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
corner so as he might reach vnto the holy body cut off a finger from S. Isidore with intention to carry the same away and hauing put it vp into his pocket and beginning to close vp the Tombe againe that the thieft might not be perceaued he was suddainly there arested and made so immoueable that he could not styr afoote Wherupon fearing exceedingly to be discouered and punished for fact he tooke the finger and put it to the ioynt from which he had cut it and it instantly fastned therto againe and thereupon he was presently set at liberty and so closing vp the sepulcher departed giuing God and S. Isidore thankes that no worse euill had happened vnto him being also very sory for the rash attempt which he had put in practice There haue happened many times great Drouthes in those partes for want of rayne which hath caused such barrenesse of the ground that the people haue bene ready to starue for want of corne but by carrying S. Isidores sacred body in procession the said drouth hath presently ceased and raine hath so watered the earth that it hath become presently feuitefull And all the husbandmē in Spaine haue taken this holy Saint for their peculiar Patron and doevse euen vntill these daies whensoeuer they sowe corne to pray vnto S. Isidore and call vpon him to blesse the same offering a candle or some such like gift vnto his sepulcher by whose intercession they hope to haue a happy haruest and their piety in this kind is very seldome frustrated Certaine Gentlemen of Spaine trauayling on a time by Coach and passing a very straite and narrow way vpon the side of a rocky hill the horses beinge furious and their footing slippery they fell downe drawing the Coach with the people in it after them into a mighty precipice who seeing the imminent danger cried for helpe to S. Isidore and presently the horses and Coach staied hanging vpon the side of the rocke as it were in the ayre vntill the people all got out and saued themselues to the number of 18. persons and afterward drew vp the horses and Coach without any further hurt For this so euident a miracle they all gaue God and S. Isidore thankes and sent donaries to his Tombe in testimony of the same The Angelicall Musicke and celestiall harmony which hath bene often heard at his sepulcher is wonderfull in so much that infinite people haue witnessed the same hauing bene hearers therof to their great astonishment His apparitiōs to many haue bene very illustrious as may be read at large in the History of his life and in particular he appeared once to Alfonsus King of Castile who making warre vpon the Moores obtained a miraculous victory by his intercessiō merits As also he appared in a visiō at another time to one that lay sicke and was berest of all hope of life by the Phisitians bidding him take comfort and haue confidence in God for that he should recouer and so presently he became wel and receaued againe his perfect health And to conclude the benefits which many haue receaued by the infinite miraculous Cures done at his sepulcher are so many and great that a whole volume might be witten therof For there are recounted aboue twenty blind persons to haue receaued their perfect sight many dease dūbe to haue recouered their hearing and speach many crooked lame and deformed to haue receaued perfect strēght and comlynes of body many sick of the palsy to haue receaued perfect cure and infinit others to haue bene deliuered from all kind of infirmity wherwith they haue bene oppressed Finally the late famous miracle wrought vpon the person of the late King of Spaine Philip the third is testified by thousands of eye-witnesses that were present at the same The substance wherof in brief was this In the yeare of our Lord 1619. the said King of famous memory going a Progresse into Portugall to visit that kingdome together with the Prince and his other Children after he had bene receaued with most noble and magnificent Triumphs as well in Lisbone as other places in his returne to Madrid fell very dangerously sicke of a hoar pestilent feuer or Taberdillo wherby he was in eminent danger of Death and almost despaired of by his Phisitians The court nobility were strocken into feare at this suddaine chance and this dangerous infirmity of their King was recommended to the prayers and deuotion af all the people especially of Religious Orders but he cōtinuing so 2. or 3. dayes with out signe of amendment desired to haue the holy Reliques of S. Isidore brought vnto him with all his force and strēgth of body and mind humbly commending himselfe vnto him and his merits that therby it would please God he might recouer his health he presently felt himselfe much better the feuer relenting and within a few daies after became perfectly well As soone as he had recouered he began to thinke how he might honour the Saint by rendering him thankes for so singular a benefit and presētly determined to procure with all endeauour his Canonizatiō therby to haue him the more knowne honoured throught the world but the death of Pope Paulus V. as his owne also ensuing soone after the busines was differred yet on his death-bed did he seriously commend the same to Philip the fourth his Sonne the now present King of Spaine by whose intercession to the Sea Apostolicke he was with the greatest honour and solemnity that perhaps hath euer bene made in that kind canonized for a Saint by Pope Gregory the XV. the 12. day of March in the yeare of our Lord 1622. in S. Peters Church at Rome that thereby his memory might be famous to posterity His body being taken vp the second time and put into a costly Shrine 450. yeares after his death was found wholy vncorrupt sending forth a most pleasant and sweet smell to the astonishment of all Spaine and so remayneth euen vntill this day His life is written elegantly and at large in Spanish Verse by Lopes de Vega Carpio Secretary to the Marques of Sarria by F. Peter Ribadeneyra D. Alfonsus Villegas in their Excrauagants and others His feast is celebrated by many vpon the 12. day of march on which he was canonized THE LIFE OF THE HOLY Patriarch S. Ignarius of Loyola Authour and Founder of the Society of Iesus Taken out of the most part of the Authenticall Relation made in Consistory before Pope Gregory the 15 by Cardinal de Monte vpon the 19. day of Ianuary 1622. a little before his Cannization and translated into English IGNATIVS Loyola was borne in that coast of Spaine which belongeth to the Mount Pyraeneus in the towne of Aspeythia within the Dioecese of Pamplona the yeare of our Lord 1491. of Bertram Loyola and Mary Sanchez both noble Catholikes and godly parents who in like godlines brought vp their sonne and in the first flowre of his youth as one that was of an excellent to
he had done pennance But besides these God Almighty by intercession of this Saint both before and after his happy death wrought many miracles which are to be seene more at large in the Relation out of which this summe is taken and in other histories of his life I will heere only rehearse some few of them for our better instruction and further declaration of his sanctity And first his great charity zeale in procuring the saluation of soules was miraculously confirmed in that when a certaine man whose name was Lissanus for being cast in a suite of law and hanged himselfe and was by all mens iudgment stone dead he by his prayers obtayned of God Almighty so much time for him to line againe that might serue his turne to be sorry for his sinnes and to 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
and so begged his victuals in the ship slept in the open ayre aboue the hatches hauing a cable rope for his bed He was alwayes ready to helpe the sicke not only begging of those who had meate for such as wanted but with his owne hands also dressing and parting it amongst them thinking no scorne euen to wash their cloathes or do any other seruice were it neuer so base for them in whose persons this holy and prudent seruant of Christ acknowledged and reuerenced Christ himselfe Hauing spent all day in praying taking paines he vncessantly watched all night in comforting the afflicted and administring the Sacraments to such as were in danger of death Whervpon some were wont to say that the only thinge Francis tooke pleasure in next vnto prayer was seruing of the sicke And this was euer his fashion and manner of liuing not only in this but also in all other voyages he made by sea where in he spent a great part of his life Neither did this his charity towards poore and sicke persons shine only vpon the sea but also vpō land while he abode in Citties the beames of the same charity neuer lost one iot of their brightnes Nay rather being now made all with all that he might gaine and purchase the soules of all for God Almighty to those that either by reason of wealth or health had no need of this kind of seruice he was neuer wanting in other seruioe of no lesse importance for them when occasion was offered neuer sparing of labour which he was to bestow in furthering the saluation of his Neighbours When he arriued at the Indies after a long yeares sea-faring he would graunt no time of rest to his weather beaten body but presently began to fling about the fire which he came to cast into those Prouinces going vp and downe the Citty and calling together with a litle bell into some Church or other the children and people there teaching them the Christian Doctrine with such effieacy of spirit that it pierced euen to the bottome of their hearts like vnto the Doctrine of the Apostles He perswaded them all to sing the prayers he taught them vp and downe the streetes and to teach their friends acquaintance the same at home Which custome by him brought into the Indies to the great glory of God remayneth and is obserued there euen vntill this day Those that were come to yeares of discretion by all gentle meanes possible he inuited to confession pennance and neuer ceased with an vndaunted courage and many times with euident danger of his life venturing into strange and vncouth Proninces that often times barefoote with torne and beggailie apparell to call heathens to the true liberty of the sounes of God In which enterprize Almighty God did specially assist the indeauours of his seruant confirming euery where what he preached with miracles that were most notorious and like to those which the Apostles wrought and inwardly mouing the hearts of those that heard him in such sort that he conuerted and baptized many tho Lsandes and drew many out of the puddle of sinne not without many and troublesome iourneyes both by sea and land Many are the Kingdomes Prouinces and Ilāds through which the Legate of Heauen and of the Roman Sea went sowing the word of God And at lēgth as he was seeking entrance for the Ghospell into the great Kingdome of China this faithfull seruant quite bruised broken with the intollerable paines which beyond all humane force he had so long indured for the glory of God and altogether worne out and consumed with the heauenly burning desire he had to see Christ his Sauiour being now at last out of a desert I le named Sancianum called home vnto his country of Heauen to the marriage of the Lābe of God entred into the ioy which our Lord had prepared for him the second day of Decēber in the yeare of our Lord 1552. The vertues of this holy Apostle are very many and most Heroicall some wherof I shall heere recount The daily profession he made of his faith in receiuing of the Sacraments himselfe with wonderfull great deuotion and with no lesse paines ministring the same to others his heroicall workes his great and dangerous pilgrimages to preach the same faith to Barbarous and Sauage people and that alone without any humane helpe at all expressing and setting foorth so liuely in himselfe the purity and sanctity of the Euāgelicall Doctrine finally the abundance of the fruit which he hath sent out of those forraine countreies into the granaries of the Catholike Church to wit so many millions of Christians amōgst whom so many glorious martyrs haue watered and fertilized the Primitiue Church of those Countre with their blood and so many Confessours in the very middle of most cruel persecutions haue defended the faith of Christ are pregnant proofes of the excellency of that Euangelicall seed of Faith which he carried with him Fiue things he had in him which cannot possibly consist without a most firme and stedfast Hope First a cōtempt of all temporall things most manifestly seene in his despising of all worldly honours dignities and riches which the world in all abondāce did assure him of and imbracing an humble kind of life in religious purity vnder the yoke of obedience and that in the very flowre of his youth Secondly his voluntary sufferance of excessiue trouble labours miseries to the which by how much more grieuous they were so much more willingly did he expose himselfe as it most plainly appeareth in the whole discourse of his life Thirdly an vndaunted courage in attempting hard enterprises putting his very life so oftē in danger amōgst strange and barbarous people As for example when alone he encountred a whole army of Badagars which afterward I will rehearse amongst other miracles Fourthly a wonderfull great security in dangers in so much that in the middest of cares he was without care and without feare in the middest of feares ship wrackes enemies and many other miseries hanging many times ouer his very head Lastly an incredible ioy in aduersity which may be euidently proued by his continuall cheerfulnes of mind and readines of will wherby glorying with the Apostle in the hope of the sonnes of God he suffered so many labours and troubles so many perills and aduersities liuing iustly holily in this world and expecting the blessed hope and comming of Almighty God For the loue of God he most exactly and perfectly kept all his commaundements daily meditating vpō his sacred Law with a pure consciēce and great horrour of neuer so little transgressing or doing any thing against the same him selfe and neuer without great care that others should likewise obserue the same wherin as also in keeping his vowes of voluntary Pouerty Chastity and Obediēce he so excelled that he did not only thereby stop the aduersaries mouthes but by the mouthes and tongues of all not only of Christians
lesse then Noble She had a vineyard out of Rome without S. Paules gate from whence she vsed ordinarily to bring fagots made of vine branches or of other wood which the place afforded vnto Rome on her head and there to distribute it amongst the poore and oftentimes she hath bene seene together with her Companion Vannosia begging in the Citty from doore to doore during a great famine for the reliefe of poore people Her patiēce is incredible in bearing as well the aduersities of the body as of the mind for when her husband for being engaged in the ciuill broyles of the Citty was banisht and his goods cōfiscated and her brother-in-law Paulinus sent likewise into a miserable exile and her sonne I hon Baptista taken forcibly away from her for hostage the spirit of this S. remained victorious and vndaunted as well in the losse of her childrne as of her husband friends She praysed God in the ruine of so rich honorable a family so neerly concerning her as that of her husbāds did in briefe in all the assaults and afflictiōs with which the diuell assayled her patience she got the victory put him to shame confusion and euer praysed God She did eate ordinarily but once a day and then very sparingly and for the most part fed vpon hearbes or rootes which she did eate only with salt She abstayned both from wine fish and neuer did eate flesh but in great necessity and then in very little quantity She alwayes eate without appetite for she had so lost and mortified her tast by her cōtinuall fasting and abstinēce that the most sweetest things seemed to her bitter and vnsauory When she was not with her husband she vsed to repose her body vpō a bed so straite as she mightmore properly be said to sit and leane then lye or rest thereon She vsed to sleepe in her clothes and that only but two houres in the night and yet contrary to the generall custome of Italy she neuer slept in the day She girded a sharpe hairecloth vnto her naked body with a great girdle made of horse haire that it might the more afflict her she disciplined herselfe ordinarily with a discipline of six cordes ech corde hauing a rowell at the end She vsed also a hoope of iron which she fastned so straitly vnto her skin that it became almost buried in the flesh which hoope the discipline her Ghostly Father commaunded to vse nomore and which together with her hairecloth are to be seene at this day in her Monastery She made her a cup of a dead mās Scull for to drinke that little water in which she vsed for the sustenance of nature both to diminish the little pleasure she might haue in drinking by the hortor of that spectacle as also to haue euer before her eyes the memory and image of death She had accustomed so often and so violently to beate her brest that it became hardned like brawne if it hapned that she offended neuer so little by any one part of her body vpon the same part would she presently and pittifully reuenge her selfe And if her tongue had offended she would byte it till the bloud followed and so in like manner on any other part or sense This Saint went customarily to confession euery Wedensday and Saturday and to Communion at the least once a weeke she visited often the Churches of S. Peter in the Vatican S. Paules out of the walles of the Citty our Blessed Ladies de Ara Caeli Sancta Maria Nuoua our Blessed Ladies on the other side of Tibur and Saint Cecilies where desiring one day to communicate the Priest not approuing that married women should cōmunicate so often gaue vnto her in place of the Blessed Sacramēt an vnconsecrated host by which S. Francis was deceaued of her expectation but not by his imposture for presently she feeling the want of those inteteriour comforts of her soule which she vsed to receaue by the presence of her spouse knew he was absent whereof with a great and sensible feeling of the losse she complained to Father Antony de Monte Sabellio at that time her Ghostly Father who thereupon examined the Priest and he confessed the crime and humbly begged pardon and secrecie of the offence This Saint being one day retired with her Holy Companion Vannosia to a hidden Oratory which she had made in her garden vnder the shadow of an Arbor being then the moneth of Aprill it pleased God to shew them both how gratfull their retiremēt as also their communication together which was about the withdrawing themselues wholy from the world was vnto him by his great bounty in causing that from the Arbor there dropped downe at their feete ripe peares both faire and excellēt although both out of seasō not the naturall fruite of that tree which they hauing tasted finding wonderfull pleasant and delectable bare the rest vnto their husbands therby to stirre vp in thē greater deuotion and confidence in God After the death of her husband she retired her selfe into a Monastery which she had so long and earnestly desired wherin she attained to a most high degree of perfection became a most perfect patterne of all sanctity of life holines In so much that after a while she was chosen Gouernesse of the whole house had many worthy disciples and Virgins vnder her whome she instructed with such sweetnes feruour of spirit hauing receaued a wonderfull new light learning from heauen that she was a mirrour to thē all She was very often rapt in extasie and had therin such sweet and sensible communication with her Lord and spouse Christ Iesus as was wonderfull of whome she learned infinite mysteries and became indued with so diuine and propheticall a spirit that God gaue vnto her the priuiledge of kowing the state of all such persons soules as came in her presence And thus this Blessed S. heaping vp daily more and more merit by her great Sanctity of life she fell into her last sicknes the yeare of our Lord 1440. who by diuine reuelation was admonished of the day and houre of her death Wherfore she making cōtinuall preparation therto without any great sicknes of body when the day came she heard masse and communicated and spent all the rest of the same day in spirituall communication with her sisters and disciples saying the houres of the Breuiary Euensong and Compline with them and when the night grew on she seemed to take her last leaue of them all and setting her selfe as it were in prayer being rapt into an extasy and talking with her spouse she pleasantly rendred her holy soule into the hands of her Creatour Whē it was knowne she was dead there was such a wonderfull cōcourse of people to doe honour to her holy body as was strange and the miracles that were wrought therat are sufficient to make a good volume by themselues Her body was carried to our blessed Ladies new Church
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
leaue he went to visite the holy places to salute his friends and other Princes there and to receiue the Popes benediction All which being dispatched vpon Saint Catherine the Virgin and martyrs day at the age of seauenteene yeares eight monethes and six dayes he entred into the Nouiciate of the Society of Iesus at S. Andrews in Rome with as great ioy and iubily of heart as if he had entred into a paradise of all delights and pleasures giuing immortall thankes to God for bringing him out of Aegypt into that Land of Promise flowing with milke and hony Heere now Lewis hauing passed thorough all kind of exorcises in Humility and Obedience with great admiration of all almost the space of a yeare was sent to Naples to recouer his health and to make an end of the course of Philosophy which he had begun at Milan But after halfe a yeare finding by experience that that place nor ayre agreede with his health he was called backe againe to Rome and sent vnto the Romane Colledge where he defended his Philosophy publikly with great applause and so proceeded to heare his higher courses of diuinity After he had liued now two yeares in the Society vpon Saint Catherines day being the day on which first he entred he also made the three vowes of Pouerty Chastity and Obedience as the custome is For albeit he had not spent all this time in the Nouiciate yet God by his holy grace did so supply in his soule the want of that time which the infirmity of his bodye tooke from him that wheresoeuer he liued all his life after he remayned still as it were a Nouice The next yeare vpon the eight abd twentith day of Ianuary he began to take Ecclesiasticall Orders and by the 26. of Frebruary he had receaued one after another vpon seuerall dayes all those which are called the Minores or inferiour Orders The yeare following he was sent to Castilion and Mantua to compose certaine contentions and debates betweene his Brother the Marques his Father being now deceased and the Duke of Mantua which if he had not by the great authority which for his sanctity he alwayes had amongst them taken vp and decided would haue cost much bloudshed on both sides The next yeare he withdrew himselfe with order from his Superiours to Milan where it pleased God to reueale vnto him that the houre of his death approached with which reuelation he returned ioyfully to Rome with his thoughts so fixed on heauen so dead to the world and to all worldly thinges that he appeared rather as one dead then liuing his only sight stirred vp deuotion in others and his very wordes incited his hearers to the loue of God In fine he was in the estimation of all aliuely patterne of all perfection In the yeare 1591. the Citty of Rome was sorely visited with a mortality by reason of the multitude of poore people that were inforced by a former famine to repaire thither for to begge their sustenance at which time the Generall and others of the Society inforcinge themselues to the ayde and succour of the poore besides the large almes that they daily procured for them they laboured the foundation of an Hospitall to relieue and cure the sicke which were in great number visited with sundry dangerous and infectious diseases where those of the Society attended them with great diligence and charity of which number Lewis by much importunity obtained of his Superiours to be one where he serued the sicke with wonderfull deuotion humility and charity exercising himselfe euer most willingly about those that were the most loathsome and dangerously infected In this imployment he together with many others of the Society got that infection wherof afterwards he died which he feeling and knowing that our Lord was pleased to doe him that fauour to deliuer him from the prison of his body and to take him to rest he reioyced exceedingly giuing God most humble and harty thanks for so great a benefit and the more for calling him in such an age and before he was Priest whereby he esteemed himselfe secure of rendring accompt either for the vnprofitable expence of many yeares or the abuse of so great a dignity He made a generall Confession and hauing receaued his Viaticum and Extreme Vnction he attended the houre of his death neuerthelesse it pleased our Lord that the seauenth day of his sicknesse the fury of it ceased and there remayned only a gentle feuer which held him three monthes in all which time he neuer willingly entertayned discourse of any thing but of heauen and heauenly thinges in so much that we may say as it were he had sent his hart before him He being by little and little sore weakened by the feuer it pleased our Lord to reueale vnto him the howre of his decease wherupon with great signes of ioy he said Te Deum laudamus and tould those that were about him that he should dye on the Octaue of the feast of the Blessed Sacrament notwithstanding on Corpus Christi day as also during the Octaue he seemed so well to recouer that on the Octaue day they said vnto him That he should rather thinke of his recouery then of his death that day since there appeared no danger at all To whome he quietly answered The day is not yet past I shall assuredly dye this night The euening being come the Prouinciall came to visit him who demaunded of him how he did Lewis answered I goe Father Whither said the Prouinciall To heauen answered Lewis I trust by the great mercy of God if my sinnes doe not hinder me Pope Gregory the fourteenth hearing that he was in the Agony of death sent vnto him his benediction with a plenary Indulgence of all his sinnes and drawing towards his end he desired earnestly to take a discipline or at least by reason of his owne weakenes that one might be giuen him vpon his backe which being denyed he humbly beseeched leaue of Father Prouinciall that he might dye vpon the ground so great was his feruour and desire of suffering euen then when his sicknesse had rendred him almost incapable of sufferinge In briefe after that he had taken leaue of the Fathers and Brothers of the Colledge with many teares he entred into long and sweet interiour Colloquies with our Lord kissing often a Crucifix which he held in his handes with his eyes sixed thereon and often calling vpon the holy name of Iesus he rendred his soule to rest on Thursday at night being the Octaue of the B. Sacrament the one twentith of Iune in the yeare of our Lord 1591. and in the three and twentith yeare of his age three monthes and eleauen daies after he had bene of the Society fiue yeares and almost seauen monthes He was interred in the Chutch of the Annuntiation in the Roman Colledge with so great concourse of people not only of those of the Society and Schollers but also from the Court and Citty of
Rome that not without great difficulty could his body be buried euery one striuing to kisse his handes and for some relique of him some cutting his haire others his garments others euen his fingers ends He was put into a Coffin and laid in the Chappell of the Crucifix and from thence in the yeare of our Lord 1598. he was remoued to a more eminent place of the same Church finally the thirteenth day of May in the yeare 1605. he was solemnely translated with musicke and lights into the great Chappell of our Blessed Lady in the same Church and there placed in the wall neere the right side of the Altar This translation was caused by reason of the many miracles that it pleased out Lord to worke by him in diuers places and the multitude of people that came dayly to his Tombe to offer vp theire vowes which exceedingly increased the deuotion of the people and the concourse to his B. Reliques which was a thing so celebrated at Rome that Pope Paul the fifth in the month of SepteÌ„ber 1607. gaue order that an inquisition might be made of his life and miracles for his Canonization Among the many miracles that haue bene wrought by the intercessioÌ„ of Blessed Lewis there be forty and foure approued and recorded which he hath done in the State of CastilioÌ„ his owne proper Countrey and patrimony where his Image is placed on an Altar with twelue lamps before it continually burning besides the other innumerable lights which the people daily offer vnto his honour and before the same are hanged on the walles more then three hundred votiue Tablets offered in remembrance and for deuotion of his miracles Our Lord in diuers other places hath likewise shewed forth his wonders by the meanes of this blessed Saint rendring health to diuers dangerously sicke of feuers and other diseases restoring the blind to sight the deafe to hearing helping of women in the perill of child-birth with many others which are all at large recorded in the Booke of his life out of which I will only rehearse briefly these few that follow In the yeare 1593. his mother being in danger of her life hauing receaued the holy Sacraments of CommunioÌ„ and Extreme Vnction her sonne appeared resplendent and glorious vnto her with the comfort of whose presence she presently began to amend and in few dayes recouered her perfect health which was the first miracle that it pleased God to worke by him after his death The Duke of Mantua comming to Rome in the yeare 1605. visited with great deuotion the tombe of his Cosen Lewis and had there giuen him by his Brother Francis Gonzaga theÌ„ Embassadour for the Emperour a relique of his with which returning by Florence to Mantua he was taken with a grieuous paine in his knee which had long sorely vexed him to which applying this holy Relique of B. Lewis he was presently cured the which was testified by his owne letter written backe to Rome to the Marques his Brother He had likewise the guift of Prophesy foretould vnto his mother that his Brother Francis who was the youngest of his Brothers should be the Rayser vp and glory of their House which proued true as likewise diuers other things which he foretould Who seeth not in this life and admireth not the bounty and liberality of our Lord who had so filled with his grace this Blessed young man whome he made choiceof euen from his mothers wombe to render glorious both in heauen and earth How great spirit in so young age what recollection in so many troubles what mortifications in the miedest of pleasures and delightes what humility in greatnesse what misprise of all worldly thinges and earnest seeking after heauenly To what greater degree of perfection can a soule ariue in this life beyond the preseruatioÌ„ of the grace receaued in Baptisme theÌ„ not to feele in their body the tentations of the flesh not to suffer in prayer distractioÌ„s of thoughts and to liue on earth as an Angell in heauen All which vertues are apparaÌ„t to haue bene eminent in this blessed young maÌ„ whose life we all ought to imitate to the end that imitating his vertues we may be also made partakers of his rewards and merits He was Beatified by Pope Paul the fifth by whome leaue was also grauÌ„ted to say masse of him His feast is kept by the Fathers of the Society of Iesus with great solemnity plenary Indulgence and in the Diocesse of Mantua is for the most part kept holy THE LIFE AND VERTVES of B. Stanislaus Kostka of the Society of Iesus abridged out of his life written by Peter Rybadeneira and others of the same Society BLESSED Stanislaus was borne in the Kingdome of Polonia in the yeare of our Lord 1550. in a Castle of his ancestours called Kostkouo His Fathers name was Iohn Kostka his mothers Margaret Keysban both Illustrious and of the principall houses of that Kingdome but much illustrated by this that neuer any of that house was tainted with heresy Out of their family haue issued diuers Lords Palatines Electors Senators Captaines Bishops and other of great dignity in that kingdome God blest them with diuers children and amongst others with this Stanislaus who hauing laudably passed his infancy at home was â—â—â—t by his Father being the but thitteene yeares of age together with another of his Brothers elder then he to Vienna in Austria where the Emperour Maximilian at that time kept his Court for to study there in the Colledge of the Fathers of the Society of Iesus which was at that time very famous for the education of youth StaÌ„nislaus studied so diligently there being of an excellent wit that he surpassed all the rest of his School-fellowes of whome for his gentlenes modesty he was generally beloued Euery morning before he went to schoole and euery euening after he came from schoole he vsed to make his prayers in the Church of the Society He auoyded all ill company all conuersation with Libertines or any other thing that had not the odour of deuotion With all diligence he was a great louer of silence and neuer spake but what he had first well weighed considered He was modestly cheerfull and cheerfully modest affable He conuersed most willingly with those that were simple and sincere he was very compassionate and succoured to his power all those that were in neede or extremity he was euer the first vp of his school-fellowes in the morning he contented not himselfe with hearing one masse daily nor on feasts with fewer then all he could possibly heare He went meanely cladde and for all the cold season which in those parts is very bitter in the winter he neuer wore gloues nor would euer vse the helpe of any seruant vnlesse when he was commaunded by his maister or brother Almost all his Orations and Declamations that he made in the exercise of Eloquence were in the praise of the glorious Virgin Mary to whome he was singularly
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
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
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