my selfe in all my thoughts words works as neuer to do any thing that may be displeasing to his eyes or yours and lastly to be mindfull of me in the houre of my death Amen From henceforth you shall imagine your Chamber to be a Chappell of the B. Virgin whome you shall reuerence in her Image as if she were present with you not suffering any thing to remaine therein which may offend her sacred eyes In the morning as soone as you are risen as also at night before you lye downe to sleepe with low and humble reuerence you shall aske her blessing like as good childreÌ„ in our couÌ„trey are wont carefully to do their PareÌ„ts euery morning night saying The Virgin Mary with her benigne Sonne blesse vs. After that you be apparelled kneeling downe before the sayd Image then shall you say this prayer following O Blessed Mary my good Lady I recommend my selfe vnto your Blessed protection singular custody casting my selfe into the bosome of your mercy both this day and euery day and in the houre of my death I commend also vnto you my Soule and Body In you do I place all my hope and consolation To you do I commend all my distresses and miseries my life the finall conclusion thereof that by your most holy intercession and merits all my workes may be directed disposed according to your will and the will of your most Blessed Sonne Amen Alwayes at your going out and coÌ„ming into your chamber see you salute the said Image imitating heerin the Courtiers who in their passing to and fro do neuer omit to make reuerence vnto their Prince You ought not to vndertake any thing of moment hauing not first acquainted the B Virgin Mother therwich You shall seriously also commeÌ„d vnto her both your priuate and publique affaires if any thing do occurre of greater importance wryte the same briefly in a paper and lay it at the feete of the Image Finally in all your temptations and difficulties you shall haue recourse vnto her as to a mercifull and tender-harted Mother Examples in Confirmation of such things as haue beene sayd THe holy Mother S. Teresa doth approue and much commend this practise and deuotion who being made Prioresse of a certayne Monastery at her very first entrance into her Office she coÌ„secrated both her selfe the whole monastery to our B. Lady placing a fayre Image in the Chaire where the Prioresse was to sit and offering her the keys of the Monastery togeather with the goÌ„uerment thereof as Superiour whose place she was only to supply Which oblatio the Mother of God not long afterwards shewed to be most gratefull vnto her For vpon the Eue of S. Sebastian our B. Lady put her selfe visibly in place of the picture and declared that she tooke indeed vpon her the gouermeÌ„t of the house In eius vita lib. 3. c. 1. It is also recounted by those who haue beene conuersant with Father Francis Suarez a man famous for holynes and learning that he was accustomed to confer with the B. Virgin concerning all doubts which occurred in his studies froÌ„ whome he receyued often the solution of many hard and difficile Questions and he hath beene also seene to kneele downe and giue her thankes for the same vpon his knees To these I adde a story which Boniface relateth out of Alanus and Albertus l. 4. c. 9. hist. Virginalis A certayne Religious Virgin named Ioane liuing in a Monastery somwhat dissolute and disordered vpon a time according to her accustomed manner being very attentiue in saying of her beads she saw a letter fal downe from heauen before her with this superscription Mary Mother of God to her daughter Ioane health The contents of the letter were these My most deare Daughter Perseuere constaÌ„tly in saying my Rosary allwayes as thou hast begun fly from men and shun all conuersation with them which may not profit thee to the attaining true vertue good of thy conscience Beware of sloth dissolutenes idlenes remoue far from thee dainty meates and curiosity of apparell and purge thy Cell of some things which are not decent for a Religious woman and in place therof put the Images of thy Sauiour Christ his Saints other holy things whose protection defence shall preserue thee from all dangers If thou giue eare vnto me and performe with due obedience those things which I shal prescribe vnto thee thou shalt obtaine fauour of my beloued SoÌ„ne I will make intercession to him for thee in al thy necessities The hand mayd of Christ hauing reade his Letter was very much encouraged to set forward the honour of our B. Lady with all possible deuotion and with all diligence put in execution what was coÌ„maunded her Not long after a certaine holy Abbot comming thither to reforme the said Monastery according to their former discipline and religious Institute as he was praying deuoutly for that end he saw the cell of the before named Virgin shining and sending forth radiant beames with an incredible lustre and in the middle of that light the Queene of heauen enuironed with a troupe of glorious Angels in whose coÌ„pany Ioane the Virgin was deuoutly praying In the meane time at the Cell doore without a great multitude of diuels stood raging and to make themselues more terrible put on the shape of diuers kind of vgly and monstrous beasts but being all shamefully put to flight by the powerfull commaund of the B. Virgin they retyred backe to the chambers of the other foolish Virgins dispersing theÌ„selues through the whole Monastery some to one Cell some to another The holy Abbot was much astonisshed at this vision but afterward when he had vnderstood of the singular zeale and deuotion which Ioane the Virgin had towards our B. Lady he caused immediately beades to be prouided and distributed to the other Nunnes exhorting them constantly to the pious vse therof Which deuotion wheÌ„ they had seriously imbraced not long after they all voluntarily submitted themselues to the Rule of their Order From hence you may learne what the Mother of God doth expect of those euery one according to their profession who haue consecrated themselues vnto her according to the aforsayd manner and how great accoumpt she maketh of that deuotion and with what a bountifull hand she rewardeth it Therfore not without cause S. Bonauenture so much commended this kind of deuotion towards the Mother of God in an Epistle of his which is intituled Of 25. Memorials where amongst other deuotions how to lead a good like in the 13. Memoriall he hath these words Alwais haue great reuereÌ„ce and tendernes of affection vnto the glorious Queene Mother of our Lord and haue recourse vnto her as vnto a most safe refuge in all your necessities dangers troubles crauing the defence of her perfection taking her for your Aduocate make knowne your petition suiâ—e vnto her with all deuotion and confidence because she is the Mother
Jnuiolata take for your companion S. Joseph who was the Spouse of the Bles Virgin and Foster-father to our Sauiour On Friday imagine your selfe full of sores almost wounded vnto death going to your most mercifull Surgeon the Mother of our Redeemer who on this day with the effusion of his owne pretious blood made a salue for our sins Recite the Hymne Stabat Mater dolorosa and choose S. Francis your companion who hauing vndertaken in the house of the B. Virgin by her authority patronage that holy Institute of Pouerty abnegation of himselfe did by her assistance so constantly perseuere therein arryuing to the top of such perfection that he was as it were transformed into our Sauiour crucified bearing the markes of his most sacred woūdes in his body On Saturday imagin your selfe as a Sonne dearly beloued notwithstāding you haue often degenerated run astray going to honour your most louyng mother Say the Hymne Aue maris stella and let your companion be S. Iohn the Euangelist whome our Sauiour hanging on the Crosse gaue to our Blessed lady for her Sonne to whome also he gaue the Blessed Virgin for his Mother When you shall come to the Church or Chappel of our B. Lady HAuing made a low Reuerence to the Image of our B. Lady recyte on your knees the Letanies of Loreto and also three Aues after the first recyte this prayer O most Blessed Virgin I humbly beseech you since God the Father by his Omnipotency hath made you most powerfull that you will be pleased to be present with me in the houre of my death and to expell all the temptations and assaults of my mortall aduersaries After the second Aue say O Holy Mother of God since your sacred Sonne hath endewed you with such knowledg clarity that with your splēdour the brightnes of Heauen is augmented enlighten I humbly beseech you my soule in the houre of my death and confirme it with the true knowledge of Fayth that it be not darkened with any mist of errour or ignorance After the third Aue say O most sacred Queene of Heauen as the Holy Ghost hath infused all abundance of loue into you so you at my death distill into my soule the sweetnes of diuine loue by which all bitternes may be made most sweet all heauines ioyfull vnto me This māner of recyting the Aue did B. our Lady teach vnto Saint Maude promising that if shee dayly obserued it she would be present with her at the houre of her death In your returne from the Chappell REcyte the Magnificat Te Deum or some part of your Rosary in thankes giuing to our B. Lady for the gift of deuotion vsing almost the same considerations that you did in your going thither The Second manner of visiting the Churches or Chappels of our Lady As you goe FIrst implore the ayde assistāce of the same cōpanions which were designed for euery day in the precedent Paragraphe Secondly consider some iorney vndertaken by our B. Lady whilest she liued on earth thē adioyning your selfe vnto her for cōpanion endeauour to imitate her modesty deuotiō the like vertues expressed in that mystery which that you may the better performe craue the help of that sacred Queene by recyting the Letanies of Loreto Euery day choose these iourneyes according to the order prescribed On Munday thinke how the Blessed Virgin went to visite her cosen S. Elizabeth On Tewsday cōsider her iourney to Bethleem where she brought forth the Sauiour of the world On Wednesday thinke how she wēt to the Temple of Hierusalem eyther when she presented her litle Sonne IESVS to his Eternal Father or when being lost for the space of three dayes she found him againe with incredible ioy On Thursday suppose her going to Christ our Lord during those three last yeares which he bestowed in preaching the Ghospell On Fryday imagine how she followed our Sauiour carrying his Crosse to Mōte Caluary On Saturday ponder how after his Ascension she went to visite the holy places On Sunday behould her gloriously assumpted into Heauen In the Chappell YOu shal say your Beades after the manner prescribed in the fourth Bed and 2.3 and 4. Chapters In your Returne IMagine the Blessed Virgin returning from those places whither you accōpanied her going namely on munday returning from the house of S. Elizabeth on Tewsday from Bethlem into Hierusalem and from thence into Nazareth c. But on Sunday you are to haue a most pleasant and delectable tast of the most sweet loue and Motherly care with which she imbraceth her Seruants and Clientes In the meane tyme whilst you meditate these thinges in your mynd recyte these fiue Ant-hymns in the honour of the name Maria the Magnificat Aue Regina celorum Regina celi Inuiolata Aue Maris stella Many haue obtained great fauours benefits at the hands of our Blessed Lady by this kind of pilgrimage visiting not of curiosity but of zeale and feruent desire of her honour places eyther dedicated vnto her or els famous for some Image of hers Among the rest S. Bernardine being a young man was accustomed to goe dayly to the gate of the Citty of Sienna called Camulia there before the Image of our Blessed Lady seuerently and humbly to bend his knes and to salute the Mother of God his beloued spouse and friend as he was wont to call her Afterwardes this fragrant flower being transplanted from amidst the brambles of the world into a pleasant garden of Religion so burned with heate of deuotion vnto the same Bles Lady which by diuers hūble obsequies he declared that one day the Blessed Virgin visibly represented her selfe vnto him as he was reciting her Beades and with a great affability thus spake vnto him O Bernardine my deuout seruant I haue bin much delighted with thy piety for reward of which I haue obtained of my sonne for thee the gift of preaching and working of miracles and assure thy selfe that at last with me thou shalt be made partaker in heauen of the eternall happines Pebl in Stell l. 2. p. 2. art 3. After which time S. Bernardine became most famous for the gift of preaching and working of miracles with diuers other rare gifts bestowed on him by the B. Virgin CHAP. VI. The sixth Exercise of Reuerence towards the B. Virgin is to honour all that doth any way belong vnto her WE ought not only to reuerence her Name her Image and places dedicated vnto her but also in particular all thinges which any way do appertaine vnto her as her Rosary her Office or Psalter or litle books in which are contained eyther prayers miracles praises due vnto her or the Acts and Vertues of her Blessed life and to be cōmended to all posterity Also any thing dedicated to her as oblations or Offerings or any Monument erected or set vp in her honour Lastly her Parents Kinsfolkes and all those that are particularly deuoted vnto her are
to say but with a gratefull mynd he acknowledged this benefit of the sacred Virgin that he might more fully afterwardes dedicate himselfe vnto her he became a Religious Man CHAP. IX The ninth Exercise of Reuerēce is to deny nothing which lawfully and prudently may be graunted to those who aske it in our B. Ladyes Name WIth this Exercise as with a vitall bayte did the B. Virgin entice Alexander of Hales into the Order of S. Francis a man famous for learnīg but more renowned for his rare piety and deuotion towards our B. Lady of which he gaue an euident argument when as he vowed he would neuer deny any thing asked of him in her Honour S. Ant. 3. p. hist. 24. c. 8. § 1. One day a friar of S. Frācis Order meeting him fallyng into discourse of spiritual matters sayd vnto him And why do you not leaue a secular life in Religion bequeath your selfe wholy to God I beseech you for the honour of the most Bles Virgin to enter into our Order Alexander at first was amazed with a Petition so vnexpected yet calling a litle after his vow to remembrāce togeather also with the inspiration of God who still vrged him he promised he would performe what was requested and so for the reuerence loue borne to our B. Lady he enterd into that Order greatly gracing the same with the excellency of his learning Whosoeuer wil seriously labour in the rooting out of any vice or imperfectiō let him with great diligēce fidelity attend vnto this deuotiō to wit that in the morning at his vprising let him feruently sincerely beg of himselfe for our B. Ladyes sake to abstaine frō such an imperfection for that one day or if he be accustomed to fall often into that imperfection let him aske but for the space of some few houres Afterwards that time being spēt let him demaund it earnestly againe for one day or 3. or 4. houres more so abstaining day by day in this māner vntil by the assistāce of the B. Virgin he shall get a full conquest ouer himselfe And if at any time vpon occasion the temptation do oppresse him more grieuously let him vrge himselfe more feruently in this manner What wilt thou not heare the B. Virgin asking desiring beseeching thee to abstaine from this imperfection By the like practise S. Bernard mooued a Noble man of France to reforme his life For after applying many other remedies in vaine to recall him from a certayne vice well said S. Bernard if it be so that you cannot lōg restrayne yourselfe yet for Almighty Gods sake for beare for 3. days which he did The 3. dayes being ended he vrged him againe that for 3. dayes more he would in honour of our B. Lady abstayne to which he also agreed After being desired to abstaine 3. other dayes in Honour of all the Saints in heauen he did so forth vntill at last cōming to S. Bernard he professed he would now make no more truce with God Almighty for 3. dayes but a perpetual peace being chāged into another man De la Puent t. 3. de perf Christ. tract 2. c. 8. ex spec Exemp CHAP. X. The tenth Exercise of Reuerence to the B. Virgin is to dedicate all our good purposes vnto her IT is a thing of very great moment and much auayling to the attaining of true perfection eternal saluation if renewing daily your good purposes intentiōs before an Image of the B. Virgin you resigne thē into her most sacred hands and lay them in her most holy lap as in a sāctuary or adde them to her Crowne as so many starres that so you may the more efficaciously be mooued by this Exercise to the accomplisshing of your purposes by reason of the reuerence dignity of our B. Lady may conceaue a more firme hope of obtaining help from her To this S. Bern. stirreth vs vp in his Sermon of the natiuity of our Bles Lady Remēber sayth he to commend whatsoeuer you vndertake to the Blessed Virgin Mary And a litle after Haue sayth he a diligent care that you endeauour to giue that litle which you desire to offer into the most gratefull and most worthy handes of the Bles Virgin MARY Which if you doe you shall doubtles find the B. Virgin as fauourable to you in this spirituall traficke as she was at another tyme in a worldly negociation vnto a certaine Merchant Vincent Bellouac specul hist. lib. 1. c. 81. This Merchant hauing borrowed money at Constantinople of a Iew promissed the payment of it agayne at such a day vsing our Lady as a witnesse before whose Image he made this bargain Wherfore the Iew remaining satisfied he tooke his iourney with his money to Alexādria negotiating there very prosperously When as now the day was at hand in which the debt was to be payd so neere that he could neyther returne by any meanes himselfe nor sēd the mony by any messēger what shold he doe He vndertaketh a strange course which was a peculiar deuotion into our B. Lady scarse euer heard of before suggested vnto him He closed the mony in a litle Chest which he sealed with his owne seale with this inscriptiō Receyue Abrahā for that was the Iewes name the mony which I borrowed of you This litle Coffer he put into the sea a day before the mony was due hūbly beseeching the B. Virgin that by her help it might safely be cōducted vnto Constantinople into the Iewes handes Whē behold the mony being miraculously carried through al the seas arriued to the shore of Constantinople where the same Iew walking on the banke side receyued it Neyther heere ceased the myracle for the perfidious Iew after the receit of this mony hid the Coffer demaunding after the merchants returne the debt before the magistrates and constrained thereunto because other testimony was wanting tooke his oath before the sayd Image of our Bles Lady that neuer any such mony came to his hands Scarse had he sworne but the Image with a loud voyce in the hearing of all replyed Thou lyest for thou hast receiued both money and box hast hid them The Iew astonisshed with the wonder amazed with the nouelty of the thing confessed his wickednes acknowledging the power mercy of the B. Virgin became a Christian Do you imitate this confidence in our B. Lady and representing your selfe before her make your desires of attaining to perfection Renew good purposes of amending your life and casting of ill habits and with greatest reuerence and submission of your selfe resign all to her and doubt not though many obstacles difficulties oppose themselues but that the Blessed Virgin executing the office of a good Mariner will direct your good intentions through flouds rockes sādes and tēpests conducting them to the safe hauen of a good and prosperous end With this loue and reuerence toward◠the B. Virgin did holy Father Ignatius as with a most
of the Mother of God in whose Family they liue as her househould seruāts or rather as her children Let them haue certayne peculiar Exercises conformable to their Rule Institute by the daily practise wherof they may honour our B. Lady Let them endeauour to increase and aduance the loue and reuerence of the B. Virgin and exhort them to the pious vse of reciting her Rosary and deuout celebration of her Festiuall dayes by frequenting the holy Sacraments other such deuout Exercises Finally and especially let them be mindefull daily to giue harty thankes and be very gratefull vnto the B. Virgin-Mother for the singular benefit of their vocation to Religion An Exercise proper to Religious Persons by which they giue thanks to the B. Virgin for the benefits receiued frō her and most especially for the benefit of their Vocation to Religion HAuing by way of preamble demaunded ayde of the holy Ghost you shal place your selfe in presence of the B. Virgin as if you did behould her enuironed with the Quiers of Angels and all the Saints of your owne Order looking vpon you with a mild and mercifull countenance And 1. Consider call to mind how many benefits you haue hitherto receiued of the Mother of God then deuide them into two parts wherof one may cōtaine the benefits bestowed vpon you before your Vocation the other of your Vocation and other benefits which you haue receyued after your entrance into Religion And this Motherly mercy of the B. Virgin towards you was figured by Rebecca Iacobs Mother who shewed two principall fauours to her Sonne from which as from two fountaynes all his felicity did flow For first with great solicitude she procured for him the benedictiō of his Father Jsaac Secondly she secretly cōueyed him out of his owne Country into Mesopotamia to declin the rage of his brother Esau where he marryed a wife and so became very rich Euen so the B. Virgin like another Rebecca a most louing Mother hath obtayned for you of the Eternall Father a benediction and other singular fauours and aboue all the grace of your Vocation She hath procured also that you departing out of your Country and forsaking all your friends should enter into Religion as into the land of Promisse flowing with milke and hony of consolation and merits 2. You shall ponder and weigh all these benefits both according to their multitude being indeed innumerable and according to their greatnes And amongst the rest consider how great that is that by this your vocation into Religion procured by the Virgin Mother you are made a mēber of that Congregation in which she is serued with so much Honour and Reuerence Out of which it proceedeth that all the worship deuotion which is performed towards the Blessed Virgin throughout your whole Order eyther by themselues or by their meanes is as much attributed vnto you as if you performed it your selfe Therfore you may truly say I am partaker O Lady of the merits of all those who do feare loue honour you eyther in this Religions Order or out of it by their labour and industry 3. By these Considerations you shall stirre vp in your self the affections following You shall humble and cast your selfe downe at the feete of the B. Virgin MARY houlding your self most vnworthy of so great loue and fauour You shal giue her thankes with as great feruour of deuotion as possible you can for her Motherly care ouer you you shall inuite all creatures to accompany you in thankesgiuing imitating yong infants who do most willingly acknowledg thēselues beholding to their Mother or Nurse for all they haue receiued But how may you recōpence so great a Benefactresse Assuredly you must purpose to requite her with a filiall affection and for euer to do her such seruice as the same requireth To this S. Beruard exhorteth vs saying sermone de Natiuitate B. Mariae Let vs adore the B. Virgin from the very bottome of our hart with the most inward affections and desirs as we can possibly For such is the will of him who will haue vs to receyue all by the meanes of the B. Virgin Mary she in all things by all meanes prouiding for the miserable She strengtheneth our hope she putteth diffidence to flight she erecteth our pusillanimity It will he also very profitable to the increasing of this gratitude and loue towards the B. V. to essay take as it were a tast by way of meditatiō of those most tender affections which diuers Religious Orders haue had towards that sacred Queene and in particuler the Order of S. Dominicke who hauing vnderstoode that they were seene by their owne Founder S. Dominicke and by a certayne holy Woman couered vnder the mantle of the Bles Virgin and imbraced with the Virginall armes of her loue peculiar affections so great was their deuotiō towards her euer after so enflamed their desire to loue and serue her so deuout and feruent were the prayers they cōtinually sōge vnto her so exceeding the confidēce trust they allwayes had in her protection so greedy and insatiable the contemplation of her Vertues and Excellencyes that no humane tongue would be able to expresse Jn vita S. Dominick l. 2. c. 12. and l. 5. c. 6. The like vision happened vnto Father Martinus Gutterus a Spanyard and a very holy Religious man of the Society of IESVS who as he was in feruent prayer saw the B. Virgin shining with vnspeakable beauty hauing her Robe spread all abroad vnder the same the whole Society contayned which she imbraced with a motherly affection shrowded vnder the winges of her most tender loue protection Hier. Platus l. 1. de bon stat Relig. OVR B. LADIES LITLE GARDEN THE FOVRTH BED adorned with Iacynths Wherein are contayned certayne Seruices and Dutyes towards the B. Virgin as if they were so many exercises of a heauēly life and conuersation of which the Iacynth is a token CHAP. I. Of the AVE MARIA or Angelicall Salutation BEFORE all other this Salutation is most gratefull to the B. Virgin as her selfe declared to Saint Maude who being in some anxiety of mynd what kind of seruice she might exhibit as most acceptable vnto her she beheld our Blessed Lady bearing in her breast the salutation of the Angell Gabriell written in golden letters and withall heard these words Higher then this Salutation none can euer arriue nor cā any one more sweetly salute me then with that accent of HAYLE with which God the Father was pleased to salute me freeing me by his Omnipotency from all trespasse and curse of sinne The Sonne of God with his diuine Wisedome hath also so throughly enlightned me that with the Name of MARY as with a most bright glittering Starre both heauē earth do shine The Holy Ghost by penetrating me with his diuine sweetnes hath filled me so FVLL OF GRACE that euery one who seeketh grace may by my meanes soone
obtaine the same By these wordes OVR LORD IS VVITH THEE are declared that vnspeakeable vnion and operation which the Blessed Trinity did perfect in me when he conioyned the Substance of my flesh to the diuine Nature in one person so as God became Man man God I being in that houre made worthy to tast the ioy and sweetnes which no other Creature could experience And by the wordes BLESSED ART THOV AMONGST VVOMEN euery Creature with admiration doth acknowledge professe me to be Blessed and exalted aboue all By the wordes BLESSED IS THE FRVITE OF THY VVOMBE the most excellent fruite of my wombe which hath sanctifyed euery Creature is blessed and extolled for all eternity In vita S. Mechtildis This holy Virgin of Christ afterwards in saying her Beades was alwayes accustomed to adde three Aue Maries for the obtayning of a happy death of which we haue spoken before in the first Bed and 5. Chapter It wil be also very profitable at all houres of the day and night when the Clocke strikes to say once the Angelicall Salutation to which deuotion certaine Indulgences are granted by the holy Sea Apostolicke as we haue sayd before in the second Bed V. Chater The custome likewise is deuoutly to be kept to recite thrice a day morning noone night three Aue Maries according to so many tolles of the bell adding these vsuall Versicles before euery Aue The Angell of our Lord. Behold the Handmayd And the Word became flesh in honour of the principall Mysteries to wit The Resurrection the Passion and Incarnation of our Lord. CHAP. II. Of the Crowne or Rosary of the B. Virgin and of the first manner of saying the same THat manner of saluting the B. Virgin is very ancient and famous which consisteth of an hundred fifty Aue Maries and one Pater Noster before euery decade Neither is that lesse in vse which consisteth of 63. Aue Maries according to the number of yeares which our Blessed Lady is thought to haue liued on earth adioyning to euery Decade one Pater Noster The first of these manners is called the Rosary both because it is knit together with mysticall Roses as S. Dominicke the Author therof is recounted to haue so receiued the same The latter is tearmed the Crown wherewith as with a garland the B. Virgin shewed her selfe adorned as afterwards we shal declare Chap. 4. And the Religious Order of the Minimes hath greatly propagated the same although the Crowne it selfe is vsually euery where called by the name of Rosary in regard whereof we wil vse these Names confusedly without any regard of distinction But the thing of greatest profit and consolation is to recite daily and offer vnto our B. Lady the Rosary or Crowne the which oblation that it may be done with more fruit and gust it is expediēt to season the same with diuers considerations which are found euery where in deuout bookes and heere we will propound three only as it were fountaines of the rest The first manner of saying the Rosary is that wherin chiefest regard is had of attentiō to the wordes with some application of the sense to the same which is very easy if with discretion the Rules following be obserued 1. Before you begin recollect your selfe a little marking with attention how Noble and Angelicall an Office you are about to performe and for what intent 2. Blessing your selfe with the signe of the crosse begin with saying one of these Versicles or the like Now let my lippes sing display The Blessed Virgins praise this day Grant me O Virgin thee to prayse Againsts thy foes giue strenght allwayes Then recite the first Decade or Ten pondering the Consideration next ensuyng This being duely performed say O mother of God and Virgin Mary let all the holy Angells ten thousand tymes extoll and blesse you The second decade with the Consideration being also ended say Let all holy Patriarches Prophets twenty thousand tymes extoll and blesse you After the third say Let all holy Apostles thirty thousand tymes c. After the fourth Let all holy Martyrs fourty thousand tymes c. After the fifth Let all holy Confessours fifty thousand tymes c. After the sixth Let all holy Virgins widdowes and others blesse and extoll you a hundred thousand tymes Then reciting the three last Aue Maries in the first you shall salute the B. Virgin Mary daughter of the Eternall Father demaunding the vertue of Fayth offering your body to her perpetuall seruice In the second you shall salute the B. Virgin Mary Mother of the Sonne of God asking the vertue of Hope offering your soule vnto her In the third you shall salute the Virgin Mary Spouse of the Holy Ghost crauing the vertue of Charity and offering vnto her whatsoeuer you haue or by any iust title can lay claime vnto after this conclude by saying the Creed deuoutly When you haue thus ended the Rosary you may recite the Hymne Aue Maris stella with the versicle and Prayer Diuers do adde the Psalme De profundis for the dead Or Laudate Dominum omnes gentes c. These aduertisemens may be common to all the manners of saying the beades but that with followeth is most proper for our purpose In saying the first Decade or Ten. YOu shall imagine all the Aues thereof to be as so many pretious stones or other ornamets most beautifull to the sight which are offered to the Mother of God by the handes of your Angel Guardian for composing a Garland or Crowne to adorn her head Neither doth this conceit want good warrant as shal be manifest by the following history taken out of Dionysius Carthusianus in his first Sermon of the Assumption of our Blessed Lady and 13. verse A certaine Monke of the Religious Order of Cistercians who had accustomed daily with great deuotion to salute the B. Virgin by reciting the Rosary when vpon a certaine day all alone in his chamber he was paying on his knees his accustomed taske the most deuout Virgin appeared vnto him shewing him a most beautifull Robe shining with admirable splendour except only a little part thereof being all ouer engrauen with Golden Aue Maries and saying Seest thou quoth shee in what esteem I haue the Aue Maries which hitherto thou hast offred vp vnto me And when this part of the Robe that is vnfinished shall be adorned also with the like Aue Maries I will cause thee to enter into the kingdome of my Sonne adorned also with comelines and glory After the same manner do you behold the B. Virgin present whiles you are saying the first Decade offering those salutations vnto her as if they were so many pretious stones and rich iewells most pleasing and gratefull to hereyes to all the heauenly Court and you shall most humbly intreate her that she will vouchsafe to present vnto herselfe and her beloued Sōne your Soule first made beautifull with the ornaments of
to be held in great Reuerence esteeme by vs because by them the B. Virgin hereselfe hath bene honoured It is not necessary to discourse of all particulers because we may gather out of the ensuing Beds many flowers for this Exercise Let therfore these two Exāples of the Rosary which now I shall rehearse suffice for proofe of all the rest One Antony of the order of S. Francis in Spaine as he went to Vincentia being ouertaken by a great shower of raine finding no shelter at hand put his Rosary on his head crauing the protection of our Blessed Lady Scarce had he made an end of speaking but behould a strang thing as if his Beades had ben turned into some faire dry roofe they defended couered him so that he passed securely vnto the Citty through all the vehemency of the storme not touched with the lest drop of raine Chron. Min. p. 3. ◠1. c. 36. 37. Neyther can we omit to recount the deuotion of Alanus a Dominican Friar vnto the Rosary by reason of the often succour which he found in his great distresses by the vertue therof For hauing learned that deuotion of S. Dominike he did allwais esteeme most highly the Rosary yea before his admission into that order he recited it daily on his knees and not without fruit euē whils he was a lay man souldier And vpon a time being in the warres and in a conflict against the Hetetikes named Albigenses and enuironed on euery side by his Enemyes with great danger of his life the B. Virgin was seene standing by him fighting for him with 150 stones which throwne by her owne hād gaue an vtter ouerthrow vnto his foes making her Client a famous Conquerour Another tyme the same Alanus suffering shipwrake being in the midst of the sea tost hither and thither in most apparent danger of his life he saw suddenly by the fauour assistance of the Bles Virgin a 150. litle hillockes rising aboue the waues which all in ranke reached vnto the shore by the which he was safely cōducted to land A mā might say that the 150. beads of the Rosary were turned first into so many stones then into so many hils But that especially was a singular testimony of his deuotiō that not only his mouth which had oftentimes so piously pronoūced the Angelicall salutation but also his hands which had so reuerently touched the Rosary did shine like Cristall after his death Chron. S. Dom. l. 1. c. 34. O how mercifull is this B. Virgin who doth reward such small seruices piously performed by her seruants with such ample gaine Of whose benignity that we may make experience let vs study how to honour esteeme any thing whatsoeuer dedicated to her But on the contrary side let vs seriously take heed that we offer no abuse vnto them or apply them to prophane vses least we incur iustly the high displeasure of our B. Lady being well admonished by the example following In a certayne Sodality of our B. Lady there were two Pennes fayrly decked appointed to write the letters Patents which the fellows of that Sodality going frō one place to another were always accustomed to carry with thē One of these Pens a Youth of the same Sodality had secretly stolne who though by inward inspirations he felt himselfe often called to Religion by Almighty God yet notwithstanding being entangled with the loue of a certayne woman he neglected this vocation Vpon a tyme determining to write vnto the sayd woman and hauing taken the stolne penne in his hād he felt sodainly a great blowe giuen him on the eare and a voyce rebukinge him in these wordes And darest thou wicked fellow by thy vncleane attēpts defile a thing dedicated vnto me With which blow the youth being astonished altered his determinatiō but the print of the blow remayned for certayne dayes in his face shewing that it was a force more then humane which gaue it him Bonif. in hist Man l. 5. c. 1. ex Bencio CHAP. VII The seauenth Exercise of Reuerence to the B. Virgin is by bēding our knes to giue her the worship of Hyperdulia THis Honour of Hyperdulia is inferiour and lesse then that of Latria which is due only to God yet superiour greater thē Dulia which is common to other Saintes And it is conuenient that it be giuen to our B. Lady by reason of her Excellency You may practise the same by bending your knees after the manner following First standing before an Oratory or Image of our Bles Lady contemplate her sitting in a stately Throne exalted next vnto her Bles Sonne aboue all the quires of Angels full of maiesty and amongst all Creatures the most excellent Secondly obserue how all the Orders of Angels Saintes falling before her as to their Queen Lady with great submission honour her Thirdly acknowledging your selfe the most poorest and abiect of all her Seruants and most vnworthy to be admitted to so noble glorious a Cōgregation and so high an Office yet trusting in her benignity and clemency with an inward reuerence most profoundly submit your selfe before her with your armes cast a crosse vpon your breast or hands ioyned deuoutly humbly bowing your knees vnto the groūd without vttering a word of if you had rather speak only say and repeat these two Salue Maria or Aue Maria. Fourthly rising vp a litle after recollecting your selfe as before togeather with all the Court in heauen bend your knees againe and againe as often as discreet deuotion shall suggest You may commodiously thryce a day repeate this Exercise in honour of the 15. Mysteries contained in the Rosary Rising in the morning bend your knees 5. times in honour of the 5. glorious Misteries the first of which was performed at the time of the Resurrectiō of Christ our Lord but you may reuerence those Mysteries if bending your knees either with your hart alone or with your mouth also you say Hayle Mary whose Sonne rose againe Hayle Mary whose Son ascended into heauen and so concerning the rest c. About Noone bend your knees againe in honour of the 5. Dolorous Mysteries the chiefe of which was done about that time namely the crucifiyng of our deare Lord and Sauiour At Night before you go to bed bend agayne your knees in honour of the 5. Ioyfull Mysteries whereof the chiefest to wit the Annuntiation was accomplished as many Authors suppose at that time Vpon the solemnity of any Feast of the B. Virgin you may adde one bending of your knee more in honour of the Mistery then celebrated This Exercise hath byn very familiar and vsuall to many seruants of our Bles Lady And Saint Mary of Oegnia did as we read sometymes in the space of a day and a night bend her knees a thousād an hundred times saluting the mother of God perseuered in this kind of salutation 40. dayes togeather Sur. in her life 25 of Iune It is recounted that
of mercy therfore you must endeauour to shew singular and special reuerence towards her CHAP. III. The second way of dedicating our selues vnto the B. Virgin by entring into her Sodality TO be one of the Sodality of our B. Lady is nothing els but opēly to professe our selues in peculiar maner to be her seruant before witnes to commit our selues and all that we haue vnto her protection How great the merit and profit of this kind of deuotion is as also the duties and exercises towards our B. Lady therto belonging remayne sufficiently declared by that which diuers haue put out in print about the same Heere will I only commend three things very necessary for the conseruation and increase of that deuotion which all ought to haue at their first entrance into the Sodality 1. That euery morning as soone as they are vp and ready or if they please whē they are ready to heare masse they say the prayer of the Sodality endeauouring to pronounce it with the same intention desire and purpose to serue our B. Lady and to keepe the rules prescribed of the Sodality as they did when first they were admitted into that Congreation 2. Also that in the morning they make choyce of some one fault or imperfection which themselues are subiect vnto and make a firme purpose to abstayne from the same that day and to offer vp some good worke in honour of the Mother of God 3. That at night they examen themselues concerning these two points first about the Prayer which they recited in the morning especially these wordes J do fully determine and purpose that I will neuer leaue thee nor permit any thinge to be done against thy Honour by any of those who are vnder my charge whether I say they haue fulfilled these words of their deuout and propense affection towards the honour of the B. Virgin Secondly whether they gaue abstayned from that fault or imperfection aforesaid performed that good worke which in the morning they purposed to doe Whosoeuer doth earnestly endeauour to put these things in executiō he shall infallibly find that tender affection of the B. Virgin towards him which she shewed vnto a certayn dissolute negligent youth being for this one respect only worthy of commendation that he had alwayes great care of his Chastity This yong man after that he had prodigally spent his patrimony at length by persuasion of an Vncle of his who had heretofore vsed all meanes in vaine to bring him to better life did determine for a remedy redresse of all his miseryes to recite euery day for the space of one yeare a paire of beades or the third part of the Rosary of our Lady Neither was this done without profit For now he had already shaken of most of the ill company he was wont to keep and he also abstained from cōmitting any grieuous sinnes Wherfore at the beginning of the 2. yeare he doubled his deuotions and dayly sayd two paire of beads and because the good successe which he had therin raysed vp his hart to a more firme and stedfast hope of obtaining greater matters therefore the third yeare he sayd euery day a whole Rosary with no lesse cōstancy then true deuotion To conclude hauing performed his third yeares taske and now become another man of graue modest and mature conuersation hedid so winne the harts of all but especially of his Vncle that he procured him an honest sufficient marriage But see what happened vpō the very wedding day in the midst of the Feast The yōg man on the sudaine calling to mind how that being hindered by other affaires he had not yet offered vp that day his accustomed prayers to the B. Virgin faining some other excuse rose from the table and shutting himselfe vp in his chamber fell on his knees recyted his Rosary with no lesse feeling then fruit of his deuotion For he had no sooner ended but the B. Virgin far brighter then the sunne vouchsafed him avisible sight of her glory and shewed him 3. garments which she carried fastened to her owne robe one before her and one vpon eyther side and then sayd vnto him Behould thy salutations here written in golden letters with which thou hast diligently honoured me by recyting my Rosary Thou shalt receiue a reward for the same especially for keeping thy Chastity entire by being made partaker of the mariage of the lambe and that within the space of 3. days Neither did his deuotion nor the mercifull promisse of the B. Virgin faile him for after 3. days he dyed to the world and began to liue in heauen Cantip. l. 2. Apum c. 29. It much importeth vs thē to offer daily to the B. Virgin with a firme and constant resolution some particular determinate deuotion and likewise to call our selues to an account therof euery day but especially at night that if we find we haue deferred it vntill then yet may we at least correct recompence our negligence by pennance and if it may possibly be done euen then to performe our promise CHAP. IV. The third way to deuote our selues vnto the B. Virgin by entring into Religion FOr as much as euery Religious Order may iustly be called the Family of our B. Lady be cause they are in a special manner fouded vnder her protection and defence it is euident that whsoeuer imbraceth a Religious life doth in the very same act peculiarly deuote himselfe to the B. Virgin is espoused vnto her with the ring of his Vowes especially the vow of Chastity And this is made manifest by the exāple of S. Robert Founder of the Order of Cistercians to whose mother named Engardis being great with child of him the B. Virgin appeared with a goulden ring in her hand and sayd thus vnto her Engardis I will haue thy Sonne which thou bearest espoused vnto me with this ring Engardis when she awaked with great ioy tooke notice of what she had seene Neyther was the euent of the thing any other wayes approoued then by the entrance of her Sonne Robert into Religion which vnder the name of espousing was foretould by the Mother of God euen as she signifyed the Vow of Chastity by the ring of gold Plat. de bono stat Relig. lib. 1. cap. 34. I omit innumerable other examples wherby it is euident that all Religious Families be vnder the protection of our Bles Lady There is iust cause sayth Platus ibid. that all Religious persons should extraordinarily reioice and congratulate amongst themselues that they haue for their Queene and Patronesse vpō earth her whome all the Saints in Heauen do adore For what cā be wanting vnto him who is sustayned by such a Virgin seeing that no euill is to be feared which may not easily be auerted by her power no good to be desyred which cannot easily by her fauour and intercession be obtayned Therfore all Religious men and women ought to apply themselues wholy to the seruice
myne and the diuine Maiestyes highest Will is one and the selfe same and whatsoeuer shal be pleasing to me my Sonne will a slent thereunto with most ready and gracious fauour 6. I reioyce for the infinite grace wherwith I was enriched on earth and for that also a reward in Heauen is giuen by my Sonne to all those who serue me heere on earth 7. I reioyce that not only my glory shall neuer diminish but shall continually be increased without euer ceasing to the worlds end and so continue for all eternity When the B. Virgin had vouchsafed to lay al this open before the eyes of her beloued seruant she vanished away bidding him farewel And he by these diuine admonitiōs documents became much more feruent and deuout towardes so powerfull a Mother That is also worthy of memory which the same Author addeth thereby to styr vp an assured Confidence towards our B. Lady in the harts of men Neyther is it sayth the Author to be omitted that often tymes the Mother of God appeared to this her faythfull seruant and with so great bounty shewed her selfe familiar vnto him that as often as he had any great affaire to manage so oftē would the most pious Virgin offer vp the same to her Sonne Iesus vntill she obtayned his petition and finally brought vnto him the palme of a most glorious Martirdome which he cōstantly offered for the defēce of his church flocke in the yeare of Christ 1171. CHAP. V. Of the Office of our B. Lady IF your busines will permit you may dayly or at least vpon Sundayes Holy dayes say the Office of the B. Virgin and so doing you shall performe a thing most gratefull vnto her S. Charles Borromeus had the reuiewing thereof brought it to that forme which is now approued enriched with Indulgences by the Sea Apostolicke the which he himselfe was accustomed daily to say vpon knees In eius vita It is anciently recounted of the first Fathers of the holy Order of Carthusiās who in absence of S. Bruno suffering great pressures anxiety of mynd were very much comforted encouraged by S. Peter the Apostle who promised vnto them the B. Virgins ayde assistance if they would dayly recite her Office in her honour By which vision being filled with great ioy and gladnes they made choyce of our B. Lady for the Patronesse of their Order reciting daily her Office in her Honour forthwith by her assistance were freed from all trouble and griefe of mynd It is also a thing very famous which Cardinall Baronius doth recoūt to haue happened in the yeare 1159. as touching the Monastery of Gamugi in Italy the Religious where of when they had intermitted their pious custome of reciting the office of our Lady began to be so afflicted with calamities and incursions of the Band its and Outlawes that they were induced by Petrus Damianus a holy man great louer of the B. Virgin to resume agayne their accustomed manner of reciting her Office whereto when they had al agreed did fulfull the same they were by the Bles Virgins patronage deliuered from their troubles and clearly vnderstood how powerfull the same Virgin is ready to assist all that do implore her ayde And that you may recite the sayd Office with greater deuotion and benefit these few thinges you are carefully to practise First recollect your selfe a little before the saying of euery Houre as hath beene sayd touching the Rosary next in saying thereof being myndfull of the threefold attention there also explicated you must attēd vnto the distinct pronunciation of the words sense therof imbracing the same affections that the Psalmes Hymnes theselues containe And you may assigne to euery Houre some Mystery or other which was done about that tyme to contemplate on For example at the Martins and Laudes for which the night time is appointed by the Church you may cal to mynd the Natiuity of Christ or else his captiuity and apprehension which was most sharp vnto him all the whole night long both in the house of Annas and Cayphas At the Prime you may cōsider his conuenting and accusation before Pilate and Herod or his Resurrection Apparition to the B. Virgin his Mother At the third his Scourging and Crowning with thornes which perchance the B. Virgin herselfe beheld or else the sending downe of the Holy Ghost vpon the sayd B. Virgin and the Apostles At the sixt his carrying of his Crosse crucifying vpon Mōt Caluary At the ninth his words vttered vpon the Crosse and his death theron At Euensong his taking downe frō the Crosse And at Compline his buryall and the sorrowfull mourning of the B. Virgin CHAP. VI. Of the Psalter of our B. Lady Letanyes and Office of her Immaculate Conception THe Psalter of our Lady composed by S. Bonauenture a most deuout and singular louer of the Bles Virgin is all replenished with allurements of deuotion towards the same glorious Queene Neyther is there any other manner of saying the same then hath bene said touching the former office Thomas Cantipratensis recordeth how a yoūg maide of seauē yeares old earnestly demaunding of our Lady a booke of her Psalter obtayned it and withall the manner how to say the same lib. 1. Apum c. 23. p. 2. 3. The Letanies of our B. Lady you may recite with a twofold sense and affection First that by rehearsing so many Epithetes high Prayses you endeauour to declare the Excellency of the B. Virgin to be so great as that you cannot sufficiently explycate the same by one or more titles only nor yet euen by infinite Secondly that by repeating those Elogies or prayses as though they were different and most efficacious motiues you shal induce the B. Virgin to giue you a fauourable hearing But as these Letanies do stir vp great deuotion towards the B. Virgin so not without great profit cōmodity are they vsed by Christians aswell in things appertayning to the soule as the body Wherefore that godly custome amōgst many familyes euen of secular persons is greatly to be commended in calling togeather at night those of the houshold to heare the Letanyes daily read in honour of the B. Virgin Also the renowned piety of certaine persons towards our Bles Lady hath greatly appeared of late who haue erected a Confraternity among themselues that for obtayning a happy death by our Ladies intercession euery one for himselfe and for his Companiōs in this spirituall negotiation do euery day recite her Letanyes adding thereunto the Collect or Prayer of S. Ioseph her holy Spouse The little Office of her immaculate Conception is short very fit to mooue most sweet affections in the harts of those that dayly say it And truly how gratefull the recitall thereof is to our B. Lady she herselfe did sufficiently declare to Alphonsus Rodriquez Coadiutor of the Society of IESVS famous for miracles both aliue and dead to whom she appeared as