built in times past to the name and honour of saint ALBAN where in a very rich shrine made of gould and siluer and adorned with pretious gemmes they reposed those sacred spoiles Whereby it is made manifest that as in times past to Lucian Priest the bodie of the Protomartir of Iurie sainct STEPHEN and to King Dagobert the reliques of saint DENIS the first Martir of France soe to our noble Offa allmightie God miraculously reuealed the bodie of the prime Martir of great Britaine S. ALBAN But this inuention and translation of S. ALBAN happened in the yeare 794. the first day of August X. IN the meane time king Offa built founded a most magnificent King Oâ—â—a foundeth a Benedictine Abbey to S. Albau Church and a Monastery for the Benedictine Monkes to the honour of S. ALBAN in the very same place where the holy Martir had shed his bloud for the Christian fayth This Monastery he not only adorned with great wealth and reuenewes but went him self to Rome and obtayned for it large and ample priuileges of Pope Adrian whereby it was exempted from all Episeopall power and iurisdiction and by the royall charter of Offa the exercise of all ciuill authoritie within the territorre thereof was deliuered into the hands of the Abbott And lastly Pope Adrian defined in his Priuilege graunted thereunto that as S. ALBAN whom at the earnest desire of King Offa the whole countrey he had enrolled into the nuÌ„ber of canonized Sainct was knowne to be the first Martir of Britaine soe the Abbot of his Monasterie should allwaies haue the precedence before all the other Abbots of that Countrey and that Abbey be accompted the principall and head of the rest The Abbots of this S. Albans the head abâ—ey of England Monastery in times past were Barons of the realme and Parliament men and from the Abbey the towne built there abouâ—s is to this present called by the name of Sainct-Albans XI BVT a farre greater and more excellent honour came to this Monasterie by the wonderfull miracles which allmightie God wrought there by the merits of this glorious Martir S. ALBAN then by all the other glorie of priuileges wealth and riches added thereunto Nay more the whole countrey receaued infinite benefitts of cures of all manner of diseases as we may vnderstand out of Venerable BEDE an Authour beyond all exception who auoucheth miracles wrought there euen vnto his time and by the auncient annalls of the same Monasterie wherein the wonders which yearly happened are diligently and faythfully sett downe Let vs heare the Authours them selues make an Affidauit of their owne sinceritie Whatsoeuer we goe about to relate say they of the holy Martir let noe man esteeme as fayned or friuolous for we take God to witnes that they are such as eyther we haue seene with our owne eyes or heard reported by men of approued creditt Out of which it shall Miracles wrought at his Tombe suffice vs for the glory of our Protomartir briefly to rehearse some few 1. His reliques being opposed to a furious fier oftentimes extinguisht it 2. In extremitie of drought his holy bodie being carried in procession with the vsuall Litanies and supplications of the Church obtayned rayne and in time of immoderate rayne purchased fayre weather 3. Those that by an iniurious violence presumed to robbe him of land or riches dedicated to his honour were oftentimes punished with a miserable end 4. One A notable punishment Hugh who with an impious mouth vttered reproachfull speeches against the blessed Martir and his sacred solemnitie cast forth the excrements of his bodie at his blasphemous mouth all his life after being iustly punished in that part which had offended 5. A woman sick of a cruell palsey who for manie yeares was not able to goe her self being admonished from heauen entred into the holy Martirs Church where hauing made her prayer vnto God and his Sainct at the very time when the Priest at Masse offered the sacred Bodie of our Lord to his father she felt her self strongly recouered and presently walked home in perfect health of all her limmes 6. The water which had washed his holy shrine was oftentimes prooued soueraigne against manie deseases 7. And the dust gathered out of the place where he was buried and putt into drinke wrought the like miraculous effects But we shall neuer come to an end yf we goe about to loade this paper with all the miraculous cures done at his tombe blind lame deafe broken and contracted persons receaued the wished benefitt of their health by the meritts of this thrice glorious Martir Scarse anie disease could be named that was not here cured Yea and manie dead persons were recalled againe to life by the The dead raysed to life Beda Hist Eccl. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 18. And others as Constant. in vita S. Germ. Baronius tom 5. an 429. Camden in descrip Herford com Harpsfield sex primis sae culis cap. 9. Westm an 794. malm de gest reg l. 1. c. Surius â— Tom. 6. Iun. 22. intercession and patronage of this glorious Martir sainct ALBAN XII HERE it shall not be amisse to admonish my good reader yf perchance he light on the writtings of some forreigne Authours vnskilled in our English histories that affirme the bodie of our sainct ALBAN to haue been by the sorenamed sainct GERMAN translated to Rome and thence afterwards againe transported by the meanes of Theophana the Empresse to the Benedictine Abbey of sainct PANTALEON at Cullen that he suffer not him self to be easily deceaued for all our English writters maintaine the contrary First sainct BEDE following the auncient Annalls of sainct ALBANS auoucheth that sainct GERMAN tooke only with him some of the dust where his body was layd and not only left the bodie it self behind but as we haue sayd placed manie other reliques of other Martirs which he had thither brought in the tombe of sainct ALBAN as soe manie sacred witnesses and pledges of his deuotion to the holy Sainct which reliques to the manifest confutation of the contrary opinion were found there togeather with the bodie of S. ALBAN three hundred fortie and odde yeares after S. GERMANS coming into England as Mathew Westminster William of Malmesbury and other English writers doe testifie Therefore his bodie could not be carried out of England by saint GERMAN Moreouer in Surius whom I take to be the chiefe Authour of the aduerse opinion I cannot but admire one thing as a signe of great partialitie in him for hauing gathered the whole life of Saint ALBAN out of Venerable BEDE he willingly passeth ouer in silence that act of Sainct GERMANS putting the reliques into Saint ALBANS tombe and carrying away of the earth embrewed with his bloud And why doeth he soe I leaue the reason to the iudgement of the iudicious reader being loath to touch the authoritie of soe great a man It may be because he was him self of Cullen he had rather for
afterwards in due time by the hands of the same Bishop his cozen he He liueth in a moâ—â— narrow cell was promoted to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Neere vnto the Church of our Ladies of Glastenbury he built him self a little Cell soe straight that all that saw it were astonished how a liuing man could dwell in it For I my self saith the Authour of his life haue measured the place contayning but fower foote in length and two and a half in breadth The height was proportionable to the ordinarie stature of a man In the midst of the doore was a litle window In this slender lodging he led his life in prayer and contemplation working in such things as the narrownes of the place would permitt but aboue all things labouring to please allmightie God in all and through all his actions He braue's vanquisheth the de uill dayly gayning to him self an higher place in his diuine fauour But the deuill enuying his pious exercises endeauoured to disturbe his deuotions presenting him self one day vnto him in the forme of a mayd that fayned to be in want of his helpe about some peece of worke and as the holy man prepared him self to satisfie her demaund he perceaued that enemie of mankind to transforme him self into diuers shapes that he seemed to see the forme and heare the voyce now of an old man now of a yong man and straight of some lasciuious woeman that stood before him Then vnderstanding what it was he caught the fierie tongues out of the fier and tooke that hellish monster by the nose and held him fast There then was to be seene a braue combat between the friend and enemie of Allmightie God Till at length sainct DVNSTAN remayning conquerour the deuill fled away with confusion horribly roaring and complayning that his pride and cauie had receaued the foyle and neuer after aduentured to molest the holy man in that place When from this time DVNSTAN was indued with soe great puritie of heart and His rare puritie of mind and body such a rare chastitie of bodie that he more ressembled an Angel of heauen then a mortall man Whence it came that manie poore and rich flocked vnto him from all parts to vse his counsell for the health of their soules and to be by him informed and directed in the way of good life and vertue Amongst others that came to be instructed by his zeale and prudence one was a vertuous Matrone called Elsgine whom when he had piously directed and well grounded in the way of vertue for a long time and armed at length with the last sacraments the happyly ended this life and left all her goods and possessions to the disposition of her pious Father sainct DVNSTAN who presently distributed the moueables to the poore Fiue monasteries built by his meanes and with the rest and his owne inheritance being the only child of his parents he built and enriched afterwards fiue monasteries and filled them with holy Conuents of Benedictine Monks VII NOT long after king Ethelstan being dead Edmond his brother succeeded in the kingdom of England who vnderstanding of An. 940. the rare prudence sainctitie and discretion of sainct DVNSTAN sent for him to his Court that by his worthy counsell and industrie he Dunstan in great fauour with King Edmond might the easier rule the scepter of his kingdom with iustice DVNSTAN offring this seruice to God and the good of the common wealth condescended to his desire When it was rare to behould how prudently he behaued him self in disposing of the affayres of the realme in composing of contentions that arose and establishing true peace and concord among the subiects to the great comfort and ioy both of the king and Nobles Neuerthelesse within a while he lost all fauour and grace with them both by the enuious detractions By enuiâ—he he i. expelled the Court. of those that could not support the lustre of his resplendent vertues nor endure one alone to beare more sway and be in greater credit then all the rest What shall I say The malignant words of his aduersaries preuayled soe farre that DVNSTAN was not only depriued of all auncient honour but allso banished the Court. This done after three daies the King goeing on hunting and being carried by the vntamed courage of his horse pursuing the game towards a mightie precipice that threatned both him and his beast with destruction seeing iminent death before him the iniurie done to DVNSTAN came suddenly into his mind whereat sighing from the bottom of his heart he was much grieued promising straight in his mind that yf by Gods helpe he escaped that danger aliue he would againe receaue him into his fauour When to his great comfort and admiration his horse which before noe force could hould stopped suddely on the ridge of that huge downfall He is recalled to sauour and deliuered him from his expected ruine Then hauing related this accident to his Nobles and caused DVNSTAN to be sent for he humbly demaunded pardon for his fault did worthy peanance for the iniurie and restored him to his ancient honour place and dignitie faithfully promising to be his true friend and protectour euer after Moreouer as a testimonie of his future friendship he gaue him the lands of Glastenbury where he was borne and bred to be disposed according to his good will and liking Sainct DVNSTAN by the kings meanes built there a goodly Monasterie and gathered He buildeth the monasterie of Glastenbury into it a worthie Conuent of Benedictine Monkes whom he himself gouerned in quallitie of Abbot Soe that by his good example and industrie that Abbey encreased wonderfully both in the excellencie of monasticall profession and in the abundant possession of temporall goods And that place became a Nurserie of learned and holy men that through all England cast the foundations of a religious life vnder the rule of sainct BENEDICT like soe manie Pillars of the Catholick Church And now it came to passe that as in this Church as it is about sayd the whole multitude of people recouered light from sainct DVNSTANS Mothers candle soe out of this place thus instituted by the learning and industrie of DVNSTAN him self all the Churches of England receaued the light of true Religion and monasticall discipline by the example and vertue of manie worthie men called hence to the dignitie of Abbots and Bishops in the kingdome VIII AMIDST these things the holy life and conuersation of sainct DVNSTAN purchased him wonderfull hatred from the deuill the perpetuall enemie to the Benedictine order But he allwaies found him to be as his name signifies a firme Rock of the mountaine He hearet 〈◊〉 the songs of Angles whom all the hellish practises of that Master of mischief could not mooue from the ground of vertue And by soe worthyly triumphing ouer that infernall monster he deserued to to be partaker of the sweet harmonie of Angelicall voyces which at
was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
learned men that zealed the Truth and good of the Benedictine Order to make a most exquisite and strict search into the monuments and bowells of antiquitie and finding that the opinion of Baronius was but a child that could by no meanes pretend anie title or right of descent from Authours of former ages they soe learnedly solidly and manifestly made the contrarie assertion appeare to the world to witt that sainct GREGORY was indeed a monk of sainct BENEDICT that that which before lay as it were buried in antiquitie and not thought on receaued for a truth but not talked on knowne of all but commended but off a few became more conspicuous to the world more glorious to the Benedictine Order and more famously treated off throughout the whole Church soe that the new opinion of Baronius serued but as a foyle more cleerly to sett forth the veritie of sainct GREGORIES being a Benedictine Monke and to make the world take better and more particular notice that soe great an Ornament of the vniuersall Church had been brought vp in the schoole of sainct BENEDICT But that we may take away all further difficultie in this matter let great sainct GREGORIE him self tell vs what Order he professed for surely no man can say but he is a iudge without exception and one whose authoritie is able to weigh downe more then I will name of such as write against vs. In his commentarie on the bocke of Kings writing to his Monkes and Nouices he vseth in manie places the expresse words of sainct BENEDICTS Rule and applies them to expound the holy text or rather makes vse of the text it self to coÌ„firme the precepts of the Benedictine Rule and there in citing the words of the same Rule he stileth our holy Father Lâ—b 4. comm in 1. Pâ—g c. 4 sainct BENEDICT with the title of Arctissimae vitae Magister optimus summae veritatis discipulus eruditus The best Master of the most strict life and a learned Disciple of the highest veritie Whereby it is manifest that sainct GREGORIE in proposing here the Rule and masthership of sainct BENEDICT vnto his Monkes for a patterne of their life and gouernment doeth acknowledge him self and them to be children of the same sainct BENEDICT whom he calleth his and their Best Master of strict regular life For yf he and his monkes were Basilians or Equitians or of anie other Order why doeth he not rather propose vnto them their Rules and call S. BASILL and Equitius their Best Master Were it not a thing strainge and against all rule for a Superiour of Franciscans or Dominicans to propose in a speech to his subiects the obseruance of the Rule of saint IGNATIVS and call him the Best Master of their Religion and profession omitting to make anie mention of his owne Patrones sainct FRANCIS or sainct DOMINICK Surely yf sainct GREGORY had been a disciple vnto Equitius as Baronius faynes he could not haue beene soe vnmindfull of the Father of his monasticall religion as to preferre sainct BENEDICT before him with the title of the Best Master of regular discipline and to propose his Rule to be obserued by his Monkes and not once in all his workes to make the lest mention of the Rule of sainct Equitius But how could he when neuer anie such rule hath euer yet appeared vnto the world But of his Best Master sainct BENEDICT he maketh such honourable and large mention that hauing dispatched the life of saint Equitius in one short chapter of his Dialogues he filleth a whole booke with the life vertues and miracles of our glorious Father sainct BENEDICT whose Rule he confirmed preferred before all others to shew the abundance of loue which he bore vnto him whom he stileth the Best Master of his monasticall life It would be too long to sett downe here all the places of our holy Father's saint BENEDICTS Rule which this great Doctour of the Church S. GREGORIE expoundeth to his Monkes in the aboue cited CoÌ„mentarie on the booke of Kings It sufficeth for our purpose that he acknowledgeth S. BENEDICT for his Best Master and proposeth his Rule to be obserued by the Monkes of his Monasterie For what more manifest proofe can there be to shew that both he and the Monkes his subiects were all children of the Benedictine Order and that sainct AVGVTINE our Apostle and his fellow-monkes preachers were professouâ—s of the same Rule and Religion Thus much good Reader I haue thought good to insorme thee in this poynt not because the truth of the cause I defend did want anie such proofes but because there are some soe willfully blind in the opinion of Baronius that they doe yet striue against the whole streame of antiquitie and ancient Authours and seeke to maintaine his noueltie Against whom If thou chaÌ„ce to encounter anie such thou art here sufficiently instructed to be able to speake some thing for the truth in this matter And doe not thinke that in disputing this poynt against a man soe worthyly deseruing of the Church as the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius we doe it with intent to lay an aspersion of disgrace on his glorie God forbid for the defence of the truth can disgrace noe man and especially him who in sayling through soe huge an Ocean as his Annalls are could not chose but erre in some things lest the world should haue taken him for some thing aboue the common sort of mortall men To conclude we see that the greatest part of our English SAINCTS are knowne allsoe to haue been of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT as it appeares in the ensuing treatise of their liues For the Catholick religion being first planted in England by the labours of S. AVGVSTINE his fellow-Monkes who were all Benedictines that holy Order was allsoe soe happyly rooted in the whole countrey and soe manie learned and holy men were bred and brought vp in the same that the whole English Church was gouerned by the Professours thereof and replenished with great store of SAINCTS of both sexes of the Benedictine familie there being noe other Rule of regular life but S. BENEDICTS on foote in England for the space of aboue seauen hundred yeares after the coÌ„uersion of it to the Christian fayth Noe wonder then that the Benedictine Religion in England was the mother of soe manie and soe great SAINCTS Their liues and of all others I haue endeauoured to sett forth briefly with as great care as I could desiring thee for whose comfort I haue taken this paynes to weigh the faults yf anie thou chaunce to find in the ballance of good will and soe thou shalt not only encourage me to goe forward in this and a greater worke then this but allsoe oblige me to remayne thy friend desiring no other reward for my labours but thy prayers vnto these glorious SAINCTS that I may in the end be made participant of their heauenly companie In the meane time wishing thee the like happines I
inuincible valour strength of bodie others iudged it a safer way to preferre ALFRED thereby to gaine the power of the Normans in that Richard then Duke of Normandie was hâ— vncle But the high and mightie ruler of all things p 〈…〉 t and fâ—ture foreseeing the short life of the one and the immature death of the other turned all their voices and consents to the châ—ldâ—nborne and mooued them to elect for their king an insant â—â—â—vard 〈…〉 as yet â—onâ—ayâ—eâ— in the weake cloisters of his mothers wombe sâ—e thâ—t the whom the land did not yet enioy was ordayned Lord Gorernor of the land and the nobles and Peeres with great ioy did sweare alleageance vnto him of whose birth they were ignorant and vncertaine But this vncertaintie was shortly after taken away by the happie and wished birth of king EDWARD soone after which the fuâ—â—rie of the Danes cruelly inuaded the realme of England spoyling and destroying a great part thereof with fier and sword which mooued king Ethelred to send the queene with her children into Normandie out of the reach of the Danish crueltie where our princely EDWARD S. Edward his vertues being a boy liued in his vncles house a child among others his equalls but allwaies free from such vices as that age is wont to bee inclined vnto He was chast of bodie sparing of his speach plaine in his actions pure in his affections He tooke great delight often to frequent Churches more often to be busied in his prayers to be present at the holy sacrifice of Masse to visit Monasteries religious houses and to enter into a strict league of friendship particularly with such monkes whom true vertue and Religion made worthie to be loued aboue others II. IN THE meane time the enemies sword committed such outrage The Barbarians waste England within the realme of England that all places were filled with slaughter and destruction nothing appeared that was not masked with the grimme vizard of sorrow lamentations clamours and desolation Churches were burnt Monasteries pulled downe and Priests chased out of their seates compelled to lie in secret and desert places to bewaile the coÌ„mon miseries of their countrey When among others the venerable man BRITHWOLD Bishop of Winchester as full of agonie as pittie greif and sorrow could make a pious heart retired to the Monastery of Glassenburie putting his whole confidence in prayers and psalmes to allmightie God Where as in great abundance he powred out his deuotions washt in teares for the deliuerie of the kingdom and people out of these calamities at length he burst out into such like words saying And thou 〈◊〉 Lord how long â—s 12. 43. 87. 〈◊〉 3. how long doest thou turne away thy face doest thou forgett our miseries afflictions They haue slaine thy Saincts destroyed thy aâ—ltars and there is none that can redeeme vs nor bring health vnto vs. I know ô Lord I know that whatsoeuer thou hast done vnto vs is by thy iust iudgement done But what wilt thou for euer cast vs off and wilt thou not beginne to be Psal 76. more pacified as yet When when ô my Lord God shall there be an end of these calamities Or will the sword of thy wrath for euer exercise his crueltie and make a generall slaughter among vs A vision shewed to Bish. Brith wold At length amidst these prayers and teares a sweet slumber seased on his sorrowfull senâ—es wherein as it were in a dreame he beheld the B. Apostle S. PETER seated in an eminent place and king Edward clad in Royall ornaments standing before him with an amiable countenance in most comly and decent manner vnto whom the holy Apostle hauing first with his owne hands consecrated and anneiled him King piously imparted some admonitions and precepts tending to the health and saluation of his soule aboue all things recommending vnto him a single life he reuealed how manie yeares he should raigne and gouerne the Kingdom The Bishop much amazed at this strange vision humbly craued of the Apostle to make knowne the misterie thereof vnto him desiring withall to vnderstand of the present state of the realme and to know his sentence touching the end of their instant miseries To whoÌ„ the Apostle with a pleasing countenance This kingdom said he is our lords who will raigne ouer the sonnes of men he it is that transferreth Dan. 2. kingdoms and chaingeth Empires and to punish the sinnes of the people giueth the gouernement to an hipocrite By sinne the people haue offended our Lord who hath deliuered them captiue into the hands of the Gentils and their hatefull enemies and strangers haue obtained soueraignâ—ie ouer them But God will not forgett to be mercifull neither in his ire will he containe his mercie from you And it shall Psalm 76. come to passe after thy death that our Lord will visitt his people and worke their redemption For he hath selected a man according to his owne heart who in all points shall fulfill his will pleasure and who hauing by my assistance obtained the kingdom of England shall sett a periode to the Danish furie He will be acceptable vnto God gratefull to men dreadfull to his enemies louing to his countrey profitable to the whole Church and at length shall conclude his worthy life with a most blessed and happie end But as the Bishop A Worthie commendation of king Edw. enquired further of Saint EDWARDS posteritie The kingdom of England answeared the holy Apostle belongeth vnto God himself who after this will prouide a king according to the diuine ordinance of his owne will and pleasure III. BVT as yet the furie of this Danish tempest continued and the waues thereof were exalted to the height of an insulting and imperious pride in so much that the common miseries of the land were much encreased by a ciuill discord inward iarring of mens minds amoÌ„gst them selues noe man knowing whom to trust with the secrets of his heart The whole Iland was full of traytours noe true faith to be found noe friendship but was scarred with suspition no coÌ„mon conference but was cloaked with deceitfull dissimulation Till at Canutus king of the Danes a ChristiaÌ„ of great piety chosen king of EnglaÌ„d ann 1016. the lawfull heires being reiected for the vniust murder of S. Edw. the martir halfbrother to Ethelred length the treason of the countrey the craft of the enemie preuayâ—â—ed soe farre that king Ethelred being dead most part of the realme â—or saking the lawfull heyres of their late king gaue vp obedieÌ„ce vnto Canutus that wroÌ„gfully had inuaded cruelly spoyled the kingdom and the mightie Edmond Jronside when he had valiantly ouerthrowne the Danes in three seuerall battles being at length by the treacherie of Eadrick Duke of the Mercians cruelly murdred his little children were taken out of their cradles deliuered to the pittilesse furie of the Barbarians to be slaine And ALFRED S. EDWARDS elder
of Deus-dedit or Gods-guist sixth Bishop thereof was vacant and destitute of a Pilote when the people and Clergie of Benedictin Monks mooued Egbert then King of Kent and Oswin king of the Northumbers to send one Wighart aâ—vertuous and holy Priest to Rome to be consecrated Kings of Engl. sent to Rome for an Archbishop of Canturb Bishop of Canturbury But Wighart coming to Rome in the hott time of plague died before he had receaued his intended dignitie Wherevppon Vitalianus then Pope sent for S. ADRIAN out of his Monasterie of Niridan and desired him to accept the charge and dignitie of the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury But he refused this offer humbly answearing that vnworthy hy was to vndertake and more vnable to performe anie such weightie office in Gods Church And therefore desired some daies of deliberation to search S. Adrian refuseth the Archbishoprik out an other whose worth did more worthilie correspond with soe hight a degree and calling In this while he found out a holy Benedictin Monk of his acquaintance called Theodore that liued in Rome and him he presented vnto the Pope as one fitt for that dignitie he being a man excellent in the two chiefest ornaments of the mind learning and vertue This man the Pope accepted and consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury on condition that ADRIAN who had refused the chief dignitie should at lest accompanie him into England as his coadiutour in that Apostolicall mission Herevnto the blessed Sainct willingly consented and vndertooke the voyage making him self a subiect where he might haue been a commaunder His great humilitie and choosing rather to profitt the nation with his preaching and learning then gouerne it by an Episcopall authoritle such was his wonderfull humilitie and burning zeale to gayne soules to God III NOW therefore this holy couple tooke their iourney towards England and coming into France S. ADRIAN who was famous in that countrey for hauing been sent on diuers embassages betweene Christian Princes was for his greater meritt suspected to goe to the Kings of England on some busines of estare from the Emperour plotted against the French and therefore was stayed by the King of the Gaules vntill he had cleered him self of that suspition Which done he went after Theodore into England where within a yeare or two he was by the same Theodore made Abbot of the Benedictin Monks in the monasterie of S. PETER in Canturbury now called S. Austins from the Benedictin Monk S. AVSTIN our Apostle He is made Abbot of S. Peters in Canturb who lies buried there In this place S. ADRIAN gathered togeather a great number of disciples whom he taught and instructed out of the holy scriptures to find the readie way to euerlasting life and besides this he taught them Musick Astronomie and Arithmetick as allsoe the Greek and Latin tongue which his pious labours tooke soe good effect that manie of his schollers spake Greek and Latin as perfectly as their owne mother tongue and especially two farre exceeded their other fellowes in all manner of learning one was called Albin who succeeded S. ADRIAN in the regencie of the Abbey the other Tobias who was afterwards Bishop of Rochester IV. Moreouer this blessed Sainct was of soe great meritt and soe highly esteemed before allmightie God that he is reported to haue bin the worker of manie miracles and that by his intercession a deâ—d man was raysed to life At length hauing laboured in the vineyard of our Lord a long time both in Jtalie and England leauing His death behind him manie learned disciples the fruits of his labours the thirtie ninth yeare after he came to Canturbury he left this world to receaue his reward in heauen the ninth day of January the yeare of our Lord 708. He was buried in the Church or chappell of the B. Virgin MARIE which King Edbald had built in the foresayd Monasterie of S. AVGVSTIN And this Church happening afterwards to be burnt S. ADRIAN appeared to one of the Monks and coÌ„maunded He appeareth in glorie him to goe to S. DVNSTAN who then was Archbishop of Canturbury with these words in his name Thou liuest in houses well couered and fenced against the weather but the Church of the Mother of God wherein I and other domesticks of heauen doe inhabite lies open exposed to the iniurious stormes of the wind Wherevppon S. DVNSTAN carefully caused that Church to be repayred which him self afterwards frequented euerie night such diuine sweetnes he receaued by his prayers offered to God in that place But one night entring into it he beheld S. ADRIAN seated amongst a glorious quier of Angels and Saincts praysing and glorifieing allmightie God His bodie was allwaies held in great veneration but especially from hence forth and manie miracles are reported by the authour of his life to haue been wrought at his tombe which for breuities sake we omitt desiring of allmightie God grace rather to imitatehis vertues then to admire his wonders Of S ADRIAN maketh mention S. BEDE as before BARONIVS tom 8. ann 668. TRITHEMIVS in his 3. booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 8. 9. MOLANVS IOHN CAPGRAVE and others The life of S BRITHWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. Out of venerable Bede hist. de gest SAINCT BRITHWALD a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order in the famous Abbey of Glassenbury was made Abbot of the monasterie called Reaculer in Kent where at that time the Kings of Kent sometimes kept their Court allbeit now saith Camden it be but a poore village not farre distant from Tanet Being a man of verie great learning and knowledge in diuine scriptures and wonderfull well practised in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall discipline he was chosen by the Benedictins of Canturbury to succeed S. THEODORE in that sea which had bin vacaÌ„t the space of two yeares in the yeare 692 and consecrated Archbishop thereof the yeare following He was the eight Archbishop of Canturbury and gouerned his Chutch with all true vertues belonging to a good Bishop the space of thirtie seauen yeares six moneths and fourteen daies In his time a Councell was held at London wherein the point of worshiping holy Images was handled and confirmed At length this holy man loaden with manie yeares of venerable ould age and full of vertues holines yeelded vp his blessed soule to the beginning of that life which neuer ends the ninth day of January in the yeare 731. William Malmesbury a very graue authour affirmeth out of Goscelinus who writeth the acts of the first nine Archbishops of Canturbury that S. BRITHWALD was famous for working of manie miracles And he is reported to haue written the historie of the bâ—ginning of the Benedictin monasterie of Euesham with the life of S EGVINE Bishop of Worcester Thus much out of venerable BEDE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others TRITHEMINS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order WION
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
applie his mind to the diuine seruice of allmigtie God In which place The deuill ennieth his studie of vertue being remooued from the noyse and disquiet of others he bent all the endeauour and power of his soule to prayer meditation and contemplation of diuine and heauenly mysteries which his pious exercise serued as bellowes to blow the coales of the Deuils enuie and hatred against him For as the holy man was one night earnestly bent Oâ—wald vaquishâ—h his diabolicall practises with the signe of the crosse to his prayers and meditations the wicked spiritt raysed the most horrid noyses and cries that humane eares euer heard intending therby ether to make him desist from his holy enterprise or at lest to performe it more slouthfully or neuer more to attempt the practise of anie such deuotion But he was deceaued in all for OSWALD keeping fast his footing vnder the approoued protection and bucklar of a firme and constant fayth was noe more terrified with the roaring of lions the hissing of serpents and the horrid cries and howling of other beasts which that wicked authour of mischief did faine then yf he had heard the sillie bleating of soe manies innocent lambs or sheepe and therefore he contemned and scorned all those vglie cries togeather with the diabolicall author of them The deuill confounded hereat suddenly vanished away and straight appeared vnto him traÌ„sformed into the shape of an angel of light Whe he that knew a good angel would not be troubled at the signe of the holy crosse presently armed himself therewith which the wicked tempter noe sooner perceaued butihe be trayed himself to be a Messenger of darkenes vanishing out of his sight like a puffe of smoke and he remayned free euer after from his hellish practises III. NEERE vnto his priuate oratorie was a place where twelue poore men receaued their dayly sustenance from the monasterie one of which dayly assisted S. OSWALD at the dreadfull sacrifice of Masse It happened one day that as the holy man being past the ghospell lifted vp his eyes to heauen in his prayers his seruant saw a person of a verie reuerend countenance houlding with great reuerence a little peece of white bread in his hands lifted ouer his head The poore man allthough wonderfully terrified with this visioÌ„ yet he stood stiffely to it and would not offer to runne away But perceauing the same bread to encrease more and more as the Priest went forward in his masse and at length to become of an vnaccustomed bignes he durst stay noe longer but fled out of the Church with all the hast he could Therefore S. OSWALD the Priest remayned alone with the Angel on his right hand that seemed to assist him In the meane time the poore man would euer now and then trembling peepe in at the Church doore to hearken and espie what was done about the aultar and when the seruanr of God as the manner is pronounced Per omnia saecula saeeuloruÌ„ other such like he heard the Angel answeare him distinctly to euery thing and saw him verie officiously wayting vppon him Masse being ended his fugitiue seruant returned and perceauing the Angel to be gone he ranne quaking to S. OSWALD and related the cause of his running away inquiring of him yf he likewise had seene the Angel Truely sayd he I both saw and heard what thou doest rehearse all mightie Gods name be for euer blessed who did not forsake me being destitute of helpe in his holie sacrifice And I strictly commaund thee neuer to reueale this vision while I liue IV. SAINCT ODO Archbyshop of Canturburie hearing the fame of S. OSWALDS holie conuersatioÌ„ and manner of life gaue infinite thankes vnto the authour of all goodnes and with manie guifts sent to the monasterie shewed declared him self in name of his nephew very gratefull and thankfull both to the Abbott and Monks thereof withall fignifying vnto them that he greatly desired to enioy his presence in England as well for that now being tired with old age he supposed his death to be neere at hand as allsoe for that he was determined by his meanes to order and traine vp those of his owne Countrey in regular and monasticall discipline This message sorely troubled the monks of Fleurie who were verie vnwilling to parâ— with OSWALD and OSWALD was as vnwilling to leaue them soe desirous he was to liue a priuate retired life But nether daring to contend against the Archbishops will they obeyed and sent him back with due honour and respect But before he arriued at Conturbury his vncle S. ODO had taken his iourney to heauen V. But he had an other Vnkle called Osketill who at that time gouerned Osketill Archbishop of Yorke the Church of Dorcester and hearing of Oswalds arriuall not only entertayned him very courteously but gaue him soe high a seate in his fauour that he made him of his counsell in the more secret affayres of his soule Till not long after Osketill being elected to the Archiepiscopall sea of York S. DVNSTAN with his prayses and commendations of OSWALD brought him into great grace and familiaritie with noble King Edgar who caused DVNSTAN to aduance him to the Episcopall sea of Worcester In this sacred dignitie he behaued him self worthyly both for the benefitt of the English Church and restoring William Malm. de gest reg Ang. cap. 7. of monasticall disc pline which by the barbarous incursions of the Danes and the lasciuious furie of late king Edwy who totally fauoured the vices of the secular Clergie was much impayred And first in the village of Westberie he gathered a little Conuent of twelue Benedictin monkes whom he vsed verie often times to visitt and confort with his pious exhortatioÌ„s togeather with them to labour him self in the pious exercise of a retired life in watching fasting and prayer Afterwards he built the Benedictine Abbey of Ramsey among the fennes of Huntingtonshire which florished from that time to the vnfortunate age of Henry the eight It was first founded vppon this occasion VI COVNT Ailwin a neere kinsman to King Edgar had for manie Records of Ramsey yeares endured the cruell torments of the goute When a certaine fishermaÌ„ of his called Vulget entring with his boate into the water of Ramesmere soe the place was called endeauoured to take some fish for his master but hauing laboured a long while in vaine at length much wearied he fell asleepe when our holy father S. BENEDICT appeared vnto him with these words at the rising of the morning sayd he cast thy netts into the water and according to thy desire thou shall take great store of fish of which take the greatest called a Pike The vision of a Fisherman and present it to Alwin thy master in my name bidding him that he receaue my guift courteously and out of hand build a monasterie for monks in this Iland to the honour of the most holy Mother of God mine and all the
hands couering them a table prouiding them meate and drink wayting on them at table and lastly hauing well satisfied their hunger he bestowed on each a peece of siluer and dismissed them Vnto these at Easter he gaue new cloathes and retayned them with him in his hall as his principall guests for certaine daies Noe sicknes could detayne him from these pious offices nay the weaker he found his body the more he forced him self with greater diligence to execute his seruice to these poore men worthyly following herein the humble example and exemplar humilitie of our deare Redeemer washing the feete of his twelue Apostles XVI AT LENGTH hauing for the space of manie yeares ruled both his bishopricks with great wisedom and sainctity to the wonderfull He foreâ—â—eth his â—â—ne death admiration of England the notable encrease of Gods Church the reformation of vice and the worthy aduancement of monasticall discipline hauing outliued his two Bretheren in religion and noble Equals in sainctitie Dunstan and Ethelwold the first fiue yeares the other tenne the day before his departure out of this life goeing forth with his monkes out of the Church into the open ayre he stood with his eyes most attentiuely bent towards heauen making his prayer with a mouth and heart full of pietie vnto IESVS CHRIST whom soe feruently he desired to enioy Nether did he as at other times quickly draw back his eyes from looking vpwards but as yf he did comtemplate with great pleasure of mind some strange noueltie he remayned very long fixed on what he beheld Being demaunded what he saw I contemplate sayd he the place whither I am goeing which to morrow next you shall plainly vnderstand For the eternall happines is now at hand to attaine which I haue hithervnto laboured on earth nether shall the morrow-sunne be sett before my Lord as he hath promised will call me into the ioyes of his euer flourishing paradise Therefore returning into the Church he called his monkes togeather and exhorted them to giue him the He receaueth the last Sacraments sacrament of extreme vnction and the sacred viaticum of our Lords bodie The night following forgetting this his sicknes soe attentiue he was to prepare for his happy iourney he went into the Church and hauing finished his diuine office he spent the rest of the night in prayers In the morning according to custom he gyrt him self with a towell and washed dried and kissed the feete of his twelue poore men and hauing performed the fifteene psalmes which he vsed to recite in that pious seruice he added thereunto Gloria patri c. and the poore rising as their manner was to giue thankes In his piouâ— exercise he happyly departeth at those wordes Spiritui Sancto in sight of them all he yeelded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deere Redeemer the twentie eight day of February in the yeare of our Lord 992 hauing been bishop thirtie yeares When his bodie was carried to buriall a white doue appeared to descend from heauen and flieing gently ouer it couered and protected it with her wings Allsoe a fierie globe seemed miraculously to hang ouer the biere whereon his holy bodie was layd And when his sacred reliques were placed before the high aultar that fierie vision as it were to designe the place for his buriall wauered to the south side of the Church ouer against the aultar and suddenly vanished out of sight His Bodie was committed to the earth in the Church of our blessed Ladie which him self as we haue sayd before had erected And Count Alwin after the death of this holy man being oppressed with an vnspeabeable anguish and grief of mind departed out of this teadious life and was buried in his Abbey of Ramsey with this Epitaph Here resteth Alwin cozen of the famous King Edgar Alderman of all England and the miraculous founder of this sacred Monasterie The holy Bishop Sainct OSWALD as in his life he was wonderfull soe after his death it pleased the allmightie worker of wonders to shew manie miracles at his tombe by his holy intercession and meritts whereof we will speake more at large on the feast of his translation the 15. day of October when his greatest festiuitie was celebrated in the English Church It resteth only now that wee pray vnto his glorious Sainct who is soe potent and powerfull a fauorite with allmightie God to obtaine his diuine grace for vs in this world and to be partakers of the glorie of his blessed Saincts in the next through our lord IESVS-CHRIST who be for eâ—er blessed praysed glorified AmeÌ„ His life was writteÌ„ by one Senatus Brauonius a moÌ„k of Worcester about the yeare of our Lord 1170. which is recited by Laurence Surius in his tenth tome and praysed by Baronius for a historie saythfully written We haue only added thereuÌ„to some few things out Malmesbury Baronius Harpsfield The verie same history with this of Surius is recited by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus only different in the stile which Surius corrected The mouthes of all historiographers English and others are full of the prayses of S. OSWALD The life of S. AIDO or Aidus Abbot and Confessor FEB 28. Out of an auncient authour recited by Iohn Cap graue AIDO borne in the prouince of Conaght in Jreland and giuen to his barren parents by the speciall fauour of allmightie God when he came to such age that he was able to make choise of a course of life he departed to the Prouince of Leinster where he led a solitarie life in all manner of vertue and holines Afterwards he came into Wales where liuing vnder the discipline of great S. Dauid he dayly shewed manie strange examples of miraculous workes and vertues in soe much that during the time of his abode there the Saxons then mortall enemies to the Britans durst neuer presume to inuade their dominions fearing the power vertue of this Sainct Returned as he was againe into Ireland he built a monasterie He buildeth a monasterie in Ireland wherein he became the spirituall father and teacher of verie manie monks whom he instructed in all good learning and the monasticall discipline of those times Manie strange and allmost incredible miracles are reported of this holy man which I willingly omitt It sufficeth for proofe of his Sainctitie that he liued in the continuall exercise of vertues and died loden with the meritts of manie good works as he did this twentie eigth day of February At S. DAVIDS in Meneuia he was called Moâ—dock that is Jrish and there his feast was celebrated with verie great reuerence and deuotion Thus much of his life I haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue with whom only let the truth of his relation stand for I find noe other Authour that maketh mention of this Sainct The end of February S. SWIBERTVS EPISC. WLRDENSIS APOSTOLVS Frisia Monachus Anglus Ord. S. Benedicti M. baâ—… f. The life of S
his bishoprick led a priuate life in the Kingdom of Mercia or Middle England This done our holy SWIBERT adorned with episcopall authoritie fortified with the comfortable speeches of S. WILFRID returned againe to Utreight He iâ— famous ouer the coutrey courragiously to follow on his pious enterprise adorning his new receaued dignities with a new list of vertues behauing him self from hence forth with great humilitie meeknes simplicitie iustice and all other degrees of perfection and making these vertues as it were the baites to take and winne soules out of the deluge of Idolatrie to the secure and quiet shore of CHRISTS Church by the force of his diuine learning and vnwearied labour of preaching Which tooke soe good effect that in diuers parts of Friseland and allmost all the countrie of Teisterband the poeple were conuerted to the fayth and manie Churches raysed and built on the ruines of Idolatrie were consecrated to the seruice of IESVS-CHRIST Soe that S. SWIBERT growing to be of great fame and estimation in all those countries for his singular vertue and miracles and being an amazement to the Pagans and Pagan priests it pleased the diuine goodnes to glorifie him more and more with wonders to the confusion of the â—â—ntils and great aduancement of his Church VII FOR being to dedicate a Church at Malsen in the Countie of Teisterband vppon the riuer Linghen a yong gentleman called Splinter van Andengin desiring out of curiositie to see the rites and ceremonies which the Christians vsed in the dedication of Churches and chiefly to see SWIBERT their bishop of whom he had heard such wonders coming ouer the riuer Rhene fell by chaunce out of the boate drowned leauing both the shores full of the fruitlesse lamentations and teares of his fellowes and seruants that dolefully bewayled their losse The same day about noone he was taken vp by certaine fishers and brought as dead as a hearing to Duerstat to the sorowfull house of his vnconsolable parents who through the perswasion of their Idolatrous Priests caused him to be carried to the Temple of Mars trusting that he could cure the wound giuen by Neptune and to that end they besought his warlik power with The God mars called vppon in vaine manie sacrifices to restore the yong man to life but all in vaine Which his father perceauiÌ„g coÌ„sidering that their poore Gods were not wont to bestow guifts of life soe liberally he was perswaded by some deuout Christians to entreate B. SWIBERT to come to his ay de who was the likelier to prooue a better Aduocate in his behalf in that matter of life and Death To him thereforeÌ„ he went and falling at his feet he began to open his miserie when a floud of teares soe stopt the current of his discourse that in them and his sighs the whole force of his eloquence seemed to consist But the holy Bishop S Swib entreated to ralsea dead maÌ„ refuseth gathering his meaning out of that dolefull speech was very vnwilling to vndertake a matter of soe great presumption till ouercome with the weeping rhetorick of his importunitie the prayers of Werenfride and Marcellin his fellowes he went with him whom an infinite multitude of poeple stood expecting on the banks of the Riuer Rhene When entring the village Duerstat the dolefull mother of the drowned youth carried beyond all degrees of sorrow ranne to meet him and falling at his feet in the midst of the street cried out O seruant of the true God helpe me and reuiue my sonne by the power of thy God for our Gods are all too weake to doe it S. SWIBERT applying a salue of comfort to the deepe wound of her sorow went to the house where the dead bodie was layd and commaunding his fellow-disciples to fall hartily to their prayers he allso betooke him self earnestly to his in the midst of that weeping multitude of poeple and trembling Flamins of the Pagans His prayer ended he arose and putting his whole confidence in our Lord IESVS-CHRIST he sayd O thou only comforter of our sadnes who didest once affirme with thy sacred mouth whosoeuer beleeueth Ioan. 14. v. 12 in me the works that I doe he allsoe shall doe and greater then these he shall doe voutchafe to shew the power of thy Diuinitie in raysing this man from death to life And taking him by the hand he sayd 〈◊〉 He rayseh a dead man to life the name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST crucified I bid thee rise and liue and prayse thy creatour At these words he that before was dead opened his eyes and waking as it were out of a profound sleepe he arose and embracing the holy Sainct cried out with great sighs there is noe other God in heauen and earth but IESVS-CHRIST crucified whom SWIBERT preacheth O the wonderfull life of this blessed Sainct whose prayers banished death from the bodie of an other and spoiled hell of its pray And presently all the beholders much astonished with the noueltie of this great miracle highly extolled the diuine pietie with loud shouts of ioy and thanksgiuing that daigned to ennoble his seruant with soe miraculous a remonstrance of his goodnes And the Heathen Priests togeather with the parents of the new reuiued youth and a great multitude of poeple renouncing the errours of Idolatrie beleeued in IESVS-CHRIST soe that there were baptised 126. persons besides woemen and children When soe great a noise and clamour was raysed in 126. persons conuerted the street by the Pagans that desired to see the newly reuiued yong man that S. SWIBERT compelled therevnto for the greater honour and glorie of God lead him out amongst them in his hand as a liuing trophie of his owne vertue to be seene of all that pressing multitude of poeple who when they beheld him walking in the street with lowd shoutes and cries they made the heauens resound with the Ecchos of these words Great is the God of the Christians and manie beleeued in CHRIST the worker of miracles through the perswasion of the holie Bishop and had their soules reuiued in the sacred font of baptisme With whom S. SWIBERT remayned a good while feeding and confirming the weakenes of their fayth with the solid foode of his learning till the whole village of Duerstat was throughly conuerted to the truth VIII IN the meane time S. WILLIBRORD ordayned Bishop of Frizeland by the speciall authoritie of Pope Sergius returned from Rome and placed his episcopall sea in the towne of Vtreight in a Cathedrall Church of Benedictin Monks-Canons dedicated to S. MARTIN Willibrord Bishop of Vtreight Bishop of Tours vnto whom the Benedictines were allwaies peculiarly deuoted And Radbod king of Frizeland being dead the two holy Bishops obtained greater libertie publickly â—opreach the ghospell of CHRIST throughout the whole couÌ„trey whereby their holy labours tooke soe good effect that the couÌ„tie of TeisterbaÌ„d allmost all HollaÌ„d a great part of neather Friseland were awaked out of the
morning to the great admiration and ioy of all he made knowne by the soundnes of his witt and vnderstanding that he had there receaued the cure of his madding phrensie The place of his buriall is inclosed with a wodden chest which hath a hole on the one side through which those that came thither for deuotion were wont to reach forth some of the dust and hauing dissolued it in water it cured both man and beast that drank it of what disease soeuer they were infected The life of this B. Sainct we haue gathered chiefly out of S. Bedes History of England Iohn Capgrane hath the same in his lines of English Saincts Trithemius in his treatise of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 117. Arnould Wion Baronius Camden and others make worthie mention of him In the Prouinciall CoÌ„stitutions of England his feast is ordayned to be celebrated with nine lessons and soe it was obserued in the Sarum Breuiarie But since Breuiaries were made treason in England all goodnes was banished the Psal 150. v. 1. publick view of that vnhappie Countrey and God whom the Psalmist bids vs to praise in his Saincts is depriued of his due honour and glorie and his Saincts are quite robbed of their part therein The life of Sainct WILLEICK Priest and Confessor monck of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 2. Out of Marceline in the life of S. Swibert S. WILLEICK borne in England went ouer into lower Germanie S. Willeick a Monk-Canon of Vtteicht in low Germanie where togeather wich S. SWIBERT and other English Benedictine Monks he preached CHRISTS ghospell to the Pagans and conuerted manie to the true fayth He was one of the first Monk-Canons of the new Cathedrall Church of Vtreiâ—ght where he who had left the world with a pure intention soe sincerely endeauoured to perfect him self in the seruice of CHRIST IESVS that he appeared as a sweet vessell of vertues to the rest of his brethren For from his youth he had liued allwaies with the great S. SWIBERT in the continuall exercise of prayer continencie and meditation of the holy scriptures euer striuing to make him self as pure wax to receiue the impression and seale of that worthie Saincts vertues He was skillfull in holy scriptures and well practised in the Latin and Dutch tongue verie cloquent in his discourse but meeke and humble in his behauiour a conquerour of wrath and couetousnes a despiser of pride and vaine glorie and a comfortable father to the poore and sickly For whom carefully to prouide he was inclined not only out of an innate pietie of mind but made that appeare by his great labour and paines taken in prouiding and succouring their necessities him self He conuerted allsoe manie Heathens through the Prouinces as he trauelled from the venom of Idolatrie to the sweetnes of CHRIST fayth II. AFTERWARDS being made Priour of S. SWIBERTS Benedictine monasterie at Werdt he became a true mirrour and paterne of all He is made Priour of the Monasterie of Werdt true vertues to his brethren whereby manie by his example and authoritie were curbed within the rules of a regular life Neyther was he profitable with his vertues and good example to the monasterie only but by his deuout exhortations and pious sermons he conuerted the neighbouring poeple from the sottish customs of their Idolatrous life to the loue of CHRIST heauenly things And the greatnes of his vertue and meritt was testified by miracle For being on a time at Cullen with the most deuout Dutchesse Plectrude of whom mention is made in the life of S. SWIBERT one Gothebald a chief man of the towne lay languishing vnder the pittilesse burden of such a cruell disease that depriued of all vse of his limmes he seemed indeed to be quite dead when his funerall rites were allreadie prepared and his graue gaped to receiue him In the meane time Marie that was his wiues name obtained of the Dutchesse to haue Willeick the disciple and priest of great S. SWIBERT to come visitt He cureth a sickman that diyng man Who coming into the chamber and hauing made his prayers to allmightie God he gaue him his benediction when presently the sick man arose in perfect health out of his bed gaue thanks to the supreme giuer of all goodnes and sate at table with the rest in great ioy and alacritie and S. Willeick whose companie he much desired could hardly be drawne from his deuotions of thanks giuing to take his repast with the rest Herevppon the deuout Dutchesse Plectrude held this holy man in farre greater honour and esteeme theÌ„ before yeelding infinite prayses to the omnipotent worker of wonders But S. WILLEICK hauing gouerned his monasterie His death the space of thirteene yeares in all tenne after the death of his master S. SWIBERT in great holines of life and conuersation gaue vp his blessed soule to the neuer-dieing rewards of his labours to beare a part in the quire of Benedictin Monks in heauen He died the second day of March in the yeare of Our Lord 727. At whose tombe in testimonie of his vertues and holy life were wrought maine miraculous cures of diseases Of him make mention besides the foresayd Marcelline Trithemius in his 3. booke and 167. chap. of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Wion in his Benedictine Martirologe and others The life of Sainct WINWALOKE Abbott and Confessor MAR. 3. Gathered by Surius out of auÌ„cient manuscripts SAINCT WINWALOKE sonne to Fracanus cosen germane of Cotton king of the Brittaines began from his tender age to giue greate signes of his ensuing vertue and good life despising the pleasures of the world and wholly bequeathing him self to the diuine seruice of allmigthy God His desire of a deuout life And the better to put his good purposes and pious inspirations in execution he desired leaue of his father to goe to a holy man of that countrey to perfect him self in that diuine schoole in the studie of vertue and learning But his father who desired rather to see him aduanced to worldy preferment and honour flatly denied his godly request Wherevppon this blessed yong man appealed to his allmightie father in heauen earnestly crauing his assistance in this case And his prayers were not in vaine for not long after his father being abrode in the plaine fields in a sayre sunny day on the suddaine there happened such a horrible tempest of rayne hayle and snow seconded with the roaring of such dreadfull thunder and flashes of lightning falling thick about him that strucken with the exceeding terrour thereof he fell flatt on the ground where musing with him self what might be the reason of such an vnexpected storme it came into his mind that perhaps it was a punishment sent him from God aboue for detayning his sonne in the tempestuous world out of the sweet hauen of his diuine His father giueth him to God seruice HerevppoÌ„ he
was wont presently to sett his helping hands therevnto eyther in guiding or houlding of the plough or anie other such labour For he was a yong man of great strength of a sweet discourse a merrie hart bountifull in good workes and of an honest and decent aspect He allwaies cate of the same meate and in the same place that his other brethren did and slept in the same common dorter that he did before he was made Abbot Yea when he fell fick and foresaw by certaine signes that death was at hand yet he remayned two daies after in the dorter of the other Brethren And other fiue daies before his He taketh leaue of his monkes departure he was placed in a more secret house a part till goeing forth one day into the open ayre he assembled all his monkes togeather and tooke a solemne leaue of them imparting to euery one a charitable salutation of peace they in the meane time pittifully weeping and wayling to depart from soe holy a father and soe pious a pastour He died the seauenth day of March in the night when the monkes were singing mattings in the Church He was twentie fower yeares of age when he came to the monasterie he liued twelue yeares therein seauen whereof he exercised the function of Priestood and fower His death he gouerned the Monasterie with the dignitie of Abbot till at leÌ„gth leauing his mortall limmes he tooke a happie flight to the Kingdom of heauen saint BENNET Bishop being then absent in his fift iourney to Rome The life of this Sainct is thus written by saint BEDE as we haue found it in an auncient manuscript togeather with the lines of other Abbots of the same mònastery where saint BEDE him self liued a Monke Besides him FLORENTIVS WIGORNIENSIS an 682. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 703. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 37. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others doe northily speake his prayses The life of sainct FELIX Bishop and Confessor MAR. 8. Out of diuers Authours FELIX was the first Bishop of the East-Angles But a man of how great pietie he was it appeareth chiefly in this He leaueth his countrey to preach in England one famous example that being natiue of Burgundis and vnderstanding how few labourers there were in soe fruictfull an haruest of CHRIST as England of his owne accord he left his Bishoprick friends Kinred and riches and all other maintenances and promotions of his state to come into our contrey and employ his best endeauours in soe pious a work Whose holy purpose being vnderstood admired by Honorius Archbishop of Canturbury he allotted him the Prouince of the East-Engles which hauing He conuerteth the East-Angles forsaken the Christian fayth before receaued was fallen againe into the blindnes of Idolatrie But FELIX being in effect correspondent to his name which signifieth Happie with soe great happines discharged the prouince he vndertooke that in a short time he wholly happily reduced it from the Idolatrous bondage of the deuill to the sweet freedoÌ„ of CHRISTS sacred Ghospell He held his Episcopall sea in a towne then called Dimmock but afterwards from his name it was named FELIXTOWE or FELSTOWE In which place and dignitie happie FELIX hauing discharged the part of a good pastour for the space of seauenteene yeares continually labouring with inuincible patience for the aduancement of CHRISTS holy Ghospel loden with vertue His death and good workes made a most happie iourney to the eternall happines the eigth day of March was buried in the same towne but his reliques were after wards traÌ„slated to a place called Schaâ— where appeares yet sayth Malmesbury some signes of a Church destroyed and burnt by the Danes But the Sacred body of this sainct being sought for and found a long time after was againe translated to the famous Abbey of Benedictin Monkes at Ramsey This life we haue gathered out of S. Bede de gest lib. 2. c. 15. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 16. and William Malmesbury de Pontif. The life of Sainct BOSA or Boso Bishop and Confessor Monke of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR 11. Out of ve nerable Bede de gest Ang. BOSA from a monke of the Benedictin monasterie of Streanshall in Northumberland was at the instaÌ„ce of Egfrid king of that Prouince elected Bishop of Yorke in the place of the most reuerend Bishop He is made Bishop of Yorke S. WILFRID then vniustly banished out of that sea and countrey by the meanes of the forefayd king and the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury in the yeare 678. This sea he gouerned in great holines of good life and learning till by the death of king Egfrid his brother Alfrîd obtayned the kingdome who recalled S. WILFRID out of banishment and restored him to his Bishoprick againe But after the space of fiue yeares Alfred expelled saint WILFRID againe and BOSA was once more restored to the sea of Yorke in the gouernment whereof and the continuall exercise of all true vertues belonging to a holy Bishop he rendred vp his blessed soule to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen about the yeare of our Lord. 700. but what day he died it is vncertaine this eleuenth of March is made a commemoration of him whom S. BEDE calleth a man well beloued of God of great holines and humilitie Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY TRITEMIVS in his fourth booke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order cap. 64. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 678. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. cap. 23. and others doe make worthie mention of him aâ— allsoe Pope IONH the seauenth in his letters written in behalf of S. WILFRID The life of the most Glorious Pope Doctour of the Catholike Church S. GREGORY surnamed the Great Apostle of England and glorie of S. BENEDICTS Order MAR 12. written by Paulus Diaconus SOE great and soe manie are the incomparable deeds and vertues wherewith this thrice happie Sainct hath adorned the The translatours Proloâ—ne Church of God and soe manie holy and learned men haue endeauoured by their writings to make him famous to posteritie that we find our witts farre to weake to comprehend the one this poore penne farre to barren to sett downe among soe manie worthies anie thing worthie soe worthie a subiect Yet on the other side because the benefitts which not only the Benedictin Order in England but allsoe all England it self hath from him receaued are soe infinite we cannot choose but straine according to our power to make some small shew of acknowledgment thereof imitating those herein who in a little mappe or carde to the great pleasure and profitt of the beholders doe describe the mightie compasse of the whole world And here now o Romeâ— doe thou first acknowledge thine happines and diligently endeauour to imitate soe great a worthy Manie euerlasting monuments there are which haue eternised thy name to posteritie thy Kings thy Dictatours thy Consuls thy Emperours thy Trophies yea and the Empire of the world seated in
corespondencie of his vertuous life and actions And in all things shewed him self worthie of soe noble soe vertuous an vncle and soe excellent a master This done he returned to S. GERMAN with whom he had not stayed long before he reuealed vnto him an earnest desire he had to goe to Rome the fountaine and head of all true religion and Ecclesiasticall discipline S. GERMAN He goeth to Rome approued his good purpose and gaue him all the furtherance he could for his iourney But by the way he chanced to meete with an holy Hermite who gaue him a staffe which was sayd to haue been in the sacred hands of IESVS-CHRIST and by vertue of this staffe he wrought manie miracles afterwards and it was held in great veneration among the Irish and is to this day by the name of Iesus-staffe But S. PATRICK being safely arriued at Rome was very honourably entertayned by Pope Celestin the first who then gouerned the sea Apostolique and finding him to be of a most perfect approoued fayth learning and vertue first gaue him the name of PATRICK for before he was called Suchar or Suchet and hauing inuested him with episcopall dignitie afterwards he sent him to preach the fayth of CHRIST He is sent to Preach in Ireland to the rude inhabitans of Ireland Not long before he had sent thither for the same purpose one Paladius his ArchdeacoÌ„ but the Jrishmen refusing to receaue him and his doctrine he was forced to returne back to Rome and afterwards comming into England died in the confines of the Picts Therefore S. PATRICK not only succeeded him in that holy embassage and labour but farre exceeded him in the fruict he reaped out of both And truely the workes and miracles which are reported of him in the conuersion of that countrey are soe manie soe infinite and some soe beyond the degrees of admiration that they seeme allmost to be beyond fayth too At lest they are farre beyond the limitts of this short treatise and therefore I wittingly omitt the greatest part of them not that I thinke theÌ„ voyd of all truth God forbid but because some are reported with ouermuch pietie or credulitie and by such authours at first whose names are vnknowne and consequently their testimonie cannot carrie his iust weight in the ballaÌ„ce of true historie But before we enter into S. PATRICKS preaching in IrelaÌ„d let the great S. HIEROME tell vs what manner of men he had to deale with That nation sayth he had The rudenes of the Irish poeple not proper wines but as yf they had read PLATOS Policie and followed the example of CATO like beasts they satiated their lust according aâ— euerie one thought best He likewise affirmeth that he him self being in FraÌ„ce had seene lib. 2. contra Jouin. cap. 6. those poeple cate mans Flesh and that they were wont when they did light on shepheards that kept their flocks in woods and desert places to cutt of the buttocks of men and the paps of woemen affirming those to be the only delights of all other meates Noe wonder then that it pleased allmightie God to shew such strange signes and miracles by S. PATRICK as soe manie necessarie instrumeÌ„ts to worke the coÌ„uersion of that rude fierce barbarons poeple whose iron hearts could not be mollified but in the powerfull flames of wonderfull great vertue and sainctitie III. S. PATRICK therefore and his fellowes coming a shore amongst this rude poeple in the north part of the CouÌ„trey called Vlâ—ter found His entraÌ„ce into Ireland a multitude of Pagans expecting his arriuall come to meet him For their Magitians Negromancers had foretould his coming before and therefore the chief king of the Countrey Leogarie by name had prouided that watch thinking to make his entring into the Iland his goeing out of the world Against whom presently that dogged crew lett loose a cruell mastiffe to giue the gripes of death vnto the holy Bishop But the doggâ— forgetting his wonted fiercenes was strucken soe dumbe and starke at the sight of the holy maÌ„ that he stood like a stone without anie shew of motion giuing an euident token that his setters on who worshiped Idols of stone were like the Gods they worshiped Which being perceaued by one Dichu One Dichu endeauoureth to kill S. Patrick a man of mightie strength and stature he straight lifted vp his sword to giue the holy man his death But his strength became feeblenes hauing the force of the Allmightie opposing it for his arme and whole bodie grew in a moment soe stiffe that he could nether moue his foote to goe on nor bring downe the Dichu coÌ„uerâ—ed by miracle threatning blow he intended Wherevppon by the preaching of saint PATRICK he presently became a new man renounced his Idolatrie and was washed in the sacred font of baptisme togeather with all his familie Soe that he who in that Prouince was the greatest and chiefest impugner of Christianitie became the ring-leader and first professour thereof and constantly remayned in the same whilest he liued And as at that time his soule was released out of the bonds of sinne soe likewise all the parts of his bodie were restored againe to the function of their wonted strength and vigour Therefore he gaue vnto saint PATRICK as an argument of his newly conceaued deuotion to Christian religion that land with the appurtenances where this miracle happened to build a new Church thereon and this Church according to the desire of Dichu was not built from East to west as the manner is but from North to south perhapps that from the Northerne coldnes of Paganisme those Idolaters might be incited by the misterie of this edifice to the meridiaÌ„ feruour of Christian fayth and charitie In this place afterwards S. PATRICK built a famous monasterie into which he introduced a conuent of perfect monks and ordayned S. DVNNE his disciple abbot thereof with whom he him self returning from his labour of preaching was wont somes times to remayne IV. AS ONCE he celebrated the diuine sacrifice of masse in the same Church a wicked Magitian malitiously thrusting a loÌ„g rodd in at the window ouerturned his chalice and shed the most pretious Ransom of our Redemption vppon the aultar Whereat the holy man being exceedingly troubled grieued in mind burst out into teares wheÌ„ on the suddeÌ„ behould by the diuine handy work of God the chalice A magitiaÌ„ miracuâ—ously punished appeared againe standing vpright in the place before him and noe â—igne could be seene on the aulthar clothes of that diuine offring But the diabolicall worker of that mischieuous act escaped not a iust punishment for his temeritie for at the same instant the earth it self as it were wearie and ashamed to carrie such a hellish monster opened her bowells and swallowed him vp aliue to send him to his grand-master of darknes in hell And in the same place as a token of Gods reueÌ„ge there remayned a hollow
washt powred it being dissolued in a little water into the mouth of that tortured infant wheÌ„ presently after manie fearfull cries lameÌ„table howlings he that before breathed nothing but furie and madnes fell into a most quiet sweet sleepe and the next morning he found him self wholly released from his accustomed rage and phrensie professing that he was freed froÌ„ that seruitude of the deuill that oppressed him by the meritts intercession of S. CVTHBERT Surely it was a miracle and a spectacle most delightfull to all good men to see that child walke the rounde of the holy Sepulchre with his father with a sound mind and iudgemeÌ„t render thanks vnto the Saincts for their assistance who but the day before through madnes rage furie nether knew him self what he was nor where he was The place where the foresayd water was powred is by the Church where he was buried towards the south And from that time manie miraculous cures were wrought with the samâ— earth a long time after But to the end that the saiÌ„ctitie of this glorious soule might be made more notable famous ouer the world it happened God soe disposing it for his greater glorie that eleueÌ„ yeares after his decease vppo some occasioÌ„ the moÌ„ks would needes take vp his Sacred bones imagining the flesh to he turned to that it came off to sett theÌ„ in a more eminet place or monument aboue ground Whereunto holy Eadbert his successour After 11. yeares his bodie and vestments are found vncorrupted verie willingly coÌ„sented caused his sepulcher to be opened on the verie day of his deposition where to the great admiration of all they fouÌ„d his bodie whole without the lest blemish of corruptioÌ„ his ioynts pliant flexible as yf he had bin aliue in a word more like vnto a man asleepe then to one that were dead Likewise all the vestments about him were not only entier and sound but shining as fresh and new as when they were made Wherevppon all the liuing that beheld this vnusuall miracle through feare amazemeÌ„t became for a while more like dead meÌ„ then the dead bodie they lookt on not daring scarse to speake or behould the miracle which appeared soe manifest At length coming a litle to theÌ„ selues by the councell of the Bishop S. EADBERT they wrapped that sacred treasure in new garmeÌ„ts for the old they had taken off putting it into a light shrine they placed it ouer the pauement where he had been buried XVI THE cloathes which had been worne about that Sacred bodie ether aliue or dead were not voyd from working manie miraculous cures And among others a monke of a monasterie not farre from Lindisfarne soe grieuously tormented with a cruell palsey that he had lost the vse of all his limnes and on whom the phisitians had prooued all their skill to be vaine had recourse to the diuine phisitian who cureth all diseases For he desired his seruant to bring him some particle of the garments which had been about the holy bodie of S. CVTHBERT in the graue for therby he hoped by the power of allmightie God and the merits of that Sainct to haue helpe The holy mans Shoes which he had worne eleuen A paralitiâ—que cured with the shoes of S Cuthbert yeares in the earth without consuming were brought which the diseased person had noe sooner putt on but recommending him self vnto the prayers of the holy man he fell into a sweet slumber and at midnight when it rung the first pulse to mattins he arose whole and sound and went ioyfully into the Church with the rest yeelding infinite thanks to allmightie God and S. CVTHBERT And yf such wonders are wrought by his shooes which were but as a defence to the lowest part of his bodie what cannot his glorious and thrice happie soule that is in heauen obtaine before the face of her allmightie Creatour This is an abridgement of what Venerable BEDE hath written of the life death and miracles of the moct glorious Sainct thrice worthie Prelat moct religious obseruer of monasticall discipline and bright ornanament of the BENEDICTIN familie S. CVTHBERT That which followes we haue carefully gathered out of IOHN CAPGRAVE SIMEON of DVRRHAM de Episc Dunel NICHOLAS Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 34. and others A historie oâ— the incorruption of S. Cuthberâ—s Lodie XVII WONDERFVLL surely are the miracles wrought by the allmightie power of God at the tombes and reliques of his Seruants which by the relatioÌ„ of the most approoued histories of the Church doe demonstrate and prooue vnto vs with how great meritt and fauour their blessed soules are adorned in the sight of God But of all other none is more wonderfull or of more efficacie to confirme our Christian beleef of the resurrection of the dead then that manie bodies of the Saincts haue remayned and doe yet remayne whole and vncorrupted of which strange kind of spectacle I know not whether there haue appeared in anie other Prouince of the Christian world more worthie and notable experiments then in this our Island of Great Britaine Our English Histories relate manie wonders of this kind of the bodies of S. EDWARD king and Confessor and S. EDMOND king and martir and S. ETHELDRED S. WERBVRG and S. ELPHEGVS Archbishop of Canturbury all three glorious branches of the Benedictine order But whether these haue remayned in that integritie to this our age it is not certaine But of S. CVTHBERT it is a thing most knowne and certaine And first we haue shewed before how after eleauen yeares he was found entier at the first opening of his Sepulcher as Venerable BEDE a witnes without all exceptioÌ„ doeth affirme But afterwards when the Danes furie cruelly wasted and spoyled all monasteries and Churches in England Eadulph Bishop of Lindisfarne hardly escaping their bloudie hands transported that vntainted bodie with him self to an other place When through the imminent slaughter which those Barbarians outragiously committed in the contrey he could not find a secure abode to rest in he wandred secretly vpp and downe allwaies carrying with him that Sacred bodie for the space of seauen yeares hauing Edred the Abbott and some others of the Clergie compartners of his flight and pilgrimage At last hauing lost all hope of conseruing them selues and that Sacred monument in England after a mature consultation they resolued to sayle ouer with it into Ireland But finding the rage of the seas through the horrible tempests that arose to be as much against their desires by water as the sword of the Barbarians by land they were compelled suddenly to returne from their aduenture that way But in this their entreprise at sea Two admirable accidents there happened two things verie wonderous for the waues of the sea which in a storme furiously flowed ouer the decks readie to ouer whelme the ship were suddenly chainged into gore bloud and a goodly booke of the holy ghospels couered with gould and rich
S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturbury perceauing had recourse to the refuge of prayer making an humble suplication to the all-foreseeing wisedome of God to voutchafe to shew whom his diuine maiestie iudged worthy for the gouernment of that Church And as he deuoutly and often repeated ouer his prayers S. ANDREW the Apostle appeared to him with these words Why art thou soe sad why doest make such lamentable complaints Arise and place the Abbot ELPHEGVS in the vacant Episcopall sea of that desolate Church Nether let anie contrarie power withstand thee in this for not from anie man but from God him self this sentence of him hath proceeded And left thou distrust anie thing in mee know that I am He is made Bishop the yeare 984. ANDREW the Apostle of IESVS-CHRIST and a most faythfull guardian of thy health and saluation DVNSTAN much encouraged herewith consecrated Blessed ELPHEGVS bishop as he was commaunded and sent him honourably to the sea of Winchester IV. BEING installed in that sacred dignitie he soe wisely framed and The seueritie of his life conformed him self to the manners and humours of all men that he became most beloued of all and which is rare among mortals noe man enuied at his glorie He was most mercifull vnto all others but to him self he appeared most cruell and seuere For in the verie dead time of winter amidest the frost and snow at midnight when all his poeple lay buried vnder the heauines of sleepe he was wont secretly to rise out of his bed and goe out barefooted with one single garment See the holy mans wonderfull â—eannes a bout him to busie him self at his prayers and meditation till morning In his diet he was soe extreÌ„ly sparing that he would rise froÌ„ table all most as emptie as he sate downe wheÌ„ce it came to passe that his bodie was taken downe to such a low degree of leannes that wheÌ„ at Masse he eleuated the holy sacrament the cleernes of the light might be seene through the ioynts in the palmes of his hands He knew how to temper fashion his mind and speech to all kind of men He permitted none of his diocessans to beg publickly froÌ„ doore to doore nether did he suffer the poore of other places to depart without an almes iudging it an vnreafonable horrible offence for a man to vsurpe that as a propertie of his owne which nature ordayned to be common to all Wherefore he carefully maintayned that he was noe true member of our Lords bodie that did not succour the necessities of the poore For yf when one member of the bodie is in paine the rest out of a coÌ„passioÌ„ doe not suffer with it it is manifest that that is not a member of the same bodie which in the suffrance of an other is not disposed to compassion But when those meanes were exhausted which by right of the Church belonged to the maintenance of the poore he caused the manie treasures which he had layd vp for that purpose to be distributed amongst them giuing posteritie a lesson hereby that Churches were endowed with store of riches to serue in time of plentie for an ornament and in time of want for profitt V. BVT when that worthie Pillar of our English Church S. DVNSTAN perceaued death to be at hand and feared by the succession of some wicked person the coming of trouble into the Church which now was well setled in peace and tranquillitie he sollicited with manie prayers the diuine mercle that he might haue Eâ—PHEGVS his successour in the sea of Canturbury His petition was heard in the holy court of heauen and a graunt promised allbeit the promise were not straight fullfilled Which perchance was deferred that more cleerly it might appeare vnto the world how highly S. DVNSTAN was beloued of God who soe truelie performed a long time after his death that which he promised in his life time and that S. ELPHEGVS might fall into such times as should aduance him to the glorious crowne of martyrdome Therefore in the yeare of our lord 1006 and from the coming of the English into Britalne 578. S. ELPHEGVS in the two fiftith yeare of his age when he had gouerned the sea of Winchester twentie two He is made Archbishop of Cant urburie yeares was raysed to the Archiepiscopal dignitie of CaÌ„turbury Who trauayling towards Rome to obtaine his Palle as he entred to lodge in a certaine towne by the way the townsmen perceauing him to be a straÌ„ger being verie greedie of their owne gaine brake into his lodging robbed him of what he had with stripes coÌ„pelled him poore bare as he was to gett out of their towne Which Iniuries man bearing away with patience only a little grieued for his companies sake returned the same way as he came When he had not gone farr from thence but horrible cries were heard from the walls which proclaimed the sudden ruine of the whole towne For an outrageous flame layd hould of the buildings which furiously began to consume all to ashes and seeing it still soe vehemently â—ncreasing that there was scarse anie hope of escaping a generall destruction suspecting that it might be a punishment for that rude violation of hospitalitie they ranne after the holy man humbly coÌ„fessing their fault and desiring pardon The sainct present taking compassion on their miserie made his prayers to allmightie God He receaneth his pall of Pope Iohn the 19 and these horrible flames were presently extinguished and their furie ceased Therefore his goods being restored be happily ended the rest of his iourney and returned againe into England with his Palle And being setled in the Metropolitan sea of Canturburie he excellently performed whatsoeuer belonged to the dignitie and function of a good bishop The vertue of chastitie commaunded soe high a seate in his soule that noe man in his hearing durst bring forth a word anie way drawing to obscenitie nor as much as relate anie dishonest storie He was the comfort of the poore the relieuer of the oppressed and the sole refuge of the afflicted VI. BVT ô the variable condition and inconstant state of this world The holy man had gouerned his Church but fower yeares The Danes spoyle England These miseries were reâ—ealed to S. Dâ—nstan long before when behould two Danish Princes called Swane and Turkill entred into England vsing great outrage in some parts thereof as a punishment for the poeples sinnes But Swane being by the secret disposition of god terribly slaine Turkill hauing obtained the principalitie of a wicked inheritance wasted and spoiled manie Prouinces in England with fier and sword For king Etheldred being a weake impotent man not giuen to warlick affayres made shew in his actions rather of a monk then a souldier and the people of the Countrey corrupted with the possession of their riches and tied to their owne pleasures thought nothing honourable but the sole priuate commoditie of their owne bodies Therefore euerie one
of his death all that heard saw what passed being greatly edified with soe great charitie of the Sainct amazed at the wonderfull light of his soule The like bountie and goodnes shined in him at other times in his great care towards the sick visiting cōforting reioycing with his owne hands seruing them and doeing the part not only of a true Father but allsoe of a most charitable Mother amongst thē Soe that in all their necessities the monks had recourse vnto him with as great confidence as the child hath in his mother laying open before him all the secret passions and wounds of their soules which he like an holy Phisitian because he knew the roote and origine of them all easyly cured This vnion of the parts of the bodie with their head subiects with their superiour is the Nurse and Soule of all religion VII HE willingly employed him self in bringing vp yong youth of Yong gentlemen brought vp in monasterics a middle age iudging his paines therein to be soe much the more profitable as that age like vnto soft wax was apt to receiue conserue all the lineaments of vertue imprinted therein It was a venerable custom in those times to nourish and bring vp Gentlemens sonnes of the best sort in Monasteries of S. BENEDICTS order ether to become Religious yf they were soe addicted or by that vertuons education to make them more capable in their riper yeares to profitt the cōmon wealth An abbott in great reputation of holy life came one day to vistt S. ANSELME discoursing with him of the gouernment of monasteries began greatly to cōplaine of the libertie disobedience of the yong gentlemen vnder his charge and that he watched night and day ouer them and made their faults to be seuerely whipt and chastised and yet it seemed that the more he kept them vnder the worse and more incorrigible they grew And what sayd S. ANSELME became of these children when their were at age or what profitt reaped you out of all this whipping and scourging Gentlenes most requisite in bringing vp youth For the most part replied the Abbott they grow to be great ignorant Dolts Then S. ANSELME This manner of education of youth seemeth to me most vncertaine for euē as yf one who by hedging in of yong plants doth soe choake them vp with thornes that they can nether grow nor putt forth their boughs will consequently bring noe fruict nor profitt soe in the nourishment of children who are rich and delicate plants to bring them to good one must vse a fatherly loue towards them giuing them a gentle discrete libertie and not allwaies making them slaues with feares threatnings and stripes Because when they doe not acknowledge and find in their tutours and masters that guide them the cordiall affection and loue of a father they thinke whatsoeuer is sayd or done to them proceeds out of chollar hatred and malice And as they grow in age they grow allsoe in a greater defiance of their masters of whom they haue as great horrour as a theefe of his executioner Rules for superiours in their gouernment In fine S. ANSELME taught the ABBOTT that true gouernment ought to know how to temper sweet with sower clemencie with seueritie and to cure wounds not only with the sharpnes of wine which closeth vp but with the supplenes of oyle allsoe which softens and opens the soares For allthough hard bread and crust be good for those that haue good teeth yet sucking children cannot eate it And yf a superiour will guide all his Inferiors the same way without discerning the different conditions and inclinations of the persons whom he gouerneth he will certainly committ manie grosse faultes to the great affliction and losse of his suiects The fame of S. Auselme drawes manie choller 's VIII S. ANSELME then inuironed with the glittering beames of excellent vertues his renowne was carried on the wings of fame ouer all Normandie through France into Flanders and England soe that manie learned and pious men came to the monasterie where he was Prior to range them selues into the spirituall warrefare vnder the colours of S. BENEDICT striuing to receaue the habitt at his hands and to liue vnder his correction and discipline Neuertheles he was soe prudent reserued that he neuer sollicited anie man to giue him self to God rather in his monasterie then in anie other but all waies left it to their choise to enter into what Conuent they best liked to the end that yf afterwards they happened to repent they should haue noe iust occasion to murmure or coplaine against him But they came soe thick of their owne accord that the Abbey of Bec was in a short time wōderfully encreased in tēporall spirituall goods of manie good religious monks and Abbott Herluine being dead ANSELME by the common suffrages of all the Conuent was chosen to succeed in his place allbeit he laboured with prayers and teares against it throwing him self prostrate at the feete of the monks and coniuring them by the deare passion of our lord ISSVS CHRIST not to charge his weake shoulders with such a weightie He is chosen Abbot of Bec. burden In fine when all his resistance did but encrease their importunitie he yeelded sincesuch he perceaued was the will of God Being therefore made Abbott he gouerned the monasterie with such holy prudence and prudent holines that this new encrease of dignitie was in him as a discouerie of a new mine of shining vertues whose beames amazed all behoulders IX AT that time there were manie possessions in England belonging He cometh into England to the Abbey of Bec to visitt which sainct ANSELME went ouer into England At Canturbury where LANFRANCK his old Master was Archbishop he was with wonderfull great honour receiued by the Benedictin monks of that citie which he no lesse ingeniously then elegantly putt off affirming the greater honour and greater affection of charitie to reside in them that performed it then in him to See his great humilitie whom it was performed Because he who vnworthyly receiued that vndeserued dutie could expect for it noe reward from God For what said he can be due to me from God in that anie one shewes loue towards me But to them from whō this loue proceeds he oweth a reward for their pious affection and he will not fayle to lay vp store of grace for them But the more he sought to auoyde honour the more still was throwne vppon him when poeple of all orders sexes and conditions striued to doe him the highest honours they could and amongst the rest King William the Conquerour who albeit otherwise a Norman of a fierce and barbarous nature yet towards sainct ANSELME beyond all mens expectation he behaued himself with an vnaccustomed courtesie and kindnes to the great admiration of all But the Sainct quickly wearied with these honours thought his iourney in nothing soe well spent as
in the sight and conference he had of his old Master LANFRANCK the Archbishop between whom discoursing of manie graue affayres fell at this time that famous disputation mentioned in his life of S. ELPHEGVS the Martir Afterwards he returned againe to his Monasterie and gouerned the same the space of fifteene yeares with all vertue belonging to a good prelate In the meane time William Conquerour died leauing the crowne to his onne William Rufus who by all indirect waies possible sought to oppresse and empouerish the Clergie and Church thereby to satisfie his owne vnbridled couetousnes and with their gould to giue a glorious outside to his owne wickednes Wherevppon S. ANSELME at the earnest entreatie of the nobles resolued to come againe into England But in the meane time Lanfrank being dead a rumour arose of the aduancing of ANSELME to the Archiepiscopall sea of Canturbury which made him ô wonderfull contēmpt of honour to deferre his iourney for fiue yeares space How manie be there now adaies that would haue taken poste in this case X. COMING at length to Canturbury he was saluted by the Benedictine monks and others as their future Prelate which he tooke soe S. Anselme refuseth the stile of Archbishop heynously that the next day he departed before the sunne was guiltie of his being in towne allbeit it were the verie feast of the Natiuitie of our Ladie refusing to be wonne by anie prayers to celebrate there that solemnitie Thence he went to King William and dealt freely with him to amend his manner of life to order the common wealth in better fashion as well in Ecclesiasticall as temporall affayres telling him withall what an ill opinion of his bad life was blowne ouer the world But the king was deafe to all good counsell till falling into a grieuoussicknes he beganne to make him remember him self and hearken a litle more to his pious perswasions His is chosen Archbishop of Cauturbury In the meane time being putt in mind that the sea of Canturburie was void of a Pilot that that Mother-Church of England had manie yeares been a widdow he proclaimed ANSELME to be the most worthie of that dignitie that the disciple might succeed his master And this his proposition was presently accepted with the common consent and applause of the Benedictin monks of Canturbury vnto whom the election of the Archbishop belonged and the generall liking of the poeple Only ANSELME with might and maine resisted this election and obstinately refused to vndertake the dignitie with teares alleadging manie reasons and excuses he made manie protestations that it was a verie foolish and ouerthwart proceeding to ioyne to the plough an ould sheepe yoakt with an vntamed bull by the bull meaning king William But all in vaine for the pastorall staffe was forcibly thrust into his hands him self violently drawne into the next Church was proclaymed Archbishop and his election witnessed with manie ioyfull acclamations and singing of the himme Te Deum Laudamus c. And now the day of his consecration and installation at Canturbury was prefixed to the fourth of December when by the opening of the bible this Sentence fell to S. ANSELMES lott Homo quidam fecit caenam magnam vocanit multos c. XI AT THE first King William shewed goodwill and friendship Note the couetousnes of the king towards S. ANSELME in hope that being now aduanced to soe great dignitie he would bestow some worthie present vppon him but as soone as he perceaued that ANSELME had noe such meaning he beganne to repent him self of this one allbeit a rare good deed and being wholly giuen by hooke or by crooke as they say to gett money he not soe required as exacted a friendly guift of a thousand pound sterling for a gratuitie for his aduancement to the Archbishoprick But saint ANSELME hating that vnroyall couetousnes in the King was determined not to send him a pennie Till swayed by the counsell of manie friends lest he should greatly exasperate the king to the greater detriment of the whole English Church he sent him fiue hundred pound promising to gratifie his Maiestie more largely when occasion serued William vtterly refused to accept that present as too slender and sparing a reward for a king Whereat S. ANSELME greatly reioyced because by this meanes he cleered him self frō all staine of honour which for this fact malice might haue layd to King William mooued against S. Anselme his charge And without anie delay he distributed that whole summe of money to the poore Afterwards he began to call vppon the King to haue a Councell assembled for the reforming of the Clergie and establishing of Ecclesiasticall discipline in the Church But his good intētions receiued a sharpe rebuke from the king who sought by all meanes to breake all the liberties of the Church in persecuting the Clergie inuading the Ecclesiasticall goods and other such outrages that the holy man could nether hinder his vniust proceedings noe execute his function in peace Soe that allbeit he were wholely disposed to stand strongly in defence of the truth and the freedom of the Church yet then he iudged it more expedient for the auoyding of greater inconuenience which euen the other bishops and countrey backed with the authoritie and power of the King might cause to absent him self a while out of England imagining that to be the safest way both to appease the enraged king and qualifie the tempest of the countrey XII THEREFORE he made a supplication to the king to permitte him to goe to Rome to obtaine from Pope Urban the second the Pall due vnto his archiepiscopall seate The king amazed at this demaund answered that noe man in his kingdom should acknowledge anie Pope of Rome without his consent and that he him self was after a fashion Pope within his owne dominiōs Which answere infinitly afflicted the holy archbishop who to extinguish this sparke of infernall fier before it went anie further assembled a Councell He summoneth a Councell of the Bishops Abbbots and peeres of the realme wherein hauing declared the kings mind the consequence and importance of the matter he found the greatest part of the bishops inclined to subscribe to the Princes will soe great is the power of flatterie and ambition ioyned with the authoritie of a furious and resolute king for they cried out alowd that he was a person impious and rebellious to the king and state whosoeuer would attempt to maintaine anie obedience in England to be due to anie but king William alone as well in Ecclesiasticall as temporall matters robbing the Pope hereby of his primacie and soueraigne power ouer all the Catholick Church S. ANSELME seeing this vnlawfull proceeding and that he could not resist against soe horrible a streame desired leaue of the king to leaue the kingdom and goe to Rome but he receiued diuers times a bitter deniall The king allwaies affirming that he would hould him as an enemie to his crowne
familie and he is one of the fower renowned Doctours of the same order that haue written in prayse and defence of the B. Virgin and consequently are The Benedictine Doctours of our B. Ladie stiled and called by the name of the fower Doctours of our Lady the other three are S. HILDEPHONSE Archbishop of Siuill in Spaine B. RVPERT Abbott of Twy in Germanie and S. BERNARD Abbott of Clareuall in France And our S. ANSELME second to none of the rest was the first that caused the feast of our Ladies immaculate Conception to be celebrated in the Church the seauenth of December when he had learned by the reuelation of an other Benedictin monk from the same Virgin that such was her will and pleasure God of his infinite mercie make vs partakers of his glorious meritts Amen His life wee haue gathered out of Eadmer a monk of Canturbury and the companion of all his troubles and Edmond monk of the same place who added a treatise of the discord between S. ANSELME and the two vnruly Kings William Malmesbury de Pont. lib. 1. the Roman martirologe Baronius tom 11. an 1109. and innumerable others doe highly speake his prayses The life of saint MELLITVS Bishop and confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT APR. 24. Out of venerable Bede AMONGST the holy Benedictine Monks which S. GREGORY Pope of Rome sent into England to supplie the want of Preathers in soe great an haruest and to helpe S. AVGVSTINE and his fellowe Benedictins in the conuersioÌ„ of that Kingdom MELLITVS an abbott of the same order was the first and chiefest Whom about three yeares after his arriuall S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturbury made Bishop of London the principall head cittie of the East-Angles where Sebert nephew to Ethelbert King of Kent kept his royall Mellitus first bishop of London Court allbeit he were vnder the power of Ethelbert whose authoritie ouer the English stretched to the riuer Humber But when this prouince by the industrious preaching and labour of saint MELLITVS had receaued the Christian fayth King Ethelbert built that famous Church of saint PAVL the Apostle within the walls of London for the Episcopall seate of Mellitvs and his successours But how greatly this holy man was beloued of God and the whole court of heauen manifestly appeareth in the consecration of the Church of Westminster which office of his S. PETER the Apostle performed for Bishop MELLITVS with his owne hands as may be seene more at large in the life of S. EDWARD the fist of Ianuary S. AVGVSTIN being dead Mellitvs bishop of London went to Rome to coÌ„sult Pope Boniâ—ace the fourth touching manie necessarie affayres of the English Church And namely for the good establishment of the new-built Baron an 610. monasterie of Westminster as allso to know whether the consecration of a Church performed in the aforesayd manner were valid The Pope in a Synod held at Rome in which S. MELLITVS had a place ordayned manie lawes for the peace of the Benedictine moÌ„ks and conseruation of monasticall discipline and decreed against the enuious that monks were the fittest instruments in Gods Church for Apostolicall functions which decrees Mellitvs brought with him into England for the confirmation and establishment of the Benedictine order and Mission in that countrey II. BVT the death of the two good Kings Ethelbert and Sebâ—â—â— was cause of great domage to the tenden beginnings of that new See in S. Laurence 2. of Febr. Church for the three sonnes of King Sebert who during the time of their father dissembled a litle in religion for feare of him fell after his death to flatt Idolatrie and gaue licence to all their subiects to doe the like And when they saw the holy bishop MELLITVS hauing celebrated the sacred solemnities of Masse giue the Eucharist to the poeple Why sayd they swelling with Looke prorestant our first Apoles sayd masse a barbarous foolishnes doest thou not giue vs the white bread which thou didest giue to our father Saba soe they were wont to call him and doest yet giue to manie of the poeple Yf you will be washed answeared MELLITVS in the same sacred font as your father was you may be partakers of the holy bread as well as the but yf you contemne the Bath of life you can by noe meanes receaue the Bread of life But they refused to enter into the font of baptisme as a thing vnnecessarie but desired earnestly to eate of the sacred bread Till at length when the holy mans perswasions could not draw them from this sâ—nd request they banished him out of their Prouince because he S. Mellitus Banished from his Bishoprick would not giue them blessed Sacrament of aultar before haptisme Veryly I am of opinion to my great grief that at this present our Protestant-Bishops haue soe litle respect to that which they call the Lords Supper that rather then be forced with their wiues to leaue their bishopricks they would giue their sacrament of bread to a soe farr alas they are fallen from the religion of our first Apostles III. SAINT MELLITVS went to Canturbury to consult S. LAVRENCE and IVSTVS the other bishops what was to bee done in these troubles And finding no other meanes nor hopes of redresse MELLITVS and IVSTVS went ouer into France to expect the calme of this tempestuous See in S. Lau. 2. Febr. motion Till Edbald King of Kent renouncing his Idolatrie and baptised by saint LAVRENCE Archbishop of Carturbury recalled the two bishops out of France and restored IVSTVS to his seat of Rochester but the Londoners refused to receaue their bishop Mellitus ouer whom Edbald had not such absolute and coercitiue power that he could force them to it as his father could In the meane time Saint LAVRENCE departing this life MELLITVS succeeded in the sea of Canturbury whence he cast forth the bright beames of his vertue fayth and learning ouer all England with which noble ornaments he greatly ennobled the countrey and He is made Archbishop of Canturbury excelled the nobilitie of his birth and parcentage which was verie honorable In bodie he was wonderfull weake and sickly specially being greeuously afflicted with the gout but most sound in mind cherefully despising all terrene things and still aspiring to the loue and possession of the Kingdom of heauen And here I will relate one example of his excellent vertue and confidence in allmightie God which may serue as a witnesse of his other noble vertues IV. A MIGHTIE fier happened to make hauock in the cittie of Canturbury which soe furiously deuoured whole streets as it went that noe force of water could quench the rage of that vnresistable element And now with great violence it drew neere to the place where the holy Bishop was who would not giue way to those deuouring flames but trusting in the diuine goodnes He quencheth a great fier by his prayers where humane help was wanting caused him self to be
the instant when King Edgar sonne of Edmond was borne he heard sing an Anthime foretelling peace to the English Church by that happie byrth Allsoe at the Church of Bathe being verie seriously detayned in his prayer he beheld the soule of a yong Monke whom he had brought vp at Glastenbury carried vp by troupes of Angels into heauen And it was found that that youth The deâ—ill appearâ—th died at the same instant Being afterwards in his iourney to the King who in great hast had sent for him he was mett in the way by the deuill who very petulantly and like a Buffoone reioyced and sported him self before him Being demaunded the cause of his mirth he answered that the King DVNSTANS friend would shortly die which should be a cause of great trouble in the kingdom and he hoped that the next king would not fauour DVNSTAN nor his adherents But this Master of lies could The death of king Edmond as 946. not vtter two true tales togeather for allbeit it fell out indeed that king Edmond was slaine in his Pallace within seauen daies after yet his Brother Edred succeeded a man worthyly feruent in the seruice of Allmightie God and whoe honoured DVNSTAN with noe lesse loue fauour and reuerence then his predecessor Nay Elphâ—gâ—s Bishop of Winchester being dead king Edred with manic prayers sollicited sainct DVNSTAN to succeed in that Sea whose absolute refusall of that dignitie much grieued the good kings mind made him deale with good Queene Edgine his mother to perswade DVNSTAN to accept it but all in vaine for nether the mothers nor the sonnes entreaties could preuayle to make him take it IX AFTERWARDS sainct DVNSTAN went to visitt his The death of king Edred brethren at Glastenbury where he had not stayd long but king Edred being fallen mortally sick sent for him in all hast Who trauelling speedyly towards the Court heard a voyce from heauen that sayd King EDRED rests in peace And at the very sound of those words his horse fell dead vnder him without anie hurt to the rider Then going sorrowfully to the sorrowfull Court togeather with his fellowes he committed the bodie of the King to the Mother The bad life of king Edwin Earth Edwin the sonne of King Edmond succeeded in the gouernment of the Kingdom who filthyly defiled both the beginning and progresse of his whole raigne For omitting the impietie crueltie and tyrannie wherewith he outraged all sacred and prosane things he was a man soe beyond measure addicted to the pleasures of lust and lasciuiousnes that he languished in the loue of the mother and her daughter both togeather vsing both their bodies at his pleasure And which is horrible to be spoken on the verie day of his Coronation dinner being ended he forsoke the companie of all the Bishops Abbots Princes and Nobles of the realme and went into his priuate chamber where he sate in the midst embracing the mother and daughtér his ordinary strumpets Which act caused a great scandall and indignation amongst the Princes and Nobles then present Wherevppon the rest excusing them selues out of feare to incurre the kings anger S. DVNSTAN was seÌ„t to draw Note the great zeale of S. Dunstan him out off that lewd companie Who entring the chamber and finding the king hauing layd by his royall crowne dallying on the bed betweene those two naughtie woemen first with a sterne looke he sharply rebuked their lasciuiousnes and then with a low voyce he humbly entreated the king to redeeme this publick scandall and to returne to his Peeres to gladden them with his royall presence But the King anger and shame striuing in his mind for the mastrie absolutly refused to come Then DVNSTAN in the zeale of a holy anger tooke him fast by the hand and clapping the Diadem vppon his head drew him violently into the Hall amongst his Nobles These wicked woemen were soe ashamed and offended herewith that they perswaded the King allsoe highly enraged against S. DVNSTAN to banish him out of the kingdom Who not only banished S. DVNSTAN but sent wicked officers to the monasteries of Glastenbury to seaze vppon all the goods that belonged vnto it The like iniustice he vsed to manie other monasteries of England not only despoyling them of their lands goods and reuenewes but banishing the Monks allsoe that maintayned the profession and defence of a chast life Then the Abbey of Malmesbury sayth William a monke of the same place which sor the space of two hundred threescore and ten yeares before had been inhabited by Monkes Dereg l. 2. c. 7. was made a stable of secular Clerkes X. S. DVNSTAN therefore hauing receaued the decree of his banishment departed out of England ioyfull in his heart that he was worthy to suffer for the defence of iustice and loue of chaâ—itie He went into Flanders where the Lord of that countrey courteously entertayned him at the Cittie of Gaunt and there in the exercise of true pietie and religion he expected how it should please the diuine See the crueltie of a detestable woeman wisedon to dispose of him But the foresayd woeman or rather infernall furies were not satisfied with his banishment but plotted to haue him surprised by the way and robbed of his eyes which they fayled to execute for when the instruments of this crueltie arriued at the Port the Sainct had allreadie hoist sayles and was gone Our Lord greatly conforted Sainct DVNSTAN in this banishment by the meanes of his holy Apostle Sainct ANDREW to whom he was euer peculiarly denoted who visited him often and appeared vnto him with words and promises of great consolation In the meane time the allmightie and heauenly wisedome cast a mercifull eye on the English nation and vsed meanes for the perpetuall consolation thereof againe to restore DVNSTAN the Father of the countrey into his former and farre greater degrees of place and dignitie For the Northumbers and Mercians withdrew themselues King Edwin iustly punished from the subiection of King Edwin and made the Noble Edgar his brother their Prince vnder whose conduct they persecuted Edwin and droue him beyond the riuer Thames soe that all the couÌ„trey from thence to Humber was wholly subiect vnto Edgar And with in a short time death hauing ended the quarrell and taken away Edwin Edgar remayned Monarke of all England Who being desirous Edgar recalleth S. Dunstati to establish his kingdome with peace and iustice caused all the outrages committed by his predecessor to be repayred monasticall and Church-goods to be restored and by messengers sent into Flanders recalled S. DVNSTAN into the Countrey with great honour and reuerence committing him self and all his affayres to be ruled He is made Bishop of Worcester and ordered by the prudence of his care and counsell Moreouer that greater dignitie might authorise all his proceedings with manie prayers he perswaded him to accept the bishoprick of Worcester and he was consecrated at Canturbury
vnder them whereby manie of them were sorely hurt whilst the other part where S. DVNSTAN his adherents were remayned vnshaken and moueable And with this fall fell likewise the cause of the secular Clerkes and the Monkes remayned more firmely and miraculously established and confirmed in the possession of their Monasteries Soe that as we haue sayd by the meanes of saint DVNSTAN and the assistance of the worthy Bishops saint OSWALD and saint Fortie eight monasteries of Benedictines ETHELWOLD the number of fortie eight Monasteries of Monkes and Nunnes of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT were founded and repayred and replenished with Conuents of religious persons that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and liued a most holy and vertuous life XVIII BVT allthough this most holy Bishop hath deserued eternall How he conformed the Benedictine Order prayse and glory for his worthie endeauours bestowed thus in restoring the Monasticall Order yet the chiefest title of honour is due vnto him in that he laboured not only to repayre the outward walles and buildings of monasteries to replenish them with store of Monkes but allsoe made it the highest point of his ayme and studie to reduce the Monasticall discipline it self to the auncient and primitiue rigour and vigour of our holy father saint BENEDICTS Rule And to this end he sent for manie learned and vertuouâ— Monkes out of the most reformed Monasteries of France to teach the true pactise of the Benedictine discipline in England and him self left written a notable monument of monasticall obseruance and and auncient pietie which is called A regular Concordance of the Monkes and Nunnes of the English Nation whereby all the monasteries throughout England allbeit before they all obserued the Rule of the most holy Patriarke of monkes saint BENEDICT yet because allmost euery one had some diuers customs and Ceremonies different from the rest were reduced to one and the same vnanimous obseruance of regular discipline in all things to the great conseruation and encrease of charitie and true religion He that desires to reade this foresayd Regular Concordance of saint DVNSTAN may find it sett forth not long since in the third Appendix to that worthy latine treatise Intituled The Apostleship of the 〈◊〉 in England XIX FVRTHERMORE how zealous this holy Bishop was in the S. Dunstans zeale to iustice execution of iustice and rooting out of wicked persons out of the Countrey is made manifest by this example Three false coyners of money being by the lawes of the realme condemned to death the officers differred their execution by reason of the feast of Pentecost which the holy man vnderstanding refused to celebrate his Masse before iustice was done allbeit some thought this act to be too rigorous and inhumane yet our Lord made it manifestly appeare that it proceeded from a true zeale of iustice of the good of the common-wealth for as soone as those malefactours were dispatched the holy Bishop went to Masse when being in the midst of that dreadfull sacrifice a doue as white as snow was seene by all the A whiâ—e doue â—uer his heâ—d at Masse assistants to descend from aboue and sitt vppon his head whence it did not stirre vntill he had finished that sacred Offring with extraordinarie teares and deuotion in testimonie that allmightie God was pleased with the affection of his seruant which was more iust then seuere without which it is most hard to conserue Kingdoms in peace XX. BVT the busines which had hindred King Edgar from being crowned in royall manner being now buried in obliuion saint DVNSTAN in presence of all the Lords and Peeres of the realme placed the Royall diademon his head to the wonderfull great ioy and exultation of the whole Kingdom And after two yeares space this noble King and worthie Benefactour of the Benedictine Order by a happie death chainged his mortall Kingdom for an King Edgars death immortall raigne in heauen whom a graue Authour affirmeth to haue been no lesse memorable among the English then Romulus to the Romans Cyrus to the Persians Alexander to the Macedonians Arsaces to the Parthians and Carolus Magnus to the French He was buried in the Monasterie of Glastenbury where as the records of the same Monasterie doe testifie his bodie was found without anie spott of corruption after manie yeares lying in the ground EDWARD his Sonne succeeded in the Kingdom who being consecrated by S. DVNSTAN against the will of his step-mother Edward the Martir and manie of the nobles that tooke her part was within few yeares cruelly martired through her malice as is aboue sayd in his life the eighteenth of March. Ethesred the sonne of that wicked mother inherited the Kingdom being indued rather with the ignominie of his mother then anie good part of his fathers Vnto whom S 〈◊〉 Prophesietâ—â— being installed in the royall throne S. DVNSTAN opening his prophetick mouth foretould that because he had obtayned the Kingdom by the shedding of his brothers bloud his whole gouernment should be in bloud by the frequent inuasions of barbarous and forreigne enemies Which words by time were too truly verified And not only in this but in manie others saint DVNSTAN had the guift of prophesie by which he foretould to the Bishop of Râ—chester and Saint ETHELWOLD of Winchester the time and hower of their deaths XXI WEE shall neuer come to an end yf we goe about to load this paper with all the noble vertues and excellencies of this thrice happie and glorious Prelate S. DVNSTAN our discourse now hasteneth towards his blessed death the end and reward of his labours It was on the celebration of that day in which our Sauiour hauing triumphed ouer death ascended gloriously into heauen when this holy Bishop after the performance of the night-office in the quire remayning alone in the Church of CHRIST at Canturbury more seriously A most pleasant vi fion shewed to S. Dunstan to contemplate those great ioies and as it were to vnite him self in soule to the glorie of our glorious Redeemer he beheld a heauenly vision of a great multitude of celestiall citizens shining with inestimable spleÌ„dour to enter into the Church with glittering crownes vpoÌ„ their heads who brought him this message from IESVS-CHRIST that if he were readie and disposed he might goe with them to celebrate the glorie of that Solemnitie in the triumphaÌ„t cittie of heaueÌ„ To whom the blessed man with inestimable ioy and vndaunted alacritie See his great perfection of mind answered What honour what hope and what ioy by this Ascension of the Sonne of God hath happened vnto mankind it is well knowne vnto you who are participant of his vnspeakable glorie Yee know allsoe that it is my dutie and office who haue the sheepe of my Lord commended to my charge to feede them this day with the bread of euerlasting life and to informe them how to follow his footsteps to heauen therefore I
this glorious Sainct and yet remayne in the blindnes of heresie to denie the Saincts of their due honour and worship iudging them as impotent creatures with allmightie God Whom of his infinite Goodnes we beseech to giue them grace once to wash away their blindnes in the indeficient fountayne of his grace that they may behould and see the truth The life of this glorious Martir we gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield Hist. Eccle. saec 8. cap. 9. Mathew Westminster an 793. Polidore Virgil lib. 4. Molanus in addiâ— Gyraldus Cambrensis and others doe make honourable mention of him He was martired about the yeare 793. The life of Sainct GODRICKE Hermite and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT May. 21 Written by Nicholas a Monke of DurrhaÌ„ his Confessor THIS blessed man was borne at a village called Walpole in the Countie of Norfolke but adorned polished and brought to the perfection of vertue and pietie in Northumberland In whom truely the allmightie wisedom seemeth to haue imprinted and left to the world a most sound and wonderfull figure of his immense Goodnes and mercie For from a man borne in a most poore and abiect place and indued with noe learning at all he aduanced him to that knowne height of vertue prudence perfection and other heauenly guifts and graces that manie of them doe seeme allmost to be beyond the bounds of credit Which indeed I would not committ to writing vnlesse I thought my self secure and certaine He becometh a marchant of the truth of his worthie deeds Therefore coming to the flower of his age he became a Marchant of pettie wares which he carried on his back to sell ouer the Countrey from Village to village Till his owne industrie hauing encreased his litle meanes he frequented the citties and Faires in the same trade And at length his riches dayly growing he became master or at lest a patner in a ship in which he transported his marchandise into Scotland Denmarke and Flanders soe that by much practise he grew to be a man verie skillfull in gouerning those walking houses and in all the art belonging to the floting trade of saylers In which being oftentimes â—ossed in most fearefull and dangerous tempests He allwaies fled for refuge to the diuine power of In seadangers he hath recourse to God and his Saincts God and his Saincts and the danger being past he was wont in signe of gratitude to visitt the more celebrated places where the memorie of Saincts was-obserued to recommend the safetie of his iourney and returne to their desired prayers But going often into Scotland he desired manie times to visitt the Episcopall Sea of Lindisfarne and the Iland of Farnen in which places our great saint CVTHBERT had liued a Bishop and an Hermite Where hauing learned of the Monkes the whole manner The first sparkes of his conuersion of saint CVTHBERTS holy life and deuoutly visitted all the corners of that Hermitage and humbly with manie teares implored the mercie of allmightie God in his owne behalfe he heganne euer after to haue his mind dayly more and more auerted from worldly things and by a secret and inward motion of his soule to be more vehemenly carried to a pious emulation of a solitarie and perfect life In the meane time he was taken with a wonderfull desire to goe in pilgrimage to Hierusalem there to visitt and adore the sacred sepulcher of our Lord and other monuments of his deare passion Thence he returned through Spaine where at Compostella he visitted the sacred bodie of the great Apostle S. IAMES Being come againe into England he vndertooke He becometh Steward to a Rich man the charge and gouernment of the house and familie of a certaine rich man of his owne countrey where when he perceaued the seruants to liue more licentiously and make dayly banquets of meates stolne as he feared from their neighbours and that his friendly admonitions could not preuayle to disswade them the master of the house him self refusing to correct them foe they diminished not his owne goods Godrick soone after ridde him self of that office not desiring to haue to doe with soe depraued a familie or with soe remisse and negligent a Master II. AND because allthough vawares he had sometimes been present and partaker of their vnlawfull banquetting the verie thought thereof gaue soe deepe a wound of sorrow to his soule He goeth to Rome that for the better expiation of that innocent fault he made a pilgrimage to saint GILES his Church and to the sacred shrines of the Apostles PETER and PAVL at Rome humbly to craue pardon Yea the very memorie of that mistake would often times draw flouds of teares from his eyes Being returned he remayned for a time at home with his parents till not long He is morâ— in the way by a stranger after togeather with his mother he beganne a new and barefoote iourney to Rome In which they had for a companion a certaine Virgin that of her owne accord came into their companie a litle beyond London and carefully wayted vppon them going and coming being vnseene of all men but GODRICK and his mother only Till being returned into England and to that verie place where first she mett them she departed out of their companie Nether did GODRICK in all that iourney euer aske her what she was or whence she came nor did she once demaund anie such thing of him Nor could GODRICK euer after resolue with him self what to imagine her to be nether would he euer relate this storie to anie man sauing only at the later end of his daies to our Authour who This was Nicholas a Monk of Durrham his Confessor was his Counsellour in the more secret affayres of his soule And I would not rehearse the same did I not thinke that the lest suspition of vanitie could not befall such a man soe vertuous and holy as he In whom from this very time it may be seene how excellently the seede of pietie cast in his heart did striue more and more to grow to the maturitie of perfection And now amongst all the other sacred admonitions of CHRIST which incite vs to embrace an absolutely perfect life that voyce of his If thou wilt be perfect Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore like a trumpet Godrick resolueth to leaue the world sounded such an alarum in our GODRICKS eares that he neuer rested vntill he had performed it in deed And yet did he not vnaduisedly make away with his goods as the Heathen Philosophers did but to the end he might more easily and freely follow CHRIST and performe that part of his speech allso Giue to the poore and follow me which they did in no sorte doe III. THEREFORE with the good leaue of his parents who endeauoured by all meanes to promote his religious desires with their prayers exhortations and well-wishes he departed to
the Danish furie broke allsoe into the Abbey of Malmesbury Where as one of that outrageous crew endeauoured to violate his sacred bodie he suddenly lost his witts which soe terrified the rest of his fellow-robbers that they had the witt to runne speedily away Soe that when all the Churches and religious houses round about were made a prey to their furie the Church of Malmesbury by the helpe and patronage of S. ALDELME remayned inuiolate VIII Now yf anie one desire more largely to know other strange Manie mi racles wrought at his tombe miracles which haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct I refer him to the authour of his life William Malmesbury where he shall find the blind recouer their sight the lame their limmes the dumbe their speech mad men restored to their senses possessed persons deliuered and others oppressed with manie other mortall diseases beyond the skill of phisick receaue their health by the diuine power of allmightie God and the intercession of glorious S. ALDELME Of which kind some were done in the time and memorie of our Authour Therefore Blessed Lanfranck Archbishop of Canturbury moued with the greatnes of these and such like miracles solemnly decreed that the memorie of S. Aldelmâ— should be honoured amongst the other Saincts of the Church throughout the realme of England But in the yeare of our redemption 1078. the thirteenth after the coming in of the Normans all things being His bodie translated to its auncient 〈◊〉 now safe from the incursious of the Danes and other feares of spoling by the hands of the Abbot Warine and Blessed OSMVND bishop of Sherburne the sacred bones and reliques of S. Aldelâ—e were restored into their auncient shrine that was soe rich From which time the number of manie wonderfull miracles encreased dayly more and more His life was largely written as we haue sayd by William malmesbury a verie graue authour out of whom Nicholas Harpsfield sec 8. cap. 11. relateth this Historie The same hath allsoe been written by S. Eguine bishop of Worcester and S. Osmund of Sarisbury of both which the iniurie of the times haue robbed vs. Trithemius of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order lib. 2. cap. 23. lib. 3. cap. 141. lib. 4. 175. Cardiuall Baronius tomâ— 8. an 699. 705. and 709. and tom 9. an 734. Mathew Vestminster an 704. and. 709. Camden in discript Com. Wilton and all Historiographers both English and else doe make honourable mention of him S. AVGVSTINVS PRIMVS ARCHIEPISCOP CANTVAR Aplus Apostolus Angliâ—â— Monachus Benedictinus M. Baâ—â— f. The life of Sainct AVGVSTINE Apostle of England Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAY 26. Written by Gotsellinus a Monke and S. Bede THE fruitfull countrey of England in times past called Britaine being oppressed and wholly subdued by the warlick power of the Saxons and other poeple of Germanie was compelled not only to receaue and beare their gouernance dominion and name but allso which is much worse to embrace their impious Idolatrie and the seruice of their false Gods Soe that the Christian Catholick religion which from King Lucius had florished in that happie Iland for the space of three hundred yeares was miserably banished and destroyed Till a hundred and fortie yeares after the eternall mercie of allmightie God cast a fouourable eye vppon our wretched countrey and putt such holy thoughts into the mind of saint GREGORIE the Great Pope of Rome that allthough our countrey S. Gregorie the great sendeth Augustine in to EnglaÌ„d were farre distant yet he embraced it with a pious affection seriously cast about how or by what meanes he might reduce it againe to the sweet subiectioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospell Which diuine worke when he himself as is sayd in his life could not bring to passe he committed the charge thereof to this our glorious Apostle saint AVGVSTINE who at that time was Prior of the Monasterie of saint BENEDICTS Order which saint GREGORIE bad built in Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus and dedicated to saint ANDREW the Apostle Out of this Monasterie therefore our saint AVGVSTINE when he had led a holy monasticall life vnder the rule of the great Patriarke of Monks saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares was called by great saint GREGORIE from the sweetnes of contemplation to labour for the aduancement of Gods Church in an actiue manner of life and sent togeather with other holy monkes of the same Order to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST to the English nation Who obeying the holy will of the Pope vndertooke that great worke and beganne their iourney towards Augustine beginneth his iourney England and now they had passed ouer the frozen hills of Jtalie and were entred into the confines of France when vnderstanding the English nation to be of a barbarous cruell and warlick disposition and peruerse in the profession of Idolatrie being terribly affrighted from their attempt after a consultation had among them selues they resolued rather to turne homewards againe then to loose their labours amongst those fierce and barbarous poeple whose language they knew not II. THEREFORE setting aside all delay the whole companie sent He returneth to Rome back AVGVSTINE to Rome humbly to obtaine of the Pope in name of them all to haue an exemption from that iourney soe dangerous laborious and soe vncertaine of reaping anie profitt To whom the holy Pope burning with zeale to gaine soules to the Church sent letters of exhortation to encourage them in their holy enterprise whereof this is the tenour GREGORIE seruant of the seruants S. Gregories Epistle to comfort them in they iourney of God to the sernants of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST Because it had been better neuer to haue begunne good workes then euen in thought to fall from them being once begunne yee ought with all diligence â—moct beloued children to accomplish the good worke which by the helpe of our Lord yee haue vndertaken Nether let the labour of the iourney nor the tongues of slanderous men deterre yee but God being your ruler performe with all instancie and feruour what ye haue begunne knowing that a greater glorie of eternall recoÌ„pence followeth the greatnes of your labour But in all things be humbly obedient to AVGVSTINE your Prior to you returning whom we allsoe constitute your Abbot knowing that through all things it will be profitable for your soules whatsoeuer yee shall doe by his admomtion Allmightie God protect yee with his grace and graunt me to see the fruits of your labour in the euerlasting kingdom to the end that allthough I cannot labour with yee I may haue a place with yee in the ioies of your recompence because indeed I desire to labour God keepe yee in health my most beloued children Giuen the third of the calends of August in the raygne of our most pious Emperour Mauritius Tiberius c. At the same time this most Blessed Pope sent letters allsoe to
the true Christian fayth by thee then piously and dutifully receaued heard and retayned and now like a degenerate child being fallen from the obedience of thy mother-Sea of Rome like vnto a ship without a sterne thou art blowne and tost in the deepes of the misteries of Fayth with euery wind of erroneous doctrine being not able to steere into the hauen of anie setled and well-grounded opinion Againe therefore I repeate those words of the Prophet How is the gould make darke and the best colour chainged In very deed thou hast now left thy first fayth Thren 4. v. 1. Apocal. 2. v. 4. 5. Serm. 92 and charitie Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen and doe penance and performe thy first workes It is now in vaine and vnnecessary for thee to dispute of matters of religion Saint AMBRISE assures thee as much We must know sayth that holy Doctour that not without great danger we doubt of the truth of that religion which we see confirmed with the bloud of soe manie great men It is a matter of mightie danger yf after the Oracles of the Prophets after the testimonies of the Apostles after the wounds of the Martirs thou presume to discusse the anncient sayth as new and after soe manie manifest guides thou remayne in errour and after the sweates of soe manie dying teachers thou contend with an idle disputation Therefore my beloued countrey I beseech and coniure thee by the bowells of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST thy deare redeemer to consider well this sentence of the Prophet Jeremie Stand vppon the wayes and behould and inquire of the auncient Ier. 6. 〈◊〉 16. pathes which is the good way walke in it and yee shall find a refreshment to your soules The holy Benedictine Monke saint AVGVSTINE who came to thee from old Rome taught these auncient pathes in CHRIST-IESVS he shewed thee the true way he shined in thy dominions with manie heauenly signes and miracles as soe manie vnresistable witnesses of the truth he with his holy labours rooted vp-the impious stockes of Idolatrie out of the hearts of thy poeple and planted there in the Christian fayth which he watred with his owne sweats and teares Insist in his waies follow his footstepps walke in his pathes and thou shalt find both in this and much more in the world to come a sweet refreshment for the soules of thy poeple That way which of late the Apostata Luther Caluin or Beza begane to lay in the world was neuer trodden eyther by the steppes of saint AVGVSTINE thy Apostle or anie other of his holy fellow-preachers but leadeth thee yf thou walke therin the high way to perdition Returne therefore to the counsell of the Prophet aboue sayd State Ier. 6. v. 16. super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona ambulate in ca inueniâ—tis refrigerium animabus vestris God of his infinite mercie giue thee grace once againe to find the right way to him that is Via Veritas Vita the way the Truth the life who be euer glorified and praysed in his Saincts Amen The life of S. Augustine is written very largely by Gotzelinus a Benedictine Monke the manuscript whereof we haue out of which and Venerable Bedes history of England we haue taken it The same is written by manie other authours as Ioannes Anglicus Iohn Capgraue by S. Bede him self in a large volume apart The mouthes of all our English Historiographers are full of his prayses God make vs all partaker of his merits VENERABILIS BEDA PRESBITER LT MONCHVS ORDâ—… S. Benedicti May. 27. Mart. baâ— f. The life of Sainct BEDE Priest and Monke of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY 27 Gathered out of diuers graue Authours AMONGST all the famous and holy men which haue euer florished in England and with which allmightie God hath adorned our sometimes happy Iland saint BEDE in the excellencie of learning both diuine and humane doeth deseruedly carrie away the prize whom for this we may worthyly call the Phenix of his time that liued in an Iland separated from the rest of the world He was borne in the northerne parts of England within the Bishoprick of Durham in a little Village called Iarrow not farre from the place where the riuer Tine falls into the maine Sea His parents allbeit The place of his brith and Pareâ—â—s they were not famous for riches or Nobilitie in the countrey yet was their stock more worthyly ennobled by BEDE then by the greatest nobilitie of bloud or descent and not their countrey only but the whole world was more enriched by this holy treasure of their race then by the greatest wealth that could be imagined For A Homer borne of an ignoble Spring Is Nohler then an Irus from a King Our Sainst BEDE then like vnto an other Samuel had noe sooner learnt to speake and outgrowne his infancie but he was dedicated to the temple of our Lord. For at the age of seauen yeares by the care of his friends and Kinred he was deliuered to the vertuous schoole of S. BENNET Bishop in the Benedictine Monasterie of Weremouth which the same Abbot had built Being planted therefore At seauen yeare old he is giuen to the diuine seruice in the house of God from his very infancie and watred with the fountaine of diuine grace like vnto a fayre palme-tree he grew to the height of perfection and sent forth dayly fruits and flowers of iustice and learning announcing the truth and mercie of allmightie God with word worke and example For being amongst holy men and by holy men nursed and trayned vp in the schoole of monasticall discipline and good learning passing ouer the course of his age piously with the pious and innocently with the innocent he endeauoured with all his power to preserue him self vnspotted from the vanitie and corruption of the world II. HE happened into the happy and goulden times of the two most learned Benedictines THEODORE Archbishop of Canturbury and ADRIAN Abbot of saint AVGVSTINS in the same cittie in whom was an equall contention between the excellencie of learning and holines of life Vnder these holy masters our BEDE became soe great a proficient in laying the foundation of all learning humane and diuine that afterwards what with his owne dayly studie and diligent labour both proceeding from a sharpe witt and sound vnderstanding he attayned to that height of perfection that he excelled all the learned men that England could euer boast off From His naturull inclination to learning his verie infancie he was extremly addicted and delighted with the purenes of an innocent life and the studie of good sciences that he seemed as it were by the weight of his owne naturall inclination to be drawne and carried to vertue and learning And togeather with those naturall seeds of vertue planted in his soule there shined allsoe in him beyond the force of humane witt a certaine diuine beame of
and the yeare he died in our writers are verie different He was first buried in his owne Monastery of Weremouth but afterwards his holy reliques were translated to Durham where togeather with the head of King Oswald and the bones of King Coolwulphe a Benedictine Monke of Lindisfarne they were found in a linnen bagge within the tombe of our great saint CVTHBERT during the raigne of William the second when Ranulphus the seauenth bishop of Durham translated the bodie of the same sainct CVTHBERT into the new Church which he had built where the sacred bones of saint BEDE remayne to this day with this Epitaphe too vnelegant for the shrine of soe learned a man Beda Dei famulus monachorum nobile sidus The Epitaphe of his Tombe Finibus e terrae profuit Ecclesiae Solers iste Patrum scrutando per omnia sensum Eloquio viguit plurima composuit Annos in vitater duxit * Quinque vitae triginta Praesbiter officio Maximus ingenio Iunij septenis viduatur carne Calendis Angligena Angelicam commeruit patriam They are in no sorte to be borne with or beleeued who haue A false opinion of his translation written or rather dreamed that his body was transported to Genua in Jtaly For hitherunto I doe not find this affirmed by anie approoued Authour And not a few asseuer that in his life time he neuer went out of the bounds of England and to say that he was transported after death into forreigne lands seemeth to be a monstrous and strainge opinion worthy to be banished into farre countreyes His life we haue collected out of diuers graue Authours William Malmesbury de gest reg Ang lib. 1. cap. 3. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts and Trithemius in his worke of the illustrious men of saint Benedicts Order lib. 3. cap. 155. lib. 2. cap. 21. But his life hath been written by Cuthbert his disciple a Benedictine in the same Monasterie and one much auncienter then all those being an ey-witnes of what he writes out of whom and an other auncient manuscript written by one that suppressed his name we haue taken a great part of his life Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe and all our Historiographers as well English as others doe highly sound forth his prayses The end of May. S. BONIFACIVS MARTIR GERMANORVM APLVS APOSTOLVS Benedictinus Angluâ— Junij 5. M. baâ—â— f. The life of S. BONIFACE Archbishop Apostle of Germanie of the holy order of saint BENEDICT IVNE 5 Writen by S. Willibald Bishop of Eiâ—â—â—â—tadt in Germanie WHEN the Englishmen that came out of Germanie had coÌ„quered the Iland of great Britaine and giuen it the name of England the Catholick religion brought in by King Lucius was forced to giue place to Paganisâ—â—e till after an hundred and fortie yeares by the preaching of S. AVGVSTINE the Benedistine Monke it was againe restored to Christianitie Then manie holy men of the same order profession allthough they thought them selues most happy in the purchase of soe great good something notwithstanding they iudged to be wanting for the making vp of their felicitie because their owne auncient countrey of Germanie which they had left was yet detayned in the black night The place of his birth and desire of a religious life of Idolatrie The care and cogitation hereof much troubled and exercised the hearts of manie and chiefly of this holy Benedictine Monke WINFRID afterwards called BONIFACE Who being borne of very worthy parents at Kyrtâ—n in Deuonshire was from his very childhood possessed with a wonderfull loue of the heauenly wisedome and a perfect monasticall manner of life in soe much that he opened the secret of this desire vnto his father VVho greatly displeased thereat endeauoured partly with flattering enticements large promises and partly with threatnings to deterre him from that pious course But by how much the more earnestly the father stroue to reclaime his sonne to the loue of the world by soe much the more coÌ„staÌ„tly the holy child full of the diuine grace remayned firme in his good purpose and studied to attayne to the knowledge of heauenly learning VVhence by the wonderfull prouidence of allmightie God it came to passe that his father who was his only hindrance being taken with a sudden sicknes deposed all his former stubbornesse and sent his sonne to the Benedictine Abbey at Excester six miles He taketh the Habit of S. Bene dict distant from the place where he was borne commending him to the care of VVolphard the venerable Abbot of the same Monastery by whom he was courteously receaued where he beganne to performe all the duties of a monasticall life that were agreable to his tender age growing dayly as in age more perfect in the exercise of vertue II. BEING gone out of the yeares of his childhood he soe entierly subiected him self to the institutions of his ancients and the exercise of sacred reading that euery day his soule was enriched more and more with the diuine guifts of manie vertues In summe when vnder the obedience of the forenamed Abbot he had professed and obserued all the discipline of a regular life according to the Rule of the great Patriarch of Monkes saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares and being not able there for of want teachers to satiate his thirst of diuine learning according to the greatnes of his desire with the consent of his Abbot and brethren he went to the Monastery of Nutscelle where vnder the discipline of Winbert the Abbot he made soe wonderfull a progresse in all manner of His great progresse in learning learning and vertue that his fame being diuulged ouer the countrey manie flocked thither to become his schollers When he the more he was exalted to the height of science and excellencie of other vertues the more close he kept him self within the ward of humilitie euer honouring his iuferiours as his equalls and embracing them with the armes of true loue and charitie according to the counsell of the wiseman By how much thou art Eccl. 3. greater humble thy self in all things At the thirtith yeare of his age he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood when by reason of his great learning and vertue he was held in soe great He is made Priest veneration in that countrey that a Synod being assembled at the same time to difcusse some ecclesiasticall controuersies wherein some certaine decrees were ordayned which notwithstanding were submitted to the honourable suffrage of the Archbishop of Canturbury by the consent of the King and Councell BONIFACE was chosen to be most fitt to treate of soe weightie a matter with the Archbishop which busines he soe brauely and solidly dispatched that he purchased to him self grace and fauour with all men III. BVT retayning allwaies in his mind a pious desire to labour His ardent desire to conuert Insidels in the conuersion of Infidells
the names of those glorious saincts the diuine goodnes shewed him a heauenly token and signe of his mercie For S. BENEDICT and sainct ETHELDRED with her sister sainct SEXBVRG appeared visibly vnto him in the prison with such a glorious lustre to He hath an apparition that darke place and such a lightning of comfort to his weake soule darkened with sorrow that betwixt ioy and amazement he was allmost traÌ„sported beyond him self not knowing what to say or what to thinke Till those heauenly cittizens hauing made them selues knowne vnto him demaunded yf he would be deliuered out of that captiuitie At which words awaking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he answered that he would most willingly enioy libertie yf he thought he could anie longer liue but because the forces of his bodie were quite spent he had now no further hope to escape Then S. BENEDICT drawing neere vnto him very gently pulled off his He is releaâ—ed by S. Benedict shackles and threw them with such vehemencie against a beame in the same roome that they broke in peeces and the noyse awaked the keepers who fearing lest their prisoÌ„ners might haue made some escape came hastily with lights into the same roome where to theyr great astonishment they vnderstood first by an other of the prisoners and next of Brickstan him self what strainge guests had been there and how he had been miraculously loosed out of his fetters by the heauenly visitation of S. BENEDICT and S. ETHELDRED Therefore the next morning they made relation hereof to the vertuous Queene Mawde who happened to be in London at the same time and she presently sent one Raphe a chaplaine of the Court to be more certainly informed of the truth of this accident He hauing found how Brickstan was released out of his fetters and seeing the irons soe straingely burst in peeces brought him to the Queenes Great ioy for his releasement presence at court Then the noyse of this miraculous accident being blowne all ouer the cittie of London made the cittizens with their mouthes full of the prayses of allmightie God come flocking to the Court. And the Queene being replenished with an extreme ioy at the noueltie of the miracle caused all the bells in the towne to make the ayre resouÌ„d with peales of ioy for the straingenes thereof all Conuents of Ecclesiasticall persons to sing forth prayses of thanksgiuing vnto the allmightie worker of wonders for soe great a remonstrance of his goodnes And Brickstan him self going in pilgrimage to visitt manie Churches throughout the cittie to giue thankes for this heauenly fauour was followed with whole troupes of poeple that desired to looke vppon him as vppon a wonder and at the Benedictine Abbey of Westminster he was receaued by Gilebert the Abbot and the whole Conuent of Monkes that came in procession to meete him In fine by commaund of the Queene he was honourably conueyed out of all his troubles to the beloued hauen of his desires the Monasterie of Ely carying with him as the trophies of his victorie ouer the world the chaines and fetters which had bound him in prison and out of which he was soe miraculously released At Ely he was very honourable receaued where he brought Briestan becometh a Monke at Ely his former purpose to perfection and putt on the habitt and profession of a Benedictine moke And his fetters were hung vp in the same Church before the high aultar for a perpetuall spectacle and monument of the miracle This happened in the time of Herueus first bishop of the same place XVIII THOMAS WalsinghaÌ„ in his historie of England in Richard the secoÌ„d in the yeare 1389. relateth how during the same kings raygne the holy Virgin ETHELDRED appeared at two seuerall times to distinct persons and foretould strainge accidents and punishments that should happen vnto the Countrey yf they were not auerted by the prayers and sacrifices of good men Other particularities thereof we omitt fearing to be ouer teadious hauing shewed sufficiently how great a care this glorious Sainct had of her countrey Let vs make intercession vnto her that by her meritte and prayers she would obtaine vs grace of allmightie God to be freed from the yoake oppression of Heresie which in these our daies beareth soe great a head ouer onr miserable couÌ„trey Her life we haue gathered out of the Chronicles of Ely which we haue in an auncient manuscript written by Thomas of Ely a Monke of the same place aâ— allso out of Venerable Bede de gestis Ang. lib. 4. cap. 19. Nicholas Harpsfield sec 7. cap. 24. and Ionnes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts Mention is made of her in the Roman Martirologe and in that of Bede Ado Vsuard and Wion Allso William Malmesbury lib. 2. de gest reg cap. 13. Mathew Westminster anno 679. Polidore Virgill lib. 4. Wigorniensis annis 672. 673. and 679. Trithemius in his third booke of the famous men of sainct Benedicts Order chap. 122. and manie other writers doe worthyly sound forth her prayses and in auncient times her feast was celebrated in England with great solemnitie The life of sainct BARTHOLOMEW Priest and Monke of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT IVNE 24 Written by Ioannes Anglicus SAINCT BARTHOLOMEW borne in Yorkeshire in the Prouince of Whiteby in times past called Streanshall was by his parents first named Tostius but when he left the world and entered into a monasticall life he left allso that name and was called BARTHOLOMEW In his verie infancie he gaue manie rare signes of future sainctitie and receaued from heauen manie speciall fauours to confirme the His diuine visions same being diuers times visited by our Lord IESVS-CHRIST him self in person and by his glorious Mother the Blessed Virgin MARY and the holy Apostles S. PETER and sainct IOHN In his youth he trauelled into manie forreigne countreys and in Norway he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood But returning into England he receaued the habitt of a Monke in the Benedictine monasterie Note a miracle of Durham where entring into the Church and making reuerence to the Crucifix the sacred Image of Christ hanging on the Crosse seemed with an humble bowing of the head to resalute him againe In this monasterie he led a verie regular and strict life profitting dayly more and more in humilitie obedience and all other vertues belonging to a Monasticall life Till at length aspiring to a more solitarie manner of liuing segregated from all humane companie the great Patrone of that Order and monasterie S. CVTHBERT appeared to him in a vision and inuited him to liue in the Iland of Farne which was the place that he him self in his life time had honoured with his holy conuersation BARTHOLOMEW being glad of soe heauenly an offer soe suting with his desires promised to spend the remnant of his life in that Iland to that end with much difficultie and importunitie he