preacher and Doctour was present att his death The very daye of his departure he appeared in all glory vnto his wife who was them in her Countie in Prouence to whome he vttered these wordes of the Psalmist The snare is broaken and we are deliuered and so without any other word he vanished The Contesse the same day recounted to all her company the death of her husband it being the 27. day of September He was buryed in the church of the Cordeliers att Paris clothed in the habitt of the third Order and the same yeare his body was translated into Prouence to the Couent of Apte in which his sanctity was by many miracles diuulged for which he was by the Apostolike sea canonized His feast is celebrated the 27. of September The Countesse Delphine his wife liued many yeares after him perseuering in piety being dead she was buryed by her husband hauing the the habitt of the Frere Minors as a disciple of the holy Father S. Francis and of the third Order Att the death of this Countesse and till her body was enterred a most sweet harmony was heard in the aire as they haue testified and assured who were neere her body It is piously beleeued that they were Angels singing as true friendes of virginall purity Our Lord wrought many miracles as well in the life time as att the death of this holy woman and in such quantity as there is no doubt but that our lord had canonized her in heauen The life of the blessed Yues of the 3. Order S. Francis Of the holy exercises and mortification of the flesh of S. Yues THE XXII CHAPTER YVes florished in that time in the Duchy of Bretanie within the diocese of Tâ—iguier He was a man of eminent sanctity and led a merueillous austere life for which cause almighiy God made him famous by many miracles This holy man was the sonne of a very rich vertuous man by whose good example he was from his tender infancie a patterne of commendable conuersation His Father sent him to study humanity att Paris thence to Orleans to study the Canon and Ciuill law but much more did he profitt in diuine wisdome for there manifesting his doctrine he layd open to many the true knowledge and assured way of iustice And being to retourne to his Father the Bishop of Triquet hauing heard the fame of his excellent vertues and sanctity made him his Officiall or commissary with very ample aucthority And albeit the holy man withall his power withstood the acceptance of this cha dge yet was he att lenght constrained therevnto He with such prudence and without acception of persons administred iustice that the ballance was alwayes equall which he performed with such sincerity that he would neuer receaue any â—ecompence for it in this life A litle after by diuine prouidence he became Priest in which ministery he offered his body a liuely sacrifice vnto almighty God His habit was then according to his quality common decent and modest But vnder he woare a very sharp hayr-cloth Wheâ—with he afflicted his body did weaken it by frequeÌ„t and austere fastes by coÌ„tinual watchinges When he was admitted into the confraternity of the Penitents of the third Oâ—der of S. Francis he reiected all his fine apparell though most modest and plaine which he ware according to his quality cloathing himselfe with very grosse and course gray cloth and wearing rude and homely shooes as poore Religious ordinarily vse He wâ—are vpon his hair-cloth that it might not be seene a shirt made of towe raw or vndressed He slept very litle and then only when nature was wearyed with prayer study or spirituall exercise or burdened with naturall necessity of sleep his repose was short and he alwayes tooke it cloathed His bed was the bare ground a hurdle or some gâ—osse stickes wreathed together his pillow the bible an instrument of litle sleepe and of much dilligence he being mindfull and taking comfort of these wordes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST They that are clothed in soft garments are in kings houses Of the abstinence charity prayer and the manner of saying the diuine office of S. Yues THE XXIII CHAPTER THis holy man did neuer feed on delicate meates but such as were very grosse which he did to reserue of his reuenue wherwith to reliue many poore people On fasting dayes commanded by the Church he vsed only bread and water ordinarily did with great abstinence fast the wednesday and saterday He had customarily strangers and pilgrimes in his house he was very dilligent in the practise of the worckes of mercy he entertayned poore people and particulerly the sick and lame with exceeding pitty and compassion and conuersed with them so mildly and familiarly as if they had bin his brethren he serued them and made their beddes washed their feet and did them all other seruices that they could need Being no lesse carefull to administer vnto them the spirituall food of the word of God then the corporall he made them notable exhortations wherin he multiplyed the talent of the Euangelicall doctrine to those that were vnder his chardge He was very prompt in according dissentions and procuring of peace with all persons He had the grace to conuert sinners to pennance He was so addicted to prayer and contemplation that he would sometimes neglect to take his ordinary repast and dyett And one time he continued fiue whole dayes in prayer in his chamber without asking or being offered him any thing to eat And yet when he came forth his countenaÌ„ce was so pleasing ioyful and vermillioÌ„ as if he had bin pampered with most exquisite meates As he celebrated masse with great feruour so did he therin receaue of God notable feelinges and graces as one day did appeare for as he eleuated the most sacred sacrament there discended from heauen an admirable splendour and brightnes which enuironned the sacred host together with the chalice He red the canonicall houres with admirable attention deuotion and did alwayes rise att midnight to say his Matins He diuided the office into all the houres of the dayes in imitation of the Prophett Dauid who praysed God seauen times in the day Of the blessed death of S. Yues THE XXIV CHAPTER THis holy Religious being complete in the perfectioÌ„ of all vertues exceeding deuout vnto IESVS CHRIST very austere towardes himselfe extreme curteous and charitable towards others as he was by diuine grace of a singuler life and admirable in
Elzearius pag. 724 Gyles The life of Br. Gyles p. 563 His visitation by Saint Lewis king of France p. 585 Of diuers strang speeches and admirable answeres of his pag. 581. 586. 589. c. Diuers discourses of his as of faith of charitie of humilitie and others p. 595. 596. c. Humilitie Of the great humilitie of S. Francis p. 138. 139. Of his exercises of humilitie pag. 144 How he exercised his nouices in the same p. 145. A Bishop forced by Saint Francis humilitie to lett him preache p. 149. Three theeues conuerted by his humilitie p. 151 His humilitie to a Bishop that called him idiot p. 157 Remarkable humilitie and satisfaction in a Frere Minor p. 266 Of patience and humilitie p. 308 The humilitie of Brother Macie p. 521 Of Br. Angelus p. 532 Of Br. Ambrose p. 534 Of Br. Iuniperus p. 536 Of Br. Gyles p. 568. Of S. Clare p. 632 Of S. Elizabeth p. 713 Of an English Frere Minor p. 735. 736 Of Br. Iames p. 738 Indulgence Of the plenarie Indulgence granted by Iesus Christ to the church of our Ladie of Angells pag. 212 The day therof miraculously assigned from heauen p. 214 The publication therof p. 216 The same day a Doue was seene to flye in the Church and our Ladie appeared in the same pag. 218. Of miracles wrought in confirmation of the said Indulgence p. 217 Testimonies of persons deceased touching this Indulgence p. 218. 219. Diuers miracles of the same Indulgence p. 220. 221. 222 Iniuries S. Francis taken prisoner by theeues p. 4 S. Francis beaten and imprisoned by his father p. 19. Beaten of theeues and throwen into a ditch of snow p. 13 Iniuries offered to those who were first sent by S. Fran. to preach to the world p. 25 Iuniperus The life of Bro. Iuniperus p. 56 c. Lent Of the Lent S. Fran. Kept at the lake of perusia P. 318 Item of S. Michael p. 319. Leo. The life of Br. Leo see p. 516. c. Leapre S. Fra. kisseth a Leaper p. 7 He serueth Leapers his care of Leapers p. 40. By his humilitie he cuâ—â—th a Leaper inwardlie and out wardlie p. 150 Luxurie Luxuries See Temptations Martyrdome How S. Francis went to Siria to seek martyrdome p. 103 Also to Moroccho p. 105 Fiue frere minors Martyred by kinge Miramolin p. 418 Seauen other frere minors martired p. 451 Two other martyred at Valencia p. 452 Fiue other martyred at Moroccho with many christians also p. 455 The martyrdome of Brother Electus and his companion p. ibid. The desire S. Antonie of Padua had of Martyrdome and his departure for Moroccho for this purpose p. 457 c. Macie The life of Br. Macie see p. 520 Miracles S. Francis cureth one of an vlcer in kissing it p. 14 He obtaineth by prayer to see his religious that were dispersed far a sunder p. 26 S. Francis and his disciples afflicted with hungar a man appeareth vnto them loaden with bread p. 48 How God sustained some frere minors miraculouslie p. 120 Of one of their benefactors whose mony encreased miraculously p. 121 A capons leg conuerted into a fish p. 160 S. Francis gathered white and red roses in Ianuarie p. 215 Diuers miracles concerning the Indulgence giuen from heauen to the church of our Ladie p. 218. 219. 220. S. Francis multiplied bread by the signe of the crosse p. 252 Dinner miraculouslie prepared whilst the cooke was at the Church ibid. Diuers miracles wrought by S. Francis p. 285 He was receaued of a hard rock as of soft wax p. 289 How many vnreasonable creatures miraculouslie obeyed him p. 290. 291. 292. 293 Fire lost his force in making a cauter in the bodie of S. Fran. p. 294 Of a miracle of Aples p. 298 A womaÌ„ carried away by the deuill for troubling S. Fran. sermon p. 300 A l ght enlightneth him in a darck night p. 301 Many miracles confirming the life and doctrin of S Francis p. 316. 317 Many miracles of him after his death p. 353. 356. 357. 358. 359 Of the miracle of the Stâ—gmates p. 370. 371. 372. 373 374 A woman dead raâ—sed by the merits of S. Francis p. 375 Other dead raised by the merits of S. Francis p. 377 Others deliuered from the danger of death by his merits p. 378. 379. 380. 381 c. How he deliuered many pilgrimes from the tempestes of the sea p. 384. 385. 386 Diuers also out of prison 386. 387. c. Diuers women with child p. 390. c. Diuers blind receiued sight p. 393. 394 Miracles of diuers sorts wrought by S. Francis p. 401. 402. c. Miracles wrought by S. Francis by the signe of the Crosse p. 404 Of many miracles wrought by the fiue martyrs put to death by the hand of kinge Miramolm p. 435. c. Of many miracles of S. Anthonie of Padua 463. 464. c. Of a foote a man had cutt off p. 472 Of the fishes of the sea who giue care to his sermon p. 476 A miracle of the B. Sacrament p. 478 Of his eating of poyson p. 479 Of his miraculous preaching p. 480 See more p. 481. c. The miracles of Br. Quintauall p 507 c. Of Brother Ruffinus p 514 c. Of Brother Leo p. 518 Of Brother Zacharie p. 526 c. Of Brother Walter p. 528 c. Of Brother Ambroise p. 535 c. Of Brother Christopher p. 553 c. Of Brother Gyles p. 567 619 Of S. Clare p. 635. c. 663 678 Of S. Agnes p. 688 Of saincte Elizabeth of Hongarie p. 719. 722 Mission Sainct Francis sendeth his religious â—uer the world p. 24 Item p. 110. 119 He sendeth his religious to preach to the Moores in Spaine p. 421 Their shipping at Alenquer p. 425 Their arriuing at Siuill p. 426 Their preaching before the kinge of the Moores and their iudgement to dye p. 418. 419 And of diuers other thinges vnto pag. 442 Of seauen other frere Minors sent to preach the faith to the Infidells p. 448 Mortification Rigorous chasticements for inconsiderat wordes p. 39 Of the austeritie of the life of S. Fran. pag. 64. 65 How he cast him into a pit of snow p. 67 A parable he vsed touching the mortification of the eies p. 69 Of the great austerities of the first Frere Minors p. 118 He made one of his Bre. set his foote vpon his throat p. 161 He wallowed himselfe naked on a bush of thornes p. 215 Wherin the true ioy of a Frere Minor consisteth p. 308. 309 The mortification of Br. Iuniperus p. 537 Of Br. Christopher p. 551 Of Br. Gyles p. 565 Of S. Clare p. 636 Of S. Yues p. 727. c. Obedience Comparison of a dead bodie to one trulie obedient p. 78 The rigorous chasticement of one disobedient p. 80 Of Obedience p. 307 S. Francis commandeth a Sainct deceased to worck no more miracles and he obeieth p. 207 The obedience of Brother Quintauall p. 514 Of Br. Macie p. 520
against chastity and the admission of yong men withour spiritt against pouerty magnificent and sumptuous buildinges proud Prelates that shall haue no power to cōtaine thēselues within the bōdes of humility against obediēce diuersity of opiniōs and other thinges which now I wil not discouer lett it suffice thee that we will labour so much as to get the vpper hād this Order which thou seest so eminent shall come to such ruine and be so contemptible to men as is admirable Albeit in that time there shall arise an other Religious of the same Order of no lesse vertue then this Frācis He shall attaine to that sanctity that the third part of men shal be by his example and predication conuerted to pennance we haue now resolued with all our possibility to oppugne and assault this order and to that end there are lately sent eight thousand of my companions to a Monastery where there are but seauen Brethren to tempt them This was two yeares before S. Francis receaued the stigmates And though it be not receaued for a truth because it was spoaken by a deuill neuertheles that which is since arriued causeth a beleife that God forced him to vtter it this not being the first time that God hath manifested his secrettes vnto the world by the mouth of deuils as in the time of our lord IESVS CHRIST when he constrayned them to confesse that he was his true Sonne How S. Francis departing from Carnerio preached to diuers birds THE XXXIV CHAPTER SAinct Bonauenture and S. Antony doe recount that S. Francis being departed out of the said Carnerio before he came to Benammo he saw on a tree a great nomber of birdes of diuers kindes and hard by them an other squadron a matter indeed deseruing consideration in regard that it seemed to signifie I know not what extraordinary thing as it happened For the S. inspired of God causing his companions to stay behinde went to preach to the said birdes and comming neere to the tree saluted them in these wordes The peace of God be with you and they shewing signes of ioy approached all to this predication those that were on the tree descended to the ground and rancked themselues with the other and keeping a quiet silence they seemed to expect when the holie Father would begin Wherfore he thus discoursed vnto them My Brother Birdes ye are exceedinglie obliged alwayes to prayse God your Creatour for he hath giuen you winges wherwith you lightlie fly in the aire and whither you will a fauour that he hath not giuen to so manie other Creatures He hath also adorned and cloathed you with fethers and they of diuers delectable and beautifull coulers he hath created your bodyes light and supporteth you without any paine of yours permitting you to enioie the labours of men He hath also giuen you a qualitie of singing verie delightfull then he conserueth and hath conserued you from the beginning of the world he miraculouslie cōserued you from the deluge sending couples of euerie kinde into the arck of Noe there to be preserued he hath giuen you for habitation one of the foure elementes therefore doth holie scripture ordinarilie call you the birdes of heauen besides that you possesse the mountaines and hilles the vallyes and plaines att your pleasure the fountaines riuers trees and houses for nestes it hath pleased God himselfe by his sacred mouth to testifie vnto the world that you neither spinning nor in any sort labouring he hath care to cloath you both sommer and winter and to giue you althinges necessary to your conseruation All which benefittes are pregnant signes of the loue which God beareth you as his creatures And therfore my Brothers and sisters blessed of God beware that you be not ingratefull vnto his diuine Maiesty but prayse him alwayes deuoutlie with your sweet accentes sith he hath giuen wherwithall The Sainct hauing ended his sermon all these birdes which is admirable began to open their billes and beate their winges as if they would haue said we thanke you but being vnable verballie bowing their heades they manifested vnto him their due reuerence and that they expected his benediction to prayse God and so to depart The holie Father was much comforted in beholding those gestures perceauing these creatures to be so obedient vnto their Creator and therefore for their farwell he gaue them his benediction which hauing receaued they with one accord mounted into the aire filling it with most pleasing accentes then did they diuide and separate themselues in the aire into foure bandes conformable to the benediction which the holie Father had giuen them in forme of a crosse S. Francis retourned to his companions who were as beside themselues seeing such straunge meruailes in vnreasonable creatures he asking them pardon in great humilitie for hauing made them attend whiles he preached to those birdes whome he found so prepared to heare the worde of God He thenceforward preached to all creatures exhorting them to prayse their Creatour that all the world might yeld honour glorie and prayse to God A short aduertisement for the better vnderstanding of this miracle and some other the like contayned in this Cronicle of S. Francis added for the better vnderstanding of the simple The glorious Father S. Francis was not ignorant that dumbe creatures were not capable of his sermon and therfore preached not vnto them to instruct them but to stir vp him selfe the more to admire the goodnes of God And God no dout to comfort his deuout sernant made the very vnreasonable creatures by a secret instinct to reuerence the Sainct whilst he preached vnto them or rather whilst he preached to him selfe in them and by them the holie Scripture being full of such sermons and namelie the four last psalmes of the prophet Dauid and the Canticle of the three children in the furnace of Babilon which what else are they but such sermons as Sainct Fr. made vnto these creatures to adore their Creator Of the vertue and efficacie of the holy Father S. Francis his preaching and of certaine miracles wrought therby THE XXXV CHAPTER THrough whatsoeuer townes and villages he trauailed he preached with such feruour and spiritt and with such efficacie that there was no hart so obdurate but was moued to pennance Besides that which is spoaken of the towne of Carnerio it many times arriued that there followed him more then thirty or fiue and thirty men conuerted to pennance by his discourses who did not only abandon vanities as the custome is for ten or twelue dayes but did vtterly and entierly forsake the world following God in his Euangelicall pouerty He admirablie confounded the blindenes of heretikes and exalted the faith of the Romane Church which he performed by the meane of the science which the holy Ghost had infused into him and of the merueillous miracles which God wrought by him who was also present fauorable vnto him in all his actions He expelled diuels out of the humane bodyes
which they possessed and cured all diseases Wherfore men and women poore and rich gentlemen and yeomen Ecclesiasticall and seculers from all partes repaired to heare and see him discourse as a mā descended from heauen many of his hearers without any retourne to their houses remayned with him to doe penance His word was as a fire that penetrated the interiour of hartes leauing him that felt it contrite and penitent for he preached not with an eloquence and humane science but by the holy Ghost and by diuine reuelation Therfore preaching alwayes according to what IESVS CHRIST inspired him he vttered nothing but the same verity with great zeale and without any feare or respect He could not dissemble among the great nor much lesse flatter them but he reprehended their vices and if they were guilty of publike sinnes he corrected them with seuere demonstrations exciting them to pennance he preached the word of God with like attention to the meaner sort as to great personnes he as carefully instructed a small number as a great for which cause he was indifferētlie heard of euerie one as a man sent them from God for their saluation and so much the more in regard that they saw his wordes confirmed by miracles as here ensueth S. Francis being one day on the sea shoare att Gagette and a great multitude of people that were very deuout vnto him flocking to heare and see him and to haue his benediction he that shunned honour being retired into a barke to hide himselfe felt the vessel miraculously to moue it selfe from the port and being a litle yet enough retired it arrested immoueable as it had bin a hard marble in the middes of the waters wherby knowing the will of God tourning to the people who exceedingly admired the euent he made them a very behoufull sermon then according to their desire he blessed them with the signe of the crosse which gaue them great consolation and the S. insinuating their departure after they were retired from the shoare when it pleased the S. the barke of it selfe approached againe so that one might say the soule was obstinate that refused to obey him whome the very drie wood obeyd Preaching in a Church att Aluiano being exceedinglie disturbed by the swalloes he commanded them to be silent and giue eare to the word of God till he had done Att those wordes which was admirable the swallowes ceassed to flye and sing and neuer stirred till he had ended his preaching this miracle was so generally spred with exceeding edification to all that heard it that a scholler at Paris being very much disquieted by a swallow said to himselfe this same should be one of the swallowes that troubled the holie Father S. Francis when he preached wherfore with a very strong faith he said I commaund the swallow in vertue of the holy Father S. Francis to be silent and to come to me This was not vttered in vaine for the swallow by those wordes constrayned incontinentlie flew to his fist wherat admiring he committed her to the feildes and after that she was neither heard nor seene Of certaine miracles of the holy Father S. Francis THE XXXVI CHAPTER IN the citty of Thoscauella he cured the sonne of a knight that had with great deuotion entertayned him who being borne without reines could not stir frō where he was sett the S. taking him by the hand made him arise and stand on his feet wheron he alwayes after walked very well as a sound as any other to the great contentment of the Father and all them that knew him who therin praysed God and his seruant In the citty of Naruia S. Francis cured one of the palsey att the request of the bishop of that place which he effected by the signe of the crosse which he made on him from the head to the feet which being done the sicke arose instantlie sound from his bed In the bishopprick of Riete he cured a childe ouer-gone with the dropsie who had his belly so swollen that he could not see his feet the Saint being moued to compassion by meane of the mother that brought the child vnto him by the only touch of his hand cured him to the exceeding admiration edification and thanckesgiuing of all that knew it He also restored health to an other that was so extremelie crooked and curbed that his face and feet did almost meet he had compassion of the Father that endured more then the child it selfe whome he cured by the signe of the crosse He restored the vse of a womans handes that were withered by the signe of the crosse this was done in the citty of Agubio and att the very instant this woman prepared dinner for the S. and many poore people In the citty of Niuiano he restored sight to a blinde thrise annoynting his eyes with his spetle and making the signe of the crosse on them in honour of the holy Trinity At Narui he cured an other by the signe of the crosse By the same signe of the crosse he cured the sonne of a Gentleman of Bolonia who had a filme on his eye which besides the hindering of his sight was so vnseemely and disgracefull to behold that it molested them that looked theron This child being full growne acknowledging this benifitt became a Frere Minor confessing that he saw more perfectly with the eye that the S. had cured then with the other So in the same time the holy Father S. Francis illuminated this child exteriourlie and interiourlie Being lodged at S. Gemignano with owne deuout vnto him who had his wife extremelie tormented by the deuill which he knowing after some prayer made he commanded the deuill in the name of God to depart and instantlie he left the woman att libertie In the cittie of Castella he deliuered an other possessed and tormented of the deuill A Religious being vexed with an horrible and terrible disease the fittes wherof comming on him made him more like to one possessed then afflicted with any other infirmity for he became so loath some and bespotted with such different coulers that he terrified those that beheld him he gaue notice to the S. recommended himselfe vnto him He taking compassion of him presently sent him a soppe of the bread which he was then eating which the diseased with a very strongh faith and deuotion hauing eaten was instantlie cured and was no more sicke till his death Att the Castell of Pieue a man much deuoted to S. Francis so laboured that he got a cord wherwith S. Francis had bin long time girded with the only touch wherof he cured al the sick of the neighbour places and if he could not repayre vnto them he therwith touched the water which they were to drinck which hauing drunck they were incontinentlie cured this continued a long time according to the merittes and faith of them that applyed it Some preserued the crumes and morcels that
doth meritt more ha that goeth in pilgrimage to sainct Iames of Galicia or he that sheweth him the way I see many thinges that are not myne I heare much that I vnderstand not and I speake much that I doe not performe and it seemeth to me that a man is not saued for seeing speaking and hearing but for well performing that which he knoweth to be the best Wordes are farther distant from deedes theÌ„ the earth is remote from heauen If any one would permitt you to goe into his vineyeard there to gather grapes would you content your selfe with leaues It is a thousand times more necessary for a man to gett instruction for himselfe then for all the world If you desire to know much doe many good worckes and humble your selfe withall possibility A Preacher should not speake ouer-curiously nor too grosly but should vse only common and ordinary tearmes Then the holy Father smilingly proceeded there is great difference betweene the ewe that bleateth much and her that bringeth many lambes that is it is not one thing to preach and to putt in execution Br. Giles one day sayd to a Doctour that seemed to glory much in his doctrine and preaching if all the earth were in the possession of one man and he should not labour it what fruit would he reap therof Rely not therfore so much one your learning albeit all the knowledge of all the world were in your head because not performing worckes necessary to your saluation it would nothing auayle you This holy Father prayed a Religious that went to preach att Perusia to take for the theme of his sermon these wordes I kisse I kisse I speake much and performe litle This is in his life a litle before This holy Father expounding these wordes of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST I haue prayed for thee Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou once couuerted confirme thy Brethren he thus interpreted it Almighty God sayd he would giue to vnderstand that a man should first labour for himselfe and then for others And albeit the conuersion of soules be very gratefull vnto God yet it is vnderstood of those that can doe it without preiudice to the saluation of their owne soules seruing God as S. Paul whersoeuer they are Therfore this holv Father would often with great feruour of spiritt say Paris Paris thou doest ruinate the Order of S. Francis Which this good Religious sayd seeing the disquiett and trouble of spiritt of many learned Frere Minors that put confidence in their sciences Br. Giles hearing a quaile and a doue to sing sayd in feruour of spiritt there is the way there is the way and not there as if they sayd lett vs endeauour to doe well in this life and not expect the other with reasoÌ„ sister doue thou speakest this so sweetly groning But sinner wheron thinckest thou why makest not thou they profitt of this aduertisment Besides it is to be vnderstood that Br. Giles speake this vpon the allusion of the Italianâ— and Spanish tongue with the note of the doue and the quaile which is quaqua which cannot be applyed to the French tongue A discourse of good and euill wordes THE XXXVII CHAPTER HE that vttereth good wordes is as the mouth of God he that speaketh ill litle differeth from the mouth of the deuill When the seruaÌ„tes of IESVS CHRIST asseÌ„ble together in any place to discourse they should talke of the excelleÌ„cy of vertues that they may seeme pleasing vnto theÌ„ and giue them coÌ„tentment and should also be exercised in theÌ„ By which act they shall come to loue theÌ„ more and to performe better actions for the more a man is burthened with vices the more needfull it is for him to speake of vertues because by the frequeÌ„t and pious discourse of them he persuadeth and easily disposeth himselfe to put them in practise But what shall we say the conditions of this world being so corrupted that one cannot speake good of good nor euill of euil We will then confesse the truth that we know not how to speake of good how good it is nor lykewise of euill how euill it is Wherfore it seemeth that neither of these to thinges can sufficiently be comprehended So that I tell you I esteeme it not a leâ—â—e vertue to know how to be silent then how two speake well and according to my iudgement a man should haue a long neck as a Crane that his wordes passe by many ioyntes before it goe out of the mouth A discourse of perseuerance in good worckes and of the memorie of death THE XXXVIII CHAPTER WHat doth it profit a man to fast pray giue almose mortifie himselfe and to haue vnderstanding of celestiall thinges yet with all this doth not arriue to the desired port of saluation There hath bin sometime seene in the mayne sea a faire shipp loaden with abondance of wealth which neere vnto the hauen surmonted by a litle tempest hath miserably perished What then hath auayled the brauery and richesse that it brought But on the contrary hath bin seene an old vessell vnseemely and contemptible to each one that hath defended it selfe from the perilles of the sea with her burden of merchandises and securely arriued in the port such an one deserueth praise The same happeneth also to men of this world and therfore ought they to liue alwayes in the feare of God For although a tree grow and is fastened in the ground he doth not yet sodenly become great and when he is great he doth not presently florish he is not so soone fruitfull if he be they be not ripe if ripe they do not in euery respect content the master For some doe rott other are beaten downe by the windes of temptations and are deuoured by the wormes of the sences Two thinges I hould for great benefittes of God when a man hath his hart remote from sinne and replenished with loue towardes God which two thinges whosoeuer shall possesse without danger of any euill shal be in possession of all good But he must perseuer because if one had from the beginning of the world to this instant liued in distresses afflictions and now should haue abondant fruition of all kind of ioyes all the miseries past would not offend him on the contrary if one had alwayes spent his time in continuall iollyty and contentment and were att this present oppressed with diuers miseries and infirmities his pleasures past would nothing reioyce him Wherfore each one should leuell att that where althinges are to end and determine A seculer person hauing told this holy Father that he would be content to liue a long time in this world and to be rich and haue his pleasure in all thinges he answeared him If you should liue a thousand yeares and were lord of all the world what recompence shoulde you receaue in the death of this body which you shall with so great affection and pleasure haue
serued but wormes stinch and eternall death Better were it for you my child beleeue me to endure a litle here so to receaue in heauen that incomprehensible recompence which by no humane tongue can be expressed A discourse of Religion and Obedience THE XXXIX CHAPTER I Would more respect a litle grace from almighty God in Religion then much more in the world because there is more perill and lesse helpe in the seculer estate then in Religion and yet a sinfull man hath more feare of his good then of his euill because he feareth more to doe penance entring into Religion then to persist in sinne in the world They that enter into Religion and performe not what is conuenient to their vow are like a common labourer that adorneth himselfe with the armour of a braue soldier and when he must fight knoweth not how to vse it I doe not esteeme it much to enter into the Court of a king and to gett fauour of him but I much esteeme to know how to liue in a Court as one ought and so to perseuer The Court of a great king is Religion wherin it is a small matter to enter and to receaue some gift of Almighty God But to know how to liue there and to perseuer in holy deuotion to the end is a matter very laudable and estimable Wherfore I had rather liue in seculer estate with desire to enter into ReligioÌ„ then to be Religious with wearinesse and ircksomnes The glorious Virgin Mother of IESVS CHRIST was borne of sinfull man woman and liued not inclosed in any Religion neuertheles she was is as she is But when a Religious hath made profession he must beleeue that he neither knoweth nor can liue out of Religion It doth vndoubtedly seeme vnto me that the Religion of the Frere Minors was sent of God into the world for a great benefitt and profitt to al men but we shal proue extremely miserable if we be not such as we ought to be I esteeme the Religion of the Frere Minors to be the poorest and the richest of the world but we haue this deâ—ect that we aspire to rise to high when a shippe is broaken by a tempest though the affliction be great he that can striueth to saue himselfe Considering all the Religions that are and haue bin from the beginning of the world to this present I find none so reasonable conuenient nor better then this of the Frere Minors He is rich that playeth the part of a rich man he is wise that imitateth the wise he good that imitateth the good and he noble that is a true follower of our most noble Lord IESVS Vertuous conditions open vs the way to all happines and vicious to perdition And therfore the more a Religious submitteth himselfe vnder the yoke of odedience the more fruit doth he produce and the more obedient a Religious is and more subiect to his Superiour for the honour and loue of God so much more is he poore of spiritt and purged of his sinnes A Religious truely obedient is as a soldier well armed and as a horseman mounted on a gallant Courserâ— who securely breaketh through the middest of his ennemies without detriment The Religious that obeyeth with murmure is as a disarmed horseman on a cowardly iade that passing through his ennemies stumbleth and is taken prisonner The Religions that seeketh to liue according to his will desireth to goe to the fire of hell When the oxen submitt their neck to the yoke then are the corne-loftes full with graine but when they run wandering ouer the fieldes and taking their pleasure it is a signe that the garners are empty The more eminent and wise personnes yeld their head vnder the yoke of obedience but the il-aduised and ignorant retire themselues and contemne to obey The mother doth often bring vp her sonne and rayse him to honour and the vngratefull sonne disobeyeth his mother and derideth her Many Religious doe the like to Religion their mother ther. I more esteeme to obey a Superiour for the loue of God then to obey God himselfe for he that obeyeth the vicar of IESVS CHRIST with greater reason would he obey God himselfe if he command him He that submitteth his head vnder the yoke of obedience and afterward remoueth it to follow of himselfe the way of perfection according to his fantasie he discouereth his interiour pride Wherfore it seemeth to me if one had obtayned the grace to speake with the Angels were att the instant called by his superiour he should incontinently leaue his conference with the Angels and obey a man to whome he hath voluntarily made himselfe subiect for the loue of God Our Lord and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath made the verity of this doctrine appeare in Br. Andrew my deuout companion who being in feruent prayer in his cell his diuine Maiesty appeared vnto him in forme of a very beautifull child who by the splendour of his contenance and the familiarity which he shewed him filled him with an ineffable consolation But in the meane whiles it runge to Euensong the poore Religious then not knowing what to doe resolued to leaue his God and went incontinently to the quier saying that it was the better to obey the creature for the loue of the Creatour in this maÌ„ner giuing satisfaction to both the one and the other The sequell discouered how pleasing this his opinion was vnto God for the euensong being ended Brother Andrew retourned to his cell and there yet found the litle child IESVS who sayd vnto him If thou haddest not gone to the quier I had presently gone hence and neuer retourned A discourse of vertues and vices in generall and of Prayer THE XL. CHAPTER DIuine thinges make a man rich and humane thinges make him poore Wherfore men should follow and loue the one and the other For as all the wayes of the earth are full of vices and sinnes so they of heauen are full of vertues which being prepared for creatures call to each one saying come and entertaine vs and we will teach you the way of saluation but man miserable as he is hath no mind that way Whose fault is it then if he liue in misery and pouerty sith being called of God he will not take the paines to come to his presence wherby he maketh himselfe guilty of eternall death For as vertues and graces are the way and ladder leading to heauen so sinnes are the downfall descending into hell But it is very perillous to demaund of God vertues and graces because if hauing receaued them we doe not good worckes accordingly we make his diuine Maiesty more our ennemy and prouoke his wrath to chastice vs for our ingratitude in respect that by how much greater the gift is which God presenteth to his creature the more vngratefull doth he proue that conserueth it not The more a man is surmonted by vices and sinnes the more ought he to hate and abhorre them By prayer a man