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
cittie vntill as soe sacred an order required all the diuine rites and ceremonies might duely and gloriously be accomplished towards him But he found meanes to be secretly He is miraculously betrayed by a pillar of fier conueyed out of towne by the helpe of certaine merchants and soe hidd him self in vncouth places for the space of three daies vntill the poeple of Rome with fasting and prayer obtayned the discouerie of that lost treasure by a bright pillar of fier sent from aboue which glittering a good part of the night in a direct line from the heaueÌ„s ouer his head reuealed their wished desire to those that sought him And at the same time there appeared to a certaine Anachorite liuing neere the cittie angels descending and ascending by the same fiery pillar vppon him Hence the Anachoret taking a sacred and happy signification of that ladder which holy Iacob saw in his sleepe cried out that there was the house of our Lord and that he shoud be the ruler of Gods house which is the Church yea the temple of God sayd he lies hidden there At length the elect and beloued seruant of God was found apprehended and brought to the Church of Blessed PETER the Apostle where he was consecrated in the Office of Episcopall autoritie and made Pope of Rome IX AT THIS time being reprehended by Iohn Bishop of Rauenna that he soe fitt a man by concealing him self would seeke to His writings auoyd that Pastoral charge he tooke this occasion to write that excellent booke called the Pastoral care wherein he made it manifestly appeare what manner of men ought to be chosen for the gouernment of the Church how the rulers them selues should gouerne their owne liues with what discretion they were to instruct their subiects of all kinds and with how great consideration they were bound dayly to reflect vppon their owne frailtie He writt allsoe the fower bookes of Dialogues at the request of Peter his Decon in which for an example to posteritie he collected the vertues of the Saincts of Italie which he eyther knew or could heare to be the most famous and as in the bookes of his homelies and expositions he taught what vertues are to be practised soe in his writings of the Saincts and their miracles he would demonstrate how great the excellencie of the same vertues is Allsoe in twentie and two homelies he expounded the first and last part of the Prophet Ezechiel which seemed to containe greatest obscuritie declared how great light lay hid therein Moreouer he writt vppon the Prouerbs and the Canticles of the Prophets of the bookes of Kings of the bookes of Moyses and manie others with verie manie Epistles which for breuities sake I omitt to cite in particular And that which most of all I wonder at is that he could compile soe manie and soe great volumes when allmost all the time of his His manie afflictions with sicknes youth that I may vse his owne phrase he was tormented with such cruell gripings and paines of his entrailles that euerie hower and moment the vertue and strength of his stomake being ouerthrowne the fainted He gasped allsoe with the paines of feauers which albeit they were but slack yet were they continuall and oftentimes he was vehemently tormented with the goute X. BVT IN the meane time while he carefully considered that as the scripture witnesseth euery child that is receaued in scourged by how much the more he was more rudely depressed with present euills soe much the surer he presumed of his eternall reward Moreouer he was tired with a continuall care in ordayned a watch His great care of the Church ouer the cittie to garde it from enemies Allsoe he bore a mind full of feare dayly by reason of the dangers he often heard his ghostly children and subiects were in But being besett on all sides with such and soe manie encumbrances yet he was neuer idle or at rest but ether did somwhat for the encrease and furtherance of his subiects and spirituall children or writt something worthy the Church or els laboured by the grace of diuine contemplation to make him self familiar with the secrets of heauen In summe when very manie allmost out of all parts of Italie fearing the sword of the Longobards flocked on all sides to the Cittie of Rome he His great pietie and charitie most diligently cared for them all and feeding their soules with his diuine sermons he prouided them allsoe with sufficient succour and nourishment for the bodie For his soule was soe coÌ„quered with the loue of pittie that he did not only giue comfort and succour to those that were present with him but to such as liued farre off he would likewise impart the pious workes of his bountie in soe much that he sent helpes to some seruants of God that liued in the Mount Sinai For indeed other Bishops bent their endeauours chiefly in building and adorning Churches with gould and siluer but this allbeit he was not wanting herein yet did he in a manner omitt those good works that he might wholly entirely applie him self to the gayning of soules and what soeuer money he could gett he was carefull to distribute and giue it to the poore that his righteousnes Psal 3. v. 8 Job 29. 13. might remayne euer and his authoritie be exalted in glory Soe that he might truely say that of holy Iob The Benediction of one in distresse came vpon me and I comsorted the heart of the widdowe I am cloathed with iustice and I haue cloathed my self with my owne iudgement as with a garment a diadem J was an eye to the blind and a foote to the lame J was a father of the poore most diligently J searched out a cause which J knew not And a little after See yf I haue eaten my morsell of bread alone and the orphan hath not Ibid. c. 31. 18. eaten of it bâ—cause from my infancie pittie grew togeather with me and came with me out of my mothers wombe XI ON AND not the lest of his workes of pietie and zeale was the deliuering of the English Nation by his preachers thither sent out of the seruitude of the auncient enemie to be made participant of the euerlasting freedom For whosoeuer faythfully adhereth vnto our Lord shall of his bountifull reward haue aduancemeÌ„t dayly to higher matters Therefore while this holy man laboured with ardent desire to gather togeather by parcels an haruest of faythfull soules our pious Lord gaue him the great grace to conuert the whole nation of the English Of which coÌ„uersion performed without question by the speciall prouidence of allmightie God this was the occasion As vpoÌ„ a time some marchants came to Rome with diuers kinds of marchandise to be sould and that manie poeple flocked to the Market place some to buy others to see it happened that GREGORY before he He findeth English-men to be fould in Rome was adorned with the Papall
came not to passe soe much by their counsels as by the secret prouidence of the diuine wisedome to the end her intended deuotion might by some occasion be fullfilled according to her desire Being therefore conueyed by some of the most auncient Princes of France vnto the long desired monasterie of Chelles and there by the Nunnes honourably receaued into their companie she gaue heartie She becometh a Nunne thankes vnto allmightie God who hithereunto had preserued her vnder the shadow of his holy protection and now had brought her vnto the sweet hauen of her desires Now she that before swayed the Her obedience scepter of France submitted her self to the obedience of a poore Abbesse as her mother appearing to the rest of her sisters not as a mistresse but as a discret seruant in all things pioufly bearing a seruiceable dutie vnto them And with such courage of mind she shewed Her humilitie vnto all an example of sincere humilitie that in her turne she would serue her sisters according to S. BENEDICTS rule in the office of the kitchin washing and clensing all implements therevnto be longing and performing all other base offices of the house And these acts of humilitie she did with a merrie and willing mind for the pure loue of him that sayth in the Ghospell J came not to be serued but to serue For what heart could euer think that the height of soe Mat. 20. v. 28. great power should become a feruant in things soe base and abiect vnlesse the mightie loue of CHRIST had graunted this speciall grace vnto her With teares she daily insisted at her deuotions and prayers and often times frequented her spirituall lecture and in her visitations of the sick which were verie frequent her custom was to impart some pious consolation and godly exhortation vnto them Her charitie She was soe well practified in the studie of charitie as she sorrowed with the sorrowfull reioyced with the ioyfull and for the weake and sickly she would often with humilitie putt the Abbesse in mind Rom. 12. to gett them prouided with necessarie helpes both for bodie and soule whose pious desire she like a good mother did very carefully see performed for indeed according to the rule of the Apostles Act. 4. they had but one heart and one soule soe dearely and tenderly they loued each other in the true loue of IESVS CHRIST VI. IN THE meane time this blessed woeman beganne to be afflicted She falleth sick with a sicknes of bodie and to labour grieuously with a certaine griping in the gutts which had brought her neere her end had not the grief bin something asswaged by the power of phisick But allthough the force of her paine did cruelly torment her tender bodie yet she ceased not out of the puritie of a holy conscience to giue thankes vnto the heauenly phisitian who succoureth those that labour in tribulation and from whom she confidently expected to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her suffering And shewing her self a great example of vertue vnto others she studied to giue her sisters a patterne of true pietie obedience and humilitie often admonishing the Abbesse to be likewise mindfull of her dutie towards the King and Queene and other Nobles their friends that the house of God might not loose the good name fame it had gotten but rather encease it more and more in the true affection of charitie towards their friends and chiefly to gett strength and constancie in the sacred loue of God and their neighbours for according to S. PAVL We ought alsoe to haue the good testimonie of those which are 1. Tim. 3. without But aboue all by the mercie and loue of IESVS CHRIST she recommended vnto her to haue a verie speciall care of the poore and of strangers VII THEREFORE the death of this holy Sainct being at hand there appeared a famous vision vnto her in which she beheld a ladder standing vp right before the altar of the B. Virgin Marie the Her vision before she died topp whereof seemed to reach vnto the heauens and manie Angels ascended thereon which seemed to accompanie and leade her herself to the neuer dieing ioyes of Paradise O truely happie who in her iourney had Angels her companions This is the ladder which she erected to heauen in her life time These are her fellow Angels whom by her exercise of good workes she made her friends The degrees of this ladder are the twelue degrees of humilitie contained in the holy rule of S. BENEDICT which she professed by the continuall exercise whereof she deserued to be exalted to the cleere vision of of CHRIST IESVS the master of all humilitie By this vision the holy woeman plainly vnderstood that shortly she was to leaue this world and take her iourney thither where long since she had hidden her greatest and chiefest treasure commaunding those that had bene eye witnesses of the vision to conceale it from the rest of her sisters that they might not be contristated vntill it pleased allmightie God to call her vnto him In midst of these ioyes she beganne more and more with pietie and alacritie of mind to insist at her prayers neuer ceasing with humilitie and compunction of heart to recommend her self vnto her heauenly King CHRIST IESVS and hiding as much as she was able the vehemency of her grief she consorted the Abbesse Bertilia and the rest of her sisters with some hope of her recouerie easing them hereby of a present sorrow which afterwards tooke them before they expected it VIII BVT perceauing within a short time after that now she She yeeldeth vp her soule was to pay nature her due and feeling the violence of her payne to be readie to cutt asunder the vnion of her soule and body confidently arming her self with the signe of our redemption and lifting vp her hands and eyes towards heauen she yeelded vp her blessed soule out of the teadious fetters of the bodie to be crowned with the diadem of eternall glorie For at the same instant a diuine splendour She is caried into heauen by Angels shined ouer all the chamber and with that verie light there appeared to the standers by a troupe of Angels with whom came her faithfull friend Genesins the Bishop to meet her and by this heauenly troupe her blessed soule long tried in the furnace of affliction was caried vpp out of their sight to receaue the rewards of her holy meritts amongst the Angels and Saincts in heauen She was buried in the little Church which she had built in honour of the holy Crosse But afterwards the manie miracles wrought at her tombe were cause that her bodie was taken vp and translated into the great Church of our Ladie which was not finished in her life time where it is kept with great reuerence in a rich shrine ouer the high aultar and manie times I my self haue seene it solemnly caried in procession This holy Nunne and
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
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
an ignoble buriall it pleased allmightie God to make knowne of how great meritt the holy man was by an heauenly light which appeared euerie night ouer his graue vntill the neighbours vnderstood thereby that certainly it was a holy man that lay buried there and being better informed who it was and whence he came they tooke away his bodie and carried it to the cittie of Bullein where it was buried in a Church after such reuerend and honourable manner as became soe worthy a holy man He died about the yeare of Christ 607. Of him doe make mention beside S BEDE TRITHEMIVS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order MOLANVS in his Catalogue of the Saincts of Belgia and others whom we haue followed The life of S CEOLVLPHE King and Confessor Monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 15. Out of venerable Bede de gest Angl. CEOLVLPH after the death of King Osrick was made King of the Northumbers but the beginning and progresse of his gouernement was encumbred with soe manie difficulties and aduersities that after some yeares triall thereof entring into a serious consideration with him self of the miserable vncertaintie and vncertaine miserie of mans life and perceauing how dangerous were the tumults and precipices of this world and that the greatest and most prosperous fortunes of Princes were most of all subiect to decline and chainge euen in a moment and calling to mind the strict and rigid accompt that we must render of all our thoughts and actions at the day of iudgement before the dreadfull tribunall of the all seeing Iudge he beganne soe farre to loathe the care of worldly things and soe to despise those vaine honours He resolueth to be a Benedictin monk that forsaking the Royall estate and robes of Maiestie he put on the poore weeds of a monasticall humilitie in the Benedictin monasterie of Lindissarne or Holy-Iland piously following herein the footsteps of six others his predecessors English Kings Now insteed of his crowne of gold the token of soueraigntie he wore his hayre shauen with a crowne made of the same as the badge of a punishing humilitie his royall sceptre by vertue whereof he bore sway and authoritie in the world was now turned to a breuiarie wherevnto he was wedded and he that before ruled a kingdome was now vnder the check and commaund of a poore monk his superiour for his chaines of gould which were the ornament of his princely body he is now content to vse a poore payre of beades and thereon daily to reckon the number of his allmost numberlesse deuotions He was a man in whom a great knowledge of things diuine and humane was ioyned with an excellent pietie and singular deuotion soe absolutely learned that venerable BEDE the greatest scholler His learning and pietie and writer of our nation dedicated his historie of England vnto him with the title of MOST GLORIOVS KING to be by his wisedom not only reuiewed and read but allso approued and if need were corrected The often reading of these bookes he being of him self much addicted vnto the knowledge of antiquities and especially of England was a spurre vnto him allreadie inclined therevnto to vndertake this monasticall life In which when he had liued the space of all most twentie yeares in the continuall exercise of pietie and deuotion he gaue vp his holy soule to receaue for a temporall kingdom an eternall amongst other blessed Kings whom the same pious considerations had caused to leaue their scepters purples to be ranged vnder the humble enseigne of S. BENEDICT The day of his death is vnknowne but how full of merits and good workes he died his buriall which was neere vnto His death the great Benedictin monk S. CVTHBERT and the manie miracles which it pleased God to shew at his tombe doe giue sufficient testimonie Afterwards his bodie togeather with S. CVTHBERTS was taken vp and placed in a rich shrine in a more eminent place Thus much of him we haue gathered out of venerable BEDE WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de gest Reg. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 3. BARONIVS tom 9. ann 737. NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 8. cap. 21. ARNOLD WION lib. 4. ligni vitae cap. 6. de Regibus regnis Benedictini ordinis and other graue Authours The life of S. FVRSEVS Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 16. Out of venerable Bede FVRSEVS borne in Ireland of Royall parents but more ennobled by his vertues then his birth was famous for dignitie amongst his friends but excelling ouer the world in the speciall guift of diuine grace He was of a beautifull forme chast of bodie deuout in mind affable in discourse of an amiable aspect and replenished with grace and good workes brought vp from his verie infancie in the continuall studie of holy scripture and monasticall His youth and learning discipline And as he grew in yeares soe grew he allsoe in the daily increase of vertue and pious desires For the better accomplishment whereof he forsaked his parents friends and natiue soyle and betooke him self for the space of some yeares to the studie of holy scriptures in which in short time he became sufficiently well instructed But that the world might know that he did not only labour for him self but for all those that sought the truth he built a monasterie which serued as a free-schoole of vertue wherein he taught all that came vnto him the true way of saluation Great was the number of people that flocked togeather vnto this holy teacher of vertue by whose godly preaching and deuout exhortations manie were not only retired from their bad manner of life and brought into the right way of saluation but allsoe were subiected vnto the regular obseruance of a monasticall order Amongst these he was desirous to haue the companie of some of his owne kinsinen and for that end he made a iourney vnto his natiue countrey but in the way he happened to fall sick and in this sicknes his soule being as it were separated from her earthly lodging enioyed a most delightfull vision of Angels that seemed to lift him vp towards heauen were he beheld an infinite companie of heauenly citizens who with their sweet melodie filled his rauished vnderstanding with inestimable ioy and comfort The dittie of their A vision song was that versicle of the Psalme Ibuâ—t Sancti de virtute in virtutem viâ—ebitur Deus Deorum in Sion Holy men will proceed from vertue to vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion This song they repeated often-times with such rauishing tunes as it is farre beyond the force of weake wordes to expresse But being restored to his bodie and him self againe about the time that the cock giues warning of the dayes approach he heard in steed of the melodious harmonie of the Angels the wofull lamentations and cries of his friends and kinsfollies who all this time had watched at his bodie which they supposed to be dead
But now perceauing him againe to come to himself their lamentation was changed into a fearefull admiration and their admiration bred ioy to see him aliue Then the holy man looking about him and finding noe man vnto whose wisedom he could committ the knowledge of the vision he had seene was verie sorrowfull choosing for that time rather to burie it within the secret of his owne heart then reueale it vnto such as knew not how to vnderstand it II. BVT the third day afterwards being againe taken with the like rauishment he beheld nor only greater ioyes of the blessed companie An other visiō most strange of heauen but allsoe the wonderfull warres which the wicked spirits raysed against him striuing to hinder his iourney towards heauen allbeit the protection of the Angels frustrated their malicious endeauours Manie false accusations they brought against him and layd diuers crimes to his chardge of all which by his guides the Angels he was freely disengaged And as he was lifted vp by these blessed spirits towards heauen they commaunded him to looke downe into the world Which done he saw like a darke and indeous The 4. fiers of vice that burne the world valley vnderneath him And in the ayre he beheld fower fiers not farre distant one from the other which they tould him were the fiers that should burne and consume the world The first they sayd was the fier of Liars which those fall into that neglect to fullfill their promise made in Baptisme in renouncing the deuill and all his workes The secōd was the fier of Couetousnes appointed for such as preferre the riches of the world before the loue of heauen and heauenly things The third was the fier of Discord prouided for those that sticke not to offend their neighbours euen in trifling and superfluous matters The fourth was the fier of Jmpietie allotted for such as care not how they spoile and oppres se the inferiour and weaker sorte of people He beheld these fiers to encrease soe by little and little till at length by spreading they came togeather and made one mightie huge and dreadfull flame which seemed to approach neere vnto him Whereat he cried out to his guide the Angel O Lord behold it cometh vppon me Feare not replied he that which thou hast not kindled shall not burne thee For allthough this seeme to be a mightie great and terrible fier yet it only tries and examines men according as their workes haue deserued the worldly desires of men shall burne in these flames For euen as one is enflamed in bodie by vnlawfull lust and pleasure soe released from his bodie he shall suffer his deserued torments in fier Then he beheld one of the three Angels his guides to walke before and diuide the flames and the other two conducting him on each side through the fier defended him from the danger thereof He saw likewise the deuils flieing through the flames making fierie warres against the iust then followed their manie accusations against him and the Angels defence in his behalf with a vision of a greater companie of heauenly spirits as allsoe of manie men of his countrey and acquaintance that he had knowne not vnworthily to haue behaued them selues in the sacred function of Priesthood of whom he learnt manie things verie profitable as well for him self as for all such as would heare them When these had ended their discourse and returned vnto heauen with the troupes of Angels there only remained with B. FVRSEVS the three Angels his guides with whom returned againe towards the foresayd fier the Angel diuided the flame as before but as the holy man entred into the way layd open for him the wicked spirits caught vp one of those wretched soules which they broyled in those flames and threw it at him at the verie touch whereof he found his shoulder and cheeke to be scorched and burnt The holy man well knēw the person and remembred that at his death he had giuen him a garment which he receaued But the holy Angell taking the tormented soule cast him againe into the fier whereat the wicked spirit cried out Why doe you cast him of now whom you receaued before For as you tooke the goods of that sinner soe ought you to partake of his torments Not out of couetousnes replied the Angel but to saue his soule did he receaue it and therewith the fier ceased And the Angel turning vnto the holy man sayd that which thou didest kindle now hath burnt thee for hadest not thou taken the goods of this man dieing in sinne the torment of his fier had not touched thee And speaking further he taught him what was to be done for the saluation of those that did repent III. BEING restored to him self againe he bore all his life time after a visible signe of the burning which he had endured in his soule vppon his shoulders and cheeke the Flesh euidently shewing to the wonder of all beholders what the soule had inwardly and hiddenly suffered But he retained allwaies his wonted care and diligence of following vertuous pious courses by word worke and example to teach and preach the way of truth and iustice vnto the world Yet he would neuer manifest the order and manner of his visions but vnto such only as out of a desire of repentance or compunction of hearth desired to know them There liueth yet saith Proofe of the foresayd vision venerable BEDE an auncient Monke of our monasterie who is wont to relate that a certaine religious and trustie man tould him that he had both seene S. FVRSEVS in the prouince of the East-Angles and heard the manner of these visions out of his owne mouth Adding moreouer that in the middest of winter when the frost was most sharp cold that sitting in a light and single garment recounting these visions eyther out of the greatnes of the feare he conceaued or of the sweetnes he receaued by the remembrance of them he would sweate as much as if it had bin the hottest day of sommer IV. HAVING therefore a long time preached the word of God in Jreland his owne countrey being not able anie longer easily to endure the great multitude of people that flocked vnto him he forsooke all that he seemed to enioy goeing out of his natiue countrey with some few of his brethren in his companie he passed the seas and came through Wales into the prouince of the English where he was honourably receaued and worthily entertained by Sigebert then King of the East-Angles But he that desired wheresoeuer he went allwaies to promote the seruice of allmightie God beganne presently to putt in practise his accustomed trade of preadhing labouring by the example of his vertues or the inciting forces of his speeches eyther to conuert the incredulous to the truth or to strengthn and confirme the faithfull more and more in the truth and loue of IESVS CHRIST Such were his daily labours such were the pious employments in which
the Bishoprick vnto S. WILFRID and returned againe to his beloued solitude in the monasterie of Lesting where he remayned in the continuall exercise of pietie till Wulser King of the Mercians desiring the assistance of a Bishop in his countrey Theodore of Canturbury He is made Bishop of the mercians who would not graunt him a new one obtained of Oswy King of the Northumbers to haue S. CHAD sent into Mercia And because it was all waies S. CHADS custom as we haue sayd to trauell on foote to preach and teach the ghospell S. THEODORE finding him to be a verie holy man commaunded him hereafter to performe his longer iourneyes on horseback and he him self lifted him on his horse and forced him who out of the desire and loue of his pious labour on foote made great resistance to ride where soeuer his occasions should call him III. BEING therefore installed in the bishoprick of the Mercians and Lindisfarne he endeauoured according to the example of the auncient fathers and masters of vertue to administer his office with admirable great perfection of life and example The King Wulfere admiring the sainctity of the mā gaue him in the prouince of Lindisfarne or Lincolne the lands possessions of fiftie families for the erecting of a monasterie He held his episcopall seate at Lichfied where for his owne priuate vse he built a place not farre distant from the Church in which togeather with seauen or eight of his monkes he was wont more secretly and earnestely to exercise him self in deuout prayer meditation and reading holy scripture at such times as his ordinarie imployments and labour of preaching and diuine seruice did giue him leaue But amongst manie other his notable examples of A notable example vertue and pietie he bore in heart such a liuely impression of the feare of God which the royall prophet cals the beginning of wisedom Psal 110. v. 9. was in all his workes soe mindfull of the terrible dreadfull day of iudgement that whensoeuer there arose a more vehement and violent blast of winde and tempest he would straight fall most earnestly to his prayers and yf the storme were such that it were accompanied with the terrour of boisterous thunder or lightning he would instantly gett into the Church and neuer cease from praying and reading of psalmes vntill the heauens were cleered from those tempestuous commotions Being demaunded the Psal 17. v 15. 16. A good Lesson reason hereof Haue you not read answeared he that our Lord hath thundred frō heauē the most high hath sent forth his voyce He threw his darts and dispersed the people he redoubled his lightnings and troubled them For our Lord shaketh the ayre stirreth vp winds darteth lightnings and thunderbolts from heauen to stirre vp mortals to feare him to giue them a remembrance of his dreadfull iudgment to come that he may ouerthrow their pride confound their presumption by putting them in mind of that terrible hower wherein heauen and earth being on fier he will come with mightie power and maiestie to iudge the liuing and the dead It is our parts therefore to correspond to these his heauenly admonitions with the dutie of feare and loue that as often as by such violent commotions of the ayre and heauens he lifteth vp his threatning hand to strike and yet doeth not let fall his blow vppon vs we ought straight humbly to implore his mercie and by a diligent discussion of the secret closetts of our hearts to purge them from all vncleannes of vice lest at anie time we bee strucken vnawares With these terrible remembrances did this blessed Sainct endeauour to sharpen the minds of his monkes and other subiects to giue them a greater appetite to follow the sweete-hard way of vertue and good workes IV. AT LENGTH when he had most gloriously gouerned his Bishoprick for the space of two yeares and a half some daies before his holy departure out of this world that happie minute was reuealed vnto him For being one day alone in his oratorie a holie monk of his called Owen heard a most rauishing consort of celestiall tunes The Vision of a certaine Monke ouer and about the place where the Bishop prayed whīch dured for the space of half an hower After this the holy man opened his window and with a knock as his custom was called some from without vnto him Owen whose office it was to attend vppon him entred into his chamber whom he sent to call the rest of his brethren who were but seauen Then he admonished them faythfully to conserue the vertues of loue and peace with one and other and with an vntired diligence to follow and obserue the rules of regular The day of his departure is re 〈…〉 led vnto him discipline which he had planted amōgst them For sayd he the day of my departure is neere at hand that beloued guest which was wont to visit our brethren voutchafed allsoe this verie day to giue me warning of my long desired end Desire then the rest of our brethren to recommend my departure in their prayers to allmightie God allwaies remembring with fasting prayer and good workes to prepare themselues for their owne end the time whereof is soe vncertaine But the rest being departed out of the chamber the holy monk Owen who had seene and heard the vision aboue mentioned fell prostrat at the blessed Bishops feete humbly entreating him to declare the meaning of those heauenly ditties which that holy troupe of angels sung ouer his oratorie Indeed answeared he those blessed spiritts came to summon me to the holy court of heauen there to receaue the vnspeakeable rewards which soe long I haue aspired vnto and after seauen dayes are past they haue promised to returne to fetch me thither But I commaunde thee in the name of our Lord that thou presume not to reueale this vision before my death And it fell out according to this reuclation for the seauenth day after he yeelded vp his pure soule to the hands of his redeemer At which verie instant one Egbert a monke saw S. CEDDE S. Cedde cometh in glory to mecte him his brother incompassed with a blessed troupe of angels descend from the celestiall vaultes and carrie vp the vnspotted soule of this glorious Bishop into the euerlasting ioies of the heauenly Kingdom He died the second day of March and was buried first neere to the Church of our Ladie but afterwards a Church being erected there to the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER his sacred bones were translated into it in both which places for the greater testimonie of his vertues manie miraculous cures of diseases were wrought V. A MAD man who lead by the lightnes of his frantick braine A mad man cureed at his tomb ranne wandring vp and downe happened one euening as it were to stūble happily on that place vnawares of the watchmē that kept it and hauing rested there all that night in the
to serue allmightie God vnto whom she had allreadie consecrated her self to liue a perpetuall Virgin At this newes the diuine prouidence soe disposing the King approoued of her counsell and in his answeare promised that her sacred vowes should be ratified Thus then this holy virgin being freed from these troubles held on her pious course and purposes and hauing receaued the sacred vaile of virginitie in the same monasterie that her sister she endeauoured with great care and vigilancie to obserue the rules of a monasticall life in all puritie both of soule bodie And at length King Offa him self being ouercome with the inuincible vertue of the holy virgin blushed to see a tender gyrle soe stoutly Off a becometh a Benedictin Monk refuse such glorie and riches and grieuing at his owne subiection to vanitie and reputing him self but as the slaue of his Kingdom he forsoke both it and all the pompe of the world and went to Rome where he became a Monke of Sainct BENEDICTS order and happily ended his daies in that holy state IV. BVT S. KINESWIDE seruing allmightie God all her life time in continuall watchings prayers and good workes was called at Of S. Tibbe Virgin length out of the thraldom of this world to enioy the happie companie of her deare spouse CHRIST-IESVS among the pure quiers of his angels in heauen She was buried in the same monasterie by her sister S. KYNEBVRG These two sisters had a Kinswoman called TIBBE who liued manie yeares in the same monasterie in soe high a degree of sainctitie that after her death she was numbred in the catalogue of Saincts The sacred reliques of these three Saincts were afterwards translated to the Benedictin Abbey of Peterborough where their feast was celebrated the sixt day of March Allthough saint TIBBE died on saint LVCIES day the thirteenth of December as she her self reuealed in an apparition after her death Other particulars of the liues of these blessed Saincts were burnt lost in that outrageous ransacke committed by the Danes against the monasterie of Peterborrough when 〈◊〉 Abbot as Ingulphus a graue authour sayth with the greater part of his Conuent and the sacred reliques of the holy Virgins Kineburg Kineswide and Tibbe fled to Thorney for succour And William Camden out of an auncient Authour Robert Swaphaâ—â— reporteth that saint KYNEBVRG and KYNESWIDE conferred not a little to the first foundation and building of the famous Benedictine Abbey of Peterborough The liues of these Saincts we haue gathered chiefly out of Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 23. Besides these Rannlphus Cicestrensis lib. 5. cap. 18. Polidor Virgil l. 4. william Malmesbury de gâ—st Pont. l. 4. Mathew West an 705. Arnold Wyon lib. 4. cap. 14. and others doe make honorable 〈…〉 tion of them The life of saint ESTERWINE Abbot and confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 7. Written by venerable Bede ESTERWINE borne in Yorkeshire of noble parents was neere allied to saint BENNET Bishop Abbot whose life we haue written the twelfth of Ianuary wherein something hath been sayd of this holy man sainct ESTERWINE a vertuous proficient in the aforenamed sainct BENNETS Benedictin schoole of religion For when he as we haue sayd in his life had built two monasteries one in honour of the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER at the mouth of the riuer Were and an other to the name of the Teacher of the Gentils sainct PAVL not farre from the mouth of the riuer Tine in the towne Esterwin made Abbot 〈◊〉 Yarrow and placed Sigfrid in the gouernment of saint PAVLS about the yeare of CHRIST 682 at the same time he made choise of ESTERWINE then a Priest of S. PETERS monasterie and gaue him the gouernement of the same that the labour which alone him self was not able to vnder 〈…〉 â—ight be made more easie by the helping vertue of soe beloued a 〈…〉 lleague Nether need it seeme strange to anie fayth venerable BEDE that one monastery had two abbotts at once to wit S. BENNET Bishop and S. ESTERWINE S. BENNETS Two Abboâ—â— of one â—onasterie often iourneies ouer the seas for the good of his monasterie and the vncertaintie of his returne was cause hereof For our histories recount that the most Blessed Apostle S. PETER vppon an instant iust cause appointed vnder him two Bishops one after an other at Rome to gouerne the vniuersall Church And the great Abbot S. BENEDICT him self as S. GREGORIE Pope writes of him ordayned twelue abbots vnder him to rule his disciples as he throught best without anie detriment to charitie yea to the great encrease and conseruation thereof S. ESTERWINE therefore vndertooke the chardge to gouerne that monasterie the ninth yeare after the foundation And he remayned in the same as long as he liued and he liued but fower yeares after II. HE WAS a man by byrth noble but he did not make vse of the nobilitie of his bloud as somâ— doe to suggest matter of arrogancie and contempt of others but as best befitted the seruant of God he turned it to the greater ennobling of his mind Greatnes of vertue not byrth to be respected with vertue For being cozen german vnto saint BENNET Bishop they were both soe truely allied in the nobilitie of the world that nether ESTERWINE entring into the monasterie did expect anie greater honour in regard of his nobilitie of birth and Kinred nor BENNET iudged it fitt to be offered him vppon those respects But liuing in an equall measure of his good purpose with his other brethren he reioyced chiefly that in all things he punctually obserued the rules of regular discipline And being before one of the royall traine of King Egfrid hauing once ridd him selfe of worldly affayres layd by his armes and entred into the spirituall warrefare he remayned allwaies soe humble and soe equall with his other brethren that togeather with them he would labour in the haruest winow corne looke to the cat 〈…〉 〈◊〉 good â—â—ample of humilitie and in all base inferiour offices and drudgeries of the monasterie he was ioyfull and glad to exercise his obedience and humilitie And which is more being raysed to the degree and calling of an Abbot he remayned in the same mind as before toward all according to a wise mans admonition that sayth Haue they ordayned thee to bee a gouernour doe not grow proud but be among thy â—â—â—â—ects at one of them meeke affable and courteous vnto all Nether did he yet neglect to bridle offenders with regular discipline but he choose rather out of his innate custom of loue to gouerne by fayre meanes and to winne his subiects with his pious admonitions from offending and entreating them not to hide from him the bright light of their countenances with the clowd of their vnruly disquietnes III. OFTEN times goeing abroad to ouersee the affaires of the monasterie when he found his brethren at their work he
dignitie came amongst the rest and saw among other things children of verie daintie white bodies fayre complexions and louely hayre exposed to sale Whom as he beheld he demaunded as it is reported out of what countrey or land they were brought and it was tould him they came from the Iland of Britaine the Inhabitants whereof shined all with the like beautie Againe he asked whether they were Christians in that Iland or entangled in the errour of Paganisme That they were Pagans it was answeared Then fetching a deepe sigh from the bottom of his heart O lamentable case sayd he that men of soe bright faces should be in the possession of the authour of Darkenes and that soe sweet a comlines of countenance should beare minds voyd of inward ioyes Againe therefore he demaunded what was the name of that nation It was replied that they were called ANGLES Rightly they are termed soe sayd he for they haue ANGELICAL faces and it is fitt that such be made coheires with the ANGELS in heauen Out of what Prouince pursued he are these brought hither It was resolued him that they were called DEIRI With good reason sayd he for thy are to be deliuered from IRE and wrath to be called to the mercie of CHRIST-IESVS But the King of that Prouince how is he called ADDELLE replied they And alluding to that name he sayd that to the prayse of allmightie God ALLELVIA should be sung in those parts And goeing to the Bishop of the Roman Apostolick His zealous desire to conuert the English Sea he earnestly requested him to send some Preachers of the Ghospell into Brittaine to conuert the English nation to to CHRISTS Church affirming him self to be most readie by the helpe of God to vndertake that sacred work yf soe it might stand with the good liking of the Apostolicque Sea To which request the Pope at first denied his consent till at length ouercome and wearied with his vnwearied entreaties he yielded against his will But he concealing the busines of his goeing from the citizens who had they knowne would neuer haue consented He begins his iourney towards England therevnto with as speed as he could hauing receaued the Apostolicall benediction began his iourney In the meane time the newes was blowne into the eares of the Romans who all with one mind and voyce as well the citizens as those of the suburbs mett with Pope Pelagius as he was goeing to saint PETERS Church all crying out with a terrible noyse and repeating these words Alas Apostolicall man what hast thou done Thou hast offended saint PETER ouerthrowne Rome thou not only hast dismissed but expelled Gregorie The Pope being mooued herewith for he feared the poeple sent letters to recall GREGORIE out of his iourney But before the messengers had ouertaken him he was gott three daies iourney on his way In the meane time as the manner is with trauellers about the sixt hower some of his companions tooke their rest in a faire meadow or were busied other waies whilst he read to those that sate by his side when a locust came leaping about him and lighting on his booke sate vppon the very page he read GREGORIE perceauing her sitt soe quietly there turning to his fellowes Locusta sayd he may be etimologised with Loco-sta that is stand in the place And you must know that we may not proceede anie further in our intended iourney rise notwithstanding and prepare our horses that as long He is called back by the Pope as it is lawfull we may hould on our way And whilst they discoursed thus togeather the Popes messengers came suddenly vppon them with their horses sweating out of hast and deliuered their letters which being read It is euen soe sayd he to his fellowes as vnhappily I foretould for we must presently returne to Rome And soe they did But as as soone as he was inuested in the Papall dignitie he accomplished this long desired work and sent other preachers he him self that their preaching might take good effect fortifying their mission with his pious exhortations prayers and rewards In summe he sent into the same Iland the seruants of God AVSTIN MELLITVS and IOHN with manie other Monkes that feared England conuerted by S. Augustine a Benedictine Monke God who in a short space conuerted the chiefest King that inhabited the head of the same Iland togeather with all his poeple And herein God graunted them soe great grace in doeing of wonders that they confirmed the doctrine of fayth which they preached with their mouths with the force and efficacie of strange signes and miracles whence it came to passe that within a few yeares the other Kings of the same Iland with their whole number of subiects receaued the Christian fayth Of whose deedes conuersion and the wonderfull miracles done therein saint GREGORIE speakes thus in the bookes of his Morals Behould the Britaine tongue that heretosore knew nothing else but rude accents of barbarisme began now lately to warble forth the diuine prayses in the Hebrew language Behould the Ocean in times past swelling with rage becomes obedient and calme vnder the feet of the Saincts and they whose barbarous valour the Princes of the world could not subdue with the sword are by the feare of God calmed with the simple words of his Priests And who seared not whole troupes of armed infidels and fierce souldiers doe now tremble being faythfull at the lest wordes of humble men For hauing vnderstood the diuine tidings of the Ghospell made manifest with manie miracles the vertue of heauenly knowledge is infused into them that bridled with the terrour of his diuine maiestie they are afrayd to doe ill desiring with all their hearts by docing well to attaine to the grace of enerlasting life All which that it might be brought to passe allmightie God graunted it vnto S. GREGORIE in such sort that deseruedly the English poeple ought to call him their APOSTLE for allthough to others he is not an Apostle yet to them he is for they are the seale of his Apostleship in our Lord. XII BVT NOW to aske whether this man of soe great merit hath been likewise famous in doeing of miracles is a superfluous question since it is as cleere as the day that he by his owne merits was able to shew signes of vertue whoe could through the bountie of CHRIST obtaine the like for others yf occasion had required But for the better satisfaction of those allsoe whoe togeather with the Jewes require visible signes to shew sainctity and for the greater edification of those that by the example of saincts seeke to stirre vp and aduance them selues to higher degrees of vertue I am determined to sett downe some few miracles which our Lord wrought at his intercession thereby to rowse vp the slouthfull dullnes of our minds and strengthen the feeblenes of our hearts inclined rather to want of beleef then ignorance of what we rehearse XIII A NOBLE woman in the cittie of Rome
in morall matters ought to be preferred before allmost all the doctours of the Church He died the twelfth day of March in the yeare of our Lord 607. the third of Phocas the Emperour But that I may end where I began how farre is the greatest part of our wretched Countrey fallen from that religion which this The conclusion holy Pope first planted therein Nay such as he him self and the Apostles he sent were that is Priests and Monks are now held for wicked traitours and whatsoeuer slanders worse can be vttered against their holy profession and function O what would Blessed Sainct GREGORY say yf he liued now to see his pious labours come at length to soe vnhappie a periode to see Churches pulled downe Monasteries robbed priests tortured imprisoned and hanged all goodnes pietie and religion expelled and beatten into corners all vice impietie and heresie set abroach to lead men hedlong into the bottomlesse gulphes of damnation But let vs hope at lest for better and expect till the goodnes of allmightie God shal please to receaue vs againe into his fauour whose eternall prouidence doubtlesse hath permitted vs to fall into these miseries being pulled therevnto with the weight of our owne heauie sinnes and offences Let vs make our dayly prayers vnto our Lord I. C. that by the merits and intercession of this glorious Sainct our first Father and Apostle whom he soe highly exalted both in heauen and earth that he would graunt vs the grace to imitate that patterne of life and religioÌ„ which he hath layd before vs in his owne workes and sent vs at first by his disciples Whose care of our Countrey as in his life it was verie great soe since his death eueÌ„ to this day he hath not forgotten vs for as then he sent his Benedictin Monks to bring the first tidings of catholick religion amongst vs English soe yet he ceaseth not to send from a monasterie lately built and dedicated to his holy name manie learned men of the same Benedictin order and religion to labour in the conuersion of soules to their auncient catholique and Apostolique fayth For whom I the vnworthiest amongst them dare bouldly auouch soe much that they are all readie to seale the writing of that fayth religioÌ„ which they preach with the testimonie of their owne dearest bloud God of his infinite mercie through the merits of this glorious sainct graunt grace vnto our wretched countrey soe to listen vnto those and others her teachers that she may returne againe to the vnitie of our holy mother the Catholique and Apostolique Church Amen The life of S. PATRICK Bishop and confessor Apostle of Jreland MAR. 17 VVriten by Ioceline a Monk of Furnes SAINCT PATRICK for the excellencie of his vertues worthyly surnamed the Great was borne of the race of auncient Britans in that part of Wales now called Pembrookshire but the glorie and fame of his diuine learning life and miracles shined chiefly among His parents the inhabitans of Jreland who then were called Scotts His fathers name was Calphurnius his mothers Conquessa sister to the great Sainct MARTIN Archbishop of Tours In his Youth togeather with his two sisters and a brother he was taken Captiue and like an other Joseph sould into Ireland to a king named Milcho And as Joseph He is sould into IrelaÌ„d being a Slaue in Egipt was after a long â—uffring of aduersitie raysed at length to the supreme power Princedom of the countrey soe PATRICK hauing endured the affliction of his sale and slauerie in Ireland receaued the dignitie and primacie of the spirituall gouernment of the same Joseph furnished the hunger-starud EgiptiaÌ„s with graine PATRICK in his time nourished the poore Jrish languishing in the blindnes of Idolatrie with the wholesom foode of the Christian fayth They both tasted the smart of bodyly affliction for the greater good of the soule and were as gould in a furnace purified in the scorching flames of aduersitie Then by the commaund of the Prince PATRICK was made gardian of the Kings hoggs in the north part of the Countrey when it was strange to see He keepeth swine the wonderfull encrease of that ffock vnder soe pious a guide The holy youth bowing humbly to his fortune turned that necessitie His exercise of pietie being in miâ—erie into a vertue and hauing by this office purchased to him self a solitarines he piously laboured in the sauation of his owne soule Dwelling in the mountaines woods and caues of a desert he exercised him self in prayer fasting and meditation wherein he tasted the diuine sweetnes of allmightie God being amidst these afflictions often visited and conforted with angels from heauen It was not the crueltie eyther of heate cold frost or snow or anie other roughnes of weather that could fright him from his spirituall exercises But he still went on corragiously in his pious course dayly encreasing and profitting more and more in the way of vertue and growing stronger in fayth and the loue of IESVS-CHRIST II. AT LENGTH the allmightie goodnes that freed the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egipt deliuered his seruant Patrick by speciall miracle out of this affliction and restored him after six yeares seruitude in Ireland to his natiue contrey and friends He hath a vision againe to the great ioy and confort of his parents and kinsfolks He remayned some dayes with them till by the occasioÌ„ of a dreame or vision he was inspired otherwise For he saw a man in his sleepe who as he throught came out of Ireland with manie letters in his hand whereof he gaue him one which began thus This is the voice of the Irishmen And hauing read soe much he seemed at the same instant to heare the voyces of manie infants in Jreland crying out of their mothers wombs We beseech thee holy Father come walke amongst vs and deliuer vs. And a waking he gaue thanks vnto allmigtie God iudging for certaine that God had called him to coÌ„uert that couÌ„trey Therefore he resolueed to settle him self to the studie of holy learning and the better to putt his resolution in practise like an other Abraham he left his countrey parents friends and all and went ouer into France where vnder the learned tutorship of He studieth in France vnder S. German S. GERMANS Bishop of Aâ—xer he spent eighteen yeares in the continuall studie and reading of holy scriptures And at length the fame holy bishop seeing the great signes of vertue learning and religion in PATRICK promoted him to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Then he departed to his vncle S. MARTIN Archbishop of Tours with whom he stayed some daies reading and conferring what he had learned And because S. MARTIN was a monk he gaue likewise the monasticall habit to his cozen togeather with all his manner of regular obseruance which PATRICK not only receaued with deuotion but perseuering euer after therein was an ornameÌ„t to the habitt he wore with the
the exercising of iustice and obtayning of their soules health Besides all this he was wonderfully endowed with the spiritt of prophesie by vertue whereof he foretould verie manie things to come and had the perfect knowledge of things absent as yf they had bin present within the view of his owne corporall eyes And namely of the Saincts that should liue in Ireland and specially within the Prouinces of Conaght Munster for the space of a hundred yeares after he foretould the names vertues and places of their habitation Whomsoeuer he ether bound or absolued the diuine iustice approoued by euident signes to be bound and absolued Those vnto whom he imparted his benedictioÌ„ receaued the Blessing of our Lord and against whomsoeuer he pronounced the dreadfull sentence of his curse appeared straight replenished with the effects of malediction And whatsoeuer sentence proceeded from his mouth seemed to remyane soe irreuocably ratified as yf it had bin denouÌ„ced froÌ„ the tribunall of the allmightie Iudge Whence we may manifestly gather that the holy man firmly adhering vnto our Lord became one spiritt with him But albeit in some and most of his vertues he ether paralelled or excelled other His wonder full humilitie Saincts of Gods Church yet in humilitie he ouercame him self For in his epistles letters he was wont to nominate him self the lowest left and contemptiblest of all sinners And making small account of the wonderfull miracles and signes he wrought he would not daâ—e to iudge him self equall to anie the meanest man in perfection Nether amongst all these vertuous employments did he omitt to exercise him self in manuall labour as in fishing and tilling the earth but chiefly in building of Churches he would both with word and example incite his disciples to putt to their helping hands When neuerthelesse he did most instantly insist in baptising of the poeple and ordering clergimen for Church-seruice For he consecrated with his owne hands three hundred and fiftie Bishops he founded seauen hundred Churches and promoted fiue His infinite miacles thousand persons to the degree and dignitie of priesthood But of other clergimen of inferiour orders of Monkes and Nunnes which he segregated from the world to the diuine seruice none but he can tell the number who knoweth and foreseeth all things In this most holy manner running ouer the daies of this present life to attayne to the desired prize and reward of the future he florished with soe manie and soe great miracles that therein he is second to none of the Saincts his predecessours The blind the lame the dease the dumb the lunatick the leapers and all other diseased and grieued persons in the name of the Blessed Trinitie and by vertue of the holy Crosse of our redemption he restored to perfect health and the natutall function of their limmes Among which he is reported to haue bin the meruailous rayser of thirtie three from death to life a thing not read of anie other sainct of Gods Church Of which and other his miracles vertues thereescore and six bookes are sayd to haue bin written the greatest part whereof perished in the violence of fier during the raygne of GurmuÌ„d Turgesins But fower treatises of his life writteÌ„ at diuers times fower of his disciples S. BENIâ—NVS his successor S. MEL his nephew LVMAN Bishops little S. PATRICK his deare child are fouÌ„d yet extant And S. EVIN allsoe coÌ„piled his life in one volume partly in Latine partly in Jrish Out all which Iocelinus a Monk of Furne the authour of his life whoÌ„ wee haue followed in this historie maketh profession to haue gathered his whole treatise of S. PATRICK XII AT length the beloued seruant of allmightie God S. PATRICK He foreseeth his owne death loaden with age and merits hauing now faythfully and strongly ended the course of the charge committed vnto him foresaw both by diuine reuelation and the dissolution of his owne bodie that the eueâ—ing of his life was at hand And being in the Prouince of Vâ—ster not farre from the cittie of Downe and with him the pretious pearle of Jreland S. BRIGITT and a great number more of Ecclesiasticall and religious persons as the blessed sainct preached vnto them of the heauenly glorie of the saincts and the dwellings of the happie a glittering light appeared ouer the East part of the Church-yard of Down which was supposed to deseigne the place ordayned for his sacred buriall And this being soe expounded by S. BRIGITT the same light presently returned out of their sight towards heauen to foreshew thereby that his Blessed soule should in like sort ascend to the ioics of Paradise Then S. BRIGITT who had He falleth 〈◊〉 a desire he should be wrapt in a shrowd which purposely she had made for that end hastened to her monasterie to fetch it When in the meane time the holy man retired him self to the next monasterie where in the midst of a great multitude of his deuout monks he layd him downe on the bed of his last sicknes expecting the end of this mortall life or rather happily aspiring to the beginning of the immortall Vntill the disease growing still stronger drawne on with the weight of old age or rather our Lord calling him to a crowne of iustice the most blessed and happie bishop felt the hower of his death to draw-neere and reioysed that now he was arriued at the secure haueÌ„ of life into which through the gates of death he hastened Therfore being by the hands of S. THASACK Bishop his disciple armed with the diuine sacraments of the Church and lifting vp his eyes His happie departure to heauen like an other saint STEPHEN he beheld CHRIST IESVS in the midst of whole troupes of Angels expecting to receaue him into the euerlasting ioyes Into whose sacred hands blessing his disciples and commending them to God he deliuered vp his most pure soule passing out the thâ—â—ldon of this world to the neuer-dying â—oies of heauen O most blessed man to whom the heauens were layd open whom togeather with a lillie white companie of Virgins MARIS the imaculate Queene of heauen receiued whom legions of Angels admitted into their diuine quiers whom the foreseeing troupe of holy prophets doe accompanie whom the iudiciall Senate of the Apostles embraceth whom the laureat crownes of sacred martirs bautifieth the asseÌ„blie of glorious confessors adorneth and whom an innumerable multitude of all Gods elect Saincts and heauenly burgesses doe honour and glorisie for euer XIII HE DIED the seaueÌ„teeÌ„th day of March in the yeare of our Lord 493. in the first yeare of Anastasius the Emperour and in the hundred A summarie of his life tweÌ„tie third yeare of his age At the age of sixteene he was carried into banishment six yeares he liued therein eighteen yeares he spent vnder the tutorship of S. GERMAN and S. MARTIN his masters at the age of fiftie fiue yeares ennobled with the dignitie of Bishop he entred into Jreland
I allwaies referred to thy discussion to be corrected Sainct CVTHBERT much mooued here with fell earnestly to his prayers and hauing vnderstood by a diuine inspiratioÌ„ that his prayer was heard Rise brother sayth he and doe not weepe but reioyce for the heauenly clemencie hath graunted our request The truth of which promise and prophesie was brought to light by the ensueing euent For departing at that time they mett noe more till in one and the same twentith day of March their soules departing out of this world were by the hands of Angels translated to a perpetuall vnion in heauen But Sainct HEREBERT by a particular priuiledge and dispensation from God passed through the surnace of a long teadious sicknes that yf in meritt he were inferiour to S. CVTHBERT the punishment and paine of his disease borne with a vertuous patience might supplie that defect whereby made equall in grace with his intercessour as he deserued to depart at one and the same time with him soe he might be worthie to be receaued into one and the like throne of happines This holy man as it may be throught was a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order aswell for that he was wholly instructed in all his spirituall life by Great S. CVTHBERT a Benedictin who would not teach but as he had learnt him self as allsoe bicause in those daies the true custome of proceeding to an eremiticall and solitarie conuersation was to beginn first with noe other life then a monasticall as saint BEDE doth witnes Out of whom we haue taken his life who both in his historie of England and in the life of S. CVTHBERT relateh the foresayd storie to a word Nicholas Jnvit S. Cuth cap 46. Harpsfield hath the same The life of Saint EDILWALD Priest and Anachoritie of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 23. SAINCT EDILWALD was first a monke of S. BENEDICTS order in the monasterie of Rippon where hauing receaued the dignitie of priesthood he adorned the same with a pious conuersation of life well becomming his degree and calling But afterwards beeng taken with the desire of a more solitarie and retired life he went to the hermitage of the Iland of Farne which saint CVTHBERT had first built and inhabited and there became saint CVTHBERTS immediate successour as well in habitation as holines of life of whose vertuous life that it may the better appeare to the world of how great meritt it was I will only rehearse one miracle out of Sainct BEDE Gudfrid a venerble Priest and afterwards Abbott of the Benedictin monasterie of Lindisfarne desiring to haue some conuersation with saint EDILWALD went By his prayers he asswageth a tempett ouer into the Iland whence much refreshed and comforted with his godly discourse he returned with his companions homewards But being at the Sea their fayre calme was suddenly changed into such a blustering storme what with the force of the winds and the rage of the waters struggling togeather that indeed their incuitable ruine as they thought seemed to be the wager of the others contention Till being come to the poynt of despayring to haue anie longer time of life in this world behould B. EDILWALD hearing the tempestuous noyse of this storme sollicitous of their safetie came running in all hast out of his Cell to see what was befallen them and finding in what imminent danger and despaire they were he fell presently to his prayers for their liues and safegard which done the swelling seas were appeased and the crueltie of that tempest gaue way to their shipp to passe quietly till they were all safe on the drie shore And then the winds and seas as yf they had gathered new courage beganne to rayse the same stormes againe which furiously dured all that day to the end we might more plainly vnderstand that the small intermission wherein they escaped was graunted from heauen for their sakes by the prayers of the holie man And this storie was related to me sayth sainct BEDE who writes it by one of those monks that was in the same ship and danger Other miracles were wrought by the meritts of this Sainct who when he had liued in great holines for the space of twelue yeares in this solitarie kind of life he was called to the ioyes of heauen to receaue the desired rewards of his meritts and labours He was buried in saint PETERS Church of Lindisfarne by saint CVTHBERT Thus much out of saint Bede hist Aâ— l. 5. c. 1. and Nicholas Harpsfied hist. Eccl. saec 7. c. 35. He florished in the raigne of Alfrid who succeeded to Egfrid in the kingdom of Northumberland The life of S. ALFWOLD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 25. Out of VVilliam Malmesbury SAINCT ALFWOLD from a Benedictin monk in the monasterie of winchester was raysed to the Episcopall dignitie of Sherburne He placed a goodly picture of the most holy bishop and monk S. SWITHIN of Winchester in the Church of Sherburne It is certaine that he was a man of most reuerend godly life one that amongst the most prodigall shewes of exquisite banquets which from the time of the Danes were vsed in England followed the rules of auncient pietie seueritie in his diet His spare diet vsing only a woddeÌ„ dish without anie luscious ordaintie meates a little cuppe of beere soe drowned and mortified with water that the danitiest pallat could not find anie tast of beere My authour in this affirmeth that he heard a Priest of good creditt then loaden with grey haires report with teares of ioie much good of this holy man One thing was that noe man euer after his death presumed to sleepe in his bed vnpunished For presently he was forced to leape out of it being amazed with strange vglie visions which not only terrified him from his rest but allsoe sorely rebuked him for vnworthyly vsurping the holy bishops place This was a strainge spectacle vnto manie Earle Godwin hauing it is vncertaine vppon Godwin punished for iniuring S. Alfwlod what occasion grieuously exasperated this holy man fell presently into such a tormenting sicknes that he lay languishing without anie hope of life soe that he was compelled to send a messenger in poast hast to the Bishop humbly to desire pardon for his temeritie who out of his owne pious lenitie gaue him his benediction and pardon and there with all he recouered perfect health II. THIS HOLY Bishop and monk was wonderfully much addicted in his deuotion to the excellent bishop and glorie of the Benedictin â—rder S. CVTHBERT at whose only name he would burst into deuout teares And allwaies he had this Antheme of him in his mouth The Holy Bishop Cuthbert a man perfect in all things appeared amongst the throngs of the world a monke worthyly to be reuerenced His great deuotion to S. Cuthbert of all men And as his dayly loue to this Sainct tooke deeper roote in his heart to giue a greater demonstration
fists and heeles the Church is committed to the flames and all the flock of CHRIST slaine with the edge of the sword For the monks and all the poeple men woemen and children throughout the whole towne were tithed to the butcherie after a most cruell manner nine were slaine and the tenth saued soe that of all the monks there remayned but fower of the rest but eight hundred in all the towne The holie bishop was coÌ„mitted to the horrour of a close prison where he lay the space of seaueÌ„ moneths In the meane time allmightie God powred forth his reuengfull wrath against that barbarous poeple soe that within a a short time two thousand of them died miserably through most cruell torments in their gutts and all the rest being suddenly strucken with the same disease were sooner in danger of death then they were a ware of chainge Then they were admonished by the faythfull poeple to doe peanance for their sinnes and make satisfaction to the bishop which theâ— refused to doe imagining that afflction to haue befallen them bâ—â—haunce only But their destruction still encreasing and preuayling against all those that had endeauoured to depriue the holy man of life and now tenne now twentie being suddenly sent to follow their fellowes to death through most terrible torments of the head and entrailes struck such a terrour into those that remayned aliue that they ranne straight to the bishop and with teares desired pardon for their impietie committed and hauing with honour led him out of prison to the publick view of the poeple he spake these words vnto them Although your insatiable crueltie deserue noe pardon yet by the example of our Lord we are taught what we ought to doe who His speech to the poeple Joan. 13 when he voutchafed to wash the feet of his disciples did not exclude him whom he foresaw would betray him into the hands of his enemies nay he fedd him with the most sacred banquett of his bodie and bloud And hauing with the sole power of his word ouer throwne the officers of the Pharisees that came to apprehend Joan. 18. him he presently raysed them againe and cured them and which is a notable signe of his great goodnes those whom he perceaueth dayly with a stubborne mind to resist his diuine admonitions he suffers notwithstanding to liue yea and to excell their betters in humane goods and prosperities Wherefore because I desire to be an vnworthyly deuour follower of his sacred examples forgetting the burning of the cittie the shedding of soe much innocent bloud forgetting I say all the crimes of your former impietie done a-against me as our Lord entreated his father in behalfe of his Crucifiers Lâ—u 23. soe will I make intercession to him for you my tormentours Bring hither then some bread which forthwith shall be made wholesom and soueraigne against your infection that being refreshed therewith and receauing your desired health you may ether render thankes vnto the supreme giuer of all health or remaine more impious in your blasphemie and sacriledge And hauing giuen to With holy bread he cureth the infected Danes They reÌ„nder bad for good them all some of the bread which he had hallowed they were deliuered from that death-threatning infection X BVT ô barbarous ingratitude I all this goodnes could not draw a dram of true curtesie from those bloud-thirsting hearts For they were noe sooner restored to health but presently fower princes were sent to the bishop first to giue him some slight thankes for his benefitt and them to 〈◊〉 of him to ransom his life and libertie yf he would enioy ether with the summe of three thousand marks Which wheÌ„ he refuse 〈…〉 as being a thing against all iustice to giue the goods of the Church to Pirats they bound him againe in retters being on the verie festiuall day of Easter afflicted with most exquisite torments he was againe shutt vp in a prison Where as in a pensiue solitarines he gaue thankes to allmightie God in that he was found worthie to suffer for a good cause a See the subtle false hood of the deuill wicked spiritt appeared vnto him in forme of an Angel of light who being the father of all lies could not but tell a lie at the first word and say that he was sent from the court of heauen to deliuer him out of the horrour of that prison for the common good of his poeple Nether needed he to feare sayd that agent of Hell to be reprooued with the name of a cowardly Champion for Act. 9. Act. 12. this since he could not thinke him self humbler then the Apostles PETER who was led out of prison by an Angel or valianter then sainct PAVL whom was stolne out of the midst of persecution in a baskett And CHRIST him self to escape the hands of those that would haue stoned him went out of the Temple 10. 8. and by an euangelicall precept gaue licence to his disciples to flie from the face of persecution The holy bishop deceiued Matt. 10 with these faire-seeming speeches yeelded to follow his deceiuer out of the prison And hauing past ouer manie ditches and brookes of water through the darke and horrid shades of the night on a sudden the wicked spiritt vanished and left the holy man in the midst of bogges and marshes who now perceauing the guiles of his false leader fetcht a deepe sigh of greefe from the verie bottom of his heart and casting him self into Behould a miserable case the midst of those mirie places earnestly implored the assistance of our Lord in that miserie O Fountaine of all life sayd be powring out woefull streames of teares ô sole refuge of the children and stock of Adam why hath thy heauenly grace forsaken me in my old age whom in the flower of my youth it was neuer wont to fayle Wilt thou suffer him whoÌ„ soe loÌ„g thou hast mercifully preserued to be cast away and perish at the last O my beloued Lord how often in the shiphrack of this mortall life haue I had thee my deliuer Let me now againe I beseech thee haue experience of thy consolation in this vnhappie illusion of my enemie be my ayde in this vnlucky hower of my affliction The prison is behind me a riuer before me darknes round about mee and the horrid authour of darknes by me soe that wretched ELPHEGVS thy seruant stands encompassed on all sides with troupes of miseries and left poore to thy mercie thou I hope wilt be an ayde to thy forlorne Orphan XI WITH these and such like speeches the woefull witnesses of his afflicted heart he ceased not to callvppon the diuine mercie S. Elphegus comforted by an Angel when behould there appeared a yong man cloathed in most bright shining apparell bearing the ensigne of CHRISTS passioÌ„ in his hand and whither sayd he dost thou wander whither dost thou desire to flie Whither doth thy enuious conductour leade thee Is it
afterwards in due time by the hands of the same Bishop his cozen he He liueth in a moâ—â— narrow cell was promoted to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Neere vnto the Church of our Ladies of Glastenbury he built him self a little Cell soe straight that all that saw it were astonished how a liuing man could dwell in it For I my self saith the Authour of his life haue measured the place contayning but fower foote in length and two and a half in breadth The height was proportionable to the ordinarie stature of a man In the midst of the doore was a litle window In this slender lodging he led his life in prayer and contemplation working in such things as the narrownes of the place would permitt but aboue all things labouring to please allmightie God in all and through all his actions He braue's vanquisheth the de uill dayly gayning to him self an higher place in his diuine fauour But the deuill enuying his pious exercises endeauoured to disturbe his deuotions presenting him self one day vnto him in the forme of a mayd that fayned to be in want of his helpe about some peece of worke and as the holy man prepared him self to satisfie her demaund he perceaued that enemie of mankind to transforme him self into diuers shapes that he seemed to see the forme and heare the voyce now of an old man now of a yong man and straight of some lasciuious woeman that stood before him Then vnderstanding what it was he caught the fierie tongues out of the fier and tooke that hellish monster by the nose and held him fast There then was to be seene a braue combat between the friend and enemie of Allmightie God Till at length sainct DVNSTAN remayning conquerour the deuill fled away with confusion horribly roaring and complayning that his pride and cauie had receaued the foyle and neuer after aduentured to molest the holy man in that place When from this time DVNSTAN was indued with soe great puritie of heart and His rare puritie of mind and body such a rare chastitie of bodie that he more ressembled an Angel of heauen then a mortall man Whence it came that manie poore and rich flocked vnto him from all parts to vse his counsell for the health of their soules and to be by him informed and directed in the way of good life and vertue Amongst others that came to be instructed by his zeale and prudence one was a vertuous Matrone called Elsgine whom when he had piously directed and well grounded in the way of vertue for a long time and armed at length with the last sacraments the happyly ended this life and left all her goods and possessions to the disposition of her pious Father sainct DVNSTAN who presently distributed the moueables to the poore Fiue monasteries built by his meanes and with the rest and his owne inheritance being the only child of his parents he built and enriched afterwards fiue monasteries and filled them with holy Conuents of Benedictine Monks VII NOT long after king Ethelstan being dead Edmond his brother succeeded in the kingdom of England who vnderstanding of An. 940. the rare prudence sainctitie and discretion of sainct DVNSTAN sent for him to his Court that by his worthy counsell and industrie he Dunstan in great fauour with King Edmond might the easier rule the scepter of his kingdom with iustice DVNSTAN offring this seruice to God and the good of the common wealth condescended to his desire When it was rare to behould how prudently he behaued him self in disposing of the affayres of the realme in composing of contentions that arose and establishing true peace and concord among the subiects to the great comfort and ioy both of the king and Nobles Neuerthelesse within a while he lost all fauour and grace with them both by the enuious detractions By enuiâ—he he i. expelled the Court. of those that could not support the lustre of his resplendent vertues nor endure one alone to beare more sway and be in greater credit then all the rest What shall I say The malignant words of his aduersaries preuayled soe farre that DVNSTAN was not only depriued of all auncient honour but allso banished the Court. This done after three daies the King goeing on hunting and being carried by the vntamed courage of his horse pursuing the game towards a mightie precipice that threatned both him and his beast with destruction seeing iminent death before him the iniurie done to DVNSTAN came suddenly into his mind whereat sighing from the bottom of his heart he was much grieued promising straight in his mind that yf by Gods helpe he escaped that danger aliue he would againe receaue him into his fauour When to his great comfort and admiration his horse which before noe force could hould stopped suddely on the ridge of that huge downfall He is recalled to sauour and deliuered him from his expected ruine Then hauing related this accident to his Nobles and caused DVNSTAN to be sent for he humbly demaunded pardon for his fault did worthy peanance for the iniurie and restored him to his ancient honour place and dignitie faithfully promising to be his true friend and protectour euer after Moreouer as a testimonie of his future friendship he gaue him the lands of Glastenbury where he was borne and bred to be disposed according to his good will and liking Sainct DVNSTAN by the kings meanes built there a goodly Monasterie and gathered He buildeth the monasterie of Glastenbury into it a worthie Conuent of Benedictine Monkes whom he himself gouerned in quallitie of Abbot Soe that by his good example and industrie that Abbey encreased wonderfully both in the excellencie of monasticall profession and in the abundant possession of temporall goods And that place became a Nurserie of learned and holy men that through all England cast the foundations of a religious life vnder the rule of sainct BENEDICT like soe manie Pillars of the Catholick Church And now it came to passe that as in this Church as it is about sayd the whole multitude of people recouered light from sainct DVNSTANS Mothers candle soe out of this place thus instituted by the learning and industrie of DVNSTAN him self all the Churches of England receaued the light of true Religion and monasticall discipline by the example and vertue of manie worthie men called hence to the dignitie of Abbots and Bishops in the kingdome VIII AMIDST these things the holy life and conuersation of sainct DVNSTAN purchased him wonderfull hatred from the deuill the perpetuall enemie to the Benedictine order But he allwaies found him to be as his name signifies a firme Rock of the mountaine He hearet 〈◊〉 the songs of Angles whom all the hellish practises of that Master of mischief could not mooue from the ground of vertue And by soe worthyly triumphing ouer that infernall monster he deserued to to be partaker of the sweet harmonie of Angelicall voyces which at
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
was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
His wonderfull abstinence of a abstinence that he neuer rose from the table with a full stomake and in Lent for the most part his greatest dainties were bread and water Whence it came to passe that at an Easter time his appetite and gust of meate was soe vtterly mortified ouerthrowne that he could not eate the meate which was set before him And when the monke that wayted vppon him demaunded why he did not eate Yf I had some oaten bread replied he moistened with butter I thinke I should be able to eate it Therefore the Monke Soe holy Dauid refused to drinke the water which he had desiâ—red his seruant brought some such bread when the holy man reflecting with him self that he had giuen a litle fauourable scope to his appetite conceaued soe great feare thereat that becoming a rigid and seuere reuenge to himself he refused to tast it at all but remayned fasting And that meate soe prouided he commaunded to be giuen to the poore that wayted at the Monastery gate where they found a fayre yong man of a very beautifull countenance who tooke the meate with the dish and vanished Which as they related to the holy Abbot behould the same dish fell vppon the table before him Whereby they vnderstood that an Angell sent from heauen had receaued that almes from the holy man III. OVER and aboue the accustomed taske of his diuine office and His prayers and the effects thereof prayers he dayly recited the whole Psalter of Dauid contayning an hundred and fiftie Psalmes But as once more earnestly he made his prayers vnto allmightie God and with the teares of his deuotion abundantly trickling downe his cheekes he powred forth his soule before the court of heauen desiring that as well his owne as the seruice of his brethren might be acceptable to the diuine maiestie and that they might be found worthy to haue their names written in the booke of life he heard these comfortable words come from aboue Take courage my Sonne for thy prayers are written in heauen Only two of them whose hearts haue been allwaies fixed to the loue of terrene things are inscribed in the dust of the world And not long after two Conuerses commonly called Lay-brothers casting off their habits made a miserable end of their liues in the world whereby the diuine reuelation of the holy man was verified IV. PASSING on a time by New-Castle he happened into a great He hindeâ—â—â—â— the wicked endeauours of the deuill multitude of yong men where he saw one with a wonderfull curiositie runne vp and downe amongst them fawning vppon them with an insolent countenance and as it were exhort and stirre them vp to the execution of some great matter When perceauing that he played not the part of a Man but rather the deceiptfull games of some wicked deuill by the powerfull force of his diuine words he commaunded him to depart Ho thou gallant sayd he these men doe not want thy worke quickly therefore be gone and follow me Presently â—e as yf he had been tied to their horse tayles went afâ—â—t holy Abbot through the durtie streets to the great astonishment of those that were present When they were gone out of the towne and come into the turnings of the highway Who art thou sayd the holy man and what was thy busines there Thou art not ignorant who I am replied he and thou knowest well my endeauours There is a pompous celebration of a rich mans wedding Note the maâ—ice of the deuâ—â—l in that towne and I was earnestly labouring to haue the groome slayne in the buanquet by his riualls that the guests being incensed with anger thereat might endeauour to reuenge his death and soe blinded with wrath and dronkennes their mutuall wounds might cause a sedition in the cittie that by the cutting downe of manie bodies I might reape an haruest of soules into my possession And now I was perswaded by the purchase of this victorie to haue returned in ioyfull triumphe to my Prince when my whole plott and counsell being ouerthrowne by thee I am constrayned to go home without anie gaine at all At these wordes the holy Abbot detesting the wickednes of that insernall monster commaunded him to depart to the determined place of his torments and neuer more hereafter to attempt to deceaue minkind Whereat the wicked spirit vanished taking his farewell with soe great horrour that their horses growing furious with neighing snoring and tearing the ground with their feet could hardly be held vnder the possession of their riders V. AN OTHER time the monkes being at mattins the holy man saw the Deuill standing in the habit of a countrey fellow at the quire He seeth the deuill inquiring into the faults of his Monkes doore and oftentimes endeauouring but in vaine to enter into it Then falling heartily to his prayers and stirring vp the hearts of his brethren to deuotion that infernall spie perceauing after a long expectance that he profitted nothing vanished away with anger and confusion The same holy Abbot celebrating once the dreadfull sacrifice of Masse saw in a vision a mightie storme at sea wherein a ship was sorely tost vp and downe in those swelling waues till the sterne being broken she ranne violently on her owne ruine and beating her self against a cruell rock dissolued her ioynts and ribbes into peeces left all the men her rulers to shift for them selues in the mercilesse billowes of the Ocean The holy man being greatly moued to compassion with this vision hauing finished his masse sent his Monkes to the sea side to take vp the bodies of those drowned persons They went and the fourth day after in the very place designed by saint ROBERT the sea cast vp the dead bodies which by their hands were honoured with Christian buriall VI. A HOLY matrone who by the pious persuasions of S. ROBERT S. Robert freed from a faâ—se Suspition by S. Bernard had contemned the gorgeous pride and vanitie of the world and betaken her self to a retired and deuout life was oftentimes visited by the same holy man to be by his godly instructions dayly aduanced in the way of vertue Which thing was a cause of manie bad suspitions in the iealous minds of some of his brethren who iudged that current of familiaritie to proceed from an impure spring And now they had infected the eares of manie with their misdeeming opinion till their complaints arriued to the knowledge of the great Patrone of his Order saint BERNARD Abbot of Clareuall in France To whom saint ROBERT went in person and he hauing had a reuelation of his great same and merits tooke him secretly aside and sayd Brother ROBERT those things are most false which the sinister suspition of manie hath bruted abroade against thy innocencie And in testimonie of his loue he gaue him a gyrdle which afterwards by the merits of them both gaue the benefitt of health to manie sick persons VII THIS holy Confessor was