they ought to shunne occasions of sinne and scandales especially women In the twelueth and last he teacheth them how they should expose their life for the loue of IESVS CHRIST and for his law among Infidelles Then he concludeth according to the beginning shewing that all consisteth in the faith and obedience of the Romane church and in the obseruance of the holie gospell of our lord IESVS CHRIST who is our Alpha Omega that is our beginning and our end The holie Father S. Francis founded his life and rule on these twelue Apostolicall chapters as on twelue stones taken out of the depth of Iourdain that is out of the hight of Euangelicall perfection This rule shall continue and be of force for euer as a testimonie vnto the professours thereof that God hath alreadie cōducted them out of the desert of this world to the land of promise Therefore of them may besaid as of other perfect Blessed are the poore in spiritt for theirs is the kingdome of heauen sith that for it they haue forsaken the kingdome of the earth Of th zeeale which the holy Father S. Francis had vnto Religion and to the obseruance of the gospell THE X. CHAPTER THe perfect imitatour of IESVS CHRIST did so affect the obseruance of the holy gospell was so exceeding zealous of the rule that with a singuler benediction he enriched those that were singulerlie zealous in the obseruation therof Whervpon he said to his Brethren our rule is a book of life to them that follow it a hope of saluation an earnest of glorie the iuyce of the gospell an assured way of the crosse an estate of perfection a key of Paradice and an accord of eternall beatitude He would that all his Brethren should haue it with them and often times read it and in their spiritual conferences and conuersations should for edification ordinarilie discourse therof that often conferring therof together they might neuer forgett this diuine pact and spirituall vow and that they might so possesse it in their handes their bosome and before their eyes that death assaulting them they might dye with it in their armes A Religious dying among the Mores as he desired made his benefitt of this holy doctrine of his holy Father for being taken by the Mores preaching the faith and hauing endured many tormentes and they intending to cutt of his head he tooke his rule into his handes and falling on his knees with great feruour and humility he said to his companion my beloued Brother I confesse me before God and you of what soeuer I haue committed against this rule and acknowledge my fault therin and doe beseech you to pray for me and I doe and will pray for you The wordes vttered his head was cutt off on earth to be afterward crowned in heauen But to the end that no impediment should hinder the obseruance of this rule the holy Father S. Francis hath putt into it this clause that when they suppose they cannot obserue it in some certaine place they shall haue recourse to the Ministers meaning that where the Religious know that the by reason of disturbers corrupted condicions of the places or oblgations exposed against the rule it cannot be obserued according to the true not cloaked or erroniously interpreted intelligence therof they may in such case and ought to haue recourse to the Ministers who are obliged to putt them in such place as they may without any impediment and contradiction obserue it Brother Leo and Brother Bonizzo that were present with S. Francis when the Pope confirmed the rule affirmed that when his holines very attentiuely read this clause as also he did all the rest therin manifesting himselfe to be exceedinglie well pleased therewith he very particulerie reioyced theratt which S. Francis perceauing he said that he would verie willinglie haue added in that place that if the Ministers would not prouide for the said Religious they might obserue the rule in what place it should please them but his holines answeared that he had discreetly done in not inserting those wordes because such licence might easilie cause the diuision of the Order and litle respect vnto the superiours by manie who vnder coulour of such pretence would auoyde discipline S. Francis replyed I would haue added it because I know there wil be Superiours in the Religion that will persecute such as would faithfully obserue the said rule and if such licence were admitted the poore Religious would auoyd persecution but the Pope would in no sort giue consent alleadging that it sufficed that by this rule the Religious Ministers knew their duetie and his intention without making more apparant specification which would take away both obedience and respect vnto the Superiours and in steed of causing the obseruance of the rule would entierlie ruine it Now that such was the intentiō of the S. appeareth by the example following A Religious Almaine who was a great diuine came to visitt ou◠holy Father att our lady of Angels where discoursing together of certaine pointes of the rule the diuine said vnto him Father I vehemently desire to obserue the holy gospell and our rule simply euen till death as I haue already promised vnto God according to his intention and yours and I hope his diuine Maiesty well giue me force and vertue to performe it Therefore I require this fauour of you Father that if during my life the Religious shall erre from the pure obseruance of the rule as it hath bin reuealed vnto you and as you haue affirmed that they shall waxe cold within short time I may by your authority either alone or with such as will follow me in the way of Euangelicall perfectiō separate my selfe from those that will not obserue it Which demaund being well vnderstood of the S. with exceeding ioy he blessed him saying know my Brother that what thou requirest is both by me and by IESVS CHRIST graunted thee and laying his hand on his head said Thou art a true Preist according to the order of Melchisedech Of a vision that Brother Leo had and the expositoin made therof by S. Francis and of a benediction which S. Francis left to his true children THE XI CHAPTER BRother Leo accompanying S. Francis that was very sick had a merueillous vision which is very conuenient for this place for such as are zealous of the Order add no lesse for such as dispēnse with themselues in the profession and obligation which they owe to his diuine maiesty Being then in prayer neere vnto the S. he was rauished in spiritt and was conducted to the border or side of a violent and impetuous floud and deuising how he might passe it he saw certaine Religious that entred into it but by the force of the water were presently swallowed to the bottome without any more sight of them and others that waded to the middest and almost ouer it but by reason of diuers weightie thinges which they carryed on their shoulders being
conscience which knowing it selfe pure before God could feare nothing Not withstanding it was not conuenient in presence of so many seculers who all knew him to be nerre death to shew no signe of repentance of his offences past no remorse of his sinnes committed against God attleast in this terrible passadge of death S. Francis with great feruour answeared him Brother giue me leaue giue me leaue I pray thee to reioyce in God and in his prayses during this sicknes because by the grace of the holy Ghost my spiritt is in such sort vnited vnto his diuine Maiestie and so secure that it may reioyce Remember now that there are two yeares past since you deliuered me from him an aduertisment of this my passadge since which time I haue alwayes endeauoured to prepare my selfe lamenting my sinnes and satisfying God for them But sithence that by his immensiue grace he hath made me worthy of his glory as he hath reuealed vnto me I haue euer since endeauoured to reioyce and now so much more in that the time approacheth wherin my soule shall for euer be loosed from the waight of this body and shall goe towardes him who hath created it and in that he will not omitt in me to edifie this people How the S. made himselfe be carryed to our Lady of Angels finding his death to approach THE LXVI CHAPTER THe glorious Father therfore perceauing that the day of his death approached prayed all the gentlemen and his freindes there present to cause him to be carryed to his church of our Lady of Angels that he might render vnto God the spiritt of life where he had receaued of him the spiritt of grace So hauing obtayned permission of the bishop and Gouernour of the citty they went accoÌ„panyed with the greatest part of the said citty and comming to the hospitall which is in the great street betweene the citty and our Lady of Angels causing himselfe with his bed to be sett on the ground and tourning towardes the citty he gaue it his benediction saying Citty blessed mayest thou be of the soueraigne God because by thee many soules shal be saued and in thee many worthy seruantes of God of both sex shall make their residence and by thy meane many shall attaine the kingdome of glorie So hauing blessed the citty and proceeding his way towardes our Lady of Angels S. Clare his deere and true disciple imitatrice and daughter in IESVS CHRIST fearing she should not see him before his death sent to aduertise him that herselfe was also in such estate as she should not liue long after yea that she thought to goe first and that therfore she felt an extreme greife to dye without his holy benediction without seeing him who was her master and beloued Father in CHRIST IESVS and for that occasion she prayed him for the passion of our Lord I. C. with her knees on the ground not to permitt her to dye so discontent but sith he was in his iorney to doe her that last and singuler fauour as to visitt her before he went to our Lady of Angels The holie Father S. Francis felt the bowels of Fatherly coÌ„passion to moue in him in that he could not content her by reason of the immineÌ„t perill wherin he was and that the Phisicions nobles and gentlemen there present would not to permitt him yet procuring wherwith all to write he sent her by a Religious his benediction in writing then lifting his eyes to heauen he said vnto him Goe and comfort my beloued sister telling her this good newes that she shall see me before she dye which shal be shortly as shall all her Sisters to their exceeding consolation This prophesie fayled not in the effect for the holie Father being dead when the Cittizens carryed him to bury att Assisium they passed through the monastery of S. Damian as hereafter shall appeare and seeing the body of the Sainct with in their Couent they were all exceedinglie comforted therwith How a Romane Lady very deuout and affected to S. Francis called Lady Iaqueline of the seauen Sunnes came by diuine reuelation from Rome to the death of S. Francis THE LXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father approching neere vnto his death called a Religious whome he willed to finde out a messenger to goe with al diligence to Rome expresly to aduertise the Lady of the Seauen Sunnes that she should incontinentlie come to visitt him if she desired to see him liuing knowing in what affliction she would haue suruiued if she had not seene him before his death as he had promised her when he tooke leaue of her att his departure out of Rome and in meane while procuring wherwith to write he dictated this letter ensuying To the Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes poore Brother Francis desireth health in our Lord IESVS CHRIST Know my beloued Sister in IESVS CHRIST that God by his grace hath reuealed vnto me the last day of my life Wherfore if you desire to see me liuing hasten so much as sometime on saterday you may be att our Ladie of Angels and bring with you a morcell of gray cloth wherwith to coueâ— me and wax for my seruice Att the end of this letter it was reuealed vnto the S. that she would come wherfore he said to the writer Rent this letter for there is no need therof He had scarce ended those wordes but a messenger came from the said lady that told him she was att the gate of the Monastery with two of her children senaâ—ours of Rome and a noble and honourable company to visitt him A while after the said lady came who entring his chamber fell incontinently on the ground humbling her countenance as an other Magdalen towardes his feet bathing them with bittet teares and â—mprinting her lippes in his sacred stigmates with such ioy and consolation of spiritt as nothing could be more she could not be satisfied with kissing them embracing and clipping them with all reuerence in regard of their vertue representing vnto her those of our Lord IESVS CHRIST she could not depart from him no more could the Religious for she was entierlie rauished in this so singular sweetnes of spiritt without any speech att all till S. Francis called her att whose voice awakening she answeared the S. who asked her how it happened that she came so readily that being one night in prayer she heard the voice of God that said If thou wilt find Brother Francis aliue goe incontinentlie to our lady of Angels and carry with thee what thow knowest necessarie to his sepulture and such meat as thou gauest him att his being in Rome to comfort him in his sicknes Which hauing heard I prepared my selfe verie instantlie and thus am come S. Francis gaue thanckes to God and demaunding the said meates he refected his body with very great consolation Now this lady supposing that S. Francis would lye long time sick determined to send back her children to Rome and many personnes of note that
being not full but neere a yeare after his death Wherto there directly opposed himselfe a Cardinall which caused further proceeding to be deferred till the day following but the first night after the Cardinall had this dreame It seemed vnto him that his holinesse would consecrate an Altare and to that end demaunded holy reliques of him But he not knowing what to giue him heard a voice that said Giue him of the new reliques of S. Antony Wherevpon this Cardinall awakinge sollicited the Pope more then any other to hasten the canonization of the S. as hauing bin by this diuine voice fully assured of his great merittes Besides the approbation of the vnder written miracles wrought after his death nor including those wrought in his life time he cured nineteene that were lame fiue of the palsie fiue that were crooked six blinde three deafe three mute two of the gout he raised two to life and cured diuers others of sundry diseases For which cause the yeare 1232. on the day of Penticost he was enrolled by the Pope in the Catalogue of Sainctes with great solemnitie The said Pope composed and sung that worthy antheme O Doctor optime and ordayned it to be sung in all churches the day of his feast which was constitued to be yearly the thirteenth of Iune One the day of his canonization all the belles of his cittie of Lisbone did ring of themselues to the exceeding contentment of all personnes wherof they knew no cause but that they felt an inestimable ioy in their hartes but they vnderstood afterward that their contryman and fellow-cittizen S. Antony had bin that day canonized The bulle of the aforesaid canonization taken out of the tenth chapter of the sixt booke and heere more properly placed GRegory bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our venerable Brethren Archbishops Bishoppes health and Apostolicall benediction As God saith by the Prophett I will make you honoured and praysed of all people and by the sage he promiseth that the iust shall shine in the presence of God as the sunne so it seemeth vnto vs expedient that we also here on earth below doe prayse the sainctes which his diuine Maiestie hath crouned in heauen and considering withall that God is knowne and adored principally in them who is praiseworthy and glorious in his Sainctes and that miraculously to manifest his omnipotencie and his mercy towardes our saluation he euen ennobleth here below by miracles his faithfull seruantes with whome he hath concurred to the meritt of eternall glory and this to confound the obstinacie of many heretikes and to confirme his church in his holy Catholique Apostolike and Romane faith and to expell out of lukewarme hartes all sloath and negligence awakening them to good worckes by these holy examples and that the hartes of heretikes might be made plyable to belieue by effect what they seeme not to vnderstand by the holy scriptures and finally that all Iewes and Pagans the vaile of blindnes being taken from before their eyes may see this transparent light of the omnipotencie of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and that they may not alleadge for excuse that they had no occasion deseruing their conuersion vnto him and their acknowledgement of him for true God and true man Wherfore my beloued we yeld thanckes to this bountifull giuer of all goodnes if not as we ought at least as we may for that it hath pleased him for confirmation of our holy faith and the confusion of heretikes to bestow on vs holy and famous men in these dayes who by signes and manifest miracles haue declared how true inestimable and indubitable is the faith of the holy Romane Church sith they who dye therein so dye in the grace of God that they glitter twinckle and shine in the world as Sunnes in the firmament Therfore being therein but one faith and the same by this diuine and manifest approbation appearing most true the falshood of all others must be very euident Of the nomber of those that haue meritted to worck miracles before and after their death is the blessed Father S. Antony of the Order of the Frere Minors who liuing in this world was very famous for his great merittes and liuing now in heauen he shineth by many miracles which are ordinarily wrought att his sepulcher wherof we are assured as well by very authenticall worthy actes as by reuelation of personnes worthy of creditt These two thinges merittes and miracles suffice to giue testimony among men of the sanctity of a man yea they suffice to make vs yeld to honour and inuocate them as our intercessors vnto God which two thinges are taken out of this text of the Gospell They goeing forth preached euery where our lord worcking withall and confirming the word with signes that followed For this cause we haue giuen order to the abouesaid Bishop to Br. Giles Iourdain Priour of the Order of S. Benett and to Br. Iohn Priour of S Augustins in the monastery of the Iacobins of Padua that they should make an exact examen and approued catalogue of the miracles of the said Sainct which we hauing seene to be conformable to that which by our owne experience we know to be very true touching his life and holy conuersatiō that it may not seeme we would hinder or depriue him of his praise being therevnto vrged by the said Bishop of Padua and the reuerence of the seruantes of God which so notoriously deserue the same and by the aduise of our venerable Brethren the Cardinalls of the holy Roman Church and of all the Prelates att this present neere vnto vs we haue enrolled him in the Catalogue of the SS Wherfore the candell not being sett on the candlesticke but to giue light we pray and commaund all those to whome the knowledge of these presents shall come that in vertue of this Apostolicall Breuie they induce their subiectes and procure them solemnly and reuerentlie to keepe and honour his feast which is the thirteenth of Iune to the end that God being moued and appeased by his holie prayers doe giue vs his holie grace in this life and his glorie in the other Besides that the sepulcher of this worthie Confessour who by the splendour of his miracles beautifieth our holie Church be with the honour due vnto it visited and frequented we trusting in the diuine grace and in the aucthoritie of the glorious Apostles sainct Peter and sainct Paul we mercifullie remitte and release a yeares penance enioyned them to all those that truelie confessed and penitent doe on the day of his feast and all the octaue of euerie yeare visitt the same Giuen att Spoletum the twelfeth of Iulie in the sixt yeare of our Popedome How his body was transported into the said church of Padua then into that where it now is and wherefore THE XXXI CHAPTER POpe Alexander the fourth desiring to deliuer manie Citties of Lombardie from the cruelty of the Tyran Ezelin that had vsurped almost all the
He alreadie foresaw that knowledge puffed vp with vanitie in future time would giue a great fall to the Order because curiositie of the said knowledge would induce manie to great arrogance which would destroy obedience humilitie pouertie with all true Religion bringing in libertie and priuiledges The said holie Father said there shall be so manie that will labour to gett knowledge that he shal be happie who for the loue IESVS CHRIST shall shunne the same He appeared after his death to one of his companions who was exceedinglie busied in the studie of preaching and reprehended him sharpelie forbidding him that ouer great anxietie of spirirt which he had towardes study and commaunded him to study to walke the path of holie humilitie and pouerty How he discouered and preuented the deceipt of the learned and curious of his Order THE XXIV CHAPTER IT will succed said S. Francis to these curious of knowledge and learning that esteeming to be more edified and enflamed in deuotion towardes God by knowledge of him if they vse it not with great humility they by the same science and by the great study therin employed will remayne void of all goodnes cold in charity and puffed with vaine glory reioycing in their vanity and obstinate in opinion wherfore the holy Ghost being vnable to dwell in bodyes subiect to sinne he wil be constrayned vtterly to forsake them Certaine Religious therfore one day relating vnto him that a great diuine was entred into their Religion att Paris and that by his doctrine he much edified the people and cleargie and was a great honour to the Order S. Francis sighingly answeared them I much feare that his like will one day destroy whatsoeuer God by me his vnworthy seruant hath planted in this vineyared I would haue no greater Doctours in diuinity then they who teach their neighbour by worckes meekenes pouerty and humility because the goodnes of a Religious is according to his obedience to the rule and his doeing what he knoweth Those preachers that trust only in their doctrine when thy see concourse of people and that they are desirously heard and some by their preaching are conuerted to penance thy are puffed with vaine glory for the worckes of an other as if they were their owne and so preach saluation to others but damnation to themselues therfore they glory of that wherof they haue no more cause then a trumpett which soundeth by the mouth of an other man that windeth it for what are they but trumpettes wherby God sendeth his sound be they good or euill so that the cause of the conuersion of the hearers ought not to be attributed to them but to the very force of holy doctrine and to the teares of the simple though the same be not by them vnderstood these simple ones are my knightes of the round table who hide them selues in desertes and sequestred places the more commodiously to apply them to prayer and meditation lamenting theirs and others sinnes therfore God alone knoweth the fruit they produce and how many soules by their merittes are saued wherfore they shall heare this his voice Come thou faithfull and prudent seruant because thou hast bin faithfull vnto me in few thinges I will place there ouer many enter into the kingdome of eternall life but they who haue had no other cogitation but to learne knowledge and to demonstrate their doctrine vnto others preaching without edifying by good worckes shal be poore empty of all good before the throne of the terrible iudge they shall haue their vessels full of shame and confusion and they shall also heare God say vnto them you haue preached only by the wordes of your purchaced science but I haue saued soules by vertue of the merittes of my simple ones you therfore shall remaine with the winde of pride which you haue sought and these shall receaue the recompence of the labour of their humility and prayer which is ourvocation wherto these puffed ones shall haue bin contrary with the winde of their knowledge persuading many to relinquish this truth yea persecuting as blinded and frantike such as walke by this truth but the errour and false opinion wherin in they haue liued which they haue preached and wherby they haue conducted many with thē in the profound goulfe of ignorāce and spirituall blindnes shall tourne to their greife and confusion and they shal be buryed in darcknes for it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise of this world and the prudence of the prudent I will reiect So the holy Father as far foorth as his power extended for his office in this world permitted not any of his Religious to be called Master though formerlie in the world he had bin such alleadgeing vnto them the wordes of our lord IESEVS CHRIST One is your Masterin heauen and therfore lett none be called master on earth He affirmed of himselfe that though he had bin very learned he would neuer haue endured to be called Doctour or master because it was to doe against IESVS CHRIST so that he concluded that it was much more profitable to a man to knowlitle and be humble then to performe great matters with much knowledge and presumption of himselfe How much S. Francis reioyced att the good example which his order gaue to the church and how much displeased when his Religious procured or caused any scandall THE XXV CHAPTER THis glorious Father said that the Frere Minors were sent of God in this latrer age to be an example of light to them that were entangled in the obscurities of sinne Therfore if he heard relation of any example of edification that the Religious gaue to the holy Church he with great feruour would say The house of God shal be filled with good sweet sauours which shal be produced by the precious oyntmēt of vertues He exceedingly reioyced att the good reputation of his deere childrē at the exāple of piety which they gaue because by meane therof they cōuerted sinners to the loue seruice of IESVS CHRIST a thing especially desired of him and to such he gaue his holy benediction And consequently because his Religious knew that their holy Father would haue them exercised in this vertue and zeale of the saluation of soules they so much the more endeauoured to giue him satisfactiō therin And if it happened that any one procured the least trouble to his neighbour he presently asked him pardon with great humility and offered to doe pennance for the same It chaunced one time that an ancient Religious of the Order in presence of a gentleman vttered some wordes in choler to one of his Brethren but perceauing that he had troubled his Brother and disedified the other acknowledgeing his fault and impatient against himselfe he incontinently tooke the dong of an asse and putt it into his mouth and forced himselfe to chew it saying tongue eat this dong sith thou hast presumed to arise against they neighbour
and though they be not knowne in the world they shall neuertheles be much esteemed of God for he will neuer abandon this Religion so that there shall alwayes remayne some competent nomber of vertuous though in comparison of so many lewd and libertines they shall appeare very few and this few shall be persecuted of the world which shall procure them a greater crowne with God Now the sackcloth and cloake so course wherof I seeme to be ashamed and disquieted is holy pouerty which as it is the ornament of this Order and the singuler foundation of all piety so the bastard children shal be ashamed therof for their ayme shall not be to God but to the world and therfore endeauouring to please it they shall misprise the habitt of God and seeke faire and fine cloth for the vse wherof they shall importune the world and shall pourchace it by way of simonie and therefore happy shall they be that perseuer to the end in obseruance of their holy vowes After these speeches it disappeared and the holy Father S. Francis remayned full of admiration and teares with all his hart recommending vnto God his sheep both present and to come God reuealed these thinges and many other to his seruant Francis as head and Pastour of his Frere Minors concerning the chaunge of his Religion which being founded in Euangelicall perfection exceeding difficult to be obserued according to the world it is not to be admired if it be fallen and doe decline from its perfection We all being naturally inclined and affected to worldly thinges and to shunne alll seueritie and rigour and all necessitie and much more freindes to our owne will then to the will of God which according to our sottish prudence causeth vs to make no esteeme of the commaundementes of God and to forke his most strict way though most necessarie to our saluation as in deed it is and therfore degenerating more and more we fall from our first Fathers On the other side also it is not to be admired if some of these so fraile vessels composed of earth as we are haue demonstrated such an inuincible constancie in so strict an obligation to obserue the gospell and in themselues to preserue such a treasure because all that is the worck of God to the end the world may know that the eminencie and glory of this Religion proceedeth of the vertue and power of his diuine maiesty and not of humane force and vertue And therfore when to him seemeth time conuenient he sendeth reformations to support the same Of the compassion and discreet charity of S. Francis to wards all his Religious but particulerly to wardes the sicke THE XXX CHAPTER BEcause the obligation of a Prelate towardes his sheep doth not only extend to giue them aduise and spirituall refections but also to releiue them in their corporall necessities the holie Father S. Francis was replenished with an infinite charitie and had a continuall care to prouide for the corporall wantes of his beloued children and particulerlie where sicknes and necessitie were ioyned together which charitie he exercised not only of Fatherlie duetie but of naturall compassion which he euer had towardes the afflicted which vertue he afterward redoubled to make it more meritorious so that he referred all the afflictions of his neigbour to the person of IESVS CHRIST for whose loue they ought to be assited and therfore his hart melted as if he had seen his God in them for which cause those new and feruent warriers of IESVS CHRIST in the beginning of the Order did so speciallie exceed in leading seuere liues and doeing worckes worthy of pennance which may appeare by the ensuying example together with the charitie of the Sainct As the Religious were one day a sleep one of them began with a loud voice to cry I dye att which lamentation S. Francis instantlie arose and caused all the other Brethren to arise and to light a candell then asking who was he that complained the Religious answeared him Father it is I that dye with hunger which hearing he presentlie caused to be brought him to eat and that he should not be ashamed he caused a table to be prepared wheron he meant to eat himselfe which he caused all the other Religious to doe though it were a verie extraordinarie houre The Religious hauing taken his Refection the holie Father to teach his children the vertue of discretion wherby they should moderate the feruour of the spiritt for conseruation of the corporall forces in abstinence he said Brethren learne and retaine in you this aduertisement that each one carefullie conserue his naturall complexion and forces and lett him vse moderation in abstinence accordinge vnto them for albeit some can sustaine themselues with litle food it is not therfore reasonable that others who cannot liue with so litle should keep the same abstinence for as we are obliged to forbeare superfluous eating for not damning our soule and consuming our body so ought we to shunne indiscreet abstinence but must so vse it as the bodie may serue the soule for God loueth mercy aboue sacrifice and lett euerie one remember what by charity I haue done I haue only done it as a pious worcke and for an example of charitie his extreme necessitie requiring it And therfore lett each one refraine to cause the like an other time and especially Prelates towardes their Religious Which was exceeding carefully obserued of the S. for though he were very glad that pouerty in all thinges should appeare in them yet would he neuer that his Religious should be frustrate of their due releife and therfore when he saw they had not sufficient to eat himselfe would goe to begge as we haue heretofore made appeare For his owne respect notwithstanding his verie feeble complexion he was euer very strict and abstinent yea beyond reason euen from the beginning of his conuersion to his death Yet he is not therfore to be reprehended considering that one ought not to measure or limitt the life of the great seruantes of God who are continuallie directed in their actions by the holy Ghost but we must permitt to worck in them the spiritt and certaine excesses that are to be seene it is sufficient for vs to our confusion to admire them and therof to imitate what one can for it was expedient that as many were defectiue performing lesse then their duety God should raise others that in their bodyes should supply both for themselues and their neighbour and to the end that the holy Father might giue this good example of himselfe wheras in his sicknesses many thinges extraordinarie were necessarie for him he would rather depriue himselfe therof to giue example to othersâ— and when there were any Religious sicke he was not ashamed to goe into the villages to seeke flesh and their other wantes which in their health he would not haue permitted them to vse for any thing in the world He did also seriouslie admonish them to remember that
Religious there present to doe it who att length called the Vicar whome against his will and by obedience he permitted to extinguish it An other time on the Mountaine of Aluerne a Religious that was his companion made a great fire in the celle where he did eat by reason of the extreme cold that then was which leauing enkindled he went to call the holy Father who was in an other place adioyning to the celle where he accustomed to pray and sleepe where S. Francis staying him to read vnto him the gospell of that day which if it were possible he accustomed alwayes to doe before his refection when it chaunced that he could not here masse the fire in meane while so wrought that when they thought to come to warme themselues it was mounted euen to the planching of one side of the celle S. Francis seeing his companion labour to quench it did not assist him but taking vp a skinne of furre that was there wherwith he couered himselfe in the night he retourned into the mountaine the other Religious perceauing the fire came all out of their Oratorie and extinguished it in an instant which being done S. Francis goeing to eat said to his companion I will no more vse this skinne of furre because by reason of mine auarice I could not endure that my Brother fire should consume it for it selfe After the fire he affected the element of water because by it was signified penance and affliction by reason that with it the soule was washed by meane of the sacrament of Baptisme therfore when he washed his face and handes he alwayes sought a place where the water falling away might not be trodden on and fowled He also reuerenced the stones so that sometimes he trēbled to tread on them remembring the corner stone I. C. He cōmaunded the Religious that made prouision of wood on the mōtaine not to fell the whole tree but alwayes to leaue a great stocke in remembrance of him that for our saluation would dye on the hard wood of the crosse He forbad the gardenet to take vp an entier plant and roote together to be eaten as many doe but commanded him to leaue sufficient wherby to spring againe that in season it might produce flowers for his sake and in memory of him that would be tearmed a flower He would that the gardener should make a litle guarden alone and seuerall from the greater of sweet delicious and pleasing herbes to behold that producing flowers in their season they might be inuited each one to prayse God for their beauty considering that all creatures speake in their language and say Man God hath made and created vs for thee alone to the end that thou praise our Creatour by vs and in all his worckes Therfore he would haue them of all personnes esteemed as a mirour which beholding they might admire the greatenes of their Creatour and might alwayes seeke some subiectes the more to loue honour and adore him Of a miracle intituled of apples because Sainct Francis demaunding apples raised a child THE XLII CHAPTER A Gentleman that was a deere freind vnto the S. inuited him to dine att his house when his opportunity would best permitt S. Francis answeared that on such a day he would preach in his citty and then he would satisfie his request The day so much desired of the gentleman being come hauing taken order in his house for the dinner and left a seruant att home to that purpose himselfe with his wife went to heare the sermon but they being departed the seruant who also had chardge of a litle childe said to her selfe euery one runneth to heare this great S. of God and is it possible that I alone must be barred from hearing him verily I will heare att least a litle and then will retourne before the rest in sufficient time to prepare my dinner which she did but hearing the sermon she remembred that she had left the litle child alone wherfore she instantlie retourned home and not finding the child where she had left it hauing in vaine sought him euery where and considering on the other side that her master would presentlie retourne she went all weeping into the kitchen where she found the child boiling in a pott of hott water ouer the fire and thincking hastely to draw it out she took it by the arme but the arme comming from the body she tooke out all the rest by morcels and though she were extremely afflicted and as it were beside her selfe neuertheles enforcing her selfe she fitted all the pieces together in a chest which she shutt vp and then thought of dressing the dinner till her master and mistresse came to whome she related all shewing them the child The mother whiles the S. according to his custome was in prayer would haue fallen into extreme rage and lamentation but her husband of sound faith remembring that he had the S. with him who he knew to haue great creditt with God persuaded his wife to pacifie her selfe till S. Francis had dined telling her that she should haue time enough to lament afterward if the diuine mercy did not assist thē that she should haue confidence in the S. and that she should see merueillous successe So with an extraordinary constancie perferring their loue to S. Francis before that to their child not to discontent him they suppressed and concealed their interiour greife did eat with him with the greatest ioy they could Now att the end of dinner the holy Father S. Francis demaunded of the gentleman if he had a couple of apples wherof he would gladly eat who answeared that he had none present but would soone gett thē The S. replyed that he would not any should goe out of the house for them but willed that one should looke in that chest pointing att that wherin were assembled the mēbers of the dead child and there should be found two the gentleman hearing the chest nominated knowing what was in it was extremely agitated replenished with faith which God augmented in his hart hoping that day to see some merueilles of the infinite bounty he opened the chest where he found his sonne a liue and very well holding two faire aples in his two handes which he ioyfully brought to S. F. as if he had bin in a cradle it may be imagined what ioy the Parentes conceaued to see their child aliue they were so surprised with this ioy that being as it were beside thē selues they could not speake a word S. F. recounted vnto them how in his prayer offered God reuealed vnto him the death of the child caused by the deuil thē he exhorted thē thenceforward to haue cōfidence in his diuine maiesty as they had formerlie had because faith wrought greater miracles then that which being generally diuulged caused many to lift their harts and handes to God This history was painted in diuers places in memory of this great benefitt and of the deuotion that many
manifestation that he had not any thing in this world and with the more facility to wrestle against his furious aduersary in this last conflict and triall wherin consisted the crowne he with an exceeding feruour and courage stript himselfe all naked as he had bin without any infirmity then cast himselfe on the ground couering with his left hand the precious wound of his right hand and tourning his ioyfull face towardes the kingdome whither he was to goe he began to prayse and blesse his sweet lord IESVS CHRIST that being dischardged and freed of all worldly impedimentes he might ascend to heauen and enioy his diuine Maiestie then tourning towardes his Religious he said vnto them My deere Brethren I haue to this present done what I ought to doe These wordes were diuersely vnderstood of the Religious some of them wept in regard he was to leaue them without Pastour and gouernour others because he seemed to leaue them as men forlorne others for other occasions only the Guardian whome he obeyed vnderstood the desire of the holy Father wherfore taking presentlie an habitt with the cord and linnen breeches brought and gaue it vnto him saying Father take this habitt which I lend you with the corde and breeches that you may be buryed therwith as a poore creature who of your selfe haue not so much as wherwith to couer your nakednes I command you to receaue it in this your last houre euen by the vertue and meritt of obedience wherof the Sainct discouered to haue the greatest contentment that can be imagined considering that in this extremity he had obserued his holy pouerty in such sort as he desired euen to the last end He contentedlie accepted the breeches but to conforme himselfe entierlie to his truely-beloued IESVS CHRIST that would dye naked on the crosse to the performance wherof wanting nothing but to dye naked hauing already bin and euen for the present being admirably crucified by the vertue of the almighty he commaunded his Religious not only to permitt him to dye on the ground but euen to leaue him there a long time after his death Hauing procured to be brought vnto him the holy Sacramentes and they being successiuely administred vnto him those I meane which the Church accustometh to afford such as are ready to dye he lastly tourned towardes his Religious to whome he made a worthy sermon exhorting them to the loue of God then of their neighbour and especially to obedience vnto his holie Romane Church next to obserue their pouerty and before the same and all other thinges to be alwayes mindfull to preferre the obseruance of the holy ghospell and the diuine counsailes therof Then crossing his hādes this great Patriarch of the poore gaue his holy benediction to all his Religious both present and absent saying My deere Brethren God of his mercy blesse you as also I blesse you be it his holy will to confirme me it in heauen Remayne ye all in his holy feare perseuering alwayes therin for the time of afflictions approach wherin they shal be happy who shall perseuer euen to the end remayne ye all in his holy obedience as you haue solemnely promised vnto him Finally remayne ye all in his most holy peace and in charity among your selues God blesse you I goe in great hast vnto God to whose grace I recommend you Amen Which hauing said he asked for the gospell and speaking no more to any person he only desired that place to be read vnto him where is mentioned the departure of our lord Ante diem festum paschae which being read to the end he began to say to himselfe Voce mea ad Dominum clamaui And being come to the verse Educ de custodia animam meam that is deliuer my soule if thou please my God out of this prison that it may attaine to thee my God and my lord where the iust expect me to the end thou mayest giue me my recompence Which being ended this holy soule at it desired was deliuered out of the prison of her proper flesh and eleuated to heauen there foreuer to enioy the eternall bounty with all the sainctes his elected of both sexes in that degree which his diuine maiestie ordayned and parepared for him How some saw the soule of the glorious Father sainct Francis ascend in glory THE LXXI CHAPTER THis holy soule failed not to appeare to some when it ascended to the celestiall glory For Brother Angelus a Religious of worthy sanctity being att that time prouinciall of the prouince of Naples and very neere his end saw in an instant the soule of the sainct as a resplendant starre on the toppe of a verie bright cloud to be transported aboue the great waters and directlie mounted and eleuated into heauen And albeit he had the space of two dayes lost his speech he neuertheles then resumed his spirittes for seeing the blessed spiritt of the sainct he began to crye out Stay for me Father stay for me for I goe also with you The Religious asking what he meant therbie See you not said he our holie Father sainct Francis that now goeth to the glory of Paradice which hauing spoaken he yelded his soule to God and followed his most holy Father The Bishop of Assisium being gone in pilgrimage to visitt the Church of S. Michael the Archangell on the mount Gargan S. Francis appeared vnto him the very night of his death and said My lord know that I haue left the world and goe to heauen The Bishop therfore being risen told his people that S. Francis was dead the night before which was proued to be true An other Religious of this Order being the same night rapt into deep contemplation saw the blessed Deacon of IESVS CHRIST vested with a very rich tunicle accompanyed with a great multitude of soules that attended him as a worthy Prince who so ascended into a pallace of merueillous beauty and eminency it is piously beleeued that the said soules were by his merittes deliuered out of Purgatory This glorious soule ascended to glory accompanied with many Angels that attended and visited him continually in this life and is now seated among the Seraphins which glory he merited not only in this life by the excessiue and Seraphicall loue of God but also it appartayned vnto him in regard of the Seraphicall vision of IESVS CHRIST who transformed him into himselfe making him a Seraphin by gtace and sealing the same with diuine seales as hath bin reuealed to many holy personnes worthy of creditt as well during the life of the Sainct as after his death The verie birdes and particulerlie the Larckes that were much beloued and verie familiar vnto him did exceedinglie reioyce att his glorie a great flight of them appearing verie earlie the next morning on the roufe of the house where sainct Francis lay dead warbling a verie delightfull and extraordinarie note yea as it were miraculous which continued diuers howers celebrating the prayses
ghospell saying If any man will come after me lett him deny himselfe lett him know how much he is deceaued that esteemeth himselfe of any worthe lett him hate and dye in himselfe that he may know me loue and liue in me and I in him And as the nature of fire is to ascend on high so the nature of a soule free and disburdened from the waight of selfe and naturall affection is to mount and ascend into God which is her proper place where she was created to repose in him blessedly perfect and eternall As it is the nature of a stone by meane of his naturall waight to decline vnto his center so is it naturall to the hart loaden with loue of it selfe and other creatures to fall by his owne fault into hell Lett the soule then that shall haue placed all his end in God and desireth to ascend to the throne of grace of the true Salomon IESVS GHRIST who being a most gracious and peaceable king fitteth art the right hand of his Father in whome all the desires of Angels and glorious soules are absolutelie effected lett that soule I say behold in this dayes exercise the ladder of Iacob whose hight toucheth the heauen and that she the more easely and with better order ascend she may make seauen seuerall degrees or steppes which are so disposed by Vbertin The first is the tast the second the desire the third satiety the fourth excesse or spirituall extasie the fift asseurance the sixt tranquility God only knoweth the name of the seauenth We attaine to the knowledge of these degrees and exercises rather by the effectes and actions as it is in other spirituall thinges then of themselues they being perceiued with spirituall eyes wherto althinges are apparant but especially those that concerne the sweet effectes and graces therof The soule therfore that will profitt in them the more that she shall finde her sight cleare to know her weakenes shall correct her faultes and shall perseuer in mortification and exercise of worckes of charity so much lesse sight shall she haue to cast her eyes on the degree or on the height of her perfection leauing the care therof to God alone imploying her selfe onlie in her humility he that hath any litle knowledge of spirituall thinges will easilie comprehend that to search after that which appertayneth only to God to witt to labour for perfection and not for mortification that it followeth therof that there are so few truely spirituall and that deserue this name though many by their profession or exercise pretend so to be Of the first degree and exercise of contemplation THE II. CHAPTER THe first degree then of contemplation as we haue said is the tast wherof Dauid seemeth to speake when the saith Tast and see how sweet God is blessed is he that hath put all his hope in him The Prophett speaketh to smners who thinck to haue no other gaine nor tast but of the world Tast yee sinners saith he and see your errours and you shall know what you loose euen in this life And as the first steppe of the ladder raiseth a man from the earth so the exercise of this first degree is to sequester one from sinnes and the indirect way and to loose the tast of lewd wordlie contentementes yea to hate and detest them so to receaue the tast which God giueth to the soule of a cleare conscience Therfore his diuine Maiestie to draw vnto him the soule accustomed to sensnall thinges giueth vnto her spirituall consolations in the beginning for it would be verie difficult to draw the cold and feeble soule to diuine thinges without this new tast which is giuen her of God as a sensible Manna and therfore the other exercises of this estate are true contrition frequent confession full satisfaction and most profound acknowledgement of ones owne fault ingratitude malice and rash presumption against God Of which thinges proceed desires to satisfy the diuine iustice for satisfaction in other respectes should already be done being neuer wearyed wiâ—h sighing and repenting to haue offended God and so with a feruent zeale of iust correction for God to addict himselfe to penance to fastinges disciplines austerities and wachinges labouring with great patience to offer such prayers as proceed rather from the hart then the mouth And because it will seeme difficult to the penitent to performe this appearing repugnant to his nature he must endeauour to prepare and enable his hart by pious cogitations and meditations and by the remembrance and tast of God as to thinck on death on the generall iudgement on the feare therof on hell and the paine therof one Paradicice and the glory therof on the benefittes and graces of his diuine Maiesty as well in generall as in particular bestowed on all personnes and aboue all lett him not forgett the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST as a soueraigne benefitt of God bestowed on vs wherin consisteth all our consolation and hope When the sinner calleth to minde his great ingratitude towardes God in as much as lyeth in him by his sinnes crucifying him againe and after he had bin so deerly redeemed with his precious bloud and most cruell death destroying himselfe againe by yelding himselfe to the deuill to the great misprise and contempt of his God he cannot but carrie a great hatred to his sinnes and desire to doe great penance therfore that he no more erre from the way of God he considereth how he ought to liue he sequestreth himselfe frome idle and vnprofitable conuersations he smothereth peruerse inclinations and appetites endeauouring to gett an hatred of his owne affection a contempt of the world and finally a victory of him selfe to yeld himselfe absolutely vnto God IESVS CHRIST taught this first degree to his seruant Francis when appearing vnto him att the beginning of his conuersion he told him that it was necessarie for him to chaung the corrupted and infected tast which he had and to make him finde tast in that which till then he had misprised and that what soeuer he had sound pleasing should proue distastfull and bitter I know not indeed of what Sainct are recorded greater exercices in this separation deeper foundation of penance and more labours then of him and doubles it was requisite for him for he was to ascend vnto such a perfection and to be an example in the church to fly the world to make his habitation in solitary places and desert woodes to renounce monie and his fathers patrimonie euen to this shirt to displaint himselfe from his kinred and freindes from conuersations and ordinarie courses of life euen by the root to trans-plant himselfe into God and with such courage that it was not needfull for him to fly into the desert thenceforward to sequester him selfe from the world He powered out an abondant quantitie of teares and sighes with a feeling coÌ„passion meditating on the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST wherof he learned to liue in such
him in this sort of his desired successe in this voyage In the said citty of Tunes there was an old More a man of great authority with those Pagans whome they reputed a sainct he had for a long time opinatiuely forborne to speake but as soone as Br. Giles and his companions were landed this More went presently preaching and exclaming through all the streetes and corners that certaine Infidels were arriued who intended to condemne and calumniat their great Prophett and their law and therfore counsailled and commanded them to seeke them out they being ChristiaÌ„s to kil them This caused a great rumour and tumult ouer all the citty in such sort that in an instaÌ„t they were all armed and prepared themselues to murder these poore Religious But the Christians hauing vnderstood the cause of this insurrection and fearing the Mores would kill them all they forcibly thrust Br. Giles and his companions againe into the shipp in which they came But these true seruantes of IESVS CHRIST did not omitt to preach to the Mores out of the shipp which putt the Christians into such a feare that they commanded the Marineâ—s of the vessel to hoyse their sailes and so being peruented of the effecting of their pious desires they were retourned into Italy Of the hight and sublimity of Br. Giles his contemplation THE IX CHAPTER AFter this holy Father had spent many yeares in the actiue life in affliction and labours it pleased almighty God to make him a new man calling him to the repose of contemplation and priuiledging him aboue all men of his time The beginning of this his perfectioÌ„ was when being in the Couent of Faleron neere Perusia offering his prayer one night he was touchâ—d with the hand of God and replenished with such a supernaturall consolation that it seemed to him that God would separate his soule from the body In this instant he felt his members as dead it seeming vnto him that his soule forsooke them and that being gon foorth she already delighted and pleased her selfe in the sight and contemplation of her so great naturall beauty but much more of her spirituall wherwith the holy Ghost had already endowed her whereby she appeared to her selfe more beautifull then all humane consideration could comprehend as himselfe a litle before his death did testifie In this extasie weâ—e reuealed vnto him celestiall secrettes so great that he would neuer disclose them to any and therfore he would sometimes say Happy is he that can conserue the secrettes of God in himselfe and it must not be obiected vnto me that God hath reuealed them vnto me to the end I should manifest them to others for when it shall please him that I reueale them he will discouer them vnto me by other meanes Of divers apparitions of our Lord and S. Francis to Br. Giles THE X. CHAPTER THe eighteenth yeare of the conuersion of Br. Giles wherin S. Francis dyed he went to dwell in the Couent of Crettone in Toscane within the Diocese of Chiusiâ—the first night of his being there there appeared vnto him in vision an Emperour that spake very familierly vnto him this presaged vnto him the diuine vision of the glory which God communicated vnto him in that place where spending the lent of S. Martin in very aâ—stere fastes and continuall prayers he had one night an apparition of S. Francis to whome he said that he had a great desire to speake vnto him The S. answeared him Brother sift and examine wel your selfe before hand and so vanished Br. Giles perseuering three entyer dayes in prayer IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto him before the feast of his holy Natiuity and for as much as might be coniectured by his wordes he was rauished in spiritt and with the eyes of his soule â—aw the glory of Paradice he neither could nor durst explicate this viion which was not continuall but by intermission till the eue of the Epiphany att which time he was so replenished with force and consoâ—tion both spirituall and supernaturall that his weake and feeble humaâ—e body could not support it for his soule seemed to expire so that he â—as constrayned to breath out violent sighes by reason of the force â—f his spiritt which his body could not sustaine and albeit he were on he hight of a mountaine in a cell very remote where he prayed yet did he other Religious sometimes heare him and then would they seÌ„d Br. GratiaÌ„ to assist helpe him as there should be need This Religious thus â—ming one time vnto him asking him wherfore he coÌ„playned the â—oly Father answeared come hither my child thou art come in good tiâ—e for I wished thee here then recounted to him many thinges to his â—ceeding coÌ„fort The next morning retourning thither he fouÌ„d him bitâ—rly weeping wherfore he prayed him not to afflict himselfe in that â—rt for it might wee l shorten his dayes Brother Giles answeared Alas â—y friendly Brother how may I refraine from teares that feare to 〈◊〉 the ennemy of God for hauing receaued so many graces of his Maiesty I doubt I doe not serue him as I ought and according to his holy will wherof if I were certaine it would be more gracious vnto me then death it selfe which he spake in respect of the vision and diuine reuelation that made such alteration in him and therfore he sayd Till this present I weÌ„t whither I would and with my handes laboured as I would but henceforward I can no more follow my fantasie but must doe according to the spiritt that I find to conduct me This feare in this holy Faher was like to that of S. Paul when he sayd we carie this diuine treasure in earthen vessels Butt because the certaine perill of the losse of an eternall and infinite treasure would cause a diffidence and despayre in any one by consideration of his naturall infirmity he added we know that the preseruation of the diuine treasure consisteth in the vertue and power of God and not of vs. The sayd Religious then tooke occasion to comfort him or rather the holy Ghost for and by him with the said sentence of S. Paul saying that though it were expedient that the feare of God should be alwayes in vs yet should it be there with faith and full confidence in his bounty who as he giueth grace vnto his seruantes so also he giueth them force to preserue the same together with perseuerance Br. Giles being by these wordes comforted he proceeded in employing his dayes in such hight of contemplation and spirituall consolation as is not to be expressed demaunding of almighty God as a fauour not to be so ouer-chardged alleadging that he being so great a sinner an idiot rustike and simple was not worthy so much grace but the more he reputed himselfe vnworthy the more did almighty God augment his fauours There was a religious of pious life in the same CoueÌ„t to whome God did some times reueale his secrettes certaine dayes befor that
that prayeth continually for all the people and for the holy Cittie which the sayd Religious vnderstood to be Brother Giles A woman of the citty of Perusia hauing no milke wherwith to suck her litle child had recourse to this holie Father to whome she was much deuoted but he being in extasie she could not speake vnto him And she not hauing leasure to expect came neere him where he prayed whose breast hauing with exceeding faith and deuotion touched she had milke sufficient to nource her child How God communicated to Br. Giles a most pleasing seeling of glory before this death THE XLIII CHAPTER THis holy Father a litle before his death retourning from prayer into his cell replenished with a merueillous ioy sayd to his companion My child giue me thy iudgement in this I haue found a treasure of such worth and excellency as no humane tongue can expresse and therfore my child I pray thee againe speake thine opinion therof Which he diuers times repeated with an exceeding feruour of spiritt and with such enflamed charity that he seemed to be really druncken with the wine of the loue of God and the abondance of his grace But this Religious hauing told him that it was time to goe take his refection he ioyfully answeared him My child this is a singuler refection and farre better then any other The Religious thincking to tempt him sayd Father lett vs not now thinck of these thinges but lett vs to goe to dinner Wherto the venerable Br. Giles replyed that such speech was iniurious vnto him and that he should haue done him greater pleasure to haue stricken and wounded him to the bloud Now one may piously presume that this holy soule had notice that it should shortly leaue the flesh to enioy that notable treasure of eternall glory which it so much desired there to haue fruition and tast of the most sacred presence of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST About that time a Religious told him that the holy Father S. Francis had sayd that the seruant of God should alwayes desire to end his life by martyrdome wherto he answeared For my part I respect not to die better then in contemplation Of the admirable prophesic he made of himselfe and of his death THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Giles besides his age being wasted by grieuous insrmities as ache in his head and stomache by a very troublesome cough and burning ague so that he could neither eat sleep nor repose The Cittizens of Perusia out of great deuotion towardes him sent many armed men to guard him that being dead his body might not be buryed other where well knowing that he did not only desire but would order to be buryed att our Lady of Angels Vnderstanding then that he was guarded with armed men with great seruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Brethren tell the Perusians that the belles shal neuer ring for my canonization nor for any miracle of mine and that they shall haue no other signe but that of the Prophet lonas Which the Perusians vnderstanding they answeared they would haue him in their cittie though he should not be canonized and so the eue of sainct George att the houre of Mattins as soone as the Religious had layed him on a bed to repose hauing receaued the holy sacramentes ordayned by the Church without any acke of his body that might discouer and make appeare the agony of his death only shutting his mouth and eyes this contemplatiue soule was dissolued from the body with great repose God hauing for all eternity eleuated it vnto his glory This holy Father departed this life the yeare of grace 1260. and of his conuersion to Religion 52. haning merited to ascend vnto heauen their to raigne eternally the same day that he receaued the habitt of the holy Father sainct Francis becomming his true follower and disciple The Perusians after death seeking stones to make him a tombe found a sepulchre of marble wherin was carued the history of the Prophett Ionas where they layd his body according as he had prophesied Of the reuelation of the glory of this S. THE XLV CHAPTER A Person of notable sanctity saw in vision the holy Br. Giles accōpayned with a great number of soules of Religious others that then were dead and comming out of Purgatory they with him ascēded into heauē He saw our lord IESVS CHRIST with a great multitude of Angels that came to receaue him with musicke exquisitely melodious made by those Angelicall quiers these blessed soules were with great honour entertayned of our Redeemer into his kingdome were he seated them on a seat of merueillous glory Att the same time that Br. Giles was sicke of his last sicknes an other Religious fell also sick euen to death who was instantly prayed by a third Religious his Friend that if it should please God to call him he would reueale vnto him his estate if the diuine Maiesty would permitt it which the sick Religious promised Wherfore he dying the same day that Br. Giles did appeared to this his Religious friend and thus spake vnto him Br. giue thanckes vnto God for that it hath pleased him to graunt and giue me his glory deliuering me with many other soules from the paines of Purgatory by the merittes of Saint Giles Which sayd he vanished This Religious not daring to reueale this apparition to any fell grieuously sick But conceauing that this sicknes might be sent him for not diuulging the glory of Br. Giles he instantly called into his Couent some Frere Minors to whome and to many other Religious he recounted the foresaid apparition and was with all miraculously recouered S. Bonauenture said of this holy Br. Giles that God had giuen him one speciall grace which was that whosoeuer did inuocate him in matters concerning the saluation of their soules were heard Our lord wrought many miracles after his death by his merittes and intercession He cured three personnes of infirmities in their eyes fiue that were lame and two of paine in their feet that hindred them from mouing three of the sqinancie a woman in trauell of child two of agues one of the stone and many of diuers other diseases The end of the seauenth book and second volume of the first part of the present Chronicles THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE LIFE OF the glorious Virgin S. Clare the institution of her rule the conuersion of S. Agnes her sister and of an other S. Agnes daughter to the king of Behomia Of the intention of our Lord in the vocation of S. Clare and of her contry her father and mother Of a reuelation vnto her mother touching her sanctity and of her birth THE FIRST CHAPTER SIX yeares after the conuersion of the holy Father S. Francis and the fourth yeare after the confirmation of his rule by Pope Innocent the third the yeare of grace 1212. the omnipotent Father of light hauing framed and sent into the world
of grace 1253. the twelfth of August forty yeares after her perfect vocation to God and the 60. yeare of her age She was enterred the 12. of August on which day her feast is solemnised att Assisium and ouer all the holy Romane Church Of the miracles wrought by the merittes of S. Clare and first of possessed personnes that haue bin deliuered THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe cheefest marckes that sainctes can haue and the worthiest testimonies of faith and reuerence are sanctity of life and the perfection of good worckes for sainct Iohn Baptist wrought no miracles during his life and yet they that haue wrought many shall not be esteemed more holy then he And therfore the notable renowne of the religious life of saincte Clare might suffice to make her appeare such as she is if the tepedity coldnes and remissnesse of the world and partly also deuotion did not otherwise require But sith this holy virgin was not only in her life time by her merittes swallowed vp in the depth of diuine illumination but was also after her death of merueilous splendour ouer all the world by the light of her miracles and as the most pure verity hath caused the recording of many of her miracles that they remayne as testimony memory and denunciation of her sanctity therfore also the multitude of them enforce the rehearsall of some that they may be generally diuulged and knowne A child called Iames seeming not so sick as possessed in regard that sometimes he cast himselfe into the fire or into the riuer fell rudely on the ground and with such fury did bite the stones that he brake his teeth withall forced bloud out of his head and wrested his mouth most strangely yea sometimes would seeme a mōstrer so dubling and folding his members as his feet would be on his necke He was ordinarily twice in the day afflicted with the like tormentes in such sort that two personnes sufficed not to restraine him from tearing of his cloathes yea there was great difficulty to keep him from murdering himselfe Many Phisitians hauing in vaine laboured to cure him att length his Father named Guidalot had recourse to the merittes of S. Clare affectionatly saying O holy virgin honoured of the world to thee I adresse my self to beseech thee to obtaine of God my sōnes health Then ful of cōfidence he conducted him to the sepulchre of this sainct and layd him therevpon and he presently miraculously obtayned the fauour he desired his sonne being perfectly cured of all his infirmities and was neuer troubled after Alexandrina of the towne of Frata neere to Perusia was possessed tormented with an abhominable deuill to whose power she was so left that he made her fly as a byrd to the topp of a rock neere to the riuer of Tiber then made her descend to a branch of a tree that did hang over the sayd riuer then to hang on that branch there playing her idle pranckes This woman had halfe her body vtterly benummed for which the Phisitians could find no remedy Att lenght she came with great deuotion to the shrine of saincte Clare and inuocating her merittes she was cured of all her afflictions for she had also the gout in her left hand and her body halfe paraliticall was cured and withall she was entierly freed of the oppression and seruitude of the deuill An other woman of the same place was cured before the sayd sepulcher who was in like sort possessed with the deuill and had withall many other diseases Of many that were miraculously cured of diuers diseases THE XXIX CHAPTER A French youth goeing to Rome in company of others his country men fell sick and lay by the way and by the force of his infirmity lost his sence and speech and his body became deformed as it were a monster then became he so furious that he could not be held so that he seemed ready to dye which spectacle did not only moue his companions to compassion but did also exceedingly terrifie them and therfore they bound him to a biere and carryed him to the Church of saincte Clare where hauing placed him before her sepulcher they applyed them all to prayers inuocating the helpe of God and of the S. who made such intercession for the yong man that he was in an instant entierly cured A man of the citty of Spoletum called Valentin was exceedingly afflicted with the falling sicknesse in which he fell six times a day in whatsoeuer place he was and besides he had one foot so wrested awry that he was vtterly lamed he was brought on an asse to the sepulcher of S. Clare where hauing remayned two dayes and three nightes the third day attempting to moue his lame foot and none being neere him he made such a noyse that being heard by some a farre off they seemed to heare the kreaking of a peice of dry wood and the man was instantly cured of both the one and the other his sayd diseases The sonne of a woman of Spoletum called Iames of twelue yeares old beingblind could not goe without a guid being once forsaken by him that conducted him he fell into a pitt brake one of his armes and hurt his head The night following sleeping by the bridge of Varue a woman appeared vnto him and sayd Iames if thou come to me to Assisium I will cure thee Arising early in the morning he much admired att the vision which he recounted vnto two other blind men who answeared him Brother we haue lately heard of a Lady that is dead in the citty of Assisium att whose sepulcher God worcketh by her merittes great miracles which the blinde youth hauing heard he left the two other blind men and wiht a strong confidence hastened to Assisium in the way he lodged att Spoletum where in the night he had the same vision which encreased his hope of recouering his sight and made him hasten in time to arriue to the church of saincte Clare But he found it so filled with worldly people that he could not enter which exceedingly troubled him But seeing no remedy he rested att the dore and there remayned till the euening where this poore blind youth being weary by his iorney and afflicted for that he could not enter into the church setled himsesfe the best he could to rest vpon the ground leaning his head against a great stone and so slept and presently the third time heard the sayd voice speaking Iames God will doe thee good if thou canst enter and incontinently awaking out of that sleep he began to cry and begge of the people with abondance of teares to permitt him to enter which hauing a long time continued they gaue him place and hauing discloathed himselfe putting his girdle about his neck he went to the sepulcher of the sainct before which with great reuerence and humility he fell on his ' knees and hauing persisted sometime in prayer beseeching saincte Clare to intercede for him he fell into a gentle slumber wherin
solemnized ouer al the Catholike Church This blessed S. departed this life the yeare of grace 1231. the 19. day of NoueÌ„ber Certaine yeares after her reliques being traÌ„slated her body was found in the cosin of lead where it was first layd in sepulture her flesh being melted into oyle and most precious liquor that yelded a most delicious and pleasing â—auour this oyle restored health to infinite sick people and a very long time distilled from her sacred bones The life of the B. Elzearius of the third order of sainct Francis and S. Delphine his wife Of the sanctity mortification abstinence and virginity of S. Elzearius THE XVIII CHAPTER ELzearius was Earle of Arian in Prouince no lesse generous and noble in vertues and sanctity then eminent famous in race generation for the Eaâ—les of Arian his predecestors were of the most illustrious of Prouence This nobleman from thirteen yeares of age accustomed to fast often and woare a cord girded on his flesh knotted with fiue knottes which he vsed as a restraint and bridle to carnall sensuality and as a secrett memory of the fiue woundes of our lord IESVS CHRIST When he was ouer-wearyed with watching and was ouercome with necessity of sleep he neuer putt of his cloathes to take his rest and by day woare an hair-cloth therby to feele some affliction in his body both by day and night considering that without afflictions the fruites of spirituall desires cannot be obtayned His rigours also serued him to represse the coÌ„cupiscences stinges of the flesh and to obtayne the fruites of true wisdome His age encreasing he addicted himselfe to a stricter rule of abstinence chasticing his body by fastes to subiect it vnto the spiritt He gaue vertuous and pious instructions to his family that they might liue in the feare of God and not iniury their neighbour but might edifie him and that God might by them be serued and honoured This sainct after his youth though he had bin delicately nourrished was a great friend vnto chastity and so continued euen to his death preseruing in his soule and body the inestimable treasure of virginity How sainct Elzearius was maryed and accorded with his wife to conserue their virginity THE XIX CHAPTER S. Elzearius was maryed in his youth vnto a gentlewoman of noble familie called Delphine who had a like intention with her husband to preserue her virginity She being past twelue yeares of age and knowing she should shortly be deliuered and committed to Elzearious her Spouse began exceedingly to feaâ—e that notwithstanding the sanctity she knew to be in him as not sufficiently fiâ—me and resolute in this grace he would ouerthrow the holy resolutioÌ„ she had to coÌ„serue her integrity And consulting therof with a Frere Minor that was her ghostly Father called Frere Philip Denguerre a man of notable piety he gaue her full asseurance and satisfaction with a prophetical spiritt telling her that she should not only entierly obserue her vow but that her husbaÌ„d and she should liue together chastly and so perseuer to the end And so the nuptiall solemnities being ended they liued together twenty seauen yeares religiously and piously vnder the shadow of the name of mariadge very well vnited in spiritt but remote from the vnion of the flesh preseruing in this vessell of earth the inestimable treasure of most precious chastity a vertue not so much recommendable as rare and so much more worthy to be imitated att least in part as the contrary vice is damnable and ruinous Of the worthy and singuler vertues of S. Elzearius THE XX. CHAPTER THis holy man duely considering that the principall vertue which the seruant of God can haue is the misprise of himselfe and consequently humility and not worldly nobility his spiritt could neuer be raysed to vaine glory by the great substance honours and puissance which the eminency of his house did yeld him His wordes were gracious and pleasing conformable to the spiritt that deliuered them and the better to attaine to the perfect contempt of himselfe he would often for the loue of IESVS CHRIST wash the soares and vlceres of leapers with his one handes and serue them with gteat feruour of deuotion and with such charity as if with his owne eyes he had seene and serued IESVS CHRIST himselfe He behaued himselfe towardes his subiectes and vassals ouer whome he had entier iurisdiction as a iust lord iudgeing their causes with a seuere clemencie as one that could not be drawne from the right course of iustice by feare hatred fauour or corruption This holy man proceeded in all actions by the vertue of discretion wherwith he so teÌ„pered his worckes of mercy that therin he with exceeding humility auoyded worldly glory and fauour and as a valiant and perfect warryer he neuer desisted from his first inteÌ„tion and as iust he withall his industry shunned the occasions of offending God This seruant was so charitable and liberall to the poore that neuer any demaunded of him an almose for the loue of God but he gaue him a reward together with good wordes All his care was to feed the hungry to lodge pilgrimes and haue care of poore sick and forlorne creatures as one that acknowledged the poore CHR. IES in his poore creatures in sicknesses the painfull afflictions wâ—ich he endured for vs miserable sinners And as he was replenished with the loue of his neighbours no lesse was he but much more replenished with the loue of IESVS CHRIST And knowing that the edifice of vertues hath its end in the perfection of holy prayer in regard that it is a conuersation and familiarity with God he applyed himselfe with all his endeauour to prayer and contemplation he also sayd the canonicall houres with such deuotion and attention as if he had bin in the visible presence of IESVS CHRIST How S. Elzearius had the true vertue of patience of his death and canonization and the death of his wife THE XXI CHAPTER THis inuincible Champion was so armed with the precious armours of patience by the exercise of vertue that albeit he supported many thinges very difficult to endure yet none could euer disquiett him so that he was neuer perceaued to be in choler nor the least iott remote from his ordinary mildnes For he very patiently and humblie supported and endured the iniuâ—yes and affiontes directly or indirectly offered vnto him and was neuer heard to proceed out of his mouth any word but of praise and thanckesgiuing vnto God he with such sweetnes and clemencie pardonned his ennemies whatsoeuer offence they commited against him that he did not only make appeare that he was satissied and appeased but proceeded in their behalfe as if there had neuer bin cause of discontentment Being att Paris and hauing fore-knowledge of the houre of his death he with great abondance of teares and exceeding deuotion made his coÌ„fession then with much reuerence and in very exemplar manner receaued the sacramentes of the church And
a difficult and dangerous enterprise we are therein much more induced by example then by any persuasions of whom soeuer though we acknowledg them to be certainlie true None could be found that would resolue ioyfully to embrace the vertue of pouerty humility chastity fasting and other peniteÌ„tiall labours if he knew not that others not only with wordes exteriourly but really with worckes haue embraced the same Neither was it for any other cause that our Lord IESVS Christ would personnaly come into this world but by example to shew vs the way of our saluation and his holy wil because the examples aduertissementes of his faithfull seruantes would not suffice to retire vs from our euill conuersation and way and to setle vs in his no not the preceptes which he had giuen in the first written law But when he began to walke this way how many were there that would accompagny him very seriously seruing him euen till their death and this only for his loue The Church therfore knowing right well the glory that redoundeth to almightie God and the fruit which men gather by the memory of the life of our lord IESVS Christ and of his sainctes doth euery day propose and sett them before our eyes in the diuine office in the sacrifices and solemnities that it should not be tedious vnto vs to follow and imitate them whome we prayse and whose memory we honour and that likewise we should not esteeme it labourious to walke that way which alone conducteth vs to eternall life Hereof mayest thou consider deuout Reader what vse almightie God maketh of his elect in fauour of vs because we are saith S. Iohn coadiutors to the saluation of soules we may hence also conceiue how greatlie we are obliged to the trueseruantes of God who haue so put themselues to paines in the exercise of vertues that they haue left the way open that such as seeke it may finde it and by their examples haue taught vs which it is and with whath force and industry we may attaine vnto true glory Those of former ages guided only by naturall light did vse exceeding diligence to induce and animate themselues by the examples of their famous predecessours vsing them as so many spurres vnto vertrue to the end they might in no time be defectiue in the obligation they had both to their natiue country and to their owne honour and indeed the milke wher with they nourced their childreÌ„ in their publique schooles was the generous actes of their ancestours which were red vnto them in poemes and orations that by meanes of those examples the children might be affected to vertue and enflamed with desire of glory although it was more vaine then vertuous This is of such force that euen at this present many of our Christians following the same practise cause their children to spend the most entiere parte of their age in committing to memory the heroyicall actes of the ancient Grecians and Latines But would to God that too many did not employ and wast all their life in this study and that many others were not more affected to Homer Cicero and Virgil then to IESVS Christ O extreme indignity of Christians deseruing sharp reprehension and eternall punishment in regard that they glory to be imitatours of the superstitious Gentils who as they wanted faith and the true light illuminating the hart of Christians so was not their vertue true and solid but exteriour and vaine And although that in that time of obscure darcknes they gaue to men some sparckle of light some litle knowledg of vertue more with wordes then with effect these Pagans neuertheles persiste in obscurity euen in the cleare day of the true light of our lord IESVS Christ the soueraigne truth and perfection and are vnworthy to be honoured in comparison of true Christians who being illuminated with the light of faith can easily discerne iudge and condemne the world with his vnwise adherentes because as the Apostle S. Paul Saith the spirituall man knoweth and iudgeth al thinges Pagans on the contrary glorying and esteemning themselues wise with their eloquence become sottish and ignorant as hauing attributed and giuen vnto creatures that which appertayned only to the Creatour but they whose cogitation and confidence is more setled and grounded on the diuine will and doctrine then humane and do follow celestiall not earthly Philosophy such I say shal only arriue to heauen whence first discended their knowledge they cannot erre being taught by the eternall wisdome neither shall they euer want glory euen amoÌ„g mortall people though they haue with all possibility shunned the same but shal be illustrious to all the world For though antiquity haue exceedingly honoured great ambitious personnes that desired to leaue some memory and renowne of themselues in this world after their death yet our holy mother the Church doth farre more exalt and make more glorious our Sainctes continually in the predications feastes and solemnities which for them and in their honour are celebrated besides that we beleeue that they liue and gloriously raigne in heauen in the contemplation of their Lord. So that the true seruantes of God are blessed among Angels and honoured among men as eminent sainctes as great they are and worthy of all reuerence Altars are euery where consecrated and churches bult in their names their images are honoured their wordes and workes are highly commended and preached their reliques are reuerenced and worshipped on earth their soules glorified in heauen and the miracles and excellent workes both ancient and moderne which our lord in them and by them hath wrought are with exceeding great glory admired Our Lord euen in this world recompenceth his elect who not in appareâ—e but in effect are vertuous and holy and incorruptedlie conserue their faith to their Creatour When was there euer found in any time among the ancient naturalistes such constancie such faith temperance magnanimity sweetnes mercy iustice fortitude and loyaulty as hath bin found in our Christians who by no kinde of threates or faire speeches of Tyrantes could be induced to leaue their obedience vnto God could neuer be corrupted by any promise or recompence nor haue bin inclined by any kinde of flatteries or fauours but persisting firme constant in the truth haue nothing esteemed nor feared the terrible and horrible tormentes were they neuer so barbarous nor in the extremity of them or death it selfe but haue alwayes remayned immoueable and inuincible in true vertu piety not desiring reuenge or detriment to the persecutours or executioners but pardon and saluation praying vnto God for them And all this not att their death only but euen in their life For there is no kinde of vertue wherin the sainctes haue not excelled some in purity of virginity others in continencie with great labour subiecting the flesh to the spirit that euen on earth leading a life more angelical then humane they might purchase eternall glory in heauen others renouncing kingdomes estates and dignities
face vpon the earth or if he held his handes ioyned together on high if he sighed if he spett or coughed Brother Iohn would doe the like S. Francis once reprehending him for it he thus answeared I haue promised to God to doe what soeuer I shall see you doe and therfore I must endeauour to conforme me entierly vnto you The holy Father admired and together reioyced to finde him so constant in his simplicity by meane wherof he so much att lenght profited in all other kind of vertues that all the other Brethren held the perfection wherto he arriued in great admiration But by reason that the world was not worthie of so pure a conscience God afterwardes called him to himselfe After his death S. Francis with great ioy recounted vnto his Brethren his holy conuersation and called him not Brother Iohn but S. Iohn It happened about that time that S. Francis preaching in the prouince of Ancona there came one day after sermon a man vnto him that said he would leaue the world and dwell with him to whome S. Francis answeared If thou desire to enter into this order goe first and accoÌ„plish the saying of the gospell Sell what thou hast and giue it to the poore He then incoÌ„tinently went and distributed all his goodes amoÌ„g his kinred being herevnto moued rather by passioÌ„ of the flesh then deuotion of the spiritt and then retourned to S. FraÌ„cis to whome he said Father I haue forsakeÌ„ all that I had The holie Father demaÌ„ded of him in what manner he had disposed therof and he replyed that he had distributed it amoÌ„g his poore and needy kinred S. FraÌ„cis then knowing that this man had not any feruour of spiritt said vnto him Brother Fly sith thou hast giueÌ„ they goodes to they kinred gett thee home and aske no more to liue of almose with my poore BrethreÌ„ So this wretch retourned alone to his kinred as vnworthy to liue with so manie perfect seruaÌ„tes of God Many others inspired by the supreme bouÌ„ty and with an exceeding feruour of spirit daily entred into the Order the renowme wherof was spread ouer all Italy yea through all ChristeÌ„dome By reasoÌ„ that S. Francis sent his Religious into diuers partes of the world who represented the life of IEVS CHRIT by holy pouertie which they carryed in steed of purses by obedience wherin they were most prompt and ready and trauaile wherby they were speedie in their iorneyes and in regard that they had nothing they feared not the losse of any thing Thus liued they euery where without feare and in great tranquility of spiritt without care either by day or night as they had bin instructed by him that is the only true and singuler Master They kept not the remaynes of one dayes meat for the next being of beleefe that to endure want of these temporall and transitory benefittes was their great richesse and aboundance In what exercise and beleefe he fashioned â—â—is Bretheren THE XXX CHAPTER SAint Francis knowing that his religion was instituted of the holy Ghost in the church of God for a mirrour or looking glasse wherin sinners might behold and contemplate their deformitie and how far different and distant they are from the liknes of God he for this respect endeauoured to annoynt his Brethren with the vnction of IESVS CHRIST by whose vertue he begatt them So then being replenished with the holy Ghost his Order did not only encrease in nomber but in vertue also and edification of the faithfull and to the end that besides their deuotion they might also be exercised in charitie and loue of their neighbour sith they were piously to coÌ„uerse in the world he would often louinglie sitt downe with them and in the name of God command now one then an other to make some exhortation of that which the holy Ghost should dictate vnto him and this he practised often And one time of all other they whome he had enioyned to speake did all deliuer such excellent and admirable thinges of the bounty and goodnes of God and of his secrettes and this vnpremeditated only by the vertue of obedience that themselues grew into admiration therof He then by experience knew that which God said to his disciples It is not you that speake before Presidents and Princes but the spiritt of your Father that speaketh in you Now whiles these holy pure and simple vessels did poure out the baulme of diuine grace discoursing of very high matters of God and discouering the deepe misteries of the scripture by vertue of obedience vnto their holy Father our lord IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto them and stood in the middes of them in forme of a most beautifull yong man and gaue them his benediction with such a sweet and immensiue grace that S. Francis and his Brethren were rauished in extasie and fell all in a sound and as dead to the ground Being retourned to themselues S. Francis said My deerly beloued Brethren we are much obliged to be thankfull vnto God for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiesty to manifest his treasure by the mouth of the simple and to appeare vnto vs to lett vs know that he was present and that when it pleaseth him he maketh the mouthes of infantes of the simple and mute to appeare right eloquent These seruantes of God thus replenished with so great a light of diuine grace S. Francis sent them to illuminate the world and att their retourne they all repayred to our ladie of Angels as their true mother and there they enioyed againe each others sight with an extreame contentment which so filled them with a spirituall exultation that they easilie forgott the labours and contradictions which in their trauiles they had endured The other Brethren that stirred not from the Couent though sometimes they were employed in manuall labours about the necessities of their house neuertheles the chiefest part of their exercise was in prayer for they very frequentlie prayed with feruour and teares They arose att midnight watching to pray to God for themselues and for all other sinners They had a very tender and mutuall loue to each other The holy Father serued them as a mother doth her only sonne charitie so burned in them all that it seemed very easy vnto them to spend their life not onlie for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST but euen for the safty of one of their Brethren Two Brothers walking one day through the feildes they mett a foole that cast stones att one of them which the other perceiuing he stept before his companion to receiue the strokes of the stones These good Brethren did such and the like thinges being induced therto out of perfect charity They reuerenced one an other as masters and he that by his office or age was amongest them the principall would appeare the most humble and abiect they exercised themselues in obedience each of them being prepared to performe not only the precept but
it might not hinder the profitable progresse of the soule He deuided the yeare into diuers Lentes all which he fasted austerelie and first the Lent which our Lord fasted which beginneth from the Epiphanie this great seruant of God fasted it in the honour and example of IESVS CHRIST very secretly with great silence and very strict abstinence of bread and water Then incontinently after Easter he kept an other Lent to solemnise the feast of the holy Ghost in which he prepared himselfe in example of the Apostles for so great a comming An other he made in honour of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul an other from the feast of the said Apostles to the assumption of the virgin Mary After this Lent he fasted till the feast of S. Michaell the Archangell Besides the foresaid Lentes he very austerely fasted the Aduent He left it as a precept to all his Brethren to fast it from the day after the feast of Alsaintes according to the same forme of the quality of meat which himselfe vsed Touching the rest of his austere life it may be conceaued by that which he said of himselfe I was neuer theefe in demaunding almose superfluously yea I haue alwayes taken lesse of that which I needed therby not to frustrate other poore because if I should haue done otherwise I should haue condemned my selfe of manifest theft Notwithstanding when he trauailed he did accommodate himselfe to their diett who gaue him entertainement in their house according to the gospell in such sort that both fasting and eating he alwayes edified his neighbour If in his sicknes he were constrayned to eat flesh from the time of his recouery he would for pennance double his ordinarie abstinence In regard wherof Brother Giles would commonly say that if S. Francis had a body sound and stronge as he desired all the world together had not equalised him for sufferance and patience in austerityes But because the merite and noblenesse of vertue consisteth not only in the party of the body but of the spiritt therfore by how much his bodilie force did faile so much were the feruours of his spiritt refortified so that they exceeded without comparison his naturall forces and that was his great crowne And therfore appearing one day to Brother Giles and telling him that he desired to speake foure wordes vnto him he answeared and said learne first with thy selfe that which thou wouldest say to me Besides the bare hard ground was the ordinary bed of this poore wearyed and trauailed body and his pillow was a stone or a peece of wood yet did he oftē sleep sitting in respect wherof his body had very small ease repose in his sleep for he spēt the most part of the night in prayer Wherto he arose whiles the other Br. slept whē he was with thē His habitt was one only coat with the capuce of very rude boysterous cloth and sometimes breeches and the corde As he hated delicate cloathing so did he extremely affect that which was rude and rough saying that S. Iohn was for that exceedingly praysed of God in these wordes that the custome of delicate cloathing is in the Courtes of Princes and not in the houses of the poore If therfore the holy Father felt any complacence in his habitt as being neat or whole he would incontinently quilt it within with grosse threed He affirmed that he knew of certaine that the diuels did admire att the obseruance of a difficult and austere life and that on the contrary they violentlie tempted those that were cloathed delicatelie Being one day demaunded how he could endure the sharpnes of winter in so poore and simple habitt he answeared couragiously If we were cloathed within with the flame of God we should most easily support this cold without and greater then ordinary if it shall happen But because he knew that all his Brethren were not capable of the like sufferance he said that the true seruant of God ought to gouerne himselfe with much discretion in his drincking and eating and in the vse of all other thinges necessarie to the entertainement of the body and in such sort that he gaue it not occasion to murmure that it hath not strength not only to pray and labour with the rest but euen not to stand on foot and when he shall haue done that if the body doe afterward play the iade become lazie and drowsie when it should pray lett him rudelie chastice it and therfore he ought in all his necessities to haue alwayes recourse to his superiours and humbly demand them And if he doe not obtaine them he ought to beare it patiently for the loue of God who also prayed his Father and was not heard and lett him vndoubtedly beleeue that a necessity voluntarily suffered for the loue of God is reputed vnto him as a martyrdome and if his body be therby endomaged the fault is not his but it is the will of God Notwithstanding these so milde documents for others he subdued his one body with an incredible rigour in regard wherof some few dayes before his death he of conscience asked it pardon for hauing so rigourously treated it and alleaged for excuse that he had not done it out of hatred vnto it but for its greater security and for the glorie of God Of preseruing the treasure of chastitie and how he afflicted himselfe and cast himselfe into a pitt full of snow THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe blessed Father liued with an extreame rigour and sharpnes of discipline to conserue the virginall splendor of chastity very diligently enflaming the interiour and exteriour man For this cause in the beginning of his conuersion he often times during the winter season cast himselfe all naked in the middes of snowes or on the ice that he might perfectly subdue his domesticall ennemy the flesh and conserue the shining robe of immaculate virginity from the fire of sensuality not permitting it long residence therin as by this example shall appeare Being one day in the hermitage Lautiauo making his prayer in a celle apart the deuill called him thrise saying Francis Francis Francis to whome thoughe the S. answeared yet knew he not who called him The deuill then said vnto him there is no sinner in the world whome God doth not pardon if he conuert himselfe but he that shall kill himselfe by ouer rigorous pennance shall neuer finde mercie before the face of God The holy Father then knew the deceipt of the wicked ennemye hidden vnder the sweetnes of those wordes and he knew it the more apparantly in that att the same instant by the loathsome breath of that foule dragon which enflameth the coales of hell he had a vehement temtation of the flesh which the louer of chastitie feeling he discloathed himselfe and with his corde very sharpelie beate himselfe saying Goe to Brother asse this kindnes I must shew thee it is requisite that thus I serue
recouer them and know the place of their residence but they could neuer see nor heare of them It was then iudged that this was the recompence of the curtesy which the deceased had done to S. Francis and his companions when he entertained them att Orgogno and thence forward those people were euer exceeding deuot vnto the Freer Minors In the same iorney betweene Barcelone and Ghirone neere vnto S. Celony one of the companions of S. Francis being very hungry entred into a vineyard which he happelie found there and did eat of the grapes The keeper of the vines hauing perceaued it tooke from him his cloake which he very patientlie permitted him to take and would not restore it whatsoeuer instance S. Francis vsed but carryed it to his master of whome the said S. so graciously demaunded it that he did not only restore it but withall inuited him to eat with him where he in such sort comported himselfe that this good man entierlie edified by the wordes of the S. and by his doctrine offered himselfe to be a perpetuall host vnto all the Freer Minors that thenceforward should passe that way To whome the S. reciprocally replyed I accept thee for a Freer of our Order and so proceeding in continuall performance of that charity when they passed that way he died many yeares after and as his kinred procured his obsequies to be performed where were present many Preistes some did deridingly beginne to murmure saying that the Freer Minors did not appeare att the death of one of their so affectionate Brethren of who they had receaued so many curtesies and vpon the deliuerie of these wordes there came two and twentie Religious singing the Psalmes of Dauid with an exceeding melodious harmony who hauing finished the office in the Church did all disappeare The kinred of the deceassed prepared for them to eat but they rested content with only giuing thanckes to God with the rest of the people for the recompence he affordeth those that entertayne his seruantes euen after their death It was then ordayned in that citty that the Freer Minors should thenceforward there be lodged and entertayned with all thinges necessary att the chardge of the common purse S. Francis passing afterward through the kingdome of France preaching in a hospitall att Montpelier he prophetically foretold that in that citty should shortlie after be erected a monastery of Freer Minors which was accordingly verified soone after in that a Couent was there built which was very worthely mayntayned till the fury of the Caluinian heresie did vtterly ruinate the same Of the first meeting of S. Francis and S. Dominick THE LVII CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 1215. when the first generall Councell was held att Lateran during the raigne of Pope Innocentius the third the holy Father S. Dominick was att Rome with the Bishop of Tolous called Falcon to procure the Popes confirmatioÌ„ of the Order of Preachers which he then intended to institute and estabish wherof the Pope being by diuine reuelation aduertised and enformed of the great fruit that this Order should produce vniuersally to the holy Church att his first vew of S. Dominick without farther notice of him incontinently commanded him to retourne vnto Tolouse and to conferre with his Religious touching the penning of a rule that might be approued by the Church vnder which his Religion might be confirmed S. Dominick then retourning to Tolouse and hauing with his Religious implored the diuine assistance they made election of the rule of S. Augustine with the name and title of Preachers The yeare following being 1216. Honorius the third succeeding Pope Innocent the third retourning to Rome he demaunded of the Pope that then succeeded the said confirmation with the Bull and apostolicall authority in vertue wherof to make profession and with all to adde other constitutions that seemed necessary All which hauing obtayned the night ensuying he saw in prayer our Lord IESVS CHRIST att the right hand of God against sinners in an hideous and terrible manner brandishing three launces in the aire against the world the first to suppresse the hautines of the proud the second to disgorge the ouer-stuffed entrailes of the auaricious and the third to massacre the carnall There was none that could resist this wrath but the virgin Mary his most sacred mother whome he saw most affectionately to embrace the feet of her sonne beseeching him to pardon those whome he had redeemed with his precious bloud and with the mixture of his infinite mercy to delay that his rigorous iustice Then he heard our Lord thus answeare her See you not mother how manie iniuryes they doe me how is it possible that my holy iustice permitt so many enormityes to be vnpunished His most gracious mother thus replyed Thou knowest my deere Sonne what is the way to conuert sinners vnto thee but behold here a faithfull seruant of thine whome thou mayst presently send into the world to preach thy word to men that being conuâ—rted vnto thee their Sauiour they perish not and behold there also an other of thy seruantes ready to assist him Presenting vnto him S. Dominick and S. Francis with whome he saw God to be satisfied Now S. Dominick awaking very well retayned the markes wherby he might know this his companion whome he neuer knew before But the day following by diuine prouidence he mett S. Francis who was then in the Church of saint Peter att Rome whome he incontinently knew by the markes which he had obserued in the said vision Then he ran and verie affectionatelie embraced him and said we shal be companions and shall labour together in our holie purpose and neither any man nor wicked spiritt shall haue power to preuaile against vs. At length he recounted vnro him the said vision And after long discourse together they remayned vnited in God with one hart will and spiritt They commanded the like vnto their brethren This vision was imparted vnto the Religious of saint Dominick by saint Francis his meanes to whome onlie the said saint had recounted the same How these two SS had sight of each other an other time att Rome and how they reiected the benefices that were presented to them and to their Religious THE XLVIII CHAPTER THese two eminent lightes sent of God to illuminate the world did an other time meet together att Rome in Cardinall Hosties house who for the great zeale he carryed to the Church of God and for the deuotion wherwith he respected them both said vnto them In the primitiue Church the Prelates were poore and liued without any vanity gouerning the flock of Christ with loue and humility not by desire of terrestriall and temporall thinges therfore in myne opinion the holie church would retourne to her primitiue estate if of your Religious we should make Bishops and Prelates because by their doctrine good example of life and by contempt of the world they would represent to the whole world the Prelates of the primitiue
and damnation to the disobedient and such as erre from the said most holy Faith and to this end would he by his immensiue charity assuming our nature therwith satisfie all our offences and die on the wood of the crosse for our sinnes and would afterwardes leaue vs the meritt of his passion in the sacrament of holy baptisme wherby we are new borne to eternall life that all our sinnes dying we may sett our selues free from the captiuity of the deuill and from eternall death which this cruell ennemy hath from time to time procured vs. Great Soldan proceeded the S. open the eares and eyes of thine vnderstanding misprise not the Embassadge which thine omnipotent eternall king sendeth thee permitt his grace to enter into thy hart and by his holy light he will giue thee instant knowledg of the great blindes wherin till this day thou hast liued and consider attentiuely how much thou art bound vnto his diuine maiesty letting thee now vnderstand that he can giue thee a kingdome in heauen much greater then this which he hath giuen thee here one earth But if thou perseuer in thine errour be thou assured of the punishment prepared for thee for thou must know that soone or late thou must fall into his handes yeld him an account both of thy sinnes and of thy vassals The holy Father spake these and many other like wordes with such feruour and vehemencie of spiritt that all those present though they were all infidels did manifestlie know that the said wordes proceeded of a more then humane vertue And they were indeed vttered with the same spiritt that God promised his seruantes saying I will giue you a tongue and wisdome which the princes of the world shall not be able to resist Now the Soldan acknowledgeing so great a vertue in the seruant of God he gaue him thanckes with much reuerence and tokens of curtesie then asked him concerning new difficulties being very attentiue to the answeares which the holy Father gaue him as a man sent him from God and therfore very instantlie prayed him not retourne to the Christians but to remaine with him the seruant of IESVS CHRIST cntierly circumvested with zeale of the faith thervpon made him this answeare Great Soldan If you with all your people wil be conuerted I will right gladly remayne with you and if you haue any doubt that detaineth you from leauing your beleefe for mine because the time is very short you may presentlie make proofe therof lett there be made a great fire in the middes of the army then call your Sacrificers and Religious command vs all to enter into the middes of the fire and afterwardes follow their faith that by their God shall be preserued The Soldan amazed att the proposition made by the holy Father said I doe not thinck that any of our Religious will make this triall Wherin he was not deceaued for he had scarcely vttered that word but one of his Collociers there present very aged and among the Turcks reputed for a S. hearing it incontinentlie slipt away fearing that the Soldan accepting the condition he should be deuoured by the flames The holie Father then addressing himselfe againe into the Soldan said Mighty Soldan wilt thou promise vnto God to become Christian if I my selfe alone goe into the fire Wherto I am now readilie prepared The Soldan answeared him that he durst not then make any such promise much lesse accept such offer fearing that such an vnwonted attēpt might raise some tumult in his army neuertheles it wrought much fruit in his hart and though for the present he did not resolue to be baptised yet he remayned exceedinglie aflected to the holy Father to whome he offered a great quantity of gold siluer and apparell for himselfe and his companions which the Saint no more esteemed then verie filth not vouchsafing to behold the same which much more amazed the Soldan yet he prayed him againe to accept those presents to dispose them in almose for his soule albeit he were not as yet resolued to be baptised But his requestes were vaine S. Francis then determined to passe further as not finding any firme and stable resolution in the Soldan though he prayed the holy Father to visitt him often affirming that he would conferre more amply with him graunted him letters patentes by vertue wherof he his Br. might freely preach ouer all his kingdome wherwith S. Francis departed How S. Francis and his companions preached the faith to the kingdome of the Soldan and how he miraculously resisted a More that tempted him to carnality THE LXX CHAPTER SAinct Francis diuided his companions and sent them ouer Egipt Syria and himselfe with Brother Illuminatus went through all the kingdome continually preaching the gospell And being on a time enforced to rest himselfe in a certaine place expecting the mitigation of the stormy weather he retired into a house to lodge where in was a More who in the lineamentes and proportion of her face was faire and of comely grace but in spiritt extremelie loath some she induced by the deuill that one each side cast his snares to surprise the S. went to him into a chamber where purposely she had placed him alone and instantlie prayed him to sinne with her the S. answeared her woman if thou wilt that I offend with thee thou must also yeld to me in my request Wherto the amourous More presentlie accorded S. Francis then incōtinently goeing to a great fire that was there spreding it abroad layed downe and stretched himselfe theron inuiting the More to keepe her promise and lye with him one that bed so gorgious and resplendat The More remayned a while pensiue betweene loue and feare expecting the issue but att length seeing him to turne one the coales as if he had bin one roses and lillies she acknowledged her selfe and her sinne and was baptised and afterwards by vertue of the miracle of the S. as an other Samaritane conuerted many Mores vnto IESVS CHRIST The S. hauing vpon this occasion seiourned there certaine dayes went on his iorney cōming within three or four leagues of Antioch to a place called Mōtenegro where was a Monastery of Religious of the Order S. Be. he there made some stay in such sort cōported him selfe that in few dayes the Abbott all the Religious renūcing all their possesiōs into the hādes of the Patriarck became Freer Minors In the meane while it chaunced vnto two other of his companions that they seeming to a More so miserable he of compassion offered them almose which they refusing in any sort to receaue the More demaunded them wherfore they would not accept the same wherto they answeared that for the Ioue of God they would possesse neither mony or any other thing in this world the More was therwith so touched that he sodenly receaued them into his affection yea into such amity that thence forward he had
care of all their necessities and promised them to sell his goodes to mayntaine them if they would continue in that country The worthy example of their life was so admirable that they who could not be conuerted by their doctrine were conuerted by meane of their vertuous worckes which indeed are of much more efficacie they mollified the most fierce and barbarous nations mortall ennemies of the Christian name making them compassionate and pittifull but the nomber of the wicked and insolent budding foorth and being the more potent in that country yet not daring to kill them in regard of the patentes of their great Soldan they caused them to liue a lamentable life afflicting them ten thousand manner of wayes and the holy Father here vpon knowing the will of God to be that he should retourne hauing by the assistance of his diuine Maiesty assembled al his Religious not hauing so much profited among those Barbarians as he desired he repayred towardes the Soldan thence hauing taken leaue of him to retourne into Italy How S. Francis retourned into Italy THE LXXI CHAPTER THe said holy Father being retourned towardes the Soldan was very ioyfully and graciously entertayned and he att length told him secretly that he would willingly become Christian beleeuing firmely that the Christian Religion was the true way of saluation but he feared to manifest the same for the present the time seeming improper he warring against the Christians nor being secure by reason that the Mores hated them to the death but because by thy retourne said the Soldan to S. Francis as I cōiecture thou mayest profitt many and I haue many matters to dispatch that deeply concerne me I beseech thee to instruct me att this preset that mine affaires effected I may obey thee when occasiō shal be presēted as I doe now sincerely promise thee The holy Father hauing demaunded respite of answeare went to his prayer wherin perseuering for many dayes together he continually implored the grace of God for that poore soule whence he would neuer desist till he was heard which with the successe being reuealed vnto him he wēt to the Soldā to whom he said Sir I resolue to goe into Italy the will of my God being such but I promise to sēd you two Religious in time conuenient by whose meane according to the reuelation which God hath giuen me and which I explicate and promise vnto you you shall certainely be saued The Soldan hauing heard so gratefull an answeare with an exceeding contentement imprinted the same in his hart and S. Francis taking leaue of him retourned into Italy and failed not in the accomplishment of his promise for he appeared to two of his Religious that were resident in Syria whom he sent to the Soldan who was deadly sick the Religious repayred vnto him and instructed him and hauing baptised him he died S. Antony of Padua speaking of this Soldan conformably hereto affirmeth that diuers are of opiniō that he was baptised before his death the firme affectiō which he carryed vnto the Christiās being apparantly manifested for he had entertayned of thē for the guard of his body it is well knowne what piety he alwayes shewed towardes our army Likwise Iames de Vitry Cardinall in his historie writtē of the conquest of the holie land guieth testimonie of S. Francis his voyage in those quarters in these wordes We haue seene the Father S. Francis the first Founder of the Order of the Freer Minors a simple man and without learning but so much fauoured of God and men and eleuated to so high a feruour of spiritt that cōming to the armie of Christiās that beseiged the cittie of Damiette in Egipt he passed with out any feare armed onlie with the buckler of faith to the middest of the armie of the Mores saying Bring me to the Soldan to whose presence being come as soone as he had beheld him of a most cruell beast as he was he became a most gentle lambe and gaue most attentiue eare to the word of God which he preached But att length fearing that many of his people that desirously herad him and yet did not stirre from his campe would be conuerted and adhere vnto our army he returned him with great reuerence vnto vs praying him att his deperture that he would pray vnto God for him that he would please to inspire him to entertaine and espouse that law that were most pleasing and gratefull vnto him Of the vehement temptations wherwith the deuils tormented S. Francis THE LXXII CHAPTER ALbeit the holy Father wrought so much fruit conuerting the sinners of Egipt and conducting them into the true land of promise which is Religion free from all earthly tribute and obligation neuertheles the ancient ennemy of this blessed generation did not sleep for he vsed all the slightes he could deuise wherwith to confound the same And because he knew well that it entierly consisted in the head which was S. Francis he omitted not to assault this fortresse which God had placed on an high scituation to be an example vnto others hoping alwayes either to weary him or att least to make some relent and mitigation of his strict rigour and perfection of life Knowing therfore that all kind of vertue was compleat in the said S. he also stirred all his ministers against him who notwithstanding could no further preuaile then God would permitt The arrogant and proud Lucifer could not support his profound humilitie Mammon the prince of the world perceauing that there was no wordlie thing in the S. but that he had cassiered euery thing yea him who was prince thereof by the rigour of Euangelicall pouertie he neuer slept from endeauouring to make him cast his affection on some creature of this world The gloutonus Satan watched and laboured to procure some relaxation in the rigour of his diett lodging and cloathing The impatient Asmodeus armed himselfe against him to leuell att the patience of the holie Father The loathsome and filthy Behemol assaulted him presenting sensualitie often vnto him with endeauour to defile the candour of his virginitie Belzebub the captaine of the idle omitted no time to tempt him with sloath and by some apparant reasons to persuade him to take some litle recreation The persecuting prince Leuiathan tormented him with naturall perturbations discontentements and disgustes wherwith the flesh afflicted the peace and charitie of the S. against which Golias and his army the humble Dauid in the name and vertue of his God obtayned so glorious a victorie that he might well sing Francis hath ruined and subdued an hundred thousand ennemies and hath driuen away the derisions and rebukes which the diuels procured vnto the Church by auarice and sensualitie But God would that the deuill himselfe should by the mouth of the possessed acknowledge the cruell warre that S. Francis and his Religious waged against him and likwise the great fruit they produced in soules though this his confession was sufficientlie
neuertheles I hope in God that the inuisible ennemies the deuils that are his executioners to chastice the disobedientes in this world and in the other will also chastice the transgressours of the vow of their profession therby to their shame and forciblie to make them retourne to their first vocation to this effect I will not omitt to assist them whiles I liue att least by prayers and example sith otherwise I cannot and to instruct them the secure way which I haue learned of my God as I haue formerly done that they may haue no excuse before his diuine maiesty No further doe I hold my selfe obliged Such was his answeare which satisfying the Religious procured an inestimable greife to all the hearers wherby it also manifestlie appeared what reason the S. had to leaue them and what occasion they had to know themselues and by a pious acknowledgement of their fault and true repentance to haue recourse vnto him The end of the first booke of the Chronicles of the Friere Minors THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS PROSECVTED THE discourses of the life death and miracles of the Seraphical Father S. Francis translated out of french into English Of the plenary indulgence graunted by Iesus Christ to the Church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula THE FIRST CHAPTER THE more the glorious Father S. Francis profited in perfection and endeauoured to vnite himselfe with God the more did he poure out teares and felt intollerable greife att the losse of soules redeemed by the price of the precious bloud of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST Wherfore not ceassing to desire mercie of God for sinners as he thirsted to haue all saued the yeare of grace 1223. being to that effect in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him and bid him incontinentlie to repaire vnto the church because our Lord IESVS CHRIST with his glorious Mother and a great number of Angels there expected him Hauing receaued this gracious embassadge he hastened thither and there found our Sauiour sitting in a Royall throne on the high altare and the Virgin Mary att his right hand enuironned with an innumerable multitude of blessed spirittes The holy Father incontinentlie falling prostrate on the earth heard the diuine voice of IESVS saying Francis Know that I haue heard thy feruent prayers and because I know with what solicitude thou and thy Religious procure the saluation of soules aske me what grace thou wilt for their soules benefitt and I will graunt it thee The S. being by such an answeare emboldened most humbly answeared My Lord IESVS CHRIST I miserable and vnworthy sinner with the greatest reuerence I can require of thy diuine maiesty that it will please thee so much to fauour all Christian people as to graunt them a generall pardon and plenary indulgence of all their sinnes I meane to all them that shall enter into this church confessed and contrite I also beseech thee O glorious holy Virgin mother and our Aduocatrix that it would please thee to make intercession to thy most gracious sonne for me and for all Christian sinners Our Lady was instantlie moued with these wordes and began in this sort to pray our Redeemer in his behalfe O my most high Lord and sonne of my bowels I beseech thee graunt vnto this thy faithfull seruaunt this grace which he hath demaunded with so great a zeale of the saluation of soules which thy selfe aboue all other thinges disirest My God graunt him this grace in this place to thine honour and the edification of thy holy church Our Lord sodenlie answeared Francis that which thou demaundest is great but this thy desire conformable to mine deserueth much more and therfore I graunt thy request But goe to my Vicar to whome I haue giuen al power of vnbinding and binding here on earth and in my name demaund it of him which said he disappeared The Religious that had their celles neere therevnto saw the splendour and heard some speach but durst not approach for reuerence and great feare that possessed them The holy Father S. F. hauing thācked God presētly called Bro. Macie in whose cōpany he wēt to Perusia where thē was Pope Honorius with his court befor whose holines he thus spake Holy F. I haue reestablished a church that was very ruinous desert called S. Mary of portiūcula very neere vnto the citty of Assise wherin are residēt your Religious the Frere Min. I beseech your holines by our Redeemer I. C. his most glorious mother to voutsafe for the benefitt of the soules of all faithful Christiās to graūt a plenary indulgēce and remission of all their sinnes to all them that shall visitt this church in good estate without giuing any almose in the same The Pope answeared him that the Apostolike sea did not accustome to graunt indulgēs without giuing of almose because it will that they be gayned by thē He thē asked him for how many yeares he desired the indulgēce S. Francis answeared Holy Father I desire not yeares but soules How soules said the Pope S. Frācis replyed I require that euery Christian confessed and contrite that shall come to visitt the said Church receaue plenarie absolution in earth and in heauen and that of whatsoeuer sinnes he shall haue committed from his Baptisme to that very houre I require not this in myne owne name but in our Lord IESVS CHRIST who hath sent me to your Holines Which the Pope hearing inspired of the holy Ghost he thus spake thrice with a loud voice I am content to graunt it as thou hast demaunded it But the Cardinals present aduised the Pope to consider well what he graunted because by that act he would destroy the indulgences of the holy land and of Sainct Peter and S. Paul att Rome which would no longer be regarded The Pope answeared that he would not reuoke what he had att that present graunted They replyed that att least it were requisit he should limitt the said indulgence to a certaine time and moderate it to a certaine prefixed day of the yeare The Pope then said We graunt to all faithfull Christians that being truely confessed and contrite shall enter into the Church of our Lady of Angels plenary indulgence and absolution both of paine and fault and we will that the same be of force for euer for one entier day that is from the first euensong till the sunne sitting of the day following Which the holy Father Sainct Francis hauing obtayned he kissed his feet then demaunded his benediction which receaued he arose to depart But the Pope recalling him said Whither goest thou simple man what specialtie hast thou of the indulgence obtayned The holy Father answeared that his word should suffice and besides that this worck was of God and therfore it should be published and supported by his diuine Maiesty and withall that he would haue no other Bull but the Virgin Mary IESVS CHRIST for Notary and the Angels for witnesses Which
in the pulpitt he made a sermō to the people that thither by Goddes prouidence were abondātly flocked from all the neighbour places with an extreme feruour explicating vnto thē this so great treasure which he performed with such deep doctrine that it seemed rather the discourse of an Angell thē of a mā vnlearned as he was Att the end of this sermō he denoūced vnto the people in the name of God his most sacred mother the indulgēce in these words Whosoeuer being truely cōtrite cōfessed shall visitt this church the first day of August from the euensong therof and the night and daie of the feast it selfe to the sunne setting he shall gaine a plenary indulgence which is graunted him first by God secōdarily by his Vicare Pope Honorius and the same to cōtinue for euer on that day The bishopps there presēt to cōfirme the speech S. Frācis would not accord to that for euer The bishop of Assisiū therfore cōfirming the indulgēce to the people purposing to limitt it to ten yeares could neuer vtter it but was cōstrayned to say for euer the like happened vnto the other bishoppes This miracle being very euidētly knowne vnto the people it encreased their faith preuēted the doubt which some might haue had that God himselfe had not graūted this indulgēce Therefore the publicatiō being ended the bishoppes being exceedingly amazed att the miracle did with great solēnity consecrate the said church which continued for euer endued with this great treasure to the glory of our lord his holy mother the virgin Mary and his seruant S. Francis and to the soules health of all Christians Of certaine miracles wrought by Godin confirmatiō of the said indulgence THE IV. CHAPTER IT pleased God besides the fore mentioned to cause this so great indulgence to be beleeued and reuerenced in due mannner for the publike good by such miracles and reuelations as we shall now relate The yeare following a great number of people being come to gaine the said indulgence whiles they watched by night in prayer vnto God in the said church there arose in a moment such a rumour among the people there assembled that the Religious who were att rest were awakened therwith Comming therfore into the church they saw a Doue whiter then snow that flew fiue times about the Church One of them stepping forward the better to see came neere the high altare where he found Brother Corrado of Offeida a right holy Religious of an exceeding exemplare life and famous for miracles whome he prayed to lett him better vnderstand the occasion of the great murmure that was among the people who verie pitifull cryed out This venerable Father answeared that he was content to tell him conditionally that he would promise not to reueale it to any person during his life Which being condicioned he said I saw the Queene of heauen to discend cloathed with an ineffable splendour as holding her Sonne in her armes and to giue her holy benediction vnto all present then this Doue which was with her on the altare began to fly to signifie the visitation of God it hath here flowne round about the church Which the people seeing though they knew not all began thus to crye out towardes heauen The same day the mother of our lord was seene to enter into the Church with the Religious and to accompanie the ordinarie procession with a great troupe of Angels that sung prayses vnto God This was seene by Religious of pious life and also by certaine pilgrimes As in the Marquisat of Ancona one coniured the deuill that vehementlie afflicted a poore possessed woman to enforce him to tell what course was to be vsed to expell him he answeared att lenght that he tormented not the woman for any sinne of hers but onlie to the end God might be praysed by her and that therefore there was no other remedie to deliuer her but to procure her to gaine the indulgence of our ladie of Angels and that he spake thus much as forciblie cōstrayned to speake against him selfe as he likewise confessed that by the same indulgence he lost a great multitud of soules which he already held as his owne by reason of the enormous sinnes they had committed The woman was therfore with great affliction and greife brought to our ladie of Angels the verie day of the indulgence and as soone as she was entred the effect succeeded for the deuill lifting her into the aire departed and the poore woman fell as dead to the ground But by the merittes of the glorious Virgin she incontinentlie arose verie sound of bodie and soule hauing bin confessed to gaine the indulgence There are besides manie true testimonyes to whome haue appeared the spirittes of diuers deceassed reuealing vnto them that hauing certaine dayes before their death gayned the said indulgence they were sodenlie by the glorious Virgin Mother conducted into Paradice without feeling any paine of purgatorie others also gayning this indulgence that was applyed vnto them by forme of suffrage after their death by meane of some liuing freindes were deliuered of the paines of Purgatorie as by this ensuying discourse shall appeare A Venetian Gentleman that was a verie spirituall Preist desiring to gaine this indulgence as he prepared himselfe to goe thither he fell sicke and of the same sicknes dyed but before his death he said to a very freind of his My good freinde I desire you to beleeue that there is no man in the world of my kinred or whosoeuer other in whome I haue more confidence then in your selfe nor of whome I hope to obtaine what I desire for the saluation of my soule I therfore pray you that if it please God to call me vnto him you will vndertake so much labour as to goe to our ladie of Angels to gaine the plenaire indulgence for the benefitt of my soule and to defray your chardges in the iorney demaund what you will and I will giue it you that the indulgence being mine you receaue no detriment therby This freind took what was requisit for his expences and promised to goe Now this Preist being dead and the time of Pilgrimage being come his deere freind though he saw manie that prepared them selues to the iorney he as if he had made no promise deferred his iorney purposing with himselfe to goe the yeare following which is a thing but too ordinarie to ingratefull persons kinred and freindes neglecting and forgetting the poore decassed the Preist appeared to this vnworthy freind in his sleep the same night that he had made the foresaid purpose and with an angry countenance reprehending him he said Goe on thy iorney now with such as prepare themselues therto He awaking determined to doe that for feare which he had neglected to doe for respect of amitye Hauing effected the promise the same day that he entred into the church and gayned the indulgence for the deceased the Preist in the night ensuying appeared vnto
ouercome by the violence of the water were also drowned without possibility of any mannes assistance After these came other Religious vnburdned and without any weight these were very poore and entring into the floud did easilie and without any perill passe the same Now S. Francis knowing by diuine inspiration that Brother Leo had had a vision and perceauing him much disquieted said vnto him Brother Leo tell me what God in this prayer hath manifested vnto thee Brother Leo incontinentlie recounted vnto him the circumstances of the vision he had praying him to expound it because he vnderstood it not The holie Father failed not to comfort him saying know that all thou hast seene is true the floud is this world which with extreme impetuosity runneth to perdition The Religious which are drowned in this floud are such as accomplish not their Euangelicall profession and the strict and voluntary pouertie promised but doe burden themselues with affaires of the world which sinck them to the bottome the second are such as hauing begun the way of God arriue to the middes but being vanquished by sensuality and concupiscence of terrestriall thinges forgetting their vowes are by the violent streame ouerwhelmed and drowned the third are such as hauing followed the spirit of God and not of the world haue not regarded to load themselues with the burden of the earth but haue bin content with one only habit to couer them and a morcell of bread to sustaine their life and to followe IESVS CHRIST naked on the crosse and therfore without any perill doe passe to eternall thinges whither they are called of God The sequell is extracted out of the sixteenth chapter of the 6. booke THe said Brother Leo an other time saw S. Francis hauing before him a crucifix that walked together with him and rested when he rested the face of the S. was illuminated with a splendour proceeding from the crucifix The third time he saw discend from heauen vpon his head a scrole wherin was written Hic est gratia Dei the grace of God is on this man The processe of the eleuenth chapter of the same booke THe infirmity of S. Francis vehementlie encreasing in such sort that all the Brethren thought he would die by reason that from the euening to the houre of mattines he ceassed not to auoyde bloud and had also very frequent accidentes happened vnto him all the Religious began lamentingly to say vnto him Father who after IESVS CHRIST haue ingendred vs in the world how without you shall we remayne orphanes and desolate depriued of your presence with which our hartes were edified and did walke in the seruice of God Wherfore O Father doe you so leaue vs without a guide Alas most deere Father who shall comfort our feeblenes who shall cure the infirmities of our soule who shall giue moysture to the dryed roote of our hart that it persist in charity sith these vertues were conserued in vs by your holy aduertisementes and by the example of your holy life and by these vertues we most strictly obserued Euangelicall pouerty Giue vs O Father some consolation if it be now your houre because we who are here in the name of all your children that are and shal be doe demaund your Fatherly benediction Leaue vs Father some memoriall in signe of your holy will that God hauing called you vnto him we as your most obedient children may persist in the continuall exercises of your holy aduertismentes and may say Our Father deliuered vs such speeches and recommended vnto vs such thinges att his death S. Francis intending to comfort them caused to be called Brother Benedict of Pirra one of the most ancient of the Order A Religious of great doctrine and sanctity who was his Confessour and said masse vnto him euery morning he being come the S. faid vnto him Write Brother Benedict these wordes which I leaue as a testament vnto my children I giue my benediction to all them that are and shal be in my Order euen to the worldes end And because by reason of my extreme weakenes I cannot speake much I declare my last will and intention to all the Religious present absent and that hereafter shal be in my Religion by these three last wordes only The first in signe and memory of my benediction and testament I command you mutually to loue each other as I haue and doe loue you The second that you loue and alvayes keepe holy pouerty which is my mistris The third that you be alwayes faithfull and subiect to the superiours of our Order and to all Preistes of the holy church and that you be humble and respectiue vnto them But God who saw that his seruant was yet very necessary to this his flock and that he should pourchase himselfe a greater crowne in heauen prolonged his life S. Francis was absolutely contrary to those that desired and procured to haue priuiledges and exemption from the Pope touching their life because it had bin reuealed vnto him of God that how much the Religious were priuiledged so much the lesse fruit did they produce he would that the intelligence of the rule should be taken of his wordes being so cleare as they were to any vnderstanding prouided that it were free from passioÌ„ though they seemed very obscure to such as would not conforme their life thervnto but endeauoured to wrest draw the sence to their libertine life seeking against all equity to haue this their licentious life called the life of Euangelicall perfectioÌ„ And to proue this to be true we see that those first children of the holy Father so simple vertuous and pious found no such difficulties therin and the reason was because seeking to imitate him they simply vnderstood and most dilligentlie obserued this rule which many that were learned neither could nor can vnderstand with all their declarations and exclamations of whome may be said and not without reason that they would not or will not vnderstand it as it hath bin vnderstood of those â—â— though they were simple and vnlearned What esteems S. Francis made of the great obligation which the Prelates haue towardes their subiects THE XII CHAPTER THe S. was alwayes a vigilant Pastour to gouerne the flock which God had committed vnto him encourageing them to prayer to fastinges and to the obseruance of holy pouertie and teaching them to imitate the highest master IESVS CHRIST who began first to doe then to teach himselfe doeing the like enduring many thinges only to giue example to his children Being one day att the Oratory of S. Eleutherius neere vnto Rieta he patched his habitt within and without with course and grosse cloth aswell against the violent cold that then was as for the indisposition of his stomach which the said patches did couer he commaunded his companion to doe the same But feeling that this peecing did comfort his body he presentlie remembred the necessity of his Religious of whome hauing compassion he said to
you from pride from the vices of auarice of enuy and vaine desires so detrimentall to your soules and by your example to your neighbours also you shall in your sermons exhort the people to pay their tythes to the Preistes of whome so doeing you shal be entreated to preach and heare their confessions though you should not so much respect that as to conuert them for a man conuerted will soone finde a confessour as for me I demaund no other priuiledge of God but to loue and reuerence each one and to conuert the most sinners that I can by obedience to God and his holy church and the same more by humilitie and example of the obseruance of our rule then by wordes Of the afflictions incident vnto the Order reuealed vnto the holy Father S Francis THE XXVII CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis being one time in prayer att our Lady of Angels most instantlie praying his diuine maiesty that he would please to shew mercy to the ChristiaÌ„ people on whome he had reuealed vnto him that he would lay a great scourge God answeared him Francis if thou wilt that I haue compassion of my people procure dilligentlie that thy Order perseuer in such sort as it is instituted that therin may be found such as may worthelie make intercessioÌ„ for them and in fauour of thy Order and of thee I promise thee not to lett fall on my church that great affliction which aymeth att it threateneth it But I will haue thee know that if thy Order doe preuaricate the first punishmentes which I shall inflict on my church shal be on the preachers therof and will giue to the deuill what authority ouer them he will Thence will grow so manie scandales betweene them and the world that none will aduenture to take the habitt but in the desertes where I will preserue this few number of elect as I preserued the children of Israel so manie yeares and so the good being conserued in my grace the Order shall afterward be reduced to his pristine estate Herevpon did S. Francis prophesie that a verie violent temptation should be raised in his Religion by pourchaced science wherwith in manner of a furious winde from the region of the desert as the affliction of Iob furiously striking the four corners of the house of his Religion his owne children would bring it to ruine because said he being puffed vp by their learning and relying theron they well lay ambushes and cast snares for the true and lawfull children framed by that huge damned woman called pride to whome they will sacrifice their child birthes that is their worckes and will liue in the delightes of the profitt of them and of the recompence of their impudencie and arrogancie Now the auctoritie of such Religious wil be extremelie bitter and insupportable to the iuste that shal be persecuted by them because their simplicitie obedience pouertie and zeale of the honour of God shall in a manner inexplicable secretlie confound them Wherfore they by reason of their pride being vnable to endure it relying on the wisedome and reputation of their valure and the authority of the nobility and Princes of the world pourchaced by meane of ambition will persecute them to death There is also found a prophesie of the holy Father S. Francis written by the hand of Brother Leo of the great schisme and diuision that was in the Church after the election of Pope Vrban the sixt the yeare 1378. that continued neere 40. yeares the tenour wherof was thus A time will come when the holy Church shal be full of schismes which will put men in extreme perplexitie as well in the spirituall as temporall estate and the deuill shall haue manie followers and shal be more dilligente then ordinary to take aduantage by this occasion to augment his kingdome then shall the beauty of this Order be defiled with that of others and prophane apostasie shal be accomplished to the dissention of two Realmes when few shall obey the holie Church with a true charitie and he that shall not be canonicallie elected to the Papacie yea suspected of heresie shall be obeyed because manie shal be subtillie peruerted by him by his contagious errours then shal scandales multiplie and Christianitie be diuided manie refusing to contradict the same the scismes and diuisions of the Clergie of Religious and of the people shal be so violent that if those dayes were not abbreuiated by God the elect if it were possible would fall into the same errours if God of his mercie should not deliuer them S. Francis in regard of this reuelation particulerlie put into his rule the vow of obedience vnto the Pope vnto his successours canonicallie elected and to the holie Romane church in the beginning and end of the same rule knowing how much it would profitt his order in that so turbulent time to perseuer firme therfore he gaue this instruction to his that foreseeing the same they might know to gouerne themselues well therein Of the liberty wherinto the Order should fall prophecied by S. Francis THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe holie Father S. Francis being one day in presence of the Cardinall Vgolino Protectour of the Order and of manie other of his Religious he vttered these wordes which he afterward also preached to the Brethren a time will come when the Religious of my Order by the malice of the deuill shallleaue the way of holie simplicitie and pouerty indifferentlie receauing all sort of mony and all such legacies as by testament shal be bequeathed them and leauing solitarie and humble places will build faire and sumptuous houses in cittyes and townes capable to entertayne Princes and Emperours then by fauour they will procure obtaine priuiledges of the Popes through art and humane prudence and by their earnest importunitie they will obtaine requestes merelie iniust though cloaked with truth by this meane they will not onlie abandon their rule instituted by IESVS CHRIST against their solemne profession but will also ruine and alter the puritie therof chaunging the good intention into peruerse and being armed by meane of the said priuiledges against obedience against other Religious and against all the Clergie when they shall expect to gett the victory the wretches shall â—inde themselues fallen into the trench which themselues shall haue made gathering no other fruit of their seminary but scandales which they shall offer to God in steed of the saluation of soules who seeing the same shal be no more thenceforward their Pastour but their ruiner according to their meritt And therfore he will leaue them entangled in the nettes of auarice and their vaine desires Which being naturalie considered of many shall cause that acknowledgeing this punishment of the hand of God they repent their faultes and retourne to their former estate notwithstanding that they be persecuted and derided of others as are all the vertuous and true seruantes of God by the wicked and impious But as the same temptations shall accomplish the
with incredible paine and patience of the holy Father Neuertheles he would not haue them touched on the friday because he would endure the more and so suffer with his Sauiour Brother Ruffinus who as S. Francis affirmed was already for his sanctity of life canonized in heauen hauing many times seene the woundes of the handes and feet of the S. desired also very earnestlie to see that of his side wherof he held himselfe as fully assured by washing his linnen bretches which he alwayes found embrued with bloud on the right side and annoynting his stomack with oyntmentes insinuating himselfe and thrusting his hand farther then he needed did often touch it with his fingers and sometimes the S. felt much greife thereby neuertheles he had a verie extreme desire for his consolation to see it And therfore one day faigning to request the holy Fathers habitt of deuorion to chaunge it for his owne and requiring it for the loue of IESVS CHRIST he so wrought that the S. who could not deny any thinge that was demaunded him in the name of God not suspecting any other thing putting of his habitt to giue him he contented him therin though he did his endeauour to hide the same S. Clare that made him many plaisters for dressing therof deserued to see them the S. shewing them all vnto her in regard that she was such an Espouse of IESVS CHRIST as each one knoweth and the eldest daughter in God of the S. The said plaister is with great reuerence shewen for a relique in the Couent of S. Clare att Assisium The Cardinal of Hostia Protectour of the Order law them also and many personnes deuoted and affected vnto him as the bishop Vgolino and others How God by many miracles published the Sacred stigmates of his seruant S. Francis THE LVIII CHAPTER THe same God that had imprinted the sacred stigmates in his seruant for the good of the world would not haue them buryed in silence but did miraculously manifest them as to his maiestie seemed conuenient which he did as well for his owne glorie as for the benefitt of faithfull soules who seeing his sacred woundes in his seruant encreased in faith and glorifyed the author of them in his sainct There raigning a great pestilence among the cattell of the Country of Riete which procured their death notwithstanding any remedy that could be inuented God reuealed vnto a deuout person that he should procure to gett of the water that fell from the handes of his seruant Francis when he washed them and therewith should sprinckle the cattell and so they should be cured The man fearing God went and gott of the said water and with faith experienced the application and all the cattell that were touched therwith though halfe dead arose sound and secure on their feet Before S. Francis had the stigmates there arose euery yeare a cloud with a tempest neere the Mount Aluerne that destroyed all the fruit of that place But after he receaued them that tempest neuer appeared which procured great admiration to all the world Being one time accompanyed with a poore man himselfe riding on an asse by reason that the woundes that were vnder his feet hindered his goeing the night hauing surprised them they retired themselues vnder the couerture of a mountaine where the poore man for the extreme cold which he felt could not sleep and tourning himselfe from one side to an other did nothing but sigh and lament Whereof the holie Father hauing compassion touched him with one of his sacred handes and the poore man in steed of the bitter cold which he felt incontinentlie found himselfe so exceeding hoate that he seemed to be in a stoue or hoate house where he sweetlie slept till the morning and afterward affirmed that in al his life he neuer slept better A woman of Arrezzo had so dangerous a labour that she was abandonned of the phisicions and the health of her bodie being desperate there was no care but of her soule it happened by chaunce that the asse wheron S. Francis had ridden was brought to drinck neere vnto the house of the said woman which her kinred knowinge they tooke of the bridle which S. Francis sitting on the asse had held in his handes hauing with great faith girded the woman therewith she was presently without danger deliuered God wrought such miracles during his life that by them it might appeare that his sacred stigmates were truely worckes of his omnipotent hand but he made it much more apparent after his death as here ensuying shal be declared though they happening afterward seeme not conuenient to be written as yet neuertheles I doe it that the matter may be seene well vnited together Of the testimonies of the woundes of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis by the holy Apostolicall sea THE LIX CHAPTER POpe Gregorie the ninth himselfe saw and touched the handes and feet of the glorious S. and because he saw not that of the side he had no great beleife therof Wherfore some time before he canonized S. Francis one night in his sleep as himselfe often affirmed the S. appeared vnto him as in choller and reprehending him of his sclender faith lifted vp his right arme and shewed him the wound of his side then demaunding a cuppe it seeming to his Holynes that he deliuered him one it was presently filled with bloud By this apparition he afterward remayned assured of the wound which he so reuerenced that being vnable to endure the enuie and lewdnes of some that impugned the same striuing to darckē the glory of so singuler a miracle he commanded by the first bulle he published that this truth should be beleeued as affirmed by Apostolicall sentence The bulle beginneth The glorious Confessour then afterward he saith We by the tenour of these presentes declare vnto all people that the stigmates of this glorious S. hauing in his life time and after his death bin seene in his body the same hath bin approued with his other miracles by our venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the holy Church wherfore we haue had iust occasion to enrole him in the catalogue of SS And because in the beginning of this veritie there were two ecclesiasticall personnes that publiquelie declared themselues aduersaries to the said stigmates one of who was Brother Euerard an Alleman Preacher who in his sermōnes auouched that he neuer had those woundes and the other was the Archbishop of Colleigne who commanded the said stigmates to be putt out of his image the said Gregorie the ninth made and sent two breuies against them the one of which being directed to the Prouincials and Priours of the Order of Preachers was such Gregorie Bishop we hauing heard with no lesse greife then meruaile that a Religious of your Order named Euerard not remembring that the sermons of Preachers ought to be seasoned with the salt of grace being att Copania a citty of Morauia of a Preacher becomming a blasphemer was not ashamed to
naturally drawne att Venise in the church of S. Marck such as we haue formerlie described and with stigmates enameled after the Mosaicall manner Of the Buriall of the body of the blessed Father S. Francis THE LXXIII CHAPTER THe afore mentioned Lady Iaqueline of the Seauen Sunnes was the last that could not be satisfied with seeing and touching as an other Magdalen this sacred body of her deere master She did nothing but bath it with her gracious teares and dry it with her kisses the extreme swetnes that proceeded from this holie body but particulerlie from the sacred stigmates exceeded all other sweetnes neuerthelesse she held her eyes alwayes fixed on the wound of his side wherto she often applyed her mouth and handes whence she receaued such and so exceeding consolation that it seemed vnto her in this conuersation with her dead master and freâ—nd â—hat her soule with a straung and admirable ioy began to liue Butt to the cittizens of Assisium that desired to carry him to buriall finding much delay euery hower seemed an hundred by reason of the extreme feare they had that so precious a treasure by some extraordinarie accident might beÌ„ taken from them wherfore they placed a guard before the monasterie gate and soldiers diuided through the street euen to the gate of the citty which cittizens so importuned the said Lady that she annoynted him with precious iontment then cloathed him in a new gray habitt which she had expresly brought from Rome according to the aduertisement of the Angell and the Religious so opened this habitt that the wound of his side might easily be seene This glorious Sainct did alwayes in his life time desire that his bodie should be buryed in the basest place of all the citty of AssisiuÌ„ his hart excepted which he deputed to our Lady of Angels as during his life he had by affection there setled the same and in deed God did not frustrate him of this iust desire for his holy body was enterred though this were not till foure yeares after by reason that the monasterie was not yet build there nor the church which they sumptuouslie built there afterward in the most abiect place of Assisium where malefactours were executed called the mount of hell the common opinion is that his hart is in the chappell of S. Mary of Angels where according to report it is preserued with great reuerence On the sonday morning all the people being assembled with bowes of trees and the Religious Preistes and Gentlemen with their burning torches and lightes carryed this holie bodie as in procession first to the Church of S. Damian to S. Clare that the prophesie of the Sainct might be accomplished sending her worde some dayes before that she should shortlie see him to her exceeding consolarioÌ„ The grate being opened the body of the Sainct was brought in to the Religious who were so comforted therwith that greife could finde no place in their hartes particulerly in that of S. Clare who endeauouring in vaine to pluck out a nayle of his handes to keep it with her as a relique she began againe with her Sisters to bath this holy bodie with teares encourageing themselues together to proceed in the way begun of the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which he had taught them And so after they had restored this holie bodie to the people who weare troubled att this long attendance they carryed it to be enterred in a new sepulcher within the Church of S. George as in a dispositorie where it remayned full foure yeares vnder guard till his church was builded att the Mount of hell as aforesaid It was not without mysterie that he reposed in the said church wherin he had bin baptised had learned his first letters and where he had deliuerd his first preachinges therfore it seemed verie reasonable that his bodie should begin to repose in that place whither the said Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes repayred neuer to abandon him forsaking her habitation in Rome and neuer left this body till her death when she went for euer to dwell with his blessed soule in Paradise How the glorious Father Sainct Francis Was canonized by Pope Gregorie the ninth THE LXXIV CHAPTER THe merittes and glorie of the holie Father S. Francis began by his great miracles to be diuulged whence succeeded that himselfe raigning in heauen his sanctitie was also by diuine power manifested here on earth which he had neuerthelesse alredy made sufficientlie apparant to the world in his life directing an infinite number of soules in the infallible way of vertue The brute of the admirable thinges which God wrought by his seruant Francis came euen to the eares of Pope Gregorie the ninth who resting assured that the S. was glorified with God not only in regard of the said miracles wrought after his death but euen of the experience had with his owne eyes desiring here below to comforme himselfe to the will of God as his true Vicar he determined with a pious and deuoted zeale to canonize him and propose him to the world for a remarckeable example of sanctity and to take all scruple from the Cardinals and others he caused all his principall miracles to be examined and approued by actes of publike Notaries and infinite testimonies worthie of beleife So the Cardinals and all the principall diuines of his Court being herein dulie aduertised concluded that it was iust and verie expedient vnto the Church of God to canonize this glorious Sainct his seruant The yeare 1228. the Pope himselfe went with his Court to Assisium expreslie with this resolution and the sixteenth of Iulie a yeare and nine monethes and halfe after the death of this glorious Sainct vpon a Sonday morning his holines with manie ceremonies and great solemnitie inscribed the blessed Father sainct Francis in the catologue of the sainctes and before they departed thence his Church was begun to be built in the said citty and in the foundation therof the Pope himselfe in presence of an infinite multitude of people laid the first stone and thenceforward the place which was called the Mount of hell was nominated the mount of Paradise The bulle of canonization of the holy Father S. Francis extracted out of the fift chapter of the tenth booke and here more aptly placed GRegory Bishop the Seruant of the seruantes of God To our venerable Brethren Archbishoppes Bishoppes and to our beloued children Abbottes Priors Archpreistes ArchdeacoÌ„s Deanes other Prelates of the church to whose knowledge these presentes shall come health and Apostolicall benediction As the vessels of gold which S. Iohn saw full of perfumes which are the prayers of SS powred out most sweet odours before the most high to destroy the corruption of our sinnes we also beleeue that it is a great furtherance to our saluation with great reuerence to haue memory of his sainctes on earth and with solemnity to publish the merittes of those whose assistance by their continuall intercessions we hope
for in heauen Knowing therfore right well the conuersion life and merittes of the holy Father S. Francis Institutour and Gouernour of the Order of Freer Minors yea by our owne experience and by the testimony of others of most worthy creditt who haue seene the notable miracles which God by meanes of him hath wrought we are likewise assured that he is glorified in heauen his life and apparant renowne dissipating the obscuritie of sinners that liue and haue liued in the shadow of death both men and women for corroboration of the faith of the holy church and to the confusion of the malice of heretikes the contentment of a great nomber of them that haue and doe follow him yet florishing and leading a celestiall life Wherfore that it may not seeme we intend to frustâ—ate the said S. of the honour due vnto him permitting him to be depriued of the reuerence which men owe him as one already glorified of God by the aduise and counsaile of our venerable Brethren the Cardinals and of all the Prelates now here present we haue iudged it requisite to inscribe him in the catologue of SS that as a candle of God he giue light here belowe no way deseruing to be hidden vnder a bushell but to be sett on an high candlesticke of his holy Church We therfore command you in vertue of these preseÌ„t Apostolicall letters that for the vniuersall benefitt you awaken the deuotion of your people to the veneration of this S. of God euery yeare celebrating his feast on the fourth day of October and that you admonish euery one to obserue the same that by his prayers and merittes God may graunt vs his holy grace in this life and his glory in the other Giuen att S. Iohn Lateran the six and twentith of march the second yeare of our Papacie The originall of this authenticall bull is extant in the great Conuent of the Cordeliers att Paris Of the great deuotion which Pope Gregory the ninth euer had to the Order of S. Francis extracted out of the eleuenth chapter of the tenth booke and here put in due place COnsidering that we haue discoursed of the canonization of the glorious Father S. Francis performed by Pope Gregory the ninth it seemeth to the purpose to sett downe what also concerneth the said Pope touching the familiarity and deuotion which he euer carryed towardes this glorious S. and his Order and the prophesie wherby S. Francis often reuealed vnto him that he should attaine to the dignitie of the Papacie His holinesse being yet Cardinall of Hostia and Protectour of this Order had euer a perticuler deuotion to his Religion so that discoursing once together he said vnto him I beseech you Father for the loue of IESVS CHRIST tell me freely your opinion for I am determined to obey you in that you shall resolue me which I promise you and call God to witnesse to witt whither I shall liue in this dignity or serue God in your Religion leauing the world and vanities therof and be cloathed in your habitt Which S. Francis hearing and considering what a beneficiall member he was vnto the church answeared that on the one side he might doe the Church of God and the world good seruice in this present estate considering that he was a man of great experience very prudent and iudicious of Counsaile and on the other side being such and in such dignity in the Church and theÌ„ce entring into religion should giue a most worthy example and by his preachinges purc asing many soules to God should exceedingly benefitt the world therfore he could not herein resolue him without reuelation from God and so he left him extremely perplexed But a little after knowing by diuine reuelation that he should be Pope many occasions happening of writing vnto him concerning his religion he thus made the superscription of his letter To the future Father of the world the Cardinall and so it came to passe for after the death of Pope Honorius he was chosen in his place the same yeare that the S. dyed It is said that of deuotion vnto thaâ— Order he often went vnknowne in company of the Frere Minors wearing the habitt and particulerly on good friday when he went to visitt the Churches and in this sort did wash the feet of the poore with them Wherfore he failed not with his vtmost affection to fauour the two Religions of S. Dominick and S. Francis in such sort that he canonized this holy Father as we haue said the second yeare of his Papacie and S. Antony of Padua in the sixt as in due place shal be mentioned he also canonized S. Dominick the eight yeare of his Papacie How the body of the glorious Father sainct Francis was transported into his owne church THE LXXV CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 1230. the Frere Minors being assembled att Assisium there to hold their Generall Chapter when the translation of this holy body was to be made from the church of S. George into the new church builded to that purpose there repaired an infinite multitude of people from all partes of Italy and many further remote to see this precious body But brother Helias who by the fauour and assistance of the Pope and many seculer gentlemen though Brother Iohn PareÌ„t were Minister Generall caused the holy body without priuity of the said Generall or other persoÌ„ne to be secretly remoued permitting none sauing only certaine of his freindes to know where it reposed which he did for certaine humane considerations And this exceedingly disquieted the said Religious who came rather to see the holy body then to hold the Chapter Brother Helias satisfied them with very few yet witty wordes so that this notwithstanding the said translation was celebrated with a very sumptuous solemnity the Pope hauing expresly sent thither his Apostalicall Noncioes as well to make his excuse of not comming in person by reason of certaine lawfull impedimentes as also to adorne that new church with a great crosse of gold enriched with many precions stones wherin was sâ—tt a litle peice of the true crosse and also with many dressinges and vessels to trimme and decke the high altare and many other rich ornamentes and withall a good almose to defray the said translation and towardes the finishing of the said building then halfe erected His holines by Apostolicall authoritie exempted the said church as also his monastery from all the landes subiect to the Romane Church and would that it should be immediately subiect to the holy Sea himselfe hauing there laid the first stone Now this holy treasure being translated and transported thus sealed with the character of the omnipotent it pleased his diuine maiesty by meane of his seruant to worck many miracles therby to induce the faithfull by feruent imitation to follow his steppes considering that during his life he had bin so deere vnto him as that by conteÌ„plation he had transported him as Enoch into Paradice and as Elias had bin
carryed away on a fiery chariott by reason of his ferueÌ„t zeale of charity he in like sort made him famous on earth after his death as in the third book shall appeare curing the deafe the blinde maymed and leapers by his merittes expelled deuils from the bodies of the possessed loosed imprisoned captiues deliuered women in trauaile and child-bed helped all sortes of diseases as also trauaillers by sea that were deliuered safe and sound from the depth of the Ocean in the time of horrible tempestes which disaster by their sinnes they had deserued finally raysing the dead as in his life time he had reduced many to diuine grace In such sort that God made him to be alwayes present with the vertue of heauen vnto such as with an ardent faith did inuocate him whome he freed of all their dangers to the praise and glorie of his diuine Maiestie and of his glorious seruant sainct Francis Here ensue many apparitions and miracles of the holy Father S. FraÌ„cis wrought after his death with a catologue of his vertues for which he merited such notable guiftes of his diuine Maiestie This was dispersed throughout but the translatour hath collected it here placed it as in place proper perticuler to S. Francis And first of an admirable manner wherin S. Francis appeared to Brother Leo taken out of the sixteenth chap. of the sixt booke SOme time after the death of the glorious Father S. Francis Brother Leo vnable any longer to support the absence of his deerely beloued Father began with the most affection he could to pray almighty God that he would voutsafe to shew him his deere master and to obtaine the same he retired himselfe into a solitarie place where he continuallie persisted fasting weeping and afflicting himselfe Vpon this occasion the holie Father who affected those that were his more internallie being in heauen then he had done on earth appeared vnto him exceeding ioyfull and resplendant hauing a paire of winges as feathers of gold the nailes of his feet and handes were as those of an eagle likewise of gold Brother Leo was filled with ioy and consolation yet exceedinglie amazed att the rariety of those feathers and nailes wherfore hauing done him reuerence and kissed his feet and handes he prayed him to let him vnderstand what the feathers and nayles might signifie The Sainct answeared among manie graces which God hath giuen me this is one that I assist my Religious and such as are affected vnto myne Order and that I may be instantlie present att their affections when they haue recourse vnto me and also to assist the carriage of their soules to heauen I haue the vse of these winges and nayles not only to cause the deuils to fly but euâ—n to wound them and to chastice the Brethren that grow negligent and trouble mine Order and such as persecute it be they Religious or seculer Of an other vision that the said Brother Leo had of the vniuersall iudgment wherein S. Francis made intercession taken out of the 17. chapter of the sixt booke BRother Leo vpon an other time in vision saw preparation to the generall and last iudgement of God in a great feild where the Angels sounded their trumpettes to assemble all the world and there were instantly placed two ladders that reached euen from the earth to the throne where the sonne of God was to sitt the one was white the other red Our Lord incontinentlie appeared in vehement choller vpon the redladder theatening as if he had bin greiuously offended He seemed to see S. Francis come downe on the said red ladder and call his Religious whome he animated to present themselues couragiously att which voice many of his Religious began boldlie to ascend the said ladder But how it chaunced he knew not they all fell to the ground wherfore S. Francis began to pray vnto God for them and God shewing him his woundes renewed distilling out bloud abondantlie answeared Thy Religious haue procured me all this S. Francis yet desisted not to pray him againe to shew them mercie and then called them againe saying make an other attempt to ascend and feare not nor be you terrified that you haue already fallen but repose confidentlie in God without dispaire and ascend by the other white ladder which doeing they found att the toppe therof the glorious Virgin Mary who ioyfully receaued them and procured them all entrance into Paradise How the glorious Father S. Francis appeared to Iohn de Brenne king of Hierusalem and Emperour of Constantinople whome he caused to take his habitt and to die therein Taken out of the eleuenth chapter of the tenth booke THe Count of Vienna called Iohn de Brenne was a most vailliant knight and worthy Catholique he was of the race of Godfry of Bullen first king of Hierusalem as himselfe was also crowned within Tyre the yeare 1â—10 he obtayned manie notable victories against the ennemies of IESEVS CHRIST as against the Mores in Syria and against the Soldan of AEgipt from whome art lenght he tooke Damietta which afterwardes he lost againe with all his armie through default of an Apostolicall Legatt that was in his camp Wherevpon retourning to require helpe of the Christian Princes of Europe and passing Sicilia he maryed one of his daughters to the Emperour Federick the second vpon condition that he should assist him in the enterprise of the holy land and for dowry gaue him the title of king of Hierusalem together with all the iurisdiction and authority he had there thence is it that the kinges of Sicilia haue euer since challenged and enioyed this title but the Emperour did not only not assist him but proued his aduersary so that being in miserie he entred into the seruice of Pope Gregory the ninth and then contracted amity with the holy Father S. Francis where God assisting him he continued not long but was called from Greece to be gouernour of Constantinople where marying an other of his daughters to their Emperour Baudouin that was yet a childe he resigned his Empire vnto him as a worthy protectour and coadiutor principallie after the said mariage He gouerned that contry very prudently all the time of his life which was about seauen yeares and then dying as hereafter we shall relate he againe resigned the Empire very peaceable to his Sonne in law This worthy captaine of IESVS CHRIST both corporall and spirituall hauing alwayes in memory the end of his life did very instantly demaund of God that he would please to inspire him to end his dayes in this seruice and in such sort as should be most acceptable vnto him wherfore after many prayers the holy Father S. Francis appeared one night vnto him hauing in his hand a very poore habitt with the corde and sandales and said Iohn thou must dye with this habitt wherwith being exceedingly amazed he awakened yet discouered it not to any person The two nightes following he had againe the same vision and the third sauing that the
the glorious Father S. Francis But when he was shewen his fall and had seene whence he came euen to the ground he was vtterly amazed and beside himselfe to consider what had happened vnto him without any knowledge of his till the presente Wherfore be promised vnto God before them all in acknowledgement of so worthy a benefitt to doe pennance for the fauour afforded vnto him by the merittes of the glorious Father S. Francis In the towne of Pophy in Campania a Preist called Thomas goeing to repaire a mill appertayning to the church scituat on the border of the riuer he fell by mischance vnder the wheele of the mill which by violence of his motion carryed him downe and held him in the current with his face vpward without power to moue or speake by reason that the water which draue the wheele fell on his face so that he could not vtter one word Wherfore he called in his hart for help vnto S. Francis hauing no farther power and hauing so remayned a good space his companions endeauouring to assist him by force and industry they so preuayled that the wheele tourned backe so that the Preist was by the current of the water incontinently carryed into the depth of the chanell and whiles he was there there appeared vnto him a Frere Minor cloathed in white and girded with a corde who very dextrously took him by the arme and drew him out of the chanell saying vnto him I am that Francis whome thou hast inuocated The preist therfore finding himselfe not only freed from danger but perfectly well considering the greatnes of the miracle and the great mercy of God in his behalfe by the merittes of S. Francis exceedingly amazed and prostrating himselfe to the earth to kisse the feet of his benefactour but not seing him he being already vanished he asked his companions whither he was gone and how he might finde him but they knowing no more then himselfe began to conceaue the miracle Wherfore they all together fixing their eyes on the earth did eleuate their spiritt to God magnifying his immensiue greatnes and the vertuous merittes of the Sainct Certaine yong men goeing from the towne Celan to gather grasse in a feild where there was a well which being ouergrowne with grasse was not seene and each of them endeauouring to cutt his part it chaunced that one of them fell into the well where the water was fower pases deep Falling he called for the helpe of S. Francis with a very strong faith and deuotion and so lowd that all his companions heard him and not seeing him they came to the place where they heaâ—d the voice and by the way which his hooke had made thy found the well where seeing him therin they ran to their houses lamenting and crying for helpe where they so moued their towne fellowes that they came to assist him and one of them descending into the well found him sitting on the water without receauing any detriment and drawing him out he told them that falling he had inuocated the help of S. Francis who in his very fall assisted him with his presence for he very gently supported him with his sacred hand neuer leauing him till they had drawne him out then he exhorted them all together with him to giue thanckes to God for that by the vertue of his faithfull seruant he had deliuered him from death and so they retourned to the towne giuing thanckes to God and to S. Francis When the Romane Court was resident att Assisium the Cardinall of Hostia who was afterward Pope Alexander the fourth ' preaching in the church of S. Francis there fell a grosse stone vpon the head of a deuout womaÌ„ wherwith she receaued such hurt that falling to the ground each one thought her to be dead and for such couered her with her owne coate not to trouble the sermon with resolution to carry her out to performe her funeralles But this woman as she testified afterward when she receaued the blow with great faith called for the helpe of sainct Francis she was then before his altare so the sermon being ended she arose with the other women sound and perfectly well without any signe of hurt and which is admirable hauing formerly had a great paine in her head that had long troubled her in fauour of this last mortall blow she neuer felt any paine after Neere to the citty of Cornette where there is a monasterie of Frere Minors as they were melting a bell many of the neighbour places repaired thither to see it but there arose such a winde that the whole world seemed ready to be dissolued and taking the two doores it mounted them into the aire and cast them againe on the ground with great impetuosity and violence wherof one fell on a child called Bartholomew about eight yeares of age which a woman deuout vnto the Couent had sent thither with an almose Now they all esteemed him not only dead but vtterly dismembred vnder such a waight neuertheles inuocating the glorious Father sainct Francis they ran all to lift vp the child from vnder the dore the Father of him being present was so surprised with greife that he was euen sencelesse yet he inuocated the Sainct to whome he offered his sonne if he recouered the dore att length being lifted vp the child arose on his legges sound and well as if he had awakened from a sleep which procured a great ioy to the people and particulerly to his Father Now according to his vow the child being of competent age which was about fourteen yeares he made him a Frere Minor where he dyed piously hauing so liued a good Religious of a notable spiritt worthy doctrine and a famous Preacher Certaine other miracles like to these of diuers that were deliuered from the danger of death THE VII CHAPTER CErtaine men of Castel-Lantin hauing cutt out a verie great stone to place vnder the altare of a church of sainct Francis that was shortlie after to be dedicated albeit they were forty men to raise and accommodate the same on the wagon to carrie it to the said Church yet were they not of sufficiencie to performe the same Now some of them attempting to trye their forces and to doe more then they were able the stone slipped out of their hold and fell vpon one of them which was a great terrour and greife to the rest as not knowing how to releiue their companion Wherfore they went away all to ten persons as not able to endure that hideous spectacle which ten inspired of God hauing inuocated sainct Francis praying him to haue compassion of him that had so employed himselfe in his seruice they attempted to tourne the said stone which they so easely handled that they perceaued well they were assisted by the S. The stone being remoued the man arose very sound without any hurt yea hauing one eye defectiue he was entierly cured therof that it might publiquely appeare what power
new sainct called Francis and lett vs see if he will diue into the sea to finde our ankors wherto all the rest accorded not in derision as he moued it but heartelie and with great faith reprehending Perfectus for his sottish speech and derision and so praying and making vowes they instantlie saw their ankors miraculously to swimme vpon the waters as if the nature of iron had bin chaunged into that of wood so that by this meane they persisted deuoute and fully comforted A poore pilgrime exceedinglie wearied and afflicted by meanes of a sharpe feuer that had a long time tormented him came by shippe from beyond the sea he had enterprised this iorney to see the body of the glorious Father Sainct Francis to whome he was exceedinglie deuoted and not being entierlie recouered of the â—aid sicknes he was one day extremelie afflicted with thirst but hauing no fresh water in the shippe where he was he began to call with a loud voice and with a strong faith for drinck to be brought him affirming that he well knew that Sainct Francis had filled his barrell with pure water and so in deed the barrell which was knowne to be empty was found full of sweet and cleare water The day following there a rose a very cruell tempest which so raised the waues that they couered all the said shippe which was so beaten with the windes that the mariners expected the breaking of the mastes tacklinge and consequentlie the immediate sincking and drowning of the vessel and themselues by the furious impetuositie of the surges But when the said pilgrime that ceassed not to pray for them all began to cry a loft Brethren arise and come to entertaine Sainct Francis who commeth to assist vs behold him he is come to saue vs. Then did they all kneele downe and with teares and sighes beseech him to voutsafe to make intercession for their deliuery The sea immediatlie became calme the windes and cruell tempeste ceassed and they all gaue thanckes to the almighty and rested obliged to the pilgrime who att the instant was also cured of his feiuer and together they perseuered deuout to the holy Father S. Francis Brother Iames of Ariete passing ouer a riuer in a boat with other of his Brethren and comming to the shoare attempting to land out of the boate as his componions had done the boat was vtterlie ouerturned so that both himselfe and the ferry-man tombled in the water the ferry-man saued himselfe by his dexterity of swiming but the Religious sunck to the bottome The other Religious extremelie afflicted att the mischance of their Brother most instanlie prayed S. Francis that he would voutsafe to assist his deuout child who on his owne part in the best sort he could in the water imployed the helpe of his holy Father who failed not in so vrgent a necessity to relieue this his beloued child for he continually accompanied him in the depth of the water till they ascended to the boat where being taken by the hand he mounted and went afterward to his Brethren who were much amazed not only to see him safe and secure but more to see his garmentes so dry notwithstanding the long time he had bin in the bottome of the riuer in so much that one drop of water could not be perceaued vpon him An other Religious called Bonauenture trauailling with two of his companions in a boat which by the forcible current of the water being splitted on the one side they by that meanes sunck to the bottome of the riuer but they from the lake of miseries inuocating the depth of mercie and in this imminent perill imploring the assistance of their holy Father S. Francis the barke att length was raised without one dropp of water and being conducted by the power of God and the vertue of the glorious S. they all arriued safe and secure to the shoare A Religious of Ascoli being cast into a riuer was deliuered of the danger by the merittes of the sainct Certaine men and women being in manifest perill of drowning in the riuer of Riete they inuocated the helpe of S. Francis and were deliuered from the dangerous shipwrack of their vessell Certaine Mariners of Ancona being in a vehement storme without hope of sauing themselues and as it were assured of their death they humbly inuocated the assistance of S. Francis yea with such faith that there incontinently appeared a great light about their shippe wherby in an instant they found the sea very calme as if the glorious S. by his admirable vertues could att his pleasure commaund the seas and the windes I should in deed esteeme it a matter impossible to vndertake in this behalfe perticulerly to relate the admirable miracles which this holy Father hath caused to appeare so potent by sea as by land where he hath assisted releiued an infinite number of miserable dispayring persons And in truth it is not to be admired that now raigning in heauen he commaund the sea considering that whiles he liued in the world he was obeyed of euery liuing creature yea in admirable manner How diuers haue bin deliuered out of prison by the merittes and intercessions of the sainct THE IX CHAPTER A Grecian seruant of a gentleman in the Romane confines was falsly accused of theft wherevpon his master caused him to be apprehended and cast into an obscure prison with order to be bound and chained but his mistresse knowing it was exceeding sorrowfull because she esteemed him sincere and faithfull therfore often prayd her husband not to condemne him of disloyaulty but to sett him att liberty but her prayers could take no hold in the obstinacie of her husband and therfore she had recourse to the helpe of the glorious Father sainct Francis beseeching him to vndertake the patronage of the truth to her prayers adding vowes This aduocat of the afflicted went att the same time to visitt the prisoner and hauing broaken the walles of the prison and caused the manacles to fall from his handes and the fetters from his feet taking him by the hand led him out saying I am he to whome thy mistresse hath so affectionately recommeÌ„ded thee And albeit this poore prisoner was in extreme feare and wandered much to find his way being much amazed and labouring to cleare his passadge by the vertue yet of his deliuer he found himselfe in the direct way where he euidently knew the fauour he had receaued whervpon taking courage he went incontinently to his mistresse to whome he recounted the miracle which encreased her feruour and loue towardes our Lord IESVS CHRIST and her deuotion towardes S. Francis In the citty of Massa a poore man was to pay a quantity of siluer to a knight but he was so poore that his goodes being insufficient to dischardge the debt he was att the sute of the knight imprisoned the wretch therfore finding himselfe fast in prison prayed the said knight to haue compassion of him
freed and remitted to his former freedome and liberty Of the certaine women that being with child and in danger of death att their deliuery were releiued by the sainct THE XI CHAPTER A Great Countesse ot Slauonia who was no lesse famous for her vertue and worthines then noble in bloud and discent was exceeding deuout vnto S. Francis and very charitable vnto his Religious She being in trauaile of child was so tormented with throwes that the birth of the child was attended to be her death all humane helpe was despaired of without destroying the fruit Now amiddest the anguishes she called to minde the great vertues and merittes of S. Francis and of his eminencie therefore hauing att other times bin piously affected vnto him she with a very strong confidence had recourse vnto him as to the assured refuge of the desolate saying O glorious S. all my afflicted members beseech thy pitty to assist them and I promise thee by hart that which I cannot expresse by wordes Behold an admirable accident she had no soeuer vttered these wordes but her pangues did ceasse as did the terme of her trauaile for she brought into the world a faire and healthfull boy neither did she faile of her vowe for she caused to be builded a faire and lardge church in honour of her deliuerer which being finished she gaue it to his Religious spending the rest of her dayes exemplarly more affected then euer to the glorious father sainct Francis her Aduocate and Protectour About the plaines of Rome a woman called Beatrix whose time of greatnes being complete and hauing alreadie four whole dayes caryed her fruit dead in her wombe oppressed with most violent tormentes she expected only death the creature which she carryed liuelesse in her reducing her to this extremity the Phisicians failed not to administer vnto her all conuenient remedies that they could deuise but all humane helpe was vaine so that the malediction which God gaue to Eue in the earthlie Paradice might be said to be in a supreme manner fallen vpon her considering that her verie wombe wherin she had alreadie buryed her sonne was the beginning of her sepulture Now for her last releife she sent to the Church of sainct Francis to demaund some relique where finding no other thing then a peice of the cord wherwith he was girded two Religious of his Order brought it vnto her and layd it reuerently vpon her It admirably succeeded that as soone as this dolefull woman had touched the piece of cord she was deliuered of her dead child which doubtlesly had caused her death so that her anguishes did cease and she remayned sound and deliuered from the imminent perill of death Of other like miracles in assisting litle children THE XII CHAPTER ALl the children that a gentlewoman of Carnio called Iulian brought into the world did dye before she could haue comfort of them which caused her an extreame affliction incessantly complayning of her disastre that till then she had brought foorth her children only to be buryed now it chaunced that being four monthes gone with child reflecting more by reason of her disgraces past vpon the death then the birth of the child conceaued in her wombe she prayed sainct Francis for the conseruation of the life of that which was not yet borne Vpon a night therfore there appeared vnto her in vision a woman hauing in her armes a right beautifull child which she offered her but she refused it as fearing it would incontinently perish in her handes Notwithstanding the said woman encouraged her saying receaue it confidently for it is sent thee by the glorious Father sainct Francis the true comforter of the afflicted and be assured it shall not dye as the rest haue done but shall liue and thou shalt find great contentment in his vertuous disposition Awaking she remembred this celestiall vision which thenceforward procured her exceeding ioy to the time of her deliuery which was of a stronge and complete sonne who as he came into the world by the intercession of S. Francis so did also the vertues and merittes of the S. encrease in him that being great he induced his parentes to liue spiritualy he faithfully serued IESVS CHRIST and honoured his glorious SS with great zeale and perticulerly the holy Father S. Francis The like miracle was wrought in the citty of Tiuoly A woman hauing diuers daughters much desired to haue a sonne to which effect she often offered her prayers with a strong faith vnto sainct Francis that he would be her Intercessor who att lenght conceauing and the time of deliuery attended her fauour was doubled for att one birth she brought into the world two sonnes wherof being ouer-ioyed she yelded infinite thanckes to God the Creatour and to his deuout seruant S. Francis Neere the citty of Viterbo a woman being neere her deliuery was subiecte to soundinges such as she was often supposed to be dead being withall oppressed with such panges and throwes as women in that case doe ordinarilie endure her nature and strenght alreadie failing her and as it were desperate of all humane helpe she deuoutlie inuocated sainct Francis and with such faith recommended her selfe to his merittes that she was miraculouslie freed of those tormentes and was deliuered of a fayre and well proportioned child But wâ—eras shortlie after shee seemed to haue forgotten this great benefitt receaued not yelding due honour vnto the sainct because one the day of his feast in steed of honouring and sanctifying it she employed her selfe in certaine base and vnseemelie exercises God permitted for this ingratitude her right arme instantlie to wither the iust diuine wroth rested not there but she attempting to lift vp her cripled arme with the other that also withered withall This woman thus miserablie afflicted became repentant and acknowledged her crime committed and with such a faith promised almightie God to amend her selfe that by her true contrition and penitence she merited to haue the vse of her armes thus lost by almightie God restored vnto her through the merittes of sainct Francis wherin appeareth how God punisheth ingratitude and admitteth into fauour the truelie penitent An other woman of the countrie of Arrezzo in Tuscane hauing for seauen dayes together endured intollerable anguishes of childbirth being become euen all blacke and deformed in her countenance by meanes of the extremitie of her greife her cure being desperate she more by heart then voice vowed her selfe to sainct Francis and with such a firme confidence implored his aide that falling into a slumber she saw in vision her Intercessour who sweetlie saluted her demaunding of her if she knew him and she answeared she did Then he bid her say the Salue Regina affirming that before she had ended the same she should be securelie deliuered This woman vpon this discourse awaking with great hope began the Salue and hauing said Illos tuos mâ—sericordes ocâ—los ad not conuerte she was instantly deliuered of a sonne
in the soule by the loue and the will its charity is neuer so intentiue in the contemplatiue life and in the proper mortification as vnto the exercise of vertues neither is this kinde of seeking and ascending to the admiration and deuotion of God so perfect it is more ordinary in the learned and prudent personnes and of subtill spiritt in whome the intelligence proceedeth alwayes vnto the will and this loue by meditation and consideration But the affectiue way is farre more breife to ascend vnto God the principall therin is the will for she hath her exercises ordinarily in desires in inspirations and interiour sighes in verie frequent manner vnto her beloued which she performeth by iaculatorie prayers more ardent then long meditations of the spiritt wherof although she make vse as of the foundation as it were to recomfort her owne infirmitie she notwithstanding vseth them to raise the soule to her God by a desire of loue which encreasing she vseth the action of the will which is to loue because it hath more entrie with God then the action of the vnderstanding which is to know the way verie breife for perfection and easy to practise because it needeth neither science nor many bookes in which the most simple idiot profiteth much more then the learned God disposing according to his liberality that the soule of him who seeketh him without meane be rather instructed by him vnto his conuersation but this instruction is perticulerlie necessarie to them that are alreadie arriued to the loue which causeth them the extasies to the end they setle not all their perfection in the deuotion and sensible tast which they receaue for finally it is an instrument only for spirituall charity and that those impetuosities of deuotion and subtill conceited actes make them not presumptuous because this matter may be obtayned by naturall exercise and without grace But lett them diligentlie regard and consider in themselues if they receaue this diuine grace with fruit and if they profitt in true mortification and abnegation of their proper will so that it be prompt to execute the diuine will receauing with patience and contentment of hart what soeuer it shall please God to ordaine as well in exteriour as interiour labours euen the losse of consolations yea temptations For if it seeme to them that they are lesse obliged to these later then the other they will haue no care to seeke the exercise of vertues but will apply all their endeauour to gett this sweetnes of deuotion though they fall into extasy seauen times in a day they will profitt litle and will abuse the diuine grace wrongfully and to their damnation for they satisfie their pleasure with more diligence then the will of God and such shall finde in themselues rather passionate cogitations and wordes of presumpsumption esteeming themselues perfect and resting assured to be in the way of perfection iudgeing others that walke not their way to proceed erroniously then to haue true feare and humility The property then of this way is when without deceipt as God sendeth mentall extasies vnto the soule eleuating her to the imbracementes of diuine loue so the soule being retourned to her selfe worcketh merueillous excesses of humility and patience the example of all vertues and particulerly in the amourous compassion of the passion of IESVS CHRIST whose excessiue tormentes being contemplated by the soule she burneth and cannot conteine hir in her selfe for the great apprehension which she hath of such a charity which is such as she desireth to repay IESVS CHRIST this his glorious death by her owne life exposed to martyrdome We may coniecture in what perfection this degree of the loue of the holy Ghost eleuated S. Francis wrought by frequent and excessiue corporall deuotions wherin he was swallowed vp being a figure of many greater eminent conceated worckes of the spiritt so that for the most feruent loue he carryed to IESVS CHRIST crucified he trauelled to seeke martyrdome But because his admirable excesses of prayer humility and other vertues haue bin already recorded it is not necessary to repeat them it sufficeth to haue only refreshed the memory of the readers therwith as with a matter worthy to be noted Of the fift degree of perfection called Asseurance THE VI. CHAPTER THe fift degree is called asseurance because hauing in the precedent estate tasted feruent chariry it expelleth all feare out of the soule which doth not repute her selfe only resigned and perfectly setled as much as is possible for her in the diuine will and disposition but doth euen desire really and with seruour to expose her selfe to all labours to conforme her selfe to her laboured IESVS CHRIST and so she remayneth without cause of feare for albeit God should cast her into hell the same should be her glory it being the will of God and besides she hath such a strong hope and assured persuasion of the grace and fauour of her God that it is impossible for her to be separated from him saying with S. Paul For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers neither thinges present nor thinges to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shal be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in IESVS CHRIST our loâ—d Let vs therfore know that this word Assurance is rather a name accidental of the effect this estate then essential because the root and essence therof is the coniunctiue loue which the soule possesseth but because this name hath a secrett and hidden signification though diuers know it not which is manifest only to God the soule wherin it worcketh this merueillous vnion we haue signified it by the name of the effect wherby the soule attayneth to make her selfe a spiritt by the coÌ„tinuall norriture of grace and charity by the merueillous vnioÌ„ of her loue with God For as a droppe of water mingled with wine looseth its nature assumeth that of wine as also the coulour and sauour so the soule that perfectly loueth in this degree falling into the infinite diuine charity without yet loosing her nature is conuerted into the diuine loue according to the office and institutioÌ„ of life and all her powers remayne confected in the tast of the loue of God albeit our nature is not chaunged in this diuine vnion touching her naturall esseÌ„ce yet doth it chauÌ„ge many inclinations coÌ„ditions obtayneth others beyond the forces of nature created as we see the fiâ—e worcketh in iron which it depriueth of the hardnes coldnes and blacknes which are proper vnto it endueth it with other coÌ„trary and more excelleÌ„t qualities yet without chauÌ„ging the nature therof so the soule farre more enflamed vnited in the diuine loue being endued with other life motioÌ„ force remayneth without any feare or dulnesse without diffideÌ„ce so light and easy to traÌ„sforme it selfe into God her beloued by a vnitiue desire as the diuine fire
Religious began then out of loue to weep bitterlie and affectionatelie recommended themselues to his prayers wherin next vnto God they reposed more confidence then in any other thing saying vnto him Father send vs whither you shall please we are ready to accomplish what soeuer God by you shall command But withall we beseech you to remember that we goe a mong most cruell men whose tongue is vnknowne vnto vs as also are their manners and behauiour besides we know them to be the ennemies of Christians desiring nothing more then to drinck their bloud and ours with so much more fury and passion when they shall know we endeauour to conuert their people for accomplishmeÌ„t wherof we acknowledge our forces to be most infirme and our selues very insufficient if the mercy of God doe not by your prayers assist vs and therfore we recommending vs vnto them demaund your holy benediction that we may vndergoe this obedience to the honour of God and the saluation of our owne and the Infidels soules S. Francis then lifting his eyes all bathed with teares towardes heauen blessed them in this manner The benediction of God the Father the loue of the Sonne our Redeemer IESVS and the grace of the holy Ghost discend vpon you as it discended on the Apostles conduct comfort and fortifye you in afflictions that you may valiantly resist couragiously assault and gloriously subdue your ennemies sith God sendeth you for his glory and seruice And feare not for God goeth with you to be your protector So being full of teares he dismissed them and these Apostolicall Religious tooke their iorney conformably to the Rule of the holy Ghospell on foote without mony scrip or staffe bare-foote with one only coate poore course and all patched but yet in exchaunge of all this they had the grace of God that safelie and securely conducted them into Spaine How Brother Vitall fell sicke in Spaine and would that leauing him alone in the hospitall his Companions should proceed on other iourney and of his death THE II. CHAPTER THese good Religious being arriued in Arragon Brother Vital their superiour fell sicke and kept his bedde the others expected there some time to see the issue of this sicknes which daily encreasing Brother Vital said to his companions My beloued Brethre you see my sicknes is violent and what wil be the issue therof I know not wherfore I will no longer detaine you from proceeding about that which hath bin enioyned vs it hauing bin alwayes my desire to accoÌ„pany you if it pleased God who I suppose hath ordained that I proceed no farther in respect that being too great a sinner I am not perhapps worthy of your coÌ„pany or to be employed in so worthy an office It is therfore necessary that you leaue me in this hospitall and that you apply your selues to this holy enterprise of the conuersion of this people to God who hath thus farre conducted you by obedience and be not greiued to leaue me here alone for his diuine Maiesty will prouide for me Proceede then on your iourney accomplish the will of God and be mindefull of the admonitions of our holy Father with a speciall care not to transgresse them and pray to God for me constituting Brother Bernard the preacher to be their superiour The poore Religious hauing heard the said proposition with extreme sorowfull and sobbing sighes that sufficiently discouered the bitternes that afflicted their spirit they bowed downe their heades calling God to witnesse of the greife they had to leaue him so alone but because their obedieÌ„ce vnto S. Francis and him so required they acknowledged themselues ready to obey and so hauing receaued his benediction after they had louingly and charitably embraced each other they departed beseeching him by his prayers to obtaine of God that they might againe see one an other att least in Paradise This poore Religious remayning then alone in affliction dayly weakened till hauing vnderstood the martyrdome of his companions and giuen thanckes to God for it he was so afflicted for not perticipating with them and for hauing lost that crowne that burning with charity towardes God this fire in such sort augmented that by his good will and desire he shortly after receaued the â—ame crowne in his bedd making of himselfe a gratefull and pleasing sacrifice vnto his diuine Maiesty and so hastened to meet them in the other world Thus much for Brother Vitall We must now discourse of the combat of his companions who still maâ—ching further on into Spaine euen vnto Portugall neuer ceassed in time and place conuenient to preach vnto both Catholiques and heretiques wherof then the nomber was great in Spaine and euery where produced fruit most pleasing to the almighty whose grace had conioyned them together How the fiue Religious arriued att Conimbria where they prophecied vnto the queene her death and their owne Martyrdome THE VII CHAPTER THe said Religious being arriued at Conimbria a famous citty in regard that it was the vniuersity of the kingdome of Portugall as also being very anncient and right noble there they found the queene Vraca wife of king Alphonsus the secoÌ„d who incontinently inuited them vnto her entertayned theÌ„ with great deuotioÌ„ as exceedingly affected vnto their Order and then very louingly demauÌ„ded of theÌ„ whence they came whither they intended and withall offered to releiue theÌ„ in all their occurreÌ„ces They breifely answeared her discouered vnto her their designe to witt that they were sent by their Generall Brother Francis to preach the faith of IESVS CHRIST to Infidels But the queene not coÌ„tent with this slight narratioÌ„ putt theÌ„ into discourse of diuers spirituall matters as one more thirsty of the word of our lord then a hinde of fresh water With whose discourse finding her selfe exceedingly edifyed and coÌ„forted perceauing their extreme feruour and to what degree of the fauour of God their merittes had raysed theÌ„ she drew them a part coÌ„iured them in his name for whose loue they had resolued euen to endure death so much to gratifie her as by prayer to procure reuelation froÌ„ God of the time and hower of her death not admitting their excuses which were that it would be a great temerity presuÌ„ption to seeke to know the secrettes which God for deepe great coÌ„siderations would not haue knowne vnto meÌ„ adding withall that they were not worthy to obtaine the same diuers other such reasons but she so importuned them that they were att lenght coÌ„straynd to accord vnto her hauing to this end applyed theÌ„selues to prayer they vnderstood froÌ„ God that and more then they demauÌ„ded whervpoÌ„ they went vnto the queene and thus spake vnto her Madame lett it not if you please be troublesome vnto you to vnderstaÌ„d that which you haue so instaÌ„tly required of vs and so much the lesse because we assure you that no creature loueth you so much as God who will in no sort dispose of you but
expect if thou wilt be conuerted vnto him and happy art thou if thou canst acknowledge it The king already experiencing the force of the holy Ghost that spake in his seruauntes remayned vtterly perplexed Neuertheles retourning them to prison he commaunded that they should be loaden with irons and that bread should be giuen them by the ounce and water by measure They remayned certaine dayes in this pittifull estate in meane while neuertheles he aduised with his Galociers and Counsailers of estate what was conuenient to be done with them Some of them gaue their opinion that it was not expedient to doe them any hurt because said they they are franctike and senceles as may be iudged by their foolish and sottish discourses so rashly and indiscreetly vttered Others answeared the king that it was not fitt for him to embrue his handes in such base bloud but better that he retourned them from whēce they came to which purpose there was fit commodity of a shippe prepared for Marroccho where there were many Christians The king admitted this Counsaile and sent them away in the said shipping How the Martyrs arriued att Marroccho where they preached and being thence expulsed they retourned againe THE IX CHAPTER THe Religious being arriued att Marroccho in company of a Spanish knight called Peter Ferdinando of Castro Castillan who was then retired and dwelt in Africa in the Court of Miramolin king of Maroccho by reason of some disagreement which he had in Castile this man conducted them to the Pallace of the Prince of Portugall Dom Pedro brother to king Alphonsus that then reigned who vpon certaine wronges and iniuryes receaued of the said king his brother was likewise retired vnto the said king Miramolin he entertained them with much contentment fournishing them with all necessaries being much amazed to see them in a habitt so course scantie and short their face so wanne and their other partes so thinne that their skinne seemed to be sowed to their bones their eyes hollowed and their shoulders croked and bended by the wearisomnes of their painefull life and mortification of their flesh and notwithstauding there appeared in their countenance so gracious a vertue and such a feruour and ioy of spiritt that they seemed in deed Angels of Paradice exteriourly dead but liuing and burning in such sort interiourly with the loue of God that they esteemed death but as a play and sought it as a pretious and wishfull thing burning with charity towardes their neighbour and most zealous of their saluation Which the said Prince hauing well cōsidered as also the affliction which he vnderstood they had endured att Seuill to pourchace the crowne of martyrdome fearing that by attempting the like there they might trouble the whole Realme he laboured by many pregnant and probable reasons to dissuade diuert them frō their pious intention but these glorious Religious already martyres in will perceauing the intention of the Prince very early the next morning without saying any thing vnto him went out and setled themselues where they saw most Sarrazins to preach boldly vnto them the faith of IESVS CHRIST and being afterward informed that their king was gone to visitt the sepulchres of the kinges neere the citty and was incontinētly to retourne and vnderstanding which way he was to passe they wēt out of the citty to meet him where they made choise of a place somewhat high whither they ascended to be better heard Brother Berard who had better knowledge of the Arabian tongue then the rest when he saw the king to approach began with a loud voice to preach vnto him the Catholique faith and what one must belieue to be saued telling him that it was necessarie for him to abandon and adiure the sect of Mahomett The king exceedinglie admired to perceaue the confidence wherwith so poore a man did speake and with other of his followers endeauoured to putt him to silence but failing therin and therfore reputing them for fooles he commaunded them to be retyred to the land of the Christians The said Prince of Castile himselfe sent two of his people after them to accompany them euen to Cepte and there to further their embarcking for Portugall to preuent that they should not be abused but they conninglie escaped those Conductors and retourned to Maroccho where they preached in a publike place inducing the people to renounce the law of Mahomett Which the king vnderstanding he caused them to be cast into a deepe dungeon and forbad to be giuen them either meat or drinck in this manner did they continue twentie dayes in which time they were releiued onlie with diuine grace in the meane time there befell such an intemperate heat of the sunne beating vpon Maroccho that it brought the people euen neere to death the Mores therefore fearing that it was a diuine vengeance made meanes to the king by a man of worth that loued the Christians and was in fauour with his maiesty to release out of prison those poore bare-foote Creatures and to committ them to the Christians who should haue chardge to banish them out of his kingdome The king called the Religious before him but he was exceedinglie amazed to see them after a supernaturall and monstrous fast so faire so gracious so fresh and well disposed as they were and therfore he demaunded of Brother Berard who had giuen them to eat Wherto he bouldly answeared that if he would become Christian he should know the omnipotent power of God and how he relieueth and nourisheth his seruants in this life whome he conserueth alwayes to recompence them eternallie in hauē The king made no replie but onlie caused them to be deliuered to the Christians for the end aforesaid who shutt them into a house and afterward sent them in secure guard and companie as they thought to haue them embarqued at Cepte vpon the first occasion of shipping for Spaine But they gaue the slippe to their keepers and retourned to Maroccho as before which the aforesaid Prince hauing vnderstood he caused them to be apprehended shutt vp and strongly guarded in his owne pallace for feare that by their meanes the Christians of Maroccho and himselfe also might receaue some trouble and disaster Of a notable miracle wrought by the fiue Martyrs in the army of the kinge THE X. CHAPTER THe king Miramolin att that time was aduertised that the Arabians were entred into his kingdome where they made hauock and destroyed the whole country Vpon which occasion he gathered his forces to encounter them and by the helpe of the said Prince and of manie gallant Portugall gentlemen which he had with him he defeited the Arabians whom he chaced far away and so poursuing them they came into a valley where they could finde no water either for themselues or their horses so that for three dayes they knew not what to doe being neere death with thirst And because the earth seemed to be somewhat moist they licked it with their tongues comming to the hight
CHAPTER THe couragious Seruantes of IESVS CHRIST being presented before the parlemental seate of the Mores with their handes manicled behinde their backes all bloudy and embrued with the blowes giuen them by the people the cheife president made them this demaund Obstinate men and temerariours ennemies of our faith whence are you whence come ye what is your designe whence proceedeth such a presumption thus to blaspheme our great Prophet The SS answeared that they were by nation Italians and came froÌ„ Portugal but said the president who permitted you to enter into this kingdome so presumptuously and boldly heere to preach a new doctrine cotrarie to the faith of the Mores Brother Otto a Preist constantly answeared that as for their preaching it came from God who is to be obeyed rather then men because said they our Lord IESVS CHRIST is the Creatour Redeemer and soueraigne master to whome whatsoeuer is in the world is subiect and none is able to resist his holie will he hath left vs this commandement that we should vniuersally preach his holy gospell therfore are we come to preach to your king and to your selues to denounce vnto you the wordes of life that being illuminated with diuine grace you may discerne in what errour you are to come afterward to the true way of saluation as we shall demonstrate vnto you if you please to giue vs audience Besides we are sent hither by our Generall Brother Francis who as well by himselfe as by his Religious trauelleth ouer all the world to preach vnto Insidels by an exceeding loue and desire of the saluation of soules that induceth him the true way of faith notwithstanding you carry vs so great an hatred The president answeared you poore blinded ignorant wretches deceaued as ye are to esteeme them for vtterly lost that follow not your doctrine but tell me a litle what is that truth which you haue found and whither it be possible that there may be an other way of saluation then what we professe Brother Otto replenished with the holy Ghost replyed IESVS CHRIST is the soueraine verity and the true and only way that can conduct to the port of saluation by meane of his holy faith which consisteth in belieuing him to be God and man God three and one Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and true man borne of the Virgin Mary Creatour of all this frame of the world true man conioyned to the diuinity and Redeemer of all the men in the world that were already lost and condemned by the sinne of Adam in which humanity he conuersed with all he instructed all and saued all those that would belieue in him both then att this present and euen till the day of the last iudgement he suffered death and passion to pay by his precious bloud our proper and particuler faultes and incontinentlie after arose againe to conduct vs all also to heauen whence he shall come hereafter to iudge on earth the liuing and dead he shall then come in his maiestie where neither humane forces nor richesse nor kingdomes nor Empires shall in any sort preuaile man being obliged to stand naked and alone accompanyed only with his worckes good or euill according to which he shall iudge him giuing to his SS eternall glory in heauen and to others that would not belieue in him eternall fire in hell The President smiling said And how know you these thinges to be so certaine as you auouch them Brother Otto answeared By the testimony of the holy scriptures dictated by the holie Ghost which haue reuealed vnto vs this verity by testimonie I say of the Patriarches and Prophâ—ttes of the old testament as also by the doctrine and testimony of our Redeemer IESVS who is the way out of which there is none att all the truth out of which is nothing but deceipt and the life out of which is only death likewise by the predication of his holy Apostles confirmed by manie great miracles which propheties for the most part are fulfilled and only remaine those that are for the end and consummation of the world in such sort as we ought also to belieue their doctrine and with greater reason and foundation then you haue for your superstition considering that you belieue only vpon the writing of your false prophett Mahomet which is not assured or confirmed by any testimony more then his simple deceiptfull and lying word and we besides the said confirmations and accomplishmentes of matters foretold by our Prophetes haue infinite miracles wrought by our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST and his holâ—e Apostles Martyrs Confessours and Virgins that giue vs proofe of the holy yea most holie and most assured faith for we haue seene to be cured an infinite number of diseased personnes infinite possessed creatures deliuered the necessarie vse of members restored to the maymed the blind illuminated hearing and speech restored to infinite deafe and dumme leapers cleansed and purified and finally the dead already putrified to be raised which you caÌ„not auouch of your false Mahomett therfore reiecting this vaine and abhominable beleife embrace ours approued by so many tokens and testimonies diuine and humane flye this manyfest illusion take from before your eyes this false cloud that obscureth them only by reason that you are borne in such an accursed law and nusled therin for beleeue that as soone as you shall begin to giue place in your hart to the holy Ghost you shall interiourly feele such a light and force that you will after doe more of your selues the we can by wordes expresse and by your example you shall open then gate of saluation to the simple people Take knowledge therfore with me I beseech you how your miserable prophett leadeth you together with himselfe to eternall damnation by meanes of many of his falsities and sinnes that he hath taught you which are out of the true and only way of saluation And if you desire to saue your soules you must necessarily follow the true light of life which is ready to illuminate each one and resist no longer the holy Ghost that calleth you to his kingdome Of the constancy of the fiue Martyrs in their tormentes and how they were visited in prison by our Lord. THE XIII CHAPTER BVt the President hearing this notable discourse and fearing the people might be conuerted by such pregnant reasons filled with a zeale towards his owne law proposed vnto the holy Martyrs one of these two elections either that they should yeld honour and glory to his Prophett for the blasphemies they had vttered against him and should freely preach his law or els should prepare themselues to endure such cruell tormentes as should enforce their death Wherto Brother Otho replenished with exceeding ioy for the desired aduertisement they heard of Martyrdome answeared if feare of death would terrify vs we should perhappes aduise to admitt your law as many miserable wretches that for feare to loose this traÌ„sitory life loose the eternall But our Redeemer hath strengthened and
fortified vs against that pusillanimity when he willed vs not to feare those that haue power only to torment this wretched vile and fraile body but him that can torment both our body and soule eternally in hell Therfore for as much also as we know that he only shal be crowned who shall constantly perseuer to the end doe what you will for we hope in the diuine Maiesty that your executioners shal be rather be weary of tormenting vs then we of ioyfully enduring for the loue of God considering withall that we repute this death receaued for IESVS CHRIST as the gate of life wherby we are to enter This iudge seeing their constancy coÌ„manded them to be separated and committed to seuerall places and cruelly whipt and that after the executioners were wearied there should salt be put and vinegar powred in to their woundes and lastly shutt vp in prison all which was done and the next morning he caused the same to be iterated and then he sent theÌ„ to a publicke place vnto the people that they might be reueÌ„ged on them for the iniuryes committed against Mahomett They were brought thither naked their handes bound behinde their backes and cordes about their neckes there were their woundes renewed and their passed afflictions redoubled for besides that they were cruelly beaten scourged they cast them vpon broaken glasse and sharp pointed flintes wheron they roled and tumbled theÌ„ afterward they cast boylling oyle on their bodyes omitting nothing that might exulcerate their woundes each of them esteeming it a great sacrifice vnto Mahomett to exercise most barbarous and beastly kindes of tortures or to inuent them for dischardge of their fury against the holy Martyrs who notwithstanding in the middest of the said afflictions did with a loud voice praise and cofesse our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST demonstrating that they respected not the tormeÌ„tes which they endured nor the iniuryes disgorged against theÌ„ for one caÌ„not imagine that beastly dishonest and infamous wordes which were not then vttered vnto them but the most insupportable vnto them were the blasphemies which they vsed against God The whole day and part of the night was spent in this pittifull spectacle theÌ„ were they retourned to prisoÌ„ wher with all their hartes they gaue thaÌ„ckes vnto God and encouraged each other Now the immensiue and infinite bounty beholding from heauen his holy seruantes voutsafed to giue them a farther consolation with his visible presence appearing vnto them in a most resplendent light wherin they found an inestimable sweetnes and such as they vtterly forgott whatsoeuer they had suffered and endured This light so spred it selfe that it was also seene of the keepers who therin seeing many shadoes of personnes were fearfull suspected the prisoners were escaped therwith And therfore they hastened to a prisoner that was a good Christian called Peter Hermand to whome they related that they had seene the holy Martyrs escape and ascend vnto heauen in a bright and cleare light He coniecturing that this might be some notable vision seene by them did comfort them bid them not to feare affirming that he had heard them all the night to sing praise God which they being desirours to proue as seeming probable they went and found them all in prayer very ioyfull and content in their prison as if they had not endured any affliction How they were presented before the king Miramolin whome they putt to silence and confounded THE XIV CHAPTER THe next morning the king retourning from the fieldes and vnderstanding what had passed touching the Religious heresolued to see the end of their proceeding and either to conuert them to the law of Mahomett or els to haue a most cruell reuenge vpon them Which the foresaid Prince of Portugall Dom Pedro perceauing repayred to the said President and prayed him that after the said Religious should be dead their bodyes might not be committed to the disposition of the Mores but of the Christians which he obtayned The said Martyrs were then brought before the king their handes manicled behinde their backes their face swollen blew buffeted rent and all bloudy as was all the rest of their body with the blowes of the day precedent seeming rather dead then liuing creatures the king then beholding them with fauourable eye said Well you now being in my presence whither do you rather desirer to be mine enemies and rebelles and as such cruelly to dye or my freindes and as such aduanced to the principall degrees of my kingdome The holy Martyrs answeared that he might well hold them for his good freindes sith they were come from so farre a contry only for his cause and for the loue of him and of his kingdome to saue them from perishing and goeing to hell eternally damned putting their liues in hazard for the saluation of their soules and bodies The king vpon these wordes considering the resolution and inuincible fortitude of the holy Martyrs was vtterly confounded in himselfe wherfore as extremely enraged he retired into his closetâ— to consult what to doe with them sith he could draw them to nothing either by sweetnes or extremity the holy Martyrs on the contrary praising God for that he had giuen them grace euer till then to preach his holy faith notwithstanding the buffets they â—ad receaued to putt them to silence Of a conference betweene the said Religious and a noble man of the Mores THE XV. CHAPTER THere was a warlike noble More desirous to attempt if he could by faire meanes and speeches gaine them but he no more preuailed then the others for he endeauoured by sweet wordes to persuade them to obey the kinge who was more carefull of their good then them selues considering that being in his power to torment them and prolong their tortutures in deferring their death he neuertheles endeauoured to make them see their errours notwithstanding the iniuryes he had receaued of them and their great blasphemies vttered against his great prophett Mahomett who all men know how gratefull he is to God sith with his owne mouth he hath dictated vnto him his holy law wherin if they would liue he would in behalfe of the king promise them they should be most aduanced in his kingdome and should euer rule and gouerne in this world expecting by the intercession of their great Prophett Mahomett a double croune of God after their death Whereto Brother Otho with a zealous feruour answeared Vade retro Sathana auant from my presence thou hideous and infernall deuill for we with a firme and liuely faith adore and plainly confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost God in Trinity and vnity but thou miserable wretch that art already condemned to the eternall fire where he is whome thou adorest hauing compassion of thy selfe and performing thy duety oughtest to be conuerted it were more necessary for thee to shew they selfe more respectiue of thy owne saluation then of ours we hauing made choice of this assured way the more readily to
lept sound out of his bed with a loud and cleare voice praysing God The Prince being by affaires hindred from present goeing to Conimbria he sent thither the said reliques conducted by a gentleman of note called Asphonsus Perez of Aragon who attended them accompanyed by many knightes and gentlemen The king Alphonsus and the queene Vraca his wife being therof aduertised sent vnto them with Order to haue the said reliques stayed in a place neere the citty that they might present themselues before them together with the Clergie to giue them such entertainement as they worthely deserued How the holy reliques were carryed to the citty of Conimbria in generall procession where the king was present and how they miraculously chose the place where they would rest and how they transported themselues to diuers places and of the conuersion of S. Antony of Padua which by example hereof came to passe THE XXII CHAPTER ALl thinges being fitly disposed and accommodated the king queene attended with all the nobility the Clergie and people went a foote in procession with great deuotion vnto the said reliques with many crosses and banners in token of the triumphant victory of the holy martyrs Comming to the place where the reliques were hauing deuoutly saluted them they caused the mule that carryed them to goe before that she her selfe might choose her way as she had alwayes done before So without the conduct of any personne she went directly to Conimbria where she entred into Sampsons street att this day called the street of the old figtree and then to the monastery of sainct Crosse att which gate she stayed till it was opened though the intention of the king were to place the said reliques in the great church The gate of the said monastery being opened the mule of her selfe entred into the Church and went directly before the high altare where she kneeled downe and so remayned till she was disburthened of the said reliques each one admiring the miracle wherby the holy martyrs did choose and make knowne where they would haue their reliques to repose for which they were all thanckfull vnto God and there ended the Procession The king erected a sumptuous chappell att the place where the mule kneeled downe and a rich shrine wherin were putt the greatest part of the said reliques others in an other shrine in the cloister of the said monastery the litle that remayned was sent part to the Church of the holy Ghost of Goueau where there was a Couent of Religious of sainct Francis Order and an entiere body to the monastery of sainct Bernard of Loruant three leagues from Conimbria becausse the Abbesse of that monasterie was sister to the king Now the very day that the reliques were brought into the monastery of S. Crosse they began there to shine by miracles for they cured a great multitude of diseased persons there present and from that time the miracles haue so continued euen to this day that they deliuered from perill all such as recommended themselues vnto them vpon which occasion it is that so many strange pilgrimes doe frequent that place The greatest gaine of that day wheron the reliques were receaued was of S. Antony of Lisbone called of Padua who was then a Canon Reguler of S. Crosse and as such in the said procession gaue praise to God among the rest and solemnised the arriuall of the holy reliques for he merited to be inspired of the holy Ghost who anymated him with a great zeale vnto his honour in such sort as he resolued to offer his life for the confession of the holy faith by the example of the said martyrs whome desiring entierly to imitate he would begin by the habitt and rule of sainct Francis whose true disciples these martyrs had bin Of the death of the queene Vraca prophesied by the holy martyrs as before in the third chapter hath bin recorded and of a vision which her confessor had therevpon THE XXIII CHAPTER THe Queene Vrraca had great care of her death because the holy Martyrs had prophesied vnto her therof yea she was in extreme affliction considering that their death and the translation of their bodyes was effected as they had foretold but the issue of what she doubted did succeed for as soone as she came to the holy reliques she began to feele her selfe ill so that she could not accompany them but was constrained to goe to her bedde and the night following she dyed That very night Peter Nuguez Canon reguler of the monastery of sainct Crosse a man of exceeding piety and Confessor to the said queene Vrraca had this vision He saw a great multitude of Frere Minors wherof fiue went before but they were conducted by a Religious Father of their Order that gaue a very great splendour and they entred in to the quier of the said Church of S. Crosse in procession where they very melodiously sung matines he extremely amazed att what he saw began to discourse with himselfe how so many Religious could enter the dores being shutt as they were and why they sung matines without any precedent ringing Being in this vehement admiration he questioned with one of the Religious asking him who they were how and where they entred into the monastery att such an hower The Religious answeared him We are Frere Minors and because thou wert Confessour to the Queene and fearest God it hath pleased his diuine goodnes to reueale vnto thee this vision He whome thou seest to precede the rest with such glory is our holy Father S. Francis whome thou hast so much desired to see in this life and the fiue which thou seest to follow him are the fiue Martyrs of Marroccho which are here shrined Know besides that the Queene Vrraca is this night departed and because she exceedingly affected our Order our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath sent vs all hither solemnely here for the benefitt of her soule and for her obsequies to sing these Matines doubt not of her death for as soone as we are departed hence one shall come to aduertise thee therof And the Matines and prayses of God being ended this glorious procession disappeared and therwith one knocked att his dore to aduertise him of the death of the queene How our Lord chasticed the citty and king of Marroccho for the cruell death of his holy Martyrs THE XXIIII CHAPTER THe king of Marroccho remayned not vnpunished no more did his contry for the very same yeare did his arme and right hand which he had so wicke dly stretched out against the holy Martyrs wither as also did all the right side of his body from the head to the feet The people were punished in an other manner for in three yeares after this Martyrdome neither in the said citty nor in a great circuit therabout did there fall one drop of raine which caused an extreme dearth and mortality of catell then correspondently to the nomber of the Martyrs the plague continued for fiue yeares after wherof dyed the
he saw her againe he prophesied and willed her not to feare because first she should be deliuered easilie secondlie her child should liue thirdlie it should be a man child fourthlie he should be pious and feare God fiftlie he should be a Frere Minor and sixtlie he should be a Martyr Now the three first of the conditions being easilie verified it shall not be out of purpose also to iustifie the other three The child then being borne and baptised was called Phillip and liuing in manner of an Angell vntill he came to conuenient age he became a Frere Minor where being fortified in the feare and loue of God he trauailed with exceeding deuotion in pilgrimage to the holie land And being in Azoto when it was by treason taken from the Christians who being in nomber two thousand were all condemned to death he obtayned of those persidious dogges to be the last that that should be martyred they supposing that he would renounce and deny IESVS CHRIST But this Sainct when this spectacle horrible to the world and gratefull to the diuine Maiesty and to him began did animate and comfort them all with exceeding courage crying vnto them that God had reuealed vnto him that the very same day he should ascend into heauen with more then a thousand martyrs wherwith being much comforted they all offered their heades as pleasinge sacrifices vnto God vnder the sword of the executioners who cutt them off Now it being reported vnto the Soldan that he exercisced the office of a preacher he commanded all the ioyntes of his fingers one by one to be all cutt off in presence of the Christians which notwithstanding he desisted not to exhort them all to that glorious victorie in such sort that they all misprising the honours and riches offered them by the Mores and the tortures wherwith they threatned them being by the valour of the Saint confirmed in IESVS CHRIST they with one voice cryed out that they would follow Brother Philip on whose choice oflife or Martyrdome they relyed which the Soldan taking very despitefullie caused him to be fleyed aliue euen to the Nauell and then his tongue to be cutt off which supporting with inestimable constancie and notable patience he the more enflamed and moued the rage and furie of rhe Mores and the hartes of the Christians more willingly to suffer death as a momentarie matter seeing him with an inuincible hart to endure the same by such cruell tormentes in the middest wherof he ceassed not by the gestures and motions of his bodie to exhort them beeing vnable to speake by reason that his tongue was bereaued him Att length he was beheaded with the rest and in token of their croune a thinge which the Mores beheld full sore against their willes their bodies that remayned many dayes in the street without buryall yelded no offensiue but a pleasing sauour Thus was the admirable prophesie of the glorious Father S. Antony accomplished Of an other prophesie of his touching an other Martyr and of his Martyrdome THE XIV CHAPTER PReaching in France in the citty of Puy where he was Guardian as often as he saw a Notary that was impious of life and conuersatiō he remouing his capuce would doe him very humble reuerence The Notary knowing himselfe vnworthy to receaue such honour by him that gaue it vnto him hauing many times endured the same he imputed it to simplicity yet att length he sought to shunne the meeting of the S. turning from him a farre of because he would not be saluted by him but it one time happened that he could not preuent the Sainctes meeting of him who saluted him as before yea more hūbly which putting the Notary into great choler he came to him and said if thou wert not a Religious man I would long agone haue sheathed this my sword in thy body But tell me thou varlett what cause hast thou in this manner to flout me The S. very humbly answeared him My beloued brother be you not troubled I beseech you but beleeue that I salute you only to honour you and the reason is such hauing desired to shed my bloud in the seruice of the diuine maiesty I haue not bin found worthy nor hath it pleased God to satisfie me therein But his diuine maiesty hauing reuealed vnto me that you shall dye a martyr I haue euer since and still shall yeld you reuerence Besides I most hartely beseech you when you shal be in that glorious conflict to be mindfull of me wretched sinner Hereat the Notary chaunged his choler into laughter and deriding him went his way but in short time after it was iustified For being inspired of God to goe with the bishop of the said citty to adore the holy sepulcher and in an instant hauing changed his lewd conuersation into the contrary arriuing there the bishop discoursing with the Mores touching our faith and being rudely refelled the notarie for the first and second time endured it but att length being ashamed of the tepedity of his bishop and fearing some worse issue he told him that he did not defend our faith as he ought and then himselfe very couragiously disputed against the Mores and confuted them affirming for their reproach that their Mahomet was the sonne of perdition damned to hell by almighty God as themselues should be if they did not acknowledge their errours which hauing said the Mores presently tooke hold of him cruelly beat him and neuer ceassed for three dayes together to torment him which expired leading him to execution he confessed to his other companions that S. Antony had prophesied vnto him that martyrdome And they afterward retourning haue testified the same to all the world and so he consummating his martyrdome ioyfully rendered his soule to his Creatour Of the office of his doctrine and his seuerity against sinnes THE XV. CHAPTER THis S. of God with a very great dilligence and admirable prudence sowed the word of his diuine maiesty in the soules of the faithfull being neuer wearyed by his continuall labours trauailling through diuers cittyes townes villages and castelles ouer mountaines and vallyes and this he did out of his extreme zeale to assist the soules redeemed by the precious bloud of our Lord as one instructed rather by heauenly then humane doctrine he so disposed of his documentes according to the necessity of his audience that they all were satisfied in respect wherof his sermons were reputed for so many miracles they that neuer heard him preach were att deathes dore with desire to heare him but especiallie the learned as well in regard of his eloquence as of his exceeding subtility and viuacity of spiritt wherwith he admirably gaue to althinges which he handled their proper signification valure nomber and weight with a notable art He also reprehended the great personnes of this world with such constancie and seuerity that the most famous preachers trembled with feare when they heard him and did admire how it was possible he could haue such
Sainct had vttered And therfore astonyed att so great a miracle and repenting that he had hindred his wife from being present therat neuer after withdrew her from her deuotions Of certeine miracles which he wrought vpon some that were deuout vnto him THE XXII CHAPTER SAinct Antony incessantlie labouring to gaine soules vnto God in the cities of Italy by his preaching retourning one day from that exercise and retiring into his Couent he tooke a secrett and vnknowne way to auoyd the honours ordinarilie giuen vnto him where he mett a poore woman carrying her sonne that was vtterly crypled and voyd of the vse of his limmes who hauing a farre off perceaued him came and fell at his feet humbly praying him to haue compassion of her and to voutsafe to make only the signe of the crosse vpon her sonne wherby she had great confidence in God that he would recouer the vse of his limmes and the more the Sainct excused himselfe the more she redoubled her petitions and cryes saying as the Chananâ—an did to IESVS CHRIST haue mercy on me whervpon together with the request of his Companion who was a very deuout Religious he made the signe of the crosse vpon the child and foorthwith he was cured retourning on foot to his pittifull mothers house whence she had brought him to the S. who prayed her to conceale this miracle att least during his life affirming that it was her faith and not his merittes that had obtained this grace and fauour A girle of Padua was in such sort cripled that she could not goe but on her handes and besides was often tormented with the falling sicknes which caused her to foame and vse strange gestures through the extremity of her cruell affliction her father hauing presented her to the S. and requested him as the aforesaid mother had done he cured her by the signe of the crosse also wherin is to be obserued that in such occurences the faith of those that present and request ioyned with the merittes of the Sainctes auayleth much to obtaine grace and fauour of God The holy Father goeing one holy day to preach in a spacious place there being no Church great enough to containe the people that sought to heare him a woman that followed the presse of the people was att lenght so thrust that she could not auoyd to be ouerthrowne into a ditch full of filth wherwith the woman being much greiued not so much for the apprehension of the hurt she might receaue in her body as for feare to foule her rich apparell wherof that was the first time of wearing and that her husband who was peruerse vnto her would be offended with her had recourse vnto God by the merittes of the S. that she went to heare whome she deuoutly inuocated and herewith she was seene to arise out of the dirt wherin she had bin plunged without any appearance of ordure on her apparell to the exceeding amazement of all the beholders Hauing written a letter to his prouinciall an Angel carryed it and brought answeare therof THE XXIII CHAPTER THe Sainct hauing spent long time in preaching hearing Confessions giuing counsaile and reading att Padua he much desired to retire himselfe into some solitarie place where he might more commodiouslie applie himselfe to contemplation and to that end he wrote to his Prouinciall the which he accorded him and hauing left this letter vpon a table in his Cell he went to pray his Guardian to procure him some messenger to carry the said letter faithfully to the Prouinciall which the Guardian hauing done he retourned to his cell but found not the letter which made him suppose that God had miraculouslie taken it away to the end he should not remoue thence wherfore retourning to his Guardian he told him he was otherwise determined But certaine dayes after in such a time as a messenger might carry the letter and bring answeare therof he found on his table the answeare which his Prouinciall had made therevnto permitting him to retire and doubtles there is great appearance that this letter was carryed and the answeare brought by an Angell God therby giuing vs to vnderstand how pleasing and gratefull the demandes of his faithfull seruantes are vnto him How he was twice in spirit at Lysbone in Portugall to assist his father THE XXIV CHAPTER THe Father of the Sainct was a gentleman of Portugall residing att Lisbone who hauing managed a good part of the reuenue of the king his soueraine had also giuen a iust account therof vnto his officers and withall deliuered them in the mony without demaunding acquittance or any dischardge relying on them as his freindes attleast supposing them to be such but certaine monthes after these gentle companions as worldly people demanded againe the mony they had receaued of him and summoned him to yeld a new account vnto them of the administration of the mony he had in his chardge This good gentleman was exceedinglie amazed not knowing what to doe considering he had no specialty to help himselfe against them in that which they required wherfore knowing the danger of his owne case he went to them to endeauour to put them in minde of the finishing and deliuery of his accountes thincking therby to bring them in the end to acknowledge and confesse the truth And being before them that sate and held the place of iustice they most audaciously and impudently denyed that he had so much as presented his accountes much lesse had he finished them and deliuered them any mony But att the instant S. Antony appeared and was present there who grauely sayd vnto them Giue an quittance to this good man of the mony he deliuered you proceeding of his chardge and of the receipt of the kinges mony on such a day in such a place att such an houre in such and such sortes of coyne which if you refuse to doe God will punish you for it Which they hauing heard exceedingly terrified they gaue a sufficient dischardge to the Father of the S. who very ioyfully retourned home giuing thanckes to God for that he had bestowed on him such a sonne who vanished as soone as he had vttered those wordes Some time after there was a yong man slaine before the house of the Sainctes Father for whome his ennemies had laid waite in the night as he was to retourne from the great church which is neere to the said house into the garden wherof the dead body was cast ouer the walles where the next morning he was found of the officers by the trace of bloud freshly appearing in the street whervpon the Father of sainct Antony with all his family were imprisonned and foorth with condemned to death and as he was conducted to execution the S. being preachinge att Padua it was reuealed vnto him who then resting on the pulpitt wherin he preached he went to relieue his Father and att the very instant of his comming to Lisbone he raysed the murdered party and made
him publiquely to confesse that his Father had not slaine him yet not discouering the murderers The party raysed then tourning to the sainct demaunded absolution of him of an excommunication which he had incurred and besought him to pray to God for his soule which the sainct hauing graunted him he fell dead into the graue And by this meane in one instant he deliuered his father from corporall death and the murdered person from eternall then retourned to his sermon and being inspired of God he reuealed vnto the people where he had bin Many of Padua wrote to Lisbone of curiosity to be enformed hereof and were ascertained of the verity by which meane those of Portugall were more perfectly resolued of the matter How he endeauoured to preserue his Order in the ancient and first obseruance and how for that end he caused Brother Helias to be displaced who had bin by the Pope constituted and named Generall after the death of Br. Iohn Parent THE XXV CHAPTER AS S. Antony himselfe most exactly obserued what concerned the Order wherof he made profession so also could he not in any sort endure the dissolution which he too manifestly perceaued wherfore now reprehending this Br. now that he suffred many tribulations att their handes which he did not much regard so that he might effect what he desired to which purpose he endeuoured to vnite and gaine vnto him many ancient and feruent Religious with them to resist the relaxations of the principall Religious who especially were those that depraued the Order and of these the principall was Br. Helias as being also chiefe of the Religion made Generall therof by Pope Gregory the ninth after the death of Brother Iohn Parent who being learned very expert in worldly affaires and fauoured of many great personnes attempted after the death of S. Francis to demaund diuers priuiledges of the court of Rome which he obtayned for himselfe and the Religious wherein he wanted not such as would second him for this new liberty of life and the lardge way which he had opened So by the support and assistance of his followers and adherentes he cruellie persecuted those that did contrary him and especiallie all the companions first disciples of S. Francis and next to them S. Antony and Br. Adam his companion as zealous of the Order who att length no longer able to endure such a ruine opposed themselues against him publiquelie att the Chapter where they fouud not any one of their opinion or att least that durst speake a word so that all the Religious there present arose against them chardgeing thē that they murmured caused and raysed diuision in Religion and therfor they were so persecuted that they were enforced to appeale touching their abuses vnto the Pope and to that end to goe to Rome where being arriued notwithstanding the endeauour of Brother Helias who sought to gett them imprisoned by the way in presence of the said Pope who was a singuler fauourer and protectour of the Order they layd open the life of Br. Helias and the relaxation of the discipline of the Order which by his euill example he peruerted and brought to ruine Which being well vnderstoode and considered by his Holinesse he ordayned a generall Chapter to be held att Rome wherein himselfe in person was President Now this chapter being assembled S. Antony proposed the cause of his appeale vnto the Pope alleadging that it was vpon the persecution which B. Helias inflicted on those that were zealous of the Order as ennemies of the relaxation and liberty of his life new rule which tēded to the ruine subuersion of the Religion cōtrary to the obligatiō duety of the Generall therof Br. Helias herevnto answeared that he had bin forced by the Religious to accept of that office that he had aduertised thē that he could not goe on foot nor liue in cōmune by reason of many necessities of his that in a Generall Cha they had permitted him to eat what he would yea gold if it were needfull Besides that hauing a horse in the stable he must of necessity haue a seruāt cōsequently could not be without mony wherof he had permissiō frō the holy Sea as also for supply of some necessities and likewise for building the Church of Assisiū and to relieue many Religious in their occasions S. Antony replyed that albeit he were permitted to vse a horse yet was he not allowed to maintaine a horse in stable of such a price as he did and so well furnished as all the world was scandalized theratt and though he were permitted to eat euen gold in his necessity yet was it not graunted he should horde and heap vp treasures Brother Helias then answeared S. Antony that he had lyed whereatt the Pope who was well enformed of the truth of his life did much admire and would no further testimony against him then this his proud answeare which made cleare the rest and therfore hauing comanded silence to all with teares in his eyes he vttered these wordes whē I resolued to make this Religious Generall I thought it would haue bin for the good of the Order but alas I experience the contrarie and see that he is a disturber and ruinour therof Wherfore I depriue him of that office and will that in his place be presently elected on other that is zealous and a protectour of the Euangelicall law Which done the Pope exceedinglie commended S. Antony and gaue him his benediction disapprouing and making voyd the sentences which Br. Helias had denounced against him and those that were zealous of the Order then prayed and exhorted him to assemble and committ to writing all his sermons that they might be printed and yeld a publike profitt and that he might more commodionsly apply himselfe therto he by speciall priuiledge exempted him from all other offices and chardges of the Religion and thenceforward was euer much affected vnto him so farre forth as after his death he canonized him Of the last lent that he preached of the great fruit of his preaching and of his pious worckes THE XXVI CHAPTER BEcause it would be perhappes more tedious to you to read then to me particulerly to describe all the Prouinces where this glorious S. hath preached and consequently the affection reuerence and deuotion which all personnes as wel Princes gentlemen burgesses as the meaner people carryed towardes him and how well by his doctrine life and miracles he recouered to almighty God the lost soules I will endeauour to make the same appeare vnto you altogether by the onlie relation of the last sermons he made att Padua in a lent that he preached there This sainct then being exempted by the Pope as before is said the yeare of grace 1230. in a Generall Chapter held in the month of May that he might the more commodiously employ himselfe for the saluation of soules hauing passed and trauelled ouer manie Prouinces in all which he sowed the word of God he was att
length by the holie Ghost conducted to Padua where he had formerly much profited In respect wherof he was very particulerlie loued and reuerenced of the inhabitantes of that citty and therfore when he began to preach there againe such was the confluence of people that pressed to heare him that he was forced to preach in a spacious field without the Cittie there being no Church capable of the people that from all partes flocked thither though there were some verie great Wherfore from the beginning of Lent the deuill perceauing the great fruit which he did and would produce he tooke him and so wrested and crushed his throat that as he after confessed to his companion if the sacred virgin whome he inuocated had not assisted him appearing vnto him with a great light and to his confort he had bin strangled but arming himselfe with the signe of the crosse and so deliuered from the ambushes of the deuill he gaue infinite thanckes to God and to his glorious Virgin mother And being become more couragious though he were verie feeble by reason of his abstinence and the labours which he ordinarily vndertooke which so depressed him that he had daily a litle fitt of an ague his zeale of the saluation of soules being more forcible with him then whatsoeuer other consideration he ceassed not to preach all the whole Lent and to spend all the rest of the day in spirituall exercises as to heare confessions and to giue Counsaile but it was a worthy thing to behold the feruour and deuotion not only of the Paduans but also of the inhabitantes of the townes borowes villages and castels there about that in such abondance flocked to his sermons that some went with light in the night to take their place in the field The bishopp was present att his preaching with all his Clergie as also the principall of the Cittie maryed women maides and yong gentlewomen frequented them withall comlines and modesty and without any pompe wherby it was easy to iudge with what spiritt they were induced to heare him During his predication all the merchantes and artificers did shutt vp their shoppes audience of iustice was omitted and all other offices ceassed so that it seemed some solemne feast In the time of his sermon the audience was so quiett that so much as one word was not heard amongest thirty thousand personnes there present and it succeeded that they all retourned replenished with the spiritt of compunction He that could touch the sainct or speake vnto him esteemed himselfe happy and if he had not bin purposlie guarded they would haue rent and cutt his habitt from his back and left him naked for such was the feruour of these people that they seemed to see in him a true Apostle sent to them by almightie God By his meane notorious and inueterat quarrels were appeased prisonners sett att libertie debtes quitted and forgiuen offences and iniuries pardoned and forgotten and mony and other thinges stolen or ill gott were restored Briefly what els men and women long accustomed to sinne were publikelie conuerted and did penance for their sinnes in such sort frequenting the sacraments that the Priestes had scarce time to serue them The glorious sainct hauing filled the Garner of almightie God with most pure corne after he had tryed it and burned the cockle att the verie time that he resided att Padua and hauing finished his three bookes of sermons vpon the sondayes and the Quarantine or sermons of Lent and the booke of the sermons of Sondayes full of verie deep subtilitie and morall droctrine which he had vndertaken and accomplished to satisfie his holinesse and the Guardian of Hostie he began to feele that God intended to call him vnto him and by signes and miracles to demonstrate the merittes of his most faithfull seruant wherein the people had such confidence that whosoeuer could haue a bitt of his habitt held himselfe happy and kept it carefully as a precious holy relique Of his last sicknes his prophesie of his future glory his vision of God and his death THE XXVII CHAPTER THis lent being ended S. Antony desiring to repose himselfe a litle retired to S. Peters fielde a place appertayning to a gentleman of Padua called Tise one that was exceedingly affected vnto him this place was neere to the Couent of the Frere Minors which this gentleman in manner alone mayntayned Now it may well be imagined with what countenance he entertayned the S. doubtles as if he had bin an Angel of Paradise sent vnto him by almighty God vnderstanding his intention he caused to be made him three celles of ozier one for himselfe and the other two for Brother Lucas and Br Roger his companions and familiers He remayned not long there till he felt himselfe assaulted with a great feeblenes that daily augmented but thincking to ease himselfe by trauaile he went to the next couent of Frere Minors where his infirmitie did oppresse and vtterly ouercome him There did God reueale vnto him that he should soone dye and what glory he should haue both in heauen and on earth Wherfore beholding and considering the amenity and good aire of the plaine and scituation of Padua that did neighbour the place where he was tourning towardes his companion he vttered these wordes this plaine shall shortly be illustrated and honoured with great glory as in deed it hath bin from after his death till this present yea more then he foretold in regard of the great confluence of people that haue and daily doe resort thither to visitt and honour his holy reliques And doubtles this citty may be tearmed happy and glorious hauing in it such a treasure that hath not enriched only it but all the world with singuler giftes and graces obtayned of God by the merittes of this glorious S. Now the S. foreseeing that his houre drew neere he told Br. Roger that if in case he should dye of that infirmity he would not be troublesome chardgeable to the Couent where he then was and therfore prayed him to gett him conducted to the Couent of the Virgin Mary att Padua where the Frere Minors were which the Religious approuing he layd him on a wagon to the great discontentment of all the Religious of that oratory And as they conducted him to the Citty they mett a deere freind of his in the way who knowing whither he way carryed caused him to change his purpose and persuaded him to goe to a Monastery out of the Citty called Arcele alleadgeing that the visitations he should haue att Padua would be very troublesome vnto him Being then arriued att Arcele and hauing there receaued all the sacraments God speedily called him for hauing with his Religious said the seauen Psalmes and alone that worthy hymne O gloriosa Domina as the glorious virgin Mother had alwayes in his life bin very gracious vnto him so for his comfort defence he saw her att his death then a litle after he saw her beloued sonne
vtterly amazed and terrified did rent out his eyes and tongue and then vanished This miserable fellow hastened directly to the Church of S. Antony where repenting to haue consented to the Magician he inuocated with his hart not hauing the vse of his voice his assistance And vpon these his humble prayers in the time of high masse as the Preist sung Gloria in excelsis Benedictus qui venit in nâ—â—une Domini his two eyes were miraculously restored him which being knowne all the Citty of Padua was full of the bruit each one desiring to see him Many of the more ancient and noble of the citty held it conuenient that all the people there present should ioyne themselues in prayer that it might please God to accompany this first miracle with a second in restoring his speech To this effect they all fell on their knees offered their prayers the Masse alwayes coÌ„tinuying when the Agnus Dei was sung his tongue was also restored wherby he began with a loud voice to prayse God and his S. A Religious woman of the Order of sainct Clare hauing heard preached the rigour of the paines of Purgatory conceaued such a terrour of goeing thither that she prayed almighty God to graunt her to suffer her Pugatory in this world and so long continued in prayer that att length God heard her But being vnable any long time to support so rigorous and insupportable tormentes she discouered the cause of her afflictions to the other Religious whome she prayed to make supplication to God by the merittes of sainct Antony that he would please to moderate those so bitter tormentes which she endured and so all the Religious with such deuotion and humility applyed themselues to prayer that by the merittes of S. Antony she was eased therof thenceforward she was no more so rash as to tempt God but entierly resigned herselfe to the will of his diuine maiesty casting herselfe absolutely into his disposition The Religious Br. Bernardine of Parma by a violent catarre in his throat became dumme for cure wherof were applyed all about his neck burning cauters all which nothing auayled so that he became so feeble that putting to him a litle waxe candle lighted he could not with his breath blow it out wherfore his death and stifling being feared he was carryed to Padua where the feast of S. Antony was celebrated to visitt his sepulcher There was then a great concourse of people where in publike presence he offered his prayer shedding abondance of teares then he began to spett and to auoyd such a quantity of filthy and loathsome matter that the beholders could no longer endure it their hartes so arrising att the sight of such insupportable stuffe and withall he was cured of the catarre and recouered his speech for which he hartely praysed God and his sainct The sonne of a poore woman about tweÌ„ty monthes old called Thomasin dwelling neere the said Church fell one day vnaduisedly into a pond full of water with his head downeward and was carryed home dead His mother full of desolation hastened with great faith to the sepulcher of the sainct before which she fell on her knees beseeching him with all her soule to restore her child to life and promising euery yeare though she were needy to giue an almose to the poore in his honour of the quantity of her sonnes weight in wheat who was speedily restored to life to the exceeding amazement of all that were present who together with the mother gaue thanckes to God for the same These miracles of S. Antony are approued to be very authenticall together with three or fower which he wrought with S. Francis in whose life we haue inserted them where by the vse of the table they may be easily found for which miracles many other generally knowne may truely be said Mirabâ—lis est Deus in sanctis suis Amen The end of the Fift booke of the second part of the first volume of the Chrocles of the Frere Minors THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN ARE CONTAINED THE LIVES OF twenty particuler and speciall Disciples of the Seraphicall F. S. Francis Translated by the aforesaid The life of Br. Bernard Quintauall the eldest spirituall child of Sainct Francis Of the conuersion of Br. Bernard Quintauall and of his pouerty THE FIRST CHAPTER BROTHER Bernard Quintauall was borne att Assisium of the most noble family therin where hauing considered the strangenes of life of S. Francis his admirable contempt of worldly commodities his vnchangeable assurance his inuincible constancie in supporting iniuryes and his exceeding patieÌ„ce in enduring the troubles and laboures of this life yea seeming dailie more and more to conceaue greater contentment therin He esteemed all this could not proceed but by the will of God which he experienced as hath bin amplie declared in the eight chapter of the first booke and first volume where his conuersion is related att lardge Hauing then renounced the world and sold all he had in the marckett place of Assisium and giuen the price to the poore and beggers of IESVS CHRIST following S. Francis he deserued to be his eldest child as well in time as perfection for by speciall priuiledge he had the grace to be a true louer of pouerty And also S. Francis sometimes would say that Br. Bernard had founded his Order selling his substance to giue to the poore euen to his very apparell wherwith he was cloathed so that his first Religious habitt was made of almose then being thus naked he offered and cast himselfe into the armes of IESVS CHRIST crucified naked whome he imitated euen to his death God also by a particuler prerogatiue bestowed on him a ioyfull patience which merueillously shined in him and particulerlie in those iornyes he performed vpon obedience edifying his neigbour and exercising himselfe in vertues How Br. Bernard by the vertue of patience built a monastery att Bolonia and some others in Lombardy THE II. CHAPTER AFter the first confirmation of the Order by Pope Innocent the third and hauing receaued the precept of penitence Brother Bernard was sent by sainct Francis to Bolonia to edifie the people with examples of piety Being in that Citty the Children seeing him in so simple a habitt and so different from other Religious they followed him in the streetes crying after him reproaching him reuiling him and vsing him as a foole which he endured with immoueable patience and contentment yea to procure himselfe the greatest disgrace and dishonour for the loue of IESVS CHRIST who was so much contemned for vs he would frequent those places where was the greatest recourse of people and there the idle and loytering companious scoffed att him and flouted him as a foole But the patient and obediente seruant of God did neither resist nor complaine but shewed a pleasing and ioyfull contenance contenting himselfe for his food with a bitt of bread giuen him for the loue of God and
a hand and he heard a voice from aboue that said vnto him Brother Leo know that without this hand thou canst performe no good thinge Which Brother Leo hauing heard entierly enflamed in diuine loue he arose on his feet and beholding heauen he diuers times thus spake with a loud voice It is true my God that if thy puissant hand doe not helpe and assist our infirmity we can doe nothing of ourselues much lesse shall we resist our ennemies and obtaine the meritt of perseuerance in thy loue and seruice The 17. chapter is put after the last of the second booke and first volume of this first part where is related a vision which Brother Leo had of the vniuersall Iudgement as being a matter appertaining to the holy Father sainct Francis How Brother Leo burned the box which Brother Helias Generall of the Order had sett at the Church dore to gather almose for the fabrique against the purity of the rule THE XVIII CHAPTER BRother Helias who after the death of sainct Francis for many yeares gouerned the Religion as General was he that very sumptuously builded the Couent of S. Francis att Assisium where Pope Gregory the ninth layd the first stone the almose of the people of Assisium not sufficing for so great an edifice Brother Helias seeking all meanes possible to find mony for the worck sett a box att the Church dore with this inscription The almose for the sabriqâ—e which many good Religious hauing seene and especially Brother Leo in regard that it was a thing directly against the obseruance of the purity of their rule being zealous of the Euangelicall Pouertie they repaired to the venerable Brother Giles to consult with him and to aduise together by what meanes they might preuent this inconuenience who answeared that he dwelt att our Lady of Angels and therfore though one built a Couent as great as the Citty of Assisium he would notwithstanding be content to remaine wher he was and that was all his care But Brother Leo not satisfied with this answeare they added we haue a purpose to burne that box what think you of it Brother Giles then with teares of his eyes replyed If Brother Helias be dead you may doe so but if he liue lett him proceed for you will hardly endure his persec ution But Brother Leo and his companions leauing Brother Giles tooke the box and burned it which Brother Helias vnderstanding and being extremely vexed therwith he very cruelly disciplined them all and hauing detayned theÌ„ some time in prison he banished them from Assisium for which and other like matters the Pope put Brother Helias from his Prelature as we haue formerly related in the life of S. Antony of Padua Of certaine miracles and of the death of the glorious Brother Leo THE XIX CHAPTER WHiles Brother Leo resided att our Lady of Angels it happened that a poore woman of Assisium dyed in trauaile of child whose mother was also a very poore old widdoe who being much afflicted att the death of her daughter and not knowing how to bring vp the litle infant that was left vnto her she went to brother Leo for his counsaile to whome with teares discouering her greife she moued him to haue compassion of her misery so that he went and with feruour offred his prayers demaunding of God assistance for that so desolate poore old womaÌ„ His prayer ended he sayd vnto her Goe good woman and putt the child to thy breast and hope that almighty God will giue thee the milke that he would haue giuen the mother of the child Though this old woman was much amazed att this speech yet the infant being present she obeyed for she offered her breastes vnto it which were found very full of milke to relieue the child And the same continued as long as there was vse for it and the child attayning to competentage beame a man of the church He often recounted that he had bin miraculously nursed by the merittes of Brother Leo. This seruant of God meeting a yong man in the way and beholding his countenance sayd vnto him thou shalt be one of our Religious which wordes had such efficacie in his hart that he could neuer apply himselfe to any thing till he became a Frere Minor A woman of Codale in the vally of Spoletum hauing an apostume in her brest which ordinarily yelded forth corruption and being void of all helpe that might any way releiue her she repaired to Brother Leo with great deuotion praying him to make the signe of the crosse one the place greiued which being done the apostume vanished so that no apparance remayned therof A yong man being exceedingly afflicted with the falling sicknes and a continuall feauer did secretly cutt of a peece of the habitt of Brother Leo out of the great deuotion he carryed towardes him which hauing layd on his neck he was presently cured but hauing lost it the said infirmity retourned yet hauing gotten an other peece he was perfectly cured againe A man of Treuy being by commandement of the gouernour of Spoletum imprisoned and enchained he recommended himselfe to the prayers of Brother Leo who was att our Lady of Angels who appeared vnto him about the time of noone and in presence of all that were there vnchayned him then drew him out of prison and commanded him to goe as a Pilgrime to our Lady of Angels which hauing performed he there found Brother Leo att whose feet prostrating himselfe he thancked him for the great singuler fauour receaued of him But he answeared him that he should only thancke the Virgin Mary whose feast of her holy purification was celebrated that day Our lord wrought many other miracles by the merittes of his seruant Brother Leo to manifest his sanctity to the world which would be too tedious to be inserted That holy Father Brother Ruffinus and Brother Angel us by commandement of their generall composed the legend of sainct Francis which was afterward called the legend of three companions wherof the most worthy and remarckable hauing bin extracted and put in other histories of sainct Francis the same was afterwardy lost Brother Leo att length hauing in vertue and sanctity accomplished his dayes he left the desert of the world and retired to his celestiall contry He was enterred att Assisium in the Church of S. Francis The life of Brother Siluester Of the conuersation merittes and death of Br. Syluester THE XX. CHAPTER THe good Father Br. Siluester was the first preist that entred into the Religion of S. Francis In the first booke and first volume of this first part we haue sett downe his conuersion and how he became a Frere Minor This was his eleuenth disciple who so encreased and profited in the vertue of sanctity that he discoursed and conuersed with God as ordinarily one freind doth with an other which S. Francis often experienced and diuers times gaue testimony therof as when he reuealed vnto him that the will of God was
recorded Of the sanctity and miracles of Brother Zachary who was the first Guardian of the Couent of Alenquer and of his death THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe said Monastery being thus founded with exceeding pouerty and sanctity by the vertue and exemplar life of the sayd disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis and namely of Brother Zachary as being the most notable in all vertues This holy Father zealous towardes God in worckes of charity in watchinges and prayers did often offer his prayers before a Crucifix which was after in the Chapiter of the said Couent of Alenquer till the yeare 1414. by which our Lord aduertised him of many thinges as well concerning his owne as his neighbours welfare The consolation and spirituall ioy which he receaued of this image was such as he could not leaue it but with great greife Brother Zacharie being Guardian it one day happened that there were but two loaues of bread in al the Couent the hower of refection being come he enioyned all the brethren to prayer then commanded them to sitt downe att table and the sayd loaues to be portioned among all the Religious and att the same instant there appeared an Angell att their gate in forme of a beautifull yong man who brought them as many loaues as there were persons in the Monastery his grace and beauty was such as could be imagined He calling for the Guardian gaue it vnto him who with the other Religious knowing this present to come to them from the hand of God who hauing care of all his creatures neuer forgetteth his true poore they gaue him thanckes for it Many kept of this bread as a holy relique but namely the Princesse Saucia who would haue her part therof Preaching on a time with great zeale of the faith of IESVS CHRIST and of the saluation of soules one that was incredulous being partly contrite and conuerted by his sermon would afterwardes confesse vnto him but by all the industry the good Father could deuise he could not rid him of his doubtes touching the Blessed sacrament of the Eucharist Art length hauing an exceeding desire to saue his soule he sayd vnto him Sith thou canst not be cured by the wordes of God come againe to morrow in the morning with the greatest deuotion thou canst and perhappes it will please our Lord IESVS CHRIST to illuminate and confirme thee by his diuine presence and so dismissing him and that day ended the Sainct spent all that night in deuotion praying God to voutsafe to illuminate and confirme this poore man in the holy faith The next morning he celebrated masse this man being present with great deuotion but the wordes of consecration being vttered he saw the sacred host conuerted into flesh and so continuyng till the Preist was ready to communicate and then he saw it retourne to the forme of an host as before the consecration This admirable vision entierly cleered his soule of all doubtes he had and fully confirmed him in the Catholike faith This glorious Father att length yelding vp his soule it ascended to heauen and his body was buryed on the right side of the crosse of the Church of the said Couent in Alenquer with his other companions and the holy disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis The inhabitants of Alenquer att this present take the earth of that sepulcher and with great reuerence apply it to the sicke who therby recouer their health Of a Religious that was disciple to sainct Francis in the Couent of Alenquer THE XXIX CHAPTER AMong all the Religious that were sent by the holy Father saint Francis to the said Couent of Alenquer there was one very deuout and solitary that flying especially all conuersation and discourses with women spent almost all his time in prayer Now it happened that one of the ladyes of the Princes Saucia called Mary Gracia noting this Religious to be so spirituall began to haue perticuler deuotion vnto him and therfore she desired to haue some conference witht him But this holy Religious refusig all acquaintance and speech with any women shunned her with all endeauour Neuertheles it once happened that the Lady and the Religious in such sort met each with other that the Religious could not without discurtesie auoyd to speake vnto her for she much vrged him therto but he sayd vnto her Madame I beseech you before I spake vnto you cause to be brought hither some straw with fier which hauing don he willed her to putt the straw the fier together the lady hauing so dō the straw presētly burned the Religious then sayd vnto her Madame what issue you haue seene the straw to haue with the fier the like belieue me hath the seruant of God with a woman speaking with her without necessity Whereat this lady was so shamefully amazed that leauing this good Religious she neuer more insinuated herselfe by her curious deuotion to trouble him Wherfore as this holy Religious perseuered in vertues so att the end of his life his dead body was endowed with such a beauty and splendour that all the Religious both admired and reioyced exceedingly therby hauing more perfect assurance of his sanctity Att the instant of his death S. Antony of Padua who then was Canon Reguler in the monastery of S. Crosse in Conimbria celebrating the masse saw in spirit the soule of this Religious mount into the aire and gloriously to ascend into Paradise hauing first passed Purgatory as a bird that flyeth swiftly Of the life sanctity death and miracles of Br. Walter and of the ancient custome of Portugall to record matters that happened by the yeares of Augustus Caesar THE XXX CHAPTER THe vertue and sanctity of Br. Walter disciple of S. Francis are yet of great fame he hauing so piously and exemplarly liued that in a short time he drew al the neighbour contrye to be friendes to his Order he also conuerted them from many vices and sinnes wherto the inhabitantes therof were much enclined and addicted and exercised them in vertues It is sayd that this holy Father being dead and enterred there issued out of his tombe an oyle of such vertue as it cured many diseases and perseuered till his body was transported to the great Couent neere to the said citty The day of his death which was the second of August was a long time festiually solemnised and in regard of the great concourse of people that from euery where repayred thither to honour and reuerence the holy reliques there was kept a generall faire A long time after the Frere Minors hauing built their Couent very neere the citty the Canons resolued to steale from them this holy body but though to this purpose they came thither with a great nomber of men and afterwardes with strength of oxen to draw away the tombe of the sayd S. entier neuertheles they could not so much as lift vp the reliques alone out of the tombe by what soeuer forcible endeauour nor much lesse
giue you repulse In this manner doe I euer preserue my forteresse from being surprised by such base companions who by their entry would vtterly ruinate me or att least it would be very difficult for me to expell them for att the instant that I perceaue them ready to assault me without permitting them to lay their siege I enforce them to retire with shame enough Which Brother Giles vnderstanding he tourned to his companions and sayd Brethren I am of Brother Iuniperus opinion resolue heÌ„ceforward to make vse of his stratageme of warre for it is most certaine considering that in this sinne the securest fight is to fly by reason that the traiterous appetite which is within the flesh findeth such a stroÌ„ge concurrence of assistaÌ„ce in the exteriour sences by an army raysed by the deuill and opposed against the soule that the perill is extreme and the victory vncertaine so that the securest is not to permitt this traiterous domesticall sinne to enter into our hart Iuniperus being one time reprehended for hauing spoaken too lightly the mouth being the dore wherat the spiritt of deuotion and prayer goeth out he continued six entiere monthes in perpetuall silence the first day his purpose not to speake was in honour of God the Father the second for reuerence of the Sonne the third for loue of the holy Ghost the fourth for the Queene of heauen and so each day proposing some saincte he strictly obserued his silence all that time with new feruour and deuotioÌ„ though naturally he spake very litle which also was of spirituall thinges for as he could not endure to be flattered so neither could he flatter and so had no other discourse but of God and as a Religious perfect in humility he would rather learne and heare then with wordes and exteriour signes of sanctity teach others Of the great charity which Br. Iuniperus exercised towards the sick THE XXXIX CHAPTER THis glorious S. had a great affection to the sick and with an extreme charity did desirously serue them by meanes wherof happened a strange accident att our Lady of Angels touching a sicke person of whome by order of S. Francis who then was there he had the chardge This poore sick man was by the continuance of his infirmity become so feeble that he had not so much strength as to eat which would infallibly hasten his death Br. Iuniperus hauing great coÌ„passioÌ„ of him prayed him with tearfull eyes to tell him wherof he could willinglie ear and he would procure it for him The sick party answeared that he thought he could well eat of a hogs foote in Vinegar if he could gett it Br. Iuniperus replyed be of good Courage Brother I will presently bring you one dressed as you desire and taking a great knife out of the kitchen he went out of the house and seeing many hogges feeding in a field neere by he ran so faâ—t after them that he gott one and cutt off his foot and therwith retourned to the Couent where he presently dressed it with vinegar then carrying it to the sick he did eat therof with such appetite and courage that recouering his tast and appetite he began to amend and by this meane escaped for that time the danger of death In the meane time the master of the hogges being by his swineheard aduertised that a Frere Minor had cutt off the foot of one of his hogges he puffed vp with choller went hastely to the Couent where exclaming as a maded man he vttered many iniurious speeches to the Religious and so farre was he transported with fury that he disgordged against them a thousand vilanies Which the holy Father S. Francis vnderstanding he went to him and sought to appease him praying him for the loue of God to haue patience and offred to repaire whatsoeuer dommage he had receaued But the man more possessed with despight then with the losse would heare no proposition but weÌ„t away exceedingly scandalized att the Religious of whome he bruted many lyes through the streetes and very seriously and vehemently threatned them These good Religious were in meane while exceedingly greiued att this accident and knew not the cause therof wherfore hauing long time discoursed vpon it among themselues they att length addressed themselues to Br. Iuniperus suspecting that his simplicity and some indiscreet zeale had moued him to this fact But he respecting only God contemned all those toyes and respectes of the world The holy Father S. Francis called him before him to vnderstand the matter and circumstances and he very ioyfully recounted vnto him that God had directed and sent vnto him that hogge for the cure of the poore sicke Brother Sainct Francis exceedingly admiring sayd vnto him Ah Brother Iuniperus you haue this day caused a great scandall for the master of the hogge hath bin here and in all fury hath giuen vs infinite reproaches but I acknowledge that he hath reason and doe feare he will defame vs ouer all the citty Wherfore I command you vpon obedience to run after him to aske him pardon and to assure him that he shal be satisfied for his losse and especially so to deale with him as he be not scandalized att vs. Brother Iuniperus much admiring that any one should be moued to choller vpon so charitable a worck considering it to be apparant that temporall goodes are giue of God but for vse of charity he answeared Doubt not Father but I will presentlie appease him in such sort as he shalle haue no cause to complaine of such a charity done as more concerneth God then himselfe Which sayd he went in great hast to seeke out the master of the hogge whome hauing found full of choller he related vnto him how and for what cause he had cutt off his hogges foot then added that he ought to thanck him because thereby he had giuen him occasion of meritt in an act so pleasing vnto God as by his meane was accomplished In meane while the man abused him and grew into such fury as he was euen ready to strike him but the good Religious fell at his feet embraced him and besought him for the loue of God to pardon him which manner of proceeding so mollified his hart that hauing apparantlie seene and perceaued his simplicity and that what he had done proceeded merely of charitie and not of malice or to doe him a mischiefe as the deuill had put in his head he entred into himselfe and repented that euer he had iniuryed the Religious and asked them pardon acknowledging himselfe auaricious and ingratefull for the benefittes he had receiued of God in satisfaction wherof he presentlie killed the hogge and causing him to be conueniently dressed he sent him to the Religious that for the verie loue of God they might eat him in satisfaction of the iniuries vttered against them and thenceforward was very deuout and liberall to the poore of IESVS CHRIST How Brother Iuniperus gaue all he had and could haue for the loue of God
he accompanied the Guardian euen to the place of the citty where he was and there fell on his knees before him and bitterly weeping besought him before all the people to pardon him The vertuous Religious did not only pardon him but gaue him thanckes for being occasion of his meritt towardes God yea and thenceforwd he tooke it so gratefully that remayning in the Couent of the said place to cure and ease the torments he had endured many honorable personnes presenting him many small commodities he alwayes sent the most worthie and excellent to the Earle affirming that he did not acknowledge himselfe more obliged to any man in the world then to him because he had not found any that had more accomplished his desires then he The earle on the contrary said that he knew therby that God would shortly end his enormous sinnes and that he should not liue long sith he had so vnworthely tormented an innocent and so sainct-like a man though he knew him not and that God would punish him for it Wherin he was not deceaued for a litle after he was slaine by his ennemies Now this singuler fact may notifie vnto vs the patience of Brother Iuniperus the excellencie of the vertues which God discouered in him with what faith hope humility and fortitude he was armed and the crosse which he carryed in himselfe and wherin only he glorified and the small gaine the deuill gott of him in this combatt where he was subdued by the patience of Brother Iuniperus more like to that of IESVS CHRIST then to that of Iob. Wherein appeareth how truly the holy Doctors affirme that almighty God is such a louer of our profitt and our glory which is purchaced by labour in his seruice that he denyeth it onlie to those who make themselues incapable to receaue it Of a Companion of Brother Iuniperus and that was vnder his gouernement THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus in his age had a companion that was so obedient and of such patience that were he beaten and tormented a whole day together he would neuer vtter a word of complaint He was sent to begge att their houses who were knowne not to be charitable but to be churlish scoffers and iniurious to the Religious whither he would willingly goe and with an admirable patience support the affrontes and iniuries offered vnto him If Brother Iuniperus commanded him to weep he would obey if he commanded him to laugh he would incontinently laugh He being dead Brother Iuniperus bitterly wept for this his deere companion affirming that in this life there remayned vnto him nothing of worth and that in the death of this Brother the world was as it were ruined so much did he loue and esteeme the vertue of the patience and mortification of this great seruant of God and his foster child How Brother Iuniperus in prayer saw the glory of God and of his death THE XLV CHAPTER AFter the death of this Religious the glorious Brother Iuniperus being very vigilant and feruent in prayer and deep contemplation seemed to hate the world and already to dye with desire to goe to the other life such was his endeauour to ascend vnto almighty God Being one time in the quier att masse he was so rapt in extasie that the seruice being ended the Religious left him alone where he so remayned a long time and when he was retourned to himselfe he came to the Religious to whome with a notable feruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Ah my Brethren why doe not we conceaue a pleasure to endure a litle labour and paine to gaine eternall life After that he vttered many thinges of high consequence touching the humility which deserueth the glory of the elect These wordes gaue sufficient cause to iudge that he had had some communication of heauen And in the end the true and worthie disciple of sainct Francis and singular freind of saincte Clare who called him the passetime of IESVS CHRIST because she found in him great consolation of spiritt and would haue him neere att her death this good and holy Religious I say after he had many yeares liued in great perfection in this desert passed from this life to the other and was by almighty God transported into his glory He was buryed att Rome in the Couent of Aracaeli The life of Brother Simon of Assisium the Disciple of sainct Francis Of the holy conuersation of Brother Simon THE XLVI CHAPTER BRother Simon of Assisium was called of God to holy Religion in the life time of S. Francis This Religious was by the diuine Maiesty endwed with such abondance of grace and raysed to such a high degree of contemplation that his whole life was a mirrour of sanctity and represented to all the image of the bounty of God according to the testimony of them that conuersed with him He rarely went out of his cell and if sometime he conuersed with his brethren his discourse was altogether of God He alwayes sought solitary places and though he had neuer learned the grammer nor other humane sciences he neuertheles discoursed so sublimely of God and of the most sweet loue of IESVS CHRIST that his wordes seemed rather Angelicall then humane Brother Iames of Massa and some other Religious went one euening with him into a wood to discourse of almighty God and Brother Simon so sweetly discoursed of the diuine loue that hauing spent all the night in that holy discourse and the breake of day alredy appearing it seemed to them that he did but thē begin When this Religious perceaued the comming of any diuine visitation he would cast himselfe on his bed as to sleep or as sicke of the disease of the Espouse who sayth in the Canticles Tell my beloued I languish for his loue Sometimes in the said diuine visitations he was so eleuated in God that he remayned insensible of worldly thinges so that a Religious once desiring to trye whiles he was in extasie if he had any feeling tooke a burning coale and putt it on his bare foot wherewith he did not only not come to himselfe nor felt the heat of the fier but the coale dyed on his foot without leauing any signe of burning The Sainct accustomed when he did eat with the Religious to feed them spiritualy with the word of God before they receaued their corporall refection How Brother Simon deliuered a Nouice from the temptation of the flesh and how the Nouice became perfect in charity and of his death THE XLVII CHAPTER THis good Father discoursing one day of almighty God with such feruour declared the obligation which we haue to his diuine Maiesty and to our owne saluation that a wordly yong man there present resolued to leaue the world and to become religious he was borne att Senseuerin a citty in the kingdome of Naples foorthwith tooke the habitt of Frere a Minor But the deuill by whose blowing the flames of temptations are enkindled enflamed this Nouice with so great
seemed to sleep He dyed in the citty of Cahors the yeare of grace 1272. hauing spent fifteen yeares in the Order of the Frere Minors att six of the clock att night the Eue of Alsaintes to reigne eternally with them Att the very houre of his death two Religious women ancient both in Relligion and vertues did testifie to haue heard Angelicall musike exceedingly mellodious accompanying the soule of this worthy seruant of God vnto heauen A man of the third Order of that citty in a vision saw the soule of this glorious Father att the hower of his departure carryed by Angels with great ioy into Paradise The same night a Burgesse of Cahors called Peter saw in vision the soule of this holy Father sitting on a very resplendant couch that did spread and sparckle glittering beames as the sunne of whome demaunding who he was I am said he the soule of Br. Christopher that haue left my body on earth and am goeing to heauen This man sodenly awaked and arising likewise awakened all his familie to whome he recounted his vision then went to the monastery where he found the body of the holy Father alredy according to the custome carryed into the Church thence to be enterred else where The day following the death of this holy Father being diuulged there repayred such a coÌ„course of people to see this blessed body that he could not be taken out of the handes of those that desired to touch him to kisse teare off part of his habitt to keepe for reliques and to demaund some grace of God by the merittes of him that had worne it This body being with much a doe att length takeÌ„ out of the Church embalmed with precious liquours and aromaticall oyntments it was on the third day putt in a coffin of wood and enterred in the Church of the Frere Minors with great solemnity and reuerence Of the dead raysed by the inuocation of this sainct THE LIII CHAPTER ALmighty God voutsafed also to demoÌ„strate the exceeding great miracles which by the merittes of this his gratefull seruant he wrought in the bishopprick of Cahors for a mother hauing casually left her child vpon a bridge he fell into the water and was drowned The mother seeing her child dead filled all the village with compassion of the sorrow and griefe which by her extreme lamentation she did discouer Att length she had recourse to S. Christopher to whome she vowed to visitt his sepulcher and to present vnto it an image of waxe if he would raise her sonne The vow being made the child began to moue his lippes then to open his eyes and by the merittes of such an intercessour in presence of many people he retourned to life and â—afety A creature being wrested dead out of the mothers wombe was restored to life by the prayers and intercessions of this sainct who was exceedingly importuned and induced thervnto by those that were present In the same citty a mother had layd her child of two yeares old in bed betweene her husband and her selfe but awaking she found the child smothered and dead after many regreets she made vow to S. Christopher that if by his intercession the child might reuiue she would carrie it to his sepulcher and there would present a light and image of waxe Which vow being made the child began to gape then to moue the armes and att length opening his eyes it retourned to life In the same citty and after the same manner the S. being inuocated for a dead child by the father who was deuout vnto him in these tearmes O saint of God rayse my daughter and I promise thee to carry her to thy sepulcher where I will offer there an altare cloth and an image of waxe she vpon this vow retourned to life and the Father and others present gaue thanckes to almighty God and to the S. In a towne called Concet neere to the said citty there was a youg man so weakened with a continuall feauer that he was generally esteemed for dead no motion could be perceaued in him not so much as of his pulse wherfore his mother in extreme affliction perceauing all humane helpe to faile had recourse to almighty God whome she inuocated by the merittes of S. Christopher of whome she had heard many miracles recounted to restore her sonnes health vowing to carry him to his sepulcher there to present an altare cloth and an image of wax The effect was admirable for the presenting of her vow being finished he began to amend and in short time was entierly cured to the great astonishment and content of all his friendes and kinred who fayled not to giue thanckes to God and to accomplish their vow Health was also restored to an other yong man called Iohn desperatly sick att Cahors in the manner aforesayd A Relligious of the Order of S. Clare called Sister Mary being so extremely weakened with sicknes that she could not remoue her selfe in her bed nor much lesse take her rest therin she expected only death but hauing heard it reported that the holy Father Christopher was deceassed and that he wrought infinite miracles she bitterly lamenting presented vnto him this request O holy Father that hast often heard my confession pray vnto almighty God if thou please that I may recouer my health to serue him Which spoaken she fell into a sweet sleep from whence the next morning she awakened full of comfort and consolation and went to the quier to communicate with her other sisters who theratt were much amazed and afterwardes they all together gaue thanckes to the omnipotent bounty of God and to his holy intercessour by whose merittes he so compassionatly assisteth those that addresse their petitions vnto him Of other miracles wrought in the cure of many dangerous and incurable diseases THE LIV. CHAPTER VPon the Mount Abban in the bishopprick of Cahors a child reduced neere vnto death and his mother extremely afflicted by dispaire of her sonnes recouery which hauing exceedingly weakened her by the great wearines of labour that this sicknesse causer her she fell into a litle sleep wherin she heard a voice that sayd vnto her Woman feare no more but make a vow for thy sonne to S. Christopher and God by his merittes will cure him This woman awaking and hauing made her vow her sonne was cured and the mother carryed him to the sepulcher of the sainct wher she thancked God and her Intercessour for it A woman of the said citty of Cahors called Valeria was so sick that the Phisitians iudged her as dead and withall had alredy lost her speech and the motion of all her members and was as black as pitch a priest also comming to heare her confession was constrayned to retourne without vsing his function for she could neither speake heare nor make any signes But her kinred and freindes that were present greiued att the losse of a woman whome they cordially loued fell deuoutly on their knees lifted vp their ioyned
assuredly capable of all happines He would ordinarily say that if he were to make choice of the vertues he would choose chastity Being asked what he called chastity he answeared I call chastity the conseruation of all the sences of the body in the grace of our Lord. A maryed man that was deuoutly affected towardes him was one day present when he praysed chastity and sayd vnto him Father I desire to be resolued of you if liuing with my wife and keeping fidelity towardes her I am secure touching this point Br. Giles answeared him what doe you not know that a man may as well be droncken with the wine of his owne tunne as with that of an other mannes A discourse of Temptation THE XXXI CHAPTER A Great grace cannot be possessed in peace but that there wil arise many contrarieties yea the higher degree of grace a man hath the more shall he be assaulted of the deuill but a man should not therfore omitt to prosecute his course of vertue for the more violent the combatt is the more excellent shal be the crowne when he shall haue ouercome And if any doe misse this employment lett him know that it is because he is not such as he ought to be besides this is to walke alwayes in the direct way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST in which all trauell and displeasure is sweet but a man that followeth the course and way of the world findeth displeasure and labour euen till death so that albeit the more a man shal be perfect in vertues the more will vices be contrary vnto him yet hating them so much att euery vice that he surmounteth he purcacheth a great vertu and becomming victorious ouer all kind of vices wherby he might haue bin tormented he shall not faile of a great recompence for it and vpon whatsoeuer occasion he omitteth to walke in the way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST for the same occasion he looseth his recompence The burden of temptations is often like to the trauell of the labourer that findeth a great peece of land which he is to worck vpon couered with thistles thornes so that he is constrained with great trouble to cleare the same before his labour be auayleable in such sort that he often repenteth to haue enterprised so painfull a businesse in regard of the great expences and bodily labour that he is enforced to employ therin For first he considereth that he must leuell and make euen all the hillockes that are vnequall with the ground and therof seeth not the fruit Secondly he cutteth or burneth the bushes thornes and thistles therin yet seeth no fruit therof Thirdly with much labour and sweat he diggeth vp the rootes neither yet seeth the fruit Fourthly he openeth the earth with the plough-share to cleanse the same yet hath no sight of the corne that is the ground of such his labour Fiftly he tilleth it the second time and maketh it into furrowes Sixtly he soweth his graine Seauenthly when the corne is sprung vp he cleanseth it and rooteth out the weedes Eighthly he doth haruest the corne into his barne Ninthly with much labour and sweat he separateth it from the chaffe causing it to be threshed winnowed sifted and very diligently cleansed Tenthly and lastly he transporteth the corne into his garner and for the contentment he conceaueth to see the fruit of his paines and labours he then forgetteth them and purposeth to vndertake yet much greater for the only ioy he hath of his haruest Now the like effect is in the temptations and labours which one endureth in this world for the spirituall fruit and contentment which he is to reape therof in the life euerlasting A Religious hauing one time conference with Br. Giles sayd vnto him Father it is recorded that S. Bernard once sayd his seauen penitentiall psalmes without euer thincking of other matter nor was assaulwith any distractiōs The holy Father answeared I would better esteeme a castle valerously assaulted and more couragiously defended A discourse of Penance THE XXXII CHAPTER A Iudge discoursing with Brother Giles of spirituall matters asked him by what meanes seculer personnes might ascend to the state and glory of vertue Wherto the holy Father answeared A man ought first to procure sorrow and contrition for his sinnes then to confesse them with bitternes and griefe to haue offended God and afterward to fulfill the penance that his ghostly Father shall enioyne him So being in good estate he must carefully keepe himselfe from offending God and shunne all occasions that may induce him to sinne and finally must exercise himselfe in good worckes Blessed be the temporall affliction that conuerteth to a mannes happines and accursed be the pleasure that tourneth to his misery A man should endure and support affliction in this world with a good will sith our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath giuen vs an example in himselfe Happy is he that hath true contrition of his sinnes and lamenteth day and night nor will seeke his consolation in this world but where all the desires of his hart shal be satisfied A discourse of Prayer THE XXXIII CHAPTER PRrayer is both the beginning and perfection of all good Prayer illuminateth the soule and by it good and euill are discerned All sinners ought to make this prayer vnto God that he will giue thē knowledge of their owne sinnes of the diuine mercy and of the benefittes receaued of IESVS CHRIST He that cannot pray knoweth not God It is necessary for all those that are to be saued if they haue vse of reason to apply themselues to prayer to obtayne mercy of God Lett vs suppose that a widdow and lady which were much retyred simple and chast had a sonne that for some crime committed were prisonner condemned to death This Mother though honorable and retyred would she not repayre to the Prince with abondance of teares to seeke fauour for her sonne This vrgent necessity no doubt for the extreme loue of this widow to her sonne though she were very rarely seene to goe out of her house would enforce her to runne through the streetes with cryes weepinges and lamentations to sollicite all those whome she thought might any way assist her in sauing the life of her sonne which she would attempt without any feare or respect of the modesty requisite to her degree and quality In like manner he that knoweth his sinnes knoweth consequently to aske pardon for them with shame and humility There was one that growing as it were into despaire for that in prayer he receaued not the grace of God which he desired complayned therof to Br. Giles who answeared him Brother I counsaile you to goe on sweetly and to haue patience for as there being lees in a vessel one doth not therfore shake and entermingle it together with the wine which were it neuer so good would be vtterly spilled therby And as though sometimes the mill-stone grindeth not good meale one doth not therfore breake it
doth meritt more ha that goeth in pilgrimage to sainct Iames of Galicia or he that sheweth him the way I see many thinges that are not myne I heare much that I vnderstand not and I speake much that I doe not performe and it seemeth to me that a man is not saued for seeing speaking and hearing but for well performing that which he knoweth to be the best Wordes are farther distant from deedes theÌ„ the earth is remote from heauen If any one would permitt you to goe into his vineyeard there to gather grapes would you content your selfe with leaues It is a thousand times more necessary for a man to gett instruction for himselfe then for all the world If you desire to know much doe many good worckes and humble your selfe withall possibility A Preacher should not speake ouer-curiously nor too grosly but should vse only common and ordinary tearmes Then the holy Father smilingly proceeded there is great difference betweene the ewe that bleateth much and her that bringeth many lambes that is it is not one thing to preach and to putt in execution Br. Giles one day sayd to a Doctour that seemed to glory much in his doctrine and preaching if all the earth were in the possession of one man and he should not labour it what fruit would he reap therof Rely not therfore so much one your learning albeit all the knowledge of all the world were in your head because not performing worckes necessary to your saluation it would nothing auayle you This holy Father prayed a Religious that went to preach att Perusia to take for the theme of his sermon these wordes I kisse I kisse I speake much and performe litle This is in his life a litle before This holy Father expounding these wordes of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST I haue prayed for thee Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou once couuerted confirme thy Brethren he thus interpreted it Almighty God sayd he would giue to vnderstand that a man should first labour for himselfe and then for others And albeit the conuersion of soules be very gratefull vnto God yet it is vnderstood of those that can doe it without preiudice to the saluation of their owne soules seruing God as S. Paul whersoeuer they are Therfore this holv Father would often with great feruour of spiritt say Paris Paris thou doest ruinate the Order of S. Francis Which this good Religious sayd seeing the disquiett and trouble of spiritt of many learned Frere Minors that put confidence in their sciences Br. Giles hearing a quaile and a doue to sing sayd in feruour of spiritt there is the way there is the way and not there as if they sayd lett vs endeauour to doe well in this life and not expect the other with reasoÌ„ sister doue thou speakest this so sweetly groning But sinner wheron thinckest thou why makest not thou they profitt of this aduertisment Besides it is to be vnderstood that Br. Giles speake this vpon the allusion of the Italianâ— and Spanish tongue with the note of the doue and the quaile which is quaqua which cannot be applyed to the French tongue A discourse of good and euill wordes THE XXXVII CHAPTER HE that vttereth good wordes is as the mouth of God he that speaketh ill litle differeth from the mouth of the deuill When the seruaÌ„tes of IESVS CHRIST asseÌ„ble together in any place to discourse they should talke of the excelleÌ„cy of vertues that they may seeme pleasing vnto theÌ„ and giue them coÌ„tentment and should also be exercised in theÌ„ By which act they shall come to loue theÌ„ more and to performe better actions for the more a man is burthened with vices the more needfull it is for him to speake of vertues because by the frequeÌ„t and pious discourse of them he persuadeth and easily disposeth himselfe to put them in practise But what shall we say the conditions of this world being so corrupted that one cannot speake good of good nor euill of euil We will then confesse the truth that we know not how to speake of good how good it is nor lykewise of euill how euill it is Wherfore it seemeth that neither of these to thinges can sufficiently be comprehended So that I tell you I esteeme it not a leâ—â—e vertue to know how to be silent then how two speake well and according to my iudgement a man should haue a long neck as a Crane that his wordes passe by many ioyntes before it goe out of the mouth A discourse of perseuerance in good worckes and of the memorie of death THE XXXVIII CHAPTER WHat doth it profit a man to fast pray giue almose mortifie himselfe and to haue vnderstanding of celestiall thinges yet with all this doth not arriue to the desired port of saluation There hath bin sometime seene in the mayne sea a faire shipp loaden with abondance of wealth which neere vnto the hauen surmonted by a litle tempest hath miserably perished What then hath auayled the brauery and richesse that it brought But on the contrary hath bin seene an old vessell vnseemely and contemptible to each one that hath defended it selfe from the perilles of the sea with her burden of merchandises and securely arriued in the port such an one deserueth praise The same happeneth also to men of this world and therfore ought they to liue alwayes in the feare of God For although a tree grow and is fastened in the ground he doth not yet sodenly become great and when he is great he doth not presently florish he is not so soone fruitfull if he be they be not ripe if ripe they do not in euery respect content the master For some doe rott other are beaten downe by the windes of temptations and are deuoured by the wormes of the sences Two thinges I hould for great benefittes of God when a man hath his hart remote from sinne and replenished with loue towardes God which two thinges whosoeuer shall possesse without danger of any euill shal be in possession of all good But he must perseuer because if one had from the beginning of the world to this instant liued in distresses afflictions and now should haue abondant fruition of all kind of ioyes all the miseries past would not offend him on the contrary if one had alwayes spent his time in continuall iollyty and contentment and were att this present oppressed with diuers miseries and infirmities his pleasures past would nothing reioyce him Wherfore each one should leuell att that where althinges are to end and determine A seculer person hauing told this holy Father that he would be content to liue a long time in this world and to be rich and haue his pleasure in all thinges he answeared him If you should liue a thousand yeares and were lord of all the world what recompence shoulde you receaue in the death of this body which you shall with so great affection and pleasure haue
to be more tormented by her infirmities then she accustomed to be a sword of sorrow through-pearced the soule of her beloued daughters But a virgin seruante of IESVS CHRIST and a very deuout Religious of the Monastery of saint Paul and Order of saint Benedict had att that time this vision following It semed to her that she did visitt sainte Clare withall her sisters att saint Damian whom she saw in a sorrowfull yet precious bed about which they all lamēted expecting her death and withall she saw come to the bolster of the sayd bed a very beautifull woman who sayd to them that wept My daughters weep not for her that is yet to liue for she cannot dye til our Lord and all his disciples doe come A litle after the Romane Court was att Perusia where the encrease of sainte Clares sicknesse being diuulged the Cardinall of Hostia hastened with great dilligence to visite the espouse of IESVS CHRIST whose Father he was by office Gouernour by speciall sollicitude and Fosterer and friend in most pure and chast amitie and her he comforted applying and with his owne handes administring vnto her the most sacred sacrament of the Eucharist and then made a very deuout sermon vnto the Religious sainte Clare with great humility and in the name of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST besought him to accept in recommēdation that her family and all her other poore sisters of other Monasteries but aboue all she most instātly besought him to obtaine of the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinalls a priuiledge and confirmation of holy pouerty Wherto the Cardinall gaue his word and as a faithfull Protectour of her Religion one most deuout and affectionat to saincte Clare did afterwardes effect it For Pope Innocēt the fourth att her most instāt request confirmed the rule which the holy Father saint Francis had instituted for her as is formerly recorded of which rule S. Clare had neuer till then other cōfirmation written then that of the said Cardinall because the Pope supposing to induce sainte Clare not to bind her Religious to such an extreme pouerty did still deferre to confirme her rule by writing But Innocent the fourth seeing the perseuerāce and last will of sainte Clare graunted the same vnto her by a bull the eleuenth and last yeare of his raigne as we haue before recorded And the yeare being almost expired the Pope came with his Cardinals from Perusia to Assisium wherin the first vision touching the death of the holy virgin was accomplished for the Pope being in his office more then a man by the aucthority which he hath of IESVS CHRIST on earth whose person he representeth in the temple of the Church militant the Cardinals accompanying his holinesse represented the disciples of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How Pope Innocent the fourth visited S. Clare in her last sicknes and gaue her absolution THE XXIV CHAPTER THe diuine prouidence would no longer deferre the accomplishment of the will of S. Clare but her Spouse IESVS CHRIST came to eleuate into his celestiall Pallace his poore espouse and pilgrime on earth who desired nothing more that being deliuered of this mortall body she might haue the sight and fruition of her most glorious IESVS CHRIST in his kingdome Now then the members of this virgin being by continuance of her sicknes as vtterly decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being a token that she should in short time be called of God she also vsed it as a ladder to mount to eternall saluation Whervpon the Pope Innocent the fourth came to the Monastery of saint Damian accompanied with many Cardinals to visitt the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all women of his time and therfore worthy to haue her death honoured by his presence His holinesse then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin and comming neere to her bed he tendered her his hand to kisse which fauour saincte Clare with exceeding ioy receaued But besides that she with great humility besought him to aford her his feet to kisse The Pope to content her sate downe vpon a litle bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feet on which this sainct reuerently laid her face and mouth most affectionatly kissing them then with the serenity of an Angelicall countenance she demaunded of him remission of all her sinnes Wherto the Pope answeared would to God my deere sister I had need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefitt of absolutiō and the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receaued the most sacred communion att the hand of the Prouinciall of the Frere Minors of that prouince with her handes ioyned and her eyes eleuated towardes heauen she weeping sayd to her Religious My daughters prayse almighty God for the benefitt it hath pleased him to bestow on me this day which is such that the earth and the heauens are not of sufficiencie to recompence it sith this day I haue both receaued the same Lord and am esteemed worthy to see his vicar on earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes THE XXV CHAPTER THe daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in short time to remayne orphanes the cōsideration wherof through-pearced their soules with a most bitter griefe The heauines of sleep nor hungar could not draw them from the presence of their mother the contentment which they receaued in her presence made them forgett to eat and to sleep because all their exercise was to weepe and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the Monastery which she had newly erected att Florence to be present att her death Being then in this anguish she tourned towardes her sister and most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence Wherto sainte Clare answeared Deere sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull and weepe no more for I assure you our Lord will shortly come to you to visitt you with an exceeding consolation before your death Here followeth the testament of the holy S. Clare In nomine Domini Amen AMongest all other benefittes which we haue receaued of our bountifull benefactour the king of mercies and doe daily receiue of him for which we are most boud to praise him one is for our vocatiō which by how much greater it is by so much more are we bound vnto him the Apostle saith acknowledge your vocatiō God hath made himselfe a way which he hath shewed by word and example our holy Father S. Francis a most perfect zelatour and follower of the same way hath thaught vs wherfor my beloued Sisters we ought to marcke the vnmeasurable benefitt which God hath done vnto vs amongest the rest that which he hath vouchsafed to worcke in vs through his seruāt our Father S. Frācis not only after our cōuersion but
the ayre where she did some seruice to an other woman there came a wolfe which being taken by the girle but for a dogge he lept on her neck tooke hold of her head The other woman and the mother of the girle there present ran after and cryed for helpe inuocating sainte Clare and it was admirable to heare that the child being in the teeth of the wolfe reprehended him saying Thou theefe how canst thou carry me farther I being recommended to that holy virgin The wolfe as daunted with those wordes gently sett the girle on the ground and as a theefe found and taken in the fact he fled and the girle retourned without any hurt vnto her mother How diuers were deliuered from drowning and danger of sea hauing iâ—uocated S. Clare THE XXXII CHAPTER AShippe fraught with many personnes departing out of the port of Perusia for the I le of Sardinie the first night there arose such a terrible tempest that the force therof leaked the bottome of the vessell which made apparent to all therein that they were in most euident perill of shipwrack wherfore they began to inuocate the Queene of heauen and many other sainctes to assist them Att length perceiuing no apparence of their liues safety they addressed themselues to saincte Clare and vowed to her that if by her intercession they were deliuered they would goe all naked to their very shirtes with their girdle about their necks to visitt her sacred reliques att Assisium carrying each a wax light of two poundes in their handes This vow being made they saw three great lightes discend from heauen the one wherof setled on the forepart of the shipp an other on the poupe and the third on the pumpe by the vertue wherof the leakes where the water entred did close and the sea became so quiet and calme that with a gracious wind the vessell was accompanied and conducted by the said lightes to the part of Arestan whither being arriued and landed the marchandise all safely putt on shoare the sayd lightes vanished and which was admirable the shippe presently sunk and was cast away They that had gone out of her acknowledging the miracle att their retourne to Pisa deuoutly accomplished their vow yelding infinite thanckes to almighty God and to the virgin sainte Clare for the great benefitt receaued by her intercession How S. Clare was canonized by Pope Alexander the fourth THE XXXIII CHAPTER POpe Innocent the fourth liued so litle time after the death of sainte Clare that he cold not canonize her The holy siege hauing bin two yeares vacant Alexander the fourth was chosen Pope who being exceedingly deuoted and a friend to piety protectour of Religious hauing heard true relation both of the miracles which our Lord IESVS CHRIST wrought for the glory of his holy seruant and of the renowme of her vertue which daily more and more diuulged it selfe in the Church knowing also that her canonization was generally desired his holinesse being also induced by the assurance of so many miracles therfore begaÌ„ to treat in the Consistory of her canonizatioÌ„ Wherin to proceed more maturely there were elected prudent and vertuous men to examine the sayd miracles and the irreprehensible life of the sainct Which being done and this holy virgin being found and proued to haue bin in her life an vnspotted mirrour of all vertues and to haue bin ennobled of almighty God after her death by true and approued miracles the day of her Canonization was appointed when were present with his Holinesse many Cardinals Archbishoppes Bishoppes other Prelates and a great number of Priestes and Religious with infinite noblemen gentlemen and others each in their degree and quality before whome the Pope proposed this sacred affaire demaunding the opinion of the Prelates who with one accord gaue consent and affectionatly besought the said sainct might be canonized in the Church as IESVS CHRIST had glorified her in heauen In this sort then three yeares after her happy decease Pope Alexander caused her solemnely to be enrollod in the Catalogue of Sainctes ordayning her feast to be celebrated with solemnity in the Church the 12. of August This Canonization was performed the yeare of grace 1255. and the first of the raigne of the Pope to the praise and glory of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST The life of saincte Agnes sister to saincte Clare The conuersion of this Sainct is described before in the fift chapter of this present booke and therfore to auoyd reiteration it is here pretermitted How saincte Agnes was by the holy Father sainct Francis sent to Florence there to build a Monastery THE XXXIIII CHAPTER THe virgin and espouse of our Redeemer IES CH. Agnes true sister companion of S. Clare as well in bloud as in vertue and Religion perseuered and persisted in notable sanctity of life in the Monastery of sainct Damian and from the time of her entrance into Religion euen to her death she alwayes woare a very rough haircloth next her tender flesh Her ordinary refection was almost alwayes bread and water she was naturally very pittifull to euery one Sainct Francis finding this virgin to haue obtayned of God by meane and assistance of her sister a worthy perfection he sent her to Florence there to found a new Monastery of poore sisters called Mount Celi wherof sainct Francis made her Abbesse This holy virgin induced many soules to abandon the world to serue IESVS CHRIST which she did by meane of her pious conuersation and sanctity of life by holy discourses and wordes of God that sweetly flowed out of her mouth and as a perfect Contemptrice of transitory thinges and follower of IESVS CHRIST she planted in this Monastery conformably to the desire of the holy Father sainct Francis and of saincte Claâ—e the obseruance and profession of Euangelicall pouerty but being exceedingly grieâ—â—d with the absence of her sister she wrote this letter following vnto her and to all the Religious of the Monastery of sainct Damian wherin she had receaued her education and spirituall nourriture A Copte of the letter which saincte Agnes wrote to her Sister saincte Clare and to all the others sisters of her Monastery THE XXXV CHAPTER TO the venerable and beloued Mother in our Lord CHRST IESVS Clare and to all her Couent humble sister Agnes the least of the disciples of IESVS CHRIST and of yours recommendeth herselfe vnto you all and prostrate att your feet doth yeld you all submission and deuotion wishing vnto you what is most precious from the most high king of kinges To the end that all nature which hath bin created of God doe acknowledge it selfe to be such as none can persist of it selfe in its owne essence the diuine prouidence most prudently permitteth that when any one esteemeth himselfe to be in prosperity then is he drowned and plunged in aduersities This I tell you my most deere Mother that you may know what affliction and extreme heauines possesseth my spiritt being so tormented that
hardly can I speake and this because I am corporally separated from you and my holy sisters with whome I hoped to haue happely liued and dyed in this world So farre is this my griefe from slacking that it continually encreaseth which as it had a beginning so doe I beleeue it will finde no end in this world For it is so continuall and familier vnto me that it will neuer forsake me I was persuaded that life and death should be a like without power of any separation on earth amongest them who haue one same conuersation and life in heauen and must haue one same sepulture them I say who one same and equall naturall profession and one same loue hath made sisters But as far as I can see being abandoned and afflicted on eache side I am much mistaken O my holy sisters I beseech you to be reciprocally grieued with me and lett vs weepe together I being assured that you shall neuer experience any doulour comparable to that which I now feele in being separated from them with whome IESVS CHRIST had conioyned me This griefe tormenteth me incessantly this fire burneth my hart continually so that being on each side afflicted I know what to thincke neither doth any hope remayne but to be assisted by your prayers that Almighty God easing this affliction may make it tollerable vnto me O my most gracious mother what shall I doe and what shall I say sith I know not that euer I shall see you more or likewise my sisters O that it were lawfull for me to vtter vnto you the conceiptes of my soule as I would desire or that I could open my hart vnto you on this paper then should you see the liuely and continuall dolour that tormenteth me My soule bâ—rneth interâ—ourly being afflicted with an incessant fire of loue and my hart groneth sigheth and lamenteth with desire of your presence Myne eyes cannot haue their fill of weeping and albeit I seeke some consolation against this bitternes yet can I find none but euery thing turneth into griefe and much more when I coÌ„sider the meanes to see you I am entierly steeped in these anguishes hauing none that can comfort me in this life but that I receaue a litle consolation from the liberal hand of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Which causeth me to beseech you all to giue thanckes vnto his diuine maiesty for this fauour and mercy extended towardes me and for that through his grace I finde in this Couent such concord peace and charity as by wordes cannot be expressed these sisters hauing receaued me with exceeding loue deuotion yelding me obedience with extraordinary promptitude and reuerence They all with one accord recommend themselues to our Lord IESVS CHRIST to you my sister and to all the sisters of the monastery and I recommend both my selfe and them to your prayers beseeching you as our Mother to be mindfull of them and of me as of your daughters and know you that they and I will all the dayes of our life obserue and keep your holy preceptes and aduertisementes Besides I desire you should know that the Pope hath accorded to whatsoeuer I demaunded him conformably to your intention and mine and particulerly in the matter you know viz. that we may not possesse any thing proper I beseech you my most deere Mother to procure of the R. Father Generall that he often visitt vs to comfort vs in God whose grace be with your spiritt Amen Of an extasie of S. Agnes and how S. Clare saw her thrice crowned by an Angell THE XXXVI CHAPTER SAinte Clare in her last sicknes obtained that her sister S. Agnes might come to see her in the monastery of S. Damian to keep her company during the few dayes she had to liue And so S. Agnes hauing left her Couent well grounded in Religion and sanctity she came to Assisium where sainte Clare being one night in prayer a part from her sister she neuertheles saw her being also in prayer lifted from the earth and an Angell to crowne her head three seuerall times with so many crownes The day following she demanded of her sister what player or contemplation she had made the night past But she of humility vnwilling to manifest her prayer being att length enforced by obedience made her this relation I considered the great goodnes and patience of almighty God wherby he supporteth such enormous offences of sinners which I considered with a deep sorrow and compassion Then I thought and yet doe thinck on the loue which almighty God beareth to sinners and how he endured death to saue them Thirdly I considered and doe consider and am with coÌ„passion exceedingly afflicted for the soules in purgatory and their great tormentes and because they cannot helpe them selues I asked mercy for them of the most sacred woundes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST How S. Agnes sent S. Clares vaile to the monasterie of Florence and of her death and translation to S. George of Assisium with all her Religious into a new Couent THE XXXVII CHAPTER AFter the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes sent her black vaile which she did ordinairily weare to the poore Religious of MouÌ„t Celi which she had founded att Florence which she did in regard of her great amity towardes them that they might inherite some reliques of sainte Clare for their comfort and deuotion That vaile is yet in the sayd monastery where it is so carefully preserued that in substance and colour it seemeth still new There is likewise to be seene in the same monastery a cloake of sainct Francis by which reliques our lord worcketh many miracles A litle after the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes also desired to be present att the mariage of the lambe whither she was inuited but she first receaued the consolatioÌ„ which sainte Clare had promised her that before she departed out of this life she should see her Spouse IESVS CHRIST as a tast of the eternall felicities wherto she was to be eleuated and conducted by her sweet Spouse CHRIST IESVS She dyed the 56. yeare of her age replenished with perfect sanctity and being deliuered out of this prison she went to possesse the kingdome with Angels and the holy virgins that had bin consecrated to IESVS CHRIST in which glory these two sisters and daughters of Sion companions in heauen by nature and grace doe prayse God without end There assembled a great multitude of people vpon the death of sainte Agnes and they with great deuotion ascended the ladder of the monastery of sainct Damian hoping there to receaue some spirituall consolation of sanctity but it happened that the chaine which held the ladder did slip so that al those that were on it fell downe one vpon an other which made a great bruit and clamour by those that were hurt who hauing with a strong faith inuocated S. Agnes were all cured The sayd holy virgin was enterred att S. Damian but afterward was transported into the Church of
CHRIST seruing him alone in pouerty and humility This sainte Agnes of Bohemia being illustrated by many vertues and miracles hauing assembled an infinite number of Religious in diuers Couents and hauing with them perseuered in all perfection of vertues she left this transitory world to take eternall possession of her glorious celestiall Spouse CHRIST IESVS who honoured her and made her blessed as he hath manisested by many miracles which he hath wrought by her great merittes intercessions The Emperour Charles the fourth who was also king of Bohemia was two seuerall times deliuered from death by the intercession of this celestiall Princesse and therfore att his death he enioyned his sonne Wenceslaus and successour in the Empire to procure her canonization But he was hindered by important and continuall troubles and affaires that disabled him to execute the pious and iust desires of his Father Of many other Religious that florished primitiuely in the Order of S. Clare THE XLI CHAPTER THere was an other holy Religious of the royal bloud of Polonia called Salome whose sanctity was manyfested by diuers miracles which God wrought after her death she by her merittes deliuered many women from perill of death in trauell of child many lame were restored to the vse of their limmes blind recouered sight and wounded personnes were cured A holy Religious of Padua called Helena florished in great perfection of life in the monastery which was builded by the Seraphicall Father S. Francis and in which the blessed Father S. Antony of Padua yelded his spirit vnto almighty God This holy Religious liuing in that place after she had there obtayned of God many vertues she was tryed by IESVS CHRIST and refined as gold in the furnise of afflictions For she kept her bed depriued of all corporall force yea and of her speech for 15. yeares during all which time she ordinarily demonstrated by signes and gestures an exceeding great alacrity and ioy in her hart Our Lord reuealed many thinges to this sainct which she manifested to the Religious who curiously recorded the same to be kowne to posterity The sayd religious sisters being demaunded how the infirme Religious could make the vnderstand those wordes sith she could not speake they answeared that themselues then obserued so strict a silence that they scarcely spake att all but demaunded and opened their necessities by signes which were well vnderstood among them for expressing whatsoeuer they desired to haue knowen And in that sort had they vnderstood the sayd S. whose body for many yeares after the sayd Religious sisters did shew to such as in deuotion repayred to see it remayning entire and incorruptible yea her nayles and haire did grow as if she had bin liuing By her merittes God wrought many miracles and particulerly on the Marquesse of Parma who was of the family of Lupi called Boniface who being in the anguish of death the Marquesse his Lady making a vow to this sainte Helene for his health it was perfectly restored vnto him In the beginning of the Order of saincte Clare there was also of it the daughter of a king of Hungary called Cuiga sister vnto blessed sainte Elizabeth the widowe who hauing taken the habitt and made profession of the rule of saincte Clare became so famous after the death of sainte Elizabeth in sanctity and miracles both during her life and att her death that question is att Rome touching her canonization The end of the 8. booke and second volume of the first part of the croâ—icles of the Frere Minors THE NINTH BOOKE OF THE SECOND VOLVME AND FIRST PART OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE INSTITVTION and rule of the third Order called of penitents made by the holy Father S. Francis And the liues of many of the said Order especially of Sainte Elizabeth Queene of Hongary How the Order of the seculer penitents was instituted by the holy Father S. Francis THE FIRST CHAPTER THE Seraphicall Father saint Francis sowing ouer Italy the word and seed of life a good part therof fell into the hartes of men that were bound by the knott of Matrimony and of personnes of such like condicion whose soules could not freely follow the spiritt of penance as they desired yet their feruour was such that sometimes eueÌ„ whole townes and villages were dispeopled in following the holy Father saint Francis who purchased the saluation of their soules Wherupon this holy Father being requested yea importuned generally and particulerly to institute an Order and rule wherin seculer and marryed people might liue to doe penance and to liue in a more secure estate for their saluation The yeare 1221. he instiruted the Order of Generous Penitents whereof all Christians that liue not in monasticall Religion might yet be meÌ„bers The first that entred this Order was an holy man called Lucius and though no rule is found to be recorded att that time nor forme of liuing prescribed by S. Francis to these Penitents yet it is most assured that he gaue them certaine rules according to which they should temporally and spiritually gouerne themselues were it to fast or pray more then other seculers to know what office and deuotions they should vse what almose they should giue how they should be cloathed and what rigour of penance they should vndertake of which ordoÌ„nances deliuered by S. Francis and recorded by them to whome he taught the same Pope Nicolas the fourth cutt off one part and left only that which was most easie instituting a rule which here we will insert which was also afterward confirmed by the Apostolicke sea by three most ample letters patentes And albeit the first and ancient habitt of these penitentes was afterwardes different in diuers prouinces yet is it most probable that the most common and general was the same which those of the third Order yet weare in Italy as most conformable to their statue The colour is gray like to that of the Frere Minors but the forme and fashion is as others seculers doe weare and it is credible that S. FraÌ„cis his will was that the sayd Penitentes should weare this habitt siâ—h in those places where this Order was by him first instituted and where he most conuersed this manner of habit was vsed These sayd Penitents may not weare the cord as the Frere Minors These of the third rul which haue succeeded those who liue in coÌ„mon and are Religious by vow can lesse auouch the wearing of a cord but must vse a leather belt And it is to be noted that the Frere Minors cannot receaue these Penitents to the profession of Religious obedience or to any vow but only may admitt and receaue them to the sayd rule of life and company of the Penitents exhorting and admonishing them to obserue the same They may also assist them in confession and other spiritual worckes as CoÌ„freres and true Brethren of the Order Neuertheles the Religious may not be their Prelates or Superiours because they are
then got a note of all the poore of the Citty relieued them therwith An other time wanting mony for the like supply she sold her iewels and with the price therof â—eleiued the needy She would often times withdraw thinges necessary from her selfe her women and maydes to supply the necessity of the poore She caused an hospitall to be builded att the foot of her castell which was very high where she placed all the poore sick people and euery day went downe to visitt them albeit the discent was very troublesome and difficult and releiued their necessities exhorting them to patience and to purge their soules by confession and communion She serued attended and dressed them withan exemplar humility supporting with an extreme patience the loathsomes that issued out of their soares and sometimes hauing no other linnen att hand to make them cleane she would putt off her coife disfurnish her head to dry and wipe off the filthy matter of the said soares which so strongly sauoured that her Ladies could not endure them Of the death of the Duke her husband and of many afflictions which she endured in her widowhood THE XIII CHAPTER OVr Lord had by his grace and by the prayers and petitions of the Duchesse coÌ„uerted the LaÌ„tgraue so that albeit he were by the affaires of his estate and his possessions exceedingly hindered froÌ„ the seruice of God yet did he not omitt to haue good desires and with his vtmost put in practise good worckes But because he could not persist in spirituall exercises he permitted his wife to employ her selfe therin for the honour of God and the benefitt of both their soules And this vertuous woman desiring her husband should employ his forces in defence of the Catholike faith she induced him to visit the holy land and to assist the Christians in recouery therof He then to this effect hauing with his troupes for so laudable an enterprise aduanced his iorney so far as Italy rested att Brindes to attend conuenient time and weather to take shipping But it pleased God that he ther fell sick of a mortall infirmity so that he shortly after with an exemplar contrition yelded his spiritt vnto God S. Elizabeth being aduertised of his death receaued her widowhood with almost the like wil as she had don her mariadge resoluing to apply her selfe entierly to the seruice of her celestiall Spouse And so almighty God began to visitt her with greater afflictions as hauing a soule more free and was a litle more sublime then euer For as soone as the death of the Lantgraue was diuulged she was by his kinred and vassalles expulsed her palace as if she had bin a prodigall waster of the reuenue of her estate and was so abandoned that the night following as a reiected creature not knowing where to repose she retyred in to a cottage employed for the shelter of beastes There she ioyfully gaue thanckes to God for her misfortune which she reputed as a great fauour and most singuler grace The next morning she repayred vnto the monastery of the Frere Minors and prayed the Religious to sing Te Deum laudamus in thanckes-giuing to God for that according to her desire he had afforded her the estate of pouerty After that she ordered her children to be disposed into diuer s places to be instructed and educated according to their quality and degree hauing no meane to retaine them any longer with her many iniuryes and affrontes being imposed on her by the kinred of her deceased husband in his vassals which she ioyfully with inuincible patience supported as a fauour sent her by almighty God An archibishop that was her vnckle caused her no small affliction in that seeing her yong and reduced to such pouerty he resolued to bestow her honorably in mariage But the espouse of IESVS CHRIST hauing layd a firme resolution rather to dye then to mary againe obtayned of God by meane of prayer the victory in so strong a conflict Whiles she honorably remayned in a castle of her vnckles the body of her husband was brought from Brindes which was receaued by the sayd Archibishop with a very solemne troup and procession of the Clergie and accompayned by the sayd Princesse with many teares she thus speaking vnto almighty God I giue thee infinite thanckes O soueraine Bounty that it hath pleased thee to comfort me with the receipt of the bones of my deceased husband thy seruant Thou alone knowest my God how much I loued him because he loued and feared thee And neuertheles thou knowest also what consolation I haue receaued of his death being depriued of his presence euen for thy loue in that he went to serue thee for the recouery of the holy land and albeit I receaued an exceeding contentment to liue with him yet was it with condicion that we both together might trauell as poore beggers ouer the world But sith that may not be thou knowest my God that if it were in my power to restore him to life I would not doe it nor were it requisiâ— for me to employ therin one haire of my head if I thought it not thy holy will But I recommend his soule and mine to thy diuine clemencie The king of Hongary hauing vnderstood the death of the Lantgraue his sonne in law and the miserable estate of his daughter and with what impiety she was persecuted by the subiectes of her husband he sent one of the principall Earles of his kingdome to bring her vnto him who hauing sought her found her spinning of wooll among very poore women wheratt he so admired and was so gâ—ieued that he began to breake out into exclamations regrets and complaintes and att lenght deliuered his cha dge aduertising her of the will of her Father But in vaine did he striue to perswade her to retourne to her contry for she as a generous Princesse choie with the Prophett Dauid rather to liue abiected with the poore in the house and seruice of God then honoured in royall delightes and in the palace of terresiâ—â—all Princes How S. Elizabeth became religious and founded a great hospitall for the vse of poore sick people THE XIV CHAPTER THis blessed widow had vowed that if she ouer-liued her husband she would spend the rest of her dayes in perpetuall chastity obedience and pouerty which she failed not with much feruour to accomplish and theâ—fore she toke the habitt of the Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis and being clothed in a coat and cloke of grosse gray cloth all patched with sackloth she promised obedience to her Confessour called Fa. Courad a Religious of notable sanctity which she most exactly obserued euen in worckes of penance as fastes disciplines and other mortifications in which vertues this holy Religious man did exercise her for the greater benifitt of her soule And to the end she might entierly deliuer her hart in possession vnto God without being distracted or hindered by any temporall affection she besought
this laughter tourned into weeping then againe openning her eyes she shewed the like signes of ioy as before and shutting them she began againe to weep thus continuyng without speech till Compline And then she began to say O my God if thy holy will be to remaine with me I most humbly beseech thee to beleeue that I affect not nor desire any thing more passionatly then to remayne eternally with thy diuine maiesty Her companioÌ„s hauing prayed her to tell them for the glory of God and the edification of their soules what she had seene she sayd my beloued sisters I haue seene heauen open and my Lord IESVS CHR. benignely bowing vnto me shewing vnto me his holy gracious countenance Whiles I beheld him I was filled with incompreheÌ„sible ioy but not seeing him I was oppressed with inestimable griefe therfore did I so bitterly weepe And therfore God haâ—ing compassion of me he againe coÌ„forted and reioyced me with remonstrance of his glorious face replenished with inessable splendour who asking me if I would remayne with him I answeared as you haue hea d. Her companions further prayed her to impart vnto them the reuelation she had a litle before being before the altare She answeared I may not tell you what I haue seene yet I tell you I saw a merueillous matter of almighty God my hart was filled with his ioyful gracious visitation This S. was so visited of God in diuers manners though she reuealed nothing to her coÌ„panions therof nor what she knew to be the wil of God who soueth the secrecy of his friendes Our Redeemer would manifest the feruent charity of this blessed S. hearing her prayers by diuers effects wherof we will heere record the two examples following It happened one night as she slept that her mother appeared vnto her in vision on her knees in this sort entreating her alas my daughter remember the paines I endured in thy birth and pray for me for thou must know I suffer extreme torment for hauing liued too negligently not done penance for my sinnes The S. with this complaintive voice awaking and touched and moued with compassion towardes her mother she fell on her knees and made her prayer to God demaunding mercy of him for her mother And after a long and seruent prayer she fel a sleep and an other time saw her mother in vision with a ioyfull countenance who sayd My daughter I am by thy prayers deliuered of the paines wherwith I was tormented in purgatory and am now goeing to heauen This saynt seeing a yong man very sensuall and full of vanity had pitty of him and prayed for him whome also she persuaded to pray to God for himselfe wherto he accorded So whiles they both prayed the yong man began to cry out Madame pray no more for me pray no more forbeare if you please Which the S. hearing she redoubled the feruour of her prayers and the yong man began againe to cry lowder Madame pray no more for me I am all burned which exteriourly appeared for all his body did smoake by the extreme sweat wherin he was which made him tremble lift vp his armes and his countenance to faile They that found him there touching his flesh could not endure their handes on it his cloathes were al wet with the excessiue sweat that bathed him and therfore he stil encreased his cryes saying that he burned But the prayer of the sainct being ended this extreme visible heat left the yong man who retourning to the true knowledge of himselfe was then so purged and illuminated with diuine grace that the entred into the Religious Order of Frere Minors where he liued died piously and so God shewed the force and vertue of the prayer of his holy seruant not in these two examples only but also in many others Of the blessed death of S. Elizabeth and of the great miracles she wrought and how Pope Gregory the 9. canonized her THE XVII CHAPTER THe time of peregrinatioÌ„ of this holy widow being expired our lord appeared vnto her in vision and very familierly sayd Mine elect come possesse the celestial habitation In the morning she related this newes to her companions then by order she receaued with an examplar deuotion all the sacraments of the Church after that she prepared what was necessary for her obsequies and the night following tourning towardes a corner of the bed they that were neere her heard a cleare voice most sweetly singing wherupon one of her familier companions asked her who it was that did sing there and she mildely answeared that there was a litle bird which by the pleasing melody of his tune had induced her to sing then she began to cry auoyd auoyd auoyd wicked spiritt So that the deuill being come to see if he could find any thing for him in this sainct vanished att that voice And she hauing her countenance very ioyfull and her spiritt by prayer eleuated vnto God demaunded if it were not yet midnight att which houre our Sauiour voutsafed to be borne in the world and layd in the cribbe then saying that the houre was come when God would inuite her soule to the celestiall mariadge she sodenly mounted vnto heauen Her body hauing remayned foure dayes vnburyed continued so beautifull and yelded so sweet a sauour that it represented rather a glorious then mortall body There appeared at that instant on the roofe of the church a great noÌ„ber of birdes of strange kind which did so sweetly sing that they filled those that saw and heard them with extreme admiratioÌ„ this was to make knowne the feast which was celebrated in heauen att the entertaynment of this blessed soule her funerals were filled with great clamours complaintes and lamentations particulerly of the poore for the death and absence of her that loued attended and dressed them as amiably as if she had bin the carnal mother to them all There repayred thither a great confluence of people that with much deuotion weâ—e present att her obsequies each one entitling her a sainct and blessed He that could gett so nere her body as to haue one of her haires or part of her habitt esteemed it as a notable treasure Then would our Lord make knowne the glory of this his faithfull seruant by many miracles which by her merittes he wrought restoring sight to the blind curing the lame cleansing the leprous dispossessing the possessed giuing also sight to one borne blind and her selfe being layd in her graue deliuered many by her intercession from death Wherof Pope Gregory the ninth being adâ—ertised authentically assured of the miracles Wrought att the sepulchre of this holy womaÌ„ to whome liuing he carryed a perticuler deuotion after due and ordinarie information in such case procured and the examen of her life and miracles effected with the consent of al the Cardinals and Prelates of the Church that could be assembled the sayd Pope enroled her in the Catalogue of SS ordayning her feast to be
albeit his life and the Countesse his wiues were stored withall kind of vertues yet in his last dayes speaking of her being vrged by the holy Ghost he vttered to those present these wordes The infidell man is sanctified by the faithfull woman whome I leaue a virgin in this mortall life as I receaued her a virgin and vnspotted This holy Confessour of IESVS CHRIST changed this life for a better the yeare of grace 1327. Father Francis of Maronis a famous preacher and Doctour was present att his death The very daye of his departure he appeared in all glory vnto his wife who was them in her Countie in Prouence to whome he vttered these wordes of the Psalmist The snare is broaken and we are deliuered and so without any other word he vanished The Contesse the same day recounted to all her company the death of her husband it being the 27. day of September He was buryed in the church of the Cordeliers att Paris clothed in the habitt of the third Order and the same yeare his body was translated into Prouence to the Couent of Apte in which his sanctity was by many miracles diuulged for which he was by the Apostolike sea canonized His feast is celebrated the 27. of September The Countesse Delphine his wife liued many yeares after him perseuering in piety being dead she was buryed by her husband hauing the the habitt of the Frere Minors as a disciple of the holy Father S. Francis and of the third Order Att the death of this Countesse and till her body was enterred a most sweet harmony was heard in the aire as they haue testified and assured who were neere her body It is piously beleeued that they were Angels singing as true friendes of virginall purity Our Lord wrought many miracles as well in the life time as att the death of this holy woman and in such quantity as there is no doubt but that our lord had canonized her in heauen The life of the blessed Yues of the 3. Order S. Francis Of the holy exercises and mortification of the flesh of S. Yues THE XXII CHAPTER YVes florished in that time in the Duchy of Bretanie within the diocese of Tâ—iguier He was a man of eminent sanctity and led a merueillous austere life for which cause almighiy God made him famous by many miracles This holy man was the sonne of a very rich vertuous man by whose good example he was from his tender infancie a patterne of commendable conuersation His Father sent him to study humanity att Paris thence to Orleans to study the Canon and Ciuill law but much more did he profitt in diuine wisdome for there manifesting his doctrine he layd open to many the true knowledge and assured way of iustice And being to retourne to his Father the Bishop of Triquet hauing heard the fame of his excellent vertues and sanctity made him his Officiall or commissary with very ample aucthority And albeit the holy man withall his power withstood the acceptance of this cha dge yet was he att lenght constrained therevnto He with such prudence and without acception of persons administred iustice that the ballance was alwayes equall which he performed with such sincerity that he would neuer receaue any â—ecompence for it in this life A litle after by diuine prouidence he became Priest in which ministery he offered his body a liuely sacrifice vnto almighty God His habit was then according to his quality common decent and modest But vnder he woare a very sharp hayr-cloth Wheâ—with he afflicted his body did weaken it by frequeÌ„t and austere fastes by coÌ„tinual watchinges When he was admitted into the confraternity of the Penitents of the third Oâ—der of S. Francis he reiected all his fine apparell though most modest and plaine which he ware according to his quality cloathing himselfe with very grosse and course gray cloth and wearing rude and homely shooes as poore Religious ordinarily vse He wâ—are vpon his hair-cloth that it might not be seene a shirt made of towe raw or vndressed He slept very litle and then only when nature was wearyed with prayer study or spirituall exercise or burdened with naturall necessity of sleep his repose was short and he alwayes tooke it cloathed His bed was the bare ground a hurdle or some gâ—osse stickes wreathed together his pillow the bible an instrument of litle sleepe and of much dilligence he being mindfull and taking comfort of these wordes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST They that are clothed in soft garments are in kings houses Of the abstinence charity prayer and the manner of saying the diuine office of S. Yues THE XXIII CHAPTER THis holy man did neuer feed on delicate meates but such as were very grosse which he did to reserue of his reuenue wherwith to reliue many poore people On fasting dayes commanded by the Church he vsed only bread and water ordinarily did with great abstinence fast the wednesday and saterday He had customarily strangers and pilgrimes in his house he was very dilligent in the practise of the worckes of mercy he entertayned poore people and particulerly the sick and lame with exceeding pitty and compassion and conuersed with them so mildly and familiarly as if they had bin his brethren he serued them and made their beddes washed their feet and did them all other seruices that they could need Being no lesse carefull to administer vnto them the spirituall food of the word of God then the corporall he made them notable exhortations wherin he multiplyed the talent of the Euangelicall doctrine to those that were vnder his chardge He was very prompt in according dissentions and procuring of peace with all persons He had the grace to conuert sinners to pennance He was so addicted to prayer and contemplation that he would sometimes neglect to take his ordinary repast and dyett And one time he continued fiue whole dayes in prayer in his chamber without asking or being offered him any thing to eat And yet when he came forth his countenaÌ„ce was so pleasing ioyful and vermillioÌ„ as if he had bin pampered with most exquisite meates As he celebrated masse with great feruour so did he therin receaue of God notable feelinges and graces as one day did appeare for as he eleuated the most sacred sacrament there discended from heauen an admirable splendour and brightnes which enuironned the sacred host together with the chalice He red the canonicall houres with admirable attention deuotion and did alwayes rise att midnight to say his Matins He diuided the office into all the houres of the dayes in imitation of the Prophett Dauid who praysed God seauen times in the day Of the blessed death of S. Yues THE XXIV CHAPTER THis holy Religious being complete in the perfectioÌ„ of all vertues exceeding deuout vnto IESVS CHRIST very austere towardes himselfe extreme curteous and charitable towards others as he was by diuine grace of a singuler life and admirable in
the worckes of charity so was he honoured of God in this life by merueillous actions miracles For he expelled the euill spirittes out of humane bodyes he cured all kind of diseases Wherin was accomplished the prophesie of his mother who confidently affirmed that he being a child it was reuealed vnto her that he should proue a sainct The day of his death was reuealed vnto him three weekes before he dyed And thervpon he sayd to his people that he was shortly by the diuine will to depart out of this life And so the three weekes being expired being fortified with the sacraments of the Church making a end answearable to the worth of his life he yelded his soule vnto God the yeare 1303. the 19. of May 50. of his age His feast is celebrated the same month day and in some places the 27. day of October by reason of his translation Of some other holy persons of the third Order of S. Francis THE XXV CHAPTER THere haue bin many other SS of this coÌ„fraternity of the third Order of Penitents of S. Francis the history particuler life of whome would be too tedious to be inserted And therfore we will rest coÌ„tent with the only rehearsall of the names of such as by many authors are recorded Among the SS of this Order is reckoned S. Lewis king of France and queene Blanch his mother who was daughter to the king of Castille The blessed Luchesius of Poggibongy whose reliques are in Toscane in a monastery of Frere Minors scituat on the mount imperiall where they are exceedingly reuereÌ„ced S. Bonne-femme the wife of the sayd Signiour Luchesius S. Lucius who was the first that sainct Francis receaued into the third Order of Penitents Nicoluccius Sienos and Iames de la Lande Priest by whome our Lord wrought many miracles S. Peter Romanus who was martyred by the Soldan Bonacius de Voltera Peter de Colle Alexander of Perusia Leo Archbishop of Milan Walter Bishop of Tremise and Richard Bishop of Alexandria doctour of diuinity Charles Dendono of Manfeltâ—e Iohn of Rauerie Torcello of Puppio Bartholomew of S. Giminian Peter Petinarius and of the blessed Thomas Vntius of Tullinium who by miracles prophesie was very famous All the aforesayd haue bin famous in sanctity of life and in great reputation of vertues and miracles The names of many holy women of this Order S. Rosa of Viterbium sainte Margarit of Cortone sainte Aemiliana of Florence sainte Clare of Mont-faucon in whose hart after her death was found a crucifix with all the mysteries of the passion and many other Ladyes among whoÌ„ is placed an Empresse which women were very venerable and worthy of perpetuall memory Which if they haue not obtayned heere below among earthly people they enioy it with far greater glory among the Angels SS in the celestiall kingdome by which fruit it appeareth that this holy confraternity of Penitents instituted by the holy Father S. Francis was assisted by the holy Ghost to the end that Christians of free estate maryed persons and widoes that cannot support the burden of Religion may in their houses produce fruites worthy of penance to the saluation of their soules and for the loue of IESVS CHRIST The end of the ninth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS OF THE SFRAPHICALL FATHER S. FRANCIS WHERIN ARE RECORDED MANY notable thinges happened in the first beginning of the said Order An aduertisment of the first Translatour vnto the Reader DEuout reader you must not meruayle that in this booke we haue not followed the order of the author for we haue thus done for a better disposition of this worck and for your greater satisfaction placing the chapters that concerne the life of the holy Father S. Francis in their place which I suppose the author omitted because wanting knowledge of them att first he would not afterward take the paine to change the methode which he had with so much labour begun though we for the glory of God only and your contentment haue willingly vndertaken the same Know then that The first and second chapter are placed after the last chap. of the second booke The 3. chap. after the 27. of the second booke The 4. chap. after the 30. of the second booke The 5. chap. after the last of the booke And the 6. chap. after the 30. of the first booke Of what arriued to two Religious of S. Francis with a Tyrant whome they conuerted to penâ—tence THE VII CHAPTER WHen first S. Francis with the Benediction of God and his own sent his first disciâ—les to preach penaÌ„ce ouer the world to the end they might communicate vnto men the fruites of their good life and by their example and the edification of their pious worckes renew the church of God being in forraine contryes among barbarous natioÌ„s they that saw theÌ„ with admiration sayd what â—aâ—ity is this we haue neuer seene men thus attyred bare-footed liuing so austerely and so different from all other Religious that they rather seeme wild men then other Neuertheles when they entred into any particuler place or house they would say God giue you peace and would admonish the inhabitants to feare and loue God as the Creatout of heauen and earth and exhort them to labour alwayes in the obseruation of his holy commandements to doe penance and to amend their liues And albeit few were found to whome these exhortations were gratefull yet they mett with curious persons that made so many demandes as they were much troubled to giue them answeare As wheÌ„ce they were whence they came Of what Order they were how and wherof they liued who was their cheefe And in fine by what aucthority they preached Whereto with patience and humility thy answeared that they were Religious of penance of our Ladyes of Angels att Assisium that their pâ—incipall head and directour was Brother Francis and that by ordinance and commandement of the Pope they preached penance Others seeing them so disguised and hearing them speake with such simplicity reputed them fooles cousening or deluding companioÌ„s and would not admitt them into their houses for feare thy would robbe them whence it often arriued that none hauing compassion to harbour them they slept in the church porches or vnder pent-houses so perseuering by their example of pouerty and humility they att length moued the most obdurat harts to compassion and deuotion left many places edified in the feare of God And theâ—fore the reputation of their vertues encreasing they daily produced singuler fruites of good example among which this is one which we now intend to relate It happened one time that two new Religious but true children of the holy Father saint Francis trauelling through a contry which they neither knew nor they knowne to any they came to a castell that was a retuge to certaine theeues of whome was captaine a noble man of great family but of most vicious life whither being come weary feeble
and halfe starued with hungar and cold not able to passe farther they there stayed without dreaming what danger might there befall them and sent to pray this tyrant to entertayne lodge and refresh them that night for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST This noble man by diuine inspiration willingly receaued them into his house and commanded incontinently a good fire to be made them then caused them to cat with his people At which time one of the Religious that was a Priest and had a speciall grace in preaching well perceauing that att this table there was no speech but of robbing killing and pilling each one vaunting of his villanies and glorying in his murders and theftes committed the good seruant of God resolued after supper to make them an exhortation in the behalfe of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST with the greatest feruour he could procure And so grace being sayd vnable any longer to retaine his zealous spiritt he addressed himselfe to the tyrant and sayd Hauing receaued of you such a charity for the loue of God we should proue too ingratefull if we did not beseech the diuine maiesty to reward you for vs and did not endeauour to requite you by some documents conformable to our pouerty that may benifitt your soules and your peoples whome I beseech you heere to assemble together we desiring to giue to you all a spirituall refection for the corporal which you haue giuen vs. This noble man hauing conuocated all his people and they hauing setled themselues to heare the sermon the Religious began with exceeding feruour to discourse of the glory of Paradise in these termed My beloued Brethren in CHRIST IESVS if the eternall felicities for which God hath created vs were knowne vnto vs and that we did often well consider them what paine would we not vndertake to serue him and neuer to offend him for feare to loose that ioy and glory without end for so base a trifle as the world that sweet society of the Angels that life and security of the blessed that glorious satiety of the elect that supreme light without night and darcknes that perpetuall peace and amity without any feare or perturbance and all the happines that we can desire free and secure from all disaster with that diuine fountaine of the presence and glorious communication of the eternall God And sith that man so blinded and miserable for so base and loathsome a thing so short and of so sclender value as is sinne will loose such innumerable and infinite felicities he shall deseruedly goe into hell there to endure eternall hungar thirst cold all kind of torment and perpetuall affliction in the company of cruell deuils serpents and dragons where is a continuall death without end and without hope of life with palpable darcknes And finally greater miseries then we can imagine considering that there is nothing but howlinges lamentations despaires and eternall torments and all euill voyd of all good wherinto my brethren you haue merited to be throwne and imprisoned for the sinnes which you haue perpetrated â—o precipitiously without any apprehension of the diuine iustice att least according to the inference of your discourses which haue testified vnto me your vicious and detestable life you therby giuing demonstration that you neither feare God nor esteeme of his commandements nor regard the doeing of any good woâ—ck Therfore my beloued brethren doe I admonish you in the behalfe of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who for you was fastened on the hard wood of the crosse and pardonned the theefe to giue vs confideÌ„ce of his mercy and doe counsaile you by the â—euerence of the omnipotencie of the Creatour of althinges not to make ship wrack and exchaung of the celestiall and eternall richesse for the briefe pleasure of sinnes which as you experience vanish as a shadow Retourne then with great promptitude vnto God to the end he thrust you not into hell denying you time and space to doe penance so many yeares hauing fleeted away wherin he hath so patiently expected you though you haue giuen no signe of regarding it This Religious vttered these thinges and much more with such a zeale that they pearced the hart of the Tyrant who being touched by the holy Ghost and already stricken with contrition fell to the ground together with all his people bittetly lamenting their sinnes They shewed signes of penitence and after many teares the tyrant with great instancie required the Religious to sett them in the way to saue their soules sith God had sent him hither for their saluation And the Religious aduised them to make a generall confession of all their sinâ—es Which being with notable deuotion and contrition performed he sayd It is now necessary that for penance for your sinnes which are enormous and in nomber infinite you goe in pilgrimage to visiâ— the holy places and that you mortifie your flesh by fastes watchings and prayers giuing many almoses and performing other worckes of piety But you must begin with satissaction restoring what you iniâ—stly deâ—aine Wherto he answeared Father I am content to satisfie whatsoeuer I am bouÌ„d vnto But because I was neuer out of this contâ—y nor can write not read no not the Pater noster nor can fast I beseech you for the loue of God to giue me some other penance that I may be able to performe The Religious replyed I will for the loue of God doe penance and pray vnto IESVS CHRIST for you that your soule be not lost I will not for the present giue you other penance then for mortification your selfe to bring vs hither a litle straw wheron to repose our selues The tyrant becomming a lambe presently brought straw for the Religious to rest on and prepared their place himselfe Then considering with himselfe the discourse that the Religious had made him and how speedily he had conuerted him to penitence he reputed him a sainct and resolued to watch him all that night to see what he would doe Now the Religious att his houre layd himselfe to repose and when he thought they all slept he arose went out of the house to doe penance for the penitent as he had promised him Lifting then his handes to heauen he with many teares demaÌ„ded pardon of almighty God for the sinner praying with exceeding feruour his body was eleuated froÌ„ the earth the hight of a tour in that manner bitterly bewayled the soule of that noble man begging pardon of IESVS CHRIST for his offences in such sort and with a charity so passionate that he merited to be heard as appeareth by what ensueth for the penitent hauing seene and heard all this not without exceeding terrour contrition and abundance of teares accompanyed with consolation perceauing with what feruour the seruant of God offered his prayers to the diuine Maiesty for the saluation of his soule very early in the morning he sell att the feet of the Religious praying him with great compunction to setle him in the direct way
Francis is beaten of the deuils And wherâ—â—re The praise of pouerty How pouerty was graunted to S. Fr. for his Order S. Fran went attired in disguise of a begger to shew correct some litle defects of his Religious He exhorteth them to obserue pouerty S. Franc. multiplied bread by the signe of the crosse S. Franc. miraculously obtayned bread in a necessity S. Franc. would rather that the ornaments of thealtare should be sold then the vow of pouerty in necessity infringed God promiseth S. F. to haue care of all the necessities of the Frere Minors that hope in him What is true necessity Iust displeasure of S. Fr. for the first delicate ample habitt of the Freer Minors that was made in his time S. Franc. made all the Religious of a Couent to depart thence because it was told him that it was the Frere Minors S. Franc. left his cell because speaking to him one called it his Matt. 8. Matt. 6. S. Franc. endeauoured to pul down a house which was builded to serue the Religious only in time of the Generall chapter What kind of churches the Frere Minors should haue S. Franc. foretold what the Frere Minors haue don in their buildinges 1. Cor. 8. Straung temptation of a Frere Minor to haue a psalter Matt. 13. Apothegma of S. Francis Matt. 7. Luc. 10. S. Fr. did not desire that his Religious should studie Therfore he cursed a Prouinciall because he had established a study against his will How he would that his Religious should study Matt. 10. Very remarckeable sentences of S. Franc. Exhortations for the preachiÌ„g Frere Minors 1. Cor. 1. Matt. 23. The humility of the first Frere Minors Marckeable satisfactioÌ„ How much S. F. was troubled to heare that his Religious gaue scandall Terrible imprecation of S. Franc. against the scandalous The answere of S. Franc. to his Religious that desired to haue generall auctority to preach Prophesies 〈…〉 Francis Dan. 3. PredictioÌ„ made to S. Fr. of the four first times or estates of his Order The first estate compared to a head of Gold The second to the brest and armes of siluer The third the belly of metal The fourth in the leggs of iron Sap. 6. S. Franc. did once eat in the night with all his Religious to accoÌ„pany a Brother that hunger oppressed to death The first occasion and originall of the penitents of the third Order of S. Franc. An attempt assembly of deuils against the Order of Frere Minors Matt. 6. e S. Franc. was moued and stayed of it selfe to giue him better commodity of preaching Swallowes are silent at the comandement of S Franc. and of a scoller at his inuocation He cured a benummed child One sick of the palsey One of the dropsie One crooked He restored the vse of a womans hands He restoreth sight to one blinde An other On blind of one eye One possessed An other One of a strange disease A cord of the said S. wrought many miracles And the crummes that remayned after his refectioÌ„ The miraculous entertainement giuen to S. Franc. on the mount Aluerric God graunted four priuiledges to the Order of Frere Minors The deuil striueth violently to kil S. Francis Who was receiued of a hard rock as of waxe The brut beastes honoured S. Fr. shewing to acknowledg his sanctity A sheepe sheweth a will to honour praise adore God And a lambe likewise A leueret became tame vnto him at an instant A wild conny likewise And a water bird As also a great fish Birdes obeyed S. Francis Of a grasse-hopper Of a phesant Of a Faulcon that serued S. F. for an alarme Of a nightingal What esteeme he made of larckes How he loued the elemenâ— of fire And the water The stones The wood And the flowers The ants obey S. Francis Why S. Francis loued not the antes Matt. 6. The deuil visibly â—aried away a woman for troubling a sermon of S. Fr. God sent a light to enligh ten S. Francis in a darck night He aduertâ—seth the preists of his Order of their duety Marc. 26 â—eb 10. 1. Cor. 11. Iere. 48. Malac. 2. Lnc. 1 2. 11. Matt. 3. Esay 11. 1. Pet. 1. Of the dignity of the B. Sacrament of the altar how on ought to reuerence it Ioan. 6. Mat. 22. Luc. 10. Luc. 4. Ioan. 14. Ioan. 1. Ioan. 6. Mat. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Ioan. 6. Mat. 2â— Matt. 5. Matt. 15. Gen. 2. Ioan. 12. Luc. 14. Wheriâ— ought to consist the true spirituall ioy of a Frere Minor 1. Cor. 14 Worthy aduertisment to Superiours of the Frere Minors Mat. 20. Luc. 21. Gal. 6. Matt. 6. Ioan. 17. Matt. 15. How we ought to prepare our selues to dye Iere. 17. 1. Cor. 3. Psal 118. Mat. 22. Luc. 18. S. Franc. obtayned raine by prayers The frogges obey him Swallowes couers the hearers of his sermon He cureth a crooked lame mute child A mortal wound He conuerted water into wine He also conuerteth vinegar into wine He raiseth one dead S. Franc. did eat but halfe a loafe in the whole lent â—say 6. Esay 6. Brother Leo and Br. Ruffinus S. Clare the Cardinal protector and the bishop Vgolino saw the holy Stygmates woundes of S. Fr. in his life time The water that issued out of the stigmates of S. Fr. cured cattell infected with the plague An ordinary teÌ„mpest that destroyed all fruit neere the Mount Aluerne ceassed after S. Francis had there receaued the stigmates S. Franc. with his haÌ„d touching a man that was extrem cold did warme him A womaÌ„ being in extreme daÌ„gerous labour was deliuered by holding the bridle which S. F. did ride with all Pope Gregory by a bulle assureth and confirmeth the truth of the stigmates Plus vnus oculatus quam decem allriti Pope Alexander the 4. did as much And Pope Benedict the 2. S. F. vsed a staffe to goe with all the two last years of his life by reason of his stigmates as he had don the two first yeares of his conuersion Luc. 10. God sent Angelicall musick to comfort S. Franc. in his sicknes And also sent him fish and lettice miraculously in his sicknes The Assisians sent to pray S. Franc to dwell and end his dayes att Assisium The assisians found food for the loue of God which was denied them for mony S. Franc. prophesieth that S. Clare shall see him before her death S. Franc. knew in spiritt that the lady of the Seauen-Sunne came to see him S. Franc. foretold the dayes of his death buriall S. Francis before his death stript him selfe all naked S. Fran. receaueth the holy Sacraments before his death And gaue his holy and last benediction to his Religious The death of S. F. the 45. yeare of his age the 20. of his conuersion of our Lord the 1226. The soule of B. Angelus accompanieth that of S Fr. into glory He appeared to the Bishop of Assisium presently after his death Vision of the passadge of the soule of S. Fr.
of a mountaine they burned and became outragious with thirst without any redresse and yet greater was their dispaire when they found the widenes of the Country to be of greater extent then that which they had passed in drinesse but considering that when they should retourne they should all dye with thirst before they should finde water they knew not way to take Now the said fiue Religious hauing by the prouidence of God againe deceaued their keepers came to the Camp which they found in despaire where perceauing the cruell thirst that afflicted the army they publikely with a verie strong confidence which they had in the diuine maiesty offered to procure vnto the Mores as much water as they should need on condition they would be conuerted vnto the faith of IESVS CHRIST assuring them that if they would be Baptised with the water of baptisms they should not want water to drinck This proposition comming to the eares of the king he said this drinesse befell them vpon no other occasion but for neglecting the punishment of the great blasphemies of the said Religious against his great Prophett Mahomett These good Religious seeing the obdurate hartes of the king and his people to make knowne the omnipotencie of IESVS CHRIST and the truth of the Catholike faith which they preached resoluing not to loose the occasion presented to manifest the glory of God for the saluation of the soules of those people applying themselues to prayer Brother Berard tooke a staffe and therwith made a litle hole in the earth whence issued out water most abondantlie and sufficiently to alay the thirst not only of the men but of all the horses and camels of the army of Miramolin yea they receaued therof and made prouision for the dayes following which done the said fountaine incontinentlie dryed vp This gaue so generall an applause and the Christians and very Mores were so edified therby that they desirouslie sought to kisse their habittes and to honour them as sainctes of God only the king persisted obdurate as an other Pharao and a Preist of the Mores that a mong them was reputed for a S. who often disputed with the said Religious and particulerly against Brother Berard and because he was ordinarily vanquished but especially by reason of this said miracle he ful of greife and affliction fled and was neuer after seene amongst the Mores in that country The prince sent the said Religious againe into his Pallace vnder strict guard for feare least if they should preach they might more scandalize the king How the fiue Martyrs retourned againe twice to preach to the Mores for which the king deliuered them ouer vnto Iustice. THE XI CHAPTER THey that had chardge of the said Religious being Christians did so reuerence them that they could in no sort enforce them nor carry too wachful an eye ouer them by which meanes they escaped as formerly they had done This being vpon a friday when the king according to his custome was gone to visitt the sepulchers of his predecessours they vsed meanes that he might heare their predication att his retourne as once before they had done which they enterprised but the king so disdayned it that he caused them incontinentlie to be apprehended and in extreme choler commanded a noble man of the Mores called Abosaide one of the principall of his Court first to torture them and then to putt them to death but it succeeded otherwise for this noble More was present att the miracle which these Religious SS wrought in the army when they satisfied it with water and so out of deuotion and compassion which he had of them he was content not to medle with them from noone vntill night notwithstanding the expresse coÌ„maund giuen him by the king whome he presumed might be appeased and pacified by the frequent and humble petitions which the Christian noble men and gentlemen would present vnto him But they perceauing how much the king was incensed against them for the iniury which he pretended those Religious had so often reiterated vpon him they all quietly retyred into their houses where they carefully kept themselues close not daring to appeare for feare least they might freele the effectes of the choler of the king wherof in deed there was apparent reason for withall the Mores were so enraged against the Christians that they had a will to massacre them all in reuenge of the iniury done to their sect and to their Prophett Mahomett Att night the said noble man conuented before him the Religious who came to his lodgeing very ioyfull all manicled and enchained But were it vpon necessary and vrgent affaire that he had or would he take occasion to deferre their condemnation he was not then att home wherfore they were deliuered to an Apostata More of our Religion that had renounced Christianity to be carefully guarded and very early in the next morning they brought them againe to the lodgeing of the said noble man whome neither then did they finde for they vnderstood that he was out of the citty and the king also and would not vere speedily retourne they then committed the sainctes to prison vnder strong guard who albeit they were enchained beaten and exceedinglie tormented had neuertheles their speech alwayes free which they spared not to employ for the conuersion vnto IESVS CHRIST of those that so strictly kept and rudely entreated them who in disdaine therof gaue them sound buffettes spett in their faces and abused them most outragiouslie All this did not hinder these good Religious from preaching both to them and their other fellow prisoners where they remayned certaine dayes in very extreme want of food and all other necessities but afterward the Christians prouided them whatsoeuer was needfull in the most secrett manner they could and att length dealt so effectually and so gained those that had chardge of them that they condiscended to permitt them to depart on condition they should be securelie conducted euen into Spaine for the said Christians feared and suspected the hatred the king did carry them by occasion of these said Religious who deceauing their keepers as before escaped from the place they lodged the first night out of Maroccho and the next morning were seene againe att a publique place preaching constaÌ„tlie the faith of IESVS C. aduertising the Mores that if they did desire to discardge themselues from the sottish delusions of Mahomett and free themselues froÌ„ hell they must necessarily be baptised The Mores theÌ„â—aÌ„ furiously on the SS did beat abuse theÌ„ despitefully with tumult and exclamation but these true Religious endured this affront like couragious and inuincible lions Then after infinite iniuries and beatinges these simple and innocent sheep of IESVS CHRIST were led to the lodgeing of the gouernour in most ignominious manner for they most rudely threw them to the ground trayned and trampled on them as if they had bin brute beastes How the fiue Martyrs preached to the Gouernour of Maroccho THE XII