shed forth teares of compunction to wash away mine offences I did eat ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping The prophet Ioel c. 2. inuites all to the same Conuert imini ad me in toto corde in ieiunio in fletu in planctu Be conuerted to me in all your heart in fasting and in weeping and in mourming that is be ye conuerted to me your God by pennance with your whole heart with all your soule with all your spirit with all your affection which ye may best doe by fasting whereby the sinnes of the flesh and gluttonie are punished and in weeping and mourning whereby with teares ye deplore your ingratitude towards your good God This pennance was denounced vnto vs by all the prophets but in a more eminent manner declared and practised by that most holy forerunner of our Sauiour B. Saint Iohn Baptist whose office was to preach pennance by word and example of whom S. Bernard saith The austeritie and strict course of life of holy S. Iohn Baptist is a hard messenger of eternall death vnto delicious and wanton persons And S. Chrysostome The habit of his body might preach the vertues of his mind c. The Apostles tought the same S. Iohn Climacus hath notable examples in this kind The holy hermits that liued in the desarts did shine with pennance alwaies leading a strict penitentiall life And to omit infinite others let one S. Francis serue for all who after his conuersion did lead a most austere life of pennance For putting on the armour of the Crosse he did subdue all his sensuall appetites with such rigour of discipline that he scarce tooke what was necessarie for his sustentation for said he it is hard to satisfie the necessities of the body and not yeeld to sensuall inclination And therfore being in health he did seldome eat any dressed meates and when he did he put to ashes or water for sauce and very rarely too taking water enough to suffice nature He still inuented new wayes to afflict his body his bed being for the most part the ground or earth his pillow a blocke or stone With such and many the like mortifications did he arme him selfe to conuert the whole world and to draw it to pennance whereof he became a preacher both by word and example And this is all the knowledge his sermons tend vnto let other saints and Doctours preach the high points of speculatiue misticall or morall diuinitie let others abound in eloquence and fertile conceits of holy misteries let them teach the sublime misterie of the holy Trinity and other articles of our faith let them explicate the sublime gifts which God imparts to deuout soules or other such curious points S. Francis hath but one sermon of pennance alwayes repeating and inculcating the same after the example of S. Iohn Baptist and of his Master Christ Iesus knowes not how to speake any other language his text exordium narration peroration or conclusion is of pennance which he alwayes preaches whilst his very life is a continuated sermon of penuance The fruict whereof was such that the whole world would needs follow his example which made him for the satisfaction of all to make certaine rules of pennance All the sentences counsels and commandements of the first Rule sauour of nothing else but pennance and the professours thereof as wel noteth S. Bonauenture were Preachers of Pennance The second rule of no lesse austeritie and pennance he gaue to the poore Clares But this patriarcke of pennance had not thus giuen way and meanes to all for some had not strength and abilitie to vndertake such rigorous austerities who notwith standing forced by his example and words must needes take some rule and manner of life that they might doe pennance for their sinnes And this rule or method of liueing did the holy Father accomplish calleing it the rule of pennance or order of penitents so that the whole order of S. Francis is an order of pennance and all his children are penitents and those that are not so deserue not to be esteemed his disciples So that the first order in the beginning were called preachers of pennance but afterward for the more humilitie the Saint would haue them called Friar Minors a name of humilitie dependence and submission which is the highest condition of a Friar minor The vulgar people also stiled the now called poore Clares or poore dames religious penitents only the name of penitents remaines to the third order whose rule is commonly called the rule of pennance and their order stiled the order of pennance as here the Popes Holinesse entitles it THE 22. CHAPTER Containing a declaration of the state of Innocency MY reader perhaps will admire why I propound this discourse so farre differing from my subiect but let him please to consider that my intention is to explicate the things that are contayned in the prologue of the rule which the Pope thus beginneth Among other things committed to our charge and gouernement those chieftly doe make vs sollicitous by which the concupiscences of the world and flesh being bridled the quiet state of innocence and peace giuen vs from heauen is knowen to be reduced to its originall state and perfection Intimating that by a religious state man may be reduced to the quiet state of innocencie which cannot well be explicated if first we set not downe what the state of innocency was and how we haue fallen from it As for the first we cannot better declare it than by its effects which principally were seauen the first was wisdome and perfect knowledge of all things the second grace amitie or friendship with God the third originall iustice the fourth immortalitie and impassibilitie the fifth the inhabitation of paradise where they might eat of the tree of life the sixth a speciall care that God had of them the seauenth and last freedome from all lust and concupiscence S. Bernard contemplating this state of Innocency in his 35. Sermon vpon Canticles saith that Adam did dwell in the terrestriall paradise a place of more happynesse than any mortall creature could desire his conuersation was exempt from pouertie nothing could discommodate him he was recreated with odoriferant flowers and delightfull fruicts filled with honour and glory and established or created prince of all creatures This minion or fauorite of heauen was an abridegement of all perfection a microcosme where God had heaped all the exquisite beauty that could be seene in heauen or in earth For he had enriched him with grace endowed him with immortalitie and aboue all created him in originall iustice whereby he perfectly possessed all naturall sciences which to gether with the knowledge of supernaturall misteries was infused into him at the time of his creation Moreouer God had ranged all creatures vnder his obedience all liuing beasts did acknowledge him for their lord all other things tending to his benefit content and pleasure the planets sent forth no euill influences each heauen planet
and octaues of S. Clare which is not ordinarily granted vnlesse they were patrons or patronesses THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER Of the life and death of Blessed S. Lewis king of France THis glorious saint was borne of blessed parents to wit of Lewis the 8. king of France and Blancha queene of Castile both holy persons in the yeare 1215. being obtained of almightie God by the intercession of our B. lady For his deuout mother who also was of this third order grieuing that she had no children to succeed in the kingdome was persuaded by S. Dominicke to implore the aide and helpe of the B. virgin and to that end instructed her the manner of saying the Rosarie which had newly begunne Her prayers were not without fruit for she obtained her desire in enioying so blessed an ofspring who at twelue years old was crowned king of France yet remained vnder the protection of his mother who would often incultate these words vnto him My most deare sonne I had rather thou shouldest vndergoe a temporall death than by one mortall sinne offend thy creatour Which words tooke such root in his mind that Gods grace so preseruing him he neuer sinned mortally in his life his mother still instructing him in the way of vertue and procureing alwayes some religious men especially Franciscans and Dominicans to be with him that by their example he might be drawne to vertue and pietie And being now of age fit for marriage she prouided a wife for him to the great ioy and comfort of all his subiects but for three nights after his marriage he still continued in prayer bridling his coniugall desire with the feare of God and euer after liued most chastly with his queene Hee was greatly addicted vnto pietie and deuotion daily saying the canonicall houres and much loued humilitie pouertie charitie patience and other vertues studyeing the workes of pennance and mercy liuing in watchings prayers fastings disciplines and haircloath and continually meditateing on the sacred misteries of the Incarnation and Passion of our Sauiour the principall instruments whereof he from all places procured as that of the crowne of thornes great part of the Crosse the Iron of the lance that opened our Sauiours side with many others He was very deuout in hearing Masse and did communicate often and that with such deuotion that he would allure others to pietie so strong in faith thereto that being one time called to behold an apparition of a most beautifull child when the priest did eleuate the holy Sacrament he refused to goe to see it saying that such signes were for those that did not belieue Out of his great zeale of Gods honour he went forth to make warre with the Sarazens wherein at the first he properously proceeded but in the end God so willing he was taken prisoner but by composition being set at libertie in his returne God by his prayer deliuered both himselfe and his company from shipwracke And as in this he shewed his feruent desire to reduce those infidels to the light of faith so he alwayes did defend the Church against its enemies he loued and maintained all religious orders especially those of the Friar minors and Preachers but was a seuere enemie to all heretickes euen to the houre of his death for on his death bed it was one of his last and greatest charges he gaue to his sonne Fili saith he fis deuotus obediens matri nostrae Romanae Ecclesiae summo Pontifici tanquam Patri spirituali be deuout and obedient to our mother the Romane Church and to the Soueraigne bishop as to a spirituall Father It is reported of him that going in pilgrimage to Rome he passed by Perusia to see Brother Giles one of the companions of our holy Father a man of great contemplation who by reuelation vnderstanding of his comming and meeting the king in a disguised habit for he went in a pilgrimes weed he presently most ioyfully receiued him and both falling prostrate to each other and both rising together after an houres space they went one from another Brother Giles being demanded why he did not speake to the king sith he knew him he answered we saw one anothers hearts so clearely that it was not needfull to speake any thing Omitting many other most excellent things in his life I will conclude with his death which was thus In the yeare 1270. hauing receiued all the Sacraments of the Church with great deuotion and casting himselfe prostrate on the ground with a haire-cloath and ashes vnder him holding his hands stretched forth in the forme of a Crosse he gaue vp the Ghost and afterward shined with many miracles especially that of curing the disease commonly called the kings Euill and as some will haue it from him all the succeeding kings haue that vertue For the great vertues and miracles that God wrought by this saint he was canonised by Pope Bonifacius the 8. in the yeare 1298. And that he was of this third order is manifest by all the ancient monuments of our order the whole order hauing alwayes celebrated his feast with peculiar right And Paulus 3. in his Bull Cum à nobis petitur 1547. numbers him amongst the saincts of this third order See the Martirologe of the Friar Minors on the 25. of August THE SEAVENTEENTH CHAPTER The life of S. Iuo Patrone of the lawyers BLessed S. Iuo was borne of noble Parents neere Trecore in little Brittaine in the yeare 1258. who at competent age was sent thēce to Paris where hauing past his studies with praise as well in humanitie as Philosophy and diuinitie he departed thence and went to Orleans to study the cannon law where fearing the occasion of place and companie he began to exercise himselfe in the way of mortification and vertue which much encreased his good fame and esteeme of all men and made the Archdeane of Rhemes to choose him for to be his officiall which office he performed with great applause He euer cherished the poore helped orphans and comforted those that were in any affliction he was a great peacemaker neuer giuing sentence or iudgement but with teares accompanying it as vnwilling to displease any one In all things he did shew his great charitie to the poore and singular loue to God for whose sake he despised all the things of this world Which that he might more perfectly effect he tooke the habit of this third order which humble state made him to leaue his office or place although now he were officiall to the Bishop and retire himselfe to a poore little Parish Church where with more freedome he might be attentiue to diuine contemplation And now going in his poore habit vnder which also he did weare a hairshirt with most strict fasts euen in bread and water very frequently did remaine in extasie and sometimes for the space of seauen dayes together He celebrated Masse with exceeding great deuotion as also the diuine office which he said alwayes at midnight very sparing in
both in her life and after her death Blessed Vraca Roderiguez of Vlmes of most noble parentage and exceeding rich entring into a a Church where she heard the words of our Sauiour si vis perfectus esse vade vende omnia quae habes da pauperibus tooke them as said to her selfe and so bestowed much part of her meanes vpon religious houses builded an hospitall conuerting her owne house into a monasterie and giuing all the rest to the poore Afterward she with fiue of her neeces and three other gentlewoemen entred into this order about the yeare 1491. None was more chast than she none more vigilant She exceld all the rest in patience meekenesse mercie humilitie and dayly labours and at last replenished with merits and sanctitie died lies buried in the monasterie she had erected About the same time liued Blessed Agnes à ferro who sometime did attend on the Queene of Aragonia but afterward being weary of the world and despiseing the vaine honours thereof became religious of this third order liuing in great pouertie humilitie and sanctitie In the yeare 1500. Blessed Anne of Areualo was famous for sanctitie in the monasterie of S. Elizabeth of the third order of S. Francis where she liued for a hundred yeares in exceeding great humilitie patience abstinence prayer and charitie About the same yeare liued Blessed Clare of Fulginea famous for pietie and deuotion being very zealous of regular obseruance and often deseruing to be comforted in apparitions by the seraphicall Father S. Francis About the yeare 1515. florished Blessed Catharine Ruiz whose charitie in assisting the sicke sisters was admirable spending all that euer she could get for them yea begging for them and thereby became famous for sanctitie Blessed Anna Sanchez was one of her companions whose deuotion and continuall prayer was much to be admired yet she was of an excellent prudence for gouernement and therfore was sent to be mother or Abbesse in the Cloyster of S. Clement from whence after she had beene there 20. yeares with great labours and toiles leauing the most fragrant odour of her sweet conuersation she returned to her former place where broken and wearied with pennances fastings and continuall prayers she died with great sanctitie the cell and bed wherein she died did for sometime after shine with a great light to the great admiration of those that beheld it About the same time also liued in Placentia Blessed Baptista famous in her life for many vertues and after her death for many miracles especially for that her body remaining entire doth yeeld a most sweet and pleasing smell In the yeare 1519. liued B. Maria Pennalosa in the monasterie of S. Elizabeth in Segouia a woman of a very religious spirit in humilitie prayer and charitie hardly to be equalised who as it is commonly reported in her life time did obtaine life for a yong man that was dead for which and other things she is worshipped there with great deuotion About the same time B. Elizabeth Pontia together with her two daughters both also holy woemen began the monasterie of S. Anne in the prouince of Carthage and by their example did draw many others to Religion And as in their life they had the generall opinion of sanctitie so after their death their Reliques haue deliuered many that had beene possessed as also cured many diseases Blessed Francisca of S. Anne in the yeare 1525. was brought from the monasterie where she had made profession of the third order to the monasterie of the annuntiation at Grinion in the diocesse of Toledo that she might giue a beginning therto and instruct others that were to come in regular discipline and as she had beene abbesse of the former place so was she abbesse of this with woÌ„derfull fruit of soules for she did excell in prudence charitie pietie humilitie affabilitie modestie abstinence and monasticall obseruance B. Lucie about the yeare 1530. did found the monasterie of S. Clare vnder the rule of the third order and was very famous for perfection of life and miracles Her body is had in great estimation with the faithfull in those parts About this time liued Blessed S. Ioane of the holy Crosse whose admirable life is set forth in out vulgar language and therefore here omitted B. Francis liued in the same time of whom Gonzaga thus writes This most vertuous and religious sister Francis was a child of the third order of saint Francis who declining from the innumerable deceits of the fiend did get a glorious victorie ouer sathan and therefore was much feared by him B. Aldonza about the yeare 1566. was famous for sanctitie and after hauing beene abbesse when the sisters were to remoue she prayed that she might die in the same place which she obtained and six yeares after her death her body was found whole and entire yeelding a fragrant odour wherefore she was held in great veneration Blessed Marie Gonsalue in the yeare 1577. died with great opinioÌ„ of sanctitie after she had fouÌ„ded a monasterie of this third order wherein she lead a life of great perfection aswell in seruing the poore as in compassionating their miseries and wants she did alwayes sleep without any bed vnder her exactly obseruing the fasts of the whole yeare with rigorous and bloudy disciplines Blessed Olalia Grinesia was famous for sanctitie about the yeare 1583. For entring into this order and therein desiring the height of pennance she was not contented with the ordinary austerities of her order but inuented new fastings all the lents and vigils in bread and water and three times in the weeke did take bloudy disciplines being much addicted to pouertie and humilitie she would willingly serue all and continually did meditate on our lords Passion and not without teares Lastly falling into a dropsy now fourscore yeares old she died most blessedly The sisters by her reliques did cure very many diseases About the same time liued B. Clare Martineira whost abstinences fastings watchings teares haircloaths rigorous disciplines humble exercises feruent prayers mortificatioÌ„s pious workes most great temptations deuout actâ—oÌ„s celestiall visions diuine fauours frequent miracles both in her life and after her death are set downe by Daza And least I be ouer tedious in rehearsing so many holy persons to omitte many others which may be seene in the martyrologe amounting to two hundred vpwards I will conclude this chapter with Blessed Innocentia who liued in these our times and died in the yeare 1624. This Blessed virgin of noble parents in Cicilie from her infancy gaue her selfe to pietie vertue and temperance obseruing the fasts very strictly and despiseing the pompe and vanitie of this world out of her great desire of perfection entred into this third order giuing very good example of humilitie pouertie chastitie and obedience And by her continuall meditation she was so enflamed with the fire of diuine loue especially when she communicated that she was often rapt into extasie Her body remaines as yet whole and
did manifest her ciuility in cōplieing to their desires than any content she had in the recreation She carried her selfe indifferent in all such things and so by a quotidian and dayly excercise resisted her naturall inclinations and mortified her appetite alwayes declining from the libertie of a loose life she did raise vp her selfe to greater meanes of perfection Entring into the Church she would alwayes lay aside her crowne vntill such time as all being done she were admonished to returne for that she thought it a great impietie that her head should there be adorned with the proude pompe of a glittering crowne where was represented vnto her the head of our sauiour crowned with pricking thornes Who could expect such deuotiō such high vertues in so tender yeares It seemed to many and not without reason that she was more fitting to liue amongst religious woemen than in the court you would iudge that she had beene some Angel in humaine nature especially where as so many occasions of wordly sensuality were presented vnto her as all knowe the courts of Princes be subiect to What she did in the time of her Marriage § 2. IN the fourteenth yeare of her age she is forced by the obedience she owed to her Father to marry and thereby perhaps must mitigate somewhat of this great feruour But nothing lesse for her heart was firme and stable in those graces that God had giuen her more and more sheweing forth her feruour of spirit dayly encreasing in the study of vertuous actions feeding her minde with the contemplation of celestiall things and excerciseing her body in watchings prayers and fasts oftentimes cautiously riseing frō her husbands side in the night to pray And when she could get opportunity she would lie on the bare ground and to preuent all rebellion of the flesh she chastised her tender body euery fryday with disciplines in the lent oftener Vnder her silkes and sattins she ware continually a haireshirt yea many times permitted her maides to discipline and chastise her when she could think that she had done ought amisse A rare parterne in so great a princesse To all this we may adde her great charitie wherein she spent the greater part of her time now labouring by word and workes to draw others to amendment of life by reason whereof many ladies forsooke the vanitie of the world some by her counsell makeing vowes of chastitie others entering into religiō others who had not receiued the faith by her good counsell and instruction brought to be baptized she her selfe going to be their God-mother at the font Other whiles going forth to visit poore sicke woemen comforting and cherishing them with all things necessarie which she alwayes brought with her And indeed she was alwayes-mercifull to the poore not disdaining secretly to dresse their fores and botches yea their scald-heads and scurfes where of being sometimes reprehended she ioyfully answered that she had rather please Christ than mē And to auoid idlenesse the mother of all mischiefe being vacant from the aforesaid works of piety she vsed with her maydes to spinne and therewithall she cloathed the poore And that her charitie might neuer cease she caused a faire hospitall to be built wherein she gaue order that all things necessarie should be prouided for the poore that were weake and sick which hospitall although it were on a high mountaine somewhat painfull to ascend she did ordinarily visit euery day going with great humilitie to each one that was there enquiring whether they wanted any thing or what they desired and with her owne hands did feed those that were not able to helpe themselues taking them out of their beds bearing thē in her armes and composeing their beds for them Most louingly would she embrace the poore little children carrieing them in her armes and shewing her tender affection to them as if she had beene their mother so that ordinarily she was called the Mother of the poore She neuer regarded their deformitie diseases scabs or filth but louingly receiued all as if they had beene her owne In this hospitall she had alwayes 28 persons for whom she prouided although she were forced sometimes for their sakes to substract necessaries from her selfe Besides there were 900. beggars daily nourished by her almes but aboue all she tooke speciall care for the funeralls and burials of such poore people as were not able to prouide for themselues These acts of so notable charity God almighty shewed both to be gratefull to himselfe and also not preiudiciall to her husbands state as the following examples will shew For once being much importuned by some poore people for almes and hauing not any other thing to giue she gaue them her mantell which was very rich which the Prince misseing asked for it the Sainct confidently answered that it hung thereby as experience did verify At another time the prince being in great anxietie of mind for that she had not apparell beseeming her qualitie especially in such a time as there came vnto him an Embassadour from the king her Father she willed him not to be troubled for that she did neuer care for such vanities But the time being come that she must descend to the Embassadour loe she appeares in very rich apparell adorned with such beauty that euery one was strucke into admiration especially the prince to whom demāding the reason she smiling said our lord doth know how to prepare such things when he pleaseth About the yeare 1225. there fell a great dearth through the whole country when her husband being abroade she gathers all the corne she could get and most bountifully imparts it to the poore so that she emptied all the princes barnes and store-houses which notwith standing were found to be as they were before It is too hard to expresse her great deuotion at Masse and other diuine offices her feruent and pious aspirations her pietie in the time of communion wherein she was many times seene to shine with a great light and brightnesse And although she spent her whole time very religiously yet more particularly she obserued the lent with fastings almes and prayers adding frequent disciplines and on maundy thirsday poorely clad she visited the churches washing with great deuotion the feet of twelue poore woemen and after ward gaue them liberall almes Shee oftentiues went the processions barefoot The fame of these and such like vertues came to the eares of our seraphicall S. Francis who for her comfort by the commandement of the Cardinall protectour sent her his cloake which she most deuoutly receiued It seemes to me that this cloake was a misticall signe of what she was to be to wit not only one of his children but a mother and patronesse of this third order which the holy Father by this signe doth commend vnto her What she did after her husbands death §. 3. NEwes cōming to her of the princes death she with a constant resolution said teares sweetly flowing from her eyes If my Brother so
she called her husband be dead hence forward the world shall die to me who am dead to the world What she said in words she fullfild in deeds for at that time the ouerseers of her young sonne vnable as yet to succeed in his Fathers dominions cast her out of all and banished her the court not permitting her to come neare the Prince her sonne this confusioÌ„ she willingly embraces and no way either desireing reuenge or murmuring against it she reioyced much and with the Apostles gloried in tribulation Wherein as we may be hold her glorious humility patience and other vertues so also the fickle estate of fortune Shee who heretofore had beene wont to liue in princely pallaces is now glad to creep into some poore cottage she that had beene esteemed honoured obeyed and loued as one of the greatest princesses of the world is now despised contemned and derided of all yea of those whom formerly shee had relieued she that was wont to be clad in rich attires of gold siluer and pretious iewels now walks in poore ragges and cloathes embroadered perhaps with mire she that accustomed to bestow her almes so liberally on the poore is now glad to begge her owne bread Who would not take compassion of her After she had passed the winter in these sufferances lent comming on she redoubled her deuotions wherein she found wonderfull sweetnesse which she was no way able to expresse and therein had many reuelations aswell of our Sauiour as of our B. lady I will only set downe one or two Once being in an extasie our lord appeared to her said Dost thou desire to be with me and I will be with thee Whereto she answered Let it be so my lord as thou dost wouchsafe to be with me so also I will remaine with thee and be neuer separated from thee Our B. lady appeared vnto her very frequently and did instruct her how God doth impart benefits to his beloued by many tribulations and how by his grace which he giueth them he maketh their soules more capable of greater grace whilst they out of a holy humâ—litie doe as it were become diffident of receiueing such and so great benefits which he dayly more and more bestoweth on them And thereupon she counselled her to committ her selfe to the diuine will and goodnesse and attribute more to the power of God than to her owne indignitie The same was also manifested to the saint by a very rare miracle for being one day walking with her ghostly Father called Br. Roderingus they fell into a serious discourse of the spirituall progresse that a soule might make in perfection amongst other things the holy woman said Reuerend Father amongst all my troubles and difficulties of minde there is none so nerely touches me as that I am doubt full of the beneuolence and goodnesse of my creatour towards me not that I doe not know him to be the soueraigne good and liberall in his loue towards vs but that I find my demerits to be such that I shall and ought to bee reiected although I burne with his loue Whereto the Father answered you haue no reason to feare for so great is the diuine goodnesse that without all doubt he loues againe much more than he is loued by any But she replied how then doth he suffer me to be drawne away from him by afflictions and sicknesse at any time or any moment whereas I would alwaies and in all places adhere to him Br Roderingus answered Those are rather signes of one that is beloued of God than of one forsaken by him for he doth permit them to encrease your loue to him as also your merit And in signe hereof the more to confirme you herein in the vertue of his name whome you loue I command that tree which is on the other side of the riuer to come to this side where we are which was presently done Whereupon the saint fell at the Fathers feet craueing pardon for her offence The while these things were done some of her frieÌ„ds were thinking to helpe her and to allow her some honourable meanes and also prouide for her some noble marriage But she not against her will as they thought but voluÌ„tarily both poore and solitary maÌ„fully refused all saying I am coÌ„fident in the diuine protection that what I haue vowed whilst my husband liued I shall not loose now that he is dead what soeuer authoritie presse me or friendship flatter me I will not suffer that to be taken from me by men which I haue begunne for God alone neither doe I feare any violence for it is alwayes free to me with my will to dissent from it and to make my face more deformed or euen to cut of my nose O heroicall resolution rather she wil loose her life than leaue the promise she had made to God How the holy woman tooke vpon her a religious course of life §. 4. ALthings neuerthelesse being well composed and suffinent meanes giuen her to maintaine her selfe she was nothing altered thereby from her former resolution to liue after a poore manner in so much that her nobilitie condemned her esteeming her as a foole or superstitious idiot She was indeed to the wicked a derision and mocking-stocke but to the godly and iust she was in great veneration Whence Pope Gregorie the 9. hearing the fame of her vertues writ to her takeing her as his daughter vnder the protection of the Apostolicall See and commending her to Conradus a Friar as some will haue it a very holy man that he should instruct her what she was to doe where with the Saint was much strengthened and confirmed most willingly submitting her selfe to his direction Conradus then persuaded her to the contempt of the world and the following of Christ which she very willing to doe to the end she might execute it in some sure and constant course of life she made choise of this order of S. Francis to liue accordingly in holy and euangelicall pouertie which not without seeming reluctation her ghostly Father approued especially seeing her so earnestly with teares to beg it And vpon a good Friday before the altar in the Friar minors Church by a solemne profession she renounced parents children pompes and vanities of the world and her proper will to follow our Lord but being about to giue away all her meanes Conradus would not permit it Not long after for the loue of her ghostly Father that she might better enioy his good instructioÌ„s she went to Marburge where she began an hospitall which by commandement of Pope Gregory the 9. she dedicated to S. Francis The Pope at that time sent her some of the bloud that flowed froÌ„ the side of the said saint when he was marked with the holy stigmats In this hospitall she aspires to a higher kind of life and with a spirituall emulation endeauours to imitate the Friar Minors in a noble contempt of all things takeing their state of life and habit as much