and so begged his victuals in the ship slept in the open ayre aboue the hatches hauing a cable rope for his bed He was alwayes ready to helpe the sicke not only begging of those who had meate for such as wanted but with his owne hands also dressing and parting it amongst them thinking no scorne euen to wash their cloathes or do any other seruice were it neuer so base for them in whose persons this holy and prudent seruant of Christ acknowledged and reuerenced Christ himselfe Hauing spent all day in praying taking paines he vncessantly watched all night in comforting the afflicted and administring the Sacraments to such as were in danger of death Whervpon some were wont to say that the only thinge Francis tooke pleasure in next vnto prayer was seruing of the sicke And this was euer his fashion and manner of liuing not only in this but also in all other voyages he made by sea where in he spent a great part of his life Neither did this his charity towards poore and sicke persons shine only vpon the sea but also vpō land while he abode in Citties the beames of the same charity neuer lost one iot of their brightnes Nay rather being now made all with all that he might gaine and purchase the soules of all for God Almighty to those that either by reason of wealth or health had no need of this kind of seruice he was neuer wanting in other seruioe of no lesse importance for them when occasion was offered neuer sparing of labour which he was to bestow in furthering the saluation of his Neighbours When he arriued at the Indies after a long yeares sea-faring he would graunt no time of rest to his weather beaten body but presently began to fling about the fire which he came to cast into those Prouinces going vp and downe the Citty and calling together with a litle bell into some Church or other the children and people there teaching them the Christian Doctrine with such effieacy of spirit that it pierced euen to the bottome of their hearts like vnto the Doctrine of the Apostles He perswaded them all to sing the prayers he taught them vp and downe the streetes and to teach their friends acquaintance the same at home Which custome by him brought into the Indies to the great glory of God remayneth and is obserued there euen vntill this day Those that were come to yeares of discretion by all gentle meanes possible he inuited to confession pennance and neuer ceased with an vndaunted courage and many times with euident danger of his life venturing into strange and vncouth Proninces that often times barefoote with torne and beggailie apparell to call heathens to the true liberty of the sounes of God In which enterprize Almighty God did specially assist the indeauours of his seruant confirming euery where what he preached with miracles that were most notorious and like to those which the Apostles wrought and inwardly mouing the hearts of those that heard him in such sort that he conuerted and baptized many tho Lsandes and drew many out of the puddle of sinne not without many and troublesome iourneyes both by sea and land Many are the Kingdomes Prouinces and Ilāds through which the Legate of Heauen and of the Roman Sea went sowing the word of God And at lēgth as he was seeking entrance for the Ghospell into the great Kingdome of China this faithfull seruant quite bruised broken with the intollerable paines which beyond all humane force he had so long indured for the glory of God and altogether worne out and consumed with the heauenly burning desire he had to see Christ his Sauiour being now at last out of a desert I le named Sancianum called home vnto his country of Heauen to the marriage of the Lābe of God entred into the ioy which our Lord had prepared for him the second day of Decēber in the yeare of our Lord 1552. The vertues of this holy Apostle are very many and most Heroicall some wherof I shall heere recount The daily profession he made of his faith in receiuing of the Sacraments himselfe with wonderfull great deuotion and with no lesse paines ministring the same to others his heroicall workes his great and dangerous pilgrimages to preach the same faith to Barbarous and Sauage people and that alone without any humane helpe at all expressing and setting foorth so liuely in himselfe the purity and sanctity of the Euāgelicall Doctrine finally the abundance of the fruit which he hath sent out of those forraine countreies into the granaries of the Catholike Church to wit so many millions of Christians amōgst whom so many glorious martyrs haue watered and fertilized the Primitiue Church of those Countre with their blood and so many Confessours in the very middle of most cruel persecutions haue defended the faith of Christ are pregnant proofes of the excellency of that Euangelicall seed of Faith which he carried with him Fiue things he had in him which cannot possibly consist without a most firme and stedfast Hope First a cōtempt of all temporall things most manifestly seene in his despising of all worldly honours dignities and riches which the world in all abondāce did assure him of and imbracing an humble kind of life in religious purity vnder the yoke of obedience and that in the very flowre of his youth Secondly his voluntary sufferance of excessiue trouble labours miseries to the which by how much more grieuous they were so much more willingly did he expose himselfe as it most plainly appeareth in the whole discourse of his life Thirdly an vndaunted courage in attempting hard enterprises putting his very life so oftē in danger amōgst strange and barbarous people As for example when alone he encountred a whole army of Badagars which afterward I will rehearse amongst other miracles Fourthly a wonderfull great security in dangers in so much that in the middest of cares he was without care and without feare in the middest of feares ship wrackes enemies and many other miseries hanging many times ouer his very head Lastly an incredible ioy in aduersity which may be euidently proued by his continuall cheerfulnes of mind and readines of will wherby glorying with the Apostle in the hope of the sonnes of God he suffered so many labours and troubles so many perills and aduersities liuing iustly holily in this world and expecting the blessed hope and comming of Almighty God For the loue of God he most exactly and perfectly kept all his commaundements daily meditating vpō his sacred Law with a pure consciēce and great horrour of neuer so little transgressing or doing any thing against the same him selfe and neuer without great care that others should likewise obserue the same wherin as also in keeping his vowes of voluntary Pouerty Chastity and Obediēce he so excelled that he did not only thereby stop the aduersaries mouthes but by the mouthes and tongues of all not only of Christians
lesse then Noble She had a vineyard out of Rome without S. Paules gate from whence she vsed ordinarily to bring fagots made of vine branches or of other wood which the place afforded vnto Rome on her head and there to distribute it amongst the poore and oftentimes she hath bene seene together with her Companion Vannosia begging in the Citty from doore to doore during a great famine for the reliefe of poore people Her patiēce is incredible in bearing as well the aduersities of the body as of the mind for when her husband for being engaged in the ciuill broyles of the Citty was banisht and his goods cōfiscated and her brother-in-law Paulinus sent likewise into a miserable exile and her sonne I hon Baptista taken forcibly away from her for hostage the spirit of this S. remained victorious and vndaunted as well in the losse of her childrne as of her husband friends She praysed God in the ruine of so rich honorable a family so neerly concerning her as that of her husbāds did in briefe in all the assaults and afflictiōs with which the diuell assayled her patience she got the victory put him to shame confusion and euer praysed God She did eate ordinarily but once a day and then very sparingly and for the most part fed vpon hearbes or rootes which she did eate only with salt She abstayned both from wine fish and neuer did eate flesh but in great necessity and then in very little quantity She alwayes eate without appetite for she had so lost and mortified her tast by her cōtinuall fasting and abstinēce that the most sweetest things seemed to her bitter and vnsauory When she was not with her husband she vsed to repose her body vpō a bed so straite as she mightmore properly be said to sit and leane then lye or rest thereon She vsed to sleepe in her clothes and that only but two houres in the night and yet contrary to the generall custome of Italy she neuer slept in the day She girded a sharpe hairecloth vnto her naked body with a great girdle made of horse haire that it might the more afflict her she disciplined herselfe ordinarily with a discipline of six cordes ech corde hauing a rowell at the end She vsed also a hoope of iron which she fastned so straitly vnto her skin that it became almost buried in the flesh which hoope the discipline her Ghostly Father commaunded to vse nomore and which together with her hairecloth are to be seene at this day in her Monastery She made her a cup of a dead mās Scull for to drinke that little water in which she vsed for the sustenance of nature both to diminish the little pleasure she might haue in drinking by the hortor of that spectacle as also to haue euer before her eyes the memory and image of death She had accustomed so often and so violently to beate her brest that it became hardned like brawne if it hapned that she offended neuer so little by any one part of her body vpon the same part would she presently and pittifully reuenge her selfe And if her tongue had offended she would byte it till the bloud followed and so in like manner on any other part or sense This Saint went customarily to confession euery Wedensday and Saturday and to Communion at the least once a weeke she visited often the Churches of S. Peter in the Vatican S. Paules out of the walles of the Citty our Blessed Ladies de Ara Caeli Sancta Maria Nuoua our Blessed Ladies on the other side of Tibur and Saint Cecilies where desiring one day to communicate the Priest not approuing that married women should cōmunicate so often gaue vnto her in place of the Blessed Sacramēt an vnconsecrated host by which S. Francis was deceaued of her expectation but not by his imposture for presently she feeling the want of those inteteriour comforts of her soule which she vsed to receaue by the presence of her spouse knew he was absent whereof with a great and sensible feeling of the losse she complained to Father Antony de Monte Sabellio at that time her Ghostly Father who thereupon examined the Priest and he confessed the crime and humbly begged pardon and secrecie of the offence This Saint being one day retired with her Holy Companion Vannosia to a hidden Oratory which she had made in her garden vnder the shadow of an Arbor being then the moneth of Aprill it pleased God to shew them both how gratfull their retiremēt as also their communication together which was about the withdrawing themselues wholy from the world was vnto him by his great bounty in causing that from the Arbor there dropped downe at their feete ripe peares both faire and excellēt although both out of seasō not the naturall fruite of that tree which they hauing tasted finding wonderfull pleasant and delectable bare the rest vnto their husbands therby to stirre vp in thē greater deuotion and confidence in God After the death of her husband she retired her selfe into a Monastery which she had so long and earnestly desired wherin she attained to a most high degree of perfection became a most perfect patterne of all sanctity of life holines In so much that after a while she was chosen Gouernesse of the whole house had many worthy disciples and Virgins vnder her whome she instructed with such sweetnes feruour of spirit hauing receaued a wonderfull new light learning from heauen that she was a mirrour to thē all She was very often rapt in extasie and had therin such sweet and sensible communication with her Lord and spouse Christ Iesus as was wonderfull of whome she learned infinite mysteries and became indued with so diuine and propheticall a spirit that God gaue vnto her the priuiledge of kowing the state of all such persons soules as came in her presence And thus this Blessed S. heaping vp daily more and more merit by her great Sanctity of life she fell into her last sicknes the yeare of our Lord 1440. who by diuine reuelation was admonished of the day and houre of her death Wherfore she making cōtinuall preparation therto without any great sicknes of body when the day came she heard masse and communicated and spent all the rest of the same day in spirituall communication with her sisters and disciples saying the houres of the Breuiary Euensong and Compline with them and when the night grew on she seemed to take her last leaue of them all and setting her selfe as it were in prayer being rapt into an extasy and talking with her spouse she pleasantly rendred her holy soule into the hands of her Creatour Whē it was knowne she was dead there was such a wonderfull cōcourse of people to doe honour to her holy body as was strange and the miracles that were wrought therat are sufficient to make a good volume by themselues Her body was carried to our blessed Ladies new Church
leaue he went to visite the holy places to salute his friends and other Princes there and to receiue the Popes benediction All which being dispatched vpon Saint Catherine the Virgin and martyrs day at the age of seauenteene yeares eight monethes and six dayes he entred into the Nouiciate of the Society of Iesus at S. Andrews in Rome with as great ioy and iubily of heart as if he had entred into a paradise of all delights and pleasures giuing immortall thankes to God for bringing him out of Aegypt into that Land of Promise flowing with milke and hony Heere now Lewis hauing passed thorough all kind of exorcises in Humility and Obedience with great admiration of all almost the space of a yeare was sent to Naples to recouer his health and to make an end of the course of Philosophy which he had begun at Milan But after halfe a yeare finding by experience that that place nor ayre agreede with his health he was called backe againe to Rome and sent vnto the Romane Colledge where he defended his Philosophy publikly with great applause and so proceeded to heare his higher courses of diuinity After he had liued now two yeares in the Society vpon Saint Catherines day being the day on which first he entred he also made the three vowes of Pouerty Chastity and Obedience as the custome is For albeit he had not spent all this time in the Nouiciate yet God by his holy grace did so supply in his soule the want of that time which the infirmity of his bodye tooke from him that wheresoeuer he liued all his life after he remayned still as it were a Nouice The next yeare vpon the eight abd twentith day of Ianuary he began to take Ecclesiasticall Orders and by the 26. of Frebruary he had receaued one after another vpon seuerall dayes all those which are called the Minores or inferiour Orders The yeare following he was sent to Castilion and Mantua to compose certaine contentions and debates betweene his Brother the Marques his Father being now deceased and the Duke of Mantua which if he had not by the great authority which for his sanctity he alwayes had amongst them taken vp and decided would haue cost much bloudshed on both sides The next yeare he withdrew himselfe with order from his Superiours to Milan where it pleased God to reueale vnto him that the houre of his death approached with which reuelation he returned ioyfully to Rome with his thoughts so fixed on heauen so dead to the world and to all worldly thinges that he appeared rather as one dead then liuing his only sight stirred vp deuotion in others and his very wordes incited his hearers to the loue of God In fine he was in the estimation of all aliuely patterne of all perfection In the yeare 1591. the Citty of Rome was sorely visited with a mortality by reason of the multitude of poore people that were inforced by a former famine to repaire thither for to begge their sustenance at which time the Generall and others of the Society inforcinge themselues to the ayde and succour of the poore besides the large almes that they daily procured for them they laboured the foundation of an Hospitall to relieue and cure the sicke which were in great number visited with sundry dangerous and infectious diseases where those of the Society attended them with great diligence and charity of which number Lewis by much importunity obtained of his Superiours to be one where he serued the sicke with wonderfull deuotion humility and charity exercising himselfe euer most willingly about those that were the most loathsome and dangerously infected In this imployment he together with many others of the Society got that infection wherof afterwards he died which he feeling and knowing that our Lord was pleased to doe him that fauour to deliuer him from the prison of his body and to take him to rest he reioyced exceedingly giuing God most humble and harty thanks for so great a benefit and the more for calling him in such an age and before he was Priest whereby he esteemed himselfe secure of rendring accompt either for the vnprofitable expence of many yeares or the abuse of so great a dignity He made a generall Confession and hauing receaued his Viaticum and Extreme Vnction he attended the houre of his death neuerthelesse it pleased our Lord that the seauenth day of his sicknesse the fury of it ceased and there remayned only a gentle feuer which held him three monthes in all which time he neuer willingly entertayned discourse of any thing but of heauen and heauenly thinges in so much that we may say as it were he had sent his hart before him He being by little and little sore weakened by the feuer it pleased our Lord to reueale vnto him the howre of his decease wherupon with great signes of ioy he said Te Deum laudamus and tould those that were about him that he should dye on the Octaue of the feast of the Blessed Sacrament notwithstanding on Corpus Christi day as also during the Octaue he seemed so well to recouer that on the Octaue day they said vnto him That he should rather thinke of his recouery then of his death that day since there appeared no danger at all To whome he quietly answered The day is not yet past I shall assuredly dye this night The euening being come the Prouinciall came to visit him who demaunded of him how he did Lewis answered I goe Father Whither said the Prouinciall To heauen answered Lewis I trust by the great mercy of God if my sinnes doe not hinder me Pope Gregory the fourteenth hearing that he was in the Agony of death sent vnto him his benediction with a plenary Indulgence of all his sinnes and drawing towards his end he desired earnestly to take a discipline or at least by reason of his owne weakenes that one might be giuen him vpon his backe which being denyed he humbly beseeched leaue of Father Prouinciall that he might dye vpon the ground so great was his feruour and desire of suffering euen then when his sicknesse had rendred him almost incapable of sufferinge In briefe after that he had taken leaue of the Fathers and Brothers of the Colledge with many teares he entred into long and sweet interiour Colloquies with our Lord kissing often a Crucifix which he held in his handes with his eyes sixed thereon and often calling vpon the holy name of Iesus he rendred his soule to rest on Thursday at night being the Octaue of the B. Sacrament the one twentith of Iune in the yeare of our Lord 1591. and in the three and twentith yeare of his age three monthes and eleauen daies after he had bene of the Society fiue yeares and almost seauen monthes He was interred in the Chutch of the Annuntiation in the Roman Colledge with so great concourse of people not only of those of the Society and Schollers but also from the Court and Citty of
Cardinalls VpoÌ„ the report of his death the whole Citty came flocking to kisse his hands feete and among others the Viceroy with all the Nobility and kings officers the Ecclesiasticall and Religious meÌ„ After dinner his body was carried into the Church with much adoe to passe through the presse of people it was laid vpon a hearse All the Religious Orders came to sing the office of the dead the Dominicans Mercedes Franciscans Augustines Trinitarians Minimes with their Superious and Prouincialls as also the whole Chapter of Chanons and all the Priests Pastours of the towne Incredible it is to one that did not see it what a multitude there was of those who came to touch his body with their beades or to get some little peece of his garment for Reliques of sicke folkes who came to touch him in so much that sixe of the Society and two Fathers of S. Dominicke who affoarded their helpe were not sufficient to reach the beades and meddalls wrapped in haÌ„dkerchiffes and throwne by the people that could not come neere to haue them touch his body The Office of the dead being said as the custome is there was made a short SermoÌ„ only to declare vnto the people some few particulars of his life during which time no man presumed to couer his head in presence of the holy Corps though the Church was as full as it could thrust all as deuout and silent as if there had beene no man there The next day being Friday he was most soleÌ„nely interred in the Church of the Society wherat the foresaid Viceroy Nobility Ecclesiasticall Regular were againe present as also the Lord Bishop who the day before was sicke and could not be present The Masse was song with Organs musicke and other significations of deuotion At the same instant that he was carried to be buried a yong man who by reasoÌ„ of a thin skinn couering his eyes caused a great dimnes was almost become blind came full of hope to the holy Brothers Hearse kneeling downe kissing his handes presently all the paine ceased and the little skinne which before couered the ball of his eyes falling away he receiued his sight most perfectly And to the end that some there present might open the eyes of their mindes shut with incredulity Blessed Alphonsus opened also his owne eyes which death had closed a thing no lesse admirable then profitable that might conceaue a great opinion of his holines whom almighty God did honour with so great miracles For a certaine Priest amongst the rest not being very well contented to see the Viceroy and all the Senate one after another to kisse the Blessed Brothers hands yet least he might giue offence by omitting that duety which all others did performe resolued with himselfe not to kisse the holy mans hands as others did but comming with the rest to kisse the crosse which he held in his hands therby intending to conceale his thoughts from the standers by which yet he could not doe from the dead man For as soone as he came neere to the astonishment of all the dead man opening his eyes cast them with a smiling countenance vpon the Priest stretching out his hand seemed to inuite him to kisse it The Priest astonished presently with great reuereÌ„ce kissed the same and departed thence and wholy became another maÌ„ The same day a child was healed of a rupture by the only touch of a peece of his cassock The same time also a sucking child was cured of a vehement ague wherof it lay desperate whose throat being stopped with a great swelling in the iawes it had not sucked for 4. dayes therfore a certaine gentlewoman hauing confidence of supernaturall helpe encouraged the parents of the child and applying an handkerchiffe wherwith she had touched the holy mans body recouered the child presently that there remained not so much as any signe of infirmity Two dayes after Blessed Alphonsus his death there came a woman afflicted with many grieuous infirmities and diseases and among the rest with a dangerous bloudy fluxe in so much that there being no hope of her life a Father was called to assist her at her death Before the Father came she was past sense hauing turned vp the white of her eyes ready to giue vp the ghost when on the suddaine a peace of B. Alphonsus his cassocke being applyed by the Father she cried out that she was cured Her fluxe ceased the ague weÌ„t away in so much that one might doubt whether was first the Reliques applied or she healed As sonne as she was come to her selfe she made her Confession to the Father with the same ioy of mind wherwith she had receaued her corporall health Being thus restored to the health both of body and minde she liued after with much deuotion towards him by whose meanes she receyued it Some 4. daies after his funeralls another womaÌ„ being desperatly sicke of an ague which came euery day vpon her with a great head-ach made recourse to God sending her little Sonne of 7. yeares old to say his beades at B. Alphonsus his Tombe and to touch the Tombe therewith the child did so returning home his mother tooke the beades touching her head put theÌ„ about her necke the paine presently ceased God Almighty recompencing the childes prayer the mothers deuotion and confidence with restoring her health and by and by she falling a sleepe saw B. Alphonsus compassed with a great light who for the accomplishment of the benefit restored also her strength so as she presently rising out of her bed as well as stronge as euer before began with all her forces to singe his prayses by whose intercession she had obtayned that benefit Another womaÌ„ hauing a sore breast extremly swolne and hardened for the space of two monethes had in vaine tried all humane remedies who being wonderfully encouraged by the example of others began to haue hope in Alphonsus and laid a peece of his cloacke to her brest saying a Pater noster which before she had ended the swelling began to be asswaged the corruption to breake forth in such abouÌ„dance that she begaÌ„ to feare least all her breast being inwardly putrified would fall away which feare increased the miracle and the miracle the ioy For two dayes after both the holes of the vlcer were so growne vp that there remayned not so much as any marke therof out of the same briest hauing two dayes before come such aboundance of corruption now the third day there came forth milke as good and pure as euer before by which miracle the mother was preserued from death and her yong suckinge child from staruing These miracles recouÌ„ted are testified by the disposition of sworne witnesses Many other things be daily related which shall after be publshed for God seemeth to haue set vp this holy Brother as a light to the world who also 〈…〉 the same before by his veâ—tues The generall deuotion of the people doth witnes it sufficieÌ„tly who from morning to night neuer cease comming some offering caÌ„dles others making vowes and the like in so much that he seemeth to liue in his sepulcher such are the wonders he worketh A man may ghâ—sse of what saÌ„ctity he was in his life which being dead causeth such deuotioÌ„ in the people that resort vnto him and he recoÌ„peÌ„seth their reares by graÌ„ting their desires That you may expect many the like things hereafter I will briefly recount one worthy of a large relatioÌ„ Some dayes before his death as he lay in his bed thinking on the heaueÌ„ly felicity which was prepared for him from all eternity he began to taste of those delights so much the more purely and aboundaÌ„tly as being abstracted from sensible things he drew neerer to Almighty God who represented vnto his mind the kingdome of Maiorea as he did the whole world to S. Benet in a beame of light adding these words Doest thou see this kingdome I haue resolued to make tâ—ee famous in â—â— by Working of many miracles by meanes of thy prayers And we already hoping of this promise I conclude wishing that whosoeuer hath beene stirred vp to admiration by these may likewise be stirred vp to deuotioÌ„ to this Holy maÌ„ that as the better part of him doth liue immortally in heauen he may also in some sort liue still immortally with vs on earth For the Diuine Goodnesse hath seemed to determine with itselfe so to recoÌ„pence the Deuotion of Holy Alphonsus Rodriquez that as in his life he made him a patterne of Religious perfectioÌ„ for the example of others so now being dead for the glory of himselfe his Saints he maketh him woÌ„derfull to the world causing many to haue confideÌ„ce in his patronage that being departed hence he may not haue lesse Honour by this coÌ„fidence in his sanctity then whiles he remayned heere aliue he had gayned by the opinion of the same His body lyeth buried at Maiorca in the Church of the Fathers of the Society in the same Iland the which is so honoured by all the InhabitaÌ„ts therof that it is wonderfull to see and the dayly and certaine miracles wrought therat are already sufficient to make a whole volume His memory is very famous all ouer Europe and his Picture is exposed to be publikely reuerenced with licence of the Popes Holines in many Churches and Oratories therby to put vs in remembrance of that saying of the Holy Prophet Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis God is wonderfull in his Saints To whose prayers and merits let all good Christians commend themselues Amen Laâ—s Deo FINIS APPROBATIO HORVM SanctoruÌ„ Vitae ex alijs linguis in Anglicam à D. Eduardo Kinesman versae tutò cum fructu edi possunt Audomarop 27. Maij M. DC XXIII Ioan. Floydus Soc. Iesu Theologus
passing by a Church he went in to heare Masse as his vsuall custome was which when he had done he hasted on towards the Mill and mett on the way others of the same village that went also thither with wheate in like manner As they went talking and discoursing they saw a great weather beaten tree growing in the way on the bowes whereof sate white Piggeons so thicke as they seemed euen to couer the whole tree being flocked together and almost starued for want of foode that hard season the ground being euery where couered with snow yce Saint Isidore when he drew neere vnto the tree cryed out with a loud voice and said O Earth the Mother of all liuing creatures why doest thou at this time deny food vnto these thy innocent Creatures And then hee set downe his sacke of wheat and putting away the snow with his feete vncouered a great broad place of the ground and taking Corne out of the sacke hee strawed it there for the Piggeons who all presently came from the tree and before they would eate thereof did come to Saint Isidores feete and with their beckes touched and pricked them and his legges in signe of reuerence to his sanctitie and hauing so done did feed themselues on the Corne. One of his Company that all this while stoode by and looked on began to murmure against him for so destroying and casting away his maisters wheate but the rest were silent and stoode amazed at the thing Then taking vp his sacke which was well emptied by his liberality to Gods creatures he came to the Mill and put what was left to grinding where the flower thereof did so multiplie betweene the Milstones that he had his sacke as full of excellent meale and more in measure also as if he had not diminished any one graine of the corne So as the miracle was manifest to al that knew what had passed Another time when at night his worke was ended going homeward from the field he went into a Church to pray so as it being late before he came home supper was ended and the other workemen had eaten vp al the meate saue only a little morsell of flesh pottage which they had reserued for him Hee tooke the same very contentedly and carrying it to the dore he there began to distribute it amongst a great number of poore people and pilgrims that passed by and behould the said meate did so multiply in his hands in the distribution thereof that he serued a great multitude therewith before he ended and euery one went away content satisfied It so fell out at another time vpon a very hoate day in sommer that his maister or Land-Lord comming into the field where he was at worke and being much parched with heare demamded if there were no water neere whereby to quench his thirst Saint Isidore said there was a litle spring not far off and shewed him the place The man went speedily to quench his thirst but finding neither spring nor anie signe of water at all returned in great anger and thought Saint Isidore had mocked him Wherevpon the Saint said Come with me againe to the place and I will shew it you They went and when they came thither there was no signe of any water but Saint Isidore pricking the earth with a little goade he had in his hand there presently sprung vp a very cleere and excellent fountaine of water which being taken by sicke persons infinit number are daily cured of all kind of diseases And this miraculous fountaine is yet euen seene in the fields not far from the Cittie of Madrid and is visited with great concourse of people daily both from farre and neere The diuell enuying the sanctity and simplicity of this holy man began to deuise many plots and engines wherwith to entrappe him in his snares And therfore he incited some of his neighbours to accuse his wife vnto him of lightnes and to be lesse chast then she ought Which when Saint Isidore had oftentimes heard iterated in his cares he was much afflicted and troubled in mind for that the rumor therof began now to be spread abroad amonghst his friends to his great disgrace as they pretented and he beleeued His wife whose name was Marie being also a verie vertuous Godly woman vnderstanding thereof and seeing her louing Husband perplexed and troubled therewith said vnto him Deare Husband I vnderstand and see also by your countenance that you are much troubled with suspition of my Chastity but be assured thereof there is no such thing and that it is a meere Calumniation of both our honour In testimonie and confirmation whereof I am euen now ready to passe ouer this Riuer which was hard by vpon the water trusting wholy in the confidence of Gods mercy to cleere my selfe of this lewd imputation And thereupon she presently tooke her mantle and going to the great Riuer of Xamara spread the same vpon the water and sate downe vpon it and passed ouer without any hurt or danger This being done in presence of her Husband and of many people shee was fully cleered of all suspition and the thing accounted for a manifest miracle S. Isidore being much comforted in soule by the foresaid miracle did very much honour his wife alwayes after for her vertue till her dying day which full of holynes followed some few yeares after and he left alone who continually bestowed his time and followed the manner of life he was accustomed vnto before but yet neuer omitted his hearing of Masse euery day before he would take any worke in hand nor his other deuotions at diuers times in the day as his vsuall manner was He often also repayred to an Hermitage neere to Madrid and spent many whole dayes and nights in pious discoursing with the Hermite who was a Monke and a very holy man and famous also for the gift of Prophesy of whom Saint Isidore learned many thinges touching piety and deuotion and was therby wonderfully illuminated also in many misteries of our Holy Faith especially touching our B. Lady to whome he was alwayes most deuout saying his beades many times a day in her honour The holy Monke also instructed him and taught him many other diuine thinges whereby S. Isidore was greatly inflamed with desire of that kind of life but yet he was alwayes still resigned to the will of God By the Hermites counsell also he entred into the Confraternity of the Rosarie of our Blessed Lady with great deuotion and exact obseruance of all â—ules and Constitutions of the said Confraternity and to the great edification of all his fellowes And there was a custome in that Confraternity that on certaine dayes a distribution of bread and wine was made amongst the Sodales therof and a certaine part assigned to each one which he had for his owne vse Alwayes at these distributions Saint Isidore gaue awaie his part to the poore And on a time it happend that his part assigned by the
Confraternity arriued to a good quantity sufficient for the reliefe almost of twenty persons Wherevpon he taking the bread and wine home to his house inuited all the poore people round about who flocked thither in great numbers to whom he began to distribute the same with his owne hands and it multiplied so much that it sufficed three hundred persons all being satisfied and praysing God for the great liberality bestowed vpon them and acknowledging the miracle Other Miracles which hee wrought in his life time are innumerable and would fill a great volume to recount them al. But those which haue happened since his death at his holy Body by his intercession to God are sat more in number some few only whereof according to the breuity this place requireth shal be recounted afterwards when we haue said a word or two of his death which happened as followeth In the yeare of our Lord 1170. which was the last of his life whem by diuine Reuelation hee knewe that his death drew neare hee intreated to haue the B. Sacrament brought vnto him which hee receaued with great Reuerence and Deuotion and after made a long and most deuour speech to those of his househould and neighbours present exhorting them to liue Christian-like and in the feare of God and obseruations of his holy Commandements And so with a most sweete and amiable Countenance rich in merites and famous for miracles he quietly and most happely gaue vp his soule to God When the bruite of his happy death was spread abroad the people of Madrid came to see and to touch his holy body whom many held for a Saint for the miracles which they had heard him to haue done but especially those of the villages neere about and of the poorer sort of people that were better acquainted with the manner of his life and had seene and bene present at many miracles which he had wrought Not-with-standing because he was exteriourlie poore his body was buryed in the Churchyearde in an ordinary Graue among all other people where it remained for the speace of 40. yeares of whom all this while little or nothing more was spoken of except it were amongst the meaner sort of people of the adioyning Villages who had byne best acquainted with him when he liued But our Lord who would haue this his Saint honored as well in earth as in heauen at the ende of fourtie yeares reuealed his intention to a pious and venerable Matron of Madrid who had all this time bene very deuour vnto Saint Isidore for the miraculous things she had heard recounted of him by the fornamed Iohn de Vargas wherfore to satisfie her deuotion she dealt seriously with the Pastour of the Village to haue his body translated into the Church and layed in some decent place therof promising to defray all the charges there about The Pastour being a vertuens man and hauing heard much talke of the miracles which he did when he liued made further inquirie thereof and found that hee was in deede a very holy and innocent man and that the Fountaine which was close by the village and very profitable and commodious for all the people for the excellent water there of was mireculously raised out of the ground by his merites he dealt with the Bishop expounded vnto him the Matrons pious request and hauing obtained his licence appointed a certaine day for the remouall of the said body into the Church In the meane time there was a little Vault propared humble and decent at the cost of the foresaid deuout Matron where his body was appoynted to be layde And when the day appointed came the people there about resorted to the solemnitie according as the Pastour had informed and inuited them All being ready the Pastour with the rest of the Clergy of the Church came in manner of procession to the Churchyard and opening the Graue where his body lay they found it whole and vncorrupt and as fresh and faire as if he had byne dead but the day before it being fourtie years complete after his decease and from the same there proceeded so sweet and fragrant a smell that it rauished all that were present The graue was no sooner opened but all the bels of the steeple began to ring in excellent tune and order of themselues and so continued during the Ceremony and vntill he was translated into the Church and laid in his new Sepulcher to the astonishment of all that heard them at which time also were healed many persons of many sorts of diseases After his body was thus decently laid in the Church very many began to do great reuerence therto and it pleased God to witnesse of what great merit esteeme he would haue this his seruant to be by the many and wonderfull miracles daily wrought at the same by his intercession of some whereof we shall speake a word And first to begin with a continuall miracle which remayneth euen vnto this day the water of the fountaine which he miraculously raised out of the ground hath cured infinite people of all sicknesses and infirmities and is had in very great esteeme by all the inhabitants both of the Citty and Country roūd about where you shall scarcely find a house who hath not some of the said water continually preserued in vialls of glasse or botles ready for all infirmities or suddaine sicknesse that may happen especially agues or blew spots And when oftentimes there happeneth the sicknes of the plague the people find none so presēt or assured remedy as the water of the said fountaine Another miracle that hath very often bene seene testified by thousands of all sorts of people is that the Lampe which hangeth before his sepulcher hath bene oftentimes lighted from heauē without putting any fire therto by the industry of man Nay which is more when there hath wanted oyle in the lampe and the same filled with water the weeke hath burned as cleere and as bright as with oyle Which some curious persons haue desired to proue and they themselues both by putting in water and lightning the weeke because they would not belieue the same without their owne experience The women of Spaine haue a very peculiar deuotion to S. Isidore when they are great with child in labour of Childbyrth because very many haue bene safely deliuered by his intercession and by commending thēselues vnto him in the extremity of their labour at such times as there hath bene little hope of life Those also who be troubled with the Gout haue great deuotion vnto him for that many haue bene holpē being in great extremity and cured of that infirmity by his merits and prayers Vpon a time there was a man who desired to get a relique of the holy Saint whether for himselfe or for another is not certainly knowne This man watching his opportunity and hiding himselfe in the Church till all were gone thence the dores being locked came to the Tombe and making shift to open a
at what time the same was extended almost throughout the whole world For he left established twelue Prouinces to wit that of Portugall of Castile of Aragon of Andaluzia of all Italy which comprehendeth Lombardy Toscan of Naples of Sicily of Germany of Franders of France of Brasile and of the East Indies and in these Prouinces there were at that time about an hundred Colledges or Houses of the Society His body was buried first in a low and humble Tombe at the right band of the high Altar in his owne little Church of our Blessed Lady at Rome and afterward in the yeare 1587. it was translated solemnely to the new and sumptuous Church of the Casa Prosessa which Cardinall Alexander Farnesius had newly erected there placed in a Vault at the Right hand of the high Altar where it is yet reuerenced with concourse of people frō all parts of the world as well for his admirable life and sanctity as for the innumerable miracles that haue bene and are daily wrought there at by his intercession some wherof we shall relate at the end of this narration after we haue briefly laid downe his vertues which follow in this manner and first of his Faith Such was the excellency of Faith which the Holy Ghost by meanes of his perusing the a foresaid bookes before his Conuersion began to plat in the hart of Ignatius that reading the wonderfull things which God had wrought with his Saintes and belieuing that he would deale in like māner with him if he should follow their steps he therfore without any more adoe leauing all followed only our Sauiour Iesus Christ This same Faith made him so meekely and patiently endure so many labours and ouercome so many difficulties in bringing to passe whatsoeuer he had once vndertakē for the glory of God and saluation of soules This confirmed him so strongly in his poore and laborious course of life not only by perpetuall perseuerance notwithstanding many great impediments but also by a formall institution of the same established with solemne vowes Finally hence arose that wonderfull care and diligence in procuring the conuersion of Heretikes Schismatikes Moores Iewes Insidells in preaching the Ghospell to the Indians Barbarians and other natiōs by meanes of S. Xauerius and other of his Society and in alwayes teaching and holding the most sound and Catholike Doctrine as a true scholler of the Angelicall Doctour S. Thomas neuer giuing care to any new fangled opinions especially about the sacred mysteries of our Faith which he so firmely belieued that he was wont to say That although there were no Scriptures for his warrant yet was he ready with all his hart to suffer death in defence of the same faith for so much only as God had imparted and reuealed vnto him while he was at Manresa First out of this so well grounded root of Faith sprung vp that his most singular Hope wherof his true contempt of all worldly things his austere pennance his rare confidence so little in himselfe and so much in Almighty God his wonderfull courage in strong and hard enterprises for the glory of God the delight and pleasure he tooke in the paines reproaches and persecutions which he suffered for Christ and to be short his most sweet and continuall meditation of death are more then sufficient testimonies Secondly his Charity towards his Neighbours was such that besides his daily seruing of the poore and sicke in Hospitalls and not only curinge their bodies but with most profound humility euen licking their botches and sores he also euery day went a begging frō doore to doore bestowing the best part of the Almes he got vpon the poore of the Hospitalls and prisons of the Citty where he liued contenting himselfe with the refuse and worst part of all Extraordinary was the care he had to instruct children and ignorant people in Christian doctrine And the zeale wherwith he was carried away in procuring the saluation of soules could not be conteyned within the bounds of one Kingdome but extended it selfe euen vnto Hierusalem whither after one pilgrimage he vowed another both for himselfe the rest of his Society For his Neighbours sake he composed the Booke of Spirituall Exercises which is one of the best that hath bene written in that kinde for them he exceedingly furthered and increased the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament in his owne Countrey For them he was not a bashed at the age of thirty yeares to go to schoole amongst litle boyes To conclude for them after he had ended his studies at Paris together with a few more that had entred there into his Society he went to Rome where for them he offered all his indeauours and seruice to the Pope for thē he instituted the Order it selfe of the Society propagating and multiplying the same with Missiōs Colledges Churches Schooles and Vniuersities of all kind of sciēces with other pious workes besides in particular the German Colledge the Hospitalls of the Orphans and Cathecumens the monasteries of S. Martha and S. Katherine in Rome throughout all the world euery where by the exhortation administration of his subiects teaching the people to frequent the Sacrament of Pennance and holy Communion Masse Sermons and other holy Exercises And what wonder in him who euen in the beginning of his cōuersion after he had bene grieuously beaten and almost brought to the point of death at Barcelona for procuring the saluation of his neighbours did not only not complaine therof but gaue God thankes for it forgiuing and to fulfill our Lords commandement praying for his persecutours In so much that after he had recouered his health he was not afraid to returne to his former workes of Charity and to hazard his very life for his brethren notwithstanding all his friends dissuading him from it to whom he alwayes gaue this answere Quid mihi optabiliue quà m more pro Christe salute proximi mei What can I wish for that would be more gratefull and welcome to me then to die for Christ and the saluation of my neighbour Thirdly if wee consider how Ignatius did all that hath bene touched aboue meerly for the loue of God how carefull he was euer from his first conuersion to keepe his hart pure and cleane from all touch of mortall sinne either in word or deed how strictly and often euery day he examined his conscience least he should haue any thing in it that might displease God were it but the least veniall negligence in his daily meditation how he had withdrawne all his affection from all things that were not good and fixed his whole hart vpon God how he daily vsed to meditate vpon heauenly things eftsoones stirring vp himselfe to the loue of God by a certaine Iaculatory prayer in his booke of Exercises which beginneth Suscipe Domine vniuersam libertatem meam c. How he leuelled all his thoughts words and deedes to the honour and glory of God in so much as he had alwaies in his
he had done pennance But besides these God Almighty by intercession of this Saint both before and after his happy death wrought many miracles which are to be seene more at large in the Relation out of which this summe is taken and in other histories of his life I will heere only rehearse some few of them for our better instruction and further declaration of his sanctity And first his great charity zeale in procuring the saluation of soules was miraculously confirmed in that when a certaine man whose name was Lissanus for being cast in a suite of law and hanged himselfe and was by all mens iudgment stone dead he by his prayers obtayned of God Almighty so much time for him to line againe that might serue his turne to be sorry for his sinnes and to confeâ—â—e them to a Priest and receaue Absolution Secondly to increase our deuotion to holy Reliques that may suffice which happened to Bartholomew Contesti a Chirurgeon and Cittizen of Maiorca who was so tormented with a continual headach that for vehemency of the paine he was diuerse times forced to fal dowen to the very ground And besides this he had so grieuous a disease in one of his eyes that being vnable to behold the least glimpse of light he was fayne to be shut vp in a darke chamber eating no meat but what others put into his mouth As many and sundry medicines were applied as could be deuised but all in vaine for his disease still waxed worse and worse In so much that Bartholomew out of the intollerable paine he felt was not afraid to protest if a certaine Chirurgeon whose name was Pastor were aliue that he would cause him to placke out his eye by the very roote But as he lay now in this pittifull estate hearing by good chaunce of the manifold miracles that were euery where wrought by the intercession of S. Ignatius with great deuotion and hope of recouery by this meanes he desired that they would bring him one of his subscriptions or writings of his owne hand which was no sooner brought vnto him but he found himselfe well without all paine either of head or eyes rising out of his bed and beholding the light of the sunne with great ease and pleasure And that he might be the better assured that this so sudaine a cure was to be attributed to the diuine power and to the intercession of this seruant of God S. Ignatius for two or three seuerall times the Relique was no soner taken away out of his chamber but his former paine returned vnto him and the same Relique was no sooner brought backe againe into the chamber but his paine left him So that Bartholomew was aduised to keepe the Relique alwayes about him thus within three or foure dayes he came to be so perfectly well as if he had neuer bene sicke In Rome a Lady called Drusilla Tursellina being very much vexed with a vehement seuer and with the head-ach hauing vsed many remedies and bene let blood in her armes nostrills and head without profit her sicknes rather increasing euery day was presently healed by a relique of one of the Blessed Fathers bones laid vpon her forehead Another woman named Olimpia Norina had such a vehemeÌ„t paine in her eyes that she came to loose her sight for the space of three moneths had such a coÌ„tinuall ague paine in her head that she could notrest They brought her a subscription of the Blessed Fathers hand at the time that her paine was at the greatest laying it vpon her forehead and eyes she began to see and was ryd of her ague and paine In the same Citty in the yeare 1597. a noble mans child of seauen yeares old called Hierome Gabriell being sick of a pestilent seuer called a Taberdillo and of a plurisy hauing also the wormes so that there was little hope of his life was healed with the same subscription of the Blessed Father In the yeare 1599. the Lady Ioane Vrsina being but a child daughter to Cornelia Vrsina Duchesse of Cesi had so great a cough that she could scarcely breath or suck The Dutches her mother commeÌ„ded her very earnestly and deuoutly to blessed Father Ignatius and beseeched him to obtaine the health of her daughter wherevpon the child hauing bene a night and a halfe without rest presently fell a sleepe and her cough ceased she began to sucke her Nurses breast For which cause the Dutches commaunded a Tablet to be set on the Fathers graue in remembrance of the fauour she had receiued In the same yeare 1599. Angella Ruggiera was troubled with an extraordinary noise in her head for almost a yeare and lost the hearing of her right eare wherto applying a relique of the Blessed Father and making a vow to fast with bread and water the day of his departure and to communicate the day following recouered perfect health and remayned free from that infirmity In the Citty of Naples in the moneth of Iune of the yeare 1599 Donna of Aragon Princesse of Beltran Dutchesse of Terra-noua had a great payne and swelling in her right breast and finding no remedy amongst many which were applied in the space of foure moneths omitting them all as vnprofitable and laying vpon her breast with much deuotion the picture of the Blessed Father she became well the same day and comming to Rome the last Holy yeare of 1600. commaunded a tablet of siluer with foure great waxe Tapers to be set vpon the Blessed Fathers tombe on Easter day in thanksgiuing In the Citty of Nola the yeare 1599. in the moneth of NoueÌ„ber a knight named Francis Blasius being much vexed with a pestilent ague and with a grieuous paine in his head and stomack so that in the iudgement of the Phisitians he was in danger of his life his mother Zenobia Tolphia exhorted him to lay a relique of the bone of Blessed Father Ignatius to his head and to commend himselfe vnto him desiring his fauour He did so and remayned free froÌ„ all his paines and his whole sicknes In the Citty of Lecha which is in the Prouince of Apulia in the Kingdome of Naples a child of three yeares old sonne to the BaroÌ„ of Belli-boni fell from his Nurses armes vpon the ground and did notably hurt his right knee which grew euery day worse because the Nurse for feare concealed the fall and it went so far that it was necessary to open the childs knee oftener then once this helped not wherfore coÌ„ming to cut it the third time the Father fearing his Sonnes death whome he did see consumed with the wound and with the ague which followed thervpon went to the Colledge of the Society and there they gaue him a Relique of the Blessed Fathers bone which he laid vpon the child before they opened his knee the third time and wheÌ„ the Surgeons came to doe it they found him much better and within a few dayes altogether well I will conclude with one more
feruently prayed vnto God for the health of the poore man who was presently deliuered and freed wholy from all his infirmities Againe at another time also as Xauerius sayled from Ambionum a Citty in the Ilands of Moluca vnto the Iland of Baranula there arose vpon the suddaine a cruell Tempest for the deasing wherof he tooke froÌ„ his neck a little Crucifixe about a fingars length and held it in his hand in the water for a good space praying vnto our Lord for the ceasing of the tempest The ship beinge tossed to and fro with the waues by chance he let it fall from him into the sea for which he was very pensiue shewed great signes of sorrow The day following they all ariued safe at the for said Iland whither they were to sayle where Xauerius going a land with his Companion a long the sea shore towards the towne of Tamalum behould a great sea-Crabbe leapt from out the sea to land carring the said Crucifix vpright and on high betweene her Finnes and made hast to Xauerius who seing the wonder fell downe on his knees and reuerently tooke the Crucifix from her and then prosently without more adoe the fish returned into the sea Xauerius hauing receaued the Crucifix kissed the same deuoutly and with his armes a crosse for halfe an houre lay prostrate vpon the ground in prayer with his CompanioÌ„ giuing God thanks for so wonderfull a miracle Many more and strange were the miracles which God wrought by Xauerius his intercession in his life time as when with the signe of the crosse he turned the salt water of the sea into sweet when he cured the blinde raised three bodies froÌ„ death to life wherof one had laine a whole day buried in his graue and the like as may be seene at large in the said Relation All which together with his excellent vertues aboue touched did so fill the most wide large Prouinces both of East and West with the great fame of his admirable sanctity that euen while he was yet aliue he was called by no other name but Saint both by Christians and Infidells all euer calling vpoÌ„ him though he were absent in all their dangers and afflictions As soone as he was dead his body was put into a coffin full of pure lime and so buried vnder ground that the flesh being consumed his bones might the sooner be carried into the Indies But foure monethes after they found both his cloathes and his body as fresh and free froÌ„ all corruption as if they had bene then newly put into the coffin and yielding more ouer a most sweet and comfortable smell vnto all that were present Wherfore putting it againe into the same Coffin with fresh lime they brought it vnto Malaca at the very first entrance whereof into the Citty a great plague which Xauerius had foretold and had long afflicted the same wholy ceased and there likewise finding it yet entire and sweet they made a new coffin and by thrusting in the body for they made it too little bloud issued out of his shoulders and so they buried him only with earth in a Church of our B. Ladie where also nine monethes after his death being found as before and with the veyle that couered his face all imbrued in fresh bloud they made him a rich and sumptuous Coffin wherin being carried into the Indies he was solemnely receiued in the Citty of Goa with great PoÌ„pe both of the Viceroy him selfe and of all the Clergy people who flocked thither from all parts to see and reuerence his sacred body which after many â—â—ialls found still to remayne vncorrupted and that without balme or an yother pretious ointments was placed at last in a sepulcher made of purpose at the right side of the high altar in the church of the Society in the same Citty Vnto which as also vnto other Churches in which his Images are set vp to be piously reuerenced all as well heathens as Christians doe make great pilgrimages obtayning therfore of God no small fauours by his intercession For by this meanes the blind recouer sight the leprosy and other diseases are cured the dead raised to life and many other such like wonders wrought Nay which is more and very wonderfull there was a woman called Lucy de Villanzan who being an hundred and twenty yeares of age and had bene baptized by Xauerius after his death got a Meddall made at Coccinum wheron was engrauen his picture for the great deuotion she had towards the said Blessed Father for twelue yeares together she vsed to touch sicke and diseased people therwith with as also diuers kinds of vlcers cankers and other sores washing theÌ„ in the water wherin she did put the said meddall with great reuerence and humility making the signe of the Crosse vpon them and saying In the name of Iesus and of Father Francis Xauerius be thy health restored to thee c. they were presently cured and many other meruailous things were done by the vertue of the said meddall sincere faith and deuotion of that Christian woman So great is the respect which the very Infidells themselues beare to Xauerius that although they haue destroyed a dozen Churches within the Coast of Trauancor neere to the PromoÌ„tary of Comorinum yet they would neuer touch or once meddle with the Church of Cottara staÌ„ding amongst the rest which for hauing in it the Image of Xauerius they greatly honour calling it the Church of the great Father And so amongst other wonderfull workes of God in confirmation of the Christian Faith and sanctity of Xauerius the very lampes that hang before his Image hauing nothing else but holy water in them haue bene seene to burne for many houres together as if there had bene oyle and that with great admiration and wonder of many Turkes and Infidells wherof some especially such as the Christians did now and then inuite to see the miracle to the intent that they might make a full triall of the truth diuers times changed the water and put new matches or weekes in the said lampes which neuerthelesse did burne as before sometimes euen take fire and kindle of themselues Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis O how wonderfull is God in his Saints THE LIFE OF S. PHILIP Nerius of FloreÌ„ce Founder of the CoÌ„gregation of The Oratory wittten in Latin by Antony Gallonius Priest of the same Congregation and translated into English SAINT Philip Nerius was borne in Florence a famous and principall Citty of Italy the 23. of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord 1515. Whose parents were Francis Nerius Lucretia Soldi Cittizens of Florence When he was but fiue yeares old he was so obedient vnto his father and mother that whatsoeuer they commaunded him to doe or not to doe he most diligently and carefully obserued It happened that on a time a seruaÌ„t of his Fathers brought froÌ„ his Farme which he had in the Countrey an Asse loaden with apples which
high point or mistery of faith himselfe in his Sermons or when in other Exercise of the Oratory he was asked by any he did explicate the same so cleerely and perspicuously as any learned Diuine could haue done in the scooles to the admiration and wonder of the two learned Fathers that were set to marke and obserue him so as his aduersaries inuentions vanished into the ayre Another time he was called before the Gouernour of Rome who is alwayes ordinarily an Ecclesiasticall man accused of making a tumult and vprore in the Citty for that at a shrouetyde he had gathered together a great number of pilgrims and others of the poorer sort and some also of good fashion and by his good exhortation and counsell had persuaded thē to visit the seauen Churches on Shroue twesday at what tyme ordinarily there are more disorders committed in the Citty then at others and he himselfe going before them and they following two two in a ranke went singing one while the letanies another while hymnes psalmes and other deuotions to the great profit of their owne sowles and edification of the behoulders When the Gouernour had heard the complaints generall and beleeued his aduersaries that their accusations were true he presently sent for the Father and sharply reprehended him for his gathering together of people in that tumultuous māner as he was accused to haue done threatning to send him to prison if he did not desist S. Philip did not goe about to excuse himselfe but answered humbly and lowly that he was ready as well to proceed in the worke he had begun as to desist from the same if Superiours did commaund and that he neither sought or aymed at any thing then the glory of God and good of soules At which meeke answere the Gouernour was yet so angry that he commaunded him to appeare before him as often as he should be called that he should not heare any ones Confession for fifteene days space that he should preach no more at all without expresse leaue graunted him a new and lastly after many cōtumelious words thrust him out of dores All these things S. Philip bare very patiently and with so constant and merry a countenance that he was not perceaued to be at all moued therwith In the meane while now that his aduersaries triumphing had thought to haue so preuayled against him he incessantly prayed vnto God for ayde and not in vaine For within the prescribed time the Gouernour hauing made more enquiry of the man and of his manner of life and reflecting vpon the humble answere he had made him to wit That he was ready either to prosecute the worke he had begon or to leaue it when Superiours should please found that he was iniured and brought into these suspitiōs of meere hatred and calumniation Wherfore he sent for the holy Father and gaue him free leaue to liue as he pleased to heare Confessions teach preach as before with signes of sorrow that he had bene abused And for that some others who were also of high authority were aduerse to S. Philip in this busines and would not haue had him to be so quit they died soddenly before the foresaid fifteene dayes were expired After that the holy man had suffered these and many such other brunts of calumniation and emnity and had alwayes gotten the victory by his patience modest behauiour he setled himselfe seriously to erect and found a house of his owne which he did at our B. Ladies in Vallicella in the yeare of our Lord 1576. and adioyned thereunto a very faire Church dedicated to our B. Lady and S. Gregory In the building of which Church whē some neighbours thereabout did lesse fauour the enterprize and did seeke to hinder the worke of God they were takē out of this world by his iust Iudgmēt And which is much to be admired the holy Father whē he began to lay the foundations of that Church did not know where to haue one penny of money towards the building therof but trusted wholy to the liberall hād of God and his hope was not in vaine for there were so great and abundant Almes daily bestowed vpon the worke that the same was finished in a very goodly manner within two yeares and in that space were giuen in Almes for that purpose aboue seauenty thousand Crownes besides other particular great sommes of money giuen by Princes and Senatours to the same end This House and Church being thus built and established and the Order of Congregation of Oratory approued by the Pope S. Philip now begā to entertaine a number of very noble learned Disciples whom he instructed in all kind of vertue exemplar discipline And in the yeate 1587. he was declared Generall of the Order in which dignity he continued vntill the yeare 1593. when he resigned the same withall humility As soone as he was made Generall he wrote certaine Constitutions which he prescribed to be obserued of all that should addict themselues vnto his Order but yet without binding any by vow but voluntarily as is yet obserued therin After this he grew to be sickely so continued for 2. or 3. yeares vntil his dying day yet neuerthelesse he left not off any worke of piety which he was accustomed to doe as well in visiting the sicke as otherwise and in this time he wrought many miracles in the Citty to the great astonishmēt and admiration of all Rome And amongst others hearing that Pope Clement the VIII in Easter Holy-dayes was sore troubled with the goute in his hand he went vnto him to visit him and comming into his chamber he began to imbrace the Pope according as his custome was through ancient familiarity Hold good Father said his Holines and come no neerer me I pray you for my hand is much pained Feare nothing said S. Philip and there vpon taking him fast by the sore hand and kissing it presently the paine ceased and was wholy driuen away This happened in the yeare 1695. The same yeare and a few dayes after to wit in the month of Aprill the holy Father fell very sicke and vpon the 12. day of May he was so surprized on the suddaine by a vehement vomiting of bloud which then oppressed him that it was greatly feared he would be suffocated wherfore he was presently annoyled by Cesar Baronius in the presence of Frederike Borromeus the Cardinall who at that time was come to visit him A litle after that he had receaued this Sacrament he begā to be better opened his eyes and his senses to returne againe Then the Cardinall asked him if he would not receaue his Viaticum wherto when he had yielded the Cardinall in his owne person went to the Church and fetched the same As soone as Borromeus was entred into his Chāber with the Blessed Sacrament the holy Father all bedewed with teares burst forth in to these wordes Behold my loue Behold my loue this is he wherin I delight who only is deare
vpon his back some of the other lesser shot pierced his garments euen to his flesh and others went thorough a table of an inch thick and the residue did notably batter the walls the were before him Sodainly all the assistants rose vp on their feete and began to be sore affrighted he only who had receiued the blow sitting still vpon his knees remained in peace not showing any signe of feare But because the blow had made him much to bowe downward fearing they should thinke that he were slaine holding his haÌ„des still ioyned together he at the last lifted vp his head towards heauen and hauing appeased those that were present he ended the prayer he had begun without so much as once more mouing his body Afterwards retiring himselfe to goe to rest he found that his Rochet was soyled with the bullet and his other garments also but were not pierced NotwithaÌ„ding there appeared vpon his back a buÌ„ch of a blewish coulor like to dead flesh where the bullet had light which fell at the feete of Saint Charles as it were for reuerence not drawing so much as a drop of bloud which marke remayned vntill his death for a memory of the fact The Doctors of phisick and many others which had seene coÌ„sidered the place that was shot iudged that it was a cleere manifest miracle In fine the murderer was appreheÌ„ded with his foure companions by the commandemeÌ„t of the Duke Asburquerco couernour of MilaÌ„ by an edict which he published the selfe same night and shortly after were put to death for their horrible fact Hauing walked in the narrow way of this world triumphed ouer vices and adorned himselfe with all the excellent vertues before rehearsed the houre of his departure approaching neere he first visited the holy Sudary of our Sauiour Iesus at Turino with a singular vnspeakeable deuotion and from thence went to the mount of Varalla neere vnto Nouara where there is a deuout solitary place of Religious men and the sepulcher of our Sauiour is erected like vnto that in Hierusalem with diuers other monuments of Christs passion whervnto the holy man was specially deuoted where he abode the space of fifteene dayes exercising himselfe in most austere workes of pennance reÌ„dring his soule capable of celestiall glory by a generall Confession of all his life with many sighes and abundance of teares But falling sicke by his too much rigour and feeling that his sicknes increased he returned towards Milan enflaming those that went in his company in the loue of God by a burning charity wherwith he was wholy inflamed and by his sermons which he made of the glory of the blessed which were so ful of fire and so piercing that the harts of those that heard him were touched therwith in such sort that from their eyes distilled fountaines of teares He arriued at MilaÌ„ vpon the feast of All Soules towards euening and hauing passed the day following in holy discourses and receiued the Sacraments of the Church with singular deuotion and humility holding his eyes fixed vpon a picture of the sepulture of the dead couered with a shirt of haire and with ashes like vnto another S. Martin whose vertues he had diligeÌ„tly imitated during his life with great tranquility and quiet of body and mind he rendred his soule vp to God about three houres after sunne setting the last yeare of the Popedome of Gregory the 13. 47. yeare of his age It is impossible to declare what sorrowe what lameÌ„tations and what sighings the vnexpected death of this most holy pastor caused both in poore and rich The Church deplored her vigilant Pastour the tribunalls their incorrupted iudge the orphanes their protectour and defender and the needy their most liberall benefactour Finally to satisfy the great deuotion of the people which flowed thither on euery side it was necessary to expose the body the space of three dayes in the Church to the view of euery one The Bishops Pallace was filled with deepe sighes the streetes with sobbs and the houses with teares mourning so that there was not any in so great a multitude of people which did not bewaile the losse of his good father for hard it was to iudge whether there were more people in the streetes then vpon the topps of the houses and who pursued not his most holy Pastour with complaints and inconsolable sorrow in such sort that all the people cryed out aloud Mercy mercy euery one thinking himselfe right happy to touch with their beades or Rosary his venerable hody The miracles which Almighty God wrought by the intercession merits of S. Charles were very many wherof these which follow were in part examined and approued for his canonization He healed by the vertue of his holy prayer Iohn Pietro Stopano at this day Archbishop of Maccia in the valley of Telino of a deadly disease being forsaken of the phisitians By the signe of the crosse he preserued the Abbot Bernardino Tarusi and Ioseph Cauallerio being drowned in the râ—uer of Tâ—cino By the force of his prayer he saued froÌ„ the perill of death Iulio Homatto who being on horsback fell froÌ„ the top of a most high horrible precipice He draue away by the benediction of his hands diuers diuells who had loÌ„g tyme obsessed a young youth With the same benediction he healed in an instant one Margarete Vertua who had a double tertian ague for the space of eight moÌ„ths was brought vnto so low estate that she could not lying alwayes on her bed moue so much as any one part of her body In an instant he likewise healed by his blessing a noble woman of a disease proceeding of witch-craft diuelish art These miracles with many others were wrought by him during his life but he wrought a great many more after his death wherof for breuity sake I will recount only some omitting the circumstances which make the miracles the more famous declare only the matter it selfe and substance of the things Dame Paula Iustina Casara religious in the great monastery of Milan hauing bene for the space of eight yeares and a halfe paralitique altogether dead on the one side infected with diuers other diseases and lastly giuen ouer of the best Phisitians of the Citty finally inuocated S. Charles Borromeus and that with very great fruit for as soone as she had made her prayer before the picture of S. Charles by her sted-fast faith she was healed the yeare 1601. vpon the feast of S. Ihon Baptist And at the selfe same instant fearing to be more slack in giuing thaÌ„kes vnto the Saint then he had beene to giue her health she went forth of her chaÌ„ber entred into the Church and sunge Te DeuÌ„ together with the other religious who were all assembled to see this miracle Sister Candida a religious woman of the conuent of Capucinesses in Milan hauing lyen three yeares sick and her disease being iudged incurable by the Doctors hauing
the Empire and Marques of the aboue named Castilion and of Martha Tana-Sanrenia no lesse Noble as the Inhabitāts about the Alpes can testify and vertuous as appeareth in that euen from the first day of her mariage she began to pray like another Anne not for feare of barrennes but for the glory of God that it would please our Lord to send her a sonne that in some Religion might wholy dedicate himselfe to his holy seruice And so it seemed that God Almighty therfore vouchsafed to sēd her this Samuel permitting him to haue a dangerous entrance into this world that he might the sooner marke him for his owne with the character of Baptisme which by the Phisitians aduise was giuē him before he was halfe come forth of his mothers wombe but the danger of this passage at lenght by theintercession of our B. Lady was taken away although for a space there remayned some feare and doubt whether he were aliue or dead For he lay still without mouing for the space of an houre whē to shew that he was aliue he gaue one little cry only so gaue ouer and neuer vsed to cry any more as other children are wont to doe a presage doubtlesse of his future behauiour and conditions which were alwayes most gentle mild and courteous After his mother had brought him vp in all piety and feare of God vnto the age of fiue yeares or thereabout his Father desiring to traine vp his sonne in warlike affaires frō his very cradle tooke him away with him to a towne called Casall the greater in the Territory of Milan where whensoeuer he mustered his souldiers he made him march before them in light armour with a little speare vpon his shoulder From hence the Marques his Father being to march with his army to Tunis a Citty in Afrike sent Lewis backe to Castilion where growing now towards seauen yeares of age at which time children begin to haue discretion to discerne betweene good bad he withdrew himselfe by little and little from the conuersation of souldiers and began to apply himselfe to the seruice of God saying euery day at home vpon his knees the prayers which are The Daily Exercise together with the seauen Penitentiall psalmes and the office of our Blessed Lady with so great feruour and care that he neuer omitted the same were he neuer so sicke and was wont to call that the time of his conuersion When the Marques came home and saw his sonnes warlike audacity changed into a pious and prudent modesty he reioyced exceedingly to see how wise and discret an heire he should haue to succeed him in the gouernement of his subiects But Lewis his intentions were leuelled at a farre higher marke which he was not afraid now and then to signify vnto his mother who albeit she desired nothing more then that one of her sonnes should become a Religious man yet was she halfe afraid to heare her eldest sonne and heire talke of taking that course of life much more to persuade him to it Not long after the Marques vpon some occasion going to visit the Duke of Florence tooke both Lewis and his younger brother with him and there set them both to schoole to the end that in that Great Dukes court they might not only learne good manners but other sciences also Lewis at the age of nine yeares being left there by his father began to exercise himselfe in all kinde of vertues especially of Chastity and purity wherof out of the great deuotion he had conceaued towards our Blessed Lady he made a vow to keepe the same perpetually before an Image of hers which the whole Citty hath in great deuotion He heard Masse euery day and besides masse vpon holy dayes he alwayes was present at Euensong And although he knew not yet how to meditate yet the neuer let passe the dayly Exercise and other Offices which we haHe spoken of before rising to say them euery morning as soone as it was day Heere finally he began to wayne himselfe from all kinde of pleasures and pastimes eschewing all conuersation that might giue him occasion to speake the least idle word for he had now begun to frequent the Sacrament of Pennance with much feruour And so euer after he was wont to call Florence the mother of his piety and deuotion Two yeares being now past in Florence Lewis and his brother taking their leaue of the great Duke with Order from the Marques went to liue at Mantua where he came to take so great delight in abstinence and fasting which was for a time prescribed him for the health of his body that afterwardes to the great domage of the same he could not be dissuaded from vsing still the same medicine for the good of his soule Here now as he began to thinke with himselfe how he might make all his inheritance ouer to his Brother and take vpon himselfe an Ecclesiasticall kind of life being called home from the heates of Mantua at the age of twelue yeares he receiued of our Lord the gift of prayer and contemplation and by aduise of Saint Charles Borromeus Cardinall then visiting that Diocesse he began to frequent the holy Communion with exceeding great deuotion But his stomacke now with praying and fasting was growne so weake that he was scarce able to disgest any meate at all Wherfore his Father sent for him to Montserrat to see if by any meanes he could draw him a little from that austerity that he might recouer his health But Lewis there for the space of halfe a yeare could take pleasure in nothing but in his former exercises vsing for his pastime only to visit holy places and Monasteries flying from the conuersation of all but Religious mē by whose examples he was so efficaciously moued that he fully purposed to take vpon him some Religious habit or other although being not yet full thirteene yeares old he had not yet determined of what Order he would be In the meane time being returned home againe with his Father to Castilion he went forward exceedingly in all kind of vertues especially in extraordinary abstinence and mortification From hence not long after as he trauailed into Spaine in company of his Father and other noble Italians he neuer omitted his accustomed contemplations and holy Exercises But he so behaued himselfe for the space of two yeares and more that he liued in the King of Spaines Court that no Prouerbe was so much in the mouthes of the chiefest Coutiers as that the yonger Marques of Castilion seemed not to be made of flesh and bloud Such progresse had he made in the contempt of all worldly honours and pleasures Heere how Lewis being at the age of fifteene yeares and an halfe began to feele in himselfe so ardent a desire of forsaking the world that after many dayes commending the matter to God Almighty in his prayers it pleased his diuine Maiesty by a voyce from heauen to giue him a particular vocation to the Society
these ten yeares past by order of his Superiours giuen the account of his conscience in writing He had great coniunction with the Angells and Saints with whome he conuersed both in heauen and earth and especially with 24. of the more principall amongst whome he deuided the 24. houres to treate and recommend himselfe vnto them wherin he neuer fayled though in the night and in his sleepe awaking duly at the beginning of euery houre to performe his accustomed deuouotion which diligence of his our Sauiour recompensed by discouering vnto him his glory wherin he saw more perfectly and knew all 〈◊〉 B◠in Heauen their names and all particulers as if he had conuersed with them all his life time From his very infancy he bare so extraordinary and tender deuotion towards the Blessed Virgin at whose hands he receiued many fauours that one time discoursing and recreating as it were with her he said O Queene of heauen I loue thee more then my selfe I loue thee more then thou louest me The motherly affection of the Blessed Virgin could hould no longer but appearing presently she made answere vnto him No no Alphōsus it is not so I loue the more then thou louest me His familiarity with the Blessed Virgin and her Sōne was such as is wont to be betweene friends one to another or as of a little child with his father and mother and indeed he esteemed them for such who affoarded him often their corporall presence he spake vnto them but once especially when they entred into his heart with such deuotion sweetnes that he caused the same effectinall those that did heare him whome he exhorted wholy to forget themselues only to delight in his sweet Louers Iesus and Mary for so he was wont to call them because they would be carefull both of body and soule For 40. yeares together he dayly said the Office of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady to which mystery he was much deuoted and the Blessed Virgin one day tould him that she was very much pleased with his deuotion which he did exhort all the Society dayly to practise telling them that one of the principall reasons of the Institution of the Society was to preach and defend the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady And this he said with so great affection that he neuer vsed the like feruour therby assuring them that he spake it nor of himselfe but had recaued it by reuelation from heauen The continuall vse of his beades as was found after his death had caused an extraordinary hardnes in his fingars ends I omit an infinite number of things which might be said of his rare vertues of his admirable lights and diuine fauours remitting the Reader to the history of his life which without doubt is one of the most rare and perfect amongst the liues of those Saintes which haue receaued extraordinary fauours from almighty God and will briefly recount his last sicknes death and buriall though from the very beginning of the 47. yeares which he liued in the Colledge of Maiorca our Lord exercised him in all sortes of paines as well diuers persecutiōs of the diuell which vexed him for many yeares as corporall infirmities grieuous sicknes wherwith he visited him from time to time yet he seemeth to haue made choice of the last 7. yeares wherin besides those infirmities which ordinarily accompany old age he began to be extremely troubled with the stone which caused him to keepe his bed continually and the three last monethes of his life to lye only vpon one side being not able to turne himselfe He spent all his time in prayer begging earnestly of almighty God not that he would mitigate or take away his paines but rather he would augment them and lay vpon him others more grieuous His ordinary complaints in his sicknes were that there was too much care had of him who desired rather altogether to be forgot or detested as a carion or dead beast Whē the Rectour once bad him take a few conserues of sweetmeates to comforte him he answered Belieue me Father those sweet things are paines vnto me and these paines sweetnes which he vsually also answered to those who asked him how he did By reason of great familiarity and conuersation with his Father and mother Iesus Mary he spake vnto them with great affection those wordes which he had learned of our Sauiour himselfe O Iesus and Mary my only comforts grant me that I may suffer and die for your loue and that I may be wholy yours and not mine owne Once when he could scarcely speake the Infirmarian asking what troubled him he answered Nothing but selfe loue Some few dayes before his happy death he was taken with such a vehement ague that renewing all his paines it seemed God would take him away within one houre in which time he did nothing but repeate these wordes Yet more good Lord yet more Therfore he receaued the B. Sacrament which for many yeares he had receaued twice a weeke for his Viaticum with his accustomed deuotiō as also the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction still begging of God with inuincible patience to increase his paines He bare such extraordinary respect to the Fathers that whē he could scarce stirre his armes yet he would alwayes when any came to him pull off his night cap. Vpon Saturday in the euening being the 29. of October almighty God performing that which he had promised him before he fell into an extasy much like to those which he had diuers times the yeare before in which he perseuered the three last dayes of his life And although his sicknes had disfigured his body yet after his extasy he became as beautifull as an Angell and as red as a Rose which were certaine proofes of the great flame which burned in his brest brake out by those exteriour signes and exclamations which he vttered from time to time O sweet Iesus O my deare mother and the like About ten a clocke in the night hauing giuen some signe of death approaching all the house came vnto him they oftē repeating the name of Iesus and giuing him a Crucifix to adore he presently opened his eyes which for three dayes before he had kept shut and looking vpon the Crucifix they perceaued thē to be more quicke and liuely then when he was in best health And with this kissing the feete of the Crucifix and saying O sweet Iesus he gaue vp the Ghost the Eue of All-Saints about midnight in the yeare of our Lord 1617. The rare vertue of this holy Brother was in such esteeme that not only those of this Prouince but also those of Italy Cast le And alusia Portugall and the Indies haue sent to Maiorca with earnest intreaty for some of his Reliques Many wrote vnto him cōmending themselues to his prayers only to haue his name written with his owne hand as graue Ecclesiasticall and Secular men Gētlemen of great note Grandies of Spaine