summer he vsed the same cloathes nether more nor fewer which seldom or neuer he put of but tooke a small allowance of sleepe not in anie bed but sitting in a chayre that he might be the readier at his awake to fall to his prayer and meditations Hauing gouerned his troupe a long He taketh a religious habitt time him self remayning in his secular apparell and not obliged by anie vow vnto that profession of a monasticall life which he prescribed vnto others lest perchaunce his successours might take example thereby he wholely submitted him self vnder the obedience of one Roger of Sempringham a Canon of the Church of Malton and receaued the religious habitt and discipline which he had taught and established being now become of a master a scholler euer honouring the sayd Roger who afterwards succeeded him as his Tutor and teacher during the whole remnant of his life V. BVT this holie man God soe ordayning it escaped not to His subiects accuse him falsely be assaulted with the rude stormes of worldly troubles and aduersities and that from his owne domesticks who according to their dutie ought with all reuerence to haue honoured him more then anie others For amongst the layetie which we spake of some there were who wearie of their strict manner of life malitiously plotted mischief against the holie man falsely accusing him of manie fayned crimes not only vnto THOMAS of Canturburie afterwards a martir but euen vnto Pope ALEXANDER him self in soe much that they greatly disquieted and molested his peaceable course of life The Pope committed the examination of this matter vnto Henrie Bishop of Winchester and William of Norwich who in the absence of Winchester by reason of sicknes made an exact His innocencio is made Knowne inquirie into the cause and inquiring found out the truth and made knowne the Innocencie of S. GILBERT vnto the Pope In whose behalfe allsoe manie other Bishops and Priors writt letters to Rome but none soe exactly as the king him self who tooke it verie heinously that those Lay-brothers who as he sayd before their profession were meere rusticks and clownes allotted only to the plough should soe perfidiously swerue from that course of life professed by soe manie learned and wise men and that they should vniustly complaine of it as exceeding the due limitts of strictnes and seueritie and with such impertinent boldnes moue heauen and earth for a mitigation thereof Herevppon the Pope sent a decree which confirmed the Priueleges graunted by his predecessor Eugenius and Adrian and also commaunded that the whole order discipline which GILBERT had prescribed should remayne in the same force and power for euer signifieing moreouer in his peculiar letters vnto the King and Bishops and to GILBERT him self that it was his will that those obstinate fellowes should be by strong hand compelled to performe the dutie of their profession and calling Againe he is falsely accuâ—ed VI. HE was molested wich an other though a smaller blast of aduersitie when in the bitter persecution of that worthie bucklar of the Church S. THOMAS of Canturbury he was brought in with some other of his fellowes as hauing contrarie to the kings comaund sent ouer moneyes vnto the Bishop in banishment At London therefore he is cited to appeare with the rest of the Priors and Procurators of all his monasteries to answere there this bill of complaint But the iudges out of the great reuerence they bore vnto him offered that if only by oath he would disaffirme the fault layd to his charge presently he should be dismissed the court Which most coÌ„stantly he refused to doe soe that now he could expect nothing but him self to be banished and all his monasteries to be sacked and destroyed When by the kings letters out of Normandie the Iudges were comaunded to deferre the examination of his cause vntill his returne home Whereuppon the holy man was dismissed who now sett free and at libertie and taking his leaue openly protested to the iudges that he was most innocent of the fault layd against him All were much astonished that now he confessed of his owne accord that which before he had refused N 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 to doe being in soe great danger when with the safetie both of the truth and his owne shamfastnes he might well haue performed it But his mind conducted by a higher counsell thought it could not choose but be a blemish and imputation to his owne and the Churches dignitie and an act of bad exaÌ„ple yf at the barre in soe solemne a contestation he should haue openly professed that he had sent noe succour as indeed he had not vnto his Bishop to whom he supposed him self obliged to haue sent VII THE pious holie man liued in this sainctitie of life aboue one hundred yeares in which time he fouÌ„ded thirteene monasteries fower of men stored with seauen hundred religious persons nine of woe men which contayned one thousand fiue hundred Nunnes He died at Sempringham in the yeare of our lord 1190. the fourth day of February whose sainctitie allthough the course of his whole life doe sufficiently testifie it pleased allmightie god notwithstanding to make it more famous and manifest vnto the world by wonderfull miracles which he wrought by his meanes both whilst he enioyed this mortall life after his death or rather departure vnto the ioyes of immortall happines For when yet he drew breath amongst men in this world he had these inferiour creatures at commaund fier winds and diseases after a wonderfull maÌ„ner yeelded him obedience Nether did he want His manie miracles the guift of prophesie foreseeing by a diuine power manie aduentures which should happen and especiallly when he foretould the end of those horribles broiles falling in the tyme of King Stephen VIII AND allthough indeed these deedes and miracles be famous in number and greatnes yet those which happened after his death doe farre excell them in both for during his life time he sought by all All diseaseâ— miracâ—lously cured at his tomb meanes to suppresse and hide his worthie deeds and vertues vnder the vayle of humilitie but at his sepulcher the whole world was strucken with admiration to behould the blind deafe dumbe and mad persons restored to their senses to see dropsies palsies feauers and manie other desperate diseases beyond the skill of phisick cured in a momeÌ„t the verie deuills to flie out of the bodies of persoÌ„s possessed exclayming against the great power of S. GILBERTS sanctitie And lest the vanitie of anie fiction or inuention might anie way disparage the truth of these famous accidents and lest somwhat might be a little hyperbolically spoken of them they were all called within the arrest of the strict examine knowledge of witnesses whose sincere testimonie could not without great temeritie be excepted against At which inquirie besides manie other men famous for pietie and learning Hubert Archbishop of Canturbury was not only present but
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
Pontif. Ang. lib. 4. and de gest Reg. Ang. lib. 3. ROGER HOVEDON part 1. Anal. an 1062. and 1095. BARONIVS tom 11. an 1062. 1070. 1072. 1074. MATHEW WESTMINSTER anne 1074. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 11. cap. 24. and manie others doe largely speake his vertues and prayses Jn the SARVM breuiary he hath an office of nine lessons and in an anncient manuseript Breuiary of S. BENEDICTS order which belonged to the monastery of Burton vppon Trent he hath an office of three lessons on this day The life of S. ERMENBVRG Queene and Abbesse of S. BENEDICTS order IAN. 21. Out of Mathew Westmin others SAINCT ERMENBVRG daughter to Ermenred brother of Ercombert King of Kent was maried vnto Merwald King of the Mercians with whom she had the hapines to be the mother of the three holy Virgins Milburg Mildred and Mildgith whom she brought vp soe piously as afterwards they all embraced a monasticall life and became Nunnes and Saincts of S. BENEDICTS order their mother also Queene Ermonburg allthough her husband was yet liuing yet she was soe taken with the desire of a solitarie and monasticall life that she neuer rested vntill she had obtained the consent of her husband to the furtherance of her vertuous desire Which being gotten she went into Kent to her cozen Egbert that raygned there and made him acquainted with her holy purpose earnestly entreating him to putt his helping hand to the perfourmance of her good intentions Egbert being much moued at soe great deuotion gaue her a peece of land at the towne of Estrey in Kent according to her owne election and built her a monasterie vppon it dedicated to the two holy Martyrs Ethelbert and Ethelred her brothers Where S. Of Ethelbert and Ethelred see the seauenteenth of October ERMENBVRG hauing gathered togeather the number of seauentie other Nunnes vnder the holy order of S. BENEDICT spent the remnant of her life in the continuall exercise of religion and vertue gouerning the monasterie as Abbesse with all true obseruance of regular discipline vntill by allmightie God she was called out of this world to receaue the euerlasting reward of her meritts in a better What day she died it is vncertaine but this one and twentith of January is made a commemoration of her Of this blessed Sainct doe make mention MATHEW WESTMINSTER ann 654. 676. WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. c. 1. de gest Pontif. Ang. l. 4. and NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD hist Eccl. saec 7. cap. 10. whom we haue followed The life of S. THEORITHGID virgin andnunne of S. Benedicts order IAN. 22. Out of venerable Bede hist de gest Ang. lib. 4. c. 9. THEORITHGID was scholler vnto the holy Abbesse S. EDILBVRG 1. Cor. 12. in the Benedictine monastery of Berking in Essex where she liued for manie yeares euer exercised in the diligent seruice of almighth tie god with all humilitie and sinceritie and helping S. EDILBVRG the Abbesse to keepe the true obseruance of regular discipline she was the mistresse to correct and instruct the yonger sort or nouices But that her vertue might as the Apostle sayth be made perfect in infirmitie she was suddenly taken with a most greiuous sicknes and through the merciful prouidence of our redeemer she was afflicted there with for the space of nine yeares that whatsoeuer spott of filthy sinne by ignorance or negligence had crept in and gott place amongst her other vertues might be quite parâ—ched and burnt vpp in the painfull furnace of a long tribulation II. THIS HOLY virgin goeing out of her bed one night towards the She enioyeth a strange vision dawning of the day saw manifestly as it were the body of one brighter then the sunne it self caried vpp on high in a white sheete from wards the dorter where the sisters tooke they rest till at length it was drawne out of her sight into the opeÌ„ heauens by this vision she supposed to be signified that some one of her sisters was shortly to be called out of the world as indeed it fell out for within a few dayes S. EDILBVRG the Abbesse chainged this life for a better III Now when THEORITHGID the blessed handmayd of CHRIST had liued three yeares more after the death of the Abbesse she was soe farre spent with the forenamed sicknes that her skinne and bones did scarse hang togeather and at the last the time of her departure drawing neere she lost not only the vse of all her other limmes but was not able to moue that member which is most voluble her tongue In which case hauing endured wonderfull paines for the space of three dayes and three nights being then recreated with a celestiall vision she opened her eyes and cherefully looking towards heauen began to speake in this manner vnto the vision she beheld Thy coming is very gratefull vnto me and thou art hartyly S. Edilburg appeareth vnto her reucaleth the hovver of her death welcome This sayd she was silent as it were expecting the answeare of the partie she spake vnto And againe as she were a little moued I cannot sayd she gladly endure this Presently after a short silence she spake the third time If it cannot be to day I beseech thee that it be not long delayed Then being silent a while she concluded thus If it be fully soe ordayned and that this sentence cannot be changed I beseech thee that there be this only night between Being demaunded with whom shee held this discourse She answeared with my most deare mother EDILBVRG Whereby they vnderstood that her coming was to bring newes that the time of THEORITHGIDS departure was at hand For according to her desire after that day and the nex night being deliuered out of the prison of her weake bodie she tooke her flight to the celestiall paradise to receaue the eternall reward of her sufferings She died about the yeare of our Lord six hundred seauentie eight Thus much we haue taken out of VENERABLE BEDE de gest lib. 4. cap. 9. and NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 14. Of her doe make mention MOLANVS in append ad VSVARDVM and ARNOLD WION in append ad suum Martirolog The life of S. Cadox Bishop and Martir IAN. 25. Out of Ioannes Anglicus S. CADOCK was bone in Wales os noble parents his father was called Gundley his mother Gladusa being baptised by an Anachorite of that countrey vnder the same mans care he was brought vp and instructed in the rudiments of Christian religion in which he profitted wonderfully Being yet but a youth he bore the mind of an aged man refusing to follow such youthfull sport as his equalls inuited him vnto truely considering that in the later day laughter shall be chainged into weeping and weeping into ioy At length departing from his master and his natiue soyle he built a monasterie He buildeth a monasterie in Glamorganshire about three miles distant from Cowbridge into which hauing gathered a good number of monkes he instituted them in
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
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
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
prayer springling him with holy See the vertue of fasting and prayer water draue away all power of the deuill and restored him safe and sound to his friends The other was freed by gyrding him self with S. GVTHLAKES Gyrdle About the same time the venerable Abbesse Eaburga sent a leaden coffin with a fine linnen shrowd to S. GVTHLAKE humbly and earnestly entreating him to permitt his bodie to be buried therein after his death desiring withall to vnderstand He foretelleth his successour who should succeed him in his hermitage The holy man vnwillingly receauing the present sent her word back that his successour was as yet a Heathen who shortly hauing receaued the sacramet of baptisme should inhabite that place as it came to passe for one called Cissa after his decease receaued the fayth of CHRIST and became his successour X. AT length the day of his death drawing neere he called Bertelinâ— vnto him And now sayd he my deare sonne I am goeing to receaue the rewards of my labours I desire to be dissolued to raigne He foreseeth his owne death with CHRIST my beloued Lord and Sauiour And after manie speeches he enioyned him to salute his sister Pega in his name entreate her to come to the buriall of his bodie I haue sayd he auoided her sight hitherunto in this mortall life that more securely we may enioy one and other in the immortall And as he pronounced these and manie other words full of pietie and consolation soe great a sweetnes proceeded from his mouth that Bertheline seemed to smell like flowers of roses scattered in the ayre or the distilled liquour of baulme But allmightie God as he had adorned him liuing in this world with manie worthie fauours and benefitts as well for his owne as for the health of others soe at the verie hower of his death after his departure he made him famous to the world with manie singular graces For falling sick the wendsday before Easter and departing this life the seauenth day following allbeit his forces were His denotion in his sicknes weake yet he forced him self beyond his weakenes to celebrate the dreadfull sacrifice of our sauiours Passion at the aultar on Easter day And from midnight vntill the morning before he died a bright shining light encompassed the little house where he lay At sunrising hauing strengthened him self againe with the viaticum of our Lords sacred bodie he spake to his faythfull disciple Berteline saying The His death time is come my deare sonne wherein I must passe to CHRIST lifting vp his hands and eyes to heauen he yeelded vp his most pure soule to receaue her reward in the heauenly paradise of all puritie the eleauenth day of Aprill When at the verie instant Berteline saw as it were a fierie tower reaching from heauen downe to the earth the brightnes whereof was soe wonderfull that the pale sunne might enuie soe great a lustre And the whole Iland seemed to be spread all ouer The Angels 〈◊〉 at his buriall with a most pleasant sweet smell of heauenly odours whilst the Angels them selues were heard to sing melodious tunes of ioy to the honour and encrease of his glorie In the meane time his godly sister Pega reioycing more then can be expressed at soe great glorie of her brother buried his holy bodie with great reuerence in his owne oratorie and at his buriall a blind man washing his eyes with the water whereinto was putt some salt hallowed before by S. GVTHLAKE receaued perfect sight XI HE DIED at the age of fortie seauen yeares at fower and twentie he begaÌ„ to follow the warres eight yeares he remayned in that fierce His bodie is found vncorrupted life and fifteene yeares he liued in the seruice of God in the desert But a yeare after his death his sister desiring togeather with manie other reuerend and holy Priests to translate his bodie to a more decent and eminent place they found him most whole and entier more like a man asleepe then dead For all the ioynts of his bodie were flexible agile as yf the humours had runne through the veines by force of the vitall spiritts and all the cloathes he was wrapped in were as fresh and fayre as the first day they were layd in Then the bodie was honourably placed in a tombe aboue ground with great ioy reuerence deuotion of all But the exiled King Ethelbald spoken off before hauing vnderstood the death of the holy man came in mornefull manner to the sepulcher where powring out manie teares he complayned that now he was truely left forsaken desolate more theÌ„ euer humbly desiring the Blessed Sainct by his meritts and intercession to obtaine his deliuerance out of those miserable afflictions Vnto whom S. GVTHLAKE appeared one night incoÌ„passed with resplendent bcames of glory coÌ„maunding him to sett aside all He appeareth to king Ethelbald care for that verie shortly all things would succeed according to his owne desire Which prophesie was not spoken in vaine for within a yeare his aduessarie died and he was restored againe to the free possession of his kingdome XII IN THE meane time S. GVTHLAKES tomb beganne to florish with wonderfull miracles for as manie faythfull Christians as came thither to demaund helpe in their necessities through his meritts intercession were not frustrate of their desire Nether was Ethelbald being restablished in his kingdome vnmindfull of his beloued Patrone For in the same place he built a goodly Church and a monasterie for the Benedictine Monks enriched it with abundant rents King â—thelbald buil 〈…〉 a the Benedictin Abbey of Croâ—â—and and reuenewes which was after called the Abbey of Crowland And in the same Church he erected a verie sumptuous and rich tombe ouer his sacred bodie Where allthough the place were full of fennes and marshes being seated betweene the riuer Nine the I le of Elie that it could not be come at but by boate yet that house was allwaies most opeÌ„ to the hospitalitie of all men in soe much that it â—as honoured with the litles of bountie ciuilitie and curtesie euen to the leter times Afterwards manie other kings and Princes endowed Jngulphus Hist Croiland the same monasterie with allmost innumerable riches and reuenews as appeareth by the history of Jngulphus a MoÌ„k of the same Abbey In which allsoe it is to be noted and not without cause that in all the variable chainge and declining of the times in soe long and furious an outrage of the Danes which ruined all such other monasteries this remayned allwaies inhabited allbeit the Church and other buildings were quite ruined and burnt with fier For in that time when the barbarous Danes spoyled wasted and robbed all the Monasteries of England the Abbot of Crowland called Theodore vnderstanding of their neere-approching ruine and threatned destruction sent all the yong monkes to the number of thirtie with the riches and reliques of S. CVTHLAKE and others
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
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
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
powers both of his bodie and soule In humilitie he was most lowly in obedience most readie and full of charitable affection towards all men Hauing passed ouer his youth in the continuall exercise of these and other Monasticall vertues he receiued the dignitie of Priesthood and then he did not only shine vnto his He is made Priest brethren and draw them to vertue by his good example but allsoe by reading and expounding the holy scriptures by pious exhortations and preachings he would winne them to the loue of true religion and deuotion At length by the meanes of that great pillar of the Benedictine familie S. DVNSTAN he was chosen Abbot of the same Monasterie in the performance of which holy charge it is beyond the force of weake words to expresse how much he laboured And Abbot of westminster for the saluation of foules and what excellent examples of vertue and godly life he shewed vnto his brethren But such were his rare vertues that long they could not be contayned within the bounds of a weake Cloister For king Ethelred called him thence as it were from vnder the obscure bushell of his Monasterie to be placed in the view and admiration of the world in the Bishoprick of Sherburne and by the free election of the Clergie and greate applause of the poeple he was exalted to the gouernment of that Sea Then it was rare to behould how worthily he beganne to rule his people thundring at first a dutifull respect into their The true vertues of a good Bishop hearts he afterwards shined all loue among them his first and principall care being to appeare vnto his subjectss such as he would haue them be and to be such as he appeared making his godly life the example of his owne doctrine and his doctrine to arise as it were out of his deeds Soe that in a small time he wanne singular loue in his people and engraffed singular confidence His dayly exercise was to exhorte his subjects to comfort the afflicted to feed the hungrie to cloath the naked to redeeme captiues to entertaine poore pilgrims to teach the ignorant to withould the desperate from the shipwrack of their soules to enflame the tepid and animate the seruent to prouide carefully for those vnder his charge and punctually to performe the dutie of his profession and calling He was wont to spend the time of Lent within the Monks cloister were freed from the tumultuous affaires of the world he led a rigid monasticall life exercising him self in fasting and prayer and heauenly contemplation On maundie thursday he came abroade and hauing consecrated holy Chrisme according to the custome of Consecration of Chrisme the Catholicke Church he would preach vnto the people giue them his benediction After the celebration of the feast of Easter he was wont to visitt his whole diocesse as well to teach instruct and direct his vnder-pastours and clergiemen worthily to performe their duties as allsoe to amend correct and punish whatsoeuer was done amisse contrarie to the rules of good order discipline and iustice II. HE WAS wonderfull carefull both to augment and exalt that auncient sea of Sherburne and to establish it in a continuall peace in good order and discipline and to that end he cast out from thence Nichol. Harp saec 10. c. 9. William Malm. Monks ought nor to be subiect to Bishops the secular clergimen for their bad life and in their steede brought in the Benedictine Monks ouer whom he would haue placed an Abbot but they desired rather to liue vnder his gouernment whereunto though vnwilling he consented foretelling them that it would be a beginning of great calamities vnto their successours to be subiect to the Bishops But in all that he did for the Monks he neuer detracted anie part of the meanes belonging to the Bishoprick to sett them vp withall but prouided elsewhere sufficient reuenews for them allwaies preseruing the Episcopall Sea in her owne auncient and splendour in all things III. THVS hauing for the space of fiue yeares worthily gouerned his flock and done the office of a good pastour he fell into a vehement sicknes togeather with a vertuous knight and his deare S. Wulsine falls sick friend named Egeline who hearing of his lords infirmitie seemed to suffer more therein then in his owne and therefore not able to goe him self he sent to know in what danger he was The languishing holy man by the messenger willed his siâ—kly friend suddenly to dispose of him self and his estate and to prepare for his last iourney for to morrow next sayd he we shall goe both togeather to the court of our eternall King where he shall receiue the reward of his faithfull seruice The messenger being departed he vsed these words to his Monks By the filiall loue you haue euer shewed vnto me I doe coniure you my deare children that before you committ my bones to the earth you cause the bodie of this our faithfull friend to be brought hither and to be buried with me in this Church of Sherburne that in death our bodies be not separated whose soules during life were tied faithfully togeather in the bands of true loue and friendship To these words the Monks that were present could giue noe other answere but teares the woefull witnesses of the sorrow they conceaued to depart from soe deare a father But he exhorted them all to be rather ioyfull then grieued at his neere approching happines and alwaies to liue in the feare and loue of God till he felt the pangs of death beginne to cutt of his discourse when lifting vp his hands and eyes towards heauen he cried out with the first martir S. STEPHEN Behould I see the heauens opened and Iesus standing on the right hand of God and with the breath of these words he breathed forth his pure soule to receaue her reward in the purest He dieth place the eight day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 985. Of this B. Sainct doe make mention ARNOLD WION in the appendix of his martirologe WILLIAM MALMESBVRY IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others whom we haue followed The life of S. ADRIAN Confessor and Abbot of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. SAINCT ADRIAN borne in Africa for his great vertue Out of venerable Bede and learning was chosen Abbot of the Benedictin Monasterie of Niridan in Campania not farre from Naples He was a great diuine and very skillfull both in the Greek and Latine tongue and to these sciences was added as an ornament of all a true zeale of the seruice of allmightie God and monasticall discipline with a perfect knowledge of Ecclesiasticall gouernment All which shined soe cleerly in him as they gaue sufficient testimonie with how sincere a desire of vertue he had first forsaken the world and putt on the habitt of religion II. IT happened during the time of this holy Abbot that the Metropolitan Sea of Canturbury by the death
ouer the countrey Yet to this there was comfort at hand that by the election of the brethren and his fellow-Abbot Ceolfrid he found one Sigfrid a deacon of the same monasterie a very reuerend and meeke man substituted in Eosterwins place This Sigfrid was a man very sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of holy scriptures adorned with most godly manners endowed with a wonderfull vertue of abstinence and for the better conseruing of the vertues of his mind he was kept vnder with noe small infirmitie of bodie and to maintaine the innocencie of his heart he allwaies laboured with a hurtfulland irremediable disease of the lungs VI. AND not long after S. BENNET allsoe began to be wearied S. Bennet falleth sick with a sicknes comeing forcibly vppon him For the diuine goodnes that the vertue of patience might allsoe giue testimonie of the great sinceritie of these holy Abbots in religion layd them both prostrate for a time on the hard bed of a temporall sicknes that hauing triumphed ouer the same by death he might afterwards refresh them with the perpetuall rest of a gladsom peace and euer-during life For Sigfrid as we haue said hauing bin long tormented with the teadious grief of the inwards parts of his bodie euidently perceaued that now he was come to his last and S. BENNET whose disease still encreased by degrees for the space of three yeares was now weakened with such an extreame palsie that death seazing on the lower partes of his bodie tooke from thence all sense of feeling soe that life withdrew it self only into the higher lodgings of that weake building remayning there only the better to exercise the office of a religious and vertuous patience His whole studie during the time of his sicknes was allwaies to spend the little allowance of breath he enioyed in rendring hartie thankes and prayses vnto the authour of all goodnes for his benefitts and to exhorte his brethren with the fraternall words of pietie to remayne constant in the seruice of God and in the obseruance of the rules and institutions which he had planted among them VII FOR you ought not to imagine sayd he that the lawes His speech to his brethren on his death bed and constitutions which I haue giuen you haue proceeded out of my owneignorant and vnlearned vnderstanding for out of seuenteen diuers monasteries which among all the wearisom labours of my often trauells I found to be best haue I learnt and gathered all these precepts deliuered them to your pietie to be obserued But chiefly this precept he did often times reiterate vnto them that in the election of their Abbot they should haue noe regard to the nobilitie of byrth without the worthines of vertue nor respect the greatnes of dignitie in the world but the aboundance of charitie and humilitie in religion For in very deed I tell you sayd he that in comparison of two euills I had rather see the place in which with soe great labours I haue built this monasterie reduced into a perpetuall desert if soe it please God then that my owne brother who is knowne not to follow the stepps of vertue should succeede me in title of Abbot to rule and gouerne the same Therefore deare Brethren be allwaies very carefull neuer to choose your Abbot An Abbot to be chosen not for nobilitie but vertue according to byrth nor out of anie other Bodie then your owne but following that which our great Abbot S. BENEDICT hath prescribed in his rule and the decrees contayned in our priuiledges you ought in the conuent of your Congregation with cōmon counsell of the brethren to search out one who according to the deserts of life and doctrine of wisedom shall be found and approoued to be most worthy and fitt to performe soe great an office and such an one being found you shall present him to the Bishop who with his wonted benediction ought to confirme him in the Abbatiall dignitie In these and such like speeches did he spend a great part of his weake sickly dayes whilst to mitigate the wearisom teadiousnes of the long night which the heauy burden of his disease did render restlesse from sleepe he would some times call one of his brethren to reade vnto him eyther the example of holy Iobs vnmatcheable patience or some other part of the scripture whereby he might receaue some comfort in his grief and be able more liuely to lift vpp him self from the lowest degree of worldly torment to the confideration of the highest reward of his suffering And because he could not by anie meanes rise to pray nor easily make vse eyther of tongue or voice to recite his accustomed taske of psalmes he learnt by his owne prudence and the His truly religious spiritt dictamen of a true religious spirit and affection to call certaine of the brethren vnto him at all the howers eyther of day or night office with whom being diuided into two quiers he would sing and say as well as he was able all the accustomed psalmes of the office and what his weaknes would not let him performe was by their assistance supplied VIII BVT when this worthy payre of Abbots BENNET and Sigfrid hauing bin long wearied with these teadious infirmities did both plainly perceaue that they drew neere the entrance of the dreadfull gates of death and saw them selues to be both vnfitt for See a true patterne of affectiō the gouernment of the monasterie for soe farre their infirmities had wrought in them the perfection of the vertue of CHRIST that when as vppon a day both piously desiring to see and salute one and other before they departed out of the world Sigfrid was carried vppon a beere like a true picture of death to the chamber where S. BENNET lay vppon his poore couch and being both by the seruing hands of their dolefull brethren in such sort composed togeather vppon the same pallett and their heads vppon the same bolster behold a lamentable sight they were not masters of soe much strength as to ioyne their holy lippes togeather to giue a kisse to their last farewell but were fayne hauing made shew of their desire herein to finish it by the assistance of fraternall hands IX THEN S. BENNET entring into consultation with Sigfrid◠and the rest of hir brethren sent for Ceolfrid that was Abbot of S. PAVLES monastery a man not only neere vnto him in the bands of kinred but allsoe which is the chiefell in the sweete societie of vertues and him by the common consent and fauour of all he placed at the helme to be the only pilot and gouernor of both his monasteries iudging it the only best course the better to conserue the peace vnitie and concord of both places to beepe them perpetually vnder the regiment of one only superiour And for this purpose he wished them to call to mind that Euangelicall sentence Euery kingdom diuided within it self shall become desolate But two moneths after this
speake a word He foretould vnto one of his brethren the hower of his death two dayes before which being at hand he caused them all to come togeather and exhorting them to the loue of patience humilitie and other vertues full of good workes and meritts he yeelded vp his blessed soule to receaue a crowne of iustice at the hands of the iust iudge the twelfth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our redemption 1166. during the raigne of Henry the second And in successe of time he was registred into the number of canonized Saincts This life is gathered chiefly out of IOHN CAPGRAVE or IOANNES ANGLICVS most of our English Historiographers doe largely speake his prayses The life of S. KENTIGERNE Bishop and Confessor IAN. 13. Written by Joscelinus LOTHVS the Heathen King of the Picts had a fayre daughter called Thamet who by the often hearing and attending to the preachings of Gods seruants the power of the diuine grace concurring therevnto was conuerted to the Christian faith This Thamet hauing been rauished by the lasciuious violence of a noble man of the court was in punishment of that faultlesse fault by His parents the lawes of the countrey and her owne fathers decree adiudged to be cast downe headlong from the toppe of a steepe hill soe to perish In the execution of which crueltie recommending her self to allmightie God and lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen for ayde she was throwne downe backwards but by the hand of him that saueth those who truly call vppon him she was deliuered from receauing anie hurt at all Which miracle her Pagan father ascribing to the power of art magick caused her presently to be putt into a leather boate and without eyther sayle or oare to be committed to the vncertaine conduct of the winds and waues But the allmightie protectour and ruler of the sâ—as brought her safe to an other port where she went on land and came at length to the towne of Elâ—e or Assaph in Flintshire His byrth and there she was deliuered of a boy who being baptised by Seruanus a holy man of that countrey was named KENTIGERNE Such was the byrth and parentage of this Sainct who allthough he may seeme to haue contracted some stayne of honour therein yet his worthy manner of life soe cleerly washt away all spott of anie such imputation that for true vertue life and learning he became an example to be sett in ballance with anie holy man of those times His youth was first trained vp in the vertuous schoole of Seruanus vnder whom he profitted in a short time beyond all his other schoole fellowes both in learning and vertue purchasing by his owne towardnes such a singular loue with his good master that he was wont to call him Munghu that is most deare friend and by that name he was euer after honoured and called vppon by the people of that countrey in their deuotions vnto him But the malice of enuious persons who because they could not attaine began to hate soe great goodnes foreing him to depart from his master Sernanus he went into Scotland to a place called Glasghu where he led a His anstere life and pennance very austere and holy life In his poore cloathing and diet he bore the true patterne of an other IOHN BAPTISTE His cloathes were made of goate-skinnes he would fast oft times without tasting anie meate the space of three dayes neyther would he then seeke after dainties but was content to eate such things as first came to hand He abstained from flesh and wine perpetually His sleepe was verie litle which when nature compelled him vnto he tooke lieing along in a hollow stone with a great stone vnder his head in steed of a pillow To this austerie he added the rudenes of a shirt of hayre-cloathe which he allwaies wore next his skinne And in this pouertie did he trauell ouer that countrey preaching teaching and conuerting great multitudes of people of the faith till at length by He is made Bishop the common consent of the King and Clergie but much against his owne will he was exalted to the sacred dignitie of Bishop in the sea of Glasghu Which honour nothing altered him in his rigid and strict kind of life but rather serued as a spurre to encrease his wonted austeritie II. HE WOVLD walke abroade allwaies in his albe and stole with his crosier-staffe in his hand which allthough it were but of plaine wood yet he was if I may so call him a golden Bishop shining His manner of prayer mortification to the world with great examples of charitie and good workes Euerie night after a short refreshing of sleepe he would goe naked into the cold water and in that manner recite ouer the whole Psalter and this custom he allwaies obserued in despight of winters frost and snow vnlesse his sicknes or some other necessarie iourney did hinder him and then he would make amends with some other spirituall exercise Soe entierly had he mortified and deadened in him self all the lafciuious instigations and motions of the flesh that as he would often tell his disciples he was noe more prouoked to lust at the sight or touching of the fayrest woeman in the world then in the cold embracing of a hard stone Often times whilest he preached there appeared a white doue ouer his head with a beake as it were of gould Euerie lent he would segregate His obseruance of Lent him self from all companie and liue in some desert place eating noe other food but herbes and rootes On Maundie thursday he was wont for the exercise of his humilitie hauing gathered a companie of poore people and leapers togeather to wash their feete with water his owne teares in the meane time concurring therevnto and hauing wiped and dried them first with a towell and then with his owne kisses he would attend on them at table with all submission and diligence On good Friday in memorie of our Lords Passion he spent allmost the whole day and some part of the night in scouâ—ging chastising his bodie with sharpe whipps and stripes vntill his owne nakednes did blush at this his piously cruell pietie On holy Saturday or Easter Eue excepting the time of the diuine office he allwaies lay hid in a certaine graue or sepulcher within the ground in contemplation of our Lords passion and punishing him self with stripes till the hower of our Sauiours resurrection the next morning By his preaching he reduced the infidels oâ— his diocese vnto the Catholick faith and with the force of his sacred doctrine he reduced all Apostates and hereticks to the safe bosome of our holie mother the Church he demolished all diabolicall Idolls built some Churches allotted certaine limitts and bounds vnto Parishes and where soeuer he trauelled in this spirituall trafick to gaine soules he would not make his iourneies on horse back but allwaies on foote as did the Apostles And lest he might seeme to eate his
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 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
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
SWIBERT Bishop and Confessor Apostle of Frizeland and Saxonie monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 1 Written by S. Mar celline priest his companioÌ„ and fellow preacher IN THE yeare of our Lord six hundred fortie seauen S. SWIBERT was borne in Northumberland of noble princely pareÌ„ts couÌ„t Sigebert and Berta his wife Before his byrth his deuout mother had a vision The vision of his mother as she lay in her bed wherein she beheld one starre in the heauens farre excelling all the rest in brightnes whose glittering beames seemed to giue light to the whole countrey and presently the same starre appeared to fall vppon the bed where she lay This was then interpreted by S. AYDAN bishop of Lindisfarne to be a presage of the child that she bore in her wombe who as he sayd should be a light vnto his Countrey and the whole Church of God And in confirmation hereof at the very hower she was deliuered A strange light appeared at his birth a wonderfull great splendour shined in the chamber whose beames seemed to dazle the daies light and much astonish the beholders The Child being borne the same light decreased by degrees and vanished In baptisme he was called SWIBERT and being from his verie Cradle trayned vp in the feare of God and good learning he soe carefully auoyded all vices incident to that age and soe manfully embraced the hard waies of vertue that he gaue great hopes of his future greatnes which caused manie allreadie to prognosticate wonders of his sainctitie And to the end he might dayly He embraceth a monasticall life proceed the better from vertue to vertue aâ— the age of fifteene yeares he departed with the good leaue of his parents to the Benedictine abbey of Bardâ—â—â—â— in Lincolneâ—â—ire where he forsoke all worldly hopes and became a monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT vnder the gouerment of the good Abbot Higbald In this vertuous schoole our noble youth carefully endeauoured to ennoble his mind with all manner of vertue in all things behauing him self with such prompt obedience humble modestie and sweet innocencie of life that in short time he grew to he much loued esteemed admired and reuerenced euen of the greatest and auncientest monks in the house Hauing liued nine yeares in the same monasterie in continuall continencie abstinence and the exercise of regular and monasticall discipline he was aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood in the execution of which holy function He is made Priest worthyly corresponding with his vertuous actions he offered dayly to allmightie God a most acceptable sacrifice For in true pietie and religion he was second to none adorned with the glorie of all Christian vertues most attentiue and frequent in his prayers and most exactly rigid in fasting and mortifying his owne bodie in soe much that he gaue great examples of edification to his brethren and the famous report of his vertues was published and admired throughout the Countrey II. WHILST thus he shined in the excellencie of a religious life among his other brethren as a bright sunne amongst the rest of the planets the Bishop of Yorke hauing vnderstood the incomparable Benedictine Monks sometimes Canons prayses of his vertue reioyced much thereat and sending for him made him a Canon of the Cathedrall Church of S. Peters at Yorke Whereat the reader need not wonder since heretofore is hath been a laudable custom much practised in the Church of God for Monks of S. BENEDICTS order to gouerne cathedrall Churches as Canons were indeed monasticall canons and of this kind S. SWIBERT was ordayned one at Yorke In which CONVENT sayth the authour to shew that they were monks since a quire of secular Canons is called a CHAPTER and not a CONVENT he liued for the space of two yeares in soe great austeritie of life such strict obseruance of Monasticall discipline that he seemed to leade an angelicall life vpoÌ„ S. Swibert of a Benectin Canon made Abbot of Monks earth And now being come to that height of perfection that he was fitt to be proposed as a mirrour to all such as professed a regular life he was created abbott of the monasterie of Dacore soe called froÌ„ the riuer Dacor running thereby In the meane time the venerable man S. EGBERT a Benedictin monk of whom see Aprill the 24. wonderfully zealing the gaine of soules the promulgatioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospel his owne resolution to goe into those countreyes being hindered by reuelatioÌ„ froÌ„ heauen made choise of twelue learned English monkes all zealous of the Catholick cause out of diuers monasteries Twelue English Benedictins sent to preach in Germanie of EnglaÌ„d Jreland to preach the ChristiaÌ„ fayth in FrizelaÌ„d One not the lest of these elect preachers was our S. SWIBERT S. MARCELINE that wrote his life an other they were eleuen priests one decon who hauing all happyly passed the sea towards the vineyard of CHRIST allotted to their holy charge they ariued at Vtreicht about the yeare 690. And following the same institution order and conuersation of life that the Apostles and disciples of CHRIST vsed in the primitiue Church noe man presuming to call anie thing his owne but all obseruing the rules of the monasticall and religious pouertie which they professed They began with verie great constancie and resolution to preach the Christian fayth amongst those barbarous poeple But the Frisons that were men of an vntamed and stubborne nature stoode stiffely in defence of their Idoatrie refusing to listen to the sacred tidings of the true Ghospell soe that these holy preachers being threatned with death for annouÌ„cing the words of life were compelled to depart thence hauing at first reaped litle or noeprofitt at all III. THEREFORE they went into an Iland called Fosteland where Radbode the persidious King of Friseland being beaten out of his Kingdome by the most Christian Prince Pepin of France theÌ„ remayned And in this it being a place of verie great and solemne resort among those Pagans by reason of the superstitious Idolatrie vsed there to a God of theirs called Foste from whom the Iland tooke name the Preachers of CHRIST began to announce the holy ghospell and hauing destroyed the profane aultars of those stonie-hearted Gods Iupiter and Foste they laboured to conuert the poeple to the knowledge of the only true God creatour of the world where their paines were rewarded with the conuersion but of three soules only But Radbode vnderstanding hereof caused one of them Wigbert martired called Wigbert to be cruelly putt to death a glorie which long before he had desired and banished all the rest out of the Iland When they perceiuing the tirannie of the worldly prince to withstand their good endeauours in preaching the sweet ghospell of the king of heauen retired them selues to the forenamed worthie Prince Pepin who sent them to preach in the lower parts of Frizeland with a strict charge to all
the Bishoprick vnto S. WILFRID and returned againe to his beloued solitude in the monasterie of Lesting where he remayned in the continuall exercise of pietie till Wulser King of the Mercians desiring the assistance of a Bishop in his countrey Theodore of Canturbury He is made Bishop of the mercians who would not graunt him a new one obtained of Oswy King of the Northumbers to haue S. CHAD sent into Mercia And because it was all waies S. CHADS custom as we haue sayd to trauell on foote to preach and teach the ghospell S. THEODORE finding him to be a verie holy man commaunded him hereafter to performe his longer iourneyes on horseback and he him self lifted him on his horse and forced him who out of the desire and loue of his pious labour on foote made great resistance to ride where soeuer his occasions should call him III. BEING therefore installed in the bishoprick of the Mercians and Lindisfarne he endeauoured according to the example of the auncient fathers and masters of vertue to administer his office with admirable great perfection of life and example The King Wulfere admiring the sainctity of the mā gaue him in the prouince of Lindisfarne or Lincolne the lands possessions of fiftie families for the erecting of a monasterie He held his episcopall seate at Lichfied where for his owne priuate vse he built a place not farre distant from the Church in which togeather with seauen or eight of his monkes he was wont more secretly and earnestely to exercise him self in deuout prayer meditation and reading holy scripture at such times as his ordinarie imployments and labour of preaching and diuine seruice did giue him leaue But amongst manie other his notable examples of A notable example vertue and pietie he bore in heart such a liuely impression of the feare of God which the royall prophet cals the beginning of wisedom Psal 110. v. 9. was in all his workes soe mindfull of the terrible dreadfull day of iudgement that whensoeuer there arose a more vehement and violent blast of winde and tempest he would straight fall most earnestly to his prayers and yf the storme were such that it were accompanied with the terrour of boisterous thunder or lightning he would instantly gett into the Church and neuer cease from praying and reading of psalmes vntill the heauens were cleered from those tempestuous commotions Being demaunded the Psal 17. v 15. 16. A good Lesson reason hereof Haue you not read answeared he that our Lord hath thundred frō heauē the most high hath sent forth his voyce He threw his darts and dispersed the people he redoubled his lightnings and troubled them For our Lord shaketh the ayre stirreth vp winds darteth lightnings and thunderbolts from heauen to stirre vp mortals to feare him to giue them a remembrance of his dreadfull iudgment to come that he may ouerthrow their pride confound their presumption by putting them in mind of that terrible hower wherein heauen and earth being on fier he will come with mightie power and maiestie to iudge the liuing and the dead It is our parts therefore to correspond to these his heauenly admonitions with the dutie of feare and loue that as often as by such violent commotions of the ayre and heauens he lifteth vp his threatning hand to strike and yet doeth not let fall his blow vppon vs we ought straight humbly to implore his mercie and by a diligent discussion of the secret closetts of our hearts to purge them from all vncleannes of vice lest at anie time we bee strucken vnawares With these terrible remembrances did this blessed Sainct endeauour to sharpen the minds of his monkes and other subiects to giue them a greater appetite to follow the sweete-hard way of vertue and good workes IV. AT LENGTH when he had most gloriously gouerned his Bishoprick for the space of two yeares and a half some daies before his holy departure out of this world that happie minute was reuealed vnto him For being one day alone in his oratorie a holie monk of his called Owen heard a most rauishing consort of celestiall tunes The Vision of a certaine Monke ouer and about the place where the Bishop prayed whīch dured for the space of half an hower After this the holy man opened his window and with a knock as his custom was called some from without vnto him Owen whose office it was to attend vppon him entred into his chamber whom he sent to call the rest of his brethren who were but seauen Then he admonished them faythfully to conserue the vertues of loue and peace with one and other and with an vntired diligence to follow and obserue the rules of regular The day of his departure is re 〈…〉 led vnto him discipline which he had planted amōgst them For sayd he the day of my departure is neere at hand that beloued guest which was wont to visit our brethren voutchafed allsoe this verie day to giue me warning of my long desired end Desire then the rest of our brethren to recommend my departure in their prayers to allmightie God allwaies remembring with fasting prayer and good workes to prepare themselues for their owne end the time whereof is soe vncertaine But the rest being departed out of the chamber the holy monk Owen who had seene and heard the vision aboue mentioned fell prostrat at the blessed Bishops feete humbly entreating him to declare the meaning of those heauenly ditties which that holy troupe of angels sung ouer his oratorie Indeed answeared he those blessed spiritts came to summon me to the holy court of heauen there to receaue the vnspeakeable rewards which soe long I haue aspired vnto and after seauen dayes are past they haue promised to returne to fetch me thither But I commaunde thee in the name of our Lord that thou presume not to reueale this vision before my death And it fell out according to this reuclation for the seauenth day after he yeelded vp his pure soule to the hands of his redeemer At which verie instant one Egbert a monke saw S. CEDDE S. Cedde cometh in glory to mecte him his brother incompassed with a blessed troupe of angels descend from the celestiall vaultes and carrie vp the vnspotted soule of this glorious Bishop into the euerlasting ioies of the heauenly Kingdom He died the second day of March and was buried first neere to the Church of our Ladie but afterwards a Church being erected there to the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER his sacred bones were translated into it in both which places for the greater testimonie of his vertues manie miraculous cures of diseases were wrought V. A MAD man who lead by the lightnes of his frantick braine A mad man cureed at his tomb ranne wandring vp and downe happened one euening as it were to stūble happily on that place vnawares of the watchmē that kept it and hauing rested there all that night in the
his feete humbly desiring his prayers for the remission of his sinnes The Sainct lifting him vp encouraged him with a familiar exhortation to the conteÌ„pt He connetteth a King to good life of the world the diuine loue of heaueÌ„ with such a liuely moouing discourse that the king receaued wonderfull great cofort thereat and returning againe to his pallace reformed his bad life euer after Manie other miracles are reported to haue been wrought by the meritts of this blessed sainct which exceede our breuitie to relate our discourse hasteneth now towards his death which as it could not come vnto soe holie man in an ill season soe it could not befall him in a better time then it did For the night before his departure hauing had a reuelation of that happie hower he made it knowne vnto the rest of his brethren who with bitter teares witnessed the sorrow they conceaued for the losse of soe good a father and entreated him to appoint one to succeed him in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Monasterie whereunto he willingly consented And on the morrow hauing celebrated The mannâ—r of his death the holy Sacrifice of Masse and receaued the sacred bodie bloud of our lord standing yet at the aultar he sweetly rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deare redeemer without anie apparance of sensuall paine at all After which quiet separation his bodie by the hands of his brethren was reuerently committed to a poore house of clay in the earth and his vnspotted soule freed from her terrene habitation was coÌ„ueyed into the heauenly court of allmightie God by a Sacred Conuoy of celestiall spiritts He florished about the yeare of our lord 459. and died the third day of March in the first weeke of Lent His holy reliques were translated afterwards to S. PETERS Abbey of Benedictin Monks in the cittie of Gaunt in Flanders The memorie of which translation is celebrated the first day of August His life is found written by Joannes Anglicus JOHN Capgraue and other auncient manuscripts sort downe by SVRIVS on t of which me haue gathered it VSVARD MOLANVS doe make mention of him The life of Sainct OWEN Confessor and Monk of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR. 4. Out of venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT OWEN being chief steward of the royall familie of S. ETHELDRED wife to Egfrid King of the Northumbers encreased so excellently in the feruour of vertue that forsaking that princely seruice and all the pleasures and riches he enioyed in the world he putt on poore apparell and went to the monasterie of Lesting where the holy Bishop S. CHAD then liued He brought nothing with him but an axe in his hand to shew that he came not to the monasterie He forsaketh the world to liue idlely as manie doe but to gett his liuing by the labour of his hands which afterwards by his great industrie he prooued for hauing receaued the habitt of a Benedictin monk in the same place by how much his want of learning did disfurnish him of abilitie to meditate on the misteries of the holy scriptures by soe much the more he employed and applied his whole endeauours to serue the monasterie with the labour of his hands But when the holy Bishop S. CHAD remooued his seate to Lichfield he tooke this holy monk along with him and iudged him worthie to be one of those eight whom as we haue sayd in his life he made his more familiar companion in that little retiring place of his deuotions which he built neere adioyning vnto the Church for his more priuate exercise of pietie There S. OWEN being for reuerence and respect of his deuotion numbred a mongst the other brethren when the rest were earnestly busied at their prayers and meditations he laboured abrode in making prouision of such things as were necessarie He was a man of verie great meritts and one who had left the world with a pure intention sincere desire of the eternall reward promised to such as follow the footstepps of CHRIST and his Apostles And therefore he His guift of reuelation was esteemed of allmightie God to be in all things most worthie to whom he might more peculiarly reueale his heauenly secrets being for his sinceritie most worthie to be beleeued in his relations For this cause the glorious vision of the Angelicall troupes which came from heauen with their melodious tunes to bring newes of the neere-approching death of S. CHAD was shewed vnto this holy Monke as he laboured without when the holy Bishop was at his prayers within This you may reade in the life of S. CHAD the second of March And this only testimonie of alimightie Gods particular fauour vnto this holy sainct may serue for a sufficient proofe of his great vertue and sainctitie who after the death of the holy Bishop hauing long exercised him self in the execution of his His happie death pious vocation left the world the second time to receaue an euerlasting reward in heauen for hauing renounced it at first and yielded vp his pure soule into the hands of his most deare redeemer Thus much of him we haue gathered chiefly out of S. BEDES-historie of England Trithemius in his third booke and 118. Chapter of the illustrious men of S. BENEDICTS order and Arnold Wion in his Appendix to his Martirologe doe both make worthy mention of him What day he died it is not knowne The life of Sainct PIRAN Bishop and Confessor MAR. 5. Written by Joannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue SAINCT PIRAN borne in Jreland of a noble race for the loue of God contemned the riches of the world and became an Hermite in the same countrey leading the space of manie yeares a very strict and rigid manner of life by which and his concontinuall preaching and working of manie miracles he drew diuers out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the true fayth of CHRIST He was His vertuous life wonderfull sparing in his diet continuall in watching and prayer and from his very childhood to the hower of his death allwaies employed in reading teaching practising the workes of charitie humilitie coÌ„tinencie all other vertues Being made Priest he omitted noe dutie belonging to that dignitie feeding the hungry cloathing the naked instructing the ignorant restrayning froÌ„ vice moouing to vertue At length he departed out of Jreland came into that part of England called Cornwall where with some others in a poore little habitation he prepared himself for death the hower whereof being The manner of his death partly by a grieuious sicknes of which neuer in his life he had tasted before and partly by a diuine inspiration made knowne vnto him he caused his graue to be opened and entring him self into it yielded vp his blessed soule out of that house of clay to be carried vpp to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same
thy bosome All which and all other thy monuments of antiquitie diuers haue soe largely elegantly learnedly and exactly searched into that there is scarse a stone a marble or a sepulcher extant within thy walles which hath not been particularly noted marked and examined But I would not haue the stick here to long I would not haue thine eyes throughts fixed on these trophies of vanitie I inuite thee to behold more noble and more excellent glories of thine and omiting all other thy only and chiefest ornament thy GREGORY who alone next to the two lights of the world the Apostles excelleth all the rest of thy wonders Nether yet is he thine soe much as Ours too Ours he is indeed not only because he shined vnto as with the bright lustre of his authoritie and vertues as to the rest of the world but allsoe principally because by his disciple S. AVGVSTIN he brought vs out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to see the light of the truth and made vs that were the sonnes of wrath become the children of CHRIST in the vnitie and peace of his Church Thine too he is because in thee he was begotten borne and bred and in thee ennobled with the sacred dignitie of Supreme Pastour of the Christian world Acknowledge therefore this thy great happines thy natiue and domesticque glorie Honour this most generous branch bred out of a noble holy roote And thou wretched England acknowledge likewise the inestimable benefitts receaued from this thy spirituall father and Apostle Looke vpoÌ„ this bright sunne that first sent thee the light of truth haue regard to this thy pious fosterer who first fedd thee with the sweet milke of the ghospel Search exactly into his life workes and actions and euen therein thou shalt see how farre thou hast swerued from that fayth and religion which through his meanes was first planted within thy dominions and which as at that time thou didest embrance for truth soe yet I hope thou art not soe impudent as to denie for such Yf thou find then by the manner of this thy first Apostles life which was euer conformable to his doctrine that the present state of thy life and religion is contrary or other wise mainly differing from that which first he deliuered vnto thee be then most assured that thou hast erred and gone astray from thy first foundation and principles of the true religion which is not can be but one only This life was written in Latin by Pâ—ulâ—s Diaâ—â—nâ—â— a Benedictin Monke aboue 850. yeares agoe and for the antiquitle we haue made choice of it rather then anie other I. GREGORY borne in Rome sonne to Gordian and Siluia descended His byrth and Parents from a noble race of Roman Senatours in whom nobilitie was adorned with religion and religion ennobled with vertue For Felix chief Pastour of the same sea Apostolicque was father vnto his great grandfather and a man of great vertue and integritie and in his time the glorie of CHRISTS Church But yet GREGORY in his pious conuersation manners was an ornament to the great nobilitie of his birth In fine as cleerly afterwards it appeared it was not without some great presage that this name was allotted him for Gregorins in Greeke signifies as much as Vigilant or Watchfull in English His name expounded and in very deed he was Watchfull ouer him self whilst exactely adhering to the commandments of God he led a vertuous laudable life here on earth He was Vigilant ouer the faythfull people of Gods Church when by the force of his fluent doctrine he made plaine vnto them the straight way to heaueÌ„ From a child he was soe well instructed in the liberall sciences that albeit at that time the studie of learning florished much in Rome yet he was iudged second to none in the whole cittie In his age which as yet was but little and vnripe there was a mind full of mature studies and manlike endeauours to witt to stick to the sayings of his ancients and when he heard anle thing worthie of notice he would not by neglect committ it to obliuion but rather commend it to the strongest hould of his memorie Soe that then with a thirsty breast he sucked vpp strea mes of learning which afterwards with a mellifluous voyce he might vtter in due season II. IN the very time of his youth when that age is wont to enter The conuersation of his youth into the dangerous pathes of the world he began to settle him self in deuotion towards God and with all the desires of his heart to aspire to the countrey of euerlasting life But while he defferred the grace of his conuersion somewhat long and thought best after he was inspired with that heauenly desire to hide it vnder his secular apparell and to serue the world as it were in outward shew soe manie difficulties out of that little care of the world arose against him that now he was not detayned therein only in outward shew but allmost in mind too as he him self affirmeth Till as length the death He buildeth manie monasteries of his parents giuing him free scope to dispose of him self and his affaires he made that openly knowne which before lay hid vnder the secrecie of his mind that which before was only in the sight of him that sees all things he manifested now to the publick view of the world For distributing all his teÌ„porall goods in pious workes to the end that in the state of pouertic he might follow CHRIST who for our sakes became poore he built six monasteries in Sicilie furnished theÌ„ with vertuous Monkes to sing the prayses of allmightie God The seauenth he erected within the walles of Rome in which afterwards hauing gathered togeather a great Conuent of Monks forsakesn the Pompe of the world he him self liued in regular discipline vnder the commaund and obedience of an Abbot Vnto these monasteries he allotted soe much yearly rent out of his owne meanes as might suffice each one for necessarie maintenance All the rest of his temporall goods howses and lands he should and dealed the money to the Poore turning hereby by a diuine inspiration all that glory and nobilitie which he seemed to haue in the world to purchase the happines of the euer-florishing cittie of heauen And he that before was wont to walde through the cittie of Rome cloathed in silkes and loaden with glittering gemmes afterwards couered with a poore simple weede became a poore seruant to the poore III. FOR hauing changed his secular apparell he went to the He taketh the habit of a Benedictin Monke monasterie and made a naked escape out of the shipwrack of the world There he began to liue in soe great grace of perfection that euen then in his very beginning he might be reckoned in the number of the perfect Soe that within a while being chosen by the common consent of the Conuent he refused not to vndertake the charge
of Abbott To be short he was soe abstinent in his diet soe vigilant in his prayers and soe vntired in his labour of fasting that out of ouer much weaknes in his stomacke he was searse able to subsist He susteyned besides a continuall sicknes of bodie and chiefly he was grieued with the trouble of that disease which the phistians call Syncopa in Greeke the crueltie whereof soe tormented his vitall parts that being taken with frequent and sudden agonies he seemed euery moment to be readie to yeeld vp the ghost But what manner of man he was in his monasterie and with how commendable an exercise he led his life we may gather out of his owne words which with weeping teares he vttered whē he was Pope His speech to Peter Deacon to Peter his Deacon saying My wretched minde being strucken with the wound of its owne present necessarie imployment remembers in what state it was in the monasterie how all sleeting things then See the happines of a Religious life were subiect vnto it how eminent it was aboue things that were tossed in the world that it was accoustumed to thinke on nothing but heauenly matters that being yet detayned within this body in contemplation it surpassed that inortall prison it self Yea and that which is a punishment allmost to all men it was in loue euen with death it self as being the entrance to life and the reward of labour But now by reason of this heauie pastorall charge it suffers in the affayres of secular men and after soe swcet a sorme of its owne quietnes it is defiled with the dust of worldly busines I consider therefore what J doe endure J consider what J haue lost and when J behould that which J haue lost the burden which I undergoe growes more greuious For now behould Iam tossed in the waues of a huge sea and in the ship of my mind I am dasht and beaten with the stormes of a mightie tempest and whilest J call to my remembrance the tranquillitie of my former life castling back my eyes to what is past J sigh at the sight of the desired shore And which is yet more irksome whilst I am discontentedly tossed in these huge waues I haue scarse the happines to see the hauen which I left Thus he was wont to relate of him self not bragging of his proficiencie in vertues but rather bewayling his deficiencie which he euer feared to runne into through his pastorall charge But allbeit he spake in this manner of him self out of a mind full of profound humilitie it becommeth vs notwithstanding to beleeue that by reason of his pastorall dignitie he lost nothing of his monasticall perfection Yea rather that he receaued thereby a greater aduancement in perfection by his labour in the conuersion of manie then he had in times past in the tranquillitie of his owne priuate contemplation IV. But by what meanes this blessed man was raysed first to the office of Deacon and after to the high dignitie of Chief Bishop the ensuing speech shall declare The Roman Bishop who then gouerned the Church preceauing GREGORIE to clime vp by the degrees of vertue He is made Deacō and the Po pes Legate to the height of perfectiō hauing called him out of his beloued monasterie heraysed the office dignitie of Ecclesiasticall orders made him the seauenth Leuite or Deacon for his assistance and not long after directed him as his legate or Commissarie to the cittie of Constantinople for answeares touching affayres of the Catholicque Church Nether Yet did GREGORY allbeit he were conuersant in a worldly pallace intermitt the purpose of his heauenly manner of life For the diuine prouidence soe ordayned for his greater good that diuers of the Monkes out of an obligation of fraternall loue followed him from the monasterie to the end that by their example as a shippe with Anchor he might be stayed at the pleasing shoare of prayer and contemplation and that whilest he was tossed with the continuall blowes of secular affayres he might flie to their companie as to the bosone of a most sure hauen after the volumes and waues of his worldly imployment And allthought that office with the sword of his externe labours now being abstracted from his monasterie despoyled him of his former tranquillitie of life notwithstanding among them the aspiration of his dayly remorse through the discourse of their earnest reading did giue him new courage of life Therfore by the companie of these he was not only fenced from worldly assaults but allsoe enkindled more and more to the exercises of a heauenly life Then at the earnest request of those his brethren and chiefly of that Venerable man LEANDER Archbishop He writteth moralls vppon Iob. of Siuill who at that time was come legate to Constantinople in the cause of the Visigothes he was compelled to explicate the booke of holy Iob soe intricate in misteries Nether had he the power to denie a worke which at the request of charitie brotherly loue did impose vppon him for the profitt of manie but in a course of thirtie fiue bookes he throughly instructed vs how the same booke of Iob is to be vnderstood litterally how to be applied to the hidden misteries of CHRIST and his Church and in what sense it may be fitted to euery Christian in particular In which worke of his he discourseth after such an admirable manner of vertues and vices that he seemeth not only to expresse those things in naked words only but after a manner to demonstrate them in visible formes Wherefore there is noe doubt but he had truly attayned to the perfection of the vertues them selues whose effects with soe much efficacie he was able to declare V WHILST yet he remayned in the same Royall cittie of Constantinople He ouerthroweth the heresie of Eutichius by the assistant grace of the Catholick truth he ouerthrew a new budding heresie of the state of Resurrection in the verie first appearance and beginning of it For indeed Eutichius Bishop of the same cittie held an opinion that our bodies in the glorie of the later resurrection should be impalpable and more subtile then ether the wind or ayre Which S. GREGORIE vnderstanding he prooued both by force of reason and truth and the example of our Lords resurrection that this assertion was wholly opposite to the doctrine of the Catholicque fayth which houldeth that this our verie bodie raysed in the glorie of the resurrection shall indeed not only be subtile by reason of its spirituall power but palpable allsoe to shew the truth of the nature according to the example of our Lords body of which raysed from death him self sayd to his disciples Palpate videte quin spiritus Luc 24. v. 39. carnem ossa non habet sicut me videtis habere Feele and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue For the assertion of this the Venerable Father of our faith GREGORY fought
corespondencie of his vertuous life and actions And in all things shewed him self worthie of soe noble soe vertuous an vncle and soe excellent a master This done he returned to S. GERMAN with whom he had not stayed long before he reuealed vnto him an earnest desire he had to goe to Rome the fountaine and head of all true religion and Ecclesiasticall discipline S. GERMAN He goeth to Rome approued his good purpose and gaue him all the furtherance he could for his iourney But by the way he chanced to meete with an holy Hermite who gaue him a staffe which was sayd to haue been in the sacred hands of IESVS-CHRIST and by vertue of this staffe he wrought manie miracles afterwards and it was held in great veneration among the Irish and is to this day by the name of Iesus-staffe But S. PATRICK being safely arriued at Rome was very honourably entertayned by Pope Celestin the first who then gouerned the sea Apostolique and finding him to be of a most perfect approoued fayth learning and vertue first gaue him the name of PATRICK for before he was called Suchar or Suchet and hauing inuested him with episcopall dignitie afterwards he sent him to preach the fayth of CHRIST He is sent to Preach in Ireland to the rude inhabitans of Ireland Not long before he had sent thither for the same purpose one Paladius his ArchdeacoÌ„ but the Jrishmen refusing to receaue him and his doctrine he was forced to returne back to Rome and afterwards comming into England died in the confines of the Picts Therefore S. PATRICK not only succeeded him in that holy embassage and labour but farre exceeded him in the fruict he reaped out of both And truely the workes and miracles which are reported of him in the conuersion of that countrey are soe manie soe infinite and some soe beyond the degrees of admiration that they seeme allmost to be beyond fayth too At lest they are farre beyond the limitts of this short treatise and therefore I wittingly omitt the greatest part of them not that I thinke theÌ„ voyd of all truth God forbid but because some are reported with ouermuch pietie or credulitie and by such authours at first whose names are vnknowne and consequently their testimonie cannot carrie his iust weight in the ballaÌ„ce of true historie But before we enter into S. PATRICKS preaching in IrelaÌ„d let the great S. HIEROME tell vs what manner of men he had to deale with That nation sayth he had The rudenes of the Irish poeple not proper wines but as yf they had read PLATOS Policie and followed the example of CATO like beasts they satiated their lust according aâ— euerie one thought best He likewise affirmeth that he him self being in FraÌ„ce had seene lib. 2. contra Jouin. cap. 6. those poeple cate mans Flesh and that they were wont when they did light on shepheards that kept their flocks in woods and desert places to cutt of the buttocks of men and the paps of woemen affirming those to be the only delights of all other meates Noe wonder then that it pleased allmightie God to shew such strange signes and miracles by S. PATRICK as soe manie necessarie instrumeÌ„ts to worke the coÌ„uersion of that rude fierce barbarons poeple whose iron hearts could not be mollified but in the powerfull flames of wonderfull great vertue and sainctitie III. S. PATRICK therefore and his fellowes coming a shore amongst this rude poeple in the north part of the CouÌ„trey called Vlâ—ter found His entraÌ„ce into Ireland a multitude of Pagans expecting his arriuall come to meet him For their Magitians Negromancers had foretould his coming before and therefore the chief king of the Countrey Leogarie by name had prouided that watch thinking to make his entring into the Iland his goeing out of the world Against whom presently that dogged crew lett loose a cruell mastiffe to giue the gripes of death vnto the holy Bishop But the doggâ— forgetting his wonted fiercenes was strucken soe dumbe and starke at the sight of the holy maÌ„ that he stood like a stone without anie shew of motion giuing an euident token that his setters on who worshiped Idols of stone were like the Gods they worshiped Which being perceaued by one Dichu One Dichu endeauoureth to kill S. Patrick a man of mightie strength and stature he straight lifted vp his sword to giue the holy man his death But his strength became feeblenes hauing the force of the Allmightie opposing it for his arme and whole bodie grew in a moment soe stiffe that he could nether moue his foote to goe on nor bring downe the Dichu coÌ„uerâ—ed by miracle threatning blow he intended Wherevppon by the preaching of saint PATRICK he presently became a new man renounced his Idolatrie and was washed in the sacred font of baptisme togeather with all his familie Soe that he who in that Prouince was the greatest and chiefest impugner of Christianitie became the ring-leader and first professour thereof and constantly remayned in the same whilest he liued And as at that time his soule was released out of the bonds of sinne soe likewise all the parts of his bodie were restored againe to the function of their wonted strength and vigour Therefore he gaue vnto saint PATRICK as an argument of his newly conceaued deuotion to Christian religion that land with the appurtenances where this miracle happened to build a new Church thereon and this Church according to the desire of Dichu was not built from East to west as the manner is but from North to south perhapps that from the Northerne coldnes of Paganisme those Idolaters might be incited by the misterie of this edifice to the meridiaÌ„ feruour of Christian fayth and charitie In this place afterwards S. PATRICK built a famous monasterie into which he introduced a conuent of perfect monks and ordayned S. DVNNE his disciple abbot thereof with whom he him self returning from his labour of preaching was wont somes times to remayne IV. AS ONCE he celebrated the diuine sacrifice of masse in the same Church a wicked Magitian malitiously thrusting a loÌ„g rodd in at the window ouerturned his chalice and shed the most pretious Ransom of our Redemption vppon the aultar Whereat the holy man being exceedingly troubled grieued in mind burst out into teares wheÌ„ on the suddeÌ„ behould by the diuine handy work of God the chalice A magitiaÌ„ miracuâ—ously punished appeared againe standing vpright in the place before him and noe â—igne could be seene on the aulthar clothes of that diuine offring But the diabolicall worker of that mischieuous act escaped not a iust punishment for his temeritie for at the same instant the earth it self as it were wearie and ashamed to carrie such a hellish monster opened her bowells and swallowed him vp aliue to send him to his grand-master of darknes in hell And in the same place as a token of Gods reueÌ„ge there remayned a hollow
learning a rare thing in their sex they writt manie spirituall and consolatorie workes which enuious time hath suffered to perish but some epistles of theirs and specially one to S. ALCVINE and his answer therevnto are extant amongst his workes The inscription of his to them is thus To the most noble in holines of Christian religion the most deuoted to the studie of wisedome the two Virgins consecrated to God Gisla his sister and RICTRVDE his daughter the humble Brother and Father ALCVINE wisheth the health of perpetuall Blessednes At length these holy Virgins after the long exercise of vertue and good workes est this world toreceiue the crowne of their virginitie in heauen amongst that glorious quire of other holy Benedictine Nunnes They florished about the yeare 770. in the raigne of Alrick King of Kent Thus much we haue taken out of Nicholas Harpsfield soec 8. c. 6. Arnould Wion Iohn Pitts de scrip Aug. an 770. and others S. GVTHLACVS MONACHVS ET EREMITA ORD S. Benedicti April 11. 〈◊〉 f. The life of S. GVTHLAKE Priest and Anacherite of the holy order of S. Benedict APR. 11. Written by Felix a Benedictin monk of Croyland THE WORTHIE seruant of IESVS-CHRIST Saint GVTHLAKE borne of noble parents Guthlakes Parents Pâ—nwald and Tecta descended lineally from the royall stemme of the Mercian Kings but he ennobled his princely progeniture with the nobilitie and spendour of religion and vertues Which his future excellencie and incomparable vertue a strainge and admirable presage seemed to make knowne and A strange apparition at his abyrth manifest at his verie byrth For the same hower that his mother lay in child-bed of this holy offspring a fayre yellow hand as it were of a man appeared by the crosse which stoodâ— opposite to her house casting forth wonderfull beames of brightnes And when the poeple of the countrey flocked togeather in great troupes to behould that miraculous apparition the same hand made the signe of the Crosse on the house doore of the labouring woeman presently vanished A happy signe precursour of his birth foreshewing that in his life time he should allwaies carrie in his bodie the peanance of Christs holy crosse But the multitude of poeple much astonished amazed at this vnacustomed spectacle began as the manner is with diuers and doubtfull opinios to wauer in their sundrie expositions of that diuine miracle the greatest part affirming that surely it betokened some great heauenly misterie when the mid wiue came forth with newes that the child for whose sake that wonder appeared was borne In baptisme he was named GVTHLAKE and during the time of his childhood he appeared to beare in a cleere louing countenance soe gratefull and acceptable a grace that his sole looks were of force sufficient to purchase loue in the minds hearts of all men II. AT THE age of twentie fower yeares he began verie hotly to follow and practise the noble acts of militarie discipline to defend him self and his whole race against the aduersaries which tooke head against them and being sett forth in warlick ornaments and hauing mustered togeather some troupes of souldiers he began cruelly to He giueth him self to the warres in his youth inuade his enemies to besiege to wâ—es to ouerthrow castles in soemuch that out of his worthie deeds of armes he purchased to him self manie titles trophies and monuments of fame throughout the countrey But in the midest and heate of all this crueltie he was not soe farre corrupted with a desire of militarie glorie but euen in that blouddie kind of life he gaue some fignes of true pietie for oftentimes he would restore back the third part of his spoiles to those he had vanquished thereby ouercoming his enemies the second time with curtesie as before he had done with the sword At leÌ„gth calling to mind by a diuine inspiration the lamentable ends of manie great kings and princes of his ancestors and considering that the secular pompe of the world is but as a puffe of smoake and a vapour quickly vanishing and remembring the shortnes of mans daies the vneertaintie of his death the terrour of his departure out of this life the seueritie of Gods tribunall and the eternitie of the paines in the life to come he resolued to giue ouer that course of life and calling his fellow souldiers togeather he bad them adiew in these words Hitherunto my deare friends I haue waged warre in the regiment of the worlds vanities froÌ„ hence forth I am determined to beare armes only vnder the ensignes of IESVS-CHRIST our true and dearest captaine Choose your selues an other leader whose colours ye may follow for I will follow the banner of our Lords holy Crosse sainctified in his pretions bloud And noe reasons nor prayers being able to turne him from this pious resolution he cast of his martiall armes and went to the famous monasterie of Benedictin monkes at Ripendown in the Kingdom of Mercia where hauing taken the habitt He becometh a Benedictine monk of a monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT he entred into a verie strict and seuere manner of life depriuing him self not only of the superfluous but allmost of the necessarie vse of meate drinke and sleepe The Psalmes himnes and other knowledge of holy scripture he learned with a wonderfull facilitie within the space of two yeares He was of a pleasant couÌ„tenance humble in his behauiour and gate religious and full of the feare of God in his workes coÌ„stant in fayth His manner of life in the monasterie perseuerant in hope abounding in charitie prouidet in his counsell and verie circomspect mild in his words And liuing amongst his brethren he imitated the diligent laborious bee which auoyding all infectious weeds sucks whatsoeuer is good and profitable out of all the sweet flowers round about and brings it to her hiue For as he highly detested all manner of vice soe he striued and endeuoured with a great contention of mind to expresse in him self not only one but all the good manners and vertues of those with whom he liued Therefore whatsoeuer was excellent or notable in each of theÌ„ he heaped it all to him self the learning of one the continencie of an other this mans pacience the others submission humilitie the silence of some the strict diet of others and their night and day watchings and in a word he ranked into him self alone a goodly traine or lift of all others vertues and pious actions III. Now when he had made good triall of him self for the space of two yeares and shewed a worthie example of vertue and holines in that excellent schoole of religion he beganne to aspire His desire of a solitarie life to a higher manner of perfection being taken with a wonderfull desire of an eremiticall and solitarie life Therefore hauing communicated his purpose with his Abbott and brethren with their good leaue and well-wishes he was dismissed to his
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
the way to purchase a crowne by flying out of the lists of the battle Or how can he glorie in the prize of the victorie who would not runne to the end of the race To whom when the bishop had answeared that he did not flie but obeyed the commaund of heauens messenger This was not a message from God replied the other but a false inuention of the deuils malice who did not soe much desire to educe thee out of prison as to seduce thee being out For he is shrewdly netled with the pious workes of thy life past and to see thee allwaies enioy the present consolation of the holy Ghost in all thy afflictions whose presence giueth constancie to all men constancie getts victorie and victorie purchaseth euerlasting glorie Returne theÌ„ to the place deputed to thee from aboue to obtaine thee a crowne and know that to morrow our heauenly father will honour thee in heauen with that eternall happines to liue with his sonne for euer XII Now that Sainct ELPHEGVS was brought back to the Againe he is cruelly tormented place of his triall with great ioy he expected the hower wherein he should receaue the crowne of martirdom But being come neere to the prison gate he was apprehended by a troupe of those butchers who hauing cruelly beaten him with stripes and hurt his braine with greuious blowes vppon the head lockt him vpp in a prison allmost half dead where euery hower of the night they cast on a fier made of purpose whatsoeuer they could imagine would yeeld the filthiest stink and smoake to annoy the holy man in that close roome But a good part of the night being past the gates of heauen opened and those glorious spirits began to be compartners in The Saincts come to visitt him his suffrings and to breath forth the sweet odours of eternall life resounding with their melodious voyces himmes of celestiall ioy and melodie Whom as S. ELPHEGVS heard and considered to the great comfort of his painfull soule he beheld saint DVNSTAN late Archbishop of Canturbury glorious in countenance and habitt asisting amongst them who stretching forth his hand spake to him in these words To thee ô Inuincible Champion of our eternall King to honour thee with our dutie we come sent from him who hath graunted thee victorie ouer thine enemies and prepared thee an euer-florishing crowne in heauen Behould what companie thou shalt perpetually enioy after this mortall life the citizens of our heauenly Hierusalem and the most glorious domestiks of God yf thou ouercome with patience what remaines to be suffered for the loue of CHRIST For we haue beheld the manifold labours of the cittie the burning of the Churches the slaughter of our children thy chaines and reproches and the redoubling of thy torments after benefitts bestowed vppon them Armed then with the power of heauen doe thou willingly vndergoe what remaines knowing that the suffrances of this time are not Rom. 8. wort ie of the future glorie which shall be reuealed in vs. For the time of torment is but one day and that a short one too but that of rewarde is infinite and without anie end Take good courage then and fight manfully to obtaine the eternall glory promised to those that for the loue of God ouercome the world At these words those glorious spirits vanished XIII IN THE meane time his fetters chaines fell off and all his sores All his wounds are healed miraculously and wounds were perfectly healed When it was an excellent sight to behould ELPHEGVS singing with those heauenly quiristers and reioycing amongst their ioyes But the next morning had noe sooner made a glorious shew of a good meaning but he was led out of prison with an armed band of souldiers and carried ca horseback to receiue his sentence before the iudgement seate of impious tiranny Where this choise was giuen him Eyther pay gould for thy ransom or this day thou shalt be made a miserable spectacle to the world I offer you answeared he with an vndaunted courage the gould of diuine wisedom which warnes you to leaue the vanitie you His indgement loue soe dearly and turne the whole care and endeuour of your minds to the true seruice of the only liuing God which diuine counsell soe oâ—en proposed yf yet obstinately yee despise to follow yee will perish by a worle death then euer Sodom did nether shall you or your succession take anie long-during roote in this land At these words those officers of hell leaped furiously vppon him and hauing beaten him with their halberds to the ground they began to lay aâ— him with stones and whatsoeuer else came to hand Whilst he being gott vppon his knees powred out this prayer to allmightie God O IESVS-CHRIST only sonne of the eternall father who camest into this world through the womb of the imaculate Virgin MARIE to saue sinners receiue my soule in peace and haue mercie on these my tormentors with that he was stricken flatt to the ground but rising againe he went on O good Pastour O only Pastour defend the children of thy Church which with a dying voice I recommend vnto thy diuine care Then one called Thrum whom the day before he had confirmed ranne violently vppon him and with a cruell blow fastened his mercilesse axe in his sacred head whereby that conquering spiritt was sett at libertie to receaue a glorious and triumphant crowne of martirdom in heauen But the Princes of the Danes desiring to hide the wickednes of their owne fact and darken the lustre of the Martirs glorie decreed to drowne He goeth to heauen a martir his dead bodie in the riuer supposing thereby that the foulnes of their crime would soe much the more easily be kept close by how much the more the memorie of the Sainct was blotted out of the minds of the poeple But what the Danes intended for his reproche CHRIST turned to his glorie For all that multitude of poeple which by his preaching had renounced their errours stood vp in armes for his defence choosing rather to accompanie him in death then to suffer his dead bodie by whose meanes while it liued they had receaued the ablution of life to be buried in the vnsatiable A controsie about his bodie gulph of the waters Therefore that sacred relique being a cause of controuersie betweene two poeple of disageeing opinions remayned vnburied and vndrowned But the consellours of both parties meeting in the euening with the force of reason to decide the cause of that contention it was concluded by common consent of both sides ioyntly to make intercession to the Sainct him self that yf he were of anie power or estimation before the face of allmightie God he would shew the strength of his authoritie in the decision of this doubtfull question Behould sayd the impious Danes a bough cutt from its nourishing stock depriued both of barke and moisture yf this embrewed in ELPHEGVS his bloud shall appeare the next
morning florishing in the greene weeds of summer it shall be graunted that we haue putt to death a iust and holy man and you shall haue power to burie him with as much honour as you please But yf this wood remaine drie and withered as now it is it shall be lawfull for vs to say that you haue been blind in your affection towards him and it shall be in our power to dispose of his bodie as we think best XIV THE condition being willingly accepted on both sides to A notable miracle the end it might manifestly appeare to the world that S. ELPHEGVS his death was not a death but a beginning of a better life that withered branch in the space of one night began to florish and wax greene and allbeit it were planted in the ground but the euening before yet it was found adorned with the greene liueries of spring the next morning Whereuppon their obstinate minds beginning to relent they stroue to preuent one and other with embracing and kissing the dead bodie humbly bowing downe their stubborne necks and bathing his deaths-wounds with the flouds of their repentant tears Therefore his bodie being lifted on the shoulders of his enemies was caried in triumph to the new borne tree as to the florishing trophie of his glorie accompanied in the way with allmost innumerable miracles sent from heauen as testimonies of his cause and goodnes For the sick receaued their health the blind their sight the deafe their hearing the dumb their speech and the Manie miracles lame the perfect vse of their limmes And in a chappell of deuotion built ouer him in the same place manie of the Danish nobilitie became ennobled with the Christian fayth and new borne in the sacred font of baptisme But when the Londoners vnderstood all these passages they obtayned by the meanes of a summe of money which commaunds all things to haue his sacred reliques transported to London where by the hands of the bishops Ednoth of Lincolne and Alfhune of London it was verie honorably interred in the Cathedrall Church of saint PAVL This Blessed Sainct was martired the ninteenth day of Aprill being the saturday after Easterday in the yeare of our Lord one hundred and twelue the seau nth yeare of his bishoprick in Canturburie and fiftie ninth yeare of his age But God the allmightie defender The diuine punishmeÌ„t of his murderers of his seruants shewed soe great examples of reuengefull punishment against the authours of his death that one of the captaines was the blouddie cause of his one death an other cutt his owne throate to auoyde further inconuenience a priest that hid the holy Martirs crosse was crossed out of this life with the sword and one of the same function that presumed to weare the holy Saincts pantafles was before all the poeple cruelly tormented by the deuill And soe horrible a terrour seazed on all the Dauish princes that not daring to trust them selues on the footing of the lands they would needs aduenter their lines at sea immagening there to escape the holy Martirs anger whom the earth could not keepe in safetie from it But they found the sea a farre more implacable element to suffer such impieties for they were noe sooner launched into the deepes but the blustering winds raysed such tumults in those floting Kingdomes that of an hundred and threescore fayle all suffered shipwrack excepting threescore and fiue ships which being driuen to strainge countreys all the men were miserably slaine by the inhabitans who tooke them for spies sent to inuade their dominions But the wicked ringleader of mischief Turkill stayed a while in England to play the Pirate likely at length to become a prey to the damned spiritts XV. FOR NOT long after Canutus King of the Danes came Turkill worthyly punished with a great nauie into England where falling out with Turkill for some wicked and perfidious actions of his he destroyed the whole remnant of his impious adherents and followers and compelled the Captaine him self to flie with six sayle into Denmarke where being suspected by the princes to become an authour of some ciuill dissentions and broiles he was persecuted all ouer the countrey till at length being murdered by the base common poeple his soule was sent to the rewards of her impietie and his bodie throwne into the open fields to be buried in the gutts of rauens and wild beasts But after this Canutus perceiuing his poeple to be continually slaine by the English armie and finding that the neighbourhood of necessitie coÌ„pelled him to think of yeelding he consulted with some of the wisest Englishmen that had fled to him for refuge to knowe what might be the cause of those manie mischances that had befallen him they all with one voyce sayd that it was according to the prophesie of the holy Martir S. ELPHEGVS who in his afflictions by the Danes his predecessours foretould that they should take noe sure roote in the kingdom of England but should perish by a worse death then Sodom Now therefore sayd they yf thou desire to pacifie that holy Sainct during the time of thy raigne promise him that thy affayres succeeding well thou wilt cause his sacred reliques to be honorably transported to his owne archiepiscopall seate of Canturbury and buried Canâ—tus promiseth to trauslate his bodie to Canturbury there amoÌ„gst his predecessours Which promise faythfully made by Canntus hauing within a while obtayned peace after peace the owne half of the kingdom and after the half the whole was as faythfully performed For tenne yeares after the holy martirs death Canutus sent for Egelnoth Archbishop of Canturbury who coming to London weÌ„t directly to the Cathedrall Church of S. PAVL where the king presently gaue him the meeting and declared that the cause why he sent for him was to make vse of his authoritie and counsell in the translation of S. ELPHEGVS his bodie to Canturbury XVI THE Archbishop much amazed at the breath of this proposition answeared that surely his maiestie had not taken mature deliberation and considered sufficiently the reasons and grounds of aduenturing on soe great an enterprise And moreouer that for his part he feared lest he would be torne in peeces by the Londoners who would rather loose their liues then be depriued of soe great a treasure and Patrone And you see sayd he further that we haue here only our selues and two Monks and the stone that couers his monument is of that weight and bignes that some yoake of oxen are scarse able to mooue it But the king armed with the shield of a most inuincible fayth answeared that Gods and the holy Martirs assistance yf that translation were pleasing vnto them would not be wanting in a time of such necessitie Therefore the labour was committed to those two monks one of them was called Alsward in times past of familiar acquaintance A strange mâ—racle with S. DVNSTAN and the other Godrick with Egelnoth now present But for
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
is made bishop of Lindisfarne of the Benedictine familie Great S. CVTHBERT in the gouernment of the same Episcopall sea In which dignitie he most worthyly discharged the office of a good prelate exactly obseruing withall the rigour and seueritie of monasticall discipline He was wont to spend the whole time of lent and fortie daies before the natiuitie of our Lord in a secret place seperated from his Church where he exercised him self in the continuall practise of prayer contemplation and bitter penance with all other religious vertues And this was the same place in which his excellent predecessour S. CVTHBERT had for a time led a solitarie life before he went to the Island of Farne The eleuenth yeare after the deposition of the neuer-enough named S. CVTHBERT when the monks of Lindissarne opening His death and buriall his graue had found his bodie vncorrupted as is sayd in his life the twentith of March they brought part of his cloathes to saint EADBERT then liuing in his solitarie place of deuotion which he both receaued verie gratefully and reuerenced with wonderfull affection And sayd he let that sacred bodie be wrapped in new cloathes in steed of those you haue taken off and place it honourably in the shrine which you haue prepared for most certainly I know that the graue which his holy relicks haue consecrated with such admirable miracles will not long be emptie of an inhabitant And how happie is that man to whom our Lord the Authour and bestower of all happines shall voutchase to make worthie to rest therein These and such like words the holy bishop vttered with a trembling tongue whilst the teares that trickled downe his cheekes witnessed the feeling compunction of his heart The monks presently performed his commaund and placed the sacred bodie of S. CVTHBERT in a chest ouer the sepulcher wherein he had been buried In the meane time the beloued seruant of God S. EADBERT desiring of allmightie God that for better satisfaction of his former life he might passe out of this world through His death and buriall the parching furnace of a long-during sicknes fell into a most greeuous disease which encreased dayly more and more for the space of more then a moneth when the vehemencie was soe great that it forced his blessed soule to leaue her mortall lodging to make a happie flight to the immortall habitation of happines the sixt day of May. And out of the prerogatiue of his great Sainctitie he was iudged worthie to be buried in the graue which his predecessor S. CVTHBERT had consecrated eleuen yeares with his incorrupted bodie and soe aliue he became S. CVTHBERTS successour in the episcopall Sea and in his sepulcher being dead Where Venerable BEDE affirmeth that he shined with same of working manie miracles But whether they were wrought by his meritts or saint CVTHBERTS whose bodie was placed in a chest ouer the same graue it can be iudged by none but him who searcheth the hearts and reines of all men whose name be for euer blessed He died in the yeare of our Psal 9. Lord 698. Besides S. BEDE whom we haue followed William Malmesbury Molanus Nicholas Harpsfield and the Roman martirologe 〈◊〉 honourable mention of S. EADBERT The life of S. IOHN of Beuerley Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 7. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 5. c. 2. 〈◊〉 SAINCT IOHN surnamed of Beuerley borne of noble English parents in the north parts of great Britaine was sent in his youth to Canturbury to be instructed by the two Oracles of Learning and vertue S. THEODORE the Archbishop and S. ADRIAN Abbott of the Benedictine Abbey of S. PETER in the same cittie In this holy schoole of vertue and learning IOHN not only profitted in the knowledge of holy scripture and good manners but allsoe was kindled with a desire to embrace the same monasticall rule of S. BENEDICT which his masters professed And to this end hauing soundly perfected his vnderstanding with learning he departed to His Inclination to a religious life the Benedictine Abbey of Streanshall where putting on the habitt and profession of a Monk he both exercised him self in the perfection of monasticall discipline and greatly promoted the obseruance of S. BENEDICTS rule which great S. WILFRID had introduced into the same monasterie Moreouer the worth of his learning is worthly witnessed by the excellencie of his schollers amongst whom were S. BRITHVNE afterwards Abbot of Beuerley S. WILFRID the Lesser that succeeded him in the Archbishoprick of Yorke both Benedictine monkes and aboue all the glorie and ornament of his Countrey and the Benedictine order Venerable BEDE all which with others saint IOHN not only instructed in diuine and humane knowledge and incited to pietie with his godly admonitions but allso inflamed them much more with the example of his owne life and vertue to vndertake the high iourney of religious perfection He bore a singular affection to S. BEDE whom when he was bishop he aduanced to the dignitie of deaconship and priestood Alfred King of the Northumbers moued with the fame He is made Bishop of Hagustald of this holy mans Sainctitie made him successour to Eata in the Episcopall sea of Hagustald otherwise called Hexham But after the death of Bosa he was translated to the Archiepiscopall chayre of Yorke In which sacred function he performed his dutie with gâ—eâ— praise and admiration of all When all the minds and eyes of England were fixed wholly vppon him both for his excellent vertue and equallie rare learning as allsoe for his wonderfull and miraculous deeds which worthily witnessed the pietie of his life and conuersation II. BVT during the time of his regencie in the Church of Hagustald or Hexham at a place somwhat more then a mile distant from His retired life in Lent thence in a chappell dedicated to S. MICHAEL he went often times and specially in time of Lent to leade a solitarie and contemplatiue life seperated froÌ„ the affayres of the world attending only to things diuine and heauenly Beginning this holy exercise on a time he conmaunded his companions as his custom was to seeke him out some poore creature more miserable then ordinarie whoÌ„ he might maintaine there with the charitie of his dayly almes They brought him a poore boy dum-borne with a cappe of scabbes and scurffe on the topp of his head insteed of hayre about which grew a thinne hedge of frighted hayres the sight whereof begott an horrour in the behoulders The holy bishop much reioyced that he had found soe fitt a subiect vpon whoÌ„ to exercise his accustomed office of charitie caused presently a little lodging to be built within the precinct of his owne habitation where that wretched pouertie was dayly refreshed with the stipend of his pietie But the first weeke of Lent See the vertue of the signe of the Crosse being past he commaunded them to bring the poore man
holy virgin and courteously saluted her rauished with the beautifull beames of her fayre face he began with these sugred words to batter her pious resolution DIMPENA my onely daughter my loue my desire my All what necessitie moued thee soe to contemne the royall dignitie of thy natiue countrey to liue amongst strangers and soe to forgett all filiall loue as to forsake a king thy father and follow this decrepite old Priest obeying his commaundements as his daughter Why hast thou thus despised the royall court who art the only heyresse of the Kingdom of Ireland after thy father Be ruled therefore by my counsell and returne againe into thy countrey with vs for yf thou wilt but consent to thy fathers affections thy head shall be crowned with a royall diadem and thou shalt haue soueraigntie ouer all the princes matrones and Virgins of my kingdom Moreouer I will giue thee a place amongst the Goddesses and cause a temple of white marble to be built into which an image of thy beautie curiously wrought of gould and pretious stones shall be sett to be adored of all the countrey To these words as the holy Virgin thought to answere the venerable Priest Gereberne tooke the word out of her Gereberne reprehendâ— the king mouth and verie sharply rebuked the king with the titles of most wicked and abominable wretch in that he desired incestuously to defile his owne daughter a thing scarse euer within the thoughts of the most lasciuious lechers of the world Admonishing allsoe the then trembling Virgin not to consent to this filthy king lest she should incurre the indignation of the eternall king her spouse whose sweetnes she had allreadie tasted Hereat the king and all his followers pronounced the sentence of death against Gereberne as the authour of the flight and subuersion of Dimpna Therefore with great furie they drew him out of her sight and with their swords cutt him into peeces whereby he Gereberne is martired receaued the glorious crowne of martirdom for the defence of iustice V. THE KING hauing satisfied his furie on the bodie of this holy martir returned againe to his daughter and with a pleasing countenance began againe to perswade her to yeeld to his desire vsing all the reasons and arguments in loues Logick to winne her all which were but as soe manie arrowes shott against a fayre marble for the holy virgin retorted them with S. Dimpna answereth her father these words Wherefore thou vnhappie Tyrant doest thou endeauour with thy wilie promises to peruert me from my holy purpose of chastitie Doest thou thinke thou wretch that I will betray my deare spouse CHRIST IESVS and giue vp my bodie to be possessed by an other Thy princely delights I contemne desiring with my whole soule to obtayne the promises of my heauenly spouse which farre excell all other desires and in comparison hereof I disdaine to be adored in thy countrey as a Goddesse therefore vrge me noe more with these vaine friuolous speeches Then the kings lust turned into furie and his loue into a deadly hate the more he found the feruour of Christian religion to boyle in the brest of his daughter the more fiercely he endeauoured to peruert her And doe not think sayd he to wearie and delude me with thy vaine answers eyther suddenly graunt what I aske or expect to feele the smart of thy fathers anger as thy impostour Gereberne hath done who hath lost his head for the libertie of his tongue VI. WHEREFORE replied she most cruell tyrant hast thou slaine the beloued seruant of God Gereberns in whom thy malice could find noe fault Surely thou shalt not escape the iudgement of allmightie God for this foule act thy Gods and Goddesses I detest and wholly committ my self to the protection of IESVS CHRIST He is my spouse my glorie my health and my only desire Torture me kill me cutt me in peeces I am readie to suffer ioyfully for his sake all the studied cruelties thou canst imagine or inuent It was noe more hate and furie but rage and madnes that now possessed the soule of that miserable king hearing these words from his daughter whom presently he commaunded to be beheadded But all his companie fearing to execute his Dimpâ—a martired by her father cruell commaundment on soe fayre a subject him self quite forgeting all royall nobilitie and clemencie with his owne hands armed with his owne sword cutt off his owne daughters head who when his cruell arme bent that deadly blow against her coursgiously implored and recoÌ„mended her soule to the diuine goodnes which by that cruelly-happie separation was receaued into the heauenly pallace with the glorie of virginitie wayting on the triumph of martirdom O barbarous crueltie of the father I Oglorious triumph of the virgin The father was not ashamed to defile his hands in the bloud of his daughter and she was ioyfull to winne by that meanes the possession of a neuer ending glorie VII THE murderer with his followers returned into his countrey leauing the bodies of those holy martirs in the fields to be deuoured with wild beasts and fowles but CHRIST the king and crownâ— of his martirs did not permitt them to be torne whilst they lay exposed to the open ayre hauing at length stirred vpp some oâ— the adioyning inhabitants who moued with compassion buried their bodies in a caue where our Lord began straight to magnifie their glorie with manie great miracles which were dayly done in that place This gaue occasion to the neighbours thereabouts Miracles at her tomb to seeke those holie reliques and hauing digged deepe in the ground they found two tombs of pure white marble allbeit that countrey yeelds noe stones but what are black and browne and to shew that it was the worke of angels the marble was soe curiously wrought that both the tombs seemed to be of the same peece allthough they were seperated one from the other This miracle encreased the fayth and deuotion of the poeple that flocked thither from all partes to obtaine their health and other fauours of God by the intercession of these holy martirs which were verie liberally bestowed vppon them Afterwards the bodie of S. GEREBERNE was carried to Xaintes and and S. DIMPNAS remayned at Ghole the place of her martitdom till after some yeares the Bishop of Camâ—ray accompained with all his Clergie and an innumerable multitude of poeple translated Translation of her bodie her sacred reliques out of the tomb of marble into a shrine of siluer guilt and adorned with manie pretious stones the fifteenth day of May her martirdom was the thirtith of the same about the yeare of our Lord 600. At this time when the sepulcher was opened they found on the breast of saint DIMPNA a pretious stone like a rubie in which was written DIMPNA VIRGIN AND MARTIR VIII WHO can reade this life without amazement in acknowledging the frailtie and miserie of a man that should fall into such Consideration
cannot come this day to the desired place yee inuite mee The Saincts finding his hindrance reasonable bad him be readie prouided against the saturday following to enioy their companie sing with them Holy Holy Holy for euer DVNSTAN promised he would and those glorious spirits vanished out of his sight A holy Priest named Elfgar was at the same The witnes of his vision time made participant of this heauenly vision who afterwards became a faythfull witnes thereof vnto the world XXII THEREFORE S. DVNSTAN acknowledging that the time of his death was at hand and being secure of his eternall happines piously reioyced in our Lord and was replenished with a spicituall mirth towards all men And now the hower of the diuine office was come when the holy Bishop went ioyfully to the Aultar to sacrifice the Sonne of God to his eternall Father The Church was filled with a greater multitude of poeple then euer drawne thither by I know not what instinct as it were to heare some strange newes that had not been spoken off before Therefore the Ghospell at Masse being sung the Bishop went to preache vnto the The excellencie of his â—ast sermon poeple when the holy Ghost gouerning his heart and tongue he spoke more excellently then euer he had done before Then returning to the aultar he finished that dreadfull sacrifice and being come to the Benediction at the end of Masse which by bishops is more solemnly giuen he went againe into the pulpit where soe admirably he treated of the reall presence of the future resurrection of our bodies of the ioies of euerlasting life that one vnacquainted The reall presence with him before would haue iudged those words to haue proceded from the mouth of an Angell This done he returned to the aultar and solemnly gaue the poeple his benediction But being much wounded in his mind with a pious feare lest his dearest friends and children being strucken with the sudden blow of his death should grieue more vehemently then they would being forewarned of that dolefull separation to the great admiration of all he went the third time to the poeple WheÌ„ he noe sooner opened The wonderfull brightnes of his face his mouth to speake but like an other Moyses his face shined with such glittering beames of glorie that not one of all that huge assemblie was able to fixe his sight vppon him The inestimable sweetnes and ioy that then possessed the hearts of the assistants noe penne is able to describe But when the Seruant of God began to discouer the day of his death then all that mirth was turned to mourning and such mourning that DVNSTAN him self who was now destined to euerlasting ioies being mooued with naturall pittie and compassion seemed to beare a part in that dolefull consort But vsing violence to him self weeping he endeauoured to comfort the weeping affirming that they ought not to be sorow full for his departure whom noe labour or payâ—e but eternall rest and glorie would receaue and noe man that is grounded in the roote of true charitie should more esteeme his owne priuate and temporall comoditie then the eternall benefitt of his neighbour And allbeit he were absent from them in bodie yet The spirituall presence of the Saincts in spirit he would be allwaies present to helpe and ayde them with his prayers Hauing spoken to this purpose he recommenced them all to CHRIST and left them vnwilling to be depriued of the sight of his glorious countenance XXIII THE same day after dinner accompanied with a venerable troupe of monkes and other his friends he returned to the Church and hauing designed a place for his buriall he commaunded S. Dunstan falâ—eth sick to haue his graue opened And then a cruell sicknes seazing one his holy bodie confined his weake limmes to rest in bed where he lay all the friday following incessantly attending to God and diuine things and inciting all that came about him to adhere to the examples and footstepps of CHRIST-IESVS Thus conquering the strength of his disease with the weapons of a fir me fayth and deuotion he passed ouer that day till the morow which was the last of his labours and first of his desired rest arriued Then the Clergie and poeple flocked about him with a fearfull expectation of the euent which he had foretould of him self And DVNSTAN being most desirous to enter into the ioy of his Lord and hauing strengthened him self with the sacred bodie and bloud of CHRIST ioyfull expected the happie hower foretould in He is miraculously raysed togeather with his bed the foresayd vision When suddenly to the great astonishment of them all by the hidden power of the allmightie Deitie togeather with the bed wherein he lay he was miraculously eleuated three times to the top of the chamber and as often let quietly downe againe Then the holy man behoulding a companie of his amazed monkes and spirituall children about him sayd My most deare brethreÌ„ His last speech the beloued sheepe of my pasture your owne eyes haue beheld whither I am called whither I am going Yee are well acquainted with the path of my footstepps yee know the labour of my life past behould now the consummation thereof lifts me on high Wherefore with the briefe admonition of my dying voyce I exhort and counsell yee that yf yee desire to come whither I am going yee be not flack to apprehend the way that I haue walked in Allmightie God him self who hath directed my iourney to him self direct allsoe your hearts and bodies to fullfill his diuine will in peace And the whole coÌ„panie hauing answered Amen that blessed soule passed His glorious departure out of this world and by a sacred conuoy of heauenly spirits was coÌ„ducted into the heauenly lodgings to enioy the ineffable vision of Iâ—SVS-CHRIST God and man the glorious crowne and euerlasting reward of his labours XXIV THIS glorious Prelate died in the yeare of our Lord 988. His buriall when he had gouerned the Mettopolitan Sea of Canturbury twentie seauen yeares He was buried with greate reuerence and lamentation of his Monkes in the place which him self had designed within the quire before the degrees ascending to the high aultar in CHRISTS-Church Which we doubt not to haue been by him with great affection of pietie soe disposed that lying in bodie before the face of his beloued children whom he had left in the turbulent dangers of the world they might confidently haue recourse to him in thier necessities who in spirit according to his promise made would allwaies be present amongst them And indeed the manie miraculous effects wrought there at his intercession are manifest testimonies hereof Of which we will briefly relate some few only out of such authors as were Manie miraces wrought at his Tombe eye-witnesse of them Fiue woemen and one man receaued their sight as they prayed at his tomb others recouered their legges and other parts of their
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
to see the ruine of those perishing soules and perceauing his iourney to the desired place of martirdom to be hindered by that huge concourse of poeple fell downe on his knees and humbly made his prayer to him whose side flowed water and bloud for the redemption of the world to giue a safe passage to that poeple soe desirous to be present at his death Then by the allmightie power A notable miracle of him that diuided the red sea for the Israelites the furie of that great riuer was stopped and the channell made drie for the holy Martir to passe the flowing of his prayers and teares before allmightie God tooke from the riuer the power of flowing and layd open a fayre passage for him self and the poeple through the waters VII BVT the vertue of this wonderfull miracle gaue grace to the Officer that was appoynted to be ALBANS executioner to cast off all The executioner conuerted thought of such like woluish crueltie and become a meeke lambe of CHRISTS flock For throwing away his sword that should haue done that blouddie deed he fell prostrate at the holy Martirs feet confessed his errour and humbly demaunded pardon crying alowd that there was noe other true God but the God of the Christians and earnestly desiring to die in steed of him whom he was commaunded to putt to death But his beliefe moued the rest of those ministers of mischiefe to greater rage and furie and falling vppon that new Confessour of CHRIST they beate out his teeth tore his mouth that had giuen testimonie to the truth and soe bruised all his limmes with cruell blowes that in his whole bodie scarse anie one part was left vnhurt yet in heart he remayned firme and sound in the confession of his fayth But leauing this wretched creature in that miserable plight they arriued at length Is cruelly beaten to the toppe of the hill where an infinite number of poeple were expecting to behould the action of this tragicall scene Who being generally tormented with an extremitie of heate drought He obtayneth a fountaine by his prayers S. ALBAN by his prayers obtayned to haue a cleere fouÌ„taine spring out of that dried earth by which the multitude queÌ„ched their thirst yet allwaies thirsted for the effusion of his bloud by whose meritts they had receaued that benefitt soe great was the vngratefull crueltie cruell ingratitude of their blinded minds which ascribed all these most seÌ„sible miracles to the power of their owne seÌ„slesse Gods VIII THEREFORE whetting still the edge of their owne furie on the vnshaken rock of the holy Martirs constancie and vertue they He is beheadded were more and more incensed to the shedding of his innocent bloud A new executioner was chosen to giue the deadly blow for them all who at once made a cruell separation of his head from the bodie that his blessed soule might take a happie flight to the crowne of euerlasting life which our Lord hath promised to those that suffer for his sake But the cruell executioner was not permitted to triumphe in his wicked fact for his eyes ashamed as it were to The punishment of his executioner behould their Masters crueltie fell miraculously out of his head at the very instant that he gaue the Martir his death soe that loosing the guides that had directed him to doe what he did he lost allsoe the power to see what he had done Which miracle caused manie of the Gentils there present to confesse that he was iustly punished Meane while the poore souldier whom they had left halfe dead below had cralled to the toppe of the hill and coming to the holy body of saint ALBAN he was presently restored againe to the perfect vse of all his limmes But that happines was soone after seconded with a farre greater for making profession of the fayth of A souldier martired CHRIST he was forthwith beheadded and by being baptised in his owne bloud was made worthie to follow his leader saint ALBAN into the euerlasting ioyes of CHRIST-IESVS the eternall crowne and glory of his Martirs S. ALBAN was martired about the yeare of our saluation three hundred and three and his bodie was buried in the same place of his martirdom IX BVT about the yeare of our Lord fower hundred fortie six and an hundred fortie three yeares after the passion of S. ALBAN the Pelagian Heresie as ouer the rest of the world soe chiefely it raygned in great Britaine in which it is reported to haue first begunne To suppresse this infection sainct GERMAN Bishop of Auâ—er The Pelagian â—eresie suppressed and Lupus Bishop of Troy came out of France into our Iland by the force of whose arguments and miracles the impudent mouthes of the Pelagians were stopt And at that very time manie great miracles and cures of diseased persons being wrought at the sacred tombe of S. ALBAN thither the holy Bishops went for deuotion sake to giue thankes vnto allmightie God for their successe and S. GERMAN hauing opened the holy monument layd therein manie reliques of the Apostles and other Martirs that the same place might containe the bones of them whose soules enioyed one and the same glory in heauen Which done he tooke thence some part of the earth which had receaued the holy Martirs bloud and which yet blushed therewith to be by him reserued as a most pretious treasure The auncient Britans ouer come by the Saxons and a worthy reward of his labour Afterwards the English and Saxons that were Pagans like vnto a furious tempest inuaded the Iland of great Britaine and by force of armes droue the auncient inhabitants thereof to the mountaines and farthest parts of the countrey now called Wales persecuting not only the men but the Christian fayth which they professed Then amongst others the auncient cittie of Verulam being destroyed and all sacred monuments and Churches demolisht the memory of the glorious Martir Sainct ALBAN was extinguished for the space of three hundred fortie fower yeares and to the raygne of the most famous King of the Mercians Ossa who following a diuine reuelation that commaunded him to search out those holy reliques and place them in a more worthy monument assembled the poeple and Clergie togeather and armed with fasting and prayer they ascended the mountaine where the holy Martir suffered In the meane time the diuine goodnes that would not haue that treasure lie hid anie longer sent forth a heauenly splendour which glittered ouer his sepulcher and lighted them to find out those desired reliques For hauing digged in the same place they found his sacred bodie in a The inuention of S. Albans bodie wodden chest togeather with the reliques of the Apostles and Martirs which Sainct GERMAN had placed therein Therefore the King and whole assemblie being replenished with inestimable ioy translated that sacred treasure with great veneration and solemnitie singing of himnes and prayses to allmightie into an auncient Church neere Verulam
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