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
Antonine Bishop of Florence man and a Sainct He not only calleth our holy Father Sainct BENEDICT by a generall name Patriarch of all the Monkes of the west but peculiarly termes him the Spirituall Father of S. GREGORY and consequently of His disciples and our Apostles tit 15 cap. 12. His life replenished with vertues sayth he speaking of S. BENEDICT is written by GREGORY in the second of his dialogues throughout the whole booke the sweetnes whereof He himself allsoe sucked and liued a Monke and an Abbot vnder the same RVLE before he was made Pope thus S. ANTONINE who was a Dominican Frier But S. THOMAS of Aquin not only the ornament of the Dominicans S. Thomas of Aquine but the verie height and Zenith of the Deuines who had receaued the first rudimēts of his infancie in the Monasterie of Cassine and is sayd to haue breathed his last gaspe in an other Benedictin Abbey called Fossa noua being a most exquisite weigher of those things which he meant to affirme in that goulden work which he writt against the impugners of Religions and religious men speaketh these words for our purpose The same consideration sayth he is to be had of blessed GREGORIE who built Monasteries according to the Rule commenced by S. BENEDICT And Joannes de Turrecremata a Cardinall and an other fayre light of the Dominican Order writing vppon Joannes de Turrecremata S. BENEDICTS Rule affirmes the same in these words Saint GREGORIE confirmed the Rule of the Blessed Father BENEDICT vnder which allso he liued and was a most worthie Monke and Abbot Thus he And Wernerus Rolwinck in his historie confirmes it GREGORIE sayth he noble by byrth nobler in vertue but Wernerus Rolwinck most noble in sainctitie was a most worthy Monke of the Order of the most holy Father S. BENEDICT c. But it would be to long for vs in this short discourse to sett downe at length the words of all the graue Authours that strengthen this veritie it shall sufice to rehearse A list of Authour◠against Baronius the names only of some of the chiefest writers them selues and referre the reader to their owne writings The same therefore is auouched by IOANNES MARIANVS rerum Hispaniarum lib. 5. cap. 12. lib. 6. cap. 22. HIERONIMVS PLATVS in his second booke of a Religious state cap. 28. and 32. PETER RIBADENEIRA of the societie of IESVS in his Historie of the liues of Saincts which he writt in Spanish in the life of S. BENEDICT FRANCIS SVARER of the same societie in his last tome or treatise of Religion 2. booke chapt 17. FRANCIS RIBFRA in his prologue to S. Teresias life IOANNES AZORIVS in the first part of his morall institutions 12. booke chap. 22. GREGORIE LOPEZ of Madera Doctour of both lawes Counsellour and Iudge Palatine to Phillip the third King of Spaine who in a treatise of the veritie of the reliques which were miraculously found in the holy mont of Granado hath a very learned and solid discourse against Baronius in our behalfe And lastly to omitt thousand others of all orders conditions and professions IOANNES DIACONVS in the historie of S. GREGORIES life doeth constanly asseuer the same truth to wit that both S. GREGORY and the Monks he sent to preach in England were professours of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT Let vs bring in the last place some witnesses of our owne nation not all that haue written of this matter for they would require a whole volume but some whose authoritie is beyond all exception How great a man in all manner of learning and chiefly in the Ecclesiasticall history as well of the vniuersall Church as of our English nation was Doctour Nicholas Sanders it is well inough knowne to the world He in the beginning Nicholas Sanders of his historie intituled Of the English Schisme hath these words Gregory the great sent Augustine Mellitus other Monkes of S. BENEDICT to the English Saxōs who brought that nation from Idolatrie to Christianitie and indued Ethelbert King of Kent with the baptisme of Christ And NICHOLAS Harpsfield a man no lesse skillfull in the antiquities of England then SANDERS in his Dialogue written against the Magdeburgenses and in other places of his workes confirmes the same veritie But let the most illustrious Cardinall WILLIAM ALLEN conclude this Controuersie who in an Epistle to Athanasius an English Monke of Cassine in Italie writeth these words I could rehearse vnto thy pietie sayth he speaking of the Benedictine Order manie things out of the histories of our nation of the great reuowne and Sanctitie of this Order for both Sainct AVGVSTINE him self and the other disciples of Sainct GREGORY that conucrted the countrey to the Fayth were all of this Order and all the Monasteries first instituted which Venerable BEDE mentioneth and BEDE him self were of the same institution and all the Cathedrall Chapters which in after times came to be of Secular Canons were from their beginning of the Order of S. BENEDICT Truely the authority of these three men who in these later times were three fayre lights of our Countrey and second to none in the knowledge of the Ecclesiasticall history as their workes now extant doe declare who had searched into all the anncient monuments and charters of England deserueth soe much creditt that in respect of them the opinion of anie other man whatsoeuer may be neglected and contemned in this point It remaynes therefore confirmed by the authoritie of all the forenamed Authours that both S. GREGORY the great and the Monkes he sent to preach the fayth of Christ in England were all of the holie Order and institution of Sainct BENEDICT For no man I thinke can be soe peruerse vnlesse he be a professed enemie to the Benedictine Order as to forsake the assertion of soe manie Holy learned graue wise and prudent Writers both auncient and moderne and follow the innouation and noueltie of one Baronius whose arguments against vs are soe weake and whose coniectures soe vnlikely that the whole streame of his opinion seemeth rather to proceed from some other spring then from the mind and learning of soe great a man It would be too long to recite them here It shall suffise that ouer and aboue the foresayd Authours and thousands more we haue the auncient and common tradition of the whole world against Him It is a sufficient and more then a sufficient answer for him that our assertion hath been allwaies receaued in the Church for a truth euen since the time of sainct GREGORIE him self yea and that all the whole streame of antiquitie doeth conuince him of innouation in this poynt Of which his mistake I could easily pardon him for allthough by seeking to robbe the Benedictine familie of sainct GREGORY he thought to haue done a disparagement to the whole order yet it fell out farre otherwise for his deniall of a thing that had been alwaies before embraced for a truth in auncient times moued manie
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
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-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-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
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
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
this vnexpected Metamorphose and stood staggering a while in the consideration thereof When the Queene taking her time by the foretop with a smiling countenance asked him Whither sayd she my souueraigne lord is all yesterdaies glorious spleÌ„dour vanished where is all that superfluous riot What is become of all those curious and exquisite cates sought for by sea laÌ„d to satisfie the inordinate appetite of gluttonie Where are the gould and siluer vessells which but yesterday made the table bow vnder their massie weight Where is all the noyse of our loud Thus passeth the glorie of the world mirth and iollitie Is it not vanished like a blast of wind or a vaine puffe of smoake and doe not wee that fill our selues more daintyly largely corrupt afterwards more miserably Behould then the true picture of the glittering vanities allurements of the world learne at last to shunne flie them She sayd no more When it was strange to see what a deepe incisioÌ„ this made in the Kings heart how much more she had gayned by the rudenes of this visible spectacle then by all her former persuasions that not without cause the Poet sayd Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures FEB 7. Horat. de arte Poetica Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator IV. IN SVMME this strainge Pageant wrought soe farre in the good Inas resolueth to forsake the world Kings mind that now he began seriously to consider with him self of the vanitie of worldly state and finding one what sharpe thornes of cares grew the sweet seeming roses of a crowne he putt on a strong resolution with him self to bid adiew to the world And now when he had gouerned his common wealth with a name of greate prayse and prosperitie and shewed manie benefitts therevnto for the space of thirtie seauen yeares and odd moneths renouncing the resplendent glorie of his present and princely estate he voluntaryly left his temporall Kingdome which with victorie soe long he had ruled and for the loue of allmightie God and the gaine of his eternall kingdome he that heretofore had conquered princes now gott the vpper hand and conquest of him self and with a greater glorie then he had borne them he robbed him self of the princely spoiles of his bodie the better to ennoble and enrich his soule Which that he might more conueniently and fructfully He goeth to Rome bring to passe he went to Rome the head of Catholick religion to visitt the sacred tombes of the Apostles vnder whose protection he hoped more easyly to obtaine the grace and fauour of allmightie God wheÌ„ce his countrey had first receaued the Christian fayth resoluing to spend the remnant of his life with a quiet and contented mind farr from all worldly cares and troubles in a holie conuent of Monkes Which with great pietie he perfourmed putting on the habitt of a Benedictine monke vnto which order He taketh the habit of S. Benedict he had euer bin a worthie benefactour not in a publick concourse of poeple which doubtlesse would haue been great at soe vnwonted a spectacle but priuately before God alone and the Conuent of monkes giuing hereby a liuely example of humilitie and true contempt of the world in not desiring to haue this his heroick act of pietie anie way to redounde vnto his owne glorie out of the vaine prayses and false honours of the flattering world V. HE was the first of our English Kings who to shew his great His deuotion to the Roman Church deuotion vnto the Church of Rome caused the annuall tribute called Romescote or Peter-pence to be payed vnto the Pope which was a pennie out of euer ie familie in England and was afterwards duely payd for the space of manie hundred yeares and which is most to be wondred at noe sooner ceased this payment but our English Church was swallowed vp into the gulph of heresie and togeather with the temporall lost all spirituall subiection vnto the Vicar of CHRIST vppon earth Allso this holie King INE built at Rome a Church in honour of our Blessed ladie in which all English that He built a Church at Rome came thither might heare masse and receaue the Sacraments and be buried yf need were With like pietie he erected there a schoole giuing yearly annuities therevnto wherein his Countreymen might And a free-schoole be brought vp in all manner of good learning and Christian religion and discipline Which seemeth to haue bin in that place which now is called the English Hospitall and is inhabited by English Priests being of noe small commoditie for the entertaynment of Pilgrins which now adayes flock thither out of England VI. Now he that in former times had ruled a Kingdome begaÌ„ in this sweete schoole of vertues to find that in rendring him self subiect for The happines of a religious life the loue of CHRIST he enioyed a greater Kingdome and that to be master ouer his one passions was the only best and truest dominion Now he had time freely to insist in the meditation of the diuine goodnes wherein he found the trueth of that versicle of the Royall Psalmist TAST AND SEE FOR OVR LORD IS SWEET He found how sweet a thing it was to carrie the yoake of our Lord in the Psalm 33. 58. continuall exercise ef patience humilitie and obedience in which and other pious offices of vertue and religion he spent the rest of his mortalitie vntill by the king of Kings vnder whose ensigne he had serued he was called into the heauenly kingdom to receaue a His happie death crowne of eternall glorie insteed of the temporall crowne which for his loue he had left He died a Benedictin Monk at Rome about the yeare of our Lord 727. and lies buried at the Entrance of the Church of S. PETER and PAVL as the tables of the same Church doe testifie His life me haue gathered cheefly out of WILLIAM MALNESRVâ—IE de reg Ang. and NICOLAS HARPFIELD hist Eccl. saec 8. cap. 10. Polidore Virg. lib. 4. Mathew westminster an 727. Baronius and all our English Historiographers make verie honorable mention of him and he is highly commended of all for his wonderfull contempt of the world and loue to pietie and relig ion The life of S. ELFLED Virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 8. Taken Out of venerable Bede SAINCT ELFLED was daughter vnto Oswy King of the Northumbers who after manie cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and verie rich iewels all which the barbarous Tirant reiecting pursued his deadly enterprise protesting vtterly to extinguish him and his countrey King Oswy humane meanes fayling him had recourse vnto a higher power making a sacred vow vnto the allmightie god of armies that he would consecrate his daughter ELFLED to the profession of perpetuall
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
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
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
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
doe worthyly speake his prayses The life of S. ERKENWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT APR. 30. Written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis ABOVT the yeare of CHRIST 676. sayth Baronius the English Church florished as a Paradise of our Lord abounding with the lillies Tom. 8 an 676. of sacred virgins and the violets of whole troupes of holy Benedictin monks lying hidd in the humble valleies of the cloisters It was allsoe fraught with an abundance of most worthie Prelats taken from vnder the vaile of monasticall humilitie to be iâ—â—ested with the Pontificall robes of dignitie among whom sainct ERCONWALD of whom we now treate shined as a bright sunne of the Benedictin familie in all vertue and sainctitie And that nothing might be in him wanting for the making vp of a man in al things most perfect he was ennobled with the splendour of an illustrious parentage being sonne to Offa King of the East-Angles Who allthough he defiled all his princely nobilitie with his owne perfidiousnes and impious worshiping of Idols yet ERKENWALD as the holy branch growne out of a rotten stock amplified and ennobled the greatnes of his race with the true profession of Christian fayth and the aduantage of manie noble vertues For being first grounded in Catholick religion in the time that S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle the Benedictin preached in England he adhered euer after to the doctrine of S. MELLITVS Bishop of London following his precepts and manner of life in all things Till at length desiring to draw him self out of the vanities of this world and wholly to enter into a contemplatiue life in religion out of his owne royall patrimonie he built two monasteries one at Chertsey in Surrey for him self and other monks and the second at Berking in Essex for his sister S. Ethelburg with a conuent of Nunnes both of the holy order of S. BENEDICT And soe he made a happie change of his terrene dignitie and wealth to become the holy inheritance of CHRIST and his Church At Chertsey he putt on the habitt of a Benedictin monke where his vertues soe answered that monasticall profession that Theodore Archbishop of CaÌ„turbury moued with the fame thereof called â—rconwald made bishop of London him to preside in the bishoprick of London This Benedictin Abbey of Chertsey greatly florished in religion till the furie of the Danes who spared no religious houses committed the Church with the Abbot and monks thereof to the mercilesse power of the fier But the incomparable prince King Edgar whom the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God ordayned the great aduancer of the Benedictin order not content with the new monasteries which by him self and others he caused to be built in diuerse parts of England vnlesse he repayred the ould restored the Abbey of Chertsey to its former splendour and dignitie searching out the auncient writings and Charters by the testimonie and power whereof he recalled the goods and possessions that thereunto belonged out of the hands of manie noblemen which eyther by force or the power of antiquitie had holden them as their owne rights II. BVT let vs returne to sainct ERKENWALD who now seated in the Episcopall sea of London soe worthyly discharged himself of that function that he omitted nothing belonging to the dutie and prayse of an absolute good pastour being a man of soe great vertue that his working of manie miracles the vnresistable witnesses of holines deposed him and his seruice to be most acceptable and pleasing to allmigtie God Being fallen soe Note a strange miracle sick and weake towards the end of his daies that he could not visitt his diocesse to preach and teach to the poeple but carried in a litle waggon one of the wheeles and it had but two it is vncertaine by what chance happened to fall off the beame when to the wonderfull great admiration of all the assistants the waggon went on vppon one wheele the other side being sustayned by the diuine power of him that wheeles about the frame of this world for the declaration of the great vertue and holines of the holy bishop that was carried And herein the ayre seemed to attend this holy man supplying the want of that wheele and by the touching of the same waggon manie sick persons after the holy mans death were cured of feauers and other diseases which human skill had giuen vp for incurable The water allsoe obeyed A great riuer giues way to his passage him when in the same waggon being to passe through a most swift riuer too deepe for his humble coach to wade in the curresie of those streames was soe great that they stopped the violence of their owne furious hast and expected till the sainct like an other Josue passed through on the drie bottom and then the riuer which all this while had made as it were a collection or vniting of its owne forces more lowdly to proclaime and roare out the prayses of the vertue and holines of the glorious Bishop Sainct ERKENWALD ranne in his accustomed and wonted manner The hower of his death reâ—ealed III. AT LENGTH when he had gouerned his bishoprick for the space of manie yeares in the continuall exercise of vertue and holy life the blessed man goeing for his deuotion to the monasterie of Berking and staying there some time in the continuall exercise of diuine contemplation it pleased allmightie God to reueale vnto him the hower of his departure which he truely foretould and to the last gaspe comforted all that were about him with the words of life that flowed from his dying voyce And at the very instant that his blessed sould left her house of clay and miserie to flie to the glorious dwellings of the happie soe sweet an odour filled the whole house where the body lay that the hearts of all the assistants were wonderfully stirred vp in the prayse of allmightie God and deuotion towards this holy sainct The newes of his death being spread abroad the Clergie and His bodie is translated to LoÌ„don poeple of London came to Barking to fetch theÌ„ce the sacred reliques of their bishop to burie them solemnly in sainct PAVLS Church But coming with their holy loading to a riuer called Hesord they found the waters encreased and swelled to such greatnes that they were faine to lay downe their sacred treasure and fall to their prayers to obtaine passage by the meritts of the glorious sainct which otherwise was vnpossible without a boate When behould to their great admiration and comfort the water which in his life time had giuen A strange miracle him free passage now allsoe diuided it self into two parts that like vnto the Israelites loaden with the Arke of our Lord they passed drie foote through the midst of the riuer And that noe sooner done but an other miracle followed for the candles by his bodie which had been extinguished were suddenly lighted without mans help by a light from heauen Soe that two elements
vtterly against it as others affirme or whether at length he did winke at her wicked course and seeme to be ignorant of her mischieuous practise as manie asseuer howsoeuer I say it came to passe certaine it is that betweene them was shewne an example of as detestable perfidiousnes as anie that is recorded in historie For breaking the sacred lawes not only of hospitalitie but allsoe of all goodnes and pietie they caused holy king ETHELBERT to be cruelly murdered in king Offas owne house by the bloudie hands of one winebert who had been brought vp a seruant Ethelbert cruelly murdered vnder Sainct ETHELBERTS father and now to recompence his former fauours receaued became the cruell Minister of his death being drawne thereunto with the couetous desire of reward To what wickednes doeth not the vnsatiable hunger of gould compell mortall hearts This false winebert brought holy ETHELBERT from his faythfull companie into a priuate roome who like an innocent lambe suspecting noe harme at all went securely with him Then hauing bound him fast with a most cruell blow he strake off his head who with his hands and eyes lifted vp towards heauen yeelded vp his soule soe pure in innocencie and soe glorious with martirdom into the hands of his deare creatour and redeemer the twentith day of May. Which being perceaued by his intended spouse Alfrid with a mind quite ouerthrowne with sorrow to see her royall hope soe suddenly dasht she went forth to his companie that without doores expected the coming of their beloued Master and with a lamentable noyse related the crueltie of this tragicall scene Who bearing this sorrowfull newes and being not able to reuenge his death returned in dolefull manner into their downe countrey being compelled insteed of a wedding-song to sing an Epitaphe for the losse of their holy King Then Alfrid renewing her complaints Alfrid becometh a Nunne Jngulphus in hist Croyland foretould manie miseries to her Mother which afterwards fell out accordingly And she her self refusing to admitt anie other mortall woers consecrated her virginitie to her immortall spouse CHRIST-IESVS and in the fennes of Crowland she tooke the habit of a Nunne and lead a solitarie liâ—e vnder the holy rule of saint BENEDICT for the space of fortie yeares after But King Offa her father which much encreased the suspition that he had been allsoe consenting to saint ETHELBERTS death presently lead his armie into the prouince of the East-Angles soe suddenly depriued of their King and by force of armes subdued it to his owne dominion IV. THE bodie of this holy King thus traiterously slaine was by the commaund of Offa committed to an ignoble buriall in the bankes of the riuer Lugge at a place now called Marden Whither as those cruell ministers carried it in great scorne it was found to be soe light as if it had been allreadie ennobled with the dotes of heauenly glory But the allmightie Goodnes euer zealous of his seruants suffered not the holy reliques of this Sainct to be buried in obliuion in that base place but miraculously testified his vertue and pietie to the world For the night following was made glorious with a heauenly A light appeareth ouer his graâ—e light that appeared ouer the graue of this holy martir to the great astonishment and terrour of the countrey adioyning And the third night after his sacred Martirdom saint ETHELBERT appeared in a vision to a simple man thereabouts and commaunded him to transport his bodie to the monasterie built on the bankes of the riuer Wye Which was faythfully performed and by the way a blind man was restored to sight by the merits of the holy Sainct It was then buried in a place aunciently called Ferne-wood where now stands the towne of Hereford And ouer his holy sepulcher for the space of manie yeares glittered euery night a heauenly splendour to shew of how great merit his blessed soule was in the sight of Allmightie God V. BVT King Offâ— greatly terrified with these miracles and the A Church dedicated to S-Ethel bert guilt of his owne conscience became wonderfull penitent for his former life and making his sonne Egfrid a King with him self in great deuotion went to Rome the better to expiate his foule and bloudie deeds past At Rome following the zeale and example of INAS King of the West-Saxons he made his Kingdome subiect to a Tribute then called Peter-pence afterwards Rom-scot After his retune into England for the greater satisfaction of his sinnes at a place in Hartfordshire then called Holmehurst now saint ALBANS he built a magnificent Monastery in honour of the worthy Protomartir of great Britaine saint ALBANE whose sacred reliques See more in the life of S Albane Iune 22. after long lying hid came miraculously to light about the same time which was in the yeare of our Lord 795. He allsoe endowed the same Monastery with manie lands and rich reuenewes for the maintenance of a goodly Conuent of aboue an hundred Monkes of the holy Order of saint BENEDICT Allsoe for a further testimonie of his penance he gaue the tenth of all his goods vnto the Church and the poore He founded allso the Benedictine Abbey of Bathe and in Warwickshire he built a Church where the adioyning towne from it and him beareth the name of Off-Church But after the death of King Offâ— which was in the yeare of our Lord 797. Milfrid a pettie King of the Mericans moued with the continuall and dayly miracles wrought at saint ETHELBERTS Tombe gaue infinite treasure thereunto and built a famous Church of stone to his honour which remayneth to this day in Hereford by the name of saint ETHELBERTS Church and is the Cathedrall of that cittie S. Ethelberts well And then that place was first made a Bishops-sea But out of the place where the holy bodie of saint ETHELBERT had layne before issued forth a fountaine of most cleere water called saint ETHELBERTS well ouer which now stands a Church which without doubt was built in honour of this holy martirs buriall there For it must needes be some strange motiue that made men build a Church in that place which is within tenne yards of the riuer Lugge which at euerie floud ouerflowes it soe that it cannot be come at but by boate The well I haue seene my self it is of a most pure water and much esteemed of all good Christians thereabouts In which one thing to this day is most strange and miraculous that when the riuer Lugge adioyning ouerflowes his bankes and that within Note a strange thing the forsayd Church it is knee-deepe and more of that muddie-red water this Well of saint ETHELBERT allbeit it be quite â—uerâ—lowne yet it remaynes most pure and cleere amidst those â—roubled waters vnworthy to be mingled with the puritie thereof And this I haue heard constantly and faythfully affirmed by manie of the Inhabitants thereabouts who are not ashamed to acknowledge a miracle done by the meritts of
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
fluxit Atque Magistrorum veneranda caterua cucurrit In number of HIS children gladly stand All that haue place in fruitfull Britaines land From HIM to vs baptismall grace did flow To HIM our troupes of Teachers we do owe. Whereby he euidently concludeth that not only the Apostles them selues who brought the Grace of Baptisme into our countrey were children of sainct BENE DICT but euen that all the faythfull people of great Britaine were Foster-children vnto the same sainct BENEDICT whose disciples had nourished fed the infancie of their faith with the milke of CHRISTS holy Ghospell and first brought them into the bosome of his true Church And this same passage of sainct ALDELME was quoted seauen hundred yeares agoe by Amoinus a monke of the samous Benedictine Abbey of Amoinus Fleury in France in a sermon of the prayses of sainct BENEDICT which hath bin lately sett forth by Ioannes a Bosco in his worke intituled The Library of Fleury This Amoinus who is a very graue and auncient authour following the aforesayd truth embraced by our sainct ALDELNE bouldly and without anie difficultie affirmeth sainct GREGORY the great to be a child of sainct BENEDICTS in the prologue of his second booke which treateth of the Miracles of our holy Father Nether is he content to say it only as the opinion of his owne head but constantly asseuers it a thing receaued by the whole English nation For thus he speaketh in the life of sainct ABBO extant in the Librarie of Fleury chapter the 4. In the meane time came an embassage from the English natioÌ„ to Fleury desiring to haue the helpe of some prudent and wise men Because this nation came to the loue of our holy Father S. BENEDICT and of that See the life o◠〈◊〉 Oswald Feb. 28. foresayd place for two causes One was because Blessed Pope GREGORY hauing sent thither preachers of Christs faith more peculiarly beat into their memories the obseruance of the Rule of the same beloued seruant of our Lord BENEDICT And the other because one called OSWALD a man of great authoritie amongst them hauing despised the world embraced the seruice of Christâ— in the about named Monastery of â—leury Therefore by the authoritie of this graue Authour a witnes of soe great antiquitie it plainly appeares that sainct GREGORY professed the holy Rule of S. BENEDICT and that the Preachers he sent into England did the like But lest some impertinent cauiller for such an one he must needs be that calls in question the authoritie of our Aldelme whom the Church approueth for a Sainct should say that these and such like writers professing the Benedictine Order them selues are parties in the controuersie and that consequently their authoritie cannot decide this question I will here briefly bring Authours of allmost all other Orders and Professions who doe expressely auouch that sainct GREGORY and his disciples our Apostles were Benedictines And bicause Baronius the Father of the contrarie opinion Thomas Bozius which we impugne was a Priest of the Oratorian CongregatioÌ„ let the Venerable Father Thomas Bozius Priest of the same Oratorie proceed first against him This Bozius who was a learned graue and prudent writer seemeth of sett purpose to condemne the iudgemeÌ„t of his fellow-Priest in this point soe plainly he speaketh for vs in manie places especially in his fift booke of his excellent worke intituled Of the signes of the Church chap. 3. GREGORY the great saith he borne of a most noble race and hauing througly performed his office in the chiefest honours of Rome at length despising all things and bequeathing him self to the Order of sainct BENEDICT he made profession of a monke and besides others founded in other places he built a Monasterie at Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus in that place verie manie did learne both solid pâ—etie and heauenly learning and addicted themselues to the Order of sainct BENEDICT Hence GREGORY drew out Augustine Mellitus Iustus Paulinus Laurence and Iohn and other Monkes whom BEDE and others doe mention and by whom the seruice of Christ was dispersed and confirmed amongst the English and maniâ— monasteries of the same Order builded And in his third booke of the state of Italie chap. 5. which booke he writt after this controuersie was set a broach by Baronius that he might shew him self notwithstanding the arguments of Baronius to be constant in the veritie of his former opinion he sayth thus Wee haue shewed at large in the fourth booke of the Signes of the Church signe the 6. that by noe other endeauour then that of the Roman Bishops the Christian religion waâ— planted in England Scotland and all places seated beyond the riuers Danubius and Rhene And in the fift booke signe 12. we haue made it euident that allmost all those that imployed their labours in this matter were Monkes of the Order and institute of sainct BENEDICT the Italian Allso in his sixt booke of the same worke chap. 6. he sayth of our holy father sainct BENEDICT that He drew soe manie followers after him that the number of them cannot be mustered Out of his familie issued forth soe manie and soe great men flourishing in all kind of prayses and vertues that which way soeuer thou turne thy self thou maiest stand fixed in admiration For how manie Martyrâ— I pray you came out of his Order How many men most holy in sainctitie and miracles How maniâ— great and admirable Popes Let vs produce one able to be compared with them all GREGORY the first to whom the Englishmen are indebted whatsoeuer goodnes is amongst them Thus we see how learnedly solidly and constantly this Venerable man asseuereth the truth and our intent against Baronius who was his fellow-Priest and the ornament and flower of the Oratorian Congregation No man I am sure can except against his authoritie who doubtlesse If there had been anie probabilitie in the contrarie assertion would haue been most willing to haue subscribed to the opinion of soe great a man as Baronius being of his owne coate and profession To Bozius let Onuphrius Panuinus an Augustin Frier and a most diligent searcher of the Roman antiquities Onuphrius Panuimus succeed who in his Epitome of the Roman Bishops giueth this most cleere testimonie for our purpose GREGORY by nation a Roman borne of the most auncient and noble familie of the Anicij forsaking all the Pompes of the world entred into a Monastery of Monkes vnder the Rule of the holy Father BENEDICT and gaue all his goods lands houses tenements vineyards c. to the Monasteries of monkes and at length built a Monastery of Monkes in Rome c. This testimonie of Onuphrius is of great authoritie for liuing in the cittie of Rome he gaue him self wholly to search into Ecclesiasticall antiquities whereof he hath published manie famous and profitable monuments to the world Next to him let vs heare ANTONINVS Bishop of Florence whom the Church honoureth for a learned
learned men that zealed the Truth and good of the Benedictine Order to make a most exquisite and strict search into the monuments and bowells of antiquitie and finding that the opinion of Baronius was but a child that could by no meanes pretend anie title or right of descent from Authours of former ages they soe learnedly solidly and manifestly made the contrarie assertion appeare to the world to witt that sainct GREGORY was indeed a monk of sainct BENEDICT that that which before lay as it were buried in antiquitie and not thought on receaued for a truth but not talked on knowne of all but commended but off a few became more conspicuous to the world more glorious to the Benedictine Order and more famously treated off throughout the whole Church soe that the new opinion of Baronius serued but as a foyle more cleerly to sett forth the veritie of sainct GREGORIES being a Benedictine Monke and to make the world take better and more particular notice that soe great an Ornament of the vniuersall Church had been brought vp in the schoole of sainct BENEDICT But that we may take away all further difficultie in this matter let great sainct GREGORIE him self tell vs what Order he professed for surely no man can say but he is a iudge without exception and one whose authoritie is able to weigh downe more then I will name of such as write against vs. In his commentarie on the bocke of Kings writing to his Monkes and Nouices he vseth in manie places the expresse words of sainct BENEDICTS Rule and applies them to expound the holy text or rather makes vse of the text it self to coÌ„firme the precepts of the Benedictine Rule and there in citing the words of the same Rule he stileth our holy Father Lâ—b 4. comm in 1. Pâ—g c. 4 sainct BENEDICT with the title of Arctissimae vitae Magister optimus summae veritatis discipulus eruditus The best Master of the most strict life and a learned Disciple of the highest veritie Whereby it is manifest that sainct GREGORIE in proposing here the Rule and masthership of sainct BENEDICT vnto his Monkes for a patterne of their life and gouernment doeth acknowledge him self and them to be children of the same sainct BENEDICT whom he calleth his and their Best Master of strict regular life For yf he and his monkes were Basilians or Equitians or of anie other Order why doeth he not rather propose vnto them their Rules and call S. BASILL and Equitius their Best Master Were it not a thing strainge and against all rule for a Superiour of Franciscans or Dominicans to propose in a speech to his subiects the obseruance of the Rule of saint IGNATIVS and call him the Best Master of their Religion and profession omitting to make anie mention of his owne Patrones sainct FRANCIS or sainct DOMINICK Surely yf sainct GREGORY had been a disciple vnto Equitius as Baronius faynes he could not haue beene soe vnmindfull of the Father of his monasticall religion as to preferre sainct BENEDICT before him with the title of the Best Master of regular discipline and to propose his Rule to be obserued by his Monkes and not once in all his workes to make the lest mention of the Rule of sainct Equitius But how could he when neuer anie such rule hath euer yet appeared vnto the world But of his Best Master sainct BENEDICT he maketh such honourable and large mention that hauing dispatched the life of saint Equitius in one short chapter of his Dialogues he filleth a whole booke with the life vertues and miracles of our glorious Father sainct BENEDICT whose Rule he confirmed preferred before all others to shew the abundance of loue which he bore vnto him whom he stileth the Best Master of his monasticall life It would be too long to sett downe here all the places of our holy Father's saint BENEDICTS Rule which this great Doctour of the Church S. GREGORIE expoundeth to his Monkes in the aboue cited CoÌ„mentarie on the booke of Kings It sufficeth for our purpose that he acknowledgeth S. BENEDICT for his Best Master and proposeth his Rule to be obserued by the Monkes of his Monasterie For what more manifest proofe can there be to shew that both he and the Monkes his subiects were all children of the Benedictine Order and that sainct AVGVTINE our Apostle and his fellow-monkes preachers were professouâ—s of the same Rule and Religion Thus much good Reader I haue thought good to insorme thee in this poynt not because the truth of the cause I defend did want anie such proofes but because there are some soe willfully blind in the opinion of Baronius that they doe yet striue against the whole streame of antiquitie and ancient Authours and seeke to maintaine his noueltie Against whom If thou chaÌ„ce to encounter anie such thou art here sufficiently instructed to be able to speake some thing for the truth in this matter And doe not thinke that in disputing this poynt against a man soe worthyly deseruing of the Church as the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius we doe it with intent to lay an aspersion of disgrace on his glorie God forbid for the defence of the truth can disgrace noe man and especially him who in sayling through soe huge an Ocean as his Annalls are could not chose but erre in some things lest the world should haue taken him for some thing aboue the common sort of mortall men To conclude we see that the greatest part of our English SAINCTS are knowne allsoe to haue been of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT as it appeares in the ensuing treatise of their liues For the Catholick religion being first planted in England by the labours of S. AVGVSTINE his fellow-Monkes who were all Benedictines that holy Order was allsoe soe happyly rooted in the whole countrey and soe manie learned and holy men were bred and brought vp in the same that the whole English Church was gouerned by the Professours thereof and replenished with great store of SAINCTS of both sexes of the Benedictine familie there being noe other Rule of regular life but S. BENEDICTS on foote in England for the space of aboue seauen hundred yeares after the coÌ„uersion of it to the Christian fayth Noe wonder then that the Benedictine Religion in England was the mother of soe manie and soe great SAINCTS Their liues and of all others I haue endeauoured to sett forth briefly with as great care as I could desiring thee for whose comfort I haue taken this paynes to weigh the faults yf anie thou chaunce to find in the ballance of good will and soe thou shalt not only encourage me to goe forward in this and a greater worke then this but allsoe oblige me to remayne thy friend desiring no other reward for my labours but thy prayers vnto these glorious SAINCTS that I may in the end be made participant of their heauenly companie In the meane time wishing thee the like happines I
certaine poore pilgrim his Chamberlaine being absent importunately asked him an almes in the name of God and S. IOHN He hauing nothing else in a readines gaue him a ring of great value of his finger Not long after two Englishmen going in pilgrimage to visitt the holy sepulcher at Hierusalem lost their way and wandered a long time throught strainge and vncouth places till the sunne goeing to sett the darksom night approached and encreased their ignorance soe that not knowing what to doe nor which way to turne there appeared a venerable graue old man that brought them to a towne hard by where they were receaued kindly and entertayned very sufficiently with diet and lodging The next morning as they were departing the same old man putt them in their right way and in takeing leaue of them Brethren sayd he be of good cheere and doubt not but you shall returne to your countrey in safetie for allmightie God will make your iourney prosperous and I my self for your good kings sake will haue care to direct you in all your waies For I am IOHN the Apostle who affect your King with all loue for his pure vertue of chastetie S. Iohn loueth him for his chastetie j which highly deserues it Take therefore this ring which he gaue me for an almes appearing in the habit of a pilgrim and deliuer it vnto him againe telling him withall that the time of his death drawes neere for six moneths hence I will visitt him and bring him where togeather with me he shall follow the lambe which way soeuer he goeth At these words he vanished away and Apoc. 14. v. 4. they hauing visitted the holy land returned safely into their countrey and related orderly to the King what they had seene and heard And in testimonie of all gaue him the ring which was afterwards kept with great reuerence as a holy relique in the great Church of Westminster and by vertue of it manie were cured of the falling sicknes and of the contractions of their limmes XXIII NOT LONG after the blessed man fell into a grieuous sicknes during which he was in such an extasie that for the S. Edw. in an extasie space of allmost two daies he lay without anie signe of life At length waking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he opened his eyes and sitting vpp in his bed spake to the attendants in this manner When in my youth I liued a banished man in Normandie I euer held the friendship and companie of good and vertuous persons as most deare and gratefull vnto me and chiefly those Monks and Religious men that excelled others in vertue and religion I obserued and with them I conuersed most familiarly among whom two Monks Benedictines had obliged me in the bands of charitie verle particularly vnto them by their honest His loue to Benedictine Monks conuersation their holy life their sweet behauiour and their affable and courteous discourse These I more frequently visitted their discourses being to my soule as sweet meates to my pallate And these being some yeares since translated out of this world to the ioyes of heauen I beheld in this my sleepe standing before my face rehearsing according to the will of God what shall befall this countrey after my decease They say that the wickednes of the English nation is growne soe full and to such a height that it prouoketh Gods wrath and hasteneth his His prophesie of England reuenge The Priests haue broken their couenant with God they handle the sacred misteries with polluted soules and defiled hands They are not true pastours but mercenaties that doe noe protect their flock but expose it to the deuouring iawes of wolues seeking only their owne priuate commoditie of the milke and the wooll neglecting the good of their sheepe that at last eternall death may iustly deuoure and swallow both sheepe and sheapheard in the bottomlesse pitt of hell The Princes allsoe and gouernours of the land are vnfaythfull companions of theeues and wasters of the countrey they neyther seare God nor honour the lawes men to whom truth is grieuous and burdensom righteousnes contemptible and crueltie delightfull soe that neyther the Prelates heare anie respect to iustice nor the subiects haue anie regard of good order and discipline And therefore our Lord And the comeing in of the Normans hath drawne his dreadfull sword he hath bent and prepared his bow to shoote-forth the arrow of his iust wrath and reuenge against this nation into which he will send a mission of wicked spiritts to whose power they shall be deliuered in one yeare and one day to be punished with fier and sword With that sighing and grieuing at the newes of this calamitie threatned against my wretched countrey ô yee witnesses of the heauenly secrets sayd I what if this people beiog conuerted from their wickedenes shall doe worthie works of penance will not God graunt thē pardon leaue his blessing among them Penance is of such force that it suspended the dreadfull sentence of death pronounced by Gods owne mouth against the Niniuites and allso differed Joan. 2. 3. Reg. 21. the imminent reuenge due to wicked Achab. Therefore I will perswade my people to doe penance for their offences past and carefully beware those to come and perhaps our Lord will be mercifull and not powre out these great calamities vppon them but with his wonted pietie will receiue them then returned vnto his seruice whom peruerted from him by their wicked life he was prepared to punish and destroy with this heauie iudgement No no replied they it will not fall out soe happily for the hearts of this miserable people are soe hardned their eyes soe blinded and their eares soe fast dammed vp against all goodnes that they will neyther hearken to anie correction nor vnderstand anie good counsell they are neyther with threats terrified from euill nor with benefits prouoked vnto good At these their words my grief and care encreasing What sayd I will our Lord shew his anger for euer will he not at last beginne to be more pacified When then shall ioyes succeed these soe manie miseries what comfort or consolation shall moderate Psal 76. these great aduersities What remedie is to be expected in these An obscure promise of Gods mercie towards England euills that as on the one side we are terrified and contristated at our future rebukes soe we may be a little comforted with the promise of the diuine mercie that followes them Herevnto the Saincts proposed vnto me this Parable When a greene tree cutt downe from the stock remooued three furlongs distant from his owne roote shall without the helpe of anie mās hand or by anie externall ayde returne againe to his owne roote and placing it self thereon shall resume iuice againe to florish and bring forth fruit then and not before some comfort may be hoped for in this tribulation and a remedie against the foretould aduersitie may be expected Hauing
afrighted and leaping of his horse fell prostrate at the Bishops feete now likewise alighted from horse back humbly crauing pardon of his fault The holy man touching him as he lay along with his rodd Soe S. Pâ—ter prono â—â—eed death to Ananias Act. 5. with an Episcopall authoritie vsed these words I tell thee sayd he that because thou had refused to refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that verie house thou shalt breath thy last All which came afterwards to passe as holy CEDDE had foretould For within a short time by the hands of the same Earle and his brother the king was most cruelly murthered in that house his butchers alleadging noe other cause mouing them thereunto but his ouermuch clemencie and mercie in romitting offences committed against him soe that it is credibly thought that this vntimely death of soe good and vertuous a Prince did not only wash away his fault but increase his meritt III. THIS blessed Bishop was wont sometimes to visitt his countrey in Northumberland and to comfort his countreymen there with his diuine preachings and godly exhortations whereby he gott soe much fauour with king Edilwald sonne to king Oswald that raigned ouer the people of that countrey called Deiri that mooued thereunto both by the sainctitie and wisedome of this vertuous Bishop and allsoe by the meanes of his good brother Celin chaplaine to the king and court he gaue to S. CEDDE a peece of land for the building of a Monasterie whither he and his people might resort to serue God receiue the Sacraments The holy Bishop made choise of a place for this purpose in the desert mountaines which before that time was rather a couert for theeues wild beasts then a fitt habitation for Christians But he would not permitt the foundatioÌ„ to be laid before he had purged and consecrated the place with fasting and prayer both which he performed euerie day vntill the euening and then he contented him self with one and that a small meale consisting of a little bread one egge a little milke mingled with water Thus he passed all the lent excepting sundaies vntill Fasting in Lent vntill euening he was called away from this holy exercise vppon some speciall busines of the king by which he was forced to intermitt his pious de seigne when there remayned only tenne daies of the fortie to come But because he would not let his holy taske be there broken off he intreated Cimbell avertuous Priest his naturall brother to finish the godly worke he had begunne according to the fore-shewed example Which being by Cimbell gladly vndertaken and as piously He buildeâ—h a monasterie performed soone after Bishop CEDDE erected the Monasterie now called Lesting ordering it according to the same lawes and discipline of religion as that of Lindisfurne or Holy Iland where he had learned his first lesson and rudiments of vertue IV. BVT IN that great controuersie which arose afterwards betweene the old Scottish or Irish Monks and the Monks of S BENEDICTS order the Apostles of England touching the celebration of Easter in which it was sharpely disputed an each side especially betweene S. WILFRID the Benedictine Monke and Bishop Colman a Scott holy CEDDE being a diligent interpreter for both parts was soe conuinced by the diuine arguments of S. WILFRID that he quite gaue ouer to follow the footsteps of the Scotts and came to the knowledge of the true and Catholicke manner of obseruing the feast of Easter and allsoe to weare a round shauen crowne after the Monasticall fashion of Benedictines brought first into England by S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle and his fellowes that were all Benedictine Monks And afterwards by the perswasion of WILFRID Colman and his adherents being fled into Scotland S. CEDDE him self receiued the rule of our most holy father S. BENEDICT and induced all the Monkes of his new Monasterie of Lesting of which he was head to doe the like vnder the same holy rule he gouerned them in all manner of vertues vntill his death Thus after some yeares well spent both in gouernment of his Bishoprick and this Monasterie at the length as he visitted the same in time of plague he fell into a sicknes which sett free his soule from the teadiousnes of this worldly life to tast the desired ioyes prepared for the reward of his merits and good works in heauen He was first buried abrode but afterwards a Church of stone being built there in honour of S. Cedde dieth our blessed Ladie he was taken vp and layd at the right side of the aultar At his departure he resigned the gouernment of the Monasterie to his brother S. CHAD whose life you may reade the second of March V. WHEN the Monks of the Monasterie he had erected amongst the East-Saxons vnderstood of his death thirtie of them went into Northumberland desiring eyther to liue by the bodie of their holy father or if God soe pleased to die and be buried there Such was the great loue they bore vnto this blessed Saiuct But in that time of mortalitie they all walked the pathes of death excepting one litle boy who as it was piously thought was preserued from death by the speciall prayers and intercessions of this holy Bishop For liuing manie yeares after and studying holy scriptures he came at length to knowledge that he had neuer receiued the Sacrament See the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God of Baptisme wherevppon he was forthwith christened and afterwards being promoted to priesthood he became a verie profitable member of Gods Church hauing been by the prayers and merits of S. CEDDE miraculously preserued from the danger of a temporall and eternall death S. CEDDE died about the yeare of our Lord 664. Of him doe make mention S. BEDE whom we haue followed IOHN CAPGRAVE WILLIAM MELMESBVRY de Pontific Lond. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 13. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 4. cap. 66. and manie others The life of S. WVLSINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 8. SAINCT WVLSINE borne in London of worthie parents was carefully brought vp in the seruice and feare of God vntill he was growne out of his childhood and then they offered him vnto God and S. BENEDICT in the Monasterie of the Benedictine Monks at The vertue of his youth Westminster to be trained vp in that diuine schoole of vertue wherein he became soe good a proficient that in a short time his graue cariage and religious behauiour gaue a great testimonie â—f future sainctetie By watching fasting and prayer he ouercame the two sworne enemies of goodnes the flesh and the Deuill Soe highly he contemned the pleasures and vanities of the world that nothing seemed to him more irksome and teadious then the verie thought thereof in respect of the great comfort he receiued out of the diuine contemplation of heauen and heauenly things whereunto he addicted all the
the great loue he The first vse of glasing in England bore to the Apostle S. PETER in whose honour he laboured made him vse such diligence that within the compasse of a yeare after the foundation was layd the solemnities of Masse were honorably celebrated therein But when the worke drew neere vnto perfection he likewise sent messengers into France to fetch ouer glasiers to adorne the windowes with glasse a worke neuer before vsed in England They came and did not only perfect this worke but allsoe taught their trade vnto manie of our Englishmen Allsoe such sacred vessels vestments and other necessaries for the seruice of Church and Altar as could not be found in England like a religious marchant he prouided and bought from beyond the seas But finding the pouertie and want of France not to be able to furnish him with such ornaments as he desired and especially to obtaine from the Pope new priuiledges for his new-built monasterie he made a fourth iourney to Rome and this as soone as he had assembled a Conuent of Monkes into it and His fourth iourney to Rome ordered them according to the rule and institution of great S. BENEDICT Shortly after he returned making a more happie returne of spirituall Gods then euer he had done before For besides allmost an innumerable multitude of bookes and great store of reliques of the Apostles and Martirs of CHRISTS Church he had obtayned of Pope Agatho to haue Iohn chief Cantor of S. PETERS and Abbot of S. MARTINS in Rome along with him into England to instruct and teach as well his monasterie as other Churches allsoe in the forme and manner of singing and doeing all other Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies according to the institution of the Roman Church All which Iohn at his coming he performed not only by word of mouth but allsoe by publishing manie rules and precepts to that purpose in writing which for memorie sake were afterwards carefully layd vpp and reserued in the librarie of the sayd monasterie Allsoe by the licence of King Egfrid and at his earnest entreatie he obtained of the same Pope letters of priuiledges graunted vnto the sayd monasterie to warrant defend and free it from all externe iurisdiction or forcible inuasions for euer Likewise he brought from Rome many pictures of holy images to beautifie and adorne his Church and namely a picture of the B. VIRGIN MARIE and the Pictures vsed in Catholick Churches twelue Apostles which he placed in the middle arche or vault of the Church from wall to wall and with pictures contayning all the Euangelicall history he adorned the north side and with others of the visions of the Apocalypse he made the south part correspondent vnto it To the end that all that came into the Church euen the vnlearned which way soeuer they cast their eyes might behold and contemplate though in an image eyther the louing countenance of CHRIST or his Saincts or with a more watchfull mind consider the wonderfull grace of his incarnation or hauing before their eyes the danger of the last rigid examin they might remember more districtly to examine the guilt of their owne conscience IV. NOW when King Egfrid saw with what great vertue industrie See the deuotion of this good king and religion this venerable man did doe the part of a wise and holy steward in all these proceedings he was wonderfull much delighted thereat and bicause he perceaued the land he had giuen him to haue bin well and fruictfully giuen he encreased his former guift with the donation of fortie families more On which land by counsell and perswasion of the King the holy man built an He buildeth an other monastery to S. Paul other monasterie on the other side of the riuer dedicated to the honour of S. PAVL not farre from the former and thither he sent Ceolfrid to be Abbot with seauenteen other Benedictine Monks strictly chardging and commaunding them that one and the self same peace familiaritie concord should be conserued in both places And as the bodie cannot liue without the head by which it breathes nor the head without the bodie by which it liues Soe let noe man anie way attempt to disturbe or disquiet these two monasteries of the chief Apostles that togeather are knitt in a fraternall societie of peace Whence it comes that afterwards both these monasteries were commonly called by one name Weremouth Abbey V. ABOVT this time the blessed Sainct hauing much encreased the number of Monks in both these places and ordered them according to the rule of his great Master S. BENEDICT he made one Eosterwin a Priest and Monk Abbot of the monastery of S PETER to Eosterwin Abbot the end that by the sociable assistance of soe vertuous a Colleague he might with more ease vndergoe the labour of gouernement which he was scarse able to performe alone by reason of his much trauelling vp and downe for the good of his monasterie and his frequent iourneys beyond seas vncertaine when to returne Eosterwin therefore vndertooke the care of the monasterie the ninth yeare after the foundation and remained in the same while he liued and he liued but fower yeares after He was a man by byrth noble but he did not make vse of the worth of his nobilitie as manie doe to breed matter of outward glorie and contempt of others but made it the first stepp to ennoble and enrich his mind with vertue For being cozen german vnto S. BENNET they were both soe truely allied in a vertuous nobilitie os minds both alike such sincere contemners of all worldly respects and honours that neyther the one coming into the monastery did expect to be preferred eyther by reason of his honourable nobilitie or kinred or the other iudge it a thing fitt to be offered him vppon those respects But being a manfull of good and holy intentions only reioyced that he did obserue regular discipline in all things in an equall measure with the rest of his brethren But S. BENNET soone after he had ordayned Eosterwin Abbot of S. PETERS and Ceolfrid of S. PAVLS made his fift iourney out of England to Rome and happily returned home enriched as before with very memorable guifts of ecclesiasticall wealth His fift iourney to Rōme as bookes reliques of Saincts and pictures contayning the histories of the ould and new testament compared togeather and such like And amongst other things he brought two cloakes all of silk of an incomparable worke for which he purchased of King Aldfrid and his Councell for Egfrid was slaine in his absence the land of three families on the south side of the riuer Were But the ioyes he brought from abroade where mingled with sadnes at home for he found Eosterwin whom at his departure he had left Abbot of S. PETERS Monasterie and not a few of his monasticall flock to haue changed this world for a better being taken away by the pestilent furie of a sicknes which raged all
the venerable and beloued man of God Sigfrid Luc. 11. v. 17. hauing passed through the fier and water of temporall tribulation was by a wellcome death brought into the sweet refreshing of an euerlasting rest And at length after fower moneths more the excellent worker of vertues and great conquerour of vices S. BENNET conquered with the weakenes of his earthly body came to his last It was when the frozen night came on with his winter blasts to begett a sacred day of eternall and cleere light of felicitie His watchfull brethren mett togeather in the Church with prayers and psalmes to driue away nights horrid shadows and to comfort the grief of their deare fathers departure with the continuall singing of the diuine prayses Some would not bouge out of the chamber and from the beds side in which the strong sickman lay expecting by the passage of death to take the sweet entrance of life With desire they expected that as his example taught them how to liue well by the same they might likewise learne how to die For the further mitigating of his grief the Ghospell was read all night as it was wont by a Priest that attended on him The hower of his departure drawing neere the Sacrament of CHRISTS facaed bodie was giuen him for his viaticum and soe that blessed soule hauing bin a long time parched and examined in the flames of an happie tribulation forsaketh the earthly furnace of the flesh and being at libertie tooke a long desired flight to the neuer-dieing glory of His death celestiall happines This glorious Confessor died in the yeare of our Lord 690. the twelfth day of Ianuary when he had gouerned his monastery sixteene yeares eight by him self and other eight with the assistance of his holy Colleagues Eosterwin Sigfrid and Colfrid He was buried in the Church of S. PETER which he built that soe he might not be separated from him in death whom he euer loued in his life and by whose ayde the gates of heauen were opened vnto him His life is written by S. BEDE whom we haue followed VSVARD MALMESBVRY WIGORNIENSIS IOHN CAPGRAVE BARONIVS and other graue Authours make honourable mention of his vertues This Sainct BENNET was the first that reduced the BENEDICTIN order in S. Bennet Batrone of the moderne Congregation of England England into the forme and gouernment of a Congregation that is when manie monasteries are vnder owne head or superiour who during his time whether it be perpetuall or determined vppon yeares is supreme monarke as it were of them all And for this cause the English Congregation of Benedictin Monks now extant and deriued immediatly from the auncient Congregation of England both by succession and Apostolicall priuiledge honoureth this glorious Sainct as their chief Patrone next after the vniuersall Patriarke of the whole order great S. BENEDICT him self and Sainct AVGVSTIN our first Apostle For allbeit in the beginning the Congregation which he erected consisted only of two monasteries as may be seene in his life yet afterwards the whole number of the Black Benedictin Monks in England was ranged into one Congregation as appeares by the bulle of Pope Innocentius the third graunted vnto them And in like manner as the Congregation of Clunie and others beganne srom a small number to grow to such greatnes soe likewise did that of England from the vniting of the sayd two monasteries by S. BENNET BISCOP encrease to a generall vnion of all the Benedictin Monks throughout the vvhole Jland The life of S. ALVRED Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by John Capgraue ALVRED borne in England of nobles parents was brought vp from his tender age in the feare of God and good learning he learnt euen in his youth to vndegoe the sweet yoake of our Lord remayning allwaies in the innocencie of his life pure from all spott of sinne His pietie and learning encreasing daily with his age he gayned soe great fauour and loue with Dauid King of the Scots that he esteemed him before most of his court and had exalted him to a Bishoprick had not his entrance into a He refuseth a Bishoprik religious order hindered it In all occasions this holy youth carried him self with soe great pietie and meeknes as noe iniurie could moue him to anger noe opprobrious speeches could prouoke him to reuenge he allwaies endeauoured to repay hatred with loue to render good for euill to ouâ—rcome enuie with dutie and seruice A certaine knight perceauing him to be beloued and honoured of the King more then anie other raysed a hatefull and malignant persecution against him and grew so fierce in his malice that he was not afray sometimes openly to vomitt part of his venom against him with iniurious words before the King him self To whom the holy man with a mild and vnmoued countenance You speake verie well sayd he and honestly I know your tongue was neuer acquainted with vntruths and therefore I take you to be His rare humilitie patieÌ„ce my verie good friend The knight finding him to be a firme rock whom all the outrageous stormes of his malice and hatred could not moue nor stirre from the ground of vertue suffred a willing ouerthrow in his wicked endeauours and shewing the effects of a repentant mind demaunded pardon for his great temeritie promising from thence forth euer to oblige himself vnto him in an vnsayned league of friendship To whom ALVRED I confesse sayd he I reioyce hartely at thy repentance and therefore I shall loue thee better farre then euer for thy hatred to me hath encreased my A good lesson loue to my deare Redeemer and my patience being exercised and tried hereby hath perhapps bina meanes to make me profitt a little in my dutie to allmightie God Thus this B. man froÌ„ the briers of other mens malice reaped the sweetroses of vertues vnto him self II. AFTER this meaning to bidd adieu to the world and all He taketh the habitt of a monk the vanities thereof he went vnto the Abbey of Rhieuall or Ridall in Yorkshire and putt on the habitt of a Bernardin Monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT In which solitarie kind of life giuing him self wholly to contemplation of heauenly things and the continuall exercise of true religious and monasticall vertues he attained to such perfection that like the moone amongst the lesser starres he shined amongst the rest of his brethren in all manner of vertuous life and behauiour And shortly aster he was soe He is made Master of the nouices good a proficient him selt that he waÌ„s thought able to read a lesson of vertue vnto others and therefore the education of the nouices or probationers was committed to this chardge But whilest he executed that office there was an vnconstant Clerk that entred into the order whose vocation after a small triall beganne to wauer like a reed in the wind His vnstedfast mind being
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
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
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
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
holy virgins and let him obserue where his cattle rest by night and in the verie place where he shall see the bull as he rises beate the ground with his right foote let him erect an aultar But that he may giue more creditt to these my commaunds behould I will bend thy finger crooked which he being freed from the goute that soe vehemently afflicts him shall presently restore to place againe The fisherman awaking cast forth his netts into the deepes and drew out great store of fish he presented the fayrest to the Count rehearsing at large what he had seene and what was giuen him in charge to say intreating him withall to make good his crooked finger The Count being healed of his goute straightened Count Alwin cured of the gout his finger and went in all hast to the Iland where he beheld the bull rising out of the midst of the other beasts that in their lying made the forme of a crosse beate the earth with his foote Wherevppon giuing creditt to the Fishermans relation he gaue thankes vnto allmightie God and erected a chappel out of hand in the same place Where not long after Alwin giuing verie ample possessions therevnto S. OSWALD within the coÌ„passe of fiue yeares erected a goodly monasterie for Benedictin Monks and in the yeare of our Lord 974. he dedicated the Church with great solemnitie to the honour of the B. Virgin MARIE and the great Patriark of monks S. BENEDICT and made a monk of his called Ednoth the first Abbot thereof The Abbotts of this Monasterie in times past were Barons of the realme and Parliament men Anno 97â— A Councel in England against the incontinencie of the â—ecular Clergie Mathew Westm Baronius and Osbern in vit Dunst. VII ABOVT the same time the worthie prelate of Canturbury mirrour of the Benedictine order S. DVNSTAN by the supreme authoritie of Pope Iohn summoned a Councell wherein it was firmely decreed and ordayned that all secular Canons Priests deacons subdeacons and others of the secular Clergie should eyther conforme theÌ„ selues to a chast life according to their calling or be dismissed from the Churches which by their lewd manner of life they rather polluted then gouerned And in this expeditioÌ„ S. DVNSTAN had the famous king Edgar his faythfuil Coadiutour and worthie Defender The executioÌ„ of his decree was coÌ„mitted to the two bright ornaments of the Benedictin familie S. OSWALD Bishop of Worcester and S. ETHELWOLD of Winchester Therefore S. OSWALD of who only wee are now to speak repayred built and restored seauen monasteries within his owne diocesse to the Monks ordayning to each one an Abbot hauing first cast out the secular Clergie for their insolent lewdnes of life Amongst those Abbots there was one called Fulbert Abbot of Persore a man of verie examplar life and a feruent zealer of monasticall religion but too seuere towards his subiects A fearfull â—xample or vnâ—isreâ— Rulerâ— which fault was much to be reprehended in him For coming to his last end and being layd dead on the biere he suddenly lifted him self vp to the great terrour of the beholders crying out that he was led by S. BENEDICT before the dreadfull sight of the supreme iudge and that God with difficultie had pardoned him his sinnes through the meritts of his beloued seruant OSWALD for the declaration of whose sainctitie he was thus miraculously reuiued At these words he was silent and hauing receaued the sacred Viaticum of our lords bodie he liued half a day and returned to death againe VIII ALLSOE in manie other places of England S OSWALD Oswald restâ—â—reth the monks to theâ—r Churches hauing expulsed the secular clergie for the self same cause of incontinencie he deliuered the gouernment of the Churches to monks of the Benedictin institution to whom they truely belonged to witt the Churches of S. ALBANS of S. ETHELDRED virgin in Ely and that of Beamfled In S. ALBANS he made one Elfrick Abbot afterwards Archbishop of Canturburie he ordayned Abbots at Ely one Brithnot and Gorman at Beamfled And all the monasteries which thus he instituted he was wont often times to visitt and out of a fatherly affection to furnish them both by word and deed with whatsoeuer appertayned to the health and saluation of their soules In the Abbey of Ramsey he placed one Abbo a Benedictin monk of Fleury in France a man famous both for sainctitie and learning to Abbo of â—â—â—ury teach direct and gouerne the monks in their schooles and togeather with the endowments of learning to aduance them in the exercise of regular and monasticall discipline This Abbo at S. DVNSTANS entreatie writt an exact relation of the life and passion of S. EDMVND King and martyr which you may read the twentith of Nouember At length returning to his owne Abbey of Fleury he was there made Abbot and afterwards martired by some vnruly monks whom he laboured to reforme IX THVS laboured blessed OSWALD in the reformation of Ecclesiasticall affayres redeeming and working the virginall Church and spouse of CHRIST out of the sacrilegious hands of her loose gouerners and clensing his sacred haruest from the impure tares of lasciuiousnes But after what manner he reduced the Benedictines into their auncient Cathedrall Church of Worcester let William Malmesburie tell vs. S. OSWALD saith he considering by little and little that in the minds of the clergie there residing there remayned yet some small sparkes of goodnes which might be bettered yf a man knew how to animate and shapen it aright did not expell How 〈◊〉 reâ—â—ored the monks to their Châ—rch of Worcester them forcibly but entrapped them with a most pious sleight And because the Cathedrall Church was dedicated to the honour of S. PETER he erected an other in the same Church-yard to the name of the blessed mother of God in which hauing placed a Conuent of monks he more willingly conuersed and more familiarly executed the diuine office amongst them then with the secular Clergie Which the poeple perceauing who held it a great offence to want the dayly Benediction of soe religious a Bishop flocked all thither Soe that the Clergie left alone chose rather to putt on the habitt and manners of the monkes then otherwise to be a domage to them selues and a mockerie to the common poeple But those sayth Wigorniensis that refused to take the monasticall habitt he quite expelled the monasterie and ouer the rest which consented to a monasticall life he made one Winsinure a vertuous Benedictin monk of Ramsey Prior in place of the Deane The rumour of S. OSWALDS prudent cariage of this busines coming to the eares of noble King Edgar gott him wonderfull great friendship and fauour both with him and all the Peeres S. Oswald made Arch bishop of Yorke of his realme And the pious King by the authoritie of a royall Charter greatly praysed and commended this act of S. OSWALD and confirmed the monastery of Worcester to the possession
hands couering them a table prouiding them meate and drink wayting on them at table and lastly hauing well satisfied their hunger he bestowed on each a peece of siluer and dismissed them Vnto these at Easter he gaue new cloathes and retayned them with him in his hall as his principall guests for certaine daies Noe sicknes could detayne him from these pious offices nay the weaker he found his body the more he forced him self with greater diligence to execute his seruice to these poore men worthyly following herein the humble example and exemplar humilitie of our deare Redeemer washing the feete of his twelue Apostles XVI AT LENGTH hauing for the space of manie yeares ruled both his bishopricks with great wisedom and sainctity to the wonderfull He foreâ—â—eth his â—â—ne death admiration of England the notable encrease of Gods Church the reformation of vice and the worthy aduancement of monasticall discipline hauing outliued his two Bretheren in religion and noble Equals in sainctitie Dunstan and Ethelwold the first fiue yeares the other tenne the day before his departure out of this life goeing forth with his monkes out of the Church into the open ayre he stood with his eyes most attentiuely bent towards heauen making his prayer with a mouth and heart full of pietie vnto IESVS CHRIST whom soe feruently he desired to enioy Nether did he as at other times quickly draw back his eyes from looking vpwards but as yf he did comtemplate with great pleasure of mind some strange noueltie he remayned very long fixed on what he beheld Being demaunded what he saw I contemplate sayd he the place whither I am goeing which to morrow next you shall plainly vnderstand For the eternall happines is now at hand to attaine which I haue hithervnto laboured on earth nether shall the morrow-sunne be sett before my Lord as he hath promised will call me into the ioyes of his euer flourishing paradise Therefore returning into the Church he called his monkes togeather and exhorted them to giue him the He receaueth the last Sacraments sacrament of extreme vnction and the sacred viaticum of our Lords bodie The night following forgetting this his sicknes soe attentiue he was to prepare for his happy iourney he went into the Church and hauing finished his diuine office he spent the rest of the night in prayers In the morning according to custom he gyrt him self with a towell and washed dried and kissed the feete of his twelue poore men and hauing performed the fifteene psalmes which he vsed to recite in that pious seruice he added thereunto Gloria patri c. and the poore rising as their manner was to giue thankes In his piouâ— exercise he happyly departeth at those wordes Spiritui Sancto in sight of them all he yeelded vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deere Redeemer the twentie eight day of February in the yeare of our Lord 992 hauing been bishop thirtie yeares When his bodie was carried to buriall a white doue appeared to descend from heauen and flieing gently ouer it couered and protected it with her wings Allsoe a fierie globe seemed miraculously to hang ouer the biere whereon his holy bodie was layd And when his sacred reliques were placed before the high aultar that fierie vision as it were to designe the place for his buriall wauered to the south side of the Church ouer against the aultar and suddenly vanished out of sight His Bodie was committed to the earth in the Church of our blessed Ladie which him self as we haue sayd before had erected And Count Alwin after the death of this holy man being oppressed with an vnspeabeable anguish and grief of mind departed out of this teadious life and was buried in his Abbey of Ramsey with this Epitaph Here resteth Alwin cozen of the famous King Edgar Alderman of all England and the miraculous founder of this sacred Monasterie The holy Bishop Sainct OSWALD as in his life he was wonderfull soe after his death it pleased the allmightie worker of wonders to shew manie miracles at his tombe by his holy intercession and meritts whereof we will speake more at large on the feast of his translation the 15. day of October when his greatest festiuitie was celebrated in the English Church It resteth only now that wee pray vnto his glorious Sainct who is soe potent and powerfull a fauorite with allmightie God to obtaine his diuine grace for vs in this world and to be partakers of the glorie of his blessed Saincts in the next through our lord IESVS-CHRIST who be for eâ—er blessed praysed glorified AmeÌ„ His life was writteÌ„ by one Senatus Brauonius a moÌ„k of Worcester about the yeare of our Lord 1170. which is recited by Laurence Surius in his tenth tome and praysed by Baronius for a historie saythfully written We haue only added thereuÌ„to some few things out Malmesbury Baronius Harpsfield The verie same history with this of Surius is recited by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus only different in the stile which Surius corrected The mouthes of all historiographers English and others are full of the prayses of S. OSWALD The life of S. AIDO or Aidus Abbot and Confessor FEB 28. Out of an auncient authour recited by Iohn Cap graue AIDO borne in the prouince of Conaght in Jreland and giuen to his barren parents by the speciall fauour of allmightie God when he came to such age that he was able to make choise of a course of life he departed to the Prouince of Leinster where he led a solitarie life in all manner of vertue and holines Afterwards he came into Wales where liuing vnder the discipline of great S. Dauid he dayly shewed manie strange examples of miraculous workes and vertues in soe much that during the time of his abode there the Saxons then mortall enemies to the Britans durst neuer presume to inuade their dominions fearing the power vertue of this Sainct Returned as he was againe into Ireland he built a monasterie He buildeth a monasterie in Ireland wherein he became the spirituall father and teacher of verie manie monks whom he instructed in all good learning and the monasticall discipline of those times Manie strange and allmost incredible miracles are reported of this holy man which I willingly omitt It sufficeth for proofe of his Sainctitie that he liued in the continuall exercise of vertues and died loden with the meritts of manie good works as he did this twentie eigth day of February At S. DAVIDS in Meneuia he was called Moâ—dock that is Jrish and there his feast was celebrated with verie great reuerence and deuotion Thus much of his life I haue gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue with whom only let the truth of his relation stand for I find noe other Authour that maketh mention of this Sainct The end of February S. SWIBERTVS EPISC. WLRDENSIS APOSTOLVS Frisia Monachus Anglus Ord. S. Benedicti M. baâ—… f. The life of S
day not only in Wales but all England ouer is most famous in memorie of him But in these our vnhappie daies the greatest part of his solemnitie consisteth in wearing of a greene leeke it is a sufficieÌ„t theame for a zealous VVelchman to ground a quarrell against him that doeth not honour his capp with the like ornament that day VII THE miracles which were wrought by his meritts after his death are such soe manie that they farre exceed the limitts of this short discourse we will only relate some which haue the testimonie of an eye-witnesse to prooue them true In the raigne of King Stephen Gyrald Cambr. in Topogr Camb. Iâ—â—uers miracles the brooke which runnes aboue the Church-yarde of Meneuia or S. DAVIDS flowed with wine and the same time out of a Well or fountaine there called Pisteldewy that is the Conduit of Dauid sprang forth a great quantitie of milke And this is reported by him that liued at the fame time and most exactly was acquanited with the matters of that countrey A litle portable bell called S. DAVIDS Note a strange miracle was of great fame and admiration in VVales which when the souldiers presumed to retaine at the Castle of Raidnock contrarie to the desire of a woman that brought it suddenly the night following the whole towne was deuowred with fier the wall only excepted where that bell was hanged A boy that endeauoured to take yong pigeons out of a nest in S. DAVIDS Church of Lhanuaos had his fingers soe fastened to the stone that he could by noe meanes gett loose All much amazed at this miracle specially his parents and friends who togeather with the boy before the aultar of the same Church gaue them selues to continuall watching fasting and prayer the space of three dayes as manie nights when to the great ioy of all the stone fell from his hand The Authour of this storie not only liued at the same time but both saw and spake to the man to whom it happened who confessed him self that it was soe And which is more that stone being conserued in the Church remayned as an euerlasting witnes of the miracle with the plaine forme of his fingers imprinted in it as in a peece of waxe VIII MANIE thousands of other miracles haue been wrought by the meritts of this holy man both in his life and after his death which for breuities sake me omitt And here now could I willingly enter into a large field of this holy Saincts prayses did not feare of being ouer teadious withould my penne as vnworthy to be the truÌ„pett of the same of soe renowned a man I will only desire all true hearted VVelchmen allwaies to honour this their great Patrone and Protectour and humbly desire him that as in his life time he ouerthrew with his learning all the bullwarkes of the Palagian heresie soe now with his prayers and intercession to allmightie God he would supplicate the diuine Goodnes to cast a mercifull eye vppon his poeple and reduce his sometimes beloued countrey out of the Blindnes of Protestancie groueling in which it languisheth more lamentably then euer it did in the former errour that once againe those hills and valleies may resound with the Ecchoes of Gods diuine prayses sung in such monasticall quiers as haue been the ornaments there of in former ages and now are only the sad monuments of their auncient glorie God of his infinite mercie by the intercession of this glorious Sainct giue strength to those few that are in the truth soe to remayne and grace to the rest to acknowledge the same truth and forsake their present errours The life of S. Dauid was written by S. Kentigerne but whether the same be extant it is vncertaine Ioannes Anglicus and Giraldus Cambrensis haue written the same allsoe out of whom and Nicholas Harpsfield me haue gathered the foresayd historie Manie other authors make worthie mention of him The life of Sainct CHAD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 2. Gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT CHADDE borne in Northumberland brother to S. CEDDE Bishop of London of whom you may reade the seauenth of January was at first scholler vnto S. AIDAN Bishop of Lindisfarne in whose vertuous schole he made a great progresse in learning and good manners being allwaies verie carefull to execute in deed whatsoeuer he learned by studie In his youth he went into Jreland where tohgeather with S. EGBERT he led a strict monasticall life in continuall continencie exercising him self with great diligenâ— in the pious art of prayer and meditation of the holy scripture Returning into England after that famous controuersie betweeue S. WILFRID the Benedictine monk and Bishop Colman concerning the due celebration of Easter and other Church-rites was decided togeather with his brother S. CEDDE he receaued the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT and succeeded his brother in the gouernment of the Benedictine Abbey of Lesting in Yorke-shire Which charge he discharged with great sainctitie and example of good life till in the yeare of our Lord 664. when S. WILFRID being chosen Bishop of Yorke and sent into France to be consecrated by the Bishop of Paris stayed soe long beyond the seas that Sainct CHADD by the meanes of king Oswy was consecrated and installed in the Episcopall sea of Yorke by the hands of Wini Bishop of the West-saxons and the only He is cousecrated Bishop of Yorke Bishop lawfully ordayned Bishop extant then in England II. SAINCT CHAD being aduanced to this height of dignitie began presently to make the pietie and vertue of his life correspond to the eminencie of his sacred function bending all his endeauours for the conseruing of the Ecclesiasticall veritie and ordinances of the Catholick Church and making his owne dayly exercise a true patterne of deuotion humilitie and continencie vnto his subiects He was wont to read much preach often trauell abrod after the true Apostolicall manner allwaies on foote from towne and village piously furnishing the whole countrey with the sacred doctrine of CHRISTS ghospel At length S. THEODORE being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury made a visitt ouer the Churches of England correcting as he went whatsoeuer he found amisse when amongst the rest he chanced to rebuke S. CHAD as not lawfully consecrated See the wonderfull humilitie of the Sainct If thou His great humilitie knowest answeared he verie modestly that I haue not rightly vndertaken the bishoprick I most willingly giue vp my office for indeed I allwaies iudged my self farre vnworthie thereof and it was meere obedience which forced mee at first to take this sacred charge vppon mee But THEODORE being ouercome with the resigned humilitie of this answeare replied that it was not necessarie to leaue his bishoprick but only to haue his installement approoued after the Catholick manner But S. CHAD after three yeares gouernment of that sea being more desirous of a priuate and quiet life resigned vp
was wont presently to sett his helping hands therevnto eyther in guiding or houlding of the plough or anie other such labour For he was a yong man of great strength of a sweet discourse a merrie hart bountifull in good workes and of an honest and decent aspect He allwaies cate of the same meate and in the same place that his other brethren did and slept in the same common dorter that he did before he was made Abbot Yea when he fell fick and foresaw by certaine signes that death was at hand yet he remayned two daies after in the dorter of the other Brethren And other fiue daies before his He taketh leaue of his monkes departure he was placed in a more secret house a part till goeing forth one day into the open ayre he assembled all his monkes togeather and tooke a solemne leaue of them imparting to euery one a charitable salutation of peace they in the meane time pittifully weeping and wayling to depart from soe holy a father and soe pious a pastour He died the seauenth day of March in the night when the monkes were singing mattings in the Church He was twentie fower yeares of age when he came to the monasterie he liued twelue yeares therein seauen whereof he exercised the function of Priestood and fower His death he gouerned the Monasterie with the dignitie of Abbot till at leÌ„gth leauing his mortall limmes he tooke a happie flight to the Kingdom of heauen saint BENNET Bishop being then absent in his fift iourney to Rome The life of this Sainct is thus written by saint BEDE as we haue found it in an auncient manuscript togeather with the lines of other Abbots of the same mònastery where saint BEDE him self liued a Monke Besides him FLORENTIVS WIGORNIENSIS an 682. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 703. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 37. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others doe northily speake his prayses The life of sainct FELIX Bishop and Confessor MAR. 8. Out of diuers Authours FELIX was the first Bishop of the East-Angles But a man of how great pietie he was it appeareth chiefly in this He leaueth his countrey to preach in England one famous example that being natiue of Burgundis and vnderstanding how few labourers there were in soe fruictfull an haruest of CHRIST as England of his owne accord he left his Bishoprick friends Kinred and riches and all other maintenances and promotions of his state to come into our contrey and employ his best endeauours in soe pious a work Whose holy purpose being vnderstood admired by Honorius Archbishop of Canturbury he allotted him the Prouince of the East-Engles which hauing He conuerteth the East-Angles forsaken the Christian fayth before receaued was fallen againe into the blindnes of Idolatrie But FELIX being in effect correspondent to his name which signifieth Happie with soe great happines discharged the prouince he vndertooke that in a short time he wholly happily reduced it from the Idolatrous bondage of the deuill to the sweet freedoÌ„ of CHRISTS sacred Ghospell He held his Episcopall sea in a towne then called Dimmock but afterwards from his name it was named FELIXTOWE or FELSTOWE In which place and dignitie happie FELIX hauing discharged the part of a good pastour for the space of seauenteene yeares continually labouring with inuincible patience for the aduancement of CHRISTS holy Ghospel loden with vertue His death and good workes made a most happie iourney to the eternall happines the eigth day of March was buried in the same towne but his reliques were after wards traÌ„slated to a place called Schaâ— where appeares yet sayth Malmesbury some signes of a Church destroyed and burnt by the Danes But the Sacred body of this sainct being sought for and found a long time after was againe translated to the famous Abbey of Benedictin Monkes at Ramsey This life we haue gathered out of S. Bede de gest lib. 2. c. 15. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 16. and William Malmesbury de Pontif. The life of Sainct BOSA or Boso Bishop and Confessor Monke of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR 11. Out of ve nerable Bede de gest Ang. BOSA from a monke of the Benedictin monasterie of Streanshall in Northumberland was at the instaÌ„ce of Egfrid king of that Prouince elected Bishop of Yorke in the place of the most reuerend Bishop He is made Bishop of Yorke S. WILFRID then vniustly banished out of that sea and countrey by the meanes of the forefayd king and the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury in the yeare 678. This sea he gouerned in great holines of good life and learning till by the death of king Egfrid his brother Alfrîd obtayned the kingdome who recalled S. WILFRID out of banishment and restored him to his Bishoprick againe But after the space of fiue yeares Alfred expelled saint WILFRID againe and BOSA was once more restored to the sea of Yorke in the gouernment whereof and the continuall exercise of all true vertues belonging to a holy Bishop he rendred vp his blessed soule to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen about the yeare of our Lord. 700. but what day he died it is vncertaine this eleuenth of March is made a commemoration of him whom S. BEDE calleth a man well beloued of God of great holines and humilitie Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY TRITEMIVS in his fourth booke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order cap. 64. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 678. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. cap. 23. and others doe make worthie mention of him aâ— allsoe Pope IONH the seauenth in his letters written in behalf of S. WILFRID The life of the most Glorious Pope Doctour of the Catholike Church S. GREGORY surnamed the Great Apostle of England and glorie of S. BENEDICTS Order MAR 12. written by Paulus Diaconus SOE great and soe manie are the incomparable deeds and vertues wherewith this thrice happie Sainct hath adorned the The translatours Proloâ—ne Church of God and soe manie holy and learned men haue endeauoured by their writings to make him famous to posteritie that we find our witts farre to weake to comprehend the one this poore penne farre to barren to sett downe among soe manie worthies anie thing worthie soe worthie a subiect Yet on the other side because the benefitts which not only the Benedictin Order in England but allsoe all England it self hath from him receaued are soe infinite we cannot choose but straine according to our power to make some small shew of acknowledgment thereof imitating those herein who in a little mappe or carde to the great pleasure and profitt of the beholders doe describe the mightie compasse of the whole world And here now o Romeâ— doe thou first acknowledge thine happines and diligently endeauour to imitate soe great a worthy Manie euerlasting monuments there are which haue eternised thy name to posteritie thy Kings thy Dictatours thy Consuls thy Emperours thy Trophies yea and the Empire of the world seated in
thy bosome All which and all other thy monuments of antiquitie diuers haue soe largely elegantly learnedly and exactly searched into that there is scarse a stone a marble or a sepulcher extant within thy walles which hath not been particularly noted marked and examined But I would not haue the stick here to long I would not haue thine eyes throughts fixed on these trophies of vanitie I inuite thee to behold more noble and more excellent glories of thine and omiting all other thy only and chiefest ornament thy GREGORY who alone next to the two lights of the world the Apostles excelleth all the rest of thy wonders Nether yet is he thine soe much as Ours too Ours he is indeed not only because he shined vnto as with the bright lustre of his authoritie and vertues as to the rest of the world but allsoe principally because by his disciple S. AVGVSTIN he brought vs out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to see the light of the truth and made vs that were the sonnes of wrath become the children of CHRIST in the vnitie and peace of his Church Thine too he is because in thee he was begotten borne and bred and in thee ennobled with the sacred dignitie of Supreme Pastour of the Christian world Acknowledge therefore this thy great happines thy natiue and domesticque glorie Honour this most generous branch bred out of a noble holy roote And thou wretched England acknowledge likewise the inestimable benefitts receaued from this thy spirituall father and Apostle Looke vpoÌ„ this bright sunne that first sent thee the light of truth haue regard to this thy pious fosterer who first fedd thee with the sweet milke of the ghospel Search exactly into his life workes and actions and euen therein thou shalt see how farre thou hast swerued from that fayth and religion which through his meanes was first planted within thy dominions and which as at that time thou didest embrance for truth soe yet I hope thou art not soe impudent as to denie for such Yf thou find then by the manner of this thy first Apostles life which was euer conformable to his doctrine that the present state of thy life and religion is contrary or other wise mainly differing from that which first he deliuered vnto thee be then most assured that thou hast erred and gone astray from thy first foundation and principles of the true religion which is not can be but one only This life was written in Latin by Pâ—ulâ—s Diaâ—â—nâ—â— a Benedictin Monke aboue 850. yeares agoe and for the antiquitle we haue made choice of it rather then anie other I. GREGORY borne in Rome sonne to Gordian and Siluia descended His byrth and Parents from a noble race of Roman Senatours in whom nobilitie was adorned with religion and religion ennobled with vertue For Felix chief Pastour of the same sea Apostolicque was father vnto his great grandfather and a man of great vertue and integritie and in his time the glorie of CHRISTS Church But yet GREGORY in his pious conuersation manners was an ornament to the great nobilitie of his birth In fine as cleerly afterwards it appeared it was not without some great presage that this name was allotted him for Gregorins in Greeke signifies as much as Vigilant or Watchfull in English His name expounded and in very deed he was Watchfull ouer him self whilst exactely adhering to the commandments of God he led a vertuous laudable life here on earth He was Vigilant ouer the faythfull people of Gods Church when by the force of his fluent doctrine he made plaine vnto them the straight way to heaueÌ„ From a child he was soe well instructed in the liberall sciences that albeit at that time the studie of learning florished much in Rome yet he was iudged second to none in the whole cittie In his age which as yet was but little and vnripe there was a mind full of mature studies and manlike endeauours to witt to stick to the sayings of his ancients and when he heard anle thing worthie of notice he would not by neglect committ it to obliuion but rather commend it to the strongest hould of his memorie Soe that then with a thirsty breast he sucked vpp strea mes of learning which afterwards with a mellifluous voyce he might vtter in due season II. IN the very time of his youth when that age is wont to enter The conuersation of his youth into the dangerous pathes of the world he began to settle him self in deuotion towards God and with all the desires of his heart to aspire to the countrey of euerlasting life But while he defferred the grace of his conuersion somewhat long and thought best after he was inspired with that heauenly desire to hide it vnder his secular apparell and to serue the world as it were in outward shew soe manie difficulties out of that little care of the world arose against him that now he was not detayned therein only in outward shew but allmost in mind too as he him self affirmeth Till as length the death He buildeth manie monasteries of his parents giuing him free scope to dispose of him self and his affaires he made that openly knowne which before lay hid vnder the secrecie of his mind that which before was only in the sight of him that sees all things he manifested now to the publick view of the world For distributing all his teÌ„porall goods in pious workes to the end that in the state of pouertic he might follow CHRIST who for our sakes became poore he built six monasteries in Sicilie furnished theÌ„ with vertuous Monkes to sing the prayses of allmightie God The seauenth he erected within the walles of Rome in which afterwards hauing gathered togeather a great Conuent of Monks forsakesn the Pompe of the world he him self liued in regular discipline vnder the commaund and obedience of an Abbot Vnto these monasteries he allotted soe much yearly rent out of his owne meanes as might suffice each one for necessarie maintenance All the rest of his temporall goods howses and lands he should and dealed the money to the Poore turning hereby by a diuine inspiration all that glory and nobilitie which he seemed to haue in the world to purchase the happines of the euer-florishing cittie of heauen And he that before was wont to walde through the cittie of Rome cloathed in silkes and loaden with glittering gemmes afterwards couered with a poore simple weede became a poore seruant to the poore III. FOR hauing changed his secular apparell he went to the He taketh the habit of a Benedictin Monke monasterie and made a naked escape out of the shipwrack of the world There he began to liue in soe great grace of perfection that euen then in his very beginning he might be reckoned in the number of the perfect Soe that within a while being chosen by the common consent of the Conuent he refused not to vndertake the charge
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
S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturbury perceauing had recourse to the refuge of prayer making an humble suplication to the all-foreseeing wisedome of God to voutchafe to shew whom his diuine maiestie iudged worthy for the gouernment of that Church And as he deuoutly and often repeated ouer his prayers S. ANDREW the Apostle appeared to him with these words Why art thou soe sad why doest make such lamentable complaints Arise and place the Abbot ELPHEGVS in the vacant Episcopall sea of that desolate Church Nether let anie contrarie power withstand thee in this for not from anie man but from God him self this sentence of him hath proceeded And left thou distrust anie thing in mee know that I am He is made Bishop the yeare 984. ANDREW the Apostle of IESVS-CHRIST and a most faythfull guardian of thy health and saluation DVNSTAN much encouraged herewith consecrated Blessed ELPHEGVS bishop as he was commaunded and sent him honourably to the sea of Winchester IV. BEING installed in that sacred dignitie he soe wisely framed and The seueritie of his life conformed him self to the manners and humours of all men that he became most beloued of all and which is rare among mortals noe man enuied at his glorie He was most mercifull vnto all others but to him self he appeared most cruell and seuere For in the verie dead time of winter amidest the frost and snow at midnight when all his poeple lay buried vnder the heauines of sleepe he was wont secretly to rise out of his bed and goe out barefooted with one single garment See the holy mans wonderfull â—eannes a bout him to busie him self at his prayers and meditation till morning In his diet he was soe extreÌ„ly sparing that he would rise froÌ„ table all most as emptie as he sate downe wheÌ„ce it came to passe that his bodie was taken downe to such a low degree of leannes that wheÌ„ at Masse he eleuated the holy sacrament the cleernes of the light might be seene through the ioynts in the palmes of his hands He knew how to temper fashion his mind and speech to all kind of men He permitted none of his diocessans to beg publickly froÌ„ doore to doore nether did he suffer the poore of other places to depart without an almes iudging it an vnreafonable horrible offence for a man to vsurpe that as a propertie of his owne which nature ordayned to be common to all Wherefore he carefully maintayned that he was noe true member of our Lords bodie that did not succour the necessities of the poore For yf when one member of the bodie is in paine the rest out of a coÌ„passioÌ„ doe not suffer with it it is manifest that that is not a member of the same bodie which in the suffrance of an other is not disposed to compassion But when those meanes were exhausted which by right of the Church belonged to the maintenance of the poore he caused the manie treasures which he had layd vp for that purpose to be distributed amongst them giuing posteritie a lesson hereby that Churches were endowed with store of riches to serue in time of plentie for an ornament and in time of want for profitt V. BVT when that worthie Pillar of our English Church S. DVNSTAN perceaued death to be at hand and feared by the succession of some wicked person the coming of trouble into the Church which now was well setled in peace and tranquillitie he sollicited with manie prayers the diuine mercle that he might haue Eâ—PHEGVS his successour in the sea of Canturbury His petition was heard in the holy court of heauen and a graunt promised allbeit the promise were not straight fullfilled Which perchance was deferred that more cleerly it might appeare vnto the world how highly S. DVNSTAN was beloued of God who soe truelie performed a long time after his death that which he promised in his life time and that S. ELPHEGVS might fall into such times as should aduance him to the glorious crowne of martyrdome Therefore in the yeare of our lord 1006 and from the coming of the English into Britalne 578. S. ELPHEGVS in the two fiftith yeare of his age when he had gouerned the sea of Winchester twentie two He is made Archbishop of Cant urburie yeares was raysed to the Archiepiscopal dignitie of CaÌ„turbury Who trauayling towards Rome to obtaine his Palle as he entred to lodge in a certaine towne by the way the townsmen perceauing him to be a straÌ„ger being verie greedie of their owne gaine brake into his lodging robbed him of what he had with stripes coÌ„pelled him poore bare as he was to gett out of their towne Which Iniuries man bearing away with patience only a little grieued for his companies sake returned the same way as he came When he had not gone farr from thence but horrible cries were heard from the walls which proclaimed the sudden ruine of the whole towne For an outrageous flame layd hould of the buildings which furiously began to consume all to ashes and seeing it still soe vehemently â—ncreasing that there was scarse anie hope of escaping a generall destruction suspecting that it might be a punishment for that rude violation of hospitalitie they ranne after the holy man humbly coÌ„fessing their fault and desiring pardon The sainct present taking compassion on their miserie made his prayers to allmightie God He receaneth his pall of Pope Iohn the 19 and these horrible flames were presently extinguished and their furie ceased Therefore his goods being restored be happily ended the rest of his iourney and returned againe into England with his Palle And being setled in the Metropolitan sea of Canturburie he excellently performed whatsoeuer belonged to the dignitie and function of a good bishop The vertue of chastitie commaunded soe high a seate in his soule that noe man in his hearing durst bring forth a word anie way drawing to obscenitie nor as much as relate anie dishonest storie He was the comfort of the poore the relieuer of the oppressed and the sole refuge of the afflicted VI. BVT ô the variable condition and inconstant state of this world The holy man had gouerned his Church but fower yeares The Danes spoyle England These miseries were reâ—ealed to S. Dâ—nstan long before when behould two Danish Princes called Swane and Turkill entred into England vsing great outrage in some parts thereof as a punishment for the poeples sinnes But Swane being by the secret disposition of god terribly slaine Turkill hauing obtained the principalitie of a wicked inheritance wasted and spoiled manie Prouinces in England with fier and sword For king Etheldred being a weake impotent man not giuen to warlick affayres made shew in his actions rather of a monk then a souldier and the people of the Countrey corrupted with the possession of their riches and tied to their owne pleasures thought nothing honourable but the sole priuate commoditie of their owne bodies Therefore euerie one
of his death all that heard saw what passed being greatly edified with soe great charitie of the Sainct amazed at the wonderfull light of his soule The like bountie and goodnes shined in him at other times in his great care towards the sick visiting cōforting reioycing with his owne hands seruing them and doeing the part not only of a true Father but allsoe of a most charitable Mother amongst thē Soe that in all their necessities the monks had recourse vnto him with as great confidence as the child hath in his mother laying open before him all the secret passions and wounds of their soules which he like an holy Phisitian because he knew the roote and origine of them all easyly cured This vnion of the parts of the bodie with their head subiects with their superiour is the Nurse and Soule of all religion VII HE willingly employed him self in bringing vp yong youth of Yong gentlemen brought vp in monasterics a middle age iudging his paines therein to be soe much the more profitable as that age like vnto soft wax was apt to receiue conserue all the lineaments of vertue imprinted therein It was a venerable custom in those times to nourish and bring vp Gentlemens sonnes of the best sort in Monasteries of S. BENEDICTS order ether to become Religious yf they were soe addicted or by that vertuons education to make them more capable in their riper yeares to profitt the cōmon wealth An abbott in great reputation of holy life came one day to vistt S. ANSELME discoursing with him of the gouernment of monasteries began greatly to cōplaine of the libertie disobedience of the yong gentlemen vnder his charge and that he watched night and day ouer them and made their faults to be seuerely whipt and chastised and yet it seemed that the more he kept them vnder the worse and more incorrigible they grew And what sayd S. ANSELME became of these children when their were at age or what profitt reaped you out of all this whipping and scourging Gentlenes most requisite in bringing vp youth For the most part replied the Abbott they grow to be great ignorant Dolts Then S. ANSELME This manner of education of youth seemeth to me most vncertaine for euē as yf one who by hedging in of yong plants doth soe choake them vp with thornes that they can nether grow nor putt forth their boughs will consequently bring noe fruict nor profitt soe in the nourishment of children who are rich and delicate plants to bring them to good one must vse a fatherly loue towards them giuing them a gentle discrete libertie and not allwaies making them slaues with feares threatnings and stripes Because when they doe not acknowledge and find in their tutours and masters that guide them the cordiall affection and loue of a father they thinke whatsoeuer is sayd or done to them proceeds out of chollar hatred and malice And as they grow in age they grow allsoe in a greater defiance of their masters of whom they haue as great horrour as a theefe of his executioner Rules for superiours in their gouernment In fine S. ANSELME taught the ABBOTT that true gouernment ought to know how to temper sweet with sower clemencie with seueritie and to cure wounds not only with the sharpnes of wine which closeth vp but with the supplenes of oyle allsoe which softens and opens the soares For allthough hard bread and crust be good for those that haue good teeth yet sucking children cannot eate it And yf a superiour will guide all his Inferiors the same way without discerning the different conditions and inclinations of the persons whom he gouerneth he will certainly committ manie grosse faultes to the great affliction and losse of his suiects The fame of S. Auselme drawes manie choller 's VIII S. ANSELME then inuironed with the glittering beames of excellent vertues his renowne was carried on the wings of fame ouer all Normandie through France into Flanders and England soe that manie learned and pious men came to the monasterie where he was Prior to range them selues into the spirituall warrefare vnder the colours of S. BENEDICT striuing to receaue the habitt at his hands and to liue vnder his correction and discipline Neuertheles he was soe prudent reserued that he neuer sollicited anie man to giue him self to God rather in his monasterie then in anie other but all waies left it to their choise to enter into what Conuent they best liked to the end that yf afterwards they happened to repent they should haue noe iust occasion to murmure or coplaine against him But they came soe thick of their owne accord that the Abbey of Bec was in a short time wōderfully encreased in tēporall spirituall goods of manie good religious monks and Abbott Herluine being dead ANSELME by the common suffrages of all the Conuent was chosen to succeed in his place allbeit he laboured with prayers and teares against it throwing him self prostrate at the feete of the monks and coniuring them by the deare passion of our lord ISSVS CHRIST not to charge his weake shoulders with such a weightie He is chosen Abbot of Bec. burden In fine when all his resistance did but encrease their importunitie he yeelded sincesuch he perceaued was the will of God Being therefore made Abbott he gouerned the monasterie with such holy prudence and prudent holines that this new encrease of dignitie was in him as a discouerie of a new mine of shining vertues whose beames amazed all behoulders IX AT that time there were manie possessions in England belonging He cometh into England to the Abbey of Bec to visitt which sainct ANSELME went ouer into England At Canturbury where LANFRANCK his old Master was Archbishop he was with wonderfull great honour receiued by the Benedictin monks of that citie which he no lesse ingeniously then elegantly putt off affirming the greater honour and greater affection of charitie to reside in them that performed it then in him to See his great humilitie whom it was performed Because he who vnworthyly receiued that vndeserued dutie could expect for it noe reward from God For what said he can be due to me from God in that anie one shewes loue towards me But to them from whō this loue proceeds he oweth a reward for their pious affection and he will not fayle to lay vp store of grace for them But the more he sought to auoyde honour the more still was throwne vppon him when poeple of all orders sexes and conditions striued to doe him the highest honours they could and amongst the rest King William the Conquerour who albeit otherwise a Norman of a fierce and barbarous nature yet towards sainct ANSELME beyond all mens expectation he behaued himself with an vnaccustomed courtesie and kindnes to the great admiration of all But the Sainct quickly wearied with these honours thought his iourney in nothing soe well spent as
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
vnder them whereby manie of them were sorely hurt whilst the other part where S. DVNSTAN his adherents were remayned vnshaken and moueable And with this fall fell likewise the cause of the secular Clerkes and the Monkes remayned more firmely and miraculously established and confirmed in the possession of their Monasteries Soe that as we haue sayd by the meanes of saint DVNSTAN and the assistance of the worthy Bishops saint OSWALD and saint Fortie eight monasteries of Benedictines ETHELWOLD the number of fortie eight Monasteries of Monkes and Nunnes of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT were founded and repayred and replenished with Conuents of religious persons that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and liued a most holy and vertuous life XVIII BVT allthough this most holy Bishop hath deserued eternall How he conformed the Benedictine Order prayse and glory for his worthie endeauours bestowed thus in restoring the Monasticall Order yet the chiefest title of honour is due vnto him in that he laboured not only to repayre the outward walles and buildings of monasteries to replenish them with store of Monkes but allsoe made it the highest point of his ayme and studie to reduce the Monasticall discipline it self to the auncient and primitiue rigour and vigour of our holy father saint BENEDICTS Rule And to this end he sent for manie learned and vertuouâ— Monkes out of the most reformed Monasteries of France to teach the true pactise of the Benedictine discipline in England and him self left written a notable monument of monasticall obseruance and and auncient pietie which is called A regular Concordance of the Monkes and Nunnes of the English Nation whereby all the monasteries throughout England allbeit before they all obserued the Rule of the most holy Patriarke of monkes saint BENEDICT yet because allmost euery one had some diuers customs and Ceremonies different from the rest were reduced to one and the same vnanimous obseruance of regular discipline in all things to the great conseruation and encrease of charitie and true religion He that desires to reade this foresayd Regular Concordance of saint DVNSTAN may find it sett forth not long since in the third Appendix to that worthy latine treatise Intituled The Apostleship of the 〈◊〉 in England XIX FVRTHERMORE how zealous this holy Bishop was in the S. Dunstans zeale to iustice execution of iustice and rooting out of wicked persons out of the Countrey is made manifest by this example Three false coyners of money being by the lawes of the realme condemned to death the officers differred their execution by reason of the feast of Pentecost which the holy man vnderstanding refused to celebrate his Masse before iustice was done allbeit some thought this act to be too rigorous and inhumane yet our Lord made it manifestly appeare that it proceeded from a true zeale of iustice of the good of the common-wealth for as soone as those malefactours were dispatched the holy Bishop went to Masse when being in the midst of that dreadfull sacrifice a doue as white as snow was seene by all the A whiâ—e doue â—uer his heâ—d at Masse assistants to descend from aboue and sitt vppon his head whence it did not stirre vntill he had finished that sacred Offring with extraordinarie teares and deuotion in testimonie that allmightie God was pleased with the affection of his seruant which was more iust then seuere without which it is most hard to conserue Kingdoms in peace XX. BVT the busines which had hindred King Edgar from being crowned in royall manner being now buried in obliuion saint DVNSTAN in presence of all the Lords and Peeres of the realme placed the Royall diademon his head to the wonderfull great ioy and exultation of the whole Kingdom And after two yeares space this noble King and worthie Benefactour of the Benedictine Order by a happie death chainged his mortall Kingdom for an King Edgars death immortall raigne in heauen whom a graue Authour affirmeth to haue been no lesse memorable among the English then Romulus to the Romans Cyrus to the Persians Alexander to the Macedonians Arsaces to the Parthians and Carolus Magnus to the French He was buried in the Monasterie of Glastenbury where as the records of the same Monasterie doe testifie his bodie was found without anie spott of corruption after manie yeares lying in the ground EDWARD his Sonne succeeded in the Kingdom who being consecrated by S. DVNSTAN against the will of his step-mother Edward the Martir and manie of the nobles that tooke her part was within few yeares cruelly martired through her malice as is aboue sayd in his life the eighteenth of March. Ethesred the sonne of that wicked mother inherited the Kingdom being indued rather with the ignominie of his mother then anie good part of his fathers Vnto whom S 〈◊〉 Prophesietâ—â— being installed in the royall throne S. DVNSTAN opening his prophetick mouth foretould that because he had obtayned the Kingdom by the shedding of his brothers bloud his whole gouernment should be in bloud by the frequent inuasions of barbarous and forreigne enemies Which words by time were too truly verified And not only in this but in manie others saint DVNSTAN had the guift of prophesie by which he foretould to the Bishop of Râ—chester and Saint ETHELWOLD of Winchester the time and hower of their deaths XXI WEE shall neuer come to an end yf we goe about to load this paper with all the noble vertues and excellencies of this thrice happie and glorious Prelate S. DVNSTAN our discourse now hasteneth towards his blessed death the end and reward of his labours It was on the celebration of that day in which our Sauiour hauing triumphed ouer death ascended gloriously into heauen when this holy Bishop after the performance of the night-office in the quire remayning alone in the Church of CHRIST at Canturbury more seriously A most pleasant vi fion shewed to S. Dunstan to contemplate those great ioies and as it were to vnite him self in soule to the glorie of our glorious Redeemer he beheld a heauenly vision of a great multitude of celestiall citizens shining with inestimable spleÌ„dour to enter into the Church with glittering crownes vpoÌ„ their heads who brought him this message from IESVS-CHRIST that if he were readie and disposed he might goe with them to celebrate the glorie of that Solemnitie in the triumphaÌ„t cittie of heaueÌ„ To whom the blessed man with inestimable ioy and vndaunted alacritie See his great perfection of mind answered What honour what hope and what ioy by this Ascension of the Sonne of God hath happened vnto mankind it is well knowne vnto you who are participant of his vnspeakable glorie Yee know allsoe that it is my dutie and office who haue the sheepe of my Lord commended to my charge to feede them this day with the bread of euerlasting life and to informe them how to follow his footsteps to heauen therefore I
this glorious Sainct and yet remayne in the blindnes of heresie to denie the Saincts of their due honour and worship iudging them as impotent creatures with allmightie God Whom of his infinite Goodnes we beseech to giue them grace once to wash away their blindnes in the indeficient fountayne of his grace that they may behould and see the truth The life of this glorious Martir we gathered out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield Hist. Eccle. saec 8. cap. 9. Mathew Westminster an 793. Polidore Virgil lib. 4. Molanus in addiâ— Gyraldus Cambrensis and others doe make honourable mention of him He was martired about the yeare 793. The life of Sainct GODRICKE Hermite and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT May. 21 Written by Nicholas a Monke of DurrhaÌ„ his Confessor THIS blessed man was borne at a village called Walpole in the Countie of Norfolke but adorned polished and brought to the perfection of vertue and pietie in Northumberland In whom truely the allmightie wisedom seemeth to haue imprinted and left to the world a most sound and wonderfull figure of his immense Goodnes and mercie For from a man borne in a most poore and abiect place and indued with noe learning at all he aduanced him to that knowne height of vertue prudence perfection and other heauenly guifts and graces that manie of them doe seeme allmost to be beyond the bounds of credit Which indeed I would not committ to writing vnlesse I thought my self secure and certaine He becometh a marchant of the truth of his worthie deeds Therefore coming to the flower of his age he became a Marchant of pettie wares which he carried on his back to sell ouer the Countrey from Village to village Till his owne industrie hauing encreased his litle meanes he frequented the citties and Faires in the same trade And at length his riches dayly growing he became master or at lest a patner in a ship in which he transported his marchandise into Scotland Denmarke and Flanders soe that by much practise he grew to be a man verie skillfull in gouerning those walking houses and in all the art belonging to the floting trade of saylers In which being oftentimes â—ossed in most fearefull and dangerous tempests He allwaies fled for refuge to the diuine power of In seadangers he hath recourse to God and his Saincts God and his Saincts and the danger being past he was wont in signe of gratitude to visitt the more celebrated places where the memorie of Saincts was-obserued to recommend the safetie of his iourney and returne to their desired prayers But going often into Scotland he desired manie times to visitt the Episcopall Sea of Lindisfarne and the Iland of Farnen in which places our great saint CVTHBERT had liued a Bishop and an Hermite Where hauing learned of the Monkes the whole manner The first sparkes of his conuersion of saint CVTHBERTS holy life and deuoutly visitted all the corners of that Hermitage and humbly with manie teares implored the mercie of allmightie God in his owne behalfe he heganne euer after to haue his mind dayly more and more auerted from worldly things and by a secret and inward motion of his soule to be more vehemenly carried to a pious emulation of a solitarie and perfect life In the meane time he was taken with a wonderfull desire to goe in pilgrimage to Hierusalem there to visitt and adore the sacred sepulcher of our Lord and other monuments of his deare passion Thence he returned through Spaine where at Compostella he visitted the sacred bodie of the great Apostle S. IAMES Being come againe into England he vndertooke He becometh Steward to a Rich man the charge and gouernment of the house and familie of a certaine rich man of his owne countrey where when he perceaued the seruants to liue more licentiously and make dayly banquets of meates stolne as he feared from their neighbours and that his friendly admonitions could not preuayle to disswade them the master of the house him self refusing to correct them foe they diminished not his owne goods Godrick soone after ridde him self of that office not desiring to haue to doe with soe depraued a familie or with soe remisse and negligent a Master II. AND because allthough vawares he had sometimes been present and partaker of their vnlawfull banquetting the verie thought thereof gaue soe deepe a wound of sorrow to his soule He goeth to Rome that for the better expiation of that innocent fault he made a pilgrimage to saint GILES his Church and to the sacred shrines of the Apostles PETER and PAVL at Rome humbly to craue pardon Yea the very memorie of that mistake would often times draw flouds of teares from his eyes Being returned he remayned for a time at home with his parents till not long He is morâ— in the way by a stranger after togeather with his mother he beganne a new and barefoote iourney to Rome In which they had for a companion a certaine Virgin that of her owne accord came into their companie a litle beyond London and carefully wayted vppon them going and coming being vnseene of all men but GODRICK and his mother only Till being returned into England and to that verie place where first she mett them she departed out of their companie Nether did GODRICK in all that iourney euer aske her what she was or whence she came nor did she once demaund anie such thing of him Nor could GODRICK euer after resolue with him self what to imagine her to be nether would he euer relate this storie to anie man sauing only at the later end of his daies to our Authour who This was Nicholas a Monk of Durrham his Confessor was his Counsellour in the more secret affayres of his soule And I would not rehearse the same did I not thinke that the lest suspition of vanitie could not befall such a man soe vertuous and holy as he In whom from this very time it may be seene how excellently the seede of pietie cast in his heart did striue more and more to grow to the maturitie of perfection And now amongst all the other sacred admonitions of CHRIST which incite vs to embrace an absolutely perfect life that voyce of his If thou wilt be perfect Goe and sell all that thou hast and giue to the poore like a trumpet Godrick resolueth to leaue the world sounded such an alarum in our GODRICKS eares that he neuer rested vntill he had performed it in deed And yet did he not vnaduisedly make away with his goods as the Heathen Philosophers did but to the end he might more easily and freely follow CHRIST and performe that part of his speech allso Giue to the poore and follow me which they did in no sorte doe III. THEREFORE with the good leaue of his parents who endeauoured by all meanes to promote his religious desires with their prayers exhortations and well-wishes he departed to
the Danish furie broke allsoe into the Abbey of Malmesbury Where as one of that outrageous crew endeauoured to violate his sacred bodie he suddenly lost his witts which soe terrified the rest of his fellow-robbers that they had the witt to runne speedily away Soe that when all the Churches and religious houses round about were made a prey to their furie the Church of Malmesbury by the helpe and patronage of S. ALDELME remayned inuiolate VIII Now yf anie one desire more largely to know other strange Manie mi racles wrought at his tombe miracles which haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct I refer him to the authour of his life William Malmesbury where he shall find the blind recouer their sight the lame their limmes the dumbe their speech mad men restored to their senses possessed persons deliuered and others oppressed with manie other mortall diseases beyond the skill of phisick receaue their health by the diuine power of allmightie God and the intercession of glorious S. ALDELME Of which kind some were done in the time and memorie of our Authour Therefore Blessed Lanfranck Archbishop of Canturbury moued with the greatnes of these and such like miracles solemnly decreed that the memorie of S. Aldelmâ— should be honoured amongst the other Saincts of the Church throughout the realme of England But in the yeare of our redemption 1078. the thirteenth after the coming in of the Normans all things being His bodie translated to its auncient 〈◊〉 now safe from the incursious of the Danes and other feares of spoling by the hands of the Abbot Warine and Blessed OSMVND bishop of Sherburne the sacred bones and reliques of S. Aldelâ—e were restored into their auncient shrine that was soe rich From which time the number of manie wonderfull miracles encreased dayly more and more His life was largely written as we haue sayd by William malmesbury a verie graue authour out of whom Nicholas Harpsfield sec 8. cap. 11. relateth this Historie The same hath allsoe been written by S. Eguine bishop of Worcester and S. Osmund of Sarisbury of both which the iniurie of the times haue robbed vs. Trithemius of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order lib. 2. cap. 23. lib. 3. cap. 141. lib. 4. 175. Cardiuall Baronius tomâ— 8. an 699. 705. and 709. and tom 9. an 734. Mathew Vestminster an 704. and. 709. Camden in discript Com. Wilton and all Historiographers both English and else doe make honourable mention of him S. AVGVSTINVS PRIMVS ARCHIEPISCOP CANTVAR Aplus Apostolus Angliâ—â— Monachus Benedictinus M. Baâ—â— f. The life of Sainct AVGVSTINE Apostle of England Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAY 26. Written by Gotsellinus a Monke and S. Bede THE fruitfull countrey of England in times past called Britaine being oppressed and wholly subdued by the warlick power of the Saxons and other poeple of Germanie was compelled not only to receaue and beare their gouernance dominion and name but allso which is much worse to embrace their impious Idolatrie and the seruice of their false Gods Soe that the Christian Catholick religion which from King Lucius had florished in that happie Iland for the space of three hundred yeares was miserably banished and destroyed Till a hundred and fortie yeares after the eternall mercie of allmightie God cast a fouourable eye vppon our wretched countrey and putt such holy thoughts into the mind of saint GREGORIE the Great Pope of Rome that allthough our countrey S. Gregorie the great sendeth Augustine in to EnglaÌ„d were farre distant yet he embraced it with a pious affection seriously cast about how or by what meanes he might reduce it againe to the sweet subiectioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospell Which diuine worke when he himself as is sayd in his life could not bring to passe he committed the charge thereof to this our glorious Apostle saint AVGVSTINE who at that time was Prior of the Monasterie of saint BENEDICTS Order which saint GREGORIE bad built in Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus and dedicated to saint ANDREW the Apostle Out of this Monasterie therefore our saint AVGVSTINE when he had led a holy monasticall life vnder the rule of the great Patriarke of Monks saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares was called by great saint GREGORIE from the sweetnes of contemplation to labour for the aduancement of Gods Church in an actiue manner of life and sent togeather with other holy monkes of the same Order to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST to the English nation Who obeying the holy will of the Pope vndertooke that great worke and beganne their iourney towards Augustine beginneth his iourney England and now they had passed ouer the frozen hills of Jtalie and were entred into the confines of France when vnderstanding the English nation to be of a barbarous cruell and warlick disposition and peruerse in the profession of Idolatrie being terribly affrighted from their attempt after a consultation had among them selues they resolued rather to turne homewards againe then to loose their labours amongst those fierce and barbarous poeple whose language they knew not II. THEREFORE setting aside all delay the whole companie sent He returneth to Rome back AVGVSTINE to Rome humbly to obtaine of the Pope in name of them all to haue an exemption from that iourney soe dangerous laborious and soe vncertaine of reaping anie profitt To whom the holy Pope burning with zeale to gaine soules to the Church sent letters of exhortation to encourage them in their holy enterprise whereof this is the tenour GREGORIE seruant of the seruants S. Gregories Epistle to comfort them in they iourney of God to the sernants of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST Because it had been better neuer to haue begunne good workes then euen in thought to fall from them being once begunne yee ought with all diligence â—moct beloued children to accomplish the good worke which by the helpe of our Lord yee haue vndertaken Nether let the labour of the iourney nor the tongues of slanderous men deterre yee but God being your ruler performe with all instancie and feruour what ye haue begunne knowing that a greater glorie of eternall recoÌ„pence followeth the greatnes of your labour But in all things be humbly obedient to AVGVSTINE your Prior to you returning whom we allsoe constitute your Abbot knowing that through all things it will be profitable for your soules whatsoeuer yee shall doe by his admomtion Allmightie God protect yee with his grace and graunt me to see the fruits of your labour in the euerlasting kingdom to the end that allthough I cannot labour with yee I may haue a place with yee in the ioies of your recompence because indeed I desire to labour God keepe yee in health my most beloued children Giuen the third of the calends of August in the raygne of our most pious Emperour Mauritius Tiberius c. At the same time this most Blessed Pope sent letters allsoe to
more stately manner retaynes the name of CHRISTS-Church and is the mother and Metropolitan of all England IX BVT our new Apostolicall Archbishop vehemently desiring to reioyce holy Pope GREGORY with the newes of his happie successe S. Augustine consulteth Pope Gregorie presently after his returne from Arelas sent his holy fellow-Monkes and Preachers LAVRENCE and PETER to Rome to make relation to saint GREGORIE that the English nation had admitted the fayth of CHRIST and that he was made Bishop thereof desiring allsoe to haue his prudent counsell in manie difficulties that did arise in the plantation of that new Church The ioy that the holy Pope receaued with the breath of this newes I leaue to our hearts to imagine for doubtlesse it was such that noe tongue nor penne can expresse it Then he sent back with these holy legats more preachers and labourers into the new vineyard of our Lord of whom the chiefest were these holy Benedictine Monkes Mellitus Justus Paulinus and Ruffinianus and by them all things necessarie for the diuine seruice holy vessells chalices aultar-cloathes ornaments for the Church Priestly robes and vestements manie holy reliques of the Apostles and martirs and great store of bookes He allsoe dispatched letters to saint AVGVSTINE in which he signifieth the sending of the Palle vnto him insinuating withall after what manner he ought to ordaine Bishops in England Heare his Epistle X. GREGORIE Seruant of the Seruants of God to his most reuerend Pope Gregoâ—â—e â—eâ—terâ— to S. August and most holy Brother Augustine Bishop Allthough it is certaine that the vnspeakable rewards of the eternall Kingdom are rescrued for those that labour â—or allmightie God it behooues vs neuerthelesse to bestow on such the benefitts of honour that out of this recompence they may be encouraged to endeauour more abundantly in the exercise of their spirituall labour And because the new Church of the English by the peculiar bountie of our Lord and thy industrie is brought to the grace of allmightie God we graunt to thee there the vse of the Palle in the performance of the solemnities of Masse only soe that thou maiest ordaine twelue Bishops in diuers places all to be subiect The auncient vse of the Palle to thy iurisaiction because the Bishop of the Cittie of London ought allwaies hereafter to be consecrated by his proper Sinod and receaue the Palle from this holy and Apostolique Sca to which by the authoritie of God J serue But to the Cittie of Yorke we will thee to send a Bishop whom thou shalt thinke fitt to ordaine only soe that if that cittie with the countrey adioyning â—hall receaue the word of God he may allsoe ordaine twelue Bishops and enioy the dignitie of a Metropolitan because to him allsoe by the helpe of God yf our life last we resolue to giue the Palle whom notwithstanding we will haue to be subiect to the disposition of thy Fraternitie But after thy death August hath iurisdiction ouer all England let him soe preside ouer the Bishops he hath odayned that by noe meanes he be subiect to the Bishop of London But let this distinction be between the bishop of London and Yorke that he be accompted the first who was first ordered And with common counsell and peaceable dealing let them vnanimously dispose those things which are to be handled for the zeale of Christ let them iudge rightly and not performe their iudgements with disagreeing minds But let thy Brotherhood haue iurisdiction not only ouer the bishops by thee ordayned those ordayned by the bihop of Yorke but allsoe ouer all the bishops and Priests of Britaine by the authoritie of God and our Lord Iesus-Christ To the end that from the tongue and life of thy Sainctitie they may learne the forme both of rightly beleeuing and well liuing that executing their office with true fayth and good manners they may when our Lord will attaine to the heauenly Kingdom God keepe thee in health most reuerend brother Giuen the tenth of the Calends of July in the ninteenth yeare of the raigne of our most pious Emperour Mauritius Tiberius XI BY this Epistle it appeases how our holy Apostle AVGVSTINE What the Archbishops Palle is and meaneth receaued the dignitie of metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of of all England and the Palle the chiefe armes of that dignitie vsed in auncient times to be sent from the Roman Sea to all Archbishops But this Palle to satisfie the ignorant is a little poore cloath in breadth not exceeding three fingers which Archbishops going to the aultar putt about their necks after all other Pontificall ornaments it hath two labels hanging downe before and behind adorned with little black crosses all rude and vnpolisht made of the verie wooll as it comes from the sheepes back without anie other artificiall colour and this being first cast into the tombe of saint PETER the Pope sends to those that are designed to be Archbishops This auncient ceremonie fignified chiefely two things The first that the Bishop shining and glittering at masse in glorious robes adorned with gould gemmes looking vppon the pouertie of this cloath should learne not to grow insolent with the greatnes of his dignitie but cast off all high-aspiring spiritts The other that he should diligently and exactly obserue the sâ—me fayth which S. PETER taught at Rome in whose tombe this cloath was throwne and that which the other Bishops of the same sea haue followed This much by the way be sayd of the Palle XII BVT our foresayd holy legats being departed from Rome the blessed Pope GREGORIE sent letters after them worthie of memorie by which he manifestly she weth with what an industrious affectionate zeale he was carried towards the saluation of our couÌ„trey Oâ—her letters of S. Gregory writing in this manner GREGORIE seruant of the seruants of God to Mellitus Abbot After the departure of our Congregation which is with thee we were held greatly in suspense because we chaunced to heare nothing of the prosperitie of your iourney Therefore when allmightie God shall haue brought yee safe to the moct reuerend man Augustine our brother tell him that I haue long discussed with my self concerning the cause of the English and am now resolued that the Temples of the Idols ought not The vse of holy water in oâ—â— first Apostles time to be destroyed in that countrey but let the Idols them selues only be demolisht Let holy water be made and sprinkled in those Temples let altars be built and reliques placed therein because if those Temples be fittly built it is necessarie that they be chainged from the worship of deuils to the seruice of the true God that whilst the poeple them selues seeing their self same Temples vndestroyed may depose out of their hearts all errour and acknowledging and adoring the true God may more familliarly frequent their accustomed places And because their custom is to kill manie oxen in sacrifice to their God in this
was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
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
with populous townes and forreigne marchandise most famous for fayre poeple wealth and riches This huge and goodly Iland was long since destined for thee his elect Agent by the diuine prouidence of the mightie creatour of all things who from the beginning hauing made the world perfect in beautie gaue it into the possession of man his creature This nation soe fayre in face but black in soule with the filth of Idolatrie being by thee washed in the waters of Jordan ascendeth wholly pure and white as the Blackmoore woman by Moyses Now to the greater glory of God and thy owne crowne that new pillar of light which led the Israelites out of Egipt being erected in the fayth and Crosse of CHRIST thou leadest vs Heathens out of the Egiptian darknes of infidelitie and out of the shades of death into the true land of promise flowing with milke and honie For to thee as our Apostolicque Captaine the diuine grace of the Ghospell gaue that which was denied to Moyses the lawmaker of the Iewes and that which he could not obtaine in the law thou art found worthy to accomplish in IESVS-CHRIST the End of the law Now out of the spoiles of the fettered Tirant and out of the Kingdom of the captiue spoiler of our soules thou shalt make our God a Kingdom and a poeple of purchase now next to the heauenly Kingdom and those vnspeakable rewards of thy labours this countrey shall be thy perpetuall possession which by thee was purchased and gayned to CHRIST and whose temporall commodities thou hast forsaken thou shalt now possesse the hereditary gaines And being seated in the high towers of Paradise thou 〈…〉 iest as an holy sentinell perpetually watch and defend the whole countrey dedicated to thy honour and glory XXIV AT LENGTH this most victorious Champion of our Lord hauing runne the race of this mortall life in all sainctitie and perfâ—ction His last 〈◊〉 of coÌ„uersation hauing laboured in the conuersioÌ„ of our wretched countrey with continuall and vn wearies diligence care and industrie came to the goale and long desired rewards of the heauenly Kingdom Now our Lord knocking at the gates of his soule with sicknes he willingly opened with great and vnspeakable thanksgiuing Then with a couragious affection of a fatherly loue he exhorted as well the King Queene and princes as the Clergie and poeple allsoe inuiolably to remayne in the feare and seruice of allmightie God to obey the diuine precepts and obseruances proposed and preached vnto them by his Seruants Which done the end of his worldly tempests approched and the bright morning of his eternall ioies appeared and hauing giuen his benediction to the King and confirmed the infancie of his new-borne Church in CHRIST leauing vnto all manie holy pledges of his perpetuall loue and documents of his pious fellowes and disciples in presence of S. LAVRENCE his successour and a populous multitude of poeple he gaue vp his blessed soule into the hands of him that had created 〈◊〉 happy deaâ—â— it for his honour and in the triumphe glorie of the heauenly citizens he was receaued into the euer lasting blisse of all blessednes the 26 day of May about the yeare of our Lord 614. His sacred bodie was first buried without the Church of saint PETER and saint PAVL which me spoke off before and which was not yet finished nor dedicated But soone after it was consecrated by saint LAVRENCE and his bodie was honourably buried in the north Porch thereof where the bodies of the Archbishops his successors were allsoe buryed vntill the place would hould noe more Ouer Sainct AVGVSTINES tombe was written this Epitaphe in proâ—e Here resteth Lord Augustine the first Archbishop of Canturbury who His Epitaphe being in times past sent hither from blessed Gregory bishop of the Roman Cittie sustayned by God with the working of miracles brought King Ethelbert and his coâ—â—trey from the worshipping of Idols to the â—â—yth of Christ and the daies of his office being finished in peace he died the seamâ—â—th of the Calends of Iune the same King raygning XXV THE miracles wrought at is tombe are such soe manie and Miracles at his tombe soe great that they would require a whole volume farre beyond the limits of our purpose Gotzeline the Authour of his life whom we follow maketh mention of verie manie it shall suffice vs to relate one or two briefely When the Danes were outrageous in England the Benedictine Monasterie of saint PETER and S. PAVL without the walles of Canturbury which was afterwards called Sainct Augustines became allsoe a part of their prey But one of them as he endeauoured to steale the cloath that couered S. AVGVSTINES Tombe it stuck soe close to his hands as yf it had been his owne skinne till hauing asked pardon of the Sainct he restored it againe to the place Which miracle cloathed him and manie of his fellowes with the white robes of Christianitie and made them deuoted to sainct AVGVSTINE euer after Canutus King of the Danes and English being Canutus freed from shiprack at sea in imminent danger of shipracke calling vppon saint AVGVSTINE for helpe whose patronage he had oftentimes proued most comfortable the fearfull tempest ceased and he arriued quietly to a secure hauen and coming afterwards to the tombe of his holy Patrone with the royaltie of manie gratefull rewards and prayses of thankes he witnessed the great fauour he had receaued The Speech restored to the Dumbe same benefitt was bestowed vppon manie others in the like case that called to this holy Sainct for ayde A yong gyrle that by I know not what mischance was strucken dumbe when all art of phisicke had been foyled in curing her offering a candle at saint AVGVSTINES tombe and in heart recommending her self to his merits perfectly recouered her speech And the same fauour was shewed to an other of her sexe praying in the same place In a word all manner of diseases were cured at his holy reliques to those that humbly and religiously craued helpe And as to such he was allwaies mercifully indulgent soe those that endeauoured to wrong him his tombe or his Church escaped not the diuine punishment XXVI BVT O England England how farre art thou swerued An Apostrophe to England Thren 4 v. 1. from the religion of this thy first Apostle How is the gould made darke and the best colour chainged of thy first Fayth and charitie in IESVS-CHRIST In times past thou didest learne that Fayth only which is the beginning head and foundation of eternall saluation of those that were Catholick Roman Priests and Monkes whom now thou doest persecute they celebrated the dreadfull solemnities of Masse which now thou abhorrest they honoured and called vppon the Saincts in heauen whom thou despisest they acknowledged the supreme authoritie of the Bishop of the Roman and Apostolicque Sea whence they were sent to deliuer thee out of the blind night of Idolatrie to the bright day of
the true Christian fayth by thee then piously and dutifully receaued heard and retayned and now like a degenerate child being fallen from the obedience of thy mother-Sea of Rome like vnto a ship without a sterne thou art blowne and tost in the deepes of the misteries of Fayth with euery wind of erroneous doctrine being not able to steere into the hauen of anie setled and well-grounded opinion Againe therefore I repeate those words of the Prophet How is the gould make darke and the best colour chainged In very deed thou hast now left thy first fayth Thren 4. v. 1. Apocal. 2. v. 4. 5. Serm. 92 and charitie Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen and doe penance and performe thy first workes It is now in vaine and vnnecessary for thee to dispute of matters of religion Saint AMBRISE assures thee as much We must know sayth that holy Doctour that not without great danger we doubt of the truth of that religion which we see confirmed with the bloud of soe manie great men It is a matter of mightie danger yf after the Oracles of the Prophets after the testimonies of the Apostles after the wounds of the Martirs thou presume to discusse the anncient sayth as new and after soe manie manifest guides thou remayne in errour and after the sweates of soe manie dying teachers thou contend with an idle disputation Therefore my beloued countrey I beseech and coniure thee by the bowells of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST thy deare redeemer to consider well this sentence of the Prophet Jeremie Stand vppon the wayes and behould and inquire of the auncient Ier. 6. 〈◊〉 16. pathes which is the good way walke in it and yee shall find a refreshment to your soules The holy Benedictine Monke saint AVGVSTINE who came to thee from old Rome taught these auncient pathes in CHRIST-IESVS he shewed thee the true way he shined in thy dominions with manie heauenly signes and miracles as soe manie vnresistable witnesses of the truth he with his holy labours rooted vp-the impious stockes of Idolatrie out of the hearts of thy poeple and planted there in the Christian fayth which he watred with his owne sweats and teares Insist in his waies follow his footstepps walke in his pathes and thou shalt find both in this and much more in the world to come a sweet refreshment for the soules of thy poeple That way which of late the Apostata Luther Caluin or Beza begane to lay in the world was neuer trodden eyther by the steppes of saint AVGVSTINE thy Apostle or anie other of his holy fellow-preachers but leadeth thee yf thou walke therin the high way to perdition Returne therefore to the counsell of the Prophet aboue sayd State Ier. 6. v. 16. super vias interrogate de semitis antiquis quae sit via bona ambulate in ca inueniâ—tis refrigerium animabus vestris God of his infinite mercie giue thee grace once againe to find the right way to him that is Via Veritas Vita the way the Truth the life who be euer glorified and praysed in his Saincts Amen The life of S. Augustine is written very largely by Gotzelinus a Benedictine Monke the manuscript whereof we haue out of which and Venerable Bedes history of England we haue taken it The same is written by manie other authours as Ioannes Anglicus Iohn Capgraue by S. Bede him self in a large volume apart The mouthes of all our English Historiographers are full of his prayses God make vs all partaker of his merits VENERABILIS BEDA PRESBITER LT MONCHVS ORDâ—… S. Benedicti May. 27. Mart. baâ— f. The life of Sainct BEDE Priest and Monke of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT MAY 27 Gathered out of diuers graue Authours AMONGST all the famous and holy men which haue euer florished in England and with which allmightie God hath adorned our sometimes happy Iland saint BEDE in the excellencie of learning both diuine and humane doeth deseruedly carrie away the prize whom for this we may worthyly call the Phenix of his time that liued in an Iland separated from the rest of the world He was borne in the northerne parts of England within the Bishoprick of Durham in a little Village called Iarrow not farre from the place where the riuer Tine falls into the maine Sea His parents allbeit The place of his brith and Pareâ—â—s they were not famous for riches or Nobilitie in the countrey yet was their stock more worthyly ennobled by BEDE then by the greatest nobilitie of bloud or descent and not their countrey only but the whole world was more enriched by this holy treasure of their race then by the greatest wealth that could be imagined For A Homer borne of an ignoble Spring Is Nohler then an Irus from a King Our Sainst BEDE then like vnto an other Samuel had noe sooner learnt to speake and outgrowne his infancie but he was dedicated to the temple of our Lord. For at the age of seauen yeares by the care of his friends and Kinred he was deliuered to the vertuous schoole of S. BENNET Bishop in the Benedictine Monasterie of Weremouth which the same Abbot had built Being planted therefore At seauen yeare old he is giuen to the diuine seruice in the house of God from his very infancie and watred with the fountaine of diuine grace like vnto a fayre palme-tree he grew to the height of perfection and sent forth dayly fruits and flowers of iustice and learning announcing the truth and mercie of allmightie God with word worke and example For being amongst holy men and by holy men nursed and trayned vp in the schoole of monasticall discipline and good learning passing ouer the course of his age piously with the pious and innocently with the innocent he endeauoured with all his power to preserue him self vnspotted from the vanitie and corruption of the world II. HE happened into the happy and goulden times of the two most learned Benedictines THEODORE Archbishop of Canturbury and ADRIAN Abbot of saint AVGVSTINS in the same cittie in whom was an equall contention between the excellencie of learning and holines of life Vnder these holy masters our BEDE became soe great a proficient in laying the foundation of all learning humane and diuine that afterwards what with his owne dayly studie and diligent labour both proceeding from a sharpe witt and sound vnderstanding he attayned to that height of perfection that he excelled all the learned men that England could euer boast off From His naturull inclination to learning his verie infancie he was extremly addicted and delighted with the purenes of an innocent life and the studie of good sciences that he seemed as it were by the weight of his owne naturall inclination to be drawne and carried to vertue and learning And togeather with those naturall seeds of vertue planted in his soule there shined allsoe in him beyond the force of humane witt a certaine diuine beame of
countenance in which a kind of sweet pleasantnes shined through a venerable seueritie Wherevppon to good and deuout persons he was affable but terrible to the negligent and high-minded and yet he carried him self with soe great meeknes and humilitie to all that in the whole Monasterie in which were six hundred Monkes is was hard to find his equall in true vertue and religion VIII BVT aboue all the pure holines and holy purenes of his life and mind appeared more excellently at his death the manner whereof we haue related out of Cuthbert his disciple afterwards Abbot Cuthbert in ep ad Cuth winū condiscipulum of the same monastery who was present at his holy departure He fell first into sicknes allmost a fortnight before Easter from which time vntill Ascension-day he laboured grieuously with a weaknes in his stomake and the shortnes of wind yet he ceased not to dictate dayly to his schollers at his accustomed howers and spent the rest of the day in reciting of psalmes and prayers and the whole night vnlesse when a litle sleepe did hinder him he passed ouer in spirituall ioy and thanksgiuing striuing by these pious exercises to deceaue the sharpnes of his disease I confesse truly sayth the Authour His employments during his sicknes that I neuer saw or heard off anie one other that soe diligently gaue thankes vnto allmightie God O truely blessed man During this sicknes besides these employments he turned the Ghospell of saint IOHN into English and gathered some memorable notes out of the bookes of saint ISIDORE vsing these words to his schollers Learne my children whilst I am with you for J know not how long J shall subsist or how soone my creatour will take me away that my soule may returne to him that sent it J haue liued a long time my Lord God hath well prouided for me in this space of life now I desire to be dessolued to liue with CHRIST IX ALLSOE a firme hope of the ioyes to come and a pious feare of the fearfull iudgemēts of allmightie God being sett in an equall proportion A pions lesson in the ballance of his mind he vsed that sentence of saint PAVL Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viuentis It is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God and manie other such like out of the sacred scripture whereby he exhorted his schollers and brethren that were about him to awake out of the dullnes of the soule by the remembrāce of the last terrible hower adding a speech in the mother-tongue of the fearefull seperation which death makes between the soule and the bodi◠Then he would sing himnes and Anthimes to the great consolation of him self and all the assistants till teares of deuotion trickling downe his cheekes hindred his pious musicke and made the attendants that endeauoured to helpe him out to weepe singing and sing weeping striuing as it were with their songs to serue him singing and with their teares to helpe him weeping But he allbeit he wept enioyed soe great comfort and spirituall ioy in his soule that when he was most cruelly oppre sled with the burden of his disease he gaue thankes vnto allmightie The securitie of his conscience God for his goodnes in soe punishing him Vsing those words of the Scripture God scourgeth euery child that he receaueth and alluding to the words of saint AMBROSE dying I haue not liued soe amongst yee that I need be ashamed of my life and nether doe I feare to die because we haue a good Lord. Thrice happy soule that could speake with soe great securitie of conscience that he was nether ashamed to liue nor afrayd to die not fearing the sight of men in this world and with a quiet mind expecting the secret iudgement of God in the next X. BVT on tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord his sicknes His siknes encrea seth beganne more grieuously to afflict him and a little swelling appeared in his feet an vndoubted presage of his neere-approaching death Yet all that day he passed ouer ioyfully teaching and dictating to his schollers the night following he watched singing himnes and psalmes of prayses and thanksgiuing to Allmightie God till the next day which was the last of his labours first of his rest brought him the embassage of his ensuing happines when he still diligently dictated to his brethren about him whilst the bitter teares of the writers greeuing to be depriued of soe good a Master were as gaules to make their inke more black and dolefull In the after noone he sent his beloued disciple Cuthbert who writt this historie to his Cell to fetch thence such small guifts as he had to be disposed amongst his more familiar friends for a memorie of him Then a great part of the Priests other monkes of the monasterie being He receaueth the last sacraments gathered togeather they fortified the holy man with the sacraments of Extreme Vnction and the sacred Eucharist who hauing giuen the salutation of peace vnto all his Brethren beseeching each one in particular to be mindfull of him in their Masses and prayers he ioyfully expected the happy minute that should free his soule from the burden of her mortalitie to the immortall reward of his labours But sayd one of his deuout Schollers my beloued Master yet there remaines one sentence vnwritten Write then quickly replied the holy Doctour for my time is short Which being done now answered he I haue written it and the whole worke is ended Thou sayst well replied the Sainct that it is ended for now I desire to end allso to liue with my Creatour And causing them to place him towards the oratorie where he was wont to pray lying downe vppon a hayre-cloath with perfect sense and a ioyfull countenance he inuited the grace of the holy Ghost deuoutly singing this Anihime O rex gloriae Domine virtutum qui triumphator hodie super omnes caelos ascendists ne derelinquas nos Orphanos sed mitte promissum His last song of deuotion Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis and hauing added Gloria Patri filio spiritui sancto he deuoutly rendred vp his blessed spirit to the euerlasting Kingdom of all blessednes when such sweet and fragant odours followed his swan-like soule that the amazed assistants throught them selues in a Paradise of heauenly baulmes and all generally Sweet odouts at his death affirmed that they neuer saw anie man end his life in soe great tranquillitie and deuotion He died on the feast of our Lords triumphant Ascension into heauen the twentie sixth day of May but his feast is obserued the twentie seauenth of the same because the twentie sixt was solemnly obserued to the honour of our glorious Apostle Saint AVGVSTINE throughout all England His death was about the yeare 735. at the age of nintie or as others say of an hundred and fiue yeares for in the computation of his age
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
the honour of his towne report it to be enriched with the whole bodie of saint ALBAN then only with some of the dust of his tombe vsing a figuratiue speech of Rhetoricians and putting the VVhole for a Part. Or else the identitie Authours that affirme his bodie to be a S. Albaâ—s of the names of sainct ALBAN martir of Mentz and our saint ALBAN of England drew him to report that of ours which he should haue sayd of the other Howsoeuer he was deceaued this much we can say on our owne behalf ommitting to make an argument of the vnliklihood of the contrary assertion that Mathew Paris in the yeare 1179. Mathew VVestminster in the yeare 1259. VValsingham in the yeare 1313. Henry Huntington in the ninth booke of his history Thomas Rudburne in his greater Chronicle and others English writters of great creditt and authoritie and farre more conuersant in our histories then anie stranger can be doe constantly affirme that the sacred reliques of saint ALBAN remayned allwaies in his owne monastery in England and this the auncient records of the same place which I haue in my hands doe largely testifie by the vndiscontinued relation of the yearly miracles wrought at his tombe to the raygne of Heâ—â—y the second And in the yeare of grace 1257. Certaine workmen that were busied in repayring the Church of saint ALBANS digging somewhat deepe into the ground happened vppon the marble tombe in which his bodie had been layd presently after his martirdom at which time a heauenly splendour shined ouer his graue and the rauishing notes of Angelicall harmonie warbled fourth the prayses of the holy martir But the garment of Amphibalus sainct ALBANS His garment found spotted with fresh bloud Master in which sainct ALBAN suffered martirdom was afterwards carried to the Benedictiâ—e monasterie of Ely and there in a certaine tombe reserued which King Edward the second caused to be opened in his owne presence when it was found vncorrupted and stayned with fresh spotts of the bloud which he had sâ—ed for CHRIST who be for euer glorified in his Saincts Amen All Ecclesiasticall writers make very honourable mention of S. ALBAN of whom amongst others Fortunatus sings this verse Albanum egregium faecunda Britanniaprofert And Hiericus a Frenchman who florished seauen hundred yeares agoe hath these verses of him in the life of sainct GERMAN in which he mentioneth the executioners losse of his eyes Milliapaenarum Christi pro nomine passus Quem tandem rapuit capitis sententia caesi Sed non Lictoricessit res tuta superbo Vtque caput Sancto ceciderunt lumina soeuo His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede in his history of England and an other old Authour ancienter then Bede which we haue in written hand And besides the writers aboue named Gyldas Sapiens epist. de excidio Britanniae Geffrey of Monmouth hist Brit. lib. 5. cap. 5. the Roman Martirologe Vsuard Molanus and others doe largely speake his prayses In the Sarum Breuiary he hath an office of nine lessons in an auncient Manuscript breuiary of S. Benedicts Order which belonged to Burton vppon Trent he is serued with twelue lessons whereof eight are proper and which make large mention of his life and miracles An Appendix to the life of Sainct ALBAN contayning The Passion of Sainct AMPHIBALVS and other Martirs at the same time IVNE 22 Out of an auncient manuscript cited before THE famous miracles which went before and followed the death of our glorious Protomartir saint ALBAN moued The miracles of S. Alban conuerteth manie manie of the astonished assistants to be farre better affected to the Christian fayth then they were in soe much that had they had but a teacher it seemed they might easyly be brought not only to approoue but to embrace it for truth being of their owne accord allreadie well inclined thereunto Nether was the diuine goodnes wanting to their good will in this poynt by whose instinct one boulder then the rest stood vp and in this manner spake vnto them Yf only with words O fellow-citizens ALBAN had maintayned the truth of A citizeÌ„s speech to his fellovves his fayth it were not to be admired yf all men had reiected it as vayne and vnprofitable doctrine condemned by publick lawes and contrarie not only to the institutions of our ancestours but euen to reason the guide of all things But now since he hath confirmed his words and fayth with such admirable workes whosoeuer shall presume to denie it will seeme in resisting ALBAN to resist God him self by affirming that these wonderfull signes proceeded from anie other authour but God or that that fayth is not grounded in truth which is authorized by the testimonies of such diuine workes For when I pray you did our Gods euer performe the like When was the like heard off in our religion Moreouer the singular integritie The praise of S. Alban meekenes patience constancie pietie and other vertues of of this diuine man doe sett him forth amongst his other wonderfull workes for the greatest wonder Being vexed with soe manie taunts and reproches he reuiled noe man being afflicted with soe manie iniuries he was soe farre from making the lest shew of anie indignatioÌ„ of mind that he seemed more tobewayle our case then his owne Nay he went with soe ioyfull and cleere a countenance to his last deadly punishment that one would haue iudged him going to a banquet of mirth not to the scaffold of death Who doeth not see in this man a diuine power greater then humane frailtie Yf then these guifts doe proceed only from God surely he is not wont to bestow them on wicked impious and sacrilegious persons but on those that piously and holyly serue and worship him Nether is it to be doubted but that he will adorne vs and our common wealth with these and farre greater guifts then these yf we shew our selues plyant and dutifull to his diuine calling Let vs therefore follow ALBAN our Captaine and courragiously embrace his fayth and pietie which God graunt to be fortunate and happy to vs our children and our common wealth II. THESE and such like words being spoken in a great assembly of the Citizens of Verulam all publickly proclaymed that then the religion of CHRIST nothing was more diuine nothing more holy nothing more true Therefore they resolued to search the whole countrey ouer to find out AMPHIBALVS Aâ—BANS guest who was a teacher of the Christian discipline But he was gone into VVales where with soe happy successe he had cast abrode the diuine seed of the Ghospell that he had filled all the countrey thereabouts with fruits of the Euangelicall haruest and the sweet odour of his owne fame and name whereuppon the cittizens of Verulam to the number of about a thousand left their house home and following the sent of his holy deeds vertues came at length to AMPHIBALVS who hauing vnderstood of the martirdoÌ„ of his deare Host