to preach thirtie fiue yeares he laboured in the conuersion of that and other Ilands and the other thirtie three yeares the remaynder of his whole life he passed ouer attending chiefly to the sweetnes of a contemplatiue life in a monasterie sometimes at Armagh and sometimes in others places Nether was he easyly drawne out of those sacred sainctuaries but vppon the vrgent occasion of some vneuitable and weightie affayre Neuerthelesse once in a yeare he was wont to summon a Prouinciall CouÌ„cell to reduce those that swerued from the truth to the rules of the Catholick Church Being shrowded in the Linnen of S. BRIGITS prouiding he was buried with wonderfull great reuerence honour and glorie within the cittie of Down in the verie place foreshewed by the light from heauen on the east side of the Church Ouer his tombe is writt a latin distick which in English goeth thus At DOWN these three lie in owne Tombe Patrick Brigett and holy Columbe Whereby it is manifest that S. BRIGITT whose life you haue the first Psal 8. of February and S. COLVMâ—A Abbott of whom God willing we will treate the ninth of Iune were both buried in the same Tombe with The conclusion S. PATRICK XIV AND here I inuite all that haue read this historie to crie out with the royall psalmist O Lord our how admirable is thy name through all the world who hast crowned thy Sainct with glorie and honour and seated him aboue the workes of thy hands For these indeed are the works of thy hands which soe much we admire and wonder the conuersion of a whole Countrey by the vntired labours and endeauours of this thy chosen and beloued seruant for him thou didest appoynt thy deputie and lieuetenant in this holy and wholesome affaire wherein when diuers before had employed their greatest zeale and industry yet because he was specially elected and selected by thee for this holy purpose thou didest voutchase to adorne him with the working of manie strange and miracles more then allmost anie other of thy Saincts that on the rudiments and foundations of those his predecessours he might plant the consummation and perfection of the whole worke These works and miracles are thine o Christ only worker of worders who euer truly wonderfull in thy Saincts daignest to glorifie them with soe great authoritie and power as they are able to glorie in the triumph purchased ouer the infernall enemies of mankind God of his infinite goodnes make vs partakers of the meritts and prayers of the glorious Sainct Amen An Annotation Manie wonders are related of a place in Ireland called S 〈…〉 ICKS Purgatorie which he is reported to haue obtayned of allmightie God for the conuersion of those incredulous poeple who refused to beleeue what he preached touching the painâ—â— of hell and â—â—ies of heauen vnlesse by some meanes they might see taste of 〈◊〉 â—â—th in this life Into that place those that entred with a strong constancie of sayth a true desire to doe peanaÌ„ce for their sinnes felt vnspeakable torments after which they enioyed most glorious visions of the ioyes of heauen and returned the third day againe Manie make meÌ„tion of this strange Purgatorie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Ossor vice primat of all Ireland Henricus Salter an English Monk of the Gistercian Congregation who writt a booke expressely of the Purgatory of S. PATRICK dedicated to the Abbot of Sartâ—s he liued fiue hundred yeares agoe MATHEW Paris an English monk of S. BENEDICTS order Dionisius Carthustaâ—â—â— verie learned and holy â—an in his treatise dequatuor Nouissimis and others But because Joâ—elâ—â—â— the Authour of S. PATRICKS life whom we haue followed maketh noe mention of this his Purgatorie we haue likewise past it ouer in silence yet iudging for certaine that such a place is really â—â—â—â—nt in Ireland as experience hath taughâ—â—â— in manâ—e that 〈…〉 into it and namely in one Owen a souldier who in the raigne of King Stephen passed through those torments for peanance of his wicked life and at his returne related manie wonders he had seene and felt as the foresayd Authours doe testifie Sâ—…â—DWARDVS REX ANGLIAE ET MARTI … 〈…〉 The life of Sainct EDWARD King and martir MAR 18. Written in an auÌ„cient manuscript recited by Surius THE NOBLE King EDWARD lineally descended from the royall and auncient bloud of our English Kings and which is farre more famous being baptised by the most holy Archbishop of Canbury S. DVNSTAN he began from his tender yeares to excell in vertue and pietie of life The incomparable King Edgar was his father a man renowned as well in feats of armes as in peace his mother was called Eifled daughter of a most powerfull duke of the East-Angles But noble Edgar hauing subdued not a few places of that land and brought them vnder his subiection soe that he obtayned the Monarchie ouer all England deuided before between manie and diuers Kings by exhortation of those two columnes of the English Church and Benedistin religion S. DVNSTAN Archbishop The pietiâ— of Edgar his father of Canturbury and S. ETHELWOLD of Winchester caused manie Benedictin monasteries in those vanquished Prouinces to be repayred and reedified at his owne cost chardges and some to be built new from the ground and in some of them he placed Monks of S. BENEDICTS order in others nunnes of the same all which he furnished and founded with ample rents and reuenewes to maintaine therein the seruice and seruants of allmightie God from the iniuries of necessitie He had allsoe by a second wife an other sonne called Ethelred But EDWARD that was the elder being a child of wonderfull great towardlines carefully auoyded all the lasciuious ensnaring pleasures of this world and endeauoured soe to behaue him self towards God and man that before all things he rendred him self most pleasing vnto God by his worthy integritie of mind and bodie and to men he became most gratefull by his modest and courteous carriage in all things shining withall to the world with all industrie wisedome and prudence These things soe highly pleased his renowned father Edgar that he ordayned him for his heyre and successour in the gouernment of the Kingdom and within King Edgar dieth a while all the affayres of the Realme being rightly setled and composed the most pious and glorious King Edgar changed this life for a better in the yeare of our Lord 977. and of his raigne the sixteenth the eight day of Iuly II. EDWARD according to his fathers will was by DVNSTAN and other Peeres of the Realme installed in the royall chayre and inuested with the robes and signes of royaltie But on his verie Coronation day manie of the nobles and Lords made great opposition against him in fauour of his yonger brother Ethelred whom they desired to aduance to the crowne Neuerthelesse the good resolution of saint DVNSTAN was Edward iâ— crowned King nothing daunted herewith nor mooued from his sentence but placing in
325 APRILL 3. THe life of S. Richard Bishop of Chicester 327 6. The life of S. Elstan Bishop of Wilton 340 9. The life of S. Gisla and Rictrude Virgins 341 11. The life of Guthlake Monke and Confessour 343 15. The life of S. Paternus Bishop and Con. 356 17 The life of S. Stephen Abbot and Con. 357 19. The life of S. Elphegus Martir Archbishop of Canturbury 361 21. The life of S. Anselme Archbishop of Canturbury 380 24. The life of S. Mellitus Bishop and Con. 399 24. The life of S. Egbert Priest and Monke 402 30. The life of S. Erkenwald Confessour Bishop of London 407 MAY. 1. THe life of S. Asaph Bishop and Confessour 412 6. The life of S. Eadbert Bishop and Confessour 413. 7. The life of S. Iohn of Beuerley Bishop and Confess 415. 8. The life of S. Wyre Bishop and Conf. 421. 11. The life of S. Fremund King and Martir 424. 15. The life of S Dimpna Virgin and Martir 426. 15. The life of S. Brithwine Abbott and Conf. 432. 19. The life of S. Dunstan Archbishop of Canturbury 434 20. The life of S. Ethelbert king and Martir 456 21. The life of S. Godrick Hermite and Conf. 4â—2 25 The life of S Aldelme bishop of Sherbune 487 26. The life of S. Augustine Apostle of England first Archbishop of Canturbury 496 27. The life of S. Bede Priest and Monke 523 IVNE 5. THE life of S. Coniface Apostle of Germanie bishop and Conf. 535 6. The life of S. Gudwall bishop and Conf. 550 7. The life of S. Robert Abbot and Conf. 554 8. The life of S. William Archbishop of Yorke 559 9. The life of S. Columba Abbot and Con. 56â— 10 The life of S. Margaret Queene of Scotland 564 15 The life of S. Eaaburg Virgin 569 17 The life of S. Botulph Abbot and Conf. 571 22 The life of S. Aiban first Martir of great Briiaine 574 22. The Passion of S. Amphibalus Priest and Martyr 587 23 The life of S. Etheldred or Audry queene and Abbesse 593 24 The life of S. Bartholomew Priest and Monke 610 25 The life of S. Adelbert Deacon and Confessour 612 A Preparatorie prayer before you reade the life of Saincts MOST deare Sauiour of our soules who hast endowed thy Saincts with soe manie and soe great grâ—â—es and vertues to serue vs sinners for a light and guide amidst the darknes of this false world graunt vs grace that this holy reading of their liues may soe enflame our hâ—â—â—ts that we may follow and imitate the traces of their glâ—â—â—ous examples that after this mortall life we may be â—â—â—e worthie to enioy their most desired companie in heaâ—â—â— there togeather with them to prayse and glorifie thee â—â—â—uer Amen An other Prayer after the same reading O LORD who being thy self the true Light oâ— the world and only Way to heauen hast neueâ—thelesse out of thy superabundant goodnes oâ—dayned the Saincts as soe manie heauenly torches tâ— coÌ„duct vs happily through the night of this dangeroâ—â— life to the port of Saluation Voutchsafe out of tâ—â— same goodnes to imprint an ardent desire in our hearâ—â— by this sacred reading faythfully to imitate thy Saincâ—â— and follow the path of vertues which they haue taugâ—â— vs. And thou ô glorious sainct N. * Name the saint whose life you haue read obtaine vs the grâ—ce by thy holy prayers and meritts that we may oâ—â— day be made partakers of thy eternall glorie in heaueâ— Amen THE LIFE OF THE GLORIOVS KING S. EDWARD COMMONLY CALLED THE CONFESSOR IAN. 5. Written by Alured Abbot of Rhieuall 1164. THE AVTHOVRS PREFACE BEING to write the lise of the glorious King and most beloued seruant of the king of kings S. EDWARD we will take our beginning out of the words of S. PETER Prince of the Apostles who admiring the wonderfull vocatioÌ„ of the Heathen Centurion to the Christian faith crieth out Jn verie deed I perceiue that God is not an accepter of persons but in euerie natioÌ„ he that seareth Act. 10. v. 34. him and worketh iustice is acceptable vnto him For in euerie people order degree and dignitie our Lord knoweth who are his seruants according to his diuine will he taketh pittie on whom he thinketh good Rom. 9. and sheweth mercie to whom he pleaseth Neyther can it be said that pouertie of its owne nature doeth giue holines of life nor that riches doe take it way obscuritie lownes of state maketh not a man perfect nor nobilitie of coÌ„ditioÌ„ a reprobate neyther doth libertie shutt vp nor seruitude lay open the gates of Paradise vnto vs. Our first Patriark Abraham whose wonderfull faith vnparalel'd obedieÌ„ce shined in the abundant poslession of wordly meanes is highly commended Abraham rich and vertuous loseph most chast for a man excelling both in perfection of life abounding in great store of wealth and riches Ioseph being by King Pharao ordained lord master of all Egipt shewed a perfect example of chastetie to the whole world What manner of man holy Job was in the Iob a mirrour of patience prosperitie of his wealth the losse of it giues sufficient testimonie whom the teadious infirmitie of his bodie the wicked temptation of his wife and the shamefull reproaches of his owne friends endured with an vnmatchable patience haue rendred farr more excellent No man was richer then king Dauid noe man more Sainctly noe man more exalted to the height of dignities and noe man more depressed An vnion of royal â—â—e and saintetie to the rules of humilitie he was buried in the midst of infinite treasure and yet amongst the friends and fauorites of all mightie God he was preferred before manie others and held to be a man according to Gods owne heart Let noe man therefore wonder if we gâ—ue vnto our glorious Edward the titles both of KING and SAINT who is knowne to haue bin rich in pouertie and poore in riches sober in his delights delighting in sobrietie makeing his purple robes the badge of humilitie and vnder the glorie of his royall crowne giuing a true example of the contempt of the world as will plainly appeare by the historie of his life which followeth I. WHEN KING ETHELRED by the Earle Thoretts daughter had King Ethelred his Father receiued his sonne Edmond surnamed Jron-side and Alfred by queene Ensnie his second wife EDWARD yet inclosed in his mothers wombe was preferred before them both by the disposition of him that worketh all things according to the counsell of his diuine will and by the prerogatiue of his supreme power gouerneth the kingdoms of men disposing them to whom he pleaseth For a Councell of the Lords spirituall and temporall being assembled before the King to treate of the state of the Realme which by horrible fore-warning signes was thrâ—atned with future destruction some were of opinion that for the better establishing thereof Edmond should be declared hâ—â—re to thâ— crowne beâ—ause of his
behauiour soe humbly noble and nobly humble amongst her fellowes she gott a wonderfull praise and loue of all and her good fame deserued soe happily that Erchinoald the Prince desired she should succeede in place of his bed-fellow who was dead and become his second wife which this holy mayd vnderstanding inspired by Gods grace with great care and secrecie she withdrew her self from his sight And being called to She flieth the mariage of Erchinoald the Princes chamber she hid her self in a corner of the house vnder some ragged cloathes soe subtilly that noe man suspected her being in that roome and then like a wise and craftie mayde flying all vaine honours and humbly embracing an humble chasterie she endeauoured to her power to auoyd the companie of a man that she might deserue to enioy the societie of her spirituall and heauenly spouse But hauing escaped the Princes embracements and he in the meane time being married vnto an other by the disposition of She marieth the king Clodoueus the allmightie prouidence it came to passe that she who had auoyded the mariage of this Prince should afterwards be ioyned in wedlock vnto the great Monarke of France Clodoneus and be raysed by the deserts of her humilitie to a higher degree of dignitie by refusing the Kings seruant she was maried vnto the King himself and became the mother of the royall progenie which without all doubt was thus brought to passe that she who descended from the race of Kings should by marying a King bring forth an issue of Kings But in all these honours euer ruling her self by the raines of wisedome Her wonderfull works of mercie with a watchfull care she obeyed the King as her Lord carying her self to the Princes as a mother to Priests as a daughter to yonglings as a pious nurse she was louing vnto all honouring Priests as her fathers fauouring Monkes as her brethren cherishing the poore as her domesticks and remembring her owne estate of pilgrimage she entertained pilgrims as her owne children She was a perpetuall refuge vnto widdowes orphanes and fatherlesse children and gaue succour vnto all that were weake and in want She would alwaies exhort yong men to pietie and religion and often put the King in mind to haue a care of the Churches and poore Alsoe being desirous in this her secular habit to serue vnder the banner of CHRIST IESVS she often frequented her prayers daily recommending her self with teares of deuotion vnto her heauenly King Of whom her earthly King Clodoneus being likewise verie carefull that she might the better bring to passe what she had in mind conceaued according to her owne faith and deuotion counselled her to haue some conference Her charitie to religious houses with the venerable Abbot Genesius to ayde and assist her in her pious intentions Through whose hands she exercised her pietie to Priests gaue maintenance to the poore cloathed the naked and carefully buried the dead By him she sent noe small store of gould siluer and other rich guifts vnto the monasteries both of men and woemen All which was by this pious seruant of God with great care performed II. IN THE meane time King Clodonens died and left the care of his children to their mother by whose meanes and the authority of the Peeres of the Realme Lotharins the eldest sonne was setled in the gouernment of the Kingdom of France Allso through the labours of this blessed Queene her sonne Childerick was made King of Aâ—strasia and the Burgundians entred into a league with the French She buildeth the monasterie of Chelles III. HAVING thus ordered the publick affaires of the Kingdome it is incredible what great commodities and guifts she largely bestowed on religious howses in lands woods and other hereditaments eyther to build their monasteries on or to maintaine those that were built with sufficiencie Yet this her great liberalitie did not seeme to satisfie the pietie of her desire vnlesse at her owne only chardge she did build a monasterie which And richely endoweth the same amongst the other particular houses of God should looke towards heauen Wherefore now as it were spurning the sea of the world she erected a Monasterie for Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS Order at a place neere vnto Paris commonly called Chelles on the banckes of the riuer Marne This Abbey she enriched with wonderfull great reuenewes of whole villages and Lordships all which she deliuered into the possession of the Nunnes liuing there strictly and seuerely obliging the rules thereof in a precept sealed with her owne hands and the Kings seale that none hereafter should euer presume to alienate or diminish anie of the goods or lands therevnto belonging vnder paine of incurring damnation with the traitour Judas And this writing she caused to be safely referued in the treasurie of the monasterie Where to this verie day there liueth a verie religious Conuent of a boue threescore Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS order in a verie strict obseruance of regular discipline She is fouÌ„dresse of the Abbey of Corbey IV. THIS glorious Queene built an other monasterie in the suburds of Amiens called Corbey Abbey and placed therein a deuout flock of Monks likewise of S. Benedicts order ouer whom Theodofred was ordained Abbot And to this place allsoe she gaue great reuenews of lands and rents sufficient for the maintainance of a great Conuent It is allmost incredible vnto how manie other monasteries and Abbeies of men woemen and vnto how manie Churches else this deuout Queene made donations of spatious lands great goods rich guifts and vncomparable ornaments neuer ceasing from doeing such pious offices for the pure and sincere loue of God whose honour and glorie in all her actions she chiefely endeauoured to encrease V. HER pietie and vertue encreased daily and now she was in verie great care to vndertake a monasticall life in the monasterie of She is taken with a desire of areligious life Chelles which she had erected and to dwell there in bodie as she did in mind But the Peeres and Nobles of the Realme withstood her deuout intentions chiefely because by her wisedom the Pallace was gouerned and for that her pious conuersation had gained the loue of all soe that they had not permitted her to haue her defire herein had not a certaine coÌ„motion happened about the miserable Bishop Sigebrand whose pride amongst the French hastened his owne death and ruine Hence therefore a contention arising amongst them and hauing putt the Bishop to death against the course of law without examining his cause fearing the blessed Queenes seuere punishment An example of the diuine prouideÌ„ce and reuenge of soe great and wicked an offence they perswaded her to embrace her pious intended course which before out of a temporall respect they would not permitt her to doe But allthough the Princes did this rather out of pollicie then anie loue of goodnes yet the holy woeman lightned by Gods grace considered that this
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
prayer springling him with holy See the vertue of fasting and prayer water draue away all power of the deuill and restored him safe and sound to his friends The other was freed by gyrding him self with S. GVTHLAKES Gyrdle About the same time the venerable Abbesse Eaburga sent a leaden coffin with a fine linnen shrowd to S. GVTHLAKE humbly and earnestly entreating him to permitt his bodie to be buried therein after his death desiring withall to vnderstand He foretelleth his successour who should succeed him in his hermitage The holy man vnwillingly receauing the present sent her word back that his successour was as yet a Heathen who shortly hauing receaued the sacramet of baptisme should inhabite that place as it came to passe for one called Cissa after his decease receaued the fayth of CHRIST and became his successour X. AT length the day of his death drawing neere he called Bertelinâ— vnto him And now sayd he my deare sonne I am goeing to receaue the rewards of my labours I desire to be dissolued to raigne He foreseeth his owne death with CHRIST my beloued Lord and Sauiour And after manie speeches he enioyned him to salute his sister Pega in his name entreate her to come to the buriall of his bodie I haue sayd he auoided her sight hitherunto in this mortall life that more securely we may enioy one and other in the immortall And as he pronounced these and manie other words full of pietie and consolation soe great a sweetnes proceeded from his mouth that Bertheline seemed to smell like flowers of roses scattered in the ayre or the distilled liquour of baulme But allmightie God as he had adorned him liuing in this world with manie worthie fauours and benefitts as well for his owne as for the health of others soe at the verie hower of his death after his departure he made him famous to the world with manie singular graces For falling sick the wendsday before Easter and departing this life the seauenth day following allbeit his forces were His denotion in his sicknes weake yet he forced him self beyond his weakenes to celebrate the dreadfull sacrifice of our sauiours Passion at the aultar on Easter day And from midnight vntill the morning before he died a bright shining light encompassed the little house where he lay At sunrising hauing strengthened him self againe with the viaticum of our Lords sacred bodie he spake to his faythfull disciple Berteline saying The His death time is come my deare sonne wherein I must passe to CHRIST lifting vp his hands and eyes to heauen he yeelded vp his most pure soule to receaue her reward in the heauenly paradise of all puritie the eleauenth day of Aprill When at the verie instant Berteline saw as it were a fierie tower reaching from heauen downe to the earth the brightnes whereof was soe wonderfull that the pale sunne might enuie soe great a lustre And the whole Iland seemed to be spread all ouer The Angels 〈◊〉 at his buriall with a most pleasant sweet smell of heauenly odours whilst the Angels them selues were heard to sing melodious tunes of ioy to the honour and encrease of his glorie In the meane time his godly sister Pega reioycing more then can be expressed at soe great glorie of her brother buried his holy bodie with great reuerence in his owne oratorie and at his buriall a blind man washing his eyes with the water whereinto was putt some salt hallowed before by S. GVTHLAKE receaued perfect sight XI HE DIED at the age of fortie seauen yeares at fower and twentie he begaÌ„ to follow the warres eight yeares he remayned in that fierce His bodie is found vncorrupted life and fifteene yeares he liued in the seruice of God in the desert But a yeare after his death his sister desiring togeather with manie other reuerend and holy Priests to translate his bodie to a more decent and eminent place they found him most whole and entier more like a man asleepe then dead For all the ioynts of his bodie were flexible agile as yf the humours had runne through the veines by force of the vitall spiritts and all the cloathes he was wrapped in were as fresh and fayre as the first day they were layd in Then the bodie was honourably placed in a tombe aboue ground with great ioy reuerence deuotion of all But the exiled King Ethelbald spoken off before hauing vnderstood the death of the holy man came in mornefull manner to the sepulcher where powring out manie teares he complayned that now he was truely left forsaken desolate more theÌ„ euer humbly desiring the Blessed Sainct by his meritts and intercession to obtaine his deliuerance out of those miserable afflictions Vnto whom S. GVTHLAKE appeared one night incoÌ„passed with resplendent bcames of glory coÌ„maunding him to sett aside all He appeareth to king Ethelbald care for that verie shortly all things would succeed according to his owne desire Which prophesie was not spoken in vaine for within a yeare his aduessarie died and he was restored againe to the free possession of his kingdome XII IN THE meane time S. GVTHLAKES tomb beganne to florish with wonderfull miracles for as manie faythfull Christians as came thither to demaund helpe in their necessities through his meritts intercession were not frustrate of their desire Nether was Ethelbald being restablished in his kingdome vnmindfull of his beloued Patrone For in the same place he built a goodly Church and a monasterie for the Benedictine Monks enriched it with abundant rents King â—thelbald buil 〈…〉 a the Benedictin Abbey of Croâ—â—and and reuenewes which was after called the Abbey of Crowland And in the same Church he erected a verie sumptuous and rich tombe ouer his sacred bodie Where allthough the place were full of fennes and marshes being seated betweene the riuer Nine the I le of Elie that it could not be come at but by boate yet that house was allwaies most opeÌ„ to the hospitalitie of all men in soe much that it â—as honoured with the litles of bountie ciuilitie and curtesie euen to the leter times Afterwards manie other kings and Princes endowed Jngulphus Hist Croiland the same monasterie with allmost innumerable riches and reuenews as appeareth by the history of Jngulphus a MoÌ„k of the same Abbey In which allsoe it is to be noted and not without cause that in all the variable chainge and declining of the times in soe long and furious an outrage of the Danes which ruined all such other monasteries this remayned allwaies inhabited allbeit the Church and other buildings were quite ruined and burnt with fier For in that time when the barbarous Danes spoyled wasted and robbed all the Monasteries of England the Abbot of Crowland called Theodore vnderstanding of their neere-approching ruine and threatned destruction sent all the yong monkes to the number of thirtie with the riches and reliques of S. CVTHLAKE and others
the instant when King Edgar sonne of Edmond was borne he heard sing an Anthime foretelling peace to the English Church by that happie byrth Allsoe at the Church of Bathe being verie seriously detayned in his prayer he beheld the soule of a yong Monke whom he had brought vp at Glastenbury carried vp by troupes of Angels into heauen And it was found that that youth The deâ—ill appearâ—th died at the same instant Being afterwards in his iourney to the King who in great hast had sent for him he was mett in the way by the deuill who very petulantly and like a Buffoone reioyced and sported him self before him Being demaunded the cause of his mirth he answered that the King DVNSTANS friend would shortly die which should be a cause of great trouble in the kingdom and he hoped that the next king would not fauour DVNSTAN nor his adherents But this Master of lies could The death of king Edmond as 946. not vtter two true tales togeather for allbeit it fell out indeed that king Edmond was slaine in his Pallace within seauen daies after yet his Brother Edred succeeded a man worthyly feruent in the seruice of Allmightie God and whoe honoured DVNSTAN with noe lesse loue fauour and reuerence then his predecessor Nay Elphâ—gâ—s Bishop of Winchester being dead king Edred with manic prayers sollicited sainct DVNSTAN to succeed in that Sea whose absolute refusall of that dignitie much grieued the good kings mind made him deale with good Queene Edgine his mother to perswade DVNSTAN to accept it but all in vaine for nether the mothers nor the sonnes entreaties could preuayle to make him take it IX AFTERWARDS sainct DVNSTAN went to visitt his The death of king Edred brethren at Glastenbury where he had not stayd long but king Edred being fallen mortally sick sent for him in all hast Who trauelling speedyly towards the Court heard a voyce from heauen that sayd King EDRED rests in peace And at the very sound of those words his horse fell dead vnder him without anie hurt to the rider Then going sorrowfully to the sorrowfull Court togeather with his fellowes he committed the bodie of the King to the Mother The bad life of king Edwin Earth Edwin the sonne of King Edmond succeeded in the gouernment of the Kingdom who filthyly defiled both the beginning and progresse of his whole raigne For omitting the impietie crueltie and tyrannie wherewith he outraged all sacred and prosane things he was a man soe beyond measure addicted to the pleasures of lust and lasciuiousnes that he languished in the loue of the mother and her daughter both togeather vsing both their bodies at his pleasure And which is horrible to be spoken on the verie day of his Coronation dinner being ended he forsoke the companie of all the Bishops Abbots Princes and Nobles of the realme and went into his priuate chamber where he sate in the midst embracing the mother and daughtér his ordinary strumpets Which act caused a great scandall and indignation amongst the Princes and Nobles then present Wherevppon the rest excusing them selues out of feare to incurre the kings anger S. DVNSTAN was seÌ„t to draw Note the great zeale of S. Dunstan him out off that lewd companie Who entring the chamber and finding the king hauing layd by his royall crowne dallying on the bed betweene those two naughtie woemen first with a sterne looke he sharply rebuked their lasciuiousnes and then with a low voyce he humbly entreated the king to redeeme this publick scandall and to returne to his Peeres to gladden them with his royall presence But the King anger and shame striuing in his mind for the mastrie absolutly refused to come Then DVNSTAN in the zeale of a holy anger tooke him fast by the hand and clapping the Diadem vppon his head drew him violently into the Hall amongst his Nobles These wicked woemen were soe ashamed and offended herewith that they perswaded the King allsoe highly enraged against S. DVNSTAN to banish him out of the kingdom Who not only banished S. DVNSTAN but sent wicked officers to the monasteries of Glastenbury to seaze vppon all the goods that belonged vnto it The like iniustice he vsed to manie other monasteries of England not only despoyling them of their lands goods and reuenewes but banishing the Monks allsoe that maintayned the profession and defence of a chast life Then the Abbey of Malmesbury sayth William a monke of the same place which sor the space of two hundred threescore and ten yeares before had been inhabited by Monkes Dereg l. 2. c. 7. was made a stable of secular Clerkes X. S. DVNSTAN therefore hauing receaued the decree of his banishment departed out of England ioyfull in his heart that he was worthy to suffer for the defence of iustice and loue of chaâ—itie He went into Flanders where the Lord of that countrey courteously entertayned him at the Cittie of Gaunt and there in the exercise of true pietie and religion he expected how it should please the diuine See the crueltie of a detestable woeman wisedon to dispose of him But the foresayd woeman or rather infernall furies were not satisfied with his banishment but plotted to haue him surprised by the way and robbed of his eyes which they fayled to execute for when the instruments of this crueltie arriued at the Port the Sainct had allreadie hoist sayles and was gone Our Lord greatly conforted Sainct DVNSTAN in this banishment by the meanes of his holy Apostle Sainct ANDREW to whom he was euer peculiarly denoted who visited him often and appeared vnto him with words and promises of great consolation In the meane time the allmightie and heauenly wisedome cast a mercifull eye on the English nation and vsed meanes for the perpetuall consolation thereof againe to restore DVNSTAN the Father of the countrey into his former and farre greater degrees of place and dignitie For the Northumbers and Mercians withdrew themselues King Edwin iustly punished from the subiection of King Edwin and made the Noble Edgar his brother their Prince vnder whose conduct they persecuted Edwin and droue him beyond the riuer Thames soe that all the couÌ„trey from thence to Humber was wholly subiect vnto Edgar And with in a short time death hauing ended the quarrell and taken away Edwin Edgar remayned Monarke of all England Who being desirous Edgar recalleth S. Dunstati to establish his kingdome with peace and iustice caused all the outrages committed by his predecessor to be repayred monasticall and Church-goods to be restored and by messengers sent into Flanders recalled S. DVNSTAN into the Countrey with great honour and reuerence committing him self and all his affayres to be ruled He is made Bishop of Worcester and ordered by the prudence of his care and counsell Moreouer that greater dignitie might authorise all his proceedings with manie prayers he perswaded him to accept the bishoprick of Worcester and he was consecrated at Canturbury
vnder them whereby manie of them were sorely hurt whilst the other part where S. DVNSTAN his adherents were remayned vnshaken and moueable And with this fall fell likewise the cause of the secular Clerkes and the Monkes remayned more firmely and miraculously established and confirmed in the possession of their Monasteries Soe that as we haue sayd by the meanes of saint DVNSTAN and the assistance of the worthy Bishops saint OSWALD and saint Fortie eight monasteries of Benedictines ETHELWOLD the number of fortie eight Monasteries of Monkes and Nunnes of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT were founded and repayred and replenished with Conuents of religious persons that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and liued a most holy and vertuous life XVIII BVT allthough this most holy Bishop hath deserued eternall How he conformed the Benedictine Order prayse and glory for his worthie endeauours bestowed thus in restoring the Monasticall Order yet the chiefest title of honour is due vnto him in that he laboured not only to repayre the outward walles and buildings of monasteries to replenish them with store of Monkes but allsoe made it the highest point of his ayme and studie to reduce the Monasticall discipline it self to the auncient and primitiue rigour and vigour of our holy father saint BENEDICTS Rule And to this end he sent for manie learned and vertuouâ— Monkes out of the most reformed Monasteries of France to teach the true pactise of the Benedictine discipline in England and him self left written a notable monument of monasticall obseruance and and auncient pietie which is called A regular Concordance of the Monkes and Nunnes of the English Nation whereby all the monasteries throughout England allbeit before they all obserued the Rule of the most holy Patriarke of monkes saint BENEDICT yet because allmost euery one had some diuers customs and Ceremonies different from the rest were reduced to one and the same vnanimous obseruance of regular discipline in all things to the great conseruation and encrease of charitie and true religion He that desires to reade this foresayd Regular Concordance of saint DVNSTAN may find it sett forth not long since in the third Appendix to that worthy latine treatise Intituled The Apostleship of the 〈◊〉 in England XIX FVRTHERMORE how zealous this holy Bishop was in the S. Dunstans zeale to iustice execution of iustice and rooting out of wicked persons out of the Countrey is made manifest by this example Three false coyners of money being by the lawes of the realme condemned to death the officers differred their execution by reason of the feast of Pentecost which the holy man vnderstanding refused to celebrate his Masse before iustice was done allbeit some thought this act to be too rigorous and inhumane yet our Lord made it manifestly appeare that it proceeded from a true zeale of iustice of the good of the common-wealth for as soone as those malefactours were dispatched the holy Bishop went to Masse when being in the midst of that dreadfull sacrifice a doue as white as snow was seene by all the A whiâ—e doue â—uer his heâ—d at Masse assistants to descend from aboue and sitt vppon his head whence it did not stirre vntill he had finished that sacred Offring with extraordinarie teares and deuotion in testimonie that allmightie God was pleased with the affection of his seruant which was more iust then seuere without which it is most hard to conserue Kingdoms in peace XX. BVT the busines which had hindred King Edgar from being crowned in royall manner being now buried in obliuion saint DVNSTAN in presence of all the Lords and Peeres of the realme placed the Royall diademon his head to the wonderfull great ioy and exultation of the whole Kingdom And after two yeares space this noble King and worthie Benefactour of the Benedictine Order by a happie death chainged his mortall Kingdom for an King Edgars death immortall raigne in heauen whom a graue Authour affirmeth to haue been no lesse memorable among the English then Romulus to the Romans Cyrus to the Persians Alexander to the Macedonians Arsaces to the Parthians and Carolus Magnus to the French He was buried in the Monasterie of Glastenbury where as the records of the same Monasterie doe testifie his bodie was found without anie spott of corruption after manie yeares lying in the ground EDWARD his Sonne succeeded in the Kingdom who being consecrated by S. DVNSTAN against the will of his step-mother Edward the Martir and manie of the nobles that tooke her part was within few yeares cruelly martired through her malice as is aboue sayd in his life the eighteenth of March. Ethesred the sonne of that wicked mother inherited the Kingdom being indued rather with the ignominie of his mother then anie good part of his fathers Vnto whom S 〈◊〉 Prophesietâ—â— being installed in the royall throne S. DVNSTAN opening his prophetick mouth foretould that because he had obtayned the Kingdom by the shedding of his brothers bloud his whole gouernment should be in bloud by the frequent inuasions of barbarous and forreigne enemies Which words by time were too truly verified And not only in this but in manie others saint DVNSTAN had the guift of prophesie by which he foretould to the Bishop of Râ—chester and Saint ETHELWOLD of Winchester the time and hower of their deaths XXI WEE shall neuer come to an end yf we goe about to load this paper with all the noble vertues and excellencies of this thrice happie and glorious Prelate S. DVNSTAN our discourse now hasteneth towards his blessed death the end and reward of his labours It was on the celebration of that day in which our Sauiour hauing triumphed ouer death ascended gloriously into heauen when this holy Bishop after the performance of the night-office in the quire remayning alone in the Church of CHRIST at Canturbury more seriously A most pleasant vi fion shewed to S. Dunstan to contemplate those great ioies and as it were to vnite him self in soule to the glorie of our glorious Redeemer he beheld a heauenly vision of a great multitude of celestiall citizens shining with inestimable spleÌ„dour to enter into the Church with glittering crownes vpoÌ„ their heads who brought him this message from IESVS-CHRIST that if he were readie and disposed he might goe with them to celebrate the glorie of that Solemnitie in the triumphaÌ„t cittie of heaueÌ„ To whom the blessed man with inestimable ioy and vndaunted alacritie See his great perfection of mind answered What honour what hope and what ioy by this Ascension of the Sonne of God hath happened vnto mankind it is well knowne vnto you who are participant of his vnspeakable glorie Yee know allsoe that it is my dutie and office who haue the sheepe of my Lord commended to my charge to feede them this day with the bread of euerlasting life and to informe them how to follow his footsteps to heauen therefore I
with populous townes and forreigne marchandise most famous for fayre poeple wealth and riches This huge and goodly Iland was long since destined for thee his elect Agent by the diuine prouidence of the mightie creatour of all things who from the beginning hauing made the world perfect in beautie gaue it into the possession of man his creature This nation soe fayre in face but black in soule with the filth of Idolatrie being by thee washed in the waters of Jordan ascendeth wholly pure and white as the Blackmoore woman by Moyses Now to the greater glory of God and thy owne crowne that new pillar of light which led the Israelites out of Egipt being erected in the fayth and Crosse of CHRIST thou leadest vs Heathens out of the Egiptian darknes of infidelitie and out of the shades of death into the true land of promise flowing with milke and honie For to thee as our Apostolicque Captaine the diuine grace of the Ghospell gaue that which was denied to Moyses the lawmaker of the Iewes and that which he could not obtaine in the law thou art found worthy to accomplish in IESVS-CHRIST the End of the law Now out of the spoiles of the fettered Tirant and out of the Kingdom of the captiue spoiler of our soules thou shalt make our God a Kingdom and a poeple of purchase now next to the heauenly Kingdom and those vnspeakable rewards of thy labours this countrey shall be thy perpetuall possession which by thee was purchased and gayned to CHRIST and whose temporall commodities thou hast forsaken thou shalt now possesse the hereditary gaines And being seated in the high towers of Paradise thou 〈…〉 iest as an holy sentinell perpetually watch and defend the whole countrey dedicated to thy honour and glory XXIV AT LENGTH this most victorious Champion of our Lord hauing runne the race of this mortall life in all sainctitie and perfâ—ction His last 〈◊〉 of coÌ„uersation hauing laboured in the conuersioÌ„ of our wretched countrey with continuall and vn wearies diligence care and industrie came to the goale and long desired rewards of the heauenly Kingdom Now our Lord knocking at the gates of his soule with sicknes he willingly opened with great and vnspeakable thanksgiuing Then with a couragious affection of a fatherly loue he exhorted as well the King Queene and princes as the Clergie and poeple allsoe inuiolably to remayne in the feare and seruice of allmightie God to obey the diuine precepts and obseruances proposed and preached vnto them by his Seruants Which done the end of his worldly tempests approched and the bright morning of his eternall ioies appeared and hauing giuen his benediction to the King and confirmed the infancie of his new-borne Church in CHRIST leauing vnto all manie holy pledges of his perpetuall loue and documents of his pious fellowes and disciples in presence of S. LAVRENCE his successour and a populous multitude of poeple he gaue vp his blessed soule into the hands of him that had created 〈◊〉 happy deaâ—â— it for his honour and in the triumphe glorie of the heauenly citizens he was receaued into the euer lasting blisse of all blessednes the 26 day of May about the yeare of our Lord 614. His sacred bodie was first buried without the Church of saint PETER and saint PAVL which me spoke off before and which was not yet finished nor dedicated But soone after it was consecrated by saint LAVRENCE and his bodie was honourably buried in the north Porch thereof where the bodies of the Archbishops his successors were allsoe buryed vntill the place would hould noe more Ouer Sainct AVGVSTINES tombe was written this Epitaphe in proâ—e Here resteth Lord Augustine the first Archbishop of Canturbury who His Epitaphe being in times past sent hither from blessed Gregory bishop of the Roman Cittie sustayned by God with the working of miracles brought King Ethelbert and his coâ—â—trey from the worshipping of Idols to the â—â—yth of Christ and the daies of his office being finished in peace he died the seamâ—â—th of the Calends of Iune the same King raygning XXV THE miracles wrought at is tombe are such soe manie and Miracles at his tombe soe great that they would require a whole volume farre beyond the limits of our purpose Gotzeline the Authour of his life whom we follow maketh mention of verie manie it shall suffice vs to relate one or two briefely When the Danes were outrageous in England the Benedictine Monasterie of saint PETER and S. PAVL without the walles of Canturbury which was afterwards called Sainct Augustines became allsoe a part of their prey But one of them as he endeauoured to steale the cloath that couered S. AVGVSTINES Tombe it stuck soe close to his hands as yf it had been his owne skinne till hauing asked pardon of the Sainct he restored it againe to the place Which miracle cloathed him and manie of his fellowes with the white robes of Christianitie and made them deuoted to sainct AVGVSTINE euer after Canutus King of the Danes and English being Canutus freed from shiprack at sea in imminent danger of shipracke calling vppon saint AVGVSTINE for helpe whose patronage he had oftentimes proued most comfortable the fearfull tempest ceased and he arriued quietly to a secure hauen and coming afterwards to the tombe of his holy Patrone with the royaltie of manie gratefull rewards and prayses of thankes he witnessed the great fauour he had receaued The Speech restored to the Dumbe same benefitt was bestowed vppon manie others in the like case that called to this holy Sainct for ayde A yong gyrle that by I know not what mischance was strucken dumbe when all art of phisicke had been foyled in curing her offering a candle at saint AVGVSTINES tombe and in heart recommending her self to his merits perfectly recouered her speech And the same fauour was shewed to an other of her sexe praying in the same place In a word all manner of diseases were cured at his holy reliques to those that humbly and religiously craued helpe And as to such he was allwaies mercifully indulgent soe those that endeauoured to wrong him his tombe or his Church escaped not the diuine punishment XXVI BVT O England England how farre art thou swerued An Apostrophe to England Thren 4 v. 1. from the religion of this thy first Apostle How is the gould made darke and the best colour chainged of thy first Fayth and charitie in IESVS-CHRIST In times past thou didest learne that Fayth only which is the beginning head and foundation of eternall saluation of those that were Catholick Roman Priests and Monkes whom now thou doest persecute they celebrated the dreadfull solemnities of Masse which now thou abhorrest they honoured and called vppon the Saincts in heauen whom thou despisest they acknowledged the supreme authoritie of the Bishop of the Roman and Apostolicque Sea whence they were sent to deliuer thee out of the blind night of Idolatrie to the bright day of
inuincible valour strength of bodie others iudged it a safer way to preferre ALFRED thereby to gaine the power of the Normans in that Richard then Duke of Normandie was hâ— vncle But the high and mightie ruler of all things p 〈…〉 t and fâ—ture foreseeing the short life of the one and the immature death of the other turned all their voices and consents to the châ—ldâ—nborne and mooued them to elect for their king an insant â—â—â—vard 〈…〉 as yet â—onâ—ayâ—eâ— in the weake cloisters of his mothers wombe sâ—e thâ—t the whom the land did not yet enioy was ordayned Lord Gorernor of the land and the nobles and Peeres with great ioy did sweare alleageance vnto him of whose birth they were ignorant and vncertaine But this vncertaintie was shortly after taken away by the happie and wished birth of king EDWARD soone after which the fuâ—â—rie of the Danes cruelly inuaded the realme of England spoyling and destroying a great part thereof with fier and sword which mooued king Ethelred to send the queene with her children into Normandie out of the reach of the Danish crueltie where our princely EDWARD S. Edward his vertues being a boy liued in his vncles house a child among others his equalls but allwaies free from such vices as that age is wont to bee inclined vnto He was chast of bodie sparing of his speach plaine in his actions pure in his affections He tooke great delight often to frequent Churches more often to be busied in his prayers to be present at the holy sacrifice of Masse to visit Monasteries religious houses and to enter into a strict league of friendship particularly with such monkes whom true vertue and Religion made worthie to be loued aboue others II. IN THE meane time the enemies sword committed such outrage The Barbarians waste England within the realme of England that all places were filled with slaughter and destruction nothing appeared that was not masked with the grimme vizard of sorrow lamentations clamours and desolation Churches were burnt Monasteries pulled downe and Priests chased out of their seates compelled to lie in secret and desert places to bewaile the coÌ„mon miseries of their countrey When among others the venerable man BRITHWOLD Bishop of Winchester as full of agonie as pittie greif and sorrow could make a pious heart retired to the Monastery of Glassenburie putting his whole confidence in prayers and psalmes to allmightie God Where as in great abundance he powred out his deuotions washt in teares for the deliuerie of the kingdom and people out of these calamities at length he burst out into such like words saying And thou 〈◊〉 Lord how long â—s 12. 43. 87. 〈◊〉 3. how long doest thou turne away thy face doest thou forgett our miseries afflictions They haue slaine thy Saincts destroyed thy aâ—ltars and there is none that can redeeme vs nor bring health vnto vs. I know ô Lord I know that whatsoeuer thou hast done vnto vs is by thy iust iudgement done But what wilt thou for euer cast vs off and wilt thou not beginne to be Psal 76. more pacified as yet When when ô my Lord God shall there be an end of these calamities Or will the sword of thy wrath for euer exercise his crueltie and make a generall slaughter among vs A vision shewed to Bish. Brith wold At length amidst these prayers and teares a sweet slumber seased on his sorrowfull senâ—es wherein as it were in a dreame he beheld the B. Apostle S. PETER seated in an eminent place and king Edward clad in Royall ornaments standing before him with an amiable countenance in most comly and decent manner vnto whom the holy Apostle hauing first with his owne hands consecrated and anneiled him King piously imparted some admonitions and precepts tending to the health and saluation of his soule aboue all things recommending vnto him a single life he reuealed how manie yeares he should raigne and gouerne the Kingdom The Bishop much amazed at this strange vision humbly craued of the Apostle to make knowne the misterie thereof vnto him desiring withall to vnderstand of the present state of the realme and to know his sentence touching the end of their instant miseries To whoÌ„ the Apostle with a pleasing countenance This kingdom said he is our lords who will raigne ouer the sonnes of men he it is that transferreth Dan. 2. kingdoms and chaingeth Empires and to punish the sinnes of the people giueth the gouernement to an hipocrite By sinne the people haue offended our Lord who hath deliuered them captiue into the hands of the Gentils and their hatefull enemies and strangers haue obtained soueraignâ—ie ouer them But God will not forgett to be mercifull neither in his ire will he containe his mercie from you And it shall Psalm 76. come to passe after thy death that our Lord will visitt his people and worke their redemption For he hath selected a man according to his owne heart who in all points shall fulfill his will pleasure and who hauing by my assistance obtained the kingdom of England shall sett a periode to the Danish furie He will be acceptable vnto God gratefull to men dreadfull to his enemies louing to his countrey profitable to the whole Church and at length shall conclude his worthy life with a most blessed and happie end But as the Bishop A Worthie commendation of king Edw. enquired further of Saint EDWARDS posteritie The kingdom of England answeared the holy Apostle belongeth vnto God himself who after this will prouide a king according to the diuine ordinance of his owne will and pleasure III. BVT as yet the furie of this Danish tempest continued and the waues thereof were exalted to the height of an insulting and imperious pride in so much that the common miseries of the land were much encreased by a ciuill discord inward iarring of mens minds amoÌ„gst them selues noe man knowing whom to trust with the secrets of his heart The whole Iland was full of traytours noe true faith to be found noe friendship but was scarred with suspition no coÌ„mon conference but was cloaked with deceitfull dissimulation Till at Canutus king of the Danes a ChristiaÌ„ of great piety chosen king of EnglaÌ„d ann 1016. the lawfull heires being reiected for the vniust murder of S. Edw. the martir halfbrother to Ethelred length the treason of the countrey the craft of the enemie preuayâ—â—ed soe farre that king Ethelred being dead most part of the realme â—or saking the lawfull heyres of their late king gaue vp obedieÌ„ce vnto Canutus that wroÌ„gfully had inuaded cruelly spoyled the kingdom and the mightie Edmond Jronside when he had valiantly ouerthrowne the Danes in three seuerall battles being at length by the treacherie of Eadrick Duke of the Mercians cruelly murdred his little children were taken out of their cradles deliuered to the pittilesse furie of the Barbarians to be slaine And ALFRED S. EDWARDS elder
breade in Idlenes he laboured manie times with his owne hands in the tillage of his land III. AFTER the death of King Morken during whose raigne he was made Bishop the kinsmen of the same King like the sonnes of Beliall plotted and conspired his death whereof the holy man being admonished by reuelation from God he tooke his iourney into Southwalls which countrey was at that time richly beautified with the florishing vertues of S. DAVID with whom hauing spent some time he receaued of the King of that countrey called Cathwalla a peece of land to build a monasterie And hauing erected a He buildeth a monasterie monasterie at Elue in Flintshire he there constituted his Episcopall sea He gathered togeather in that monasterie the number of nine hundred threescore and odd Monks which all serued God vnder regular discipline in a verie strict and rigid manner of life Three hundred of the most vnlearned of them were deputed to the labour of husbandrie to toile and â—ill the fields and keepe sheepe other cattle other three hundred were employed in workes within the The manner of life of the ancieÌ„t moÌ„ks monasterie to prouide victualls and other necessaries and the rest which were sufficiently learned were allotted to the quier night and day to celebrate the diuine office and none of these were easily permitted to wander abroade but were bound to the limitts of their monasterie as to the Sanctuarie of our Lord. The holy Bishop diuided them into diuers companies or conuents and as one companie ended the diuine office in the Church an other presently entred to beginne the same againe and that hauing done comes a third companie in like manner soe that by the continuall succession of the diuers companies the diuine seruice was maintayned in that Church night and day without anie intermission Amongst these Monks there was one called Asaph a man of verie great vertue and a worker of manie miracles him S. KENTIGERNE loued aboue all the rest and for his vertuous life he deliuered vnto his hands the care of the monasterie and appointed him for his successour in the Bishoprick IV. THE HOLY man remayning on a time longer at his deuotions then his ordinarie custom was his face appeared fierie and glistening to the great admiration of the beholders and after his prayers were ended he fell into most grieuous lamentations which He hath a reuelation of S. Dauids death moued some of his disciples humbly to request him to declare the cause of his soe great sadnes To whom after a silent pawse You must know sayd he my deare children that the crowne and glorie of Britanie and worthy father of his countrey S. DAVID is now departed out of the prison of his bodie to receaue his rewards in heauen Beleeue me I beheld not only a great multitude of Angels but the Lord of Angels CHRIST IESVS him self come to meet him and leade him into the glorie of his heauenly paradise Know likewise that our Britanie being depriued of this her great light will groane for the losse of soe great a Patrone who Prayse of S. Dauid whilst he liued was the only buckler of our defence against the reuengefull sword of Gods iuste anger half drawne out to punish the malice of our Countrey and long since had not his vertue withheld it had made a generall slaughter amongst vs. Now therefore our Lord will deliuer this countrey into the hands of strange nations which neyther acknowledge him for God nor his religion for the truth And this our wretched Ile shall be inhabited He prophesieth the miserie of Brinie by Pagans and all Christian religion therein shall for a time be vtterly destroyed but afterwards by the wonderfull mercie of allmightie God all shall be repayred againe and the countrey reduced notonely into her auncient but into a farre better and more florishing state of religion V. THIS Blessed Sainct had bene seauen times at Rome where vnto S. GREGORIE the great afterwards Apostle of the English Bishops confirmed by the Pope he related the whole course of his life the manner of his election and consecration and all other chances which had befalne him The holy Pope vnderstanding him to be a man of God and ful of the grace of the holy Ghost confirmed his consecration which he knew to haue proceeded from God and supplieing according to his earnest desire such ceremonies as had bin omitted therein he dismissed him vnto his pious chardge by the holy Ghost inioyned VI. IN THE meane time death hauing exercised his reuenge on all the holie mans enemies in Albanie or Scotland the inhabitants thereof forsaking the way of truth and returning like doggs to feed vppon their owne vomitt fell againe into the riteâ— of flatt Idolatrie And therewithall the heauens and elements with drawing their vsuall influences caused a generall famine and dearth in their countrey Till at length allmightie God raysed a King named Redereth who hauing bin baptized in Ireland by the disciples of S. PATRICK with all his heart honoured allmightie God and studied by all meanes to restore his kingdom to the true faith of CHRIST He sent therefore messengers with letters directed vnto S. KENTIGERNE earnestly desiring him by the name and loue of our Lord to returne to his desolate flock that was left destitute of all care and cure affirming it to be a thing vnworthie for a pastour to forsake his sheepe a Bishop his Church for whose loue he ought to lay his soule at stake vnlesse he would turne a mercenarie who flies for feare of persecution Likewise he assured him that his enemies which sought his life had allreadie in seeking it lost their owne Therefore the holy man ordayning S. ASAPâ— his successour with six hundred and threescore of his Monks tooke his S. Kentigerne returned into Scotl. iourney towards Glasghn The king giuing thankes to allmightie God with a great multitude of people went to giue him the meeting and to receaue him with honour due vnto soe great a Sainct He hauing first giuen his benediction to the whole companie sayd All those whosoeuer enuie the saluation of men and are aduersaries vnto the word of God I commaund them by the vertue and power of our Lord IESVS CHRIST suddenly to depart hence lest they be an hinderance vnto those who will receaue the truth At Note a strainge miracle vertue of his words these words agreat multitude of most horrible and vglie spiritts was scene to flie out of that companie with wonderfull swiftnes at which sight they all trembled with the verie apprehension and feare But the Sainct exhorting them to take courage and comfort gaue them to vnderstand what goblins they did beleeue in and therevppon incited them to giue creditt vnto the true faith of IESVS CHRIST when in a short time by his continuall preaching and miracles he recouered all the inhabitants of that countrey out of the The fruits of his prechings black night of
President And hauing found all the premises to be in truth most cleere manifest with one voyce they all signified soe much vnto Pope Innocent the third who before His cano 〈…〉 tion by Pope Innocent had committed the exact inquirie of this matter vnto them and now being fullie informed of the truth greatnes of S. GILBERTS famous miracles he enrolled him into the number of canonized Saincts in the yeare 1202. in the raigne of King Iohn The same yeare the eleauenth day of October his bodie was taken out of the earth traÌ„slated into a rich shrine in which it was kept with great reuerence and deuotion His life is written by John Capgraue and Nicholas Harpesfield Hist. Ecel saec 12. cap. 37. whom we haue followed But it hath bin written more at large by some other authors whose names I Know not The life of S. INAS King and confessor monk of S. BENEDICTS Order FEB 6. Out of Nicholas Harpsfield hist Eccl. saec â— cap. 10. INAS descending from the royall stemme of Saxon kings succeeded Cedwall in the kingdom of the Westsaxons about the yeare of our lord six hundred eightie nine He was a Prince accomplisht with most heroicque vertues of mind in whom was an equall contention betweene a rare Knowledge of militarie politick discipline and a sincere deuotion to Christian religion that being excellent in both it was hard to iudge in whether he excelled He was a liuely patterne of fortitude the true image of prudence and a vertuous modell of religion With which and such like vertues hauing setled his kingdom in peace both at home and abroade he then bent his whole endeauours to the enacting of good and holesome lawes to bridle the corrupt and dissolute manners of his subiects and to preuent such faultes and offences as are more incident vnto that age Amongst others of his lawes some were touching the prerogatiues His good lawes and gouernmeÌ„t pollitick gouernment of the Church where a greuous punishmeÌ„t is allotted to such as doe not permitt an infant to enioy the Sacrament of baptisme within thirtie dayes and yf by such neglect he chaunced to die without baptisme the father of the child incurreth the forfeiture of all his goods Allsoe a seruant that by the commaunde of his master should worke on a sunday was freed from the bondage or seruice of his Master who was taxed ouer aboue with a forfeit of thirtie shillings But yf a seruant should attempt the same of his owne accord he was to be punished with stripes Manie other good lawes were enacted by the prudence of this holy King whose whole life indeed was the liuely example of his lawes II. FVRTHER tokens of his pietie and loue to religion are the monasteries His pietie in building Churches which he soe sumptuously founded out of the expenses of his royall Exchecquer and chiefly the Abbey of Welles which he built from the ground the renowned Abbey of Glastenburie which most stately he repayred for the monkes of S. BENEDICTS order and dedicated the Church to our Sauiour and S. PETER and PAVL It stood in a marish and fennie place little commodious for the preseruation of bodily health but verie proficuous for Christian philosophers or monkes who defend that the happines of men doth consist chiefly in the spirituall health of the soule and that they can with more attention applie their minds vnto the contemplation of heauenly things the more remote they are from the flattering allurements of the eyes of the world He enriched a chappell in this Church Note what wealth he bestoweâ—h on Glastebury with an incomparable wealth of gould and siluer and gaue rich ornaments therevnto of an incredible value considering those times For the building of the chappell he gaue two thousand six hundred fortie pound weight of siluer and to the aultar two hundred threescore and foure pound weight of gold A chalice with a patin ten pound of gold a Censar eight pound of gold two candlesticks twelue pound and an halfe of siluer a couer for the Ghospell-booke or Missall twentie pound weight of gould vessells cruets for wine and water to the aultar thirtie pound weight of gould an holy-water-pott twentie pound weight of siluar Pictures of our Sauiour our blessed Ladie and the twelue Apostles one hundred threescore and fifteen pound weight of siluar and twentie eight of pure gould besides what was spent of both kinds in the embroderie of the copes vestments and other ornaments a great number of pretious gemmes rich iewells embrouched therein In these and such like workes of piety he spent his labour time meanes following chiefly in all his doings the holie counsels precepts of S. ALDELME a BENEDICTINE Monke and Bishop of Sherburne whom he all waies honoured reuerenced as the father and spirituall guide of his soule His wife perswades him to leaue the world III. IN THE meane time his holie wife Ethelburg a woeman of a royall stock and of a mind as noble neuer ceased dayly with a pious importunitie to sollicite him that now at lest being well struck in yeares and come as it were into the winter of his age he would quitte him self of the dangerous incuÌ„brances of this world worldly cares and attend only vnto God and diuine matters But finding as before that her words tooke little or noe hould in the Kings mind she as woemeÌ„ neuer want inueÌ„tion practised by a plott of pious subtletie to winne him to her good desires And tooke her opportunitie on a day wheÌ„ the King in his pallace adorned with the glittering splendour of courtly rarities his table loadeÌ„ with the poÌ„pe of gould siluer plate had made a royall baÌ„quet amongst his Nobles and lauisht out much wealth in great mirth and iollity On the morrow departing thence the Queene presently coÌ„maunded the keeper of his lodgings to defile and as much as was possible to deforme all that former shew of glorie Note the subtletie of her inucution by daubing pargetting the walls floores of the house with the strong-sented plaster which cattle lay behind them and to furnish the roomes with great store of rubbish rubble and all such ill fauoured stuffe that was most loathsome to the eye lastly into the Royall bed where the King the night before had laine an vglie sow that had newly brought forth a litter of pigges was honourably placed Being then in the way when she thought all this to be done according to her commaund fayning some busines of great weight importaÌ„ce which could not be without great daÌ„ger omitted she easily hastened the Kings returne for as yet they were scarse a mile in their iourney But entring his chamber of presence seeing the place which but yesterday might be compared with the delights of Sardanapalus him self soe suddenly deformed changed into soe vglie and horrid a spectacle he was thunder-strucken with admiration at
this vnexpected Metamorphose and stood staggering a while in the consideration thereof When the Queene taking her time by the foretop with a smiling countenance asked him Whither sayd she my souueraigne lord is all yesterdaies glorious spleÌ„dour vanished where is all that superfluous riot What is become of all those curious and exquisite cates sought for by sea laÌ„d to satisfie the inordinate appetite of gluttonie Where are the gould and siluer vessells which but yesterday made the table bow vnder their massie weight Where is all the noyse of our loud Thus passeth the glorie of the world mirth and iollitie Is it not vanished like a blast of wind or a vaine puffe of smoake and doe not wee that fill our selues more daintyly largely corrupt afterwards more miserably Behould then the true picture of the glittering vanities allurements of the world learne at last to shunne flie them She sayd no more When it was strange to see what a deepe incisioÌ„ this made in the Kings heart how much more she had gayned by the rudenes of this visible spectacle then by all her former persuasions that not without cause the Poet sayd Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures FEB 7. Horat. de arte Poetica Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator IV. IN SVMME this strainge Pageant wrought soe farre in the good Inas resolueth to forsake the world Kings mind that now he began seriously to consider with him self of the vanitie of worldly state and finding one what sharpe thornes of cares grew the sweet seeming roses of a crowne he putt on a strong resolution with him self to bid adiew to the world And now when he had gouerned his common wealth with a name of greate prayse and prosperitie and shewed manie benefitts therevnto for the space of thirtie seauen yeares and odd moneths renouncing the resplendent glorie of his present and princely estate he voluntaryly left his temporall Kingdome which with victorie soe long he had ruled and for the loue of allmightie God and the gaine of his eternall kingdome he that heretofore had conquered princes now gott the vpper hand and conquest of him self and with a greater glorie then he had borne them he robbed him self of the princely spoiles of his bodie the better to ennoble and enrich his soule Which that he might more conueniently and fructfully He goeth to Rome bring to passe he went to Rome the head of Catholick religion to visitt the sacred tombes of the Apostles vnder whose protection he hoped more easyly to obtaine the grace and fauour of allmightie God wheÌ„ce his countrey had first receaued the Christian fayth resoluing to spend the remnant of his life with a quiet and contented mind farr from all worldly cares and troubles in a holie conuent of Monkes Which with great pietie he perfourmed putting on the habitt of a Benedictine monke vnto which order He taketh the habit of S. Benedict he had euer bin a worthie benefactour not in a publick concourse of poeple which doubtlesse would haue been great at soe vnwonted a spectacle but priuately before God alone and the Conuent of monkes giuing hereby a liuely example of humilitie and true contempt of the world in not desiring to haue this his heroick act of pietie anie way to redounde vnto his owne glorie out of the vaine prayses and false honours of the flattering world V. HE was the first of our English Kings who to shew his great His deuotion to the Roman Church deuotion vnto the Church of Rome caused the annuall tribute called Romescote or Peter-pence to be payed vnto the Pope which was a pennie out of euer ie familie in England and was afterwards duely payd for the space of manie hundred yeares and which is most to be wondred at noe sooner ceased this payment but our English Church was swallowed vp into the gulph of heresie and togeather with the temporall lost all spirituall subiection vnto the Vicar of CHRIST vppon earth Allso this holie King INE built at Rome a Church in honour of our Blessed ladie in which all English that He built a Church at Rome came thither might heare masse and receaue the Sacraments and be buried yf need were With like pietie he erected there a schoole giuing yearly annuities therevnto wherein his Countreymen might And a free-schoole be brought vp in all manner of good learning and Christian religion and discipline Which seemeth to haue bin in that place which now is called the English Hospitall and is inhabited by English Priests being of noe small commoditie for the entertaynment of Pilgrins which now adayes flock thither out of England VI. Now he that in former times had ruled a Kingdome begaÌ„ in this sweete schoole of vertues to find that in rendring him self subiect for The happines of a religious life the loue of CHRIST he enioyed a greater Kingdome and that to be master ouer his one passions was the only best and truest dominion Now he had time freely to insist in the meditation of the diuine goodnes wherein he found the trueth of that versicle of the Royall Psalmist TAST AND SEE FOR OVR LORD IS SWEET He found how sweet a thing it was to carrie the yoake of our Lord in the Psalm 33. 58. continuall exercise ef patience humilitie and obedience in which and other pious offices of vertue and religion he spent the rest of his mortalitie vntill by the king of Kings vnder whose ensigne he had serued he was called into the heauenly kingdom to receaue a His happie death crowne of eternall glorie insteed of the temporall crowne which for his loue he had left He died a Benedictin Monk at Rome about the yeare of our Lord 727. and lies buried at the Entrance of the Church of S. PETER and PAVL as the tables of the same Church doe testifie His life me haue gathered cheefly out of WILLIAM MALNESRVâ—IE de reg Ang. and NICOLAS HARPFIELD hist Eccl. saec 8. cap. 10. Polidore Virg. lib. 4. Mathew westminster an 727. Baronius and all our English Historiographers make verie honorable mention of him and he is highly commended of all for his wonderfull contempt of the world and loue to pietie and relig ion The life of S. ELFLED Virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 8. Taken Out of venerable Bede SAINCT ELFLED was daughter vnto Oswy King of the Northumbers who after manie cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and verie rich iewels all which the barbarous Tirant reiecting pursued his deadly enterprise protesting vtterly to extinguish him and his countrey King Oswy humane meanes fayling him had recourse vnto a higher power making a sacred vow vnto the allmightie god of armies that he would consecrate his daughter ELFLED to the profession of perpetuall
tilling not fruict of true saluation had then arriued to our English His royall curtesie land He being as yet incredulous receaued CHRIST in his legats commended the messengers of eternall happines whom yet he mistrusted harboured those strange guests in his eittie of Doner whom he knew not and at first gaue them a dwelling with necessarie sustenance for a time which afterwards he confirmed for euer vnto them whose profession of fayth and religion he did not yet admitt off He did not abhorre the strangenes of their habitt nor manners he did not repell them as straingers nor contemne them as humble and deiected persons nor condemne them as men that vtterly condemned the follie of his gods and auncient lawes but out of the sweet meekenes of a royall mind fauoured their sacred labours and with a clement patience suffered them to conuert whom they could to their fayth shewing himself allwayes courteous to Christians being yet but a Heathen Till at length hauing himself receaued the Christian fayth and washed away the filth of Idolatrie in the sacred font of baptisme he confirmed with his royall authoritie whatsoeuer S. AVGVSTIN and his fellowes preached and what they Apostolically planted he royally encreased sweetly drawing and winning his subiects His zeale in promoting the Christian fayth to abandon their Idolatrie and embrace the Christian religion with his pious exhortations and promises of eternall happines without anie force or compulsion and ranging them vnder the banner of the holy warrefarre of CHRIST as troupes of Voluntaries and not pressed souldiers He allsoe encouraged other Princes who were ether his subiects or colleagues with all curtesie and mildnes to the fayth of CHRIST heartyly louing all true beleeuers as his brethren kinsmen and fellow-citezins of the Kingdom of heauen soe that in a short time his holy endeauours tooke soe good effect that the honour and worship of the true God florished ouer all his Kingdom manie Churches were erected the temples and aultars of Idolls were destroyed or consecrated for the vse of diuine seruice II. IN THE meane time the holy Pope S. GREGORIE with wonderfull affection did congratulate this good Kings pietie encouraging him with the sweete lines of his Epistles as soe manie heauenly salutations to proceede in his Christian zeale inciting him to embrace true pietie and vertue and stirring him vp by the example of Constantine the great to aspire to the vnspeakeable reward of those who striue to enlarge and amplifie the Kingdom of IESVS CHRIST Mooued herewith and the labour of S. AVGVSTIN and the propension of his owne pietie inclining him therevnto he built a goodly Church in Canturbury in honour of our Sauiour commonly called Christ Church and without the walles of the same towne he He buildeth Churches erected a monastery in honour of S. PETER and PAVL called afterwards S. AVGVSTINS to be a place for his owne buriall and of his successor-Kings of Kent and the Archbishops of Canturbury Both these places were furnished with Benedictine monks the first Conuerters of England from Idolatrie to Christianitie S. PAVLS Church in London was allsoe the worke of this worthie King where MELLITVS a Benedictin monk was first Bishop He allsoe founded the Cathedrall Church of Rochester and dedicated it to the honour of S. ANDREW the Apostle He is likewise reported by antiquitie to haue been the Authour of the monasterie of Elie for Benedictin Nunnes allbeit S. ETHELDRED a nunne of the same order did reedifie it afterwards and restore it after long desolation to the former state and glorie All these monasteries Churches and bishops seas this pious king not only built but enriched with manie large possesions of lands guifts and ornaments omitting nothing which did anie way tend to the propagation aduanoement of true Christian religion III. BVT amidst all these good workes and all the glorie of his Princely diadem seeptre and large commaund of his Kingdom extending His great pietie and humilitie it self to the riuer Humber in Yorkshire he soe honoured Christian pouertie in the magnificence of his royaltie that in possessing all things he seemed to enioy nothing only making vse of his greatnes thereby the better to exercise and dilate his goodnes A most glorious sight it was to see or rather to admire him that held a sceptre ouer soe large a dominion carefully to serue the poore to behould him that terrified Kings and Princes of the earth to feare the humble Priests of CHRIST IESVS and to see the ruler of the poeple to obey the clergie and reuerence the lest and lowest members of his holie flock In summe in repressing of vice aduancing of vertue fulfilling the commaundments of God and in exercising all manner of workes of pietie and deuotion he excelled beyond the power of weake words to expresse At length when he had raygned ouer his poeple in all sainctitie of life the space of one and twentie yeares after his conuersion he left his temporall Kingdom and gaue vp his blessed soule to enioy the neuer dyeing happines of the Kingdom of heauen the foure and twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 616. All antiquitie and the authoritie of auncient Saincts are vnresistable witnesses of his holie life for from the time of his death he was numbred in the Catologue of Saincts and his festiuitie was honorably celebrated in the English Church The neglect whereof he is reported by an apparition after his death to haue blamed and caused to be amended IV. AMONGST manie other vertues which doe soe highly sett forth this good King one was that as he promoted the Christian religion His good lawes soe likewise he established his common wealth with manie excellent lawes which he published in English and were of great accompt amongst Englishmen wherein among other things he had a speciall care to preserue the common good of the Church commaunding vnder great penalties that none should eyther by theft or anie other meanes alienate or depriue Gods Church or the Bishops thereof of anie thing whatsoeuer that was bestowed vppon them and allotted â—o the diuine seruice But ô miseriel how directly Contrarie to this our first Christian King are now our moderne kings whose lawes and endeauours haue and doe tend mainly to the destruction of Churches abbeyes and religious he uses robbing them of their ornaments and riches dedicated to God seruice and leauing them to stand with fower bare walls like soe manie emptie barnes placing in stead of the holy image of CHRIST crucified the pictures of beares leopards vnicornes or some such beast houlding â—p in a scu cheon lions or flower de luces as the ensignes of their destroiers O yf our first Christian king the noble Eâ—HELBERT liued now what would he say to see the pious labours of his haÌ„ds thus miserably demolisht his aultars destroyed his lawes contemned Veryly he might iustly crie out with the Royall prophet O Lord the Gentils haue entred thy inheritance they haue
Idolatrie he began to preach the true fayth vnto them when a MagitiaÌ„ called Roâ—hait rising vp against him endeauoured to cutt of the thred of his exhortation life at once But the power of all mightie God who allwaies defendeth his seruants sent a thunderbolt suddeÌ„ly froÌ„ heauen which sent the soule of that minister of mischief to the perpetuall seruice of his black master in hell This soe manifest soe terrible a miracle being seene marked by all the multitude the seauen forsayd bretheren twelue thousand men besides were conuerted thereby to the ChristiaÌ„ fayth at the preaching of S. PATRICK and were all cleansed from the diabolicall markes of Paganisme by receauing the Sacred character of Twelue thousand persons conuerted Christianitie in the holy font of Baptisme And leauing the gouuernment of this poeple to a holy man called Mancenus He him self trauelled ouer all the Prouince of Conaght attending incessantly to his pious labour of preaching and teaching those barbarous poeple vntill by the helping grace of the holy ghost he had coÌ„uerted and baptised the whole Countrey He built Churches in manie places and ordayned therein Priests and other Ecclesiasticall ministers by whose prudence and pietie the soules of the poeple might be gouerned in the truth and the diuine office duely and reuerently performed VII THIS DONE S. PATRICK went againe into the North part of Ireland preaching teaching conuerting and baptising all the way as he went Thence through the confines of Meath he trauelled to the Prouince of Leinster leauing at certaine places some of his schollers to execute the office of Bishops amongst the poeple he had conuerted But how great miracles he wrought in all this and in other his iourneies ouer that rude countrey how manie sick persons he cured how manie Magitians he confounded how manie dead he raysed to life how manie things to come he foretould and vppon how manie his aduersaries allmightie God powred forth the renengfull ire of strange punishments it farre exceeds the bouÌ„ds of this weake penne to sett downe and this short treatise to containe He arriued at length at the cittie of Dublin where Aiphin the king thereof with his sonne and his daughter called Dublinia from whom the towne tooke name and allmost all the poeple The towne oâ— duâ—lin conuerted were conuerted at once to the Christan fayth Hence he trauelled to the Prouince of Mounster where being kindly receaued of the King called Oengus he baptised him the greatest part of his poeple And there he is sayd to haue raysed eighteen persons from death to life at once besides other particulars But seeing soe plentifull a haruest in Ireland and but few workmen he passed ouer the seas into Wales where with his learning and zealous labour he preuayled much against the Pelagian heresie then raygning and made manie places there allsoe famous for his miracles and sainctitie As he returned with a new supplie of holy and learned coadiutors towards Ireland he diuerted into the I le of Man theÌ„ subiect to the Britans He conuerteth the Iâ—e of Man which by his preaching and miracles he conuerted to the sayth and left some of his fellowes there to conserue it in the same VIII BEING returned into Jreland he chaÌ„ced to conuert a noble man called Darius who seeing and admiring the wonderfull vertues and miracles of the Sainct gaue him a large and fertile peece of land in the prouince of Vister where S. PARTICK hauing considered the He buildeth the towne of Armagh pleasantnes and commoditie of the place built a fayre cittie now called Armagh into which he induced noe other inhabitant but such as him self knew to be well and soundly grounded and instructed in the Catholick fayth He allsoe adorned the same with Churches Monasteries and Nunneries which he furnished with a learned Clergie vertuous monkes and religious woemen whoe all liued vnder the rules of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall perfection assigned vnto them by S. PATRICK In the same towne he ordayned his Archiepiscopall sea which he desired to make the Metropolitan Siluester ' Gyraldus in topagr Hib. of all Ireland and to that end he made a iourney to Rome to haue all confirmed by the supreme authoritie of the Sea Apostolicque The Pope receaued him with great curtesie as the Apostle of Ireland gaue him 〈◊〉 Palle made him his Vicegerent or Legat in that Countrey and confirmed by Apostolicall authority whatsoeuer he had ordayned disposed or done in that Kingdome And withall gratified his pious labours with the treasure of manie reliques of the Apostles S. STEPHEN and other Martirs to enrich the Countrey at his returne Moreouer he gaue him a certaine linnen cloath stained with the sacred Bloud of our Lord IESBS-CHRIST which he-esteemed aboue all Loade with this spirituall wealth the blessed man returned to his Prouince and hauing made his Archiepiscopall sea of Armagh the Metropolitan of all Ireland those reliques he placed with great reuerence in a shrine behind the high aultar And the custom of that Church hath been euer since the time of this glorious Reliques of Saincts worshiped in S. Patricks daics Sainct on the feasts of Easter and Whitsunday to produce those sacred treasures to the publick view of the poeple to be reuerenced and worshiped by their deuotion according as the worth of such sacred things required But in his returne from Râ—me this vnwearied seruant of IESVS-CHRIST made some stay in his natiue Countrey of great Britaine where againe he left manie rare memories and monuments of his excellent vertues and labours And being in Ireland he setled thirtie bishops which he had brought from beyond the seas in diuers places of that abundant Haruest to cultiuate and manure it with their learning vertues and good workes These he him self was wont oftentimes to visitt as their Metropolitan to call them to Councell to direct them in the Ecclesiasticall gouernment striuing all waies to roote out whatsoeuer was fouÌ„d coÌ„trarie to Christian law and iustice and to promote what was conformable to the holy Canons of the Church and good manners shining in the meane time as allwaies with allmost innumerable miracles that whatsoeuer he ether taught or ordayned by word of mouth like a true Apostle he strengthened and confirmed with wonderfull signes which followed Among which he shewed in nothing soe great and generall a benefitt to that countrey excepting their conuersion to Christianitie as this which now you shall heare S Paâ—rick frâ—eth â—eland from three pestâ—â—eÌ„ troubles XIX IRELAND from the first time it was inhabited grieuiously suffered the continuall troubles of three mortall discommodities an infinite number of venemous Serpents visible troupes of vglie deuils and a multitude of witches and magicians their seruants For the number and power of poysenous creat 〈…〉 s soe preuayled in that Iland that men and other beastes were not only infected with their venom but manie times slaine and deuoured The Deuils allsoe who were masters
the midst the signe of the Crosse which was wont to be carried before him togeather with other Bishops of the realme he consecrated EDWARD their King and embraced him euer after while he liued with a true paternall loue hauing from his tendrest yeares adopted him to be his child EDWARD therefore hauing taken into his hands the Scepter and gouernment of the Kingdom was by CHRIST the greatest and chiefest King of Kings directed in the way of truth and iustice and albeit he were seated in the height of royall maiestie yet he dayly encreased more and more in submission and humilitie of mind And the better to rule his His prudence in gouerning Kingdom with the raines of prudence he refused to vse the counsell of yong Princes and Lords of light and youthfull heads but obeyed in all things the admonitions of the worthie Prelat S. DVNSTAM and following his and other graue religious mens counsell of approued life he would pronounce his sentence in iudgement And inheriting the vertues of his thrice His loue to Monkes worthie father with great strength and magnanimitie of mind he behaued him self in managing the affaires both of warlick and Ecclesiasticall discipline allwaies appearing seuere and terrible to his enemies and other wicked persons but according to his fathers lesson most curteous and humble to good men and especially to monks and religious persons whom allwaies he defended from all trouble and vexation Moreouer his dayly exercise was to feed and mayntaine the poore to cloath the naked and to esteeme that his greatest gaine which he bestowed in these pious works Wherevppon through the goodnes of allmightie God great ioy stedfast peace and wonderfull abundance of wealth and riches florished all ouer England to behold their king in the flower of his youth giuen to such pious endeauours soe affable to all men venerable in chastitie pleasant and comly of countenance and most excelling in prudence and good counsell III. BVT THE common enemie of mankind being enuious at soe The malice of his Stepmother Alfrith great vertue pietie endeauoured by all meanes to ouerthrow his happie deseignes and to disturbe the generall peace and ioies of the whole realme and to this end he enkindled the wrath of Alfrith his Stepmother against him who from the beginning tooke it in ill part that he was preferred to the crowne before her sonne Ethelred And therefore this detestable ambitious woeman could noe lōger keepe fecret the wicked intentions of her mind but cōmunicated thē vnto her impious consellers desiring and entreating them to fauour her designes and inuent some way whereby they might depose EDWARD out of his lawfull throne putt the scepter of the gouernmēt into the hands of her sonne Etheldred and all this her factious mind endeuoured to bring to passe not soe much that he might gouerne but that he beīg but a child gouerning she her self might gett a fayre pretext to take the soueraigntie into her owne hands which was the mayne marke of her endeauours But who were her fauourites and Hist Eccl. sec 10. cap 4. Gulmalm 2. de reg cap. 9 Baron an 975. counsellors in this practise of mischiefe Those chiefly sayth Nicholas Harpsfield following other Ecclesiasticall writers were the secular Clergie men and their adherents who greeued to see their chops bereaued of soe worthie a morsell by the monks And among others Alfere Duke of Mercia stood stiffely for her cause But whē he perceaued that he could not satisfie his impotent desires this champion of wickednes turned all his wrath and vnbridled crueltie to the ruine and destruction of all the Benedictin monasteries within his dominions Till God the allmigtie defender of his seruants sent him afterwards a deserued punishment by the meanes of wormes and lice which swarmed all ouer his bodie in such abundance that they eate him vp aliue But the importune Queene who therein chiefly playd a woemans part not able soe soone to disburden her mind of her Duke Alfere punished preconceiued mischief expected still a fitt occasion to putt her impious desires in execution IV. AND NOW the holy King EDWATD had raigned three yeares and eight moneths when it happened one day that he went on hunting into a forrest neere the towne of Warrham in Dorsetshire which at that time was great and full of godly wood although now there appeare nothing but bushes of brambles rubbish Where hauing King Edward goeth to visit his Brother Ethelred wandred a while vp downe after his game he had a great desire to goe see his brother Ethelred whō he loued dearly who was brought vp in a castle of his mothers called Corfe but three miles distant from Warrham Thither-ward the good King accompained with some few of his followers bent his course but his cōpanie foolishly wandring after the pleasure of their owne game and pastime left the King alone who being within view of his Stepmothers house like an innocent lambe thinking nothing of the mischiefe and treason prepared and knowing his owne conscience most free from offence of anie man went securely thither alone The Queene was presently aduertised of this coming who reioycing to see a long expected occasion brought soe to her hand and making curtesie the outside of mischief with a face as meaning noe guile ranne forth to meete him cherefully saluted and bad him welcome desiring him to grace her and her sonne with his presence that night The good King refused to light from his horse saying that his coming was meerly to salute his brother and talke with him Then the false-hearted woeman caused straight a He is martired by the commaund of Alfrith cupp of wine to be brought him The wine being come the cupp was noe sooner at his mouth when thinking noe harme he felt a Knife in his back which one of that treacherous Queenes seruants bolder in wickednes then the rest and readier to execute a mischief fayning to salute the King as Judas did our Sauiour had violently strucken into his bodie Hauing receaued this mortall wound with all his strength remayning he sett spurres to his horse thinking to returne to his more faythfull companie Till fainting through losse of much bloud he fell from his horse and one foote being intangled in the stirropp he was pittifully dragged vp and downe through woods and lands leauing all the way as he went bloudie signes of his death to those that followed him The bloudie scene of this barbarous fact was acted in the yeare of our Lord 981. Baronius sayth 978. and which is horrible to be spoken within the sacred time of lent that is the eighteenth day of March. And doubtlesse it fell out soe by a particular dispensation of the diuine prouidence to the greater glorie of his holy Martir that he who according to the laudable custome institution of true Christians did worthyly prepare him self to celebrate the most sacred time of our Lords Resurrection in mortifying
his pleading that with sharpe threatning words he affirmed that the king would rather hazard the losse of his whole kingdom then be depriued of this right Nether would I answered the pope graunt him this power allthough it were to saue my owne life And with this resolution he dismissed the Embassadours who returned towards England But by the way the fornamed William declared by the kings commaund vnto S. ANSELME that he must cease from entring more into England vnlesse he were resolued to obey the Kings will Soe that sainct ANSELME diuerted to his ould lodging at Lions where he remayned the space of a yeare and fower moneths XVI IN the meane time king Henry seazed on all the goods and lands belonging to the Archbishoprick and challenged them for his owne vse When the Pope seeing noe hope of reconciling the King to S. ANSELME purposed by excommunication to cutt him off from the communion of the Church Which resolution of his being made knowne to the king touched him to the quick and made him begin more exactly to take saint ANSELME cause into his consideration And at length he called him to him out off France into Normandie where they came to a parely at the Abbey of Bec In which the King patiently taking the holy Archbishops reprehension for manie abuses promised a future amendment and neuer more to disturbe the peace or exact anie fruits belonging to the Church or Churchmen and herevppon he receaued S. ANSELME into his fauour and sent him in peace to his Archbishoprick to the great contentment and enioy of the whole Kingdome Here now we may see of what power the constancie of a good Prelats is when purely and sincerely for the only loue and seruice of God they defend the authoritie of the Church without anie pretence of temporall respects by flattering kings in their iniustice and suffering them selues to be carried away with the wind of wordly fauour We may see allsoe the great grace which God shewed to kings that respect his Church Church-men for as soone as King Henry had submitted him self our Lord gaue him a noble victorie against his Brother Robert by meanes whereof he gott the Seigniorie of the Dukedom of Normandy Of which victory he presently made sainct ANSELME acquainted by letters ending thus Werefore Venerable father Wâ—ll Malm. l. 1. de PoÌ„t sayd he humbly and deuoutly prostrate at the feete of thy sainctitie J beseech thee to pray vnto the supreme iudge by whose will and arbitremeÌ„t J haue gayned this glorious and profitable triumph that it be not to my domage and detriment but for a beginning of good works and the seruice of God to settle and confirme the state of Gods-holy Church in peace and tranquillitie that from hence forth it may liue free and not be shaken with the tempest of warres XVII AFTER the kings returne out of Norman-die a famous Synod A sinod held at London was held at London in which in presence of S. ANSELME and all the bishops Abbots of England he resigned all the power which hitherunto he had vsurped in creating ordayning bishops to the Pope and Clergie S. ANSELME therefore being installed againe in his Church in great peace and quietnes performed the part of a most holy and vigilant pastour the space of about three yeares S. Anselme falleth sick when loaden with old age labours and merits he fell into a great sicknes and specially in his stomake which made him abhorre all sustenance till by little and litle the forces of his bodie being exhausted he fainted And when the infirmitie of his bodie was such that it would not suffer him to goe to the Church notwithstanding he was carried thither euery day in a chayre to be present at the sacred misteries of the masse whereunto he bore a singular great deuotion pierie and reuerence At length seeing him self to draw neere his end he receiued the holy sacraments of the Church and gaue his benediction no the assistance humbly recommending the king queene and all the whole Kingdom to Gods holy protection and lying on a hayre-cloath strewed with ashes according to the pious custom of those times he rend râ—d vp his blessed soule to the euerlasting possession of all blessednes on wensday morning His happie death before Easter the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1109. the sixteenth since he was made bishop and the threescore and sixt of his age He was buried in great solemnitie and lamented by his Church and the whole Kingdom of England which lost a Master a Father and a Pastour soe holy soe wise soe couragious and soe venerable XVIII Our Lord ennobled this glorious Sainct with manie miracles His wonderfull miracles both during his life and after his death 1. As he was one night at his prayers he was seene to be encompassed round about with the brightnes of a heauenly splendour 2. One that dranke only of the water in which he had washed his hands was cured of a most pittifull leaprosie that raygned all ouer his bodie 3. By the signe of the crosse he quenched a mightie fier that was readie to deuoure the chamber where he â—ay 4. One of his religious most cruelly possessed with the deuill was cured only by the well-wishes of S. ANSELME 5. Manie diseased persons were cured by his prayers or eating only the reliques of his dinner 6. The shipp which carried S. ANSELME allbeit a boord brake out of it yet the water was miraculously hindered from entring 7. At his death the balsome which anoynted his bodie like vnto the flower of Holy was miraculously encreased 8. And the stone in which his bodie was to be buried being not of sufficient capacitie to receaue it was suddainly enlarged without humane helpe to the great admiration of the beholders Manie other miracles we omitt But the greatest miracle that euer God wrought by saint ANSELME was saint ANSELME himself and his life more diuine then humane He writt manie admirable workes with which he enriched the Catholick Church and with the singular reach of his vnderstanding and doctrine and a peculiar guift from heauen he gathered togeather His admirable writings the subtilitie and excellence of manie Theologicall questions seasoned with the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion Of whom a graue authour Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S BENEDICTS order sayth That he was a man well acquinted in holy scripture and the learnedeâ—st of his time in humane doctrine most holy in iâ— life and con 〈…〉 tion most deuout in his soule eloquent in his discourse and full of effiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 his workes He was of an angelicall countenance of a graue gate of an exemplar life continuall in the studie of holy scriptures and one in whom lay hid a goulden mine of vertues and goodnes He was mirrour of Prelates the glorie of his countrey a pillar of Gods Church and a bright ornament of the Benedictine
Pillars of the Benedictine Order the Monâ—steries that from the beginning of the Christian fayth in England were built by 〈◊〉 AVGVSTINE our Apostle and others were now againe restored and reedified King Edgâ—â— râ—payrâ—â— 48 monasteries out of a long and cruell desolation and ruine into which by the violent incursions of the Danes they were fallenâ— and this King EDGAR built new and repayred fortie eight for monks and 〈◊〉 of saint BENEDICTS order And in them the monasticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was much impayred was againe restored to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and glorie King Edgar him self vnder taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ction of the monasteries of men and inâ—oyning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wife to take the charge and custodie of the houses of the sacred Virgins and Nunnes XV. FVTHERMORE in thoses daies the secular Clerkes or Canons who in the time that the Benedictine Monkes were expelled out of their auncient seates by the Danes had by little and little crept into the Monkes Churches led a most dissolute and corrupted life in soe much that eyther not at all or very negligently they performed the duties of their function and calling vnlawfully making vs of wiues and Concubines contrarie to the prescripâ— rules of the Church and their order Saint DVNSTAN being desirous to correct this scandalous euill obtayned by the authoritie of Pope John to haue the Secular Clergie expelled the Benedictine monkes introduced into the gouernment of those Churches Then King Edgar whose zeale was great towards the reforming of Church-discipline made this patheticall speech to the Bishops and Abbots of his Kingdom sitting in Councell Because our Lord hath magnified to worke mercie with vs it is conuenient O most Reuerend Fathers that with worthy Out of Alured of Rhieuall de reg Angl. Psal 4â— 4. workes we correspond to his innumerable benefitts for nether shall we possesse the earth in the vertue of our sword nor shall the strengh of our owne arme saue vs but his right hand and his holy arme because he is pleased in vs. Jt is iust therefore that we labour with all diligence to submitt our soules vnto him who hath made all things subiect to our feete and that we striue to bring those whoÌ„ he hath made subiect vnto vs to be subiect to his diuine lawes And indeed it is my part to rule the Layetie with the law of iustice to giue iust iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour to punish the sacrilegious to bridle the rebellious to deliuer the weake out of the hands of the potent the poore and needie froÌ„ those that oppresse theÌ„ yea and it is part of my care to prouide necessaries for the Ministers of the Church the Conuents of monks and the Quires of Virgins and to looke to their peace and quiet But to You belongeth the examination of all their manners to know if they liue contynently if they behaue them selues decently to those which are abroade yf they be carefull in the diuine offices diligent to instruct the poeple sober in their diet meane in their habit and discreet in their iudgements With your leaue be it spoken Reuerend Fathers yf you had made diligent search into these things such horrible and abominable matters of the Clerkes had not come to our cares I omitt that they nether haue appearence of a Crowne nor a becoming tonsure that lasciuiousnes in their habit insoleÌ„cie in their gesture uncle annes in their words doe proclaime the madnes of their inward man Moreouer soe great negligence in the diuine office that they scarse daigne to be present at the sacred watches and seeme to meet at the solemnities of masse to sport and laugh rather then to sing I will speake I will speake that which makes good men grieue and the bad to laugh with greef I will speake yf indeed it can be spoken how loosely they flow in banquetting and dronkennes in chamber-delights and dishonesties that now the howses of Clerkes way be thought to be common brothells of whoores and conuenticles of Players There 's dice dancing and singing there 's riotous watching wish clamour and horrour protracted to midnight Is it thus that yee doe prodigally consume the Patrimonies of Kings the almes of Princes yea which is more the ransom of his pretious bloud Wast For this that our forefathers did emptie their treasures For this hath the Kings Exchecquer been pulled downe by the taking away of manie reuenewes For this did the royall munificence giue manie lands and possessions to the Churches of Christ to adorne strumpets for the delights of the Clergie to prepare lustfull banquets and to purchase dogges hawkes and other such lake toies These things the souldiers proclaime the poeple whisper fooles sing and reoyce at and You neglect You Spare You dissemble and winke Where is the sword of Leui and the zeale of Simeon Gen. 34. 2â— who cutt off the Sichemites euen the circumcised that bore the figure of those that defile Christs Church with vncleane actions when they abused as a whore the daughter Exod. 32. 21. of Iacob Where is the spiritt of Moyses who amongst those that adored the Calfe spared not the domesticks of his oâ—â—â— bloud Where is the dagger of Phinees the Priest who pearcing Num. 25. 7. Act. 5. 5. 8. 20. the sides of one playing the harlot with the Madianitâ— with this holy zeale appeased the wrath of our Lord Where is the Spirit of Peter by whose vertue auarice is slaine and the Simoniacall heresie condemned Jmitate Oyee Priests imitate the waies of our Lord and the iustices of our God It is now time to proceede against them that haue dissipated the law of God I haue the sword of Constantine You hould in your hands the sword of Peter let vs ioyne right hands let vs vnite sword to sword that the leprous persons may be cast out of the caÌ„pes that the Sainctuarie of our Lord may be purged the Sonnes of Leui may serue in the temple who sayd to his father and mother I know you not and to his brethren I am ignorant of them Doe carefully J prayyee lest it repent vs to haue done what we did and to haue giuen what we gaue when we shall see it consumed not in the seruice of God but in the lecberie and vnpunished libertie of naughtie persons Let the reliques of the Saincts mooue yee to which they insult the venerable aultars before which they are outrageous let the wonderfull deuotion of our predecessors mooue yee whose almes the madneâ— of the Clerkes abuseth My great Grandfather as you know gaue the tenth of all his lands to Churches and monasteries and his Grandfather Alured spared nether treasures nor patrimonie nor charges nor reuenewes to enrich the Church What my Grandfather Edward the Elder bestowed on the Churches your Paternitie cannot be ignorant and what guifts my father and brethren heaped on the aultars of Christ it well becomes yee to remember O Dunstan Father of fathers contemplate J beseech thee my fathers
loue is more to be praysed and admired Sure I am that among manie thousands you shall scarse find one able soe to bridle the vnbridled desires of the rebellious flesh IV. IN the meane time King Egfrid who was desirous to haue King Egfrids desire to ouerthrow her chastitie heyres to succeed him in the kingdom laboured by all meanes setting violence aside to gett his wife to consent vnto his desires and yeeld vnto him that only desired the right of matrimonie ETHELDRED on the other side who had dedicated her virginitie to the king of heauen could not be remoued nether by the allurements of his pleasaÌ„t words nor with the terrour of his rude threats to betray the resolution of her holy purpose Therefore the King who by nature was of a courteous and pleasing inclinatioÌ„ of mind allthough by how much the more constantly his wife denied his request by soe much the more eagerly his loue burned in the pursute thereof for things denied are more greedily desired yet he allwaies withheld his hands from violence and to the end he might leaue no way vnbeaten that might lead to the marke of his affection he committed the matter to S. WILFRID Archbishop of Yorke hoping that his authoritie would be powerfull enough to beat downe the fortresse of her resolution and the rather because he knew how great confidence the holy queene reposed in the maÌ„ But S. WILFRID quickly found all his labour in perswading to be employed in vaine soe vnconquered the holy virgin remayned in her foretaken purpose of chastitie V. Nay she not only refused to condescend to the point of the Etheldred laboureth to haue her husband consent to a diuorce kings desire but allsoe ceased not with her dayly prayers to sollicite him that with his leaue and licence she might be freed from the bond of matrimonie and betake her self to embrace a single and priuate manner of life which at length by much importunitie she obtayned For Egfrid who was a prudent prince could not chose but loue and honour the purpose of chastitie in his wife knowing that she had dedicated it to CHRIST IESVS Therefore ETHELDRED being now mistresse of her desired libertie retired her self to a Monasterie She taketh the habit of a Nunne of Benedictine Nunnes at a place called Coldingham in the confines of Scotland where blessed EBBA aunt vnto King Egfrid was Abbesse of a holy Conuent of Virgins Amongst these our holy ETHELDRED made her royall robes giue place to the humble weedes of a Nunne and insteed of her princely diadem of Soueraigntie she adorned her head with the poore vayle of humilitie making her self from a commandresse a subiect from a princesse a handmayd from a queene a seruant Yea now it was that this holy woman iudged her self truly to raigne when being freed from her terrene kingdom she was ranged into the seruice of CHRIST and vndertaking for his loue the rule of monasticall discipline she subiected her self to the rodd of holy obedience and found by her owne dayly experience that the yoake of our Lord is sweet Her holy conuersation and his burden light In this place she attayned to soe great a height of holy conuersation and shewed soe perfect an example of humilitie that her life appeared to the rest of her sisters as a true patterne and mirrour of all monasticall perfection VI BVT King Egfrid impatiently bearing the departure of his beloued queene began at length to be much contrislated thereat and by instinct and instigation of his Nobles he endeauoured with violent A strainge miracle meanes to take her out of the Monasterie Which his intention being vnderstood by the holy Virgin she recomended her virginitie to allmightie God and with two other of her fellowes fled for safegard into a hill neere adioyning where by the diuine power of him that gouernes and commaunds the winds and seas she was miraculously preserued out of his hands For the sea ouerflowing its vsuall limitts encompassed that hill about in such sort that the king admiring the accident durst attempt noe further but returned sorrowfull Thomas Monach. in Hist. Eliensi that he had gone soe farre And the authour hereof doeth testifie that while she liued with her companie on the toppe of this hill she obtayned by her prayers to haue a fountaine of cleere water to spring out of the earth to comfort them in their extremitie of thirst And allsoe that the impression of her footsteps ascending and descending the same hill remayned visibly in the rock vnto the same Authours time All which doeth most euidently proue of how great meritt her holy life and vntainted chastitie was in the sight of her deare spouse CHRIST-IESVS the fountaine and head of all puritie But because we are fallen into such times that a great part of the world houldeth vowes of chastitie to be vnnecessary and the vertue of chastitie it self impossible especially betweene married folkes therefore it shall not be amisse here to sett downe the testimonies of Venerable BEDE and sainct WILFRID for an vnresistable proofe of our holy ETHELDREDS virginitie When the matter was by some called in question saith S. BEDE WILFRID Bishop of blessed De gest An. lib. 4. cap. 6. A notable testimonie of her virginitie memorie affirmed to me that demaunded it that he him self was a most certaine witnes of her virginitie in soe much that King Egfrid promised him a reward of manie lands and treasures yf he could but perswade the Queene to yeeld to the vse of mariage because he knew she loued â—oe man better then him Nether ought we to mistrust that allso in our age that was possible to be done which our faythfull histories relate to haue been done in former times by the guift of one and the same Lord who promiseth to remaine with vs to the end of the world For the diuine miracle whereby the flesh of the same woman buried could not be corrupted is a signe that she remained incorrupted from the touch of man Thus sainct BEDE Whereby is made manifest the vndefiled integritie of this holy Virgin Who allbeit she shed not her bloud by martirdom yet she may be iustly entitled Etheldred a Martir with the name of a martir when fighting gloriously against the vices and concupiscences of this world she dayly carried our Lords crosse in her bodie And yf she had happened in the bloudie times of Nero or Diocletian without doubt like vnto other holy virgins and Martirs of Gods Church she would of her owne accord haue endured the torture fought with the wild beasts gone through the fiers and not haue feared to haue had her bodie torne in peeces with the instruments of studied crueltie which the iron-hearts of those times made vse off But let vs goe on with her life VII A YEARE after she had receaued the vayle of religion in the monasterie aboue named she returned to her owne possession in the I le of Ely