being arriv'd in the place where a Church is new built to his memory it fell down and was there buried by St. David with spiritual Hymns and Canticles In which Church our Lord vouchsafes frequently to attest the Sanctity of his Servant by many Miracles F. Cressi's Church-History p. 234. How S. Ositha walk'd when dead with her Head in her hands and knock'd at a Church-door St. Ositha was Daughter of a Mercian Prince named Frithwald and of Wilterburga Daughter of Pende King of the Mercians She was bred up in great Piety and through her Parents Authority became Wife to Sighere Companion of S. Seb. in the Kingdom of the East Angles But preferring the Love of a heavenly Bridegroom before the Embraccs of a King her Husband complied with her Devotion and moreover not only permitted her to consecrate her self to our Lord but bestowed on her a Village situated near the Sea called Chic where building a Monastery she enclosed her self And after she had spent some time in the service of God it hapned that a Troop of Danish Pirats landed there who going out of their Ships wasted and burnt the Countrey thereabout using all manner of Cruelty against the Christian Inhabitants Then he who was the Captain of that impious Band having learnt the Condition and Religious Life of the blessed Virgin St. Ositha began by Entreaties and Presents to tempt her to Idolatry adding withal Threats of Scourging and other Torments if she refused to adore the gods which he worshipped But the Holy Virgin despising his Flatteries and not fearing his Threats made small account of the Torments attending her Whereupon the said Captain enraged at her Constancy and scorn of his Idols pronounced Sentence of Death against her commmanding her to lay down her Head to be cut off And in the same place where the Holy Virgin suffered Martyrdom a clear Fountain broke forth which cured several kinds of Diseases As soon as her Head was off the Body presently rose up and taking up the Head in the hands by the conduct of Angels walked firmly the straight way to the Church of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul about a quarter of a Mile distant from the place of her suffering And when it was come there it knocked at the Door with the bloody hands as desiring it might be opened and thereon left marks of Blood. Having done this it fell there down to the ground now her Parents having heard of her death earnestly desired as some recompence for their loss to enjoy the comfort of burying with them her headless Body which being brought to them they Interred it in a Coffin of Lead in the Church of Aylesbury where many Miracles were wrought by her Intercession At length her sacred Reliques by a Divine Vision were translated thence back again to the Church of Chic which Maurice Bishop of London reposed in a precious Coffer at which time the Bishop of Rochester then present was cured of a grievous Infirmity F. Crâ—ssâ—'s Church-History p. 424. The History of St. Claire a Martyr to Chastity St. Claire by Birth an English-man of a veâ—y Noble Descent and Illustrious for his outward Comeliness inward natural Endowments singular Piety rare Chastity Being at years of maturity his Parents would have matcht him to a Noble and Beautiful Virgin But to preserve his Virginal Purity on his very Marriage-day he stole away into France where he espous'd an Hermit's life and spent his days in strict Exercises of Piety But the Enemy of Man's salvation could not long support the brightness of Divine Graces shining in this Saint to obscure which he inflamed with Lust the Mind of a certain Noble-woman dwelling near who immediately attempted to expugn the Chastity of the Servant of God But St. Claire resolutely resisted the shameless Lady notwithstanding which resistance when her Sollicitations more increased he was forced for his own quietness and liberty to forsake his Monastery The lascivious Woman desperately enraged with his departure sent two Murderers in search of him who at last found him in a poor Cottage where he had fixed his Habitation with one onely Companion named Cyrinus There they first set upon him with many opprobrious Speeches and at last drawing out their Swords they most cruelly cut off his Head whil'st he devoutly kneeling offered his Sacrifice of Chastity to our Lord the Lover of pure Minds and Patron of Innocence This glorious Champion of Chastity being thus victorious by Patience presently after arose and with his hands taking up his Head by the assistance of Angels carried it to a Fountain not far distant into which he cast it and then carried the same back to the Oratory of his Cell and going on a little further towards a Village seated near the River Epta which since took a new Name from this glorious Martyr he there consummated his Course and transmitted his blessed Soul to Heaven As for his Companion Cyrinus he being first dangerously wounded was by the Prayers of St. Clarus wonderfully restored to health The distinct place where this holy Martyr suffered is said to be in the Territory near Rouen in Normandy near the River Seyne S. Decumanus does himself wash his own Head after it was cut off St. Decumanus born of Noble Parents in the South-western parts of Wales forsaking his Countrey the more freely to give himself to Mortification and Devotion passed the River Severne upon a Hurdle of Rods and retired himself into a mountainous vast Solitude covered with Shrubs and Bryars where he spent his Life in the repose of Contemplation till in the end he was slain by a Murderer But it so hapned that when his Head was cut from his Body the Trunk raising it self up took the Head which it carried from the place where he was slain to a Spring not far off which flowed with a most chrystal Water in which with the Hands it washed the Blood away which Spring in memory of the Saint is to this day called St. Decumansis's Spring near to which place the Body together with the Head was Honourably buried by the neighbouring Inhabitants F. Cressi's Church-History p. 526. S. Ruadanus and S. Finnian Counterâ— Miracle one another St. Ruadanus obtained this special favour of God that from a certain Tree in his Cell Tilia it's call'd from the hour of Sun-setting till Nine a Clock the next Day dropt a Liquor of a peculiar taste pleasing to every Palate which then fill'd a Vessel which sufficed for a Dinner for him and all his Brotherhood and from Nine a Clock to Sun-setting it dropt half a Vessel fullâ— with which Strangers were entertained Upon the fame of this Miracle many of the Saints came to St. Finnian desiring him to go along with them to that place and persuade Ruadanus to live a Life common with others St. Finnian went with them and when they came to the Tree that gave the admirable Liquor he sign'd it with
by two Priests who kept the Secret between them Miracles said to be wrought by St. Thomas A Becket St. Thomas A Becket chuses the Blessed Virgin for his Mistress and She mends his Shirt for him St. Thomas that Arch-stickler against the Prerogatives of the Crown and his King to favour the Progresses of Church-Privileges and the Interests of the Pope we are told from his youth had vow'd his Chastity to the Blessed Virgin and being on a time among some of his Companions before he was Archbishop he heard them boasting of their Mistresses and the special Presents they had received from them Thomas told them that they vapour'd foolishly for he had a Mistress that far excelled all theirs who had bestowed such a Present on him that they never saw any thing like it All this he intended in a Spiritual Sense but they urging vehemently that he would shew them what he talked of he ran to the Church and prayed the Blessed Virgin to pardon the Presumptuous Word he had spoken of her To whom she appeared in a Vision and incouragingly told him that he did well to cry up the Excellency of his Mistress and she gave him a very fine and a very little Box which his Companions snatcht out of his hand and opening saw something of a Purple Colour and taking it out behold a wonderful fine Casula a Garment which the Priests wearâ— This Story came to the ears of the Archbishop of Canterbury who sent for Thomas and learnt of him the truth of it whereupon he secretly determined in his mind to make him his Successor But this Favour of the Virgin 's in the Present of a New Garment was not so wonderful as another we are told of that concerned an Old one For when he was Archbishop he used to wear a Hair shirt next his Skin on Saturday a Day dedicated to the Blessed Virgin which being rent Wickman tells us that the Blessed Virgin held his Shirt whilst he stitched it but Gononus reports it thus There was an English Priest that daily said the Mass of the Blessed Virgin because he had not skill to say any other who being accused was suspended by St. Thomas from his Office for his want of skill St. Thomas on a time had hidden his Hair-shirt under his Bed that at a convenient season he might secretly sow it The Blessed Virgin appeared to the foresaid Priest and commanded him to go to Thomas and tell him that the Mother of God had granted leave to the Priest that daily celebrated her Mass and was suspended to officiate again by this token that she for whose love he said Mass had sowed his Hair-shirt that lay in such a place and had left the Red Hair with which she sowed it Thomas hearing this was amazed and found it so as the Priest related and gave him power hereupon to officiate A Fowl is turn'd into a Carp for St. Thomas his Conveniency THE English Legend relates in the Life of St. Thomas That when he was at Rome upon a Fasting-day a Fowl being provided for his Dinner because no Fish could be bought the Capon was miraculously turned into a Carp rather than the Holy Man should break the Orders of the Church How God miraculously vindicated Thomas against his Enemies in his Life-time NOw St. Thomas being accounted the King's Enemy began to be contemned and hated by the common People that coming to a Town called Strode the Inhabitants of that Place meaning to put an affront upon this good Despised Father presumed to cut ofâ— his Horses Tail which he rode upon but hereby they brought a perpetual reproach upon themselves for afterwards it fell out by the Pleasure of God that all the Race of those Men that committed this Fact were born with Tails like Brute Beasts whence the Proverb comes of Kentish Long-tails The Wonderful Iudgments of Thomas a Becket's Murderers ALL Men shunned their Company and none eat or drank with them they cast the Fragments of their Meat to the Dogs and when they had â—asted them they would eat no more of them so manifest was God's Vengeance that they who contemned the Lord 's Anointed were even contemned by Dogs A Canoniz'd Historian adds further That of those who killed him some with their Teeth gnawed off their own Fingers in pieces others had their Bodies flowing with Corrupt Matter others were dissolved by the Palsy and others miserably died of Madness Certain Visions Revelations and Miracles relating to Sâ— Thomas a Becket's Death A Little before St. Thomas returned out of Banishment it was revealed to him that a few days after his return he should go to Heaven by dying a Martyr and we are told that while he way praying at the Monastery of Pontiniac he heard a Voice from Heaven saying O Thomas Thomas my Church shall be glorified in thy Blood. A certain Young Man being under an Infirmity his Soul went out of his Body and returned again and he said he had been wrapt up into Heaven and saw an empty Seat mightily adorned placed among the Apostles And when he asked for whom that magnificent Seat was prepared an Angel answered it was reserved for a certain great Priest of the English Nation which was understood of St. Thomas Heraclius also the Patriarch of Ierusalem coming into England related this Vision A certain Fryer was sick to Death in a Monastery of the Holy Land the Abbot desired him to certify him of his state after Death which he promised and dyed A few days after he appeared to the Abbot and told him he enjoyed the Vision of God and that you may not doubt of my Happiness know saith he That when I was carried by Angels into Heaven there came a great Man with an unspeakable admirably Procession following him of Angels Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles c. This Man stood before the Lord as a Martyr all his Head being torn and his Blood seeming to distil from the clefts of his Wounds To whom the Lord said O Thomas thus it becometh thee to enter into the Court of the Lord and added I will give no less Glory to thee than that I have bestowed on Peter And the Lord took a mighty golden Crown and put it on his Head. The Fryer added Know for certain that Thomas of Canterbury is slain about this time mark my words and observe the time And so he vanished This the Abbot told to the Patriarch who related it in England Before St. Thomas was buried as he lay in the Quire upon the Bier in the morning lifting up his Right Hand he gave his Benediction to the Monks A certain Soldier a great Lover of St. Thomas was enquiring every where How he might get any of his Reliques Which a crafty Priest hearing at whose House he sojourned said to him I have by me a Bridle which St Thomas long used which the Soldier hearing gave him the Money he asked for iâ—
their own Tongue Here here here neither did it cease to cry out in the same Words till it had brought them to the Place And to add to the Wonder there they found a mighty and fierce Wolf which with its Fore-feet held the Head as if appointed to watch and defend it from other Beasts When they were come the Wolf quietly resigned it to them so with joyful Hymns to God they carried and joyn'd it to the Body the Wolf in the mean time following it to the Place where they buried it after which the Beast returned into the Wood In all which time neither did the Wolf hurt any one neither did any one shew the least Intention to hurt the Wolf. F. Cressey's Church History P. 734 735 736. A Monk Divinely punished for his neglect to venerate the Holy Cross. A Monk of Glastenbury named Ailsi refusing to bow as others did to a Crucifix at last either out of Compunction or by Command of his Superior he bowed himself but a Voice proceeding from the Image said these words distinctly Now too late Ailsi now too late Ailsi Which Voice so affrighted him that falling down he presently expired St. Dunstan's Miracles ONce upon a time a mighty Beam from the top of the Church threatning the Destruction of many by its fall St. Dunstan with his Right hand making the sign of the Cross lift it up again Further As this Saint was praying one Night the Devil assails him in the shape of a Bear and endeavoured with his Teeth to snatch the Staff out of his Hands upon which the Man of God leaned he unaffrighted lifts up his Staff and followed the horrid Monster beating him and singing these words Let God arise and let his Enemies be scattered And the Ugly Phantasm vanished A Miracle to assert the Real Presence WHen St Odo was celebrating the Mass in the presence of certain of the Clergy of Canterbury who maintained that the Bread and Wine after Consecration do remain in their former substance and are not Christ's true Body and Blood but a Figure of it When he was come to Confraction presently the Fragments of the Body of Christ which he held in his hands began to pour forth blood into the Chalice Whereupon he shed tears of joy and beckning to them that wavered in their Faith to come near and see the wonderful Work of God as soon as they beheld it they cryed out O holy Prelate to whom the Son of God has been pleased to reveal himself visibly in the Flesh pray for us that the Blood we see here present to our Eyes may again be chaâ—ged but for our Unbelâ—ef the Divine Vengeance fall upon us he prayed accordingly after which looking into the Chalice he saw the Species of Bread and Wine where he had left Blood. How our Saviour let St. Wittekundus know the Worthy and Vnworthy Receivers St. Wittekundus in the Administration of the Eucharist saw a Child enter into every ones Mouth playing and smiling when some received him and with an abhorring Countenance when he went into the Mouths of others Christ thus shewing this Saint in his Countenance who were Worthy and who Unworthy Receivers St. Wereburga's Wild-Goose Miracle THE Memory of Wâ—lfere King of the Mercians received a great lustre from the wonderful Sanctity of his Daughter St. Wereburga Who after her Father's Death undertook a Religious Profession and by her Brother was persuaded to accept the Government of three Monasteries of Religious Virgins Frickingham since called Trent in Staffordshire Wedum and Hamburgh in Northamtonshire In this Station she not only found due Obedience from her Devout Daughtersâ— but even Irrational and Wild Creatures became subject to her Commandâ— as if by her Sanctity she had recovered that Empire which Man enjoy'd in his Primitive Innocence This will be made appear by her banishing from her Territory great flocks of Wild Geese for their Importunity and wastful Devouring her Corn and other Fruits The manner of it was as followeth There was near the Walls of the Town a Farm belonging to the Monastery the Corn whereof was much wasted by Flocks of wild Geese which the Steward of the place endeavouredâ— but in vain to chase away of which incommodity he made complaint to the Holy Virgin Whereupon she commanded him saying Go your ways and shut them all up in a House He wondering at so strange a Command thought the Saint spoke those words in jest But when she renew'd the same Injunction constantly and in a serious manner he returned amongst the Corn where seeing great numbers of such Fowl devouring the Grain he with a loud voice commanded them in his Mistrisses name to follow him Hereupon immediately they all in one Drove follow'd him and were shut up together in a House Now it hapned that a certain Servant privately stole one of the same Birds which he hid with intention to eat it The next morning early the Holy Virgin went to the House where after she had in a Chiding manner reprehended the Birds for usurping that which belonged not to them she commanded them to flâ—e away and not return Immediately the whole Army of them took wing but being sensible of the injury done them they flew not away but hovering over the Holy Virgins head with wonderful noise made complaint of their loss She hearing their importunate Clamours understood by Inspiration the cause thereof and after search made the Offender confessed his Theft whereupon she commanded the Bird to be restored to her Companions After which they all with one consent flew away so as that not any Bird of that kind was afterwards seen in that Territory And William of Malmsbury affirms That the stolen Bird was kill'd and again restored to life by the Saint F. Cressi's Church History p. 427. Of St. Justinian's being beheaded and of his crossing the Seas on foot afterwards with his Head in his hand St. Iustinian was born of a Noble Family in Lesser Britany where after having spent his Youth in Study and Learning he received the Order of Priesthood Then he travelled and at length came to an Island then called Lemency now Ramsy Afterwards he became St. David's Confessor and a mighty Promoter of Christianity This set the Devil to work against him and by that Enemy of Mankind's Instigation three of this holy Mans Servants who had been reprov'd by him for their Idleness and mispending their time rusht upon him threw him to the ground and most cruelly cut off his Head. But in the place where the sacred Head fell to the ground a Fountain of pure Water presently flow'd by drinking of which in following times many were miraculously restored to health But Miracles greater than these immediately succeeded his death For the Body of the blessed Martyr presently rose and taking the Head between the two Arms went down to the Sea shore and walking thence on the Sea passed over to the Port called by his Name and