the Prophetes Sybills Apostles and Euangelists curiously inserted amōg boughes flowers with such admirable needle-worke that I dare affirme scarce any thing in this kind euer to haue beene more curious more precious more admirable For it well appeareth by her owne hand-writing that the price amounted to eight thousand Crownes Notable veiles for holy Chalices and other such like were also presented with her other gifts The testimony and gift of a Spanish Priest honoured with a miracle CHAP. XXIII ABOVT that time Alfonsus Sancius a Spanish Priest both learned and godly hauing lately returned from the East and the Ilands of China called the Philippines came to visit the House of Loreto And before he departed thence I my self found him admiring the religion of the place and familiarly asking the cause of his wonder he answered me with admiration O good God! what manner of thing is this Truly I neuer felt the like vnto this nor neuer found God more present in all my life so doth a certaine heauenly sweetnes flow into my soule in this most sacred House He also recounted vnto me how he had beene at Vadalupe Monte-Seratto and other notable Houses of the B. Virgin in Spaine but neuer felt the grace of God so present for there seemeth to be the barke but heere indeed the marrow it self And obtayning of the Gouernour of Loreto by means of Cardinall Caietan in whose company he came to remayne all night in the holier part of the sacred Cell he passed the same in watching and prayer and afterward reported to his familiar friends that in all his life he neuer spent a more pleasant and more blessed night In regard whereof he desired to grace the most Maiesticall Cell of the B. Virgin with some gift of his and hauing brought with him euen from China it self a white damaske vestment with this he determined to beautify the Nicet of the B. Virgin Mother of God and the Image of Christ Crucified which came with the sacred house A taylour therfore was sent for who spreading abroad and measuring the damaske first denied that there was stuffe inough for both those purposes But Sancius vrging him to measure it againe with more diligent care he staied a while and when he had often turned it to and fro he began to affirme that at last he had found a meanes to effect that which he desired but so that those ornaments would be something shorter then was fitting Go to therefore said Sancius and follow this course if any thing be wanting our B. Lady her self will supplie it He obeyed and lest there might be any suspition of errour he had the old ornature of the Nicet at hand according to which he determined to make the forme of the new and so cutt it out Sancius himself looking on and tooke it with him to his shoppe But the next day assoone as it was light the tailour came vnto him crying out like one dismayed Without doubt our B. Lady hath wrought a miracle in her ornament For the new furniture of her Nicet which yesterday was too short is now longer by a handfull Sancius followed the man into his shoppe to belieue his owne eyes and not his wordes and found that he reported no vntruth neither could he deuise any thing to hinder it from a miracle For he saw that the veile of the Crucifix which he caused to be made was iust and nothing at all diminished and the damaske was made of a certaine strange worke that the deceit of adding such as ours is could not deceiue one skilfull in such things albeit in such things no feare is to be had of adding but rather of diminishing Sancius himself with many others stood by the taylour when he measured and cut out the vestment that it may be euident no errour was committed by improuidence wherfore by him and others it was holden for a Miracle but we will leaue the thing indifferent Bracelets which were offered to the B. Virgin do fasten themselues on the hands of Christ her little Child CHAP. XXIV BVT this is not so meruailous for the gift it self as for the euent therof Beatrice Gazea a Matron of great delicacie and riches was married to a most worthy Cittizen of Rome who for deuotion comming to Loreto in the moneth of May the 93. yeare of this age forthwith went into the inward part of the sacred Cell where the most religious Image of the B. Virgin of Loreto holding the sweet child IESVS in her lap is scene and reuerenced neere at hand which is adorned with a most precious garment and decked in magnificent sort Praying there with feruour to Christ and his B. Mother Gazea had a great desire to behold the countenance and ornature of the B. Virgin with more attention And blaming the imperfection of her sight requested the keeper who at that time was Papyrius N. to shew her the Image of the Mother of God more exquisitly with the light of a torch He willingly condescended vnto it For with a burning torch he shewed her the B. Virgin and at her intreaty told also who gaue all the donaries that were about her Among the rest there was a frōtlet of oriēt pearle of good bignes and beauty dedicated to the B. Virgin by a Matron of Rome who being giuen to many delightes and pleasures lately departed this life albeit of a cruell kind of death yet very Christianlike and godly Beatrice hearing this woman named and knowing her familiarly forthwith burst into admiration Behold the cause why she by the grace of the B. Virgin had so godly an end of her delicate life Then turning to the keeper And I said she would willingly dedicate these bracelets then the which I esteeme nothing more to Christ and his B. Mother if I thought that the gift of a wicked woman would not be vngratefull vnto them The keeper animated the woman seeming too fearfull saying that Christ was the Sauiour and Marie the Patronesse of the wicked Wheruppon in continent she pulled of her bracelets made of antique worke of iewells and gold and gaue them to the keeper to be offered to Iesus and his B. mother And presently the Keeper tooke a little forke prepared for such vses and put theron both the bracelets to direct them to the most sacred Statua intending to hang them on the erected singers of the right hand of the sweet child Christ Iesus for at that present there was no fitter a place But as he was drawing backe the sticke he obserued that one of the bracelets remained on the forke and that the other hauing passed the singers of the sweet child Iesus was fastened on his hand so fitly that fitter it could not be A meruailous thing Though the Keeper saw it yet he thought it might be donne by chance But afterward putting the sticke thither againe nothing moued out of his place To hang there also the other bracelet there happened another vndoubted miracle For by little and
of Lasturo a Village of the State of Venice lay sicke not far from Bergamo of an incurable disease and the anguish of his infirmity wherwith he was most miserably vexed brought with it cruell and almost perpetuall paine in all his members Therfore despayring of help by Physitians he inuocated the B. Virgin of Loreto giuing himself wholy vnto her by vow which if he obtayned he promised to performe with all speed His vow had effect Being giuen ouer by the Physitians he did not so much wrestle with the disease as with death it self But suddainly in the very agony he had present help For our B. Lady as it were vnlooked for appearing vnto him in the same shape wherein she is reuerenced at Loreto which before that time he neuer saw so much as in picture and bidding him be of good comfort replenished him with great ioy and comfort Wheruppon out of hand for deuotion sake the sicke man endeuoured to kneele downe on his bed as well as he could and with great confidence in this exceeding dāger of death began to implore the assistance of the Mother of God And she with a meeke a motherly countenance said vnto him Sonne put away feare thou shalt not dy of this sicknes be thankfull mindfull of thy Vow For which cause calling to his houshold that they might hasten thither to reuerence the Queene of Heauen with due deuotion our B. Lady went suddainly out of his sight And the promise was performed on both sides For the sicke man recouering a litle after came to Loreto to performe his vow the 90. yeare of this age where leasurely viewing the Image of the Mother of God he affirmed to those to whome he related this miracle that the B. Virgin appeared vnto him in his sleep in that very forme attire that you may thinke that shape and habit was pleasing to our B. Lady A Knight of Flanders being deliuered from his enemies by an euident miracle dedicateth a wax-candle of huge bignesse to our B. Lady of Loreto CHAP. XVII Vict. Brig ABOVT the same time a Knight of Flanders presented to the B. Virgin of Loreto For a gift a votiue candle of huge bignes to wit of 300. pound weight in token of a miracle almost incredible The cause of his vow gift was this The said Knight his name is not set downe for he himself would haue it concealed escaped manifest perill of life in Flanders by help of our B. Lady who by commandment of the Prince of Parma going on improuidently with eight horsemen to view the coast fell into the ambush of the enemy The enemies were about eight hundred some horsmen some footemen who quickly spreading themselues abroad tooke from thē all hope of escape Notwithstanding the Fleming wanted not courage For inuocating our B. Lady of Loreto and animating his fellowes therūto they valiantly fought with them their confidence in the B. Virgin preuailing so much with them that it easily put away the cogitation of so great danger Such was the courage and strength which was giuen to that small company by the vertue of the heauenly help which they besought not failing them in their fight For when on euery side they were assaulted with so many handes and weapons of sundry sortes by the protection of the Mother of God they sustayned the violence of their enemies the multitude of their weapons so long till the Spanish forces came to rescue them and then the danger turned on their enemies themselues wherof many were slayne or taken And that there may be no doubt at all of the vertue of the heauenly help neither the Knight himself nor any of his fellowes nor yet any of their horses were hurt the least iote in so cruell a fight which held for the space of two houres that you may thinke they fought vnder the protection of God who fighting for them made them to ouercome In regard wherof the Knight desiring to haue a perpetuall monument of so worthy a miracle to remayne at Loreto sent the wax-candle of huge bignes wherof I haue spoken with intent that on certaine festiuall daies it should burne before the Maiesticall House of the B. Virgin And it is said that he also gaue a certaine stipend that when the same was consumed an other candle of like bignes should be put in his place for euerlasting memory to posterity A deafe-man recouereth his hearing CHAP. XVIII THIS which I am to relate is not so meruailous Annal. Laur. Rier Vict. Brig but better witnessed Erasmus Deane of the Cathedrall Church of Cracouia in Polonia being deafe in either eare heard almost nothing at all so that they must deale with him not so much by wordes as by signes But before his hearing was taken from him by report he had heard many admirable things of the B. Virgin of Loreto and seeing he could get no help by means of physicke and that the heauenly vertue of the House of Loreto came often to his mind much grieued and perplexed with the infirmity it stirred him to come to the sacred House of our B. Lady that with great confidence he might say Masse in the most Maiesticall Cell of the B. Virgin and implore her help where he found most present remedy for his griefe For assoone as he had ended Masse he perceiued that his left eare was opened and cured and the next day saying Masse in the same place he likewise recouered the vse of his right Whereby he who came to the most sacred House halfe deafe or rather deafe indeed within two dayes departed thence full glad to haue recouered the perfect vse of hearing Andrevv Bētiuoglio Gouernour of Loreto He himself told the whole matter with teares of ioy to Rutilius Benzonius the Bishop to Andrew Bentiuoglio Gouernour of Loreto on the Nones of Aprill the yeare of our Redemption 1590. At which time the new Citty of Loreto being built with great speed on the inlarged space was suddainly interrupted by the vntimely death of Xystus assaied also by other Popes to small purpose For Monte-Regal was pared about and left half plained the new Houses which were crected without the old circuite be now insteed of Suburbs wherof many remayne vnfinished that you may thinke the renowme of a Citty was not pleasing to our B. Lady of Loreto who chose her self a seate in a desert place lest the fame of the Citty rather then the Religion of the place should inuite the Pilgrims to visit her About that time Andrew Bentiuoglio departing this life Fuluius Paulucius Gouernour of Loreto Fuluius Paulucius the Protonotary Apostolicall succeeded in the Gouernement of Loreto whose vertue troublesome times did both exercise and illustrate Donaries brought or sent to the B. Virgin of Loreto in the troublesome time of Gregory the XIIII CHAP. XIX SHORTLIE after in the same yeare of our Redemption to witt 1590. in the moneth of September Vrbane the vij was created Pope who
in their wet garments as they were returning speedilie to Loreto to render due thankes to our B. Ladie they prostrated their bodies on the ground before her Sacred Image and with trickling teares gaue hartie thaÌ„kes to God his B. Mother for their deliuerie Among the Guardians of Loreto there was one Bernardine Galiard a man of good credit and of long time host to the Capuchines with whome they lodged both before they weÌ„t to Ancona and after they returned to Loreto Who intertayning these FranciscaÌ„s of whom I haue spoken all wet with the sea demanding the cause therof at last they opened it vnto him with this condition that he should coÌ„ceale their names Wheruppon Galiard suppressing their names related it to others as he receiued it from them A yong man is deliuered from the whirle-poole of a Riuer CHAP. XVI BY the fauour of the B. Virgin of Loreto Trad. Laur. Annal. Laur. Rier an other eschewed nolesse daÌ„ger in a Riuer than the Franciscans did in the sea Angelus Autanus a yoÌ„g maÌ„ in the Territory of Salerno of great toward lines pietie went into the Riuer Vulturnus which passeth by Capua to wash his bodie with a fellow and companioÌ„ of his But his fellow going forward without regard and falling into the vnknowne whirl-pooles of the Riuer was in great danger of drowning Whereuppon Autanus making hast to aide his coÌ„panioÌ„ in hazard fell himself into the same danger out of which he laboured in vaine to deliuer the other For he himself being swallowed vp among the whirl-pooles of the swift streame but after some time cast vp againe from the bottome in the conflict of death called on our B. Ladie of Loreto as well as he could and the B. Virgin whome he inuocated was presently at hand who taking the young man out of the whirle-poole when he was almost dead receiued him into her lap and carrying him ouer the riuer for the space of a mile sett him downe in a conuenient shore Who remayned long amazed with dread of the danger and of the miracle But assoone as he came to himself he acknowleged the heauenly benefit fell downe on his knees and carefully saluting our B. Ladie his deliueresse with thankfullnes extolled her worthie praise and out of hand went to Loreto to worship the moher of God and to publish the miracle A maide of Loreto is deliuered out of a well a Cittizen of Caieta out of prison CHAP. XVII NEither did Loreto it self want the held of her Patronesse Trad. Laur. Annal. Laur. Rier in like danger of her people A yong maide coÌ„ming to draw water at a well in the Gouernours House of Loreto as she was accustomed let downe her bucket tied fast vnto a rope careleslie pulling it vp againe full of water with the weigh to the bucket tuÌ„bled headlong into the well calling on our B. Ladie of Loreto By chaÌ„ce one of the chiefe Ministers of the sacred House standing in a window and seeing the maid fall into the well implored the help of the B. Virgin in her behalfe and forth with with the rest of his houshold ranne vnto the well it self A wonder to be spoken When they saw that she was in no danger at all but sate on the water with ioyfull countenance in continent they let downe a great bucket fastened to a strong rope and warning the maide what she must do without delay endeauored to draw her vp who sitting in the bucket and holding the rope in her hands was a length brought to the top of the well but among so many hands vncertaine what to doo and rashly letting go the rope before any had holde of her she tumbled downe the same way againe Whereupon all that were present inuocating the Mother of God in her behalf the maid was conueyed downe againe to the water without any harme at all though many sherds of broken potts were vnderneath For which cause letting downe ladders they got her out a slower but a safer way and presently the maide her self tolde them how a Lady of great beautie did protect her as she fell into the well in whose handes she swomme on the water without any danger or grieuance at all The same also happened vnto her as she fell downe the second time for our B. Lady receiuing her with her hands made her to sit in her lappe vpon the water vntill ladders were sought out and fastened togeather to be let downe into the well that she might be preserued by this double miracle to be no small document of the B. Virgin of Loreto's protection But a man was as infallible an argument of her help at Rome as the maide was at Loreto A certaine Cittizen of Caeta borne of honest parentage but of litle courage and mâ—â—â—nimity and of a tender disposition by nature education being accused of murder by false witnesses was so frighted at the vnwonted sight of the torments that he had rather as often it chanceth suffer execution by confessing that which was false than auoide the same by denying it in torture Being condemned to die he washed away the blemishes of his soule by sacred Confession by exhortation of the Priest committed his cause to the heauenly Iudge intreating the assistance of the B. Virgin of Loreto His prayers were heard For within a while being ouertaken with a sweete sleepe he seemed to see the B. Virgin of Loreto who bidding him be of good comfort put him in hope of life and liberty Whereuppon the innocency of the man was presently knowne by miracle and the authors of that wickednes the workers of the false crime conuicted who suffered the same death which they prepared for the innocent A Bassa of the Turkes being cured by the B. Virgin of Loreto doth honour her with gifts CHAP. XVIII Trad. Laur. Annal. Laur. Rier NEITHER were the Barbarians deuoid of the help of Loreto Corcutus a President of the Turkes whome they call the Bassa being at ConstaÌ„tinople the yeare 1552. was brought into euident danger of death by a grieuous and a secret impostume of the brest A certaine honest and godlie Christian serued him as a slaue who thinking the danger of his maister the occasion of his liberty went vnto the President ready to dye and certifying him of the admirable power of the B. Virgin of Loreto in curing all manner of diseases put him in good hope of recouery and without great difficulty persuaded him to call on the B. Virgin of Loreto with him to make this vow If she tooke away his disease for her sake he would giue him liberty and release him from bondage Neither did the slaue deceiue his maister nor Marie her godly Client For within a while the impostume brake and the President was cured who giuing good testimonie therof set his slaue at libertie and sent him to the B. Virgin of Loreto with letters and gifts The gifts were a mantle of notable workmanship great wax candles no
preferre other things before that busines But his delay was not long vnpunished For when the yeare came about the verie same day as he sailed in the same shippe that the time might put him in minde both of the benefitt also of the offence he suffered shipwracke againe with his little sonne Whereuppon presently the memorie of the danger which he latelie auoided by the help of the B. Virgin and of his negligeÌ„ce in performing his votiue pilgrimage pricking his guiltie coÌ„science with aboundaÌ„t teares he asked pardon of God intreated the experieÌ„ced help of the B. Virgin of Loreto for himself and his sonne binding the promise of the olde with a new vow His praier deceiued him not For seeking his litle sonne among the waues he found him without any harme at all and taking him vp on his shoulders carried him safe to land swymming a great way along the furious sea all the rest of the Passengers and Mariners being ouerwhelmed drowned that the destruction of others might make the heauenlie gift more notable Assoone as he came to the shore not more ioying his owne then the safetie of his little sonne in the midst of such imminent danger he fell downe on his knees coÌ„maÌ„ding his soÌ„ne to do the same lifting vp his hands towards heaueÌ„ with flowing teares of ioy gaue hartie thankes next after God to the B. Marie that she did not frustrate the vow of an vngratefull man that failed in his And because doubtles the delay of performing his deuotioÌ„ caused him this new danger he promised that no negligeÌ„t stay should now hinder him Wherfore fearing if that he weÌ„t vnto his owne house some domesticall care might also deferre his pilgrimage the better to recompence the great negligence which he coÌ„mitted in performing his former vow he set forward towards Loreto omitting to visit his House and Countrey and intreating and begging victualls to sustaine himself and his litler sonne he came to the sacred House deseruing to be remembred not onelie for recouering of his shipp in his first danger but afterwards for loosing it and finding sauing of his sonne now also as much coÌ„mendatioÌ„ for performing his vow with deuotion as blame at first for neglecting it A yong man is deliuered out of prison another twice hanged is deliuered from death and punishment CHAP. XXVII ABOVT that time the B. Virgin of Loreto shewed her self as admirable in deliuering men from punishment Trad. Laur. Annal. Laur. Rier as in calming the sea Augustine of Rocca Valdonia a towne of the territorie of Sienna was accused of a salfe crime and commited to prison where the innocent man suffering much torture called on the B. Virgin of Loreto to whome he was exceedinglie deuoted Neither in vaine For awaking out of his sleepe in the quiet night he saw the iron manacles wher-with he was fettered fall from his hands of themselues in contineÌ„t our B. Ladie giuing him aduice and strength to flie himself indeuouring to dig through the wall of the prison pulled out certaine morter with his hand and opened a hole which gaue him meanes to escape But two dores remayned that hindered his flight which by chance finding miraculously opeÌ„ vnguarded he escaped with safetie not onelie finding free egresse but also secure defence by gift of our B. Ladie But this maÌ„ was deliuered froÌ„ immineÌ„t another from present death Francis of Ferrara a simple but a deuout man trauailing through Picene the 56. yeare of this age fell into the forces of the Duke of Guise who waged war for Paul the 4. against Philip King of Spaine of whom being demanded the cause of traue I and courteouslie intertained he sent him to the Generall of the Popes Army with the letters of the French Captaine certaine Characters wherof they were agreed betweene themselues sowed in his doublet altogether ignorant therof But being intercepted and searched by the watch of the aduerse Army he was brought to Marcus Antonius Columna at Anagnia a Cittie of Campania who by the letters and characters of the enemy found in his doublet thinking him verilie to be a spie forthwith commaunded the simple Contrey-man to be hanged And albeit he was presentlie led vnto the place of execution with a great troupe of souldiours and Cittizens of Anagnia following him yet he did not despaire of himself For hauing leaue to say a few praiers he fell downe on his knees and first asking pardon for his sinnes and then calling on our B. Ladie of Loreto It is not vnknowne to thee B. Virgin Mother of God saith he that I dye guiltlesse and in no wise priuie to these letters Therefore I pray and beseech thee to make thy sonne mercifull vnto me that of his great clemencie forgiuing me my other offences wherby I confesse to haue deserued greater punishment by some signe or other he may vouchsafe to declare my innocencie Hauing spoken thus in a loude voice he went to dye with a confident minde Whereuppon the hangmaÌ„ tying him to the gallowes cast him of the ladder pressing his shoulders with his feete that he might leaue him for dead A wonderfull thing to be spoken and seene For the seelie man had hung but a while but the rope brake of it selt and he fell downe to the ground seeming to be safe and sound But the miracle was esteemed a chaunce that it might be more notable For the hangman tying a stronger rope about his necke presentâ—â—eâ—ed the poore wretch to the gallows againe and cast him of the ladder wresting his necke more forciblie them before But beholde by the pouidence of God and his B. Mother the rope burst againe and Francis falling downe to the ground and breaking his head with the fall lay as it were without life Whereuppon the miserable sight of the poore Countreyman mooued the multitude there-about and the strong rope breaking of it self brought them into such admiration that all recalled to minde his prayer and inuocation of the B. Virgin of Loreto when he went to suffer For which cause many intreating pardon for the innocent yong man the beloued of our B Ladie thought it wickednes to haue him made away by mortall men who was twice preserued by the goodnes of God And Marcus Antonius of his owne naturall disposition exceeding deuotion towards the B. Virgin of Loreto pardoned him more willinglie theÌ„ he was requested Also the Cittie Anagnia rightlie setting downe a testimonie of the miracle as it happened deliuered it to Ferrara himself which he comming to Loreto to giue thankes to the B. Virgin left there with her for a perpetuall monument therof to posteritie A woman of Sicilie hauing her throate cutt is cured CHAP. XXVIII IT is nothing leffe Annal. Laur. Rier but peraduenture more admirable which now is deliuered of a woman A yong maide of Sicilie of more beautie then honestie whose name we thought good to suppresse to saue her credit being brought from Sicilie to
the money is kept and when he had prouided all things for that purpose craftily hid himself in the sacred Cell of the B. Virgin Whereuppon going about to execute his sacrilegious desire in the dead of the night he gathered the sacred Donaries of gold and siluer into one place And when he had opened the Arcke and the doores of the sacred Chappell he also assayed to burst open the leaues of the Church-doore it self which assoone as he had broken open he began to looke about to seeke the complice of his wickednes who at that very houre for so they had agreed was to be in readines in the Church porch to hide the sacred gifts and the money in an appointed place But beholde whiles he intentiuely looked about he saw a companie of armed people at hand a multitude of heauenly spirits as it was supposed watching the House of the B. Virgin whose vnexpected presence stroke him into so great feare that he speedily shut to the doores hid himself thinking they sought his life But the vnhappy man hauing escaped that danger as he thought and auarice egging him on began to aduenture the thing againe Wheruppon opening the dores of the Church againe and the third time to seeke out the complice of his mischiefe allwaies that heauenly company met him in armes and with all speed forced him to fly againe into the Church Hauing thus spent the night betweene hope and feare at last he was more sollicitous of his life then of the prey and determined to depart without his purpose For the morning being ready to approach he assayed to get away by a back doore of the Church but still being frighted with the encounter of that heauenly watch which we haue mentioned he fled back againe into the most sacred Cell where remained manifest signes of his attempted sacriledge that the place which was the witnes of his wickednes might also manifestlie declare the same And the keepers of the most sacred Chappell comming vpon him vnawares and finding the dores broken open and the sacred Donaries gathered into one place began easilie to suspect his intent and purpose And the lewd fellow himself trēbling with a guiltie cōsciēce seeming to discouer his intended wickednes was straight apprehended and being examined confessed the whole matter Wherefore with the partner of his filthie sacriledge he suffered deserued punishment to be no small document of the prouidence of Almightie God towards the well-fare and good of the sacred House of Loreto Two yong men are deliuered from the seruitude of the Diuell CHAP. XXXII MOREOVER other wicked and almost forlorne men were reduced to an honest life and to the way of saluation by the help of the B. Virgin of Loreto There was a certaine yong man as notorious for his birth as for his wicked life who in a quarrell receiued a grieuous wound in his knee for offending Alm. God for which cause he could not cure the wound vntill he began to mitigate the wrath of God For hauing wasted good part of his substance in physicke and surgerie the cure was more likelie to bring him into feare of greater incōuenience thē any good hope of recouerie Annal. Laur. Rier wherby he mightilie feared speedie death or at least perpetuall lamenesse For which cause reiecting help of Surgeons he put all his hope and trust in the B. Virgin of Loreto and repenting with teares the truest signes of pennance began to pacifie the wrath of God and to implore the help of his B. Mother making this vow vnto her if he escaped this danger he would go to the House of Loreto with gifts to giue her thankes A wonderfull thing to be sayd Speaking these wordes with great repentance of minde the wound was presentlie cured and he recouered perfect health of bodie But health restored to an vngratefull and dissolute man was almost his destruction who quite forgetting so great a benefit thought it not inough to neglect his vow vnles he also abused the benefit of his recouerie with the licenciousnes of his former life For being inclined to worser things at last he came to that passe by giuing himself wholy to lust that he had scarce the grace to repent So much were his later workes worse than his former He had beene vndone if Alm. God had not looked on the out-cast man and by heauenlie fauour brought him againe into the way of saluation For shortlie after he seemed to heare a silent voice bidding him go to Loreto and speedilie performe the vow which he had made and then lo he obeyed and went to Loreto to worship the Mother of God with gifts But no small thing to be spokē of preuented the fruite of his votiue pilgrimage For lust had so thralled him vnto her that still sticking in the same filth he refused to go to Confession though Alm. God reached forth his helping hand Yet because his conscience pricked him and permitted him to haue no rest first he began to go round about the sacred House of the B. Virgin and the place appointed to heare Confessions then leasurelie to view the forme of the Church and the votiue tables hanging about the walles within a while by impulsion of the wicked diuell he also departed out the Church it self but presently by heauēly grace returned thither againe You would haue thought he had beene mad and distracted in minde so far did it repēt him sometimes of his purpose sometimes of his pēnance And being scarce well in his wittes he was so disquieted in mind and in bodie that he could neither abide the sight of the Priests nor the remorse of his owne conscience And also being in great perplexitie and doubtfull what to doe he remayned three dayes in these cogitations But at last through the goodnes of God and his B. Mother new zeale of saluation was enkindled in him For by chance being present at diuine seruice he seemed to heare a voyce frō heauen blaming his delay commanding him to go to one of the Priests there prepared and to disburden his soule of his offences with purpose of better life That voice pierced and bowed his obstinate minde and so at last being ouercome or rather ouercōming all impediments he peesentlie changed his minde◠and did as he was commanded Whereby getting happilie out of the sinke of lust he washed away all the blemishes of his life with great aboundāce of teares and reioycing with heauenlie ioy as men are wont to doe gaue manifolde thankes to God and his B. Mother that he was twice deliuered from imminent danger of bodie and soule by her protection and fauour There was the like condition of an other yong mā the euēt not vnlike who being wholie giuen to lust those things that follow it in short time spent all his Fathers substance in wickednes filthines of life whiles he striued to bring himself to all naughtines dishonestie at last the matter came to that passe that he was