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
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
she whould neuer permit so much as her parents to touch or handle her vnles she were first clothed Growing more in yeares she fled from all the pastimes of that age and delighted only with solitude by the benefit of which she applied her selfe to prayer and deuotion which together with her age so increased in her that at eleauē yeares old she discouered an earnest desire to retire her selfe from the world and to serue God the rest of her dayes in some Monastery One day she saw in spirit a beauteous graue noble matrone fiercely and neerely pursued by many fearfull furious Gyants wherwith she being moued to compassion prayed for her deliuerance with such feruour that at last the matrone seemed to be wholy deliuered from the danger of her pursuers which matrone she vnderstood after to be the holy Church the Giants that pursued her those which at that time had disturbed her peace by a dangerous Schisme In another vision her glorious Patron Saint Paul the Apostle together with the Holy Patriarch S. Benet S. Mary Magdalen appeared to her admonishing her to redouble her prayes and feruour therby to appease and auert the anger of God and his plagues which were already prepared from falling on the Citty of Rome to whom she obeyed with such feruour and earnestnes that she left not praying vntill she was giuen to vnderstand that the wrathe of God was withdrawne and turned from Rome and from the holy Church She had likewise another Reuelation from S. Benet that she was come into the world to helpe to the saluation of soules and that she was the particular guift of God to men in those miserable and wicked times for the good of humane generation and that therefore she was to apply her selfe wholy vnto their ayde This child admirable in vertue and piety hauing sought desired to dedicate her selfe wholy in some Religious monastery to God at twelue yeares old by the expresse and absolute commaundemēt of her parents was constrayned to espouse her selfe to Laurentius de Pontiano a Roman Gentleman After which mariage she liuing in a House of her husbāds on the other side of Tyber made it knowne by a great and violent sicknes that she there had how gratefull that kind of life was vnto her Being recouered from her sicknes she liued as much retired as she could excusing hir selfe from bāquets and feasts both of parents and friends and shunning all kind of sports wherwith others of her yeares and condition vsed to be much recreated and delighted All her delight was in prayer meditation and frequent visitation of Churches where she attended to the Diuine Office Sermons with great tendernes of deuotion She exercised notwithstandinge all those vertues towards her husband which were most rare or any way commendable in a wife but aboue all obedience ioyned with such a great respect and reuerence vnto him that it is most certaine that for the space of 40. yeares that they liued together the peace of sacred mariage was neuer violated betweene them by the least vnkind word for so perfectly and wholy had she subiected her will desire vnto her husband that vpon what occasion soeuer she neuer seemed to haue other will then what she saw to be his If at any time she were called by her husband or by any other of the house to put in order any houshold affaires she would promptly leaue her prayers or any other kind of deuotion vnsinished and goe to doe what she was required It pleased our Lord one day by an especiall miracle to sheew how acceptable this her promptitude was vnto him for in saying the Office of our B. Lady she being called away foure times and as oftē being forced to leaue off in one and the selfe same verse and at last returning found that verse written in godden letters which was done by her good Angell as S. Paul afterward in a vision declared vnto her by which it pleased our Lord to shew in what manner we ought to prefer the obediēce which we owe to our Superiours before his owne seruice The holy Sacrament of wedlocke together with matrimoniall chastity this holy woman conserued in such perfectiō that euery one of her acts was a seuerall testimony of her continency and purity especially by the cōtinuall afflicting of her body with wearing of haire cloth disciplines such like austerities it was easy to gather in what esteeme she had all carnall concupiscēce delight Her austerities were so seuere that her husband pittying her great and excessiue mortificatiōs accorded with her for many yeares before his death to passe the rest of their liues in perfect continency The sight of men not only was vnpleasing vnto her but also afflicted her but yet much more the sight of vnchast and dishonest women whom neuertheles moued by an ardēt charity she laboured earnestly to conuert to God and to retire from their lewd and naughty liues One day passing towards the Iewes streete she saw diuers diuells dauncing in a certaine house making great cheere which moued her to enquire of the neighbours who they were that dwelt in that house and hauing vnderstood that there inhabited two famous Courtesans who were much frequēted she persuaded their Landlord to put them out of his house which was done and the diuells abandoned their lodging The foule Fienns for this cause diuers others were greatly enraged animated against this S. and therefore desirous to reuenge themselues appeared vnto her some times in the likenes of a man sometimes of a woman euer in some or other lasciuious and dishonest manner whome she made still to depart confounded and ashamed through the inuocation of the holy name of Iesus But one day especially the diuell being enraged against her by reason of a notable conquest that she had gotten ouer him he brought into her chamber in the night the body of a dead man halfe putrified casting forth a most pestilent and intollerable stinck which he drew ouer all the parts of her naked bodie so oftē that he left her all ouer infected with that most horrible stinke but especially there remayned a liuely loathsome memory in her imagination that for euer after she neuer eate without vomiting and loathing and which is more she conceyued therevpon such an auersion from all men that whensoeuer she came neere vnto any afterward she trembled with feare and euen supposed then to feele the same most loathsome sauour She desired of God to haue children not for earth but for heauen therfore when they were borne in bringing thē vp she was more carefull to frame their minds then their bodies and to teach them the art to die well rather then any art wherby they might apply themselues to line She had one Sonne named Euangelist who in his infancy was not only indued with more then mature wisedome but also with the guift of Prophesy This child playing one day with his
his life miracles permitted that his Picture might be publiquely set vp neere vnto his Tombe with lights burning before it and the memories and votiue Tables of the miracles which our Lord had wrought by his intercession to be there likewise publiquely hunge vpon the walles the which was done with a wonderfull extraordinary cōcourse of people both frō the Citty Court of Rome the King of Polonia his Embassadour being present the Sunday following the Bishop of Seruia sunge Masse at his body assisted by the forsaid Embassadour of Polonia and other of the Nobility of Poland that were then in Rome Likewise in Polonia in diuers Churches masse was publiquely said in his Commemoration where the Altars were richly adorned with his Reliques and Images placed theron diuers rich guiftes and presents were sent from Polonia and other Countreyes to adorne his Tombe Altar in Rome which are visited euery day with singular deuotion by reason of the many miracles that it hath pleased our Lord to worke by his intercessiō in diuers places of Europe Many praying at his sepulcher haue felt a most sweet odour to proceed from his body which being opened a long time after his death his said body was found entire without any corruption at all The miracles that it hath pleased our Lord to worke by this his seruant are very many at large set downe in the booke of his life out of which these few that follow are briefly taken forth In the Prouince of Rusia a venerable Priest being grieuously sicke B. Stanislaus appeared vnto him with two other Saints assuring him that they shortly should meete all together in heauē vpon which the Priest who was much deuoted vnto him was greatly comforted and shortly after died One that was possessed by the diuell at Rome exceedingly tormenred with euill spirits was deliuered by the intercessiō of B. Stanislaus A certaine Lady in Frence being become lame and impotent by reason of certaine poison that had ben giuen her desired to be carried in a chaire to a certaine Church where humbly beseeching our Lord by the merits of B. Stanislaus to restore vnto her her health and strength she was sodainly healed and rising from her chaire in the sight of many people she walked alone to the wonder astonishment of all that were present especially of the Phisitians who had long before esteemed her incurable Diuers other womē haue ben succoured by his intercession in their trauayles of Childbirth others haue ben deliuered from feuers swellings blindnes many broken legges and armes haue ben made whole many diseases almost incurable healed By drinking a little wine wherein one of his bones had ben steeped one was cured of a dangerous sicknes Another was cured by the touch of one of his teeth and by other his Reliques diuers others At Rome in the yeare 1602 a Gentleman of Poland visited with a cōtinuall feuer desired a certaine Priest to pray vnto B. Stanislaus for his recouery who with great confidēce in the name of God commaunded the feuer by the merits of that B. Seruāt of his to depart and no more afflict the Gentleman which God by his intercession effected and the Gentleman was sodainly restored to his health For these and diuers other restimonies by which it hath pleased God to shew forth the Sanctity of his Seruant Stanislaus his sepulcher or shrine is wunderfully frequented and reuerenced at Rome and adorned by the piety of deuout people with so many ornaments and riches that of the number of the remarquable and memorable thinges to be seene at Rome this is reckoned for one He was of small stature his haire blacke of faire complexion full faced he alwayes looked cheerfully and was of a pleasing composition of body of so rare and singular modesty that the only beholding of his face did moue others to deuotion and purity of life His holy life is of very great esteeme and read with admiration both in France Italy Flaunders Bohemia Germany Polonia and Spaine wherof this is only an abridgement the which whosoeuer shall peruse attentiuely shall find full of rare examples of vertue and learne that there is no age so young that may not with its owne endeauours cooperating with Gods grace imploying it selfe wholy in his seruice gayne to it selfe the treasure of many merits the testimony of an holy life the blessednes of an happy death and finally the glory of an euerlasting kingdome THE LIFE AND VERTVES OF Holy Alphonsus Rodriquez a Brother Coadiutor of the Society of Iesus abridged by Father Michael Iulian of the same Society ALphonsus Rodriquez was borne at Segouia a famous Citty in Spaine and studying in Valentia heard his Humanity and Retoricke two yeares leading a very exēplar kind of life in all modesty deuotion He was called miraculously to the Order of the Society of Iesus was receaued therin for a Coadiutor The first yeare of his Nouiceship he was sent to the Colledge of Maiorca an Iland betweene Sicily and Spaine and because the story of his whole life is now in hand to be written at large remitting my selfe therunto I will only touch some few principall things out of an infinite number which might be recounted From the first day that this holy Brother begā to serue God in the Society of Iesus he made a firme resolution to serue him with great diligence and therfore he besought his diuine maiesty that he would be pleased to exercise him in continuall paines and trauailes He was so excellent in all kind of vertues that he was a perfect modell and patterne of the same He was so humble that he esteemed himselfe the greatest sinner in the world and though he knew by reuelatiō that he should be saued without going to Purgatory yet was he wont to weepe for his sinnes neither did any thing so grieue him as when he saw himselfe esteemed by others wōdring how any body could endure to treate with so base and vile a creature such was his opinion of himselfe He was very notable in mortification both exteriour and interiour seeking in euery thing that which was most repuguant to sense fensuall appetite as well in distastfull meates which if they were by chance giuē him he eate in great hast least they should be changed as also in other pennances and corporall mortifications fastinges wearing of hairecloth and the like and euen in these latter yeares wherin he hath benevery sickly to haue desired leaue he might not omit any fasting dayes besides that euery weeke he vsed to take three disciplines during the time of his infirmity He was so giuē to feruēt prayer that he passed many ho wers of the night and the whole day in continuall prayer in so much that his exteriour exercises did not any way interrupt it giuing sufficiēt testimony by his rare modesty and singular good carriage how feruent his prayers were so that he neuer lost the presence of God not for
Cardinalls VpoÌ„ the report of his death the whole Citty came flocking to kisse his hands feete and among others the Viceroy with all the Nobility and kings officers the Ecclesiasticall and Religious meÌ„ After dinner his body was carried into the Church with much adoe to passe through the presse of people it was laid vpon a hearse All the Religious Orders came to sing the office of the dead the Dominicans Mercedes Franciscans Augustines Trinitarians Minimes with their Superious and Prouincialls as also the whole Chapter of Chanons and all the Priests Pastours of the towne Incredible it is to one that did not see it what a multitude there was of those who came to touch his body with their beades or to get some little peece of his garment for Reliques of sicke folkes who came to touch him in so much that sixe of the Society and two Fathers of S. Dominicke who affoarded their helpe were not sufficient to reach the beades and meddalls wrapped in haÌ„dkerchiffes and throwne by the people that could not come neere to haue them touch his body The Office of the dead being said as the custome is there was made a short SermoÌ„ only to declare vnto the people some few particulars of his life during which time no man presumed to couer his head in presence of the holy Corps though the Church was as full as it could thrust all as deuout and silent as if there had beene no man there The next day being Friday he was most soleÌ„nely interred in the Church of the Society wherat the foresaid Viceroy Nobility Ecclesiasticall Regular were againe present as also the Lord Bishop who the day before was sicke and could not be present The Masse was song with Organs musicke and other significations of deuotion At the same instant that he was carried to be buried a yong man who by reasoÌ„ of a thin skinn couering his eyes caused a great dimnes was almost become blind came full of hope to the holy Brothers Hearse kneeling downe kissing his handes presently all the paine ceased and the little skinne which before couered the ball of his eyes falling away he receiued his sight most perfectly And to the end that some there present might open the eyes of their mindes shut with incredulity Blessed Alphonsus opened also his owne eyes which death had closed a thing no lesse admirable then profitable that might conceaue a great opinion of his holines whom almighty God did honour with so great miracles For a certaine Priest amongst the rest not being very well contented to see the Viceroy and all the Senate one after another to kisse the Blessed Brothers hands yet least he might giue offence by omitting that duety which all others did performe resolued with himselfe not to kisse the holy mans hands as others did but comming with the rest to kisse the crosse which he held in his hands therby intending to conceale his thoughts from the standers by which yet he could not doe from the dead man For as soone as he came neere to the astonishment of all the dead man opening his eyes cast them with a smiling countenance vpon the Priest stretching out his hand seemed to inuite him to kisse it The Priest astonished presently with great reuereÌ„ce kissed the same and departed thence and wholy became another maÌ„ The same day a child was healed of a rupture by the only touch of a peece of his cassock The same time also a sucking child was cured of a vehement ague wherof it lay desperate whose throat being stopped with a great swelling in the iawes it had not sucked for 4. dayes therfore a certaine gentlewoman hauing confidence of supernaturall helpe encouraged the parents of the child and applying an handkerchiffe wherwith she had touched the holy mans body recouered the child presently that there remained not so much as any signe of infirmity Two dayes after Blessed Alphonsus his death there came a woman afflicted with many grieuous infirmities and diseases and among the rest with a dangerous bloudy fluxe in so much that there being no hope of her life a Father was called to assist her at her death Before the Father came she was past sense hauing turned vp the white of her eyes ready to giue vp the ghost when on the suddaine a peace of B. Alphonsus his cassocke being applyed by the Father she cried out that she was cured Her fluxe ceased the ague weÌ„t away in so much that one might doubt whether was first the Reliques applied or she healed As sonne as she was come to her selfe she made her Confession to the Father with the same ioy of mind wherwith she had receaued her corporall health Being thus restored to the health both of body and minde she liued after with much deuotion towards him by whose meanes she receyued it Some 4. daies after his funeralls another womaÌ„ being desperatly sicke of an ague which came euery day vpon her with a great head-ach made recourse to God sending her little Sonne of 7. yeares old to say his beades at B. Alphonsus his Tombe and to touch the Tombe therewith the child did so returning home his mother tooke the beades touching her head put theÌ„ about her necke the paine presently ceased God Almighty recompencing the childes prayer the mothers deuotion and confidence with restoring her health and by and by she falling a sleepe saw B. Alphonsus compassed with a great light who for the accomplishment of the benefit restored also her strength so as she presently rising out of her bed as well as stronge as euer before began with all her forces to singe his prayses by whose intercession she had obtayned that benefit Another womaÌ„ hauing a sore breast extremly swolne and hardened for the space of two monethes had in vaine tried all humane remedies who being wonderfully encouraged by the example of others began to haue hope in Alphonsus and laid a peece of his cloacke to her brest saying a Pater noster which before she had ended the swelling began to be asswaged the corruption to breake forth in such abouÌ„dance that she begaÌ„ to feare least all her breast being inwardly putrified would fall away which feare increased the miracle and the miracle the ioy For two dayes after both the holes of the vlcer were so growne vp that there remayned not so much as any marke therof out of the same briest hauing two dayes before come such aboundance of corruption now the third day there came forth milke as good and pure as euer before by which miracle the mother was preserued from death and her yong suckinge child from staruing These miracles recouÌ„ted are testified by the disposition of sworne witnesses Many other things be daily related which shall after be publshed for God seemeth to haue set vp this holy Brother as a light to the world who also 〈…〉 the same before by his veâ—tues The generall deuotion of the people doth witnes it sufficieÌ„tly who from morning to night neuer cease comming some offering caÌ„dles others making vowes and the like in so much that he seemeth to liue in his sepulcher such are the wonders he worketh A man may ghâ—sse of what saÌ„ctity he was in his life which being dead causeth such deuotioÌ„ in the people that resort vnto him and he recoÌ„peÌ„seth their reares by graÌ„ting their desires That you may expect many the like things hereafter I will briefly recount one worthy of a large relatioÌ„ Some dayes before his death as he lay in his bed thinking on the heaueÌ„ly felicity which was prepared for him from all eternity he began to taste of those delights so much the more purely and aboundaÌ„tly as being abstracted from sensible things he drew neerer to Almighty God who represented vnto his mind the kingdome of Maiorea as he did the whole world to S. Benet in a beame of light adding these words Doest thou see this kingdome I haue resolued to make tâ—ee famous in â—â— by Working of many miracles by meanes of thy prayers And we already hoping of this promise I conclude wishing that whosoeuer hath beene stirred vp to admiration by these may likewise be stirred vp to deuotioÌ„ to this Holy maÌ„ that as the better part of him doth liue immortally in heauen he may also in some sort liue still immortally with vs on earth For the Diuine Goodnesse hath seemed to determine with itselfe so to recoÌ„pence the Deuotion of Holy Alphonsus Rodriquez that as in his life he made him a patterne of Religious perfectioÌ„ for the example of others so now being dead for the glory of himselfe his Saints he maketh him woÌ„derfull to the world causing many to haue confideÌ„ce in his patronage that being departed hence he may not haue lesse Honour by this coÌ„fidence in his sanctity then whiles he remayned heere aliue he had gayned by the opinion of the same His body lyeth buried at Maiorca in the Church of the Fathers of the Society in the same Iland the which is so honoured by all the InhabitaÌ„ts therof that it is wonderfull to see and the dayly and certaine miracles wrought therat are already sufficient to make a whole volume His memory is very famous all ouer Europe and his Picture is exposed to be publikely reuerenced with licence of the Popes Holines in many Churches and Oratories therby to put vs in remembrance of that saying of the Holy Prophet Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis God is wonderfull in his Saints To whose prayers and merits let all good Christians commend themselues Amen Laâ—s Deo FINIS APPROBATIO HORVM SanctoruÌ„ Vitae ex alijs linguis in Anglicam à D. Eduardo Kinesman versae tutò cum fructu edi possunt Audomarop 27. Maij M. DC XXIII Ioan. Floydus Soc. Iesu Theologus
feruently prayed vnto God for the health of the poore man who was presently deliuered and freed wholy from all his infirmities Againe at another time also as Xauerius sayled from Ambionum a Citty in the Ilands of Moluca vnto the Iland of Baranula there arose vpon the suddaine a cruell Tempest for the deasing wherof he tooke froÌ„ his neck a little Crucifixe about a fingars length and held it in his hand in the water for a good space praying vnto our Lord for the ceasing of the tempest The ship beinge tossed to and fro with the waues by chance he let it fall from him into the sea for which he was very pensiue shewed great signes of sorrow The day following they all ariued safe at the for said Iland whither they were to sayle where Xauerius going a land with his Companion a long the sea shore towards the towne of Tamalum behould a great sea-Crabbe leapt from out the sea to land carring the said Crucifix vpright and on high betweene her Finnes and made hast to Xauerius who seing the wonder fell downe on his knees and reuerently tooke the Crucifix from her and then prosently without more adoe the fish returned into the sea Xauerius hauing receaued the Crucifix kissed the same deuoutly and with his armes a crosse for halfe an houre lay prostrate vpon the ground in prayer with his CompanioÌ„ giuing God thanks for so wonderfull a miracle Many more and strange were the miracles which God wrought by Xauerius his intercession in his life time as when with the signe of the crosse he turned the salt water of the sea into sweet when he cured the blinde raised three bodies froÌ„ death to life wherof one had laine a whole day buried in his graue and the like as may be seene at large in the said Relation All which together with his excellent vertues aboue touched did so fill the most wide large Prouinces both of East and West with the great fame of his admirable sanctity that euen while he was yet aliue he was called by no other name but Saint both by Christians and Infidells all euer calling vpoÌ„ him though he were absent in all their dangers and afflictions As soone as he was dead his body was put into a coffin full of pure lime and so buried vnder ground that the flesh being consumed his bones might the sooner be carried into the Indies But foure monethes after they found both his cloathes and his body as fresh and free froÌ„ all corruption as if they had bene then newly put into the coffin and yielding more ouer a most sweet and comfortable smell vnto all that were present Wherfore putting it againe into the same Coffin with fresh lime they brought it vnto Malaca at the very first entrance whereof into the Citty a great plague which Xauerius had foretold and had long afflicted the same wholy ceased and there likewise finding it yet entire and sweet they made a new coffin and by thrusting in the body for they made it too little bloud issued out of his shoulders and so they buried him only with earth in a Church of our B. Ladie where also nine monethes after his death being found as before and with the veyle that couered his face all imbrued in fresh bloud they made him a rich and sumptuous Coffin wherin being carried into the Indies he was solemnely receiued in the Citty of Goa with great PoÌ„pe both of the Viceroy him selfe and of all the Clergy people who flocked thither from all parts to see and reuerence his sacred body which after many â—â—ialls found still to remayne vncorrupted and that without balme or an yother pretious ointments was placed at last in a sepulcher made of purpose at the right side of the high altar in the church of the Society in the same Citty Vnto which as also vnto other Churches in which his Images are set vp to be piously reuerenced all as well heathens as Christians doe make great pilgrimages obtayning therfore of God no small fauours by his intercession For by this meanes the blind recouer sight the leprosy and other diseases are cured the dead raised to life and many other such like wonders wrought Nay which is more and very wonderfull there was a woman called Lucy de Villanzan who being an hundred and twenty yeares of age and had bene baptized by Xauerius after his death got a Meddall made at Coccinum wheron was engrauen his picture for the great deuotion she had towards the said Blessed Father for twelue yeares together she vsed to touch sicke and diseased people therwith with as also diuers kinds of vlcers cankers and other sores washing theÌ„ in the water wherin she did put the said meddall with great reuerence and humility making the signe of the Crosse vpon them and saying In the name of Iesus and of Father Francis Xauerius be thy health restored to thee c. they were presently cured and many other meruailous things were done by the vertue of the said meddall sincere faith and deuotion of that Christian woman So great is the respect which the very Infidells themselues beare to Xauerius that although they haue destroyed a dozen Churches within the Coast of Trauancor neere to the PromoÌ„tary of Comorinum yet they would neuer touch or once meddle with the Church of Cottara staÌ„ding amongst the rest which for hauing in it the Image of Xauerius they greatly honour calling it the Church of the great Father And so amongst other wonderfull workes of God in confirmation of the Christian Faith and sanctity of Xauerius the very lampes that hang before his Image hauing nothing else but holy water in them haue bene seene to burne for many houres together as if there had bene oyle and that with great admiration and wonder of many Turkes and Infidells wherof some especially such as the Christians did now and then inuite to see the miracle to the intent that they might make a full triall of the truth diuers times changed the water and put new matches or weekes in the said lampes which neuerthelesse did burne as before sometimes euen take fire and kindle of themselues Mirabilis Deus in sanctis suis O how wonderfull is God in his Saints THE LIFE OF S. PHILIP Nerius of FloreÌ„ce Founder of the CoÌ„gregation of The Oratory wittten in Latin by Antony Gallonius Priest of the same Congregation and translated into English SAINT Philip Nerius was borne in Florence a famous and principall Citty of Italy the 23. of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord 1515. Whose parents were Francis Nerius Lucretia Soldi Cittizens of Florence When he was but fiue yeares old he was so obedient vnto his father and mother that whatsoeuer they commaunded him to doe or not to doe he most diligently and carefully obserued It happened that on a time a seruaÌ„t of his Fathers brought froÌ„ his Farme which he had in the Countrey an Asse loaden with apples which
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
he had done pennance But besides these God Almighty by intercession of this Saint both before and after his happy death wrought many miracles which are to be seene more at large in the Relation out of which this summe is taken and in other histories of his life I will heere only rehearse some few of them for our better instruction and further declaration of his sanctity And first his great charity zeale in procuring the saluation of soules was miraculously confirmed in that when a certaine man whose name was Lissanus for being cast in a suite of law and hanged himselfe and was by all mens iudgment stone dead he by his prayers obtayned of God Almighty so much time for him to line againe that might serue his turne to be sorry for his sinnes and to confeâ—â—e them to a Priest and receaue Absolution Secondly to increase our deuotion to holy Reliques that may suffice which happened to Bartholomew Contesti a Chirurgeon and Cittizen of Maiorca who was so tormented with a continual headach that for vehemency of the paine he was diuerse times forced to fal dowen to the very ground And besides this he had so grieuous a disease in one of his eyes that being vnable to behold the least glimpse of light he was fayne to be shut vp in a darke chamber eating no meat but what others put into his mouth As many and sundry medicines were applied as could be deuised but all in vaine for his disease still waxed worse and worse In so much that Bartholomew out of the intollerable paine he felt was not afraid to protest if a certaine Chirurgeon whose name was Pastor were aliue that he would cause him to placke out his eye by the very roote But as he lay now in this pittifull estate hearing by good chaunce of the manifold miracles that were euery where wrought by the intercession of S. Ignatius with great deuotion and hope of recouery by this meanes he desired that they would bring him one of his subscriptions or writings of his owne hand which was no sooner brought vnto him but he found himselfe well without all paine either of head or eyes rising out of his bed and beholding the light of the sunne with great ease and pleasure And that he might be the better assured that this so sudaine a cure was to be attributed to the diuine power and to the intercession of this seruant of God S. Ignatius for two or three seuerall times the Relique was no soner taken away out of his chamber but his former paine returned vnto him and the same Relique was no sooner brought backe againe into the chamber but his paine left him So that Bartholomew was aduised to keepe the Relique alwayes about him thus within three or foure dayes he came to be so perfectly well as if he had neuer bene sicke In Rome a Lady called Drusilla Tursellina being very much vexed with a vehement seuer and with the head-ach hauing vsed many remedies and bene let blood in her armes nostrills and head without profit her sicknes rather increasing euery day was presently healed by a relique of one of the Blessed Fathers bones laid vpon her forehead Another woman named Olimpia Norina had such a vehemeÌ„t paine in her eyes that she came to loose her sight for the space of three moneths had such a coÌ„tinuall ague paine in her head that she could notrest They brought her a subscription of the Blessed Fathers hand at the time that her paine was at the greatest laying it vpon her forehead and eyes she began to see and was ryd of her ague and paine In the same Citty in the yeare 1597. a noble mans child of seauen yeares old called Hierome Gabriell being sick of a pestilent seuer called a Taberdillo and of a plurisy hauing also the wormes so that there was little hope of his life was healed with the same subscription of the Blessed Father In the yeare 1599. the Lady Ioane Vrsina being but a child daughter to Cornelia Vrsina Duchesse of Cesi had so great a cough that she could scarcely breath or suck The Dutches her mother commeÌ„ded her very earnestly and deuoutly to blessed Father Ignatius and beseeched him to obtaine the health of her daughter wherevpon the child hauing bene a night and a halfe without rest presently fell a sleepe and her cough ceased she began to sucke her Nurses breast For which cause the Dutches commaunded a Tablet to be set on the Fathers graue in remembrance of the fauour she had receiued In the same yeare 1599. Angella Ruggiera was troubled with an extraordinary noise in her head for almost a yeare and lost the hearing of her right eare wherto applying a relique of the Blessed Father and making a vow to fast with bread and water the day of his departure and to communicate the day following recouered perfect health and remayned free from that infirmity In the Citty of Naples in the moneth of Iune of the yeare 1599 Donna of Aragon Princesse of Beltran Dutchesse of Terra-noua had a great payne and swelling in her right breast and finding no remedy amongst many which were applied in the space of foure moneths omitting them all as vnprofitable and laying vpon her breast with much deuotion the picture of the Blessed Father she became well the same day and comming to Rome the last Holy yeare of 1600. commaunded a tablet of siluer with foure great waxe Tapers to be set vpon the Blessed Fathers tombe on Easter day in thanksgiuing In the Citty of Nola the yeare 1599. in the moneth of NoueÌ„ber a knight named Francis Blasius being much vexed with a pestilent ague and with a grieuous paine in his head and stomack so that in the iudgement of the Phisitians he was in danger of his life his mother Zenobia Tolphia exhorted him to lay a relique of the bone of Blessed Father Ignatius to his head and to commend himselfe vnto him desiring his fauour He did so and remayned free froÌ„ all his paines and his whole sicknes In the Citty of Lecha which is in the Prouince of Apulia in the Kingdome of Naples a child of three yeares old sonne to the BaroÌ„ of Belli-boni fell from his Nurses armes vpon the ground and did notably hurt his right knee which grew euery day worse because the Nurse for feare concealed the fall and it went so far that it was necessary to open the childs knee oftener then once this helped not wherfore coÌ„ming to cut it the third time the Father fearing his Sonnes death whome he did see consumed with the wound and with the ague which followed thervpon went to the Colledge of the Society and there they gaue him a Relique of the Blessed Fathers bone which he laid vpon the child before they opened his knee the third time and wheÌ„ the Surgeons came to doe it they found him much better and within a few dayes altogether well I will conclude with one more
vpon his back some of the other lesser shot pierced his garments euen to his flesh and others went thorough a table of an inch thick and the residue did notably batter the walls the were before him Sodainly all the assistants rose vp on their feete and began to be sore affrighted he only who had receiued the blow sitting still vpon his knees remained in peace not showing any signe of feare But because the blow had made him much to bowe downward fearing they should thinke that he were slaine holding his haÌ„des still ioyned together he at the last lifted vp his head towards heauen and hauing appeased those that were present he ended the prayer he had begun without so much as once more mouing his body Afterwards retiring himselfe to goe to rest he found that his Rochet was soyled with the bullet and his other garments also but were not pierced NotwithaÌ„ding there appeared vpon his back a buÌ„ch of a blewish coulor like to dead flesh where the bullet had light which fell at the feete of Saint Charles as it were for reuerence not drawing so much as a drop of bloud which marke remayned vntill his death for a memory of the fact The Doctors of phisick and many others which had seene coÌ„sidered the place that was shot iudged that it was a cleere manifest miracle In fine the murderer was appreheÌ„ded with his foure companions by the commandemeÌ„t of the Duke Asburquerco couernour of MilaÌ„ by an edict which he published the selfe same night and shortly after were put to death for their horrible fact Hauing walked in the narrow way of this world triumphed ouer vices and adorned himselfe with all the excellent vertues before rehearsed the houre of his departure approaching neere he first visited the holy Sudary of our Sauiour Iesus at Turino with a singular vnspeakeable deuotion and from thence went to the mount of Varalla neere vnto Nouara where there is a deuout solitary place of Religious men and the sepulcher of our Sauiour is erected like vnto that in Hierusalem with diuers other monuments of Christs passion whervnto the holy man was specially deuoted where he abode the space of fifteene dayes exercising himselfe in most austere workes of pennance reÌ„dring his soule capable of celestiall glory by a generall Confession of all his life with many sighes and abundance of teares But falling sicke by his too much rigour and feeling that his sicknes increased he returned towards Milan enflaming those that went in his company in the loue of God by a burning charity wherwith he was wholy inflamed and by his sermons which he made of the glory of the blessed which were so ful of fire and so piercing that the harts of those that heard him were touched therwith in such sort that from their eyes distilled fountaines of teares He arriued at MilaÌ„ vpon the feast of All Soules towards euening and hauing passed the day following in holy discourses and receiued the Sacraments of the Church with singular deuotion and humility holding his eyes fixed vpon a picture of the sepulture of the dead couered with a shirt of haire and with ashes like vnto another S. Martin whose vertues he had diligeÌ„tly imitated during his life with great tranquility and quiet of body and mind he rendred his soule vp to God about three houres after sunne setting the last yeare of the Popedome of Gregory the 13. 47. yeare of his age It is impossible to declare what sorrowe what lameÌ„tations and what sighings the vnexpected death of this most holy pastor caused both in poore and rich The Church deplored her vigilant Pastour the tribunalls their incorrupted iudge the orphanes their protectour and defender and the needy their most liberall benefactour Finally to satisfy the great deuotion of the people which flowed thither on euery side it was necessary to expose the body the space of three dayes in the Church to the view of euery one The Bishops Pallace was filled with deepe sighes the streetes with sobbs and the houses with teares mourning so that there was not any in so great a multitude of people which did not bewaile the losse of his good father for hard it was to iudge whether there were more people in the streetes then vpon the topps of the houses and who pursued not his most holy Pastour with complaints and inconsolable sorrow in such sort that all the people cryed out aloud Mercy mercy euery one thinking himselfe right happy to touch with their beades or Rosary his venerable hody The miracles which Almighty God wrought by the intercession merits of S. Charles were very many wherof these which follow were in part examined and approued for his canonization He healed by the vertue of his holy prayer Iohn Pietro Stopano at this day Archbishop of Maccia in the valley of Telino of a deadly disease being forsaken of the phisitians By the signe of the crosse he preserued the Abbot Bernardino Tarusi and Ioseph Cauallerio being drowned in the râ—uer of Tâ—cino By the force of his prayer he saued froÌ„ the perill of death Iulio Homatto who being on horsback fell froÌ„ the top of a most high horrible precipice He draue away by the benediction of his hands diuers diuells who had loÌ„g tyme obsessed a young youth With the same benediction he healed in an instant one Margarete Vertua who had a double tertian ague for the space of eight moÌ„ths was brought vnto so low estate that she could not lying alwayes on her bed moue so much as any one part of her body In an instant he likewise healed by his blessing a noble woman of a disease proceeding of witch-craft diuelish art These miracles with many others were wrought by him during his life but he wrought a great many more after his death wherof for breuity sake I will recount only some omitting the circumstances which make the miracles the more famous declare only the matter it selfe and substance of the things Dame Paula Iustina Casara religious in the great monastery of Milan hauing bene for the space of eight yeares and a halfe paralitique altogether dead on the one side infected with diuers other diseases and lastly giuen ouer of the best Phisitians of the Citty finally inuocated S. Charles Borromeus and that with very great fruit for as soone as she had made her prayer before the picture of S. Charles by her sted-fast faith she was healed the yeare 1601. vpon the feast of S. Ihon Baptist And at the selfe same instant fearing to be more slack in giuing thaÌ„kes vnto the Saint then he had beene to giue her health she went forth of her chaÌ„ber entred into the Church and sunge Te DeuÌ„ together with the other religious who were all assembled to see this miracle Sister Candida a religious woman of the conuent of Capucinesses in Milan hauing lyen three yeares sick and her disease being iudged incurable by the Doctors hauing
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
neere vnto Campo Vaccino commonly called S. Maria Nuoua and there with great solemnity and veneration interred wherat miracles haue bene daily euer since wrought and the same is greatly honoured and reuerenced by all the people of Rome euen vntill this day She was Canonized for a S. by Pope Paul the fifth the 29. day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1606. Her feast is vsually celebrated vpon the ninth day of March. THE LIFE OF THE HOLY Virgin S. Teresa of Iesus of the Order of our Blessed Lady of Mont Carmell Foundresse of the Congregation of the discalced Carmelites IN the famous Citty of Auila in the Kingdome of Castile in Spaine was borne the holy and glorious Saint Teresa vpon the 28. of March in the yeare of our Lord 1515. Her Father was called Alfonso Cepeda and her mother Batrixe Ahumada Both were noble and excelled in all kind of piety and vertue wherein with great care they brought vp their children in particular this their yong and tender daughter She being about the age of seauen yeares contemplating of the ioyes and glory of heauen would oftē pronounce to her selfe these words and say O Eternity Eternity Eternity vsing also daily many prayers especially the Rosary by her mothers instruction made very deuout to our Blessed Lady In these her yong yeares reading in the liues of Saints the torments deaths of the Blessed martyrs and the glory they had obtayned therby she iudged that they had gotten heauen at an easy rate wishing that she might suffer the like paines to attaine the like glory And being inflamed thus with the loue of heauen and of death for Christ his sake she instilled the like desire into her yong brother in such sort that they determined iointly to goe together amōg the Moores that at their hāds they might receaue the crowne of martyrdome But beginning their iourney they met with their vncle who by intercepting hindred them and brought thē back to their parents Their intention thus crossed as they remained in their Fathers house they passed their time often in the Garden and Orchard where they would build little houses like Celles and Hermitages and though after the manner of childrē yet it fore shewed what she should afterward accōplish as inded she did At the age of 12. yeares her mother died whereat being much afflicted she presēted herselfe before an image of our B. Lady desiring her to be her mother whome she euer after found ready with her protection helpe and assistance in all her necessities Now our Lord began to enkindle in this his seruant the spirit of prayer and inward deuotion in so much that at the age of 20. yeares she fully despised the world and desired earnestly a Religious course of life though her Father out of his extraordinary loue to her would not consent therto Yet she remembring the counsell of S. Hierome brake violently from all and entred into the Monastery of the Order of the Incarnation in Auila where she passed her Nouiceship with great alacrity and comfort Shortly after she falling into an extreme sicknes her Father was inforced to couey her into the country to the house of a phisitian for helpe But it auayled not for her infirmity did daily and diuersly increase and in such sort that all being out of hope of her life the last Sacraments were ministred vnto her she lay a dying At which time she was in a traunce for foure dayes and comming to her selfe againe she complained of those that had called her back from heauē where she said she had seene many mysteries as also the saluation of her Father diuers other friendes which should be saued by her meanes and many Monasteries which she was to erect and her owne happy death all which proued afterward true After her recouery by her prayers she obtayned health for a Religious person of their Monastery and new amendment of life for a Priest who was besotted with the dishonest loue of a woman who had bewitched him with her diuellish inchantments by a Copper Idoll which she had giuen him to weare which this holy womā obtayning of him cast into a riuer whereby he was freed and lead afterwards a vertuous life and died blessedly And for diuers others she obtained health and many she reduced to vertuous life by her example and prayers and by the intercession of S. Ioseph to whom she was very affectionate and deuout Being on a time at her prayers she cast her selfe prostrate before a piteous Picture of our B. Sauiour beseeching his grace and assistance to protect her from offending him any more from which time euer after she found continuall increase of spirituall comforts and also amendement of her former life For after this time our Lord did communicate himselfe vnto her in diuers manners aswell in inward and spirituall comforts conuersing speaking to her soule as also by outward and plaine apparitions guiding and directinge her with his counsell in all her affaires of difficulty and speaking to her in his owne voice She being once surprised with an extasy our Lord said to her My will is that hereafter thou be not conuersant with men but with Angells which wordes made such impression in her as from that time she wholly abandoned the world and all humane things adhered only to God Our Lord himselfe frō this time teaching and aduising her her sanctity being suspected by others what she should say answere to stop their mouths as she euer did And our Lord said also to her Feare not daughter for I will not leaue thee Frō which time forward she seemed wholly vnited to God Being once in her deuotions our B. Sauiour appeared to her againe hauing with him S. Peter S. Paul and shewed to her first his hands shining beautifully and after that his face and thus continued with her the space of three daies Also hearing Masse vpon S. Pauls day our Blessed Sauiour appeared to her in his humanity very glorious And these apparitions of our Sauiour at Masse time in diuers formes continued to her more then three yeares These visions being very frequent increasing her Confessor and diuers others grew suspitious that they might be illusions of the deuill and she be deceiued but our Lord himselfe did with his presence and speach to her both satisfy and instruct her how she should stop the slaunderous mouths of all After this a Seraphim appeared to her with a flaming dart in his hand wherwith he seemed to pierce her hart so as from that time forward she remained wholy inflamed with the loue of God and of which wound she felt at diuers times very sensible paine Once in a vision she was taken vp to heauen where she saw such misteries and fulnes of glory and ioyes as cannot be expressed Our Lord saying to her Consider daughter how great ioyes worldlings depriue thēselues of These visions came to her very often and in diuers
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
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
assumption which he long before foretold should be graūted him What shall I say of the other rare and singular vertues which as from the liuely fountaine of the diuine liberality filowed plentifully in his soule And of his so entiere and perfect Obedience that he neuer found repugnance in any thing that was commaunded him he obeyed the voyce of his Superiour as the voyce of God and had euer a perfect cōformity of will with his What shall I say of his sweetnes affability or of his Compassion modesty and silence of the rigorous and austere mortifications with which he afflicted his body by fasts disciplines and hairecloth as if he had beene a most grieuous sinner it being certaine by the report of his Confessour that in his life he had neuer sinned mortally that often in his ordinary Confessions he could not find him culpable of any sinne for which to giue him absolution In briefe all the Nouices beheld him as a mirrour modell of the Society the Maister of the Nouices would exhort them to imitate his example All those which frequēted him familiarly esteemed him as a soule particularly elected by God rich of vertues merits euen in behoulding him they were enflamed in the feare and loue of God Stanislaus thus rich in vertues hauing made so great a progresse in so few dayes of his Nouiceship consumed with the diuine loue and desire to honor the Blessed Virgin in heauē humbly beseeched our Lord to take him from hence into his kingdome that he might see and enioy his glorious presence which petition our Lord graunted him as followeth The Eue of Saint Laurēce he meditaring of his martyrdome with a feruent desire to imitate him to be burned in the liuely flames of the loue of God demaunded of the rest of the Nouices who were all thē assembled how one might burne and suffer for Iesus Christ in the imitation of Saint Laurence Euery one said his opinion to which he answered that he would suffer some mortification in honour of that blessed Saint to the end that he might pray for him vnto the B. Virgin his Mother to take him quickly out of this exile and that he might be present in heauen at the celebration of her Glorious Assumption To this intention he made a publique discipline in the refectory on his knees could his fault kissed the feete of euery one begged his meate and eate it on the ground From thence he went to serue in the kitchin where by occasion of the fier that he saw he contemplated the torment of Saint Laurēce on the Gridiron with such vehemency and attention that his spirits languished senses fayled him In that manner he was carried to his bed and was foūd to haue a feuer which althought at the beginning it was light and the Phisitians secure of any danger yet Stanislaus told the Rector that for certaine he should not liue nor euer rise from his bed So he began to decline dayly towards his end which when he felt approaching he desired that they would suffer him to dye vpon the ground He was taken with a great flux of bloud and there vpon ensued a cold feuer Hauing receyued the blessed Sacraments of the Altar and of Extreme Vnction most deuoutly he fixt his eyes on heauen and so remayned a small space with his thoughts rauished and lifted vp to God vntill the Rector demaunded of him if he were resigned into the hands of our Lord prepared eyther to liue or die according to his pleasure To which he answered cheerfully My God my hart is ready Then hauing louingly imbraced all those that came to see him he imbraced also an image of our blessed Lady which he had euer held most deare he said some prayers propre for the time and made a Colloquy in Latin vnto the Crucifix which was before his eyes thanking out Lord with his whole heart for all his benefits mercies bestowed vpon him and desiring him for the merites of those blessed woundes of his feete his handes his side and head which he often kissed to pardon him all his sinnes and to receaue his soule into his blessed hands in peace The B. Virgin Mother of God appeared vnto him accompanied with diuers other Virgins to whome he spake a long time and a little after with a sweet silence he deliuered his soule into the hāds of his Creatour about the ninth houre of the night the 14. day of August 1568. the 19. yeare of his age and sixt moneth of his Nouiceship hauing with few dayes labour obtayned as many crownes merits as others perhaps in many yeares His body remained so fayre his cheekes so ruddy his eyes so cleere as one would haue thought him liuing It was obserued that during his sicknes except when he was spoken vnto his eyes were alwayes closed although he were awake and when vpon any occasion he opened them he lifted them vp towards heauen with a smiling countenance as if he had beheld some pleasing obiect His body was put in a Coffin which was extraordinary but graunted to him in particuler by reason of the great opinion of his sanctity in the Church of the Nouiciate of Saint Andrews he being the first of the company that was there enterred There came thither such multitudes of people to kisse his feete that Doctor Tollet afterward Cardinal was amazed therat and said Is it not a strange thing that all Rome should run to reuerence the body of a yenge Polacke Nouice as a Saint The opinion of his sanctity much more increased by a booke written in Italian of his life printed in Rome two yeares after his death wherein he was styled Blessed and in Polonia the same was written in Latin where it was so frequent affectuous that many only with reading therof haue bene incited to enter into the same Society Presently after his portraicture was painted in Polonia and his pictures were set vp publikely with the tittle of Saint and reuerenced not only by the vulgar but euen by the Bishops Prelats Palatines Lords also by the King himselfe who placed the same amōg the rank of Saints pictures in his Pallace vpon the feast of S. Michaell the Archāgell in the yeare of our Lord 1604. Some of his reliques being carried to the twone of Gallici in the yeare 1602. were receaued there with a solemne procession and kissed with great deuotion by all the people Clement the eight who had bene legate in Polonia before he was Pope graūted out two Breues in one whereof he beatified Stanislaus and in the other graunted six yeares and six quarentens of pardō to those that should visit on the day of his decease a certaine Chappell built and dedicated to his honour in Polonia His body is still honored at Rome with great veneration and concourse of people in the yeare of our Lord 1605. the fourteenth day of August Pope Paul the fifth hauing perused the Sūmary of
these ten yeares past by order of his Superiours giuen the account of his conscience in writing He had great coniunction with the Angells and Saints with whome he conuersed both in heauen and earth and especially with 24. of the more principall amongst whome he deuided the 24. houres to treate and recommend himselfe vnto them wherin he neuer fayled though in the night and in his sleepe awaking duly at the beginning of euery houre to performe his accustomed deuouotion which diligence of his our Sauiour recompensed by discouering vnto him his glory wherin he saw more perfectly and knew all 〈◊〉 B◠in Heauen their names and all particulers as if he had conuersed with them all his life time From his very infancy he bare so extraordinary and tender deuotion towards the Blessed Virgin at whose hands he receiued many fauours that one time discoursing and recreating as it were with her he said O Queene of heauen I loue thee more then my selfe I loue thee more then thou louest me The motherly affection of the Blessed Virgin could hould no longer but appearing presently she made answere vnto him No no Alphōsus it is not so I loue the more then thou louest me His familiarity with the Blessed Virgin and her Sōne was such as is wont to be betweene friends one to another or as of a little child with his father and mother and indeed he esteemed them for such who affoarded him often their corporall presence he spake vnto them but once especially when they entred into his heart with such deuotion sweetnes that he caused the same effectinall those that did heare him whome he exhorted wholy to forget themselues only to delight in his sweet Louers Iesus and Mary for so he was wont to call them because they would be carefull both of body and soule For 40. yeares together he dayly said the Office of the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady to which mystery he was much deuoted and the Blessed Virgin one day tould him that she was very much pleased with his deuotion which he did exhort all the Society dayly to practise telling them that one of the principall reasons of the Institution of the Society was to preach and defend the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Lady And this he said with so great affection that he neuer vsed the like feruour therby assuring them that he spake it nor of himselfe but had recaued it by reuelation from heauen The continuall vse of his beades as was found after his death had caused an extraordinary hardnes in his fingars ends I omit an infinite number of things which might be said of his rare vertues of his admirable lights and diuine fauours remitting the Reader to the history of his life which without doubt is one of the most rare and perfect amongst the liues of those Saintes which haue receaued extraordinary fauours from almighty God and will briefly recount his last sicknes death and buriall though from the very beginning of the 47. yeares which he liued in the Colledge of Maiorca our Lord exercised him in all sortes of paines as well diuers persecutiōs of the diuell which vexed him for many yeares as corporall infirmities grieuous sicknes wherwith he visited him from time to time yet he seemeth to haue made choice of the last 7. yeares wherin besides those infirmities which ordinarily accompany old age he began to be extremely troubled with the stone which caused him to keepe his bed continually and the three last monethes of his life to lye only vpon one side being not able to turne himselfe He spent all his time in prayer begging earnestly of almighty God not that he would mitigate or take away his paines but rather he would augment them and lay vpon him others more grieuous His ordinary complaints in his sicknes were that there was too much care had of him who desired rather altogether to be forgot or detested as a carion or dead beast Whē the Rectour once bad him take a few conserues of sweetmeates to comforte him he answered Belieue me Father those sweet things are paines vnto me and these paines sweetnes which he vsually also answered to those who asked him how he did By reason of great familiarity and conuersation with his Father and mother Iesus Mary he spake vnto them with great affection those wordes which he had learned of our Sauiour himselfe O Iesus and Mary my only comforts grant me that I may suffer and die for your loue and that I may be wholy yours and not mine owne Once when he could scarcely speake the Infirmarian asking what troubled him he answered Nothing but selfe loue Some few dayes before his happy death he was taken with such a vehement ague that renewing all his paines it seemed God would take him away within one houre in which time he did nothing but repeate these wordes Yet more good Lord yet more Therfore he receaued the B. Sacrament which for many yeares he had receaued twice a weeke for his Viaticum with his accustomed deuotiō as also the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction still begging of God with inuincible patience to increase his paines He bare such extraordinary respect to the Fathers that whē he could scarce stirre his armes yet he would alwayes when any came to him pull off his night cap. Vpon Saturday in the euening being the 29. of October almighty God performing that which he had promised him before he fell into an extasy much like to those which he had diuers times the yeare before in which he perseuered the three last dayes of his life And although his sicknes had disfigured his body yet after his extasy he became as beautifull as an Angell and as red as a Rose which were certaine proofes of the great flame which burned in his brest brake out by those exteriour signes and exclamations which he vttered from time to time O sweet Iesus O my deare mother and the like About ten a clocke in the night hauing giuen some signe of death approaching all the house came vnto him they oftē repeating the name of Iesus and giuing him a Crucifix to adore he presently opened his eyes which for three dayes before he had kept shut and looking vpon the Crucifix they perceaued thē to be more quicke and liuely then when he was in best health And with this kissing the feete of the Crucifix and saying O sweet Iesus he gaue vp the Ghost the Eue of All-Saints about midnight in the yeare of our Lord 1617. The rare vertue of this holy Brother was in such esteeme that not only those of this Prouince but also those of Italy Cast le And alusia Portugall and the Indies haue sent to Maiorca with earnest intreaty for some of his Reliques Many wrote vnto him cōmending themselues to his prayers only to haue his name written with his owne hand as graue Ecclesiasticall and Secular men Gētlemen of great note Grandies of Spaine
mouth as a token of what was in his hart this sentence Admaiorem Dei gloriam If wee I say consider all this we shall the lesse wonder how he should out of the feruour of this charity be forced to say That he had rather if he were to haue his choise remaine aliue with vncertainty of his saluation to the end he might serue God in the meane time then die and goe straight to heauen and moreouer he did persuade himselfe if God Almighty should euer thrust him downe to hell that it would be a greater torment for him to heare those horrible blasphemies against the name of God then to be tortured with the most cruell paynes that the damned suffer Whatsoeuer he tooke in hand first he commended it to God Almighties prouidence and assistance then he maturely consulted and examined what meanes he was to vse and what impediments he was to auoyd which done with great confidence and resolution he achieued his intent finall end which was alwaies the glory of God The great desire he had to satisfie Gods diuine Iustice for his sinnes past made him in Monserat Manresa and Barcelona goe cloathed in sackcloath and girded about the very bare skin with a chaine of iron It made him oftentimes goe barefoot that he might eschew vaine glory to cut out the soles of his shooes It made him sleepe vpon the bare boards and grounde afflicting and punishing his body with iron whippes and disciplines fasting and other such like mortifications To these may be added the feruour of his Deuotion the abundance of his teares his daily prayer his hearing or saying of Masse euery day his frequenting of the Sacraments his visiting of holy places singular deuotion to our B. Lady to the Angels Saints and holy Reliques Finally his perfect keeping and fulfilling of the vowes of Pouerty Chastity and perpetuall Obedience which he had made in the Society Moreouer touching his vprightnes towards his neighbour his words were alwaies sincere plaine and deuoid of all deceipt or flattery his hart was pure and simple euer taking all things in good part His inuincible courage could not be quailed with the many and grieuous tentations he had in the beginninge of his conuersion nor with the manifold diseases he got in visiting of the sicke No nor all the iniuries reproaches nor difficulties he found which were without number were able so much as once to turne him backe much lesse hinder him from attayning vnto his desired end He tooke great pleasure in seeing himselfe wronged and disgraced still requiting his enemies with speciall fauours and benefits All the time he was at Manresa Barcelona his fare was bread and water euery day except Sundaye Once in a Chappel at Villadord and another time in the Caue before mentioned what with continuall prayer what with abstinence he was found so leane and weake that he was scarce able to stand But at Barcelona by reason of the same extraordinary mortification he fell into so grieuous a sicknes that he would hardly haue escaped death if a certaine pious and charitable woman had not taken care of him which he not without some difficulty admitting said Sinite me pati haec leuia vt saluetur anima mea let me suffer these trifles that my soule may be saued Out of the wonderfull great care he had of Castity both in himselfe his subiects proceeded that clause of his Constitutions to wit That those who were of his Society should striue to imitate the purity of Angels both in mind and body After he had once made a purpose to change his life he could not indure to heare his brother talke of his Nobility Riches Warlike Prowesse and the like but as soone as he was well he forsooke the world And once comming neere home into his natiue soyle to recouer his health for feare of being honoured by his brother other inhabitants if they should haue notice of him he left the company of one of his acquaintance and passing through desert mountaines and by-wayes made choice rather of a poore Hospitall then of his Fathers Hall Thus euery where as much as he could still hiding his Nobility he alwayes shunned the speach and conuersation of such as he thought would know him But if it were his chaunce in any place to meere with any that did know him or tooke acquaintance with him he would be sure neuer to returne to that place any more This rare contempt he had not only of the worlde but euen of his owne person is sufficiently seene before in his poore and meane kind of liuing and in taking such pleasure when he heard any thing spoken or done to his owne disgrace When he was chosen Generall of the Society of Iesus which he himselfe hauing instituted desired therfore it should be accounted and called The least of all Religious he altogether refused to vndertake the charge till such time as his Ghostly Father commāded him to take it vpon him And againe ten yeares after perseuering still in the same Humility he endeauoured by all meanes possible to be put out of the office alleadging that he himselfe was not fit to beare it Hauing taken the office vpō him first he bestowed some dayes in seruing the Cooke in the kitchin and afterwards began to teach children the Christian Doctrine according to his Constitutions that he might seale with his owne example the Ordinances of Humility which he was to propose vnto others He did what he could to conceale his owne vertues and heauenly visiōs intermingling euer in his speach some words or other of humility as Miserum me miseram animam meam Wo is me wretch wo is my wretched soule Nay and which is more sometimes he was wont to say that If he were to aske a boone of Almighty God at the houre of his death this he would be sure to request of him that he would permit him to be buried in a dunghil because he esteemed himselfe as dunge And to this many times he added that he was much edified with the example and conuersation of all but himselfe and in a certaine Epistle he wrote that he neuer had conference or communication about spirituall matters with any mā were he neuer so bad that he did not reape some profit by him Amongst the rest of the miracles of this great seruāt of God we might well account this one and not the least to wit the wonderfull light and knowledge he had in spirituall things as by the restimony of Pope Iulius the third in the beginning of his booke of Spirituall exercises is sufficiently declared Miraculous was that brightnes which S. Philip Nerius and Father Oliuer Mannareus saw shine in his face whiles he liued And no lesse miraculous was the speedy cōcourse and flocking of the people vnto his body as soone as he was dead and the continuall veneration and visiting not only of his Sepulchre but also of his Chamber his Caue and other places wherin