of the Order of sainct Damian in which rule he dispeÌ„sed with the Religious touching their vow of pouerty in commune and the confirmation of this rule passed in the citty of Lions which dispensation exceedingly afflicted saincte Clare and all her Companions for the zeale they had to the obseruation of the holy Euangelicall pouerty And not only the monasteries which desired the said dispensation and rule of Innocent the fourth did accept the same but euen other monasteries were enforced to receaue and follow it But the Pope being afterward better enformed commanded the Generall and all the Prouincialls that they should in no sort constraine the Abbesses and Religious of the Order of S. Clare and of S. Damian to obserue the rule which he had newly instituted but willed and commanded that the first rule giuen by the holy Father sainct Francis att the beginning of his religion and confirmed by Pope Gregory the ninth should be perpetually obserued commanding and commending it to the Cardinall of Hostia Protector of the Order to see it obserued notwithstanding whatsoeuer appellations letters obtayned or to be obtayned The bull of Pope Innocent the fourth att the instance of S. Clare for renewing the graunt made by Pope Gregory the ninth That the Religious of S. Damian may not haue goodes in propriety Taken out of the 10. booke and put here in due place INnocent Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to his beloued daughter in IESVS CHRIST Clare and to the other Sisters of the Monastery of saint Damian of Assisium as well present as to come Health and Apostolicall benediction Because it is manifest that desiring to be dedicated only vnto God you haue sold all your substaÌ„ce to distribute it among the poore the better to renounce cogitations and desires of temporall thinges and that you haue a firme resolution not to posses in whatsoeuer manner any kind of possessions nor immoueable goodes in althinges following the steppes of him that for vs became poore the true way verity and life The necessitie and want of corporall thinges being vnable to deterre or separate you from this firme resolution because the left hand of the celestiall Spouse is vnder your head to sustaine the great weaknes of your body which you haue subiected to the law of the spiritt with an exceeding feruour and charity This Lord also that feedeth the birdes and cloatheth the flowers of the fieldes will reward you with himselfe in eternity when his right hand shall embrace you in the perfect sight of him Considering withall that with great humility you demaund of vs that of our Apostolicall fauour we confirme your sayd resolution taken to follow most strict pouerty We by the to nour of these presentes doe graunt you that you may not be constrayned by any whoseuer to take haue nor to retaine temporall possessions And if any sister either will not or cannot obserue this rule lett her not remayne with you but lett her incontinently be putt in some other place We ordaine and command that no person of whatsoeuer quality or condition he may be presume to trouble your Monastery And if any person ecclesiasticall or seculer knowing this our constitution and confirmation be so rash as to attempt in whatsoeuer manner against it and if after three seuerall times reprehended and aduertised he do not amend make satisfaction answearable to his default let him be depriued of his office dignity and honour and lett such person be reputed as already condemned for his impieties by the iudgement of God therfore lett him be cutt off from the most holy coÌ„munion of faithfull Christians and be obliged to the diuine vengeance att the last iudgement But they who shall loue you in IESVS CHRIST and your Order and especially the Monastery of sainct Damian the holy peace of God be with them that they may receaue the fruit of their good worckes and find the recompence of eternall beatitude in the day of the rigorous and last iudgement The sequel of the aforesaid ninth chapter AFterward the same Pope confirmed the first rule vâ—uae vocis oraculo with his owne mouth formerly approued by the sayd Pope Gregory the ninth his predecessour and by the Cardinall of Hostia Protectour who by commission receaued from his holinesse had approued the same in such sort that this first rule was renewed into force This Pope Innocent afterward confirmed it by his bull in the citty of Assisium the eight of August the second yeare of his Papacie Whervnto he was enforced by the deuotion and most humble request of S. Clare Apostolicall confirmation of the rule which S. Francis gaue to S. Clare INnocent Bishop seruant of the seruantes of God to our welbeloued daughters in IESVS CHRIST Clare Abbesse and to the other sisters of the monasterie of S. Damian att Assisium health and Apostolicall benediction The Apostolicall sea accustometh to consent vnto iust desires liberally to fauour the vertuous and pious requestes of them that seeke the same And because you haue humbly required vs touching the rule according to which you ought to liue in common in one spiritt and vow of most high pouerty the same rule hauing bin giuen you by the holy Father S. Francis by you receaued of him with much coÌ„tentment which rule our venerable Brother the Bishop of Hostia of Veltré approued according as is more amply coÌ„tayned declared in the letters of the sayd Bishop conformable to the commandement which we gaue him to approue it by Apostolicall authority to that effect coÌ„mitted vnto him desirous now to accord vnto your requestes we confirme againe by these preseÌ„tes the said rule by our Apostolicall authority causing the tenour of this rule to be writteÌ„ word by word in these presentes as followeth Vgolin by the grace of God Bishop of Hostia of Veltré to his most deare mother and daughter in IESVS CHRIST Clare Abbesse of S. Damian att Assisium and to her Religious as well present as to come health and Fatherly benediction For so much as you my welbeloued daughters in IESVS CHRIST despising the pompes and delightes of the world and following the warlike course of IESVS CHRIST and of his most sacred mother haue chosen to dwell corporally enclosed to serue God we commending your pious resolution are willing benignely to graunt with a good will and Fatherly affection your demandes and holy desires And therfore inclining to your pious petitions we by the Popes and our owne authority doe confirme for you and all those that shall succeed in your Monastery the forme and rule to liue by meane of a holy vnion and of the most high and sublime pouerty which the glorions Father sainct Francis hath giuen you to obserue as well by word as by writing which rule is here vnder specifyed as followeth The rule of the Religious of S. Clare called Damiates THE FIRST CHAPTER WE are to begin the rule forme of life of the sisters
of two perfect rules in the Church of IESVS CHRIST were to witt S. Dominick as a cleare Cherubim that with the resplendent light of wisdome and predications spred the winges of his doctrine ouer cloudy obscurities of the world which by this his so great splendour did giue light and discouer the errours of heretikes and conducted the hartes of the faithfull in the secure way of true peace And the blessed S. Francis as an other Seraphim ascending out of the east purged with that kindled fiery coale IESVS-CHRIST crucified and entierly enflamed with the feruour of heauenly loue he scattered this diuine fire ouer the world both the one and the other leauing to their beloued disciples the said Properties though in each of them and in certaine of their perfect and legitimate issue the splendour of science and the feruour of charity were merueilous well connexed together But by reason that all the euils of that time proceeded of the vnbridled greedines abondance of temporall substance and with all that men did employ and glutt themselues in vanities and in loathsome sensualities the holy Father S. Francis touched with the holy Ghost would cutt off euen by the very roote and farr remoue from himselfe and his Order all temporall richesse as a reformer of this fift age and as one whom the holy Ghost had deputed to beginne the sixt age and the sixt estate of the Church proposing to the eyes of all Christians the life of IESVS CHRIST crucified not written or read in paper but engrauen by the industriouâ— labour of these perfect imitatours as far foorth as humane infirmity could imitate the same It may in verity be affirmed that S. Francis was formed of God as the first man who after the first fiue dayes of his workes was with a mature counsaile made the sixt after his image and similitude so likewise IESVS-CHRIST in the sixt age of his Church formed S. Francis according to his image and in similitude of his life and crosse in as much as humaine fragility did permitt And this was done for a new augmentation of his elect He was likewise figured by the Angell of whome we haue formerly spoaken that he cryed with a loud voice vnto the foure Angels to whome was commanded to hurt the land and the sea in these wordes Doe not any hurt till we haue signed the seruantes of God in the forehead that is till we haue raced out the accursed signes and characters of the beast which are the vices and sinnes of men and haue imprinted not only in their hartes by penance but euen in their liues the signes of our Lord IESVS CHRIST which is the holy Crosse the true signe of the elect which office is conueniently applied vnto S Francis as to him that carryed the title seale and figure of the life and passion of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST as well in following the steppes of his conuersation in the hight of contemplation as in excellent and miraculous workes as also in the singuler priuiledge of the communication of his most sacred stigmates Who can euer explicate or conceiue with what resemblance the holy Ghost in the life of this holy man hath represented vnto the Church the life crosse humility and perfection wherein our Lord IESVS CHRIST ought to be imitated And it was doubtles expedient for the great necessities of the Church When our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST came as S. Augustin saith the world was in extreme necessity it is therfore very reasonable that we yeld him infinite thankes he hauing releiued vs against so many disasters But who is he I pray you that had not bin ruyned and ouer whelmed by the violent torrent of the malice and sinnes of the world if the crosse of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST and his diuine aucthority had not with such burning feruour bin preached in the middes of the world for we now relying there vpon are firme in God and secure against the violence of malice and enormitie The estate of the world was so wretched and miserable that there was need of a diuine redresse by whose aucthority man might be induced to voluntary pouerty to continence charity iustice concord and true piety with all other excellent vertues which are the way to eternall saluation and the end of Christian profession It seemed then that in the fift age the world was retourned in manner to the like necessity as it was in before the comming of IESVS-CHRIST so deeply had it buried in forgetfulnes the good which he had procured it for it did againe wallow in his former ancient iniquities in such sort that the charity of God was as it were constrained to be once againe crucified before the eyes of ingratefull men who seemed to haue forgotten that incomprehensible benefitt not for the Redemption of sinnes for his passion sufficied for infinite worldes but to renew in the memory of men the way to heauen which is no other then the crosse and passion And it not being expedient to reiterate the same because IESVS CHRIST as glorious and immortall is no more capable of death his diuine wisdome found this meane liuely and effectually to represent in his seruant the standard of the crosse his passion and his woundes to renew them in the memory of men that they might follow the perfection of the Euangelicall estate which himselfe by his most holy life had taught vs. This seruant elected for so great a mystery was the glorious Father S. Francis in such necessity deputed to make a spirituall renouation in the world of the life of IESVS-CHRIST represented to the eies of the faithfull in his person and in the perfect Religious of his Order And in regard that the life of IESVS CHRIST and his perfection doth particulerly shine as the ghospell teacheth vs in the passion and the crosse that is in most profound humility in most strict pouerty without any mixture of temporall substance in feruour of charity and compassion of sinners in worckes of our saluation austere and difficult but especially in interiour perfection of charity wherwith our Lord IESVS-CHRIST our head conioyneth and vniteth vs with God and for better perfomance of this vnion he counsaileth vs the renunciation of temporall richesse and the abdication of proper libertie and sensualities The holy Father S. Francis walked this way of the Counsailes of IESVS-CHRIST ill vnderstood of the world and instituted a rule and direct path tending to perfection and to vnion with God wherein walking himselfe and teaching more by effect then by wordes he shewed to the world the true way of penance and saluation According therfore to the opinion of S. Bonauenture may be obserued three merueillous effectes wherfore God sent S. Francis into this world The first was to preach penance as an other forerunner of IESVS-CHRIST in the desert of pouerty because Christians had already forgotten it and therfore he insinuated vnto them the necessity they had therof by reason of the blindnes that their enormous sinnes had
speaking religiously to euery one as is requisite And they ought not to trauell on horseback if they be not constrayned by manifest necessity or infirmity Entring into houses lett them say Peace be in this house And according to the gospell of all meates that shall be presented vnto them it shal be lawfull for them to eat That the Brethren ought not to receaue mony THE IV. CHAPTER IAbsolutelie commaunde all the Brethren not to receaue any kind of mony be it by them selues or any third person yet for necessity of the sicke and to cloath the other Brethren it is ordayned that the Ministers and Guardians shall haue care and cogitation therof only by spirituall freindes according to the places and times and as of necessity they shall see expedient neuertheles persisting alwayes resolute as is said not to receaue any kind of mony Of the manner of labouring THE V. CHAPTER THe Brethen that haue the grace of God to labour lett them performe it faithfully with deuotion and in such sort that shunning idlenes the capitall ennemy of soules they extinguish not the spititt of holy prayer and deuotion which ought to be preferred before all other temporall exercises And as for the hire of their labour they may receaue for themselues and their brethren whatsoeuer shal be necessarie to the body except mony and this with humility as is conuenient to the true seruantes of God and to the followers of holy pouerty That the brethren may haue nothing proper and of the manner of asking almose and ministring to the sicke THE VI. CHAPTER THe brethten may haue nothing proper as houses landes farmes nor other thing whatsoeuer but lett them liue as Pilgrimes and strangers in this world seruing our lord in humility and pouerty lett them goe confidently to demaund almose And they must not be ashamed being mindefull that our lord became poore for vs in this world My most deere brethren for this most high vertue of pouerty it is that you are institued inheritours of the celestiall kingdome by our Redeemer IESEVS CHRIST who making you poore in temporall substance hath enriched you with vertue that with this portion of riches he may exalt you to the land of the liuing I therfore pray you in the name of IESVS CHRIST to possesse nothing in this world In whatsoeuer place you are be alwayes familier amōg yourselues manifesting only to each other your necessities For if the mother nourishe and loue her carnall child with how much more diligence ought each of you to loue and cherish his spirituall brother And if any of the Brethrē fall sick the other brethren ought to serue and comfort him as themselues in necessitie would be serued Of the pennance to be giuen to the Brethren that shall sinne THE VII CHAPTER IF any of the Brethren induced by the deuil offend mortallie in those kind of sinnes which are reserued to the Prouinciall Minister lett him be obliged incōtinently without delay to goe to his Prouincial Minister who being Preist shall enioyne him penāce with mercy And if he be not Preist he shall procure him to be enioyned by an other Preist of the Order as God shail inspire him and as to him shall seeme most expedient lett them be carefull not to be moued to anger or vexed att the sinne of an other for choller anger hinder charity in himselfe and others The manner of holding the Generall chapter att Penticost and of electing a Generall when there shal be occasion THE VIII CHAPTER AL the brethren of this Order ought alwayes to haue a Minister Generall seruant of al the Brethren whome they shal be obliged sincerilie to obay And he dying his successour shal be elected by the Prouincialls and Guardians att the Chapter held at the feast of Penticost Att which time the Prouincialls are alwayes bound to assembly euerie three yeares more or Jesse in such place and according as shall please the said Generall And if it seeme to all the Prouinciall Ministers and Guardians that their Minister Generall is not sufficient for the seruice and common vtilitie of the Brethren in such case all the Brethren that haue aucthoririe to elect a Generall are bound to constitute in the name of our lord an other in his place The generall chapter of Penticost being ended lett the Ministers and Guardians of euerie Prouince haue power if they please to keep the same yeare a chapter in their iurisdictions assembling thither the Brethren that shal be vnder their chardge and iurisdiction Of the Preachers THE IX CHAPTER LEtt not the Brethren that are admitted to preach intrude themselues to preach in any bish oppericke without permission of the Bishoppe and lett no Brother presume to preach to the people whome the Minister Generall hath not formerly examined approued and admitted to the office of preaching I also exhort and admonish the Brethren to haue great consideration in their preachinges what wordes they vtter to the end they be so pure and chaste that the people may be edified therby Lett thē reprehend vices prayse vertues discouering the punishmēt of the one glory of the other and lett their sermons be cōpendious of wordes for our lord hath made an abbreuiated word on earth Of admonitions and corections of the Brethren THE X. CHAPTER LEtt the Ministers as seruantes of others be carefull to visitt and admonish the Brethren that are vnder their gouernment and as need shall require lett them correct such as shall deserue it but lett it be done with humility and charity Being very carefull not to cōmand them any thing against our rule and the benefitt of their soules lett the Brethren that ought to obey remember that for the loue of God they haue renounced their proper will I therefore very strictly cōmand them to obey their Ministers in whatsoeuer they haue promised God to obserue and to obey in their profession prouided that it be not in preiudice of their soules and of our rule In whatsoeuer place the Brethren be where they know they cannot spiritually obserue the rule they may and ought to haue recourse to their Ministers who must receaue them with benignitie and charitie and giue them confidence and courage to discouer their necessities and that with such familiaritie as if the subiectes were the masters For so is it requisite the Ministers be seruantes to all Brethren I admonish all the Brethren in the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST to be very wary of the great and enormous sinnes of pride vaine glory enuy auarice and of cogitations and cares of the world of murmuring and detracting their neighbour Those who haue not studyed lett them not regard to beginne the same but lett them especially study to haue the spirit of God and his holy workes to make continuall prayer with a pure hart and to be patient and humble in sicknesses and persecutions towardes them that persecute reprehend and contradict vs for our Lord saith loue your
Father as our protectour I beseech you my Brethren euen humblie kissing your feet and with the greatest charitie I can I doe exhort you to reuerence and honour with your vtmost ability the most sacred sacrament wherby heauenly and earthlie matters are reconciled with God I beseech all my brethren that are Preistes and such as in the name of God shal be when they intend to celebrate the diuine masse to be pure and neat that they may worthelie offer the true sacrifice of the most sacred bodie and bloud of our lord IESEVS CHRIST with the greatest reuerence puritie holie inteÌ„tion that they shal be able not for any humane respect for any feare or loue but that their intention be directed to God desiring to please onlie his Maiestie who sayth Doe this in remembrance of me Know then yee Preistes that he who shall doe otherwise shal be like vnto Iudas Remember the saying of the Apostle A man making the law of Moyses frustrate without any mercy dyeth vnder two or three witnesses How much more thinck you doth he deserue worse punishmente which hath trodden the Sonne of God vnder foot and esteemed the bloud of the testament polluted wherin he is sanctified and hath done contumelie to the spiritt of grace For then is a man irreuerent and treadeth on that lambe of God when as the Apostle saith he doth not examine and make a difference betweene this true bread of God and that which he doth ordinarily eat and therfore he receaueth it vnworthely For God saith in Ieremie The man is cursed that doeth negligently and feinedly And the Preistes that will not haue this care to celebrate so excellent a Mystery the most worthely that possibly can be shal be condemned of God who saith I will tourâ—e your benedictions to maledictions on your selues My brethren heare me I pray you if the glorious virgin be so much honoured as she deserueth for hauing receaued into her chast wombe our lord IESVS CHRIST If. S. Iohn Baptist trembled and durst not touch the head of IESVS CHRIST and finally if the holy sepulchre wherin IESVS CHRIST was buryed for his so small time of residence is so much reuerenced how much more ought he to be iust holy and well purged who with his handes doth handle and with his proper mouth doth receaue so high infinite a Maiesty and doth administer the same to others Remember that he is an immortall and eternall God that liueth glorious and eternall with contemplation of whose Maiesty the Angels themselues cannot be satisfied Preistes know your dignitie and be holy for God is holy and as in regard of so great a mystery and dignity you haue bin more honoured then other men remember in like sort to be also more gratefull vnto God and to reuerence loue and honour him for otherwise your misery is exceeding great and deserueth continuall teares in that you hauing in your handes the almighty God the fountaine of all good thinges you procure to haue transitory and terrestriall thinges all the world ought to tremble with feare and sweetly weepe whiles the Angels themselues bend their knees when IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of the most high is vpon the altare betweene the handes of man O merueillous highnes and diuine debasement O most high humility that the Sonne of God yea God himselfe the master and lord of the vniuersall world should so humble himselfe as to giue himselfe vnto vs hidden vnder the forme of bread Consider my brethren so profound a humility and purifie your hart before his diuine Maiestie to the end he receaue all as he giueth himselfe to all Therfore I aduertiâ—e you in the name of God that in all places where the Religious are you celebrate but one masse a day and though you haue diuers Preistes lett the rest be content to heare it for although it be seene in many pertes yet is it one and indiuisible and without any detriment true God and true man so in one sole masse he can communicate his grace to all present and absent that make themselues worthy one onlie and verie God Father Sonne and holie Ghost worcking this Amen Of the faith and knowledge of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and of the sacred Sacrament THE XLV CHAPTER TO all Christians Religious Ecclesiasticall lay men and women that are in the world Brother Francis their seruant and subiect in God desireth withall reuerence a true peace in heaueÌ„ by the sincere charity which is discended on earth As I am the seruant of you all so am I obliged to serue all and to administer vnto you the most sweet word of my lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Considering therfore in my soule that by reason of the diuers infirmities that afflict my body I cannot by corporall presence as I desire visitt you my selfe I haue thought good to supply the same by letters and by them to administer vnto you the worde of IESVS CHRIST who is the word of the eternall Father the wordes of the holy Ghost which are spiritt life I then admonish you Brethren to confesse your sinnes to a Preist with all the dilligence you can possible and att his hand to receaue the true body and bloud of IESVS CHRIST For as our Lord saith he that eateth not my flesh and drincketh not my bloud cannot haue eternall life Lett vs then endeauour worthely to receaue such so eminent a maiesty for he that receaueth it vnworthely in steed of saluatioÌ„ pourchaceth death Besides I exhort you often to visitt the holy churches and to reuerence Preistes not so much in respect of themselues if they be sinners as for reuerence of the function and dignity which they haue in being ministers of the most pretious body and bloud of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which by them is offered on the altare receaued and administred vnto vs without which none can be saued by the holy wordes which they vtter and minister he discendeth from heauen to earth and none but they can doe it O how happy and blessed are they who loue God withall their hart with all their soules and with all their forces and their neighbour as themselues I inuite you all my brethren and you my sisters to this loue lett vs all with one accord loue God with one pure affection of our hart adore him because that is the thing which he especially requireth and demaundeth of vs as himselfe hath said the true adorers adore in spiritt and truth and it is necessary for them that adore him to doe it in that manner Our lord said to his disciples I am the way the verity the life No man coÌ„meth to the Father but by me If you had knowne me my Father also certes you had knowen from hencefoorth you shall know him and you haue seen him Phillip said to him Lord shew vs the Father it sufficeth vs. IESVS said to him So long time I am
also must renounce it if not entierlie att least in part Lett vs loue our ennemies and doe good to them that hate vs lett vs obserue the preceptes and counsailes of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST renouncing our selues and liuing vnder the sweet yoke of his obedience Lett vs not be wise according to the flesh but simple humble and pure keeping our sences mortified and pride trodden vnder foot considering our basenes vnworthie to be superiour to others as they would we should be Lett vs imitate our Lord and carry his crosse vpon vs lett vs suffer together with him who hath endured so much for vs wretches in this world and bestoweth on vs so many benefittes and far greater will hereafter and to whome all creatures ought to giue prayse honour and glorie in heauen in earth in the sea and in the depth because he is our vertue and our force who only is good only most high onlie almighty meruaylous and glorious and only holy praysed and exalted for euer Amen I Brother Francis your seruant with the greatest humilitie I can prostrate on the earth and kissing your feet doe beseech you by the bowels of the charitie of God to receaue these wordes and others of our Lord IESVS CHRIST to effect and obserue them with due humilitie and charitie assuring all them that shall receaue vnderstand and effect them and shall by wordes and example teach them to others therein perseuering to the end that the Father the Sonne and holie Ghost will giue him his benediction Amen Of the conditions and qualities in a true Frere Minour taken out of the 10. chapter and 10. booke and placed here as in their due place THe holy Father S. Francis as a good pastour and zealous of the profitt and releife of his sheepe in Euangelicall perfection considered often with himselfe what conditions ought to be in a true and perfect Freer Minor Our Lord hauing reuealed vnto him the perfections of many of his interiour freindes and first disciples in whome he made appeare singuler grace◠he vniting them all together in this sort framed a Frere Minor Lett him haue the faith and loyaulty of Brōther Bernard Quintaualle who had also a most perfect obseruance of pouerty as in his life shall appeare the simplicity and purity of Brother Leo the good manners and good nature of Brother Angelus of Riete who being in the world was a right worthy and cōpleate knight the gracious countenance naturall science and deuout speech of Brother Macie the soule eleuated in contemplation as Brother Giles the perseuerant prayer of Brother Ruffinus who prayed without intermission though he were employed in other affaires it seemed euen when he slept that his soule was with God the patience of Brother Iuniperrus who desired nothing more then to endure and be contemned the Fortitude of Brother Iohn des Landes a man of notorious courage and extreme abstinence the Charitie of Brother Roger and the care of Brother Lucidus who was so sollicitous of soule that when he felt consolation in one place he would repaire to an other to auoyd the setling of his loue in this world whervpon he would say that one must dwell as in an inne with the foot euer readie to putt into the sturrup to prosecute the iorney to heauen Th end of the doctrines Of certaine Miracles wherby our lord confirmed the life and holy doctrine of his Preacher S. Francis THE LII CHAPTER THere happening an extreme drinesse att Beneuentum for want of rayne and wheras euery one expected and feared a great dearth the holy Father S. Francis arryued there and hauing preached and being enformed of their affliction he commaunded each one to say a Pater nostex and Aue Maria which done it rained very abondantlie Preaching an other time in a church neere vnto a pond where were manie frogges which by their croakinges hindred the people from hearing him the holie Father commaunded them to be silent and they in such sort obeyed him that retourning thither an other time and knowing that they had not croaked from the time of the said prohibition he gaue them licence to vse their naturall voice which att the verie instant they began to doe There being a generall procession made in a place called Arona for an extreme drinesse which they endured sainct Francis comming thither began to preach vnto them publikelie in the middes of a feild in the violent scorching sunne whither to the end he and his audience might not be molested our lord sent such a number of swallowes that remayning in the middes of the aire they couered the multitude from the beames of the sunne and stirred not thence till sainct Francis had ended his predication Preaching att Albruzo in a church of the Virgin Marie to excite the people more seriouslie to obserue the word of God there being presented vnto him a child that was crooked lame and mute called Albertus Campoly he with his verie handes streightned his crookednesse and his other maymed members which obeyed him as if they had consisted of soft waxe and composed euerie part aacording to their nature then calling him he made him answeare and of that answeare followed his speech so that he deliuered him perfectlie cured vnto his Father who with verie great faith expected the successe wherevpon he with all the people were inflamed in the true loue of God and yelded infinite thanckes to his diuine Maiestie He cured a dangerous wound in a yong man by the signe of the crosse in the cittie of Castello whither he was brought with great faith that he might signe him with the said signe so that the next morming the flesh being growen where before it was putrified the cicatrice remayned vermillion like a rose in perpetuall memorie of the miracle When the Monasterie was builded for his Religious att Ancona the worckmen wanting wine they murmured and would no longer labour but sainct Francis hauing made his prayer went to a neighbour fountaine the water wherof by the signe of the crosse which he made thereon he tourned into wine then made the labourers to drincke whome he made penitent of their conceaued impatience A gentleman visiting the holie Father in the Church of sainct Christopher att Iterrena and hauing inuited him to eat with him it happened that there was no wine in his house sainct Francis then commanded a botell of vinegar to be drawne and it was seene and knowne to be most precious wine In the same cittie a wall being fallen vpon a yong man that was found dead vnder the stones whiles he was lamented in his Fathers house sainct Francis hauing compassion therof and inspired of God entred in att a back dore and approching to the beare that was vncouered for in Italy the body is carryed to buried clothed as Prelates are here he tooke the dead by the arme and calling him by his name he raised him no otherwise then if he had awaked him from sleep
nuditie fastinges and intollerable labours and to haue patience in such and so manie contempts and thence also proceeded his desires dailie to encrease his penance and to support the greatest affrontes for the loue of God All these thinges and many other did not only enrich his soule remouing her from all worldlie and sensuall tast but did procure in him euen a distast of all thinges present yea caused diuine thinges to be afterward more aggreable vnto him and God alwayes conserued him in this estate and appeared often times vnto would also afterward permitte him greater afflictions and possesse him with greater crosses for he prepared him to be a valiant and inuincible Captaine of his penitentes and an example of perfect and couragious warryers and also told him that the kingdome of heauen should suffer violence and that the violent should beare it a way not those of tender and delicates spirittes Of the second degree to arriue to perfection called Desire THE III. CHAPTER THe second degree is desire for as sainct Gregoire saith diuine thinges being tasted are desired and not tasted seeme without sauour in worldly matters it is contrary for the desire therof is alwayes best There groweth in the soule so extreme a hungar and a such a thirst after this tast and after a triall of this diuine sweetnes that no creature or temporall consolation can satisfie her but God alone whome she loueth And because she neither can nor doth yet deserue to obtaine the food of the great knowing her owne infirmitie and litle meritt she remayneth greedilie hungrie after temporall thinges and beggeth the mites of the table of God seeking them on earth meditating on his life and conuersation worckes and examples yea she seeketh them in his creatures where his steppes markes and traces are represented vnto her and in his Sainctes where she findeth most euident testimonyes of her God and often times she heareth his voice and seeth his presence and this estate is like to that wherof the espouse speaketh in the Canticles I adiure you if you finde my beloued to tell him that I languish and loose my selfe for his loue It is also expedient in this estate to make simplicityes in worckes and wordes for the great excesse of new desires as new spirituall wine of these desires when thy are reall doth grow the imitation of the life of IESVS CHRIST and of his humility as much as may be that he may be found and possessed In that respect doth our Lord call himselfe the path and way for we must walke by him and his steppes are as himselfe affirmeth humility meeknes patience charity prayers and finally his crosse and passion for the seruant is not greater then his Lord nor the disciple aboue his master This is the somme of whatsoeuer may be said or written It is the light of the diuine will wherin consisteth the rule and lesson of true wisdome It is the shortest and securest way that we can walke which openeth and discouereth vnto vs the most eminent master of truth wherin walking he taught men what way they should vndertake Lett no man thinck that there is an other way more direct to obtaine of God true charity then that of labours and the exercises of vertues This exercise consisteth in three pointes the first with a sincere hart to demaund of God the knowledge of ones offences mortall and veniall together with an interiour sorrow for them and a shunning of all occasions of mortall sinnes and distraction of spiritt the second to desire the good of our neighbour as our owne for whome God hath so much endured and to assist him corporally and spiritually in our prayers praying for our freindes and ennemies and for all those whome God will haue prayed for the third is to desire with a firme resolution to imitate the life of IESVS CHRIST in his conuersation as well in body as spiritt and to demaund of God that he will vnite him to his sonne and that nothing may be found in his bowels but IESVS CHRIST crucified demaunding also the vertues that may in anysort make vs like vnto IESVS CHRIST as pouerty humility and simplicity for in this manner exercising our selues in these vertues we attaine a true and feruent desire and a true thirst of the loue of our Saulour IESVS CHRIST and it wil be no paine or trouble vnto vs to be exercised in them therbie to obtaine the good which wee desire The glorious Father S. Francis ascended to this degree when with a feruent and perseuerant desire demaunding and finding his deare and beloued Lord the Euangelicall perfection and the Apostolicall life were reuealed vnto him and as if he had thenceforward began he couered himselfe with one only garment shaped in forme of a crosse desiring no other thing then IESVS CHRIST crucified esteeming himselfe neuer satisfied with pouerty humility and misprise to imitate his Sauiour I. â— He would not seeme humble and holy but a sinner and wretched he then exceedinglie reioyâ—ed when he was conteâ—â—ed and litle esteemed and was much displeased when he was honoured as other men accustome to hate their ennemyes and to persecute them so one the contrarie he loued with all his hart those that did persecute him and hated himselfe as his owne capitall ennemye and not others well knowing that the world and the deuill as our principall ennemies make warre against vs with our owne weapons and not with other instrumentes Therfore ouercomming our selues we shall triumph ouer all our potent ennemies he endeauoured by examples of euery kind of vertue and with zeale of the saluation of soules for which I. C. suffered to draw them to the estate of Euangelicall perfection he did not exercise his disciples but in the imitation of the pouertie humilitie and patience of IESVS CHRIST and the meditation of his passion for he wel knew that the more vertues we possesse the greater progresse doe we make in prayer and without the same none att all such were his ceremonies and mortifications such the edifices and exercises of his first order to finde I. C. in continuall labour abstinences and prayers and to carry the woundes of our Lord I. C. in his body with the difficulty of strict pouerty and with this innocencie purity and Christian simplicity he surpassed those that are cloathed only with the exteriour leaues of ceremonies to vndertake the way of perfection and checked those that cloathed themselues exteriourly with the said ceremonies only to couer their imperfections Of the third degree of perfection called Satiety THE IV. CHAPTER THe third degree is Satiety when the soule commeth to loath terrestriall thinges richesse honoures yea the repose of his owne life respecting all as nought conceauing a dislike to see or speake of any worldlie matters for whereas the soule doeth loue desire only God and findeth no repose but in him hauing experience that the creatures hinder his seruice though louing them vnder pretext of
recorded Of the sanctity and miracles of Brother Zachary who was the first Guardian of the Couent of Alenquer and of his death THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe said Monastery being thus founded with exceeding pouerty and sanctity by the vertue and exemplar life of the sayd disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis and namely of Brother Zachary as being the most notable in all vertues This holy Father zealous towardes God in worckes of charity in watchinges and prayers did often offer his prayers before a Crucifix which was after in the Chapiter of the said Couent of Alenquer till the yeare 1414. by which our Lord aduertised him of many thinges as well concerning his owne as his neighbours welfare The consolation and spirituall ioy which he receaued of this image was such as he could not leaue it but with great greife Brother Zacharie being Guardian it one day happened that there were but two loaues of bread in al the Couent the hower of refection being come he enioyned all the brethren to prayer then commanded them to sitt downe att table and the sayd loaues to be portioned among all the Religious and att the same instant there appeared an Angell att their gate in forme of a beautifull yong man who brought them as many loaues as there were persons in the Monastery his grace and beauty was such as could be imagined He calling for the Guardian gaue it vnto him who with the other Religious knowing this present to come to them from the hand of God who hauing care of all his creatures neuer forgetteth his true poore they gaue him thanckes for it Many kept of this bread as a holy relique but namely the Princesse Saucia who would haue her part therof Preaching on a time with great zeale of the faith of IESVS CHRIST and of the saluation of soules one that was incredulous being partly contrite and conuerted by his sermon would afterwardes confesse vnto him but by all the industry the good Father could deuise he could not rid him of his doubtes touching the Blessed sacrament of the Eucharist Art length hauing an exceeding desire to saue his soule he sayd vnto him Sith thou canst not be cured by the wordes of God come againe to morrow in the morning with the greatest deuotion thou canst and perhappes it will please our Lord IESVS CHRIST to illuminate and confirme thee by his diuine presence and so dismissing him and that day ended the Sainct spent all that night in deuotion praying God to voutsafe to illuminate and confirme this poore man in the holy faith The next morning he celebrated masse this man being present with great deuotion but the wordes of consecration being vttered he saw the sacred host conuerted into flesh and so continuyng till the Preist was ready to communicate and then he saw it retourne to the forme of an host as before the consecration This admirable vision entierly cleered his soule of all doubtes he had and fully confirmed him in the Catholike faith This glorious Father att length yelding vp his soule it ascended to heauen and his body was buryed on the right side of the crosse of the Church of the said Couent in Alenquer with his other companions and the holy disciples of the glorious Father sainct Francis The inhabitants of Alenquer att this present take the earth of that sepulcher and with great reuerence apply it to the sicke who therby recouer their health Of a Religious that was disciple to sainct Francis in the Couent of Alenquer THE XXIX CHAPTER AMong all the Religious that were sent by the holy Father saint Francis to the said Couent of Alenquer there was one very deuout and solitary that flying especially all conuersation and discourses with women spent almost all his time in prayer Now it happened that one of the ladyes of the Princes Saucia called Mary Gracia noting this Religious to be so spirituall began to haue perticuler deuotion vnto him and therfore she desired to haue some conference witht him But this holy Religious refusig all acquaintance and speech with any women shunned her with all endeauour Neuertheles it once happened that the Lady and the Religious in such sort met each with other that the Religious could not without discurtesie auoyd to speake vnto her for she much vrged him therto but he sayd vnto her Madame I beseech you before I spake vnto you cause to be brought hither some straw with fier which hauing don he willed her to putt the straw the fier together the lady hauing so dō the straw presētly burned the Religious then sayd vnto her Madame what issue you haue seene the straw to haue with the fier the like belieue me hath the seruant of God with a woman speaking with her without necessity Whereat this lady was so shamefully amazed that leauing this good Religious she neuer more insinuated herselfe by her curious deuotion to trouble him Wherfore as this holy Religious perseuered in vertues so att the end of his life his dead body was endowed with such a beauty and splendour that all the Religious both admired and reioyced exceedingly therby hauing more perfect assurance of his sanctity Att the instant of his death S. Antony of Padua who then was Canon Reguler in the monastery of S. Crosse in Conimbria celebrating the masse saw in spirit the soule of this Religious mount into the aire and gloriously to ascend into Paradise hauing first passed Purgatory as a bird that flyeth swiftly Of the life sanctity death and miracles of Br. Walter and of the ancient custome of Portugall to record matters that happened by the yeares of Augustus Caesar THE XXX CHAPTER THe vertue and sanctity of Br. Walter disciple of S. Francis are yet of great fame he hauing so piously and exemplarly liued that in a short time he drew al the neighbour contrye to be friendes to his Order he also conuerted them from many vices and sinnes wherto the inhabitantes therof were much enclined and addicted and exercised them in vertues It is sayd that this holy Father being dead and enterred there issued out of his tombe an oyle of such vertue as it cured many diseases and perseuered till his body was transported to the great Couent neere to the said citty The day of his death which was the second of August was a long time festiually solemnised and in regard of the great concourse of people that from euery where repayred thither to honour and reuerence the holy reliques there was kept a generall faire A long time after the Frere Minors hauing built their Couent very neere the citty the Canons resolued to steale from them this holy body but though to this purpose they came thither with a great nomber of men and afterwardes with strength of oxen to draw away the tombe of the sayd S. entier neuertheles they could not so much as lift vp the reliques alone out of the tombe by what soeuer forcible endeauour nor much lesse
a new man his seruant S. Francis by him to reforme his faithfull in this sixt age would also that a valerous woman should by his worck appeare in the world to accompany that his great seruant to the end that of those two should be new borne a perfect regeneration of the children of God And as the first naturall generation came of man and woman as of an vnited beginning so this spirituall generatiō of the imitators of the life and counsailes of IESVS CHRIST proceeded in all the Church and in all the estates and qualities of personnes of one same spiritt of zeale of perfection of humility and of powerty from one man and one woman And to the end it might not be vnlike the creation almighty God hauing first perfected his seruant S. Francis would frame of the ribbe or side of his life doctrine and sanctity the glorious Virgin S. Clare his true and litigimate daughter in IESVS CHRIST for his companion as zealous also of perfection and Angelicall reformation With great reason therfore hath she her place in the Chronicles of the Frere Minors For she being a ribbe and partye of the same Order it is very requisite a special mention should be made of her sanctity of life as we shall here performe And if it be not according to her meritt shall att least be done with the least defect we can possible being resolued to employ therin that litle force of spiritt which God hath giuen vs and this to the honour of his diuine maiesty of his holy seruant and to the edification of soules The glorious saincte Clare was borne in the citty of Assisium scituat in the prouince of the Vally of Spoletum which is a territory appertayning to the Romane Church Her Father and Mother were noble of a famous and very weathy famility her mother was called Hortolana which in our tongue may be termed Gardener and not without mystery considering she was to produce so noble and vertuous a plant in the garden of the holy Church This woman was exceeding deuout and compleate in the fruites of good worckes and albeit she were maryed and consequently obliged to the care and gouernment of her house and family yet did she not omitt with all her power to be exercised in the seruice of God and employed in worckes of mercy She was so feruent in the loue of IESVS CHRIST that with great deuotion she passed the sea with many other Pilgrimes and visited those holy places which our Redemer IESVS CHRIST God and man had cōsecrated with his holy presence and retourned exceedingly cōforted and enriched with many merittes She also visited the Church of Th'archangell S. Michael on the mount Gargan and with a pious and feruent desire visited the Apostles S. Peter S. Paule in Rome in such sort did that vertue and feruour in those dayes shine in many holy personnes but now so weakened is the feruour of Christians touching visiting holy places and the reliques of our Lord and his SS that it is almost lost by the continuall warres of heretikes and of our sinnes Now our lord began to poore out the abondance of his celestiall giftes on the root that afterwardes the sproutes of greater sanctity might follow and dispearse into bowes Neither would he that this deuout woman Hortolana should be depriued of the consolations and knowledge of this grace for being neere her childbirth she one day with great feruour prayed in a Church and before a Crucifix where she besought almighty God to deliuer her from the danger of death in her childbirth which she much apprehended and she heard a voice that sayd Woman feare not For thou shalt safely and without danger bring forth a light that shall illuminate and lighten all the world Being thus comforted and admonished by this diuine answeare so soone as she was deliuered of a daughter she caused her to be called in Baptisme Clare firmly beleeuing that in her should be accomplished the splendour of the light promised according to the prouidence and ordonnance of the diuine bounty Of the education charity prayer mortification and virginity of saincte Clare THE II. CHAPTER SAinte Clare being borne into the world she began incontinently to appeare and to shine as a morning starre in the obscure night of the world for in the most tender yeares of her first infancie she alredy discouered euident signes of notable and pious worckes wherin she made appeare her naturall worth and the graces which God had communicated vnto her for being naturally of a very delicate constitution he receaued of her mother the first foundations of faith afterwardes being inspired of God to apply her selfe to vertuous and pious worckes she shewed her selfe to be a vessell aptly prepared for diuine grace and as she abounded in interiour piety as wel by nature as by grace towardes poore beggers so according to the small meanes which thē she had she supplyed their necessityes And to the end her sacrifice might be more gratefull vnto God the most delicate meates that were giuen her for the nourishment of her litle body she hid and gaue it secretly to the poore Thus did piety augment and encrease in her and nourished charity in her soule preparing her to receaue the grace and mercy of almighty God Her greatest contentment was in prayer wherby she was often sustayned made ioyfull and comforted as by an Angelicall milke and in a most delicious manner eleuated to the diuine pleasures of the conuersation of our lord IESVS CHRIST In these beginninges hauing no beades she vsed in steed therof certaine litle stones some to serue for the Pater noster and others for the Aues and so she offred her prayers to God Whervpon beginning to feele the first feruours of diuine loue she iudged that she must contemne all transitory apparence and painted flowers of this world and being by prayer well enstructed of the holy Ghost she resolued as a wise spirituall merchand to haue no more regard of terrestriall affaires acknowledging them vnworthy to be esteemed and with this Spiritt she did weare as an other saincte Cecilie vnder her gay apparell a hair-cloth so exteriourly satisfying the world and interiourly her Lord IESVS CHRIST But hauing attayned the age of mariage she was importuned by her Father and other kinred to choose a husband Wherto she would neuer consent but vsed lingringes and delayes putting off and differring what she could all humane mariage and euer recommended to our Lord IESVS CHRIST her virginity with the other vertues whe◠with she was endued by such exercises endeauouring to please almighty God that he might bestow on her his only Sonne for her Spouse Such were the first fruites of her spiritt and such the exercises of her piety so that being anoynted with such a sweet and spirituall oyntment she yelded a most pleasing sauour as shoppe replenished with most delightfull liquors whose sauours though they be shutt vp discouer and manifest themselues In
alsowhen we were in the captiuity vanity of the world for after his conuersion not hauing as yet any Brethren or companions being ro repaire the Church of saint Damian where he was visited with diuinecōsolation and cōstrained wholly to abandon the world filled with ioy and illumination of the holy Ghost he prophesied of vs that which our lord hath afterwardes fulfilled standing then on the walles of the said Church he called with a loud voice in the french tongue vnto some poore people dwelling therby saying Come helpe me in this Church of sainct Damian for there shall came women of whose good life and holy conuersation our heauenly Father shal be reioyced in his whole Church In this may we obserue the infinite bounty of God towardes vs who of his aboundāt mercy and charity hath vouchsafed to prophesie those thinges by his seruant of our vocatiō and election not only of vs hath our holy Father prophesied these thinges but also of those who hereafter shal be called vnto that vocation wherto our Lord hath called vs. With what care of soule and body are we then bound to keep the commādements of God of our holy Father saint Francis to the end that with the grace of God we may pay the multiplied talent And our lord hath not only placed vs as an example vnto the seculer but also vnto all our Sisters whome he shall call vnto our vocation that we may be vnto those who conuerse in the world a mirrour and example For our Lord God hath called vs vnto so great thinges that they may take example of vs who are giuen vnto others for an example for which we are bound greatly to blesse the more ought we for this to be strēgthened in our lord to doe well wherfore if we liue according to the forme aboue mentioned we shall leaue good example vnto those which follow vs with short paine we shall receiue the reward of euerlasting life After that our heauenly Father vouchsafed through his great mercy and grace to illuminate my hart in such sort that by the example and touching of our holy Father S. Francis I began to doe penance a litle after my conuersion I with a few Sisters whome our Lord gaue me haue willingly promised vnto him obedience like as our lord through the light of his grace inspired vnto vs by meanes of his merueillous life and holy doctrine Saint Francis then marcking that we were tender and fraile according to the body yet neuerthelesse nothing dismayed with any necessity pouerty paine tribulation or contempt of the world but that we esteemed all those thingees as great pleasure euen as he had experienced by the example of his Brethren he reioyced in our lord and with great charity inclining towardes vs he obliged himselfe his Brethren to haue alwayes ouer vs a speciall and diligent care We also by the will of God of our holy Father saint Frācis repaired to the Church of saint Damiā there to dwell a litle after which time our lord through his great mercy grace multiplyed vs and then was fulfilled that which our lord had foretold by his seruant for we had dwelt before in an other place litle after that he wrote vnto vs this forme of life and principally that we should perseuer in this pouerty and it was not sufficient vnto him to haue admonished vs therunto in his life by many sermons aduertisemētes to the end he might moue vs to the loue and obseruance of this most holy pouerty but he hath also giuen vs many writinges that after his death we should not fall from the same holy pouertye according to the example of the Sonne of God who liuing in this world did neuer leaue the same which holy pouerty our holy Father saint Francis and his Brethrē did honour and obserue during his life Wherfore I Clare seruant and handmayd of Christ and of the poore Sisters of saint Damian although vnworthy and the litle plant of our holy Father saint Francis considering this with my other Sisters as also the highnes of our profession made vnto such a worthy Father and the frailty of vs and others which we feare after the death of our holy Father who next vnto God was our only piller and comfort againe and againe we binde our selues vnto the holy lady pouerty to the end that the Sisters who are or shall come after my death may by no meanes decline from the same This Pouerty I haue alwayes bin carefull with the grace of God to obserue and to cause it to be obserued and for more surety of the same I haue made my Profession therof vnto our holy Father Pope Innocent the fourth in whose time we began and haue confirmed it by his successours that by no meanes in no time we should decline from this holy Pouerty which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto saint Francis Wherfore I bending the knee both of myne inward and outward man in all humility doe commend vnto the church of Rome to our holy Father the Pope and especially vnto the Cardinall to whose protection together wit the Franciscans we are committed that for the loue of God who was layd in the cribbe liued poorly in this world and dyed poorly on the crosse they will keepe the litle flock which God the Father hath gayned in his church through the wordes and examples of our holy Father saint Francis causing it to follow the humility and pouerty of his deerly beloued Sonne the Father of wisdome and of his holy mother and that they will cause the holy pouerty to be obserued which we haue promised vnto God and to sainct Francis as also strengthen thē for to obserue the same And like as God gaue vnto vs our Father saint Francis for our founder and helper in the seruice of God and of those thinges which we haue vowed vnto God and vnto him to obserue and as he was carefull whiles he liued to exercise vs his plantes by word examples so I commend and leaue my Sisters who already are as also those who hereafter shall be vnto the successours of saint Francis and to the whole religion that they wil be alwayes an assistance vnto vs to profitt from better to better to serue God and to accomplish and obserue this holy pouerty If it should happen att any time that the said sisters should leaue their country or citty to goe vnto an other they are firmely bound after my death in what place soeuer they are to obserue the holy pouerty which they haue vowed vnto God and to saint Francis Those which shall be in office as also the other sisters shal be carefull not to receiue more land then extreme necessity doth require as a garden for hearbes vnto their necessity And if for the defence or vse of the cloyster it weere needfull to haue more land they shall take but only to supply the necessity and in this lād they may neither plough
a difficult and dangerous enterprise we are therein much more induced by example then by any persuasions of whom soeuer though we acknowledg them to be certainlie true None could be found that would resolue ioyfully to embrace the vertue of pouerty humility chastity fasting and other peniteÌ„tiall labours if he knew not that others not only with wordes exteriourly but really with worckes haue embraced the same Neither was it for any other cause that our Lord IESVS Christ would personnaly come into this world but by example to shew vs the way of our saluation and his holy wil because the examples aduertissementes of his faithfull seruantes would not suffice to retire vs from our euill conuersation and way and to setle vs in his no not the preceptes which he had giuen in the first written law But when he began to walke this way how many were there that would accompagny him very seriously seruing him euen till their death and this only for his loue The Church therfore knowing right well the glory that redoundeth to almightie God and the fruit which men gather by the memory of the life of our lord IESVS Christ and of his sainctes doth euery day propose and sett them before our eyes in the diuine office in the sacrifices and solemnities that it should not be tedious vnto vs to follow and imitate them whome we prayse and whose memory we honour and that likewise we should not esteeme it labourious to walke that way which alone conducteth vs to eternall life Hereof mayest thou consider deuout Reader what vse almightie God maketh of his elect in fauour of vs because we are saith S. Iohn coadiutors to the saluation of soules we may hence also conceiue how greatlie we are obliged to the trueseruantes of God who haue so put themselues to paines in the exercise of vertues that they haue left the way open that such as seeke it may finde it and by their examples haue taught vs which it is and with whath force and industry we may attaine vnto true glory Those of former ages guided only by naturall light did vse exceeding diligence to induce and animate themselues by the examples of their famous predecessours vsing them as so many spurres vnto vertrue to the end they might in no time be defectiue in the obligation they had both to their natiue country and to their owne honour and indeed the milke wher with they nourced their childreÌ„ in their publique schooles was the generous actes of their ancestours which were red vnto them in poemes and orations that by meanes of those examples the children might be affected to vertue and enflamed with desire of glory although it was more vaine then vertuous This is of such force that euen at this present many of our Christians following the same practise cause their children to spend the most entiere parte of their age in committing to memory the heroyicall actes of the ancient Grecians and Latines But would to God that too many did not employ and wast all their life in this study and that many others were not more affected to Homer Cicero and Virgil then to IESVS Christ O extreme indignity of Christians deseruing sharp reprehension and eternall punishment in regard that they glory to be imitatours of the superstitious Gentils who as they wanted faith and the true light illuminating the hart of Christians so was not their vertue true and solid but exteriour and vaine And although that in that time of obscure darcknes they gaue to men some sparckle of light some litle knowledg of vertue more with wordes then with effect these Pagans neuertheles persiste in obscurity euen in the cleare day of the true light of our lord IESVS Christ the soueraigne truth and perfection and are vnworthy to be honoured in comparison of true Christians who being illuminated with the light of faith can easily discerne iudge and condemne the world with his vnwise adherentes because as the Apostle S. Paul Saith the spirituall man knoweth and iudgeth al thinges Pagans on the contrary glorying and esteemning themselues wise with their eloquence become sottish and ignorant as hauing attributed and giuen vnto creatures that which appertayned only to the Creatour but they whose cogitation and confidence is more setled and grounded on the diuine will and doctrine then humane and do follow celestiall not earthly Philosophy such I say shal only arriue to heauen whence first discended their knowledge they cannot erre being taught by the eternall wisdome neither shall they euer want glory euen amoÌ„g mortall people though they haue with all possibility shunned the same but shal be illustrious to all the world For though antiquity haue exceedingly honoured great ambitious personnes that desired to leaue some memory and renowne of themselues in this world after their death yet our holy mother the Church doth farre more exalt and make more glorious our Sainctes continually in the predications feastes and solemnities which for them and in their honour are celebrated besides that we beleeue that they liue and gloriously raigne in heauen in the contemplation of their Lord. So that the true seruantes of God are blessed among Angels and honoured among men as eminent sainctes as great they are and worthy of all reuerence Altars are euery where consecrated and churches bult in their names their images are honoured their wordes and workes are highly commended and preached their reliques are reuerenced and worshipped on earth their soules glorified in heauen and the miracles and excellent workes both ancient and moderne which our lord in them and by them hath wrought are with exceeding great glory admired Our Lord euen in this world recompenceth his elect who not in appareâ—e but in effect are vertuous and holy and incorruptedlie conserue their faith to their Creatour When was there euer found in any time among the ancient naturalistes such constancie such faith temperance magnanimity sweetnes mercy iustice fortitude and loyaulty as hath bin found in our Christians who by no kinde of threates or faire speeches of Tyrantes could be induced to leaue their obedience vnto God could neuer be corrupted by any promise or recompence nor haue bin inclined by any kinde of flatteries or fauours but persisting firme constant in the truth haue nothing esteemed nor feared the terrible and horrible tormentes were they neuer so barbarous nor in the extremity of them or death it selfe but haue alwayes remayned immoueable and inuincible in true vertu piety not desiring reuenge or detriment to the persecutours or executioners but pardon and saluation praying vnto God for them And all this not att their death only but euen in their life For there is no kinde of vertue wherin the sainctes haue not excelled some in purity of virginity others in continencie with great labour subiecting the flesh to the spirit that euen on earth leading a life more angelical then humane they might purchase eternall glory in heauen others renouncing kingdomes estates and dignities
thing proper neither house nor place nor what soeuer other thinge but lett them liue in this world as pilgrimes and strangers and lett them serue God who hath redeemed vs in pouerty and humility and seeke almose with out shame or dishonour considering that our lord Iesus-Christ would be poore for vs. Now by the liuely example of this Order and by the so great austerities and strict obseruations our lord reprehendeth the frensie and folly of the Christians who forgetfull of the pouerty of our Redeemer Iesus-Christ and of his seruantes doe ruine themselues by auarice by delicacies and dissolutions We hope that God will neuer permitt vs to want perfect Religious of this Order that shall admonish vs of our duety by their example before the eyes of his diuine Maiestie But S. Iohn the Euangelist and Prophett in his reuelations doth more particulerly demonstrate the time and estate of the glorious Fa. S. Francis and his holy disciples saying And I saw when the Angel had opened the sixt seale there was made a great earthquake and the sunne became black as it were sackcloth of haire which is a garment made of the haire of a horse and of very grosse woll and the whole moone became as bloud and the starres frō heauen fell vpon the earth After these thinges I saw foure Angels standing vpon the four corners of the earth holding the four windes of the earth that they should not blow vpon the land nor vpon the sea nor on any tree And I saw an other Angell ascending from the rising of the sunne hauing the signe of the liuing God and he cryed with a loud voice to the foure Angels to whome it was giuen to hurt the earth and the sea saying hurt not the earth and the sea nor the trees till we signe the seruantes of our lord in their foreheades This Prophesie occording to the testimony of Vbertinus was preached by S. Bonauenture att Paris in a Prouinciall chapter as already verified in the Person of the holy Father S. Francis adding that he was by diuine reuelation assured that S. Iohn the Euangelist in this passadge had his eye on S Francis and on his sacred Religion The same is affirmed by Brother Iohn of Parma who was a right holy and Religious man and famous by many miracles that God wrought by him But for the more easie intelligence hereof it must be vnderstood that by the seauen visions of S. Iohn in his Apocalipse are signified the seauen ages or estates of the Church The first age was of the foundation therof made by our Lord IESVS Christ and his Apostles in Iurie which began at his preaching and continued till the Martyrdome of the Apostles This was figured by the first vision of the seauen Churches in the first and second chapter The second age was of the confirmation of the faith with the bloud of the martyrs shed thorough all the world by Pagans and Idolators which began att the persecution of Nero figured by the second vision of seauē seales in the 5. chapter The third age was doctrine in the same being declared the mysteries of our faith and all heresies clearlie refuted It began in the time of the Emperour Constantin who assembled the Councell of Nice against the heresie of Arius figured by the third vision of the seauen trompettes in the seauenth chapter The fourth age was solitary and Eremeticall life performed with long and great austeritie of life and contemplation of spiritt till the time of S. Antony figured in the fourth vision of the woman clothed with the sunne in the twelueth chapter The fift age was when the holy Church began to abound in temporall riches as well Religious as Clearkes it began in the time of Charles the great figured by the fist vision of the seauen golden vessels in the fifteenth chapter The sixt age of the renouation of Euangelicall life is of the warre against the sectes of Antechrist performed by the voluntary poore who possesse not any thing in this life it began in the Seraphicall Father S Francis author and institutor of the Frier Minors figured by the sixt vision of the abhominable and puissante woman of Babilon in the seauenteenth chapter The seauenth age shal be hereafter both in a merueillous repose and participation of warre which is to come in earth and shall shortly come in perfection in the generall resurrection of all the sainctes of God it shall haue his begymning in death before the comming of our Redeemer IESVS Christ to iudge it is figured in the twentith chapter of the Apocalypse when the dragon shall finally be condemned and the elect glorified So that in the first age did florish the perfection of Prelacie and the Pastorall care of the Church those were the holy Apostles In the second florished the estate of Martyrdome by the combatt and triumph of the Champions of IESVS Christ In the third florished the Voice of Preachers and Doctours the trompett of the diuine wisdome In the fourth the sanctity and ornament of contemplatiue life in those that liued and led an Euangelicall and celestiall life on earth In the fift florishhed the zeale of iustice by which one discendeth to a commune and lesse perfect life in the zealous iust institutors of Reguler estates In the sixt florished the estate of the imitation of IESVS Christ reformed by the Church in the true imitators of Euangelicall life In the seauenth afterward shall florish the tast and swetnes of the glory which God shall communicate vnto his elect for the wearysome labours which one shall haue voluntarily and affectionatly suffered here on earth as farre foorth as humane infirmity shall haue ability to support and God shal be pleased to inspire into vs. And our Lord hath ordayned these estates and these ages according to the necessities of the holy Church against his ennemies the diuels and against wicked men their followers who together maintaine ancient warre against his Church though tolerated by God for the greater glory of the elect for none shal be crowned but he that couragiously combatteth So was the first estate against the carnall and grosse intelligences ceremonies of the Iewes The second against the idolatry of the Pagans The third against the Arrians and other heretikes The fourth against the carnall and detestable sect of Mahomet The fift against the life of loose Christians dishonoring thēselues The sixt against the pestiferous poyson of Antechrist The seauenth against the army of deuils and their sectatours who in these latter dayes shall trouble the Church more then euer We ought neuertheles to conceiue that though the said estates be thus separated and each one haue his particuler property yet the one participating of the quality and property of the other they come in a certaine manner to entermingle together by reason that there euer haue bin and shal be in the Church of God Prelates Martyrs Confessors all affectionate and perfect imitatours of IESVS Christ It is a
matter well worthy exceeding deepe consideration to weigh with what profound wisdome these Estates haue bin ordained by the holy Ghost First our Lord IESVS Christ as cheife and foundamental stone of his Church together with his glorious Mother his Apostles and primitiue Church constituted and founded the first estate out of which was afterwardes to issue all perfection in the ensuying Estates In which arose the first battell our Redeemer IESVS Christ opposing against the ingratefull Sinagogue possessed of the deuill wherein as our Capitaine he entred the field of combatt for vs and fighting valerously gott a glorious victory leauing to the world a new manner of fight to vanquish our ennemies and to attaine an eternall and immortal glory in heauen and as he was true God and Lord of all it was expedient that to the confusion of the ingrateful Sinagogue and for the greater manifestation of his omnipotencie and clemencie by meane of his Apostles preaching he should be knowne to be the true Redeemer and Lord of all the world and of all nations But whereas they were all Idolators and addicted to most abhominable vices by persuasion of the deuils whome they serued the valliant combat of the champions of IESVS Christ was necessary I meane the holy Martyres to bring idolatry and infernall vices to ruine Att the end of which conflict the world was to acknoledge IESVS Christ as it began to doe vnder the Empire of CoÌ„stantin when it pleased God to giue some peace and repose to his Church And because a more cleare knoledge of the faith of the most sacred Trinity and of the diuinity and humanity of IESVS Christ was expedient the order and dignity of Doctours illuminated by the holy Ghost did then florish In like sort also because our spirittes cannot arriue to the depth of the mysteries of faith and that many presume ouer much on the subtilitye and force of their witte many particulerly of the Grecians did by diuine permission iustly fall into errour therfore the want and necessity of Doctours did grow and encrease who obtayned glorious victories ouer the heretikes And because the knoledge of diuine thinges doth litle or nothing auaile if the life be not conformable to the doctrine in the fourth estate which was litle different in time from the third of the Doctours did florish that merueillous celestiall and angelical life of Hermites in the deserts specially of Arabia Palestine and Egypt very commodious and conuenient places where with great abstinence watchinges prayers disclplines contemplations and other pious exercises they did subiect the flesh to the spiritt which they held perfectly vnited with God But by reason that the malice and infirmity of humane nature cannot long support and endure such a sublimity and excellencie of life and considering that the fall from so eminâ—t an estate draweth together with it a consequence of enormous sinnes a coldnes of the loue of God and sometimes Apostasie the same succeded together with heresies that branched out so that there was yet need of violent chasticementes And therfore were the Christians sharpely afflicted and chasticed by no lesse cruell then barbarous nations such as were the Hungarians Gothes Vandales Lombardes and other yea we yet see the order and abhominable sect of the barbarous Mahomet by reason of false Christians and heretikes to ruine bring to seruitude and sclauery a great part of the Christian Prouinces This was the fourth warre wherby in regard of the extreme coldnes of the deuotion of Christians the Church was greiuously afflicted Yet did not God therfore leaue his Church destitute of holy personnages vnder whome in so miserable a time she was supported as in the dialogues of S. Gregory doth manifestly appeare Now our Lord IESVS Christ defending his Church he assembled and retired the purest and most entier part therof into this part of the world which we call Europe in the time of Charles the Emperour king of France by whose meane God secured setled in tranquility the estate of his Vicar att Rome the capitall citty of the Empire and gaue peace to the Church the said Emperour attempting great enterprises and obtayning glorious victories ouer the Barbarians Pagans and Sarrazins In that fift estate humane infirmity was with very great reason condiscended vnto and to that effect was instituted a more lardge tollerable life to th' end that such as were not capable of the hight of Martyrdome or of contemplation might neuertheles finde place of fauour with God in a meane or indifferent estate ecclesiasticall persons possessing their temporall goodes peaceably as did the seculers And because many could not euen in that meane estate so strictly containe themselues as to liue vertuously according to their duety God raysed against them holy men and zealous of his honour that should reprehend and check their vices and dissolutions which caused them to raise rebellion and persecution euen against their owne Prelates and so Christians abusing the benefitt of peace and temporall prosperity the Ecclesiasticall no lesse then the seculers loosed the reines to infinite vices as to auarice simonie vsury violence discord and adultery without any remorse of conscience or feare of God so that retayning as it were the only name and faith of Christians they in other respectes liued meerly as Pagans This carnall and licencious life tooke such roote that all memory of spirituall life and the imitation of the life of IESVS Christ seemed to be vtterly extinguished and raced out of mennes hartes and therfore it was expedient for him to reforme the Church by renewing the memory of his most sacred life It ought not to seeme strange not with standing that the diuine prouidence which sweetly and prudently gouerneth al thinges would graunt to his Church estates and temporall riches for the same hath bin expedient for diuers considerations and principally to demonstrate that IESVS Christ is the almighty Creator and Gouernour of all that to him all creatures owe seruice that with all thinges of all he may be serued in his Church against the heresie of the Manicheans besides it is to make appeare that the new testament doth not reproue the estate and quality of Princes nobles and riche personnes though himselfe being in the world did choose an estate of life in pouerty crosses and humility Thirdly he would that Ecclesiasticall Prelates should possesse titles of honour dignities and temporall richesse that the potent of the world might learne of them the manner to humble themselues to be liberall gracious and affable to their subiectes to execute iustice exactly towardes the guilty sometimes to shew mercy to th' end also that the rich might learne not to employ their goodes in worldly and transitory vanities nor much lesse in pleasures and contentmentes of the flesh but to bestow them in charitable vses of piety of mercy and of a moderate and temperate life for of all this did the Prelates of that time by their exceeding charity abstinence
in trauailes modest in your speches graue in your deportmentes and thanckfull for the grace and fauours which you shall receiue These deerly beloued disciples vnderstanding his holy aduertismentes being replenished with the holy ghost and desirous to obey their Pastour especially where it concerned the saluation of Christian soules coupled themselues two together and fell all seauen at the feet of the S. whome they honoured as their true father and demanded his benediction But causing them to arise he embraced them with a fatherly charity then gaue them the benediction of the father of mercies vsing to each of them those wordes of the Prophett Dauid Cast your care on our Lord and he will prouide for you He accustomed to vse this speech to all the Religious that he sent vnder obedience And knowing well that he was to serue for patterne and good example to the world to doe that first which he intended to teach he tooke for companion one of the seauen Religious and then tooke leaue of the rest hauing yet precedētly diuided thē in forme of a crosse that is sending two of thē towardes the east two towardes the west two towardes the south and two towards the north each one went with his companion on his way rich wel cloathed with diuine grace but with habitts torne patched tussed vp bare-foote and as it were all naked destitute of all tēporall prouisiōs preaching thorough the world more by worckes then by word giuing example of humility patience and pouerty They wanted no laborious accidentes being afflicted in many places and in diuers maners For of that which we find recorded of two we may collect the exercises of the rest The West was alloted vnto Brother Quintaualle who being with his companion arriued att Florence and not finding where to lodge the night being come they setled them selues against a wall vnder a penthouse the master whereof refusing to lodge thē by reason of the strange fashion of their habitt fearing that they were some lewd personnes and theeues they all the night endured much cold yea in great extremity in regard of the sharpnes of the season neuertheles they continually prayled God In the morning they went very early to masse praying with deuotion Now the mistresse of the house vnder whose roufe they had slept the night being present att that masse knew them to be those whome neither her husbād nor her selfe would entertaine for a nightes lodgeing She then said to her selfe These men doubtles are no theeues as my husband did coniecture for they seeme to be holy personnes These Religious in the meane time were beheld of each one for the nouelty of their habitt but much more when they refused the mony which one present offered them for an almose Eor therby were they knowne to be voluntarily poore for the loue of IESVS CHRIST And therfore the man and woman that before refused to entertaine thē by prayers conducted them to their house by whome they were exceedingly edified as wel by example of their life as by the pious and heauenly discourses wherwith they induced them to haue care of their soules Thus did these Religious passe Florence The inconuenience of the night which they endured was litle in regard of that which befell them afterward for both in respect of the strange forme of their habitt and for the austerity of their life they were most commonly iniuried and buffeted because almost euery one treated thē as senceles or distracted personnes Some gaue them tātes and mockes others cast dirt att them some pulled them by the cappuce others caused children with clamours to follow them These iniuries were not only procured them by the malice of idle personnes but also by the subtilty and inducement of the diuill who thought by these ignominies to terrifie them and make them desist from theire holy resolution But they being armed with the grace and patience of IESVS CHRIST did not only support the extremity of hunger cold and disgraces but euen did not by any exteriour signe appeare to be moued withall So farre also were they from replying to them that abused them that receiuing their persecutions as a great fauour they ordinarily prayed to God for them in such sort that these remonstrances of patience and charity hauing bin by certaine weighed and considered their vertue and sanctity did consequently appeare They therfore repenting to haue offended them repayred vnto them as to holy personnages humbly to require pardon vertue being of such force and efficacie that albeit for a time it be resisted and contemned yet in the end it doth alwayes conquere and triumph ouer the enemies therof Some certaine time being spent after the separation of these good Religious their compassionate Father being vnable any longer to endure and support this ircksome absence had a vehement desire to recollect his deerly beloued children But the difference and distance of the places where they were being such as it could not be don but by the diuine prouidence the sainct fell to his deuotion and prayed God that as he had sormerly assembled certaine Israelites very distantly separated and dispearced so he would also now vouch-safe to vnite and assemble his deerly beloued Brethren After a short time he miraculously knew the approbation of his prayer for without any humane dilligence or industry they were all as S. Francis had desired present in one very place which was not without an exceeding astonishment vnto his Brethren who admired the diuine prouidence The holy Father entertained his children with incredible ioy they then began among them selues to recount what they had endured in their trauaile and what was the fruit of their labours amongst the faithfull Christians Thus did these new Apostles in very short time beginne to exercise thē selues in the seruice of God by the footesteppes of his holy disciples About that time four other honorable gentlemen did adhere vnto them so that they were eleuen whose names were these Brother Bernard Quintaualle Brother Peter Catanio Br. Giles of Assisium Br. Sabadin Br. Morigo the lesse Br. Iohn Capelle Brother Phillip the long Br. Iohn of S. Constant Br. Barbarus Br. Bernard of Veridant and Br. Angelus Tancredas of Riete Of the first rule that S. Francis ordained THE XI CHAPTER S. Francis perceiuing his disciples to aproach to the Apostolicall nomber began to write downe the forme and rule of life which they should obserue wherto for foundatiō he gaue the obseruance of the gospell therto adding certaine other pointes necessary for such as liue in Congregation and this to the end the professours of his rule should not vary and differ in any thing from the intention and will of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST as well in his Preceptes as Councels which rule is this ensuying hauing since that time bin augmented by S. Francis as in his proper place shal appeare THE FIRST RVLE OF THE HOLY FATHER S. FRANCIS In the name of the Father and of
so that the soules of the Brethren being giuen them in chardge they ought to haue a very respectiue care of them that none doe perish by their fault and euill example and that they render not account for them to God att the terrible iudgment Of fraternall correction in offences that the Ministers ought not to giue scandale and that they may not haue dominion of any thing THE V. CHAPTER YOu that are Ministers haue a speciall guard and care of your soules and of those of your Brethren For it is a very terrible and fearfull thing to fall into the handes of the liung God moued to anger And if any of you command the Brethren any thing against the rule and this forme of life or against conscience know yee that if he doe it not he is not obliged vnder obedience Lett all the Brethren that are subiect to the Minister the seruant of his Brethren obserue his actiōs with great dilligence and consideration And if they perceiue any of their Ministers to proceed according to the flesh not according to the spiritt or our rule if he amend not after the first admonition or correction lett him be notified vnto the Father Generall and the seruant of this confraternity as incorrigible at the Chapter of Penticost without contradiction or delay If among the Brethren where they shall liue there be any that will not proceed according to the spiritt and our profession let the Brethren in whose company they shall be admonish aduise and with humility mildly reprehend him euen to the third time But if after the third admonition he do not amend lett them informe the Minister Prouinciall or bring him to his presence with the first opportunity And the said Minister shall proceed therin as God shall inspire him Lett all the Brethren as well Ministers seruantes as others be very respectiue not to be angry passionate or troubled for the sinne or euell example of the other Brethrē For the deuill seeketh no other thing but to damne many by the sinne of one but lett thē consider how they may spiritually assist him because they that are in health need not a Phisition but they that are diseased It is prohibited to all the Brethren and Ministers of this Order to be capable of enioying possessions dominion or seignurie for as our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST saith The Princes of the world haue commaund ouer them lett vs be carefull that it be not so among vs but he that seeketh and desireth to be greatest lett him be the least and seruant to all others Lett not any Brother doe or speake euill of an other but lett them reciprocally serue and obey each other with a spirituall charity of the spiritt according as their necessity shal require for that is the holy and true obedience of our Lord IESVS CHRIST And lett all the Brethren of what degree soeuer they be know that if they erre from the preceptes of God and are disobedient as the Prophett saith they are accursed for their sinne whiles they are out of obedience And if they perseuer in the commandementes of God as they haue promised in the obseruance of their Euangelicall professiō lett them rest assured that they are blessed of God What recourse the Brethren may haue to their Ministers and that no Brother may be called Priour THE VI. CHAPTER THe Brethren that shall not be able to obserue our forme of life in the places whither they shall be sent lett them as soone as they can haue recourse to their Minister Prouinciall and lett them enforme him of their necessity The Minister Prouinciall shal then endeauour to prouide for them and shall doe what in the like accident he would should be done to him Lett not any Brother be called Priour but lett all generally with one accord be called Brothers and when there shal be need lett on wash an others feet to exercise humility Of the manner to serue and prouide for the house and to be employed in lawfull exercises that redound to the common good and that the Brethren may not haue Couent nor Church as properly their owne THE VII CHAPTER IN what place soeuer any of the Brethren shall reside for the seruice of others they shall not vndertake the offices of men of the Chamber to be keeper or disposer of the wine or victuall prouision nor in any sore accept of other chardg in the house where they shal dwel to the end they neither breed nor procure scandal or detriment to their soules but lett them be inferiour and subiect to all that shal be in the said house And the Brethren that shal be fitt to labour and performe any thing lett them be employed in the art and exercise they know prouided that it be not contrary to the saluatiō of their soules sith the Prophett saith Because thou shalt eat of the labours of thy handes thou shalt be blessed and the Apostle also he that wil not work let him not eat Lett each one therfore with charity exercise the art and office wherin he shal be employed and for recompence of the manuall worckes they shall doe they may receiue thinges necessary to their life prouided that it be not mony and if any thing be further needfull vnto them lett them demaund it in almose as other poore people doe It shal be permitted them to possesse instrumentes and tooles necessary to the trade and art wherin they are skilfull But lett all the brethren be respectiue to be euer employed in some good and commendable art because it is written That a man ought to be alwayes busied in some good worck that if the deuill come to tempt him he finde him well employed And in an other place it is said that idlenes is a capitall ennemie to the soule and therfore the true seruantes of God ought to be exercised in prayer or in some other good worcke Lett the Religious be very carefull not to appropriatt to themselues any place where they shall dwell or any other be it an hermitage or whatsoeuer other place nor lett them maintaine it as theirs and if any come to visitt them be it freind ennemy theefe or murderer lett them graciously receiue him When the said Brethren shall dwel neere one to an other lett them often charitably visitt each other and lett them spiritually honour one an other without any murmure but lett them be ioyfull and content in our Lord lett them with modesty shew themselues gracious exteriourly and interiourly How strictly it is forbidden to the Brethren to receiue mony and in what manner they are to be punished for it THE VIII CHAPTER GOd gaue this commandement to his Apostles Be you intentiue and keepe your selues from all kinde of malice and auarice as also from setling your thoughtes and affections on this life and being ouer carefull to purchase the things of the world And therfore no Brother in whatsoeuer place he be either to make his residence
or to trauaile or for any other occasion whatsoeuer may haue mony in any manner or fashion that can happen nor lesse may he receiue it for recompence of his labours breiflely no Brother may touch or possesse mony for any necessity that may befall him vnlesse it be to releiue the vrgent need of the sick Brethren because we must no more esteeme mony then stones or thornes to the end that sith we renounce and abandon all our temporall substance in this life we doe not afterward for so small a matter make shipwrack of the eternall kingdome If peraduenture we chaunce to finde mony in som place lett vs no more regard then durt because whatsoeuer is in the world is meere vanity But if it should happē which God forbid that any brother receiue mony excepting vpon the aforesaid necessity of the sicke lett him be reputed by the Confraternity for a false Religious and thefe as he that taketh a purse if he be not truely penitent Lett not the Brethren in any manner in the world receiue mony or cause it to be receiued nor much lesse lett them demaund or procure it to be demaunded by a third person in any sort whatsoeuer nor lett them goe in company of men that demaund it for them But the Brethren may in the houses and places whither they shall goe exercise other seruices that shall not be contrarie to our Religion and rule with the benediction of our Lord. They may demaund almose for the leapers only whome they know to be in great necessity but lett them be very wary of mony and lett them likewise take keed not to search the world for any occasion of vnlawfull gaine that may be presented Of the manner of demaunding almose and of their ordinarie diet and refection THE IX CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren laboure to imitate the pouetty and humility of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and lett them remember that nothing is necessary in the world but as the Apostle saith to haue wherewithal to releiue and couer vs wherwith we ought to content vs and seek no more We must reioyce when we conuerse with poore and base personnes that are contemned of the world but especially with the diseased leapers and poore begars thorough the streetes Whē it shable necessary to goe to demaūd almose att the doores lett thē goe without any feare or shame calling to minde that the sonne of Almighty God presented his countenance as a hard stone to the blowes and affrontes of the world and he was nothing ashamed to be poore and a stranger and to liue vpon almose together with his most sacred mother the virgin Mary And if men deny almose and retourne disgraces to the brother that shall demaund it lett him thanck God sor it and pray for them because he shall receiue saith IESVS CHRIST great honour of the shame that men shall procure him and lett him know that the iniuryes and scornes which shal be don him shall not be imputed as a fault to him that shall receiue them but to him indeed that shall offer them likewise that almose is a rent and obligation due to the poore which our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath merited purchaced and left vnto vs. And the Brethren that trauaile in seeking almose shall haue great recompence therof besides that they procure a meritt to them that giue it for whatsoeuer men doe in this world shall dissolue to nothinge excepting almose and worckes don in charity for which they shall receiue of God an eternall recompence Lett each Brother with all assurance discouer his necessity to his fellowes that they may comfort him with good wordes and actually assist him according to their abillity and lett each of them loue and cherish his Brothers as the mother loueth and cherisheth her owne child in what God shall giue him grace and faculty to assist him He that eateth not lett him not contemne him that eateth and he that eateth lett him not the more esteeme of him that eateth not If any necessity happen it shal be permissable to all the Brethren where they shall reside to eat of all humane thinges as God said of Dauid who did eat the bread that was permitted to Preistes only to eat Lett the Brethren remember that which IESVS CHRIST saith Beware of chardging and ouerburdening your hart with two much drincking eating for feare that sleepe incontinently surprise you and that sloath be occasion that in the latter day you be intercepted in the snares of death the which before the entrapping of each man liuing shall neuertheles haue diuerses effectes according as they shall finde the soule disposed either to life or to death the one and the other eternall But in time of manifest necessity lett the Brethren behaue themselues as their need shal import as our Lord shall better instruct them because necessity is not subiect to law In what manner the sick Brethren ought to be serued THE X. CHAPTER IN any place where a Brother shall fall sicke lett him not be left alone but lett there be alwaies one or more if need require to serue him as they would desire to be if they were in his place if vpō necessity there be no Brother lett care be taken to leaue some charitable persō to attēd and serue him in his sicknes and I pray the sick Brother that what soeuer may happen vnto him he alwayes giue thancks vnto God and be content to be such as God would haue him to be either aliue or dead that he continue in sicknes or recouer his health because all they whome God hath predestinated to eternall life are ordinarily by him instructed and diciplined with the rod of his afflictions and sicknesse with a spiritt of compunction and bitternes as he saith in the third of the Apocalipse I chastice and correct him whome I Ioue And if the sicke be disquieted and passionat against God or the Brethren or haue an ouer greedy affection to phisicke desiring and procuring beyond reason to free his ffesh which hath so litle time to liue and the which is ennemy to the soule the said sick Brother must not esteeme the same to proceed of a good ground but lett him assure and repute himselfe to be carnall for he doth not seeme to be of the nomber of the true seruantes of God sith he more affecteth the body then the soule considering that he striueth to worck more therin then the Phisition findeth for his cure That the Brethren ought mutually to loue each other that they ought not to calumniat any person nor in any sort to murmure THE XI CHAPTER LEtt the Brethren be wary not to accuse any of malice or to calumniat him and lett them not be contentious among themselues or with others lett them also shunne perfidiousnes and disloyalty but lett them be carefull to performe their exercises in the grace of God with silence and lett them not maintaine quarelsome disputes neither among them selues nor with others but rather
face vpon the earth or if he held his handes ioyned together on high if he sighed if he spett or coughed Brother Iohn would doe the like S. Francis once reprehending him for it he thus answeared I haue promised to God to doe what soeuer I shall see you doe and therfore I must endeauour to conforme me entierly vnto you The holy Father admired and together reioyced to finde him so constant in his simplicity by meane wherof he so much att lenght profited in all other kind of vertues that all the other Brethren held the perfection wherto he arriued in great admiration But by reason that the world was not worthie of so pure a conscience God afterwardes called him to himselfe After his death S. Francis with great ioy recounted vnto his Brethren his holy conuersation and called him not Brother Iohn but S. Iohn It happened about that time that S. Francis preaching in the prouince of Ancona there came one day after sermon a man vnto him that said he would leaue the world and dwell with him to whome S. Francis answeared If thou desire to enter into this order goe first and accoÌ„plish the saying of the gospell Sell what thou hast and giue it to the poore He then incoÌ„tinently went and distributed all his goodes amoÌ„g his kinred being herevnto moued rather by passioÌ„ of the flesh then deuotion of the spiritt and then retourned to S. FraÌ„cis to whome he said Father I haue forsakeÌ„ all that I had The holie Father demaÌ„ded of him in what manner he had disposed therof and he replyed that he had distributed it amoÌ„g his poore and needy kinred S. FraÌ„cis then knowing that this man had not any feruour of spiritt said vnto him Brother Fly sith thou hast giueÌ„ they goodes to they kinred gett thee home and aske no more to liue of almose with my poore BrethreÌ„ So this wretch retourned alone to his kinred as vnworthy to liue with so manie perfect seruaÌ„tes of God Many others inspired by the supreme bouÌ„ty and with an exceeding feruour of spirit daily entred into the Order the renowme wherof was spread ouer all Italy yea through all ChristeÌ„dome By reasoÌ„ that S. Francis sent his Religious into diuers partes of the world who represented the life of IEVS CHRIT by holy pouertie which they carryed in steed of purses by obedience wherin they were most prompt and ready and trauaile wherby they were speedie in their iorneyes and in regard that they had nothing they feared not the losse of any thing Thus liued they euery where without feare and in great tranquility of spiritt without care either by day or night as they had bin instructed by him that is the only true and singuler Master They kept not the remaynes of one dayes meat for the next being of beleefe that to endure want of these temporall and transitory benefittes was their great richesse and aboundance In what exercise and beleefe he fashioned â—â—is Bretheren THE XXX CHAPTER SAint Francis knowing that his religion was instituted of the holy Ghost in the church of God for a mirrour or looking glasse wherin sinners might behold and contemplate their deformitie and how far different and distant they are from the liknes of God he for this respect endeauoured to annoynt his Brethren with the vnction of IESVS CHRIST by whose vertue he begatt them So then being replenished with the holy Ghost his Order did not only encrease in nomber but in vertue also and edification of the faithfull and to the end that besides their deuotion they might also be exercised in charitie and loue of their neighbour sith they were piously to coÌ„uerse in the world he would often louinglie sitt downe with them and in the name of God command now one then an other to make some exhortation of that which the holy Ghost should dictate vnto him and this he practised often And one time of all other they whome he had enioyned to speake did all deliuer such excellent and admirable thinges of the bounty and goodnes of God and of his secrettes and this vnpremeditated only by the vertue of obedience that themselues grew into admiration therof He then by experience knew that which God said to his disciples It is not you that speake before Presidents and Princes but the spiritt of your Father that speaketh in you Now whiles these holy pure and simple vessels did poure out the baulme of diuine grace discoursing of very high matters of God and discouering the deepe misteries of the scripture by vertue of obedience vnto their holy Father our lord IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto them and stood in the middes of them in forme of a most beautifull yong man and gaue them his benediction with such a sweet and immensiue grace that S. Francis and his Brethren were rauished in extasie and fell all in a sound and as dead to the ground Being retourned to themselues S. Francis said My deerly beloued Brethren we are much obliged to be thankfull vnto God for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiesty to manifest his treasure by the mouth of the simple and to appeare vnto vs to lett vs know that he was present and that when it pleaseth him he maketh the mouthes of infantes of the simple and mute to appeare right eloquent These seruantes of God thus replenished with so great a light of diuine grace S. Francis sent them to illuminate the world and att their retourne they all repayred to our ladie of Angels as their true mother and there they enioyed againe each others sight with an extreame contentment which so filled them with a spirituall exultation that they easilie forgott the labours and contradictions which in their trauiles they had endured The other Brethren that stirred not from the Couent though sometimes they were employed in manuall labours about the necessities of their house neuertheles the chiefest part of their exercise was in prayer for they very frequentlie prayed with feruour and teares They arose att midnight watching to pray to God for themselues and for all other sinners They had a very tender and mutuall loue to each other The holy Father serued them as a mother doth her only sonne charitie so burned in them all that it seemed very easy vnto them to spend their life not onlie for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST but euen for the safty of one of their Brethren Two Brothers walking one day through the feildes they mett a foole that cast stones att one of them which the other perceiuing he stept before his companion to receiue the strokes of the stones These good Brethren did such and the like thinges being induced therto out of perfect charity They reuerenced one an other as masters and he that by his office or age was amongest them the principall would appeare the most humble and abiect they exercised themselues in obedience each of them being prepared to performe not only the precept but
it might not hinder the profitable progresse of the soule He deuided the yeare into diuers Lentes all which he fasted austerelie and first the Lent which our Lord fasted which beginneth from the Epiphanie this great seruant of God fasted it in the honour and example of IESVS CHRIST very secretly with great silence and very strict abstinence of bread and water Then incontinently after Easter he kept an other Lent to solemnise the feast of the holy Ghost in which he prepared himselfe in example of the Apostles for so great a comming An other he made in honour of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul an other from the feast of the said Apostles to the assumption of the virgin Mary After this Lent he fasted till the feast of S. Michaell the Archangell Besides the foresaid Lentes he very austerely fasted the Aduent He left it as a precept to all his Brethren to fast it from the day after the feast of Alsaintes according to the same forme of the quality of meat which himselfe vsed Touching the rest of his austere life it may be conceaued by that which he said of himselfe I was neuer theefe in demaunding almose superfluously yea I haue alwayes taken lesse of that which I needed therby not to frustrate other poore because if I should haue done otherwise I should haue condemned my selfe of manifest theft Notwithstanding when he trauailed he did accommodate himselfe to their diett who gaue him entertainement in their house according to the gospell in such sort that both fasting and eating he alwayes edified his neighbour If in his sicknes he were constrayned to eat flesh from the time of his recouery he would for pennance double his ordinarie abstinence In regard wherof Brother Giles would commonly say that if S. Francis had a body sound and stronge as he desired all the world together had not equalised him for sufferance and patience in austerityes But because the merite and noblenesse of vertue consisteth not only in the party of the body but of the spiritt therfore by how much his bodilie force did faile so much were the feruours of his spiritt refortified so that they exceeded without comparison his naturall forces and that was his great crowne And therfore appearing one day to Brother Giles and telling him that he desired to speake foure wordes vnto him he answeared and said learne first with thy selfe that which thou wouldest say to me Besides the bare hard ground was the ordinary bed of this poore wearyed and trauailed body and his pillow was a stone or a peece of wood yet did he oftē sleep sitting in respect wherof his body had very small ease repose in his sleep for he spēt the most part of the night in prayer Wherto he arose whiles the other Br. slept whē he was with thē His habitt was one only coat with the capuce of very rude boysterous cloth and sometimes breeches and the corde As he hated delicate cloathing so did he extremely affect that which was rude and rough saying that S. Iohn was for that exceedingly praysed of God in these wordes that the custome of delicate cloathing is in the Courtes of Princes and not in the houses of the poore If therfore the holy Father felt any complacence in his habitt as being neat or whole he would incontinently quilt it within with grosse threed He affirmed that he knew of certaine that the diuels did admire att the obseruance of a difficult and austere life and that on the contrary they violentlie tempted those that were cloathed delicatelie Being one day demaunded how he could endure the sharpnes of winter in so poore and simple habitt he answeared couragiously If we were cloathed within with the flame of God we should most easily support this cold without and greater then ordinary if it shall happen But because he knew that all his Brethren were not capable of the like sufferance he said that the true seruant of God ought to gouerne himselfe with much discretion in his drincking and eating and in the vse of all other thinges necessarie to the entertainement of the body and in such sort that he gaue it not occasion to murmure that it hath not strength not only to pray and labour with the rest but euen not to stand on foot and when he shall haue done that if the body doe afterward play the iade become lazie and drowsie when it should pray lett him rudelie chastice it and therfore he ought in all his necessities to haue alwayes recourse to his superiours and humbly demand them And if he doe not obtaine them he ought to beare it patiently for the loue of God who also prayed his Father and was not heard and lett him vndoubtedly beleeue that a necessity voluntarily suffered for the loue of God is reputed vnto him as a martyrdome and if his body be therby endomaged the fault is not his but it is the will of God Notwithstanding these so milde documents for others he subdued his one body with an incredible rigour in regard wherof some few dayes before his death he of conscience asked it pardon for hauing so rigourously treated it and alleaged for excuse that he had not done it out of hatred vnto it but for its greater security and for the glorie of God Of preseruing the treasure of chastitie and how he afflicted himselfe and cast himselfe into a pitt full of snow THE XXXIII CHAPTER THe blessed Father liued with an extreame rigour and sharpnes of discipline to conserue the virginall splendor of chastity very diligently enflaming the interiour and exteriour man For this cause in the beginning of his conuersion he often times during the winter season cast himselfe all naked in the middes of snowes or on the ice that he might perfectly subdue his domesticall ennemy the flesh and conserue the shining robe of immaculate virginity from the fire of sensuality not permitting it long residence therin as by this example shall appeare Being one day in the hermitage Lautiauo making his prayer in a celle apart the deuill called him thrise saying Francis Francis Francis to whome thoughe the S. answeared yet knew he not who called him The deuill then said vnto him there is no sinner in the world whome God doth not pardon if he conuert himselfe but he that shall kill himselfe by ouer rigorous pennance shall neuer finde mercie before the face of God The holy Father then knew the deceipt of the wicked ennemye hidden vnder the sweetnes of those wordes and he knew it the more apparantly in that att the same instant by the loathsome breath of that foule dragon which enflameth the coales of hell he had a vehement temtation of the flesh which the louer of chastitie feeling he discloathed himselfe and with his corde very sharpelie beate himselfe saying Goe to Brother asse this kindnes I must shew thee it is requisite that thus I serue
pouerty wherby he became a new man in the world terrible to the deuil and an example to all mortall people by the loue and possession wherof he merited by diuine and speciall priuiledge to haue principallitie in the holie Church The said S. had this particuler affection to holie pouertie by consideration how much it was esteemed of the Sonne of God whiles he conuersed here below and how it was then banished and expelled out of all the world He therfore desiring with himselfe to make his residence where holy pouerty was retired renounced the world and what soeuer he had proper he gaue to the poore and hauing for the loue of God forsaken his Father his mother his kinred and freindes he remayned a perfect pilgrime on earth to meritt to lodge in himselfe holy pouertie so generallie abhorred There was neuer auaricious of the world so greedy of monie and so carefull to keepe his treasure as Saint Francis was to keepe his pouertie which he alwayes had in his eyes and in his mouth as a precious stone and Euangelicall pearle he dwelt with pouertie he eat with it he cloathed himselfe with it he dreamed of it breefly he had it alwayes imprinted in his hart vsing onlie for this life a short coat streight and all peiced a cord and linnen breeches contenting himselfe neuertheles in this his rich pouertie he therin perseuered euen to the end desiring in the same to exceed euery one as he had learned of it to esteeme himselfe the least of all He often represented vnto himselfe the pouertie of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and of his most sacred mother and practicallie taught it vnto his disciples with great abondance of teares assuring them that pouertie was the Queene of vertues in regard that it appeared of such excellent beautie in the king of heauen and in the Queene his mother Pouertie said he is a principall way vnto saluation as being mother and nourse of humilitye and the root of all perfection whose fruit is of exceeding profitt and furtherance to euery one albeit this verity be very secrett and vnknowne to the men of the world it is without doubt the hidden treasure in the Euangelicall feild the which to buy a man ought to sell all that he hath and he that cannot giue his goodes to the poore ought att least to haue a will to contemne richesse and to vse violence vnto his proper will and presumption for he doth not perfectly renounce the world that keepeth his purse full of his proper iudgement and wil. Thus discoursing of holy pouerty he often reiterated the wordes of God The foxes haue holes and the foules of the aire nestes but the Sonne of man hath not where to repose his head Then he exhorted his disciples that as poore people they should build but poore cottages for their residence where they should remaine not as in theire owne houses but as pilgrimes and straungers that aime att other places The law of Pilgrimes said he and their reasonnable desire is to retire into the houses of others during their voyage conceating neuer to see the hower to arriue in their country by reason of the great desire they haue to be there and to passe peaceably without medling in matters appertaynning to others He called pouerty the foundation of his Order whervpon all his edifice was grounded Therfore he affirmed vnto thē that he knew by reuelation that the true entry of his Religion was this word of IESVS CHRIST If thou wilt be perfect goe sell the thinges that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come follow me In respect wherof he admitted noneinto his Order if within the tearme of the yeare of probation they did not forsake what soeuer they possessed in the world This he caused to be very exactly obserued aswell in regard of the said wordes of IESVS CHRIST as also that none should search in the treasuries of Religion for any thing that he had putt there And if any one demaunded the habitt of Religion not hauing made the said renunciation he would say vnto him Get thee hence for thou art not yet gone forth of thy house thou hast not forsaken that which appertayneth vnto thee nor abandonned the feeble foundation grounded on the sand of affection vnto worldly goodes and yet demaundest of me the habitt first accomplish what thou oughtest and then demaund it By the said foundation he vnderstood holy pouerty whome he sometime accustomed to call mother att other times espouse and sometime Mistresse Goeing one day with some of his Brethren towardes Sienna being verie neere the citty he mett three women so like in gesture beauty and habitte that the one could not be discerned from the other and all three with one voice saluted him saying Holy Pouerty is welcome which the S. hearing exceedingly reioyced as one that affected nothing more then to be called pouerty of each one as he was then of the said women who incontinently disappeared which being seene and considered by the other Brethren his companions filled with admiration att such and so vnwonted accident they esteemed the same not to want some great mistery and it doubtles was easy to coniecture that the said three women or perhaps Angels did signifie the beautie and Euangelicall perfection of the three principall vowes Pouertie Obedience and Chastitie which IESVS CHRIST counsailed to the Brethren all which did appeare to be equall in the S. in all eminence and perfection That he did extremely abhorre mony THE XLIII CHAPTER THough he were directly opposite to what soeuer repugned pouertie he most especially hated mony and by examples and wordes did often reiterat vnto his brethren that they should shunne it as the deuill It chaunced that a seculer man hauing done his deuotions in the Church of our lady of Angels where the brethren dwelt left a peice of mony in signe of almose neere a litle Crosse which a Brother tooke and hid in a hoale of the said Church to giue to the poore But in the meane while S. Francis had intelligence therof and the said Brother cōsidered the matter and went and fell at the feete of the S. of whome he demaunded pardon and offered himselfe to pennance The holy Father hauing well checked him for presuming to touch mony commaunded him to take the peice of mony where it was in his mouth and to cast it into the house of office which the Brother hauing ioyfully and instantly performed his companions did all admire and thence forward more contemned mony The S. passing an other time by Bary in Apulia saw a great purse in the middes of the way which seemed to be full of mony the Brother that accompanied him did exceedinglie importune him to take vp the purse being therto induced by a pious zeale to distribute the mony which he beleeued to be therin vnto the poore But the holie Father refusing affirmed that it was
S. would not restore it nor could they euer recouer it by other meanes but by praying one to redeeme it Retourning from Sienna he found a poore man by the way and tourning to his companion he said it is necessary that I giue my cloake to this poore man because it is his for it is lent me of God with chardge to restore it to the first that I mett poorer then my selfe and this man is much poorer wherfore if I doe otherwise I shal be a theefe and therwith he gaue it vnto him not withstanding the considerations that his companion alleadged wherby he endeauoured to persuade him that he was bound to satisfie his owne necessities before an others Comming neere to Perusia he mett a poore man whome he had formerlie knowne in the world whome hauing saluted and asked how he fared the poore man with greife answeared ill then began to curse his master that withheld his hire affirming it to be the cause of his dispaire The saint exhorting him to pardon it least he should with all loose his soule he replyed that whiles his dew was retayned he could not pardon him The holie Father then putt of his cloake and gaue it him saying Hold brotther and freind I giue thee my cloake for the hire which they master oweth thee and I require onlie of thee that thou pardon him for the loue of God and by this worthy act he so mollified the hardnes of this seruants hart that he pardoned his master The Phisitian of Rieta that medecined his eyes one day as he was dressing him recounted vnto him that he in like sort dressed and medecined a poore woman of the same disease to whome besides the seruice he did vnto her he was constrained out of compassion he conceaued of her miserie to giue her releife Which the S. vnderstanding and moued with pitty towardes this woman not so much for her disease as for her pouerty he instantlie called the Guardian to whome he sayd Brother we must restore that which we haue appertayning to an other The Guardian admiring answeared Father what haue we belonging to others S. Francis replied this cloake whome we hold as borrowed of a poore woman to whome it is now requisite to restore the same Wherto the Guardian answeared Doe as you please The S. then called a very Religious seculer man and said Take this cloake and twelue loaues that shal be giuen thee and goe to such a poore sick woman and tell her that the poore man to whome she Lent the same sendeth it againe vnto her with thanckes and leaue it all with her and then retourne This good man did as the holy Father had enioyned him but the poore woman thincking that he had iested with her answeared him Freind I lent not this cloake to any man so that I vnderstand not what you meane but the man left the cloake and the bread without other replie then it is yours make vse therof which the poore woman with thanckes to God accepted Of other like charities performed by the Saint for the loue of God THE XLVIII CHAPTER GOeing one day to preach he mett two of his Religious that were French with whome he a while discoursed These Fathers being exceedinglie conforted both by his life and conference according to what they had heard of him did out of deuotion demaunde his owne habitt which he did weare and that for the loue of God whose name he hearing did instantlie discloath himselfe and gaue it vnto them putting on an other which one of them did att that present putt off which he performed in obseruance of his vow which was incontinentlie to giue what soeuer should be demaunded him for the loue of God for reuerence to this Lord whose will was to be termed Loue and therfore he was much offended and sharply reprehended the Religious when vpon any light occasion and without edification of their neighbour they named the loue of God which should not be named but to some good purpose and that with great reuerence The S. seldome or neuer weare a new habitt for when he had such one made he would incontinently chaunge it with some other Religious for a torne one and sometimes he would take a litle part of some ragged and worne habitt and as much of an other and so patching it together you may imagine what manner of habitt it could be But he no farther regarded then to couer his stomack that was infirme There came a poore man one day where he was that asked a peece of cloath of a Religious for the loue of God to patch his garment Which the S. vnderstanding he caused euery corner of the house to be searched and being answeared that none could be found he retired into a corner not to be seene and ripped of that which couered his stomack and gaue it the poore man But not doeing it so dexterously but that he was perceaued by the Religious they caused him to restore it But the holy Father would neither take it not permitt the poore man to depart till there was an other peece of cloath giuen him Being in the Couent of our lady of Angels a poore woman that had two children in his Order came to demaund an almose and he called Brother Catanius to whome he said haue we nothing to giue to this our poore mother whereto the said brother Peter answeared That there was nothing fitt for her if not a new testament wherin they read the lessons att matines which might be giuen her if he thought good considering that she asked almose and was in extreme necessity The holy Father pawsed not long theron but sodenly said I pray you giue it her for she may sell it and reliue her selfe in this her misery and I verily beleeue that this charity wil be more pleasing to God then our lessons and so it was deliuered her Few bookes were then printed in respect wherof they were deere I haue alleadged this example to shew that this holy Father spared nothing from the poore that asked it for the loue of God Yea to performe this office of piety if he chaunced to meet any poore people loaden on the way he would disburden them and for a while carry their burden that in the meane time they might take breath He would haue all his Religious to honour the poore as much as him selfe as representing the person of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How much the said S. would haue the poore to be honoured THE XLIX CHAPTER GOeing to preach thorough Italy he mett on the way a poore sick creature afflicted with many infirmities of whome he cōceaued a strong compassion Then spake of him to his companion who answeared that it was very true that he seemed poore exteriourly but perhappes was interiourly more puffed vp with desires then any of that country The holy Father very bitterly reprehended him for this rash iudgement and then sayd If my company be gratefull vnto thee thou
burning torches of the world It cannot be esteemed how worthy they are of honour if they be such as they ought to be and on the contrary how â—â—ch they deserue pitty and compassion if they sell their doctrine â—â—r recompence of a vaine and transitorie applause For which respect this holy Father could not endure such that esteemed more of themselues for being eloquent and learned then for being seruantes of the omnipotent God and employed by his diuine Maiesty in the most eminent degree that his Church affordeth to those whome he knew to be such he said Wherfore doe yee glorie of them that are conuerted to penance by your preachinges as though yourselues did conuert them wheras my simple Religious doe also the same And therfore the preachers that entierlie applyed themselues to preaching without any deuotion he called euill disposers of his goodes and exceedingly extolled those that had respect and memory of themselues after their preachinges rotyring and applying themselues to the spiritt of prayer and to tast how sweet God is after his example who leauing his disciples retyred him selfe vnto the mountaines to pray Of the feruent piety and charity which S. Francis had towardes God and his saincts THE LII CHAPTER WHo can euer expresse the feruent piety wherwith the glorious Father S. Francis the deere freind of his Spouse IESVS CHRIST alwayes burned in his hart considering that by meanes of this his feruour he was most often rapt out of himselfe and so transformed in IESVS CHRIST that it well appeared that with the exteriour quill the stringes of the instrument of his hart were touched within Wherfore he affirmed that it was vnwonted and ouer abondant prodigality to offer so great a price as the loue of God for an almose and he tearmed them senseles who were ignorant therof and who made more esteeme of a base farthing then of such a purchase for so much as they refused that sclender price which sufficed to buy heauen besides that the loue of him who hath so much loued vs ought iustlie to be prised and estoemed aboue althinges And to the end himselfe might be often stirred to this diuine loue he considered althinges as proceeding from the hand of God and so by the consideration of creatures he was with an admirable sweetnes swallowed vp in the contemplation of a most high and first cause and fountaine of all essence and life admiring in the beauty and composition of the second causes the most eminent and prudent Creator and pursued the same euery where to his pleasure which he found by a thousand new meanes manners framing a continuall ladder of althinges created wherby he ascended to the comtemplation and fruition of this lord vniuersally desired and att euery steppe of the said ladder he tasted as in a litle brooke of that most delicious fountaine of bounty with an extreme pleasure as if he had heard that celestiall harmony and consonance of the diuersity of vertues and of their effectes which God gaue to his creatures for which â—ounterchaunge he awakened and stirred theÌ„ with the Prophet to prayse their Creatour as in place heerafter shall appeare He continually carryed his desired crosse as a pleasing litle bundle of mirrh sauouring in his hart desiring with all his power to be transformed into it therby to be enflamed with an excessiue loue and to that end he had appointed lentes in which he retired into hermitages to enioy in silence his amorous IESVS CHRIST who as gratious failed not to reciprocate his deerly beloued in giuing him diuine consolations He burned with deuotion in the interiour of his bowels towardes the sacred sacrament admiring that so charitable and excessiue diuine communication And when he communicated which was often it was with such and so great deuotion that such as were present were amazed and enforced to deuotion seeing him so replenished with this celestiall tast wherwith being as it were druncken he was with all rauished into mentall extasy And he was so zealous and reuerent therevnto that fearing to handle it vnworthely he euer refused to be Preist yea being thereto vehemently sollicited and so farce foorth as he could no longer resist Wherfore he had recourse to his ordinary defence which was prayer wherin demaunding Counsaile of God an Angel appeared vnto him with a viol in his hand full of most pure and cleare liquor who sayd Behold Francis he that will administer the most holy sacrament ought to be as pure as this liquor in respect of which wordes he had neuer thence forward desire to be preist esteeming it no small matter to be Deacon sith so great a purity was required in Preisthood And therfore he commanded the Superiours and all other Religious to be carefull in the prouinces where they resided to aduertise and exhort the people Clarkes and Preistes to place the most sacred body of our Lord in a decent place with all reuerence and sent them the mouldes and first formes or modeles of steele wherin to make the hosties He was also carefull to haue the altares and churches very neate and curiously adorned and in all his chapters made mention therof He loued and reuerenced the glorious mother of our lord IESVS CHRIST with such Charity as cannot be expressed in consideration that she had made the most high lord God our Brother cloathing the diuine maiesty with our owne flesh Wherfore next after God he reposed all his hope in this glorious virgin and euen from the originall of the institution of his Religion he made choice of her for his protectrice and aduocatrice vnto her Sonne and for her honour and glory he fasted as we haue formerly alleadged After that besides and aboue all the other Angels whome he reuerenced for the speciall care they haue of vs he was with an inseparable bond of loue vinted vnto the Archangell S. Michael in regard of his office presenting soules vnto God and in deuotion vnto him he fasted forthy dayes before his feast In this holy fast it was that he merited that notable fauour of the stigmagtes as hereafter in place conuenient shal be inserted Finally he was generaly enflamed in the memory of the glorious Saints affecting them with all his soule as liuely stones of the celestiall edifice shining and glittering with that immensiue light aboue all other resplendant with the charity of IESVS CHRIST and among them he especially reuerenced with a singuler deuotion the Princes of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul for he went often to Rome expresly to visitt them and not in vaine sith he was reciprocally by them visited protected and comforted in all occurances Of the great charity of S. Francis towardes his neighbour and how he freed his Brethren of temptations THE LIII CHAPTER THe poore of IESVS CHRIST S. Francis had but two peeces of mony so called he the body and the soule which vpon euery occasion he offered for the loue of IESVS
and what befell him in the way THE LI. CHAPTER SAinct Francis in an other of the foresaid Chapters wherin the Freer Minors were distributed ouer Christendome addressed himselfe to all the Religious and said My beloued Brethren I acknowledge my selfe obliged to giue edification to all the Brethren therefore my children being sent into diuers Prouinces to endure hungar thirst labour and other necessities it seemeth reasonable that my selfe doe likewise trauaile into some farre country to the end that others the more voluntarily support their afflictions when they shall see me vndertake the like and therfore his manner being neuer to send forth any Religious but first to pray vnto God that he would afford some fruit to be reaped therby hauing with all his Brethren made prayer for himselfe he arose and said In the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST of his most sacred mother and of all the SS of God I make choise of the prouince of France wherin there are many Catholike people and subiect to the holy Romane Church and because they be exceeding deuout vnto the most blessed Sacrament I beleeue I shall receaue much consolation in conuersing with them hauing said thus much and chosen two companions he tooke his leaue of his Religious and enterprised his iorney Being arriued att the citty of Arezzo and not permitted to enter there because it was night he lodged att an hospitall in the suburbes where he vnderstood that the miserable cittizens of that place being diuided into two factions did cruelly murder one an other And the more to confirme the matter as he was att his prayers about midnight he heard such a noise of men and armour that they seemed to be to armies ready to assault each other wherby he perceaued manifestlie the worck of the deuill that mayntayned them in warre Wherefore moued with compassion he spent the rest of that night in prayer with much feruour and abondance of teares then he called Brether Siluester a Preist and man of worthy faith and puritie to whome he said Goe you to the gate of this miserable citty and cry with a loud voice the name of our Lord IESVS CHRIST be praysed and blessed Ye deuils that keepe these people in warre and sedition I command you on the part of almighty God and in the vertue of holy obedience to depart all out of this citty which Brother Siluester hauinge done the deuils incontinentlie fled and so without any other prediction or any other meane the said citizens were reunited and appeased S. Francis being desirous to prosecute his iorney would not then stay in that citty but preaching vnto them afterward att his retourne he sharply reprehended them for their hatredes that had so furiously and inhumanelie enraged them against each other and gaue them to vnderstand the great grace which God had giuen thē by meane of the said wordes which were vttered by Brother Siluester that was a holy man not to speake of himselfe deliuering them from the deuils that maintayned them in so cruell a warre By these considerations the S. exceedingly confirmed them in the peace already concluded and besides induced them to doe penance for their sinnes How the S. by commandement of the Cardinall Protectour of his Order was intercepted of his iorney THE LXII CHAPTER BEing att Florence he there foūd the protectour of his order who was legat of his holines in that place The holy Father goeing to visitt him recoūted vnto him the cause of his iorney that he was trauelling into France there to plant his Order to gaine soules wherin he mēt to employ some time which the Cardinall vnderstāding was exceedingly disquieted endeuoured to persuade him by pregnāt reasons to change his resolution considering that he might doe greater seruice◠to God in Italie and should benifitt more to support and mayntaine his Religion where it was already knowen then otherwhere The S. answeared that the cause that most moued him to goe thither was that he thought it not reasonnable that hauing sent his Religious into diuers forraine Contryes to endure many inconueniences he should rest in repose whiles they suffered and endured The Cardinal replyed Wherfore haue you sent your Religious so farre to vndergoe so many afflictions The holy Father answeared him Thincke you my Lord that God hath instituted this Religion for the good only of the Italian soules You must know that he hath chosen the Freer Minors to goe ouer all the world yea not onlie for the behoufe of faithfull Christians but euen of Infidelles And they shall goe and shall there be receaued and shall fructifie gayning many soules to God who will prouide them all their necessities when men shall faill them The Cardinal admiring the good and pious resolution of the S. confessed to beleeue that it would arriue as he had designed neuertheles would he neuer permit him to goe into France Wherfore S. Francis not minding any further to contradict him desisted his iorney to content him and sent thither in his place Brother Pacificus and his other companiōs and himselfe hauing seiourned some time with the said Protectour retourned to our Lady of Angels Of the great generall chapter called the chapiter of Mattes THE LXIII CHAPTER AS well in regard that the Freer Minors did not yet throughlie appeare ouer all forreine Prouinces as for other necessary respectes the yeares 1219. they all assembled by a great generall chapter att our Lady of Angels where there mett according to S. Bonauenture about fiue thousand which would seeme somewhat difficult to beleeue if such a S. did not testifie it that this holy Order was so multiplied in so short a space Whiles this chapiter was held Pope Honorius was withall his Court att Perusia and the aforesaid Protectour of this order went to Assisium whence he visited them euery day He celebrated masse and preached vnto them conceauing exceeding ioy to see fifty or an hundred of his soldiers of IESVS CHRIST walking in open feild vnited together some employed in pious discources of God others in diuine offices others in some other worckes of charitie and others separated in contemplation and all this was performed with such and so exact a silence that there was not heard any noyse att all So the said Cardinall as also all the Lordes of the Popes Court filled with extreme deuotion did both admire and exceedingly reioyce interiourly yea as much as was possible seeing those wordes of Iacob to be verified in so gteat a multitude of the seruantes of God These are the Campes of God and his dwelling is here considering that their lodgeings were in the wilde feildes made of rushes and mattes by them of Assisium and contriued as a dormitory therfore was this chapter called the chapter of Mattes or rushes Their beddes were either the bare ground or a litle chaffe the bolster a stone or blocke of wood each one was so edified with this company that many Cardinals Bishops great Lordes and
Father S. Francis hauing bin enformed that in this chapter were many Religious who to mortifie their flesh besides their other abstinences fastes and disciplines did weare insteed of haire a shirt of maille and certaine grosse hoopes of iron about theire loynes which procured them diuers sicknesses and euen that some died therewith the pitifull Father commanded by vertue of obedience that there should be brought him all the said mailles and hoopes and in an instant were brought him fiue hundred of the one the other sort wherfore he presently there vpon made a cōstitution that none should presume thenceforward to weare any sort of iron on their flesh There were in this Chapter certaine learned superiours who practised with their Protectour some meane to temperate the rigour of that their so extreme pouerty and liuing and to moderate it according to some other ancient rule that shunning extremities they might choose one more supportable Which being by the said Cardinall who also would haue him condiscend thervnto related vnto the holy Father S. Francis he tooke him by the hand and led him to the chapter where those said superiours were yet assēbled to whom addressing his speech he said My beloued Brethren our most mercifull Lord God hath called me vnto him by this way of simplicity pouerty humility and of this great asperity of life and not only my selfe but all those that will follow me therfore lett none of you thincke euer to make me espouse an other rule be it of S. Augustin S. Bernard or any other for my God hath shewed me this hath called vs vnto it and will that we be reputed insensible in this world because he will guide vs to heauen by an other path then this of the humane reasons of your sottish prudence and ignorance wherewith you are confounded yea I am so much assured from his diuine maiesty that he will chastice you by his executioners the deuils and then will remitt you into your former estate whence you are now fallen though it beagainst your will if first you doe it not of your selues This said he left them with this worthy conclusion The Cardinall hauing heard so resolute and terrible an answeare vtterly amazed att the great zeale of God which he demōstrated durst not reply so much as one word and the said superiors with such an exceeding terrour and feare of worse successe remayned mute A litle after the said chapter it was reuealed vnto the S. that whiles it was held many thousandes of deuils being assembled att the hospitall betweene our Lady of Angels and Assisium held an other where were present eighteen thousand conferring of some meanes wherby to hinder the holy progresse of the said Order of the Freer Minors where after many of the deuils had deliuered their opinion herein att length one more subtill then the rest thus proposed This Francis and his Religious shunne the world doe sequester themselues with so much feruour and for the present loue God with such force employing themselues in continuall prayer maceration of their flesh that whatsoeuer we shall now endeauour against them will litle or nothing preuaile therfore mine opinion is that we thincke not as yet of it but expect the death of the said Francis the head of this Order and the multiplication of the Religious for then we will procure into it yong men without zeale of Religion and saluation venerable old men and delicate gentilmen learned arrogants and men of feeble complexion such as shal be receaued to support the honour of the Order and to augment their number and then by their meanes we will draw them all to the loue of the world and of themselues to a great desire of knowledge and to blind ambition of honour and we will so allure them to our fantasie as we may dispose of them att our pleasure The other deuils approuing this opinion departed full of hope of a future reuenge which would to God had not in part so arriued How the Freer Minors were sent with authenticall letters into diuers Christian and Pagan Prouinces and how God miraculously releiued them THE LXVI CHAPTER IN the expeditiō of the foresaid great generall Chapter all the Christian and Pagan Prouinces were deputed to certaine Fathers who were sent thither with their companiōs carrying the letters patētes of the Pope in fauour wherof they were very ioyfully receaued and curteously entertayned of the Prelates and people among others six were sent vnto the citty of Morocco among the Mores of whome one remayned sick in Spaine and the other fiue that went thither were gloriously martyred as in the fourth booke shal be declared Many also were sent vnto Tunes there to preach against the false sect of Mahomet with Brother Giles the third disciple of S. Francis who being there arriued were by the merchantes with whome they came putt againe into the shippes against their willes for feare they might incurre some dommage by their occasion and so were sent againe into Italy there were also sent into diuers other places for many religiou◠entreated it of the S. for the desire they had of Martyrdome wherfore to giue them confort he permitted them to goe they did much fructifie in diuers places as in their liues shall appeare because hauing reposed all their confidence in God he wrought many miracles by them and miraculously releiued them in their necessities as in the accidentes following here placed for example doth appeare Many of the said Religious being in very vast mountaines were exceedingly afflicted with thirst by reason of the extreme heat that then was so that it could not be more violent when they came to any fountaine where hauing had the benediction of their superiour they drāck their fill of that water which they well knew to be more diuine then terrestriall considering that they found themselues therby so corroborated and reuiued that in vertue therof they coutagiously performed the rest of their iorney they yelded thanckes to God for the same Two others trauailling according to the Apostolicall manner without wallet and hauing spent almost a whole day in trauaile without getting any bread were so enffeebled with hungar that their extremety seemed att the full yet did it proue more when comming into a Church and demaunding a litle bread for the loue of God of the preist therof the honest man answeared that he had it not wherfore the poore Religious passing on in a kind of despaire mett on the way a yong man who hauing saluted them began to question with them in this manner whither goe you so sorrowfull and heauy that you appeare to be ouerchardged therewith they answeared that finding none that would giue them bread they walked whither their hungar did lead thē wherof they feared to die this yong man presently replyed goe to sitt downe and eat here are two loaues Whiles they were eating he began to discouer who he was saying vnto them O men of
which done he retourned and said vnto him Goe to my good freind sith these Religious doe not serue you well I will serue you my selfe The Leaper answeared Tell me I pray what will you doe more then they the S. replyed I will doe whatsoeuer you shall cammand me begin from this instant to tell me what you please to haue and I promise to doe it I will said the leaper that you wash all my body for I cannot endure the filthy sauour therof I will most willingly doe it answeared the S. and sodenly caused to be prepared a bath of veri◠pleasing hearbes then discloathed him to his skinne and washed him one of the Religious powring water on his body But there hapened a notable miracle whiles the holy Father with his pitifull handes washed him all the scurfes of his leapry one after an other fell off so that the flesh remayned cleane and neat as of a litle child in fine he was entierly cleansed and cured within and without The diseased person therfore knowing this great miracle began very bitterly to lament saying I am worthy not of one but of a thousand helles as well for hauing blasphemed against God as for the contempts iniuries and buffettes wherby I haue offended your poore Religious that so louingly haue ministred vnto me And after his cure he remayned fifteene dayes in this lamentation then he made a generall confession imploring the ayd of our Lord IESVS CHRIST S. Francis left him not till fearing himselfe for the great concourse of people that repayred to this miracle he was constrayned to depart so leauing the man in the grace of God who shortly after passed from this world into an other And incontinentlie the holie Father being in prayer he appeared vnto him in heauen more bright then the sunne and said Father know you me The S. asked him who are you And he answeared I am the soule of that leaper whome liuing in the world God cured by your prayers and humility I now enter into the kingdome of glory for which I giue thanckes to God and you blessed be your wordes and your actions also whereby many soules in the world are saued Know that there passeth no day but the Angels and SS in heauen giue glorie and prayse to God for the innumerable fruites which by your meane and your Order are procured in the Church and therefore perseuer to the time predestinated to your great crowne hauing said thus much he disappeared leauing the S. exceedingly comforted who gaue thanckes to God for all and particulerly for the sauing of that soule who was in such imminent perill of damnation Of three famous theeues conuerted by the humility and charity of S. Francis the eight chapter of the tenth booke transferred to this place as most proper vnto it THE LXXXVI CHAPTER BRother Angelus being Gardian att Mount Casal three famous theeues haunted that place doeing cruell murders thereabout who being one day oppressed with hungar came to him demaunding somewhat to eat The good Guardian knowing them not only refused to giue them almose but began to check and reprehend them alleadging that they feared not God nor men whome they so miserablie slew liuing by the labours of others and leading a life more diabolicall then humane robbing dishonouring tormenting and cutting the throates of their neighbour as they did and that he admired how the earth did sustaine them that it did not swallow them quick as they were and so bad them hast away and withall rudely shutt the dore against them wherevpon they in extreme choller departed S. Francis a litle after came with one of his companions vnto that place to whome the Guardian recounted the precedent whereto the holy Father answeared that he had done very ill because such sinners retourne to God and are conuerted rather by sweet and pittifull wordes then by such reprehensions which did rather harden them and that therfore God said They that are in health need not a Phisition but they that are ill att ease that he came not to call the iust but sinners to repentance And therefore added he because you haue done against charity the commandemēt of the gospell the example of IESVS CHRIST I command you in vertue of obedience for pennance to cary them to the mountaine where they are this loafe of bread this flagon of wine which was giuen vs by the way when you come in their presence fall one your knees at their feet and aske thē pardō for the wordes you haue spoken when they haue taken the bread entreat them in my behalfe to Ieaue that miserable kinde of life and I will prouide for all their necessities and vse all the art you can deuise to induce them hither The most obedient Guardian presentlie went on and the holy father in the meane while went to the Church to pray for them whence he departed not till God had heard him Brother Angelus comming to the theeues and hauing performed the commandement of S. Francis whiles they did eat the bread one of them said to the others Alas what shall become of vs sottish wretches what must be our lott what horrible torments are prepared for vs in hell for so many theftes and murders as we daylie perpetrat neither yet haue we any scruple much lesse feare of God or repentance for so many enormous sinnes And this Religious who hath brought vs to eat is come thus farre with so great humility to aske vs pardon for one only word iustlie vttered vnto vs admonishing vs according to our desert in the meane while we wretched theeues and detestable robbers neuer demaund pardon of God Besides this he hath sheuen vs charity praying vs to repaire to that holy Father who hath sent vs releefe who for the zeale he hath of our soules doth so freelie offer vs alwayes to prouide vs all our necessities They are true servantes of God who haue already gayned heauen but what shall we doe who being children of the deuill euery day heape sinnes vpon sinnes considering withall that our sinnes are so enormous as deserue of God rather punishment then pardon Myne opinion therfore is that it were very conuenient sith God doth seeme to call vs by this Religious that we make no longer delay nor abuse the patience of his diuine maiesty but that we repaire vnto him and he will instruct vs in the direct way how to free our selues att length from hell and euen to meritt mercy The other two theeues being of the same opinion they went together with the Guardiā to the holy Father in whose presence being com they kneeled att his feete saying Father we haue litle hope by reason of the enormity of our sinnes that God will vse mercie vnto vs but if you assure vs that we may yet finde grace behold vs here ready to doe whatsoeuer you shall command vs. The holy Father receaued them verie amiably cherished and encouraged them affirming withall that they should not
senceles he was expelled the church whither he came afterward to aske pardon of God and the S. which being obtayned the fish retourned into a capons legge and the holy Father publikely recounted the successe of the fact for which they generally gaue infinite thankes to God With what rigour he chasticed his passionate wordes and thoughts THE LXXXXI CHAPTER HAuing bin many dayes blinde as by reason of the great infirmity of his eyes which his wepinges had procured him it often happened he determined for his consolation to visitt Brother Bernard one of his first companions and inward freindes and to remayne some time with him to talke of God But comming to his cell on the toppe of the mountaine and finding it shutt he thought he was in prayer as indeed he was and hauing no meane to see him he called him by these wordes Open Bernard and come comfort this poore blind mā and many times reiterating the same the Religious not answearing he was much disquieted and said to his companion I haue called him many times he will not answeare me lett vs goe in the name of God and so departing iudged Brother Bernard to be proud and neuertheles considering better that it was not his coustume so to doe he tourned from his companion and fell to prayer where he was not long but he heard answeare from God who reprehending him said Litle man why doest thou trouble they selfe so much doest thou thinck it reasonable to leaue the Creatour for the creature when thou calledst Brother Bernard he was with me not with him selfe and therfore he could not answeare thee for he did not heare thee Which S. Francis hearing he humbled him selfe to God and asked him pardon Then incontinently retourning directly to Brother Bernard he mett him without his cell hauing ended his prayer and as Brother Bernard fell att his feet he likewise fell at his and acknowledged his fault of the ill iudgement he had conceaued of him then required of him to enioyne him this pennance I will said he that thou sett they feet on my throat and on my mouth and treading hard theron shalt say Poore worme the sonne of Peter Benardone there lye one the earth sith thou hast so exalted thee in pride bafe and abiect as thou art which poore Brother Bernard hearing he would in no sort yeld ther to till the holy Father commanded him in vertue of obedience and then with the greatest modesty and reuerence he could possibly he obeyed first conditioned that the S. should in like sort doe to him what he would and so hauing obeyed the S. he reciprocally commanded him very sharply to reprehend him for euery fault of his he should know as often as they should meete together Thus did the Religious Saints of those dayes exercise themselues in humility But S. Fracis hearing that was in such sort afflicted for hauing promised him obedience for the great reuerence he had towardes him aswell for his great worthynes as because he was the first of his Order as that he resolued rather to forbeare his sweet and gratious cōuersation then to haue subiect to reprehend him though in such a seruant of God there were litle or nothing to reprehend A Religious that had care of a leaper comming with him to our Lady of Angels the S. reprehended him for hauing brought him thither with trouble and afliction which he had scarcely vttered but thinking that he had offended the leaper in reprehending the Religious in his presence he presently went and acknowledged his fault vnto his Vicaire of whome he demanded for pennace that he would enioyne him to eat with the leaper in one same dish who not to giue him discontent was constrained so to command him and so there was incōtinently brought a dish of pottage from the kitchen for the leaper and himselfe it was admirable to see with what patience and tast this worthy seruant of God endeauoured to eat of the pottage in which the leaper putt his finges which being all couered with the loathsome infection of his leapry the droppes of putrefaction ran into the dish which caused in the Religious there present an extreame hart-greife and compassion that their Father without offence should performe so bitter and intollerable a penance Lett this be spoaken to our confusion that seeke so many curious arts to season our meates which we desire to haue so delicious The said Religious did assuredly affirme that as often thence-forward ae they remembred that refection of their Father with the leaper all meat how delicate soeuer it might be made their hart arise and was disdayned of them Of the new and notable Matines of holy humility which S. Francii and Brother Leo did sing hauing no Breuiary to read them THE LXXXXII CHAPTER THe holy Father being one time in the hermitage with Brother Leo he went so farre from the celle that the night preuented them and hauing no Breuiary with them the houre of Matines being come S. Francis said to the Brother will not yee that we employ this time vnprofitably that therfore we passe it in the prayse of God say as I shall tell you but take heed that you chaunge not any word I then will say O Francis thou hast committed so many sinnes in the world that thou deseruest hell and you shall answeare me you say the truth that you deserue a place in the deepest part of hell Brother Leo most humble and obedient promised him to say so but as the S. began to vtter the foresaid wordes Brother Leo answeared Know Brother Franc. that you shal not goe to hel but to the glory of Paradice Which the holy Father admiting he commanded him againe not to say so but as now I shall tell thee I will begin to say Francis thou hast so much offended God that thou well deseruest to be eternally accursed and you shall answeare without any variation thou art doubtles worthy to be foreuer expelled from the face of God which the good Brother Leo promising to obserue the holy Father with a loud and fearefull voice knocking his brest began O God lord of heauen earth I haue committed so many offences against thy diuine Maiesty that I am well assured I meritt to be eternally banished thy glory and perpetually damned and Brother Leo answeared God will accept thee for such an one as among the great multitude of his elect thou shalt be especially blessed and glorious in his celestiall kingdome S. Francis more admiring then before in that he knew how obedient Brother Leo was he said why doe you not answeare me as I enioyned you and as you promised me I now command you in vertue of obedience that when I say O wretched and miserable Francis doest thou thinck euer to deserue pardon of the God of mercies hauing alwayes so much offended him thou art not worthy of grace I command you I say to answeare me thou in no sort deseruest the mercie of
a time neere vnto the citty of Grecio he determined to celebrate that feast after a new manner therby to stirre vp the deuotioÌ„ of the faithful hauing therfore to auoid scaÌ„dal obtayned permission of the Pope he caused a great stable to be prepared in an old houell where he caused to be putt hay and a manger then brought thither an oxe and an asse and assembled so many of his Religious that they neere exceeded the inhabitantes of the place But because he had published the solemnity all the inhabitantes of the neighbour places flocked thither as who should be foremost with flutes cornettes and other rusticall instrumentes so that all the mountaines thereabout gaue ecchoe to their harmony they ceassed not all night to sound and reioyce before that stable wherin S. Francis and a great nomber of his Religious prayed before three images of wood that represented our lord IESVS CHRIST the Virgin Mary and S. Ioseph before which images were lightened a great quantity of lightes that were with curious art exquisitelie sett foorth S. Francis read the ghospell atr the midinght Masse then preached to the people with such tendernes of hart that when he would vtter the name of IESVS he could not but called him the litle child of Bethleem This feast was not speÌ„t without fruit for a famous gentleman named Iohn of Grecio forsaking the cheualry and nobilitie of the world and the pompes therof became very familier vnto S. Francis and an imitatour of him because he had seene him in vision that night with a child in his armes who seemed to sleep and whome he sweetly awakened The hay that was taken from that stable cured manie diseased beastes yea verie manie men whence may be iudged that God had singulerlie assisted that deuotion of his seruant How S. Francis caused the oratories of Bis Religious to be accommodated and of the care he had of their enterteynement THE LXXXXVI CHAPTER THis holy Father laboured exceedingly to haue his Religious know the meane which they ought to vse to pray well that being free froÌ„ all worldly employmentes they might apply theÌ„selues to prayer and conteÌ„plation as a fountaine that drowneth disordinate thirstes and on the contrary filleth and satisfieth the soule with a spirituall tast of diuine graces And that the said Religious might more commodiously emploie themselues therin he would haue their Oratories sequestred froÌ„ the bruit and tumult of the people that they might auoyd distraction and therfore he caused theÌ„ to be made in the middes of woodes and forestes with bowes of trees and wreathed with rushes where they spent their lentes entierlie in fastinges and prayers And that the care of temporall affaires might not choake the grace of the spiritt nor the cogitations of worldlie necessities procure them impediment he committed to one Brother alone when the number of Religious permitted the chardge of the dore the kitchen and larder appointing all the other Religious to obserue the Order following All the morning they were to remayne retired in prayer in the diuine offices and very strictly obseruing silence till the Officer att the ordinary houre warned them to dinner which he did by knocking on a tile for their pouerty afforded not them a bell But he knowing that man coÌ„sisted of a body and soule it was necessary the body should be mayntayned to sustaine the soule in the seruice of God he accustomed to goe into the kitchen where if he saw nothing to begin their refection he would goe into the garden and thence bring a bundle of hearbes which he would mildly deliuer the Cooke to haue drest for the Religious When the Cooke had egges cheese gotten by begging the holy Father in time conuenient would eat therof very merily to encourage others and would commend the prudence of the Cook But if he exceeded he would reprehend him for the excesse and command him to giue nothing to the Religious the day following which was performed though most commonly they sett themselues att table to eat nothing but dry bread pourchaced by begging which they did eat with exceeding contentment as a gift receaued of God it hauing bin demaunded for his sake Because our Sauiour worthely sayth Man liueth not by bread only but by the word and will of God Therfore when they least thought thereon and had most need thereof they were prouided for by the Angels with whoâ—â—e in their continuall prayers they conuersed After they had taken their refection they vsed deep silence and corporall exercises labouring about that which S. Francis commanded them for the necessityes of the house Then att the houre of Euensong Compline they all retourned to accustomed prayer in their Church and other places there vnto deputed Of the efficacie of the prayer of the Sainct THE LXXXXVII CHAPTER OF the humilitie of hart of S. Francis did grow a diffidence of his force and knowledge a perfect confidence in the diuine pietie which caused that he did neither desire nor beginne any thing but he would first in prayer demaund of God that he would please to inspire him to thincke and excute his will wherbie he did obtaine singuler graces for himselfe and others Att the beginning of his conuersion being yet in the world he obtayned that matters of difficultie according to the world as to serue leapers and to pardon iniuries should appeare easy and pleasing vnto him so that he had in short time obtayned by prayer that which he could not haue attayned by tedious exercise The Euangelicall perfection was reuealed vnto him and what the Religious should doe in thrise opening the Missall his rule was approued by Pope Innocent the third he knew that the will of God was he should assist to the sauing of soules Our lord spake to him in the Crucifix in diuers other manners reuealing vnto him what he should doe he subdued the assaultes and embushes prepared against him by the artifice of the deuils who fled when they could no longer resist him It were not possible to recount by order all the graces which by prayer he obtayned of God for beside the aforesaid there remaine manie other to relate of which we will here insert some few and the rest in place conuenient The bishop of Assisium becomming verie familier vnto S. Francis and often visiting him att S. Marie of Angels goeing one time vnto his celle he found the dore thrust to and in a manner shutt therefore goeing neere and hearing no noyse he thought he might be rauished in extasie in his prayer which made him desire to see the manner there of and to that end verie curiouslie opened the dore so wide as he might thrust in his head which putting further to see him he was surprised with a great trembling and such a feare that he could not breath nor respire and was miraculouslie throwne farre from the celle and lost his speech wherwith he was so terrified that he had scarce the force to
holy Father carried the gospell better written in his hart then is seene on paper Wherfore he often put his Religious in minde of those wordes of Dauid My soule hath reiected consolation I haue bin mindefull of God and haue reioyced as if he said that he respected no other temporall consolation sith he enioyed all consolation in the passion of his sweet IESVS CHRIST And therfore he exhorted his Religious often to tourne the leaues both night and day of this pious booke of the passion of IESVS CHRIST without care of any other And all his sermons and exhortations were accordinge to the abondance of his hart of this crosse and most sacred passion to perfect them therin as a most assured way of saluation An exhortation of the holy Father S. Francis to the meditation of the passion of our Redeemer Iesus Christ THE CIV CHAPTER BE alwayes mindefull said the holy Father of the way of humility and pouerty of the crosse wherby our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST hath walked for our example considering that if it were necessary for his diuine Maiesty to enter into his glory by meane of this his passion it is farre more necessary for vs detestable sinner to tread the same path And if euerie faithfull Christian be obliged therevnto much more are we we I say who make profession to follow the crosse which God will that we doe not onlie beare but that by our example and doctrine we procure others to beare it and doe induce them after vs with them to follow him that is our guide Considering withall that the good wil to imitate the passion of our Sauiour is a particuler grace which the holy Ghost bestoweth on the soule that truelie loueth and serueth him for the soule that is selfe-affected and a freind to her selfe doth not taste but repugneth this doctrine of the holy Ghost nor reputeth this participation of the passion of our Lord necessary to perfection yet pretending to make greater benefitt by other wayes not wayes but hidden downe falles shunning the gall of tribulations and the bitternes of the crosse of our Lord IESVS CHRIST she holdeth her hart drowned and blinded in selfe affection by other naturall and voluntary cogitations resting assured that she serueth God better in that liberty of life without respect of the infinite pleasures and contentmentes which the soule receaueth interiourly in this contemplation and compassion of her God because they can finde no tast but in suffering for him but the soule purged and entierly exempted from her proper interestes permitteth her selfe to be guided by the holy Ghost that he worâ—k in her att his good pleasure as an excellent master of the singuler doctrine which our Lord left written in the bookes of his humility patience and passion the infallible wayes of Christian perfection Therfore the soule that obtayneth of him greatest purity seeketh also to transforme herselfe in to his dolours reputing all other wayes as mortall food and this alone for a medicine bitter vnto the tast but right pleasant in fruit bitter to tast delicious in operation So preferring health before the tast she experienceth how admirable this tast of eternall life is to haue reiected the former that is fraile transitory and mortall For she experienceth that his loue doth not better appeare in any other then in his charitable passion and that the more she transformeth her selfe into IESVS CHRIST crucified the more she is transformed into the high and glorious God because the humanity cannot be separated from the diuinitie and himselfe requireth it as a grace of his Father when he saith I will that mine be where I am And so the soule contemplateth both the one and the other estate of her God that she may neuer be separated from him as she should be in shunning his passion according to the wordes of S. Paul That he who suffereth not with him shall not raigne with him she therfore considereth him mortall immortall of which estates the one is of them that run the race the other of them that haue already gotten the price Now as the price is not giuen but to them that run so heauen is not giuen but to them that cary the crosse Neither is it reasonable that the seruant be aboue the Lord or the disciple aboue the master therefore we see that God communicateth his grace to them that follow him in the aforesaid maÌ„ner and on the coÌ„trary he taketh it from those presumptuous who affirme that they will adhere vnto him by other inuentions and neuertheles doe neuer leaue themselues and in the end also they are seene erroniously to fall How the holy Father knew the will of God to be that men should exercise them selues in the passion of Iesus Christ THE CV CHAPTER THe holy Father did not without cause affirme the aforesaid considering that desiring no other thing then IESVS CHRIST crucified with S. Paul and teaching no other vnto his Religious the better to secure them and himselfe he demaunded of God that he would voutsafe to reueale vnto him in what exercise he and his might appeare most acceptable vnto his diuine maiesty and being inspired of God arising from his prayer before the high altar where he was he tooke the missal that lay theron wherevpon making the signe of the crosse he began againe to pray vnto God that he would please by the opening of that Missall to manifest vnto him wherein he was best serued Then opening it he found the passion of our Redeemer and not trusting the first time att the second he found the like and the third time the same Being thervpon fully encouraged he prepared himselfe to suffer and as presaging what should arriue vnto him he gaue thanckes vnto God that he would please to make him participant of his passion so that being no longer able to conceale the alacrity of his hart as drunken with the spirit of diuine loue he shewed it exteriourlie singing prayses vnto God in the Italian tongue and in French and often times with two stickes whereof he held the one in forme of a violl on his breast and the other he vsed for a fidle stick But he neuer ended his songes till he was vtterly melted into teares with such an excessiue dolour that what he held fell out of his handes through his extreme feeblenes without any feeling of his washing his soule with the teares of his corporall eyes which he made blinde to illuminate his soule interiourly And though he had attained to such degree of perfection and sanctity he answeared his Phisitian who told him he would destroy his eyes if he did not abstaine froÌ„ such weeping that he would rather loose the eyes which he had coÌ„mon with flies theÌ„ the teares by meane whereof he illuminated the eyes of his spiritt and made them like vnto those of Angels in the contemplation of God Notwithstanding which torrent of teares he alwayes sheued a gracious face as one that by reason
neuertheles I hope in God that the inuisible ennemies the deuils that are his executioners to chastice the disobedientes in this world and in the other will also chastice the transgressours of the vow of their profession therby to their shame and forciblie to make them retourne to their first vocation to this effect I will not omitt to assist them whiles I liue att least by prayers and example sith otherwise I cannot and to instruct them the secure way which I haue learned of my God as I haue formerly done that they may haue no excuse before his diuine maiesty No further doe I hold my selfe obliged Such was his answeare which satisfying the Religious procured an inestimable greife to all the hearers wherby it also manifestlie appeared what reason the S. had to leaue them and what occasion they had to know themselues and by a pious acknowledgement of their fault and true repentance to haue recourse vnto him The end of the first booke of the Chronicles of the Friere Minors THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS PROSECVTED THE discourses of the life death and miracles of the Seraphical Father S. Francis translated out of french into English Of the plenary indulgence graunted by Iesus Christ to the Church of our Lady of Angels of Portiuncula THE FIRST CHAPTER THE more the glorious Father S. Francis profited in perfection and endeauoured to vnite himselfe with God the more did he poure out teares and felt intollerable greife att the losse of soules redeemed by the price of the precious bloud of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST Wherfore not ceassing to desire mercie of God for sinners as he thirsted to haue all saued the yeare of grace 1223. being to that effect in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him and bid him incontinentlie to repaire vnto the church because our Lord IESVS CHRIST with his glorious Mother and a great number of Angels there expected him Hauing receaued this gracious embassadge he hastened thither and there found our Sauiour sitting in a Royall throne on the high altare and the Virgin Mary att his right hand enuironned with an innumerable multitude of blessed spirittes The holy Father incontinentlie falling prostrate on the earth heard the diuine voice of IESVS saying Francis Know that I haue heard thy feruent prayers and because I know with what solicitude thou and thy Religious procure the saluation of soules aske me what grace thou wilt for their soules benefitt and I will graunt it thee The S. being by such an answeare emboldened most humbly answeared My Lord IESVS CHRIST I miserable and vnworthy sinner with the greatest reuerence I can require of thy diuine maiesty that it will please thee so much to fauour all Christian people as to graunt them a generall pardon and plenary indulgence of all their sinnes I meane to all them that shall enter into this church confessed and contrite I also beseech thee O glorious holy Virgin mother and our Aduocatrix that it would please thee to make intercession to thy most gracious sonne for me and for all Christian sinners Our Lady was instantlie moued with these wordes and began in this sort to pray our Redeemer in his behalfe O my most high Lord and sonne of my bowels I beseech thee graunt vnto this thy faithfull seruaunt this grace which he hath demaunded with so great a zeale of the saluation of soules which thy selfe aboue all other thinges disirest My God graunt him this grace in this place to thine honour and the edification of thy holy church Our Lord sodenlie answeared Francis that which thou demaundest is great but this thy desire conformable to mine deserueth much more and therfore I graunt thy request But goe to my Vicar to whome I haue giuen al power of vnbinding and binding here on earth and in my name demaund it of him which said he disappeared The Religious that had their celles neere therevnto saw the splendour and heard some speach but durst not approach for reuerence and great feare that possessed them The holy Father S. F. hauing thācked God presētly called Bro. Macie in whose cōpany he wēt to Perusia where thē was Pope Honorius with his court befor whose holines he thus spake Holy F. I haue reestablished a church that was very ruinous desert called S. Mary of portiūcula very neere vnto the citty of Assise wherin are residēt your Religious the Frere Min. I beseech your holines by our Redeemer I. C. his most glorious mother to voutsafe for the benefitt of the soules of all faithful Christiās to graūt a plenary indulgēce and remission of all their sinnes to all them that shall visitt this church in good estate without giuing any almose in the same The Pope answeared him that the Apostolike sea did not accustome to graunt indulgēs without giuing of almose because it will that they be gayned by thē He thē asked him for how many yeares he desired the indulgēce S. Francis answeared Holy Father I desire not yeares but soules How soules said the Pope S. Frācis replyed I require that euery Christian confessed and contrite that shall come to visitt the said Church receaue plenarie absolution in earth and in heauen and that of whatsoeuer sinnes he shall haue committed from his Baptisme to that very houre I require not this in myne owne name but in our Lord IESVS CHRIST who hath sent me to your Holines Which the Pope hearing inspired of the holy Ghost he thus spake thrice with a loud voice I am content to graunt it as thou hast demaunded it But the Cardinals present aduised the Pope to consider well what he graunted because by that act he would destroy the indulgences of the holy land and of Sainct Peter and S. Paul att Rome which would no longer be regarded The Pope answeared that he would not reuoke what he had att that present graunted They replyed that att least it were requisit he should limitt the said indulgence to a certaine time and moderate it to a certaine prefixed day of the yeare The Pope then said We graunt to all faithfull Christians that being truely confessed and contrite shall enter into the Church of our Lady of Angels plenary indulgence and absolution both of paine and fault and we will that the same be of force for euer for one entier day that is from the first euensong till the sunne sitting of the day following Which the holy Father Sainct Francis hauing obtayned he kissed his feet then demaunded his benediction which receaued he arose to depart But the Pope recalling him said Whither goest thou simple man what specialtie hast thou of the indulgence obtayned The holy Father answeared that his word should suffice and besides that this worck was of God and therfore it should be published and supported by his diuine Maiesty and withall that he would haue no other Bull but the Virgin Mary IESVS CHRIST for Notary and the Angels for witnesses Which
said he departed and by the way stayed at the hospitall of leapers where making his accustomed prayer it was reuealed vnto him by our Lord IESVS CHRIST that the indulgence which he had procured was confirmed in heauen wherof hauing aduertised his companion they both retourned to giue thanckes to his diuine maiesty How the day of the said indulgence was miraculously assigned from heauen THE II. CHAPTER THe day wherein the said indulgence was to be gained was not yet prefixed S. Francis being come to the Couent of our Lady of Angels and being about midnight in prayer in his celle the deuill appeared vnto him in forme of an Angell saying O poore Francis why seekest thou to dye before the time why doest thou consume chy complexion by so long watchinges knowest thou not that the night is made to sleepe and that sleepe is the principall nourishment of the body thou art not yet old why then wilt thou thus kill thy selfe Were it not better for thee to conserue thy life therein to serue thy God longer and to profitt the holy church and thine Order Beleeue me therfore and spend not thy life in such superfluous prayers and watchinge only mediocrity pleaseth God Which the holie Father hauing heard and knowing it to be a delusion of the deuill that tempted him exteriourlie by his voice and interiourlie by his suggestion arising from his prayer he stripped himselfe naked then cast himselfe into a bush full of very sharpe pricking thornes wherin he tourned and wallowed till the bloud euery where trickled downe and doeing the same he thus discoursed vnto his body Ah my body it had bin better for thee to contemplat the passion of IESVS CHRIST then to endure this for hauing in vayne repined and searched the delightes of the world Thus discoursing a great light appeared vnto him in the middes of the ice that was there it was in Ianuary and in the bush of thornes he saw very beautifull roses white and vermillion and a venerable troupe of Angels that filled all the way euen to his church and one of them called him saying Come Francis for our Lord expectethe thee and in an instant he miraculously found himselfe cloathed So knowing him that called him he gathered twelue white roses and twelue vermillion then went through the way all tapestred with Angelicall spirittes towardes his sweet Lord before whose feet he fell in great reuerence and then presented these twelue roses vnto his diuine Maiestie that appeared sitting on the said high altare as the other time accompanied with his glorious mother and assisted with an innumerable multitude of Angels to whome he said Most gracious lord gouernour of heauen earth sith it hath pleased thee to graunt me the plenary indulgence for this church I most huÌ„bly beseech thee to voutsafe also assigne the day wherein it shal be gayned I herein coniure thee by the merittes of thy most glorious mother our aduocatrice that it please thee to appoint the same by thy diuine mouth Our Lord answeared him I am content to satisfie thy desire and therfore I assigne thee the first day of August from the euensong of that feast wherin is made memory how I deliuered myne Apostle S. Peter from the chaines of Herod vntill the sunne sittiug of the day following But tell me if thou please my Lord said the holy Father after he had giuen him thanckes how shall the world know it and knowing it how shall it beleeue it Our Sauiour replyed I will consider therof in time conuenient but in meane while retourne to my vicare and carry with thee some Religious that haue seene this apparition and giue him some of these Roses and he shall incontinently confirme thee the day and cause the indulgence to be published The holy Father vpon obedience tooke three white and three vermillon roses and whiles our lord disappeared the Angels sung Te Deum laudamus and S. Francis gaue him thanckes who presently went to his holynes with Brother Bernard Quintaualle Brother Angelus of Rieta and Brother Ruffinus who had seene this great vision Being before the dore of the church he found the Pope retourned from Rome to whome he yelded account of what our lord had told him calling his companions for witnesses and presenting him the said Roses The Pope hauing attentiuely heard him and being vnable to satisfie himselfe with beholding the said Roses so fresh and sweet and therwithall so rauished as he could no longer containe himselfe he sayed Ah good God such roses in Ianuary to make me beleue what they haue sayd these alone are sufficient therfore he said to S. Francis I will consult with my Cardinals how thy request may be accomplished then will giue answeare and with those wordes dismissed him The next day he repaired againe vnto his holines in the Consistory where by the Popes coÌ„mandement he once more recounted all the successe and the day which God had prefixed vnto him The Pope theÌ„ said sith we arecertaine of the will of our lord IESVS CHRIST the true and soueraine Bishop whose place though vnworthy we hold on earth we also in his behalfe doe graunt the plenary indulgence for perpetuity to the foresaid church on the day before mentioned How the said indulgence was published in the church of S. Mary of Angels THE III. CHAPTER BVt that so great an indulgeÌ„ce might be published by Apostolical authority the Pope wrote to diuers Bishoppes of the valley of SpoletuÌ„ and particulerly to the Bishop of Assiâ—e within whose diocese the said church was and to the Bishoppes of FolliniuÌ„ of Agubio and of Nocera that they should be all present att S. Mary of Angels the first day of August to consecrate and publish the said indulgeÌ„ce that there had bin graunted by diuine reuelatioÌ„ and Apostolicall permission att the request of the holy Father S. Francis who taking the said letters and thancking the Pope he departed with his companios with great reuerence and humility to deliuer theÌ„ to the said Bishoppes praying them in the name of God and his holines that they would not faile on the said day to be preseÌ„t in his Church there to performe what was enioyned theÌ„ After that he retourned to AssisiuÌ„ where he caused to be prepared a great scaffold for that effect that the sayd Bishoppes might the more commodiously and better be vnderstood of the people The day determined being come the Bishoppes entred into the said Church where being asceÌ„ded on the scaffold they said to S. Fran. that though they were come thither to publish the indulgence as they were ready to doe yet they thought it more requisite that himselfe should first declare vnto the people wheÌ„ and in what sort it had bin grauÌ„ted him by God and the Pope which done they would confirme it The holy Father answeared theÌ„ though I be not worthy to speake in your preseÌ„ce yet as most obedient seruaÌ„t I will performe your coÌ„mand AsceÌ„ding therfore
in the pulpitt he made a sermō to the people that thither by Goddes prouidence were abondātly flocked from all the neighbour places with an extreme feruour explicating vnto thē this so great treasure which he performed with such deep doctrine that it seemed rather the discourse of an Angell thē of a mā vnlearned as he was Att the end of this sermō he denoūced vnto the people in the name of God his most sacred mother the indulgēce in these words Whosoeuer being truely cōtrite cōfessed shall visitt this church the first day of August from the euensong therof and the night and daie of the feast it selfe to the sunne setting he shall gaine a plenary indulgence which is graunted him first by God secōdarily by his Vicare Pope Honorius and the same to cōtinue for euer on that day The bishopps there presēt to cōfirme the speech S. Frācis would not accord to that for euer The bishop of Assisiū therfore cōfirming the indulgēce to the people purposing to limitt it to ten yeares could neuer vtter it but was cōstrayned to say for euer the like happened vnto the other bishoppes This miracle being very euidētly knowne vnto the people it encreased their faith preuēted the doubt which some might haue had that God himselfe had not graūted this indulgēce Therefore the publicatiō being ended the bishoppes being exceedingly amazed att the miracle did with great solēnity consecrate the said church which continued for euer endued with this great treasure to the glory of our lord his holy mother the virgin Mary and his seruant S. Francis and to the soules health of all Christians Of certaine miracles wrought by Godin confirmatiō of the said indulgence THE IV. CHAPTER IT pleased God besides the fore mentioned to cause this so great indulgence to be beleeued and reuerenced in due mannner for the publike good by such miracles and reuelations as we shall now relate The yeare following a great number of people being come to gaine the said indulgence whiles they watched by night in prayer vnto God in the said church there arose in a moment such a rumour among the people there assembled that the Religious who were att rest were awakened therwith Comming therfore into the church they saw a Doue whiter then snow that flew fiue times about the Church One of them stepping forward the better to see came neere the high altare where he found Brother Corrado of Offeida a right holy Religious of an exceeding exemplare life and famous for miracles whome he prayed to lett him better vnderstand the occasion of the great murmure that was among the people who verie pitifull cryed out This venerable Father answeared that he was content to tell him conditionally that he would promise not to reueale it to any person during his life Which being condicioned he said I saw the Queene of heauen to discend cloathed with an ineffable splendour as holding her Sonne in her armes and to giue her holy benediction vnto all present then this Doue which was with her on the altare began to fly to signifie the visitation of God it hath here flowne round about the church Which the people seeing though they knew not all began thus to crye out towardes heauen The same day the mother of our lord was seene to enter into the Church with the Religious and to accompanie the ordinarie procession with a great troupe of Angels that sung prayses vnto God This was seene by Religious of pious life and also by certaine pilgrimes As in the Marquisat of Ancona one coniured the deuill that vehementlie afflicted a poore possessed woman to enforce him to tell what course was to be vsed to expell him he answeared att lenght that he tormented not the woman for any sinne of hers but onlie to the end God might be praysed by her and that therefore there was no other remedie to deliuer her but to procure her to gaine the indulgence of our ladie of Angels and that he spake thus much as forciblie cōstrayned to speake against him selfe as he likewise confessed that by the same indulgence he lost a great multitud of soules which he already held as his owne by reason of the enormous sinnes they had committed The woman was therfore with great affliction and greife brought to our ladie of Angels the verie day of the indulgence and as soone as she was entred the effect succeeded for the deuill lifting her into the aire departed and the poore woman fell as dead to the ground But by the merittes of the glorious Virgin she incontinentlie arose verie sound of bodie and soule hauing bin confessed to gaine the indulgence There are besides manie true testimonyes to whome haue appeared the spirittes of diuers deceassed reuealing vnto them that hauing certaine dayes before their death gayned the said indulgence they were sodenlie by the glorious Virgin Mother conducted into Paradice without feeling any paine of purgatorie others also gayning this indulgence that was applyed vnto them by forme of suffrage after their death by meane of some liuing freindes were deliuered of the paines of Purgatorie as by this ensuying discourse shall appeare A Venetian Gentleman that was a verie spirituall Preist desiring to gaine this indulgence as he prepared himselfe to goe thither he fell sicke and of the same sicknes dyed but before his death he said to a very freind of his My good freinde I desire you to beleeue that there is no man in the world of my kinred or whosoeuer other in whome I haue more confidence then in your selfe nor of whome I hope to obtaine what I desire for the saluation of my soule I therfore pray you that if it please God to call me vnto him you will vndertake so much labour as to goe to our ladie of Angels to gaine the plenaire indulgence for the benefitt of my soule and to defray your chardges in the iorney demaund what you will and I will giue it you that the indulgence being mine you receaue no detriment therby This freind took what was requisit for his expences and promised to goe Now this Preist being dead and the time of Pilgrimage being come his deere freind though he saw manie that prepared them selues to the iorney he as if he had made no promise deferred his iorney purposing with himselfe to goe the yeare following which is a thing but too ordinarie to ingratefull persons kinred and freindes neglecting and forgetting the poore decassed the Preist appeared to this vnworthy freind in his sleep the same night that he had made the foresaid purpose and with an angry countenance reprehending him he said Goe on thy iorney now with such as prepare themselues therto He awaking determined to doe that for feare which he had neglected to doe for respect of amitye Hauing effected the promise the same day that he entred into the church and gayned the indulgence for the deceased the Preist in the night ensuying appeared vnto
by his death and maintayning them by his most sacred body in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist not reseruing any thing to himselfe which he did not graciouslie giue vnto vs to further our saluation In that respect we are obliged by his example to doe whatsoeuer we thinck may be pleasing vnto him to leaue all our affections and for a time omitting prayer to applie vs to preaching Further to tell you the truth on the one side mine owne will allureth me to repose on the other I remember when I retourned from Rome wtih the confirmation of the rule God reuealed vnto me that his intention was I should remaine not in desertes but in the world to assist the redemption of many soules from the swallow of the deuill In regard of all these considerations I craue your counsaile because God would neuer reueale it vnto me for I euery day with verie great instance demaund the same of him All the Religious answeared that they were not capable to counsaile and satisfie him therin then calling Brother Macie he said Goe to thy Sister Clare and in my behalfe will her with all her sisters to pray vnto God that he will please to teach me to performe his seruice in this point and hauing done this message goe to Mount Subasio to Brother Siluester who by the holy Ghost is made worthy of diuine discourse and who by his merittes obtayneth of God what grace he pleaseth to him deliuer from me the same message Brother Macie hauing accomplished his commission and retourning S. Francis receaued him with verie great charitie for he washed his feet and made him eat then conducted him to the toppe of a mouutaine where kneeling downe with his head bare and armes crossed he said to Brother Macie What pleaseth my Lord IESVS CHRIST that I doe who answeared that Brother Siluester setling himselfe to prayer assoone as he had spoaken he had reuelation frō God that he had not called him to this vocation for his proper and particuler benefitt but that by meane of his preaching many lost soules might be conuerted to pennance and told him withall that the same had bin reuealed to S. Clare God would haue this matter thus to proceed that euery one might by diuers testimonies know wherfore his diuine Maiesty had sent this his seruant into the world The S. of God standing vpon his feet hauing heard this answeare which he desired to heare on his knees as a resolution from the almighty replenished with the holy Ghost and enflamed in the loue of IESVS CHRIST he answeared Brother Macie lett vs then goe Brother in the name of God and so transported by the holy Ghost he that very houre put himselfe in iorney hauing called Brother Angelus for a third companion he knew not whither he went but committed himselfe to the conduct of the holy Ghost and so he arriued att a towne called Carnerio two leagues from Assisium where he preached to the people with so great a feruour and generall edification that as well the men as women hauing heard him so piously to discourse of the contempt of the world and seing that God spake by him they were so moued that almost all of them would haue abandonned their owne houses and followed him to effect his holy counsailes but that the S. inspired of God willed them not to stirre but that they should liue vprightly in the feare of his diuine Maiesty obseruing his holy commandementes and should educate and trayne vp their children and family christianlike alwayes hoping in God and shunning sinne as their greatest ennemy and told them he would not faile to enstruct thē the way to find pardon att Gods handes But all these wordes were vaine for these people hauing no further power to resist the holy Ghost that boyled in their hart would not yeld to him nor be satisfied till he had receaued them al for Brothers sisters of his order and so by diuine inspiration the glorious Father S. Francis instituted the third order of penitentes which is for personnes of all qualities virgins maryed people widowes of both sex wherof we shall particulerly treat hereafter in the ninth booke of the second part Of the first Chapter of the third Order and of the reuelation made by one possessed vnto S. Francis This was the eight chapter of the ninth book and here placed as a matter particulerly appartayning to sainct Francis THe yeare 1222. there was among others a man of this Order called Bartholameo a Procuratour who hauing heard a sermon of S. Francis was conuerted to God and gaue ouer the processes of the world and being cloathed in the habitt of the third Order he endeauored by a continuall spirituall labour to produce fruites worthy of pennance so that he attayned to such a sanctity of life and familiarity with the holy Father S. Francis that he authorized him in his place for euer to admitt men and women into the third Order It happened that this m◠had accidentally a possessed person in his house that did neuer rest babling neuertheles att the comming of S. Francis he became mute and so continued for three dayes the time of S. Francis his aboad there Which the master of the house found very straunge yet not to molest the holy Father to whome he carryed a singuler reuerence he forbare to discouer any thing vnto him the holy Father being departed and the possessed beginning againe to talke the said Bartholomeo asked him in the name of God why he had bin so mute wherto the possessed resisting and the coniurations augmented att lenght he said know that till that Religious was departed I was so bound of God that I could neuer vtter one word This man of God replyed hath then that Religious so great vertue as for three dayes to make thee mute the possessed answeared it is not long since that our Prince being with all his troupe assembled gaue vs to vnderstand that God had neuer abandonned the world but that he sent it some of his seruantes as Noe Abraham Moyses and att lenght his Sonne himselfe and since that time the charitie of Christians being was so cold that the benefitt of the passion of his Sonne was as it were vtterlie bannished all memorie and consideration wherfore he our Prince much admrred that God did so long foabeare to giue it succoure but when he saw this Religious to issue foorth with such a sublimity of cōtempt of the world and with such a resignation of himselfe vnto God yea to renew the life of IESVS CHRIST on earth drawing after him such a multitude of the world and particulerlie of perfect men he manifestlie knew that this was the man whome he feared to come he therfore excited vs all to persecute him and to that purpose it is not long since that manie thousandes of vs were assembled in an oratorie where we found meanes to ruinate his Order for we will induce therinto the familiarity of women
manifestation that he had not any thing in this world and with the more facility to wrestle against his furious aduersary in this last conflict and triall wherin consisted the crowne he with an exceeding feruour and courage stript himselfe all naked as he had bin without any infirmity then cast himselfe on the ground couering with his left hand the precious wound of his right hand and tourning his ioyfull face towardes the kingdome whither he was to goe he began to prayse and blesse his sweet lord IESVS CHRIST that being dischardged and freed of all worldly impedimentes he might ascend to heauen and enioy his diuine Maiestie then tourning towardes his Religious he said vnto them My deere Brethren I haue to this present done what I ought to doe These wordes were diuersely vnderstood of the Religious some of them wept in regard he was to leaue them without Pastour and gouernour others because he seemed to leaue them as men forlorne others for other occasions only the Guardian whome he obeyed vnderstood the desire of the holy Father wherfore taking presentlie an habitt with the cord and linnen breeches brought and gaue it vnto him saying Father take this habitt which I lend you with the corde and breeches that you may be buryed therwith as a poore creature who of your selfe haue not so much as wherwith to couer your nakednes I command you to receaue it in this your last houre euen by the vertue and meritt of obedience wherof the Sainct discouered to haue the greatest contentment that can be imagined considering that in this extremity he had obserued his holy pouerty in such sort as he desired euen to the last end He contentedlie accepted the breeches but to conforme himselfe entierlie to his truely-beloued IESVS CHRIST that would dye naked on the crosse to the performance wherof wanting nothing but to dye naked hauing already bin and euen for the present being admirably crucified by the vertue of the almighty he commaunded his Religious not only to permitt him to dye on the ground but euen to leaue him there a long time after his death Hauing procured to be brought vnto him the holy Sacramentes and they being successiuely administred vnto him those I meane which the Church accustometh to afford such as are ready to dye he lastly tourned towardes his Religious to whome he made a worthy sermon exhorting them to the loue of God then of their neighbour and especially to obedience vnto his holie Romane Church next to obserue their pouerty and before the same and all other thinges to be alwayes mindfull to preferre the obseruance of the holy ghospell and the diuine counsailes therof Then crossing his hādes this great Patriarch of the poore gaue his holy benediction to all his Religious both present and absent saying My deere Brethren God of his mercy blesse you as also I blesse you be it his holy will to confirme me it in heauen Remayne ye all in his holy feare perseuering alwayes therin for the time of afflictions approach wherin they shal be happy who shall perseuer euen to the end remayne ye all in his holy obedience as you haue solemnely promised vnto him Finally remayne ye all in his most holy peace and in charity among your selues God blesse you I goe in great hast vnto God to whose grace I recommend you Amen Which hauing said he asked for the gospell and speaking no more to any person he only desired that place to be read vnto him where is mentioned the departure of our lord Ante diem festum paschae which being read to the end he began to say to himselfe Voce mea ad Dominum clamaui And being come to the verse Educ de custodia animam meam that is deliuer my soule if thou please my God out of this prison that it may attaine to thee my God and my lord where the iust expect me to the end thou mayest giue me my recompence Which being ended this holy soule at it desired was deliuered out of the prison of her proper flesh and eleuated to heauen there foreuer to enioy the eternall bounty with all the sainctes his elected of both sexes in that degree which his diuine maiestie ordayned and parepared for him How some saw the soule of the glorious Father sainct Francis ascend in glory THE LXXI CHAPTER THis holy soule failed not to appeare to some when it ascended to the celestiall glory For Brother Angelus a Religious of worthy sanctity being att that time prouinciall of the prouince of Naples and very neere his end saw in an instant the soule of the sainct as a resplendant starre on the toppe of a verie bright cloud to be transported aboue the great waters and directlie mounted and eleuated into heauen And albeit he had the space of two dayes lost his speech he neuertheles then resumed his spirittes for seeing the blessed spiritt of the sainct he began to crye out Stay for me Father stay for me for I goe also with you The Religious asking what he meant therbie See you not said he our holie Father sainct Francis that now goeth to the glory of Paradice which hauing spoaken he yelded his soule to God and followed his most holy Father The Bishop of Assisium being gone in pilgrimage to visitt the Church of S. Michael the Archangell on the mount Gargan S. Francis appeared vnto him the very night of his death and said My lord know that I haue left the world and goe to heauen The Bishop therfore being risen told his people that S. Francis was dead the night before which was proued to be true An other Religious of this Order being the same night rapt into deep contemplation saw the blessed Deacon of IESVS CHRIST vested with a very rich tunicle accompanyed with a great multitude of soules that attended him as a worthy Prince who so ascended into a pallace of merueillous beauty and eminency it is piously beleeued that the said soules were by his merittes deliuered out of Purgatory This glorious soule ascended to glory accompanied with many Angels that attended and visited him continually in this life and is now seated among the Seraphins which glory he merited not only in this life by the excessiue and Seraphicall loue of God but also it appartayned vnto him in regard of the Seraphicall vision of IESVS CHRIST who transformed him into himselfe making him a Seraphin by gtace and sealing the same with diuine seales as hath bin reuealed to many holy personnes worthy of creditt as well during the life of the Sainct as after his death The verie birdes and particulerlie the Larckes that were much beloued and verie familiar vnto him did exceedinglie reioyce att his glorie a great flight of them appearing verie earlie the next morning on the roufe of the house where sainct Francis lay dead warbling a verie delightfull and extraordinarie note yea as it were miraculous which continued diuers howers celebrating the prayses
retourned againe and seeing the sorrowfull spectacle of her dead sonne crossing her armes began to crye out and torment her selfe therby mouing all her neighbours to compassion Now among them that there assembled there was a Freer Minor that was goeing to preach in a church nere therevnto but came first to see this acccident where he said to the Father of the dead child doe you not beleue that S. Francis by the great loue which he carryed to IESVS CHRIST crucified to giue liue to meÌ„ can raise thy sonne The Father answeared that he firmily beleeeued it faithfully confessed it and would for euer remaine seruant to the S. if by his meane he might meritt to obtaine that fauour The Religious then fell to his prayers and exhorted all that were present to doe the like which done the child first began to speake then opening his eyes lifted vp his handes not without exceeding astonishmeÌ„t of all the assistants that attentiuely beheld him Finally he arose one his feet and incontinently went to embrace his mother sound and secure without any signe of such a fall which was performed by the vertue of the holy Father S. Francis Of other dead raised by the merittes of the holy Father THE V. CHAPTER IN the citty of Capua diuers children playing vpon the water-crane one of them by mischance fell into the riuer which being very swift and violent he sunck instantly to the bottome where he remayned buryed in the sand His companions not knowing how to helpe him began to cry which the people hearing they hastened thither from all paâ—tes many inuocating the merittes of S. Francis in regard that the pareÌ„tes of the child were very deuout vnto him that he would please to assist him Their prayer being ended one of them that could swimme inuocating the name of S. Francis so laboured in the riuer that he found the place where the child was couered with sand whome with much sorrow and paine he drew out quite dead to the exceeding greife of those present who with loud voice cryed out S. Francis the true seruant of God restore this child aliue vnto his Father yea certaine Iewes being there arriued induced by a naturall commiseration likewise prayed vnto him Att these prayers the child that had bin dead and lay deformed on the ground incontinently arose in health and ioyfull as he had come from play and prayed those present to conduct him to the church of sainct Francis that he might giue thanckes vnto him acknowledgeing that by his merittes he had bin raised In the citty of Suesse there fell downe a house in the Piller-street vnder which was crushed a child that there was present att the noise of this fall all the neigâ—bours presently hastened and suspected that which was true they incontinently remoued the stones and wood and fouÌ„d the child dead whome they carryed to his mother who seeing it was so ouercome with greife that she lost her speech Retourning to her selfe she begaÌ„ with a sorrowful voice to lameÌ„t in these wordes O S. FraÌ„cis O glorious S. restore me my child I beseech thee by the loue wherwith thou hast serued IESVS CHRIST This womaÌ„ did not pray alone but together all that were preseÌ„t affectionatly imploring the S. to coÌ„fort this disolate mother perceauing that this dead body had neither seÌ„ce nor voice they tooke it stretched it out to be shrouded to bury it the day following But the mother reposing great hope in God that by the metes of the S. her sonne should retouâ—ne to life vowed to couer the Altare of S. Francis with a new ornament and a new altare cloth about midnight her child began to gape and after his dead membres were warmed in an instant he arose on his feet very sound and well to the great amazement of all that were present who praysed and thancked God for the same A child of Rogouse called Giâ—laudin being in a faâ—me att the time of the vintage goeing vnder the wine presse with a vessell to putt wine therin there fell downe gâ—osse stones and blockes of wood from vpon the said presse that crushed his head Att the cry of the child his father that was neere by came running but being vnable to helpe his soÌ„ne that was couered with the grosse stones and peices of wood he called the presse-labourers and prayed them to assist him who hauing coÌ„passion of him drew out the child already dead from vnder the burden and deliuered him to the extremly afflicted father who humbly falling prostrate on the earth prayed ouâ— lord by the great merittes of the holy Father Francis whose feast was very neere to restore life to his child and he made vowes especially with his sonne being raysed to visitt the body of the S. God by the merittes of his seruant heard him but after an admirable manner for as soone as it pleased God to graunt to this man the fauour he required att the very same instant the child that was all bruised appeared perfectly well and very merrily repreheÌ„ding those that wept and assuring them that his life was restored him by the merittes of S. Francis An other dead person was raysed in Almaigne wherof Pope Gregory the ninth by his apostolicall letters att the translation of S. Francis certified all that were present and att the generall chapter of the Frere Minors who vpon this aduertisement ended their chapter with great alacrity The manner and circumstance of this miracle is not committed to writting because it is not knowen neuertheles it is beleeued that the testimony of so holy a Pope much exceedeth in aucthority all the declarations that may be made therof Of such as were deliuered from danger of death by the seruant of the omnipotent THE VI. CHAPTER THere was a gentleman neere vnto Rome named Rodulphus whose wife was very deuout they willingly entertayned the Frere Minors into their house as well in forme of hospitality for they were very charitable as for the loue and reuerence they carryed to the glorious Father S. Francis Now it once happened that two Frere Minors being lodged with them whiles they were a sleep a sentinell that kept watch by night on a very high tower resting against a peice of wood that was not well fastened the wood and the man fell both from the hight of the said tower vpon the roofe of the lodging and thence to the ground with such a noyse that caused very many yea the master and mistresse with the said Frere Minors to hasten thither who found the man so fallen in such a deepe sleep that he perceaued not himselfe to be fallen nor did awake att the noyse made by them that came to helpe him so that he was pulled and called and att length so rudely shaken that he awaked out of that profound sleep coÌ„playning that he had bin distourbed of the sweet repose wherin he was affirming that he slept with extreme contentment in the armes of
ghospell saying If any man will come after me lett him deny himselfe lett him know how much he is deceaued that esteemeth himselfe of any worthe lett him hate and dye in himselfe that he may know me loue and liue in me and I in him And as the nature of fire is to ascend on high so the nature of a soule free and disburdened from the waight of selfe and naturall affection is to mount and ascend into God which is her proper place where she was created to repose in him blessedly perfect and eternall As it is the nature of a stone by meane of his naturall waight to decline vnto his center so is it naturall to the hart loaden with loue of it selfe and other creatures to fall by his owne fault into hell Lett the soule then that shall haue placed all his end in God and desireth to ascend to the throne of grace of the true Salomon IESVS GHRIST who being a most gracious and peaceable king fitteth art the right hand of his Father in whome all the desires of Angels and glorious soules are absolutelie effected lett that soule I say behold in this dayes exercise the ladder of Iacob whose hight toucheth the heauen and that she the more easely and with better order ascend she may make seauen seuerall degrees or steppes which are so disposed by Vbertin The first is the tast the second the desire the third satiety the fourth excesse or spirituall extasie the fift asseurance the sixt tranquility God only knoweth the name of the seauenth We attaine to the knowledge of these degrees and exercises rather by the effectes and actions as it is in other spirituall thinges then of themselues they being perceiued with spirituall eyes wherto althinges are apparant but especially those that concerne the sweet effectes and graces therof The soule therfore that will profitt in them the more that she shall finde her sight cleare to know her weakenes shall correct her faultes and shall perseuer in mortification and exercise of worckes of charity so much lesse sight shall she haue to cast her eyes on the degree or on the height of her perfection leauing the care therof to God alone imploying her selfe onlie in her humility he that hath any litle knowledge of spirituall thinges will easilie comprehend that to search after that which appertayneth only to God to witt to labour for perfection and not for mortification that it followeth therof that there are so few truely spirituall and that deserue this name though many by their profession or exercise pretend so to be Of the first degree and exercise of contemplation THE II. CHAPTER THe first degree then of contemplation as we haue said is the tast wherof Dauid seemeth to speake when the saith Tast and see how sweet God is blessed is he that hath put all his hope in him The Prophett speaketh to smners who thinck to haue no other gaine nor tast but of the world Tast yee sinners saith he and see your errours and you shall know what you loose euen in this life And as the first steppe of the ladder raiseth a man from the earth so the exercise of this first degree is to sequester one from sinnes and the indirect way and to loose the tast of lewd wordlie contentementes yea to hate and detest them so to receaue the tast which God giueth to the soule of a cleare conscience Therfore his diuine Maiestie to draw vnto him the soule accustomed to sensnall thinges giueth vnto her spirituall consolations in the beginning for it would be verie difficult to draw the cold and feeble soule to diuine thinges without this new tast which is giuen her of God as a sensible Manna and therfore the other exercises of this estate are true contrition frequent confession full satisfaction and most profound acknowledgement of ones owne fault ingratitude malice and rash presumption against God Of which thinges proceed desires to satisfy the diuine iustice for satisfaction in other respectes should already be done being neuer wearyed wiâ—h sighing and repenting to haue offended God and so with a feruent zeale of iust correction for God to addict himselfe to penance to fastinges disciplines austerities and wachinges labouring with great patience to offer such prayers as proceed rather from the hart then the mouth And because it will seeme difficult to the penitent to performe this appearing repugnant to his nature he must endeauour to prepare and enable his hart by pious cogitations and meditations and by the remembrance and tast of God as to thinck on death on the generall iudgement on the feare therof on hell and the paine therof one Paradicice and the glory therof on the benefittes and graces of his diuine Maiesty as well in generall as in particular bestowed on all personnes and aboue all lett him not forgett the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST as a soueraigne benefitt of God bestowed on vs wherin consisteth all our consolation and hope When the sinner calleth to minde his great ingratitude towardes God in as much as lyeth in him by his sinnes crucifying him againe and after he had bin so deerly redeemed with his precious bloud and most cruell death destroying himselfe againe by yelding himselfe to the deuill to the great misprise and contempt of his God he cannot but carrie a great hatred to his sinnes and desire to doe great penance therfore that he no more erre from the way of God he considereth how he ought to liue he sequestreth himselfe frome idle and vnprofitable conuersations he smothereth peruerse inclinations and appetites endeauouring to gett an hatred of his owne affection a contempt of the world and finally a victory of him selfe to yeld himselfe absolutely vnto God IESVS CHRIST taught this first degree to his seruant Francis when appearing vnto him att the beginning of his conuersion he told him that it was necessarie for him to chaung the corrupted and infected tast which he had and to make him finde tast in that which till then he had misprised and that what soeuer he had sound pleasing should proue distastfull and bitter I know not indeed of what Sainct are recorded greater exercices in this separation deeper foundation of penance and more labours then of him and doubles it was requisite for him for he was to ascend vnto such a perfection and to be an example in the church to fly the world to make his habitation in solitary places and desert woodes to renounce monie and his fathers patrimonie euen to this shirt to displaint himselfe from his kinred and freindes from conuersations and ordinarie courses of life euen by the root to trans-plant himselfe into God and with such courage that it was not needfull for him to fly into the desert thenceforward to sequester him selfe from the world He powered out an abondant quantitie of teares and sighes with a feeling coÌ„passion meditating on the passion of our Lord IESVS CHRIST wherof he learned to liue in such
deuotion they all neuertheles seeme displeasing and withall knowing that all humane affections and motions all liberall artes sciences all subtility of spirittes all exquisite theologie and other curious sciences cannot giue peace nor satiate our hart if they be vsed with pride and that only the diuine loue can performe the same in an humble hart and mortified in his proper desires and opinions which will not be surprised more or lesse in any other thing nor affecteth other power or knowledge then how to loue his God and how to ridde himselfe of all vaine cogitations and of his proper complacence and curiosity to comprehend lofty and secrett matters and to proceed in a singularitie of life and exercises the property of this estate is to support the tentations the terrours and deceiptes of the deuils because our soule resisteth not flesh and bloud only but the spirittes and powers of darcknes surmounting all other creatures yea himselfe and possessing God alone in his only desire Our soule hath an other property not only seeking thenceforward finding her beloued in creatures by meditations and imaginations framed by the vnderstanding but often without attending and knocking att the dote the feruent desires enflamed sighes which she breatheth out for her loue conducteth her in and then she conuerseth with and freely heareth her God because she incontineÌ„tlie arriueth to that estate wherof our Lord IESVS CHRIST spake I call you no longer seruantes but freindes such are the effects of feruent loues that transport the soule into God to make her one spiritt with him and one will and as this loue is supernaturall and diuine incomparablie of more efficacie then the naturall it doth consequentlie with a fastened knott and bond of charity conioyne the spiritt with God So that we may say in this estate such a loue worcketh three effectes or offices The first to depriue the soule of all kind and quality of loue except the loue of God that she may no more be disioyned from him conformablie to those wordes of the Apostle sainct Paul No man can hereafter separate vs from the charity and loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The second is to giue no place to idlenes for as saith the moral sainct Gregory He that is idle loueth not and therfore his worck is to labour with an appetite sweet and sauourous in God and to run vnto him withall his hart as to his soueraigne Good and to keep his spiritt setled and combined in him continually enflaming his desires to a cruell and continuall warre vpon such discord that can neuer haue peace with the cares disordinate passions and naturall desires which labour to satiate him in other places wheras this loue endeauoureth att least to keep him alwayes concerning the memorie and the desires being separated from all terrestriall cares and conuersations with the feare of the staine which veniall disorders leaues in the soule and the impediment which they procure to the continuall amourous affection of God which causeth the soule especially to loue and desire solitude and to be sequestred from all creatures for as the Adamant draweth iron vnto it so God being loued draueth vnto him the louer into a solitarie place and sequestreth him from humane conuersation that he may tast diuine The third office whence this second proceedeth is that this loue neuer ceasseth to growe no otherwise then fire which hauing matter neuer faileth to encrease As then our Lord I. C. is infinitely worthy to be loued and that charity alwayes findeth in him matter to encrease and more and more euery hower to dilate it selfe so this augmentation of loue hath neuer end in this life so that the proper office of this loue is to constraine a man to make progresse in his perfection of life and with a continuall warre against luke warmnesâ—e It is easie to be collected in diuers places out of the Legend rule and life of S. FraÌ„cis how much this degree of loue and perfection made him alwayes ioyfull and content in his pouerty it there appeareth how much he abhorred and shunned the honours and contentments of the world and with what vnion of spiritt he conceaued tast and satisfaction in prayer For this occasion he would that his Religious should be alwayes ioyfull exteriourly and interiourly as men contented in the true graces which they receaued of the mercie of God this satiety which he had in God hindered him from desiring sciences and honours for his Religion as the greedy of this world desire and procure but he would that only the pouerty and humility of his Lord I. C. should alwayes be and shine in his Order and that there one should neuer satisfie and content himselfe enough in the following imitating and louing of I. C. The wicked spirittes could not not endure this loue that burned in him perpetually and therfore they neuer omitted to tempt and terrifie him endeauouring to distract him but finding nothing in him wherof to take hold he being naked and depriued of all earthely thinges they presumed by their horrours and terrours to make him stopp and tourne his course The continuall lentes which he kept in perpetual silence and in solitarie places discouer how incomparable he was and his continuall feruour in the exercise of prayer and spirituall profitt in all kind of vertues as also his ordinarie watchfulnes ouer his sences and his body likewise his manner of life alwayes apart except when he trauelled for the saluation of soules as one that had in God alone his repose and satiety Of the fourth degree to ascend vnto perfection called spirituall Excesse or Extasie THE V. CHAPTER THe fourth degree is extasie spirituall excesse or dronkennes of spiritt which proceedeth of the satiety of the soule made droncken with the diuine loue of the Holy Ghost without any water of our imaginations and humane fantasies which forsake vs not without difficulty if God take not the soule by the hand draw it vnto him causingal the sences to remaine without depriued of their functioÌ„ the soule being imployed secretly with her God yea it see meth to the soule that she endureth the like for being with God she is more aboue then in her selfe and therfore seeing she seeth not and feeling she feeleth not For she being pure and cleare from all corporall images which are her irons and the matter of her prayers she feeleth only the effectes with the worckes of the diuine presence and charity And therfore he that is raysed to this degree of perfection doth accustome to exercise lesse meditations how pious soeuer vsing them only to creat in his soule admirations deuotions and feruours towardes his beloued God drawing the sparckes of loue from his hart with those meditations as with a perfect fire-steele which most commonly is in men more hard then a flint-stone for as the way of the vnderstanding proceedeth not of humane stile though it be directed vnto God the knowledge notwithstanding proceeding
prepared for thē that loue him perfectly And as the cōtēplatiue S. Bernard saith it is not permitted to all or in one same place and degree to enioy the secrett and glorious presence of God but according as the celestiall Father determineth to each one because we haue not elected God but he vs who hath giuen place proper to each one of his SS each one is where he hath bin placed S. Mary Magdalē found place to her was graunted the feet of our Lord I. C. S. Thomas the Apostle was admitted to his side S. Peter to the bosome of the Father S. Iohn to the breast of I. C. S. Paul was eleuated to the third heauē the sacred woūdes of our Lord I. C. were cōmunicated vnto S. Francis Who thē shall presume to haue a desire to know the perfectiō merittes of such a greatnes as S. Mary Magdalē reposed on the bed of true penance S. Thomas in the light of truth S. Peter in the chaire of faith S. Iohn in the fournace of charity S. Paul in the throne of wisdome and S. Francis in the loue trāsformation of I. C. we cānot for it is not permitted vs but only to follow imitate the SS in the worckes perfections which are mercifully reuealed by our Lord I. C. therfore to giue in finite thanckes to the author of all goodnes that by the merittes of his sainctes by their intercession and his diuine grace he conduct vs to that perfection in this life and that in the other we may enioy the eternall glorie Amen The end of the third booke and first volume of Chronicles of the Frere Minors wherin is conteined the life death and miracles of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS CONTEINING THE MARTYRDOME of diuers Religious of the Order of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis Translated by the partie aforesaid THE SECOND VOLVME How S. Francis sent certaine Religious to preach the faith of Iesus Christ vnto the Mores in Spaine THE FIRST CHAPTER IN the yeare of grace 1219. the glorious Father S. Francis kept the great generall chapter att Pentecost wherat all the Religious of his Order assembled as it hath bin amplie declared in the first booke of the first volume of these present Chronicles This Chapter was held eleuen years after that Pope Innocent the third had with his owne mouth confirmed the Order of the Frere Minors the fourth yeare of the Popedome of Pope Honorious the third of blessed memory who then piously gouerned the Church In this Chapter it was reuealed vnto S. Francis that he should againe send his Religious ouer the world to preach the faith of IESVS CHRIST as well amongest Christians as Pagans After this the most capable Religious of the Order were chosen for Prouincials S. Francis applyed himselfe to obey the holy will of God And because the rage of the Mores was spred ouer three partes of the world Asia Africa and Europe he resolued to send his Religious into those partes to preach the truth of the faith of IESVS CHRIST to reduce the Pagans from their damnable errours And to make a beginning he chose Asia for himselfe whither he went with eleuen of his Brethren and preached to the Soldan and the Mores of his kingdome He sent Brother Giles into Africa with Religious of like feruour and deuotion who thincking to preach to the Mores were apprehended by Christians and very vnwillingly brought back into Italy He sent six Italian Religious of very perfect life into Spaine where the Emperour Miramolin of Marocco persecuted the Christians The said Religious were Brother Vital Brother Berard Brother Peter Brother Adiutus Brother Accursus and Brother Otto of whome the first Brother Vital was by the holy Father constituted their superiour Brother Berard was an excellent preacher in the Arabian tongue Brother Otto was a Preist Brother Adiutus and Brother Accursus were lay Brethren the rule so tearming the Religious that keep not the quiet Now sainct Francis hauing called them said My children God hath commanded me to send you to preach the holy faith vnto the Mores and to impugne the sect of Mahomet and therfore my freindes hold your selues ready to execute his holy will in such sort as you shall see cause Goe yee I say my beloued ioyfully preparing your soules to the crowne which it shall please his diuine Maiesty to bestow vpon you performing his holy will according as you shall feele your selues inspired They as obedient children only bended their heades and crossed their armes expecting his holy benediction but the holy Father first made them this exhortation My deere children I haue certaine wordes to deliuer you that you may the better effect this commandement of God to his glorie and the saluation of your soules Be yee carefull to keepe peace among your selues and be not Brothers so much in habitt and profession as in spiritt and will Next haue speciall care to fly enuie which was the first cause of our damnation support with patience and be ioyfull in persecutions and humble before God and men and by this meane you shall obtaine victorie against your ennemis visible and inuisible Be yee mindefull to imitate with all your power our Lord IESVS CHRIST and to follow him in the strictest manner you can in all the three vowes in obedience obeying your superiour as he one earth obeyed his parentes in pouerty liuing therin as he did for he would be borne liue and dye poore and did alwayes preach pouerty to teach vs the same and in chastity liuing and persisting chast not only in bodie but euen in spirit sith our Lord so muchloued this vertue that he would be borne of a virgin and presently after his Natiuity would haue for his first fruites the holie Virgin Innocentes and being on the Crosse he would dye betwene two virgins his Blessed Mother and S. Iohn the Euangelist Cast all your cogitations and hopes in God and he will assist and conduct you Carry with you the rule and the Breuiary and say the diuine office the most deuoutly you can Lett Brother Vital be your superiour and therfore obey him entierly but aboue all be mindefull to meditate cōtinually on the passion of our lord IESVS CHRIST for that is it which shall make all incommodities sweet vnto you and all trauell pleasing in this long iorney into Spaine which you are to attempt and in the conuersation and commerce which yee are to haue with the Mores the ennemies of their Creatour Beleeue I pray you that there is nothing doth separate you from me but the glorie of God and the saluation of soules for but for that I would neuer disioyne you from me And God knoweth the greife and affliction which my hart feeleth for your departure though in deed your prompt obedience doth much comfort me but it is necessarie that we preferre the will of our lord before our owne These good
attaine the eternall kingdome And hauing spoken this touched with a iust and zealous disdaine spett twice vpon the ground in token that he abhorred the Mores proposition which the More tooke so offenciuely that in extreme fury he would willingly haue drawen his sword to haue slaine him but that it was death to draw a weapon in the kinges house and therfore he only gaue him a sound buffett saying goe sir master and learne to gouerne your tongue an other time This good Religious then as a true disciple of IESVS CHRIST incontinently answeared Brother God pardon you for you know not what you doe then tuurning his face he offered him the other cheeke bidding him strike as rudely as he would being as ready to eudure both that and more for the faith of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST The More not well hearing this reply was exceedingly amazed when he was aduertised therof and tourning towardes his owne people he said These lewd Christians shall not escape the iustice of our king which this day shall sharply be inflicted on them But these miserable wretches vnderstood not that kinde of reuenge knowne only to a few of the true seruantes of God How the king attempted againe to stagger and corrupt the holy Martyrs by promises THE XVI CHAPTER THe king in the meane time resolued to assault them with a new temptation wherby presuming to preuaile he reasoned with them in this manner you would repute your selues truely and really happy if you knew the grace which God and our great prophett offereth you in that they so pacifie my courage as I cannot reuenge me on you in such sort as your offences and demerites require but on the contrary in steed of punishing you I seeke by all meanes to gratifie you Herevpon the king freed his chamber of all the company but some few fauourites and caused to enter fiue faire and yong gentlewomen richely attired then said to the fiue Martyrs Note well what is in my clemencie I know well that your extreme pouerty and misery such as your habittes doe demonstrate hath troubled your braine but I hope by curtesie and my meree liberality to cure you for I will espouse you to these gentlewomen with whome I will giue a rich dowrye besides the portion of their parentes who are the greatest Peeres of my kingdome and whose substance you shall enherit vpon this only condition that you accept of our Religion which so many kingdomes and great personnages doe embrace The holy Martyrs stopped their eares against these deluding promises made by this subtill and creafty tyran whome they freely answeared O accursed of God assure thy selfe these thy delightes will shortly conduct thee to the goulfe of hell in the bottome wherof thy false messenger of God Mahomet attendeth thee to the end that as thou obeyest him in his law thou eternallie accompany him in tormentes And because thou art great in this world thou shalt also be greatly tormented and so much aboue others as thou hast more pleasure then they in this miserable life Ah wretched and miserable acknowledge the errour which thou so obstinatlie maintaynest As for vs by the grace of God we know well how to fly these false and transitorie pleasures hereafter to enioy those that are reall and eternall in the glorie of God which also we offer vnto thee in his behalfe with remission of all thy sinnes for our mercifull Lord IESVS CHRIST dyed as much for thee on the tree of the crosse as for vs. And if thou wilt not be ingratefull towardes his diuine maiestie acknowledge his graces and repent thee of this filthy life thou leadest which hath bin taught by thy false Prophett to thee and thine whome he leadeth as beastes by the nose of the sences after these carnall pleasures insteed and recompense wherof thou shalt eternallie burne in hell The king by this answeare perceaued well that his fauourable wordes avayled no more then his promises Wherfore as halfe enraged with fury for the iniuryes vttered against his Prophett and himselfe sith said he you will not conceaue your owne good I will make you proue what it is to offend the deity of our great Prophett and the maiesty of a croune for my selfe will reuenge the same with my owne handes for him and me which said he prepared himselfe to play the executioner How the holy Martyrs were beheaded by the very hand of the king Miramolm and how they appeared to the Infanta Madam Sanctia THE XVII CHAPTER BVt the beloued sainctes of our Lord neuer in all their life heard more welcome newes And therfore exceedingly ioyfull and content and replenished with an admirable consolation as knowing themselues to be neere their so desired recompence they with a great vehemence and feruour answeared in this sort O king our bodies only are in thy power and therin consisteth the greatest hurt thou canst doe vs which also redoundeth to our exceeding good with God therefore dispose of them att thy pleasure for our glory shal be so much greater in heauen where his diuine maiesty prepareth vs his crowne in regard that we dye for his holy faith in zeale wherof we againe admonish thee and in as much as the saluation of thy soule is precious vnto thee doe pray thee to leaue thy errours wherin the diuell hath drowned thee and to embrace the faith of the liuing God and of his only sonne IESVS CHRIST who seeketh to saue thee because this flesh which thou so much tenderest shall shortly be food for wormes and thy miserable soule shall feele the cruell and eternall paines which the damned endure in hell The king heard not the end of this discourse but commanded them to be conducted to a place before his palace that there he might execute them himselfe and that thereby the zeale he had to the law of Mahomett might publikely appeare after that he walked thither with his people where taking his great hanger he separated them then cryed out I am now to reuenge the cause of our holy Prophett and the derisions of our law with myne owne handes which said full of diabolicall fury he gaue to each of the Martyrs a blow on the middest of the head which cleaued it euen almost to the chinne then he pleased himselfe in cutting their throtes glutting his fury by the sight of their bloud So being deuoutlie on their knees praying God to pardon their persecutors they by the handes of this great executioner yelded their soules vnto God the yeare of grace 1220. and the fourth yeare of the Papacie of Pope Honorius the third the sixt of Ianuary somewhat lesse then seauen yeares before the death of the glorious Father S. Francis These were the first of his Order which he sent vnto heauen Att the same time the fiue Martyrs appeared to the foresaid Infanta in the citty of Alenquer about eleuen of the clock in the forenoone she being very deuoutlie praying in her chamber They had in their handes each
whome very attentiuely beholding and demaunding of Br. Roger whome he saw I see answeared he my Lord IESVS CHRIST Wherto he added fower other wordes for the comfort and edification of his Religious after that he reposed and was halfe an hower in contemplation and then yelded his soule to God He seemed to sleep and presently his flesh that before was vnpleasing to behold as well in regard of his abstinence as his discipline which had made it withered and wan became so white cleare and bright that it seemed rather his glorious then mortall body He died the yeare 1231. the 13. day of Iune being friday the 36. yeare of his age wherof he had spent fifteene in his Fathers house two in the monasterie of S. Vincent att Lisbone nine att S. Crosse of Conimbria and about ten in the Order of S. Francis where he liued very famous in his life doctrine and miracles How he appeared to the Abbot of Vercelles THE XXVIII CHAPTER WIthin the very houre of his departure he sodenly appeared in the chamber of the Abbot of Vercelles sometime his master and Gouernour as if he had priuately entred told him that he had left his residence and was retiring into his contry which said he stroake him with his hand vnder the chinne as if he would dandle him and so cured him of a disease which he had there then vanished as if he had gone out att the chamber dore but the Abbot following him could not finde him and enquiring of his familie if they had seene him they answeared no. Att length sending to his Couent and missing him there he began to vnderstand that his contry whither he was goeing was not Portugall but Paradis and that he dyed att the same instant Of a great mirache wherby the death of sainct Antony was discouered and of the dissension that arose about his sepulture THE XXIX CHAPTER AFter the decease of S. Antony the Religious resolued to conceale it till they had determined how to dispose of his bodie so to auoyd the tumult of the people But God did manifest it by the voices of children that went by troupes crying throughe the Cittie Our Father Sainct Antonie is dead which induced manie Burgesses to goe to the monasterie of Arcele where they vnderstood the truth and hauing found him dead they presently placed many armed men to guard the body and to hinder the transporting therof Then the Frere Minors of the monasterie of Padua also hastened incontinentlie thither accompanyed with manie honorable personnes of the Cittie and required the body as appertayning vnto them considering that the sainct in his life time had declared his intention which was to be interred in their Couent which they made apparant There were also other Competitors which were they that dwelt on the other side of the bridge who perceauing that the Oratorie of Arcele was not secure and that there might be disorder endeuoured by force to take away the holy body to carry it to a monasterie of Religious women neere therevnto and the controuersie grew to such a head that they were readie to fight when as a third party and such as were newters there present laboured to accord them with condition to expect the comming of the minister Prouinciall who should determine the cause Notwithstanding the impatient people could not expect but would haue the holie bodie carryed into the Cittie and to that effect thrice assaulted the Monasterie to haue the gates opened for transporting therof but att each time they remayned att the gate as blinded and halfe benummed without any power or abilitie For which cause as also in regard that it was feared the bodie might begin to sauour by reason of the great heate that then was he was taken from off his discouered coffin and putt in a square chest vnder ground which did so mutine the people who supposed he had bin vtterlie taken from that place that they ran with their swordes in their handes euen to the celles of the Religious whence they would not depart till the holie bodye was shewen them which appeased them Four dayes after his death the Prouinciall arriued who was of opinion with whome ioyned the bishopp that he should be interred in the said Couent in the Cittie according to his owne ordonance in his life time To this effect the Bishop caused a very solemne procession to be made and the Gouernour of the Cittie sent a company of foot men to guard a new bridge which he had caused expreslie to be made of boates but vnderstanding that the inhabitātes of the otherside the bridge were resolued by force of armes to surprise the holie body which by right they could not challenge and that they had alreadie broaken the bridge of boates he proclaimed by sound of trompett that no man nor woman vpon paine of death should stirre out of their lodgeing and banished from that contrie and territory the principall heades of this conspiracie and by this meane freed all the Religious of both sex in Padua from feare for they were extremelie afflicted and accused themselues imputing the same to arriue for their offences wherfore they besought our Lord IESVS CHRIST to deliuer them from this affliction which also had put the whole citty into a great tumult So the glorious body of S. Antony was transported to the said Couent of Padua where it was interred in a sepulcher newly and miraculously discouered the fift day after his death Of the resolution of his canonization and of certaine miracles there wrought THE XXX CHAPTER TO speake the truth the dissention aforesaid was not without cause considering that they contested about so precious a treasure it is also to be considered how iustly the Paduans possessed this holy body sith they hazarded their life for it before it wrought any miracles as if each of them had bin assured of the great number of miracles which God would worck by it as he began that verie day making this pacification to appeare so much more pleasing and this treasure more deere and gratefull as the contention had bin greiuous by meanes of the recouerie of all the diseased that onlie touched his sepulcher yea of those that vnable to come to his sepulcher or into the Church inuocated his holy name without This so notable and inexpected successe spreading incontinentlie ouer all the neighbour places the Bishop of Padua vnable to retaine thedeuotiō of the people that publikely honoured him according to his merittes he sent embassadours to Rome in his name and the Paduans to beseech the Pope to canonise this S. which God had bestowed on them They being graciously entertayned and heard together with the examen made by order of the said Bishop and an other by the deputies of his holinesse who were an Abbot of S. Benedict and a Dominican Prior vpon the life conuersations and miracles of the S. and finding more then sufficient proofe he proposed to the Consistory his canonization att Spoletum it
they should apply themselues to preaching And also when S. Francis commanded him to chase the deuils out of the citty of Arezzo which is amply discoursed in the fift and sixt chapters of the first booke of this first part Now this holy seruant of God after he had perfectly serued his maiesty many yeares reposed in peace and was buryed att Assisium in the Church of S. Francis with his other companions The life of Brother Macie Of the holy conuersation and obedience of Br. Macie THE XXI CHAPTER BRother Macie of Marignan was very prudent and well borne God gaue him the talent of commendable speech especially wheÌ„ he discoursed of spirituall thinges and therfore S. Francis often had him in company that they who came to see and visitt him might be so well entertayned by the delightfulnesse of his discourse that they should not trouble him in his prayer Now the holy Father S. Francis as a discreet pastour that continually watcheth ouer his flock considering that Br. Macie dayly encreased in vertue to the end that no vanity should cause him to fall from the hight of his prudence he sought to ground him well on the firme and secure foundation of humilitie wherefore he one day in presence of the other Religious said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brother these your companions here haue obtayned of God the grace of prayer and contemplation and you haue receaued the grace of discourse and therfore you are most fitt to entertaine those without the gate that come to visitt vs. Therfore I am resolued that your Brethren here shall all apply themselues to contemplation and that you shall haue care of the gate of the kitchen and of begging so that no other Religious shal be troubled with any temporall care When the Brethren shall eat in the refectory you shal be without the doâ—e that strangers may be entertained by your good speeches before they ring so that it may be no trouble to them to expect all this shall you performe by the merittes of holy obedience Br. Macie very ioyfully accepted all and for a time exercised it till the other Religious hauing knowne the vertue he had in prayer and the other partes of his perfection they obtayned of S. Francis who also knewe him â—ight well that all the offices which he had might be equally diuided among them The 22. chapter is placed after the 100. of the first booke of this present part because it is a matter particulerlie appertayning to Sainct Francis it is an exercise of mortification performed by Brother Macie How Br. Macie obtained of God the vertue of humilitie THE XXIII CHAPTER BRother Leo entring one day into spirituall discourses with Br. Macie and some other Religious among other thinges he said I know a worthy seruant of God meaning S. Francis that hath obtayned many graces of his diuine maiesty as well in the actiue as contemplatiue life and with his graces he hath so profound a humility that he thincketh there is not in the world so great a sinner as himselfe This humility maketh him merueilously to encrease in sanctity and so confirmeth him in the grace of God that whiles he shall haue the same for his roote which he hath already engrafted in God it is impossible for him to fall As Brother Leo thus discoursed of humilitie Brother Macie that gaue attentiue eare vnto him became so affected to this vertue so gratefull to God that he went to his prayer and hauing lifted his eyes towardes heauen he vowed to almighty God that he would neuer take ioy of this world till he knew and felt in his soule that God had giuen him this vertue of humility and so by sighes and teares he afflicted himselfe before almightie God and seeming to himselfe that he iustly deserued hell if he did not obtaine this grace and vertue wherby that worthy freind of God which was full of all perfection reputed himselfe inferiour to all creatures and persisting continually in this griefe obseruing the vow which he had made and perseuering in his petition vnto God sacrificing himselfe by abstinences disciplines and teares he deserued att lenghâ— as he went one day alone to pray on the mountaine to heare a voice from heauen that twice called him by his name Wherefore he knowing the voice of God presently answeared Lord here I am and then God said vnto him What wilt thou giue me if I giue thee the vertue of humility which with so great instance thou hast demaunded of me Br. Macie then answeared My God I will giue thee all that I haue to my very eyes But God answeared keep thy eyes I will giue three gratis a gift of what thou hast demaunded And from that hower Br. Macie had entier possession of the humility which he had so much desired together with such a diuine light that he liued almost alwayes in a continuall spirituall ioy as if himselfe had no longer liued but IESVS CHRIST only in him How Br. Macie desired to obtaine of God to loue his ennemies as his deerest friendes THE XXIV CHAPTER BVt this ioy continued not long as it happeneth of the waters of God the thirst wherof augmenth the more by drincking therof for after he had receaued this grace he became more sorrowfull then before by reason of the vehement desire he had to obtayne a greater which the other Religious perceauing they one day called him and sayed Tell vs Br. Macie are we cause of thy sorrow or what straunge thing is happened we were wont to see thee exceeding ioyfull and with a gracious and smiling contenance but now we see thee very melancholy and much troubled Br. Macie answeared them My deere brethren you doe not cause or procure me any heauinesse but I will tell you whence it proceedeth You must know that some dayes past I haue laboured to obtaine of almighty God the precious vertue of holy humility by meane wherof I thinck to acknowledge my selfe the most vile and greatest sinner in the world as in deed I am And because my humane reason in respect of its pride could not conceaue that the man which is day and night exercised in wachinges abstineÌ„ces prayers and other practises of vertue doth not esteeme himselfe much better then him who is daily employed in speaking ill or liuing idly or brutishly without obseruing his promised vowes att length God of his mercy hath graunted me this humility which by any spirituall exercise by prayer or whatsoeuer other meritt can neuer be obtayned Know yee then that the cause of my sorrow is that I cannot arriue to this degree if any one should cutt off my handes and feet and crush out my eyes though I should pardon him and doe him all the seruices I could deuise I should not yet with so good a will loue him as before This is that which I demaund of my God for the hight and perfection of the grace which he hath graunted me and then shall my soule be entierly ioyfull and content as
that according to the etymologie of his name he carryed IESVS CHRIST in his body by penance in his hart by seruent prayers and in his mouth by diuine prayses and wordes of his law which he imprinted in the memory of sinners And God by many miracles which he wrought by him would demonstrate how gratefull his worckes were vnto him and of what vertue and efficacie his prayers were before his diuine maiesty Being in the citty of Cahors in France a child of eight yeares old called Remond afflicted with so greiuous a disease that he was esteemed neere his end S. Christopher att the instancie of his mother prayed for him and hauing made the signe of the crosse and layd his hand vppoÌ„ the child he presently spake calling his mother who came with great ioy and gaue him to eat and so by the prayer of this holy Religious against all humane hope and apparance he was cured In the same citty an other child called Peter could not moue his right arme nor his foot and besides had almost lost his sight so that he was generally iudged as dead This holy Father att the request of the mother came to visitt him and read the gospell ouer him then made the signe of the crosse from his head to his feet and the child was instantlie cured A man of the same citty hauing bin long time afflicted with the falling sicknes prayed the holy Father to giue him his benediction which hauing receaued he was entierly cured of the said infirmity A woman of Sauueterre in the same citty was exceedinglie vexed with a fieuer and hauing great deuotion to the holy Father she sent vnto him to come visitt her which he hauing performed and prayed for her she was cured by the signe of the crosse A Priest that was very sicke drincking of the holy water giuen him by Br. Christopher that visited him was instantly cured Againe in the Bishopprick of Cahors a woman hauing left her child in the field whiles she was reaping corne by a sodaine sinister accident he became dumme The mother hauing carryed him to diuers churches recommended him to God by the inuocation of many sainctes the child found no cure Att length full of confidence and deuotion she presented him to this holy Father who hauing made his prayer and the signe of the crosse vpon him he restored him to his mother speaking as before and shee giuing thanckes to God and his seruant retourned full of consolation vnto her house Of the spiritt of prophetie and of some other miracles wrought by this glorious seruant of Iesus Christ THE LI. CHAPTER THere was without the citty of Cahors a very high mountaine by which this holy Father passing one day he saw many men and women on the banck of the riuer that ran vnder the sayd mountaine employed in diuers actions Br. Christopher sayd vnto theÌ„ Fly ye all from this place and that instantly for the mountaine will incontinently fall some of them seeing no appearance laughed first att this admonition Yet the sanctity of this good Father being manifestly knowen they all retired from that place which they had scarcely done but a great part of the mountaine fell downe without hurting any person wherfore they all gaue thanckes to God for the benefitt receaued and were the more deuout vnto this sainct A woman of the sayd citty hauing bin afflicted with a longe infirmity was visited by the sainct whome she prayed to obtaine of God for her either that he would please to restore her health or by death to deliuer her from such extreme anguishes This holy Father answeared her feare not but take courage my daughter for on such a day att the third houre thou shalt depart out of this life On the sayd day he expresly retourned att the same houre whome she seeing sayd vnto him Father that which you told me seemeth not to be accomplished he replyed doubt not my daughter for it shall incontinently be accomplished as in deed it was For as they did ring att the third houre this woman being coÌ„fessed and hauing performed what belonged to a Christian in the presence of this holy Father and of many others yelded her spiritt to our Sauiour This seruant of God in Marseilles saw two men in guise of Phisitians comming to visitt one that was sicke but knowing in spiritt that this sick person was in estate of mortall sinne and that the seeming Phisitians were two deuils he made the signe of the crosse against them and they instantly vanished then the holy Father admonishing the sick party he sincerely confessed his sinnes and being contrite and comforted with a quiett conscience he happely departed from this life to a better In the sayd citty a good deuout woman had a very auaricious husbaÌ„d and sparing in worckes of mercy whervpon she complayned to this holy Father that she had nothing to giue in almose but wine The S. bid her giue securely of that wine for the loue of God This woman obeyed him giuing therof to all poore that had need in such sort that there was not much left in the vessell her husband drincking knew by the tast of this wine that it was very low and neere the lyes wherfore he grew into choler with his wife examining her what was become of his wine she full of trembling answeared that there was yet much in the vessell The husband sent his seruant to be truely enformed what quantity was left she found the vessell full euen to the bung wherof she with great ioy incontinently aduertised her master which reuiued the soule of his wife that was dying with feare and thervpon she boldly recounted all to her husband who resolued thenceforward to be more charitable towardes the poore attributing the present miracle to the merittes of the glorious Br. Christopher and to the vertue of charity whose worckes our Lord doth not only recompence in the other world but euen in this also Of the glorious death of Br. Christopher THE LII CHAPTER AFter that almighty God had ennobled and enriched his seruant Christopher with many merittes and miracles and by the example of his holy life had singulerly planted the rule and Order of the Frere Minors in diuers places of France where he caused the erecting of many Couents which he furnished with Religious of holy life and exemplare conuersation he would att length recompence him with eternall reward as he ordinarily doth those that faithfully labour in the vigneyard of his holy Church The night when he passed from this miserable life to that which is blessed all the Religious being assembled about his bed he made them a long discourse of the kingdome of God exhorting them to perseuer with purity in his holy seruice they then demaunded his benediction which he gaue them very affectionatly in the name of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST then recommending his spiritt to his Creator he rendred it vnto him and his body remayned so â—elligiously composed that he
a mountaine where he found a litle chappell hauing bin an hermitage called S. Laurence farre distant from habitation and consequently very solitary there he resolued to spend his lent but three dayes after he was there arriued it did so snow and freeze that they could not possibly goe abroad The holy Religious seeing there was no meane to goe foorth to seeke bread sayd to his companion Brother lett vs make petition to almighty God that he will please in our necessity to send vs bread sith there is none but he that can heare and releiue vs. Then he recounted an history of certaine Religious who wanting bread in the like necessity had recourse to him and were heard Being moued by such an example they began on the euenning to pray with loud voice vnto almighty God so perseuered till the breake of the day following when as God inspired a good man of a neighbouring place who seeing the snow so extreme called to minde that he had seene att other times Hermites att S. Laurence thought with himselfe that if then there were any there they could not come foorth to seeke food which mouing him to compassion he went out of his house with bread and wine which he gaue to the Religious and being retourned to his house he aduertised his neighbours and friendes of the necessity of the said seruantes of God and so procured that they wanted not wherwith to liue the rest of the lent which happened to good purpose for them in regard of their extreme necessity Br. Giles desirous to acknowledge the great charity vsed vnto him by those people he said to his companion hitherto we haue prayed to God for our selues to be relieued in our necessity heceforward we ought to pray vnto him for our benefactors so that persisting night and day in these petitions our Lord bestowed such graces and fauours on the inhabitantes of that place that neuer Frere Minor hauing bin formely seene there many among them neuertheles being moued by the example and pious exhortations of the sayd Religious forlooke the vanity of this world and became Frere Minors and such as could not serued God by prayers and did penance in their owne houses and by this meane for corporall benefittes they gaue in exchaunge spirituall in double mesure Of the humilitie and obedience of Br. Giles THE V. CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis cordially loued Br. Giles for his great perfection in all vertues and his promptitude in doeing well and therfore did often obserue him and would say to his other Religious that he was one of his knightes of the round table so did he call the humble and deuout Religious Now Br. Giles one day demaunded obedience of S. Francis to goe where he pleased or to remayne where he was the holy Father answeared him your residence is prouided goe where you will whervpon hauing demaunded and receiued his benediction he went and walked in this freedome fower whole dayes but finding his spiritt much disquieted he retourned to S. Francis Father sayd he I beseech you designe me a certaine place whither to goe because goeing according to my owne liberty I cannot haue my conscience free the S. sent him to the Couent of Fabrian whither he went barefoote with a very ragged habitt though the season were extreme cold On the way he mett a passenger that sayd vnto him I would not goe so poorly cloathed in so cold a season were I therby to pourchace paradice by which wordes the deuill so augmented the cold that he expected death therby but he incontineÌ„tlie called to minde that our lord IESVS CHRIST went barefoote and poorely cloathed through the world and endured far more cold and other labours for our sakes these pious cogitations did in this sort warme first his hart and then all his body with a diuine heat wherfore he began to praise God his sweet lord who had thus warmed him not with materiall fier but by the only burning heatof his diuine loue So Br. Giles remayned many yeares in the sayd place where one day weighing his sinnes he ascended on a mountaine neere by whither he carryed a yoÌ„g Religious whome he commanded with a cord about his necke to lead him naked to the place where the other Religious were and entring in this sort before them he began with teares to cry Haue compassion and pitty of me miserable and detestable sinner The Religious beholding him in such a gastly plight began all to weep and prayed him to putt on his habitt but he answeared with bitter teares and extreme sighes that he was vnworthy to be a Frere Minor Yet if you will that I take the habitt againe said he I will as an almose receaued of you though I doe not deserue it and so he cloathed himselfe and there remayned labouring with his handes in making caskettes of straw to couer or keep glasses and litle baskettes which he and his companion carryed to the neighbour towne and villages and in exchauâ—ge receaued what they needed either of food or cloathing and with the rest he cloathed other Religious saying that such almose done to any Religious prayed for him when he slept and could not then pray himselfe This good Religious retourning one day from the fieldes hauing in his handes a reed and a hatchett he past before a church the Chappelaine wherof seeing him called him hippocrite which did so grieue and afflict Br. Giles that he wept bitterly A Religious finding him thus lamenting demandindg the occasion of his teares he answeared him because I am an hippocrite as a Preist did now instantly assure me The Religious replied poore man doest thou then belieue it to be true Br. Giles answeared that he belieued it because he was a Priest that auouched the same and he could not conceaue that a Priest would lie The Religious replyed Brother be no longer disquieted for it may be thou art no hippocrite because the opinion of men is most often farre from the iudgement of God Br. Giles with this reasonnable answeare was somewhat satisfied and comforted saying that if he were not such it was by the pure grace of God Hearing one day relation of the fall of Br. Helie that had bin Generall of the Order whence he was an Apostata then liuing excommunicated thence in the traine and seruice of the Emperour Frederic the second then a rebell vnto the Church he with extreme griefe fell flatt vpon the ground and there contemptibly tourned and tumbled himselfe affirming that he would discend as low as he could because the other had wrought his owne distruction by clymeing so high This great seruant of God being one day out of the Couent he receaued a letter and therby commaundement from his Generall to meet him att Assisium whither he instantly tooke his iorney his companion putting into his minde that it were good to retourne first to the Couent to aduertise the Religious therof he answeared Brother I am commanded to goe
art she that teachest vs the way of our saluation and directest vs in the right and secure path wherin â—e that walketh cannot stray but he that seeketh and followeth another shall only find therin an eternall damnation He was present att masse with exceeding feruour All sondayes and solemne feastes he receaued his Creatour and employed those dayes entierly in contemplation of the grace receaued for goeing very early into the church he would there remayne all the day in the company rather of Angels and Saincts theÌ„ of men Celebrating the feast of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and many other times in the feruour of his prayer he hath bin seene rapt in extasie and eleuated aboue the ground the hight of three handfuls or a foot and a halfe Of other such extasies of spiritt recorded of the glorious Sainct FIue Prouincials did at one time with great deuotion and reuerence visitt this blessed Father with Br. Gratian his companion who aduertised him of their arriuall vpon knoledge wherof he preseÌ„tly mett them and hauing graciously entertayned them he with great feruour of spiritt began to speake vnto them and beholding the heauen with his armes opened as to play on a viole he sung in this manner O Br. make a castell hauing in it neither stone nor iron O my Br. build me a citty without lime or stone and thus singing he was rapt in extasie The said Prouincials knew not the signification of the wordes But Br. Gratian told them that by the castels and citties he meant the holy Apostles and martyrs of the Primitiue church who without the armour of iron and without the helpe of any temporall matter generously builded the house of God in soules which zeale and intention had Br. Giles renouncing temporalities to become a castell of the liuing God and a glorious citty not of temporall building or substance but spirituall of pouerty and diuine loue And because they as Prouincials of the Religion were captaines and furtherers of this worck he by this song gaue them a notable document of their duety in their vocation and office This holy Father being in the monastery of Agele by Perusia he after supper made an exhortation to the Religious in the refectory with his ordinary feruour and with such sweetnes that he enflamed the hartes of all his audience in diuine loue yea his owne also in such sort that he was rauished and out of himselfe in the middest of his BrethreÌ„ where he so continued till the cock-crowing and in the meane time he shined with such a spleÌ„dour which enuironed him that the brightnes of the moone which then was in full was so obscured that the shining therof being darckned by this new light she appeared not in that place which put the Religious in admiration who gaue thanckes to our lord for the admirable worckes demonstrated in his seruant Brother Giles one day thus reasoned with S. Bonauenture who was Generall of the Order Father God hath bestowed many fauours on you that are learned for you haue knoledge of many matters by which you prayse him But what shall we doe to saue our selues we I say that ar ignorant and idiots S. Bonauenture answeared if God had giuen no other grace to men but only ability to loue him it would suffice because loue is more gratefull to God then any other thing that can be offered vnto him Brother Giles herevpon replyed Tell me Father if you please can an ignorant person loue God as much as one learned he can said S. Bonauenture yea I say more a simple and poore old fellow may loue our lord as much as a Doctour in diuinity Vpon these wordes Br. Giles went with great feruour into the garden and tourning towardes the towne he cryed out Poore and caitiue old wretch ignorant idiot and simple loue thy Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and thou mayest be greater then Br. Bonauenture Which sayd he remayned three houresrapt in extasie Of an admirable dispute held by Br. Giles touching free will against Br. Gerardin in the presence of many Religious THE XV. CHAPTER THe venerable Br. Giles being in the Couent of Perusia a Romane gentlewomaÌ„ called SeaueÌ„-Sunnes that was very deuout to S. Francis both in his life time and after his death for she made her residence att Assisium to beneere vnto his sepulcher came to visitt him to receaue some consolation of his energicall doctrine there did she find Brother Gerardin a Religious of exemplar life and very learned together with some other very spirituall Religious who also came to visitt Brother Giles to heare of him some spirituall exhortation Thus discoursing together they fell into dispute vpon a certaine passadge of holy scripture And among many other sentences alleadged by Br. Giles for proofe of what he maintained this was one He that doeth not what he can often endureth that which he would not Br. Gerardin desirous to entertaine Br. Giles in discourse to gratifie the coÌ„pany and for his particuler coÌ„tentment thus begaÌ„ scolastically to argumeÌ„t against him Br. I much admire that you affirme that a man endureth what he would not if he doe not what he can considering that a man can doe nothing of himselfe which is proued by many reasons wherefore I say that the power presupposeth the being so that the action of the thing be according to its being And so much doe the wordes of the Apostle signifie where he sayth If any man esteeme himself to be something wher as he is nothing he seduceth himselfe whence ensueth that a man cannot doe any thing sith he is nothing which I will proue vnto you also by an other reason If a man of himselfe doe any thing it is either by his soule or by his body or by both together Now I will proue that he can doe nothing by meane of any of theÌ„ First he can doe nothing by meane of the soule alone for it is most cleare that the soule separated from the body can neither meritt nor demeritt neither can he doe more by meane of the body only because the body receaueth all his operation of his forme and without the soule it hath no humane being so that much lesse can it worcke which is a thinge proper to the forme and finally yet lesse can he doe by meane of the composition that is of the body and soule vnited together and if he could doe any thing it should be by meane of the soule But I haue proued that the soule being separated from the body can doe nothing and now I affirme that it can much lesse vnited with her body because the body being corruptible chardgeth and burdeneth it as for example if a beast cannot goe vnloaden much lesse can it vnder a burthen Thus Br. Gerardin made his argument appeare very probable which procured to the audience an amazement and confusion But Br. Giles very prudently answeared My good Br. and friend beleeue I pray you that you haue spoaken amisse wherfore acknowledge therin
Giles sayd vnto him Father I am resolued to become Religious wherto he answeared if you be fully resolued so to doe goe first and kill both your parentes which the other hearing he weeping replyed Father I beseech you oblige me not to committ such euill and so grieuous sinnes The holy Father then said what my friend are you so simple and so ignorant as not to vnderstand me I meant not that you should kille your parentes with the materiall but with the mētall sword because according to the word of our Lord he cannot be his disciple that hateth not his father his mother his kinred and his Friendes Two Cardinals one time visiting Br. Giles to cōferre with him of spirituall affaires retyring att length frō the place of cōference they feruently besought him to remēber in his deuotions to recōmend thē to God Whervpon he answeared thē my lordes what need can you haue of my prayers sith you haue a greater faith and hope then I The Cardinals admiring this answeare asked him what he mēt therby he answeared Because you with so much richesse hōnour 's delightes tēporall contentmētes hope to be saued I with such and so cōtinuall labours feare to be damned Which so touched those Cardinals to the quick that they departed frō him very cōtrite in their soules their faces bathed in teares A very spirituall Religious was troubled with a greiuous temptatiō and very humbly and deuoutly prayed God to be deliuered therof yet could he not be heard Wherfore he repayred to Br. Giles who vnderstanding his affliction said vnto him Brother doe not admire if God of whome you haue receaued so many graces will that you continually fight against this your ennemy For when a kinge armeth his knightes with better and surer armure it is a signe that he desireth they should fight the more couragiously for him A Religious one day demaūding of Br. Giles how he could goe with a good will to prayer because he ordinarily wēt without deuotion and very coldly he thus answeared him lett vs suppose that a king hath two faithfull seruantes wherof the one is well armed the other vnarmed He will that they both goe to warre against his ennemies he that is well armed goeth with great security as being well accōmodated and furnished of what is necessary for the battell but the other sayth to the king Syr you see I am disarmed neuertheles for the affection I haue to performe your seruice I will not omitt in this estate to vndergoe this chardge with others The king considering taking notice of the loue and fidelity of this his seruant he caused presently to be brought him such armour as he wanted and was needfull vnto him So he that wanteth deuotion and yet assisted with a strong faith goeth boldly to the warre of prayer lett him be assured that our Lord will not faile to furnish him of what he seeth necessary for him to obtaine the victory A man asking his opinion touching entring into Religion The holy Father thus answeared Tell me if a poore begger knew a great treasure to be hidden in a field would he aske Counsaile to goe seeke whereto the other answearing truely no Br. Giles replyed how much rather then ought a man runne to seeke and purchase the infinite treasure of the kingdome of God so this man with this counsaile departed and hauing giuen all that he had to the poore for the loue of God he presently became a Frere Minor Of other like answeares of the blessed Br. Giles THE XXI CHAPTER A Certaine good spirituall personne said one day to venerable Brother Giles Father I find my selfe exceedingly incombred I know not what counsel to take for if I doe any good act I am presently tickled with vaine glory and if I committ any sinne I am so troubled that I am ready sometimes to fall into dispaire The holy Father answeared thou doest well to lament thy sinne and to haue feeling of the perill wherto it leadeth but it should trouble thee with discretion considering that the power of God is much greater to receaue thee to mercy then thine is to cause thee to offend God But the feare of vaine glory should neuer hinder thee from doeing good deedes For if the labourer before seed-season should say to himselfe I will sow no corne because the birdes wormes of the earth may eat vp the seed which I shall sow before it take roote in the earth or when it is sprung vp and greene it may be eaten by beastes before it ripen and be gathered in if I say the labourer should thus discourse with himselfe and conceaue such friuolous difficulties he would neuer sow and so consequently neuer reape whence would ensue that we should haue no bread but the prudent and wise labourer doth till and sow his land and doth his endeauour and committeth the successe to the diuine prouidence So should you endeauour to proceed in good worckes without feare of vaine glory for albeit it doe a litle trouble you for the time the better and securer part doth still remaine vnto you An other asking him if one could obtaine and possesse the grace of God remayning in the world he answeared that he could but I had rather said he haue one grace in Religion then ten in the world because in Religion grace doth easily encrease and is better there conserued a man being there sequestred from the tumult and affection of worldly folies the capitall ennemies of grace and with all the Religious his companions by charitable remonstrances and by example of their holy conuersation doe with draw him from euill and inuite and induce him to goodnes But the grace which some may haue in the world may also be easily lost because the solicitude of worldly affaires and cogitations which is mother of distraction doth hinder and trouble the sweetnes of grace and other worldlinges by prophane and dishonest conuersations by scandalous examples and by diuilish hauntes and companies doe diuert him from good and allure him to lewdnes so that as it were by force they depriue him of his soules saluation it being no part of their custome to further a vertuous life but indeed to deride and scoffe att such as liue Christianly nor to reprehend the vicious and ennemies of God but to flatter and sooth them Wherupon I conclude that it is farre more 7s ecure to possesse one grace with a helpe that may conserue it then ten with such hazard yea in such imminent perill A seculer man hauing once requested him to pray for him he answeared Brother pray for they selfe for sith they selfe mayst haue recourse and accesse to God why goest thou not why wouldest thou send an other on thine arrant this man againe told him that he acknowledged himselfe so great a sinner that he knew himselfe to farre remote and separated from God But he being holy and well beloued of his diuine maiesty had more
thou bestow on him that should giue thee feet and he answeared that he would giue him an hundred duckettes if he had so much And if one would giue thee handes he answeared he would giue him al his welth moueables immoueables If one would giue thee eyes to him sayd he I would oblige my selfe in seruice al my life You must now theÌ„ brother that in this world God hath giuen thee feet handes and eyes and the whole body with all thy teÌ„porall and spirituall substance therfore thou must endeauour to please him and to acknwledge such and so many benefites for which thou oughtest to serue him all the time of thy life A discourse of Faith THE XXIII CHAPTER ALl the thinges that can be seene related or imagined are as nothing in comparison of those that cannot be seene heard or coÌ„ceaued All the wisest and most holy personnes that haue bin are and shal be who haue spoaken and shall speake of God haue sayd nothing nor can say any thing in comparison of what he is no more then the point of a needle in respect of the heauens the earth and all the creatures therein contayned yea a thousand times lesse Two Religious of the Order of S. Dominick one day visiting Brother Giles and discoursing which him of faith one of them sayd sainct Iohn the Euangelist hath recorded many merueilous thinges of God Wherto the holy Father answeared Brother S. Iohn hath sayd nothing of God The Religious replyed Father consider well if you please what you say for S. Augustin is of opinion that if S. Iohn had spoaken more highly of God no mortall man could aue vnderstood him Br. Giles then againe I tell you brother and once againe I tell you that S. Iohn hath said litle or nothing of God These Religious being much troubled and scandalized att the holy Father would needes be gon and tourning away Br. Giles stayed them and shewed them a very high mountaine whereon was the oratory of Cettone neere where vnto they then were and sayd vnto them If there were one mountaine made of a thousand together so great as that you see and att the foot therof a litle bird did eat of it tell me brethren I pray you how much would he diminish of that mountaine euery day euery month euery yeare yea in an hundred yeares they answeared him that in a thousand yeares he would consume so litle as should not be perceaued The holy Father thervpoÌ„ inferred Know you my Brethren that the eternall diuinity is so immensiue and is a mountaine of such eminent hight that S. Iohn who was as a bird hath said litle or nothing in comparison of the greatnes of God These Religious acknowledgeing how prudently Brother Giles had spoaken fell att his feet confessing their errours and so retourned exceedingly edified Br. Giles one day discoursing of spirituall matters with a lawyer that was a Iudge in some place O Iudge sayd he beleeue you that the recompenses which God promiseth his seruantes are great the Iudge answeared he did Br. Giles proceeding sayd I will proue that you doe not How much are you worth the iudge answeared about a thousaÌ„d crownes Well said the Father se now how you beleeue it only in wordes for tel me if you could giue your thousand crownes for an huÌ„dred thousand would you not esteeme it a great gaine would you not presently employ them I beleeue you would and yet you will not giue them for the kingdome of heauen What followeth then but that you doe not much esteeme nor much valew the glory of the heauenly kingdome in regard of the friuolous follies of this world And the reason is because you haue no liuely faith Yet the Iudge vnwilling to yeld replyed to Br. Giles Father beleeue you that euery one worcketh as much as he beleeueth the holy Father answeared he that beleeueth well and perfectly worcketh and perfoâ—meth worckes correspondente as did the sainctes who did all the good they could and haue accomplished by pious desires what they could not performe in effect And if one haue a perfect and liuely faiâ—h he would arriue to that estate as God would giue him a perfect knowledge and assurance euen of diuine thinges as sayth the Apostle to the Romanes I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers neither thinges present nor things to come neither might nor height nor depth nor other creature shal be able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And the man that assuredly hopeth this eternall soueraine recompence doth not regard any afflictioÌ„ as on the contrary no good can satisfie him that despaireth of the eternal good in so much as a sinner should neuer despaire of the mercy of God whiles he hath life coÌ„sidering that there is no tree so thorny disordered but men if they list can prune and rectifie it Much lesse can there be so great a sinner in the world as that God cannot adorne him with his graces and vertues A discours of Charity and of what the Prophet meant when he said that all his friendes did deceaue him THE XXIV CHAPTER CHarity is the principall of all the vertues happy is he that feeleth not in himselfe any disgust of the thinges which he ought alwayes to desire Brother Giles put this question to a Religious with whome he was very familier doe you beleeue that I loue you the Religious answeared he did Wel then said the holy Father beleeue it no more for a creature ought not sincerely to loue but the Creatour who is pure and infinite An other Religious said to the holy Father I beseech you Father make me vnderstaÌ„d how that must be interpreted which the Prophet saith Euery friend deceiueth Wherto he answeared I deceiue you in that I doe not search your good as I doe mine owne For the more I repute your good to be mine owne the lesse shall I deceaue you the more a man reioyceth att his neighbours good the more doth himselfe participate therin therfore if you desire to participate therof striue to reioyce therat to procure Charity is the truest most sure way of saluation sith that therby one doth not only reioyce att the good of his neighbour but is also grieued att his crosses he beleeueth and iudgeth well of others and euill of himselfe he honoureth others and mispriseth himselfe He that will not honour an other shall not be honoured and he that knoweth not himselfe shall not be knowne he that will not weary himselfe shall not repose also the greatest of all labours and the most meritorious is to labour in piety and benignity he that doeth a good worck without loue and charity is not gratefull to God nor to his sainctes but he that for the loue of God maketh himselfe poore of temporall substance shal be rich of such as are celestial A man then ought
so much lesse is he in the presence of God and doth not know what God is If thou heare any one speake ill of thee assist him if he speake well of thee referre that to God If thou wilt make thy part the better make it ill and that of an other good I meane thou must praise the worckes and good wordes of others and blame thine owne If thou wilt gaine loose for in the end when thou shalt thinck to haue gained thou shalt find that thou hast lost because this way is such that though it seeme to lead to saluation it tendeth to perdition We doe not orderly support afflictions and therfore are not fitt to receaue and support spirituall consolations Doe not wrong or iniury to any and if it be offred to thee support it patiently for the loue of God and in remission of thy sinnes for it is more meritorious to suupport a great iniury for the loue of IESVS CHRIST without murmure then to feed euery day an hundred poore people and to fast much and austerely What doth it profitt a man to misprise himselfe to afflict his body by fastinge to pray to watch and to vse discipline if after all that he cannot support an iniury done by his neighbour for which he should receaue a greater recompence then for whatsoeuer he could endure by his owne election To support tribulations and afflictions without murmure doth exceedingly purge the sinnes of a man yea more then doeth a great effusion of teares and therfore happy is he that supporteth all these afflictions patiently in regard that he shall reape therby a great fruit of consolation Happy is he that neither hath nor desireth any consolation from whatsoeuer creature vnder heauen He doth not hope for any recompence from God that is humble and peaceable only when althinges succed according to his will He that hath alwayes his sinnes before his eyes will not faile to make his profitt of all the afflictions that befall him Thou must acknowledge all the good thou hast to proceed from God and all the euill from thy sinnes for if one man had done all the good deedes that all the men in the world haue done doe or shall doe withall that if he duely cōsider himselfe he shall find himselfe meerly aduerse to his owne good This holy Father being demaūded by a Religious what one should doe if those great tribulations forespoaken by our Sauiour to arriue att the day of the generall iudgement should come to passe in our time he answeared If the heauens should raine sharpe stones and flintes they could not hurt vs if we were such as we should be Know brother if a man persist in his duety all the euill that he can endure will turne to his good for as to him that hath a disordered will the good doth tourne into euill so to him that hath a pure will the euill doth tourne into good And all good is interiour in man so that it cannot be seene The grieuous infirmities great labours and molestfull offences which we endure cause the euill spirittes which are about vs to fly If thou wilt be saued neuer seeke to haue iustice don thee against any creature whatsoeuer because holy and vertuous personnes thinck only how to doe well and to endure euill If thou acknowledge to haue offended God the Creatour of althinges acknowledge also thy desert to be persecuted by all creatures which reuenge the iniuryes thou hast don to their Creatour Therfore oughtest thou with much patience to support to be crossed afflicted by all creatures thou hauing no reason to alleadge against them in regard that thou deseruest to be corrected by them The vertue of a man that conquereth himselfe is in deed great for therby he surmounteth all his ennemies and maketh purchace of all good It were a great vertue for a man to content himselfe to be ouercome of all the men of the world for so he should become truely lord of all the world If thou wilt be saued labour to remoue from thee all hope and cogitatation of whatsoeuer consolation may arriue vnto thee by any mortall creature because the falles proceeding of consolations are greater and more ordinary then those of afflictions The nature of a horse is then esteemed noble though he fly with great fury and dexterity when he permitteth himselfe to be guided and gouerned by the discretion of the rider that stoppeth him att his pleasure and maketh him goe whither he list So when a man feeleth himselfe spurred by anger must he doe and permitt himselfe to be gouerned and directed by some one that is to correct him yea he should desire to giue as a recompence for the loue of God all that he hath to haue giuen him spurnes with the feet bastonades buffettes and to haue his beard torne off haire by haire A Religious one day in presence of Br. Giles did murmure att a rigorous obedience enioyned him to whome this holy Father said Brother the more you murmure the more you burden your selfe and with the more deuotion and humility you submitt your neck vnder the yoke of obedience the more easy and light shall you find it you will not be iniuryed in this world and yet wil be honoured in the other you will not heare a displeasing word and wil be one of the Blessed you will not labour and desire to repose But you deceaue your selfe for honour is purchaced by reproach benediction by malediction and repose by labour the prouerb being true Troutes are not taken with dry handes and therfore lett it not trouble thee if thy neighbour sometime offend thee for euen Martha that was so holy would prouoke our lord against her sister Magdalen not without reason complayning of her and neuertheles Mary was more sparing of her membres then Martha in the vse of them but she laboured more then she in contemplation though without Martha Mary had lost her speech sight hearing and tast Endeauour then to be vertuous and gratefull to our lord IESVS CHRIST and sight couragiously against vices support patiently afflictions considering that there is nothing in this world of greater meritt then to conquer ones selfe and that it is most difficult for a man to conduct his soule to God without this victory A discourse of Idlenesse THE XXVIII CHAPTER THe idle man looseth this world and the next it being impossible to purchace any vertue without diligence and labour He that may rest in a secure place should not put himselfe in a place or doubt or danger He is in a secure place that laboureth for God The yonge man that will put himselfe to paine for God doth also shunne the kingdome of heauen And if endeauour doe not further at least let not negligence be an impediment and hinderance for as idlenes is the way to hell so good worckes are the way that leadeth to heauen A man ought to be very carefull and diligent to conserue the grace he
assuredly capable of all happines He would ordinarily say that if he were to make choice of the vertues he would choose chastity Being asked what he called chastity he answeared I call chastity the conseruation of all the sences of the body in the grace of our Lord. A maryed man that was deuoutly affected towardes him was one day present when he praysed chastity and sayd vnto him Father I desire to be resolued of you if liuing with my wife and keeping fidelity towardes her I am secure touching this point Br. Giles answeared him what doe you not know that a man may as well be droncken with the wine of his owne tunne as with that of an other mannes A discourse of Temptation THE XXXI CHAPTER A Great grace cannot be possessed in peace but that there wil arise many contrarieties yea the higher degree of grace a man hath the more shall he be assaulted of the deuill but a man should not therfore omitt to prosecute his course of vertue for the more violent the combatt is the more excellent shal be the crowne when he shall haue ouercome And if any doe misse this employment lett him know that it is because he is not such as he ought to be besides this is to walke alwayes in the direct way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST in which all trauell and displeasure is sweet but a man that followeth the course and way of the world findeth displeasure and labour euen till death so that albeit the more a man shal be perfect in vertues the more will vices be contrary vnto him yet hating them so much att euery vice that he surmounteth he purcacheth a great vertu and becomming victorious ouer all kind of vices wherby he might haue bin tormented he shall not faile of a great recompence for it and vpon whatsoeuer occasion he omitteth to walke in the way of our Lord IESVS CHRIST for the same occasion he looseth his recompence The burden of temptations is often like to the trauell of the labourer that findeth a great peece of land which he is to worck vpon couered with thistles thornes so that he is constrained with great trouble to cleare the same before his labour be auayleable in such sort that he often repenteth to haue enterprised so painfull a businesse in regard of the great expences and bodily labour that he is enforced to employ therin For first he considereth that he must leuell and make euen all the hillockes that are vnequall with the ground and therof seeth not the fruit Secondly he cutteth or burneth the bushes thornes and thistles therin yet seeth no fruit therof Thirdly with much labour and sweat he diggeth vp the rootes neither yet seeth the fruit Fourthly he openeth the earth with the plough-share to cleanse the same yet hath no sight of the corne that is the ground of such his labour Fiftly he tilleth it the second time and maketh it into furrowes Sixtly he soweth his graine Seauenthly when the corne is sprung vp he cleanseth it and rooteth out the weedes Eighthly he doth haruest the corne into his barne Ninthly with much labour and sweat he separateth it from the chaffe causing it to be threshed winnowed sifted and very diligently cleansed Tenthly and lastly he transporteth the corne into his garner and for the contentment he conceaueth to see the fruit of his paines and labours he then forgetteth them and purposeth to vndertake yet much greater for the only ioy he hath of his haruest Now the like effect is in the temptations and labours which one endureth in this world for the spirituall fruit and contentment which he is to reape therof in the life euerlasting A Religious hauing one time conference with Br. Giles sayd vnto him Father it is recorded that S. Bernard once sayd his seauen penitentiall psalmes without euer thincking of other matter nor was assaulwith any distractiōs The holy Father answeared I would better esteeme a castle valerously assaulted and more couragiously defended A discourse of Penance THE XXXII CHAPTER A Iudge discoursing with Brother Giles of spirituall matters asked him by what meanes seculer personnes might ascend to the state and glory of vertue Wherto the holy Father answeared A man ought first to procure sorrow and contrition for his sinnes then to confesse them with bitternes and griefe to haue offended God and afterward to fulfill the penance that his ghostly Father shall enioyne him So being in good estate he must carefully keepe himselfe from offending God and shunne all occasions that may induce him to sinne and finally must exercise himselfe in good worckes Blessed be the temporall affliction that conuerteth to a mannes happines and accursed be the pleasure that tourneth to his misery A man should endure and support affliction in this world with a good will sith our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST hath giuen vs an example in himselfe Happy is he that hath true contrition of his sinnes and lamenteth day and night nor will seeke his consolation in this world but where all the desires of his hart shal be satisfied A discourse of Prayer THE XXXIII CHAPTER PRrayer is both the beginning and perfection of all good Prayer illuminateth the soule and by it good and euill are discerned All sinners ought to make this prayer vnto God that he will giue thē knowledge of their owne sinnes of the diuine mercy and of the benefittes receaued of IESVS CHRIST He that cannot pray knoweth not God It is necessary for all those that are to be saued if they haue vse of reason to apply themselues to prayer to obtayne mercy of God Lett vs suppose that a widdow and lady which were much retyred simple and chast had a sonne that for some crime committed were prisonner condemned to death This Mother though honorable and retyred would she not repayre to the Prince with abondance of teares to seeke fauour for her sonne This vrgent necessity no doubt for the extreme loue of this widow to her sonne though she were very rarely seene to goe out of her house would enforce her to runne through the streetes with cryes weepinges and lamentations to sollicite all those whome she thought might any way assist her in sauing the life of her sonne which she would attempt without any feare or respect of the modesty requisite to her degree and quality In like manner he that knoweth his sinnes knoweth consequently to aske pardon for them with shame and humility There was one that growing as it were into despaire for that in prayer he receaued not the grace of God which he desired complayned therof to Br. Giles who answeared him Brother I counsaile you to goe on sweetly and to haue patience for as there being lees in a vessel one doth not therfore shake and entermingle it together with the wine which were it neuer so good would be vtterly spilled therby And as though sometimes the mill-stone grindeth not good meale one doth not therfore breake it
doth meritt more ha that goeth in pilgrimage to sainct Iames of Galicia or he that sheweth him the way I see many thinges that are not myne I heare much that I vnderstand not and I speake much that I doe not performe and it seemeth to me that a man is not saued for seeing speaking and hearing but for well performing that which he knoweth to be the best Wordes are farther distant from deedes theÌ„ the earth is remote from heauen If any one would permitt you to goe into his vineyeard there to gather grapes would you content your selfe with leaues It is a thousand times more necessary for a man to gett instruction for himselfe then for all the world If you desire to know much doe many good worckes and humble your selfe withall possibility A Preacher should not speake ouer-curiously nor too grosly but should vse only common and ordinary tearmes Then the holy Father smilingly proceeded there is great difference betweene the ewe that bleateth much and her that bringeth many lambes that is it is not one thing to preach and to putt in execution Br. Giles one day sayd to a Doctour that seemed to glory much in his doctrine and preaching if all the earth were in the possession of one man and he should not labour it what fruit would he reap therof Rely not therfore so much one your learning albeit all the knowledge of all the world were in your head because not performing worckes necessary to your saluation it would nothing auayle you This holy Father prayed a Religious that went to preach att Perusia to take for the theme of his sermon these wordes I kisse I kisse I speake much and performe litle This is in his life a litle before This holy Father expounding these wordes of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST I haue prayed for thee Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou once couuerted confirme thy Brethren he thus interpreted it Almighty God sayd he would giue to vnderstand that a man should first labour for himselfe and then for others And albeit the conuersion of soules be very gratefull vnto God yet it is vnderstood of those that can doe it without preiudice to the saluation of their owne soules seruing God as S. Paul whersoeuer they are Therfore this holv Father would often with great feruour of spiritt say Paris Paris thou doest ruinate the Order of S. Francis Which this good Religious sayd seeing the disquiett and trouble of spiritt of many learned Frere Minors that put confidence in their sciences Br. Giles hearing a quaile and a doue to sing sayd in feruour of spiritt there is the way there is the way and not there as if they sayd lett vs endeauour to doe well in this life and not expect the other with reasoÌ„ sister doue thou speakest this so sweetly groning But sinner wheron thinckest thou why makest not thou they profitt of this aduertisment Besides it is to be vnderstood that Br. Giles speake this vpon the allusion of the Italianâ— and Spanish tongue with the note of the doue and the quaile which is quaqua which cannot be applyed to the French tongue A discourse of good and euill wordes THE XXXVII CHAPTER HE that vttereth good wordes is as the mouth of God he that speaketh ill litle differeth from the mouth of the deuill When the seruaÌ„tes of IESVS CHRIST asseÌ„ble together in any place to discourse they should talke of the excelleÌ„cy of vertues that they may seeme pleasing vnto theÌ„ and giue them coÌ„tentment and should also be exercised in theÌ„ By which act they shall come to loue theÌ„ more and to performe better actions for the more a man is burthened with vices the more needfull it is for him to speake of vertues because by the frequeÌ„t and pious discourse of them he persuadeth and easily disposeth himselfe to put them in practise But what shall we say the conditions of this world being so corrupted that one cannot speake good of good nor euill of euil We will then confesse the truth that we know not how to speake of good how good it is nor lykewise of euill how euill it is Wherfore it seemeth that neither of these to thinges can sufficiently be comprehended So that I tell you I esteeme it not a leâ—â—e vertue to know how to be silent then how two speake well and according to my iudgement a man should haue a long neck as a Crane that his wordes passe by many ioyntes before it goe out of the mouth A discourse of perseuerance in good worckes and of the memorie of death THE XXXVIII CHAPTER WHat doth it profit a man to fast pray giue almose mortifie himselfe and to haue vnderstanding of celestiall thinges yet with all this doth not arriue to the desired port of saluation There hath bin sometime seene in the mayne sea a faire shipp loaden with abondance of wealth which neere vnto the hauen surmonted by a litle tempest hath miserably perished What then hath auayled the brauery and richesse that it brought But on the contrary hath bin seene an old vessell vnseemely and contemptible to each one that hath defended it selfe from the perilles of the sea with her burden of merchandises and securely arriued in the port such an one deserueth praise The same happeneth also to men of this world and therfore ought they to liue alwayes in the feare of God For although a tree grow and is fastened in the ground he doth not yet sodenly become great and when he is great he doth not presently florish he is not so soone fruitfull if he be they be not ripe if ripe they do not in euery respect content the master For some doe rott other are beaten downe by the windes of temptations and are deuoured by the wormes of the sences Two thinges I hould for great benefittes of God when a man hath his hart remote from sinne and replenished with loue towardes God which two thinges whosoeuer shall possesse without danger of any euill shal be in possession of all good But he must perseuer because if one had from the beginning of the world to this instant liued in distresses afflictions and now should haue abondant fruition of all kind of ioyes all the miseries past would not offend him on the contrary if one had alwayes spent his time in continuall iollyty and contentment and were att this present oppressed with diuers miseries and infirmities his pleasures past would nothing reioyce him Wherfore each one should leuell att that where althinges are to end and determine A seculer person hauing told this holy Father that he would be content to liue a long time in this world and to be rich and haue his pleasure in all thinges he answeared him If you should liue a thousand yeares and were lord of all the world what recompence shoulde you receaue in the death of this body which you shall with so great affection and pleasure haue
that prayeth continually for all the people and for the holy Cittie which the sayd Religious vnderstood to be Brother Giles A woman of the citty of Perusia hauing no milke wherwith to suck her litle child had recourse to this holie Father to whome she was much deuoted but he being in extasie she could not speake vnto him And she not hauing leasure to expect came neere him where he prayed whose breast hauing with exceeding faith and deuotion touched she had milke sufficient to nource her child How God communicated to Br. Giles a most pleasing seeling of glory before this death THE XLIII CHAPTER THis holy Father a litle before his death retourning from prayer into his cell replenished with a merueillous ioy sayd to his companion My child giue me thy iudgement in this I haue found a treasure of such worth and excellency as no humane tongue can expresse and therfore my child I pray thee againe speake thine opinion therof Which he diuers times repeated with an exceeding feruour of spiritt and with such enflamed charity that he seemed to be really druncken with the wine of the loue of God and the abondance of his grace But this Religious hauing told him that it was time to goe take his refection he ioyfully answeared him My child this is a singuler refection and farre better then any other The Religious thincking to tempt him sayd Father lett vs not now thinck of these thinges but lett vs to goe to dinner Wherto the venerable Br. Giles replyed that such speech was iniurious vnto him and that he should haue done him greater pleasure to haue stricken and wounded him to the bloud Now one may piously presume that this holy soule had notice that it should shortly leaue the flesh to enioy that notable treasure of eternall glory which it so much desired there to haue fruition and tast of the most sacred presence of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST About that time a Religious told him that the holy Father S. Francis had sayd that the seruant of God should alwayes desire to end his life by martyrdome wherto he answeared For my part I respect not to die better then in contemplation Of the admirable prophesic he made of himselfe and of his death THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Giles besides his age being wasted by grieuous insrmities as ache in his head and stomache by a very troublesome cough and burning ague so that he could neither eat sleep nor repose The Cittizens of Perusia out of great deuotion towardes him sent many armed men to guard him that being dead his body might not be buryed other where well knowing that he did not only desire but would order to be buryed att our Lady of Angels Vnderstanding then that he was guarded with armed men with great seruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Brethren tell the Perusians that the belles shal neuer ring for my canonization nor for any miracle of mine and that they shall haue no other signe but that of the Prophet lonas Which the Perusians vnderstanding they answeared they would haue him in their cittie though he should not be canonized and so the eue of sainct George att the houre of Mattins as soone as the Religious had layed him on a bed to repose hauing receaued the holy sacramentes ordayned by the Church without any acke of his body that might discouer and make appeare the agony of his death only shutting his mouth and eyes this contemplatiue soule was dissolued from the body with great repose God hauing for all eternity eleuated it vnto his glory This holy Father departed this life the yeare of grace 1260. and of his conuersion to Religion 52. haning merited to ascend vnto heauen their to raigne eternally the same day that he receaued the habitt of the holy Father sainct Francis becomming his true follower and disciple The Perusians after death seeking stones to make him a tombe found a sepulchre of marble wherin was carued the history of the Prophett Ionas where they layd his body according as he had prophesied Of the reuelation of the glory of this S. THE XLV CHAPTER A Person of notable sanctity saw in vision the holy Br. Giles accōpayned with a great number of soules of Religious others that then were dead and comming out of Purgatory they with him ascēded into heauē He saw our lord IESVS CHRIST with a great multitude of Angels that came to receaue him with musicke exquisitely melodious made by those Angelicall quiers these blessed soules were with great honour entertayned of our Redeemer into his kingdome were he seated them on a seat of merueillous glory Att the same time that Br. Giles was sicke of his last sicknes an other Religious fell also sick euen to death who was instantly prayed by a third Religious his Friend that if it should please God to call him he would reueale vnto him his estate if the diuine Maiesty would permitt it which the sick Religious promised Wherfore he dying the same day that Br. Giles did appeared to this his Religious friend and thus spake vnto him Br. giue thanckes vnto God for that it hath pleased him to graunt and giue me his glory deliuering me with many other soules from the paines of Purgatory by the merittes of Saint Giles Which sayd he vanished This Religious not daring to reueale this apparition to any fell grieuously sick But conceauing that this sicknes might be sent him for not diuulging the glory of Br. Giles he instantly called into his Couent some Frere Minors to whome and to many other Religious he recounted the foresaid apparition and was with all miraculously recouered S. Bonauenture said of this holy Br. Giles that God had giuen him one speciall grace which was that whosoeuer did inuocate him in matters concerning the saluation of their soules were heard Our lord wrought many miracles after his death by his merittes and intercession He cured three personnes of infirmities in their eyes fiue that were lame and two of paine in their feet that hindred them from mouing three of the sqinancie a woman in trauell of child two of agues one of the stone and many of diuers other diseases The end of the seauenth book and second volume of the first part of the present Chronicles THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE LIFE OF the glorious Virgin S. Clare the institution of her rule the conuersion of S. Agnes her sister and of an other S. Agnes daughter to the king of Behomia Of the intention of our Lord in the vocation of S. Clare and of her contry her father and mother Of a reuelation vnto her mother touching her sanctity and of her birth THE FIRST CHAPTER SIX yeares after the conuersion of the holy Father S. Francis and the fourth yeare after the confirmation of his rule by Pope Innocent the third the yeare of grace 1212. the omnipotent Father of light hauing framed and sent into the world
such sort that this holy virgin began without her knowledge to be commended by her neighbours the true same of her secrett pious worckes so publishing themselues that in an instant they were exceedingly spred abroad and euery where diuulged How the virgin S. Clare had knowledge of the vertues of the holy Father S. Francis THE III. CHAPTER THis vertuous virgin Clare hearing the grat same of the admirable life of S. Francis that then renewed vnto the world the way of perfection in the same citty with a merueillous example of piety and vertue and considering that many gentlemen did follow him and that his life was already approued by our holy mother the Church she exceedingly desired to see and heare this worthy seruant of God therunto inspired by the soueraigne Father of spirittes to whome had already bin presented the first fruites of their deuotions though differently S. Francis hauing bin aduertised of this her desire and hauing heard the bruit of her vertues and holy affections desired also exceedingly to see her and to conferre with her with intention to frustrate the world of so noble and precious a pray to present her vnto our soueraigne Redeemer to serue him in some notable enterprise as preordayned of God to despoyle the great prince of the world Neither did his diuine Maiesty faile to open vnto them the meanes and to at taine therunto he inspired this vertuous woman to relye on a very honorable graue woman that gouerned her in her house as her mother And to the end this holy purpose might be sinisterly enterpreted of men and to hinder publicke murmure she went out of her Fathers house with this good womau and found out the holy Father by the feruour of whose pious discourses she was presently enflamed with diuine loue and moued by his holy actions which she admired as seeming vnto her more then humane And therfore she began very exquisitely to dispose her selfe to the effecting of the wordes of the holy seruant of God who hauing very louingly entertayned her began to preach vnto her the contempt of the world and by euident reasons to demonstrate vnto her that all the beauty of thinges present is but a vanity filled with false and deceipt full hopes Then he persuaded vnto her pure eares the honourable and amiable espousale of IESVS CHRIST and counsayled her to conserue that most precious pearles of virginall purity for that glorious Spouse who out of loue he bare to the world being God became man and would be borne of a virgin This holy Father sollicited this affaire and playd the procuratour as a Paranimph and Embassadour of the heauenly king The holy virgin on her side beginning already to tast the sweetnes of contemplation and the proofe of the eternal ioyes the world began to seeme vnto her vile and contemptible as indeed it is she as it were melting for the loue of her celestiall Spouse whome she already desired with all her hart Thencefoorth therfore she desprised precious stones iewels gold sumptuous apparell and all other worldly trash as filth and donge and abhorring the detestable delightes of the flesh she resolued intierly to dedicate her selfe a liuely temple to IESVS CHRIST and to take him for the only Spouse of her body and soule and so submitting her selfe totally to the counsailes of the glorious Father S. Francis him next after our Lord she tooke for guid and directour of her life How S. Francis drew the virgin S. Clare out of the world and made her Religious THE IV. CHAPTER ANd to the end the most cleare Mirrour of her soule might not be stayned and blemished with the dust of this world and that the contagious seculer life did not corrupt her innocencie the holy Father prudētly endeauoured to sequester this virgin from worldly people And the solemnity of palme-sunday approching the holy espouse of IESVS CHRIST wit a great feruour of spiritt repayred to this man of God and most instantly demaunded of him when and how she should make her retyre from the world Whervpon the holy Father S. Francis ordayned that one the day of the sayd feast she should goe to the procession of palmes with the people decked and adorned the most richly and gorgiously that she could procure and the night following goeing out of the citty and withall out of all conuersation of the world she should change seculer pleasures into lamentations of the passion of our Lord. Palme-sunday being come the glorious S. Clare went in the cōpany of her mother and other ladies to the great Church where there happened a matter worthy to be recorded as not done without the prouidēce of the diuine goodnes Which was that all the other ladyes goeing as is the custome of Italie to take holy palme and S. Clare out of a virginall bashfulnes remayning alone without mouing out of her place the Bishop descended the steppes of his seat and putt into her hand a branch of palme The night approching she began to prepare her selfe for effecting the commandement of the holy Father and to make a glorious flight and honorable retyre frō the world in honest company But it seeming to to her impossible to goe foorth att the ordinary and chieffest dore of the house she bethought her selfe to take the benefitt of a back dore which though it were damned vp with grosse stones and mighty blockes she with an admirable courage a force rather of a strong man then a tēder yong woman her selfe brake open Thus then leauing her fathers house her citty kinred and friendes she with extraordinary speed arriued att the Church of our lady of Angels where the Religious that in the house of God were employed in pious watchinges receaued with burning wax lightes in their handes this holy virgin that sought her Spouse and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST with a lampe not extinct and empty but filled with diuine loue And incontinently in the selfe same hour and place hauing left and abandonned the immondicities of Babilō she gaue the world the ticket of defiance and repudiation before the altar of the soueraine Queene of Angels where the glorious Father sainct Francis inspired of God and neglecting all other worldly respect cutt off her haire then he cloathed her with a poore habitt of the Order reiecting the iewels and gorgious attire which she brought to be giuen to the poore of IESVS CHRIST It had not bin in deed conuenient that the new Order of florishing virginity towardes the end of the world should otherwhere begin then in the Angelicall Pallace of that most emminent lady who before had alone bin a mother and Virgin and consequently more worthy then all others In the very same place had the noble cheualrie of the poore of IESVS CHRIST the Frere Minors their beginning vnder the valerous Captaine sainct Francis to the end it might euidently appeare that the mother of God in this her habitation ingendred and produced the one and the other Religion And so as this new
pouerty and did manifest exteriourly in her body that her soule was interiourly replenished with diuine light In this manner did she ordinarily liue full of so supreme delightes passing ouer this deceiptfull world with her noble Spouse IESVS CHRIST and being on this wheele of motion she was theron sustayned with an assurance and firmity of vertue very stable and preserued with the celestiall eleuation of her soule in the hight of heauen keeping the treasure of glory securely shutt vp with in a vessell of flesh here below on earth This holy virgin accustomed to call vp the yonger Religious a litle before mattines and to awaken them with the ordinary signe to excite them very often to praise God All her Religious sleeping she did watch lighted the lampe rung att mattines so that negligence found no entrance into her monastery nor sloath had there any place She also by the sting of sharpe repreprehension and of her liuely and effectuall examples expelled tepedity and ircksomnes in prayer and the seruice of God How the Mores were expelled the Monastery by the prayers of S. Clare THE XIII CHAPTER THis being the place where we should record the miracles of this holy virgin it is not conuenient that we pretermitt them in silence for as the merueillous effectes of her prayer are veritable so also are they worthy of honour and reuerence In the time of the Emperour Federick the second the holy Church in diuers places endured great persecutions but particulerly in the vally of Spoletum which being subiect to the Romane Church dranck of the vessell of wrath of this mischieuous tyrant his capitaines and soldiers being scattered ouer the fieldes as grasse hoppers with sword to murder 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 on the mountaines and among the desertes to make himselfe the more fearefull vnto his vassels and after he had by lardge promises gayned these Mores and disposed them into diuers places he gaue them att length for retyre a very ancient but ruined citty which yet to this present is called Moura des Mores which they fortifyed and then thither retyred about twenty thousand fighting men who did much mischeife ouer all Apulia and in other Christian places These ennemies of the faith of IESVS CHRIST came one day vnexpectedly towardes the cittye of Assisium who being already close to the portes a great number of them came to the Monastery of saint Damian as a lewd and dissloyall nation that continually thirsteth after the bloud of Christians and dareth to committ indifferently all kind of execrable actes without either shame of men or feare of God These Mores then brake euen into the Monastery of sainte Clare where she was with her Religious daughters who had their hartes surprised with an extreme terrour but much more when they heard the barking and crye of those dogges so neere them so that they were euen dying with the apprehension not knowing where to seeke reliefe nor of whome to hope for deliuerance from so emminent perill but by the merittes of their holy mother Whome with infinite sighes and teares they aduertised of what they heard and saw This holy virgin though sick encouraging her Religious caused her selfe with incredible constancie to be carryed to the gate of her Monastery att the entry wherof in the sight of all her ennemies she with very great reuerence placed the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist in the pix before which falling postrate on the earth she with abondance of teares thus spake to her beloued Spouse IESVS CHRIST Is it possible my God thy will should be that these they seruantes who cannot vse materiall weapons to defend thēselues and whome I haue here brought vp nourced in thy holy loue should now be deliuered into the power of the Infidell Mores Oh my God! Preserue thē if thou please and me likewise for albeit thy diuine Maiesty hath cōmitted thē to my gouernemēt yet is it not in my power to defend thē from so great a perill sith this protection cānot be but by a worck of thine omnipotencie Therfore doe I recōmend thē to thy diuine Maiesty with all the affection that I am able As soone as this holy virgin had sent these prayers vnto heauē she heard a voice so delicate as if it had bin of a sucking child that said I will protect you for eue◠The holy mother did not yet giue ouer to present her prayers saying My God I humbly beseech thee if so it be thy holy will to preserue and defend this thy citty of Assisium which doth nourish vs for the loue it beareth to thy diuine Maiesty Wherto God answeared This citty shall suffer much but in the end I will by my fauour defend it Sainte Clare hauing heard so gracious newes lifted vp her face bathed with teares and comforted her beloued daughters saying Deere Sisters I assure you that no euill shall befall you only be carefull to haue a firme faith and confidence in IESVS CHRIST The diuine assistāce made no long delay for the presumption and rage of the Mores was incontinently cooled so that a sodaine vnknowne terrour hauing surprised them they speedily retyred ouer the walles which they had scaled and ouer leapt to enter They being thus by the vertue of the prayer of sainte Clare expelled she priuatly called the Religious that had heard the sayd voice of God and commanded them that howsoeuer it were they should not diuulge what they had heard during her life How the citty of Assisium was an other time deliuered by the prayer of this holy Virgin THE XIV CHAPTER ON an other time one of the principall Capitaines of the Emperour Federick called Vitall d'Auerse a man very ambitious of glory full of courage and a notable Capitaine conducted his troupes to besiege Assisiū and hauing encōpassed it he exposed to wast and spoile the plaine contry therabout making a totall ruine euen to the very trees which were hewed downe and then framing his siege he vttered menacing and vaunting oathes that he would not stirre thence till he had giuen the citty a victorious assault and so this siege so long continued that the besieged began to loose courage as wanting many thinges extreemely needfull vnto them Wherof this holy seruant of IESVS CHRIST being aduertised sighing in her hart she called all her Religious to whome she thus discoursed My deere sisters you know that all our necessities haue euer bin supplyed by the charity of this citty so that we should proue very vngratefull if we should not according to our ability assist them in this extreme necessity then she commanded to be broughte her ashes and all her Religious to discoife their heades and to giue them example she began to couer her bare head with ashes wherin all the other Religious following her she said Goe ye to our Lord IESVS CHRIST and with the greatest
to be more tormented by her infirmities then she accustomed to be a sword of sorrow through-pearced the soule of her beloued daughters But a virgin seruante of IESVS CHRIST and a very deuout Religious of the Monastery of saint Paul and Order of saint Benedict had att that time this vision following It semed to her that she did visitt sainte Clare withall her sisters att saint Damian whom she saw in a sorrowfull yet precious bed about which they all lamēted expecting her death and withall she saw come to the bolster of the sayd bed a very beautifull woman who sayd to them that wept My daughters weep not for her that is yet to liue for she cannot dye til our Lord and all his disciples doe come A litle after the Romane Court was att Perusia where the encrease of sainte Clares sicknesse being diuulged the Cardinall of Hostia hastened with great dilligence to visite the espouse of IESVS CHRIST whose Father he was by office Gouernour by speciall sollicitude and Fosterer and friend in most pure and chast amitie and her he comforted applying and with his owne handes administring vnto her the most sacred sacrament of the Eucharist and then made a very deuout sermon vnto the Religious sainte Clare with great humility and in the name of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST besought him to accept in recommēdation that her family and all her other poore sisters of other Monasteries but aboue all she most instātly besought him to obtaine of the Pope and the Colledge of Cardinalls a priuiledge and confirmation of holy pouerty Wherto the Cardinall gaue his word and as a faithfull Protectour of her Religion one most deuout and affectionat to saincte Clare did afterwardes effect it For Pope Innocēt the fourth att her most instāt request confirmed the rule which the holy Father saint Francis had instituted for her as is formerly recorded of which rule S. Clare had neuer till then other cōfirmation written then that of the said Cardinall because the Pope supposing to induce sainte Clare not to bind her Religious to such an extreme pouerty did still deferre to confirme her rule by writing But Innocent the fourth seeing the perseuerāce and last will of sainte Clare graunted the same vnto her by a bull the eleuenth and last yeare of his raigne as we haue before recorded And the yeare being almost expired the Pope came with his Cardinals from Perusia to Assisium wherin the first vision touching the death of the holy virgin was accomplished for the Pope being in his office more then a man by the aucthority which he hath of IESVS CHRIST on earth whose person he representeth in the temple of the Church militant the Cardinals accompanying his holinesse represented the disciples of our Lord IESVS CHRIST How Pope Innocent the fourth visited S. Clare in her last sicknes and gaue her absolution THE XXIV CHAPTER THe diuine prouidence would no longer deferre the accomplishment of the will of S. Clare but her Spouse IESVS CHRIST came to eleuate into his celestiall Pallace his poore espouse and pilgrime on earth who desired nothing more that being deliuered of this mortall body she might haue the sight and fruition of her most glorious IESVS CHRIST in his kingdome Now then the members of this virgin being by continuance of her sicknes as vtterly decayed there befell her a new weakenes which being a token that she should in short time be called of God she also vsed it as a ladder to mount to eternall saluation Whervpon the Pope Innocent the fourth came to the Monastery of saint Damian accompanied with many Cardinals to visitt the seruant of God not doubting but she whose life he had already approued was the most perfect in sanctity of all women of his time and therfore worthy to haue her death honoured by his presence His holinesse then being entred he went directly to the glorious Virgin and comming neere to her bed he tendered her his hand to kisse which fauour saincte Clare with exceeding ioy receaued But besides that she with great humility besought him to aford her his feet to kisse The Pope to content her sate downe vpon a litle bench and deuoutly presented vnto her his Apostolicall feet on which this sainct reuerently laid 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 answeared would to God my deere sister I had need of such a pardon but finally he gaue her the benefitt of absolutiō and the gift of his benediction then left her in peace She hauing that morning receaued the most sacred communion att the hand of the Prouinciall of the Frere Minors of that prouince with her handes ioyned and her eyes eleuated towardes heauen she weeping sayd to her Religious My daughters prayse almighty God for the benefitt it hath pleased him to bestow on me this day which is such that the earth and the heauens are not of sufficiencie to recompence it sith this day I haue both receaued the same Lord and am esteemed worthy to see his vicar on earth How S. Clare comforted her sister S. Agnes THE XXV CHAPTER THe daughters were all about their mother without whom they were in short time to remayne orphanes the cōsideration wherof through-pearced their soules with a most bitter griefe The heauines of sleep nor hungar could not draw them from the presence of their mother the contentment which they receaued in her presence made them forgett to eat and to sleep because all their exercise was to weepe and particulerly her most deuout sister Agnes who was expresly come from the Monastery which she had newly erected att Florence to be present att her death Being then in this anguish she tourned towardes her sister and most instantly prayed her not to depriue her of her presence Wherto sainte Clare answeared Deere sister whome I cordially loue sith it hath pleased God that I depart be you ioyfull and weepe no more for I assure you our Lord will shortly come to you to visitt you with an exceeding consolation before your death Here followeth the testament of the holy S. Clare In nomine Domini Amen AMongest all other benefittes which we haue receaued of our bountifull benefactour the king of mercies and doe daily receiue of him for which we are most boud to praise him one is for our vocatiō which by how much greater it is by so much more are we bound vnto him the Apostle saith acknowledge your vocatiō God hath made himselfe a way which he hath shewed by word and example our holy Father S. Francis a most perfect zelatour and follower of the same way hath thaught vs wherfor my beloued Sisters we ought to marcke the vnmeasurable benefitt which God hath done vnto vs amongest the rest that which he hath vouchsafed to worcke in vs through his seruāt our Father S. Frācis not only after our cōuersion but
nor sowe I admonish you all my Sisters who are shall be that you labour to follow the way of simplicity humility pouerty and also the modesty of holy conuersation as we in the beginning of our conuersion haue bin taught of Christ and of our holy Father saint Francis through which not through our meritt but through the mercy of the liberall giuer the Father of mercies hath spread abroad the sauour of our good name as well vnto those who are far off as to such as are neere And for the charity of our Lord IESVS lett thē keepe the vniō of loue The charity which you haue interiourly shew it exteriourly by worckes to the end that through your exāple the sisters who are called vnto your profession may encrease in the loue of God mutuall charity Also I pray all those who shal be chosen in the offices of the sisters that they study to excell the others rather in vertue and modest conuersation then in their office to the end that by their example the Sisters that were called vnto the religion before them be moued to obey them not only in respect of their office but for loue The Abbesse must be carefull discreet towardes her Sisters as a good mother towardes her children She must also haue a prouident care of euery one according to their necessity of the almose which it shall please God to send her She must withall be so sweet and indifferent vnto all that the sisters may with out feare or doubt declare vnto her their necessity and that they confidently haue recourse vnto her when the Abbesse and the Sisters shall thincke it to be necessary The Sisters that are subiect lett them remember that for the loue of God they haue renounced their owne willes wherfore I will that they obey their mother as they of their one accord promised vnto God to doe to the end that their mother seeing the humility charity vnion which they haue vnto each other may easily beare the chardge with the office shesustaineth and because it is heauy bitter they must through their holy conuersatiō turne it into sweetnes And because the way is narrow the gate streight which leadeth vnto life few there are that walke in it and few that perseuer therin blessed are they that haue receiued the grace to walke in it and to perseuer vnto the end lett vs therfore be carefull if we be entred in the way of our lord that by out fault and negligence we doe not fall from the same to the end that we committ not that iniury vnto our lord to this blessed mother the glorious Virgin Mary to our holy Father sainct Francis and to the triumphant and militant church for it is written accursed are they who decline from your commandement For to obtaine this grace I bend my knee vnto the heauenly Father through the merittes of lord IESVS and of his blessed mother of our holy Father saint Francis and of all the Sainctes that it well please him of his diuine Maiestie who hath giuen a good beginning to graunt grace also that it may augment and perseuer euen vntill death Deerly beloued Sisters present and to come to the end that you may the better perseuer in your vocation I leaue vnto you this writing and in token of our Lordes benediction and of the benedictiction of our holy Father saint Francis and of me your mother and seruant The end of the testament of the glorious Virgin saincte Clare Here ensueth S. Clares Benediction vnto her Sisters present and to come IN the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen My deerly beloued Sisters our lord giue you his holy benedictiō and behold you with his holy eye of mercy giuing you his peace as also to all those that shall enter and perseuer in this our Colledge and monastery and vnto all other of the Order who shall perseuer vnto the end in this holy pouerty I Clare seruant of IESVS CHRIST and litle plante of our holy Father S. Francis your mother Sister though vnworthy doe beseech our lord IESVS CHRIST that by the intercession of his most holy mother of the holy Archangell S. Michaell and of all the holy Angels of our holy Father S. Francis and of al the holy Saintes that it wil please him to giue and confirme vnto you this benediction in heauen and in earth by multiplying in you his holy grace and in heauen by eleuating you into the eternall glory with his saintes And I giue you my benediction in my life and after my death in all that I am able and more then I am able Withall the blessinges wherwith the Father of mercies hath or shall blesse his spirituall children both in heauē and earth or that the spirituall mother doth or shal be able to blesse her spirituall chirldren Amen Be alwayes louers of God of your soule and of your Sisters and be alwayes carefull to keepe that which you haue vowed to God Our lord be alwayes with you and you with him Amē Of the death of the blessed Virgin S. Clare and of a vision which one of her Religious saw THE XXVI CHAPTER THe holy virgin and seruant of IES CH. was many dayes towardes the end of her life afflicted with diuers diseases The faith deuotiō which att that time each one boare her exceedingly encreased yea so far foorth as she was honoured as a S. being ordinarily visited by Cardinals Bishoppes and other Prelates But which is more admirable to heare hauing bin seauenteen dayes without force to receaue any sustenāce that was presented vnto her she was neuertheles so fortified of God and encouraged of his diuine Maiesty that she exhorted all those that would comfort her to be prompt in the seruice of God A Religious mā intending to comfort her and to persuade her to haue patience in so grieuous a sicknesse that procured her so much torment she with a smiling countenance cleare voyce answeared him Brother since the time that I knew the grace of my God by meanes of his seruant saint Francis no paine hath bin troublesome vnto me no penance hath seemed difficult nor no sicknesse ircksome And as almighty God approached neere vnto her her soule being as it were att the dore to goe forth the blessed virgin would haue the most pious and spirituall Frere Minors to be present to discourse vnto her of the passiō of our Lord IESVS CHRIST and by their pious wordes to enflame her more in the loue of God Wherfore some of them who were vnto her true Brethren in our Redeemer CHRIST IESVS were present and amōg others Br. Iuniperus the familier of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who often vttered vnto her such fiery and enflamed wordes of the omnipotēt God that she by his presēce being filled with an extreme ioy one day demaunded of him if he then knew nothing new of almighty God whervpon Br. Iuniperus opening his
hardly can I speake and this because I am corporally separated from you and my holy sisters with whome I hoped to haue happely liued and dyed in this world So farre is this my griefe from slacking that it continually encreaseth which as it had a beginning so doe I beleeue it will finde no end in this world For it is so continuall and familier vnto me that it will neuer forsake me I was persuaded that life and death should be a like without power of any separation on earth amongest them who haue one same conuersation and life in heauen and must haue one same sepulture them I say who one same and equall naturall profession and one same loue hath made sisters But as far as I can see being abandoned and afflicted on eache side I am much mistaken O my holy sisters I beseech you to be reciprocally grieued with me and lett vs weepe together I being assured that you shall neuer experience any doulour comparable to that which I now feele in being separated from them with whome IESVS CHRIST had conioyned me This griefe tormenteth me incessantly this fire burneth my hart continually so that being on each side afflicted I know what to thincke neither doth any hope remayne but to be assisted by your prayers that Almighty God easing this affliction may make it tollerable vnto me O my most gracious mother what shall I doe and what shall I say sith I know not that euer I shall see you more or likewise my sisters O that it were lawfull for me to vtter vnto you the conceiptes of my soule as I would desire or that I could open my hart vnto you on this paper then should you see the liuely and continuall dolour that tormenteth me My soule bâ—rneth interâ—ourly being afflicted with an incessant fire of loue and my hart groneth sigheth and lamenteth with desire of your presence Myne eyes cannot haue their fill of weeping and albeit I seeke some consolation against this bitternes yet can I find none but euery thing turneth into griefe and much more when I coÌ„sider the meanes to see you I am entierly steeped in these anguishes hauing none that can comfort me in this life but that I receaue a litle consolation from the liberal hand of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Which causeth me to beseech you all to giue thanckes vnto his diuine maiesty for this fauour and mercy extended towardes me and for that through his grace I finde in this Couent such concord peace and charity as by wordes cannot be expressed these sisters hauing receaued me with exceeding loue deuotion yelding me obedience with extraordinary promptitude and reuerence They all with one accord recommend themselues to our Lord IESVS CHRIST to you my sister and to all the sisters of the monastery and I recommend both my selfe and them to your prayers beseeching you as our Mother to be mindfull of them and of me as of your daughters and know you that they and I will all the dayes of our life obserue and keep your holy preceptes and aduertisementes Besides I desire you should know that the Pope hath accorded to whatsoeuer I demaunded him conformably to your intention and mine and particulerly in the matter you know viz. that we may not possesse any thing proper I beseech you my most deere Mother to procure of the R. Father Generall that he often visitt vs to comfort vs in God whose grace be with your spiritt Amen Of an extasie of S. Agnes and how S. Clare saw her thrice crowned by an Angell THE XXXVI CHAPTER SAinte Clare in her last sicknes obtained that her sister S. Agnes might come to see her in the monastery of S. Damian to keep her company during the few dayes she had to liue And so S. Agnes hauing left her Couent well grounded in Religion and sanctity she came to Assisium where sainte Clare being one night in prayer a part from her sister she neuertheles saw her being also in prayer lifted from the earth and an Angell to crowne her head three seuerall times with so many crownes The day following she demanded of her sister what player or contemplation she had made the night past But she of humility vnwilling to manifest her prayer being att length enforced by obedience made her this relation I considered the great goodnes and patience of almighty God wherby he supporteth such enormous offences of sinners which I considered with a deep sorrow and compassion Then I thought and yet doe thinck on the loue which almighty God beareth to sinners and how he endured death to saue them Thirdly I considered and doe consider and am with coÌ„passion exceedingly afflicted for the soules in purgatory and their great tormentes and because they cannot helpe them selues I asked mercy for them of the most sacred woundes of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST How S. Agnes sent S. Clares vaile to the monasterie of Florence and of her death and translation to S. George of Assisium with all her Religious into a new Couent THE XXXVII CHAPTER AFter the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes sent her black vaile which she did ordinairily weare to the poore Religious of MouÌ„t Celi which she had founded att Florence which she did in regard of her great amity towardes them that they might inherite some reliques of sainte Clare for their comfort and deuotion That vaile is yet in the sayd 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 cloake of sainct Francis by which reliques our lord worcketh many miracles A litle after the death of sainte Clare sainte Agnes also desired to be present att the mariage of the lambe whither she was inuited but she first receaued the consolatioÌ„ which sainte Clare had promised her that before she departed out of this life she should see her Spouse IESVS CHRIST as a tast of the eternall felicities wherto she was to be eleuated and conducted by her sweet Spouse CHRIST IESVS 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 IESVS CHRIST in which glory these two sisters and daughters of Sion companions in heauen by nature and grace doe prayse God without end There assembled a great multitude of people vpon the death of sainte Agnes and they with great deuotion ascended the ladder of the monastery of sainct Damian hoping there to receaue some spirituall consolation of sanctity but it happened that the chaine which held the ladder did slip so that al those that were on it fell downe one vpon an other which made a great bruit and clamour by those that were hurt who hauing with a strong faith inuocated S. Agnes were all cured The sayd holy virgin was enterred att S. Damian but afterward was transported into the Church of
till euensong she felt her selfe freed from the deuils that possessed her this was done on the feast of S. Francis The kinred of this deliuered woman offered an image of waxe weighing two poundes to the sepulchre of the sainct in acknowledgement of the grace and fauoure receaued A man of Perusia with a continuall feiuer had in his body an impostume wherof the Phisitions gaue their iudgement he would in short time end his dayes Wherfore a woman called Celiola admonished him to recommend himselfe to sainte Agnes and to vow the visiting of her sepulchre Which hauing done and his prayers ended his infirmity ended withall being cured both of the one and the other disease for which not being vngratefull he visited the said sepulchre and euery where preached the prayâ—es of the holy virgin giuing thanckes to almighty God for such a fauour A Religious of the Monostery of saincte Clare in Assisium had lost the sight of one eye and was in danger to loose the other But finding that no humane application did auayle her she recommended her selfe to saincte Agnes and the other Religious of her Monastery also prayed for her who as she one time prayed in the Church saw a woman that came to her and said Sister open your eye for your sight is recouered and so opening her eyes she clearly saw but she could no more see the woman that spake vnto her only she was assured that it was sainte Agnes to whome she had hartely recommended her selfe Vitula the wife of Matthew du Loup att sainct Francis gate in Assisium had a sonne called Martin that had a deep soare in his throat and an other in his shoulder both mortall whence issued such an offensiue sauour that it was not possible to come neere him Att length after many remedyes had in vaine bin tryed his mother recommended him to sainte Agnes to whome hauing with a deuout hart offered her prayers the S. one night appeared vnto her richly attyred with a diademe of gold on her head and a branch of lilly in her right hand and sayd vnto her My daughter disquiett not thy selfe for they soÌ„ne for he shal be cured and deliuered from perill Which this woman hauing heard she arose full of comfort and went to the Monastery of S. Clare and recounted this apparition to the Abbesse and the Religious then she heard masse which being ended the Religious shewed to the mother and the sonne the sacred Reliques of the saint and at the instant the sonne was cured of the impostume in his throat only After that S. Agnes appeared to him in vision together with an other womaÌ„ that brought a viol full of oyntment S. Agnes then sayd to the child My sonne how doe you wherto he answeared I am by the merittes of S. Agnes cured of the impostume in my throat but that which is on my shoulder procureth me extreme affliction The S. replyed I will cure this as I did the other in thy throat then she vnbound the sayd impostume tooke of the plaister and cast it on the ground then applyed therto the oyntment which her companion had brought and instantly the child was perfectly cured When his mother came to see him she found the playsters on the ground and her sonne sound and lusty who particulerly recounted vnto her the sayd vision which afterward was generally diuulged This happened in the yeare 1350. The life of an other saincte Agnes who was daughter to the king of Bohemia and Religious of S. Clares Order THE XL. CHAPTER IN the beginning of this Religiious Order there was an other virgin besides the precedent called Agnes as illustrious in sanctity as in bloud for she was daughter to a king of Bohemia who promised her in mariage to the Emperour Federick and this holy virgin hauing heard the worthy reputation of S. Clare who then liued by such as â—ame from Rome and Assisium being inspired of God she besought the king her Father to giue her leaue to â—erue rather the celestiall then a terrestâ—iall Spouse But the king knowing that he could not recall his word and that whatsoeuer excuse he should alleadge to breake this mariage the Emperour would sinisterly interpret it he vtterly denyed her Now the virgin hauing found the drift and cause of this denyall assured her Father that if he would accord to what she demaunded she would vndertake that the Emperour should condiscend thervnto presuming confidently on the fauour of IESVS CHRIST She knew well to deliuer many other allegations with so good a grace and with such persuasiue tearmes that she purchaced her Fathers coÌ„sent to what she desâ—ed without further seeking the approbation of the Emperour Whervpon this Princesse presently sent for certaine Frere Minors of Magnes where they had a Couent who comming to her did shortly after consecrate vnto God this royall planâ— with many other gentlewomen of a great families of Bohemia to whome they gaue the habitt of Religion instructing theÌ„ in the life and rule of S. Clare The king desiring to assigne a good pensioÌ„ and to bestow on the Monastery where his daughter was a good reuenue to supply the necessities therof she formally withstood him purposing to liue and dye poore and to be maintayned by almose coÌ„formably to her rule rigourously obseruing the intention of the holy Father saint FraÌ„cis S. Clare in the vow of pouerty which is yet to this day in the same maÌ„ner obserued in the sayd monastery which is in Prague the chiefe citty of the kingdome of Bohemia with froÌ„ this first foundation layd by this holy Princesse hath alwayes bin furnished with gentlewomen Now the Emperour hauing vnderstood that his promised loue had abandoÌ„ned the world he was att the first appreheÌ„sion exceedingly troubled But considering with more maturity that she had not forsaken him to take an other man but for IESVS CHRIST himselfe he was att lenght satisfyed contented and comforted S. Clare being aduertised of all that this Princesse had done and of her life and perfection who also had written and expresly sent a messenger to acknowledge obedieÌ„ce vnto her as to her Mother and mistresse auouching her selfe her humble disciple S. Clare answeared her by a letter filled with much feruour and consolation and sent her in token of amitye and good will a girdle a vayle a cupp of wood and a dish wherin the S. her selfe accustomed to eat and many like small thinges which the holy Princesse with great deuotion accepted Our Lord wrought many miracles by the â—aid Reliques which euer afterward were kept in the sayd Monastery in very great deuotion and reuerence The renowne of this Princesse being diuulged ouer al Almania there were founded many monasteries of poore Religious in her imitation which were filled with many daughters of Princes Dukes Earles and other great Lordes and gentlemen of that contry who in imitation of saincte Clare and the sayd Princesse Agnes abandonning the world and the follyes therof espoused for eternity IESVS
solemnized ouer al the Catholike Church This blessed S. departed this life the yeare of grace 1231. the 19. day of NoueÌ„ber Certaine yeares after her reliques being traÌ„slated her body was found in the cosin of lead where it was first layd in sepulture her flesh being melted into oyle and most precious liquor that yelded a most delicious and pleasing â—auour this oyle restored health to infinite sick people and a very long time distilled from her sacred bones The life of the B. Elzearius of the third order of sainct Francis and S. Delphine his wife Of the sanctity mortification abstinence and virginity of S. Elzearius THE XVIII CHAPTER ELzearius was Earle of Arian in Prouince no lesse generous and noble in vertues and sanctity then eminent famous in race generation for the Eaâ—les of Arian his predecestors were of the most illustrious of Prouence This nobleman from thirteen yeares of age accustomed to fast often and woare a cord girded on his flesh knotted with fiue knottes which he vsed as a restraint and bridle to carnall sensuality and as a secrett memory of the fiue woundes of our lord IESVS CHRIST When he was ouer-wearyed with watching and was ouercome with necessity of sleep he neuer putt of his cloathes to take his rest and by day woare an hair-cloth therby to feele some affliction in his body both by day and night considering that without afflictions the fruites of spirituall desires cannot be obtayned His rigours also serued him to represse the coÌ„cupiscences stinges of the flesh and to obtayne the fruites of true wisdome His age encreasing he addicted himselfe to a stricter rule of abstinence chasticing his body by fastes to subiect it vnto the spiritt He gaue vertuous and pious instructions to his family that they might liue in the feare of God and not iniury their neighbour but might edifie him and that God might by them be serued and honoured This sainct after his youth though he had bin delicately nourrished was a great friend vnto chastity and so continued euen to his death preseruing in his soule and body the inestimable treasure of virginity How sainct Elzearius was maryed and accorded with his wife to conserue their virginity THE XIX CHAPTER S. Elzearius was maryed in his youth vnto a gentlewoman of noble familie called Delphine who had a like intention with her husband to preserue her virginity She being past twelue yeares of age and knowing she should shortly be deliuered and committed to Elzearious her Spouse began exceedingly to feaâ—e that notwithstanding the sanctity she knew to be in him as not sufficiently fiâ—me and resolute in this grace he would ouerthrow the holy resolutioÌ„ she had to coÌ„serue her integrity And consulting therof with a Frere Minor that was her ghostly Father called Frere Philip Denguerre a man of notable piety he gaue her full asseurance and satisfaction with a prophetical spiritt telling her that she should not only entierly obserue her vow but that her husbaÌ„d and she should liue together chastly and so perseuer to the end And so the nuptiall solemnities being ended they liued together twenty seauen yeares religiously and piously vnder the shadow of the name of mariadge very well vnited in spiritt but remote from the vnion of the flesh preseruing in this vessell of earth the inestimable treasure of most precious chastity a vertue not so much recommendable as rare and so much more worthy to be imitated att least in part as the contrary vice is damnable and ruinous Of the worthy and singuler vertues of S. Elzearius THE XX. CHAPTER THis holy man duely considering that the principall vertue which the seruant of God can haue is the misprise of himselfe and consequently humility and not worldly nobility his spiritt could neuer be raysed to vaine glory by the great substance honours and puissance which the eminency of his house did yeld him His wordes were gracious and pleasing conformable to the spiritt that deliuered them and the better to attaine to the perfect contempt of himselfe he would often for the loue of IESVS CHRIST wash the soares and vlceres of leapers with his one handes and serue them with gteat feruour of deuotion and with such charity as if with his owne eyes he had seene and serued IESVS CHRIST himselfe He behaued himselfe towardes his subiectes and vassals ouer whome he had entier iurisdiction as a iust lord iudgeing their causes with a seuere clemencie as one that could not be drawne from the right course of iustice by feare hatred fauour or corruption This holy man proceeded in all actions by the vertue of discretion wherwith he so teÌ„pered his worckes of mercy that therin he with exceeding humility auoyded worldly glory and fauour and as a valiant and perfect warryer he neuer desisted from his first inteÌ„tion and as iust he withall his industry shunned the occasions of offending God This seruant was so charitable and liberall to the poore that neuer any demaunded of him an almose for the loue of God but he gaue him a reward together with good wordes All his care was to feed the hungry to lodge pilgrimes and haue care of poore sick and forlorne creatures as one that acknowledged the poore CHR. IES in his poore creatures in sicknesses the painfull afflictions wâ—ich he endured for vs miserable sinners And as he was replenished with the loue of his neighbours no lesse was he but much more replenished with the loue of IESVS CHRIST And knowing that the edifice of vertues hath its end in the perfection of holy prayer in regard that it is a conuersation and familiarity with God he applyed himselfe with all his endeauour to prayer and contemplation he also sayd the canonicall houres with such deuotion and attention as if he had bin in the visible presence of IESVS CHRIST How S. Elzearius had the true vertue of patience of his death and canonization and the death of his wife THE XXI CHAPTER THis inuincible Champion was so armed with the precious armours of patience by the exercise of vertue that albeit he supported many thinges very difficult to endure yet none could euer disquiett him so that he was neuer perceaued to be in choler nor the least iott remote from his ordinary mildnes For he very patiently and humblie supported and endured the iniuâ—yes and affiontes directly or indirectly offered vnto him and was neuer heard to proceed out of his mouth any word but of praise and thanckesgiuing vnto God he with such sweetnes and clemencie pardonned his ennemies whatsoeuer offence they commited against him that he did not only make appeare that he was satissied and appeased but proceeded in their behalfe as if there had neuer bin cause of discontentment Being att Paris and hauing fore-knowledge of the houre of his death he with great abondance of teares and exceeding deuotion made his coÌ„fession then with much reuerence and in very exemplar manner receaued the sacramentes of the church And