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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10829	The admirable life of Saint VVenefride virgin, martyr, abbesse. Written in Latin aboue 500. yeares ago, by Robert, monke and priour of Shrewsbury, of the ven. Order of S. Benedict. Deuided into two bookes. And now translated into English, out of a very ancient and authenticall manuscript, for the edification and comfort of Catholikes. By I.F. of the Society of Iesus	Robert, Prior of Shrewsbury, d. 1167.; Falconer, John, 1577-1656.; Baes, Martin, engraver.	1635 (1635)	STC 21102; ESTC S115985	37,470	252

for them which I do promise to do for you my beloued deare Children after Christ shall take me vnto him And whereas said she to other worldly soules vnwilling to dye and fearefull to behold the face of their high ludge whome they are guilty in their liues grieuously to haue offended Death commeth as a cruell iaylor to breake down their mortery houses and to drag them forcibly vnto him So to holy Soules he euer cōmeth as a welcom guest and therefore findeth the dore of their hart open to receaue him like vnto men expecting the returne of their Lord from his hea she with a glad patience to goe to her heauenly Spouse silently sustayned often and earnestly beseeching him not to let the infernall Enemy be frightfull vnto her in her last agony And finding by her much weaknes forces decayed that her dissolution approached she called for the Saint her Confessor to receaue the diuine Sacrament of him as a safe protection in so dreadfull a passage And behoulding her sisters kneeling round about her and grieuing aboue measure to loose her presence no lesse comfortable then profitable vnto them Deare Children said she grieue not so I beseech you at my happines thus approaching but reioyce rather with me that I shall fully now enioy him in heauen whome in earth heere I haue loued Treade also so neerely as you can my footesteps by seruing him as I haue done contemning for his sake such baites and base pleasures as the world can affoard you Let your promised fayth to him be inuiolably obserued who by his mercyes and merits is only able to bring you comfortably to this passage and eternally to crowne you Cōceaue your bodies though youthfull and faire to be as truly they are but loathsome prisons of your soule and mortery houses apt if you take not heed to pollute defile you and persuade your selues assuredly that so miserable a world as this is and full of temptations can yield no true happines or pleasures without daungers vnto you To others also that came to visit her she ceased not at times as her voyce would serue to giue profitable aduises aboue all that they should be ready for that passage which herselfe then was entring into and to spend their liues in such sort as they might receaue comfort when that moment should approach on which Eternall weale or woe dependeth sweet manner comforting herselfe and him also by a certaine hope they shey should meete againe ere longe and liue in heauen eternally togeather she afterwards humbly besought him that her body might be buried neere vnto Theonia her holy Mother which the Saint gladly promised And soone after in an act of feruent prayer vpon the 3. day of Nouember she breathed out her pure soule into her Redeemers hands ready to receaue it Which being perceaued by S. Elerius and the sisters praying about her they fall into such new complaints and sad expressions of their sorrow that the Saint was enforced to smother his owne griefe and to comfort them all he could by declaring that she was only gone to Heauen before them where gloriously vnited with God she would be no lesse powerful ready then when she liued in earth by her prayers to help them Her body nothing changed in the louelines thereof by death was neere vnto Theonia solemnly afterwards interred euen in the ashes as it were of many other great Saints buried in that place before amōgst whom Cheb and Sennan the one lying at her head and the other by her side were for sanctity miracles in their dayes famously renowned and had Churches therfore euen yet remayning in that Prouince to their memories erected wherein by wonderous signes their glory with God is now frequently testified And albeit these two other innumerable Saintes haue ben interred in that holy ground yet was the same for S. VVenefrides Sepulcher afterwards especially honoured graced with numberles and notorious miracles by her prayers there obteyned S. Elerius also soone after holily disceased was buried in a Church erected to his Name and memory in which at this very day Almighty God through his merits and prayers worketh miraculous cures vpon persons either diseased or distressed The End of the first Booke AN APPENDIX Of the Translatour concerning diuers particulars of S. Wenefrids History omitted by the Author MY Author Courteous Reader more carefull to write plainely and truly his History then to obserue the conditions of an exact Historian speaketh not of the ty me wherein S. Wenefride liued as he should haue done nor when her body was to Shrewsbury translated nor whether S. Elerius or other Saints reliques mentioned in her life were with it transferred Wherefore I will heere adde what I haue read for your further satisfaction First therefore I find in a learned collection which a friend of myne hath made of British and English Antiquities either wholy omitted or obscurely expressed by other writers that S. Wenefride liued about the yeare of Christ 660. And wheras S. Bede flourishing also at that tyme hath made no mention of her at all in his History amongst the other Saints of our Countrey it might well happen because the continuall iarrs and bloudy quarrels between the Britans and Saxons did so hinder all commerce betweene these two Nations as that it seemes the Acts of one Church became almost wholy vnknowne vnto the other especially in Yorkeshyre where S. Bede most commonly liued far distant from any part of Wales so as his silence of her and of S. Elerius in the Roman martyrologe acknowledged as of many other British Saintes gloriously flourishing in those dayes and before insinuated also by my Author disproueth nothing that is by him or any other learned Anti quary affirmed Her body was in the yeare of our Lord 1138. translated to Shrewsbury togeather with the reliques of many other Saintes neere ruder parts of the world then the others did the histories of their holy liues haue not been by learned mens pens equally diuulged In so much as M. Camden no fauourable reporter of such Catholique Acts and Monuments rarely now extant speaking of the old british Monkes of Glastenbury Monastery from the first A postolicall tymes of that Church hath these wordes in his Britannia Primis his temporibus viri san ctissimi c. In these first tymes to wit of the British Church before the Saxons inuasion of England more then 1100. yeares since many most holy men night and day attending to the seruice of God liued in this place maintayned by the Kings liberality and trayning vp youth in piety liberal sciences imbraced a solitary life that so with greater quiet repose they might attend to the studies of Diuinity and exercise themselues in all seuerity to beare the Christ of Christ c. Of which sort of Monkes so by him described were very many Religious men dispersed in like manner though all parts of that Church liuing either in holy

and body before them ceased not with out-cryes to expresse their griefe and anger togeather towards him that committed so haynous an outrage Her Parents likewise called by their cryes to the place lamented the losse of their holy sweet child lying butchered so villainously and vnexpectedly before them with more then imaginable expressions of sorrow S. Beuno in like manner now ready to celebrate leauing the aultar and approachinge to the doore was wholy dissolued into teares of compassion and griefe to behold his deare Pupill and child lying so cruelly murdered before her consecration to Christ solemnly soone after by him intended and beholding in this his griefe her Murderer standing proudly by wiping his bloudy sword on the grasse so far from repenting him of the deed without feare of God or man as he gloried proudly therein with the holy virgins head in his hand he went towards him and looking him in the face said vnto him Thou wicked man for as much as without regard of innocency or beauty thou hast murdered a Princely Virgin no lesse noble then thy selfe and art not as thou oughtest to be sorry aswell for the horrible sacriledge as foule murder heere committed detestably by thee I do heere beseech my heauenly Lord for the example of others at least to execute presently his dredfull Iudgment against thee who hast murdered his spouse troubled his people violated his Saboath and besprinkled with bloud this holy House to his honour and seruice consecrated by me And the effect of his words to the terrour and wonder of all present was such as the Prince fell dead sudaynely before him and which increased the astonishment of the people his dead body was presently either swallowed vp by the earth or taken away by Diuels so as no signe thereof afterwards appeared This done S. Beuno often kissing the virgins dead face and bathing it with his teares put it to her body coueringe them with his cloake after he had breathed in her mouth prepared himselfe to goe to the Aultar warning the people and her Parents especially to cease their lamentations conuert thē into prayers to the Creatour of soules the sole rayser of bodies after death that he would be mercifully pleased as he called Lazarus to a new life rotten before and stincking in his graue so to rayse this Princely Spouse heere butchered for her loue towards him and this chiefly for the glory of himselfe edification of his people and comfort of her parents who so freely before had dedicated her in purity of life perpetually to serue him CHAP. VI. How S. Wenefride was raysed from death to life and her Head reunited to her body by S. Beuno's prayers with a small white circle remayning in the place of her Necke where it was cut other wonders gracing stil the place of her Martyrdome AFter the holy mā had ended his Masse and the people their prayers lifting vp his hands towards heauen he prayed in this manner O Lord Iesus-Christ for whose sake this holy Virgin contemned the world and coueted heauenly things vouchsafe by the tender bowels of thy mercy loue and bounty to graunt vs the effect of our vowes now made prayers offered heere humbly vnto thee and albeit we are fully persuaded that this Godly Virgin who liued holily dyed constantly for thee be now highly exalted in heauen also with thee wanting no more the society of vs mortall miserable Creatures yet to manifest thyne Omnipotency and that supreme dominiō which thou hast ouer soules and bodies neuer dead to thy power of raysing reuniting them for the greater merit also of her soule whose body heere lyeth before vs we craue a new life for her and that she may returne after a long plentifull haruest of new merits heere gayned more enriched diuinely beautified vnto thee the beloued of her Hart and Eternall spouse who with the Father and the holy Ghost doest rule in earth and raigne in heauen for euer and euer And when the people had cryed with great deuotion Amen vnto his prayer the Virgin as newly wakened from sleep wiped her eyes face besmeared with sweat and dust before as hauing tumbled on the ground filling all present and her Parents there amongst them with ioy and admiration obseruing also as they more fixedly beheld her a pure white circle no bigger then a small threed to remayne in her faire Necke shewing the place where it had ben cut off before and was miraculously then to her body conioyned which because it euer afterwards remayned cōspicuously seene after the same manner Brewa her name before is said to haue ben changed by the peoples great veneration and loue towards her into VVenefride by VVen which doth signify white in the old British tongue added vnto it 2. letters thereof for better sound quite altered And in many apparitions of her to men and women after her second corporall death authentically recounted this white Circle in her necke conspicuously appeared to giue worldly soules thereby to vnderstand the particular glory which she had receaued of her heauēly spouse for suffering that wound so constantly for him And whereas the valley where she was martyred had ben called euer before a dry or barren bottome it was for the Christall fountayne of pure waters breaking miraculously out of the ground where her head first fell called afterwards in memory of this miracle Finhon which in old Welsh doth signify a fountayne or well indeed as this fountayne was wonderfull in the first origen therof so did the same by miraculous cures of men beasts either bathed in that water or drinking therof become famously afterwards renowned In memory likewise that store of the Virgins pure bloud had ben spilt in that place and to signify withall how sweet a Sacrifice was offered there by her the stones of the Well are either dyed or spotted all ouer with drops as it were of bloud and the mosse growing about it is as with muske yet to this day sweetly perfumed The miracle of her raysing frō death to life diuulged in those partes gayned to S. Beuno so great a fame of his singular sanctity and power with God to obteyne any thing that multitudes thereupon of Gentil people in those dayes for their instruction in the Christian fayth and Baptisme repayred vnto him whose famous acts and S. VVenefrids holy life after her being raysed shall in the rest of this booke be briefly declared CHAP. VII How S. Wenefride was solemnly veyled by S. Beuno and fully instructed in the true knowledge holy practise of a Religious life How likewise he tooke his leaue afterwards of her prophetically fortelling the sanctity of her life and her gayning to Christ of many soules S. VVenefride as another Lazarus restored to a new life with a fresh feruour of heauenly loue and deuotion applyed herselfe to learne from so great a maister as S. Beuno was how to rayse her already-illuminated soule to the

of the Booke conteyning in it sundry strange and miraculous passages shall seeme ridiculous to Protestants chancing to read them it is not much to be wondred at sithence they will be their owne choosers euen in the very beliefe of sacred Verities themselues diuinely reuealed and sleight as fabulous Legends the Liues of Saintes written by S. Athanasius S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Climachus S. Gregory and other holy Fathers It sufficed my Author and so it shall me that deuout Catholiques for whose instruction and comfort he penned first his Historie will piously and probably assent to that which heere is credibly proposed vnto them auoyding two extremes therein the one is of belieuing things ouerlightly the other of belieuing nothing at all but as fancies and selfe-opinions do guide them The which in Sectaries following commonly this latter extreme in their iudg-ment of Catholique writings is a kind of Infidelity and Impiety mixed togeather for if God be wonderfull in his Saintes as the Royall Prophet telleth vs Psal 67. and Christ in his Ascension towards heauen did so expresly promise that these signes should follow such as did belieue in him In my name said he they shall cast out Diuells they shall speake with new tongues c. why should we vpon probable testimonies refuse to belieue such wonders to haue ben done by Saintes as diuine testifications of their true Fayth and great graces heere obtayned The sacred body of this Virginall Blessed Saint was solemnly translated to Shrewsbury in this Authors tyme in the yeare of our Lord 1138. and raigne of K. Stephen and there in his owne Abbey magnificently interred that greater honour and veneration in so populous and Religious a Citty as that was then might be yielded vnto it where it continued for aboue 400. yeares till Heresie preuayled vtterly to ouerthrow in our Country the publique profession of Catholique Religion and deface the Venerable monuments thereof euery where almost then extant In which cōmon ruine calamity hapning the shrine of this great Saint with numbers of others became sacrilegiously defaced and her sacred Reliques lye since dispersed God knoweth where or how vntill by his omnipotency they shall come to be vnited againe most gloriously raysed For God sayth the same holy Prophet Psal 33. doth conserue all the bones of his seruants and it hath increased I doubt not their ioyes accidentall in heauen to haue had heere on earth for his sake their Reliques by the Churches enemies and haters of true Religion contemptuously abused after due Reuerence yeilded by deuout people vnto them and singular blessings receaued from Almighty God by their powerfull intercession Neither haue moderne Sectaries shewed in any one act more the little Communion which they haue in this world or are likely to haue in the other with the Saintes of Christs Church then in contemning scattering and destroying their Reliques of which in generall S. Ambrose writeth thus Serm. 93. de Sanctis Nazario Celso If thou aske me what I honour in their flesh and bones now dissolued and consumed I honour in the Martyrs flesh the scarres of those woundes which for Christ he susteyned I honour the memory of his vertue still liuing I honour in his ashes the seedes of Eternity I honour the body that taught me to loue Christ and not to feare the cruellest death for him Why should not faithfull soules honour that body which Diuells tremble at c. quod Christum honorauit in gladio quod cum Christo regnabit in caelo that body I say which honored Christ in the sword and which shall reigne with him in Heauen These sayth S. Basill speaking of the 40. Martyrs Reliques are those who protect our Countrey and like strong Towers guard vs from our enemies Wherefore I may vse of such as scattered and destroyed the holy reliques of S. Wenefride and many other Saintes in our Country S. Gregory Nazianzens words in his first Oration against Iulian the Apostata Thou hast not reuerenced the Hoastes slaine for Christ whose bodies yea very drops of their bloud or other small signes of their passions can worke the same effects which their soules themselues can doe to wit such sudaine cures of infirmities and diseases as S. Austin lib. 22. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 8. affirmeth by S. Stephens Reliques as they passed through Afrique towards Rome to haue byn done in his presence which Protestants will as little belieue as they do the miraculous passages of S. Wenefride recounted in this Historie amongst whome there is no one so straunge but the like may be found in other Saintes liues by holy ancient Fathers authentically written and in some of them far more straunge which piously read probably belieued by faithful soules for 1400. yeares since cannot but temerariously be reiected now and contemned by Protestants whose corrupt Iudgment as I regard not in this my translation so I hope good Catholiques will read it with edification and comfort For it may well delight them as it doth me to thinke that we haue anciently had such store of renowned Saintes liuing in our Country as besides this life D. Harpsfeld the English Martyrologe Prudentiall Ballance M. Broughton and other ancienter historians do witnesse though the Names and liues of the greatest part of them are only in the booke of life registred and will in the generall Iudgmēt be gloriously reuealed That S. Wenefride likewise should liue againe after her head cut off and do the things which heere are written of her in her Historie the chiefe blocke which incredulous Readers perhaps will stumble at is no more hard to be belieued then that Lazarus after he had ben dead and stinking in his graue should liue agayne sit at table with Christ and be Bishop of Marsills in France many yeares after And if it be obiected that Christ himselfe did worke that miracle able to do all things I may well answere that he promised his owne power and far greater wonders then himselfe had wrought to be done by his seruants extant now in authenticall Histories as certainely since performed Lastly I intreat my courteous Reader for a Conclusion of this my Preface to note mend with his penne these ensuing errours of my Translation committed in the printing by strangers wholy ignorant of our English tongue Faults escaped in the Printing PAg. 24. lin 7. dele that Pag. 45. lin 9. where read which Pag. 75. lin 1. as read or Pag. 82. lin 9. their read his Pag. 88. lin 5. dele so Pag. 94. lin vlt. his read this Pag. 103. lin 11. dele most Pag. 109. lin 16. saying read said Pag. 119. lin vlt. noble Virginity read Martyrdome for your Virginity Pag. 120. lin 1. dele of your Martyrdome Pag. 121. lin 14. dele he Pag. 128. lin 5. Charity read Clarity Pag. 146. lin 16. in read in a suddaine Pag. 148. lin 14. and to be dele to Pag. 165. lin 3. fall read fell Pag. 173. lin 10. Wales read that Countrey

the holy Virgin in her Monastery discoursing of heauenly misteries and vertuous Practises with her and found her so cleerely illuminated in the one so solidly grounded in the other that hauing admired her himselfe and returning home to his brethren was wont to vtter wonderfull prayses of her vnto them And her fame at length by the mouths of many became so diuulged as from places far neere infinite numbers of all sortes of people flocked vnto her some to know and see so noble louely and holy a Virgin who had lost her head to saue her virginity and after death for her Spouses greater honour had ben by a holy Man miraculously raysed to life accounting the place and company she liued in most blessed by her presence Others by their great importunity and earnest prayers obteyned to see the white pure circle stil remayning in her necke denoting the wound which in her martyrdome she receaued the sight whereof caused them to shed many teares of loue and ioy that Christ had triumphed so gloriously in her first and sent her afterwards so happily vnto them S. VVenefrid herselfe would gladly out of her great and profoūd humility haue denyed them that fauour but a charitable desire of their good gayned many wayes thereby and the other Virgins intreaties made her willing to affoard that contentment vnto them as fearing not be made proude with their excessiue prayses or apt to assume vnto herselfe any merit of being so praysed the high knowledge indeed which she had of Gods attributes and perfections compared with her owne fraylties and nothing being two sure grounds of solid humility in her CHAP. XVIII How S. Wenefride prophetically foretold in order the death of Theonia first next her owne and lastly the holy end of Elerius How also after the death of Theonia she was made Abbesse by Elerius and gouerned that Monastery in all sanctimony till her dying day BLessed Elerius visiting on a tyme S. VVenefrid in her Monastery to conferre as his custome was of holy things tould her speaking occasionally of the happines to dye well that he had often reioyced to thinke that he should haue her neere him at his death and afterwards to pray for him No Father said she prophetically vnto him it will not fall out so Christ hauing ordayned the contrary For first you shall liue to bury holy Theonia our deare Mother and me also some few yeares after which done you shall in short at Blessed Elerius his hands for her viaticum towards heauen breathed out her pure and holy soule gloriously by Angels accompanied thither After whose exequies solemnly and deuoutly performed holy Elerius ordayned S. VVenefride Abbesse in her place to gouerne the Monastery which she in her humility for a tyme resisted till Obediēce to the Saint and Charity to the sisters instantly beseeching her to vndertake the charge preuayled with her No sooner was this Office thus imposed on her but she like a Candle set on a candlesticke higher then before began to cast out more brightly her cleere rayes of Vertues and to giue a new light life as it were to the whole Monastery by her heauenly speaches examples so as her humility by the dignity of her Office with her Patience Charity and other Vertues though admirable before seemed now to haue ben very much increased in her CHAP. XIX Of the high esteeme that S. E. lerius himselfe with other Religious and secular Per. sons made of S. Wenefride And of the miracles which she wrought in her Monastery by curing all sorts of distressed or sicke people repayring vnto her S. VVenefride had not liued long Abbesse of the Monastery before the fame of her sanctity wisedome came to be throughout that whole prouince so vniuersally diuulged as Principall persons both of the Clergy Laity repayred frequently vnto her neuer departing without singular edification by her behauiour and speaches Yea euen theeues robbers themselues with other notorious Malefactours by her gracious aspect and effectuall exhortations made charitably vnto them were from their euill wayes oftentimes reclaymed And now not only in priuate houses but in poore as not the least superfluity was admitted by her yea want of needfull things when at any tyme they hapned were most welcom vnto her She suggested also no lesson more often to her sisters then that they should haue alwais their Redeemers example before their eyes to imitate those Vertues which he exercised for thē and to be carefull to haue a pure intention in what they did only to please him Fortitude and Patience she euer praysed and commended vnto them as needfull and certaine remedies victoriously to ouercom all temptations wherein their merit more then in not feeling of them consisted for that by this and not by the other they should come to be crowned Prayer she was wont to tell them well made did dilate their soules to receaue plentifull graces and holy actions did fill them when they were humbly and feruently performed CHAP. XX. How S. Wenefride was forewarned of her death prepared herselfe for the same And how by acquainting S. Elerius and her sisters therewith she filled their harts full of heauines and affliction S. VVenefride as a full Pomegranut of heauenly merits ripened to fall on the ground that she might rise in a new spring more gloriously afterwards was in the feruour of her course speedy running towards the goale of religious Perfection warned by her deare Lord that he meant shortly to call her vnto him Which most welcome newes as of a happinesse long before and instantly desired raysed the thoughts and affections of her soule to a more feruent vnion with her Creatour in extaticall prayer for whole dayes and nights togeather in humble acts and painefull exercises of her Charity towards others in fasting likewise and other great austerities euen as those who to make a longe iourney in a short tyme do redouble widen their paces And that she might not leaue her beloued friends vnwarned of her departure on the suddaine from them she imparted first to S. Elerius himselfe the Call she had receaued from her Sauiour and afterwards to her sisters whose sorrow thereat was little inferiour to the excessiue ioy which herselfe by the comfortable thoughts of going to her Lord continually receaued and aswell by flowing teares as dolefull speaches they expressed the same vnto her But she as with a face then wholy turned frō the world towards heauen intreated them to conforme their will to their Creatours pleasure therein and not to doubt but that she should by her prayers in heauen be more profitable then by her presence heere on earth she could be vnto them For that said she is not a Country of ignorance but of knowledge cleerely reuealed whereby the Blessed vnderstand their friends necessities heere on earth and being vnited to the fountayne of Charity it selfe they will be no lesse powerfull then ready to procure speedy helps and remedies

Communities as Monkes or els alone as Hermites in solitary places of which number were S. Beuno S. Saturnus S. Deifer S. Elerius S. Cheb and S. Sennan mentioned in this life of S. VVenefrid And as Godly men so Holy Virgins also did liue in houses religiously togeather like vnto those mentioned by S. Hierome who liued at Bethleem vnder S. Paula and Eustochium her Daughter such was the house wherin S. Wenefride liued first at Finhon the place of her martyrdome and afterwards at Guitherin called in Latin Witheriacum by my Author where she dyed happily and was honoured 600. yeares together for a Saint vntill her sollemne translation as is aforesaid to Shrewsbury where also she hath byn by God glorified with many miracles euen vntill our dayes as she had byn before both at Finhon and Guitherin the places aboue mentioned THE SECOND BOOKE conteyning the miracles wrought at S. Wenefrides Well as also vpon her Translation to Shrewsbury CHAP. I. Of the great concourse of people to her Well graced by miracles no lesse then before after her departure from that place ALmighty God ceased not by wonderfull miracles to grace the holy place of S. VVenefrids martyrdome after he had inspired her as hath ben said before her death wholy to abandone it to the end deuout people perchance in other parts of the Country might come to know the eminent sanctity of her life and herselfe perfect the graces of her soule by liuing humbly and obediently amongst strangers as she did for many yeares vntill by her singular merits exemplar life she was ordeyned against her will to be a holy Mistresse and gratefull Gouernesse of many Virgins We may also conceaue that this humble Virgin who was wont to blush yea and shed teares when she heard herselfe praysed desired obteyned of her heaueuly Spouse to goe out of the way as it were and absent herselfe from that place where she could not choose but be seene and honoured by multitudes of people daily visitting her VVell as the miraculous Trophy of her martyrdome there susteyned wondring first to see such a source of pure water breaking out of the ground vpon which her head first fell next to behould the stones therein as with drops of her bloud strangly stayned or died rather and lastly to smell the greene mosse growing about the VVell with a musky sweet odour more then naturally perfumed It was I say a pleasure no doubt and much by the holy Virgin desired to liue out of the noise of her owne prayses there daily resounded especially when to the wonders of the place it selfe other miraculous Cures began to be wrought vpon leaprous blind and all kind of diseased persons either by drinking of the water or bathing themselues in it of which some few in the Chapters following shal be by me declared CHAP. II. Of a blind maid restored to her sight by washing her head in S. Wenefrids Well and praying in her Chappell A POORE Carpenter dwelling not far from S. VVenefrides VVell had a Daughter borne blind who hauing hard of the wonderfull cures wrought there by the intercession and merits of that holy Virgin ceased not to importune her Father daily that she might be ledd to that miraculous VVell and hauing finally obteyned the same she first bathed her head in the water thereof and then being conducted to the Chappell neere vnto it she spent the whole night deuoutely in prayer that God would be pleased through the merits and intercession of the Saint there martyred for his sake to bestow vpon her corporall sight the better to serue him afterwards falling into a slumber towards the morning in a corner of the Chappell she was no sooner awaked but she found herselfe to see perfectly which being perceaued by her Father he ceased not togeather with his Daughter ioyfully to proclayme that miraculous fauour by S. VVenefrids powerfull prayers euidently obteyned The fame of this miracle generally diuulged bred a fresh deuotion in others to repayre in like manner to that place for obteyning help and comfort in their corporall and spirituall distresses and they were not frustrated of their hopes faythfully and deuoutely so conceaued whereby the former great Fame of the place became more vniuersally and gloriously diuulged to the honour of him by whose omnipotency and gracious goodnes these miraculous cures were multiplied delightfully glorified in the honours done to his Saintes and in their glories eternally exalted before the Aultar vttered his cōplaintes to the Saint of the iniury and losse therby sustained beseeching her to punish as they deserued the wrongfull Authors of that and other mischiefes to the great harme of honest people sinfully committed and by some exemplar reuenge taken vpon them to warne and deterre others from violating in like manner the safety of her Chappel and reuerence due vnto it and so departed onwards in his iourney not frustrate afterward of what he had prayed for For Almighty God in honour of S. VVenefrid and her Chappell forthwith afflicted the Theefe that had vnloosed and taken away the horse with such a raging extremity of payne throughout his whole body that he often desired to be freed by death from so intollerable a torment daily increasing on him till the humours which caused the same fel into his right arme making it first to swell and afterwards to rot in a most horrible and loathesome manner vntill at length humbled by affliction and hopeles of all ease otherwise he came in a very penitent manner to the Saints chappell confessing his fault demaunding her pardon with many teares for so great a wrong and insolency committed there by him Vpon this his humiliation he became eased by degrees and by little and little cured of his paineful vlcer praysing God and the holy Martyr for their mercyes towards him remayning euer afterwards whilst he liued a dreadfull example to warne others from violating as he had done the sanctity of that place or wronging S. VVenefrids clients running for succour in their distresses vnto her The Fame also of this miracle diuulged abroad increased much the peoples opinion of the place and their deuotion towards the Saint who had shewed herselfe so powerfull a Patronesse of her Chappell and Defendresse of such as for their safety and protection from iniuries repayred vnto it CHAP. IV. How certaine Theeues who had stolne a Cow neere to S. Wenefrids Chappell and driuen her through Rocky wayes were notwithstanding traced by her footesteps in the hard stones miraculously imprinted and so enforced to leaue her to the Owners pursuing them ANother Miracle no lesse wonderfull then the former hapned in this manner Certaine Theeues hauing stolne a Cow out of a pasture neere to S. VVenefrids Chappell driuen her through Rocky high wayes that they might not by her footing be traced it fell out far otherwise for the Cow trod not one steppe but as if she had gone in durty deepe wayes wherby her footing and the