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A14418 An appendix of the saints lately canonized, and beatifyed by Paule the fift, and Gregorie the Fifteenth Kinsman, Edward.; Villegas, Alonso de, b. 1534. Flos sanctorum. 1624 (1624) STC 24738; ESTC S119155 96,102 310

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kindes As of the blessed Trinity of our blessed Sauiour of our B. Lady of S. Peter and S. Paul of the Angels yea and these were not only in spirit but her body also hath bene seene many times eleuated from the ground vntill through her humility she desired of our Lord the cessation of that miraculous fauour which he graunted her This holy Saint was fearfull herselfe least it might be a deceit of the deuill and therfore was content to be narrowly sifted and examined with all diligence not only in her Confessions but also in her life particuler actions and proceedings which were searched by very many Fathers of the Society of Iesus and almost by fourty other principall and the most famous learned men in Spaine and other Countries all graue and reuerend and the best spirituall Maisters then liuing who all allowed and approoued her life her proceedings for good and vertuous free from illusion or deceit After this the holy Saint beginning to build a Monastery our B. Lady S. Ioseph appeared to her and promised to protect and assist her which did encourage her so much as though she found many difficulties yet she brought at last to good effect and finished the same Adding to their former rules some others concerning Mentall Prayer and Meditation all which were approued by the Popes Holines And at the end our Blessed Sauiour appeared to her and set a crowne vpon her head as a reward of her former trauailes She founded diuers other Monasteries after this to the number of seauenteene well knowne as in Medina del Campo in Duruell in Malaga in Valladolid in Toledo in Pastrana in Salamanca in Alua de Tornes in Segouia in Beas in Seuill in Carauaque in Xare in Palencia in Sorie in Granada in Burgos Besides these she founded diuers others as namely fifteene for the discalced Brothers all well knowne in Spaine In all these her Monasteries she caused a reformation with addition of many good and spirituall constitutions all approoued by her Superiours and confirmed by the Pope And during her life time with her infatigable labour and continuall trauell from one to another she gouerned them all in most exact obseruance of their rules and exēplar life to the great edification of all amēdement of many in the way of more vertuous life She wrote foure bookes One of her owne life by commaund of her Ghostly Father one of the way of Perfection one Of the Foundation of her Monasteries And afterward three other bookes contayning relations of her life and of deuout prayers All which said bookes being approoued both by the Inquisition and the graue learned Father aforesaid her Cōfessours with diuers others and being sound and Catholike Doctrine and full of diuine learning and wholesome precepts were thought good to be translated into diuers languages that others reading her holy life following her coūsells might profit therby and increase in vertue to the saluatiō of their soules as very many haue done by her meanes as was before shewed vnto her in a vision The vertues of this Saint were very many and manifest and great store of examples there be therof in euery kind though for breuity sake I will but touch and only name a few of them First she was so carefull in obseruance of the Commandements of Almighty God as her Confessour thought she neuer committed any mortall sinne Her obedience was extraordinary to all her Superiours and Prelats in all things both humane diuine The guift of Chastity giuē her by our Blessed Sauiour was such as she was surnamed by her Confessors The treasure of Virginity And the purity of her mind appeared well by thevncorruptiō of her body after her death and by the modest obseruances she appointed for her Nunnes as the couering of their faces with a veile their strict in closure their silence and other the like She had a great loue to pouerty praising it and commending it to her Nūnes that not only in their holy estate in hauing their meanes without certainty of maintenance and their house without rent but also in their habit which she chose to be very meane Yet principally she commended and preferred inward pouerty of spirit wherin she was a rare and exemplar patterne to all In taming of her flesh she was very rigorous and austere for besides her spare diet she vsed sharpe disciplines sometimes with cordes with keyes with Iron chaines wearing cōtinually a hairecloth next her skin and ordayninge her Order to be one of the strictest in the Church of God And if any meate was made something more dainty by the fire as either rosted or baked she would refuse it saying Meate is to nourrish our bodies not to delight the taste Her sleepe was seldome aboue three houres in a night all the rest she spent in prayer In humility she excelled giuing many worthy testimonies thereof in diuers places both at Rome and abroad seruing all the rest of the sisters by her good will in the lowest ad basest Offices in the house Her courage was great as appeared by her continuall trauells and troubles in erecting Monasteries which yet at last she alwayes brought to good effect Besides the often apparition of deuills which she feared not but euer chased a way from her euen as flies Such was her admirable patience in all crosses and afflictions as she tooke great ioy comfort in suffring them hauing an ardent desire to die for Christ his sake and hauing these wordes often in her mouth O Lord graunt me either to die or at least to suffer for thy sake In her body she suffered long and grieuous sicknesses and infirmities besides her continuall trauaile and toyle In her reputation honour she suffered great detriment and no lesse inward spirituall cōbats and desolatiōs in her soule To speake of the wonderfull Prudence of this holy Saint in gouerning of her many Monasteries of her simplicity sincere vertue in religion and aboue all her extraordinary deuotion to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and her other vertues wherein she did excell and was so exemplar it would truly fill whole volumes The same may be said of her diuine contemplation of her eminent Faith of her Hope of her enflamed Loue to God of her Charity to wards her neighbour of her forcible persuasiue vertue of speach her grace of interpretation of Scriptures and Prophesy and in discerning of spirits And for all these her vertues seruice and loue vnto our Lord it may well cause admiration in vs to consider his reciprocall loue and his continuall high and diuine fauours donevnto her His often consolations to her soule and inward spirituall apparitions as also corporally and frequently in diuers formes and manners instructing and directing her from time to time how she should proceed in all her affaires of importance best to his liking and seruice As also dictating to her with his owne voice the very words she should speake to
Confraternity arriued to a good quantity sufficient for the reliefe almost of twenty persons Wherevpon he taking the bread and wine home to his house inuited all the poore people round about who flocked thither in great numbers to whom he began to distribute the same with his owne hands and it multiplied so much that it sufficed three hundred persons all being satisfied and praysing God for the great liberality bestowed vpon them and acknowledging the miracle Other Miracles which hee wrought in his life time are innumerable and would fill a great volume to recount them al. But those which haue happened since his death at his holy Body by his intercession to God are sat more in number some few only whereof according to the breuity this place requireth shal be recounted afterwards when we haue said a word or two of his death which happened as followeth In the yeare of our Lord 1170. which was the last of his life whem by diuine Reuelation hee knewe that his death drew neare hee intreated to haue the B. Sacrament brought vnto him which hee receaued with great Reuerence and Deuotion and after made a long and most deuour speech to those of his househould and neighbours present exhorting them to liue Christian-like and in the feare of God and obseruations of his holy Commandements And so with a most sweete and amiable Countenance rich in merites and famous for miracles he quietly and most happely gaue vp his soule to God When the bruite of his happy death was spread abroad the people of Madrid came to see and to touch his holy body whom many held for a Saint for the miracles which they had heard him to haue done but especially those of the villages neere about and of the poorer sort of people that were better acquainted with the manner of his life and had seene and bene present at many miracles which he had wrought Not-with-standing because he was exteriourlie poore his body was buryed in the Churchyearde in an ordinary Graue among all other people where it remained for the speace of 40. yeares of whom all this while little or nothing more was spoken of except it were amongst the meaner sort of people of the adioyning Villages who had byne best acquainted with him when he liued But our Lord who would haue this his Saint honored as well in earth as in heauen at the ende of fourtie yeares reuealed his intention to a pious and venerable Matron of Madrid who had all this time bene very deuour vnto Saint Isidore for the miraculous things she had heard recounted of him by the fornamed Iohn de Vargas wherfore to satisfie her deuotion she dealt seriously with the Pastour of the Village to haue his body translated into the Church and layed in some decent place therof promising to defray all the charges there about The Pastour being a vertuens man and hauing heard much talke of the miracles which he did when he liued made further inquirie thereof and found that hee was in deede a very holy and innocent man and that the Fountaine which was close by the village and very profitable and commodious for all the people for the excellent water there of was mireculously raised out of the ground by his merites he dealt with the Bishop expounded vnto him the Matrons pious request and hauing obtained his licence appointed a certaine day for the remouall of the said body into the Church In the meane time there was a little Vault propared humble and decent at the cost of the foresaid deuout Matron where his body was appoynted to be layde And when the day appointed came the people there about resorted to the solemnitie according as the Pastour had informed and inuited them All being ready the Pastour with the rest of the Clergy of the Church came in manner of procession to the Churchyard and opening the Graue where his body lay they found it whole and vncorrupt and as fresh and faire as if he had byne dead but the day before it being fourtie years complete after his decease and from the same there proceeded so sweet and fragrant a smell that it rauished all that were present The graue was no sooner opened but all the bels of the steeple began to ring in excellent tune and order of themselues and so continued during the Ceremony and vntill he was translated into the Church and laid in his new Sepulcher to the astonishment of all that heard them at which time also were healed many persons of many sorts of diseases After his body was thus decently laid in the Church very many began to do great reuerence therto and it pleased God to witnesse of what great merit esteeme he would haue this his seruant to be by the many and wonderfull miracles daily wrought at the same by his intercession of some whereof we shall speake a word And first to begin with a continuall miracle which remayneth euen vnto this day the water of the fountaine which he miraculously raised out of the ground hath cured infinite people of all sicknesses and infirmities and is had in very great esteeme by all the inhabitants both of the Citty and Country roūd about where you shall scarcely find a house who hath not some of the said water continually preserued in vialls of glasse or botles ready for all infirmities or suddaine sicknesse that may happen especially agues or blew spots And when oftentimes there happeneth the sicknes of the plague the people find none so presēt or assured remedy as the water of the said fountaine Another miracle that hath very often bene seene testified by thousands of all sorts of people is that the Lampe which hangeth before his sepulcher hath bene oftentimes lighted from heauē without putting any fire therto by the industry of man Nay which is more when there hath wanted oyle in the lampe and the same filled with water the weeke hath burned as cleere and as bright as with oyle Which some curious persons haue desired to proue and they themselues both by putting in water and lightning the weeke because they would not belieue the same without their owne experience The women of Spaine haue a very peculiar deuotion to S. Isidore when they are great with child in labour of Childbyrth because very many haue bene safely deliuered by his intercession and by commending thēselues vnto him in the extremity of their labour at such times as there hath bene little hope of life Those also who be troubled with the Gout haue great deuotion vnto him for that many haue bene holpē being in great extremity and cured of that infirmity by his merits and prayers Vpon a time there was a man who desired to get a relique of the holy Saint whether for himselfe or for another is not certainly knowne This man watching his opportunity and hiding himselfe in the Church till all were gone thence the dores being locked came to the Tombe and making shift to open a
vpon his back some of the other lesser shot pierced his garments euen to his flesh and others went thorough a table of an inch thick and the residue did notably batter the walls the were before him Sodainly all the assistants rose vp on their feete and began to be sore affrighted he only who had receiued the blow sitting still vpon his knees remained in peace not showing any signe of feare But because the blow had made him much to bowe downward fearing they should thinke that he were slaine holding his hādes still ioyned together he at the last lifted vp his head towards heauen and hauing appeased those that were present he ended the prayer he had begun without so much as once more mouing his body Afterwards retiring himselfe to goe to rest he found that his Rochet was soyled with the bullet and his other garments also but were not pierced Notwithāding there appeared vpon his back a būch of a blewish coulor like to dead flesh where the bullet had light which fell at the feete of Saint Charles as it were for reuerence not drawing so much as a drop of bloud which marke remayned vntill his death for a memory of the fact The Doctors of phisick and many others which had seene cōsidered the place that was shot iudged that it was a cleere manifest miracle In fine the murderer was apprehēded with his foure companions by the commandemēt of the Duke Asburquerco couernour of Milā by an edict which he published the selfe same night and shortly after were put to death for their horrible fact Hauing walked in the narrow way of this world triumphed ouer vices and adorned himselfe with all the excellent vertues before rehearsed the houre of his departure approaching neere he first visited the holy Sudary of our Sauiour Iesus at Turino with a singular vnspeakeable deuotion and from thence went to the mount of Varalla neere vnto Nouara where there is a deuout solitary place of Religious men and the sepulcher of our Sauiour is erected like vnto that in Hierusalem with diuers other monuments of Christs passion whervnto the holy man was specially deuoted where he abode the space of fifteene dayes exercising himselfe in most austere workes of pennance rēdring his soule capable of celestiall glory by a generall Confession of all his life with many sighes and abundance of teares But falling sicke by his too much rigour and feeling that his sicknes increased he returned towards Milan enflaming those that went in his company in the loue of God by a burning charity wherwith he was wholy inflamed and by his sermons which he made of the glory of the blessed which were so ful of fire and so piercing that the harts of those that heard him were touched therwith in such sort that from their eyes distilled fountaines of teares He arriued at Milā vpon the feast of All Soules towards euening and hauing passed the day following in holy discourses and receiued the Sacraments of the Church with singular deuotion and humility holding his eyes fixed vpon a picture of the sepulture of the dead couered with a shirt of haire and with ashes like vnto another S. Martin whose vertues he had diligētly imitated during his life with great tranquility and quiet of body and mind he rendred his soule vp to God about three houres after sunne setting the last yeare of the Popedome of Gregory the 13. 47. yeare of his age It is impossible to declare what sorrowe what lamētations and what sighings the vnexpected death of this most holy pastor caused both in poore and rich The Church deplored her vigilant Pastour the tribunalls their incorrupted iudge the orphanes their protectour and defender and the needy their most liberall benefactour Finally to satisfy the great deuotion of the people which flowed thither on euery side it was necessary to expose the body the space of three dayes in the Church to the view of euery one The Bishops Pallace was filled with deepe sighes the streetes with sobbs and the houses with teares mourning so that there was not any in so great a multitude of people which did not bewaile the losse of his good father for hard it was to iudge whether there were more people in the streetes then vpon the topps of the houses and who pursued not his most holy Pastour with complaints and inconsolable sorrow in such sort that all the people cryed out aloud Mercy mercy euery one thinking himselfe right happy to touch with their beades or Rosary his venerable hody The miracles which Almighty God wrought by the intercession merits of S. Charles were very many wherof these which follow were in part examined and approued for his canonization He healed by the vertue of his holy prayer Iohn Pietro Stopano at this day Archbishop of Maccia in the valley of Telino of a deadly disease being forsaken of the phisitians By the signe of the crosse he preserued the Abbot Bernardino Tarusi and Ioseph Cauallerio being drowned in the r●uer of T●cino By the force of his prayer he saued frō the perill of death Iulio Homatto who being on horsback fell frō the top of a most high horrible precipice He draue away by the benediction of his hands diuers diuells who had lōg tyme obsessed a young youth With the same benediction he healed in an instant one Margarete Vertua who had a double tertian ague for the space of eight mōths was brought vnto so low estate that she could not lying alwayes on her bed moue so much as any one part of her body In an instant he likewise healed by his blessing a noble woman of a disease proceeding of witch-craft diuelish art These miracles with many others were wrought by him during his life but he wrought a great many more after his death wherof for breuity sake I will recount only some omitting the circumstances which make the miracles the more famous declare only the matter it selfe and substance of the things Dame Paula Iustina Casara religious in the great monastery of Milan hauing bene for the space of eight yeares and a halfe paralitique altogether dead on the one side infected with diuers other diseases and lastly giuen ouer of the best Phisitians of the Citty finally inuocated S. Charles Borromeus and that with very great fruit for as soone as she had made her prayer before the picture of S. Charles by her sted-fast faith she was healed the yeare 1601. vpon the feast of S. Ihon Baptist And at the selfe same instant fearing to be more slack in giuing thākes vnto the Saint then he had beene to giue her health she went forth of her chāber entred into the Church and sunge Te Deū together with the other religious who were all assembled to see this miracle Sister Candida a religious woman of the conuent of Capucinesses in Milan hauing lyen three yeares sick and her disease being iudged incurable by the Doctors hauing
satisfy doubts and answere all obiections She had an extraordinary guift in healing of the sick of all infirmities by her prayers and working other miracles so vsually as I may say familiarly as it seemed our Lord neuer denied her any thing that she requested of him The aged weake body of this holy woman almost spent and worne out with continuall trauell frō one Monastery to another being now at Burgos and foreseing her end approaching which she had prophesied 8. yeares before hastened towards Auila where she was borne desiring to end her daies therein her first owne House But reposing as she trauelled at the house of the Duchesse of Alua she was enforced there to make stay partly by her importunity as also by reason of a feuer she had which continued with her increased so incessantly that at the end of three dayes hauing receaued all the rites of the Holy Catholike Church recommended her selfe to God with many deuout prayers and giuen many holesome precepts and admonitions to those that were present to their great cōfort edification with a ioyfull and peaceable serenity of mind she sweetly yeelded vp her soule to her beloued spouse Sauiour vpon the 4. day of October being the feast of S. Francis in the 68. yeare of her age 47. of her being religious It pleased our Lord to shew the holines of this Saint by some signes at her death by many miracles after For at the instant of her death a certaine Religious woman saw two starres to descend vpon her Cell Another sister saw a bright starre shinning ouer her Monastery another starre at the window of the chamber where she died A Religious man in Valladolid saw at the instant of her death the heauens open and a glorious way prepared wherby a soule ascended The prioresse of Segouia smelt in her Cell a most sweet odour at the instāt of her death with an extraordinary light Another Prioresse in Paris saw our Sauiour ascend to heauen with great glory many Angells with him Another sister saw a white doue to ascend frō her mouth All her Conuent at the instant saw a great light and felt a very sweet smell fillinge the house as also from her habit and all things that she had touched The body of this holy Saint lying faire fresh and liuely as though she had bene yet liuing a certaine Religious mā came and touched with her handes his head and eyes and presently recouered of two infirmities which he had in those parts Another Religious woman kissing her seete recouered her smelling which she had lost And that night after her death she appeared to diuers Religious persons After that her body had bene by many and with great deuotiō visited she was with great sollemnity due reuerence enterred Her habit and all things that she vsed be kept still in Alua with great reuerence for holy Reliques and many miracles haue bene wrought by them This holy Saint appeared to diuers after her death and first to one Mother Antonetta in Granada she wing her the glory that she was in and encouraging her in her vertuous course of life Also to a Religious woman in Auila she appeared in great glory She appeared also in Segouia with a sweet odour in the midest of the Quier with a rich crowne on her head And to the Earle of Osorne to the Bishop and diuers others there The miracles after her death were many As the miraculous incorruptiō of her body The pleasant odour and sweetnes therof filling the place where it was kept as also of her habit cloathes and all things she had touched By which being religiously kept many of sundry infirmities were healed Also there was a pretious oyle or liquor that distilled continually from her body and frō euery small part therof though separated a sunder whereby many miracles were done as appeareth by one of her hāds that was carried by the Prouinciall of her Order to Lisbone and by one of her fingers at Malaga Also a linnē cloth died with her bloud continued pure and fresh wherby many miracles were done in diuers places and in diuers manners Don Aluarez de mendoza Bishop of Alua hauing in his life time built a faire chappell with a Tombe therin for himselfe an by a fore-contract with the Prouinciall of her Order another by it for this holy Saint and hearing now of her death and buriall made suite iointly with the people of the towne to the Prouinciall for her body which not being obtayned she was translated to Auila in the moneth of Nouēber 1585. with great sollemnity and ioy But the Duke of Alua and Ferdinand of Toledo Prior of S. Ihons made suit to Pope Sixtus V. for her returne to Alua where she died which he graunted and so with greater ioy and applause she was brought back to Alua the 23. of August 1586. where she remayneth and God by meanes of this his seruāt doth worke many miracles euen to this present as is daily seene by those that be deuout vnto her and frequent her sepulcher the which hath bene adorned enriched with many great guiftes and pretious Iewells of many of the greatest Princes and Religious Bishops and Persons of Spaine and Christendome And after all due diligence and examinations of her life and miracles made as in such cases appertayneth she was Canonized for a Saint by Pope Gregory the XV. vpō the 12. of March 1622. But her feast is celebrated vpon the 4. day of October To rehearse the manifold exāples in euery of her seuerall vertues the frequent apparitions of our Blessed Sauiour and other Saints her visiōs raptes and miracles accordinge to the truth thereof and her desert I should neuer be able to say inough all the aforesaid thinges being so certaine and so well knowne in Spaine as they be yet fresh in memory and many are yet liuing that knew her well and were present and eye witnesses to all that which is here writtē of her And he that shall read her life written by herselfe at the commaūd of her Ghostly Father trāslated lately into English and also her life writtē by Brother Ihon of S. Ierome and Brother Ihon of Iesus Maria of her owne Order from whence this is extracted may be there further satisfied with examples in euery kind these things being heere only touched for breuity sake as a taste out of aboundance God graunt that we following her heauenly documents instructions imitating hervertuous life may by her intercession merit to come to that heauenly glory which she with her deerespouse Iesus now enioyeth Amen THE LIFE AND VERTVES OF Blessed Lewis Gonzaga of the Society of Iesus taken out of his history written at large by Virgilius Ceparius of the same Order BLESSED Lewis Gonzaga was borne in that part of France which lyeth beyōd the Alpes at the Chastle of Castilion in the Diocese of Brixia in the yeare of our Lord 1568. of Ferdinand Prince of
Rome that not without great difficulty could his body be buried euery one striuing to kisse his handes and for some relique of him some cutting his haire others his garments others euen his fingers ends He was put into a Coffin and laid in the Chappell of the Crucifix and from thence in the yeare of our Lord 1598. he was remoued to a more eminent place of the same Church finally the thirteenth day of May in the yeare 1605. he was solemnely translated with musicke and lights into the great Chappell of our Blessed Lady in the same Church and there placed in the wall neere the right side of the Altar This translation was caused by reason of the many miracles that it pleased out Lord to worke by him in diuers places and the multitude of people that came dayly to his Tombe to offer vp theire vowes which exceedingly increased the deuotion of the people and the concourse to his B. Reliques which was a thing so celebrated at Rome that Pope Paul the fifth in the month of Septēber 1607. gaue order that an inquisition might be made of his life and miracles for his Canonization Among the many miracles that haue bene wrought by the intercessiō of Blessed Lewis there be forty and foure approued and recorded which he hath done in the State of Castiliō his owne proper Countrey and patrimony where his Image is placed on an Altar with twelue lamps before it continually burning besides the other innumerable lights which the people daily offer vnto his honour and before the same are hanged on the walles more then three hundred votiue Tablets offered in remembrance and for deuotion of his miracles Our Lord in diuers other places hath likewise shewed forth his wonders by the meanes of this blessed Saint rendring health to diuers dangerously sicke of feuers and other diseases restoring the blind to sight the deafe to hearing helping of women in the perill of child-birth with many others which are all at large recorded in the Booke of his life out of which I will only rehearse briefly these few that follow In the yeare 1593. his mother being in danger of her life hauing receaued the holy Sacraments of Communiō and Extreme Vnction her sonne appeared resplendent and glorious vnto her with the comfort of whose presence she presently began to amend and in few dayes recouered her perfect health which was the first miracle that it pleased God to worke by him after his death The Duke of Mantua comming to Rome in the yeare 1605. visited with great deuotion the tombe of his Cosen Lewis and had there giuen him by his Brother Francis Gonzaga thē Embassadour for the Emperour a relique of his with which returning by Florence to Mantua he was taken with a grieuous paine in his knee which had long sorely vexed him to which applying this holy Relique of B. Lewis he was presently cured the which was testified by his owne letter written backe to Rome to the Marques his Brother He had likewise the guift of Prophesy foretould vnto his mother that his Brother Francis who was the youngest of his Brothers should be the Rayser vp and glory of their House which proued true as likewise diuers other things which he foretould Who seeth not in this life and admireth not the bounty and liberality of our Lord who had so filled with his grace this Blessed young man whome he made choiceof euen from his mothers wombe to render glorious both in heauen and earth How great spirit in so young age what recollection in so many troubles what mortifications in the miedest of pleasures and delightes what humility in greatnesse what misprise of all worldly thinges and earnest seeking after heauenly To what greater degree of perfection can a soule ariue in this life beyond the preseruatiō of the grace receaued in Baptisme thē not to feele in their body the tentations of the flesh not to suffer in prayer distractiōs of thoughts and to liue on earth as an Angell in heauen All which vertues are apparāt to haue bene eminent in this blessed young mā whose life we all ought to imitate to the end that imitating his vertues we may be also made partakers of his rewards and merits He was Beatified by Pope Paul the fifth by whome leaue was also graūted to say masse of him His feast is kept by the Fathers of the Society of Iesus with great solemnity plenary Indulgence and in the Diocesse of Mantua is for the most part kept holy THE LIFE AND VERTVES of B. Stanislaus Kostka of the Society of Iesus abridged out of his life written by Peter Rybadeneira and others of the same Society BLESSED Stanislaus was borne in the Kingdome of Polonia in the yeare of our Lord 1550. in a Castle of his ancestours called Kostkouo His Fathers name was Iohn Kostka his mothers Margaret Keysban both Illustrious and of the principall houses of that Kingdome but much illustrated by this that neuer any of that house was tainted with heresy Out of their family haue issued diuers Lords Palatines Electors Senators Captaines Bishops and other of great dignity in that kingdome God blest them with diuers children and amongst others with this Stanislaus who hauing laudably passed his infancy at home was ●●●t by his Father being the but thitteene yeares of age together with another of his Brothers elder then he to Vienna in Austria where the Emperour Maximilian at that time kept his Court for to study there in the Colledge of the Fathers of the Society of Iesus which was at that time very famous for the education of youth Stānislaus studied so diligently there being of an excellent wit that he surpassed all the rest of his School-fellowes of whome for his gentlenes modesty he was generally beloued Euery morning before he went to schoole and euery euening after he came from schoole he vsed to make his prayers in the Church of the Society He auoyded all ill company all conuersation with Libertines or any other thing that had not the odour of deuotion With all diligence he was a great louer of silence and neuer spake but what he had first well weighed considered He was modestly cheerfull and cheerfully modest affable He conuersed most willingly with those that were simple and sincere he was very compassionate and succoured to his power all those that were in neede or extremity he was euer the first vp of his school-fellowes in the morning he contented not himselfe with hearing one masse daily nor on feasts with fewer then all he could possibly heare He went meanely cladde and for all the cold season which in those parts is very bitter in the winter he neuer wore gloues nor would euer vse the helpe of any seruant vnlesse when he was commaunded by his maister or brother Almost all his Orations and Declamations that he made in the exercise of Eloquence were in the praise of the glorious Virgin Mary to whome he was singularly
denoted He said euery day his Beades he prayed not only many times of the day but would rise in the night to pray while his companions slept accompanying his prayers with diuers acts of humility and mortifications he vsed sundry times secretly to sweep his brothers Chamber fasted in priuate diuers daies and with sore disciplines often chastized his tender body And although his Brother oftē chid him for liuing so retired yet he hauing his eyes fixed on God who aboue all he desired to please would neuer omit his ordinary exercises and deuotions Stanislaus being thus vertuously imployed and disposed our Lord enkindles in him more and more the flames of his Ioue inspired him with a vocation to the Society of Iesus which he vowed although he discouered not his resolutions to any one besides his Confessour vntill six monethes after About that time he was visited with a dangerous sicknesse in the beginning of which being in his Chāber the diuell appeared vnto him in the shape of a great blacke dogge horrible and fearefull who tooke him thrice by the throate attempting to haue strangled him but he recommending himselfe feruently to God by his grace with the sigue of the Crosse chased him away in such māner that he neuer appeared after vnto him His sicknes had reduced him to such extremity that the Phisitiās had giuen him ouer and the Blessed youth lay so afflicted not so much for the death which he saw before his eyes as because he had no meanes to receaue the Blessed Sacrament which he exceedingly desired by reasō that the Host of the house where he lodged was an Heretique Wherfore he commended himselfe earnestly to our Blessed Sauiour to S. Barbara both because she was Patronesse of the Schollers of the Colledge of Viēna where he studied as also that he remembred to haue read in her life that whosoeuer that was deuoted vnto her should neuer die without the Sacraments of the Church And for that the last time which he had communicated was vpon the seast of Saint Barbara aforesaid which is the fourth of December he humbly desired of our Sauiour by the intercessiō of that glorious Saint that he might not yet depart this life without first hauing receiued the Sacraments of the Church And at that present finding himselfe almost in the agony of death he renewed this his petition with greater feruour earnestnesse which our Blessed Sauiour granted For being one night awake languishing in the agony of death he saw enter into his chamber the holy Virgin S. Barbara accompanied with two Angells enuironed with Celestiall brightnes bringing with them the B. Sacramēt from whose hādes with wonderfull reuerence he receaued it and began to be a little better After this great fauour he receaued another most singular and no lesse meruailous for beinge ouercome with the violence of his sickenes and in the extremity of his life our B. Lady appeared vnto him with the child Iesus in her armes and with a gratious countenance and regard admonishing him to enter the Society of Iesus she vanished away leauing the child Iesus lying on the bed by him Stanislaus ayded by the celestiall fauour sodainly began to recouet his strengt to amend at which the Phisitiās were astonished as at a thing cōtrary to all rules of Phisicke These two admirable fauours B. Stanislaus manifested a little before his death to one of his fellow-Nouices named Stephen as also vnto Father Emanuel Sà which notwithstanding hauing done it at vnawares he remayned so much cōfoūded that the teares stood in his eyes Being now restored to perfect health not vnmindfull either of the priuate vow that he had made to enter into the Society or of the admonition of our B. Lady desirous to put it in speedy execution he discouered the same to his ghostly Father who tould him that they could not by any meanes receaue him in the Colledge at Vienna without the consent of his friendes and blessing of his Father But he not willing to expect so long and despayring to obtayne leaue of his Father knowing likewise the auerse nature of his Brother Paul who had often times intreated him with bitter wordes and sometimes with blowes which he euer had indured with great patience and inward consolation for the loue of vertue notwitstanding that he might haue some fit occasion to put his good desires in practise he ceased not to giue many outward testimonies of his inclination one day he discouered it vnto his brother who was thereat so much incēsed against him that he rated him out of his presēce threatning to aduertise his parēts of his proceeding But still cōtinuing to appease his Brother to get at least his good will he spake vnto him one morning in very louing manner who in a rage answered that he should get him gone with a mischiefe chiefe whither he would Stanislaus as an occasion fitly sent him from heauen gladly imbraced what his Brother had said and so putting himselfe in poore apparell hauing confessed and communicated earnestly commended himselfe to God and out B. Lady tooke his iourney on foote from Vienna to Ausburge there to find Father Canisius Prouinciall of Germany to whome he had letters of commendations frō a Father of the Society preacher to the Empresse Maria. So sonne as Paul missed his brother he was much afflicted knowing that he principally by his choller and ill vsage had chased him away he searched diligently many Churches and Religious houses in Viēna but could heare no newes of him vntill by an Hungarian Gentlemā who had beene school-fellow with Stanislaus and by a little note that he had written to his Tutour and left within a booke his resolution was knowne and also the way that he had taken Wherfore his brother with his said Tutour taking with them also their Host and one seruant followed him with all speed in Coach whome they ouertooke on the way but it pleased God that they went on without knowing of him shortly after by reason that the Coach-horses were young and vnsit for trauaile they were forced to returne without passing further Stanislaus now seeing himselfe deliuered from this perill was much animated and comforted and passing on his way he went one Sunday morning to a Church in a village which he supposed to be Catholike with a desire to receaue the Blessed Sacrament but perceauing to belong to Heretikes he was much troubled in his trouble had recourse to our Lord beseeching him with teares in his eyes that he might not be depriued of the food of his soule which he so much thirsted after Our B. Sauiour vouchsafed to heare him and graunt his request as a pious Father desirous to cherish the deuotion of his sonne he sent vnto him an Angell of admirable beauty frō whose hāds he receiued the B. Sacrament in the same manner as he had done before during his sicknes by the prayers of Saint Barbara With this Celestiall food
AN APPENDIX OF THE SAINTS lately Canonized and Beatifyed by PAVLE the fift AND GREGORIE the Fifteenth DOWAY By HENRIE TAYLOR 1624. To the Catholike Readers in England DEare Countrimen If my abilitie in Health Wealth or Vnderstanding were answereable to my desire of your good you should heare from mee oftner But these gifts are at the disposure of a higher power And therefore at the abounding in any one or all of these ought to tend vnto his glorie so their want shall not inforce mee to derogate either from that or hinder mee from laboring to the vtmost of my power to bring you such merchandize as may refresh your soules with spirituall delight and comfort Wherefore I haue reprinted the Appendix of such Saints liues as were lately Canonized and beatified by Paule the fift and Gregorie the fifteenth translated into English by M. Ed. Kinsman The motiues vrging mee hereunto next after your good was the generall approbation and likeing of the booke amongst all which had it the raritie of it amongst many which desirde it it being annexed to the Saints liues of the wholl yeare and therfore cannot bee had without the byeing of the wholl volume which many will not for that they haue those liues all ready and others cannot the volume being of so great a price exceeding their poore ability These are the reasons mouing mee to this I haue heere done wherfore I hope you will take it in as good part at I meane it therest of my indeauours to you which is sincerely wishing they may proue happie Mediums to bring you safe to the peaceable harbour of Eternall blisse still resting Yours in what he is Henry Taylor AN APPENDIX OF the Saints lately Canonized and Beatifyed by Paule the Fift and Gregorie the Fifteene And First The Miraculous life and Vertues of Saint Isidore Husbandman and Patrone of Madrid in Spaine lately canonized by Pope Gregory the XV. Abridged and translated out of Spanish SAINT Isidore was borne in the ancient Kingdome of Castile in the famous Cittie of Madrid in Spaine where the Kinges Court is ordinarily kept about the yeere of our Lord 1130. of very Catholike and deuout Parents though of meane condition whom they piouslie brought vp and instructed in all kinde of vertue according to their poore abilitie especially in Prayer saying of his Beades hearing Masse frequenting of Sermons Exhortations and the like and for corporal exercises he was brought vp and taught to Till and manure the ground in maner of a Laborer or Husbandman After that he was growen to mans estate and his Parents both dead he married a wife of an honest though poore family like vnto himselfe and beginneth to dispose and set in order that little meanes which he had still following his manuall art of Husbandrie labouring for day-wages and hire for other Husbandmen of the Countrey that were rich and had landes of their owne to manure But yet with all he had got a pious custome and vse which grew vp with him euen from his Childhood to heare Masse dailie before hee began to labour Which he neuer omitted though there were neuer so great hast of worke to be done And for this cause certaine of his neighbours through the instigation of the diuell who now began to make hoate war vpon S. Isidore for his sanctitie and holynesse of life which they could not endure stirred vp against him his maister of whom he had taken a peece of ground to plow and was to labour by the day complaining grieuously of him that he came euery day very late to worke and that besides he omitted the same oftentimes in the day and went to his praiers His maister the Farmer was much incensed against him by hearing this their accusation and one day falling into a fit of choller at their reportes presently went vnto him in the field to see if it were true or no which they had told him by way of complaint And comming in all hast vnto the field where S. Isidore was to be at his work he saw three plowes going two whereof were drawne gouerned by Angels in the likenes of young men cloathed in most pure and white garments At the first sight whereof standing amazed he drew neeres vnto them when vpon the sudaine they vanished away Heere vpon he came to S. Isidore whom hee found at the other plow seeing so much worke done beyond his expectation he fel downe at his seruants feete and cryed him pardon for so easily beleuing the false reportes his neighbours had made of him assuring himselfe of the trueth of the wordes which Saint Isidore had often told him to wit that how much time soeuer he spent in prayer the same was recompensed larglie in his worke by the handes of his sweete Sauiour and rather to the profite then any way to the lest hinderance or losse of his Maister And so he departed with confusion in himselfe and full of loue and reuerence towards his seruant As soone as his said maister was departed the Angels returned againe vnto the plowes and as they laboured they taught S. Isidore and instructed him in many mysteries of his faith accompanying him all that day vntill night going home with him also euen to his house whither when hee came he found a poore Pilgrime at his doore asking an almes of meate for the refreshing of his body who calling his wife and bidding her giue the Pilgrime some what to eate shee replyed sadly and said there was nothing in the house Hee bid her looke into the Potte for some Pottage and Flesh but she knowing that al was spent said there was assuredly none left and withall she tooke vp the Pot into her hands to shew that it was empty But behold a wonder for she felt the Pot heauy and lookeing thereinto found it full of very excellent Pottage Flesh where with she fed the Pilgrime liberally and with admiration acknowledge the miracle her husband in the meane time with drawing himselfe into an inner roome and falling to his praiers as his custome was The same night he being a sleepe the said Pilgrime appeared vnto him againe in the same habit that he had done before in the Euening and seemed to awake him and put vpon him a Pilgrims weede and sayling ouer the seas conducted him to the holy land whether when he was come he shewed him all the places of chiefe note where our Sauiour had taught preached was taken examined whipped condemned and lastlie suffered death for our sakes Which places S. Isidore semed to reuerence and greatly to adore with gust and affection of hart and afterward was presently conueyed backe to his own house where the Pilgrime tooke his leaue and departed Vpon a time in a great Frost and Snow one Iohn de Vargas a Farmer sent Saint Isidore to the Mill with a sacke of wheate to haue it ground to make bread for his family Saint Isidore tooke the sacke of corne early in the morning and
corner so as he might reach vnto the holy body cut off a finger from S. Isidore with intention to carry the same away and hauing put it vp into his pocket and beginning to close vp the Tombe againe that the thieft might not be perceaued he was suddainly there arested and made so immoueable that he could not styr afoote Wherupon fearing exceedingly to be discouered and punished for fact he tooke the finger and put it to the ioynt from which he had cut it and it instantly fastned therto againe and thereupon he was presently set at liberty and so closing vp the sepulcher departed giuing God and S. Isidore thankes that no worse euill had happened vnto him being also very sory for the rash attempt which he had put in practice There haue happened many times great Drouthes in those partes for want of rayne which hath caused such barrenesse of the ground that the people haue bene ready to starue for want of corne but by carrying S. Isidores sacred body in procession the said drouth hath presently ceased and raine hath so watered the earth that it hath become presently feuitefull And all the husbandmē in Spaine haue taken this holy Saint for their peculiar Patron and doevse euen vntill these daies whensoeuer they sowe corne to pray vnto S. Isidore and call vpon him to blesse the same offering a candle or some such like gift vnto his sepulcher by whose intercession they hope to haue a happy haruest and their piety in this kind is very seldome frustrated Certaine Gentlemen of Spaine trauayling on a time by Coach and passing a very straite and narrow way vpon the side of a rocky hill the horses beinge furious and their footing slippery they fell downe drawing the Coach with the people in it after them into a mighty precipice who seeing the imminent danger cried for helpe to S. Isidore and presently the horses and Coach staied hanging vpon the side of the rocke as it were in the ayre vntill the people all got out and saued themselues to the number of 18. persons and afterward drew vp the horses and Coach without any further hurt For this so euident a miracle they all gaue God and S. Isidore thankes and sent donaries to his Tombe in testimony of the same The Angelicall Musicke and celestiall harmony which hath bene often heard at his sepulcher is wonderfull in so much that infinite people haue witnessed the same hauing bene hearers therof to their great astonishment His apparitiōs to many haue bene very illustrious as may be read at large in the History of his life and in particular he appeared once to Alfonsus King of Castile who making warre vpon the Moores obtained a miraculous victory by his intercessiō merits As also he appared in a visiō at another time to one that lay sicke and was berest of all hope of life by the Phisitians bidding him take comfort and haue confidence in God for that he should recouer and so presently he became wel and receaued againe his perfect health And to conclude the benefits which many haue receaued by the infinite miraculous Cures done at his sepulcher are so many and great that a whole volume might be witten therof For there are recounted aboue twenty blind persons to haue receaued their perfect sight many dease dūbe to haue recouered their hearing and speach many crooked lame and deformed to haue receaued perfect strēght and comlynes of body many sick of the palsy to haue receaued perfect cure and infinit others to haue bene deliuered from all kind of infirmity wherwith they haue bene oppressed Finally the late famous miracle wrought vpon the person of the late King of Spaine Philip the third is testified by thousands of eye-witnesses that were present at the same The substance wherof in brief was this In the yeare of our Lord 1619. the said King of famous memory going a Progresse into Portugall to visit that kingdome together with the Prince and his other Children after he had bene receaued with most noble and magnificent Triumphs as well in Lisbone as other places in his returne to Madrid fell very dangerously sicke of a hoar pestilent feuer or Taberdillo wherby he was in eminent danger of Death and almost despaired of by his Phisitians The court nobility were strocken into feare at this suddaine chance and this dangerous infirmity of their King was recommended to the prayers and deuotion af all the people especially of Religious Orders but he cōtinuing so 2. or 3. dayes with out signe of amendment desired to haue the holy Reliques of S. Isidore brought vnto him with all his force and strēgth of body and mind humbly commending himselfe vnto him and his merits that therby it would please God he might recouer his health he presently felt himselfe much better the feuer relenting and within a few daies after became perfectly well As soone as he had recouered he began to thinke how he might honour the Saint by rendering him thankes for so singular a benefit and presētly determined to procure with all endeauour his Canonizatiō therby to haue him the more knowne honoured throught the world but the death of Pope Paulus V. as his owne also ensuing soone after the busines was differred yet on his death-bed did he seriously commend the same to Philip the fourth his Sonne the now present King of Spaine by whose intercession to the Sea Apostolicke he was with the greatest honour and solemnity that perhaps hath euer bene made in that kind canonized for a Saint by Pope Gregory the XV. the 12. day of March in the yeare of our Lord 1622. in S. Peters Church at Rome that thereby his memory might be famous to posterity His body being taken vp the second time and put into a costly Shrine 450. yeares after his death was found wholy vncorrupt sending forth a most pleasant and sweet smell to the astonishment of all Spaine and so remayneth euen vntill this day His life is written elegantly and at large in Spanish Verse by Lopes de Vega Carpio Secretary to the Marques of Sarria by F. Peter Ribadeneyra D. Alfonsus Villegas in their Excrauagants and others His feast is celebrated by many vpon the 12. day of march on which he was canonized THE LIFE OF THE HOLY Patriarch S. Ignarius of Loyola Authour and Founder of the Society of Iesus Taken out of the most part of the Authenticall Relation made in Consistory before Pope Gregory the 15 by Cardinal de Monte vpon the 19. day of Ianuary 1622. a little before his Cannization and translated into English IGNATIVS Loyola was borne in that coast of Spaine which belongeth to the Mount Pyraeneus in the towne of Aspeythia within the Dioecese of Pamplona the yeare of our Lord 1491. of Bertram Loyola and Mary Sanchez both noble Catholikes and godly parents who in like godlines brought vp their sonne and in the first flowre of his youth as one that was of an excellent to
he had done pennance But besides these God Almighty by intercession of this Saint both before and after his happy death wrought many miracles which are to be seene more at large in the Relation out of which this summe is taken and in other histories of his life I will heere only rehearse some few of them for our better instruction and further declaration of his sanctity And first his great charity zeale in procuring the saluation of soules was miraculously confirmed in that when a certaine man whose name was Lissanus for being cast in a suite of law and hanged himselfe and was by all mens iudgment stone dead he by his prayers obtayned of God Almighty so much time for him to line againe that might serue his turne to be sorry for his sinnes and to confe●●e them to a Priest and receaue Absolution Secondly to increase our deuotion to holy Reliques that may suffice which happened to Bartholomew Contesti a Chirurgeon and Cittizen of Maiorca who was so tormented with a continual headach that for vehemency of the paine he was diuerse times forced to fal dowen to the very ground And besides this he had so grieuous a disease in one of his eyes that being vnable to behold the least glimpse of light he was fayne to be shut vp in a darke chamber eating no meat but what others put into his mouth As many and sundry medicines were applied as could be deuised but all in vaine for his disease still waxed worse and worse In so much that Bartholomew out of the intollerable paine he felt was not afraid to protest if a certaine Chirurgeon whose name was Pastor were aliue that he would cause him to placke out his eye by the very roote But as he lay now in this pittifull estate hearing by good chaunce of the manifold miracles that were euery where wrought by the intercession of S. Ignatius with great deuotion and hope of recouery by this meanes he desired that they would bring him one of his subscriptions or writings of his owne hand which was no sooner brought vnto him but he found himselfe well without all paine either of head or eyes rising out of his bed and beholding the light of the sunne with great ease and pleasure And that he might be the better assured that this so sudaine a cure was to be attributed to the diuine power and to the intercession of this seruant of God S. Ignatius for two or three seuerall times the Relique was no soner taken away out of his chamber but his former paine returned vnto him and the same Relique was no sooner brought backe againe into the chamber but his paine left him So that Bartholomew was aduised to keepe the Relique alwayes about him thus within three or foure dayes he came to be so perfectly well as if he had neuer bene sicke In Rome a Lady called Drusilla Tursellina being very much vexed with a vehement seuer and with the head-ach hauing vsed many remedies and bene let blood in her armes nostrills and head without profit her sicknes rather increasing euery day was presently healed by a relique of one of the Blessed Fathers bones laid vpon her forehead Another woman named Olimpia Norina had such a vehemēt paine in her eyes that she came to loose her sight for the space of three moneths had such a cōtinuall ague paine in her head that she could notrest They brought her a subscription of the Blessed Fathers hand at the time that her paine was at the greatest laying it vpon her forehead and eyes she began to see and was ryd of her ague and paine In the same Citty in the yeare 1597. a noble mans child of seauen yeares old called Hierome Gabriell being sick of a pestilent seuer called a Taberdillo and of a plurisy hauing also the wormes so that there was little hope of his life was healed with the same subscription of the Blessed Father In the yeare 1599. the Lady Ioane Vrsina being but a child daughter to Cornelia Vrsina Duchesse of Cesi had so great a cough that she could scarcely breath or suck The Dutches her mother commēded her very earnestly and deuoutly to blessed Father Ignatius and beseeched him to obtaine the health of her daughter wherevpon the child hauing bene a night and a halfe without rest presently fell a sleepe and her cough ceased she began to sucke her Nurses breast For which cause the Dutches commaunded a Tablet to be set on the Fathers graue in remembrance of the fauour she had receiued In the same yeare 1599. Angella Ruggiera was troubled with an extraordinary noise in her head for almost a yeare and lost the hearing of her right eare wherto applying a relique of the Blessed Father and making a vow to fast with bread and water the day of his departure and to communicate the day following recouered perfect health and remayned free from that infirmity In the Citty of Naples in the moneth of Iune of the yeare 1599 Donna of Aragon Princesse of Beltran Dutchesse of Terra-noua had a great payne and swelling in her right breast and finding no remedy amongst many which were applied in the space of foure moneths omitting them all as vnprofitable and laying vpon her breast with much deuotion the picture of the Blessed Father she became well the same day and comming to Rome the last Holy yeare of 1600. commaunded a tablet of siluer with foure great waxe Tapers to be set vpon the Blessed Fathers tombe on Easter day in thanksgiuing In the Citty of Nola the yeare 1599. in the moneth of Nouēber a knight named Francis Blasius being much vexed with a pestilent ague and with a grieuous paine in his head and stomack so that in the iudgement of the Phisitians he was in danger of his life his mother Zenobia Tolphia exhorted him to lay a relique of the bone of Blessed Father Ignatius to his head and to commend himselfe vnto him desiring his fauour He did so and remayned free frō all his paines and his whole sicknes In the Citty of Lecha which is in the Prouince of Apulia in the Kingdome of Naples a child of three yeares old sonne to the Barō of Belli-boni fell from his Nurses armes vpon the ground and did notably hurt his right knee which grew euery day worse because the Nurse for feare concealed the fall and it went so far that it was necessary to open the childs knee oftener then once this helped not wherfore cōming to cut it the third time the Father fearing his Sonnes death whome he did see consumed with the wound and with the ague which followed thervpon went to the Colledge of the Society and there they gaue him a Relique of the Blessed Fathers bone which he laid vpon the child before they opened his knee the third time and whē the Surgeons came to doe it they found him much better and within a few dayes altogether well I will conclude with one more
and so begged his victuals in the ship slept in the open ayre aboue the hatches hauing a cable rope for his bed He was alwayes ready to helpe the sicke not only begging of those who had meate for such as wanted but with his owne hands also dressing and parting it amongst them thinking no scorne euen to wash their cloathes or do any other seruice were it neuer so base for them in whose persons this holy and prudent seruant of Christ acknowledged and reuerenced Christ himselfe Hauing spent all day in praying taking paines he vncessantly watched all night in comforting the afflicted and administring the Sacraments to such as were in danger of death Whervpon some were wont to say that the only thinge Francis tooke pleasure in next vnto prayer was seruing of the sicke And this was euer his fashion and manner of liuing not only in this but also in all other voyages he made by sea where in he spent a great part of his life Neither did this his charity towards poore and sicke persons shine only vpon the sea but also vpō land while he abode in Citties the beames of the same charity neuer lost one iot of their brightnes Nay rather being now made all with all that he might gaine and purchase the soules of all for God Almighty to those that either by reason of wealth or health had no need of this kind of seruice he was neuer wanting in other seruioe of no lesse importance for them when occasion was offered neuer sparing of labour which he was to bestow in furthering the saluation of his Neighbours When he arriued at the Indies after a long yeares sea-faring he would graunt no time of rest to his weather beaten body but presently began to fling about the fire which he came to cast into those Prouinces going vp and downe the Citty and calling together with a litle bell into some Church or other the children and people there teaching them the Christian Doctrine with such effieacy of spirit that it pierced euen to the bottome of their hearts like vnto the Doctrine of the Apostles He perswaded them all to sing the prayers he taught them vp and downe the streetes and to teach their friends acquaintance the same at home Which custome by him brought into the Indies to the great glory of God remayneth and is obserued there euen vntill this day Those that were come to yeares of discretion by all gentle meanes possible he inuited to confession pennance and neuer ceased with an vndaunted courage and many times with euident danger of his life venturing into strange and vncouth Proninces that often times barefoote with torne and beggailie apparell to call heathens to the true liberty of the sounes of God In which enterprize Almighty God did specially assist the indeauours of his seruant confirming euery where what he preached with miracles that were most notorious and like to those which the Apostles wrought and inwardly mouing the hearts of those that heard him in such sort that he conuerted and baptized many tho Lsandes and drew many out of the puddle of sinne not without many and troublesome iourneyes both by sea and land Many are the Kingdomes Prouinces and Ilāds through which the Legate of Heauen and of the Roman Sea went sowing the word of God And at lēgth as he was seeking entrance for the Ghospell into the great Kingdome of China this faithfull seruant quite bruised broken with the intollerable paines which beyond all humane force he had so long indured for the glory of God and altogether worne out and consumed with the heauenly burning desire he had to see Christ his Sauiour being now at last out of a desert I le named Sancianum called home vnto his country of Heauen to the marriage of the Lābe of God entred into the ioy which our Lord had prepared for him the second day of Decēber in the yeare of our Lord 1552. The vertues of this holy Apostle are very many and most Heroicall some wherof I shall heere recount The daily profession he made of his faith in receiuing of the Sacraments himselfe with wonderfull great deuotion and with no lesse paines ministring the same to others his heroicall workes his great and dangerous pilgrimages to preach the same faith to Barbarous and Sauage people and that alone without any humane helpe at all expressing and setting foorth so liuely in himselfe the purity and sanctity of the Euāgelicall Doctrine finally the abundance of the fruit which he hath sent out of those forraine countreies into the granaries of the Catholike Church to wit so many millions of Christians amōgst whom so many glorious martyrs haue watered and fertilized the Primitiue Church of those Countre with their blood and so many Confessours in the very middle of most cruel persecutions haue defended the faith of Christ are pregnant proofes of the excellency of that Euangelicall seed of Faith which he carried with him Fiue things he had in him which cannot possibly consist without a most firme and stedfast Hope First a cōtempt of all temporall things most manifestly seene in his despising of all worldly honours dignities and riches which the world in all abondāce did assure him of and imbracing an humble kind of life in religious purity vnder the yoke of obedience and that in the very flowre of his youth Secondly his voluntary sufferance of excessiue trouble labours miseries to the which by how much more grieuous they were so much more willingly did he expose himselfe as it most plainly appeareth in the whole discourse of his life Thirdly an vndaunted courage in attempting hard enterprises putting his very life so oftē in danger amōgst strange and barbarous people As for example when alone he encountred a whole army of Badagars which afterward I will rehearse amongst other miracles Fourthly a wonderfull great security in dangers in so much that in the middest of cares he was without care and without feare in the middest of feares ship wrackes enemies and many other miseries hanging many times ouer his very head Lastly an incredible ioy in aduersity which may be euidently proued by his continuall cheerfulnes of mind and readines of will wherby glorying with the Apostle in the hope of the sonnes of God he suffered so many labours and troubles so many perills and aduersities liuing iustly holily in this world and expecting the blessed hope and comming of Almighty God For the loue of God he most exactly and perfectly kept all his commaundements daily meditating vpō his sacred Law with a pure consciēce and great horrour of neuer so little transgressing or doing any thing against the same him selfe and neuer without great care that others should likewise obserue the same wherin as also in keeping his vowes of voluntary Pouerty Chastity and Obediēce he so excelled that he did not only thereby stop the aduersaries mouthes but by the mouthes and tongues of all not only of Christians
if he were to goe through any long desert where no mā liued he would be sure to prouide the poorest victualls he could and so in all that long and desolate iourney which he made to Mexico he eat nothing else but dried Rice As for his apparell it was such as made the boyes laugh at him as he trauayled along the streetes Finally as he would eat nothing but what he begged so would he take vp no lodging but in publike Hospitalls with beggers Besides all that hath bene said he would neuer drinke wine nor eat flesh or bread made of wheat fasting many times without eating any thing at all for two or three or fowre dayes together and sometimes from Passiō sunday to Easter Eue. He did very often chastise his body by sharp disciplines platted with wire till he had fercht out great store of blood Once in the beginning of his conuersion he went so long with his armes and thighes strait bound that the cordes hauing buried themselues within his flesh the Phisitians and Chirurgions iudged him to be vncurable and that he could neuer haue escaped death if the ropes had not bene miraculously broken He was contented with two or three houres sleepe imploying all the rest of the night in praying and visiting of the sicke Thus he ouercame the world in wholy vanquishing of himselfe and all his sensuall appetites with such weapons as you haue seene and that which stout stomackes would searce abide to heare of I meane his drinking of the water wherwith he had washed sick mens sores and botches From the yeare of our Lord 1541. when he sailed into the Indies vnto the yeare 1552. when he died he liued in conunuall trauayles amongst strange and barbarous people often enduring intolerable heat cold nakednes hunger and thirst for long time together going many dayes iourneis amongst thorues and briars almost euery where entertayned with scoffes and reproches nay and in some places with stripes and stones for which with a merry and cheerfull heart he gaue thankes to God humbly asking pardon for his persecutours As soone as he came into any of those strange countries which were many and diuers where he preached the Ghospell he spoke the language of the same Nation were it neuer so different from the rest as elegantly and readily as if he had bene borne and brought vp in the same countrey and diuers times it happened that men of diuers nations heard euery one their owne tongue in one Sermon Worthy therfore and thrice worthy of that most renowned title of Apostle which the people both of Spaine and India do giue as due vnto him seeing that Christ himselfe seemed to confirme the same not only by the prophecy of Xauerius his owne sister but by that speciall gift also which his Apostles had to preach his holy Ghospell Amongst many examples of this rare gift which may be seene in the Relation aboue written since the breuity of this summe will not admit all I haue made choice of one no lesse pleasant then profitable It happened that Xauerius vpon a time comming to Peter Vellius a wealthy man then liuing in a Citty called Machai as he was playing at Chesse in one of his neighbours houses asked an almes of him for some speciall worke of charity Vellius at the first word gaue him his key and bad him go take as much as he would Xauerius went tooke three hundred Crownes brought the key back againe to Vellius who as soone as he canoe home opening the chest foūd all his mony as he had left it and wondering at the same the next time he met Xauerius asked him how much money he had takē Xauerius answered that he had takē three hundred Crownes To which Vellius replied that he found all his money entire as he left it and moreouer he added that he deliuered him his key to the intent he might haue takē the one halfe of the thirty thousand crownes that were in the chest Which Xauerius hearing I therfore said he in the name of God do giue my word vnto thee Vellius that thou shalt neuer want but God shall alwayes send thee whatsoeuer thou shalt haue need of all men shal be liberall and bountifull towards thee nay and which is more the last day of thy life shal be reuealed vnto thee And so indeed all fell out iust as Xauerius had foretold For albeit Vellius afterwardes had many great misfortunes which might haue brought him to extreme pouerty yet all men dealt still so liberally with him that he neuer wanted any thing neither for himselfe nor for his family as lōg as he liued To conclude at length when many yeares were past Vellius being by reuelation forewarned of his death after he had giuen a great deale of his wealth vnto the poore and prouided a Masse to be song for his soule bidding his friends farewell he told them all the prophesy of Xauerius the euent therof His friends thought that the old man began to dote But he hauing heard almost all the Masse solemnely sung for the dead made no more a doe but went laid himselfe along vpon his beere and couered all ouer with a veyle there waited for death When Masse was done and the Priest had said Requiescant in pace his seruants ran vnto him to take the veyle off him supposing that he was yet aliue but he had already yeelded vp the Ghost and rendred his soule into the hands of his Creatour As the Badagars a furious generation of people were comming in great hast ouer the toppes of mountaines with an huge army to destroy those Christians which Xauerius had baptized in the Kingdome of Trauancor and about the Promontory of Comorinum Xauerius all alone armed with the buckler of an muincible confidence in Almighty God went to meete them and comming vnto them began to rebuke thē very seuerely when vpon a sodayne the whole army stood still and was not able to goe forwards any further In so much that all their Captaines calling vpon them and exhorting them to march on nothing preuayled with them for they plainly answered that they could no longer abide the heat that sparkled out of the eyes and face of a certaine great man of a terrible Maiesty I in blacke that stood ouer against them with Xauerius Which the Captaines themselues soone after by their owne experience finding o be true made a retrait to be soūded and so all the army returned and Xauerius hauing wō●e the feild deliueted from all danger his louing children which he had brought forth in Christ Another time as he was trauailing on the Mountaines of Comorinum there came vnto him a poore Beggar so full of fores and vlcers that no mā was scarce able to behould the loath somnes thereof Xauerius with great charity and humility washed his sores and to get greater victory ouer himselfe drunke vp the water wherwith he had washed them And then kneeling downe vpon the ground he
feruently prayed vnto God for the health of the poore man who was presently deliuered and freed wholy from all his infirmities Againe at another time also as Xauerius sayled from Ambionum a Citty in the Ilands of Moluca vnto the Iland of Baranula there arose vpon the suddaine a cruell Tempest for the deasing wherof he tooke frō his neck a little Crucifixe about a fingars length and held it in his hand in the water for a good space praying vnto our Lord for the ceasing of the tempest The ship beinge tossed to and fro with the waues by chance he let it fall from him into the sea for which he was very pensiue shewed great signes of sorrow The day following they all ariued safe at the for said Iland whither they were to sayle where Xauerius going a land with his Companion a long the sea shore towards the towne of Tamalum behould a great sea-Crabbe leapt from out the sea to land carring the said Crucifix vpright and on high betweene her Finnes and made hast to Xauerius who seing the wonder fell downe on his knees and reuerently tooke the Crucifix from her and then prosently without more adoe the fish returned into the sea Xauerius hauing receaued the Crucifix kissed the same deuoutly and with his armes a crosse for halfe an houre lay prostrate vpon the ground in prayer with his Companiō giuing God thanks for so wonderfull a miracle Many more and strange were the miracles which God wrought by Xauerius his intercession in his life time as when with the signe of the crosse he turned the salt water of the sea into sweet when he cured the blinde raised three bodies frō death to life wherof one had laine a whole day buried in his graue and the like as may be seene at large in the said Relation All which together with his excellent vertues aboue touched did so fill the most wide large Prouinces both of East and West with the great fame of his admirable sanctity that euen while he was yet aliue he was called by no other name but Saint both by Christians and Infidells all euer calling vpō him though he were absent in all their dangers and afflictions As soone as he was dead his body was put into a coffin full of pure lime and so buried vnder ground that the flesh being consumed his bones might the sooner be carried into the Indies But foure monethes after they found both his cloathes and his body as fresh and free frō all corruption as if they had bene then newly put into the coffin and yielding more ouer a most sweet and comfortable smell vnto all that were present Wherfore putting it againe into the same Coffin with fresh lime they brought it vnto Malaca at the very first entrance whereof into the Citty a great plague which Xauerius had foretold and had long afflicted the same wholy ceased and there likewise finding it yet entire and sweet they made a new coffin and by thrusting in the body for they made it too little bloud issued out of his shoulders and so they buried him only with earth in a Church of our B. Ladie where also nine monethes after his death being found as before and with the veyle that couered his face all imbrued in fresh bloud they made him a rich and sumptuous Coffin wherin being carried into the Indies he was solemnely receiued in the Citty of Goa with great Pōpe both of the Viceroy him selfe and of all the Clergy people who flocked thither from all parts to see and reuerence his sacred body which after many ●●ialls found still to remayne vncorrupted and that without balme or an yother pretious ointments was placed at last in a sepulcher made of purpose at the right side of the high altar in the church of the Society in the same Citty Vnto which as also vnto other Churches in which his Images are set vp to be piously reuerenced all as well heathens as Christians doe make great pilgrimages obtayning therfore of God no small fauours by his intercession For by this meanes the blind recouer sight the leprosy and other diseases are cured the dead raised to life and many other such like wonders wrought Nay which is more and very wonderfull there was a woman called Lucy de Villanzan who being an hundred and twenty yeares of age and had bene baptized by Xauerius after his death got a Meddall made at Coccinum wheron was engrauen his picture for the great deuotion she had towards the said Blessed Father for twelue yeares together she vsed to touch sicke and diseased people therwith with as also diuers kinds of vlcers cankers and other sores washing thē in the water wherin she did put the said meddall with great reuerence and humility making the signe of the Crosse vpon them and saying In the name of Iesus and of Father Francis Xauerius be thy health restored to thee c. they were presently cured and many other meruailous things were done by the vertue of the said meddall sincere faith and deuotion of that Christian woman So great is the respect which the very Infidells themselues beare to Xauerius that although they haue destroyed a dozen Churches within the Coast of Trauancor neere to the Promōtary of Comorinum yet they would neuer touch or once meddle with the Church of Cottara stāding amongst the rest which for hauing in it the Image of Xauerius they greatly honour calling it the Church of the great Father And so amongst other wonderfull workes of God in confirmation of the Christian Faith and sanctity of Xauerius the very lampes that hang before his Image hauing nothing else but holy water in them haue bene seene to burne for many houres together as if there had bene oyle and that with great admiration and wonder of many Turkes and Infidells wherof some especially such as the Christians did now and then inuite to see the miracle to the intent that they might make a full triall of the truth diuers times changed the water and put new matches or weekes in the said lampes which neuerthelesse did burne as before sometimes euen take fire and kindle of themselues Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis O how wonderfull is God in his Saints THE LIFE OF S. PHILIP Nerius of Florēce Founder of the Cōgregation of The Oratory wittten in Latin by Antony Gallonius Priest of the same Congregation and translated into English SAINT Philip Nerius was borne in Florence a famous and principall Citty of Italy the 23. of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord 1515. Whose parents were Francis Nerius Lucretia Soldi Cittizens of Florence When he was but fiue yeares old he was so obedient vnto his father and mother that whatsoeuer they commaunded him to doe or not to doe he most diligently and carefully obserued It happened that on a time a seruāt of his Fathers brought frō his Farme which he had in the Countrey an Asse loaden with apples which
Colledge called the colledge of gentlemen therin to instruct the young nobility in all vertue learning and discipline and another for the cleargy of the Heluetians and Switzers where they are instructed in Philosophy and Diuinity to help the the conuersion of their countries which produceth such exceeding fruit that it may of right be called the rampaire and defence of the Catholike Faith in the confines of Germany At Pauia he built another called the colledge of Borromeus which is without comparison the most goodly and most sumptuous that is in all Europe and endued the same with great reuenues He founded a congregation of secular priest called Oblats of S. Ambrose He built a Church neere our Ladies of Rauda in his diocesse in honor of the Queen of heauen and another very sumptuous in Milan called the Church of S. Fidelis which hegaue to the fathers of the Society for whom he also foūded the Colledge of Brera in Milan where they read all sciēces like vnto that which was erected in Rome by Pope Gregory the thirtēth He likewise built a Colledge for the order of Theatins Two other Seminaries he built in Milan the one in the Church and house of Saint Iohn Baptist capable of a hundred and fifty priests The other called Canonicall wherin are resident sixty cleargy mē who study the holy Scripture and cases of Conscience to become able to take vpon them the care of soules two others also in the Diocesse of Celana He erected two Conuents of the poore Clares with he babit of Capucinesses each containing fifty religious who leade so holy and austere a life that all th Citty of Milan hold for assured to be succoured by their prayers in any necessity He built also a house with prouision spirituall and temporall for poore maidens that were left fatherlesse that so their honesty should be conserued and two for women which eyther were forsaken by their husbands or by some meanes had blemished their good name or were any way in danger of soule or body and a Hospitall for those that were infected with the plague Finally to omit many more of like sorte for breuities sake he let passe no worke of charity towards poore and distressed persons of either sex as well of body as of soule For exāple at what time there was in Milan an infinit number of poore beggats gathered together who were ready to dye for hungar and thirst the plague being then in chiefest fury he caused to be giuen vnto them all the prouision that was in his house and after commaunded all his siluer and goldē plate to be carried to the kings coyners and to be stamped into mony and giuen vnto them And moreouer he disfurnished his palace of all the tapistry to the very carpets of his tables to cloth the poore against the rigor of the cold Yea his charity extēded it selfe so far as to lye himselfe vpon the bordes and cause his owne bed to be carried to the Hospitall And further he depriued himselfe of the Dutchy of Auriana in the kingdome of Naples valued at ten thousand Ducats yearly mony of Naples giuing all that sūme vnto the poore vnto Hospitals and vnto other works of piety so that one may iustly say that S. Charles was much more affected towards the poore then he was towards his owne kinred Amongst sixty or seauenty thousand poore persons sick of the plague and of other diseases one was not to be foūd that wanted foode or rayment so great was the care solicitude of S. Charles especially to those who were infected with the plague to whome this pittifull Pastour did goe in person frō tent to tēt to succor visit thē as they lay in the fields which visit he often continued till six or seauen houres within the night And albeit he had in his traine a great number of priests which he had sent for out of Sauoy to administer vnto them the holy Sacraments yet he himselfe also vndertooke the same work so full of perill as to visit them and to administer the Sacraments vnto them with his owne hands making no difficulty to stand by the beds side of those that dyed and to put them in mind of the mercy of God and to giue them full pardon in the houre of death Great likewise was the temperāce abstinence and austerity of life of this holy Saint who first accustomed to fast once a weeke then twice and afterwards foure tymes a weeke and so cōtinued vntill such time as quite for saking flesh wine and all other meates he accustomed himselfe to fast euery day except holy dayes taking only a meane refection in bread and water He likewise got a custome to eate and to study altogether so to gayne tyme and many tymes he was found eating vpon his knees because of his reading of the holy Scriture which he still did read in that posture of body to declare the great reuerence that he bare therto Sometymes he remayned in the Church by occasion of the forty houres prayer all the tyme that they lasted and almost in each houre preached to the people the concourse wherof was great both night and day To these rigors of fastings he added the chasticement of his body with whippes scourges woare a shirt of haire slept vpon a bed of straw or else vpon the bare bordes He would not in the greatest cold come neere the fier and alwaise had his handes bare so that sometimes the bloud issued from them For an euident signe of the fanctity of this seruant of God and in approbation of his great zeale in defending the rightes priuiledges of the Church and reforming of corruptiō crept in amongst the religious and cleargy vnder his care behold how the hand of Almighty God was very present assisting him at such tyme as a wicked Apostata attempted to slay him the occasion of which crime was as followeth This holy Archbishop endeauouring to reforme the order of the Religious called Humiliats of whome he was Protectour by order of the Apostolique Sea and labouring to restraine their scandalous liberty and to reduce them to the first obseruation of their anciēt rule foure of them who stifly withstood this reformation cōspired his death not otherwise able to auoid restraint by reason of the great zeale and authority of their zealous pastour and protectour Wherupon one of them named Hierom Farina for a summe of mony receiued promised to be executioner of this murder This fellow therfore conducted by the diuell as a second Iudas in the yeare 1569. the 26. day of October at one a clock in the night finding S. Charles according to his custome at prayer in his Bishops chappel euē as the quier sung these words of the ghospell Let not your hart be troubled nor feare you not This wicked murderer hauing got on secular apparell approaching neere vnto the Bishop shot off a pistoll charged with a bullet sundry other murthring shot the bullet wherof lighted full
lesse then Noble She had a vineyard out of Rome without S. Paules gate from whence she vsed ordinarily to bring fagots made of vine branches or of other wood which the place afforded vnto Rome on her head and there to distribute it amongst the poore and oftentimes she hath bene seene together with her Companion Vannosia begging in the Citty from doore to doore during a great famine for the reliefe of poore people Her patiēce is incredible in bearing as well the aduersities of the body as of the mind for when her husband for being engaged in the ciuill broyles of the Citty was banisht and his goods cōfiscated and her brother-in-law Paulinus sent likewise into a miserable exile and her sonne I hon Baptista taken forcibly away from her for hostage the spirit of this S. remained victorious and vndaunted as well in the losse of her childrne as of her husband friends She praysed God in the ruine of so rich honorable a family so neerly concerning her as that of her husbāds did in briefe in all the assaults and afflictiōs with which the diuell assayled her patience she got the victory put him to shame confusion and euer praysed God She did eate ordinarily but once a day and then very sparingly and for the most part fed vpon hearbes or rootes which she did eate only with salt She abstayned both from wine fish and neuer did eate flesh but in great necessity and then in very little quantity She alwayes eate without appetite for she had so lost and mortified her tast by her cōtinuall fasting and abstinēce that the most sweetest things seemed to her bitter and vnsauory When she was not with her husband she vsed to repose her body vpō a bed so straite as she mightmore properly be said to sit and leane then lye or rest thereon She vsed to sleepe in her clothes and that only but two houres in the night and yet contrary to the generall custome of Italy she neuer slept in the day She girded a sharpe hairecloth vnto her naked body with a great girdle made of horse haire that it might the more afflict her she disciplined herselfe ordinarily with a discipline of six cordes ech corde hauing a rowell at the end She vsed also a hoope of iron which she fastned so straitly vnto her skin that it became almost buried in the flesh which hoope the discipline her Ghostly Father commaunded to vse nomore and which together with her hairecloth are to be seene at this day in her Monastery She made her a cup of a dead mās Scull for to drinke that little water in which she vsed for the sustenance of nature both to diminish the little pleasure she might haue in drinking by the hortor of that spectacle as also to haue euer before her eyes the memory and image of death She had accustomed so often and so violently to beate her brest that it became hardned like brawne if it hapned that she offended neuer so little by any one part of her body vpon the same part would she presently and pittifully reuenge her selfe And if her tongue had offended she would byte it till the bloud followed and so in like manner on any other part or sense This Saint went customarily to confession euery Wedensday and Saturday and to Communion at the least once a weeke she visited often the Churches of S. Peter in the Vatican S. Paules out of the walles of the Citty our Blessed Ladies de Ara Caeli Sancta Maria Nuoua our Blessed Ladies on the other side of Tibur and Saint Cecilies where desiring one day to communicate the Priest not approuing that married women should cōmunicate so often gaue vnto her in place of the Blessed Sacramēt an vnconsecrated host by which S. Francis was deceaued of her expectation but not by his imposture for presently she feeling the want of those inteteriour comforts of her soule which she vsed to receaue by the presence of her spouse knew he was absent whereof with a great and sensible feeling of the losse she complained to Father Antony de Monte Sabellio at that time her Ghostly Father who thereupon examined the Priest and he confessed the crime and humbly begged pardon and secrecie of the offence This Saint being one day retired with her Holy Companion Vannosia to a hidden Oratory which she had made in her garden vnder the shadow of an Arbor being then the moneth of Aprill it pleased God to shew them both how gratfull their retiremēt as also their communication together which was about the withdrawing themselues wholy from the world was vnto him by his great bounty in causing that from the Arbor there dropped downe at their feete ripe peares both faire and excellēt although both out of seasō not the naturall fruite of that tree which they hauing tasted finding wonderfull pleasant and delectable bare the rest vnto their husbands therby to stirre vp in thē greater deuotion and confidence in God After the death of her husband she retired her selfe into a Monastery which she had so long and earnestly desired wherin she attained to a most high degree of perfection became a most perfect patterne of all sanctity of life holines In so much that after a while she was chosen Gouernesse of the whole house had many worthy disciples and Virgins vnder her whome she instructed with such sweetnes feruour of spirit hauing receaued a wonderfull new light learning from heauen that she was a mirrour to thē all She was very often rapt in extasie and had therin such sweet and sensible communication with her Lord and spouse Christ Iesus as was wonderfull of whome she learned infinite mysteries and became indued with so diuine and propheticall a spirit that God gaue vnto her the priuiledge of kowing the state of all such persons soules as came in her presence And thus this Blessed S. heaping vp daily more and more merit by her great Sanctity of life she fell into her last sicknes the yeare of our Lord 1440. who by diuine reuelation was admonished of the day and houre of her death Wherfore she making cōtinuall preparation therto without any great sicknes of body when the day came she heard masse and communicated and spent all the rest of the same day in spirituall communication with her sisters and disciples saying the houres of the Breuiary Euensong and Compline with them and when the night grew on she seemed to take her last leaue of them all and setting her selfe as it were in prayer being rapt into an extasy and talking with her spouse she pleasantly rendred her holy soule into the hands of her Creatour Whē it was knowne she was dead there was such a wonderfull cōcourse of people to doe honour to her holy body as was strange and the miracles that were wrought therat are sufficient to make a good volume by themselues Her body was carried to our blessed Ladies new Church
Cardinalls Vpō the report of his death the whole Citty came flocking to kisse his hands feete and among others the Viceroy with all the Nobility and kings officers the Ecclesiasticall and Religious mē After dinner his body was carried into the Church with much adoe to passe through the presse of people it was laid vpon a hearse All the Religious Orders came to sing the office of the dead the Dominicans Mercedes Franciscans Augustines Trinitarians Minimes with their Superious and Prouincialls as also the whole Chapter of Chanons and all the Priests Pastours of the towne Incredible it is to one that did not see it what a multitude there was of those who came to touch his body with their beades or to get some little peece of his garment for Reliques of sicke folkes who came to touch him in so much that sixe of the Society and two Fathers of S. Dominicke who affoarded their helpe were not sufficient to reach the beades and meddalls wrapped in hādkerchiffes and throwne by the people that could not come neere to haue them touch his body The Office of the dead being said as the custome is there was made a short Sermō only to declare vnto the people some few particulars of his life during which time no man presumed to couer his head in presence of the holy Corps though the Church was as full as it could thrust all as deuout and silent as if there had beene no man there The next day being Friday he was most solēnely interred in the Church of the Society wherat the foresaid Viceroy Nobility Ecclesiasticall Regular were againe present as also the Lord Bishop who the day before was sicke and could not be present The Masse was song with Organs musicke and other significations of deuotion At the same instant that he was carried to be buried a yong man who by reasō of a thin skinn couering his eyes caused a great dimnes was almost become blind came full of hope to the holy Brothers Hearse kneeling downe kissing his handes presently all the paine ceased and the little skinne which before couered the ball of his eyes falling away he receiued his sight most perfectly And to the end that some there present might open the eyes of their mindes shut with incredulity Blessed Alphonsus opened also his owne eyes which death had closed a thing no lesse admirable then profitable that might conceaue a great opinion of his holines whom almighty God did honour with so great miracles For a certaine Priest amongst the rest not being very well contented to see the Viceroy and all the Senate one after another to kisse the Blessed Brothers hands yet least he might giue offence by omitting that duety which all others did performe resolued with himselfe not to kisse the holy mans hands as others did but comming with the rest to kisse the crosse which he held in his hands therby intending to conceale his thoughts from the standers by which yet he could not doe from the dead man For as soone as he came neere to the astonishment of all the dead man opening his eyes cast them with a smiling countenance vpon the Priest stretching out his hand seemed to inuite him to kisse it The Priest astonished presently with great reuerēce kissed the same and departed thence and wholy became another mā The same day a child was healed of a rupture by the only touch of a peece of his cassock The same time also a sucking child was cured of a vehement ague wherof it lay desperate whose throat being stopped with a great swelling in the iawes it had not sucked for 4. dayes therfore a certaine gentlewoman hauing confidence of supernaturall helpe encouraged the parents of the child and applying an handkerchiffe wherwith she had touched the holy mans body recouered the child presently that there remained not so much as any signe of infirmity Two dayes after Blessed Alphonsus his death there came a woman afflicted with many grieuous infirmities and diseases and among the rest with a dangerous bloudy fluxe in so much that there being no hope of her life a Father was called to assist her at her death Before the Father came she was past sense hauing turned vp the white of her eyes ready to giue vp the ghost when on the suddaine a peace of B. Alphonsus his cassocke being applyed by the Father she cried out that she was cured Her fluxe ceased the ague wēt away in so much that one might doubt whether was first the Reliques applied or she healed As sonne as she was come to her selfe she made her Confession to the Father with the same ioy of mind wherwith she had receaued her corporall health Being thus restored to the health both of body and minde she liued after with much deuotion towards him by whose meanes she receyued it Some 4. daies after his funeralls another womā being desperatly sicke of an ague which came euery day vpon her with a great head-ach made recourse to God sending her little Sonne of 7. yeares old to say his beades at B. Alphonsus his Tombe and to touch the Tombe therewith the child did so returning home his mother tooke the beades touching her head put thē about her necke the paine presently ceased God Almighty recompencing the childes prayer the mothers deuotion and confidence with restoring her health and by and by she falling a sleepe saw B. Alphonsus compassed with a great light who for the accomplishment of the benefit restored also her strength so as she presently rising out of her bed as well as stronge as euer before began with all her forces to singe his prayses by whose intercession she had obtayned that benefit Another womā hauing a sore breast extremly swolne and hardened for the space of two monethes had in vaine tried all humane remedies who being wonderfully encouraged by the example of others began to haue hope in Alphonsus and laid a peece of his cloacke to her brest saying a Pater noster which before she had ended the swelling began to be asswaged the corruption to breake forth in such aboūdance that she begā to feare least all her breast being inwardly putrified would fall away which feare increased the miracle and the miracle the ioy For two dayes after both the holes of the vlcer were so growne vp that there remayned not so much as any marke therof out of the same briest hauing two dayes before come such aboundance of corruption now the third day there came forth milke as good and pure as euer before by which miracle the mother was preserued from death and her yong suckinge child from staruing These miracles recoūted are testified by the disposition of sworne witnesses Many other things be daily related which shall after be publshed for God seemeth to haue set vp this holy Brother as a light to the world who also 〈…〉 the same before by his ve●tues The generall deuotion of the people doth witnes it sufficiētly who from morning to night neuer cease comming some offering cādles others making vowes and the like in so much that he seemeth to liue in his sepulcher such are the wonders he worketh A man may gh●sse of what sāctity he was in his life which being dead causeth such deuotiō in the people that resort vnto him and he recōpēseth their reares by grāting their desires That you may expect many the like things hereafter I will briefly recount one worthy of a large relatiō Some dayes before his death as he lay in his bed thinking on the heauēly felicity which was prepared for him from all eternity he began to taste of those delights so much the more purely and aboundātly as being abstracted from sensible things he drew neerer to Almighty God who represented vnto his mind the kingdome of Maiorea as he did the whole world to S. Benet in a beame of light adding these words Doest thou see this kingdome I haue resolued to make t●ee famous in ●● by Working of many miracles by meanes of thy prayers And we already hoping of this promise I conclude wishing that whosoeuer hath beene stirred vp to admiration by these may likewise be stirred vp to deuotiō to this Holy mā that as the better part of him doth liue immortally in heauen he may also in some sort liue still immortally with vs on earth For the Diuine Goodnesse hath seemed to determine with itselfe so to recōpence the Deuotion of Holy Alphonsus Rodriquez that as in his life he made him a patterne of Religious perfectiō for the example of others so now being dead for the glory of himselfe his Saints he maketh him wōderfull to the world causing many to haue confidēce in his patronage that being departed hence he may not haue lesse Honour by this cōfidence in his sanctity then whiles he remayned heere aliue he had gayned by the opinion of the same His body lyeth buried at Maiorca in the Church of the Fathers of the Society in the same Iland the which is so honoured by all the Inhabitāts therof that it is wonderfull to see and the dayly and certaine miracles wrought therat are already sufficient to make a whole volume His memory is very famous all ouer Europe and his Picture is exposed to be publikely reuerenced with licence of the Popes Holines in many Churches and Oratories therby to put vs in remembrance of that saying of the Holy Prophet Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis God is wonderfull in his Saints To whose prayers and merits let all good Christians commend themselues Amen La●s Deo FINIS APPROBATIO HORVM Sanctorū Vitae ex alijs linguis in Anglicam à D. Eduardo Kinesman versae tutò cum fructu edi possunt Audomarop 27. Maij M. DC XXIII Ioan. Floydus Soc. Iesu Theologus