sayd thus they returned to heauen and I to you and my self againe XXIV WHILE the king related this vision there were present the Queene Robert keeper of the sacred pallace Duke Harold and wicked Stigand who mounting on his fathers bed had defiled it impiously inuading the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury during the life time of Robert true Archkishop thereof for which offence he was afterwards suspended by Pope Alexander the second and in a Councell held at Winchester by the same Popes Legats and other Bishops and Abbots of England he was both deposed from all Episcopall dignitie and cast into prison by the commaund of William Conquerour where he ended his wicked life with a most miserable and well deserued death This Stigand being there present at the kings narration had all the powers of his soule soe barred vp against Stigand a Clergie-man punished for inuading a Sea belonging to the Benedictine Monks all goodnes that he waxed more obdurate at the dreadfull storie neyther was he terrified with the threatning oracle nor gaue anie creditt to the pious relatour but murmuring within him self that the king began to dote in his old age he laughed where he had more cause to weepe But the rest whose minds were more vertuously giuen lamented and wept abundantly knowing verie well that the Prelates and Princes led their liues according as the blessed king had declared XXV SOME are of opinion that the foresayd similitude is grounded vppon an impossibilitie and these were chiefly such as bewailed that the whole Nobilitie of the land was come to soe low anebbe and soe farre spent that there was neyther king nor Bishop nor Abbot nor Prince of the same nation scarse to be seene An interpretation of the Kings vision in England But quite of an other opinion am I saith Alured especially that S. DVNSTAN did both foretell that this calamitie should befall vs and yet afterwards promised a comfortable redresse Thus then it may be expounded This tree signified the kingdom of England in glorie beautifull in delights and riches plentifull and in the excellencie of the Royall dignitie most eminent The roote from whence all this honour proceeded was the Royall stemme or race which from Alfred who was the first of the English Kings annoynted and consecrated by the Pope descended by a direct line of succession to S. EDWARD The tree was cutt off from the stock when the kingdom being deuided from this royall issue was translated to an other linage the distance of three furlongs shewes that during the raigne of three Kings there should be noe mutuall participation betwixt the new and the auncient race of Kings for Harold succeeded King EDWARD next to him came in William Conquerour and after him his sonne William Rufus But this Royall tree tooke roote againe when Henry the first vnto whom all Regall dignitie was transported neyther by force compelled nor vrged with hope of gaine but meerly taken with an affection of loue tooke to wife Mawde daughter to S. EDWARDS neece ioyning and vniting togeather by this mariage the bloud royall of the Normans and the English both in one Then this tree did truely florish when of this vnited royaltie Mawde the Empresse was begotten and then it brought forth fruit when by her we had Henry the second who like vnto a corner stone vnited both nations togeather And therefore by this we now see that England hath an English King as allsoe Bishops Abbots Princes and knights of the same auncient race deriued from this vnion of both nations But if anie man be displeased with this exposition let him eyther expound it better or expect an other time vntill he find these particularities fullfilled XXVI BVT LET vs returne to our B. King whose sicknes still encreasing made him euidently feele and vnderstand by the secret S. Edwards death Embassadours of neere approaching death that his hower was come to passe out of this world and therefore caused his death to be pâ—blished abroade before hand lest the knowledge thereof being delayed he should want the comfort of the prayers and sacrifices of his Clergie and people which he earnestly desired This done the holy man loaden with manie dayes of ould age and as manie good workes as howers in each day he yeelded vp his pure soule into the most pure hands of his Redeemer By whose death England's whole felicitie libertie and strength was vtterly lost bâ—oken and ouerthrowne Noe sooner was the breath gone out of his holy bodie but his face casting forth beames of wonderfull brightnes made death in him seeme beautifull and louely to the behoulders This glorious King and worthie benefactour of S. BENEDICT's order died the fifth of Ianuary one thousand sixtie six The beautie of his dead bodie when he had raigned twentie three yeares six moneths and twentie seauen daâ—es He was honorably buried in S. PETERS Church which him self had built for the Benedictine Monks and had now bin newly consecrated during the time of his last sicknes on S. Innocents day before XXVII MANIE miracles by the merits of this B. Sainct were A lame man cured at his tombe wrought afterwards at his sepulcher among which one Raphe a Norman who for the space of manie yeares had bin by the contraction of his sinewes soe lame of his leggs that he could but creepe and that with great difficultie on his hands and hinder parts came the eight day after S. EDWARDS buriall to his tombe and making his prayers to allmightie God and this glorious Sainct he was perfectly cured and healed of all his infirmities XXVIII ALLSOE about twentie daies after his buriall six blind men came following a man with one eye hanging one to an other Six blind man restored to sight soe that one only eye leading the way directed seauen persons to the B. Saincts sepulcher where sorrowfully declaring their miserie vnto him they humbly beseeched his assistance against the woefull teadiousnes of their perpetuall darknes and immediatly by the merits of the holy King they had all their sights restored and soe perfectly restored vnto them that they were able to returne each one guiding his owne footsteps Allsoe the bell ringer of Westminster Church being blind vsed to pray dayly at S. EDWARDS tombe till one night he heard a voyce that calling him by his name bad him rise and goe to the Church but as he went he seemed to behould King EDWARD in great glorie goeing before him and from that Three cured of quartan agues time he had the perfect vse of his sight euer after Allsoe a Monk of Westminster a verie learned man one Sir Guerin a knight and an other man of Barking were all three cured of quartan agues as they prayed at his holy tombe XXIX SIX AND thirtie yeares after the death of this glorious King his sepulcher being opened at the earnest request and sute of His bodie found vncorrupted the people his holy bodie was found most entier
diligence of her dutifull seruice she greatly inuited all the rest of her sisters and fellow-Nunnes highly to loue and honour her Nether did the greatnes of her bloud and royall byrth make her more nice or backward to vndergoe the austeritie of her profession because she iudged it a thing most glorious to be huÌ„bled vnder the sweet yoake of the seruice of CHRIST-IESVS Her sainctirie encreased with her age and her humilitie florished with her youthfull yeares in soe A rare example of humilitie much that by night she would play the part of a pious theefe and steale the sockes of all the other nunnes hauing carefully washed and annoynted them she restored them againe to their bed sides Wherefore allbeit allmightie God hath ennobled her aliue with manie famous miracles yet this one example is before all most worthie of prayse that charitie beganne and humilitie finished all the workes of her whole life At leÌ„gth passing happily out of this world Her happy death her pure and innocent soule was carried on the wings of these two vertues to be perfectly vnited with her euerlasting spouse in heauen the fifteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 920. Her bodie was first buried in the same Monasterie but some of her bones were afterwards translated to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore in the Diocesse of Worcester where they were reserued with great reuerence and deuotion at both which places the holines and integritie of her life was witnessed with manie famous miracles as the gouernours of the same Churches could affirme in the time of my Authour The life of S. Eadburg sayth Iohn Pits is written by one Osbertus Clarentius a Benedictin Monke of Winchester about the yeare of Christ 1136. which I haue not seene But thus much of her I haue taken out of William Malmesbury de reg lib. 2. cap. 13. and de Episcop lib. 4. de monasterijs diocesis Vigorn and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10. cap. 8. Mention is made of her by Roger Houedon priori part Annal. an 899. Polidore Virgill lib. 6. Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter de natalibus in his catalogue lib. 11. cap. 69. and others And in an auncient manuscript breniary of S. Benedicts order with belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find her feast celebrated this fisteenth of Iune with three lessons and a proper Collect. The life of Saint BOTVLPHE Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 17 Written by Folchard a Monke of Thorney BOTVLPHE and ADOLPHE brothers borne of noble parents were both as neere of kinne in vertue as in byrth and both equally ennobled the nobilitie of their bloud with the resplendent excellencie of their holy life Who because in England then but newly conuerted the Catholick religion and discipline of a monasticall life was not yet established in that perfection as their minds aspired vnto went on pilgrimage ouer into France or Belgia Where because vertue is no where a stranger but is euery where honoured euen amongst strangers ADOLPHE was at length aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Bishop and BOTVLPHE hauing been a long time He professeth a religious life exercised in the stricter discipline of a monasticall life togeather with his brother and putt on the habit and profession of a Monke vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT resolued to returne into his owne countrey being courteously recommended to ETHELMVND king of the South-Saxons by his two Sisters who at that time led a religious life in France Therefore S. BOTVLPHE hauing passed the seas was kindly entertayned by king Ethelmund who hauing vnderstood the desire of his sisters gaue him a peece of land in Lincolneâ—hire not farre from the cittie of Lincolne The name of the place was Icanhoe a forsaken vnhabited desert where nothing but deuills and goblins were thought to dwell But S. BOTVLPHE with the vertue signe of the holy Crosse freed it from the possession of those hellish He buildeth a Monastery inhabitants and by the meanes and helpe of Ethelmund built a monasterie therein which he filled with a Conuent of religious monkes vnder the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT II. THESE he gouerned both by word worke and example according to the stricter discipline of a monasticall life which he had learned in forreigne countreies drawing them by the mildnes of his dayly pious admonitions to embrace the sweet austeritie of a vertuous and holy life in soe much that he was highly esteemed and His pietie in sicknes beloued of all and by a speciall fauour of allmightie God ennobled with the guift of prophesie and working of manie miracles Being oppressed with sicknes of bodie he imitated the patience of holy Iob and gaue infinite thankes vnto the diuine goodnes for that visitation all waies discoursing of the soules departure out of the bodie and of the ioyes of euerlasting happines which followed With these and such like pious exercises he spent his whole time till he attayned to the happines to be by old age ouertaken in the diuine seruice When the end of his life drawing neere and the vehemencie of his sicknes encreasing he ceased not to exhorte his deuout children carefully to obserue the rules of monsticall life which he had planted amongst them and to maintaine peace and charitie in the Monasterie Till adorned with the long studies of all vertues this vntired Hâ—s happy death champion of CHRIT being oppressed with the crueltie of a teadious disease of bodie yeelded vp his blessed soule out of her mortall habitation to the immortall reward of her labours the seauenteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 680. He was buried in the same Monasterie where his memorie was yearly celebrated being famous for miracles both in his life and after his death But that place being afterwards destroyed by the Danes the worthy restorer of the Benedictine discipline S. ETHELWOLD bishop of Winchester caused his sacred reliques to be taken vp and translated to the Translation of his bodie two Benedictine Abbeies Ely and Thorney And it hath been found writteÌ„ in the booke of S. BOTVLPHES Church neere Aldergâ—â—e in London that part of his holy bodie was by King Edward giuen to the Abbey of Winchester The memory of this glorious Sainct hath in former times been very famous in our Iland of great Britaine and in Lincolneshire there remaines yet a renowned towne which from his name was called Botulphs-Towne but now by corruption of the word is named Bâ—ston situate on the bankes of the riuer Witham His life hath been written by Folchard a monke of Thorney and by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts S. Bede in his history of England Florentius Wigorniensis an 654. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare Nicholas Harpsfied saec 7. cap. 24. William Camden in descriptione comitatus Lincolâ—iâ— Molanus in his additions to Vsuard and manie others make worthy iâ—eâ—tion
certaine poore pilgrim his Chamberlaine being absent importunately asked him an almes in the name of God and S. IOHN He hauing nothing else in a readines gaue him a ring of great value of his finger Not long after two Englishmen going in pilgrimage to visitt the holy sepulcher at Hierusalem lost their way and wandered a long time throught strainge and vncouth places till the sunne goeing to sett the darksom night approached and encreased their ignorance soe that not knowing what to doe nor which way to turne there appeared a venerable graue old man that brought them to a towne hard by where they were receaued kindly and entertayned very sufficiently with diet and lodging The next morning as they were departing the same old man putt them in their right way and in takeing leaue of them Brethren sayd he be of good cheere and doubt not but you shall returne to your countrey in safetie for allmightie God will make your iourney prosperous and I my self for your good kings sake will haue care to direct you in all your waies For I am IOHN the Apostle who affect your King with all loue for his pure vertue of chastetie S. Iohn loueth him for his chastetie j which highly deserues it Take therefore this ring which he gaue me for an almes appearing in the habit of a pilgrim and deliuer it vnto him againe telling him withall that the time of his death drawes neere for six moneths hence I will visitt him and bring him where togeather with me he shall follow the lambe which way soeuer he goeth At these words he vanished away and Apoc. 14. v. 4. they hauing visitted the holy land returned safely into their countrey and related orderly to the King what they had seene and heard And in testimonie of all gaue him the ring which was afterwards kept with great reuerence as a holy relique in the great Church of Westminster and by vertue of it manie were cured of the falling sicknes and of the contractions of their limmes XXIII NOT LONG after the blessed man fell into a grieuous sicknes during which he was in such an extasie that for the S. Edw. in an extasie space of allmost two daies he lay without anie signe of life At length waking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he opened his eyes and sitting vpp in his bed spake to the attendants in this manner When in my youth I liued a banished man in Normandie I euer held the friendship and companie of good and vertuous persons as most deare and gratefull vnto me and chiefly those Monks and Religious men that excelled others in vertue and religion I obserued and with them I conuersed most familiarly among whom two Monks Benedictines had obliged me in the bands of charitie verle particularly vnto them by their honest His loue to Benedictine Monks conuersation their holy life their sweet behauiour and their affable and courteous discourse These I more frequently visitted their discourses being to my soule as sweet meates to my pallate And these being some yeares since translated out of this world to the ioyes of heauen I beheld in this my sleepe standing before my face rehearsing according to the will of God what shall befall this countrey after my decease They say that the wickednes of the English nation is growne soe full and to such a height that it prouoketh Gods wrath and hasteneth his His prophesie of England reuenge The Priests haue broken their couenant with God they handle the sacred misteries with polluted soules and defiled hands They are not true pastours but mercenaties that doe noe protect their flock but expose it to the deuouring iawes of wolues seeking only their owne priuate commoditie of the milke and the wooll neglecting the good of their sheepe that at last eternall death may iustly deuoure and swallow both sheepe and sheapheard in the bottomlesse pitt of hell The Princes allsoe and gouernours of the land are vnfaythfull companions of theeues and wasters of the countrey they neyther seare God nor honour the lawes men to whom truth is grieuous and burdensom righteousnes contemptible and crueltie delightfull soe that neyther the Prelates heare anie respect to iustice nor the subiects haue anie regard of good order and discipline And therefore our Lord And the comeing in of the Normans hath drawne his dreadfull sword he hath bent and prepared his bow to shoote-forth the arrow of his iust wrath and reuenge against this nation into which he will send a mission of wicked spiritts to whose power they shall be deliuered in one yeare and one day to be punished with fier and sword With that sighing and grieuing at the newes of this calamitie threatned against my wretched countrey ô yee witnesses of the heauenly secrets sayd I what if this people beiog conuerted from their wickedenes shall doe worthie works of penance will not God graunt thē pardon leaue his blessing among them Penance is of such force that it suspended the dreadfull sentence of death pronounced by Gods owne mouth against the Niniuites and allso differed Joan. 2. 3. Reg. 21. the imminent reuenge due to wicked Achab. Therefore I will perswade my people to doe penance for their offences past and carefully beware those to come and perhaps our Lord will be mercifull and not powre out these great calamities vppon them but with his wonted pietie will receiue them then returned vnto his seruice whom peruerted from him by their wicked life he was prepared to punish and destroy with this heauie iudgement No no replied they it will not fall out soe happily for the hearts of this miserable people are soe hardned their eyes soe blinded and their eares soe fast dammed vp against all goodnes that they will neyther hearken to anie correction nor vnderstand anie good counsell they are neyther with threats terrified from euill nor with benefits prouoked vnto good At these their words my grief and care encreasing What sayd I will our Lord shew his anger for euer will he not at last beginne to be more pacified When then shall ioyes succeed these soe manie miseries what comfort or consolation shall moderate Psal 76. these great aduersities What remedie is to be expected in these An obscure promise of Gods mercie towards England euills that as on the one side we are terrified and contristated at our future rebukes soe we may be a little comforted with the promise of the diuine mercie that followes them Herevnto the Saincts proposed vnto me this Parable When a greene tree cutt downe from the stock remooued three furlongs distant from his owne roote shall without the helpe of anie mās hand or by anie externall ayde returne againe to his owne roote and placing it self thereon shall resume iuice againe to florish and bring forth fruit then and not before some comfort may be hoped for in this tribulation and a remedie against the foretould aduersitie may be expected Hauing
an ignoble buriall it pleased allmightie God to make knowne of how great meritt the holy man was by an heauenly light which appeared euerie night ouer his graue vntill the neighbours vnderstood thereby that certainly it was a holy man that lay buried there and being better informed who it was and whence he came they tooke away his bodie and carried it to the cittie of Bullein where it was buried in a Church after such reuerend and honourable manner as became soe worthy a holy man He died about the yeare of Christ 607. Of him doe make mention beside S BEDE TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order MOLANVS in his Catalogue of the Saincts of Belgia and others whom we haue followed The life of S CEOLVLPHE King and Confessor Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 15. Out of venerable Bede de gest Angl. CEOLVLPH after the death of King Osrick was made King of the Northumbers but the beginning and progresse of his gouernement was encumbred with soe manie difficulties and aduersities that after some yeares triall thereof entring into a serious consideration with him self of the miserable vncertaintie and vncertaine miserie of mans life and perceauing how dangerous were the tumults and precipices of this world and that the greatest and most prosperous fortunes of Princes were most of all subiect to decline and chainge euen in a moment and calling to mind the strict and rigid accompt that we must render of all our thoughts and actions at the day of iudgement before the dreadfull tribunall of the all seeing Iudge he beganne soe farre to loathe the care of worldly things and soe to despise those vaine honours He resolueth to be a Benedictin monk that forsaking the Royall estate and robes of Maiestie he put on the poore weeds of a monasticall humilitie in the Benedictin monasterie of Lindissarne or Holy-Iland piously following herein the footsteps of six others his predecessors English Kings Now insteed of his crowne of gold the token of soueraigntie he wore his hayre shauen with a crowne made of the same as the badge of a punishing humilitie his royall sceptre by vertue whereof he bore sway and authoritie in the world was now turned to a breuiarie wherevnto he was wedded and he that before ruled a kingdome was now vnder the check and commaund of a poore monk his superiour for his chaines of gould which were the ornament of his princely body he is now content to vse a poore payre of beades and thereon daily to reckon the number of his allmost numberlesse deuotions He was a man in whom a great knowledge of things diuine and humane was ioyned with an excellent pietie and singular deuotion soe absolutely learned that venerable BEDE the greatest scholler His learning and pietie and writer of our nation dedicated his historie of England vnto him with the title of MOST GLORIOVS KING to be by his wisedom not only reuiewed and read but allso approued and if need were corrected The often reading of these bookes he being of him self much addicted vnto the knowledge of antiquities and especially of England was a spurre vnto him allreadie inclined therevnto to vndertake this monasticall life In which when he had liued the space of all most twentie yeares in the continuall exercise of pietie and deuotion he gaue vp his holy soule to receaue for a temporall kingdom an eternall amongst other blessed Kings whom the same pious considerations had caused to leaue their scepters purples to be ranged vnder the humble enseigne of S. BENEDICT The day of his death is vnknowne but how full of merits and good workes he died his buriall which was neere vnto His death the great Benedictin monk S. CVTHBERT and the manie miracles which it pleased God to shew at his tombe doe giue sufficient testimonie Afterwards his bodie togeather with S. CVTHBERTS was taken vp and placed in a rich shrine in a more eminent place Thus much of him we haue gathered out of venerable BEDE WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 3. BARONIVS tom 9. ann 737. NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 8. cap. 21. ARNOLD WION lib. 4. ligni vitae cap. 6. de Regibus regnis Benedictini ordinis and other graue Authours The life of S. FVRSEVS Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 16. Out of venerable Bede FVRSEVS borne in Ireland of Royall parents but more ennobled by his vertues then his birth was famous for dignitie amongst his friends but excelling ouer the world in the speciall guift of diuine grace He was of a beautifull forme chast of bodie deuout in mind affable in discourse of an amiable aspect and replenished with grace and good workes brought vp from his verie infancie in the continuall studie of holy scripture and monasticall His youth and learning discipline And as he grew in yeares soe grew he allsoe in the daily increase of vertue and pious desires For the better accomplishment whereof he forsaked his parents friends and natiue soyle and betooke him self for the space of some yeares to the studie of holy scriptures in which in short time he became sufficiently well instructed But that the world might know that he did not only labour for him self but for all those that sought the truth he built a monasterie which serued as a free-schoole of vertue wherein he taught all that came vnto him the true way of saluation Great was the number of people that flocked togeather vnto this holy teacher of vertue by whose godly preaching and deuout exhortations manie were not only retired from their bad manner of life and brought into the right way of saluation but allsoe were subiected vnto the regular obseruance of a monasticall order Amongst these he was desirous to haue the companie of some of his owne kinsinen and for that end he made a iourney vnto his natiue countrey but in the way he happened to fall sick and in this sicknes his soule being as it were separated from her earthly lodging enioyed a most delightfull vision of Angels that seemed to lift him vp towards heauen were he beheld an infinite companie of heauenly citizens who with their sweet melodie filled his rauished vnderstanding with inestimable ioy and comfort The dittie of their A vision song was that versicle of the Psalme Ibuâ—t Sancti de virtute in virtutem viâ—ebitur Deus Deorum in Sion Holy men will proceed from vertue to vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion This song they repeated often-times with such rauishing tunes as it is farre beyond the force of weake wordes to expresse But being restored to his bodie and him self againe about the time that the cock giues warning of the dayes approach he heard in steed of the melodious harmonie of the Angels the wofull lamentations and cries of his friends and kinsfollies who all this time had watched at his bodie which they supposed to be dead
thy bodie to Satan that thy soule may be A terrible punishment of one that would not forgiue his enemies saued in the day of iudgement He had scarse ended these words when the miserable wretch by the gâ—ashing and grinding of his teeth the gastly staring of his eyes his foaming at the mouth and antick turning and rouling of his bodie into strange postures gaue euident restimonie by what diabolicall spiritt he was gouerned At length being freed againe by S. WOLSTAN he was the second and third time possessed in like manner vntill from the bottom of his heart he promised to forgiue his enemies XVII THE vertuous life of this holy man was ennobled with manie other miracles and wanted not the guift of prophesie By S. Wolstanâ— guift of prophesie which he disswaded one Ailwine who a long time had liued a solitarie life at Malâ—erne hills from his desire of goeing to Hierusalem foretelling him that God allmightie would worke wonderfull things by his meanes Ailwine yeelding vnto his perswasioÌ„s founded afterwards a famous monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order at Malâ—erne where he gathered togeather the number of three hundred Benedictine Monkes XVIII ONE Sewulf whom he had often exhorted to embrace a monasticall life to doe worthie penance for his sinnes excusing him self and alleadging that the rigour of it did exceed his weaknes of bodie the Bishop sayd Well goe this waie thou shalt be a Monk whether thou wilt or noe At length waxing old he tooke the habitt of S. Benedicts order at Malmesburie where the very remembrance of S. Wolstans words euer after thundered a milder and humbler behauiour into him XIX As on a time he stroaked the head of a little boy called Nicholas whom he brought vp from a child and now euen in his A WoÌ„der youth beganne to loose his hayre I think my sonne sayd he thou wilt shortly be bald and why Father replied the boy doe not you keepe my hayre on my head Beleeue me sonne answered the holy Bishop as long as I liue soe much as remaynes shall not fall away And soe it came to passe But within the verie weeke that the holy man died all that yong mans hayre went soe cleane away that there remayned nothing but the bare scull XX. Newes being brought him that his sister was dead Now then answered he the plough is come into my land and verie He foreseeth his owne death shortly the brother will follow his sister Neyther was he a false Prophet for within a short time after being taken with an extreme seauer his old age soone perceaued that death was at hand Then nothing was to be seene among his monks and other friendâ— about him but teares sighs and lamentations woefully bewailing the losse of soe pious a Father When he on the other side with a deuout exhortation proceeding from a ioyfull countenance stroue to appease their griefs saying that his death would be noe losse of life but a change for a better promising not soe to forsake them but that with his prayers to allmightie God he would for euer assist them His great confideÌ„ce in almightie God and that being free out of his prison of clay by how much neerer he was ioyned vnto God by soe much readier he would be to comfort and defend them Thrise happie tongue that out of the store-house of a secure conscience durst power out words of soe great confidence Some with sighs and sobbs desire to haue him prayd for and he largely promiseth to pray for them all O strange wonder See how his holy simplicitie was ignorant of hauing anie diffidence in the mercie of allmightie God Therefore in the yeare of our Lord 1095. this glorious confessor of CHRIST this bright starre of the Benedictine order in England hauing with a wonderfull rare example of holy life gouuerned the Sea of Worcester the space of thirtie fower yeares deliuered vp his vertuous soule into the hands His death of his creatour to receaue the rewards of his worthie labours the ninteenth day of January in the eightie seauenth yeare of his age His bodie was brought into the Church and detained there three dayes vnburied The very forme and complexion thereof seeming rather to sett forth the gracefull beautie of a liuing Bishop then the horrour of a dead corps The Episcopall ring which he had receaued at his consecration manie yeares before his death would not hang on his finger for his flesh was soe consumed by his extreme penance and austerity of life that his bodie was nothing but skinne and bone But although his ring often times fell from his finger thus A notable miracle consumed yet was it neuer lost and he did often say that he would carrie with him to his graue that ring which without ambition he had receaued Being dead diuers essayed to take off his ring but in vaine for that which before fell off manie times of it self by noe violent meanes could now be drawne off The fourth day he was buried with great reuerence by Robert Bishop of Hereford who long before had entred into a strict and holy league of friendship togeather with S. WOLSTAN XXI SOME yeares after his death a mercilesse fier taking hould of the topp of the Church burnt and consumed it in miserable sort An other as strange the lead came powring downe like rayne the great beames their supporters being consumed as whole trees tumbled to the ground soe that in such a confused wrack of ruine it seemed nothing that was within the compasse of the Church could escape the rage of the fier Yet the sepulcher of the blessed Sainct remayned free from these outrageous flames and was not as much as touched or smutched with anie of the coales ashes or anie thing else that fell from aboue And to giue greater euidence to the miracle the verie strawmatte on which those did kneele that prayed before his tombe was found whole and vntoucht XXII ABOVT a hundred yeares after his death his holy body was taken vp and enclosed in a very pretious shrine being found in all His body vncorrupted after an hundred yeares his Pontificall robes as entier and vncorrupted as when he was layd in the ground The feast of his translation is celebrated the seauenth of Iune Manie other miracles were wrought by the supreme worker of miracles through the intercession and meritts of this blessed Sainct which I willingly omitt my purpose being not to write Saincts liues that the world may only wonder at their miraculous deeds but chiefly to draw men to imitate their vertuous liues Yet in this historie we haue had great store both of vertues and miracles God of his infinite goodnes giue vs grace to admire and prayse his diuine power in the one and to follow the vertuous examples of his blessed Sainct in the other Amen His life we haue taken chiefly out of the author of it SENATVS BRAVON a Monk of Worcester Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de
hands couering them a table prouiding them meate and drink wayting on them at table and lastly hauing well satisfied their hunger he bestowed on each a peece of siluer and dismissed them Vnto these at Easter he gaue new cloathes and retayned them with him in his hall as his principall guests for certaine daies Noe sicknes could detayne him from these pious offices nay the weaker he found his body the more he forced him self with greater diligence to execute his seruice to these poore men worthyly following herein the humble example and exemplar humilitie of our deare Redeemer washing the feete of his twelue Apostles XVI AT LENGTH hauing for the space of manie yeares ruled both his bishopricks with great wisedom and sainctity to the wonderfull He foreâ—â—eth his â—â—ne death admiration of England the notable encrease of Gods Church the reformation of vice and the worthy aduancement of monasticall discipline hauing outliued his two Bretheren in religion and noble Equals in sainctitie Dunstan and Ethelwold the first fiue yeares the other tenne the day before his departure out of this life goeing forth with his monkes out of the Church into the open ayre he stood with his eyes most attentiuely bent towards heauen making his prayer with a mouth and heart full of pietie vnto IESVS CHRIST whom soe feruently he desired to enioy Nether did he as at other times quickly draw back his eyes from looking vpwards but as yf he did comtemplate with great pleasure of mind some strange noueltie he remayned very long fixed on what he beheld Being demaunded what he saw I contemplate sayd he the place whither I am goeing which to morrow next you shall plainly vnderstand For the eternall happines is now at hand to attaine which I haue hithervnto laboured on earth nether shall the morrow-sunne be sett before my Lord as he hath promised will call me into the ioyes of his euer flourishing paradise Therefore returning into the Church he called his monkes togeather and exhorted them to giue him the He receaueth the last Sacraments sacrament of extreme vnction and the sacred viaticum of our Lords bodie The night following forgetting this his sicknes soe attentiue he was to prepare for his happy iourney he went into the Church and hauing finished his diuine office he spent the rest of the night in prayers In the morning according to custom he gyrt him self with a towell and washed dried and kissed the feete of his twelue poore men and hauing performed the fifteene psalmes which he vsed to recite in that pious seruice he added thereunto Gloria patri c. and the poore rising as their manner was to giue thankes In his piouâ— exercise he happyly departeth at those wordes Spiritui Sancto in sight of them all he yeelded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deere Redeemer the twentie eight day of February in the yeare of our Lord 992 hauing been bishop thirtie yeares When his bodie was carried to buriall a white doue appeared to descend from heauen and flieing gently ouer it couered and protected it with her wings Allsoe a fierie globe seemed miraculously to hang ouer the biere whereon his holy bodie was layd And when his sacred reliques were placed before the high aultar that fierie vision as it were to designe the place for his buriall wauered to the south side of the Church ouer against the aultar and suddenly vanished out of sight His Bodie was committed to the earth in the Church of our blessed Ladie which him self as we haue sayd before had erected And Count Alwin after the death of this holy man being oppressed with an vnspeabeable anguish and grief of mind departed out of this teadious life and was buried in his Abbey of Ramsey with this Epitaph Here resteth Alwin cozen of the famous King Edgar Alderman of all England and the miraculous founder of this sacred Monasterie The holy Bishop Sainct OSWALD as in his life he was wonderfull soe after his death it pleased the allmightie worker of wonders to shew manie miracles at his tombe by his holy intercession and meritts whereof we will speake more at large on the feast of his translation the 15. day of October when his greatest festiuitie was celebrated in the English Church It resteth only now that wee pray vnto his glorious Sainct who is soe potent and powerfull a fauorite with allmightie God to obtaine his diuine grace for vs in this world and to be partakers of the glorie of his blessed Saincts in the next through our lord IESVS-CHRIST who be for eâ—er blessed praysed glorified AmeÌ„ His life was writteÌ„ by one Senatus Brauonius a moÌ„k of Worcester about the yeare of our Lord 1170. which is recited by Laurence Surius in his tenth tome and praysed by Baronius for a historie saythfully written We haue only added thereuÌ„to some few things out Malmesbury Baronius Harpsfield The verie same history with this of Surius is recited by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus only different in the stile which Surius corrected The mouthes of all historiographers English and others are full of the prayses of S. OSWALD The life of S. AIDO or Aidus Abbot and Confessor FEB 28. Out of an auncient authour recited by Iohn Cap graue AIDO borne in the prouince of Conaght in Jreland and giuen to his barren parents by the speciall fauour of allmightie God when he came to such age that he was able to make choise of a course of life he departed to the Prouince of Leinster where he led a solitarie life in all manner of vertue and holines Afterwards he came into Wales where liuing vnder the discipline of great S. Dauid he dayly shewed manie strange examples of miraculous workes and vertues in soe much that during the time of his abode there the Saxons then mortall enemies to the Britans durst neuer presume to inuade their dominions fearing the power vertue of this Sainct Returned as he was againe into Ireland he built a monasterie He buildeth a monasterie in Ireland wherein he became the spirituall father and teacher of verie manie monks whom he instructed in all good learning and the monasticall discipline of those times Manie strange and allmost incredible miracles are reported of this holy man which I willingly omitt It sufficeth for proofe of his Sainctitie that he liued in the continuall exercise of vertues and died loden with the meritts of manie good works as he did this twentie eigth day of February At S. DAVIDS in Meneuia he was called Moâ—dock that is Jrish and there his feast was celebrated with verie great reuerence and deuotion Thus much of his life I haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue with whom only let the truth of his relation stand for I find noe other Authour that maketh mention of this Sainct The end of February S. SWIBERTVS EPISC. WLRDENSIS APOSTOLVS Frisia Monachus Anglus Ord. S. Benedicti M. baâ—… f. The life of S
was wont presently to sett his helping hands therevnto eyther in guiding or houlding of the plough or anie other such labour For he was a yong man of great strength of a sweet discourse a merrie hart bountifull in good workes and of an honest and decent aspect He allwaies cate of the same meate and in the same place that his other brethren did and slept in the same common dorter that he did before he was made Abbot Yea when he fell fick and foresaw by certaine signes that death was at hand yet he remayned two daies after in the dorter of the other Brethren And other fiue daies before his He taketh leaue of his monkes departure he was placed in a more secret house a part till goeing forth one day into the open ayre he assembled all his monkes togeather and tooke a solemne leaue of them imparting to euery one a charitable salutation of peace they in the meane time pittifully weeping and wayling to depart from soe holy a father and soe pious a pastour He died the seauenth day of March in the night when the monkes were singing mattings in the Church He was twentie fower yeares of age when he came to the monasterie he liued twelue yeares therein seauen whereof he exercised the function of Priestood and fower His death he gouerned the Monasterie with the dignitie of Abbot till at leÌ„gth leauing his mortall limmes he tooke a happie flight to the Kingdom of heauen saint BENNET Bishop being then absent in his fift iourney to Rome The life of this Sainct is thus written by saint BEDE as we haue found it in an auncient manuscript togeather with the lines of other Abbots of the same mònastery where saint BEDE him self liued a Monke Besides him FLORENTIVS WIGORNIENSIS an 682. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 703. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 37. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others doe northily speake his prayses The life of sainct FELIX Bishop and Confessor MAR. 8. Out of diuers Authours FELIX was the first Bishop of the East-Angles But a man of how great pietie he was it appeareth chiefly in this He leaueth his countrey to preach in England one famous example that being natiue of Burgundis and vnderstanding how few labourers there were in soe fruictfull an haruest of CHRIST as England of his owne accord he left his Bishoprick friends Kinred and riches and all other maintenances and promotions of his state to come into our contrey and employ his best endeauours in soe pious a work Whose holy purpose being vnderstood admired by Honorius Archbishop of Canturbury he allotted him the Prouince of the East-Engles which hauing He conuerteth the East-Angles forsaken the Christian fayth before receaued was fallen againe into the blindnes of Idolatrie But FELIX being in effect correspondent to his name which signifieth Happie with soe great happines discharged the prouince he vndertooke that in a short time he wholly happily reduced it from the Idolatrous bondage of the deuill to the sweet freedoÌ„ of CHRISTS sacred Ghospell He held his Episcopall sea in a towne then called Dimmock but afterwards from his name it was named FELIXTOWE or FELSTOWE In which place and dignitie happie FELIX hauing discharged the part of a good pastour for the space of seauenteene yeares continually labouring with inuincible patience for the aduancement of CHRISTS holy Ghospel loden with vertue His death and good workes made a most happie iourney to the eternall happines the eigth day of March was buried in the same towne but his reliques were after wards traÌ„slated to a place called Schaâ— where appeares yet sayth Malmesbury some signes of a Church destroyed and burnt by the Danes But the Sacred body of this sainct being sought for and found a long time after was againe translated to the famous Abbey of Benedictin Monkes at Ramsey This life we haue gathered out of S. Bede de gest lib. 2. c. 15. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 16. and William Malmesbury de Pontif. The life of Sainct BOSA or Boso Bishop and Confessor Monke of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR 11. Out of ve nerable Bede de gest Ang. BOSA from a monke of the Benedictin monasterie of Streanshall in Northumberland was at the instaÌ„ce of Egfrid king of that Prouince elected Bishop of Yorke in the place of the most reuerend Bishop He is made Bishop of Yorke S. WILFRID then vniustly banished out of that sea and countrey by the meanes of the forefayd king and the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury in the yeare 678. This sea he gouerned in great holines of good life and learning till by the death of king Egfrid his brother Alfrîd obtayned the kingdome who recalled S. WILFRID out of banishment and restored him to his Bishoprick againe But after the space of fiue yeares Alfred expelled saint WILFRID againe and BOSA was once more restored to the sea of Yorke in the gouernment whereof and the continuall exercise of all true vertues belonging to a holy Bishop he rendred vp his blessed soule to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen about the yeare of our Lord. 700. but what day he died it is vncertaine this eleuenth of March is made a commemoration of him whom S. BEDE calleth a man well beloued of God of great holines and humilitie Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY TRITEMIVS in his fourth booke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order cap. 64. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 678. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. cap. 23. and others doe make worthie mention of him aâ— allsoe Pope IONH the seauenth in his letters written in behalf of S. WILFRID The life of the most Glorious Pope Doctour of the Catholike Church S. GREGORY surnamed the Great Apostle of England and glorie of S. BENEDICTS Order MAR 12. written by Paulus Diaconus SOE great and soe manie are the incomparable deeds and vertues wherewith this thrice happie Sainct hath adorned the The translatours Proloâ—ne Church of God and soe manie holy and learned men haue endeauoured by their writings to make him famous to posteritie that we find our witts farre to weake to comprehend the one this poore penne farre to barren to sett downe among soe manie worthies anie thing worthie soe worthie a subiect Yet on the other side because the benefitts which not only the Benedictin Order in England but allsoe all England it self hath from him receaued are soe infinite we cannot choose but straine according to our power to make some small shew of acknowledgment thereof imitating those herein who in a little mappe or carde to the great pleasure and profitt of the beholders doe describe the mightie compasse of the whole world And here now o Romeâ— doe thou first acknowledge thine happines and diligently endeauour to imitate soe great a worthy Manie euerlasting monuments there are which haue eternised thy name to posteritie thy Kings thy Dictatours thy Consuls thy Emperours thy Trophies yea and the Empire of the world seated in
honourable mention of S. Amphibalus and speake all agreable to that which we haue sayd of him S. ETHELDREDA REGINA VIRGO ET ABBATISSA Ordinâ—â— S. 〈◊〉 in Anglia Junij 23. M. baâ—â—… The life of sainct ETHELDRED or AVDRY Queene Virgin and Abbesse of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT IVNE 23 Out of the auncient records of Ely LEt the fabulous Greekes talke noe more of their chast Penelope who in the twentie yeares absence of her husband Vlisses liued continently in despite of the tempting importunitie of manie noble woers and let the proud Romans cease to bragge of their fayre Lucretia that chose rather to become the bloudie instrument of her owne death then to liue after the violent rauishment of her honour and lett all the world turne their minds to admire and their tongues and pennes to sound the praises of the Christian vertues and chastitie of our blessed ETHELDRED who being ioyned in wedlock to two kings one after an other preserued her self most pure in chastitie to be spiritually vnited to her heauenly spouse the king of Kings CHRIST-IESVS Let all the married admire and the vnwarried in their degree endeauour to imitate this example of wonderfull continencie the like whereof very few are to be found in the Ecclesiasticall histories Heare her life I The glorious Virgin ETHELDRED being daughter to Anna king Her pareÌ„ts of the East-Angles and his wife Hereswith adorned the royaltie of her bloud with the glory of her vertue and sainctitie For from her very infancie she studied to order all her actions to the seruice of allmightie God by auoyding the toying companie of other maydes The vertue of her youth her equalls and wholly betaking her self to embrace chastitie modestie humilitie and all other vertues as the only ornaments of a deuout soule And that they might be the better planted and rooted therein she nourished them with the food of her continuall prayers and watred them with the streames of her deuout teares making it her chiefest exercise to be present at the diuine seruice to visitt and frequent Churches wherin she was more delighted then in the splendour of her fathers royall pallace In a word she led soe holy a life in this her tender age that to her may be truly applied that saying of wisedom Aetas Senectutis vitaimmaculata A pure and immaculate life adorned with manie vertues begetts more veneration then manie yeares of old age for he liues long that liues well II. At length when this holy virgin had in this vertuous manner She is desired in mariage passed ouer her yonger yeares and was come to an age in which she appeared mariageable her vertue of mind wherin she excelled and beautie of bodie wherein she paralled allmost all yong virgins of that time being by flying fame made celebrious all ouer the contrey manie Princes and nobles that frequented her fathers court were much taken therewith and iudged it a wordly blisse which they greatly aymed at to be wedded to such excellent parts seated in soe fayre a throne of beautie But she contemning all wordly pleasures aspired only and wholly to the bedchamber of her eternall spouse CHRIST-IESVS for whose loue she desired allwaies to preserue her chastitie vntouched singing continually spirituall himnes and canticles to his honour and prayse and dayly sacrificing her self vnto allmightie God In the meane time the diuine wisedom soe disposing it and that her vnshaken resolution of chastitie might in this world be made more famous and deseruing a greater crowne of victorie and triumphe in the next she was earnestly She marrieth against her will desired in mariage by one Tunbert a Prince of the South part of the I le of Ely who hauing obtayned her fathers consent iudged him self sure of his desire till the flat refusall of the holy Virgin made him perceaue that more then one word was requisite to a bargaine Then her father interposing his royall authoritie his vertuous daughter ETHELDRED obeyed vsing violence to her owne desires to make them subiect to her fathers will Therefore being married in royall manner to the forenamed Prince behould that which amazeth the fond world and worldlings she was found worthie to imitate the Blessed Virgin MARIE and to lead a chast life togeather with her husband yf he may be called an husband who neuer rob A chast marriage bed his spouse of her virginitie But allbeit they were not as two in one flesh yet were they both of one mind in deuotion passing ouer their daies in prayer almes deedes and other good workes for both parties were consenting to the obseruance of chastitie till an happie death made a separation of that pious vnion and called Tunbert into an other world to receaue the euerlasting reward of his continent and chast life when he had liued in the bands of an vnexperienced wedlock the space of allmost three yeares III. THEN allthough our holy Virgin ETHELDRED piously lamented She retireth to Ely the death of her husband yet in heart she rather reioyced that now she was freed from the yoake of matrimonie hoping by that meanes more easily to escape the vaine allurements of the world Therefore in her owne house at Ely she began to lead a most retired and deuout life hoping in that place which was an Iland encompassed with store of shadie woods more securely to auoyd the vaine honours of the world There her deuotion encreased dayly and her pious desire was more and more enkindled with the fier of the holy Ghost But now her former labour being ouercome she is to be drawne out and ranged into a greater conflict that the palme and glory of her virginitie might more excellently be made manifest to the world For Egsrid King of the Northumbers made very earnest sute to haue her for his wife To which his petitioÌ„ allthough Her second maâ—â—â—ge to King â—gfrid to her it seemed rather odious then glorious yet being ouercome by the importunitie of her frieÌ„ds she vnwillingly yeelded for the gayning of a greater triumphe ouer those vaine pleasures againe she putt her virginitie to the hazard of mariage But with King Egfrid who was a yong man that boyled in the flower and ardour of youthly yeares she endured a farre greater combat allwaies remayning vnconquered In whom the loue of heauen was soe powerfull that it still preserued her holy purpose free from all carnall desires A straiâ—ge resoâ—utâ—oâ— of câ—asttie And in her kings pallace where other ladies are woÌ„t to be inflamed with those vnchast fiers she burned with the flames of His heauenly loue whom the Angells desire to behould and gaze on In a word for the space of twelue yeares our pious Virgin ETHELDRED liued in an holy marriage with her husband king Egfrid without suffering anie the lest blemish to her virginitie A thing soe worthy of admiration that it is hard to say whether the constancie of her or the patience of him that boyled with
chest in which her body had been first buried healed manie of sore eyes by only laying their heads close vnto it and in their prayers calling on the helpe of allmightie God and the intercession of his glorious Virgin S. ETHELDRED Allso out of the place where she was first buried sprung forth a fountaine of cleere water which was proued to be most soueraigne for manie diseases euen vntill the time of our Authour who had seene the experieÌ„ce thereof himself Diuers other miracles are faithfully related by this Authour Thomas of Ely to haue been wrought in the same Monastery by the meritts In the manus cript history of Ely of this glorious Virgin There the blind recouered their sight the dumbe their speech the lame the vse of their legges the dease their hearing and allmost all kind of diseased persons were restored to perfect health as may be seene at large in the history of Ely XV BVT as this holy Virgin was piously gratious to all that deuoutly The diuine punishmeÌ„nt against one that wronged her Tombe implored her assistance in their necessities so was she manie times no lesse terrible in punishing those that maliciously endeauoured to wrong her Tombe Church or anie thing belonging thereunto For proofe whereof it shall suffice to relate one example only In that outrageous spoile which the barbarous Danes mad throughout the kingdom of England during the troublesom raignee of the two kings Etheldred and Elfred when all Churches Monastes ries and religious houses togeather with their inhabitants were committed to fier and sword the Monasterie of Ely was allso made a prey to their vntamed crueltie When one of those Pagans more prone to wickednes then the rest attempted to breake open the holie shrine of saint ETHELDRED hoping to find it furnished with store of golden treasure which his couetous mind greatly thirsted after And hauing with much labour made a hole through the marble chest which remayned in the same vntill our Authours time the diuine punishment was soe suddaine against him that his vnworthines was not suffered to behould the treasure contayned therein For at the very same instant his eyes fell out of his head and he him self falling downe to the earth vomitted out his miserable soule to carrie newes to the next world how seuerely God punisheth those that wrong the reliques of his Saincts And his wretched end taught his fellowes not to presume to touch that sacred tombe allbeit they committed the Church and Monasterie to the vnsatiable flames of fier But after a long desolation in the time of the peaceable raigne Kind Edgar repayreth the Church of Ely of the most noble King Edgar the same Monasterie was magnificently restored to its former and a farre greater glorie by the royall munificence of the same King and the secular Clerkes that had crept into it in the meane time were for their incontinencie and bad life cast out by the meanes of that worthly Pillar of the English Church and the Benedictine familie sainct ETHELWOLD and by the speciall commaund of King Edgar the Benedictine Monkes placed in their steed one Brithnode made Abbot vnto whoÌ„ in successe of time nine other Abbotts succeeded in order After whom in the yeare of our Lord 1108. during the raigne of King Henry the first the Abbey it self was turned to an Episcopall sea and the Conuent of Monkes gouerned by a Priour who had the title of a Cathedrall Priour vnto whom and his Chapter of Monkes belonged the election of the Bishop XVI BVT our glorious sainct ETHELDRED was allwaies held and Etheldred the Patronesse of Ely reuerenced for the speciall and principall Patronesse of this place and such she shewed her self to be both by the continuall working of manie miracles and cures at her tombe as allsoe by diuers apparitions after her death for the peculiar good thereof One whereof we cannot omitt In the sixteenth yeare of the raigne of King Henry the first there liued in the Prouince of Ely a maÌ„ called Bricstan who being from his very infancie intangled with the crosses and aduersities of the world gaue himself amongst other vices to deale in the damnable trade of vsurie by which only he was maintayned in the world Till hauing drawne his line of life to a great length in such wickednes he fell into a sicknes soe vehement that it made him apprehend death to be nigh When the extremitie of his disease forced him to enter into consideration of the miserable state he had liued in and being inspired with a heauenly glimpse of diuine grace he made a faythfull promise to deliuer him self to the seruice of allmightie God vnder the habitt of a Benedictine Monke in the Monasterie of sainct ETHELDRED at Ely And without anie further delay hauing gathered all his goods togeather he went to the Monasterie BricstaÌ„ resolueth to be a MoÌ„ke and made liuerie and season of them him self vnto the Monkes humbly crauing mercie for his former life But the coÌ„mon enemie of mankind by whose enuie AdaÌ„ fell out of Paradise stirred vp an instrument of his and a seruant of the Kings called Robert Malartes who in behalfe of the King hindered poore Brickstans taking the habitt He is maliciously hindered of Religion and hauing layd theft and other great offences to his charge affirmed that not to saue his soule but to cloake the hay nousnes of his wicked life he sought now to enter into religion In fine Brickstan hauing noe other weapon but his owne innocencie stood stiffely vppon his deniall as indeed he had reason being guiltlesse of the crimes he was accused off But the authoritie of his aduersarie soe preuayled against the iustice of his cause that he was clapt vnder guard and led fettered and bound to London where he became an vâ—willing guest to the Iaylour in a darke and loathsom prison and loaden with bolts and iron chaines in great miserie he a long time fed vppon the two common dishes of the poore prisoners ordinarie cold and Hunger XVII IN the meane time allbeit he found in him self no former meritts whereby he might deserue much before the face of allmightie In prison he calleth vppon S. Benedict and S. Etheldred God yet he ceased not to call to his diuine goodnes for helpe with a sorrowfull heart and voyce desiring the intercession of the glorious Patriarch of Monkes sainct BENEDICT to whose order he had vowed him self and of S. ETHELDRED in whose Monasterie he purposed to haue embraced the same order And this was his dayly and nightly exercise whilst he liued in this wretched state of imprisonment which dured fiue moneths What more One night when the bells in the cittie rung to the mid-nights office of Mattins our Prisoner hauing fasted three daies before lay as he thought at such a poynt of extremitie that he expected nothing but death to be the period of his miserie yet still calling eyther in mouth or heart on
brother â—â—omeing into England with a nauie of twentie fiue ships hopeing â—o bring some relief vnto these broyles and calamities was slaine â—y the strainge and wicked treacherie of GODWIN Earle of Kent â—ll his armie murdred in most cruell manner by the coÌ„maund of the sayd Godwin and by the blouddie hands of his faythlesse friends and countreymen After whose death S. EDWARD wholly destitute of all humaÌ„ assistance liued as a man miserably banished from his countrey kingdom and royaltie he much feared to fall into the snares of wickednes and doubted lest he should either be falsely betrayed by his owne seruants or purchased for the butcherie by his enemies Therefore putting his cheifest coÌ„fidence in the almightie he humbly prostrated himself before the court of heauen powred out his deuout prayers lamentations after this manner Behould o my Lord God how in myself I am destitute of all helpe comfort my neerest friends and kindred haue forsaken me my verie neighbours and confederats are readie to stand against me and now that my Father hath finished his manifold labours with death the crueltie of my enemies and traiterous subiects hath deuoured my bretheren and depriued me of their companie my nephews are cast into banishment Canâ—tus had maried his mother my owne mother carelesse of my safetie is giuen in mariage to the only enuier and destroyer of my glorie And thus desolate and lest alone without comfort they are not yet satisfied but thirst allso for my bloud But left to thee o Lord poore and miserable I trust thou wilt be an ayde and succour to thy poore orphan In times past thou didest wonderfully preserue King Edwin deliuering him out of the iawes of death and establishing him in his kingdom Thou didest restore that bright ornament of England S. OSWALD from a miserable banishment to the royaltie of his crowne giue him conquest ouer all his enemies by the vertue of the holy Crosse If now in like manner thou will voutchafe to be my helper and keeper and settle me in my Fathers kingdom I vow euer to acknowledge thee for my God and thy B. Apostle S. PETER for my Patrone whose most sacred Relique at Rome I promise to visitt vnder thy good leaue protection S. Edward voweth a pilgrimage to Rome and gouernement From this time euer after being made stronger in faith and liuelier in hope confidently expecting he expected the will of our Lord referring himself wholly into the hands of his sacred prouidence and disposition IIII. TILL AT length when death had robbed Canutus of thevse of the world cutt of his sonnes before they were ripe the English freed thereby from the hard yoake of the Danes elected EDWARD for their king and caused him to be consecrated and annoynted in He is crowned in the yeare 1043 by meanes of Count Godwin as saith Baronius honorable manner at Winchester by the hands of Eadisâ—â—â— Archbishop of Canturbury Then the Clergie began againe to florish and shine with wisedome and sainctetie Abbeies and Monasteries excelled with all kind of religious discipline Churchmen performed their offices in peace and the communaltie their duties in order The verie earth it self seemed to reioyce hereat and send forth fruit in more abundance the ayre became more healthfull and euen the waues of the sea more patient and temperate And forreigne kings and Princes strucken with admiration at soe suddaine a chainge were glad with this soe great a king to enter into a firme league of peace and frienship only Denmark desiring reuenge and breathing The royal vertues of S. Edward nothing but slaughter still threatned the vtter ruine and destruction of the English nation But amidst all these ioyes the blessed king was nothing puft vp with pride of humane glorie at his prosperitie nor terrified with his threatned ruine but alwaies measuring his greatnes by his goodnes he proposed vnto him self a deuout manner of life appearing equall to his domesticks humble to Religious men â—nd Priests gratefull to his people compassionate to the distressed â—nd bountifull to the poore He vsed noe exception of persons for â—he poorest and humblest mans cause as well as thâ— richest he euer â—eighed in the ballance of true iustice and pleaded for them both â—ith equitie alwaies shewing him self a pittifull father vnto poore â—rphans and a righteous iudge vnto widdowes He graunted whatâ—oeuer was asked him and what was giuen he receaued with silence Noe man euer beheld him eyther puft vp with pride or growne â—â—erce with anger or blemished with gluttonie It is vnspeakable â—ow great a despiser he was of money for he ueuer was found to be â—yther sadder in the losse or merrier in the possession thereof He was of a comly and meane stature of bodie nether verie grosse nor â—ery slender of a fayre sanguine complexion his beard and hayre â—rowne â— AS ONCE he tooke his rest in bed the chamberlaine came in See the wonderfull contempt of money the rare clemencie of soe great a king â—â—d opening the chest where the Kings treasure lay putt therein such â—oneies as he had brought and departed forgetting to shutt it â—gaine Which one of the groomes espieing came to the box and â—auing taken out as much money as he thought good went away â—ith it not knowing or suspecting the King to be soe neere â—nd presently hauing belike disburdened him self of that prey â—e returned and acted the like offence againe hauing still the King him self for his spectatour Which as the third time he attemâ—ted the King foreseeing by the spiritt of prophesie that the Treaâ—urer was at hand beleeue me good fellow sayd he thou art too â—mportune and vnreasonable take what thou hast gotten and be â—one for if Hugoline that was the Chamberlaines name come and â—â—ke thee he will not leaue thee one pennie of thy gettings The â—ellow suddenly fled and was scarse out of the doores when the Chamberlaine came in who finding some store of money taken â—way was much afflicted and trembled with verie feare his lowd â—ries and sighs bewrayeing the anguish and furie of his mind whereat the king rose vp and seeming ignorant of what had happened demaunded the cause of his great disquiet which being declaâ—ed he sayd Hould thy peace and rest content for it may be he â—hat tooke it hath more need of it then wee let him on Gods â—ame enioy it that which remaines is sufficient for vs. VI. THE NOBLES and Peeres of the Realme fearing soe worthie a stock should perish without fruit were sollicitous to haue a His care to â—â—serâ—e câ—â—aâ—tetie successour from this holy King and to that end they verie earnestly dealt with him to perswade mariage Whereto the King much amazed was verie loath to consent fearing lest the beloued treasure of his chastetie conserued but in the weaknes of a fray eâ—vessell might easily he dissolued with such a heate But what should he doe it he did obstinate y resist their
afrighted and leaping of his horse fell prostrate at the Bishops feete now likewise alighted from horse back humbly crauing pardon of his fault The holy man touching him as he lay along with his rodd Soe S. Pâ—ter prono â—â—eed death to Ananias Act. 5. with an Episcopall authoritie vsed these words I tell thee sayd he that because thou had refused to refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that verie house thou shalt breath thy last All which came afterwards to passe as holy CEDDE had foretould For within a short time by the hands of the same Earle and his brother the king was most cruelly murthered in that house his butchers alleadging noe other cause mouing them thereunto but his ouermuch clemencie and mercie in romitting offences committed against him soe that it is credibly thought that this vntimely death of soe good and vertuous a Prince did not only wash away his fault but increase his meritt III. THIS blessed Bishop was wont sometimes to visitt his countrey in Northumberland and to comfort his countreymen there with his diuine preachings and godly exhortations whereby he gott soe much fauour with king Edilwald sonne to king Oswald that raigned ouer the people of that countrey called Deiri that mooued thereunto both by the sainctitie and wisedome of this vertuous Bishop and allsoe by the meanes of his good brother Celin chaplaine to the king and court he gaue to S. CEDDE a peece of land for the building of a Monasterie whither he and his people might resort to serue God receiue the Sacraments The holy Bishop made choise of a place for this purpose in the desert mountaines which before that time was rather a couert for theeues wild beasts then a fitt habitation for Christians But he would not permitt the foundatioÌ„ to be laid before he had purged and consecrated the place with fasting and prayer both which he performed euerie day vntill the euening and then he contented him self with one and that a small meale consisting of a little bread one egge a little milke mingled with water Thus he passed all the lent excepting sundaies vntill Fasting in Lent vntill euening he was called away from this holy exercise vppon some speciall busines of the king by which he was forced to intermitt his pious de seigne when there remayned only tenne daies of the fortie to come But because he would not let his holy taske be there broken off he intreated Cimbell avertuous Priest his naturall brother to finish the godly worke he had begunne according to the fore-shewed example Which being by Cimbell gladly vndertaken and as piously He buildeâ—h a monasterie performed soone after Bishop CEDDE erected the Monasterie now called Lesting ordering it according to the same lawes and discipline of religion as that of Lindisfurne or Holy Iland where he had learned his first lesson and rudiments of vertue IV. BVT IN that great controuersie which arose afterwards betweene the old Scottish or Irish Monks and the Monks of S BENEDICTS order the Apostles of England touching the celebration of Easter in which it was sharpely disputed an each side especially betweene S. WILFRID the Benedictine Monke and Bishop Colman a Scott holy CEDDE being a diligent interpreter for both parts was soe conuinced by the diuine arguments of S. WILFRID that he quite gaue ouer to follow the footsteps of the Scotts and came to the knowledge of the true and Catholicke manner of obseruing the feast of Easter and allsoe to weare a round shauen crowne after the Monasticall fashion of Benedictines brought first into England by S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle and his fellowes that were all Benedictine Monks And afterwards by the perswasion of WILFRID Colman and his adherents being fled into Scotland S. CEDDE him self receiued the rule of our most holy father S. BENEDICT and induced all the Monkes of his new Monasterie of Lesting of which he was head to doe the like vnder the same holy rule he gouerned them in all manner of vertues vntill his death Thus after some yeares well spent both in gouernment of his Bishoprick and this Monasterie at the length as he visitted the same in time of plague he fell into a sicknes which sett free his soule from the teadiousnes of this worldly life to tast the desired ioyes prepared for the reward of his merits and good works in heauen He was first buried abrode but afterwards a Church of stone being built there in honour of S. Cedde dieth our blessed Ladie he was taken vp and layd at the right side of the aultar At his departure he resigned the gouernment of the Monasterie to his brother S. CHAD whose life you may reade the second of March V. WHEN the Monks of the Monasterie he had erected amongst the East-Saxons vnderstood of his death thirtie of them went into Northumberland desiring eyther to liue by the bodie of their holy father or if God soe pleased to die and be buried there Such was the great loue they bore vnto this blessed Saiuct But in that time of mortalitie they all walked the pathes of death excepting one litle boy who as it was piously thought was preserued from death by the speciall prayers and intercessions of this holy Bishop For liuing manie yeares after and studying holy scriptures he came at length to knowledge that he had neuer receiued the Sacrament See the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God of Baptisme wherevppon he was forthwith christened and afterwards being promoted to priesthood he became a verie profitable member of Gods Church hauing been by the prayers and merits of S. CEDDE miraculously preserued from the danger of a temporall and eternall death S. CEDDE died about the yeare of our Lord 664. Of him doe make mention S. BEDE whom we haue followed IOHN CAPGRAVE WILLIAM MELMESBVRY de Pontific Lond. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 13. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 4. cap. 66. and manie others The life of S. WVLSINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 8. SAINCT WVLSINE borne in London of worthie parents was carefully brought vp in the seruice and feare of God vntill he was growne out of his childhood and then they offered him vnto God and S. BENEDICT in the Monasterie of the Benedictine Monks at The vertue of his youth Westminster to be trained vp in that diuine schoole of vertue wherein he became soe good a proficient that in a short time his graue cariage and religious behauiour gaue a great testimonie â—f future sainctetie By watching fasting and prayer he ouercame the two sworne enemies of goodnes the flesh and the Deuill Soe highly he contemned the pleasures and vanities of the world that nothing seemed to him more irksome and teadious then the verie thought thereof in respect of the great comfort he receiued out of the diuine contemplation of heauen and heauenly things whereunto he addicted all the
of Deus-dedit or Gods-guist sixth Bishop thereof was vacant and destitute of a Pilote when the people and Clergie of Benedictin Monks mooued Egbert then King of Kent and Oswin king of the Northumbers to send one Wighart aâ—vertuous and holy Priest to Rome to be consecrated Kings of Engl. sent to Rome for an Archbishop of Canturb Bishop of Canturbury But Wighart coming to Rome in the hott time of plague died before he had receaued his intended dignitie Wherevppon Vitalianus then Pope sent for S. ADRIAN out of his Monasterie of Niridan and desired him to accept the charge and dignitie of the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury But he refused this offer humbly answearing that vnworthy hy was to vndertake and more vnable to performe anie such weightie office in Gods Church And therefore desired some daies of deliberation to search S. Adrian refuseth the Archbishoprik out an other whose worth did more worthilie correspond with soe hight a degree and calling In this while he found out a holy Benedictin Monk of his acquaintance called Theodore that liued in Rome and him he presented vnto the Pope as one fitt for that dignitie he being a man excellent in the two chiefest ornaments of the mind learning and vertue This man the Pope accepted and consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury on condition that ADRIAN who had refused the chief dignitie should at lest accompanie him into England as his coadiutour in that Apostolicall mission Herevnto the blessed Sainct willingly consented and vndertooke the voyage making him self a subiect where he might haue been a commaunder His great humilitie and choosing rather to profitt the nation with his preaching and learning then gouerne it by an Episcopall authoritle such was his wonderfull humilitie and burning zeale to gayne soules to God III NOW therefore this holy couple tooke their iourney towards England and coming into France S. ADRIAN who was famous in that countrey for hauing been sent on diuers embassages betweene Christian Princes was for his greater meritt suspected to goe to the Kings of England on some busines of estare from the Emperour plotted against the French and therefore was stayed by the King of the Gaules vntill he had cleered him self of that suspition Which done he went after Theodore into England where within a yeare or two he was by the same Theodore made Abbot of the Benedictin Monks in the monasterie of S. PETER in Canturbury now called S. Austins from the Benedictin Monk S. AVSTIN our Apostle He is made Abbot of S. Peters in Canturb who lies buried there In this place S. ADRIAN gathered togeather a great number of disciples whom he taught and instructed out of the holy scriptures to find the readie way to euerlasting life and besides this he taught them Musick Astronomie and Arithmetick as allsoe the Greek and Latin tongue which his pious labours tooke soe good effect that manie of his schollers spake Greek and Latin as perfectly as their owne mother tongue and especially two farre exceeded their other fellowes in all manner of learning one was called Albin who succeeded S. ADRIAN in the regencie of the Abbey the other Tobias who was afterwards Bishop of Rochester IV. Moreouer this blessed Sainct was of soe great meritt and soe highly esteemed before allmightie God that he is reported to haue bin the worker of manie miracles and that by his intercession a deâ—d man was raysed to life At length hauing laboured in the vineyard of our Lord a long time both in Jtalie and England leauing His death behind him manie learned disciples the fruits of his labours the thirtie ninth yeare after he came to Canturbury he left this world to receaue his reward in heauen the ninth day of January the yeare of our Lord 708. He was buried in the Church or chappell of the B. Virgin MARIE which King Edbald had built in the foresayd Monasterie of S. AVGVSTIN And this Church happening afterwards to be burnt S. ADRIAN appeared to one of the Monks and coÌ„maunded He appeareth in glorie him to goe to S. DVNSTAN who then was Archbishop of Canturbury with these words in his name Thou liuest in houses well couered and fenced against the weather but the Church of the Mother of God wherein I and other domesticks of heauen doe inhabite lies open exposed to the iniurious stormes of the wind Wherevppon S. DVNSTAN carefully caused that Church to be repayred which him self afterwards frequented euerie night such diuine sweetnes he receaued by his prayers offered to God in that place But one night entring into it he beheld S. ADRIAN seated amongst a glorious quier of Angels and Saincts praysing and glorifieing allmightie God His bodie was allwaies held in great veneration but especially from hence forth and manie miracles are reported by the authour of his life to haue been wrought at his tombe which for breuities sake we omitt desiring of allmightie God grace rather to imitatehis vertues then to admire his wonders Of S ADRIAN maketh mention S. BEDE as before BARONIVS tom 8. ann 668. TRITHEMIVS in his 3. booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 8. 9. MOLANVS IOHN CAPGRAVE and others The life of S BRITHWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. Out of venerable Bede hist. de gest SAINCT BRITHWALD a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order in the famous Abbey of Glassenbury was made Abbot of the monasterie called Reaculer in Kent where at that time the Kings of Kent sometimes kept their Court allbeit now saith Camden it be but a poore village not farre distant from Tanet Being a man of verie great learning and knowledge in diuine scriptures and wonderfull well practised in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall discipline he was chosen by the Benedictins of Canturbury to succeed S. THEODORE in that sea which had bin vacaÌ„t the space of two yeares in the yeare 692 and consecrated Archbishop thereof the yeare following He was the eight Archbishop of Canturbury and gouerned his Chutch with all true vertues belonging to a good Bishop the space of thirtie seauen yeares six moneths and fourteen daies In his time a Councell was held at London wherein the point of worshiping holy Images was handled and confirmed At length this holy man loaden with manie yeares of venerable ould age and full of vertues holines yeelded vp his blessed soule to the beginning of that life which neuer ends the ninth day of January in the yeare 731. William Malmesbury a very graue authour affirmeth out of Goscelinus who writeth the acts of the first nine Archbishops of Canturbury that S. BRITHWALD was famous for working of manie miracles And he is reported to haue written the historie of the bâ—ginning of the Benedictin monasterie of Euesham with the life of S EGVINE Bishop of Worcester Thus much out of venerable BEDE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others TRITHEMINS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order WION
the venerable and beloued man of God Sigfrid Luc. 11. v. 17. hauing passed through the fier and water of temporall tribulation was by a wellcome death brought into the sweet refreshing of an euerlasting rest And at length after fower moneths more the excellent worker of vertues and great conquerour of vices S. BENNET conquered with the weakenes of his earthly body came to his last It was when the frozen night came on with his winter blasts to begett a sacred day of eternall and cleere light of felicitie His watchfull brethren mett togeather in the Church with prayers and psalmes to driue away nights horrid shadows and to comfort the grief of their deare fathers departure with the continuall singing of the diuine prayses Some would not bouge out of the chamber and from the beds side in which the strong sickman lay expecting by the passage of death to take the sweet entrance of life With desire they expected that as his example taught them how to liue well by the same they might likewise learne how to die For the further mitigating of his grief the Ghospell was read all night as it was wont by a Priest that attended on him The hower of his departure drawing neere the Sacrament of CHRISTS facaed bodie was giuen him for his viaticum and soe that blessed soule hauing bin a long time parched and examined in the flames of an happie tribulation forsaketh the earthly furnace of the flesh and being at libertie tooke a long desired flight to the neuer-dieing glory of His death celestiall happines This glorious Confessor died in the yeare of our Lord 690. the twelfth day of Ianuary when he had gouerned his monastery sixteene yeares eight by him self and other eight with the assistance of his holy Colleagues Eosterwin Sigfrid and Colfrid He was buried in the Church of S. PETER which he built that soe he might not be separated from him in death whom he euer loued in his life and by whose ayde the gates of heauen were opened vnto him His life is written by S. BEDE whom we haue followed VSVARD MALMESBVRY WIGORNIENSIS IOHN CAPGRAVE BARONIVS and other graue Authours make honourable mention of his vertues This Sainct BENNET was the first that reduced the BENEDICTIN order in S. Bennet Batrone of the moderne Congregation of England England into the forme and gouernment of a Congregation that is when manie monasteries are vnder owne head or superiour who during his time whether it be perpetuall or determined vppon yeares is supreme monarke as it were of them all And for this cause the English Congregation of Benedictin Monks now extant and deriued immediatly from the auncient Congregation of England both by succession and Apostolicall priuiledge honoureth this glorious Sainct as their chief Patrone next after the vniuersall Patriarke of the whole order great S. BENEDICT him self and Sainct AVGVSTIN our first Apostle For allbeit in the beginning the Congregation which he erected consisted only of two monasteries as may be seene in his life yet afterwards the whole number of the Black Benedictin Monks in England was ranged into one Congregation as appeares by the bulle of Pope Innocentius the third graunted vnto them And in like manner as the Congregation of Clunie and others beganne srom a small number to grow to such greatnes soe likewise did that of England from the vniting of the sayd two monasteries by S. BENNET BISCOP encrease to a generall vnion of all the Benedictin Monks throughout the vvhole Jland The life of S. ALVRED Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by John Capgraue ALVRED borne in England of nobles parents was brought vp from his tender age in the feare of God and good learning he learnt euen in his youth to vndegoe the sweet yoake of our Lord remayning allwaies in the innocencie of his life pure from all spott of sinne His pietie and learning encreasing daily with his age he gayned soe great fauour and loue with Dauid King of the Scots that he esteemed him before most of his court and had exalted him to a Bishoprick had not his entrance into a He refuseth a Bishoprik religious order hindered it In all occasions this holy youth carried him self with soe great pietie and meeknes as noe iniurie could moue him to anger noe opprobrious speeches could prouoke him to reuenge he allwaies endeauoured to repay hatred with loue to render good for euill to ouâ—rcome enuie with dutie and seruice A certaine knight perceauing him to be beloued and honoured of the King more then anie other raysed a hatefull and malignant persecution against him and grew so fierce in his malice that he was not afray sometimes openly to vomitt part of his venom against him with iniurious words before the King him self To whom the holy man with a mild and vnmoued countenance You speake verie well sayd he and honestly I know your tongue was neuer acquainted with vntruths and therefore I take you to be His rare humilitie patieÌ„ce my verie good friend The knight finding him to be a firme rock whom all the outrageous stormes of his malice and hatred could not moue nor stirre from the ground of vertue suffred a willing ouerthrow in his wicked endeauours and shewing the effects of a repentant mind demaunded pardon for his great temeritie promising from thence forth euer to oblige himself vnto him in an vnsayned league of friendship To whom ALVRED I confesse sayd he I reioyce hartely at thy repentance and therefore I shall loue thee better farre then euer for thy hatred to me hath encreased my A good lesson loue to my deare Redeemer and my patience being exercised and tried hereby hath perhapps bina meanes to make me profitt a little in my dutie to allmightie God Thus this B. man froÌ„ the briers of other mens malice reaped the sweetroses of vertues vnto him self II. AFTER this meaning to bidd adieu to the world and all He taketh the habitt of a monk the vanities thereof he went vnto the Abbey of Rhieuall or Ridall in Yorkshire and putt on the habitt of a Bernardin Monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT In which solitarie kind of life giuing him self wholly to contemplation of heauenly things and the continuall exercise of true religious and monasticall vertues he attained to such perfection that like the moone amongst the lesser starres he shined amongst the rest of his brethren in all manner of vertuous life and behauiour And shortly aster he was soe He is made Master of the nouices good a proficient him selt that he waÌ„s thought able to read a lesson of vertue vnto others and therefore the education of the nouices or probationers was committed to this chardge But whilest he executed that office there was an vnconstant Clerk that entred into the order whose vocation after a small triall beganne to wauer like a reed in the wind His vnstedfast mind being
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
he continually busied all the powers of his soule and forces of his body V. BVT while these things are thus doeing he fell againe into an other sicknes during which he enioyed the delightfull vision of An other vision Angels that admonished him to proceed with courage and diligence in the happily begunne worke of preaching as allso with an inuincible patience to hold on his accustomed exercise of watching fasting and prayer bicause that his death was certaine but the hower of his death most vncertaine With this vision being much confirmed in his pious courses he hastened to build a monasterie on the land which King Sigebert had giuen him for that purpose which done he instituted it with the regular discipline of a monasticall life vnder the holy rule of of S. BENEDICT The situation of this monasterie by reason of the neerenes of the sea and words was verie pleasant it being built in a certaine old castle called Cnobbersburg that is the towne of of Cnobber it was afterwards by Anna King of that prouince and manie other noblemen verie richly adorned with more stately edifices and enriched with diuers guifts of great worth VI. And in this verie monasterie King Sigebert him self being wearie Harp saec 7. cap. 15. King Sigebert becometh a Benedictin monk of the world and worldly cares and desiring to giue his mind only vnto God put of his princely robes and leauing the gouernment of his King do vnto his cozen Edrick betooke him self to liue vnder the humble weedes of a Benedictin Monke iudging it more honorable in a cloister to conquer him self by obeying then in the world to beare sway ouer others by commaunding But long he had not enioyed this quiet life when wicked Penda King of the Mercians making warre against his forsaken Kingdom he was by force taken out of the monasterie by his owne friends and made Generall of their armie which they presupposed would be much hartened and encouraged with his presence Who to shew that his profession was dearer to him then his life put on no other armour then a good conscience nor taking other weapon then a little rodd in The canfidence of a secure consciēce his hand went securely though vnwillingly against the bloud-thirsting armies of his and CHRISTS enemies where both he himself and King Egrick vnto whom he had left the kingdom happily lost this life to winne a better VII BVT le ts vs returne vnto S. FVRSEVS who now hauing as we haue sayd built a monasterie and established it with the rule and disciple of a monasticall order being desirous to free him self not only from all worldly cares but allsoe from the gouernment of his monasterie gaue vp the whole care thereof vnto his brother Fullanus and being at libertie he soe disposed of him self as meaning to spend and end the remainder of his life in an Anachoreticall or Eremiticall life He had an other brother called Vltanus who out of the continuall probation of the monasticall and claustrall manner of liuing had betaken him self to the solitarines of the desert Vnto him FVRSEVS went alone and togeather with him he liued by the labour of his hands for the space of a whole yeare in continuall fasting and prayer doeing of pennance But perceauing the countrey to be much disquieted by the frequent incursions of Pagans and foreseeing the eminent danger of the monasteries leauing all things in good order he sayled into Fraunce where being honorably entertained by the French King Clouis the second and Erconwald then Prouost of Peronne he built a monasterie in a place called Latiniacum into which were introduced the monkes of S. BENEDICTS order for as yet and manie yeares after there was noe other rule on foote but his in all the Occidentall Church And not long after S. FVRSEVS falling sick he quickly felt the vehemencie of his disease to grow soe strongly vppon him as he plainly perceaued his time to draw neere therefore recommending him self vnto God and lifting vp his eyes towards heauen he yeelded vp his pure soule into the hands of his Redeemer the sixteenth day of January Erconwald caused his bodie to be referued in the Church Porch of Peronne where it remained for the space of twentie fix daies till the consecration of the new-built Church in the same towne was finished at what time being taken vp it was found with no more signe of corruption then if he had died but that verie hower VIII FOWER yeares after a little chappell being erected on the East side of the high aultar and dedicated to S. FVRSEVS his bodie was taken vp againe by the worthy Bishops Eligius and Ausbertus and found to be vncorrupted as before it was translated thither in most honourable manner where it hath most manifestly appeared vnto the world that through his merits diuers miracles haue bene wrought by the allmightie worker of miracles who is wonderfull in his Saincts for euer He flourished about the yeare 636. or as others say 650. VSVARD TRITHEMIVS MOLANVS BARONIVS RABANVS MAVRVS and manie others doe make mention of S. FVRSEVS But this life we haue taken principally out of venerable BEDES historie of England The life of S. HENRY Hermite Confessor IAN. 16. HENRY was borne of the nobler sort of Danes being come to such age as his face betrayed his sexe his parents earnestly sollicited him to marrie whereunto in the beginning he seemed not vnwilling but the appointed day of his marriage drawing nigh it was reuealed vnto him in a vision that he ought to abstaine from all carnall copulation and to keepe him self chast and pure from this world by studieing rather how to please God then a wife Wherevppon suddainly leauing all his friends and freeing He refuseth to marrie him self of the possession of those goods he enioyed he tooke shipping at Tinemouth and sayled about twentie miles into the sea to an Iland on the East side of Northumberland named Cocket from the riuer Cocket running there by this Iland was in auncient times verie famous for a holy Conuent of Monkes that liued there S. HENRY being thither arriued with leaue of the Prior he entred the Iland and hauing built him self a little lodge scarse of force to beate of the iniurie of the weather he began to serue God in great rigour austerity of life For the space of some yeares he fasted continually His rigorous fasting only with bread and water afterwards he eate but thrise a weeke and three dayes in the weeke kept silence In fower yeares before he died he satisfied his hunger only with little cakes dried in the sunne made of barly meale mixed with pure water II. GOEING vppon a time in pilgrimage to Durham he came to the bankes of the riuer Wyre not finding a boate readie to carry him ouer he made his prayer to allmightie God and presently without the helpe of man a boate loosed of its owne accord from the other A strainge miracle
vision called to account before the dreadfull tribunall of Onâ— punished by God for hindering Wolstans preaching an vnknowne iudge who sharply rebuked him for his temeritie in checking his beloued seruant and commaunded him to be layd along out he ground where he was soe scourged with sharp whipps as the teares which trickled downe his cheekes and the black and blew markes of the stripes which appeared on his shoulders when he awaked were euident and feeling witnesses of what had past When this was made knowne vnto holy WOLSTAN pittying his calamitie he pardoned him the offence and with his benediction likewise gaue him soe perfect a cure of his griefe that there remayned noe signe thereof to be seene VI. S. WOLSTAN standing aloose off happened once to see one fall hedlong from the top of the steeple at which woefull sight being suddenly strucken with grief he made the signe of the crosse towards him as he fell who coming to the ground armed with that siâ—â—â— of life was nothing at all bruised or hurt with the markes of death The woÌ„derfull vertue of the signe of the crosse but getting vp safe without anie helpe he imputed the cause of his fall to his owne temeritie and the miraculous preseruation of his life to S. WOLSTANS sainctetie VII AFTER some yeares Alred of Worcester being chosen Archbishop of Yorke the generall consent both of the Monks and common He is chosen Bish. people inclined totally to the election of WOLSTAN holy King EDWARD allowing them to choose a Bishop whom they pleased Their election was confirmed by the Popes Legats who then liued at Worcester expecting a dispatch of some affaires from the Kings Court But WOLSTAN as obstinately resisted these honours as He refuseth to accept it manie now a dayes doe ambitiously labour to gett them prochiming him self most vnworthy and protesting by oathe that he would rather lay downe his neck to be diuided by the sharpe edge of the sword then vndertake the burden of soe high a dignitie Being often times perswaded herevnto by manie vertuous religious men he would neuer consent till at length well checkt and sharply rebuked for his obstinacie and disobedience by the holy man of God Vlsius an Anachorite who had then liued a solitarie life aboue fortie yeares and terrified with a heauenly oracle his constancie was broken and he to his great grief compelled to yeeld and consent to their desires Therefore on the feast of our B. Ladies Natiuitie by the hands of Alrâ—d Archbishop of Yorke Stig and the vsurper of Cauturbury then being suspended from his function he was ordayned Ouercome with persvvasion he is ordained bishop Joan. 1. v. 47. and consecrated Bishop of Worcester in presence of holy King EDWARD the Confessor in the twentith yeare of his raigne In this consecration S. WOLSTAN opening the Bible as the manner was happened on this sentence worthily deuining of him Behould a true Jsraelite in whom there is noâ— deceipt For he was an open plaine man voide of all quainâ— deuices of dissimulation Yet was he not soe meerely simple as easily to suffer him self to be cosened by the greatest and wisest masters of deceipt the allmightie wisedom manie times giuing euident restimonie approuing the vertuous innocencie of his simplicitie For when Thomas Archbishop of Yorke would haue reduced the Sea of Worcester vnder his iurisdiction and did wrongfully alienate and detaine some of the lands and meanes the 〈◊〉 belonging a verie sharpe controuersie was had there vppon in presence of the King the Bishops and other Peeres of the Realme to decide this case whereon depended a great part of the Bishop of Worcesters estate In the meane time S. WOLSTAN goeing out oâ— the Councell maturely to deliberate with his Monks concerning this weighâ—ie matter that â—oe neerely touched their freehould when all their minds were most eagerly attentiue to the diligent examination See his wonderfull contempt of the world in respect of the diuine seruice of their cause Beleeue my Brethren sayd WOLSTAN we haue not yet song None therefore let vs goe â—ing it The Monkâ— offended herewith First replied they let vs dispatch the busines we came for and studie our answeare to the Councell we shall haue time inough to â—ing afterwards Beleeue me answeared he we will first doe our duties to God and then debate the contentious reasons of those humane affayres Therefore hauing without anie delay dispatched the ninth hower he commaunded his Monks that were very sollicitous of the euent of their cause to depose all care constantly affirming that he saw the â—B Bishops and Saincts DVNSTAN and OSWALD who would defend both them and their cause against all theiâ— aduersaries Neyther was he anie thing deceaued for entring into the Councell with great alacritie and boldnes he gott the sentence of them all in his owne behalf against Thomas Archbishop of Yorke who then willingly yeelded and very earnestly desired WOLSTAN to make a visitt in his diocesse and instruct the people with the pietie of his sermons Which allthough they did not â—low from him with that abundance of humane science and flanting eloquence The vertue of his preaching as other men made shew off yet his speeches tooke such deepe roote and impression in the breasts of his audience and touched them soe to the quick that he would moue to repentance and amendment of life more then anie others Preachers that were For his singular innocencie of life ioyned to the manie miracles which it pleased God through his merits to shew vnto the world did pearce and sting the hardest hearts and draw euen his aduersaries though vnwilling to loue and honour him But among all his miracles this ensuing is worthy eternally to be recorded in the Church of God VIII IN A Councell held at Westminster were besides the King with the Bishops and Peeres of England were present a Bishop and two Cardinals the Popes Legaâ—s from Rome after they had deposed Stigand a secular Priest out of the sea of C 〈…〉 which by i 〈…〉 sion he had vsurped the King Williaâ— Conquerour pretending insufficiencie The couÌ„cell dispute of his depositioÌ„ of learning and want of the French tongue in S. WOLSTAN by all meanes endeauoured to depriue him of his office and dignitie meaning belike to putt some Norman in his place and Lâ—â—frâ—â—ck Archbishop of C 〈…〉 vnaduisedly following the Kings opinion commaunded the holy man without further delay to resigne vp his staffe and â—iâ—g the chief armes and â—â—signes of his Episcopall dignitie WOLSTAN without anie shâ—w of alteration eyther in mind oâ— in countenanâ—e stood vp and houlding his câ—o 〈…〉 staffe in his hand In very dâ—ed my Lord Archbishop sayd he I know that I am â—â—yther worthy of this honour nor fiâ—t for sâ—e great a His speech to the councell burden nor able rightly to vndergoe the labour this I know and this did I know before when the Monks elected 〈◊〉 when the
great benefactour of S. BENEDICTS order died the thirtith day of January but her feast is celebrated this day She flourished about the yeare of our Lord 669. Besides the authour of her life extant in the first tome of LAVRENCE SVRIVS whom we haue followed the Roman Martirologe VSVARD BARONIVS tom 〈◊〉 ann 665. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. c. 112. and manie others doe largely celebrate her prayses The life of S. SEXVLPH Bishop and Confessor of S. BENEDICTS order IAN. 28. THIS holy man was the first Abbot and in some kind founder of the Benedictine Abbey of Medishamsted dedieated to S. PETER which afterwards by reason of the greatnes was called Peterborough In which office hauing for some yeares dischardged the By his per swasion king wulfere built this Abbey part of a good and religious Prelat by the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury he was consecrated Bishop of Lichfield in place of Winfrid deposed from that Sea for his disobedience He gouerned his people with verie great sainctetie of life and examples of good workes for the space of three yeares when being loaden with vertuous deeds he left this world to take his place among his fellow Benedictin Monks in heauen about the yeare of our Lord 700. MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 614. HARPSFIELD saec 7. c. 23. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. c. 46. TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 4. cap. 158. CAMDEN in desoritt com Northampt. and others make worthie mention of S. SEXVLPH The life of S. GYLDAS Abbot and Confessor IAN. 29. Out of an anncient authour recited by Iohn Capgraue GYLDAS borne in that part of Brittanie now called Scotland and one of the twentie fower sonnes which a King of that countrey had by one wife was from his youth of a verie vertuous disposition and much inclined to the knowledge of all manner of learning for the better obtaining of his desire therein he passed ouer into France where he employed seauen yeares in the continuall studie of all goods sciences and returned into Britanie loaden with great store of bookes and learning But to the end he might with more freedom attend vnto the contemplation of heauenly He goeth into Frace to studie things he with drew him self from the tumults of the world into a solitarie place of aboade where he led the life of an hermite continually chastising his bodie with fasting prayer watchings and hayre-cloath Yet his vertue could not lie soe hidd but that manie were drawne to him with the noyse of his great fame to be instructed both in religion and learning and at their departure they serued as trumpetts to inuite others vnto him such great content they receaued in his vertuous life and rare learning Whatsoeuer guifts he receaued from the charitie of the richer sort he allwaies distributed vnto the poore contenting him self with the riches of his His great austerity of life owne pouertie He neuer tasted anie flesh his ordinarie foode was herbes and barly bread mingled with ashes in steede of spice his drinke pure water out of the fountaine His continuall abstinence had brought his face to such leannes that he all waies appeared like a man that had a feauer At midnight his custome was to enter into the riuer vpp to the neck and in that sort he powered out his prayers to almighty God while his teares stroue with the streames which should runne fastest afterwards he repaired to his oratorie and spent the rest of the night in prayer His cloathing was one single garment in which only he tooke his rest lieing vppon the downe of a hard rock Hauing taught manie both in word and deed to follow the rules of good life he departed into Jreland where he conuerted a great multitude of that rude people to the faith of CHRIST Shortly after returning into Britanie he found his brother Howell slaine by King Arthur who humbly crauing pardon of his fault receaued from the Sainct a salutation of peace friendship and forgiuenes He was a perpetuall enemie vnto the Pelagian Hereticks and to be the better informed against them and their doctrine he made a iourney Against heresies he consulteth the Roman Church to the fountaine of true religion Rome and returned not only better instructed against them him self but able to fortifie and strengthen others with such sound principles of Catholicke religion that they might easily defend their cause against all the vaine batteries and proud bull warks of heresie II. AT LENGTH he built a little Church vppon a rock in an Iland neere vnto the riuer Seauerne where spending his time night He buildeth an ermitage and day in continuall prayer he kept his mind wholly vacant and free from the world and worldly creatures seriously attending the contemplation of the diuine goodnes of his Creatour But being in such want of fresh water that he had noe other store but what was retained after a shower in little holes of the rock he made his prayer to allmightie God who sent him a cleere spring of water gâ—shing out of the same place But by the frequent iniuries and incursions He departeth to Glasten bury of Pirats he was compelled to depart from hence to Glastenbury being honourably receaued of the Abbott he instructed the Monkes and people thereabouts in the science both of humane diuine things and building a little Church not farre from thence he led there an eremiticall life in great austeritie and penance Vnto whom as vnto an oracle manie came from all parts of Britanie to partake of his wisedome and learning He whose holy desires tended only towards heauen striued with all the force of eloquence he could to diuert their minds from the transitorie things of this world and settle them on the only consideration of heauen Hauing in this manner spent some yeares in this habitation the holy man fell into a grieuous sicknes which made him quickly vnderstand that the hower of his death was nigh therefore earnestly desiring of the Abbot to haue his bodie buried at Glastenbury and recommending his soule vnto the hands of allmightie God he left this miserable world to receaue his reward in a better the twentie ninth day of January in the yeare of our Lord 512. His bodie according to his desire was buried at Glastenbury in the middest of the ould Church Of this holy Sainct make mention MATHEW WESTMINST N. HARPSFIELD saec 6. cap. 23. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others whom we haue followed The life of S. BIRSTAN Bishop and Confessor IAN. 30. Out of William Malmesbury and Westminster SAINCT BIRSTAN being a man of most pure and sincere life was chosen Bishop of Winchester where he ruled the space of fower yeares He was wont euerie day to sing or say Masse for the soules departed and by night without anie feare he would walke about the Church-yard reciting psalmes and other prayers to the same end And as once in his
wonted deuotions he went this round Masse and prayers for the dead and added to the end of his prayers Requiescant in pace he heard from the ground the voyces as it were of an infinite armie that answeared Amen Whereby he found his labours and prayers to be verie gratefull and profitable vnto the soules departed The same holy man being an ardent follower of our Lords example would euerie day without anie spectatours execute acts of profound humilitie in washing with his owne hands the feete of diuers poore people couering them a table giuing them sufficiencie of meate and at length His works of humilitie as their deuout seruant taking away what was left This seruice being finished and his poore guests dismissed he would remaine in the same roome the space of two or three howers at his prayers Vntill once entring according to custom to exercise these pions offices not hauing bene before troubled with signe of anie sicknes suddenly vnknowne to all his soule departed out of his mortall lodging The māner of his death leauing it void of all vitall spiritt His familie and seruants that had long bene acquainted with his customs thinking that then he was alsoe busied at his prayers let him lie there a whole day And the next morning breaking into his chamber they found a dead bodie starke and stiffe without anie signe of life Therefore with great cryes and lamentations they buried him in the Church of Winchester But the Citizens of the towne because they sawe him intercepted by a kind of suddaine death buried the worthie memorie of the holy man in the deepe caues of silence being ignorant that it is written The man that liueth well cannot die ill And by what Sap. 4. death soeuer the iust man shall be preuented and ouertaken he shall be in a place of refreshing and comfort But a long time after this their rashnes was corrected by the allmightie power of him that cannot erre for to Ethelwold Bishop of the same place as one night he watched and He appeareth to S. Ethelwold prayed according to his custom before the reliques of the Saincts in the Church of Winchester there appeared three persons which stood by him not in an extasie but fully awake The middest of the three spake these words I am BIRSTAN in times past Bishop of this cittie This on my right hand is BIRINE the first preacher and that on my left is SWITHINE the speciall Patron of this Church and Cittie And thou must know that as thou seest me here present with them soe doe I enioy the same glorie with them in heauen Why therefore am I depriued of the honour and reuerence of mortall men who am highly exalted in the companie of heauenly spirits Saincts are to honoured At these words they vanished and euer after by the commaundement of S. ETHELWOLD his memorie was celebrated with great veneration By this we may learne that holy men the prouidence of heauen soe disposing may sometimes be taken away by suddaine death and not without a speciall fauour in getting by a minute of paine that which others cannot obtaine but by manie yeares torments of sicknes This holy man was consecrated B. an 932. died in the yeare of our Lord 934. Thus much of him we haue gathered out of WILLIAM MALMESBVRY lib. 2. de Pontific Angl. and MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 932. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 10. cap. 8. POLIDORE VIRGILL lib. 6. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. lig vitae and others mak◠worthie mention of him The life of S. WILGIS Confessor and Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 31. Out of S. Alcuinus in the life of S. willibrord THERE was in that part of the Brittsh Iland called Northumberland a househoulder named Wilgis by byrth a Saxon or Englishman who hauing bene naturall father vnto WILLIBRORD afterwards a Sainct and Archbishop of Vtreight as if he had perfourmed the whole dutie of his mariage resolued both he and his wife to leaue the world and vndertake a religious course of life which holy purpose how vertuously he accōplished was by miracles afterwards sufficiently testified and made knowne to the world For hauing left his secular garments he putt on the black monasticall habitt of the holy order of S. BENEDICT and made profession of a Monk not He taketh the habit of S. Benedict vppon a forced seruice but out of a true will and desire to religion And because in leauing his house and temporall goods enrouling him self into a spirituall warrefare in the campe of IESVS CHRIST he had vndertaken a perfect life he would not therefore be backward in what he professed but in all things shewed him self to be a most perfect seruant vnto the deare master he serued But when he had for a while giuen a patterne of his vertuous life in the schoole of the monasterie he became soe braue a souldier that the rudnes of the fearefull desert could not afright him for shutting vp him self within the limitts of a streight and narrow cottage that stoode between He leadeth an eremiticall life the Ocean and the riuer Humber dedicated to S. ANDREW the Apostle he laboured in the exercise of a solitarie conuersation and imitating his grand master S. BENEDICT he led a heauenly and angelicall life on earth in purenes exceeding the ruddie blush of the rose or the whitenes of the fayre lillie but delightfully shining with a more sweete varietie of vertues then doth a doue in the beames of the sunne with diuersitie of colours Within a short space his desire to lie hid was betrayed by the wonder of his frequent miracles and his name was blowne soe farre abroade with the trumpet IAN. 31. of fame till it arriued at the Kings Court and sounded such an alarum all ouer the countrey of Scotland that great store of people flocked vnto him whom he neuer sent away emptie but allwaies loaden with the sweet instructions and admonitions of his heauenlie learning The fame of his vertue drawes manie schollers being compelled herevppon to labour sometimes in a contemplatiue and other times in a practicall manner of life He became at last of soe great esteeme and honour with the King and Nobles of the Realme that they gaue him the possession of some lands neere adioining and bestowed manie other rich guifts vppon him by help whereof he built an honourable Church on the Sea side in honour of the B. Virgin MARIE and gathered togeather a Conuent of Beuedictine Monks small in number but great in the exercise of true vertue and religion These he gouerned as Abbott with all sainctitie of He buildeth a monasterie life doctrine vntill the diuine clemencie willing to set a period to the conflicts of his holy labours absolued this his worthy champion from the most painfull warrefare of this present life to raigne in his heauenly Court which soe long he had thirsted for and desired He was very honourably buried
from this wickednes but finding their cruell minds to be soe obstinately bent to that blouddie purpose as they grew rather worse by entreaties she had recourse vnto allmightie God her only refuge in distresse humbly desiring him to hinder the execution of their malitious intent On the day appointed when they went about to act this blouddie scene they saw the verie for me and figure of the man they meant to murder and taking a figure for the true body as our ProtestaÌ„ts doe they ranne after with great furie to kill one whoe was dead allreadie and hauing giuen him as manie mortall wounds as were sufficient to haue murdered the strongest liuing man they returned victorious to bring newes of their triumphe vnto S. BRIGITT who smiling at their mistake tould them the man they thought they had slaine was yet aliue and that their courage had exercised his crueltie only vppon the imaginarie figure of their enemie and noe man Herevppon being much astonished they acknowledged their fault and repenting them of their wicked purposes corrected their liues euer after XII OVR Lord wrought diuers other miracles by the holy meritts Manie miracles done by S. Brigitt of this blessed virgin the blind their sight the dumbe their speech leapers and other diseased persons recouered their health By her prayers she turned water into beere and stones into salt she chainged the course of a great riuer and which is more by her good perswasions manie desperate wicked fellowes withdrew them selues out of the gulphes of their vicious manner of life and entred into the sure port of religion where they finished their dayes in the seruice of IESVS CHRIST When this blessed virgin â—ad happily ended the course of her life and endured maniÌ„e great labours for the loue of IESVS CHCIST her deare spouse being aduertised of her death and hauing made it knowne vnto one of her sisters specifiing Her death the day hower thereof she gaue vp her pure soule into the hands of her deare Redeemer the first day of February in the yeare of our Lord according to Sigebert 518. but Marianus Scotus sayth 521. in the raigne of the Emperour Iustin the elder Her life was written by an aâ—thour of her time named COGITOSVS and by IOANNES ANGLICVS IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of S. BRIGITT as allsoe that of S. BEDE VSVARD and ADON and BARONIVS in his seauenth tome of Annalls But GYRALDVS CAMBRENSIS a verie graue authour in his Topographie of Ireland amongst manie other miracles of this Blessed sainct maketh mention of S. BRIGITTS fier Miracle of S. Brigitts fiâ—r which is reported to be vnextinguished not that it cannot be extinguished but because the Nunnes did soe carefully and continually nourish and feed it wich new matter that from her time for manie hundred yeares after it neuerwent out and in the consuming of soe much wood which had bin burnt there in all this time the ashes neuer encreased This fier was compassed about with a little hedge of twigges within which noe man dared to enter yf at anie time some did presume soe to doe their presumption was punished by a reuenge from heauen Woemen only did blow it and that not with their mouthes but eyther with bellowes or a fanne An Archer that rashly attempted to leape ouer the headge and blow S. BRIGITTS fier with his mouth suddenly lost his witts and fell into madnes and running vpp and downe the towne putt his breath in the faces of all he mett saying doest thou see thus I blew BRIGITS fier and wheresoeuer he found anie fier he would blow it still repeating the same words till at length being taken by his companions and bound hand and foote he desired to be brought to the next water where he dranke soe much to quench his extreme drought that he burst his bellie and died Manie others sayth GIRALDVS were punished for the like attempt XIV But who doeth not behould admire in the life of this glorious A breef coÌ„sideration of her vettues and miracles Sainct the wonderfull greatnes of the goodnes of allmightie God who out of the sinne of her Parents drew soe pretious a iewell as S. BRIGITT making a poore slaue to be the mother vnto her that deliuerâ—â— soe manie captiue soules out of the seruitude and slauerie of sinne How could the fraile vessell of a poore bondslaue gyrlo be capable of the noble condition of soe great loue vnto vertue and of such a boyling desire of pure Virginitie that for the preseruing thereof she chose rather to loose the tendrest part of her bodie her eies and to deface her beantie the verie Idoll of woemen then to consent vnto a lawfull mariage How manifestly it appreares hereby that our B. Sauiour is sweet and gratious to his true seruants in restoring vnto BRIGITT her beautie of which at her owne request and for her greater good he had before depriued her Soe that it is noe wonder yf she that knew soe well how to keepe her owne virginitie vntouched and sacrifice it vnto her deare lord was allsoe of power by her prayers to obtaine the like fauour for other yong woemen and deliuer the innocence of the good Bishop from the calumnie which that wicked woeman layd vppon him and that God hath wrought by this blessed virgin the miracles before rehearsed Let him be euer Praysed and glorified as well for that which he is in him self as allsoe for what he worketh by his saincts Amen S. LAVRENTIVS ARCHIEPISCOPVS CANTVARIEN Monachus Benedictinus Feb. 2. The life of S. LAVRENCE Archbishop of Canturbury of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 2. Out of Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT LAVRENCE was one of those Benedictin Monks whom Pope GREGORIE the great sent with S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of IESVS CHRIST to our English nation in which pious worke he laboured wonderfully to gaine soules out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the light of the true Catholicke faith He was a man of excellent learning and vertuous life And when Ethelbert King of Kent and most part of his kingdom were baptised S. AVGVSTIN sent the holy monkes LAVRENCE and PETER to Rome to bring vnto the holy Pope the ioyfull tidings of their happie successe S. Austin chooseth Laurence for his successouâ— in Canturbury After his returne into England when S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturburic perceaued the time of his death to draw neere lest that Church as yet but raw rude in religion being one hower destitute of a pastour should begin to wauer he ordayned Laurence for his successour plainly following herein the example of the first Pastour of the vniuersall Church the Prince of the Apostles Sainct PETER who in like manner instituted Clement to succeed him in the primacie of the sea of Rome S. LAVRENCE being installed in the dignitie of the Archbishoprick beganne with great courage and industrie to augment and promote the foundations of
vnder a hedge being exposed to the iniurie of the wind and weather But allmightie god who neuer forsaketh his seruants sent forth a bright shining light which incompassed the holie man with such splendour that the next approching morning might well blush at the luster of his brightsom night And the same allmightie power shott a dreadfull thunderbolt into that village which had refused to harbour his messenger whereby it was fiered destroyed and buried for euer in its owne ruines Afterwards Tonanus a Bishop of Jreland vnderstanding of the fame of S. LAVRENCE and of his preaching came to see him and hauing heard him dispute of the Apostolique institutions of the Catholick Church and of the true obseruance of Easter he embraced the truth and earnestly endeauoured to reduce his owne countrey vnto the same V. LAVRENCE returning againe into Kent happened by the way to lodge in a house where his Hosts sonne was newly dead and He rayseth a dead boy to life the father and mother wonderfully lamenting their losse desired him yf he would haue them beleeue in the fayth of him he preached to restore their sonne to life againe The Holy Bishop hauing made his prayer vnto allmightie God full of faith and confidence in him that promised whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name shall be graunted vnto you coÌ„maunded the boy to rise and he arose forth with and related how when S. LAVRENCE prayed for him he was by the hand of bright-shining Angels taken out of the vgly clawes of the black horrid spirits and restored to his bodie againe Moued with this miracle the father and mother of the boy togeather with all their whole houshould and Kinred receaued the faith of CHRIST and were at the same time washed in the sacred font of Baptisme At length this holie Prelat hauing for the space almost of eleuen yeares gouerned the Sea of Canturburie continually labouring in His happie death the promotion of gods cause left this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of his labours in a better the second day of February in the yeare of our Lord 619. He was buried neer vnto S. AVGVSTIN his predecessour in the Benedictin Abbey of Canturbury dedicated vnto S. PETER and S. PAVL which had bin founded in S. AVGVSTINS time but was perfected and consecrated by S. LAVRENCE And in the Epitaph ouer his tombe mention is made of his scourging in this verse Pro populo Christi Scapulas dorsumque dedisti A long time after his death togeather with his fellow-Bishops and Saincts AVGVSTINE and MELLITVS he appeared in glorie to a lame cripple whose legges by the contraction of the sinews grew fast to his haunches but as he prayed for help in the same Church the Blessed Sainct with his owne hands seemed to dissolue his ioynts sinews soe that he suddenly found him self to be perfectly cured This life me haue gathered cheefly out of VENERABLE BEDE de geft Ang. lib. 2. and IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe this day TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 59. Harpsfield sâ—c 7. cap. 7. MALMESBVRY de gest reg Angl. lib. 1. cap. 1. and de gest Pâ—ntif Angl. lib. 1. and all our English historiographers doe whorthyly speaks his prayses The life of S. WEREBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the Holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 3. Out of diuers graue onthors AS a pretious diamond when it is artificially and well sett in a gould ring giueth a double lustre and grace vnto the eye soe the vertues of the mind which are engraffed in the nobilitie of birth and beautie of bodie doe shine with a farre greater glorie and dazle the beholders with more admiration A strong proofe hereof we haue in the life of the glorious virgin S. WEREBVRG who by the Sainctitie and vertues of her good life ennobled the resplendent royaltie and no blencs of her birth She was daughter vnto Wulfere Her royall parentage King of the Mercians and S. ERMENILD his Queene Being therefore borne of a noble and holie race and in beautie excelling manie other of her equalls she iudged it a thing verie vnseemly to degenerate from the vertue and glorie of her Ancestours or that the vilences of a corrupted soule should blemish and deforme the beaâ—teous grace of soe faire a bodie And because she had her beginning from noble progenitors she abhorred the terrene desires of the louers of this world to vnite her self to the most worthie spouse of all chast soules CHRIST IESVS vnto whom she betrothed the pure and holie soule of her vnstained bodie Gould gemmes costly apparell and whatsoeuer else the gorgeous pompe of this world doth bragge of seemed vnto her rather odious then glorious II. AT LENGTH the time being come when she was resolued to celebrate her spirituall spousage she went to the monasterie of Benedictin She taketh the habitt of S. Benedict Nunnes at Ely where CHRIST and his angels being witnesses she receaued the sacred vaile of virginitie and ranged her self into the companie of those holie virgins vnder the rule of S. BENEDICT and the gouernment of Etheldred her aunt theÌ„ abbesse of the same place From which time treading vnder foote the vaine pride of the world she euer shewed her self an humble handmayd of CHRIST by submitting her self to all her other sisters she ouercame them all in the vertue of true humilitie allwaies seruing their necessitie with the pious workes of a boyling charitie not forgetting likewise to keepe a speciall guard ouer her owne actioÌ„s lest she should committ anie small ouersight which might be displeasing vnto her heauenly spouse for whose loue she had forsaken the pompe of the world which mortalls soe much admire The whole forces powers of her soule were bent only to endeauour which way she might become excellent in silence abstinence watchings pious reading and holie Her pious exercises meditations That in a short time she went as farre beyond her other companions in these and all other vertues as she excelled the in the nobilitie of bloud yet allwaies thinking soe humbly of her self that she was euer most readie to obey them all and to vndergoe the basest offices of the howse In a word all her life was such that allthough as others doe she carried her bodie vppon earth yet she alwaies had her mind fixed in heauen and heauenly things III. AFTER she had a long time giuen such a patterne of vertue and religion in the monasterie of Ely king Wulfere her father being She is made Abbesse of three Nunneries dead Etheldred her vncle then raigning ouer the kingdom of Mercia sent for her home into her owne countrey and gaue her the gouernment of three monasteries of Benedictine Nunnes to wit Trentam and Hindbury in Staffordsshire and Wedune in Northamptonshire that with her good and pious example she might there promote the obseruance of heauenly and immortall life
where she had first receaued her mortall breath In this authoritie she caried her self with soe great sainctitie and prudeÌ„ce that she worthily obtained a wonderfull prayse and name in the world of pietie wisedom and discretion For in such wise she exercised the authoritie of a mistresse that she seemed allsoe to beare the condition of a seruant instructing her subiects in the way of vertue more by her owne example then by imperious commaunding IV. AS ON a time she made some stay at her monasterie of Wedune neere Southampton newes was brought that an infinite companie of wild-geese yearly accustomed to make a verie great spoile in the corne and other pastures belonging to the monasterie Wherevpon she commaunded the messenger to returne and bring them all before him into the pound He allthough he imagined the holy Note a wonderfull miracle virgin flowted him went into the fields and seeking to driue those wild foules off the corne he found that not one of that allmost infinite multitude once offered to lift vpp his wings to flie away therefore perceauing now a possibilitie in what he iudged before impossible he began to driue them forward when they went before him like soe manie sheepe on a foote pace hanging downe their heads as it were out of the confusion of their owne guiltines till he had them in the place appoynted where he shutt them vpp as close prisoners all that night Neuer were soe manie wild The Wild fowle obeyeth her commaund creatures at once vnder lock and key before The next morning betimes with their cackling notes they began to crie out like poore prisoners for pardon for their offence or at lest for sustenance to maintaine nature aliue The holy virgin who was euer of a mild disposition towards all creatures commaunded them to be sett at libertie with a straight charge threatned against them neuer to returne againe into those parts She had noe sooner spoke then obedience followed for the whole troupe of those geese fled away soe farre that neuer after anie of the same kind once appeared within the confines of that monasterie V. A HEARDSMAN belonging vnto her monasterie called Alâ—…thus a man of verie good life was oftentimes much iniured and at length in presence of the holy Virgin sorely beaten and wounded by the Baylyf of the same place all which the good man quietly bore of with the buckler of patieÌ„ce whilst S. WERBVRG on her knees with prayers mingled with threatnings cried out on him to spare the One straingely punished for notobeying S. Werburg poore innocent but his furie and pride swelling in her humilitie disdayned to listeÌ„ to her pious entreaties but pursued his rude crueltie when by the iust iudgment of god he receaued his punishement for presently his stubborn eneck and frowning visage was after a horrid manner writhen and turned backwards to looke behind him since he refused a good looke to the seruant of god which kneeled for pittie before him This made his stout heart to relent and throwing him self prostrate at her feete with repentant teares he demaunded pardon of his offence soe that she from a defendant became a iudge by whose holie mediation and suffrage vnto the eternall iudge he had his face restored vnto the auncient seate againe And the same Heardsman Alnothus led a solitarie and anachoreticall life in a wood neere adioyning vntill he was martyred by the theeues that haunted the same VI. AT LENGTH the B. Virgin WEREBVRG hauing for manies yeares prudently done the office of a louing mother ouer her three monasteries foreseeing the time of her death to be at hand she commaunded her Nunnes that wheresoeuer she died they should burie her bodie at the monasterie of Handbury And within a short Her happie death time after being then at Trentham she went out of this world to goe to the heauently vnion and mariage of her deare and long desired spouse in Paradise She died the third day of February about the yeare of our Lord 676. and her bodie was honorably buried at Her bodie found vncorrupted the monastery of Handbury where her tombe was famous for manie miracles Nine yeares after her bodie being taken vpp it was found vncorrupted with her cloathes on her face lillie white only her cheekes a little sprinkled with red all in the same manner as when she was aliue and thus she remayned without corruption vntill by the iust iudgement of god the sinnes of our wretched countrey were punished by the Danish sword when left soe pure a relique should be profaned by the hands of those Barbarous and incredulous people her body resolued into dust and her bones were remoued to Westchester into the Benedictin monasterie where afterwards a goodly Church was built by Hugh Earle of Chester and dedicated to her name which to this day is called S. WEREBVRGS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie Manie miracles were wrought in those dayes at her holie reliques and the like without question would allsoe be done in these our times were not the present fayth of our countrey such and soe great as it is noe fayth at all Her life we haue gathered chiefly out of IOANNES ANGLICIVS or IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist Eccle. saee 7. cap. 23. and WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest reg Ang. lib. 2. cap. 13. and de gest Pontif. lib. 4. FLORBNTIVS WIGOâ—NIENSIS an 676. POLIDORE VIRGILL lib. 4. de regno Merciorum CONTINVATOR Bâ—DAE lib. 2. cap. 33. IOHN SPEED in his historie of England and others doe make honorable mention of her The life of S. GILBERT of Sempringham Confessor Author of the Gilbertin monks FEB 4. Out of Nicholas Harpsfield and others SAINCT GILBIRT was sonne to Ioceline a worthie Norman Souldier his mother was an English woeman who before his birth had a famous vision foreshewing his greatnes when in her sleepe the moone seemed to fall into her lappe He was borne at Sempringham in Lincolnshire In his fathers house he was of soe poore esteeme that the verie seruants would scarse daigne to eate their meate with him For in feature of bodie he was something rude and vnhandsom Being sett to schoole and profitting but poorely he went into France where by his good endeauours he attayned vnto the degree of master in the liberall sciences Afterwards returning into England His care in bringing vp yong children he bent his whole labours piously and freely to bring vpp children of both sexes whom he not only instructed in the rudiments of learning but allsoe gaue them exact and as it were monastical rules of good manners prescribing vnto them certaine times and places when to reade their lessons when to talke and when to be silent allwaies endeauouring from his verie youth to winne soules vnto CHRIST and to profitt whomsoeuer he could by word work and good example In the meane time his father who was Lord of the two Churches Sempringham and Tyrington being much delighted with the vertuous life
this vnexpected Metamorphose and stood staggering a while in the consideration thereof When the Queene taking her time by the foretop with a smiling countenance asked him Whither sayd she my souueraigne lord is all yesterdaies glorious spleÌ„dour vanished where is all that superfluous riot What is become of all those curious and exquisite cates sought for by sea laÌ„d to satisfie the inordinate appetite of gluttonie Where are the gould and siluer vessells which but yesterday made the table bow vnder their massie weight Where is all the noyse of our loud Thus passeth the glorie of the world mirth and iollitie Is it not vanished like a blast of wind or a vaine puffe of smoake and doe not wee that fill our selues more daintyly largely corrupt afterwards more miserably Behould then the true picture of the glittering vanities allurements of the world learne at last to shunne flie them She sayd no more When it was strange to see what a deepe incisioÌ„ this made in the Kings heart how much more she had gayned by the rudenes of this visible spectacle then by all her former persuasions that not without cause the Poet sayd Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures FEB 7. Horat. de arte Poetica Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator IV. IN SVMME this strainge Pageant wrought soe farre in the good Inas resolueth to forsake the world Kings mind that now he began seriously to consider with him self of the vanitie of worldly state and finding one what sharpe thornes of cares grew the sweet seeming roses of a crowne he putt on a strong resolution with him self to bid adiew to the world And now when he had gouerned his common wealth with a name of greate prayse and prosperitie and shewed manie benefitts therevnto for the space of thirtie seauen yeares and odd moneths renouncing the resplendent glorie of his present and princely estate he voluntaryly left his temporall Kingdome which with victorie soe long he had ruled and for the loue of allmightie God and the gaine of his eternall kingdome he that heretofore had conquered princes now gott the vpper hand and conquest of him self and with a greater glorie then he had borne them he robbed him self of the princely spoiles of his bodie the better to ennoble and enrich his soule Which that he might more conueniently and fructfully He goeth to Rome bring to passe he went to Rome the head of Catholick religion to visitt the sacred tombes of the Apostles vnder whose protection he hoped more easyly to obtaine the grace and fauour of allmightie God wheÌ„ce his countrey had first receaued the Christian fayth resoluing to spend the remnant of his life with a quiet and contented mind farr from all worldly cares and troubles in a holie conuent of Monkes Which with great pietie he perfourmed putting on the habitt of a Benedictine monke vnto which order He taketh the habit of S. Benedict he had euer bin a worthie benefactour not in a publick concourse of poeple which doubtlesse would haue been great at soe vnwonted a spectacle but priuately before God alone and the Conuent of monkes giuing hereby a liuely example of humilitie and true contempt of the world in not desiring to haue this his heroick act of pietie anie way to redounde vnto his owne glorie out of the vaine prayses and false honours of the flattering world V. HE was the first of our English Kings who to shew his great His deuotion to the Roman Church deuotion vnto the Church of Rome caused the annuall tribute called Romescote or Peter-pence to be payed vnto the Pope which was a pennie out of euer ie familie in England and was afterwards duely payd for the space of manie hundred yeares and which is most to be wondred at noe sooner ceased this payment but our English Church was swallowed vp into the gulph of heresie and togeather with the temporall lost all spirituall subiection vnto the Vicar of CHRIST vppon earth Allso this holie King INE built at Rome a Church in honour of our Blessed ladie in which all English that He built a Church at Rome came thither might heare masse and receaue the Sacraments and be buried yf need were With like pietie he erected there a schoole giuing yearly annuities therevnto wherein his Countreymen might And a free-schoole be brought vp in all manner of good learning and Christian religion and discipline Which seemeth to haue bin in that place which now is called the English Hospitall and is inhabited by English Priests being of noe small commoditie for the entertaynment of Pilgrins which now adayes flock thither out of England VI. Now he that in former times had ruled a Kingdome begaÌ„ in this sweete schoole of vertues to find that in rendring him self subiect for The happines of a religious life the loue of CHRIST he enioyed a greater Kingdome and that to be master ouer his one passions was the only best and truest dominion Now he had time freely to insist in the meditation of the diuine goodnes wherein he found the trueth of that versicle of the Royall Psalmist TAST AND SEE FOR OVR LORD IS SWEET He found how sweet a thing it was to carrie the yoake of our Lord in the Psalm 33. 58. continuall exercise ef patience humilitie and obedience in which and other pious offices of vertue and religion he spent the rest of his mortalitie vntill by the king of Kings vnder whose ensigne he had serued he was called into the heauenly kingdom to receaue a His happie death crowne of eternall glorie insteed of the temporall crowne which for his loue he had left He died a Benedictin Monk at Rome about the yeare of our Lord 727. and lies buried at the Entrance of the Church of S. PETER and PAVL as the tables of the same Church doe testifie His life me haue gathered cheefly out of WILLIAM MALNESRVâ—IE de reg Ang. and NICOLAS HARPFIELD hist Eccl. saec 8. cap. 10. Polidore Virg. lib. 4. Mathew westminster an 727. Baronius and all our English Historiographers make verie honorable mention of him and he is highly commended of all for his wonderfull contempt of the world and loue to pietie and relig ion The life of S. ELFLED Virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 8. Taken Out of venerable Bede SAINCT ELFLED was daughter vnto Oswy King of the Northumbers who after manie cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and verie rich iewels all which the barbarous Tirant reiecting pursued his deadly enterprise protesting vtterly to extinguish him and his countrey King Oswy humane meanes fayling him had recourse vnto a higher power making a sacred vow vnto the allmightie god of armies that he would consecrate his daughter ELFLED to the profession of perpetuall
chastitie and giue twelue Vâ—wes of chastity pleasing vnto God farmes with the land therevnto belonging to the erection and foundation of monasteries yf by his diuine assistance and to his greater honour he should ouerthrow the insolent pride of his Barbarous enemie This sayd with a heart full of coÌ„fidence he prepared him self and his small armie for the battle The number of his aduersaries are reported to haue redoubled thirtie times his all well repoynted and old tried souldiers against whom bouldly marched King Oswy with his sonne Alâ—frid The battle was fought were the riuer Junet which at that time ouerflowed his banks soe that the Victorie falling with Oswy more by flight were drowned in the water then King Oswy victorious ouer Penda slaine with the sword And herein proud Penda payd death his due with the ouerthrow of all his Mercian power This noble victorie being by gods holy assistance soe nobly or rather miraculously wonne King Oswy gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God and for performance of his vow made he deliuered his daughter ELFLED as yet scarse a yeare old to be brought vpp in a monasterie of Benedictine nunnes called Heretheu vnder the pious conduct of S. HILDA And withall he gaue the lands of one hundred and twentie families for the building and maintayning of monasteries But two yeares afterwards S. HILDA purchased the possession of tenne Elfled taketh the habit of S. Benedict families and built the monasterie of Streanshall where ELFLED being come to age first receaued the habit of S. BENEDICTS order and hauing bin long trained vp in this holy schoole of vertue in the continuall exercise of monastical discipline she afterwards succeeded S. HILDA being for her holy life chosen Abbesse of that place and became a mistresse of vertue vnto the whole coÌ„uent gouerning her virgin subiects in the ioyes of virginitie with the care of a motherly pietie and inuiting them to the true obseruance of religion by the vertuous and pious example of her owne life II. WHILST thus she ennobled the nobilitie of her stock with the greater nobilitie of vertue she fell into a grieuous sicknes that made her allmost tast the bitternes of deaths pangs and when the skill of phisick could nothing auayle her suddely by the grace of the She falleth sick diuine phisition she was taken out of the gates of death and freed from all her inward paines yet still remained in soe great weaknes of her limmes that she could nether stand nor goe but was forc't to creepe on all fower in soe much that with sorrow she began to feare a perpetuall lamenes hauing long since despayred of the phisitians helpe Till one day sitting pensiuely in the anguish of her sorrowfull thoughts the great sainctity of S. CVTHBERT whoÌ„ she loued dearly came into her mind and presently she wished to haue somthing from him firmely beleeuing and trusting thereby to receaue perfect health Not long after there comes one which She recouereth by miracle brought her a linnen gyrdle sent from S. CVTBERT She greatly reioyced with that present and vnderstanding that her desire was made knowne by diuine reuelation vnto the holy man gyrt her self with the same gyrdle and one the morrow after she became able to stand on her feet and the third day she was restored to perfect health to the great admiration of all Within a short time after being desirous to coÌ„municate to others the great blessing bestowed vppon her self she applied the same gyrdle vnto one of her Nunnes that was allmost dead with an insufferable payne which dayly increased more more in her head but noe sooner had this holy Virgin of CHRIST bound her about the temples with that gyrdle but the payne ceased perfect health succeeded Afterwards B. S. CVTHBERT Bishop of Linsdisfarne came him self in person to visitt this holy Virgin and to consecrate a Church Where as the holy man sate at table he saw in a vision the soule of a seruant that died at her monasterie at that verie time The holy virgin being desirous to know who it was to morrow replied S. CVTHBERT before I goe to masse thou wilt tell me his name She sent to know and on the morrow as the bishop was dedicating the Church she came running Masse for the dead to him in a womanish amazement as yf she had brought some great newes I desire you my Lord sayd she to be mindfull in your Masse of Hadwald thas was his name who died falling from a tree as he was cutting wood III. WHEN this most noble and holy virgin of CHRIST ELLFED had for manie yeares ruled her monasterie in great Sainctitie and preserued the sacred treasure of her virginitie from her tendrest infancie to the age of threescore yeares she deliuered vpp her pure soule to the most happie and long desired mariage of her heauenly spouse about the yeare of our Lord 714. She was buried in the Church of the same monasterie dedicated to S. PETER togeather with her father King Oswy and Queene Enfleda her mother But by the Danish furie that as manie other monasteries was vtterly destroyed till afterwards it was againe reedified for monkes of S. BENEDICTS order and called by the name of Whiteby And lastly is was translated to the walles of the cittie of Yorke and dedicated to our Lady But after the raigne of William conquerour the sacred reliques of S. ELFLED with others being found amongst those ruines were honourably placed in a more eminent degree worthy the meritts of soe great a sainct Thus much of S. ELFLED we haue gathered chiefly out of S BEDE de gest lib. 3. c. 24. William malmesbury de gest PoÌ„t Ang. lib. 3 Mathew Westmin an 655. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist. Eccl. saec 7. cap. 27. other English writers The life of S. THELIAN Bishop and confessor FEB 9. Out of an auncient Authour SAINCT THELIAN an auncient Britan borne of noble parents ' much more ennobled his stock by the splendor of his vertues He was Scholler vnto Dubricius bishop of Landaff vnder whose holy care he attayned vnto that height of wisedome learning that as yet He was called 〈◊〉 and way but a youth he obtained the name of Helios which in Greeke signifieth the Sunne for his sacred doctrine shined like the sunne and dispersing the darknes of sinne and infidelity lightened the hearts of the faythfull poeple of his countrey with the sacred beames of true religion and vertue But hearing the fame of a prudent and holy man called Paulin he went vnto him and conferred with him concerning the more secret and abstruse places of the holy scripture where he entred into acquintaince with great S. DAVID Bishop of His loue to S. Dauid Meneuia betweene whom the grace of the holy ghost tied soe strict a knott of true loue and friendship that they were esteemed in those dayes as a noble payre of friends of one mind and soule But while they liued togeather in
he would receaue it he humbly desired pardon of all his brethren yf in anie thing he had offended them and imparted the like courtesie vnto them earnestly crauing it of him and then with great reuerence fortifieing him self with that heauenly Viaticum he prepared his pious soule to enter into the happie voyage of euerlasting life V. THIS done he asked the assistants how long it was to the hower that the Monkes should rise to Mattins They answered that the time was not farre of Well then sayd he let vs quietly expect that Blessing with the signe of the Crosse good hower And within a while when the standers by nothing suspected his death arming him self with the signe of the holy crosse the only signe of our redemption and softly inclining his head vppon the pillow he tooke a sweet slumber and therwithall in great His death correspondent to his life silence and tranquillitie both of mind and bodie he deliuered vp his still soule into the hands of his redeemer Soe that by the diuine prouidence it came to passe that euen as he serued our Lord in his life time with a pure and quiet deuotion of mind soe leauing this world he went to enioy the cleere vision of him he had serued by a peaceable and vntroubled death And that elegant tongue which had sung so manie sweet lines poems in prayse of his creatour did close vpp the breath of his last words to gods honour glorie when blessing him self with the signe of life recōmending his soule into the hands of his deare redeemer he changed this temorall life for an eternall He died about the yeare of our Lord 670. After the time of King William conquerour his bodie was found among the ruines of the monasterie of Streanshall and honourably shrined sett vpp in a Inuention of his bodie place worthie soe great a relique where the manie miracles wrought through his meritts are euident witnesses of what high esteeme he was in the fauour of allmightie God who is euer gloriousi n his saincts Amen His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. lib. 4. cap. 24. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 36. William Malmesbury de gest pont Aug. lib. 3. Arnould Wion l. 2. cap. 62. and other grau◠authours make honourable mention of him And be is highly commended of all for his great vertue and holy life and conuersation The life of S. ERMENILD Queene and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 13. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT ERMENILD was daughter to Erconbert King of Kent and S. SEXBVRG his queene naturally and from the womb she inherited her good mothers propension to workes of pietie compassion and relieuing of euerie ones necessitie Both mother and daughter vsed the same bountie and charitie towards all and being both queenes on earth they had both the same pious desires and affectiōs to the King and kingdom of heauen ERMENILD was giuen in mapiage vnto Wulfere King of the Mercians and by that meanes the kingdom of Kent was happily vnited to that of the Mercians At that time her husband Wulfere being but newly baptised his poeple were but rude and scarse well setled in the Catholick fayth but S. ERMENILD who had bin trayned vp from her infancie in true vertue pietie and religion with her care and singular example of holy life her wise and prudent exhortations and manie benefits liberally bestowed vppon them tamed the obstinate heartes of that rude and vnlearned poeple and brought them vnder the sweet yoake of IESVS CHRIST by a mild force and a forceble mildnes subduing those peruerse rebellious mindes to the obediēce of the Catholick Church II. SVCH and soe great was the feruour zeale of this holy woemā to the seruice honour of allmightie God propagation of Christiā religiō that she was wholely carelesse of all other affayres in respect thereof neuer ceasing vntill she had quite destroyed Idolls rooted out all the diuelish rites of Idolatrie and furnished her Kingdō with churches Priests for the cōfort saluatiō of her poeple whom in the end she accustomed diligently to frequent the diuine seruices and sacraments and all other duties of Christian pietie and deuotion And this her godly zeale was much promoted by the royall power and authoritie of the king her husband who inuited by her pious example much aduanced her good endeauours and did manie good workes him self admiring to see the whole intentions mind of his wife amōgst the turbulent broiles of the world to be allwaies soe truely fixed on the contemplation of heauen and heauenly things Besides she did abound in charitie and compassion towards the poore all such as were in necessitie and affliction in soe much that neuer anie came to her that departed without consolation and her liberall almes to relieue their want III. AT length after the death of her husband with whom she had She taketh the habit of S. Benedicts order liued seauenteen yeares and been mother of S. WEREBVRG whose life you may read the third of this moneth hauing hither vnto ouercome all others she now ouercame her self for goeing to the monasterie of Benedictin Nunnes at Ely she renounced all mortall pompe and glorie for the pure loue of the immortall and putt on the habit of S. BEMEDICTS order vnder the gouernment of her holy mother S. SEXBVRG then Abbesse of the same place Where by humilitie and obedience she became queene of her owne passions and spent the remnant of her life in continuall fasting and prayer and all other austerities of a vertuous and religious life And after the death of the Abbesse S. SEXBVRG S. ERMENILD was chosen in her place in which office whilest she dischardged the dutie of a verie religious vertuous Matrone inciting her subiects by her owne good examples to embrace the rules of true religion she was deliuered out of this mortall prison and called to receaue the euerlasting reward of her labours in heauen the thirteenth day of February about the yeare of our Lord 685. and was buried in the same monasterie Where after her death it pleased allmightie God for the honour and glorie of this sainct to worke manie miracles at her tombe Whereof one was that a Saxon condemned for some offence to be bound with iron chaines or rings being on a time present at Masse in the monasterie of Elie and as he prayed before the bodie of S. ERMENILD about the time the ghospell was reading his irons forced by some secret and diuine power fell suddenly from his armes to the great admiration of manie that were present at the sayd masse Her life we haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue William Malmesbury de gest reg Angl. lib. 2. cap. 13. de gest pontif lib. 4. Mathew Wistminster anno 676. and Wigorniensis an 675. mention is made of her by Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter in
his catalogue of saincts Arnold Wion in his Martirologe and manie others Of the translation of S. EDWARD King and Martir FEB 18. Out of the Author of his life recited by Surius THE bodie of glorious King EDWARD the martir when he had suffered a most vniust death by the malicious and wicked tirannie of his stepmother Alfrith was by her commaundment most ignobly buried hidden in a watrie marsh or fenne neere Warrhā hoping thereby to blott out all memorie both of him and her owne impietie But within the compasse of a yeare the high allseer and ouerseer of men actions determining to make his Martir famous to the world and to make knowne of how great meritt he was in his sight voutchased to reueale vnto some faythfull Christians that deuoutly sought it the place where that worthie relique was vnworthyly A Pillar of light ap peareth ouer his bodie concealed For a pillar of light sent from heauen appeared ouer that part of the marsh were the bodie lay filled a great piece of the ground neere adioyning with the glittering beames of a glorious and heauenly lustre This being perceaued by manie deuout mē of the next village for it appeared oftentimes they mett togeather hauing by diligent searching found that sacred treasure they carried it into the village of Warrham Great was the concurse of poeple pittifully bewayling the death of their most pious King and faythfull protectour and in the noyse of these lamentations the venerable bodie was transported into the Church of our Blessed Ladie in the same towne and buried on the East side thereof with great reuerence the thirteenth day of February and ouer his sepulcher some deuout persons built a little cabbin which remayned there a S Edwards Well cureth diseases long time after But out of the place where he had layne before there sprung vpp a fountaine of most sweet and pure water which was called S. Edwards well by vertue whereof manie sick persons to the greater glorie of CHRIST and his martir receaued afterwards the wished benefitt of their health II. But now by the trumpett of flieing fame the impious deceipt of Queene Alsrith was diuulged all ouer England the innocēcie of the murdered King and his vertues and high deserts were by the generall acclamation of all extolled to the skies The newes arriued at length to the eares of Duke Alferus who allthough heretofore he stood for the Queene against his King and togeather with her had much wrōged and grieued the monkes in destroyeing manie of their monasteries yet now being willing to doe some satisfaction for his Duke Alfere prepareth for his translation faults past and to shew at left his faithfull seruice vnto the dead bodie of his master whom aliue he had nor honoured as his dutie required he determined to translate his holie reliques into a more honourable place and to that end he exhorted the Bishops Abbotts and other peeres of the realme as manie as he could draw to his side to lay their helping hands to his pious endeuours He sent likewise a messenger vnto the Benedictin Nunnes at VVilton in Wiltshire where holy EDITH Kings EDWARDS sister at that time led a religious life earnestly entreating Wilfred the Abbesse thereof with her deuout Conuent of Virgins not to be wanting at the exequies of soe holy a King Herevppon the bishops abbotts and manie others meeting togeather with great care and reuerence Duke Alferns hauing gathered a huge multitude of men and woemen out of Dorsetshire came with great deuotion to Warrham where that royall bodie His bodie is found vncorrupted was but poorely buried And in presence of the companie his sepulcher being opened the bodie which had laine there for the space of three yeares was found to be as entier and whole from all corruption as yf it had been buried but the same day Which being perceaued by the bishops and the whole multitude with one voyce they sung himnes and prayses vnto allmigthie God who by soe manifest a token had declared and brought to light the innocencie and worth of his holy martyr But sainct EDITH his sister being noe longer S. Edith his sister able to contayne the pious loue of her brother within the limitts of her virgin-breast ranne to his dead bodie and falling downe on her knees clipped it with her louing embracements honoured it with her religious kisses washing his seeming-liuely race with the streames of her ioyfull teares as one not able to be satiated with that soe great glorie of her glorious brother But then by the hands of some venerable and reuerend men these sacred spoiles were lifted vpp and carried with great reuerence and the wonderfull gratulation of the Clergie poeple to the famous monasterie of Benedictin Nunnes at Shaftesburie in Dorsetshire which King Elfred father to S. EDWARDS great grandfather for loue of his daughter Ailene who became a nunne there had erected and enriched with very ample guifts and possessions III. In the meane time being yet in their iourney with that sacred treasure manie persons of both sexes flocked thither and among the rest two poore creatures whose sinewes were soe shrunk and contracted that with great difficultie they were able to creepe along the ground vppon their hands and thighs came to pray vnto Two Cripples cured at his bodie allmightie God and S. EDWARD for the recouerie of their limmes and drawing neere vnto the holie biere the bearers thereof stayed to giue them licence to touch it and doe reuerence vnto it when on a sudden to the great admiration of that infinitie of beholders they were both restored to perfect health and receaued a full cure and recouerie of their long vnseruiceable limmes Great was then the ioyfull acclamations of the poeple that highly extolled the meritts and prayses of S. EDWARD till the newes and noyse of these miracles came to the eares of the Queene his murdresse who thereby touched to the heart with a sudden compunction and sorrow for her wickednes committed presently mounted on horseback and beganne her iourney towards the sacred bodie with intētion to begge pardon for her offence But her suddaine hast receaued as suddaine a stopp by the way for her horse that at other times was Behould à strainge miracle wōt to runne away with his loade as swiftly as the wind by the beck of the diuine prouidēce stood stock still whilst her seruants earnestprouoked the vnwilling beast with sharpe whippes threatning cries but all in vaine for he seemed most vnsensible of both She blaming her horse as being tired caused a fresh one to be prouided which in like manner refused to carrie the authour of soe foule a murder Till at length her brutish heart vnderstood what this vnusuall accident might portend and therefore by the meanes of a third person she performed this intended visitation which her owne vn worthines could not personally effect IV. The holy bodie being brought to Shaftsburie which
his other haÌ„d some of the holy water which him self had blest against that vgly fiend he droue him away from the house with greate confusion And then leading the poore man newly redeemed out of the iawes of death quaking and treÌ„bling with feare into his inner cell he disposed his soule with good instructions for Auricular conâ—ession the better receauing of the sacrament of peanance Which done the poore man falling downe on his knees before the holy Sainct proclaimed him selfe guiltie at the sacred barre of confession by which he clearly purged his conscience from all the infectious venoÌ„ which the deuill had planted therein and hauing receaued his absolution pronounced by the mouth of S. VLFRICK he desired likewise to communicate the blessed sacrament of the Aultar at his hands Who houlding that dreadfull misterie before his face at the Altar demanded yf he did truly sincerely beleeue the bodie of CHRIST to be really vnder that forme of bread I doe beleeue confesse it sayd he for wretched sinner that I am I see the bodie of my lord IESVS in thy hands in the true forme of flesh God be for euer praysed replied Behould the â—eall presence in the sacrament the holy man and presently at his prayers the sacred Eucharist returning to the vsuall forme of bread he gaue it the poore man who from this time forwards was euer free from the burthen of that diabolicall yoake and from all trouble and vexation of those hellish monsters IX A PIOVS woeman on a time sent three loaues of bread vnto S. VLFRICK by a messenger who hid one by the way and deliuered Note a rare miracle the other two only but goeing back he found his loafe to be chainged into a stone soe hard that his iron and steele turned edge as he endeauoured to cutt it asunder But that hardnes melted his heart with sorrow for returning in great hast to S. VLFRICK he discoured this strainge accident humbly desiring pardon of his temerarious offence Who not only forgaue him but making the signe of the crosse vppon that stonnie bread he brake it with great facilitie and giuing part thereof vnto the messenger sent him away greatly edified to haue seene such vertue X. A GREAT noble man of king Henries court hauing heard of the A Nobleman punished by God for detracting S. Vlfrik fame of S. VLFRICK sayd that the King might doe well to send some officers to the Cell of that craftie seducer to take away his money whereof he could not but haue great store such a mightie concurse of poeple dayly flocked vnto him These words were noe sooner spoken but by his diuine power who is euer zelous in behalf of his saincts the mouth of that rash man was writhen and stretcht to his eares and he him self dashed violently against the ground where he lay for a time sprawling and foaming in miserie The king vppon this occasion went to the holy mans poore habitation and carefully recoÌ„mending him self vnto his deuout prayers earnestly petitioned withall for the noble man I impute not this sinne vnto him replied the Saint but doe heartily desire that he may haue pardon at the hands of allmightie God being my self in the meane time most readie to doe whatsoeuer is conuenient for me And at the same instant one of the standers by tooke the holy Saint by the hand and applying it to the face of a sick person there present restored him to perfect health with the only touch of those holy fingers XI THIS Blessed Sainct as you haue heard before prophesied vnto His guift of prophesie count Stephen then a priuate maÌ„ that he should be owner of the realme of England during whose raigne manie warlick commotions troubles molested the coÌ„mon peace all which likewise S. VLFRICK foretould vnto the lord of his village as allsoe of the captiuitie of the same King and of his deliuerie At length King Stephen coming to his cell on a time the holy man after manie zealous rebukes and profiteable exhortations foretould him among other things that he should raigne during his life time admonishing him by all meanes to doe worthie penance for the same for otherwise he should neuer enioy ether suretie in his Kingdom or peace from those rude broiles which to his cost he had loÌ„g experienced Wherevppon King Stephen confesseth to S. Vlfrick the King with teares trickling downe his cheekes witnessed the inward sorrow of his mind and making a sincere confession of that sinne willingly performed the penance which the propheticall Sainct inioyned him See the wonderfull force of Gods grace that giueth power to a poore sillie creature to make the stubborne hearts of kings to relent and returne from the wild deserts of iniquitie to the direct high way of iustice I can neuer too often repeate that saying of the prophet God is wonderfull in his saincts XII ABOVT a yeare before his death sitting one day in his cell Psal 67. v. 38. the ioints of his iron coate miraculously dissolued and it fell downe to his knees which he presently tooke vpp and fastened againe about his shoulders with more strong stayes And his whole bodie which before seemed to imitate iron in hardnes beganne to swell with little blisters and plainly to shew it was but flesh soe that his coate and his flesh with a like token foreshewed the time of his warrefare in this world to draw neere to an end Therefore after a while he called his priest vnto him and tould him that the hower of his departure was at hand for the next saturday sayd he I must prouide my self for my last and happiest iourney which soe long I haue desired And in the verie hower which he foretould ioyning and directing his hands and eyes towards heauen whither he was goeing he deliuered vpp his blessed soule out of the thraldom of this world He foretelleth the time of his death to the neuer dieing ioyes of heauen the twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1154. shortly after the coronation of Henry the second King of that name in England His life is written by Ioannes Anglicus or Iohn Capgraue Mathew Paris in Henrico 2. fol. 88. and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 29. out of whom we haue gathered this present historie Henrie Huntington and other English Historiographers make honorable mention of him S. MILBVRGA FILIA MERWALDI REGIS IN ANGLIâ—… Virgo ac Abbatissa Ordinis S. Benedicti Feb. 2 3. Mâ—â—â—… The life of S. MILBVRG virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEBR. 23 Written by Gotzeline moÌ„ke ETHELBERT king of Kent and the first of our English kings that receaued the Christian fayth was S. MILBVRGS great grandfathers father she was daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and his queene Dompneâ—e by some called Ermenburg Milburg therefore Her royall paâ—â—nts inheriting the royall splendour of two princely kingdoms Kent and Mercia as the ornament
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
of the Benedictine monks for euer Afterwards the Archbishop of York being dead S. OSWALD by the meanes of King Edgar and S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturburie and the consent of the whole clergie was compelled to vndertake the gouernment of that Sea allso But lest the moÌ„kes of his diocese who yet were but newly setled in that Church being soe suddenly left destitute of the spirituall nourishement of soe good a father should beginne to wauer for want of a constant prelat and pastour to vphold them by the authoritie of S. DVNSTAN the Metropolitan of England and worthie Pillar of tâ—e Benedictine Order he was held likewise in the gouernment of the Church of Worcester togeather with the Archiepiscopall Sea of Yorke soe great was the estimation of his excellent worth incomparable vertue wonderfull zeale pietie and deuotion in the reforming of the bad customs and establishing of good lawes for the maintenance and propagation of Ecclesiasticall discipline X. IT PLEASED the allmightie wisedom while this Blessed Prelat thus exercised him self in these good workes of pietie and zeale towards his Church to confirme his holy endeauours and testifie them to be pleasing and acceptable to his diuine maiestie by manie miracles which he wrought through his meritts both in his life and after his death When the Church of our Ladie which Behould the Spirit of S Benedict in S. Oswald we haue mentioned before was in building there lay not farr from the place a great square stone necessarie for that worke which when the workemen endeauoured to make vse off as yf it had taken roote in the ground it stuck soe fast that by noe meanes they were able only to moue it All greatly amazed thereat the matter was brought to S. OSWALD who coming to the place wondred to see soe manie men striue in vaine in soe small a labour and straight offering vp his prayers priuately vnto allmightie God he saw an vglie Blackamoore sitting vppon the stone with obscene gesture scoffing at the labourers And presently brandishing the signe of the holy Crosse against him he suddenly vanished away Then the stone which fowerscore The vertue of the holy Crosse men before were not able to stirre was with ease carried away by a few and putt into the building The like accident S. GREGORIE relates of our holy Father S. BENEDICT him self when his monks were erecting a monasterie whereby it appeares how great an opposer the Deuill is to the workes of Benedictines and that their malice which oppose that holy order comes but from a black master XI THE monks of Ramsey abbey OSWALD standing on the other side of the riuer endeauoured to passe ouer to him in a boate He saneth his monks from drowning which being ouer loaden began to sinke when they poore soules suddenly astonished with such an imminent danger of death cried out for help vnto him who making the signe of the crosse vpon theÌ„ the boate presently returned from vnder the water as yf it had been without anie burden and carried them safely ouer to the shore on the other side XII IT WAS tould him on a time that a monk of Ely busied in the repayring of the Church died by a fall froÌ„ the topp thereof Whereat because he knew that monk had not led a life alltogeather without fault he was much grioued and calling the monkes of Ramsey abbey togeather he related vnto them the accident of his sorrow exhorting them to pray earnestly vnto allmightie God for his soule Prayers for the dead meritorious They obeying his pious desire sung Dirges and Psalmes for their deceased brother sorrowfully knocking at the gates of the diuine mercie At length as the holy Bishop was at his prayers that dead monke appeared visibly vnto him who inquiring what he was I am he replied the ghost for whom thou soe feruently doest pray And how sayd the holy man sighing hast thou done hithervnto Purgatorie which Hereticks shall neuer feele and yet how is it with thee Truely answeared he hithervnto very ill but now most well for through thy meritts and prayers I was yesterday deliuered by gods holy Angel out of the insufferable paines which did torment me And this I came to tell thee and render manie thankes for thy charitie and withall to admonish thee how gratefull thou oughtest to be for this and manie other graces and benefitts which it hath pleased his diuine maiestie to shew vnto thee This sayd he vanished And the holy man gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God for his goodnes XIII HE WAS wont at fitt times to make a progresse ouer all his Diocesse and feed their soules with the heauenly learning of his sermons euer coÌ„forming his owne life to his words and whatsoeuer he could find in the manners of his subiects which might offend the eyes of the diuine ouerseer of all humane actions with a fatherly corection he endeauoured to see amended In this his pious visitation he happened to come to Rippon where in former The Bodies of Saincts miraculously found times the holy Benedictine monk S. Wilsrid had been buried in a monasterie which him self there erected and which afterwards for the most part was destroyed and ruined by barbarous poeple and changed as now adaies our monasteries are to dennes and lodgings forwild beasts Here the holy man watching by night at his deuotions learnt by reuelation that the bodies of some saincts were buried there which doubtless by diligent search might be found The next morning he caused the earth to be digged vp whereby the holy bodies were found and a table with this inscription Here resteth S. Wilfrid Bishop of York and the reuerend Abbotts Tilbert Boruin Albert Sigred and Wilden In the meane time he placed those reliques in a conuenient place but afterwards vnderstanding this S. WILFRID to be a kinsman of the great S. WILFRID founder of that monasterie he caused his bodie to be enshrined and honourably reserued according to his worth For the body of that great S. WILFRID was long since translated thence to Canturburie by S. ODO the Archbishop And now S. OSWALD sent these other reliques honorably vnto Worcester XIV MANIE other miracles were wrought by the meritts of this Manie Miracles holy Bishop The bread which he had blessed cured a great man of a feauer and a ratt that chanced to eate the crummes thereof as they fell from his table was choked and died presently in the same place A monk which presumed to sitt and sleepe in his seate was cruelly tormented by a horrid crew of deuills for his temeritie XV. HOW charitable he was to the poore it exceedeth this weake His notable humanitie and charitie towards the poore penne to rehearse He was wont euerie day besides innumerable others which dayly he nourished to exercise his charitie more peculiarly to twelue poore men washing their durtie feete drying them with a towell and kissing them with his holy mouth powring water on their
his bishoprick led a priuate life in the Kingdom of Mercia or Middle England This done our holy SWIBERT adorned with episcopall authoritie fortified with the comfortable speeches of S. WILFRID returned againe to Utreight He iâ— famous ouer the coutrey courragiously to follow on his pious enterprise adorning his new receaued dignities with a new list of vertues behauing him self from hence forth with great humilitie meeknes simplicitie iustice and all other degrees of perfection and making these vertues as it were the baites to take and winne soules out of the deluge of Idolatrie to the secure and quiet shore of CHRISTS Church by the force of his diuine learning and vnwearied labour of preaching Which tooke soe good effect that in diuers parts of Friseland and allmost all the countrie of Teisterband the poeple were conuerted to the fayth and manie Churches raysed and built on the ruines of Idolatrie were consecrated to the seruice of IESVS-CHRIST Soe that S. SWIBERT growing to be of great fame and estimation in all those countries for his singular vertue and miracles and being an amazement to the Pagans and Pagan priests it pleased the diuine goodnes to glorifie him more and more with wonders to the confusion of the â—â—ntils and great aduancement of his Church VII FOR being to dedicate a Church at Malsen in the Countie of Teisterband vppon the riuer Linghen a yong gentleman called Splinter van Andengin desiring out of curiositie to see the rites and ceremonies which the Christians vsed in the dedication of Churches and chiefly to see SWIBERT their bishop of whom he had heard such wonders coming ouer the riuer Rhene fell by chaunce out of the boate drowned leauing both the shores full of the fruitlesse lamentations and teares of his fellowes and seruants that dolefully bewayled their losse The same day about noone he was taken vp by certaine fishers and brought as dead as a hearing to Duerstat to the sorowfull house of his vnconsolable parents who through the perswasion of their Idolatrous Priests caused him to be carried to the Temple of Mars trusting that he could cure the wound giuen by Neptune and to that end they besought his warlik power with The God mars called vppon in vaine manie sacrifices to restore the yong man to life but all in vaine Which his father perceauiÌ„g coÌ„sidering that their poore Gods were not wont to bestow guifts of life soe liberally he was perswaded by some deuout Christians to entreate B. SWIBERT to come to his ay de who was the likelier to prooue a better Aduocate in his behalf in that matter of life and Death To him thereforeÌ„ he went and falling at his feet he began to open his miserie when a floud of teares soe stopt the current of his discourse that in them and his sighs the whole force of his eloquence seemed to consist But the holy Bishop S Swib entreated to ralsea dead maÌ„ refuseth gathering his meaning out of that dolefull speech was very vnwilling to vndertake a matter of soe great presumption till ouercome with the weeping rhetorick of his importunitie the prayers of Werenfride and Marcellin his fellowes he went with him whom an infinite multitude of poeple stood expecting on the banks of the Riuer Rhene When entring the village Duerstat the dolefull mother of the drowned youth carried beyond all degrees of sorrow ranne to meet him and falling at his feet in the midst of the street cried out O seruant of the true God helpe me and reuiue my sonne by the power of thy God for our Gods are all too weake to doe it S. SWIBERT applying a salue of comfort to the deepe wound of her sorow went to the house where the dead bodie was layd and commaunding his fellow-disciples to fall hartily to their prayers he allso betooke him self earnestly to his in the midst of that weeping multitude of poeple and trembling Flamins of the Pagans His prayer ended he arose and putting his whole confidence in our Lord IESVS-CHRIST he sayd O thou only comforter of our sadnes who didest once affirme with thy sacred mouth whosoeuer beleeueth Ioan. 14. v. 12 in me the works that I doe he allsoe shall doe and greater then these he shall doe voutchafe to shew the power of thy Diuinitie in raysing this man from death to life And taking him by the hand he sayd 〈◊〉 He rayseh a dead man to life the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST crucified I bid thee rise and liue and prayse thy creatour At these words he that before was dead opened his eyes and waking as it were out of a profound sleepe he arose and embracing the holy Sainct cried out with great sighs there is noe other God in heauen and earth but IESVS-CHRIST crucified whom SWIBERT preacheth O the wonderfull life of this blessed Sainct whose prayers banished death from the bodie of an other and spoiled hell of its pray And presently all the beholders much astonished with the noueltie of this great miracle highly extolled the diuine pietie with loud shouts of ioy and thanksgiuing that daigned to ennoble his seruant with soe miraculous a remonstrance of his goodnes And the Heathen Priests togeather with the parents of the new reuiued youth and a great multitude of poeple renouncing the errours of Idolatrie beleeued in IESVS-CHRIST soe that there were baptised 126. persons besides woemen and children When soe great a noise and clamour was raysed in 126. persons conuerted the street by the Pagans that desired to see the newly reuiued yong man that S. SWIBERT compelled therevnto for the greater honour and glorie of God lead him out amongst them in his hand as a liuing trophie of his owne vertue to be seene of all that pressing multitude of poeple who when they beheld him walking in the street with lowd shoutes and cries they made the heauens resound with the Ecchos of these words Great is the God of the Christians and manie beleeued in CHRIST the worker of miracles through the perswasion of the holie Bishop and had their soules reuiued in the sacred font of baptisme With whom S. SWIBERT remayned a good while feeding and confirming the weakenes of their fayth with the solid foode of his learning till the whole village of Duerstat was throughly conuerted to the truth VIII IN the meane time S. WILLIBRORD ordayned Bishop of Frizeland by the speciall authoritie of Pope Sergius returned from Rome and placed his episcopall sea in the towne of Vtreight in a Cathedrall Church of Benedictin Monks-Canons dedicated to S. MARTIN Willibrord Bishop of Vtreight Bishop of Tours vnto whom the Benedictines were allwaies peculiarly deuoted And Radbod king of Frizeland being dead the two holy Bishops obtained greater libertie publickly â—opreach the ghospell of CHRIST throughout the whole couÌ„trey whereby their holy labours tooke soe good effect that the couÌ„tie of TeisterbaÌ„d allmost all HollaÌ„d a great part of neather Friseland were awaked out of the
because it was to consist cheefly of Nouices both in fayth and vertue that came thither mooued with the great fame of his Sainctitie to be brought vp in the right way of good life he was not soe strict and rigorous in prescribing them the lawes of regular discipline following the words of our Saui our My yoake is sweet and my burden light But him self with certaine other old beaten disciples of his led a farre more Math. 11. rigid and austere kind of life thereby to draw the yong beginners by litle and litle to the same straightnes of monasticall discipline In the meane time S. SWIBERT ceased not dayly to preach to those rude stiffe-nekt people whereby maine were conuerted to the fayth and baptised He was wonderfully inclined to giue almes a great contemner of worldly pompe vanities with hope of eternall rewards his mind was aspiring in nothing but to the loue of God the kingdome of heauen and heauenly things and therefore he was specially endowed by God with so manie diuine guifts vertues and graces whereby he appeared most gratefull to the whole world and shined as a pretious gemme amidst his monasticall clergie And as among the Gentils he wrought famous deeds for the aduancement of the holy Ghospell our lord him self cooperating and confirming his speech with Mar. 16. signes of diuers miracles following soe likewise in his monasterie at Werdt he worthyly profitted both him self and others in the continuall exercise of monasticall rule and discipline dayly proceeding from vertue to vertue to come to the cleere vision of the God of Gods in Sion Psal â—3 v. 7. At length when he had most worthyly gouerned his monasterie the space of three yeares allmightie God the superabundant reward of his seruants who through a corporall death translateth the liuely stones of his Church to his heauenly building voutchafed to call this glorious champion of the Catholick fayth S. SWIBERT out of this He falleth sick earthly conflict to receiue the euerflorishing crowne of his labours in heauen For in the yeare of our lord 717. replenished with all manner of vertues and good workes burning from the verie bottom of his heart with an extreme desire to enioy the vision of allmightie God on the feast of S. PETERS chayre in Februarie hauing celebrated the dreadfull sacrifice of the Altar he was taken with a grieuous disease which confined him to his bed and feeling it dayly grow more and more vppon him he assembled his Conuent of Monks togeather with a dieing voyce admonished them to remayne in the true obseruance of mutual loue and charitie and of monastical and regular discipline letting them know withall that the hower of his departure was neere at hand Which words caused a showre of teares to beare witnes in them how dearly they loued and what a greef is was to them to be separated from soe good and pious a Father But he cheering them vp sayd They ought rather to reioyce then weepe for that he was goeing to receaue the most glorious reward of his labours desiring them to arme the departure of his frailtie with the charitable dutie and protection of their prayers At length the happie hower being come he caused masse to be celebrated before him encompassed round with his holy monks and strengthening him self with the sacred viaticum of His happy death our Lords bodie he gaue his benediction to all the assistance and in a sweet sleepe of death gaue vp his blessed soule into the hands of his creat our His face seemed presently to shine with beames of glorie and the chamber was replenished with most sweet and comfortable perfumes to the great ioy and admiration of the assistants He died in the threescore and ninth yeare of his age the first day of March being friday at noone the same hower that the Sauiour of the world reuiuing vs sinners with his bitter death and passion layd open the gates of heauen vnto vs. XII HIS holy bodie being placed in the midst of the Church Miracles at his dead bodie whilst the monks executed his funerall office one possessed with the deuill by touching the biere whereon he lay was perfectly deliuered from that hellish guest And by the same meanes and at the same time a blind man recouered his sight and one that was quite madd was restored to the perfect vse of his senses to the great ioy and comfort of the beholders The sunday following with great deuotion and solemnitie his sacred bodie was committed to a house of clay by S. WILLIBRORD Archbishop of Vtrieght and S. WILLEICK his companion in the Church of his owne Monasterie at Werdt Manie other miracles done at his toÌ„be are very authentically recorded by S. MARCELLINE which for breuities sake me omitt Only one I will briefly rehearse of which as of all that hath been sayd the same authour S. Marceline was an eye-witnesse XIII A YONG man of Werdt called Sweder chancing to dine in the companie of some wicked Westphalians at a Pagâ— towne named S 〈…〉 the whole discourse of those bacon-fed Wesâ—phalians grew to be of the generous power of their Pagan-Gods and the impotencie of CHRIST the God of the ChristiaÌ„s which Sweder who was a Christian not able to endure very honestly began to rehearse in his defence the vertues and miracles which our Lord had wrought did daily worke at Werdt by the merits of S. SWIBERT The Pagans whose heads were now a litle too full of the vertues and strength of their God Bacchus finding Sweder to be a Christian rose vp in great furie against him and hauing with manie blowes layd on his back and sides made him feele some part of the strength their gods had giuen them they cutt out his tongue that had been soe nimble in praysing the God of the Christians hoping thereby to gett them selues crownes of baies from their owne Gods This done they returned Diuers strucken blind for biasphemie in iouiall triuÌ„ph to their dinner where as in their winie conference they vomitted manie opprobrious blasphemies against CHRIST and his holy Bishop S. SWIBERT they were suddenly strucken with blindnes and the loaues of bread before them which they could not see were turned into soe manie stones Whilst poore Sweder the enemie of their gods lay as a miserable creature in the durtie streets wallowing in his owne bloud being not able for want of a tongue to call for anie helpe in his miserie but in heart he deuoutly prayed vnto S. SWIBERT for the conuâ—rsion of those blasphemous Heathens who now finding but not seeing that the râ—uengfull God of the Christians had giuen them a remembrance of his power they began with repentant teares to call vppon S. SWIBERT for ayde desiring withall to haue the poore Christian whom soe roughly they had handled to be brought in to demaund of him pardon for their fault But noe man gaue eare to their crying all the seruants of the house running
of mischief comes crying after them with newes of greater miserie that an infectious disease was suddenly fallen among their cattle which killed them soe fast that she feared yf some ayd were not gotten they should quickly haue more emptie hides then beasts Wherevppon they resolued to returne to the seruant of God and humbly to Who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stly punished implore his assistance both for them selues and their cattle Which done they obtained their desire and in recompence and acknowledgment of that benefitt the Tiran gaue vnto S. DAVID all thâ—t Valley where the Cathedrall Church of Menenia now standes for the vse of him and his fellowes and successors for euer III. BVT THIS Tirans wife could not soe soone depose her malice for meaning with a deuilish practise to ruine the chastitie of those poore monkes she sent a lasciuious companie of naked wenches to exercise all manner of vnciuill embracings and wanton actions in their sight which made some of their minds beginne to stagger with soe euident a temptation others to be a little troubled and indeed all being impatient of such an immodest iniurie cried out vnto sainct DAVID to be gone out of the fight and reach of soe foule a sight You know replied the holy man that the world hates vs. And you must know allsoe A good lesson that the poeple of ISRAEL trauelling to the land of Promise with the holy Arke of couenant were resisted with continuall dangers and battles and yet not ouercome but through all their iourney remayned victorious ouer that incircumcised poeple which doeth manifestly betoken the triumph we must haue in these our conflicts For he that seeketh to enioy the promise of the heauenly Paradise the true land of Promise must necessarily be assayled but not vanquished with the battrie of temptations and aduersities vntill by the assistance of CHRIST his chief Captaine he shall vtterly haue ruined and ouerthrowne all the vncleane bullwarkes of vice and inquitie Therefore we must not be ouercome with euill but ouercome euill with goodnes for yf CHRIST he with vs who dare stand against vs Be valiant then my deare brethren in this conflict and let not our enemies take ioy in your flight IV. HAVING thus encouraged their mindes he built vp the monasterie He buildeth a Monasterie and ordered it with good lawes and rules of monasticall discipline Where euerie one liued by the labour of his owne hands rightly following that Aposticall rule He that will not labour let him 2. Thes c. 3 v. 10. The manner of life of the auncient Monkes not eate And after their labour at sett howers they fell to their prayers meditations and reading of holy Scripture which done againe they fetled to their labours neuer tasting anie foode till the starres appeared in the skie when their ordinarie diet was soe farre from all delights that only bread herbes and pure water were the chiefest dainties which quenched their hunger and thirst After a sleight refreshing herewith they returned againe to their prayers then to their rest whence they were raysed at the first crowing of the Cock and prolonged their prayers vntill the morning when with the rising of the sunne all betooke them selues to their day-labour By this meanes they gaue the world not only a worthie proofe and example of all manner of vertue and continencie but allsoe of liberalitie For allthough they would not take anie thing giuen them but with much difficultie yet were they soe farre from want of necessaries that by their owne labour and toile they succoured the necessities of verie manie poore orphans pupills widdowes and pilgrims In summe in their manner of liuing they were liuely paternes of the Apostolical life of those auncient fathers which liued at Alexandria vnder the institution of S. MARK the Euangelist V. S. DAVID was the gouernour and President of this holy companie not only in authority and dignitie but by his owne due deserts For he would impose nothing vppon others which him self refused to vndergoe Nay by how much he was aboue them in dignitie by soe much he excelled them all in the greatnes and continuance of diligence continence fasting and prayers and the most exact obseruance of all religious offices and duties S. Dauid chosen Archbis hop of the Britaines After mattins wheÌ„ the rest of his Monks returned to their beds hiscustoÌ„ was to enter into the cold water to extinguish the vnlawfull heate of his body At length the excellence of his vertues being carried ouer the world with the wings of fame by the commoÌ„ suffrages of the countrey he was chosen Archbishop of all Wales and soe great honour bestowed vppon him that the Metropolitan sea which till then had been at Chester was for his sake translated to Menenia now called Sainct Dauids In this dignitie he behaued him self soe worthyly that he became a rule and forme of good life to all He was the foode of the poore the life of orphanes cloath to the naked the Schoole of the ignorant a Father to his countrey and an Example to his monkes VI. THE miracles which he wrought in his life were such and soe admirabler that the incredulitie of these our times doeth not deserue to heare or reade them and therefore we will only relate one which is that as he preached vppon a time against the Pelagians abrod vnder noe other canopie but heaueÌ„ such an infinite of poeple were gathered to heare his sacred eloquence that the holy preacher could not bee seene but of a few on a sudden the earth whereon he stood swelled vpp in forme of a little hill and raysed him to such a height that to the wonderfull great comfort and admiration of his auditors he was both seene and heard of then all And in memorie hereof a little chappell was built vppon the same hill which is sayd to remayne vnto these our daies VI. AT LENGTH this blessed Bishop the great patrone and Protectour His glorious death of the Britans hauing gouerned his Church manie yeares in great sainctitie and vertue of life till he came to the age of one hundred fortie seauen yeares theÌ„ vnderstanding by reuelation the day hower of his departure out of this world from that time he euer liued in the Church in continuall prayer and preaching vntill that long desired happie minute was come in which he yielded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his redeemer who togeather with whole quires of angels came in person happyly to receaue him and gloriously to leade him into the neuer dying ioyes of his heauenly Kingdome He was buried at Meneuia in his owne Church which allthough at first it was dedicated to the Apostle saint ANDREW yet afterwards by reason of the great fame this sainct had in those places and soe manie wonderfull miracles and signes of holines it tooke the name of S. DAVIDS as it is called at this verie day He died about the yeere 550. the first day of March which
morning to the great admiration and ioy of all he made knowne by the soundnes of his witt and vnderstanding that he had there receaued the cure of his madding phrensie The place of his buriall is inclosed with a wodden chest which hath a hole on the one side through which those that came thither for deuotion were wont to reach forth some of the dust and hauing dissolued it in water it cured both man and beast that drank it of what disease soeuer they were infected The life of this B. Sainct we haue gathered chiefly out of S. Bedes History of England Iohn Capgrane hath the same in his lines of English Saincts Trithemius in his treatise of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 117. Arnould Wion Baronius Camden and others make worthie mention of him In the Prouinciall CoÌ„stitutions of England his feast is ordayned to be celebrated with nine lessons and soe it was obserued in the Sarum Breuiarie But since Breuiaries were made treason in England all goodnes was banished the Psal 150. v. 1. publick view of that vnhappie Countrey and God whom the Psalmist bids vs to praise in his Saincts is depriued of his due honour and glorie and his Saincts are quite robbed of their part therein The life of Sainct WILLEICK Priest and Confessor monck of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 2. Out of Marceline in the life of S. Swibert S. WILLEICK borne in England went ouer into lower Germanie S. Willeick a Monk-Canon of Vtteicht in low Germanie where togeather wich S. SWIBERT and other English Benedictine Monks he preached CHRISTS ghospell to the Pagans and conuerted manie to the true fayth He was one of the first Monk-Canons of the new Cathedrall Church of Vtreiâ—ght where he who had left the world with a pure intention soe sincerely endeauoured to perfect him self in the seruice of CHRIST IESVS that he appeared as a sweet vessell of vertues to the rest of his brethren For from his youth he had liued allwaies with the great S. SWIBERT in the continuall exercise of prayer continencie and meditation of the holy scriptures euer striuing to make him self as pure wax to receiue the impression and seale of that worthie Saincts vertues He was skillfull in holy scriptures and well practised in the Latin and Dutch tongue verie cloquent in his discourse but meeke and humble in his behauiour a conquerour of wrath and couetousnes a despiser of pride and vaine glorie and a comfortable father to the poore and sickly For whom carefully to prouide he was inclined not only out of an innate pietie of mind but made that appeare by his great labour and paines taken in prouiding and succouring their necessities him self He conuerted allsoe manie Heathens through the Prouinces as he trauelled from the venom of Idolatrie to the sweetnes of CHRIST fayth II. AFTERWARDS being made Priour of S. SWIBERTS Benedictine monasterie at Werdt he became a true mirrour and paterne of all He is made Priour of the Monasterie of Werdt true vertues to his brethren whereby manie by his example and authoritie were curbed within the rules of a regular life Neyther was he profitable with his vertues and good example to the monasterie only but by his deuout exhortations and pious sermons he conuerted the neighbouring poeple from the sottish customs of their Idolatrous life to the loue of CHRIST heauenly things And the greatnes of his vertue and meritt was testified by miracle For being on a time at Cullen with the most deuout Dutchesse Plectrude of whom mention is made in the life of S. SWIBERT one Gothebald a chief man of the towne lay languishing vnder the pittilesse burden of such a cruell disease that depriued of all vse of his limmes he seemed indeed to be quite dead when his funerall rites were allreadie prepared and his graue gaped to receiue him In the meane time Marie that was his wiues name obtained of the Dutchesse to haue Willeick the disciple and priest of great S. SWIBERT to come visitt He cureth a sickman that diyng man Who coming into the chamber and hauing made his prayers to allmightie God he gaue him his benediction when presently the sick man arose in perfect health out of his bed gaue thanks to the supreme giuer of all goodnes and sate at table with the rest in great ioy and alacritie and S. Willeick whose companie he much desired could hardly be drawne from his deuotions of thanks giuing to take his repast with the rest Herevppon the deuout Dutchesse Plectrude held this holy man in farre greater honour and esteeme theÌ„ before yeelding infinite prayses to the omnipotent worker of wonders But S. WILLEICK hauing gouerned his monasterie His death the space of thirteene yeares in all tenne after the death of his master S. SWIBERT in great holines of life and conuersation gaue vp his blessed soule to the neuer-dieing rewards of his labours to beare a part in the quire of Benedictin Monks in heauen He died the second day of March in the yeare of Our Lord 727. At whose tombe in testimonie of his vertues and holy life were wrought maine miraculous cures of diseases Of him make mention besides the foresayd Marcelline Trithemius in his 3. booke and 167. chap. of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Wion in his Benedictine Martirologe and others The life of Sainct WINWALOKE Abbott and Confessor MAR. 3. Gathered by Surius out of auÌ„cient manuscripts SAINCT WINWALOKE sonne to Fracanus cosen germane of Cotton king of the Brittaines began from his tender age to giue greate signes of his ensuing vertue and good life despising the pleasures of the world and wholly bequeathing him self to the diuine seruice of allmigthy God His desire of a deuout life And the better to put his good purposes and pious inspirations in execution he desired leaue of his father to goe to a holy man of that countrey to perfect him self in that diuine schoole in the studie of vertue and learning But his father who desired rather to see him aduanced to worldy preferment and honour flatly denied his godly request Wherevppon this blessed yong man appealed to his allmightie father in heauen earnestly crauing his assistance in this case And his prayers were not in vaine for not long after his father being abrode in the plaine fields in a sayre sunny day on the suddaine there happened such a horrible tempest of rayne hayle and snow seconded with the roaring of such dreadfull thunder and flashes of lightning falling thick about him that strucken with the exceeding terrour thereof he fell flatt on the ground where musing with him self what might be the reason of such an vnexpected storme it came into his mind that perhaps it was a punishment sent him from God aboue for detayning his sonne in the tempestuous world out of the sweet hauen of his diuine His father giueth him to God seruice HerevppoÌ„ he
with soe great paines against this breeding heresie and with soe great instance hauing allsoe the helping hand of the most pious Emperour Tiberius Constantine he vtterly broke in peeces that opinion that no man yet was euer found that offered to reuiue it VI. THEN within a short time after the venerable Leuite or Deacon GREGORY was returned back to Rome the riuer Tiber swelled ouer his bankes with soe great an inundation and grew soe powerfull that his raging waters flowed ouer the walles of the cittie and tooke violent possession of manie streets therein in soe much that it ouerwhelmed manie monuments of auncient building And with the outrage of this floud the barnes of the Church were ouerturned in which manie thousand bushels of wheat was lost Then a multitude of Serpents with a monstrous Dragon floted downe the gulph of this riuer like vnto a mightie beame of timber into the sea and manie beasts were drowned and cast on shoare by the brinie waues of the troubled waters Presently herevppon followed a pestilent disease of which first died Pope Pelagius acording Pope Pelagius dieth â—â—â—ch c 9. v. 6. to that A Sanctuario meo incipite Beginne from my sainctuarie and then there fell soe great a destruction of the common poeple that in manie parts of the cittie houses were left without anie inhabitants But because the Church of God could not be without a ruler all the poeple made choise of Blessed GREGORIE who by all meanes possible Gregorie is chosen Pope resisted against it And endeauouring more waryly to auoyd the height of that dignitie he often proclaimed him self vnworthie of such honour fearing indeed lest the glorie of the world which he had cast off before might by some meanes steale vppon him againe vnder the colour of Ecclesiasticall gouernment Whence it came to passe that he directed an Epistle to Mauritius the Emperour vnto whose sonne he was Godfather entreating and coniuring him with manie prayers neuer to graunt consent to the poeple to aduance him to the grace of soe great a dignitie But the Prefect of the cittie called German intercepted his messenger and hauig apprehended him and torne his Epistles he directed the election and consent of the poeple to the Emperour Who giuing God thankes for the friendship of the Deacon because according to his desire he had found an occasion to bestow an honour vppon him forthwith gaue a commaund for his installement VII AND THE time of his consecration being at hand when that pestilent disease still made great hauock amongst the poeple he His speech to the Poeple began to exhort them to doe works of peanance in this sort It behooueth most beloued brethren at least that we feare the scourges of God now come and made present among vs by experience which we ought to haue feared comming Let grief open vs the gate of our conuersion and let that verie punishment which wee feele dissolue the hardnes of our hearts For as by the testimonie of the Prophet it is foretould Pernenit gladius vsque Ier. c. 4. v. 10. ad animam The sword is come euen to the soule Behould all the poeple are smitten with the sharpe point of heauens wrath and all are destroyed with sudden and vnexpected ruine Nether doth sicknes preuent death but death it self as you see preuents the delayes of sicknes euery one that is strucken is suddenly taken away before he can be conuerted to teares of peanance Consider therefore Brethren what manner of man he appeares before the fight of the dreadfull iudge who had noe leasure to bewayle what he hath done Whole families tumble into destruction togeather their houses are left emptie parents see the buriall of their children and theyr heires goe before them to the graue Let vs all therefore flie to teares of peanance for refuge whilest we haue leasure to weepe before the blow of ruine fall vppon vs let vs call to mind whatsoeuer through errour and negligence we haue committed and chastise our default with sorrow and repenrance Let us goe before his face in confession and as Psalm 94. v 1. the royall prophet admonisheth Let us lift vp our hearts and hands to our Lord for to lift vp our hears with our hands is to rayse and stirre vp the endeauour of our prayers with the merit of good workes He giueth in very deed he giueth great confidence to our feare who crieth out by the Prophet I will not the death of a sinner but Ezech. c. 33. v. 11. that he be conuerted and liue Let noe man then despayre out of the immensitie of his sinnes for the inueterate faultes of the Niniuites were washt away with three dayes peanance and the conuerted theefe purchased the rewards of life eâ—en at the verie sentence of his death Let vs therefore change our hearts and presume that we haue obtayned what we aske the iudge will sooner incline to our prayer yf our minds be recalled from their wichednes The sword then of soe seuere a punishment hanging ouer our heads let vs earnestly labour with importune lamentations for that importunitie which to men is wont to be gratefull is pleasing to the Iudge of truth because our pious and mercifull Lord who will not be angry according as we deserue will haue things exacted from him by prayers Hence he telleth vs by the Psalmist Call vpon Psâ—m 49. v. 16. me in the day of thy tribulation and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt magnifie mee He him self therefore is a witnes for himself that he desires to haue mercie on such as call vppon him and exhorteth vs to call vppon him For this cause most deare brethreÌ„ hauing our hearts contrite and our workes amended from wendsday morning next let vs come in a deuout manner with teares to the Litanies for seaueÌ„ daies space that wheÌ„ the seuere iudge meaneth to punish vs and our offences he may mitigate the sentence of damnation and spare vs. We thought fitt to sett downe here this exhortation of S. GREGORY that we might shew on how great height of perfection he layd the foundation of his preaching Therefore when a great multitude of Priests Monkes and others of all ages sexes and conditions were gathered togeather at the day appointed according to the holy mans commaund to call to God for mercie the siknes waxed soe cruell and outrageous among them that within the space of owne hower whilst the poeple made their supplications to our Lord fowerscore persons fell to the ground and died But the holy Priest ceased not therefore to preach to the poeple and that they would not cease from their prayers vntill through the mercie of allmighty God the pestilence it self ceased Gregorie 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the Popedom VIII AND BEING afterwards to bee raysed to the Episcopall dignitie when as he did yet seeke meanes to conceale him self by flight for the preuenting of his desires watch and ward was appointed at all the gates of the
in morall matters ought to be preferred before allmost all the doctours of the Church He died the twelfth day of March in the yeare of our Lord 607. the third of Phocas the Emperour But that I may end where I began how farre is the greatest part of our wretched Countrey fallen from that religion which this The conclusion holy Pope first planted therein Nay such as he him self and the Apostles he sent were that is Priests and Monks are now held for wicked traitours and whatsoeuer slanders worse can be vttered against their holy profession and function O what would Blessed Sainct GREGORY say yf he liued now to see his pious labours come at length to soe vnhappie a periode to see Churches pulled downe Monasteries robbed priests tortured imprisoned and hanged all goodnes pietie and religion expelled and beatten into corners all vice impietie and heresie set abroach to lead men hedlong into the bottomlesse gulphes of damnation But let vs hope at lest for better and expect till the goodnes of allmightie God shal please to receaue vs againe into his fauour whose eternall prouidence doubtlesse hath permitted vs to fall into these miseries being pulled therevnto with the weight of our owne heauie sinnes and offences Let vs make our dayly prayers vnto our Lord I. C. that by the merits and intercession of this glorious Sainct our first Father and Apostle whom he soe highly exalted both in heauen and earth that he would graunt vs the grace to imitate that patterne of life and religioÌ„ which he hath layd before vs in his owne workes and sent vs at first by his disciples Whose care of our Countrey as in his life it was verie great soe since his death eueÌ„ to this day he hath not forgotten vs for as then he sent his Benedictin Monks to bring the first tidings of catholick religion amongst vs English soe yet he ceaseth not to send from a monasterie lately built and dedicated to his holy name manie learned men of the same Benedictin order and religion to labour in the conuersion of soules to their auncient catholique and Apostolique fayth For whom I the vnworthiest amongst them dare bouldly auouch soe much that they are all readie to seale the writing of that fayth religioÌ„ which they preach with the testimonie of their owne dearest bloud God of his infinite mercie through the merits of this glorious sainct graunt grace vnto our wretched countrey soe to listen vnto those and others her teachers that she may returne againe to the vnitie of our holy mother the Catholique and Apostolique Church Amen The life of S. PATRICK Bishop and confessor Apostle of Jreland MAR. 17 VVriten by Ioceline a Monk of Furnes SAINCT PATRICK for the excellencie of his vertues worthyly surnamed the Great was borne of the race of auncient Britans in that part of Wales now called Pembrookshire but the glorie and fame of his diuine learning life and miracles shined chiefly among His parents the inhabitans of Jreland who then were called Scotts His fathers name was Calphurnius his mothers Conquessa sister to the great Sainct MARTIN Archbishop of Tours In his Youth togeather with his two sisters and a brother he was taken Captiue and like an other Joseph sould into Ireland to a king named Milcho And as Joseph He is sould into IrelaÌ„d being a Slaue in Egipt was after a long â—uffring of aduersitie raysed at length to the supreme power Princedom of the countrey soe PATRICK hauing endured the affliction of his sale and slauerie in Ireland receaued the dignitie and primacie of the spirituall gouernment of the same Joseph furnished the hunger-starud EgiptiaÌ„s with graine PATRICK in his time nourished the poore Jrish languishing in the blindnes of Idolatrie with the wholesom foode of the Christian fayth They both tasted the smart of bodyly affliction for the greater good of the soule and were as gould in a furnace purified in the scorching flames of aduersitie Then by the commaund of the Prince PATRICK was made gardian of the Kings hoggs in the north part of the Countrey when it was strange to see He keepeth swine the wonderfull encrease of that ffock vnder soe pious a guide The holy youth bowing humbly to his fortune turned that necessitie His exercise of pietie being in miâ—erie into a vertue and hauing by this office purchased to him self a solitarines he piously laboured in the sauation of his owne soule Dwelling in the mountaines woods and caues of a desert he exercised him self in prayer fasting and meditation wherein he tasted the diuine sweetnes of allmightie God being amidst these afflictions often visited and conforted with angels from heauen It was not the crueltie eyther of heate cold frost or snow or anie other roughnes of weather that could fright him from his spirituall exercises But he still went on corragiously in his pious course dayly encreasing and profitting more and more in the way of vertue and growing stronger in fayth and the loue of IESVS-CHRIST II. AT LENGTH the allmightie goodnes that freed the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egipt deliuered his seruant Patrick by speciall miracle out of this affliction and restored him after six yeares seruitude in Ireland to his natiue contrey and friends He hath a vision againe to the great ioy and confort of his parents and kinsfolks He remayned some dayes with them till by the occasioÌ„ of a dreame or vision he was inspired otherwise For he saw a man in his sleepe who as he throught came out of Ireland with manie letters in his hand whereof he gaue him one which began thus This is the voice of the Irishmen And hauing read soe much he seemed at the same instant to heare the voyces of manie infants in Jreland crying out of their mothers wombs We beseech thee holy Father come walke amongst vs and deliuer vs. And a waking he gaue thanks vnto allmigtie God iudging for certaine that God had called him to coÌ„uert that couÌ„trey Therefore he resolueed to settle him self to the studie of holy learning and the better to putt his resolution in practise like an other Abraham he left his countrey parents friends and all and went ouer into France where vnder the learned tutorship of He studieth in France vnder S. German S. GERMANS Bishop of Aâ—xer he spent eighteen yeares in the continuall studie and reading of holy scriptures And at length the fame holy bishop seeing the great signes of vertue learning and religion in PATRICK promoted him to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Then he departed to his vncle S. MARTIN Archbishop of Tours with whom he stayed some daies reading and conferring what he had learned And because S. MARTIN was a monk he gaue likewise the monasticall habit to his cozen togeather with all his manner of regular obseruance which PATRICK not only receaued with deuotion but perseuering euer after therein was an ornameÌ„t to the habitt he wore with the
the midst the signe of the Crosse which was wont to be carried before him togeather with other Bishops of the realme he consecrated EDWARD their King and embraced him euer after while he liued with a true paternall loue hauing from his tendrest yeares adopted him to be his child EDWARD therefore hauing taken into his hands the Scepter and gouernment of the Kingdom was by CHRIST the greatest and chiefest King of Kings directed in the way of truth and iustice and albeit he were seated in the height of royall maiestie yet he dayly encreased more and more in submission and humilitie of mind And the better to rule his His prudence in gouerning Kingdom with the raines of prudence he refused to vse the counsell of yong Princes and Lords of light and youthfull heads but obeyed in all things the admonitions of the worthie Prelat S. DVNSTAM and following his and other graue religious mens counsell of approued life he would pronounce his sentence in iudgement And inheriting the vertues of his thrice His loue to Monkes worthie father with great strength and magnanimitie of mind he behaued him self in managing the affaires both of warlick and Ecclesiasticall discipline allwaies appearing seuere and terrible to his enemies and other wicked persons but according to his fathers lesson most curteous and humble to good men and especially to monks and religious persons whom allwaies he defended from all trouble and vexation Moreouer his dayly exercise was to feed and mayntaine the poore to cloath the naked and to esteeme that his greatest gaine which he bestowed in these pious works Wherevppon through the goodnes of allmightie God great ioy stedfast peace and wonderfull abundance of wealth and riches florished all ouer England to behold their king in the flower of his youth giuen to such pious endeauours soe affable to all men venerable in chastitie pleasant and comly of countenance and most excelling in prudence and good counsell III. BVT THE common enemie of mankind being enuious at soe The malice of his Stepmother Alfrith great vertue pietie endeauoured by all meanes to ouerthrow his happie deseignes and to disturbe the generall peace and ioies of the whole realme and to this end he enkindled the wrath of Alfrith his Stepmother against him who from the beginning tooke it in ill part that he was preferred to the crowne before her sonne Ethelred And therefore this detestable ambitious woeman could noe lōger keepe fecret the wicked intentions of her mind but cōmunicated thē vnto her impious consellers desiring and entreating them to fauour her designes and inuent some way whereby they might depose EDWARD out of his lawfull throne putt the scepter of the gouernmēt into the hands of her sonne Etheldred and all this her factious mind endeuoured to bring to passe not soe much that he might gouerne but that he beīg but a child gouerning she her self might gett a fayre pretext to take the soueraigntie into her owne hands which was the mayne marke of her endeauours But who were her fauourites and Hist Eccl. sec 10. cap 4. Gulmalm 2. de reg cap. 9 Baron an 975. counsellors in this practise of mischiefe Those chiefly sayth Nicholas Harpsfield following other Ecclesiasticall writers were the secular Clergie men and their adherents who greeued to see their chops bereaued of soe worthie a morsell by the monks And among others Alfere Duke of Mercia stood stiffely for her cause But whē he perceaued that he could not satisfie his impotent desires this champion of wickednes turned all his wrath and vnbridled crueltie to the ruine and destruction of all the Benedictin monasteries within his dominions Till God the allmigtie defender of his seruants sent him afterwards a deserued punishment by the meanes of wormes and lice which swarmed all ouer his bodie in such abundance that they eate him vp aliue But the importune Queene who therein chiefly playd a woemans part not able soe soone to disburden her mind of her Duke Alfere punished preconceiued mischief expected still a fitt occasion to putt her impious desires in execution IV. AND NOW the holy King EDWATD had raigned three yeares and eight moneths when it happened one day that he went on hunting into a forrest neere the towne of Warrham in Dorsetshire which at that time was great and full of godly wood although now there appeare nothing but bushes of brambles rubbish Where hauing King Edward goeth to visit his Brother Ethelred wandred a while vp downe after his game he had a great desire to goe see his brother Ethelred whō he loued dearly who was brought vp in a castle of his mothers called Corfe but three miles distant from Warrham Thither-ward the good King accompained with some few of his followers bent his course but his cōpanie foolishly wandring after the pleasure of their owne game and pastime left the King alone who being within view of his Stepmothers house like an innocent lambe thinking nothing of the mischiefe and treason prepared and knowing his owne conscience most free from offence of anie man went securely thither alone The Queene was presently aduertised of this coming who reioycing to see a long expected occasion brought soe to her hand and making curtesie the outside of mischief with a face as meaning noe guile ranne forth to meete him cherefully saluted and bad him welcome desiring him to grace her and her sonne with his presence that night The good King refused to light from his horse saying that his coming was meerly to salute his brother and talke with him Then the false-hearted woeman caused straight a He is martired by the commaund of Alfrith cupp of wine to be brought him The wine being come the cupp was noe sooner at his mouth when thinking noe harme he felt a Knife in his back which one of that treacherous Queenes seruants bolder in wickednes then the rest and readier to execute a mischief fayning to salute the King as Judas did our Sauiour had violently strucken into his bodie Hauing receaued this mortall wound with all his strength remayning he sett spurres to his horse thinking to returne to his more faythfull companie Till fainting through losse of much bloud he fell from his horse and one foote being intangled in the stirropp he was pittifully dragged vp and downe through woods and lands leauing all the way as he went bloudie signes of his death to those that followed him The bloudie scene of this barbarous fact was acted in the yeare of our Lord 981. Baronius sayth 978. and which is horrible to be spoken within the sacred time of lent that is the eighteenth day of March. And doubtlesse it fell out soe by a particular dispensation of the diuine prouidence to the greater glorie of his holy Martir that he who according to the laudable custome institution of true Christians did worthyly prepare him self to celebrate the most sacred time of our Lords Resurrection in mortifying
will I am most readie to endure all Thren 1. reproches and torments and death it self for thy sake and as thou knowest I speake the truth soe I beseeth thee to haue mercie vppon me for into thy hands I commend my soule And he repeated often times that of the Psalmist Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spiritt Turning him self allsoe to the B. Virgin MARIE Psal 10 Mother of God he sayd Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste protegs hora mortis suscipe commaunding his Chaplains continually to sound those words in his cares And soe betweene the sighs of his pious deuotion and the words of sacred prayer in presence of manie religious priests and Clergimen and other faithfull Christians sainct RICHARD yielded vp his His blessed death soule into the hands of his Creatour to liue in the most happie societie of the heauenly citizens for euer about the six and fiftith yeare of his age the 9. yeare of his bishoprick the third day of Aprill about midnight At what time the heauenly spouse is sayd to Matth. 25. come to the eternall wedding His soule was noe sooner departed but his sacred bodie which in his life time had been tired with The beautie of his dead bodie much watching worne out with lying on the ground consumed with fasting torne and afflicted with stripes and other voluntarie punishments beyond humane suffrance appeared most cleere and beautifull in soe much that it seemed to beare a notable signe or token of the future resurrectior and next his skinne was found a sharp hayre-shirt and manie other iron girdles He was buried in the Church which he had newly consecrated a huge concurse of people coming from all parts of England to the celebration of his venerable exequies euerie one thinking himself happie that could but gett to touch ether the biere he was carried on or the lowest hemme of his sacred garments Rings and bracelets that had but touched his bodie they held for verie holy things and kept as reliques XIV AFTERWARDS his sacred bodie was translated to Chicester according to his desire and buried in a meane place before S. EDMONDS Altar which himself had erected in the north side of the Church Where as in his life time God allwaies wonderfull in his Saincts had wrought by him manie miracles curing the blind lame Manie miracles and diseased soe after his death he shewed by the merits of this holy man noe lesse but rather more wonderfull signes of holines when besides manie other benefitts and strange cures he restored three men from death to life and one child borne dead but reuiued by his meritts was presented at the age of fower yeares before the Inquisitours that were appoynted to take the information of saint RICHARDS life and miracles Nay his apparell being worne or but touched cured manie diseases and the sick persons that lay in his bed presently recouered their health All which miracles and manie more for breuities sake here omitted were written in those dayes as manifest and certaine truths and the booke was reserued in the Benedictin Abbey of saint Albans Which moued Pope Boniface the fourth to enroll him into the number of canonized Saincts about 20. yeares after his death in the raigne of Edward the first and his feast was celebrated in the Breuiarie of Sarum with an office of nine lessons this third day of Aprill This historie of his life is gathered out of that which is written at large by Radulph Bocking his confessor about the yeare 1240. Mathew Paris an 1259. Mathew Westminister an 1262. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 13. cap. 17. Camden and other graue authours make verie worthie mention of his vertues And Baronius sayth that Vrban the fourths letters for his canonization are extant in the Vatican librarie at Rome The life of Sainct ELSTAN Bishop of Wilton and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT APR. 6. Out of William Malmesbury de gest Pont. Anglo ELSTAN first a monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT in the monasterie of Abington vnder the gouernment of the famous S. ETHELWOLD afterwards bishop of Winchester was a man of wonderfull simplicitie and obedience A rare proofe thereof is seene in this accident For being commaunded by his foresayd Abbot to see that the workemen and artificers of the monasterie were dayly and duely prouided with necessary victualls he vndertooke that labour with great deuotion and playd the cooke himself in the preparing of their accustomed diet and serued them verie diligently and afterwards washed the dishes and other vessels with his owne hands whilst the Abbot all waies thought he had performed this dutie of obedience by the helpe of a seruant Till one day goeing about the offices of the monasterie as his custom was he chāced vnawares to to find ELSTAN standing by the cauldron that boyled on the fier and all the vessels verie neate and cleane and the roome newly swept The Abbot much delighted hereat Brother ELSTAN said he this Not the vertue of Prompt obedience obedience thou hast stolne from me But if thou art such a champiō as thou seemest to be putt thy bare hand presently into the boyling cauldron and fetch me a peece of meate out of the bottom The commaund was noe sooner out of his mouth but FLSTANS hand was in the boyling water whose vnresistable heate yeelded to the courage of his true fayth and obedience and did him noe hurt at all to the great admiration and comfort of the holy Abbot ELSTAN afterwards was made Abbot of Abington and lastly Bishop of Wilton in both which charges he discharged the part of a holy Prelate and ended his dayes verie happyly to receaue the reward of his obedience in heauen He florished about the yeare of our Lord 980. Thus much of him we haue gathered out of William Malmesbury de Pont. l. 3. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10 cap. 9 and Wolstan in the life of S. Ethelwold the first day of August The life of Sainct GISLA and Sainct RICTRVDE Virgins of the sacred order of Sainct BENEDICT APR. 9. Out of diuers Authours GISLA and RICTRVDE borne in Kent of noble parents but much more ennobled with vertue and good learning from their verie youth gaue them selues to the studie of the elegancie of the latin tongue and other sciences vnder that excellent master S. ALCVINE a Benedictin Monk After whose departure out of England they liued in a monasterie at Canturbury vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT labouring and profitting dayly in the continuall exercises of vertue and learning diligently imitating S. MARIE Magdalen◠in the sweetnes of a contemplatiue and MARTHA in the labours of Their skill in learning an actiue life Being carefull first to profitt them selues in mortifications and meditations and then to shew external workes of charitie to their neighbours and peculiarly to comfort the afflicted Whence it was that hauing attayned to a sufficiencie of
the other bishops the first of Nouember the day he was made Bishops and this day of his deposition which is allsoe yearly celebrated with great honour among the Welchmen in a Church dedicated to him called in Welch Llanpaternan that is saint Paternus Church Thus much of his life we haue gathered out of loannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield that at lest the memorie of soe great a sainct vnto whom our Welchmen are highly bound might not perish The life of Sainct STEPHEN Confessor and Abbot vnder the holy rule of Sainct BENEDICT APR. 17. Written by VVilliam Mal mesbury lib. 4. reg Ang. cap 1. STEPHEN surnamed Harding borne in England of noble parents was brought vp froÌ„ his verie childhood in Dorset-shire in the monasterie of Sherburne vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT till being now in the flower of his youth when the nettles of the world began to sting his mind farre otherwise inclined he fled out of the danger into France where carefully laying the grounds of true learning he receiued the first efficatious motiue to ver tue and the loue of God For when his riper yeares had banished all boyish inclinations he tooke a iourney to Rome with one other in his companie In which allbeit the way were long and difficult and their pouertie little able to defray that charge both going and returning they dayly recited and sung the whole psalter Hauing piously visited the sacred tombes of the Apostles they returned into Burgundie where STEPHEN in a new built monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order called Molismus putt on the habitt and conuersation of a Benedictin Monk And at verie first he grew easily He taketh the habit of S Benedict familiar with the precepts of S. BENEDICTS Rule in which he had beeÌ„ conuersant long before but finding other statuts proposed which he had not read in the rule before he began all waies keeping religious modestie to demaund the ground and reason of those lawes All things sayd he are gouerned with reason but because through slouth and negligence humane frailtie oftentimes falls from reason manie lawes were made in times past and from our holy father S. BENEDICT we receaued a Rule to recall the scattered mutabilitie of nature to the bounds of reason In which allbeit manie things be for which I can giue no reason yet the authoritie of the Author who questionlesse receiued them from heauen bids me yield thereunto Therefore shew an instance out of the Rule vpheld with reason and authoritie and dictated by him who was replenished with the spiritt of all iust men this yf you cannot doe you doe in vaine make profession of his prerogatiue whose doctrine you refuse to follow II. THIS opinion creeping from one to an other much mooued their hearts that feared God lest perchance hitherunto they had or might hereafter follow a wrong course Therefore after a frequent disputation thereof in Chapter S. ROBERT the Abbott approued STEPHENS opinion and concluded that they should surcease from following superfluous statutes and search only into the marrow He departeth to cifterce of S. BENEDICTS Rule But manie refusing to leaue their old customs some few only embraced S. STEPHENS opinion and departed thence with him to the hermitage of Cisterce which at that time was a desert vnhabited place but since through his meanes soe florishing with a worthie conuent of holy monks that it might seeme a litle paradise on earth Here togeather with his fellowes he began to lead a verie holie life in the strict and punctuall obseruance of saint BENEDICTS Rule soe that ROBERT Abbott of Molismus hearing the same of their holy conuersation tooke with him twentie fower other monks and went thither as well to be made a partner of their holy purpose as a promoter of their intended course But his owne monkes caused him shortly after to be recalled back to his monasterie by the authoritie of the Pope And Alberick was created abbot of Cisterce in his stead after whose death and he liued but eight yeares more our STEPHEN succeeded in the gouernment of that new borne-Conuent in whose time the holy Congregation of Cisterce began to extend it self and florish He is made Abbot of Cisterce with a great name of religion and all by the vertue and prudence of S. STEPHEN who with the almes of deuout poeple and happie was the man that through his hands offered his money to God built sixteene monasteries in his life time of all which he was Generall Soe that indeed he may be iustly termed the chief founder of the whole Cistercian Congregation which afterwards florished all the world ouer as may be seene at this present day for that Boore beginning in time of his predecessor Robert and Alberick was soe small and soe vnsetled that excepting the wonderfull and peculias prouidence of allmightie God and this holy mans prudent care and endeauours it was likely to haue taken noâ—great hould in the Church that as at the first he was the occasion and cause of the first planting soe now he was the authour of the great propagation of this famous reforme of the Benedictin order When among other titles of his prayses it is not the lest that he gaue the Benedictin habitt He gaue the habit to S. Bernard to that bright Ornament of the Order S. BERNARD who vnder the obedience of our STEPMEN suckt the sweet milke of his mellifluous learning and deuotion And the same S. STEPHEN composed and left to his brethren as his last will and testament that worthie writing called CHARTA CHARITATIS the Charter or carde of charitie wherein is contayned an admirable manner of maintayning a connection of true peace and charitie in all the monasteries of that Congregation throughout the whole world that all exhibiting honour to each other their whole multitude of Abbeys and monks should make all but one Bodie or Chapter vnder one head and Superior And this was called Charta Charitatis because it chiefly tended to the conseruing of loue and charitie amongst them III. AT LENGTH when this blessed man had setled established and confirmed this new plantation with manie holy lawes of order and discipline and worthyly gouerned his stock according to our Lords true example of humilitie till old age had quite depriued him of his sight he gaue vp his pastorall chardge desiring wholly to betake him self to the contemplation of diuine things according to the royall prophets counsell tast and see for our Lord is sweet In this holie Psal 33. sweetnes he spent the remaynder of his life allwaies expecting the approach of the happie minute wherein he should be released out of that prison to the enioying of the eternall freedom Therefore his time drawing neere manie of the Abbots of his new erected Congregation and a great number of the monks came to offer him the last seruice of their loue and dutie VVho talking amongst them selues as the holy man say gasping
S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturbury perceauing had recourse to the refuge of prayer making an humble suplication to the all-foreseeing wisedome of God to voutchafe to shew whom his diuine maiestie iudged worthy for the gouernment of that Church And as he deuoutly and often repeated ouer his prayers S. ANDREW the Apostle appeared to him with these words Why art thou soe sad why doest make such lamentable complaints Arise and place the Abbot ELPHEGVS in the vacant Episcopall sea of that desolate Church Nether let anie contrarie power withstand thee in this for not from anie man but from God him self this sentence of him hath proceeded And left thou distrust anie thing in mee know that I am He is made Bishop the yeare 984. ANDREW the Apostle of IESVS-CHRIST and a most faythfull guardian of thy health and saluation DVNSTAN much encouraged herewith consecrated Blessed ELPHEGVS bishop as he was commaunded and sent him honourably to the sea of Winchester IV. BEING installed in that sacred dignitie he soe wisely framed and The seueritie of his life conformed him self to the manners and humours of all men that he became most beloued of all and which is rare among mortals noe man enuied at his glorie He was most mercifull vnto all others but to him self he appeared most cruell and seuere For in the verie dead time of winter amidest the frost and snow at midnight when all his poeple lay buried vnder the heauines of sleepe he was wont secretly to rise out of his bed and goe out barefooted with one single garment See the holy mans wonderfull â—eannes a bout him to busie him self at his prayers and meditation till morning In his diet he was soe extreÌ„ly sparing that he would rise froÌ„ table all most as emptie as he sate downe wheÌ„ce it came to passe that his bodie was taken downe to such a low degree of leannes that wheÌ„ at Masse he eleuated the holy sacrament the cleernes of the light might be seene through the ioynts in the palmes of his hands He knew how to temper fashion his mind and speech to all kind of men He permitted none of his diocessans to beg publickly froÌ„ doore to doore nether did he suffer the poore of other places to depart without an almes iudging it an vnreafonable horrible offence for a man to vsurpe that as a propertie of his owne which nature ordayned to be common to all Wherefore he carefully maintayned that he was noe true member of our Lords bodie that did not succour the necessities of the poore For yf when one member of the bodie is in paine the rest out of a coÌ„passioÌ„ doe not suffer with it it is manifest that that is not a member of the same bodie which in the suffrance of an other is not disposed to compassion But when those meanes were exhausted which by right of the Church belonged to the maintenance of the poore he caused the manie treasures which he had layd vp for that purpose to be distributed amongst them giuing posteritie a lesson hereby that Churches were endowed with store of riches to serue in time of plentie for an ornament and in time of want for profitt V. BVT when that worthie Pillar of our English Church S. DVNSTAN perceaued death to be at hand and feared by the succession of some wicked person the coming of trouble into the Church which now was well setled in peace and tranquillitie he sollicited with manie prayers the diuine mercle that he might haue Eâ—PHEGVS his successour in the sea of Canturbury His petition was heard in the holy court of heauen and a graunt promised allbeit the promise were not straight fullfilled Which perchance was deferred that more cleerly it might appeare vnto the world how highly S. DVNSTAN was beloued of God who soe truelie performed a long time after his death that which he promised in his life time and that S. ELPHEGVS might fall into such times as should aduance him to the glorious crowne of martyrdome Therefore in the yeare of our lord 1006 and from the coming of the English into Britalne 578. S. ELPHEGVS in the two fiftith yeare of his age when he had gouerned the sea of Winchester twentie two He is made Archbishop of Cant urburie yeares was raysed to the Archiepiscopal dignitie of CaÌ„turbury Who trauayling towards Rome to obtaine his Palle as he entred to lodge in a certaine towne by the way the townsmen perceauing him to be a straÌ„ger being verie greedie of their owne gaine brake into his lodging robbed him of what he had with stripes coÌ„pelled him poore bare as he was to gett out of their towne Which Iniuries man bearing away with patience only a little grieued for his companies sake returned the same way as he came When he had not gone farr from thence but horrible cries were heard from the walls which proclaimed the sudden ruine of the whole towne For an outrageous flame layd hould of the buildings which furiously began to consume all to ashes and seeing it still soe vehemently â—ncreasing that there was scarse anie hope of escaping a generall destruction suspecting that it might be a punishment for that rude violation of hospitalitie they ranne after the holy man humbly coÌ„fessing their fault and desiring pardon The sainct present taking compassion on their miserie made his prayers to allmightie God He receaneth his pall of Pope Iohn the 19 and these horrible flames were presently extinguished and their furie ceased Therefore his goods being restored be happily ended the rest of his iourney and returned againe into England with his Palle And being setled in the Metropolitan sea of Canturburie he excellently performed whatsoeuer belonged to the dignitie and function of a good bishop The vertue of chastitie commaunded soe high a seate in his soule that noe man in his hearing durst bring forth a word anie way drawing to obscenitie nor as much as relate anie dishonest storie He was the comfort of the poore the relieuer of the oppressed and the sole refuge of the afflicted VI. BVT ô the variable condition and inconstant state of this world The holy man had gouerned his Church but fower yeares The Danes spoyle England These miseries were reâ—ealed to S. Dâ—nstan long before when behould two Danish Princes called Swane and Turkill entred into England vsing great outrage in some parts thereof as a punishment for the poeples sinnes But Swane being by the secret disposition of god terribly slaine Turkill hauing obtained the principalitie of a wicked inheritance wasted and spoiled manie Prouinces in England with fier and sword For king Etheldred being a weake impotent man not giuen to warlick affayres made shew in his actions rather of a monk then a souldier and the people of the Countrey corrupted with the possession of their riches and tied to their owne pleasures thought nothing honourable but the sole priuate commoditie of their owne bodies Therefore euerie one
want of other instruments they broke vp the cement and lesser stones which fastened the tomb-stone with an iron candlestick found there by chaunce Then putting all their confidence in God and the holy Saincts intercession they fell vpon their knees and sett vppon a work which they knew farre exceeded their owne strength and laying their shoulders to that huge stone with great ease they mooued it to the other side When presently they beheld that sacred bodie to be most entier and vncorrupted and Willam Malmesbury affirmeth for ceataine that it remay ned in the same integritie for the space of one hundred yeares after Degâ—t Pont. lib. 1 de gest reg l. 1. cap. 16. But now an other thought troubled our two busied monks which was that they wanted a boord to carrie the holy bodie to the boate in which perplexitie as they composed and wrapped it in linnen cloathes they found vnder the bodie a boord as it were prepared for the same purpose Then lifting vp that sacred treasure on their shoulders they carried it to the water side the king and Archbishop following after who in the meane time had disposed garrisons throughout the cittie and on both sides of the riuer Thames to preuent all occasion of tumult among the cittizens Being wafted ouer to the next shoare Canutus with his owne hands putt the bodie into the waggon and thus with great pompe and honour garded with a mightie troupe of souldiers it was transported to Canturbury and there receiued with great reuerence and ioy of the whole cittie His bodie translated to Canturbury And the third day after Queene Emme with her some Hardecaunt very deuoutly visited it leauing behind her manie verie ample and rich offerings as euident witnesses of her fayth and deuotion XVII NETHER was there wanting store of diuine miracles which at that time honoured this translation and allsoe in after ages and from thence forth he was held not only for a most holy bishop but for a Martir too VVherein when S. LANFRANK Archbishop of Canturbury made some doubt because he did not die directly for the confession of the fayth but in that he would not satisfie the couetousnes of the pirats and ransom his owne life and proposed the reason of his doubt to the worthie S. ANSELME then Abbott of the Benedictin monastery of Bec in France who afterwards succeeded LANFRANK in the Archbishoprick S. ANSELME most grauely and elegantly handled that question affirming that it was a thing not to Eadm in vita Anselmi l. 2. be doubted but that ELPHEGVS who was enflamed with soe great loue to wards God and his neighbour that he chose rather to suffer a cruell death then to see his neighbours vniustly depriued of their goods and money would with a farre greater inclination and burning desire haue embraced a death offered him for the profession of CHRIST and his Ghospell Therefore the loue and desire he had to see iustice exactly defended and maintayned brought him to those strieghts Now CHRIST who is both iustice and Veritie pronounceth those all soe to bee blessed that sâ—ffer persecution for Iustice Againe the martirdom of S. IONH Baptist endured not for the Math. cap. 1. Fayth but for the truth in reprehending Herod for adulterie is of most famous memorie throughout the whole Church and why not that of S. ELPHEGVS suffered for the maintenance of iustice which and the works of all other vertues as they are referred to allmightie God may be true causes of Martirdom These and such like reasoÌ„s mooued LANFRANK not only to honour hiâ—h euer afterfor a Martir but caused his life to be faythfully written by Osberne a monke of Canturbury whom we haue followed which he confirmed by his authoritie and made to be read in the English Church The day of his glorious martirdom was celebrated the ninteenth of Aprill on which he was martired The historie written of him by the foresayd Osberne S. Thom. 22. qu. 124 art 5. is recited by Laurence Surius tom 4. The particulars of his translation we haue taken out of Nicholas Harpsfield saec 11. cap. 9. The Roman martirologe maketh mention of him And Baronius tom 10. 11. Malmesbury de gest reg lib. 1. de gest pontis lib. 1. Roger Houedon priori parte Annal. an 1011 and 1012. Mathew Westminster an 1011. Iohn Capgraue and all our English writters are full of his prayses In the Breuiary of Sarum he hath anoffice of three lessons But in an auncient manuscript of S. BENEDICTS Order which belonged to the monastery of Burton vppon Trent he is serued with twelue lessons S. ANSELMVS ARCHIEPISCOPVS CANTVARIENSIS Monachuâ— Benedictinus April 21. 〈…〉 The life of S. ANSELME Archbishop of Canturb of the holy order of S. BENEDICT APR. 21. Anno. 1080. Written by Edmerus a moÌ„k of Cant. that liued in the same time with S. Anselme IN WRITING the excellent life and incomparable vertues of the worthie Prelat S. ANSELME who from the humilitie of a Benedictin monk was raysed to the Metropolitan dignitie of Canturbury we most perforce imitate the art of Geographers who in the com-of a little card describe the globe of the whole world I will coÌ„preheÌ„d APR. 2â— in a few words that which well deserues a volume and giue you a brief pourtraict or a bridgemeÌ„t of the works of this glorious Sainct this great doctour this mirrour of Bishops this ornament of our English Church and bright sunne of the Benectin familie Vnto whoÌ„ that nothing might be wanting for the making vp of a man perfect in all things was added the nobilitie of a godly honourable parentage He was borne in the cittie Augusta neere the coÌ„fines of Burgandy His His worthie pareâ—tage father was called Gundulphus by nation a Lumbard who vsing much to the cittie of Augusta married there a ladie called Ermerberg by whoÌ„ he had the happines to haue ANSELME They were both of noble bloud rich but very contrarie in life and manners for his fathers greatest care was to spend his time in worldly mirth and pleasure and to liue merrily when on the order side his wife carefully gouerned her house constantly perseuering in the coÌ„tinuall exercise of pious vertuous workes to the last gaspe of her life But Gundulphus being by the death of his good wife freed froÌ„ the bonds of matrimonie His father becometh a monke it pleased allmightie God to make him enter into more pious coÌ„siderations reclaime his old age tired with sayling amoÌ„g the turbulent pleasures of the world to retire to the quiet shoare of a monasticall life wherein he spent the rest of his daies happily But ANSSELME the worthie branch of this noble stock in whoÌ„ from his teÌ„der age it seemed vertue was incorporate to become visible to mortall eyes with the siluer innoceÌ„cie of his sweet carriage behauiour purchased the loue affection of all men Well doeing which other men gett by labour industrie
his will was created Prior in his place Which title of He is made Priour honour did not only not hinder him in the way to perfection but was rather a meanes more freely to applie him self thereunto by the coÌ„tinuall practise of diuine conteÌ„plation heaueÌ„ly discipline followed with soe great feruour that he attayned to suchan height of speculation that he discouered maintained with euident reasons manie questions and assertions of the diuine nature neuer heard off before his time Lying one night awake in his bed he had manie doubtfull thoughts how the Prophets did not only see things present but things to come allsoe foretelling them as distinctly as they had been present And being not able to perceaue how this might be his vnderstanding laboured with an incredible desire to be resolued in this poynt when on a suddaine fixing his eyes towards the Church and dorter by the meanes of a diuine light the beames of his eyes pierced through all the walls interposed and shewed him the monks whose office it was adorning the aultar preparing the quier for the singing He sâ—eth through the walls of mattins lighting of candles at the knock of the bell be beheld theÌ„ all rising out of their beds goeing to the diuine seruice Being much amazed hereat he vnderstood by this heauenly lustre that it was a verie easie matter with God to make the Prophets foresee things to come since he permitted him with corporall eyes to see what passed through the resistance of soe manie walls IV. FVRTHERMORE being replenished with the cleere light of wisedome he had such a certaine discretion of spirits that he easily pierced The geat light of his fâ—â—le the maÌ„ners and inclinations of all that came to him euen to the knowledge of their secretest thoughts He discouered allsoe the vetie source and roote of vertues and vices teaching with wonderfull rules and examples how to purchase the one and auoyd the other His vertuous exercises Out of the continuall contemplation of the celestiall happines and an ardent desire of the euerlasting life he would oftentimes powre out whole flouds of teares equally bewayling other mens sinnes as his one He had soe great force and efficacie in giuing of counsell that the verie spiritt of all good counsell seemed as in a throne to rule and raigne in his breast His continuall exercises in fasting watching prayer and other mortifications of bodie to bring it subiect to the spiritt were such and soe great that they deserue rather to be admired then writteÌ„ In fasting he had gott such a naturall habit that he was nether molested with hunger nor delighted in satisfying his hunger with eating He slep verie litle employing all his time in the carefull execution of his office in comforting the afflicted that had recourse vnto him in praying in meditating in studying in composing manie deuout bookes and corecting such as were corrupted V. THE prudence charitie and meekenes he vsed in gouerning His prudence in gouerning his subiects and trayning them in the studie of true vertue and religion was admirable especially towards those who were lesse obedient then was requisite Among whom were some whoe greatly enuied that he was preferred before them to the Priorship others who did carpe and back bite all his sayings and doeings Against these and their malice the prudent holy man fought with soe great discretion in shewing them all duties of fraternall charitie that with the sweetnes of his demeanour he brake their stonic hearts and with the maiestie of his humilitie and modestie he reclaymed them to the leuell of his owne will This sweet and meeke spiritt which our Lord bestowed vppon him appeared more cleerly in that which passed betweene him and a yong monk called Osberne one of a piercing witt and good abilitie but a verie libertine in his manners of a turbulent and detracting spiritt and in all things soe contrarie to his superiour that he disdayned to giue him a good looke when he was admonished to follow the rules of modestie and vertue Him runing headlong into the ruine of his One osberne iâ—ateth S. Auselme owne soule S. ANSELME vndertooke to cure which he performed with wonderfull great art and prudence For perceauing his course to be in a desperate violence inclined to vice he did not presently thunder against him with the terrour of sharpe words correctioÌ„s Anselms pious craft to reduce him to good but first shined in all loue and meeknes towards him giuing scope for a time to the raines of his inordinate passions when OSBERNâ— perceiuing how he enioyed his pleasures vnder the wings of his allowance began exceedingly to loue him and wholly to putt him self into his hands Off which desired occasion the holy man taking hould he beganne with a litle more seuetitie to curbe his depraued manners to cutt off all his boyish actions and to admitt nothing worthie reprehension in him which was not sharply reuenged both with words and stripes Whereby it came to passe that he who before was on the brinke readie to tumble into a precipice of vice was brought to the firme land of religious and regular obseruance whereon he kept sure footing to the hower of his death which followed shortly after During the time of his last sicknes S. ANSELME wayted him self vpon him and after his death eyther sayd or caused when he could not a masse to be sayd euerie day for the health of his soule the space of a whole yeare and by his meanes manie other seruants of God did the like A good example for all Superiours to learne how to carrie them selues in winning and correcting the sometimes turbulent spirits of their subiects how to deale with their sick and lastly how they ought to pray for those that die vnder their A good lesâ—oâ— for Superiours charge VI. HE SHEWED noe lesse charitie towards an other monke gray in old age but greene in vertue who by the instigation of the deuil was grieuously inceÌ„sed against the holy prelat soe that he could not affoor him a good word or looke This poore monk happened to fall sick and coming to such extremity that he expected nothing but death he seemed to behould two cruell wolues which tooke him about the neck and endeauoured to strangle him whereat he roared cried out soe dreadfully that S. ANSELME then busied in the cloister ranne towards the Infirmarie to know the matter and entring See the vertue of the â—oly Crosse into the chamber made the signe of the holy crosse vppon the sick man saying In nomine patris filij spiritus Sancti and straight he was quiet confessing that wheÌ„ ANSELME made the signe of the Crosse he saw as it were a fierie launce shott out of his mouth which feared away those vglie wolues that sought to deuoure him Then being exhorted to penance for his sinnes he confessed and was absolued by S. ANSELM who allsoe foretould him the hower
his pleading that with sharpe threatning words he affirmed that the king would rather hazard the losse of his whole kingdom then be depriued of this right Nether would I answered the pope graunt him this power allthough it were to saue my owne life And with this resolution he dismissed the Embassadours who returned towards England But by the way the fornamed William declared by the kings commaund vnto S. ANSELME that he must cease from entring more into England vnlesse he were resolued to obey the Kings will Soe that sainct ANSELME diuerted to his ould lodging at Lions where he remayned the space of a yeare and fower moneths XVI IN the meane time king Henry seazed on all the goods and lands belonging to the Archbishoprick and challenged them for his owne vse When the Pope seeing noe hope of reconciling the King to S. ANSELME purposed by excommunication to cutt him off from the communion of the Church Which resolution of his being made knowne to the king touched him to the quick and made him begin more exactly to take saint ANSELME cause into his consideration And at length he called him to him out off France into Normandie where they came to a parely at the Abbey of Bec In which the King patiently taking the holy Archbishops reprehension for manie abuses promised a future amendment and neuer more to disturbe the peace or exact anie fruits belonging to the Church or Churchmen and herevppon he receaued S. ANSELME into his fauour and sent him in peace to his Archbishoprick to the great contentment and enioy of the whole Kingdome Here now we may see of what power the constancie of a good Prelats is when purely and sincerely for the only loue and seruice of God they defend the authoritie of the Church without anie pretence of temporall respects by flattering kings in their iniustice and suffering them selues to be carried away with the wind of wordly fauour We may see allsoe the great grace which God shewed to kings that respect his Church Church-men for as soone as King Henry had submitted him self our Lord gaue him a noble victorie against his Brother Robert by meanes whereof he gott the Seigniorie of the Dukedom of Normandy Of which victory he presently made sainct ANSELME acquainted by letters ending thus Werefore Venerable father Wâ—ll Malm. l. 1. de PoÌ„t sayd he humbly and deuoutly prostrate at the feete of thy sainctitie J beseech thee to pray vnto the supreme iudge by whose will and arbitremeÌ„t J haue gayned this glorious and profitable triumph that it be not to my domage and detriment but for a beginning of good works and the seruice of God to settle and confirme the state of Gods-holy Church in peace and tranquillitie that from hence forth it may liue free and not be shaken with the tempest of warres XVII AFTER the kings returne out of Norman-die a famous Synod A sinod held at London was held at London in which in presence of S. ANSELME and all the bishops Abbots of England he resigned all the power which hitherunto he had vsurped in creating ordayning bishops to the Pope and Clergie S. ANSELME therefore being installed againe in his Church in great peace and quietnes performed the part of a most holy and vigilant pastour the space of about three yeares S. Anselme falleth sick when loaden with old age labours and merits he fell into a great sicknes and specially in his stomake which made him abhorre all sustenance till by little and litle the forces of his bodie being exhausted he fainted And when the infirmitie of his bodie was such that it would not suffer him to goe to the Church notwithstanding he was carried thither euery day in a chayre to be present at the sacred misteries of the masse whereunto he bore a singular great deuotion pierie and reuerence At length seeing him self to draw neere his end he receiued the holy sacraments of the Church and gaue his benediction no the assistance humbly recommending the king queene and all the whole Kingdom to Gods holy protection and lying on a hayre-cloath strewed with ashes according to the pious custom of those times he rend râ—d vp his blessed soule to the euerlasting possession of all blessednes on wensday morning His happie death before Easter the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1109. the sixteenth since he was made bishop and the threescore and sixt of his age He was buried in great solemnitie and lamented by his Church and the whole Kingdom of England which lost a Master a Father and a Pastour soe holy soe wise soe couragious and soe venerable XVIII Our Lord ennobled this glorious Sainct with manie miracles His wonderfull miracles both during his life and after his death 1. As he was one night at his prayers he was seene to be encompassed round about with the brightnes of a heauenly splendour 2. One that dranke only of the water in which he had washed his hands was cured of a most pittifull leaprosie that raygned all ouer his bodie 3. By the signe of the crosse he quenched a mightie fier that was readie to deuoure the chamber where he â—ay 4. One of his religious most cruelly possessed with the deuill was cured only by the well-wishes of S. ANSELME 5. Manie diseased persons were cured by his prayers or eating only the reliques of his dinner 6. The shipp which carried S. ANSELME allbeit a boord brake out of it yet the water was miraculously hindered from entring 7. At his death the balsome which anoynted his bodie like vnto the flower of Holy was miraculously encreased 8. And the stone in which his bodie was to be buried being not of sufficient capacitie to receaue it was suddainly enlarged without humane helpe to the great admiration of the beholders Manie other miracles we omitt But the greatest miracle that euer God wrought by saint ANSELME was saint ANSELME himself and his life more diuine then humane He writt manie admirable workes with which he enriched the Catholick Church and with the singular reach of his vnderstanding and doctrine and a peculiar guift from heauen he gathered togeather His admirable writings the subtilitie and excellence of manie Theologicall questions seasoned with the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion Of whom a graue authour Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S BENEDICTS order sayth That he was a man well acquinted in holy scripture and the learnedeâ—st of his time in humane doctrine most holy in iâ— life and con 〈…〉 tion most deuout in his soule eloquent in his discourse and full of effiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 his workes He was of an angelicall countenance of a graue gate of an exemplar life continuall in the studie of holy scriptures and one in whom lay hid a goulden mine of vertues and goodnes He was mirrour of Prelates the glorie of his countrey a pillar of Gods Church and a bright ornament of the Benedictine
doe worthyly speake his prayses The life of S. ERKENWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT APR. 30. Written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis ABOVT the yeare of CHRIST 676. sayth Baronius the English Church florished as a Paradise of our Lord abounding with the lillies Tom. 8 an 676. of sacred virgins and the violets of whole troupes of holy Benedictin monks lying hidd in the humble valleies of the cloisters It was allsoe fraught with an abundance of most worthie Prelats taken from vnder the vaile of monasticall humilitie to be iâ—â—ested with the Pontificall robes of dignitie among whom sainct ERCONWALD of whom we now treate shined as a bright sunne of the Benedictin familie in all vertue and sainctitie And that nothing might be in him wanting for the making vp of a man in al things most perfect he was ennobled with the splendour of an illustrious parentage being sonne to Offa King of the East-Angles Who allthough he defiled all his princely nobilitie with his owne perfidiousnes and impious worshiping of Idols yet ERKENWALD as the holy branch growne out of a rotten stock amplified and ennobled the greatnes of his race with the true profession of Christian fayth and the aduantage of manie noble vertues For being first grounded in Catholick religion in the time that S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle the Benedictin preached in England he adhered euer after to the doctrine of S. MELLITVS Bishop of London following his precepts and manner of life in all things Till at length desiring to draw him self out of the vanities of this world and wholly to enter into a contemplatiue life in religion out of his owne royall patrimonie he built two monasteries one at Chertsey in Surrey for him self and other monks and the second at Berking in Essex for his sister S. Ethelburg with a conuent of Nunnes both of the holy order of S. BENEDICT And soe he made a happie change of his terrene dignitie and wealth to become the holy inheritance of CHRIST and his Church At Chertsey he putt on the habitt of a Benedictin monke where his vertues soe answered that monasticall profession that Theodore Archbishop of CaÌ„turbury moued with the fame thereof called â—rconwald made bishop of London him to preside in the bishoprick of London This Benedictin Abbey of Chertsey greatly florished in religion till the furie of the Danes who spared no religious houses committed the Church with the Abbot and monks thereof to the mercilesse power of the fier But the incomparable prince King Edgar whom the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God ordayned the great aduancer of the Benedictin order not content with the new monasteries which by him self and others he caused to be built in diuerse parts of England vnlesse he repayred the ould restored the Abbey of Chertsey to its former splendour and dignitie searching out the auncient writings and Charters by the testimonie and power whereof he recalled the goods and possessions that thereunto belonged out of the hands of manie noblemen which eyther by force or the power of antiquitie had holden them as their owne rights II. BVT let vs returne to sainct ERKENWALD who now seated in the Episcopall sea of London soe worthyly discharged himself of that function that he omitted nothing belonging to the dutie and prayse of an absolute good pastour being a man of soe great vertue that his working of manie miracles the vnresistable witnesses of holines deposed him and his seruice to be most acceptable and pleasing to allmigtie God Being fallen soe Note a strange miracle sick and weake towards the end of his daies that he could not visitt his diocesse to preach and teach to the poeple but carried in a litle waggon one of the wheeles and it had but two it is vncertaine by what chance happened to fall off the beame when to the wonderfull great admiration of all the assistants the waggon went on vppon one wheele the other side being sustayned by the diuine power of him that wheeles about the frame of this world for the declaration of the great vertue and holines of the holy bishop that was carried And herein the ayre seemed to attend this holy man supplying the want of that wheele and by the touching of the same waggon manie sick persons after the holy mans death were cured of feauers and other diseases which human skill had giuen vp for incurable The water allsoe obeyed A great riuer giues way to his passage him when in the same waggon being to passe through a most swift riuer too deepe for his humble coach to wade in the curresie of those streames was soe great that they stopped the violence of their owne furious hast and expected till the sainct like an other Josue passed through on the drie bottom and then the riuer which all this while had made as it were a collection or vniting of its owne forces more lowdly to proclaime and roare out the prayses of the vertue and holines of the glorious Bishop Sainct ERKENWALD ranne in his accustomed and wonted manner The hower of his death reâ—ealed III. AT LENGTH when he had gouerned his bishoprick for the space of manie yeares in the continuall exercise of vertue and holy life the blessed man goeing for his deuotion to the monasterie of Berking and staying there some time in the continuall exercise of diuine contemplation it pleased allmightie God to reueale vnto him the hower of his departure which he truely foretould and to the last gaspe comforted all that were about him with the words of life that flowed from his dying voyce And at the very instant that his blessed sould left her house of clay and miserie to flie to the glorious dwellings of the happie soe sweet an odour filled the whole house where the body lay that the hearts of all the assistants were wonderfully stirred vp in the prayse of allmightie God and deuotion towards this holy sainct The newes of his death being spread abroad the Clergie and His bodie is translated to LoÌ„don poeple of London came to Barking to fetch theÌ„ce the sacred reliques of their bishop to burie them solemnly in sainct PAVLS Church But coming with their holy loading to a riuer called Hesord they found the waters encreased and swelled to such greatnes that they were faine to lay downe their sacred treasure and fall to their prayers to obtaine passage by the meritts of the glorious sainct which otherwise was vnpossible without a boate When behould to their great admiration and comfort the water which in his life time had giuen A strange miracle him free passage now allsoe diuided it self into two parts that like vnto the Israelites loaden with the Arke of our Lord they passed drie foote through the midst of the riuer And that noe sooner done but an other miracle followed for the candles by his bodie which had been extinguished were suddenly lighted without mans help by a light from heauen Soe that two elements
at once gaue a double testimonie of his great vertue and sanctitie And as in his life he was replenished with manie wonderfull spirituall graces and vertues soe at his death as manie sick as touched the biere whereon his bodie lay receaued perfect health and were cured of all diseases His bodie was buried in sainct PAVLS Church at London by the high aultar where it lay manie yeares couered with a palle of verie He is buried in S. Pauls of London meane value But allmightie God decsared an length by a wonderfull miracle that the reliques of this glorious Sainct deserued greater honour and reuerence For during the raigne of William Conquerour in the yeare of our Lord 1087. a most cruell fier sayd hold on the cittie of London by night which consumed all before it from the west gate to the East at which horrid spectacle the cittizens greatly affrighted were glad to saue their owne lines by flight some of them leauing their cuill-gott goods to the mercie of those London fiered mercilesse flames which hauing entred the Cathedrall Church of sainct PAVL and soe entred that there was noe hope to dispossesse those outrageous guests the people were stricken with greater grief with the thought of loosing the sacred reliques of soe great a Patrone then with the sight of their owne harmes But allmightie God was zealous and carefull of the glorie of his Sainct For when His tombe miraculously preserued froÌ„ fier the Church was wholly in flames when the lead powred downe on all sides when whole beames of fier came tumbling to the earth amidst all this dolefull wrack of ruine where the conquest was the death of the conquerour the sacred tombe of sainct ERKENWALD allbeit of drie wood apt to take fier remayned most free and vntouched And which is more the cloath that couered it when the two Bishops of London and Wincester came to be eye-witnesses of this miracle was found most pure without anie hurt where the piercing force of the melted lead and eating fier was of noe force against the vertue and meritts of this worthie sainct O wonderfull sight whatsoeuer was in the Church within the power of fier was turned to ashes and yet in the midst of all the palle of his sepulcher was not one threed the worse eyther in matter or colour The poeple flocke thither in troupes to be witnesses of that strainge spectacle giuing manie thanks to allmightie God for his goodnes when the noueltie of this miracle banished out of their minds all thought of their owne misfortune receiued Mauritius then bishop Mauritius Bishop of London of London layd the foundation of the mightie Church of S. PAVL now extant which by his successours was brought to that wonder of perfection in which now it is And six and thirtie yeares agoe as I haue learned from faythfull witnesses that saw it there was in the vpper end of the Quire in Pauls Church a table which testified where the holy body of S. ERKENWALD lay in these words Vnder here lieth the bodie of S. ERKENWALD fourth Bishop of London Manie other miracles were wrought by the merits of this glorious sainct which here we omitt He died about the yeare of our Lord 690. His life is written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis sainct Bede William Malmesburie de Pont. lib. 2. Iohn Capgraue Nicolas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 13. and others out of whom and the records of sainct Pauls Church we haue taken this historie Polidore Virgil Trithemius amougst the Saincts of S. Benedicts order Baronius Matthew Paris the Romane Martirologe and all our English writers doe highly speake his prayses The end of Aprill The life of Sainct ASAPH Bishop and Confessor MAY 1. SAINCT ASAPH borne in that part of great Britaine now called His countrey and youth North-wales was from his youth brought vp vnder the gouernement and discipline of great sainct KENTIGERNE in the monasterie of Elue in Flint-shire where amongst nine hundred and three score other monks his fellow-schollers he sâ—ined in all manner of vertue and bore the prize of obedience and sainctitie from them all He descended from a noble race and seemed to haue the rootes of vertue engraffed in his soule from the cradle which by his diligent and carefull managing brought forth a worthie baruest of pious fruits at their time He putt forth him self in nothing soe much a sin labouring to make his owne conuersation and manner of life conformable to the austere patterne of vertue and mortification which appeared in his holy Master saint KENTIGERNL To whom his obedience was such that it deserued to be witnessed for excellent by miracle For saint KENTIGERNE coming one night out of the cold water in which as his custom was he had recited the whole psalter of Dauid and being soe extremly frozen that he was allmost quite depriued of heate the necessarie companion of life he The strainge vertue of prompt obedience sent his holy disciple ASAPH for fier to recouer the forces of his decaying bodie He that had noe lesson soe perfect as obedience ranne hastily to the fierie ouen and finding noe other instrument to carrie his fier tooke the hott scortching coales into his lapp and without anie signe of burning in his coate brought them to his master who admiring soe great vertue in his scholler held him in great estimation euer after and committed to his charge the whole regiment of the monasterie and made him his successour in the Bishoprick of Elue now called S. ASAPHS retayning allwaies the name but farre wide of the vertues and fayth of saint ASAPH Who when he had gouerned his sea for the space of manie yeares in great sainctitie and miraculous workes in venerable old age he gaue vp his blessed soule to receaue the crowne of euerlasting life the first day of May about the yeare of our Lord 569. whose name to this day is very famous throughout Wales in the mouthes of all true-hearted Welchmen to the great confusion of our Protestant-Heroticks who are not ashamed to honour the saincts by calling their Churches by their names to whom in catholick times they were dedicated and in their confession of fayth to denie anie honour at all to be due vnto them contrarie to the generall doctrine of the Catholick Church and all auncient fathers Thus much we haue gathered out of Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Arnold Wion Iohn Capgraue and others The Roman martirologe this first of May makes mention of S. Asaph The life of S. EADBERT Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT MAY. 6. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 4. EADBERT surnamed the Almner a man as excellent in learning the knowledge of diuine scriptures as in the obseruance of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall precepts and most excellent in the vertue of giuing almes was raysed from the humilitie of a Benedictine monk in the monasterie of Lindisfarne to succeede that glorious ornament He
thy Church with ample guifts and reuenewes Then causing a banner of that Church to be carried before him he marched couragiously against the Scotts who hearing of his coming fled ouer into Scotland and there expected him Ethelstane hauing fixed his tents on the other side of the riuer Ethelstane victorious by the merits of S. Iohn S. IOHN appeared to him and bad him goe ouer couragiously and assault his enemies Which the next morning he performed and in that conflict manie of the Scotts were slaine and their whole armie discomfited Then King Ethelstane hauing humbly desired of saint IOHN to haue some signe which might serue as a perpetuall testimonie of the King of Englands prerogatiue ouer the Scotts he struck his sword into a hard rock neere Dunbar castle where for manie ages after remayned a marke the length of a yeard made hollow in the same stone with the blow And for proofe hereof wee haue that king Edward the first when there was question before Pope Boniface of his right and prerogatiue ouer Scotland brought this historie for the maintenance and strength of his cause VI. KING ETHELSTANE hauing obtayned the foresayd Beuerley a Sainctuarie victorie honoured saint IOHN euer after as his peculiar Patrone and Guardian and ennobled the Church of Beuerley with manie great freedoms graunting vnto it the right of Sainctuary to be a safe refuge for all criminall and suspected persons of what offence soeuer Manie other famous miracles here omitted haue been done by the meritts of this glorious Bishop all which moued Alfrick the seauenteenth Bishop of York after him Translation of S. Iohn to take vp his holy reliques three hundred and sixteen yeares after his death and place them in a precious and rich shrine the fiue and twentie day of October which is the feast of his translation on which verie day in the yeare of our Lord one thousand foure hundred and fifteen the most inuincible King of England Henry the fift of that name wonne the memorable battle of Agiâ—court against the French Which the King ascribing to the meritts of the most blessed Bishop saint IOHN at his triumphant returne into England caused the feasts both of his deposition and translation to be solemnly celebrated throughout the Prouince of Canturbury as it was allreadie in that Yorke And in the Prouinciall Tit. de script Constitutions of England made in a Prouinciall Synod vnder Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canturbury is found a decree hereof made at the instance of the same most Christian King Henry the fift Whereby it appeares that this most holy Bishop saint IOHN of Beuerley hath been an ayde to the Kings of England in the necessitie of their warres not only in auncient but allsoe in these later ages God of his infinite Mercie make vs partakers of his glorious merits His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Aug. lib. 5. cap. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. William Malmesbury de gest Pontif. Aug. lib. 3. Mathew Westminster anno 680. 686. 721. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 8. cap. 22. Thrithemius of the famous men of saint BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 129. lib. 4. cap. 68. and 170. and Iohn Capgrà ue or Ioannes Anglicus The Româ—â— Martirologe Polidore Virgil Vsuard Arnold Wion Camden and all our English writers doe worthyly celebrate his prayses The life of Sainct WYRE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY. 8. Out of an auncient manuscript recited by Su rins SAINCT WYRE borne of worthy parents in Scotland hauing passed his infancie was sett to schoole when being preuented by the inspiration of an heauenly grace he began in his tender His vertues and exercises age to beare the yeares of a man both in mind and manners proposing to him self the examples of his elders to be the rule and guide of his youthly actions In the meane time he encreased in yeares but more in mind neuer yeelding to anie vaine allurements nor drawing back his foote once sett forward in the stepps of vertue contemning all transitorie and wordly things aspiring with all the forces of his soule to the loue of the eternall soe that his holines of life increasing dayly with his yeares he became gratefull and beloued both to God and man He was nether broken with aduersities nor exalted with prosperitie neuer tired with watchings Herefuseth a bishoprick prayers were his foode and fasting his delights in summe nothing could mooue him from the desire and pursuite of vertue Not long after whilst thus he shined to the world in all kind of true religion and holines of life the Church of that countrey was voyd of a pastour when all with one voyce desired WIRE for their bishop him the clergie him the people him all the world proclaymed to be a man sent from heauen to gouerne his natiue countrey with episcopall dignitie But the holy man being quite of an other mind farre from desiring to clime the slipperie degrees of fading honours lay close vnder the wings of humilitie and vtterly refused to accept anie such charge affirming that he had more need him self of a Master then to become a teacher and ruler of others II. AT length ouercome with much opportunitie of the poeple he yeelded to goe to Rome to be consecrated reioycing for soe good an occasion to performe that soe desired pilgrimage And thither he went not out of an ambition of worldly dignitie but of a desire he long had had to vndertake that iourney of deuotioÌ„ Being come to Rome togeather with sainct PLECHELME a venerable priest and monk and Otgerus a deacon they all three visited with great deuotion the sacred shrines of the Apostles watring the pauements with the holy baulme of their deuout teares The Pope vnderstanding of them sent presently for sainct WYRE who togeather with The Pope compells him to be bishop his fellowes came before him where he was receaued with wonderfull great ioy and familiaritie When sainct WYRE hauing first plainly tould the cause of his coming fell prostrate at the Popes feet humbly crauing to be freed from the charge of the Bishoprick But the Pope nothing mooued with his prayers chose rather to prouide Gods poeple with a holy prelate then to hearken to sainct WYRES priuate deuotions and therefore he ordered him Bishop much against his will and sent him back into the countrey with a strict commaund to cease from vndertaking anie pilgrimage before he returned to his poeple Whose precept the holy man obeyed and returned straight ouer the frozen Alâ—es and swelling waues of the sea to come againe into his countâ—ey where he was receaued His returne from Rome with great ioy honour and solemnitie Then it was wonderfull to see how he shined in all vertue religion and pietie amongst his subiects making allwaies his owne lifâ— correspondent to the doctrine he preached vnto others And allthough then he none could better discharge the office of that high calling with all parts
the hedge But he resolued with him self not to depart without the good leaue and licence of sainct DVNSTAN which out of his deceaued mind he falsely hoped for Therefore hauing setled the purpose of his flight togeather with an other companion whom he had made guiltie of his intention therein he prepared for that vnhappie iourney and taking his opportunitie when the other Monkes rested after dinner be went first to sainct DVNSTANS Tombe where he layd open manie complaints of the iniuries he had receaued from his brethren humbly desiring See yf the Saincts are ignorant of mortall affaires him that he would not take this last refuge of his departure in ill part And going presently out of the Church he mett with a MoÌ„ke of a verie reuerend countenance who with a staffe in his hand hindered his expedition and commaunded him to returne to the Tombe and there to chainge his mind and manner of prayer He returned to the holy tombe renewed his former petition and streight prepared him self for the flight Againe he happens vppon the same Moke who gaue him the same but a much sharper rebuke for that attempt threatning to make him feele his staffe vnlesse he obeyed But he allbeâ—t much affrighted returned to the Tombe where againe he repeated his old song came back to the Church-doore and finding the Monke his opponent to be gone he thought that now he was right and therefore hastened towards the monasterie gate to depart But there he mett with the same Monke againe who now the third time stayed his euill-intended iourney and reuealing him self to be DVNSTAN the Archbishop and carefull prouisour of that place he not only with words chastised him S. Dunstan beateth back a fâ—gitiue monke as a light fugitiue of his vowes and religion but allsoe with manie sore blowes layd vppon his head back and sides he made him seele the piously cruell reuenge of his staffe and presently vanished out of his fight The poore Monke who out of weakenes could now nether goe nor stand was carried by his brethren into the Infiâ—marie where his griefes grew dayly soe vehemently vppon him that the Monkes despayring of his health began with prayers to recommend his departing soule to God and his saincts In which hauing recited the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and being come to these words in the Litanies Sancte DVNSTANE intercede pro anima cius which out of their deuotion to the holy Sainct they repeated the Prayer to Saincts profitable sick man began to be better to looke vppon the assistants with more liuely tokens of life â—nd hauing sent for Henry the Priour of the monasterie he made knowne vnto him the whole manner of this storie of his intended flight and how and by whom he was hindered affirming that now he was greeuously sorrowfull repentant for his fault from which he humbly desired to be released by the power of his priestly absolution Which done finding his conscience eased from the guilt and burden of sinne he departed ioyfully Confession o◠〈◊〉 oâ— a Priest out of this life The Priour relating all these things afterwards to the monkes behould he that was guiltie of this flight of whom no man knew anie thing nor he him himself hitherunto what had passed between Edward and S. DVNSTAN fell prostrate before the whole Conuent and with teares trickling downe his cheekes ingenuously confessed his fault that he had allsoe been consenting to the others desire of flight And the Authour of this storie allsoe is a witnes beyond all exception since he relates a thing which him self both saw and heard XXIX MANIE other miracles are reported by verie graue Authours to haue beene wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct Of the träslation of S. Dunstan both during his life and after his death which fearing to be ouer teadious I omitt Only I will admonish my good readers yf perchance they light vppon those fabulous writings which affirme the sacred reliques of Sainct DVNSTAN to haue been translated froÌ„ Canturbury to Glastenbury in the yeare of our Lord 1012 and about the fower and twentith yeare after his death that they suffer not them selues to be easily deceaued For Eadmer a man most worthie of credit and one very familiar with Sainct ANSELME Archbishop of Canturbury doth vtterly hisse out that fiction from the schoole of true historie and cleerly sheweth that he being a boy by LANFRANK Archbishop Gunduphe Bishop of Rochester Scotland Abbot of Sainct AVGVSTINES in Canturbury in presence of the Conuents of both those Monasteries and an infinite multitude of all order sexe and condition that sacred bodie was translated out of the auncient Tombe in which it was found with the mitre ring palle and other pontificall ornaments with a plate of lead and a writing which testified that it was Sainct DVNSTANS bodie into the new Church newly built by blessed LANFRANK Moreouer a few yeares Sec. 10. cap. 7. before I was borne sayth Nicholas Harpsfield that is the yeare 1508. William Warham then Archbishop of Canturbury caused this tombe allsoe to be opened when the head and all the bones were found as allsoe the leaden plate spoken off before All which manie besides the Archbishop men famous for dignitie and learning had the happines to behould and reuerence And in the perpetuall testimonie and memory hereof by three publick Notaries John Barreâ— John Colman and Willian Potkins the matâ—er was written testified and subsigned And the letters of the Archhishop to the Abbot and monkes of Glastenbury who against soe great and soe certaine proofes bragged that with them reposed the reliques of Sainct DVâ—STAN and not at Canturbury are yet extant to be seene to the vtter disproofe of that vaine assertion XXX To conclude at length the life of this most glorious The Conclusion Prelate vnshaken columne of the English Church incomparable restorer of our Ecclesiasticall and monasticall discipline worthy Pillar and ornament of the Benedictine Order vndaunted Tamer of vices and most zealous Aduancer of vertue religion and iustice I thinke I can wish noe greater happines to the Christian world then that at this day it were adorned with manie such Bishops as Sainct DVNSTAN and manie such Princes as the noble EDGAR was that soe the Spouse of Christ the Church might be purged from all spott of vncleannes and Kingdoms gouerned with true equitie and iustice in the waies of all pietie fayth and religion But alas where is that Bishop now that dare attempt to rebuke or curbe the vices of a king or a Prince as DVNSTAN did And where is that king that being iustly repreheÌ„ded will huÌ„ble him self as our EDGAR did Surely the zeale coÌ„staÌ„cie of this admirable Bishop in curbing of vice was excelleÌ„t and the humilitie of this noble king in obeying the reprehension of the Church was most memorable God of his infinite goodnes graunt grace vnto the spirituall and temporall gouernours of his Church to imitate
vtterly against it as others affirme or whether at length he did winke at her wicked course and seeme to be ignorant of her mischieuous practise as manie asseuer howsoeuer I say it came to passe certaine it is that betweene them was shewne an example of as detestable perfidiousnes as anie that is recorded in historie For breaking the sacred lawes not only of hospitalitie but allsoe of all goodnes and pietie they caused holy king ETHELBERT to be cruelly murdered in king Offas owne house by the bloudie hands of one winebert who had been brought vp a seruant Ethelbert cruelly murdered vnder Sainct ETHELBERTS father and now to recompence his former fauours receaued became the cruell Minister of his death being drawne thereunto with the couetous desire of reward To what wickednes doeth not the vnsatiable hunger of gould compell mortall hearts This false winebert brought holy ETHELBERT from his faythfull companie into a priuate roome who like an innocent lambe suspecting noe harme at all went securely with him Then hauing bound him fast with a most cruell blow he strake off his head who with his hands and eyes lifted vp towards heauen yeelded vp his soule soe pure in innocencie and soe glorious with martirdom into the hands of his deare creatour and redeemer the twentith day of May. Which being perceaued by his intended spouse Alfrid with a mind quite ouerthrowne with sorrow to see her royall hope soe suddenly dasht she went forth to his companie that without doores expected the coming of their beloued Master and with a lamentable noyse related the crueltie of this tragicall scene Who bearing this sorrowfull newes and being not able to reuenge his death returned in dolefull manner into their downe countrey being compelled insteed of a wedding-song to sing an Epitaphe for the losse of their holy King Then Alfrid renewing her complaints Alfrid becometh a Nunne Jngulphus in hist Croyland foretould manie miseries to her Mother which afterwards fell out accordingly And she her self refusing to admitt anie other mortall woers consecrated her virginitie to her immortall spouse CHRIST-IESVS and in the fennes of Crowland she tooke the habit of a Nunne and lead a solitarie liâ—e vnder the holy rule of saint BENEDICT for the space of fortie yeares after But King Offa her father which much encreased the suspition that he had been allsoe consenting to saint ETHELBERTS death presently lead his armie into the prouince of the East-Angles soe suddenly depriued of their King and by force of armes subdued it to his owne dominion IV. THE bodie of this holy King thus traiterously slaine was by the commaund of Offa committed to an ignoble buriall in the bankes of the riuer Lugge at a place now called Marden Whither as those cruell ministers carried it in great scorne it was found to be soe light as if it had been allreadie ennobled with the dotes of heauenly glory But the allmightie Goodnes euer zealous of his seruants suffered not the holy reliques of this Sainct to be buried in obliuion in that base place but miraculously testified his vertue and pietie to the world For the night following was made glorious with a heauenly A light appeareth ouer his graâ—e light that appeared ouer the graue of this holy martir to the great astonishment and terrour of the countrey adioyning And the third night after his sacred Martirdom saint ETHELBERT appeared in a vision to a simple man thereabouts and commaunded him to transport his bodie to the monasterie built on the bankes of the riuer Wye Which was faythfully performed and by the way a blind man was restored to sight by the merits of the holy Sainct It was then buried in a place aunciently called Ferne-wood where now stands the towne of Hereford And ouer his holy sepulcher for the space of manie yeares glittered euery night a heauenly splendour to shew of how great merit his blessed soule was in the sight of Allmightie God V. BVT King Offâ— greatly terrified with these miracles and the A Church dedicated to S-Ethel bert guilt of his owne conscience became wonderfull penitent for his former life and making his sonne Egfrid a King with him self in great deuotion went to Rome the better to expiate his foule and bloudie deeds past At Rome following the zeale and example of INAS King of the West-Saxons he made his Kingdome subiect to a Tribute then called Peter-pence afterwards Rom-scot After his retune into England for the greater satisfaction of his sinnes at a place in Hartfordshire then called Holmehurst now saint ALBANS he built a magnificent Monastery in honour of the worthy Protomartir of great Britaine saint ALBANE whose sacred reliques See more in the life of S Albane Iune 22. after long lying hid came miraculously to light about the same time which was in the yeare of our Lord 795. He allsoe endowed the same Monastery with manie lands and rich reuenewes for the maintenance of a goodly Conuent of aboue an hundred Monkes of the holy Order of saint BENEDICT Allsoe for a further testimonie of his penance he gaue the tenth of all his goods vnto the Church and the poore He founded allso the Benedictine Abbey of Bathe and in Warwickshire he built a Church where the adioyning towne from it and him beareth the name of Off-Church But after the death of King Offâ— which was in the yeare of our Lord 797. Milfrid a pettie King of the Mericans moued with the continuall and dayly miracles wrought at saint ETHELBERTS Tombe gaue infinite treasure thereunto and built a famous Church of stone to his honour which remayneth to this day in Hereford by the name of saint ETHELBERTS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie S. Ethelberts well And then that place was first made a Bishops-sea But out of the place where the holy bodie of saint ETHELBERT had layne before issued forth a fountaine of most cleere water called saint ETHELBERTS well ouer which now stands a Church which without doubt was built in honour of this holy martirs buriall there For it must needes be some strange motiue that made men build a Church in that place which is within tenne yards of the riuer Lugge which at euerie floud ouerflowes it soe that it cannot be come at but by boate The well I haue seene my self it is of a most pure water and much esteemed of all good Christians thereabouts In which one thing to this day is most strange and miraculous that when the riuer Lugge adioyning ouerflowes his bankes and that within Note a strange thing the forsayd Church it is knee-deepe and more of that muddie-red water this Well of saint ETHELBERT allbeit it be quite â—uerâ—lowne yet it remaynes most pure and cleere amidst those â—roubled waters vnworthy to be mingled with the puritie thereof And this I haue heard constantly and faythfully affirmed by manie of the Inhabitants thereabouts who are not ashamed to acknowledge a miracle done by the meritts of
Apostolicall absolution and ministred the dreadfull sacrament of the aultar vnto him And when our Authour came thither the same morning to say Masse and demaunded in honour of what Sainct he should celebrate that diuine misterie Of the Blessed Virgin MARIE answeared Godrick for before thy coming sainct PETER the Apostle hath here offered the same sacrifice in honour of the most blessed 〈◊〉 But we should neuer come to an end if we eudeauour to loâ—â—â— this paper with all the vertues graces and wonderfull workes of this Blessed man XIV THEREFORE when he had liued in this admirable manner His last sicknes in one and the other desert for the space of threescore and six yeares and was as an Oracle that astonished all England with his holy life soe great a swelling tooke possession of his face and all the other limmes of his bodie that he appeared not to be like vnto the former shape of a man In his entrailes he endured a cruell griping paine as it were of liuing wormes which ranne vpp and downe his bellie and consumed him For which punishment as heretofore for others more grieuous he gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God that soe gently he voutchafed to purge him from his sinnes in this world And to good purpose sayd he doe these wormes consume my bodie in this life that the neuer-dying worme should not gnaâ— and teare my soule in hell For the space of allmost eight yeares he lay languishing in bed being not able to rise but by the helpe of friendly hands At length his sicknes dayly encreasing and hauing now allmost conquered his old age he sent for his brethren who being come tooke him out of his bed and according to the manner of those deuout times layd him vppon the ground on a haire-cloth strewed with ashes putt on his stamin and coule for long since he had been a Benedictine monke of Durham and soe that blessed soule departed happily out of the thraldom of this His happie departure vale of miseries to receaue the perfect consummation of that heauenly life with CHRIST which he had begunne in this world And at the same instant was heard a most heauenly melodie ascending from his cell towards heauen He died the one and twentith day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1170. the same yeare that the worthy Archbishop of Canturbury saint THOMAS suffered martirdom for the defence of the Church His bodie was buried in the chappell of S. IOHN BAPTIST whom he euer worshipped with peculiar deuotion and in whose honour by the commaundment of God he Miracles after his death had caused that place to be built Within the space of a few yeares after his death two hundred twentie eight miracles were wrought at his tombe which are faythfully reported by the Authour of his life but for breuities sake I omitt them XV. AND here now I will end the life of this admirable man with these words of William Camden in the description of the bishoprick of Durham At Finckley sayd he by the riuer Were in the raigne of Henry the second Godrick a man of auncient and true Christian simplicitie fixed wholly to God liued and consummated a solitarie life Who gayned soe great admiration with this holy simplicitie adde and with the sainctitie and austeritie of his life and manie miracles before and A Church built to his honour after his death c. that Richard brother to the wealthie bishop of Durham Hugh of Puteack honoured his memorie with a litle Church built to his name Thus Camden who allbeit he were an Heretick yet could not but speake honourably of this glorious Sainct His life was written as we haue sayd by one Nicholas a Monke of Durham and spirituall father vnto Blessed GODRICK out of which being a large historie Nicholas Harpsfield brings an abridgement saec 12. cap. 45. whom we haue followed Iohn Capgraue hath written the same and William of Newbery lib. 2. cap. 20. Mathew Paris an 1170. Mathew Westminster an 1171. Molanus in his aditions to Vsuard and all our English writers doe make ample mention of him The life of saint ALDELME Bishop of Sherburne and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY 25. Writren by WilliaÌ„ malmesbu ry and others THE worthie ornament of the English Church and the Benedictine familie Sainct ALDELME borne of the royall stock of Saxon Kings his father Kentenius was neere of kinred to Jnas King of the His noble parentage West-Saxons with the generositie of mind and greatnes of learning and vertues farre excelled and outwent the nobilitie of his birth Some affirmed him to haue been sonne to Kentenius brother of King Jnas but it pleaseth not vs sayth Malmesbury to auouch that for truth which seemes rather to flatter a flying opinion then agree De gest reg Aâ—g l 1 c 2. with the soundnes of true historie especially since it is not found written in antiquitie the Chronicles plainly asseuer that Jnas had but one brother called Imgild who died a few yeares before him But S. ALDELME needeth not to be maintayned with vntruthes in whom abound soe manie famous things that are out of all question Hauing past ouer his Childhood his father deliuered him to be brought vp in the studie of all good learning vnder the discipline His youth and learning of the most famous Benedictine Abbot of saint AVGVSTINS at Canturbury saint ADRIAN who at that time happily adorned the whole countrey with all manner of vertue and learning In his renowned schoole our hopefull ALDELME made in a short time soe great progresse in science that he became a scholler worthie of soe learned a master Then returning back into his owne countrey loden with the balast of true vertue and learning he couragiously forsaked all the flattring allurements and vaine splendoâ—r of the world and resolued to vndertake such a course of life wherein he should meet with the lest impedimeÌ„ts to hinder him in the continuall seruice of allmightie God and the studie of holy learning Therefore in the Benedictine abbey of Malmesbury in which place He becometh a Benedictine Monke from his verie infancie he had been brought vp and instructed in the first rudiments of learning he bid adiew to the world and made profession of a monk vnder the holy rule of saint BENEDICT This monasterie was first founded by one Medulphus an Irish-Scott and a monk well learned in philosophie and from him it was called Meidulphesbury afterwards Malmesbury Which being but a small slender thing was by the meanes of saint ALDELME raysed afterwards to great splendour and magnificence II. BVT within a short time ALDELME returned to his old master into Kent to better his vnderstanding with more ornaments of true leaning and science and there he remayned vntill the weaknes and discomoditie of his health forced him to returne into his owne countrey How great worthie progresse he made in learning the His workes
countenance in which a kind of sweet pleasantnes shined through a venerable seueritie Wherevppon to good and deuout persons he was affable but terrible to the negligent and high-minded and yet he carried him self with soe great meeknes and humilitie to all that in the whole Monasterie in which were six hundred Monkes is was hard to find his equall in true vertue and religion VIII BVT aboue all the pure holines and holy purenes of his life and mind appeared more excellently at his death the manner whereof we haue related out of Cuthbert his disciple afterwards Abbot Cuthbert in ep ad Cuth winū condiscipulum of the same monastery who was present at his holy departure He fell first into sicknes allmost a fortnight before Easter from which time vntill Ascension-day he laboured grieuously with a weaknes in his stomake and the shortnes of wind yet he ceased not to dictate dayly to his schollers at his accustomed howers and spent the rest of the day in reciting of psalmes and prayers and the whole night vnlesse when a litle sleepe did hinder him he passed ouer in spirituall ioy and thanksgiuing striuing by these pious exercises to deceaue the sharpnes of his disease I confesse truly sayth the Authour His employments during his sicknes that I neuer saw or heard off anie one other that soe diligently gaue thankes vnto allmightie God O truely blessed man During this sicknes besides these employments he turned the Ghospell of saint IOHN into English and gathered some memorable notes out of the bookes of saint ISIDORE vsing these words to his schollers Learne my children whilst I am with you for J know not how long J shall subsist or how soone my creatour will take me away that my soule may returne to him that sent it J haue liued a long time my Lord God hath well prouided for me in this space of life now I desire to be dessolued to liue with CHRIST IX ALLSOE a firme hope of the ioyes to come and a pious feare of the fearfull iudgemēts of allmightie God being sett in an equall proportion A pions lesson in the ballance of his mind he vsed that sentence of saint PAVL Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viuentis It is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God and manie other such like out of the sacred scripture whereby he exhorted his schollers and brethren that were about him to awake out of the dullnes of the soule by the remembrāce of the last terrible hower adding a speech in the mother-tongue of the fearefull seperation which death makes between the soule and the bodi◠Then he would sing himnes and Anthimes to the great consolation of him self and all the assistants till teares of deuotion trickling downe his cheekes hindred his pious musicke and made the attendants that endeauoured to helpe him out to weepe singing and sing weeping striuing as it were with their songs to serue him singing and with their teares to helpe him weeping But he allbeit he wept enioyed soe great comfort and spirituall ioy in his soule that when he was most cruelly oppre sled with the burden of his disease he gaue thankes vnto allmightie The securitie of his conscience God for his goodnes in soe punishing him Vsing those words of the Scripture God scourgeth euery child that he receaueth and alluding to the words of saint AMBROSE dying I haue not liued soe amongst yee that I need be ashamed of my life and nether doe I feare to die because we haue a good Lord. Thrice happy soule that could speake with soe great securitie of conscience that he was nether ashamed to liue nor afrayd to die not fearing the sight of men in this world and with a quiet mind expecting the secret iudgement of God in the next X. BVT on tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord his sicknes His siknes encrea seth beganne more grieuously to afflict him and a little swelling appeared in his feet an vndoubted presage of his neere-approaching death Yet all that day he passed ouer ioyfully teaching and dictating to his schollers the night following he watched singing himnes and psalmes of prayses and thanksgiuing to Allmightie God till the next day which was the last of his labours first of his rest brought him the embassage of his ensuing happines when he still diligently dictated to his brethren about him whilst the bitter teares of the writers greeuing to be depriued of soe good a Master were as gaules to make their inke more black and dolefull In the after noone he sent his beloued disciple Cuthbert who writt this historie to his Cell to fetch thence such small guifts as he had to be disposed amongst his more familiar friends for a memorie of him Then a great part of the Priests other monkes of the monasterie being He receaueth the last sacraments gathered togeather they fortified the holy man with the sacraments of Extreme Vnction and the sacred Eucharist who hauing giuen the salutation of peace vnto all his Brethren beseeching each one in particular to be mindfull of him in their Masses and prayers he ioyfully expected the happy minute that should free his soule from the burden of her mortalitie to the immortall reward of his labours But sayd one of his deuout Schollers my beloued Master yet there remaines one sentence vnwritten Write then quickly replied the holy Doctour for my time is short Which being done now answered he I haue written it and the whole worke is ended Thou sayst well replied the Sainct that it is ended for now I desire to end allso to liue with my Creatour And causing them to place him towards the oratorie where he was wont to pray lying downe vppon a hayre-cloath with perfect sense and a ioyfull countenance he inuited the grace of the holy Ghost deuoutly singing this Anihime O rex gloriae Domine virtutum qui triumphator hodie super omnes caelos ascendists ne derelinquas nos Orphanos sed mitte promissum His last song of deuotion Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis and hauing added Gloria Patri filio spiritui sancto he deuoutly rendred vp his blessed spirit to the euerlasting Kingdom of all blessednes when such sweet and fragant odours followed his swan-like soule that the amazed assistants throught them selues in a Paradise of heauenly baulmes and all generally Sweet odouts at his death affirmed that they neuer saw anie man end his life in soe great tranquillitie and deuotion He died on the feast of our Lords triumphant Ascension into heauen the twentie sixth day of May but his feast is obserued the twentie seauenth of the same because the twentie sixt was solemnly obserued to the honour of our glorious Apostle Saint AVGVSTINE throughout all England His death was about the yeare 735. at the age of nintie or as others say of an hundred and fiue yeares for in the computation of his age
to the fayth of CHRIST and continually ruminating with him self how to bring his desire to perfection rightly vnderstanding euery good thing to be soe much the more absolutely perfect by how much it was more common and of all things that to be the best and excellentest by which men were brought from the blindnes of Idolatrie to the diuine and euangelicall light of the truth contemning all domestick hopes and honours and setting aside all dangers of health and bodie he was wholly carried to that holy worke Germanie was the place at which he aymed where manie had neuer or very slenderly heard of CHRIST or his Ghospell others had indeed receaued the knowledge of the true religion and professed the Christian fayth but were allmost fallen againe into Idolatrie and bore only the bare name of Christians as the Thuringians and Banarians and Frisians To guide the first in the truth and reduce the others to the truth was the height of his desires Therefore hauing with much difficultie obtayned the free leaue of He sayleth into Germany his Abbot and brethren whose prayers and teares wayted vppon his departure he fosooke his owne friends and countrey and sayled into Frizeland in which place he employed the first and last part of his holy labours IV. AT that time Raâ—bod the impious prince of the Frisianâ— hauing ouercome Charles King of France returned newly from the victory when the matter went very ill with those in that countrey that professed the fayth of CHRIST whom he out of hate to Charles and the Christian name did grieuously persecute Him therefore See the diuine courage of the holy man swelling in the triumphe of this victory saint BONIFACE allbeit vnknowne and abiect in the world was not afeard to meet in the very pursute of his conquest desiring him to abstaine from vexing those poore soules and to embrace â—lemencie as the greatest ornament of a Prince and the Christian fayth as the only true religion The prince reuerencing the boldnes of this Christian champion abstayned from offring him anie further wrong But BONIFACE finding after manie labours that there was little or noe hope of reaping anie profitt in Friseland returned back to his owne countrey And Winbert his Abbot being dead in the meane time the Monkes his brethren turned all their studies and desires towards him and earnestly requested him to vndertake the gouernment of the monastery But he desiring still to perfect his old desire wished them to thinke of an other ruler and suffer him to liue a Pilgrim He refuâ—â—th the dignitie of Abbot for the loue of CHRIST and the good of his poeple Therefore hauing communicated the matter with the venerable Daniel Bishop of Winchester and being strengthened with his commendatorie letters he returned to his former pilgrimage And to the end that being armed with greater counsell and authoritie he might disperse the euangelicall seed he went to Rome the head-Church of the world and made knowne his holy purpose to Pope Gregory the second Which when he had approued and perceaued BONIFACE to be a man very fitt for that function he sent him with letters into Germanie whereby he gaue him full power and authoritie to announce the fayth of CHRIST to all the Pagans throughout that whole countrey admonishing him withall that whatsoeuer difficultie arose of which he could not conueniently discharge him self to referre it to the Roman and Apostolick Sea The profitt of his first labours in Germanie V. FROM Rome therefore he returned to Thâ—ringia in Germanie where he very profitably imployed his labour both with the Princes of that Prouince whom he reduced to the knowledge of the true religion and with the Priests that liued farre vnworthy their calling whom with his pious exhortations he caused to amend their liues Then hearing of the death of Radbod he went againe into Frifeland where togeather with saint WILLIBRORD Bishop of Vtreicht an English Benedictine Monk he laboured for the space of three yeares in preaching teaching destroying of Idols and building of Churches whereby manie were reduced to the Christian fayth Then saint WILLIBRORD whom old age had now made vnable to gouerne his Church desired to lay the burden of his episcopall charge on the shoulders of saint BONIFACE but noe entreaties could moue him to yeeld thereunto soe ardent a desire he He refuseth a Bishoprick had to hould on the course of his preaching to gayne soules to CHRIST Therefore with the good leaue and benediction of WILLIBRORD he trauelled into Hassia hauing first built a Monastery and stored it with Benedictine Monkes in Frifeland and there when he had conuerted manie thousands of poeple and imprinted in their soules the Christian character of baptisme insteed of the black markes of Idolatrie by letters and a Messenger he reioyced the Pope of Rome with the glad newes of his happie successe and not long after being sent for by the Pope he went to Rome in person whom the Pope receaued with all curtesie and humanitie and admitted He goeth againe to Rome him often times to his presence and spent with him sometimes allmost a whole day togeather in discourse VI. IN THE meane time the Pope hauing exactly vnderstood his happie progresse in promoting the Catholick cause and receaued an accompt of his fayth which he teÌ„dered vnto him in writing that greater estimation and authoritie might be added to his preaching made him bishop and gaue him the name of BONIFACE for before He is made Bishop he was called WINFRID In receauing which dignitie he religiously called to witnes allmightie God and the sacred bodie of S. PETER at which he stood that he would faythfully keepe and maintaine the sinceritie of the Catholick fayth as long as he liued and humbly obey the Bishops of the Roman Church as the successours of S. PETER and hould noe communication with those Bishops that violated the decrees of the Canons and auncient Fathers of the The Pope commendeth him to the German princes Church Then Pope Gregory dismissed him with letters to the Prince Charles Martellus and to the Bishops Clergie Princes and poeple of Germanie in which he carefully recommended BONIFACE vnto all desiring them to aduance the good endeauours which he employed in promoting the Christian cause and obey his admonitions And that he might be the better prouided and instructed exactly to exercise all the duties belonging to his episcopall function he imparted manie precepts vnto him touching ecclesiasticall matters and at his departure gaue him a booke contayning the decrees of the Popes and auncient Fathers Returning therefore from Rome he went againe into Hassia where manie yet lay groueling in the night of Idolatrie and manie that before had professed the Christian fayth had now eyther perfidiously forsaken or wickedly defiled it with the impious and detestable actions and superstitions of the Heathens VII THERE grew in that Prouince a certaine tree of a mightie Iupiters tree destroyed mâ—â—â—culously greatnes
depriued both 〈◊〉 his Kingdom and youthfull age All so Charles a Prince of the â—rench being a destroyer of maâ—â— Monasteries and one that turned Church-goods to his owne vles was coâ—â—med with the long torment of a fearfull death Wherefore most deare sonne with f 〈…〉 and earnest prayers we beseeâ—h sheâ— not to despise the counsell of thy Fathers who for the loue of God endeauour to call vppon thy Highnes to remember thy dutie for nothing is more wholesom for a good King then yf such faults be willingly amended when they are reprehended because Salomon sayth Who â—oneth 〈…〉 â—oueth wisedome Therefore most â—eare sonne making 〈◊〉 our counsell we Prou. 12. v. 1. be 〈…〉 h and conâ—â—re thee by the â—uing God and by his deare sonne 〈◊〉 and by the holy Ghost to remember how fleeâ—ing this present life is and how short and momentarlâ— are the delights of the 〈…〉 thy flesh and how igâ—omiâ—â—â—ous a thing it is that a man but of a short life should leaue a pâ—â—perâ—â—â— remembrance of bad examples to his posteâ—â—e Beginne then to or 〈◊〉 thy life with 〈◊〉 manners and to correct the former 〈◊〉 of thy youth that here thou â—â—iest purchase prayâ—â— before men and ioies of eternall glory in future Who wish thy Highnes to enjoy health and profit dayly in good 〈◊〉 XIII The â—hould saint 〈…〉 CAL 〈◊〉 King E the 〈…〉 wherein 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 wholly loose his labour 〈◊〉 the King being Etherbald reformed by â—aint Boniface terrified with this sha 〈…〉 and pioâ—s remem 〈…〉 in maâ—le things reformed his 〈◊〉 and restored di 〈…〉 so the 〈…〉 riâ—s of soâ— great 〈◊〉 was the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of the holy manâ—◠〈…〉 kes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meane time saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 btayned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prince K 〈…〉 man a peâ—ce of land in the desert of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the â—iuer Fâ—ldâ— beganne to lay the foundation of the famous Benedictine Monasterie which 〈…〉 heth to this day and is called the Aâ—bey The building of the Benedictine Abbey of Fulda of Fulda famous for religion and 〈◊〉 The first Abbot thereof was called 〈◊〉 a man of Vâ—â—â—rible conâ—â—sation to whom and 〈◊〉 holy 〈◊〉 of Morikes the land where the 〈…〉 nasterie now stands was by the royall charter 〈◊〉 〈…〉 confirmed and graunted for euer Which done this ver 〈…〉 Prince growing dayly more and more perfect in the loue of God and finding that in the world he could not see purely and perfectly 〈…〉 ine to the height thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Magdalen of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caroloman beco meth a Benedictine Monke â—hall neuer be taken from him For leaâ—ning the ample Kingdom of his terrene dominions to the gouernment of his brother Pâ—piâ— he departed to Mount-Ca 〈…〉 in It 〈…〉 the place 〈…〉 holy Father saint BENEDICT layd the foundation of his ver 〈…〉 Order and in which was yet obserued a most strict discipline of 〈…〉 sticall life And now in that place this noble Prince chaâ—nged his â—oyall robes of maiestie to the simple weedes of a self-punishing humilitie and made profession of a Monke vnder the MASTER 〈…〉 OF DISCRETION the holy Rule of the great Patrianke of Monkes saint BENEDICT Then King 〈◊〉 hauing â—â—raynâ—â— the whole iâ—heritance to him self imitating the pl 〈…〉 of his brother 〈◊〉 all waies to loue honour and promote all the pi 〈…〉 〈…〉 rs of saint BONIFACE vnto whom by his owne letters he confirmed his Brâ—thers donation of the monastery of Fulda XIV BVT now saint BONIFACES time drâ—◠〈◊〉 wherein he should receaue from CHRIST the reward of his great hours and tast the most ample fruit of the soed of his Enangelicall preaching which he had 〈◊〉 worthily 〈◊〉 in the hearts of the G 〈…〉 poeple Therefore foreseeing the diss 〈…〉 of his owne body S â—onitace retor neth into Frisia to be neere at h 〈…〉 by the suggestion of the holy Ghost he returned into F 〈…〉 there to finish his humane 〈◊〉 where he tooke his beginning there he might all sâ—e make an end of his e 〈…〉 licall preaching and his mortall life together Thi 〈…〉 then he went not without a presage of what should befall vnto him For being 〈◊〉 take his iourney be appoynted his saythfull disciple and companion L 〈…〉 us to succeed him in the Metropolitan Sea of M 〈…〉 z diligently recommending vnto him carefully to sert forward the building of the Monasterie of Fulda and togeather with some bookes to send him a shrowd to mind his body in after death and cause it to be translated to Fulda These words 〈◊〉 blessed 〈◊〉 to performe with teares the holy mans commaunds XV. BEING arriued into Friseland by his preaching he conuerted a The sacra ment of Confirma tion great multitude to CHRIST and washed them in the sacred Font of baptisme vnto whom departing away he appoynted a day to returne in which by the imposition of hands and anneyling with sacred chris 〈…〉 they â—igh 〈…〉 the sacrament of Confirmation When in the meane time those Neophites had by a wicked persidiousnes suffered a relapse from the Fayth into their old errours and now being chainged from lambes to wolues they came not in peace to 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost by the imposition of hands but armed with fearfull weapons and countenances more terrible then their weapons and broke into the tents of the Saincts to lay violent hands on the spirituall father of their soules and to take away his life for whose â—afetie they ought to haue spent their owne Then some of Sainct Bonifaces companie prepared to defend them selues S. Bonifaces desire of Martirdom by resistance meaning to venter their owne bloud to saue the shedding of his but they were strictly by him forbidden that enterprise 〈◊〉 that desire of reuenge did not become true Christians and that they ought not to loose soe fayre an occasion of 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 them selues the purchase of soe great glory He sealeth the patent of his Apostles hip with his bloud as now one minutes patience would bring Therefore that surious multitude of P 〈…〉 sett vppon the holy Bishop and with their 〈◊〉 weapons madâ— soe manie wounds in his sacred body that through those bleeding sluses his blessed soule tooke a most happy flight to the immortall crowne of martirdom in heauen And thus this Apostolicall man hauing to his death performed true Apostolicall labours at length after the manner of the Apostles left his Apostle ship signed with his owne bloud that Germanie noe lesse then otâ—â—r Churches erected by Apostolicall men might glorie with the euerlasting memorie and high glory of soe great an Apostle and Martir from whom it receaued the Ghospell testified with his bloud sealed with his death confirmed with manie miracles and lastly that nothing might be wanting â—ortified with store of writings XVI THIS glorious bishop suffered martirdom the fiâ—t day of June The companions of his martirdom the sixtith yeare of his age and fortith after his
wont oftentimes to visitt the blessed Hermite GODRICK between whom past manie pious discourses of the diseases of vices and the remedies of vertues as allsoe of the heauenly secrets angelicall visitations and the Patronage of the Saincts spending whole nights and daies in the delightfull mixture of such diuine speeches But here I must admonish my good reader An errour in the History of his life corrected that there is a mistake slipt into the life of saint ROBERT sett forth by Surius when it is sayd that saint GODRICK heard the confessions of saint ROBERT for saint GODRICK as we haue sayd in his life the 21. May was a man wholly without learning and neuer made Priest Perchance Surius correcting the stile of the Authour destroyed the sense for in Ioannes Anglicus recited by Capgrane We find contrariwise that saint ROBERT who vsed oftentimes to visitt saint GODRICK was his Phisitian in matter of confession and conscience Therefore let not this errour in Surius deceaue my reader as allreadie it hath done manie others who are vnacquainted with our English histories VIII BVT this holy Abbot saint ROBERT when he had gloriously finished the spirituall conflict of a monasticall life which he had vndertaken in this mortall world yeelded vp his blessed soule to receaue the immortall prize and reward of his labours in heauen And S. Godrick hath a vision of his glory at the same instant the forenamed saint GODRICK being then in his cell in the Hermitage of Finckley saw his soule in the forme of a fiery globe carried vp in great glory to the heauenly Kingdoms by the ministerie and assistance of angelicall hands He died the seauenth day of June in the yeare of our saluation 1159. He was buried in his owne Monasterie called New Abbey where his tombe was famous for manie miracles there the blind receaued their sight the dumbe their speech the lame the vse of their limmes and manie others the benefitt of their desired health The memorie of Sainct ROBERT was famous in times past at Knaresborow in Yorkeshire where by some he is reported to haue led an Heremiticall life But whether that saint ROBERT be the same of whom now we treate I dare not certainly affirme especially because the Authours of his life doe make noe mention that euer he was an Hermite The historie of his life we haue taken out of the Authour thereof recited by Surius tom 3. the same it sett downe by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus The Roman Martirologe Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Mathew Paris anno 1238. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare doe make worthy mention of him The life of Sainct WILLIAM Archbishop of Yorke and Confessor IVNE 8. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT WILLIAM borne of noble Parents Count Herbert and Emma Sister to King Stephen of England excelled the splendour of his parentage with the bright lustre of his vertues and the heauenly graces and guifts wherewith he was adorned by the diuine goodnes of allmightie God When his tender yeares beganne to be more soundly gouerned with the raynes of discretion he allso endeauoured carefully to rule his life with all the pious discipline of good manners Till by the dayly encrease of his vertues and holy conuersation he purchased vnto him self aduancement to Ecclesiasticall dignitie and was chosen treasurer of the Church of Yorke He is made Treasurer of the Church of Yorke vnder Thurstin Archbishop of the same Sea When WILLIAM iudging no treasure to be more pretious then that which succoureth those that suffer want made his riches serue to enrich the poore and needie At length Thurstin the Archbishop hauing payed the tribut of nature vnto death our WILLIAM being found to be a man in whom the vertues of meeknes pietie charitie did a bound was by the common consent of the Chanons chosen to succeed in He is falsely accused the gouernment of that sea But by the factious and turbulent resistance of Osbert Archdeacō of the same Church by the manie false complaints and crimes which he and his adherents preferred to the court of Rome against this election the matter was held in suspense and controuersie for fiue yeares space allbeit the acclamations of the Clergie and the generall applause of the people not only testified the innocencie of S. WILLIAM but allsoe proclaymed him to be a worthie louer of iustice and good life II. AT length Eugenius a Cistercian Monke succeeding in the Roman Primacie pronounced his sentence for Henry Mordach a pious Mōke of the same profession who was sustayned by Osbert the Archdeacon not that he iudged WILLIAM vnfitt for the dignitie but because he was more inclined to the other being a man of his owne order Therefore the same of saint WILLIAM being thus vniustly His great patience torne with the venomous detractions of his aduersaries he made vse of noe other weapons for his owne defence in all these broiles but the bucklar of a contented patience with which and the vnshaken constancie of a vertuous mind he conquered all his troubles He retired himself to Henry Bishop of Winchester of whom being his Vncle he was soe courteously entertayned that he made his whole familie to be obseruant and dutifull vnto him But the holyman abhorring the pompe of the world affecting more the solitarines of a retired life contented him self His pious life and exercises with a litle corner of the Bishops house where he piously spent his time in watching fasting and prayer and the contemplation of diuine and heauenly things He reioyced to haue found the leasure of this good occasion to bewaile the faults of his life past and to drowne the reuengefull flames of the paynes due thereunto with the sorrowfull streames of his deuout teares He liued in great silence and tranquillitie suffering noe vaine word or idle speech to hinder his mind from the continuall contemplation of the diuine goodnes In a word he led soe holy a life full of vertue and goods workes that those that beheld him seemed to see in him an angelicall creature in a humane shape III. BVT after the course of seauen yeares in one and the same day Pope Engenius and Henry Archbishop of Yorke chainged this life for a better whose death was by a diuine reuelation made knowne to He is made Archbishop of Yorke saint WILLIAM Then the Chanons of Yorke againe made choise of him to succeed in that Sea Who going to Rome had his election confirmed by Pope Anastasius was by him consecrated Bishop and adorned with the honour of the Archiepiscopall Palle Which done he returned into England and at Canturbury he was for honours sake courteously visited by Roger Archdeacon of the same cittie of whom he being departed saint WILLIAM thus foretould to his owne companie This is the He foretelleth his successour man sayd he that after my death shall succeed in my place Which prophesie the euent prooued true soe admirable
and she dispersed all she had I say nothing of her great care and pietie shewed to sick persons orphans and widdowes to whom she was allwaies a most indulgent and pious Motheâ— I passe ouer in silence the affâ—ction reuerence she bore to Hermites and true religious mâ—n whom sometimes she visited and dayly furnished with sufficiencie Euery morning she The rare pretie of the King and Queene nourished nine orphan-children and gaue them victualls with her owne hands Besides these her custom was to receaue three hundred poore poeple into the pallace and hauing 〈◊〉 the doores she ranged them into order when the king on the on side and the Queene on the other serued CHRIST in his poore and gaue them meate with their owne hands peculâ—rly prouided for that purpose O the wonderfull pietie of these royall persons This done she went to the Church where during the time of the holy sacrifice of Masse she sacrificed her self to allmightie God with the long continuance of manie prayers sighs and teares And before the high Masse beganne she heard fiue or six priuate Masses euery day VI. THEN she returned to dinner rather to maintaine life then Her spare diet to satisfie the delights of her appetite for in her diet she was soe sober and sparing that her meales rather sharpened then extinguished her 〈◊〉 and she seemed rather to â—ast then to â—are her meate Throughout the whole Lent and fortie daies before Christmas she mortified her bodie with an incredible abstinence in soe much that out of the austeritie of her fasting she endured most sharpe paynes and gripings in her stomake all the daies of her life but the weaknes of her bodie could nothing weaken the strength of her vnconquered vertue At length falling into a grieuous ficknes she sent for her Confessor 〈◊〉 the second Prior of the Benedictine Monastery of Durham of wâ—om hauing first declared the manner of her life and at each word of the consolation which he gaue her powred out whole flouds of deuout teares she tooke her last farewell for sayd she I shall not long remaine in She desireth Masses and prayers after death this mortall life and thou wilt shortly follow me Two things therefore I desire of thee the first that during thy life thou be allwaies mindfull of me in thy masse and other prayers the second that thou take care of my children and keepe them allwaies in the feare of God lest the prosperitie of the world wheÌ„ they attaine to the height of terrene dignitie make them loose the happines of eternall life VII AFTERWARDS the vehemencie of her disease encreasing she was noâ—able to rise but seldom out of her bed But the fourth day The slaughter of King Malcoline before her happie departure the king being then abroade in a warlick expedition she grew on the suddaine more sad then her wonted custom saying to the assistants I feare more misfortune hath happened this day to the Kingdom of Scotland then in manie yeares before And soone after they vnderstood that the King and his sonne Edward had that very day lost their liues in the warres The fourth day after the kings death her sicknes giuing some truce to the former vehemencie of her paine she rose and went into her chappell and armed her approching end with the last Sacrament and the Viaticum of our Lords most pretious bodie Then the crueltie of her griefes laying her againe prostrate on her death-bed she vnderstood by the new arriuall of her sonne Edgar from the arâ—ie of the late ouerthrow receaued by their enemies when lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God who at the hower of her departure out of this A vvorthy example of patience world had sent her an occasion of soe great anguish for a triall of her patience by the suffrance of which she hoped to be clensed from some of her former sinnes In the meane time feeling the secret messengers of death to summon her departure she beganne deuoutly to recite this prayer Domine Iesu Christe qui ex voluntate Patris cooperante She dioâ—â— happily spiritu Sancto per mortem tuam mundum viâ—ificasti libera me and and at that word her soule being deliuered out of the chaines of the bodie quietly passed to the Authour of all true libertie CHRIST-IESVS whom soe dearely she had loued in her life time being made participant of the happines of those glorious spirits whose vertuous examples she had been all waies carefull to follow And her face which during her sicknes was soe wane pale returned after death to soe fayre a mixture of a red and white complexion that to the astonished behoulders it seemed to sett forth the countenance of a sleeping or liuing bodie rather then of one that was dead She died the tenth day of Iune in the yeare 1097. and was buried in the Church of the Blessed Trinitie which she had built in her life time The life of this glorious Queene hath been written by S. Alured Abbot of Rhieuall recited by Surius tom 3. and by Turgot second Prior of Durham whom we haue followed Allso Deidonatus lib. 12. hist Scotorum maketh ample mention of her as allsoe the Roman Martirâ—loge Vsuard Molanus and others The life of Sainct EADBVRG Virgin and Nunne of the holy Order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 15. Out of William Malmesbury and others EABVRG daughter to Edward the Elder King of England and Queene Elsgiue his wife Her parents at the age of three yeares gaue a notable proofe of her future Sainctitie For her father being desirous to trie whether the litle infant would be inclined to God or the world layd the ornaments of diuers professions in his chamber before her on the one side a chalice and the Ghospell and iewells rings and bracelets on the other Thither the litle gyrle being brought in the armes of her dandling nurse she was seated on her fathers lappe who sayd Choose my EADBVRG which of these things doe most delight thee She with a countenance as it were despising the rest greedily layd hould on the chalice and booke embracing them with Note her choise of a religiouslife a childish innocencie The whole companie of assistants cried out that it was an euident presage of future sainctitie in the gyrle and the father most tenderly kissing clipping his child Goe thy waies sayd he whither God calls thee follow happily the diuine spouse whom thou hast chosen and happy indeed may thy mother and I esteeme our selues being in religion ouercome by a daughter Therefore when riper yeares allowed her the perfect vse of discrecretion she went to the Benedictine Monasterie which her father had She taketh the habit of a Nunne built at Winchester and putt on the habit and profession of a Nunne vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT when soe rarely she conformed her life to the lawes of her profession that by the