the venerable and beloued man of God Sigfrid Luc. 11. v. 17. hauing passed through the fier and water of temporall tribulation was by a wellcome death brought into the sweet refreshing of an euerlasting rest And at length after fower moneths more the excellent worker of vertues and great conquerour of vices S. BENNET conquered with the weakenes of his earthly body came to his last It was when the frozen night came on with his winter blasts to begett a sacred day of eternall and cleere light of felicitie His watchfull brethren mett togeather in the Church with prayers and psalmes to driue away nights horrid shadows and to comfort the grief of their deare fathers departure with the continuall singing of the diuine prayses Some would not bouge out of the chamber and from the beds side in which the strong sickman lay expecting by the passage of death to take the sweet entrance of life With desire they expected that as his example taught them how to liue well by the same they might likewise learne how to die For the further mitigating of his grief the Ghospell was read all night as it was wont by a Priest that attended on him The hower of his departure drawing neere the Sacrament of CHRISTS facaed bodie was giuen him for his viaticum and soe that blessed soule hauing bin a long time parched and examined in the flames of an happie tribulation forsaketh the earthly furnace of the flesh and being at libertie tooke a long desired flight to the neuer-dieing glory of His death celestiall happines This glorious Confessor died in the yeare of our Lord 690. the twelfth day of Ianuary when he had gouerned his monastery sixteene yeares eight by him self and other eight with the assistance of his holy Colleagues Eosterwin Sigfrid and Colfrid He was buried in the Church of S. PETER which he built that soe he might not be separated from him in death whom he euer loued in his life and by whose ayde the gates of heauen were opened vnto him His life is written by S. BEDE whom we haue followed VSVARD MALMESBVRY WIGORNIENSIS IOHN CAPGRAVE BARONIVS and other graue Authours make honourable mention of his vertues This Sainct BENNET was the first that reduced the BENEDICTIN order in S. Bennet Batrone of the moderne Congregation of England England into the forme and gouernment of a Congregation that is when manie monasteries are vnder owne head or superiour who during his time whether it be perpetuall or determined vppon yeares is supreme monarke as it were of them all And for this cause the English Congregation of Benedictin Monks now extant and deriued immediatly from the auncient Congregation of England both by succession and Apostolicall priuiledge honoureth this glorious Sainct as their chief Patrone next after the vniuersall Patriarke of the whole order great S. BENEDICT him self and Sainct AVGVSTIN our first Apostle For allbeit in the beginning the Congregation which he erected consisted only of two monasteries as may be seene in his life yet afterwards the whole number of the Black Benedictin Monks in England was ranged into one Congregation as appeares by the bulle of Pope Innocentius the third graunted vnto them And in like manner as the Congregation of Clunie and others beganne srom a small number to grow to such greatnes soe likewise did that of England from the vniting of the sayd two monasteries by S. BENNET BISCOP encrease to a generall vnion of all the Benedictin Monks throughout the vvhole Jland The life of S. ALVRED Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by John Capgraue ALVRED borne in England of nobles parents was brought vp from his tender age in the feare of God and good learning he learnt euen in his youth to vndegoe the sweet yoake of our Lord remayning allwaies in the innocencie of his life pure from all spott of sinne His pietie and learning encreasing daily with his age he gayned soe great fauour and loue with Dauid King of the Scots that he esteemed him before most of his court and had exalted him to a Bishoprick had not his entrance into a He refuseth a Bishoprik religious order hindered it In all occasions this holy youth carried him self with soe great pietie and meeknes as noe iniurie could moue him to anger noe opprobrious speeches could prouoke him to reuenge he allwaies endeauoured to repay hatred with loue to render good for euill to ouâ—rcome enuie with dutie and seruice A certaine knight perceauing him to be beloued and honoured of the King more then anie other raysed a hatefull and malignant persecution against him and grew so fierce in his malice that he was not afray sometimes openly to vomitt part of his venom against him with iniurious words before the King him self To whom the holy man with a mild and vnmoued countenance You speake verie well sayd he and honestly I know your tongue was neuer acquainted with vntruths and therefore I take you to be His rare humilitie patieÌ„ce my verie good friend The knight finding him to be a firme rock whom all the outrageous stormes of his malice and hatred could not moue nor stirre from the ground of vertue suffred a willing ouerthrow in his wicked endeauours and shewing the effects of a repentant mind demaunded pardon for his great temeritie promising from thence forth euer to oblige himself vnto him in an vnsayned league of friendship To whom ALVRED I confesse sayd he I reioyce hartely at thy repentance and therefore I shall loue thee better farre then euer for thy hatred to me hath encreased my A good lesson loue to my deare Redeemer and my patience being exercised and tried hereby hath perhapps bina meanes to make me profitt a little in my dutie to allmightie God Thus this B. man froÌ„ the briers of other mens malice reaped the sweetroses of vertues vnto him self II. AFTER this meaning to bidd adieu to the world and all He taketh the habitt of a monk the vanities thereof he went vnto the Abbey of Rhieuall or Ridall in Yorkshire and putt on the habitt of a Bernardin Monk vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT In which solitarie kind of life giuing him self wholly to contemplation of heauenly things and the continuall exercise of true religious and monasticall vertues he attained to such perfection that like the moone amongst the lesser starres he shined amongst the rest of his brethren in all manner of vertuous life and behauiour And shortly aster he was soe He is made Master of the nouices good a proficient him selt that he waÌ„s thought able to read a lesson of vertue vnto others and therefore the education of the nouices or probationers was committed to this chardge But whilest he executed that office there was an vnconstant Clerk that entred into the order whose vocation after a small triall beganne to wauer like a reed in the wind His vnstedfast mind being
blasphemous mouthes of Hereticks doe reiect as vaine superstitious and impious actions But farre otherwise did CHRIST his Apostles and SAINCTS teach both by words and deeds And what they thought and did can by noe other meanes be mamanifested but by the hystories of their liues Soe that both to conuince Heretiques and interpret the doubtfull Saincts liues the interpretation of Scripture and hard passages of holy scripture the Liues and examples of the SAINCTS doe greatly helpe Which made S. HIEROME call the Liues of SAINCTS the interpretation of holy scripture and S. AVGVSTINE say that the holy scripture treateth not only of the commaundements of God but alsoe of the liues and manners of the SAINCTS to the end that yf we chance at anie time to doubt of the true sense and vnderstanding thereof we way receaue light and instruction from that which they haue done For composing our liues and manners according to the imitation of the SAINCTS we need not feare falling into errour when we see how the supreme gouernour of all hath adorned them with manifest miracles and with euident signes declared that their Liues were gratefull vnto him Their liues therefore must allwaies serue vs as a mirrour besore our eyes therein to behould our owne vices Saincts liues a paterne for our actâ—â—s to learne to correct them and to looke vppon their heroicall vertues to endeauour to imitate them There the proud shall find how to become humble the hard-hearted how they may be mollified the cold how they may be warmed the tepid how they may be heated the pious and feruent of spirit how they may be more and more inflamed with the loue of heauen and in a word all of whatsoeuer age sex condition profession or calling may theÌ„ce reape sweet flowers of all kind of vertues documents of wholsom peanance and liuely examples of true pietie farre more efficacious to moue their minds to the practise of goodnes then the force of weake words only This S. AVSTEN affirmeth of him self This in times past manie noble Lords and Matrones of Rome did testifie who being all ether staggering in their faith or growing cold in charitie by only Hier. ad Marcell hearing of the most holy life of great S. ANTHONIE the Hermite were enflamed with soe great feruour of spirit and fier of deuotion that abhorring their former life and desiring euer after to slie all sinne and occa sions of sinne they bad adiew to the vaine world and the pompes pleasures thereof separated them selues from the conuersation and companie of men and applying their minds wholly to the diuine seruice followed the banner of CHRIST and his SAINCTS crucified their owne bodies togeather with all the vices coÌ„cupiscences thereof But not to these only but to manie others allsoe the same is read to haue happened in the like case Considering therefore and pondering oftentimes these things with my self I was much grieued that in Causes mouing the Authour to write these lines these lamentable times wherein our miserable countrey is afflicted spoyled and oppressed by heresie the Catholicks amidst these tribulations were depriued of the great profitt and consolation which they might receaue by the reading of the Liues of their SAINCTS because that eyther their workes were not written or yf they were written it was in such Authours that now are scarse to be found that in Latine which is not for the capacitie of the vnlearned I was noe lesse grieued allso that the SAINCTS them selues that heretofore were the ornaments and Lights of our countrey were now being vnknowne depriued of their part of that due honour which otherwise should haue beene done vnto them being made knowne For these reasons then and partly for myne owne priuate exercise but principally gentle Reader for thy consolation I haue here aduentured seeing noe better writer would take soe worthie a work in hand to trie my penne in behalf of our glorious SAINCTS and to sett forth though not as worthily as I should yet as truely and sincerely as I could the Liues of all the most renowned SAINCTS of our â—land of great Britaine and of the Iles thereunto belongingâ— and thereby I haue restored againe to all good Catholicks my Countreymen that which the cruell iniurie of the times had violently robbed them off and sought to haue buried in the darknes of perpetuall obliuion But because all workes that are exposed to the publick view of the world are exposed allso to the censure of diuers sortes of poeple diuersly affected I thought conuenient to set downe here some few aduertisemeÌ„ts aswell to preuent all occasions of misconstructions or cauills that might be taken in the reading of this treatise as allso to informe the well-inclined Reader against some doubtes or difficulties that may occurre in the perusing of the same First then because the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius a man that hath otherwise well deserued of the Baronius his mystake Church of God for his Ecclesiasticall historie doeth contrarie to the auncient and common opinion of the world robbe the Benedictine order of one of its greatest ornaments S. GREGORY the great and denie that euer he liued a Monke vnder the holy RVLE of the Great Patriarch of Monkes sainct BENEDICT and consequently affirmes that sainct AVGVSTINE and his fellow-Monkes whom he sent to conuert our countrey who were professed of the same Monasterie in Rome vnder sainct GREGORY were not of the same Order lest my Reader should chaunce to stumble vppon this new opinion which since hath been by manie famous and learned writers hissed out of the schoole of true Historie I will here for his better instruction briefly sett downe some few authorities of manie auncienter and later Authours then Baronius who doe all constantly asseuer the contrarie that is that both S. GREGORY him self and the Monkes he sent and made Apostles of England were indeed of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT and not of I know not what Equitiam familie as Baronius pretends And omitting here to draw arguments from the auncient charters writings graunted to Monasteries euen in the time of sainct AVGVSTINE him self which all euidently conuince the same for a truth as of some you may reade in his life May the 26. I will first draw into the lists of this Combat that ornament of our Countrey sainct ALDELME Bishop of Sherburne who died aboue nine S. Aldelme against Baronius huÌ„dred yeares before Baronius was borne In his worke then which he writt in verse of the prayse of Virgins Virginitie hauing spoken much in commendation of out holy Father sainct BENEDICT whom he affirmeth to haue been the first that ordered the exercises of Monasteries and a monasticall life he maketh this epilogue to the paragraphe of sainct BENEDICTS prayses * Benedicti Huius alumnorum numero glomerantur ouantes Quos tenet in gremio facunda Britannia ciues A * Benedicto quo iam nobis Baptismi gratia
Antonine Bishop of Florence man and a Sainct He not only calleth our holy Father Sainct BENEDICT by a generall name Patriarch of all the Monkes of the west but peculiarly termes him the Spirituall Father of S. GREGORY and consequently of His disciples and our Apostles tit 15 cap. 12. His life replenished with vertues sayth he speaking of S. BENEDICT is written by GREGORY in the second of his dialogues throughout the whole booke the sweetnes whereof He himself allsoe sucked and liued a Monke and an Abbot vnder the same RVLE before he was made Pope thus S. ANTONINE who was a Dominican Frier But S. THOMAS of Aquin not only the ornament of the Dominicans S. Thomas of Aquine but the verie height and Zenith of the Deuines who had receaued the first rudimēts of his infancie in the Monasterie of Cassine and is sayd to haue breathed his last gaspe in an other Benedictin Abbey called Fossa noua being a most exquisite weigher of those things which he meant to affirme in that goulden work which he writt against the impugners of Religions and religious men speaketh these words for our purpose The same consideration sayth he is to be had of blessed GREGORIE who built Monasteries according to the Rule commenced by S. BENEDICT And Joannes de Turrecremata a Cardinall and an other fayre light of the Dominican Order writing vppon Joannes de Turrecremata S. BENEDICTS Rule affirmes the same in these words Saint GREGORIE confirmed the Rule of the Blessed Father BENEDICT vnder which allso he liued and was a most worthie Monke and Abbot Thus he And Wernerus Rolwinck in his historie confirmes it GREGORIE sayth he noble by byrth nobler in vertue but Wernerus Rolwinck most noble in sainctitie was a most worthy Monke of the Order of the most holy Father S. BENEDICT c. But it would be to long for vs in this short discourse to sett downe at length the words of all the graue Authours that strengthen this veritie it shall sufice to rehearse A list of Authour◠against Baronius the names only of some of the chiefest writers them selues and referre the reader to their owne writings The same therefore is auouched by IOANNES MARIANVS rerum Hispaniarum lib. 5. cap. 12. lib. 6. cap. 22. HIERONIMVS PLATVS in his second booke of a Religious state cap. 28. and 32. PETER RIBADENEIRA of the societie of IESVS in his Historie of the liues of Saincts which he writt in Spanish in the life of S. BENEDICT FRANCIS SVARER of the same societie in his last tome or treatise of Religion 2. booke chapt 17. FRANCIS RIBFRA in his prologue to S. Teresias life IOANNES AZORIVS in the first part of his morall institutions 12. booke chap. 22. GREGORIE LOPEZ of Madera Doctour of both lawes Counsellour and Iudge Palatine to Phillip the third King of Spaine who in a treatise of the veritie of the reliques which were miraculously found in the holy mont of Granado hath a very learned and solid discourse against Baronius in our behalfe And lastly to omitt thousand others of all orders conditions and professions IOANNES DIACONVS in the historie of S. GREGORIES life doeth constanly asseuer the same truth to wit that both S. GREGORY and the Monks he sent to preach in England were professours of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT Let vs bring in the last place some witnesses of our owne nation not all that haue written of this matter for they would require a whole volume but some whose authoritie is beyond all exception How great a man in all manner of learning and chiefly in the Ecclesiasticall history as well of the vniuersall Church as of our English nation was Doctour Nicholas Sanders it is well inough knowne to the world He in the beginning Nicholas Sanders of his historie intituled Of the English Schisme hath these words Gregory the great sent Augustine Mellitus other Monkes of S. BENEDICT to the English Saxōs who brought that nation from Idolatrie to Christianitie and indued Ethelbert King of Kent with the baptisme of Christ And NICHOLAS Harpsfield a man no lesse skillfull in the antiquities of England then SANDERS in his Dialogue written against the Magdeburgenses and in other places of his workes confirmes the same veritie But let the most illustrious Cardinall WILLIAM ALLEN conclude this Controuersie who in an Epistle to Athanasius an English Monke of Cassine in Italie writeth these words I could rehearse vnto thy pietie sayth he speaking of the Benedictine Order manie things out of the histories of our nation of the great reuowne and Sanctitie of this Order for both Sainct AVGVSTINE him self and the other disciples of Sainct GREGORY that conucrted the countrey to the Fayth were all of this Order and all the Monasteries first instituted which Venerable BEDE mentioneth and BEDE him self were of the same institution and all the Cathedrall Chapters which in after times came to be of Secular Canons were from their beginning of the Order of S. BENEDICT Truely the authority of these three men who in these later times were three fayre lights of our Countrey and second to none in the knowledge of the Ecclesiasticall history as their workes now extant doe declare who had searched into all the anncient monuments and charters of England deserueth soe much creditt that in respect of them the opinion of anie other man whatsoeuer may be neglected and contemned in this point It remaynes therefore confirmed by the authoritie of all the forenamed Authours that both S. GREGORY the great and the Monkes he sent to preach the fayth of Christ in England were all of the holie Order and institution of Sainct BENEDICT For no man I thinke can be soe peruerse vnlesse he be a professed enemie to the Benedictine Order as to forsake the assertion of soe manie Holy learned graue wise and prudent Writers both auncient and moderne and follow the innouation and noueltie of one Baronius whose arguments against vs are soe weake and whose coniectures soe vnlikely that the whole streame of his opinion seemeth rather to proceed from some other spring then from the mind and learning of soe great a man It would be too long to recite them here It shall suffise that ouer and aboue the foresayd Authours and thousands more we haue the auncient and common tradition of the whole world against Him It is a sufficient and more then a sufficient answer for him that our assertion hath been allwaies receaued in the Church for a truth euen since the time of sainct GREGORIE him self yea and that all the whole streame of antiquitie doeth conuince him of innouation in this poynt Of which his mistake I could easily pardon him for allthough by seeking to robbe the Benedictine familie of sainct GREGORY he thought to haue done a disparagement to the whole order yet it fell out farre otherwise for his deniall of a thing that had been alwaies before embraced for a truth in auncient times moued manie
powers both of his bodie and soule In humilitie he was most lowly in obedience most readie and full of charitable affection towards all men Hauing passed ouer his youth in the continuall exercise of these and other Monasticall vertues he receiued the dignitie of Priesthood and then he did not only shine vnto his He is made Priest brethren and draw them to vertue by his good example but allsoe by reading and expounding the holy scriptures by pious exhortations and preachings he would winne them to the loue of true religion and deuotion At length by the meanes of that great pillar of the Benedictine familie S. DVNSTAN he was chosen Abbot of the same Monasterie in the performance of which holy charge it is beyond the force of weake words to expresse how much he laboured And Abbot of westminster for the saluation of foules and what excellent examples of vertue and godly life he shewed vnto his brethren But such were his rare vertues that long they could not be contayned within the bounds of a weake Cloister For king Ethelred called him thence as it were from vnder the obscure bushell of his Monasterie to be placed in the view and admiration of the world in the Bishoprick of Sherburne and by the free election of the Clergie and greate applause of the poeple he was exalted to the gouernment of that Sea Then it was rare to behould how worthily he beganne to rule his people thundring at first a dutifull respect into their The true vertues of a good Bishop hearts he afterwards shined all loue among them his first and principall care being to appeare vnto his subjectss such as he would haue them be and to be such as he appeared making his godly life the example of his owne doctrine and his doctrine to arise as it were out of his deeds Soe that in a small time he wanne singular loue in his people and engraffed singular confidence His dayly exercise was to exhorte his subjects to comfort the afflicted to feed the hungrie to cloath the naked to redeeme captiues to entertaine poore pilgrims to teach the ignorant to withould the desperate from the shipwrack of their soules to enflame the tepid and animate the seruent to prouide carefully for those vnder his charge and punctually to performe the dutie of his profession and calling He was wont to spend the time of Lent within the Monks cloister were freed from the tumultuous affaires of the world he led a rigid monasticall life exercising him self in fasting and prayer and heauenly contemplation On maundie thursday he came abroade and hauing consecrated holy Chrisme according to the custome of Consecration of Chrisme the Catholicke Church he would preach vnto the people giue them his benediction After the celebration of the feast of Easter he was wont to visitt his whole diocesse as well to teach instruct and direct his vnder-pastours and clergiemen worthily to performe their duties as allsoe to amend correct and punish whatsoeuer was done amisse contrarie to the rules of good order discipline and iustice II. HE WAS wonderfull carefull both to augment and exalt that auncient sea of Sherburne and to establish it in a continuall peace in good order and discipline and to that end he cast out from thence Nichol. Harp saec 10. c. 9. William Malm. Monks ought nor to be subiect to Bishops the secular clergimen for their bad life and in their steede brought in the Benedictine Monks ouer whom he would haue placed an Abbot but they desired rather to liue vnder his gouernment whereunto though vnwilling he consented foretelling them that it would be a beginning of great calamities vnto their successours to be subiect to the Bishops But in all that he did for the Monks he neuer detracted anie part of the meanes belonging to the Bishoprick to sett them vp withall but prouided elsewhere sufficient reuenews for them allwaies preseruing the Episcopall Sea in her owne auncient and splendour in all things III. THVS hauing for the space of fiue yeares worthily gouerned his flock and done the office of a good pastour he fell into a vehement sicknes togeather with a vertuous knight and his deare S. Wulsine falls sick friend named Egeline who hearing of his lords infirmitie seemed to suffer more therein then in his owne and therefore not able to goe him self he sent to know in what danger he was The languishing holy man by the messenger willed his siâ—kly friend suddenly to dispose of him self and his estate and to prepare for his last iourney for to morrow next sayd he we shall goe both togeather to the court of our eternall King where he shall receiue the reward of his faithfull seruice The messenger being departed he vsed these words to his Monks By the filiall loue you haue euer shewed vnto me I doe coniure you my deare children that before you committ my bones to the earth you cause the bodie of this our faithfull friend to be brought hither and to be buried with me in this Church of Sherburne that in death our bodies be not separated whose soules during life were tied faithfully togeather in the bands of true loue and friendship To these words the Monks that were present could giue noe other answere but teares the woefull witnesses of the sorrow they conceaued to depart from soe deare a father But he exhorted them all to be rather ioyfull then grieued at his neere approching happines and alwaies to liue in the feare and loue of God till he felt the pangs of death beginne to cutt of his discourse when lifting vp his hands and eyes towards heauen he cried out with the first martir S. STEPHEN Behould I see the heauens opened and Iesus standing on the right hand of God and with the breath of these words he breathed forth his pure soule to receaue her reward in the purest He dieth place the eight day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 985. Of this B. Sainct doe make mention ARNOLD WION in the appendix of his martirologe WILLIAM MALMESBVRY IOHN CAPGRAVE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others whom we haue followed The life of S. ADRIAN Confessor and Abbot of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. SAINCT ADRIAN borne in Africa for his great vertue Out of venerable Bede and learning was chosen Abbot of the Benedictin Monasterie of Niridan in Campania not farre from Naples He was a great diuine and very skillfull both in the Greek and Latine tongue and to these sciences was added as an ornament of all a true zeale of the seruice of allmightie God and monasticall discipline with a perfect knowledge of Ecclesiasticall gouernment All which shined soe cleerly in him as they gaue sufficient testimonie with how sincere a desire of vertue he had first forsaken the world and putt on the habitt of religion II. IT happened during the time of this holy Abbot that the Metropolitan Sea of Canturbury by the death
Idolatrie to see the cleere day of Christs Ghospell And presently the heauens gaue them rayne and the earth which before was barren brought forth fruit in due season Allso he purged the countrey of the Picts now called Galloway from the blindnes of idolatrie and heresie he conuerted Albanie and founded there manie Churches and monasteries He sent some of his disciples to the Scottish Iles called Orkney to Norway and Island to His manie miracles bring vnto those nations the ioyfull tidings of CHRISTS Ghospell Wheresoeuer he him self eyther trauelled or preached he gaue sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speach to the dumbe cured the lame cast out deuills from possessed persons restored madmen to their senses healed leprosies palsies and all other diseases Some times by the only touching of his garments or taking some little particles of his meate or drinke manie sick persons recouered their desired health The Queene that had bin a long time sterile through his prayers obtayned a sonne of allmightie God who afterwards succeeding his father in the kingdom excelled all his predecessours in wealth and pietie VII S. COLVMB hearing the fame of S. KENTIGERNE came from his monasterie in the Island Hij with a great companie of his monks He maketh great league with S. Columb to visitt him and enter into a league of frienship and familiaritie with him And coming neere vnto the place where the holy Bishop was he diuided his whole companie into three troupes The Bishop likewise that came to meet him did in the same manner diuide his followers into three squadrons in the first he placed the iuniors or yonger sort in the second those of a middle age and in the third old aged men venerable in their gray hayres And as these two sacred armies of IESVS CHRIST marched towards each other they song spirituall hymnes and canticles on both sides and S. COLVMB to his followers I see sayd he ouer the third quier a fierie light in manner of a golden crowne to descend from heauen vppon the Bishops head But the two holy leaders of these troupes coming neere togeather saluted each other with mutuall embracings and holie kisses of loue and friendship in testimonie thereof they chainged their pastorall staues and the staffe which S. COLVMB gaue the Bishop was kept afterwards with great reuerence in S. WVLFERS Church at Rippon VIII A MIGHTIE great stone crosse being made for the Church-yard of Glasghn which could not be erected by mens strength was at A crosse sett vpp miraculously the prayer of the holie man sett vpp in the night by an Angel And in that place afterwards the diuine goodnes graunted perfect health vnto manie diseased persons that craued it by the meritts of S. KENTIGERNE He built a mille vppon the riuer Gladus that would neuer grinde anie stolne corne neyther could the stones or wheeles thereof by anie force be turned about from Saturday noone till munday morning IX AT LENGTH the holy man being soe farre spent with ould-age as his withered sinews did scarse hang his ioynts togeather and His last exhorta tion to his disciples perceauing that the hower of his death was at hand he called his disciples about him and exhorting them with a dieing voyce to the conseruance of true religion mutuall charitie peace and hospitalitie he gaue them an expresse and strict commaund firmely to obserue the decrees of the auncient holy fathers and euer to follow the institutions of the Catholick Roman Church When manie of his disciples who most dearely loued him falling prostrate before him cried out with weeping words Wee know deare father that thou doest desire to be dissolued from thy aged bodie to raigne with CHRIST but we humbly beseech thee to take pittie on vs whom thou hast gayned to the seruice of CHRIST ConfessioÌ„ of sinneâ— In whatsoeuer our humane frailtie hath offended we haue allwaies confessed vnto thee desiring to be corrected by the arbitrement of thy discretion Obtaine therefore of allmightie God that togeather with thee we may depart out of this vale of teares and miseries to the euerlasting ioyes of our deare Lord for vnto vs it seemeth a thing vnfitting that eyther a Bishop without his Cleargie a sheapheard without his flock or a father without his children should enter into the ioyes of his Lord. The holie man being moued with pittie fetching his breath as well as he was able The sacred will of God sayd he be fullfilled in vs all and according as he knowes best and as he pleaseth let his diuine prouidence dispose of vs all Herevppon being admonished by an Angel that his prayer was heard he was likewise willed to enter into a warme bath in which lifting vpp his hands and eyes towards heauen he resolued as it were into a sweet sleepe and yeelded vpp The manner of his death his blessâ—d soule into the hands of his Redeemer It pleased the heauenly wisedom to giue his seruant this pleasant kind of death whose life was a continuall martirdome His disciples hauing taken his body out of the bath manie of them entring therein had the fauour to follow their holie leader into the heauenly dwellings He died the thirteenth day of Ianuary about the yeare of our Lord 596. and in the hundred eightie fift yeare of his age when he had bin Bishop an hundred and threescore yeares famous for sainctetie and miracles He was buried in the Church of Glasghu at whose tombe all manner of diseases were miraculously cured His life was written by IOSGELINVS an auncient author IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed Of him make mention NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD histor Ecclesiast sex primis saec cap. 28. ARNOLD WION and others The life of S. PETER Abbot of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IAN. 13. Out of venerable Bede PETER was a Roman Monk of S. BENEDICTS order and one of those which were sent by S. GREGORIE the great with our first Apostle S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST vnto the English natioÌ„ S. AVGVSTIN being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury sent back Laurence and Peter his fellowes to bring newes vnto the holy Pope of their good successe in the conuersion of England and allsoe by his prudence and counsell to be resolued of some difficulties which arose in the planting of Catholick religion in that new Church This S. PETER at his returne into England was by the same S. AVGVSTIN ordayned the first Abbot of the Benedictin monasterie of Canturburie erected by King Ethelbert in honour of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVL Of the time and manner of his gouernement in this office we haue nothing certaine but that he led a verie vertuous and holy life it is manisest by that which S. BEDE writes of him At length sayth he being sent Embassadour into France he chaunced to be drowned in a gulfe of the sea betweene two câ—pes at a place called Ampleat and being by the inhabitants committed to
he had passed ouer some yeares ouercoming manie a teadious day irksome night with wonderfull patience the hower of his death drawing neere wherein he should receaue Heauenly musick at his death the euerlasting rewards of his labours there was heard in the ayre ouer his cell most melodious tunes of heauenly voyces that enterchaingeably sung the hymne TE DEVM LAVDAMVS to the end In the meane time a Monke that heard the sound of his little bell ranne thither and found him sitting on a stone with the bell-rope in one hand and a candle burning in the other And perceauing him to be dead he put of his garment and his hayre-cloath-shirt hauing washt his bodie with water it became suddenly as white and cleere as snow neither did there remaine on his skinne anie signe or scarre of his former grief to be perceaued His face seemed soe beautifull and resplendent as he could hardly be knowne for the man he had bin and he appeared as though not death but a sweet sleepe had seased on his bodie VIII THE Benedictine Monkes of Tinemouth hearing of his departure mett togeather to carrie away the bodie and burie it in their Church but the people of the next Parish fearing much to be robbed of soe great a treasure according to their foretakeÌ„ counsell gathered a multitude of men togeather and endeauoured to preuent the Monks by taking away the body by force to burie it in their owne church But they were no sooner at sea but there arose a thick mist which painted the face of heaueÌ„ with such an hidcous darke picture of night that those rauishers wandered out of their way they knew not whither loosing both them selues and the prey they sought for The Monkes safely arriuing at Tinemouth with their holy lading buried it very honorably neere vnto the body of S. OSWIN King and Martir in an arch of the wall on the south side of the Church where manie miracles were wrought afterwards by the intercession of this glorious Sainct He died in the yeare of our Lord 1120. the sixteenth day of January His life is extant at AntweÌ„rp in an auncient manuscript out of which IOANNES ANGLICVS and IOHN CAPGRAVE we haue gathered the foresaid historie The life of S. DEICOLA Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 18. Written by Peter de Natalibus in catal SS DEICOLA borne in Jreland when he came to such age that he was able to make vse of his time went into France where he liued vnder the worthie Benedictine Abbot S. COLVMBAN in the monasterie of 〈◊〉 But when S. COLVMBAN was by King Theodorick banished out of France a place not worthie to contayne his vertues he tooke with him into Italie S. DEICOLA there being able to carrie his old age noe further with S. COLVMBAN he retired himself into a monasterie of Benedictin Monks called Lâ—tra in Burgundie where his holy conuersation and vertuous life was soe He is made Abbot of Lutra excellent pleasing to all and he wonne soe great confidence that he was made Abbot of the same place by the free election of the Monkes amongst whom he was admired for his great vertue and miracles At length ouercome with old age he gaâ—e vp the gouernment of the monasterie to a vertuous disciple of hâ—â—â—â—med Columbine and retired him self to a secret place where he spent the small remnant of his life in continuall prayer and contemplation of Luc. 10. v. 42. that one thing which is only necessarie for the saluatioâ— of soâ—les Till feeling the happie minute of his departure to draw nigh he called his brethren about him and recommending vnto â—hem the obseruance of true loue and monasticall discipline he denoutly receaued the last Sacraments and made a happie chainge of this teadious His death world for the sweet enioying of immortall happines the eighteenth day of Ianuary His bodie was buried in the same monasterie where on this day of his deposition his memorie was yearly celebrated His life we haue gathered out of PETER DE NATALIBVS in his Catalogue of Saincts TRITHEMIVS in his historie of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order VSVARD and others â—â—ke worthie â—â—ntion of S. DEICOLA and the 〈◊〉 Martirologe this day S. WOLSTANVS EPISCOPVS WIGORNIENSIS in Anglia Monachus Benedictinus Jan. 19. The life of S. WOLSTAN Bishop of Worcester a Monk of the holy order of S BENEDICT IAN. 19. WritteÌ„ by Senatus Brauon a Monk of Worcester THE beloued seruant of God S. WOLSTAN was borne in Warwickshire of worthy and religious parents who offered him to S. BENEDICT in the monastery of Peterborough where his youth was piously trained vp and instructed both in secular learning and Ecclesiasticall discipline till he grew of yeares and sufficiencie that he was made Priest In which sacred function he soe worthily behaued him self that his godly manner of life was alwaies His manner of life being a Priest in the world correspondent vnto the height of his dignitie He euer celebrated his Masse with wonderfull great grauitie and reuerence adding both before and after that dreadfull sacrifice daily preparations and prayers in which for the most part he spent the whole day being contented for his poore maintenance only with the voluntarie offrings of deuout people The flower of his chastetie as a rich treasure he kept vndefiled all his life time In a word he led soe vertuous a life that liuing in the world he might be compared with the best and preferred before manie Monkes in the Cloister Soe continent in his diet that he was neuer knowne to drinke one draught without necessitie and allthough for a time he did eate flesh yet he left that custom too vppon this occasion Being one day to goe forth vppon a speciall and an vnexcusable necessitie lest he should depart without his dinner his seruants had sett a goose to the fier to be rosted against the end of Masse In the meane time A strainge motiue to forâ—ake eating flesh the holy man goes to the aultar and being in the mid'st of the sacrifice because the Church was neere adioyning vnto his house the strong sauour of the roast-meate struck into his nose and caused a suddain distraction in his mind in soe much that at first he seemed to haue bin ouertaken with a little glimpse of pleasure therewith But recollecting him self with an acknowledgment of his faulte he vehemently endeauoured but in vaine to repell that cogitation Whereat being stricken with the zeale of an holy anger against him self he made a vow before the holy Sacrament which he held in his hands neuer to tast anie meate of that kind anie more Masse being ended he departed about the affaires he had in chardge without taking one bitt of meate alleadging that the vrgencie of his iourney could suffer noe longer delay And herevppon he abstained euer after from all manner of fleshie and vnctuous meates whatsoeuer Yet was he not so rigid as to
health to all that deuoutly aske it The soueraigne vertue whereof sayth the same Authour I my self haue experienced for being ouerthrowne with a greeuous sicknes and arriued at deaths gate calling to mind the diuine fauours which S. WALBVRG incessantly shewed to her beloued seruants I commaunded some of the sacred oyle which flowed from her bodie to be brought of which at a most desired draught I draÌ„ke vp a litle bottle full deuoutly saying these words O Blessed virgin WALBVRG for reuerence of thy most beloued brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop whose vnworthie successour am I Phillip a sinner make worthie intercession to our Lord forme according as my sinnes require that I may recouer out of the grief One cured with the oyle that floweth froÌ„ her bodie of this my sicknes to the prayse of allmightie God and his vnspotted mother the Virgin Marie This done to the great admiration of all I recouered perfectly out of a disease which had giuen the foyle to all humane art of phisick Manie other miracles of the same oyle are reported by the authours of her life are wrought yet in these daies at Eistadt where her body lies to the great confusion of hereticks the glorie of God and our holy Father S. BENEDICT vnder whose rule she ruled being aliue The Reuerend Father Iames Gretser hath set forth a booke in the yeare 1620. in which he recites manie famous miracles done at her tombe authentically examined prooued true with the testimony of eye-witnesses Soe that this glorious Virgin like vnto a fruitfull and fayre oliue-tree growing in the fields of Gods Church vnder the happie shade of the Benedictine order dilateth the name and fame of her sainctitie ouer the world by the effusion of a pretious oyle which cureth and healeth all diseases by the mightie power of him who hath and will be wonderfull glorious in his Saincts foâ— euer AmeÌ„ The life of this glorious Virgin is writteÌ„ verie largely Faythfully sayth Baronius by Wolphardus a monke and Phillip Bishop of Eystat in Germanie out of whom we haue gathered this historie The Roman Martirologe Baronius tom 9. anno 735. Trithemius in his worke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 150. Arnould Wion in his martirologe Molanus in addit ad Vsuardum Iohn Capgraue and others make honourarable mention of her The life of S. MILGITH Virgin and Nunne of S. BENEDICTS order FEB 26. MILGITH or MILVIDE daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and S. ERMENBVAG and sister to the most holy Virgins MILBVRG and MILDRED is much commended by our English historiographers for her great holines of life in the conseruation and consecration of her virginitie to CHRIST But in what monasterie she professed I cannot certainly affirme Yet some write that she liued a Nunne in a monasterie which S. ETHELBERT built in Kent not farre from Canturburie It is likely that she liued eyther with one of her holy sisters with S. MILBVRG at Wenloke or with S. MILDRED in the I le of Tanet in Kent Certaine it is in whatsoeuer monasterie she liued that she was a NunÌ„ne of S. BENEDICTS order seeing that noe other rule but his was in those daies receaued in England Of her and her two sisters Polidore virgill giues this testimonie These most excellent virgins sayth he partly out of their holines of life partly out of their seruice Lib. 4. hist Ang in religion in which they exercised them selues with continencie were souÌ„d worthie to be by our fathers numbred afterwards among the Sâ—â—â—cts This holy Virgin florished 〈◊〉 the yeare 675. Florentius Wig. Mathew westminster Ranulphus Cicestrensis and others speake honourably of her vertues S. OSWALDVS EPISCOPVS WIGORNIENSIS IN Anglia Monachis Benedictinus Feb. 28. Mart. Ba … The life of S. OSWALD Bishop of Worcester confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 28. VVritten by senatus Branonius a monks of VVorcesler THE glorious Bishop and ornament of the Benedictin familie S. OSWALD borne of a most noble English race and endowed with a verie rare and beautifull forme of bodie began from his verie infancie to auoyde all such childish toies and follies as are incident to that age and wholely to applie him self to the sacred studie and exercise of true pietie and religion thereby to ennoble the nobilitie of his birth whith the nobilitie of vertue S. Oâ—o Archbyshop of Canturbury was his vncle a man of wonderfull wisedom S. Odo Archoyop of Cantâ—rbury his vncle and discretion of a graue behauiour a most iust and vpright mind and circumspect an all his actions vnto whom OSWALD was committed by his parents to be trayned vpp in the schoole of learning good manners and vertue Vnder this soe excellent a master our worthie scholler became soe good a proficient in all profane and diuine learning that he was promoted to a Canonrie in the Church of Winchester Where when others not regarding the institute of their order and calling let loose the raines to the lewd desires of their minds he constantly confined him self to the prescript rule of a canonicall life Soe that within a short space of time he was chosen Deane in which office all though as yet he were but yong yet he zealously endeauoured to correct the corrupt manners of the auncient and to reforme their youthfull mindes to the exercise of a celestiall rule and discipline But they growne old in their bad customs See how hurtfull a bad custom is would by noe meanes be recalled to the obedience of anie good order Therefore OSWALD despising all secular pompe and riches of this world determined to passe ouer into France to the Benedictin Monasterie of Florie where the bodie of our holie father S. BENEDICT is sayd to rest S. ODO his vncle who before he would vndertake He taketh the habit of S. Bentdict the Archbishoprick had receaued the habit of a monke in the same place being desirous to further his pious intention herein gaue him letters of commendation with tokens to the fathers there of his acquaintance OSWALD being safely arriued into the port of his desires putt on the habitt of S. BENEDICT amongst those French monkes And presently he that came thither to be instructed behaued and fashoned him self in such sort that others who thought them selues his masters might in him reade a lesson for their owne instruction His vertues and find manie examples of vertue worthie their imitation For he was a man of great mortification of a little sleepe sparing in his diet wise and moderate in his speeches and continuall in his prayers But how rarely he was indued with patience humilitie curresie humanitie meekenes and other vertues we may easily guesse out of the sincerity of his burning charitie wherein it is beyond the force of weake words to expresse how highly he excelled II. THE Abbot graunted him the priuiledge of a secret place in the Church where with more freedom and familiaritie he might
at once gaue a double testimonie of his great vertue and sanctitie And as in his life he was replenished with manie wonderfull spirituall graces and vertues soe at his death as manie sick as touched the biere whereon his bodie lay receaued perfect health and were cured of all diseases His bodie was buried in sainct PAVLS Church at London by the high aultar where it lay manie yeares couered with a palle of verie He is buried in S. Pauls of London meane value But allmightie God decsared an length by a wonderfull miracle that the reliques of this glorious Sainct deserued greater honour and reuerence For during the raigne of William Conquerour in the yeare of our Lord 1087. a most cruell fier sayd hold on the cittie of London by night which consumed all before it from the west gate to the East at which horrid spectacle the cittizens greatly affrighted were glad to saue their owne lines by flight some of them leauing their cuill-gott goods to the mercie of those London fiered mercilesse flames which hauing entred the Cathedrall Church of sainct PAVL and soe entred that there was noe hope to dispossesse those outrageous guests the people were stricken with greater grief with the thought of loosing the sacred reliques of soe great a Patrone then with the sight of their owne harmes But allmightie God was zealous and carefull of the glorie of his Sainct For when His tombe miraculously preserued froÌ„ fier the Church was wholly in flames when the lead powred downe on all sides when whole beames of fier came tumbling to the earth amidst all this dolefull wrack of ruine where the conquest was the death of the conquerour the sacred tombe of sainct ERKENWALD allbeit of drie wood apt to take fier remayned most free and vntouched And which is more the cloath that couered it when the two Bishops of London and Wincester came to be eye-witnesses of this miracle was found most pure without anie hurt where the piercing force of the melted lead and eating fier was of noe force against the vertue and meritts of this worthie sainct O wonderfull sight whatsoeuer was in the Church within the power of fier was turned to ashes and yet in the midst of all the palle of his sepulcher was not one threed the worse eyther in matter or colour The poeple flocke thither in troupes to be witnesses of that strainge spectacle giuing manie thanks to allmightie God for his goodnes when the noueltie of this miracle banished out of their minds all thought of their owne misfortune receiued Mauritius then bishop Mauritius Bishop of London of London layd the foundation of the mightie Church of S. PAVL now extant which by his successours was brought to that wonder of perfection in which now it is And six and thirtie yeares agoe as I haue learned from faythfull witnesses that saw it there was in the vpper end of the Quire in Pauls Church a table which testified where the holy body of S. ERKENWALD lay in these words Vnder here lieth the bodie of S. ERKENWALD fourth Bishop of London Manie other miracles were wrought by the merits of this glorious sainct which here we omitt He died about the yeare of our Lord 690. His life is written by Gotzelinus Morimnensis sainct Bede William Malmesburie de Pont. lib. 2. Iohn Capgraue Nicolas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 13. and others out of whom and the records of sainct Pauls Church we haue taken this historie Polidore Virgil Trithemius amougst the Saincts of S. Benedicts order Baronius Matthew Paris the Romane Martirologe and all our English writers doe highly speake his prayses The end of Aprill The life of Sainct ASAPH Bishop and Confessor MAY 1. SAINCT ASAPH borne in that part of great Britaine now called His countrey and youth North-wales was from his youth brought vp vnder the gouernement and discipline of great sainct KENTIGERNE in the monasterie of Elue in Flint-shire where amongst nine hundred and three score other monks his fellow-schollers he sâ—ined in all manner of vertue and bore the prize of obedience and sainctitie from them all He descended from a noble race and seemed to haue the rootes of vertue engraffed in his soule from the cradle which by his diligent and carefull managing brought forth a worthie baruest of pious fruits at their time He putt forth him self in nothing soe much a sin labouring to make his owne conuersation and manner of life conformable to the austere patterne of vertue and mortification which appeared in his holy Master saint KENTIGERNL To whom his obedience was such that it deserued to be witnessed for excellent by miracle For saint KENTIGERNE coming one night out of the cold water in which as his custom was he had recited the whole psalter of Dauid and being soe extremly frozen that he was allmost quite depriued of heate the necessarie companion of life he The strainge vertue of prompt obedience sent his holy disciple ASAPH for fier to recouer the forces of his decaying bodie He that had noe lesson soe perfect as obedience ranne hastily to the fierie ouen and finding noe other instrument to carrie his fier tooke the hott scortching coales into his lapp and without anie signe of burning in his coate brought them to his master who admiring soe great vertue in his scholler held him in great estimation euer after and committed to his charge the whole regiment of the monasterie and made him his successour in the Bishoprick of Elue now called S. ASAPHS retayning allwaies the name but farre wide of the vertues and fayth of saint ASAPH Who when he had gouerned his sea for the space of manie yeares in great sainctitie and miraculous workes in venerable old age he gaue vp his blessed soule to receaue the crowne of euerlasting life the first day of May about the yeare of our Lord 569. whose name to this day is very famous throughout Wales in the mouthes of all true-hearted Welchmen to the great confusion of our Protestant-Heroticks who are not ashamed to honour the saincts by calling their Churches by their names to whom in catholick times they were dedicated and in their confession of fayth to denie anie honour at all to be due vnto them contrarie to the generall doctrine of the Catholick Church and all auncient fathers Thus much we haue gathered out of Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Arnold Wion Iohn Capgraue and others The Roman martirologe this first of May makes mention of S. Asaph The life of S. EADBERT Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT MAY. 6. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 4. EADBERT surnamed the Almner a man as excellent in learning the knowledge of diuine scriptures as in the obseruance of Ecclesiasticall and monasticall precepts and most excellent in the vertue of giuing almes was raysed from the humilitie of a Benedictine monk in the monasterie of Lindisfarne to succeede that glorious ornament He
the names of those glorious saincts the diuine goodnes shewed him a heauenly token and signe of his mercie For S. BENEDICT and sainct ETHELDRED with her sister sainct SEXBVRG appeared visibly vnto him in the prison with such a glorious lustre to He hath an apparition that darke place and such a lightning of comfort to his weake soule darkened with sorrow that betwixt ioy and amazement he was allmost traÌ„sported beyond him self not knowing what to say or what to thinke Till those heauenly cittizens hauing made them selues knowne vnto him demaunded yf he would be deliuered out of that captiuitie At which words awaking as it were out of a deepe sleepe he answered that he would most willingly enioy libertie yf he thought he could anie longer liue but because the forces of his bodie were quite spent he had now no further hope to escape Then S. BENEDICT drawing neere vnto him very gently pulled off his He is releaâ—ed by S. Benedict shackles and threw them with such vehemencie against a beame in the same roome that they broke in peeces and the noyse awaked the keepers who fearing lest their prisoÌ„ners might haue made some escape came hastily with lights into the same roome where to theyr great astonishment they vnderstood first by an other of the prisoners and next of Brickstan him self what strainge guests had been there and how he had been miraculously loosed out of his fetters by the heauenly visitation of S. BENEDICT and S. ETHELDRED Therefore the next morning they made relation hereof to the vertuous Queene Mawde who happened to be in London at the same time and she presently sent one Raphe a chaplaine of the Court to be more certainly informed of the truth of this accident He hauing found how Brickstan was released out of his fetters and seeing the irons soe straingely burst in peeces brought him to the Queenes Great ioy for his releasement presence at court Then the noyse of this miraculous accident being blowne all ouer the cittie of London made the cittizens with their mouthes full of the prayses of allmightie God come flocking to the Court. And the Queene being replenished with an extreme ioy at the noueltie of the miracle caused all the bells in the towne to make the ayre resouÌ„d with peales of ioy for the straingenes thereof all Conuents of Ecclesiasticall persons to sing forth prayses of thanksgiuing vnto the allmightie worker of wonders for soe great a remonstrance of his goodnes And Brickstan him self going in pilgrimage to visitt manie Churches throughout the cittie to giue thankes for this heauenly fauour was followed with whole troupes of poeple that desired to looke vppon him as vppon a wonder and at the Benedictine Abbey of Westminster he was receaued by Gilebert the Abbot and the whole Conuent of Monkes that came in procession to meete him In fine by commaund of the Queene he was honourably conueyed out of all his troubles to the beloued hauen of his desires the Monasterie of Ely carying with him as the trophies of his victorie ouer the world the chaines and fetters which had bound him in prison and out of which he was soe miraculously released At Ely he was very honourable receaued where he brought Briestan becometh a Monke at Ely his former purpose to perfection and putt on the habitt and profession of a Benedictine moke And his fetters were hung vp in the same Church before the high aultar for a perpetuall spectacle and monument of the miracle This happened in the time of Herueus first bishop of the same place XVIII THOMAS WalsinghaÌ„ in his historie of England in Richard the secoÌ„d in the yeare 1389. relateth how during the same kings raygne the holy Virgin ETHELDRED appeared at two seuerall times to distinct persons and foretould strainge accidents and punishments that should happen vnto the Countrey yf they were not auerted by the prayers and sacrifices of good men Other particularities thereof we omitt fearing to be ouer teadious hauing shewed sufficiently how great a care this glorious Sainct had of her countrey Let vs make intercession vnto her that by her meritte and prayers she would obtaine vs grace of allmightie God to be freed from the yoake oppression of Heresie which in these our daies beareth soe great a head ouer onr miserable couÌ„trey Her life we haue gathered out of the Chronicles of Ely which we haue in an auncient manuscript written by Thomas of Ely a Monke of the same place aâ— allso out of Venerable Bede de gestis Ang. lib. 4. cap. 19. Nicholas Harpsfield sec 7. cap. 24. and Ionnes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts Mention is made of her in the Roman Martirologe and in that of Bede Ado Vsuard and Wion Allso William Malmesbury lib. 2. de gest reg cap. 13. Mathew Westminster anno 679. Polidore Virgill lib. 4. Wigorniensis annis 672. 673. and 679. Trithemius in his third booke of the famous men of sainct Benedicts Order chap. 122. and manie other writers doe worthyly sound forth her prayses and in auncient times her feast was celebrated in England with great solemnitie The life of sainct BARTHOLOMEW Priest and Monke of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT IVNE 24 Written by Ioannes Anglicus SAINCT BARTHOLOMEW borne in Yorkeshire in the Prouince of Whiteby in times past called Streanshall was by his parents first named Tostius but when he left the world and entered into a monasticall life he left allso that name and was called BARTHOLOMEW In his verie infancie he gaue manie rare signes of future sainctitie and receaued from heauen manie speciall fauours to confirme the His diuine visions same being diuers times visited by our Lord IESVS-CHRIST him self in person and by his glorious Mother the Blessed Virgin MARY and the holy Apostles S. PETER and sainct IOHN In his youth he trauelled into manie forreigne countreys and in Norway he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood But returning into England he receaued the habitt of a Monke in the Benedictine monasterie Note a miracle of Durham where entring into the Church and making reuerence to the Crucifix the sacred Image of Christ hanging on the Crosse seemed with an humble bowing of the head to resalute him againe In this monasterie he led a verie regular and strict life profitting dayly more and more in humilitie obedience and all other vertues belonging to a Monasticall life Till at length aspiring to a more solitarie manner of liuing segregated from all humane companie the great Patrone of that Order and monasterie S. CVTHBERT appeared to him in a vision and inuited him to liue in the Iland of Farne which was the place that he him self in his life time had honoured with his holy conuersation BARTHOLOMEW being glad of soe heauenly an offer soe suting with his desires promised to spend the remnant of his life in that Iland to that end with much difficultie and importunitie he
fluxit Atque Magistrorum veneranda caterua cucurrit In number of HIS children gladly stand All that haue place in fruitfull Britaines land From HIM to vs baptismall grace did flow To HIM our troupes of Teachers we do owe. Whereby he euidently concludeth that not only the Apostles them selues who brought the Grace of Baptisme into our countrey were children of sainct BENE DICT but euen that all the faythfull people of great Britaine were Foster-children vnto the same sainct BENEDICT whose disciples had nourished fed the infancie of their faith with the milke of CHRISTS holy Ghospell and first brought them into the bosome of his true Church And this same passage of sainct ALDELME was quoted seauen hundred yeares agoe by Amoinus a monke of the samous Benedictine Abbey of Amoinus Fleury in France in a sermon of the prayses of sainct BENEDICT which hath bin lately sett forth by Ioannes a Bosco in his worke intituled The Library of Fleury This Amoinus who is a very graue and auncient authour following the aforesayd truth embraced by our sainct ALDELNE bouldly and without anie difficultie affirmeth sainct GREGORY the great to be a child of sainct BENEDICTS in the prologue of his second booke which treateth of the Miracles of our holy Father Nether is he content to say it only as the opinion of his owne head but constantly asseuers it a thing receaued by the whole English nation For thus he speaketh in the life of sainct ABBO extant in the Librarie of Fleury chapter the 4. In the meane time came an embassage from the English natioÌ„ to Fleury desiring to haue the helpe of some prudent and wise men Because this nation came to the loue of our holy Father S. BENEDICT and of that See the life o◠〈◊〉 Oswald Feb. 28. foresayd place for two causes One was because Blessed Pope GREGORY hauing sent thither preachers of Christs faith more peculiarly beat into their memories the obseruance of the Rule of the same beloued seruant of our Lord BENEDICT And the other because one called OSWALD a man of great authoritie amongst them hauing despised the world embraced the seruice of Christâ— in the about named Monastery of â—leury Therefore by the authoritie of this graue Authour a witnes of soe great antiquitie it plainly appeares that sainct GREGORY professed the holy Rule of S. BENEDICT and that the Preachers he sent into England did the like But lest some impertinent cauiller for such an one he must needs be that calls in question the authoritie of our Aldelme whom the Church approueth for a Sainct should say that these and such like writers professing the Benedictine Order them selues are parties in the controuersie and that consequently their authoritie cannot decide this question I will here briefly bring Authours of allmost all other Orders and Professions who doe expressely auouch that sainct GREGORY and his disciples our Apostles were Benedictines And bicause Baronius the Father of the contrarie opinion Thomas Bozius which we impugne was a Priest of the Oratorian CongregatioÌ„ let the Venerable Father Thomas Bozius Priest of the same Oratorie proceed first against him This Bozius who was a learned graue and prudent writer seemeth of sett purpose to condemne the iudgemeÌ„t of his fellow-Priest in this point soe plainly he speaketh for vs in manie places especially in his fift booke of his excellent worke intituled Of the signes of the Church chap. 3. GREGORY the great saith he borne of a most noble race and hauing througly performed his office in the chiefest honours of Rome at length despising all things and bequeathing him self to the Order of sainct BENEDICT he made profession of a monke and besides others founded in other places he built a Monasterie at Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus in that place verie manie did learne both solid pâ—etie and heauenly learning and addicted themselues to the Order of sainct BENEDICT Hence GREGORY drew out Augustine Mellitus Iustus Paulinus Laurence and Iohn and other Monkes whom BEDE and others doe mention and by whom the seruice of Christ was dispersed and confirmed amongst the English and maniâ— monasteries of the same Order builded And in his third booke of the state of Italie chap. 5. which booke he writt after this controuersie was set a broach by Baronius that he might shew him self notwithstanding the arguments of Baronius to be constant in the veritie of his former opinion he sayth thus Wee haue shewed at large in the fourth booke of the Signes of the Church signe the 6. that by noe other endeauour then that of the Roman Bishops the Christian religion waâ— planted in England Scotland and all places seated beyond the riuers Danubius and Rhene And in the fift booke signe 12. we haue made it euident that allmost all those that imployed their labours in this matter were Monkes of the Order and institute of sainct BENEDICT the Italian Allso in his sixt booke of the same worke chap. 6. he sayth of our holy father sainct BENEDICT that He drew soe manie followers after him that the number of them cannot be mustered Out of his familie issued forth soe manie and soe great men flourishing in all kind of prayses and vertues that which way soeuer thou turne thy self thou maiest stand fixed in admiration For how manie Martyrâ— I pray you came out of his Order How many men most holy in sainctitie and miracles How maniâ— great and admirable Popes Let vs produce one able to be compared with them all GREGORY the first to whom the Englishmen are indebted whatsoeuer goodnes is amongst them Thus we see how learnedly solidly and constantly this Venerable man asseuereth the truth and our intent against Baronius who was his fellow-Priest and the ornament and flower of the Oratorian Congregation No man I am sure can except against his authoritie who doubtlesse If there had been anie probabilitie in the contrarie assertion would haue been most willing to haue subscribed to the opinion of soe great a man as Baronius being of his owne coate and profession To Bozius let Onuphrius Panuinus an Augustin Frier and a most diligent searcher of the Roman antiquities Onuphrius Panuimus succeed who in his Epitome of the Roman Bishops giueth this most cleere testimonie for our purpose GREGORY by nation a Roman borne of the most auncient and noble familie of the Anicij forsaking all the Pompes of the world entred into a Monastery of Monkes vnder the Rule of the holy Father BENEDICT and gaue all his goods lands houses tenements vineyards c. to the Monasteries of monkes and at length built a Monastery of Monkes in Rome c. This testimonie of Onuphrius is of great authoritie for liuing in the cittie of Rome he gaue him self wholly to search into Ecclesiasticall antiquities whereof he hath published manie famous and profitable monuments to the world Next to him let vs heare ANTONINVS Bishop of Florence whom the Church honoureth for a learned
learned men that zealed the Truth and good of the Benedictine Order to make a most exquisite and strict search into the monuments and bowells of antiquitie and finding that the opinion of Baronius was but a child that could by no meanes pretend anie title or right of descent from Authours of former ages they soe learnedly solidly and manifestly made the contrarie assertion appeare to the world to witt that sainct GREGORY was indeed a monk of sainct BENEDICT that that which before lay as it were buried in antiquitie and not thought on receaued for a truth but not talked on knowne of all but commended but off a few became more conspicuous to the world more glorious to the Benedictine Order and more famously treated off throughout the whole Church soe that the new opinion of Baronius serued but as a foyle more cleerly to sett forth the veritie of sainct GREGORIES being a Benedictine Monke and to make the world take better and more particular notice that soe great an Ornament of the vniuersall Church had been brought vp in the schoole of sainct BENEDICT But that we may take away all further difficultie in this matter let great sainct GREGORIE him self tell vs what Order he professed for surely no man can say but he is a iudge without exception and one whose authoritie is able to weigh downe more then I will name of such as write against vs. In his commentarie on the bocke of Kings writing to his Monkes and Nouices he vseth in manie places the expresse words of sainct BENEDICTS Rule and applies them to expound the holy text or rather makes vse of the text it self to coÌ„firme the precepts of the Benedictine Rule and there in citing the words of the same Rule he stileth our holy Father Lâ—b 4. comm in 1. Pâ—g c. 4 sainct BENEDICT with the title of Arctissimae vitae Magister optimus summae veritatis discipulus eruditus The best Master of the most strict life and a learned Disciple of the highest veritie Whereby it is manifest that sainct GREGORIE in proposing here the Rule and masthership of sainct BENEDICT vnto his Monkes for a patterne of their life and gouernment doeth acknowledge him self and them to be children of the same sainct BENEDICT whom he calleth his and their Best Master of strict regular life For yf he and his monkes were Basilians or Equitians or of anie other Order why doeth he not rather propose vnto them their Rules and call S. BASILL and Equitius their Best Master Were it not a thing strainge and against all rule for a Superiour of Franciscans or Dominicans to propose in a speech to his subiects the obseruance of the Rule of saint IGNATIVS and call him the Best Master of their Religion and profession omitting to make anie mention of his owne Patrones sainct FRANCIS or sainct DOMINICK Surely yf sainct GREGORY had been a disciple vnto Equitius as Baronius faynes he could not haue beene soe vnmindfull of the Father of his monasticall religion as to preferre sainct BENEDICT before him with the title of the Best Master of regular discipline and to propose his Rule to be obserued by his Monkes and not once in all his workes to make the lest mention of the Rule of sainct Equitius But how could he when neuer anie such rule hath euer yet appeared vnto the world But of his Best Master sainct BENEDICT he maketh such honourable and large mention that hauing dispatched the life of saint Equitius in one short chapter of his Dialogues he filleth a whole booke with the life vertues and miracles of our glorious Father sainct BENEDICT whose Rule he confirmed preferred before all others to shew the abundance of loue which he bore vnto him whom he stileth the Best Master of his monasticall life It would be too long to sett downe here all the places of our holy Father's saint BENEDICTS Rule which this great Doctour of the Church S. GREGORIE expoundeth to his Monkes in the aboue cited CoÌ„mentarie on the booke of Kings It sufficeth for our purpose that he acknowledgeth S. BENEDICT for his Best Master and proposeth his Rule to be obserued by the Monkes of his Monasterie For what more manifest proofe can there be to shew that both he and the Monkes his subiects were all children of the Benedictine Order and that sainct AVGVTINE our Apostle and his fellow-monkes preachers were professouâ—s of the same Rule and Religion Thus much good Reader I haue thought good to insorme thee in this poynt not because the truth of the cause I defend did want anie such proofes but because there are some soe willfully blind in the opinion of Baronius that they doe yet striue against the whole streame of antiquitie and ancient Authours and seeke to maintaine his noueltie Against whom If thou chaÌ„ce to encounter anie such thou art here sufficiently instructed to be able to speake some thing for the truth in this matter And doe not thinke that in disputing this poynt against a man soe worthyly deseruing of the Church as the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius we doe it with intent to lay an aspersion of disgrace on his glorie God forbid for the defence of the truth can disgrace noe man and especially him who in sayling through soe huge an Ocean as his Annalls are could not chose but erre in some things lest the world should haue taken him for some thing aboue the common sort of mortall men To conclude we see that the greatest part of our English SAINCTS are knowne allsoe to haue been of the holy Order of S. BENEDICT as it appeares in the ensuing treatise of their liues For the Catholick religion being first planted in England by the labours of S. AVGVSTINE his fellow-Monkes who were all Benedictines that holy Order was allsoe soe happyly rooted in the whole countrey and soe manie learned and holy men were bred and brought vp in the same that the whole English Church was gouerned by the Professours thereof and replenished with great store of SAINCTS of both sexes of the Benedictine familie there being noe other Rule of regular life but S. BENEDICTS on foote in England for the space of aboue seauen hundred yeares after the coÌ„uersion of it to the Christian fayth Noe wonder then that the Benedictine Religion in England was the mother of soe manie and soe great SAINCTS Their liues and of all others I haue endeauoured to sett forth briefly with as great care as I could desiring thee for whose comfort I haue taken this paynes to weigh the faults yf anie thou chaunce to find in the ballance of good will and soe thou shalt not only encourage me to goe forward in this and a greater worke then this but allsoe oblige me to remayne thy friend desiring no other reward for my labours but thy prayers vnto these glorious SAINCTS that I may in the end be made participant of their heauenly companie In the meane time wishing thee the like happines I
brother â—â—omeing into England with a nauie of twentie fiue ships hopeing â—o bring some relief vnto these broyles and calamities was slaine â—y the strainge and wicked treacherie of GODWIN Earle of Kent â—ll his armie murdred in most cruell manner by the coÌ„maund of the sayd Godwin and by the blouddie hands of his faythlesse friends and countreymen After whose death S. EDWARD wholly destitute of all humaÌ„ assistance liued as a man miserably banished from his countrey kingdom and royaltie he much feared to fall into the snares of wickednes and doubted lest he should either be falsely betrayed by his owne seruants or purchased for the butcherie by his enemies Therefore putting his cheifest coÌ„fidence in the almightie he humbly prostrated himself before the court of heauen powred out his deuout prayers lamentations after this manner Behould o my Lord God how in myself I am destitute of all helpe comfort my neerest friends and kindred haue forsaken me my verie neighbours and confederats are readie to stand against me and now that my Father hath finished his manifold labours with death the crueltie of my enemies and traiterous subiects hath deuoured my bretheren and depriued me of their companie my nephews are cast into banishment Canâ—tus had maried his mother my owne mother carelesse of my safetie is giuen in mariage to the only enuier and destroyer of my glorie And thus desolate and lest alone without comfort they are not yet satisfied but thirst allso for my bloud But left to thee o Lord poore and miserable I trust thou wilt be an ayde and succour to thy poore orphan In times past thou didest wonderfully preserue King Edwin deliuering him out of the iawes of death and establishing him in his kingdom Thou didest restore that bright ornament of England S. OSWALD from a miserable banishment to the royaltie of his crowne giue him conquest ouer all his enemies by the vertue of the holy Crosse If now in like manner thou will voutchafe to be my helper and keeper and settle me in my Fathers kingdom I vow euer to acknowledge thee for my God and thy B. Apostle S. PETER for my Patrone whose most sacred Relique at Rome I promise to visitt vnder thy good leaue protection S. Edward voweth a pilgrimage to Rome and gouernement From this time euer after being made stronger in faith and liuelier in hope confidently expecting he expected the will of our Lord referring himself wholly into the hands of his sacred prouidence and disposition IIII. TILL AT length when death had robbed Canutus of thevse of the world cutt of his sonnes before they were ripe the English freed thereby from the hard yoake of the Danes elected EDWARD for their king and caused him to be consecrated and annoynted in He is crowned in the yeare 1043 by meanes of Count Godwin as saith Baronius honorable manner at Winchester by the hands of Eadisâ—â—â— Archbishop of Canturbury Then the Clergie began againe to florish and shine with wisedome and sainctetie Abbeies and Monasteries excelled with all kind of religious discipline Churchmen performed their offices in peace and the communaltie their duties in order The verie earth it self seemed to reioyce hereat and send forth fruit in more abundance the ayre became more healthfull and euen the waues of the sea more patient and temperate And forreigne kings and Princes strucken with admiration at soe suddaine a chainge were glad with this soe great a king to enter into a firme league of peace and frienship only Denmark desiring reuenge and breathing The royal vertues of S. Edward nothing but slaughter still threatned the vtter ruine and destruction of the English nation But amidst all these ioyes the blessed king was nothing puft vp with pride of humane glorie at his prosperitie nor terrified with his threatned ruine but alwaies measuring his greatnes by his goodnes he proposed vnto him self a deuout manner of life appearing equall to his domesticks humble to Religious men â—nd Priests gratefull to his people compassionate to the distressed â—nd bountifull to the poore He vsed noe exception of persons for â—he poorest and humblest mans cause as well as thâ— richest he euer â—eighed in the ballance of true iustice and pleaded for them both â—ith equitie alwaies shewing him self a pittifull father vnto poore â—rphans and a righteous iudge vnto widdowes He graunted whatâ—oeuer was asked him and what was giuen he receaued with silence Noe man euer beheld him eyther puft vp with pride or growne â—â—erce with anger or blemished with gluttonie It is vnspeakable â—ow great a despiser he was of money for he ueuer was found to be â—yther sadder in the losse or merrier in the possession thereof He was of a comly and meane stature of bodie nether verie grosse nor â—ery slender of a fayre sanguine complexion his beard and hayre â—rowne â— AS ONCE he tooke his rest in bed the chamberlaine came in See the wonderfull contempt of money the rare clemencie of soe great a king â—â—d opening the chest where the Kings treasure lay putt therein such â—oneies as he had brought and departed forgetting to shutt it â—gaine Which one of the groomes espieing came to the box and â—auing taken out as much money as he thought good went away â—ith it not knowing or suspecting the King to be soe neere â—nd presently hauing belike disburdened him self of that prey â—e returned and acted the like offence againe hauing still the King him self for his spectatour Which as the third time he attemâ—ted the King foreseeing by the spiritt of prophesie that the Treaâ—urer was at hand beleeue me good fellow sayd he thou art too â—mportune and vnreasonable take what thou hast gotten and be â—one for if Hugoline that was the Chamberlaines name come and â—â—ke thee he will not leaue thee one pennie of thy gettings The â—ellow suddenly fled and was scarse out of the doores when the Chamberlaine came in who finding some store of money taken â—way was much afflicted and trembled with verie feare his lowd â—ries and sighs bewrayeing the anguish and furie of his mind whereat the king rose vp and seeming ignorant of what had happened demaunded the cause of his great disquiet which being declaâ—ed he sayd Hould thy peace and rest content for it may be he â—hat tooke it hath more need of it then wee let him on Gods â—ame enioy it that which remaines is sufficient for vs. VI. THE NOBLES and Peeres of the Realme fearing soe worthie a stock should perish without fruit were sollicitous to haue a His care to â—â—serâ—e câ—â—aâ—tetie successour from this holy King and to that end they verie earnestly dealt with him to perswade mariage Whereto the King much amazed was verie loath to consent fearing lest the beloued treasure of his chastetie conserued but in the weaknes of a fray eâ—vessell might easily he dissolued with such a heate But what should he doe it he did obstinate y resist their
of Deus-dedit or Gods-guist sixth Bishop thereof was vacant and destitute of a Pilote when the people and Clergie of Benedictin Monks mooued Egbert then King of Kent and Oswin king of the Northumbers to send one Wighart aâ—vertuous and holy Priest to Rome to be consecrated Kings of Engl. sent to Rome for an Archbishop of Canturb Bishop of Canturbury But Wighart coming to Rome in the hott time of plague died before he had receaued his intended dignitie Wherevppon Vitalianus then Pope sent for S. ADRIAN out of his Monasterie of Niridan and desired him to accept the charge and dignitie of the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury But he refused this offer humbly answearing that vnworthy hy was to vndertake and more vnable to performe anie such weightie office in Gods Church And therefore desired some daies of deliberation to search S. Adrian refuseth the Archbishoprik out an other whose worth did more worthilie correspond with soe hight a degree and calling In this while he found out a holy Benedictin Monk of his acquaintance called Theodore that liued in Rome and him he presented vnto the Pope as one fitt for that dignitie he being a man excellent in the two chiefest ornaments of the mind learning and vertue This man the Pope accepted and consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury on condition that ADRIAN who had refused the chief dignitie should at lest accompanie him into England as his coadiutour in that Apostolicall mission Herevnto the blessed Sainct willingly consented and vndertooke the voyage making him self a subiect where he might haue been a commaunder His great humilitie and choosing rather to profitt the nation with his preaching and learning then gouerne it by an Episcopall authoritle such was his wonderfull humilitie and burning zeale to gayne soules to God III NOW therefore this holy couple tooke their iourney towards England and coming into France S. ADRIAN who was famous in that countrey for hauing been sent on diuers embassages betweene Christian Princes was for his greater meritt suspected to goe to the Kings of England on some busines of estare from the Emperour plotted against the French and therefore was stayed by the King of the Gaules vntill he had cleered him self of that suspition Which done he went after Theodore into England where within a yeare or two he was by the same Theodore made Abbot of the Benedictin Monks in the monasterie of S. PETER in Canturbury now called S. Austins from the Benedictin Monk S. AVSTIN our Apostle He is made Abbot of S. Peters in Canturb who lies buried there In this place S. ADRIAN gathered togeather a great number of disciples whom he taught and instructed out of the holy scriptures to find the readie way to euerlasting life and besides this he taught them Musick Astronomie and Arithmetick as allsoe the Greek and Latin tongue which his pious labours tooke soe good effect that manie of his schollers spake Greek and Latin as perfectly as their owne mother tongue and especially two farre exceeded their other fellowes in all manner of learning one was called Albin who succeeded S. ADRIAN in the regencie of the Abbey the other Tobias who was afterwards Bishop of Rochester IV. Moreouer this blessed Sainct was of soe great meritt and soe highly esteemed before allmightie God that he is reported to haue bin the worker of manie miracles and that by his intercession a deâ—d man was raysed to life At length hauing laboured in the vineyard of our Lord a long time both in Jtalie and England leauing His death behind him manie learned disciples the fruits of his labours the thirtie ninth yeare after he came to Canturbury he left this world to receaue his reward in heauen the ninth day of January the yeare of our Lord 708. He was buried in the Church or chappell of the B. Virgin MARIE which King Edbald had built in the foresayd Monasterie of S. AVGVSTIN And this Church happening afterwards to be burnt S. ADRIAN appeared to one of the Monks and coÌ„maunded He appeareth in glorie him to goe to S. DVNSTAN who then was Archbishop of Canturbury with these words in his name Thou liuest in houses well couered and fenced against the weather but the Church of the Mother of God wherein I and other domesticks of heauen doe inhabite lies open exposed to the iniurious stormes of the wind Wherevppon S. DVNSTAN carefully caused that Church to be repayred which him self afterwards frequented euerie night such diuine sweetnes he receaued by his prayers offered to God in that place But one night entring into it he beheld S. ADRIAN seated amongst a glorious quier of Angels and Saincts praysing and glorifieing allmightie God His bodie was allwaies held in great veneration but especially from hence forth and manie miracles are reported by the authour of his life to haue been wrought at his tombe which for breuities sake we omitt desiring of allmightie God grace rather to imitatehis vertues then to admire his wonders Of S ADRIAN maketh mention S. BEDE as before BARONIVS tom 8. ann 668. TRITHEMIVS in his 3. booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 8. 9. MOLANVS IOHN CAPGRAVE and others The life of S BRITHWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. Out of venerable Bede hist. de gest SAINCT BRITHWALD a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order in the famous Abbey of Glassenbury was made Abbot of the monasterie called Reaculer in Kent where at that time the Kings of Kent sometimes kept their Court allbeit now saith Camden it be but a poore village not farre distant from Tanet Being a man of verie great learning and knowledge in diuine scriptures and wonderfull well practised in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall discipline he was chosen by the Benedictins of Canturbury to succeed S. THEODORE in that sea which had bin vacaÌ„t the space of two yeares in the yeare 692 and consecrated Archbishop thereof the yeare following He was the eight Archbishop of Canturbury and gouerned his Chutch with all true vertues belonging to a good Bishop the space of thirtie seauen yeares six moneths and fourteen daies In his time a Councell was held at London wherein the point of worshiping holy Images was handled and confirmed At length this holy man loaden with manie yeares of venerable ould age and full of vertues holines yeelded vp his blessed soule to the beginning of that life which neuer ends the ninth day of January in the yeare 731. William Malmesbury a very graue authour affirmeth out of Goscelinus who writeth the acts of the first nine Archbishops of Canturbury that S. BRITHWALD was famous for working of manie miracles And he is reported to haue written the historie of the bâ—ginning of the Benedictin monasterie of Euesham with the life of S EGVINE Bishop of Worcester Thus much out of venerable BEDE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others TRITHEMINS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order WION
MOLANVS and GALESINVS in their Martyrologes make worthie mention of S. BRITHWALD S. BENEDICTVS BISCOP ABBAS PATRONVS Congregationis â—enedictinorum Angliae Jan. 12º The life of S. BENNET surnamed Biscop Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 12. Written by venerable Bede his disciple THE GLORIOVS seruant of God S. BENNET by byrth descended from the auncient race of the nobilitie of England but the nobilitie of his mind was such as farre more deserued the fellowship and companie of the noblest and worthiest sort of the English nation He was borne in Yorkshire and in his youth followed the discipline of warre in the Royall seruice of Oswy king of the Northumbers from whose princely liberalitie he receaued as the reward of his faithfull seruice no small possession of lands His life during his youth meanes suteable to his degree and calling These for a time he enioyed till he attayned to the florishing age of twentie fiue yeares and then a diuine inspiration mouing him therevnto he forsoke left the world and fading worldly goods for loue of the eternall he despised the warre fare of these lower regions the vaine rewards thereof that seruing vnder the enseigne of our true King CHRIST IESVS he might receaue an euerlasting kingdom aboue He left his countrey house and kinred for the loue of CHRIST and his Ghospell that he might gaine the hundredfould reward he promiseth and possesse life euerlasting he refused to enter into worldly mariage that in the court of heauen he might be worthie to follow the holy lambe soe candid with the glorie of virginitie he loathed to be a carnall father of children being ordayned by CHRIST to His first iourney to Rome traine vp his children in the spirituall doctrine of heauen Hauing left therefore his countrey because the Christian faith and Ecclesiasticall discipline was yet but rawly established in England he went to Rome there as in the source and fountaine of all true religion to learne a perfect forme oflife where CHRISTS chief Apostles had planted the first and principall foundation and head of the whole Catholicke Church He visitted the sacred tombes of the Apostles with great deuotion vnto whom his loue was allwaies such as the teares now shed ouer their shrines were sufficient witnesses to prooue it excellent But he made no long stay at Rome but returned back into England where he was verie diligent and carefull to honour and as farre as he was able to practise him self and teach others those rules of Ecclesiasticall discipline at home which he had learnt and seene abroade II. ABOVT that time Alchifridus sonne to Oswy hauing a great His secoÌ„d iourney to Rome desire to goe to Rome to visitt the holy shrines of the Apostles would needes take that iourney with S. BENNET notwithstanding the earnest persuasions and entreaties of his father to stay at home Their iourney succeeded well and shortly after they returned in safetie againe during the time of Pope Vitalian When S. BENNET came not emptie but loaden with the sweetnes of good and wholesom doctrine as before which the better to digest after some He taketh the habitt of S. Benedict moneths he departed out of England and went to the Benedictin monasterie of Lirin in France where he tooke leaue of the world and putt on the monasticall habitt of the great Patriark of Monks S. BENEDICT and receaued the Ecclesiasticall tonsure In this pious schoole of regular discipline he liued for the space of two yeares very carefully learning and obseruing the rules of a true monasticall and religious life But noe sooner was he a litle hardened in the surnace of religion and made perfectly strong and able to resist the temptations and aduersities of the world but his loue to the Prince of the Apostles which it seemes lay buried at Rome serued as a loadstone to draw him thither againe And finding a fitt opportunitie of shipping he committed him self to that much desired iourney which most prosperously he performed It was at the time when Egbert King of Kent as we haue sayd in the life of S. ADRIAN had sent Wighart to Rome to be consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury But Wighart dieing and Theodore being made Archbishop in his steede S. BENNET found to be a man very wise religious and industrious allthough at that time otherwise determined was by commaund of the Pope compelled to cease from the deuotion of his pilgrimage to attend vnto imployments of a higher calling which was to returne into England with Theodore now Elect of Canturbury and S. ADRIAN Abbot to serue them both for a guide and an interpreter by the way and in England BENNET whose chiefest lesson was obedience most willingly yeelded to the Popes desire and brought the Archbishop into Kent where they were both gratefully wellcome Theodore a scended the seate of the Archbishoprick and S. BENNET vndertooke the gouernment of the monasterie of S. PETER and PAVL in Canturbury of which afterwards S. ADRIAN was made Abbot For S. BENNET hauing ruled there two His third iourney to Rome yeares entred into his third iourney towards Rome which he performed with his wonted prosperitie And at his returne he brought with him not a few bookes fraught with diuine learning all which he had eyther bought at an easie rate or receaued gratis from his friends Coming thus loaden into England he betooke him self to haue some conference with the King of the West-Saxons called Kenewalk whose courteous friendship he had made vse of before bin much assisted by his benefitts to him-wards But this good King being about the same time taken away by an immature death the holy man was frustrated of his desire and therefore he turned his iourney directly into his owne countrey where he was borne and went to Egfrid then King of the Northumbers To whom he made relatioÌ„ of all whatsoeuer he had done since he departed a yonge man out of his countrey neyther did he keepe secret from him how he was enflamed with a feruent desire of religion then he tould him whatsoeuer he had learned both in Rome other places touching Ecclesiasticall and monasticall order and discipline and what store of diuine bookes he had purchased and with what great reliques of the Apostles and Martyrs he had enriched his countrey At length the King liked him soe well and preuayled soe farre with him and gott soe great loue and familiaritie that he gaue him out of his reuenews the lands of three score and tenne families to build a monasterie in honour of the Prince of the Apostles S. PETER which S. BENNET with great ioy and speed performed in the yeare of our Lord 674. the fourth yeare of King Egfrid III. IN THE meane time before the foundation of the Church was layd S. BENNET went ouer into France and brought thence masons other skillfull workemen to build it of stone according to the Roman fashion which he euer loued And
behauiour soe humbly noble and nobly humble amongst her fellowes she gott a wonderfull praise and loue of all and her good fame deserued soe happily that Erchinoald the Prince desired she should succeede in place of his bed-fellow who was dead and become his second wife which this holy mayd vnderstanding inspired by Gods grace with great care and secrecie she withdrew her self from his sight And being called to She flieth the mariage of Erchinoald the Princes chamber she hid her self in a corner of the house vnder some ragged cloathes soe subtilly that noe man suspected her being in that roome and then like a wise and craftie mayde flying all vaine honours and humbly embracing an humble chasterie she endeauoured to her power to auoyd the companie of a man that she might deserue to enioy the societie of her spirituall and heauenly spouse But hauing escaped the Princes embracements and he in the meane time being married vnto an other by the disposition of She marieth the king Clodoueus the allmightie prouidence it came to passe that she who had auoyded the mariage of this Prince should afterwards be ioyned in wedlock vnto the great Monarke of France Clodoneus and be raysed by the deserts of her humilitie to a higher degree of dignitie by refusing the Kings seruant she was maried vnto the King himself and became the mother of the royall progenie which without all doubt was thus brought to passe that she who descended from the race of Kings should by marying a King bring forth an issue of Kings But in all these honours euer ruling her self by the raines of wisedome Her wonderfull works of mercie with a watchfull care she obeyed the King as her Lord carying her self to the Princes as a mother to Priests as a daughter to yonglings as a pious nurse she was louing vnto all honouring Priests as her fathers fauouring Monkes as her brethren cherishing the poore as her domesticks and remembring her owne estate of pilgrimage she entertained pilgrims as her owne children She was a perpetuall refuge vnto widdowes orphanes and fatherlesse children and gaue succour vnto all that were weake and in want She would alwaies exhort yong men to pietie and religion and often put the King in mind to haue a care of the Churches and poore Alsoe being desirous in this her secular habit to serue vnder the banner of CHRIST IESVS she often frequented her prayers daily recommending her self with teares of deuotion vnto her heauenly King Of whom her earthly King Clodoneus being likewise verie carefull that she might the better bring to passe what she had in mind conceaued according to her owne faith and deuotion counselled her to haue some conference Her charitie to religious houses with the venerable Abbot Genesius to ayde and assist her in her pious intentions Through whose hands she exercised her pietie to Priests gaue maintenance to the poore cloathed the naked and carefully buried the dead By him she sent noe small store of gould siluer and other rich guifts vnto the monasteries both of men and woemen All which was by this pious seruant of God with great care performed II. IN THE meane time King Clodonens died and left the care of his children to their mother by whose meanes and the authority of the Peeres of the Realme Lotharins the eldest sonne was setled in the gouernment of the Kingdom of France Allso through the labours of this blessed Queene her sonne Childerick was made King of Aâ—strasia and the Burgundians entred into a league with the French She buildeth the monasterie of Chelles III. HAVING thus ordered the publick affaires of the Kingdome it is incredible what great commodities and guifts she largely bestowed on religious howses in lands woods and other hereditaments eyther to build their monasteries on or to maintaine those that were built with sufficiencie Yet this her great liberalitie did not seeme to satisfie the pietie of her desire vnlesse at her owne only chardge she did build a monasterie which And richely endoweth the same amongst the other particular houses of God should looke towards heauen Wherefore now as it were spurning the sea of the world she erected a Monasterie for Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS Order at a place neere vnto Paris commonly called Chelles on the banckes of the riuer Marne This Abbey she enriched with wonderfull great reuenewes of whole villages and Lordships all which she deliuered into the possession of the Nunnes liuing there strictly and seuerely obliging the rules thereof in a precept sealed with her owne hands and the Kings seale that none hereafter should euer presume to alienate or diminish anie of the goods or lands therevnto belonging vnder paine of incurring damnation with the traitour Judas And this writing she caused to be safely referued in the treasurie of the monasterie Where to this verie day there liueth a verie religious Conuent of a boue threescore Nunnes of S. BENEDICTS order in a verie strict obseruance of regular discipline She is fouÌ„dresse of the Abbey of Corbey IV. THIS glorious Queene built an other monasterie in the suburds of Amiens called Corbey Abbey and placed therein a deuout flock of Monks likewise of S. Benedicts order ouer whom Theodofred was ordained Abbot And to this place allsoe she gaue great reuenews of lands and rents sufficient for the maintainance of a great Conuent It is allmost incredible vnto how manie other monasteries and Abbeies of men woemen and vnto how manie Churches else this deuout Queene made donations of spatious lands great goods rich guifts and vncomparable ornaments neuer ceasing from doeing such pious offices for the pure and sincere loue of God whose honour and glorie in all her actions she chiefely endeauoured to encrease V. HER pietie and vertue encreased daily and now she was in verie great care to vndertake a monasticall life in the monasterie of She is taken with a desire of areligious life Chelles which she had erected and to dwell there in bodie as she did in mind But the Peeres and Nobles of the Realme withstood her deuout intentions chiefely because by her wisedom the Pallace was gouerned and for that her pious conuersation had gained the loue of all soe that they had not permitted her to haue her defire herein had not a certaine coÌ„motion happened about the miserable Bishop Sigebrand whose pride amongst the French hastened his owne death and ruine Hence therefore a contention arising amongst them and hauing putt the Bishop to death against the course of law without examining his cause fearing the blessed Queenes seuere punishment An example of the diuine prouideÌ„ce and reuenge of soe great and wicked an offence they perswaded her to embrace her pious intended course which before out of a temporall respect they would not permitt her to doe But allthough the Princes did this rather out of pollicie then anie loue of goodnes yet the holy woeman lightned by Gods grace considered that this
from this wickednes but finding their cruell minds to be soe obstinately bent to that blouddie purpose as they grew rather worse by entreaties she had recourse vnto allmightie God her only refuge in distresse humbly desiring him to hinder the execution of their malitious intent On the day appointed when they went about to act this blouddie scene they saw the verie for me and figure of the man they meant to murder and taking a figure for the true body as our ProtestaÌ„ts doe they ranne after with great furie to kill one whoe was dead allreadie and hauing giuen him as manie mortall wounds as were sufficient to haue murdered the strongest liuing man they returned victorious to bring newes of their triumphe vnto S. BRIGITT who smiling at their mistake tould them the man they thought they had slaine was yet aliue and that their courage had exercised his crueltie only vppon the imaginarie figure of their enemie and noe man Herevppon being much astonished they acknowledged their fault and repenting them of their wicked purposes corrected their liues euer after XII OVR Lord wrought diuers other miracles by the holy meritts Manie miracles done by S. Brigitt of this blessed virgin the blind their sight the dumbe their speech leapers and other diseased persons recouered their health By her prayers she turned water into beere and stones into salt she chainged the course of a great riuer and which is more by her good perswasions manie desperate wicked fellowes withdrew them selues out of the gulphes of their vicious manner of life and entred into the sure port of religion where they finished their dayes in the seruice of IESVS CHRIST When this blessed virgin â—ad happily ended the course of her life and endured maniÌ„e great labours for the loue of IESVS CHCIST her deare spouse being aduertised of her death and hauing made it knowne vnto one of her sisters specifiing Her death the day hower thereof she gaue vp her pure soule into the hands of her deare Redeemer the first day of February in the yeare of our Lord according to Sigebert 518. but Marianus Scotus sayth 521. in the raigne of the Emperour Iustin the elder Her life was written by an aâ—thour of her time named COGITOSVS and by IOANNES ANGLICVS IOHN CAPGRAVE whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of S. BRIGITT as allsoe that of S. BEDE VSVARD and ADON and BARONIVS in his seauenth tome of Annalls But GYRALDVS CAMBRENSIS a verie graue authour in his Topographie of Ireland amongst manie other miracles of this Blessed sainct maketh mention of S. BRIGITTS fier Miracle of S. Brigitts fiâ—r which is reported to be vnextinguished not that it cannot be extinguished but because the Nunnes did soe carefully and continually nourish and feed it wich new matter that from her time for manie hundred yeares after it neuerwent out and in the consuming of soe much wood which had bin burnt there in all this time the ashes neuer encreased This fier was compassed about with a little hedge of twigges within which noe man dared to enter yf at anie time some did presume soe to doe their presumption was punished by a reuenge from heauen Woemen only did blow it and that not with their mouthes but eyther with bellowes or a fanne An Archer that rashly attempted to leape ouer the headge and blow S. BRIGITTS fier with his mouth suddenly lost his witts and fell into madnes and running vpp and downe the towne putt his breath in the faces of all he mett saying doest thou see thus I blew BRIGITS fier and wheresoeuer he found anie fier he would blow it still repeating the same words till at length being taken by his companions and bound hand and foote he desired to be brought to the next water where he dranke soe much to quench his extreme drought that he burst his bellie and died Manie others sayth GIRALDVS were punished for the like attempt XIV But who doeth not behould admire in the life of this glorious A breef coÌ„sideration of her vettues and miracles Sainct the wonderfull greatnes of the goodnes of allmightie God who out of the sinne of her Parents drew soe pretious a iewell as S. BRIGITT making a poore slaue to be the mother vnto her that deliuerâ—â— soe manie captiue soules out of the seruitude and slauerie of sinne How could the fraile vessell of a poore bondslaue gyrlo be capable of the noble condition of soe great loue vnto vertue and of such a boyling desire of pure Virginitie that for the preseruing thereof she chose rather to loose the tendrest part of her bodie her eies and to deface her beantie the verie Idoll of woemen then to consent vnto a lawfull mariage How manifestly it appreares hereby that our B. Sauiour is sweet and gratious to his true seruants in restoring vnto BRIGITT her beautie of which at her owne request and for her greater good he had before depriued her Soe that it is noe wonder yf she that knew soe well how to keepe her owne virginitie vntouched and sacrifice it vnto her deare lord was allsoe of power by her prayers to obtaine the like fauour for other yong woemen and deliuer the innocence of the good Bishop from the calumnie which that wicked woeman layd vppon him and that God hath wrought by this blessed virgin the miracles before rehearsed Let him be euer Praysed and glorified as well for that which he is in him self as allsoe for what he worketh by his saincts Amen S. LAVRENTIVS ARCHIEPISCOPVS CANTVARIEN Monachus Benedictinus Feb. 2. The life of S. LAVRENCE Archbishop of Canturbury of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 2. Out of Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT LAVRENCE was one of those Benedictin Monks whom Pope GREGORIE the great sent with S. AVGVSTIN to preach the Ghospell of IESVS CHRIST to our English nation in which pious worke he laboured wonderfully to gaine soules out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the light of the true Catholicke faith He was a man of excellent learning and vertuous life And when Ethelbert King of Kent and most part of his kingdom were baptised S. AVGVSTIN sent the holy monkes LAVRENCE and PETER to Rome to bring vnto the holy Pope the ioyfull tidings of their happie successe S. Austin chooseth Laurence for his successouâ— in Canturbury After his returne into England when S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturburic perceaued the time of his death to draw neere lest that Church as yet but raw rude in religion being one hower destitute of a pastour should begin to wauer he ordayned Laurence for his successour plainly following herein the example of the first Pastour of the vniuersall Church the Prince of the Apostles Sainct PETER who in like manner instituted Clement to succeed him in the primacie of the sea of Rome S. LAVRENCE being installed in the dignitie of the Archbishoprick beganne with great courage and industrie to augment and promote the foundations of
this vnexpected Metamorphose and stood staggering a while in the consideration thereof When the Queene taking her time by the foretop with a smiling countenance asked him Whither sayd she my souueraigne lord is all yesterdaies glorious spleÌ„dour vanished where is all that superfluous riot What is become of all those curious and exquisite cates sought for by sea laÌ„d to satisfie the inordinate appetite of gluttonie Where are the gould and siluer vessells which but yesterday made the table bow vnder their massie weight Where is all the noyse of our loud Thus passeth the glorie of the world mirth and iollitie Is it not vanished like a blast of wind or a vaine puffe of smoake and doe not wee that fill our selues more daintyly largely corrupt afterwards more miserably Behould then the true picture of the glittering vanities allurements of the world learne at last to shunne flie them She sayd no more When it was strange to see what a deepe incisioÌ„ this made in the Kings heart how much more she had gayned by the rudenes of this visible spectacle then by all her former persuasions that not without cause the Poet sayd Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures FEB 7. Horat. de arte Poetica Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator IV. IN SVMME this strainge Pageant wrought soe farre in the good Inas resolueth to forsake the world Kings mind that now he began seriously to consider with him self of the vanitie of worldly state and finding one what sharpe thornes of cares grew the sweet seeming roses of a crowne he putt on a strong resolution with him self to bid adiew to the world And now when he had gouerned his common wealth with a name of greate prayse and prosperitie and shewed manie benefitts therevnto for the space of thirtie seauen yeares and odd moneths renouncing the resplendent glorie of his present and princely estate he voluntaryly left his temporall Kingdome which with victorie soe long he had ruled and for the loue of allmightie God and the gaine of his eternall kingdome he that heretofore had conquered princes now gott the vpper hand and conquest of him self and with a greater glorie then he had borne them he robbed him self of the princely spoiles of his bodie the better to ennoble and enrich his soule Which that he might more conueniently and fructfully He goeth to Rome bring to passe he went to Rome the head of Catholick religion to visitt the sacred tombes of the Apostles vnder whose protection he hoped more easyly to obtaine the grace and fauour of allmightie God wheÌ„ce his countrey had first receaued the Christian fayth resoluing to spend the remnant of his life with a quiet and contented mind farr from all worldly cares and troubles in a holie conuent of Monkes Which with great pietie he perfourmed putting on the habitt of a Benedictine monke vnto which order He taketh the habit of S. Benedict he had euer bin a worthie benefactour not in a publick concourse of poeple which doubtlesse would haue been great at soe vnwonted a spectacle but priuately before God alone and the Conuent of monkes giuing hereby a liuely example of humilitie and true contempt of the world in not desiring to haue this his heroick act of pietie anie way to redounde vnto his owne glorie out of the vaine prayses and false honours of the flattering world V. HE was the first of our English Kings who to shew his great His deuotion to the Roman Church deuotion vnto the Church of Rome caused the annuall tribute called Romescote or Peter-pence to be payed vnto the Pope which was a pennie out of euer ie familie in England and was afterwards duely payd for the space of manie hundred yeares and which is most to be wondred at noe sooner ceased this payment but our English Church was swallowed vp into the gulph of heresie and togeather with the temporall lost all spirituall subiection vnto the Vicar of CHRIST vppon earth Allso this holie King INE built at Rome a Church in honour of our Blessed ladie in which all English that He built a Church at Rome came thither might heare masse and receaue the Sacraments and be buried yf need were With like pietie he erected there a schoole giuing yearly annuities therevnto wherein his Countreymen might And a free-schoole be brought vp in all manner of good learning and Christian religion and discipline Which seemeth to haue bin in that place which now is called the English Hospitall and is inhabited by English Priests being of noe small commoditie for the entertaynment of Pilgrins which now adayes flock thither out of England VI. Now he that in former times had ruled a Kingdome begaÌ„ in this sweete schoole of vertues to find that in rendring him self subiect for The happines of a religious life the loue of CHRIST he enioyed a greater Kingdome and that to be master ouer his one passions was the only best and truest dominion Now he had time freely to insist in the meditation of the diuine goodnes wherein he found the trueth of that versicle of the Royall Psalmist TAST AND SEE FOR OVR LORD IS SWEET He found how sweet a thing it was to carrie the yoake of our Lord in the Psalm 33. 58. continuall exercise ef patience humilitie and obedience in which and other pious offices of vertue and religion he spent the rest of his mortalitie vntill by the king of Kings vnder whose ensigne he had serued he was called into the heauenly kingdom to receaue a His happie death crowne of eternall glorie insteed of the temporall crowne which for his loue he had left He died a Benedictin Monk at Rome about the yeare of our Lord 727. and lies buried at the Entrance of the Church of S. PETER and PAVL as the tables of the same Church doe testifie His life me haue gathered cheefly out of WILLIAM MALNESRVâ—IE de reg Ang. and NICOLAS HARPFIELD hist Eccl. saec 8. cap. 10. Polidore Virg. lib. 4. Mathew westminster an 727. Baronius and all our English Historiographers make verie honorable mention of him and he is highly commended of all for his wonderfull contempt of the world and loue to pietie and relig ion The life of S. ELFLED Virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 8. Taken Out of venerable Bede SAINCT ELFLED was daughter vnto Oswy King of the Northumbers who after manie cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and verie rich iewels all which the barbarous Tirant reiecting pursued his deadly enterprise protesting vtterly to extinguish him and his countrey King Oswy humane meanes fayling him had recourse vnto a higher power making a sacred vow vnto the allmightie god of armies that he would consecrate his daughter ELFLED to the profession of perpetuall
out of the rudenes of ignorance and mere simplicitie in matter of learning by the speciall grace of God became soe notable and soe religious a poet in his mother tongue that whatsoeuer he could learne out of the holy scriptures by the help of interpreters he would presently turne into verse with such a sweet and mouing straine that by the force thereof manie were oftentimes incited to contemne the world being thereby enflamed with a pious desire of a heauenly and euerlasting life Manie others there were amongst the English which essayed to imitate his holy poetrie but noe man was comparable vnto him For he learned not this art by anie mans helpe but receaued it gratis by the speciall guift and grace of the diuine goodnes Whence it was that he could not make anie friuolous or vanie poeme but such things only which belonged vnto pietie and religion could become his religious and godly tongue He receaued this diuine guiâ—t vppon this occasion II. WHILEST he liued a secular man in the world which was till he was well struck in yeares and was seruant to the monasterie of Benedictine Nunnes of S. HILDA hauing neuer before learned anie thing touching eyther verses or finging he chaunced to be in a banquet where for their greater merriment and recreation it was agreed vppon by the whole companie that euery one should sing a song in his course but CEDMON when FEB 12. he saw the harpe come neere him being guiltie of his owne ignorance in that qualitie arose from the table and went home to his owne house The like he had practised diuers times till once it fell out that going out of the companie vppon the same occasion he went into the stable to take care of the cattle which that night were coÌ„mitted to his chardge where when the time of the night compelled him to giue his bodie to sleepe he beheld as it were in a dreame a man standing by him that saluted him and called him by his name saying CEDMON I pray thee sing me a song I cannot sing answeared be He enioyeth a strange vision for that cause I forsoke my companie came hither because I could not sing But yet replied the other thou hast somwhat to sing vnto mee What sayd he must I sing The beginning of all creatures answeared the other At which word presently in prayse of God the creatour of the word he began to sing verses which he neuer had heard before whereof this is the sense Now must we prayse the authour of the heauenly Kingdom the power of our Creatour his counsel and wisedom and the workes of the father of glorie How he bring God 〈◊〉 was the authour of all miracles who first created heauen to the children of men for the top of their dwelling and next the allmightie guardian of He hath the art of singing verâ—isying by reuelation mankind made the earth for the floore thereof At his rising he perfectly remembred whatsoeuer he had soug in his sleepe whereunto he added afterwards manie excellent verses more of the same matter and coming in the morning to the baylife of the monastery who was his master he reuealed vnto him the great guift he had receaued and being brought to the presence of the Blessed Abbesse S. HILDA he was commaunded to relate his dreame vnto manie learned men that were present and to repeate his verses that by the generall iudgment of them all it might be tried and examined what it was and whence that which he reported did proceed Which done it seemed vnto them all to be most certaine that the diuine goodnes had bestowed some heauenly grace and guift vppon him And for better triall thereof they expounded vnto him the processe of a historie out of the sacred scripture commaunding him yf he could to turne that likewise into the shape of true meeter and verse He vndertoke the task brought it admirably well performed against the next morning WherevppoÌ„ the Abbesse admiring soe great a guift in a secular man dealt earnestly with him to forsake the world and to embrace the monasticall habitt and profession of a monk III. WHO fearing to be vngratfull for those diuine benefitts which God soe largely and beyond all hope had bestowed vppon him and that he might the more increase his diuine talent by a quiet and He taketh the habit of S. Benedict contemplatiue manner of life he betoke him self to the same monasterie of S. HILDA called Sthreanshall where amongst the other brethren he receaued the habitt of S. BENEDICTS order and straight by the commaundment of the holy Abbesse he was taught the sacred storie of the diuine scripture which he made to runne in such sweete lines of meeter that his masters were glad in that art to become his schollers He made poems in English of the creation of the world of the origine of mankind and of all the other histories and sacred misteries of both Testaments and lastly of the terrour of the vniuersal iudgment of the horrour of hells dreadfull torments and of the sweetnes of the neuer-dieing ioyes of heauen By which and manie other his noe lesse elegant then deuout poesies he reduced manie from the downfall of 〈◊〉 and wickednes to the amendment of their liues and the diuine loue of heauen IV. FOR he was a man verie religious most free from all counterfait His religious obseruance colour of vanitie and with a sincere plainnes and humble simplicitie the chief armes of the Benedictin order wholely subiect vnto the rules of regular monasticall discipline but enflamed with a pious zeale of great feruour against those that did anie way seeme to disobey the good order of the monasterie When it came passe that the allmightie ruler of life and death gaue him the grace to finish the course of his godly life with an end worthie soe great sainctitie For the hower of his death being at hand fourteen dayes before he was visited with a corporal disease by which allthough it were verie moderate and gentle he foretold his neere-ensuing end And therefore the night before he departed he desired to haue a bed prouided him in the Infirmarie which was a place for such only as were in a mortall disease The brother that attended him wondring why he that seemed to haue noe more signes of death in him should desire such a remooue obeyed his will allthough he iudged it to little or no purpose Being placed in the Infirmarie when togeather with those that were there before the time was spent in merrie discourse till after midnight CEDMON on the sudden demaunded yf the holie sacramet The blessed acramen reserued for the sick of the EVCHARIST were within You that are soe merrie answeared they need not soe to hasten to the sacrament for death cannot lay hold on a heart soe ioyfull and lustie as yours yet seemes to bee Againe he instantly desired to haue the holy sacrament Which being brought before
his other haÌ„d some of the holy water which him self had blest against that vgly fiend he droue him away from the house with greate confusion And then leading the poore man newly redeemed out of the iawes of death quaking and treÌ„bling with feare into his inner cell he disposed his soule with good instructions for Auricular conâ—ession the better receauing of the sacrament of peanance Which done the poore man falling downe on his knees before the holy Sainct proclaimed him selfe guiltie at the sacred barre of confession by which he clearly purged his conscience from all the infectious venoÌ„ which the deuill had planted therein and hauing receaued his absolution pronounced by the mouth of S. VLFRICK he desired likewise to communicate the blessed sacrament of the Aultar at his hands Who houlding that dreadfull misterie before his face at the Altar demanded yf he did truly sincerely beleeue the bodie of CHRIST to be really vnder that forme of bread I doe beleeue confesse it sayd he for wretched sinner that I am I see the bodie of my lord IESVS in thy hands in the true forme of flesh God be for euer praysed replied Behould the â—eall presence in the sacrament the holy man and presently at his prayers the sacred Eucharist returning to the vsuall forme of bread he gaue it the poore man who from this time forwards was euer free from the burthen of that diabolicall yoake and from all trouble and vexation of those hellish monsters IX A PIOVS woeman on a time sent three loaues of bread vnto S. VLFRICK by a messenger who hid one by the way and deliuered Note a rare miracle the other two only but goeing back he found his loafe to be chainged into a stone soe hard that his iron and steele turned edge as he endeauoured to cutt it asunder But that hardnes melted his heart with sorrow for returning in great hast to S. VLFRICK he discoured this strainge accident humbly desiring pardon of his temerarious offence Who not only forgaue him but making the signe of the crosse vppon that stonnie bread he brake it with great facilitie and giuing part thereof vnto the messenger sent him away greatly edified to haue seene such vertue X. A GREAT noble man of king Henries court hauing heard of the A Nobleman punished by God for detracting S. Vlfrik fame of S. VLFRICK sayd that the King might doe well to send some officers to the Cell of that craftie seducer to take away his money whereof he could not but haue great store such a mightie concurse of poeple dayly flocked vnto him These words were noe sooner spoken but by his diuine power who is euer zelous in behalf of his saincts the mouth of that rash man was writhen and stretcht to his eares and he him self dashed violently against the ground where he lay for a time sprawling and foaming in miserie The king vppon this occasion went to the holy mans poore habitation and carefully recoÌ„mending him self vnto his deuout prayers earnestly petitioned withall for the noble man I impute not this sinne vnto him replied the Saint but doe heartily desire that he may haue pardon at the hands of allmightie God being my self in the meane time most readie to doe whatsoeuer is conuenient for me And at the same instant one of the standers by tooke the holy Saint by the hand and applying it to the face of a sick person there present restored him to perfect health with the only touch of those holy fingers XI THIS Blessed Sainct as you haue heard before prophesied vnto His guift of prophesie count Stephen then a priuate maÌ„ that he should be owner of the realme of England during whose raigne manie warlick commotions troubles molested the coÌ„mon peace all which likewise S. VLFRICK foretould vnto the lord of his village as allsoe of the captiuitie of the same King and of his deliuerie At length King Stephen coming to his cell on a time the holy man after manie zealous rebukes and profiteable exhortations foretould him among other things that he should raigne during his life time admonishing him by all meanes to doe worthie penance for the same for otherwise he should neuer enioy ether suretie in his Kingdom or peace from those rude broiles which to his cost he had loÌ„g experienced Wherevppon King Stephen confesseth to S. Vlfrick the King with teares trickling downe his cheekes witnessed the inward sorrow of his mind and making a sincere confession of that sinne willingly performed the penance which the propheticall Sainct inioyned him See the wonderfull force of Gods grace that giueth power to a poore sillie creature to make the stubborne hearts of kings to relent and returne from the wild deserts of iniquitie to the direct high way of iustice I can neuer too often repeate that saying of the prophet God is wonderfull in his saincts XII ABOVT a yeare before his death sitting one day in his cell Psal 67. v. 38. the ioints of his iron coate miraculously dissolued and it fell downe to his knees which he presently tooke vpp and fastened againe about his shoulders with more strong stayes And his whole bodie which before seemed to imitate iron in hardnes beganne to swell with little blisters and plainly to shew it was but flesh soe that his coate and his flesh with a like token foreshewed the time of his warrefare in this world to draw neere to an end Therefore after a while he called his priest vnto him and tould him that the hower of his departure was at hand for the next saturday sayd he I must prouide my self for my last and happiest iourney which soe long I haue desired And in the verie hower which he foretould ioyning and directing his hands and eyes towards heauen whither he was goeing he deliuered vpp his blessed soule out of the thraldom of this world He foretelleth the time of his death to the neuer dieing ioyes of heauen the twentith day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1154. shortly after the coronation of Henry the second King of that name in England His life is written by Ioannes Anglicus or Iohn Capgraue Mathew Paris in Henrico 2. fol. 88. and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 12. cap. 29. out of whom we haue gathered this present historie Henrie Huntington and other English Historiographers make honorable mention of him S. MILBVRGA FILIA MERWALDI REGIS IN ANGLIâ—… Virgo ac Abbatissa Ordinis S. Benedicti Feb. 2 3. Mâ—â—â—… The life of S. MILBVRG virgin and Abbesse of the holy order of S. BENEDICT FEBR. 23 Written by Gotzeline moÌ„ke ETHELBERT king of Kent and the first of our English kings that receaued the Christian fayth was S. MILBVRGS great grandfathers father she was daughter to Merwald king of the Mercians and his queene Dompneâ—e by some called Ermenburg Milburg therefore Her royall paâ—â—nts inheriting the royall splendour of two princely kingdoms Kent and Mercia as the ornament
polluted thy Psalm 7â— v. 2. holy temple They haue cast the dead bodies of thy seruà nts for meate to the birds of the ayre the flesh of thy Saincts to the beasts of the earth God of his infinite goodnes voutchafe once more to looke with a mercifull eye on this wretched countrey and deliuer it out of the deluge of sinne and Heresie The life of S. Eâ—HELBET is written by Venerable Bede degest Ang. lib. 1. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 4. and other English writers whom we haue followed The Roman Martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. of February The life of Sainct WALLBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the sacred order of S. BENEDICT FEB 25. WritteÌ„ by Wolphar dus a Monke SAINCT WALBVRG borne of English parents of a royall race sister to the two holy Benedictine Monks S. WILLIBALD and WINEBALD was from her tender yeares first trayned vp in England in the exercise of the monasticall discipline of S. Bâ—NEDICT afterwards by the appoyntment of that great ornament of the Benedictine order BONIFACE Apostle of Germanie she was sent for into that countrey She is made Abbesse in Germanie of Germanie to plant there the rootes of those holy monasticall vertues which she had gathered in England And in the monasterie of Heydenbeim which her Brother S. WINEBALD built in the Diocesse of Eistat S. WALBVRG was made gouernesse abbesse of a conuent of nunnes which charge S. WIN BALD him self gouerning an other of monkes both of sainct BENEDICTS order the brother sister dischardged with soe great sainctity and good example of life that by their meanes that holy order floriâ—â—ed wonderfully in those parts and S. WALBVRG became in soe great fauour with allmightie God that by the vertue of her prayers she obtained all her desires II. ONE night through the negligence and malice of him that A heauenly light caused by her prayers should haue lighted the laÌ„pe in the Church the conuent of Nuns was left in darknes wherevppon the holie virgin being more in paine for them then her self made her prayer vnto her deare spouse the only true and indeficient Light and at the same instant they saw a wonderfull great lustre in all parts of the monasterie which dured till the next morning to the great ast onishment and comfort of that chast familie who togeather with S. WALBVRG gaue humble thankes vnto allmightie God for soe great a remonstrance of his fauour and loue towards them III. AN OTHER time she stole priuately out of the monasterie in the euening not perceaued of anie of her religious woemen and went to the gate of a verie rich man not farre off where she stood like a poore vnknowne pilgrim till being brought in by some of the seruants she made knowne to the man of the house who and what she was He admiring how she had passed through the furie of the mad doggs about his house soe quietly without hurt entertayned her with great ioy and reuerence and brought her as she desired into the chamber where at that time his daughter lay languishing of a cruell disease expecting euerie instant when her soule would yeeld vp her house of clay to take her last iourney when her dolefull parents despayring of her rerouerie with teares and sighs had allreadie prepared for her funerall rites But the diuine goodnes of him that kills and reuiues strikes and heales againe A sick woeman cured by her prayers through the prayers intercessions which the holy Virgin S. WALBVRG powered out all that night to his infinitie mercie recalled that dying gyrle out of the iawes of her threatned death and restored her againe vnto perfect health against the next morning Her parents seeing this wonderfull miracle gaue great thankes vnto that heauenly phisitian and offered manie rich guifts and presents vnto the holie Virgin as an acknowledgment of the great fauour they had receaued by her meanes but she that long since had forsaken the world and the vaine wealth thereof for the pure loue of heauen refused to receaue anie worldly fauours for a spirituall and diuine benefitt Therefore returning againe to her monasterie she followed on the course of her vertuous and holie life and the more she perceaued the diuine clemencie to extend it self with greater fauour vnto her the more she encreased and aduanced her self in the exercise of religion and pietie and shewed more excellent examples of Sainctitie and perfection to her religious subiects and inferiours IV. AT LENGTH this holy Virgin and deare spouse of CHTIST hauing passed through the course of a most happy life and setled her self wholely in the pure loue her creatour hauing conquered the world and the desires thereof strong in fayth excellent in her Her happie death behauiour stored with charitie beautified with wisedom enriched with chastetie grounded with humilitie and furnished with the ornaments of all vertues she receaued the embassage of death by the calling of her deare spouse and departed out of the miserable thraldom of this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of her good works in heauen the fiue twentith day of February about the yere of our Lord 776. And immediatly after her departure her dead bodie appeared to manie of the standers by in forme of a creature allreadie glorified and a wonderfull sweet and fragrant odour issued from that holy vessell of chastity and filled the whole house Moreouer when her bodie was carried into the Church that heauenly light which obeyed her in her life serued her likewise after her death and lighted all the candles in the same Church without anie humane helpe to the glorie of this holy Virgin and great admiration and comfort of the beholders She was buried in the same monasterie where she had liued neere vnto her brother S. WINEBALD by the hands of her other brother S. WILLIBALD Bishop that the same earth might contayne them whom the like loue of religion vertue and pietie truely made to be brother and sister V. HER bodie was afterwards honourably translated to the Benedictin monastery at Eistadt And in the yeare 893. her sacred tombe being againe opened her holy ashes seemed all bedewed with water which might be pressed out dropp by dropp and yet not one mite of the dust would stick to their hands that touched it At this time a great part of her holy reliques was translated to the monasterie of Benedictine nunnes at Monheim in Germanie And at both these places manie rare miracles haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Virgin which for breuitie we omitt But one is soe wonderfull that I cannot passe it ouer in silence For out of those chast reliques sayth Phillipp Bishop of Eistadt the authour of her life issueth a sacred oyle which by the grace of God and the intercession of the blessed S. WALBVRG giues sight to the blind hearing to the deafe cureth the lame and restores the wished recouerie of
of the Benedictine monks for euer Afterwards the Archbishop of York being dead S. OSWALD by the meanes of King Edgar and S. DVNSTAN Archbishop of Canturburie and the consent of the whole clergie was compelled to vndertake the gouernment of that Sea allso But lest the moÌ„kes of his diocese who yet were but newly setled in that Church being soe suddenly left destitute of the spirituall nourishement of soe good a father should beginne to wauer for want of a constant prelat and pastour to vphold them by the authoritie of S. DVNSTAN the Metropolitan of England and worthie Pillar of tâ—e Benedictine Order he was held likewise in the gouernment of the Church of Worcester togeather with the Archiepiscopall Sea of Yorke soe great was the estimation of his excellent worth incomparable vertue wonderfull zeale pietie and deuotion in the reforming of the bad customs and establishing of good lawes for the maintenance and propagation of Ecclesiasticall discipline X. IT PLEASED the allmightie wisedom while this Blessed Prelat thus exercised him self in these good workes of pietie and zeale towards his Church to confirme his holy endeauours and testifie them to be pleasing and acceptable to his diuine maiestie by manie miracles which he wrought through his meritts both in his life and after his death When the Church of our Ladie which Behould the Spirit of S Benedict in S. Oswald we haue mentioned before was in building there lay not farr from the place a great square stone necessarie for that worke which when the workemen endeauoured to make vse off as yf it had taken roote in the ground it stuck soe fast that by noe meanes they were able only to moue it All greatly amazed thereat the matter was brought to S. OSWALD who coming to the place wondred to see soe manie men striue in vaine in soe small a labour and straight offering vp his prayers priuately vnto allmightie God he saw an vglie Blackamoore sitting vppon the stone with obscene gesture scoffing at the labourers And presently brandishing the signe of the holy Crosse against him he suddenly vanished away Then the stone which fowerscore The vertue of the holy Crosse men before were not able to stirre was with ease carried away by a few and putt into the building The like accident S. GREGORIE relates of our holy Father S. BENEDICT him self when his monks were erecting a monasterie whereby it appeares how great an opposer the Deuill is to the workes of Benedictines and that their malice which oppose that holy order comes but from a black master XI THE monks of Ramsey abbey OSWALD standing on the other side of the riuer endeauoured to passe ouer to him in a boate He saneth his monks from drowning which being ouer loaden began to sinke when they poore soules suddenly astonished with such an imminent danger of death cried out for help vnto him who making the signe of the crosse vpon theÌ„ the boate presently returned from vnder the water as yf it had been without anie burden and carried them safely ouer to the shore on the other side XII IT WAS tould him on a time that a monk of Ely busied in the repayring of the Church died by a fall froÌ„ the topp thereof Whereat because he knew that monk had not led a life alltogeather without fault he was much grioued and calling the monkes of Ramsey abbey togeather he related vnto them the accident of his sorrow exhorting them to pray earnestly vnto allmightie God for his soule Prayers for the dead meritorious They obeying his pious desire sung Dirges and Psalmes for their deceased brother sorrowfully knocking at the gates of the diuine mercie At length as the holy Bishop was at his prayers that dead monke appeared visibly vnto him who inquiring what he was I am he replied the ghost for whom thou soe feruently doest pray And how sayd the holy man sighing hast thou done hithervnto Purgatorie which Hereticks shall neuer feele and yet how is it with thee Truely answeared he hithervnto very ill but now most well for through thy meritts and prayers I was yesterday deliuered by gods holy Angel out of the insufferable paines which did torment me And this I came to tell thee and render manie thankes for thy charitie and withall to admonish thee how gratefull thou oughtest to be for this and manie other graces and benefitts which it hath pleased his diuine maiestie to shew vnto thee This sayd he vanished And the holy man gaue infinite thankes vnto allmightie God for his goodnes XIII HE WAS wont at fitt times to make a progresse ouer all his Diocesse and feed their soules with the heauenly learning of his sermons euer coÌ„forming his owne life to his words and whatsoeuer he could find in the manners of his subiects which might offend the eyes of the diuine ouerseer of all humane actions with a fatherly corection he endeauoured to see amended In this his pious visitation he happened to come to Rippon where in former The Bodies of Saincts miraculously found times the holy Benedictine monk S. Wilsrid had been buried in a monasterie which him self there erected and which afterwards for the most part was destroyed and ruined by barbarous poeple and changed as now adaies our monasteries are to dennes and lodgings forwild beasts Here the holy man watching by night at his deuotions learnt by reuelation that the bodies of some saincts were buried there which doubtless by diligent search might be found The next morning he caused the earth to be digged vp whereby the holy bodies were found and a table with this inscription Here resteth S. Wilfrid Bishop of York and the reuerend Abbotts Tilbert Boruin Albert Sigred and Wilden In the meane time he placed those reliques in a conuenient place but afterwards vnderstanding this S. WILFRID to be a kinsman of the great S. WILFRID founder of that monasterie he caused his bodie to be enshrined and honourably reserued according to his worth For the body of that great S. WILFRID was long since translated thence to Canturburie by S. ODO the Archbishop And now S. OSWALD sent these other reliques honorably vnto Worcester XIV MANIE other miracles were wrought by the meritts of this Manie Miracles holy Bishop The bread which he had blessed cured a great man of a feauer and a ratt that chanced to eate the crummes thereof as they fell from his table was choked and died presently in the same place A monk which presumed to sitt and sleepe in his seate was cruelly tormented by a horrid crew of deuills for his temeritie XV. HOW charitable he was to the poore it exceedeth this weake His notable humanitie and charitie towards the poore penne to rehearse He was wont euerie day besides innumerable others which dayly he nourished to exercise his charitie more peculiarly to twelue poore men washing their durtie feete drying them with a towell and kissing them with his holy mouth powring water on their
SWIBERT Bishop and Confessor Apostle of Frizeland and Saxonie monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 1 Written by S. Mar celline priest his companioÌ„ and fellow preacher IN THE yeare of our Lord six hundred fortie seauen S. SWIBERT was borne in Northumberland of noble princely pareÌ„ts couÌ„t Sigebert and Berta his wife Before his byrth his deuout mother had a vision The vision of his mother as she lay in her bed wherein she beheld one starre in the heauens farre excelling all the rest in brightnes whose glittering beames seemed to giue light to the whole countrey and presently the same starre appeared to fall vppon the bed where she lay This was then interpreted by S. AYDAN bishop of Lindisfarne to be a presage of the child that she bore in her wombe who as he sayd should be a light vnto his Countrey and the whole Church of God And in confirmation hereof at the very hower she was deliuered A strange light appeared at his birth a wonderfull great splendour shined in the chamber whose beames seemed to dazle the daies light and much astonish the beholders The Child being borne the same light decreased by degrees and vanished In baptisme he was called SWIBERT and being from his verie Cradle trayned vp in the feare of God and good learning he soe carefully auoyded all vices incident to that age and soe manfully embraced the hard waies of vertue that he gaue great hopes of his future greatnes which caused manie allreadie to prognosticate wonders of his sainctitie And to the end he might dayly He embraceth a monasticall life proceed the better from vertue to vertue aâ— the age of fifteene yeares he departed with the good leaue of his parents to the Benedictine abbey of Bardâ—â—â—â— in Lincolneâ—â—ire where he forsoke all worldly hopes and became a monk of the holy order of S. BENEDICT vnder the gouerment of the good Abbot Higbald In this vertuous schoole our noble youth carefully endeauoured to ennoble his mind with all manner of vertue in all things behauing him self with such prompt obedience humble modestie and sweet innocencie of life that in short time he grew to he much loued esteemed admired and reuerenced euen of the greatest and auncientest monks in the house Hauing liued nine yeares in the same monasterie in continuall continencie abstinence and the exercise of regular and monasticall discipline he was aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood in the execution of which holy function He is made Priest worthyly corresponding with his vertuous actions he offered dayly to allmightie God a most acceptable sacrifice For in true pietie and religion he was second to none adorned with the glorie of all Christian vertues most attentiue and frequent in his prayers and most exactly rigid in fasting and mortifying his owne bodie in soe much that he gaue great examples of edification to his brethren and the famous report of his vertues was published and admired throughout the Countrey II. WHILST thus he shined in the excellencie of a religious life among his other brethren as a bright sunne amongst the rest of the planets the Bishop of Yorke hauing vnderstood the incomparable Benedictine Monks sometimes Canons prayses of his vertue reioyced much thereat and sending for him made him a Canon of the Cathedrall Church of S. Peters at Yorke Whereat the reader need not wonder since heretofore is hath been a laudable custom much practised in the Church of God for Monks of S. BENEDICTS order to gouerne cathedrall Churches as Canons were indeed monasticall canons and of this kind S. SWIBERT was ordayned one at Yorke In which CONVENT sayth the authour to shew that they were monks since a quire of secular Canons is called a CHAPTER and not a CONVENT he liued for the space of two yeares in soe great austeritie of life such strict obseruance of Monasticall discipline that he seemed to leade an angelicall life vpoÌ„ S. Swibert of a Benectin Canon made Abbot of Monks earth And now being come to that height of perfection that he was fitt to be proposed as a mirrour to all such as professed a regular life he was created abbott of the monasterie of Dacore soe called froÌ„ the riuer Dacor running thereby In the meane time the venerable man S. EGBERT a Benedictin monk of whom see Aprill the 24. wonderfully zealing the gaine of soules the promulgatioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospel his owne resolution to goe into those countreyes being hindered by reuelatioÌ„ froÌ„ heauen made choise of twelue learned English monkes all zealous of the Catholick cause out of diuers monasteries Twelue English Benedictins sent to preach in Germanie of EnglaÌ„d Jreland to preach the ChristiaÌ„ fayth in FrizelaÌ„d One not the lest of these elect preachers was our S. SWIBERT S. MARCELINE that wrote his life an other they were eleuen priests one decon who hauing all happyly passed the sea towards the vineyard of CHRIST allotted to their holy charge they ariued at Vtreicht about the yeare 690. And following the same institution order and conuersation of life that the Apostles and disciples of CHRIST vsed in the primitiue Church noe man presuming to call anie thing his owne but all obseruing the rules of the monasticall and religious pouertie which they professed They began with verie great constancie and resolution to preach the Christian fayth amongst those barbarous poeple But the Frisons that were men of an vntamed and stubborne nature stoode stiffely in defence of their Idoatrie refusing to listen to the sacred tidings of the true Ghospell soe that these holy preachers being threatned with death for annouÌ„cing the words of life were compelled to depart thence hauing at first reaped litle or noeprofitt at all III. THEREFORE they went into an Iland called Fosteland where Radbode the persidious King of Friseland being beaten out of his Kingdome by the most Christian Prince Pepin of France theÌ„ remayned And in this it being a place of verie great and solemne resort among those Pagans by reason of the superstitious Idolatrie vsed there to a God of theirs called Foste from whom the Iland tooke name the Preachers of CHRIST began to announce the holy ghospell and hauing destroyed the profane aultars of those stonie-hearted Gods Iupiter and Foste they laboured to conuert the poeple to the knowledge of the only true God creatour of the world where their paines were rewarded with the conuersion but of three soules only But Radbode vnderstanding hereof caused one of them Wigbert martired called Wigbert to be cruelly putt to death a glorie which long before he had desired and banished all the rest out of the Iland When they perceiuing the tirannie of the worldly prince to withstand their good endeauours in preaching the sweet ghospell of the king of heauen retired them selues to the forenamed worthie Prince Pepin who sent them to preach in the lower parts of Frizeland with a strict charge to all
his feete humbly desiring his prayers for the remission of his sinnes The Sainct lifting him vp encouraged him with a familiar exhortation to the conteÌ„pt He connetteth a King to good life of the world the diuine loue of heaueÌ„ with such a liuely moouing discourse that the king receaued wonderfull great cofort thereat and returning againe to his pallace reformed his bad life euer after Manie other miracles are reported to haue been wrought by the meritts of this blessed sainct which exceede our breuitie to relate our discourse hasteneth now towards his death which as it could not come vnto soe holie man in an ill season soe it could not befall him in a better time then it did For the night before his departure hauing had a reuelation of that happie hower he made it knowne vnto the rest of his brethren who with bitter teares witnessed the sorrow they conceaued for the losse of soe good a father and entreated him to appoint one to succeed him in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Monasterie whereunto he willingly consented And on the morrow hauing celebrated The mannâ—r of his death the holy Sacrifice of Masse and receaued the sacred bodie bloud of our lord standing yet at the aultar he sweetly rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deare redeemer without anie apparance of sensuall paine at all After which quiet separation his bodie by the hands of his brethren was reuerently committed to a poore house of clay in the earth and his vnspotted soule freed from her terrene habitation was coÌ„ueyed into the heauenly court of allmightie God by a Sacred Conuoy of celestiall spiritts He florished about the yeare of our lord 459. and died the third day of March in the first weeke of Lent His holy reliques were translated afterwards to S. PETERS Abbey of Benedictin Monks in the cittie of Gaunt in Flanders The memorie of which translation is celebrated the first day of August His life is found written by Joannes Anglicus JOHN Capgraue and other auncient manuscripts sort downe by SVRIVS on t of which me haue gathered it VSVARD MOLANVS doe make mention of him The life of Sainct OWEN Confessor and Monk of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR. 4. Out of venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT OWEN being chief steward of the royall familie of S. ETHELDRED wife to Egfrid King of the Northumbers encreased so excellently in the feruour of vertue that forsaking that princely seruice and all the pleasures and riches he enioyed in the world he putt on poore apparell and went to the monasterie of Lesting where the holy Bishop S. CHAD then liued He brought nothing with him but an axe in his hand to shew that he came not to the monasterie He forsaketh the world to liue idlely as manie doe but to gett his liuing by the labour of his hands which afterwards by his great industrie he prooued for hauing receaued the habitt of a Benedictin monk in the same place by how much his want of learning did disfurnish him of abilitie to meditate on the misteries of the holy scriptures by soe much the more he employed and applied his whole endeauours to serue the monasterie with the labour of his hands But when the holy Bishop S. CHAD remooued his seate to Lichfield he tooke this holy monk along with him and iudged him worthie to be one of those eight whom as we haue sayd in his life he made his more familiar companion in that little retiring place of his deuotions which he built neere adioyning vnto the Church for his more priuate exercise of pietie There S. OWEN being for reuerence and respect of his deuotion numbred a mongst the other brethren when the rest were earnestly busied at their prayers and meditations he laboured abrode in making prouision of such things as were necessarie He was a man of verie great meritts and one who had left the world with a pure intention sincere desire of the eternall reward promised to such as follow the footstepps of CHRIST and his Apostles And therefore he His guift of reuelation was esteemed of allmightie God to be in all things most worthie to whom he might more peculiarly reueale his heauenly secrets being for his sinceritie most worthie to be beleeued in his relations For this cause the glorious vision of the Angelicall troupes which came from heauen with their melodious tunes to bring newes of the neere-approching death of S. CHAD was shewed vnto this holy Monke as he laboured without when the holy Bishop was at his prayers within This you may reade in the life of S. CHAD the second of March And this only testimonie of alimightie Gods particular fauour vnto this holy sainct may serue for a sufficient proofe of his great vertue and sainctitie who after the death of the holy Bishop hauing long exercised him self in the execution of his His happie death pious vocation left the world the second time to receaue an euerlasting reward in heauen for hauing renounced it at first and yielded vp his pure soule into the hands of his most deare redeemer Thus much of him we haue gathered chiefly out of S. BEDES-historie of England Trithemius in his third booke and 118. Chapter of the illustrious men of S. BENEDICTS order and Arnold Wion in his Appendix to his Martirologe doe both make worthy mention of him What day he died it is not knowne The life of Sainct PIRAN Bishop and Confessor MAR. 5. Written by Joannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue SAINCT PIRAN borne in Jreland of a noble race for the loue of God contemned the riches of the world and became an Hermite in the same countrey leading the space of manie yeares a very strict and rigid manner of life by which and his concontinuall preaching and working of manie miracles he drew diuers out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the true fayth of CHRIST He was His vertuous life wonderfull sparing in his diet continuall in watching and prayer and from his very childhood to the hower of his death allwaies employed in reading teaching practising the workes of charitie humilitie coÌ„tinencie all other vertues Being made Priest he omitted noe dutie belonging to that dignitie feeding the hungry cloathing the naked instructing the ignorant restrayning froÌ„ vice moouing to vertue At length he departed out of Jreland came into that part of England called Cornwall where with some others in a poore little habitation he prepared himself for death the hower whereof being The manner of his death partly by a grieuious sicknes of which neuer in his life he had tasted before and partly by a diuine inspiration made knowne vnto him he caused his graue to be opened and entring him self into it yielded vp his blessed soule out of that house of clay to be carried vpp to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same
was wont presently to sett his helping hands therevnto eyther in guiding or houlding of the plough or anie other such labour For he was a yong man of great strength of a sweet discourse a merrie hart bountifull in good workes and of an honest and decent aspect He allwaies cate of the same meate and in the same place that his other brethren did and slept in the same common dorter that he did before he was made Abbot Yea when he fell fick and foresaw by certaine signes that death was at hand yet he remayned two daies after in the dorter of the other Brethren And other fiue daies before his He taketh leaue of his monkes departure he was placed in a more secret house a part till goeing forth one day into the open ayre he assembled all his monkes togeather and tooke a solemne leaue of them imparting to euery one a charitable salutation of peace they in the meane time pittifully weeping and wayling to depart from soe holy a father and soe pious a pastour He died the seauenth day of March in the night when the monkes were singing mattings in the Church He was twentie fower yeares of age when he came to the monasterie he liued twelue yeares therein seauen whereof he exercised the function of Priestood and fower His death he gouerned the Monasterie with the dignitie of Abbot till at leÌ„gth leauing his mortall limmes he tooke a happie flight to the Kingdom of heauen saint BENNET Bishop being then absent in his fift iourney to Rome The life of this Sainct is thus written by saint BEDE as we haue found it in an auncient manuscript togeather with the lines of other Abbots of the same mònastery where saint BEDE him self liued a Monke Besides him FLORENTIVS WIGORNIENSIS an 682. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 703. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 37. IOHN CAPGRAVE and others doe northily speake his prayses The life of sainct FELIX Bishop and Confessor MAR. 8. Out of diuers Authours FELIX was the first Bishop of the East-Angles But a man of how great pietie he was it appeareth chiefly in this He leaueth his countrey to preach in England one famous example that being natiue of Burgundis and vnderstanding how few labourers there were in soe fruictfull an haruest of CHRIST as England of his owne accord he left his Bishoprick friends Kinred and riches and all other maintenances and promotions of his state to come into our contrey and employ his best endeauours in soe pious a work Whose holy purpose being vnderstood admired by Honorius Archbishop of Canturbury he allotted him the Prouince of the East-Engles which hauing He conuerteth the East-Angles forsaken the Christian fayth before receaued was fallen againe into the blindnes of Idolatrie But FELIX being in effect correspondent to his name which signifieth Happie with soe great happines discharged the prouince he vndertooke that in a short time he wholly happily reduced it from the Idolatrous bondage of the deuill to the sweet freedoÌ„ of CHRISTS sacred Ghospell He held his Episcopall sea in a towne then called Dimmock but afterwards from his name it was named FELIXTOWE or FELSTOWE In which place and dignitie happie FELIX hauing discharged the part of a good pastour for the space of seauenteene yeares continually labouring with inuincible patience for the aduancement of CHRISTS holy Ghospel loden with vertue His death and good workes made a most happie iourney to the eternall happines the eigth day of March was buried in the same towne but his reliques were after wards traÌ„slated to a place called Schaâ— where appeares yet sayth Malmesbury some signes of a Church destroyed and burnt by the Danes But the Sacred body of this sainct being sought for and found a long time after was againe translated to the famous Abbey of Benedictin Monkes at Ramsey This life we haue gathered out of S. Bede de gest lib. 2. c. 15. Nicholas Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 16. and William Malmesbury de Pontif. The life of Sainct BOSA or Boso Bishop and Confessor Monke of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR 11. Out of ve nerable Bede de gest Ang. BOSA from a monke of the Benedictin monasterie of Streanshall in Northumberland was at the instaÌ„ce of Egfrid king of that Prouince elected Bishop of Yorke in the place of the most reuerend Bishop He is made Bishop of Yorke S. WILFRID then vniustly banished out of that sea and countrey by the meanes of the forefayd king and the authoritie of Theodore Archbishop of Canturbury in the yeare 678. This sea he gouerned in great holines of good life and learning till by the death of king Egfrid his brother Alfrîd obtayned the kingdome who recalled S. WILFRID out of banishment and restored him to his Bishoprick againe But after the space of fiue yeares Alfred expelled saint WILFRID againe and BOSA was once more restored to the sea of Yorke in the gouernment whereof and the continuall exercise of all true vertues belonging to a holy Bishop he rendred vp his blessed soule to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen about the yeare of our Lord. 700. but what day he died it is vncertaine this eleuenth of March is made a commemoration of him whom S. BEDE calleth a man well beloued of God of great holines and humilitie Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY TRITEMIVS in his fourth booke of the famous men of S. Benedicts order cap. 64. MATHEW WESTMINSTER an 678. ARNOLD WION lib. 2. cap. 23. and others doe make worthie mention of him aâ— allsoe Pope IONH the seauenth in his letters written in behalf of S. WILFRID The life of the most Glorious Pope Doctour of the Catholike Church S. GREGORY surnamed the Great Apostle of England and glorie of S. BENEDICTS Order MAR 12. written by Paulus Diaconus SOE great and soe manie are the incomparable deeds and vertues wherewith this thrice happie Sainct hath adorned the The translatours Proloâ—ne Church of God and soe manie holy and learned men haue endeauoured by their writings to make him famous to posteritie that we find our witts farre to weake to comprehend the one this poore penne farre to barren to sett downe among soe manie worthies anie thing worthie soe worthie a subiect Yet on the other side because the benefitts which not only the Benedictin Order in England but allsoe all England it self hath from him receaued are soe infinite we cannot choose but straine according to our power to make some small shew of acknowledgment thereof imitating those herein who in a little mappe or carde to the great pleasure and profitt of the beholders doe describe the mightie compasse of the whole world And here now o Romeâ— doe thou first acknowledge thine happines and diligently endeauour to imitate soe great a worthy Manie euerlasting monuments there are which haue eternised thy name to posteritie thy Kings thy Dictatours thy Consuls thy Emperours thy Trophies yea and the Empire of the world seated in
his bodie with the annuall fast of lent and other exercises of pietie and deuotion meeting with a happie end might be receaued into the pallace of euerlasting ioies loaden with the fruicts of his good workes But when the Queene vnderstood His bodie iâ— hidden that he was fallen dead from his horse enuying him dead of Ecclesiasticall buriall as aliue she did of his princely diadem she caused his bodie to be cast secretly into the next cottage lest her wickednes might come to light Her cruell seruants obey their mischeeuous mistresse of impietie and contemptibly cast it where they were commaunded and couered it with a little straw V. IN that house where the bodie lay was none but one poore woeman borne in blindnes and she they supposed would tell noe A blind â—oe nâ—u â—urâ—d at his body more then she could see who the night following watching at vnawares by the Sacred bodie suddenly by the meritts of this B. Martir soe recouered her long desired sight and saw a great light which filled her little house with a wonderfull splendour in memorie whereof afterwards the Christians built a Church in the same place On the morrow the cruell Queene hauing learnt of the woeman what had past she began verie pensiuely to feare lest the murder whereof she was mother should come to be knowne And therefore she commaunded those Sacred reliques presently to be cast into a marsh neere adioyning where togeather with his bodie she hoped to burie all memorie of him And then among her owne seruants and followers she made publick mirth and banquet strictly commaunding His holy reliques are burâ—ed in an obscure place euerie each one to make noe shew of griefe or sorrow for his death This done to auoyd all suspicion of the murder committed she went to an other house of hers some ten miles distant from thence But Ethelred her sonne allthough herein nothing like his Mother soe mournfully bewayled the death of his deare brother See the crueltie of a wicked woeman that he could nether containe his teares nor would admitt anie consolation or comfort Which the cruell Queene tooke soe ill that in a ragefull furie she fell vppon him finding nothing else at hand beate him with a handfull of wax candles soe long till she forced him yf not to qualifie at left to bridle and disssemble his grief But how allmightie God discouered the bodie of this Glorious Martir and brought it to be made famous and miraculous to the world we haue allreadie sayd on the feast of his translation the eighteenth day of February whither I remitt my good reader It only remaines no that we make our dayly prayers to this Glorious Sainct who is soe powerfull with allmightie God to be mindfull of our sinfull wretchednes in this pilgrinage of miserie and to obtaine pardon and grace for vs in this world and life euerlasting in the next And chiefly all those of the Benedictine familie and profession ought more peculiarly to powre out their deuotions to this Blessed Sainct who was murdered in the defence and protection of them by the aduersaries enemies and enuiers of their order and glorie This life we haue gathered out of the authour thereof in an auncient manuscript recited by LAVRENCE SVRIVS tom 2. and out of WILLIAM MALMESBVRIE lib. 2. de reg JOHN CAPGRAVE NICOLAS HARPSFIELD see 10. cap. 4. BARONIVS an 987 978. and others The Roman martirologe maketh mention of him this 24. day of March and in the Sarum Breuiary he hath an office of nine lessons and in an auncient manuscript breuiary of S. BENEDICTS order which belonged to the monastery of Burton vppon Trent he is celebrated with on office of twelue lessons S. CVTHBERTVS EPISCOPVS LINDISFARNENSIS 〈…〉 The life of Sainct CVTHBERT Bishop and Confessor Monk of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 20. Written by venerable Bede in two bookes THE holy Prophet Jeremie furnisheth vs with a verie fitt beginning for the life of this most Glorious Prelat S. CVTHBERT bright ornament of the Benedictin familie when extolling the state of an anachoreticall life he sayth It is Thren 3. good for a man to haue carried the yoake of our Lord from his youth He will sit solitarie and be silent bicause he will lift him self abou◠〈◊〉 self For the B. man of God S. CVTHBERT moued with the sweetnes of this soe great Good sub 〈…〉 red his necke to the yoake of a 〈…〉 asticall profession from the beginning of his youth and takin◠〈◊〉 him sometimes as â—â—casion serued aâ— Anachoreticall co 〈…〉 on he was delighted to sitt in solitarines and through the delâ—â—â—ous pleasure he found in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keepe his lipps silent from all worldly discourse But to the end that in ripâ—â— yeares he might more profitably 〈◊〉 these 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a heauenly grace by 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 to embrace the waies of truth and Gooâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of eight yeares he was only delighted in all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sports pastiâ—â—es which that age His childhood is wont to follow euer desiring to be with the first at boyish meetings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And beiâ—g of a 〈◊〉 witt and by nature 〈…〉 wont for the most part to gâ—tt 〈…〉 all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in â—eaping running wrestling or aniâ— other such exercise in soe much that when they were all wearies he like an vnâ—amed litle champion and Victour of 〈…〉 ll would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aniâ— were disposed to buckle with 〈◊〉 aniâ— in 〈…〉 the fields in the heate of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sports 〈◊〉 pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to touch him with a 〈◊〉 contrarie spirit For a little child but three yeares old Câ—â—â—bert being a câ—â—ld iâ— diuâ—nely warned by a child as it seemed ranne to him and with an aged constancie beganne seriously to exhort him to forsake those childish exercises and to betake 〈◊〉 a more modest and grane manner of life But he slighting 〈◊〉 as he thought baâ—â—â—â— admonitions repayed them home â—ith iniurious words when the child fell flat on the earth with a â—ittifull countenance blubberd with teares spake to CVTHBERT who came to comfort him with these words O most holy God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sainct Bishop CVTHBERT it is not seemly for thee to play the child amoÌ„gst children whom allmightie God hath ordayned and destined to be a master of vertue vnto auncients CVTHBERT gaue diligent eare hereunto and this speech remayned fixt in his mind the same holy spiritt instructing him inwardly in his soule that by the mouth of the infant spake openly to his hearing And to giue him a further warning he was suddenly taken with such an exceeding paine and contraction in one of his knees that by no meanes he was able to goe Till being carried forth one day into the fields a litle to recreate his spiritts with the sight of those greene carpets of nature and reposing him self vnder the open heauens he preceaued a horseman exceedingly shining in apparell come
I allwaies referred to thy discussion to be corrected Sainct CVTHBERT much mooued here with fell earnestly to his prayers and hauing vnderstood by a diuine inspiratioÌ„ that his prayer was heard Rise brother sayth he and doe not weepe but reioyce for the heauenly clemencie hath graunted our request The truth of which promise and prophesie was brought to light by the ensueing euent For departing at that time they mett noe more till in one and the same twentith day of March their soules departing out of this world were by the hands of Angels translated to a perpetuall vnion in heauen But Sainct HEREBERT by a particular priuiledge and dispensation from God passed through the surnace of a long teadious sicknes that yf in meritt he were inferiour to S. CVTHBERT the punishment and paine of his disease borne with a vertuous patience might supplie that defect whereby made equall in grace with his intercessour as he deserued to depart at one and the same time with him soe he might be worthie to be receaued into one and the like throne of happines This holy man as it may be throught was a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order aswell for that he was wholly instructed in all his spirituall life by Great S. CVTHBERT a Benedictin who would not teach but as he had learnt him self as allsoe bicause in those daies the true custome of proceeding to an eremiticall and solitarie conuersation was to beginn first with noe other life then a monasticall as saint BEDE doth witnes Out of whom we haue taken his life who both in his historie of England and in the life of S. CVTHBERT relateh the foresayd storie to a word Nicholas Jnvit S. Cuth cap 46. Harpsfield hath the same The life of Saint EDILWALD Priest and Anachoritie of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 23. SAINCT EDILWALD was first a monke of S. BENEDICTS order in the monasterie of Rippon where hauing receaued the dignitie of priesthood he adorned the same with a pious conuersation of life well becomming his degree and calling But afterwards beeng taken with the desire of a more solitarie and retired life he went to the hermitage of the Iland of Farne which saint CVTHBERT had first built and inhabited and there became saint CVTHBERTS immediate successour as well in habitation as holines of life of whose vertuous life that it may the better appeare to the world of how great meritt it was I will only rehearse one miracle out of Sainct BEDE Gudfrid a venerble Priest and afterwards Abbott of the Benedictin monasterie of Lindisfarne desiring to haue some conuersation with saint EDILWALD went By his prayers he asswageth a tempett ouer into the Iland whence much refreshed and comforted with his godly discourse he returned with his companions homewards But being at the Sea their fayre calme was suddenly changed into such a blustering storme what with the force of the winds and the rage of the waters struggling togeather that indeed their incuitable ruine as they thought seemed to be the wager of the others contention Till being come to the poynt of despayring to haue anie longer time of life in this world behould B. EDILWALD hearing the tempestuous noyse of this storme sollicitous of their safetie came running in all hast out of his Cell to see what was befallen them and finding in what imminent danger and despaire they were he fell presently to his prayers for their liues and safegard which done the swelling seas were appeased and the crueltie of that tempest gaue way to their shipp to passe quietly till they were all safe on the drie shore And then the winds and seas as yf they had gathered new courage beganne to rayse the same stormes againe which furiously dured all that day to the end we might more plainly vnderstand that the small intermission wherein they escaped was graunted from heauen for their sakes by the prayers of the holie man And this storie was related to me sayth sainct BEDE who writes it by one of those monks that was in the same ship and danger Other miracles were wrought by the meritts of this Sainct who when he had liued in great holines for the space of twelue yeares in this solitarie kind of life he was called to the ioyes of heauen to receaue the desired rewards of his meritts and labours He was buried in saint PETERS Church of Lindisfarne by saint CVTHBERT Thus much out of saint Bede hist Aâ— l. 5. c. 1. and Nicholas Harpsfied hist. Eccl. saec 7. c. 35. He florished in the raigne of Alfrid who succeeded to Egfrid in the kingdom of Northumberland The life of S. ALFWOLD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR. 25. Out of VVilliam Malmesbury SAINCT ALFWOLD from a Benedictin monk in the monasterie of winchester was raysed to the Episcopall dignitie of Sherburne He placed a goodly picture of the most holy bishop and monk S. SWITHIN of Winchester in the Church of Sherburne It is certaine that he was a man of most reuerend godly life one that amongst the most prodigall shewes of exquisite banquets which from the time of the Danes were vsed in England followed the rules of auncient pietie seueritie in his diet His spare diet vsing only a woddeÌ„ dish without anie luscious ordaintie meates a little cuppe of beere soe drowned and mortified with water that the danitiest pallat could not find anie tast of beere My authour in this affirmeth that he heard a Priest of good creditt then loaden with grey haires report with teares of ioie much good of this holy man One thing was that noe man euer after his death presumed to sleepe in his bed vnpunished For presently he was forced to leape out of it being amazed with strange vglie visions which not only terrified him from his rest but allsoe sorely rebuked him for vnworthyly vsurping the holy bishops place This was a strainge spectacle vnto manie Earle Godwin hauing it is vncertaine vppon Godwin punished for iniuring S. Alfwlod what occasion grieuously exasperated this holy man fell presently into such a tormenting sicknes that he lay languishing without anie hope of life soe that he was compelled to send a messenger in poast hast to the Bishop humbly to desire pardon for his temeritie who out of his owne pious lenitie gaue him his benediction and pardon and there with all he recouered perfect health II. THIS HOLY Bishop and monk was wonderfully much addicted in his deuotion to the excellent bishop and glorie of the Benedictin â—rder S. CVTHBERT at whose only name he would burst into deuout teares And allwaies he had this Antheme of him in his mouth The Holy Bishop Cuthbert a man perfect in all things appeared amongst the throngs of the world a monke worthyly to be reuerenced His great deuotion to S. Cuthbert of all men And as his dayly loue to this Sainct tooke deeper roote in his heart to giue a greater demonstration
want of other instruments they broke vp the cement and lesser stones which fastened the tomb-stone with an iron candlestick found there by chaunce Then putting all their confidence in God and the holy Saincts intercession they fell vpon their knees and sett vppon a work which they knew farre exceeded their owne strength and laying their shoulders to that huge stone with great ease they mooued it to the other side When presently they beheld that sacred bodie to be most entier and vncorrupted and Willam Malmesbury affirmeth for ceataine that it remay ned in the same integritie for the space of one hundred yeares after Degâ—t Pont. lib. 1 de gest reg l. 1. cap. 16. But now an other thought troubled our two busied monks which was that they wanted a boord to carrie the holy bodie to the boate in which perplexitie as they composed and wrapped it in linnen cloathes they found vnder the bodie a boord as it were prepared for the same purpose Then lifting vp that sacred treasure on their shoulders they carried it to the water side the king and Archbishop following after who in the meane time had disposed garrisons throughout the cittie and on both sides of the riuer Thames to preuent all occasion of tumult among the cittizens Being wafted ouer to the next shoare Canutus with his owne hands putt the bodie into the waggon and thus with great pompe and honour garded with a mightie troupe of souldiers it was transported to Canturbury and there receiued with great reuerence and ioy of the whole cittie His bodie translated to Canturbury And the third day after Queene Emme with her some Hardecaunt very deuoutly visited it leauing behind her manie verie ample and rich offerings as euident witnesses of her fayth and deuotion XVII NETHER was there wanting store of diuine miracles which at that time honoured this translation and allsoe in after ages and from thence forth he was held not only for a most holy bishop but for a Martir too VVherein when S. LANFRANK Archbishop of Canturbury made some doubt because he did not die directly for the confession of the fayth but in that he would not satisfie the couetousnes of the pirats and ransom his owne life and proposed the reason of his doubt to the worthie S. ANSELME then Abbott of the Benedictin monastery of Bec in France who afterwards succeeded LANFRANK in the Archbishoprick S. ANSELME most grauely and elegantly handled that question affirming that it was a thing not to Eadm in vita Anselmi l. 2. be doubted but that ELPHEGVS who was enflamed with soe great loue to wards God and his neighbour that he chose rather to suffer a cruell death then to see his neighbours vniustly depriued of their goods and money would with a farre greater inclination and burning desire haue embraced a death offered him for the profession of CHRIST and his Ghospell Therefore the loue and desire he had to see iustice exactly defended and maintayned brought him to those strieghts Now CHRIST who is both iustice and Veritie pronounceth those all soe to bee blessed that sâ—ffer persecution for Iustice Againe the martirdom of S. IONH Baptist endured not for the Math. cap. 1. Fayth but for the truth in reprehending Herod for adulterie is of most famous memorie throughout the whole Church and why not that of S. ELPHEGVS suffered for the maintenance of iustice which and the works of all other vertues as they are referred to allmightie God may be true causes of Martirdom These and such like reasoÌ„s mooued LANFRANK not only to honour hiâ—h euer afterfor a Martir but caused his life to be faythfully written by Osberne a monke of Canturbury whom we haue followed which he confirmed by his authoritie and made to be read in the English Church The day of his glorious martirdom was celebrated the ninteenth of Aprill on which he was martired The historie written of him by the foresayd Osberne S. Thom. 22. qu. 124 art 5. is recited by Laurence Surius tom 4. The particulars of his translation we haue taken out of Nicholas Harpsfield saec 11. cap. 9. The Roman martirologe maketh mention of him And Baronius tom 10. 11. Malmesbury de gest reg lib. 1. de gest pontis lib. 1. Roger Houedon priori parte Annal. an 1011 and 1012. Mathew Westminster an 1011. Iohn Capgraue and all our English writters are full of his prayses In the Breuiary of Sarum he hath anoffice of three lessons But in an auncient manuscript of S. BENEDICTS Order which belonged to the monastery of Burton vppon Trent he is serued with twelue lessons S. ANSELMVS ARCHIEPISCOPVS CANTVARIENSIS Monachuâ— Benedictinus April 21. 〈…〉 The life of S. ANSELME Archbishop of Canturb of the holy order of S. BENEDICT APR. 21. Anno. 1080. Written by Edmerus a moÌ„k of Cant. that liued in the same time with S. Anselme IN WRITING the excellent life and incomparable vertues of the worthie Prelat S. ANSELME who from the humilitie of a Benedictin monk was raysed to the Metropolitan dignitie of Canturbury we most perforce imitate the art of Geographers who in the com-of a little card describe the globe of the whole world I will coÌ„preheÌ„d APR. 2â— in a few words that which well deserues a volume and giue you a brief pourtraict or a bridgemeÌ„t of the works of this glorious Sainct this great doctour this mirrour of Bishops this ornament of our English Church and bright sunne of the Benectin familie Vnto whoÌ„ that nothing might be wanting for the making vp of a man perfect in all things was added the nobilitie of a godly honourable parentage He was borne in the cittie Augusta neere the coÌ„fines of Burgandy His His worthie pareâ—tage father was called Gundulphus by nation a Lumbard who vsing much to the cittie of Augusta married there a ladie called Ermerberg by whoÌ„ he had the happines to haue ANSELME They were both of noble bloud rich but very contrarie in life and manners for his fathers greatest care was to spend his time in worldly mirth and pleasure and to liue merrily when on the order side his wife carefully gouerned her house constantly perseuering in the coÌ„tinuall exercise of pious vertuous workes to the last gaspe of her life But Gundulphus being by the death of his good wife freed froÌ„ the bonds of matrimonie His father becometh a monke it pleased allmightie God to make him enter into more pious coÌ„siderations reclaime his old age tired with sayling amoÌ„g the turbulent pleasures of the world to retire to the quiet shoare of a monasticall life wherein he spent the rest of his daies happily But ANSSELME the worthie branch of this noble stock in whoÌ„ from his teÌ„der age it seemed vertue was incorporate to become visible to mortall eyes with the siluer innoceÌ„cie of his sweet carriage behauiour purchased the loue affection of all men Well doeing which other men gett by labour industrie
of his death all that heard saw what passed being greatly edified with soe great charitie of the Sainct amazed at the wonderfull light of his soule The like bountie and goodnes shined in him at other times in his great care towards the sick visiting cōforting reioycing with his owne hands seruing them and doeing the part not only of a true Father but allsoe of a most charitable Mother amongst thē Soe that in all their necessities the monks had recourse vnto him with as great confidence as the child hath in his mother laying open before him all the secret passions and wounds of their soules which he like an holy Phisitian because he knew the roote and origine of them all easyly cured This vnion of the parts of the bodie with their head subiects with their superiour is the Nurse and Soule of all religion VII HE willingly employed him self in bringing vp yong youth of Yong gentlemen brought vp in monasterics a middle age iudging his paines therein to be soe much the more profitable as that age like vnto soft wax was apt to receiue conserue all the lineaments of vertue imprinted therein It was a venerable custom in those times to nourish and bring vp Gentlemens sonnes of the best sort in Monasteries of S. BENEDICTS order ether to become Religious yf they were soe addicted or by that vertuons education to make them more capable in their riper yeares to profitt the cōmon wealth An abbott in great reputation of holy life came one day to vistt S. ANSELME discoursing with him of the gouernment of monasteries began greatly to cōplaine of the libertie disobedience of the yong gentlemen vnder his charge and that he watched night and day ouer them and made their faults to be seuerely whipt and chastised and yet it seemed that the more he kept them vnder the worse and more incorrigible they grew And what sayd S. ANSELME became of these children when their were at age or what profitt reaped you out of all this whipping and scourging Gentlenes most requisite in bringing vp youth For the most part replied the Abbott they grow to be great ignorant Dolts Then S. ANSELME This manner of education of youth seemeth to me most vncertaine for euē as yf one who by hedging in of yong plants doth soe choake them vp with thornes that they can nether grow nor putt forth their boughs will consequently bring noe fruict nor profitt soe in the nourishment of children who are rich and delicate plants to bring them to good one must vse a fatherly loue towards them giuing them a gentle discrete libertie and not allwaies making them slaues with feares threatnings and stripes Because when they doe not acknowledge and find in their tutours and masters that guide them the cordiall affection and loue of a father they thinke whatsoeuer is sayd or done to them proceeds out of chollar hatred and malice And as they grow in age they grow allsoe in a greater defiance of their masters of whom they haue as great horrour as a theefe of his executioner Rules for superiours in their gouernment In fine S. ANSELME taught the ABBOTT that true gouernment ought to know how to temper sweet with sower clemencie with seueritie and to cure wounds not only with the sharpnes of wine which closeth vp but with the supplenes of oyle allsoe which softens and opens the soares For allthough hard bread and crust be good for those that haue good teeth yet sucking children cannot eate it And yf a superiour will guide all his Inferiors the same way without discerning the different conditions and inclinations of the persons whom he gouerneth he will certainly committ manie grosse faultes to the great affliction and losse of his suiects The fame of S. Auselme drawes manie choller 's VIII S. ANSELME then inuironed with the glittering beames of excellent vertues his renowne was carried on the wings of fame ouer all Normandie through France into Flanders and England soe that manie learned and pious men came to the monasterie where he was Prior to range them selues into the spirituall warrefare vnder the colours of S. BENEDICT striuing to receaue the habitt at his hands and to liue vnder his correction and discipline Neuertheles he was soe prudent reserued that he neuer sollicited anie man to giue him self to God rather in his monasterie then in anie other but all waies left it to their choise to enter into what Conuent they best liked to the end that yf afterwards they happened to repent they should haue noe iust occasion to murmure or coplaine against him But they came soe thick of their owne accord that the Abbey of Bec was in a short time wōderfully encreased in tēporall spirituall goods of manie good religious monks and Abbott Herluine being dead ANSELME by the common suffrages of all the Conuent was chosen to succeed in his place allbeit he laboured with prayers and teares against it throwing him self prostrate at the feete of the monks and coniuring them by the deare passion of our lord ISSVS CHRIST not to charge his weake shoulders with such a weightie He is chosen Abbot of Bec. burden In fine when all his resistance did but encrease their importunitie he yeelded sincesuch he perceaued was the will of God Being therefore made Abbott he gouerned the monasterie with such holy prudence and prudent holines that this new encrease of dignitie was in him as a discouerie of a new mine of shining vertues whose beames amazed all behoulders IX AT that time there were manie possessions in England belonging He cometh into England to the Abbey of Bec to visitt which sainct ANSELME went ouer into England At Canturbury where LANFRANCK his old Master was Archbishop he was with wonderfull great honour receiued by the Benedictin monks of that citie which he no lesse ingeniously then elegantly putt off affirming the greater honour and greater affection of charitie to reside in them that performed it then in him to See his great humilitie whom it was performed Because he who vnworthyly receiued that vndeserued dutie could expect for it noe reward from God For what said he can be due to me from God in that anie one shewes loue towards me But to them from whō this loue proceeds he oweth a reward for their pious affection and he will not fayle to lay vp store of grace for them But the more he sought to auoyde honour the more still was throwne vppon him when poeple of all orders sexes and conditions striued to doe him the highest honours they could and amongst the rest King William the Conquerour who albeit otherwise a Norman of a fierce and barbarous nature yet towards sainct ANSELME beyond all mens expectation he behaued himself with an vnaccustomed courtesie and kindnes to the great admiration of all But the Sainct quickly wearied with these honours thought his iourney in nothing soe well spent as
familie and he is one of the fower renowned Doctours of the same order that haue written in prayse and defence of the B. Virgin and consequently are The Benedictine Doctours of our B. Ladie stiled and called by the name of the fower Doctours of our Lady the other three are S. HILDEPHONSE Archbishop of Siuill in Spaine B. RVPERT Abbott of Twy in Germanie and S. BERNARD Abbott of Clareuall in France And our S. ANSELME second to none of the rest was the first that caused the feast of our Ladies immaculate Conception to be celebrated in the Church the seauenth of December when he had learned by the reuelation of an other Benedictin monk from the same Virgin that such was her will and pleasure God of his infinite mercie make vs partakers of his glorious meritts Amen His life wee haue gathered out of Eadmer a monk of Canturbury and the companion of all his troubles and Edmond monk of the same place who added a treatise of the discord between S. ANSELME and the two vnruly Kings William Malmesbury de Pont. lib. 1. the Roman martirologe Baronius tom 11. an 1109. and innumerable others doe highly speake his prayses The life of saint MELLITVS Bishop and confessor of the holy order of saint BENEDICT APR. 24. Out of venerable Bede AMONGST the holy Benedictine Monks which S. GREGORY Pope of Rome sent into England to supplie the want of Preathers in soe great an haruest and to helpe S. AVGVSTINE and his fellowe Benedictins in the conuersioÌ„ of that Kingdom MELLITVS an abbott of the same order was the first and chiefest Whom about three yeares after his arriuall S. AVGVSTIN Archbishop of Canturbury made Bishop of London the principall head cittie of the East-Angles where Sebert nephew to Ethelbert King of Kent kept his royall Mellitus first bishop of London Court allbeit he were vnder the power of Ethelbert whose authoritie ouer the English stretched to the riuer Humber But when this prouince by the industrious preaching and labour of saint MELLITVS had receaued the Christian fayth King Ethelbert built that famous Church of saint PAVL the Apostle within the walls of London for the Episcopall seate of Mellitvs and his successours But how greatly this holy man was beloued of God and the whole court of heauen manifestly appeareth in the consecration of the Church of Westminster which office of his S. PETER the Apostle performed for Bishop MELLITVS with his owne hands as may be seene more at large in the life of S. EDWARD the fist of Ianuary S. AVGVSTIN being dead Mellitvs bishop of London went to Rome to coÌ„sult Pope Boniâ—ace the fourth touching manie necessarie affayres of the English Church And namely for the good establishment of the new-built Baron an 610. monasterie of Westminster as allso to know whether the consecration of a Church performed in the aforesayd manner were valid The Pope in a Synod held at Rome in which S. MELLITVS had a place ordayned manie lawes for the peace of the Benedictine moÌ„ks and conseruation of monasticall discipline and decreed against the enuious that monks were the fittest instruments in Gods Church for Apostolicall functions which decrees Mellitvs brought with him into England for the confirmation and establishment of the Benedictine order and Mission in that countrey II. BVT the death of the two good Kings Ethelbert and Sebâ—â—â— was cause of great domage to the tenden beginnings of that new See in S. Laurence 2. of Febr. Church for the three sonnes of King Sebert who during the time of their father dissembled a litle in religion for feare of him fell after his death to flatt Idolatrie and gaue licence to all their subiects to doe the like And when they saw the holy bishop MELLITVS hauing celebrated the sacred solemnities of Masse giue the Eucharist to the poeple Why sayd they swelling with Looke prorestant our first Apoles sayd masse a barbarous foolishnes doest thou not giue vs the white bread which thou didest giue to our father Saba soe they were wont to call him and doest yet giue to manie of the poeple Yf you will be washed answeared MELLITVS in the same sacred font as your father was you may be partakers of the holy bread as well as the but yf you contemne the Bath of life you can by noe meanes receaue the Bread of life But they refused to enter into the font of baptisme as a thing vnnecessarie but desired earnestly to eate of the sacred bread Till at length when the holy mans perswasions could not draw them from this sâ—nd request they banished him out of their Prouince because he S. Mellitus Banished from his Bishoprick would not giue them blessed Sacrament of aultar before haptisme Veryly I am of opinion to my great grief that at this present our Protestant-Bishops haue soe litle respect to that which they call the Lords Supper that rather then be forced with their wiues to leaue their bishopricks they would giue their sacrament of bread to a soe farr alas they are fallen from the religion of our first Apostles III. SAINT MELLITVS went to Canturbury to consult S. LAVRENCE and IVSTVS the other bishops what was to bee done in these troubles And finding no other meanes nor hopes of redresse MELLITVS and IVSTVS went ouer into France to expect the calme of this tempestuous See in S. Lau. 2. Febr. motion Till Edbald King of Kent renouncing his Idolatrie and baptised by saint LAVRENCE Archbishop of Carturbury recalled the two bishops out of France and restored IVSTVS to his seat of Rochester but the Londoners refused to receaue their bishop Mellitus ouer whom Edbald had not such absolute and coercitiue power that he could force them to it as his father could In the meane time Saint LAVRENCE departing this life MELLITVS succeeded in the sea of Canturbury whence he cast forth the bright beames of his vertue fayth and learning ouer all England with which noble ornaments he greatly ennobled the countrey and He is made Archbishop of Canturbury excelled the nobilitie of his birth and parcentage which was verie honorable In bodie he was wonderfull weake and sickly specially being greeuously afflicted with the gout but most sound in mind cherefully despising all terrene things and still aspiring to the loue and possession of the Kingdom of heauen And here I will relate one example of his excellent vertue and confidence in allmightie God which may serue as a witnesse of his other noble vertues IV. A MIGHTIE fier happened to make hauock in the cittie of Canturbury which soe furiously deuoured whole streets as it went that noe force of water could quench the rage of that vnresistable element And now with great violence it drew neere to the place where the holy Bishop was who would not giue way to those deuouring flames but trusting in the diuine goodnes He quencheth a great fier by his prayers where humane help was wanting caused him self to be
is made bishop of Lindisfarne of the Benedictine familie Great S. CVTHBERT in the gouernment of the same Episcopall sea In which dignitie he most worthyly discharged the office of a good prelate exactly obseruing withall the rigour and seueritie of monasticall discipline He was wont to spend the whole time of lent and fortie daies before the natiuitie of our Lord in a secret place seperated from his Church where he exercised him self in the continuall practise of prayer contemplation and bitter penance with all other religious vertues And this was the same place in which his excellent predecessour S. CVTHBERT had for a time led a solitarie life before he went to the Island of Farne The eleuenth yeare after the deposition of the neuer-enough named S. CVTHBERT when the monks of Lindissarne opening His death and buriall his graue had found his bodie vncorrupted as is sayd in his life the twentith of March they brought part of his cloathes to saint EADBERT then liuing in his solitarie place of deuotion which he both receaued verie gratefully and reuerenced with wonderfull affection And sayd he let that sacred bodie be wrapped in new cloathes in steed of those you haue taken off and place it honourably in the shrine which you haue prepared for most certainly I know that the graue which his holy relicks haue consecrated with such admirable miracles will not long be emptie of an inhabitant And how happie is that man to whom our Lord the Authour and bestower of all happines shall voutchase to make worthie to rest therein These and such like words the holy bishop vttered with a trembling tongue whilst the teares that trickled downe his cheekes witnessed the feeling compunction of his heart The monks presently performed his commaund and placed the sacred bodie of S. CVTHBERT in a chest ouer the sepulcher wherein he had been buried In the meane time the beloued seruant of God S. EADBERT desiring of allmightie God that for better satisfaction of his former life he might passe out of this world through His death and buriall the parching furnace of a long-during sicknes fell into a most greeuous disease which encreased dayly more and more for the space of more then a moneth when the vehemencie was soe great that it forced his blessed soule to leaue her mortall lodging to make a happie flight to the immortall habitation of happines the sixt day of May. And out of the prerogatiue of his great Sainctitie he was iudged worthie to be buried in the graue which his predecessor S. CVTHBERT had consecrated eleuen yeares with his incorrupted bodie and soe aliue he became S. CVTHBERTS successour in the episcopall Sea and in his sepulcher being dead Where Venerable BEDE affirmeth that he shined with same of working manie miracles But whether they were wrought by his meritts or saint CVTHBERTS whose bodie was placed in a chest ouer the same graue it can be iudged by none but him who searcheth the hearts and reines of all men whose name be for euer blessed He died in the yeare of our Psal 9. Lord 698. Besides S. BEDE whom we haue followed William Malmesbury Molanus Nicholas Harpsfield and the Roman martirologe 〈◊〉 honourable mention of S. EADBERT The life of S. IOHN of Beuerley Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 7. Out of Venerable Bede hist. de gest Ang. lib. 5. c. 2. 〈◊〉 SAINCT IOHN surnamed of Beuerley borne of noble English parents in the north parts of great Britaine was sent in his youth to Canturbury to be instructed by the two Oracles of Learning and vertue S. THEODORE the Archbishop and S. ADRIAN Abbott of the Benedictine Abbey of S. PETER in the same cittie In this holy schoole of vertue and learning IOHN not only profitted in the knowledge of holy scripture and good manners but allsoe was kindled with a desire to embrace the same monasticall rule of S. BENEDICT which his masters professed And to this end hauing soundly perfected his vnderstanding with learning he departed to His Inclination to a religious life the Benedictine Abbey of Streanshall where putting on the habitt and profession of a Monk he both exercised him self in the perfection of monasticall discipline and greatly promoted the obseruance of S. BENEDICTS rule which great S. WILFRID had introduced into the same monasterie Moreouer the worth of his learning is worthly witnessed by the excellencie of his schollers amongst whom were S. BRITHVNE afterwards Abbot of Beuerley S. WILFRID the Lesser that succeeded him in the Archbishoprick of Yorke both Benedictine monkes and aboue all the glorie and ornament of his Countrey and the Benedictine order Venerable BEDE all which with others saint IOHN not only instructed in diuine and humane knowledge and incited to pietie with his godly admonitions but allso inflamed them much more with the example of his owne life and vertue to vndertake the high iourney of religious perfection He bore a singular affection to S. BEDE whom when he was bishop he aduanced to the dignitie of deaconship and priestood Alfred King of the Northumbers moued with the fame He is made Bishop of Hagustald of this holy mans Sainctitie made him successour to Eata in the Episcopall sea of Hagustald otherwise called Hexham But after the death of Bosa he was translated to the Archiepiscopall chayre of Yorke In which sacred function he performed his dutie with gâ—eâ— praise and admiration of all When all the minds and eyes of England were fixed wholly vppon him both for his excellent vertue and equallie rare learning as allsoe for his wonderfull and miraculous deeds which worthily witnessed the pietie of his life and conuersation II. BVT during the time of his regencie in the Church of Hagustald or Hexham at a place somwhat more then a mile distant from His retired life in Lent thence in a chappell dedicated to S. MICHAEL he went often times and specially in time of Lent to leade a solitarie and contemplatiue life seperated froÌ„ the affayres of the world attending only to things diuine and heauenly Beginning this holy exercise on a time he conmaunded his companions as his custom was to seeke him out some poore creature more miserable then ordinarie whoÌ„ he might maintaine there with the charitie of his dayly almes They brought him a poore boy dum-borne with a cappe of scabbes and scurffe on the topp of his head insteed of hayre about which grew a thinne hedge of frighted hayres the sight whereof begott an horrour in the behoulders The holy bishop much reioyced that he had found soe fitt a subiect vpon whoÌ„ to exercise his accustomed office of charitie caused presently a little lodging to be built within the precinct of his owne habitation where that wretched pouertie was dayly refreshed with the stipend of his pietie But the first weeke of Lent See the vertue of the signe of the Crosse being past he commaunded them to bring the poore man
encreased dayly with his age carrying him self with great humilitie and submission towards all And whatsoeuer honour dutie or curtesie was shewed vnto him He taketh the minor orders he wholly ascribed to the grace of the doers and not to anie merits or deserts of his being most readie to serue others and most vnwilling to accept others seruice towards him self In the meane time he is persuaded by his friends to range him self into the seruice of the Church and take vppon him the Lesser Orders Which willingly he did thereby to be able more freely to frequent the Church to light the candles to serue the Priest at Masse to reade and sing in the office and doe other inferior duties belonging to the diuine seruice All which with great deuotion he performed allwaies despising the vaine pleasures of the world He escheweth worldly vanities auoyding the toying sports of yong men delighting in the discourses of his elders carefully nourishing the poore and most diligently busying him self in the workes of pietie and vertue And when at anie time he was inuited by his fellowes in yeares to recreate with them in worldly vanities he was wont to excuse him self with his employment about such and such Church-affaires and that he must necessaryly looke before hand ouer these and these Anthimes and Lessons that were to be sung or sayd in the diuine seruice Thus this yong seruant of God did both keepe him self pure from the contagion of the world and by propounding a reasonable excuse gaue scandall to none nor suggested anie cause His pious exercises wherein they might offend God His only chiefe studie and labour was in prayer meditation in reading holy bookes to adhere allwaies to Allmightie God to carrie him euer in his mind reloycing to find out anie thing that was pleasing to his diuine goodnes Whence it came to passe that he obtayned the grace both to search out diuine things and trusting in the dayly consideration of God auoyded all spott of sinne Soe that being become neere and familiar with God he became allsoe most deare and acceptable to all that liued deuoutly in God IV IN the meane time hearing the fame of the venerable Athelme He goeth to the Archbishop of Canturbury Archbishop of Canturbury who was vncle and seeing the manie allurements of the world to be dangerous blocks in a yongmans way that was desirous to walke in the hard pathes of vertue hauing obtayned the good leaue of his parents he went to Canturbury and setled him self vnder the conduct of that vertuous Prelate Athelme percauing the rich mine of vertues that lay hid in the mind of his godly Nephew recommended him to King He liâ—eth piously in the kings court Ethelstane to be by his royall authoritie and fauour protected froÌ„ the aduersities of the world and aduanced in the pious way of vertue The king receiued him very curteously and held him in greater esteeme then manie of his courtiers desired for Enuie is the ordinarie fruit that growes at Court. Then DVNSTAN allbeit he were conuersant in the pallace of a terrene King yet did he nothing swerue from his exercise and resolution of true religion and vertue but by how much he preceaued him self to walke more dangerously amongst the occasions of vice by soe much he endeauoured more strongly and carefully to keepe him self vp from falling And knowing idlenes to be sworne enemie to the soule he applied him His practicall exercises self to diuers honest practicall labours the exercise where of might keepe him doing and the diuersitie auoyde teadious loathing For in the art of writing painting engrauing in wood or bone and working in gould siluer or iron he soe excelled that he was an admiration to manie Moreouer by his skill on musicall instruments he wonne not only him self but the minds of manie others from the turbulent affayres of the world to the meditaâ—ion of the heauenly harmony And for these faculties he was frequented of manie vnto whom his charitie was such that he would denie nothing that was demaunded But labouring once in these mechanicque arts for a deuout Matrone that had sett him on worke Note a strange thing his violl that hung by him on the wall of its owne accord without anie mans helpe distinctly sounded this Anthime GandeÌ„t in Câ—lis anime sanctorum qui Christi vestigia sunt secuti quia pro eius amore sanguinem sâ—â—m fuderant ideo cum Christo gandent in eternum Whereat all the companie being much astonished turned their eyes from behoulding him working to looke on that strange accident Amongst whom only DVNSTAN vnderstood the sound of those words and what they intended which was that yf he desired to liue for euer with CHRIST he ought not feare when necessitie vrged to shed his bloud for his sake and that his soule should not attaine to the ioies of heauen vnlesse he followed the footstepps of CHRIST our Sauiour Therefore he tooke this as a sensible lesson sent from God to teach him what he was to doe hereafter V. NOT long after manie of the Court that hitherunto had borne a kind of fayned frieÌ„dship towards him began now greatly He suffers in the enuie of detractors to enuie at his progresse and rising in goodnes vsing manie crooked back biting meanes to diffame his vertues with the black markes of Hipocrisie And the better to authorise their calumnie they brought in this that happened in the violl affirming it to haue been done by art magick What more this wicked rumour encreased dayly till the King and others of the Nobilitie taking hould thereof DVNSTAN grew odious in their sight Therefore he resolued to leaue the Court and goe to Elphegus surnamed the Bald then Bishop of Winchester who was his cozen Which his enemies vnderstanding they layd wayte for him in the way and hauing throwne him off his horse beate him and draged him in the durt The dogges defend him in most miserable manner meaning to haue slaine him had not a companie of mastiue-dogges that came vnlookt for vppon them defended and redeemed him from their crueltie When with sorow he was ashamed to see dogges more humane then they And giuing thankes to allmightie God he sensibly againe perceaued that the tunes of his violl had giuen him a warning of future accidents The neighbours running to the noyse tooke him out of the mire and brought him to a conuenient lodging VI. HENCE he went to the foresayd Bishop of Winchester who discoursing with him of the perfection of a Monasticall life easily perswaded DVNSTAN allreadie greatly inclined to a course He taketh the habit of S. Benedict of vertue and pietie to forsake the state of mariage which he intended and wholly to dedicate him self to an Ecclesiasticall course Therefore without delay he went to the famous Benedictiâ— Abbey of Glastenbury where he bid adiew to the world and putt on the holy habit of sainct BENEDICT And
Pillars of the Benedictine Order the Monâ—steries that from the beginning of the Christian fayth in England were built by 〈◊〉 AVGVSTINE our Apostle and others were now againe restored and reedified King Edgâ—â— râ—payrâ—â— 48 monasteries out of a long and cruell desolation and ruine into which by the violent incursions of the Danes they were fallenâ— and this King EDGAR built new and repayred fortie eight for monks and 〈◊〉 of saint BENEDICTS order And in them the monasticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was much impayred was againe restored to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and glorie King Edgar him self vnder taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ction of the monasteries of men and inâ—oyning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wife to take the charge and custodie of the houses of the sacred Virgins and Nunnes XV. FVTHERMORE in thoses daies the secular Clerkes or Canons who in the time that the Benedictine Monkes were expelled out of their auncient seates by the Danes had by little and little crept into the Monkes Churches led a most dissolute and corrupted life in soe much that eyther not at all or very negligently they performed the duties of their function and calling vnlawfully making vs of wiues and Concubines contrarie to the prescripâ— rules of the Church and their order Saint DVNSTAN being desirous to correct this scandalous euill obtayned by the authoritie of Pope John to haue the Secular Clergie expelled the Benedictine monkes introduced into the gouernment of those Churches Then King Edgar whose zeale was great towards the reforming of Church-discipline made this patheticall speech to the Bishops and Abbots of his Kingdom sitting in Councell Because our Lord hath magnified to worke mercie with vs it is conuenient O most Reuerend Fathers that with worthy Out of Alured of Rhieuall de reg Angl. Psal 4â— 4. workes we correspond to his innumerable benefitts for nether shall we possesse the earth in the vertue of our sword nor shall the strengh of our owne arme saue vs but his right hand and his holy arme because he is pleased in vs. Jt is iust therefore that we labour with all diligence to submitt our soules vnto him who hath made all things subiect to our feete and that we striue to bring those whoÌ„ he hath made subiect vnto vs to be subiect to his diuine lawes And indeed it is my part to rule the Layetie with the law of iustice to giue iust iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour to punish the sacrilegious to bridle the rebellious to deliuer the weake out of the hands of the potent the poore and needie froÌ„ those that oppresse theÌ„ yea and it is part of my care to prouide necessaries for the Ministers of the Church the Conuents of monks and the Quires of Virgins and to looke to their peace and quiet But to You belongeth the examination of all their manners to know if they liue contynently if they behaue them selues decently to those which are abroade yf they be carefull in the diuine offices diligent to instruct the poeple sober in their diet meane in their habit and discreet in their iudgements With your leaue be it spoken Reuerend Fathers yf you had made diligent search into these things such horrible and abominable matters of the Clerkes had not come to our cares I omitt that they nether haue appearence of a Crowne nor a becoming tonsure that lasciuiousnes in their habit insoleÌ„cie in their gesture uncle annes in their words doe proclaime the madnes of their inward man Moreouer soe great negligence in the diuine office that they scarse daigne to be present at the sacred watches and seeme to meet at the solemnities of masse to sport and laugh rather then to sing I will speake I will speake that which makes good men grieue and the bad to laugh with greef I will speake yf indeed it can be spoken how loosely they flow in banquetting and dronkennes in chamber-delights and dishonesties that now the howses of Clerkes way be thought to be common brothells of whoores and conuenticles of Players There 's dice dancing and singing there 's riotous watching wish clamour and horrour protracted to midnight Is it thus that yee doe prodigally consume the Patrimonies of Kings the almes of Princes yea which is more the ransom of his pretious bloud Wast For this that our forefathers did emptie their treasures For this hath the Kings Exchecquer been pulled downe by the taking away of manie reuenewes For this did the royall munificence giue manie lands and possessions to the Churches of Christ to adorne strumpets for the delights of the Clergie to prepare lustfull banquets and to purchase dogges hawkes and other such lake toies These things the souldiers proclaime the poeple whisper fooles sing and reoyce at and You neglect You Spare You dissemble and winke Where is the sword of Leui and the zeale of Simeon Gen. 34. 2â— who cutt off the Sichemites euen the circumcised that bore the figure of those that defile Christs Church with vncleane actions when they abused as a whore the daughter Exod. 32. 21. of Iacob Where is the spiritt of Moyses who amongst those that adored the Calfe spared not the domesticks of his oâ—â—â— bloud Where is the dagger of Phinees the Priest who pearcing Num. 25. 7. Act. 5. 5. 8. 20. the sides of one playing the harlot with the Madianitâ— with this holy zeale appeased the wrath of our Lord Where is the Spirit of Peter by whose vertue auarice is slaine and the Simoniacall heresie condemned Jmitate Oyee Priests imitate the waies of our Lord and the iustices of our God It is now time to proceede against them that haue dissipated the law of God I haue the sword of Constantine You hould in your hands the sword of Peter let vs ioyne right hands let vs vnite sword to sword that the leprous persons may be cast out of the caÌ„pes that the Sainctuarie of our Lord may be purged the Sonnes of Leui may serue in the temple who sayd to his father and mother I know you not and to his brethren I am ignorant of them Doe carefully J prayyee lest it repent vs to haue done what we did and to haue giuen what we gaue when we shall see it consumed not in the seruice of God but in the lecberie and vnpunished libertie of naughtie persons Let the reliques of the Saincts mooue yee to which they insult the venerable aultars before which they are outrageous let the wonderfull deuotion of our predecessors mooue yee whose almes the madneâ— of the Clerkes abuseth My great Grandfather as you know gaue the tenth of all his lands to Churches and monasteries and his Grandfather Alured spared nether treasures nor patrimonie nor charges nor reuenewes to enrich the Church What my Grandfather Edward the Elder bestowed on the Churches your Paternitie cannot be ignorant and what guifts my father and brethren heaped on the aultars of Christ it well becomes yee to remember O Dunstan Father of fathers contemplate J beseech thee my fathers
the hedge But he resolued with him self not to depart without the good leaue and licence of sainct DVNSTAN which out of his deceaued mind he falsely hoped for Therefore hauing setled the purpose of his flight togeather with an other companion whom he had made guiltie of his intention therein he prepared for that vnhappie iourney and taking his opportunitie when the other Monkes rested after dinner be went first to sainct DVNSTANS Tombe where he layd open manie complaints of the iniuries he had receaued from his brethren humbly desiring See yf the Saincts are ignorant of mortall affaires him that he would not take this last refuge of his departure in ill part And going presently out of the Church he mett with a MoÌ„ke of a verie reuerend countenance who with a staffe in his hand hindered his expedition and commaunded him to returne to the Tombe and there to chainge his mind and manner of prayer He returned to the holy tombe renewed his former petition and streight prepared him self for the flight Againe he happens vppon the same Moke who gaue him the same but a much sharper rebuke for that attempt threatning to make him feele his staffe vnlesse he obeyed But he allbeâ—t much affrighted returned to the Tombe where againe he repeated his old song came back to the Church-doore and finding the Monke his opponent to be gone he thought that now he was right and therefore hastened towards the monasterie gate to depart But there he mett with the same Monke againe who now the third time stayed his euill-intended iourney and reuealing him self to be DVNSTAN the Archbishop and carefull prouisour of that place he not only with words chastised him S. Dunstan beateth back a fâ—gitiue monke as a light fugitiue of his vowes and religion but allsoe with manie sore blowes layd vppon his head back and sides he made him seele the piously cruell reuenge of his staffe and presently vanished out of his fight The poore Monke who out of weakenes could now nether goe nor stand was carried by his brethren into the Infiâ—marie where his griefes grew dayly soe vehemently vppon him that the Monkes despayring of his health began with prayers to recommend his departing soule to God and his saincts In which hauing recited the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and being come to these words in the Litanies Sancte DVNSTANE intercede pro anima cius which out of their deuotion to the holy Sainct they repeated the Prayer to Saincts profitable sick man began to be better to looke vppon the assistants with more liuely tokens of life â—nd hauing sent for Henry the Priour of the monasterie he made knowne vnto him the whole manner of this storie of his intended flight and how and by whom he was hindered affirming that now he was greeuously sorrowfull repentant for his fault from which he humbly desired to be released by the power of his priestly absolution Which done finding his conscience eased from the guilt and burden of sinne he departed ioyfully Confession o◠〈◊〉 oâ— a Priest out of this life The Priour relating all these things afterwards to the monkes behould he that was guiltie of this flight of whom no man knew anie thing nor he him himself hitherunto what had passed between Edward and S. DVNSTAN fell prostrate before the whole Conuent and with teares trickling downe his cheekes ingenuously confessed his fault that he had allsoe been consenting to the others desire of flight And the Authour of this storie allsoe is a witnes beyond all exception since he relates a thing which him self both saw and heard XXIX MANIE other miracles are reported by verie graue Authours to haue beene wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct Of the träslation of S. Dunstan both during his life and after his death which fearing to be ouer teadious I omitt Only I will admonish my good readers yf perchance they light vppon those fabulous writings which affirme the sacred reliques of Sainct DVNSTAN to haue been translated froÌ„ Canturbury to Glastenbury in the yeare of our Lord 1012 and about the fower and twentith yeare after his death that they suffer not them selues to be easily deceaued For Eadmer a man most worthie of credit and one very familiar with Sainct ANSELME Archbishop of Canturbury doth vtterly hisse out that fiction from the schoole of true historie and cleerly sheweth that he being a boy by LANFRANK Archbishop Gunduphe Bishop of Rochester Scotland Abbot of Sainct AVGVSTINES in Canturbury in presence of the Conuents of both those Monasteries and an infinite multitude of all order sexe and condition that sacred bodie was translated out of the auncient Tombe in which it was found with the mitre ring palle and other pontificall ornaments with a plate of lead and a writing which testified that it was Sainct DVNSTANS bodie into the new Church newly built by blessed LANFRANK Moreouer a few yeares Sec. 10. cap. 7. before I was borne sayth Nicholas Harpsfield that is the yeare 1508. William Warham then Archbishop of Canturbury caused this tombe allsoe to be opened when the head and all the bones were found as allsoe the leaden plate spoken off before All which manie besides the Archbishop men famous for dignitie and learning had the happines to behould and reuerence And in the perpetuall testimonie and memory hereof by three publick Notaries John Barreâ— John Colman and Willian Potkins the matâ—er was written testified and subsigned And the letters of the Archhishop to the Abbot and monkes of Glastenbury who against soe great and soe certaine proofes bragged that with them reposed the reliques of Sainct DVâ—STAN and not at Canturbury are yet extant to be seene to the vtter disproofe of that vaine assertion XXX To conclude at length the life of this most glorious The Conclusion Prelate vnshaken columne of the English Church incomparable restorer of our Ecclesiasticall and monasticall discipline worthy Pillar and ornament of the Benedictine Order vndaunted Tamer of vices and most zealous Aduancer of vertue religion and iustice I thinke I can wish noe greater happines to the Christian world then that at this day it were adorned with manie such Bishops as Sainct DVNSTAN and manie such Princes as the noble EDGAR was that soe the Spouse of Christ the Church might be purged from all spott of vncleannes and Kingdoms gouerned with true equitie and iustice in the waies of all pietie fayth and religion But alas where is that Bishop now that dare attempt to rebuke or curbe the vices of a king or a Prince as DVNSTAN did And where is that king that being iustly repreheÌ„ded will huÌ„ble him self as our EDGAR did Surely the zeale coÌ„staÌ„cie of this admirable Bishop in curbing of vice was excelleÌ„t and the humilitie of this noble king in obeying the reprehension of the Church was most memorable God of his infinite goodnes graunt grace vnto the spirituall and temporall gouernours of his Church to imitate
the worthie examples of them both soe to rule the flock of CHRIST committed to their charge that they may attaine to the euerlasting happines which these enioy in heauen Amen The life of Sainct DVNSTAN is written by Osberne a monke of Canturbury who florished in the yeare 1020. Surius recites it in his 5. tome Out of which and NICOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 10. cap. 3. 6. 7. we haue chiefly gathered this whole historie of his life The Roman martirologe maks mention of him And not loÌ„g after his death Canutus King of England in a famous sinod at winchester ordayned amongst other things that the memorie of Sainst DVNSTAN should be yearly celebrated in the English Church as it is in the Sarum Berniarie But in an auncient manuscript Breâ—iary of Sainct BENEDICTS Order J find the seast of his holy deposition celebrated the 19. of May with an office of twelue tessons Baronius tom 10. Trithemius in his worke of the illustrious men of Sainct BENEDICTS Order lib. 3. cap. 221. lib. 4. cap. 100. william Malmesbury de gest reg Ang. l. 2. and more amply de gest Pont. lib. 1. and ali our English writers doe worthyly speake his prayses And glorious mention is made of him in the lines of S. Edward king and martir march the 18. of Sainct ELPHFGVS Archbishop and martir Aprill the 19. and elsewhere The life of S. ETHELBERT King and Martir MAY. 20 Written by IoaÌ„nes Anglicus ETHELBERT sonne to Etheldred king of the East-Angles from his verie infancie gaue worthy signes of great towardlines and vertue which in riper yeares he brought to an higher degree of The exercises of his yout h. Christian perfection Coming to yeares of discretion he was sett to schoole wherein he not only profitted much in learning but allsoe auoyding all the fond allurements and vaine pleasures of the world contrarie to the custom of children nobly borne he spent his greatest endeauours in dayly prayers giuing of almes and other vertuous workes of Christian pietie excelling all his equalls in yeares as farre in vertue and learning as in the royaltie of his bloud for when they were sweating in the dustie exercises of their youthfull games ETHELBERT was deuoutly weeping in the Church He is made King of the â—â—st-Angleâ— at his prayers At length death hauing robbed his father of the cares of this world ETHELBERT succeeded in the gouernement of the Kingdome when it was rare to behould with what prudent counsell mercifull iustice meeke iudgement and all other vertues beloÌ„ging to a good Prince he ruled his subiects liuelily expressing both in word worke and example that by how much the more a man is exalted to the height of dignitie by â—oe much he ought to beare a mind more submissiue and courteous vnto all whereby he wonne a wonderfull and singular grace in the hearts of his nobles and people To his mother the Queene he allwaies dutifull loue and respect as vnto his gouernesse and whatsoeuer was pleasing to her desire stood euer with his good liking II. IN THE meane time allbeit of him self he were wholly bent His Nobles perswade â—im to Martie to embrace perpetuall chastitie soe naturall a propension he had to the loue of all vertue yet being earnestly perswaded by the vrgent prayers of his Nobilitie lest otherwise being destitute of an heyre his Kingdom might fall into some danger he yeelded to their desires and gaue his mind to mariage Then the name and fame of one Seledrid only daughter to a Prince rich and potent in the south part of England to whom after her fathers death that Kingdom fell for a dowrie being in the mouthes of all men her our noble ETHELBERT was perswaded to take to wife thereby to ioyne the possession of that principalitie vnto his owne Kingdom But he refused to listen to this counsell affirming that Egeon her father allbeit he were not vnnoble yet he was reported to haue been allwaies much inclined to guile deceipt part whereof sayd he he hath in former time practised against my father At length after a long deliberation he made choise of Alfred daughter to Offa King of the Mercians and the more strictly to oblige her and her father vnto him this vertuous Prince went him self with a He taketh his iourney into Mercia small garde of his owne countrey into Mercia or Midle-England to fetch her in pompe from her fathers court But at his very entrance into this iourney he was terrified with manie strange prodigies and accidents as soe manie fatall signes of his death to which he hastened Ascending on horseback the earth was shaken vnder him and all the cleernes of the day was suddenly darkened with a thick clowd in which appeared a pillar of light breaking out by times that only gaue him light to see his way at length that being buriâ—d in those sad â—lowdes the sunne it self seemed to haue forgotten his office of lighting the world becoming dreadfully darke and black to the sight of him and his companie Where manie being much amazed deuined strangely what those signes might portend only the holy King ETHELBERT in whose heart was engraffed soe pious a candour of nature that he constered all sinister suspicions of deceit in the best sence and constantly perseuered in his proposed A free coÌ„science is voyd of feare iourney with a merrie heart and speech comforting and encouraging his companie to let a firme confidence in the mercie and goodnes of allmightie God banish out of their hearts all vaine feare of worldly dangers And falling downe on his knees amongst them all he made his prayer to our Lord and presently the sunne dispersed those darke cloudes and gaue them perfect light againe III. THEREFORE he arriued safely into Mercia and to the court of King Offa at a place in Hâ—refordshire called Sutton-Wallis where he was at first most courteously and royally entertayned by Offa. But the night following holy ETHELBERT was much terrified and troubled in his sleepe with manie strange dreames and visions presaging his ensuing death as allsoe the immortall glory which should follow This King Offa had a wife called Quendred who hearing her daughter Alfrid highly extolling the See the enuy of wicked woemaÌ„ nobles dotes vertues and riches of Ethelbert and his Kingdome and preferring them before her owne fathers was presently wounded to the heart with the sharpe thornes of a iealous enuie with which she laboured soe cruelly that she could not be deliuered but by the death of King ETHELBERT and the possession of his kingdom Therefore going presently to King Offa her husband she dealt earnestly with him to further her damnable proiect in murdering that innocent Prince For behould sayd she how God hath deliuered your enemie into your hands that by his death his kingdom may passe vnto the right and title of you and your successors In summe whether Offa consented to her deuilish purpose as some Authours say he did or whether he were
the Danish furie broke allsoe into the Abbey of Malmesbury Where as one of that outrageous crew endeauoured to violate his sacred bodie he suddenly lost his witts which soe terrified the rest of his fellow-robbers that they had the witt to runne speedily away Soe that when all the Churches and religious houses round about were made a prey to their furie the Church of Malmesbury by the helpe and patronage of S. ALDELME remayned inuiolate VIII Now yf anie one desire more largely to know other strange Manie mi racles wrought at his tombe miracles which haue been wrought by the merits of this glorious Sainct I refer him to the authour of his life William Malmesbury where he shall find the blind recouer their sight the lame their limmes the dumbe their speech mad men restored to their senses possessed persons deliuered and others oppressed with manie other mortall diseases beyond the skill of phisick receaue their health by the diuine power of allmightie God and the intercession of glorious S. ALDELME Of which kind some were done in the time and memorie of our Authour Therefore Blessed Lanfranck Archbishop of Canturbury moued with the greatnes of these and such like miracles solemnly decreed that the memorie of S. Aldelmâ— should be honoured amongst the other Saincts of the Church throughout the realme of England But in the yeare of our redemption 1078. the thirteenth after the coming in of the Normans all things being His bodie translated to its auncient 〈◊〉 now safe from the incursious of the Danes and other feares of spoling by the hands of the Abbot Warine and Blessed OSMVND bishop of Sherburne the sacred bones and reliques of S. Aldelâ—e were restored into their auncient shrine that was soe rich From which time the number of manie wonderfull miracles encreased dayly more and more His life was largely written as we haue sayd by William malmesbury a verie graue authour out of whom Nicholas Harpsfield sec 8. cap. 11. relateth this Historie The same hath allsoe been written by S. Eguine bishop of Worcester and S. Osmund of Sarisbury of both which the iniurie of the times haue robbed vs. Trithemius of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order lib. 2. cap. 23. lib. 3. cap. 141. lib. 4. 175. Cardiuall Baronius tomâ— 8. an 699. 705. and 709. and tom 9. an 734. Mathew Vestminster an 704. and. 709. Camden in discript Com. Wilton and all Historiographers both English and else doe make honourable mention of him S. AVGVSTINVS PRIMVS ARCHIEPISCOP CANTVAR Aplus Apostolus Angliâ—â— Monachus Benedictinus M. Baâ—â— f. The life of Sainct AVGVSTINE Apostle of England Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAY 26. Written by Gotsellinus a Monke and S. Bede THE fruitfull countrey of England in times past called Britaine being oppressed and wholly subdued by the warlick power of the Saxons and other poeple of Germanie was compelled not only to receaue and beare their gouernance dominion and name but allso which is much worse to embrace their impious Idolatrie and the seruice of their false Gods Soe that the Christian Catholick religion which from King Lucius had florished in that happie Iland for the space of three hundred yeares was miserably banished and destroyed Till a hundred and fortie yeares after the eternall mercie of allmightie God cast a fouourable eye vppon our wretched countrey and putt such holy thoughts into the mind of saint GREGORIE the Great Pope of Rome that allthough our countrey S. Gregorie the great sendeth Augustine in to EnglaÌ„d were farre distant yet he embraced it with a pious affection seriously cast about how or by what meanes he might reduce it againe to the sweet subiectioÌ„ of CHRISTS holy Ghospell Which diuine worke when he himself as is sayd in his life could not bring to passe he committed the charge thereof to this our glorious Apostle saint AVGVSTINE who at that time was Prior of the Monasterie of saint BENEDICTS Order which saint GREGORIE bad built in Rome on the side of the hill Scaurus and dedicated to saint ANDREW the Apostle Out of this Monasterie therefore our saint AVGVSTINE when he had led a holy monasticall life vnder the rule of the great Patriarke of Monks saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares was called by great saint GREGORIE from the sweetnes of contemplation to labour for the aduancement of Gods Church in an actiue manner of life and sent togeather with other holy monkes of the same Order to preach the Ghospell of CHRIST to the English nation Who obeying the holy will of the Pope vndertooke that great worke and beganne their iourney towards Augustine beginneth his iourney England and now they had passed ouer the frozen hills of Jtalie and were entred into the confines of France when vnderstanding the English nation to be of a barbarous cruell and warlick disposition and peruerse in the profession of Idolatrie being terribly affrighted from their attempt after a consultation had among them selues they resolued rather to turne homewards againe then to loose their labours amongst those fierce and barbarous poeple whose language they knew not II. THEREFORE setting aside all delay the whole companie sent He returneth to Rome back AVGVSTINE to Rome humbly to obtaine of the Pope in name of them all to haue an exemption from that iourney soe dangerous laborious and soe vncertaine of reaping anie profitt To whom the holy Pope burning with zeale to gaine soules to the Church sent letters of exhortation to encourage them in their holy enterprise whereof this is the tenour GREGORIE seruant of the seruants S. Gregories Epistle to comfort them in they iourney of God to the sernants of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST Because it had been better neuer to haue begunne good workes then euen in thought to fall from them being once begunne yee ought with all diligence â—moct beloued children to accomplish the good worke which by the helpe of our Lord yee haue vndertaken Nether let the labour of the iourney nor the tongues of slanderous men deterre yee but God being your ruler performe with all instancie and feruour what ye haue begunne knowing that a greater glorie of eternall recoÌ„pence followeth the greatnes of your labour But in all things be humbly obedient to AVGVSTINE your Prior to you returning whom we allsoe constitute your Abbot knowing that through all things it will be profitable for your soules whatsoeuer yee shall doe by his admomtion Allmightie God protect yee with his grace and graunt me to see the fruits of your labour in the euerlasting kingdom to the end that allthough I cannot labour with yee I may haue a place with yee in the ioies of your recompence because indeed I desire to labour God keepe yee in health my most beloued children Giuen the third of the calends of August in the raygne of our most pious Emperour Mauritius Tiberius c. At the same time this most Blessed Pope sent letters allsoe to
was led in and placed amongst them And when the prayers and labours of the Britans could nothing auayle towards his cure saint AVGVSTINE compelled by a iust necessitie S. Augustine cureth a blind man bowed his knees to the father of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST humbly beseeching him to restore to that blind creature his lost sight and by the corporall illuminating of one to enkindle with his spirituall grace the hearts of manie of his faythfull His prayer being ended the blind man receaued his sight to the great confusion of his aduersaries and comfort of those of his side who with one voyce extolled saint AVGVSTINE as the true preacher of the eternall light And the Britans them selues confessed against their wills that indeed the way of iustice which AVGVSTINE followed was true but yet they could not without the consent and leaue of their countrey renounce their auncient customs XVIII THEREFORE they required a new synod to be summoned in which more of the learned men of their countrey might be present Which being appoynted seauen Bishops of the Britans and a great A Synod held in England number of the learned men chiefly out of their famous Monastery of Bangor then gouerned by an Abbot called Dinoth coming to the place of the councell went first to a certaine holy and prudent man that led an anachoreticall life in that countrey to consult him whether they should yeeld to the preaching of AVGVSTINE and abandon their owne tradition If AVGVSTINE be a man of God answered he why doe yee not follow his counsell without anie more delay And by what meanes replied they can we proue this It is written sayd the other Take my yoake vppon yee and learne of me Math. 11. because I am meeke and humble of heart If AVGVSTINE then be meeke and humble in heart it is likely that he carrieth the yoake of CHRIST and offers it to be carried by you allso But if he be proud it is manifest that he is not from God and that yee need not care for his speeches And how replied they againe can we be able to know soe much Be sure sayd he to let him come first to the place of the Councell and yf he humbly arise at your entrance know that he is the Seruant of CHRIST and to be of you obeyed but if he contemne you and disdaigne to rise in curtesy to you who are more in number yee may boldly despise him too What more They did The Britans contemne S. Augustine as he commaunded when coming into the Synod saint AVGVSTINE sate quietly in his chayre Which they noe sooner perceaued but iudging it to proceede out of pride laboured to contradict him in all things refusing not only to correct their auncient errours but allsoe denying to receaue him for their Archbishop conferring with one and other that yf now he would not daigne to rise to salute vs how much more will he contemne vs yf we become his subiects To whom the holy man inspired He foretelleth their ruine with the spiritt of prophesie foretould that because they refused to preach with him the way of life to the English nation by their hands they should feele the reuenge of death Whose words the euent proued true for after the death of saint AVGVSTINE Alfrid King of the Northumbers leading forth a great armie against the head-strong Britans made a huge slaughter amongst them neere vnto the towne now called West-Chester But goeing to the battle when he saw their Priests and a mightie troupe of the monkes of Bangor where aboue two thousand liued The Britans punished by the only labour of their hands standing in a place of defence and powring out their prayers to allmightie God against his successe he caused his souldiers first to sett vppon them of whom being wholly vnarmed and committed to the protection of one Brocmal who fled away with his fellowes at the first encounter were slaine one thousand and two hundred and the rest escaped by flight Which done he made head against the armed Britans when not without a great losse of his owne armie he vtterly defeated Whereby the prophesie of S. AVGVSTINE was fullfilled XIX BVT our most blessed Apostle saint AVGVSTINE leauing the rebellious Britans to expect the coming of this foresayd punishment trauelled with his holy companie to the Cittie of Yorke preaching the Ghospell of CHRIST as he went and by the way he cured S. Augustin cureth the palsey a wretched creature of a double disease a palsey and blindnes not only of bodie but of soule too for being by his prayers healed in bodie he beleeued and had his soule purged in the sacred font of Baptisme O most blessed man full of the spirit of God who when occasion was offered was as powerfull to worke miracles for the salution as to preach words for the instruction of his poeple For what penne is able to expresse with how manie shining miracles he illuminated the whole countrey in this iourney What tongue can number how manie troupes of Insidels in the confines of Yorkes and in all other places where he went he added to the number of the faythfull and reduced into the should of CHRISTS holy Church when only in one day and that on the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord which the whole multitude of heauenly Angels doeth perpetually celebrate he renewed ten thousand men in the sacred baptisme of life besides allmost an innumerable multitude of women and children But what number of Priests or other holy orders would suffice to baptise soe great a multitude Therefore hauing giuen He baptiseth ten thousand persons in one day his benediction to the riuer Swale he commaunded them all to enter through which it being otherwise farre too deepe to wade they passed to the other side with no lesse miracle then in times past the Jsraelites through the red sea and as they went they were baptised by the holy Father of our Fayth saint AVGVSTINE in the name of the holy Trinitie A most strainge spectacle In that soe deepe a bottom in soe great a throng and presse of poeple in such a diversitie of age sexe and condicion not one was lost not one was hurt not one was missing And which is most of all to be admired A strange miracle all that laboured with anie infirmitie or disease of bodie left that allsoe behind them in the water and euery lame or deformed person came out whole and sound O most pleasant sight O admirable spectacle worthie to haue Angels spectatours when soe manie thousand fayre faces of the English nation came out of the bellie of one Riuer as out of the wombe of one common Mother and out of one channell soe great a progenic was borne and deriued to the Kingdom of heauen Herevppon the most blessed Pope GREGORY Lib. 7. c. 30. bursting out in ioy togeather with the heauenly citizens could not hould but make his penne the trumpett of this admirable
and the yeare he died in our writers are verie different He was first buried in his owne Monastery of Weremouth but afterwards his holy reliques were translated to Durham where togeather with the head of King Oswald and the bones of King Coolwulphe a Benedictine Monke of Lindisfarne they were found in a linnen bagge within the tombe of our great saint CVTHBERT during the raigne of William the second when Ranulphus the seauenth bishop of Durham translated the bodie of the same sainct CVTHBERT into the new Church which he had built where the sacred bones of saint BEDE remayne to this day with this Epitaphe too vnelegant for the shrine of soe learned a man Beda Dei famulus monachorum nobile sidus The Epitaphe of his Tombe Finibus e terrae profuit Ecclesiae Solers iste Patrum scrutando per omnia sensum Eloquio viguit plurima composuit Annos in vitater duxit * Quinque vitae triginta Praesbiter officio Maximus ingenio Iunij septenis viduatur carne Calendis Angligena Angelicam commeruit patriam They are in no sorte to be borne with or beleeued who haue A false opinion of his translation written or rather dreamed that his body was transported to Genua in Jtaly For hitherunto I doe not find this affirmed by anie approoued Authour And not a few asseuer that in his life time he neuer went out of the bounds of England and to say that he was transported after death into forreigne lands seemeth to be a monstrous and strainge opinion worthy to be banished into farre countreyes His life we haue collected out of diuers graue Authours William Malmesbury de gest reg Ang lib. 1. cap. 3. Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts and Trithemius in his worke of the illustrious men of saint Benedicts Order lib. 3. cap. 155. lib. 2. cap. 21. But his life hath been written by Cuthbert his disciple a Benedictine in the same Monasterie and one much auncienter then all those being an ey-witnes of what he writes out of whom and an other auncient manuscript written by one that suppressed his name we haue taken a great part of his life Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe and all our Historiographers as well English as others doe highly sound forth his prayses The end of May. S. BONIFACIVS MARTIR GERMANORVM APLVS APOSTOLVS Benedictinus Angluâ— Junij 5. M. baâ—â— f. The life of S. BONIFACE Archbishop Apostle of Germanie of the holy order of saint BENEDICT IVNE 5 Writen by S. Willibald Bishop of Eiâ—â—â—â—tadt in Germanie WHEN the Englishmen that came out of Germanie had coÌ„quered the Iland of great Britaine and giuen it the name of England the Catholick religion brought in by King Lucius was forced to giue place to Paganisâ—â—e till after an hundred and fortie yeares by the preaching of S. AVGVSTINE the Benedistine Monke it was againe restored to Christianitie Then manie holy men of the same order profession allthough they thought them selues most happy in the purchase of soe great good something notwithstanding they iudged to be wanting for the making vp of their felicitie because their owne auncient countrey of Germanie which they had left was yet detayned in the black night The place of his birth and desire of a religious life of Idolatrie The care and cogitation hereof much troubled and exercised the hearts of manie and chiefly of this holy Benedictine Monke WINFRID afterwards called BONIFACE Who being borne of very worthy parents at Kyrtâ—n in Deuonshire was from his very childhood possessed with a wonderfull loue of the heauenly wisedome and a perfect monasticall manner of life in soe much that he opened the secret of this desire vnto his father VVho greatly displeased thereat endeauoured partly with flattering enticements large promises and partly with threatnings to deterre him from that pious course But by how much the more earnestly the father stroue to reclaime his sonne to the loue of the world by soe much the more coÌ„staÌ„tly the holy child full of the diuine grace remayned firme in his good purpose and studied to attayne to the knowledge of heauenly learning VVhence by the wonderfull prouidence of allmightie God it came to passe that his father who was his only hindrance being taken with a sudden sicknes deposed all his former stubbornesse and sent his sonne to the Benedictine Abbey at Excester six miles He taketh the Habit of S. Bene dict distant from the place where he was borne commending him to the care of VVolphard the venerable Abbot of the same Monastery by whom he was courteously receaued where he beganne to performe all the duties of a monasticall life that were agreable to his tender age growing dayly as in age more perfect in the exercise of vertue II. BEING gone out of the yeares of his childhood he soe entierly subiected him self to the institutions of his ancients and the exercise of sacred reading that euery day his soule was enriched more and more with the diuine guifts of manie vertues In summe when vnder the obedience of the forenamed Abbot he had professed and obserued all the discipline of a regular life according to the Rule of the great Patriarch of Monkes saint BENEDICT for the space of manie yeares and being not able there for of want teachers to satiate his thirst of diuine learning according to the greatnes of his desire with the consent of his Abbot and brethren he went to the Monastery of Nutscelle where vnder the discipline of Winbert the Abbot he made soe wonderfull a progresse in all manner of His great progresse in learning learning and vertue that his fame being diuulged ouer the countrey manie flocked thither to become his schollers When he the more he was exalted to the height of science and excellencie of other vertues the more close he kept him self within the ward of humilitie euer honouring his iuferiours as his equalls and embracing them with the armes of true loue and charitie according to the counsell of the wiseman By how much thou art Eccl. 3. greater humble thy self in all things At the thirtith yeare of his age he was adorned with the sacred dignitie of Priestood when by reason of his great learning and vertue he was held in soe great He is made Priest veneration in that countrey that a Synod being assembled at the same time to difcusse some ecclesiasticall controuersies wherein some certaine decrees were ordayned which notwithstanding were submitted to the honourable suffrage of the Archbishop of Canturbury by the consent of the King and Councell BONIFACE was chosen to be most fitt to treate of soe weightie a matter with the Archbishop which busines he soe brauely and solidly dispatched that he purchased to him self grace and fauour with all men III. BVT retayning allwaies in his mind a pious desire to labour His ardent desire to conuert Insidels in the conuersion of Infidells
called Ioues-Tree which was superstitiously worshipped by the Pagans This as a chiefe monument of their Heathenish superstition saint BONIFACE endeauoured to cutt downe and ouerthrow Which his labours greatly vexing the minds of those Infidels made them take armes against him when to the great astonishment of them all that tree which by litle and litle he had begunne to cutt was by a certaine diuine power suddenly broken and shiuered into fower peeces This spectacle soe terrified the fierce hearts of the Pagans that togeather with their malice conceaued against the holy man they deposed they errours and embraced the Christian fayth which from this time wonderfully encreased euery day To which happines by the labour of saint BONIFACE the Christian cause in Thuringia aswered with the like good successe where allbeit the false Christians Dorth winus Bertherus Erimbertus False Christians excommunicated and Humedus men wholly addicted to withcraft adultery and all other vices cruelly afflicted and hindered for a time his holy endeauours yet being at length vtterly conuinced with the force of his diuine arguments they were ouerthrowne and by the censure of excommunication cutt off from the Communion of the Catholick Church Whilst he laboured in preaching teaching and baptising in this Prouince happened to pitch his tents neere vnto the riuer Oraham an heauenly splendour glittered all one night ouer the place where the holy bishop lay and in that light S. MICHAEL S. Michael appeareth to S. â—oniface the Archangell appeared vnto him with words of wonderfull consolation and encouragement On the morrow hauing rendred thanks vnto allmightie God for soe peculiar a remonstrance of his fauour he celebrated the sacred misteries of Masse in the same place where in great extremitie want of victualls a strainge byrd vnexpectedly brought him a fish of sufficient quantitie to serue him and his fellowes for a meale And here hauing afterwards obtayned a parcell of land of one Hugo surnamed the Elder saint BONIFACE built the Church and monastery of Ordosse to the honour and name of saint MICHAEL and in memory of this diuine fauour there receaued VIII THEREFORE the Christian fayth greatly encreasing euery He seâ—deth 〈◊〉 more preachers out of England day by the preaching of saint BONIFACE and finding the labourers to be too few for soe large and ample an haruest he sent for more religious men and woemen out of England and diuided the burden of his labour amongst them The chiefest of the men were Bâ—rehard Lullus Willibald and Wincbald his brother Witâ—â— and Gregory and of the religious woemen Tecla Lioba and Walburg all Monkes and Nunnes of the holy order of saint BENEDICT by whose pious labours and endeauours His obedience to the Roman sea the Monasteries built by saint BONIFACE were gouerned in the profession of monasticall discipline the Benedictine Order much aduanced in that Countrey and manie thousands reduced to the Christian fayth In the meane time Pope Gregory the second being dead an other Gregory succeeded vnto whom saint BONIFACE sent messengers out of hand to testifie his dutie and obseruance towards him and the Roman sea to signifie withall how and in what manner he had laboured in Germanie and to desire his counsell in manie difficulties that did arise To all which the Pope not only gaue particular answere by letters but allsoe an honour which he desired not made saint BONIFACE Archbishop of Germanie and sent him the Palle due vnto that dignitie IX Then this blessed man hauing built two Monasteries one in the honour of the Prince of Apostles saint PETER an other to saint MICHAEL the Archangell and filled them with Monkes to sing the prayses of Allmightie God he trauelled into Bauaria then gouerned by a Duke called Hubert where with his sacred preachings and the excommunication of a willfull sck Ermwolfe whose poysonous doctrine infected manie he greatly promoted the Christian fayth And not long after saint BONIFACE went His third iourney to Rome againe to Rome where he was honourably entertayned by the whole court and chiefly by the Pope who sent him back into Germanie loaden with manie sacred guifts and with commendatorie letters to men of all orders and conditions as well Ecclesiasticall as secular throughout the Countrey Being returned Vtilo Duke of He reformeth the Churches of Bauaria Bauaria sent for him to sett in order the Churches of that Prouince where there were manie that impudently assumed vnto them selues the sacred functions of Priests and Bishops without anie authoritie but their owne and corrupted the poeple with diuers errours These the holy man banished out of that countrey and with great care and prudencie prouided against the like deceipts in future The Prouince it self he deuided into â—ower Diocesses which before was gouerned by the sole Bishop of Pataâ—â—a vnto which saint BONIFACE added the Episcopall seas of Saltzburg Frisengen and R 〈…〉 bone and this his proceeding was ratified by the letters of Pope Gregorie who with his hands lifted vp towards heauen fignified the infinite thankes he gaue to allmightie God for the Euangelicall seed soe happily sowne by Boniface in Germanie where he had gayned a hundred thousand soules to Christ out of the slauerie and bondage of the Deuill X. Bvt death hauing depriued the pious Prince Carolus Martellâ—â— Carolomannus King of France of the vse and cares of the world Carolomannus togeather with his brother Pipin ioinctly succeeded their father in the crowne of France To Carolomannus therefore who was the elder S. Boniface went whom when he had carefully exhorted to imitate his fathers pietie towards the Churches of God for the aduancement of the Christian sayth he found nothing degenerate from his father in that matter Therefore saint BONIFACEâ— beseethed his authoritie and consent for the assembling of a Synod whereby the Ecclesiasticall A Synod held in Germanie discipline greatly impayred both in the Clergie and poeple might be reduced to the exact obseruance of the Canons de 〈…〉 s of the Church For noâ— Synod had 〈◊〉 held there for the space of foweâ—score yeares before The dec 〈…〉 of the Canons were neglected the ordinations of Bishops were dispatched by those that had no authoritiâ— men of wicked liues were without distrinction raysed to priestoâ—d and other Ecclesiasticall functions Therefore in this Synod in which by the authoritie of Zacharie Bishop of R 〈…〉 saint BONIFACE presided manie things very profitable to the Church were decreed and amongst others that noe bishops or Priests contrarie to the state of their dignitie and office should follow â—eats of armes those only excepted who serâ—â—ed the 〈◊〉 with the sacrifice of Masse and the sacramenes Manie allsoe that were feared with the markes of wicked life and teaching of 〈◊〉 sâ— doctrine were depriued of their degrees and amongst others two notable masters of damâ—able opinions Clement and Aâ—elbeâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ast out of the Church as allsoe Gâ—â—uilio Bishop He is made Archbis hop of
His wonderfull abstinence of a abstinence that he neuer rose from the table with a full stomake and in Lent for the most part his greatest dainties were bread and water Whence it came to passe that at an Easter time his appetite and gust of meate was soe vtterly mortified ouerthrowne that he could not eate the meate which was set before him And when the monke that wayted vppon him demaunded why he did not eate Yf I had some oaten bread replied he moistened with butter I thinke I should be able to eate it Therefore the Monke Soe holy Dauid refused to drinke the water which he had desiâ—red his seruant brought some such bread when the holy man reflecting with him self that he had giuen a litle fauourable scope to his appetite conceaued soe great feare thereat that becoming a rigid and seuere reuenge to himself he refused to tast it at all but remayned fasting And that meate soe prouided he commaunded to be giuen to the poore that wayted at the Monastery gate where they found a fayre yong man of a very beautifull countenance who tooke the meate with the dish and vanished Which as they related to the holy Abbot behould the same dish fell vppon the table before him Whereby they vnderstood that an Angell sent from heauen had receaued that almes from the holy man III. OVER and aboue the accustomed taske of his diuine office and His prayers and the effects thereof prayers he dayly recited the whole Psalter of Dauid contayning an hundred and fiftie Psalmes But as once more earnestly he made his prayers vnto allmightie God and with the teares of his deuotion abundantly trickling downe his cheekes he powred forth his soule before the court of heauen desiring that as well his owne as the seruice of his brethren might be acceptable to the diuine maiestie and that they might be found worthy to haue their names written in the booke of life he heard these comfortable words come from aboue Take courage my Sonne for thy prayers are written in heauen Only two of them whose hearts haue been allwaies fixed to the loue of terrene things are inscribed in the dust of the world And not long after two Conuerses commonly called Lay-brothers casting off their habits made a miserable end of their liues in the world whereby the diuine reuelation of the holy man was verified IV. PASSING on a time by New-Castle he happened into a great He hindeâ—â—â—â— the wicked endeauours of the deuill multitude of yong men where he saw one with a wonderfull curiositie runne vp and downe amongst them fawning vppon them with an insolent countenance and as it were exhort and stirre them vp to the execution of some great matter When perceauing that he played not the part of a Man but rather the deceiptfull games of some wicked deuill by the powerfull force of his diuine words he commaunded him to depart Ho thou gallant sayd he these men doe not want thy worke quickly therefore be gone and follow me Presently â—e as yf he had been tied to their horse tayles went afâ—â—t holy Abbot through the durtie streets to the great astonishment of those that were present When they were gone out of the towne and come into the turnings of the highway Who art thou sayd the holy man and what was thy busines there Thou art not ignorant who I am replied he and thou knowest well my endeauours There is a pompous celebration of a rich mans wedding Note the maâ—ice of the deuâ—â—l in that towne and I was earnestly labouring to haue the groome slayne in the buanquet by his riualls that the guests being incensed with anger thereat might endeauour to reuenge his death and soe blinded with wrath and dronkennes their mutuall wounds might cause a sedition in the cittie that by the cutting downe of manie bodies I might reape an haruest of soules into my possession And now I was perswaded by the purchase of this victorie to haue returned in ioyfull triumphe to my Prince when my whole plott and counsell being ouerthrowne by thee I am constrayned to go home without anie gaine at all At these wordes the holy Abbot detesting the wickednes of that insernall monster commaunded him to depart to the determined place of his torments and neuer more hereafter to attempt to deceaue minkind Whereat the wicked spirit vanished taking his farewell with soe great horrour that their horses growing furious with neighing snoring and tearing the ground with their feet could hardly be held vnder the possession of their riders V. AN OTHER time the monkes being at mattins the holy man saw the Deuill standing in the habit of a countrey fellow at the quire He seeth the deuill inquiring into the faults of his Monkes doore and oftentimes endeauouring but in vaine to enter into it Then falling heartily to his prayers and stirring vp the hearts of his brethren to deuotion that infernall spie perceauing after a long expectance that he profitted nothing vanished away with anger and confusion The same holy Abbot celebrating once the dreadfull sacrifice of Masse saw in a vision a mightie storme at sea wherein a ship was sorely tost vp and downe in those swelling waues till the sterne being broken she ranne violently on her owne ruine and beating her self against a cruell rock dissolued her ioynts and ribbes into peeces left all the men her rulers to shift for them selues in the mercilesse billowes of the Ocean The holy man being greatly moued to compassion with this vision hauing finished his masse sent his Monkes to the sea side to take vp the bodies of those drowned persons They went and the fourth day after in the very place designed by saint ROBERT the sea cast vp the dead bodies which by their hands were honoured with Christian buriall VI. A HOLY matrone who by the pious persuasions of S. ROBERT S. Robert freed from a faâ—se Suspition by S. Bernard had contemned the gorgeous pride and vanitie of the world and betaken her self to a retired and deuout life was oftentimes visited by the same holy man to be by his godly instructions dayly aduanced in the way of vertue Which thing was a cause of manie bad suspitions in the iealous minds of some of his brethren who iudged that current of familiaritie to proceed from an impure spring And now they had infected the eares of manie with their misdeeming opinion till their complaints arriued to the knowledge of the great Patrone of his Order saint BERNARD Abbot of Clareuall in France To whom saint ROBERT went in person and he hauing had a reuelation of his great same and merits tooke him secretly aside and sayd Brother ROBERT those things are most false which the sinister suspition of manie hath bruted abroade against thy innocencie And in testimonie of his loue he gaue him a gyrdle which afterwards by the merits of them both gaue the benefitt of health to manie sick persons VII THIS holy Confessor was
wont oftentimes to visitt the blessed Hermite GODRICK between whom past manie pious discourses of the diseases of vices and the remedies of vertues as allsoe of the heauenly secrets angelicall visitations and the Patronage of the Saincts spending whole nights and daies in the delightfull mixture of such diuine speeches But here I must admonish my good reader An errour in the History of his life corrected that there is a mistake slipt into the life of saint ROBERT sett forth by Surius when it is sayd that saint GODRICK heard the confessions of saint ROBERT for saint GODRICK as we haue sayd in his life the 21. May was a man wholly without learning and neuer made Priest Perchance Surius correcting the stile of the Authour destroyed the sense for in Ioannes Anglicus recited by Capgrane We find contrariwise that saint ROBERT who vsed oftentimes to visitt saint GODRICK was his Phisitian in matter of confession and conscience Therefore let not this errour in Surius deceaue my reader as allreadie it hath done manie others who are vnacquainted with our English histories VIII BVT this holy Abbot saint ROBERT when he had gloriously finished the spirituall conflict of a monasticall life which he had vndertaken in this mortall world yeelded vp his blessed soule to receaue the immortall prize and reward of his labours in heauen And S. Godrick hath a vision of his glory at the same instant the forenamed saint GODRICK being then in his cell in the Hermitage of Finckley saw his soule in the forme of a fiery globe carried vp in great glory to the heauenly Kingdoms by the ministerie and assistance of angelicall hands He died the seauenth day of June in the yeare of our saluation 1159. He was buried in his owne Monasterie called New Abbey where his tombe was famous for manie miracles there the blind receaued their sight the dumbe their speech the lame the vse of their limmes and manie others the benefitt of their desired health The memorie of Sainct ROBERT was famous in times past at Knaresborow in Yorkeshire where by some he is reported to haue led an Heremiticall life But whether that saint ROBERT be the same of whom now we treate I dare not certainly affirme especially because the Authours of his life doe make noe mention that euer he was an Hermite The historie of his life we haue taken out of the Authour thereof recited by Surius tom 3. the same it sett downe by Iohn Capgraue out of Ioannes Anglicus The Roman Martirologe Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Mathew Paris anno 1238. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare doe make worthy mention of him The life of Sainct WILLIAM Archbishop of Yorke and Confessor IVNE 8. Gathered out of diuers Authours SAINCT WILLIAM borne of noble Parents Count Herbert and Emma Sister to King Stephen of England excelled the splendour of his parentage with the bright lustre of his vertues and the heauenly graces and guifts wherewith he was adorned by the diuine goodnes of allmightie God When his tender yeares beganne to be more soundly gouerned with the raynes of discretion he allso endeauoured carefully to rule his life with all the pious discipline of good manners Till by the dayly encrease of his vertues and holy conuersation he purchased vnto him self aduancement to Ecclesiasticall dignitie and was chosen treasurer of the Church of Yorke He is made Treasurer of the Church of Yorke vnder Thurstin Archbishop of the same Sea When WILLIAM iudging no treasure to be more pretious then that which succoureth those that suffer want made his riches serue to enrich the poore and needie At length Thurstin the Archbishop hauing payed the tribut of nature vnto death our WILLIAM being found to be a man in whom the vertues of meeknes pietie charitie did a bound was by the common consent of the Chanons chosen to succeed in He is falsely accused the gouernment of that sea But by the factious and turbulent resistance of Osbert Archdeacō of the same Church by the manie false complaints and crimes which he and his adherents preferred to the court of Rome against this election the matter was held in suspense and controuersie for fiue yeares space allbeit the acclamations of the Clergie and the generall applause of the people not only testified the innocencie of S. WILLIAM but allsoe proclaymed him to be a worthie louer of iustice and good life II. AT length Eugenius a Cistercian Monke succeeding in the Roman Primacie pronounced his sentence for Henry Mordach a pious Mōke of the same profession who was sustayned by Osbert the Archdeacon not that he iudged WILLIAM vnfitt for the dignitie but because he was more inclined to the other being a man of his owne order Therefore the same of saint WILLIAM being thus vniustly His great patience torne with the venomous detractions of his aduersaries he made vse of noe other weapons for his owne defence in all these broiles but the bucklar of a contented patience with which and the vnshaken constancie of a vertuous mind he conquered all his troubles He retired himself to Henry Bishop of Winchester of whom being his Vncle he was soe courteously entertayned that he made his whole familie to be obseruant and dutifull vnto him But the holyman abhorring the pompe of the world affecting more the solitarines of a retired life contented him self His pious life and exercises with a litle corner of the Bishops house where he piously spent his time in watching fasting and prayer and the contemplation of diuine and heauenly things He reioyced to haue found the leasure of this good occasion to bewaile the faults of his life past and to drowne the reuengefull flames of the paynes due thereunto with the sorrowfull streames of his deuout teares He liued in great silence and tranquillitie suffering noe vaine word or idle speech to hinder his mind from the continuall contemplation of the diuine goodnes In a word he led soe holy a life full of vertue and goods workes that those that beheld him seemed to see in him an angelicall creature in a humane shape III. BVT after the course of seauen yeares in one and the same day Pope Engenius and Henry Archbishop of Yorke chainged this life for a better whose death was by a diuine reuelation made knowne to He is made Archbishop of Yorke saint WILLIAM Then the Chanons of Yorke againe made choise of him to succeed in that Sea Who going to Rome had his election confirmed by Pope Anastasius was by him consecrated Bishop and adorned with the honour of the Archiepiscopall Palle Which done he returned into England and at Canturbury he was for honours sake courteously visited by Roger Archdeacon of the same cittie of whom he being departed saint WILLIAM thus foretould to his owne companie This is the He foretelleth his successour man sayd he that after my death shall succeed in my place Which prophesie the euent prooued true soe admirable
afterwards Queene of Scotland who according to her name appeared indeed as a pretious Margarite before God and man For in the prime of her florishing age when others of such royall byrth are wont to decline to the vaine pleasures of the world she beganne to order her life according to the rules of continencie to loue God aboue all things to applie her self to the reading of diuine learning and with a delight to exercise and follow the rules and precepts of her reading Afterwards compelled by the importunitie of her friends more She marrieth Malcoline King of Scotland then her owne desires she was giuen in marriage to Malcoline King of Scotland when allbeit necessitie constrayned her to deale in worldly affayres yet she neuer soe tied her mind thereto as to forgett or omitt her spirituall exercise for she was more delighted with doing good workes then in the royall possession of her wealth and riches By her prudent counsell discretion and industrie the lawes of the realme were maintayned and the Catholick religion encreased Then her nothing was more firme in fayth more constant in patience grauer in counsell iuster in giuing iudgement and pleasanter in discourse II. MOREOVER she was wonderfully liberall to adorne Churches Her liberalitie to the Churches enriching them with gould and siluer vessells and very pretious ornaments in the place where her royall wedding was celebrated she built a fayre Church in honour of the holy Trinitie and beautified it with great store of riches and amongst others with a fayre Crucifix garnished with gould and many pretious stones She gouerned her familie in the loue and feare of God and especially her The gouernment of her children and familie children whom she would her self iustruct oftentimes in Christian doctrine vsing soe sweet a seueritie and soe seuere a sweetnes towards those vnder her charge that they all loued her with feare and feared her with loue in soe much that noe man in her presence durst presume to speake an vnseemly word Nay besides the often admonitions and continuall instructions of her children this pious Mother who may rightly be termed the Margurite of mothers would dayly powre out her deuout prayers and teares for them that hauing attayned to the knowlege of allmightie God they might truely serue him and by seruing him come to his loue and by his diuine loue purchase eternall happines with his Saincts Manie times all soe she would putt the She moueth the King to good workes King her husband in mind to exercise the workes of iustice mercie almes-deeds and all other acts of Christian vertues whom by the inward working of allmightie God in his soule she made to be most obedient to all good things In summe she omitted nothing that belonged eyther to the maintenance of Christian religion and pietie or the prudent gouernment of the Kingdom III. WHEN the king went in progresse ouer the realme with his court and a great traine of attendants this holy Queene kept his followers in soe good order that noe man durst attempt to steale anie thign by the way nor wrong or oppresse the poore A rare vertue in so great a dame countrey poeple in the lest And as in all things she was carefull to correct faults in others soe was she most patient and willing to haue her owne reprehended by others And to this end she would her self oftentimes desire her Confessor to giue her notice of whatsoeuer in her words or deeds was worthy reprehension desiring that for an encrease of vertue which others are wont to take as a calumnie According to the counsell of the royall Psalmist Let the iust man correct me in mercie and rebuke mâ—â— but Psal 140. let not the oyle that is the flatterie of a Sinner fatten my head IV. SHE was carefull allsoe to correct manie errours and bad She correcteth an erronr in keeping the Lent customs which had crept into the Scottish Kingdom against the vniuersall practise of the Catholick Church First she reformed an abuse touching the obseruance of Lent For the Scots beganne not their Lent till the munday after Ashwensday endeauouring to couer their errour with the authoritie of the Scripture which relating the fast of Christ proposeth but fortie daies to be obserued But she on the other side in an assemblie before the King made it plainly appeare that taking away the six Sundaies on which the Church is not wont to fast there would remaine but thirtie six daies and therefore the fower daies of the precedent weeke ought to be reckoned in the number of fasting-daies to make vp the iust summe of fortie daies and that for this cause they ought to beginne the Lent vppon Ashwensday Moreouer when manie And an other touching communion at Easter 1. Cor. 11. refused to receaue the Sacrament of the Eucharist at Easter alleadging their owne vnworthines and these words of the Apostle He that eateth drinketh it vnworthily eateth drinketh his owne iudgement she shewed them that to compare the worth of that dreadfull Sacrament with our vnworthines is noe comparison for he that is most worthie is in some kind vnworthy considering the infinite worth of that excellent Sacrament neuerthelesse allthough we be all indeed Sinners yet we may haue recourse to the sacrament of Peanance which is instituted to reconcile sinners to our Lord who sayth Vnlesse yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee shall haue noe life in you And this is it that the Apostle admonisheth Iâ—an 6. 53. sinners to doe when he cries Probet autem scipsâ—m hoâ—â—â— sic de paâ—â— illo edat de calice bibat Let euery one examine and discusse his owne conscience and by confessing his sinnes and doing peanance Who receaues the sacrament worthily come with feare and reuerence to to the sacred misteries and then he shall not eate his owne iudgement as those doe who presume to receaue that venerable banquet with their soules loaden with the filth of sinne Allsoe she reformed manie other abuses touching the due obseruance of the Sunday the celebration of Masse and the sacrament of mariage within the degrees of consanguinitie prohibited by the Church and others V. DISCOVRSING at times with her Ghostly father touching the health of her owne soule and the sweetnes of euerlasting life her words seemed to 〈◊〉 replenished with a certaine diuine grace and her self was touchâ—â— with soe great compunction of heart that she seemed wholly to resolue into teares During the diuine seruice in the Church she shewed soe great deuotion and attention that she would neuer speake word to anieman touching anie worldly or secular busines but atteÌ„ded wholly to her prayers which were oftentimes accompanied with dâ—uout teares I 〈◊〉 her singular charitie Her charitie to the poore towards the poore whom she would oftentimes relieue with her greatest iewells becoming her self more poore them they for they being in want deâ—ired to haue riches
diligence of her dutifull seruice she greatly inuited all the rest of her sisters and fellow-Nunnes highly to loue and honour her Nether did the greatnes of her bloud and royall byrth make her more nice or backward to vndergoe the austeritie of her profession because she iudged it a thing most glorious to be huÌ„bled vnder the sweet yoake of the seruice of CHRIST-IESVS Her sainctirie encreased with her age and her humilitie florished with her youthfull yeares in soe A rare example of humilitie much that by night she would play the part of a pious theefe and steale the sockes of all the other nunnes hauing carefully washed and annoynted them she restored them againe to their bed sides Wherefore allbeit allmightie God hath ennobled her aliue with manie famous miracles yet this one example is before all most worthie of prayse that charitie beganne and humilitie finished all the workes of her whole life At leÌ„gth passing happily out of this world Her happy death her pure and innocent soule was carried on the wings of these two vertues to be perfectly vnited with her euerlasting spouse in heauen the fifteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 920. Her bodie was first buried in the same Monasterie but some of her bones were afterwards translated to the Benedictine Abbey of Pershore in the Diocesse of Worcester where they were reserued with great reuerence and deuotion at both which places the holines and integritie of her life was witnessed with manie famous miracles as the gouernours of the same Churches could affirme in the time of my Authour The life of S. Eadburg sayth Iohn Pits is written by one Osbertus Clarentius a Benedictin Monke of Winchester about the yeare of Christ 1136. which I haue not seene But thus much of her I haue taken out of William Malmesbury de reg lib. 2. cap. 13. and de Episcop lib. 4. de monasterijs diocesis Vigorn and Nicholas Harpsfield saec 10. cap. 8. Mention is made of her by Roger Houedon priori part Annal. an 899. Polidore Virgill lib. 6. Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Peter de natalibus in his catalogue lib. 11. cap. 69. and others And in an auncient manuscript breniary of S. Benedicts order with belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find her feast celebrated this fisteenth of Iune with three lessons and a proper Collect. The life of Saint BOTVLPHE Abbot and Confessor of the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT IVNE 17 Written by Folchard a Monke of Thorney BOTVLPHE and ADOLPHE brothers borne of noble parents were both as neere of kinne in vertue as in byrth and both equally ennobled the nobilitie of their bloud with the resplendent excellencie of their holy life Who because in England then but newly conuerted the Catholick religion and discipline of a monasticall life was not yet established in that perfection as their minds aspired vnto went on pilgrimage ouer into France or Belgia Where because vertue is no where a stranger but is euery where honoured euen amongst strangers ADOLPHE was at length aduanced to the sacred dignitie of Bishop and BOTVLPHE hauing been a long time He professeth a religious life exercised in the stricter discipline of a monasticall life togeather with his brother and putt on the habit and profession of a Monke vnder the holy rule of S. BENEDICT resolued to returne into his owne countrey being courteously recommended to ETHELMVND king of the South-Saxons by his two Sisters who at that time led a religious life in France Therefore S. BOTVLPHE hauing passed the seas was kindly entertayned by king Ethelmund who hauing vnderstood the desire of his sisters gaue him a peece of land in Lincolneâ—hire not farre from the cittie of Lincolne The name of the place was Icanhoe a forsaken vnhabited desert where nothing but deuills and goblins were thought to dwell But S. BOTVLPHE with the vertue signe of the holy Crosse freed it from the possession of those hellish He buildeth a Monastery inhabitants and by the meanes and helpe of Ethelmund built a monasterie therein which he filled with a Conuent of religious monkes vnder the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT II. THESE he gouerned both by word worke and example according to the stricter discipline of a monasticall life which he had learned in forreigne countreies drawing them by the mildnes of his dayly pious admonitions to embrace the sweet austeritie of a vertuous and holy life in soe much that he was highly esteemed and His pietie in sicknes beloued of all and by a speciall fauour of allmightie God ennobled with the guift of prophesie and working of manie miracles Being oppressed with sicknes of bodie he imitated the patience of holy Iob and gaue infinite thankes vnto the diuine goodnes for that visitation all waies discoursing of the soules departure out of the bodie and of the ioyes of euerlasting happines which followed With these and such like pious exercises he spent his whole time till he attayned to the happines to be by old age ouertaken in the diuine seruice When the end of his life drawing neere and the vehemencie of his sicknes encreasing he ceased not to exhorte his deuout children carefully to obserue the rules of monsticall life which he had planted amongst them and to maintaine peace and charitie in the Monasterie Till adorned with the long studies of all vertues this vntired Hâ—s happy death champion of CHRIT being oppressed with the crueltie of a teadious disease of bodie yeelded vp his blessed soule out of her mortall habitation to the immortall reward of her labours the seauenteenth day of Iune about the yeare of our Lord 680. He was buried in the same Monasterie where his memorie was yearly celebrated being famous for miracles both in his life and after his death But that place being afterwards destroyed by the Danes the worthy restorer of the Benedictine discipline S. ETHELWOLD bishop of Winchester caused his sacred reliques to be taken vp and translated to the Translation of his bodie two Benedictine Abbeies Ely and Thorney And it hath been found writteÌ„ in the booke of S. BOTVLPHES Church neere Aldergâ—â—e in London that part of his holy bodie was by King Edward giuen to the Abbey of Winchester The memory of this glorious Sainct hath in former times been very famous in our Iland of great Britaine and in Lincolneshire there remaines yet a renowned towne which from his name was called Botulphs-Towne but now by corruption of the word is named Bâ—ston situate on the bankes of the riuer Witham His life hath been written by Folchard a monke of Thorney and by Ioannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue in his legend of English Saincts S. Bede in his history of England Florentius Wigorniensis an 654. Mathew Westminster in the same yeare Nicholas Harpsfied saec 7. cap. 24. William Camden in descriptione comitatus Lincolâ—iâ— Molanus in his additions to Vsuard and manie others make worthy iâ—eâ—tion
of him And in an anncient Breâ—iary of S. Benedicts Order which belonged to the Monastery of Burton vppon Trent I find his death celebrated with an office of three Lessons S. ALBANVS PROTOMARTIR IN ANGLIA Iunij 22 〈…〉 The life of Sainct ALBAN the first Martir of Great Britaine IVNE 22 Out of Venerable Bede and an auncient manuscript of S. Albans WHEN the bloudie persecution which the two cruell Emperours Diocletian and Maximian raysed against the Catholick Church raged ouer the world the furie thereof was soe cruelly outrageous that it could not be contayned within the bounds of the Ocean but powred it self out in crueltie euen into the remotest Ilands of the Christian world and amongst others into our famous Iland of Great Britaine Where saint ALBAN was the captaine and leader of that sacred warrefare who being a citizen of the auncient Cittie of Verulam which The place of his birth at that time was a Colonie vnder the Roman Emperours and borne of a famous stock receaued first the Christian fayth by the precepts and instructions of the most holy martir Amphibaluss of whom allsoe we must in this history make often and honourable mention For after that by preaching he had purchased other countreies to CHRIST being enkindled with an ardent zeale of gayning more and more soules to Gods Church he came to Verulam where first with courteous hospitalitie he was entertained by our ALBAN as yet a Heathen But vnderstanding that his new guest Amphibalus was He defireth to know the points of fayth not only a professour but a teacher all soe of the Christian name he was desirous to heare him discourse of the assertion of his fayth and Amphibalus was as eager to giue his Host an accompt thereof hoping to winne him to the same profession Therefore he shewed him how allmightie God consisting of one essence three persons soe dearly loued the world that he sent the second person in Trinitie his only Sonne froÌ„ heauen as a witnes and messenger of his loue for the reconciliation and redemption of mankind Who when he was true God of God yet soe farre he humbled him self for our healths sake that he voutchsafed to take humane flesh vppon him and be borne of a Virgin allbeit he were the maker and creatour of the same flesh and of his mother the Virgin And these sayd he are the principles of our Fayth these by the instruction of the holy Ghost were manie ages agoe knowne and foretould by manie of the Iewes and since confirmed by the wonderfull workes of CHRIST him self and receaued by the common consent of allmost all nations and in embracing of these points consisteth the height of all felicitie and perpetuall miserie followeth all that denie them II. BVT at first ALBAN seemed to laugh at these things and contemne them and to hould the teacher of them him self not only to He laugheth at the misteries of Fayth be vaine in his doctrine but allsoe scarse sound in his witts in auoching such paradoxes soe abhorring as he thought from all sense and reason For who can be brought to beleeue sayd he that sayd he that God had a Sonne and the same soone to be made man and borne of a Virgin without a father and she to remaine both a Virgin and a Mother In summe that daies discourse was broken off and ALBAN being displeased with Amphibalus and his doctrine went to please his troubled mind in his bed whilest his holy teacher Amphibalus sorrowfull that his words had taken noe deeper roote in the mind of his kind Host and still remayning carefull for his soules health betooke him self to his prayers in steed of sleepe nether was his petitioÌ„ to allmightie God in vaine For ALBAN being oppressed vnder the heauie wings of sleepe seemed to behould His vision being asleepe the whole tragedie of our Lords sacred passion soe perfectly acted before him that to his imagination it appeared not soe much to be in a dreame as in very deed represented to his corporall sight Terrified therefore out of his sleepe with the strangenes of this vision he went forthwith to Amphibalus and desired him yf those things which he preached of CHRIST were true to expound allsoe the meaning and interpretation of his dreame Who hauing first giuen thankes vnto allmightie God for soe wonderfull a vocation of his beloued Host drew out a Crucifix Amphibalus expoundeth his dreame which he allwaies carried about him and shewed in that signe how he might plainly vnderstand what his nightly vision did portend And following on with a declaration of CHRISTS Ghospell and passion conformeable to what he had seene in his sleepe he soe solidly discouered the mistery of CHRIST crucified that there was noe place for anie doubt left in the mind of ALBAN soe powerfully the holy Ghost had planted the truth of fayth in his soule By whose sacred vnction ALBAN Note the strange suddaine eonuersioÌ„ of S. Alban being wholly replenished with vnusuall sweetnes and contentment of mind desired now nether teacher nor arguments to instruct him but of his owne accord detesteth his false Gods abiureth his Idols professeth to acknowledge no other God to beleeue no other in his heart to confesse no other with his mouth but God the father and his sonne CHRIST-IESVS and him crucified He admireth the greatnes of the diuine pietie and goodnes in the redemption of mankind and beginnes wholly to be inflamed with his loue who voutchsafed first soe to loue humane frailtie that he vndertooke not only our nature but allsoe all the miseries adherent thereunto as allso a most shamefull death it self to redeeme man from the tirannie of eternall death to the glorie of Gods elect poeple Nay falling He worshippeth the Crucifix prostrate before the Crosse as yf he had seene CHRIST him self really hanging thereon he embraceth and kisseth his wounds giues him infinite thankes for calling him to the knowledge of his fayth being wholly carried beyond him self to thinke how to appeare worthily gratefull for the benefitt of soe vndeserued a vocation Therefore he bad adiew to all worldly pleasures and embraced teares and sighs for his greatest delights all other things he contemned that he might gaine CHRIST alone for all in him he placed all his hope and loue to him he soe perfectly vowed him self and all he had that he would rather a thousand times endure to be robbed of this life then to be separated from the fayth and charitie of his deare redeemer III. IN the confession of these and such like things Amphibalus admitted ALBAN to the purifying grace of Baptisme and at his He is baptised earnest entreatie remayned there some daies more amply to instruct him in all things that belonged to the profession of his receaued religion But in the meane time the renowned name of ALBAN and the fame of this fact allbeit secretly performed made that it came to the eares and knowledge of the
the honour of his towne report it to be enriched with the whole bodie of saint ALBAN then only with some of the dust of his tombe vsing a figuratiue speech of Rhetoricians and putting the VVhole for a Part. Or else the identitie Authours that affirme his bodie to be a S. Albaâ—s of the names of sainct ALBAN martir of Mentz and our saint ALBAN of England drew him to report that of ours which he should haue sayd of the other Howsoeuer he was deceaued this much we can say on our owne behalf ommitting to make an argument of the vnliklihood of the contrary assertion that Mathew Paris in the yeare 1179. Mathew VVestminster in the yeare 1259. VValsingham in the yeare 1313. Henry Huntington in the ninth booke of his history Thomas Rudburne in his greater Chronicle and others English writters of great creditt and authoritie and farre more conuersant in our histories then anie stranger can be doe constantly affirme that the sacred reliques of saint ALBAN remayned allwaies in his owne monastery in England and this the auncient records of the same place which I haue in my hands doe largely testifie by the vndiscontinued relation of the yearly miracles wrought at his tombe to the raygne of Heâ—â—y the second And in the yeare of grace 1257. Certaine workmen that were busied in repayring the Church of saint ALBANS digging somewhat deepe into the ground happened vppon the marble tombe in which his bodie had been layd presently after his martirdom at which time a heauenly splendour shined ouer his graue and the rauishing notes of Angelicall harmonie warbled fourth the prayses of the holy martir But the garment of Amphibalus sainct ALBANS His garment found spotted with fresh bloud Master in which sainct ALBAN suffered martirdom was afterwards carried to the Benedictiâ—e monasterie of Ely and there in a certaine tombe reserued which King Edward the second caused to be opened in his owne presence when it was found vncorrupted and stayned with fresh spotts of the bloud which he had sâ—ed for CHRIST who be for euer glorified in his Saincts Amen All Ecclesiasticall writers make very honourable mention of S. ALBAN of whom amongst others Fortunatus sings this verse Albanum egregium faecunda Britanniaprofert And Hiericus a Frenchman who florished seauen hundred yeares agoe hath these verses of him in the life of sainct GERMAN in which he mentioneth the executioners losse of his eyes Milliapaenarum Christi pro nomine passus Quem tandem rapuit capitis sententia caesi Sed non Lictoricessit res tuta superbo Vtque caput Sancto ceciderunt lumina soeuo His life we haue gathered out of Venerable Bede in his history of England and an other old Authour ancienter then Bede which we haue in written hand And besides the writers aboue named Gyldas Sapiens epist. de excidio Britanniae Geffrey of Monmouth hist Brit. lib. 5. cap. 5. the Roman Martirologe Vsuard Molanus and others doe largely speake his prayses In the Sarum Breuiary he hath an office of nine lessons in an auncient Manuscript breuiary of S. Benedicts Order which belonged to Burton vppon Trent he is serued with twelue lessons whereof eight are proper and which make large mention of his life and miracles An Appendix to the life of Sainct ALBAN contayning The Passion of Sainct AMPHIBALVS and other Martirs at the same time IVNE 22 Out of an auncient manuscript cited before THE famous miracles which went before and followed the death of our glorious Protomartir saint ALBAN moued The miracles of S. Alban conuerteth manie manie of the astonished assistants to be farre better affected to the Christian fayth then they were in soe much that had they had but a teacher it seemed they might easyly be brought not only to approoue but to embrace it for truth being of their owne accord allreadie well inclined thereunto Nether was the diuine goodnes wanting to their good will in this poynt by whose instinct one boulder then the rest stood vp and in this manner spake vnto them Yf only with words O fellow-citizens ALBAN had maintayned the truth of A citizeÌ„s speech to his fellovves his fayth it were not to be admired yf all men had reiected it as vayne and vnprofitable doctrine condemned by publick lawes and contrarie not only to the institutions of our ancestours but euen to reason the guide of all things But now since he hath confirmed his words and fayth with such admirable workes whosoeuer shall presume to denie it will seeme in resisting ALBAN to resist God him self by affirming that these wonderfull signes proceeded from anie other authour but God or that that fayth is not grounded in truth which is authorized by the testimonies of such diuine workes For when I pray you did our Gods euer performe the like When was the like heard off in our religion Moreouer the singular integritie The praise of S. Alban meekenes patience constancie pietie and other vertues of of this diuine man doe sett him forth amongst his other wonderfull workes for the greatest wonder Being vexed with soe manie taunts and reproches he reuiled noe man being afflicted with soe manie iniuries he was soe farre from making the lest shew of anie indignatioÌ„ of mind that he seemed more tobewayle our case then his owne Nay he went with soe ioyfull and cleere a countenance to his last deadly punishment that one would haue iudged him going to a banquet of mirth not to the scaffold of death Who doeth not see in this man a diuine power greater then humane frailtie Yf then these guifts doe proceed only from God surely he is not wont to bestow them on wicked impious and sacrilegious persons but on those that piously and holyly serue and worship him Nether is it to be doubted but that he will adorne vs and our common wealth with these and farre greater guifts then these yf we shew our selues plyant and dutifull to his diuine calling Let vs therefore follow ALBAN our Captaine and courragiously embrace his fayth and pietie which God graunt to be fortunate and happy to vs our children and our common wealth II. THESE and such like words being spoken in a great assembly of the Citizens of Verulam all publickly proclaymed that then the religion of CHRIST nothing was more diuine nothing more holy nothing more true Therefore they resolued to search the whole countrey ouer to find out AMPHIBALVS Aâ—BANS guest who was a teacher of the Christian discipline But he was gone into VVales where with soe happy successe he had cast abrode the diuine seed of the Ghospell that he had filled all the countrey thereabouts with fruits of the Euangelicall haruest and the sweet odour of his owne fame and name whereuppon the cittizens of Verulam to the number of about a thousand left their house home and following the sent of his holy deeds vertues came at length to AMPHIBALVS who hauing vnderstood of the martirdoÌ„ of his deare Host
sleeping blindnes of Idolatrie to behould the cleere light of CHRISTS holy ghospell Which done and all those parts well grounded and setled in the Catholick fayth S. SWIBERT tooke leaue of S. WILLIBRORD all the Church of Vtreight went with some others to spread the seed of the ghospell in Westphalie and lower Saxonie where he reduced manie from the madnes of Paganisme to the sweet peace of Christs Church destroying as he went all Idols erecting Christian Churches out of their ruines And hither vnto he had for his companion B. Marcellin the authour of his life who now returned back into Frizeland wheÌ„ S. Swibert went on to Minimigard now called Mounster S Swibert cureth the Palsey and Squinancie where preaching allsoe the Cath. fayth with his accustomed zeale and feruour he conuerted manie therevnto and cured a woman in the same towne that had bin long sick of a most cruell palsey And in memorie of the fact the same woeman built a chappell hard by her house in honour of S. PAVL the Apostle on whose feast she was healed Likewise he restored to health an other named Adelbert that lay mortally sick of a disease called the Squinancie or swelling in the throate whereby he and manie others were conuerted to the fayth Afterwards returning againe to Mounster at the earnest request of the poeple of that towne by the way he gaue sight to a blind man with the signe of the holy crosse that asked almes of passengers All his miracles still encreasing the number of the Christian flock IX HAVING within a short time conuerted manie infidels in Mounster he went into Saxonie and first at the cittie of Brunswick he preached and conuerted manie In the same towne there was a noble man sick of soe cruell a disease in his lest side that he was not able to mooue hand or foote of that part of his bodie nor had anie vse of his left eye His sicknes had allreadie giuen the Note the vertue of the holy Crosse foile to all antidotes and art of phisick when S. SWIBERT with the signe of the holy Crosse the chief armes of our redem ption restored him to perfect health againe which miracle caused manie to forsake their Idolatrie and hasten to be washed in the sacred foÌ„t of Baptisme HerevppoÌ„ the blind ministers of those blind Gods were exceedingly incensed against the holy Bishop and assembling the poeple togeather went with a great troupe of Pagans to the chief officer of the towne complayning and exclayming that vnlesse the publick enemie of their Gods who with witchcraft and sorcerie seduced the poeple were banished the whole towne would fall from their auncient profession and perish But the officer being allied to the noble man before cured by S. SWIBERT fauored him and his proceedings in all things and now perswaded him to saue him self from their furie by flight Which he did leauing one Priest there to confirme the new Christians in their fayth and trauelled him self through diuers prouinces still houlding on his course of preaching conuerting and baptising Till at length the Heathens togeather with S Swib cruelly beaten by the Pagans their hellish ministers perceauing their religion to goe downe by the preaching of this holy man ranne violently vppon him one day as he was in his sermon and cruelly beate him with staues and buffetted and kicked him with their fists and heeles that had he not been relieued by the valour of some true hearted Christians he had been likely inough to haue perished in that skirmish of crueltie But being deliuered out of their hands he lay hid for some few daies yet not ceasing from his holy trade of preaching soe that dayly more and more stray sheep were brought into the secure fold of CHRISTS Church X. AT THE same time in a towne called Welsenberch liued a rich and potent man named Ethelhere who before had been one of the first and forwardest to sett vppon S. SWIBERT with his staffe and now for his punishment was hideously possessed by the deuill He delinereth a possessed person that dayly most cruelly tormented him and by him all that came nigh soe that they were constrayned to bind him fast in chaines of iron But saint SWIBERT coming thither at the intreatie of his friends made the signe of the holy Crosse vppon him and presently that hellish Monster was disinherited of his desired habitation Wherevppon it came to passe that both he and manie more to the number of fortie two besides woemen and children demaunding pardon for their former iniuries submitted them selues to the sweet yoake of CHRISTS glospell and were baptised And now this glorious sainct hauing for the space of manie yeares preached CHRIST to these Barbarous poeple wrought manie miracles to confirme what he preached destroyed their Idols and built manie Churches for the seruice of allmightie God compelled partly by reason of warre and tumult raysed in that countrey but chiefly mooued by diuine reuelation he retired him self to the cittie of Cullen where he was ioyfully entertayned by the vertuous Heretireâ—h him self to Cullen Dutchesse Plectrude wife to the Christian Prince Pepin who highly honouring and admiring the venerable Sainctitie and vertue of S. SWIBERT detayned him with her for some time to make vse of his pious counsell in the guyding of her owne soule During which time the holy Sainct cured a great man of Duke Pepins of a dangerous and mortall disease in the throate and deliuered an other that was cruelly possessed with the deuill These and other his excellent signes of heauenly sainctitie mooued the religious Dutchesse Plectrude to send him with letters of high commendation to Duke Pepin then remayning in Herstall intreating him withall to giue the towne of Werdt vppon Rhene to S. SWIBERT to build a monasterie in Pepin receiued him with great ioy and honour and kept him a Pepin besteweth words vppon S. Swibert while with him to be by him instructed in the rules of good life And at length gaue him not only the towne of Werdt but allsoe good store of gold and siluer to defray the charge of building the monasterie Therefore S. SWIBERT returned back to the Dutchesse by whose power and industrie he began presently to erect a monasterie in Werdt vppon Rhene to the honour of the glorious and euer B. Virg. MARIE Where with how great humilitie deuotion and zeale in the meane time he preached the fayth of CHRIST among those rude poeple and with how great puritie of mind and bodie he celebrated dayly the dreafull Sacrifice of Masse and other diuine offices it excelleth this weake quill to rehearse And there he raysed an other from death to life XI AT length the monasterie being finished he placed therein a He gathereth a coÌ„ueÌ„t of Benedictin monks CoÌ„uent of Monks of the Sacred Order of S. BENEDICT out of whose holy rule him self as is sayd had first sucked the sweet milke of a religious life But in the beginning
because it was to consist cheefly of Nouices both in fayth and vertue that came thither mooued with the great fame of his Sainctitie to be brought vp in the right way of good life he was not soe strict and rigorous in prescribing them the lawes of regular discipline following the words of our Saui our My yoake is sweet and my burden light But him self with certaine other old beaten disciples of his led a farre more Math. 11. rigid and austere kind of life thereby to draw the yong beginners by litle and litle to the same straightnes of monasticall discipline In the meane time S. SWIBERT ceased not dayly to preach to those rude stiffe-nekt people whereby maine were conuerted to the fayth and baptised He was wonderfully inclined to giue almes a great contemner of worldly pompe vanities with hope of eternall rewards his mind was aspiring in nothing but to the loue of God the kingdome of heauen and heauenly things and therefore he was specially endowed by God with so manie diuine guifts vertues and graces whereby he appeared most gratefull to the whole world and shined as a pretious gemme amidst his monasticall clergie And as among the Gentils he wrought famous deeds for the aduancement of the holy Ghospell our lord him self cooperating and confirming his speech with Mar. 16. signes of diuers miracles following soe likewise in his monasterie at Werdt he worthyly profitted both him self and others in the continuall exercise of monasticall rule and discipline dayly proceeding from vertue to vertue to come to the cleere vision of the God of Gods in Sion Psal â—3 v. 7. At length when he had most worthyly gouerned his monasterie the space of three yeares allmightie God the superabundant reward of his seruants who through a corporall death translateth the liuely stones of his Church to his heauenly building voutchafed to call this glorious champion of the Catholick fayth S. SWIBERT out of this He falleth sick earthly conflict to receiue the euerflorishing crowne of his labours in heauen For in the yeare of our lord 717. replenished with all manner of vertues and good workes burning from the verie bottom of his heart with an extreme desire to enioy the vision of allmightie God on the feast of S. PETERS chayre in Februarie hauing celebrated the dreadfull sacrifice of the Altar he was taken with a grieuous disease which confined him to his bed and feeling it dayly grow more and more vppon him he assembled his Conuent of Monks togeather with a dieing voyce admonished them to remayne in the true obseruance of mutual loue and charitie and of monastical and regular discipline letting them know withall that the hower of his departure was neere at hand Which words caused a showre of teares to beare witnes in them how dearly they loued and what a greef is was to them to be separated from soe good and pious a Father But he cheering them vp sayd They ought rather to reioyce then weepe for that he was goeing to receaue the most glorious reward of his labours desiring them to arme the departure of his frailtie with the charitable dutie and protection of their prayers At length the happie hower being come he caused masse to be celebrated before him encompassed round with his holy monks and strengthening him self with the sacred viaticum of His happy death our Lords bodie he gaue his benediction to all the assistance and in a sweet sleepe of death gaue vp his blessed soule into the hands of his creat our His face seemed presently to shine with beames of glorie and the chamber was replenished with most sweet and comfortable perfumes to the great ioy and admiration of the assistants He died in the threescore and ninth yeare of his age the first day of March being friday at noone the same hower that the Sauiour of the world reuiuing vs sinners with his bitter death and passion layd open the gates of heauen vnto vs. XII HIS holy bodie being placed in the midst of the Church Miracles at his dead bodie whilst the monks executed his funerall office one possessed with the deuill by touching the biere whereon he lay was perfectly deliuered from that hellish guest And by the same meanes and at the same time a blind man recouered his sight and one that was quite madd was restored to the perfect vse of his senses to the great ioy and comfort of the beholders The sunday following with great deuotion and solemnitie his sacred bodie was committed to a house of clay by S. WILLIBRORD Archbishop of Vtrieght and S. WILLEICK his companion in the Church of his owne Monasterie at Werdt Manie other miracles done at his toÌ„be are very authentically recorded by S. MARCELLINE which for breuities sake me omitt Only one I will briefly rehearse of which as of all that hath been sayd the same authour S. Marceline was an eye-witnesse XIII A YONG man of Werdt called Sweder chancing to dine in the companie of some wicked Westphalians at a Pagâ— towne named S 〈…〉 the whole discourse of those bacon-fed Wesâ—phalians grew to be of the generous power of their Pagan-Gods and the impotencie of CHRIST the God of the ChristiaÌ„s which Sweder who was a Christian not able to endure very honestly began to rehearse in his defence the vertues and miracles which our Lord had wrought did daily worke at Werdt by the merits of S. SWIBERT The Pagans whose heads were now a litle too full of the vertues and strength of their God Bacchus finding Sweder to be a Christian rose vp in great furie against him and hauing with manie blowes layd on his back and sides made him feele some part of the strength their gods had giuen them they cutt out his tongue that had been soe nimble in praysing the God of the Christians hoping thereby to gett them selues crownes of baies from their owne Gods This done they returned Diuers strucken blind for biasphemie in iouiall triuÌ„ph to their dinner where as in their winie conference they vomitted manie opprobrious blasphemies against CHRIST and his holy Bishop S. SWIBERT they were suddenly strucken with blindnes and the loaues of bread before them which they could not see were turned into soe manie stones Whilst poore Sweder the enemie of their gods lay as a miserable creature in the durtie streets wallowing in his owne bloud being not able for want of a tongue to call for anie helpe in his miserie but in heart he deuoutly prayed vnto S. SWIBERT for the conuâ—rsion of those blasphemous Heathens who now finding but not seeing that the râ—uengfull God of the Christians had giuen them a remembrance of his power they began with repentant teares to call vppon S. SWIBERT for ayde desiring withall to haue the poore Christian whom soe roughly they had handled to be brought in to demaund of him pardon for their fault But noe man gaue eare to their crying all the seruants of the house running