be alwayes in cogitation with thee that we be with thee in intention and with thee in spiritt seeking thine honour in all our actions with all the forces and powers of our soule and bodie freelie employing all in the seruice of thy loue and in no other thing and that to obserue thy commandement we loue our neighbour as our selues shewing to all as to our selues an entier charitie for thy loue reioycing att the good of others as att our owne compassionating their necessities and afflictions as our owne giuing them all assistance we can possible far from offending them as our selues would desire to be assisted in like necessity Giue vs this day our daily bread that is thy deerly beloued and blessed Sonne our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST in our spiritt and vnderstanding with all reuerence by the great loue wherwith he hath affected and by what soeuer he hath said done and endured for vs wretches And forgiue vs our debtes by thine infinite mercy by the vertue of the passion of thine only Sonne our lord IESVS CHRIST and by the merittes and prayers of the blessed virgin Mary pardon vs also good God As we forgiue our debters and if we pardon not them perfectly as we ought make vs Lord to doe it that we may meritt pardon Graunt good God that by thy loue we doe not only forbeare to doe euill for euill nor hate our ennemies but that we loue them and that by good offices and prayers for them we demonstrate the same to thee O God of mercie Lord God forsake vs not in our cruell temptations both secrett and manifest and permit vs not to fall therin but deliuer vs from euill past by meane of true contrition and holy pennance present by preseruation of thy grace and future by perseuerance in thy most holy feare Amen Of certaine other mysticall prayers and canticles which the holy Frther S. Francis made THE CXVIII CHAPTER The Holy Father in his canonicall houres said in latin these prayers following which he composed in the prayse of God HOly holy holy lord God almightie which art which hast bin and art to come thou art worthy that we offer vnto thee and to receaue of vs all prayse and honour and that we exalt and acknowledge thee aboue althinges the lambe that was slaine is worthy to receaue all vertue diuinitie wisdome force glorie honour and benediction Lett vs alwayes prayse God lett vs yeld the honour dew vnto the Father the Sonne and the the holie Ghost lett vs praise God for euer lett vs prayse the lord of heauen and earth and of all other thinges created vnder and on the earth with those that are in heauen lett vs prayse God and exalt him for euer Glorie be to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost Lett vs prayse God for euer and magnifie him as he hath bin is now and shall be world without end Amen Lett vs prayse God and exalt him for euer Amen An other breife prayer vnto God Almighty most high and my soueraigne good all good that onlie is good We giue thee all praise all praise all glorie all honour and yeld thee all the thanckes we can and will that all good be referred to thee alone Amen An other short prayer for the diuine office Most high most mighty most iust and most mercifull lord afford vs miserable wretches so much of thy grace that we may accomplish thy holy will and may with all diligence seeke that alone which pleaseth thee that being interiourly illuminated and enflamed with the fire of the holy Ghost we may tread the most holy steppes of thine only Sonne our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST that by meane of this thy grace we may see thee with the blessed thou that art the most high God who liuest in perfect Trinity simplicity and vnity and as almighty raignest in eternall glory Amen A prayer to the Queene of heauen and to the Angels God saue thee holy Queene most holy Mary mother of God and perpetuall virgin chosen of God the Father and of the holy Ghost the comforter in whome is faith and the entier perfection of all eminent vertue with all good vnited sith thou hast merited to haue in thee the author of life and grace God saue thee diuine Pallace God saue thee the habitation and tabernacle of the Redeemer God saue thee thee robe of God God saue thee the seruant and mother of God and God saue thee with all the Angelicall powers considering that thou art sent by the holy Ghost into the hartes of rebelles that of Infidelles thou make faithfull and true seruantes of God O most worthy mother of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Espouse of the holy Ghost pray for vs with S. Michael the Archangell and all the celestiall spirittes vnto they beloued Sonne our lord and master Amen An other prayer to the virgin Holy Mary virgin and lady like vnto whome neuer woman was borne nor shal be in the world daughter and seruant of the most high king and celestiall Father most sacred mother of IESVS CHRIST and Espouse of the holy Ghost pray for vs with all the Angels and sainctes vnto they beloued Sonne that he will voutsafe to saue vs Glory be to the Father vnto the Sonne and to the blessed holy Ghost Amen Praises vnto God Lord God thou art holy and God of all Goddes that worckest merueillous thinges that art the mighty and most high thou art the omnipotent Father and entierly soueraigne lord of heauen and earth God in Trinity and Vnity and sempiternall soueraigne good all good and euery good thing Lord God liuing and true thou art true loue and perfect charity thou art wisdome humility and patience thou art the incomprehensible beauty thou art true pleasure and assured repose thou art our hope and ioy thou art iustice temperance fortitude and prudence of mortall men thou art the richesse that can satiate vs thou art meeke thou art our only protectour and our guard thou art our vertue faith hope and charity and the sweetnes and consolation of all thou art the bounty without end a great God and admirable God omnipotent pittifull merciful and our Sauiour Glory be to the Father and to the Sonne c. The holy Father sainct Francis had a very feruent deuotiō to this versicle Gloria Patri therfore he often repeated it in his prayers He respected not so much Sicut erat Saying euensong one day with Brother Leo att euery verse of Magnificat he said Gloria Patri feeling therin a merueillous tast and contentment yea such as he thought he should neuer be satisfied with saying thereof he taught a Religious Preist that was in affliction and extremely tempted to say Gloria Patri which he did and was incontinently deliuered of his temptation Of the Canticle of the sunne and other creatures composed by S. Francis THE CIX CHAPTER THis holy Father composed a Canticle in latin in the prayse of God when he reuealed vnto him the
fruition of the glory of Paradice and because the sunne of all corporall creatures is the cheife of the irreasonable and our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST is called the Sunne of iustice he therfore intituled it the Canticle of the sunne which is that which followeth diuided into eight litle verses conformable to the eight beatitudes Most high lord all prayses glory and honours are thine to thee alone ought to be rendred and referred al graces and no man is worthy to name thee My God be thou praysed and exalted of all creatures and particulerly of our brother the Sunne thy worcke which illuminateth the day that lighteneth vs it is also thy figure by his beauty and splendour likewise of the siluer moone and glittering starres which thou hast created in heauen so bright and so beautifull My God be praysed by the fire whereby the night is lightened in his darcknes because it is resplendent pleasant subtil cleare beautifull and vigorous Lett the aire and windes cleare and cloudy seasons and all other seasons prayse my God wherby all other base creatures doe liue Lett my God be praysed by the water an element most necessary and profitable to mortall creatures humble chast and cleare Lett my God be praysed by the earth our mother which supporteth and nourisheth vs producing such diuersity of herbes flowers and fruites S. Francis added the ensuing versicle when he accorded the Bishop and the Capitaine of Assisium as in place proper shal be inserted Let my God be praysed by them that pardon each for his loue and support in pacience afflictions and infirmities with alacritie of spiritt Blessed are they that liue in peace for they shall be crowned in heauen The holy Father likewise added the verse ensuyng when God had reuealed vnto him the day of his death Let my God be praysed by corporall death which no liuing man can escape Wretched be they that dy in mortall sinne and blessed those that att the houre of their death be found in thy grace as hauing obeyd thy most sacred will for they shall not see the second death of eternall torments Lett all creatures prayse and giue thanckes to my God lett them be gratefull vnto him and serue him with due humility This Canticle was many times sung by the said S. vnto his Brethren whome he also taught to sing the same He exceedingly reioyced when he saw them sing it with grace and feruour for hearing it he merueillouslie eleuated his spirit vnto God He sent certaine of his Religious that were very spirituall vnto Brother Pacificus who liuing in the world had bin a very skilfull Musitian as we haue said that he might learne them to sing it perfectly in Musicke therby to praise God afterward when they should preach ouer the world for he would they should obserue to sing this canticle after their preaching as a prayse vnto God and that they should affirme themselues to the people to be the musitians of God and that they would no other reward for this their musicke but that they should doe pennance for their sinnes For confirmation whereof what are the seruantes of God said he but his representers to moue and awaken humane hartes to true spirituall ioy and particulerlie the Freer Minors who are giuen to the people for their saluation The holy Father affirmed that in the morning att Sunne rising a man ought to prayse God the Creatour of the Sunne by whose beames our eyes are illuminated by day and that he ought likewise to prayse God in the night for his Brother the Fire because by it our eyes are lightened by night and that we should be all blinde if God did not illuminate our eyes by these two creatures for which and for the other creatures whose vse we ordinarily haue we ought continually to prayse our glorious Creatour Of the prayer and thanckes giuing to God which S. Francis made after the confirmation of his rule THE CX CHAPTER MOst mighty most high most holy and soueraigne God holy Father and iust Lord king of heauen and earth we thanck thee for the loue of thy selfe because that by thy will and by thy only Sonne with the holy Ghost thou hast created all thinges corporall and incorporall then diddest frame vs according to thine image and placed vs in the terrestriall Paradice whence through our fault we are fallen We also thancke thee for that as thou hast created vs for thy Sonne so for the infinite loue which thou diddest beare vnto vs thou hast procured him to be borne in this world true God and true man of the wombe of the euer glorious virgin Mary and wouldest that his life should be vnto vs an example of pouerty humility and penitence and that his precious bloud his tormentes and most cruell death should be the price of the Redemption of humaine nature Finally we thanck thee for that thy Sonne is once againe to come downe on earth in glory and maiesty to chase the accursed into hell who would not repent nor acknowledge thee for Redeemer and to say to them that shall haue serued and adored him and done pennance Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world But because we miserable sinners are not worthy so much as to name thee we humblie beseech thee to accept that our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST thine only beloued Sonne with the holy Ghost the true comforter doe yeld vnto thee for each of vs the thanckes we owe thee according to thy pleasure and that he satisfy thee for all the graces thou giuest vs by his meane and shalt giue vs prouided that we faile not in our endeauour such and so great as no humane tongue shal be able to expresse We also pray the blessed Virgin S. Michael S. Gabriel S. Raphael and all the quiers of blessed Spirittes Seraphins Cherubins Thrones Dominations Principalities Pouers Vertues Archangels and Angels the blessed Elias and Noe and all the Patriarckes and Prophetes S. Iohn Baptist and all the holy Innocentes S. Peter and S. Paul withall the other Apostles and Euangelistes Disciples Martyrs Confessors Virgins and all the sainctes that haue bin are and shal be that with the good pleasure of thy diuine Maiesty they giue thee thanckes for so many fauours as it hath pleased thee to afford vs to thee that art soueraine true eternall and liuing and to thy most glorious Sonne our Lord IESVS CHRIST and to the holy Ghost the comforter world without end Amen Alâ—etuya We Frere Minors vnprofitable seruantes demaund of thee and most humbly beseech thy diuine Maiestie to graunt vnto all them that will serue thee in thy holie Catholicke Apostolique Romane church and to all Orders of the said holy Church Preistes Deacons Subdeacons Acolites Exorciâ—tes Lectors Porters and to all the Cleargie to all Religious of both sex and to al Kinges Princes Lords and seruants Artizans and labourers to all Virgines widowes and maryed women and to all
learne and exercise themselues not vnder hope of gaine but to giue good example and to shunne idlenes and if such suffice not to sustaine you I will that you haue recourse to the most abondant table of our Lord IESVS CHRIST that is to demaund almose att the dores alwayes giuing the benediction which God att first reuealed vnto me to witt The peace of God be in this house and in all them that dwell therin Lett them neuertheles take heed that they receaue nothinge as proper to themselues for neither will I that there be receaued in common either house or church that may be tearmed ours but as shal be agreable to the pouertie and simplicity of our Order which we promise to God in our vowes But lett vs all continue in this life as true pilgrimes and straungers I command all vnder obedience that in what soeuer place they be they doe not presume to demaund any kinde of priuiledge or exemption from the court of Rome either themselues or any person in their behalfe for their Churches or other places neither vnder apparence of intention to preach nor as being persecuted in their bodyes but if they cannot obserue their rule in some one place lett not their demaund be therfore admitted but lett them goe other where to doe penance with the benediction of God I was alwayes resolute to obey the Generall of this Order and the Guardian that haue bin constitued ouer me since I renounced the chardge in such sort as I would neuer attempt to make choice of my residence nor to doe any thing without his licence because he is my master And although I be simple and infirme I would alwayes haue a Clerck to performe vnto me the diuine office as the rule importeth I will likewise that all the other Religious be obedient to the Generall to the Prouinciall and Guardian and that they all read their office according to the rule And if any one be euer so hardy as to presume to alter the office or to hold opinion contrarie to the holy Catholike Romane Church I will that all the other Religious in whatsoeuer place they be shal be obliged by obedience to apprehend him and committ him to secure gaâ—d and so send him to the Prouinciall or Generall who shall present him to our Protectour in such sort as he may not escape and he shall giue him punishment according to his desert And lett none affirme this to be a new rule for it is onlie a remembraÌ„ce and an exhortation which I poore Brother Francis leaue you as a testament that the said rule may better and more Catholikely be obserued And because I will that the minister generall with the other ministers and Guardians be obliged not to adde nor substract from these wordes but that this my testament be putt with the rule and be read to my Brethren Preistes and laitie I doe further commaund all vnder obedience that none presume to glose vpon the rule nor this present testament affirming that it must be vnderstood after such or such manner but as God hath made me vnderstand it simplie lett them also vnderstand it simply without glose and lett it be conserued perpetually to the end And I beseech the omnipotent goodnes that all they who shall religiously and exactlie obserue these thinges may here on earth be filled with the benediction of his Beloued Sonne with the holy Ghost the Conforter and with all the blessed Angels and Sainctes and afterwardes on high in heauen with the benediction of the most soueraigne celestiall Father And I Brother Francis your wretched and vnworthy seruaunt in our Lord giue my benediction to those that shall obserue it as I haue formerlie said in the behalfe of God the Virgin Mary and all the Angels and SS of God in heauen and in earth in the name of the most soueraigne Father of his beloued Sonne and of the holy Ghost the Conforter So be it Amen Of the supper which the glorious Father S. Francis made with all his children and of the last benediction which he gaue them THE LXIX CHAPTER AFter he had made this last testament his sicknes so encreased that his present death was generallie expected but encourageing himselfe in God he called all the Religious that were in the Monastery who being come and perceauing that the holy Father intended to giue them his last benediction they fell all on their knees bathing the earth with their teares and thundering out loud cryes and sighes towardes heauen S. Francis with a melted hart wept together with them and he seemed to haue recouered some litle part of his sight and so laying his hand on their heades by one and one and firmely beholding them he blessed them then afterward he began to blesse them all together as well the present as the absent and all those that should enter into his holy Religion lamenting that he could not haue them all present in regard of his extreme loue vnto them which exceeded that of a mother towardes her children himselfe also hauing engendred them in IESVS CHRIST And the more to comfort them he caused bread to be brought which he diuided in pieces in imitation of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and gaue to each a piece bidding them to eat it for his loue att this his departure Then were there teares redoubled many of them did not eat all their portion but did reserue some part therof which afterwardes was effectuall in restoring desired health to such as were disealed which done this holie Father for his last aduertisement recommended that holy place to his Vicare Generall and to all the rest admonishing them neuer to abandon it but that if they were extruded att one dore they should enter in att an other alleadging that the place was holie and the true habitation of God of the glorious Virgin Marie of the Angels and Sainctes of the liuing God and that therfore they had so miraculouslie multiplied there where they had bin illuminated in his seruice for the saluation of so many soules wherfore he doubted not but whatsoeuer should in that place be demaunded of his diuine maiestie with a pure and contrite heart should alwayes be obtayned who also would not faile greiuously to chastice such as should offend in that sacred place being the true habitation by grace of the celestiall Court the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Of the blessed and glorious death of the holy Father S. Francis THE LXX CHAPTER THe fourth of October in the yeare 1226. vpon a Saterday in the euening twenty yeares after his Conuersion and the fiue and fortieth of his age the holy Father hauing bin verie aptly cutt squared and accommodated by the hard stroakes of tribulations temptations afflictions incommodities and infirmities as a liuelie and firme stone that should be placed in the principall corners of the supreme Citty of the celestiall Hierusalem he heard the voice of his sweet Lord that called him vnto him Then to make publike
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
neuer so litle relenting his austeritie to be cured of his infirmities the occasion was reasonable to free himselfe piously of such a chardge And therfore att the generall chapter held two yeares before he receaued of our Lord IESVS CHRIST his sacred stigmates he publikelie renounced the office of Minister Generall not without the exceeding greife of all the Religious who by all meanes refusing during his life to admitt any other Minister he was constrayned to constitute a Vicar Generall that gouerned the Order in his name To this effect he made choise of Brother Peter Catanio his second sonne in Religion a man of great prudence and very expert to gouerne to whome the holie Father promised his cheiffest obedience and besides to him that should be constituted his Guardian Which all the Religious seeing they began bitterlie to weepe esteeming they should continue as orphanes without the ordinary gouernment of their beloued Father who comforting them the best he could his handes ioyned and his eyes eleuated towardes heauen he said My God I recommende vnto thee this family which to this houre thou hast recommended vnto me For now by reason of mine infirmities other impedimentes and iust causes to thee knowne being vnable henceforward to haue care of them I haue committed them to a Vicar Generall and to other Prouinciall Ministers who shal be obliged to yeld thee a very exact account of them att the terrible day of the great iudgement if they chaunce to perish by their negligence or euill example And so the holy Father S. Francis thenceforward perseuered to be alwayes subiect euen to the day of his death surpassing thē all in humilitie Yet did he neuer faile to be very zealous in assisting and with his vtmost to fauour his Order euen during the life of his first Vicar who died att the end of the second yeare of his Prelature in the Monastery of our Lady of Angels S. Francis not being there when he was buryed His body wrought so many miracles that an infinite multitude of people from all partes flocked thither leauing a very great quantity of almose vnto the monasterie The holie Father therfore comming thither and vnable to endure either the one or the other the former for distracting them all and the latter for relaxation of the order which he forsaw would grow of such quantity of almose he wēt to the sepulcher where so many miracles were wrought and to the deceased he vttered these wordes My deerlie beloued Brother as thou hast alwayes obeyed me during thy life we being now by thine intercession molested with such a world of peopl thou must also obey me after thy death I therefore cōmand thee on obedience that thou worcke no more miracles sith by them we are in dāger to be ruinated The deceased which is admirable to consider ceassed vpon this commandement to worcke any more miracles such is the vertue power of holy obediēce in a true and good Prelat in a true and good subiect that it extendeth not onlie on earth and during life but euen in heauen after death Yea by it ceassed the glorie and eminencie of miracles that exalt the honour of the liuing God the more to magnifie him by the exercise of holie pouertie and the quiett retire from a turbulent applause of the world How S. Francis instituted his second Vicar Generall This was the 32. chapter of the second book but hither transferred to obserue due order of the history The miracles of Brother Peter Catanio being now ceassed as we haue said the holie Father S. Francis by aduise of the ministers in place of the said deceassed subrogated Brother Elias a man of singuler prudence and verie learned for which he was respected not only of his Religious but euen of seculer persons Prelates and Princes He gouerned as long as the holy Father liued who the more to honour him gaue him the title of Generall though he were not so for the reason aforesaid that the Religious would neuer accept other Generall then S. Francis during his life The said Brother Elias attributing the said honour vnto himselfe and not to God he made him know with all that his deepe prudence according to the world was before him but a very sottish folly for rising into pride he fell as an other Lucifer from such an hight to the deepest profunditie of these worldlie miseries the great mercie of God by the prayers of the S. redeeming him from eternall punishment as hereafter shall appeare This that followeth is the residue of 85. chapter already past which we purposely omitted as no proper place for it as may easily be iudged The holy Father S. Francis being att table together with many of his Religious he tooke some of the most remarkable in humility simplicity that sate neere vnto him by the handes and tourning towardes the said Brother Helias he willed him graciously to honour those other learned noble Brethren sitting there Brother Helias extremly puffed vp in pride without any respect thus answeared O Brother Francis I doubt not but by your simplicity and carelesse negligence you will ruinate this whole Order The holy Father more curious of his saluation then of himselfe answeared him O miserable wretch this pride which thou wilt not cast off and this kinde of thy passionate behauiour to such euill purpose wil be occasion that thou shalt dye out of the Order Which so happened for he died out of the Order in the Court of the Emperour Frederick the second who was excommunicated An other time the holy Father prophesied in this māner of this Vicar General It hapened that Brother Helias was once called for att the dore of the Couent by one that affirmed himselfe to be an Angell sent vnto him frō God and the porter did him the message telling him that an Angell in humane shape expected him att the gate musing therfore what this might be he was a long time perplexed yet att lenght he went thither and the Angell proposed vnto him this doubt whither it were lawfull for the professours of the gospell to eat of what soeuer was indiffefently presented vnto them or no. Att this proposition he rested vtterly confounded for he had purposed to be author of a new constitution in the Order which was that the Freres might not eat flesh against their first holy Rule wherfore he rudely and cholerickly shutt the dore against the Angell and retourned into the Couēt Which being reported vnto S. Francis he incontinently arose frō prayer and went to his Vicar whome he sharply reprehēded saying Brother Helias you haue done ill in shutting the gate against the Angels when God sendeth thē to iustruct you I tell you therefore it is impossible for you to perseuer stable in the Order with this pride The holy Father spake thus much vnto him because it had bin reuealed vnto him that he should die out of the Order and besides that he should be damned
neuertheles I hope in God that the inuisible ennemies the deuils that are his executioners to chastice the disobedientes in this world and in the other will also chastice the transgressours of the vow of their profession therby to their shame and forciblie to make them retourne to their first vocation to this effect I will not omitt to assist them whiles I liue att least by prayers and example sith otherwise I cannot and to instruct them the secure way which I haue learned of my God as I haue formerly done that they may haue no excuse before his diuine maiesty No further doe I hold my selfe obliged Such was his answeare which satisfying the Religious procured an inestimable greife to all the hearers wherby it also manifestlie appeared what reason the S. had to leaue them and what occasion they had to know themselues and by a pious acknowledgement of their fault and true repentance to haue recourse vnto him The end of the first booke of the Chronicles of the Friere Minors THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS PROSECVTED THE discourses of the life death and miracles of the Seraphical Father S. Francis translated out of french into English Of the plenary indulgence graunted by Iesus Christ to the Church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula THE FIRST CHAPTER THE more the glorious Father S. Francis profited in perfection and endeauoured to vnite himselfe with God the more did he poure out teares and felt intollerable greife att the losse of soules redeemed by the price of the precious bloud of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST Wherfore not ceassing to desire mercie of God for sinners as he thirsted to haue all saued the yeare of grace 1223. being to that effect in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him and bid him incontinentlie to repaire vnto the church because our Lord IESVS CHRIST with his glorious Mother and a great number of Angels there expected him Hauing receaued this gracious embassadge he hastened thither and there found our Sauiour sitting in a Royall throne on the high altare and the Virgin Mary att his right hand enuironned with an innumerable multitude of blessed spirittes The holy Father incontinentlie falling prostrate on the earth heard the diuine voice of IESVS saying Francis Know that I haue heard thy feruent prayers and because I know with what solicitude thou and thy Religious procure the saluation of soules aske me what grace thou wilt for their soules benefitt and I will graunt it thee The S. being by such an answeare emboldened most humbly answeared My Lord IESVS CHRIST I miserable and vnworthy sinner with the greatest reuerence I can require of thy diuine maiesty that it will please thee so much to fauour all Christian people as to graunt them a generall pardon and plenary indulgence of all their sinnes I meane to all them that shall enter into this church confessed and contrite I also beseech thee O glorious holy Virgin mother and our Aduocatrix that it would please thee to make intercession to thy most gracious sonne for me and for all Christian sinners Our Lady was instantlie moued with these wordes and began in this sort to pray our Redeemer in his behalfe O my most high Lord and sonne of my bowels I beseech thee graunt vnto this thy faithfull seruaunt this grace which he hath demaunded with so great a zeale of the saluation of soules which thy selfe aboue all other thinges disirest My God graunt him this grace in this place to thine honour and the edification of thy holy church Our Lord sodenlie answeared Francis that which thou demaundest is great but this thy desire conformable to mine deserueth much more and therfore I graunt thy request But goe to my Vicar to whome I haue giuen al power of vnbinding and binding here on earth and in my name demaund it of him which said he disappeared The Religious that had their celles neere therevnto saw the splendour and heard some speach but durst not approach for reuerence and great feare that possessed them The holy Father S. F. hauing thācked God presētly called Bro. Macie in whose cōpany he wēt to Perusia where thē was Pope Honorius with his court befor whose holines he thus spake Holy F. I haue reestablished a church that was very ruinous desert called S. Mary of portiūcula very neere vnto the citty of Assise wherin are residēt your Religious the Frere Min. I beseech your holines by our Redeemer I. C. his most glorious mother to voutsafe for the benefitt of the soules of all faithful Christiās to graūt a plenary indulgēce and remission of all their sinnes to all them that shall visitt this church in good estate without giuing any almose in the same The Pope answeared him that the Apostolike sea did not accustome to graunt indulgēs without giuing of almose because it will that they be gayned by thē He thē asked him for how many yeares he desired the indulgēce S. Francis answeared Holy Father I desire not yeares but soules How soules said the Pope S. Frācis replyed I require that euery Christian confessed and contrite that shall come to visitt the said Church receaue plenarie absolution in earth and in heauen and that of whatsoeuer sinnes he shall haue committed from his Baptisme to that very houre I require not this in myne owne name but in our Lord IESVS CHRIST who hath sent me to your Holines Which the Pope hearing inspired of the holy Ghost he thus spake thrice with a loud voice I am content to graunt it as thou hast demaunded it But the Cardinals present aduised the Pope to consider well what he graunted because by that act he would destroy the indulgences of the holy land and of Sainct Peter and S. Paul att Rome which would no longer be regarded The Pope answeared that he would not reuoke what he had att that present graunted They replyed that att least it were requisit he should limitt the said indulgence to a certaine time and moderate it to a certaine prefixed day of the yeare The Pope then said We graunt to all faithfull Christians that being truely confessed and contrite shall enter into the Church of our Lady of Angels plenary indulgence and absolution both of paine and fault and we will that the same be of force for euer for one entier day that is from the first euensong till the sunne sitting of the day following Which the holy Father Sainct Francis hauing obtayned he kissed his feet then demaunded his benediction which receaued he arose to depart But the Pope recalling him said Whither goest thou simple man what specialtie hast thou of the indulgence obtayned The holy Father answeared that his word should suffice and besides that this worck was of God and therfore it should be published and supported by his diuine Maiesty and withall that he would haue no other Bull but the Virgin Mary IESVS CHRIST for Notary and the Angels for witnesses Which
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
in their afflictions and appeare to all the Brethren a modell and patterne in the obseruation of the holie gospell and our rule fuch ought to be my sonne the Generall of the Frere Minors I would also that such a Prelate should be feared loued and honoured of all and that all his necessities be prouided for with a singuler loue as true Father and most louing Pastour Of a letter which the holy Father S. Francis wrote to Brother Helyas his Vicar Generall THE XIV CHAPTER THe holie Father S. Francis being sick wrote this letter following to Brother Helias his Vicar Generall that gouerned and visited the Order Brother God giue you his holy benediction I admonish you to be alwayes patient in what soeuer you shall take in hand and well disposed to support whatsoeuer accidēt may giue you discontēt And if you should be iniuriously offended by any of the Religious or other receaue all as proceeding from the hand of God manifesting to the world that you seeke no other thing but to loue them and to procure them to be the true seruantes of IESVS CHRIST And therfore exact no more of them then that which God shall giue you and herein I will know if you loue God my selfe his seruant and your selfe to witt if whensoeuer any Frere Minor in the world hauing committed neuer so enormous offence commeth before you he depart not without mercy and though you afterward vnderstand that he sinned a thousand times if yet you loue him more then you would my selfe and though by reason of feare or reuerence he should not require pardon you encouraging him shall demaund if he desire it to the end that acknowledgeing his offence he doe penance for it and thus much to be practised especiallie towardes the infirme You shall not faile to admonish the Guardians to doe the like and that they resolue euer to doe it And therfore when it shal be knowne that one of the Brethren hath offended and forgotten himselfe lett not the other Brethren dishonour him nor murmure at him but lett them haue compassion of his fragility remembring that the sicke and not the healthie doe need the Phisition If any Religious induced by the deuill doe fall into any mortall sinne I will that he be obliged vpon obedience to haue present recourse vnto his Guardian who shall send him to the Prouinciall and he receauing him compassionatly shall haue care of him and comfort him as himselfe in such case would be conforted and he shall haue no authority to giue other penance to the contrite but to say only vnto him depart in peace and sinne no more Of the Prouinciall Ministers THE XV. CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis would that the Prouinciall Ministers should be equall with the other Religious and that for their goodnes and vertue they should be loued of all in such sort that the simple conceaue no feare nor apprehension to be vnder their gouernement and discipline He would also that they should be very discreet in their commandementes and compassionate in offences more ready to receaue iniuries and to pardon then to reuenge and capitall ennemies to vices but dilligent Curers of the vicious He would not haue them commaund the Religious in vertue of obedience in a matter of light consequence for that were to lay hand presentlie on the sword or to shew authority to commaund or to discouer the commaunder to be temerarious He desired they should be much respected but withall that their life should be such as might shine before all the Brethren as a mirour of vertue and Religion The cause why he would they should be loued and honoured was by reason that they carryed the burden and carre of all the rest and did meritte great recompence att Goddes hand and great prayse and honour with men when they charitablie preserved and gouerned in the foresaid manner the soules committed vnto their chardge How the holy Father S. Francis obtayned of God the gift of pouerty for hinselfe and his Order THE XVI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis as he trauayled came one night to a towne very weary and his companion also who was Brother Macie though as Religious liuing in manner of the Apostles they had nothing with them to eat and therfore they begged it for the loue of God and gott bread to releiue them comming afterward to a fountaine that was nor far from the towne they there found a very faire stone as a table there expresly placed to eat vpon wheron the holy Father hauing layd the litle bread they had exceedinglie contented in himselfe sayd O Brother Macie wee are not worthy of so great a treasure and still raysing his voice he often iterated the same wordes Wherefore Brother Macie reasoned with him in these wordes Tell me Father if you please how call you this extreme pouerty treasure where there is only bread and water without napkin to eat vpon The holy Father answeared yea I call this a very great treasure where there is not any thinge procured by humane industrie but all administred by the diuine prouidence The bread hath bin giuen vs for the loue of God the fountaine and stone were created of God for vs therfore will I beseech him to giue vs grace to loue the treasure of pouertie with all our hart wherof he is the only administrator and distributer They also receaued a refection more spirituall then corporall and gaue thanckes to God for it The next morning proceeding on their iorney S. Francis on the way discoursed verie profondlie of pouertie thus saying to his companion Brother If we well knew the worth of holy pouertie we should finde it to be so diuine a treasure and of such excellencie that we are not worthie to possesse it in such base and vnworthie vessels For this is the vertue wherbie these terrestriall and transitory thinges are misprised and trodden vnderfoot that they may serue vs and not we them This is it that remoueth the impedimentes betweene God and vs that our soule may vnite it selfe to her Creatour for it giueth her winges by which though she liue on earth she conuerseth with the Angels in heauen This is the vertue that accompanied our Lord IESVS CHRIST from his holy conception euen to the crosse that arose againe with him and in fine ascended with him to heauen On it especially God founded his holy church not only in the Apostolike estate but euen in all Christians who then renounced and sold all they possessed and brought the price to the feet of the Apostles There on also may beloued Brother hath he founded our Religion Which lett vs therefore pray him to support on that Euangelicall foundation and to cause to encrease in an infinite number of vertues in imitation of his beloued Sonne our Lord and master and that we may with more ease obtaine the same lett vs procure to be our intercessors the glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul the louers and preachers
Religious began then out of loue to weep bitterlie and affectionatelie recommended themselues to his prayers wherin next vnto God they reposed more confidence then in any other thing saying vnto him Father send vs whither you shall please we are ready to accomplish what soeuer God by you shall command But withall we beseech you to remember that we goe a mong most cruell men whose tongue is vnknowne vnto vs as also are their manners and behauiour besides we know them to be the ennemies of Christians desiring nothing more then to drinck their bloud and ours with so much more fury and passion when they shall know we endeauour to conuert their people for accomplishmeÌ„t wherof we acknowledge our forces to be most infirme and our selues very insufficient if the mercy of God doe not by your prayers assist vs and therfore we recommending vs vnto them demaund your holy benediction that we may vndergoe this obedience to the honour of God and the saluation of our owne and the Infidels soules S. Francis then lifting his eyes all bathed with teares towardes heauen blessed them in this manner The benediction of God the Father the loue of the Sonne our Redeemer IESVS and the grace of the holy Ghost discend vpon you as it discended on the Apostles conduct comfort and fortifye you in afflictions that you may valiantly resist couragiously assault and gloriously subdue your ennemies sith God sendeth you for his glory and seruice And feare not for God goeth with you to be your protector So being full of teares he dismissed them and these Apostolicall Religious tooke their iorney conformably to the Rule of the holy Ghospell on foote without mony scrip or staffe bare-foote with one only coate poore course and all patched but yet in exchaunge of all this they had the grace of God that safelie and securely conducted them into Spaine How Brother Vitall fell sicke in Spaine and would that leauing him alone in the hospitall his Companions should proceed on other iourney and of his death THE II. CHAPTER THese good Religious being arriued in Arragon Brother Vital their superiour fell sicke and kept his bedde the others expected there some time to see the issue of this sicknes which daily encreasing Brother Vital said to his companions My beloued Brethre you see my sicknes is violent and what wil be the issue therof I know not wherfore I will no longer detaine you from proceeding about that which hath bin enioyned vs it hauing bin alwayes my desire to accoÌ„pany you if it pleased God who I suppose hath ordained that I proceed no farther in respect that being too great a sinner I am not perhapps worthy of your coÌ„pany or to be employed in so worthy an office It is therfore necessary that you leaue me in this hospitall and that you apply your selues to this holy enterprise of the conuersion of this people to God who hath thus farre conducted you by obedience and be not greiued to leaue me here alone for his diuine Maiesty will prouide for me Proceede then on your iourney accomplish the will of God and be mindefull of the admonitions of our holy Father with a speciall care not to transgresse them and pray to God for me constituting Brother Bernard the preacher to be their superiour The poore Religious hauing heard the said proposition with extreme sorowfull and sobbing sighes that sufficiently discouered the bitternes that afflicted their spirit they bowed downe their heades calling God to witnesse of the greife they had to leaue him so alone but because their obedieÌ„ce vnto S. Francis and him so required they acknowledged themselues ready to obey and so hauing receaued his benediction after they had louingly and charitably embraced each other they departed beseeching him by his prayers to obtaine of God that they might againe see one an other att least in Paradise This poore Religious remayning then alone in affliction dayly weakened till hauing vnderstood the martyrdome of his companions and giuen thanckes to God for it he was so afflicted for not perticipating with them and for hauing lost that crowne that burning with charity towardes God this fire in such sort augmented that by his good will and desire he shortly after receaued the â—ame crowne in his bedd making of himselfe a gratefull and pleasing sacrifice vnto his diuine Maiesty and so hastened to meet them in the other world Thus much for Brother Vitall We must now discourse of the combat of his companions who still maâ—ching further on into Spaine euen vnto Portugall neuer ceassed in time and place conuenient to preach vnto both Catholiques and heretiques wherof then the nomber was great in Spaine and euery where produced fruit most pleasing to the almighty whose grace had conioyned them together How the fiue Religious arriued att Conimbria where they prophecied vnto the queene her death and their owne Martyrdome THE VII CHAPTER THe said Religious being arriued at Conimbria a famous citty in regard that it was the vniuersity of the kingdome of Portugall as also being very anncient and right noble there they found the queene Vraca wife of king Alphonsus the secoÌ„d who incontinently inuited them vnto her entertayned theÌ„ with great deuotioÌ„ as exceedingly affected vnto their Order and then very louingly demauÌ„ded of theÌ„ whence they came whither they intended and withall offered to releiue theÌ„ in all their occurreÌ„ces They breifely answeared her discouered vnto her their designe to witt that they were sent by their Generall Brother Francis to preach the faith of IESVS CHRIST to Infidels But the queene not coÌ„tent with this slight narratioÌ„ putt theÌ„ into discourse of diuers spirituall matters as one more thirsty of the word of our lord then a hinde of fresh water With whose discourse finding her selfe exceedingly edifyed and coÌ„forted perceauing their extreme feruour and to what degree of the fauour of God their merittes had raysed theÌ„ she drew them a part coÌ„iured them in his name for whose loue they had resolued euen to endure death so much to gratifie her as by prayer to procure reuelation froÌ„ God of the time and hower of her death not admitting their excuses which were that it would be a great temerity presuÌ„ption to seeke to know the secrettes which God for deepe great coÌ„siderations would not haue knowne vnto meÌ„ adding withall that they were not worthy to obtaine the same diuers other such reasons but she so importuned them that they were att lenght coÌ„straynd to accord vnto her hauing to this end applyed theÌ„selues to prayer they vnderstood froÌ„ God that and more then they demauÌ„ded whervpoÌ„ they went vnto the queene and thus spake vnto her Madame lett it not if you please be troublesome vnto you to vnderstaÌ„d that which you haue so instaÌ„tly required of vs and so much the lesse because we assure you that no creature loueth you so much as God who will in no sort dispose of you but
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
nor sowe I admonish you all my Sisters who are shall be that you labour to follow the way of simplicity humility pouerty and also the modesty of holy conuersation as we in the beginning of our conuersion haue bin taught of Christ and of our holy Father saint Francis through which not through our meritt but through the mercy of the liberall giuer the Father of mercies hath spread abroad the sauour of our good name as well vnto those who are far off as to such as are neere And for the charity of our Lord IESVS lett thē keepe the vniō of loue The charity which you haue interiourly shew it exteriourly by worckes to the end that through your exāple the sisters who are called vnto your profession may encrease in the loue of God mutuall charity Also I pray all those who shal be chosen in the offices of the sisters that they study to excell the others rather in vertue and modest conuersation then in their office to the end that by their example the Sisters that were called vnto the religion before them be moued to obey them not only in respect of their office but for loue The Abbesse must be carefull discreet towardes her Sisters as a good mother towardes her children She must also haue a prouident care of euery one according to their necessity of the almose which it shall please God to send her She must withall be so sweet and indifferent vnto all that the sisters may with out feare or doubt declare vnto her their necessity and that they confidently haue recourse vnto her when the Abbesse and the Sisters shall thincke it to be necessary The Sisters that are subiect lett them remember that for the loue of God they haue renounced their owne willes wherfore I will that they obey their mother as they of their one accord promised vnto God to doe to the end that their mother seeing the humility charity vnion which they haue vnto each other may easily beare the chardge with the office shesustaineth and because it is heauy bitter they must through their holy conuersatiō turne it into sweetnes And because the way is narrow the gate streight which leadeth vnto life few there are that walke in it and few that perseuer therin blessed are they that haue receiued the grace to walke in it and to perseuer vnto the end lett vs therfore be carefull if we be entred in the way of our lord that by out fault and negligence we doe not fall from the same to the end that we committ not that iniury vnto our lord to this blessed mother the glorious Virgin Mary to our holy Father sainct Francis and to the triumphant and militant church for it is written accursed are they who decline from your commandement For to obtaine this grace I bend my knee vnto the heauenly Father through the merittes of lord IESVS and of his blessed mother of our holy Father saint Francis and of all the Sainctes that it well please him of his diuine Maiestie who hath giuen a good beginning to graunt grace also that it may augment and perseuer euen vntill death Deerly beloued Sisters present and to come to the end that you may the better perseuer in your vocation I leaue vnto you this writing and in token of our Lordes benediction and of the benedictiction of our holy Father saint Francis and of me your mother and seruant The end of the testament of the glorious Virgin saincte Clare Here ensueth S. Clares Benediction vnto her Sisters present and to come IN the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen My deerly beloued Sisters our lord giue you his holy benedictiō and behold you with his holy eye of mercy giuing you his peace as also to all those that shall enter and perseuer in this our Colledge and monastery and vnto all other of the Order who shall perseuer vnto the end in this holy pouerty I Clare seruant of IESVS CHRIST and litle plante of our holy Father S. Francis your mother Sister though vnworthy doe beseech our lord IESVS CHRIST that by the intercession of his most holy mother of the holy Archangell S. Michaell and of all the holy Angels of our holy Father S. Francis and of al the holy Saintes that it wil please him to giue and confirme vnto you this benediction in heauen and in earth by multiplying in you his holy grace and in heauen by eleuating you into the eternall glory with his saintes And I giue you my benediction in my life and after my death in all that I am able and more then I am able Withall the blessinges wherwith the Father of mercies hath or shall blesse his spirituall children both in heauē and earth or that the spirituall mother doth or shal be able to blesse her spirituall chirldren Amen Be alwayes louers of God of your soule and of your Sisters and be alwayes carefull to keepe that which you haue vowed to God Our lord be alwayes with you and you with him Amē Of the death of the blessed Virgin S. Clare and of a vision which one of her Religious saw THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy virgin and seruant of IES CH. was many dayes towardes the end of her life afflicted with diuers diseases The faith deuotiō which att that time each one boare her exceedingly encreased yea so far foorth as she was honoured as a S. being ordinarily visited by Cardinals Bishoppes and other Prelates But which is more admirable to heare hauing bin seauenteen dayes without force to receaue any sustenāce that was presented vnto her she was neuertheles so fortified of God and encouraged of his diuine Maiesty that she exhorted all those that would comfort her to be prompt in the seruice of God A Religious mā intending to comfort her and to persuade her to haue patience in so grieuous a sicknesse that procured her so much torment she with a smiling countenance cleare voyce answeared him Brother since the time that I knew the grace of my God by meanes of his seruant saint Francis no paine hath bin troublesome vnto me no penance hath seemed difficult nor no sicknesse ircksome And as almighty God approached neere vnto her her soule being as it were att the dore to goe forth the blessed virgin would haue the most pious and spirituall Frere Minors to be present to discourse vnto her of the passiō of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and by their pious wordes to enflame her more in the loue of God Wherfore some of them who were vnto her true Brethren in our Redeemer CHRIST IESVS were present and amōg others Br. Iuniperus the familier of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who often vttered vnto her such fiery and enflamed wordes of the omnipotēt God that she by his presēce being filled with an extreme ioy one day demaunded of him if he then knew nothing new of almighty God whervpon Br. Iuniperus opening his
a difficult and dangerous enterprise we are therein much more induced by example then by any persuasions of whom soeuer though we acknowledg them to be certainlie true None could be found that would resolue ioyfully to embrace the vertue of pouerty humility chastity fasting and other peniteÌ„tiall labours if he knew not that others not only with wordes exteriourly but really with worckes haue embraced the same Neither was it for any other cause that our Lord IESVS Christ would personnaly come into this world but by example to shew vs the way of our saluation and his holy wil because the examples aduertissementes of his faithfull seruantes would not suffice to retire vs from our euill conuersation and way and to setle vs in his no not the preceptes which he had giuen in the first written law But when he began to walke this way how many were there that would accompagny him very seriously seruing him euen till their death and this only for his loue The Church therfore knowing right well the glory that redoundeth to almightie God and the fruit which men gather by the memory of the life of our lord IESVS Christ and of his sainctes doth euery day propose and sett them before our eyes in the diuine office in the sacrifices and solemnities that it should not be tedious vnto vs to follow and imitate them whome we prayse and whose memory we honour and that likewise we should not esteeme it labourious to walke that way which alone conducteth vs to eternall life Hereof mayest thou consider deuout Reader what vse almightie God maketh of his elect in fauour of vs because we are saith S. Iohn coadiutors to the saluation of soules we may hence also conceiue how greatlie we are obliged to the trueseruantes of God who haue so put themselues to paines in the exercise of vertues that they haue left the way open that such as seeke it may finde it and by their examples haue taught vs which it is and with whath force and industry we may attaine vnto true glory Those of former ages guided only by naturall light did vse exceeding diligence to induce and animate themselues by the examples of their famous predecessours vsing them as so many spurres vnto vertrue to the end they might in no time be defectiue in the obligation they had both to their natiue country and to their owne honour and indeed the milke wher with they nourced their childreÌ„ in their publique schooles was the generous actes of their ancestours which were red vnto them in poemes and orations that by meanes of those examples the children might be affected to vertue and enflamed with desire of glory although it was more vaine then vertuous This is of such force that euen at this present many of our Christians following the same practise cause their children to spend the most entiere parte of their age in committing to memory the heroyicall actes of the ancient Grecians and Latines But would to God that too many did not employ and wast all their life in this study and that many others were not more affected to Homer Cicero and Virgil then to IESVS Christ O extreme indignity of Christians deseruing sharp reprehension and eternall punishment in regard that they glory to be imitatours of the superstitious Gentils who as they wanted faith and the true light illuminating the hart of Christians so was not their vertue true and solid but exteriour and vaine And although that in that time of obscure darcknes they gaue to men some sparckle of light some litle knowledg of vertue more with wordes then with effect these Pagans neuertheles persiste in obscurity euen in the cleare day of the true light of our lord IESVS Christ the soueraigne truth and perfection and are vnworthy to be honoured in comparison of true Christians who being illuminated with the light of faith can easily discerne iudge and condemne the world with his vnwise adherentes because as the Apostle S. Paul Saith the spirituall man knoweth and iudgeth al thinges Pagans on the contrary glorying and esteemning themselues wise with their eloquence become sottish and ignorant as hauing attributed and giuen vnto creatures that which appertayned only to the Creatour but they whose cogitation and confidence is more setled and grounded on the diuine will and doctrine then humane and do follow celestiall not earthly Philosophy such I say shal only arriue to heauen whence first discended their knowledge they cannot erre being taught by the eternall wisdome neither shall they euer want glory euen amoÌ„g mortall people though they haue with all possibility shunned the same but shal be illustrious to all the world For though antiquity haue exceedingly honoured great ambitious personnes that desired to leaue some memory and renowne of themselues in this world after their death yet our holy mother the Church doth farre more exalt and make more glorious our Sainctes continually in the predications feastes and solemnities which for them and in their honour are celebrated besides that we beleeue that they liue and gloriously raigne in heauen in the contemplation of their Lord. So that the true seruantes of God are blessed among Angels and honoured among men as eminent sainctes as great they are and worthy of all reuerence Altars are euery where consecrated and churches bult in their names their images are honoured their wordes and workes are highly commended and preached their reliques are reuerenced and worshipped on earth their soules glorified in heauen and the miracles and excellent workes both ancient and moderne which our lord in them and by them hath wrought are with exceeding great glory admired Our Lord euen in this world recompenceth his elect who not in appareâ—e but in effect are vertuous and holy and incorruptedlie conserue their faith to their Creatour When was there euer found in any time among the ancient naturalistes such constancie such faith temperance magnanimity sweetnes mercy iustice fortitude and loyaulty as hath bin found in our Christians who by no kinde of threates or faire speeches of Tyrantes could be induced to leaue their obedience vnto God could neuer be corrupted by any promise or recompence nor haue bin inclined by any kinde of flatteries or fauours but persisting firme constant in the truth haue nothing esteemed nor feared the terrible and horrible tormentes were they neuer so barbarous nor in the extremity of them or death it selfe but haue alwayes remayned immoueable and inuincible in true vertu piety not desiring reuenge or detriment to the persecutours or executioners but pardon and saluation praying vnto God for them And all this not att their death only but euen in their life For there is no kinde of vertue wherin the sainctes haue not excelled some in purity of virginity others in continencie with great labour subiecting the flesh to the spirit that euen on earth leading a life more angelical then humane they might purchase eternall glory in heauen others renouncing kingdomes estates and dignities
others distributing their goodes among the poore much more highly esteeming the piety of God and charity to their neighbour in a base and submissiue pouerty then any other temporall thing to th end that being disburdened of the care of these transitory riches they might with more ease study to purchace those of heauen and in the end for so much as where they knew it to concerne the honour glory or seruice of God they haue not spared to permitt their bodies to be tormented after what sort soeuer they haue bin therefore so pleasing vnto his maiestie that he hath graunted them power to cure the diseased to cast out deuils to raise the dead to foretell future thinges to vnderstand and explicate the diuine misteries and finally to doe such thinges as the diuine might can only doe Lett then the eminencie of Kinges Princes and of all qualities of wealthy people ancient and moderne be confounded sith they are and euer more haue bin vanquished and surmounted by vs poore and feeble in honour and knowledg Lett the subtilty of Philosophers be whist and silent sith these who haue trulie reposed their faith in almightie God shal know and finde the soueraigne good I coniure thee therefore gentle Reader by the loue which thou owest to IESVS Christ our Redeemer to represent before the eyes of thy spirit the glory and eternall riches which the least of the seruantes of our Redeemer IESVS Christ shall in the most blessed kingdome of heauen perpetually enioy and with the same eyes afterward to behold all the goodes of the earth vnited together paragonizing them with those of these Religious there will not so much as one only thought abide within thee vntill thy hart hath quite contemned them and as recordeth Cicero if all the Empires of the earth in comparison of heauen and of the moone be so litle that no esteeme should be had of them because betwene them there is no proportion how much lesse will they appeare being opposed to the Emperiall heauē the blessed country of the elect where according to S. Paul our conuersation is It is then very reasonable that the life of this Saincte be seriously read to the end to imitate him yea before many other sith hereof we learne how we may pourchace the true eternall goods or riches which according to the promises of God we expect and hope for To this end it is that our Creatour doth dayly renew and regarnish his Church with new examples of his saincts that Christians becomming weake feeble might resume force to meritt their saluation in seruing almightie God from the bottome of their hart For in them is represented vnto vs the vertue of faith the life of IESVS Christ and together with it the imitable life of his sainctes He will that there be seculer Preistes Religious of the order of S. Hierome S. Augustin S. Benedict S. Bernard S. Dominick S. Francis and others that in them we might alwayes haue before our eyes his life and Passion Sith then so pious a lesson or reading produceth such fruit thou mayest well persuade thee good Reader how profitably shal be employed the time the paper and labour which is spent in writing the chronicles of them that haue bin true imitatours and representations of the life of our Redeemer IESVS Christ How well in like sort their time shal be spent that employ their eyes and vnderstanding in this lesson not only to square out a Religious life to such as desire to embrace it but euen to learne what ought to be the life what the comportmentes of true Christians that with their workes desire at least to appeare such by reason that the kingdome of heauen must be attayned by a combatt to be made and by force of armes which is an enterprise of valerous Champions or warryers and this forcible wrestling is not to be made against mortall and humane creatures according to the Apostle but against wicked spirittes as subtill and malicious as they are potent puissant If thou wilt know them thou shalt here finde their extreme audacity discouered their fraudulent delusion published their offensiue armors manifested and their assaultes repulsed If then thou be inclined to war-like exercise thou shalt here obserue most noble prowesses and heroicall actes against the deuils subdued by the champions of IESVS Christ If thou takest content in honours thou shalt here see how highly the true freindes of God are honoured in earth and in heauen yea and feared in hell If thou affectest science of these thou shalt learne the true knowledge of the fraudes and deceiptes of the world and especially true wisdome which is first the knoledge of God then of thy selfe If thou apply thee to the actiue or contemplatiue life thou shalt here finde a great experience of morall vertues and of contemplations more then humane of communion and diuine vnion breifely if thou make profession of Christianity as thou oughtest thou shalt here clearly see figured in two tables what it is to be a Christian and with what partes he ought to be qualified that maketh profession therof And that in the doctrine and in the examples of sainctes two thinges are necessary to our saluation so that thou shalt here finde a remedy very proper and conuenient to all they desires and for all thy necessities Now writing the life and examples of the Frier Minors the especiall seruantes of God by them I meane the disciples of the holy Father S. Francis and of those holy Fathers that did imitate him who are the principall parties of this historie they point out vnto vs the true rule and obseruance of the tree instituted by the said Father S. Francis procuring many in these dayes to blush att their faultes and transgressions Other Religious personnes shall in like sorte make their benefitt hereof sith all Religious touching their profession are a like Besides euery other Christian may gather some fruit hereof if he will bestow the labour to receiue it as all haue equally graces and fauours of God by the worthy merittes of his sainctes Francis Antony others when with them they study to seeke the loue of God and their neighbour Our Fathers then deserue prayse and gratitude of our partes for hauing so well conserued the memory of these glorious saints with a feruent desire to further soules though they haue not laboured to publish their liues in a lofty and polished stile with a connexion of choice wordes as the precise and curious would desire But they considered that the deuout Reader leauing the flowers and leaues would only take hold of the fruit Now to content and satisfie the Readers when they shall light on such thinges as are not vulgare which they shall finde in these chronicles I haue bin willing here to insert and adde the names of the Authors whome in this present history I haue principally vsed and this for greater light and direction who are these ensuyinge The legend
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
that they first yeld and say We are vnprofitable seruantes answearing alwayes with humility and being very carefull of growing into passion For men that maintaine their choller against their neighbour are obliged to render account therof att the iudgement of God and he that shall vpbraid his neighbour with contemptible wordes shal be condemned to the fire of hell Lett them therfore loue one an other as our lord teacheth vs when he saith My children this is the precept I giue you that you loue one an other as I haue loued you Now the truest manner of mutuall loue according to the Apostle is knowne by wordes by worckes and in verity Lett them not curse any personne lett them not murmure nor lett them not speake ill of any for it is written The murmurers and detracters are abhorred of God Lett them be modest shewing themselues gentle and tractable to all not iudging nor condemning any man and as our lord saith consider not the litle sinnes of others but rather with a bitternes and contrition of your soule obserue your owne and endeauour to enter by the streight gate because our lord saith the way is streight as also is the gate that giueth entry to eternall life and there are few that finde it and enter theratt That the Brethren ought to be wary not to behould nor conuerse with women THE XII CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren in whatsoeuer place they reside very respectiuely forbeare wanton lasciuious aspectes and lewd and dangerous conuersations with women When it shal be necessary lett none presume to speake alone with a woman excepting the Preistes who may speake modestly vnto them when they giue them any penance or any spirituall counsaile and lett no woman in what soeuer manner be receiued to obedience by any Brother what soeuer to whome it shal be yet permitted to counsaile her spiritually to doe penance where she will And lett vs all carefully preserue ourselues with exceeding warines and dilligence for God hath said that what man soeuer shall behold a woman to couett her he hath already sinned withher in his hart because it is not lawfull for vs to behold that which is not lawfull for vs to desire Of the punishment of the Brethren that shall fall into the sinne of the flesh THE XIII CHAPTER IF any Brother by instigation of the deuill committ the sinne of the flesh lett him vtterly loose and be depriued of the habit which by his offence and lewdnes he shall haue defiled and wher of by his finne he shall haue depriued himselfe lett him be vtterly expelled the Religion and let him goe to doe penance for his sinne Of the manner the brethren ought to obserue trauailling thorough the world THE XIIII CHAPTER VVHen the Brethren thall trauaile through the world they must not nor may not carry any kind of prouision nor wallet purse mony nor staffe and into what soeuer houses they shall enter they shall say The peace of our lord be in this house and being entertained in any place they may there repose and eat and drincke of what shal be presented vnto them And if they shall be abused in wordes or effectes by any one lett them not be moued therwith yea if one should giue them a buffet on the one cheek lett them tourne the other if any one would disapparell them lett thē not hinder it yea if one should violētly robbe them of their coat lett them not aske it againe but lett them beleeue that all this arriueth vnto them by the prouidence of God That the Religious may not haue any horses THE XV. CHAPTER I Command all my Brethren aswell Preistes as lay that when they shall trauaile thorough the world or shall reside in any place they haue no kind of beast to ride on neither for them selues nor for others nor that it be euer lawfull for them to ride on horse-backe but in case of sicknes or of manifest necessity Of them that shall goe to the Mores and Infidels THE XVI CHAPTER OVr lord saith Behold I send you as sheep in the middes of wolues Be ye therfore wise as serpentes and simple as doues And if any Brother moued with a diuine inspiration would goe among the infidell Mores he may not goe without licēce of his Minister Prouinciall who knowing that Religious sufficient and of such a spiritt that therof one may hope some fruit to redounde to others not only saluation to himselfe let him not be denyed all vnderstood with the assistāce of God For the said Minister Prouinciall shal be obliged to be accountable vnto God if graunting or refusing permissiō to the faid Brother his resolutiō shal be pious or indiscreet And the Brethren that shall goe among the infidels may in two manners conuerse with them First they may not contentiously impugne them but lett them be subiect not only to the said infidels but to euery creature for the loue of God yet confessing themselues alwayes to be Christians Secondly that when they perceiue it to be the will of God they preach his word to the end they beleeue in him one soueraigne power the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost on God in Trinity and in the humanity of the Redeemer and Sauiour of the world exhorting them to be baptised and to liue thence-foward in Christianity because he that shall not be borne againe by Baptisme and the holy Ghost cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen They shall preach to the Infidell people these thinges and many others which God shall inspire them For our lord said in the gospell I will confesse before my Father which is in heauen all those that shall confesse me before men but the day when I shall come on the earth in the Maiesty of my Father I will deny them that shal be ashamed to confesse me to be the Sonne of man Lett all the Brethren in what soeuer place they are remember that they haue already offered their soules and bodies to the soueraigne God and that they ought to expose and employe them for the loue of him in all occurrances and to present the same to the ennemies visible and inuisible because our lord hath said he that in this world shall loose his life for my sake shall finde it safe in eternall life and blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Lett them also call to minde that which our lord saith If you be persecuted of the impious and wicked they haue first persecuted me and if you be persecuted in one citty fly into an other When men shall hate you and persecute your name and you renowme and shall speake all euill of you for my sake and for my loue reioyce yee boldely for your recompēce therof is great in heauen And thus much I speake to you my Brethren to thēd you should not feare those that haue power to kill the body and with your patience you shall possesse you
iniustly afflict vs that oppose them selues against vs that iniury vs procure our vexation torment and death and we ought to loue them the more in that what they doe vnto vs God vseth them as an instrument and because what soeeuer he doeth and permitteth though it seeme displeasing vnto vs it notwithstanding auaileth to our saluation sith by meane hereof we shall purchase eternall life We ought besides to abhorre and hate our body when it is pleased in delightes and vices for so liuing carnally we estrange our selues from the loue of IESVS CHRIST and make our owne entry into hell and by reason that by sinne we become loathsome and miserable and that the concupiscences of our flesh are contrary to our true good and make vs prone to euill as our lord saith From the hart of man proceed euill cogitations fornications adulteries murders couetousnes theftes deceiptes blasphemies false testimonies pride and the foly of this world and all the foresaid euils procure and make the soule loathsome defiled and refrigerate we therfore who haue already forsaken the world should haue regard to no other thinge but to doe the will of God an to take contentment therin Lett vs haue care not to be like the earth by the way side full of stones and thornes because as our lord saith the seed that is the word of God which was sowne by the way side was trodden vnder foote by passengers and destroyed Hereto are compared those that heare the word of God but dispose not themselues to vertue and the deuill incontinently rooteth it out of their harts least beleeuing they might be saued They are compared to the stone wheron the other seed fell who willingly heare the word of God and insome sort dispose themselues to doe well but some affliction befalling them they are incontinently scandalized the seed then withereth because it hath no root They are compared to thornes who hearing the word of God haue their harts alwayes employed on worldly thinges and permitt thēselues to be seduced by richesse and auarice busying themselues in terrestriall affaires and therfore the seed cannot profitt them But they are like to fertile land who heare the word of God and with the hart obserue and practise it and doe worckes worthy of penance Lett vs therfore as our Lord saith suffer the dead to bury the dead Lett vs be seriously wary of the slightes and mischeiuous deuises of the deuill who seeketh no other thing but to separate our soule from vnion with God by the bait of temporall richesse honours and pleasures of the flesh seeking to become lord and master of the hart of man employing all his endeauour to root out of his memory the preceptes of God and doth striue to blind the hart of man in the desires and cogitations of the world and to confirme him in them according to the saying of our lord When the vncleane spiritt shall depart out of a man he wandereth through places without water seeking rest And not finding he saith I will retourne into my house whence I departed And when he is come he findeth it swept with a besome and trimmed Thē he goeth taketh seuen other spirits worse then himselfe entring in theydwel there And the things last of that mā be made worse then the first Sith then we are by these speeches admonished lett vs not procure our ruine and death by disvniting our soule from God for whatsoeuer terrestriall recompense affaire or fauour but lett all we doe be only for the loue of God I pray all the Brethren that being freed and deliuered of al impediment and hinderance that may trouble them they make their best endeauour to serue loue and honour God with a pure hart and free spiritt in regard that he especially requireth the same of vs and lett vs so proceede that in vs may be the residence of his diuine Maiestie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who faith vnto vs Pray att all times that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come and to stand before the Sonne of man he also teaching vs to pray saith When you shall pray say Our Father which art in heauen We therfore must alwayes pray and neuer faile therin Lett vs adore God with a sincere hart because such adorers please the eternall Father and he would haue it so God is a spiritt and they that adore him ought to adore him in spiritt truth Let vs haue recourse to our Lord as to the Father and Pastour of our soules who saith I am the good Pastour that feed and keep my flocke euen to the exposing of my life for it you are all Brethren therfore call not your selues Fathers on earth because you haue but one Father which is in heauen nor call your selues masters for you haue but one celestiall Master If you remaine in me and my wordes in you you shall haue and obtaine whatsoeuer you shall demaund And where there are two or three assembled in my name I am there with them euen to the end of the world The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spiritt and life I am the way and the verity and the life lett vs then keep the true life and doctrine and the holy gospell which it hath pleased him to manifest vnto vs as he sayth Father I haue manifested thy name to the men whome thou gauest me and they haue receiued the doctrine which I haue giuen them they haue knowne that I am truely come from thee and they haue beleeued that thou hast sent me For them I praye not for the world but for them whome thou hast giuen me Holy Father keepe them in thy name whome thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also we These things I speake in the world that they may haue my ioy filled in themselues I haue giuen them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world as I also am not of the world I pray not that thou take them away out of the world but that thou preserue them from euill Sanctifie them in truth Thy word is truth As thou diddest send me into the world I also haue sent them into the world And for them I doe sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified in truth And not for them onlie doe I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleeue in me that they all may be one that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as me also thou hast loued and thou shalt lett them know thy name because the loue whereby thou hast loued me shall be in them and in me together By the same meane Father whome thou hast giuen me I will that where I am they also may be with me that they may see my glorie which thou hast giuen me I praye all the Brethren in the name of almightie God
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
God But albeit Brother Leo promised him yet did he neuertheles answeare him God the Father whose mercy is infinite and infinitly greater then our sinnes will giue you his grace accompayned with most singuler giftes The holy Father therfore halfe angry said vnto him Brother Leo why would you not giue me cōtentement in so reasonable a demande and why haue we thus misprised the precept of obedience Brother Leo falling prostrate on the earth humbly answeared him God knoweth that I alwayes purposed to obey you but he would haue me speake according to his will and not according to yours The S. herewith not fully satisfied replyed and with instance said I beseech you my deere child to comfort me att least for this once and when you shall heare me to accuse myselfe answeare me that I am not worthy of mercy Brother Leo answeared him Father if it lye in me for your satisfaction I will most willingly doe it S. Francis then all bathed in teares with a loud voice cryed out Ingratefull wretch doest thou thinck euer to finde pardon att Goddes handes and Brother Leo incontinently answeared Father thou shall finde it and shalt besides obtaine so many speciall graces of God that he will exalt thee on earth and in heauē then he added pardō me Father if my power hath not bin to speake otherwise as you desired for God speaketh by my mouth thus did they spend the night in other like exercises wherin God did apparētly manifest how gratefull vnto him is humility as also the true misprise of ones selfe How S. Francis prepared himselfe to prayer and what conditions be that prayeth ought to haue THE LXXXXIII CHAPTER SIth we haue spoaken of the holy Fathers Marines it seemeth now conuenient time to make some mention of his so perfect prayer Mine opiniō is that there is no place more proper to speake therof then after the description of his great humility whereon as on a firme stone and true foundation prayer to haue it penetrate euen to heauen ought to be builded Wherfore he merited to obtaine all the conditions requisite to a true and worthy prayer the first wherof is the knowledge of ones owne misery according to Salomon when he saith O liuing God if any one acknowledgeing the wound of his hart to witt his sinnes doth lift his handes to thee in this thy temple heare him Now who hath more perfectly knowne himselfe who hath more clearly confessed his fault and who hath more humbly discouered it to God and men then this glorious S. Therefore also were his prayers admitted before the presēce of God who fixeth his eyes on the humble and reiecteth not their pious prayers as the Prophett saith The deuout Iudith affirmeth the same saying My God the prayers of the humble are alwayes pleasing vnto thee The second condition of prayer is to keepe the soule euer separated from terrestriall thinges and eleuated vnto God as saith Isodorus If the soule will be illuminated with spirituall light she must precedently purge her selfe of the filth of worldly cogitations and so she may be neat and pure before her God That prayer is pure which is made without any mixture of worldly thoughtes and that impure where the spiritt is employed in terrestriall thinges And therfore IESVS CHRIST leauing vs the forme of perfect prayer saith When thou shalt pray enter into thy camber in secrett that thou mayest leaue out all care excepting only of speaking with God shutt the dore of thy hart that nothing enter in to robbe his substance call thy soule and make her be in her selfe without any distraction and attentiue in God and then thy prayer shal be perfect before God and thou shalt be heard The holy Father S. Francis performed the same for he so reiected all other care of the world to transforme himselfe into God that he had no remembrance of himselfe or of his worldly affaires And therfore most commonly when he prayed his body was eleuated into the aire hauing nothing in it that could poise it downe to the earth God teacheth vs the third condition of prayer by his Prophet Isaie saying Giue thy bread to the hungry and thy coat to him that is naked and releiue each one in his necessities then offer thy prayers to God and he will heare thee call him by this meane and he will come vnto thee On the contrary he that shutteth his eares to the demaund of the poore when in his necessity he shall crye to God he will not heare him This piety and compassion was such and so great in S. Francis that he absolutely gaue or bestowed his only coate occasion presenting yea which is the most that may be he desired to giue entierlie himselfe for the only loue of God as is formerlie alleadged In regard of this extreme charitie towardes the poore and for his example vnto the world he also merited to be so interiourly affected of his God The fourth conditiō of prayer necessary to a Christian is to giue good eare to God if we desire to be heard of his diuine Maiesty for God will abhorre the prayers of him saith the Sage that hath not eares to heare his holy commandements therfore the sinner hath no cause to complaine that God doth not heare him because himselfe did not first heare God and if he heare him in one only thing or two or three he proueth deafe in all the rest And therefore on the other side one Pater noster or one Aue Maria of a Christian fearing God is with greater reason heard then a thousand of a vicious and disobedient person the holy Father S. Francis obeyd God in such degree of perfection that hauing called him by his grace he did not only labour to accomplish his diuine preceptes but euen the Counsailes of his ghospell without omitting the least point therefore also did God afterward graciously graunt him what he demaunded so farre foorth as he permitted other creatures to obey him The fift condition is that he that prayeth doe also separate himselfe from the conuersation of the world not only when he would pray but euen alwayes if he will pray perfectly and that he sequester him selfe into some desert and solitary place if he will that his soule be alwayes disposed worthely to pray vnto God The contemplatiue Father S. Bernard speaking by experience saith If the world delight thee thou shalt euer be impure Our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath also left vs example hereof for he often went vp to the mountaine and left his best beloued disciples to vnite himselfe alone to his Father So this glorious Sainct found himselfe so much more gratified by the communication of the holy Ghost as he was farther estranged from the rumours of the world and farther sequestred into solitary places wherin he was so farre from being subdued by cogitations of the world and by the infections therof that he obtayned notable victories against the deuill He
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
of the puritie of his conscience feared nothing and was euer vnited with God He also ioyfully receaued whatsoeuer came from his holy hand But in regard that one could not arriue to this perfection without hauing precedentlie washed his soule from the spottes of sinnes and imperfections he ordinarily persuaded his Religious to endeauour to purge themselues with teares poured out for the passion of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST How the hole Father S. Francis seeing any creature afflicted could not forbeare to weepe considering therin his God in his dolourous passion THE CVI. CHAPTER BY this charity of compassion which he perfectly carryed to IESVS CHRIST his soule remayned so affected to suffer all aduersities with his neighbour as a member of IESVS CHRIST that he was as much greiued as if himselfe had endured and this purity so augmented that he could not endure any creature to be afflicted though they were vnreasonable and among them those particulerly to whome the holy scripture compareth our Lord IESVS CHRIST and therefore he loued litle Lambes in whome is figured the patience meeknes of our God Comming from Ancona to Osimo with brother Paul whome he had made Prouinciall of the Marches he mett vpon the way a sheepheard that among many goates and kiddes had one only sheepe which beholding he felt his heart through pearced with greife to see the said sheepe alone among so many goates and kiddes reprobate creatures he therfore said to his companion Behold brother how meeke that sheep is among those goates our Lord walked so humble and meeke among the Scribes and Parisees in memory whereof I pray you lett vs endeauour to redeeme it out of this sheepheards handes But his companion not knowing what remedy to apply in regard they had no mony he began with the holy Father to bewayle his greife they both thus weeping by chaunce there arriued a merchaunt who hauing demaunded thē the cause of their weeping and vnderstanding the same payed the sheepeard for the said sheep and gaue it to the holy Father who full of comfort conducted it to Osimo euen to the presence of the Bishop who admiring therat and demaunding the cause after he vnderstood it was much amazed att the great goodnes and admirable simplicity of the holy Father began also to weep Now the day following that the sheep might not be worse entreated he left it with the Religious women of Seuerina which was much to their contentment for the deuotion which they boare to the S. And therefore keeping it as a peculier relique in short time it yelded so so much wool as they made therof an habit which was sent him in their name to the chapter following which he receaued with such affection as cannot be expressed for embracing it very louingly he called all them that were there to reioyce with him att the profitt he had made of that sheep On an other time he mett in the same Prouince of Marches a contry man that carryed on his shoulders two lambes to sell att the Marckett comming neere the holy Father he laid downe his Lambes a litle to repose himselfe the two lambes then that were bound together began to bleat the poore holy Father to cōpassionate them wherfore tourning to the cōtry fellow he asked him why he held them bound in such extreme affliction and torment and he answeared because they should not escape he being to carry them to the markett where necessity enforced him to sell them and that he could doe no lesse the S. replyed and what wil they who buy them doe with them the fellow answeared O simple man they will kill them then cause them to be baked boiled or rosted according to their appetite and so eat them S. Francis exceedingly afflicted said to himselfe it shall not be so for I will haue them my selfe and withall went to the fellow and said come hither wilt thou giue me thy lambes for this my cloake wherwith he was very well content So hauing made exchaunge the holy Father bethought himselfe how he might doe to saue them wherof hauing cōsulted with his companion they found it most expedient to render them to the cōtry fellow which they did vpon his promise that he should neither sell nor kill them Being in the monastery of Verecondo neere Agubio a poore sheep brought foorth her yong one nere vnto a sow which did eat the tender lambe which S. Francis did bitterly lament with these wordes Ah litle lambe how wel doest thou represent the innocent death of my Sauiour IESVS CHRIST then as zealous of the honour of almighty God he laid his malediction on the said sow which att the very instant did admirably fall diseased and within three dayes died and by force of this maledictiō became of so loathsome sauour that she was cast into a ditch where neither dogge nor foule nor other beast would eat her but she dryed vp and so remayned for memory long time after This example should teach vs by the temporall punishment of this beast that whosoeuer vseth crueltie towardes his neighbour cannot auoyd the eternall iudgement of God as also how iust the compassion of this S. was fith it merited to be heard of God who being by his Prophett Dauid called worme and not a man the holy Father tooke vp the very wormes he found on the wayes that passengers might not tread on thē with their feet In the winter he gaue either wine or hunny to the flyes to preserue their liues and so by meane of all creatures he eleuated his hart to God the Creatour in whome he liued with full consolation An exposition of the glorious Father S. Francis made on the Pater noster THE CVII CHAPTER THe Pater noster was the principall of all the prayers which the holy Father most contentedlie vsed wherin he coceaued a meruaylous tast eleuating his hart vnto God And therefore he taught his Religious for edification of their neighbour to say it in this manner Our Father most blessed and most holie our Creatour and Consolatour which art in heauen amongest the Angels and SS whome with they presence thou doest illuminate thy selfe being the light thou doest enflame them with loue thou being loue it selfe raysing them to thy glorie thou dwellest in them because thou art the soueraigne eternall good whence all good is deriued and without which nothing is good in it selfe Hallowed he thy name and lett thy knoweldge be manifested vnto vs that we may the better knowe the greatnes of thy benefittes and the accomplishmenr of thy promises the eminency of thy Marestie and the depth of thy iudgementes Thy kingdome come to the end thou now raigne in vs by grace and that hereafter we attaine the other of glorie where is eternallie thy glorious presence with perfect loue glorious companie and ioy and alacritie without end Thy will be done in earth as is it in heauen that we may loue thee with an infinite loue and may
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
they ought to shunne occasions of sinne and scandales especially women In the twelueth and last he teacheth them how they should expose their life for the loue of IESVS CHRIST and for his law among Infidelles Then he concludeth according to the beginning shewing that all consisteth in the faith and obedience of the Romane church and in the obseruance of the holie gospell of our lord IESVS CHRIST who is our Alpha Omega that is our beginning and our end The holie Father S. Francis founded his life and rule on these twelue Apostolicall chapters as on twelue stones taken out of the depth of Iourdain that is out of the hight of Euangelicall perfection This rule shall continue and be of force for euer as a testimonie vnto the professours thereof that God hath alreadie cōducted them out of the desert of this world to the land of promise Therefore of them may besaid as of other perfect Blessed are the poore in spiritt for theirs is the kingdome of heauen sith that for it they haue forsaken the kingdome of the earth Of th zeeale which the holy Father S. Francis had vnto Religion and to the obseruance of the gospell THE X. CHAPTER THe perfect imitatour of IESVS CHRIST did so affect the obseruance of the holy gospell was so exceeding zealous of the rule that with a singuler benediction he enriched those that were singulerlie zealous in the obseruation therof Whervpon he said to his Brethren our rule is a book of life to them that follow it a hope of saluation an earnest of glorie the iuyce of the gospell an assured way of the crosse an estate of perfection a key of Paradice and an accord of eternall beatitude He would that all his Brethren should haue it with them and often times read it and in their spiritual conferences and conuersations should for edification ordinarilie discourse therof that often conferring therof together they might neuer forgett this diuine pact and spirituall vow and that they might so possesse it in their handes their bosome and before their eyes that death assaulting them they might dye with it in their armes A Religious dying among the Mores as he desired made his benefitt of this holy doctrine of his holy Father for being taken by the Mores preaching the faith and hauing endured many tormentes and they intending to cutt of his head he tooke his rule into his handes and falling on his knees with great feruour and humility he said to his companion my beloued Brother I confesse me before God and you of what soeuer I haue committed against this rule and acknowledge my fault therin and doe beseech you to pray for me and I doe and will pray for you The wordes vttered his head was cutt off on earth to be afterward crowned in heauen But to the end that no impediment should hinder the obseruance of this rule the holy Father S. Francis hath putt into it this clause that when they suppose they cannot obserue it in some certaine place they shall haue recourse to the Ministers meaning that where the Religious know that the by reason of disturbers corrupted condicions of the places or oblgations exposed against the rule it cannot be obserued according to the true not cloaked or erroniously interpreted intelligence therof they may in such case and ought to haue recourse to the Ministers who are obliged to putt them in such place as they may without any impediment and contradiction obserue it Brother Leo and Brother Bonizzo that were present with S. Francis when the Pope confirmed the rule affirmed that when his holines very attentiuely read this clause as also he did all the rest therin manifesting himselfe to be exceedinglie well pleased therewith he very particulerie reioyced theratt which S. Francis perceauing he said that he would verie willinglie haue added in that place that if the Ministers would not prouide for the said Religious they might obserue the rule in what place it should please them but his holines answeared that he had discreetly done in not inserting those wordes because such licence might easilie cause the diuision of the Order and litle respect vnto the superiours by manie who vnder coulour of such pretence would auoyde discipline S. Francis replyed I would haue added it because I know there wil be Superiours in the Religion that will persecute such as would faithfully obserue the said rule and if such licence were admitted the poore Religious would auoyd persecution but the Pope would in no sort giue consent alleadging that it sufficed that by this rule the Religious Ministers knew their duetie and his intention without making more apparant specification which would take away both obedience and respect vnto the Superiours and in steed of causing the obseruance of the rule would entierlie ruine it Now that such was the intentiō of the S. appeareth by the example following A Religious Almaine who was a great diuine came to visitt ou◠holy Father att our lady of Angels where discoursing together of certaine pointes of the rule the diuine said vnto him Father I vehemently desire to obserue the holy gospell and our rule simply euen till death as I haue already promised vnto God according to his intention and yours and I hope his diuine Maiesty well giue me force and vertue to performe it Therefore I require this fauour of you Father that if during my life the Religious shall erre from the pure obseruance of the rule as it hath bin reuealed vnto you and as you haue affirmed that they shall waxe cold within short time I may by your authority either alone or with such as will follow me in the way of Euangelicall perfectiō separate my selfe from those that will not obserue it Which demaund being well vnderstood of the S. with exceeding ioy he blessed him saying know my Brother that what thou requirest is both by me and by IESVS CHRIST graunted thee and laying his hand on his head said Thou art a true Preist according to the order of Melchisedech Of a vision that Brother Leo had and the expositoin made therof by S. Francis and of a benediction which S. Francis left to his true children THE XI CHAPTER BRother Leo accompanying S. Francis that was very sick had a merueillous vision which is very conuenient for this place for such as are zealous of the Order add no lesse for such as dispēnse with themselues in the profession and obligation which they owe to his diuine maiesty Being then in prayer neere vnto the S. he was rauished in spiritt and was conducted to the border or side of a violent and impetuous floud and deuising how he might passe it he saw certaine Religious that entred into it but by the force of the water were presently swallowed to the bottome without any more sight of them and others that waded to the middest and almost ouer it but by reason of diuers weightie thinges which they carryed on their shoulders being
he dyed to the great greife of all the Cittizens who seeing him were induced to the loue of God by the memory of so rare a miracle and benefitt which he had done them by meane of his seruant S. Francis How it being necessary that sainct Francis should haue a cautere made with a burning iron the fire obeying him lost his force THE XL. CHAPTER NOt onlie the beastes obeyed S. Francis but euen the very elementes as may appeare by the example following and others to be inserted hereafter The glorious Father was long time afflicted with sicknes and hauing no meanes of cure he was by reason that the cold was aduersiue vnto him as the Protectour had appointed remoued from Rieta to Fonte Colombo for better commodity of the Phisicion that had care of him and to defend him from the aire that was verie dangerous vnto him and from the splendour of the sunne which he could not endure they made him a great capuce and put a gread bande ouer his eyes Now the Phisicion being come and perceauing the danger of the disease affirmed that there must necessarilie be applyed a cautere behind the eare next that eye which was most offended in which act though the holy Father S. Francis deferred his cure fearing perhappes to dye in the absence of the Vicar Generall who was to be there neuertheles the infirmitie encreasing and the Vicar not comming it was necessarie to proceed and to applie the fire and especiallie because in a whole night he could take no repose Wherfore the night following he made this exhortatioÌ„ to the Religious that attended and watched with him taking compassion of him that by his occasion he reposed neither night nor day no more then him selfe Brother and my beloued sonne I beseech thee lett it not afflict thee to suffer and take paines for me in this my sicknes for God will giue thee recompense of thy labour both in this life and the other and will reward thee euen for all the good worckes thou omittest to doe by meanes of mine infirmitie Yea I aduertise thee that thou gaynest much more by this charitie then thou shouldest by prayer for they that serue and assist me in such necessitie serue all the bodie of our Order and assist to mayntaine it Therfore thou mayest securelie say vnto God offering this thy seruice My God I spend my time in seruice of this man for which thou art indebted to me considering that I serue him for thy sake The S. spake this to the end that being by the deuill ouercome of impatience he should not loose his meritt And therfore as we said a litle before seeing the imminent perill wherin he laboured and the trouble of his Religious he consented that preparation should be made to administer vnto him the cautere appointed by the Phisicion though his vicare were not present Euerie thing necessaâ—ie then being prepared S. Francis seeing the burning iron had a naturall feare of the torment he was to endure wherfore he mildlie vttered these wordes to the fire My noble brother most profitable of all other creatures by the almightie created I pray thee with my vtmost affection haue compassion of me in this thine action and vse not thy rigour against me sith I loue thee so much for our Creatours sake of whome I demaund so much fauour as to moderate thy feruour and heat in such sort that my feeblenesse may support it Then he made the signe of the crosse on the fierie bullet when in meane while the Religious left him alone with the Surgeon for great compassion they had of him and being vnable to behold his torment and endurance Now the iron hauing bin applied the S. recalling them they retourned to whome he said O weake of hart and more weake of faith why did you fly I would haue you know that I felt not any payne yea if it be thought that the Surgeon haue not well made the cautere I am content to haue an other made then an other till it be well made The Surgeon and Religious being amazed att so strang a miracle wherby he saw force did faile to annoy but not to benefitt in such sort that the S. held himselfe immoueable without hauing his head held and insensible of the hoat iron he knew not what else to say but that in effect there was no other good in this world but to be the true seruant of almighty God Of the loue which the holy Father S. Francis boare to all creatures for the loue of his Creatour THE XLI CHAPTER BVt it is not so much to be admired that the fire and other creatures obeyed S. Francis when he commanded them for he in such sort honoured and loued them that he reioyced with them att their good and was so much afflicted att their detriment as a freind were he neuer so pittifull and affectionat would doe att the dommage or detriment of his deere freind He would discourse with them as if they had bin endued with iudgement and reason raysing himselfe by their meane condition to the consideration of the greatnes of him that had created them such therfore aboue others he carryed most affection to those creatures that had any relation vnto God or figure correspondence and proprietye with his seruantes as may be said of Larckes as hauing on their head a capuce like to his and his Religious And because they were humble and of earthlie colour and walked by ditches and ordinarie wayes to seeke their releife and then mounted sweetlie into the aire praysing their God Wherin they shewed him example as he said to his Religious to be cloathed with base and course cloth of earthly colour and to goe humblie seeking almose through the streetes and hauing conuersed here on earth as much as is necessarie to mount afterwardes into heauen with their cogitations praysing their Creatour And therfore he once said that if he were Emperour he would ordaine that no Larckes should be killed Discoursing afterwardes of other creatures he said that he would command all Gouernours of citties and borroughes to cause wheat to be scattered and cast abroad on ChristiaÌ„s day in the streetes feildes that the birdes might haue more occasioÌ„ on that day to reioyce hauing to feed att their desire and in memory that our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST was borne between an oxe and an asse they who had such beastes should be constrayned to giue them on such day hay and oates abondantly Among all creatures he particulerly affected the sunne the reason hath bin formerly expressed next vnto it the fire as a most noble element he would neuer putt it out in consideration of the innumerable benefittes which God by meane therof hath done vs as by the examples ensuying shall appeare Sitting one day before the fire there lept into his lappe vpon his habitt certaine litle sparckles as it often happeneth and albeit he saw it burne his habitt he would neuer extinguish it nor permitt a
affirme that the stigmates of the holie seruant of God Francis that were so miraculouslie by diuine Maiestie imprinted on him were fables and ought to be reproued what could he say more He att one same time depriued the holie seruant of God of his honour and glorie yea God himselfe who by a singuler priuiledge and excellent mysterie gaue him those signes and hath depriued vs of aucthoritie and dew respect considering that he hath presumed to impugne our auctoritie for we haue approued the said stigmates not onlie as hauing heard relation therof by personnes worthie of creditt and bin assured therof by verie authenticall written testimonies but ouer selues also haue seene them with our proper eyes and touched them with our verie handes Now we vnderstand that the said Religious is mounted to such audacitie as he presumeth to preach publikelie to the dishonour of the Religious Frere Minors baptising them before the people with the false name and title of dore-begging preachers and lyers adding that they ought to be preuented and excommunicated All these thinges considered we command you in vertue of this present Apostolicall Breuie to suspend the said Religious from the facultie of preaching in what place soeuer he shall appeare and vsing all meanes to gett him into your handes you shall incontinentlie send him vnto vs that we may inflict on him the punishment due to his desert The other Breuy that was directed to the Arch-bishop of Coileigne was thus The diuine wisdome that first framed man according to his flesh to redeeme him by the mystery of his holy Incarnation he also hath adorned his seruant Francis with the same woundes that it is so we with the Colledge of our venerable brethren the cardinals haue approued the same hauing bin assured therof by diuers personnes of vertuous life and haue our selues seene very authentical testimonies therof and besides we haue bin induced by our selues that haue with our owne eyes seene and touched them with our owne handes For which respectes we haue really and with iust reason concluded that it ought to be held for truth wherfore we command you that vnderstanding this our intention and probation of them you also publikelie approue them and not to permitt any within your diocesse to contradict them Pope Alexander the fourth that saw them made also a Breuie in approbation of them and commanded the Frere Minors neuer to leaue the Oratorie of Mount Aluerne where theire holie Father had receaued so singuler a gift of God Pope Benedict the second ordayned by a Breuie that the Frere Minors should celebrate the feast and say the office of the said sacred stigmates of the glorious Father sainct Francis All which testimonies and manie other which for breuitie I omitt we were willing to insert in this place because the malice of enuie that wil be of as long continuance as the world had enforced vs therto by reason that so admirable a miracle ought not to be related without due circumstances and proofes to make mute the perfidious tongues of the euill minded enuious Of the zeale of the honour of God and saluation of soules which the holy Father sainct Francis had after the impression of the sacred stigmates and of the figures precedent THE LX. CHAPTER THis glorious Sainct hauing felt in his proper flesh the dolours paine of the passion of God and as it were partlie experienced of what deere price soules were vnto the Sonne of God he to loose no time began incontinentlie to trauaile ouer all cittyes and townes instructing by meane of prayer preaching and the example of good life God assisting with merueillous miracles in testimonie of his docttine to redeeme the precious soules of poore Christians out of the mouth of the perfidious Lucifer he being armed with these weapons of the crosse that alwayes ouerthrow euerie ennemie corporall and spirituall of the elect of God who continuallie gett the victorie And as a new Legat deputed of his diuine maiestie he carryed with him the sea le of the soueraigne bishop IESVS CHRST wherwith he confirmed his doctrine and his worckes Therby did he trulie appeare to be sent of God wherfore he not onlie found no contradiction where he went but was exceeding gratefull to all all personnes Besides that this is also worthy of merueillous consideration that as in all thinges deseruing perpetuall memorie for being of great consequence it semeth that his diuine Maiestie alwayes obserued three condicions prophesying or figuring them precedently approuing them by good testimonies with the rumour of present renowme and confirming them afterward by diuine signes and miracles in like sort would he obserue three conditions in this singuler fauour wherof the rumour renowme and manifest proofe being seene for the time present and the miracles afterward it resteth now that we demonstrate the figure by which this singuler act hath in a certaine manner bin many times prophesied First it seemed to be signified by the vision of the glittering and resplendant soules marcked with the signe of the crosse of whome God constituted him his captaine in the beginning of his conuersion The same also seemed to be signified by the vision of the crucisix that interiourly transpearced his soule with excessiue sorrow with the voice that told him he must repaire his holy church And it was also signified by the crosse which Brother Siluester saw to come out of his mouth that expelled the dragon of hell Againe it was denoted by the vision which Brother Pacificus had before he was conuerted when he saw two glittering swordes that made a crosse vpon his brest Finally it was signified by the apparition which S. Francis made att the Chapter of Arles in forme of a crosse in the aire giuing his benediction to the Religious there assembled Lett no man therfore presume to contradict so certaine a truth denounced and prophesied by figures seene visibily touched palpably approued by the church iustlie and finally by IESVS CHRIST confirmed by so many miracles in earth and in heauen Of the new seruour and merueillous patience of the sainct THE LXI CHAPTER THe holy Father S. F. finding himselfe enriched with so glorious a treasure made his habitt to be lengthened as much as was possible to couer the same and began thenceforward to carry a staffe wherwith he walked about the house though verie seldome being vnable by reason of the sacred woundes to sett his feet on the ground It is admirable to consider that as in the two first yeares of his conuersion before he founded the Order he carryed a staffe so he began againe to carry it two yeares before his death that he might end by the walking staffe as a true Pilgrime on earth albeit he had left it vpon obseruation of the worde of IESEVS CHRIST who commanded his disciples not to carry it in their iorney signifying that they should not relye on any fauour of the world vnderstood by the staffe or stalke of a reed
had bin made att that verie hower with the hard nayle vpon the bare flesh and the bloud appeared exceeding full of life O happy were the soules that were held worthy to see in his seruant what they could not see in their Lord IESVS CHRIST and more when afterwardes they saw his sacred handes which his Holines discouered and saw pearced as the feet and hauing also the like nailes we also kissed them laying our impure lippes onthe sacred bloud that was yet very fresh which made vs to poore out teares that so abondantly fell from our eyes as that they hindered our cōtentment for we could not tast nor enioy the same according to our wish our eyes were so troubled that we often saw not that precious treasure But who cā euer explicate the motiō of our vnderstāding the abstractiō of our spiritt the melting of our sences and the faintnes of our corporall forces procured by this precious sight O thrice happy the mouthes of vs so greiuous sinners wherwith we were permitted to kisse that sacred wound of his foot with such interiour cōsolation as none could be more But seauen fold more hapy the Pope who alone kissed the wound of his side flowered as a fresh rose consequētly his very mouth whervpon he graciously vttered these wordes O most worthy excellēt memoriall of our redemption wherwith the eternall God would that conformably to our Lord I. C. the glorious Father S. Fr. should be deputed aliue dead to represent to the world euen till the last day of iudgmēt the signe of his dolorous passion O holy woundes first endured by the Sonne of God for the sinnes of men and after for our benefitt renewed in his holy seruant Francis O most gracious God! to whome hast thou euer shewē such loue but to this thy most faithful seruant Blessed sainct thou hast really carryed the triumphant stander of the crosse together with the liuely marckes of his passion Finally thou alone hast ben elected and found worthy to be pearced in true imitation of our Lord I. C. differing from him only in this that he receaued his woundes of the wicked Iewes and thou of our Redeemer I. C. O extreme benefite O singuler gift O ineffable prerogatiue Fr. who taught thee to serue God in what new scoole was it performed and by what merueillous doctrine Of what master hast thou learned to moūt to so high a degree of perfection that neuer S. of either sex could equall thee in the giftes of God The Pope vttered these and many other wordes being rauished out of himselfe in the presence of this S. of God himselfe together with vs bathinge the pauement of that holy place with abondance of our teares Now we so persisted in these sweet cōceiptes that whē we least thought theron one aduertised vs that it was neere day and that it was necessary for vs to depart to shutt vp the hole of the sacred sepulcher dexteriously which touched our hart as a deadly wound the space of six or seauen howers that we were there seeming to haue flowen and not passed away Making therfore some litle prayer more and recommending our selues to the S. the Pope first goeing out we all followed but not till we had opened the two vaultes in the two other arches where we saw the two other glorious bodies of his disciples entier also and very odoriferous but much lesse then that of their master hauing their habittes of sackcloth Att the entry we saw the body of the blessed Brother Giles then we came foorth and the Guardian shutt the dores praying his Holines to keepe the same in great secresie which he promised him and commāded vs also the same This my freind Iames was the cause of my inuocation that night when I cryed O Francis Francis hauing yet hope yea very confident that he wil be protectour of my soule before God att my departure But it seemeth indeed very admirable that this glorious S. had not procured his recouery but that he might haue declared this his glory to many his deuoted freindes that much desired to vnderstand it for this discourse ended he began so to decay that he dyed the night following leauing assured testimony of this truth considering that it is not to be beleeued nor thought nor is it probable that aman especially such as this being in the conflictes of death would for his pleasure and without occasiō faine a false matter the time so neere when he should most stricktly render an account vnto God who seuerely condemneth the culpable and ill-deseruers as he crowneth the sainctes his elected here on earth but much more in heauen there glorifiyng their bodies their soules with his glorious vision eternally whither I beseech him by his grace to conduct vs where he is three and one and liueth and raigneth world without end Amen The end of the second booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS CONTAYNING A TREATISE OF S. Bonauenture of certaine miracles of the glorious Father S. Francis after his death With a discourse of the Author of the degrees wherby the S. attained to perfection Translated by the parties afore mentioned Of the miracle of the Stigmates THE FIRST CHAPTER TO the honour and glory of almighty God and the blessed Father S. Francis Being to write certaine miracles of his wrought after his glorification in heauen we haue determined to begin with that immensiue priuiledge giuen him by our Lord IESVS CHRIST honouring him with the signe of the crosse and passion This glorious Father S. Francis was then eminent by a new miracle when he appeared charactered and illustrated with so singuler a priuiledge neuer before graunted to any creature I meane the sacred woundes of our Lord which made his mortall bodie like to that of IESVS CHRIST crucified the sacred stigmates considered wherof whatsoeuer any humane tongue can expresse is litle or nothinge in comparison of so sublime and worthy a mystery wrought by his diuine maiesty in his faithfull seruant Francis that this signe of the crosse which he alwayes carryed imprinted in his hart from the beginning of his conuersion might also exteriourly appeare in his body entierly vnited in the said crosse and that as his soule was interiourly vested with IESVS CHRIST the habite of a penitent which he tooke representing the image of the crosse the body also might in like sort be inuested with the said sacred signe and that with such colours and distinctions he might the more couragiously serue his God as his principall Capitaine in the spirituall warre and army wherin God had ouercome the powers of spirituall ennemies Yea and diuers misteries of the crosse appeared in the S. from his first beginning in spirituall warfare as in the discourse of his life plainely appeareth by the diuers apparitions of the crosse which he had And for farther assurance of the verity of so admirable a fact God did not only giue testimonies worthy of creditt
spēd time with this simple and inconsiderat multitude of people considering the litle hope we haue being so few to suppresse their obstinacie lett vs rather repaire to their king endeauouring first to conquer the head so with more ease facility to gett victory of the mēbers afterward Lett vs giue him the on sett couragiously and ioyfully lett vs goe then lett vs goe preach and tell him the verity of the faith of IESVS CHRIST of Baptisme of penance in remission of sinnes Lett vs boldly confesse before him that IESVS CHRIST the sonne of God is true God and man who would be borne dye for sinners with his owne bloud redeeming vs from eternal death rising againe after his death ascended vnto heauen and sitteth att the right hand of his Father Iudge of the liuing dead where he expecteth vs to croune vs with his holy martyrs for euer How these fiue Religious preached before the king of the Mores the faith of Iesus Christ our Sauiour and what sueceeded therof THE VI. CHAPTER THese Religious being thus mutuallie animated went directlie to the Pallace of the king att the entrie wherof being intercepted by the guard their Captaine who was a gentleman of note demaunded of them what they were They answeared that they were Italiens and desired to speake with his maiestie of matters of great importance as well touching his owne particuler as his whole kingdome Whervpon the Captaine demaunded if they had no letters or other token of commendations to deliuer him They replyed that their embassage was to be deliuered by mouth and could not be writtē but in hartes by tongues The Captaine willed thē securely to commend the affaire vnto him promising to deliuer it faithfully vnto the king they prayed him againe for conclusion to conduct them only to the presence of the king where he might also vnderstand what they had to say The Captaine related the whole vnto the king who commanded them to be brought before him where being present he demaunded them what they were whence they came who sent thē vnto him wherfore they were come Wherto they answeared that they were Christiās that they came frō Rome sent frō the king of kinges and Redeemer of the world IESVS CHRIST to preach vnto him his holy faith so that their bussines tēded only to the saluatiō of his soule which should be effected if he would no lōger beleeue the doctrine of Mahomet but in IESVS C. the true God receauing baptisme in the name of the most sacred Trinity that he could not be saued by any other meane The Mory king that expected no such greeting became despightfully furiours for he esteemed the seruantes of God to haue giuen him an extreme affrōt to whome he said O ye poore braineles men sottish and miserable as ye are how can ye possibly presume to vtter this speech in my presence without more respect vnto my crowne or feare of the losse of your liues already infallibly incurred by the great blasphemie committed against my most holy Prophet But tell me are yee come hither expresly and in my only particuler respect or to preach also vnto my people and to delude them dissuading them frō mine obedience and their alleagiance Hereto the good Religious with a bold and smiling countenāce answeared O king know that we are come to thee as to the chiefe of all this sect of Mahomet filled with diabolicall spiritt and to him that in the bottome of hell shall be more rigorously tormented then thy subiectes that shall persist in obstinacie to the end that thou being reduced into the way of truth saluation thou mayest be a meane of their conuersion as thou art now the cause of their damnatiō for auoyding wherof thou must beleeue in IESVS CHRIST our Redeemer who sendeth vs vnto thee saying in the Gospell Goe and teach ye all nations baptising them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost adding afterward for thē that would not yeld thervnto he that will not belieue shal be damned eternally This king stopping his eares began to rage and crye out O cursed wretches your former lewd behauiour no doubt hath brought you hither where it shal be rewarded instantly neither is there any other meane to deliuer free your selues but that you vnsay whatsoeuer you haue now foolishly and rashlie vttered and to receaue and espouse the Religion of our great Prophett for so doeing I will not only pardō you but will also make you great and rich in my kingdome that it may publikelie appeare how much we prise and esteeme the greatnes of our Prophett and how much we honour respect and enrich those that preferre our Religion before their owne but otherwise you shall for your sollie dye with infinite torments or I will enforce you to beleeue me The Religious replyed if your law were not full of lies false impious as it is but iust and conformable vnto truth we would receaue it but because it doth eternallie damne the followers therof we respect not all treasure nor feare tormentes for false honours are the baites and delusions of you Mores who truely miserable doe end together with them because they haue no longer continuance and you are eternallie damned the meerlie contrarie happening to vs considering that by the pouertie and contempt of our dayes of this life we pourchace eternall treasures and honours in heauen as our Lord teacheth vs when he said Heap not vp your treasure in earth where nothing is secure but in heauen where you may for euer enioy the benefitt therof And therfore O king be thou conuerted to receaue this true and holie law in regard of this recompence And if thou so much esteeme a kingdome of this world how much more oughtest thou to esteeme this eternall kingdome of heauē tourne thy hart to the soueraigne and true God who hath thus long expected thy penannce and now sendeth vs vnto thee as his messengers to deliuer thee from the eternall tormentes of hell which are prepared for thee and all them that follow the absolutely accursed Mahomett Take heed how thou misprise the grace which God by meanes of vs doth offer vnto thee How the fiue Martyrs were adiudged to death by the Morian king who att the instance of the prince his sonne reuoked his sentence THE VII CHAPTER THe Morian king could no longer endure nor heare the preaching and remonstrance of the Religious against his sect but being exceedingly afflicted and enraged commanded them to be expelled his presence and condemned them to be cruelly whipt and then to haue their heades cutt off The Martyrs then hastened to death with a courage and countenance very ioyfull and contented as they that knew themselues neere to the accomplishment of what they so much desired and to encourage each other they mutually said Behold brethren behold how God doth benignely offer vnto vs that which we haue so long desired
being not full but neere a yeare after his death Wherto there directly opposed himselfe a Cardinall which caused further proceeding to be deferred till the day following but the first night after the Cardinall had this dreame It seemed vnto him that his holinesse would consecrate an Altare and to that end demaunded holy reliques of him But he not knowing what to giue him heard a voice that said Giue him of the new reliques of S. Antony Wherevpon this Cardinall awakinge sollicited the Pope more then any other to hasten the canonization of the S. as hauing bin by this diuine voice fully assured of his great merittes Besides the approbation of the vnder written miracles wrought after his death nor including those wrought in his life time he cured nineteene that were lame fiue of the palsie fiue that were crooked six blinde three deafe three mute two of the gout he raised two to life and cured diuers others of sundry diseases For which cause the yeare 1232. on the day of Penticost he was enrolled by the Pope in the Catalogue of Sainctes with great solemnitie The said Pope composed and sung that worthy antheme O Doctor optime and ordayned it to be sung in all churches the day of his feast which was constitued to be yearly the thirteenth of Iune One the day of his canonization all the belles of his cittie of Lisbone did ring of themselues to the exceeding contentment of all personnes wherof they knew no cause but that they felt an inestimable ioy in their hartes but they vnderstood afterward that their contryman and fellow-cittizen S. Antony had bin that day canonized The bulle of the aforesaid canonization taken out of the tenth chapter of the sixt booke and heere more properly placed GRegory bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our venerable Brethren Archbishops Bishoppes health and Apostolicall benediction As God saith by the Prophett I will make you honoured and praysed of all people and by the sage he promiseth that the iust shall shine in the presence of God as the sunne so it seemeth vnto vs expedient that we also here on earth below doe prayse the sainctes which his diuine Maiestie hath crouned in heauen and considering withall that God is knowne and adored principally in them who is praiseworthy and glorious in his Sainctes and that miraculously to manifest his omnipotencie and his mercy towardes our saluation he euen ennobleth here below by miracles his faithfull seruantes with whome he hath concurred to the meritt of eternall glory and this to confound the obstinacie of many heretikes and to confirme his church in his holy Catholique Apostolike and Romane faith and to expell out of lukewarme hartes all sloath and negligence awakening them to good worckes by these holy examples and that the hartes of heretikes might be made plyable to belieue by effect what they seeme not to vnderstand by the holy scriptures and finally that all Iewes and Pagans the vaile of blindnes being taken from before their eyes may see this transparent light of the omnipotencie of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and that they may not alleadge for excuse that they had no occasion deseruing their conuersion vnto him and their acknowledgement of him for true God and true man Wherfore my beloued we yeld thanckes to this bountifull giuer of all goodnes if not as we ought at least as we may for that it hath pleased him for confirmation of our holy faith and the confusion of heretikes to bestow on vs holy and famous men in these dayes who by signes and manifest miracles haue declared how true inestimable and indubitable is the faith of the holy Romane Church sith they who dye therein so dye in the grace of God that they glitter twinckle and shine in the world as Sunnes in the firmament Therfore being therein but one faith and the same by this diuine and manifest approbation appearing most true the falshood of all others must be very euident Of the nomber of those that haue meritted to worck miracles before and after their death is the blessed Father S. Antony of the Order of the Frere Minors who liuing in this world was very famous for his great merittes and liuing now in heauen he shineth by many miracles which are ordinarily wrought att his sepulcher wherof we are assured as well by very authenticall worthy actes as by reuelation of personnes worthy of creditt These two thinges merittes and miracles suffice to giue testimony among men of the sanctity of a man yea they suffice to make vs yeld to honour and inuocate them as our intercessors vnto God which two thinges are taken out of this text of the Gospell They goeing forth preached euery where our lord worcking withall and confirming the word with signes that followed For this cause we haue giuen order to the abouesaid Bishop to Br. Giles Iourdain Priour of the Order of S. Benett and to Br. Iohn Priour of S Augustins in the monastery of the Iacobins of Padua that they should make an exact examen and approued catalogue of the miracles of the said Sainct which we hauing seene to be conformable to that which by our owne experience we know to be very true touching his life and holy conuersatiō that it may not seeme we would hinder or depriue him of his praise being therevnto vrged by the said Bishop of Padua and the reuerence of the seruantes of God which so notoriously deserue the same and by the aduise of our venerable Brethren the Cardinalls of the holy Roman Church and of all the Prelates att this present neere vnto vs we haue enrolled him in the Catalogue of the SS Wherfore the candell not being sett on the candlesticke but to giue light we pray and commaund all those to whome the knowledge of these presents shall come that in vertue of this Apostolicall Breuie they induce their subiectes and procure them solemnly and reuerentlie to keepe and honour his feast which is the thirteenth of Iune to the end that God being moued and appeased by his holie prayers doe giue vs his holie grace in this life and his glorie in the other Besides that the sepulcher of this worthie Confessour who by the splendour of his miracles beautifieth our holie Church be with the honour due vnto it visited and frequented we trusting in the diuine grace and in the aucthoritie of the glorious Apostles sainct Peter and sainct Paul we mercifullie remitte and release a yeares penance enioyned them to all those that truelie confessed and penitent doe on the day of his feast and all the octaue of euerie yeare visitt the same Giuen att Spoletum the twelfeth of Iulie in the sixt yeare of our Popedome How his body was transported into the said church of Padua then into that where it now is and wherefore THE XXXI CHAPTER POpe Alexander the fourth desiring to deliuer manie Citties of Lombardie from the cruelty of the Tyran Ezelin that had vsurped almost all the
is to be vsed by him that is to teach those soules whose perfect Master is IESVS CHRIST alone who guideth them according to their capacity and the grace which he hath giuen them for their saluation knowing that the instruction ought to be more of the spilitt and of God then of any humane tongue to touch and enflame their hartes in the poursuite of vertue How Brother Giles defended himselfe from the deuill by whome he was often persecuted THE XIX CHAPTER THe wicked spirites were the more hatefull and enuious to this seruant of God because he had knowledge and vnderstanding of many sublime and diuine secrettes for which respect they often tormented him as within few dayes after he had that diuine vision being alone praying in his cell the deuill appeared vnto him in so horrible and fearfull a figure that it presently depriued him of his speach But hauing in his hart called for helpe vnto almighty God he was incontinently deliuered and afterwardes made very fearfull relations of the lothsomnes of the deuill Br. Giles being once entred about midnight into the Church of S. Appollinaris in Spoleta there to offer his prayers the deuill lept vpon his shoulders whiles he prayed and held him so crushed and oppressed for a time that he could scarce moue yet he so strugled that he gott to the holy water pott where hauing taken holy water and signed himselfe with the crosse the deuill presently fled An other time as he was praying the deuill so tormented him that he was enforced as much as he could to cry out help me my Brethren att which call his companion Br. Gratian came running and he was instantly deliuered Praying also an other night he heard the ennemy with many other deuils that were very neere him who talking among themselues as men might doe sayd Wherfore doth this Religious labour so much fith he is already a sainct so agreable is he to God and euen in continuall extasie Which they sayd to tempt him and induce him to vaine glory The last yeare of his life the deuill persecuted him more cruelly thē he had don before as he thought one night after prayer to repose himselfe the deuill carryed him into so straight a place that he could not turne him on any side whatsoeuer endeauour he made to arise Br. Gratian hearing him complaine came to the dore of his cell to know if he were in prayer or that some other accident were befallen him and he perceiued that he was exceedingly troubled wherfore he began to cry out Father what is the mater wherto this holy Father answeared Come quickly my child come quickly But Br. Gratian being vnable to open the dore of the cell sayd vnto him I know not the reason but I cannot open the dore Br. Giles prayed him to doe his vtmost to open it speedely which after much labour he did then comming neere vnto him with all his power to assist him he could not so much as moue him out of the place where the deuill had throwne him which Br. Giles perceauing he said Br. let me alone in this case and lett vs referre all into the handes of God So Brother Gratian though against his will for bearing to endeauour to deliuer the holy Father out of this place he fell to prayer for him where by a litle eased he sayd to his companion you haue done well in comming to assist me God reward you for it But Brother Gratian complayning that he had not called him in this imminent perill of death wherin he was and relating the disgrace it would haue bin to him and to his companions if he had so dyed he sayd vnto him Be not troubled my child if God by me be reuenged of his ennemies for you must know that how much the deuill resisteth God seeking to afflict and torment me so much more is he tormented and discendeth deeper to the profundity of hell and so when he persecuteth me I am reuenged of him for the seruice which I haue now done to almighty God had no beginning of me but of his diuine Maiesty as the end shall be if it please him Wherfore I am assured that the deuill neither can nor euer shal be able to preuaile against God yet did not the deuill omitt to torment him in such sort that goeing att night to rest in his cell he alwayes went sighing asif he would say I expect yea I goe to martyrdome Of diuers answeres giuen by Brother Giles vpon sundry occasions THE XX. CHAPTER BRother Iames of Massa a very spirituall Religious euen in regard of his particuler grace to be often rauished in God one day demaunded of Brother Giles how he should gouerne himselfe in that grace and the holy Father answeared Brother neither augment nor diminish and shunne the multitude the most you can Brother Iames not well vnderstanding him asked him what he meant by those wordes and Brother Giles replyed when the spiritt is prepared to be conducted into the glorious light of the diuinity it should neither augment by presumption nor diminish by negligence he should also with all possibility loue and seeke solitarines if he desire that the grace receiued be well preserued and augmented A Religious hauing asked him what he might doe that might be most pleasing to God he answeared singing One to one one to one the sayd Religious alleadging that he vnderstood him not the holy Father replyed you ought without any intermissiō or whatsoeuer pretēce giue one sole soule to one sole God if you will please him Br. Gratian that had bin twenty yeares his companion and disciple testified that in all that time he neuer heard him vtter one only idle word This Religious as the discipline of so good a master had exceedingly profited by his company in spirituall edificatiue mortification and had receaued many other graces of God wherin desiring not to faile he one time demaunded of his master in what worck and in what kind of the graces which God had grāted him he should most exercise himselfe this questiō he made because he was absolutely resolued precisely to follow his counsaile Whereto the holy Father answeared you cānot be more gratefull to God in any other action then in hanging your selfe Which the good Religious hearing he was stricken into a greiuous amazement and with such an answeare much troubled wherfore Br. Giles proceeding said Know my child that a mā which hangeth himselfe is neither in heauē nor on earth but is only lifted frō the earth looketh alwayes downe Now doe you the like sith if you cānot be now in heauē you may neuerthelesse so raise your selfe aboue earthly thinges being exercised in vertuous works and prayer that humility alwayes appeare in you and liuing so hope in the diuine mercy By this counsaile he commended vnto him two singuler vertues prayer and humility as speciall graces of a Religious that desireth to please God A certaine man talking one day with Br.
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
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
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
mouth to answeare her there issued out of the fournise of his enflamed hart infinite sparckes of such sublime wordes that this holy virgin receaued therof much consolation Finally turning her Angelicall face towards her deere and beloued daughters and sisters there present bitterly weeping she recommended vnto them the pouerty of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST in this her last passadge praysing and thancking God for the infinite benefittes which they had receaued of his diuine Maiesty which she particulerly recounted vnto them then she gaue them all her benediction also to all the Religious of her Monastery present absent and to all those that should enter into her Order There were present two companions of saint Frācis Br. Angelus who though much afflicted did yet comfort the others and the right simple Br. Leo who ceased not to kisse the bed of the holy virgin that was leuing the world who was lamēted of her daughters because they wer left orphanes were no more in this life to see their most holy mother and therfore they accōpanyed her soule vnto heauen with abōdance of teares without power to admit any other consolation then to desire to goe with her wherwith being so afflicted they could not without difficulty forbeare with their nailes to rent their faces but it not being permitted them to dischardge thēselues of such greife exteriourly it did enflame in them a more burning fire within For those espouses of IESVS CHRIST were sufficiently morified by the rigour of Religion albeit the force of greife did constraine thē to cast forth loud cryes and sighes and to power out riuers of teares The holy virgin att lenght being turned towardes thē begā very sweetly to say vnto her soule goe my soule goe sorth securely thou hast an assured guide to performe this voyage for he that is they Creatour hath sanctified thee hath alwayes conserued thee affecting thee with a tender loue equall with that of a mother towardes her child And thou my God be praysed for hauing created me A Religious sister asking her what she meant therby she answeared I speake to my blessed soule Her most glorious Spouse IESVS CHRIST was not far from her attended for her Thē tourning to one of her Religious she sayd Doe you not see my daughter the king of glory whome I see Almighty God also layd his hand on an other Religious who saw with her corporall eyes thorough the teares that distilled from them a glorious vision she being pearced thorough with the dart of sorrow cast her eyes towardes the gate of the house and saw enter a great procession of virgins richly cloathed in white hauing each one a croune of gold on their head but one of them appeared more beautifull sumptuous and glittering thē the rest For she had on her head an imperiall crowne garnished with precious stones out of whose countenāce proceeded a light so shining that it cōuerted the obscurity of the night into cleare and bright day It was with out doubt the glorious Virgin Mary Queen of virgins who came to the bed of the espouse of her sonne to whome enclining she graciously embraced her and incontinently she was couered and the bed also by the other virgins with an extreme sumptuous mantell So the day following which was the eleuenth of August this holy soule ascended to heauen there to be crowned with perpetuall glory Happy was her departure out of this miserable life sith it was her entry into that of eternall felicitie For the fastes which this S. performed in this exile she is now ioyfull and had her fill att the magnificall table of the cittizens of heauē and for the humility and basenesse of her habite she is now gloriously attired with the glory of Paradise The continuall sighes and desires which she had for the presence and loue of her deerly beloued Spouse are accomplished by the blessed vision of God face to face and by the assured fruition of the soueraigne good leauing the way open to the example of sanctity that we blinded and miserable mortall creatures reiecting these short false and deceiptfull pleasures of this world may purchase the permanent true and assured that indure eternally Of the honorable obsequies that were performed for S. Clare THE XXVII CHAPTER WHiles the soule of S. Clare departed this life the report of her deceasse was incontinently diuulged through Assisium whence both men and women in such abondance speedily flocked to the Monastery that none seemed to be left in the citty Each one presently esteemed her a sainct and called her the espouse of IESVS CHRIST accompayning their discourses with great abondance of teares of deuotion The officers of iustice repayred thither accompanyed with many warlike Champions and a great nomber of armed men which that night guarded the monastery for feare that precious treasure might be bereaued them The night following the Pope with all his Court came thither accompayned by all the neighbour people The Religious men of S. Damiā being ready to begin the office of the dead the Pope would haue to be sayd the office of the holy virgins wherin he would haue canonized her before her buryall But the Cardinall of Hostia hauing demonstrated vnto him that it was fitt in this affaire to proceed with more humane prudence the Pope permitted the sayd Religious solemnly to proceed in the office of the dead according to the custome The said Cardinall hauing taken for his text Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas made a very worthy and deuout sermon to manifest the vanity of thinges appertayning only to this world where he exceedingly exalted that most eminent Contemptrice of vanityes which ended all the Cardinals and other Prelates accompanied this holy body with an exemplar deuotion All the funeralles being very solemnly accomplished the cittizens of Assisium thincking it not secure that this precious treasure should remayne so farre out of their citty they caused this holy body with exceeding great pomp to be transported singing psalmes and hymnes with the sound melody of diuers musicall instrumentes and in a very solemne procession they carryed it into the Church of sainct George within their citty where the body of sainct Francis had formerly bin reposed And it was very reasonnable that he who in his life had giuen a patterne of the way of life vnto this holy virgin should as is were prophetically prepare her a place of sepulture There was then a great repaire and confluence of people frō diuers citties townes and villages vnto Assisium to thanck IESVS CHRIST and to pray vnto this blessed creature proclayming this virgin to be really a sainct and glorious who now liueth in Paradise with the Angels hauing bin already so much honoured of men on earth O blessed virgin pray now to God for vs and gaine our soules to IESVS CHRIST in heauen as thou hast conuerted and gayned so many liuing on earth The holy virgin passed this transitory life to the other of rest the yeare
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
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
naturally drawne att Venise in the church of S. Marck such as we haue formerlie described and with stigmates enameled after the Mosaicall manner Of the Buriall of the body of the blessed Father S. Francis THE LXXIII CHAPTER THe afore mentioned Lady Iaqueline of the Seauen Sunnes was the last that could not be satisfied with seeing and touching as an other Magdalen this sacred body of her deere master She did nothing but bath it with her gracious teares and dry it with her kisses the extreme swetnes that proceeded from this holie body but particulerlie from the sacred stigmates exceeded all other sweetnes neuerthelesse she held her eyes alwayes fixed on the wound of his side wherto she often applyed her mouth and handes whence she receaued such and so exceeding consolation that it seemed vnto her in this conuersation with her dead master and freâ—nd â—hat her soule with a straung and admirable ioy began to liue Butt to the cittizens of Assisium that desired to carry him to buriall finding much delay euery hower seemed an hundred by reason of the extreme feare they had that so precious a treasure by some extraordinarie accident might beÌ„ taken from them wherfore they placed a guard before the monasterie gate and soldiers diuided through the street euen to the gate of the citty which cittizens so importuned the said Lady that she annoynted him with precious iontment then cloathed him in a new gray habitt which she had expresly brought from Rome according to the aduertisement of the Angell and the Religious so opened this habitt that the wound of his side might easily be seene This glorious Sainct did alwayes in his life time desire that his bodie should be buryed in the basest place of all the citty of AssisiuÌ„ his hart excepted which he deputed to our Lady of Angels as during his life he had by affection there setled the same and in deed God did not frustrate him of this iust desire for his holy body was enterred though this were not till foure yeares after by reason that the monasterie was not yet build there nor the church which they sumptuouslie built there afterward in the most abiect place of Assisium where malefactours were executed called the mount of hell the common opinion is that his hart is in the chappell of S. Mary of Angels where according to report it is preserued with great reuerence On the sonday morning all the people being assembled with bowes of trees and the Religious Preistes and Gentlemen with their burning torches and lightes carryed this holie bodie as in procession first to the Church of S. Damian to S. Clare that the prophesie of the Sainct might be accomplished sending her worde some dayes before that she should shortlie see him to her exceeding consolarioÌ„ The grate being opened the body of the Sainct was brought in to the Religious who were so comforted therwith that greife could finde no place in their hartes particulerly in that of S. Clare who endeauouring in vaine to pluck out a nayle of his handes to keep it with her as a relique she began againe with her Sisters to bath this holy bodie with teares encourageing themselues together to proceed in the way begun of the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which he had taught them And so after they had restored this holie bodie to the people who weare troubled att this long attendance they carryed it to be enterred in a new sepulcher within the Church of S. George as in a dispositorie where it remayned full foure yeares vnder guard till his church was builded att the Mount of hell as aforesaid It was not without mysterie that he reposed in the said church wherin he had bin baptised had learned his first letters and where he had deliuerd his first preachinges therfore it seemed verie reasonable that his bodie should begin to repose in that place whither the said Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes repayred neuer to abandon him forsaking her habitation in Rome and neuer left this body till her death when she went for euer to dwell with his blessed soule in Paradise How the glorious Father Sainct Francis Was canonized by Pope Gregorie the ninth THE LXXIV CHAPTER THe merittes and glorie of the holie Father S. Francis began by his great miracles to be diuulged whence succeeded that himselfe raigning in heauen his sanctitie was also by diuine power manifested here on earth which he had neuerthelesse alredy made sufficientlie apparant to the world in his life directing an infinite number of soules in the infallible way of vertue The brute of the admirable thinges which God wrought by his seruant Francis came euen to the eares of Pope Gregorie the ninth who resting assured that the S. was glorified with God not only in regard of the said miracles wrought after his death but euen of the experience had with his owne eyes desiring here below to comforme himselfe to the will of God as his true Vicar he determined with a pious and deuoted zeale to canonize him and propose him to the world for a remarckeable example of sanctity and to take all scruple from the Cardinals and others he caused all his principall miracles to be examined and approued by actes of publike Notaries and infinite testimonies worthie of beleife So the Cardinals and all the principall diuines of his Court being herein dulie aduertised concluded that it was iust and verie expedient vnto the Church of God to canonize this glorious Sainct his seruant The yeare 1228. the Pope himselfe went with his Court to Assisium expreslie with this resolution and the sixteenth of Iulie a yeare and nine monethes and halfe after the death of this glorious Sainct vpon a Sonday morning his holines with manie ceremonies and great solemnitie inscribed the blessed Father sainct Francis in the catologue of the sainctes and before they departed thence his Church was begun to be built in the said citty and in the foundation therof the Pope himselfe in presence of an infinite multitude of people laid the first stone and thenceforward the place which was called the Mount of hell was nominated the mount of Paradise The bulle of canonization of the holy Father S. Francis extracted out of the fift chapter of the tenth booke and here more aptly placed GRegory Bishop the Seruant of the seruantes of God To our venerable Brethren Archbishoppes Bishoppes and to our beloued children Abbottes Priors Archpreistes ArchdeacoÌ„s Deanes other Prelates of the church to whose knowledge these presentes shall come health and Apostolicall benediction As the vessels of gold which S. Iohn saw full of perfumes which are the prayers of SS powred out most sweet odours before the most high to destroy the corruption of our sinnes we also beleeue that it is a great furtherance to our saluation with great reuerence to haue memory of his sainctes on earth and with solemnity to publish the merittes of those whose assistance by their continuall intercessions we hope
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