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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18932	The life of the glorious virgin S. Clare Togeather with the conuersion, and life of S. Agnes her sister. And of another S. Agnes, daughter to the King of Bohemia. Also the rule of S. Clare. And the life of S. Catharine of Bologna. Translated into English.; Chronicle and institution of the order of the seraphicall father S. Francis. Selections	Marcos, de Lisboa, Bishop of Porto, 1511-1591.; Bentley, Catharine, attributed name.; Evelinge, Elizabeth, attributed name.	1622 (1622)	STC 5350; ESTC S121170	48,749	225

this benediction which distilled downe in the valley of Spoletum grew by diuine prouidence to so spatious and large a flood that the violent current therof ouer flowed al the Cittyes of the holy Church so that the nouelty of such admirable things was speedily diulged ouer all the world with such prayse and admiration gaue such splendour that the nature of her vertues filled the chambers of great Ladies with beames of vnspeakable charity and penetrated euen into the chambers of great Dutchesses yea those most pure beames of her brightnes pierced into the very cabinetts of Queenes and Princesses and that in such sort that eminency of bloud and height of nobility submitted and debased it selfe to follow the stepps of this glorious virgin many reiecting the greatnes of their honour and the sublimity of their estates so that some Ladyes who could haue byn marryed to Kings and Dukes induced by the fame of S. Clare tooke vpon them the practise of strict pennance and many already marryed to men of great nobility desired in their estate to imitate this seruant of Iesus Christ An infinit number also of Citties were by this exāple adorned with monasteries of young women the fieldes and mountaynes were enriched and inobled with the structures of these celestiall buildings The exercise and honour of chastity did multiply in the world S. Clare carrying the stādard of the order of virgins which being then almost extinguished she restored to perfection renewing it by the blessed flowres of her example conuersation But returning to the history let vs speake of the perfection of the prayer of this glorious virgin by meanes wherof she obteyned of God so great graces for her selfe and her daughters Of the feruent and perfect prayer of the virgin S. Clare CHAP. XII AS Saint Clare was mortifyed in her flesh and farre more from all corporall recreations so did she cōtinually busy herselfe in deuotions and diuine prayses This virgin had fixed imprinted the subtility of her feruent desire in the eternall light and as she was remote from earthly occupations and rumors so did she the more largely dilate the bosome of her soule to the influence of diuine grace She continued in long prayer together with her religious after Complin the riuers of teares that flowed from her eyes awaking and bathing the harts of her companions when the sleep of others gaue her opportunity to be solitary being often in prayer she wold lay her face agaynst the earth bathed with teares kissing it sweetly and with such contentment that she seemed alwayes to hold in her armes her spouse Iesus Christ at vvhose feete her teares trickled downe and her kisses left their impressions It hapned one time that as this holy virgin powred out her teares in the silence of the night the Angel of darknes appeared vnto her in figure of a blacke young man saying If thou continuest this extreme weeping thou wilt become blynd wherto she answered he that is to see God cannot be blynd wherwith the diuell being confounded vanished fled The same night this Saint being in prayer after Mattines all bathed in teares the Tēpter appeared againe vnto her and sayd Weepe not so much vnles thou wilt haue thy braynes to melt and distill in such sort that thou shalt auoyd them at thy eyes and nostrels therwith shall thy nose be croked S. Clare with great feruour answered him saying He that serueth Iesus Christ can haue no crookednes and presently the wicked spirit disappeared Many signes did discouer and make knowne the great alteration she receiued in herselfe in feruour of her prayer how sweet delectable the diuine bounty was vnto her in this ioy holy conuersation for when she returned from prayer she with admirable contentmēt brought words inflamed with she fire of the altar of God which kindled the harts of her Religious and procured in them a great admiration at this extreme sweetnes that appeared from of her face It is without doubt that Almighty God had coupled conioyned his sweetnes with her pouerty and did manifest exteriorly in her soule what was interiourly replenished with diuine light In this manner did she ordinarily liue full of supreme delights passing ouer this deceiptfull world with her noble spouse Iesus Christ and being placed vpon this wheele of motion she was theron susteyned with an assurance and firmity of vertue very stable and preserued with the celestiall eleuation of her soule in the height of heauē keeping the treasure of glory securely shut vp within a vessel of flesh heere below vpon earth This holy virgin accustomed to call vp the yonger Religious a little before Mattines to awaken them with the ordinary signe to excite them very often to prayse God All her Religious sleeping she did watch lighted the lampe and rung at mattins so that negligence found no entrance into her monastery nor sloath had there any place She also by the sting of sharpe reprehension and of her liuely and effectuall examples expelled tepidity and irkesomnes in prayer and the seruice of God How the Mores were expelled the Monastery by the prayers of Saint Clare CHAP. XIII THIS being the place where we should record the miracles of this holy virgin it is not conueuient that we pretermit them in silence for as the marueilous effects of her prayers were veritable so also are they worthy of honour and reuerence In the time of the Emperour Federike the second the holy Church in diuers places indured great persecutions but particulerly in the valley of Spoletū which being subiect to the Roman Church dranke of the vessel of wrath by this mischeuous tyrant his Captaynes and souldiers being scattered ouer the feildes as grasse hoppers with sword to murther people and with fire to burne their houses The impiety of this Emperour did so augment that he had assembled all the Mores that dwelt vpon the mountaines and amongst the deserts to make himselfe the more fearefull to his vassells after he had by large promises gayned these Mores and disposed of them in diuers places he gaue them at length for retire a very auncient but ruinated Citty which yet to this present is called Mourades Mores which they fortified and then thither retyred about twenty thousand fighting mē who did much mischiefe ouer all Apulia and in other Christian places These enemyes of the faith of Iesus Christ came one day vnexpectedly towards the Citty of Assisium who being already close at the gates a great number of them came to the monastery of S. Damian as a lewd and disloy all nation that continually thirsteth after the bloud of Christians and dareth to commit villanously all kind of execrable actes without eyther shame of men or feare of God These Mores then brake euen into the monastery of S Clare where she was with her Religious daughters who had their harts surprised with an extreme terror but much more whē they heard the barking and cry of those

hauing none that can comfort me in this life but that I receiue a little consolation from the liberall hand of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which causeth me to beseech you all to giue thankes vnto his diuine maiesty for this fauour and mercy extended towardes me for that through his grace I find such concord peace and charity in this Couent as by wordes cannot be expressed these sisters hauing receiued me with exceeding loue deuotion yielding me Obedience vvith extraordinary promptitude reuerence They all with one accord recommend themselues to our Lord Iesus Christ to you my Sister to all the sisters of the monastery I recommend my selfe them to your holy prayers beseeching you as a mother to be mindfull of them of me as of your daughters know you that they I will all the daies of our life obserue keepe your holy precepts and aduertisements Besides I desire you should know that the Pope hath accorded to whatsoeuer I demaunded of him conformably to your intention myne particulerly in the matter you know to wit that we may not possesse any thing proper I beseech you my most deare mother to procure of the Reuerent Father Generall that he often visit vs to comfort vs in God whose grace be with your spirit Amen Of an extasy of S. Agnes and how S. Clare saw her thrice crowned by an Angell CHAP. III. SAINT Clare in her last sicknes obteyned that her sister Saint Agnes might come to see her in the monastery of S. Damian to keep her company during the few daies she had to liue so S. Agnes bauing left her Couent well grounded in Religion sanctity she came to Assisium where Saint Clare being one night in prayer apart from her sister she neuertheles saw her being also in prayer lifted from the earth an Angell to crowne her thrice with so many seuerall crownes The day following she demaunded of her sister what prayer or contēplatiō she had made the night past but she of humility vnvvilling to manifest her prayer being at length inforced by Obedience made her this relation I considered the great goodnes and patience of Almighty God wherby he supporteth such enormous offēces of sinners which I considered with a deep sorrow and compassion then I thought and yet doe thinke of the loue which almighty God beareth to sinners how he indured death to saue them thirdly I considered doe consider am with compassiō exceedingly afflicted for the soules in purgatory their great torments because they cannot help themselues I asked mercy for them of the most sacred wounds of our Redeemer Iesus Christ How S. Agnes sent S. Clares veyle to the monastery of Florence and of her death and translation to Saint George in Assisium with all her Religious into a new Couent CHAP. IIII. AFTER the death of S Clare Saint Agnes sent her blacke veyle which she did ordinarilv weare to the poore Religious of Mount Cae●i which she had founded at Florence which she did in regard of her great amity towardes them and that they might inherit some Reliques of S. Clare for their comfort and deuotion That veyle is yet in the said monastery where it is so carefully preserued that in substance and colour it seemeth still new There is likewise to be seene in the same monastery a cloak of S. Francis by which Reliques our Lord worketh many miracles A little after the death of S. Clare S. Agnes also desired to be present at the marriage of the lambe whither she was inuited but she first receiued the consolation which S. Clare had promised her that before she departed out of this life she should see her Spouse Iesus Christ as a tast of the eternall felicityes wherto she was to be eleuated conducted by her sweet spouse Christ Iesus She dyed the 56 yeare of her age replenished with perfect sanctity and being deliuered out of this prison she went to possesse the Kingdome with Angels and the holy virgins that had bin consecrated to Iesus Christ in which glory these two sisters daughters of Sion companions in heauen by nature grace doe prayse God without end There assembled a great multitude of people vpon the death of S. Agnes and they with great deuotion ascended with a ladder the monastery of Saint Damian hoping thereby to receiue some spirituall consolation of sanctity but it hapned that the chaine which held the ladder did slip so that all those who were vpon it fell downe one vpon another which made a great noyse and clamour by those who were hurt hauing with a strong faith inuocated S. Agnes were all cured The said holy virgin was interred at S. Damian but afterwardes was transported into the Church of S George where she still remayneth togeather with her sister in Assisium by the which Church the Cittizens haue builta faire monastery intituled Saint Clare whither were afterward remoued the Religious sisters of S. Damian which was done to preuent many inconueniences that might arriue vnto the being without the Citty The said Religious brought from S Damian many Reliques and perticularly the Crucifix which spake to S. Francis at the beginning of his conuersion which is extant in the said monastery of S. Clare and the Friars Minors are at S. Damian Of many miracles wrought by Almighty God through the merits of S. Agnes CHAP. V. A Girle of Perusia had a cancred fistula in her throate who hauing deuotion to S. Agnes visited her sepulcher The Religious there hauing vnbound her soare at the entry of the Couent then hauing with a strong faith ' offered her prayers she arose sound and returned to her house exceedingly comforted yielding thankes to God and to his seruant There was a Religious sister at our Lady of Angells of Perusia vvho had a mortall soare in her breast which the Phisitians had iudged to be incurable in it there were three holes so that the Religious womē exhorted her to beare this affliction vvith patience as proceeding from the hand of God and to conforme herselfe to his diuine will This diseased sister being alwaies of mind to recommend herselfe to S. Agnes kneeling one day before the Altar she vvith much deuotion commended herselfe to the holy seruant of God demaunding of her redresse of her infirmity vvherewithall falling falling into a gentle and sweet slumber Saint Agnes appeared vnto her and with her hand touched her mortall wound with which visitatiō she was sweetly comforted and cured and at her awaking finding herselfe soūd she gaue infinit thankes to God to her aduocate S. Agnes Another Religious womā of the monastery of Venice had an impostume in her breast which was opened by the Phisitians found so dangerous that they allotted her a very little time to liue This poore sister therefore in this diftresse recommended herselfe to the two sisters S. Clare and Saint Agnes and about midnight these two Saints as

fruition of her most glorious spouse Iesus Christ in his celestiall Kingdome Now then the members of this sacred virgin being by continuance of her sicknes wholy decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being an euident token that she should in short time be called of God which she vsed as a ladder to mount vp to eternall saluation wherupon Pope Innocent the forth came to the monastery of S. Damian accompanyed with many Cardinalls to visit the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all vvomen of his tyme and therefore worthy to haue her death honored by his presence His holines then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin comming neere to her bed he gaue her his hand to kisse which fauour Saint Clare vvith exceeding ioy receiued But besides that she with great humility besought him to affoard her his feete to kisse the Pope to content her sat downe vpon a little bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feete vpon which this glorious Saint reuerently layd her face and mouth most affectionatly kissing them then with the serenity of an Angelicall countenance she demaunded of him remission of all her sinnes wherto the Pope answered would to God my deare sister I had no more need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefit of absolution the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receiued the most sacred communion at the hands of the Prouinciall of the Friars Minors of that Prouince with her hands ioyned togeather her eyes eleuated towards heauen she weeping said to her Religious My daughters prayse Almighty God for the benefit it hath pleased him to bestow vpon me this day which is such that the heauens the earth are not sufficient to recompence it sith this day I haue both receiued my Lord God am made worthy to see his Vicar vpon earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes CHAP. XXIIII THE daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in a short tyme to remaine as orphans the consideration whereof deeply pierced their soules with a most bitter griefe that neyther heauines of sleep nor hunger could withdraw thē frō the presence of their mother the present contentment which they receiued in beholding her making them forget to eate and sleep because al their exercise was to weep and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the monasterv which she had newly erected at Florence to be present at her death Being then in this anguish she turned to wardes her sister most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence wherto Saint Clare answered Deare sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull weep no more for I answere you our Lord will shortly come to you to visit you with an exceeding consolation before your death Of the death of the blessed Virgin S. Clare and of a vision which one of her Religious saw CHAP. XXV THE holy virgin and seruant of Iesus Christ was many dayes to wards the end of her life afflicted with diuers diseases the fayth and deuotion which at that time ech one bare her exceedingly increasing yea so farre forth that she was honored as a Saint being ordinarily visited by Cardinalls and other Prelates but which is more admirable to heare hauing byn seauēteene dayes without force to receiue any sustenance that was presented vnto her she vvas neuertheles so fortified of God and incouraged of his diuine maiesty that she exhorted all those that would comfort her to be prompt in the seruice of God A Religious man intending to comfort her and to perswade her to haue patience in so grieuous a sicknes that procured her so much torment she with a smiling countenance and cleare voice answered him brother since the time that I knew the grace of my God by the meanes of his most humble seruant Saint Francis no payne hath byn troublesome vnto me no pēnance hath seemed difficult nor any sicknes irksome And as almighty God approached neere vnto her and her soule being as it were at the doore to goe forth the blessed virgin wold haue the most pious and spirituall Friars Minors to be present to discourse vnto her of the dolorous and bitter passion of our Lord Iesus Christ by their pious words to inflame her hart more in the loue of God wherfore some of them who were vnto her true brethren in our Redeemer Iesus Christ were present and among other brother Iuniperus the familiar of our Lord Iesus Christ who often vttered vnto her such fiery and inflamed words of the omnipotent God that she by his presence being filled with an extreme ioy one day demaunded of him if he then knevv nothing new from almighty God wherupon brother Iuniperus opening his mouth to answere her there issued out of the fornace of his inflamed hart infinite sparkes of such sublime wordes that this holy virgin receiued therof much consolation Finally turning her Angelicall face towardes her deare and beloued daughters sisters there present all of them bitterly weeping she recommended vnto them the pouerty of our Redeemer Iesus Christ in this her last passage praysing and thanking God for the infinit benefitts which they had receiued of his diuine maiesty which she particulerly recounted vnto them then she gaue them all her benediction and also to all the Religious of her monastery present and absent likewise to all those who should hereafter enter into her order There were present two companions of S. Francis to wit brother Angelus who though much afflicted did yet comfort the others the right simple brother Leo who ceased not to kisse the bed of the holy virgin who was leauing the world was much lamēted of her daughters because they were left orphanes and were no more in this life to see their most holy mother and therfore they accompanyed her soule to heauen with aboundance of teares without power to admit any other consolation then to desire to goe with her wher with being so afflicted they could not without difficulty forbeare with their nailes to rent their faces but not being permitted them to discharge themselues of such griefe exteriourly it did inflame in them a more burning fire within for those Espouses of Iesus Christ were sufficiently mortifyed by rigour of Religion albeit the force of griefe did constreine them to cast forth lowd cryes and sighes and to powre out riuers of teares The holy virgin at length being turned towardes them began very sweetly to say vnto her soule Go my soule go out securely thou hast an assured guide to performe this voiage for he who is thy Creatour hath sanctifyed thee and hath alwayes cōserued thee affecting thee with a tender loue equall with that of a mother towardes her child and thou my God be

praysed for hauing created me A Religious sister asking her what she ment thereby she answered I speake to my blessed soule her most glorious spouse Iesus Christ not being far from her attending for her then turning to one of her Religious she sayd doe you not see my daughter the King of glory whome I see Almighty God also laid his hand vpō another Religious who saw with her corporall eyes through the teares that distilled from them a glorious vision she being pierced through with the dart of sorrow cast her eyes towards the gate of the house saw to enter a great processiō of sacred virgins richly cloathed in white hauing ech one a crowne of gold vpon their head but one of them appeared more beautifull sumptuous and glittering then the rest hauing vpon her head an imperiall Crowne garnished with pretious stones from whose countenance proceeded a light so shining that it conuerted the obscurity of the night into cleare and bright day it being without doubt the most glorious virgin Mary Queene of virgins who came to the bed of the Espouse of her Sonne to whome inclyning she most gratiously imbraced her and incontinently she was couered the bed also by the other virgins vvith an extreme sumptuous mantle so the day following which was the eleuenth of August her holy soule ascēded to heauen there to be crowned with perpetuall glory Happy was her departure out of this miserable life sith it was the entry into that of eternall felicity for the fastes which this Saint performed in this exile she is now ioiful hauing her fill at the magnificall table of the Cittizens of heauen for the humility and basenes of her habit she is now gloriously attired with the glory of paradise The continuall sighes desires which she had for the presence and loue of her deerly beloued spouse are accomplished by the blessed vision of God face to face and by the assured fruition of the soueraigne good leauing the way open to the example of sanctity that we blind and miserable mortall Creatures reiecting these short false and deceiptfull pleasures of this world may purchase the permanent true assured delightes that indure eternally Of the honorable obsequies that were performed for Saint Clare CHAP. XXVI VVHILES the soule of S. Clare departed this life the report of her decease was incontinently diuulged through Assisium frō whence both men and women in such aboundance speedily flocked to the monastery that none seemed to be left in the Citty each one presently esteeming her a Saint calling her the Espouse of Iesus Christ and accōpanying their discourses with great a boundance of teares of deuotion The officers of iustice repayred thither accompanyed with many warlike Champions and a great number of armed men which that night guarded the monastery for feare that pretious treasure might be bereaued thē The night following the Pope with all his court came thither accompanyed withall the neighbour people The Religious men of S. Damian being ready to begin the office of the dead the Pope would haue had said the office of the holy virgins wherin he would haue canonized her before her buriall but the Cardinall of Hostia hauing demonstrated vnto him that it was fitting in this affayre to proceed with more humane prudence the Pope permitted the said Religious solemnely to proceed in the office of the dead according to their ordinary accustomed manner The said Cardinall hauing taken for his text vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas made a very worthy and deuout Sermon to manifest the vanity of thinges appertayning only to this world where he exceedingly exalted that most eminent contemner of vanities which ended all the Cardinalls and other Prelates accompanyed her holy body with an exemplar deuotion All the funeralls being very solemnely ended then Cittizens of Assisiū thinking it not secure that this pretious treasure should remaine so far out of their Citty they caused her holy body with exceeding great pompe to be transported singing psalmes and Hymnes with the sound melody of diuers musicall instruments in a very solemne procession carrying it into the Chuch of Saint George within their Citty where the body of S. Francis had formerly byn reposed And it was very reasonable that he who in his life had giuen a patterne of the way of life vnto this holy virgin should as it were prophetically preparre her a place of sepulture There was then a great repaire and confidence of people from diuers Cittyes townes and villages vnto Assisium to thanke Iesus Christ and to pray vnto this blessed creature proclayming this holy virgin to be really a Saint glorious who now liueth in paradise with the Angells hauing bin already so much honored of men vpon earth O blessed virgin pray now to God for vs gayne our soules to Iesus Christ in heauen as thou hast conuerted and gayned so ma-many liuing vpon earth The holy virgin passed this transitory life to the other of rest the yeare of grace 1253. the tweluth of August forty yeares after her perfect vocation to God and the 60. yeare of her age She was interred the 12. of August vpon which day her feast is solemnized at Assisium and ouer all the holy Roman Church Of the miracles wrought by the merits of S. Clare and first of possessed persons that haue byn deliuered CHAP. XXVII THE chiefest marks that saints can haue and the worthyest testimonies of fayth and reuerence are sanctity of life and the perfection of good workes for S. Iohn Baptist wrought no miracles during his life and yet they who haue wrought many shall not be esteemed more holy then he and therfore the notable renowne of the Religious life of Saint Clare might suffice to make her appeare such as she is if the tepidity coldnes and remissnes of the world c partly also deuotion did not otherwise require But since this holy virgin was not only in her lifetime by her merits swallowed vp in the depth of diuine illuminations but was also after her death a meruaylous splendour ouer all the world by the light of her miracles and as the most pure Verity hath caused the recording of many of her miracles that they remayne as testimonies memory denuntiation of her Sanctity therfore also the multitude of them inforce me to recount some that they may be generally diuulged knowne A Child called Iames seeming not so sicke as possessed in regard that somtimes he cast himselfe into the fire or into the riuer fell rudely vpon the ground and with such fury did bite the stones that he brake his teeth withall forced bloud out of his head and wrested his mouth most strangely yea somtimes would seeme a monster so doubling foulding his members that his feete would be vpon his necke He was ordinarily twice in the day afflicted with the like torments in such sort that two persons sufficed not to restraine him from tearing of his cloathes yea there was great