not to suffer them selues to be deceiued with those vaine illusions But the giddie multitude terrified with the apprehensioÌ„ of that fantastick daÌ„ger ranne allmost all out of the Church to quench those false flames which they could not doe allbeit they powred on true water vntill by the prayer of S. CVTHBERT the authour of those fallacies being putt to Is putt to flight flight his vaine flashes vanished togeather with him into the ayre Whereat the poeple much astonished and ashamed humbly on their knees acknowledged their follie demaunded pardon for that soe great lightnes and inconstancie Nether did he only commaund these fantastick fiers but allsoe true flames too which wheÌ„ a whole Village could not queÌ„ch with great store of cold water were by the seruent streames of his teares and prayers vtterly extinguished and manie houses deliuered that at once were in danger to be deuoured by that mercilesse Element Whereby in these two miracles he worthyly imitated the vertues of two worthie auncient Saincts in chasing away the fayned fier that of our most holy father S. BENEDICT of whom S. GREGORY the Great reporteth the like and in the other the act of Mâ—ircellinus the most venerable Bishop of Anchona who when the same cittie was all in fier by his prayers miraculously deliuered it Most fitly therefore vnto these holy men that of the prophet Esay may be applied When thou shalt passe Esay 43. through the fier thou shalt not be burnt and the flame shall not burne against thee VIII BVT LET vs now see of what power this holy man was against the open furie and warre of this hellish fiend Hildmer Prefect vnto A woeman possessed with the deuill King Egsrid had a verie deuout wife verie much giuen to religious and Catholick workes who one day being bufied in exercises of pietie giuing of almes to the poore at the same instant she was suddenly possessed with the deuill which made her roare out with such horrid cries and howlings that they gaue sufficient testimonie of the great danger she was in Her husband that was well beloued of S. CVTHBERT posted vnto him in great hast and tould him into what a perillous disastre his wife was fallen entreating him againe and againe by all the force of his affection to be mindfull of her in his prayers and to send a Priest to minister the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist vnto her who was now come to the periode of her life Thus he sayd meaning to hide her disease being ashamed to let him vnderstand that she was possessed by the deuill as supposing it to be a punishment for some secret enormious crime The holy man foreseeing the perplexitie of his soule and the torments of his wife Wherefore replied he hast thou conceaued soe bad an opinion of thy wife Not only the wicked and such as haue quite forsaken the seruice of allmightie God are in this life subiect to the tortures and racks of the deuill but the innocent allsoe and such manie times as are endowed with great sainctitie of life by the secret iudgment of God are tried and exercised in this world with such like torments But be of good courage I will goe my self along with thee and before we be there we shall find thy wife deliuered Is deliuered by to 〈◊〉 ching his bridle out of this distresse And as they drew neere to the house where that poore captife lay languishing sudainly the wicked spiritt being not able to abide the approach of the holy spiritt which inhabited his vertuous soule fled away and left the woeman released out of those deuilish bands who rising as it were out of a deepe lethargie ranne ioyfully to salute the holy man and taking hould only of his bridle she was presently as sound and perfect as euer which caused her to breake into infinite ioy and thanksgiuing testifieing withall that then first she was prefectly cured when she touched his horses bridle IX IN THESE and such like workes of vertue the holy man hauing spent manie yeares in the monasterie of Mailros his good Abbot Eata sent him to the monasterie of Lindisfarne to plant there allsoe the Rule of monasticall perfection and made him superiour thereof For Lindisfarne allbeit it were a bishoprick yet the Bishop and all his cleargie were monks from S. AYDAN their first Bishop who was a Monk but S. CVTHBERT was the first that reduced them to the rule and order of S. BENEDICT For coming sayth S. BEDE in his life to the Church or Monasterie of Lindisfarne he presently Here formeth the Monks of Lindisfarne to S. Benedicts rule deliuered monasticall institutions to the monks there both by word and work But there were some brethren in the monasterie who chose rather to follow their auncient custom then obey a Regular obseruance Whom he notwithstanding ouercame with the modest vertue of his patience and by dayly exercise conuerted them by litle and litle to a state of better purpose But disputing oftentimes in the coÌ„uent of the Rule Which was that of S. BENEDICT since at that time there was noe other rule extant in the latine Church when he His great patience was toyled with most sharpe iniuries of those that contradicted him he would rise from his seate and without anie shew of discontent ether in mind or countenance depart and dismisse the Conuent for that time But on the morrow as yf he had endured noe resistance the day before he would repeate the same admonitions to the same auditours vntill by little and little as we haue sayd he had brought them to his owne desires For he was a man verie excellent in the vertue of patience and most inuincible in enduring couragiously all aduersities which opposed them selues against him ether in soule or bodie and noe lesse bearing a merrie countenance in all disastrous and sad mischances soe that he gaue the world to vnderstand that being armed with the internall consolation of the holy ghost he contemned all externe misfortunes Moreouer he His wonderfull was ching was soe wonderfully giuen to watching and prayer that sometimes for three or fower nights togeather he tooke no sleepe at all And yf perchaunce as mans nature is sleepe forcebly seised vppon him he was wont to shake off both it and teadiousnes in his prolixe prayers eyther with manuall labour or goeing about the Iland diligently searching how all things were caried and managed And when some others of his brethren did complaine and take it verie grieuously yf anie one chaunced to awake the out of their mightly or noonly sleepes he contrariwise was wont to say that such an one calling vppon him was farre more gratefull then troblesom For he is cause sayth he that shaking of sluggishnes I settle my self to some Rare exaÌ„ples of goodnes good worke or meditation He was soe exceedingly giuen to coÌ„punction of heart soe ardently inflamed with heaueÌ„ly desires that he neuer celebrated the holy solemnities of
familie and he is one of the fower renowned Doctours of the same order that haue written in prayse and defence of the B. Virgin and consequently are The Benedictine Doctours of our B. Ladie stiled and called by the name of the fower Doctours of our Lady the other three are S. HILDEPHONSE Archbishop of Siuill in Spaine B. RVPERT Abbott of Twy in Germanie and S. BERNARD Abbott of Clareuall in France And our S. ANSELME second to none of the rest was the first that caused the feast of our Ladies immaculate Conception to be celebrated in the Church the seauenth of December when he had learned by the reuelation of an other Benedictin monk from the same Virgin that such was her will and pleasure God of his infinite mercie make vs partakers of his glorious meritts Amen His life wee haue gathered out of Eadmer a monk of Canturbury and the companion of all his troubles and Edmond monk of the same place who added a treatise of the discord between S. ANSELME and the two vnruly Kings William Malmesbury de Pont. lib. 1. the Roman martirologe Baronius tom 11. an 1109. and innumerable others doe highly speake his prayses The life of saint MELLITVS Bishop and confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT APR. 24. Out of venerable Bede AMONGST the holy Benedictine Monks which S. GREGORY Pope of Rome sent into England to supplie the want of Preathers in soe great an haruest and to helpe S. AVGVSTINE and his fellowe Benedictins in the conuersioÌ„ of that Kingdom MELLITVS an abbott of the same order was the first and chiefest Whom about three yeares after his arriuall S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturbury made Bishop of London the principall head cittie of the East-Angles where Sebert nephew to Ethelbert King of Kent kept his royall Mellitus first bishop of London Court allbeit he were vnder the power of Ethelbert whose authoritie ouer the English stretched to the riuer Humber But when this prouince by the industrious preaching and labour of saint MELLITVS had receaued the Christian fayth King Ethelbert built that famous Church of saint PAVL the Apostle within the walls of London for the Episcopall seate of Mellitvs and his successours But how greatly this holy man was beloued of God and the whole court of heauen manifestly appeareth in the consecration of the Church of Westminster which office of his S. PETER the Apostle performed for Bishop MELLITVS with his owne hands as may be seene more at large in the life of S. EDWARD the fist of Ianuary S. AVGVSTIN being dead Mellitvs bishop of London went to Rome to coÌ„sult Pope Boniâ—ace the fourth touching manie necessarie affayres of the English Church And namely for the good establishment of the new-built Baron an 610. monasterie of Westminster as allso to know whether the consecration of a Church performed in the aforesayd manner were valid The Pope in a Synod held at Rome in which S. MELLITVS had a place ordayned manie lawes for the peace of the Benedictine moÌ„ks and conseruation of monasticall discipline and decreed against the enuious that monks were the fittest instruments in Gods Church for Apostolicall functions which decrees Mellitvs brought with him into England for the confirmation and establishment of the Benedictine order and Mission in that countrey II. BVT the death of the two good Kings Ethelbert and Sebâ—â—â— was cause of great domage to the tenden beginnings of that new See in S. Laurence 2. of Febr. Church for the three sonnes of King Sebert who during the time of their father dissembled a litle in religion for feare of him fell after his death to flatt Idolatrie and gaue licence to all their subiects to doe the like And when they saw the holy bishop MELLITVS hauing celebrated the sacred solemnities of Masse giue the Eucharist to the poeple Why sayd they swelling with Looke prorestant our first Apoles sayd masse a barbarous foolishnes doest thou not giue vs the white bread which thou didest giue to our father Saba soe they were wont to call him and doest yet giue to manie of the poeple Yf you will be washed answeared MELLITVS in the same sacred font as your father was you may be partakers of the holy bread as well as the but yf you contemne the Bath of life you can by noe meanes receaue the Bread of life But they refused to enter into the font of baptisme as a thing vnnecessarie but desired earnestly to eate of the sacred bread Till at length when the holy mans perswasions could not draw them from this sâ—nd request they banished him out of their Prouince because he S. Mellitus Banished from his Bishoprick would not giue them blessed Sacrament of aultar before haptisme Veryly I am of opinion to my great grief that at this present our Protestant-Bishops haue soe litle respect to that which they call the Lords Supper that rather then be forced with their wiues to leaue their bishopricks they would giue their sacrament of bread to a soe farr alas they are fallen from the religion of our first Apostles III. SAINT MELLITVS went to Canturbury to consult S. LAVRENCE and IVSTVS the other bishops what was to bee done in these troubles And finding no other meanes nor hopes of redresse MELLITVS and IVSTVS went ouer into France to expect the calme of this tempestuous See in S. Lau. 2. Febr. motion Till Edbald King of Kent renouncing his Idolatrie and baptised by saint LAVRENCE Archbishop of Carturbury recalled the two bishops out of France and restored IVSTVS to his seat of Rochester but the Londoners refused to receaue their bishop Mellitus ouer whom Edbald had not such absolute and coercitiue power that he could force them to it as his father could In the meane time Saint LAVRENCE departing this life MELLITVS succeeded in the sea of Canturbury whence he cast forth the bright beames of his vertue fayth and learning ouer all England with which noble ornaments he greatly ennobled the countrey and He is made Archbishop of Canturbury excelled the nobilitie of his birth and parcentage which was verie honorable In bodie he was wonderfull weake and sickly specially being greeuously afflicted with the gout but most sound in mind cherefully despising all terrene things and still aspiring to the loue and possession of the Kingdom of heauen And here I will relate one example of his excellent vertue and confidence in allmightie God which may serue as a witnesse of his other noble vertues IV. A MIGHTIE fier happened to make hauock in the cittie of Canturbury which soe furiously deuoured whole streets as it went that noe force of water could quench the rage of that vnresistable element And now with great violence it drew neere to the place where the holy Bishop was who would not giue way to those deuouring flames but trusting in the diuine goodnes He quencheth a great fier by his prayers where humane help was wanting caused him self to be
masse but with an abundaÌ„t shedding of teares worthyly imitating thereby the misterie he had in hand when offering vp the sacrifice of our Lords bitter passion he allsoe sacrificed him self to God by inward contrition of his deuout soule He was feruent seuere in the zeale of iustice to correct sinners but verie mild in pardoning the penitent in so much that manie times hearing the confessions of sinners he him self pittying their pittisull estates would burst out into teares shewing the sinner what he ought to doe by his owne example With these and such other spirituall exercises this Venerable man engraffed in the hearts of good men a singular affection to imitate his vertues and recalled those that were stubborne and rebellious to a regular life out of the obstinate opinions of their errour X. AFTER he had spent some yeares in that monasterie he He embraceth a solitary life obtayned leaue of his Abbot and brethren to betake him self to the sweet lonelines of a long desired solitude reioycing that from the exercise of an actiue life he was thought worthie to ascend to the leasure of diuine contemplation He departed therefore into the Iland FARNEN soe infamous by the habitation and infection of deuilish spiritts that none durst euer before dwell there alone But this Ice our holy CVTHBERT brake when like a worthie champion armed with the helmet of health the bucklar of Fayth and the sword of the spiritt which is the word of God he opposed him self against that hellish crew and dissipated dissolued and putt to flight all their infernall troupes And this chaÌ„pioÌ„ of CHRIST hauing subdued the forces of these black Tirans and now made monarke of that little land he built a cittie befitting his empire and houses therein agreeing vnto it Which was a little poore cottage with mudd walles made of turfe and couered with straw and in that earthen lodge this holy domesticque He obtayneth a foütaine by his prayers lead a heauenly and angelicall life But his habitation being destitute of water following an other miracle of our great father S. BENEDICT he obtayned by his prayers to Allmightie God to haue a sweet cristall fountaine spring out of the hard rock with which and a little bread which was sometimes bestowed vppon him he satisfied his thirst and hunger In this place being visited by his brethren he would goe out of his cell to meete them and wash their feet with warme water and sometimes being compelled therevnto he would permitt them to wash his feete For soe farre he had turned his mind from the decking of his bodie to labour in the adorning of his soule that sometimes for a whole moneth togeather nay for the space of a yeare he did not once putt off his shoes Whence it was that through his continuall praying and kneeling a great thicknes of hard skinne was growne ouer his feete Then his desire of perfection His extreme solitarines dayly encreasing he shutt him self close prisoner in his house of clay leading a most solitarie life in continuall watching fasting and prayer admitting verie few to talke with him and that but through a window and vppon some important necessitie He liued by the labour of his hands digging and tilling the earth sowing it first with wheate which his brethreÌ„ brought him but that his weake laÌ„d would not bring to good therefore he sowed it with barley which encreased in great abundance When the byrds that in great troupes sought to deuour his liâ—le haruest were forced at his only coÌ„mauÌ„d to depart The byrd oâ— the ayre obey his commaund neuer more touched his corne The like he commaunded and was obeyed by the crowes and dawes which laboured to teare off the thatch of his humble buildings But one of them returning againe to the holy maÌ„ lameÌ„tably spreading her wings abrode bowing downe her head making a pittifull noise seemed by all signes possible to entreate pardon Which the holy man vnderstanding gaue her leaue to returne as presently she did bringing a mate with her for a present to the Sainct the one half of a hoggs grease which the holy man The seas and elements serue him was wont afterward to shew oftentimes to the monks his brethreÌ„ giue them part of it to liquour their shoes or bootes See here againe the spiritt of his great Master S. BENEDICT in the obedience seruice of the crowes But not only the creatures of the ayre waters earth but the verie elemeÌ„ts themselues obeyed him yea the vntuly waues of the seas did serue him when they cast vpon land a peece of timber iust of the length he desired with which his brethren contrarie to promise had forgotten to furnish him before weere now much abashed to see an insensible elemeÌ„t more carefull to serue him then they Whilst thus he liued in his solitarie course manie out of all parts of EnglaÌ„d drawne thither with the fame of his vertues came to visite him whence none euer returned but very well satisfied coÌ„forted and deliuered from what anguish or trouble soeuer eyther of mind or bodie Vnto S. ELFLED Abbesse he foretould the time of King Egfrid her brothers death who should be his successor with manie other particularities all which truely fell out afterwards XI BVT a Councell being held at Adtwiford vnder S. THEODORE Archbishop of Canturbury in the presence of King Egfrid by the coÌ„mon present and desire of all CYTHBERT was chosen bishop of Lindisfarne Who being by manie letters and legats sent from the King He refusoth a bishoprick Councell called to the Sinod and to receaue that charge he would not stirre a foote soe vnworthie he that was most worthie iudged him self of that dignitie At length good King Egfrid him self togeather with the most holy bishop Trumwine manie other religious noble persons went ouer into the IlaÌ„d falling all vpon their knees before the holy man with weeping teares humble entreaties they besought him and coniured him by the name of our Lord not to resist the wishes and desires of soe manie and to oppose him self to the coÌ„mon good of the Church nether did they cease vntill CVTHBERT He is compelled to take it as full of teares and sorrow as an honest heart could be suffered him self to be drawne out of his beloued cell of solitarines and brought into the Councell where being vehemently vrged of all he was compelled much against his will to yield to their desires XII THE Easter following he was coÌ„secrated Bish of Lindisfarne in presence of the King blessed Theodore of CaÌ„turbury 7. other bishops at Yorke In which office he soe worthily dischardged him self that he omitted nothing of those duties which are wont or ought S. Cuthbert made Bishop of Yorke to be performed of the perfectest and holiest prelats of the Church protecting his flock with his dayly prayers feeding it with his vertuous and piousad monitions
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
his pleading that with sharpe threatning words he affirmed that the king would rather hazard the losse of his whole kingdom then be depriued of this right Nether would I answered the pope graunt him this power allthough it were to saue my owne life And with this resolution he dismissed the Embassadours who returned towards England But by the way the fornamed William declared by the kings commaund vnto S. ANSELME that he must cease from entring more into England vnlesse he were resolued to obey the Kings will Soe that sainct ANSELME diuerted to his ould lodging at Lions where he remayned the space of a yeare and fower moneths XVI IN the meane time king Henry seazed on all the goods and lands belonging to the Archbishoprick and challenged them for his owne vse When the Pope seeing noe hope of reconciling the King to S. ANSELME purposed by excommunication to cutt him off from the communion of the Church Which resolution of his being made knowne to the king touched him to the quick and made him begin more exactly to take saint ANSELME cause into his consideration And at length he called him to him out off France into Normandie where they came to a parely at the Abbey of Bec In which the King patiently taking the holy Archbishops reprehension for manie abuses promised a future amendment and neuer more to disturbe the peace or exact anie fruits belonging to the Church or Churchmen and herevppon he receaued S. ANSELME into his fauour and sent him in peace to his Archbishoprick to the great contentment and enioy of the whole Kingdome Here now we may see of what power the constancie of a good Prelats is when purely and sincerely for the only loue and seruice of God they defend the authoritie of the Church without anie pretence of temporall respects by flattering kings in their iniustice and suffering them selues to be carried away with the wind of wordly fauour We may see allsoe the great grace which God shewed to kings that respect his Church Church-men for as soone as King Henry had submitted him self our Lord gaue him a noble victorie against his Brother Robert by meanes whereof he gott the Seigniorie of the Dukedom of Normandy Of which victory he presently made sainct ANSELME acquainted by letters ending thus Werefore Venerable father Wâ—ll Malm. l. 1. de PoÌ„t sayd he humbly and deuoutly prostrate at the feete of thy sainctitie J beseech thee to pray vnto the supreme iudge by whose will and arbitremeÌ„t J haue gayned this glorious and profitable triumph that it be not to my domage and detriment but for a beginning of good works and the seruice of God to settle and confirme the state of Gods-holy Church in peace and tranquillitie that from hence forth it may liue free and not be shaken with the tempest of warres XVII AFTER the kings returne out of Norman-die a famous Synod A sinod held at London was held at London in which in presence of S. ANSELME and all the bishops Abbots of England he resigned all the power which hitherunto he had vsurped in creating ordayning bishops to the Pope and Clergie S. ANSELME therefore being installed againe in his Church in great peace and quietnes performed the part of a most holy and vigilant pastour the space of about three yeares S. Anselme falleth sick when loaden with old age labours and merits he fell into a great sicknes and specially in his stomake which made him abhorre all sustenance till by little and litle the forces of his bodie being exhausted he fainted And when the infirmitie of his bodie was such that it would not suffer him to goe to the Church notwithstanding he was carried thither euery day in a chayre to be present at the sacred misteries of the masse whereunto he bore a singular great deuotion pierie and reuerence At length seeing him self to draw neere his end he receiued the holy sacraments of the Church and gaue his benediction no the assistance humbly recommending the king queene and all the whole Kingdom to Gods holy protection and lying on a hayre-cloath strewed with ashes according to the pious custom of those times he rend râ—d vp his blessed soule to the euerlasting possession of all blessednes on wensday morning His happie death before Easter the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1109. the sixteenth since he was made bishop and the threescore and sixt of his age He was buried in great solemnitie and lamented by his Church and the whole Kingdom of England which lost a Master a Father and a Pastour soe holy soe wise soe couragious and soe venerable XVIII Our Lord ennobled this glorious Sainct with manie miracles His wonderfull miracles both during his life and after his death 1. As he was one night at his prayers he was seene to be encompassed round about with the brightnes of a heauenly splendour 2. One that dranke only of the water in which he had washed his hands was cured of a most pittifull leaprosie that raygned all ouer his bodie 3. By the signe of the crosse he quenched a mightie fier that was readie to deuoure the chamber where he â—ay 4. One of his religious most cruelly possessed with the deuill was cured only by the well-wishes of S. ANSELME 5. Manie diseased persons were cured by his prayers or eating only the reliques of his dinner 6. The shipp which carried S. ANSELME allbeit a boord brake out of it yet the water was miraculously hindered from entring 7. At his death the balsome which anoynted his bodie like vnto the flower of Holy was miraculously encreased 8. And the stone in which his bodie was to be buried being not of sufficient capacitie to receaue it was suddainly enlarged without humane helpe to the great admiration of the beholders Manie other miracles we omitt But the greatest miracle that euer God wrought by saint ANSELME was saint ANSELME himself and his life more diuine then humane He writt manie admirable workes with which he enriched the Catholick Church and with the singular reach of his vnderstanding and doctrine and a peculiar guift from heauen he gathered togeather His admirable writings the subtilitie and excellence of manie Theologicall questions seasoned with the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion Of whom a graue authour Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S BENEDICTS order sayth That he was a man well acquinted in holy scripture and the learnedeâ—st of his time in humane doctrine most holy in iâ— life and con 〈…〉 tion most deuout in his soule eloquent in his discourse and full of effiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 his workes He was of an angelicall countenance of a graue gate of an exemplar life continuall in the studie of holy scriptures and one in whom lay hid a goulden mine of vertues and goodnes He was mirrour of Prelates the glorie of his countrey a pillar of Gods Church and a bright ornament of the Benedictine
doe worthyly speake his prayses The life of S. ERKENWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT APR. 30. Written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis ABOVT the yeare of CHRIST 676. sayth Baronius the English Church florished as a Paradise of our Lord abounding with the lillies Tom. 8 an 676. of sacred virgins and the violets of whole troupes of holy Benedictin monks lying hidd in the humble valleies of the cloisters It was allsoe fraught with an abundance of most worthie Prelats taken from vnder the vaile of monasticall humilitie to be iâ—â—ested with the Pontificall robes of dignitie among whom sainct ERCONWALD of whom we now treate shined as a bright sunne of the Benedictin familie in all vertue and sainctitie And that nothing might be in him wanting for the making vp of a man in al things most perfect he was ennobled with the splendour of an illustrious parentage being sonne to Offa King of the East-Angles Who allthough he defiled all his princely nobilitie with his owne perfidiousnes and impious worshiping of Idols yet ERKENWALD as the holy branch growne out of a rotten stock amplified and ennobled the greatnes of his race with the true profession of Christian fayth and the aduantage of manie noble vertues For being first grounded in Catholick religion in the time that S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle the Benedictin preached in England he adhered euer after to the doctrine of S. MELLITVS Bishop of London following his precepts and manner of life in all things Till at length desiring to draw him self out of the vanities of this world and wholly to enter into a contemplatiue life in religion out of his owne royall patrimonie he built two monasteries one at Chertsey in Surrey for him self and other monks and the second at Berking in Essex for his sister S. Ethelburg with a conuent of Nunnes both of the holy order of S. BENEDICT And soe he made a happie change of his terrene dignitie and wealth to become the holy inheritance of CHRIST and his Church At Chertsey he putt on the habitt of a Benedictin monke where his vertues soe answered that monasticall profession that Theodore Archbishop of CaÌ„turbury moued with the fame thereof called â—rconwald made bishop of London him to preside in the bishoprick of London This Benedictin Abbey of Chertsey greatly florished in religion till the furie of the Danes who spared no religious houses committed the Church with the Abbot and monks thereof to the mercilesse power of the fier But the incomparable prince King Edgar whom the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God ordayned the great aduancer of the Benedictin order not content with the new monasteries which by him self and others he caused to be built in diuerse parts of England vnlesse he repayred the ould restored the Abbey of Chertsey to its former splendour and dignitie searching out the auncient writings and Charters by the testimonie and power whereof he recalled the goods and possessions that thereunto belonged out of the hands of manie noblemen which eyther by force or the power of antiquitie had holden them as their owne rights II. BVT let vs returne to sainct ERKENWALD who now seated in the Episcopall sea of London soe worthyly discharged himself of that function that he omitted nothing belonging to the dutie and prayse of an absolute good pastour being a man of soe great vertue that his working of manie miracles the vnresistable witnesses of holines deposed him and his seruice to be most acceptable and pleasing to allmigtie God Being fallen soe Note a strange miracle sick and weake towards the end of his daies that he could not visitt his diocesse to preach and teach to the poeple but carried in a litle waggon one of the wheeles and it had but two it is vncertaine by what chance happened to fall off the beame when to the wonderfull great admiration of all the assistants the waggon went on vppon one wheele the other side being sustayned by the diuine power of him that wheeles about the frame of this world for the declaration of the great vertue and holines of the holy bishop that was carried And herein the ayre seemed to attend this holy man supplying the want of that wheele and by the touching of the same waggon manie sick persons after the holy mans death were cured of feauers and other diseases which human skill had giuen vp for incurable The water allsoe obeyed A great riuer giues way to his passage him when in the same waggon being to passe through a most swift riuer too deepe for his humble coach to wade in the curresie of those streames was soe great that they stopped the violence of their owne furious hast and expected till the sainct like an other Josue passed through on the drie bottom and then the riuer which all this while had made as it were a collection or vniting of its owne forces more lowdly to proclaime and roare out the prayses of the vertue and holines of the glorious Bishop Sainct ERKENWALD ranne in his accustomed and wonted manner The hower of his death reâ—ealed III. AT LENGTH when he had gouerned his bishoprick for the space of manie yeares in the continuall exercise of vertue and holy life the blessed man goeing for his deuotion to the monasterie of Berking and staying there some time in the continuall exercise of diuine contemplation it pleased allmightie God to reueale vnto him the hower of his departure which he truely foretould and to the last gaspe comforted all that were about him with the words of life that flowed from his dying voyce And at the very instant that his blessed sould left her house of clay and miserie to flie to the glorious dwellings of the happie soe sweet an odour filled the whole house where the body lay that the hearts of all the assistants were wonderfully stirred vp in the prayse of allmightie God and deuotion towards this holy sainct The newes of his death being spread abroad the Clergie and His bodie is translated to LoÌ„don poeple of London came to Barking to fetch theÌ„ce the sacred reliques of their bishop to burie them solemnly in sainct PAVLS Church But coming with their holy loading to a riuer called Hesord they found the waters encreased and swelled to such greatnes that they were faine to lay downe their sacred treasure and fall to their prayers to obtaine passage by the meritts of the glorious sainct which otherwise was vnpossible without a boate When behould to their great admiration and comfort the water which in his life time had giuen A strange miracle him free passage now allsoe diuided it self into two parts that like vnto the Israelites loaden with the Arke of our Lord they passed drie foote through the midst of the riuer And that noe sooner done but an other miracle followed for the candles by his bodie which had been extinguished were suddenly lighted without mans help by a light from heauen Soe that two elements
at once gaue a double testimonie of his great vertue and sanctitie And as in his life he was replenished with manie wonderfull spirituall graces and vertues soe at his death as manie sick as touched the biere whereon his bodie lay receaued perfect health and were cured of all diseases His bodie was buried in sainct PAVLS Church at London by the high aultar where it lay manie yeares couered with a palle of verie He is buried in S. Pauls of London meane value But allmightie God decsared an length by a wonderfull miracle that the reliques of this glorious Sainct deserued greater honour and reuerence For during the raigne of William Conquerour in the yeare of our Lord 1087. a most cruell fier sayd hold on the cittie of London by night which consumed all before it from the west gate to the East at which horrid spectacle the cittizens greatly affrighted were glad to saue their owne lines by flight some of them leauing their cuill-gott goods to the mercie of those London fiered mercilesse flames which hauing entred the Cathedrall Church of sainct PAVL and soe entred that there was noe hope to dispossesse those outrageous guests the people were stricken with greater grief with the thought of loosing the sacred reliques of soe great a Patrone then with the sight of their owne harmes But allmightie God was zealous and carefull of the glorie of his Sainct For when His tombe miraculously preserued froÌ„ fier the Church was wholly in flames when the lead powred downe on all sides when whole beames of fier came tumbling to the earth amidst all this dolefull wrack of ruine where the conquest was the death of the conquerour the sacred tombe of sainct ERKENWALD allbeit of drie wood apt to take fier remayned most free and vntouched And which is more the cloath that couered it when the two Bishops of London and Wincester came to be eye-witnesses of this miracle was found most pure without anie hurt where the piercing force of the melted lead and eating fier was of noe force against the vertue and meritts of this worthie sainct O wonderfull sight whatsoeuer was in the Church within the power of fier was turned to ashes and yet in the midst of all the palle of his sepulcher was not one threed the worse eyther in matter or colour The poeple flocke thither in troupes to be witnesses of that strainge spectacle giuing manie thanks to allmightie God for his goodnes when the noueltie of this miracle banished out of their minds all thought of their owne misfortune receiued Mauritius then bishop Mauritius Bishop of London of London layd the foundation of the mightie Church of S. PAVL now extant which by his successours was brought to that wonder of perfection in which now it is And six and thirtie yeares agoe as I haue learned from faythfull witnesses that saw it there was in the vpper end of the Quire in Pauls Church a table which testified where the holy body of S. ERKENWALD lay in these words Vnder here lieth the bodie of S. ERKENWALD fourth Bishop of London Manie other miracles were wrought by the merits of this glorious sainct which here we omitt He died about the yeare of our Lord 690. His life is written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis sainct Bede William Malmesburie de Pont. lib. 2. Iohn Capgraue Nicolas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 13. and others out of whom and the records of sainct Pauls Church we haue taken this historie Polidore Virgil Trithemius amougst the Saincts of S. Benedicts order Baronius Matthew Paris the Romane Martirologe and all our English writers doe highly speake his prayses The end of Aprill The life of Sainct ASAPH Bishop and Confessor MAY 1. SAINCT ASAPH borne in that part of great Britaine now called His countrey and youth North-wales was from his youth brought vp vnder the gouernement and discipline of great sainct KENTIGERNE in the monasterie of Elue in Flint-shire where amongst nine hundred and three score other monks his fellow-schollers he sâ—ined in all manner of vertue and bore the prize of obedience and sainctitie from them all He descended from a noble race and seemed to haue the rootes of vertue engraffed in his soule from the cradle which by his diligent and carefull managing brought forth a worthie baruest of pious fruits at their time He putt forth him self in nothing soe much a sin labouring to make his owne conuersation and manner of life conformable to the austere patterne of vertue and mortification which appeared in his holy Master saint KENTIGERNL To whom his obedience was such that it deserued to be witnessed for excellent by miracle For saint KENTIGERNE coming one night out of the cold water in which as his custom was he had recited the whole psalter of Dauid and being soe extremly frozen that he was allmost quite depriued of heate the necessarie companion of life he The strainge vertue of prompt obedience sent his holy disciple ASAPH for fier to recouer the forces of his decaying bodie He that had noe lesson soe perfect as obedience ranne hastily to the fierie ouen and finding noe other instrument to carrie his fier tooke the hott scortching coales into his lapp and without anie signe of burning in his coate brought them to his master who admiring soe great vertue in his scholler held him in great estimation euer after and committed to his charge the whole regiment of the monasterie and made him his successour in the Bishoprick of Elue now called S. ASAPHS retayning allwaies the name but farre wide of the vertues and fayth of saint ASAPH Who when he had gouerned his sea for the space of manie yeares in great sainctitie and miraculous workes in venerable old age he gaue vp his blessed soule to receaue the crowne of euerlasting life the first day of May about the yeare of our Lord 569. whose name to this day is very famous throughout Wales in the mouthes of all true-hearted Welchmen to the great confusion of our Protestant-Heroticks who are not ashamed to honour the saincts by calling their Churches by their names to whom in catholick times they were dedicated and in their confession of fayth to denie anie honour at all to be due vnto them contrarie to the generall doctrine of the Catholick Church and all auncient fathers Thus much we haue gathered out of Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Arnold Wion Iohn Capgraue and others The Roman martirologe this first of May makes mention of S. Asaph The life of S. EADBERT Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT MAY. 6. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 4. EADBERT surnamed the Almner a man as excellent in learning the knowledge of diuine scriptures as in the obseruance of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall precepts and most excellent in the vertue of giuing almes was raysed from the humilitie of a Benedictine monk in the monasterie of Lindisfarne to succeede that glorious ornament He
obtayned commaund and obedience not only ouer be wild beastes of the desert but allsoe a great multitude of serpents that without anie harme frequented his companie obeyed his desires and these were not only to him vnhurtfull but fawning in a manner vppon him remayned with him in his cell not without his consent but lest their familiaritie and aspect should hinder and distract the intention of his mind fixed in the meditation of heauenly things he commaunded all these vipers and serpents to depart and noe more to frequent his lodging To which his commaund as the wild beasts at other times had oftentimes done soe now the serpents most exactly obeyed XI FVRTHERMORE he was endowed with such a rare guift of His rare guift of prophesie prophesie that with the spirituall eye and light of his cleere soule he saw thngs that were absent and distant in remote places as plainly and distinctly as if they had been within the reach sphere of his corporall sight and at the verie instant that manie things were done in farre distant places he would faythfully relate them vnto those that were present as it was manie times found by experience And soe often he foresaw and foretould things to come that it were a great worke to rehearse all the particulars Amongst which one and not the lest was that he foretould what should befall vnto saint THOMAS of Canturbury long before it happened He foretelleth what should hap pen to S. Thomas of Canturbury For when that renowned bucklar of the Church florished yet in great grace and fauour with King Henry GODRICK foretould that he should shortly loose that place and be cast into banishment And bad him withall to be of a couragious and manly resolution and not to droope vnder the good cause which he had take in hand to defend for it would come to passe that within seauen yeares he should returne to greater honour out of banishment then euer he enioyed before But the same yeare that saint THOMAS came out of banishment he sent a messenger to this holy Hermite to know what he should now expect after his long exile and what would be the euent of his tottering state that stood now allmost out of all hope To whom GODRICK in the presence and hearing of our Authour answered that a kind of verball peace should be made between THOMAS and the king before the end of the next six moneths following and that within nine moneths more he should be restored to his Archiepiscopall sea which he should not long enioy before a happie death that should be to him healthfull and glorious and to the whole countrey profitable did end the whole controuersie betweene them And at the same time this holy man He foreâ—eâ—leth his owne death foretould that the time of his owne death should be within the space of the six moneths following All which most certainly happened as he had foretould For saint THOMAS returned being made Legat of the Sea Apostolick an honour which he enioyed not before and was crowned at his death with the glorie of a most happie martirdom XII BVT now of how great reuerence and admiration is this to He hath the guâ—â—c of toÌ„gues be esteemed in saint GODRICK that both at other times and principally at the sacred feast of Pentecost he was suddenly by a heauenly grace adorned with the guifts of tongues which on that day was bestowed vppon the Apostles soe that he both vnderstood those that spoke Latin of which tongue he was wholly ignorant before and spake manie things in Latin verie readily and distinctly Againe He commaundeth the waters how notable and excellent a wonder is this that when the riuer Were with a mightie inundation ouerflowed all the adioyning countrey and possessed places farre higher and stronger yea ouerwhelmed and ouerturned manie trees and houses yet the humble and allmost straw-built habitation of GODRICK was not touched with one drop of water standing safe amongst those confused streames to the great amazement of the whole countrey that iudged him and house both to be buried togeather in destruction An other time when the same riuer began furiously to runne ouer the bankes he went forth as it were to meete that inundation and setting vp a little Crosse three paces from his poore Cell he coÌ„maunded those waters in the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST not to come beyond that marke when it was strange to see the waters being come to that place swell vp in height like vnto a wall soe that his humble cottage stoode vpon a drie shore entrenched round about with a bullwarke The fier obeyes 〈◊〉 or sconce of water And in like manner as the waters soe did the fier likewise obey the voice of this holy man when hauing furiously layd hould of his weake buildings it was suddenly depriued of its deuouring force and at his only commaund ceafed from making anie further spoyle He raysed a dead man XIII AND now if according to the dignitie worth of the matter I should sett downe the holy cures of afflicted lost persons which by miracle he performed in soe much that he raysed one to life that had layne three daies vnder the cruell arrest of death that alone would require a long discourse much exceeding the bounds of my purpose TheÌ„ which his soe great good exercised towards the soules of the dead whom by his deuout prayers watches fasts and other holy workes he deliuerd from the clensing paines of Purgatorie to the possession of the ioies of heauen seemeth to me to be a benefitt farre greater and more to be admired But aboue all these admirable workes of GODRICK this holdeth the highest place in my opinion that he was soe diuinely adorned with such an heauenly grace that being yet in this mortall state he vnderstood and saw not only the soule of his fellow-champion of whom we haue allreadie spoken but allsoe the spirits of manie other blessed men both rewarded with eternall glorie and receaued into the heauenly dwellings And out of his diuine manner of life which he led here on earth he deserued to enioy the companie and conuersation of Angels and other heauenly citizens and especially of our great 8. CVTHBERT S. NICHOLAS the Prince of the Apostles S. PETTR S. His familiaritie with the Angels Saincts IOHN Baptist S. MARIE Magdalen blessed MARIE the mother of CHRIST yea and CHRIST him self of whom he receaued manie heauenly rauishing â—onsolations farre beyond the force of weake words to expresse And namely by the blessed Virgin MARIE he was taught a diuine canticle or song which afterwards with great deuotion he vsed oftentimes to repeate This allsoe was a most wonderfull and an vnspeakable benefitt shewed him by S. PETER the Apostle who celebrated the sacred misteries of masse before him S Peter giueth him the B. Sacrament and hauing heard the Confession which GODRICK made of all his sinnes gaue him a generall and an