a delightfull and mutuall accord of sainctitie certaine barbarous poeple who eyther from their painted garments as from some markes in their eyes were called Picts landed with a great nauie vppon the coastes of Britannie and being taken with a loue of the countrey set vppon the Brittans more by deceipt then force and for a time bore a tirannous sway amongst them One of theyr princes murdring the countrey before him and burning Churches and howses at he went arriued at length neere vnto Meneuia where he built him self a pallace And perceauing Enuie plotteth mischief against him the liues of S. DAVID and THELIAN to be soe holy and soe contrarie to his proceedings he greatly enuied them and spitt much of his venom in opprobrious reproachfull speeches against them whom he could not iustly condemne of anie fault And at length to make his malice bring forth the child of wickednes he commaunded his wife to send her mayds and make them the instruments of mischief by their lewd art and lasciuious allurements and motions of their naked bodies to atâ—empt the ouerthrow of the holy mens good purposes But as those wanton things followed their mistresses A iust punishment of malice directions and in the dishonest execution thereof exercised a kind of fayned phrensie or madnes in presence of the saincts suddenly they became mad indeed and returned to their commaunders without sufficient discourse to relate their owne misfortune Which being seene of that cruel persecutour turned all his furie into meekenes and both he and his whole familie receaued the fayth of CHRIST and were washed in the sacred font of Baptisme II. NOT long after S. THELIAN togeather with S. DAVID made a He goeth to Hierusalem iourney to Hierusalem where they spent some time in continuall prayer and visitation of the sacred places wherein our deare Sauiour wrought the miracles of his bitter passion and our deare redemption in those places they were wrapt in holy contemplatlon that they had noe memorie or thought of anie thing that was in this world Vnto S. THELIAN as he returned home they gaue a Cimball of more worth then greatnes and more precious then it was fayre for the sweet tunes thereof seemed to excell the sound of an organ it rung at euerie hower of its owne accord And this was a true figure of S. THELIAN who like vnto a cimball or bell which rayseth men from the dullnes of sleepe and slouth to prayse and serue God in the Church did he by his vertues and holie sermons stirre vpp By his prayers he expelleth the plague the hearts of the poeple vnto God out of the dungeon of sinne and wickednes Being returned prosperously into Wales by his prayers vnto allmightie God he freed the poeple froÌ„ a cruell plague which miserably wasted and deuoured the countrey Afterwards succeeding Dubritius in the Bishoprick of Landaff in that sacred dignitie he spent the whole remnant of his life gouerning his diocesse rather with his sainctitie and example of good life then by the exercise of his poewr and authoritie At length loaden with merits and old age by the happie losse of this fading world he purchased an euerlasting dwelling in heauen the ninth day of February about the yere of our Lord 563. The manie Churches in South Wales dedicated to S. THELIAN which to this day retayne his memorie by the Manie Churches dedicated to his name name of Llanthilo or Llanthilio are vnresistables witnesses and proofes of his great Sainctitie and as yet his prayse is fresh in the mouthes of all faythfull Whelchmen allthough the greatest part of that wretched nation doe liue in such blindnes that they would rather pluck him out of heauen then doe him or anie other of Gods Saincts anie honour at all contemning herein the counsell of the kingly prophet who inuiteth vs to prayse God in his Saincts with Psal 150. v 1. whom he liueth for euer Amen Thus much of this Saincts life we haue gathered out of IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE in his legend and NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 6. cap. 27. The life of S. TRVMWINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 11. Out of venerable Bede de gest An. lib. 4. TRVMWINE a maÌ„ of verie holy life was by Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury ordayned Bishop of the Picts then subiect to the English But after the ouerthrow and death of Egfrid king of the Northumbers caused by the same Picts S. TRVMWINE togeather with manie other monks of the monasterie of Ebbercune in the coÌ„fines of the Picts and English retired him self out of that Prouince and hauing recommended the greatest part of his monks to diuers monasteries according as he was able he him self chose his habitation at the Monasterie of Streanshall where vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT with a few of his companion-monks he led a most strict monasticall life profitable not only to him self as tending to the height of perfection but to manie others allsoe The Princely virgin S. ELFLED of whom the eigth of this moneth was the Abbesse of that monasterie who by the coming of this holy Bishop receaued great helpes in her regencie and much comfort for the directing of her owne life in the way of pietie The place where the Bishop with his monks liued was separate from the monasterie of enclosed Nunnes but not soe farre but that they were readie in all occasions to helpe them with the sacraments and all other spirituall comforts of their priestly function and dignitie The most holy Bishop TRVMWINE Hist l. 4. c. 2â— as venerable BEDE stiles him hauing liued there in great holines of life the space of manie yeares at length yeelded vp his Blessed soule to make One in the glorious quier of Benedictin Bishops in heauen His bodie was buried in the Church of S. PETER according De gest Pon. l. 3. §. de Pont. Eborac to the honour due vnto his blessed life and degree of sacred dignitie His holy reliques sayth Malmesburie togeather with others were found in the quier of that Monasterie and translated to a more eminent place becoming the sainctitie of soe great a Sainct Of him make honorable mention besides the aforesayd authors Mathew Westminster Trithemius in his 3. Booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order chap. 167. Arnold Wion and all our English historiographers He florished about the yeare of our Lord 700. The life of S. CEDMON confessor and monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 10. Taken out of Ve nerable Bede AS THE diuine guifts of tongues wisedome learning and such like wherewith it pleased allmigtie God to furnish his holy Apostles and adorne the primitiue Church haue not been wanting in later ages soe haue they not fayled in the time when our Englishmen first receaued the Catholick fayth An abundant and worthy example hereof we may behould in this holy Benedictin monke CEDMON He becometh learned by miracle who
was the place destined to be the sacristie of soe rich a treasure it was receaued by those holy virgins of CHRIST in most honourable and stately manner and reuerently entombed on the north side of the high His bodie is eushrined at Shaftsburie aultar the eighteenth day of February And afterwards by reason of the manie miracles wrought at this holy martyrs tombe that monasterie was commonly called S. Edwards And the miracles wrought there were such soe great and soe authenticall esteemed by King Ethelred that in respect thereof he adorned the monasterie of Shaftsbury with manie rich guifts and possessions and in the donation thereof made in the yeare 1001. he acknowledgeth Gods scourging of his Countrey by the Danes to haue befalne them for the vniust murder of King EDWARD whom togeather with the bishops and Abbots of that time he honoureth with the title of Blessed martyr Part of his reliques were afterwards brought to enriche the monasterie of Lemster in Herefordshire This historie we haue gathered out of the author of his life in an aunciët manuscript recited by Surius tom 3. William Malmesbury de reg Ang. lib. 2. cap. 9. Iohn Capgraue in his legend Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10. cap. 4. and other English Historiographers who doe all largely speake his prayses The life of S. VLFRICK Confessor and Hermite FEBR. 20 THE worthie champion and braue follower of a monasticall and solitarie life S. Vlfrick was borne in a village called Lenton or Litton eight miles from Bristoll of a meane yet an honest parentage In the same place he was bred and brought vpp till he came to such age and learning that he was made priest Which office he exercised His māner of life in his youth for some yeares space hauing as it was thought receaued it in the feruour of his youth more out of a youthfull leuitie incident to that age then anie way guided by the raynes of true reason For as yet being not well acquainted with the true spirituall knowledge of allmightie God he was ruled more by the impetuous motions of wordly pleasures and delights then by the inward inspiration of the soule Whece it came to passe that he stuck not to staine his priestly function by dayly imploying of him self in the gentlemans slauerie of keeping hawkes and Doggs and following the toilesome sports those dumb beasts could allow him when he had better and more befitting his calling been quietly busied in studie and contemplation But being on a time in hott pursuite of this A poore man foretelleth him of his future life kind of a game he mett by chance with a man that bore the habitt and countenance of a poore begger who verie humbly demaunded for an almes a piece of new money which as yet by reason of the newnes of the coyne comming out of the mint of Henry the first was not verie common in England Therefore VLFRICK answeared him that he knew not whether he had anie of that Kind or noe Looke in thy purse replied the other and there thou shalt find two pence halfpēnie VLFRICK being amazed at this answeare opened his purse and finding as the poore man had sayd he deuoutly gaue him what he asked Who receauing his pennie let him reward thee said he for whose loue thou giuest it And I in his name declare vnto thee that shortly thou shalt depart from this place where now thou liuest vnto an other dwelling thēce againe to another where thou shalt find a quiet habitatiō till after lōg perseuerāce in the seruice of god thou art called to enioy the ioyfull societie of the saincts in heauen II. VLFRICK therefore after a while liued like a poore Priest in He abstayneth from flesh the house of one VVilliam Lord of the village where he was borne had his diet dayly at his table where he layd the first foundation of a new life and entred into a perpetuall abstinence from flesh Till at length his good purposes and deuotion still encreasing he was greatly taken with an earnest desire to embrace an eremiticall and solitarie life and to that end the foresayd Lord doubtlesse not without the particular inspiratiō of the holy Ghost sent him to a village called Hasleburrow in Dorsetshire distant eastward from Excester His austeritie of life about thirtie miles There in a little cell neere adioyning vnto the Church setting aside all thoughts sauouring of the world with great austeritie and mortification of his bodie he purchased the grace and fauour of IESVS CHRIST to his soule For with such an exact and seuere an obseruance of abstinence fasting and watching he mortified his bodie vppon earth that the skinne only sticking vnto the bones he appeared vnto the behoulders as the true picture not of a carnall but of a spirituall man in a humaine shape His daintiest His poore diet and cloathing meate was oaten bread and a kind of gruell or pottage made of oatmeale He neuer dranke wine or anie other drinkes which cause dronkennes but only on principall feastes and then he would tast a little more for the solemnitie of the feast then anie contentment of bodie In watching he was soe diligent and vnwearied that he passed manie nights without anie sleepe nether would he euer giue himself to anie rest but when extreme necessitie and weaknes of nature cōpelled him and then not in bed but leaning his head to a wall he tooke a short allowance of sleepe out of which presently rowsing him self he would much blame chastise his bodie as yielding vnto ouermuch nicenesse His pillow yf that may be called so which he vsed to putt vnder his head was made of rowles or ropes of hay wound vp together He was content with poore simple cloathing lined next to the skinne with a rude shirt of hayre-cloath Till after a while being growne from a freshman to be an old beaten souldier of Christ insteed of his hayre-cloath he wore next vnto his skinne an iron coate of maile which his old lord and master vnderstanding his desire thereof had sent vnto him consecrating that warlick armour His mortification of bodie to the warrefarre of heauen To these his dayly austerities he added others by night farre exceeding them in rigour for in the sharpest cold of winter he was wont hauing first putt of his iron coate to entier naked into a vessell of cold mater where he would remayne reciting psalmes himnes in prayse of allmightie God vntill he had throughly mortified and quēched those dishonest fiers importune motions of the flesh which verie furiously and often assayling his mind sought the ruine of his chastitie but his breast was a firme rock of pure marble that vtterly denied entertaynment to anie such vncleannes And in all this rigour soe vnmercifully exercised vppon him self both in discourse and behauiour he was euer humble and pleasant vnto all others and allthough he seldom or neuer spake to anie man but vnseene and with his window
day not only in Wales but all England ouer is most famous in memorie of him But in these our vnhappie daies the greatest part of his solemnitie consisteth in wearing of a greene leeke it is a sufficieÌ„t theame for a zealous VVelchman to ground a quarrell against him that doeth not honour his capp with the like ornament that day VII THE miracles which were wrought by his meritts after his death are such soe manie that they farre exceed the limitts of this short discourse we will only relate some which haue the testimonie of an eye-witnesse to prooue them true In the raigne of King Stephen Gyrald Cambr. in Topogr Camb. Iâ—â—uers miracles the brooke which runnes aboue the Church-yarde of Meneuia or S. DAVIDS flowed with wine and the same time out of a Well or fountaine there called Pisteldewy that is the Conduit of Dauid sprang forth a great quantitie of milke And this is reported by him that liued at the fame time and most exactly was acquanited with the matters of that countrey A litle portable bell called S. DAVIDS Note a strange miracle was of great fame and admiration in VVales which when the souldiers presumed to retaine at the Castle of Raidnock contrarie to the desire of a woman that brought it suddenly the night following the whole towne was deuowred with fier the wall only excepted where that bell was hanged A boy that endeauoured to take yong pigeons out of a nest in S. DAVIDS Church of Lhanuaos had his fingers soe fastened to the stone that he could by noe meanes gett loose All much amazed at this miracle specially his parents and friends who togeather with the boy before the aultar of the same Church gaue them selues to continuall watching fasting and prayer the space of three dayes as manie nights when to the great ioy of all the stone fell from his hand The Authour of this storie not only liued at the same time but both saw and spake to the man to whom it happened who confessed him self that it was soe And which is more that stone being conserued in the Church remayned as an euerlasting witnes of the miracle with the plaine forme of his fingers imprinted in it as in a peece of waxe VIII MANIE thousands of other miracles haue been wrought by the meritts of this holy man both in his life and after his death which for breuities sake me omitt And here now could I willingly enter into a large field of this holy Saincts prayses did not feare of being ouer teadious withould my penne as vnworthy to be the truÌ„pett of the same of soe renowned a man I will only desire all true hearted VVelchmen allwaies to honour this their great Patrone and Protectour and humbly desire him that as in his life time he ouerthrew with his learning all the bullwarkes of the Palagian heresie soe now with his prayers and intercession to allmightie God he would supplicate the diuine Goodnes to cast a mercifull eye vppon his poeple and reduce his sometimes beloued countrey out of the Blindnes of Protestancie groueling in which it languisheth more lamentably then euer it did in the former errour that once againe those hills and valleies may resound with the Ecchoes of Gods diuine prayses sung in such monasticall quiers as haue been the ornaments there of in former ages and now are only the sad monuments of their auncient glorie God of his infinite mercie by the intercession of this glorious Sainct giue strength to those few that are in the truth soe to remayne and grace to the rest to acknowledge the same truth and forsake their present errours The life of S. Dauid was written by S. Kentigerne but whether the same be extant it is vncertaine Ioannes Anglicus and Giraldus Cambrensis haue written the same allsoe out of whom and Nicholas Harpsfield me haue gathered the foresayd historie Manie other authors make worthie mention of him The life of Sainct CHAD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 2. Gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT CHADDE borne in Northumberland brother to S. CEDDE Bishop of London of whom you may reade the seauenth of January was at first scholler vnto S. AIDAN Bishop of Lindisfarne in whose vertuous schole he made a great progresse in learning and good manners being allwaies verie carefull to execute in deed whatsoeuer he learned by studie In his youth he went into Jreland where tohgeather with S. EGBERT he led a strict monasticall life in continuall continencie exercising him self with great diligenâ— in the pious art of prayer and meditation of the holy scripture Returning into England after that famous controuersie betweeue S. WILFRID the Benedictine monk and Bishop Colman concerning the due celebration of Easter and other Church-rites was decided togeather with his brother S. CEDDE he receaued the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT and succeeded his brother in the gouernment of the Benedictine Abbey of Lesting in Yorke-shire Which charge he discharged with great sainctitie and example of good life till in the yeare of our Lord 664. when S. WILFRID being chosen Bishop of Yorke and sent into France to be consecrated by the Bishop of Paris stayed soe long beyond the seas that Sainct CHADD by the meanes of king Oswy was consecrated and installed in the Episcopall sea of Yorke by the hands of Wini Bishop of the West-saxons and the only He is cousecrated Bishop of Yorke Bishop lawfully ordayned Bishop extant then in England II. SAINCT CHAD being aduanced to this height of dignitie began presently to make the pietie and vertue of his life correspond to the eminencie of his sacred function bending all his endeauours for the conseruing of the Ecclesiasticall veritie and ordinances of the Catholick Church and making his owne dayly exercise a true patterne of deuotion humilitie and continencie vnto his subiects He was wont to read much preach often trauell abrod after the true Apostolicall manner allwaies on foote from towne and village piously furnishing the whole countrey with the sacred doctrine of CHRISTS ghospel At length S. THEODORE being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury made a visitt ouer the Churches of England correcting as he went whatsoeuer he found amisse when amongst the rest he chanced to rebuke S. CHAD as not lawfully consecrated See the wonderfull humilitie of the Sainct If thou His great humilitie knowest answeared he verie modestly that I haue not rightly vndertaken the bishoprick I most willingly giue vp my office for indeed I allwaies iudged my self farre vnworthie thereof and it was meere obedience which forced mee at first to take this sacred charge vppon mee But THEODORE being ouercome with the resigned humilitie of this answeare replied that it was not necessarie to leaue his bishoprick but only to haue his installement approoued after the Catholick manner But S. CHAD after three yeares gouernment of that sea being more desirous of a priuate and quiet life resigned vp
Idolatrie he began to preach the true fayth vnto them when a MagitiaÌ„ called Roâ—hait rising vp against him endeauoured to cutt of the thred of his exhortation life at once But the power of all mightie God who allwaies defendeth his seruants sent a thunderbolt suddeÌ„ly froÌ„ heauen which sent the soule of that minister of mischief to the perpetuall seruice of his black master in hell This soe manifest soe terrible a miracle being seene marked by all the multitude the seauen forsayd bretheren twelue thousand men besides were conuerted thereby to the ChristiaÌ„ fayth at the preaching of S. PATRICK and were all cleansed from the diabolicall markes of Paganisme by receauing the Sacred character of Twelue thousand persons conuerted Christianitie in the holy font of Baptisme And leauing the gouuernment of this poeple to a holy man called Mancenus He him self trauelled ouer all the Prouince of Conaght attending incessantly to his pious labour of preaching and teaching those barbarous poeple vntill by the helping grace of the holy ghost he had coÌ„uerted and baptised the whole Countrey He built Churches in manie places and ordayned therein Priests and other Ecclesiasticall ministers by whose prudence and pietie the soules of the poeple might be gouerned in the truth and the diuine office duely and reuerently performed VII THIS DONE S. PATRICK went againe into the North part of Ireland preaching teaching conuerting and baptising all the way as he went Thence through the confines of Meath he trauelled to the Prouince of Leinster leauing at certaine places some of his schollers to execute the office of Bishops amongst the poeple he had conuerted But how great miracles he wrought in all this and in other his iourneies ouer that rude countrey how manie sick persons he cured how manie Magitians he confounded how manie dead he raysed to life how manie things to come he foretould and vppon how manie his aduersaries allmightie God powred forth the renengfull ire of strange punishments it farre exceeds the bouÌ„ds of this weake penne to sett downe and this short treatise to containe He arriued at length at the cittie of Dublin where Aiphin the king thereof with his sonne and his daughter called Dublinia from whom the towne tooke name and allmost all the poeple The towne oâ— duâ—lin conuerted were conuerted at once to the Christan fayth Hence he trauelled to the Prouince of Mounster where being kindly receaued of the King called Oengus he baptised him the greatest part of his poeple And there he is sayd to haue raysed eighteen persons from death to life at once besides other particulars But seeing soe plentifull a haruest in Ireland and but few workmen he passed ouer the seas into Wales where with his learning and zealous labour he preuayled much against the Pelagian heresie then raygning and made manie places there allsoe famous for his miracles and sainctitie As he returned with a new supplie of holy and learned coadiutors towards Ireland he diuerted into the I le of Man theÌ„ subiect to the Britans He conuerteth the Iâ—e of Man which by his preaching and miracles he conuerted to the sayth and left some of his fellowes there to conserue it in the same VIII BEING returned into Jreland he chaÌ„ced to conuert a noble man called Darius who seeing and admiring the wonderfull vertues and miracles of the Sainct gaue him a large and fertile peece of land in the prouince of Vister where S. PARTICK hauing considered the He buildeth the towne of Armagh pleasantnes and commoditie of the place built a fayre cittie now called Armagh into which he induced noe other inhabitant but such as him self knew to be well and soundly grounded and instructed in the Catholick fayth He allsoe adorned the same with Churches Monasteries and Nunneries which he furnished with a learned Clergie vertuous monkes and religious woemen whoe all liued vnder the rules of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall perfection assigned vnto them by S. PATRICK In the same towne he ordayned his Archiepiscopall sea which he desired to make the Metropolitan Siluester ' Gyraldus in topagr Hib. of all Ireland and to that end he made a iourney to Rome to haue all confirmed by the supreme authoritie of the Sea Apostolicque The Pope receaued him with great curtesie as the Apostle of Ireland gaue him 〈◊〉 Palle made him his Vicegerent or Legat in that Countrey and confirmed by Apostolicall authority whatsoeuer he had ordayned disposed or done in that Kingdome And withall gratified his pious labours with the treasure of manie reliques of the Apostles S. STEPHEN and other Martirs to enrich the Countrey at his returne Moreouer he gaue him a certaine linnen cloath stained with the sacred Bloud of our Lord IESBS-CHRIST which he-esteemed aboue all Loade with this spirituall wealth the blessed man returned to his Prouince and hauing made his Archiepiscopall sea of Armagh the Metropolitan of all Ireland those reliques he placed with great reuerence in a shrine behind the high aultar And the custom of that Church hath been euer since the time of this glorious Reliques of Saincts worshiped in S. Patricks daics Sainct on the feasts of Easter and Whitsunday to produce those sacred treasures to the publick view of the poeple to be reuerenced and worshiped by their deuotion according as the worth of such sacred things required But in his returne from Râ—me this vnwearied seruant of IESVS-CHRIST made some stay in his natiue Countrey of great Britaine where againe he left manie rare memories and monuments of his excellent vertues and labours And being in Ireland he setled thirtie bishops which he had brought from beyond the seas in diuers places of that abundant Haruest to cultiuate and manure it with their learning vertues and good workes These he him self was wont oftentimes to visitt as their Metropolitan to call them to Councell to direct them in the Ecclesiasticall gouernment striuing all waies to roote out whatsoeuer was fouÌ„d coÌ„trarie to Christian law and iustice and to promote what was conformable to the holy Canons of the Church and good manners shining in the meane time as allwaies with allmost innumerable miracles that whatsoeuer he ether taught or ordayned by word of mouth like a true Apostle he strengthened and confirmed with wonderfull signes which followed Among which he shewed in nothing soe great and generall a benefitt to that countrey excepting their conuersion to Christianitie as this which now you shall heare S Paâ—rick frâ—eth â—eland from three pestâ—â—eÌ„ troubles XIX IRELAND from the first time it was inhabited grieuiously suffered the continuall troubles of three mortall discommodities an infinite number of venemous Serpents visible troupes of vglie deuils and a multitude of witches and magicians their seruants For the number and power of poysenous creat 〈…〉 s soe preuayled in that Iland that men and other beastes were not only infected with their venom but manie times slaine and deuoured The Deuils allsoe who were masters
gemmes by the inclining of the ship on the one side fell accidentally into the water and afterwards the sea retiring it felf for the space of three miles was againe found in the bottom without anie domage by lying in the waters which was preserued with great care in the Abbey of Durrham vnto the Authours time that writeth this historie XVIII BVT peace and tranquillitie succeeding the turmoiles of warre and slaughter in the raigne of Cuthred and the Bishoprick of Lindissarne being traÌ„slated to Cunicacestre there Eadulphe setled him self with his coÌ„panie holy reliques of S. CVTHBERT Till after one hundred thirteene yeares the Danes making a new inuasion into the couÌ„trey putting all to fier sword Bishop Alwin togeather with his Clergie the same sacred bodie weÌ„t to Rippon And after three or fower turbulent moneths were past he resolued to transport that treasure to its auncient seate of Lindisfarne but being in the way His Sacred reliqueâ—remayâ—â—â—â—moueable at DurrhaÌ„ neere Durrham togeather with a great multitude of poeple the chest wherein the Sacred bodie was carried could by noe meanes nor forces nether of men nor beasts be moued anie further noe more then a mountaine All much astonished and grieued at this strange spectacle the Bishop perswaded the poeple to giue them selues to watching and prayer to allmightie God to make knowne his will and pleasure in this In the meane time it was reuealed to one Eadmer a holy monk that they should transport the neuer enough named bodie to Durrham and thither it was carried without anie difficultie or resistance At that time Durrham was a desert and horrid place filled and incompassed round about with vast woods and groues allthough by nature fortifieable enough The Bishop presently built a Church in great hast only of slender timber wherein the Sacred bodie was conserued for the space of three yeares In the meane time by the wonderfull great care diligence and labour of him and of Vtred Earle of Northumberland and the poeple that vast and thick wildernes of woods was cutt downe the place it self made habitable and a goodly Church all of stone erected into which the vnstayned bodie of the Sainct was translated with great reuerence of all And The Bishops sea placed at Durrham the Episcopall sea erected first at Lindisfarne remayned at Durrham togeather with that Sacred monumeÌ„t euer after which was the three hundredth and ninth yeare after his happie deposition Where manie famous miracles were wrought through his meritts intercession of which allsoe the place whence first he came was not depriued Among others a woeman whose feete and thighs were by a contraction of the finews writhen and turned backwards in soe much that as a miserable spectacle she crept from place to place on her hands praying at this holy tombe recouered the strength and vse of all her limmes And goeing afterwards to Rome and into Ireland to pray and giue thanks for her health receaued she diuulged all ouer the world as she weÌ„t the great benefitt she had receaued by the meritts of S. CVTHBERT Which the authour hereof doth affirme out of the mouth of diuers Priests that had seene and spoken with her The same man Simeon of Durrham rehearseth manie wonderfull miracles wrought by his holy meritts after his bodie was brought to DurrhaÌ„ We will only make a brief rehearsall of some few XIX ONE Osulphe a man of most wicked life was sett vppon by Miracles wrought at S Cuthberts tombe at Durrham a snake which way soeuer he went and albeit he reiected her very often and sometimes burst her in peeces notwithstanding by what meanes it was vnknowne she would hang about that wretched creatures neck though without hurting him at all But as often as he entred S. CVTHBERTS Church he was free and coming forth he was presently attached againe Which being a cause of great astonishment to all and of wonderfull calamitie to the poore man he went to S. CVTHBERTS where shrine hauing perseuered three daies and as manie nights earnestly imploring the helpe of God and the Sainct he was euer after released from that fearfull anoyance Which storie this authour asseuereth from their words that had seene the man About the same time one that had stollen some peeces of money from S. CVTHBERTS shrine and to conceale his theft putt them into his mouth on a suddaine his chops were miserably tortured with such an sufferable paine as yf they had bin seared with hott irons And endeauouring to spitt the money out of his mouth he was not able no nor to speake a word He ranne vpp and downe the Church nodding staring and shewing all other strange motions of countenance and bodie seeking to make knowne his torment which he could not vtter At length hoping to gaine a remedie where he had found his ill he ranne to the Sacred shrine and falling prostrate on his face humbly craued the pardon and assistance of S. CVTHBERT offring interest of his owne to expiate the offence committed where as he embraced and kissed that Sacred treasurie with the verie kisse the money fell out of his mouth and he was released Manie punished for iniuries done to his tombe from his paine But as men afflicted with diseases and miseries who humbly implored his ayde receaued oftentimes present and wonderfull remedies soe those that were iniurious to this B. Sainct and his Church were payd home for their temeritie with present and grieuous punishments And among others Osbert and Ella both kings slaine by the Danes may witnes and Duke Haden a Dane whom besides madnes a most cruell sicknes attached which infected his whole bodie with such an horrid stench that the armie not able to endure his presence thrust him out of the camp flying from Tinemouth with three ships he and all his companie were swallowed in the reuengfull billowes of the sea XX. AN other wicked Dane Oulasbald by name when he endeauoured Others for iniuries done to his Church to spoile the Church of S. CVTHBERT and to wast her lands and possessions being admonished by the Bishop to abstaine from his temerarious attempt lest he should incurre the heauie reuenge of the Sainct What sayd he dost thou think to terrifie me with the vanie buggs of thy speeches and with a death to be feared from a dead man I vow and protest by all my Gods he was a Heathen that hereafter I will be a cause of greater mischief to thee and all thine when this CVTHBERT of thine in whom thou hast soe great confidence shall auayle the nothing He had scarse sayd thus much when goeing ouer the threshold suddenly he became immoueable and falling downe to the ground vomitted forth his wretched soule William Conquerour sent one called Ranulphus to Durrham to exact tribute out of that countrey which hitherto had bin allwaies free To whom S. CVTHBERT appearing in a dreame with cruell threatnings and a disease which grieuously tormented him
at once gaue a double testimonie of his great vertue and sanctitie And as in his life he was replenished with manie wonderfull spirituall graces and vertues soe at his death as manie sick as touched the biere whereon his bodie lay receaued perfect health and were cured of all diseases His bodie was buried in sainct PAVLS Church at London by the high aultar where it lay manie yeares couered with a palle of verie He is buried in S. Pauls of London meane value But allmightie God decsared an length by a wonderfull miracle that the reliques of this glorious Sainct deserued greater honour and reuerence For during the raigne of William Conquerour in the yeare of our Lord 1087. a most cruell fier sayd hold on the cittie of London by night which consumed all before it from the west gate to the East at which horrid spectacle the cittizens greatly affrighted were glad to saue their owne lines by flight some of them leauing their cuill-gott goods to the mercie of those London fiered mercilesse flames which hauing entred the Cathedrall Church of sainct PAVL and soe entred that there was noe hope to dispossesse those outrageous guests the people were stricken with greater grief with the thought of loosing the sacred reliques of soe great a Patrone then with the sight of their owne harmes But allmightie God was zealous and carefull of the glorie of his Sainct For when His tombe miraculously preserued froÌ„ fier the Church was wholly in flames when the lead powred downe on all sides when whole beames of fier came tumbling to the earth amidst all this dolefull wrack of ruine where the conquest was the death of the conquerour the sacred tombe of sainct ERKENWALD allbeit of drie wood apt to take fier remayned most free and vntouched And which is more the cloath that couered it when the two Bishops of London and Wincester came to be eye-witnesses of this miracle was found most pure without anie hurt where the piercing force of the melted lead and eating fier was of noe force against the vertue and meritts of this worthie sainct O wonderfull sight whatsoeuer was in the Church within the power of fier was turned to ashes and yet in the midst of all the palle of his sepulcher was not one threed the worse eyther in matter or colour The poeple flocke thither in troupes to be witnesses of that strainge spectacle giuing manie thanks to allmightie God for his goodnes when the noueltie of this miracle banished out of their minds all thought of their owne misfortune receiued Mauritius then bishop Mauritius Bishop of London of London layd the foundation of the mightie Church of S. PAVL now extant which by his successours was brought to that wonder of perfection in which now it is And six and thirtie yeares agoe as I haue learned from faythfull witnesses that saw it there was in the vpper end of the Quire in Pauls Church a table which testified where the holy body of S. ERKENWALD lay in these words Vnder here lieth the bodie of S. ERKENWALD fourth Bishop of London Manie other miracles were wrought by the merits of this glorious sainct which here we omitt He died about the yeare of our Lord 690. His life is written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis sainct Bede William Malmesburie de Pont. lib. 2. Iohn Capgraue Nicolas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 13. and others out of whom and the records of sainct Pauls Church we haue taken this historie Polidore Virgil Trithemius amougst the Saincts of S. Benedicts order Baronius Matthew Paris the Romane Martirologe and all our English writers doe highly speake his prayses The end of Aprill The life of Sainct ASAPH Bishop and Confessor MAY 1. SAINCT ASAPH borne in that part of great Britaine now called His countrey and youth North-wales was from his youth brought vp vnder the gouernement and discipline of great sainct KENTIGERNE in the monasterie of Elue in Flint-shire where amongst nine hundred and three score other monks his fellow-schollers he sâ—ined in all manner of vertue and bore the prize of obedience and sainctitie from them all He descended from a noble race and seemed to haue the rootes of vertue engraffed in his soule from the cradle which by his diligent and carefull managing brought forth a worthie baruest of pious fruits at their time He putt forth him self in nothing soe much a sin labouring to make his owne conuersation and manner of life conformable to the austere patterne of vertue and mortification which appeared in his holy Master saint KENTIGERNL To whom his obedience was such that it deserued to be witnessed for excellent by miracle For saint KENTIGERNE coming one night out of the cold water in which as his custom was he had recited the whole psalter of Dauid and being soe extremly frozen that he was allmost quite depriued of heate the necessarie companion of life he The strainge vertue of prompt obedience sent his holy disciple ASAPH for fier to recouer the forces of his decaying bodie He that had noe lesson soe perfect as obedience ranne hastily to the fierie ouen and finding noe other instrument to carrie his fier tooke the hott scortching coales into his lapp and without anie signe of burning in his coate brought them to his master who admiring soe great vertue in his scholler held him in great estimation euer after and committed to his charge the whole regiment of the monasterie and made him his successour in the Bishoprick of Elue now called S. ASAPHS retayning allwaies the name but farre wide of the vertues and fayth of saint ASAPH Who when he had gouerned his sea for the space of manie yeares in great sainctitie and miraculous workes in venerable old age he gaue vp his blessed soule to receaue the crowne of euerlasting life the first day of May about the yeare of our Lord 569. whose name to this day is very famous throughout Wales in the mouthes of all true-hearted Welchmen to the great confusion of our Protestant-Heroticks who are not ashamed to honour the saincts by calling their Churches by their names to whom in catholick times they were dedicated and in their confession of fayth to denie anie honour at all to be due vnto them contrarie to the generall doctrine of the Catholick Church and all auncient fathers Thus much we haue gathered out of Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Arnold Wion Iohn Capgraue and others The Roman martirologe this first of May makes mention of S. Asaph The life of S. EADBERT Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT MAY. 6. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 4. EADBERT surnamed the Almner a man as excellent in learning the knowledge of diuine scriptures as in the obseruance of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall precepts and most excellent in the vertue of giuing almes was raysed from the humilitie of a Benedictine monk in the monasterie of Lindisfarne to succeede that glorious ornament He
Apostolicall absolution and ministred the dreadfull sacrament of the aultar vnto him And when our Authour came thither the same morning to say Masse and demaunded in honour of what Sainct he should celebrate that diuine misterie Of the Blessed Virgin MARIE answeared Godrick for before thy coming sainct PETER the Apostle hath here offered the same sacrifice in honour of the most blessed 〈◊〉 But we should neuer come to an end if we eudeauour to loâ—â—â— this paper with all the vertues graces and wonderfull workes of this Blessed man XIV THEREFORE when he had liued in this admirable manner His last sicknes in one and the other desert for the space of threescore and six yeares and was as an Oracle that astonished all England with his holy life soe great a swelling tooke possession of his face and all the other limmes of his bodie that he appeared not to be like vnto the former shape of a man In his entrailes he endured a cruell griping paine as it were of liuing wormes which ranne vpp and downe his bellie and consumed him For which punishment as heretofore for others more grieuous he gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God that soe gently he voutchafed to purge him from his sinnes in this world And to good purpose sayd he doe these wormes consume my bodie in this life that the neuer-dying worme should not gnaâ— and teare my soule in hell For the space of allmost eight yeares he lay languishing in bed being not able to rise but by the helpe of friendly hands At length his sicknes dayly encreasing and hauing now allmost conquered his old age he sent for his brethren who being come tooke him out of his bed and according to the manner of those deuout times layd him vppon the ground on a haire-cloth strewed with ashes putt on his stamin and coule for long since he had been a Benedictine monke of Durham and soe that blessed soule departed happily out of the thraldom of this His happie departure vale of miseries to receaue the perfect consummation of that heauenly life with CHRIST which he had begunne in this world And at the same instant was heard a most heauenly melodie ascending from his cell towards heauen He died the one and twentith day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1170. the same yeare that the worthy Archbishop of Canturbury saint THOMAS suffered martirdom for the defence of the Church His bodie was buried in the chappell of S. IOHN BAPTIST whom he euer worshipped with peculiar deuotion and in whose honour by the commaundment of God he Miracles after his death had caused that place to be built Within the space of a few yeares after his death two hundred twentie eight miracles were wrought at his tombe which are faythfully reported by the Authour of his life but for breuities sake I omitt them XV. AND here now I will end the life of this admirable man with these words of William Camden in the description of the bishoprick of Durham At Finckley sayd he by the riuer Were in the raigne of Henry the second Godrick a man of auncient and true Christian simplicitie fixed wholly to God liued and consummated a solitarie life Who gayned soe great admiration with this holy simplicitie adde and with the sainctitie and austeritie of his life and manie miracles before and A Church built to his honour after his death c. that Richard brother to the wealthie bishop of Durham Hugh of Puteack honoured his memorie with a litle Church built to his name Thus Camden who allbeit he were an Heretick yet could not but speake honourably of this glorious Sainct His life was written as we haue sayd by one Nicholas a Monke of Durham and spirituall father vnto Blessed GODRICK out of which being a large historie Nicholas Harpsfield brings an abridgement saec 12. cap. 45. whom we haue followed Iohn Capgraue hath written the same and William of Newbery lib. 2. cap. 20. Mathew Paris an 1170. Mathew Westminster an 1171. Molanus in his aditions to Vsuard and all our English writers doe make ample mention of him The life of saint ALDELME Bishop of Sherburne and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY 25. Writren by WilliaÌ„ malmesbu ry and others THE worthie ornament of the English Church and the Benedictine familie Sainct ALDELME borne of the royall stock of Saxon Kings his father Kentenius was neere of kinred to Jnas King of the His noble parentage West-Saxons with the generositie of mind and greatnes of learning and vertues farre excelled and outwent the nobilitie of his birth Some affirmed him to haue been sonne to Kentenius brother of King Jnas but it pleaseth not vs sayth Malmesbury to auouch that for truth which seemes rather to flatter a flying opinion then agree De gest reg Aâ—g l 1 c 2. with the soundnes of true historie especially since it is not found written in antiquitie the Chronicles plainly asseuer that Jnas had but one brother called Imgild who died a few yeares before him But S. ALDELME needeth not to be maintayned with vntruthes in whom abound soe manie famous things that are out of all question Hauing past ouer his Childhood his father deliuered him to be brought vp in the studie of all good learning vnder the discipline His youth and learning of the most famous Benedictine Abbot of saint AVGVSTINS at Canturbury saint ADRIAN who at that time happily adorned the whole countrey with all manner of vertue and learning In his renowned schoole our hopefull ALDELME made in a short time soe great progresse in science that he became a scholler worthie of soe learned a master Then returning back into his owne countrey loden with the balast of true vertue and learning he couragiously forsaked all the flattring allurements and vaine splendoâ—r of the world and resolued to vndertake such a course of life wherein he should meet with the lest impedimeÌ„ts to hinder him in the continuall seruice of allmightie God and the studie of holy learning Therefore in the Benedictine abbey of Malmesbury in which place He becometh a Benedictine Monke from his verie infancie he had been brought vp and instructed in the first rudiments of learning he bid adiew to the world and made profession of a monk vnder the holy rule of saint BENEDICT This monasterie was first founded by one Medulphus an Irish-Scott and a monk well learned in philosophie and from him it was called Meidulphesbury afterwards Malmesbury Which being but a small slender thing was by the meanes of saint ALDELME raysed afterwards to great splendour and magnificence II. BVT within a short time ALDELME returned to his old master into Kent to better his vnderstanding with more ornaments of true leaning and science and there he remayned vntill the weaknes and discomoditie of his health forced him to returne into his owne countrey How great worthie progresse he made in learning the His workes
was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
the true Christian fayth by thee then piously and dutifully receaued heard and retayned and now like a degenerate child being fallen from the obedience of thy mother-Sea of Rome like vnto a ship without a sterne thou art blowne and tost in the deepes of the misteries of Fayth with euery wind of erroneous doctrine being not able to steere into the hauen of anie setled and well-grounded opinion Againe therefore I repeate those words of the Prophet How is the gould make darke and the best colour chainged In very deed thou hast now left thy first fayth Thren 4. v. 1. Apocal. 2. v. 4. 5. Serm. 92 and charitie Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen and doe penance and performe thy first workes It is now in vaine and vnnecessary for thee to dispute of matters of religion Saint AMBRISE assures thee as much We must know sayth that holy Doctour that not without great danger we doubt of the truth of that religion which we see confirmed with the bloud of soe manie great men It is a matter of mightie danger yf after the Oracles of the Prophets after the testimonies of the Apostles after the wounds of the Martirs thou presume to discusse the anncient sayth as new and after soe manie manifest guides thou remayne in errour and after the sweates of soe manie dying teachers thou contend with an idle disputation Therefore my beloued countrey I beseech and coniure thee by the bowells of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST thy deare redeemer to consider well this sentence of the Prophet Jeremie Stand vppon the wayes and behould and inquire of the auncient Ier. 6. 〈◊〉 16. pathes which is the good way walke in it and yee shall find a refreshment to your soules The holy Benedictine Monke saint AVGVSTINE who came to thee from old Rome taught these auncient pathes in CHRIST-IESVS he shewed thee the true way he shined in thy dominions with manie heauenly signes and miracles as soe manie vnresistable witnesses of the truth he with his holy labours rooted vp-the impious stockes of Idolatrie out of the hearts of thy poeple and planted there in the Christian fayth which he watred with his owne sweats and teares Insist in his waies follow his footstepps walke in his pathes and thou shalt find both in this and much more in the world to come a sweet refreshment for the soules of thy poeple That way which of late the Apostata Luther Caluin or Beza begane to lay in the world was neuer trodden eyther by the steppes of saint AVGVSTINE thy Apostle or anie other of his holy fellow-preachers but leadeth thee yf thou walke therin the high way to perdition Returne therefore to the counsell of the Prophet aboue sayd State Ier. 6. v. 16. super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona ambulate in ca inueniâ—tis refrigerium animabus vestris God of his infinite mercie giue thee grace once againe to find the right way to him that is Via Veritas Vita the way the Truth the life who be euer glorified and praysed in his Saincts Amen The life of S. Augustine is written very largely by Gotzelinus a Benedictine Monke the manuscript whereof we haue out of which and Venerable Bedes history of England we haue taken it The same is written by manie other authours as Ioannes Anglicus Iohn Capgraue by S. Bede him self in a large volume apart The mouthes of all our English Historiographers are full of his prayses God make vs all partaker of his merits VENERABILIS BEDA PRESBITER LT MONCHVS ORDâ—… S. Benedicti May. 27. Mart. baâ— f. The life of Sainct BEDE Priest and Monke of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY 27 Gathered out of diuers graue Authours AMONGST all the famous and holy men which haue euer florished in England and with which allmightie God hath adorned our sometimes happy Iland saint BEDE in the excellencie of learning both diuine and humane doeth deseruedly carrie away the prize whom for this we may worthyly call the Phenix of his time that liued in an Iland separated from the rest of the world He was borne in the northerne parts of England within the Bishoprick of Durham in a little Village called Iarrow not farre from the place where the riuer Tine falls into the maine Sea His parents allbeit The place of his brith and Pareâ—â—s they were not famous for riches or Nobilitie in the countrey yet was their stock more worthyly ennobled by BEDE then by the greatest nobilitie of bloud or descent and not their countrey only but the whole world was more enriched by this holy treasure of their race then by the greatest wealth that could be imagined For A Homer borne of an ignoble Spring Is Nohler then an Irus from a King Our Sainst BEDE then like vnto an other Samuel had noe sooner learnt to speake and outgrowne his infancie but he was dedicated to the temple of our Lord. For at the age of seauen yeares by the care of his friends and Kinred he was deliuered to the vertuous schoole of S. BENNET Bishop in the Benedictine Monasterie of Weremouth which the same Abbot had built Being planted therefore At seauen yeare old he is giuen to the diuine seruice in the house of God from his very infancie and watred with the fountaine of diuine grace like vnto a fayre palme-tree he grew to the height of perfection and sent forth dayly fruits and flowers of iustice and learning announcing the truth and mercie of allmightie God with word worke and example For being amongst holy men and by holy men nursed and trayned vp in the schoole of monasticall discipline and good learning passing ouer the course of his age piously with the pious and innocently with the innocent he endeauoured with all his power to preserue him self vnspotted from the vanitie and corruption of the world II. HE happened into the happy and goulden times of the two most learned Benedictines THEODORE Archbishop of Canturbury and ADRIAN Abbot of saint AVGVSTINS in the same cittie in whom was an equall contention between the excellencie of learning and holines of life Vnder these holy masters our BEDE became soe great a proficient in laying the foundation of all learning humane and diuine that afterwards what with his owne dayly studie and diligent labour both proceeding from a sharpe witt and sound vnderstanding he attayned to that height of perfection that he excelled all the learned men that England could euer boast off From His naturull inclination to learning his verie infancie he was extremly addicted and delighted with the purenes of an innocent life and the studie of good sciences that he seemed as it were by the weight of his owne naturall inclination to be drawne and carried to vertue and learning And togeather with those naturall seeds of vertue planted in his soule there shined allsoe in him beyond the force of humane witt a certaine diuine beame of
without anie the lest signe of corruption as cleere white as the cristall as if it had all readie putt on the diuine robes of glorie casting forth of the tombe an exceeding sweet and odoriferous sauour to the wonderfull ioy and comfort of all that were present The linnen wherein he wrapped was as fresh and pure as when first it was imployed to that holy vse Which moued Gundulph Bishop of Rochester to attempt to pluck a hayre of the Saincts head to reserue to him self for his deuotion But his pious desire was frustrated for the hayre stuck on soe fast that it could not be pulled off without breaking XXX A WOEMAN that conteÌ„ptibly presumed to worke vpon S. EDWARDS A miracle day was grieuously punished with a suddaine palsie till being brought to the B. Saincts sepulcher and with teares demaunding pardon for her fault she was restored to her health againe Manie other miracles haue bin done by the meritts of this glorious Sainct all which mooued Pope Alexander the third at the instant desire of King Henry the second and the Clergie of England to putt him into the number of canonized Saincts and to cause his feast to be celebrated throughout the kingdom of England But of this we will speake more at large on the feast of his translation the thirteenth day of October This feast of his deposition hath bin allwaies verie magnificently and religiously celebrated by his successour-kings on this day as plainly appeares in the histories of England and is particularly prooued out of that which Mathew Westminster rehearseth of king Henry the thirds deuotion towards S. EDWARD In the yeare of grace 1249 saith he which was the thirtith yeare of our soueraigne king Henry the third the King being then at London on the feast of the Natiuitie of our Lord and hauing spent the Christmas holidaies in sumptuous feasts and banquetting as the custom is togeather with a great multitude of his nobilitie he assembled manie more Nobles and Peeres of the Realme to be present and Henry the thirds deuotion to S. Edwar. reioyce with him at the feast of S. EDWARD whom more cordially he loued and honoured then others of the Saincts And on the eue of that B. Kings deposition our soueraigne Lord the King according to his pious custom fasted with bread and water spending the whole day in continuall watching and praying and giuing of almes But on the feast itself he caused Masse with great magnificence and solemnitie to be celebrated in the Church of Westminster in vestments all of silke of an inestimable value and adorned with a great multitude of wax tapers and the resounding notes of the A consideration on his vertues Conuentuall and Monasticall quier Ought not we likewise to followe this vertuous example and giue prayse vnto allmightie God for the excellent guifts wherewith he honoured this B. King in choosing and calling him to soe great glorie euen before he was borne And for that he reuealed vnto him the great fauours promised to the kingdom of England for his sake long before they happened Who will not admire and endeauour to imitate the sacred vertue of chastetie which soe great a King entirely conserued soe manie yeares with his Queene in holy marriage Who will not embrace his most profound humilitie and contempt of the world and him self when he carried that wretched cripple on his royall shoulders to obtaine his health Who will not striue to serue allmightie God with affection seeing how highly he exalteth and honoureth his Saincts How he exalts them with miracles soe gloriously recompenseth their seruice giuing peace health and prosperitie to kingdoms by their intercession and in the end making them immortall kings and euerlasting courtiers of the kingdom of heauen This life is taken chiefly and allmost wholly oâ—t of that which B. ALVRED Abbot of Rhieuall hath written Iohn Capgraue hath the verie same William Malmesburie Roger Houedon Mathew Westminster Nicholas Harpsfield and allmost all writers of Saincts lines make verie honourable and worthie mention of him And the Roman Martirologe on this day The life of S. CEDDE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 7. Out of Venerable Bede hist. Eccl. lib. 3. 4 SAINCT CEDDE was borne in London and hauing gone soe farre out of his youth that he was able to make choice of a manner of life he putt on a monasticall habit among the auncient Monks in the Monasterie of Lindisfarne In which schoole of pietie he profitted soe well in a short time that he was thought worthie to be sent as an Apostolicall man with other deuout Priests to preach the Ghospell to the Mercians or inhabitants of Middle-England where by his pious labours S. Cedde conuerteth the East-Angles and exemplar life he greatly promoted the Catholicke cause But Sigbert then king of the East-Saxons being at that time by the meanes of Oswin king of Northumberland from a Heathen conuerted to the Christian faith and baptized by Finanus Bishop of York B. CEDDE at the earnest entreatie of Sigbert was called back by Finanus and sent with king Sigbert to conuert his countrey to the faith whose labour there tooke soe good effect that in a short time he brought most part of that Prouince from Paganisme into which since their conuersion by S. MELLITVS the Benedictine Monk they had fallen to the true knowledge and subiection of Christs Church and he him self who by Gods grace was now made their second Apostle returning into Northumberland the messenger of his owne good successe was by the hands of Finanus in presence of two other Bishops ordayned allsoe the second Bishop of London the chief cittie of the East-Saxons succeeding S. MELLITVS both in the Apostleship and Bishoprick He is made Bishop of London of that Prouince And now he began with a more free authoritie to bring to perfection the worke soe happily begunne by erecting of Churches in diuers places making Priests and Deacons to ayde him in baptising and preaching the holy word of God instructing the new-christened to obserue as farre forth as they were able the stricter rules of a religious life Great was the ioy comfort which the new conuerted King Sigbert and his poeple receiued to see the happie successe of his endeauours He was to good men meeke and courteous to the bad somewhat more sterne and seuere in punishing their vices as appeareth by the ensuing accident II. THERE was in the kings court a noble man that liued in the bands of vnlawfull wedlock against whom the holy bishop after manie pious admonions giuen to noe effect denounced the sentence of excommunication strictly forbidding the King and all other persons to forbeare his companie and not to eate nor drinke with him But the King being inuited by the same Nobleman to a Excommucation banquet made light of the bishops precepts went to him And in his returne chauncing to meet the holy man he was much
speake a word He foretould vnto one of his brethren the hower of his death two dayes before which being at hand he caused them all to come togeather and exhorting them to the loue of patience humilitie and other vertues full of good workes and meritts he yeelded vp his blessed soule to receaue a crowne of iustice at the hands of the iust iudge the twelfth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our redemption 1166. during the raigne of Henry the second And in successe of time he was registred into the number of canonized Saincts This life is gathered chiefly out of IOHN CAPGRAVE or IOANNES ANGLICVS most of our English Historiographers doe largely speake his prayses The life of S. KENTIGERNE Bishop and Confessor IAN. 13. Written by Joscelinus LOTHVS the Heathen King of the Picts had a fayre daughter called Thamet who by the often hearing and attending to the preachings of Gods seruants the power of the diuine grace concurring therevnto was conuerted to the Christian faith This Thamet hauing been rauished by the lasciuious violence of a noble man of the court was in punishment of that faultlesse fault by His parents the lawes of the countrey and her owne fathers decree adiudged to be cast downe headlong from the toppe of a steepe hill soe to perish In the execution of which crueltie recommending her self to allmightie God and lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen for ayde she was throwne downe backwards but by the hand of him that saueth those who truly call vppon him she was deliuered from receauing anie hurt at all Which miracle her Pagan father ascribing to the power of art magick caused her presently to be putt into a leather boate and without eyther sayle or oare to be committed to the vncertaine conduct of the winds and waues But the allmightie protectour and ruler of the sâ—as brought her safe to an other port where she went on land and came at length to the towne of Elâ—e or Assaph in Flintshire His byrth and there she was deliuered of a boy who being baptised by Seruanus a holy man of that countrey was named KENTIGERNE Such was the byrth and parentage of this Sainct who allthough he may seeme to haue contracted some stayne of honour therein yet his worthy manner of life soe cleerly washt away all spott of anie such imputation that for true vertue life and learning he became an example to be sett in ballance with anie holy man of those times His youth was first trained vp in the vertuous schoole of Seruanus vnder whom he profitted in a short time beyond all his other schoole fellowes both in learning and vertue purchasing by his owne towardnes such a singular loue with his good master that he was wont to call him Munghu that is most deare friend and by that name he was euer after honoured and called vppon by the people of that countrey in their deuotions vnto him But the malice of enuious persons who because they could not attaine began to hate soe great goodnes foreing him to depart from his master Sernanus he went into Scotland to a place called Glasghu where he led a His anstere life and pennance very austere and holy life In his poore cloathing and diet he bore the true patterne of an other IOHN BAPTISTE His cloathes were made of goate-skinnes he would fast oft times without tasting anie meate the space of three dayes neyther would he then seeke after dainties but was content to eate such things as first came to hand He abstained from flesh and wine perpetually His sleepe was verie litle which when nature compelled him vnto he tooke lieing along in a hollow stone with a great stone vnder his head in steed of a pillow To this austerie he added the rudenes of a shirt of hayre-cloathe which he allwaies wore next his skinne And in this pouertie did he trauell ouer that countrey preaching teaching and conuerting great multitudes of people of the faith till at length by He is made Bishop the common consent of the King and Clergie but much against his owne will he was exalted to the sacred dignitie of Bishop in the sea of Glasghu Which honour nothing altered him in his rigid and strict kind of life but rather serued as a spurre to encrease his wonted austeritie II. HE WOVLD walke abroade allwaies in his albe and stole with his crosier-staffe in his hand which allthough it were but of plaine wood yet he was if I may so call him a golden Bishop shining His manner of prayer mortification to the world with great examples of charitie and good workes Euerie night after a short refreshing of sleepe he would goe naked into the cold water and in that manner recite ouer the whole Psalter and this custom he allwaies obserued in despight of winters frost and snow vnlesse his sicknes or some other necessarie iourney did hinder him and then he would make amends with some other spirituall exercise Soe entierly had he mortified and deadened in him self all the lafciuious instigations and motions of the flesh that as he would often tell his disciples he was noe more prouoked to lust at the sight or touching of the fayrest woeman in the world then in the cold embracing of a hard stone Often times whilest he preached there appeared a white doue ouer his head with a beake as it were of gould Euerie lent he would segregate His obseruance of Lent him self from all companie and liue in some desert place eating noe other food but herbes and rootes On Maundie thursday he was wont for the exercise of his humilitie hauing gathered a companie of poore people and leapers togeather to wash their feete with water his owne teares in the meane time concurring therevnto and hauing wiped and dried them first with a towell and then with his owne kisses he would attend on them at table with all submission and diligence On good Friday in memorie of our Lords Passion he spent allmost the whole day and some part of the night in scouâ—ging chastising his bodie with sharpe whipps and stripes vntill his owne nakednes did blush at this his piously cruell pietie On holy Saturday or Easter Eue excepting the time of the diuine office he allwaies lay hid in a certaine graue or sepulcher within the ground in contemplation of our Lords passion and punishing him self with stripes till the hower of our Sauiours resurrection the next morning By his preaching he reduced the infidels oâ— his diocese vnto the Catholick faith and with the force of his sacred doctrine he reduced all Apostates and hereticks to the safe bosome of our holie mother the Church he demolished all diabolicall Idolls built some Churches allotted certaine limitts and bounds vnto Parishes and where soeuer he trauelled in this spirituall trafick to gaine soules he would not make his iourneies on horse back but allwaies on foote as did the Apostles And lest he might seeme to eate his
breade in Idlenes he laboured manie times with his owne hands in the tillage of his land III. AFTER the death of King Morken during whose raigne he was made Bishop the kinsmen of the same King like the sonnes of Beliall plotted and conspired his death whereof the holy man being admonished by reuelation from God he tooke his iourney into Southwalls which countrey was at that time richly beautified with the florishing vertues of S. DAVID with whom hauing spent some time he receaued of the King of that countrey called Cathwalla a peece of land to build a monasterie And hauing erected a He buildeth a monasterie monasterie at Elue in Flintshire he there constituted his Episcopall sea He gathered togeather in that monasterie the number of nine hundred threescore and odd Monks which all serued God vnder regular discipline in a verie strict and rigid manner of life Three hundred of the most vnlearned of them were deputed to the labour of husbandrie to toile and â—ill the fields and keepe sheepe other cattle other three hundred were employed in workes within the The manner of life of the ancieÌ„t moÌ„ks monasterie to prouide victualls and other necessaries and the rest which were sufficiently learned were allotted to the quier night and day to celebrate the diuine office and none of these were easily permitted to wander abroade but were bound to the limitts of their monasterie as to the Sanctuarie of our Lord. The holy Bishop diuided them into diuers companies or conuents and as one companie ended the diuine office in the Church an other presently entred to beginne the same againe and that hauing done comes a third companie in like manner soe that by the continuall succession of the diuers companies the diuine seruice was maintayned in that Church night and day without anie intermission Amongst these Monks there was one called Asaph a man of verie great vertue and a worker of manie miracles him S. KENTIGERNE loued aboue all the rest and for his vertuous life he deliuered vnto his hands the care of the monasterie and appointed him for his successour in the Bishoprick IV. THE HOLY man remayning on a time longer at his deuotions then his ordinarie custom was his face appeared fierie and glistening to the great admiration of the beholders and after his prayers were ended he fell into most grieuous lamentations which He hath a reuelation of S. Dauids death moued some of his disciples humbly to request him to declare the cause of his soe great sadnes To whom after a silent pawse You must know sayd he my deare children that the crowne and glorie of Britanie and worthy father of his countrey S. DAVID is now departed out of the prison of his bodie to receaue his rewards in heauen Beleeue me I beheld not only a great multitude of Angels but the Lord of Angels CHRIST IESVS him self come to meet him and leade him into the glorie of his heauenly paradise Know likewise that our Britanie being depriued of this her great light will groane for the losse of soe great a Patrone who Prayse of S. Dauid whilst he liued was the only buckler of our defence against the reuengefull sword of Gods iuste anger half drawne out to punish the malice of our Countrey and long since had not his vertue withheld it had made a generall slaughter amongst vs. Now therefore our Lord will deliuer this countrey into the hands of strange nations which neyther acknowledge him for God nor his religion for the truth And this our wretched Ile shall be inhabited He prophesieth the miserie of Brinie by Pagans and all Christian religion therein shall for a time be vtterly destroyed but afterwards by the wonderfull mercie of allmightie God all shall be repayred againe and the countrey reduced notonely into her auncient but into a farre better and more florishing state of religion V. THIS Blessed Sainct had bene seauen times at Rome where vnto S. GREGORIE the great afterwards Apostle of the English Bishops confirmed by the Pope he related the whole course of his life the manner of his election and consecration and all other chances which had befalne him The holy Pope vnderstanding him to be a man of God and ful of the grace of the holy Ghost confirmed his consecration which he knew to haue proceeded from God and supplieing according to his earnest desire such ceremonies as had bin omitted therein he dismissed him vnto his pious chardge by the holy Ghost inioyned VI. IN THE meane time death hauing exercised his reuenge on all the holie mans enemies in Albanie or Scotland the inhabitants thereof forsaking the way of truth and returning like doggs to feed vppon their owne vomitt fell againe into the riteâ— of flatt Idolatrie And therewithall the heauens and elements with drawing their vsuall influences caused a generall famine and dearth in their countrey Till at length allmightie God raysed a King named Redereth who hauing bin baptized in Ireland by the disciples of S. PATRICK with all his heart honoured allmightie God and studied by all meanes to restore his kingdom to the true faith of CHRIST He sent therefore messengers with letters directed vnto S. KENTIGERNE earnestly desiring him by the name and loue of our Lord to returne to his desolate flock that was left destitute of all care and cure affirming it to be a thing vnworthie for a pastour to forsake his sheepe a Bishop his Church for whose loue he ought to lay his soule at stake vnlesse he would turne a mercenarie who flies for feare of persecution Likewise he assured him that his enemies which sought his life had allreadie in seeking it lost their owne Therefore the holy man ordayning S. ASAPâ— his successour with six hundred and threescore of his Monks tooke his S. Kentigerne returned into Scotl. iourney towards Glasghn The king giuing thankes to allmightie God with a great multitude of people went to giue him the meeting and to receaue him with honour due vnto soe great a Sainct He hauing first giuen his benediction to the whole companie sayd All those whosoeuer enuie the saluation of men and are aduersaries vnto the word of God I commaund them by the vertue and power of our Lord IESVS CHRIST suddenly to depart hence lest they be an hinderance vnto those who will receaue the truth At Note a strainge miracle vertue of his words these words agreat multitude of most horrible and vglie spiritts was scene to flie out of that companie with wonderfull swiftnes at which sight they all trembled with the verie apprehension and feare But the Sainct exhorting them to take courage and comfort gaue them to vnderstand what goblins they did beleeue in and therevppon incited them to giue creditt vnto the true faith of IESVS CHRIST when in a short time by his continuall preaching and miracles he recouered all the inhabitants of that countrey out of the The fruits of his prechings black night of
Pontif. Ang. lib. 4. and de gest Reg. Ang. lib. 3. ROGER HOVEDON part 1. Anal. an 1062. and 1095. BARONIVS tom 11. an 1062. 1070. 1072. 1074. MATHEW WESTMINSTER anne 1074. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 11. cap. 24. and manie others doe largely speake his vertues and prayses Jn the SARVM breuiary he hath an office of nine lessons and in an anncient manuseript Breuiary of S. BENEDICTS order which belonged to the monastery of Burton vppon Trent he hath an office of three lessons on this day The life of S. ERMENBVRG Queene and Abbesse of S. BENEDICTS order IAN. 21. Out of Mathew Westmin others SAINCT ERMENBVRG daughter to Ermenred brother of Ercombert King of Kent was maried vnto Merwald King of the Mercians with whom she had the hapines to be the mother of the three holy Virgins Milburg Mildred and Mildgith whom she brought vp soe piously as afterwards they all embraced a monasticall life and became Nunnes and Saincts of S. BENEDICTS order their mother also Queene Ermonburg allthough her husband was yet liuing yet she was soe taken with the desire of a solitarie and monasticall life that she neuer rested vntill she had obtained the consent of her husband to the furtherance of her vertuous desire Which being gotten she went into Kent to her cozen Egbert that raygned there and made him acquainted with her holy purpose earnestly entreating him to putt his helping hand to the perfourmance of her good intentions Egbert being much moued at soe great deuotion gaue her a peece of land at the towne of Estrey in Kent according to her owne election and built her a monasterie vppon it dedicated to the two holy Martyrs Ethelbert and Ethelred her brothers Where S. Of Ethelbert and Ethelred see the seauenteenth of October ERMENBVRG hauing gathered togeather the number of seauentie other Nunnes vnder the holy order of S. BENEDICT spent the remnant of her life in the continuall exercise of religion and vertue gouerning the monasterie as Abbesse with all true obseruance of regular discipline vntill by allmightie God she was called out of this world to receaue the euerlasting reward of her meritts in a better What day she died it is vncertaine but this one and twentith of January is made a commemoration of her Of this blessed Sainct doe make mention MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 654. 676. WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. c. 1. de gest Pontif. Ang. l. 4. and NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist Eccl. saec 7. cap. 10. whom we haue followed The life of S. THEORITHGID virgin andnunne of S. Benedicts order IAN. 22. Out of venerable Bede hist de gest Ang. lib. 4. c. 9. THEORITHGID was scholler vnto the holy Abbesse S. EDILBVRG 1. Cor. 12. in the Benedictine monastery of Berking in Essex where she liued for manie yeares euer exercised in the diligent seruice of almighth tie god with all humilitie and sinceritie and helping S. EDILBVRG the Abbesse to keepe the true obseruance of regular discipline she was the mistresse to correct and instruct the yonger sort or nouices But that her vertue might as the Apostle sayth be made perfect in infirmitie she was suddenly taken with a most greiuous sicknes and through the merciful prouidence of our redeemer she was afflicted there with for the space of nine yeares that whatsoeuer spott of filthy sinne by ignorance or negligence had crept in and gott place amongst her other vertues might be quite parâ—ched and burnt vpp in the painfull furnace of a long tribulation II. THIS HOLY virgin goeing out of her bed one night towards the She enioyeth a strange vision dawning of the day saw manifestly as it were the body of one brighter then the sunne it self caried vpp on high in a white sheete from wards the dorter where the sisters tooke they rest till at length it was drawne out of her sight into the opeÌ„ heauens by this vision she supposed to be signified that some one of her sisters was shortly to be called out of the world as indeed it fell out for within a few dayes S. EDILBVRG the Abbesse chainged this life for a better III Now when THEORITHGID the blessed handmayd of CHRIST had liued three yeares more after the death of the Abbesse she was soe farre spent with the forenamed sicknes that her skinne and bones did scarse hang togeather and at the last the time of her departure drawing neere she lost not only the vse of all her other limmes but was not able to moue that member which is most voluble her tongue In which case hauing endured wonderfull paines for the space of three dayes and three nights being then recreated with a celestiall vision she opened her eyes and cherefully looking towards heauen began to speake in this manner vnto the vision she beheld Thy coming is very gratefull vnto me and thou art hartyly S. Edilburg appeareth vnto her reucaleth the hovver of her death welcome This sayd she was silent as it were expecting the answeare of the partie she spake vnto And againe as she were a little moued I cannot sayd she gladly endure this Presently after a short silence she spake the third time If it cannot be to day I beseech thee that it be not long delayed Then being silent a while she concluded thus If it be fully soe ordayned and that this sentence cannot be changed I beseech thee that there be this only night between Being demaunded with whom shee held this discourse She answeared with my most deare mother EDILBVRG Whereby they vnderstood that her coming was to bring newes that the time of THEORITHGIDS departure was at hand For according to her desire after that day and the nex night being deliuered out of the prison of her weake bodie she tooke her flight to the celestiall paradise to receaue the eternall reward of her sufferings She died about the yeare of our Lord six hundred seauentie eight Thus much we haue taken out of VENERABLE BEDE de gest lib. 4. cap. 9. and NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 14. Of her doe make mention MOLANVS in append ad VSVARDVM and ARNOLD WION in append ad suum Martirolog The life of S. Cadox Bishop and Martir IAN. 25. Out of Ioannes Anglicus S. CADOCK was bone in Wales os noble parents his father was called Gundley his mother Gladusa being baptised by an Anachorite of that countrey vnder the same mans care he was brought vp and instructed in the rudiments of Christian religion in which he profitted wonderfully Being yet but a youth he bore the mind of an aged man refusing to follow such youthfull sport as his equalls inuited him vnto truely considering that in the later day laughter shall be chainged into weeping and weeping into ioy At length departing from his master and his natiue soyle he built a monasterie He buildeth a monasterie in Glamorganshire about three miles distant from Cowbridge into which hauing gathered a good number of monkes he instituted them in
great benefactour of S. BENEDICTS order died the thirtith day of January but her feast is celebrated this day She flourished about the yeare of our Lord 669. Besides the authour of her life extant in the first tome of LAVRENCE SVRIVS whom we haue followed the Roman Martirologe VSVARD BARONIVS tom 〈◊〉 ann 665. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. c. 112. and manie others doe largely celebrate her prayses The life of S. SEXVLPH Bishop and Confessor of S. BENEDICTS order IAN. 28. THIS holy man was the first Abbot and in some kind founder of the Benedictine Abbey of Medishamsted dedieated to S. PETER which afterwards by reason of the greatnes was called Peterborough In which office hauing for some yeares dischardged the By his per swasion king wulfere built this Abbey part of a good and religious Prelat by the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury he was consecrated Bishop of Lichfield in place of Winfrid deposed from that Sea for his disobedience He gouerned his people with verie great sainctetie of life and examples of good workes for the space of three yeares when being loaden with vertuous deeds he left this world to take his place among his fellow Benedictin Monks in heauen about the yeare of our Lord 700. MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 614. HARPSFIELD saec 7. c. 23. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. c. 46. TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 4. cap. 158. CAMDEN in desoritt com Northampt. and others make worthie mention of S. SEXVLPH The life of S. GYLDAS Abbot and Confessor IAN. 29. Out of an anncient authour recited by Iohn Capgraue GYLDAS borne in that part of Brittanie now called Scotland and one of the twentie fower sonnes which a King of that countrey had by one wife was from his youth of a verie vertuous disposition and much inclined to the knowledge of all manner of learning for the better obtaining of his desire therein he passed ouer into France where he employed seauen yeares in the continuall studie of all goods sciences and returned into Britanie loaden with great store of bookes and learning But to the end he might with more freedom attend vnto the contemplation of heauenly He goeth into Frace to studie things he with drew him self from the tumults of the world into a solitarie place of aboade where he led the life of an hermite continually chastising his bodie with fasting prayer watchings and hayre-cloath Yet his vertue could not lie soe hidd but that manie were drawne to him with the noyse of his great fame to be instructed both in religion and learning and at their departure they serued as trumpetts to inuite others vnto him such great content they receaued in his vertuous life and rare learning Whatsoeuer guifts he receaued from the charitie of the richer sort he allwaies distributed vnto the poore contenting him self with the riches of his His great austerity of life owne pouertie He neuer tasted anie flesh his ordinarie foode was herbes and barly bread mingled with ashes in steede of spice his drinke pure water out of the fountaine His continuall abstinence had brought his face to such leannes that he all waies appeared like a man that had a feauer At midnight his custome was to enter into the riuer vpp to the neck and in that sort he powered out his prayers to almighty God while his teares stroue with the streames which should runne fastest afterwards he repaired to his oratorie and spent the rest of the night in prayer His cloathing was one single garment in which only he tooke his rest lieing vppon the downe of a hard rock Hauing taught manie both in word and deed to follow the rules of good life he departed into Jreland where he conuerted a great multitude of that rude people to the faith of CHRIST Shortly after returning into Britanie he found his brother Howell slaine by King Arthur who humbly crauing pardon of his fault receaued from the Sainct a salutation of peace friendship and forgiuenes He was a perpetuall enemie vnto the Pelagian Hereticks and to be the better informed against them and their doctrine he made a iourney Against heresies he consulteth the Roman Church to the fountaine of true religion Rome and returned not only better instructed against them him self but able to fortifie and strengthen others with such sound principles of Catholicke religion that they might easily defend their cause against all the vaine batteries and proud bull warks of heresie II. AT LENGTH he built a little Church vppon a rock in an Iland neere vnto the riuer Seauerne where spending his time night He buildeth an ermitage and day in continuall prayer he kept his mind wholly vacant and free from the world and worldly creatures seriously attending the contemplation of the diuine goodnes of his Creatour But being in such want of fresh water that he had noe other store but what was retained after a shower in little holes of the rock he made his prayer to allmightie God who sent him a cleere spring of water gâ—shing out of the same place But by the frequent iniuries and incursions He departeth to Glasten bury of Pirats he was compelled to depart from hence to Glastenbury being honourably receaued of the Abbott he instructed the Monkes and people thereabouts in the science both of humane diuine things and building a little Church not farre from thence he led there an eremiticall life in great austeritie and penance Vnto whom as vnto an oracle manie came from all parts of Britanie to partake of his wisedome and learning He whose holy desires tended only towards heauen striued with all the force of eloquence he could to diuert their minds from the transitorie things of this world and settle them on the only consideration of heauen Hauing in this manner spent some yeares in this habitation the holy man fell into a grieuous sicknes which made him quickly vnderstand that the hower of his death was nigh therefore earnestly desiring of the Abbot to haue his bodie buried at Glastenbury and recommending his soule vnto the hands of allmightie God he left this miserable world to receaue his reward in a better the twentie ninth day of January in the yeare of our Lord 512. His bodie according to his desire was buried at Glastenbury in the middest of the ould Church Of this holy Sainct make mention MATHEW WESTMINST N. HARPSFIELD saec 6. cap. 23. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others whom we haue followed The life of S. BIRSTAN Bishop and Confessor IAN. 30. Out of William Malmesbury and Westminster SAINCT BIRSTAN being a man of most pure and sincere life was chosen Bishop of Winchester where he ruled the space of fower yeares He was wont euerie day to sing or say Masse for the soules departed and by night without anie feare he would walke about the Church-yard reciting psalmes and other prayers to the same end And as once in his
Christian religion soe nobly layd and by his frequent preaching exhortations and continuall examples of pious workes he endeauoured to aduance them to due height of perfection Neyther did he only His care of all the Churches take the chardge and care of the new Church of the English but was allsoe verie sollicitous and carefull of the auncient inhabitants of Britaine not forgetting allsoe to be a pastorall gardian of the Scotts and Irish. For vnderstanding the manner of life and profession of faith of the Britans and Scotts to be in manie things scarse Ecclesiasticall and chiefly that they did not celebrate their Easter in due time but iudged it to be obserued between the fourteenth of the Moone and the twentith he togeather with his fellow-Bishops writt vnto them an epistle of exhortation desiring and coniuring them to keepe the same vnitie of peace and Catholicke obseruance which was obserued in the Church of CHRIST ouer all the world Of which his Epistle this was the beginning His Epistle to the Scotish or Irish Bishops LAVRENCE MELLITVS and IVSTVS seruants of the sernants of God vnto our most deare brothren the Bishops and Abbotts throughout all Scotland When the Sea Apostolicke according to the accustomed manner thereof which is to send to all parts of the world directed vs into these Westerne quarters to preach the word of God vnto Pagans and heathens and we happened to enter this Iland called Britaine indging before we knew that all who were Christians walked according to the custom of the vntuersall Church we honoured with great reuerence of sainctitie as well the Britans as the Scotts But now hauing had some knowledge of the Britans errours we iudged better of the Scotts Till we vnderstood by Dagamus Bishop that came into this foresayd Iland and by Columban Abbot in Fraunce that the Scotts in their conuersation doe nothing differre from the Brittans For Dagamus Bishop being here refused not only to eate with vs but would not tast anie meate vnder the same Roofe with vs c. In like manner S. LAVRENCE togeather with his other fellow-Bishops sent letters worthie his calling vnto the Priests of the Britans whereby he endeauoured to reduce them to the vnitie of the Catholick Church But all his labour profitted little so obstinate and peruerse they were in their fore-taken opinions II. IN the meane time a most grieuous tempest and perturbation arose in the Church For B. Ethelbert King of Kent being dead Eabald his successour vtterly destroying his Fathers holie institutions of A perturbaâ—â—on in the English Chur. Christianitie ranne hedlong into all manner of vice and wickednes marrying his stepmother he liued in that foule fornication which the Apostle soe highly detested in the Corinthian Together with him the Noblemen and manie of the people choosing rather to offend God then not to follow the Kings fashioÌ„ fell as the manner is from their Catholick institution into all manner of loosenes and lewdnes of life and religion To augment these miseries about the same time Sigebert King of the East-Angles being dead his sonnes fell from the Catholick religion which in their Fathers time they seemed to approoue into the flatt profession of their ancient Idolatrie Therefore in the midst of these soe great difficulties the holy Monks Bishops Mellitus of London and Justus of Rochester mett at Canturbury to deliberate with S. LAVRENCE what was best to be done At length they were brought to such straights that they determined rather to returne into their owne countrey there to serue God in peace and quietnes then to loose their labours among these barbarous people soe rebellious to the faith of CHRIST Mellitus and Justus departed into France there to expect what would be the euent of these mi The Bishops flie into Frace series whom S. LAVRENCE promised shortly to follow vnlesse the wickednes of the time did change In the meane space he ceased not to admonish and perswade the King and people with all the force of arguments he could inuent that they ought not soe silthyly to forsake such excellent precepts of religion and soevnaduisedly fall from the great happines allreadie obtained But the king finding the holy Bishop to withstand him and his desires began dayly to haue a greater auersion from him and grew at length to be soe malitiously bent against him that LAVRENCE inteded wise to goe after his Brother-Bishops into France III. THE night before he meaÌ„t to depart he coÌ„mauÌ„ded his bed to be prepared in the verie Church of S. PETER PAVL where hauing Laurence meaning to flie is scourgedby S. PETER powred out his heartie prayers bathed in teares for the present miserable state of the Church he betooke him self to his rest fell asleepe During which the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER appeared vnto him and hauing seuerely scourged his nacked back shoulders with sharpe stripes a good space of the night he asked him by a strict apostolicall authoritie wherefore he would forsake the flock which he had coÌ„mitted to his chardge to what other pastour he would dismisse the sheepe of CHRIST froÌ„ which he intended to flie leaue them in the midst of wolues Hast thou forgott mine exaple said he who for the little ones of IESVS-CHRIST which in testimonie of his loue he recoÌ„meÌ„ded vnto mee haue suffered chaines stripes imprisonments afflictions and at last death it self vppon a crosse S. LAVRENCE with these stripes of the Apostle allthough wounded in bodie yet much encouraged in mind went the next morning to the king discouering his back shewed him how cruelly he was scourged and tome The king much amazed hereat demaunded who durst be soe bould as to exercise such crueltie on soe great and worthie King Edbald renounceth Idolatrie a man and vnderstanding that the holie Bishop had endured those cruell blowes from the Apostle S. PETER all for his healths sake he was exceedingly affrighted therevppon abandonning all Idolatrie and reiecting his vnlawfull mariage he embraced the fayth of CHRIST and was baptised by S. LAVRENCE which done he called Melliâ—us and Iustus out of France remayning euer after constant in the Catholicque fayth BVT S. LAVRENCE hauing againe setled his bishoprick in good order and reduced the people of the countrey to the fould of CHRIST being desirous allsoe as we S. Laurence Preacheth in Scotland haue said to bring the Scots and Brittans to the vnitie of Gods Church went into Scotland In which iourney he is reported to haue walked like an other S. PETER ouer an arme of the sea on foote wheÌ„ the marriner that refused to carrie him ouâ—r was in his sight punished with fier froÌ„ heaueÌ„ swallowed vp togeather with his boate in the mercilesse gulphes of the Sea Preaching in a certaine village finding noe man that would receaue ether him or his doctrine but rashly expelled him from amongst them he was forced that night to take a hard lodging
where she had first receaued her mortall breath In this authoritie she caried her self with soe great sainctitie and prudeÌ„ce that she worthily obtained a wonderfull prayse and name in the world of pietie wisedom and discretion For in such wise she exercised the authoritie of a mistresse that she seemed allsoe to beare the condition of a seruant instructing her subiects in the way of vertue more by her owne example then by imperious commaunding IV. AS ON a time she made some stay at her monasterie of Wedune neere Southampton newes was brought that an infinite companie of wild-geese yearly accustomed to make a verie great spoile in the corne and other pastures belonging to the monasterie Wherevpon she commaunded the messenger to returne and bring them all before him into the pound He allthough he imagined the holy Note a wonderfull miracle virgin flowted him went into the fields and seeking to driue those wild foules off the corne he found that not one of that allmost infinite multitude once offered to lift vpp his wings to flie away therefore perceauing now a possibilitie in what he iudged before impossible he began to driue them forward when they went before him like soe manie sheepe on a foote pace hanging downe their heads as it were out of the confusion of their owne guiltines till he had them in the place appoynted where he shutt them vpp as close prisoners all that night Neuer were soe manie wild The Wild fowle obeyeth her commaund creatures at once vnder lock and key before The next morning betimes with their cackling notes they began to crie out like poore prisoners for pardon for their offence or at lest for sustenance to maintaine nature aliue The holy virgin who was euer of a mild disposition towards all creatures commaunded them to be sett at libertie with a straight charge threatned against them neuer to returne againe into those parts She had noe sooner spoke then obedience followed for the whole troupe of those geese fled away soe farre that neuer after anie of the same kind once appeared within the confines of that monasterie V. A HEARDSMAN belonging vnto her monasterie called Alâ—…thus a man of verie good life was oftentimes much iniured and at length in presence of the holy Virgin sorely beaten and wounded by the Baylyf of the same place all which the good man quietly bore of with the buckler of patieÌ„ce whilst S. WERBVRG on her knees with prayers mingled with threatnings cried out on him to spare the One straingely punished for notobeying S. Werburg poore innocent but his furie and pride swelling in her humilitie disdayned to listeÌ„ to her pious entreaties but pursued his rude crueltie when by the iust iudgment of god he receaued his punishement for presently his stubborn eneck and frowning visage was after a horrid manner writhen and turned backwards to looke behind him since he refused a good looke to the seruant of god which kneeled for pittie before him This made his stout heart to relent and throwing him self prostrate at her feete with repentant teares he demaunded pardon of his offence soe that she from a defendant became a iudge by whose holie mediation and suffrage vnto the eternall iudge he had his face restored vnto the auncient seate againe And the same Heardsman Alnothus led a solitarie and anachoreticall life in a wood neere adioyning vntill he was martyred by the theeues that haunted the same VI. AT LENGTH the B. Virgin WEREBVRG hauing for manies yeares prudently done the office of a louing mother ouer her three monasteries foreseeing the time of her death to be at hand she commaunded her Nunnes that wheresoeuer she died they should burie her bodie at the monasterie of Handbury And within a short Her happie death time after being then at Trentham she went out of this world to goe to the heauently vnion and mariage of her deare and long desired spouse in Paradise She died the third day of February about the yeare of our Lord 676. and her bodie was honorably buried at Her bodie found vncorrupted the monastery of Handbury where her tombe was famous for manie miracles Nine yeares after her bodie being taken vpp it was found vncorrupted with her cloathes on her face lillie white only her cheekes a little sprinkled with red all in the same manner as when she was aliue and thus she remayned without corruption vntill by the iust iudgement of god the sinnes of our wretched countrey were punished by the Danish sword when left soe pure a relique should be profaned by the hands of those Barbarous and incredulous people her body resolued into dust and her bones were remoued to Westchester into the Benedictin monasterie where afterwards a goodly Church was built by Hugh Earle of Chester and dedicated to her name which to this day is called S. WEREBVRGS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie Manie miracles were wrought in those dayes at her holie reliques and the like without question would allsoe be done in these our times were not the present fayth of our countrey such and soe great as it is noe fayth at all Her life we haue gathered chiefly out of IOANNES ANGLICIVS or IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist Eccle. saee 7. cap. 23. and WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest reg Ang. lib. 2. cap. 13. and de gest Pontif. lib. 4. FLORBNTIVS WIGOâ—NIENSIS an 676. POLIDORE VIRGILL lib. 4. de regno Merciorum CONTINVATOR Bâ—DAE lib. 2. cap. 33. IOHN SPEED in his historie of England and others doe make honorable mention of her The life of S. GILBERT of Sempringham Confessor Author of the Gilbertin monks FEB 4. Out of Nicholas Harpsfield and others SAINCT GILBIRT was sonne to Ioceline a worthie Norman Souldier his mother was an English woeman who before his birth had a famous vision foreshewing his greatnes when in her sleepe the moone seemed to fall into her lappe He was borne at Sempringham in Lincolnshire In his fathers house he was of soe poore esteeme that the verie seruants would scarse daigne to eate their meate with him For in feature of bodie he was something rude and vnhandsom Being sett to schoole and profitting but poorely he went into France where by his good endeauours he attayned vnto the degree of master in the liberall sciences Afterwards returning into England His care in bringing vp yong children he bent his whole labours piously and freely to bring vpp children of both sexes whom he not only instructed in the rudiments of learning but allsoe gaue them exact and as it were monastical rules of good manners prescribing vnto them certaine times and places when to reade their lessons when to talke and when to be silent allwaies endeauouring from his verie youth to winne soules vnto CHRIST and to profitt whomsoeuer he could by word work and good example In the meane time his father who was Lord of the two Churches Sempringham and Tyrington being much delighted with the vertuous life
chastitie and giue twelue Vâ—wes of chastity pleasing vnto God farmes with the land therevnto belonging to the erection and foundation of monasteries yf by his diuine assistance and to his greater honour he should ouerthrow the insolent pride of his Barbarous enemie This sayd with a heart full of coÌ„fidence he prepared him self and his small armie for the battle The number of his aduersaries are reported to haue redoubled thirtie times his all well repoynted and old tried souldiers against whom bouldly marched King Oswy with his sonne Alâ—frid The battle was fought were the riuer Junet which at that time ouerflowed his banks soe that the Victorie falling with Oswy more by flight were drowned in the water then King Oswy victorious ouer Penda slaine with the sword And herein proud Penda payd death his due with the ouerthrow of all his Mercian power This noble victorie being by gods holy assistance soe nobly or rather miraculously wonne King Oswy gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God and for performance of his vow made he deliuered his daughter ELFLED as yet scarse a yeare old to be brought vpp in a monasterie of Benedictine nunnes called Heretheu vnder the pious conduct of S. HILDA And withall he gaue the lands of one hundred and twentie families for the building and maintayning of monasteries But two yeares afterwards S. HILDA purchased the possession of tenne Elfled taketh the habit of S. Benedict families and built the monasterie of Streanshall where ELFLED being come to age first receaued the habit of S. BENEDICTS order and hauing bin long trained vp in this holy schoole of vertue in the continuall exercise of monastical discipline she afterwards succeeded S. HILDA being for her holy life chosen Abbesse of that place and became a mistresse of vertue vnto the whole coÌ„uent gouerning her virgin subiects in the ioyes of virginitie with the care of a motherly pietie and inuiting them to the true obseruance of religion by the vertuous and pious example of her owne life II. WHILST thus she ennobled the nobilitie of her stock with the greater nobilitie of vertue she fell into a grieuous sicknes that made her allmost tast the bitternes of deaths pangs and when the skill of phisick could nothing auayle her suddely by the grace of the She falleth sick diuine phisition she was taken out of the gates of death and freed from all her inward paines yet still remained in soe great weaknes of her limmes that she could nether stand nor goe but was forc't to creepe on all fower in soe much that with sorrow she began to feare a perpetuall lamenes hauing long since despayred of the phisitians helpe Till one day sitting pensiuely in the anguish of her sorrowfull thoughts the great sainctity of S. CVTHBERT whoÌ„ she loued dearly came into her mind and presently she wished to haue somthing from him firmely beleeuing and trusting thereby to receaue perfect health Not long after there comes one which She recouereth by miracle brought her a linnen gyrdle sent from S. CVTBERT She greatly reioyced with that present and vnderstanding that her desire was made knowne by diuine reuelation vnto the holy man gyrt her self with the same gyrdle and one the morrow after she became able to stand on her feet and the third day she was restored to perfect health to the great admiration of all Within a short time after being desirous to coÌ„municate to others the great blessing bestowed vppon her self she applied the same gyrdle vnto one of her Nunnes that was allmost dead with an insufferable payne which dayly increased more more in her head but noe sooner had this holy Virgin of CHRIST bound her about the temples with that gyrdle but the payne ceased perfect health succeeded Afterwards B. S. CVTHBERT Bishop of Linsdisfarne came him self in person to visitt this holy Virgin and to consecrate a Church Where as the holy man sate at table he saw in a vision the soule of a seruant that died at her monasterie at that verie time The holy virgin being desirous to know who it was to morrow replied S. CVTHBERT before I goe to masse thou wilt tell me his name She sent to know and on the morrow as the bishop was dedicating the Church she came running Masse for the dead to him in a womanish amazement as yf she had brought some great newes I desire you my Lord sayd she to be mindfull in your Masse of Hadwald thas was his name who died falling from a tree as he was cutting wood III. WHEN this most noble and holy virgin of CHRIST ELLFED had for manie yeares ruled her monasterie in great Sainctitie and preserued the sacred treasure of her virginitie from her tendrest infancie to the age of threescore yeares she deliuered vpp her pure soule to the most happie and long desired mariage of her heauenly spouse about the yeare of our Lord 714. She was buried in the Church of the same monasterie dedicated to S. PETER togeather with her father King Oswy and Queene Enfleda her mother But by the Danish furie that as manie other monasteries was vtterly destroyed till afterwards it was againe reedified for monkes of S. BENEDICTS order and called by the name of Whiteby And lastly is was translated to the walles of the cittie of Yorke and dedicated to our Lady But after the raigne of William conquerour the sacred reliques of S. ELFLED with others being found amongst those ruines were honourably placed in a more eminent degree worthy the meritts of soe great a sainct Thus much of S. ELFLED we haue gathered chiefly out of S BEDE de gest lib. 3. c. 24. William malmesbury de gest PoÌ„t Ang. lib. 3 Mathew Westmin an 655. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist. Eccl. saec 7. cap. 27. other English writers The life of S. THELIAN Bishop and confessor FEB 9. Out of an auncient Authour SAINCT THELIAN an auncient Britan borne of noble parents ' much more ennobled his stock by the splendor of his vertues He was Scholler vnto Dubricius bishop of Landaff vnder whose holy care he attayned vnto that height of wisedome learning that as yet He was called 〈◊〉 and way but a youth he obtained the name of Helios which in Greeke signifieth the Sunne for his sacred doctrine shined like the sunne and dispersing the darknes of sinne and infidelity lightened the hearts of the faythfull poeple of his countrey with the sacred beames of true religion and vertue But hearing the fame of a prudent and holy man called Paulin he went vnto him and conferred with him concerning the more secret and abstruse places of the holy scripture where he entred into acquintaince with great S. DAVID Bishop of His loue to S. Dauid Meneuia betweene whom the grace of the holy ghost tied soe strict a knott of true loue and friendship that they were esteemed in those dayes as a noble payre of friends of one mind and soule But while they liued togeather in
of her byrth and hauing the prerogatiue of senioritie among her Fathers children was soe farr from glorying therein that for the only deare loue of allmightie god her creatour and the pure desire of heauen she vtterlie contemned those honours which worldlings soe highly admire and wholely setled and tied her self with all the thoughts studies cares desires and powers of her soule to find out the best and readiest meanes to attaine to that kind of vertuous life in which being free from all broiles and troubles of the vaine world she might spend the short time of her mortalitie in the contemplation of allmightie God and his heauenly guifts and graces thereby to ennoble the royaltie of her bloud which the nobilitie of perfection and vertue And the better to put these her good thoughts and purposes in perfect execution she â—â—â—â—ged her fath 〈…〉 littering and princely pallace for a monaâ—â—erie her royal◠〈…〉 irple for a hayre-cloathe her princely diadem for a little black vayle and in summe insteed of her worldly dowrie which could not but be exceeding rich and honourable she made a happie choyse of IESVS-CHRIST to be the only spouse and spirituall ornament of her soule II. ALL this she performed in a monasterie which her self had built She becometh a Nunne of S. Benedicts order at Wenlock in Shropsâ—irâ— where at 〈◊〉 hands of S. THEODORE a Benedictin monk then Archbishop of Canturburie she receaued the vayle of perpetuall virginttie and was ranged into the order of Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS or dâ—â—â—â—d 〈…〉 er made Abbesse of the virgins that she had gathered togeather in the same place and vnder the same rule This monasterie her father and her vncle Merwald and Wulfere both kings of Mercia verie richly adorned afterwards with large and ample possessions of lands manie pretious reliques of Saincts and diuers other great priuiledges and prerogatiues And now by reason of that holie societie soe worthyly addicted to the diuine seruice of God and cheefly for S. MILBVRG her self a mother worthie such a progenie or for that holie progenie worthie soe good a mother that sacred place beganne to represent a new kind of little paradise in which amongst the inhabitants was a holie contention striuing who should gett the prize in the aduancement of true pietie chastitie and humilitie to triumph ouer the vaine delights fond pleasures and fading glories of the world III. BVT yet S. MILBVRG farre excelled the rest especially in all humilitie and demission of mind preseruing her self for the spirituall vnion which her heauenly spouse most chast pure and vnspotted in all and through all her actions And as a bright A yong man taken with loue of her sunne to the lesser planets she gaue light vnto her other sisters by the rare example of her vertues to shew them the high way to perfection In this her holy course of soe great vertues CHRIST was not wanting to his pious virgin nether did he only giue her dayly a greater ardour of will and a fresh supplie of force to further her progresse in the path of vertue but allsoe honoured her with famous testimonies of his care and loue towards her and bestowed by her manie excellent documents to posteritie Amongst which one and not the lest was that being on a time out of her monasterie in a village called Stokes a yong gallant sonne to a prince of that countrey was soe taken with her beautie that he had a vehement desire to carrie her away by force and marrie her And hauing gathered a band of men togeather to putt his wicked thoughts in execution he endeauoured to make the holy virgin his prey but she that had intelligence hereof by reuelation from her heauenly spouse presently with her companie betooke her self to flight when the rash yong maÌ„ fiercer then anie wolf followed the pure lambe of CHRIST till coming to a little shallow brooke called Corse through which the Virgin with her companie had easily waded his furie receaued a stopp for the water as it were displeased at soe bad an enterprise suddenly She it miraculously preserued swelled vp and filling his bankes with angrie streames seemed to threaten those passengers with destruction The yong gallant much confounded and astonished herewith declared by his cessing to persecute the holy virgin anie further that the flames of his vnchast affection were vtterly quenched with the sudden inundation of that coole water In like manner as the water the fowles which we call Wild-geese did obey the will and commaundement of S. MILBVRG for when those creatures The fowleâ— of the ayre obey her made greate spoile and hauock in the corne fields neere vnto her monasterie the holy Virgin full of fayth which as our sauiour sayth can remooue mountaines commaunded them presently to be gone and chardged that nether they nor anie other of the same kind should euer dare to trespasse those fields anie more To whom a Syf they had been capable of reason the birds forth with obeyed neuer more endomaged those places this miracle lasted not only during her life but allsoe to our later ages as it is recorded both by the testimonie of the inhabitants thereabouts manie ancient writers Whereby you may see how it pleased the diuine goodnes to shew a miraculous fauour in our England to this his blessed Virgin like vnto that which in times past he shewed to S. ANTHONH the Hermite when he gaue him power and commaund ouer the wild boares in the desert IV. MANIE other wonderfull workes are related of this holy Virgin which the breuitie of this discourse will not permitt vs to rehearse of which these are that she restored sight vnto a blind man life vnto the dead sonne of a poore widdow Which deedes as in theÌ„ selues they are verie great soe in respect of those other benefitts and graces wherein by her pious exhortations and holy example of life she restored vnto manie desperate persons the heauenly light of the soule which they had lost and life euerlasting whereof their sinfull actions and vnworthines had depriued them they seeme to bee of farre lesse accompt in as much as the spirituall light and death of the Soule doth excell the mortall light and death of the Bodie V Now this holie spouse of IESVS CHRIST S. MILBVRG hauing made soe worthie a progresse in all kind of goodnes and vertue that Her speech to her Nuns before death euen in the winter of her old age the sweete flowers of her good workes euer florishing and encreasing more and more in perfection she became to desire aspire vnto nothing more then by the end of her labours in this world to attaine to the ioyfull fruition and presence of the only deare spouse of her soule who through the burning and purging affliction of a long and teadious feauer called her at length vnto him But during the time of this her last sicknes hauing gathered her Nunnes about her with great deuotion she
SWIBERT Bishop and Confessor Apostle of Frizeland and Saxonie monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 1 Written by S. Mar celline priest his companioÌ„ and fellow preacher IN THE yeare of our Lord six hundred fortie seauen S. SWIBERT was borne in Northumberland of noble princely pareÌ„ts couÌ„t Sigebert and Berta his wife Before his byrth his deuout mother had a vision The vision of his mother as she lay in her bed wherein she beheld one starre in the heauens farre excelling all the rest in brightnes whose glittering beames seemed to giue light to the whole countrey and presently the same starre appeared to fall vppon the bed where she lay This was then interpreted by S. AYDAN bishop of Lindisfarne to be a presage of the child that she bore in her wombe who as he sayd should be a light vnto his Countrey and the whole Church of God And in confirmation hereof at the very hower she was deliuered A strange light appeared at his birth a wonderfull great splendour shined in the chamber whose beames seemed to dazle the daies light and much astonish the beholders The Child being borne the same light decreased by degrees and vanished In baptisme he was called SWIBERT and being from his verie Cradle trayned vp in the feare of God and good learning he soe carefully auoyded all vices incident to that age and soe manfully embraced the hard waies of vertue that he gaue great hopes of his future greatnes which caused manie allreadie to prognosticate wonders of his sainctitie And to the end he might dayly He embraceth a monasticall life proceed the better from vertue to vertue aâ— the age of fifteene yeares he departed with the good leaue of his parents to the Benedictine abbey of Bardâ—â—â—â— in Lincolneâ—â—ire where he forsoke all worldly hopes and became a monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT vnder the gouerment of the good Abbot Higbald In this vertuous schoole our noble youth carefully endeauoured to ennoble his mind with all manner of vertue in all things behauing him self with such prompt obedience humble modestie and sweet innocencie of life that in short time he grew to he much loued esteemed admired and reuerenced euen of the greatest and auncientest monks in the house Hauing liued nine yeares in the same monasterie in continuall continencie abstinence and the exercise of regular and monasticall discipline he was aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood in the execution of which holy function He is made Priest worthyly corresponding with his vertuous actions he offered dayly to allmightie God a most acceptable sacrifice For in true pietie and religion he was second to none adorned with the glorie of all Christian vertues most attentiue and frequent in his prayers and most exactly rigid in fasting and mortifying his owne bodie in soe much that he gaue great examples of edification to his brethren and the famous report of his vertues was published and admired throughout the Countrey II. WHILST thus he shined in the excellencie of a religious life among his other brethren as a bright sunne amongst the rest of the planets the Bishop of Yorke hauing vnderstood the incomparable Benedictine Monks sometimes Canons prayses of his vertue reioyced much thereat and sending for him made him a Canon of the Cathedrall Church of S. Peters at Yorke Whereat the reader need not wonder since heretofore is hath been a laudable custom much practised in the Church of God for Monks of S. BENEDICTS order to gouerne cathedrall Churches as Canons were indeed monasticall canons and of this kind S. SWIBERT was ordayned one at Yorke In which CONVENT sayth the authour to shew that they were monks since a quire of secular Canons is called a CHAPTER and not a CONVENT he liued for the space of two yeares in soe great austeritie of life such strict obseruance of Monasticall discipline that he seemed to leade an angelicall life vpoÌ„ S. Swibert of a Benectin Canon made Abbot of Monks earth And now being come to that height of perfection that he was fitt to be proposed as a mirrour to all such as professed a regular life he was created abbott of the monasterie of Dacore soe called froÌ„ the riuer Dacor running thereby In the meane time the venerable man S. EGBERT a Benedictin monk of whom see Aprill the 24. wonderfully zealing the gaine of soules the promulgatioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospel his owne resolution to goe into those countreyes being hindered by reuelatioÌ„ froÌ„ heauen made choise of twelue learned English monkes all zealous of the Catholick cause out of diuers monasteries Twelue English Benedictins sent to preach in Germanie of EnglaÌ„d Jreland to preach the ChristiaÌ„ fayth in FrizelaÌ„d One not the lest of these elect preachers was our S. SWIBERT S. MARCELINE that wrote his life an other they were eleuen priests one decon who hauing all happyly passed the sea towards the vineyard of CHRIST allotted to their holy charge they ariued at Vtreicht about the yeare 690. And following the same institution order and conuersation of life that the Apostles and disciples of CHRIST vsed in the primitiue Church noe man presuming to call anie thing his owne but all obseruing the rules of the monasticall and religious pouertie which they professed They began with verie great constancie and resolution to preach the Christian fayth amongst those barbarous poeple But the Frisons that were men of an vntamed and stubborne nature stoode stiffely in defence of their Idoatrie refusing to listen to the sacred tidings of the true Ghospell soe that these holy preachers being threatned with death for annouÌ„cing the words of life were compelled to depart thence hauing at first reaped litle or noeprofitt at all III. THEREFORE they went into an Iland called Fosteland where Radbode the persidious King of Friseland being beaten out of his Kingdome by the most Christian Prince Pepin of France theÌ„ remayned And in this it being a place of verie great and solemne resort among those Pagans by reason of the superstitious Idolatrie vsed there to a God of theirs called Foste from whom the Iland tooke name the Preachers of CHRIST began to announce the holy ghospell and hauing destroyed the profane aultars of those stonie-hearted Gods Iupiter and Foste they laboured to conuert the poeple to the knowledge of the only true God creatour of the world where their paines were rewarded with the conuersion but of three soules only But Radbode vnderstanding hereof caused one of them Wigbert martired called Wigbert to be cruelly putt to death a glorie which long before he had desired and banished all the rest out of the Iland When they perceiuing the tirannie of the worldly prince to withstand their good endeauours in preaching the sweet ghospell of the king of heauen retired them selues to the forenamed worthie Prince Pepin who sent them to preach in the lower parts of Frizeland with a strict charge to all
of mischief comes crying after them with newes of greater miserie that an infectious disease was suddenly fallen among their cattle which killed them soe fast that she feared yf some ayd were not gotten they should quickly haue more emptie hides then beasts Wherevppon they resolued to returne to the seruant of God and humbly to Who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stly punished implore his assistance both for them selues and their cattle Which done they obtained their desire and in recompence and acknowledgment of that benefitt the Tiran gaue vnto S. DAVID all thâ—t Valley where the Cathedrall Church of Menenia now standes for the vse of him and his fellowes and successors for euer III. BVT THIS Tirans wife could not soe soone depose her malice for meaning with a deuilish practise to ruine the chastitie of those poore monkes she sent a lasciuious companie of naked wenches to exercise all manner of vnciuill embracings and wanton actions in their sight which made some of their minds beginne to stagger with soe euident a temptation others to be a little troubled and indeed all being impatient of such an immodest iniurie cried out vnto sainct DAVID to be gone out of the fight and reach of soe foule a sight You know replied the holy man that the world hates vs. And you must know allsoe A good lesson that the poeple of ISRAEL trauelling to the land of Promise with the holy Arke of couenant were resisted with continuall dangers and battles and yet not ouercome but through all their iourney remayned victorious ouer that incircumcised poeple which doeth manifestly betoken the triumph we must haue in these our conflicts For he that seeketh to enioy the promise of the heauenly Paradise the true land of Promise must necessarily be assayled but not vanquished with the battrie of temptations and aduersities vntill by the assistance of CHRIST his chief Captaine he shall vtterly haue ruined and ouerthrowne all the vncleane bullwarkes of vice and inquitie Therefore we must not be ouercome with euill but ouercome euill with goodnes for yf CHRIST he with vs who dare stand against vs Be valiant then my deare brethren in this conflict and let not our enemies take ioy in your flight IV. HAVING thus encouraged their mindes he built vp the monasterie He buildeth a Monasterie and ordered it with good lawes and rules of monasticall discipline Where euerie one liued by the labour of his owne hands rightly following that Aposticall rule He that will not labour let him 2. Thes c. 3 v. 10. The manner of life of the auncient Monkes not eate And after their labour at sett howers they fell to their prayers meditations and reading of holy Scripture which done againe they fetled to their labours neuer tasting anie foode till the starres appeared in the skie when their ordinarie diet was soe farre from all delights that only bread herbes and pure water were the chiefest dainties which quenched their hunger and thirst After a sleight refreshing herewith they returned againe to their prayers then to their rest whence they were raysed at the first crowing of the Cock and prolonged their prayers vntill the morning when with the rising of the sunne all betooke them selues to their day-labour By this meanes they gaue the world not only a worthie proofe and example of all manner of vertue and continencie but allsoe of liberalitie For allthough they would not take anie thing giuen them but with much difficultie yet were they soe farre from want of necessaries that by their owne labour and toile they succoured the necessities of verie manie poore orphans pupills widdowes and pilgrims In summe in their manner of liuing they were liuely paternes of the Apostolical life of those auncient fathers which liued at Alexandria vnder the institution of S. MARK the Euangelist V. S. DAVID was the gouernour and President of this holy companie not only in authority and dignitie but by his owne due deserts For he would impose nothing vppon others which him self refused to vndergoe Nay by how much he was aboue them in dignitie by soe much he excelled them all in the greatnes and continuance of diligence continence fasting and prayers and the most exact obseruance of all religious offices and duties S. Dauid chosen Archbis hop of the Britaines After mattins wheÌ„ the rest of his Monks returned to their beds hiscustoÌ„ was to enter into the cold water to extinguish the vnlawfull heate of his body At length the excellence of his vertues being carried ouer the world with the wings of fame by the commoÌ„ suffrages of the countrey he was chosen Archbishop of all Wales and soe great honour bestowed vppon him that the Metropolitan sea which till then had been at Chester was for his sake translated to Menenia now called Sainct Dauids In this dignitie he behaued him self soe worthyly that he became a rule and forme of good life to all He was the foode of the poore the life of orphanes cloath to the naked the Schoole of the ignorant a Father to his countrey and an Example to his monkes VI. THE miracles which he wrought in his life were such and soe admirabler that the incredulitie of these our times doeth not deserue to heare or reade them and therefore we will only relate one which is that as he preached vppon a time against the Pelagians abrod vnder noe other canopie but heaueÌ„ such an infinite of poeple were gathered to heare his sacred eloquence that the holy preacher could not bee seene but of a few on a sudden the earth whereon he stood swelled vpp in forme of a little hill and raysed him to such a height that to the wonderfull great comfort and admiration of his auditors he was both seene and heard of then all And in memorie hereof a little chappell was built vppon the same hill which is sayd to remayne vnto these our daies VI. AT LENGTH this blessed Bishop the great patrone and Protectour His glorious death of the Britans hauing gouerned his Church manie yeares in great sainctitie and vertue of life till he came to the age of one hundred fortie seauen yeares theÌ„ vnderstanding by reuelation the day hower of his departure out of this world from that time he euer liued in the Church in continuall prayer and preaching vntill that long desired happie minute was come in which he yielded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his redeemer who togeather with whole quires of angels came in person happyly to receaue him and gloriously to leade him into the neuer dying ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome He was buried at Meneuia in his owne Church which allthough at first it was dedicated to the Apostle saint ANDREW yet afterwards by reason of the great fame this sainct had in those places and soe manie wonderfull miracles and signes of holines it tooke the name of S. DAVIDS as it is called at this verie day He died about the yeere 550. the first day of March which
in morall matters ought to be preferred before allmost all the doctours of the Church He died the twelfth day of March in the yeare of our Lord 607. the third of Phocas the Emperour But that I may end where I began how farre is the greatest part of our wretched Countrey fallen from that religion which this The conclusion holy Pope first planted therein Nay such as he him self and the Apostles he sent were that is Priests and Monks are now held for wicked traitours and whatsoeuer slanders worse can be vttered against their holy profession and function O what would Blessed Sainct GREGORY say yf he liued now to see his pious labours come at length to soe vnhappie a periode to see Churches pulled downe Monasteries robbed priests tortured imprisoned and hanged all goodnes pietie and religion expelled and beatten into corners all vice impietie and heresie set abroach to lead men hedlong into the bottomlesse gulphes of damnation But let vs hope at lest for better and expect till the goodnes of allmightie God shal please to receaue vs againe into his fauour whose eternall prouidence doubtlesse hath permitted vs to fall into these miseries being pulled therevnto with the weight of our owne heauie sinnes and offences Let vs make our dayly prayers vnto our Lord I. C. that by the merits and intercession of this glorious Sainct our first Father and Apostle whom he soe highly exalted both in heauen and earth that he would graunt vs the grace to imitate that patterne of life and religioÌ„ which he hath layd before vs in his owne workes and sent vs at first by his disciples Whose care of our Countrey as in his life it was verie great soe since his death eueÌ„ to this day he hath not forgotten vs for as then he sent his Benedictin Monks to bring the first tidings of catholick religion amongst vs English soe yet he ceaseth not to send from a monasterie lately built and dedicated to his holy name manie learned men of the same Benedictin order and religion to labour in the conuersion of soules to their auncient catholique and Apostolique fayth For whom I the vnworthiest amongst them dare bouldly auouch soe much that they are all readie to seale the writing of that fayth religioÌ„ which they preach with the testimonie of their owne dearest bloud God of his infinite mercie through the merits of this glorious sainct graunt grace vnto our wretched countrey soe to listen vnto those and others her teachers that she may returne againe to the vnitie of our holy mother the Catholique and Apostolique Church Amen The life of S. PATRICK Bishop and confessor Apostle of Jreland MAR. 17 VVriten by Ioceline a Monk of Furnes SAINCT PATRICK for the excellencie of his vertues worthyly surnamed the Great was borne of the race of auncient Britans in that part of Wales now called Pembrookshire but the glorie and fame of his diuine learning life and miracles shined chiefly among His parents the inhabitans of Jreland who then were called Scotts His fathers name was Calphurnius his mothers Conquessa sister to the great Sainct MARTIN Archbishop of Tours In his Youth togeather with his two sisters and a brother he was taken Captiue and like an other Joseph sould into Ireland to a king named Milcho And as Joseph He is sould into IrelaÌ„d being a Slaue in Egipt was after a long â—uffring of aduersitie raysed at length to the supreme power Princedom of the countrey soe PATRICK hauing endured the affliction of his sale and slauerie in Ireland receaued the dignitie and primacie of the spirituall gouernment of the same Joseph furnished the hunger-starud EgiptiaÌ„s with graine PATRICK in his time nourished the poore Jrish languishing in the blindnes of Idolatrie with the wholesom foode of the Christian fayth They both tasted the smart of bodyly affliction for the greater good of the soule and were as gould in a furnace purified in the scorching flames of aduersitie Then by the commaund of the Prince PATRICK was made gardian of the Kings hoggs in the north part of the Countrey when it was strange to see He keepeth swine the wonderfull encrease of that ffock vnder soe pious a guide The holy youth bowing humbly to his fortune turned that necessitie His exercise of pietie being in miâ—erie into a vertue and hauing by this office purchased to him self a solitarines he piously laboured in the sauation of his owne soule Dwelling in the mountaines woods and caues of a desert he exercised him self in prayer fasting and meditation wherein he tasted the diuine sweetnes of allmightie God being amidst these afflictions often visited and conforted with angels from heauen It was not the crueltie eyther of heate cold frost or snow or anie other roughnes of weather that could fright him from his spirituall exercises But he still went on corragiously in his pious course dayly encreasing and profitting more and more in the way of vertue and growing stronger in fayth and the loue of IESVS-CHRIST II. AT LENGTH the allmightie goodnes that freed the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egipt deliuered his seruant Patrick by speciall miracle out of this affliction and restored him after six yeares seruitude in Ireland to his natiue contrey and friends He hath a vision againe to the great ioy and confort of his parents and kinsfolks He remayned some dayes with them till by the occasioÌ„ of a dreame or vision he was inspired otherwise For he saw a man in his sleepe who as he throught came out of Ireland with manie letters in his hand whereof he gaue him one which began thus This is the voice of the Irishmen And hauing read soe much he seemed at the same instant to heare the voyces of manie infants in Jreland crying out of their mothers wombs We beseech thee holy Father come walke amongst vs and deliuer vs. And a waking he gaue thanks vnto allmigtie God iudging for certaine that God had called him to coÌ„uert that couÌ„trey Therefore he resolueed to settle him self to the studie of holy learning and the better to putt his resolution in practise like an other Abraham he left his countrey parents friends and all and went ouer into France where vnder the learned tutorship of He studieth in France vnder S. German S. GERMANS Bishop of Aâ—xer he spent eighteen yeares in the continuall studie and reading of holy scriptures And at length the fame holy bishop seeing the great signes of vertue learning and religion in PATRICK promoted him to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Then he departed to his vncle S. MARTIN Archbishop of Tours with whom he stayed some daies reading and conferring what he had learned And because S. MARTIN was a monk he gaue likewise the monasticall habit to his cozen togeather with all his manner of regular obseruance which PATRICK not only receaued with deuotion but perseuering euer after therein was an ornameÌ„t to the habitt he wore with the
corespondencie of his vertuous life and actions And in all things shewed him self worthie of soe noble soe vertuous an vncle and soe excellent a master This done he returned to S. GERMAN with whom he had not stayed long before he reuealed vnto him an earnest desire he had to goe to Rome the fountaine and head of all true religion and Ecclesiasticall discipline S. GERMAN He goeth to Rome approued his good purpose and gaue him all the furtherance he could for his iourney But by the way he chanced to meete with an holy Hermite who gaue him a staffe which was sayd to haue been in the sacred hands of IESVS-CHRIST and by vertue of this staffe he wrought manie miracles afterwards and it was held in great veneration among the Irish and is to this day by the name of Iesus-staffe But S. PATRICK being safely arriued at Rome was very honourably entertayned by Pope Celestin the first who then gouerned the sea Apostolique and finding him to be of a most perfect approoued fayth learning and vertue first gaue him the name of PATRICK for before he was called Suchar or Suchet and hauing inuested him with episcopall dignitie afterwards he sent him to preach the fayth of CHRIST He is sent to Preach in Ireland to the rude inhabitans of Ireland Not long before he had sent thither for the same purpose one Paladius his ArchdeacoÌ„ but the Jrishmen refusing to receaue him and his doctrine he was forced to returne back to Rome and afterwards comming into England died in the confines of the Picts Therefore S. PATRICK not only succeeded him in that holy embassage and labour but farre exceeded him in the fruict he reaped out of both And truely the workes and miracles which are reported of him in the conuersion of that countrey are soe manie soe infinite and some soe beyond the degrees of admiration that they seeme allmost to be beyond fayth too At lest they are farre beyond the limitts of this short treatise and therefore I wittingly omitt the greatest part of them not that I thinke theÌ„ voyd of all truth God forbid but because some are reported with ouermuch pietie or credulitie and by such authours at first whose names are vnknowne and consequently their testimonie cannot carrie his iust weight in the ballaÌ„ce of true historie But before we enter into S. PATRICKS preaching in IrelaÌ„d let the great S. HIEROME tell vs what manner of men he had to deale with That nation sayth he had The rudenes of the Irish poeple not proper wines but as yf they had read PLATOS Policie and followed the example of CATO like beasts they satiated their lust according aâ— euerie one thought best He likewise affirmeth that he him self being in FraÌ„ce had seene lib. 2. contra Jouin. cap. 6. those poeple cate mans Flesh and that they were wont when they did light on shepheards that kept their flocks in woods and desert places to cutt of the buttocks of men and the paps of woemen affirming those to be the only delights of all other meates Noe wonder then that it pleased allmightie God to shew such strange signes and miracles by S. PATRICK as soe manie necessarie instrumeÌ„ts to worke the coÌ„uersion of that rude fierce barbarons poeple whose iron hearts could not be mollified but in the powerfull flames of wonderfull great vertue and sainctitie III. S. PATRICK therefore and his fellowes coming a shore amongst this rude poeple in the north part of the CouÌ„trey called Vlâ—ter found His entraÌ„ce into Ireland a multitude of Pagans expecting his arriuall come to meet him For their Magitians Negromancers had foretould his coming before and therefore the chief king of the Countrey Leogarie by name had prouided that watch thinking to make his entring into the Iland his goeing out of the world Against whom presently that dogged crew lett loose a cruell mastiffe to giue the gripes of death vnto the holy Bishop But the doggâ— forgetting his wonted fiercenes was strucken soe dumbe and starke at the sight of the holy maÌ„ that he stood like a stone without anie shew of motion giuing an euident token that his setters on who worshiped Idols of stone were like the Gods they worshiped Which being perceaued by one Dichu One Dichu endeauoureth to kill S. Patrick a man of mightie strength and stature he straight lifted vp his sword to giue the holy man his death But his strength became feeblenes hauing the force of the Allmightie opposing it for his arme and whole bodie grew in a moment soe stiffe that he could nether moue his foote to goe on nor bring downe the Dichu coÌ„uerâ—ed by miracle threatning blow he intended Wherevppon by the preaching of saint PATRICK he presently became a new man renounced his Idolatrie and was washed in the sacred font of baptisme togeather with all his familie Soe that he who in that Prouince was the greatest and chiefest impugner of Christianitie became the ring-leader and first professour thereof and constantly remayned in the same whilest he liued And as at that time his soule was released out of the bonds of sinne soe likewise all the parts of his bodie were restored againe to the function of their wonted strength and vigour Therefore he gaue vnto saint PATRICK as an argument of his newly conceaued deuotion to Christian religion that land with the appurtenances where this miracle happened to build a new Church thereon and this Church according to the desire of Dichu was not built from East to west as the manner is but from North to south perhapps that from the Northerne coldnes of Paganisme those Idolaters might be incited by the misterie of this edifice to the meridiaÌ„ feruour of Christian fayth and charitie In this place afterwards S. PATRICK built a famous monasterie into which he introduced a conuent of perfect monks and ordayned S. DVNNE his disciple abbot thereof with whom he him self returning from his labour of preaching was wont somes times to remayne IV. AS ONCE he celebrated the diuine sacrifice of masse in the same Church a wicked Magitian malitiously thrusting a loÌ„g rodd in at the window ouerturned his chalice and shed the most pretious Ransom of our Redemption vppon the aultar Whereat the holy man being exceedingly troubled grieued in mind burst out into teares wheÌ„ on the suddeÌ„ behould by the diuine handy work of God the chalice A magitiaÌ„ miracuâ—ously punished appeared againe standing vpright in the place before him and noe â—igne could be seene on the aulthar clothes of that diuine offring But the diabolicall worker of that mischieuous act escaped not a iust punishment for his temeritie for at the same instant the earth it self as it were wearie and ashamed to carrie such a hellish monster opened her bowells and swallowed him vp aliue to send him to his grand-master of darknes in hell And in the same place as a token of Gods reueÌ„ge there remayned a hollow
thereof he went in pilgrimage to Durcham where in his sacred tomb he deposed a worthie guift as a holy testimonie of his deuout loue At length after some yeares in his bishoprick coming to the last poynt of this mortall life as long as his voyce would serue him he sung his accustomed Anthem of S. CVTHBERT but his speech fayling with his hand he made a signe to the monks to goe on and soe he happily breathed forth the testimonie of his loue to that Sainct togeather with his blessed soule which at the same instant tooke her flight to receaue His happie departure her prepared seate and reward amongst the quires of Benedictin Monks in heauen Thus much out of Malmesburie depont lib. 2. Harpsfield saec 11. cap. 9. and others He florished about the yeares 1050. THE END OF MARCH The life of Sainct RICHARD Bishop of Chicester and Confessor APR. 3. VVritten by Radulphus Cicestrius about the yeare 1270 SAINCT RICHARD of blessed and neuer dying memorie was an Englishman borne of honest parents in Worcester-shire at a Village which from the salt-pitts thereabouts was called the Wiche S Richards parents c countrey His fathers name was Richard too and his mothers Alice It was not without some presage of his future excellencie that he was borne in a towne of salt for indeed he seasoned the whole countrey with the salt of his wisedom learning and holy life From his tendrest yeares contrarie to the custō of that age he so farre abandoned dancing His happie witt plaies and other such vanities that his other fellowes and equalls in yeares could by noe allurements nor perswasions draw him thereunto on the other side within a short time he farre excelled all his riualls both in learning integritie of life good manners His elder brother during the time of his nonage was kept in ward and by that meanes he came to his lands in great pouertie and want Whose case RICHARD much pittied and hauing not anie thing wherewith to comfort and succour him in that necessitie he He serues his brother gaue him self wholly into his seruice in which he spent noe small time in great pouertie and abiection and with noe lesse patience humilitie and modestie toyling and sweating now at the plough now at the cart and other such hard imployments and labours of husbandrie Whereby he wonne to him self soe great good will and affection from his brother that by a sealed writing he assured all his lands vppon him Then his friends and kinsfolks began to treate of a marriage to be solemnized between him and a yong gentlewoman of that Countrey VVhich when his brother perceaued he beganne to repent that he had resigned ouer his meanes because he knew that with that gentlewoman he should come in possession of a verie large and ample dowry RICHARD hauing intelligēce hereof He forsaketh all for loue of leaning You haue noe reasō deare brother sayd he to be afflicted at this for the same liberalitie and curtesie which you haue shewed towards me will I returne to you againe Therefore behould I not only surrender vp your writings and bonds but allsoe all the interest I haue in this my future wife yf soe it may stand with the good will and liking of her frends and for mine owne part I neuer once kissed her lippes Hēceforth hauing abandoned all he had his lands his spouse his friends he betooke him self to his studies first at Oxford thē at Paris in France where he learnt his Logick And he was soe violently carried away with ā extreme loue desire to apparell his mind with learning that he scarse euer thought ether offoode or apparell for his bodie For as him self afterwards was wōt to say whē he was one of the three schollers that liued in one chamber they had but one capp or hatt betwixt them each of them but one gowne Soe that like some of our courtiers now a dayes whē one of them went forth to lesson with the hatt the other two remayned barcheaded at home And soe the same capp serued them all by turnes to goe heare their lectures Their ordinary food was bread and a little herbe-pottage or some such poore dish For their pouertie would not allow them to eate eyther flesh or fish vnlesse it were vppon sundaies and high dayes and when their friends and comrades did inuite them And yet the holy man was wont to say that in all his life times he neuer enuoyed merrier and sweeter dayes then those II. IN THE meane time our hopefull yong man prositted soe excellently Hefs made master of art in his studies that by the publick applause and acclamations of all men he was iudged worthie to be honoured with the title of master But refusing to take anie degrees at Paris he returned againe to his Countrey and to the Vniuersitie of Oxford where within a short time he was promoted to be Master of the liberall arts He studies Canon law when liberally he imparted that learning to others which before with much labour he had purchased to him self And goeing afterwards into Italic for seauē years space he gaue his mind to studie the Canon law in the vniuersitie of Bolognia that with soe great encrease of learning that his master falling sick made choise of him amongst all his other schollers to supplie his place and continue the lecture begunne Which for more then half a yeare he performed with soe great modestie readines of witt and iudgement that he purchased to him self great affectiō praise throughout all the vniuersitie gott soe high a place of fauour and good will with his master that he desired and aspired to nothing more willingly then to giue him his only daughter in marriage But RICH. who moued by a diuine inspiration was farre otherwise bent gaue him verie humble thanks for his noble loue courteously pretending some reasōs for his excuse adding withall that for the present he had a lōg iourney to make promising that at his returne yf soe it pleased God his dutie should be yielding to the leuell of his desires And taking leaue of his master his daughter in this sort he returned into England to the vniuersitie of Oxford where he led a verie rigid austere life in He is made Chancelour of oxford cōtinuall labours watching other bodily afflictiōs Whē his fame renowne encreased to such a height in the eares of the world that by the cōsent of all he was made Chauncelour of the Vniuersitie III. ABOVT the same time S. EDMOND sate at the helme in the gouernmēt of the metropolitā sea of Canturbury who long before had had certaine intelligence of his great prudence and integritie and Robert surnamed grosse teste a mā famous for holines was thē bishop of Lincolne who both being wholly ignorant of one others meaning herein And to the Archbishop of Cauturbury at one the same time earnestly
to shift for them selues abroade retayning only the aged men in the monasterie and a few children supposing belike that their weaknes would moue Crowland destroyed by the Danes the Barbarians to compassion But it fell out farre otherwise for when the same venerable Abbot had solemnly sung high Masse and made the remainder of his deuout Conuent participant of the most sacred body and bloud of our Lord suddenly a barbarous route of the Danes broke into the Church and hauing martired the Abbot before the high aultar with the like crueltie they murdered all the rest of the monks some in the refectorie some in the Chapter some in the Cloister soe that noe roome of that sacred Monastery remayned that was not full of bloud and horrour Only one yong Monk called Turgar whose beautifull forme of face and bodie allbeit he desired earnestly to beare his seniors companie in that expedition of death conquered the cruell mind of one of those blouddie Princes was saued and reserued for the companie and sake of a yong Count of the Danes called Sidrock Then those ministers of crueltie breaking vp the tombes of the saincts there buried committed all their bodies togeather with the Church and the whole Monasterie to the mercilesse power of the deuouring flames But Count Sidrok pulling yong Turgars cowle ouer his head gaue him a Danish iacket made him waite at his heeles wheresoeuer he went till the holy youth finding an opportunitie afterwards fled from that Barbarous master and returned againe to Crowland where he found his fellow monkes that had returned the day before labouring and sweating to quench the vnsatiable flames that yet raged among those dolefull ruines where he and fower other monks hauing according as they were able repayred a little habitation of defence only against the violeÌ„ce of the weather made choise of one Godrick for their Abbot and liued in a religious pouertie and a pious expectance to be restored to their auncient state for the space of an hundred yeares and more Till an aged man called Turketill Chancelour to worthy King Edred passing by Crowland as he went on busines for the King to Yorke was mett by those blessed old monkes and with a pious curtesie compelled to lodge in their ruined Monasterie And hearing The monasterie of Crowland reedisied the woefull storie of their miserable desolation he was soe moued to compassion that hauing with much difficultie obtayned leaue of the King he became a Benedictine Monke in the same place and began in his old age to beare the yoake of our Lord in the profession of a monasticall life When by his meanes King Edred helping therevnto that Monasterie was gloriously reedified and the lands liuings and Lorships anciently belonging vnto it restored and confirmed vnto it by the royall charters of the two Noble Kings Edred and Edgar to the great consolation of those good aged Monks who now gaue thanks vnto allmightie God that he had giuen them the grace and patience to see the destruction and restauration of that worthy Monasterie whereof the venerable man Turketill was afterwards made Abbot And herein may be seene a rare example of the wonderfull prouidence of allmightie God who from soe small beginnings bringeth to passe workes of such greatnes and excellencie as from the dwelling of one poore man saint GVTHLAKE in that abiect and horrid place first to lay the foundation of soe mightie an Abbey of worthie monkes as this was and then to conserue the succession thereof soe strangely in those â—â—ueâ— old men of whom one called Clarenbald liued to see the age of an hundred threescore and eight yeares an other named Swarling to the age of an hundred fortie two the third Turgar to an hundred and fifteene all venerable in gray hayre and the profession of a monasticall life The life of S. GVTHLAKE was saythfully written by one Felix a monk of the same monasterie as he receaued it from the forenamed BERTELIN his companion and CISSA his successour in the Ermitage and dedicated to king Elwald of the East-Angles Out of which we haue gathered the foresayd historie All other English Historiographers doe worthâ—y speake his prayses This Felix florished about the yeare of our Lord 730. and S. GVTHLAKI about 706. of whose glorious meritts God of his infinite merciâ— make vs all partakers Amen The life of S. PATERNVS Bishop and Confessor APR. 15. Out of Ioannes Anglicus PATERNVS borne in little Brittanie of noble parents when he came to ripenes of yeares iudging all true nobilitie to be seated in the lappe of vertue he contemned all those things which the world soe much admireth and in the nakednes of religious pouertie followed CHRIST naked And lest his friends and kinred should hinder his pious resolutions he willingly banished him self from his countrey into Jreland where he led a most holy monasticall life in watching fasting and prayer Afterwards he came into South-wales where he built manie Churches and monasteries in the Countrey now called Cardigan-shire and ordered them according to the monasticall rules and disciplines of those times in soe much that in that countrey he gayned his greatest opinion of sainctitie and authoritie But some iarres arising betweene the kings of Southwalles and North-wales which were readie to be decided but by the sword by the mediation of S. PETERNVS they were easily pacified and the He maketh peace betweene Princes princes entred againe into a strict league of friendship Great was the familiaritie and friendship which grew betweene these three Saincts DAVID TTELIAN and PATERNVS And they three deuided all Wales into three bishopricks one whereof fell to the share of S. PATERNVS in a place then called Mauritania where as he exercised the office of a good Pastour teaching and preaching to his poeple he was called back into little Britanie and there through his strictnes of life and doctrine which manie would not endure he Sampson Bishop suffered much affliction of false brethren with patience But Sampson Bishop who aboue all other was magnified in that prouince for vertue and holines of life vsed him with great honour and reuerence as well becomed soe great a sainct And allbeit by the instigation of some of his brethren he once yeelded to make triall of S. PATERNVS his obedience and sainctitie which was then testified vnto him by a wonderfull miracle yet afterwards he humbly craued pardon and became his verie great friend and defender against the other bishops that impugned him commaunding that the Episcopall sea of S. PATERNVS which was in the towne called Guenet should be free from all externe authoritie At length when peace was concluded on all sides S. PATERNVS hauing gouerned his Church manie yeares in a miraculous sainctitie of life in this world he departed hence to receaue an immortall recompence of his labours the fifteenth of Aprill The Inhabitans of little Britanie obserue three festiuall daies in honour of this sainct the day of the peacemaking with
the Archbishop of Arles in France wherein he commended saine AVGVSTINE and his fellowes to be by his charitie courteously receaued and assisted in what was necessarie for that holy enterprise III. SAINCT AVGVSTINE and his companie being strengthened and encouraged with these pious lines of the holy Pope ioyfully vndertooke the iourney which before they soe greatly feared But coming to Angeow in France being there much derided and scoffed at by the rude poeple of the Village and especially the woemen for their poore habits and humble manner of cariage they were compelled one night to take a hard lodging vnder a tree in the open view of the heauens where allmightie God who is neuer forgetfull of his seruants by the prayers of S. AVGVSTINE sent them a cleere fountaine of water which miraculously sprung out of the earth to quench the extremitie of their thirst Refreshed wherewith they sung the prayses of allmightie God all that night ouer whom in the A pillar of light ouer the Saincts meane time appeared a heauenly splendour which droue away the horrid shades of the night to the great comfort of his seruants and confused amazement of those rusticks that flocked thither the next morning ashamed and sorrowfull for their fault in soe reiecting Gods seruants Neere vnto the fountaine S. AVGVSTINE writt these words in the earth Here lodged Augustine the seruant of the seruants of A Church buâ—â— to S Augustine God whom the Blessed Pope Gregorie sent to conuert the Englishmen Whereby the poeple vnderstood who they were and the cause of their iourney greatly repenting for their insolencie shewed towards them And in the same place afterwards a church was built in memorie of S. AVGVSTINE into which entrance was forbbidden to all woemen because their sexe had most of all iniured the holy man in that place But a rich Matrone that by force as it were gott into that Church presuming on her owne guiltlessnes towards the Sainct by the miraculous and sudden losse of her owne life taught all men to beleeue who before would beleeue noe man she that thought with her presumption to ouercome all by her example gaue a plaine interdict to all neuer to presume the like But now let vs follow our diuine Legate AVGVSTINE entring the Ocean towards England IV. HAVING performed therefore all this long iourney by land on foote he now sayles into the Ocean world of great Britaine till he arriued with his fellowes to the number of fortie at the Iland of Kent called Tanet which may worthily triumphe that it was the first that receaued CHRIST in his legats And in the rock that S. AVGVSTINE first sett his foote he left the impression of his steppes as in a peece of waxe which place was of great deuotion manie yeares after Hauing taken interpreters out of France according to the direction of saint GREGORIE they marched into the land carrying a siluer Crosse for their ensigne with the Image of our Sauiour painted in a table finging litanies as they went as well for their owne health as for the saluation of those they came to instruct Behould here wretched England in what manner thy first Apostles brought thee the first tidings of the true Ghospell vnder the sacred banner of CHRISTS holy An Apostrophe to England Crosse and Image which since thou hast soe oftentimes broken and defaced out of thy dominions and which at this present by the greatest part of thy Inhabitants is held in soe great scorne and contempt that they will shew more iniurie thereunto then to the picture of the poorest of their owne auncestors Canst thou thinke of this and not be ashamed at thy owne madnes What hope canst thou haue of remayning still in the same truth of Christian doctrine which they planted in thy land since thou hast not only rooted out of thy bowells the sacred enfignes vnder which they brought thee the truth but allsoe art become a cruell enemie to men of the same profession as were thy first Apostles and Preachers How canst thou glorie with the Apostle PAVL in CHRIST crucified since soe traiter ously thou destroyest the sacred Image of CHRIST crucified How canst thou hope to be saued by CHRIST crucified the image of whose memorie thou seeketh to blott out of thy dominions Returne returne at length out of thy blindnes and reforme thy self to the life and manners of thy glorious Apostle saint AVGVSTINE who now marching with his companie in the Catholick manner of procession aforesayd expects to haue audience of the King of Kent then called ETHELBERT who kept his court at Ethelbert King of Kent Canturbury the head cittie of that countrey and who had dominion ouer all the land from thence to the riuer Humber in the North. This King had married a daughter of the royall blond of Erance called Bâ—rtha who coming of Christian parents was giuen to him in mariage on condition to be let remayne in the profession of Christianitie And this good Queene was now as a gate to these menssengers of CHRIST to lay open their way to the King V. THEREFORE saint AVGVSTYNE sent fitt messengers vnto King ETHELBERT to let him vnderstand that he and his fellowes were Augustine sendeth to Ethelberts come from Rome sent by the vniuersall Pastour of the Church to bring the happines of health and saluation to him and his poeple yf they would but yeeld to those blessed tidings The King in whom the royaltie of a courteous mind seemed by nature to be incorporate commanÌ„ded them to expect him in the same I le of Tanâ—t and gaue order in the meane time to haue them prouided with all necessarie sustenance and entertaynment And after some few daies he went him self in person to the Iland to heare what newes those strangers brought VVhere sitting in the open ayre without anie other canopie of estate but the heauens be caused AVGVSTINE and his fellowes to be brought before him for led with a vaine and auncient superstition he had purposely refused to let them come to him in anie house lest they should deceaue him with witchcraft But they came not to charme him with anie such deuilish art but to winne him being allreadie charmed and blinded therewith to Our first Apostles caried a Crosse the diuine knowledge of allmightie God carrying a siluer Crosse and picture of CHRIST for their standard and singing Litanies for the saluation of him and his poeple Then after manie wishes of health and happines to the King AVGVSTINE in a long speech discouered vnto him the misteries of CHRISTS holy Ghospell and the euerlasting ioyes that followed those that truly beleeued therein To whom King ETHELBERT answered that indeed their words and promises were verie fayre but because to him they seemed to be Ethelberts answere to Augustine new and vncertaine he could not soe suddenly leaue his auncient customs and ceremonies soe long before obserued in his countrey to yeeld his consent vnto their nouelties
Ecclesiasticall causes risen which can no longer be left without examination we haue need of learned men to conserre with we exhort the godly and He is sent for to Rome beloued goodnes of thy pietie that as it becomes a deuout maintayner of our holy mother the vniuersall Church thou fayle not to leud obedient deuotion to this our desire but without anie delay send the religious seruant of God Bede the Venerable Priest of thy monastery to the shrines of the Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul thy louers and protectours and to the sight of my meaunes and by the grace of God and thy holy prayers thou needest not mistrust but that he will returne safely againe vnto thee after the celebration of the foresayd articles by the helpe of God are finished For we hope it will be profitable to all vnder thy charge whatsoeuer by his worth shall be made famous and imparted to the whole Church V. BVT doeth not this greatly redound to the prayse and honour of our saint BEDE that the Roman greatnes should desire his counsell in matter of learning who lay hid in a poore cowle and cloister in the farthest corner of the world Surely William De gest Reg. Ang. l. 1. c. 3. Malmesbury iudged aright when he calls him A man whom one may with more ease admire then worthyly prayse who borne in the furthest corner of the world dazeled all countreies with the lightning of his learning Nay more his writings were of soe reuerend esteeme and authoritie in the Christian world that during his life time first by the ordonance of an English Synod and afterwards the whole Catholick and Apostolick Church approouing it they were read and sung publickly in the Ecclesiasticall office a thing which after the Apostles and their immediate disciples was neuer graunted to anie of the auncient Fathers or Doctours of Gods Church And hence it was to omitt other fabulous Why he is called Venerable stories hereof that both in his life time and after his death he was qualified with the title of VENERABLE BEDE For his homelies being to be read in the Church he yet liuing and a title of the Author to be prefixed before the lessons as the manner is because they could not stile him Sainct Ante obitum nemo Supremaque funera faelix They worthyly adorned him with the name of VENERABLE eyther by reason of the singular grauitie and modestie of his cariage or else because that Pope Sergius in the aboue cited epistle qualified him with that Epithete And the same title grew soe vniuersally then in vse that to this present day he is commonly called thereby and it remaynes still prefixed to all his Homelies which are read or sung in the Church VI. SVCH then was the incomparable learning of this our famous Doctour of England Sainct BEDE who liuing in a Benedictine Six hundred Benedictine Monks in his Monastery Abbey in which were at that time aboue six hundred monkes he not only excelled them all and became a Master to them all but an amazement to the whole Christian world besides But what was BEDE soe eagerly bent to the studies of learning during the time of his life that he neglected the studie of vertue and pietie It can not be sayd For as an auncient authour doeth testifie aâ— his very first entrance into the lists of the sciences togeather with his yeares the grace of spirituall guifts encreased in his soule that with the spirit of wisedom vnderstanding he might receaue allsoe the spirit of the feare of our Lord where with chastising his bodie and bringing it into obedience to his mind he learned to Malmesb de reg lib. 1. cap. 3. possesse the vessell of the flesh in sanctification and honour Furthermore all doubt of the holines of his life is banished from humane thoughts by this irrefragable sentence which the Maiestie of diuine wisedom left to the world In animam maleuolam non introibit sapientia nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis Wisedom will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a bodie subiect to sinne Which is not spoken of worldly wisedom that entreth indifferently into the harts of all men and in which oftentimes wicked persons and those that to the last gaspe set noe limits to their wickednes are found to excell according to that of our Sauiour The children of this world are wiser then the children of light But that the Wiseman calls wisedom which auoydes the faynednes of good discipline and which separateth it self from thoughts that are without the true vnderstanding of well-liuing and well-saying Whence it is that Quintilian rightly defined a true Oratour when he sayd Orator est vir bonus dicendi peritus An Oratour is a good man skillfull in speaking Therefore this our Ecclesiasticall Oratour saint BEDE did first purifie his owne conscience that soe he might worthyly attayne to a diuine knowlege to discouer the vnderstanding of the misteries of holy scripture For how could that man be subiect to vice who tasted the most inward marrow of those diuine writings and employed all the thoughts powers of his soule in the continuall explication thereof This his owne words doe proue when he sayth that his expositions Lib. 3. sup Sam yf they brought noe other profitt to the readers at lest they were anayleable to him in this that whilst he applied his whole studie thereunto he sett aside and auoyded the lightnes of the world and all vaine cogitations Therefore this holy man being free from all vice displayed the vayle of the hidden misteries and with a modest and deuout eloquence layd open to the world those diuine secrets which he had learned VII HIS custom was to be by his reading greatly enkindled to Trithem de vir illust l. 3. c. 155. deuotion and compunction which he oftentimes witnessed with bitter teares that flowed from him at his booke And after his reading and studie our pious Doctour betooke him self to his prayers hauing learnt that the way to attayne the knowledge of holy Scripture lay more in the grace of God then his owne forces O man worthy to be honoured of all ages who enriched the treasure of his mind with vertue and prayer and adorned the Christian world with learning Noe man euer saw him idle soe vehemently he burned with the loue of sacred studie and deuotion He had manie famous schollers whom he not only taught by his owne studie and example the secrets of all humane and diuine learning but which is the chiefest made them excellently perfect in religion and holy life He was a man in all things most worthy of prayse and according to his title VENERABIE in learning and good manners In charitie towards God and his neighbour most excellent admirable in deuotion and glorious in chastitie of life Of a decent and comly stature graue in his gate of a high voyce an eloquent tongue and a goodly aspect or
astouishment of his amazed brethren And other whiles when the holy man began to recite his canonicall howers and pronounced those words Deus in aduitoriuÌ„ meuÌ„ intende the same celestiall spirits distinctly answered Domine ad adiuuandum me festina ioyning their heauenly harmonie to the sacred deuotion of S. GVDVVALL But now this glorious Confessor hauing wholly abandoned and forsaken the world crucified him self with CHRIST in soe much that for his sake he hated his owne soule according to the words of the Ghospell yet was he not satisfied herewith but endeauoured dayly to better him self in perfection He departeth to an other part of the countrey wherevpon after a consultation had with his brethren he resolued to leaue this habitation seeke a conuenient place to build a monastery elsewhere Therefore they sayled into an other Prouince where hauing obtayned of a great man a peece of land fitt for his purpose he layd the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of a monasterie in which togeather with his brethren he led a most heauenly and angelicall life on earth totally applying him self to the contemplation of heauen and heauenly things amidst the continuall exercises and mortification of a most deuout monasticall life IV. IN THE meane time manie miracles were wrought by the diuine He cureth a dumbe child power of allmightie God at the intercession of this holy man amoÌ„g which one was that he gaue speech to a child tenne yeares old that was borne dumbe others which for breuities sake are here omitted And manie heauenly fauours he receaued at the hands of the diuine goodnes whereof one and not the lest was that tenne daies before his death performing the sacred misteries of our redemption at the aultar the holy Archangell S. MICHAEL togeather with the two He hath an apparition and a reuelation of his death princes of the Apostolick companie PETER and PAVL appeared visibly vnto him and amongst other diuine consolations reuealed the happie minute of his death exhorting him withall to prepare him self thereunto with watching fasting and prayer to gaine a greater crowne of glory in heauen Therefore the next day hauing assembled his brethren togeather he made knowne the manner of this reuelation exhorting them to the contempt of the world and a constant perseuerance in the seruice of allmightie God Then a welcome His laâ—â— sicknes sicknes taking hould of his holy bodie made him more feelingly vnderstand that his time drew neere when being armed with the sacraments of the Church amidst the deuout prayers and recommendations of his weeping Brethren he ioyfully yeelded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deere redeemer which in the forme of a white doue was seene to take her flight towards the heauenly dwellings He died the sixth day of Iune and ouer his sacred reliques shined a glorious splendour all the night following V. AMONGST others that were present at his death were his mother A controuersie miraculously decided and Sisters who very earnestly desired to haue his bodie transported into his owne natiue countrey to be honourably buried in the Church where he had been bishop But his Brethren aâ— first absolutly resisted their petitions till the controuersie was decided by miracle For putting the sacred bodie in a waggon the beasts that drew it were permitted to take their owne waies when contrary to the desire of both parties they went directly to be Iland called Plet which was the place yf I be not deceaued where the holy man led a solitarie life in a rock of the Sea as is aboue sayd And there his sacred body lay buried for the space of manie yeares famous for miracles all the couÌ„trey ouer Till that Prouince of the Britans being inuaded by barbarous enemies the Monkes of S. GVDVVALLS transported his bodie into France Arnulphus marquis of Flanders caused The tranâ— lation of his body it to be very honourably translated to the famous Benedictine Abbey of saint PETER and PAVL aâ— Gaunt togeather with the holy reliques of saint BERTVLPHE This translation happened in the raigne of Clotarins ouer the Kingdom of France and it is yearly celebrated in the sayd Monastery of Gaunt the third day of December His life is written by an auncient Authour recited by Laurence Surius tom 6. and by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue both whom we haue followed Very honourable mention is made of his great vertue Sainctitie and Miracles in the life of Saint Bertulphe in the second tome of Surius February the fifth and by Vsuard Molanus and others The life of saint ROBERT Confessor and Abbot vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT IVNE 7. Written by an auncient Authour recited by Surius THE Venerable Abbot ROBERT borne in Yorkeshire shunning from his very infancie the vaine sports and pastimes of other Children his equalls soe worthyly profitted in the studie of good learning that he was afterwards promoted to the gouernment of a Church in that countrey But discharging him self within a while of that office and all care and cure of soules he went to the Benedictine Abbey of Whiteby where he putt on the habit and profession of a monke of saint BENEDICTS Order At that time one Richard Priour of our Ladies of Yorke had receaued a peece of land at a place called Fountaines where by the meanes of Thrustine Archbishop of Yorke he had built a Monasterie in which togeather with twelue other monkes ouer whom he was Abbott he led a Monasticall life according to the constitutions of the Congregation of Cisterce vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT Noe man there did eate his bread in idlenes nor gaue his bodie to rest but when it was ouerwearied with labour They all went hungry to the table and weary to bed Their diet only supplied necessitie not their appetite and yet without ether sadnes or murmuring they gaue God thankes with alacritie Therefore our saint ROBERT hauing He becometh a Cisterciaâ— Monke first obtayned leaue of his Abbot ioyned him self to this holy companie and chainged his black habit for a white that is from a Benedictine became a Cistercian still obseruing the Rule of our holy father saint BENEDICT And now it was rare to behould how strongly this holy man performed the accustomed labours of the monasterie how feruent he was in holy reading and contemplation and how deuoutly he followed his prayers and other monasticall exercises being venerable in his behauiour prouident in giuing of counsell and elegant in his speech II. IN THE meane time hauing spent fiue yeares in this place in He is made Abbot the yeare of grace a thousand one hundred thirtie seauen a noble man of Northumberland gaue an ample possession of land to the Church on which saint ROBERT built a new Monasterie and being chosen Abbot thereof he tooke with him eleuen other deuout monkes wherewith he furnished the same These he gouerned in the rigour of a monasticall life making him self soe perfect a patterne