aromatical spices of vertues which sent forth such an odour of example on earth and such a perfume of sanctity to the Citizens of heauen Now by this tyme being the fourth day after when the rites of the Church were ended with great solemnity pomp and magnificence according to her dignity in the presence of many worthy religious Fathers with an incredible multitude of al sorts of people as wel of the Clergy as Laity the precious body was honourably interred in a certain Chappel belonging and adioyning to her Hospital to the great resentment of al who would willingly haue enioyed her stil had it been conuenient THE CANONIZATION of Saint Elizabeth the Translation of her Body and the beginning of the relation of her myracles CHAP. VIII SOe precious is the death of Saints in the sight of God that as Saint Basil testifyes as heretofore who touched but the bones of a dead body ws held contaminated So now on the contrary who toucheth the bones or other Reliques of some Saint may receiue some operatiue vertue from them and 〈◊〉 our Lord would haue such bones remoued diuided into sundry places that they might be as a fortresse or Citadel against our enemyes and an honour to the faithful themselues If you demand of mee saith S. Ambrose what I worship in the bones and reliques of these Saints I answere in the body of each Saint I reuerence the wounds which he hath receiued for Christ I worship his memory who led his life alwayes embracing vertue I venerate the ashes consecrated through the confession of his Lord and euen in the ashes themselues I worship the seede of eternity I worship the body who hath instructed mee to loue God to please him and not to feare death And why should not the faithful honour the body which euen the Diuils themselues do tremble at For whom aliue they afflicted with Crosses they owe loue and reuerence in the Sepulcre Lastly I worship that body which our Lord Christ hath honoured in this world and whose soule is now raigning with 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 uen Now these titles motiues and benefits proceeding from the veneration and worship of the Reliques of Saincts is the cause why noe sooner any dyes with the opinion of a Saint especially auerred so by authentical approbation of his Holynes through that illustrious ceremony of Canonization vsed in the Church but that generally the faithful do throng to his Shrine or Hearse to obteyne some Relique of his be it the very hayre of his head or the least peece of his garment which hauing gotten they piously make reckoning they haue gayned a most precious and inestimable jewel Noe maruaile theh that our glorious Elizabeth being so illustrious through the most holy life shee had led on earth and the vndoubted opinion shee had purchased of a Saint euen during life but that the people should flock so vnto her as they daylie did as to a mercyful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Court of Requests to receiue the humble petitions of al that come where hardly shee sent any empty away contristat and not satisfyed some way or other So as it is commonly reported that shee raised some sixteen at'least from death to life cleansed the leaprous gaue hearing to the deafe speach to the dumb 〈◊〉 to the lame eyes to the blind and comfort to the miserable and afflicted and curing al manner of diseases els whatsoeuer without number All which miracles Siffrid Bishop of Mogunce caused to be authentically proued and sent them to Gregory the Ninth then Pope who after diligent debate of so weighty a cause with the Colledge of Cardinals in the presence of the Patriarks of Hierusalem and Antioch and sundry Bishops and after a solemne and magnificent Procession had on the 27. of May being then the Feast of Pentecost canonized Elizabeth at a high Masse in al his Pontificalibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 red as a Saint in the vniuersal Church in the fourth yeare after her happy decease in the howse of the Fryars Dominicans in the Citty of Perugia where he dedicated an Aultar which he erected to her honour enriched with ornaments endowing it with priuiledges conuenient as Popes are accustomed to do in like cases Which solemnity being stately and very honourably performed and the fame thereof vniuersally spread through al the parts of Germany the aforesaid Bishop Siffrid to the great ioy and iubiley of al the people of what condition soeuer assigned a certaine day for the solemne Translation of the blessed bones into the Citty of Marpurg where he assembled al the States spiritual and temporal of both the dominions of Thuringia and Hassia and the principal Pastours of many other Churches besides At the day appointed to such as weigh not the deuotion of the people to this admirable Saint it may seeme incredible to estimate the number of men and women of all estates and callings who repayred to Marpurg where the Shrine was opened and the sacred bones discouered in the presence of Frederick the Emperour offering a crowne of gold to the Reliques attended by a most honorable company of Princes Lords and Gentry besides the Bishops of Mentz Cullen and Breame and many other remarkeable Prelates of other Churches and Heads of Religious howses Neyther was there as I said before also in the Translation any manner of il sauour at al as in other dead bodyes is vsually had but as it had been a chest of balme and most precious perfumes it breathed forth a most pleasing and delicious odour to the great astonishment and vnspeakable content of al who approached to participat thereof Then were the Reliques safely enclosed againe in a leaden Coffer and the same very softly included in a precious casket of most curious workmanship besides the stuffe which I could not learne by reason the enamel had so disguised the same being carefully sealed vp with the signet of the Bishop himself and carryed in solemne pomp through the middest of the multitude of the people there greedily wayting for them with incredible affection and deuotion There you might see the windowes hung with Tapistryes al replenished with Ladyes and Gentlewomen exceedingly moued with veneration at the sight of the sacred Pledge as it passed along the rest being fayne to stay beneath or get such standings as they could on tops of howses towers and steeples euery where where likewise you might discouer the Ecclesiastical ensignes carryed along in that Procession the Canons in their Copes and Quiristers and the rest of the Chaunters in their câ—…ates singing Alleluya like so many Angels come from heauen to conuerse with men and to grace the present solemnity Finally and which was strange in such a world of people you might there obserue a deep silence more like to the solitude of a desart then so great an assembly of so populous a Citty and Country round about al whist for the tyme so attentiue they were to their sacred sight or spectacle of their dearest
thing then I aduise you is to a perpetual Virginity of mynd and body For this is the noblest degree of al Chastity consisting formally in a perpetual purpose to abstayne from al carnal delectation being a special vertue and the principal point thereof whereto is promised the fruite of a hundred fold is reserued for such as keepe it entirely It is the flowre of the Ecclesiastical Stemm the Beauty and splēdour of the spiritual grace the most illustrious portion of the Redemption of IESVS This Virginity is most amiable in it self sweet as the sauour of the odoriferous Balme wherewith as the bodyes embalmed are preserued from the teint of any corruption so by it are no lesse preserued both the spirit and body the vertues humane actions conserued most pure in the sight of God who restraynes contaynes the sences appetites in a singular cādour and beautyful lustre representing the state of the immortal glory Chastity specially entire Virginity is it which takes yts origen from the kingdomes of the heauens which makes you Maydens of earth as wholy celestial angelical For what is more beautyful trow you or more resplendant then Chastity and true Virginity which transformes a Virgin to an Angel A chast Virgin indeed being a terrestrial Angel an Angel being none other then a celestial virgin different truly one frō the other but in happines and felicity only in nature and not in vertue For if the Chastity of the Angel be more happy in it self yet that of the Virgin in earth is confessed to be stronger in cōbating continually against the intestine and forreine assaults of the flesh And is so faire and goodly a vertue indeed that as material whitnes or the colour of white in yt self is the chiefe among al colours and the very foundation of al the rest So is Chastity the spring and foundatiō of al good works And lastly Chastity is a glorious vertue the myracle of grace the singular fruit of the Passiō of Iesus of the nature of Angels the sacred Sanctuary of the holy Trinity the Bed and Couch of more then Salomon strewed al with flowers Loue then ô Virgins this so noble a vertue of Virginity prise this pretious gemme and iewel of Chastity cherish the same farre more then the apple of your eyes yea more life yt self the most inestimable of sublunary things Thus spake the Princesse Elizabeth to the Mayds of honour about her and they as seriously gaue attention to her It can not be told how their harts were now enflamed with the Loue of Chastity perpetual Virginity insomuch as diuers of them were moued thereby to embrace that counsaile and through the helpe and assistance of their Lady were admitted into cloysters to become Religious Which fauour and benefit next to God and the immaculate Queene of Virgins they acknowledged from her Thus shee spent her tyme in Court thus happily succeeded her faire endeauours With this ardent affect of Chastity shee had the affect of fecundity also and with the merit of a votiue and no vowed Chastity shee had the blessing of material fruictfulnes There neuer was a creature caryed her self more euen betweene her heauenly and earthly Spouse then Elizabeth did shee rendred so her debts as shee defrauded neither therefore was blessed from heauen with three children by the Prince her husband Lewys the Lantgraue of Thuringia First with a Sonne named Herman who succeeded his father in the Dukedome and then two Daughters one whereof was giuen in Mariage to the Duke of Brabant then lyuing the other admitted into a Monastery of Religious women where in tyme shee was chosen to be the Lady Abbesse of the howse and where shee gouerned the family most religiously not vnlike to the Daughter of such a Mother Her manner was after shee was brought to bed and delinered and the rights of churching ended to take her little Babe and carry it in her armes going barefoote clad with an humble garment of home-made cloth with a slender retinew about her descend downe a rocky steepy hil there enter into the church Where Masse being ended shee would offer the same vpon the Aultar with a waxen taper burning in her hand and then as shee returned home againe giue her gowne veyle to the next poore Woman shee met WHAT CHARITY ELIZAbeth shewed to her Neighbour how shee gaue the Cloathes from her back to the poore CHAP. VIII NO doubt but the good father Conrad had giuen to the Lady Elizabeth many singular documents of the theoricke of al vertues and that by the vse of Prayer and meditation shee had got many rare principles of speculatiue knowledge of the diuine attributes and the infinite perfections of God and many practical Rules besides of true and solid vertues Yet as reasons and considerations suffice not to take away feare which is natural to man but it is needful also to apply some outward remedyes as to bid them to approach neerer to the thing they apprehend to be a Phantasme and to touch it with the finger to try and see by experience that there is no cause of feare and al to be nothing els but meerely imagination and their owne apprehensions So likewise to loose the opinion and estimation we haue of the world and of al worldly honour and vaine pompe and to make vs to set litle by them neither reasons nor yet considerations suffice but the acts of humility which are the most principal efficacious meanes we can vse of our part to obtayne the same the thing which this good lady aymed at in al the whole course of her life For as sciences and Arts are purchased with exercise so likewise the morral vertues are not truly gayned but by frequent external acts in the same vertues As for one to be a good Musitian good Artizan or a good Rhetorician or Philosopher he had need to exercise himself wel to attayne perfection therein Now Elizabeth hauing in truth for her principal scope to Loue God aboue al things and the Neighbour as her self conceiuing very wel how the same consisted not so much in documents alone or meere speculations as in putting the same into outward practises and to effect and that vertues are not kindly indeed but with habits and habits not purchased as I sayd without frequent acts of the same vertues Though her mind were wel inclined to pious works and works of mercy to the poore and such as were impotent and diseased any wayes yet shee satisfied not her self with that pious effect only towards them as thinking it not sufficient not to oppresse any and to passe by and say God help you to such as shee knew to be in any distresse or which is more not contented to perswade others or to inuite them to be pittiful and helpful to the poore and necessitous but releiued them her self with her owne hands So as that saying of Iob very aptly
not remembring shee had euer heard her sing any other then the Hymnes and Canticles of the Church as there they are toned or els some other spirituall songs in time of her spinning and such likâ—… works though sweet and tunable yet paine void of art being in this thought her Lady called vpon her and saied to her Where art thou Daughter when her Mayd answering heere Lady presently added saying Good Madam how your Ladyship delighted mine eares with your musique and ditty you sang euen now To whom Elizabeth Heard you me sing then Yea truely Madam replyed the Mayd I heard it to my great comfort When by and by the Saint declared vnto her how a certaine litle Bird sent from heauen sate betweene her and the wal and with sundry streynes of most sweete musique made her such heauenly melody that howbeit her body were so weake as shee saw shee could not refrayne from singing as wel as shee might The bird now it seemed the Mayd heard not but only the voyce of her sick Lady by which shee concluded it must needes bee the musique of some Angell from heauen come thither to solace her languishing spirits through force of the malady and that they had held as a Quire betweene them of two seuerall sides though shee heard but one The third day before her death desiring to be solitary shee willed that as many as came to visit her might be excused their labour and such as were present to voyd the Chamber and none sâ—…ffered to enter into the roome The cause being required of the nearest about her shee answered My desire is to be rid of the tumults and noyses of this world because I would giue my self to remember my Iudge and the dreadfull accompt I am shortly to make Shee was obeyed and euen the very day before her departure shee made to her Master a generall confession of her whole life And by her last Wil made Christ in the Poore her sole â—…eyre reseruing only â—…o her self a certaine old gowne wherein shee wished to be buryed not taking any other care for the solemnity of her funeralls Shortly after shee receiued the blessed Sacrament and Extreame Vnction and the rest of the day and night shee spent in such feruours of spirit as wel shewed the Ghest shee had receiued into her saving Dismisse now thy handmayd O Lord according to thy word in peace Now doe I hâ—…ld thee sweete Loue and I wil hold thee still and now most freely I bid adieu to the world and all earthly things Now ioyfull doe I come to thee my God Nor shall any thing henceforth O my good IEVS seuer mee from thee for I am ioyned to thee ô Christ I will liue in thee and dye in thee and â—…ll remayne in thee if thou wilt eternally When shee had made this prayer shee concluded and fell vpon a large discourse how Christ went to visit Mary and Martha in their mourning for their Brothers death how he sweetely comforted them how he reared their hopes with his firme promise how they went altogeather to the monument and finally how he shed teares in testimony of his inward and tender compassion And here now entring vpon this passage into a deepe and profound discourse of so worthy a subiect to the great astonishment and admiration of all there present her affects of the teares of Christ were so effectuall so vrgent so enflamed and so piercing euen to the bottome of their harts as made them all to weepe most tenderly being strucken to the hart and greiued that shee was to leaue them and they to bee depriued of so holy and so gracious a Mother To whom Elizabeth turning her self said Good Christians weepe not for mee but rather for your selues And more shee vttered not but they heard a most sweete and delicious harmony without any motion of her lips and yet as a voyce proceeding from her And when the company enquired what that singing was shee answeared It was I who sung as well as I could to those who first did sing to mee and seeme to inuite mee to it whom I wonder you heard not likewise as well as I. By which they gathered al as wel they might how the 〈◊〉 a â—…ayting for her soule now neere tâ—…e solution from the prison of her body sung vnto her with such heauenly melody and prouoked her so to sing with them Anon after about midnight looking towards them who sate round about her What shoud we doe said shee if the Enemy of Mankind should appeare vnto vs and presently cryed out with a confidence as if now shee beheld him and would driue him away thence appearing in some horrible shape or other saying alowd Auant thou miserable Wretch hence I say thou accursed Caytife And so it vanished whatsoeuer it was for shee spake no more of it Being soone after at the point of death shee saied This is the tyme of the Virgins Deliuery and of the immaculat fruite of the Virginal wombe which puts vs in mind to speake some what of the litle sweete Babe Igsus how he was borne in the Winter in the night in an other mans howse swathed in Clouts and layd in a Crib how he was found by the Sheaphards manifested by a starre lastly how hee was worshipped and adored by the Chaldeys For these are the mysteries of our Redemption these the worthy gifts and ornaments of our riches In these consists our hope in these our Faith encreaseth and our Charity is enflamed I pray you then my freinds let vs conferre of these matters and freely talke thereof one with an other to our great consolation And so the blessed Seruant of God in speaking those words layd softly her head downe as if shee would sleepe and quietly rendred vp her soule and departed this life THE FVNERALL OFFICES of the glorious Elizabeth are piously performed With a touch onely of her singular vertues CHAP. VII THE piety of the Lyuing towards the dead in the care they haue generally of their funeralls and buryall according to the vse and custome of the Church is laudable much commended in Sacred Writ as One of the Works of mercy and so pleasing to God that he not only rewards the pious affect wherewith they commit them to the common Mother the Earth but euen rigorously punisheth those who presume to violate the corps of the buryed or disturbe their Sepulchers When the departure of Elizabeth then was knowne and voyced abroad it was a wonder streight to behold how many Religious Monks and Preists and poore people had recourse to her funerall seruice Where the poore so filled the eyes and eares of all there present with mourning gestures and clamorous outcryes as made all the rest to weepe who saw them affirming all with one accord they had lost a mercyfull Mother in their great extreamity their onely freind and surest refuge on earth that now they had noe more helpe or succour left them since they