a heat and sting of sensuality that loosing all hope of force to ouercome so great a temptation he diuers times required his apparell of the sayd Father Simon to retourne to the world affirming that he could no longer remaine in Relligion but the good Father comforted him and still deferred him to an other time Neuertheles his temptations encreased daily And as one day he exceedingly vrged him to permitt him to depart out of relligion this holy Father hauing compassion of him commanded him to sitt downe by him which the nouice hauing done he layd his head on his lappe then lifting his eyes towardes heauen he with such feruour prayed for him that being rapt in extasie he was heard in such sort that the Nouice was so deliuered of his temptations that thenceforward his sensuall heat was tourned into the fier of charity wherof he made demonstration after he had made his vow by this accident A lewd fellow was condemned for his misdeedes to haue his eyes crushed out this Religious hauing heard report hereof moued with charity towardes his neighbour went and most instantly prayed the iudge to temper iustice with mercy and to mittigate the sentence giuen against that criminell The Iudge answeared that he could not This good Religious then fell on his knees before the Iudge and with tearfull eyes besought him that the sentence then might be executed on himselfe in regard that the party condemned would not endure the torment nor support the disgrace so patiently as himselfe The Iudge moued with such wordes and admiring the Charity of this Religious pardoned for that time the malefactor This holy Father being in prayer in a solitary place many birdes came ouer him and by their singing made so great a noyse as they distracted him Wherfore he commanded them in the name of God to depart and they redily obeyed The houre of death of this worthy seruant of God being att length come and his yeares being accomplished he yelded his soule to his Creatour adorned with vertues and sanctity He was buryed in the Couent of Spoletum where his notable merittes haue bin manifested he hauing obtayned many graces of God for the comfort and benefitt of infinitie personnes that haue implored him as their intercessour The life of the glorious Father Brother Christopher Of the mortification charity abstinence and affliction of body of the glorious Brother Christopher THE XLVIII CHAPTER THe venerable Brother Christopher was borne in Romania he was Preist before he entierly left the world to follow IESVS CHRIST he was moued thervnto by the example predication of S. Francis who hauing admitted him to the habitt and profession of the Frere Minors sent him into France to the Prouince of Gascone the yeare 1219. there to edifie soules and to plant the seed of Religion This Father was of a profound humility and simplicity especially pittifull to the afflicted He succoured assisted and serued the leapers with great deuotion and dilligence washing their feet dressing their soares and vlcers making their beddes paring their nayles and giuing them comfort in all their necessities But how much he was pittifull in the behalfe of others as charity commanded him so much was he seuere and rigorous to himselfe weakening him selfe by continuall fastes and wearing a grosse hairecloth hauing besides for a long time worne a coat of maile the more to torment his flesh His perseuerance in rigour of life was such that being an hundred yeares old he did eat but once a day except the sondayes and principall feastes of the yeare so that albeit his body grew old and decayed he was neuettheles alwayes yong and firme in vertues Notwithstanding such mortifications and abstinences he had a face very cheerfull for the interiour ioy shined and appeared exteriourly and the most sweet and gracious loue of his hart towardes his God made all the afflictions sweet which his body endured Of the diuine consolations which he receaued in prayer and att Masse THE XLIX CHAPTER THis holy Religious neuer spent his time idly but euer employed himselfe either in prayer or reading or in manuall exercise in the garden or in some other seruice necessary to relligion He was wery dilligent in prayer and had the grace of shedding many teares And that he might the more commodiously apply himselfe to prayer he made choice of a very litle cell made of earth and boughes of trees separate frome the others wherin he spent most of his time which was a thing in manner generall to the first Fathers of that time and there was he often visited diuinely as also the glorious Virgin Mary appeared vnto him one time with her mother S. Anne comforted him that was particulerly deuout vnto them He euery day said masse with great deuotion and abondance of teares which was very gratefull to IEVS CHRIST as by the sequell appeareth This venerable Brother saying masse one morning one of the candels on the altare was casually putt out and there was seene a light instantly to discend from heauen that lightened it againe There was often seene a white pigeon houering ouer his head whiles he said masse the Religious that serued and assisted him did often see it he was a yong man very neat and an innocent disciple of his called Brother Peter who hauing forsaken his kinred his friendes his patrimony and all the world besides on whose fallacious and deceiptfull apparences he would not relye entred into the Religion of Frere Minors where he ascended to such sanctity that in regard of his pure simplicity he merited often times to see and speake with his good Angell Gardien The first time that he saw the pigeon discend vpon the head of the glorious Br. Christopher not knowing what it signified he sought to driue it away wherin he exceedingly troubled his master who was enforced to will him to lett it alone and therby it was knowne what it was This venerable Father one time calling to minde his sinnes committed in the world extremely feared the punishment they deserued conformably to that which the scripture sayth Happy is he that alwayes feareth and therfore he prayed this Angelicall yong man Br. Peter whose conscience he knew very well to demaund of his familier Angell his estate touching his former sinnes who made him this answeare Tell Brother Christopher he need not feare his sinnes past because God hath pardoned them entierly But lett him striue to perseuer in his good worckes begun that he may meritt eternall life The rest of this Chapter is inserted in the end of the 71. chapter of the second booke being a vision that this holy Father had of the death of Sainct Francis Of some miracles wrought by this glorious Br. Christopher in his life time THE L. CHAPTER ALthough this holy mā did not publikely ascend into the pulpitt to preach the word of God yet did he deliuer it to such people as he conuersed withall giuing them profitable admonitions accompanyed with seuere reprehensions so
the glorious Father S. Francis But when he was shewen his fall and had seene whence he came euen to the ground he was vtterly amazed and beside himselfe to consider what had happened vnto him without any knowledge of his till the presente Wherfore be promised vnto God before them all in acknowledgement of so worthy a benefitt to doe pennance for the fauour afforded vnto him by the merittes of the glorious Father S. Francis In the towne of Pophy in Campania a Preist called Thomas goeing to repaire a mill appertayning to the church scituat on the border of the riuer he fell by mischance vnder the wheele of the mill which by violence of his motion carryed him downe and held him in the current with his face vpward without power to moue or speake by reason that the water which draue the wheele fell on his face so that he could not vtter one word Wherfore he called in his hart for help vnto S. Francis hauing no farther power and hauing so remayned a good space his companions endeauouring to assist him by force and industry they so preuayled that the wheele tourned backe so that the Preist was by the current of the water incontinently carryed into the depth of the chanell and whiles he was there there appeared vnto him a Frere Minor cloathed in white and girded with a corde who very dextrously took him by the arme and drew him out of the chanell saying vnto him I am that Francis whome thou hast inuocated The preist therfore finding himselfe not only freed from danger but perfectly well considering the greatnes of the miracle and the great mercy of God in his behalfe by the merittes of S. Francis exceedingly amazed and prostrating himselfe to the earth to kisse the feet of his benefactour but not seing him he being already vanished he asked his companions whither he was gone and how he might finde him but they knowing no more then himselfe began to conceaue the miracle Wherfore they all together fixing their eyes on the earth did eleuate their spiritt to God magnifying his immensiue greatnes and the vertuous merittes of the Sainct Certaine yong men goeing from the towne Celan to gather grasse in a feild where there was a well which being ouergrowne with grasse was not seene and each of them endeauouring to cutt his part it chaunced that one of them fell into the well where the water was fower pases deep Falling he called for the helpe of S. Francis with a very strong faith and deuotion and so lowd that all his companions heard him and not seeing him they came to the place where they heaâ—d the voice and by the way which his hooke had made thy found the well where seeing him therin they ran to their houses lamenting and crying for helpe where they so moued their towne fellowes that they came to assist him and one of them descending into the well found him sitting on the water without receauing any detriment and drawing him out he told them that falling he had inuocated the help of S. Francis who in his very fall assisted him with his presence for he very gently supported him with his sacred hand neuer leauing him till they had drawne him out then he exhorted them all together with him to giue thanckes to God for that by the vertue of his faithfull seruant he had deliuered him from death and so they retourned to the towne giuing thanckes to God and to S. Francis When the Romane Court was resident att Assisium the Cardinall of Hostia who was afterward Pope Alexander the fourth ' preaching in the church of S. Francis there fell a grosse stone vpon the head of a deuout womaÌ„ wherwith she receaued such hurt that falling to the ground each one thought her to be dead and for such couered her with her owne coate not to trouble the sermon with resolution to carry her out to performe her funeralles But this woman as she testified afterward when she receaued the blow with great faith called for the helpe of sainct Francis she was then before his altare so the sermon being ended she arose with the other women sound and perfectly well without any signe of hurt and which is admirable hauing formerly had a great paine in her head that had long troubled her in fauour of this last mortall blow she neuer felt any paine after Neere to the citty of Cornette where there is a monasterie of Frere Minors as they were melting a bell many of the neighbour places repaired thither to see it but there arose such a winde that the whole world seemed ready to be dissolued and taking the two doores it mounted them into the aire and cast them againe on the ground with great impetuosity and violence wherof one fell on a child called Bartholomew about eight yeares of age which a woman deuout vnto the Couent had sent thither with an almose Now they all esteemed him not only dead but vtterly dismembred vnder such a waight neuertheles inuocating the glorious Father sainct Francis they ran all to lift vp the child from vnder the dore the Father of him being present was so surprised with greife that he was euen sencelesse yet he inuocated the Sainct to whome he offered his sonne if he recouered the dore att length being lifted vp the child arose on his legges sound and well as if he had awakened from a sleep which procured a great ioy to the people and particulerly to his Father Now according to his vow the child being of competent age which was about fourteen yeares he made him a Frere Minor where he dyed piously hauing so liued a good Religious of a notable spiritt worthy doctrine and a famous Preacher Certaine other miracles like to these of diuers that were deliuered from the danger of death THE VII CHAPTER CErtaine men of Castel-Lantin hauing cutt out a verie great stone to place vnder the altare of a church of sainct Francis that was shortlie after to be dedicated albeit they were forty men to raise and accommodate the same on the wagon to carrie it to the said Church yet were they not of sufficiencie to performe the same Now some of them attempting to trye their forces and to doe more then they were able the stone slipped out of their hold and fell vpon one of them which was a great terrour and greife to the rest as not knowing how to releiue their companion Wherfore they went away all to ten persons as not able to endure that hideous spectacle which ten inspired of God hauing inuocated sainct Francis praying him to haue compassion of him that had so employed himselfe in his seruice they attempted to tourne the said stone which they so easely handled that they perceaued well they were assisted by the S. The stone being remoued the man arose very sound without any hurt yea hauing one eye defectiue he was entierly cured therof that it might publiquely appeare what power
of him We are att the port lett vs seeke to arme vs well to endure this litle conflict henceforward we shal no more feare the terrible tempestes of this world nor the windes of the temptations of the deuill nor the deceiptfull singing of the alluring Mermaides of our flesh the impious thenceforward shall haue no more power ouer this our feeble body for we goe into a glorious country to see againe our first originall and to serue our Lord whose seruice is to reigne there shal we receaue recompense of our labours after more then a hundred more then the double yea a thousand times more then we deserue Lett vs now then giue prayse to our God enduring this litle for his loue lett vs restore this life to him that hath redeemed it by his owne death Vttering these good speeches thy hastened to receaue the martyrdome att the place where they were to be executed goeing before the executioner who with some other officers of Iustice seeing with what alacrity they hastened to their death began to haue compassion on them as of poore foolish personnes and therfore exhorted them to reflect on their owne case with these or the like wordes Doe yee not consider your owne misery thus reioycing being so neere the losse both of this life and the other deny that which you haue vnaduisedly and impiously or att least temerariously vttered against our law and against the person of our king and to this effect we will seeke to obtaine you fauour and to enrich you with temporal substance and our Prophett Mahomett who is very mercifull will pardon you and benefitt you in the other life The Religious herevnto answeared your richesse delicacies allurementes of this world are as false and deceiptfull as your law and your promises and therfore lett them be your portion that giue creditt to such delusions For our parts we beleeue nothing more certaiue and glorious then to endure for the truth and the name of IESVS CHRIST sith that only is the secure way to eternall life Therfore doe we so ioyfully contemne the present life with all the wealth therof considering with all that it is but a puffe in comparison of eternity And the false Prophett whome you honour being in hell can neither obtaine mercy for himselfe nor for any others There did accompany them certaine Christians who much feared that the extremity of the tormentes might enforce them to renounce their Faith The sonne of the said king of Seuill who was present with his Father when he gaue sentence against the holy Religious perceauing his fury to be somewhat appeased said vnto him Vpon what reason Father haue you so lightlie giuen order for the death of these men It were not amisse vnder correction of your better aduise that you commanded our Preistes to be called that they may conuince the impious Christians as well by naturall reasons as by aucthority of the law for mine opinon is that proceeding otherwise you putt them to death vniustly euen according to our owne lawes The king weighing what his sonne had said and a litle moderating himselfe commaunded that they should not be executed but should be imprisoned in an high and strong toure till it were more maturely concluded what should be done against them How the Martyrs preached thorough the batlements of the tour where they were prisonners and therfore were shutt vp into a deep dungeon then presented to the king and att last by aduise of the Counsaile sent to Maroccho THE VIII CHAPTER THe Martyrs by this reuocation felt in their hartes a double martyrdome fearing that God would withdraw from them his grace of suffering for him by reason of some imperfection which he saw in them neuertheles entierly yelding themselues into his handes they resolued on their part to performe their due obedience of preaching what soeuer issue it should please his diuine Maiestie to worck therof and to this effect they mounted to the toppe of the tower and out att the batlements they preached vnto the Mores that passed by with a loud voice crying vnto them Poore blinded people beleeue in the true God and Lord IESVS CHRIST and abandon the superstition and impietie of your vnfortunate Mahomett otherwise your law and all you shal be eternally damned Now is the time of penance God sendeth vs to visitt you receaue his word of sufficiencie to saue your soules forbeare to lend any more your eaâ—e to the dâ—uill and to his illusions if you wil not be eternally tormented in hell Such and like matters did these holy Martyrs preach wherof the king was incontinentlie aduertised who commaunded them to be thrust downe into a deep dungeon where they persisted in continuall prayer the space of fiue entire dayes preaching also to the other prisoners After that the king caused them to be brought before him supposing they had binreclaymed and repentant therfore disirous to gaine them by menaces terrours promises and mercie to allure them to his sect he said O yee sottish and blinded haue you not as yet acknowledged and abiured your errour Doe no longer abuse my clemencie who haue so long expected your repentnace as also my holy Prophett who though you haue blasphemed him is so gracious as he will not faile to pray to God for you Now I ordaine and att this present pronounce as a finall sentence either death by the most cruell tormentes that without any delay can be inuented or my grace with all the honours and richesse that my best fauourites enioy The glorious Martyrs verie constantly answeared him as they had att other times affirmed that they nothing respected honours and temporall richesse and much lesse those tormentes nor death it selfe and therfore would yeld themselues to be disposed att his pleasure considering that their bodies and soules were so firmely grounded in the loue of their Redeemer IESVS CHRIST that euery hower which they expected to meet him in Paradice seemed to them a thousand yeares knowing that there they should liue eternally without feare euer to be separated then they added Our God is the soueraine good and not your Mahomett for whome as also for all his adherentes are prepared eternall tormentes which they already experience as you shall one day if you be not conuerted yea without hope euer to gett out of hell where you shall call and crye but none shall answeare you There shall you repent in vaine that you followed not our Counsaile which God sendeth you there shall you be in horrour greife sorrow and eternall dispaire which God hath prepared for them whome att the terrible day of iudgemeÌ„t he shall find to haue bin contrary to the true faith of his Sonne IESVS CHRIST true God and true man there to liue in perpetuall tormentes as they who are his shall liue in perpetuall ioy Then O king thou shalt not escape his handes though thou seeme now to haue some power which is a singuler benefitt bestowed on thee by God to see and
face vpon the earth or if he held his handes ioyned together on high if he sighed if he spett or coughed Brother Iohn would doe the like S. Francis once reprehending him for it he thus answeared I haue promised to God to doe what soeuer I shall see you doe and therfore I must endeauour to conforme me entierly vnto you The holy Father admired and together reioyced to finde him so constant in his simplicity by meane wherof he so much att lenght profited in all other kind of vertues that all the other Brethren held the perfection wherto he arriued in great admiration But by reason that the world was not worthie of so pure a conscience God afterwardes called him to himselfe After his death S. Francis with great ioy recounted vnto his Brethren his holy conuersation and called him not Brother Iohn but S. Iohn It happened about that time that S. Francis preaching in the prouince of Ancona there came one day after sermon a man vnto him that said he would leaue the world and dwell with him to whome S. Francis answeared If thou desire to enter into this order goe first and accoÌ„plish the saying of the gospell Sell what thou hast and giue it to the poore He then incoÌ„tinently went and distributed all his goodes amoÌ„g his kinred being herevnto moued rather by passioÌ„ of the flesh then deuotion of the spiritt and then retourned to S. FraÌ„cis to whome he said Father I haue forsakeÌ„ all that I had The holie Father demaÌ„ded of him in what manner he had disposed therof and he replyed that he had distributed it amoÌ„g his poore and needy kinred S. FraÌ„cis then knowing that this man had not any feruour of spiritt said vnto him Brother Fly sith thou hast giueÌ„ they goodes to they kinred gett thee home and aske no more to liue of almose with my poore BrethreÌ„ So this wretch retourned alone to his kinred as vnworthy to liue with so manie perfect seruaÌ„tes of God Many others inspired by the supreme bouÌ„ty and with an exceeding feruour of spirit daily entred into the Order the renowme wherof was spread ouer all Italy yea through all ChristeÌ„dome By reasoÌ„ that S. Francis sent his Religious into diuers partes of the world who represented the life of IEVS CHRIT by holy pouertie which they carryed in steed of purses by obedience wherin they were most prompt and ready and trauaile wherby they were speedie in their iorneyes and in regard that they had nothing they feared not the losse of any thing Thus liued they euery where without feare and in great tranquility of spiritt without care either by day or night as they had bin instructed by him that is the only true and singuler Master They kept not the remaynes of one dayes meat for the next being of beleefe that to endure want of these temporall and transitory benefittes was their great richesse and aboundance In what exercise and beleefe he fashioned â—â—is Bretheren THE XXX CHAPTER SAint Francis knowing that his religion was instituted of the holy Ghost in the church of God for a mirrour or looking glasse wherin sinners might behold and contemplate their deformitie and how far different and distant they are from the liknes of God he for this respect endeauoured to annoynt his Brethren with the vnction of IESVS CHRIST by whose vertue he begatt them So then being replenished with the holy Ghost his Order did not only encrease in nomber but in vertue also and edification of the faithfull and to the end that besides their deuotion they might also be exercised in charitie and loue of their neighbour sith they were piously to coÌ„uerse in the world he would often louinglie sitt downe with them and in the name of God command now one then an other to make some exhortation of that which the holy Ghost should dictate vnto him and this he practised often And one time of all other they whome he had enioyned to speake did all deliuer such excellent and admirable thinges of the bounty and goodnes of God and of his secrettes and this vnpremeditated only by the vertue of obedience that themselues grew into admiration therof He then by experience knew that which God said to his disciples It is not you that speake before Presidents and Princes but the spiritt of your Father that speaketh in you Now whiles these holy pure and simple vessels did poure out the baulme of diuine grace discoursing of very high matters of God and discouering the deepe misteries of the scripture by vertue of obedience vnto their holy Father our lord IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto them and stood in the middes of them in forme of a most beautifull yong man and gaue them his benediction with such a sweet and immensiue grace that S. Francis and his Brethren were rauished in extasie and fell all in a sound and as dead to the ground Being retourned to themselues S. Francis said My deerly beloued Brethren we are much obliged to be thankfull vnto God for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiesty to manifest his treasure by the mouth of the simple and to appeare vnto vs to lett vs know that he was present and that when it pleaseth him he maketh the mouthes of infantes of the simple and mute to appeare right eloquent These seruantes of God thus replenished with so great a light of diuine grace S. Francis sent them to illuminate the world and att their retourne they all repayred to our ladie of Angels as their true mother and there they enioyed againe each others sight with an extreame contentment which so filled them with a spirituall exultation that they easilie forgott the labours and contradictions which in their trauiles they had endured The other Brethren that stirred not from the Couent though sometimes they were employed in manuall labours about the necessities of their house neuertheles the chiefest part of their exercise was in prayer for they very frequentlie prayed with feruour and teares They arose att midnight watching to pray to God for themselues and for all other sinners They had a very tender and mutuall loue to each other The holy Father serued them as a mother doth her only sonne charitie so burned in them all that it seemed very easy vnto them to spend their life not onlie for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST but euen for the safty of one of their Brethren Two Brothers walking one day through the feildes they mett a foole that cast stones att one of them which the other perceiuing he stept before his companion to receiue the strokes of the stones These good Brethren did such and the like thinges being induced therto out of perfect charity They reuerenced one an other as masters and he that by his office or age was amongest them the principall would appeare the most humble and abiect they exercised themselues in obedience each of them being prepared to performe not only the precept but
litle faith why distrust you the prouidence of God why remember you not those wordes of Dauid so often cited by your holy Father putt your hope in God and he will assist you he that faileth not the very beastes Know that it hath pleased God to chastice and afflict you with hungar for your weaknes of faith and therfore learne how you ought to behaue your selues hereafter which said he vanished and the Religious thus huÌ„bled demaunded pardon of God to whome they promised amendement How a man that built a Couent for the Freer Minos had his mony encreased this is the thirteenth chapter of the sixt booke putt in this place where it ought to be THE LXVII CHAPTER BVt what happened vnto two Religious that were sent into Arragon is verie admirable being receaued in Lerida by an honorable gentleman called Raymod de Barriaco verie deuout vnto the Order of S. Francis they persuaded him to build them an oratorie without the towne assuring him that by such disbursement his monie would not diminish wherto giuing credit he so seriouslie sett labourers on worck that in short time the building was verie forward Now sending his seruant one day vnto his cabinett to take thence some monie to pay the labourers he retourned answearing him that there was no more He not beleeuing it sent him the second time but he affirmed that doubtleslie there was none wherwith the gentleman considering the great expences he had made and the failing of the foresaid promise being exceedinglie disquieted went impatientlie to the said two Religious and reproached them wherto they humblie answeared that he should not not be afflicted but should goe himselfe and curiouslie search and should without doubt finde the promise of God not to be frustrate Which the gentleman hearing being somewhat recomforted and encouraged beleeued the wordes of the Religious Goeing then himselfe he found all his monie as if he had not disbursed a penie and besides he found a notable somme in a corner Wherfore replenished with ioy att the knowledge of such a miracle of God he weÌ„t to the said Religious at whose feete falling prostrate he demaunded pardon for the litle faith he had and then with exceding feruour proceeded in the building How S. Francis went into Egipt to preach the Faith of Iesus Christ vnto the the Soldan THE LXVIII CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 1219. after the said holie Father had sent his brethren into diuers places as we haue said he determi-to goe preach the faith vnto the great Soldan of Babilon in Egipt and with such feruour that the Christians then went with exceeding deuotion to see if he and his Religious could fight a spirituall combat and by the grace of God wrest those prisoners out of the handes of the deuill But as a great nomber of his Religious followed him to goe in his company arriuing att Ancona where they were to embarque themselues he said vnto them My beloued Brethren I would willingly content you all I know that you vehemently desire to accompany me in regard of your greedy thirst of Martyrdome But you may well perceaue that it is impossible because the vessell is not capable to carry vs all It is therfore expedient that you referre your selues to the will of God wherby such of you as shal be elected shall presently goe with me and the others shall remayne in peace And therfore that none be discontent you see there a litle child very simple which saying he poynted att him being before him who knoweth vs not if you thincke it good as I doe he shall make choice of you They al incontinently consented thervnto the holy Father therfore called the child to whome in theire presence he said Tell me my child is it the will of God that all these Religious goe with me into Egipt The child answeared no. Which of them then replyed S. Francis This this this said the child and so by one and one he pointed out eleuen and no more which the others perceauing they stopped thir iorney and the holy Father with the said eleuen Religious embarqued themselues At length after a longe nauigation they arriued in Egipt where the Christian army then beseiged the citty of Damiett which the Soldan possessed whose army was also in the feild euery day skiâ—mishing with ours so that there was no meane to passe the army of the Pagans without imminent daÌ„ger of death in regard that the Soldan had proclaimed an edict through his campe that euery More that could bring in the head of a Christian should be rewarded with a ducat But the seruant of God S. Francis who went thither for no other end but to die a martyr hauing made his prayer and being spiritually comforted in God went with all his companyons to the army of the Mores continually singing this verse of the Prophett Although I shall walke in the middest of the shaddow of death I will not feare euils because thou art with me Bur being discouered by the Mores diuers of them issued out of the campe and assaulted S. Francis and his companions as hungry wolues the simple sheep who yelded themselues captiues without any resistance affirming only that they had matters of importance to impart vnto the Soldan How the holy Father S. Francis preached vnto the Soldan THE LXIX CHAPTER THus then was S. Francis and his companions led fast bound vnto the Soldan who incontinently demaunded who they were who had sent them into his army and what was the end of their comming The holy Father as one that found himselfe in that place which he had a long time exceedingly desired with a merueilous feruour of spiritt thus answeared him Know Emperour Soldan that our comming hither hath not bin enioyned vs by any earthly man or Prince but by the will and ordinance of that almighty king of kinges and lord of lordes the eternall God who hath sent vs vnto thee that art not only his creature as we all are but art also his Minister and possessest his place in thine Empire and therfore his most gracious goodnes seeing that thou with all thy people walkest out of the true way of the knowledge of him thine only true and soueraigne God and though thou deceauest thy selfe putting thine affection in creatures without acknowledging their Creatour and Redeemer though thou doest farre stray from the way of naturall reason wherby thou mightest attaine the knowledg of thy faultes of the honour thou owest vnto his diuine Maiesty and of his law yet he hauing a feeling compassion of thee hath sent vs hither to teach thee the true way and the only meane of thy saluation which consisteth alone in the faith and obediece of IESVS CHRIST the true Sonne of God and true man who came into the world to redeeme vs from the handes of the deuill and to giue eternall glory to all them that haue bin are and shal be sincere in holy Faith and on the contrary eternall torment
manifestation that he had not any thing in this world and with the more facility to wrestle against his furious aduersary in this last conflict and triall wherin consisted the crowne he with an exceeding feruour and courage stript himselfe all naked as he had bin without any infirmity then cast himselfe on the ground couering with his left hand the precious wound of his right hand and tourning his ioyfull face towardes the kingdome whither he was to goe he began to prayse and blesse his sweet lord IESVS CHRIST that being dischardged and freed of all worldly impedimentes he might ascend to heauen and enioy his diuine Maiestie then tourning towardes his Religious he said vnto them My deere Brethren I haue to this present done what I ought to doe These wordes were diuersely vnderstood of the Religious some of them wept in regard he was to leaue them without Pastour and gouernour others because he seemed to leaue them as men forlorne others for other occasions only the Guardian whome he obeyed vnderstood the desire of the holy Father wherfore taking presentlie an habitt with the cord and linnen breeches brought and gaue it vnto him saying Father take this habitt which I lend you with the corde and breeches that you may be buryed therwith as a poore creature who of your selfe haue not so much as wherwith to couer your nakednes I command you to receaue it in this your last houre euen by the vertue and meritt of obedience wherof the Sainct discouered to haue the greatest contentment that can be imagined considering that in this extremity he had obserued his holy pouerty in such sort as he desired euen to the last end He contentedlie accepted the breeches but to conforme himselfe entierlie to his truely-beloued IESVS CHRIST that would dye naked on the crosse to the performance wherof wanting nothing but to dye naked hauing already bin and euen for the present being admirably crucified by the vertue of the almighty he commaunded his Religious not only to permitt him to dye on the ground but euen to leaue him there a long time after his death Hauing procured to be brought vnto him the holy Sacramentes and they being successiuely administred vnto him those I meane which the Church accustometh to afford such as are ready to dye he lastly tourned towardes his Religious to whome he made a worthy sermon exhorting them to the loue of God then of their neighbour and especially to obedience vnto his holie Romane Church next to obserue their pouerty and before the same and all other thinges to be alwayes mindfull to preferre the obseruance of the holy ghospell and the diuine counsailes therof Then crossing his hādes this great Patriarch of the poore gaue his holy benediction to all his Religious both present and absent saying My deere Brethren God of his mercy blesse you as also I blesse you be it his holy will to confirme me it in heauen Remayne ye all in his holy feare perseuering alwayes therin for the time of afflictions approach wherin they shal be happy who shall perseuer euen to the end remayne ye all in his holy obedience as you haue solemnely promised vnto him Finally remayne ye all in his most holy peace and in charity among your selues God blesse you I goe in great hast vnto God to whose grace I recommend you Amen Which hauing said he asked for the gospell and speaking no more to any person he only desired that place to be read vnto him where is mentioned the departure of our lord Ante diem festum paschae which being read to the end he began to say to himselfe Voce mea ad Dominum clamaui And being come to the verse Educ de custodia animam meam that is deliuer my soule if thou please my God out of this prison that it may attaine to thee my God and my lord where the iust expect me to the end thou mayest giue me my recompence Which being ended this holy soule at it desired was deliuered out of the prison of her proper flesh and eleuated to heauen there foreuer to enioy the eternall bounty with all the sainctes his elected of both sexes in that degree which his diuine maiestie ordayned and parepared for him How some saw the soule of the glorious Father sainct Francis ascend in glory THE LXXI CHAPTER THis holy soule failed not to appeare to some when it ascended to the celestiall glory For Brother Angelus a Religious of worthy sanctity being att that time prouinciall of the prouince of Naples and very neere his end saw in an instant the soule of the sainct as a resplendant starre on the toppe of a verie bright cloud to be transported aboue the great waters and directlie mounted and eleuated into heauen And albeit he had the space of two dayes lost his speech he neuertheles then resumed his spirittes for seeing the blessed spiritt of the sainct he began to crye out Stay for me Father stay for me for I goe also with you The Religious asking what he meant therbie See you not said he our holie Father sainct Francis that now goeth to the glory of Paradice which hauing spoaken he yelded his soule to God and followed his most holy Father The Bishop of Assisium being gone in pilgrimage to visitt the Church of S. Michael the Archangell on the mount Gargan S. Francis appeared vnto him the very night of his death and said My lord know that I haue left the world and goe to heauen The Bishop therfore being risen told his people that S. Francis was dead the night before which was proued to be true An other Religious of this Order being the same night rapt into deep contemplation saw the blessed Deacon of IESVS CHRIST vested with a very rich tunicle accompanyed with a great multitude of soules that attended him as a worthy Prince who so ascended into a pallace of merueillous beauty and eminency it is piously beleeued that the said soules were by his merittes deliuered out of Purgatory This glorious soule ascended to glory accompanied with many Angels that attended and visited him continually in this life and is now seated among the Seraphins which glory he merited not only in this life by the excessiue and Seraphicall loue of God but also it appartayned vnto him in regard of the Seraphicall vision of IESVS CHRIST who transformed him into himselfe making him a Seraphin by gtace and sealing the same with diuine seales as hath bin reuealed to many holy personnes worthy of creditt as well during the life of the Sainct as after his death The verie birdes and particulerlie the Larckes that were much beloued and verie familiar vnto him did exceedinglie reioyce att his glorie a great flight of them appearing verie earlie the next morning on the roufe of the house where sainct Francis lay dead warbling a verie delightfull and extraordinarie note yea as it were miraculous which continued diuers howers celebrating the prayses
for in heauen Knowing therfore right well the conuersion life and merittes of the holy Father S. Francis Institutour and Gouernour of the Order of Freer Minors yea by our owne experience and by the testimony of others of most worthy creditt who haue seene the notable miracles which God by meanes of him hath wrought we are likewise assured that he is glorified in heauen his life and apparant renowne dissipating the obscuritie of sinners that liue and haue liued in the shadow of death both men and women for corroboration of the faith of the holy church and to the confusion of the malice of heretikes the contentment of a great nomber of them that haue and doe follow him yet florishing and leading a celestiall life Wherfore that it may not seeme we intend to frustâ—ate the said S. of the honour due vnto him permitting him to be depriued of the reuerence which men owe him as one already glorified of God by the aduise and counsaile of our venerable Brethren the Cardinals and of all the Prelates now here present we haue iudged it requisite to inscribe him in the catologue of SS that as a candle of God he giue light here belowe no way deseruing to be hidden vnder a bushell but to be sett on an high candlesticke of his holy Church We therfore command you in vertue of these preseÌ„t Apostolicall letters that for the vniuersall benefitt you awaken the deuotion of your people to the veneration of this S. of God euery yeare celebrating his feast on the fourth day of October and that you admonish euery one to obserue the same that by his prayers and merittes God may graunt vs his holy grace in this life and his glory in the other Giuen att S. Iohn Lateran the six and twentith of march the second yeare of our Papacie The originall of this authenticall bull is extant in the great Conuent of the Cordeliers att Paris Of the great deuotion which Pope Gregory the ninth euer had to the Order of S. Francis extracted out of the eleuenth chapter of the tenth booke and here put in due place COnsidering that we haue discoursed of the canonization of the glorious Father S. Francis performed by Pope Gregory the ninth it seemeth to the purpose to sett downe what also concerneth the said Pope touching the familiarity and deuotion which he euer carryed towardes this glorious S. and his Order and the prophesie wherby S. Francis often reuealed vnto him that he should attaine to the dignitie of the Papacie His holinesse being yet Cardinall of Hostia and Protectour of this Order had euer a perticuler deuotion to his Religion so that discoursing once together he said vnto him I beseech you Father for the loue of IESVS CHRIST tell me freely your opinion for I am determined to obey you in that you shall resolue me which I promise you and call God to witnesse to witt whither I shall liue in this dignity or serue God in your Religion leauing the world and vanities therof and be cloathed in your habitt Which S. Francis hearing and considering what a beneficiall member he was vnto the church answeared that on the one side he might doe the Church of God and the world good seruice in this present estate considering that he was a man of great experience very prudent and iudicious of Counsaile and on the other side being such and in such dignity in the Church and theÌ„ce entring into religion should giue a most worthy example and by his preachinges purc asing many soules to God should exceedingly benefitt the world therfore he could not herein resolue him without reuelation from God and so he left him extremely perplexed But a little after knowing by diuine reuelation that he should be Pope many occasions happening of writing vnto him concerning his religion he thus made the superscription of his letter To the future Father of the world the Cardinall and so it came to passe for after the death of Pope Honorius he was chosen in his place the same yeare that the S. dyed It is said that of deuotion vnto thaâ— Order he often went vnknowne in company of the Frere Minors wearing the habitt and particulerly on good friday when he went to visitt the Churches and in this sort did wash the feet of the poore with them Wherfore he failed not with his vtmost affection to fauour the two Religions of S. Dominick and S. Francis in such sort that he canonized this holy Father as we haue said the second yeare of his Papacie and S. Antony of Padua in the sixt as in due place shal be mentioned he also canonized S. Dominick the eight yeare of his Papacie How the body of the glorious Father sainct Francis was transported into his owne church THE LXXV CHAPTER THe yeare of grace 1230. the Frere Minors being assembled att Assisium there to hold their Generall Chapter when the translation of this holy body was to be made from the church of S. George into the new church builded to that purpose there repaired an infinite multitude of people from all partes of Italy and many further remote to see this precious body But brother Helias who by the fauour and assistance of the Pope and many seculer gentlemen though Brother Iohn PareÌ„t were Minister Generall caused the holy body without priuity of the said Generall or other persoÌ„ne to be secretly remoued permitting none sauing only certaine of his freindes to know where it reposed which he did for certaine humane considerations And this exceedingly disquieted the said Religious who came rather to see the holy body then to hold the Chapter Brother Helias satisfied them with very few yet witty wordes so that this notwithstanding the said translation was celebrated with a very sumptuous solemnity the Pope hauing expresly sent thither his Apostalicall Noncioes as well to make his excuse of not comming in person by reason of certaine lawfull impedimentes as also to adorne that new church with a great crosse of gold enriched with many precions stones wherin was sâ—tt a litle peice of the true crosse and also with many dressinges and vessels to trimme and decke the high altare and many other rich ornamentes and withall a good almose to defray the said translation and towardes the finishing of the said building then halfe erected His holines by Apostolicall authoritie exempted the said church as also his monastery from all the landes subiect to the Romane Church and would that it should be immediately subiect to the holy Sea himselfe hauing there laid the first stone Now this holy treasure being translated and transported thus sealed with the character of the omnipotent it pleased his diuine maiesty by meane of his seruant to worck many miracles therby to induce the faithfull by feruent imitation to follow his steppes considering that during his life he had bin so deere vnto him as that by conteÌ„plation he had transported him as Enoch into Paradice and as Elias had bin
thanckes as by these wordes he often signified But who am I that presume to giues thanckes for others I I say that am not able to thanck him for the least grace he hath done me and am also such an abhominable sinner The ninth and last vertue was the guard of his tongue which is the hight of all good as being the verie gate of life and death according as it is employed without the guard wherof all good also is lost In respect wherof he was alwayes very carefull that his wordes should sauour of truth humility pouerty chastity goodnes benedictiō prayse of God and his neighbour so he merited to be in like sort blessed of God mē world without end Amen How the glorious body of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis was buryed in the citty of Assisium This is taken out of the first chapter of the tenth booke and here placed for conclusion of the second booke THere is no man but knoweth that the glorious body of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis is buryed in his owne monasterie in the citty of Assisium but yet after an ordinarie manner for it is not otherwise knowne in what place it is in the said church bnt that it is in a great chappell vnder the earth vnder the high altare and that lampes are putt in att a windoe to lighten that place where the sacred body reposeth as is also reported of sainct Iames of Galicia that he is buryed so farre vnder ground that none can come att him We must beleeue that God hath so disposed to the end such precious treasures by whose merittes it pleaseth his diuine maiesty daily to work such and so great miracles might not be robbed or ruinated by any alteration or disastrous euent of warre or other euill accident Now we desiring to content the readers and not to omitt any matter in this worck that may be desired and is possible to be performed we haue so dilligentlie searched and enformed our selues that we haue gotten knowledge that the true relation of what may be desired concerning this subiect fell into the handes of the great Capitaine Gonzales Heruandez de Cordoua in his conquest made of Calabria and the kingdome of Naples for his Catholique maiesty and therfore we haue so much Laboured with importunities and industrie that att length we obtayned the same it being this that ensueth read it with contentment A true and faithfull discourse wherby appeareth how the glorious Father S. Francis is buryed translāted out of the latin originall which fell into the handes of the great Capitaine Gonzales Heruādez de Cordoue in his conquest made of the kingdome of Naples To the right reuerenced Antony Bishop of Andria Francis Bancie Duke of Audria Health THe charge which it hath pleaseth you to lay on me to committ to writing the visitation which the sanctity of Pope Nicolas the first personally made of the glorious body of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis being on the one side ouerburdensome vnto me in regard of the great feeblenes of my spiritt hath neuerthelesse for other considerations bin very easie and contentfull as well in that this labour is pious and deuout as because I am to present it vnto you to you I say who were present when it was related vnto vs so that you are able to correct it and supply that wherin mine endeauour may faile So I beseech my sweet lord IESVS CHRIST for whose prayse and glorie I haue attempted to dictate this discourse to afford me the grace worthily to dischardge my duety herein I beseech him I say by the merittes of this glorious S. of whose body I am to treat considering that it is not conuenient to burry in silence so great a miracle wherin God doth manifest so great bounty and omnipotencie Your reuerence and my Lord Iames Bishop of Laquidonia being with me the eighth day of march as you conferred together walking and often resting your selues as the manner is in discoursing of some admirable accident I came neere you and prayed you to make me participant of your discourse if I were worthy and my request lawfull the said Lord Iames then said vnto me My Lord Duke if you knew wherof we did talke you would also admire and wonder Then did I very instantlie entreat him to tell me the occasion of such admiration Whereto the said Lord answeared that he would willinglie doe it but that he rather desired to weepe when such thinges are recounted and to heare thē of an other then to relate them himselfe Neuertheles he neither could nor would omitt to content me and leet me know that their admiration was not without subiect considering withall that it was a matter worthy to be knowne but not of all persons therfore making me partaker therof he thus began his discourse My Lord Duke you must vnderstand that I was one of the seruantes of the deceased Eustergio of worthy and blessed memorie Cardinal of the title of S. Eusebius Archbishop of Beneuentum who approaching to the pangs and agony of death yea arriuing to that priuation of naturall heat and vigour that we much feared he could not liue a day about midnight I heard him with a loud voice to cry O S. Francis then staying a while with groanes and sighes he redoubled O Francis O Francis wherwith he much amazed vs all but none of vs durst approach to aske him to demaund the reason for feare to trouble him but were attentiue to see the successe of this frequent inuocation I that exceedinglie loued him wept bitterly with him and for him mentally inuocated the Sainct to whome I haue euer had a particuler deuotion but this had no other successe sauing that the next morning when we supposed to prepare his obsequies he began to amend and the phisitians likewise conceaued better hope of him he hauing alwayes esteemed me for one of his most affectionate seruantes hauing bin then a very small time absent from the Court to yeld due residence to an Abbey which he had bestowed on me knowing well that he had bin with his Holines to visitt the body of the glorious S. Francis and desiring to heare the discourse as also knowing that att other times he had much desired that I should vnderstand the same but no occasion was euer presented to demaunde it of him Now taking this occasion of his frequent inuocation of the Sainct I began first readily to aske him the cause then att lenghth I freelie discoursed and humblie requested him breifely to relate vnto me how he had seene that glorious body in his Church Wherevpon he graciouslie answeared me in these wordes know Abbot if thou wert not deere vnto me as I hold thee to be I would not impart it vnto thee much lesse to any man in the world we that were there present hauing expresse commaundement of his holines to the contrary and therfore by reason of that prohibition I will not tell thee the place where it is but am
the holy Father S. Francis had with God euen in desperate matters An other accident like vnto this happened att sainct Seuerin in the Marquisat of Ancona in this sort A very great stone being brought from Constantinople and by the helpe of diuers men carryed into the Church of the said S. in laying it downe it so slipt that a man fell directly vnder it but the stone att the very instant raysed it selfe S. Francis appeared to the miserable labourer whome he caused sound safe to arise albeit he was esteemed vtterly crushed in peeces A Burgesse of Gayette called Bartholomew earnestly employed in building the Church of S. Francis there to be erected a beame of timber being not well setled fell vpon his neck so that he was esteemed a dead man as well therfore as he could he required the B. Sacrament of a Religious there present who supposing it impossible for him to liue till the same might be procured vsed vnto him these wordes of S. Augustin Crede manducast◠beleeue and make account that thou hast eaten and receaued it then he caused him to be carryed to his house The night following S. Francis with eleuen Religious appeared vnto him holding before him a litle lābe and drawing neere the bed he called him saying Bartholomew feare not for the deuill shall not be able to hinder thee from labouring in my seruice Behold the lambe which thou diddest require to be giuen thee whome thou hast receaued by thy good and pious desire and by vertue wherof thou shalt recouer health of bodie and soule Then hauing layd on him his sacred hand and giuen him his holy benediction he commanded him to goe finish the worck begun He being vtterlie amazed arising in the morning entirely cured of so mortall a blow retourned with alacrity to his labour which passed with incredible admiration to all those that had left him for dead who awakened their soules disposing them to loue and deuoutlie to reuerence the holy Father S. Francis In the towne of Ceperan there was a man called Nicholas who was so wounded by his ennemies that they left him for dead vpon the pauement But whiles they stroke him he alwayes with a loud voice cryed out S. Francis helpe me which crye was heard a farre of by diuers who from the place where they were could not so redely releiue him but came to see him when the fact was done and carryed him into his house where he assured them that albeit they saw him all bathed in his bloud notwithstanding he should not dye of those woundes wherof he neither felt any kinde of paine and that this proceeded of the helpe he had receaued of the holy Father S. Francis and also that he had obtayned of God time for to doe penance The successe confirmed the same for being washed from his bloud he was withall cured of his woundes to the great astonishment of those that had seene and carryed him into his house In the towne of S. Geminian a gentlemans sonne had a flux of bloud issuyng out of his eyes and mouth which had brought him to extremity that nothing was expected but his death and had in deed diuers effects or tokens of death as feeblenes of his spiritt losse of his hearing his members also were so weakened that he seemed insensible and att euery moment was expected the yelding vp of his spiritt Many therfore of his fathers freindes repairing as the manner is to comfort him they had no other discourse but of his buriall But the father that had a great faith and confidence in God though as a man he was exceedinglie afflicted entertayned in his conceit a pious cogitation which he put in execution for leauing all those that were come to comfort him he retired himselfe alone into the Church of S. Francis that was neere vnto his house where falling prostrate on the groōd he putt his girldle about his necke and prayed to S. Francis that he would please to be a meditatour for the health of his sonne in such sort and with so great a faith so profound a humility and such dolorous plaintes and teares that he merited to be heard of IESVS CHRIST then filled with hope he retourned to his house where he found his kinred and freindes full of ioy for the health which his sonne had recouered so that they and he together chaunged their teares into ioy and their affliction into contentmēt So by the intercession of the said S. the death of the sonne was tourned into life And afterward they altogether gaue thanckes to God and his freindes and kinred departed exceedinglie comforted and edified by the vertue of the holy father S. Francis Our Lord IESVS CHRIST wrought a like action by the merites of this glorious S. in a towne called Tamarit in Catalonia where he restored health to a yong gentlewoman as also to an other of Ancona who had a daughter ready to dye through the extremity of her disease whose father inuocating the S. obtayned his daughters health A Preist named Mattheiw of a citty called Ville-blāche hauing drunk a deadly poyson incontinentlie lost his speech his tongue and bodie swelled in such sort that death only was expected An other Preist being present att this pittifull spectacle persuaded him to be incontinentlie confessed the other fell on his knees but could not vtter so much as one word wherfore making vse of reason he humblie recommended himselfe vnto God in heart beseeching him to vouchsafe by the merittes of his seruant Francis to free him from such an odious death At the verie instant which was admirable he began with a loud voice to inuocate the name of S. Francis then he vomited the venime which he had receaued yelding thanckes to God and S. Francis How S. Francis deliuered many pilgrimes from tempests and misfortunes of the sea THE VIII CHAPTER CErtaine nauigatours were on a time in this sort in peril of death they being some fiue leagues distant from the harbour of Barut the windes and tempestes growing violent fearing to be drowned they cast ankor but their disaster by the impetuositie of the windes so encreased and the seas in such sort swelled that the cables breaking the ankors did stick fast to the bottome and the vessell floated heere and there without hope of safety by reason of the incertaintie of the course of the waters and the inequalitie of the tide till it pleased God to calme the sea when the mariners as halfe dead began to seeke their ankors in the sea where they perceaued the cables there employing all the dilligence and art they could deuise But their labour vainlie spent they inuocated the assistance of diuers sainctes And being exceedinglie wearied one of them whose name was Perfectus though of condicion verie lewd and imperfect said in scoffing manner to his companions You haue implored the assistance of so manie Sainctes yet haue they not heard you lett vs a litle inuocate that
ghospell saying If any man will come after me lett him deny himselfe lett him know how much he is deceaued that esteemeth himselfe of any worthe lett him hate and dye in himselfe that he may know me loue and liue in me and I in him And as the nature of fire is to ascend on high so the nature of a soule free and disburdened from the waight of selfe and naturall affection is to mount and ascend into God which is her proper place where she was created to repose in him blessedly perfect and eternall As it is the nature of a stone by meane of his naturall waight to decline vnto his center so is it naturall to the hart loaden with loue of it selfe and other creatures to fall by his owne fault into hell Lett the soule then that shall haue placed all his end in God and desireth to ascend to the throne of grace of the true Salomon IESVS GHRIST who being a most gracious and peaceable king fitteth art the right hand of his Father in whome all the desires of Angels and glorious soules are absolutelie effected lett that soule I say behold in this dayes exercise the ladder of Iacob whose hight toucheth the heauen and that she the more easely and with better order ascend she may make seauen seuerall degrees or steppes which are so disposed by Vbertin The first is the tast the second the desire the third satiety the fourth excesse or spirituall extasie the fift asseurance the sixt tranquility God only knoweth the name of the seauenth We attaine to the knowledge of these degrees and exercises rather by the effectes and actions as it is in other spirituall thinges then of themselues they being perceiued with spirituall eyes wherto althinges are apparant but especially those that concerne the sweet effectes and graces therof The soule therfore that will profitt in them the more that she shall finde her sight cleare to know her weakenes shall correct her faultes and shall perseuer in mortification and exercise of worckes of charity so much lesse sight shall she haue to cast her eyes on the degree or on the height of her perfection leauing the care therof to God alone imploying her selfe onlie in her humility he that hath any litle knowledge of spirituall thinges will easilie comprehend that to search after that which appertayneth only to God to witt to labour for perfection and not for mortification that it followeth therof that there are so few truely spirituall and that deserue this name though many by their profession or exercise pretend so to be Of the first degree and exercise of contemplation THE II. CHAPTER THe first degree then of contemplation as we haue said is the tast wherof Dauid seemeth to speake when the saith Tast and see how sweet God is blessed is he that hath put all his hope in him The Prophett speaketh to smners who thinck to haue no other gaine nor tast but of the world Tast yee sinners saith he and see your errours and you shall know what you loose euen in this life And as the first steppe of the ladder raiseth a man from the earth so the exercise of this first degree is to sequester one from sinnes and the indirect way and to loose the tast of lewd wordlie contentementes yea to hate and detest them so to receaue the tast which God giueth to the soule of a cleare conscience Therfore his diuine Maiestie to draw vnto him the soule accustomed to sensnall thinges giueth vnto her spirituall consolations in the beginning for it would be verie difficult to draw the cold and feeble soule to diuine thinges without this new tast which is giuen her of God as a sensible Manna and therfore the other exercises of this estate are true contrition frequent confession full satisfaction and most profound acknowledgement of ones owne fault ingratitude malice and rash presumption against God Of which thinges proceed desires to satisfy the diuine iustice for satisfaction in other respectes should already be done being neuer wearyed wiâ—h sighing and repenting to haue offended God and so with a feruent zeale of iust correction for God to addict himselfe to penance to fastinges disciplines austerities and wachinges labouring with great patience to offer such prayers as proceed rather from the hart then the mouth And because it will seeme difficult to the penitent to performe this appearing repugnant to his nature he must endeauour to prepare and enable his hart by pious cogitations and meditations and by the remembrance and tast of God as to thinck on death on the generall iudgement on the feare therof on hell and the paine therof one Paradicice and the glory therof on the benefittes and graces of his diuine Maiesty as well in generall as in particular bestowed on all personnes and aboue all lett him not forgett the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST as a soueraigne benefitt of God bestowed on vs wherin consisteth all our consolation and hope When the sinner calleth to minde his great ingratitude towardes God in as much as lyeth in him by his sinnes crucifying him againe and after he had bin so deerly redeemed with his precious bloud and most cruell death destroying himselfe againe by yelding himselfe to the deuill to the great misprise and contempt of his God he cannot but carrie a great hatred to his sinnes and desire to doe great penance therfore that he no more erre from the way of God he considereth how he ought to liue he sequestreth himselfe frome idle and vnprofitable conuersations he smothereth peruerse inclinations and appetites endeauouring to gett an hatred of his owne affection a contempt of the world and finally a victory of him selfe to yeld himselfe absolutely vnto God IESVS CHRIST taught this first degree to his seruant Francis when appearing vnto him att the beginning of his conuersion he told him that it was necessarie for him to chaung the corrupted and infected tast which he had and to make him finde tast in that which till then he had misprised and that what soeuer he had sound pleasing should proue distastfull and bitter I know not indeed of what Sainct are recorded greater exercices in this separation deeper foundation of penance and more labours then of him and doubles it was requisite for him for he was to ascend vnto such a perfection and to be an example in the church to fly the world to make his habitation in solitary places and desert woodes to renounce monie and his fathers patrimonie euen to this shirt to displaint himselfe from his kinred and freindes from conuersations and ordinarie courses of life euen by the root to trans-plant himselfe into God and with such courage that it was not needfull for him to fly into the desert thenceforward to sequester him selfe from the world He powered out an abondant quantitie of teares and sighes with a feeling coÌ„passion meditating on the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST wherof he learned to liue in such
length by the holie Ghost conducted to Padua where he had formerly much profited In respect wherof he was very particulerlie loued and reuerenced of the inhabitantes of that citty and therfore when he began to preach there againe such was the confluence of people that pressed to heare him that he was forced to preach in a spacious field without the Cittie there being no Church capable of the people that from all partes flocked thither though there were some verie great Wherfore from the beginning of Lent the deuill perceauing the great fruit which he did and would produce he tooke him and so wrested and crushed his throat that as he after confessed to his companion if the sacred virgin whome he inuocated had not assisted him appearing vnto him with a great light and to his confort he had bin strangled but arming himselfe with the signe of the crosse and so deliuered from the ambushes of the deuill he gaue infinite thanckes to God and to his glorious Virgin mother And being become more couragious though he were verie feeble by reason of his abstinence and the labours which he ordinarily vndertooke which so depressed him that he had daily a litle fitt of an ague his zeale of the saluation of soules being more forcible with him then whatsoeuer other consideration he ceassed not to preach all the whole Lent and to spend all the rest of the day in spirituall exercises as to heare confessions and to giue Counsaile but it was a worthy thing to behold the feruour and deuotion not only of the Paduans but also of the inhabitantes of the townes borowes villages and castels there about that in such abondance flocked to his sermons that some went with light in the night to take their place in the field The bishopp was present att his preaching with all his Clergie as also the principall of the Cittie maryed women maides and yong gentlewomen frequented them withall comlines and modesty and without any pompe wherby it was easy to iudge with what spiritt they were induced to heare him During his predication all the merchantes and artificers did shutt vp their shoppes audience of iustice was omitted and all other offices ceassed so that it seemed some solemne feast In the time of his sermon the audience was so quiett that so much as one word was not heard amongest thirty thousand personnes there present and it succeeded that they all retourned replenished with the spiritt of compunction He that could touch the sainct or speake vnto him esteemed himselfe happy and if he had not bin purposlie guarded they would haue rent and cutt his habitt from his back and left him naked for such was the feruour of these people that they seemed to see in him a true Apostle sent to them by almightie God By his meane notorious and inueterat quarrels were appeased prisonners sett att libertie debtes quitted and forgiuen offences and iniuries pardoned and forgotten and mony and other thinges stolen or ill gott were restored Briefly what els men and women long accustomed to sinne were publikelie conuerted and did penance for their sinnes in such sort frequenting the sacraments that the Priestes had scarce time to serue them The glorious sainct hauing filled the Garner of almightie God with most pure corne after he had tryed it and burned the cockle att the verie time that he resided att Padua and hauing finished his three bookes of sermons vpon the sondayes and the Quarantine or sermons of Lent and the booke of the sermons of Sondayes full of verie deep subtilitie and morall droctrine which he had vndertaken and accomplished to satisfie his holinesse and the Guardian of Hostie he began to feele that God intended to call him vnto him and by signes and miracles to demonstrate the merittes of his most faithfull seruant wherein the people had such confidence that whosoeuer could haue a bitt of his habitt held himselfe happy and kept it carefully as a precious holy relique Of his last sicknes his prophesie of his future glory his vision of God and his death THE XXVII CHAPTER THis lent being ended S. Antony desiring to repose himselfe a litle retired to S. Peters fielde a place appertayning to a gentleman of Padua called Tise one that was exceedingly affected vnto him this place was neere to the Couent of the Frere Minors which this gentleman in manner alone mayntayned Now it may well be imagined with what countenance he entertayned the S. doubtles as if he had bin an Angel of Paradise sent vnto him by almighty God vnderstanding his intention he caused to be made him three celles of ozier one for himselfe and the other two for Brother Lucas and Br Roger his companions and familiers He remayned not long there till he felt himselfe assaulted with a great feeblenes that daily augmented but thincking to ease himselfe by trauaile he went to the next couent of Frere Minors where his infirmitie did oppresse and vtterly ouercome him There did God reueale vnto him that he should soone dye and what glory he should haue both in heauen and on earth Wherfore beholding and considering the amenity and good aire of the plaine and scituation of Padua that did neighbour the place where he was tourning towardes his companion he vttered these wordes this plaine shall shortly be illustrated and honoured with great glory as in deed it hath bin from after his death till this present yea more then he foretold in regard of the great confluence of people that haue and daily doe resort thither to visitt and honour his holy reliques And doubtles this citty may be tearmed happy and glorious hauing in it such a treasure that hath not enriched only it but all the world with singuler giftes and graces obtayned of God by the merittes of this glorious S. Now the S. foreseeing that his houre drew neere he told Br. Roger that if in case he should dye of that infirmity he would not be troublesome chardgeable to the Couent where he then was and therfore prayed him to gett him conducted to the Couent of the Virgin Mary att Padua where the Frere Minors were which the Religious approuing he layd him on a wagon to the great discontentment of all the Religious of that oratory And as they conducted him to the Citty they mett a deere freind of his in the way who knowing whither he way carryed caused him to change his purpose and persuaded him to goe to a Monastery out of the Citty called Arcele alleadgeing that the visitations he should haue att Padua would be very troublesome vnto him Being then arriued att Arcele and hauing there receaued all the sacraments God speedily called him for hauing with his Religious said the seauen Psalmes and alone that worthy hymne O gloriosa Domina as the glorious virgin Mother had alwayes in his life bin very gracious vnto him so for his comfort defence he saw her att his death then a litle after he saw her beloued sonne
was he by a speciall grace of God alwayes preserued from vices and sinnes but being by his eternall maiesty induced to shunne the snares of the deuill hauing for the loue of IESVS CHRIST giuen all he had to the poore he in the time of Sainct Francis became a Frere Minor and hauing obtayned of God the grace of contemplation and Euangelicall perfection he withall his iudustry laboured that the same might not proue vaine and fruitlesse in him He therfore much exercised himselfe in the vertue of holy obedience which is more pleasing to God then sacrifices In the most violent and extremest cold being almost naked he trauelled for the necessities of the Religious he continuallie employed himselfe in prayer dailie examining his conscience for the most part his reliefe was only bread and water with abondance of teares and by such like abstinence he mortified the concupiscences of his flesh to be able with more puritie to offer vp his soule in sacrifice vnto God He was exceeding compassionate vnto afflicted personnes and with alacrity serued the sicke not only Religious but the seculer also If there wanted phisike he demaunded it for the loue of God as also all other thinges necessarie he was very humble and therfore desirously laboured in the kitchen washed the dishes swept the house and very willingly busied himselfe in all other offices of humility If by any word or act he had giuen occasion of troubles to any one he would presently put a cord about his owne neck and so goe aske him pardon though he endured iniuryes done to himselfe as patiently as if no such thinge had bin he liued fifteene yeares in such and the like exercises of vertue and afterwardes in his death and since God hath discouered how gratefull the life of this his seruant was vnto him before his last sicknes he reuealed the day of his death and the place which he declared to one of his companions He trauelled to Ciuitadochia where being arriued he fell sick and few dayes after the terme of his life being exspired one night att mattins he shewed such an extraordinary ioyfull face as if he had some vision that made him euen exteriourly to reioyce Wherfore the Religious that attended him demaunded if he had seene any Angell of heauen or the holy Father Sainct Francis he answeared that he had not seene the holy Father S. Francis but of the Angel he sayd nothing Being in those ioyes he aduertised his companions of the death of one deuoted vnto him which was reuealed vnto him saying that William was already departed out of this world vnto almighty God and that himselfe should follow him the same day betweene none and euensonge which came to passe for att the time foretold this holy Religious Ambrose yelded his soule into the handes of his Creatour Of many muracles wrought by this glorious S. Ambrose THE XXXV CHAPTER THe nomber of miracles by which our Lord would approue the life and sanctity of his seruant Brother Ambrose was such that Pope Gregory the ninth by an Apostolicall breuie commanded the Bishop of Ciuitadochia and the Priour of S. Iohn of the Order of S. Augustin to meet and to examine the life and miracles of the S. and hauing perused them to approue them for autenticall This Briefe was giuen att the Palace of Lateran the 13. yeare of his Popedome by vertue wherof the said Prelates hauing made a most dilligent search they found that fourteene lame persons had by the merittes of this seruant of God bin cured as also foure deliuered of the falling sicknesse one dispossessed in his life time and two after his death six cured of mortall impostumes and one of a fistula He restored hearing to one that was deafe four men were cured of seuerall diseases a woman of the bloudie flux and an other whose child had bin foure monethes dead in her wombe he restored sight to foure that were blind and finally raysed many from death The said Prelates tooke notice of these and many other miracles but the death of the Pope peruerted his inscription in the catalogue of the SS in the Church militant though he were recorded in heauen where he raigneth with IESVS CHRIST in his Church triumphant making supplication to his diuine maiesty for those that in their necessities haue recourse vnto him Of the life of Br. Iuniperus disciple of S. Francis Of the exemplare humilitie and singuler patience of Brother Iuniperus THE XXXVI CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus was one of the first and most perfect disciples of S. Francis for he was so grounded in the firme and assured foundations of humility patience contempt of the world and of himselfe that no tormenting temptations of the deuill nor persecution of the world could in any sort remoue or desioyne him from his estate of perfection There was neuer any that saw him troubled or disquieted so couragiously did he support all iniuryes of wordes or actions Which brought him to such misprise of himselfe that many seeing him in such poore apparance and so ill treated not knowing his perfection esteemed him for a foole and sencelesse But S. Francis that knew him right well reputing him in the nomber of the perfect sayd that he should be a good and true Frere Minor that attayned the misprise of the world and of himselfe so far foorth as had done Brother Iuniperus and oftentimes considering his simplicities the contempt of himselfe and patience in reprehensions giuen him he would say to the Religious present My Brethren I desire and would to God I had a great forrest full of such Iunipers This worthy seruant of IESVS CHRIST oftentimes found new occasions for exercise of his patience to be misprised and reproached yet without offending God neuer shunning to be reputed a foole as when he one time entred into the citty of Viterbium hauing made a fardell of his habitt bound vp with his cord which he carryed on his shoulders and so went into the marckett place where the children seeing him almost naked vsed him as a foole reuiled him with wordes cast stones att him and berayed him with filth After he had left these that thus tormented him he went to the Couent where the Religious seeing him in such pittifull estate and vnderstanding by him wherefore he had bin so handled they were much scandalized att what he had don and tooke it in very ill part bitterly reprehending him for it some told him he deserued to be cudgelled others to be imprisonned others to be hanged for the great scandall he had giuen to the people but he accepted all these indignities with a very contented and ioyfull countenance as matter much desired of him and in signification of the interiour contentment he conceaued he tooke the fore part of his habitt and beholding those Religious that were most offended with his fact and rebuked him for it sayd vnto thē My freindes fill this I pray you with these iewels doe so feare not for I receaue them
he accompanied the Guardian euen to the place of the citty where he was and there fell on his knees before him and bitterly weeping besought him before all the people to pardon him The vertuous Religious did not only pardon him but gaue him thanckes for being occasion of his meritt towardes God yea and thenceforwd he tooke it so gratefully that remayning in the Couent of the said place to cure and ease the torments he had endured many honorable personnes presenting him many small commodities he alwayes sent the most worthie and excellent to the Earle affirming that he did not acknowledge himselfe more obliged to any man in the world then to him because he had not found any that had more accomplished his desires then he The earle on the contrary said that he knew therby that God would shortly end his enormous sinnes and that he should not liue long sith he had so vnworthely tormented an innocent and so sainct-like a man though he knew him not and that God would punish him for it Wherin he was not deceaued for a litle after he was slaine by his ennemies Now this singuler fact may notifie vnto vs the patience of Brother Iuniperus the excellencie of the vertues which God discouered in him with what faith hope humility and fortitude he was armed and the crosse which he carryed in himselfe and wherin only he glorified and the small gaine the deuill gott of him in this combatt where he was subdued by the patience of Brother Iuniperus more like to that of IESVS CHRIST then to that of Iob. Wherein appeareth how truly the holy Doctors affirme that almighty God is such a louer of our profitt and our glory which is purchaced by labour in his seruice that he denyeth it onlie to those who make themselues incapable to receaue it Of a Companion of Brother Iuniperus and that was vnder his gouernement THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Iuniperus in his age had a companion that was so obedient and of such patience that were he beaten and tormented a whole day together he would neuer vtter a word of complaint He was sent to begge att their houses who were knowne not to be charitable but to be churlish scoffers and iniurious to the Religious whither he would willingly goe and with an admirable patience support the affrontes and iniuries offered vnto him If Brother Iuniperus commanded him to weep he would obey if he commanded him to laugh he would incontinently laugh He being dead Brother Iuniperus bitterly wept for this his deere companion affirming that in this life there remayned vnto him nothing of worth and that in the death of this Brother the world was as it were ruined so much did he loue and esteeme the vertue of the patience and mortification of this great seruant of God and his foster child How Brother Iuniperus in prayer saw the glory of God and of his death THE XLV CHAPTER AFter the death of this Religious the glorious Brother Iuniperus being very vigilant and feruent in prayer and deep contemplation seemed to hate the world and already to dye with desire to goe to the other life such was his endeauour to ascend vnto almighty God Being one time in the quier att masse he was so rapt in extasie that the seruice being ended the Religious left him alone where he so remayned a long time and when he was retourned to himselfe he came to the Religious to whome with a notable feruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Ah my Brethren why doe not we conceaue a pleasure to endure a litle labour and paine to gaine eternall life After that he vttered many thinges of high consequence touching the humility which deserueth the glory of the elect These wordes gaue sufficient cause to iudge that he had had some communication of heauen And in the end the true and worthie disciple of sainct Francis and singular freind of saincte Clare who called him the passetime of IESVS CHRIST because she found in him great consolation of spiritt and would haue him neere att her death this good and holy Religious I say after he had many yeares liued in great perfection in this desert passed from this life to the other and was by almighty God transported into his glory He was buryed att Rome in the Couent of Aracaeli The life of Brother Simon of Assisium the Disciple of sainct Francis Of the holy conuersation of Brother Simon THE XLVI CHAPTER BRother Simon of Assisium was called of God to holy Religion in the life time of S. Francis This Religious was by the diuine Maiesty endwed with such abondance of grace and raysed to such a high degree of contemplation that his whole life was a mirrour of sanctity and represented to all the image of the bounty of God according to the testimony of them that conuersed with him He rarely went out of his cell and if sometime he conuersed with his brethren his discourse was altogether of God He alwayes sought solitary places and though he had neuer learned the grammer nor other humane sciences he neuertheles discoursed so sublimely of God and of the most sweet loue of IESVS CHRIST that his wordes seemed rather Angelicall then humane Brother Iames of Massa and some other Religious went one euening with him into a wood to discourse of almighty God and Brother Simon so sweetly discoursed of the diuine loue that hauing spent all the night in that holy discourse and the breake of day alredy appearing it seemed to them that he did but thē begin When this Religious perceaued the comming of any diuine visitation he would cast himselfe on his bed as to sleep or as sicke of the disease of the Espouse who sayth in the Canticles Tell my beloued I languish for his loue Sometimes in the said diuine visitations he was so eleuated in God that he remayned insensible of worldly thinges so that a Religious once desiring to trye whiles he was in extasie if he had any feeling tooke a burning coale and putt it on his bare foot wherewith he did not only not come to himselfe nor felt the heat of the fier but the coale dyed on his foot without leauing any signe of burning The Sainct accustomed when he did eat with the Religious to feed them spiritualy with the word of God before they receaued their corporall refection How Brother Simon deliuered a Nouice from the temptation of the flesh and how the Nouice became perfect in charity and of his death THE XLVII CHAPTER THis good Father discoursing one day of almighty God with such feruour declared the obligation which we haue to his diuine Maiesty and to our owne saluation that a wordly yong man there present resolued to leaue the world and to become religious he was borne att Senseuerin a citty in the kingdome of Naples foorthwith tooke the habitt of Frere a Minor But the deuill by whose blowing the flames of temptations are enkindled enflamed this Nouice with so great
to choose and loue diuine thinges and misprise particuler thinges for what can be greater then to know how to prayse the benefitts of God and to check himselfe for his proper malice I would I had bin taught in this schoole from the beginning of the world and there would study to the end therof if I were so long to liue there to contemplate the prayse dew to the benefites of God and the reprehension and chasticement due to my euill worckes True it is that if I must committ an errour I had rather it were in the consideration of my wickednes then in the acknowledgement of the benefites receaued of God For if we see many that for some litle seruice done them retourne many prayses and thanckes how much more are we obliged in that kind of acknowledgemēt vnto almighty God And in deed a man ought neuer to make any comparison with this loue towardes him that hath a will to deliuer vs from all miseryes and to conduct vs to the fruition of al good and that would euen dye to procure vs to liue A discourse of humility THE XXV CHAPTER A Man cannot attaine to the knowledge of God but by meane of humility sith that the true way to ascend on high is to debase ones selfe All the euils and all the ruines of this world proceed of pride as is seene in the euill Angell and in the first man wherof the one was created in heauen and the other in Paradice which also may be obserued in the Pharisie spoaken of in the Ghospel and in many others And on the contrary all good that euer hath bin done hath bin wrought by humility as is remarqued in the most sacred Virgin in the Publican in the Theefe and others But good God why doe we not ordinarily carry on our shoulders some weighty burthen to crush downe our hard head and to debase and humble it A Religious one day demaunding of Br. Giles how one might shunne pride he answeared Brother wash your handes put your mouth where your feet are consider your sinnes and haue contrition for them and then often incline your selfe towardes the ground Wretched is he that desireth glory and honour for his owne sinnes vanities A man is ascended to an high degree of humility when he acknowledgeth that himselfe is contrary to his owne good I also esteeme it a branch of humility to yeld to an other and not to appropriat to ones selfe I dare affirme that as one ought to attribute to God all goodnes as proper vnto him so to our selues all euill Happy is he that sheweth himselfe so vile before mē as he is before God Happy is he that walketh faithfully vnder the obediēce and iudgement of an other as the holy Apostles did after they were replenished with the holy Ghost He that will haue peace and tranquillity in him lett him repute al men greater then himselfe Happy is he that desireth not to be seene in his wordes and behauiours that are commendable but rather in the compunction and abiection wherin the diuine grace putteth him He that is the holyest man in the world and reputeth himselfe most vile he hath true humility Humility knoweth not how to speake and dareth not be talkatiue Humility is like the brightnes of heauen for as of the same brightnes and of vapours doe proceed thunders and earth quakes wherof in an instant no more is seene so humility doth ruine vices wickednes and the high toures of her ennemy pride and then causeth a man after the performance of great matters to repute himselfe nothing By humility a man findeth the grace of God and peace with men For euen as if a mightie Prince would send his owne daughter into a farre country he would not mount her on a restiue and proud horse but on a gentle nagge that shall amble easily and securely euen so God as soueraine king giueth not his grace to the proud but only to the humble A discourse of the seare of God THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy feare of God expelleth out of man impious worldly feare and is the guard of those goodes which cannot be expressed not so much as by imaginatiō But to haue this feare is a speciall gift not graunted to all He that feareth nor sheweth that he hath nothing to loose The feare of God guideth and gouuerneth man and causeth him to find grace with his diuine maiesty by which whē he hath receaued this feare he conserueth it and hauing lost it doth recouer it All reasonable creatures that haue forgotten themselues in foule disorders had neuer fallen therinto if they had this gift of God which is proper vnto the sainctes And the more one is replenished with grace the more is he humble and fearfull Now albeit this vertue is least esteemed of men yet is it not therfore lesse then others for a man that in regard of his enormous offences committed against God is worthy of death cannot haue any assurance wherwith to shew himselfe in his diuine presence Happy then is he who acknowledgeth that to dwel in the world is to be in a prison and that there one daily offendeth God A man should alwayes feare that pride conduct him not into hell Thou oughtest to haue feare of thy selfe and thy like and to carry thy selfe respectiuely and warily for a man that liueth in the middest of his ennemies cannot be in perfect assurance Our flesh is our ennemy which with the deuill is continually aduerse to our soule A man should more feare to be surmonted and ouercome by his owne malice then by any other thing for it is impossible for a man to ascend to the glory of God or there to perseuer without a holy feare Not to haue it is a signe of perdition This feare causeth one to obey with humility and to stoope euē to the earth vnder the yoke of holy obedience and he that hath the greater feare is the more deuout in prayer and he that hath the grace to pray hath obtayned no litle grace of God The worckes of men appeare they neuer so great ought not to be iudged by humane iudgement but according to the diuine will and institution Therfore ought we my Brethren in IESVS CHRIST euer to liue in feare A discourse of Patience THE XXVII CHAPTER HE that for the loue of God could support with patience all afflictions should in short time obtaine abondance of graces and should be Lord of this world and haue one foot in the other All thee good and euill which a man doeth he doth it of himselfe therfore thou shouldest not be scandalized if one doe thee iniury but shouldest rather haue compassion of him Support iniuryes patiently for the loue thou owest to thy neighbour how much a man is prepared for the loue of God to endure abuses and affrontes so great is he before his diuine maiesty and no more and how much he is feeble and weakely prepared to support the same thinges
to be more tormented by her infirmities then she accustomed to be a sword of sorrow through-pearced the soule of her beloued daughters But a virgin seruante of IESVS CHRIST and a very deuout Religious of the Monastery of saint Paul and Order of saint Benedict had att that time this vision following It semed to her that she did visitt sainte Clare withall her sisters att saint Damian whom she saw in a sorrowfull yet precious bed about which they all lamēted expecting her death and withall she saw come to the bolster of the sayd bed a very beautifull woman who sayd to them that wept My daughters weep not for her that is yet to liue for she cannot dye til our Lord and all his disciples doe come A litle after the Romane Court was att Perusia where the encrease of sainte Clares sicknesse being diuulged the Cardinall of Hostia hastened with great dilligence to visite the espouse of IESVS CHRIST whose Father he was by office Gouernour by speciall sollicitude and Fosterer and friend in most pure and chast amitie and her he comforted applying and with his owne handes administring vnto her the most sacred sacrament of the Eucharist and then made a very deuout sermon vnto the Religious sainte Clare with great humility and in the name of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST besought him to accept in recommēdation that her family and all her other poore sisters of other Monasteries but aboue all she most instātly besought him to obtaine of the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinalls a priuiledge and confirmation of holy pouerty Wherto the Cardinall gaue his word and as a faithfull Protectour of her Religion one most deuout and affectionat to saincte Clare did afterwardes effect it For Pope Innocēt the fourth att her most instāt request confirmed the rule which the holy Father saint Francis had instituted for her as is formerly recorded of which rule S. Clare had neuer till then other cōfirmation written then that of the said Cardinall because the Pope supposing to induce sainte Clare not to bind her Religious to such an extreme pouerty did still deferre to confirme her rule by writing But Innocent the fourth seeing the perseuerāce and last will of sainte Clare graunted the same vnto her by a bull the eleuenth and last yeare of his raigne as we haue before recorded And the yeare being almost expired the Pope came with his Cardinals from Perusia to Assisium wherin the first vision touching the death of the holy virgin was accomplished for the Pope being in his office more then a man by the aucthority which he hath of IESVS CHRIST on earth whose person he representeth in the temple of the Church militant the Cardinals accompanying his holinesse represented the disciples of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How Pope Innocent the fourth visited S. Clare in her last sicknes and gaue her absolution THE XXIV CHAPTER THe diuine prouidence would no longer deferre the accomplishment of the will of S. Clare but her Spouse IESVS CHRIST came to eleuate into his celestiall Pallace his poore espouse and pilgrime on earth who desired nothing more that being deliuered of this mortall body she might haue the sight and fruition of her most glorious IESVS CHRIST in his kingdome Now then the members of this virgin being by continuance of her sicknes as vtterly decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being a token that she should in short time be called of God she also vsed it as a ladder to mount to eternall saluation Whervpon the Pope Innocent the fourth came to the Monastery of saint Damian accompanied with many Cardinals to visitt the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all women of his time and therfore worthy to haue her death honoured by his presence His holinesse then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin and comming neere to her bed he tendered her his hand to kisse which fauour saincte Clare with exceeding ioy receaued But besides that she with great humility besought him to aford her his feet to kisse The Pope to content her sate downe vpon a litle bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feet on which this sainct reuerently laid her face and mouth most affectionatly kissing them then with the serenity of an Angelicall countenance she demaunded of him remission of all her sinnes Wherto the Pope answeared would to God my deere sister I had need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefitt of absolutiō and the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receaued the most sacred communion att the hand of the Prouinciall of the Frere Minors of that prouince with her handes ioyned and her eyes eleuated towardes heauen she weeping sayd to her Religious My daughters prayse almighty God for the benefitt it hath pleased him to bestow on me this day which is such that the earth and the heauens are not of sufficiencie to recompence it sith this day I haue both receaued the same Lord and am esteemed worthy to see his vicar on earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes THE XXV CHAPTER THe daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in short time to remayne orphanes the cōsideration wherof through-pearced their soules with a most bitter griefe The heauines of sleep nor hungar could not draw them from the presence of their mother the contentment which they receaued in her presence made them forgett to eat and to sleep because all their exercise was to weepe and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the Monastery which she had newly erected att Florence to be present att her death Being then in this anguish she tourned towardes her sister and most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence Wherto sainte Clare answeared Deere sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull and weepe no more for I assure you our Lord will shortly come to you to visitt you with an exceeding consolation before your death Here followeth the testament of the holy S. Clare In nomine Domini Amen AMongest all other benefittes which we haue receaued of our bountifull benefactour the king of mercies and doe daily receiue of him for which we are most boud to praise him one is for our vocatiō which by how much greater it is by so much more are we bound vnto him the Apostle saith acknowledge your vocatiō God hath made himselfe a way which he hath shewed by word and example our holy Father S. Francis a most perfect zelatour and follower of the same way hath thaught vs wherfor my beloued Sisters we ought to marcke the vnmeasurable benefitt which God hath done vnto vs amongest the rest that which he hath vouchsafed to worcke in vs through his seruāt our Father S. Frācis not only after our cōuersion but
alsowhen we were in the captiuity vanity of the world for after his conuersion not hauing as yet any Brethren or companions being ro repaire the Church of saint Damian where he was visited with diuinecōsolation and cōstrained wholly to abandon the world filled with ioy and illumination of the holy Ghost he prophesied of vs that which our lord hath afterwardes fulfilled standing then on the walles of the said Church he called with a loud voice in the french tongue vnto some poore people dwelling therby saying Come helpe me in this Church of sainct Damian for there shall came women of whose good life and holy conuersation our heauenly Father shal be reioyced in his whole Church In this may we obserue the infinite bounty of God towardes vs who of his aboundāt mercy and charity hath vouchsafed to prophesie those thinges by his seruant of our vocatiō and election not only of vs hath our holy Father prophesied these thinges but also of those who hereafter shal be called vnto that vocation wherto our Lord hath called vs. With what care of soule and body are we then bound to keep the commādements of God of our holy Father saint Francis to the end that with the grace of God we may pay the multiplied talent And our lord hath not only placed vs as an example vnto the seculer but also vnto all our Sisters whome he shall call vnto our vocation that we may be vnto those who conuerse in the world a mirrour and example For our Lord God hath called vs vnto so great thinges that they may take example of vs who are giuen vnto others for an example for which we are bound greatly to blesse the more ought we for this to be strēgthened in our lord to doe well wherfore if we liue according to the forme aboue mentioned we shall leaue good example vnto those which follow vs with short paine we shall receiue the reward of euerlasting life After that our heauenly Father vouchsafed through his great mercy and grace to illuminate my hart in such sort that by the example and touching of our holy Father S. Francis I began to doe penance a litle after my conuersion I with a few Sisters whome our Lord gaue me haue willingly promised vnto him obedience like as our lord through the light of his grace inspired vnto vs by meanes of his merueillous life and holy doctrine Saint Francis then marcking that we were tender and fraile according to the body yet neuerthelesse nothing dismayed with any necessity pouerty paine tribulation or contempt of the world but that we esteemed all those thingees as great pleasure euen as he had experienced by the example of his Brethren he reioyced in our lord and with great charity inclining towardes vs he obliged himselfe his Brethren to haue alwayes ouer vs a speciall and diligent care We also by the will of God of our holy Father saint Frācis repaired to the Church of saint Damiā there to dwell a litle after which time our lord through his great mercy grace multiplyed vs and then was fulfilled that which our lord had foretold by his seruant for we had dwelt before in an other place litle after that he wrote vnto vs this forme of life and principally that we should perseuer in this pouerty and it was not sufficient vnto him to haue admonished vs therunto in his life by many sermons aduertisemētes to the end he might moue vs to the loue and obseruance of this most holy pouerty but he hath also giuen vs many writinges that after his death we should not fall from the same holy pouertye according to the example of the Sonne of God who liuing in this world did neuer leaue the same which holy pouerty our holy Father saint Francis and his Brethrē did honour and obserue during his life Wherfore I Clare seruant and handmayd of Christ and of the poore Sisters of saint Damian although vnworthy and the litle plant of our holy Father saint Francis considering this with my other Sisters as also the highnes of our profession made vnto such a worthy Father and the frailty of vs and others which we feare after the death of our holy Father who next vnto God was our only piller and comfort againe and againe we binde our selues vnto the holy lady pouerty to the end that the Sisters who are or shall come after my death may by no meanes decline from the same This Pouerty I haue alwayes bin carefull with the grace of God to obserue and to cause it to be obserued and for more surety of the same I haue made my Profession therof vnto our holy Father Pope Innocent the fourth in whose time we began and haue confirmed it by his successours that by no meanes in no time we should decline from this holy Pouerty which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto saint Francis Wherfore I bending the knee both of myne inward and outward man in all humility doe commend vnto the church of Rome to our holy Father the Pope and especially vnto the Cardinall to whose protection together wit the Franciscans we are committed that for the loue of God who was layd in the cribbe liued poorly in this world and dyed poorly on the crosse they will keepe the litle flock which God the Father hath gayned in his church through the wordes and examples of our holy Father saint Francis causing it to follow the humility and pouerty of his deerly beloued Sonne the Father of wisdome and of his holy mother and that they will cause the holy pouerty to be obserued which we haue promised vnto God and to sainct Francis as also strengthen thē for to obserue the same And like as God gaue vnto vs our Father saint Francis for our founder and helper in the seruice of God and of those thinges which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto him to obserue and as he was carefull whiles he liued to exercise vs his plantes by word examples so I commend and leaue my Sisters who already are as also those who hereafter shall be vnto the successours of saint Francis and to the whole religion that they wil be alwayes an assistance vnto vs to profitt from better to better to serue God and to accomplish and obserue this holy pouerty If it should happen att any time that the said sisters should leaue their country or citty to goe vnto an other they are firmely bound after my death in what place soeuer they are to obserue the holy pouerty which they haue vowed vnto God and to saint Francis Those which shall be in office as also the other sisters shal be carefull not to receiue more land then extreme necessity doth require as a garden for hearbes vnto their necessity And if for the defence or vse of the cloyster it weere needfull to haue more land they shall take but only to supply the necessity and in this lād they may neither plough
had bin made att that verie hower with the hard nayle vpon the bare flesh and the bloud appeared exceeding full of life O happy were the soules that were held worthy to see in his seruant what they could not see in their Lord IESVS CHRIST and more when afterwardes they saw his sacred handes which his Holines discouered and saw pearced as the feet and hauing also the like nailes we also kissed them laying our impure lippes onthe sacred bloud that was yet very fresh which made vs to poore out teares that so abondantly fell from our eyes as that they hindered our cōtentment for we could not tast nor enioy the same according to our wish our eyes were so troubled that we often saw not that precious treasure But who cā euer explicate the motiō of our vnderstāding the abstractiō of our spiritt the melting of our sences and the faintnes of our corporall forces procured by this precious sight O thrice happy the mouthes of vs so greiuous sinners wherwith we were permitted to kisse that sacred wound of his foot with such interiour cōsolation as none could be more But seauen fold more hapy the Pope who alone kissed the wound of his side flowered as a fresh rose consequētly his very mouth whervpon he graciously vttered these wordes O most worthy excellēt memoriall of our redemption wherwith the eternall God would that conformably to our Lord I. C. the glorious Father S. Fr. should be deputed aliue dead to represent to the world euen till the last day of iudgmēt the signe of his dolorous passion O holy woundes first endured by the Sonne of God for the sinnes of men and after for our benefitt renewed in his holy seruant Francis O most gracious God! to whome hast thou euer shewē such loue but to this thy most faithful seruant Blessed sainct thou hast really carryed the triumphant stander of the crosse together with the liuely marckes of his passion Finally thou alone hast ben elected and found worthy to be pearced in true imitation of our Lord I. C. differing from him only in this that he receaued his woundes of the wicked Iewes and thou of our Redeemer I. C. O extreme benefite O singuler gift O ineffable prerogatiue Fr. who taught thee to serue God in what new scoole was it performed and by what merueillous doctrine Of what master hast thou learned to moūt to so high a degree of perfection that neuer S. of either sex could equall thee in the giftes of God The Pope vttered these and many other wordes being rauished out of himselfe in the presence of this S. of God himselfe together with vs bathinge the pauement of that holy place with abondance of our teares Now we so persisted in these sweet cōceiptes that whē we least thought theron one aduertised vs that it was neere day and that it was necessary for vs to depart to shutt vp the hole of the sacred sepulcher dexteriously which touched our hart as a deadly wound the space of six or seauen howers that we were there seeming to haue flowen and not passed away Making therfore some litle prayer more and recommending our selues to the S. the Pope first goeing out we all followed but not till we had opened the two vaultes in the two other arches where we saw the two other glorious bodies of his disciples entier also and very odoriferous but much lesse then that of their master hauing their habittes of sackcloth Att the entry we saw the body of the blessed Brother Giles then we came foorth and the Guardian shutt the dores praying his Holines to keepe the same in great secresie which he promised him and commāded vs also the same This my freind Iames was the cause of my inuocation that night when I cryed O Francis Francis hauing yet hope yea very confident that he wil be protectour of my soule before God att my departure But it seemeth indeed very admirable that this glorious S. had not procured his recouery but that he might haue declared this his glory to many his deuoted freindes that much desired to vnderstand it for this discourse ended he began so to decay that he dyed the night following leauing assured testimony of this truth considering that it is not to be beleeued nor thought nor is it probable that aman especially such as this being in the conflictes of death would for his pleasure and without occasiō faine a false matter the time so neere when he should most stricktly render an account vnto God who seuerely condemneth the culpable and ill-deseruers as he crowneth the sainctes his elected here on earth but much more in heauen there glorifiyng their bodies their soules with his glorious vision eternally whither I beseech him by his grace to conduct vs where he is three and one and liueth and raigneth world without end Amen The end of the second booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS CONTAYNING A TREATISE OF S. Bonauenture of certaine miracles of the glorious Father S. Francis after his death With a discourse of the Author of the degrees wherby the S. attained to perfection Translated by the parties afore mentioned Of the miracle of the Stigmates THE FIRST CHAPTER TO the honour and glory of almighty God and the blessed Father S. Francis Being to write certaine miracles of his wrought after his glorification in heauen we haue determined to begin with that immensiue priuiledge giuen him by our Lord IESVS CHRIST honouring him with the signe of the crosse and passion This glorious Father S. Francis was then eminent by a new miracle when he appeared charactered and illustrated with so singuler a priuiledge neuer before graunted to any creature I meane the sacred woundes of our Lord which made his mortall bodie like to that of IESVS CHRIST crucified the sacred stigmates considered wherof whatsoeuer any humane tongue can expresse is litle or nothinge in comparison of so sublime and worthy a mystery wrought by his diuine maiesty in his faithfull seruant Francis that this signe of the crosse which he alwayes carryed imprinted in his hart from the beginning of his conuersion might also exteriourly appeare in his body entierly vnited in the said crosse and that as his soule was interiourly vested with IESVS CHRIST the habite of a penitent which he tooke representing the image of the crosse the body also might in like sort be inuested with the said sacred signe and that with such colours and distinctions he might the more couragiously serue his God as his principall Capitaine in the spirituall warre and army wherin God had ouercome the powers of spirituall ennemies Yea and diuers misteries of the crosse appeared in the S. from his first beginning in spirituall warfare as in the discourse of his life plainely appeareth by the diuers apparitions of the crosse which he had And for farther assurance of the verity of so admirable a fact God did not only giue testimonies worthy of creditt
that saw and with their owne handes touched those holy stigmates during his life but did manifest them euen by merueillous apparitions and miracles wrought after the death of the glorious Father as hereafter we shall orderly discourse besides what hath bin formerly said vpon the doubt of Pope Gregory the ninth in the nine and fiftieth chapter of the second booke A Religious Freer Minor and Preacher very famous in regard of the admiration of many vertues that excelled in him beleeued att first the mystery of the sacred stigmates which the holy Father had neuertheles being desirous to know by humane reason the occasion of such a miracle he began to doubt therof so that growing dayly more scrupulous his doubt encreased of so manifest a verity Wherfore one night as he slept S. Francis appeared vnto him hauing his feet couered with dirt and a countenance humbly austere and patiently angry who said what combatt doe thy cogitations cause thee what turpitude hath so absolutely possessed thee behold my handes and feet But the Religious though he saw the woundes of his handes with their nailes could not yet perceaue those of his feet because they were couered with dirt wherfore the S. said vnto him put of the dirt from my feet and behold the woundes of the nayles and so the Religious deuoutly taking hold of his holy seet seemed to make them cleane and with his handes to touch the said woundes after which awaking he found himselfe all bathed with teares and being cleared of all his scrupulous cogitations he publiquely confessed his errour with a firme beleefe of such an assured verity crauing pardon therof att the handes of God and his Sainct Of other miracles of the stigmates of the holy Father S. Francis THE II. CHAPTER A Vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome hauing chosen the holy Father S. Francis for her aduocate and hauing vpon this occasion placed his image in her oratory beholding it one time and seeing that it had not the sacred stigmates she began in admiration to complaine and not thincking it to be the fault of the painter that had neglected to make them she for many dayes had purposes to search out the cause of this defect but those admirable signes one day appeared in an instant in that image as they are accustomed to be paynted in all other This Gentlewoman perceauing it filled with feare and admiration called her daughter who was very yong and deuout and had dedicated herselfe vnto God and asked her if she remembred that she had formerly seene in that image those stigmates that then appeared The daughter did sweare that she had neuer seene them and that they came there miraculously But the soule of man often seeking occasion to fall calling the verity in doubt there entred an other scruple into the hart of this gentlewoman contrary to the former which was that the said stigmates had euer bin in the said image but that she had not well obserued it God intending not to haue his first miracle misprised added a second permitting the said stigmates to vanish againe and the image to remayne as before and so the first miracle was confirmed by the second Att the Citty of Lorio in Catalonia there was a man named Iohn very deuout vnto the holy Father S. Francis who passing one night through a street where certaine lewd persons attended to murder their ennemy that was to passe that way who was a freind to the said Iohn and did resemble him so supposing him to be their ennemy in person they assaulted him and so wounded him that they left him on the ground for dead there remayning in him no hope of life for the first blow cutt as it were cleane off one arme besides a stabbe that had pearced him thorough vnder the breast so that the winde which issued thence blew out six burning candelles ioyned together wherevpon the Phisicions presently iudged him for dead and as such forsooke him his woundes daily putrifying the loathsome matter that issued out of his body was so intollerable that euen his wife could no longer endure it wherfore seeing that all humane helpe was out of hope he had recourse to his Patron and to the blessed virgin whome he had very confidently and couragiously inuocated att the instant of his wounding Now this miserable afflicted thus lying in his bed accompained only with his misery did in a manner continually weepe and often calling on the holy Father S. Francis there one day appeared vnto him a man in habitt of a Freer Minor who as it seemed to him entred att the window and calling him said know Iohn that because thou hast had confidence in me God will cure thy woundes Which the afflicted man hearing he prayed him to lett him know who he was that brought him such gratefull newes he answeared that he was Brother Francis who comming neere him vnbound his woundes and annoynted them with a precious oyntment which doeing the sick man felt such vertue to proceed out of his sacred handes that he perceaued himselfe manifestly to be healed and so att an instant from halfe dead and already sauouring he was restored and cured for his putrifaction was by the vertue of the signes of the passion of our Sauiour chaunced into sweet sauour and the flesh of his woundes in such sort renewed that he was absolutely cured which done the Sainct disappeared and the good man arose from his bed with great ioy to prayse God and the blessed Sainct then called his wife with so stronge a voice that she was vtterly amazed knowing that she had left him in his bed with so litle courage that scarcely could he vtter a word but finding him out of his bed and cured whome she thought to bury the next day she was much more amazed wherfore she so cryed out in admiration of the miracle that she was heard of all the neighbours Those of his family att first supposing him to be frantike prayed him to retourne to his bed for they could not be persuaded that he was cured but he hauing shewed them his body sound they were exceedingly abashed being of opinion that he whome they saw was not Iohn but a phantasticall spiritt or vision which conceat neuer ceassed in them till he had recounted the whole progresse of the miracle which being diuulged ouer the citty the people abondantly flocked to see this man and the notable miracle wrought by the sacred stigmates of S. Francis ad all replenished with ioy and admiration with one accord extolled the prayses of the Standerd bearer of IESVS CHRIST who being dead of body neuertheles liued in the other life so that by the admirable demonstration of his presence and the sweet touch of his handes he raised as may be said one already dead by meane of his more then humane marckes with which our soueraigne Redeemer raised the Christian people already dead eternally by sinne Of an other miracle of the stigmates of S. Francis THE