thy bodie to Satan that thy soule may be A terrible punishment of one that would not forgiue his enemies saued in the day of iudgement He had scarse ended these words when the miserable wretch by the gâ—ashing and grinding of his teeth the gastly staring of his eyes his foaming at the mouth and antick turning and rouling of his bodie into strange postures gaue euident restimonie by what diabolicall spiritt he was gouerned At length being freed againe by S. WOLSTAN he was the second and third time possessed in like manner vntill from the bottom of his heart he promised to forgiue his enemies XVII THE vertuous life of this holy man was ennobled with manie other miracles and wanted not the guift of prophesie By S. Wolstanâ— guift of prophesie which he disswaded one Ailwine who a long time had liued a solitarie life at Malâ—erne hills from his desire of goeing to Hierusalem foretelling him that God allmightie would worke wonderfull things by his meanes Ailwine yeelding vnto his perswasioÌ„s founded afterwards a famous monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order at Malâ—erne where he gathered togeather the number of three hundred Benedictine Monkes XVIII ONE Sewulf whom he had often exhorted to embrace a monasticall life to doe worthie penance for his sinnes excusing him self and alleadging that the rigour of it did exceed his weaknes of bodie the Bishop sayd Well goe this waie thou shalt be a Monk whether thou wilt or noe At length waxing old he tooke the habitt of S. Benedicts order at Malmesburie where the very remembrance of S. Wolstans words euer after thundered a milder and humbler behauiour into him XIX As on a time he stroaked the head of a little boy called Nicholas whom he brought vp from a child and now euen in his A WoÌ„der youth beganne to loose his hayre I think my sonne sayd he thou wilt shortly be bald and why Father replied the boy doe not you keepe my hayre on my head Beleeue me sonne answered the holy Bishop as long as I liue soe much as remaynes shall not fall away And soe it came to passe But within the verie weeke that the holy man died all that yong mans hayre went soe cleane away that there remayned nothing but the bare scull XX. Newes being brought him that his sister was dead Now then answered he the plough is come into my land and verie He foreseeth his owne death shortly the brother will follow his sister Neyther was he a false Prophet for within a short time after being taken with an extreme seauer his old age soone perceaued that death was at hand Then nothing was to be seene among his monks and other friendâ— about him but teares sighs and lamentations woefully bewailing the losse of soe pious a Father When he on the other side with a deuout exhortation proceeding from a ioyfull countenance stroue to appease their griefs saying that his death would be noe losse of life but a change for a better promising not soe to forsake them but that with his prayers to allmightie God he would for euer assist them His great confideÌ„ce in almightie God and that being free out of his prison of clay by how much neerer he was ioyned vnto God by soe much readier he would be to comfort and defend them Thrise happie tongue that out of the store-house of a secure conscience durst power out words of soe great confidence Some with sighs and sobbs desire to haue him prayd for and he largely promiseth to pray for them all O strange wonder See how his holy simplicitie was ignorant of hauing anie diffidence in the mercie of allmightie God Therefore in the yeare of our Lord 1095. this glorious confessor of CHRIST this bright starre of the Benedictine order in England hauing with a wonderfull rare example of holy life gouuerned the Sea of Worcester the space of thirtie fower yeares deliuered vp his vertuous soule into the hands His death of his creatour to receaue the rewards of his worthie labours the ninteenth day of January in the eightie seauenth yeare of his age His bodie was brought into the Church and detained there three dayes vnburied The very forme and complexion thereof seeming rather to sett forth the gracefull beautie of a liuing Bishop then the horrour of a dead corps The Episcopall ring which he had receaued at his consecration manie yeares before his death would not hang on his finger for his flesh was soe consumed by his extreme penance and austerity of life that his bodie was nothing but skinne and bone But although his ring often times fell from his finger thus A notable miracle consumed yet was it neuer lost and he did often say that he would carrie with him to his graue that ring which without ambition he had receaued Being dead diuers essayed to take off his ring but in vaine for that which before fell off manie times of it self by noe violent meanes could now be drawne off The fourth day he was buried with great reuerence by Robert Bishop of Hereford who long before had entred into a strict and holy league of friendship togeather with S. WOLSTAN XXI SOME yeares after his death a mercilesse fier taking hould of the topp of the Church burnt and consumed it in miserable sort An other as strange the lead came powring downe like rayne the great beames their supporters being consumed as whole trees tumbled to the ground soe that in such a confused wrack of ruine it seemed nothing that was within the compasse of the Church could escape the rage of the fier Yet the sepulcher of the blessed Sainct remayned free from these outrageous flames and was not as much as touched or smutched with anie of the coales ashes or anie thing else that fell from aboue And to giue greater euidence to the miracle the verie strawmatte on which those did kneele that prayed before his tombe was found whole and vntoucht XXII ABOVT a hundred yeares after his death his holy body was taken vp and enclosed in a very pretious shrine being found in all His body vncorrupted after an hundred yeares his Pontificall robes as entier and vncorrupted as when he was layd in the ground The feast of his translation is celebrated the seauenth of Iune Manie other miracles were wrought by the supreme worker of miracles through the intercession and meritts of this blessed Sainct which I willingly omitt my purpose being not to write Saincts liues that the world may only wonder at their miraculous deeds but chiefly to draw men to imitate their vertuous liues Yet in this historie we haue had great store both of vertues and miracles God of his infinite goodnes giue vs grace to admire and prayse his diuine power in the one and to follow the vertuous examples of his blessed Sainct in the other Amen His life we haue taken chiefly out of the author of it SENATVS BRAVON a Monk of Worcester Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de
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
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
the farthest parts of England and to Carlile where he retired him self into a certaine He leadeth a most strict solitary life vast and horrid wildernes to spend his time in the deuotion of a solitarie life Hauing liued a while in that fearefull place he happened at length to find the caue of an other verie old Hermite liuing there into whose societie according to his earnest desire he was admitted This good old souldier of CHRIST was a lay-man ignorant allmost of all booke-learning but hauing been conuersant before among the Benedictine Monkes of Durrham he was soe much the fitter more exactly to direct our GODRICK in the discipline of a monasticall life Then it was a rare spectacle to behould the most sweet and alltogeather heauenly manner of life of these two holy men night and day singing the diuine praises of allmightie God between whom was no other contention then whether more officiously should serue and obey his fellow After the space of allmost two yeares a deadly sicknes seased on the weake bodie of the old man during which it is allmost incredible to be spoken with how great loue and dutie GODRICK serued Godwin that was the holy mans name For the space of fifteen daies and as manie nights he tooke noe rest at all And when the force of human nature and infirmitie compelled him to sleepe he coniured the soule of that dying man by the dreadfull name of allmightie God not to depart out of his bodie whilst he was asleepe He had his desire for the strength of that aged bodie being dissolued he saw his soule He seeâ—h the soule of his companion dying more white then anie snow depart like vnto a burning hot breath of wind or like vnto a globe or sphere of most bright-shining cristall The bodie was buried in the Monasterie of Durrham And our holy GODRICKE hauing lost the comfort of his beloued companion pondering exactly with him self after what manner to spend the remaynder of his life in that desert and earnestly imploring the helpe of his singular Patrone saint CVTHBERT suddenly the same saint CVTHBERT appeared visibly vnto him and commaunded S. Cuthbert appeareth vnto him him to goe againe to Hierusalem to be made partaker of CHRISTS Crosse and after his returne to inhabite the desert of Finckley not farre distant from Durrham Whose admonitions without anie delay he obeyed and performed a iourney soe laborious and painfull that truly euen out of this soe great labour and ardour of the way he may iustly be thought to haue participated of the Crosse and Passion of IESVS-CHRIST For he vsed no other meate by the way but barly bread that now was well dried and hardened with age His second iourney to Hierusalem his drinke was only pure water and his cloathes and shoes he neuer ether putt off or changed Soe that the soles of his shoes being worne and he neglecting to mend them certaine lumpes of durt and grauell growne togeather stuck to the soles of his feete which gaue him a feeling of most grieuous paines Nether did he desist therefore from his iourney nor shorten his dayly accustomed length thereof His admirable deâ—otion there IV. BEING come at length to Hierusalem the long desired end of his painfull voyage it is wonderfull to be spoken how great pleasantnes and agilitie of mind and bodie he found and felt in him self with how great ardour pietie and deuotion he watched and prayed in those holy places with what streames of teares he watered the sacred sepulcher and the other sorowfull monuments and trophies of our Lords bitter passion and our redemption Then togeather with others he entred into the riuer Jordan which was the first time that he putt off his garments since he beganne this teadious iourney He returned barefoote home hauing there made a religious and solemne vow neuer more to weare shoes while he liued After his returne into England he went to an Ermitage in the North at a place in times past Streanshall but now more vsually called Whiteby famous for the Benedictine Monasterie of saint Hilda where when he had remayned a yeare and some moneths he departed to Durrham And there he not only frequented the Churches for his deuotion His desire to learne psalmes but allsoe the Childrens schooles and diligently listened to heare them recite their lessons to their Masters whereby he learned manie psalmes himnes and prayers For he was bent with a deuout earnestnes to learne the Psalmes by heart and the booke of them he allwaies caried about with him hanging by a string to his litle finger whereby it came to passe that that finger was allwaies bended crooked all his life after But now he was totally carried towards his desired solitude and at Durham he earnestly implored S. CVTHBERT the chiefe captaine and Fore-man of his vndertakings that by the helpe of his intercession and prayers he might fight valiantly and fruit fully for the health of his soule in the ermitage of Finckley allotted for his habitation In which once entred he remayned afterwards for the space of threescore and three yeares He liueth threescore and three yeares an Ermite and neuer went out but thrice in all that time which was to Durrham three miles distant The first time that he went was on a Christmas night to be present at the diuine office and sacrifices of the Monkes When there fell an incredible abundance of snow which being seconded with a most sharpe and bitter frost soe grieuously wounded the bare feet of the holy man that euerie steppe he made left behind it a bleeding witnes of his suffrance At an Easter againe he came once to Durham to receaue the dreadfull and venerable Sacrament of the aultar And the last time he came being sent for by Ranulphus the Bishop V. Now if one would as the greatnes of the matter requires exactly sett downe and describe all the manner of life of this thrice happie Sainct whilst he liued in this desert he might fill whole volumes of wonders Vs it shall â—uffiâ—e to giue the readers some litle tast thereof and to gather as it were a short table of his famous deedes In summe this I will say that in him there appeared in England a second CVTHBERT a new HILLARION and an other ANTHONIE Will you know what clothing this worthie champion vÌ„fed Truely His rude clothing to outward shew he wore such that allbeit they were corresponto his manner of life yet were they not tokens of soe great austeritie But vnder these next vnto the bare skinne o vnspeakable rigour eyther a most rude shirt of hayre-cloth of which kind he wore out manie in that desert or an iron coate of maile of which he allsoe consumed three in the space of fiftie yeares or both these rough garments togeather night and day braced his inuincible bodie Will you know with what daintie meates he liued Verily for a time with noe other then what the wild
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
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
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
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
recōmended that holy societie to the protection of the diuine goodnes and the B. Virgin MARIE earnestly desiring them to make choise of such a gouernesse after her death whom they iudged for true pietie and religion to be the fittest among them to vndergoe that charge FEB 25. and withall exhorting thē chiefly to preserue true peace purenes of heart she often repeated the words of CHRIST her spouse vnto thē Blessed sayd she are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God Hauing giuen thē Matt. 5. v. 8. 9. these and such like pious admonitions and religiously armed her self and her death with the holy sacramēts she happyly yeelded vpp her vnstayned soule to enioy an euerlasting kingdom with her sacred spouse in heauen aboue for whose sake she had contemned the kingdom and pompe of this lower world she died the three twentith day of February and was buried in her monasterie of Wenlock Who as she is by a pious certaintie thought gloriously to raigne with her deare spouse IESVS soe lest perchance anie small cloud of Her happie death mistrust might darken that pious beleef all mightie God him self hath shewed manie cleere testimonies of his loue to his holie spouse able to conuince the most incredulous When manie ages after the death of this holy Virgin in the yeare of our lord 1101. and the raigne of Henry the first her holy bodie was discouered and brought out of the ruines of obliuion to the open view and veneration of the world It happened in this manner VI. THE monasterie of Wenlock being destroyed afterwards by the violence of Englands sauage and barbarous enemies the holy virgins bodie lay for a long time hidden amongst those ruines till by the mnnificence of Roger Earle of Mountgomerie it was reedified and turned to a Priorie of Benedictine Monks of the Congregation of Cluny about the yeare aforesayd when by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God S. MILBVRGS bodie came to light vppon this occasion VII A workeman called Raymund being at work in the monasterie The miraculous inuention of her bodie of the holie Trinitie he happened to find an old chest or Box in which was contayned a writing written by one Alstan a Priest which testified that the bodie of the holy Virgin lay buried there neere vnto the aultar But noe remnant of the aultar appearing was cause that yet there was noe certaintie of anie thing Till he that gouerns all things with certaintie soone after tooke away all this vncertaintie for as two children plaied togeather vppon the pauement of that Church suddenly the earth opened and they both sunk in vpp to the knees This accident being a cause of great admiration amongst the Monkes gaue them occasion to haue the earth digged vpp deeper in that place by which meanes they found some bones which sent forth a wonderfull sweet sauour ouer all the Church and the next day after they lighted on the foundation of the aultar spoken off before To the greater creditt Miracles wrought by her reliques euidence hereof and more cleere manifesting of the glorie of God and his holy spouse S. MILBVRG manie other verie worthie and notable testimonies concurred For by the only touch of those sacred reliques but then new raked out of earth and dust two woemen were cured of most horrid leaprosies an other was restored to her sight lost and a boy that neuer saw light before receaued perfect power to distinguish of colours In summe such and soe famous where the miracles which God allwaies wonderfull in his saincts whrought there by the merits of this glorious Virgin that whole inundations of poeple flocked thither in such troupes as the open fields thereabouts were scarse sufficient to receaue them where rich and poore were in equall contention to obey the guide and conduct of their pious fayth Nether was the labour of their pietie spent in vaine for none returned without comfort sick persons receauing a perfect recouerie of health and a cure of manie such mortall diseases which had giuen the foyle to phisitians and their skill had left in desperation Of which one and not the lest was that a woeman dwelling in the village hard by called Patton hauing for the space of fiue yeares been cruelly tormented with a verie desperate disease incureable by phisick dranke only of the water wherein the holy virgins reliques had been washed and presently she shaked of her teadious sicknes and withall disburdened her stomack of a filthie worme vgly and horrible to behould hauing six feete two hornes on his head and two on his tayle The woeman being freed of this monstruous guest had the happines of her perfect health restored and in testimonie Note a strainge miracle and memorie of the fact that worme was shutt vp in a hollow peece of wood and reserued afterwards in the Monasterie as a trophie and monument of S. MILBVRG vntill by the lasciuious furie of him that destroyed all goodnes in England that with other religious houses and monasteries went to ruine that whereas before our fruitfull Ile for true religion pietie continencie and other vertues was the miracle of the world soe now for atheisme heresie and manie other vices it yeelds to no other realme in Christendom The life of this holy Virgin S. MILBVRG is written by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield out of whom we haue gathered it But of the inmention of her bodie and miracles thereat we haue taken chiefely out of Ato Bishop and Cardinal of Ostia who writt the miracles that happened after her inmention and William Malmesburie de Pont. Angl. lib. 4. de gest reg Angl. l◠2. cap. 15. The Roman Martyrologe Camden in descriptione com Salopiae Polidore Virgil lib. 4. de regno Merciorum Vincentius Lirinensis in speculo lib. 25. cap. 33. Mathew Westminster anno 676. Florentius Wigorniensis anno 675. and manie others make ample mention of her The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Confessor FEB 24 Out of Venerable Bede de gest Angl. THE diuine wisedom whose allmightie power only is able to produce light out of the middest of darkenes and good out of euill during the raigne of ETHELBERT fift king of Kent voutchafed to sett Ethelbert the first Christian King of England a period to the diabolicall rites of Idolatrie in England and called ETHELBERT out of a race of Pagan Ancestors to be the first English king that sound the true Christian way to the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer gaine of soules our holy Apostle S. AVGVSTIN the Benedictine monke and his Euangelicall brethren reaped in the spirituall haruest and vineyard of our lord excepting allwaies the premotion and preuention of Gods grace is wholly due vnto holy King ETHELBERT For in as much as it lay in humane power vnlesse his royall graunt and assistance had stood with those diuine labourers nether the
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
scripture to their remembrance The Apostles went reioycing from the face of the Councell because they were esteemed worthie Act. 5. to suffer contumelic for the name of CHRIST-IESVS And I confirme you in the same that these crosses and afflictions will one day The Church of Chicestet restored be changed into mirth and ioy But within a while he made the Pope acquainted with the kings stubborne answer and proceeding who wonderfully much pittying the holie mans case sent a thundring commaund vnto two bishops of England to admonish the King to make restitution to the Church of Chicester within such a time or that they should publish and denounce the heauie sentences contayned in his letters ouer the whole Kingdom By which meanes after two yeares affliction patiently endured the Church with her demaines and torne buildings readie to tumble into ruine were with difficultie restored againe to their true owner VI. AND the holy man being now seated in his Episcopall chayre A summarie of his vertues became in prayer more feruent then euer more bountifull and liberall in giuing of almes and more seuere in chastising his owne bodie Hence forth he was more attentiue and carefull towards the poore more negligent in decking and trimming his owne bodie and more modest in his speech and behauiour At his table he all waies vsed a spirituall lecture wherewith he fed his soule as well as his bodie with foode and sometimes the reader intermitting a while from his lesson they discoursed ether of those things that were read or some other pious and wholsom matter His custome was as he trauelled ouer his diocesse to make diligent inquirie after all poore and sick persons to whom he did not only giue large almes but allsoe out a of gratious and innate curtesie he would visitt them him self in person and verie carefully comfort and encourage them with the heauenly food of his pious admonitions And when his owne brother vnto whom he had coÌ„mitted the managing of his temporall affaires complained that all his yearly rents and reuenewes were not sufficient to giue almes soe largely and to such a multitude of poore Deare brother replied the holy Bishop doest thou think it fitt and reasonable that we eate and drink out of goulden and filuer vessels and that CHRIST be tormented with huÌ„ger in his poore As my father did before me soe can I eate out of an ordinarie platter and drinke in a plaine goddart Therefore let the gould and siluar plate be sould yea and the horse I ride one of soe great value let him goe too and let CHRISTS poore be succoured with the money Nether was he wont to maintaine the poore His wonderfull liberalitie to the poore only with meate and drinke but alsoe to giue cloathing to the naked and burie the deade with his owne hands Sometimes he would giue an almes before it was asked and being demaunded why he did soe It is written answeared he O Lord thou hast preuented him in the blessings of this sweetnes and indeed that which is obtayned by asking Psal 20. is bought but at a deare rate He appointed an hospitall for poore aged priests that were blind or otherwise impotent and feeble of bodie and that they should not purchase infamy to their holy function by publick begging abroad he prouided them with sufficient victuals and cloathing within the same house VII THIS his sainctitie did not want the testimonie of manie worthie The wonderfull mul tiplication of aloafe miracles among which one and not the lest was that one loafe was soe increased by his benediction that beyond the hope and expectation of those that were present three thousand poore people receaued their accustomed quantitie and portions and soe manie peeces remayned as according to the proportion of that distribution were sufficient to satisfie one hundred more Nether was it once or twise only that by vertue of his holie benediction such an abundant and miraculous encrease of things was caused but manie and sundrie times the like happened through his diuine power and bountie that openeth his hands and filleth euerie creature with his blessing Next to his skinne for the greater chastising of his Psal 144. bodie he vsed sometimes a hayre shirt sometimes a coate of maile His apparel and shoes not soe neate that they inferred an affectation nor yet more abiect then was fitting but in a meane well becomming his degree wherein he auoyded all The mâ—aÌ„nes of his appared signes of anie curious nouelties Nether would he endure to haue his horse trappings and furniture glittering with gould and siluer nether would he carrie about with him a superfluous chainge of apparell not only for the shunning of pompe but fearing lest the poore should crie out after him with that sentence of S. BERNARD What doeth gould in the bishops bridle whilst we poore wretches suffer cold and hunger VIII HAVING on a time excommunicated one Iohn Allen for an iniurie executed against the Church of Chicester and the same man coming often times to his court he would entertayne him very familiarly and make him stay dinner saying that as His charitie towards his aduersarie long as he was with in his hall he would not haue him tied with the censure of excommunication but when he was gone vnlesse he would satifie and make amends to the Church he absolutely held him for an excommunicate person He was wont allsoe to say that yf there were strife and contention of law betwixt parties each one striuing to recouer and defend his owne right the signes of charitie vsed among Christians ought not therefore to bee omitted or denied For be it sayd he that I must recouer my owne by law I ought not therefore to withdraw from my aduersarie that which it Gods right and my dutie Loue and Charitie And after this manner indeed he carried him self towards the Abbott of Fecam and Richard Earle of Cornwall and the Countesse of Kent with whom he had sutes and controuersies touching his Church allwaies repaying the contumelies and reproches of these great persons with honour and their enmities with good will His seueritie against the deâ—iourer of a sacred Virgin IX ONE of the Clergie that had enticed a Nunne out of her monasterie and deflowred her was by the authoritie of this holy Bishop most ignominiously depriued of his ecclesiasticall benefice and dignitie which he enioyed within the Diocesse And herein he was soe rigorous that when the King him self the Archbishop of Canturbury and manie other Bishops Peeres and Nobles of the realme made great sute and entreatie for his pardon the man of God shewed him self wholly inexorable in the execution of diuine iustice and striking his breast he sayd No no while the breath remaines in this bodie of mine such a ribald villaine that durst presume to violate a Virgin consecrated to God retayning her with him yet as a whore shall neuer by my consent haue the gouernment of soules
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
familie and he is one of the fower renowned Doctours of the same order that haue written in prayse and defence of the B. Virgin and consequently are The Benedictine Doctours of our B. Ladie stiled and called by the name of the fower Doctours of our Lady the other three are S. HILDEPHONSE Archbishop of Siuill in Spaine B. RVPERT Abbott of Twy in Germanie and S. BERNARD Abbott of Clareuall in France And our S. ANSELME second to none of the rest was the first that caused the feast of our Ladies immaculate Conception to be celebrated in the Church the seauenth of December when he had learned by the reuelation of an other Benedictin monk from the same Virgin that such was her will and pleasure God of his infinite mercie make vs partakers of his glorious meritts Amen His life wee haue gathered out of Eadmer a monk of Canturbury and the companion of all his troubles and Edmond monk of the same place who added a treatise of the discord between S. ANSELME and the two vnruly Kings William Malmesbury de Pont. lib. 1. the Roman martirologe Baronius tom 11. an 1109. and innumerable others doe highly speake his prayses The life of saint MELLITVS Bishop and confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT APR. 24. Out of venerable Bede AMONGST the holy Benedictine Monks which S. GREGORY Pope of Rome sent into England to supplie the want of Preathers in soe great an haruest and to helpe S. AVGVSTINE and his fellowe Benedictins in the conuersioÌ„ of that Kingdom MELLITVS an abbott of the same order was the first and chiefest Whom about three yeares after his arriuall S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturbury made Bishop of London the principall head cittie of the East-Angles where Sebert nephew to Ethelbert King of Kent kept his royall Mellitus first bishop of London Court allbeit he were vnder the power of Ethelbert whose authoritie ouer the English stretched to the riuer Humber But when this prouince by the industrious preaching and labour of saint MELLITVS had receaued the Christian fayth King Ethelbert built that famous Church of saint PAVL the Apostle within the walls of London for the Episcopall seate of Mellitvs and his successours But how greatly this holy man was beloued of God and the whole court of heauen manifestly appeareth in the consecration of the Church of Westminster which office of his S. PETER the Apostle performed for Bishop MELLITVS with his owne hands as may be seene more at large in the life of S. EDWARD the fist of Ianuary S. AVGVSTIN being dead Mellitvs bishop of London went to Rome to coÌ„sult Pope Boniâ—ace the fourth touching manie necessarie affayres of the English Church And namely for the good establishment of the new-built Baron an 610. monasterie of Westminster as allso to know whether the consecration of a Church performed in the aforesayd manner were valid The Pope in a Synod held at Rome in which S. MELLITVS had a place ordayned manie lawes for the peace of the Benedictine moÌ„ks and conseruation of monasticall discipline and decreed against the enuious that monks were the fittest instruments in Gods Church for Apostolicall functions which decrees Mellitvs brought with him into England for the confirmation and establishment of the Benedictine order and Mission in that countrey II. BVT the death of the two good Kings Ethelbert and Sebâ—â—â— was cause of great domage to the tenden beginnings of that new See in S. Laurence 2. of Febr. Church for the three sonnes of King Sebert who during the time of their father dissembled a litle in religion for feare of him fell after his death to flatt Idolatrie and gaue licence to all their subiects to doe the like And when they saw the holy bishop MELLITVS hauing celebrated the sacred solemnities of Masse giue the Eucharist to the poeple Why sayd they swelling with Looke prorestant our first Apoles sayd masse a barbarous foolishnes doest thou not giue vs the white bread which thou didest giue to our father Saba soe they were wont to call him and doest yet giue to manie of the poeple Yf you will be washed answeared MELLITVS in the same sacred font as your father was you may be partakers of the holy bread as well as the but yf you contemne the Bath of life you can by noe meanes receaue the Bread of life But they refused to enter into the font of baptisme as a thing vnnecessarie but desired earnestly to eate of the sacred bread Till at length when the holy mans perswasions could not draw them from this sâ—nd request they banished him out of their Prouince because he S. Mellitus Banished from his Bishoprick would not giue them blessed Sacrament of aultar before haptisme Veryly I am of opinion to my great grief that at this present our Protestant-Bishops haue soe litle respect to that which they call the Lords Supper that rather then be forced with their wiues to leaue their bishopricks they would giue their sacrament of bread to a soe farr alas they are fallen from the religion of our first Apostles III. SAINT MELLITVS went to Canturbury to consult S. LAVRENCE and IVSTVS the other bishops what was to bee done in these troubles And finding no other meanes nor hopes of redresse MELLITVS and IVSTVS went ouer into France to expect the calme of this tempestuous See in S. Lau. 2. Febr. motion Till Edbald King of Kent renouncing his Idolatrie and baptised by saint LAVRENCE Archbishop of Carturbury recalled the two bishops out of France and restored IVSTVS to his seat of Rochester but the Londoners refused to receaue their bishop Mellitus ouer whom Edbald had not such absolute and coercitiue power that he could force them to it as his father could In the meane time Saint LAVRENCE departing this life MELLITVS succeeded in the sea of Canturbury whence he cast forth the bright beames of his vertue fayth and learning ouer all England with which noble ornaments he greatly ennobled the countrey and He is made Archbishop of Canturbury excelled the nobilitie of his birth and parcentage which was verie honorable In bodie he was wonderfull weake and sickly specially being greeuously afflicted with the gout but most sound in mind cherefully despising all terrene things and still aspiring to the loue and possession of the Kingdom of heauen And here I will relate one example of his excellent vertue and confidence in allmightie God which may serue as a witnesse of his other noble vertues IV. A MIGHTIE fier happened to make hauock in the cittie of Canturbury which soe furiously deuoured whole streets as it went that noe force of water could quench the rage of that vnresistable element And now with great violence it drew neere to the place where the holy Bishop was who would not giue way to those deuouring flames but trusting in the diuine goodnes He quencheth a great fier by his prayers where humane help was wanting caused him self to be
before him making the signe of the holy crosse vpoÌ„ his tongue he receaued not only the perfect vse of his speech but allso was cured of the scabbie scuruines in his head Soe that he that before bore the shape or dumb-shew of deformitie was suddenly become readie in his speech quaint and fayre in his countenance and curled locks and glad to heare himself play the crier of his owne happines III. ALSOE with his benediction he cured a Nunne of a great swelling Manie miracles cruell payne in her arme caught by letting bloud And being by an Earle whose countesse lay languishing in a mortall disease inuited to consecrate a Church he sent her of the holy water which he had vsed in that act of consecration and she noe sooner dronk thereof but presently rising sound out of her bed she came like S. PETERS mother-in-law cured by our Sauiour and wayted on them Luc. 4. at the table shewing thereby that she had not only recouered her health but her lost forces allsoe The like benefitt he shewed to a yong man of whose health his friends were soe hopelesse that his graue was allreadie prepared when contrarie to all expectation by the prayers benedictioÌ„ of the holy bishop and drinking a cupp of wine by him hallowed he was restored againe to perfect health But one Herebald who sometime had been his scholler receaued a farre greater benefitt at his hands being by his meanes preserued from the ruine both of bodie and soule as him self being afterwards Abbot of Tinemouth related to venerable Bede in this manner When in my youth I liued vnder the tutorship of the B. bishop IOHN Note this miraculous historie to betrayned vp in the studies of Ecclesiasticall discipline learning my mind being at that time carried away with the wild vntamed sports of an youthly ardour we happened being one day in a iourney with the holy man to come into a fayre plaine and large way which seemed to inuite vs to ruÌ„ne a course with our horses And the secular yong men of the companie began earnestly to entreate the Bishops leaue to haue a course whereuÌ„to he was loath to coÌ„sent till ouercome with their importunitie he yielded to their request but The punishment of disobedience to S. Iohn vpon coÌ„dition that Herebald should abstayne froÌ„ that sport But then I begaÌ„ earnestly to pleade my owne cause that I might trie my horse with the rest knowing him to be of very good speed but could by noe meanes preuayle to gett his consent Wherevpon being no longer able to contayne my vntamed desires within the limitts of obedience I set spurres to my horse and ranne amongst the rest when I could heare him behind me fetch a great sigh say O what a grief thou giuest me in soe riding NotwithstaÌ„ding I held on that forbidden course till leaping ouer a hollow place I caught a fall which left me as dead without anie sense or motion a iust punishment of my disobedience From seauen of clock till the euening I lay there for dead and then reuiuing a little my companions carried me home where I passed that night without speaking one word But the holy bishop who bore a singular affection to me grieued exceedingly at this mischance and that whole night he spent only in watching and prayer for my recouery In the morning he came to me and out of a diuine instinct asked yf I were certaine of my baptisme to whom hauing now recouered my speech I answered yes and named the Priest that had washed me in the sacred Font. Yf that were the Priest that did it replied he thou art not rightly baptised For he is both of witt and vnderstanding soe dull that he could neuer learne the true manner of catechising or baptising and for that reason I haue commaunded him to cease froÌ„ the exercise of that function which Se the auncient ceremonies of baptisme he could not execute in due maÌ„ner This sayd he beganne presently to catechise me and it happened that breathing in my face as the manner is I straight began to find my self much amended of my hurt He caused the Chirurgean to settle and compose aright the dissolued ioynt of my skull and hauing giuen his benediction to the worke at the same instant I recouered foe well that the next day I was able to ride an other iourney with him by whose meritts I was restored to health And within a while after being fully recouered I receaued the sacrament of baptisme soe that I am indebted the saluation both of soule and bodie to Blessed Sainct IOHN Thus was Herebald wont to relate of him self to Venerable BEDE IV. But S. IOHN hauing gouerned his bishoprick the space of S. Iohn leaueth the Bishoprick thirtie three yeares between Hagustald and Yorke desiring now after soe manie labours to retire his vnseruiceable old age out of the manifold affayres of the world to the sweet and quiet harbour of his auncient religious life the better to prepare him self for his neere-approaching end he departed to the Benedictin monasterie which him self had built at Deirwood or Beuerley where amongst the monks he led a holy and angelicall life the space of fower yeares famous for vertues and miracles At length loadeâ— with merits and good works he was called out of this mortall life to the happie enioying of the immortall the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Lord God seauen hundred twentie one Which place and the memorie of this glorious Sainct was afterwards ennobled with soe manie wonders that scarse anie place in England is comparable vnto it for the familiaritie of miracles or enlarged with greater priuileges and exemptions from Princes One therefore and not the left of those signes Bullâ— straingely tamed which commend the pietie of saint IOHN and the sainctitie of this place is that strainge spectacle which was wont often times there to be exhibited Bulls otherwise most fierce and vntamed being with great paines and sweat brought bound to the Church-yard of Beuerley as soone as they entred therein deposed all their fiercenes that they seemed rather to be meeke lambs then madd and vnruly bulls Allâ—oe in the yeare of our Lord one thousand three hundred and twelue on the feast of saint BERNARD a wonderfull oyle issued miraculously out of his sepulcher for the space of a whole day which was verie medecinall and soueraigne against manie diseases V. KING ETHELSTANâ— being much molested by the frequent incursions Ethelstanâ— molested by the Scots of the Scotts gathered an armie togeather and went to Beuerley where falling on his knees at the tombe of this Blessed Sainct he humbly recommended him self and his cause to his sacred protection And hauing ended his prayer he drew out his knife and layd it on the aultar saying Behould most glorious Sainct I putt this for a pledge before thee that yf by thy meritts I returne victorious of mine enemies I will enrich
the instant when King Edgar sonne of Edmond was borne he heard sing an Anthime foretelling peace to the English Church by that happie byrth Allsoe at the Church of Bathe being verie seriously detayned in his prayer he beheld the soule of a yong Monke whom he had brought vp at Glastenbury carried vp by troupes of Angels into heauen And it was found that that youth The deâ—ill appearâ—th died at the same instant Being afterwards in his iourney to the King who in great hast had sent for him he was mett in the way by the deuill who very petulantly and like a Buffoone reioyced and sported him self before him Being demaunded the cause of his mirth he answered that the King DVNSTANS friend would shortly die which should be a cause of great trouble in the kingdom and he hoped that the next king would not fauour DVNSTAN nor his adherents But this Master of lies could The death of king Edmond as 946. not vtter two true tales togeather for allbeit it fell out indeed that king Edmond was slaine in his Pallace within seauen daies after yet his Brother Edred succeeded a man worthyly feruent in the seruice of Allmightie God and whoe honoured DVNSTAN with noe lesse loue fauour and reuerence then his predecessor Nay Elphâ—gâ—s Bishop of Winchester being dead king Edred with manic prayers sollicited sainct DVNSTAN to succeed in that Sea whose absolute refusall of that dignitie much grieued the good kings mind made him deale with good Queene Edgine his mother to perswade DVNSTAN to accept it but all in vaine for nether the mothers nor the sonnes entreaties could preuayle to make him take it IX AFTERWARDS sainct DVNSTAN went to visitt his The death of king Edred brethren at Glastenbury where he had not stayd long but king Edred being fallen mortally sick sent for him in all hast Who trauelling speedyly towards the Court heard a voyce from heauen that sayd King EDRED rests in peace And at the very sound of those words his horse fell dead vnder him without anie hurt to the rider Then going sorrowfully to the sorrowfull Court togeather with his fellowes he committed the bodie of the King to the Mother The bad life of king Edwin Earth Edwin the sonne of King Edmond succeeded in the gouernment of the Kingdom who filthyly defiled both the beginning and progresse of his whole raigne For omitting the impietie crueltie and tyrannie wherewith he outraged all sacred and prosane things he was a man soe beyond measure addicted to the pleasures of lust and lasciuiousnes that he languished in the loue of the mother and her daughter both togeather vsing both their bodies at his pleasure And which is horrible to be spoken on the verie day of his Coronation dinner being ended he forsoke the companie of all the Bishops Abbots Princes and Nobles of the realme and went into his priuate chamber where he sate in the midst embracing the mother and daughtér his ordinary strumpets Which act caused a great scandall and indignation amongst the Princes and Nobles then present Wherevppon the rest excusing them selues out of feare to incurre the kings anger S. DVNSTAN was seÌ„t to draw Note the great zeale of S. Dunstan him out off that lewd companie Who entring the chamber and finding the king hauing layd by his royall crowne dallying on the bed betweene those two naughtie woemen first with a sterne looke he sharply rebuked their lasciuiousnes and then with a low voyce he humbly entreated the king to redeeme this publick scandall and to returne to his Peeres to gladden them with his royall presence But the King anger and shame striuing in his mind for the mastrie absolutly refused to come Then DVNSTAN in the zeale of a holy anger tooke him fast by the hand and clapping the Diadem vppon his head drew him violently into the Hall amongst his Nobles These wicked woemen were soe ashamed and offended herewith that they perswaded the King allsoe highly enraged against S. DVNSTAN to banish him out of the kingdom Who not only banished S. DVNSTAN but sent wicked officers to the monasteries of Glastenbury to seaze vppon all the goods that belonged vnto it The like iniustice he vsed to manie other monasteries of England not only despoyling them of their lands goods and reuenewes but banishing the Monks allsoe that maintayned the profession and defence of a chast life Then the Abbey of Malmesbury sayth William a monke of the same place which sor the space of two hundred threescore and ten yeares before had been inhabited by Monkes Dereg l. 2. c. 7. was made a stable of secular Clerkes X. S. DVNSTAN therefore hauing receaued the decree of his banishment departed out of England ioyfull in his heart that he was worthy to suffer for the defence of iustice and loue of chaâ—itie He went into Flanders where the Lord of that countrey courteously entertayned him at the Cittie of Gaunt and there in the exercise of true pietie and religion he expected how it should please the diuine See the crueltie of a detestable woeman wisedon to dispose of him But the foresayd woeman or rather infernall furies were not satisfied with his banishment but plotted to haue him surprised by the way and robbed of his eyes which they fayled to execute for when the instruments of this crueltie arriued at the Port the Sainct had allreadie hoist sayles and was gone Our Lord greatly conforted Sainct DVNSTAN in this banishment by the meanes of his holy Apostle Sainct ANDREW to whom he was euer peculiarly denoted who visited him often and appeared vnto him with words and promises of great consolation In the meane time the allmightie and heauenly wisedome cast a mercifull eye on the English nation and vsed meanes for the perpetuall consolation thereof againe to restore DVNSTAN the Father of the countrey into his former and farre greater degrees of place and dignitie For the Northumbers and Mercians withdrew themselues King Edwin iustly punished from the subiection of King Edwin and made the Noble Edgar his brother their Prince vnder whose conduct they persecuted Edwin and droue him beyond the riuer Thames soe that all the couÌ„trey from thence to Humber was wholly subiect vnto Edgar And with in a short time death hauing ended the quarrell and taken away Edwin Edgar remayned Monarke of all England Who being desirous Edgar recalleth S. Dunstati to establish his kingdome with peace and iustice caused all the outrages committed by his predecessor to be repayred monasticall and Church-goods to be restored and by messengers sent into Flanders recalled S. DVNSTAN into the Countrey with great honour and reuerence committing him self and all his affayres to be ruled He is made Bishop of Worcester and ordered by the prudence of his care and counsell Moreouer that greater dignitie might authorise all his proceedings with manie prayers he perswaded him to accept the bishoprick of Worcester and he was consecrated at Canturbury
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
of God and of the blessed Pope GREGORY of our Apostle AVGVST as allsoe by our curse let that person be segregated froÌ„ all the coÌ„munion of the holy Church and froÌ„ all the societie of the Elect in the day of iudgement This land is encompassed with these bounds c. In the yeare from the Incarnation of Christ 605. Indiction the 8. Note the auncient manner of subscribing ✚ I ETHELBERT King of the English haue confirmed this donation with the signe of the holy Crosse with mine owne hand ✚ I AVGVSTYNE by the grace of God Archbishop haue willingly subscribed ✚ I EDBALD the Kings sonne haue fauoured it ✚ I HAMEGâ—SILVS Duke haue praysed it I HOCCA Count haue consented ✚ I AVGâ—â—Vâ—â—DVS the secretarie haue approued it ✚ I GRAPHIA Count haue strengthened it ✚ I PINCA haue consented ✚ I GEDDE haue strengthened it XVI THE second donation of King ETHELBERT to this monastery which may be seene in the auncient records of the same we here omitt fearing toÌ„ be teadious to the reader Only one thing I will bring out of it which is that after manie priuileges and exemptions giuen thereunto the King following the tenour of the holy The Mâ—nkes of Canturbury Benedictines rule of sainct BENEDICT sayth these words Let the Abbot him self that shall be ordayned with the counsell of his brethren freely go 〈…〉 and order it to witt the monasterie within and without according to the feare of God that in the day of our Lord he may deserue to heare that 〈◊〉 voyce of our most pious Saniour saying Euge serue bone fidelis quia in panca fuisti fidelis supra multa re constituam intra in gaudium dominitui Allso our holy Apostle saint AVGVSTINE in his owne name and by the authoritie of Pope GREGORY graunted a verie large and ample priuiledge and exemption to the sayd Monasterie wherein he freeth it from all Episcopall subiection but that according to the Rule of our holy father sainct BENEDICT the Abbot chosen by his brethren in the same Monastery should be consecrated by the Bishop not to his seruice but to the ministrie of our Lord c. But the Benedictine The Benedictine Monkes seated in Christ-Church at Canturbury Monkes from the beginning of Christian religion in England had not only the possession of this Monastery of laint PETER and Paul in Canturbury but were allsoe seated in the Metropolitan sea of Christs-Church in the same cittie as appeareâ— by holy Pope GREGORIES answere to the first question of saint AVGVSTINE For when saint AVGVSTINE among other things had demaunded how the Bishops should liue and conuerse with their Clergie and how manie parts or portions ought to be made of those things which were giuen to the aultar from the offerings of the faythfull c. S. GREGORY answered that the manner of the Apostolicque Sea was to giue commaund to the Bishops that of euerie stipend that fell to the Church ought to be made fower portions or distributions one to the Bishop and his houshould for hospitalitie an other to the Clergie the third to the poore and the fourth to the repayring By the commauÌ„d of S. Gregory of the Churches Bâ—â— addes the holy Pope thy Brotherhood brought vp in the Rule of a Monasterie because it ought not to liâ—e separated from thy Clergie in the Church of the English which by the power of God is yet but lately brought to the Fayth must institute the same conuersation which was with our fathers in the beginning of the primitiâ—e Church in which none of them called aâ—â—e thing his owne of those things which he possessed but all things to them were common By which words the most blessed Pope GREGORY enioyned a monasticall cloister life to be obserued by saint AVGVSTINE allbeit a Bishop togeather with his subiects who professing religious pouertie by possessing all things in common as saint GREGORY had prescribed could be noe other then Monkes Whence this manner of gouernment was receaued throughout all England soe that in the Cathedrall Churches which were Monasteries the Bishop who was allwaies a Monke presided as Abbot ouer the Monkes and liued monastically with them Next to him was the Prior who for distinction from other Priors was call A Cathedrall Prior vnto whom and the Conuent of Monkes allwaies belonged the Election of the Bishop And of this kind there appertayned aunciently to the Benedictine Nine Cathedrall Churches in EnglaÌ„â—â— belonging to the Monkes Monkes nine Cathedrall Churches in England to witt the Metropolitan Sea of Canturbury the Churches of Winchester Elie Norwich Conentrie Worcester Rochester Durham and Bathe Whereat the reader need not wonder for the Benedictine Monkes saint AVGVSTINE and his fellowes hauing by the diuine grace been made the first Apostles and conuerters of England to Christianitie were by good reason euer after the chiefest gouerners and rulers of that Church The errours of the Britanâ— XVII IN THE meane time saint AVGVSTINE hauing by his continuall labour in preaching much enlarged and encreased the fayth of CHRIST amongst the English bent his endeauours to reforme the Church and Bishops of the Britans who allbeit they had remayned in the profession of the Catholick fayth euer since the time of King Lucius yet was not their fayth soe pure but that it was tainted with some errours and especially in the obseruance of Easter which contrary to the custom of the Catholick Church they celebrated from the fourteenth of the moone to the twentith and manie other things they held that were repugnant to the vnitie of the Catholick Church Therefore saint AVGVSTINE by the assistance of King ETHELBERT summoned the Bishops and the learned men of the next Prouince of the Britans to a parley at a place called afterwards in the tongue of the English Saxons by the name of Austens-Oke in the confines of the West-Saxons Where he began with a verie gentle and fraternall admonition to perswade them to embrace the Catholique vnitie and togeather Schismaticks worse to be conuerted with him to vndertake the common labour of preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST But he found by experience that it was easier to conuert Heathens the Hereticks that had noe knowledge of CHRIST or his Church then to reduce Schismaticks out off their errours to the truth For after a long disputation those stubborne Britans would not yeeld nether to the prayers exhortations nor rebukes of saint AVGVSTINE and his fellowes but rather preferred their owne customs before all the Churches of the world vnited togeather in CHRIST Therefore saint AVGVSTINE ended this laborious and long controuersie saying Let vs beseech allmightie God to voutchafe to shew by heauenly signes which tradition is to be followed yours or ours Let a diseased person be brought in and by whose prayers he shall be cured let his fayth and workes be beleeued and followed of all Which condition the aduersaries vnwillingly accepting one depriued of all sight
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
coming out of England in the yeare of grace 755. At the same time togeather with saint BONIFACE Eâ—banus whom he had newly made bishop in Frisia and fiâ—tie persons more some Priests some deacons and other sacred ministers of whom manie were English Monkes walked the same pathes of death to receaue the euer-florishing crowne of Martirdom But the wicked actours of this tragicall scene escaped not the diuine punishment of heauen for as they returned The iust punishment of the murderers from the slaughter a controuâ—rsie arose amongst them touching the diuision of the spoyles which they had taken which when they could not decide by words they fell to blowes and slew one an other with the same weapons which soe lately had been embrewed in the bloud of these glorious Martirs And as manie of them as escaped out of this mutuall slaughter were soone after slaine by the Christians and soe payd a iust tribute to death for their former sacrilege The sacred body of saint BONIFACE was first buried at Vtreâ—ctht afterwards translated to Mentz and lastly to the Benedictine His sacred buriall Abbey of Fulda according as he had desired in his life time And at all these three places his holy Tombe was adorned with manie wonderfull miracles as soe manie vnresistable witnesses of his holy life and meritts The life of this glorious Sainct was written by S. Willibald an English Benedictine first bishop of Eistat in Germanie and by Othlonus Priest and monke of the Benedictine Abbey of Fulda out of whom we haue gathered the foresayd Historie The Roman Martirologe maketh glorious mention of him the fifth day of Iune and all Historiographers doe largely speake his prayses The life of Sainct GVDWALL Bishop and Confessor IVNE 6 Extracted out of an auncient Authour GVDVVALL borne in great Britaine of the noble bloud of Britans seemed to be sent to that troubled countrey as the sonne of peace For at his birth the seucritie of the diuine iustice was chainged into clemencie and meeknes and the three common scourges of Kingdoms plague famin and warre which long had afflicted that nation ceased Being baptised togeather with his yeares the grace of the holy Ghost encreased in his soule and the vnderstanding and knowledge of diuine learning When he came to mans age all men presaging that he would one day prooue a worthy pillar of the Catholick Church he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Then he beganne to lay open the hidden treasures His learning and schollers of his wisedom and learning gotten in his tender yeares and to instruct others with the vndrayneable fountaine of his diuine science Whereby manie were soe rarely enkindled with the beames of the true Sunne that they became fitt to lighten and enflame others with the vertue and learning which they had suckt from his breast At length the fame of saint GVDVVALL was of soe He is made Bishop great estimation in the world that he was aduanced to the height of Ecclesiasticall dignitie and made Bishop when by how much he was exalted higher to honours amongst the poeple of Gods Church soe the more abundantly he spread abroad the sweet odours of his holy life and conuersation to the great consolation and ioy of the whole countrey He was borne to a very large and ample patrimonie but despising all the riches and wealth of the vaine mortall world he gaue all that he had to the Church of CHRIST his immortall King And perceauing allsoe that his pastorall He leaueth his Bishoprick chargetied his mind with the chaines of care to worldly affayres more then he desired he found meanes to discharge him self thereof and hauing substituted an other in his place retired him self to a Monasterie within his Diocese where he entred into a contemplatiue life seruing our Lord in watching fasting and prayer and all other austeritie and discipline of a perfect monasticall life II. BVT desiring within a short time after to enter into a more He leadeth an Heremiticall life secret solitarines wholly to apply his mind to the contemplation of diuine things he departed with one only companion and went to a great rock that stood like a litle Iland within the Sea where hauing cutt him self a litle caue in the hard stone he led a most retired and solitary life according to the example of the auncient Hermites Till the brethren of the monastery which he had left being not able to endure the hard burden of the absence of GVDVVALL who had endowed them with the learning of heauenly discipline made a pious search ouer all the countrey to find him And being found they ioyfully ranged them selues in the institution of his vertuous schoole carefully studying to imitate his holy simplicitie and liuely mortification But being pressed with the narrownes of the place they hewed manie litle habitations in that hard rock to defend them selues from the violence of the weather Therefore the rock which before bred a solitarie horrour to the behoulders The number of his disciples being now turned into a house of prayer was made an habitation of Monkes where solemne watches were obserued and the Ecchoes of Gods diuine prayses resounded amidst the roaring of those swelling waues When the fame of the holy man encreasing dayly the number of his disciples likewise encreased soe that one hundred fourescore and eight monkes are reported to haue liued vnder the gouernment of his pious institution in soe much that the quantitie of that place being not able to contayne soe great a number at a low water saint GVDVVALL went downe vppon the The seas obey his commaund sands and with an assured and strong confidence in the diuine goodnes making the signe of the crosse in the sand commaunded those vnruly waues in the name of IESVS-CHRIST noe more to flow beyond the limitts which he had there prescribed When to the great admiration and comfort of Gods seruants that vntamed element contayned the accustomed pride of its swelling furie and obeying the holy mans commaund neuer more dared to trangresse the bounds by him prefixed Hence it appeares that the miracles of the old law haue been reuiued in the Christian Church for Moyses deuided and our GVDVVALL bridled the waues of the vntamed He 〈…〉 prayers seas And not only in this but in an other act allsoe this holy man was replenished with the spirit of the Prophet Moyses when in the same place being in want of fresh water by his prayers he obtayned a fountaine of cleere streames to spring out of that hard rock III. WONDERFVLL surely was the life that this holy man led in this horrid place He dayly celebrated the dreadfull sacrifice of Masse Angels appeare at hâ—â— masse and that with soe great puritie of mind and such deuour preparations thereunto that sometimes the Angells descending visibly from heauen assisted at that venerable misterie and togeather with him sung the diuine prayses of allmightie God to the great
wont oftentimes to visitt the blessed Hermite GODRICK between whom past manie pious discourses of the diseases of vices and the remedies of vertues as allsoe of the heauenly secrets angelicall visitations and the Patronage of the Saincts spending whole nights and daies in the delightfull mixture of such diuine speeches But here I must admonish my good reader An errour in the History of his life corrected that there is a mistake slipt into the life of saint ROBERT sett forth by Surius when it is sayd that saint GODRICK heard the confessions of saint ROBERT for saint GODRICK as we haue sayd in his life the 21. May was a man wholly without learning and neuer made Priest Perchance Surius correcting the stile of the Authour destroyed the sense for in Ioannes Anglicus recited by Capgrane We find contrariwise that saint ROBERT who vsed oftentimes to visitt saint GODRICK was his Phisitian in matter of confession and conscience Therefore let not this errour in Surius deceaue my reader as allreadie it hath done manie others who are vnacquainted with our English histories VIII BVT this holy Abbot saint ROBERT when he had gloriously finished the spirituall conflict of a monasticall life which he had vndertaken in this mortall world yeelded vp his blessed soule to receaue the immortall prize and reward of his labours in heauen And S. Godrick hath a vision of his glory at the same instant the forenamed saint GODRICK being then in his cell in the Hermitage of Finckley saw his soule in the forme of a fiery globe carried vp in great glory to the heauenly Kingdoms by the ministerie and assistance of angelicall hands He died the seauenth day of June in the yeare of our saluation 1159. He was buried in his owne Monasterie called New Abbey where his tombe was famous for manie miracles there the blind receaued their sight the dumbe their speech the lame the vse of their limmes and manie others the benefitt of their desired health The memorie of Sainct ROBERT was famous in times past at Knaresborow in Yorkeshire where by some he is reported to haue led an Heremiticall life But whether that saint ROBERT be the same of whom now we treate I dare not certainly affirme especially because the Authours of his life doe make noe mention that euer he was an Hermite The historie of his life we haue taken out of the Authour thereof recited by Surius tom 3. the same it sett downe by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus The Roman Martirologe Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Mathew Paris anno 1238. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare doe make worthy mention of him The life of Sainct WILLIAM Archbishop of Yorke and Confessor IVNE 8. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT WILLIAM borne of noble Parents Count Herbert and Emma Sister to King Stephen of England excelled the splendour of his parentage with the bright lustre of his vertues and the heauenly graces and guifts wherewith he was adorned by the diuine goodnes of allmightie God When his tender yeares beganne to be more soundly gouerned with the raynes of discretion he allso endeauoured carefully to rule his life with all the pious discipline of good manners Till by the dayly encrease of his vertues and holy conuersation he purchased vnto him self aduancement to Ecclesiasticall dignitie and was chosen treasurer of the Church of Yorke He is made Treasurer of the Church of Yorke vnder Thurstin Archbishop of the same Sea When WILLIAM iudging no treasure to be more pretious then that which succoureth those that suffer want made his riches serue to enrich the poore and needie At length Thurstin the Archbishop hauing payed the tribut of nature vnto death our WILLIAM being found to be a man in whom the vertues of meeknes pietie charitie did a bound was by the common consent of the Chanons chosen to succeed in He is falsely accused the gouernment of that sea But by the factious and turbulent resistance of Osbert Archdeacō of the same Church by the manie false complaints and crimes which he and his adherents preferred to the court of Rome against this election the matter was held in suspense and controuersie for fiue yeares space allbeit the acclamations of the Clergie and the generall applause of the people not only testified the innocencie of S. WILLIAM but allsoe proclaymed him to be a worthie louer of iustice and good life II. AT length Eugenius a Cistercian Monke succeeding in the Roman Primacie pronounced his sentence for Henry Mordach a pious Mōke of the same profession who was sustayned by Osbert the Archdeacon not that he iudged WILLIAM vnfitt for the dignitie but because he was more inclined to the other being a man of his owne order Therefore the same of saint WILLIAM being thus vniustly His great patience torne with the venomous detractions of his aduersaries he made vse of noe other weapons for his owne defence in all these broiles but the bucklar of a contented patience with which and the vnshaken constancie of a vertuous mind he conquered all his troubles He retired himself to Henry Bishop of Winchester of whom being his Vncle he was soe courteously entertayned that he made his whole familie to be obseruant and dutifull vnto him But the holyman abhorring the pompe of the world affecting more the solitarines of a retired life contented him self His pious life and exercises with a litle corner of the Bishops house where he piously spent his time in watching fasting and prayer and the contemplation of diuine and heauenly things He reioyced to haue found the leasure of this good occasion to bewaile the faults of his life past and to drowne the reuengefull flames of the paynes due thereunto with the sorrowfull streames of his deuout teares He liued in great silence and tranquillitie suffering noe vaine word or idle speech to hinder his mind from the continuall contemplation of the diuine goodnes In a word he led soe holy a life full of vertue and goods workes that those that beheld him seemed to see in him an angelicall creature in a humane shape III. BVT after the course of seauen yeares in one and the same day Pope Engenius and Henry Archbishop of Yorke chainged this life for a better whose death was by a diuine reuelation made knowne to He is made Archbishop of Yorke saint WILLIAM Then the Chanons of Yorke againe made choise of him to succeed in that Sea Who going to Rome had his election confirmed by Pope Anastasius was by him consecrated Bishop and adorned with the honour of the Archiepiscopall Palle Which done he returned into England and at Canturbury he was for honours sake courteously visited by Roger Archdeacon of the same cittie of whom he being departed saint WILLIAM thus foretould to his owne companie This is the He foretelleth his successour man sayd he that after my death shall succeed in my place Which prophesie the euent prooued true soe admirable
and she dispersed all she had I say nothing of her great care and pietie shewed to sick persons orphans and widdowes to whom she was allwaies a most indulgent and pious Motheâ— I passe ouer in silence the affâ—ction reuerence she bore to Hermites and true religious mâ—n whom sometimes she visited and dayly furnished with sufficiencie Euery morning she The rare pretie of the King and Queene nourished nine orphan-children and gaue them victualls with her owne hands Besides these her custom was to receaue three hundred poore poeple into the pallace and hauing 〈◊〉 the doores she ranged them into order when the king on the on side and the Queene on the other serued CHRIST in his poore and gaue them meate with their owne hands peculâ—rly prouided for that purpose O the wonderfull pietie of these royall persons This done she went to the Church where during the time of the holy sacrifice of Masse she sacrificed her self to allmightie God with the long continuance of manie prayers sighs and teares And before the high Masse beganne she heard fiue or six priuate Masses euery day VI. THEN she returned to dinner rather to maintaine life then Her spare diet to satisfie the delights of her appetite for in her diet she was soe sober and sparing that her meales rather sharpened then extinguished her 〈◊〉 and she seemed rather to â—ast then to â—are her meate Throughout the whole Lent and fortie daies before Christmas she mortified her bodie with an incredible abstinence in soe much that out of the austeritie of her fasting she endured most sharpe paynes and gripings in her stomake all the daies of her life but the weaknes of her bodie could nothing weaken the strength of her vnconquered vertue At length falling into a grieuous ficknes she sent for her Confessor 〈◊〉 the second Prior of the Benedictine Monastery of Durham of wâ—om hauing first declared the manner of her life and at each word of the consolation which he gaue her powred out whole flouds of deuout teares she tooke her last farewell for sayd she I shall not long remaine in She desireth Masses and prayers after death this mortall life and thou wilt shortly follow me Two things therefore I desire of thee the first that during thy life thou be allwaies mindfull of me in thy masse and other prayers the second that thou take care of my children and keepe them allwaies in the feare of God lest the prosperitie of the world wheÌ„ they attaine to the height of terrene dignitie make them loose the happines of eternall life VII AFTERWARDS the vehemencie of her disease encreasing she was noâ—able to rise but seldom out of her bed But the fourth day The slaughter of King Malcoline before her happie departure the king being then abroade in a warlick expedition she grew on the suddaine more sad then her wonted custom saying to the assistants I feare more misfortune hath happened this day to the Kingdom of Scotland then in manie yeares before And soone after they vnderstood that the King and his sonne Edward had that very day lost their liues in the warres The fourth day after the kings death her sicknes giuing some truce to the former vehemencie of her paine she rose and went into her chappell and armed her approching end with the last Sacrament and the Viaticum of our Lords most pretious bodie Then the crueltie of her griefes laying her againe prostrate on her death-bed she vnderstood by the new arriuall of her sonne Edgar from the arâ—ie of the late ouerthrow receaued by their enemies when lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God who at the hower of her departure out of this A vvorthy example of patience world had sent her an occasion of soe great anguish for a triall of her patience by the suffrance of which she hoped to be clensed from some of her former sinnes In the meane time feeling the secret messengers of death to summon her departure she beganne deuoutly to recite this prayer Domine Iesu Christe qui ex voluntate Patris cooperante She dioâ—â— happily spiritu Sancto per mortem tuam mundum viâ—ificasti libera me and and at that word her soule being deliuered out of the chaines of the bodie quietly passed to the Authour of all true libertie CHRIST-IESVS whom soe dearely she had loued in her life time being made participant of the happines of those glorious spirits whose vertuous examples she had been all waies carefull to follow And her face which during her sicknes was soe wane pale returned after death to soe fayre a mixture of a red and white complexion that to the astonished behoulders it seemed to sett forth the countenance of a sleeping or liuing bodie rather then of one that was dead She died the tenth day of Iune in the yeare 1097. and was buried in the Church of the Blessed Trinitie which she had built in her life time The life of this glorious Queene hath been written by S. Alured Abbot of Rhieuall recited by Surius tom 3. and by Turgot second Prior of Durham whom we haue followed Allso Deidonatus lib. 12. hist Scotorum maketh ample mention of her as allsoe the Roman Martirâ—loge Vsuard Molanus and others The life of Sainct EADBVRG Virgin and Nunne of the holy Order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 15. Out of William Malmesbury and others EABVRG daughter to Edward the Elder King of England and Queene Elsgiue his wife Her parents at the age of three yeares gaue a notable proofe of her future Sainctitie For her father being desirous to trie whether the litle infant would be inclined to God or the world layd the ornaments of diuers professions in his chamber before her on the one side a chalice and the Ghospell and iewells rings and bracelets on the other Thither the litle gyrle being brought in the armes of her dandling nurse she was seated on her fathers lappe who sayd Choose my EADBVRG which of these things doe most delight thee She with a countenance as it were despising the rest greedily layd hould on the chalice and booke embracing them with Note her choise of a religiouslife a childish innocencie The whole companie of assistants cried out that it was an euident presage of future sainctitie in the gyrle and the father most tenderly kissing clipping his child Goe thy waies sayd he whither God calls thee follow happily the diuine spouse whom thou hast chosen and happy indeed may thy mother and I esteeme our selues being in religion ouercome by a daughter Therefore when riper yeares allowed her the perfect vse of discrecretion she went to the Benedictine Monasterie which her father had She taketh the habit of a Nunne built at Winchester and putt on the habit and profession of a Nunne vnder the holy Rule of saint BENEDICT when soe rarely she conformed her life to the lawes of her profession that by the
diligence of her dutifull seruice she greatly inuited all the rest of her sisters and fellow-Nunnes highly to loue and honour her Nether did the greatnes of her bloud and royall byrth make her more nice or backward to vndergoe the austeritie of her profession because she iudged it a thing most glorious to be huÌ„bled vnder the sweet yoake of the seruice of CHRIST-IESVS Her sainctirie encreased with her age and her humilitie florished with her youthfull yeares in soe A rare example of humilitie much that by night she would play the part of a pious theefe and steale the sockes of all the other nunnes hauing carefully washed and annoynted them she restored them againe to their bed sides Wherefore allbeit allmightie God hath ennobled her aliue with manie famous miracles yet this one example is before all most worthie of prayse that charitie beganne and humilitie finished all the workes of her whole life At leÌ„gth passing happily out of this world Her happy death her pure and innocent soule was carried on the wings of these two vertues to be perfectly vnited with her euerlasting spouse in heauen the fifteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 920. Her bodie was first buried in the same Monasterie but some of her bones were afterwards translated to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore in the Diocesse of Worcester where they were reserued with great reuerence and deuotion at both which places the holines and integritie of her life was witnessed with manie famous miracles as the gouernours of the same Churches could affirme in the time of my Authour The life of S. Eadburg sayth Iohn Pits is written by one Osbertus Clarentius a Benedictin Monke of Winchester about the yeare of Christ 1136. which I haue not seene But thus much of her I haue taken out of William Malmesbury de reg lib. 2. cap. 13. and de Episcop lib. 4. de monasterijs diocesis Vigorn and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10. cap. 8. Mention is made of her by Roger Houedon priori part Annal. an 899. Polidore Virgill lib. 6. Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter de natalibus in his catalogue lib. 11. cap. 69. and others And in an auncient manuscript breniary of S. Benedicts order with belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find her feast celebrated this fisteenth of Iune with three lessons and a proper Collect. The life of Saint BOTVLPHE Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 17 Written by Folchard a Monke of Thorney BOTVLPHE and ADOLPHE brothers borne of noble parents were both as neere of kinne in vertue as in byrth and both equally ennobled the nobilitie of their bloud with the resplendent excellencie of their holy life Who because in England then but newly conuerted the Catholick religion and discipline of a monasticall life was not yet established in that perfection as their minds aspired vnto went on pilgrimage ouer into France or Belgia Where because vertue is no where a stranger but is euery where honoured euen amongst strangers ADOLPHE was at length aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Bishop and BOTVLPHE hauing been a long time He professeth a religious life exercised in the stricter discipline of a monasticall life togeather with his brother and putt on the habit and profession of a Monke vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT resolued to returne into his owne countrey being courteously recommended to ETHELMVND king of the South-Saxons by his two Sisters who at that time led a religious life in France Therefore S. BOTVLPHE hauing passed the seas was kindly entertayned by king Ethelmund who hauing vnderstood the desire of his sisters gaue him a peece of land in Lincolneâ—hire not farre from the cittie of Lincolne The name of the place was Icanhoe a forsaken vnhabited desert where nothing but deuills and goblins were thought to dwell But S. BOTVLPHE with the vertue signe of the holy Crosse freed it from the possession of those hellish He buildeth a Monastery inhabitants and by the meanes and helpe of Ethelmund built a monasterie therein which he filled with a Conuent of religious monkes vnder the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT II. THESE he gouerned both by word worke and example according to the stricter discipline of a monasticall life which he had learned in forreigne countreies drawing them by the mildnes of his dayly pious admonitions to embrace the sweet austeritie of a vertuous and holy life in soe much that he was highly esteemed and His pietie in sicknes beloued of all and by a speciall fauour of allmightie God ennobled with the guift of prophesie and working of manie miracles Being oppressed with sicknes of bodie he imitated the patience of holy Iob and gaue infinite thankes vnto the diuine goodnes for that visitation all waies discoursing of the soules departure out of the bodie and of the ioyes of euerlasting happines which followed With these and such like pious exercises he spent his whole time till he attayned to the happines to be by old age ouertaken in the diuine seruice When the end of his life drawing neere and the vehemencie of his sicknes encreasing he ceased not to exhorte his deuout children carefully to obserue the rules of monsticall life which he had planted amongst them and to maintaine peace and charitie in the Monasterie Till adorned with the long studies of all vertues this vntired Hâ—s happy death champion of CHRIT being oppressed with the crueltie of a teadious disease of bodie yeelded vp his blessed soule out of her mortall habitation to the immortall reward of her labours the seauenteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 680. He was buried in the same Monasterie where his memorie was yearly celebrated being famous for miracles both in his life and after his death But that place being afterwards destroyed by the Danes the worthy restorer of the Benedictine discipline S. ETHELWOLD bishop of Winchester caused his sacred reliques to be taken vp and translated to the Translation of his bodie two Benedictine Abbeies Ely and Thorney And it hath been found writteÌ„ in the booke of S. BOTVLPHES Church neere Aldergâ—â—e in London that part of his holy bodie was by King Edward giuen to the Abbey of Winchester The memory of this glorious Sainct hath in former times been very famous in our Iland of great Britaine and in Lincolneshire there remaines yet a renowned towne which from his name was called Botulphs-Towne but now by corruption of the word is named Bâ—ston situate on the bankes of the riuer Witham His life hath been written by Folchard a monke of Thorney and by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts S. Bede in his history of England Florentius Wigorniensis an 654. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare Nicholas Harpsfied saec 7. cap. 24. William Camden in descriptione comitatus Lincolâ—iâ— Molanus in his additions to Vsuard and manie others make worthy iâ—eâ—tion
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
the names of those glorious saincts the diuine goodnes shewed him a heauenly token and signe of his mercie For S. BENEDICT and sainct ETHELDRED with her sister sainct SEXBVRG appeared visibly vnto him in the prison with such a glorious lustre to He hath an apparition that darke place and such a lightning of comfort to his weake soule darkened with sorrow that betwixt ioy and amazement he was allmost traÌ„sported beyond him self not knowing what to say or what to thinke Till those heauenly cittizens hauing made them selues knowne vnto him demaunded yf he would be deliuered out of that captiuitie At which words awaking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he answered that he would most willingly enioy libertie yf he thought he could anie longer liue but because the forces of his bodie were quite spent he had now no further hope to escape Then S. BENEDICT drawing neere vnto him very gently pulled off his He is releaâ—ed by S. Benedict shackles and threw them with such vehemencie against a beame in the same roome that they broke in peeces and the noyse awaked the keepers who fearing lest their prisoÌ„ners might haue made some escape came hastily with lights into the same roome where to theyr great astonishment they vnderstood first by an other of the prisoners and next of Brickstan him self what strainge guests had been there and how he had been miraculously loosed out of his fetters by the heauenly visitation of S. BENEDICT and S. ETHELDRED Therefore the next morning they made relation hereof to the vertuous Queene Mawde who happened to be in London at the same time and she presently sent one Raphe a chaplaine of the Court to be more certainly informed of the truth of this accident He hauing found how Brickstan was released out of his fetters and seeing the irons soe straingely burst in peeces brought him to the Queenes Great ioy for his releasement presence at court Then the noyse of this miraculous accident being blowne all ouer the cittie of London made the cittizens with their mouthes full of the prayses of allmightie God come flocking to the Court. And the Queene being replenished with an extreme ioy at the noueltie of the miracle caused all the bells in the towne to make the ayre resouÌ„d with peales of ioy for the straingenes thereof all Conuents of Ecclesiasticall persons to sing forth prayses of thanksgiuing vnto the allmightie worker of wonders for soe great a remonstrance of his goodnes And Brickstan him self going in pilgrimage to visitt manie Churches throughout the cittie to giue thankes for this heauenly fauour was followed with whole troupes of poeple that desired to looke vppon him as vppon a wonder and at the Benedictine Abbey of Westminster he was receaued by Gilebert the Abbot and the whole Conuent of Monkes that came in procession to meete him In fine by commaund of the Queene he was honourably conueyed out of all his troubles to the beloued hauen of his desires the Monasterie of Ely carying with him as the trophies of his victorie ouer the world the chaines and fetters which had bound him in prison and out of which he was soe miraculously released At Ely he was very honourable receaued where he brought Briestan becometh a Monke at Ely his former purpose to perfection and putt on the habitt and profession of a Benedictine moke And his fetters were hung vp in the same Church before the high aultar for a perpetuall spectacle and monument of the miracle This happened in the time of Herueus first bishop of the same place XVIII THOMAS WalsinghaÌ„ in his historie of England in Richard the secoÌ„d in the yeare 1389. relateth how during the same kings raygne the holy Virgin ETHELDRED appeared at two seuerall times to distinct persons and foretould strainge accidents and punishments that should happen vnto the Countrey yf they were not auerted by the prayers and sacrifices of good men Other particularities thereof we omitt fearing to be ouer teadious hauing shewed sufficiently how great a care this glorious Sainct had of her countrey Let vs make intercession vnto her that by her meritte and prayers she would obtaine vs grace of allmightie God to be freed from the yoake oppression of Heresie which in these our daies beareth soe great a head ouer onr miserable couÌ„trey Her life we haue gathered out of the Chronicles of Ely which we haue in an auncient manuscript written by Thomas of Ely a Monke of the same place aâ— allso out of Venerable Bede de gestis Ang. lib. 4. cap. 19. Nicholas Harpsfield sec 7. cap. 24. and Ionnes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts Mention is made of her in the Roman Martirologe and in that of Bede Ado Vsuard and Wion Allso William Malmesbury lib. 2. de gest reg cap. 13. Mathew Westminster anno 679. Polidore Virgill lib. 4. Wigorniensis annis 672. 673. and 679. Trithemius in his third booke of the famous men of sainct Benedicts Order chap. 122. and manie other writers doe worthyly sound forth her prayses and in auncient times her feast was celebrated in England with great solemnitie The life of sainct BARTHOLOMEW Priest and Monke of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT IVNE 24 Written by Ioannes Anglicus SAINCT BARTHOLOMEW borne in Yorkeshire in the Prouince of Whiteby in times past called Streanshall was by his parents first named Tostius but when he left the world and entered into a monasticall life he left allso that name and was called BARTHOLOMEW In his verie infancie he gaue manie rare signes of future sainctitie and receaued from heauen manie speciall fauours to confirme the His diuine visions same being diuers times visited by our Lord IESVS-CHRIST him self in person and by his glorious Mother the Blessed Virgin MARY and the holy Apostles S. PETER and sainct IOHN In his youth he trauelled into manie forreigne countreys and in Norway he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood But returning into England he receaued the habitt of a Monke in the Benedictine monasterie Note a miracle of Durham where entring into the Church and making reuerence to the Crucifix the sacred Image of Christ hanging on the Crosse seemed with an humble bowing of the head to resalute him againe In this monasterie he led a verie regular and strict life profitting dayly more and more in humilitie obedience and all other vertues belonging to a Monasticall life Till at length aspiring to a more solitarie manner of liuing segregated from all humane companie the great Patrone of that Order and monasterie S. CVTHBERT appeared to him in a vision and inuited him to liue in the Iland of Farne which was the place that he him self in his life time had honoured with his holy conuersation BARTHOLOMEW being glad of soe heauenly an offer soe suting with his desires promised to spend the remnant of his life in that Iland to that end with much difficultie and importunitie he