chastitie and giue twelue Vâ—wes of chastity pleasing vnto God farmes with the land therevnto belonging to the erection and foundation of monasteries yf by his diuine assistance and to his greater honour he should ouerthrow the insolent pride of his Barbarous enemie This sayd with a heart full of coÌ„fidence he prepared him self and his small armie for the battle The number of his aduersaries are reported to haue redoubled thirtie times his all well repoynted and old tried souldiers against whom bouldly marched King Oswy with his sonne Alâ—frid The battle was fought were the riuer Junet which at that time ouerflowed his banks soe that the Victorie falling with Oswy more by flight were drowned in the water then King Oswy victorious ouer Penda slaine with the sword And herein proud Penda payd death his due with the ouerthrow of all his Mercian power This noble victorie being by gods holy assistance soe nobly or rather miraculously wonne King Oswy gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God and for performance of his vow made he deliuered his daughter ELFLED as yet scarse a yeare old to be brought vpp in a monasterie of Benedictine nunnes called Heretheu vnder the pious conduct of S. HILDA And withall he gaue the lands of one hundred and twentie families for the building and maintayning of monasteries But two yeares afterwards S. HILDA purchased the possession of tenne Elfled taketh the habit of S. Benedict families and built the monasterie of Streanshall where ELFLED being come to age first receaued the habit of S. BENEDICTS order and hauing bin long trained vp in this holy schoole of vertue in the continuall exercise of monastical discipline she afterwards succeeded S. HILDA being for her holy life chosen Abbesse of that place and became a mistresse of vertue vnto the whole coÌ„uent gouerning her virgin subiects in the ioyes of virginitie with the care of a motherly pietie and inuiting them to the true obseruance of religion by the vertuous and pious example of her owne life II. WHILST thus she ennobled the nobilitie of her stock with the greater nobilitie of vertue she fell into a grieuous sicknes that made her allmost tast the bitternes of deaths pangs and when the skill of phisick could nothing auayle her suddely by the grace of the She falleth sick diuine phisition she was taken out of the gates of death and freed from all her inward paines yet still remained in soe great weaknes of her limmes that she could nether stand nor goe but was forc't to creepe on all fower in soe much that with sorrow she began to feare a perpetuall lamenes hauing long since despayred of the phisitians helpe Till one day sitting pensiuely in the anguish of her sorrowfull thoughts the great sainctity of S. CVTHBERT whoÌ„ she loued dearly came into her mind and presently she wished to haue somthing from him firmely beleeuing and trusting thereby to receaue perfect health Not long after there comes one which She recouereth by miracle brought her a linnen gyrdle sent from S. CVTBERT She greatly reioyced with that present and vnderstanding that her desire was made knowne by diuine reuelation vnto the holy man gyrt her self with the same gyrdle and one the morrow after she became able to stand on her feet and the third day she was restored to perfect health to the great admiration of all Within a short time after being desirous to coÌ„municate to others the great blessing bestowed vppon her self she applied the same gyrdle vnto one of her Nunnes that was allmost dead with an insufferable payne which dayly increased more more in her head but noe sooner had this holy Virgin of CHRIST bound her about the temples with that gyrdle but the payne ceased perfect health succeeded Afterwards B. S. CVTHBERT Bishop of Linsdisfarne came him self in person to visitt this holy Virgin and to consecrate a Church Where as the holy man sate at table he saw in a vision the soule of a seruant that died at her monasterie at that verie time The holy virgin being desirous to know who it was to morrow replied S. CVTHBERT before I goe to masse thou wilt tell me his name She sent to know and on the morrow as the bishop was dedicating the Church she came running Masse for the dead to him in a womanish amazement as yf she had brought some great newes I desire you my Lord sayd she to be mindfull in your Masse of Hadwald thas was his name who died falling from a tree as he was cutting wood III. WHEN this most noble and holy virgin of CHRIST ELLFED had for manie yeares ruled her monasterie in great Sainctitie and preserued the sacred treasure of her virginitie from her tendrest infancie to the age of threescore yeares she deliuered vpp her pure soule to the most happie and long desired mariage of her heauenly spouse about the yeare of our Lord 714. She was buried in the Church of the same monasterie dedicated to S. PETER togeather with her father King Oswy and Queene Enfleda her mother But by the Danish furie that as manie other monasteries was vtterly destroyed till afterwards it was againe reedified for monkes of S. BENEDICTS order and called by the name of Whiteby And lastly is was translated to the walles of the cittie of Yorke and dedicated to our Lady But after the raigne of William conquerour the sacred reliques of S. ELFLED with others being found amongst those ruines were honourably placed in a more eminent degree worthy the meritts of soe great a sainct Thus much of S. ELFLED we haue gathered chiefly out of S BEDE de gest lib. 3. c. 24. William malmesbury de gest PoÌ„t Ang. lib. 3 Mathew Westmin an 655. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist. Eccl. saec 7. cap. 27. other English writers The life of S. THELIAN Bishop and confessor FEB 9. Out of an auncient Authour SAINCT THELIAN an auncient Britan borne of noble parents ' much more ennobled his stock by the splendor of his vertues He was Scholler vnto Dubricius bishop of Landaff vnder whose holy care he attayned vnto that height of wisedome learning that as yet He was called 〈◊〉 and way but a youth he obtained the name of Helios which in Greeke signifieth the Sunne for his sacred doctrine shined like the sunne and dispersing the darknes of sinne and infidelity lightened the hearts of the faythfull poeple of his countrey with the sacred beames of true religion and vertue But hearing the fame of a prudent and holy man called Paulin he went vnto him and conferred with him concerning the more secret and abstruse places of the holy scripture where he entred into acquintaince with great S. DAVID Bishop of His loue to S. Dauid Meneuia betweene whom the grace of the holy ghost tied soe strict a knott of true loue and friendship that they were esteemed in those dayes as a noble payre of friends of one mind and soule But while they liued togeather in
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
the other bishops the first of Nouember the day he was made Bishops and this day of his deposition which is allsoe yearly celebrated with great honour among the Welchmen in a Church dedicated to him called in Welch Llanpaternan that is saint Paternus Church Thus much of his life we haue gathered out of loannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield that at lest the memorie of soe great a sainct vnto whom our Welchmen are highly bound might not perish The life of Sainct STEPHEN Confessor and Abbot vnder the holy rule of Sainct BENEDICT APR. 17. Written by VVilliam Mal mesbury lib. 4. reg Ang. cap 1. STEPHEN surnamed Harding borne in England of noble parents was brought vp froÌ„ his verie childhood in Dorset-shire in the monasterie of Sherburne vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT till being now in the flower of his youth when the nettles of the world began to sting his mind farre otherwise inclined he fled out of the danger into France where carefully laying the grounds of true learning he receiued the first efficatious motiue to ver tue and the loue of God For when his riper yeares had banished all boyish inclinations he tooke a iourney to Rome with one other in his companie In which allbeit the way were long and difficult and their pouertie little able to defray that charge both going and returning they dayly recited and sung the whole psalter Hauing piously visited the sacred tombes of the Apostles they returned into Burgundie where STEPHEN in a new built monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order called Molismus putt on the habitt and conuersation of a Benedictin Monk And at verie first he grew easily He taketh the habit of S Benedict familiar with the precepts of S. BENEDICTS Rule in which he had beeÌ„ conuersant long before but finding other statuts proposed which he had not read in the rule before he began all waies keeping religious modestie to demaund the ground and reason of those lawes All things sayd he are gouerned with reason but because through slouth and negligence humane frailtie oftentimes falls from reason manie lawes were made in times past and from our holy father S. BENEDICT we receaued a Rule to recall the scattered mutabilitie of nature to the bounds of reason In which allbeit manie things be for which I can giue no reason yet the authoritie of the Author who questionlesse receiued them from heauen bids me yield thereunto Therefore shew an instance out of the Rule vpheld with reason and authoritie and dictated by him who was replenished with the spiritt of all iust men this yf you cannot doe you doe in vaine make profession of his prerogatiue whose doctrine you refuse to follow II. THIS opinion creeping from one to an other much mooued their hearts that feared God lest perchance hitherunto they had or might hereafter follow a wrong course Therefore after a frequent disputation thereof in Chapter S. ROBERT the Abbott approued STEPHENS opinion and concluded that they should surcease from following superfluous statutes and search only into the marrow He departeth to cifterce of S. BENEDICTS Rule But manie refusing to leaue their old customs some few only embraced S. STEPHENS opinion and departed thence with him to the hermitage of Cisterce which at that time was a desert vnhabited place but since through his meanes soe florishing with a worthie conuent of holy monks that it might seeme a litle paradise on earth Here togeather with his fellowes he began to lead a verie holie life in the strict and punctuall obseruance of saint BENEDICTS Rule soe that ROBERT Abbott of Molismus hearing the same of their holy conuersation tooke with him twentie fower other monks and went thither as well to be made a partner of their holy purpose as a promoter of their intended course But his owne monkes caused him shortly after to be recalled back to his monasterie by the authoritie of the Pope And Alberick was created abbot of Cisterce in his stead after whose death and he liued but eight yeares more our STEPHEN succeeded in the gouernment of that new borne-Conuent in whose time the holy Congregation of Cisterce began to extend it self and florish He is made Abbot of Cisterce with a great name of religion and all by the vertue and prudence of S. STEPHEN who with the almes of deuout poeple and happie was the man that through his hands offered his money to God built sixteene monasteries in his life time of all which he was Generall Soe that indeed he may be iustly termed the chief founder of the whole Cistercian Congregation which afterwards florished all the world ouer as may be seene at this present day for that Boore beginning in time of his predecessor Robert and Alberick was soe small and soe vnsetled that excepting the wonderfull and peculias prouidence of allmightie God and this holy mans prudent care and endeauours it was likely to haue taken noâ—great hould in the Church that as at the first he was the occasion and cause of the first planting soe now he was the authour of the great propagation of this famous reforme of the Benedictin order When among other titles of his prayses it is not the lest that he gaue the Benedictin habitt He gaue the habit to S. Bernard to that bright Ornament of the Order S. BERNARD who vnder the obedience of our STEPMEN suckt the sweet milke of his mellifluous learning and deuotion And the same S. STEPHEN composed and left to his brethren as his last will and testament that worthie writing called CHARTA CHARITATIS the Charter or carde of charitie wherein is contayned an admirable manner of maintayning a connection of true peace and charitie in all the monasteries of that Congregation throughout the whole world that all exhibiting honour to each other their whole multitude of Abbeys and monks should make all but one Bodie or Chapter vnder one head and Superior And this was called Charta Charitatis because it chiefly tended to the conseruing of loue and charitie amongst them III. AT LENGTH when this blessed man had setled established and confirmed this new plantation with manie holy lawes of order and discipline and worthyly gouerned his stock according to our Lords true example of humilitie till old age had quite depriued him of his sight he gaue vp his pastorall chardge desiring wholly to betake him self to the contemplation of diuine things according to the royall prophets counsell tast and see for our Lord is sweet In this holie Psal 33. sweetnes he spent the remaynder of his life allwaies expecting the approach of the happie minute wherein he should be released out of that prison to the enioying of the eternall freedom Therefore his time drawing neere manie of the Abbots of his new erected Congregation and a great number of the monks came to offer him the last seruice of their loue and dutie VVho talking amongst them selues as the holy man say gasping
and the yeare he died in our writers are verie different He was first buried in his owne Monastery of Weremouth but afterwards his holy reliques were translated to Durham where togeather with the head of King Oswald and the bones of King Coolwulphe a Benedictine Monke of Lindisfarne they were found in a linnen bagge within the tombe of our great saint CVTHBERT during the raigne of William the second when Ranulphus the seauenth bishop of Durham translated the bodie of the same sainct CVTHBERT into the new Church which he had built where the sacred bones of saint BEDE remayne to this day with this Epitaphe too vnelegant for the shrine of soe learned a man Beda Dei famulus monachorum nobile sidus The Epitaphe of his Tombe Finibus e terrae profuit Ecclesiae Solers iste Patrum scrutando per omnia sensum Eloquio viguit plurima composuit Annos in vitater duxit * Quinque vitae triginta Praesbiter officio Maximus ingenio Iunij septenis viduatur carne Calendis Angligena Angelicam commeruit patriam They are in no sorte to be borne with or beleeued who haue A false opinion of his translation written or rather dreamed that his body was transported to Genua in Jtaly For hitherunto I doe not find this affirmed by anie approoued Authour And not a few asseuer that in his life time he neuer went out of the bounds of England and to say that he was transported after death into forreigne lands seemeth to be a monstrous and strainge opinion worthy to be banished into farre countreyes His life we haue collected out of diuers graue Authours William Malmesbury de gest reg Ang lib. 1. cap. 3. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts and Trithemius in his worke of the illustrious men of saint Benedicts Order lib. 3. cap. 155. lib. 2. cap. 21. But his life hath been written by Cuthbert his disciple a Benedictine in the same Monasterie and one much auncienter then all those being an ey-witnes of what he writes out of whom and an other auncient manuscript written by one that suppressed his name we haue taken a great part of his life Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe and all our Historiographers as well English as others doe highly sound forth his prayses The end of May. S. BONIFACIVS MARTIR GERMANORVM APLVS APOSTOLVS Benedictinus Angluâ— Junij 5. M. baâ—â— f. The life of S. BONIFACE Archbishop Apostle of Germanie of the holy order of saint BENEDICT IVNE 5 Writen by S. Willibald Bishop of Eiâ—â—â—â—tadt in Germanie WHEN the Englishmen that came out of Germanie had coÌ„quered the Iland of great Britaine and giuen it the name of England the Catholick religion brought in by King Lucius was forced to giue place to Paganisâ—â—e till after an hundred and fortie yeares by the preaching of S. AVGVSTINE the Benedistine Monke it was againe restored to Christianitie Then manie holy men of the same order profession allthough they thought them selues most happy in the purchase of soe great good something notwithstanding they iudged to be wanting for the making vp of their felicitie because their owne auncient countrey of Germanie which they had left was yet detayned in the black night The place of his birth and desire of a religious life of Idolatrie The care and cogitation hereof much troubled and exercised the hearts of manie and chiefly of this holy Benedictine Monke WINFRID afterwards called BONIFACE Who being borne of very worthy parents at Kyrtâ—n in Deuonshire was from his very childhood possessed with a wonderfull loue of the heauenly wisedome and a perfect monasticall manner of life in soe much that he opened the secret of this desire vnto his father VVho greatly displeased thereat endeauoured partly with flattering enticements large promises and partly with threatnings to deterre him from that pious course But by how much the more earnestly the father stroue to reclaime his sonne to the loue of the world by soe much the more coÌ„staÌ„tly the holy child full of the diuine grace remayned firme in his good purpose and studied to attayne to the knowledge of heauenly learning VVhence by the wonderfull prouidence of allmightie God it came to passe that his father who was his only hindrance being taken with a sudden sicknes deposed all his former stubbornesse and sent his sonne to the Benedictine Abbey at Excester six miles He taketh the Habit of S. Bene dict distant from the place where he was borne commending him to the care of VVolphard the venerable Abbot of the same Monastery by whom he was courteously receaued where he beganne to performe all the duties of a monasticall life that were agreable to his tender age growing dayly as in age more perfect in the exercise of vertue II. BEING gone out of the yeares of his childhood he soe entierly subiected him self to the institutions of his ancients and the exercise of sacred reading that euery day his soule was enriched more and more with the diuine guifts of manie vertues In summe when vnder the obedience of the forenamed Abbot he had professed and obserued all the discipline of a regular life according to the Rule of the great Patriarch of Monkes saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares and being not able there for of want teachers to satiate his thirst of diuine learning according to the greatnes of his desire with the consent of his Abbot and brethren he went to the Monastery of Nutscelle where vnder the discipline of Winbert the Abbot he made soe wonderfull a progresse in all manner of His great progresse in learning learning and vertue that his fame being diuulged ouer the countrey manie flocked thither to become his schollers When he the more he was exalted to the height of science and excellencie of other vertues the more close he kept him self within the ward of humilitie euer honouring his iuferiours as his equalls and embracing them with the armes of true loue and charitie according to the counsell of the wiseman By how much thou art Eccl. 3. greater humble thy self in all things At the thirtith yeare of his age he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood when by reason of his great learning and vertue he was held in soe great He is made Priest veneration in that countrey that a Synod being assembled at the same time to difcusse some ecclesiasticall controuersies wherein some certaine decrees were ordayned which notwithstanding were submitted to the honourable suffrage of the Archbishop of Canturbury by the consent of the King and Councell BONIFACE was chosen to be most fitt to treate of soe weightie a matter with the Archbishop which busines he soe brauely and solidly dispatched that he purchased to him self grace and fauour with all men III. BVT retayning allwaies in his mind a pious desire to labour His ardent desire to conuert Insidels in the conuersion of Infidells
fluxit Atque Magistrorum veneranda caterua cucurrit In number of HIS children gladly stand All that haue place in fruitfull Britaines land From HIM to vs baptismall grace did flow To HIM our troupes of Teachers we do owe. Whereby he euidently concludeth that not only the Apostles them selues who brought the Grace of Baptisme into our countrey were children of sainct BENE DICT but euen that all the faythfull people of great Britaine were Foster-children vnto the same sainct BENEDICT whose disciples had nourished fed the infancie of their faith with the milke of CHRISTS holy Ghospell and first brought them into the bosome of his true Church And this same passage of sainct ALDELME was quoted seauen hundred yeares agoe by Amoinus a monke of the samous Benedictine Abbey of Amoinus Fleury in France in a sermon of the prayses of sainct BENEDICT which hath bin lately sett forth by Ioannes a Bosco in his worke intituled The Library of Fleury This Amoinus who is a very graue and auncient authour following the aforesayd truth embraced by our sainct ALDELNE bouldly and without anie difficultie affirmeth sainct GREGORY the great to be a child of sainct BENEDICTS in the prologue of his second booke which treateth of the Miracles of our holy Father Nether is he content to say it only as the opinion of his owne head but constantly asseuers it a thing receaued by the whole English nation For thus he speaketh in the life of sainct ABBO extant in the Librarie of Fleury chapter the 4. In the meane time came an embassage from the English natioÌ„ to Fleury desiring to haue the helpe of some prudent and wise men Because this nation came to the loue of our holy Father S. BENEDICT and of that See the life o◠〈◊〉 Oswald Feb. 28. foresayd place for two causes One was because Blessed Pope GREGORY hauing sent thither preachers of Christs faith more peculiarly beat into their memories the obseruance of the Rule of the same beloued seruant of our Lord BENEDICT And the other because one called OSWALD a man of great authoritie amongst them hauing despised the world embraced the seruice of Christâ— in the about named Monastery of â—leury Therefore by the authoritie of this graue Authour a witnes of soe great antiquitie it plainly appeares that sainct GREGORY professed the holy Rule of S. BENEDICT and that the Preachers he sent into England did the like But lest some impertinent cauiller for such an one he must needs be that calls in question the authoritie of our Aldelme whom the Church approueth for a Sainct should say that these and such like writers professing the Benedictine Order them selues are parties in the controuersie and that consequently their authoritie cannot decide this question I will here briefly bring Authours of allmost all other Orders and Professions who doe expressely auouch that sainct GREGORY and his disciples our Apostles were Benedictines And bicause Baronius the Father of the contrarie opinion Thomas Bozius which we impugne was a Priest of the Oratorian CongregatioÌ„ let the Venerable Father Thomas Bozius Priest of the same Oratorie proceed first against him This Bozius who was a learned graue and prudent writer seemeth of sett purpose to condemne the iudgemeÌ„t of his fellow-Priest in this point soe plainly he speaketh for vs in manie places especially in his fift booke of his excellent worke intituled Of the signes of the Church chap. 3. GREGORY the great saith he borne of a most noble race and hauing througly performed his office in the chiefest honours of Rome at length despising all things and bequeathing him self to the Order of sainct BENEDICT he made profession of a monke and besides others founded in other places he built a Monasterie at Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus in that place verie manie did learne both solid pâ—etie and heauenly learning and addicted themselues to the Order of sainct BENEDICT Hence GREGORY drew out Augustine Mellitus Iustus Paulinus Laurence and Iohn and other Monkes whom BEDE and others doe mention and by whom the seruice of Christ was dispersed and confirmed amongst the English and maniâ— monasteries of the same Order builded And in his third booke of the state of Italie chap. 5. which booke he writt after this controuersie was set a broach by Baronius that he might shew him self notwithstanding the arguments of Baronius to be constant in the veritie of his former opinion he sayth thus Wee haue shewed at large in the fourth booke of the Signes of the Church signe the 6. that by noe other endeauour then that of the Roman Bishops the Christian religion waâ— planted in England Scotland and all places seated beyond the riuers Danubius and Rhene And in the fift booke signe 12. we haue made it euident that allmost all those that imployed their labours in this matter were Monkes of the Order and institute of sainct BENEDICT the Italian Allso in his sixt booke of the same worke chap. 6. he sayth of our holy father sainct BENEDICT that He drew soe manie followers after him that the number of them cannot be mustered Out of his familie issued forth soe manie and soe great men flourishing in all kind of prayses and vertues that which way soeuer thou turne thy self thou maiest stand fixed in admiration For how manie Martyrâ— I pray you came out of his Order How many men most holy in sainctitie and miracles How maniâ— great and admirable Popes Let vs produce one able to be compared with them all GREGORY the first to whom the Englishmen are indebted whatsoeuer goodnes is amongst them Thus we see how learnedly solidly and constantly this Venerable man asseuereth the truth and our intent against Baronius who was his fellow-Priest and the ornament and flower of the Oratorian Congregation No man I am sure can except against his authoritie who doubtlesse If there had been anie probabilitie in the contrarie assertion would haue been most willing to haue subscribed to the opinion of soe great a man as Baronius being of his owne coate and profession To Bozius let Onuphrius Panuinus an Augustin Frier and a most diligent searcher of the Roman antiquities Onuphrius Panuimus succeed who in his Epitome of the Roman Bishops giueth this most cleere testimonie for our purpose GREGORY by nation a Roman borne of the most auncient and noble familie of the Anicij forsaking all the Pompes of the world entred into a Monastery of Monkes vnder the Rule of the holy Father BENEDICT and gaue all his goods lands houses tenements vineyards c. to the Monasteries of monkes and at length built a Monastery of Monkes in Rome c. This testimonie of Onuphrius is of great authoritie for liuing in the cittie of Rome he gaue him self wholly to search into Ecclesiasticall antiquities whereof he hath published manie famous and profitable monuments to the world Next to him let vs heare ANTONINVS Bishop of Florence whom the Church honoureth for a learned
learned men that zealed the Truth and good of the Benedictine Order to make a most exquisite and strict search into the monuments and bowells of antiquitie and finding that the opinion of Baronius was but a child that could by no meanes pretend anie title or right of descent from Authours of former ages they soe learnedly solidly and manifestly made the contrarie assertion appeare to the world to witt that sainct GREGORY was indeed a monk of sainct BENEDICT that that which before lay as it were buried in antiquitie and not thought on receaued for a truth but not talked on knowne of all but commended but off a few became more conspicuous to the world more glorious to the Benedictine Order and more famously treated off throughout the whole Church soe that the new opinion of Baronius serued but as a foyle more cleerly to sett forth the veritie of sainct GREGORIES being a Benedictine Monke and to make the world take better and more particular notice that soe great an Ornament of the vniuersall Church had been brought vp in the schoole of sainct BENEDICT But that we may take away all further difficultie in this matter let great sainct GREGORIE him self tell vs what Order he professed for surely no man can say but he is a iudge without exception and one whose authoritie is able to weigh downe more then I will name of such as write against vs. In his commentarie on the bocke of Kings writing to his Monkes and Nouices he vseth in manie places the expresse words of sainct BENEDICTS Rule and applies them to expound the holy text or rather makes vse of the text it self to coÌ„firme the precepts of the Benedictine Rule and there in citing the words of the same Rule he stileth our holy Father Lâ—b 4. comm in 1. Pâ—g c. 4 sainct BENEDICT with the title of Arctissimae vitae Magister optimus summae veritatis discipulus eruditus The best Master of the most strict life and a learned Disciple of the highest veritie Whereby it is manifest that sainct GREGORIE in proposing here the Rule and masthership of sainct BENEDICT vnto his Monkes for a patterne of their life and gouernment doeth acknowledge him self and them to be children of the same sainct BENEDICT whom he calleth his and their Best Master of strict regular life For yf he and his monkes were Basilians or Equitians or of anie other Order why doeth he not rather propose vnto them their Rules and call S. BASILL and Equitius their Best Master Were it not a thing strainge and against all rule for a Superiour of Franciscans or Dominicans to propose in a speech to his subiects the obseruance of the Rule of saint IGNATIVS and call him the Best Master of their Religion and profession omitting to make anie mention of his owne Patrones sainct FRANCIS or sainct DOMINICK Surely yf sainct GREGORY had been a disciple vnto Equitius as Baronius faynes he could not haue beene soe vnmindfull of the Father of his monasticall religion as to preferre sainct BENEDICT before him with the title of the Best Master of regular discipline and to propose his Rule to be obserued by his Monkes and not once in all his workes to make the lest mention of the Rule of sainct Equitius But how could he when neuer anie such rule hath euer yet appeared vnto the world But of his Best Master sainct BENEDICT he maketh such honourable and large mention that hauing dispatched the life of saint Equitius in one short chapter of his Dialogues he filleth a whole booke with the life vertues and miracles of our glorious Father sainct BENEDICT whose Rule he confirmed preferred before all others to shew the abundance of loue which he bore vnto him whom he stileth the Best Master of his monasticall life It would be too long to sett downe here all the places of our holy Father's saint BENEDICTS Rule which this great Doctour of the Church S. GREGORIE expoundeth to his Monkes in the aboue cited CoÌ„mentarie on the booke of Kings It sufficeth for our purpose that he acknowledgeth S. BENEDICT for his Best Master and proposeth his Rule to be obserued by the Monkes of his Monasterie For what more manifest proofe can there be to shew that both he and the Monkes his subiects were all children of the Benedictine Order and that sainct AVGVTINE our Apostle and his fellow-monkes preachers were professouâ—s of the same Rule and Religion Thus much good Reader I haue thought good to insorme thee in this poynt not because the truth of the cause I defend did want anie such proofes but because there are some soe willfully blind in the opinion of Baronius that they doe yet striue against the whole streame of antiquitie and ancient Authours and seeke to maintaine his noueltie Against whom If thou chaÌ„ce to encounter anie such thou art here sufficiently instructed to be able to speake some thing for the truth in this matter And doe not thinke that in disputing this poynt against a man soe worthyly deseruing of the Church as the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius we doe it with intent to lay an aspersion of disgrace on his glorie God forbid for the defence of the truth can disgrace noe man and especially him who in sayling through soe huge an Ocean as his Annalls are could not chose but erre in some things lest the world should haue taken him for some thing aboue the common sort of mortall men To conclude we see that the greatest part of our English SAINCTS are knowne allsoe to haue been of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT as it appeares in the ensuing treatise of their liues For the Catholick religion being first planted in England by the labours of S. AVGVSTINE his fellow-Monkes who were all Benedictines that holy Order was allsoe soe happyly rooted in the whole countrey and soe manie learned and holy men were bred and brought vp in the same that the whole English Church was gouerned by the Professours thereof and replenished with great store of SAINCTS of both sexes of the Benedictine familie there being noe other Rule of regular life but S. BENEDICTS on foote in England for the space of aboue seauen hundred yeares after the coÌ„uersion of it to the Christian fayth Noe wonder then that the Benedictine Religion in England was the mother of soe manie and soe great SAINCTS Their liues and of all others I haue endeauoured to sett forth briefly with as great care as I could desiring thee for whose comfort I haue taken this paynes to weigh the faults yf anie thou chaunce to find in the ballance of good will and soe thou shalt not only encourage me to goe forward in this and a greater worke then this but allsoe oblige me to remayne thy friend desiring no other reward for my labours but thy prayers vnto these glorious SAINCTS that I may in the end be made participant of their heauenly companie In the meane time wishing thee the like happines I
that gaue such a wonderfull lustre to all therein as if it would haue preuented the sunnes comeing by turning night into day There was present with the Apostle in the Church a multitude of heauenly burgesses filling it with melodious musick and most fragrant odours Hauing finished all the solemnities and ceremonies due vnto the dedication of a Church he whom our Lord made a famous FISHER of men returned to the Fisher of fishes whom he found wonderfully amazed and carried allmost beyond him self with the flashes of the diuine splendour and therefore S. Peter consecrateth the Church of westminster with a courteous consolation the Apostle restored him to him self againe reduceing his distracted thoughts to the rules of reason and the two fishers entring into the boate togeather S. PETER demaunded whether he had taken anie fish or noe Being suddenly strucken replied he with the sight of that vnusuall brightnes and detained with expectation of thy returne I endeauoured not to fish but securely a tended my promised reward from thee wherevnto the Apostle answered cast forth thy netts and trie He obeyed his commaund and presently found his nett loaden with store of fish all of one kind excepting one fish of a mightie greatnes without comparison Hauing drawne them on shore the Apostle bad him present that great one to Bishop MELLITVS in his name and the rest said he take for thy reward An aboundance of this kind thou shalt enioy all thy life time and thy posteritie a long time Fishing on Sundaies forbidden after thee only hereafter dare not to fish on the Sundaies I am the Apostle PETER who with my heauenly fellow-citizens haue allreadie consecrated the Church built in my name and by the authoritie of my owne dedication I haue preuented the Bishops benediction Tell him therefore what thou hast seene and heard and the markes imprinted in the walles shall giue sufficient testimonie to strengthen the truth of thy relation Let him therefore forbeare from anie further dedication and supplie only what we omitted that is to celebrate the most sacred misteries of our Lords bodie and bloud and with a sermon to instruct the people giuing them to vnderstand that I will oftentimes visitt this place and be present at the prayers and petitions of the faithfull promising to lay open the gates of heauen to all those that spend their daies soberly iustly and piously in this world The next morning the fisher with his great fish meets the Bishop MELLITVS as he was goeing to dedicate the Church and makes knownes vnto him whatsoeuer was giuen him in charge by the Apostle Whereat the Bishop much astonished entred into the Church and finds the pauement signed with the inscription of the Greek and Hebrew alphabet the walls annoynted with holy oyle in twelue seuerall places and the remnants of as manie wax cādles fastened to twelue crosses all things being yet moist with the late springling of holy oyle and water Wherevppon togeather with the people he gaue prayse and thanks to allmightie God for that great remonstrance of his goodnes vnto them The whole posteritie of the fisherman confirmed the truth of this miracle for as they receiued by tradition from their father they offered the tenth of all the commoditie gotten afterward by that art to S. PETER and his seruants in that place Till among the The fishers deceit punished rest there was one that attempted to beguile them of that dutie but he receiued his punishment for soe long he was depriued of the benefitt of his art vntill hauing confessed his fault he had made condigne restitution of the wrong with a faythfull promise of amendment XIII WHEN S. EDWARD had vnderstood all these things out of the relation and records of antiquitie he was enflamed with an extreme desire to reedifie that Monasterie and to restore it out of the ruines of deiection and pouertie to the height of wealth and dignitie and to that end he dispatched messengers to Rome as well to obtaine priuiledges for that place as allsoe to treate some other affaires with letters to the Pope to this effect TO NICOLAS S. Edwards Epistle to Pope Nicolas 2. the chief father of the vniuersall Church EDWARD by the grace of God king of England sendeth due subiection and obedience We glorifie our Lord for the care he hath of his elect Church in ordayning thee an excellent successour in the place and seate of thy good predecessour Wherefore we thinke it fitt to leane vnto thee as vnto a firme rock to sharpen and approoue all our good actions and allwaies to admitt of thy knowledge and fellowship in doeing good especially desiring thou wouldest renew encrease all those donations and priuiledges which we obtained from thy predecessour to wit that thou ratifie and confirme the Monasterie of Monks which I haue built in honour of the B. Apostle S. PETER according as it was enioyned me by thy predecessour vnder title of obedience and penance for the dispensation of a vow I made to goe to Rome and the remission of all my sinnes as allsoe that thou reestablish determine and secure all the priuiledges belonging to the He willingly payeth duties to Rome possessions peace and dignitie of that place for euer And I for as much as lies in me doe increase and confirme the donations and customes of the moneies which S. PETER holdeth and chalengeth in England and now I send them accompanied with other free guifts from my self humbly intreating thee to offer prayers and sacrifices to allmightie God for me and the peace of my kingdom and that thou institute ordayne a continuall and solemne memorie of all England in generall before the sacred bodies of the Apostles XIV THE POPE answered him in this manner NICOLAS The Popes answer to the king Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to the most glorious most pious and most worthie of all honour our specially beloued EDWARD King of England sendeth all manner of salutation most sweet health and Apostolicall benediction We giue thankes vnto allmightie God who hath adorned and honoured thy most prudent excellence in all respects to conserue deuotion towards the blessed Apostle S. PETER and all loue towards vs his vnworthie successour in giuing obedience and consent vnto Apostolicque counsels and censures Wee therefore send our letters to thy Royall nobilitie whereby we graunt vnto thee the holy Apostles societie and ours beseeching his mercie who is truly Lord of all and only soueraigne aboue all to make thee par taker of all our good workes if anie we haue in the sight of God and at all times to make vs more feruent brethren and fellows in his loue wishing him to graunt noe lesse part or reward of our dutie and obedience in his heauenly kingdom vnto thee then we desire to fall vnto our selues Allsoe we will not cease heereafter vnfaynedly to powre out our dayly prayers for thee that God himself would bring thy foes and enemies
certaine poore pilgrim his Chamberlaine being absent importunately asked him an almes in the name of God and S. IOHN He hauing nothing else in a readines gaue him a ring of great value of his finger Not long after two Englishmen going in pilgrimage to visitt the holy sepulcher at Hierusalem lost their way and wandered a long time throught strainge and vncouth places till the sunne goeing to sett the darksom night approached and encreased their ignorance soe that not knowing what to doe nor which way to turne there appeared a venerable graue old man that brought them to a towne hard by where they were receaued kindly and entertayned very sufficiently with diet and lodging The next morning as they were departing the same old man putt them in their right way and in takeing leaue of them Brethren sayd he be of good cheere and doubt not but you shall returne to your countrey in safetie for allmightie God will make your iourney prosperous and I my self for your good kings sake will haue care to direct you in all your waies For I am IOHN the Apostle who affect your King with all loue for his pure vertue of chastetie S. Iohn loueth him for his chastetie j which highly deserues it Take therefore this ring which he gaue me for an almes appearing in the habit of a pilgrim and deliuer it vnto him againe telling him withall that the time of his death drawes neere for six moneths hence I will visitt him and bring him where togeather with me he shall follow the lambe which way soeuer he goeth At these words he vanished away and Apoc. 14. v. 4. they hauing visitted the holy land returned safely into their countrey and related orderly to the King what they had seene and heard And in testimonie of all gaue him the ring which was afterwards kept with great reuerence as a holy relique in the great Church of Westminster and by vertue of it manie were cured of the falling sicknes and of the contractions of their limmes XXIII NOT LONG after the blessed man fell into a grieuous sicknes during which he was in such an extasie that for the S. Edw. in an extasie space of allmost two daies he lay without anie signe of life At length waking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he opened his eyes and sitting vpp in his bed spake to the attendants in this manner When in my youth I liued a banished man in Normandie I euer held the friendship and companie of good and vertuous persons as most deare and gratefull vnto me and chiefly those Monks and Religious men that excelled others in vertue and religion I obserued and with them I conuersed most familiarly among whom two Monks Benedictines had obliged me in the bands of charitie verle particularly vnto them by their honest His loue to Benedictine Monks conuersation their holy life their sweet behauiour and their affable and courteous discourse These I more frequently visitted their discourses being to my soule as sweet meates to my pallate And these being some yeares since translated out of this world to the ioyes of heauen I beheld in this my sleepe standing before my face rehearsing according to the will of God what shall befall this countrey after my decease They say that the wickednes of the English nation is growne soe full and to such a height that it prouoketh Gods wrath and hasteneth his His prophesie of England reuenge The Priests haue broken their couenant with God they handle the sacred misteries with polluted soules and defiled hands They are not true pastours but mercenaties that doe noe protect their flock but expose it to the deuouring iawes of wolues seeking only their owne priuate commoditie of the milke and the wooll neglecting the good of their sheepe that at last eternall death may iustly deuoure and swallow both sheepe and sheapheard in the bottomlesse pitt of hell The Princes allsoe and gouernours of the land are vnfaythfull companions of theeues and wasters of the countrey they neyther seare God nor honour the lawes men to whom truth is grieuous and burdensom righteousnes contemptible and crueltie delightfull soe that neyther the Prelates heare anie respect to iustice nor the subiects haue anie regard of good order and discipline And therefore our Lord And the comeing in of the Normans hath drawne his dreadfull sword he hath bent and prepared his bow to shoote-forth the arrow of his iust wrath and reuenge against this nation into which he will send a mission of wicked spiritts to whose power they shall be deliuered in one yeare and one day to be punished with fier and sword With that sighing and grieuing at the newes of this calamitie threatned against my wretched countrey ô yee witnesses of the heauenly secrets sayd I what if this people beiog conuerted from their wickedenes shall doe worthie works of penance will not God graunt thē pardon leaue his blessing among them Penance is of such force that it suspended the dreadfull sentence of death pronounced by Gods owne mouth against the Niniuites and allso differed Joan. 2. 3. Reg. 21. the imminent reuenge due to wicked Achab. Therefore I will perswade my people to doe penance for their offences past and carefully beware those to come and perhaps our Lord will be mercifull and not powre out these great calamities vppon them but with his wonted pietie will receiue them then returned vnto his seruice whom peruerted from him by their wicked life he was prepared to punish and destroy with this heauie iudgement No no replied they it will not fall out soe happily for the hearts of this miserable people are soe hardned their eyes soe blinded and their eares soe fast dammed vp against all goodnes that they will neyther hearken to anie correction nor vnderstand anie good counsell they are neyther with threats terrified from euill nor with benefits prouoked vnto good At these their words my grief and care encreasing What sayd I will our Lord shew his anger for euer will he not at last beginne to be more pacified When then shall ioyes succeed these soe manie miseries what comfort or consolation shall moderate Psal 76. these great aduersities What remedie is to be expected in these An obscure promise of Gods mercie towards England euills that as on the one side we are terrified and contristated at our future rebukes soe we may be a little comforted with the promise of the diuine mercie that followes them Herevnto the Saincts proposed vnto me this Parable When a greene tree cutt downe from the stock remooued three furlongs distant from his owne roote shall without the helpe of anie mās hand or by anie externall ayde returne againe to his owne roote and placing it self thereon shall resume iuice againe to florish and bring forth fruit then and not before some comfort may be hoped for in this tribulation and a remedie against the foretould aduersitie may be expected Hauing
afrighted and leaping of his horse fell prostrate at the Bishops feete now likewise alighted from horse back humbly crauing pardon of his fault The holy man touching him as he lay along with his rodd Soe S. Pâ—ter prono â—â—eed death to Ananias Act. 5. with an Episcopall authoritie vsed these words I tell thee sayd he that because thou had refused to refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that verie house thou shalt breath thy last All which came afterwards to passe as holy CEDDE had foretould For within a short time by the hands of the same Earle and his brother the king was most cruelly murthered in that house his butchers alleadging noe other cause mouing them thereunto but his ouermuch clemencie and mercie in romitting offences committed against him soe that it is credibly thought that this vntimely death of soe good and vertuous a Prince did not only wash away his fault but increase his meritt III. THIS blessed Bishop was wont sometimes to visitt his countrey in Northumberland and to comfort his countreymen there with his diuine preachings and godly exhortations whereby he gott soe much fauour with king Edilwald sonne to king Oswald that raigned ouer the people of that countrey called Deiri that mooued thereunto both by the sainctitie and wisedome of this vertuous Bishop and allsoe by the meanes of his good brother Celin chaplaine to the king and court he gaue to S. CEDDE a peece of land for the building of a Monasterie whither he and his people might resort to serue God receiue the Sacraments The holy Bishop made choise of a place for this purpose in the desert mountaines which before that time was rather a couert for theeues wild beasts then a fitt habitation for Christians But he would not permitt the foundatioÌ„ to be laid before he had purged and consecrated the place with fasting and prayer both which he performed euerie day vntill the euening and then he contented him self with one and that a small meale consisting of a little bread one egge a little milke mingled with water Thus he passed all the lent excepting sundaies vntill Fasting in Lent vntill euening he was called away from this holy exercise vppon some speciall busines of the king by which he was forced to intermitt his pious de seigne when there remayned only tenne daies of the fortie to come But because he would not let his holy taske be there broken off he intreated Cimbell avertuous Priest his naturall brother to finish the godly worke he had begunne according to the fore-shewed example Which being by Cimbell gladly vndertaken and as piously He buildeâ—h a monasterie performed soone after Bishop CEDDE erected the Monasterie now called Lesting ordering it according to the same lawes and discipline of religion as that of Lindisfurne or Holy Iland where he had learned his first lesson and rudiments of vertue IV. BVT IN that great controuersie which arose afterwards betweene the old Scottish or Irish Monks and the Monks of S BENEDICTS order the Apostles of England touching the celebration of Easter in which it was sharpely disputed an each side especially betweene S. WILFRID the Benedictine Monke and Bishop Colman a Scott holy CEDDE being a diligent interpreter for both parts was soe conuinced by the diuine arguments of S. WILFRID that he quite gaue ouer to follow the footsteps of the Scotts and came to the knowledge of the true and Catholicke manner of obseruing the feast of Easter and allsoe to weare a round shauen crowne after the Monasticall fashion of Benedictines brought first into England by S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle and his fellowes that were all Benedictine Monks And afterwards by the perswasion of WILFRID Colman and his adherents being fled into Scotland S. CEDDE him self receiued the rule of our most holy father S. BENEDICT and induced all the Monkes of his new Monasterie of Lesting of which he was head to doe the like vnder the same holy rule he gouerned them in all manner of vertues vntill his death Thus after some yeares well spent both in gouernment of his Bishoprick and this Monasterie at the length as he visitted the same in time of plague he fell into a sicknes which sett free his soule from the teadiousnes of this worldly life to tast the desired ioyes prepared for the reward of his merits and good works in heauen He was first buried abrode but afterwards a Church of stone being built there in honour of S. Cedde dieth our blessed Ladie he was taken vp and layd at the right side of the aultar At his departure he resigned the gouernment of the Monasterie to his brother S. CHAD whose life you may reade the second of March V. WHEN the Monks of the Monasterie he had erected amongst the East-Saxons vnderstood of his death thirtie of them went into Northumberland desiring eyther to liue by the bodie of their holy father or if God soe pleased to die and be buried there Such was the great loue they bore vnto this blessed Saiuct But in that time of mortalitie they all walked the pathes of death excepting one litle boy who as it was piously thought was preserued from death by the speciall prayers and intercessions of this holy Bishop For liuing manie yeares after and studying holy scriptures he came at length to knowledge that he had neuer receiued the Sacrament See the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God of Baptisme wherevppon he was forthwith christened and afterwards being promoted to priesthood he became a verie profitable member of Gods Church hauing been by the prayers and merits of S. CEDDE miraculously preserued from the danger of a temporall and eternall death S. CEDDE died about the yeare of our Lord 664. Of him doe make mention S. BEDE whom we haue followed IOHN CAPGRAVE WILLIAM MELMESBVRY de Pontific Lond. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 13. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 4. cap. 66. and manie others The life of S. WVLSINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 8. SAINCT WVLSINE borne in London of worthie parents was carefully brought vp in the seruice and feare of God vntill he was growne out of his childhood and then they offered him vnto God and S. BENEDICT in the Monasterie of the Benedictine Monks at The vertue of his youth Westminster to be trained vp in that diuine schoole of vertue wherein he became soe good a proficient that in a short time his graue cariage and religious behauiour gaue a great testimonie â—f future sainctetie By watching fasting and prayer he ouercame the two sworne enemies of goodnes the flesh and the Deuill Soe highly he contemned the pleasures and vanities of the world that nothing seemed to him more irksome and teadious then the verie thought thereof in respect of the great comfort he receiued out of the diuine contemplation of heauen and heauenly things whereunto he addicted all the
powers both of his bodie and soule In humilitie he was most lowly in obedience most readie and full of charitable affection towards all men Hauing passed ouer his youth in the continuall exercise of these and other Monasticall vertues he receiued the dignitie of Priesthood and then he did not only shine vnto his He is made Priest brethren and draw them to vertue by his good example but allsoe by reading and expounding the holy scriptures by pious exhortations and preachings he would winne them to the loue of true religion and deuotion At length by the meanes of that great pillar of the Benedictine familie S. DVNSTAN he was chosen Abbot of the same Monasterie in the performance of which holy charge it is beyond the force of weake words to expresse how much he laboured And Abbot of westminster for the saluation of foules and what excellent examples of vertue and godly life he shewed vnto his brethren But such were his rare vertues that long they could not be contayned within the bounds of a weake Cloister For king Ethelred called him thence as it were from vnder the obscure bushell of his Monasterie to be placed in the view and admiration of the world in the Bishoprick of Sherburne and by the free election of the Clergie and greate applause of the poeple he was exalted to the gouernment of that Sea Then it was rare to behould how worthily he beganne to rule his people thundring at first a dutifull respect into their The true vertues of a good Bishop hearts he afterwards shined all loue among them his first and principall care being to appeare vnto his subjectss such as he would haue them be and to be such as he appeared making his godly life the example of his owne doctrine and his doctrine to arise as it were out of his deeds Soe that in a small time he wanne singular loue in his people and engraffed singular confidence His dayly exercise was to exhorte his subjects to comfort the afflicted to feed the hungrie to cloath the naked to redeeme captiues to entertaine poore pilgrims to teach the ignorant to withould the desperate from the shipwrack of their soules to enflame the tepid and animate the seruent to prouide carefully for those vnder his charge and punctually to performe the dutie of his profession and calling He was wont to spend the time of Lent within the Monks cloister were freed from the tumultuous affaires of the world he led a rigid monasticall life exercising him self in fasting and prayer and heauenly contemplation On maundie thursday he came abroade and hauing consecrated holy Chrisme according to the custome of Consecration of Chrisme the Catholicke Church he would preach vnto the people giue them his benediction After the celebration of the feast of Easter he was wont to visitt his whole diocesse as well to teach instruct and direct his vnder-pastours and clergiemen worthily to performe their duties as allsoe to amend correct and punish whatsoeuer was done amisse contrarie to the rules of good order discipline and iustice II. HE WAS wonderfull carefull both to augment and exalt that auncient sea of Sherburne and to establish it in a continuall peace in good order and discipline and to that end he cast out from thence Nichol. Harp saec 10. c. 9. William Malm. Monks ought nor to be subiect to Bishops the secular clergimen for their bad life and in their steede brought in the Benedictine Monks ouer whom he would haue placed an Abbot but they desired rather to liue vnder his gouernment whereunto though vnwilling he consented foretelling them that it would be a beginning of great calamities vnto their successours to be subiect to the Bishops But in all that he did for the Monks he neuer detracted anie part of the meanes belonging to the Bishoprick to sett them vp withall but prouided elsewhere sufficient reuenews for them allwaies preseruing the Episcopall Sea in her owne auncient and splendour in all things III. THVS hauing for the space of fiue yeares worthily gouerned his flock and done the office of a good pastour he fell into a vehement sicknes togeather with a vertuous knight and his deare S. Wulsine falls sick friend named Egeline who hearing of his lords infirmitie seemed to suffer more therein then in his owne and therefore not able to goe him self he sent to know in what danger he was The languishing holy man by the messenger willed his siâ—kly friend suddenly to dispose of him self and his estate and to prepare for his last iourney for to morrow next sayd he we shall goe both togeather to the court of our eternall King where he shall receiue the reward of his faithfull seruice The messenger being departed he vsed these words to his Monks By the filiall loue you haue euer shewed vnto me I doe coniure you my deare children that before you committ my bones to the earth you cause the bodie of this our faithfull friend to be brought hither and to be buried with me in this Church of Sherburne that in death our bodies be not separated whose soules during life were tied faithfully togeather in the bands of true loue and friendship To these words the Monks that were present could giue noe other answere but teares the woefull witnesses of the sorrow they conceaued to depart from soe deare a father But he exhorted them all to be rather ioyfull then grieued at his neere approching happines and alwaies to liue in the feare and loue of God till he felt the pangs of death beginne to cutt of his discourse when lifting vp his hands and eyes towards heauen he cried out with the first martir S. STEPHEN Behould I see the heauens opened and Iesus standing on the right hand of God and with the breath of these words he breathed forth his pure soule to receaue her reward in the purest He dieth place the eight day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 985. Of this B. Sainct doe make mention ARNOLD WION in the appendix of his martirologe WILLIAM MALMESBVRY IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others whom we haue followed The life of S. ADRIAN Confessor and Abbot of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. SAINCT ADRIAN borne in Africa for his great vertue Out of venerable Bede and learning was chosen Abbot of the Benedictin Monasterie of Niridan in Campania not farre from Naples He was a great diuine and very skillfull both in the Greek and Latine tongue and to these sciences was added as an ornament of all a true zeale of the seruice of allmightie God and monasticall discipline with a perfect knowledge of Ecclesiasticall gouernment All which shined soe cleerly in him as they gaue sufficient testimonie with how sincere a desire of vertue he had first forsaken the world and putt on the habitt of religion II. IT happened during the time of this holy Abbot that the Metropolitan Sea of Canturbury by the death
MOLANVS and GALESINVS in their Martyrologes make worthie mention of S. BRITHWALD S. BENEDICTVS BISCOP ABBAS PATRONVS Congregationis â—enedictinorum Angliae Jan. 12º The life of S. BENNET surnamed Biscop Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by venerable Bede his disciple THE GLORIOVS seruant of God S. BENNET by byrth descended from the auncient race of the nobilitie of England but the nobilitie of his mind was such as farre more deserued the fellowship and companie of the noblest and worthiest sort of the English nation He was borne in Yorkshire and in his youth followed the discipline of warre in the Royall seruice of Oswy king of the Northumbers from whose princely liberalitie he receaued as the reward of his faithfull seruice no small possession of lands His life during his youth meanes suteable to his degree and calling These for a time he enioyed till he attayned to the florishing age of twentie fiue yeares and then a diuine inspiration mouing him therevnto he forsoke left the world and fading worldly goods for loue of the eternall he despised the warre fare of these lower regions the vaine rewards thereof that seruing vnder the enseigne of our true King CHRIST IESVS he might receaue an euerlasting kingdom aboue He left his countrey house and kinred for the loue of CHRIST and his Ghospell that he might gaine the hundredfould reward he promiseth and possesse life euerlasting he refused to enter into worldly mariage that in the court of heauen he might be worthie to follow the holy lambe soe candid with the glorie of virginitie he loathed to be a carnall father of children being ordayned by CHRIST to His first iourney to Rome traine vp his children in the spirituall doctrine of heauen Hauing left therefore his countrey because the Christian faith and Ecclesiasticall discipline was yet but rawly established in England he went to Rome there as in the source and fountaine of all true religion to learne a perfect forme oflife where CHRISTS chief Apostles had planted the first and principall foundation and head of the whole Catholicke Church He visitted the sacred tombes of the Apostles with great deuotion vnto whom his loue was allwaies such as the teares now shed ouer their shrines were sufficient witnesses to prooue it excellent But he made no long stay at Rome but returned back into England where he was verie diligent and carefull to honour and as farre as he was able to practise him self and teach others those rules of Ecclesiasticall discipline at home which he had learnt and seene abroade II. ABOVT that time Alchifridus sonne to Oswy hauing a great His secoÌ„d iourney to Rome desire to goe to Rome to visitt the holy shrines of the Apostles would needes take that iourney with S. BENNET notwithstanding the earnest persuasions and entreaties of his father to stay at home Their iourney succeeded well and shortly after they returned in safetie againe during the time of Pope Vitalian When S. BENNET came not emptie but loaden with the sweetnes of good and wholesom doctrine as before which the better to digest after some He taketh the habitt of S. Benedict moneths he departed out of England and went to the Benedictin monasterie of Lirin in France where he tooke leaue of the world and putt on the monasticall habitt of the great Patriark of Monks S. BENEDICT and receaued the Ecclesiasticall tonsure In this pious schoole of regular discipline he liued for the space of two yeares very carefully learning and obseruing the rules of a true monasticall and religious life But noe sooner was he a litle hardened in the surnace of religion and made perfectly strong and able to resist the temptations and aduersities of the world but his loue to the Prince of the Apostles which it seemes lay buried at Rome serued as a loadstone to draw him thither againe And finding a fitt opportunitie of shipping he committed him self to that much desired iourney which most prosperously he performed It was at the time when Egbert King of Kent as we haue sayd in the life of S. ADRIAN had sent Wighart to Rome to be consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury But Wighart dieing and Theodore being made Archbishop in his steede S. BENNET found to be a man very wise religious and industrious allthough at that time otherwise determined was by commaund of the Pope compelled to cease from the deuotion of his pilgrimage to attend vnto imployments of a higher calling which was to returne into England with Theodore now Elect of Canturbury and S. ADRIAN Abbot to serue them both for a guide and an interpreter by the way and in England BENNET whose chiefest lesson was obedience most willingly yeelded to the Popes desire and brought the Archbishop into Kent where they were both gratefully wellcome Theodore a scended the seate of the Archbishoprick and S. BENNET vndertooke the gouernment of the monasterie of S. PETER and PAVL in Canturbury of which afterwards S. ADRIAN was made Abbot For S. BENNET hauing ruled there two His third iourney to Rome yeares entred into his third iourney towards Rome which he performed with his wonted prosperitie And at his returne he brought with him not a few bookes fraught with diuine learning all which he had eyther bought at an easie rate or receaued gratis from his friends Coming thus loaden into England he betooke him self to haue some conference with the King of the West-Saxons called Kenewalk whose courteous friendship he had made vse of before bin much assisted by his benefitts to him-wards But this good King being about the same time taken away by an immature death the holy man was frustrated of his desire and therefore he turned his iourney directly into his owne countrey where he was borne and went to Egfrid then King of the Northumbers To whom he made relatioÌ„ of all whatsoeuer he had done since he departed a yonge man out of his countrey neyther did he keepe secret from him how he was enflamed with a feruent desire of religion then he tould him whatsoeuer he had learned both in Rome other places touching Ecclesiasticall and monasticall order and discipline and what store of diuine bookes he had purchased and with what great reliques of the Apostles and Martyrs he had enriched his countrey At length the King liked him soe well and preuayled soe farre with him and gott soe great loue and familiaritie that he gaue him out of his reuenews the lands of three score and tenne families to build a monasterie in honour of the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER which S. BENNET with great ioy and speed performed in the yeare of our Lord 674. the fourth yeare of King Egfrid III. IN THE meane time before the foundation of the Church was layd S. BENNET went ouer into France and brought thence masons other skillfull workemen to build it of stone according to the Roman fashion which he euer loued And
the venerable and beloued man of God Sigfrid Luc. 11. v. 17. hauing passed through the fier and water of temporall tribulation was by a wellcome death brought into the sweet refreshing of an euerlasting rest And at length after fower moneths more the excellent worker of vertues and great conquerour of vices S. BENNET conquered with the weakenes of his earthly body came to his last It was when the frozen night came on with his winter blasts to begett a sacred day of eternall and cleere light of felicitie His watchfull brethren mett togeather in the Church with prayers and psalmes to driue away nights horrid shadows and to comfort the grief of their deare fathers departure with the continuall singing of the diuine prayses Some would not bouge out of the chamber and from the beds side in which the strong sickman lay expecting by the passage of death to take the sweet entrance of life With desire they expected that as his example taught them how to liue well by the same they might likewise learne how to die For the further mitigating of his grief the Ghospell was read all night as it was wont by a Priest that attended on him The hower of his departure drawing neere the Sacrament of CHRISTS facaed bodie was giuen him for his viaticum and soe that blessed soule hauing bin a long time parched and examined in the flames of an happie tribulation forsaketh the earthly furnace of the flesh and being at libertie tooke a long desired flight to the neuer-dieing glory of His death celestiall happines This glorious Confessor died in the yeare of our Lord 690. the twelfth day of Ianuary when he had gouerned his monastery sixteene yeares eight by him self and other eight with the assistance of his holy Colleagues Eosterwin Sigfrid and Colfrid He was buried in the Church of S. PETER which he built that soe he might not be separated from him in death whom he euer loued in his life and by whose ayde the gates of heauen were opened vnto him His life is written by S. BEDE whom we haue followed VSVARD MALMESBVRY WIGORNIENSIS IOHN CAPGRAVE BARONIVS and other graue Authours make honourable mention of his vertues This Sainct BENNET was the first that reduced the BENEDICTIN order in S. Bennet Batrone of the moderne Congregation of England England into the forme and gouernment of a Congregation that is when manie monasteries are vnder owne head or superiour who during his time whether it be perpetuall or determined vppon yeares is supreme monarke as it were of them all And for this cause the English Congregation of Benedictin Monks now extant and deriued immediatly from the auncient Congregation of England both by succession and Apostolicall priuiledge honoureth this glorious Sainct as their chief Patrone next after the vniuersall Patriarke of the whole order great S. BENEDICT him self and Sainct AVGVSTIN our first Apostle For allbeit in the beginning the Congregation which he erected consisted only of two monasteries as may be seene in his life yet afterwards the whole number of the Black Benedictin Monks in England was ranged into one Congregation as appeares by the bulle of Pope Innocentius the third graunted vnto them And in like manner as the Congregation of Clunie and others beganne srom a small number to grow to such greatnes soe likewise did that of England from the vniting of the sayd two monasteries by S. BENNET BISCOP encrease to a generall vnion of all the Benedictin Monks throughout the vvhole Jland The life of S. ALVRED Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by John Capgraue ALVRED borne in England of nobles parents was brought vp from his tender age in the feare of God and good learning he learnt euen in his youth to vndegoe the sweet yoake of our Lord remayning allwaies in the innocencie of his life pure from all spott of sinne His pietie and learning encreasing daily with his age he gayned soe great fauour and loue with Dauid King of the Scots that he esteemed him before most of his court and had exalted him to a Bishoprick had not his entrance into a He refuseth a Bishoprik religious order hindered it In all occasions this holy youth carried him self with soe great pietie and meeknes as noe iniurie could moue him to anger noe opprobrious speeches could prouoke him to reuenge he allwaies endeauoured to repay hatred with loue to render good for euill to ouâ—rcome enuie with dutie and seruice A certaine knight perceauing him to be beloued and honoured of the King more then anie other raysed a hatefull and malignant persecution against him and grew so fierce in his malice that he was not afray sometimes openly to vomitt part of his venom against him with iniurious words before the King him self To whom the holy man with a mild and vnmoued countenance You speake verie well sayd he and honestly I know your tongue was neuer acquainted with vntruths and therefore I take you to be His rare humilitie patieÌ„ce my verie good friend The knight finding him to be a firme rock whom all the outrageous stormes of his malice and hatred could not moue nor stirre from the ground of vertue suffred a willing ouerthrow in his wicked endeauours and shewing the effects of a repentant mind demaunded pardon for his great temeritie promising from thence forth euer to oblige himself vnto him in an vnsayned league of friendship To whom ALVRED I confesse sayd he I reioyce hartely at thy repentance and therefore I shall loue thee better farre then euer for thy hatred to me hath encreased my A good lesson loue to my deare Redeemer and my patience being exercised and tried hereby hath perhapps bina meanes to make me profitt a little in my dutie to allmightie God Thus this B. man froÌ„ the briers of other mens malice reaped the sweetroses of vertues vnto him self II. AFTER this meaning to bidd adieu to the world and all He taketh the habitt of a monk the vanities thereof he went vnto the Abbey of Rhieuall or Ridall in Yorkshire and putt on the habitt of a Bernardin Monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT In which solitarie kind of life giuing him self wholly to contemplation of heauenly things and the continuall exercise of true religious and monasticall vertues he attained to such perfection that like the moone amongst the lesser starres he shined amongst the rest of his brethren in all manner of vertuous life and behauiour And shortly aster he was soe He is made Master of the nouices good a proficient him selt that he waÌ„s thought able to read a lesson of vertue vnto others and therefore the education of the nouices or probationers was committed to this chardge But whilest he executed that office there was an vnconstant Clerk that entred into the order whose vocation after a small triall beganne to wauer like a reed in the wind His vnstedfast mind being
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
he had passed ouer some yeares ouercoming manie a teadious day irksome night with wonderfull patience the hower of his death drawing neere wherein he should receaue Heauenly musick at his death the euerlasting rewards of his labours there was heard in the ayre ouer his cell most melodious tunes of heauenly voyces that enterchaingeably sung the hymne TE DEVM LAVDAMVS to the end In the meane time a Monke that heard the sound of his little bell ranne thither and found him sitting on a stone with the bell-rope in one hand and a candle burning in the other And perceauing him to be dead he put of his garment and his hayre-cloath-shirt hauing washt his bodie with water it became suddenly as white and cleere as snow neither did there remaine on his skinne anie signe or scarre of his former grief to be perceaued His face seemed soe beautifull and resplendent as he could hardly be knowne for the man he had bin and he appeared as though not death but a sweet sleepe had seased on his bodie VIII THE Benedictine Monkes of Tinemouth hearing of his departure mett togeather to carrie away the bodie and burie it in their Church but the people of the next Parish fearing much to be robbed of soe great a treasure according to their foretakeÌ„ counsell gathered a multitude of men togeather and endeauoured to preuent the Monks by taking away the body by force to burie it in their owne church But they were no sooner at sea but there arose a thick mist which painted the face of heaueÌ„ with such an hidcous darke picture of night that those rauishers wandered out of their way they knew not whither loosing both them selues and the prey they sought for The Monkes safely arriuing at Tinemouth with their holy lading buried it very honorably neere vnto the body of S. OSWIN King and Martir in an arch of the wall on the south side of the Church where manie miracles were wrought afterwards by the intercession of this glorious Sainct He died in the yeare of our Lord 1120. the sixteenth day of January His life is extant at AntweÌ„rp in an auncient manuscript out of which IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE we haue gathered the foresaid historie The life of S. DEICOLA Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 18. Written by Peter de Natalibus in catal SS DEICOLA borne in Jreland when he came to such age that he was able to make vse of his time went into France where he liued vnder the worthie Benedictine Abbot S. COLVMBAN in the monasterie of 〈◊〉 But when S. COLVMBAN was by King Theodorick banished out of France a place not worthie to contayne his vertues he tooke with him into Italie S. DEICOLA there being able to carrie his old age noe further with S. COLVMBAN he retired himself into a monasterie of Benedictin Monks called Lâ—tra in Burgundie where his holy conuersation and vertuous life was soe He is made Abbot of Lutra excellent pleasing to all and he wonne soe great confidence that he was made Abbot of the same place by the free election of the Monkes amongst whom he was admired for his great vertue and miracles At length ouercome with old age he gaâ—e vp the gouernment of the monasterie to a vertuous disciple of hâ—â—â—â—med Columbine and retired him self to a secret place where he spent the small remnant of his life in continuall prayer and contemplation of Luc. 10. v. 42. that one thing which is only necessarie for the saluatioâ— of soâ—les Till feeling the happie minute of his departure to draw nigh he called his brethren about him and recommending vnto â—hem the obseruance of true loue and monasticall discipline he denoutly receaued the last Sacraments and made a happie chainge of this teadious His death world for the sweet enioying of immortall happines the eighteenth day of Ianuary His bodie was buried in the same monasterie where on this day of his deposition his memorie was yearly celebrated His life we haue gathered out of PETER DE NATALIBVS in his Catalogue of Saincts TRITHEMIVS in his historie of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order VSVARD and others â—â—ke worthie â—â—ntion of S. DEICOLA and the 〈◊〉 Martirologe this day S. WOLSTANVS EPISCOPVS WIGORNIENSIS in Anglia Monachus Benedictinus Jan. 19. The life of S. WOLSTAN Bishop of Worcester a Monk of the holy order of S BENEDICT IAN. 19. WritteÌ„ by Senatus Brauon a Monk of Worcester THE beloued seruant of God S. WOLSTAN was borne in Warwickshire of worthy and religious parents who offered him to S. BENEDICT in the monastery of Peterborough where his youth was piously trained vp and instructed both in secular learning and Ecclesiasticall discipline till he grew of yeares and sufficiencie that he was made Priest In which sacred function he soe worthily behaued him self that his godly manner of life was alwaies His manner of life being a Priest in the world correspondent vnto the height of his dignitie He euer celebrated his Masse with wonderfull great grauitie and reuerence adding both before and after that dreadfull sacrifice daily preparations and prayers in which for the most part he spent the whole day being contented for his poore maintenance only with the voluntarie offrings of deuout people The flower of his chastetie as a rich treasure he kept vndefiled all his life time In a word he led soe vertuous a life that liuing in the world he might be compared with the best and preferred before manie Monkes in the Cloister Soe continent in his diet that he was neuer knowne to drinke one draught without necessitie and allthough for a time he did eate flesh yet he left that custom too vppon this occasion Being one day to goe forth vppon a speciall and an vnexcusable necessitie lest he should depart without his dinner his seruants had sett a goose to the fier to be rosted against the end of Masse In the meane time A strainge motiue to forâ—ake eating flesh the holy man goes to the aultar and being in the mid'st of the sacrifice because the Church was neere adioyning vnto his house the strong sauour of the roast-meate struck into his nose and caused a suddain distraction in his mind in soe much that at first he seemed to haue bin ouertaken with a little glimpse of pleasure therewith But recollecting him self with an acknowledgment of his faulte he vehemently endeauoured but in vaine to repell that cogitation Whereat being stricken with the zeale of an holy anger against him self he made a vow before the holy Sacrament which he held in his hands neuer to tast anie meate of that kind anie more Masse being ended he departed about the affaires he had in chardge without taking one bitt of meate alleadging that the vrgencie of his iourney could suffer noe longer delay And herevppon he abstained euer after from all manner of fleshie and vnctuous meates whatsoeuer Yet was he not so rigid as to
condemne or frowne on such as did eate flesh but willingly permitted them affirming merrily that as for his owne part he had noe desire to that kind of meate and if anie flesh were pleasant to the tast his opinion was that larkes were most pleasing and daintie in the eating II. THE holy mans father whose name was Estan and his mother Wlsgeue long before they died agreed both to professe perpetuall chastetie His parēts professe religion and to liue separated vnder the holy habitt of religion which they as faithfully performed as they died happily whose pious example lest the fruict should degenerate from the tree WOLSTAN resolued to follow being of him self much inclined that way and much more incited thereunto by the good perswasions of his mother He taketh the habit of S. Benedict Therefore putting on a constant resolution he forsoke the world and in the monastery of Worcester where his father had liued before he receaued the habitt of S. BENEDICTS order by the hands of Brichthege then Bishop of the same place It was rare to behold how in his verie entrance into the cloister he began likewise to enter into a strict and religious course of life exercising him self soe brauely in watching fasting prayer and all other vertues that he suddenly appeared as a wonder amongst the rest of his brethren Herevpppon the good rule and gouernment of his owne life caused him to be chosen for Master and Guardian of the yonger Monkes or nouices and afterwards by reason of his skill in singing and knowledge of the Ecclesiasticall office he was made Cantour and Treasurer of the Church riches by which office hauing gotten occasion more freely to serue God he gaue him self totally to a contemplatiue life remayning night and day in the Church eyther at his prayers or reading spirituall bookes continually punishing his body with a fast of two or three daies togeather soe giuen to holie watchings that not only a day and a night but sometimes which saith Roger Houedon a graue Authour we could scarse beleene had His won derfull vvatching we not heard it related by tradition from his owne mouth he spent fower nights and fower daies without taking anie sleepe in soe much that the drienes of his braine had like to putt him in danger of life had he not speedily satisfied nature with some desired rest And when weake nature forced him thereunto he would not foster his wearied bones in a soft bed but was wont to take a little sleepe lieing on a bench in the Church with his prayer-booke vnder his head in steed of a pillow III. BVT after some time Agelwin the Prior of the Monastery bing dead WOLSTAN by the election of the Monkes and the authoritie He is chosen Prior. of Alred the Bishop was constituted and ordayned Priour in his place which office most worthily he performed not forgetting allwaies to keepe in practise the austerity of his former conuersation yea to giue the greater example of life vnto others he encreased it more and more Three dayes in the weeke he abstained from tasting anie meate at all obseruing continuall silence the other three dayes his diet was rootes or herbes boyled and barly bread Whilst he shineth in this high degree of vertue and pietie the deuill enuying soe great goodnes assaulted him with a most horrible temptation For praying one night in the Church before the high aultar that wicked enemie of mankind appearing in the forme of a feruant at Court with cruell importunitie chalenged him to wrestle the holy man though already tired with patience yet in his owne defence he grappled with him and that soe stoutly as three seuerall times he layd him along to receaue a rude salutation on the pauement He wrestleth with the deuill yet in the last encounter he was soe breathlesse with the extremitie of labour that panting and gasping for wind he had allmost fallen into a sound But the diuine clemencie was present to his ayde and draue away that hellish monster to his place appointed and WOLSTAN perceauing him soe suddenly vanished then first vnderstood that it was the deuill whom before he tooke for a seruingman at whose only sight euer after he would waxe pale and tremble and quake all his bodie ouer with the very feare and thought of what had past in this encounter Which in him was much to be admired who otherwise was a man of a mightie courrage soe farre His great courage voyd of anie feare as he was wont to say he knew not what it meant For he would ride ouer bridges that were broken and dangerous neuer allighting from his horse and securely walke along the narrow ridges of high buildings without anie feare that we may worthily say of him Justus vt Leo confidens A iust man is confident Prou. 28. v. 1. as a Lion IV. A LADIE very rich and beautifull was soe farre besotted with a frantick and vnlawfull loue to the holy man and soe cruelly He is tēpted by a lasciuious woeman vexed therewith as her impure desire forced her beyond the limitts of shame and brought her to such a degree of impudency that she tore the vayle of modestie and layd open her filthie desire vnto him praying and entreating him with sighs and teares of sond loue to remitt a while his wonted rigour and voutchafe to take a tast of the delight of her bed-chamber More she would haue sayd but the holy man who thought she had allready sayd to much rose vp in a zealous anger and quickly cutt off the threed of her vnchast discourse He reiected her and arming his forehead with the signe of the crosse Pack hence sayd he thou wicked firebrand of lust daughter of death and vessell of Satan and thereat with all his force he gaue her such a smart blow on the face which though it heated her cheeke yet it cooled her foule desires that the sound thereof was heard all ouer the house And by this meanes like an other vndefiled Ioseph refusing to consent to her vile and wanton allurements he bridled the vnchast desires of her heart with the smart of an outward punishment V. HE WAS wont euerie Sonday with great care and deuotion He preacheth euerie Sunday publickly to preach the word of God vnto the people at which one of the monks being without iust cause disconteted reprooued him saying that it was the office of the Bishop only to preach and teach and that it better became a Monk as he was to keepe silence within his cloister and not to gadde abroade and putt his sicle into other mens haruest The holy man answeared The word of God is not bound 2. Tim. 2. and nothing is more gratefull then to preach CHRISTS Ghospell and reduce his people out of errour into the true waie therefore he would not desist from soe good a worke But the night following that Monke receaued the iust punishment of his boldnes being in a
Bishops compelled me and when holy King EDWARD my s 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ed me to this 〈◊〉 He by the au 〈…〉 of the Sea Apostolicke layed this burden on my 〈…〉 ke shoulders and by this staffe commaunded me to be 〈…〉 sted with Episcopâ—ll dignitie now you exact me to giue vp the pâ—stâ—r all 〈◊〉 which you bestowed 〈◊〉 you take away the office which you 〈◊〉 me 〈…〉 And 〈…〉 ly I am soe farre from being ignorant of mi 〈…〉 wâ—â— insufficiencie that submitting my self to the sentence of this holy con 〈…〉 rie I will indeed resigne vp my staffe of offices but to whom to you â—â—e but rather to him by whose authoritie 〈◊〉 first receaued it Hauing sayd these words he went directly to S. EDWARDS sâ—rine and there speaking to the holy Sainct Thou know oft my 〈…〉 aigne Lord sayd he His speech before S. Edwards shrine how vnwillingly I vnderâ—ookâ— this charâ—ge how ofâ—eÌ„ I auoiyded iâ— how often I hidd and absented my self when I was sought for to 〈◊〉 it I confesse I playd not the part of a wise man in taking it but thou di 〈…〉 force me to it For allâ—hough 〈◊〉 neyther the election of my brethren â—on the desire of the people the consent of the Bishopâ— noâ— the fauoâ—â— of the Nobles yet tâ—y sole authoritie ouer me weighed downe all these thy will vrged me more then all the rest But now new Lordâ— new lawes our new Archbishop and our new King make new 〈…〉 rees and promulgate new op 〈…〉 They seeme to condemne thee of errour who diâ—â—â—â— co 〈…〉 d and me of presumption who consented And then 〈◊〉 as a mortall man thou mightest well be deceaued but canst thou now being vnited by the liuing God Therefore I will not resigne to them that exact what they gaue not who as being humane creatures may deceaue and be d 〈…〉 ed but to thee who didst first giue it and who now translated into the very truth it self hast escaped thâ— darke night of errour and ignorance to thee I say I willingly resigne my staffe of office to thy cure I committ the chardge of those thou hast commended vnto mee and to thee I may securely leaue them thy meritts being soe well knowne vnto me IX HAVING spoken these wordes a little lifting vp his hand full of a confidence more then humane he struck his crosier staffe into the stone which couered the holy Kings bodie saying Take He yeeldeth vp his office it my soueraigne Lord and giue it to whom thee pleaseth And putting of his Episâ—â—pall robes returned againe to his cowlâ—â—â—d hood and became a simple Monk among the Monks All men wondred to see the staffe soe stedfastly fastned in the stone as if there it had taken roote But when some attempting to take it away had fayled of their intent the matter was related to the Councell whence 〈…〉 frank A notable miracle presently sent Gundulf Bishop of Rochester to the tombe to fetch it who was not able to stirre 〈◊〉 with all his force Lanfrank astonished with the strangenes of the miracle hastened to the tombe him self togeather with the King and the other Bishops and hauing first made his prayer to allmightie God he tried with all the force he had to take away the staffe but in vaine Hereat the King being strickeâ— with admiration cried out that this was all the handie worke of God him self The Archbishop in like manner now dissoluing into tearâ—â— ingenuously confessed his errour vnto the holy man saying Verily our Lord is iust and he walketh with the simple and his communication is with those that are humble Deare brother â—e haâ—â— derided thy holy simplicitie but God hath brought forth thy iustice as the day light Our rash iudgment hath erred against thee and hath made knowne to the world thy simplicitie soe gratefull vnto God By the authoritie therefore of the office we exercise or rather by the iudgment of God himself which hath conuinced He is rest o red to his bishoprick vs we againe restore thee to the dignitie and impose the chardge vppon thee which vnaduisedly we endeauoured to take away But WOLSTAN alleadging his owne vnabl 〈…〉 and pretending the burden to be beyond his forces did contend that in soe sacred a place ought to be placed a holy prelate Notwithstanding ouercome with their instant intreaties in sight of them all he came vnto the sepâ—lcâ—â—r and taking the crosier staffe in his â—and drew it forth with as great facilitie as if it had stuck but in 〈◊〉 peece of soft clay or 〈◊〉 Then the King and Lâ—â—frank both fell pnostrate at his feete desiring pardon of their errour and ear 〈…〉 tly recommending them selues to his holy prayers finding hereby to be most true that God hath made foolish the wisdom of this world and the foolish things thereof he hath chosen that he may 〈◊〉 the wife The holyman that would 1. Cor. 1. not be behind them in 〈…〉 litie and courtesie seeing them prostrate before him with all submission of mind prostrated likewise at their feete whence he would not rise without the Archbishops benediction which done he returned to his chardge X. A WOEMAN possessed with a wild deuill that caused her â—auingly to wander vpp and downe the fields and desert war by the He cureth possessed persons benediction of S. WOLSTAN restored to her self againe and deliuered from the power of that wicked spiritt the Sainct commaunding her to giue prayse thankes vnto allmightie God not to WOLSTAN to loue vertue and liue chastly left some worse mischief should befall vnto her She following his holy admonitions entred into a Nunnerie and led a life therein both gratefull and acceptable vnto allmightie God â—n other possessed person that was bound to a post with iron chaines speaking and roaring out a confusion of soe mavoyces that those that heard thought he had had an armie of men in his bellie which spake through his mouth The holy Bishop coming towards him he beganne to tremble and quake in all the parts of his bodie to gnash and grind his teeth to foâ—me at the mouth and horridly to bellow out against him The Bishop much pittying his woefull case lifted vp his hands to heauen and deuoutly made his prayers vnto allmightie God for his deliuerie and the end of his prayer brought a beginning of perfect health and libertie to the tormented person XI A LEAPER vglie and horrid to behold spotted all ouer his He healeth a leaper bodie with the vnseemely markes of his disease washed him self in a bath wherein was putt the water that had washed S. WOLSTANS haÌ„ds and presently the swelling of his blister◠〈◊〉 â—â—asswaged the contagious matter ranne out and all his bodie became as pure and cleere as a yong childs 〈◊〉 a nunne daughter to King Harold was troubled with such a dangerous swelling in her eyes that her â—ylidds being growne to thick lumpes of flesh had quite couered her
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
came not to passe soe much by their counsels as by the secret prouidence of the diuine wisedome to the end her intended deuotion might by some occasion be fullfilled according to her desire Being therefore conueyed by some of the most auncient Princes of France vnto the long desired monasterie of Chelles and there by the Nunnes honourably receaued into their companie she gaue heartie She becometh a Nunne thankes vnto allmightie God who hithereunto had preserued her vnder the shadow of his holy protection and now had brought her vnto the sweet hauen of her desires Now she that before swayed the Her obedience scepter of France submitted her self to the obedience of a poore Abbesse as her mother appearing to the rest of her sisters not as a mistresse but as a discret seruant in all things pioufly bearing a seruiceable dutie vnto them And with such courage of mind she shewed Her humilitie vnto all an example of sincere humilitie that in her turne she would serue her sisters according to S. BENEDICTS rule in the office of the kitchin washing and clensing all implements therevnto be longing and performing all other base offices of the house And these acts of humilitie she did with a merrie and willing mind for the pure loue of him that sayth in the Ghospell J came not to be serued but to serue For what heart could euer think that the height of soe Mat. 20. v. 28. great power should become a feruant in things soe base and abiect vnlesse the mightie loue of CHRIST had graunted this speciall grace vnto her With teares she daily insisted at her deuotions and prayers and often times frequented her spirituall lecture and in her visitations of the sick which were verie frequent her custom was to impart some pious consolation and godly exhortation vnto them Her charitie She was soe well practified in the studie of charitie as she sorrowed with the sorrowfull reioyced with the ioyfull and for the weake and sickly she would often with humilitie putt the Abbesse in mind Rom. 12. to gett them prouided with necessarie helpes both for bodie and soule whose pious desire she like a good mother did very carefully see performed for indeed according to the rule of the Apostles Act. 4. they had but one heart and one soule soe dearely and tenderly they loued each other in the true loue of IESVS CHRIST VI. IN THE meane time this blessed woeman beganne to be afflicted She falleth sick with a sicknes of bodie and to labour grieuously with a certaine griping in the gutts which had brought her neere her end had not the grief bin something asswaged by the power of phisick But allthough the force of her paine did cruelly torment her tender bodie yet she ceased not out of the puritie of a holy conscience to giue thankes vnto the heauenly phisitian who succoureth those that labour in tribulation and from whom she confidently expected to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her suffering And shewing her self a great example of vertue vnto others she studied to giue her sisters a patterne of true pietie obedience and humilitie often admonishing the Abbesse to be likewise mindfull of her dutie towards the King and Queene and other Nobles their friends that the house of God might not loose the good name fame it had gotten but rather encease it more and more in the true affection of charitie towards their friends and chiefly to gett strength and constancie in the sacred loue of God and their neighbours for according to S. PAVL We ought alsoe to haue the good testimonie of those which are 1. Tim. 3. without But aboue all by the mercie and loue of IESVS CHRIST she recommended vnto her to haue a verie speciall care of the poore and of strangers VII THEREFORE the death of this holy Sainct being at hand there appeared a famous vision vnto her in which she beheld a ladder standing vp right before the altar of the B. Virgin Marie the Her vision before she died topp whereof seemed to reach vnto the heauens and manie Angels ascended thereon which seemed to accompanie and leade her herself to the neuer dieing ioyes of Paradise O truely happie who in her iourney had Angels her companions This is the ladder which she erected to heauen in her life time These are her fellow Angels whom by her exercise of good workes she made her friends The degrees of this ladder are the twelue degrees of humilitie contained in the holy rule of S. BENEDICT which she professed by the continuall exercise whereof she deserued to be exalted to the cleere vision of of CHRIST IESVS the master of all humilitie By this vision the holy woeman plainly vnderstood that shortly she was to leaue this world and take her iourney thither where long since she had hidden her greatest and chiefest treasure commaunding those that had bene eye witnesses of the vision to conceale it from the rest of her sisters that they might not be contristated vntill it pleased allmightie God to call her vnto him In midst of these ioyes she beganne more and more with pietie and alacritie of mind to insist at her prayers neuer ceasing with humilitie and compunction of heart to recommend her self vnto her heauenly King CHRIST IESVS and hiding as much as she was able the vehemency of her grief she consorted the Abbesse Bertilia and the rest of her sisters with some hope of her recouerie easing them hereby of a present sorrow which afterwards tooke them before they expected it VIII BVT perceauing within a short time after that now she She yeeldeth vp her soule was to pay nature her due and feeling the violence of her payne to be readie to cutt asunder the vnion of her soule and body confidently arming her self with the signe of our redemption and lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she yeelded vp her blessed soule out of the teadious fetters of the bodie to be crowned with the diadem of eternall glorie For at the same instant a diuine splendour She is caried into heauen by Angels shined ouer all the chamber and with that verie light there appeared to the standers by a troupe of Angels with whom came her faithfull friend Genesins the Bishop to meet her and by this heauenly troupe her blessed soule long tried in the furnace of affliction was caried vpp out of their sight to receaue the rewards of her holy meritts amongst the Angels and Saincts in heauen She was buried in the little Church which she had built in honour of the holy Crosse But afterwards the manie miracles wrought at her tombe were cause that her bodie was taken vp and translated into the great Church of our Ladie which was not finished in her life time where it is kept with great reuerence in a rich shrine ouer the high aultar and manie times I my self haue seene it solemnly caried in procession This holy Nunne and
vnder a hedge being exposed to the iniurie of the wind and weather But allmightie god who neuer forsaketh his seruants sent forth a bright shining light which incompassed the holie man with such splendour that the next approching morning might well blush at the luster of his brightsom night And the same allmightie power shott a dreadfull thunderbolt into that village which had refused to harbour his messenger whereby it was fiered destroyed and buried for euer in its owne ruines Afterwards Tonanus a Bishop of Jreland vnderstanding of the fame of S. LAVRENCE and of his preaching came to see him and hauing heard him dispute of the Apostolique institutions of the Catholick Church and of the true obseruance of Easter he embraced the truth and earnestly endeauoured to reduce his owne countrey vnto the same V. LAVRENCE returning againe into Kent happened by the way to lodge in a house where his Hosts sonne was newly dead and He rayseth a dead boy to life the father and mother wonderfully lamenting their losse desired him yf he would haue them beleeue in the fayth of him he preached to restore their sonne to life againe The Holy Bishop hauing made his prayer vnto allmightie God full of faith and confidence in him that promised whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name shall be graunted vnto you coÌ„maunded the boy to rise and he arose forth with and related how when S. LAVRENCE prayed for him he was by the hand of bright-shining Angels taken out of the vgly clawes of the black horrid spirits and restored to his bodie againe Moued with this miracle the father and mother of the boy togeather with all their whole houshould and Kinred receaued the faith of CHRIST and were at the same time washed in the sacred font of Baptisme At length this holie Prelat hauing for the space almost of eleuen yeares gouerned the Sea of Canturburie continually labouring in His happie death the promotion of gods cause left this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of his labours in a better the second day of February in the yeare of our Lord 619. He was buried neer vnto S. AVGVSTIN his predecessour in the Benedictin Abbey of Canturbury dedicated vnto S. PETER and S. PAVL which had bin founded in S. AVGVSTINS time but was perfected and consecrated by S. LAVRENCE And in the Epitaph ouer his tombe mention is made of his scourging in this verse Pro populo Christi Scapulas dorsumque dedisti A long time after his death togeather with his fellow-Bishops and Saincts AVGVSTINE and MELLITVS he appeared in glorie to a lame cripple whose legges by the contraction of the sinews grew fast to his haunches but as he prayed for help in the same Church the Blessed Sainct with his owne hands seemed to dissolue his ioynts sinews soe that he suddenly found him self to be perfectly cured This life me haue gathered cheefly out of VENERABLE BEDE de geft Ang. lib. 2. and IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe this day TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 59. Harpsfield sâ—c 7. cap. 7. MALMESBVRY de gest reg Angl. lib. 1. cap. 1. and de gest Pâ—ntif Angl. lib. 1. and all our English historiographers doe whorthyly speaks his prayses The life of S. WEREBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the Holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 3. Out of diuers graue onthors AS a pretious diamond when it is artificially and well sett in a gould ring giueth a double lustre and grace vnto the eye soe the vertues of the mind which are engraffed in the nobilitie of birth and beautie of bodie doe shine with a farre greater glorie and dazle the beholders with more admiration A strong proofe hereof we haue in the life of the glorious virgin S. WEREBVRG who by the Sainctitie and vertues of her good life ennobled the resplendent royaltie and no blencs of her birth She was daughter vnto Wulfere Her royall parentage King of the Mercians and S. ERMENILD his Queene Being therefore borne of a noble and holie race and in beautie excelling manie other of her equalls she iudged it a thing verie vnseemly to degenerate from the vertue and glorie of her Ancestours or that the vilences of a corrupted soule should blemish and deforme the beaâ—teous grace of soe faire a bodie And because she had her beginning from noble progenitors she abhorred the terrene desires of the louers of this world to vnite her self to the most worthie spouse of all chast soules CHRIST IESVS vnto whom she betrothed the pure and holie soule of her vnstained bodie Gould gemmes costly apparell and whatsoeuer else the gorgeous pompe of this world doth bragge of seemed vnto her rather odious then glorious II. AT LENGTH the time being come when she was resolued to celebrate her spirituall spousage she went to the monasterie of Benedictin She taketh the habitt of S. Benedict Nunnes at Ely where CHRIST and his angels being witnesses she receaued the sacred vaile of virginitie and ranged her self into the companie of those holie virgins vnder the rule of S. BENEDICT and the gouernment of Etheldred her aunt theÌ„ abbesse of the same place From which time treading vnder foote the vaine pride of the world she euer shewed her self an humble handmayd of CHRIST by submitting her self to all her other sisters she ouercame them all in the vertue of true humilitie allwaies seruing their necessitie with the pious workes of a boyling charitie not forgetting likewise to keepe a speciall guard ouer her owne actioÌ„s lest she should committ anie small ouersight which might be displeasing vnto her heauenly spouse for whose loue she had forsaken the pompe of the world which mortalls soe much admire The whole forces powers of her soule were bent only to endeauour which way she might become excellent in silence abstinence watchings pious reading and holie Her pious exercises meditations That in a short time she went as farre beyond her other companions in these and all other vertues as she excelled the in the nobilitie of bloud yet allwaies thinking soe humbly of her self that she was euer most readie to obey them all and to vndergoe the basest offices of the howse In a word all her life was such that allthough as others doe she carried her bodie vppon earth yet she alwaies had her mind fixed in heauen and heauenly things III. AFTER she had a long time giuen such a patterne of vertue and religion in the monasterie of Ely king Wulfere her father being She is made Abbesse of three Nunneries dead Etheldred her vncle then raigning ouer the kingdom of Mercia sent for her home into her owne countrey and gaue her the gouernment of three monasteries of Benedictine Nunnes to wit Trentam and Hindbury in Staffordsshire and Wedune in Northamptonshire that with her good and pious example she might there promote the obseruance of heauenly and immortall life
a delightfull and mutuall accord of sainctitie certaine barbarous poeple who eyther from their painted garments as from some markes in their eyes were called Picts landed with a great nauie vppon the coastes of Britannie and being taken with a loue of the countrey set vppon the Brittans more by deceipt then force and for a time bore a tirannous sway amongst them One of theyr princes murdring the countrey before him and burning Churches and howses at he went arriued at length neere vnto Meneuia where he built him self a pallace And perceauing Enuie plotteth mischief against him the liues of S. DAVID and THELIAN to be soe holy and soe contrarie to his proceedings he greatly enuied them and spitt much of his venom in opprobrious reproachfull speeches against them whom he could not iustly condemne of anie fault And at length to make his malice bring forth the child of wickednes he commaunded his wife to send her mayds and make them the instruments of mischief by their lewd art and lasciuious allurements and motions of their naked bodies to atâ—empt the ouerthrow of the holy mens good purposes But as those wanton things followed their mistresses A iust punishment of malice directions and in the dishonest execution thereof exercised a kind of fayned phrensie or madnes in presence of the saincts suddenly they became mad indeed and returned to their commaunders without sufficient discourse to relate their owne misfortune Which being seene of that cruel persecutour turned all his furie into meekenes and both he and his whole familie receaued the fayth of CHRIST and were washed in the sacred font of Baptisme II. NOT long after S. THELIAN togeather with S. DAVID made a He goeth to Hierusalem iourney to Hierusalem where they spent some time in continuall prayer and visitation of the sacred places wherein our deare Sauiour wrought the miracles of his bitter passion and our deare redemption in those places they were wrapt in holy contemplatlon that they had noe memorie or thought of anie thing that was in this world Vnto S. THELIAN as he returned home they gaue a Cimball of more worth then greatnes and more precious then it was fayre for the sweet tunes thereof seemed to excell the sound of an organ it rung at euerie hower of its owne accord And this was a true figure of S. THELIAN who like vnto a cimball or bell which rayseth men from the dullnes of sleepe and slouth to prayse and serue God in the Church did he by his vertues and holie sermons stirre vpp By his prayers he expelleth the plague the hearts of the poeple vnto God out of the dungeon of sinne and wickednes Being returned prosperously into Wales by his prayers vnto allmightie God he freed the poeple froÌ„ a cruell plague which miserably wasted and deuoured the countrey Afterwards succeeding Dubritius in the Bishoprick of Landaff in that sacred dignitie he spent the whole remnant of his life gouerning his diocesse rather with his sainctitie and example of good life then by the exercise of his poewr and authoritie At length loaden with merits and old age by the happie losse of this fading world he purchased an euerlasting dwelling in heauen the ninth day of February about the yere of our Lord 563. The manie Churches in South Wales dedicated to S. THELIAN which to this day retayne his memorie by the Manie Churches dedicated to his name name of Llanthilo or Llanthilio are vnresistables witnesses and proofes of his great Sainctitie and as yet his prayse is fresh in the mouthes of all faythfull Whelchmen allthough the greatest part of that wretched nation doe liue in such blindnes that they would rather pluck him out of heauen then doe him or anie other of Gods Saincts anie honour at all contemning herein the counsell of the kingly prophet who inuiteth vs to prayse God in his Saincts with Psal 150. v 1. whom he liueth for euer Amen Thus much of this Saincts life we haue gathered out of IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE in his legend and NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 6. cap. 27. The life of S. TRVMWINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 11. Out of venerable Bede de gest An. lib. 4. TRVMWINE a maÌ„ of verie holy life was by Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury ordayned Bishop of the Picts then subiect to the English But after the ouerthrow and death of Egfrid king of the Northumbers caused by the same Picts S. TRVMWINE togeather with manie other monks of the monasterie of Ebbercune in the coÌ„fines of the Picts and English retired him self out of that Prouince and hauing recommended the greatest part of his monks to diuers monasteries according as he was able he him self chose his habitation at the Monasterie of Streanshall where vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT with a few of his companion-monks he led a most strict monasticall life profitable not only to him self as tending to the height of perfection but to manie others allsoe The Princely virgin S. ELFLED of whom the eigth of this moneth was the Abbesse of that monasterie who by the coming of this holy Bishop receaued great helpes in her regencie and much comfort for the directing of her owne life in the way of pietie The place where the Bishop with his monks liued was separate from the monasterie of enclosed Nunnes but not soe farre but that they were readie in all occasions to helpe them with the sacraments and all other spirituall comforts of their priestly function and dignitie The most holy Bishop TRVMWINE Hist l. 4. c. 2â— as venerable BEDE stiles him hauing liued there in great holines of life the space of manie yeares at length yeelded vp his Blessed soule to make One in the glorious quier of Benedictin Bishops in heauen His bodie was buried in the Church of S. PETER according De gest Pon. l. 3. §. de Pont. Eborac to the honour due vnto his blessed life and degree of sacred dignitie His holy reliques sayth Malmesburie togeather with others were found in the quier of that Monasterie and translated to a more eminent place becoming the sainctitie of soe great a Sainct Of him make honorable mention besides the aforesayd authors Mathew Westminster Trithemius in his 3. Booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order chap. 167. Arnold Wion and all our English historiographers He florished about the yeare of our Lord 700. The life of S. CEDMON confessor and monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 10. Taken out of Ve nerable Bede AS THE diuine guifts of tongues wisedome learning and such like wherewith it pleased allmigtie God to furnish his holy Apostles and adorne the primitiue Church haue not been wanting in later ages soe haue they not fayled in the time when our Englishmen first receaued the Catholick fayth An abundant and worthy example hereof we may behould in this holy Benedictin monke CEDMON He becometh learned by miracle who
he would receaue it he humbly desired pardon of all his brethren yf in anie thing he had offended them and imparted the like courtesie vnto them earnestly crauing it of him and then with great reuerence fortifieing him self with that heauenly Viaticum he prepared his pious soule to enter into the happie voyage of euerlasting life V. THIS done he asked the assistants how long it was to the hower that the Monkes should rise to Mattins They answered that the time was not farre of Well then sayd he let vs quietly expect that Blessing with the signe of the Crosse good hower And within a while when the standers by nothing suspected his death arming him self with the signe of the holy crosse the only signe of our redemption and softly inclining his head vppon the pillow he tooke a sweet slumber and therwithall in great His death correspondent to his life silence and tranquillitie both of mind and bodie he deliuered vp his still soule into the hands of his redeemer Soe that by the diuine prouidence it came to passe that euen as he serued our Lord in his life time with a pure and quiet deuotion of mind soe leauing this world he went to enioy the cleere vision of him he had serued by a peaceable and vntroubled death And that elegant tongue which had sung so manie sweet lines poems in prayse of his creatour did close vpp the breath of his last words to gods honour glorie when blessing him self with the signe of life recōmending his soule into the hands of his deare redeemer he changed this temorall life for an eternall He died about the yeare of our Lord 670. After the time of King William conquerour his bodie was found among the ruines of the monasterie of Streanshall and honourably shrined sett vpp in a Inuention of his bodie place worthie soe great a relique where the manie miracles wrought through his meritts are euident witnesses of what high esteeme he was in the fauour of allmightie God who is euer gloriousi n his saincts Amen His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. lib. 4. cap. 24. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 36. William Malmesbury de gest pont Aug. lib. 3. Arnould Wion l. 2. cap. 62. and other grau◠authours make honourable mention of him And be is highly commended of all for his great vertue and holy life and conuersation The life of S. ERMENILD Queene and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 13. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT ERMENILD was daughter to Erconbert King of Kent and S. SEXBVRG his queene naturally and from the womb she inherited her good mothers propension to workes of pietie compassion and relieuing of euerie ones necessitie Both mother and daughter vsed the same bountie and charitie towards all and being both queenes on earth they had both the same pious desires and affectiōs to the King and kingdom of heauen ERMENILD was giuen in mapiage vnto Wulfere King of the Mercians and by that meanes the kingdom of Kent was happily vnited to that of the Mercians At that time her husband Wulfere being but newly baptised his poeple were but rude and scarse well setled in the Catholick fayth but S. ERMENILD who had bin trayned vp from her infancie in true vertue pietie and religion with her care and singular example of holy life her wise and prudent exhortations and manie benefits liberally bestowed vppon them tamed the obstinate heartes of that rude and vnlearned poeple and brought them vnder the sweet yoake of IESVS CHRIST by a mild force and a forceble mildnes subduing those peruerse rebellious mindes to the obediēce of the Catholick Church II. SVCH and soe great was the feruour zeale of this holy woemā to the seruice honour of allmightie God propagation of Christiā religiō that she was wholely carelesse of all other affayres in respect thereof neuer ceasing vntill she had quite destroyed Idolls rooted out all the diuelish rites of Idolatrie and furnished her Kingdō with churches Priests for the cōfort saluatiō of her poeple whom in the end she accustomed diligently to frequent the diuine seruices and sacraments and all other duties of Christian pietie and deuotion And this her godly zeale was much promoted by the royall power and authoritie of the king her husband who inuited by her pious example much aduanced her good endeauours and did manie good workes him self admiring to see the whole intentions mind of his wife amōgst the turbulent broiles of the world to be allwaies soe truely fixed on the contemplation of heauen and heauenly things Besides she did abound in charitie and compassion towards the poore all such as were in necessitie and affliction in soe much that neuer anie came to her that departed without consolation and her liberall almes to relieue their want III. AT length after the death of her husband with whom she had She taketh the habit of S. Benedicts order liued seauenteen yeares and been mother of S. WEREBVRG whose life you may read the third of this moneth hauing hither vnto ouercome all others she now ouercame her self for goeing to the monasterie of Benedictin Nunnes at Ely she renounced all mortall pompe and glorie for the pure loue of the immortall and putt on the habit of S. BEMEDICTS order vnder the gouernment of her holy mother S. SEXBVRG then Abbesse of the same place Where by humilitie and obedience she became queene of her owne passions and spent the remnant of her life in continuall fasting and prayer and all other austerities of a vertuous and religious life And after the death of the Abbesse S. SEXBVRG S. ERMENILD was chosen in her place in which office whilest she dischardged the dutie of a verie religious vertuous Matrone inciting her subiects by her owne good examples to embrace the rules of true religion she was deliuered out of this mortall prison and called to receaue the euerlasting reward of her labours in heauen the thirteenth day of February about the yeare of our Lord 685. and was buried in the same monasterie Where after her death it pleased allmightie God for the honour and glorie of this sainct to worke manie miracles at her tombe Whereof one was that a Saxon condemned for some offence to be bound with iron chaines or rings being on a time present at Masse in the monasterie of Elie and as he prayed before the bodie of S. ERMENILD about the time the ghospell was reading his irons forced by some secret and diuine power fell suddenly from his armes to the great admiration of manie that were present at the sayd masse Her life we haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue William Malmesbury de gest reg Angl. lib. 2. cap. 13. de gest pontif lib. 4. Mathew Wistminster anno 676. and Wigorniensis an 675. mention is made of her by Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter in
of her byrth and hauing the prerogatiue of senioritie among her Fathers children was soe farr from glorying therein that for the only deare loue of allmightie god her creatour and the pure desire of heauen she vtterlie contemned those honours which worldlings soe highly admire and wholely setled and tied her self with all the thoughts studies cares desires and powers of her soule to find out the best and readiest meanes to attaine to that kind of vertuous life in which being free from all broiles and troubles of the vaine world she might spend the short time of her mortalitie in the contemplation of allmightie God and his heauenly guifts and graces thereby to ennoble the royaltie of her bloud which the nobilitie of perfection and vertue And the better to put these her good thoughts and purposes in perfect execution she â—â—â—â—ged her fath 〈…〉 littering and princely pallace for a monaâ—â—erie her royal◠〈…〉 irple for a hayre-cloathe her princely diadem for a little black vayle and in summe insteed of her worldly dowrie which could not but be exceeding rich and honourable she made a happie choyse of IESVS-CHRIST to be the only spouse and spirituall ornament of her soule II. ALL this she performed in a monasterie which her self had built She becometh a Nunne of S. Benedicts order at Wenlock in Shropsâ—irâ— where at 〈◊〉 hands of S. THEODORE a Benedictin monk then Archbishop of Canturburie she receaued the vayle of perpetuall virginttie and was ranged into the order of Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS or dâ—â—â—â—d 〈…〉 er made Abbesse of the virgins that she had gathered togeather in the same place and vnder the same rule This monasterie her father and her vncle Merwald and Wulfere both kings of Mercia verie richly adorned afterwards with large and ample possessions of lands manie pretious reliques of Saincts and diuers other great priuiledges and prerogatiues And now by reason of that holie societie soe worthyly addicted to the diuine seruice of God and cheefly for S. MILBVRG her self a mother worthie such a progenie or for that holie progenie worthie soe good a mother that sacred place beganne to represent a new kind of little paradise in which amongst the inhabitants was a holie contention striuing who should gett the prize in the aduancement of true pietie chastitie and humilitie to triumph ouer the vaine delights fond pleasures and fading glories of the world III. BVT yet S. MILBVRG farre excelled the rest especially in all humilitie and demission of mind preseruing her self for the spirituall vnion which her heauenly spouse most chast pure and vnspotted in all and through all her actions And as a bright A yong man taken with loue of her sunne to the lesser planets she gaue light vnto her other sisters by the rare example of her vertues to shew them the high way to perfection In this her holy course of soe great vertues CHRIST was not wanting to his pious virgin nether did he only giue her dayly a greater ardour of will and a fresh supplie of force to further her progresse in the path of vertue but allsoe honoured her with famous testimonies of his care and loue towards her and bestowed by her manie excellent documents to posteritie Amongst which one and not the lest was that being on a time out of her monasterie in a village called Stokes a yong gallant sonne to a prince of that countrey was soe taken with her beautie that he had a vehement desire to carrie her away by force and marrie her And hauing gathered a band of men togeather to putt his wicked thoughts in execution he endeauoured to make the holy virgin his prey but she that had intelligence hereof by reuelation from her heauenly spouse presently with her companie betooke her self to flight when the rash yong maÌ„ fiercer then anie wolf followed the pure lambe of CHRIST till coming to a little shallow brooke called Corse through which the Virgin with her companie had easily waded his furie receaued a stopp for the water as it were displeased at soe bad an enterprise suddenly She it miraculously preserued swelled vp and filling his bankes with angrie streames seemed to threaten those passengers with destruction The yong gallant much confounded and astonished herewith declared by his cessing to persecute the holy virgin anie further that the flames of his vnchast affection were vtterly quenched with the sudden inundation of that coole water In like manner as the water the fowles which we call Wild-geese did obey the will and commaundement of S. MILBVRG for when those creatures The fowleâ— of the ayre obey her made greate spoile and hauock in the corne fields neere vnto her monasterie the holy Virgin full of fayth which as our sauiour sayth can remooue mountaines commaunded them presently to be gone and chardged that nether they nor anie other of the same kind should euer dare to trespasse those fields anie more To whom a Syf they had been capable of reason the birds forth with obeyed neuer more endomaged those places this miracle lasted not only during her life but allsoe to our later ages as it is recorded both by the testimonie of the inhabitants thereabouts manie ancient writers Whereby you may see how it pleased the diuine goodnes to shew a miraculous fauour in our England to this his blessed Virgin like vnto that which in times past he shewed to S. ANTHONH the Hermite when he gaue him power and commaund ouer the wild boares in the desert IV. MANIE other wonderfull workes are related of this holy Virgin which the breuitie of this discourse will not permitt vs to rehearse of which these are that she restored sight vnto a blind man life vnto the dead sonne of a poore widdow Which deedes as in theÌ„ selues they are verie great soe in respect of those other benefitts and graces wherein by her pious exhortations and holy example of life she restored vnto manie desperate persons the heauenly light of the soule which they had lost and life euerlasting whereof their sinfull actions and vnworthines had depriued them they seeme to bee of farre lesse accompt in as much as the spirituall light and death of the Soule doth excell the mortall light and death of the Bodie V Now this holie spouse of IESVS CHRIST S. MILBVRG hauing made soe worthie a progresse in all kind of goodnes and vertue that Her speech to her Nuns before death euen in the winter of her old age the sweete flowers of her good workes euer florishing and encreasing more and more in perfection she became to desire aspire vnto nothing more then by the end of her labours in this world to attaine to the ioyfull fruition and presence of the only deare spouse of her soule who through the burning and purging affliction of a long and teadious feauer called her at length vnto him But during the time of this her last sicknes hauing gathered her Nunnes about her with great deuotion she
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
the Bishoprick vnto S. WILFRID and returned againe to his beloued solitude in the monasterie of Lesting where he remayned in the continuall exercise of pietie till Wulser King of the Mercians desiring the assistance of a Bishop in his countrey Theodore of Canturbury He is made Bishop of the mercians who would not graunt him a new one obtained of Oswy King of the Northumbers to haue S. CHAD sent into Mercia And because it was all waies S. CHADS custom as we haue sayd to trauell on foote to preach and teach the ghospell S. THEODORE finding him to be a verie holy man commaunded him hereafter to performe his longer iourneyes on horseback and he him self lifted him on his horse and forced him who out of the desire and loue of his pious labour on foote made great resistance to ride where soeuer his occasions should call him III. BEING therefore installed in the bishoprick of the Mercians and Lindisfarne he endeauoured according to the example of the auncient fathers and masters of vertue to administer his office with admirable great perfection of life and example The King Wulfere admiring the sainctity of the mā gaue him in the prouince of Lindisfarne or Lincolne the lands possessions of fiftie families for the erecting of a monasterie He held his episcopall seate at Lichfied where for his owne priuate vse he built a place not farre distant from the Church in which togeather with seauen or eight of his monkes he was wont more secretly and earnestely to exercise him self in deuout prayer meditation and reading holy scripture at such times as his ordinarie imployments and labour of preaching and diuine seruice did giue him leaue But amongst manie other his notable examples of A notable example vertue and pietie he bore in heart such a liuely impression of the feare of God which the royall prophet cals the beginning of wisedom Psal 110. v. 9. was in all his workes soe mindfull of the terrible dreadfull day of iudgement that whensoeuer there arose a more vehement and violent blast of winde and tempest he would straight fall most earnestly to his prayers and yf the storme were such that it were accompanied with the terrour of boisterous thunder or lightning he would instantly gett into the Church and neuer cease from praying and reading of psalmes vntill the heauens were cleered from those tempestuous commotions Being demaunded the Psal 17. v 15. 16. A good Lesson reason hereof Haue you not read answeared he that our Lord hath thundred frō heauē the most high hath sent forth his voyce He threw his darts and dispersed the people he redoubled his lightnings and troubled them For our Lord shaketh the ayre stirreth vp winds darteth lightnings and thunderbolts from heauen to stirre vp mortals to feare him to giue them a remembrance of his dreadfull iudgment to come that he may ouerthrow their pride confound their presumption by putting them in mind of that terrible hower wherein heauen and earth being on fier he will come with mightie power and maiestie to iudge the liuing and the dead It is our parts therefore to correspond to these his heauenly admonitions with the dutie of feare and loue that as often as by such violent commotions of the ayre and heauens he lifteth vp his threatning hand to strike and yet doeth not let fall his blow vppon vs we ought straight humbly to implore his mercie and by a diligent discussion of the secret closetts of our hearts to purge them from all vncleannes of vice lest at anie time we bee strucken vnawares With these terrible remembrances did this blessed Sainct endeauour to sharpen the minds of his monkes and other subiects to giue them a greater appetite to follow the sweete-hard way of vertue and good workes IV. AT LENGTH when he had most gloriously gouerned his Bishoprick for the space of two yeares and a half some daies before his holy departure out of this world that happie minute was reuealed vnto him For being one day alone in his oratorie a holie monk of his called Owen heard a most rauishing consort of celestiall tunes The Vision of a certaine Monke ouer and about the place where the Bishop prayed whīch dured for the space of half an hower After this the holy man opened his window and with a knock as his custom was called some from without vnto him Owen whose office it was to attend vppon him entred into his chamber whom he sent to call the rest of his brethren who were but seauen Then he admonished them faythfully to conserue the vertues of loue and peace with one and other and with an vntired diligence to follow and obserue the rules of regular The day of his departure is re 〈…〉 led vnto him discipline which he had planted amōgst them For sayd he the day of my departure is neere at hand that beloued guest which was wont to visit our brethren voutchafed allsoe this verie day to giue me warning of my long desired end Desire then the rest of our brethren to recommend my departure in their prayers to allmightie God allwaies remembring with fasting prayer and good workes to prepare themselues for their owne end the time whereof is soe vncertaine But the rest being departed out of the chamber the holy monk Owen who had seene and heard the vision aboue mentioned fell prostrat at the blessed Bishops feete humbly entreating him to declare the meaning of those heauenly ditties which that holy troupe of angels sung ouer his oratorie Indeed answeared he those blessed spiritts came to summon me to the holy court of heauen there to receaue the vnspeakeable rewards which soe long I haue aspired vnto and after seauen dayes are past they haue promised to returne to fetch me thither But I commaunde thee in the name of our Lord that thou presume not to reueale this vision before my death And it fell out according to this reuclation for the seauenth day after he yeelded vp his pure soule to the hands of his redeemer At which verie instant one Egbert a monke saw S. CEDDE S. Cedde cometh in glory to mecte him his brother incompassed with a blessed troupe of angels descend from the celestiall vaultes and carrie vp the vnspotted soule of this glorious Bishop into the euerlasting ioies of the heauenly Kingdom He died the second day of March and was buried first neere to the Church of our Ladie but afterwards a Church being erected there to the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER his sacred bones were translated into it in both which places for the greater testimonie of his vertues manie miraculous cures of diseases were wrought V. A MAD man who lead by the lightnes of his frantick braine A mad man cureed at his tomb ranne wandring vp and downe happened one euening as it were to stūble happily on that place vnawares of the watchmē that kept it and hauing rested there all that night in the
leaue the monasterie he had built and returne with CVTHBERT and the rest of his Monkes to Mailros Where CVTHBERT holding on the pious course of his monasticall life gouerned him self and his actions chiefly by the good counsell admonitions of the most holy man Boisil Priour of that place At that time a great plague making He is straÌ„gely recouered of the Plague houock all ouer the countrey laid hould of him allsoe for whose health as a most necessarie and profitable member of that monasticall bodie all his brethren fell night and day to their prayers Which coming to the holy mans knowledge And why sayd he doe I keepe my bed anie longer For doubtlesse the prayers of such and soe manie holy men cannot be voyd of effect before allmightie God No no giue me my staffe and rising at the same instant he committed his weake bodie to the supportment of his legges and staffe when to the great admiration of all the assistants he straight recouered his strength and perfect health Afterwards S. BOISIL being dead CVTHBERT succeeded in the gouernment of the monasterie Which office de discharged with wonderfull great example of vertue and diligence not only for the spirituall profitt of his owne domesticques but allsoe by his fruitfull endeauour in conuerting the common poeple thereabouts from the bad waies of their vices and fond customs to the loue of heauen and heauenly ioyes partly by the good example of his vertuous and holy life partly with his wholsom sermons and exhortations and partly by the miraculous curing of manie diseases For diuers of that countrey had profaned their fayth and religion with their wicked vniust practises and some neglecting the Sacrament of their Christian baptisme made vse of diabolicall and magicall phisick to ridd them selues and their countrey of the plague To remedie these euils the holy man trauclled through that countrey preaching teaching the way of truth and iustice vnto all with verie great profitt and fruict of his pious labours For he had soe great skill in teaching such an amiable Confession of sins enioyning 〈◊〉 penance force in perswading bore such an angelicall maiestie in his couÌ„tenaÌ„ce that manie forsaking their wicked life of theyr owne accord would reueale and confesse their most secret hidden offences for they imagined nothiÌ„g could lie hid froÌ„ him being coÌ„fessed willingly vnderwent the workes of peanance which he enioyned them for satisfaction of their sinnes But he was wont chiefly to visitt those His labour in preaching places and preach in those villages which were seated in the rude and rugged mountaines and hard to come at where by reason of the rusticitie of the poeple and barrennes of the places they were in great want of teachers In these places which bred a horrour to other men were his greatest delights and in these he would stay sometimes a weeke togeather sometimes two three yea a whole moneth neuer returning to his monasterie but labouring with his dayly preachings and examples of good life to reduce that rude poeple to the true knowledge and loue of allmightie God V. IN THE meane time the holy man began to excell in the spiritt of prophesie to foretell things to come and to declare things absent For being vppon some important necessitie of his monasterie to take shipping with two other monks to passe ouer into the land of the Pists called Niduars and the faire calmnes of the weather putting them in hope to make a speedie returne they went forth wholly vnfurnished of prouision in victualls but it fell out otherwise for they were noe sooner on land but there arose such a blustering and tempestuous wind that the sea moued with those furious blasts began-allsoe to be puft vp into whole mountaines of outragious waues which hindred them quite from thinking how to returne soe that being there among the cruelties of cold and hunger for the space of some daies they were allmost starued to death through want of victuals when the holy man was neuer idle but watching night and day in prayers comforted his fellowes with pious discourses inuited them to fall to their prayers and committ them selues into the hands and protection of allmightie God Hee feedeth him self and his followes by mirâ—cle who doubtlesse would succour them in this necessitie as he did the children of Israel in the desert And now sayd he let vs goe to find out what sustenance our Lord hath sent vs his seruaÌ„ts Then leading them vnder the baÌ„ke where he had prayed a little before they found three peeces or portions of dolphins flesh readie cutt to be boiled with which they satisfied their hunger and gaue thankes vnto allmightie God for his benefitts You see deare brethren sayd he how great a grace it is to be confident in allmighty God Behould he hath He forelleth things to come not only sent food to his hungrie seruants but by the number of three signifies how manie daies we must yet remayne here before the tempest cease And it fell out as the holy man foretould VI. GOEING forth one day to preach accompanied only with a litle boy and being both wearied with their iourney and destitute of anie foode to repayre their weakened forces Tell me child sayd the holy man what courage thou hast by this time seeing that we haue nether meate nor drinck to satisfie our hunger nor noe place whither to retire our selues for shelter That is it replied he which greatly troubles mee since we haue nether victuals nor money to buy not friend to assist vs. Be confident An Eagle furnisheth him with meate my Child in the goodnes of allmightie God answeared CVTHBERT and rest assured that he will neuer abandon those in time of necessitie who giue them selues faythfully and with all their hearts to his diuine seruice Doest thou see that Eagle yonder which flies in the ayre marke her well for by her meanes our Lord will send vs succour in this extremitie With such like discourse they held on their iourney by a riuer side when the Eagle hauing taken a fish laid it for them vppon the bancke the owne half whereof the holy man caused to be left for their diuine puruey or and with the remainder he refreshed himself and his companion in the next village yielding most heartie thanks to the diuine goodnes for his benefitts where he allsoe sed the poeple with the spirituall food of the ghospell VII BVT AS he preached in one of those Villages the Deuill The deuill seeking to hinder his preaching a perpetuall enuier of goodnes fearing left he should draw his ministres out of the stench of their vices to the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion cast a fantasticall fier into a house neere to the Church during the time of his sermon But the holy man instructed by the diuine spiritt that is was but a deceipt of his hellish malice warned his auditors to listen only to the word of God
his will was created Prior in his place Which title of He is made Priour honour did not only not hinder him in the way to perfection but was rather a meanes more freely to applie him self thereunto by the coÌ„tinuall practise of diuine conteÌ„plation heaueÌ„ly discipline followed with soe great feruour that he attayned to suchan height of speculation that he discouered maintained with euident reasons manie questions and assertions of the diuine nature neuer heard off before his time Lying one night awake in his bed he had manie doubtfull thoughts how the Prophets did not only see things present but things to come allsoe foretelling them as distinctly as they had been present And being not able to perceaue how this might be his vnderstanding laboured with an incredible desire to be resolued in this poynt when on a suddaine fixing his eyes towards the Church and dorter by the meanes of a diuine light the beames of his eyes pierced through all the walls interposed and shewed him the monks whose office it was adorning the aultar preparing the quier for the singing He sâ—eth through the walls of mattins lighting of candles at the knock of the bell be beheld theÌ„ all rising out of their beds goeing to the diuine seruice Being much amazed hereat he vnderstood by this heauenly lustre that it was a verie easie matter with God to make the Prophets foresee things to come since he permitted him with corporall eyes to see what passed through the resistance of soe manie walls IV. FVRTHERMORE being replenished with the cleere light of wisedome he had such a certaine discretion of spirits that he easily pierced The geat light of his fâ—â—le the maÌ„ners and inclinations of all that came to him euen to the knowledge of their secretest thoughts He discouered allsoe the vetie source and roote of vertues and vices teaching with wonderfull rules and examples how to purchase the one and auoyd the other His vertuous exercises Out of the continuall contemplation of the celestiall happines and an ardent desire of the euerlasting life he would oftentimes powre out whole flouds of teares equally bewayling other mens sinnes as his one He had soe great force and efficacie in giuing of counsell that the verie spiritt of all good counsell seemed as in a throne to rule and raigne in his breast His continuall exercises in fasting watching prayer and other mortifications of bodie to bring it subiect to the spiritt were such and soe great that they deserue rather to be admired then writteÌ„ In fasting he had gott such a naturall habit that he was nether molested with hunger nor delighted in satisfying his hunger with eating He slep verie litle employing all his time in the carefull execution of his office in comforting the afflicted that had recourse vnto him in praying in meditating in studying in composing manie deuout bookes and corecting such as were corrupted V. THE prudence charitie and meekenes he vsed in gouerning His prudence in gouerning his subiects and trayning them in the studie of true vertue and religion was admirable especially towards those who were lesse obedient then was requisite Among whom were some whoe greatly enuied that he was preferred before them to the Priorship others who did carpe and back bite all his sayings and doeings Against these and their malice the prudent holy man fought with soe great discretion in shewing them all duties of fraternall charitie that with the sweetnes of his demeanour he brake their stonic hearts and with the maiestie of his humilitie and modestie he reclaymed them to the leuell of his owne will This sweet and meeke spiritt which our Lord bestowed vppon him appeared more cleerly in that which passed betweene him and a yong monk called Osberne one of a piercing witt and good abilitie but a verie libertine in his manners of a turbulent and detracting spiritt and in all things soe contrarie to his superiour that he disdayned to giue him a good looke when he was admonished to follow the rules of modestie and vertue Him runing headlong into the ruine of his One osberne iâ—ateth S. Auselme owne soule S. ANSELME vndertooke to cure which he performed with wonderfull great art and prudence For perceauing his course to be in a desperate violence inclined to vice he did not presently thunder against him with the terrour of sharpe words correctioÌ„s Anselms pious craft to reduce him to good but first shined in all loue and meeknes towards him giuing scope for a time to the raines of his inordinate passions when OSBERNâ— perceiuing how he enioyed his pleasures vnder the wings of his allowance began exceedingly to loue him and wholly to putt him self into his hands Off which desired occasion the holy man taking hould he beganne with a litle more seuetitie to curbe his depraued manners to cutt off all his boyish actions and to admitt nothing worthie reprehension in him which was not sharply reuenged both with words and stripes Whereby it came to passe that he who before was on the brinke readie to tumble into a precipice of vice was brought to the firme land of religious and regular obseruance whereon he kept sure footing to the hower of his death which followed shortly after During the time of his last sicknes S. ANSELME wayted him self vpon him and after his death eyther sayd or caused when he could not a masse to be sayd euerie day for the health of his soule the space of a whole yeare and by his meanes manie other seruants of God did the like A good example for all Superiours to learne how to carrie them selues in winning and correcting the sometimes turbulent spirits of their subiects how to deale with their sick and lastly how they ought to pray for those that die vnder their A good lesâ—oâ— for Superiours charge VI. HE SHEWED noe lesse charitie towards an other monke gray in old age but greene in vertue who by the instigation of the deuil was grieuously inceÌ„sed against the holy prelat soe that he could not affoor him a good word or looke This poore monk happened to fall sick and coming to such extremity that he expected nothing but death he seemed to behould two cruell wolues which tooke him about the neck and endeauoured to strangle him whereat he roared cried out soe dreadfully that S. ANSELME then busied in the cloister ranne towards the Infirmarie to know the matter and entring See the vertue of the â—oly Crosse into the chamber made the signe of the holy crosse vppon the sick man saying In nomine patris filij spiritus Sancti and straight he was quiet confessing that wheÌ„ ANSELME made the signe of the Crosse he saw as it were a fierie launce shott out of his mouth which feared away those vglie wolues that sought to deuoure him Then being exhorted to penance for his sinnes he confessed and was absolued by S. ANSELM who allsoe foretould him the hower
belonging to a good bishop yet in his mind there remayned allwaies a pious desire to goe in pilgrimage which his intention allbeit hidden from mans knowledge yet to God it was most knowne whose diuine goodnes shewed him the fauour at length to attayne the end of his wished desires III. FOR finding a fitt opportunitie he left his bishoprick and He forsaketh his bishoprick togeather with his auncient companions Plechelme and Otgerus he trauelled into France choosing rather to lead a poore and humble life amoÌ„gst straingers then to liue in pompe and glorie in his owne countrey But the more he sought to flie the glorie and honours of the world the more they followed him for in France King Pepin hearing of his great sainctitie receaued him and his fellowes with He is honorably entert ayned by King Pepin wonderfull ioy and honour And hauing vnderstood of their desire to a priuate manner of life he gaue them a place proper for that purpose called Peter-mount in the Diocesse of Liege neere Ruremond where was built a chappell dedicated to the B. Virgin MARY and a famous monasterie of sainct BENEDICTS order in honour of the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER In this place sainct WYRE finding him self seated according to his owne desire beganne againe to enter into the course of a monasticall life vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT which long since he had professed in England amongst His holy exercises the English monks setting forth him self and his fellowes as liuely patternes of religion and vertue to be imitated CHRIST only was the end of all his actions his tongue spake nothing but CHRIST his heart was acquainted with no other thought but of CHRIST for whose loue he dayly sacrificed him selfe to his seruice in watchings prayers fasting and all other mortifications and vertues belonging to a true religious and monasticall life Shining to the countrey both in learming holy coÌ„uersation And being adorned with manie vertues in bodie he liued on earth but in mind he was wholely conuersant in the diuine contemplation of heauen In fine it were too long worthyly to rehearse all the vertues of this holy man IV IN THE meane time King Pepin held him in soe great veneration that to him only as the spirituall guyde of his soule and the King Pepins humilitie in coÌ„fession patrone of his life he was wont to confesse and reueale the sinnes and deformities of his soule Nether was this good Prince ashamed to goe barefooted to confession vnto him and humbly to submitt him self to the arbitrement of his will soe highly he esteemed his sanctitie Moreouer he often made vse of the mature counsell of this holy man in the managing of the chiefest and weightiest affayres of his Kingdom At length Sainct WYRE began to perceaue the neere approach of death by the feeling of his two harbengers old age and sicknes that came vppoÌ„ him When decreasing dayly in strength he still encreased in vertue couragiously expecting that blessed minute which should sett free his soule to flie to the eternall reward of his meritts till by the violence of an ague he chainged the fall of his mortall bodie with the rising of an mmortall life and gaue vp his holy spiritt into the hands of his deare redeemer the eight day of May about the yeare of our Lord 763. His bodie was honourably buried in the foresayd chappell of the B. Virgin were manie miracles are wrought through the meritts of this glorious Sainct His bodie or the greatest part thereof was afterwards translated to Maâ—stricht in Germanie into the Cathedrall Church of that cittie where it is kept with great veneration of the inhabitants and his feast celebrated with an office of a double His life we haue gathered out of the author thereof recited by Surius tom 5. and Molanus in indic Sainct Belgii The Roman Martyrologe this day Baronius tom 8. anno 631. Trithemius of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 63. Arnold Wion lib. 2. cap. 53. Vsuard and mâ—nie others doe make aâ—ple mention of S. WIRE The life of Sainct FREMVND King and Martyr MAY 11. Written by Burchard a Monk of the same time FREMVND descending from a royall stock inherited the gouernement of the Kingdom when his father Offa was soe ouerthrowne wich old age that he was vnfit to manage those affayres anie longer But FREMVND when he had raygned a yeare and an half ruling his state by the balance of true iustistice He forsaketh his kingdom he soe litle esteemed the vaine pompe of the world in respect of the loue of heauen that vnawares of his parents and subiects of his Kingdom with two only in his companie whereof one was Burchard that writt his life and liued with him while he liued he departed to a secret and vnknowne Ermitage in the Iland called Ilefage which at that time was inhabited only by deuils and wicked spirits In this place hauing built a litle cottage and an oratorie in honour of the B. Virgin MARY he spent the space of seaueÌ„ yeares in continuall watching fasting and prayer dayly sacrifycing himself to God by the rude mortification of his bodie and ouercoming the rebellious passions of the mind When the deuill enuying soe great sainctitie in sainct FREMVND with manie grieuous batteries of temptations sought to ouerthrow his godly resolution bringing into his memory the pompe and glory of the world ly dignitie which he had forsaken and filling his mind with manie thoughts of the great good which his youtfull dayes might haue brought to his countrey But he found this souldier of CHRIST soe firme a rock that all his vaine assaults could nether shake nor stirre him from the seate and ground of vertue for hauing his heart alltogeather erected towards heauen and heauenly things he loathed to returne againe to the vanities of the world once despised for the loue of CHRIST therefore well might he be wearied with the temptations of the deuill but ouercome he could not be He is sent for to defend the Countrey II. IN the meane time the Danes breaking into England wasted and spoyled all with fier and sword as they went and hauing martired King EDMOND Offa much fearing their power sent for his sonne Fremund home Whom when the messengers had most straingely found out in his poore cell at his prayers falling downe at his feet they bewayled and declared the necessitie of his friends and parents the arriuall of their enemies the threatned ruine of the Christians and the vtter ouerthrow of their fayth vnlesse by his prudence and courage the countrey were defended against the furie of their barbarous enemies The champion of CHRIST much amazed at this newes staggered in his resolution not knowing what course to take Till recommending the matter to allmightie God by prayer he vnderstood it to be his will that he should goe Therefore armed with the shield of fayth he returned Fremund returneth to his couÌ„trey
holy virgin and courteously saluted her rauished with the beautifull beames of her fayre face he began with these sugred words to batter her pious resolution DIMPENA my onely daughter my loue my desire my All what necessitie moued thee soe to contemne the royall dignitie of thy natiue countrey to liue amongst strangers and soe to forgett all filiall loue as to forsake a king thy father and follow this decrepite old Priest obeying his commaundements as his daughter Why hast thou thus despised the royall court who art the only heyresse of the Kingdom of Ireland after thy father Be ruled therefore by my counsell and returne againe into thy countrey with vs for yf thou wilt but consent to thy fathers affections thy head shall be crowned with a royall diadem and thou shalt haue soueraigntie ouer all the princes matrones and Virgins of my kingdom Moreouer I will giue thee a place amongst the Goddesses and cause a temple of white marble to be built into which an image of thy beautie curiously wrought of gould and pretious stones shall be sett to be adored of all the countrey To these words as the holy Virgin thought to answere the venerable Priest Gereberne tooke the word out of her Gereberne reprehendâ— the king mouth and verie sharply rebuked the king with the titles of most wicked and abominable wretch in that he desired incestuously to defile his owne daughter a thing scarse euer within the thoughts of the most lasciuious lechers of the world Admonishing allsoe the then trembling Virgin not to consent to this filthy king lest she should incurre the indignation of the eternall king her spouse whose sweetnes she had allreadie tasted Hereat the king and all his followers pronounced the sentence of death against Gereberne as the authour of the flight and subuersion of Dimpna Therefore with great furie they drew him out of her sight and with their swords cutt him into peeces whereby he Gereberne is martired receaued the glorious crowne of martirdom for the defence of iustice V. THE KING hauing satisfied his furie on the bodie of this holy martir returned againe to his daughter and with a pleasing countenance began againe to perswade her to yeeld to his desire vsing all the reasons and arguments in loues Logick to winne her all which were but as soe manie arrowes shott against a fayre marble for the holy virgin retorted them with S. Dimpna answereth her father these words Wherefore thou vnhappie Tyrant doest thou endeauour with thy wilie promises to peruert me from my holy purpose of chastitie Doest thou thinke thou wretch that I will betray my deare spouse CHRIST IESVS and giue vp my bodie to be possessed by an other Thy princely delights I contemne desiring with my whole soule to obtayne the promises of my heauenly spouse which farre excell all other desires and in comparison hereof I disdaine to be adored in thy countrey as a Goddesse therefore vrge me noe more with these vaine friuolous speeches Then the kings lust turned into furie and his loue into a deadly hate the more he found the feruour of Christian religion to boyle in the brest of his daughter the more fiercely he endeauoured to peruert her And doe not think sayd he to wearie and delude me with thy vaine answers eyther suddenly graunt what I aske or expect to feele the smart of thy fathers anger as thy impostour Gereberne hath done who hath lost his head for the libertie of his tongue VI. WHEREFORE replied she most cruell tyrant hast thou slaine the beloued seruant of God Gereberns in whom thy malice could find noe fault Surely thou shalt not escape the iudgement of allmightie God for this foule act thy Gods and Goddesses I detest and wholly committ my self to the protection of IESVS CHRIST He is my spouse my glorie my health and my only desire Torture me kill me cutt me in peeces I am readie to suffer ioyfully for his sake all the studied cruelties thou canst imagine or inuent It was noe more hate and furie but rage and madnes that now possessed the soule of that miserable king hearing these words from his daughter whom presently he commaunded to be beheadded But all his companie fearing to execute his Dimpâ—a martired by her father cruell commaundment on soe fayre a subject him self quite forgeting all royall nobilitie and clemencie with his owne hands armed with his owne sword cutt off his owne daughters head who when his cruell arme bent that deadly blow against her coursgiously implored and recoÌ„mended her soule to the diuine goodnes which by that cruelly-happie separation was receaued into the heauenly pallace with the glorie of virginitie wayting on the triumph of martirdom O barbarous crueltie of the father I Oglorious triumph of the virgin The father was not ashamed to defile his hands in the bloud of his daughter and she was ioyfull to winne by that meanes the possession of a neuer ending glorie VII THE murderer with his followers returned into his countrey leauing the bodies of those holy martirs in the fields to be deuoured with wild beasts and fowles but CHRIST the king and crownâ— of his martirs did not permitt them to be torne whilst they lay exposed to the open ayre hauing at length stirred vpp some oâ— the adioyning inhabitants who moued with compassion buried their bodies in a caue where our Lord began straight to magnifie their glorie with manie great miracles which were dayly done in that place This gaue occasion to the neighbours thereabouts Miracles at her tomb to seeke those holie reliques and hauing digged deepe in the ground they found two tombs of pure white marble allbeit that countrey yeelds noe stones but what are black and browne and to shew that it was the worke of angels the marble was soe curiously wrought that both the tombs seemed to be of the same peece allthough they were seperated one from the other This miracle encreased the fayth and deuotion of the poeple that flocked thither from all partes to obtaine their health and other fauours of God by the intercession of these holy martirs which were verie liberally bestowed vppon them Afterwards the bodie of S. GEREBERNE was carried to Xaintes and and S. DIMPNAS remayned at Ghole the place of her martitdom till after some yeares the Bishop of Camâ—ray accompained with all his Clergie and an innumerable multitude of poeple translated Translation of her bodie her sacred reliques out of the tomb of marble into a shrine of siluer guilt and adorned with manie pretious stones the fifteenth day of May her martirdom was the thirtith of the same about the yeare of our Lord 600. At this time when the sepulcher was opened they found on the breast of saint DIMPNA a pretious stone like a rubie in which was written DIMPNA VIRGIN AND MARTIR VIII WHO can reade this life without amazement in acknowledging the frailtie and miserie of a man that should fall into such Consideration
the farthest parts of England and to Carlile where he retired him self into a certaine He leadeth a most strict solitary life vast and horrid wildernes to spend his time in the deuotion of a solitarie life Hauing liued a while in that fearefull place he happened at length to find the caue of an other verie old Hermite liuing there into whose societie according to his earnest desire he was admitted This good old souldier of CHRIST was a lay-man ignorant allmost of all booke-learning but hauing been conuersant before among the Benedictine Monkes of Durrham he was soe much the fitter more exactly to direct our GODRICK in the discipline of a monasticall life Then it was a rare spectacle to behould the most sweet and alltogeather heauenly manner of life of these two holy men night and day singing the diuine praises of allmightie God between whom was no other contention then whether more officiously should serue and obey his fellow After the space of allmost two yeares a deadly sicknes seased on the weake bodie of the old man during which it is allmost incredible to be spoken with how great loue and dutie GODRICK serued Godwin that was the holy mans name For the space of fifteen daies and as manie nights he tooke noe rest at all And when the force of human nature and infirmitie compelled him to sleepe he coniured the soule of that dying man by the dreadfull name of allmightie God not to depart out of his bodie whilst he was asleepe He had his desire for the strength of that aged bodie being dissolued he saw his soule He seeâ—h the soule of his companion dying more white then anie snow depart like vnto a burning hot breath of wind or like vnto a globe or sphere of most bright-shining cristall The bodie was buried in the Monasterie of Durrham And our holy GODRICKE hauing lost the comfort of his beloued companion pondering exactly with him self after what manner to spend the remaynder of his life in that desert and earnestly imploring the helpe of his singular Patrone saint CVTHBERT suddenly the same saint CVTHBERT appeared visibly vnto him and commaunded S. Cuthbert appeareth vnto him him to goe againe to Hierusalem to be made partaker of CHRISTS Crosse and after his returne to inhabite the desert of Finckley not farre distant from Durrham Whose admonitions without anie delay he obeyed and performed a iourney soe laborious and painfull that truly euen out of this soe great labour and ardour of the way he may iustly be thought to haue participated of the Crosse and Passion of IESVS-CHRIST For he vsed no other meate by the way but barly bread that now was well dried and hardened with age His second iourney to Hierusalem his drinke was only pure water and his cloathes and shoes he neuer ether putt off or changed Soe that the soles of his shoes being worne and he neglecting to mend them certaine lumpes of durt and grauell growne togeather stuck to the soles of his feete which gaue him a feeling of most grieuous paines Nether did he desist therefore from his iourney nor shorten his dayly accustomed length thereof His admirable deâ—otion there IV. BEING come at length to Hierusalem the long desired end of his painfull voyage it is wonderfull to be spoken how great pleasantnes and agilitie of mind and bodie he found and felt in him self with how great ardour pietie and deuotion he watched and prayed in those holy places with what streames of teares he watered the sacred sepulcher and the other sorowfull monuments and trophies of our Lords bitter passion and our redemption Then togeather with others he entred into the riuer Jordan which was the first time that he putt off his garments since he beganne this teadious iourney He returned barefoote home hauing there made a religious and solemne vow neuer more to weare shoes while he liued After his returne into England he went to an Ermitage in the North at a place in times past Streanshall but now more vsually called Whiteby famous for the Benedictine Monasterie of saint Hilda where when he had remayned a yeare and some moneths he departed to Durrham And there he not only frequented the Churches for his deuotion His desire to learne psalmes but allsoe the Childrens schooles and diligently listened to heare them recite their lessons to their Masters whereby he learned manie psalmes himnes and prayers For he was bent with a deuout earnestnes to learne the Psalmes by heart and the booke of them he allwaies caried about with him hanging by a string to his litle finger whereby it came to passe that that finger was allwaies bended crooked all his life after But now he was totally carried towards his desired solitude and at Durham he earnestly implored S. CVTHBERT the chiefe captaine and Fore-man of his vndertakings that by the helpe of his intercession and prayers he might fight valiantly and fruit fully for the health of his soule in the ermitage of Finckley allotted for his habitation In which once entred he remayned afterwards for the space of threescore and three yeares He liueth threescore and three yeares an Ermite and neuer went out but thrice in all that time which was to Durrham three miles distant The first time that he went was on a Christmas night to be present at the diuine office and sacrifices of the Monkes When there fell an incredible abundance of snow which being seconded with a most sharpe and bitter frost soe grieuously wounded the bare feet of the holy man that euerie steppe he made left behind it a bleeding witnes of his suffrance At an Easter againe he came once to Durham to receaue the dreadfull and venerable Sacrament of the aultar And the last time he came being sent for by Ranulphus the Bishop V. Now if one would as the greatnes of the matter requires exactly sett downe and describe all the manner of life of this thrice happie Sainct whilst he liued in this desert he might fill whole volumes of wonders Vs it shall â—uffiâ—e to giue the readers some litle tast thereof and to gather as it were a short table of his famous deedes In summe this I will say that in him there appeared in England a second CVTHBERT a new HILLARION and an other ANTHONIE Will you know what clothing this worthie champion vÌ„fed Truely His rude clothing to outward shew he wore such that allbeit they were corresponto his manner of life yet were they not tokens of soe great austeritie But vnder these next vnto the bare skinne o vnspeakable rigour eyther a most rude shirt of hayre-cloth of which kind he wore out manie in that desert or an iron coate of maile of which he allsoe consumed three in the space of fiftie yeares or both these rough garments togeather night and day braced his inuincible bodie Will you know with what daintie meates he liued Verily for a time with noe other then what the wild
Ecclesiasticall causes risen which can no longer be left without examination we haue need of learned men to conserre with we exhort the godly and He is sent for to Rome beloued goodnes of thy pietie that as it becomes a deuout maintayner of our holy mother the vniuersall Church thou fayle not to leud obedient deuotion to this our desire but without anie delay send the religious seruant of God Bede the Venerable Priest of thy monastery to the shrines of the Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul thy louers and protectours and to the sight of my meaunes and by the grace of God and thy holy prayers thou needest not mistrust but that he will returne safely againe vnto thee after the celebration of the foresayd articles by the helpe of God are finished For we hope it will be profitable to all vnder thy charge whatsoeuer by his worth shall be made famous and imparted to the whole Church V. BVT doeth not this greatly redound to the prayse and honour of our saint BEDE that the Roman greatnes should desire his counsell in matter of learning who lay hid in a poore cowle and cloister in the farthest corner of the world Surely William De gest Reg. Ang. l. 1. c. 3. Malmesbury iudged aright when he calls him A man whom one may with more ease admire then worthyly prayse who borne in the furthest corner of the world dazeled all countreies with the lightning of his learning Nay more his writings were of soe reuerend esteeme and authoritie in the Christian world that during his life time first by the ordonance of an English Synod and afterwards the whole Catholick and Apostolick Church approouing it they were read and sung publickly in the Ecclesiasticall office a thing which after the Apostles and their immediate disciples was neuer graunted to anie of the auncient Fathers or Doctours of Gods Church And hence it was to omitt other fabulous Why he is called Venerable stories hereof that both in his life time and after his death he was qualified with the title of VENERABLE BEDE For his homelies being to be read in the Church he yet liuing and a title of the Author to be prefixed before the lessons as the manner is because they could not stile him Sainct Ante obitum nemo Supremaque funera faelix They worthyly adorned him with the name of VENERABLE eyther by reason of the singular grauitie and modestie of his cariage or else because that Pope Sergius in the aboue cited epistle qualified him with that Epithete And the same title grew soe vniuersally then in vse that to this present day he is commonly called thereby and it remaynes still prefixed to all his Homelies which are read or sung in the Church VI. SVCH then was the incomparable learning of this our famous Doctour of England Sainct BEDE who liuing in a Benedictine Six hundred Benedictine Monks in his Monastery Abbey in which were at that time aboue six hundred monkes he not only excelled them all and became a Master to them all but an amazement to the whole Christian world besides But what was BEDE soe eagerly bent to the studies of learning during the time of his life that he neglected the studie of vertue and pietie It can not be sayd For as an auncient authour doeth testifie aâ— his very first entrance into the lists of the sciences togeather with his yeares the grace of spirituall guifts encreased in his soule that with the spirit of wisedom vnderstanding he might receaue allsoe the spirit of the feare of our Lord where with chastising his bodie and bringing it into obedience to his mind he learned to Malmesb de reg lib. 1. cap. 3. possesse the vessell of the flesh in sanctification and honour Furthermore all doubt of the holines of his life is banished from humane thoughts by this irrefragable sentence which the Maiestie of diuine wisedom left to the world In animam maleuolam non introibit sapientia nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis Wisedom will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a bodie subiect to sinne Which is not spoken of worldly wisedom that entreth indifferently into the harts of all men and in which oftentimes wicked persons and those that to the last gaspe set noe limits to their wickednes are found to excell according to that of our Sauiour The children of this world are wiser then the children of light But that the Wiseman calls wisedom which auoydes the faynednes of good discipline and which separateth it self from thoughts that are without the true vnderstanding of well-liuing and well-saying Whence it is that Quintilian rightly defined a true Oratour when he sayd Orator est vir bonus dicendi peritus An Oratour is a good man skillfull in speaking Therefore this our Ecclesiasticall Oratour saint BEDE did first purifie his owne conscience that soe he might worthyly attayne to a diuine knowlege to discouer the vnderstanding of the misteries of holy scripture For how could that man be subiect to vice who tasted the most inward marrow of those diuine writings and employed all the thoughts powers of his soule in the continuall explication thereof This his owne words doe proue when he sayth that his expositions Lib. 3. sup Sam yf they brought noe other profitt to the readers at lest they were anayleable to him in this that whilst he applied his whole studie thereunto he sett aside and auoyded the lightnes of the world and all vaine cogitations Therefore this holy man being free from all vice displayed the vayle of the hidden misteries and with a modest and deuout eloquence layd open to the world those diuine secrets which he had learned VII HIS custom was to be by his reading greatly enkindled to Trithem de vir illust l. 3. c. 155. deuotion and compunction which he oftentimes witnessed with bitter teares that flowed from him at his booke And after his reading and studie our pious Doctour betooke him self to his prayers hauing learnt that the way to attayne the knowledge of holy Scripture lay more in the grace of God then his owne forces O man worthy to be honoured of all ages who enriched the treasure of his mind with vertue and prayer and adorned the Christian world with learning Noe man euer saw him idle soe vehemently he burned with the loue of sacred studie and deuotion He had manie famous schollers whom he not only taught by his owne studie and example the secrets of all humane and diuine learning but which is the chiefest made them excellently perfect in religion and holy life He was a man in all things most worthy of prayse and according to his title VENERABIE in learning and good manners In charitie towards God and his neighbour most excellent admirable in deuotion and glorious in chastitie of life Of a decent and comly stature graue in his gate of a high voyce an eloquent tongue and a goodly aspect or
depriued both 〈◊〉 his Kingdom and youthfull age All so Charles a Prince of the â—rench being a destroyer of maâ—â— Monasteries and one that turned Church-goods to his owne vles was coâ—â—med with the long torment of a fearfull death Wherefore most deare sonne with f 〈…〉 and earnest prayers we beseeâ—h sheâ— not to despise the counsell of thy Fathers who for the loue of God endeauour to call vppon thy Highnes to remember thy dutie for nothing is more wholesom for a good King then yf such faults be willingly amended when they are reprehended because Salomon sayth Who â—oneth 〈…〉 â—oueth wisedome Therefore most â—eare sonne making 〈◊〉 our counsell we Prou. 12. v. 1. be 〈…〉 h and conâ—â—re thee by the â—uing God and by his deare sonne 〈◊〉 and by the holy Ghost to remember how fleeâ—ing this present life is and how short and momentarlâ— are the delights of the 〈…〉 thy flesh and how igâ—omiâ—â—â—ous a thing it is that a man but of a short life should leaue a pâ—â—perâ—â—â— remembrance of bad examples to his posteâ—â—e Beginne then to or 〈◊〉 thy life with 〈◊〉 manners and to correct the former 〈◊〉 of thy youth that here thou â—â—iest purchase prayâ—â— before men and ioies of eternall glory in future Who wish thy Highnes to enjoy health and profit dayly in good 〈◊〉 XIII The â—hould saint 〈…〉 CAL 〈◊〉 King E the 〈…〉 wherein 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 wholly loose his labour 〈◊〉 the King being Etherbald reformed by â—aint Boniface terrified with this sha 〈…〉 and pioâ—s remem 〈…〉 in maâ—le things reformed his 〈◊〉 and restored di 〈…〉 so the 〈…〉 riâ—s of soâ— great 〈◊〉 was the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of the holy manâ—◠〈…〉 kes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meane time saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 btayned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince K 〈…〉 man a peâ—ce of land in the desert of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the â—iuer Fâ—ldâ— beganne to lay the foundation of the famous Benedictine Monasterie which 〈…〉 heth to this day and is called the Aâ—bey The building of the Benedictine Abbey of Fulda of Fulda famous for religion and 〈◊〉 The first Abbot thereof was called 〈◊〉 a man of Vâ—â—â—rible conâ—â—sation to whom and 〈◊〉 holy 〈◊〉 of Morikes the land where the 〈…〉 nasterie now stands was by the royall charter 〈◊〉 〈…〉 confirmed and graunted for euer Which done this ver 〈…〉 Prince growing dayly more and more perfect in the loue of God and finding that in the world he could not see purely and perfectly 〈…〉 ine to the height thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Magdalen of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caroloman beco meth a Benedictine Monke â—hall neuer be taken from him For leaâ—ning the ample Kingdom of his terrene dominions to the gouernment of his brother Pâ—piâ— he departed to Mount-Ca 〈…〉 in It 〈…〉 the place 〈…〉 holy Father saint BENEDICT layd the foundation of his ver 〈…〉 Order and in which was yet obserued a most strict discipline of 〈…〉 sticall life And now in that place this noble Prince chaâ—nged his â—oyall robes of maiestie to the simple weedes of a self-punishing humilitie and made profession of a Monke vnder the MASTER 〈…〉 OF DISCRETION the holy Rule of the great Patrianke of Monkes saint BENEDICT Then King 〈◊〉 hauing â—â—raynâ—â— the whole iâ—heritance to him self imitating the pl 〈…〉 of his brother 〈◊〉 all waies to loue honour and promote all the pi 〈…〉 〈…〉 rs of saint BONIFACE vnto whom by his owne letters he confirmed his Brâ—thers donation of the monastery of Fulda XIV BVT now saint BONIFACES time drâ—◠〈◊〉 wherein he should receaue from CHRIST the reward of his great hours and tast the most ample fruit of the soed of his Enangelicall preaching which he had 〈◊〉 worthily 〈◊〉 in the hearts of the G 〈…〉 poeple Therefore foreseeing the diss 〈…〉 of his owne body S â—onitace retor neth into Frisia to be neere at h 〈…〉 by the suggestion of the holy Ghost he returned into F 〈…〉 there to finish his humane 〈◊〉 where he tooke his beginning there he might all sâ—e make an end of his e 〈…〉 licall preaching and his mortall life together Thi 〈…〉 then he went not without a presage of what should befall vnto him For being 〈◊〉 take his iourney be appoynted his saythfull disciple and companion L 〈…〉 us to succeed him in the Metropolitan Sea of M 〈…〉 z diligently recommending vnto him carefully to sert forward the building of the Monasterie of Fulda and togeather with some bookes to send him a shrowd to mind his body in after death and cause it to be translated to Fulda These words 〈◊〉 blessed 〈◊〉 to performe with teares the holy mans commaunds XV. BEING arriued into Friseland by his preaching he conuerted a The sacra ment of Confirma tion great multitude to CHRIST and washed them in the sacred Font of baptisme vnto whom departing away he appoynted a day to returne in which by the imposition of hands and anneyling with sacred chris 〈…〉 they â—igh 〈…〉 the sacrament of Confirmation When in the meane time those Neophites had by a wicked persidiousnes suffered a relapse from the Fayth into their old errours and now being chainged from lambes to wolues they came not in peace to 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost by the imposition of hands but armed with fearfull weapons and countenances more terrible then their weapons and broke into the tents of the Saincts to lay violent hands on the spirituall father of their soules and to take away his life for whose â—afetie they ought to haue spent their owne Then some of Sainct Bonifaces companie prepared to defend them selues S. Bonifaces desire of Martirdom by resistance meaning to venter their owne bloud to saue the shedding of his but they were strictly by him forbidden that enterprise 〈◊〉 that desire of reuenge did not become true Christians and that they ought not to loose soe fayre an occasion of 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 them selues the purchase of soe great glory He sealeth the patent of his Apostles hip with his bloud as now one minutes patience would bring Therefore that surious multitude of P 〈…〉 sett vppon the holy Bishop and with their 〈◊〉 weapons madâ— soe manie wounds in his sacred body that through those bleeding sluses his blessed soule tooke a most happy flight to the immortall crowne of martirdom in heauen And thus this Apostolicall man hauing to his death performed true Apostolicall labours at length after the manner of the Apostles left his Apostle ship signed with his owne bloud that Germanie noe lesse then otâ—â—r Churches erected by Apostolicall men might glorie with the euerlasting memorie and high glory of soe great an Apostle and Martir from whom it receaued the Ghospell testified with his bloud sealed with his death confirmed with manie miracles and lastly that nothing might be wanting â—ortified with store of writings XVI THIS glorious bishop suffered martirdom the fiâ—t day of June The companions of his martirdom the sixtith yeare of his age and fortith after his
His wonderfull abstinence of a abstinence that he neuer rose from the table with a full stomake and in Lent for the most part his greatest dainties were bread and water Whence it came to passe that at an Easter time his appetite and gust of meate was soe vtterly mortified ouerthrowne that he could not eate the meate which was set before him And when the monke that wayted vppon him demaunded why he did not eate Yf I had some oaten bread replied he moistened with butter I thinke I should be able to eate it Therefore the Monke Soe holy Dauid refused to drinke the water which he had desiâ—red his seruant brought some such bread when the holy man reflecting with him self that he had giuen a litle fauourable scope to his appetite conceaued soe great feare thereat that becoming a rigid and seuere reuenge to himself he refused to tast it at all but remayned fasting And that meate soe prouided he commaunded to be giuen to the poore that wayted at the Monastery gate where they found a fayre yong man of a very beautifull countenance who tooke the meate with the dish and vanished Which as they related to the holy Abbot behould the same dish fell vppon the table before him Whereby they vnderstood that an Angell sent from heauen had receaued that almes from the holy man III. OVER and aboue the accustomed taske of his diuine office and His prayers and the effects thereof prayers he dayly recited the whole Psalter of Dauid contayning an hundred and fiftie Psalmes But as once more earnestly he made his prayers vnto allmightie God and with the teares of his deuotion abundantly trickling downe his cheekes he powred forth his soule before the court of heauen desiring that as well his owne as the seruice of his brethren might be acceptable to the diuine maiestie and that they might be found worthy to haue their names written in the booke of life he heard these comfortable words come from aboue Take courage my Sonne for thy prayers are written in heauen Only two of them whose hearts haue been allwaies fixed to the loue of terrene things are inscribed in the dust of the world And not long after two Conuerses commonly called Lay-brothers casting off their habits made a miserable end of their liues in the world whereby the diuine reuelation of the holy man was verified IV. PASSING on a time by New-Castle he happened into a great He hindeâ—â—â—â— the wicked endeauours of the deuill multitude of yong men where he saw one with a wonderfull curiositie runne vp and downe amongst them fawning vppon them with an insolent countenance and as it were exhort and stirre them vp to the execution of some great matter When perceauing that he played not the part of a Man but rather the deceiptfull games of some wicked deuill by the powerfull force of his diuine words he commaunded him to depart Ho thou gallant sayd he these men doe not want thy worke quickly therefore be gone and follow me Presently â—e as yf he had been tied to their horse tayles went afâ—â—t holy Abbot through the durtie streets to the great astonishment of those that were present When they were gone out of the towne and come into the turnings of the highway Who art thou sayd the holy man and what was thy busines there Thou art not ignorant who I am replied he and thou knowest well my endeauours There is a pompous celebration of a rich mans wedding Note the maâ—ice of the deuâ—â—l in that towne and I was earnestly labouring to haue the groome slayne in the buanquet by his riualls that the guests being incensed with anger thereat might endeauour to reuenge his death and soe blinded with wrath and dronkennes their mutuall wounds might cause a sedition in the cittie that by the cutting downe of manie bodies I might reape an haruest of soules into my possession And now I was perswaded by the purchase of this victorie to haue returned in ioyfull triumphe to my Prince when my whole plott and counsell being ouerthrowne by thee I am constrayned to go home without anie gaine at all At these wordes the holy Abbot detesting the wickednes of that insernall monster commaunded him to depart to the determined place of his torments and neuer more hereafter to attempt to deceaue minkind Whereat the wicked spirit vanished taking his farewell with soe great horrour that their horses growing furious with neighing snoring and tearing the ground with their feet could hardly be held vnder the possession of their riders V. AN OTHER time the monkes being at mattins the holy man saw the Deuill standing in the habit of a countrey fellow at the quire He seeth the deuill inquiring into the faults of his Monkes doore and oftentimes endeauouring but in vaine to enter into it Then falling heartily to his prayers and stirring vp the hearts of his brethren to deuotion that infernall spie perceauing after a long expectance that he profitted nothing vanished away with anger and confusion The same holy Abbot celebrating once the dreadfull sacrifice of Masse saw in a vision a mightie storme at sea wherein a ship was sorely tost vp and downe in those swelling waues till the sterne being broken she ranne violently on her owne ruine and beating her self against a cruell rock dissolued her ioynts and ribbes into peeces left all the men her rulers to shift for them selues in the mercilesse billowes of the Ocean The holy man being greatly moued to compassion with this vision hauing finished his masse sent his Monkes to the sea side to take vp the bodies of those drowned persons They went and the fourth day after in the very place designed by saint ROBERT the sea cast vp the dead bodies which by their hands were honoured with Christian buriall VI. A HOLY matrone who by the pious persuasions of S. ROBERT S. Robert freed from a faâ—se Suspition by S. Bernard had contemned the gorgeous pride and vanitie of the world and betaken her self to a retired and deuout life was oftentimes visited by the same holy man to be by his godly instructions dayly aduanced in the way of vertue Which thing was a cause of manie bad suspitions in the iealous minds of some of his brethren who iudged that current of familiaritie to proceed from an impure spring And now they had infected the eares of manie with their misdeeming opinion till their complaints arriued to the knowledge of the great Patrone of his Order saint BERNARD Abbot of Clareuall in France To whom saint ROBERT went in person and he hauing had a reuelation of his great same and merits tooke him secretly aside and sayd Brother ROBERT those things are most false which the sinister suspition of manie hath bruted abroade against thy innocencie And in testimonie of his loue he gaue him a gyrdle which afterwards by the merits of them both gaue the benefitt of health to manie sick persons VII THIS holy Confessor was
ALBAN They are baptised and the cause of their coming thither receaued them all to the sacrament of the Christian fayth which they desired And they ioyfully embracing those diuine institutions were incensed dayly with soe ardent a desire to profitt and perfect them selues in their new-receaued fayth that the multitude of faythfull Christians grew euery day greater in number and more famous and renowned in Sainctitie III. BVT the ancient and common enemie of mankind perceauing the Euangelicall kingdom to be amplified dayly with such ioyfull increases and his possessions to be greatly diminished by these purchases iudged it high time to oppose him self against those proceedings and to that end he incensed the citizens against their fellow-Cittizens those remayning at Verulam against the others whom AMPHIBALVS had now made Cittizens of the kingdom of heauen Against whom the Burgesses of the earth being incensed with the furie of the Prince of darknes determined to rayse a cruell warre grounding their quarrell on noe other theame theÌ„ that their fellow Cittizens had forsaken the desire and loue of the world and were by the meanes of AMPHIBALVS raÌ„ged into the warrefare of CHRISTS A thousaÌ„d Christians cruelly murdered holy Ghospell Marching therefore against them when they perceaued them to be soe resolute in the opinion of their new-receaued fayth that with courragious minds they were readie to expose their necks to the furious swords of their persecutours setting aside all thought eyther of the name of fellow-CittizeÌ„s or affinitie of bloud or dignitie of their innocencie they made a furious assault vppon them being vnarmed and in most cruell manner bathed their swords in the bloud of their owne fellowes and countreymen they in the meane time ioyfully and willingly offring their bodies to the deadly blowes of CHRISTS enemies whereby his triumphant Church was adorned with the fresh roses of new troupes of holy Martyrs IV. BVT apprehending the Captaine of this holy warre AMPHIBALVS Amphibalus reserued for greater paines in the midst of those murdered bodies they brought him back to Verulam to be there reserued for greater and more exquisite torments Whither when the newes of his coming arriued all the towne flocked out to meet him though not in curtesie but to reuenge on him the losse of their fellow-cittizens and kinred of whose slaughter they iudged him to be the sole and principall authour Therefore falling violently vppon him with soe great inhumanitie they tormented and beat the bodie of the holy man that they left noe place thereof without the cruell markes of manie hurts and wounds All which he is reported to haue endured with soe great fortitude of mind that no signe of anger or trouble appeared in his countenance When all men held it for a miracle as indeed it was that his aged bodie was able to indure soe manie and soe great torments with such an vnmoued constancie and that they could not force his soule out of that weake lodging with such paines the lest whereof seemed more then sufficient to martire the strongest champion in the world V ALL being astonished and manie much grieued at this spectacle Manie coÌ„uerted to Christ made as the manner is diuers interpretations and constructioÌ„s of the matter some imputing it to witchcraft others to a diuine power in soe much that there waÌ„ted not those that affirmed it to be a most vnworthy act to exercise soe manie torments on an innocent man which without note of great crueltie could not be inflicted on the wickedest malefactour that euer was for what offence is it sayd they to draw men from the horrible rites of profane sacrifices and from a sauage manner of life to an holy and pious way of seruing God Therefore because AMPHIBALVS teacheth these things we ought rather to honour his vertue with all due reuerence and with benefitts to requite him labouring for the common good then soe vngratefully and cruelly to persecute his innocencie And this proceeding seemed to them to besoe vnwarrantable that they feafeared not to affirme the patient to be most gratefull to God in suffering such cruelties for vertues sake and the doers them selues to They are martyred with S. Amphibalus be of God most hated for soe outrageously persecuting a poore innocent On these then speaking in this manner and recommending them selues to CHRIST and the prayers of AMPHIBALVS the barbarous multitude exercised their madding crueltie and togeather with AMPHIBALVS their captaine with swords kniues and stones battered their soules out of their mortall lodgings to take an happie flight to the immortall VI THIS holy man was martired at the village of Rudburne three miles distant from Verulam where Thomas Rudburne reportes that two great kniues which had been instruments of this crueltie were reserued to his time And for the space of allmost seauen hundred yeares the reliques of this blessed Martyr lay buried in obscuritie The inuention of his bodie till about the yeare of our Lord 1178. they were miraculously found out and brought honourably in procession to the Benedictine Abbey of S ALBAN when the monkes of the same place went solemnly to meet that treasure carrying with them S. ALBANS shrine The towne of Verulam neuer beheld a more comfortable and ioyfull day One martyr mett an other the disciple his Master the Host his guest a heauenly citizen his fellow-citizen of heauen His deare guest whom S. ALBAN in times past had secretly dismissed lest he should fall into the hands of his enemies he now receaueth with publick honour and triumphe at his returne And whom then his weake lodging could not keepe secure from harme he now introduceth into a most magnificent Church And this happened in the The wonderfull miracles wrought at his toÌ„be yeare aboue sayd and the fiue and twentith day of Iune At what time that countrey was burnt vp with intollerable heate and drought but at the holy Martyrs returne there fell a great aboundance of rayne and they receaued a common medecine of allmost all diseases But the manie heauenly benefitts and miracles which were then wrought in the sight of the whole countrey that flocked thither drawne with the noueltie of the thing and the diseases that were cured after these sacred reliques were brought into the Church we omitt to recite here in particular being contented only to say thus much that nether Gallen nor Hipocrates nor anie other of the skillfullest phisitians that were could euer cure soe manie and such desperate diseases as this holy Martir being piously called vppon did without eyther potions or plaisters by his only intercession to allmightie God whereby some dead persons were recalled to life a thing which noe human phisick was euer knowne to performe Thus much of this blessed martir we haue gathered out of the annalls of S Albans Monastery Mathew Paris anno 1179. and 1217. Mathew Westminster anno 1178. Ioannes Anglicus in his goulden legend and manie â—â—â—er writers especially of the Britans doe make very
honourable mention of S. Amphibalus and speake all agreable to that which we haue sayd of him S. ETHELDREDA REGINA VIRGO ET ABBATISSA Ordinâ—â— S. 〈◊〉 in Anglia Junij 23. M. baâ—â—… The life of sainct ETHELDRED or AVDRY Queene Virgin and Abbesse of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT IVNE 23 Out of the auncient records of Ely LEt the fabulous Greekes talke noe more of their chast Penelope who in the twentie yeares absence of her husband Vlisses liued continently in despite of the tempting importunitie of manie noble woers and let the proud Romans cease to bragge of their fayre Lucretia that chose rather to become the bloudie instrument of her owne death then to liue after the violent rauishment of her honour and lett all the world turne their minds to admire and their tongues and pennes to sound the praises of the Christian vertues and chastitie of our blessed ETHELDRED who being ioyned in wedlock to two kings one after an other preserued her self most pure in chastitie to be spiritually vnited to her heauenly spouse the king of Kings CHRIST-IESVS Let all the married admire and the vnwarried in their degree endeauour to imitate this example of wonderfull continencie the like whereof very few are to be found in the Ecclesiasticall histories Heare her life I The glorious Virgin ETHELDRED being daughter to Anna king Her pareÌ„ts of the East-Angles and his wife Hereswith adorned the royaltie of her bloud with the glory of her vertue and sainctitie For from her very infancie she studied to order all her actions to the seruice of allmightie God by auoyding the toying companie of other maydes The vertue of her youth her equalls and wholly betaking her self to embrace chastitie modestie humilitie and all other vertues as the only ornaments of a deuout soule And that they might be the better planted and rooted therein she nourished them with the food of her continuall prayers and watred them with the streames of her deuout teares making it her chiefest exercise to be present at the diuine seruice to visitt and frequent Churches wherin she was more delighted then in the splendour of her fathers royall pallace In a word she led soe holy a life in this her tender age that to her may be truly applied that saying of wisedom Aetas Senectutis vitaimmaculata A pure and immaculate life adorned with manie vertues begetts more veneration then manie yeares of old age for he liues long that liues well II. At length when this holy virgin had in this vertuous manner She is desired in mariage passed ouer her yonger yeares and was come to an age in which she appeared mariageable her vertue of mind wherin she excelled and beautie of bodie wherein she paralled allmost all yong virgins of that time being by flying fame made celebrious all ouer the contrey manie Princes and nobles that frequented her fathers court were much taken therewith and iudged it a wordly blisse which they greatly aymed at to be wedded to such excellent parts seated in soe fayre a throne of beautie But she contemning all wordly pleasures aspired only and wholly to the bedchamber of her eternall spouse CHRIST-IESVS for whose loue she desired allwaies to preserue her chastitie vntouched singing continually spirituall himnes and canticles to his honour and prayse and dayly sacrificing her self vnto allmightie God In the meane time the diuine wisedom soe disposing it and that her vnshaken resolution of chastitie might in this world be made more famous and deseruing a greater crowne of victorie and triumphe in the next she was earnestly She marrieth against her will desired in mariage by one Tunbert a Prince of the South part of the I le of Ely who hauing obtayned her fathers consent iudged him self sure of his desire till the flat refusall of the holy Virgin made him perceaue that more then one word was requisite to a bargaine Then her father interposing his royall authoritie his vertuous daughter ETHELDRED obeyed vsing violence to her owne desires to make them subiect to her fathers will Therefore being married in royall manner to the forenamed Prince behould that which amazeth the fond world and worldlings she was found worthie to imitate the Blessed Virgin MARIE and to lead a chast life togeather with her husband yf he may be called an husband who neuer rob A chast marriage bed his spouse of her virginitie But allbeit they were not as two in one flesh yet were they both of one mind in deuotion passing ouer their daies in prayer almes deedes and other good workes for both parties were consenting to the obseruance of chastitie till an happie death made a separation of that pious vnion and called Tunbert into an other world to receaue the euerlasting reward of his continent and chast life when he had liued in the bands of an vnexperienced wedlock the space of allmost three yeares III. THEN allthough our holy Virgin ETHELDRED piously lamented She retireth to Ely the death of her husband yet in heart she rather reioyced that now she was freed from the yoake of matrimonie hoping by that meanes more easily to escape the vaine allurements of the world Therefore in her owne house at Ely she began to lead a most retired and deuout life hoping in that place which was an Iland encompassed with store of shadie woods more securely to auoyd the vaine honours of the world There her deuotion encreased dayly and her pious desire was more and more enkindled with the fier of the holy Ghost But now her former labour being ouercome she is to be drawne out and ranged into a greater conflict that the palme and glory of her virginitie might more excellently be made manifest to the world For Egsrid King of the Northumbers made very earnest sute to haue her for his wife To which his petitioÌ„ allthough Her second maâ—â—â—ge to King â—gfrid to her it seemed rather odious then glorious yet being ouercome by the importunitie of her frieÌ„ds she vnwillingly yeelded for the gayning of a greater triumphe ouer those vaine pleasures againe she putt her virginitie to the hazard of mariage But with King Egfrid who was a yong man that boyled in the flower and ardour of youthly yeares she endured a farre greater combat allwaies remayning vnconquered In whom the loue of heauen was soe powerfull that it still preserued her holy purpose free from all carnall desires A straiâ—ge resoâ—utâ—oâ— of câ—asttie And in her kings pallace where other ladies are woÌ„t to be inflamed with those vnchast fiers she burned with the flames of His heauenly loue whom the Angells desire to behould and gaze on In a word for the space of twelue yeares our pious Virgin ETHELDRED liued in an holy marriage with her husband king Egfrid without suffering anie the lest blemish to her virginitie A thing soe worthy of admiration that it is hard to say whether the constancie of her or the patience of him that boyled with
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
which was her dowrie giuen by her first husband Tonbert and the place destined for the perpetuall habitation of her and her successours But trauelling this long iourney on foote accompanied only with two other sisters being all more then vsually wearied with the labour and heate of the way they sate downe vnder the protection of a shadie groue a while to refresh their tired bodies with a desired rest Where after a short sleepe they arose and as it is A strainge miracle constantly reported by the Authours of her life they found the holy Virgins staffe which she had stuck in the ground at her head to be miraculously growne into a fayre greene tree which afterwards came to be a mightie Ashe bigger then anie of the same kind in all that countrey and the place was euer after called by the name of Etheldredstowe where a Church was built in honour of the holy Virgin and in memorie of this miraculous accident VIII AT the I le of Ely therefore she at length arriued where in Ely first built by S. Augustine times past as manie Authours affirme sainct AVGVSTINE our Apostle had built a monasterie at the charge of Ethelbert King of Kent and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin MARIE and placed therein a Conuent of Benedictine Monkes about the yeare of our Lord six hundred But afterwards when Penda that tirannous King of the Mercians had layd to wast all the countrey of the East-Angles that Monasterie was allsoe made to fall into the confusion of an vntimely ruine which now our holy ETHELDRED not only reedified againe but allsoe restored to a farre greater state of glorie When manie other Virgins drawne thither with the fame of her holy life and vertues ranged them selues into the discipline of a regular life vnder her gouernment for by the authoritie of S. WILFRID she was made Abbesse of the same place soe that within a short time she Etheldred made Abbesse of Ely had gathered a worthy Conuent of holy Benedictine Nunnes that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and led a most strict and holy life Then by the meanes of the same Saint WILFRID and the instance of our holy Virgin this new Monasterie of Ely was established with manie priuiledges and liberties by the authoritie of the Pope exempted from the iurisdiction and power of Bishops IX BVT with how great sainctitie vertue and pious example of With how great vertue she gouerned life our holy ETHELDRED gouerned the same Monasterie with how great continencie she liued and with what heauenly guifts and graces she was adorned by allmightie GOD it farre exceedeth the weaknes of this penne to rehearse From her first entrance into the monasterie she neuer vsed anie other cloathing but of wollen which she wore allso next vnto her skinne She seldom made vse of warme bathes a thing much practised in those daies but against the greatest solemnities of the yeare as Easter whitsuntide and the like nether then would she take them but after all the rest of her Sisters when she had first playd the part of a diligent seruant in helping them in that act In her diet she was so sparing that she allwaies cōtented her self with on small meale a day vnlesse ether the solemnitie of some great feast her owne infirmitie of body or some other greater cause compelled her to enlarge her ordinary allowance In diuine prayer and contemplation she was soe vntired that after the performance of the mid-nights office in the quire she alwaies continued her deuotion in the Church till the next morning Herevppon the diuine goodnes that is neuer wanting to his seruants adorned his vertuous Spouse with the grace of doing manie miraculous cures on the bodies of possessed and diseased persons and allso indowed her with the guift of prophesie by vertue whereof she foretould the cōming of an ineuitable sicknes to the monasterie which to her and manie of her sisters should be the messenger of death specifying withall the certaine nūber of those that should come vnder the cruell arrest of that fearefull seargeant X. AT length the time drawing neere in which the Spouse of all She falleth sick pure soules CHRIST-IESVS had determined to take this his beloued spouse out of the frayle barke of this mortall state to the heauenly dwellings of his glorious Kingdom she was attached with a sicknes which brought with it such a cruell swelling and impostume in her neck and throate that her body growing dayly to lower and lower degrees of weaknes she was compelled to entertaine both those incommodities in her bed When allbeit the swelling gaue her most sharpe feelings of her paine she neuerthelesse being attentiue to her accustomed deuotions ceased not to render thankes vnto almightie God who vseth the scourge of a pious chastisement to correct those he truely loueth Then nothing but weeping and lamenting was to bee seene or heard in the house her familie and the poeple adioyning grieued to loose soe good a Mistresse and her holy and chast quire of virgins sorowed more then can be expressed with feare to be deuided from soe good a mother Only she her self for whō was made all this lamentation seemed in heart and countenance most ioyfull whose confidence in the diuine goodnes was such and soe great that she was nothing terrified with the apprehension and feare of death And when the paine of her impostume gaue her the sharpest remembrance she seemed much delighted therewith and endured it as the delights and ornaments of her glorie vsing these words to the by-standers Most certainely I know that I deseruedly suffer this swelling in my neck about which in my youth I was wont to weare manie vaine bracelets and goulden ornaments of pride Therefore I giue heartie thankes vnto the diuine goodnes that thence my grief springs where I was wōt to make shew of a delightfull vanitie And I beleeue and trust that my pious Redeemer by afflicting me with this paine will mercifully absolue me frō the punishmēt due vnto my former leuitie A rare example of vertue * Harpsfield saec 7. c. 24. Our English woemen are wont to weare about their necks a certaine chaine made of fine small silke which we call Etheldreds chaine it may be in memory of what we haue here sayd And would to God this monument would stirre vp our minds as indeed it ought to imitate the vertues and holy life of S. ETHELDRED which surely is the end for which it was first instituted and vsed And the same I wish vnto those Peeres and noble men both of England and other nations who carrie a chaine about their necks called A Collar of S. S. which letters signifie the name of Saint Simplicius who borne of the bloud of Roman Senatours generously suffered death for the loue of CHRIST Truely then these chaines would become of no lesse ornament both to men and woemen then in times past that chaine was to Titus Manlius
the Roman which being prouoked to battle he had taken from his conquered enemie wherevppon he afterwards was surnamed Torquatus from Torques which in Latine signifies a chaine But let vs returne to Sainct ETHELDRED XI THEREFORE whilst this holy Virgin lying amidst the tormeÌ„ts of a most cruell sicknes gaue thankes vnto her Creatour for soe pious a visitation boyling with a desire to be dissolued to liue with CHRIST some of the assistants in whom yet remayned a small hope of her recouery caused a skillfull chirurgean to launce the swelled place and make way for that corrupted matter to issue forth as being stuffe to base and loathsome to be imprisonned in soe pure a bodie Which done the holy Virgin seemed for two daies space to be greatly eased of her payne and to wax better in health soe She seemeth to recouer that manie conceaued a new hope that she might escape this danger which was cause of great ioy vnto her friends and Sisters But all this was but as a glimpse of lightuing before death for the third day when all wounds and incisions are most panifull she her self perceauing that the happie minute of her wished departure was at hand caused the whole Conuent of Nunnes to be gathered togeather about her vnto whom hauing first signified that her hower of death was come she imparted as well as the violence of her payne would suffer her the dying words of her last farewell soe full of the sweetnes of diuine documents and deuotion that she wonderfully moued the minds and hearts of them all to the loue of heauen and heauenly things Then hauing strengthened her iourney with the Viaticum of our Lords holy bodie she rendred vp her pure soule into the pure hands of her Creatour and ending this mortall Her happy deâ—th life entered into that which neuer ends leauing the whole Conuent of her deuout Sisters soe ouercharged with sorrow that not being able to containe so hard a burden within doores their coÌ„passionate eies let forth liuely signes thereof to ease the heauines of their pious hearts This glorious Virgin died the 23. day of Iune in the yeare of our Lord six hundred seauentie nine when she had been Abbesse seauen yeares Aldulph her Brother then raygning ouer the East-Angles XII BVT when her sacred bodie had layne buried in the earth the space of sixteen yeares her holy sister SEXBVRG who had succeeded in the gonernment of the same Monasterie moued with the manie miracles dayly wrought at her tombe was desirous to take vp those sacred spoiles and honour them with a more eminent place in the Church Therefore a day being appoynted for the more solemne execution of this translation a great multitude of deuout poeple flocked thither to be present at that act amongst whom allso was S. WILFRID Archbishop of Yorke and Kinefrid the Chirurgean that two daies before her departure had made the incision in her neck which we spoke of before But before they opened her sepulcher the holy Abbesse SEXBVRG sent some of the Monkes to prouide A tombâ—stone miraculously found for her bodie a stone to be the tombe of those sacred reliques Who because the I le of Ely it self being a place encompassed round with waters Marshes was voyde of all manner of stones of such greatnes went to a litle towne not farre from thence called Grandacester where neere vnto the walles of the same towne they streight found a fayre tombe curiously cutt in white marble with a couer of the same matter most iustly fitted thereunto All much amazed at this good fortune especially because the neighbouring poeple affirmed that they had neuer before seene anie such stone in that place they vnderstood that our Lord the wonder-working spouse of the glorious Virgin ETHELDRED had miraculously prospered their iourney and prouided a shrine for her holy bodie Therefore singing himnes of prayse thankes vnto his diuine goodnes they brought the new-found tombe-stone to the Monastery which was a great comfort and encouragement to the vertuous Abbesse to hearten her to proceed in the execution of her intended purpose Her body found vncorrupted after sixteen yeares XIII THEREFORE all things being worthyly ordered and prepared the whole Conuent came in procession and stood singing about the sepulcher which was couered and hidden vnder a pauillion Then the Abbesse with some others entered into it to take vp the holy body which being discouered they fouÌ„d to be as whole fayre fresh and vncorrupted as the same day it was layd in the earth and appeared vnto the amazed beholders more like vnto one asleepe then dead Nay which is most wonderfull the incision in her neck which at her buriall was a wide and open wound was now soe perfectly cured that there remayned only to be seene a small and slender skarre as a token of what it had been before Soe that the earth which is wont to corrupt and consume the dead bodies of other mortall men serued here as a soueraigne baulme not only to preserue her virginall flesh vncorrupted but euen to cure and heale the wounds made therein Then the bodie being eleuated to the publick view of the whole multitude of assistants with astonished eyes they all beheld the wonder of allmightie God who worketh his owne will and pleasure both in heauen and earth and here to shew the integritie of this holy Virgins chastitie during her life had preserued her bodie allsoe from all spott of corruption for the space of sixteen yeares after her death And of this were witnesses besides manie others great S. WILFRID and Kinfrid the Chirurgean who being a faythfull recorder of this accident was De gest lib. 4. c. 9. wont to relate the same as it is here writteÌ„ vnto Venerable BEDE and others as BEDE him self doeth testifie affirming allso that not only the bodie but the linnen cloathes in which it was wrapped were found allso to be as entier and new as the first day they were employed to enclose that chast bodie XIV THEN hauing washed the sacred bodie and shrowded it in fresh cloathes fitt to containe soe worthie a treasure they placed it with great reuerence in the new and miraculous tombe of white marble which they found to be soe fitt in length and bignes to containe that sacred relique that the cunningest workman by line and measure could not haue made one fitter and brought it with Miracles at her tombe great ioy and solemnitie into the Church of the B. Virgin MARY which she had founded in her life time This translation or eleuation of her holy bodie was performed on the seauenteenth day of October and sixteeÌ„ yeares after her death Manie great miracles were afterwards wrought there at her toÌ„be the only touching of the cloathes that her bodie had been wrapped in droue deuills out of the bodies of possessed persons and cured manie diseases by the power of Him that is all waies wonderfull in his Saincts And the woddeÌ„
obtayned leaue of his Priour who fearing lest soe strict a life might be too hard for him to vndertake hauing yet liued but a yeare in the obseruance of the Monastery was the more vnwilling to consent to his purpose II. TO the Hermitage of Farne then he went where he led a most His strict life in the the Ermitage strict and rigid manner of life He wore a hayre shirt next his skinne for manie yeares vntill his Priour commaunded the contrarie His bed was no other then the hard ground his diet bread and herbes he neuer tasted anie flesh and after some yeares he abstayned from fish allso his drinke was fayre water and seauen yeares before his death he is reported not to haue dronke at all His cloathing was a wollen stamin a cowle and a black cloake lined with skinnes His stockins were allso of leather which he neuer putt of vntill they were quite consumed with age For he was wont to say to his brethren that our bodies were to be vsed to all manner of hardnes and filth yf we desired to bring our soules to the perfection of beautie and puritie But in all this rigorous manner of life he allwaies carried so pleasant and merrie a countenance and had his face soe well tempered with its naturall colours that all that beheld it would haue iudged him rather a great louer of bodily delights and dainties then soe seuere a chastiser and tamer of his owne flesh In prayer soe vnwearied that besides his ordinarie office he recited ouer Dauids Psalter sometimes twise sometimes thrise euery day In the mean He ouercometh the temptations of the deuill time he was grieuously vexed and assaulted by manie hellish temptations of the deuill all which with a firme confidence in allmightie God and by the figne of the holy crosse and the vertue of holy water he vtterly vanquished and ouerthrew III. HE is reported allso to haue wrought manie miracles in his life time and to haue beene comforted with diuers heanenly visions during the time of his strict life in this Hermitage amongst which he beheld the soule of Thomas Priour of Durham who hauing left the regeÌ„cie of the Monasterie had liued a retired life togeather with him died in the same Iland caried vp into heauen by the ministerie of angelicall hands And at length sainct BARTHOLOMEW him self when he had liued fortie yeares and six moneths in this hermitage in all sainctitie and holines of life hauing a long time before had a reuelation of the hower and time of his death was called out of the thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of his labours in heauen on the very feast of sainct IOHN the Baptist the fower and twentith day of Iune He was buried in his Oratorie in the same place at whose tombe manie miraculous cures were wrought by the all mightie power of him who is for euer glorious in his saincts What yeare he died is not specified by the Authours of his life but he must needs haue flourished since the yeare 1100. about which time the Benedictine Monkes were first introduced into the Cathedrall Church of Durham in the reigne of William Rufus The life of S. Bartholomew we haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts with whom let the truth of this history stand for J haue not yet found anie other Authour that makes mention of him The life of sainct ADALBERT Deacon Confessour and Monke of the holy Order of saint BENEDICT IVNE 25. Out of an auncient manuscript recited by Surius to 3. THIS holy man was one of those twelue Benedictine Monkes which S. EGBERT sent as soe manie elect Apostles to preach the fayth of Christ in Germanie of which mission you may reade more in the life of sainct Swibert March the first and in that of saint EGBERT Aprill the twentie fourth He was sonne to Edilbald king of the Deiri and nephew to saint OSWALD king of the Northumbers But esteeming the gayne of the kingdom of heauen before all worldly greatnes he despised the royall wealth dignities and honours of his birth embraced first a Monasticall life in England afterwards he became a disciple to sainct EGBERT in Ireland in a more rigid strict obseruance of the Benedictine rule and profession and lastly being made Deacon he was ioyned to eleauen other Priests and Benedictine Monkes to make vp the number of twelue Apostolicall men which as we haue sayd sainct EGBERT sent to announce the He conuerted manie in Germanie Christian fayth to the barbarous Pagans of Germanie ADALBERT therefore for the loue of CHRIST and the aduancement of his holy Ghospell went couragiously with the rest and at Egmond in Holland he employed his best labours for the coÌ„uersion of soules to CHRIST and his Church Where after he had reaped a most happie and fruitfull haruest in the vineyard of our Lord and reduced great multitudes of Heathens out of the blind night of Idolatrie to the comfortable light of Christs Ghospell famous for his holy life and miracles which it pleased allmighiie God to worke by his meritts for the better confirming of what he preached he ended his toilesome daies in this world and departed to the eternall reward of his labours in heauen the fiue and twentith day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 705. He was buried at Egmond in Holland where his tombe flourished wonderfully with manie great miracles wrought thereat II Afterwards in the time of Theodoricke the first Duke of Holland his holy bodie was taken out of the earth where vnder his coffin there appeared a fountaine of most pure water springing out of the ground and the palle in which that sacred treasure was wrapped they found to be as entier and vncorrupted as it was at the first And The eleuation of his bodie the same Theodoricke built a chappell in a place called Hallen in which the holy bodie was placed with great reuerence and solemnitie But his sonne Theodoricke the Yonger being a most feruent follower of his fathers deuotioÌ„ founded there a goodly Monasterie of S. Bâ—nedicts order in honour of S. ADALBERT by whose meritts his sonne Egbert A monastery dedicated to his name afterwards Archbishop of Treuirs was cured of a teadious cruell feauer which had giuen the foyle to all the skill of human phisick This Monasterie of Egmond is held for antiquitie and dignitie the noblest in all Holland in which lie buried the bodies of manie Princes expecting the deadfull summons of the last trumpett who in their liues endowed it with manie rich guifts and possessions Manie other miracles were wrought at the same place by the merits of this glorious Sainct which are contayned in the history of his life written by the Monkes of Medeloc and recited by Surius in his third tome out of which we haue gathered thus much of him The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him as allso that of Ado and Wion Allso Molanus in his Index of the Saincts of Belgia Trithemius in his third booke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order chap. 294. Baronius tom 8. anno Christi 697. Marcellinus in the life of S. Swibert and others The end of Iune and the first Tome TO THE READER VOutchsafe good Reader courteously to receaue this first tome of our Saincts liues which allthough it come alone to thy view and sâ—e beare an imperfect face yet I doubt not it will giue thee some consolation in the reading The second part is going to the presse and shall by Gods holy assistance come with as much speed as is possible to thy hands In the meane time let thy kind acceptance of this adde wings of courage and hast to the accomplishment of the other Farewell AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE OF THE SAINCTS CONTAYNED IN THIS FIRST TOME A. A DELBERT Deacon 612. Adrian Abbott 42. Alban Martir 574. Aldelme Bishop 487. Alfwold Bishop 325. Alured Abbot 56. Amphibalus Martir 587. Anselme Archbishop 380. Asaph Bishop 412. Augustine Archbishop 496. Aydo Abbott 200. B. Bartholomew Priest 610. Bathilde Queene 104 Bede Priest 523. Bennet Biscop Abbott 46. Birstan Bishop 114. Boniface Martyr 535. Bosa Bishop 245. Botulphe Abbott 571. Brigitt Virgin 118. Brithune Abbot 432. Brithwald Bishop 45. C. Cadock Martir 102. Cedde Bishop 35. Cedmon Monke 153. Ceolulphe King 70. Chad Bishop 224. Columba Abbott 562. Cuthbert Bishop D. Dauid Bishop 218. Deicola Abbot 82. Dimpna Martir 426. Dunstan Archbishop 434. E. Eadburg Virgin 569. Eadbert Bishop 413. Edilwald Priest 324. Edward King Confessor 1. Edward King Martir 292. Egbert Priest 402. Elfled Virgin 14â— Elphegus Bishop Martir 361. Elstan Bishop 340. Erkenwald Bishop 407. Ermenburg Queene 100. Ermenild Abbesse 157. Ethelbert King Confessor 179. Ethelbert King Martir 466. Etheldred Queene Abbesse 593. F. Felix bishop 244 Fremund King 424. Furseus Abbot 72 G. Gilbert Confessour 135 Gregory Pope 246 Godrick Hermite 472 Gudwall Bishop 505 Guthlake Confessour 343 Gyldas Abbot 112 Gysla and Rictrude 341 H. Henry Hermite 78 Herebert Priest 322 I. Inas King 142 Iohn of Beuerley 415 K. Kentigerne bishop 61 Kyneburg Abbesse and Kineswide virgin 237 L. Laurence Archbishop 126 M. Margaret Queene 564. Melliâ—us Bishop 399. Milburg Abbesse 173. Milgith Virgin 187. O. Oswald Bishop 188. Owen Confessour 235. P. Paternus Bishop 356. Patrick Bishop 270. Peter Abbot 69. Pyran Bishop 236. R. Richard Bishop 327. Robert Abbot 554. S. Sexulphe Bishop 111. Stephen Abbot 357. Swibert Bishop 202. T. Thelian Bishop 149. Theorithgid Virgin 101. Translation of S. Edward King and Martir 159. Trumwine Bishop 152. V. Vlrick Confeffour 162. W. Walburg Virgin 183. Wereburg Abbesse 131. Wilgis Confessour 116. Willeick Priest 229. William Archbishop 559. Winwaloke Abbott 231. Wolstan Bishop 84. Wulsine Bishop 39. Wyre Bishop 421.
his other haÌ„d some of the holy water which him self had blest against that vgly fiend he droue him away from the house with greate confusion And then leading the poore man newly redeemed out of the iawes of death quaking and treÌ„bling with feare into his inner cell he disposed his soule with good instructions for Auricular conâ—ession the better receauing of the sacrament of peanance Which done the poore man falling downe on his knees before the holy Sainct proclaimed him selfe guiltie at the sacred barre of confession by which he clearly purged his conscience from all the infectious venoÌ„ which the deuill had planted therein and hauing receaued his absolution pronounced by the mouth of S. VLFRICK he desired likewise to communicate the blessed sacrament of the Aultar at his hands Who houlding that dreadfull misterie before his face at the Altar demanded yf he did truly sincerely beleeue the bodie of CHRIST to be really vnder that forme of bread I doe beleeue confesse it sayd he for wretched sinner that I am I see the bodie of my lord IESVS in thy hands in the true forme of flesh God be for euer praysed replied Behould the â—eall presence in the sacrament the holy man and presently at his prayers the sacred Eucharist returning to the vsuall forme of bread he gaue it the poore man who from this time forwards was euer free from the burthen of that diabolicall yoake and from all trouble and vexation of those hellish monsters IX A PIOVS woeman on a time sent three loaues of bread vnto S. VLFRICK by a messenger who hid one by the way and deliuered Note a rare miracle the other two only but goeing back he found his loafe to be chainged into a stone soe hard that his iron and steele turned edge as he endeauoured to cutt it asunder But that hardnes melted his heart with sorrow for returning in great hast to S. VLFRICK he discoured this strainge accident humbly desiring pardon of his temerarious offence Who not only forgaue him but making the signe of the crosse vppon that stonnie bread he brake it with great facilitie and giuing part thereof vnto the messenger sent him away greatly edified to haue seene such vertue X. A GREAT noble man of king Henries court hauing heard of the A Nobleman punished by God for detracting S. Vlfrik fame of S. VLFRICK sayd that the King might doe well to send some officers to the Cell of that craftie seducer to take away his money whereof he could not but haue great store such a mightie concurse of poeple dayly flocked vnto him These words were noe sooner spoken but by his diuine power who is euer zelous in behalf of his saincts the mouth of that rash man was writhen and stretcht to his eares and he him self dashed violently against the ground where he lay for a time sprawling and foaming in miserie The king vppon this occasion went to the holy mans poore habitation and carefully recoÌ„mending him self vnto his deuout prayers earnestly petitioned withall for the noble man I impute not this sinne vnto him replied the Saint but doe heartily desire that he may haue pardon at the hands of allmightie God being my self in the meane time most readie to doe whatsoeuer is conuenient for me And at the same instant one of the standers by tooke the holy Saint by the hand and applying it to the face of a sick person there present restored him to perfect health with the only touch of those holy fingers XI THIS Blessed Sainct as you haue heard before prophesied vnto His guift of prophesie count Stephen then a priuate maÌ„ that he should be owner of the realme of England during whose raigne manie warlick commotions troubles molested the coÌ„mon peace all which likewise S. VLFRICK foretould vnto the lord of his village as allsoe of the captiuitie of the same King and of his deliuerie At length King Stephen coming to his cell on a time the holy man after manie zealous rebukes and profiteable exhortations foretould him among other things that he should raigne during his life time admonishing him by all meanes to doe worthie penance for the same for otherwise he should neuer enioy ether suretie in his Kingdom or peace from those rude broiles which to his cost he had loÌ„g experienced Wherevppon King Stephen confesseth to S. Vlfrick the King with teares trickling downe his cheekes witnessed the inward sorrow of his mind and making a sincere confession of that sinne willingly performed the penance which the propheticall Sainct inioyned him See the wonderfull force of Gods grace that giueth power to a poore sillie creature to make the stubborne hearts of kings to relent and returne from the wild deserts of iniquitie to the direct high way of iustice I can neuer too often repeate that saying of the prophet God is wonderfull in his saincts XII ABOVT a yeare before his death sitting one day in his cell Psal 67. v. 38. the ioints of his iron coate miraculously dissolued and it fell downe to his knees which he presently tooke vpp and fastened againe about his shoulders with more strong stayes And his whole bodie which before seemed to imitate iron in hardnes beganne to swell with little blisters and plainly to shew it was but flesh soe that his coate and his flesh with a like token foreshewed the time of his warrefare in this world to draw neere to an end Therefore after a while he called his priest vnto him and tould him that the hower of his departure was at hand for the next saturday sayd he I must prouide my self for my last and happiest iourney which soe long I haue desired And in the verie hower which he foretould ioyning and directing his hands and eyes towards heauen whither he was goeing he deliuered vpp his blessed soule out of the thraldom of this world He foretelleth the time of his death to the neuer dieing ioyes of heauen the twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1154. shortly after the coronation of Henry the second King of that name in England His life is written by Ioannes Anglicus or Iohn Capgraue Mathew Paris in Henrico 2. fol. 88. and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 29. out of whom we haue gathered this present historie Henrie Huntington and other English Historiographers make honorable mention of him S. MILBVRGA FILIA MERWALDI REGIS IN ANGLIâ—… Virgo ac Abbatissa Ordinis S. Benedicti Feb. 2 3. Mâ—â—â—… The life of S. MILBVRG virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEBR. 23 Written by Gotzeline moÌ„ke ETHELBERT king of Kent and the first of our English kings that receaued the Christian fayth was S. MILBVRGS great grandfathers father she was daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and his queene Dompneâ—e by some called Ermenburg Milburg therefore Her royall paâ—â—nts inheriting the royall splendour of two princely kingdoms Kent and Mercia as the ornament
I allwaies referred to thy discussion to be corrected Sainct CVTHBERT much mooued here with fell earnestly to his prayers and hauing vnderstood by a diuine inspiratioÌ„ that his prayer was heard Rise brother sayth he and doe not weepe but reioyce for the heauenly clemencie hath graunted our request The truth of which promise and prophesie was brought to light by the ensueing euent For departing at that time they mett noe more till in one and the same twentith day of March their soules departing out of this world were by the hands of Angels translated to a perpetuall vnion in heauen But Sainct HEREBERT by a particular priuiledge and dispensation from God passed through the surnace of a long teadious sicknes that yf in meritt he were inferiour to S. CVTHBERT the punishment and paine of his disease borne with a vertuous patience might supplie that defect whereby made equall in grace with his intercessour as he deserued to depart at one and the same time with him soe he might be worthie to be receaued into one and the like throne of happines This holy man as it may be throught was a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order aswell for that he was wholly instructed in all his spirituall life by Great S. CVTHBERT a Benedictin who would not teach but as he had learnt him self as allsoe bicause in those daies the true custome of proceeding to an eremiticall and solitarie conuersation was to beginn first with noe other life then a monasticall as saint BEDE doth witnes Out of whom we haue taken his life who both in his historie of England and in the life of S. CVTHBERT relateh the foresayd storie to a word Nicholas Jnvit S. Cuth cap 46. Harpsfield hath the same The life of Saint EDILWALD Priest and Anachoritie of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 23. SAINCT EDILWALD was first a monke of S. BENEDICTS order in the monasterie of Rippon where hauing receaued the dignitie of priesthood he adorned the same with a pious conuersation of life well becomming his degree and calling But afterwards beeng taken with the desire of a more solitarie and retired life he went to the hermitage of the Iland of Farne which saint CVTHBERT had first built and inhabited and there became saint CVTHBERTS immediate successour as well in habitation as holines of life of whose vertuous life that it may the better appeare to the world of how great meritt it was I will only rehearse one miracle out of Sainct BEDE Gudfrid a venerble Priest and afterwards Abbott of the Benedictin monasterie of Lindisfarne desiring to haue some conuersation with saint EDILWALD went By his prayers he asswageth a tempett ouer into the Iland whence much refreshed and comforted with his godly discourse he returned with his companions homewards But being at the Sea their fayre calme was suddenly changed into such a blustering storme what with the force of the winds and the rage of the waters struggling togeather that indeed their incuitable ruine as they thought seemed to be the wager of the others contention Till being come to the poynt of despayring to haue anie longer time of life in this world behould B. EDILWALD hearing the tempestuous noyse of this storme sollicitous of their safetie came running in all hast out of his Cell to see what was befallen them and finding in what imminent danger and despaire they were he fell presently to his prayers for their liues and safegard which done the swelling seas were appeased and the crueltie of that tempest gaue way to their shipp to passe quietly till they were all safe on the drie shore And then the winds and seas as yf they had gathered new courage beganne to rayse the same stormes againe which furiously dured all that day to the end we might more plainly vnderstand that the small intermission wherein they escaped was graunted from heauen for their sakes by the prayers of the holie man And this storie was related to me sayth sainct BEDE who writes it by one of those monks that was in the same ship and danger Other miracles were wrought by the meritts of this Sainct who when he had liued in great holines for the space of twelue yeares in this solitarie kind of life he was called to the ioyes of heauen to receaue the desired rewards of his meritts and labours He was buried in saint PETERS Church of Lindisfarne by saint CVTHBERT Thus much out of saint Bede hist Aâ— l. 5. c. 1. and Nicholas Harpsfied hist. Eccl. saec 7. c. 35. He florished in the raigne of Alfrid who succeeded to Egfrid in the kingdom of Northumberland The life of S. ALFWOLD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 25. Out of VVilliam Malmesbury SAINCT ALFWOLD from a Benedictin monk in the monasterie of winchester was raysed to the Episcopall dignitie of Sherburne He placed a goodly picture of the most holy bishop and monk S. SWITHIN of Winchester in the Church of Sherburne It is certaine that he was a man of most reuerend godly life one that amongst the most prodigall shewes of exquisite banquets which from the time of the Danes were vsed in England followed the rules of auncient pietie seueritie in his diet His spare diet vsing only a woddeÌ„ dish without anie luscious ordaintie meates a little cuppe of beere soe drowned and mortified with water that the danitiest pallat could not find anie tast of beere My authour in this affirmeth that he heard a Priest of good creditt then loaden with grey haires report with teares of ioie much good of this holy man One thing was that noe man euer after his death presumed to sleepe in his bed vnpunished For presently he was forced to leape out of it being amazed with strange vglie visions which not only terrified him from his rest but allsoe sorely rebuked him for vnworthyly vsurping the holy bishops place This was a strainge spectacle vnto manie Earle Godwin hauing it is vncertaine vppon Godwin punished for iniuring S. Alfwlod what occasion grieuously exasperated this holy man fell presently into such a tormenting sicknes that he lay languishing without anie hope of life soe that he was compelled to send a messenger in poast hast to the Bishop humbly to desire pardon for his temeritie who out of his owne pious lenitie gaue him his benediction and pardon and there with all he recouered perfect health II. THIS HOLY Bishop and monk was wonderfully much addicted in his deuotion to the excellent bishop and glorie of the Benedictin â—rder S. CVTHBERT at whose only name he would burst into deuout teares And allwaies he had this Antheme of him in his mouth The Holy Bishop Cuthbert a man perfect in all things appeared amongst the throngs of the world a monke worthyly to be reuerenced His great deuotion to S. Cuthbert of all men And as his dayly loue to this Sainct tooke deeper roote in his heart to giue a greater demonstration
thereof he went in pilgrimage to Durcham where in his sacred tomb he deposed a worthie guift as a holy testimonie of his deuout loue At length after some yeares in his bishoprick coming to the last poynt of this mortall life as long as his voyce would serue him he sung his accustomed Anthem of S. CVTHBERT but his speech fayling with his hand he made a signe to the monks to goe on and soe he happily breathed forth the testimonie of his loue to that Sainct togeather with his blessed soule which at the same instant tooke her flight to receaue His happie departure her prepared seate and reward amongst the quires of Benedictin Monks in heauen Thus much out of Malmesburie depont lib. 2. Harpsfield saec 11. cap. 9. and others He florished about the yeares 1050. THE END OF MARCH The life of Sainct RICHARD Bishop of Chicester and Confessor APR. 3. VVritten by Radulphus Cicestrius about the yeare 1270 SAINCT RICHARD of blessed and neuer dying memorie was an Englishman borne of honest parents in Worcester-shire at a Village which from the salt-pitts thereabouts was called the Wiche S Richards parents c countrey His fathers name was Richard too and his mothers Alice It was not without some presage of his future excellencie that he was borne in a towne of salt for indeed he seasoned the whole countrey with the salt of his wisedom learning and holy life From his tendrest yeares contrarie to the custō of that age he so farre abandoned dancing His happie witt plaies and other such vanities that his other fellowes and equalls in yeares could by noe allurements nor perswasions draw him thereunto on the other side within a short time he farre excelled all his riualls both in learning integritie of life good manners His elder brother during the time of his nonage was kept in ward and by that meanes he came to his lands in great pouertie and want Whose case RICHARD much pittied and hauing not anie thing wherewith to comfort and succour him in that necessitie he He serues his brother gaue him self wholly into his seruice in which he spent noe small time in great pouertie and abiection and with noe lesse patience humilitie and modestie toyling and sweating now at the plough now at the cart and other such hard imployments and labours of husbandrie Whereby he wonne to him self soe great good will and affection from his brother that by a sealed writing he assured all his lands vppon him Then his friends and kinsfolks began to treate of a marriage to be solemnized between him and a yong gentlewoman of that Countrey VVhich when his brother perceaued he beganne to repent that he had resigned ouer his meanes because he knew that with that gentlewoman he should come in possession of a verie large and ample dowry RICHARD hauing intelligēce hereof He forsaketh all for loue of leaning You haue noe reasō deare brother sayd he to be afflicted at this for the same liberalitie and curtesie which you haue shewed towards me will I returne to you againe Therefore behould I not only surrender vp your writings and bonds but allsoe all the interest I haue in this my future wife yf soe it may stand with the good will and liking of her frends and for mine owne part I neuer once kissed her lippes Hēceforth hauing abandoned all he had his lands his spouse his friends he betooke him self to his studies first at Oxford thē at Paris in France where he learnt his Logick And he was soe violently carried away with ā extreme loue desire to apparell his mind with learning that he scarse euer thought ether offoode or apparell for his bodie For as him self afterwards was wōt to say whē he was one of the three schollers that liued in one chamber they had but one capp or hatt betwixt them each of them but one gowne Soe that like some of our courtiers now a dayes whē one of them went forth to lesson with the hatt the other two remayned barcheaded at home And soe the same capp serued them all by turnes to goe heare their lectures Their ordinary food was bread and a little herbe-pottage or some such poore dish For their pouertie would not allow them to eate eyther flesh or fish vnlesse it were vppon sundaies and high dayes and when their friends and comrades did inuite them And yet the holy man was wont to say that in all his life times he neuer enuoyed merrier and sweeter dayes then those II. IN THE meane time our hopefull yong man prositted soe excellently Hefs made master of art in his studies that by the publick applause and acclamations of all men he was iudged worthie to be honoured with the title of master But refusing to take anie degrees at Paris he returned againe to his Countrey and to the Vniuersitie of Oxford where within a short time he was promoted to be Master of the liberall arts He studies Canon law when liberally he imparted that learning to others which before with much labour he had purchased to him self And goeing afterwards into Italic for seauē years space he gaue his mind to studie the Canon law in the vniuersitie of Bolognia that with soe great encrease of learning that his master falling sick made choise of him amongst all his other schollers to supplie his place and continue the lecture begunne Which for more then half a yeare he performed with soe great modestie readines of witt and iudgement that he purchased to him self great affectiō praise throughout all the vniuersitie gott soe high a place of fauour and good will with his master that he desired and aspired to nothing more willingly then to giue him his only daughter in marriage But RICH. who moued by a diuine inspiration was farre otherwise bent gaue him verie humble thanks for his noble loue courteously pretending some reasōs for his excuse adding withall that for the present he had a lōg iourney to make promising that at his returne yf soe it pleased God his dutie should be yielding to the leuell of his desires And taking leaue of his master his daughter in this sort he returned into England to the vniuersitie of Oxford where he led a verie rigid austere life in He is made Chancelour of oxford cōtinuall labours watching other bodily afflictiōs Whē his fame renowne encreased to such a height in the eares of the world that by the cōsent of all he was made Chauncelour of the Vniuersitie III. ABOVT the same time S. EDMOND sate at the helme in the gouernmēt of the metropolitā sea of Canturbury who long before had had certaine intelligence of his great prudence and integritie and Robert surnamed grosse teste a mā famous for holines was thē bishop of Lincolne who both being wholly ignorant of one others meaning herein And to the Archbishop of Cauturbury at one the same time earnestly