was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
and she dispersed all she had I say nothing of her great care and pietie shewed to sick persons orphans and widdowes to whom she was allwaies a most indulgent and pious Motheâ— I passe ouer in silence the affâ—ction reuerence she bore to Hermites and true religious mâ—n whom sometimes she visited and dayly furnished with sufficiencie Euery morning she The rare pretie of the King and Queene nourished nine orphan-children and gaue them victualls with her owne hands Besides these her custom was to receaue three hundred poore poeple into the pallace and hauing 〈◊〉 the doores she ranged them into order when the king on the on side and the Queene on the other serued CHRIST in his poore and gaue them meate with their owne hands peculâ—rly prouided for that purpose O the wonderfull pietie of these royall persons This done she went to the Church where during the time of the holy sacrifice of Masse she sacrificed her self to allmightie God with the long continuance of manie prayers sighs and teares And before the high Masse beganne she heard fiue or six priuate Masses euery day VI. THEN she returned to dinner rather to maintaine life then Her spare diet to satisfie the delights of her appetite for in her diet she was soe sober and sparing that her meales rather sharpened then extinguished her 〈◊〉 and she seemed rather to â—ast then to â—are her meate Throughout the whole Lent and fortie daies before Christmas she mortified her bodie with an incredible abstinence in soe much that out of the austeritie of her fasting she endured most sharpe paynes and gripings in her stomake all the daies of her life but the weaknes of her bodie could nothing weaken the strength of her vnconquered vertue At length falling into a grieuous ficknes she sent for her Confessor 〈◊〉 the second Prior of the Benedictine Monastery of Durham of wâ—om hauing first declared the manner of her life and at each word of the consolation which he gaue her powred out whole flouds of deuout teares she tooke her last farewell for sayd she I shall not long remaine in She desireth Masses and prayers after death this mortall life and thou wilt shortly follow me Two things therefore I desire of thee the first that during thy life thou be allwaies mindfull of me in thy masse and other prayers the second that thou take care of my children and keepe them allwaies in the feare of God lest the prosperitie of the world wheÌ„ they attaine to the height of terrene dignitie make them loose the happines of eternall life VII AFTERWARDS the vehemencie of her disease encreasing she was noâ—able to rise but seldom out of her bed But the fourth day The slaughter of King Malcoline before her happie departure the king being then abroade in a warlick expedition she grew on the suddaine more sad then her wonted custom saying to the assistants I feare more misfortune hath happened this day to the Kingdom of Scotland then in manie yeares before And soone after they vnderstood that the King and his sonne Edward had that very day lost their liues in the warres The fourth day after the kings death her sicknes giuing some truce to the former vehemencie of her paine she rose and went into her chappell and armed her approching end with the last Sacrament and the Viaticum of our Lords most pretious bodie Then the crueltie of her griefes laying her againe prostrate on her death-bed she vnderstood by the new arriuall of her sonne Edgar from the arâ—ie of the late ouerthrow receaued by their enemies when lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God who at the hower of her departure out of this A vvorthy example of patience world had sent her an occasion of soe great anguish for a triall of her patience by the suffrance of which she hoped to be clensed from some of her former sinnes In the meane time feeling the secret messengers of death to summon her departure she beganne deuoutly to recite this prayer Domine Iesu Christe qui ex voluntate Patris cooperante She dioâ—â— happily spiritu Sancto per mortem tuam mundum viâ—ificasti libera me and and at that word her soule being deliuered out of the chaines of the bodie quietly passed to the Authour of all true libertie CHRIST-IESVS whom soe dearely she had loued in her life time being made participant of the happines of those glorious spirits whose vertuous examples she had been all waies carefull to follow And her face which during her sicknes was soe wane pale returned after death to soe fayre a mixture of a red and white complexion that to the astonished behoulders it seemed to sett forth the countenance of a sleeping or liuing bodie rather then of one that was dead She died the tenth day of Iune in the yeare 1097. and was buried in the Church of the Blessed Trinitie which she had built in her life time The life of this glorious Queene hath been written by S. Alured Abbot of Rhieuall recited by Surius tom 3. and by Turgot second Prior of Durham whom we haue followed Allso Deidonatus lib. 12. hist Scotorum maketh ample mention of her as allsoe the Roman Martirâ—loge Vsuard Molanus and others The life of Sainct EADBVRG Virgin and Nunne of the holy Order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 15. Out of William Malmesbury and others EABVRG daughter to Edward the Elder King of England and Queene Elsgiue his wife Her parents at the age of three yeares gaue a notable proofe of her future Sainctitie For her father being desirous to trie whether the litle infant would be inclined to God or the world layd the ornaments of diuers professions in his chamber before her on the one side a chalice and the Ghospell and iewells rings and bracelets on the other Thither the litle gyrle being brought in the armes of her dandling nurse she was seated on her fathers lappe who sayd Choose my EADBVRG which of these things doe most delight thee She with a countenance as it were despising the rest greedily layd hould on the chalice and booke embracing them with Note her choise of a religiouslife a childish innocencie The whole companie of assistants cried out that it was an euident presage of future sainctitie in the gyrle and the father most tenderly kissing clipping his child Goe thy waies sayd he whither God calls thee follow happily the diuine spouse whom thou hast chosen and happy indeed may thy mother and I esteeme our selues being in religion ouercome by a daughter Therefore when riper yeares allowed her the perfect vse of discrecretion she went to the Benedictine Monasterie which her father had She taketh the habit of a Nunne built at Winchester and putt on the habit and profession of a Nunne vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT when soe rarely she conformed her life to the lawes of her profession that by the
bequeathed him in his mind to allmightie God at the same instant and within a weeke after went him self in person and presented him to the charge of a holy man to be instructed according to his owne desires In that good schoole of vnited vertue and learning WINWALOKE profitted soe exceedingly that in a short time he became verie learned in holie scripture and most deuout in the seruice of allmightie God II. HIS master happening to be absent vppon a time the schollers fell to sport and recreate them selues in the fields whereby some misfortune one of them chaunced to breake his legge which turned By his prayers the signe of the Crosse he cureth a broken thigh all their mirth into morning and their play into earnest condoling their fellowes vnhappines But WINWALOKE exhorting them to take courrage and comfort caused the whole companie to fall to their praiers for the repayring of this disastrous losse he him self heartily beseeched the omnipotent worker of wonders to graunt this their humble request Which done he made the signe of the crosse on the wound saying In the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST rise and giue thankes vnto allmightie God and at the same instant he arose prefectly cured of his wound and restored againe to the vse of his legge as sound as he was before it was broken WINWALOKE earnestly desired and coniured his companions to conceale the miracle in silence but the will of God was otherwise whereby it was made knowne and publick to the world for the greater honour both of him and his Sainct III. HE WAS soe wonderfully pittifull coÌ„passionate on the poore His coÌ„passion to the poore that when he saw them begge an almes he would sigh and weepe with the grief he suffered in their miserie and not hauing wherewithall to feed their bodies he would at lest with the comfort of his admonitions endeauour to enrich their soules in which pious exercise he dayly employed some part of his time allthough he wanted not some wicked spiritts who spitefully reuiled and reproched him for this pietie saying that he spent the best part of his time idly amongst lazie beggers But he tooke all their blowes on the buckler of patience rendring sweet wordes for their rude exclamations and humble answeares for their insulting reproches And meeting on a time among those poore poeple with one that was blind to make knowne that his seruice was gratefull to God by his prayers he restored him to perfect sight IV. HE grew at lenght soe perfect in vertue and learning that With hallowed oyle he cureth onâ— stung with a serp 〈…〉 from a scholler he became a master when manie were glad to putt them selues into his schoole vnder his discipline to learne the diuine misteries of the holie scripture One of his schollers falling asleepe in the fields as he sate musing on his lesson happrened to be soe greiuously stung by a venemous serpent that the poison dispersing it self ouer all his bodie caused it to swell in a most strange manner and putt him in iminent danger of death But WNIWALOKE gining him oileto drinke which he him self had hallowed the swelling was forthwith asswaged the venom expelled and the man perfectly cured Not long after he vnderstood by reuelation that it was the will of allmightie God that he should depart with some of his associates to liue in an other place Therefore taking leaue of his master he departed with eleuen others not knowing as yet where to take vp his dwelling but with a firme fayth and confidence in allmightie God he committed him self and his companie to his sacred conduct At length he arriued into an Iland where togeather with his disciples for the space of three yeares he led a verie retired and solitarie life But finding that place to be verie subiect to stormie and tempestuous weather and withall soe barren that it was allmost inhabitable he went to seeke an other habitation beyond the sea whither by a diuine reuelation he was appointed to goe and there he found a place soe fitt and commodious for his purpose that he setled him self and his fellowes therein with intention neuer to stirre more while he liued One discomoditie it had which was want of water but that his deuout prayers supplied for the indeficient By his prayers he obtayneth a fresh fouÌ„taiâ—e fountaine of all goodnes that made water spring out of the rocks for the Jsraelites furnished his Seruant in this necessitie with an abundant spring of sweete cristall streames V. IN THIS place he beganne to leade a most celestiall and angelicall A summarie of his vertues life shining vnto his schollers like a bright starre of deuotion vertue and perfection He was of a verie venerable aspect sweete and modest in his discourse allwaies paynfull and vnwearied in the seruice of allmightie God of a pure bodie a sincere minde a sharpe witt a sound iudgement and verie prouident and wise in his aduise and counsell most firme and constant in hope and excellently perfect in charitie From the twentith yeare of his age to the last hower of his life he was neuer seene to fitt in the Church noe man euer found him ether fondly merrie or idly giuen to melancholy He was mild familiar and courteous to all In bodie he walked on earth but his minde and soule was allwaies fixed in heauen His custom was to reade ouer the psalter of Dauid euery day and to kneele in his prayers to God a hundred times a day and as oft by night His cloathing was poore made of goate-skinnes his bed hard his diet only barley bread and pottage of herbes Saturdaies sundaies he added thereunto some small quantitie of fish and a little châ—ese In lent he eate but twise a weeke he neuer dranke wine nor anie other liquour He vanquisheth the Deuill with the signe of the Cros se which might intoxicate the braine The Deuill enuying soe great sainctitie endeauoured with his hellish plotts to trouble and molest his pious labours appearing vnto him as he prayed in his oratorie in the most vglie and horrid shapes that master of wickednes could inuet vomitting out of his infernall throate manie reprochfull wordes against him when he nothing dismayed thereat couragiously proceeded in his deuotions and brandishing the chief armes of life the holy crosse against that black messenger of death he compelled him to vanish away in confusion VI. Now the excelleÌ„cie of his vertues begaÌ„ to be soe famous all ouer Brittaine that manie blind lame leaprous and other diseased persons flocked vnto him as to an Oracle whom he not only wonderfully cured in bodie but with the sacred baulme of his pious aduise and counsell healed the sinfull infections of their soules His fame arriued at length to the eares of a king of that countrey whose lewdnes of life did little answeare the dignitie of his calling but coming in a poore habitt vnto the holy man he fell prostrate at
his feete humbly desiring his prayers for the remission of his sinnes The Sainct lifting him vp encouraged him with a familiar exhortation to the conteÌ„pt He connetteth a King to good life of the world the diuine loue of heaueÌ„ with such a liuely moouing discourse that the king receaued wonderfull great cofort thereat and returning againe to his pallace reformed his bad life euer after Manie other miracles are reported to haue been wrought by the meritts of this blessed sainct which exceede our breuitie to relate our discourse hasteneth now towards his death which as it could not come vnto soe holie man in an ill season soe it could not befall him in a better time then it did For the night before his departure hauing had a reuelation of that happie hower he made it knowne vnto the rest of his brethren who with bitter teares witnessed the sorrow they conceaued for the losse of soe good a father and entreated him to appoint one to succeed him in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Monasterie whereunto he willingly consented And on the morrow hauing celebrated The mannâ—r of his death the holy Sacrifice of Masse and receaued the sacred bodie bloud of our lord standing yet at the aultar he sweetly rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deare redeemer without anie apparance of sensuall paine at all After which quiet separation his bodie by the hands of his brethren was reuerently committed to a poore house of clay in the earth and his vnspotted soule freed from her terrene habitation was coÌ„ueyed into the heauenly court of allmightie God by a Sacred Conuoy of celestiall spiritts He florished about the yeare of our lord 459. and died the third day of March in the first weeke of Lent His holy reliques were translated afterwards to S. PETERS Abbey of Benedictin Monks in the cittie of Gaunt in Flanders The memorie of which translation is celebrated the first day of August His life is found written by Joannes Anglicus JOHN Capgraue and other auncient manuscripts sort downe by SVRIVS on t of which me haue gathered it VSVARD MOLANVS doe make mention of him The life of Sainct OWEN Confessor and Monk of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR. 4. Out of venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT OWEN being chief steward of the royall familie of S. ETHELDRED wife to Egfrid King of the Northumbers encreased so excellently in the feruour of vertue that forsaking that princely seruice and all the pleasures and riches he enioyed in the world he putt on poore apparell and went to the monasterie of Lesting where the holy Bishop S. CHAD then liued He brought nothing with him but an axe in his hand to shew that he came not to the monasterie He forsaketh the world to liue idlely as manie doe but to gett his liuing by the labour of his hands which afterwards by his great industrie he prooued for hauing receaued the habitt of a Benedictin monk in the same place by how much his want of learning did disfurnish him of abilitie to meditate on the misteries of the holy scriptures by soe much the more he employed and applied his whole endeauours to serue the monasterie with the labour of his hands But when the holy Bishop S. CHAD remooued his seate to Lichfield he tooke this holy monk along with him and iudged him worthie to be one of those eight whom as we haue sayd in his life he made his more familiar companion in that little retiring place of his deuotions which he built neere adioyning vnto the Church for his more priuate exercise of pietie There S. OWEN being for reuerence and respect of his deuotion numbred a mongst the other brethren when the rest were earnestly busied at their prayers and meditations he laboured abrode in making prouision of such things as were necessarie He was a man of verie great meritts and one who had left the world with a pure intention sincere desire of the eternall reward promised to such as follow the footstepps of CHRIST and his Apostles And therefore he His guift of reuelation was esteemed of allmightie God to be in all things most worthie to whom he might more peculiarly reueale his heauenly secrets being for his sinceritie most worthie to be beleeued in his relations For this cause the glorious vision of the Angelicall troupes which came from heauen with their melodious tunes to bring newes of the neere-approching death of S. CHAD was shewed vnto this holy Monke as he laboured without when the holy Bishop was at his prayers within This you may reade in the life of S. CHAD the second of March And this only testimonie of alimightie Gods particular fauour vnto this holy sainct may serue for a sufficient proofe of his great vertue and sainctitie who after the death of the holy Bishop hauing long exercised him self in the execution of his His happie death pious vocation left the world the second time to receaue an euerlasting reward in heauen for hauing renounced it at first and yielded vp his pure soule into the hands of his most deare redeemer Thus much of him we haue gathered chiefly out of S. BEDES-historie of England Trithemius in his third booke and 118. Chapter of the illustrious men of S. BENEDICTS order and Arnold Wion in his Appendix to his Martirologe doe both make worthy mention of him What day he died it is not knowne The life of Sainct PIRAN Bishop and Confessor MAR. 5. Written by Joannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue SAINCT PIRAN borne in Jreland of a noble race for the loue of God contemned the riches of the world and became an Hermite in the same countrey leading the space of manie yeares a very strict and rigid manner of life by which and his concontinuall preaching and working of manie miracles he drew diuers out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the true fayth of CHRIST He was His vertuous life wonderfull sparing in his diet continuall in watching and prayer and from his very childhood to the hower of his death allwaies employed in reading teaching practising the workes of charitie humilitie coÌ„tinencie all other vertues Being made Priest he omitted noe dutie belonging to that dignitie feeding the hungry cloathing the naked instructing the ignorant restrayning froÌ„ vice moouing to vertue At length he departed out of Jreland came into that part of England called Cornwall where with some others in a poore little habitation he prepared himself for death the hower whereof being The manner of his death partly by a grieuious sicknes of which neuer in his life he had tasted before and partly by a diuine inspiration made knowne vnto him he caused his graue to be opened and entring him self into it yielded vp his blessed soule out of that house of clay to be carried vpp to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same
hissing of serpents the neighing of horses the howling of wolues the roaring of lions the braying of asses the groning of beares the grunting of swine and diuers other most horrid noises which furiously encompasled him Against all which he vsed as braue patience and vertue as in times past those He confoundeth the deuils that assault him famous Ermites of Egipt so much praysed by S. HIEROM S. ATHONIE S. HILLARION and others and not long since our most worthie and memorable S. CVTHBERT in the Iland of Farne For being besieged as is aforesayd he armed him self with the signe of the holy Crosse saying It is in vaine Satan for thee to tempt me our Lord is my assistance and I will despise mine enemies It this the similitude of the Most-High which in times past thou wouldest assume to thy self in heauen art thou he who theÌ„ through pride didst aspire to the forme and liknes of God him self and now dost vilely and filthyly transforme thy self into the vglie shapes of brute and vncleane beasts Verely thou dost persecute CHRISTS poore seruants to thy owne great domage for by how much the more thou endeauourest to build vpon their backs by soe much the more resplendent crownes of glorie thou heapest on their heads to thyne owne confusion But turne into what shape thou wilt I am certaine that nether death nor Rom. 3. life nor angels nor powers nor principalities nor anie other creature shall be able to seperate me from the charitie and â—oue of God With these and such like words he putt to flight all those troupes of infernall monsters and euer after he not only ouercame all their hellish delusions plotts and sleights but allsoe gott absolute power and commaund ouer them as his slaues VII THEREFORE those wicked spiritts seeing they could not preuaile against him with their owne practises of mischief they incensed a clergiman that liued vnder his spirituall rules and gouernment called Bertheline with a wicked cogitation and temptation secretly to murder his holy master thereby to enioy as it were by inheritance that little house whatsoeuer else belonged vnto him But Bertilines He seeth the wicked practises of Berteline impious meaning being reuealed vnto the Sainct he sent for him and discouered vnto him all his secret counsels purposes to witt where when and by what meanes he had determined to execute that bloudie exploit Who presently falling prostrate at the holy mans feet with repeÌ„tant teares humbly craued obtained pardon euer after he was verie faythfull to S. GVTHIAKE remayned with him vntill death and had the honour to lay him in his graue Furthermore whilst he liued in this solitude his excellent counsell was ven profitable vnto manie for the good both of soule and bodie being famous allsoe for expelling deuils and curing diuers corporall diseases Manie things done a farre off he saw and declared as present and by the spirit of prophesie he foretould manie things to come long time before they happened He liued in this solitarines for the space of fifteen yeares in which time all his actions words and ininwardest His vertues in this solitarines cogitations breathed nothing else but sweet odours of pietie towards God and peace and charitie towards men Noe man euer saw him giue the lest signes of pride of mind or make the lest shew of anger in his countenance but in both he allwaies obserued one self-same setled and vnremoued constancie His aspect euer calme and quiet curteous and affable in his speech very prudent in giuing counsell of a singular humilitie of mind and a wonderfull continencie in his diett cloathing all things But allbeit the greatnes of the labours and afflictions whereunto he exposed him self in The loue of God ouercometh all difficulties this desert seeme after a manner to exceede all humane strength and power yet out of his immense loue to allmightie God and the allmost vndoubted and tried hope of future glorie they seemed verie light and pleasant vnto him All which God the only crowne of his saincts and their labours did wonderfully asswage and moderate with manie externe and interne consolations when besides others allreadie named the fowles of the ayre and fishes of the waters were seruicable and obedient to his commaunds and twise a day after he had been two yeares in the Ermitage morning and euening he He discour seth with an Angell deserued to intermingle most heauenly and vnexplicable discourses with an Angel which a little before his death being coniured thereunto him self confessed to Berteline who before had often heard him discourse but knew not with whom VIII IN the meane time he was visitted in this rude place by manie He is made Priest He coÌ„forteth King Ethelbald and ore relleth the restitution of his kingdom greate men by Hedda bishop who promoted him much against his will to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood by Ethelbald theÌ„ a banished man afterwards King of the Mercians who coming often to receaue some comfort in affliction from S. GVTHLAKE had great confidence by his prayers to be deliuered from the bloud-seeking hands his enemies Nether did his hope deceaue him for the holy man with the efficacie of his good counsell not only gaue new courage to his mind allmost quite ouerthrowne with sorrow and afflict ion bâ— allsoe by a propheticque spiritt foretould that through his prayers he should obtaine his kingdom and glorie againe and that his enemie had not long to line Only sayd he be mindfull that when allmightie God shall haue done well for thee thou be not vngratefull A certaine Abbot allsoe that came to visitt S. GVTHLAKE had giuen leaue to two of his clearks fayning some necessarie busines to goe to a village hard by where in a widdowes house they most wickedly gaue themselues to the works of gluttonie dronkennes and dishonestie In the meane time all their actions were reuealed to the holy man who tould the Abbot where they were what they sayd and did as distinctly as yf he had feene them The Abbot returning to his monasterie tould his clerkes where they had been with all other circumstances of words and works that had past whereby being much ashamed they humbly craued pardon for their fault IX A noble man belonging to the foresayd King Ethelbald and a yong man of Eastanglia both violently vexed and possessed by the He freeth two possessed persons deuill but the later soe extremely that he was madd allsoe in soe much that he would sett vppon all that came neere him with stones and staues and whatsoeuer else he could lay hould on whereby he slew three men that sought to bind him nether in his furie did he spare his owne bodie for with his teeth and nayles he would teare his flesh in peeces At length hauing been led by his friends to manie holie places all in vaine he was brought to S. GVTHLAKE who by a triduall perseuerance in fasting and
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
cannot come this day to the desired place yee inuite mee The Saincts finding his hindrance reasonable bad him be readie prouided against the saturday following to enioy their companie sing with them Holy Holy Holy for euer DVNSTAN promised he would and those glorious spirits vanished out of his sight A holy Priest named Elfgar was at the same The witnes of his vision time made participant of this heauenly vision who afterwards became a faythfull witnes thereof vnto the world XXII THEREFORE S. DVNSTAN acknowledging that the time of his death was at hand and being secure of his eternall happines piously reioyced in our Lord and was replenished with a spicituall mirth towards all men And now the hower of the diuine office was come when the holy Bishop went ioyfully to the Aultar to sacrifice the Sonne of God to his eternall Father The Church was filled with a greater multitude of poeple then euer drawne thither by I know not what instinct as it were to heare some strange newes that had not been spoken off before Therefore the Ghospell at Masse being sung the Bishop went to preache vnto the The excellencie of his â—ast sermon poeple when the holy Ghost gouerning his heart and tongue he spoke more excellently then euer he had done before Then returning to the aultar he finished that dreadfull sacrifice and being come to the Benediction at the end of Masse which by bishops is more solemnly giuen he went againe into the pulpit where soe admirably he treated of the reall presence of the future resurrection of our bodies of the ioies of euerlasting life that one vnacquainted The reall presence with him before would haue iudged those words to haue proceded from the mouth of an Angell This done he returned to the aultar and solemnly gaue the poeple his benediction But being much wounded in his mind with a pious feare lest his dearest friends and children being strucken with the sudden blow of his death should grieue more vehemently then they would being forewarned of that dolefull separation to the great admiration of all he went the third time to the poeple WheÌ„ he noe sooner opened The wonderfull brightnes of his face his mouth to speake but like an other Moyses his face shined with such glittering beames of glorie that not one of all that huge assemblie was able to fixe his sight vppon him The inestimable sweetnes and ioy that then possessed the hearts of the assistants noe penne is able to describe But when the Seruant of God began to discouer the day of his death then all that mirth was turned to mourning and such mourning that DVNSTAN him self who was now destined to euerlasting ioies being mooued with naturall pittie and compassion seemed to beare a part in that dolefull consort But vsing violence to him self weeping he endeauoured to comfort the weeping affirming that they ought not to be sorow full for his departure whom noe labour or payâ—e but eternall rest and glorie would receaue and noe man that is grounded in the roote of true charitie should more esteeme his owne priuate and temporall comoditie then the eternall benefitt of his neighbour And allbeit he were absent from them in bodie yet The spirituall presence of the Saincts in spirit he would be allwaies present to helpe and ayde them with his prayers Hauing spoken to this purpose he recommenced them all to CHRIST and left them vnwilling to be depriued of the sight of his glorious countenance XXIII THE same day after dinner accompanied with a venerable troupe of monkes and other his friends he returned to the Church and hauing designed a place for his buriall he commaunded S. Dunstan falâ—eth sick to haue his graue opened And then a cruell sicknes seazing one his holy bodie confined his weake limmes to rest in bed where he lay all the friday following incessantly attending to God and diuine things and inciting all that came about him to adhere to the examples and footstepps of CHRIST-IESVS Thus conquering the strength of his disease with the weapons of a fir me fayth and deuotion he passed ouer that day till the morow which was the last of his labours and first of his desired rest arriued Then the Clergie and poeple flocked about him with a fearfull expectation of the euent which he had foretould of him self And DVNSTAN being most desirous to enter into the ioy of his Lord and hauing strengthened him self with the sacred bodie and bloud of CHRIST ioyfull expected the happie hower foretould in He is miraculously raysed togeather with his bed the foresayd vision When suddenly to the great astonishment of them all by the hidden power of the allmightie Deitie togeather with the bed wherein he lay he was miraculously eleuated three times to the top of the chamber and as often let quietly downe againe Then the holy man behoulding a companie of his amazed monkes and spirituall children about him sayd My most deare brethreÌ„ His last speech the beloued sheepe of my pasture your owne eyes haue beheld whither I am called whither I am going Yee are well acquainted with the path of my footstepps yee know the labour of my life past behould now the consummation thereof lifts me on high Wherefore with the briefe admonition of my dying voyce I exhort and counsell yee that yf yee desire to come whither I am going yee be not flack to apprehend the way that I haue walked in Allmightie God him self who hath directed my iourney to him self direct allsoe your hearts and bodies to fullfill his diuine will in peace And the whole coÌ„panie hauing answered Amen that blessed soule passed His glorious departure out of this world and by a sacred conuoy of heauenly spirits was coÌ„ducted into the heauenly lodgings to enioy the ineffable vision of Iâ—SVS-CHRIST God and man the glorious crowne and euerlasting reward of his labours XXIV THIS glorious Prelate died in the yeare of our Lord 988. His buriall when he had gouerned the Mettopolitan Sea of Canturbury twentie seauen yeares He was buried with greate reuerence and lamentation of his Monkes in the place which him self had designed within the quire before the degrees ascending to the high aultar in CHRISTS-Church Which we doubt not to haue been by him with great affection of pietie soe disposed that lying in bodie before the face of his beloued children whom he had left in the turbulent dangers of the world they might confidently haue recourse to him in thier necessities who in spirit according to his promise made would allwaies be present amongst them And indeed the manie miraculous effects wrought there at his intercession are manifest testimonies hereof Of which we will briefly relate some few only out of such authors as were Manie miraces wrought at his Tombe eye-witnesse of them Fiue woemen and one man receaued their sight as they prayed at his tomb others recouered their legges and other parts of their
blasphemous mouthes of Hereticks doe reiect as vaine superstitious and impious actions But farre otherwise did CHRIST his Apostles and SAINCTS teach both by words and deeds And what they thought and did can by noe other meanes be mamanifested but by the hystories of their liues Soe that both to conuince Heretiques and interpret the doubtfull Saincts liues the interpretation of Scripture and hard passages of holy scripture the Liues and examples of the SAINCTS doe greatly helpe Which made S. HIEROME call the Liues of SAINCTS the interpretation of holy scripture and S. AVGVSTINE say that the holy scripture treateth not only of the commaundements of God but alsoe of the liues and manners of the SAINCTS to the end that yf we chance at anie time to doubt of the true sense and vnderstanding thereof we way receaue light and instruction from that which they haue done For composing our liues and manners according to the imitation of the SAINCTS we need not feare falling into errour when we see how the supreme gouernour of all hath adorned them with manifest miracles and with euident signes declared that their Liues were gratefull vnto him Their liues therefore must allwaies serue vs as a mirrour besore our eyes therein to behould our owne vices Saincts liues a paterne for our actâ—â—s to learne to correct them and to looke vppon their heroicall vertues to endeauour to imitate them There the proud shall find how to become humble the hard-hearted how they may be mollified the cold how they may be warmed the tepid how they may be heated the pious and feruent of spirit how they may be more and more inflamed with the loue of heauen and in a word all of whatsoeuer age sex condition profession or calling may theÌ„ce reape sweet flowers of all kind of vertues documents of wholsom peanance and liuely examples of true pietie farre more efficacious to moue their minds to the practise of goodnes then the force of weake words only This S. AVSTEN affirmeth of him self This in times past manie noble Lords and Matrones of Rome did testifie who being all ether staggering in their faith or growing cold in charitie by only Hier. ad Marcell hearing of the most holy life of great S. ANTHONIE the Hermite were enflamed with soe great feruour of spirit and fier of deuotion that abhorring their former life and desiring euer after to slie all sinne and occa sions of sinne they bad adiew to the vaine world and the pompes pleasures thereof separated them selues from the conuersation and companie of men and applying their minds wholly to the diuine seruice followed the banner of CHRIST and his SAINCTS crucified their owne bodies togeather with all the vices coÌ„cupiscences thereof But not to these only but to manie others allsoe the same is read to haue happened in the like case Considering therefore and pondering oftentimes these things with my self I was much grieued that in Causes mouing the Authour to write these lines these lamentable times wherein our miserable countrey is afflicted spoyled and oppressed by heresie the Catholicks amidst these tribulations were depriued of the great profitt and consolation which they might receaue by the reading of the Liues of their SAINCTS because that eyther their workes were not written or yf they were written it was in such Authours that now are scarse to be found that in Latine which is not for the capacitie of the vnlearned I was noe lesse grieued allso that the SAINCTS them selues that heretofore were the ornaments and Lights of our countrey were now being vnknowne depriued of their part of that due honour which otherwise should haue beene done vnto them being made knowne For these reasons then and partly for myne owne priuate exercise but principally gentle Reader for thy consolation I haue here aduentured seeing noe better writer would take soe worthie a work in hand to trie my penne in behalf of our glorious SAINCTS and to sett forth though not as worthily as I should yet as truely and sincerely as I could the Liues of all the most renowned SAINCTS of our â—land of great Britaine and of the Iles thereunto belongingâ— and thereby I haue restored againe to all good Catholicks my Countreymen that which the cruell iniurie of the times had violently robbed them off and sought to haue buried in the darknes of perpetuall obliuion But because all workes that are exposed to the publick view of the world are exposed allso to the censure of diuers sortes of poeple diuersly affected I thought conuenient to set downe here some few aduertisemeÌ„ts aswell to preuent all occasions of misconstructions or cauills that might be taken in the reading of this treatise as allso to informe the well-inclined Reader against some doubtes or difficulties that may occurre in the perusing of the same First then because the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius a man that hath otherwise well deserued of the Baronius his mystake Church of God for his Ecclesiasticall historie doeth contrarie to the auncient and common opinion of the world robbe the Benedictine order of one of its greatest ornaments S. GREGORY the great and denie that euer he liued a Monke vnder the holy RVLE of the Great Patriarch of Monkes sainct BENEDICT and consequently affirmes that sainct AVGVSTINE and his fellow-Monkes whom he sent to conuert our countrey who were professed of the same Monasterie in Rome vnder sainct GREGORY were not of the same Order lest my Reader should chaunce to stumble vppon this new opinion which since hath been by manie famous and learned writers hissed out of the schoole of true Historie I will here for his better instruction briefly sett downe some few authorities of manie auncienter and later Authours then Baronius who doe all constantly asseuer the contrarie that is that both S. GREGORY him self and the Monkes he sent and made Apostles of England were indeed of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT and not of I know not what Equitiam familie as Baronius pretends And omitting here to draw arguments from the auncient charters writings graunted to Monasteries euen in the time of sainct AVGVSTINE him self which all euidently conuince the same for a truth as of some you may reade in his life May the 26. I will first draw into the lists of this Combat that ornament of our Countrey sainct ALDELME Bishop of Sherburne who died aboue nine S. Aldelme against Baronius huÌ„dred yeares before Baronius was borne In his worke then which he writt in verse of the prayse of Virgins Virginitie hauing spoken much in commendation of out holy Father sainct BENEDICT whom he affirmeth to haue been the first that ordered the exercises of Monasteries and a monasticall life he maketh this epilogue to the paragraphe of sainct BENEDICTS prayses * Benedicti Huius alumnorum numero glomerantur ouantes Quos tenet in gremio facunda Britannia ciues A * Benedicto quo iam nobis Baptismi gratia
ouer the countrey Yet to this there was comfort at hand that by the election of the brethren and his fellow-Abbot Ceolfrid he found one Sigfrid a deacon of the same monasterie a very reuerend and meeke man substituted in Eosterwins place This Sigfrid was a man very sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of holy scriptures adorned with most godly manners endowed with a wonderfull vertue of abstinence and for the better conseruing of the vertues of his mind he was kept vnder with noe small infirmitie of bodie and to maintaine the innocencie of his heart he allwaies laboured with a hurtfulland irremediable disease of the lungs VI. AND not long after S. BENNET allsoe began to be wearied S. Bennet falleth sick with a sicknes comeing forcibly vppon him For the diuine goodnes that the vertue of patience might allsoe giue testimonie of the great sinceritie of these holy Abbots in religion layd them both prostrate for a time on the hard bed of a temporall sicknes that hauing triumphed ouer the same by death he might afterwards refresh them with the perpetuall rest of a gladsom peace and euer-during life For Sigfrid as we haue said hauing bin long tormented with the teadious grief of the inwards parts of his bodie euidently perceaued that now he was come to his last and S. BENNET whose disease still encreased by degrees for the space of three yeares was now weakened with such an extreame palsie that death seazing on the lower partes of his bodie tooke from thence all sense of feeling soe that life withdrew it self only into the higher lodgings of that weake building remayning there only the better to exercise the office of a religious and vertuous patience His whole studie during the time of his sicknes was allwaies to spend the little allowance of breath he enioyed in rendring hartie thankes and prayses vnto the authour of all goodnes for his benefitts and to exhorte his brethren with the fraternall words of pietie to remayne constant in the seruice of God and in the obseruance of the rules and institutions which he had planted among them VII FOR you ought not to imagine sayd he that the lawes His speech to his brethren on his death bed and constitutions which I haue giuen you haue proceeded out of my owneignorant and vnlearned vnderstanding for out of seuenteen diuers monasteries which among all the wearisom labours of my often trauells I found to be best haue I learnt and gathered all these precepts deliuered them to your pietie to be obserued But chiefly this precept he did often times reiterate vnto them that in the election of their Abbot they should haue noe regard to the nobilitie of byrth without the worthines of vertue nor respect the greatnes of dignitie in the world but the aboundance of charitie and humilitie in religion For in very deed I tell you sayd he that in comparison of two euills I had rather see the place in which with soe great labours I haue built this monasterie reduced into a perpetuall desert if soe it please God then that my owne brother who is knowne not to follow the stepps of vertue should succeede me in title of Abbot to rule and gouerne the same Therefore deare Brethren be allwaies very carefull neuer to choose your Abbot An Abbot to be chosen not for nobilitie but vertue according to byrth nor out of anie other Bodie then your owne but following that which our great Abbot S. BENEDICT hath prescribed in his rule and the decrees contayned in our priuiledges you ought in the conuent of your Congregation with cōmon counsell of the brethren to search out one who according to the deserts of life and doctrine of wisedom shall be found and approoued to be most worthy and fitt to performe soe great an office and such an one being found you shall present him to the Bishop who with his wonted benediction ought to confirme him in the Abbatiall dignitie In these and such like speeches did he spend a great part of his weake sickly dayes whilst to mitigate the wearisom teadiousnes of the long night which the heauy burden of his disease did render restlesse from sleepe he would some times call one of his brethren to reade vnto him eyther the example of holy Iobs vnmatcheable patience or some other part of the scripture whereby he might receaue some comfort in his grief and be able more liuely to lift vpp him self from the lowest degree of worldly torment to the confideration of the highest reward of his suffering And because he could not by anie meanes rise to pray nor easily make vse eyther of tongue or voice to recite his accustomed taske of psalmes he learnt by his owne prudence and the His truly religious spiritt dictamen of a true religious spirit and affection to call certaine of the brethren vnto him at all the howers eyther of day or night office with whom being diuided into two quiers he would sing and say as well as he was able all the accustomed psalmes of the office and what his weaknes would not let him performe was by their assistance supplied VIII BVT when this worthy payre of Abbots BENNET and Sigfrid hauing bin long wearied with these teadious infirmities did both plainly perceaue that they drew neere the entrance of the dreadfull gates of death and saw them selues to be both vnfitt for See a true patterne of affectiō the gouernment of the monasterie for soe farre their infirmities had wrought in them the perfection of the vertue of CHRIST that when as vppon a day both piously desiring to see and salute one and other before they departed out of the world Sigfrid was carried vppon a beere like a true picture of death to the chamber where S. BENNET lay vppon his poore couch and being both by the seruing hands of their dolefull brethren in such sort composed togeather vppon the same pallett and their heads vppon the same bolster behold a lamentable sight they were not masters of soe much strength as to ioyne their holy lippes togeather to giue a kisse to their last farewell but were fayne hauing made shew of their desire herein to finish it by the assistance of fraternall hands IX THEN S. BENNET entring into consultation with Sigfrid◠and the rest of hir brethren sent for Ceolfrid that was Abbot of S. PAVLES monastery a man not only neere vnto him in the bands of kinred but allsoe which is the chiefell in the sweete societie of vertues and him by the common consent and fauour of all he placed at the helme to be the only pilot and gouernor of both his monasteries iudging it the only best course the better to conserue the peace vnitie and concord of both places to beepe them perpetually vnder the regiment of one only superiour And for this purpose he wished them to call to mind that Euangelicall sentence Euery kingdom diuided within it self shall become desolate But two moneths after this
perceaued his good Master earnestly requested allmighty God to giue him the grace of perseuerance Soone after the same Brother desiring to returne into the world opened the thoughts of his heart vnto his Master saying that his weaknes was not able to endure the hardnes of the order that all things therein were contrarie to his nature that he could not vndegoe their dayly paines and exercises that he was grieuously vexed and tortured with their long watching that he often fainted vnder his manuall and dayly labours that the roughnes and rudnes of his cloathes did pierce his tender skinne and that indeed his will was rather inclined to follow secular delights and worldly lusts and pleasures then to breake his back with such austeritie And I replied his Master will prepare thee daintier meates and gentler cloathing and in all things else belonging to thy profession I will be more indulgent vnto thee I will not stay sayd he allthough it were to be master of all the wealth in the house Neyther will I tast anie foode replied ALVRED vntill God all mightie bring thee back againe eyther willing or nilling The one runnes to the gate to be gone the other enters into his chamber to pray that he should not goe The holy man laments the losse of his sonne and with the deepe sighs of a sorrowfull heart bewayling his great temeritie refuseth to receaue anie consolation The fugitiue coming to the gate which to his sight A notable miracle was wide open found it eyther not to be soe indeed or else some thing else stronger then a gate to be shutt against him for hauing often times striuen with all his force to goe â—orth he fayled of his purpose and was not able to passe ouer that place where the gate was wont to stand being shutt Being strucken with admiration hereat he returned to his master before whom with great signes of repentance he humbly demaunded pardon of his follie promising to remayne constant and stedfast in his vocation euer after His Master with teares of ioy entertayned him giuing humble thankes to allmightie God for his goodnes III. S. ALYRED was second to none in those daies in all manner of learning both diuine and humane and his knowledge being ennobled with the rich ornaments of vertue and religion moued his brethren by common consent to elect him for their Abbot of Rhieuall In which dignitie as if all his former life had bin but a He is chosen Abbot of Rhieuall shadow or figure of true religion he beganne as it were to reforme and wind him self vp into a farre higher degree of austeritie and deuotion and when as now he might assume more libertie he contrarie to custom did quite abridge him self of all such things as might giue his bodie content in his diet soe sparing that his extreme abstinence made him seeme to beare the shape rather of a spiritt then of a man He encreased the number of his Monks to one hundred and fiftie and fiue hundred brethren For the space of tenne yeares before his death being cruelly vexed with the stone-collick and the gowt he made vse thereof for the better triall of his humilitie and patience in which vertues he was excellent not ceasing neuerthelesse to write spirituall bookes and homelies vppon the Ghospell to preach often vnto his brethren allwaies conforming his owne life to whatsoeuer proceeded eyther from his penne or tongue In his writings sayings doeings and all his manner of life he was a most diligent imitatour of the great father of his Order S. BERNARD Allwaies meeke humble patient and one that both in him self and with others and amongst all men was soe peaceable that it farre exceeds the force of this penne to expresse or anie heart to thinke how entierely and sincerely he did embrace purchase and nourish true peace and concorde IV. AS ONCE he sate before the fier being soe cruelly tormented with the collick that through the sharp conuulsions of his griefe he was forced to sitt double with his head bent downe betweene his knees there comes into the roome one of the brethren that long before hated him for his goodnes and now spieing this opportunitie to be aduantageous for his reuenge stole behind him sitting in that manner and with all his force thrust him violently into the fier crieing out aloud Now thou art iustly punished'for thy hypocrisie and falsehood Herevppon some of the Monks coming to the noyse gott vpp the holy Abbot out of the fier and out of a zealous anger beganne to lay violent hands vppon the authour of this mischief But the blessed Sainct forgetting his infirmitie His wonderfull patience and still mindfull of charitie strictly forbadd them from that enterprise Cease cease sayd he my deare children and doe not robb your wretched father of his garment of patience Alas I am not angrie I am not hurt I am not troubled at this my child it was that cast me into the fier and hereby he hath not vrged me my death but purged my imperfections He is my child allbeit weake and imperfect And indeed I am not sound in bodie my self but his weakenes hath cured the imperfection of my soule And here withall embracing him about the neck he gaue him the louing salutatioÌ„ of peace and as though he had endured no wrong at all he studied with all gentlenes to mitigate the furie of his heart which without cause was enraged against him V. FOWER yeares before his death he had his bodie perfectly exempted dischardged from all pleasure of enioying this life for he brought it soe leane and bare with continuall fasting watching sicknes and other voluntarie austerities that nothing but the skinne was left to couer the naked bone And in all his infirmities he would not heare of a phisitian but contemning for the loue of God all remedies of the bodie he only busied him self about that one thing which is necessarie to prouide for the health of his soule He read such bookes as would moue his heart to melt into teares of sorrow and compunction and instruct him in the way of good life and manners and amongst manie others he vsed verie much to reade S. AVGVSTINS confessions He was often wont to sitt in a hollow place made in the floore of his Oratorie piously ruminating with him self that from earth he came and into earth she should returne In a word liuing on earth his conuer sation was in heauen for often times he enioyed the viâ—ion of the blessed Angels with whom he conuersed as familiarly as with his owne brethren Manie other miracles are reported to haue bin wrought by this holy Sainct which we omitt VI. A YEARE before his death vnto his other infirmities was added the crueltie of a drie cough which finding a bodie allreadie weakened brought him to such extremitie that often times hauing sayd Masse he was compelled to lie downe on his bed for the space of an hower being neyther able to moue nor
thy bodie to Satan that thy soule may be A terrible punishment of one that would not forgiue his enemies saued in the day of iudgement He had scarse ended these words when the miserable wretch by the gâ—ashing and grinding of his teeth the gastly staring of his eyes his foaming at the mouth and antick turning and rouling of his bodie into strange postures gaue euident restimonie by what diabolicall spiritt he was gouerned At length being freed againe by S. WOLSTAN he was the second and third time possessed in like manner vntill from the bottom of his heart he promised to forgiue his enemies XVII THE vertuous life of this holy man was ennobled with manie other miracles and wanted not the guift of prophesie By S. Wolstanâ— guift of prophesie which he disswaded one Ailwine who a long time had liued a solitarie life at Malâ—erne hills from his desire of goeing to Hierusalem foretelling him that God allmightie would worke wonderfull things by his meanes Ailwine yeelding vnto his perswasioÌ„s founded afterwards a famous monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order at Malâ—erne where he gathered togeather the number of three hundred Benedictine Monkes XVIII ONE Sewulf whom he had often exhorted to embrace a monasticall life to doe worthie penance for his sinnes excusing him self and alleadging that the rigour of it did exceed his weaknes of bodie the Bishop sayd Well goe this waie thou shalt be a Monk whether thou wilt or noe At length waxing old he tooke the habitt of S. Benedicts order at Malmesburie where the very remembrance of S. Wolstans words euer after thundered a milder and humbler behauiour into him XIX As on a time he stroaked the head of a little boy called Nicholas whom he brought vp from a child and now euen in his A WoÌ„der youth beganne to loose his hayre I think my sonne sayd he thou wilt shortly be bald and why Father replied the boy doe not you keepe my hayre on my head Beleeue me sonne answered the holy Bishop as long as I liue soe much as remaynes shall not fall away And soe it came to passe But within the verie weeke that the holy man died all that yong mans hayre went soe cleane away that there remayned nothing but the bare scull XX. Newes being brought him that his sister was dead Now then answered he the plough is come into my land and verie He foreseeth his owne death shortly the brother will follow his sister Neyther was he a false Prophet for within a short time after being taken with an extreme seauer his old age soone perceaued that death was at hand Then nothing was to be seene among his monks and other friendâ— about him but teares sighs and lamentations woefully bewailing the losse of soe pious a Father When he on the other side with a deuout exhortation proceeding from a ioyfull countenance stroue to appease their griefs saying that his death would be noe losse of life but a change for a better promising not soe to forsake them but that with his prayers to allmightie God he would for euer assist them His great confideÌ„ce in almightie God and that being free out of his prison of clay by how much neerer he was ioyned vnto God by soe much readier he would be to comfort and defend them Thrise happie tongue that out of the store-house of a secure conscience durst power out words of soe great confidence Some with sighs and sobbs desire to haue him prayd for and he largely promiseth to pray for them all O strange wonder See how his holy simplicitie was ignorant of hauing anie diffidence in the mercie of allmightie God Therefore in the yeare of our Lord 1095. this glorious confessor of CHRIST this bright starre of the Benedictine order in England hauing with a wonderfull rare example of holy life gouuerned the Sea of Worcester the space of thirtie fower yeares deliuered vp his vertuous soule into the hands His death of his creatour to receaue the rewards of his worthie labours the ninteenth day of January in the eightie seauenth yeare of his age His bodie was brought into the Church and detained there three dayes vnburied The very forme and complexion thereof seeming rather to sett forth the gracefull beautie of a liuing Bishop then the horrour of a dead corps The Episcopall ring which he had receaued at his consecration manie yeares before his death would not hang on his finger for his flesh was soe consumed by his extreme penance and austerity of life that his bodie was nothing but skinne and bone But although his ring often times fell from his finger thus A notable miracle consumed yet was it neuer lost and he did often say that he would carrie with him to his graue that ring which without ambition he had receaued Being dead diuers essayed to take off his ring but in vaine for that which before fell off manie times of it self by noe violent meanes could now be drawne off The fourth day he was buried with great reuerence by Robert Bishop of Hereford who long before had entred into a strict and holy league of friendship togeather with S. WOLSTAN XXI SOME yeares after his death a mercilesse fier taking hould of the topp of the Church burnt and consumed it in miserable sort An other as strange the lead came powring downe like rayne the great beames their supporters being consumed as whole trees tumbled to the ground soe that in such a confused wrack of ruine it seemed nothing that was within the compasse of the Church could escape the rage of the fier Yet the sepulcher of the blessed Sainct remayned free from these outrageous flames and was not as much as touched or smutched with anie of the coales ashes or anie thing else that fell from aboue And to giue greater euidence to the miracle the verie strawmatte on which those did kneele that prayed before his tombe was found whole and vntoucht XXII ABOVT a hundred yeares after his death his holy body was taken vp and enclosed in a very pretious shrine being found in all His body vncorrupted after an hundred yeares his Pontificall robes as entier and vncorrupted as when he was layd in the ground The feast of his translation is celebrated the seauenth of Iune Manie other miracles were wrought by the supreme worker of miracles through the intercession and meritts of this blessed Sainct which I willingly omitt my purpose being not to write Saincts liues that the world may only wonder at their miraculous deeds but chiefly to draw men to imitate their vertuous liues Yet in this historie we haue had great store both of vertues and miracles God of his infinite goodnes giue vs grace to admire and prayse his diuine power in the one and to follow the vertuous examples of his blessed Sainct in the other Amen His life we haue taken chiefly out of the author of it SENATVS BRAVON a Monk of Worcester Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de
shutt yet his sweete speeches yeelded the sound of a kind of heauenly harmonie to the eares of his hearers The fame of his sanctiâ—ie is discouered III. WHILEST thus the holie man exercised him self in the discipline of a rigid-deuout life knowne only to the allseeing deitie he brake forth at length to the knowledge of the world like a fayre morning of good health and happines vnto his countrey For his coate of maile hanging downe somwhat below his knees with the rudenes thereof hindered him to kneele at such times and soe often as he desired whereof hauing admonished the knight his old master who was only priuie to this secret he demaunded his counsell therein The knight would haue persuaded him to send it to London to be cutt according to his desire But he being impatient of such delay and fearing thereby to lay open a gate to vaine gloire gaue him a payre of sheares and bad him in the name of God dispatch that worke with his owne hands The knight staggering in his obedience and iudging it to be dotage in the holy man that sett him on a taske as he thought quite impossible knew not what to say Be constant replied VLFRICK and feare nothing behold I goe to recommend this busines vnto God in the meane time endeauour confidently to finish this worke The one falls to his prayers the other endeauours with iron and steele to cutt iron and steele when both their labours tooke prosperous effect to the admiration of the one great ioy of the other For the knight Note a strainge miracle in his cutting worke seemed rather to diuide a peece of cloath then a peece of iroÌ„ with soe great facilitie the sheares ranne through that steelie garment But the holy man rising from his prayers before the worke was finished the knight was forced to hould his hands when VLFRICK coming to the window where he laboured asking how he had succeeded in his busines Well and prosperously sayd he hitheruÌ„to but now at thy coÌ„ming the sheeres turne edge are at a stay Be not mooued thereat replied the sainct but with the same sheeres finish thy work soe happily begun Then resuming his former coÌ„fidence with the like facilitie he went through the rest And from that time the holy maÌ„ in the strength of his owne fayth without anie sheeres pulled asunder the little rings of that part of his coate cutt off distributed theÌ„ charitably to all that desired by vertue whereof manie The parcels of his coate cure manie diseases diseases were cured according as it is recorded of the chaines of the holie Apostles PETER and PAVL and manie other Martirs But the Knight much amazed at soe great vertue sell prostrate at the holy mans feet whereat greatly coÌ„founded he lifted him vp coniuring him not to reueale that miracle as loÌ„g as he liued But the fame thereof grew soe famous that it could not be hidden when manie religious deuout persons were glad to enioy a ring of his iron coate whereby the glorie and sweet odour of his sainctitie was blowne ouer all parts of the Kingdom IV. WHILST our worthie champion of CHRIST thus noblie The deuils rayse warre against him fortified his mind with the armour of a generous vertue shewed soe great confidence in allmightie God and such incomparable rigour in chastising and afflicting his owne bodie and beating downe the dishonest rebellions thereof the common plotter and worker of all mischief to mankind greatly enuieing such rare goodnes assayled him on all sides with wonderfull troubles rude vexations and allmost mortall torments not inferiour to those raysed against S. HILLARION S. ATHONIE and other auncient Hermites to batter and beate downe the constancie of his vertuous mind and resolution Once those infernall spiritts appearing visibly in most horrid shapes with violence dragged him into the Church and round about the pauement thereof in great furie till by the vnexpected comming of a most reuerend Virgin he was relieued out of the hands of those hell-hounds whom she chased suddenly away He vnderstood afterwards that this was a holy Virgin of whom heâ— had made a commemoration in his Masse the same day An other time the holy man being sick his ordinarie enemie entred into the roome where he lay and casting a terrible looke vppon him with a staffe he had in his hand gaue him three great blowes on the head and departed And further it pleased allmightie God to giue the Deuil soe great power ouer his bodie that like an other Iob he infected his flesh with such horrid vlcers that his armes quite vpp to the shoulders became a loathesom spectacle rotten and full of vgly His wonderfull patience wormes and corruption All which as visitations sent from God he endured with infinite great pacience and ioy euer yielding humble thankes vnto his diuine goodnes that gaue him soe fayre an occasion of meritt in this world He was noe sooner recouered of this strainge maladie but the same engine of mischief cast his bodie into such an intolerable but inuisible heate of fier in soe much that he called for a Priest and beganne to recommend his soule vnto his creatour till after a while that hellish tormenter chainged that intollerable heate into a contrarie cold soe insufferable that euerie minute he expected with patience the disuniting of his soule from He ouercometh the vexations of the deuil his bodie But he triumphed ouer all these hellish afflictions and diabollicall temptations in the approoued armour of an vndaunted patience of minde and made all these occasions but stepps to clime the height of vertue and perfection by V. ONE Easter eue at night the hellish spiritt of vncleanes hauing cast the holy man into a deepe sleepe by a filthie dreame and illusion allbeit in a bodie drie and half dead triumphed ouer the frailtie of his flesh and caused him to suffer some such vncleannes as the weakenes of mans nature is subiect vnto in those occasions where vppon he became soe ouerthrowne with grief and sorrow of See a wonderfull example of humilitie mind that he pined away at his disastrous chaunce And on the morrow morning being Easter day he went into the Church where publickly before all the poeple present at that holy solemnitie he made open confession of what had befalne him and burst out into a miserable complaint of his mischaunce And woe be vnto me wretched VLFRICK sayd he whom mine enemies in reuenge of my sinnes haue this sacred night soe filthyly disgraced soe vnhappily deluded and soe vilely euerthrowne I confesse my offence vnto God and to you all desiring and hoping to obtaine pardon from his diuine goodnes by your good prayers and intercession Hauing in these and such like words proclaymed his misfortune he returned sorrowfull to his cell Which his wonderfull deiection and humilitie of mind wherein he nether spared his owne shamefastnes nor the diminishing of that renowned opinion
the Pagans vnder his dominion to heare them with pacience By this meanes manie were dayly conuerted A Church dedicated to the holy Crosse to the fayth in soe much that they procured a Church to be built at Vtreicht in honour of the holy Crosse in which they consecrated a font that such as receiued the Fayth might haue free accesse to be there baptised And now the haruest of our Lord beginning greatly to encrease and the labourers being but few these holy men deuided them selues weÌ„t by two three togeather to preach in diuers parts of lower Germanie But S. SWIBERT of whoÌ„ only now we treat accompanied with Weresrid Marcelline came to the great village some two miles distant froÌ„ Vtreight called Duerstat where coÌ„stantly preaching CHRIST crucified and proouing their worshiped Idolls to be nothing but houses of deuils he was streight appreheÌ„ded S. Swibert beaten and imprisoned by the Pagan Priests who feared the vtter ruine of their Idolatry being cruelly beaten he was cast into prison meaning to put him priuately to death the next morning for publickly they durst not doe it fearing the French Christians vnder the yoake of whose gouernment they were When we sayth the Authour werenfrid and I Marcelline with teares and lamentations followed him to the prison gate Which S. SWIBERT perceiuing with a merrie countenance comforted and exhorted them couragiously to Deliuered by an Angel remayne in the fayth of CHRIST and not to feare death for his sake But the same night as he prayed in that darkesome lodging a bright Angel appeared vnto him with lightsom newes of comfort following the lustre of whose fayre countenance like an other Apostle PETER he was deliuered out of that irksome iayle in the verie sight and view of his astonished Iaylours Then coming againe to his two companious they fell all togeather on their knees and gaue humble thanks to allmightie God for this great token of his loue and goodnes IV. THE Pagans and specially the Priests of the Idols vnderstanding the manner of his straing deliuerie began to stagger in their fayth and call in question the power of their weake Gods Before whom S. SWIBERT preaching againe the next day and worthyly extolling the omnipotent power of IESVS-CHRIST bred a generall amazement in their blinded soules and conuerted verie manie to the true Catholick fayth noe maÌ„ offring to lay hands on him Which done he returned againe to Vtreiâ—ght making his fellowe-brethren partakers of what had happened who with teares of ioy receiued him and gaue infinite thanks to the allmightie worker of his freedom Afterwards he weÌ„t through diuers townes and Villages of Frizeland Holland Teisterband founding and breathing noe other Manie conuerted to the fayth words or accents but of Christ and his holy Ghospell and allbeit he found manie great difficulties and endured strainge afflictions from the furie of the Infidels yet allwaies sustayned by the diuine helpe he constantly perseuered in his holy enterprise of preaching whereby great store of poeple were conuerted to the knowledge of the true fayth He arriued at length at a village in Holland called Hagenstein where it being a principall festiuitie among the Pagans he chanced to find the poeple verie busily employed in the worshipfull exercise of their diabolicall sacrifices rites and ceremonies before See the constant â—eale of S Swibert their stonie Gods and thrusting him self into the midest of that barbarous presse of people he cried out in the spiritt of his zeale and verie eagerly repreheÌ„ded the blindnes of their ignorance in worshiping those stocks and stones for Gods preaching vnto them the true fayth of CHRIST crucified whose power was infinite in heauen and earth who only it was that ruled the course of the world and produced miraculous effects therein The Pagans admiring soe great constancie and boldnes in the man and being curious to make experience whether it were true that miracles could be wrought in the vertue of him whom he preached flocked presently about him offring him a yong man called Giselbert that from his byrth had neuer seene the light whom yf by the power of the Crucified God he soe highly extolled he could restore to perfect sight they would be content to giue more eare to his doctrine otherwise he was to expect a sudden and cruell death for his hire The holy man compelled by the iustnes of this necessitie fell presently on his knees hauing deuoutly powred out his humble prayers to allmightie God he arose and making the signe of the holy Crosse on the vnprofitable eies of the blind person cried out with a lowd voyce In the name of the true God our Lord IESVE-CHRIST crucified whose ghospell I preach I commaund thee to receiue thy One borne blind he cureth with the signe of the crosse sight and confesse the power of thy creatour At which words the yong man opening his eyes found the perfect vse of his desired sight to his owne great comfort and the wonderfull astonishment of the beholders that heard him openly proclaime that there was noe other God but IESVS-CHRIST whom his seruant SWIBERT preached V. THE Pagans as blind of fayth as he had been of sight much Manie receaue the Christian fayth amazed at the strangenes of this miracle began to be touched to the quick with a true compunction of heart and horrour of they owne ignorance and first the Sacrificer of the Village with great store of poeple fell humbly prostrate before S. SWIBERT to demaund pardon for the wrong offered Whom when the B. man with manie pious exhortations had confirmed in the true fayth the next day allmost all the poeple of that Village being gathered togeather in the profane temple of their Idoll by the same holy mans perswas on beleeued and were clensed from all their sinnes in the sacred F 〈…〉 t of Baptisme and their Idolatrous Temple was chainged into a Christian Church and consecrated afterwards by S. SWIBERT when he was made Bishop to the honour of God and the vnspotted Virgin his Mother The glorie of this miracle being blowne ouer the countrey through the trumpet of flying fame manie that had knowne the yong man blind came willingly to S. SWIBERT and being by him instructed they beleeued and were baptised VI. THEN the number of Christians dayly increasing in manie parts of Germanie through the fruitfull preaching of S. SWIBERT S. Swibert made Bishop and his other fellowes being in want of bishops to exercise more eminent authoritie ouer them to consecrate Churches for the diuine seruice to giue holy orders and supplie all others functions belonging to Ecclesisticall affaires they made choise of two WILLIBRORD that went to Rome and SWIBERT that came into England both to be aduaÌ„ced to the Episcopall dignitie S. SWIBERT was consecrated Bishop on S. BARTHOLOMEWS day by the hands of the most excellent flower of the Benedictine order WILFRIDE Bishop of Yorke who then wrongfully expelled from
of Abbott To be short he was soe abstinent in his diet soe vigilant in his prayers and soe vntired in his labour of fasting that out of ouer much weaknes in his stomacke he was searse able to subsist He susteyned besides a continuall sicknes of bodie and chiefly he was grieued with the trouble of that disease which the phistians call Syncopa in Greeke the crueltie whereof soe tormented his vitall parts that being taken with frequent and sudden agonies he seemed euery moment to be readie to yeeld vp the ghost But what manner of man he was in his monasterie and with how commendable an exercise he led his life we may gather out of his owne words which with weeping teares he vttered whē he was Pope His speech to Peter Deacon to Peter his Deacon saying My wretched minde being strucken with the wound of its owne present necessarie imployment remembers in what state it was in the monasterie how all sleeting things then See the happines of a Religious life were subiect vnto it how eminent it was aboue things that were tossed in the world that it was accoustumed to thinke on nothing but heauenly matters that being yet detayned within this body in contemplation it surpassed that inortall prison it self Yea and that which is a punishment allmost to all men it was in loue euen with death it self as being the entrance to life and the reward of labour But now by reason of this heauie pastorall charge it suffers in the affayres of secular men and after soe swcet a sorme of its owne quietnes it is defiled with the dust of worldly busines I consider therefore what J doe endure J consider what J haue lost and when J behould that which J haue lost the burden which I undergoe growes more greuious For now behould Iam tossed in the waues of a huge sea and in the ship of my mind I am dasht and beaten with the stormes of a mightie tempest and whilest J call to my remembrance the tranquillitie of my former life castling back my eyes to what is past J sigh at the sight of the desired shore And which is yet more irksome whilst I am discontentedly tossed in these huge waues I haue scarse the happines to see the hauen which I left Thus he was wont to relate of him self not bragging of his proficiencie in vertues but rather bewayling his deficiencie which he euer feared to runne into through his pastorall charge But allbeit he spake in this manner of him self out of a mind full of profound humilitie it becommeth vs notwithstanding to beleeue that by reason of his pastorall dignitie he lost nothing of his monasticall perfection Yea rather that he receaued thereby a greater aduancement in perfection by his labour in the conuersion of manie then he had in times past in the tranquillitie of his owne priuate contemplation IV. But by what meanes this blessed man was raysed first to the office of Deacon and after to the high dignitie of Chief Bishop the ensuing speech shall declare The Roman Bishop who then gouerned the Church preceauing GREGORIE to clime vp by the degrees of vertue He is made Deacō and the Po pes Legate to the height of perfectiō hauing called him out of his beloued monasterie heraysed the office dignitie of Ecclesiasticall orders made him the seauenth Leuite or Deacon for his assistance and not long after directed him as his legate or Commissarie to the cittie of Constantinople for answeares touching affayres of the Catholicque Church Nether Yet did GREGORY allbeit he were conuersant in a worldly pallace intermitt the purpose of his heauenly manner of life For the diuine prouidence soe ordayned for his greater good that diuers of the Monkes out of an obligation of fraternall loue followed him from the monasterie to the end that by their example as a shippe with Anchor he might be stayed at the pleasing shoare of prayer and contemplation and that whilest he was tossed with the continuall blowes of secular affayres he might flie to their companie as to the bosone of a most sure hauen after the volumes and waues of his worldly imployment And allthought that office with the sword of his externe labours now being abstracted from his monasterie despoyled him of his former tranquillitie of life notwithstanding among them the aspiration of his dayly remorse through the discourse of their earnest reading did giue him new courage of life Therfore by the companie of these he was not only fenced from worldly assaults but allsoe enkindled more and more to the exercises of a heauenly life Then at the earnest request of those his brethren and chiefly of that Venerable man LEANDER Archbishop He writteth moralls vppon Iob. of Siuill who at that time was come legate to Constantinople in the cause of the Visigothes he was compelled to explicate the booke of holy Iob soe intricate in misteries Nether had he the power to denie a worke which at the request of charitie brotherly loue did impose vppon him for the profitt of manie but in a course of thirtie fiue bookes he throughly instructed vs how the same booke of Iob is to be vnderstood litterally how to be applied to the hidden misteries of CHRIST and his Church and in what sense it may be fitted to euery Christian in particular In which worke of his he discourseth after such an admirable manner of vertues and vices that he seemeth not only to expresse those things in naked words only but after a manner to demonstrate them in visible formes Wherefore there is noe doubt but he had truly attayned to the perfection of the vertues them selues whose effects with soe much efficacie he was able to declare V WHILST yet he remayned in the same Royall cittie of Constantinople He ouerthroweth the heresie of Eutichius by the assistant grace of the Catholick truth he ouerthrew a new budding heresie of the state of Resurrection in the verie first appearance and beginning of it For indeed Eutichius Bishop of the same cittie held an opinion that our bodies in the glorie of the later resurrection should be impalpable and more subtile then ether the wind or ayre Which S. GREGORIE vnderstanding he prooued both by force of reason and truth and the example of our Lords resurrection that this assertion was wholly opposite to the doctrine of the Catholicque fayth which houldeth that this our verie bodie raysed in the glorie of the resurrection shall indeed not only be subtile by reason of its spirituall power but palpable allsoe to shew the truth of the nature according to the example of our Lords body of which raysed from death him self sayd to his disciples Palpate videte quin spiritus Luc 24. v. 39. carnem ossa non habet sicut me videtis habere Feele and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue For the assertion of this the Venerable Father of our faith GREGORY fought
out of her good affection to deuotion and religion was wont to make offring breads for the aultar and euerie sunday to bring them to the Church and deliuer them to the holy Pope him self presuming on her custom and familiaritie in soe doeing One day it happened that when she came as the manner is to receaue at the hands of the Blessed Pope and he offered to giue her the sacred Eucharist saying Corpus Domini noflri Iesu Christi c. She smiled and that soe broadely that the holy man perceauing refused to giue her the communion but turning againe to the aultar layd that sacred particle by it self commending it to the Deacon to be reserued vntill the rest of the poeple had communicated And the Sacred misteries of Masse being ended B. GREGORIE demaunded of the woman what was in her mind which moued her to laughe being about soe dreadfull a worke I perceaued sayd she that particle to be of the same bread which I made with my owne hands and offered vnto thee and vnderstanding it to be called the Corpus Domini the bodie of our Lord I could not but laugh Then the holy Bishop made a speech to the Poeple herevppon earnestly exhorting them to make humble prayers vnto our Lord that for the strengthening of the fayth of manie he would make that visible to corporall eyes which the misbeleef of this woeman ought to haue beheld with the spirituall eyes of the soule and the light of fayth And prayer to this effect being publickly made the holy man togeather with the poeple and the woeman arose and returning to the aultar in the publick view of the poeple that pressed on to behold that heauenly spectacle he discouered the Pall or Corporall where he found the Sacred Host turned The SacrameÌ„t appeareth in true forme of flesh into the forme of flesh and part of his little finger which touched it stayned with fresh bloud in the meane time the whole multitude of poeple and the foresayd woeman her self looking on Then turning to the woeman Learne now sayd he at least to beleeue the truth bearing witnes for it self The bread which J Ioan. 6. Proofe of the reall presence giue is my flesh and my bloud is truly drink But the foreseeing Creatour of our weakenes by the same power by which he created all things of nothing formes vnto him self the holy ghost concurring thereunto a bodie out of the flesh of the euer-Virgin MARIE and by the Sanctification of the same holy spirit and vertue of the Catholicque prayer he dayly conuerteth Bread into his Bodie and wine mingled with water into his bloud for the reparation of our infirmitie This sayd he commaunded the whole companie to beseech the diuine power to reforme that Sacred Misterie into its former shape whereby it might be made communicable for that woeman which was presently done And she afterwards encreased in strength to her fayth and religion being consecrated in the participation of that blessed Sacrament and all that beheld this miracle grew more feruent in the loue of allmightie God and more fortified in the Chatholicque beleefe XIV ALLSOE a man noble by byrth and as powerfull in authoritie according to the manner of his royall magnificence had by manie between-messengers obtayned the familiaritie of the Apostolicque A nobleman sendeth to him for Reâ—icks sea and been sufficiently instructed in the worship of God and his saincts by the frequent admonishments of S. GREGORIE in his letters to him sent some lustie men of his with Guifts vnto the holy Pope desiring to receaue back some reliques of the blessed Apostles Martirs bodies The Pope honourably entertayning those Embassadours stayed them some while with him he in the meane time neuer ceasing to visitt and goe about the sacred tombes and monuments of the holy Apostles and Martirs and after the old fashion celebrating his holy Sacrifices to this purpose when he had finished the Masses of these Saincts whose Reliques were demaunded he reserued euery linnen corporall a part on which he had executed those Sacred misteries and putt each of them into a box by it self This done he sealed them with the seale of his Apopostolicall autoritie and deliuered them to those petitioners for Ecclesiasticall vses Who with due reueerence receaued his benediction and departed merryly away But hauing spent some daies in A rash curiositie their iourney the chiefest amongst theÌ„ tould his fellowes speaking out of an ouer curious folly that in vaine they had vndertaken the labour of soe great a voyage returning ignorant of what pretious stuffe they brought back to their Lord therefore breaking vp the seales of the Apostolicall dignitie they opened the boxes and found in each of them nothing but a poore parcell of linnen cloath Therefore returning in a great furie to Rome thy made their complaint to the Archdeacon For what cause sayd they doth our Apostolique Lord the Pope soe basely esteeme of our Lord and Master who was in hope he had gayned so high a place in his fauour that he would thus delude him and purchase to vs dishonour and blame in his sight For indeed we thought our selues the bearers of some present worthie the worth of our Master as the bones of the holy Apostles or Martirs from soe great a Prelate as this especially hauing taken soe long and hard a iourney to find it and yet we haue receaued noe other treasure then some small parcells of cloath as yf such kind of raggs were not to be found with vs. Surely had not our owne carefull warines been our ayde to make vs find out what we carried we had returned like fooles to our Master and not without the great impeachement of our credditt and fauour with him But the ArchdeacoÌ„ gaue a modest check to their presumptuous boldnes for aduenturing in a matter of such moment to violate the Papall feales exhorting them to returne with honour present what they had receaued to their Master But by noe meanes would they listen to his counsel till they were brought to the presence of the holy Pope who hauing found the matter had great patience with their follie and commaunded them to be present at the Sacred misteries of Masse Which done and come to the place where he accustomed to preach he perswaded the poeple to supplicate for soe much fauour at the hands of allmightie God and his Saincts that he would voutchafe soe to manifest his power herein that those who lesse euidently and who alltogeather ignorantly beleeued might know of how great meritt true fayth was The prayer being ended he tooke a knife from him that had violated the seales and vppon the aultar of S. PETERS bodie thrusting it into one of those peeces of linnen cutt it in two whence straight there issued a streame of bloud that sprinkled the linnen all ouer But the straingers and all the NoÌ„te a woÌ„derfull miracle poeple seeing this wonderfull and hidden miracle of our fayth
owne choise and he chose him self an habitation in the Iland of Crowland in Lincoluethire a place at that time most remote from all humane companie and which as well for manie fennes marshes and rude groues thereof as allsoe through feare and horrour of deuils and goblins that molested it was neuer before inhabited by anie Into this desert our famous champion being wafted ouer in a little boate with two other youthes in his companie on the verie feast of saint BARTHOLOMEW the Apostle in whose meritts he had a He entreth the horrid 〈◊〉 of Crowland particular confidence began to leade a solitarie and strict life Hauing built a little cottage he vsed for his cloathing the raw and rude skinnes of beasts his diet was a small quantitie of barley bread and water which he did not tast till after sunnsett But the common enemie of mankind enuying soe great vertue and goodnes assaulted him with such a vehement spiritt of temptation that he brought him euen to the verie brink of falling into the bottomlesse gulfe of despaire for being much ouerthrowne in mind and troubled more then can be expressed he begann to think of flying away and forsaking the desert when the almightie helper and comforter of his seruants in affliction sent him his diuine assistance by the meanes of the holy Apostle saint BARTHOLOMEW who appearing In temptation 〈◊〉 conforted by S. Bartholomew visibly vnto him reuiued his weake spiritts with such like words Be of good comfort my sonne and resume thy strength and courage thou hast entred a mightie battaile it doth not become a professour of soe great and worthie a purpose to be ouerthrowne with a little blast of tentation Therefore goe on couragiously for allbeit our Lord permitt the to be tempted notwithstanding he will make thy temptations redound to thy greater good Thou art cruelly sett vpoÌ„ to be ouerthrowne but I haue made intercession for thee that they fayth doe noe fayle thou art assisted from aboue our Lord hath putt to his helping hand It is his will and pleasure that those whom he loueth be tempted tried in all which thou must behaue thy self as his seruant with patience and yf thou abound with tribulation suffered for CHRIST thou shalt receaue a superabundance of consolation through CHRIST Feare not therefore thy owne weaknes for the spiritt of God it is that helpeth and strengtheneth thee Putt they whole confidence then in him for he is the only health of his seruants he will be to thee as a tower of fortitude against they enemies At these words the holy Apostle vanished out of his sight and he remayned much comforted and strengthened in our Lord and from that day he was neuer more tempted to despayre allthough the wicked spiritts neuer ceased to molest him other waies IV. FOR at an other time two infernall spirits tranformed like The decâ—â—â—â—fall counsell of the deuill angels of light beganne with verie earnest perswasions to counsell him to fast all the weeke long without anie food at all promising that by that meanes he should attaine to the height of perfection For disallowing of his biduall and triduall fasts they proposed vnto him Thâ— eâ—â—ects of 〈◊〉 derat â—â—sting the fast of Moyses and Elias and the abstinence of other auncient fathers that liued in Scety for an example But the scope of their deuelish pupose was this that abstaining wholly from all meate by the continuance of his fasting he might be the cause of his owne ouerthrow For fasting when it exceeds the bounds and rules of a moderate discretion causeth the bodie to languish the spiritts to faint the desire to deuotion waxeth dull the effects of good works are taken away and the intellectuall eye of conteÌ„plation is dimmed Therefore B. GVTHLAKE perceauing the falsehood and guile of this deuelish counsell calling vpon the name of CHRIST cried out with the royall psalmist Let God arise and his enemies be dissipated and let 〈◊〉 Psalm 〈◊〉 that hate him flie from before his face At which words those hellish monsters filling the ayre with mournfull houlings and lamentations departed to their house of darknes And GVTHLAKE euer after despised all the assaults of the deuill and easily suppressed all his wicked suggestions V. BVT by how much the more inuincible his holy purpose grew He is cruelly 〈…〉 ested by the deuils daylie in strength constancie by soe much those enuiers of all vertue and goodnes incessantlie laboured to ruine his godly intentions sometimes terrifying him with vglie sights lashing his naked bodie with most cruell stripes violently carrying him out of his cell into the ayre among the horrid shapes of hellish monsters casting He seeth the paineâ— of the daâ—ed him into the bogges and puddles of the fennes dragging him and tearing him through the briers and brambles and lastly lugging him euen to the mouth of hell it self where not without grief and sorrow he beheld the soules of the damned tumbling among those sulphurous flames in the fuffrance of vnspeakable torments into which they insultingly threatned to cast him allsoe vnlesse he would forsake his habitation in that Iland which they termed theirs All which iniuries and cruell practises he bore off with the shield of patience vsing that of the Psalmist O Lord God in thee I haue hoped saue and deliuer me from all that persecute mee And as they thought to haue gott the victorie the holy Psal 7. Apostle S. BARTHOLOMEW his peculiar patron appeared in great light and splendour and commaunded those damned furies to restore him againe to his cell without doing him anie further iniurie Which as they gently and quietly performed a quire of angels from aboue was heard singing that versicle of the Psalme Ibunt Sancti de virtute in virtutem videbitur Deus Deorum in Sioâ—â— Psal 83. Thus triumphing ouer his infernall enemies out of their vexations he learned to be more humble feruent carefull powerfull and warie in all his actions He driues away the 〈◊〉 with the signe of the Crosse VI. AGAINE as once he was saying his mattins he saw two vglie deuils miserably weeping and lamenting of whom asking the cause Because thou answeared they preuaylest against vs in all things insoe much that we dare not presume to touch or come neere thee But the blessed man making the signe of the Crosse they vanished out of his sight Yet ceased not therefore to trouble and molest him by allmost all the meanes their deuilish enuie could inuent Sometimes making a sallie into the Iland in great troupes as yf whole armies of the BrittaÌ„s who at that time cruelly destroyed the English-men and among whom heretosore he liued in banishment The subtle deceipâ—â— oâ— the deuill had inuaded him other whiles making the whole Ilad treÌ„ble with their hellish noise by coming in great multitudes to his cell in the formes of brute beastes when he should heare the bleating of sheepe the bellowing of oxen the
prayer springling him with holy See the vertue of fasting and prayer water draue away all power of the deuill and restored him safe and sound to his friends The other was freed by gyrding him self with S. GVTHLAKES Gyrdle About the same time the venerable Abbesse Eaburga sent a leaden coffin with a fine linnen shrowd to S. GVTHLAKE humbly and earnestly entreating him to permitt his bodie to be buried therein after his death desiring withall to vnderstand He foretelleth his successour who should succeed him in his hermitage The holy man vnwillingly receauing the present sent her word back that his successour was as yet a Heathen who shortly hauing receaued the sacramet of baptisme should inhabite that place as it came to passe for one called Cissa after his decease receaued the fayth of CHRIST and became his successour X. AT length the day of his death drawing neere he called Bertelinâ— vnto him And now sayd he my deare sonne I am goeing to receaue the rewards of my labours I desire to be dissolued to raigne He foreseeth his owne death with CHRIST my beloued Lord and Sauiour And after manie speeches he enioyned him to salute his sister Pega in his name entreate her to come to the buriall of his bodie I haue sayd he auoided her sight hitherunto in this mortall life that more securely we may enioy one and other in the immortall And as he pronounced these and manie other words full of pietie and consolation soe great a sweetnes proceeded from his mouth that Bertheline seemed to smell like flowers of roses scattered in the ayre or the distilled liquour of baulme But allmightie God as he had adorned him liuing in this world with manie worthie fauours and benefitts as well for his owne as for the health of others soe at the verie hower of his death after his departure he made him famous to the world with manie singular graces For falling sick the wendsday before Easter and departing this life the seauenth day following allbeit his forces were His denotion in his sicknes weake yet he forced him self beyond his weakenes to celebrate the dreadfull sacrifice of our sauiours Passion at the aultar on Easter day And from midnight vntill the morning before he died a bright shining light encompassed the little house where he lay At sunrising hauing strengthened him self againe with the viaticum of our Lords sacred bodie he spake to his faythfull disciple Berteline saying The His death time is come my deare sonne wherein I must passe to CHRIST lifting vp his hands and eyes to heauen he yeelded vp his most pure soule to receaue her reward in the heauenly paradise of all puritie the eleauenth day of Aprill When at the verie instant Berteline saw as it were a fierie tower reaching from heauen downe to the earth the brightnes whereof was soe wonderfull that the pale sunne might enuie soe great a lustre And the whole Iland seemed to be spread all ouer The Angels 〈◊〉 at his buriall with a most pleasant sweet smell of heauenly odours whilst the Angels them selues were heard to sing melodious tunes of ioy to the honour and encrease of his glorie In the meane time his godly sister Pega reioycing more then can be expressed at soe great glorie of her brother buried his holy bodie with great reuerence in his owne oratorie and at his buriall a blind man washing his eyes with the water whereinto was putt some salt hallowed before by S. GVTHLAKE receaued perfect sight XI HE DIED at the age of fortie seauen yeares at fower and twentie he begaÌ„ to follow the warres eight yeares he remayned in that fierce His bodie is found vncorrupted life and fifteene yeares he liued in the seruice of God in the desert But a yeare after his death his sister desiring togeather with manie other reuerend and holy Priests to translate his bodie to a more decent and eminent place they found him most whole and entier more like a man asleepe then dead For all the ioynts of his bodie were flexible agile as yf the humours had runne through the veines by force of the vitall spiritts and all the cloathes he was wrapped in were as fresh and fayre as the first day they were layd in Then the bodie was honourably placed in a tombe aboue ground with great ioy reuerence deuotion of all But the exiled King Ethelbald spoken off before hauing vnderstood the death of the holy man came in mornefull manner to the sepulcher where powring out manie teares he complayned that now he was truely left forsaken desolate more theÌ„ euer humbly desiring the Blessed Sainct by his meritts and intercession to obtaine his deliuerance out of those miserable afflictions Vnto whom S. GVTHLAKE appeared one night incoÌ„passed with resplendent bcames of glory coÌ„maunding him to sett aside all He appeareth to king Ethelbald care for that verie shortly all things would succeed according to his owne desire Which prophesie was not spoken in vaine for within a yeare his aduessarie died and he was restored againe to the free possession of his kingdome XII IN THE meane time S. GVTHLAKES tomb beganne to florish with wonderfull miracles for as manie faythfull Christians as came thither to demaund helpe in their necessities through his meritts intercession were not frustrate of their desire Nether was Ethelbald being restablished in his kingdome vnmindfull of his beloued Patrone For in the same place he built a goodly Church and a monasterie for the Benedictine Monks enriched it with abundant rents King â—thelbald buil 〈…〉 a the Benedictin Abbey of Croâ—â—and and reuenewes which was after called the Abbey of Crowland And in the same Church he erected a verie sumptuous and rich tombe ouer his sacred bodie Where allthough the place were full of fennes and marshes being seated betweene the riuer Nine the I le of Elie that it could not be come at but by boate yet that house was allwaies most opeÌ„ to the hospitalitie of all men in soe much that it â—as honoured with the litles of bountie ciuilitie and curtesie euen to the leter times Afterwards manie other kings and Princes endowed Jngulphus Hist Croiland the same monasterie with allmost innumerable riches and reuenews as appeareth by the history of Jngulphus a MoÌ„k of the same Abbey In which allsoe it is to be noted and not without cause that in all the variable chainge and declining of the times in soe long and furious an outrage of the Danes which ruined all such other monasteries this remayned allwaies inhabited allbeit the Church and other buildings were quite ruined and burnt with fier For in that time when the barbarous Danes spoyled wasted and robbed all the Monasteries of England the Abbot of Crowland called Theodore vnderstanding of their neere-approching ruine and threatned destruction sent all the yong monkes to the number of thirtie with the riches and reliques of S. CVTHLAKE and others
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
with him being his Confessor desired vppon a time that with his good leaue he might write his life entreating the holy maÌ„ to reueale some things himself touching that matter which to men were vnknowne See Godricks opinion of him self Indeed answered he thou hast vndertake a goodly peece of worke For behould here thy wretched GODRICK who in times past being in good state liued as a hogge of Epicures flock a Fornicator an vsurer a Flaterer and a periured creature but now he is become a base and abiect fellow of no reputation a conterfait Hermite and a deceiuer the false picture of a religious person an idle snorting sluggard one that vnprofitably consumes the pious almes of good men ambitious of honours and vnsufferably imperious ouer his seruants With these and other such like titles of prayse thou maiest adorne and sett forth thy GODRICK to the world Which answere soe amazed the other that he durst make noe further sute vnto him in that matter But some yeares after he gaue him licence to write hauing first tied him in the bonds of a religious vow that during his life all things should be sealed vp vnder the lock of silence VIII WHEN the Deuils the auncient enemis of mankind The deuils make warie against him beheld these and other such famous vertues to shine in this B. Sainct they were tormented with a new hell of enuie against him and vsed all their deceipts tiled all their engines and made shew of all their terrours to entrappe him and worke destruction eyther to his soule or bodie And as in times past saint CVTHBERT HILLARION and ANTHONIE and other auncient fathers soe did our GODRICK being assayled diuers waies by that hellish crew gaine at length a glorious victorie and triumphe ouer them When first he entred into the Ermitage of Finckley an vglie wolfe or rather the deuill in the shape of a wolfe of greatnes and fiercenes both vnusuall horribly inuaded They are vanquished him whom by prayer the signe of the Crosse and a constant and vnmoued fayth he easily vanquished and putt to flight as he afterwards did other infinite deceipts of those infernall monsters and particularly when the deuill endeauoured but in vaine to smother him being at his accustomed prayers in the cold waters Who perceauing his diabolicall witt and force could nothing preuayle against him he tooke his cloathes off the banke of the riuer and ranne away with them but being recalled by saint GODRICK he was forced to lay them againe in the same place This wicked spirit chainged him self into a thousand shapes to deceaue him See the deceipts of the deuill Sometimes he putt on the forme of an oxe other times of a beare now of an Eagle then of a rauen anon of a poore pilgrim and a religious man and at last to omitt others of the same kind of a fayre woeman endeuouring to draw him to naughtines all which with the only forme and figure of CHRISTS holy Crosse and the force of his fayth and prayer he easily vanquished Sometimes a huge troupe of infernall spiritts prouided and armed with fierie swords flaming torches clubbes hammers tongs and other diabolicall weapons with a horrid noyse and tumult would rushe in to fright him from his deuout exercises all which vaine mockerie of theirs he would not soe much as behould but with his eyes shutt vp contemned them and all their hellish practises which made them depart with shame and sorrow Once when the two vnresistable companions of mankind He fighteth with the deuil sicknes and old age had confined his weake bodie to entertaine them both in his bed for the space of fiue yeares togeather in such sort that he was not able without the helpe of a seruants hand to rise out of his poore couch yet being terribly assayled by one of these importune furies of Hell he rose without helpe and naked as he was grapled and fought with that master of mischiefe from one of the clock till nine and at length putt him to flight Manie yeares before this time the holy man was wont to sitt continually by the fier when behould suddenly one of his auncient enemies gaue him such a mightie blow on the head that he had allmost layd him prostrate on the ground Which kind of vexations were often vsed against him but he molested him in nothing more cruelly then in stirring vpp manie dishonest and tickling motions of lust in his mind and often presenting him self vnto him in the false forme of a most beautifull woman Which hellish Goblin holy GODRICK putt to flight with sprinkling the place with holy water IX AND these most cruell assaults and skirmishes he endured for His great d 〈…〉 uâ—tie in ouercoming vnchast temptatious the space of fortie yeares after his first entrace into the camp of this spirituall combat Which vnlawfull and filthie thoughts when he could not represse nor ouercome neyther with watchings longer then custom passing three and fower nights togeather without sleepe nor with greater fasting which he sustayned somtimes for three or fower dayes sometimes for a weeke vndiscontinued nor by the power of his dayly prayers he mortified his naked bodie as we haue sayd in the frozen waters vp to the neck night and day Neyther did his rigour stay here but that he might with more ease extinguish those coales of filthy lust which the wicked spiritt suggested following the example of our holy father saint BENEDICT He â—ambleth naked in the briers he threw him self naked into a thick brake of thornes and briers and tumbling vp and downe therein he miserably rent and tore his flesh rebellious against his mind that by that meanes at lest he might oppresse all sensuall pleasure of the appetite with the feeling of an outward paine At length after fortie yeares he gott soe absolute a victorie ouer this foule tempter and fierbrand of dishonestie that eyther he was not assayled at all with anie such filthie motions or yf he were he easily repressed them with the only vertue of his prayers and by the sprinckling of holy water And thus much of the troubles and afflictions which the wicked spiritts raysed against saint GODRICK for it were to long a thing to rehearse them all in particular X. NETHER ought anie one ether to wonder that this pious man was afflicted with such grieuous diseases or assayled with these horrible deceipts and vexations of the wicked spirits since all these things through his gentle suffrance and patience encreased and heaped vp in his soule new treasures not only of eternall reward and glorie to come but allso of diuine consolations vertues and manie heauenly guifts and graces in this his temporall and transitorie lise With which the diuine goodnes soe admirably ennobled him that he might sing that verse of the Royall Prophet Aâ—â—â—raing to the multitude of my griefes thy consolations haue reioyced my The wild beasts and serpents obey him soule Moreouer GODRICK