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
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
clipping and embracing his kingly neck with hands and armes soe full of filth and scabbs that the verie sight bred a generall loathing in the beholders and some it mooued to laughter as it were in scorne of his soe base and sluttish humilitie others iesting and scoffing as it cried out that the begger had deluded the king others againe rashly iudged his plaine simplicitie to be mere follie But when this Royall Porter had marched some part of his way with this beggarly burden the sinews of the criple began to grow longer his bones to be strenghthened the dead flesh to receaue the two companions of life warmth and feeling his toes before sunk into the flesh issued out and his feet loosed from his haunches were restored to their naturall function When to Noâ—e a strainge miracle the great admiration of all with the stretching forth of his thighs and leggs by the pliant and flexible â—ag litie of his hammes there gushed out great store of filthie bloud and corruption which falling on the kings garments serued for an ornament rather then anie dishonour Wherevppon the criple receaued the perfect vse of all the limmes of his bodie whose one halfe hitherunto was rather a painfull burden and grieuous trouble vnto him then anie ease or commoditie Which noe sooner was perceaued by the attendants but they all cried out to the King to cast him downe now since he was healed and free him self from the running vlcers of his loathsom burden But he mindfull of the chardge he had vndertaken held on his pious iourney not listning to their bewitching speeches but entring into the Church hauing resigned and offered vp the sacrifice he had brought to allmightie God and the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER he dismissed him safe and sound to walke forth him self by the help of his owne leggs which neuer before had done him the like seruice Therefore now hauing them by speciall miracle restored to the end to imploy the first fruicts of their labours in the honour of the supreme authour and worker of miracles he receaued a sufficient viaticum of the King and tooke his iourney towards Rome there to giue thanks to allmightie God and S. PETER for this soe great a benefitt XVII AS THIS B. King was once in S. PETERS Church present at the diuine sacrifice of Masse before the aultar of the B. TRINITIE togeather with Count Leofricke he that in beautie This Leofrick is much coÌ„mended for holy life and founding Monasteries and namely that of Couentrie where he â—as buried farre excelleth the sonnes of men CHRIST IESVS appeared visibly on the aultar to them both in the true forme and figure of his heauenly bodie and stretching forth his sacred right hand gaue S. EDWARD his benediction by makeing the signe of the Crosse in the ayre at which the King humbly bowing downe his head deuoutly adored the presence of the diuine Maiestie But the Earle ignorant of the Kings thoughts and desiring to haue him partaker of soe great a vision began to make towards him when the king vnderstanding his meaning willed him to be still and keepe his place assuring him that he saw that sacred vision as well as he And Masse being ended the king spake to the Earle in this manner By his Maiestie and loue whom we haue seene ô my Leofrick I doe coniure thee that this vision be not published in our life time left for the fauour of the world we should be puft vp with pride to our owne ruine or lest the enuie of the incredulous should endeauour to disable the truth of what we say XVIII A WOEMAN vnder whose iawes grew certaine kernels which defiling her face with a deformed and vglie swelling blowne vp with corrupted humours had chaiÌ„ged the bloud into filthy matter wherein were bred wormes which breathed out a most horrid and loathsome smell and long she had suffered the greif of this infirmitie till at length being admonished in her sleepe she repayred to the Court to hope for a remedie from the Kings owne S. Edw. cureth the disease now called the Kings euill hands by his eyther washing touching or blessing of the diseased place And being come before the King and hauing declared her case vnto him he neyther regarded the filth of the sore nor conceiued anie horrour at the stench that came from it but handling and washing the swelled places with his Royall hands blessed them with the signe or the Crosse whereat the skinge suddenly breaking open the wormes togeather with the corruption gushed out the swelling was asswaged and all sense of payne ceasing gaue place to a perfect recouerie of health This wonderfull grace of cureing this disease called in latin struma now the KINGS EVILL for noe other reason but because it hath bin vsually healed by Kings was first deriued from S. EDWARD to all the Kings of England After him our English kings doe the like and remaynes as a holy inheritance vnto them to this day and hath been and is dayly practised and to good effect practised by our moderne Kings allbeit professing a religion quite contrarie to that of S. EDWARD yet by his meritts as it may be piously thought they worke this wonderfull cure Yea Queene Elizabeth but a woeman had the like power and cured manie thereby as it is well knowne by men of creditt yet liuing Therefore the Frenchmen are all deceaued not against their wills and particularly the French authour of the English history ANDREW LE CHESNE did not speak candidly and as he thought when he denies that the Kings of England euer enioyed this vertue affirming it to be a grace peculiar to them of France deriued from S. LEWIS but â—ur EDWARD florished aboue one hundred and fortie â—eares before Lewis and therefore it is likely that if anie such thing be among them they must rather haue receiued it from our Kings then that theirs haue it absolutly and particularly to them selues Furthermore William of Malmesbury a Lib. 2. de Reg. Ang. man farre better conuersant in our English histories then anie Frenchman could be hauing related the foresaid miracle affirmed it to be the constant report of such as well knew the life of S. EDWARD that he had cured manie of this same disease whilst he liued in Normandie But let vs goe on A blind man cured with the wâ—ter in wâ—â—â—â— the kin◠〈◊〉 wâ—â—hed XIX A BLIND man vnderstood by reuelation that he should recouer his lost sight by the meritts of S. EDWARD washing his face with the water wherein the King had washed his hands The king vnderstanding this from his Chamberlaine was much amazed and made shew of some displeasure and discontent alleadging that the poore man was deluded with vaine imaginations that noe such matter could be expected from the hands of a sinner as he was but it belonged to the power and vertue of the Apostles to worke such wonders and for this cause he ought not to creditt
without anie the lest signe of corruption as cleere white as the cristall as if it had all readie putt on the diuine robes of glorie casting forth of the tombe an exceeding sweet and odoriferous sauour to the wonderfull ioy and comfort of all that were present The linnen wherein he wrapped was as fresh and pure as when first it was imployed to that holy vse Which moued Gundulph Bishop of Rochester to attempt to pluck a hayre of the Saincts head to reserue to him self for his deuotion But his pious desire was frustrated for the hayre stuck on soe fast that it could not be pulled off without breaking XXX A WOEMAN that conteÌ„ptibly presumed to worke vpon S. EDWARDS A miracle day was grieuously punished with a suddaine palsie till being brought to the B. Saincts sepulcher and with teares demaunding pardon for her fault she was restored to her health againe Manie other miracles haue bin done by the meritts of this glorious Sainct all which mooued Pope Alexander the third at the instant desire of King Henry the second and the Clergie of England to putt him into the number of canonized Saincts and to cause his feast to be celebrated throughout the kingdom of England But of this we will speake more at large on the feast of his translation the thirteenth day of October This feast of his deposition hath bin allwaies verie magnificently and religiously celebrated by his successour-successour-kings on this day as plainly appeares in the histories of England and is particularly prooued out of that which Mathew Westminster rehearseth of king Henry the thirds deuotion towards S. EDWARD In the yeare of grace 1249 saith he which was the thirtith yeare of our soueraigne king Henry the third the King being then at London on the feast of the Natiuitie of our Lord and hauing spent the Christmas holidaies in sumptuous feasts and banquetting as the custom is togeather with a great multitude of his nobilitie he assembled manie more Nobles and Peeres of the Realme to be present and Henry the thirds deuotion to S. Edwar. reioyce with him at the feast of S. EDWARD whom more cordially he loued and honoured then others of the Saincts And on the eue of that B. Kings deposition our soueraigne Lord the King according to his pious custom fasted with bread and water spending the whole day in continuall watching and praying and giuing of almes But on the feast itself he caused Masse with great magnificence and solemnitie to be celebrated in the Church of Westminster in vestments all of silke of an inestimable value and adorned with a great multitude of wax tapers and the resounding notes of the A consideration on his vertues Conuentuall and Monasticall quier Ought not we likewise to followe this vertuous example and giue prayse vnto allmightie God for the excellent guifts wherewith he honoured this B. King in choosing and calling him to soe great glorie euen before he was borne And for that he reuealed vnto him the great fauours promised to the kingdom of England for his sake long before they happened Who will not admire and endeauour to imitate the sacred vertue of chastetie which soe great a King entirely conserued soe manie yeares with his Queene in holy marriage Who will not embrace his most profound humilitie and contempt of the world and him self when he carried that wretched cripple on his royall shoulders to obtaine his health Who will not striue to serue allmightie God with affection seeing how highly he exalteth and honoureth his Saincts How he exalts them with miracles soe gloriously recompenseth their seruice giuing peace health and prosperitie to kingdoms by their intercession and in the end making them immortall kings and euerlasting courtiers of the kingdom of heauen This life is taken chiefly and allmost wholly oâ—t of that which B. ALVRED Abbot of Rhieuall hath written Iohn Capgraue hath the verie same William Malmesburie Roger Houedon Mathew Westminster Nicholas Harpsfield and allmost all writers of Saincts lines make verie honourable and worthie mention of him And the Roman Martirologe on this day The life of S. CEDDE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 7. Out of Venerable Bede hist. Eccl. lib. 3. 4 SAINCT CEDDE was borne in London and hauing gone soe farre out of his youth that he was able to make choice of a manner of life he putt on a monasticall habit among the auncient Monks in the Monasterie of Lindisfarne In which schoole of pietie he profitted soe well in a short time that he was thought worthie to be sent as an Apostolicall man with other deuout Priests to preach the Ghospell to the Mercians or inhabitants of middle-Middle-England where by his pious labours S. Cedde conuerteth the East-Angles and exemplar life he greatly promoted the Catholicke cause But Sigbert then king of the East-Saxons being at that time by the meanes of Oswin king of Northumberland from a Heathen conuerted to the Christian faith and baptized by Finanus Bishop of York B. CEDDE at the earnest entreatie of Sigbert was called back by Finanus and sent with king Sigbert to conuert his countrey to the faith whose labour there tooke soe good effect that in a short time he brought most part of that Prouince from Paganisme into which since their conuersion by S. MELLITVS the Benedictine Monk they had fallen to the true knowledge and subiection of Christs Church and he him self who by Gods grace was now made their second Apostle returning into Northumberland the messenger of his owne good successe was by the hands of Finanus in presence of two other Bishops ordayned allsoe the second Bishop of London the chief cittie of the East-Saxons succeeding S. MELLITVS both in the Apostleship and Bishoprick He is made Bishop of London of that Prouince And now he began with a more free authoritie to bring to perfection the worke soe happily begunne by erecting of Churches in diuers places making Priests and Deacons to ayde him in baptising and preaching the holy word of God instructing the new-christened to obserue as farre forth as they were able the stricter rules of a religious life Great was the ioy comfort which the new conuerted King Sigbert and his poeple receiued to see the happie successe of his endeauours He was to good men meeke and courteous to the bad somewhat more sterne and seuere in punishing their vices as appeareth by the ensuing accident II. THERE was in the kings court a noble man that liued in the bands of vnlawfull wedlock against whom the holy bishop after manie pious admonions giuen to noe effect denounced the sentence of excommunication strictly forbidding the King and all other persons to forbeare his companie and not to eate nor drinke with him But the King being inuited by the same Nobleman to a Excommucation banquet made light of the bishops precepts went to him And in his returne chauncing to meet the holy man he was much
dignitie came amongst the rest and saw among other things children of verie daintie white bodies fayre complexions and louely hayre exposed to sale Whom as he beheld he demaunded as it is reported out of what countrey or land they were brought and it was tould him they came from the Iland of Britaine the Inhabitants whereof shined all with the like beautie Againe he asked whether they were Christians in that Iland or entangled in the errour of Paganisme That they were Pagans it was answeared Then fetching a deepe sigh from the bottom of his heart O lamentable case sayd he that men of soe bright faces should be in the possession of the authour of Darkenes and that soe sweet a comlines of countenance should beare minds voyd of inward ioyes Againe therefore he demaunded what was the name of that nation It was replied that they were called ANGLES Rightly they are termed soe sayd he for they haue ANGELICAL faces and it is fitt that such be made coheires with the ANGELS in heauen Out of what Prouince pursued he are these brought hither It was resolued him that they were called DEIRI With good reason sayd he for thy are to be deliuered from IRE and wrath to be called to the mercie of CHRIST-IESVS But the King of that Prouince how is he called ADDELLE replied they And alluding to that name he sayd that to the prayse of allmightie God ALLELVIA should be sung in those parts And goeing to the Bishop of the Roman Apostolick His zealous desire to conuert the English Sea he earnestly requested him to send some Preachers of the Ghospell into Brittaine to conuert the English nation to to CHRISTS Church affirming him self to be most readie by the helpe of God to vndertake that sacred work yf soe it might stand with the good liking of the Apostolicque Sea To which request the Pope at first denied his consent till at length ouercome and wearied with his vnwearied entreaties he yielded against his will But he concealing the busines of his goeing from the citizens who had they knowne would neuer haue consented He begins his iourney towards England therevnto with as speed as he could hauing receaued the Apostolicall benediction began his iourney In the meane time the newes was blowne into the eares of the Romans who all with one mind and voyce as well the citizens as those of the suburbs mett with Pope Pelagius as he was goeing to saint PETERS Church all crying out with a terrible noyse and repeating these words Alas Apostolicall man what hast thou done Thou hast offended saint PETER ouerthrowne Rome thou not only hast dismissed but expelled Gregorie The Pope being mooued herewith for he feared the poeple sent letters to recall GREGORIE out of his iourney But before the messengers had ouertaken him he was gott three daies iourney on his way In the meane time as the manner is with trauellers about the sixt hower some of his companions tooke their rest in a faire meadow or were busied other waies whilst he read to those that sate by his side when a locust came leaping about him and lighting on his booke sate vppon the very page he read GREGORIE perceauing her sitt soe quietly there turning to his fellowes Locusta sayd he may be etimologised with Loco-sta that is stand in the place And you must know that we may not proceede anie further in our intended iourney rise notwithstanding and prepare our horses that as long He is called back by the Pope as it is lawfull we may hould on our way And whilst they discoursed thus togeather the Popes messengers came suddenly vppon them with their horses sweating out of hast and deliuered their letters which being read It is euen soe sayd he to his fellowes as vnhappily I foretould for we must presently returne to Rome And soe they did But as as soone as he was inuested in the Papall dignitie he accomplished this long desired work and sent other preachers he him self that their preaching might take good effect fortifying their mission with his pious exhortations prayers and rewards In summe he sent into the same Iland the seruants of God AVSTIN MELLITVS and IOHN with manie other Monkes that feared England conuerted by S. Augustine a Benedictine Monke God who in a short space conuerted the chiefest King that inhabited the head of the same Iland togeather with all his poeple And herein God graunted them soe great grace in doeing of wonders that they confirmed the doctrine of fayth which they preached with their mouths with the force and efficacie of strange signes and miracles whence it came to passe that within a few yeares the other Kings of the same Iland with their whole number of subiects receaued the Christian fayth Of whose deedes conuersion and the wonderfull miracles done therein saint GREGORIE speakes thus in the bookes of his Morals Behould the Britaine tongue that heretosore knew nothing else but rude accents of barbarisme began now lately to warble forth the diuine prayses in the Hebrew language Behould the Ocean in times past swelling with rage becomes obedient and calme vnder the feet of the Saincts and they whose barbarous valour the Princes of the world could not subdue with the sword are by the feare of God calmed with the simple words of his Priests And who seared not whole troupes of armed infidels and fierce souldiers doe now tremble being faythfull at the lest wordes of humble men For hauing vnderstood the diuine tidings of the Ghospell made manifest with manie miracles the vertue of heauenly knowledge is infused into them that bridled with the terrour of his diuine maiestie they are afrayd to doe ill desiring with all their hearts by docing well to attaine to the grace of enerlasting life All which that it might be brought to passe allmightie God graunted it vnto S. GREGORIE in such sort that deseruedly the English poeple ought to call him their APOSTLE for allthough to others he is not an Apostle yet to them he is for they are the seale of his Apostleship in our Lord. XII BVT NOW to aske whether this man of soe great merit hath been likewise famous in doeing of miracles is a superfluous question since it is as cleere as the day that he by his owne merits was able to shew signes of vertue whoe could through the bountie of CHRIST obtaine the like for others yf occasion had required But for the better satisfaction of those allsoe whoe togeather with the Jewes require visible signes to shew sainctity and for the greater edification of those that by the example of saincts seeke to stirre vp and aduance them selues to higher degrees of vertue I am determined to sett downe some few miracles which our Lord wrought at his intercession thereby to rowse vp the slouthfull dullnes of our minds and strengthen the feeblenes of our hearts inclined rather to want of beleef then ignorance of what we rehearse XIII A NOBLE woman in the cittie of Rome
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
morning florishing in the greene weeds of summer it shall be graunted that we haue putt to death a iust and holy man and you shall haue power to burie him with as much honour as you please But yf this wood remaine drie and withered as now it is it shall be lawfull for vs to say that you haue been blind in your affection towards him and it shall be in our power to dispose of his bodie as we think best XIV THE condition being willingly accepted on both sides to A notable miracle the end it might manifestly appeare to the world that S. ELPHEGVS his death was not a death but a beginning of a better life that withered branch in the space of one night began to florish and wax greene and allbeit it were planted in the ground but the euening before yet it was found adorned with the greene liueries of spring the next morning Whereuppon their obstinate minds beginning to relent they stroue to preuent one and other with embracing and kissing the dead bodie humbly bowing downe their stubborne necks and bathing his deaths-wounds with the flouds of their repentant tears Therefore his bodie being lifted on the shoulders of his enemies was caried in triumph to the new borne tree as to the florishing trophie of his glorie accompanied in the way with allmost innumerable miracles sent from heauen as testimonies of his cause and goodnes For the sick receaued their health the blind their sight the deafe their hearing the dumb their speech and the Manie miracles lame the perfect vse of their limmes And in a chappell of deuotion built ouer him in the same place manie of the Danish nobilitie became ennobled with the Christian fayth and new borne in the sacred font of baptisme But when the Londoners vnderstood all these passages they obtayned by the meanes of a summe of money which commaunds all things to haue his sacred reliques transported to London where by the hands of the bishops Ednoth of Lincolne and Alfhune of London it was verie honorably interred in the Cathedrall Church of saint PAVL This Blessed Sainct was martired the ninteenth day of Aprill being the saturday after Easterday in the yeare of our Lord one hundred and twelue the seau nth yeare of his bishoprick in Canturburie and fiftie ninth yeare of his age But God the allmightie defender The diuine punishmeÌ„t of his murderers of his seruants shewed soe great examples of reuengefull punishment against the authours of his death that one of the captaines was the blouddie cause of his one death an other cutt his owne throate to auoyde further inconuenience a priest that hid the holy Martirs crosse was crossed out of this life with the sword and one of the same function that presumed to weare the holy Saincts pantafles was before all the poeple cruelly tormented by the deuill And soe horrible a terrour seazed on all the Dauish princes that not daring to trust them selues on the footing of the lands they would needs aduenter their lines at sea immagening there to escape the holy Martirs anger whom the earth could not keepe in safetie from it But they found the sea a farre more implacable element to suffer such impieties for they were noe sooner launched into the deepes but the blustering winds raysed such tumults in those floting Kingdomes that of an hundred and threescore fayle all suffered shipwrack excepting threescore and fiue ships which being driuen to strainge countreys all the men were miserably slaine by the inhabitans who tooke them for spies sent to inuade their dominions But the wicked ringleader of mischief Turkill stayed a while in England to play the Pirate likely at length to become a prey to the damned spiritts XV. FOR NOT long after Canutus King of the Danes came Turkill worthyly punished with a great nauie into England where falling out with Turkill for some wicked and perfidious actions of his he destroyed the whole remnant of his impious adherents and followers and compelled the Captaine him self to flie with six sayle into Denmarke where being suspected by the princes to become an authour of some ciuill dissentions and broiles he was persecuted all ouer the countrey till at length being murdered by the base common poeple his soule was sent to the rewards of her impietie and his bodie throwne into the open fields to be buried in the gutts of rauens and wild beasts But after this Canutus perceiuing his poeple to be continually slaine by the English armie and finding that the neighbourhood of necessitie coÌ„pelled him to think of yeelding he consulted with some of the wisest Englishmen that had fled to him for refuge to knowe what might be the cause of those manie mischances that had befallen him they all with one voyce sayd that it was according to the prophesie of the holy Martir S. ELPHEGVS who in his afflictions by the Danes his predecessours foretould that they should take noe sure roote in the kingdom of England but should perish by a worse death then Sodom Now therefore sayd they yf thou desire to pacifie that holy Sainct during the time of thy raigne promise him that thy affayres succeeding well thou wilt cause his sacred reliques to be honorably transported to his owne archiepiscopall seate of Canturbury and buried Canâ—tus promiseth to trauslate his bodie to Canturbury there amoÌ„gst his predecessours Which promise faythfully made by Canntus hauing within a while obtayned peace after peace the owne half of the kingdom and after the half the whole was as faythfully performed For tenne yeares after the holy martirs death Canutus sent for Egelnoth Archbishop of Canturbury who coming to London weÌ„t directly to the Cathedrall Church of S. PAVL where the king presently gaue him the meeting and declared that the cause why he sent for him was to make vse of his authoritie and counsell in the translation of S. ELPHEGVS his bodie to Canturbury XVI THE Archbishop much amazed at the breath of this proposition answeared that surely his maiestie had not taken mature deliberation and considered sufficiently the reasons and grounds of aduenturing on soe great an enterprise And moreouer that for his part he feared lest he would be torne in peeces by the Londoners who would rather loose their liues then be depriued of soe great a treasure and Patrone And you see sayd he further that we haue here only our selues and two Monks and the stone that couers his monument is of that weight and bignes that some yoake of oxen are scarse able to mooue it But the king armed with the shield of a most inuincible fayth answeared that Gods and the holy Martirs assistance yf that translation were pleasing vnto them would not be wanting in a time of such necessitie Therefore the labour was committed to those two monks one of them was called Alsward in times past of familiar acquaintance A strange mâ—racle with S. DVNSTAN and the other Godrick with Egelnoth now present But for
and the common wealth yf the attempted that iourney And that at his first installement in the Archbishoprick he had bound him self by oath to obserue the lawes and customs of the countrey which forbid goeing Rome without the kings leaue The holy man answered that it was not the part of a Christian prince to cutt of anie He appealeth to the Pope appellation to the Roman sea of PETER and that he had engaged him self to the obseruance of noe other lawes then what stood with the honour of God and good reason When the King and his replied that there had been no mention made eyther of God or Goodnes To which ANSELME O goodly doeings sayd he that shunne the name of God or Goodnes Which words putt all his aduersaries to silence for that time But the kings anger and hatred against him encreased more and more euerie day which allso soe terrified manie of the other bishops that they began openly to forsake their Metropolitan and not to defend his cause although in their hearts they did not vtterly disproue it XIII IN the meane time sainct ANSELME constantly tould the king that notwithstanding all this opposition he would goe to Rome and before his departure prouided that he king would not reiect it he promised to giue him his benediction which done he went to Canturbury where after one dayes stay hauing with an oration He goeth to Rome like a pilgrim full of pietie and affection exhorted his monks to follow the traine of vertue and to putt on the armour of constancie and patience against the imminent dangers that threatned to follow he putt on the habitt of a pilgrim to the great grief of all his friends and especially of the monks of Canturbury and went to take shipping at Douer and with him went Eadmerus a Benedictin monk of Canturbury who writt his life They passed ouer into France to Lions where S. ANSELME was entertayned with wonderfull magnificence and respect by Hugue Archbishop of the place The Pope vnderstaÌ„ding of his being there sent for him to come to Rome with all speed Where he was honoured by all the court and soe highly praysed by the Pope in presence of the Cardinalls and Lords of Rome for his great learning and pietie that the holy man much confounded and ashamed therewith durst not lift vp his eyes before the companie which humilitie made them all iudge him to be an other manner of man in the presence of allmightie God then he appeared by his outside Then he sollicited the Pope in nothing more then to gett leaue to lay aside his Episcopall dignitie for the loue of a priuate life But Pope Vrban would by no meanes graunt his request but aduised him to seiourne a while in a monasterie of Benedictine Monks neere the cittie of Capna where by the prayers of Sainct ANSELME a liuely fountaine of water sprung out of a hard rock which is called A fouÌ„taine out of a Rock by his prayers the Bishop of Canturburys Well and the water cured manie diseases XIV S. ANSELME was present by the commaund of the Pope in the Councell of Bar where he made shew of his knowledge and prudence in the conuincing of the Greeks prouing the holy Ghost to proceed from the father and the sonne as from one Beginning And mention being made in this Councell of king William and of his outrages committed against ANSELME and the Church his crimes appeared soe heynous that all proclaymed him worthie to be cutt off from the Church by the sentence of excommunication had not ANSELME interposed him self and falling on his knees The wonderfull humilitie meeknes of S. Anselme craued a time of respite which with difficultie he obtained And this his meekenes and humblenes of mind gayned him a wonderfull great fauour amongst them all The Pope being returned to Rome is mett by an embassadour from king William to defend the Kings cause against ANSELME who but newly came from playing the part of an aduocate in his behalf And by the importunitie of this embassadour the cause was committed to be heard in a Councell held at Rome where S. ANSELME him self was present and certaine seate was allotted to him and his successors of Canturbury if anie should afterwards chaunce to be present in a Roman Councell And here the Pope by the consent of all the Prelates thundered an excommunication against all lay persons for manie princes at that time were ouer busie in those affayres that intruded them selues in challenging the inuestitures of bishopricks and against all Ecclesiasticks that receaued them at their hands This done ANSELME returned to Lions in France quite hopelesse of coming into England during the raigne of King William Where as he was exercised in his The death oâ— William Rufus accustomed workes of pietie and vertue newes was brought that by the permission of allmightie God his greatest enemie was robbed of his power to hurt him for king William being on hunting the second of August in the midst of his game was shott through the heart with an arrow which gaue a miserable end to his miserable life It is not credible how greatly S. ANSELME was afflicted with this newes and cheefly at the manner thereof professing with manie sighs and teares that he would willingly haue redeemed his vnhappie death with the losse of his owne life XV. HENRY the first of that name and brother to William succeeded who with the great applause of the whole countrey recalled King Henry recalleâ—h S. Anselme S ANSELME into England and endeauoured to gaine his fauour thereby promising togeather with allmost all his Lords and Bishops of the realme that all things should be carried according to his owne liking But when ANSELME was come and the king vnderstoode of the Popes decree made in the sinod of Rome touching the inuestiture of bishopricks he was wonderfully enraged and conceaued soe great hatred against S. ANSELME that vnlesse he would receaue his Archbishoprick as restored vnto him by his only authoritie there should he noe place for him in the kingdome And this ANSELME absolutly refused to doe as being contrarie to the late decree of the Roman Councell Soe that the matter being tossed and disputed a long time to and fro the king at length perswaded him to go to Rome togeather with his Embassadours to gett this act recalled by Pope Pasehall the secoÌ„d who now had succeeded Vrban S. Ansel goeth againe to Rome The holy man to auoyde greater inconueniences vndertooke the iourney foretelling before he went that the Pope would doe nothing contrarie to the libertie and decrees of the Church Neuerthelesse he went and being arriued at Rome was receaued with farre greater honour and respect then euer before Then it was hottly disputed at the Lateran of the kings affayres and manie reasons brought in by William procuratour of the kings cause in defence thereof Who came at length to such a vehemencie and heate in
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
thy Church with ample guifts and reuenewes Then causing a banner of that Church to be carried before him he marched couragiously against the Scotts who hearing of his coming fled ouer into Scotland and there expected him Ethelstane hauing fixed his tents on the other side of the riuer Ethelstane victorious by the merits of S. Iohn S. IOHN appeared to him and bad him goe ouer couragiously and assault his enemies Which the next morning he performed and in that conflict manie of the Scotts were slaine and their whole armie discomfited Then King Ethelstane hauing humbly desired of saint IOHN to haue some signe which might serue as a perpetuall testimonie of the King of Englands prerogatiue ouer the Scotts he struck his sword into a hard rock neere Dunbar castle where for manie ages after remayned a marke the length of a yeard made hollow in the same stone with the blow And for proofe hereof wee haue that king Edward the first when there was question before Pope Boniface of his right and prerogatiue ouer Scotland brought this historie for the maintenance and strength of his cause VI. KING ETHELSTANE hauing obtayned the foresayd Beuerley a Sainctuarie victorie honoured saint IOHN euer after as his peculiar Patrone and Guardian and ennobled the Church of Beuerley with manie great freedoms graunting vnto it the right of Sainctuary to be a safe refuge for all criminall and suspected persons of what offence soeuer Manie other famous miracles here omitted haue been done by the meritts of this glorious Bishop all which moued Alfrick the seauenteenth Bishop of York after him Translation of S. Iohn to take vp his holy reliques three hundred and sixteen yeares after his death and place them in a precious and rich shrine the fiue and twentie day of October which is the feast of his translation on which verie day in the yeare of our Lord one thousand foure hundred and fifteen the most inuincible King of England Henry the fift of that name wonne the memorable battle of Agiâ—court against the French Which the King ascribing to the meritts of the most blessed Bishop saint IOHN at his triumphant returne into England caused the feasts both of his deposition and translation to be solemnly celebrated throughout the Prouince of Canturbury as it was allreadie in that Yorke And in the Prouinciall Tit. de script Constitutions of England made in a Prouinciall Synod vnder Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canturbury is found a decree hereof made at the instance of the same most Christian King Henry the fift Whereby it appeares that this most holy Bishop saint IOHN of Beuerley hath been an ayde to the Kings of England in the necessitie of their warres not only in auncient but allsoe in these later ages God of his infinite Mercie make vs partakers of his glorious merits His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Aug. lib. 5. cap. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. William Malmesbury de gest Pontif. Aug. lib. 3. Mathew Westminster anno 680. 686. 721. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 8. cap. 22. Thrithemius of the famous men of saint BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 129. lib. 4. cap. 68. and 170. and Iohn Capgrà ue or Ioannes Anglicus The Româ—â— Martirologe Polidore Virgil Vsuard Arnold Wion Camden and all our English writers doe worthyly celebrate his prayses The life of Sainct WYRE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY. 8. Out of an auncient manuscript recited by Su rins SAINCT WYRE borne of worthy parents in Scotland hauing passed his infancie was sett to schoole when being preuented by the inspiration of an heauenly grace he began in his tender His vertues and exercises age to beare the yeares of a man both in mind and manners proposing to him self the examples of his elders to be the rule and guide of his youthly actions In the meane time he encreased in yeares but more in mind neuer yeelding to anie vaine allurements nor drawing back his foote once sett forward in the stepps of vertue contemning all transitorie and wordly things aspiring with all the forces of his soule to the loue of the eternall soe that his holines of life increasing dayly with his yeares he became gratefull and beloued both to God and man He was nether broken with aduersities nor exalted with prosperitie neuer tired with watchings Herefuseth a bishoprick prayers were his foode and fasting his delights in summe nothing could mooue him from the desire and pursuite of vertue Not long after whilst thus he shined to the world in all kind of true religion and holines of life the Church of that countrey was voyd of a pastour when all with one voyce desired WIRE for their bishop him the clergie him the people him all the world proclaymed to be a man sent from heauen to gouerne his natiue countrey with episcopall dignitie But the holy man being quite of an other mind farre from desiring to clime the slipperie degrees of fading honours lay close vnder the wings of humilitie and vtterly refused to accept anie such charge affirming that he had more need him self of a Master then to become a teacher and ruler of others II. AT length ouercome with much opportunitie of the poeple he yeelded to goe to Rome to be consecrated reioycing for soe good an occasion to performe that soe desired pilgrimage And thither he went not out of an ambition of worldly dignitie but of a desire he long had had to vndertake that iourney of deuotioÌ„ Being come to Rome togeather with sainct PLECHELME a venerable priest and monk and Otgerus a deacon they all three visited with great deuotion the sacred shrines of the Apostles watring the pauements with the holy baulme of their deuout teares The Pope vnderstanding of them sent presently for sainct WYRE who togeather with The Pope compells him to be bishop his fellowes came before him where he was receaued with wonderfull great ioy and familiaritie When sainct WYRE hauing first plainly tould the cause of his coming fell prostrate at the Popes feet humbly crauing to be freed from the charge of the Bishoprick But the Pope nothing mooued with his prayers chose rather to prouide Gods poeple with a holy prelate then to hearken to sainct WYRES priuate deuotions and therefore he ordered him Bishop much against his will and sent him back into the countrey with a strict commaund to cease from vndertaking anie pilgrimage before he returned to his poeple Whose precept the holy man obeyed and returned straight ouer the frozen Alâ—es and swelling waues of the sea to come againe into his countâ—ey where he was receaued His returne from Rome with great ioy honour and solemnitie Then it was wonderfull to see how he shined in all vertue religion and pietie amongst his subiects making allwaies his owne lifâ— correspondent to the doctrine he preached vnto others And allthough then he none could better discharge the office of that high calling with all parts
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
accident in an epistle written to Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria And in A church dedicated to S. August perpetuall memory of the fact a Church was built by the same riuer and dedicated to our wonderfull Baprist saint AVGVSTINE in which the petitions of the faythfull were miraculously heard and graunted XX. RETVRNING againe from Torke by the way he cured one of a most horrid leaprosie by making the signe of the Crosse and calling vppon his diuine name that cures all diseases But comming into the Countie of Dorsett all waies announcing CHRISTS holy Ghospell His aduersaries instly punished he arriued at a Village where the wicked poeple not only refused to obey his doctrine but very impiously and opprobriously beat him and his fellowes out of their Village and in mockerie fastened Fish-tayles at their backs which became a new purchase of eternall glory to the Saincts but a perpetuall ignominie to the doers For it is reported that all that generation had that giuen them by nature which soe contemptibly they fastened on the backs of these holy men And saint AVGVSTINE hauing left these wicked poeple to carrie the markes of their owne shame and trauelled with his holy companie about fiue miles further through desert and vnhabited places being cruelly oppressed with the three familiar discomodities of trauellers hunger thirst and wearines he that sate vppon the fountaine wearied with his iourney CHRIST IESVS voutchsafed to appeare visibly vnto him with words of heauenly comfort and Christ appeareâ—h vnto him encouragement Then the holy man being refreshed with the sweet fountaine of eternall life fell presently vppon his knees and adored the place of CHRISTS footsteps and striking his staffe into the ground there straight sprung forth a cleere fountaine of cristall streames in which all his fellowes quenched the extremitie of their thirst and gaue infinite thankes to allmightie God who had voutchsafed to helpe them in that necessitie And the same place The monastery of Cernell was afterwards called CERNEL a name composed of Latine and He brew for Cerno in Latine signifies to see and El in Hebrew signifies God because there our holy Apostle AVGVSTINE was honoured with the cleere vision of him that is true God and man Moreouer vppon the some fountaine in memorie here of a chappell was built dedicated to our Sauiour which togeather with the fountaine my Authour had seene and the water cured manie diseases Afterwards one Egelward a rich man founded a fayre Monastery of Benedictine monks in the same place dedicated to saint PETER the Apostle which was called the monastery of Cernel and dured to the last fatall destruction of Abbeies in the vnfortunate raigne of Henry the eight XXI BVT Sainct AVGVSTINE hauing trauelled ouer the greatest He returneth to Canturbury part of England like a true Apostle allwaies on foote and by the vertue of his preaching and miracles conuerted infinitie poeple to the fayth soe that be may deseruedly be called our Apostle who not only layd the first foundation of Catholicque religion amongst vs but by his owne preaching lightened allmost all the whole Iland he returned to his perpetuall and Metropolitan seate of Canturbury where he was receaued by the poeple as the angelicall messenger of their peace and happines with great ioy and triumphe When a troupe of diseased persons flocking about this diuine Phisitian behould a threefold wretched creature bound with a triple chaine of calamitie was presented He was lame of both his legges dease and dumbe His prayers were sighes his wordes bellowings and his discourse signes But saint AVGVSTINE heard him that could not speake spake to him that could not heare and directed him that could not goe For in the name of the blessed TRINITIE he gaue that thrise miserable wretch a threefold cure Soe that he was able to He cureth one lame deafe and dumbe 〈◊〉 firmely to speake plainly and to heare distinctly But he ouerioyed with his new receaued health became soe vainely merrie that with his troublesom tongue newly taught to speake he molested the whole Church and poeple with babling euen in the time of the diuine office soe that for punishment he suffered a relapse into his former miserie till hauing done worthy satisfaction for that fault he was againe released by the powerfull prayers of S. AVGVSTINE and togeather with the outward health of bodie he was restored allso to the stablenes of a more setled gouernment of mind in his soule The testimonie of an old ma baptised by Augustane XXII HERE it shall not be amisse to sett downe the attestation of a verie old man that liued in my Authours time who affirmed that his grandfather had been baptised by saint AVGVSTIN and had often seene the holy man encompassed about with troupes of poeple preach and worke manie miracles He had learnt allsoe from his father and grandfather the forme of bodie of saint AVGVSTINE and that he was of a verie maiesticque person and in stature tall and that his grandfather hauing been baptised by the hands of the holy man liued manie yeares aboue an hundred and the blessing of old age descending likewise to his father and from his father to him who now when he made this relation had long outliued an hundred yeares Thus this old man But now our holy Apostle being wholly wounded with the loue of heauen and aspiring to nothing more then out of the tumults of this world to attaine to the eternall rest of our Lord knocked dayly at the heauenly gates with the continuall peales of his prayers sighes and teares desiring to be dissolued to liue with CHRIST Till at length vnderstanding by diuine reuelation that his desire was heard and that shortly he should be deliuered out of the thraldom of the flesh he solemnly in presence of the King and all his court ordayned the holy monke and his chiefe fellow-preacher saint LAVRENCE to succeed him in the Sea of Canturbury as in times past the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER appoynted CLEMENT for his successor in the Roman Primacie For long before he had made MELLITVS bishop of LONDON by whose meanes the countrey of the East-Angles was conuerted and IVSTVS his suffragane in Rochester Soe that allmost all the dominion of King ETHELBERT which raught from Canturbury to the riuer Humber in Yorke-shire was wholly conuerted to Christianitie by the labours of these holy Benedictine Monkes saint AVGVSTINE and his fellowes XXIII BEHOVLD now ô thou blessed Archparent of the regeneration An Apostropâ—â— to S. Augustine of the English nation by leauing thy stately Mother Rome thou hast gayned England for thy Daughter whom thou maiest nourish as a fayre spouse for the King of heauen Now after the iourney of the great world thou hast taken this other world of the vast Ocean breathing a most fayre and temperate ayre most pleasant and fertill with fields meadowes pastures brookes riuers and seas most gratefull with woods hills and plaines most abounding
were the diuine guifts and fauours wherewith allmightie God ennobled this holy man beyond the common lott of other mortalls Amongst which this heauenly benefitt following is worthy of eternall memory IV. FOR WHEN allmost an infinite multitude of people of all ages sexes and conditions came to meet him and congratulate his returne towards Yorke as they pasled in violent throngs ouer a wodden bridge after the holyman the same bridge broke suddenly vnder them and let a great companie fall headlong Note a wonderfull miracle into the riuer Which the Bishop who was newly past ouer perceauing being strucken in mind with the vehemencie of a sudden sorrow to see soe manie innocent people in the imminent danger of their liues and full of compassionate teares with his hands and eyes lifted vp towards heauen he implored the diuine mercie for the health of those perishing creatures and blessed them with the signe of life when soe miraculously he enioyed his holy purpose and desire that to the wonderfull amazement of all and the great glorie of God and his Sainct they were all saued from the danger of drowning allbeit for the greater renowne of the miracle a great part of them were children wholly vnable to shift for them selues To S Williams death whom as by his prayers he gaue life soe the thirtith day after his entrance into the cittie of Yorke he deposed his owne mortall life to be cloathed with the heauenly and immortall loaden with all manner of vertues merits and good workes that belonged to the function of a most holy Prelate And the innumerable benefitts bestowed vppon manie miserable and afflicted persons Miracles at his tombe at his tombe were soe manie powerfull witnesses that beyond all exception proued of how great grace and glorie he was in the sight of allmightie God Nay which is more a wonderfull oyle most soueraigne against all diseases flowed out of his sacred body which was carefully receaued and vsed by deuout poeple He died the eight day of Iune about the yeare of our redemption 1154. But an hundred thirtie one yeares after his death his sacred bones were taken out of the ground and placed in an eminent place in the Church of Yorke in a very pretious and rich shrine where thy were reserued with great reuerence and veneration till the fatall destruction of all Churches and religion in the vnhappie raigne of Henry the eight His life we haue gathered out of William of Newbery lib. 1. cap. 17. 27. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 41. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Polidore Virgill lib. 12 who allsoe speaketh of his Canonization Vsuard and Molanus in their Martirologes make mention of S. William The life of saint COLVMBA Abbot and Confessor IVNE 9. Written by Adamnanus Abbot who florished in the yeare 690 THE glorious Abbot and venerable father and Founder of manie Monasteries Sainct COLVMBA borne in Jreland of noble parents was from his very infancie much inclined to embrace all true Christian vertues to follow the studies of wisedom and to keepe him self chast pure and entier in bodie and soule from the infectious venom and vanities of the world He was of an angelicall contenance neaâ—e in his speech holy in his workes sound in his iudgement prouident in giuing counsell and excellent in witt He suffered no one hower to passe wherein he did noe applie him self to prayer reading writing or some other good worke He was soe vnwearied in the labours of fasting and watching and His continuall labour sâ—e strongly exercised him self therein night and day without intermission that the weight and greatnes of those employments seemed to exceed the possibilitie of humane nature And amidst all bearing allwaies a ioyfull countenance he became most gratefull and deare vnto all men To the age of thirtie fower yeares he liued in Ireland in the continuall exercise of a most holy life But in the yeare of our Lord fiue hundred sixtie fiue he came into the Iland of great Britaine to announce the fayth of CHRIST to the northerne Picts whom by his zealous preaching vertuous example and miraculous workes he conuerted to the Christian Fayth soe that by a iust title he is termed their Apostle In one of the Orkney Ilands on the north side of Scotland he built a famous Monastery and furnished it with a great Conuent of Monkes whom he gouerned as He buildeth the Monastery of Hoy. Abbot in all holines of life and conuersation to the age of threescore and seauenteen yeares when loaden with manie meritts and good workes he ended this mortall life to enter into the immortall which neuer ends He was first buried in the same Monastery which from him was called Columbkill or Columbs-Cell but afterwards his holy reliques were translated to Dune in Jreland and layd in the same tombe with great saint PATRICK and saint BRIGITT according to this Epitaphe Jn Burgo Duno tumulo tumulantur in vno Brigida Patricius atque Columba pius During his life he founded manie other Monasteries both in Jreland He foundeth manie Monasteries and elsewhere in which he gained manie thousands of soules to God out of the dangerous pathes of this world But yf we should goe about to sett downe in particular the miraculous workes excellent vertues propheticall reuelations angelicall apparitions and all the heauenly and diuine guifts and graces which allmightie God largely bestowed vppon this holy man it would require a whole volume apart And after all our best endeauours imployed therein we should come soe farre short of worthyly declaring his worthie deeds that I haue chosen rather ro passe them ouer in silence then with a rude penne rudely to decipher them to the world He died the ninth of June on which day his memory hath heretofore been celebrated with great solemnitie especially in Ireland as his proper Office in a Breuiary of that counrrey doeth testifie His life is very largely written by Adamnanus Abbot of the Monastery of Hoy. The Roman Martirologe Venerable Bede de gest Angl. lib. 3. cap. 4. and lib. 5. cap. 10. Notkerus Balbulus in his martirologe Henry Huntington lib. 3. hist. Ang. fol. 330. Cardinall Baronius in his Annotations on the Roman Martirologe and manie other graue Authours doe make honourable mention of him The life of Saint MARGARET Queene of Scotland IVNE 10 Written by Aluredus Abbot of Rhieuall AFTER the death of Edmund King of England who from the great strength of body was surnamed Iron-side Canutus King of Denmarke and conquerour of England being him self ashamed to putt to death his two sonnes Edmund and Edward by reason of the league made with their father sent them to the King of Sueuia to be murdered who moued with compassion presented them Parents of S Margaret to Salomon King of Hungarie to be preserued But Edmund dying without childreÌ„ Edward his yonger brother married Agatha daughter to the Emperour which marriage was blessed with a daughter called MARGARET
to yeeld and giue way to the prayers and teares of such and soe manie great Lords he esteemed most discourteous and inhumane At length he resolued to deferre his pilgrimage vntill he had consulted the Pope him self therewith meaning to follow his He c 〈…〉 teth Pope 〈…〉 aduise and counsell and to know whether in this case his vow were to be fullfilled or otherwise to be satisfied and redeemed X. THE POPE hauing seriously considered and diligently discussed Pope his 〈…〉 to S. the matter wrote his answeare to the King in this manner LEO Bishop seruant of the seruaÌ„ts of God to his beloued sonne EDWARD King of England sendeth health and Apostolicall benediction Because we haue vnderstood of thy desire both laudable and gratefull to God we giue thanks to him by whom Kings doe raigne and Princes decree iustice But in euerie place our Lord is neere vnto DispeÌ„seth with his vow of pilgrimage them that truely call vppon him and the holy Apostles vnited with their head are one spiritt and equally giue eare to deuout prayers and bicause it is manifest that the English nation will be indomaged by thy absence who with the raynes of iustice doest restraine the seditious insurrections thereof by the authoritie of God and the holy Apostles we doe absolue thee from the bond of that vow for which thou fearest to offend God and from all thy sinnes and offences by vertue of that power which our Lord in B. PETER graunted vnto vs saying Whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be Mat. 16. loosed alsoe in heauen Furthermore we commaund thee vnder title of holy obedience and peanance to distribute the expenses prepared for thy iourney to the poore and that eyther thou build a new one or repayre an old Monasterie of Monks to the honour of S. PETER Prince of the Apostles and prouide the brethren therein sufficient maintenance out of thy owne reuenewes that their continuall prayers sung there to allmightie God may adde an encrease of glorie to his Saincts and purchase more abundant pardon vnto thee And whatsoeuer thou shalt giue or is allreadie giuen or shall heereafter be giuen to that place we commaund that it be ratified by Apostolicall authoritie and that for euer there be an habitation for Monks subiect to noe other lay person but the King himself and we graunt and confirme by most strong authoritie whatsoeuer priuiledges thou shalt there ordaine to the honour of God and lastly we pronounce the heauie sentence of eternall damnation against all that shall presume to infringe or violate the same XI BVT FOR the greater confirmation of the Popes letters The visioÌ„ of a holy man and answere to the King an oracle was sent from heauen and reuealed to a holy man then liuing in England shutt vp in a hollow caue vnder ground who now being well struck in yeares both of age and sainctetie dayly expected a release to the desired reward of his meritorious labours To him the blessed Apostle S. PETER appeared one night in a vision with these words King EDWARD sollicitous for the vow wherewith he obliged him self being in banishment and carefull for the peace of his Realme and the necessities and prayers of the poore hath consulted the Pope to be aduised of all things by the authoritie of the Roman Church Therefore let him know that by my authoritie he is absolued from this obligation and that he hath receaued a commaund from the Pope to erect a Monasterie in honour of my name Let him then without delay giue creditt to the Apostolicall letters be sure he obey the Popes precepts and yeeld vnto his counsells for whatsoeuer they containe cometh from me whom in times past he chose to be his speciall Patrone the companion of his iourney and his obtainer of grace But there is a place on the west side of the cittie of London which long since I haue both chosen and loued S. Peters loue to Vvestminster Abbey and the Monks thereof and which heeretofore I consecrated with mine owne hands ennobled with my presence and honoured with manie miracles The name of the place is Thorney which heeretofore for the sinnes of the people was giuen vp to the enraged power of the Barbarians and by them brought downe from wealth to pouertie from maiestie to deiection and from a place of respect and honour to an estate vile and contemptible By my commaund the King must vndertake worthily to repaire and reedifie this Monasterie and to amplifie and enrich it with large possessions There shall be nothing but the house of God and the gate of heauen There a ladder shall be erected by which the Angels ascending and descending shall present the prayers and petitions of men before allmightie God and obtaine grace vnto them I will lay open the gates of heauen to those that ascend from thence and by vertue of the office which my Lord and Sauiour hath giuen me I will absolue those that are tied in the bands of sinne and receaue them being absolued and iustified in at the gates of the heauenly courte which sinne had barred vp against them But doe thou write vnto the King whatsoeuer thou hast heard and sâ—ene that by a redoubled benefitt of God he may be securer of his absolution deuouter in the execution of his precept and become more feruently possessed with loue and dutie towards me With these words he vanished in the glorious light that garded him and the old man according to his commaund related what he had heard by letters directed to the King which at the verie instant that the Popes answer was opened were allso receaued and read Whereat the good King takeing great consolation with King Edw. obeyeth the Pope a ioyfull cheerfullnes a cheerfull ioy bestowed the money prepared for his iourney amongst the poore and reedified the Monasterie XII WHEN Ethelred king of Kent by the preaching of S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictin monk had receaued the ChristiaÌ„ faith Sebert his nephew then king of the East-Angles by the same holymans endeauour was purged from Paganisme in the sacred font of Baptisme This Sebert erected a famous Church in honour of S. PAVL within the walls of London which was esteemed the cheif head of his kingdom and placed Mellitus the Monk therein honouring him with Episcopall S. Mellitus made Bishop of London dignitie But without the walls in the West part of the cittie he founded a goodly Monastery for Monks of S. BENEDICTS order in honour of S. PETER the Apostle enriching it with verie large reuenews When the night before the Dedication of the Church s. PETER him self in an vnknowne habitt appeared to a fisherman on the other side of the riuer Thames running by the sayd Abbey desiring him to passe him ouer and he would reward his paines which was performed when goeing out of the boate in sight of the fisherman he entred the new-built Church where suddenly was seene a strainge light from heauen
that gaue such a wonderfull lustre to all therein as if it would haue preuented the sunnes comeing by turning night into day There was present with the Apostle in the Church a multitude of heauenly burgesses filling it with melodious musick and most fragrant odours Hauing finished all the solemnities and ceremonies due vnto the dedication of a Church he whom our Lord made a famous FISHER of men returned to the Fisher of fishes whom he found wonderfully amazed and carried allmost beyond him self with the flashes of the diuine splendour and therefore S. Peter consecrateth the Church of westminster with a courteous consolation the Apostle restored him to him self againe reduceing his distracted thoughts to the rules of reason and the two fishers entring into the boate togeather S. PETER demaunded whether he had taken anie fish or noe Being suddenly strucken replied he with the sight of that vnusuall brightnes and detained with expectation of thy returne I endeauoured not to fish but securely a tended my promised reward from thee wherevnto the Apostle answered cast forth thy netts and trie He obeyed his commaund and presently found his nett loaden with store of fish all of one kind excepting one fish of a mightie greatnes without comparison Hauing drawne them on shore the Apostle bad him present that great one to Bishop MELLITVS in his name and the rest said he take for thy reward An aboundance of this kind thou shalt enioy all thy life time and thy posteritie a long time Fishing on Sundaies forbidden after thee only hereafter dare not to fish on the Sundaies I am the Apostle PETER who with my heauenly fellow-citizens haue allreadie consecrated the Church built in my name and by the authoritie of my owne dedication I haue preuented the Bishops benediction Tell him therefore what thou hast seene and heard and the markes imprinted in the walles shall giue sufficient testimonie to strengthen the truth of thy relation Let him therefore forbeare from anie further dedication and supplie only what we omitted that is to celebrate the most sacred misteries of our Lords bodie and bloud and with a sermon to instruct the people giuing them to vnderstand that I will oftentimes visitt this place and be present at the prayers and petitions of the faithfull promising to lay open the gates of heauen to all those that spend their daies soberly iustly and piously in this world The next morning the fisher with his great fish meets the Bishop MELLITVS as he was goeing to dedicate the Church and makes knownes vnto him whatsoeuer was giuen him in charge by the Apostle Whereat the Bishop much astonished entred into the Church and finds the pauement signed with the inscription of the Greek and Hebrew alphabet the walls annoynted with holy oyle in twelue seuerall places and the remnants of as manie wax cādles fastened to twelue crosses all things being yet moist with the late springling of holy oyle and water Wherevppon togeather with the people he gaue prayse and thanks to allmightie God for that great remonstrance of his goodnes vnto them The whole posteritie of the fisherman confirmed the truth of this miracle for as they receiued by tradition from their father they offered the tenth of all the commoditie gotten afterward by that art to S. PETER and his seruants in that place Till among the The fishers deceit punished rest there was one that attempted to beguile them of that dutie but he receiued his punishment for soe long he was depriued of the benefitt of his art vntill hauing confessed his fault he had made condigne restitution of the wrong with a faythfull promise of amendment XIII WHEN S. EDWARD had vnderstood all these things out of the relation and records of antiquitie he was enflamed with an extreme desire to reedifie that Monasterie and to restore it out of the ruines of deiection and pouertie to the height of wealth and dignitie and to that end he dispatched messengers to Rome as well to obtaine priuiledges for that place as allsoe to treate some other affaires with letters to the Pope to this effect TO NICOLAS S. Edwards Epistle to Pope Nicolas 2. the chief father of the vniuersall Church EDWARD by the grace of God king of England sendeth due subiection and obedience We glorifie our Lord for the care he hath of his elect Church in ordayning thee an excellent successour in the place and seate of thy good predecessour Wherefore we thinke it fitt to leane vnto thee as vnto a firme rock to sharpen and approoue all our good actions and allwaies to admitt of thy knowledge and fellowship in doeing good especially desiring thou wouldest renew encrease all those donations and priuiledges which we obtained from thy predecessour to wit that thou ratifie and confirme the Monasterie of Monks which I haue built in honour of the B. Apostle S. PETER according as it was enioyned me by thy predecessour vnder title of obedience and penance for the dispensation of a vow I made to goe to Rome and the remission of all my sinnes as allsoe that thou reestablish determine and secure all the priuiledges belonging to the He willingly payeth duties to Rome possessions peace and dignitie of that place for euer And I for as much as lies in me doe increase and confirme the donations and customes of the moneies which S. PETER holdeth and chalengeth in England and now I send them accompanied with other free guifts from my self humbly intreating thee to offer prayers and sacrifices to allmightie God for me and the peace of my kingdom and that thou institute ordayne a continuall and solemne memorie of all England in generall before the sacred bodies of the Apostles XIV THE POPE answered him in this manner NICOLAS The Popes answer to the king Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to the most glorious most pious and most worthie of all honour our specially beloued EDWARD King of England sendeth all manner of salutation most sweet health and Apostolicall benediction We giue thankes vnto allmightie God who hath adorned and honoured thy most prudent excellence in all respects to conserue deuotion towards the blessed Apostle S. PETER and all loue towards vs his vnworthie successour in giuing obedience and consent vnto Apostolicque counsels and censures Wee therefore send our letters to thy Royall nobilitie whereby we graunt vnto thee the holy Apostles societie and ours beseeching his mercie who is truly Lord of all and only soueraigne aboue all to make thee par taker of all our good workes if anie we haue in the sight of God and at all times to make vs more feruent brethren and fellows in his loue wishing him to graunt noe lesse part or reward of our dutie and obedience in his heauenly kingdom vnto thee then we desire to fall vnto our selues Allsoe we will not cease heereafter vnfaynedly to powre out our dayly prayers for thee that God himself would bring thy foes and enemies
those dreames Notwithstanding he washed his hands and went away into the Church as not desiring to be present at the miracle thereby to auoyd the occasion of being tempted with vaine glorie But the Chamberlaine hauing reserued the water brought it to the blind man wherewith he had noe sooner washed his eyes and face but presently to the great wonder of all he recouered his sight and with ioy beheld the light againe whose losse he had long bewailed The like fauour was shewed to a citizen of Lincolne who An other cured in like manner hauing lost his sight came to the kings pallace and obtayned of this water applied it to his vnprofitable eyes and was immediatly cured and his perpetuall night chainged to a most wellcome and long desired day-light An other blind man being admonished to goe to the king to haue his sight restored desired the Chamberlaine to make knowne his case vnto him which done Let him come answeared the holy king for why should I be greiued but rather reioyce if the diuine goodnes be soe pleased as by my vnworthy hands to bestow this promised benefitt vppon him The man was brought in and by the only touching and blessing Manie blind cured of the king betweene his royall hands a filthie bloud ranne aboundantly from his eyes whereby they were cleered and all the swelling of his eyelidds asswaged Then he that before could not see cried out I see thee my souueraigne Lord and King and thy face shineth like vnto the face of an angel standing before me Allsoe at an other time two blind and one hauing but one eye being sprinkled with the water in which the holy man had washed were all three restored to perfect sight XX. AS HE some time sate at table with Earle Godwin Harold and Tostins the Earles two sonnes as yet but children according to what the fight of Godwins children did portend their age and condition played in the hall before them but as one of them handled his brother more rudely then the sweetnes of their game required their iest was turned into earnest and their sport to a plaine fight For Harold somewhat abler in strength of bodie violently setting vppon his brother fastned both his hands in his hayre and hauing layd him along on the ground had gone neere to thrattle him if by the standers by he had not bin preuented The king behoulding this skirmish turned to Earle Godwine and sayd Doest thou consider nothing in this contention of thy children but a childish sport or battle Nothing else my liege replied he But by this boyish cōflict the blessed king vnderstood by reuelation what would afterwards befall to the children For sayd he noe sooner shall they be out of their childhood in mans estate but an inward malice towards one and other will mutually possesse them and at first as it were in iest they will seeme to goe about to ruine each other by priuate deceits till at length the stronger hauing gott the vpper hand will banish the weaker and ouerthrow him giuing him death for his rebellion But his death will in a short time be recompenced with the ensueing calamitie of the authour And all this fell out as England it self may be the Their cōtention ruine bleeding witnes of her owne miseries For Tostius being by Harold put to flight and he a while after had succeeded King Edward in the kingdom Tostius togeather with the King of Norway that came to his ayde was vtterly ouerthrowne and slaine and allmost all his armie destroyed The same yeare William Duke of Normandie comeing into England to claime his right to the crowne in one blouddie battle vanquished Harold who at once was depriued both of life and kingdom or as some thinke reserued in miserie to doe peanance for his former wickednes XXI AT AN other time Godwine sitting by the King at table one of the seruingmen comeing towards them chaunced to stumble so much with on of his feet that he had caught a fall had he not recouered him self againe by the nimble bringing on of his other foote by help whereof he was sett vp right againe The beholders talking diuersly as the manner is of this accident and reioyceing to see how opportunely one foote releeued the other Earle Godwin as it were in iest put in these words Soe a brother helpes his brother and both relieue each other in necessitie The King calling to mind the death of his brother Alfred In like manner replied he might myne haue bine a comfort vnto me had Godwin permitted it Hereat Godwin trembling and makeing fayned signes of sorrow in his countenance I know my Liege I know sayd he that your mind doeth yet accuse me as accessarie to your brothers death and that you iudge them to be beleeued that wrongfully giue me the title of traitour both to him and you But let God the great eye-witnes of all secrets be iudge betweene vs and let him not permitt this morsell which I hould in my hand to passe downe my throate without causing my death if I be eyther traitour to you or guiltie of your brother's death And the King makeing the signe of the Crosse vpon the morsell the wretched Earle putt is into his mouth Gods punishmeut against the traitour Godwin which being chewed went into the midst of his throate where it stuck soe fast that notwitstanding all his labour and paines he could gett it neyther vp nor downe But rather the more he striued the more it seemed to fasten soe that in a short time the sluses of his wind were stopped vp his eyes turned round in his head and without speaking one other word he vomitted out his traiterous soule to receiue her iudgement in the next world The king that saw him make this lamentable end perceiuing God's iust punishment to haue befallen him spake aloud to the standers by Cast out this dogg and burie him in the high way which was presently performed This Godwin abusing the king's pious simplicitie wrought manie villanies in the kingdom against both God and iustice By his wilie fleights and craftie dealing he had chased out of the Realme allmost all the kings kinred friends which he had brought with him out of Normandie imagening to haue all things goe according to his owne desires when the king being depriued of his friends should onely make vse of his counsell and follow his dictamen in all things But the blessed man neuer tooke notice of his bad doeings allwaies performing his owne dutie towards God foretelling to manie that in the end allmightie God would punish his wickednes yea and some times he stuck not to say as much to Godwine him self XXII THIS HOLY king next after the Prince of the Apostles S. Edwards loue to S. Iohn Euangelist bore a singular affection and deuotion to S. IOHN Euangelist in soe much that he would neuer denie anie thing demaunded in his name For proofe whereof it happened that a
sayd thus they returned to heauen and I to you and my self againe XXIV WHILE the king related this vision there were present the Queene Robert keeper of the sacred pallace Duke Harold and wicked Stigand who mounting on his fathers bed had defiled it impiously inuading the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury during the life time of Robert true Archkishop thereof for which offence he was afterwards suspended by Pope Alexander the second and in a Councell held at Winchester by the same Popes Legats and other Bishops and Abbots of England he was both deposed from all Episcopall dignitie and cast into prison by the commaund of William Conquerour where he ended his wicked life with a most miserable and well deserued death This Stigand being there present at the kings narration had all the powers of his soule soe barred vp against Stigand a Clergie-man punished for inuading a Sea belonging to the Benedictine Monks all goodnes that he waxed more obdurate at the dreadfull storie neyther was he terrified with the threatning oracle nor gaue anie creditt to the pious relatour but murmuring within him self that the king began to dote in his old age he laughed where he had more cause to weepe But the rest whose minds were more vertuously giuen lamented and wept abundantly knowing verie well that the Prelates and Princes led their liues according as the blessed king had declared XXV SOME are of opinion that the foresayd similitude is grounded vppon an impossibilitie and these were chiefly such as bewailed that the whole Nobilitie of the land was come to soe low anebbe and soe farre spent that there was neyther king nor Bishop nor Abbot nor Prince of the same nation scarse to be seene An interpretation of the Kings vision in England But quite of an other opinion am I saith Alured especially that S. DVNSTAN did both foretell that this calamitie should befall vs and yet afterwards promised a comfortable redresse Thus then it may be expounded This tree signified the kingdom of England in glorie beautifull in delights and riches plentifull and in the excellencie of the Royall dignitie most eminent The roote from whence all this honour proceeded was the Royall stemme or race which from Alfred who was the first of the English Kings annoynted and consecrated by the Pope descended by a direct line of succession to S. EDWARD The tree was cutt off from the stock when the kingdom being deuided from this royall issue was translated to an other linage the distance of three furlongs shewes that during the raigne of three Kings there should be noe mutuall participation betwixt the new and the auncient race of Kings for Harold succeeded King EDWARD next to him came in William Conquerour and after him his sonne William Rufus But this Royall tree tooke roote againe when Henry the first vnto whom all Regall dignitie was transported neyther by force compelled nor vrged with hope of gaine but meerly taken with an affection of loue tooke to wife Mawde daughter to S. EDWARDS neece ioyning and vniting togeather by this mariage the bloud royall of the Normans and the English both in one Then this tree did truely florish when of this vnited royaltie Mawde the Empresse was begotten and then it brought forth fruit when by her we had Henry the second who like vnto a corner stone vnited both nations togeather And therefore by this we now see that England hath an English King as allsoe Bishops Abbots Princes and knights of the same auncient race deriued from this vnion of both nations But if anie man be displeased with this exposition let him eyther expound it better or expect an other time vntill he find these particularities fullfilled XXVI BVT LET vs returne to our B. King whose sicknes still encreasing made him euidently feele and vnderstand by the secret S. Edwards death Embassadours of neere approaching death that his hower was come to passe out of this world and therefore caused his death to be pâ—blished abroade before hand lest the knowledge thereof being delayed he should want the comfort of the prayers and sacrifices of his Clergie and people which he earnestly desired This done the holy man loaden with manie dayes of ould age and as manie good workes as howers in each day he yeelded vp his pure soule into the most pure hands of his Redeemer By whose death England's whole felicitie libertie and strength was vtterly lost bâ—oken and ouerthrowne Noe sooner was the breath gone out of his holy bodie but his face casting forth beames of wonderfull brightnes made death in him seeme beautifull and louely to the behoulders This glorious King and worthie benefactour of S. BENEDICT's order died the fifth of Ianuary one thousand sixtie six The beautie of his dead bodie when he had raigned twentie three yeares six moneths and twentie seauen daâ—es He was honorably buried in S. PETERS Church which him self had built for the Benedictine Monks and had now bin newly consecrated during the time of his last sicknes on S. Innocents day before XXVII MANIE miracles by the merits of this B. Sainct were A lame man cured at his tombe wrought afterwards at his sepulcher among which one Raphe a Norman who for the space of manie yeares had bin by the contraction of his sinewes soe lame of his leggs that he could but creepe and that with great difficultie on his hands and hinder parts came the eight day after S. EDWARDS buriall to his tombe and making his prayers to allmightie God and this glorious Sainct he was perfectly cured and healed of all his infirmities XXVIII ALLSOE about twentie daies after his buriall six blind men came following a man with one eye hanging one to an other Six blind man restored to sight soe that one only eye leading the way directed seauen persons to the B. Saincts sepulcher where sorrowfully declaring their miserie vnto him they humbly beseeched his assistance against the woefull teadiousnes of their perpetuall darknes and immediatly by the merits of the holy King they had all their sights restored and soe perfectly restored vnto them that they were able to returne each one guiding his owne footsteps Allsoe the bell ringer of Westminster Church being blind vsed to pray dayly at S. EDWARDS tombe till one night he heard a voyce that calling him by his name bad him rise and goe to the Church but as he went he seemed to behould King EDWARD in great glorie goeing before him and from that Three cured of quartan agues time he had the perfect vse of his sight euer after Allsoe a Monk of Westminster a verie learned man one Sir Guerin a knight and an other man of Barking were all three cured of quartan agues as they prayed at his holy tombe XXIX SIX AND thirtie yeares after the death of this glorious King his sepulcher being opened at the earnest request and sute of His bodie found vncorrupted the people his holy bodie was found most entier
MOLANVS and GALESINVS in their Martyrologes make worthie mention of S. BRITHWALD S. BENEDICTVS BISCOP ABBAS PATRONVS Congregationis â—enedictinorum Angliae Jan. 12º The life of S. BENNET surnamed Biscop Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by venerable Bede his disciple THE GLORIOVS seruant of God S. BENNET by byrth descended from the auncient race of the nobilitie of England but the nobilitie of his mind was such as farre more deserued the fellowship and companie of the noblest and worthiest sort of the English nation He was borne in Yorkshire and in his youth followed the discipline of warre in the Royall seruice of Oswy king of the Northumbers from whose princely liberalitie he receaued as the reward of his faithfull seruice no small possession of lands His life during his youth meanes suteable to his degree and calling These for a time he enioyed till he attayned to the florishing age of twentie fiue yeares and then a diuine inspiration mouing him therevnto he forsoke left the world and fading worldly goods for loue of the eternall he despised the warre fare of these lower regions the vaine rewards thereof that seruing vnder the enseigne of our true King CHRIST IESVS he might receaue an euerlasting kingdom aboue He left his countrey house and kinred for the loue of CHRIST and his Ghospell that he might gaine the hundredfould reward he promiseth and possesse life euerlasting he refused to enter into worldly mariage that in the court of heauen he might be worthie to follow the holy lambe soe candid with the glorie of virginitie he loathed to be a carnall father of children being ordayned by CHRIST to His first iourney to Rome traine vp his children in the spirituall doctrine of heauen Hauing left therefore his countrey because the Christian faith and Ecclesiasticall discipline was yet but rawly established in England he went to Rome there as in the source and fountaine of all true religion to learne a perfect forme oflife where CHRISTS chief Apostles had planted the first and principall foundation and head of the whole Catholicke Church He visitted the sacred tombes of the Apostles with great deuotion vnto whom his loue was allwaies such as the teares now shed ouer their shrines were sufficient witnesses to prooue it excellent But he made no long stay at Rome but returned back into England where he was verie diligent and carefull to honour and as farre as he was able to practise him self and teach others those rules of Ecclesiasticall discipline at home which he had learnt and seene abroade II. ABOVT that time Alchifridus sonne to Oswy hauing a great His secoÌ„d iourney to Rome desire to goe to Rome to visitt the holy shrines of the Apostles would needes take that iourney with S. BENNET notwithstanding the earnest persuasions and entreaties of his father to stay at home Their iourney succeeded well and shortly after they returned in safetie againe during the time of Pope Vitalian When S. BENNET came not emptie but loaden with the sweetnes of good and wholesom doctrine as before which the better to digest after some He taketh the habitt of S. Benedict moneths he departed out of England and went to the Benedictin monasterie of Lirin in France where he tooke leaue of the world and putt on the monasticall habitt of the great Patriark of Monks S. BENEDICT and receaued the Ecclesiasticall tonsure In this pious schoole of regular discipline he liued for the space of two yeares very carefully learning and obseruing the rules of a true monasticall and religious life But noe sooner was he a litle hardened in the surnace of religion and made perfectly strong and able to resist the temptations and aduersities of the world but his loue to the Prince of the Apostles which it seemes lay buried at Rome serued as a loadstone to draw him thither againe And finding a fitt opportunitie of shipping he committed him self to that much desired iourney which most prosperously he performed It was at the time when Egbert King of Kent as we haue sayd in the life of S. ADRIAN had sent Wighart to Rome to be consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury But Wighart dieing and Theodore being made Archbishop in his steede S. BENNET found to be a man very wise religious and industrious allthough at that time otherwise determined was by commaund of the Pope compelled to cease from the deuotion of his pilgrimage to attend vnto imployments of a higher calling which was to returne into England with Theodore now Elect of Canturbury and S. ADRIAN Abbot to serue them both for a guide and an interpreter by the way and in England BENNET whose chiefest lesson was obedience most willingly yeelded to the Popes desire and brought the Archbishop into Kent where they were both gratefully wellcome Theodore a scended the seate of the Archbishoprick and S. BENNET vndertooke the gouernment of the monasterie of S. PETER and PAVL in Canturbury of which afterwards S. ADRIAN was made Abbot For S. BENNET hauing ruled there two His third iourney to Rome yeares entred into his third iourney towards Rome which he performed with his wonted prosperitie And at his returne he brought with him not a few bookes fraught with diuine learning all which he had eyther bought at an easie rate or receaued gratis from his friends Coming thus loaden into England he betooke him self to haue some conference with the King of the West-Saxons called Kenewalk whose courteous friendship he had made vse of before bin much assisted by his benefitts to him-wards But this good King being about the same time taken away by an immature death the holy man was frustrated of his desire and therefore he turned his iourney directly into his owne countrey where he was borne and went to Egfrid then King of the Northumbers To whom he made relatioÌ„ of all whatsoeuer he had done since he departed a yonge man out of his countrey neyther did he keepe secret from him how he was enflamed with a feruent desire of religion then he tould him whatsoeuer he had learned both in Rome other places touching Ecclesiasticall and monasticall order and discipline and what store of diuine bookes he had purchased and with what great reliques of the Apostles and Martyrs he had enriched his countrey At length the King liked him soe well and preuayled soe farre with him and gott soe great loue and familiaritie that he gaue him out of his reuenews the lands of three score and tenne families to build a monasterie in honour of the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER which S. BENNET with great ioy and speed performed in the yeare of our Lord 674. the fourth yeare of King Egfrid III. IN THE meane time before the foundation of the Church was layd S. BENNET went ouer into France and brought thence masons other skillfull workemen to build it of stone according to the Roman fashion which he euer loued And
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
an ignoble buriall it pleased allmightie God to make knowne of how great meritt the holy man was by an heauenly light which appeared euerie night ouer his graue vntill the neighbours vnderstood thereby that certainly it was a holy man that lay buried there and being better informed who it was and whence he came they tooke away his bodie and carried it to the cittie of Bullein where it was buried in a Church after such reuerend and honourable manner as became soe worthy a holy man He died about the yeare of Christ 607. Of him doe make mention beside S BEDE TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order MOLANVS in his Catalogue of the Saincts of Belgia and others whom we haue followed The life of S CEOLVLPHE King and Confessor Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 15. Out of venerable Bede de gest Angl. CEOLVLPH after the death of King Osrick was made King of the Northumbers but the beginning and progresse of his gouernement was encumbred with soe manie difficulties and aduersities that after some yeares triall thereof entring into a serious consideration with him self of the miserable vncertaintie and vncertaine miserie of mans life and perceauing how dangerous were the tumults and precipices of this world and that the greatest and most prosperous fortunes of Princes were most of all subiect to decline and chainge euen in a moment and calling to mind the strict and rigid accompt that we must render of all our thoughts and actions at the day of iudgement before the dreadfull tribunall of the all seeing Iudge he beganne soe farre to loathe the care of worldly things and soe to despise those vaine honours He resolueth to be a Benedictin monk that forsaking the Royall estate and robes of Maiestie he put on the poore weeds of a monasticall humilitie in the Benedictin monasterie of Lindissarne or Holy-Iland piously following herein the footsteps of six others his predecessors English Kings Now insteed of his crowne of gold the token of soueraigntie he wore his hayre shauen with a crowne made of the same as the badge of a punishing humilitie his royall sceptre by vertue whereof he bore sway and authoritie in the world was now turned to a breuiarie wherevnto he was wedded and he that before ruled a kingdome was now vnder the check and commaund of a poore monk his superiour for his chaines of gould which were the ornament of his princely body he is now content to vse a poore payre of beades and thereon daily to reckon the number of his allmost numberlesse deuotions He was a man in whom a great knowledge of things diuine and humane was ioyned with an excellent pietie and singular deuotion soe absolutely learned that venerable BEDE the greatest scholler His learning and pietie and writer of our nation dedicated his historie of England vnto him with the title of MOST GLORIOVS KING to be by his wisedom not only reuiewed and read but allso approued and if need were corrected The often reading of these bookes he being of him self much addicted vnto the knowledge of antiquities and especially of England was a spurre vnto him allreadie inclined therevnto to vndertake this monasticall life In which when he had liued the space of all most twentie yeares in the continuall exercise of pietie and deuotion he gaue vp his holy soule to receaue for a temporall kingdom an eternall amongst other blessed Kings whom the same pious considerations had caused to leaue their scepters purples to be ranged vnder the humble enseigne of S. BENEDICT The day of his death is vnknowne but how full of merits and good workes he died his buriall which was neere vnto His death the great Benedictin monk S. CVTHBERT and the manie miracles which it pleased God to shew at his tombe doe giue sufficient testimonie Afterwards his bodie togeather with S. CVTHBERTS was taken vp and placed in a rich shrine in a more eminent place Thus much of him we haue gathered out of venerable BEDE WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 3. BARONIVS tom 9. ann 737. NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 8. cap. 21. ARNOLD WION lib. 4. ligni vitae cap. 6. de Regibus regnis Benedictini ordinis and other graue Authours The life of S. FVRSEVS Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 16. Out of venerable Bede FVRSEVS borne in Ireland of Royall parents but more ennobled by his vertues then his birth was famous for dignitie amongst his friends but excelling ouer the world in the speciall guift of diuine grace He was of a beautifull forme chast of bodie deuout in mind affable in discourse of an amiable aspect and replenished with grace and good workes brought vp from his verie infancie in the continuall studie of holy scripture and monasticall His youth and learning discipline And as he grew in yeares soe grew he allsoe in the daily increase of vertue and pious desires For the better accomplishment whereof he forsaked his parents friends and natiue soyle and betooke him self for the space of some yeares to the studie of holy scriptures in which in short time he became sufficiently well instructed But that the world might know that he did not only labour for him self but for all those that sought the truth he built a monasterie which serued as a free-schoole of vertue wherein he taught all that came vnto him the true way of saluation Great was the number of people that flocked togeather vnto this holy teacher of vertue by whose godly preaching and deuout exhortations manie were not only retired from their bad manner of life and brought into the right way of saluation but allsoe were subiected vnto the regular obseruance of a monasticall order Amongst these he was desirous to haue the companie of some of his owne kinsinen and for that end he made a iourney vnto his natiue countrey but in the way he happened to fall sick and in this sicknes his soule being as it were separated from her earthly lodging enioyed a most delightfull vision of Angels that seemed to lift him vp towards heauen were he beheld an infinite companie of heauenly citizens who with their sweet melodie filled his rauished vnderstanding with inestimable ioy and comfort The dittie of their A vision song was that versicle of the Psalme Ibuâ—t Sancti de virtute in virtutem viâ—ebitur Deus Deorum in Sion Holy men will proceed from vertue to vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion This song they repeated often-times with such rauishing tunes as it is farre beyond the force of weake wordes to expresse But being restored to his bodie and him self againe about the time that the cock giues warning of the dayes approach he heard in steed of the melodious harmonie of the Angels the wofull lamentations and cries of his friends and kinsfollies who all this time had watched at his bodie which they supposed to be dead
vision called to account before the dreadfull tribunall of Onâ— punished by God for hindering Wolstans preaching an vnknowne iudge who sharply rebuked him for his temeritie in checking his beloued seruant and commaunded him to be layd along out he ground where he was soe scourged with sharp whipps as the teares which trickled downe his cheekes and the black and blew markes of the stripes which appeared on his shoulders when he awaked were euident and feeling witnesses of what had past When this was made knowne vnto holy WOLSTAN pittying his calamitie he pardoned him the offence and with his benediction likewise gaue him soe perfect a cure of his griefe that there remayned noe signe thereof to be seene VI. S. WOLSTAN standing aloose off happened once to see one fall hedlong from the top of the steeple at which woefull sight being suddenly strucken with grief he made the signe of the crosse towards him as he fell who coming to the ground armed with that siâ—â—â— of life was nothing at all bruised or hurt with the markes of death The woÌ„derfull vertue of the signe of the crosse but getting vp safe without anie helpe he imputed the cause of his fall to his owne temeritie and the miraculous preseruation of his life to S. WOLSTANS sainctetie VII AFTER some yeares Alred of Worcester being chosen Archbishop of Yorke the generall consent both of the Monks and common He is chosen Bish. people inclined totally to the election of WOLSTAN holy King EDWARD allowing them to choose a Bishop whom they pleased Their election was confirmed by the Popes Legats who then liued at Worcester expecting a dispatch of some affaires from the Kings Court But WOLSTAN as obstinately resisted these honours as He refuseth to accept it manie now a dayes doe ambitiously labour to gett them prochiming him self most vnworthy and protesting by oathe that he would rather lay downe his neck to be diuided by the sharpe edge of the sword then vndertake the burden of soe high a dignitie Being often times perswaded herevnto by manie vertuous religious men he would neuer consent till at length well checkt and sharply rebuked for his obstinacie and disobedience by the holy man of God Vlsius an Anachorite who had then liued a solitarie life aboue fortie yeares and terrified with a heauenly oracle his constancie was broken and he to his great grief compelled to yeeld and consent to their desires Therefore on the feast of our B. Ladies Natiuitie by the hands of Alrâ—d Archbishop of Yorke Stig and the vsurper of Cauturbury then being suspended from his function he was ordayned Ouercome with persvvasion he is ordained bishop Joan. 1. v. 47. and consecrated Bishop of Worcester in presence of holy King EDWARD the Confessor in the twentith yeare of his raigne In this consecration S. WOLSTAN opening the Bible as the manner was happened on this sentence worthily deuining of him Behould a true Jsraelite in whom there is noâ— deceipt For he was an open plaine man voide of all quainâ— deuices of dissimulation Yet was he not soe meerely simple as easily to suffer him self to be cosened by the greatest and wisest masters of deceipt the allmightie wisedom manie times giuing euident restimonie approuing the vertuous innocencie of his simplicitie For when Thomas Archbishop of Yorke would haue reduced the Sea of Worcester vnder his iurisdiction and did wrongfully alienate and detaine some of the lands and meanes the 〈◊〉 belonging a verie sharpe controuersie was had there vppon in presence of the King the Bishops and other Peeres of the Realme to decide this case whereon depended a great part of the Bishop of Worcesters estate In the meane time S. WOLSTAN goeing out oâ— the Councell maturely to deliberate with his Monks concerning this weighâ—ie matter that â—oe neerely touched their freehould when all their minds were most eagerly attentiue to the diligent examination See his wonderfull contempt of the world in respect of the diuine seruice of their cause Beleeue my Brethren sayd WOLSTAN we haue not yet song None therefore let vs goe â—ing it The Monkâ— offended herewith First replied they let vs dispatch the busines we came for and studie our answeare to the Councell we shall haue time inough to â—ing afterwards Beleeue me answeared he we will first doe our duties to God and then debate the contentious reasons of those humane affayres Therefore hauing without anie delay dispatched the ninth hower he commaunded his Monks that were very sollicitous of the euent of their cause to depose all care constantly affirming that he saw the â—B Bishops and Saincts DVNSTAN and OSWALD who would defend both them and their cause against all theiâ— aduersaries Neyther was he anie thing deceaued for entring into the Councell with great alacritie and boldnes he gott the sentence of them all in his owne behalf against Thomas Archbishop of Yorke who then willingly yeelded and very earnestly desired WOLSTAN to make a visitt in his diocesse and instruct the people with the pietie of his sermons Which allthough they did not â—low from him with that abundance of humane science and flanting eloquence The vertue of his preaching as other men made shew off yet his speeches tooke such deepe roote and impression in the breasts of his audience and touched them soe to the quick that he would moue to repentance and amendment of life more then anie others Preachers that were For his singular innocencie of life ioyned to the manie miracles which it pleased God through his merits to shew vnto the world did pearce and sting the hardest hearts and draw euen his aduersaries though vnwilling to loue and honour him But among all his miracles this ensuing is worthy eternally to be recorded in the Church of God VIII IN A Councell held at Westminster were besides the King with the Bishops and Peeres of England were present a Bishop and two Cardinals the Popes Legaâ—s from Rome after they had deposed Stigand a secular Priest out of the sea of C 〈…〉 which by i 〈…〉 sion he had vsurped the King Williaâ— Conquerour pretending insufficiencie The couÌ„cell dispute of his depositioÌ„ of learning and want of the French tongue in S. WOLSTAN by all meanes endeauoured to depriue him of his office and dignitie meaning belike to putt some Norman in his place and Lâ—â—frâ—â—ck Archbishop of C 〈…〉 vnaduisedly following the Kings opinion commaunded the holy man without further delay to resigne vp his staffe and â—iâ—g the chief armes and â—â—signes of his Episcopall dignitie WOLSTAN without anie shâ—w of alteration eyther in mind oâ— in countenanâ—e stood vp and houlding his câ—o 〈…〉 staffe in his hand In very dâ—ed my Lord Archbishop sayd he I know that I am â—â—yther worthy of this honour nor fiâ—t for sâ—e great a His speech to the councell burden nor able rightly to vndergoe the labour this I know and this did I know before when the Monks elected 〈◊〉 when the
his catalogue of saincts Arnold Wion in his Martirologe and manie others Of the translation of S. EDWARD King and Martir FEB 18. Out of the Author of his life recited by Surius THE bodie of glorious King EDWARD the martir when he had suffered a most vniust death by the malicious and wicked tirannie of his stepmother Alfrith was by her commaundment most ignobly buried hidden in a watrie marsh or fenne neere Warrhā hoping thereby to blott out all memorie both of him and her owne impietie But within the compasse of a yeare the high allseer and ouerseer of men actions determining to make his Martir famous to the world and to make knowne of how great meritt he was in his sight voutchased to reueale vnto some faythfull Christians that deuoutly sought it the place where that worthie relique was vnworthyly A Pillar of light ap peareth ouer his bodie concealed For a pillar of light sent from heauen appeared ouer that part of the marsh were the bodie lay filled a great piece of the ground neere adioyning with the glittering beames of a glorious and heauenly lustre This being perceaued by manie deuout mē of the next village for it appeared oftentimes they mett togeather hauing by diligent searching found that sacred treasure they carried it into the village of Warrham Great was the concurse of poeple pittifully bewayling the death of their most pious King and faythfull protectour and in the noyse of these lamentations the venerable bodie was transported into the Church of our Blessed Ladie in the same towne and buried on the East side thereof with great reuerence the thirteenth day of February and ouer his sepulcher some deuout persons built a little cabbin which remayned there a S Edwards Well cureth diseases long time after But out of the place where he had layne before there sprung vpp a fountaine of most sweet and pure water which was called S. Edwards well by vertue whereof manie sick persons to the greater glorie of CHRIST and his martir receaued afterwards the wished benefitt of their health II. But now by the trumpett of flieing fame the impious deceipt of Queene Alsrith was diuulged all ouer England the innocēcie of the murdered King and his vertues and high deserts were by the generall acclamation of all extolled to the skies The newes arriued at length to the eares of Duke Alferus who allthough heretofore he stood for the Queene against his King and togeather with her had much wrōged and grieued the monkes in destroyeing manie of their monasteries yet now being willing to doe some satisfaction for his Duke Alfere prepareth for his translation faults past and to shew at left his faithfull seruice vnto the dead bodie of his master whom aliue he had nor honoured as his dutie required he determined to translate his holie reliques into a more honourable place and to that end he exhorted the Bishops Abbotts and other peeres of the realme as manie as he could draw to his side to lay their helping hands to his pious endeuours He sent likewise a messenger vnto the Benedictin Nunnes at VVilton in Wiltshire where holy EDITH Kings EDWARDS sister at that time led a religious life earnestly entreating Wilfred the Abbesse thereof with her deuout Conuent of Virgins not to be wanting at the exequies of soe holy a King Herevppon the bishops abbotts and manie others meeting togeather with great care and reuerence Duke Alferns hauing gathered a huge multitude of men and woemen out of Dorsetshire came with great deuotion to Warrham where that royall bodie His bodie is found vncorrupted was but poorely buried And in presence of the companie his sepulcher being opened the bodie which had laine there for the space of three yeares was found to be as entier and whole from all corruption as yf it had been buried but the same day Which being perceaued by the bishops and the whole multitude with one voyce they sung himnes and prayses vnto allmigthie God who by soe manifest a token had declared and brought to light the innocencie and worth of his holy martyr But sainct EDITH his sister being noe longer S. Edith his sister able to contayne the pious loue of her brother within the limitts of her virgin-breast ranne to his dead bodie and falling downe on her knees clipped it with her louing embracements honoured it with her religious kisses washing his seeming-liuely race with the streames of her ioyfull teares as one not able to be satiated with that soe great glorie of her glorious brother But then by the hands of some venerable and reuerend men these sacred spoiles were lifted vpp and carried with great reuerence and the wonderfull gratulation of the Clergie poeple to the famous monasterie of Benedictin Nunnes at Shaftesburie in Dorsetshire which King Elfred father to S. EDWARDS great grandfather for loue of his daughter Ailene who became a nunne there had erected and enriched with very ample guifts and possessions III. In the meane time being yet in their iourney with that sacred treasure manie persons of both sexes flocked thither and among the rest two poore creatures whose sinewes were soe shrunk and contracted that with great difficultie they were able to creepe along the ground vppon their hands and thighs came to pray vnto Two Cripples cured at his bodie allmightie God and S. EDWARD for the recouerie of their limmes and drawing neere vnto the holie biere the bearers thereof stayed to giue them licence to touch it and doe reuerence vnto it when on a sudden to the great admiration of that infinitie of beholders they were both restored to perfect health and receaued a full cure and recouerie of their long vnseruiceable limmes Great was then the ioyfull acclamations of the poeple that highly extolled the meritts and prayses of S. EDWARD till the newes and noyse of these miracles came to the eares of the Queene his murdresse who thereby touched to the heart with a sudden compunction and sorrow for her wickednes committed presently mounted on horseback and beganne her iourney towards the sacred bodie with intētion to begge pardon for her offence But her suddaine hast receaued as suddaine a stopp by the way for her horse that at other times was Behould à strainge miracle wōt to runne away with his loade as swiftly as the wind by the beck of the diuine prouidēce stood stock still whilst her seruants earnestprouoked the vnwilling beast with sharpe whippes threatning cries but all in vaine for he seemed most vnsensible of both She blaming her horse as being tired caused a fresh one to be prouided which in like manner refused to carrie the authour of soe foule a murder Till at length her brutish heart vnderstood what this vnusuall accident might portend and therefore by the meanes of a third person she performed this intended visitation which her owne vn worthines could not personally effect IV. The holy bodie being brought to Shaftsburie which
of sainctitie which be had gotten in the world nor despised others in respect of such vertue seemeth by manie degrees to excell both the wonder of his coate of maile and whatsoeuer else in him as truely there are very manie things worthy greate prayse and admiration was most notable and famous And as allmightie God sent him these sharpe visitations to make triall of his constancie soe on the other side his diuine goodnes did soe highly confort him with heauenly benefitts guifts and graces of prophefieing and doeing manie wonderfull cures and ennobled his worthie patience with such renowned triumphes against his infernall enemies that he might truely Psal 9 3. 19 with the royall prophet say of him self According to the multitude of my griefs thy consolations haue reioyced my soule VI. FOR HE chainged water into wine and by his holy benediction he encreased and multiplied one little loafe of bread to soe His manie miracles great a quaÌ„titie that he satisfied fortie poore poeple there with The water which he hallowed cured verie manie dangerous diseases He restored light and perfect sight vnto one whose eyes were digged out of his head He saw manie thinges that were done in farre distant places as distinctly as if they had passed within the coÌ„maund of his corporall sight And often times he foretould things to come and namely to King Henry the first setting forth in his last iourney to Normandie that he should neuer more returne And in the Kings absence he reuealed vnto the Lord of the village the verie day of the kings death And count Stephen coming vppon a time vnto the holy man he saluted him as king to the great admiration of all that heard it and ingenuously tould him that he should be souueraigne Lord of England giuing him pious admonitions carefully to maintaine peace and iustice and defend the rightes of Gods Church VII WHAT now shall I say that the holie Angels yea and the king of angels CHRIST IESVS haue appeared vnto him and comforted his habitation in this world with the heauenly and vnspeakeable splendour of their presence And being on a time at the aultar executing that dreadfull sacrifice of Masse hauing past the Pater noster The wine in his chalice appeareth in forme of bloud being suddenly stricken with a doubt whether he had mingled as the custom is water with his wine or not hauing defired allmightie God to free him from that scruple behould the chalice appeared vnto him full to the very brimme of fresh rosie bloud which the vnspotted lambe shed for our redemption and returning straight againe to the forme of wine he deuoutly consummated that heauenly draught And allbeit sometimes by the permission of allmightie God to trie his seruant he was as we haue sayd cruelly deluded vexed and tormented by the mischieuous enuie of hells inhabitans yet manie times he triumphed most nobly ouer them and their diabolicall practises When by his holy prayers he not only banished them out of the bodies of possessed persons but sometimes held them soe fast bound that they could not depart but by his licence But of all that euer he did in that kind this which A poore ma giueth his soule to the deuill now you shall heare was the most notably famous VIII IN THE North parts of England dwelt a mise rably-wretched man who not able to endure the pouertie of his owne fortune had renounced the Christian Catholick fayth and in a horrid couenant had wholely coÌ„secrated and bequeathed him self to the Deuill who hauing for a time sate abroode vppoÌ„ that prey to hatch his soule for hell fier the wretched man coming a little to vnderstand his more then miserable estate beganne to be ashamed and repent him of this horrible act deliberating debating with him self to what Patrone or protection he should committ the care of deliuering his engaged soule out of the iawes of eternall death Till at length hauing heard the great fame of S. VLFRICKS holy life he resolued to make vse of his counsell in this weightie affayre and being verie sollicitous of his good successe herein and hauing opened his mind to one of his neerest and dearest friends the deuil with whom he had made this hard bargaine appeared to him in his knowne and accustomed shape and with shew of extreme vnkindnes accused him of disloyaltie and threatned him with most cruell punishment yf he dared but to attempt anie such treason againe The poore man The deuill knoweth not the secrets of mans heart perceauing that this hellish marchant had noe knowledge of the intentions of his heart till by word of mouth he had reuealed them vnto his friend froÌ„ that time kept close his good purposes vnder the vayle of silence and meaning as the prouerb saies to cozen the old ourtier he dissembled for a while his intended penance till at length when he thought his enemie sleeped he entred into his iourney towards S. VLFRICK wherein he had prosperous successe till he came neere vnto the Village of Haslebury where entring the foord of the riuer that ranne thereby with great hope to receaue help from the holy man his ancient enemie the deuill suddenly layd violent hands vppon him bellowing in his eares with a hellish furie and anger such rude and rough speeches that struck terrour into the poore man O thou traytour sayd he what meanest thou to doe In vaine thou endeauourest to breake off our former bargaine for as well for they first treason in reuouncing God as now for seeking to renounce me to whom thou belongest thou shalt presently suffer a iust punishment in this water And withall he held him soe fast in the midest of the riuer that he could nether stirre forward nor backward In the meane time S. VLFRICK who had a reuelation of all this passage called his Priest vnto him and bad him presently take the crosse and holy The vertue of holy waer water in his hands and make great hast to succour a poore man whom the deuill held captiue in the riuer at the townes end Who speedyly obeying his commaund ranne thither and found as the holy man had foretould a man sitting an horseback in the middest of the riuer not able to mooue on whom presently in the name of IESVS CHRIST and in vertue of his master hauing cast some of his holy water he redeemed the prey and patt the tâ—eefe to flight This done he returned with ioy to S. VLFRICK togeather with the poore man whose coÌ„panie the deuill being verie vnwilling to loose followed after his late prey and seeing him stand before the holy man he sayd fast hould on him who cried maynly out to the seruaÌ„t of god for succour TheÌ„ S. VIFRICK taking him by the right haÌ„d He freeth one giuen to the deuill the deuill was soe bold as to shake him by the left striuing as much as he was able to drawe him away with him till the Sainct throwing with
his other haÌ„d some of the holy water which him self had blest against that vgly fiend he droue him away from the house with greate confusion And then leading the poore man newly redeemed out of the iawes of death quaking and treÌ„bling with feare into his inner cell he disposed his soule with good instructions for Auricular conâ—ession the better receauing of the sacrament of peanance Which done the poore man falling downe on his knees before the holy Sainct proclaimed him selfe guiltie at the sacred barre of confession by which he clearly purged his conscience from all the infectious venoÌ„ which the deuill had planted therein and hauing receaued his absolution pronounced by the mouth of S. VLFRICK he desired likewise to communicate the blessed sacrament of the Aultar at his hands Who houlding that dreadfull misterie before his face at the Altar demanded yf he did truly sincerely beleeue the bodie of CHRIST to be really vnder that forme of bread I doe beleeue confesse it sayd he for wretched sinner that I am I see the bodie of my lord IESVS in thy hands in the true forme of flesh God be for euer praysed replied Behould the â—eall presence in the sacrament the holy man and presently at his prayers the sacred Eucharist returning to the vsuall forme of bread he gaue it the poore man who from this time forwards was euer free from the burthen of that diabolicall yoake and from all trouble and vexation of those hellish monsters IX A PIOVS woeman on a time sent three loaues of bread vnto S. VLFRICK by a messenger who hid one by the way and deliuered Note a rare miracle the other two only but goeing back he found his loafe to be chainged into a stone soe hard that his iron and steele turned edge as he endeauoured to cutt it asunder But that hardnes melted his heart with sorrow for returning in great hast to S. VLFRICK he discoured this strainge accident humbly desiring pardon of his temerarious offence Who not only forgaue him but making the signe of the crosse vppon that stonnie bread he brake it with great facilitie and giuing part thereof vnto the messenger sent him away greatly edified to haue seene such vertue X. A GREAT noble man of king Henries court hauing heard of the A Nobleman punished by God for detracting S. Vlfrik fame of S. VLFRICK sayd that the King might doe well to send some officers to the Cell of that craftie seducer to take away his money whereof he could not but haue great store such a mightie concurse of poeple dayly flocked vnto him These words were noe sooner spoken but by his diuine power who is euer zelous in behalf of his saincts the mouth of that rash man was writhen and stretcht to his eares and he him self dashed violently against the ground where he lay for a time sprawling and foaming in miserie The king vppon this occasion went to the holy mans poore habitation and carefully recoÌ„mending him self vnto his deuout prayers earnestly petitioned withall for the noble man I impute not this sinne vnto him replied the Saint but doe heartily desire that he may haue pardon at the hands of allmightie God being my self in the meane time most readie to doe whatsoeuer is conuenient for me And at the same instant one of the standers by tooke the holy Saint by the hand and applying it to the face of a sick person there present restored him to perfect health with the only touch of those holy fingers XI THIS Blessed Sainct as you haue heard before prophesied vnto His guift of prophesie count Stephen then a priuate maÌ„ that he should be owner of the realme of England during whose raigne manie warlick commotions troubles molested the coÌ„mon peace all which likewise S. VLFRICK foretould vnto the lord of his village as allsoe of the captiuitie of the same King and of his deliuerie At length King Stephen coming to his cell on a time the holy man after manie zealous rebukes and profiteable exhortations foretould him among other things that he should raigne during his life time admonishing him by all meanes to doe worthie penance for the same for otherwise he should neuer enioy ether suretie in his Kingdom or peace from those rude broiles which to his cost he had loÌ„g experienced Wherevppon King Stephen confesseth to S. Vlfrick the King with teares trickling downe his cheekes witnessed the inward sorrow of his mind and making a sincere confession of that sinne willingly performed the penance which the propheticall Sainct inioyned him See the wonderfull force of Gods grace that giueth power to a poore sillie creature to make the stubborne hearts of kings to relent and returne from the wild deserts of iniquitie to the direct high way of iustice I can neuer too often repeate that saying of the prophet God is wonderfull in his saincts XII ABOVT a yeare before his death sitting one day in his cell Psal 67. v. 38. the ioints of his iron coate miraculously dissolued and it fell downe to his knees which he presently tooke vpp and fastened againe about his shoulders with more strong stayes And his whole bodie which before seemed to imitate iron in hardnes beganne to swell with little blisters and plainly to shew it was but flesh soe that his coate and his flesh with a like token foreshewed the time of his warrefare in this world to draw neere to an end Therefore after a while he called his priest vnto him and tould him that the hower of his departure was at hand for the next saturday sayd he I must prouide my self for my last and happiest iourney which soe long I haue desired And in the verie hower which he foretould ioyning and directing his hands and eyes towards heauen whither he was goeing he deliuered vpp his blessed soule out of the thraldom of this world He foretelleth the time of his death to the neuer dieing ioyes of heauen the twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1154. shortly after the coronation of Henry the second King of that name in England His life is written by Ioannes Anglicus or Iohn Capgraue Mathew Paris in Henrico 2. fol. 88. and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 29. out of whom we haue gathered this present historie Henrie Huntington and other English Historiographers make honorable mention of him S. MILBVRGA FILIA MERWALDI REGIS IN ANGLIâ—… Virgo ac Abbatissa Ordinis S. Benedicti Feb. 2 3. Mâ—â—â—… The life of S. MILBVRG virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEBR. 23 Written by Gotzeline moÌ„ke ETHELBERT king of Kent and the first of our English kings that receaued the Christian fayth was S. MILBVRGS great grandfathers father she was daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and his queene Dompneâ—e by some called Ermenburg Milburg therefore Her royall paâ—â—nts inheriting the royall splendour of two princely kingdoms Kent and Mercia as the ornament
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
tilling not fruict of true saluation had then arriued to our English His royall curtesie land He being as yet incredulous receaued CHRIST in his legats commended the messengers of eternall happines whom yet he mistrusted harboured those strange guests in his eittie of Doner whom he knew not and at first gaue them a dwelling with necessarie sustenance for a time which afterwards he confirmed for euer vnto them whose profession of fayth and religion he did not yet admitt off He did not abhorre the strangenes of their habitt nor manners he did not repell them as straingers nor contemne them as humble and deiected persons nor condemne them as men that vtterly condemned the follie of his gods and auncient lawes but out of the sweet meekenes of a royall mind fauoured their sacred labours and with a clement patience suffered them to conuert whom they could to their fayth shewing himself allwayes courteous to Christians being yet but a Heathen Till at length hauing himself receaued the Christian fayth and washed away the filth of Idolatrie in the sacred font of baptisme he confirmed with his royall authoritie whatsoeuer S. AVGVSTIN and his fellowes preached and what they Apostolically planted he royally encreased sweetly drawing and winning his subiects His zeale in promoting the Christian fayth to abandon their Idolatrie and embrace the Christian religion with his pious exhortations and promises of eternall happines without anie force or compulsion and ranging them vnder the banner of the holy warrefarre of CHRIST as troupes of Voluntaries and not pressed souldiers He allsoe encouraged other Princes who were ether his subiects or colleagues with all curtesie and mildnes to the fayth of CHRIST heartyly louing all true beleeuers as his brethren kinsmen and fellow-citezins of the Kingdom of heauen soe that in a short time his holy endeauours tooke soe good effect that the honour and worship of the true God florished ouer all his Kingdom manie Churches were erected the temples and aultars of Idolls were destroyed or consecrated for the vse of diuine seruice II. IN THE meane time the holy Pope S. GREGORIE with wonderfull affection did congratulate this good Kings pietie encouraging him with the sweete lines of his Epistles as soe manie heauenly salutations to proceede in his Christian zeale inciting him to embrace true pietie and vertue and stirring him vp by the example of Constantine the great to aspire to the vnspeakeable reward of those who striue to enlarge and amplifie the Kingdom of IESVS CHRIST Mooued herewith and the labour of S. AVGVSTIN and the propension of his owne pietie inclining him therevnto he built a goodly Church in Canturbury in honour of our Sauiour commonly called Christ Church and without the walles of the same towne he He buildeth Churches erected a monastery in honour of S. PETER and PAVL called afterwards S. AVGVSTINS to be a place for his owne buriall and of his successor-Kings of Kent and the Archbishops of Canturbury Both these places were furnished with Benedictine monks the first Conuerters of England from Idolatrie to Christianitie S. PAVLS Church in London was allsoe the worke of this worthie King where MELLITVS a Benedictin monk was first Bishop He allsoe founded the Cathedrall Church of Rochester and dedicated it to the honour of S. ANDREW the Apostle He is likewise reported by antiquitie to haue been the Authour of the monasterie of Elie for Benedictin Nunnes allbeit S. ETHELDRED a nunne of the same order did reedifie it afterwards and restore it after long desolation to the former state and glorie All these monasteries Churches and bishops seas this pious king not only built but enriched with manie large possesions of lands guifts and ornaments omitting nothing which did anie way tend to the propagation aduanoement of true Christian religion III. BVT amidst all these good workes and all the glorie of his Princely diadem seeptre and large commaund of his Kingdom extending His great pietie and humilitie it self to the riuer Humber in Yorkshire he soe honoured Christian pouertie in the magnificence of his royaltie that in possessing all things he seemed to enioy nothing only making vse of his greatnes thereby the better to exercise and dilate his goodnes A most glorious sight it was to see or rather to admire him that held a sceptre ouer soe large a dominion carefully to serue the poore to behould him that terrified Kings and Princes of the earth to feare the humble Priests of CHRIST IESVS and to see the ruler of the poeple to obey the clergie and reuerence the lest and lowest members of his holie flock In summe in repressing of vice aduancing of vertue fulfilling the commaundments of God and in exercising all manner of workes of pietie and deuotion he excelled beyond the power of weake words to expresse At length when he had raygned ouer his poeple in all sainctitie of life the space of one and twentie yeares after his conuersion he left his temporall Kingdom and gaue vp his blessed soule to enioy the neuer dyeing happines of the Kingdom of heauen the foure and twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 616. All antiquitie and the authoritie of auncient Saincts are vnresistable witnesses of his holie life for from the time of his death he was numbred in the Catologue of Saincts and his festiuitie was honorably celebrated in the English Church The neglect whereof he is reported by an apparition after his death to haue blamed and caused to be amended IV. AMONGST manie other vertues which doe soe highly sett forth this good King one was that as he promoted the Christian religion His good lawes soe likewise he established his common wealth with manie excellent lawes which he published in English and were of great accompt amongst Englishmen wherein among other things he had a speciall care to preserue the common good of the Church commaunding vnder great penalties that none should eyther by theft or anie other meanes alienate or depriue Gods Church or the Bishops thereof of anie thing whatsoeuer that was bestowed vppon them and allotted â—o the diuine seruice But ô miseriel how directly Contrarie to this our first Christian King are now our moderne kings whose lawes and endeauours haue and doe tend mainly to the destruction of Churches abbeyes and religious he uses robbing them of their ornaments and riches dedicated to God seruice and leauing them to stand with fower bare walls like soe manie emptie barnes placing in stead of the holy image of CHRIST crucified the pictures of beares leopards vnicornes or some such beast houlding â—p in a scu cheon lions or flower de luces as the ensignes of their destroiers O yf our first Christian king the noble Eâ—HELBERT liued now what would he say to see the pious labours of his haÌ„ds thus miserably demolisht his aultars destroyed his lawes contemned Veryly he might iustly crie out with the Royall prophet O Lord the Gentils haue entred thy inheritance they haue
to preach thirtie fiue yeares he laboured in the conuersion of that and other Ilands and the other thirtie three yeares the remaynder of his whole life he passed ouer attending chiefly to the sweetnes of a contemplatiue life in a monasterie sometimes at Armagh and sometimes in others places Nether was he easyly drawne out of those sacred sainctuaries but vppon the vrgent occasion of some vneuitable and weightie affayre Neuerthelesse once in a yeare he was wont to summon a Prouinciall CouÌ„cell to reduce those that swerued from the truth to the rules of the Catholick Church Being shrowded in the Linnen of S. BRIGITS prouiding he was buried with wonderfull great reuerence honour and glorie within the cittie of Down in the verie place foreshewed by the light from heauen on the east side of the Church Ouer his tombe is writt a latin distick which in English goeth thus At DOWN these three lie in owne Tombe Patrick Brigett and holy Columbe Whereby it is manifest that S. BRIGITT whose life you haue the first Psal 8. of February and S. COLVMâ—A Abbott of whom God willing we will treate the ninth of Iune were both buried in the same Tombe with The conclusion S. PATRICK XIV AND here I inuite all that haue read this historie to crie out with the royall psalmist O Lord our how admirable is thy name through all the world who hast crowned thy Sainct with glorie and honour and seated him aboue the workes of thy hands For these indeed are the works of thy hands which soe much we admire and wonder the conuersion of a whole Countrey by the vntired labours and endeauours of this thy chosen and beloued seruant for him thou didest appoynt thy deputie and lieuetenant in this holy and wholesome affaire wherein when diuers before had employed their greatest zeale and industry yet because he was specially elected and selected by thee for this holy purpose thou didest voutchase to adorne him with the working of manie strange and miracles more then allmost anie other of thy Saincts that on the rudiments and foundations of those his predecessours he might plant the consummation and perfection of the whole worke These works and miracles are thine o Christ only worker of worders who euer truly wonderfull in thy Saincts daignest to glorifie them with soe great authoritie and power as they are able to glorie in the triumph purchased ouer the infernall enemies of mankind God of his infinite goodnes make vs partakers of the meritts and prayers of the glorious Sainct Amen An Annotation Manie wonders are related of a place in Ireland called S 〈…〉 ICKS Purgatorie which he is reported to haue obtayned of allmightie God for the conuersion of those incredulous poeple who refused to beleeue what he preached touching the painâ—â— of hell and â—â—ies of heauen vnlesse by some meanes they might see taste of 〈◊〉 â—â—th in this life Into that place those that entred with a strong constancie of sayth a true desire to doe peanaÌ„ce for their sinnes felt vnspeakable torments after which they enioyed most glorious visions of the ioyes of heauen and returned the third day againe Manie make meÌ„tion of this strange Purgatorie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Ossor vice primat of all Ireland Henricus Salter an English Monk of the Gistercian Congregation who writt a booke expressely of the Purgatory of S. PATRICK dedicated to the Abbot of Sartâ—s he liued fiue hundred yeares agoe MATHEW Paris an English monk of S. BENEDICTS order Dionisius Carthustaâ—â—â— verie learned and holy â—an in his treatise dequatuor Nouissimis and others But because Joâ—elâ—â—â— the Authour of S. PATRICKS life whom we haue followed maketh noe mention of this his Purgatorie we haue likewise past it ouer in silence yet iudging for certaine that such a place is really â—â—â—â—nt in Ireland as experience hath taughâ—â—â— in manâ—e that 〈…〉 into it and namely in one Owen a souldier who in the raigne of King Stephen passed through those torments for peanance of his wicked life and at his returne related manie wonders he had seene and felt as the foresayd Authours doe testifie Sâ—…â—DWARDVS REX ANGLIAE ET MARTI … 〈…〉 The life of Sainct EDWARD King and martir MAR 18. Written in an auÌ„cient manuscript recited by Surius THE NOBLE King EDWARD lineally descended from the royall and auncient bloud of our English Kings and which is farre more famous being baptised by the most holy Archbishop of Canbury S. DVNSTAN he began from his tender yeares to excell in vertue and pietie of life The incomparable King Edgar was his father a man renowned as well in feats of armes as in peace his mother was called Eifled daughter of a most powerfull duke of the East-Angles But noble Edgar hauing subdued not a few places of that land and brought them vnder his subiection soe that he obtayned the Monarchie ouer all England deuided before between manie and diuers Kings by exhortation of those two columnes of the English Church and Benedistin religion S. DVNSTAN Archbishop The pietiâ— of Edgar his father of Canturbury and S. ETHELWOLD of Winchester caused manie Benedictin monasteries in those vanquished Prouinces to be repayred and reedified at his owne cost chardges and some to be built new from the ground and in some of them he placed Monks of S. BENEDICTS order in others nunnes of the same all which he furnished and founded with ample rents and reuenewes to maintaine therein the seruice and seruants of allmightie God from the iniuries of necessitie He had allsoe by a second wife an other sonne called Ethelred But EDWARD that was the elder being a child of wonderfull great towardlines carefully auoyded all the lasciuious ensnaring pleasures of this world and endeauoured soe to behaue him self towards God and man that before all things he rendred him self most pleasing vnto God by his worthy integritie of mind and bodie and to men he became most gratefull by his modest and courteous carriage in all things shining withall to the world with all industrie wisedome and prudence These things soe highly pleased his renowned father Edgar that he ordayned him for his heyre and successour in the gouernment of the Kingdom and within King Edgar dieth a while all the affayres of the Realme being rightly setled and composed the most pious and glorious King Edgar changed this life for a better in the yeare of our Lord 977. and of his raigne the sixteenth the eight day of Iuly II. EDWARD according to his fathers will was by DVNSTAN and other Peeres of the Realme installed in the royall chayre and inuested with the robes and signes of royaltie But on his verie Coronation day manie of the nobles and Lords made great opposition against him in fauour of his yonger brother Ethelred whom they desired to aduance to the crowne Neuerthelesse the good resolution of saint DVNSTAN was Edward iâ— crowned King nothing daunted herewith nor mooued from his sentence but placing in
the midst the signe of the Crosse which was wont to be carried before him togeather with other Bishops of the realme he consecrated EDWARD their King and embraced him euer after while he liued with a true paternall loue hauing from his tendrest yeares adopted him to be his child EDWARD therefore hauing taken into his hands the Scepter and gouernment of the Kingdom was by CHRIST the greatest and chiefest King of Kings directed in the way of truth and iustice and albeit he were seated in the height of royall maiestie yet he dayly encreased more and more in submission and humilitie of mind And the better to rule his His prudence in gouerning Kingdom with the raines of prudence he refused to vse the counsell of yong Princes and Lords of light and youthfull heads but obeyed in all things the admonitions of the worthie Prelat S. DVNSTAM and following his and other graue religious mens counsell of approued life he would pronounce his sentence in iudgement And inheriting the vertues of his thrice His loue to Monkes worthie father with great strength and magnanimitie of mind he behaued him self in managing the affaires both of warlick and Ecclesiasticall discipline allwaies appearing seuere and terrible to his enemies and other wicked persons but according to his fathers lesson most curteous and humble to good men and especially to monks and religious persons whom allwaies he defended from all trouble and vexation Moreouer his dayly exercise was to feed and mayntaine the poore to cloath the naked and to esteeme that his greatest gaine which he bestowed in these pious works Wherevppon through the goodnes of allmightie God great ioy stedfast peace and wonderfull abundance of wealth and riches florished all ouer England to behold their king in the flower of his youth giuen to such pious endeauours soe affable to all men venerable in chastitie pleasant and comly of countenance and most excelling in prudence and good counsell III. BVT THE common enemie of mankind being enuious at soe The malice of his Stepmother Alfrith great vertue pietie endeauoured by all meanes to ouerthrow his happie deseignes and to disturbe the generall peace and ioies of the whole realme and to this end he enkindled the wrath of Alfrith his Stepmother against him who from the beginning tooke it in ill part that he was preferred to the crowne before her sonne Ethelred And therefore this detestable ambitious woeman could noe lōger keepe fecret the wicked intentions of her mind but cōmunicated thē vnto her impious consellers desiring and entreating them to fauour her designes and inuent some way whereby they might depose EDWARD out of his lawfull throne putt the scepter of the gouernmēt into the hands of her sonne Etheldred and all this her factious mind endeuoured to bring to passe not soe much that he might gouerne but that he beīg but a child gouerning she her self might gett a fayre pretext to take the soueraigntie into her owne hands which was the mayne marke of her endeauours But who were her fauourites and Hist Eccl. sec 10. cap 4. Gulmalm 2. de reg cap. 9 Baron an 975. counsellors in this practise of mischiefe Those chiefly sayth Nicholas Harpsfield following other Ecclesiasticall writers were the secular Clergie men and their adherents who greeued to see their chops bereaued of soe worthie a morsell by the monks And among others Alfere Duke of Mercia stood stiffely for her cause But whē he perceaued that he could not satisfie his impotent desires this champion of wickednes turned all his wrath and vnbridled crueltie to the ruine and destruction of all the Benedictin monasteries within his dominions Till God the allmigtie defender of his seruants sent him afterwards a deserued punishment by the meanes of wormes and lice which swarmed all ouer his bodie in such abundance that they eate him vp aliue But the importune Queene who therein chiefly playd a woemans part not able soe soone to disburden her mind of her Duke Alfere punished preconceiued mischief expected still a fitt occasion to putt her impious desires in execution IV. AND NOW the holy King EDWATD had raigned three yeares and eight moneths when it happened one day that he went on hunting into a forrest neere the towne of Warrham in Dorsetshire which at that time was great and full of godly wood although now there appeare nothing but bushes of brambles rubbish Where hauing King Edward goeth to visit his Brother Ethelred wandred a while vp downe after his game he had a great desire to goe see his brother Ethelred whō he loued dearly who was brought vp in a castle of his mothers called Corfe but three miles distant from Warrham Thither-ward the good King accompained with some few of his followers bent his course but his cōpanie foolishly wandring after the pleasure of their owne game and pastime left the King alone who being within view of his Stepmothers house like an innocent lambe thinking nothing of the mischiefe and treason prepared and knowing his owne conscience most free from offence of anie man went securely thither alone The Queene was presently aduertised of this coming who reioycing to see a long expected occasion brought soe to her hand and making curtesie the outside of mischief with a face as meaning noe guile ranne forth to meete him cherefully saluted and bad him welcome desiring him to grace her and her sonne with his presence that night The good King refused to light from his horse saying that his coming was meerly to salute his brother and talke with him Then the false-hearted woeman caused straight a He is martired by the commaund of Alfrith cupp of wine to be brought him The wine being come the cupp was noe sooner at his mouth when thinking noe harme he felt a Knife in his back which one of that treacherous Queenes seruants bolder in wickednes then the rest and readier to execute a mischief fayning to salute the King as Judas did our Sauiour had violently strucken into his bodie Hauing receaued this mortall wound with all his strength remayning he sett spurres to his horse thinking to returne to his more faythfull companie Till fainting through losse of much bloud he fell from his horse and one foote being intangled in the stirropp he was pittifully dragged vp and downe through woods and lands leauing all the way as he went bloudie signes of his death to those that followed him The bloudie scene of this barbarous fact was acted in the yeare of our Lord 981. Baronius sayth 978. and which is horrible to be spoken within the sacred time of lent that is the eighteenth day of March. And doubtlesse it fell out soe by a particular dispensation of the diuine prouidence to the greater glorie of his holy Martir that he who according to the laudable custome institution of true Christians did worthyly prepare him self to celebrate the most sacred time of our Lords Resurrection in mortifying
masse but with an abundaÌ„t shedding of teares worthyly imitating thereby the misterie he had in hand when offering vp the sacrifice of our Lords bitter passion he allsoe sacrificed him self to God by inward contrition of his deuout soule He was feruent seuere in the zeale of iustice to correct sinners but verie mild in pardoning the penitent in so much that manie times hearing the confessions of sinners he him self pittying their pittisull estates would burst out into teares shewing the sinner what he ought to doe by his owne example With these and such other spirituall exercises this Venerable man engraffed in the hearts of good men a singular affection to imitate his vertues and recalled those that were stubborne and rebellious to a regular life out of the obstinate opinions of their errour X. AFTER he had spent some yeares in that monasterie he He embraceth a solitary life obtayned leaue of his Abbot and brethren to betake him self to the sweet lonelines of a long desired solitude reioycing that from the exercise of an actiue life he was thought worthie to ascend to the leasure of diuine contemplation He departed therefore into the Iland FARNEN soe infamous by the habitation and infection of deuilish spiritts that none durst euer before dwell there alone But this Ice our holy CVTHBERT brake when like a worthie champion armed with the helmet of health the bucklar of Fayth and the sword of the spiritt which is the word of God he opposed him self against that hellish crew and dissipated dissolued and putt to flight all their infernall troupes And this chaÌ„pioÌ„ of CHRIST hauing subdued the forces of these black Tirans and now made monarke of that little land he built a cittie befitting his empire and houses therein agreeing vnto it Which was a little poore cottage with mudd walles made of turfe and couered with straw and in that earthen lodge this holy domesticque He obtayneth a foütaine by his prayers lead a heauenly and angelicall life But his habitation being destitute of water following an other miracle of our great father S. BENEDICT he obtayned by his prayers to Allmightie God to haue a sweet cristall fountaine spring out of the hard rock with which and a little bread which was sometimes bestowed vppon him he satisfied his thirst and hunger In this place being visited by his brethren he would goe out of his cell to meete them and wash their feet with warme water and sometimes being compelled therevnto he would permitt them to wash his feete For soe farre he had turned his mind from the decking of his bodie to labour in the adorning of his soule that sometimes for a whole moneth togeather nay for the space of a yeare he did not once putt off his shoes Whence it was that through his continuall praying and kneeling a great thicknes of hard skinne was growne ouer his feete Then his desire of perfection His extreme solitarines dayly encreasing he shutt him self close prisoner in his house of clay leading a most solitarie life in continuall watching fasting and prayer admitting verie few to talke with him and that but through a window and vppon some important necessitie He liued by the labour of his hands digging and tilling the earth sowing it first with wheate which his brethreÌ„ brought him but that his weake laÌ„d would not bring to good therefore he sowed it with barley which encreased in great abundance When the byrds that in great troupes sought to deuour his liâ—le haruest were forced at his only coÌ„mauÌ„d to depart The byrd oâ— the ayre obey his commaund neuer more touched his corne The like he commaunded and was obeyed by the crowes and dawes which laboured to teare off the thatch of his humble buildings But one of them returning againe to the holy maÌ„ lameÌ„tably spreading her wings abrode bowing downe her head making a pittifull noise seemed by all signes possible to entreate pardon Which the holy man vnderstanding gaue her leaue to returne as presently she did bringing a mate with her for a present to the Sainct the one half of a hoggs grease which the holy man The seas and elements serue him was wont afterward to shew oftentimes to the monks his brethreÌ„ giue them part of it to liquour their shoes or bootes See here againe the spiritt of his great Master S. BENEDICT in the obedience seruice of the crowes But not only the creatures of the ayre waters earth but the verie elemeÌ„ts themselues obeyed him yea the vntuly waues of the seas did serue him when they cast vpon land a peece of timber iust of the length he desired with which his brethren contrarie to promise had forgotten to furnish him before weere now much abashed to see an insensible elemeÌ„t more carefull to serue him then they Whilst thus he liued in his solitarie course manie out of all parts of EnglaÌ„d drawne thither with the fame of his vertues came to visite him whence none euer returned but very well satisfied coÌ„forted and deliuered from what anguish or trouble soeuer eyther of mind or bodie Vnto S. ELFLED Abbesse he foretould the time of King Egfrid her brothers death who should be his successor with manie other particularities all which truely fell out afterwards XI BVT a Councell being held at Adtwiford vnder S. THEODORE Archbishop of Canturbury in the presence of King Egfrid by the coÌ„mon present and desire of all CYTHBERT was chosen bishop of Lindisfarne Who being by manie letters and legats sent from the King He refusoth a bishoprick Councell called to the Sinod and to receaue that charge he would not stirre a foote soe vnworthie he that was most worthie iudged him self of that dignitie At length good King Egfrid him self togeather with the most holy bishop Trumwine manie other religious noble persons went ouer into the IlaÌ„d falling all vpon their knees before the holy man with weeping teares humble entreaties they besought him and coniured him by the name of our Lord not to resist the wishes and desires of soe manie and to oppose him self to the coÌ„mon good of the Church nether did they cease vntill CVTHBERT He is compelled to take it as full of teares and sorrow as an honest heart could be suffered him self to be drawne out of his beloued cell of solitarines and brought into the Councell where being vehemently vrged of all he was compelled much against his will to yield to their desires XII THE Easter following he was coÌ„secrated Bish of Lindisfarne in presence of the King blessed Theodore of CaÌ„turbury 7. other bishops at Yorke In which office he soe worthily dischardged him self that he omitted nothing of those duties which are wont or ought S. Cuthbert made Bishop of Yorke to be performed of the perfectest and holiest prelats of the Church protecting his flock with his dayly prayers feeding it with his vertuous and piousad monitions
laboured each of thē to make RICHARD his chancelour At length the Archbishop of Canturbury because he had first signified his will and desire to the holy man obtayned to haue him in his seruice who with great reuerēce and dutie obeyed him in all things Then B. EDMOND deliuered vnto him the great seale of his office and committed to his chardge the managing of the grauest and principallest affayres of his whole Diocese Therefore RICHARD began according to his wonted diligence to clime dayly higher and higher in the exercise of good endeauours faythfully and exactly to performe his office without anie pride or state to keepe free his hands from bribes knowing that according to scripture guifts doe blind the eyes of wisemen and varie the words of the iust One might behould in him an vnspeakable equitie a courteous mildnes and modest simplicitie all seated grounded in an excellent Dent. 16. v. 19. prudence and humilitie his gesture and actions well composed and tempered Moreouer he stuck constant to his holy bishop in all his aduersities and afflictions as well at home as in his banishment being not ignorant that those who haue been companions in suffrance shall all soc be companious in time of consolations But S. EDMOND of Canturbury Cor. 1. He studies diuinitie being dead RICHARD freed from Court and courtly cares and affaires went to Orleans in France where in a religious house of Dominicans he gaue him self to the studie of Diuinitie not as most doe that only heare with their eares and doe not applie their mind to vnderstand but bent an inward hearing to whatsoeuer he heard to putt in practise more effectually what he heard There he was He is made Pricst promoted to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood to sacrifice the beloued sonne of God to his allmightie Father And from that time he began to adorne that heauenly function with a more humble plainnes and neate humblenes in his habitt But after he had been long conuersant in the studies of sacred scripture he returned into England to feed the small flock committed to his chardge for he had but one parish wherein he would bestow his necessarie care in doeing the office of a good Pastour IV. BONIFACE a verie venerable man had allreadie succeeded blessed EDMOND in the sea of Canturbury who desired allsoe to enioy the conuersation and familiaritie of RICHARD that was soe gratious in the world Vnto whom making great resistance he He is chosen bishop of Chicester recommended his auncient office of chauncelour In the meane time Radulph Neuill bishop of Chicester being dead the Canons hauing first as the custom was obtained leaue of the King then Henrie the third made choice of one Robert Passeleff who from a mignion at Court was becom a Canon of that Church to be their bishop But that election according to the decrees of the Canons by the authoritie of Boniface of Canturbury and other bishops his suffragans among whom was Robert the venerable bishop of Lincolne was vtterly disanulled and declared to be of noe force because the person elected was in learning life and manners iudged to be little correspondent to soe high a dignitie and by the common consent and sentence of all RICHARD was chosen in his place Which proceedig verie much exasperated the King to see the former electiō The King inuadeth the goods of Chicester cutt off and RICHARD substituted in the place whom he esteemed his vtter enemie in that he stuck soe close to S. EDMOND in all the controuersie betweene him and the King Therefore in a furie he commaunded all the goods of Chicester Church to be confiscated When S. RICHARD according to the counsell of the others Bishops gott the letters of the Archbishop of Canturbury and went to the King humbly entreating his Maiestie to suffer a restitution to be made of all that belonged to the Church of Chicester But all his humilitie could nothing remoue the head-strong King from his stubborne resolution soe that when the holy man had much tired and wearied out him self in vaine and endured manie contumelious and scornfull iniuries he was constrained at length to haue recourse to Richard appealeth to Rome the last refuge vnder God on earth the Sea Apostolique When the Kings Embassadours had preuented him with the Pope of Rome for he found them there all readie readie prouided against him Innocent the fourth then gouerned the Roman sea who verie curteously entertayned RICHARD and hauing heard the reasons of both parties he confirmed his election by Apostolicall authoritie and moreouer by the imposition of his sacred hands consecrated him Bishop with an other of that Countrey in great solemnitie V. BVT a wonderfull thing happened at his consecration For coming to giue them sacred vnction for the first the Pope couid hardly squeeze one dropp of oile out of the box but when RICHARD came to be anneild there appeared as it were a new representation of Elias his oile and miracle for the sacred liquour ranne in such abundance out of the viole that the attendants had enough to doe to stopp it with linnen cloathes from flowing ouer into his neck and shoulders The Pope and Cardinals and all the assistants A strange miracle were much amazed and not without cause when one of the Cardinalls sayd Certaynly this man abounds with a fullnes of diuine grace Then S. RICHARD returning into his Countrey with the Popes letters by the way visited the Sepulcher of S. EDMOND allreadie florishing with miracles at Pontoise in France and coming into England he found all the goods and meanes belonging to his Church of Chicester vtterly dissipated and spent by the Kings ofsiceers And for an increase of miserie the King had commaunded by publick edict that noe man should lend him a pennie to supply His afflictious in the Bishoptick his wants But when he exibited the Popes letters and commaunds before the King and his nobles he not only fayled to gett a gracious fauour but contrary wise rather purchased to him self much more hatred and indignation Wherefore departing from before that incensed Maiestie he went in poore and bare array to his Diocesse where he liued as a priuate guest at an other mans house and table In the meane time he omitted not oftētimes to take a circuite about his diocesse visitting the flock committed to his charge and ministring the sacraments as occasion required And lest he should be accused as a slouthfull and sluggish forsaker and traitour of his owne right sometimes he would make a iourney to the King and humbly demaund the restitution of the goods wrongfully taken away allbeit he allwaies suffered a scornfull repulse and returned loden with iniuries and reproches It happened once that the Deane and Canons of Chicester were much trobled and afflicted in mind with the kings sharp and biting answers but the holy man putting on a cheerfull coūtenance would comfort them with calling that saying of the
scripture to their remembrance The Apostles went reioycing from the face of the Councell because they were esteemed worthie Act. 5. to suffer contumelic for the name of CHRIST-IESVS And I confirme you in the same that these crosses and afflictions will one day The Church of Chicestet restored be changed into mirth and ioy But within a while he made the Pope acquainted with the kings stubborne answer and proceeding who wonderfully much pittying the holie mans case sent a thundring commaund vnto two bishops of England to admonish the King to make restitution to the Church of Chicester within such a time or that they should publish and denounce the heauie sentences contayned in his letters ouer the whole Kingdom By which meanes after two yeares affliction patiently endured the Church with her demaines and torne buildings readie to tumble into ruine were with difficultie restored againe to their true owner VI. AND the holy man being now seated in his Episcopall chayre A summarie of his vertues became in prayer more feruent then euer more bountifull and liberall in giuing of almes and more seuere in chastising his owne bodie Hence forth he was more attentiue and carefull towards the poore more negligent in decking and trimming his owne bodie and more modest in his speech and behauiour At his table he all waies vsed a spirituall lecture wherewith he fed his soule as well as his bodie with foode and sometimes the reader intermitting a while from his lesson they discoursed ether of those things that were read or some other pious and wholsom matter His custome was as he trauelled ouer his diocesse to make diligent inquirie after all poore and sick persons to whom he did not only giue large almes but allsoe out a of gratious and innate curtesie he would visitt them him self in person and verie carefully comfort and encourage them with the heauenly food of his pious admonitions And when his owne brother vnto whom he had coÌ„mitted the managing of his temporall affaires complained that all his yearly rents and reuenewes were not sufficient to giue almes soe largely and to such a multitude of poore Deare brother replied the holy Bishop doest thou think it fitt and reasonable that we eate and drink out of goulden and filuer vessels and that CHRIST be tormented with huÌ„ger in his poore As my father did before me soe can I eate out of an ordinarie platter and drinke in a plaine goddart Therefore let the gould and siluar plate be sould yea and the horse I ride one of soe great value let him goe too and let CHRISTS poore be succoured with the money Nether was he wont to maintaine the poore His wonderfull liberalitie to the poore only with meate and drinke but alsoe to giue cloathing to the naked and burie the deade with his owne hands Sometimes he would giue an almes before it was asked and being demaunded why he did soe It is written answeared he O Lord thou hast preuented him in the blessings of this sweetnes and indeed that which is obtayned by asking Psal 20. is bought but at a deare rate He appointed an hospitall for poore aged priests that were blind or otherwise impotent and feeble of bodie and that they should not purchase infamy to their holy function by publick begging abroad he prouided them with sufficient victuals and cloathing within the same house VII THIS his sainctitie did not want the testimonie of manie worthie The wonderfull mul tiplication of aloafe miracles among which one and not the lest was that one loafe was soe increased by his benediction that beyond the hope and expectation of those that were present three thousand poore people receaued their accustomed quantitie and portions and soe manie peeces remayned as according to the proportion of that distribution were sufficient to satisfie one hundred more Nether was it once or twise only that by vertue of his holie benediction such an abundant and miraculous encrease of things was caused but manie and sundrie times the like happened through his diuine power and bountie that openeth his hands and filleth euerie creature with his blessing Next to his skinne for the greater chastising of his Psal 144. bodie he vsed sometimes a hayre shirt sometimes a coate of maile His apparel and shoes not soe neate that they inferred an affectation nor yet more abiect then was fitting but in a meane well becomming his degree wherein he auoyded all The mâ—aÌ„nes of his appared signes of anie curious nouelties Nether would he endure to haue his horse trappings and furniture glittering with gould and siluer nether would he carrie about with him a superfluous chainge of apparell not only for the shunning of pompe but fearing lest the poore should crie out after him with that sentence of S. BERNARD What doeth gould in the bishops bridle whilst we poore wretches suffer cold and hunger VIII HAVING on a time excommunicated one Iohn Allen for an iniurie executed against the Church of Chicester and the same man coming often times to his court he would entertayne him very familiarly and make him stay dinner saying that as His charitie towards his aduersarie long as he was with in his hall he would not haue him tied with the censure of excommunication but when he was gone vnlesse he would satifie and make amends to the Church he absolutely held him for an excommunicate person He was wont allsoe to say that yf there were strife and contention of law betwixt parties each one striuing to recouer and defend his owne right the signes of charitie vsed among Christians ought not therefore to bee omitted or denied For be it sayd he that I must recouer my owne by law I ought not therefore to withdraw from my aduersarie that which it Gods right and my dutie Loue and Charitie And after this manner indeed he carried him self towards the Abbott of Fecam and Richard Earle of Cornwall and the Countesse of Kent with whom he had sutes and controuersies touching his Church allwaies repaying the contumelies and reproches of these great persons with honour and their enmities with good will His seueritie against the deâ—iourer of a sacred Virgin IX ONE of the Clergie that had enticed a Nunne out of her monasterie and deflowred her was by the authoritie of this holy Bishop most ignominiously depriued of his ecclesiasticall benefice and dignitie which he enioyed within the Diocesse And herein he was soe rigorous that when the King him self the Archbishop of Canturbury and manie other Bishops Peeres and Nobles of the realme made great sute and entreatie for his pardon the man of God shewed him self wholly inexorable in the execution of diuine iustice and striking his breast he sayd No no while the breath remaines in this bodie of mine such a ribald villaine that durst presume to violate a Virgin consecrated to God retayning her with him yet as a whore shall neuer by my consent haue the gouernment of soules
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
his pleading that with sharpe threatning words he affirmed that the king would rather hazard the losse of his whole kingdom then be depriued of this right Nether would I answered the pope graunt him this power allthough it were to saue my owne life And with this resolution he dismissed the Embassadours who returned towards England But by the way the fornamed William declared by the kings commaund vnto S. ANSELME that he must cease from entring more into England vnlesse he were resolued to obey the Kings will Soe that sainct ANSELME diuerted to his ould lodging at Lions where he remayned the space of a yeare and fower moneths XVI IN the meane time king Henry seazed on all the goods and lands belonging to the Archbishoprick and challenged them for his owne vse When the Pope seeing noe hope of reconciling the King to S. ANSELME purposed by excommunication to cutt him off from the communion of the Church Which resolution of his being made knowne to the king touched him to the quick and made him begin more exactly to take saint ANSELME cause into his consideration And at length he called him to him out off France into Normandie where they came to a parely at the Abbey of Bec In which the King patiently taking the holy Archbishops reprehension for manie abuses promised a future amendment and neuer more to disturbe the peace or exact anie fruits belonging to the Church or Churchmen and herevppon he receaued S. ANSELME into his fauour and sent him in peace to his Archbishoprick to the great contentment and enioy of the whole Kingdome Here now we may see of what power the constancie of a good Prelats is when purely and sincerely for the only loue and seruice of God they defend the authoritie of the Church without anie pretence of temporall respects by flattering kings in their iniustice and suffering them selues to be carried away with the wind of wordly fauour We may see allsoe the great grace which God shewed to kings that respect his Church Church-men for as soone as King Henry had submitted him self our Lord gaue him a noble victorie against his Brother Robert by meanes whereof he gott the Seigniorie of the Dukedom of Normandy Of which victory he presently made sainct ANSELME acquainted by letters ending thus Werefore Venerable father Wâ—ll Malm. l. 1. de PoÌ„t sayd he humbly and deuoutly prostrate at the feete of thy sainctitie J beseech thee to pray vnto the supreme iudge by whose will and arbitremeÌ„t J haue gayned this glorious and profitable triumph that it be not to my domage and detriment but for a beginning of good works and the seruice of God to settle and confirme the state of Gods-holy Church in peace and tranquillitie that from hence forth it may liue free and not be shaken with the tempest of warres XVII AFTER the kings returne out of Norman-die a famous Synod A sinod held at London was held at London in which in presence of S. ANSELME and all the bishops Abbots of England he resigned all the power which hitherunto he had vsurped in creating ordayning bishops to the Pope and Clergie S. ANSELME therefore being installed againe in his Church in great peace and quietnes performed the part of a most holy and vigilant pastour the space of about three yeares S. Anselme falleth sick when loaden with old age labours and merits he fell into a great sicknes and specially in his stomake which made him abhorre all sustenance till by little and litle the forces of his bodie being exhausted he fainted And when the infirmitie of his bodie was such that it would not suffer him to goe to the Church notwithstanding he was carried thither euery day in a chayre to be present at the sacred misteries of the masse whereunto he bore a singular great deuotion pierie and reuerence At length seeing him self to draw neere his end he receiued the holy sacraments of the Church and gaue his benediction no the assistance humbly recommending the king queene and all the whole Kingdom to Gods holy protection and lying on a hayre-cloath strewed with ashes according to the pious custom of those times he rend râ—d vp his blessed soule to the euerlasting possession of all blessednes on wensday morning His happie death before Easter the one and twentith day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1109. the sixteenth since he was made bishop and the threescore and sixt of his age He was buried in great solemnitie and lamented by his Church and the whole Kingdom of England which lost a Master a Father and a Pastour soe holy soe wise soe couragious and soe venerable XVIII Our Lord ennobled this glorious Sainct with manie miracles His wonderfull miracles both during his life and after his death 1. As he was one night at his prayers he was seene to be encompassed round about with the brightnes of a heauenly splendour 2. One that dranke only of the water in which he had washed his hands was cured of a most pittifull leaprosie that raygned all ouer his bodie 3. By the signe of the crosse he quenched a mightie fier that was readie to deuoure the chamber where he â—ay 4. One of his religious most cruelly possessed with the deuill was cured only by the well-wishes of S. ANSELME 5. Manie diseased persons were cured by his prayers or eating only the reliques of his dinner 6. The shipp which carried S. ANSELME allbeit a boord brake out of it yet the water was miraculously hindered from entring 7. At his death the balsome which anoynted his bodie like vnto the flower of Holy was miraculously encreased 8. And the stone in which his bodie was to be buried being not of sufficient capacitie to receaue it was suddainly enlarged without humane helpe to the great admiration of the beholders Manie other miracles we omitt But the greatest miracle that euer God wrought by saint ANSELME was saint ANSELME himself and his life more diuine then humane He writt manie admirable workes with which he enriched the Catholick Church and with the singular reach of his vnderstanding and doctrine and a peculiar guift from heauen he gathered togeather His admirable writings the subtilitie and excellence of manie Theologicall questions seasoned with the sweetnes of pietie and deuotion Of whom a graue authour Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S BENEDICTS order sayth That he was a man well acquinted in holy scripture and the learnedeâ—st of his time in humane doctrine most holy in iâ— life and con 〈…〉 tion most deuout in his soule eloquent in his discourse and full of effiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 his workes He was of an angelicall countenance of a graue gate of an exemplar life continuall in the studie of holy scriptures and one in whom lay hid a goulden mine of vertues and goodnes He was mirrour of Prelates the glorie of his countrey a pillar of Gods Church and a bright ornament of the Benedictine
belonging to a good bishop yet in his mind there remayned allwaies a pious desire to goe in pilgrimage which his intention allbeit hidden from mans knowledge yet to God it was most knowne whose diuine goodnes shewed him the fauour at length to attayne the end of his wished desires III. FOR finding a fitt opportunitie he left his bishoprick and He forsaketh his bishoprick togeather with his auncient companions Plechelme and Otgerus he trauelled into France choosing rather to lead a poore and humble life amoÌ„gst straingers then to liue in pompe and glorie in his owne countrey But the more he sought to flie the glorie and honours of the world the more they followed him for in France King Pepin hearing of his great sainctitie receaued him and his fellowes with He is honorably entert ayned by King Pepin wonderfull ioy and honour And hauing vnderstood of their desire to a priuate manner of life he gaue them a place proper for that purpose called Peter-mount in the Diocesse of Liege neere Ruremond where was built a chappell dedicated to the B. Virgin MARY and a famous monasterie of sainct BENEDICTS order in honour of the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER In this place sainct WYRE finding him self seated according to his owne desire beganne againe to enter into the course of a monasticall life vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT which long since he had professed in England amongst His holy exercises the English monks setting forth him self and his fellowes as liuely patternes of religion and vertue to be imitated CHRIST only was the end of all his actions his tongue spake nothing but CHRIST his heart was acquainted with no other thought but of CHRIST for whose loue he dayly sacrificed him selfe to his seruice in watchings prayers fasting and all other mortifications and vertues belonging to a true religious and monasticall life Shining to the countrey both in learming holy coÌ„uersation And being adorned with manie vertues in bodie he liued on earth but in mind he was wholely conuersant in the diuine contemplation of heauen In fine it were too long worthyly to rehearse all the vertues of this holy man IV IN THE meane time King Pepin held him in soe great veneration that to him only as the spirituall guyde of his soule and the King Pepins humilitie in coÌ„fession patrone of his life he was wont to confesse and reueale the sinnes and deformities of his soule Nether was this good Prince ashamed to goe barefooted to confession vnto him and humbly to submitt him self to the arbitrement of his will soe highly he esteemed his sanctitie Moreouer he often made vse of the mature counsell of this holy man in the managing of the chiefest and weightiest affayres of his Kingdom At length Sainct WYRE began to perceaue the neere approach of death by the feeling of his two harbengers old age and sicknes that came vppoÌ„ him When decreasing dayly in strength he still encreased in vertue couragiously expecting that blessed minute which should sett free his soule to flie to the eternall reward of his meritts till by the violence of an ague he chainged the fall of his mortall bodie with the rising of an mmortall life and gaue vp his holy spiritt into the hands of his deare redeemer the eight day of May about the yeare of our Lord 763. His bodie was honourably buried in the foresayd chappell of the B. Virgin were manie miracles are wrought through the meritts of this glorious Sainct His bodie or the greatest part thereof was afterwards translated to Maâ—stricht in Germanie into the Cathedrall Church of that cittie where it is kept with great veneration of the inhabitants and his feast celebrated with an office of a double His life we haue gathered out of the author thereof recited by Surius tom 5. and Molanus in indic Sainct Belgii The Roman Martyrologe this day Baronius tom 8. anno 631. Trithemius of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 63. Arnold Wion lib. 2. cap. 53. Vsuard and mâ—nie others doe make aâ—ple mention of S. WIRE The life of Sainct FREMVND King and Martyr MAY 11. Written by Burchard a Monk of the same time FREMVND descending from a royall stock inherited the gouernement of the Kingdom when his father Offa was soe ouerthrowne wich old age that he was vnfit to manage those affayres anie longer But FREMVND when he had raygned a yeare and an half ruling his state by the balance of true iustistice He forsaketh his kingdom he soe litle esteemed the vaine pompe of the world in respect of the loue of heauen that vnawares of his parents and subiects of his Kingdom with two only in his companie whereof one was Burchard that writt his life and liued with him while he liued he departed to a secret and vnknowne Ermitage in the Iland called Ilefage which at that time was inhabited only by deuils and wicked spirits In this place hauing built a litle cottage and an oratorie in honour of the B. Virgin MARY he spent the space of seaueÌ„ yeares in continuall watching fasting and prayer dayly sacrifycing himself to God by the rude mortification of his bodie and ouercoming the rebellious passions of the mind When the deuill enuying soe great sainctitie in sainct FREMVND with manie grieuous batteries of temptations sought to ouerthrow his godly resolution bringing into his memory the pompe and glory of the world ly dignitie which he had forsaken and filling his mind with manie thoughts of the great good which his youtfull dayes might haue brought to his countrey But he found this souldier of CHRIST soe firme a rock that all his vaine assaults could nether shake nor stirre him from the seate and ground of vertue for hauing his heart alltogeather erected towards heauen and heauenly things he loathed to returne againe to the vanities of the world once despised for the loue of CHRIST therefore well might he be wearied with the temptations of the deuill but ouercome he could not be He is sent for to defend the Countrey II. IN the meane time the Danes breaking into England wasted and spoyled all with fier and sword as they went and hauing martired King EDMOND Offa much fearing their power sent for his sonne Fremund home Whom when the messengers had most straingely found out in his poore cell at his prayers falling downe at his feet they bewayled and declared the necessitie of his friends and parents the arriuall of their enemies the threatned ruine of the Christians and the vtter ouerthrow of their fayth vnlesse by his prudence and courage the countrey were defended against the furie of their barbarous enemies The champion of CHRIST much amazed at this newes staggered in his resolution not knowing what course to take Till recommending the matter to allmightie God by prayer he vnderstood it to be his will that he should goe Therefore armed with the shield of fayth he returned Fremund returneth to his couÌ„trey
Pillars of the Benedictine Order the Monâ—steries that from the beginning of the Christian fayth in England were built by 〈◊〉 AVGVSTINE our Apostle and others were now againe restored and reedified King Edgâ—â— râ—payrâ—â— 48 monasteries out of a long and cruell desolation and ruine into which by the violent incursions of the Danes they were fallenâ— and this King EDGAR built new and repayred fortie eight for monks and 〈◊〉 of saint BENEDICTS order And in them the monasticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was much impayred was againe restored to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and glorie King Edgar him self vnder taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ction of the monasteries of men and inâ—oyning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wife to take the charge and custodie of the houses of the sacred Virgins and Nunnes XV. FVTHERMORE in thoses daies the secular Clerkes or Canons who in the time that the Benedictine Monkes were expelled out of their auncient seates by the Danes had by little and little crept into the Monkes Churches led a most dissolute and corrupted life in soe much that eyther not at all or very negligently they performed the duties of their function and calling vnlawfully making vs of wiues and Concubines contrarie to the prescripâ— rules of the Church and their order Saint DVNSTAN being desirous to correct this scandalous euill obtayned by the authoritie of Pope John to haue the Secular Clergie expelled the Benedictine monkes introduced into the gouernment of those Churches Then King Edgar whose zeale was great towards the reforming of Church-discipline made this patheticall speech to the Bishops and Abbots of his Kingdom sitting in Councell Because our Lord hath magnified to worke mercie with vs it is conuenient O most Reuerend Fathers that with worthy Out of Alured of Rhieuall de reg Angl. Psal 4â— 4. workes we correspond to his innumerable benefitts for nether shall we possesse the earth in the vertue of our sword nor shall the strengh of our owne arme saue vs but his right hand and his holy arme because he is pleased in vs. Jt is iust therefore that we labour with all diligence to submitt our soules vnto him who hath made all things subiect to our feete and that we striue to bring those whoÌ„ he hath made subiect vnto vs to be subiect to his diuine lawes And indeed it is my part to rule the Layetie with the law of iustice to giue iust iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour to punish the sacrilegious to bridle the rebellious to deliuer the weake out of the hands of the potent the poore and needie froÌ„ those that oppresse theÌ„ yea and it is part of my care to prouide necessaries for the Ministers of the Church the Conuents of monks and the Quires of Virgins and to looke to their peace and quiet But to You belongeth the examination of all their manners to know if they liue contynently if they behaue them selues decently to those which are abroade yf they be carefull in the diuine offices diligent to instruct the poeple sober in their diet meane in their habit and discreet in their iudgements With your leaue be it spoken Reuerend Fathers yf you had made diligent search into these things such horrible and abominable matters of the Clerkes had not come to our cares I omitt that they nether haue appearence of a Crowne nor a becoming tonsure that lasciuiousnes in their habit insoleÌ„cie in their gesture uncle annes in their words doe proclaime the madnes of their inward man Moreouer soe great negligence in the diuine office that they scarse daigne to be present at the sacred watches and seeme to meet at the solemnities of masse to sport and laugh rather then to sing I will speake I will speake that which makes good men grieue and the bad to laugh with greef I will speake yf indeed it can be spoken how loosely they flow in banquetting and dronkennes in chamber-delights and dishonesties that now the howses of Clerkes way be thought to be common brothells of whoores and conuenticles of Players There 's dice dancing and singing there 's riotous watching wish clamour and horrour protracted to midnight Is it thus that yee doe prodigally consume the Patrimonies of Kings the almes of Princes yea which is more the ransom of his pretious bloud Wast For this that our forefathers did emptie their treasures For this hath the Kings Exchecquer been pulled downe by the taking away of manie reuenewes For this did the royall munificence giue manie lands and possessions to the Churches of Christ to adorne strumpets for the delights of the Clergie to prepare lustfull banquets and to purchase dogges hawkes and other such lake toies These things the souldiers proclaime the poeple whisper fooles sing and reoyce at and You neglect You Spare You dissemble and winke Where is the sword of Leui and the zeale of Simeon Gen. 34. 2â— who cutt off the Sichemites euen the circumcised that bore the figure of those that defile Christs Church with vncleane actions when they abused as a whore the daughter Exod. 32. 21. of Iacob Where is the spiritt of Moyses who amongst those that adored the Calfe spared not the domesticks of his oâ—â—â— bloud Where is the dagger of Phinees the Priest who pearcing Num. 25. 7. Act. 5. 5. 8. 20. the sides of one playing the harlot with the Madianitâ— with this holy zeale appeased the wrath of our Lord Where is the Spirit of Peter by whose vertue auarice is slaine and the Simoniacall heresie condemned Jmitate Oyee Priests imitate the waies of our Lord and the iustices of our God It is now time to proceede against them that haue dissipated the law of God I haue the sword of Constantine You hould in your hands the sword of Peter let vs ioyne right hands let vs vnite sword to sword that the leprous persons may be cast out of the caÌ„pes that the Sainctuarie of our Lord may be purged the Sonnes of Leui may serue in the temple who sayd to his father and mother I know you not and to his brethren I am ignorant of them Doe carefully J prayyee lest it repent vs to haue done what we did and to haue giuen what we gaue when we shall see it consumed not in the seruice of God but in the lecberie and vnpunished libertie of naughtie persons Let the reliques of the Saincts mooue yee to which they insult the venerable aultars before which they are outrageous let the wonderfull deuotion of our predecessors mooue yee whose almes the madneâ— of the Clerkes abuseth My great Grandfather as you know gaue the tenth of all his lands to Churches and monasteries and his Grandfather Alured spared nether treasures nor patrimonie nor charges nor reuenewes to enrich the Church What my Grandfather Edward the Elder bestowed on the Churches your Paternitie cannot be ignorant and what guifts my father and brethren heaped on the aultars of Christ it well becomes yee to remember O Dunstan Father of fathers contemplate J beseech thee my fathers
and writings renowned monuments which he left behind him doe abundantly witnes Manie whereof the enuious iniurie of the times haue robbed vs off For for these fiue hundred yeares past that booke of his soe much celebrated by Venerable BEBE of the right and true manner of obseruing Easter which he writt against the Britans hath not appeared Which worke of saint ALDELME was of great profitt to manie of them to roote out of their stubborne minds that inueterate errour Sainct BEDE hath allsoe in estimation his booke of virginitie in which he writeth much in the prayse of that heauenly vertue and proues by the examples of the Saincts that embraced it that it is nether hard nor difficill to obserue In fine saint BEDE S Bedes prayse of S. Aldelme adornes him with this testimoniall of his prayse man most learned in all things neate in his speech and wonderfull in the knowledge of Scriptures both liberall and Ecclesiasticall And surely S. ALDELME was the first of our contreymen that writt verses in Latine as he him self doth testifie in these two Primus ego in patriam mecum modò vit a super fit Aonio rediens deducam vertice Musas First to my Countrey from the Romanhill I le bring yf life me last the Muses quill Allsoe in compounding pronouncing and singing verses and Aldesmes skill in poesie and singing songs in his mother-tongue he was admirably excellent And in King Elfreds time as the same King doeth witnes manie of saint ALDELMES ditties were yet sung in England One thing related of this purpose by King Elfred is most worthie of memorie The poeple of those times being yet but rude rusticks and verie negligent in the diuine seruice seemed to come to Church but for fashion sake as manie now adaies doe where they made noe long stay but as soone as the misterie of masse was done they flocked homewards without anie more adoe Our prudent ALDELME perceauing this small deuotion in the poeple placed him self on a bridge ouer which they were to passe from Church to their Villages where when the hastie multitude of poeple came whose minds were A pioâ—s art allreadie in their beef-pott at home he begane to putt forth his voyce with all the musicall art he could and charmed their eares with his songs For which when he grew to be gratefull and plausible to that rude poeple and perceaued that his songs flowed into their eares and minds to the greate pleasure contentment of both he beganne by little and litle to mingle his ditties with more serious and holy matters taken out of the holy Scripture and by that meanes brought them in time to a feeling of deuotion and to spend the sundaies and holy daies with farre greater proâ—â—â—â— to their owne soules Now let vs goe on with the course of his life III. THEREFORE when he had taken the habit and profession of a His exercises in the Monasterie monke he bent all the forces and powers both of soule and bodie worthyly to performe in deed what he promised by word Wherefore he neuer moued a foote out of the Monasterie vnlesse some vrgent necessitie did compelle him he spent all his time in reading and prayer that as he him self doth testifie elsewhere in an Epistle by reading he might heare the voyce of allmightie God speaking and by prayer he might speake vnto him him self His diet was poore and verie sparing thereby to force the bodie to the subiection of the soule to which purpose he vsed an other wonderfull austeritie For in a fountaine neere adioyning which afterwards He reciteth the Psalter in the waters bore his name he was wont by night according to the example of the auucient Saincts to plunge him self vp to the neck wheÌ„ce he would not stirre vntill he had recited ouer the whole Psalter of Dauid for his nightly taske of prayers By which and other such exercises he soe tamed the sensualitie of the flesh that if he happened at anie time to feele the tickling motions and stings thereof he would not therefore like a coward-souldier presently An example to be admired not imitated auoyd and flie from the presence of an obiect mouing therevnto vntill after manie prayers and psalmes most deuoutly offered to Allmightie God he found all that vncleane motion of bodie to be vtterly extinguished and beaten downe A rare allthough to others a dangerous manner of ouercoming and questionlesse much enuied of the deuills But yf anie one chaunce to contend against the truth of this historie in soe Christian a philosopher I remitt him Diogeâ— Laert. l. 4. de vit philosoph to those profane writers who dare affirme of their Zenocrates that hauing slept a whole night with the fayre Phrine he was enkindled with noe manner of lustfull heate and proclaymed publickly the day following that he had laine with a statue and not with a woman IV. WHILST this holy man shined thus in learning and vertue like a bright sunne amongst the monks of Malmesbury by the common consent of them all he was chosen Abbot of the same monasterie He is made Abbot of Malmesbury Which dignitie was not soe much an ornament to him as he was an honour to it For by his holy industrie soe great an encrease of vertue and learning to his brethren and of buildings lands and reuenewes was added to the monasterie that he may deseruedly be esteemed as the father and builder of them But the greatest donation of lands came chiefly from Elentherius Bishop of the West-Saxons from Kenfrith Duke of the Mercians and from the three good Kings Ethelred Cedwall and Inas who all held saint ALDELME in great esteeme and veneration by reason of his wonderfull vertue as manifestly appeares by their charters and writings made to that Monasterie for his sake which I haue read He built allsoe the Monasteries of Frome and Bradford which eyther by the crueltie of the Danes or other such barbarous poeple or else by the iniuries of eating age haue been destroyed manie yeares agoe S. ALDELME whilst he was Abbot writt that booke which we haue spoken off against the Britans errour in the celebration of Easter He reduduceth the Britans to the true Easter For the matter being eagerly handled in manie Sinods of the West-Saxons to conclude by what meanes it was best to bring those erroneous poeple to the practise of the Catholick Church some were of opinion that they should be compelled by force of armes but the contrarie and gentler opinon obtayned that not with the sword but by reason and disputation they ought to he dealt with Nether was the victorie iudged to be of great difficultie if ALDELME did but take the matter in hand He vndertooke it and worthily and fruitfully performed it as we haue sayd before Soe that the Britans next after God are much obliged vnto saint ALDELME in this behalf Whose great pietie towards them is allsoe honourably to be obserued
Notwithstanding sayd he because you are hither come out of a farre countrey and with a desire as it seemes to me to communicate those things vnto vs which you your selues iudge to be in truth and worth the best we will not be troblesome or offensiue vnto you but rather entertayne you with courteous hospitalitie and see you prouided with all necessarie sustenance not forbidding yee in the meane time by preaching to draw whomsoeuer yee can of this countrey to the profession of your fayth and religion VI. THEN with the Kings good leaue AVGVSTINE and his fellowes went in procession to Canturbury the head cittie of Kent Augustine marcheth to Canturbury still carrying the Crosse and image of CHRIST before them and singing the Letanies vsing amongst others this pious forme of prayer Whe beseech thee O Lord in all thy mercie to take away and with-hould thy wrath and anger from this cittie and from thy holy house because we haue sinned against thee ALLELVIA Humbly by this kind of confession putting them selues amongst sinners whom they came to release from sinne and reconcile to allmightie God When this our Arch-Doctour leading his troupe of Preachers vnder the triumphant banner of the Crosse into the cittie which in future is to be his Metropolitan did not the Angell-Guardians crie out to the cittizens with those words of the Prophet Esay Open the gates and let the iust nation enter obseruing the truth of their embassage the old errour of Isaiae c. 29. v. 2. 3. Idolatrie is gone that from hence forth the peace of CHRIST and his Church may be here maintayned Here now the walles of Hiericho seemed to goe to ruine that the walles of Hierusalem might be built Here on the ruine of paganisme our holy Apostle first planted the Crosse of CHRIST and layd the foundation of the English Catholick Church But ô the heauenly and apostolicall life that these holy monkes AVGVSTINE and his fellowes led in the meane Their holy â—â—se in Canturbury time what penne is able to expresse watching and prayer was theyr only and chiefest exercise allwaies keeping their soules most free from anie the lest thought of wordly desires or cares They announced the words of life to all they could making their owne liues soe correspondent to what they taught that in them those Idolaters might euen with their eyes reade a lesson of heauenly vertue and conuersation to see soe manie poore men soe constantly announcing the Ghospell of CHRIST that they seemed to be most readie to suffer all aduersities yea and death it self in defence of the trueth which they preached But what followed these beginnings Some few beleeued in IESVS-CHRIST and were baptised admiring the simplicitie of their innocent life and the sweetnes of their heauenly doctrine VII BVT in the East part of the cittie of Canturbury stood a See Heretick our first Apostles sayd masse Church dedicated to Saint MARTIN built in auncient times by the Romans in which the Queene was wont to pray and receaue the sacraments by the hands of her holy Bishop Lethard who was allowed her for that purpose and stood our Blessed Apostle S. AVGVSTINE in no small steed in the labour of preaching and conuerting the countrey In this Church allsoe AVGVSTINE his fellow-MoÌ„kes executed their diuine seruice there they sung their Office there they sayd Masse there they prayed there they preached and baptised When in the meane time by the diuine power of allmightie God sainct AVGVSTINE indued with a heauenly grace of working miracles cured all the sick and diseased persons that were ether presented vnto him or that he him self visited in person Soe that the poeple were thunder-strucken with amazement at the sight of soe great vertue crying out that ether men were transformed into Gods or that the Gods in a humane shape were come to conuerse with men whereby their hardnes of heart being ouercome manie were receaued into the fould of CHRISTS Church And at length King ETHELBERT allso being astonished with soe manie resplendent signes of vertue by the dayly instancie and perswasion of S AVGVSTINE by the continuall prayers King Ethelbert is baptised of the Church by the affectionate admonitions of the Queene abiuring the deadly powers of hell became a sonne of diuine adoption in Christ And now on the sacred feast of Pentecost all the Saincts of heauen highly reioycing and manie troupes of poeple flocking to that great solemnitie AVGVSTINE as a new SILVESTER baptiseth ETHELBERT as an other Constantine In him our faythfull Dauid is annoynted with the oyle of Ioyfullnes and meekly seated in a throne of mercie Our Ecclesiasticall Salomon is crowned with a diadem of peace in the chayre of iustice and wisedom Our noble ETHELBERT descends from the state of his royall authoritie and shewes him self as a seruant to the seruants of CHRIST A Prince of princes is changed to an Euangelicall Little-one and a mightie commaunder of manie poeple professeth him self a companion to the poore AVGVSTINE reioyceth and much more his little Church that now they had gayned him to be their Patrone whom before they feared as a persecutour Haec mutatio dextrae Excelsi This is a chainge of the right hand of the most High VIII THE King therefore being baptised laboured him self to gett The zeale of King Ethelbert all the Kings Princes Nobles and common poeple vnder his gouernment to the subiection of the sweet yoake of CHRIST making it the chiefest part of his owne empire to dilate and propogate the Kingdom of Christs holy Church Wherevppon great multitudes of poeple flocked dayly to heare the word of God and forsaking the blindnes of their Diabolicall rites were purged in the sacred font of Baptisme Of whose fayth and conuersion the good King greatly reioyced yet compelled none by force to Christianitie but only embraced the faythfull beleeuers with a more strict affection as his fellow-citizens of the heauenly Kingdom For he had learned of the Doctours and authours S. Augustâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of England of his owne saluation that the seruice of CHRIST ought to be voluntary and not constrained In the meane time the holy master of our fayth saint AVGVSTINE went to Arelas in France where by the hands of Etherius Bishop of the same place he was consecrated Archbishop of the English nation according as holy Pope GREGORIE had pre-ordayned Whom returning into England with this sacred dignitie King ETHELBERT receaued with triumphant ioy and made him now the Ecclesiasticall President of his metropolitan cittie in which before he had entertayned him but as a guest and ordayned him the vigilant Guardian not only of that Cittie but allsoe of all the little world of his whole dominions The throne of his owne Kingdom he changed into a Bishops sea and his royall Pallace by the reformation and consecration of saint AVGVSTINE was turned into a sacred Church dedicated to CHRIST our Sâ—uiour which to this day but built in a farre
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
Meâ—â—s of Mentâ— who had cunningly slaine the murderer of his father was degraded 〈◊〉 whose place the two Princely brothers 〈◊〉 and Bâ—pâ—â— substituted our Boniface And for the greater ornament of him and â—his sea they not only exempted it from the iurisdiction of the Church to which it was subiect before but allso made it the prime metropolitan Sea of all the Churches of Germanie and by Legaâ—s sent to Rome obtayned to haue their decrees established by the honourable suffrage of the Pope His labours con firmed by the Pope XI BVT our holy BONIFACE being strengthened and adorned with this Archiepiscopall authoritie endeauoured dayly as his honours enâ—reâ—sed to encrease allso his former labouâ— and diligence of preaching â—eaching and baptising making manie hard iourneies oâ—er the countrey to that end founding new Churches and Monasteries and ondâ—yniâ—g new bishops and Pastours to gouerne them especially at Eiâ—hâ—tat Wirzburg and Erphesfort who were all confirmed by the authoritie of Pope Zachary who writt manie letters to saint BONIFACE him self and to the bishops and Princes of Germanie in his behalf And saint BONIFACE likewise â—o take counsell touching diuers Ecclesiasticall affayres senâ— manie epistles to Pope Zacharie which the purpose of our breuitie will not permitt to rehearse at large But the foreâ—amed Hereticques Adelbert and Clement were condemned in a Synod at Rome not Tâ—â—o Meâ—ericks condemned for vvicked opinions as bishops and Pastours of the flock but as deâ—ourers of their sheepe and Apostatas against the Catholick Church Adelbert like vnto an other Simon Maguâ— assumed a new deitie to him self yet aliue and refusing to dedicate Churches to the holy Apostles and Martirs did consecrate or rather pollute a Temple to his owne name and honour and gaue his hayre and nayles for holy reliques to that deceiued poeple And when they came humbly to him to make a confession of their sinneâ— In vaine sayd he yee seeke to reueale those things to me all which I perfectly know allreadie and from which I absolue yee all therefore with a secure and quiet conscience returne home But Clâ—ment who was a Scott by nation being possessed with See the insolent pride of hereâ—ie a spiritâ— of wonderfull great pride preferred him self not only before all the learned and pious bishops and others of that age but allso before all the auncient Fathers and holy Doctours of the Church and besides other monstrous opinions tickling the eares and minds of that foolish poeple with the flattering language of his preaching he promised a certaintie of saluation to all euen Idolaters whom togeather with the rest he sayd Christ had redeemed by descending into Hell But let vs returne to saint BONIFACE XII WHO allthough he were encompassed with soe manie and soe great cares and labours in Germanie yet did he not depose all thought and care of his England where when he vnderstood that manie things were done amisse both by the bishops and Kings he piously admonished them of their dutie by letters Whereof one written to Ethelâ—ald King of the Merciaâ—s to reclaime him from his wicked life because it is a liuely patterâ—â— of the zeale and affection of this holy man we will here sett downe for the profitt of these times and of posteritie Thus therefore he writes To Ethelbald his most deare Lord and to be preferred in the His Epistle to King Ethelbald loue of Christ before other Kings of the English BONIFACE Archbishop German Legâ—t of the Roman Church sendeth perperuall health of Charitie in CHRIST Wee confesse before God that we reioyce when we heare of your prosperitie â—ayth and good workes Fâ—â— we haâ—e vnderstood that attending to almesdeeds thou for 〈◊〉 〈…〉 beries and â—â—pes and louest peace and thou 〈◊〉 deâ—â—ndes of widdowes and the pooâ—e and thence we giue God thankes but in that thoâ— despisest lawfull matriâ—onie yf thou didest doe it for loue of chastitie it were laudable but because thou wall â—â—est in lust and 〈◊〉 eueâ— with sacred Virgins it is to be 〈◊〉 and damnable For it confoundeth the same of thy glory before God and men and rankes thee amongst idolaters because thou 〈◊〉 violated the temple of God Wherefore most deare sonne doe penance and remember how fowle a thing it is that thou who by the guift of God art Lord of manie poeple to the iniurie of him becomest a slaue to Lust Moreouer we haue heard that allmost all the Nobles of the Merciaâ—s by thy example forsakâ— their lawful wiues and committ adulterie with others Which how farre it is from honestie let the institution of other nations teach vs. For in auncient Saxonie where there is noe knowledge of CHRIST yf a Virgin in her fathers A strainge punishment of Adultâ—ry house or a married woman vnder the dutie of a Husband committ adulterie they burne her being strangled with her owne hands and hang vp the adulterer on her graue or else being naked to the gyrdle some chast matrones doe scourge her and punish her with kniues from towne to towne where she is euer meâ—t by new tormentors vntill she be 〈◊〉 to death Aâ— Widen allso which is a most faythfull generation of men they haue this custom that a woman when her husband is dead doe throw her self hedlong into his funerall â—ier to burne togeather Yf then the Gentils ignorant of God haue soe great zeale for chastitie what becometh thee most deare sonne who art a Christian and a Kingâ— Haue compassion therefore on thy owne soule and on the multitude of poeple perishing by thy example for whose soules allso thou must render an accompt Againe yf the English nation as it is reproached against vs in 〈…〉 e From vnlavvfull lust a bad generation and â—â—aâ—â— yea and by the Pagaâ—â— them 〈◊〉 said along law full mariage fall wholly to fiâ—thy 〈…〉 s that 〈◊〉 generation it will breed a slugg iâ— poeple that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and with their wicked manners ouerthrow the whole countrey as it hath beâ—alâ—â— to the 〈…〉 ans Proâ—â—s 〈…〉 and S 〈…〉 ds whom the S 〈…〉 haue 〈◊〉 yeares vexâ—â— for t 〈…〉 sin 〈…〉 Furthermore it is 〈◊〉 vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Churches and Monasteries of 〈…〉 ges thou do 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 uoke thy Nobles to 〈◊〉 the like But call to 〈◊〉 I 〈…〉 thee The diuine punishment of Church â—obbers what a terrible reuenge 〈…〉 e God hath ex 〈…〉 against other Kings thy pre 〈…〉 that were gu 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 we now â—eprehend in thee For 〈◊〉 thy 〈…〉 ing a 〈◊〉 of sacred Virgins and a breaker of 〈…〉 ges was suddenly as he fate 〈…〉 ully ba 〈…〉 g with his Nobles 〈…〉 sed vppon by a wicked Spirit that 〈…〉 tly robbed him of his soule without eyther confession 〈◊〉 Via 〈…〉 but talking with the de 〈…〉 and â—etesting the law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of the 〈◊〉 and B 〈…〉 being gu 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 madd that by a contemptible death he was
chest in which her body had been first buried healed manie of sore eyes by only laying their heads close vnto it and in their prayers calling on the helpe of allmightie God and the intercession of his glorious Virgin S. ETHELDRED Allso out of the place where she was first buried sprung forth a fountaine of cleere water which was proued to be most soueraigne for manie diseases euen vntill the time of our Authour who had seene the experieÌ„ce thereof himself Diuers other miracles are faithfully related by this Authour Thomas of Ely to haue been wrought in the same Monastery by the meritts In the manus cript history of Ely of this glorious Virgin There the blind recouered their sight the dumbe their speech the lame the vse of their legges the dease their hearing and allmost all kind of diseased persons were restored to perfect health as may be seene at large in the history of Ely XV BVT as this holy Virgin was piously gratious to all that deuoutly The diuine punishmeÌ„nt against one that wronged her Tombe implored her assistance in their necessities so was she manie times no lesse terrible in punishing those that maliciously endeauoured to wrong her Tombe Church or anie thing belonging thereunto For proofe whereof it shall suffice to relate one example only In that outrageous spoile which the barbarous Danes mad throughout the kingdom of England during the troublesom raignee of the two kings Etheldred and Elfred when all Churches Monastes ries and religious houses togeather with their inhabitants were committed to fier and sword the Monasterie of Ely was allso made a prey to their vntamed crueltie When one of those Pagans more prone to wickednes then the rest attempted to breake open the holie shrine of saint ETHELDRED hoping to find it furnished with store of golden treasure which his couetous mind greatly thirsted after And hauing with much labour made a hole through the marble chest which remayned in the same vntill our Authours time the diuine punishment was soe suddaine against him that his vnworthines was not suffered to behould the treasure contayned therein For at the very same instant his eyes fell out of his head and he him self falling downe to the earth vomitted out his miserable soule to carrie newes to the next world how seuerely God punisheth those that wrong the reliques of his Saincts And his wretched end taught his fellowes not to presume to touch that sacred tombe allbeit they committed the Church and Monasterie to the vnsatiable flames of fier But after a long desolation in the time of the peaceable raigne Kind Edgar repayreth the Church of Ely of the most noble King Edgar the same Monasterie was magnificently restored to its former and a farre greater glorie by the royall munificence of the same King and the secular Clerkes that had crept into it in the meane time were for their incontinencie and bad life cast out by the meanes of that worthly Pillar of the English Church and the Benedictine familie sainct ETHELWOLD and by the speciall commaund of King Edgar the Benedictine Monkes placed in their steed one Brithnode made Abbot vnto whoÌ„ in successe of time nine other Abbotts succeeded in order After whom in the yeare of our Lord 1108. during the raigne of King Henry the first the Abbey it self was turned to an Episcopall sea and the Conuent of Monkes gouerned by a Priour who had the title of a Cathedrall Priour vnto whom and his Chapter of Monkes belonged the election of the Bishop XVI BVT our glorious sainct ETHELDRED was allwaies held and Etheldred the Patronesse of Ely reuerenced for the speciall and principall Patronesse of this place and such she shewed her self to be both by the continuall working of manie miracles and cures at her tombe as allsoe by diuers apparitions after her death for the peculiar good thereof One whereof we cannot omitt In the sixteenth yeare of the raigne of King Henry the first there liued in the Prouince of Ely a maÌ„ called Bricstan who being from his very infancie intangled with the crosses and aduersities of the world gaue himself amongst other vices to deale in the damnable trade of vsurie by which only he was maintayned in the world Till hauing drawne his line of life to a great length in such wickednes he fell into a sicknes soe vehement that it made him apprehend death to be nigh When the extremitie of his disease forced him to enter into consideration of the miserable state he had liued in and being inspired with a heauenly glimpse of diuine grace he made a faythfull promise to deliuer him self to the seruice of allmightie God vnder the habitt of a Benedictine Monke in the Monasterie of sainct ETHELDRED at Ely And without anie further delay hauing gathered all his goods togeather he went to the Monasterie BricstaÌ„ resolueth to be a MoÌ„ke and made liuerie and season of them him self vnto the Monkes humbly crauing mercie for his former life But the coÌ„mon enemie of mankind by whose enuie AdaÌ„ fell out of Paradise stirred vp an instrument of his and a seruant of the Kings called Robert Malartes who in behalfe of the King hindered poore Brickstans taking the habitt He is maliciously hindered of Religion and hauing layd theft and other great offences to his charge affirmed that not to saue his soule but to cloake the hay nousnes of his wicked life he sought now to enter into religion In fine Brickstan hauing noe other weapon but his owne innocencie stood stiffely vppon his deniall as indeed he had reason being guiltlesse of the crimes he was accused off But the authoritie of his aduersarie soe preuayled against the iustice of his cause that he was clapt vnder guard and led fettered and bound to London where he became an vâ—willing guest to the Iaylour in a darke and loathsom prison and loaden with bolts and iron chaines in great miserie he a long time fed vppon the two common dishes of the poore prisoners ordinarie cold and Hunger XVII IN the meane time allbeit he found in him self no former meritts whereby he might deserue much before the face of allmightie In prison he calleth vppon S. Benedict and S. Etheldred God yet he ceased not to call to his diuine goodnes for helpe with a sorrowfull heart and voyce desiring the intercession of the glorious Patriarch of Monkes sainct BENEDICT to whose order he had vowed him self and of S. ETHELDRED in whose Monasterie he purposed to haue embraced the same order And this was his dayly and nightly exercise whilst he liued in this wretched state of imprisonment which dured fiue moneths What more One night when the bells in the cittie rung to the mid-nights office of Mattins our Prisoner hauing fasted three daies before lay as he thought at such a poynt of extremitie that he expected nothing but death to be the period of his miserie yet still calling eyther in mouth or heart on
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