hidden the sweetnes of spiritt which her selfe more subtility obtayned and tasted with more sauour She accustomed to say that the sermon of whosoeuer preaching the word of God was exceeding profitable to soules considering that it is no lesse prudence to know how sometimes to gather beautifull and sweet flowers from a mong grosse and rude thornes then to eat fruittes of a good plant Pope Gregory the ninth one time att the instance of diuers Prelates commanded that no Religious should preach att the monasterie of poore Religious women without his expresse permission wheratt the pittiful mother complayning in regard that thenceforward her daughters should seldome be spiritually fed with holy doctrine with teares she sayd Lett then all my Religions be taken hence sith they are taken away who gaue vs the food of spirituall life And with all sent away the Religious that appertayned to her monastery to serue them in getting almose abroad refusing to haue Religious that should prouide them bread to reliefe the body sith they were depriued her that gaue them bread to nourish their soules Wherof his Holinesse being aduertised he reuoked his prohibition referring all to the disposition of the Generall of the Frere Minors S. Clare had not only care of her daughters soules but of their bodies also that were feeble and tender for whose necessities she prouided with exceeding feruour and charity For she often in the night when it was cold went to visitt and couer them whiles they slept And if she found any ouer-much benummed with cold or otherwise in ill disposition through strict obseruation of the commune rigour she commanded them to take some recreation till their necessities were satisfied If any of her daughters were troubled with temptations or were sorrowfull or melancholie she would call her a part and louingly comfort her Sometimes she would fall to the feet of those that were heauy and afflicted to putt away the force of their griefe by her motherly cherishinges for which they yelding themselues to this their holy mother did not proue ingratefull They reuerenced the office of Prelature in their mistresse and followed the conduct of so diligent and secure a guide and ayming their actions by the espouse of IESVS CHRIST they admired the excellencie of such a sanctity and charity Of the deuotion which Pope Gregoire the ninth bad to the virgin sainte Clare and of a latter which he wrote vnto her whiles he was yet Cardinall THE XVIII CHAPTER POpe Gregory the ninth had a merueillous confidence in the prayers of saincte Clare hauing experienced their great vertue efficacie and often times when he was in any difficulty both whiles he was Cardinall and bishop of Hostia and afterwardes when he was Pope he would by letters recommend himselfe to this glorious virgin demaunding helpe of her because he knew of what importance her assistance was this being in him not only a great humility but also worthy to be dilligently imitated to see the vicar of IESVS CHRIST on earth to begg helpe of a seruant of God in recōmending himselfe to her prayers This great Pastour knew well what diuine loue could doe and how freely pure virgins doe finde the port of the consistory of the diuine Maiesty open There is extant a very deuout letter of this Pope written to saincte Clare whiles he was Cardinall which is here inserted to make appeare that the spiritt of God made his residence in this Prelat and what deuotion he carryed to the sanctity of the glorious saincte Clare To the most deere sister in IESVS CHRIST and mother of his holinesse sister Clare the seruant of IESVS CHRIST Vgolin miserable sinner Bishop of Hostia recommendeth himselfe what soeuer he is and what he may be Well beloued sister in CHRIST IESVS since the houre that the necessity of my retourne separated me from your holy speeches and depriued me of that pleasure to conferre with you of celestiall treasures I haue had much sorrow of hart abondance of teares in myne eyes and haue felt an extreme griefe In such sort that if I had not found att the feet of our Lord IESVS CHRIST the consolation of his ordinary piety I feare I had fallen into such anguishes as my spiritt would haue forsaken me and my soule would haue vtterly melted away and not without reason because that ioy failed me with which I discoursed with your good company of the body of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and of his presence on earth celebrating the feast of Easter with you and the other seruantes of our Lord. And as whiles our Sauiour by his dolorous passion and death was absent from the presence of his disciples they were possessed with an extreme griefe and affliction so doth your absence procure my desolation and though I acknowledged my selfe a grieuous sinner considering the prerogatiue of your merittes and the rigour of your holy Religion I know not out of doubt but that the number and grauity of my sinnes are such and so much haue I offended God the vniuersall Lord that I am not worthy to be vnited to the society of the elect nor to be sequestred from worldly occupations if your teares and prayers doe not obtaine me pardon of my sinnes And therfore to you I committ my soule to you I commēd my spiritt as IESVS CHRIST on the crosse recommended his spiritt to his Father to the end that in the terrible day of the vniuersall iudgement you giue an account for me if you be not diligent and carefull of my saluation For I confidently beleeue that you may obtaine of the soueraigne Iudge whatsoeuer by your deuotion and your teares you shall demaund of him The Pope speaketh not of cōming to Assisium as I desire but I purpose to visitt you and your sisters att my first commodity Recommend me to Agnes your sister and mine and to all your other sisters in IESVS CHRIST Of the confirmation of the first rule of saincte Clare inserted with her rule THE XIX CHAPTER THe holy Father sainct Francis by instruction of the holy Ghost made a rule for saincte Clare and the Religious that intended to follow her distinguished ordered by chapters conueniēt and conformable to the Rule of the Frere Minors which rule this holy Father imparted vnto Cardinall Vgolin then Bishop of Hostia who was Protectour of his Order and was after Pope by the title of Gregory the ninth who was very affectionate vnto him and confirmed the sayd rule in the rigour of a strict pouerty austerity of life not by bulle but only of his Apostolicall authority and viua voce The Order of saincte Clare had not this rule confirmed by authenticall bull till the third yeare of the Popedome of Innocent the fourth which was the yeare 1245. when the sayd Pope att the instance of certaine Prelates and of certaine Abbesses of the Religion of saincte Clare instituted the second rule for the virgins of this Order vnder the title of the enclosed Religious
in his soule conceaued such consolation therof that he no more remēbred all his trauailes past then if he had neuer endured them S. Francis then said vnto him My sonne admire no more for it is necessary that thou retourne into the world but greiue not for God hath appointed thee a very short time of seauen dayes only that in the meane time thou mayest prepare the better which ended I my selfe will come to thee and will conduct the thither to enioy with me this immortall glorie The blessed Father S. Francis with a very rich mantell and his holy stigmates glittered as shinning starres with such a splendour that he seemed with his beames to illuminate the greatest part of that great citty The Religious did there know many SS of S. Francis his company whome he had seene in the world all whome he nomminated att his retourne Att length hauing receaued the benediction of S. Francis he awakened out of his sleepe and heard the bell ringing to the Prime for it was yet early morning and he seemed to haue spent many yeares in his iorney he thē recounted the vision to his Guardian and the Religious for the cōsolation of all such as liue in labours and afflictions and to demonstrate that whatsoeuer sinners they be God doth neuer abandon any one but doth euer assist and preserue them in all their tribulations till he bring them to his kingdome Now for confirmation of all the precedent the Religious fell incontinently sick and with an admirable feruour of spiritt prepared himselfe for his last houre The seauen dayes expired the glorious Father S. Francis came as he had promised and carryed the soule of this theefe into Paradice This holy Father then by this humility in this sort gayned soules vnto God as by the ensuyng example shall more appeare How S. Francis conuerted certaine other theeues this was the 27. chapter of the 10. book transferred hither as a place more proper vnto it THE LXXXVIII CHAPTER THere were certaine theeues that had their residence on an high mountaine whence they discended to robbe the passengers they found on the wayes and some time very hungar constrayned them to aske bread for the loue of God att the Couent of the Freer Minors neere the borough of S. Sepulcre some of the Religious affirmed that it was not well done to giue them almose being theeues and murderers such as ought not to be releiued to the detriment of the cōmon weale Others neuertheles of compassion gaue them almose still admonishing them to leaue that lewd and detestable life and to doe pennance for it But S. Francis one day accidentallie comming to that Couent the Religious proposed this doubt vnto him to whome he answeared If you follow mine aduice I hope by the grace of God you shall gaine him those soules which is that you take bread and wine of each of the best you haue and carry it them to the mountaine whither they are retired and that calling them you very louingly vse this speeche vnto them Brethren feare not for we are Religious that bring you to eat then presentlie spread your cloakes on the ground and sett them your bread vpon it and with a ioyfull humility minister vnto them till they haue done eating After that in fauour of that charity on your part exhibited and of what you may thenceforward doe them pray and coniure them not to hurt kill or offend any man personnally and for that first time require no other thing of them An other day according to the good answeare they shall giue you you shall carry them other bread wine egges and cheese which you shall present vnto them with the greatest humility and kindenes that you can then you shall say vnto them Brethren we know wel what moueth you to liue in these mountaines with so many inconueniēces feares and perils both of body and soule which you will vndoubtedly bring to ruine if you perseuer in this course Therfore we counsaile you for the best to giue ouer this life to putt your confidence in God and he wil neuer abandon you in your temporall necessities On our part we will not faile for his loue and yours to releiue you att least to saue your soules and I hope in our Lord said the holy Father by this your charity and humility you shall conuert them which proued true For these Religious following that counsaile the vertue of the holy Ghost in a moment descended on the theeues in such sort that moued by the demonstrations of those good Religious they beleeued them so that by litle and litle the greater part of them entred into the Order and there liued piously and the rest hauing sworne vnto the Religious that they would amend themselues spent their time in very great repose and ended their liues as good Christians to the exceeding contentment and edification of all the country who for the same gaue thanckes to God and to those good Religious How much S. Francis shunned and abhorred honours for the loue of humility THE LXXXIX CHAPTER THough by the precedent it may be sufficiently vnderstood how much S. Francis shunned worldly glory and on the cōtrary how he reioyced when God was praysed by his worckes yet it will more manifestly appeare by this which we are to speake of him on this occasion Hauing one day ended his sermon in the citty of Iterrena the bishop arose and after he had made a short exhortation to his people in the end he said That frō the time that God had planted the Church he neuer abandoned it but did alwayes illuminate and assist it by meane of some perfect men that continually supported the same but now he did illustrate and maintayne it more then euer in this poore bare-foot and idiott vtterlie misprised for his loue wherevpon he concluded that they were much obliged to giue thanckes vnto his diuine maiesty for that his singuler benefitt As soone as the bishop had ended S. Francis doeing him reuerence very ioyfull replyed doubtles My Lord neuer man in the world hath to this day so much honoured me as your selfe for some say of me this man is holy and when God worcketh any thing by me many reflecting on me only giue not to God the glory due to his diuine maiesty but you as wise and prudent haue separated the vile from the precious wherefore falling on his knees before him he kissed his handes and departed leauing the bishop exceedingly edified If any one called him S. he would incōtinētlie answeare If God should take frō me the treasure of his grace which he hath giuen me in custodie there would remaine to me only my body and soule both burdened with sinnes and extreme blindnes as are the damned and infidels but as the picture and sculpture where the images of God and of the glorious virgin are engrauen and peinted in wood or stone are reuerenced and honoured as figures of the true image and as they are stone
subiect to seculer ecclesiasticall iurisdiction These Penitents may yet as is practised in all their Cōfraternityes create an head or chefe by the title of Minister Rector or Priour who shall haue care to assemble the Brethren att certaine times to consult of matters touching their company It is also manifest that S. Francis alone among al other authors of religions did institute and ordaine the Brethren and sisters of the third Order of Penitents And because he had formerly instituted two rules the one of Frere Minors and the other of poore Sisters this Confraternity of Penitents was called the third Order thence is deriued their denomination Since that time some others Orders principally the Begging Freres endeauour to imitate S. Francis and to institute also other Confraternities of imitating Penitents or what such other denomination they will and submitting themselues in some sort to the sayd Orders they withall enioy their priuiledges But to the end more apparent knowledge may be had of this first and true Order of Penitentes instituted by the holy Father S. Francis and the holy sea and of the fruit which they haue produced in the Church we will proceed in declaration of this Order First we will sett downe certaine Apostolicall fauours and concessions bestowed on this confraternity in the beginning therof then the rule which the said Pope Nicolas the fourth of blessed memory compiled approued finally we wil deduce the illustrious personnes that haue florished in the sayd Order in all sanctity which wil be a matter gratefull and worthy to be recorded The Briefe of Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he declared this Order to be confirmed and fauoured by Pope Honorius the 3. THE II. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to all the Brethren of the Order of Penitents instituted in Italy Forsomuch as the detestable enuy of the ennemy of mankinde doth with greater obstinacy persecute the seruants of CHRIST IESVS spreading his snares against them and with all his power seeking to withdraw and remoue them from the seruice of the king of kinges by malicious inuentions we knowing that these hauing forsaken the vanitie of the world though they be yet with their bodies on earth neuertheles in soule and spiritt they conuerse in heauen renouncing worldly desires for the loue of God they enioy not only transitory pleasures but eternal richesse so much more also doth he torment them no otherwise then did the Egiptians persecute the people of God that went out of the Egipt of this world till they perished by diuine punition and a new manner of death finding receauing the end which their worckes deserued And after our Sauiour and Redeemer IESVS CHR. hauing receaued holy Baptisme went into the desert where hauing fasted 40. dayes and 40. nightes the same wicked spirit feared not to tempt him Therfor he that addicteth himselfe to the seruice of God must according to the sentence of the Sage prepare his soule vnto temptations Which being considered by Pope Honorius the 3. our Predecessour and that doeing worckes of Penance you were afflicted by the children of this world by diuers afflictions and crosses that therfore you had need to be nourished and fauoured by laudable worckes he embracing and louing your Religion in the bowels of IESVS CHR. gratified the same with speciall grace commanding all Bishoppes and Archbishoppes of Italy to exempt and free you from such oathes as are accustomed to be exacted of Gouernours of townes and other officers of others places and to protect you that you be not constrayned to accept publicke offices and chardges or to be receauers of common rentes and such like affaires But because the children of darcknes who by their humane prudence haue learned to repute darcknes light and light darcknes and this by calomnie of sinister interpretation haue so afflicted you in the preiudice of your priuiledges that you are for more vexed and chardged then before you had those priuiledges for albeit the sayd Officers cānot exact your oathes they find other occasions to enforce you to sweare not permitting you to giue your reuenues in almose where you please Wherfore you haue with great humility demaunded that we deliuer you from the obligation of such oathes as you haue made those accepted of peace faith and testimony and that you may not be chardged with impostes and contributions more then your other fellow Cittizens that you may employ your reuenues in pious vses and distribute it att your pleasure and may not be troubled for the debtes and faultes of your neighbours but that you be obliged to answeare the debtes of others for which you shal be engaged We then considering that you enter into the way of perfection and that the children of the world will so much the more hinder you as they are and know themselues different frō your holy life and that they make a confused heape of peruerse oppositions to hide and obscure the veritie doe by aucthority of these present letters giue and graunt to all you in your vniuersity of whose faith and Religion we hold our selues assured the permission which you demaund of vs in all the sayd matters most expresly commanding you that yon endeauour to vse the grace and fauour well which we bestow on you and that none of you abuse the same Vnlesse you wil be frustrated and depriued of the priuiledge which we graunt you and therfore lett none c. Giuen at saint Iohn Lateran the 30. day of March and second yeare of our Popedone This present Breife was giuen the yeare of grace 1228. wherin appeareth that the Confraternity of the Penitentes was not exempted from seculer or ecclesiasticall iurisdiction though in this Briefe it be tearned Religion because this title of Religion is taken and vnderstood lardgely for Christian Religion The Briefe of the said Pope Gregory the ninth wherby he permitteth the Penitents of the third Order of S. Francis to heare diuine office in time of interdiction THE III. CHAPTER GRegory Bishop and seruant of the seruantes of God to the Archibishoppes Bishoppes and Prelates of the church of Italy It being euident that the intention of those who are mindfull of death is not to follow the vanitie of the world but IESVS CHRIST doeing pennance with an humble hart by true contrition chasticing and subiecting the sences to reason and that their intention is to apply themselues to the seruice of God So that it were an iniust thing that these cōfraternityes should be separated and depriued of the diuine offices Ecclesiasticall sacraments it being reasonable that they receaue some speciall fauour of the holy Apostolike sea in these and other matters that concerne the seruice of God There being then many through Italy that obserue this order of life which some call Brothers Penitents we cōmand your prudence by this our Apostolicall Briefe that in the Churches of your iurisdiction wherin it is generally permitted you to say the
or to trauaile or for any other occasion whatsoeuer may haue mony in any manner or fashion that can happen nor lesse may he receiue it for recompence of his labours breiflely no Brother may touch or possesse mony for any necessity that may befall him vnlesse it be to releiue the vrgent need of the sick Brethren because we must no more esteeme mony then stones or thornes to the end that sith we renounce and abandon all our temporall substance in this life we doe not afterward for so small a matter make shipwrack of the eternall kingdome If peraduenture we chaunce to finde mony in som place lett vs no more regard then durt because whatsoeuer is in the world is meere vanity But if it should happē which God forbid that any brother receiue mony excepting vpon the aforesaid necessity of the sicke lett him be reputed by the Confraternity for a false Religious and thefe as he that taketh a purse if he be not truely penitent Lett not the Brethren in any manner in the world receiue mony or cause it to be receiued nor much lesse lett them demaund or procure it to be demaunded by a third person in any sort whatsoeuer nor lett them goe in company of men that demaund it for them But the Brethren may in the houses and places whither they shall goe exercise other seruices that shall not be contrarie to our Religion and rule with the benediction of our Lord. They may demaund almose for the leapers only whome they know to be in great necessity but lett them be very wary of mony and lett them likewise take keed not to search the world for any occasion of vnlawfull gaine that may be presented Of the manner of demaunding almose and of their ordinarie diet and refection THE IX CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren laboure to imitate the pouetty and humility of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and lett them remember that nothing is necessary in the world but as the Apostle saith to haue wherewithal to releiue and couer vs wherwith we ought to content vs and seek no more We must reioyce when we conuerse with poore and base personnes that are contemned of the world but especially with the diseased leapers and poore begars thorough the streetes Whē it shable necessary to goe to demaūd almose att the doores lett thē goe without any feare or shame calling to minde that the sonne of Almighty God presented his countenance as a hard stone to the blowes and affrontes of the world and he was nothing ashamed to be poore and a stranger and to liue vpon almose together with his most sacred mother the virgin Mary And if men deny almose and retourne disgraces to the brother that shall demaund it lett him thanck God sor it and pray for them because he shall receiue saith IESVS CHRIST great honour of the shame that men shall procure him and lett him know that the iniuryes and scornes which shal be don him shall not be imputed as a fault to him that shall receiue them but to him indeed that shall offer them likewise that almose is a rent and obligation due to the poore which our Lord IESVS CHRIST hath merited purchaced and left vnto vs. And the Brethren that trauaile in seeking almose shall haue great recompence therof besides that they procure a meritt to them that giue it for whatsoeuer men doe in this world shall dissolue to nothinge excepting almose and worckes don in charity for which they shall receiue of God an eternall recompence Lett each Brother with all assurance discouer his necessity to his fellowes that they may comfort him with good wordes and actually assist him according to their abillity and lett each of them loue and cherish his Brothers as the mother loueth and cherisheth her owne child in what God shall giue him grace and faculty to assist him He that eateth not lett him not contemne him that eateth and he that eateth lett him not the more esteeme of him that eateth not If any necessity happen it shal be permissable to all the Brethren where they shall reside to eat of all humane thinges as God said of Dauid who did eat the bread that was permitted to Preistes only to eat Lett the Brethren remember that which IESVS CHRIST saith Beware of chardging and ouerburdening your hart with two much drincking eating for feare that sleepe incontinently surprise you and that sloath be occasion that in the latter day you be intercepted in the snares of death the which before the entrapping of each man liuing shall neuertheles haue diuerses effectes according as they shall finde the soule disposed either to life or to death the one and the other eternall But in time of manifest necessity lett the Brethren behaue themselues as their need shal import as our Lord shall better instruct them because necessity is not subiect to law In what manner the sick Brethren ought to be serued THE X. CHAPTER IN any place where a Brother shall fall sicke lett him not be left alone but lett there be alwaies one or more if need require to serue him as they would desire to be if they were in his place if vpō necessity there be no Brother lett care be taken to leaue some charitable persō to attēd and serue him in his sicknes and I pray the sick Brother that what soeuer may happen vnto him he alwayes giue thancks vnto God and be content to be such as God would haue him to be either aliue or dead that he continue in sicknes or recouer his health because all they whome God hath predestinated to eternall life are ordinarily by him instructed and diciplined with the rod of his afflictions and sicknesse with a spiritt of compunction and bitternes as he saith in the third of the Apocalipse I chastice and correct him whome I Ioue And if the sicke be disquieted and passionat against God or the Brethren or haue an ouer greedy affection to phisicke desiring and procuring beyond reason to free his ffesh which hath so litle time to liue and the which is ennemy to the soule the said sick Brother must not esteeme the same to proceed of a good ground but lett him assure and repute himselfe to be carnall for he doth not seeme to be of the nomber of the true seruantes of God sith he more affecteth the body then the soule considering that he striueth to worck more therin then the Phisition findeth for his cure That the Brethren ought mutually to loue each other that they ought not to calumniat any person nor in any sort to murmure THE XI CHAPTER LEtt the Brethren be wary not to accuse any of malice or to calumniat him and lett them not be contentious among themselues or with others lett them also shunne perfidiousnes and disloyalty but lett them be carefull to performe their exercises in the grace of God with silence and lett them not maintaine quarelsome disputes neither among them selues nor with others but rather
odoriferous floures and sauourous fruictes of vertue and respect towardes his diuine Maiesty For there being many conuerted and enflamed in the loue of IESVS CHRIST they bound themselues with strict and new lawes of peÌ„nance following the rule and holy counsaile of the blessed seruant of God Others not only touched with deuotion but inflamed with a holy desire to imitate him did tread his holy steppes and concerning the contempt of worldly vanities and earthly appetites did chose him for their guid and following the spiritt they in short time augmented to such a quantity that they enuironned the whole world One of the first that then came was the blessed Brother Siluester the twelueth Disciple who was the first preist that entred into the Order he was of Assisium and the manner of his conuersion was thus He was present when Brother Bernard Quintaualle by helpe of the S. distributed what the had to the poore And seeing with what liberality he gaue his mony to the poore his auarice therby encreased and therfore he spake to S. Francis to pay him the residue for the stones which he had deliuered him to the building and restablishing the foresaid churches But the S. admiring this demaund without making any reply thrust his hand into the purse of Quintaualle and gaue him a handfull of mony and then asked him if he were satisfied or would haue more wherto he answeared that he would no more but was contented And being retourned to his house and finally perceiuing the diuelish couetousnes that had blinded him he sharpely reprehended and checked himselfe and exceedinglie commended the feruour and liberalitie of Brother Bernard and the sanctitie of S. Francis and as well in regard of this light of conscience and true knowledge of him selfe as that God had already elected and predestinated him to this new life of perfection he had shortly after a strange dreame three seuerall nightes together He saw in a dreame the citty of Assisium enuironned with a mighty and hideous dragon which seemed to intend the destruction not only of the said citty but also of all the country neere He saw also to proceed out of the mouth of S. Francis a faire and lardge crosse of gold the toppe wherof touched the heauen and the armes therof stretched euen to the two endes of the earth att the sight of which crosse this venimous dragon fled For that time he spake not a word of this dreame because he did not perfectly beleeue But considering that the Pope had confirmed the rule of S. Francis whose perseuerance also in sanctity of life and doctrine admiring he recounted vnto him this vision and hauing afterward distributed his goodes to the poore he tooke the habitt of the Order of the said S. with whome he liued so piously and with such obseruance of his rule that of his part he verified what he had seene There was att that time one of the Order called Cruciferi who are Religious wherof there are many in Italy the greater part being gentilmen they are cloathed in violet and perpetually carry a crosse of siluer in their handes his name was Mauricius who was greiuously sick in an hospitall neere to Assisium where being dispaired of and abandoned by the Phisitions he reposed all his hope and confidence in God and by message vnto S. Francis of whome he had a right good opinion seriously besought him that he would vouchsafe to pray to God for him Which the holy Father hauing done he incontinently tooke crummes of bread which he steeped in the oyle of the lampe that burned before the image of the virgin Mary wherof he made a new kind of oyntmeÌ„t which he sent to the sicke persoÌ„ by two of his BrethreÌ„ saying vnto them Carrye this Medicine to our Brother Mauricius wherby God shall not only restore him to perfect health but shall dispose him also to be his seruaunt in our company It so came to passe for hauing taken this medicine he was instantly cured it was not confected by any worldly apoticary but of the vnction of the holy Ghost And the said drogue wrought such forces both in his body and soule that he afterwards became a Freer Minor and was cloathed with the habitt rather of a beggar then of a Religious in such sort was it patched and also with a shirt of maile against his flesh In that manner did he liue for many yeares neither drinking wine nor eating bread nor any thing dressed by fire but contented himselfe with the only nourrishment of hearbes pulse fruites which extreme abstinence neuer distempered his body but was for diuers yeares preserued in health and strength sufficient to support the labours and wearisomnes of the Order for which after his death God by his merittes wrought many miracles How Brother Leo Br. Mace Br. Pacificus with others entred into the religion of S. Francis THE XXVIII CHAPTER IN short time after entred into the Order this said Brother Leo who was confessour to S. Francis Among manieâ—vertues wherwith this Brother was endued there appeared especially one which the said S. exceedinglie prised to witt an Angelicall simplicitie in fauour wherof he was verie familier to S. Francis and did participate of all his secretcs and therfore the said S. did often call him Brother Beast of God Brother Maceus of Marignan did also enter into the said Order he was a famous Courtyer and for his prudence exceedinglie honoured of the world he obtained of God grace to edifie much by his pious discourses and therfore did S. Francis often take him for his companion and when any came to visitt him they were so entertained with the worthey discourses of Br. Maceus that S. Francis was not interrupted of his prayer Brother William an Englishman made himselfe also of the Order who was of so pious a life that he merited to be one of the first twelue disciples of the S. in place of Brother Iohn Capella who was one of that nomber but being the first that participating in the habitt transgressed the rules he was chasticed of God by the soares of leaprie which correction not receiuing att the handeâ— of the infinite bountie in such sort as he ought being moued with rage he grew into such furie of impatience and the deuill so blinded him that running out of the Religion he as an other Iudas hung himselfe Now this child of perditioÌ„ being rased out of the noÌ„ber the said Brother William was subrogated in his place who was a man of such perfection that wheÌ„ he died God shewed by manie notable miracles how pleasing and gratefull the merittes of so worthie a seruant of his was vnto him Brother Ruffinus was a verie rich gentleman of Assisium neere of kinred vnto S. Clare who being exceedinglie edified by the conuersion life and doctrine of S. Francis was also conuerted and att this time tooke the habitt He perseuered a virgin and pure in religion as he entred into it which proceeded of
euen the will of his Superiour They vndoubtedly beleeued that whatsoeuer was commanded them was the will of God and by that meanes obedience was easy and pleasing vnto them that they might not be iudged by others they accused and condemned themselues and if any so much forgatt himselfe as to vtter a scandalous word to one of his Brethren he would conceaue such remorce and greife theratt that he was not well nor could repose till he fell att his feet whome he had offended to whome with demaund of pardon he acknowledged his fault and herewith not content he would pray the Brother offended to sett his foot on his mouth and tread hard vpon it In this manner chastissing themselues did they suppresse and trample pride vnder foot This was not practised only among the simple Brethren but among the Superiours themselues For in whatsoeuer place one found himselfe to haue with out reason offended any Brother he commanded the offended to sett his foot on his throat that by this meane the malice and tyrannie of the deuill being suppressed loue and fraternall charity might be conserued among them They also armed themselues against vices and exercised vertues beside this they vsed their habites bookes and other moueables in common that none among them might presume to call any thing mine And albeit they were in deepe degree of pouerty they were neuertheles in their hartes exceeding rich and most liberall and very freely and ioyfully gaue what was demaunded of them for the loue of God fulfilling his word who saith Giue that Gratis which you haue receiued for nothing If any poore people begged the almose which had bin giuen them they gaue it them He that had not what to giue to the poore that asked him an almose would giue them part of the habitt that couered him When the rich of this world came to visitt them to conferre with them of some spirituall matter they ioyfully entertayned them and delighted sometime to frequent their company so to finde occasion to persuade them to leaue their sinnes and to induce and moue them to doe doe pennance When their holy Father was to send them into the world they would instantly and as a singuler father craue of him not to send them into their owne country therby to auoyd the conuersation of their kinred and freindes of this world because this seemed vnto them a certaine kinde of retourne to the world For what soeuer necessity that might befall them in their trauaile they took neither gold siluer nor otherkind of mony because they singulerly contemned it and aboue all thinges did from their hartes tread it vnder foot Being so freed and exempted of all wordly desires they numbred themselues with those of whome Isai said how beautifull and swift are the feete of the Euangelistes and preachers of peace and eternall Saluation Thus did these true Religious circuit the world by the streight and sharpe way of their pouerty surmounting the hard stones of selfe desires and euill inclinations breaking the thicke cloudes of the sinnes and depraued customes of worldly men with great paine of their life walking on the thornes of tribulations and contrarietyes with exāples vertues and doctrine of pennance because such is the path way that leadeth them to liue who with a perfect resolution seek the same The holy Father did also exercise his children in hauing care of leapers so to plant in their soule a firme root of humility and mortification of themselues and therfore ordayned his Brethren to be att the hospitall of leapers when occasion required to serue and minister vnto them If any Gentilman presented himselfe to be receiued into the order among many things propounded vnto him one of the principall was that he should serue leapers and dwell in their house when he should be commanded considered withall that S. Francis himselfe did the same with much contentment of body and spiritt and with him all his beloued and holy Religious And in regard that the holy Father was very zealous of the honour of the most blessed Sacrament he would that not only the altares but euen the churches and house of God were conuenient neat and well ordered and if he found any one vncleane he would sweep it himselfe or if he could not he would commaund some Brethren to make cleane and accommodate the same that by this worck of God they might nourish in themselues humilitie a reuerence to his diuine maiestie and feruonr of spiritt to enrich with him the conscience of all the soules of faithfull Christians which are the true temples of the liuing God Of the doctrine and documents of S. Francis THE XXXI CHAPTER SAinct Francis did often make spirituall lectures to his children in IESVS CHRIST putting them in mind of their profession and the state whervnto God had so graciously called them which he performed by these wordes My welbeloued Brethren lett vs haue alwayes before our eyes the first vocation wherto with so great mercie we haue bin called of God not only to saue our selues but also for the saluation of many And sith it is so lett vs trauaile ouer the world with good example and behoufull wordes exhorting and teaching euery one that sinners may repent their sinnes past and call to minde the diuine preceptes which they seeme to haue already forgotten Now whiles you thus trauaile you ought to haue a firme faith that God will procure you to encounter faithfull men gentle and gracious who will of charity receiue you ioyfully and you shall gaine them When you shall meet with vnfaithfull and proud personnes that shall resist your speeches support them with patience and humilitie for theloue of him who being iniuryed misprised and dishonoured by the Iewes did not answeare them one crosse word nor would reuenge himselfe of the outrages which they had done him but presented himselfe with an extreme charitie to support all in satisfaction of our sinnes When S. Francis sent his brethren to any place he gaue them this document Haue alwayes humility and honestie in your company and in the morning till the third hower keepe silence strictlie and in the meane while offer your deuotion and pray to God in your hart Vtter not wordes that are idle and without fruit neither doe you giue eare vnto them because in whatsoeuer place you walke or be your conuersation ought to be no lesse humble and modest then if you were in your oratory or cell sith that where soeuer we goe or be we haue alwayes with vs our cell which is our body wherof our soule is the hermite which resideth therin to pray vnto God and to meditate on his benefittes And therfore if the soule rest not in peace in this celle that of the monastery will litle auaile vnto a Brother Liue in such sort as no man be scandalized att you but that each one by your sweetnes be induced to peace to benignity and concord considering that
shalt performe the pennaunce that I shall now enioyne thee The Religious acknowledging his fault and submitting himselfe to doe his penaunce S. Francis said vnto him Strip thy selfe naked and aske him pardon and beseech him to pray to God for thee which was done He caused an other Religious to doe the like for hauing only giuen a rigorous answeare to a poore man that asked an almose He manifested to his Brethren how they ought to behaue themselues towardes the poore in these termes When you shall see a poore creature consider that it is a mirour which our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST proposeth vnto you of his pouerty and of his blessed virgin mother and that he presenteth it to your sight When you shall see a sick person know that it is a paterne of the infirmity which he tooke on him for our sakes if the pride and irreuerence of the riche displease God how much more will displease him the rigorous wordes of Freer Minors to such as make professiō of pouerty If in this our profession God permitt that we be honoured of great personnes how intollerable will our pride appeare if proudly puffed vp we contemne such as are as poore as our selues Lett vs therfore beware that by iust permission of God it happen not to our confusion that the rich make lesse esteeme of vs yea that they suffer vs to die for want of releife Of the spiritt of feruour of S. Francis in his preachinges THE L. CHAPTER BEcause the Apostle saith that piety is profitable and behoufull in euery thing this vertue was so vnited to the hart of the holy Father and so engrauen in his bowels that it seemed to subiect him to all creatures but especially to the soules redeemed by the precious bloud of our Lord IESVS CHRIST for if the saw them sicke or dead in sinne he had such a tender feeling of hart and affection with them as if he had naturally begotten them And in that respect he excceedingly honoured Preachers because they alwayes raysed some dead Brother vnto our Redeemer and with a pious care endeauoured to reuoke the erring and to confirme the imperfect in God S. Francis then preached being vested with this zeale and charity towardes his neighbour not with selected wordes or by humane art but by the vertue and doctrine of the holy Ghost did manifest vnto them the kingdome of God his preaching was vehement as a burning fire that peneteated the center of the hart and putt soules into a continuall admiration and as it were beside themselues Prayer alone was all his bookes distrusting all his knowledged and industrie and entierly relying on the diuine vertue He obtained of God this his holy grace which he so instantly required for assistance of his neighbour in such sort that his wordes did penetrate not only the eares but euen the hartes of sinners It only once happened that he studyed his sermon and the reason was because he was to preach before the Pope and many Cardinals by commandement of the Cardinall of Hostia Protectour of his Order The time being come to ascend the pulpitt and being therin he could by no meanes beginne his sermon though he exceedingly laboured to doe it which infinitely troubled him and much amazed the assistantes wherfore he publickely acnowledged that he had seriously studied that sermon but hauing incontinently recourse to prayer in few wordes recommending himselfe with all his hart vnto God vtterly reiecting his former conceipt and entierly referring himselfe to his diuine maiestie he began to preach with such feruour that hauing in an instant sett att liberty his holy tongue he deliuered matter so learned sublime and so necessary that he moued all the hartes of his audience to compassion and then it appeared to each one that the wordes of God were vndoubtedlie true where he saith It is not you that speake but the spiritt of God that speaketh in you This holy Father thus obtayning the reuelatious of the diuine mysteries by meane of prayer and correcting first whatsoeuer vices he found in himselfe it is not to be admired that he moued the most obdurat hartes vnto pennance reprehending vices with such vehemence He preached with like feruour his constancie being incredible both to great and meaner people riche and poore many and few and alwayes with exceeding profitt What conditions S. Francis required in Preachers THE LI. CHAPTER BEing according to the example of IESVS CHRIST a true Euangelicall Preacher and teaching rather by workes then wordes he would in like sort that his disciples rather wanted learning then goodnes because sayd he the function and grace of preaching is farre more gratefull to God then any other humane office if it be especiallie practised with a care of perfect charitie adding with all that the poore and wretched preacher that despoiling himselfe of pietie sought not the benefitt of soules in his preachinges but only to please men for his particuler interest deserued to be lamented so miserable was his state and condition But more greiuous was his case that by his lewd life he scandalized and ruyned more soules then he gained by his doctrine Herevpon he inferred that before such Preachers was to be preferred a simple Religious man who by his pious example and imitable life induceth each one to vertue Which is insinuated by the wordes of S. Anne Donec sterilis peperit Till the barren bring foorth many children and she that had many become infirme vnderstanding the barren to be the simple Religious whose function is not to preach and by his doctrine to bring foorth any child vnto God but att the day of the vniuersall iudgement it will appeare that by his life his example his prayers and his teares which he hath presented vnto his diuine maiestie imploring him for the conuersion of sinners he shall haue engendred many more in the Church of God then diuers that preach because the iust iudge shall attribute them all vnto him for his merittes and shall recompense him accordinglie And the mother that is the Preacher that in exteriour apparence seemed to haue many children shall appeare infirme because he shall proue to haue no part in that wherein he gloryed as proceeding from himselfe and notfrom God In respect wherof he would not that the Preachers should be distracted and transported by cares and asfaires of the world but should remayne retired and attentiue to prayer as being elected by his diuine Maiesty for publishing his holy word vnto sinners Therfore said he the first thing that a Preacher ought to doe is in priuate prayer to feed himselfe with the spiritt of God then being himselfe enflamed within to communicate and impart vnto them therby to enflame them without The Function of preaching was by him reputed reuerend so consequentlie the Ministers therof Preachers said he are the life of the body of the holy church they are the champions and bucklers of soules against the deuill they are the
burning torches of the world It cannot be esteemed how worthy they are of honour if they be such as they ought to be and on the contrary how â—â—ch they deserue pitty and compassion if they sell their doctrine â—â—r recompence of a vaine and transitorie applause For which respect this holy Father could not endure such that esteemed more of themselues for being eloquent and learned then for being seruantes of the omnipotent God and employed by his diuine Maiesty in the most eminent degree that his Church affordeth to those whome he knew to be such he said Wherfore doe yee glorie of them that are conuerted to penance by your preachinges as though yourselues did conuert them wheras my simple Religious doe also the same And therfore the preachers that entierlie applyed themselues to preaching without any deuotion he called euill disposers of his goodes and exceedingly extolled those that had respect and memory of themselues after their preachinges rotyring and applying themselues to the spiritt of prayer and to tast how sweet God is after his example who leauing his disciples retyred him selfe vnto the mountaines to pray Of the feruent piety and charity which S. Francis had towardes God and his saincts THE LII CHAPTER WHo can euer expresse the feruent piety wherwith the glorious Father S. Francis the deere freind of his Spouse IESVS CHRIST alwayes burned in his hart considering that by meanes of this his feruour he was most often rapt out of himselfe and so transformed in IESVS CHRIST that it well appeared that with the exteriour quill the stringes of the instrument of his hart were touched within Wherfore he affirmed that it was vnwonted and ouer abondant prodigality to offer so great a price as the loue of God for an almose and he tearmed them senseles who were ignorant therof and who made more esteeme of a base farthing then of such a purchase for so much as they refused that sclender price which sufficed to buy heauen besides that the loue of him who hath so much loued vs ought iustlie to be prised and estoemed aboue althinges And to the end himselfe might be often stirred to this diuine loue he considered althinges as proceeding from the hand of God and so by the consideration of creatures he was with an admirable sweetnes swallowed vp in the contemplation of a most high and first cause and fountaine of all essence and life admiring in the beauty and composition of the second causes the most eminent and prudent Creator and pursued the same euery where to his pleasure which he found by a thousand new meanes manners framing a continuall ladder of althinges created wherby he ascended to the comtemplation and fruition of this lord vniuersally desired and att euery steppe of the said ladder he tasted as in a litle brooke of that most delicious fountaine of bounty with an extreme pleasure as if he had heard that celestiall harmony and consonance of the diuersity of vertues and of their effectes which God gaue to his creatures for which â—ounterchaunge he awakened and stirred theÌ„ with the Prophet to prayse their Creatour as in place heerafter shall appeare He continually carryed his desired crosse as a pleasing litle bundle of mirrh sauouring in his hart desiring with all his power to be transformed into it therby to be enflamed with an excessiue loue and to that end he had appointed lentes in which he retired into hermitages to enioy in silence his amorous IESVS CHRIST who as gratious failed not to reciprocate his deerly beloued in giuing him diuine consolations He burned with deuotion in the interiour of his bowels towardes the sacred sacrament admiring that so charitable and excessiue diuine communication And when he communicated which was often it was with such and so great deuotion that such as were present were amazed and enforced to deuotion seeing him so replenished with this celestiall tast wherwith being as it were druncken he was with all rauished into mentall extasy And he was so zealous and reuerent therevnto that fearing to handle it vnworthely he euer refused to be Preist yea being thereto vehemently sollicited and so farce foorth as he could no longer resist Wherfore he had recourse to his ordinary defence which was prayer wherin demaunding Counsaile of God an Angel appeared vnto him with a viol in his hand full of most pure and cleare liquor who sayd Behold Francis he that will administer the most holy sacrament ought to be as pure as this liquor in respect of which wordes he had neuer thence forward desire to be preist esteeming it no small matter to be Deacon sith so great a purity was required in Preisthood And therfore he commanded the Superiours and all other Religious to be carefull in the prouinces where they resided to aduertise and exhort the people Clarkes and Preistes to place the most sacred body of our Lord in a decent place with all reuerence and sent them the mouldes and first formes or modeles of steele wherin to make the hosties He was also carefull to haue the altares and churches very neate and curiously adorned and in all his chapters made mention therof He loued and reuerenced the glorious mother of our lord IESVS CHRIST with such Charity as cannot be expressed in consideration that she had made the most high lord God our Brother cloathing the diuine maiesty with our owne flesh Wherfore next after God he reposed all his hope in this glorious virgin and euen from the originall of the institution of his Religion he made choice of her for his protectrice and aduocatrice vnto her Sonne and for her honour and glory he fasted as we haue formerly alleadged After that besides and aboue all the other Angels whome he reuerenced for the speciall care they haue of vs he was with an inseparable bond of loue vinted vnto the Archangell S. Michael in regard of his office presenting soules vnto God and in deuotion vnto him he fasted forthy dayes before his feast In this holy fast it was that he merited that notable fauour of the stigmagtes as hereafter in place conuenient shal be inserted Finally he was generaly enflamed in the memory of the glorious Saints affecting them with all his soule as liuely stones of the celestiall edifice shining and glittering with that immensiue light aboue all other resplendant with the charity of IESVS CHRIST and among them he especially reuerenced with a singuler deuotion the Princes of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul for he went often to Rome expresly to visitt them and not in vaine sith he was reciprocally by them visited protected and comforted in all occurances Of the great charity of S. Francis towardes his neighbour and how he freed his Brethren of temptations THE LIII CHAPTER THe poore of IESVS CHRIST S. Francis had but two peeces of mony so called he the body and the soule which vpon euery occasion he offered for the loue of IESVS
CHRIST the one by an ardent feruour and the other by abstinence and discipline sacrificing the flesh exteriourly in holocaust and interiourly burning in the temple of his soule the sweet incense of piety eleuating his spiritt vnto God by a most seruent loue and extending it by his interiour benignity ouer all creatures that were associated vnto him by nature and grace and redeemed by the precious bloud of our lord IESVS CHRIST He had not bin reputed the freind of IESVS CHRIST if he had left desolate the soules redeemed by such an inestimable price Wherfore he affirmed that one ought to preferre the safty of soules before al thinges sith that the only Sonne of God the Father would be crucified on the crosse for their saluation Therfore when he prayed he poured out an infinite quantity of teares When he preached he extremely heated himselfe and in this consideration it was that he so rigorously afflicted his body for it was not to punish it for sinnes which he had desisted to committe nor to preserue himselfe therefrom by reason that the hand of God was with him But it was to the end that by his example and merittes he might free and deliuer the poore soules of IESVS CHRIST from that horrible and insatiable gulphe of hell vsing those wordes of S. Paul If I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue not charity I giue no good education to my neighbour and very litle doe I profitt others and much lesse my selfe Therfore he deuided this his charity as an abondant Fountaine into many and diuers chanels wherby he dispersed it louing and honouring each one in his degree and estate He particulerly honoured Preistes as the Ministers of God which he performed with exceeding reuerence acknowledging them to be sanctified by diuine aucthority with power to celebrate his sacred mistery and to absolue soules his mysticall body from detestable sinnes He would not see nor consider any imperfection in them as people that alwayes represented vnto him IESVS CHRIST He left by testament vnto his disciples this notable respect which he had vnto Preistes and shewed by example that euery man ought to reuerence them as personnes in whose authority next after God consisteth the recouery of our saluation He exceedinglie honoured Preachers and diuines as they who administred vnto vs the spiritt and life of the word of God He also much respected old people and gaue due honour to men of power and authority in the world But in especiall manner did he ground his affection on the poore He had peace and charity with all the world and would that his Religious should endeauour the like that none might be scandalized or troubled by their occasion He manifested vnto them the cordiall loue wherwith he affected them as his children in IESVS CHRIST in that he did not conuerse with them as their head lord or Superiour but as Father brother and seruant perticipating of all their necessityes afflictions and temptations so that he might well say with the Apostle Who among you is weake and I am not weake who is scandalized and I am not burnt and on the other side he congratulated extremely att the spirituall progresse they made he corroborated and conforted the feeble and they that were tempted as by these examples may appeare He was on a time entreated by one that was violently tempted to pray vnto God for him to whome conforting him he said My child be not disquieted for this ought to be vnto thee an assured testimonie that thou art pleasing and gratefull vnto God None may esteeme himselfe the seruant of IESVS CHRIST but in afflictions and temptations There are many though ignorant that glory not to haue tasted any infirmity and not to know what temptation is wheras they might iustly be greiued and therby vnderstand their weak spiritt and sclender loue towardes God and assuredly beleeue that they haue much more to endure in the other world For God doth here chastice the faithfull to free them from feare of correction otherwhere giuing them the meritt of a more worthy crowne and doth neuer permitt them to be tempted aboue their forces but causeth his seruantes to make great benefitt of these teÌ„ptations The said Religious was so comforted by these wordes that albeit he disposed himselfe thenceforward to endure and support his teÌ„ptations yet he incontinently felt all the bitternes he had sustayned to tourne into ioy and alacrity An other Religious being tempted with the spirit of blasphemy farre more insupportable then any other fell att his feet with abondance of teares and such sobbes that he could not vtter so much as one word Wherevpon the S. knowing the exceeding torment which this Religious endured â—oued with pitty and zeale of his soule he said I command you yee deuils in the name of our lord IESVS CHRIST that you presume not henceforward to tempt this Religious and he was incontinently deliuered yea in the very instant Here then appeared the deepe compassion of the holy Father and his power against wicked spiritts How he trauailed towardes Siria there to receiue Martirdome THE LIIII CHAPTER THe yeare of grace ' 1212. the order of S. Francis still florishing in nomber and in fame of sanctitie he ordayned that they should twice in the yeare assemble att our lady of Angels att the feast of Pentecost and of S. Michael tharchangel to suck the milke of Euangelicall pouertie from this their holy mother and there to conferre of matters necessarie to their Order and of accidentes occurring as also to vnite themselues in fraternall loue animating each other in vertue of the spiritt There were the preachers deputed to their places and other obediences ordayned The holie Father desiring to assist not onlie the faithfull but euen Infidell Pagans to sow the faith euery where and to offer himselfe in sacrifice to the fire of Martyrdome a liuely host vnto God and by his death after the example of IESVS CHRIST to lay open vnto erring foules the way of saluation in the aforsaid yeare which was the fourth of the institution of his order being no longer able to suppresse the flame of desire of martyrdome he resolued to passe the sea to goe preach vnto the Infidels in Siria He embarqued himselfe to this purpose but the vessell which carryed him was encountred with a most cruell tempest that forced it into Sclauonia where he remayned diuers dayes his companie refusing to proceed any farther Wherfore perceauing himselfe frustrated of his holy desire esteeming it to arriue by the prouidence and pleasure of his diuine maiesty and vnderstanding that there were certaine mariners retourning to Aucona he besought them for the loue of God to conduct him with his companion back againe into Italie They perceiuing him to be extremelie poore and that no benifitt was to be gotten by him they made excuse that they had sclender prouision But the holy Father relying on the mercie
Gentlemen came from farre of deuotion to see this holy and humble congregation so that it well appeared that the like had neuer bene seene in the world Many also came only to see and honour the glorious head S. Francis who in so short a time had selected out of the world so many and so worthy members and as a sage Pastour had guided such a numerable and precious flock in the meadoes and spirituall pastures of IESVS CHRIST Now all the Religious being arriued the said S. caused them to assemble together then arose he as their Captaine entierlie enflamed of the holy ghost and gaue them the delicious and forcible food of the word of God and with a deuout and loud voice he made them a sermon whereof the theme was such My beloued Brethren we haue promised great matters but much greater ate promised vs lett vs obserue those and aspire after these The pleasure of sinne is short but the paine therof perpetuall Vertue is painefull but the glory is infinite Many are called but few are chosen and in fine all shal be rewarded Vpon which wordes he so subtilly discoursed that euerie one was amazed therat Afterward he exhorted them all to obedience vnto the holy Church and to the exercise of prayer a most efficacious meane to purchace the loue of God charity edification of their neighbour to patience and labours to neatnes and purity of life to haue peace with God amitie with men humility and sweetnes with all He likewise exhorted them to solitude to watchinges to resist the temptations of the deuill and withall seriously recommended vnto them the feruent zeale of Euangelicall pouerty contempt of the world and of themselues breifely to apply all their cogitation of soule and body on the most high Creatour Redeemer and true Pastour of soules our Lord IESVS CHRIST And to teach them all the aforesaid rather by effect then by word he commanded vnder vertue of obedience that none should take care to prouide what to eat or drinck or any other thing necessary to their entertainement But that they should only applie themselues to the praise of God and to prayer with these wordes of the Psalmist which he often iterated Cast thy cogitation in God and he will releiue thee All obeyed him without hauing care of any thing and so void of all other temporall care they entierlie employed themselues in prayer and prayse of God How the holy Father S. Dominick was present att this great chapter And of the resolution he made that his Religious should not thenceforward possesse any thing of proper for the great miracle he saw there and of the great nomber of Nouices that were receaued att the said chapter THE LXIV CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Dominick was present att this great chapter with seauen of his Religious and hauing vnderstood the rigorous commandement of the holy Father S. Frācis he was vtterly amazed fearing perhappes in regard of his great loue vnto him that some scandall might happen hauing there so great a multitude and no order taken for their releife But our Lord IESVS CHRIST did quickly manifest what care he had of his seruantes who as birdes did fly in spiritt and conuersed continually in heauen to feed them on earth for he touched the hartes of the people of Perusia Spoletum Follingnium Assisium and other neighbour places yea of all the valley of Spoletum who by diuine inspiration came all with vnspeakeable speed as by a striuing emulation with horses mules asses and chariottes all loaden with bread wine oyle cheese flesh foule egges butter and other thinges necessary for releife others loaden with earthen vessels as pottes cuppes iugges and other vessels for their vse also with linnen and other commodities euen with cloth to couer them finally they were most abondantlie supplied of whatsoeuer they needed he esteemed himselfe happy that could best and most deuoutlie serue them there might one see kinghtes and other noble men to putt off and spread one the ground their owne cloakes to honour these poore of IESVS CHRIST In like sort were seene many Prelates and deuout gentlemen to serue them with like reuerence as they could haue done the Apostles This the blessed Father S. Dominick hauing seene he assuredlie knew that the holy Ghost really dwelt in the seruant of God S. Francis Wherfore sharpelie reprehending him selfe for the rash iudgment he had conceaued he fell one his knees before him confessed his fault and publikely accused himselfe therof protesting that then he vndoubtedly knew that God had a particuler care of his seruantes whereof he had not till then had the like experience Therfore said he I promise also to obserue Euangelicall pouerty and henceforth on the part of God I giue my malediction to all the Religious of my Order that from this time shall possesse any thing in propriety be it in common or particuler And therfore albeit they might before haue rentes and possessious as indeed they had which they enioyed according to the graunt made them by Pope Honorius the third in the yeare of grace 1216. the first yeare of his Popedome yet the yeare 1220. which was the yeare after this great chapter S. Dominick also holding a generall chapter where there were present two hundred and twentie of his Religious they did together reforme their constitutions and renounced the said possessions which they then enioyed and such as they might thenceforward enioy By which obligation though the Order of Preachers may by iust dispensation in respect of the great fruit they produce in the Church with their doctrine haue reuenowes for their Colledges and studies yet the other monasteries according to the commandement and malediction of their Father S. Dominick doe strictlie obserue Euangelicall pouerty The Cardinall of Hostia brought to this chapter a great multitude of Lordes to see the manner of lodgeing of these Religious who seeing them to sitt eat and sleepe one the bare ground or one a litle chaffe or hay without respecting other delicacie and that for pillow they had a stone or block of wood as we haue said they beat their brestes and weeping said If these holy men eat and sleepe one the earth what shall become of vs wretched sinners that loaden with sinne liue in such superfluity without doeing penance Thus many being well edified by this holy troup endeauoured to change their life and manners into vertuous conuersation Their behauiour was such and the edification of his Holines Court of the Cardinals and other great persons as also of all the neighbour people that there were more then fiue hundred Nouices receaued in that only Chapter Of the great maceration and austerityes which were discouered in 〈◊〉 chapter to be exercised by the Religious of S. Francis who made mute the superiors of his Order that would change the rule and of the terrible chapter that the deuils then held against the Freer Minors THE LXV CHAPTER THe holy
conserue in you the bondes of peace and charity seuerlie reprehending and chasticing those that shall diuide themselues from her rule and vertue that it perpetually florish in the obseruance of euangelicall purity in her presence and God will not permitt it to loose the sweet odour which he hath giuen it Such was the intention of S. Francis to subiect his Religious vnto the Catholike church ordayning that they should alwayes choose a Cardinall of it for their protectour as a thing that he knew to be necessary for the good of the Order He did not intend that they should be subiect to the said protectour only but likewise to all Prelates and Preistes of the Church saying thus Know ye that we are called Coadiutours of Preistes and Religious for sauing of soules and therfore lett the church be in that sort assisted by vs and her holy faith augmented I euer vnderstood the Bishop of Assisium his speech to tend thereto when att the beginning of my conuersion he admonished me to gouerne my selfe discreetly that in these turbulent times myne Order did not mount his hornes and proue disobedient vnto the Church therfore I euer did and will that others doe cary a speciall reuerence to the Prelates and Religious therof Further considering that there is nothing more gratefull to God then the saluation of soules as S. Paul saith the same shal be better accomplished by the peace and amity of good Religious then by their discordes and therfore if any among them seeke to hinder it I will not that you contradict the same but that you leaue the care to God and lett it suffice you to be subiect vnto them and on your part to liue so vertuously that by your occasion there arise no discordes or debates among you which doeing you shall in one same instant gaine vnto God the Clergie Religion and the people which shal be more gratefull to his diuine Maiesty then to gaine only the people endeauour therefore not to scandalize the Clergie but as much as is possible conceale their defectes and supply where they seeme to haue failed For recompense her of it is that the holy church in his praise doth sing this solemne antheme Francis the Religious Catholique and a man entierly Apostolique taught Christians to obserue defend and formally beleeue the faith of the Romane Church and that Preistes were to be reuerenced aboue all others When he sent his Religious ouer the world one of the documentes which he gaue them was that when they mett a Preist they should incontinently fall on their knees before him kisse his hand and aske his benediction and in case so happening should sweep the Church and should rest and lodge rather with them then otherwhere He besides affirmed that if he mett a S. deseended from heauen to earth and a Pâ—eist he would first kisse the hand of the Preist and then would doe reuerence to the S. by reason that of the former receauing the body of our lord IESVS GHRIST he in that respect meritted there more honour In regard of this dignity which he acknowledged in them and for the reuâ—rence which he preached that each one should beare vnto theÌ„ he would not be Preist but Deacon and the seruauut of Preistes This his example was of such force that art the beginning of the establishment of his Order and in the reformation of the obseruance his Religious did exceedingly prise Preist-hood yea did shunne to be Preistes so that in a Couent full of Religious there were very few Preistes all endeauouring to mount to diuine communicatioÌ„ rather by meane of prayer humility and simplicity then by high degrees and dignities without meritt How saint Francis by his humility did edifie and conuert his neighbour THE LXXXV CHAPTER IT is not then to be admired if this holy Father exercised humilitie not only that his soule might be pleasing vnto God who is ennemy to the proude and most liberall of grace towardes the humble but also that by meane of it he might edifie his neighbour and conuert soules vnto God by way of humility pourchasing that which otherwise he could not haue obtayned as for example Arriuing one day att Imola there to preach and hauing demaunded leaue of the Bishop he gaue him answeare that himselfe could sufficiently dischardge the office of preaching vnto his people The holy Father therfore bowing downe his head departed but being afterward inspired of God he retourned thither the Bishop seeing him very rigourously asked him what he did and what he sought there S. Francis very humbly answeared him that if a sonne were by his Father driuen out att one dore the naturall loue which he boare him would constraine him to enter againe att an other Which the bishop hearing being ouercome with his humility he embraced him saying that himselfe and all his Religious should thenceforward with a generall licence freely preach ouer all his bishopperick because humility deserued it I know hereby added he that it is no meruaile if humility encline the will of man sith it enforceth euen the omnipotent diuine will to condiscend to the desires of the humble as the Angel said to Iacob If thou hast bin strong against God how much more shalt thou preuaile against men The holy Father then with this arme of humility deliuered many soules out of the handes of the deuill and out of the throat of hell as we haue seene and by the example following shall appeare Certainne Religious ministring vnto a leaper as S. Francis had commaunded them could not by any gracious vsage whatsoeuer giue him coÌ„tentment nor besides the iniuries which he vttered against them and the buffettes which he gaue them all which they coÌ„tentedly eudured could procure him to forbeare to blaspheme against God and his SS being thervnto induced by the deuil and by the extreme violence of his disease These good Religious vnable to support those blasphemies that were so horrrible as would haue made an Infidell to tremble they went to the holy Father who in person resolued to visitt him And entring into the chamber of the sicke he said My Brother God giue thee his peace and he answeared What peace can I haue sith from the time that God did interiourly and exteriourly deprine me of it I haue euer bin in cruell warre S. Francis comforting him replyed My Brother and Freeind you must haue patience for these afflictions which you endure in body wil auaile to the saluation of your soule if you patientlie support them But the leaper answeared how can I possibly haue patience considering that myne afflictions are so permanent that they permitt me no ease day nor night and besides your Religious doe exceedingly aggrauate the greife of mine infirmity for not onlie they doe not assist and serue me but they afflict me euen to death The holy Father knowing by diuine inspiration that this wretch was tourmented by the deuill went presentlie to offer his prayers for him
shunned sensuall light as distractiue vnto the hart and hauing giuen some repose vnto his body in the beginning of the night he spent the rest in most deepe silence in high contentment with his beloued God The sixt condition of perfect prayer is a feruent charity towards God without all feare not like vnto that of the cold negligent and new beginners for this perfect charity expelling all base feare and labour doth by loue vnite the hart of man with the goodnes of God This loue was such in the holy Father that it continuallie burned in his hart as a liuing fire the flame wherof dilated it selfe in charity to the benefitt of his neighbour through all the partes of the world Of the perseuerance of his prayer and of the effect it wrought and continued in S. Francis THE XCIV CHAPTER THe seauenth condition is perseuerance therin because God saith we must alwayes pray and not ceasse Of this point it may be alleadged that the life of S. Francis was a continuall prayer vnto God either for his owne saluation or his neighbours desiring to communicate his Redeemer IESVS CHRIST vnto all Creatures that they might know and loue him as he did and that for his owne part he might euer dwell with his diuine Maiestie But being by the impediment of the weight of his terrestriall body that was a stranger and remote from his true country disabled to enioy his beloued he by perseuerant prayer endeauoured with all possiblity to keepe his soule alwayes vnited vnto him which was not ouer-difficult vnto him as hauing so mortified in himselfe earthly afflictions that he conuersed in spiritt on high with the blessed as a Cittizen of heauen and familier in the house of God Therfore prayer was vnto him a singuler refreshment in his labours an assured fortresse against temptations and a remedy in necessities for distrusting himselfe and his proper forces industry and knowledge he had setled and reposed all his hope in God by meane of prayer which he affirmed that euery faithfull Christian ought aboue all other things to demaund of God in this life considering that without it one can make no profitt nor progresse in spirituall life and therfore to be an example vnto his Religious he made alwayes to appeare exteriourly and interiourly that trauailing or praying being in action or rereposing his spiritt was continually attentiue vnto prayer And therfore it seemed that he had not only dedicated his soule and body vnto his beloued God but euen the very momentes of time to the end that no visitation of the holy Ghost should by his negligence passe and be lost as not finding him disposed to receaue it Therefore when in his iorney he felt the same he would stay and lett his companion passe on to know with a very deep attention what God inspired vnto him And when he was in solitary places he filled the mountaines with sighes and bathed the earth with a flud of teares he beat his brest for the offences committed against his God Sometimes he accused himselfe as if he had bin before a Iudge other times he demaunded mercy as a child of his gracious Father sometimes he sweetlie discoursed as if he had bin priuately with his intimous freind he hath att such time bin heard of his Religious to inuocate the clementie of God by the great commiseration which he felt in himselfe of the death and passion of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST as if he had seene him crucified He shewed exteriour gesture conformable to the interiour effect Sometimes he held his mouth against the earth now he was on his knees then vpright on his feet now he held his armes crossed then his handes ioyned towardes heauen And praying after this manner he was most commonlie seene enuirouned with a great light and lifted into the aire in testimony of the interiour light and affection towardes God and then did he participate of the diuine secrettes which he neuer reuealed but when it was requisite for he ordinarily said that one did often loose an inestimable treasure for a very base price offending the giuer with daunger neuer to haue it againe For which cause when he retourned from his exercises he in such sort composed and dissembled his countenance that he that had not much experienced it would neuer haue suspected that he had prayed in such excesse of spirit When he prayed with his Religious he retayned his sighes and all other gestures wherby he might be obserued He taught the manner to pray secretlie then to say My God I recommend vnto thee this consolation which it hath pleased thee without any meritt of mine to graunt me to the end I steale not this great treasure He assured them that by this meane they should obtaine that God inuiting them would say Freind because thou hast bin so humble ascend now vnto an higher place Of the attention which S. Francis had in his prayers and of the deuotion he had in diuine seruice THE LXXXXV CHAPTER HE said the canonicall houres with so great reuerence and deuotion that albeit he were most commonly weary and feeble by reason of his infirmities yet making no esteeme thereof he was alwayes standing or kneeling with his head bare reading verie distinctly If he trauiled when the time of prayer and saying the said houres was he would stay This practise did he neuer omitt whatsoeuer rayne or storme did happen saying If the body that is to be food for wormes desired to eat in repose with how much more reason ought one to giue repose to the soule when she receaueth the refection of the life which she is eternally to possesse without corruption He said his psalmes and what soeuer was to be said with such attention as if God had bin before his eyes When he was to name the name of God he pronounced it so sweetly that he seemed to lick his lâ—ppes such contentment felt he in his soule yea he commanded his Religious carefullie to gather vp all the papers they found wherin was written the name of IESVS that it might not be troddeÌ„ vnder foot He reputed it a great offence when one spake vnto God to thincke of other matters And if he chaunced sometimes to apply his spiritt on other affaires though spirituall he would accuse himselfe thereof in confession yea albeit he had his interiour powers so recollected within him by meane of the continuall and assiduous exercise therin employed that the flyes of the world molested him very seldome Being one lent att an hermitage he attempted for exercise to make an osier basket but the time of prayer being come because in saying the third houre the basket came to his minde he tooke it and incontinentlie threw it into the fire with these wordes I sacrifice thee vnto God in place of his seruice which thou hast interrupted This glorious Sainct held the feast of the natiuity of our Sauiour in particuler deuotion Being on
a time neere vnto the citty of Grecio he determined to celebrate that feast after a new manner therby to stirre vp the deuotioÌ„ of the faithful hauing therfore to auoid scaÌ„dal obtayned permission of the Pope he caused a great stable to be prepared in an old houell where he caused to be putt hay and a manger then brought thither an oxe and an asse and assembled so many of his Religious that they neere exceeded the inhabitantes of the place But because he had published the solemnity all the inhabitantes of the neighbour places flocked thither as who should be foremost with flutes cornettes and other rusticall instrumentes so that all the mountaines thereabout gaue ecchoe to their harmony they ceassed not all night to sound and reioyce before that stable wherin S. Francis and a great nomber of his Religious prayed before three images of wood that represented our lord IESVS CHRIST the Virgin Mary and S. Ioseph before which images were lightened a great quantity of lightes that were with curious art exquisitelie sett foorth S. Francis read the ghospell atr the midinght Masse then preached to the people with such tendernes of hart that when he would vtter the name of IESVS he could not but called him the litle child of Bethleem This feast was not speÌ„t without fruit for a famous gentleman named Iohn of Grecio forsaking the cheualry and nobilitie of the world and the pompes therof became very familier vnto S. Francis and an imitatour of him because he had seene him in vision that night with a child in his armes who seemed to sleep and whome he sweetly awakened The hay that was taken from that stable cured manie diseased beastes yea verie manie men whence may be iudged that God had singulerlie assisted that deuotion of his seruant How S. Francis caused the oratories of Bis Religious to be accommodated and of the care he had of their enterteynement THE LXXXXVI CHAPTER THis holy Father laboured exceedingly to haue his Religious know the meane which they ought to vse to pray well that being free froÌ„ all worldly employmentes they might apply theÌ„selues to prayer and conteÌ„plation as a fountaine that drowneth disordinate thirstes and on the contrary filleth and satisfieth the soule with a spirituall tast of diuine graces And that the said Religious might more commodiously emploie themselues therin he would haue their Oratories sequestred froÌ„ the bruit and tumult of the people that they might auoyd distraction and therfore he caused theÌ„ to be made in the middes of woodes and forestes with bowes of trees and wreathed with rushes where they spent their lentes entierlie in fastinges and prayers And that the care of temporall affaires might not choake the grace of the spiritt nor the cogitations of worldlie necessities procure them impediment he committed to one Brother alone when the number of Religious permitted the chardge of the dore the kitchen and larder appointing all the other Religious to obserue the Order following All the morning they were to remayne retired in prayer in the diuine offices and very strictly obseruing silence till the Officer att the ordinary houre warned them to dinner which he did by knocking on a tile for their pouerty afforded not them a bell But he knowing that man coÌ„sisted of a body and soule it was necessary the body should be mayntayned to sustaine the soule in the seruice of God he accustomed to goe into the kitchen where if he saw nothing to begin their refection he would goe into the garden and thence bring a bundle of hearbes which he would mildly deliuer the Cooke to haue drest for the Religious When the Cooke had egges cheese gotten by begging the holy Father in time conuenient would eat therof very merily to encourage others and would commend the prudence of the Cook But if he exceeded he would reprehend him for the excesse and command him to giue nothing to the Religious the day following which was performed though most commonly they sett themselues att table to eat nothing but dry bread pourchaced by begging which they did eat with exceeding contentment as a gift receaued of God it hauing bin demaunded for his sake Because our Sauiour worthely sayth Man liueth not by bread only but by the word and will of God Therfore when they least thought thereon and had most need thereof they were prouided for by the Angels with whoâ—â—e in their continuall prayers they conuersed After they had taken their refection they vsed deep silence and corporall exercises labouring about that which S. Francis commanded them for the necessityes of the house Then att the houre of Euensong Compline they all retourned to accustomed prayer in their Church and other places there vnto deputed Of the efficacie of the prayer of the Sainct THE LXXXXVII CHAPTER OF the humilitie of hart of S. Francis did grow a diffidence of his force and knowledge a perfect confidence in the diuine pietie which caused that he did neither desire nor beginne any thing but he would first in prayer demaund of God that he would please to inspire him to thincke and excute his will wherbie he did obtaine singuler graces for himselfe and others Att the beginning of his conuersion being yet in the world he obtayned that matters of difficultie according to the world as to serue leapers and to pardon iniuries should appeare easy and pleasing vnto him so that he had in short time obtayned by prayer that which he could not haue attayned by tedious exercise The Euangelicall perfection was reuealed vnto him and what the Religious should doe in thrise opening the Missall his rule was approued by Pope Innocent the third he knew that the will of God was he should assist to the sauing of soules Our lord spake to him in the Crucifix in diuers other manners reuealing vnto him what he should doe he subdued the assaultes and embushes prepared against him by the artifice of the deuils who fled when they could no longer resist him It were not possible to recount by order all the graces which by prayer he obtayned of God for beside the aforesaid there remaine manie other to relate of which we will here insert some few and the rest in place conuenient The bishop of Assisium becomming verie familier vnto S. Francis and often visiting him att S. Marie of Angels goeing one time vnto his celle he found the dore thrust to and in a manner shutt therefore goeing neere and hearing no noyse he thought he might be rauished in extasie in his prayer which made him desire to see the manner there of and to that end verie curiouslie opened the dore so wide as he might thrust in his head which putting further to see him he was surprised with a great trembling and such a feare that he could not breath nor respire and was miraculouslie throwne farre from the celle and lost his speech wherwith he was so terrified that he had scarce the force to
damnation he might manifestest the saluation of the other Whiles he was in the caÌ„p of the Christians vnder Damiette when he weÌ„t to preach to the great SoldaÌ„ he prophesied to the Christians that if they gaue battell they would loose the feild But they not beleeuing him their fault of incredulity was payed by the losse of the bodie of the army that was putt to flight where of one part was slaine Retourning afterward on this side the sea and arriuing att Celano he was inuited to dinner by a gentleman where being as according to his coustume he prayed before his sitting to the table he saw in his God on whome he had alwayes his eyes eleuated that which he fore told as it afterward arriued for incontinentlie calling vnto him the said gentleman Confesse and prepare your selfe said he for in short time you shall dye and from this time you shall receaue the recompence of all the good worckes you haue done particulerlie in harbouring the seruantes of God Doe then in such sort as without impediment you may goe directlie to God The gentleman therefore who had confidence in the wordes of the holie Father sodenlie taking leaue of him prepared himselfe to confession then calling the companion of sainct Francis who was preist he made an entiere confession vnto him afterwardes he recomended his patrimonie to the diuine prouidence so to auoyd all impediment And so with the greatest deuotion he could possible he expected when God would call and inuite him but he expected not long for whiles his familie were att table without other greife but very well disposed of body and spiritt he rendred his soule to his Creatour according to the prophesie of the holy Father armed by the diuine mercie with armour conuenient and necessarie to a true penitent How S. Francis saw the secrets of mennes consciences THE CXII CHAPTER OVr lord IESVS CHRIST hauing chosen the glorious Father S. Francis for Pastour of his flock he also so illuminated him interiourlie by his diuine vertue that he discouered vnto him the secrettes of the consciences of those that were his and likewise their priuate and hidden necessities so that by the same meane he knew both the grace which they had receaued of God and eueÌ„ that which they theÌ„ receaued By this knowledge he foretold the fall of manie who seemed to haue attayned the state of perfection and on the contrarie the saluatioÌ„ of manie wicked prophesying their conuersion He saw what should succeed them for manie yeares after as if it had bin present onlie beholding the vnspotted and cleare mirour of diuine light and his admirable splendour by a diuine prerogatiue and especially the successes and mutatioÌ„s of Religion which he would sometimes with aboÌ„dance of teares coÌ„municate to his coÌ„panions Touching that which concerned the consciences of his Religious he both with al possible speed and effect redressed the same and if they were far distant he appeared vnto them in their sleepe and instructed them what they ought to doe and froÌ„ what to abstaine as by the sequell shall appeare The holie Father comming from beyond the sea with his companion Brother Leonard a Religious of very worthie familie and being by reason of his infirmities verie wearie and feeble he had for ceraine dayes the vse of an asse But the poore Brother Leonard that followed him a foote being also very weary began to murmure saying to himselfe what doe I poore follow that I am to follow this man a foot Is there not great difference betweene his discent and mine why then contrary to that which should be doe I goe on foot and he on horseback and euen I follow him as a lackye driuing this asse with speed and so wearying my selfe as I can no longer endure The good Brother Leonard went on thus still discoursing with himselfe in his first motions when as the holy Father S. Francis seeing in spiritt the secret murmure of his companion called him and alighting from his asse he said Brother and Freind I confesse I haue litle discretion to see you so wearily to goe a foot and my selfe to ride att mine ease Gett vp therfore on this asse now att least whiles I remember me considering that being in the world you were farre more noble and more honnorable then my selfe Brother Leonard hearing this was vtterly confounded and amazed that the S. so soone knew his euill cogitation Falling therfore at his feet and confessing his vaine ridiculous discourse with a very deep contrition he asked and obtayned pardon Two very spirituall Religious came expresly from Rieta to the Oratory of Grecio to visitt S Francis and to haue his benediction But being there ariued it was told them that there was no hope of speaking with the holy Father by reason that hauing taken his refection he was retourned to his cell where he prayed and slept and came forth but once a day to eat it being lent and that being then so solitary he would not haue his companioÌ„ much lesse any other Religious to disturbe him vnles he so commaunded These two poore Religious exceedingly afflicted esteeming themselues by reason of their sinnes vnworthy of such grace not hauing oportunity any longer to expect because their superiour had commaunded them to retourne the same night to their Couent they hastened homeward S. Francis who in spiritt had seen all this contrary to his custome came hastely out of his câ—lle and went after the said Religious who by that time were farre gone and so in an instant giuing them consolation together with his benediction which they demaunded he dismissed them doubly satisfied knowing that the holy Father came by diuine inspiration to giue them his benediction Two Religious comming from Naples to visitt him the elder of them on the way committed some fault att which the yonger was extremely scandalized now comming to the presence of S. Francis he giuing them his benediction demaunded of the yonger how his companion had behaued himselfe he esteeming it indecent to discouer the faultes of his Brother answeared well The holy Father replyed My sonne beware that vnder colour of humility you doe not lye for I know what hath passed in your iorney and I would haue you know that you shall shortly see this man to proue worse Which so succeeded for this old man not long after went out of the Order according to that which S. Francis had foretold for the sinne for the scandall and for his neglect of doeing pennance which is the ladder to diuine mercie In the first beginning when none was admitted and receaued into the Order but by S. Francis himselfe a gentleman of Luca came expressy to demaund the habitt of him he had with him some of his coÌ„panions it being when he lay sicke in the Bishoppes lodgeing of Assisium The said gentleman being conducted to the S. he fell on his knees before him most instantlie beseeching him to admitt him into his Religion
in the pulpitt he made a sermō to the people that thither by Goddes prouidence were abondātly flocked from all the neighbour places with an extreme feruour explicating vnto thē this so great treasure which he performed with such deep doctrine that it seemed rather the discourse of an Angell thē of a mā vnlearned as he was Att the end of this sermō he denoūced vnto the people in the name of God his most sacred mother the indulgēce in these words Whosoeuer being truely cōtrite cōfessed shall visitt this church the first day of August from the euensong therof and the night and daie of the feast it selfe to the sunne setting he shall gaine a plenary indulgence which is graunted him first by God secōdarily by his Vicare Pope Honorius and the same to cōtinue for euer on that day The bishopps there presēt to cōfirme the speech S. Frācis would not accord to that for euer The bishop of Assisiū therfore cōfirming the indulgēce to the people purposing to limitt it to ten yeares could neuer vtter it but was cōstrayned to say for euer the like happened vnto the other bishoppes This miracle being very euidētly knowne vnto the people it encreased their faith preuēted the doubt which some might haue had that God himselfe had not graūted this indulgēce Therefore the publicatiō being ended the bishoppes being exceedingly amazed att the miracle did with great solēnity consecrate the said church which continued for euer endued with this great treasure to the glory of our lord his holy mother the virgin Mary and his seruant S. Francis and to the soules health of all Christians Of certaine miracles wrought by Godin confirmatiō of the said indulgence THE IV. CHAPTER IT pleased God besides the fore mentioned to cause this so great indulgence to be beleeued and reuerenced in due mannner for the publike good by such miracles and reuelations as we shall now relate The yeare following a great number of people being come to gaine the said indulgence whiles they watched by night in prayer vnto God in the said church there arose in a moment such a rumour among the people there assembled that the Religious who were att rest were awakened therwith Comming therfore into the church they saw a Doue whiter then snow that flew fiue times about the Church One of them stepping forward the better to see came neere the high altare where he found Brother Corrado of Offeida a right holy Religious of an exceeding exemplare life and famous for miracles whome he prayed to lett him better vnderstand the occasion of the great murmure that was among the people who verie pitifull cryed out This venerable Father answeared that he was content to tell him conditionally that he would promise not to reueale it to any person during his life Which being condicioned he said I saw the Queene of heauen to discend cloathed with an ineffable splendour as holding her Sonne in her armes and to giue her holy benediction vnto all present then this Doue which was with her on the altare began to fly to signifie the visitation of God it hath here flowne round about the church Which the people seeing though they knew not all began thus to crye out towardes heauen The same day the mother of our lord was seene to enter into the Church with the Religious and to accompanie the ordinarie procession with a great troupe of Angels that sung prayses vnto God This was seene by Religious of pious life and also by certaine pilgrimes As in the Marquisat of Ancona one coniured the deuill that vehementlie afflicted a poore possessed woman to enforce him to tell what course was to be vsed to expell him he answeared att lenght that he tormented not the woman for any sinne of hers but onlie to the end God might be praysed by her and that therefore there was no other remedie to deliuer her but to procure her to gaine the indulgence of our ladie of Angels and that he spake thus much as forciblie cōstrayned to speake against him selfe as he likewise confessed that by the same indulgence he lost a great multitud of soules which he already held as his owne by reason of the enormous sinnes they had committed The woman was therfore with great affliction and greife brought to our ladie of Angels the verie day of the indulgence and as soone as she was entred the effect succeeded for the deuill lifting her into the aire departed and the poore woman fell as dead to the ground But by the merittes of the glorious Virgin she incontinentlie arose verie sound of bodie and soule hauing bin confessed to gaine the indulgence There are besides manie true testimonyes to whome haue appeared the spirittes of diuers deceassed reuealing vnto them that hauing certaine dayes before their death gayned the said indulgence they were sodenlie by the glorious Virgin Mother conducted into Paradice without feeling any paine of purgatorie others also gayning this indulgence that was applyed vnto them by forme of suffrage after their death by meane of some liuing freindes were deliuered of the paines of Purgatorie as by this ensuying discourse shall appeare A Venetian Gentleman that was a verie spirituall Preist desiring to gaine this indulgence as he prepared himselfe to goe thither he fell sicke and of the same sicknes dyed but before his death he said to a very freind of his My good freinde I desire you to beleeue that there is no man in the world of my kinred or whosoeuer other in whome I haue more confidence then in your selfe nor of whome I hope to obtaine what I desire for the saluation of my soule I therfore pray you that if it please God to call me vnto him you will vndertake so much labour as to goe to our ladie of Angels to gaine the plenaire indulgence for the benefitt of my soule and to defray your chardges in the iorney demaund what you will and I will giue it you that the indulgence being mine you receaue no detriment therby This freind took what was requisit for his expences and promised to goe Now this Preist being dead and the time of Pilgrimage being come his deere freind though he saw manie that prepared them selues to the iorney he as if he had made no promise deferred his iorney purposing with himselfe to goe the yeare following which is a thing but too ordinarie to ingratefull persons kinred and freindes neglecting and forgetting the poore decassed the Preist appeared to this vnworthy freind in his sleep the same night that he had made the foresaid purpose and with an angry countenance reprehending him he said Goe on thy iorney now with such as prepare themselues therto He awaking determined to doe that for feare which he had neglected to doe for respect of amitye Hauing effected the promise the same day that he entred into the church and gayned the indulgence for the deceased the Preist in the night ensuying appeared vnto
and though they be not knowne in the world they shall neuertheles be much esteemed of God for he will neuer abandon this Religion so that there shall alwayes remayne some competent nomber of vertuous though in comparison of so many lewd and libertines they shall appeare very few and this few shall be persecuted of the world which shall procure them a greater crowne with God Now the sackcloth and cloake so course wherof I seeme to be ashamed and disquieted is holy pouerty which as it is the ornament of this Order and the singuler foundation of all piety so the bastard children shal be ashamed therof for their ayme shall not be to God but to the world and therfore endeauouring to please it they shall misprise the habitt of God and seeke faire and fine cloth for the vse wherof they shall importune the world and shall pourchace it by way of simonie and therefore happy shall they be that perseuer to the end in obseruance of their holy vowes After these speeches it disappeared and the holy Father S. Francis remayned full of admiration and teares with all his hart recommending vnto God his sheep both present and to come God reuealed these thinges and many other to his seruant Francis as head and Pastour of his Frere Minors concerning the chaunge of his Religion which being founded in Euangelicall perfection exceeding difficult to be obserued according to the world it is not to be admired if it be fallen and doe decline from its perfection We all being naturally inclined and affected to worldly thinges and to shunne alll seueritie and rigour and all necessitie and much more freindes to our owne will then to the will of God which according to our sottish prudence causeth vs to make no esteeme of the commaundementes of God and to forke his most strict way though most necessarie to our saluation as in deed it is and therfore degenerating more and more we fall from our first Fathers On the other side also it is not to be admired if some of these so fraile vessels composed of earth as we are haue demonstrated such an inuincible constancie in so strict an obligation to obserue the gospell and in themselues to preserue such a treasure because all that is the worck of God to the end the world may know that the eminencie and glory of this Religion proceedeth of the vertue and power of his diuine maiesty and not of humane force and vertue And therfore when to him seemeth time conuenient he sendeth reformations to support the same Of the compassion and discreet charity of S. Francis to wards all his Religious but particulerly to wardes the sicke THE XXX CHAPTER BEcause the obligation of a Prelate towardes his sheep doth not only extend to giue them aduise and spirituall refections but also to releiue them in their corporall necessities the holie Father S. Francis was replenished with an infinite charitie and had a continuall care to prouide for the corporall wantes of his beloued children and particulerlie where sicknes and necessitie were ioyned together which charitie he exercised not only of Fatherlie duetie but of naturall compassion which he euer had towardes the afflicted which vertue he afterward redoubled to make it more meritorious so that he referred all the afflictions of his neigbour to the person of IESVS CHRIST for whose loue they ought to be assited and therfore his hart melted as if he had seen his God in them for which cause those new and feruent warriers of IESVS CHRIST in the beginning of the Order did so speciallie exceed in leading seuere liues and doeing worckes worthy of pennance which may appeare by the ensuying example together with the charitie of the Sainct As the Religious were one day a sleep one of them began with a loud voice to cry I dye att which lamentation S. Francis instantlie arose and caused all the other Brethren to arise and to light a candell then asking who was he that complained the Religious answeared him Father it is I that dye with hunger which hearing he presentlie caused to be brought him to eat and that he should not be ashamed he caused a table to be prepared wheron he meant to eat himselfe which he caused all the other Religious to doe though it were a verie extraordinarie houre The Religious hauing taken his Refection the holie Father to teach his children the vertue of discretion wherby they should moderate the feruour of the spiritt for conseruation of the corporall forces in abstinence he said Brethren learne and retaine in you this aduertisement that each one carefullie conserue his naturall complexion and forces and lett him vse moderation in abstinence accordinge vnto them for albeit some can sustaine themselues with litle food it is not therfore reasonable that others who cannot liue with so litle should keep the same abstinence for as we are obliged to forbeare superfluous eating for not damning our soule and consuming our body so ought we to shunne indiscreet abstinence but must so vse it as the bodie may serue the soule for God loueth mercy aboue sacrifice and lett euerie one remember what by charity I haue done I haue only done it as a pious worcke and for an example of charitie his extreme necessitie requiring it And therfore lett each one refraine to cause the like an other time and especially Prelates towardes their Religious Which was exceeding carefully obserued of the S. for though he were very glad that pouerty in all thinges should appeare in them yet would he neuer that his Religious should be frustrate of their due releife and therfore when he saw they had not sufficient to eat himselfe would goe to begge as we haue heretofore made appeare For his owne respect notwithstanding his verie feeble complexion he was euer very strict and abstinent yea beyond reason euen from the beginning of his conuersion to his death Yet he is not therfore to be reprehended considering that one ought not to measure or limitt the life of the great seruantes of God who are continuallie directed in their actions by the holy Ghost but we must permitt to worck in them the spiritt and certaine excesses that are to be seene it is sufficient for vs to our confusion to admire them and therof to imitate what one can for it was expedient that as many were defectiue performing lesse then their duety God should raise others that in their bodyes should supply both for themselues and their neighbour and to the end that the holy Father might giue this good example of himselfe wheras in his sicknesses many thinges extraordinarie were necessarie for him he would rather depriue himselfe therof to giue example to othersâ— and when there were any Religious sicke he was not ashamed to goe into the villages to seeke flesh and their other wantes which in their health he would not haue permitted them to vse for any thing in the world He did also seriouslie admonish them to remember that
bare to the holy Father S. Francis Of an other child which God raysed by the merittes of the holy Father S. Francis and of diuers other miracles wrought THE XLIII CHAPTER BEing att an other time lodged with a knight as they discoursed of spirituall matters there came a seruant all chafed and full of teares telling this geÌ„tleman his master that his sonne was att that very houre drowned in a chanell wheratt the Father and mother pittifully lamented S. Francis was moued to coÌ„passion and after that he had comforted theÌ„ willing theÌ„ to haue hope in God he fell to prayer beseeching his diuine Maiesty to reueale vnto him the place where he might finde the child Now God hauing reuealed it vnto him he bad the gentleman to send vnto such a place where he should finde his child which being brought vtterly suffocated and drowned he raysed him an restored him to his Father in the name of God with an infinite ioy to all the assistantes who reÌ„dred thaÌ„ckes incessaÌ„tly vnto his diuine Maiesty The holy Father S. FraÌ„cis minding to preach in a certaine place within the diocesse of Cisterno where a great noÌ„ber of people were asseÌ„bled to heare him waÌ„ting coÌ„uenieÌ„t place to preach vnto theÌ„ coÌ„modiously by reasoÌ„ that it was a plaine he approached to an oake which was froÌ„ the bottome to the toppe all couered with antes which the holy Father hauing seene hecoÌ„manded theÌ„ to goe froÌ„ that tree and tourning to the people he willed theÌ„ to giue way to the said antes And theÌ„ which was admirable they in noÌ„ber almost incredible went that way which S. Francis had caused the people to make for them so that they neuer retourned more and this was cause of vnspeakeable fruit The holy Father S. FraÌ„cis of all other beastes had least affectioÌ„ to those antes because they employed ouer much dilligeÌ„ce in hoarding their prouisioÌ„ for the time to come And withall he affirmed that they deserued not to be nombred with the birdes of whome God said Behold the foules of the aire that they sow not neither reape nor gather into barnes and your heauenly Father feedeth them S. Francis would that all his Religious should haue the same faith and resignation of all their cogitations in his diuine prouidence that God would should be in his disciples In the same place and time that the S. preached there happened a fearfull miracle for there came a woman with a cow-bell to disturbe the company wherwith she made such a ringing sound that one could not heare what he said S. Francis reprehending her she encreased it such possession had the deuill of her Vpon this occasion the holy Father inspired of God and moued with zeale of his holy word and of the conuersion of soules vttered these wordes Carry her away Satan carry her away for she is one of they members and is thine O horrible and fearfull accident these wordes being ended the woman was incontinently carryed vp into the aire both body and soule in vew of all the world for which cause euery one was stricken in extreme terrour and feare of the diuine maiesty and thenceforward gaue eare to his holy worde in very great reuerence S. Francis walking with his companion on the banckes of the riuer Po and being ouertaken by the night he was exceedingly perplexed to get lodgeing by reason that the way was extreme foule and durty the aire very darck and the place not free froÌ„ theeues for though they had nothing to loose yet should they haue bin afflicted by them wherefore his coÌ„panion said vnto him Father pray vnto God if you please that he may voutsafe to be our guide and to deliuer vs froÌ„ this affliction The S. no otherwise answeared but God is able if he please and that it be for our good to deliuer vs and remouing this darcknes to giue vs his light Att this instant as he lifted vp his handes to heauen a cleare light appeared and so resplendant that being in all other places a very darck night they saw very clearly and perfectly nor only how to goe in their way but euery where about theÌ„ So by this light guided and comforted both spiritually and corporally they made such speed as they arriued att their place of retire singing prayses and himnes vnto God of whome S. Francis was assisted in his necessity He accustomed when he came to any place to preach therby the more coÌ„modiously to assemble the people to sound a cornet which to that purpose he carryed with him with two stickes of a paulme long which are to this day conserued in his church of Assisium in the sacristye hauing the endes garnished with siluer they are shewed with other reliques att all times when they are desired to be seene Certaine doctrines and discourse of the glorious Father S. Francis which haue bin found recorded Of the faith and reuerence due to the holy sacrament THE XLIV CHAPTER THe holie Father sainct Francis did not onlie seeke to edifie his neighbour in corporall presence and by example and preaching but also such as he could not assist by those meanes being remote from them he assisted by letters and aduertissementes which he caused his Religious to write wherof I thought it requisit to select the choice and principall to insert in this place specified according to the contentes A letter of the holy Father sainct Francis to all the Religious of the generall chapter IN the name of God of the most sacred Trinitie and soueraigne vnitie the Father Sonne and holie Ghost Amen To my beloued Brother the Minister Generall of the Order of Frere Minors and to all other Ministers that shall succeed him to all Prouincials Guardians and Preistes of our coÌ„frarernitie vnited in IESVS CHRIST and to all the humble simple and obedient first and last Brother Francis a man of nothing fraile and infirme your least seruant saluteth you in the name of him that hath redeemed you and hath washed vs with his owne bloud whose name we ought to adore prostrate on the earth with great feare and reuerence Most high lord IESVS CHRST Sonne of God is his name who is blessed for euer and euer Amen Harcken yee children of God and my deere Brethren imprint my wordes in your mindes incline the eares of your harte and obey the voice of the Sonne of God keepe with all your hart and obserue his sweet preceptes and embrace his counsailes with your entier will praise him for he is good and know that the eternall Father sendeth you into the world by your worckes and wordes to testifie his worckes and wordes And therefore striue to make it knowne to all people that he alone is almighty in all thinges perseuer in his discipline and obseruance and maytaine that which you haue promised him with a firme resolution siâ—h he as Father to his children giueth vs the true preseruing nourishment of spirituall and corporall essence and presenteth vs to his
with you and haue you not knowē me Phillip he that seeth me seeth the Father also The Father dwelleth in a light inaccessible God is a spiritt whome no man hath euer seene because he is a spiritt and therfore inuisible but in spiritt considering that he is a spiritt most pure for it is the spiritt that giueth life and the flesh can doe nothinge He may also be seene of euery true Christian in the Sonne in that substance which is equall to the Father and therfore all they that see our Lord IESVS CHRIST according to the humanity and not according to his diuinity are condemned as likewise are they who see the sacrament which is consecrated by the wordes of our Lord on the altare by the handes of the Preist vnder the formes of bread and wine and doe not see him and beleeue in their spiritt that it is the true and most sacred body and bloud of our Lord IESVS CHRIST are condemned the souueraine Lord giueth his testimony against them when he said This is my body and this is my bloud of the new testament which shal be shed for you and for many in remission of sinnes He saith in an other place He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud shall haue life euerlasting He that hath the spiritt of God which dwelleth in his faithfull he receaueth the most sacred bloud and body of IESVS CHRIST and all other that haue not the same spiritt yet neuertheles presume to receaue it they eat and drinck their iudgement and damnation therefore yee children of men how long will you be sencelesse and haue your hartes so hardened When will you compasse to know the truth and to beleeue in the Sonne of God who so humbly seeketh you euery day as when he discended from his imperiall throne into the virginall wombe he ordinarily commeth euery day vnto vs in such humble manner attired and so approachable He euery day descendeth from the bosome of his Father into the handes of the Preist on the altare and as he was knowne vnto the holy Apostles in true flesh in that very manner doth he communicate himselfe vnto vs in the holy Sacrament And as they with their corporall eyes saw nothing but flesh yet with their spirituall eyes they knew him to be God euen so we with our corporall eyes seeing the accidentes of bread and wine ought to see and firmely to beleeue that there is the most sacred body and true bloud of our Lord IESVS CHRIST on the altare In this manner is God alwayes with his faithfull as himselfe hath said I wil be with you euen to the consummation of the world Of lone towards our neighbour and how much the body is to be hated THE XLVI CHAPTER THis thinge may doubtles much confound vs that making profession to be seruantes of IESVS CHRIST and being certaine that his true freindes haue done may worckes that haue bin entirely deuout vertuous and holy we neuertheles content our selues with the only relation of them and esteeme by the bare discourse therof without execution to raigne eternally Blessed is the seruant of IESVS CHRIST that loueth his Christian brother as much being sick as in health and in aduersitie as in prosperity Blessed is he that loueth and honoureth his Brother both farre and neere that speaketh nothing in his absence but what with great charity he may say in his presence God said in the Gospell loue your ennemies and pray for them that hate and iniury you He loueth his ennemie truely that complaineth not of the iniuries which he hath receaued doth receaue of him but of the sinnes which himselfe hath cōmitted and doth cōmitt against God and his soule and also he that is not content to haue the loue of God in himselfe if he doe not also make demonstration therof by the same worckes vnto his neighbour and much more vnto his ennemy Blessed are the poore in spiritt for theirs is the kingdome of heauen There are many that endure diuers afflictions in their bodyes in prayer and good worckes and that mortifie it with abstinence and neuertheles for a slight word spoaken against their liking or for hauing something denyed them they are incontinentlie scandalized and troubled Such are not poore in spirit though exteriourly they appeare so for the true poore in spirit misprise and abhorre themselues and loue not only those that afflict and iniury them but euen those that beat them Blessed also is he that supporteth the infirmity and fragility of his neighbour as he would be glad to haue his owne supported My faithfull lett vs loue our neighbour as our selues and they who see they cannot loue them as themselues lett them loue them as much as they can or att least lett them not offend them Lett vs hate and detest our peruerse willes for as God saith of our hart proceedeth all euils this is to be vnderstood of him that applieth his hart to satisfie his sensualities Many when they sinne or receaue any iniury accuse their neighbour therof which they should not doe for each one hath his ennemies which is the body with the sences therof by which he offendeth Therfore blessed is the seruant that hath such an ennemie in subiection and so keepeth it vnder and watcheth it with such prudence that he hath no cause to feare it for whiles he vseth this dilligence no other ennemy visible or inuisible can annoy him nor procure him to sinne in such sort that as S. Iohn Chrysostome saith no man is hurt but of himselfe We hate our body in as much as it will committ sinne for liuing carnally it seeketh to destroy the loue of God together with the glory of Paradise condemning it selfe and the soule perpetually to to hell the greatest ennemy therfore that a man hath is his proper flesh which can thinck of nothing but that which offendeth it nor feare ought in foresight of that which is eternally to befall it the humour and desire therof is only to abuse temporall thinges and the worst is it vsurpeth to it selfe all contentment and glory euen of that which is graunted to the soule not to it for it seeketh the honour of vertues of prayers watchinges and temporall fauour it will haue applause of teares in fine it leaueth nothing to the soule that apperteineth to her Of obedience THE XLVII CHAPTER GOd said to Adam Of euery tree of Paradise eat thou But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill eat thou not and whiles he obeyed God he offended not But hauing transgressed this commandement he was condemned of God for euer till he was redeemed by the grace of his Sonne That man doth eate of the forbidden apple of knowledge of good and euill who appropriateth to himselfe his owne will and with his benefittes which God vttereth and worketh by him doth exalte himselfe therfore was he necessarily obliged to punishment God saith in the gospell he that loueth his
I will glory only in the crosse of our Lord IESVS CHRIST by which wordes is sufficientlie explicated the sentence of God when he said In your patience you shall possesse your soules Our Lord God the soueraigne Prelat said I come not to be serued but to serue And therfore such as are constituted ouer others ought to glory of such Prelature as if they were constituted to wash the feet of the Religious And when they are depriued their chardge they ought no more to be greiued then if were taken from them said office of washing the of feet such as doe otherwise doe really appropriat to theÌ„selues this dignityin very imminent peril of their soules That seruant of God then is happy who esteemeth himselfe neither greater nor better for being honoured of men yea no otherwise then if he were reputed amonge the most base and abiect for so great as he is before God such is he and no more Wretched is the Religious who being raysed to dignity by an other will not humble himselfe of his owne accord and of his owne will happy is he that is exalted against his will and not hauing procured it and doth neuertheles desire to remayne alwayes in lowe estate and vnder the feet of his subiectes for the loue of God Happy is he that is no more puffed in pride for the good which God doeth or speaketh by him then of that which he doeth or speaketh by others A man offendeth att all times and as often as he procureth to haue more of that which is his neighbours theÌ„ to giue to God of what is his owne We should neuer desire to be superiours and ouer others but to be subiectes and seruanees of all creatures for the loue of God and they who shall doe so may assure themselues that if they perseuer to the end the spiritt of God will rest vpon them and there will make his residence Ye men consider in what excellencie you haue ben created of God who hath created and framed you after his owne image according to the soule and after th' image of his SoÌ„ne according to the body and yet all creatures are much more obedient vnto him then your selues The deuils haue not crucified him which thou being induced by them hast done and dailie doest crucifie him by thy sinnes Wherein then canst thou glory miserable that thou art if thou were indued with all knide of science celestiall terrestriall the deuill hath knowne what appertaineth to heauen better then thou and now though against his will he knoweth more of earthly matters then all mankind together There is no health corporall disposition nor beautie comparable to that which the deuill had Take heed therfore least in abusing it as he did not acknowledging it to proceed of God but of himselfe thou fall as he hath done into the extremest depth of hell Happy is the seruant that treasureth vp the richesse his Loâ—d and master hath giuen him in heauen and expecting the recompence therof regardeth not to demonstrate them heere vnto men but leaueth the cogitation therof to God himselfe who when it shall please him will manifest it more then he would desire Happy then is he that keepeth and concealeth the secrettes of God in his hart How Religious ought to behaue themselues in Oratories and solitary places THE XLIX CHAPTER LEtt those that desire to reside in solitary places there to liue religiously and spiritually be in number foure or more wherof lett two be as mothers that haue two children lett two act the Life of Martha and the others of Magdalen and lett each one haue a celle so that they neither sleep nor conuerse together but when they read their office Lett them be carefull to say their Compline before the Sunne setting that thence forward they may keep silence till they arise in the night to say Mattins Lett them in all thinges first seeke the glory and the kingdome of God and his iustice Lett them say the Prime and Tierce att the ordinary houre which done they may speake each to other of some matter of edification Those said children as poore creatures shall demaund almose of their mother for the loue of God after that lett them say the Sixt Ninth and Euensong att their due houres lett them permitt no person to enter into the Cloyster or enclosure where they reside nor to eat there The mothers shall labour to liue also sequestred from all conuersation and with due obseruance of obedience to their Guardian lett them permitt none to speake to their children but their Guardian when he commeth to visitt them And lett the children sometimes for exercise of humilitie assume the office of Mothers according as the Guardian for their behoofe shall appoint that so they may experience both the one and the other office Happy is that seruant who hath no tast of any other thing then the word of his God and by the same doth excite others to loue him Miserable is that Religious that taketh pleasure in idle and vaine wordes for therbie enducing other to vanitie in imitation of himselfe in steed of edifiyng his neighbour he procureth his ruine Of the care which each one ought to haue of his owne saluation THE L. CHAPTER BRother I haue a secrett to open vnto thee Each of you well knoweth that we are the sonnes of the most high but I now aduertise thee that more then children we are also Spouses brothers and mothers of IESVS CHRIST Spouses when our soule by the vertue of the holie Ghost is vnited with God Brothers when we performe his will we are Mothers when by loue we beare him in our hart with a pure and sincere conscience for we afterward bring him forth both by the pious worckes which we performe and by the example which we giue our neighbour O my brethren it is a glorious admirable and desireable thing to haue such a Spouse Brother Sonne in heauen And more then that a Pastour who hath giuen his soule here on earth for vs his sheep and who continually prayeth the eternall Father for vs saying Holy Father keep them in thy name whome thou hast giuen me that they may be thine and may be with me where I shal be that they may enioy my glorie and splendour in my kingdome All they who liue not in penance not being contrite nor receaue not the sacred Sacrament but liue in vices and sinnes and conceaue complacence in their pernicious desires doe not performe vnto God what they haue promised but doe serue the world with their bodies in carnalities and the deuils with their soules being deluded in their contentment by him whose children they are Such people I say are blinded and depriued of the true light of IESVS CHRIST haue not true knowledge for they haue excluded from themselues the wisdome of the eternall Father IESVS CHRIST the soueraine verity though they seeme to see know vnderstand yet doe they neither see know
nor vnderstand for they doe voluntarie blinde and ruinate their owne soules Open your eyes then blinded deluded as ye are by your ennemies the flesh the world and the deuill To the body it is a very delightfull thing to serue sinne very tedious to serue God all euils and sinnes proceed from the hart of mā as God saith in the Gospell The wicked haue no good in this world nor shall haue in the next they seeme att their pleasure to possesse the present vanities but they are deceaued for the time and houre will come when they shall loose all The holy Father said also that one being knowne to be verie sicke the first aduertisement of his kinred and freindes is not to prouide for his soule but to make his will and so his wife kinred and freindes gather about him to induce him to be mindfull of them And he ouercome by the teares of his wife the tender loue he beareth to his children and the persuasions of his kinred that seeme to haue forgotten his soule disposeth of his substance according to their fancie to giue them contēt and saith that he committeth to their gouernment and authority his substance his soule and his body that man is truely accursed who in this sort putteth his trust in man conformable to what the Prophett Ieremie said Cursed is the man that trusteth in man Now after such disposition the Confessour is sent for who finding the wretch obliged to some restitution soliciteth him to discharge himselfe therof but he answeareth that he hath made his testament disposed of all his goodes and deliuered it into the handes of his heires who will satisfie whatsoeuer shal be necessary and because he is in agonie and hath almost lost his speech there is no time to dispose of matters necessarie to the discharge of his conscience and so he dyeth a most miserable death Therfore lett euerie one know that when and howsoeuer a man dye in mortall sinne and without due restitution of an other mannes goodes hauing power to doe it before his death the deuill carryeth his soule directlie to hell where he shal be eternallie tormented and so in an instant he looseth bodie and soule goodes and honour because his kinred diuiding his inheritance among them they often curse his soule for not hauing left to one of them what he hath left to all Of the contrarietie of vices and vertues and certaine breife aduertisements and exercises of them THE LI. CHAPTER THe holy Father S. Francis affirmed that where true charity is there can neither be feare nor ignorance Where there is a ioyfull and voluntarie pouerty there is neither enuy nor auarice where there is Meditation of God there is no care where the feare of God is keeper of the house there the deuill cannot enter where there is discretion and mercy there is neither superfluity nor deceipt Now I tell you there is no man in the world can in any sort haue one of the said vertues If he doe not first die to himselfe and he that reallie possesseth one hath all with that one he erreth not in the rest and he that erreth in one erreth in all the other and is in that case as if he had not any they are of such valew that each one of it selfe confoundeth vices and sinnes holie wisdome confoundeth the deuill with all his malices holy simplicitie confoundeth the prudence of the deuill the world and the flesh holy pouertie confoundeth enuie auarice and seculer desires holy humilitie confoundeth pride with all worldly honoures and what soeuer is in them holy charity confoundeth all diabolicall and carnall temptations and pleasures holy obedience confoundeth all naturall will and sensuall affection subiecteth the body to obedience of the spiritt rendreth and maketh a man humble and subiect not only to all men but euen to other irreasonable creatures The Apostle saith the letter killeth but the spiritt giueth life they are killed by the letter who seeke to know only to be reputed learned and wise of the world by this meane to purchase honours and richesse with anxiety to aduance their kinred and freindes and in a word not for themselues but for the body or for others And they are quickened of the spiritt who referre all the learning and knowledge they haue and desire to haue only to the prayse and honour of the diuine maiesty and who appeare before God by the example of their life and with wordes full of edification offring vnto him that goodnes which is entierlie his owne In this sort it is that the seruant of God may know if he really haue his spiritt for if the flesh glorie in the worckes it doeth by meane of the grace of God as its owne it is then a signe that he is of the deuill But if in the said worckes he neuerthelesse repute himselfe vile and acknowledge himselfe a most greiuous sinner he is then truely of God and God is in him Happy is the seruant that neither speaketh nor doeth any thinge for hope of recompence in this world but for the loue of God nor lightlie speaketh what commeth to his mouth but prudently and in due time disposeth his propositions and answeares Wretched also is the Religious that buryeth in his hart the graces which he receaueth of God or that commanicateth them for subiect of vaine glorie desiring rather to manifest them verballie then to God for he hath alreadie receaued his reward and they who haue heard him haue bin litle edified therby These are wordes of life and he that shall ruminate and accomplish them shall finde true life and in the end obtaine saluation of God They that seeke not to tast how sweete God is and that loue darcknes more then light neglecting to obserue the commandementes of God are by his Prophett accursed of him who sayeth Cursed are they who erre from thy commandementes but how blessed and happie are they that loue God and performe the saying of the gospell Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and withall thy will Lett vs therefore My Brethren loue and prayse God day and night Our Father which art in heauen because it is necessary to pray alwayes without intermission and lett vs haue charity and humility and doe almose deedes that they may cleanse our soules from spottes of sinne for euerie thing appertayning to the world tourneth to ruine men must leaue it and carry with them onlie the recompence and reward of charitie and the almose they haue done wherof they shall receaue recompence of God And therfore it is good to fast from vices and sinnes flying all occasions of them and to keepe vs from all kinde of superfluitie though lawfull and we must frequent churches and honour Preistes in respect of the dignity they haue with God and especiallie the Religious that haue renounced the world to doe more good then others and by their example we
with incredible paine and patience of the holy Father Neuertheles he would not haue them touched on the friday because he would endure the more and so suffer with his Sauiour Brother Ruffinus who as S. Francis affirmed was already for his sanctity of life canonized in heauen hauing many times seene the woundes of the handes and feet of the S. desired also very earnestlie to see that of his side wherof he held himselfe as fully assured by washing his linnen bretches which he alwayes found embrued with bloud on the right side and annoynting his stomack with oyntmentes insinuating himselfe and thrusting his hand farther then he needed did often touch it with his fingers and sometimes the S. felt much greife thereby neuertheles he had a verie extreme desire for his consolation to see it And therfore one day faigning to request the holy Fathers habitt of deuorion to chaunge it for his owne and requiring it for the loue of IESVS CHRIST he so wrought that the S. who could not deny any thinge that was demaunded him in the name of God not suspecting any other thing putting of his habitt to giue him he contented him therin though he did his endeauour to hide the same S. Clare that made him many plaisters for dressing therof deserued to see them the S. shewing them all vnto her in regard that she was such an Espouse of IESVS CHRIST as each one knoweth and the eldest daughter in God of the S. The said plaister is with great reuerence shewen for a relique in the Couent of S. Clare att Assisium The Cardinal of Hostia Protectour of the Order law them also and many personnes deuoted and affected vnto him as the bishop Vgolino and others How God by many miracles published the Sacred stigmates of his seruant S. Francis THE LVIII CHAPTER THe same God that had imprinted the sacred stigmates in his seruant for the good of the world would not haue them buryed in silence but did miraculously manifest them as to his maiestie seemed conuenient which he did as well for his owne glorie as for the benefitt of faithfull soules who seeing his sacred woundes in his seruant encreased in faith and glorifyed the author of them in his sainct There raigning a great pestilence among the cattell of the Country of Riete which procured their death notwithstanding any remedy that could be inuented God reuealed vnto a deuout person that he should procure to gett of the water that fell from the handes of his seruant Francis when he washed them and therewith should sprinckle the cattell and so they should be cured The man fearing God went and gott of the said water and with faith experienced the application and all the cattell that were touched therwith though halfe dead arose sound and secure on their feet Before S. Francis had the stigmates there arose euery yeare a cloud with a tempest neere the Mount Aluerne that destroyed all the fruit of that place But after he receaued them that tempest neuer appeared which procured great admiration to all the world Being one time accompanyed with a poore man himselfe riding on an asse by reason that the woundes that were vnder his feet hindered his goeing the night hauing surprised them they retired themselues vnder the couerture of a mountaine where the poore man for the extreme cold which he felt could not sleep and tourning himselfe from one side to an other did nothing but sigh and lament Whereof the holie Father hauing compassion touched him with one of his sacred handes and the poore man in steed of the bitter cold which he felt incontinentlie found himselfe so exceeding hoate that he seemed to be in a stoue or hoate house where he sweetlie slept till the morning and afterward affirmed that in al his life he neuer slept better A woman of Arrezzo had so dangerous a labour that she was abandonned of the phisicions and the health of her bodie being desperate there was no care but of her soule it happened by chaunce that the asse wheron S. Francis had ridden was brought to drinck neere vnto the house of the said woman which her kinred knowinge they tooke of the bridle which S. Francis sitting on the asse had held in his handes hauing with great faith girded the woman therewith she was presently without danger deliuered God wrought such miracles during his life that by them it might appeare that his sacred stigmates were truely worckes of his omnipotent hand but he made it much more apparent after his death as here ensuying shal be declared though they happening afterward seeme not conuenient to be written as yet neuertheles I doe it that the matter may be seene well vnited together Of the testimonies of the woundes of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis by the holy Apostolicall sea THE LIX CHAPTER POpe Gregorie the ninth himselfe saw and touched the handes and feet of the glorious S. and because he saw not that of the side he had no great beleife therof Wherfore some time before he canonized S. Francis one night in his sleep as himselfe often affirmed the S. appeared vnto him as in choller and reprehending him of his sclender faith lifted vp his right arme and shewed him the wound of his side then demaunding a cuppe it seeming to his Holynes that he deliuered him one it was presently filled with bloud By this apparition he afterward remayned assured of the wound which he so reuerenced that being vnable to endure the enuie and lewdnes of some that impugned the same striuing to darckē the glory of so singuler a miracle he commanded by the first bulle he published that this truth should be beleeued as affirmed by Apostolicall sentence The bulle beginneth The glorious Confessour then afterward he saith We by the tenour of these presentes declare vnto all people that the stigmates of this glorious S. hauing in his life time and after his death bin seene in his body the same hath bin approued with his other miracles by our venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the holy Church wherfore we haue had iust occasion to enrole him in the catalogue of SS And because in the beginning of this veritie there were two ecclesiasticall personnes that publiquelie declared themselues aduersaries to the said stigmates one of who was Brother Euerard an Alleman Preacher who in his sermōnes auouched that he neuer had those woundes and the other was the Archbishop of Colleigne who commanded the said stigmates to be putt out of his image the said Gregorie the ninth made and sent two breuies against them the one of which being directed to the Prouincials and Priours of the Order of Preachers was such Gregorie Bishop we hauing heard with no lesse greife then meruaile that a Religious of your Order named Euerard not remembring that the sermons of Preachers ought to be seasoned with the salt of grace being att Copania a citty of Morauia of a Preacher becomming a blasphemer was not ashamed to
more perillous then secure and afterwardes he conformed himselfe to the ancient fathers who vsed it att their hermitages as sainct Paul the first hermite sainct Antony and others and not to be singuler herein he gaue leaue to all the Religious to vse one in their infirmities sicknesses and old age Afterward burning with this seruent fire of charitie towardes God and his neighbour he was carryed as we haue formerlie said through cittyes and townes where he preached with excessiue feruour thirsting with an extraordinarie burning desire to see the nomber of the elect of God accomplished to which places he was so welcome and gratefull that when he went from the people he was halfe naked because each one striued to cutt part of his habitt some with cicers others with pincers or like instrumentes carefullie keeping those shreddes afterwardes as reliques with most pious deuotion for cure of diseases and dangers of this life others brought him bread to blesse wherof afterward to make vse in like necessities hauing seene therof manifest experiences Notwithstanding all this the holie Father had a violent desire to retourne to that former humilitie and simplicitie of seruing leapers and of not knowing the imperfections of his disciples as he was afterwardes forced to know them and also of enduring austeritie of life To this effect he said to his Religious My Brethren we must now begin to serue God for to this present we haue done nothing or verie litle So he proposed in his spiritt to performe great matters not considering the weaknes of bodie by reason of the great feruour of his spiritt wherwith being carryed away he desired nothing but fresh combattes to gett victorie ouer the ennemie and indeed he that well considereth it sindeth that feeblenes nor tepeditie haue any place where the port is alwayes open vnto true loue which inuiteth and induceth to attempt impossibilityes And so much the more by reason that he had accustomed his flesh to obey the spiritt and had such a promptitude to obey God that he was so farre from resisting that he stroue and endeauoured to worcke aboue his forces Wherfore God that knew his desire opened vnto him the meanes of meritt so that he did not onlie desire with the ineffable doloures of his infirmitie which did so afflict him from the soale of his feet to the crowne of his head that he had neuer repose he endured in each of his members an extreame and particuler paine in such sort that in short time he came to haue nothing but skin on his bones In all these afflictions he discouered his desire of them sith that he was neuer heard to vtter so much as one worde of complaint but he called his dolours his brethren and his diseases his sisters yet he answeared the Religious who being moued with compassion wished him to pray vnto God that he would please to appeare a litle more merciful◠towardes him that if he did not hold him excused in regard of his simplicity he would teach him what it was to check God in his iudgementes He omitted not yet to chastice in his body the excesse of the offence of this Religious for rudely flinging himselfe out of his bed vpon the ground he tourned and wallowed vpon it often kissing it gaue thanckes vnto God praysed him and besought him for his greater consolations to redouble his afflictions which wordes ended The Religious by force of armes laid him againe on his bed for he could not helpe himselfe into it O inuincible patience of this glorious S. comparable to that of Iob he was doubtles both ioyfull and humble in his tribulations as an other S. Paul considering that the more he endured of greater paines in his body the greater vigour and force appeared in his soule besides what affliction his stigmates procured him which continually distilled bloud with such extreme grife that it was humanely impossible for him to support them only two dayes not two yeares as he did for augmentation of his meritt and example vnto the world How God sometimes conforted his faithfull seruant in his afflictions THE LXII CHAPTER ALl this being very well knowne to almighty God beside the interiour vertue which he bestowed on him he did often comfort him exteriourlie One day to mitigate his dolours therby to raise his spiritt vnto God he had a desire to heare some prayse sung vnto his diuine maiesty vpon some instrumentes And therfore he told Brother Pacificus who had bin a famous excellent Poete that though men of this world abuse musicall instrumentes which were inuented to prayse God as in deed so many holy men had praysed him theron he should neuerthelesse finde meane to haue secretly a violle and for his consolation should sing some spirituall prayse affirming that therin was no offence vnto God and that it seemed the greifes of his bodye by that meane would tourne into consolation and ioy of the spiritt But Br. Pacificus hauing answeared that in so dooing he might scandalize the world he replyed that he had reason and that he should let it alone Now God who had a speciall care of him incontinently sent an Angel that sounded and gaue so sweet a touch to a violl as may be imagined that an Angel of Paradise could doe in the same instant comforting both the afflicted body and the soule of the great seruant of God Addressing himselfe therfore to Bro. Pacificus who had not heard the melodie no more then his other companions he caused them to giue thanckes vnto God for the great consolation which he had voutsafed to send him Being in the house of the Bishop of Assisium vtterlie without all tast and vnable to eat any thing by reason of the griefe of his infirmities his companyons asked him wherof he would willingly eat he answeared them If I could haue a few litle fishes of fresh water me thincketh I could eat of them These wordes being ended there entred a boy that brought him many as sent from Brother Girard Minister of Riete though it were winter and so extreme cold that it was impossible to take them the riuers being frozen The Religious exceedinglie admired to perceaue the care which God had to releiue the necessities of his seruant and especially in thinges impossible to men An other time desiring to haue a litle lettice he asked some of his companiō who answeared that the same day they had bin all gathered Goe into the garden said he and bring me the first herbe that cometh to thy hād which shall be a lettice The Religious went and found a very faire lettice and thanking him who had there set the same for the consolation of the seruant of God he tooke it vp with great ioy and brought it vnto him and the S. hauing eaten a therof leafe felt himselfe fully conforted How he was assured of the Glory of Paradise THE LXIII CHAPTER BVt because there cannot be giuen to a seruant of God a greater consolation
naturally drawne att Venise in the church of S. Marck such as we haue formerlie described and with stigmates enameled after the Mosaicall manner Of the Buriall of the body of the blessed Father S. Francis THE LXXIII CHAPTER THe afore mentioned Lady Iaqueline of the Seauen Sunnes was the last that could not be satisfied with seeing and touching as an other Magdalen this sacred body of her deere master She did nothing but bath it with her gracious teares and dry it with her kisses the extreme swetnes that proceeded from this holie body but particulerlie from the sacred stigmates exceeded all other sweetnes neuerthelesse she held her eyes alwayes fixed on the wound of his side wherto she often applyed her mouth and handes whence she receaued such and so exceeding consolation that it seemed vnto her in this conuersation with her dead master and freâ—nd â—hat her soule with a straung and admirable ioy began to liue Butt to the cittizens of Assisium that desired to carry him to buriall finding much delay euery hower seemed an hundred by reason of the extreme feare they had that so precious a treasure by some extraordinarie accident might beÌ„ taken from them wherfore they placed a guard before the monasterie gate and soldiers diuided through the street euen to the gate of the citty which cittizens so importuned the said Lady that she annoynted him with precious iontment then cloathed him in a new gray habitt which she had expresly brought from Rome according to the aduertisement of the Angell and the Religious so opened this habitt that the wound of his side might easily be seene This glorious Sainct did alwayes in his life time desire that his bodie should be buryed in the basest place of all the citty of AssisiuÌ„ his hart excepted which he deputed to our Lady of Angels as during his life he had by affection there setled the same and in deed God did not frustrate him of this iust desire for his holy body was enterred though this were not till foure yeares after by reason that the monasterie was not yet build there nor the church which they sumptuouslie built there afterward in the most abiect place of Assisium where malefactours were executed called the mount of hell the common opinion is that his hart is in the chappell of S. Mary of Angels where according to report it is preserued with great reuerence On the sonday morning all the people being assembled with bowes of trees and the Religious Preistes and Gentlemen with their burning torches and lightes carryed this holie bodie as in procession first to the Church of S. Damian to S. Clare that the prophesie of the Sainct might be accomplished sending her worde some dayes before that she should shortlie see him to her exceeding consolarioÌ„ The grate being opened the body of the Sainct was brought in to the Religious who were so comforted therwith that greife could finde no place in their hartes particulerly in that of S. Clare who endeauouring in vaine to pluck out a nayle of his handes to keep it with her as a relique she began againe with her Sisters to bath this holy bodie with teares encourageing themselues together to proceed in the way begun of the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST which he had taught them And so after they had restored this holie bodie to the people who weare troubled att this long attendance they carryed it to be enterred in a new sepulcher within the Church of S. George as in a dispositorie where it remayned full foure yeares vnder guard till his church was builded att the Mount of hell as aforesaid It was not without mysterie that he reposed in the said church wherin he had bin baptised had learned his first letters and where he had deliuerd his first preachinges therfore it seemed verie reasonable that his bodie should begin to repose in that place whither the said Lady of the Seauen-Sunnes repayred neuer to abandon him forsaking her habitation in Rome and neuer left this body till her death when she went for euer to dwell with his blessed soule in Paradise How the glorious Father Sainct Francis Was canonized by Pope Gregorie the ninth THE LXXIV CHAPTER THe merittes and glorie of the holie Father S. Francis began by his great miracles to be diuulged whence succeeded that himselfe raigning in heauen his sanctitie was also by diuine power manifested here on earth which he had neuerthelesse alredy made sufficientlie apparant to the world in his life directing an infinite number of soules in the infallible way of vertue The brute of the admirable thinges which God wrought by his seruant Francis came euen to the eares of Pope Gregorie the ninth who resting assured that the S. was glorified with God not only in regard of the said miracles wrought after his death but euen of the experience had with his owne eyes desiring here below to comforme himselfe to the will of God as his true Vicar he determined with a pious and deuoted zeale to canonize him and propose him to the world for a remarckeable example of sanctity and to take all scruple from the Cardinals and others he caused all his principall miracles to be examined and approued by actes of publike Notaries and infinite testimonies worthie of beleife So the Cardinals and all the principall diuines of his Court being herein dulie aduertised concluded that it was iust and verie expedient vnto the Church of God to canonize this glorious Sainct his seruant The yeare 1228. the Pope himselfe went with his Court to Assisium expreslie with this resolution and the sixteenth of Iulie a yeare and nine monethes and halfe after the death of this glorious Sainct vpon a Sonday morning his holines with manie ceremonies and great solemnitie inscribed the blessed Father sainct Francis in the catologue of the sainctes and before they departed thence his Church was begun to be built in the said citty and in the foundation therof the Pope himselfe in presence of an infinite multitude of people laid the first stone and thenceforward the place which was called the Mount of hell was nominated the mount of Paradise The bulle of canonization of the holy Father S. Francis extracted out of the fift chapter of the tenth booke and here more aptly placed GRegory Bishop the Seruant of the seruantes of God To our venerable Brethren Archbishoppes Bishoppes and to our beloued children Abbottes Priors Archpreistes ArchdeacoÌ„s Deanes other Prelates of the church to whose knowledge these presentes shall come health and Apostolicall benediction As the vessels of gold which S. Iohn saw full of perfumes which are the prayers of SS powred out most sweet odours before the most high to destroy the corruption of our sinnes we also beleeue that it is a great furtherance to our saluation with great reuerence to haue memory of his sainctes on earth and with solemnity to publish the merittes of those whose assistance by their continuall intercessions we hope
had bin made att that verie hower with the hard nayle vpon the bare flesh and the bloud appeared exceeding full of life O happy were the soules that were held worthy to see in his seruant what they could not see in their Lord IESVS CHRIST and more when afterwardes they saw his sacred handes which his Holines discouered and saw pearced as the feet and hauing also the like nailes we also kissed them laying our impure lippes onthe sacred bloud that was yet very fresh which made vs to poore out teares that so abondantly fell from our eyes as that they hindered our cōtentment for we could not tast nor enioy the same according to our wish our eyes were so troubled that we often saw not that precious treasure But who cā euer explicate the motiō of our vnderstāding the abstractiō of our spiritt the melting of our sences and the faintnes of our corporall forces procured by this precious sight O thrice happy the mouthes of vs so greiuous sinners wherwith we were permitted to kisse that sacred wound of his foot with such interiour cōsolation as none could be more But seauen fold more hapy the Pope who alone kissed the wound of his side flowered as a fresh rose consequētly his very mouth whervpon he graciously vttered these wordes O most worthy excellēt memoriall of our redemption wherwith the eternall God would that conformably to our Lord I. C. the glorious Father S. Fr. should be deputed aliue dead to represent to the world euen till the last day of iudgmēt the signe of his dolorous passion O holy woundes first endured by the Sonne of God for the sinnes of men and after for our benefitt renewed in his holy seruant Francis O most gracious God! to whome hast thou euer shewē such loue but to this thy most faithful seruant Blessed sainct thou hast really carryed the triumphant stander of the crosse together with the liuely marckes of his passion Finally thou alone hast ben elected and found worthy to be pearced in true imitation of our Lord I. C. differing from him only in this that he receaued his woundes of the wicked Iewes and thou of our Redeemer I. C. O extreme benefite O singuler gift O ineffable prerogatiue Fr. who taught thee to serue God in what new scoole was it performed and by what merueillous doctrine Of what master hast thou learned to moūt to so high a degree of perfection that neuer S. of either sex could equall thee in the giftes of God The Pope vttered these and many other wordes being rauished out of himselfe in the presence of this S. of God himselfe together with vs bathinge the pauement of that holy place with abondance of our teares Now we so persisted in these sweet cōceiptes that whē we least thought theron one aduertised vs that it was neere day and that it was necessary for vs to depart to shutt vp the hole of the sacred sepulcher dexteriously which touched our hart as a deadly wound the space of six or seauen howers that we were there seeming to haue flowen and not passed away Making therfore some litle prayer more and recommending our selues to the S. the Pope first goeing out we all followed but not till we had opened the two vaultes in the two other arches where we saw the two other glorious bodies of his disciples entier also and very odoriferous but much lesse then that of their master hauing their habittes of sackcloth Att the entry we saw the body of the blessed Brother Giles then we came foorth and the Guardian shutt the dores praying his Holines to keepe the same in great secresie which he promised him and commāded vs also the same This my freind Iames was the cause of my inuocation that night when I cryed O Francis Francis hauing yet hope yea very confident that he wil be protectour of my soule before God att my departure But it seemeth indeed very admirable that this glorious S. had not procured his recouery but that he might haue declared this his glory to many his deuoted freindes that much desired to vnderstand it for this discourse ended he began so to decay that he dyed the night following leauing assured testimony of this truth considering that it is not to be beleeued nor thought nor is it probable that aman especially such as this being in the conflictes of death would for his pleasure and without occasiō faine a false matter the time so neere when he should most stricktly render an account vnto God who seuerely condemneth the culpable and ill-deseruers as he crowneth the sainctes his elected here on earth but much more in heauen there glorifiyng their bodies their soules with his glorious vision eternally whither I beseech him by his grace to conduct vs where he is three and one and liueth and raigneth world without end Amen The end of the second booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS CONTAYNING A TREATISE OF S. Bonauenture of certaine miracles of the glorious Father S. Francis after his death With a discourse of the Author of the degrees wherby the S. attained to perfection Translated by the parties afore mentioned Of the miracle of the Stigmates THE FIRST CHAPTER TO the honour and glory of almighty God and the blessed Father S. Francis Being to write certaine miracles of his wrought after his glorification in heauen we haue determined to begin with that immensiue priuiledge giuen him by our Lord IESVS CHRIST honouring him with the signe of the crosse and passion This glorious Father S. Francis was then eminent by a new miracle when he appeared charactered and illustrated with so singuler a priuiledge neuer before graunted to any creature I meane the sacred woundes of our Lord which made his mortall bodie like to that of IESVS CHRIST crucified the sacred stigmates considered wherof whatsoeuer any humane tongue can expresse is litle or nothinge in comparison of so sublime and worthy a mystery wrought by his diuine maiesty in his faithfull seruant Francis that this signe of the crosse which he alwayes carryed imprinted in his hart from the beginning of his conuersion might also exteriourly appeare in his body entierly vnited in the said crosse and that as his soule was interiourly vested with IESVS CHRIST the habite of a penitent which he tooke representing the image of the crosse the body also might in like sort be inuested with the said sacred signe and that with such colours and distinctions he might the more couragiously serue his God as his principall Capitaine in the spirituall warre and army wherin God had ouercome the powers of spirituall ennemies Yea and diuers misteries of the crosse appeared in the S. from his first beginning in spirituall warfare as in the discourse of his life plainely appeareth by the diuers apparitions of the crosse which he had And for farther assurance of the verity of so admirable a fact God did not only giue testimonies worthy of creditt
III. CHAPTER IN the citty of Potencia in Apulia there was a Preist called Roger a very venerable man and Canon of the great church who being by meanes of an infirmity become very feeble entred one day into a church to pray wherein was painted the image of S. Francis with the stigmates which beholding he began to conceaue a doubt in himselfe of the sublimity of the miracle as of an inaccustomed thinge and vtterly impossible his hart being thus wounded with incredulity he felt att the verie instant such a greiuous pearcing of his left hand within his gloue that an arrow flyeth not out of a bowe with more force and violence wherupon being exceedingly amazed with the wound together with the stroake and yet more with the secrett manner therof he pulled of his gloue to see with his eyes the effect of that which he had heard and felt and hauing neuer before had any wound in his hand with admiration he beheld this new wound whence began to proceed such an extreme paine as he thought therof to dye it was merueilous to consider for in the gloue appeared no signe att all but only in the hand that the wound made secretly in the hand might be correspondent to that which was secrett in the hart So for the space of two dayes making publicke relation of the occasion and the secrett of his incredulity he confessed and with oath affirmed that he beleeued the sacred stigmates to be imprinted in S. Francis he humbly recommended himselfe vnto him beseeching him by the vertu of his sacred stigmates and by the efficacie of his intercession to procure the cessation of his paine Att the end of two dayes his incredulity hauing bin sufficiently punished God by the merittes of the S. gaue him ease for the greife entierly ceassed the heat of the hurt was qualified and no signe of the wound remayned so that secrett infirmity of the soule was cured by the manifest launce of the flesh and by diuine prouidence the body was cured together with the soule the man remayning humble towardes God deuout to his seruant S. Francis and affectionate to the Religious of his Order This so solemne miracle was assured by autenticall letters from the Bishop of the said citty sealed with the ordinary seale that thenceforward none might admitt any doubt of the sacred woundes of the Sonne of God diuinely imprinted in his seruant Francis and that no mannes eye should be euill to see that God is good as if the liberality and gift of this grace did not corresponde vnto the eternall bounty Of the dead raised by the merittes of S. Francis THE IV. CHAPTER IN the citty of Mont-Maron neere to Beneuentum there dyed a woman of singuler deuotion vnto the glorious Father S. Francis where the Clergie being assembled the same euenning to sing hir vigiles the woman arose before them all called one of the Preistes there present saying vnto him Father I desire to be confessed of one sinne Know that after my death I should haue bin coÌ„demned to the deuil in an obscure horrible prison because I neuer confessed a sinne which I now desire to confesse but the holy Father S. Fr. hauing prayed for me because I haue euer deuoutly serued him it is permitted me to retourne to life that being confessed of this sinne I may afterward obtaine eternall life with him And for assurance hereof as soone as I shal be confessed and haue absolution I shall goe to the glory promised So hauing with exceeding great contrition confessed her sinne and performed the peÌ„nance enioyned by her Confessour all trembling accommodating her selfe sweetly into her bed she slept in our Lord. In the mountaines of Apulia in the towne of Parmace there was a maried man that had one only daughter young and exceedingly beloued of himselfe and her mother who being seased with an inexpected and greiuous sicknes sodenlie dyed wheratt the Father and mother being out of hope euer to haue other children were so afflicted that they were ready to dye with her Theire kinred and freindes being come to bury and bewayle her the mother was so sorrowfull and oppressed with greife that she consumed into teares yea so gaue way to sorrow and so employed her selfe in this affliction that she neither saw nor vnderstood any thing that was done in her house but as euerie one was thus disquieted yea voide of hope the holie Father S. Francis with one Religious only appeared to the mother that was deuout vnto him and in compassionate manner said Woman ceasse to lament for the light of thy candell whome thou bewaylest as dead shal by mine intercession be incontinentlie reuiued Which said he disappeared and the woman presentlie related what had bin said vnto her by the S. vnto those present and would not permitt the body of her dead daughter to be carryed to buriall but comming neere her and inuocating the name of S. Francis she lifted her vp aliue and in health in the presence of her kinred and freindes who gaue thanckes to God and to his blessed seruant The Frere Minors of Nocere staÌ„ding in need of a chariott demaunded one of a man named Peter who in steed of lending them his chariott and affording them the almose which they demaunded for the honour of God and S. Francis he sotishly answeared them and with iniurious wordes cursed the name of the S. but he soone repented his folly in regard of what incontinently befell him which wrought in him a great feare of the wrath of God for he lost his eldest sonne who being euen then stricken with a disease sodenly dyed wherfore in an extreme passion that assailed his hart casting himselfe on thâ— ground and there wallowing he inuocated the S. with the same mouth that had so indiscreetly blasphemed him and bitterly weeping said Father I am he that haue offended I am he that haue impiously spoaken thou doest iustlie chasticie me ô S. of God! restore the innocent child to him that repenteth his fault and is ready to doe pennance Punishment is due to him that hath lewdly blasphemed wherfore I freely giue my selfe to thee I offer me to serue thee for euer and to offer vnto God sacrifice of praise to the honour glory of thy holy name It was admirable that att these wordes his sonne arose one his feet and procuring end to their lamentation that mourned for him he confidently affirmed that wheÌ„ he dyed he saw the holy Father S. Francis who had conducted his â—oule from the separation of the body and by their prayers had restored it againe The sonne of a Notary att Rome about the age of seauen yeares desiâ—ing according to the custome to goe with his mother to masse she vnwilling to permitt him did shutt him into the house The child seeing he could not gett out att the dore lept out att the window and fel dead against the ground The mother that was not gone farre hearing the fall
the holy Father S. Francis had with God euen in desperate matters An other accident like vnto this happened att sainct Seuerin in the Marquisat of Ancona in this sort A very great stone being brought from Constantinople and by the helpe of diuers men carryed into the Church of the said S. in laying it downe it so slipt that a man fell directly vnder it but the stone att the very instant raysed it selfe S. Francis appeared to the miserable labourer whome he caused sound safe to arise albeit he was esteemed vtterly crushed in peeces A Burgesse of Gayette called Bartholomew earnestly employed in building the Church of S. Francis there to be erected a beame of timber being not well setled fell vpon his neck so that he was esteemed a dead man as well therfore as he could he required the B. Sacrament of a Religious there present who supposing it impossible for him to liue till the same might be procured vsed vnto him these wordes of S. Augustin Crede manducast◠beleeue and make account that thou hast eaten and receaued it then he caused him to be carryed to his house The night following S. Francis with eleuen Religious appeared vnto him holding before him a litle lābe and drawing neere the bed he called him saying Bartholomew feare not for the deuill shall not be able to hinder thee from labouring in my seruice Behold the lambe which thou diddest require to be giuen thee whome thou hast receaued by thy good and pious desire and by vertue wherof thou shalt recouer health of bodie and soule Then hauing layd on him his sacred hand and giuen him his holy benediction he commanded him to goe finish the worck begun He being vtterlie amazed arising in the morning entirely cured of so mortall a blow retourned with alacrity to his labour which passed with incredible admiration to all those that had left him for dead who awakened their soules disposing them to loue and deuoutlie to reuerence the holy Father S. Francis In the towne of Ceperan there was a man called Nicholas who was so wounded by his ennemies that they left him for dead vpon the pauement But whiles they stroke him he alwayes with a loud voice cryed out S. Francis helpe me which crye was heard a farre of by diuers who from the place where they were could not so redely releiue him but came to see him when the fact was done and carryed him into his house where he assured them that albeit they saw him all bathed in his bloud notwithstanding he should not dye of those woundes wherof he neither felt any kinde of paine and that this proceeded of the helpe he had receaued of the holy Father S. Francis and also that he had obtayned of God time for to doe penance The successe confirmed the same for being washed from his bloud he was withall cured of his woundes to the great astonishment of those that had seene and carryed him into his house In the towne of S. Geminian a gentlemans sonne had a flux of bloud issuyng out of his eyes and mouth which had brought him to extremity that nothing was expected but his death and had in deed diuers effects or tokens of death as feeblenes of his spiritt losse of his hearing his members also were so weakened that he seemed insensible and att euery moment was expected the yelding vp of his spiritt Many therfore of his fathers freindes repairing as the manner is to comfort him they had no other discourse but of his buriall But the father that had a great faith and confidence in God though as a man he was exceedinglie afflicted entertayned in his conceit a pious cogitation which he put in execution for leauing all those that were come to comfort him he retired himselfe alone into the Church of S. Francis that was neere vnto his house where falling prostrate on the groōd he putt his girldle about his necke and prayed to S. Francis that he would please to be a meditatour for the health of his sonne in such sort and with so great a faith so profound a humility and such dolorous plaintes and teares that he merited to be heard of IESVS CHRIST then filled with hope he retourned to his house where he found his kinred and freindes full of ioy for the health which his sonne had recouered so that they and he together chaunged their teares into ioy and their affliction into contentmēt So by the intercession of the said S. the death of the sonne was tourned into life And afterward they altogether gaue thanckes to God and his freindes and kinred departed exceedinglie comforted and edified by the vertue of the holy father S. Francis Our Lord IESVS CHRIST wrought a like action by the merites of this glorious S. in a towne called Tamarit in Catalonia where he restored health to a yong gentlewoman as also to an other of Ancona who had a daughter ready to dye through the extremity of her disease whose father inuocating the S. obtayned his daughters health A Preist named Mattheiw of a citty called Ville-blāche hauing drunk a deadly poyson incontinentlie lost his speech his tongue and bodie swelled in such sort that death only was expected An other Preist being present att this pittifull spectacle persuaded him to be incontinentlie confessed the other fell on his knees but could not vtter so much as one word wherfore making vse of reason he humblie recommended himselfe vnto God in heart beseeching him to vouchsafe by the merittes of his seruant Francis to free him from such an odious death At the verie instant which was admirable he began with a loud voice to inuocate the name of S. Francis then he vomited the venime which he had receaued yelding thanckes to God and S. Francis How S. Francis deliuered many pilgrimes from tempests and misfortunes of the sea THE VIII CHAPTER CErtaine nauigatours were on a time in this sort in peril of death they being some fiue leagues distant from the harbour of Barut the windes and tempestes growing violent fearing to be drowned they cast ankor but their disaster by the impetuositie of the windes so encreased and the seas in such sort swelled that the cables breaking the ankors did stick fast to the bottome and the vessell floated heere and there without hope of safety by reason of the incertaintie of the course of the waters and the inequalitie of the tide till it pleased God to calme the sea when the mariners as halfe dead began to seeke their ankors in the sea where they perceaued the cables there employing all the dilligence and art they could deuise But their labour vainlie spent they inuocated the assistance of diuers sainctes And being exceedinglie wearied one of them whose name was Perfectus though of condicion verie lewd and imperfect said in scoffing manner to his companions You haue implored the assistance of so manie Sainctes yet haue they not heard you lett vs a litle inuocate that
called Marck for the loue of God entertayned this poore boy of whome he conceaued a great compassion in regard that he found him to be of a good disposition He often said vnto his wife that if the holy Father S. Francis would vouchsafe by his intercession to cure him he would promise for the loue of God to entertayne him all the time of his life The glorious S. lente not a dease eare to this pious intention for the oblation being made the boy began sodenlie to haue his tongue att libertie and to speake saying glory be vnto God and to the glorious Father S. Francis who hath now giuen me my speech and hearing for which the gentleman and his wife no lesse amazed then ioyfull gaue infinite thanckes to God performed the said promise and liued very spiritually being alwayes mindfull of this miracle and had a speciall care of the said child for the loue of God and of his faithfull seruant S. Francis Brother Iames of Iseo in his infancie and whiles he was vnder his fathers protection had a cruell wound in his stomake but being inspired of God with a very feruent deuotion he entred into the Order of this Sainct notwithstanding his tender yeares and the said infirmitie which he neuer discouered till being present art the translation of the glorious Sainct and approaching neere the sepulchre wherein his holie reliques were to be placed he with a feruent deuotion embraced the sepulchre whence that pretious treasure was taken and was instantlie cured of his wound which otherwise was incurable euerie thing disposing it selfe conueniently the very band falling of wherwith it was bound and in that â—ort were manie persons cured of the like infirmities by the merittes of this glorious Sainct as Brother Bartholomew of Agubio Brother Angelus of Todi Syr Nicolas of Stichiam Iohn de la Foye a Pisan gentleman one of the cittie of Ciperne Peter Sicilian a man of Spelle nere vnto Assisium and many others cured of like diseases as also especially Brother Angelus of Tudette and a Preist of Sucane called Sir Nicolas and an other also called Iohn de Fore and a man of the citty of Pise an other of the citty of Cisterne and one of Fspelle one called Peter of Sicily and infinite others that were by the mercie of God and the merittes of blessed S. Francis miraculously deliuered A woman of Maremme had bin about fiue yeares troubled in her spiritt depriued of her sight and hearing yea was come to that point that she rent her garmentes with her teeth and as enraged feared neither fire nor water nor other danger and as besides fallen into that horrible disease of the falling sicknes This miserable wretch it pleased the diuine Maiesty to fauour and first to illuminate her interiourlie for Sainct Francis one night appeared vnto her sitting verie eminentlie eleuated in a Royall seate before whome falling one her knees she humbly prayed him to cure her But the Sainct deferring to graunt her request she redoubled her petition therevnto adding a vow and promised him that in the honour of God and him she would neuer whiles she liued deny an almose to any poore person that should demaund it of her sofar foorth as her ability would stretch which Sainct Francis accepting he made on her the signe of the crosse and she was cured both of body and soule Many others oppressed with like infirmities haue bin cured by this compassionate Sainct and particulerly a yong mayden of Norcia and the sonne of a gentleman of the said citty who were deliuered by almighty God through the merittes and intercession of this his humble seruant Of other like miracles THE XVI CHAPTER PEter of Fullignium goeing as a Pilgrim but with litle deuotion to visitt the church of S. Michael the Archangell and drincking water att a fountaine the diuell entred into his bodie and so tormented him that he was as it were vtterlie grinded broaken crushed and all black he alwayes vttered abhominable matters and vsed certaine gestures that were dreadfull and fearfull to all the beholdeis And being on day lesse tormented then of ordinarie he remembred to haue heard the meruailous worckes of sainct Francis to be exceedinglie recommended and particulerly that he deliuered such as were possessed He went vnto his Church where with a profounde humilitie and deuotion he approached vnto his holie sepulchre which hauing touched he was miraculouslie deliuered of this oppression for which he shewed himselfe thanckfull vnto God and S. Francis A gentlewoman of the citty of Narnie afflicted by the deuill was by the compassion of the sainct deliuered together with diuers others that were tormented by the deuill which would be to long to committ to history A gentleman of Fano called Bon being afflicted with the palsey and leprosie caused himselfe to be conducted to the Church of Sainct Francis where he prayed him for his health with such instancie and faith that by the merittes of the sainct he was heard of almightie God A yong man called Accio of Saint Seuerin being a leaper made a vow to the S. caused himselfe to be carryed vnto his shrine and was incontinentlie by his merittes deliuered This glorious sainct had many excellent vertues touching the dressing and curing of this disease for he had deputed himselfe vnto their seruice for the loue he had to piety and Christian humility A gentlewoman of the citty of Sora called Rogata for foure and twentie yeares endured with extreme affliction the bloudy flux and this infirmitie was occasion of other diseases besides she hauing bin long time tormented by the Phisitians and finding no ease but a continuation of her greife and diuersitie of cruell diseases it reduced her euen to death for when her flux was stayed her her legges and all her body did sweell and whiles her flux continued it did so afflict her that she could not stand on her feet so that this poore woman knew not what to doe other then to expect in short time the end of her life being in this perplexity she one day heard a yong man recouÌ„t the merueilles so admirable which God had wrought and did worck by the merittes of the glorious Eather sainct Francis which so moued her that with abondant effusion of teares replenished with faith and hope she began to say to her selfe O glorious Sainct that art famous by so many miracles if it would please thee to haue compassion of me and to free me of mine insupportable miseryes thou knowest how much the great glory of thy clemencie would therby be augmented for it seemeth thou neuer diddest worck so great a miracle which hauing vttered she had an instant feeling of the diuine operation in her for by the merittes of the Sainct she was cured And together with her a child of hers called Marck maymed in one arme who hauing vowed to the Sainct was presently cured A Sicilian woman hauing bin afflicted with the
deuotion they all neuertheles seeme displeasing and withall knowing that all humane affections and motions all liberall artes sciences all subtility of spirittes all exquisite theologie and other curious sciences cannot giue peace nor satiate our hart if they be vsed with pride and that only the diuine loue can performe the same in an humble hart and mortified in his proper desires and opinions which will not be surprised more or lesse in any other thing nor affecteth other power or knowledge then how to loue his God and how to ridde himselfe of all vaine cogitations and of his proper complacence and curiosity to comprehend lofty and secrett matters and to proceed in a singularitie of life and exercises the property of this estate is to support the tentations the terrours and deceiptes of the deuils because our soule resisteth not flesh and bloud only but the spirittes and powers of darcknes surmounting all other creatures yea himselfe and possessing God alone in his only desire Our soule hath an other property not only seeking thenceforward finding her beloued in creatures by meditations and imaginations framed by the vnderstanding but often without attending and knocking att the dote the feruent desires enflamed sighes which she breatheth out for her loue conducteth her in and then she conuerseth with and freely heareth her God because she incontineÌ„tlie arriueth to that estate wherof our Lord IESVS CHRIST spake I call you no longer seruantes but freindes such are the effects of feruent loues that transport the soule into God to make her one spiritt with him and one will and as this loue is supernaturall and diuine incomparablie of more efficacie then the naturall it doth consequentlie with a fastened knott and bond of charity conioyne the spiritt with God So that we may say in this estate such a loue worcketh three effectes or offices The first to depriue the soule of all kind and quality of loue except the loue of God that she may no more be disioyned from him conformablie to those wordes of the Apostle sainct Paul No man can hereafter separate vs from the charity and loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The second is to giue no place to idlenes for as saith the moral sainct Gregory He that is idle loueth not and therfore his worck is to labour with an appetite sweet and sauourous in God and to run vnto him withall his hart as to his soueraigne Good and to keep his spiritt setled and combined in him continually enflaming his desires to a cruell and continuall warre vpon such discord that can neuer haue peace with the cares disordinate passions and naturall desires which labour to satiate him in other places wheras this loue endeauoureth att least to keep him alwayes concerning the memorie and the desires being separated from all terrestriall cares and conuersations with the feare of the staine which veniall disorders leaues in the soule and the impediment which they procure to the continuall amourous affection of God which causeth the soule especially to loue and desire solitude and to be sequestred from all creatures for as the Adamant draweth iron vnto it so God being loued draueth vnto him the louer into a solitarie place and sequestreth him from humane conuersation that he may tast diuine The third office whence this second proceedeth is that this loue neuer ceasseth to growe no otherwise then fire which hauing matter neuer faileth to encrease As then our Lord I. C. is infinitely worthy to be loued and that charity alwayes findeth in him matter to encrease and more and more euery hower to dilate it selfe so this augmentation of loue hath neuer end in this life so that the proper office of this loue is to constraine a man to make progresse in his perfection of life and with a continuall warre against luke warmnesâ—e It is easie to be collected in diuers places out of the Legend rule and life of S. FraÌ„cis how much this degree of loue and perfection made him alwayes ioyfull and content in his pouerty it there appeareth how much he abhorred and shunned the honours and contentments of the world and with what vnion of spiritt he conceaued tast and satisfaction in prayer For this occasion he would that his Religious should be alwayes ioyfull exteriourly and interiourly as men contented in the true graces which they receaued of the mercie of God this satiety which he had in God hindered him from desiring sciences and honours for his Religion as the greedy of this world desire and procure but he would that only the pouerty and humility of his Lord I. C. should alwayes be and shine in his Order and that there one should neuer satisfie and content himselfe enough in the following imitating and louing of I. C. The wicked spirittes could not not endure this loue that burned in him perpetually and therfore they neuer omitted to tempt and terrifie him endeauouring to distract him but finding nothing in him wherof to take hold he being naked and depriued of all earthely thinges they presumed by their horrours and terrours to make him stopp and tourne his course The continuall lentes which he kept in perpetual silence and in solitarie places discouer how incomparable he was and his continuall feruour in the exercise of prayer and spirituall profitt in all kind of vertues as also his ordinarie watchfulnes ouer his sences and his body likewise his manner of life alwayes apart except when he trauelled for the saluation of soules as one that had in God alone his repose and satiety Of the fourth degree to ascend vnto perfection called spirituall Excesse or Extasie THE V. CHAPTER THe fourth degree is extasie spirituall excesse or dronkennes of spiritt which proceedeth of the satiety of the soule made droncken with the diuine loue of the Holy Ghost without any water of our imaginations and humane fantasies which forsake vs not without difficulty if God take not the soule by the hand draw it vnto him causingal the sences to remaine without depriued of their functioÌ„ the soule being imployed secretly with her God yea it see meth to the soule that she endureth the like for being with God she is more aboue then in her selfe and therfore seeing she seeth not and feeling she feeleth not For she being pure and cleare from all corporall images which are her irons and the matter of her prayers she feeleth only the effectes with the worckes of the diuine presence and charity And therfore he that is raysed to this degree of perfection doth accustome to exercise lesse meditations how pious soeuer vsing them only to creat in his soule admirations deuotions and feruours towardes his beloued God drawing the sparckes of loue from his hart with those meditations as with a perfect fire-steele which most commonly is in men more hard then a flint-stone for as the way of the vnderstanding proceedeth not of humane stile though it be directed vnto God the knowledge notwithstanding proceeding
that burneth in her and maketh her in that manner feruēt in her spirituall operations in such sort the soule remayneth filled with this diuine vnion replenished with so great feruour that she att their first arriuall putteth to flight the flyes of contrary tēptations and doth more annihilate and mortifie her selfe in one act of the will then others can doe in much time She likewise receaueth a penetratiue vertue to participate with all creatures without any impedimēt because she easily is vnited to her God thus doth she dispose her selfe to receaue greater grace of God because she approacheth neerer and is raysed vnto the perpetuall fountaine and to the Father of lightes the eternall God The property of this estate of Asseurance is to haue God alwayes in her hart present in euery place neuer separating her selfe frō him which she performeth by meane of a liuing loue and cōtinuall memory of him for she is present liueth in his armes freed frō all action sauing that wherin her beloued God employeth her he being euer presēt with her The holy Father knew that he had attayned this degree of vnitiue loue in the cōtinuall memory and diuine cōmunication which he had without disturbance as well in the Monasteries as in hermitages alone and in company were he employed in the doctrine of saluation of soules or in prayer And it was euen apparant that the holy Father S. Francis had obtained this degree of perfection in the conuersion of his sences powers and inclinations into God for he seemed to be retourned into the state of innocencie so much were his interiour powers submitted to the empire and domination of the soule which was so perfectly vnited vnto her God in the light and frequent reuelations which she receaued of the diuine presence whence proceeded that he gloryed in his labours and in merueillous asseurance of his saluation which was by speciall diuine grace reuealed vnto him Of the sixtdegre of perfection called Tranquility THE VII CHAPTER THe estate of perfection called Tranquility is in the sixt degree where there is such peace and contentment that the soule liueth as it were in silence and repose as in a sleepy slumber on the brest of God so that she may say with S. Paul that she no more liueth in herselfe but that IESVS CHRIST liueth and raigneth in her But three thinges should preceed this life so singuler this sanctity and conuersation with God this perfect charity towardes God and our neighbour this seeling of the diuine familiarity First a perfect mortification in worckes and affaires of the world in such sort that the soule for her owne respect haue no contentment in any creature what soeuer and lesse in her selfe but onlie in her Creatour The second that she be distracted from all spirituall consolations wherin she taketh comfort and reioyceth for her owne repose and tast because often times in the spirittes euen of them that vtteirle shunne spirituall thinges doe grow great affections and spirituall delectations wherin they finde consolations for themselues but God seldome or neuer and so they shutt the gate to the true light and this happeneth because they propose not God for the end of their exercises purelie and without meane of any creature Now this sincere intention and renunciation as it is far more perfect so is it much more difficult then the former therfore also the soule that doubteth therof holdeth her selfe absolutely in the hand of God as well for matters of the world as of the body soule The third is that with an assiduous dilligēce she procureth to conuert her selfe free and peaceable into this most pure and most simple good which is God remitting her spiritt into him not in part but absolutely considering God enioying him as it pleaseth him to communicate himselfe vnto her in this life for the excellēcie diuine prerogatiues by which we call him with diuers names Almighty God most wise most good most iust For so much as the holy scripture attributeth vnto him these names and qualities for the diuers effects which he worcketh in his creatures wherby we come to the knowledge of him for the diuine essence exceedeth all titles all tearmes and imaginations of our vnderstāding and when the soule cometh to contemplate God in the said māner she attayneth the quiet and peaceable estate of contēplation though it be not cōtinuall but for a very short time in regard of the infirmity and weight of the mortallity wherin she liueth The property of this estate is that the soule be instructed addressed towardes God in all her actions cogitations remote from the way of humane prudēce considering that God is the guide and master of euery estate of spirituall perfection and that he alone knoweth the necessities the capacity the intētions of the spirit of man and therfore he alone can conduct guide vs in the most commodious and most certaine way They therefore doe erre who by their counsaile and doctrine will not only persist in their own opinions but also admonish others for taking on them to be guides of the blinde they doe not perceaue that thēselues being blind presuming to know the necessity of the feeble both the one and the other doe oftē fall into the deepe gulfe of errour It is also the property of this degree of perfectiō that the man which hath attained the same is conuersant in all the exercises of the other foresaid degrees especiallie of humility of the imitation memory of I. C. wherin he layeth a deep foundation that the edifice of his contemplation fall not but be conserued and augmented by the benignity of IESVS CHRIST Among other effectes wherby the holy Ghost discouered to haue cōmunicated this height of perfectiō vnto his seruāt Fr. one was the manifest and almost continuall spiritt of prophecie wherwith he endued him wherby he seemed peaceablyto enjoy the contēplatiō of God a diuine conference and familiarity And by how much he was sequestred disioyned from all the world and from himselfe so much was he perfectly and intentiuely alwayes employed in the exercises of the spiritt By reason also of them his life and perfection is praised and preached considering that therby he is admitted to the tranquilitie of the diuine contemplation Of the seauenth degree of persection THE VIII CHAPTER THere is no man that with humane wordes can say any thing of the seauenth degree of perfection which is a priuiledge rarely communicated of God sith that the wordes of Angels would be defectiue and seeme barbarous in the explication therof Some SS haue experienced it in this flesh God communicating it vnto thē sodenly as to passengers now they enioy and possesse it manifestly without limitation or measure of faith It is that which the iust doe feele in glory being of the nomber of those thinges which the eyes cannot behold nor the eares heare nor the hartes of mē comprehēd which God hath
of him We are att the port lett vs seeke to arme vs well to endure this litle conflict henceforward we shal no more feare the terrible tempestes of this world nor the windes of the temptations of the deuill nor the deceiptfull singing of the alluring Mermaides of our flesh the impious thenceforward shall haue no more power ouer this our feeble body for we goe into a glorious country to see againe our first originall and to serue our Lord whose seruice is to reigne there shal we receaue recompense of our labours after more then a hundred more then the double yea a thousand times more then we deserue Lett vs now then giue prayse to our God enduring this litle for his loue lett vs restore this life to him that hath redeemed it by his owne death Vttering these good speeches thy hastened to receaue the martyrdome att the place where they were to be executed goeing before the executioner who with some other officers of Iustice seeing with what alacrity they hastened to their death began to haue compassion on them as of poore foolish personnes and therfore exhorted them to reflect on their owne case with these or the like wordes Doe yee not consider your owne misery thus reioycing being so neere the losse both of this life and the other deny that which you haue vnaduisedly and impiously or att least temerariously vttered against our law and against the person of our king and to this effect we will seeke to obtaine you fauour and to enrich you with temporal substance and our Prophett Mahomett who is very mercifull will pardon you and benefitt you in the other life The Religious herevnto answeared your richesse delicacies allurementes of this world are as false and deceiptfull as your law and your promises and therfore lett them be your portion that giue creditt to such delusions For our parts we beleeue nothing more certaiue and glorious then to endure for the truth and the name of IESVS CHRIST sith that only is the secure way to eternall life Therfore doe we so ioyfully contemne the present life with all the wealth therof considering with all that it is but a puffe in comparison of eternity And the false Prophett whome you honour being in hell can neither obtaine mercy for himselfe nor for any others There did accompany them certaine Christians who much feared that the extremity of the tormentes might enforce them to renounce their Faith The sonne of the said king of Seuill who was present with his Father when he gaue sentence against the holy Religious perceauing his fury to be somewhat appeased said vnto him Vpon what reason Father haue you so lightlie giuen order for the death of these men It were not amisse vnder correction of your better aduise that you commanded our Preistes to be called that they may conuince the impious Christians as well by naturall reasons as by aucthority of the law for mine opinon is that proceeding otherwise you putt them to death vniustly euen according to our owne lawes The king weighing what his sonne had said and a litle moderating himselfe commaunded that they should not be executed but should be imprisoned in an high and strong toure till it were more maturely concluded what should be done against them How the Martyrs preached thorough the batlements of the tour where they were prisonners and therfore were shutt vp into a deep dungeon then presented to the king and att last by aduise of the Counsaile sent to Maroccho THE VIII CHAPTER THe Martyrs by this reuocation felt in their hartes a double martyrdome fearing that God would withdraw from them his grace of suffering for him by reason of some imperfection which he saw in them neuertheles entierly yelding themselues into his handes they resolued on their part to performe their due obedience of preaching what soeuer issue it should please his diuine Maiestie to worck therof and to this effect they mounted to the toppe of the tower and out att the batlements they preached vnto the Mores that passed by with a loud voice crying vnto them Poore blinded people beleeue in the true God and Lord IESVS CHRIST and abandon the superstition and impietie of your vnfortunate Mahomett otherwise your law and all you shal be eternally damned Now is the time of penance God sendeth vs to visitt you receaue his word of sufficiencie to saue your soules forbeare to lend any more your eaâ—e to the dâ—uill and to his illusions if you wil not be eternally tormented in hell Such and like matters did these holy Martyrs preach wherof the king was incontinentlie aduertised who commaunded them to be thrust downe into a deep dungeon where they persisted in continuall prayer the space of fiue entire dayes preaching also to the other prisoners After that the king caused them to be brought before him supposing they had binreclaymed and repentant therfore disirous to gaine them by menaces terrours promises and mercie to allure them to his sect he said O yee sottish and blinded haue you not as yet acknowledged and abiured your errour Doe no longer abuse my clemencie who haue so long expected your repentnace as also my holy Prophett who though you haue blasphemed him is so gracious as he will not faile to pray to God for you Now I ordaine and att this present pronounce as a finall sentence either death by the most cruell tormentes that without any delay can be inuented or my grace with all the honours and richesse that my best fauourites enioy The glorious Martyrs verie constantly answeared him as they had att other times affirmed that they nothing respected honours and temporall richesse and much lesse those tormentes nor death it selfe and therfore would yeld themselues to be disposed att his pleasure considering that their bodies and soules were so firmely grounded in the loue of their Redeemer IESVS CHRIST that euery hower which they expected to meet him in Paradice seemed to them a thousand yeares knowing that there they should liue eternally without feare euer to be separated then they added Our God is the soueraine good and not your Mahomett for whome as also for all his adherentes are prepared eternall tormentes which they already experience as you shall one day if you be not conuerted yea without hope euer to gett out of hell where you shall call and crye but none shall answeare you There shall you repent in vaine that you followed not our Counsaile which God sendeth you there shall you be in horrour greife sorrow and eternall dispaire which God hath prepared for them whome att the terrible day of iudgemeÌ„t he shall find to haue bin contrary to the true faith of his Sonne IESVS CHRIST true God and true man there to liue in perpetuall tormentes as they who are his shall liue in perpetuall ioy Then O king thou shalt not escape his handes though thou seeme now to haue some power which is a singuler benefitt bestowed on thee by God to see and
fortified vs against that pusillanimity when he willed vs not to feare those that haue power only to torment this wretched vile and fraile body but him that can torment both our body and soule eternally in hell Therfore for as much also as we know that he only shal be crowned who shall constantly perseuer to the end doe what you will for we hope in the diuine Maiesty that your executioners shal be rather be weary of tormenting vs then we of ioyfully enduring for the loue of God considering withall that we repute this death receaued for IESVS CHRIST as the gate of life wherby we are to enter This iudge seeing their constancy coÌ„manded them to be separated and committed to seuerall places and cruelly whipt and that after the executioners were wearied there should salt be put and vinegar powred in to their woundes and lastly shutt vp in prison all which was done and the next morning he caused the same to be iterated and then he sent theÌ„ to a publicke place vnto the people that they might be reueÌ„ged on them for the iniuryes committed against Mahomett They were brought thither naked their handes bound behinde their backes and cordes about their neckes there were their woundes renewed and their passed afflictions redoubled for besides that they were cruelly beaten scourged they cast them vpon broaken glasse and sharp pointed flintes wheron they roled and tumbled theÌ„ afterward they cast boylling oyle on their bodyes omitting nothing that might exulcerate their woundes each of them esteeming it a great sacrifice vnto Mahomett to exercise most barbarous and beastly kindes of tortures or to inuent them for dischardge of their fury against the holy Martyrs who notwithstanding in the middest of the said afflictions did with a loud voice praise and cofesse our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST demonstrating that they respected not the tormeÌ„tes which they endured nor the iniuryes disgorged against theÌ„ for one caÌ„not imagine that beastly dishonest and infamous wordes which were not then vttered vnto them but the most insupportable vnto them were the blasphemies which they vsed against God The whole day and part of the night was spent in this pittifull spectacle theÌ„ were they retourned to prisoÌ„ wher with all their hartes they gaue thaÌ„ckes vnto God and encouraged each other Now the immensiue and infinite bounty beholding from heauen his holy seruantes voutsafed to giue them a farther consolation with his visible presence appearing vnto them in a most resplendent light wherin they found an inestimable sweetnes and such as they vtterly forgott whatsoeuer they had suffered and endured This light so spred it selfe that it was also seene of the keepers who therin seeing many shadoes of personnes were fearfull suspected the prisoners were escaped therwith And therfore they hastened to a prisoner that was a good Christian called Peter Hermand to whome they related that they had seene the holy Martyrs escape and ascend vnto heauen in a bright and cleare light He coniecturing that this might be some notable vision seene by them did comfort them bid them not to feare affirming that he had heard them all the night to sing praise God which they being desirours to proue as seeming probable they went and found them all in prayer very ioyfull and content in their prison as if they had not endured any affliction How they were presented before the king Miramolin whome they putt to silence and confounded THE XIV CHAPTER THe next morning the king retourning from the fieldes and vnderstanding what had passed touching the Religious heresolued to see the end of their proceeding and either to conuert them to the law of Mahomett or els to haue a most cruell reuenge vpon them Which the foresaid Prince of Portugall Dom Pedro perceauing repayred to the said President and prayed him that after the said Religious should be dead their bodyes might not be committed to the disposition of the Mores but of the Christians which he obtayned The said Martyrs were then brought before the king their handes manicled behinde their backes their face swollen blew buffeted rent and all bloudy as was all the rest of their body with the blowes of the day precedent seeming rather dead then liuing creatures the king then beholding them with fauourable eye said Well you now being in my presence whither do you rather desirer to be mine enemies and rebelles and as such cruelly to dye or my freindes and as such aduanced to the principall degrees of my kingdome The holy Martyrs answeared that he might well hold them for his good freindes sith they were come from so farre a contry only for his cause and for the loue of him and of his kingdome to saue them from perishing and goeing to hell eternally damned putting their liues in hazard for the saluation of their soules and bodies The king vpon these wordes considering the resolution and inuincible fortitude of the holy Martyrs was vtterly confounded in himselfe wherfore as extremely enraged he retired into his closetâ— to consult what to doe with them sith he could draw them to nothing either by sweetnes or extremity the holy Martyrs on the contrary praising God for that he had giuen them grace euer till then to preach his holy faith notwithstanding the buffets they â—ad receaued to putt them to silence Of a conference betweene the said Religious and a noble man of the Mores THE XV. CHAPTER THere was a warlike noble More desirous to attempt if he could by faire meanes and speeches gaine them but he no more preuailed then the others for he endeauoured by sweet wordes to persuade them to obey the kinge who was more carefull of their good then them selues considering that being in his power to torment them and prolong their tortutures in deferring their death he neuertheles endeauoured to make them see their errours notwithstanding the iniuryes he had receaued of them and their great blasphemies vttered against his great prophett Mahomett who all men know how gratefull he is to God sith with his owne mouth he hath dictated vnto him his holy law wherin if they would liue he would in behalfe of the king promise them they should be most aduanced in his kingdome and should euer rule and gouerne in this world expecting by the intercession of their great Prophett Mahomett a double croune of God after their death Whereto Brother Otho with a zealous feruour answeared Vade retro Sathana auant from my presence thou hideous and infernall deuill for we with a firme and liuely faith adore and plainly confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost God in Trinity and vnity but thou miserable wretch that art already condemned to the eternall fire where he is whome thou adorest hauing compassion of thy selfe and performing thy duety oughtest to be conuerted it were more necessary for thee to shew they selfe more respectiue of thy owne saluation then of ours we hauing made choice of this assured way the more readily to
of them a hanger in token of triumph and spake to her in these wordes God preserue thee O true seruant of IESVS CHRIST for so much as thou hast encouraged vs and as it were sent vs to this our glorious victory it hath pleased the diuine maiestie to haue vs appeare vnto thee in the same manner that we triumphed to promise thee that in acknowledgement of what thou hast done for vs we shall henceforward be thy Aduocates in heauen Which said they disappeared leauing the Infanta exceedinglie comforted and contented yea more then euer encouraged in the seruice of her sweet IESVS In short time after she caused a Church to be builded in the place where the martyrs appeared vnto her that thenceforward that house might serue only for the praise of God How the bodies of the fiue martyrs were dismembred by the Mores and how the Christians recouered them and preserued them from the fire that could not annoy them and of the miracle which God wrought when the Mores cutting them in pieces thought vtterly to dissipat and annihilat them THE XVIII CHAPTER THe bodies and heades of the holy Martyrs remayned in prey to the people who reioyced to see them all murdered and tooke pleasure to rent and traine them through the citty omitting no kind of inhumanity that might be imagined to be exercised on their poore bodies they tossed their heades from one to an other as if they had bin balles or baloones the Christians in the meane time praysed God for the constancie which the martyrs had with loud voice thancked him for the same others endeauoured to preserue or att least with their eyes to follow their reliques which the Mores perceauing they began so rudely to driue them away by casting stones that it might be attributed to a miracle graunted in fauour of the sainctes that the Christians could escape without detriment into their lodgeing where they were enforced to hide and keep themselues close and secrett during three dayes which the fury of this enraged people continued who of themselues would needes make a new massacre of them These Insidels more wearyed then glutted with tormenting the sainctes bodies cast them among the filthy ordure of the towne-sincke whither the prince of Portugall aforesaid sent his Cousin Syr Martin Alphonsus Theglio and the aforesaid Cheualier Peter Ferdinando de Castro Castillan to fetch them away but they yelded their soules vnto their Sauiour and Lord IESVS CHRIST in this seruice so gratefull vnto him and to his sainctes for they were slaine by the Mores that kept the bodies which not satisfying them they gott permission of the king to burne them publikely altogether and to this effect they made a pile of wood and thereon layd the bodies and heades but the fire being applyed therto could in no sort offend them but retired to one side without touching them Which many Christian Prisoners that aduentured to be present did testifie and certaines Mores that were friendes to the Christians also recounted the same as matter of admiration to the said Prince of Portugall The same may euen to this day be iustified by a head that is extant att S. Crosse of Conimbria the haires wherof were neuer touched by the fire But the rage of this barbarous nation not only was not qualified by this so euident miracle but was rather encreased Wherfore hewing these holy reliques into small morcels they thought to reduce thē to nothing saying Thus are the blasphemers and ennemies of our holy law chasticed But the diuine vengeance which by extremity recompenceth tolleration sodenlie sent from heauen such an vnexpected tempest and storme of haile accōpanied with very frequent lightninges thunderclappes furious windes and vehement rayne that the vtter ruine of the citty seemed to be imminent so that the feare terrour which they had giuen to the Christians retourned vpon themselues yea in such sort that being fled into their houses they scarce held thēselues secure Which gaue courage leasure and commoditie to the Christians to gather vp the holy reliques by the light of the lampes of heauen which they incontinentlie brought to the aforesaid Prince none of them daring to take or keep them to themselues And by reason that the said extremity of the storme did not permitt them to finde all the pieces of the holy bodyes they partly by freindship and partly for mony gott them of the Mores How the said holy reliques were preserued and of their miracles THE XIX CHAPTER THe Prince of Portugall hauing receaued the holie reliques presently prepared shrines or reliquaries of very great price to place and preserue them in But first he commited them to Iohn Rupert Canon of Sainct Crosse of Conimbria att that time his Chaplen and Confessour a very pious and Religious Preist to whome he sent three yong pages of his who were very simple and virgins that they might assist him to dry and accommodate the said holy bodies who in the meane while neuer stirred out of his house so to preserue themselues from profaning the said reliques in any sort euen in thought as neere as they could These youthes then dryed the sacred reliques in a very retired and priuate place by commandement of the Prince and separated the flesh from the bones which they put in a precious chest to be carryed iuto Portugall then did it please our Lord to illustrate them by miracle For a knight called Peter de la Rose not considering what danger it is for sinners to touch the holy reliques of the seruantes of God would presume to present himselfe notwitstanding he kept a wench whome he lasciuiously entertayned but he had scarcely ascended the middest of the staires but he fell and lamed himselfe without power to moue till being contrite repentant and confessed vnto the said Almosner of the Prince and recommended vnto the Sainctes protesting to a abandon his vicious life he obtayned mercy for by litle and litle arising he discended and went halfe cured vnto the Prince failing only in his speech which he had lost the Prince therfore with a great confidence commanded his Almosner to putt one of the sacred heades of the sainctes on his breast which done he was att the same instant perfectly cured A squier of the Princes accustomed to handle certaine peices of the said reliques which were layed to dry on a buckler of his without receauing any punishment by reason that he was then free from sinne But falling one time by instigation of the deuill into a carnall sinne as he thought to handle them the buckler wheron they were so raysed it selfe that he could not reach them wherevpon reflecting on himselfe he went and confessed then retourning to the said reliques which was admirable he kneeled downe before them and the buckler being discend to the ground and retourned to the sunne as before they yelded themselues to be touched This fact cast such a feare into the hartes of the Christians of the Princes
him in this sort of his desired successe in this voyage In the said citty of Tunes there was an old More a man of great authority with those Pagans whome they reputed a sainct he had for a long time opinatiuely forborne to speake but as soone as Br. Giles and his companions were landed this More went presently preaching and exclaming through all the streetes and corners that certaine Infidels were arriued who intended to condemne and calumniat their great Prophett and their law and therfore counsailled and commanded them to seeke them out they being ChristiaÌ„s to kil them This caused a great rumour and tumult ouer all the citty in such sort that in an instaÌ„t they were all armed and prepared themselues to murder these poore Religious But the Christians hauing vnderstood the cause of this insurrection and fearing the Mores would kill them all they forcibly thrust Br. Giles and his companions againe into the shipp in which they came But these true seruantes of IESVS CHRIST did not omitt to preach to the Mores out of the shipp which putt the Christians into such a feare that they commanded the Marineâ—s of the vessel to hoyse their sailes and so being peruented of the effecting of their pious desires they were retourned into Italy Of the hight and sublimity of Br. Giles his contemplation THE IX CHAPTER AFter this holy Father had spent many yeares in the actiue life in affliction and labours it pleased almighty God to make him a new man calling him to the repose of contemplation and priuiledging him aboue all men of his time The beginning of this his perfectioÌ„ was when being in the Couent of Faleron neere Perusia offering his prayer one night he was touchâ—d with the hand of God and replenished with such a supernaturall consolation that it seemed to him that God would separate his soule from the body In this instant he felt his members as dead it seeming vnto him that his soule forsooke them and that being gon foorth she already delighted and pleased her selfe in the sight and contemplation of her so great naturall beauty but much more of her spirituall wherwith the holy Ghost had already endowed her whereby she appeared to her selfe more beautifull then all humane consideration could comprehend as himselfe a litle before his death did testifie In this extasie weâ—e reuealed vnto him celestiall secrettes so great that he would neuer disclose them to any and therfore he would sometimes say Happy is he that can conserue the secrettes of God in himselfe and it must not be obiected vnto me that God hath reuealed them vnto me to the end I should manifest them to others for when it shall please him that I reueale them he will discouer them vnto me by other meanes Of divers apparitions of our Lord and S. Francis to Br. Giles THE X. CHAPTER THe eighteenth yeare of the conuersion of Br. Giles wherin S. Francis dyed he went to dwell in the Couent of Crettone in Toscane within the Diocese of Chiusiâ—the first night of his being there there appeared vnto him in vision an Emperour that spake very familierly vnto him this presaged vnto him the diuine vision of the glory which God communicated vnto him in that place where spending the lent of S. Martin in very aâ—stere fastes and continuall prayers he had one night an apparition of S. Francis to whome he said that he had a great desire to speake vnto him The S. answeared him Brother sift and examine wel your selfe before hand and so vanished Br. Giles perseuering three entyer dayes in prayer IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto him before the feast of his holy Natiuity and for as much as might be coniectured by his wordes he was rauished in spiritt and with the eyes of his soule â—aw the glory of Paradice he neither could nor durst explicate this viion which was not continuall but by intermission till the eue of the Epiphany att which time he was so replenished with force and consoâ—tion both spirituall and supernaturall that his weake and feeble humaâ—e body could not support it for his soule seemed to expire so that he â—as constrayned to breath out violent sighes by reason of the force â—f his spiritt which his body could not sustaine and albeit he were on he hight of a mountaine in a cell very remote where he prayed yet did he other Religious sometimes heare him and then would they seÌ„d Br. GratiaÌ„ to assist helpe him as there should be need This Religious thus â—ming one time vnto him asking him wherfore he coÌ„playned the â—oly Father answeared come hither my child thou art come in good tiâ—e for I wished thee here then recounted to him many thinges to his â—ceeding coÌ„fort The next morning retourning thither he fouÌ„d him bitâ—rly weeping wherfore he prayed him not to afflict himselfe in that â—rt for it might wee l shorten his dayes Brother Giles answeared Alas â—y friendly Brother how may I refraine from teares that feare to 〈◊〉 the ennemy of God for hauing receaued so many graces of his Maiesty I doubt I doe not serue him as I ought and according to his holy will wherof if I were certaine it would be more gracious vnto me then death it selfe which he spake in respect of the vision and diuine reuelation that made such alteration in him and therfore he sayd Till this present I weÌ„t whither I would and with my handes laboured as I would but henceforward I can no more follow my fantasie but must doe according to the spiritt that I find to conduct me This feare in this holy Faher was like to that of S. Paul when he sayd we carie this diuine treasure in earthen vessels Butt because the certaine perill of the losse of an eternall and infinite treasure would cause a diffidence and despayre in any one by consideration of his naturall infirmity he added we know that the preseruation of the diuine treasure consisteth in the vertue and power of God and not of vs. The sayd Religious then tooke occasion to comfort him or rather the holy Ghost for and by him with the said sentence of S. Paul saying that though it were expedient that the feare of God should be alwayes in vs yet should it be there with faith and full confidence in his bounty who as he giueth grace vnto his seruantes so also he giueth them force to preserue the same together with perseuerance Br. Giles being by these wordes comforted he proceeded in employing his dayes in such hight of contemplation and spirituall consolation as is not to be expressed demaunding of almighty God as a fauour not to be so ouer-chardged alleadging that he being so great a sinner an idiot rustike and simple was not worthy so much grace but the more he reputed himselfe vnworthy the more did almighty God augment his fauours There was a religious of pious life in the same CoueÌ„t to whome God did some times reueale his secrettes certaine dayes befor that
Br. Giles had the said vision this Religious saw in vision the sunne to arise out of the cell of Br. Giles and there-ouer to remayne till night and he afterward seeing Br. Giles so admirably chaunged sayd vnto him B other support and gouerne tenderly the Sunne of God and thou shalt be blessed Of the graces which God bestowed on Brother Giles in the said vision THE XI CHAPTER IF vnto any it appeare difficult to be beleeued that Brother Giles saw almighty God not only in imaginary and intellectuall semblance but euen in his diuine essence as this worthy seruant of God confessed affirming that God had depriued him of faith lett him read the epistle of sainct Augustin vnto Paulinam De videndo Deum wherin he shall find that speaking of the vision of God in essence he sayth It is not a matter incredible that God permitteth this excellencie of diuine reuelation in his substance to certaine holy personnes before theire death to the end their bodyes be buryed he vseth these wordes before they be dead for their sepulture because as they who manifestly see God enioyning his glory are entierly and totally separated from their mortall bodyes in the same proportion it is necessary for those that are to receaue such a reuolation to be separated from their bodyes according to the cognitiue and sensitiue puissance att least to their actions for this is in a certaine fashion to be out of the termes of this life Wherevpon sainct Paul said Were it that my soule were in my body or separated from it I know not God knoweth it it was transported rauished and eleuated euen to the third heauen Brother Giles speaking of the said vision which he had affirmed that he was therby so assured in the knowledge of almighty God and of his glory that he had lost the faith which he formerly had of him He also affirmed that he was directly of opinion that his soule entierly abstracted from the body saw almighty God After his death he reuealed vnto a Religious that also in the same vision he had bin replenished with the giftes of the holy Ghost and confirmed in graces and doubtlesly the merueillous effectes that remayned in the soule of Brother Giles confirme this verity for after this vision he was so often rapt in extasie that there is hardly found any other saint before or after him to haue exceeded him therin It appeared by his exteriour actions what esteeme he made therof for he seldome or neuer went out of his cell but employed himselfe in fastinges prayers shunning all idle wordes and all fruitlesse conuersation and if such discourses were forcibly vsed in his presence and that any would needes make him some relation to the preiudice of any other he would heare nothing therof affi ming that each one ought to be very wary and respectiue not to offend God his neighbour and his owne soule by such discourses And on the contrary when he heard speake of God he was presently rapt into extasie and remayned insensible as dead so that the fame of this sublime and singuler grace being diuulged and made knowne to all personnes euen to the contry people and to children when they mett him they would say Paradice Brother Giles and att the instant and very place where he heard that sweet and gracious word he would fall into extasie in such sort as if the Religious desired to talke with him of God and to receaue his consailes and doctrines they must be wary not to speake of the glory of the diuine vision least that being rauished in spiritt they were frustrared of their desire And because he liued sequestred from the other Religious Brother Bernard therfore as zealous of his neighbours good reprehended him therin calling him but halfe a man as regarding only his owne good But Brother Giles answeared that it was more secure to content himselfe with a litle then by attempting too much to endanger the losse of all considering that vpon a very small occasion a great grace is often lost so that one must be wary att such time not to loose that in laughing which is not purchaced but with much labour and weeping Being one day in spirituall conference with Brother Andrew and Brother Grātian two Religious of pious life and his spirituall children he told them that he was borne sower times first out of his mothers woombe secondly when he was baptised thirdly when he entred into Religion and fouerthly the day that IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto him and manifested vnto him his glory Wherto Brother Andrew answeared that it was true but if he should be in a forraine contry where it should be demaunded of him if he knew Brother Giles he might auouch that he knew thus much of him that it was twenty foure yeares since he was borne and that he had faith before he was borne but had lost it afterwardes Brother Giles replyed that all this was true because sayd he before I had not such faith as I ought to haue the which also God did take from me and gaue me a more cleare and perfect knoledge of him and of his glory and among many graces which I haue receaued of his diuine Maiesty this is one that I haue knowne and doe know my selfe to deserue to haue a cord fastened about my neck and to be in extreme disgrace trayned through all the streetes and publike places of the world so to receaue all the scornes and derisions that can be offered to the lewdest man in the world Whervpon Brother Andrew made him this demaund Tell me Brother if you haue not faith what would you doe if you were Priest and were solemnely to sing Credo in vnum Deum It seemeth you should necessarily say Cognosco vnum Deum patrem omnipotentem and incontinently he was rapt in extasie all this he said not that he had simply no faith but by reason of a greater light and illumination which God with apparant euidence had giuen him How Brother Giles was rapt in extasie before Pope Gregory the ninth POpe Gregory the ninth being with his court remoued to Perusia and vnderstanding that Brother Giles of whome he had heard merueillous thinges was neere thervnto he sent for him as desirous to know him Brother Giles came presently to Perusia But being entred into the Pallace of the Pope he felt himselfe interiourly moued with the spirituall sweetnes which ordinarilie arriued him before his extasie wherfore considering that it was not conuenient he should in that estate present himselfe before his holinesse he sent his companion to make his excuse But the Pope not admitting it would know why being within his Pallace he would not presently come to him so that his companion was enforced to say vnto him Most holy Father Brother Giles hath deferred to salute your holinesse for no other cause but that by signes ordinary vnto him he foreseeth that comming in your presence he shall fall into extasie The Pope
art she that teachest vs the way of our saluation and directest vs in the right and secure path wherin â—e that walketh cannot stray but he that seeketh and followeth another shall only find therin an eternall damnation He was present att masse with exceeding feruour All sondayes and solemne feastes he receaued his Creatour and employed those dayes entierly in contemplation of the grace receaued for goeing very early into the church he would there remayne all the day in the company rather of Angels and Saincts theÌ„ of men Celebrating the feast of our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and many other times in the feruour of his prayer he hath bin seene rapt in extasie and eleuated aboue the ground the hight of three handfuls or a foot and a halfe Of other such extasies of spiritt recorded of the glorious Sainct FIue Prouincials did at one time with great deuotion and reuerence visitt this blessed Father with Br. Gratian his companion who aduertised him of their arriuall vpon knoledge wherof he preseÌ„tly mett them and hauing graciously entertayned them he with great feruour of spiritt began to speake vnto them and beholding the heauen with his armes opened as to play on a viole he sung in this manner O Br. make a castell hauing in it neither stone nor iron O my Br. build me a citty without lime or stone and thus singing he was rapt in extasie The said Prouincials knew not the signification of the wordes But Br. Gratian told them that by the castels and citties he meant the holy Apostles and martyrs of the Primitiue church who without the armour of iron and without the helpe of any temporall matter generously builded the house of God in soules which zeale and intention had Br. Giles renouncing temporalities to become a castell of the liuing God and a glorious citty not of temporall building or substance but spirituall of pouerty and diuine loue And because they as Prouincials of the Religion were captaines and furtherers of this worck he by this song gaue them a notable document of their duety in their vocation and office This holy Father being in the monastery of Agele by Perusia he after supper made an exhortation to the Religious in the refectory with his ordinary feruour and with such sweetnes that he enflamed the hartes of all his audience in diuine loue yea his owne also in such sort that he was rauished and out of himselfe in the middest of his BrethreÌ„ where he so continued till the cock-crowing and in the meane time he shined with such a spleÌ„dour which enuironed him that the brightnes of the moone which then was in full was so obscured that the shining therof being darckned by this new light she appeared not in that place which put the Religious in admiration who gaue thanckes to our lord for the admirable worckes demonstrated in his seruant Brother Giles one day thus reasoned with S. Bonauenture who was Generall of the Order Father God hath bestowed many fauours on you that are learned for you haue knoledge of many matters by which you prayse him But what shall we doe to saue our selues we I say that ar ignorant and idiots S. Bonauenture answeared if God had giuen no other grace to men but only ability to loue him it would suffice because loue is more gratefull to God then any other thing that can be offered vnto him Brother Giles herevpon replyed Tell me Father if you please can an ignorant person loue God as much as one learned he can said S. Bonauenture yea I say more a simple and poore old fellow may loue our lord as much as a Doctour in diuinity Vpon these wordes Br. Giles went with great feruour into the garden and tourning towardes the towne he cryed out Poore and caitiue old wretch ignorant idiot and simple loue thy Redeemer IESVS CHRIST and thou mayest be greater then Br. Bonauenture Which sayd he remayned three houresrapt in extasie Of an admirable dispute held by Br. Giles touching free will against Br. Gerardin in the presence of many Religious THE XV. CHAPTER THe venerable Br. Giles being in the Couent of Perusia a Romane gentlewomaÌ„ called SeaueÌ„-Sunnes that was very deuout to S. Francis both in his life time and after his death for she made her residence att Assisium to beneere vnto his sepulcher came to visitt him to receaue some consolation of his energicall doctrine there did she find Brother Gerardin a Religious of exemplar life and very learned together with some other very spirituall Religious who also came to visitt Brother Giles to heare of him some spirituall exhortation Thus discoursing together they fell into dispute vpon a certaine passadge of holy scripture And among many other sentences alleadged by Br. Giles for proofe of what he maintained this was one He that doeth not what he can often endureth that which he would not Br. Gerardin desirous to entertaine Br. Giles in discourse to gratifie the coÌ„pany and for his particuler coÌ„tentment thus begaÌ„ scolastically to argumeÌ„t against him Br. I much admire that you affirme that a man endureth what he would not if he doe not what he can considering that a man can doe nothing of himselfe which is proued by many reasons wherefore I say that the power presupposeth the being so that the action of the thing be according to its being And so much doe the wordes of the Apostle signifie where he sayth If any man esteeme himself to be something wher as he is nothing he seduceth himselfe whence ensueth that a man cannot doe any thing sith he is nothing which I will proue vnto you also by an other reason If a man of himselfe doe any thing it is either by his soule or by his body or by both together Now I will proue that he can doe nothing by meane of any of theÌ„ First he can doe nothing by meane of the soule alone for it is most cleare that the soule separated from the body can neither meritt nor demeritt neither can he doe more by meane of the body only because the body receaueth all his operation of his forme and without the soule it hath no humane being so that much lesse can it worcke which is a thinge proper to the forme and finally yet lesse can he doe by meane of the composition that is of the body and soule vnited together and if he could doe any thing it should be by meane of the soule But I haue proued that the soule being separated from the body can doe nothing and now I affirme that it can much lesse vnited with her body because the body being corruptible chardgeth and burdeneth it as for example if a beast cannot goe vnloaden much lesse can it vnder a burthen Thus Br. Gerardin made his argument appeare very probable which procured to the audience an amazement and confusion But Br. Giles very prudently answeared My good Br. and friend beleeue I pray you that you haue spoaken amisse wherfore acknowledge therin
your fault Br. Gerardin hauing a litle smiled acknowledged his fault then Br. Giles againe This fault is not of force When the penance is not admittable and in due forme no grace can be obtayned therby But tell me canst thou sing Br. Gerardin answeared he could sing then with me sayd Br. Giles and drew out of his sleeue a litle instrument made of willow like those litle gitternes or fidels wheron children play wherof touching the stringes he began to proue and demonstrate the propositiō of Br. Gerardin to be notoriously inuallible false thus affirming on the first Br. I speake not of the being of man before the creation I know then he was nothing and therfore could doe nothing but I speake of his being since the creation wherin man receiued of God a freewil wherby he might merit or demeritt meritt consenting to good and demeritt yelding to euill so that you haue very erroniously spoaken And I thinck you intended to circumuent me for S. Paul in the place by you alleadged speaketh not of the nullity of the substance nor of the puissance but of the nullitye of meritt conformably to what he sayth in an other place If I haue not charity I am nothing Neither did I intend to speake of the soule in separation or of the body dead but of man liuing who consenting to grace hath power if he list to doe well and being rebellious to doe euill which is no other thing then not to doe well Where as you say the corruptible body burdeneth the soule the holy scripture doth not yet say that the same taketh away freewill from the soule leauing her no power to doe good and euill but the signification is that it is an impediment to the vnderstanding and that the affection and imagination of the soule is imployed and entangled in terrestriall affaires therfore is it sayd a litle before The terrestriall habitation depresseth the sences distracted in many cogitations and in diuers scattered affaires which permitt not the soule freely to search the thinges of heauen where our Redeemer IESVS CHRIST sitteth att the right hand of the Father almighty because the sight is a subtility of the puissances of the soule which are made dull and obscure by the diuers inclinations and occupations of the inferiour and corporall powers Thus did Br. Giles by order refute all the reasons of Br. Gerardin who much admiring the same againe with affection and great deuotion acknowledged his fault Brother Giles then sayd this is the acknowledgement of the fault Brother that auaileth and striketh the stroake But will you that I yet more manifestly demonstrate that a creature can doe somewhat Brother Gerardin answeared Father I heseech you Brother Giles then getting vp on a graue cryed out O thou damned that art tormented in hell Then himselfe in the personne of the damned with a lamentable horrible and terrible voice that made those present to tremble answeared Oh that I am miserable that I am wretched and accursed then assuming his ordinary voice he proceeded Tell me caitife wherfore art thou damned And taking againe that lamentable voice he answeared himselfe Because I haue not done the good I could nor shunned and auoyded the euill as I might haue done He asked him againe in his naturall voice Thou damned wretch what wouldest thou doe or what wouldest thou giue if it were permitted thee to doe penāce He answeared in the gastly voice if al the world were mine I would giue it and would content my selfe to dwell in a fire for many worldes prouided that it were such as by litle and litle I could endure only to auoyd eternall death for so my paynes should one day att least haue end but my damnation is eternall Which said he retourned towardes Brother Gerardin and sayd Well haue you heard Br. haue you heard how a creature hath power to good or euill And after many other spirituall discourses Brother Giles said to Br. Gerardin Brother that you may not esteeme this to be a fiction tell me if a drop of water fall into the sea doth it then giue a name to the sea or the sea to it He answeared that the substance of the drop of water being swallowed vp it tooke denomination of the sea and not the sea of it Br. Giles replyed You haue reason and for proofe therof he was in the very instant rapt into extasie so that he demonstrated by effect that his soule casting it selfe into the profound ocean of the diuine loue and glory being entierly swallowed vp in God changed her essence of grace into that of glory How the blessed Br. Giles had the spirit of Prophesie THE XVI CHAPTER A Dominican Frere being Doctor of diuinity was assaulted with a grieuous temptation for the deuil would put him in doubt of the most pure virginity of the virgin Mother of God wherin whatsoeuer remedy he applyed nothing did auayle him and perceauing that his learning nor vertuous exercises would nothing profitt him he much desired to be assisted by some spirituall personne that could deliuer him of this grieuous affliction Wherfore hauing heard the same of the vertue of Br. Giles and that he was a Religious illuminated of God he repayred vnto him and att the same time the holy Ghost reuealed vnto Br. Giles the comming of this diuine and the occasion therof wherfore he went out of his cell and mett him And entertayning him curteously before the Religious began to speake he sayd vnto him Br. Preacher she was a virgin before her child birth then with a litle stick which he had in his hand he stroake the ground and presently there did spring vp a faire lilly then he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin in her childbirth and likewise striking the earth with his sticke there sprung vp an other lilly and thirdly he sayd Br. Preacher a virgin after her childbirth and hauing touched the earth as before the third lilly appeared Then hauing made these three admirable demonstrations and the sayd Religious being entierly freed of the temptations the lillyes vanished The holy Father with all speed retired into the Monastery leauing the Religious full of astonishment and admiration who gaue thanckes to God for his miraculous deliuery from so troublesome a temptation of the deuill Certaine Frere Minors determining to make a well on a mountaine neere to Perusia where Br. Giles was resident and not according together touching the place they repayred to him for his aduice and presently tooke a staffe went to the place that God had inspired him where striking the ground with his staffe there sprung vp a most delightfull violett and then he willed the Religious to dig there which vpon sight of that miracle they did and there found abondance of water wholsome and pleasant to drinck and so they finished their well to relieue their necessity How Br. Giles was visited by S. Lewes king of France and what passed betwene them THE XVII CHAPTER S. Lewes
hath receaued of God faithfully labouring therin for oftentimes the fruit doth perish by meane of the leafe and the graine by the huske God graunteth to some fruit and a few leaues and to others neither the one nor the other I doe more esteeme the conseruation of the benefittes receaued of God then the getting of thē He shall neuer be rich that knoweth how to gett but not to keep Wherfore many after much gaine haue bin neuer the richer because they knew not how to conserue yet is it not so great a matter to know how to conserue vnlesse also one know how to gett There are some that gainning but litle become incontinently rich because they know well how to keepe what they haue gotten The riuers would not be so often dry if running continually they did not cast thēselues into the sea Man demaundeth of God graces without measure and end and yet will make vse therof with measure and end but he that wil be loued and recompenced without end ought to loue and serue without end Happy is he that employeth his time body and spiritt in the loue of God that attendeth no recompence vnder heauen for the good he doeth If one should say to a very poore man Friend I lend thee this my house to make vse therof for three dayes in which time if thou knowest how to employ it thou mayest gaine an inestimable treasure this being assured and confirmed vnto him for most euident would not he vse all his endeauour to make this gaine That which is lent vnto vs of our lord is our flesh our life and whatsoeuer benefitt we can make therin is in a maner but as three dayes If the graine of corne doe not corrupt it cannot only produce no fruit but it also withereth and consumeth entierlie of it selfe without any encrease wherfore is it not better to make it to rott to the end it may spring be gathered threshed in due time and then layd vp into the garner of eternall life A man doth seldome take counsaile to doe ill but being to doe good the first thing is to take counsaile of all the world The prouerb sayth one must not putt the pott to the fire in expectation of a promise A mā is not happy for hauing only a good will but he must rather with all possibility labour to accomplish the same by good and pious worckes because God giueth his grace to a man to the end he follow the same A man one time praying Brother Giles to giue him some consolation he answeared Endeauour to doe well and thou shalt be comforted for if a man doe not prepare in himselfe a place for God he shall not find him in his creatures What man is there that will not doe that which is best not only for his soule but euen for his body in that which concerneth this life I can truely affirme that whosoeuer shaketh off the sweet and light yoke of our Sauiour shall find it afterward far more painfull and he that therwith burdeneth himselfe most att lenght shall find it most light Would to God all men would doe that which they may acknowledge to be best for their bodyes euen in this world for he that made the other world hath made this also and can giue to man in this world the benefittes which he giueth in the other and the body feeleth the happinesse of the soule A Religious hearing Brother Giles to speake these wordes sayd vnto him Tell me Father if you please we may perhappes dye before we haue any experience of any good The holy Father answeared The Furriers are knowen by skinnes Shomakers by shooes and forgers by iron But tell me Brother can a man be knowne by an art that he neuer practised Thinck you that Princes and Potentates bestow great fauours and prefermentes on sottish personnes and without iudgement there is no probability Good worckes are the true way and meane to the fruition of all happines as ill deedes to fall into all miseries happy is he that feeleth no scandall att whatsoeuer matter vnder heauen and he that is edifyed with whatsoeuer he seeth and heareth and that amongest all thinges chooseth only those that he may vse to the most benefitt of his soule A discourse of the contempt of the world THE XXIX CHAPTER VNhappy is the man that setleth his hart his desires and his hopes on earthly thinges for which he looseth all celestiall happinesse If the Eagle that soareth so high had to each of her winges fastened one of the beames of the Carpēters worck att S. Peters in Rome it is most certaine she could not mount into the ayre As I obserue many that labour for the body so doe I find few that trauell for the soule Many take exceeding paines for corporall affaires breaking and cutting the marbles digging mountaynes labouring the earth furrowing the sea and performing many other painfull exercises but who is he that laboureth manfully and with feruour for the soule The auaricious is like the Mole that thincketh there is no other good but to digge the earth and therfore therin setteth vp his rest yet doubtlesse ther is an other treasure vnknowne to the Mole The birdes of heauen the beastes of the earth and the fishes of the sea content thēselues when they haue sufficient to eat but because man cannot content himselfe with what the earth affordeth he alwayes sigheth after somewhat else It is certaine that he was not created principally for these base thinges but for such as are high and supreme for so much as the body was made for the soule and this world for loue of the other This world is a field of such quality as the that hath the better and greater part therof hath the worse share This holy Father to this purpose alleadged that the holy Father sainct Francis did not loue the Antes because of their ouer much care to assemble their prouisions but loued the birdes much more because they made no prouision to liue vpon but depending on the diuine prouidence made only search from houre to houre according to their need A discourse of Chastity THE XXX CHAPTER A Religious demaunded of the venerable Br. Giles how a man might best keepe himselfe from the vice of the flesh and he answeared he that will remoue a grosse stone or beame vseth therin more industry then force so must he doe that will preserue his chastity for it is like to a most cleare looking glasse which may be blemished and stayned in his brightnes by one only breath It is impossible that a mā can attaine the diuine grace whiles he is delighted in sensuall pleasures Consider althinges behold tourne and retourne vp and downe and from one side to an other you shall finde att lenght that nothing is more necessary then to fight against the fles◠which seeketh day and night to deceaue and betray vs he that surmounteth it hath ouercome all his ennemies and becommeth afterward
their necessities and doe good to all churches and hospitalles and this being done each one should esteeme him a lewd man and he knowing so much should not att all respect it nor forbeare but rather continue his pious worckes yea should the more voluntarily and with greater feruour exercise them as one that desireth not any recompence in this life considering that Martha careful to serue our Lord IESVS CHRIST demaunded assistance therin of her Sister Mary Magdalen and was reprehended of our lord because she would distract her sister from contemplation who yet gaue not ouer her good worcke so he that is truely actiue should not omitt good worckes for whatsoeuer reprehension may be giuen him sith he hopeth for no recompence but in heauen A Religious came coÌ„plaining to Br. Giles that his brethren made him to labour so much that he had hardly time enough to pray and that for that cause he was determined to procure licence to remoue vnto an other Couent where he might with more repose serue God in prayer Wherto the holy Father thus answeared if you were in the Court of the king of FraÌ„ce should demand of him a thousand marck in siluer he might answeare what hast thou don for me that may moue thee to demaund such a recompence but if you had formerly done him some notable seruice you might with faâ—re more assurance make such demaund Therfore if you will serue God you must first labour in obedience sith it is a greater vertue to doe one thing att the will of an other then to doe two att ones owne pleasure Then he added No maÌ„ can obtaine to conteÌ„plation of the glory of his diuine Maiesty but by feruour of spiritt ferueÌ„t prayer and then is a man enflamed with the feruour of the holy Ghost soareth vp to diuine conteÌ„plation when the hart is so disposed with the mâ—bers that neither can nor will thinck of other thing then that w ich it possesseth and feeleth He shal be a perfect contemplatour who hauing all his meÌ„bres cutt off yea and his tongue would neither thinck procure nor desire to haue any other member nor whatsoeuer other thing he can imagine vnder heauen and this by reason of the excellencie of the most delicious and ineffable odour and sweetnes of contemplation In that respect S. Marie MagdaleÌ„ being prostrate att the feet of our lord IES CHR. receaued and felt such a sweetnesse of his wordes that she had no member in her that could or would doe other thing then what she then did Which she sufficiently testified when her sister complayning att the waÌ„t of her helpe she answeared nothing either by wordes or figues But our Redeemer as her Aduocate and Procuratour answeared for her withall she was imployed in his seruice more excellently then Martha was Now to contemplate is to sequestred from men and to remayne vnited alone with IESVS CHRIST Br. Giles made this demannd to a Religious of his Couent Brother what say the Doctours of conteÌ„plation the Religious answeared they speake diuersely Will you replyed the holy Father that I speake mine opinion therof the degrees of conteÌ„plation are fire vnction extasie tast repose and glory then he added a more expresse contemplation of God with the soule cannot be giuen then that of the Espouse with his Espouse for the Spouse before he receaueth his Espouse sendeth her precious stones iewels and other ornamentes of price to adorne her but wheÌ„ they are together the Espouse leaueth all those thinges to approch vnto her Spouse so doe good worckes and vertues adorne the soule as precious stones and sumptuous attire and prayer vniteth it vnto God An ancient Religious demaunded of Br. Giles if the soule by extasie and contemplation did sometime euen in this life goe out of the body and he answeared that it did yea he assured him that he knew a man yet liuing whose soule being lifred vp in extasie went out of the body and forsooke it yea already vtterly forgetting the same I beleeue said the Religious that such soule was exceedingly grieued to retourne into her body Br. Giles then smilingly replyed Brother that which you say is true yea most true This holy Father would often in prayer and att other times with exceeding feruour say What art thou my God of whome I demaund this and what am I that aske it I am a sack filled with dung with loathsomnes and with wormes and thou art lord of heauen and earth And thus beginning his prayer he would be incontinently eleuated and rapt into almighty God Of profitable science and vnfruitfull of preaching and the interpretation of those wordes of the scripture Ego rogaui pro te Petre. THE XXXVI CHAPTER THe Venerable Br. Giles would sometimes say lett him who desireth to be learned humble well his head lett him be exercised in good worckes and lett him rent his body on the earth God will giue him knowledge It is a soueraine wisdome to doe good worckes carefully to obserue the coÌ„mandementes and to consider the iudgements of God He once sayd to a Religious that would goe to a lecture att a Colledge Tell me wherfore would you goe to the lecture Know that the most worthy science is to feare and loue God these two vertues will suffice you a man hath knowledge according to his good worckes and no more Be not only carefull to profitt others thou being obliged to be more carefull to benefitt thy selfe We would often times know many thinges for others and few for our selues The word of God is not of him that heareth it nor of him that vttereth it but of him that putteth it in effect Many not knowing how to swimne throw themselues into the water to helpe an other that they see in danger of drowning but hauing aduentured too farre they are drowned together so that wheras there was but one in perill two are lost by presumption In purchasing aboue all thinges the saluation of thy owne soule as thou art obliged thou shalt not omitt to assist others but rather in doeing good worckes for thy selfe thou shalt also profitt them that wish thee well The Preacher of the word of God is a messager of his maiesty to the end he be to the people a flaming light a glittering glasse a standerd-bearer of his warryers Happy is he that conducteth others by the assured way that faileth not to walke the same way and that inducing others to runne standeth not still himselfe and so if he helpe to enrich others he remayneth not poore I suppose a good Preacher preacheth more for himselfe then for others and it seemeth that he who endeauoureth to draw soules out of an euill course to setle them in a good ought to feare that himselfe be not seduced from the same good way and led to the way of the deuill A Religious demaunded of this holy Father whither were better to preach well or to doe well he answeared tell me who
that prayeth continually for all the people and for the holy Cittie which the sayd Religious vnderstood to be Brother Giles A woman of the citty of Perusia hauing no milke wherwith to suck her litle child had recourse to this holie Father to whome she was much deuoted but he being in extasie she could not speake vnto him And she not hauing leasure to expect came neere him where he prayed whose breast hauing with exceeding faith and deuotion touched she had milke sufficient to nource her child How God communicated to Br. Giles a most pleasing seeling of glory before this death THE XLIII CHAPTER THis holy Father a litle before his death retourning from prayer into his cell replenished with a merueillous ioy sayd to his companion My child giue me thy iudgement in this I haue found a treasure of such worth and excellency as no humane tongue can expresse and therfore my child I pray thee againe speake thine opinion therof Which he diuers times repeated with an exceeding feruour of spiritt and with such enflamed charity that he seemed to be really druncken with the wine of the loue of God and the abondance of his grace But this Religious hauing told him that it was time to goe take his refection he ioyfully answeared him My child this is a singuler refection and farre better then any other The Religious thincking to tempt him sayd Father lett vs not now thinck of these thinges but lett vs to goe to dinner Wherto the venerable Br. Giles replyed that such speech was iniurious vnto him and that he should haue done him greater pleasure to haue stricken and wounded him to the bloud Now one may piously presume that this holy soule had notice that it should shortly leaue the flesh to enioy that notable treasure of eternall glory which it so much desired there to haue fruition and tast of the most sacred presence of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST About that time a Religious told him that the holy Father S. Francis had sayd that the seruant of God should alwayes desire to end his life by martyrdome wherto he answeared For my part I respect not to die better then in contemplation Of the admirable prophesic he made of himselfe and of his death THE XLIV CHAPTER BRother Giles besides his age being wasted by grieuous insrmities as ache in his head and stomache by a very troublesome cough and burning ague so that he could neither eat sleep nor repose The Cittizens of Perusia out of great deuotion towardes him sent many armed men to guard him that being dead his body might not be buryed other where well knowing that he did not only desire but would order to be buryed att our Lady of Angels Vnderstanding then that he was guarded with armed men with great seruour of spiritt he vttered these wordes Brethren tell the Perusians that the belles shal neuer ring for my canonization nor for any miracle of mine and that they shall haue no other signe but that of the Prophet lonas Which the Perusians vnderstanding they answeared they would haue him in their cittie though he should not be canonized and so the eue of sainct George att the houre of Mattins as soone as the Religious had layed him on a bed to repose hauing receaued the holy sacramentes ordayned by the Church without any acke of his body that might discouer and make appeare the agony of his death only shutting his mouth and eyes this contemplatiue soule was dissolued from the body with great repose God hauing for all eternity eleuated it vnto his glory This holy Father departed this life the yeare of grace 1260. and of his conuersion to Religion 52. haning merited to ascend vnto heauen their to raigne eternally the same day that he receaued the habitt of the holy Father sainct Francis becomming his true follower and disciple The Perusians after death seeking stones to make him a tombe found a sepulchre of marble wherin was carued the history of the Prophett Ionas where they layd his body according as he had prophesied Of the reuelation of the glory of this S. THE XLV CHAPTER A Person of notable sanctity saw in vision the holy Br. Giles accōpayned with a great number of soules of Religious others that then were dead and comming out of Purgatory they with him ascēded into heauē He saw our lord IESVS CHRIST with a great multitude of Angels that came to receaue him with musicke exquisitely melodious made by those Angelicall quiers these blessed soules were with great honour entertayned of our Redeemer into his kingdome were he seated them on a seat of merueillous glory Att the same time that Br. Giles was sicke of his last sicknes an other Religious fell also sick euen to death who was instantly prayed by a third Religious his Friend that if it should please God to call him he would reueale vnto him his estate if the diuine Maiesty would permitt it which the sick Religious promised Wherfore he dying the same day that Br. Giles did appeared to this his Religious friend and thus spake vnto him Br. giue thanckes vnto God for that it hath pleased him to graunt and giue me his glory deliuering me with many other soules from the paines of Purgatory by the merittes of Saint Giles Which sayd he vanished This Religious not daring to reueale this apparition to any fell grieuously sick But conceauing that this sicknes might be sent him for not diuulging the glory of Br. Giles he instantly called into his Couent some Frere Minors to whome and to many other Religious he recounted the foresaid apparition and was with all miraculously recouered S. Bonauenture said of this holy Br. Giles that God had giuen him one speciall grace which was that whosoeuer did inuocate him in matters concerning the saluation of their soules were heard Our lord wrought many miracles after his death by his merittes and intercession He cured three personnes of infirmities in their eyes fiue that were lame and two of paine in their feet that hindred them from mouing three of the sqinancie a woman in trauell of child two of agues one of the stone and many of diuers other diseases The end of the seauenth book and second volume of the first part of the present Chronicles THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE FRIER MINORS WHERIN IS DESCRIBED THE LIFE OF the glorious Virgin S. Clare the institution of her rule the conuersion of S. Agnes her sister and of an other S. Agnes daughter to the king of Behomia Of the intention of our Lord in the vocation of S. Clare and of her contry her father and mother Of a reuelation vnto her mother touching her sanctity and of her birth THE FIRST CHAPTER SIX yeares after the conuersion of the holy Father S. Francis and the fourth yeare after the confirmation of his rule by Pope Innocent the third the yeare of grace 1212. the omnipotent Father of light hauing framed and sent into the world
a new man his seruant S. Francis by him to reforme his faithfull in this sixt age would also that a valerous woman should by his worck appeare in the world to accompany that his great seruant to the end that of those two should be new borne a perfect regeneration of the children of God And as the first naturall generation came of man and woman as of an vnited beginning so this spirituall generatiō of the imitators of the life and counsailes of IESVS CHRIST proceeded in all the Church and in all the estates and qualities of personnes of one same spiritt of zeale of perfection of humility and of powerty from one man and one woman And to the end it might not be vnlike the creation almighty God hauing first perfected his seruant S. Francis would frame of the ribbe or side of his life doctrine and sanctity the glorious Virgin S. Clare his true and litigimate daughter in IESVS CHRIST for his companion as zealous also of perfection and Angelicall reformation With great reason therfore hath she her place in the Chronicles of the Frere Minors For she being a ribbe and partye of the same Order it is very requisite a special mention should be made of her sanctity of life as we shall here performe And if it be not according to her meritt shall att least be done with the least defect we can possible being resolued to employ therin that litle force of spiritt which God hath giuen vs and this to the honour of his diuine maiesty of his holy seruant and to the edification of soules The glorious saincte Clare was borne in the citty of Assisium scituat in the prouince of the Vally of Spoletum which is a territory appertayning to the Romane Church Her Father and Mother were noble of a famous and very weathy famility her mother was called Hortolana which in our tongue may be termed Gardener and not without mystery considering she was to produce so noble and vertuous a plant in the garden of the holy Church This woman was exceeding deuout and compleate in the fruites of good worckes and albeit she were maryed and consequently obliged to the care and gouernment of her house and family yet did she not omitt with all her power to be exercised in the seruice of God and employed in worckes of mercy She was so feruent in the loue of IESVS CHRIST that with great deuotion she passed the sea with many other Pilgrimes and visited those holy places which our Redemer IESVS CHRIST God and man had cōsecrated with his holy presence and retourned exceedingly cōforted and enriched with many merittes She also visited the Church of Th'archangell S. Michael on the mount Gargan and with a pious and feruent desire visited the Apostles S. Peter S. Paule in Rome in such sort did that vertue and feruour in those dayes shine in many holy personnes but now so weakened is the feruour of Christians touching visiting holy places and the reliques of our Lord and his SS that it is almost lost by the continuall warres of heretikes and of our sinnes Now our lord began to poore out the abondance of his celestiall giftes on the root that afterwardes the sproutes of greater sanctity might follow and dispearse into bowes Neither would he that this deuout woman Hortolana should be depriued of the consolations and knowledge of this grace for being neere her childbirth she one day with great feruour prayed in a Church and before a Crucifix where she besought almighty God to deliuer her from the danger of death in her childbirth which she much apprehended and she heard a voice that sayd Woman feare not For thou shalt safely and without danger bring forth a light that shall illuminate and lighten all the world Being thus comforted and admonished by this diuine answeare so soone as she was deliuered of a daughter she caused her to be called in Baptisme Clare firmly beleeuing that in her should be accomplished the splendour of the light promised according to the prouidence and ordonnance of the diuine bounty Of the education charity prayer mortification and virginity of saincte Clare THE II. CHAPTER SAinte Clare being borne into the world she began incontinently to appeare and to shine as a morning starre in the obscure night of the world for in the most tender yeares of her first infancie she alredy discouered euident signes of notable and pious worckes wherin she made appeare her naturall worth and the graces which God had communicated vnto her for being naturally of a very delicate constitution he receaued of her mother the first foundations of faith afterwardes being inspired of God to apply her selfe to vertuous and pious worckes she shewed her selfe to be a vessell aptly prepared for diuine grace and as she abounded in interiour piety as wel by nature as by grace towardes poore beggers so according to the small meanes which thē she had she supplyed their necessityes And to the end her sacrifice might be more gratefull vnto God the most delicate meates that were giuen her for the nourishment of her litle body she hid and gaue it secretly to the poore Thus did piety augment and encrease in her and nourished charity in her soule preparing her to receaue the grace and mercy of almighty God Her greatest contentment was in prayer wherby she was often sustayned made ioyfull and comforted as by an Angelicall milke and in a most delicious manner eleuated to the diuine pleasures of the conuersation of our lord IESVS CHRIST In these beginninges hauing no beades she vsed in steed therof certaine litle stones some to serue for the Pater noster and others for the Aues and so she offred her prayers to God Whervpon beginning to feele the first feruours of diuine loue she iudged that she must contemne all transitory apparence and painted flowers of this world and being by prayer well enstructed of the holy Ghost she resolued as a wise spirituall merchand to haue no more regard of terrestriall affaires acknowledging them vnworthy to be esteemed and with this Spiritt she did weare as an other saincte Cecilie vnder her gay apparell a hair-cloth so exteriourly satisfying the world and interiourly her Lord IESVS CHRIST But hauing attayned the age of mariage she was importuned by her Father and other kinred to choose a husband Wherto she would neuer consent but vsed lingringes and delayes putting off and differring what she could all humane mariage and euer recommended to our Lord IESVS CHRIST her virginity with the other vertues whe◠with she was endued by such exercises endeauouring to please almighty God that he might bestow on her his only Sonne for her Spouse Such were the first fruites of her spiritt and such the exercises of her piety so that being anoynted with such a sweet and spirituall oyntment she yelded a most pleasing sauour as shoppe replenished with most delightfull liquors whose sauours though they be shutt vp discouer and manifest themselues In
such sort that this holy virgin began without her knowledge to be commended by her neighbours the true same of her secrett pious worckes so publishing themselues that in an instant they were exceedingly spred abroad and euery where diuulged How the virgin S. Clare had knowledge of the vertues of the holy Father S. Francis THE III. CHAPTER THis vertuous virgin Clare hearing the grat same of the admirable life of S. Francis that then renewed vnto the world the way of perfection in the same citty with a merueillous example of piety and vertue and considering that many gentlemen did follow him and that his life was already approued by our holy mother the Church she exceedingly desired to see and heare this worthy seruant of God therunto inspired by the soueraigne Father of spirittes to whome had already bin presented the first fruites of their deuotions though differently S. Francis hauing bin aduertised of this her desire and hauing heard the bruit of her vertues and holy affections desired also exceedingly to see her and to conferre with her with intention to frustrate the world of so noble and precious a pray to present her vnto our soueraigne Redeemer to serue him in some notable enterprise as preordayned of God to despoyle the great prince of the world Neither did his diuine Maiesty faile to open vnto them the meanes and to at taine therunto he inspired this vertuous woman to relye on a very honorable graue woman that gouerned her in her house as her mother And to the end this holy purpose might be sinisterly enterpreted of men and to hinder publicke murmure she went out of her Fathers house with this good womau and found out the holy Father by the feruour of whose pious discourses she was presently enflamed with diuine loue and moued by his holy actions which she admired as seeming vnto her more then humane And therfore she began very exquisitely to dispose her selfe to the effecting of the wordes of the holy seruant of God who hauing very louingly entertayned her began to preach vnto her the contempt of the world and by euident reasons to demonstrate vnto her that all the beauty of thinges present is but a vanity filled with false and deceipt full hopes Then he persuaded vnto her pure eares the honourable and amiable espousale of IESVS CHRIST and counsayled her to conserue that most precious pearles of virginall purity for that glorious Spouse who out of loue he bare to the world being God became man and would be borne of a virgin This holy Father sollicited this affaire and playd the procuratour as a Paranimph and Embassadour of the heauenly king The holy virgin on her side beginning already to tast the sweetnes of contemplation and the proofe of the eternal ioyes the world began to seeme vnto her vile and contemptible as indeed it is she as it were melting for the loue of her celestiall Spouse whome she already desired with all her hart Thencefoorth therfore she desprised precious stones iewels gold sumptuous apparell and all other worldly trash as filth and donge and abhorring the detestable delightes of the flesh she resolued intierly to dedicate her selfe a liuely temple to IESVS CHRIST and to take him for the only Spouse of her body and soule and so submitting her selfe totally to the counsailes of the glorious Father S. Francis him next after our Lord she tooke for guid and directour of her life How S. Francis drew the virgin S. Clare out of the world and made her Religious THE IV. CHAPTER ANd to the end the most cleare Mirrour of her soule might not be stayned and blemished with the dust of this world and that the contagious seculer life did not corrupt her innocencie the holy Father prudētly endeauoured to sequester this virgin from worldly people And the solemnity of palme-sunday approching the holy espouse of IESVS CHRIST wit a great feruour of spiritt repayred to this man of God and most instantly demaunded of him when and how she should make her retyre from the world Whervpon the holy Father S. Francis ordayned that one the day of the sayd feast she should goe to the procession of palmes with the people decked and adorned the most richly and gorgiously that she could procure and the night following goeing out of the citty and withall out of all conuersation of the world she should change seculer pleasures into lamentations of the passion of our Lord. Palme-sunday being come the glorious S. Clare went in the cōpany of her mother and other ladies to the great Church where there happened a matter worthy to be recorded as not done without the prouidēce of the diuine goodnes Which was that all the other ladyes goeing as is the custome of Italie to take holy palme and S. Clare out of a virginall bashfulnes remayning alone without mouing out of her place the Bishop descended the steppes of his seat and putt into her hand a branch of palme The night approching she began to prepare her selfe for effecting the commandement of the holy Father and to make a glorious flight and honorable retyre frō the world in honest company But it seeming to to her impossible to goe foorth att the ordinary and chieffest dore of the house she bethought her selfe to take the benefitt of a back dore which though it were damned vp with grosse stones and mighty blockes she with an admirable courage a force rather of a strong man then a tēder yong woman her selfe brake open Thus then leauing her fathers house her citty kinred and friendes she with extraordinary speed arriued att the Church of our lady of Angels where the Religious that in the house of God were employed in pious watchinges receaued with burning wax lightes in their handes this holy virgin that sought her Spouse and Redeemer IESVS CHRIST with a lampe not extinct and empty but filled with diuine loue And incontinently in the selfe same hour and place hauing left and abandonned the immondicities of Babilō she gaue the world the ticket of defiance and repudiation before the altar of the soueraine Queene of Angels where the glorious Father sainct Francis inspired of God and neglecting all other worldly respect cutt off her haire then he cloathed her with a poore habitt of the Order reiecting the iewels and gorgious attire which she brought to be giuen to the poore of IESVS CHRIST It had not bin in deed conuenient that the new Order of florishing virginity towardes the end of the world should otherwhere begin then in the Angelicall Pallace of that most emminent lady who before had alone bin a mother and Virgin and consequently more worthy then all others In the very same place had the noble cheualrie of the poore of IESVS CHRIST the Frere Minors their beginning vnder the valerous Captaine sainct Francis to the end it might euidently appeare that the mother of God in this her habitation ingendred and produced the one and the other Religion And so as this new
pouerty and did manifest exteriourly in her body that her soule was interiourly replenished with diuine light In this manner did she ordinarily liue full of so supreme delightes passing ouer this deceiptfull world with her noble Spouse IESVS CHRIST and being on this wheele of motion she was theron sustayned with an assurance and firmity of vertue very stable and preserued with the celestiall eleuation of her soule in the hight of heauen keeping the treasure of glory securely shutt vp with in a vessell of flesh here below on earth This holy virgin accustomed to call vp the yonger Religious a litle before mattines and to awaken them with the ordinary signe to excite them very often to praise God All her Religious sleeping she did watch lighted the lampe rung att mattines so that negligence found no entrance into her monastery nor sloath had there any place She also by the sting of sharpe repreprehension and of her liuely and effectuall examples expelled tepedity and ircksomnes in prayer and the seruice of God How the Mores were expelled the Monastery by the prayers of S. Clare THE XIII CHAPTER THis being the place where we should record the miracles of this holy virgin it is not conuenient that we pretermitt them in silence for as the merueillous effectes of her prayer are veritable so also are they worthy of honour and reuerence In the time of the Emperour Federick the second the holy Church in diuers places endured great persecutions but particulerly in the vally of Spoletum which being subiect to the Romane Church dranck of the vessell of wrath of this mischieuous tyrant his capitaines and soldiers being scattered ouer the fieldes as grasse hoppers with sword to murder people and with fire to burne their houses The impiety of this Emperour did so augment that he had assembled all the Mores that dwelt on the mountaines and among the desertes to make himselfe the more fearefull vnto his vassels and after he had by lardge promises gayned these Mores and disposed them into diuers places he gaue them att length for retyre a very ancient but ruined citty which yet to this present is called Moura des Mores which they fortifyed and then thither retyred about twenty thousand fighting men who did much mischeife ouer all Apulia and in other Christian places These ennemies of the faith of IESVS CHRIST came one day vnexpectedly towardes the cittye of Assisium who being already close to the portes a great number of them came to the Monastery of saint Damian as a lewd and dissloyall nation that continually thirsteth after the bloud of Christians and dareth to committ indifferently all kind of execrable actes without either shame of men or feare of God These Mores then brake euen into the Monastery of sainte Clare where she was with her Religious daughters who had their hartes surprised with an extreme terrour but much more when they heard the barking and crye of those dogges so neere them so that they were euen dying with the apprehension not knowing where to seeke reliefe nor of whome to hope for deliuerance from so emminent perill but by the merittes of their holy mother Whome with infinite sighes and teares they aduertised of what they heard and saw This holy virgin though sick encouraging her Religious caused her selfe with incredible constancie to be carryed to the gate of her Monastery att the entry wherof in the sight of all her ennemies she with very great reuerence placed the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist in the pix before which falling postrate on the earth she with abondance of teares thus spake to her beloued Spouse IESVS CHRIST Is it possible my God thy will should be that these they seruantes who cannot vse materiall weapons to defend thēselues and whome I haue here brought vp nourced in thy holy loue should now be deliuered into the power of the Infidell Mores Oh my God! Preserue thē if thou please and me likewise for albeit thy diuine Maiesty hath cōmitted thē to my gouernemēt yet is it not in my power to defend thē from so great a perill sith this protection cānot be but by a worck of thine omnipotencie Therfore doe I recōmend thē to thy diuine Maiesty with all the affection that I am able As soone as this holy virgin had sent these prayers vnto heauē she heard a voice so delicate as if it had bin of a sucking child that said I will protect you for eue◠The holy mother did not yet giue ouer to present her prayers saying My God I humbly beseech thee if so it be thy holy will to preserue and defend this thy citty of Assisium which doth nourish vs for the loue it beareth to thy diuine Maiesty Wherto God answeared This citty shall suffer much but in the end I will by my fauour defend it Sainte Clare hauing heard so gracious newes lifted vp her face bathed with teares and comforted her beloued daughters saying Deere Sisters I assure you that no euill shall befall you only be carefull to haue a firme faith and confidence in IESVS CHRIST The diuine assistāce made no long delay for the presumption and rage of the Mores was incontinently cooled so that a sodaine vnknowne terrour hauing surprised them they speedily retyred ouer the walles which they had scaled and ouer leapt to enter They being thus by the vertue of the prayer of sainte Clare expelled she priuatly called the Religious that had heard the sayd voice of God and commanded them that howsoeuer it were they should not diuulge what they had heard during her life How the citty of Assisium was an other time deliuered by the prayer of this holy Virgin THE XIV CHAPTER ON an other time one of the principall Capitaines of the Emperour Federick called Vitall d'Auerse a man very ambitious of glory full of courage and a notable Capitaine conducted his troupes to besiege Assisiū and hauing encōpassed it he exposed to wast and spoile the plaine contry therabout making a totall ruine euen to the very trees which were hewed downe and then framing his siege he vttered menacing and vaunting oathes that he would not stirre thence till he had giuen the citty a victorious assault and so this siege so long continued that the besieged began to loose courage as wanting many thinges extreemely needfull vnto them Wherof this holy seruant of IESVS CHRIST being aduertised sighing in her hart she called all her Religious to whome she thus discoursed My deere sisters you know that all our necessities haue euer bin supplyed by the charity of this citty so that we should proue very vngratefull if we should not according to our ability assist them in this extreme necessity then she commanded to be broughte her ashes and all her Religious to discoife their heades and to giue them example she began to couer her bare head with ashes wherin all the other Religious following her she said Goe ye to our Lord IESVS CHRIST and with the greatest
humility and most feruent prayers that you can possible demaund of him the deliuery of your citty It cannot be expressed with what feruour and teares these deuout virgins incessantly offerred their prayers and teares vnto God one entier day and one night demaunding mercy in behalfe of the said citty besieged by their ennemies These prayers and teares were of such force and vertue that the omnipotent in bounty and mercy had compassion of them and from the day following sent them his puissant assistance in such sort that the ennemies camp was defeited the Capitaine constrained shamefully and in despight of his forces without sound of trompett to raise his siege for he fled without euer after troubling the Assisians being shortly after slaine Of the reuerence and deuotion which S. Clare had to the most B. Sacrament and of the vertue of her prayers against the Deuils THE XV. CHAPTER THe deuotion of S. Clare towardes the most precious Sacrament of the Altare was such that she made it apparent in many of her actions for though she were most grieuously sick in her bed yet would she so dispose her selfe therin and be so propped and stayed vp that she might conueniently spinne an exercise which she exceedingly affected and wherin she desirously employed her selfe and did it delicately and with the threed of her labour she caused to be wouen very curious and fine cloth which she employed in furniture for the chalice She one time got made 50. corporals which she sent in cases of silke to many Churches of the valley of Spoletun When she was to receaue the most sacred SacrameÌ„t before she presented her selfe therunto she was alwayes bathed in teares and so with exceeding feare approaching she did reuerence him that was hidden in the Sacrament as acknowledging him to be the same that gouerneth heauen and earth Therfore did the deuils so much feare the prayer of the espouse of IESVS CHRIST S. Clare as they haue sundry times declared A very deuout woman of the bishoprick of Pisa came to the monastery of S. Damian to thanck God his seruant S. Clare for hauing bin by her merittes deliuered of fiue deuils that possessed her which in goeing out of her body confessed that the prayer of S. Clare did burne them and to their great confusion expelled them out of the humane bodies which they possessed Of a merueillous consolation which S. Clare receaued on the feast of the most holy Natiuity THE XVI CHAPTER AS the glorious S. Clare was alwayes in her sicknesse with a liuely memory mindfull of her beloued IESVS so was she correspondently visited by him in her necessities As once in the night of the Natiuity when the world and Angels did so solemnly feast for the birth of our Redeemer all the Religious went to the quier to Matines and left their holy Mother accompanied only with her grieuous infirmity wherfore hauing begun to meditate on the great mistery of that night and lamenting exceedingly that she could not assist att the diuine seruice she sighing sayd O my God thou seest how I remayne here alone and ending this she began to heare the Mattins that were sung in the Church of S. Francis in Assisium very distinctly vnderstanding the voice of the Religious and the very sound of the Organes yet was she not so neere the said Church as she might humanly heare what was song there but it must necessarily be concluded that this was miraculously don in one of these two sortes either that the singing of the said Religious was by the will of God carryed to S. Clare or her hearing was extended extraordinarily and by speciall grace of God euen to our Lady of Angels neere vnto Assisium But this S. was further fauoured by a diuine reuelation which exceedingly comforted and reioyced her for she was by almighty God esteemed worthy to see in spirit his holy cribbe The morning following her Religious comming to see her she sayd Deere sisters blessed be our Lord IESVS CHRIST that it hath pleased him not to leaue me alone as you haue don but know that by the grace of his diuine Maiesty I haue heard all the solemnity and all the seruice that this night hath bin performed in the Church of our holy Father S. Francis Of the spirituall doctrine wherwith S. Clare nourced and eleuated her daughters THE XVII CHAPTER THe virgin S. Clare acknowledged that she was committed to the Pallace of the great king for gouernesse and Mistâ—esle of his deere espouses therfore did she teach them a sublime doctrine and did comfort and assist them with such loue and pitty as with wordes cannot be expressed First she taught them to cleare their soules of all rumours of the world that they might the more freely attaine to the high secrettes of God She also taught them to haue no affection to their carnall kinred and entierly to forgett their owne house the better to please IESVS CHRIST She admonished them also to surmount and misprise the necessities of the body and to gett a habitt of repressing the deceiptes and appetites of the flesh by the bridle of reason She likewise taught them that the subtill ennemy armed with malice continually addresseâ—h his hidden snares to surprise the pure soules and that he tempteth the pious in other sort then worldlinges Finally she would haue them so employed in handy labour for certaine houres that they might afterward be more promptly prepared to the desire of their Creatour by the exercise of prayer which after their labour they should vndertake not leauing for such paine the fire of holy loue but rather by it expelling the tepedity of deuotion alredy purchaced There was neuer seene a stâ—â—cter obseruation of silence then among them nor a greater forme and example of vertue Neuer was there seene don in this holy house one act of vanity neither by word nor signes nor was there discouered by any vaine discourse any desire of lightnes so much were they mortified Their holy mistresse gaue good example by wordes and by her pious briefe documentes she taught her duciples feruent desires admonishing them to possesse and conserue them vnder the keyes and custody of strict silence By meane of deuouâ— Preachers she procured to her daughters the holy word of God wherof her owne was not the least part she being filled with contentment and ioy when she heard the word of God preached would with such deuotion and consolation reioyce in the memory of her sweetest Spouse IESVS CHRIST that one time hearing the sermon of Brother Philipp de Adria a most famous preacher there was seene before this holy virgin a most beautifull child which there remayned during almost all the sermon comforting her with his ioyfull delectations of which apparition she receaued such a sweetnes and delight as she could no way explicate Albeit this most prudent virgin had neuer studyed yet did she much delight to heare a learned man preach well knowing that vnder the wordes of science lay
her beloued IESVS CHRIST the Religious was perfectly cured An other seruāt of God borne att Perusia had for two yeares so lost her voice that one could scarcely heare her speake but hauing vnderstood by a visiō which she had the night of the Assuption of our Lady that sainte Clare should cure her the poore afflicted creature hauing very impatiently expected the breake of day repayred with a strōg confidēce vnto that holy virgin and by signes craued her benedictiō which fauour hauing obtayned her voice which so lōg time she had wāted became as cleare and shrillas euer it had bin An other Religious called Christina that had bin lōg time deafe in one of her eares had in vaine tried many remedies S. Clare hauing made the signe of the crosse on her head with her hād touched her eare she recouered her hearing as perfectly and clearly as before An other Religious called Andrea had a disease in her throat the griefe wherof procured her much impatiēce it was admirable that among so many prayers enflamed with diuine loue there should be a soule so cold among such prudent virgins one so indiscreet vncōsiderate This Religious feeling her selfe one night more tormēted with her infirmity then ordinarily afflicted impatiēt that her paine did rather encrease thē diminish she so crushed pressed her throat that she made appeare her intentiō to choake her selfe thincking by violēce to expell that swelling so to auoyd longer torment by ignorāce attempting to doe more then was the will of God But whiles that poore Religious busied her selfe in this folly saincte Clare by diuine inspiration had knoledge therof wherfore calling one of her Religious she willed her to hasten downe and boyle an egge in the shell and cause sister Andrea to swallow it which done to bring her to her presence The Religious instātly dressed the egge and forthwith brought it to the sicke party whome she found litle better then dead hauing so crushed her throat that her speech was vtterly gone yet she made her swallow the egge as wel as she could then raising her frō her strawbed shewith much labour led her to S. Clare who thus spake vnto her Wretched sister confesse thee to God and haue contrition for what thou intendedst to doe and acknoledge that IESVS CHRIST will giue thee health far better then thou with thy owne handes haddest purposed to doe change thy euill life into a better for thou shalt neuer recouer an other sicknesse that shall succed this but shalt dye therof These wordes procured in this Religious a spiritt of compunction and contrition so that she being entierly cured of this grieuous infirmity amended her life and a litle after she fell into an other sicknes which saincte Clare had foretold wherof she ended her life piously It doth manifestly appeare by these examples and by many other merueillous thinges which this holy virgin wrought by this healthfull signe that the tree of the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST was deeply planted in her hart and that in a merueillous manner the fruites did interiourly recreat her soule sith the leaues therof did exteriourly worck such remedies by the handes and merittes of this glorious sainct How saincte Clare blessed bread wheron the signe of the crosse miraculously remayned THE XXII CHAPTER S. Clare was a disciple of the crosse of such notable fame and sanctity that not only great prelats and Cardinals much desired to see her to heare and discourse with her for which cause they often visited her but the Pope himselfe boare her also this affection in so much that Pope Innocēt the fourth repayred to her Monastery to heare of her as a secretary of the holy Ghost celestiall and diuine discourses And hauing a long time conferred with her of matters of saluatiō of the prayses of God whiles they entertayned thēselues in so pious a discourse S. Clare caused the dinner to be prepared the tables for the Religious to be couered causing bread to be brought thither with intentiō to procure the Vicar of IESVS CHRIST to blesse it to be afterwardes kept of deuotion Their discourse thē being ended sainte Clare fell on her knees before the Pope and besought him to blesse the bread wherto his holinesse answeared daughter Clare I will that you blesse it your selfe making theron the signe of the crosse The sainct therto answeared most holy Father pardon me if you please for if I should doe it I should deserue sharpe reprehensiō in presuming to giue my benedictiō in presence of your holinesse The Pope againe replyed well that no presumption be imputed vnto you and that you meritt therby I command you by holy obedience to blesse these loaues making on them the signe of the crosse This daughter of obedience presently lifted vp her hand and made the signe of the crosse on the bread whence ensued an admirable accident for the crosse remayned on the bread wherof part was eaten of deuotion and the rest reserued as a holy relique which euent filled the Pope with admiration for which he gaue thanckes to God then gaue his benediction to sainte Clare who receaued it with great humility and was much comforted withall Of many infirmities of the glorious Virgin S. Clare of her weaknesse and how she was visited by the Protectour THE XXIII CHAPTER THe Virgin sainte Clare had now forty yeares run the race of the most eminent vertue and practise of pouerty and broken the alleblaster of her body in the most strict prison by fasting and rigours of disciplines and by this meane filled the house of the holy Church with the most precious oyntment of her vertues wherwith she drew after her an infinite number of soules to the seruice of IESVS CHRIST and as she already approached to the recompence of eternall glory hauing supported diuers infirmities and consumed the forces of her body in her first yeares by the rigour of penance she was also in her latter dayes oppressed and afflicted with diuers grieuous sicknesses But because in the time of her health she was in such sort enriched with the meritt of good worckes that being sicke she gained the true richesse of the merittes of patience she yet enioyed the fruites of her vertues that were ripened in afflictions and molestations occasioned by diuersity of diseases But the vertue of her patiēce doth euidently appeare in that hauing bin twenty eight yeares together afflicted with diuers diseases she was neuer heard to vtter the least murmure or complaint but continually were heard to proceed out of her mouth pious wordes and thanckesgiuing to almighty God Now being exceedingly weakened with infirmity and euery moment seeming to her the drawing on of the end of her life it pleased our Lord IESVS CHRIST to prolong it till she might be visited by the eminent Officers of the Romane Church wherof she was a seruant and special child For the Pope being yett att Lions this S. beginning
Miserere shall adde it thervnto when they say it not att the ordinary houres lett them say thrice the Pater Noster The sick shall not be obliged to say these houres but as they will They shall endeauour to be present att Mattins att their parish Church in the time of sainct Martins lent and the great lent except some lawfull impediment excuse them That the Brethren who can must make their will THE IX CHAPTER LEtt all the Bâ—ethâ—en that haue any substance be obliged to consider of their estate and within three monthes after their entry into this confraternity to make their testament wherin they shall dispose of their substance to the end that none dye intestate How peace is to bemade betweene the Brethren when occasion requireth and betweene strangers THE X. CHAPTER THe meane to appease quarrels dissentioÌ„s that may arise betweenâ— the BrethreÌ„ and Sisters to accord theÌ„ shal be in such necessity to follow the aduise of the Ministers together with the CouÌ„saile of the Bishop of the Diocese if he be neere and to proced according to the matter and occurances To whome the Brethren must haue recourse being molested against reason and their praâ—ledges THE XI CHAPTER IF it happeÌ„ that the BrethreÌ„ or Sisters be iniustly troubled and molested against their priuiledges by the Gouernours or other Commanders of the place where they dwell the superiour Ministers must haue recourse to the Bishop or other Ordinaryes of the places to demaund and follow their aduise how to gouerne themselues in such behalfe That the Brethren must withall possâ—bâ—lâ—ty absta ne from solemne oathes THE XII CHAPTER LEtt the BrethreÌ„ very carefully abstaine from solemne oathes vnlesse they be therevnto constrayned by necessity except in cases conteyned in the confession of the Apostolike sea that is for peace faith caloÌ„niation and in giuing testimony and also in contractes of buying selling and giuing where it shall appeare to be expedient But in common talke lett them withall endeauour auoyd swearing and if any shall inconsideratly sweare as it often happeneth in talkatiue personnes calling it to mind in the examen of his conscience att night lett them say thrice the Pater noster for such oath and lett euery one be obliged to exhort instruct and educate his family in the feare and loue of God How the Brethren ought to assemble in congregation and of their hearing Masse THE XIII CHAPTER ALl the Brethren and sisters in whatsoeuer place or citty they dwell must euery day if they may heare Masse and euery moÌ„th they shall meet and assemble in some place deputed by the Minister Rectour to heare a solemne Masse and there each of them shall giue an almose to the Chappelain or other elected to that end which shal be distributed by the Rectour Minister among the Brethren and sisters that are in greatest necessity and particulerly among the sick This almose shall also be employed in the buriall and funerales of the poore deceased and what remayneth shal be distributed to the other poore Some part of this almose also shal be giuen to the Church where they asseÌ„ble And euery time that they meet they shal endeauour to haue some good Religious to preach vnto them who shall induce them to penance and to the exercise of charitable worckes Lett all the Brethren be admonished to keep silence and to be attentiue att prayer during the diuine office especially whiles Masse is celebrated and the word of God preached vnlesse the common good of the confraternity otherwise require How the sick are to be visited and what care must be had of the dead THE XIV CHAPTER WHen any of the Brethren shal be sick the superiour Ministers being therof in the behalfe of the sick party aduertised they shall visitt or cause him to be visited at least once in a weeke admonishing him touching the state of his soule as farre foorth as they shal find it requisit And if he be poore they shal be carefull to procure him what is necessary out of the almose of the poore And if the sick person doe dye all the Brethren and sisters of the Confraternity that shal be in the towne or place where they dye shal be presently aduertised therof to the end they be present att the funerals whence they shall not depart till the diuine office be ended and the body interred The like shal be obserued towardes the sisters that are sick and that depart out of this life Eight dayes after the death of any Brother all the Brethren and sisters of the Confraternity shal be obliged to say for their soules the Priestes a Masse of the dead they that can read 50. psalmes and they that cannot read 50. Pater nosters with Requiem aternam Lett also be procured to be sayd three Masses euery yeare for the Brethren and sisters departed They that can read the psalter shall att their commodity say it entierly euery yeare and they that cannot read shall say 100. Pater nosters adding Requiem eternam att the end of each one Of the Superiour Ministers THE XV. CHAPTER LEtt euery Minister and other officer on whom in this forme order and rule of life any office shal be imposed receaue the same with deuotion and labour to execute it piously and lett not the sayd offices be giuen and distributed but for certaine time and lett no Minister Rectour be established for terme of life butt lett there be a certaine time prefixed which expired lett an other be created How the Brethren Penitents that are faulty and delinquent are to be visited and corrected THE XVI CHAPTER THe superiour Ministers Brethren and Sisters of euery towne or place in time to that end appointed shall assemble in some Monastery or Church there to make their common visitation where their visitors shal be Priestes of some approued Religion and of exemplare life that they may impose on the delinquent healthfull penance for their sinnes committed neither lett any other be admitted to his office of Minister And because this forme of life had its originall from the holy Father Saint Francis We counsaile them to choose visitors and reformers of this confraternity of the Order of Frere Minors who shall conserue it and haue particuler care therfore And when the Superiours or Gardians shal be therunto required they shall freely accept therof This office of visitation shal be kept att least once in a yeare or oftener if it shal be necessary The obstinate disobedient and incorrigible shal be first admonished three seuerall times after which if they will not amend lett them by the aduise of the discreet Brethren as incorrigible persons be excluded and expelled their confraternity That the Brethren must auoyd debates and contentions among themselues or others THE XVII CHAPTER LEtt the Brethren and Sisters to their vtmost auoyd strifes disputes debates and contentions And when any beginning of discord deth appeare lett them incontinently seeke to suppresse and extingâ—ish the same if not lett the
and halfe starued with hungar and cold not able to passe farther they there stayed without dreaming what danger might there befall them and sent to pray this tyrant to entertayne lodge and refresh them that night for the loue of our Lord IESVS CHRIST This noble man by diuine inspiration willingly receaued them into his house and commanded incontinently a good fire to be made them then caused them to cat with his people At which time one of the Religious that was a Priest and had a speciall grace in preaching well perceauing that att this table there was no speech but of robbing killing and pilling each one vaunting of his villanies and glorying in his murders and theftes committed the good seruant of God resolued after supper to make them an exhortation in the behalfe of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST with the greatest feruour he could procure And so grace being sayd vnable any longer to retaine his zealous spiritt he addressed himselfe to the tyrant and sayd Hauing receaued of you such a charity for the loue of God we should proue too ingratefull if we did not beseech the diuine maiesty to reward you for vs and did not endeauour to requite you by some documents conformable to our pouerty that may benifitt your soules and your peoples whome I beseech you heere to assemble together we desiring to giue to you all a spirituall refection for the corporal which you haue giuen vs. This noble man hauing conuocated all his people and they hauing setled themselues to heare the sermon the Religious began with exceeding feruour to discourse of the glory of Paradise in these termed My beloued Brethren in CHRIST IESVS if the eternall felicities for which God hath created vs were knowne vnto vs and that we did often well consider them what paine would we not vndertake to serue him and neuer to offend him for feare to loose that ioy and glory without end for so base a trifle as the world that sweet society of the Angels that life and security of the blessed that glorious satiety of the elect that supreme light without night and darcknes that perpetuall peace and amity without any feare or perturbance and all the happines that we can desire free and secure from all disaster with that diuine fountaine of the presence and glorious communication of the eternall God And sith that man so blinded and miserable for so base and loathsome a thing so short and of so sclender value as is sinne will loose such innumerable and infinite felicities he shall deseruedly goe into hell there to endure eternall hungar thirst cold all kind of torment and perpetuall affliction in the company of cruell deuils serpents and dragons where is a continuall death without end and without hope of life with palpable darcknes And finally greater miseries then we can imagine considering that there is nothing but howlinges lamentations despaires and eternall torments and all euill voyd of all good wherinto my brethren you haue merited to be throwne and imprisoned for the sinnes which you haue perpetrated â—o precipitiously without any apprehension of the diuine iustice att least according to the inference of your discourses which haue testified vnto me your vicious and detestable life you therby giuing demonstration that you neither feare God nor esteeme of his commandements nor regard the doeing of any good woâ—ck Therfore my beloued brethren doe I admonish you in the behalfe of our Lord IESVS CHRIST who for you was fastened on the hard wood of the crosse and pardonned the theefe to giue vs confideÌ„ce of his mercy and doe counsaile you by the â—euerence of the omnipotencie of the Creatour of althinges not to make ship wrack and exchaung of the celestiall and eternall richesse for the briefe pleasure of sinnes which as you experience vanish as a shadow Retourne then with great promptitude vnto God to the end he thrust you not into hell denying you time and space to doe penance so many yeares hauing fleeted away wherin he hath so patiently expected you though you haue giuen no signe of regarding it This Religious vttered these thinges and much more with such a zeale that they pearced the hart of the Tyrant who being touched by the holy Ghost and already stricken with contrition fell to the ground together with all his people bittetly lamenting their sinnes They shewed signes of penitence and after many teares the tyrant with great instancie required the Religious to sett them in the way to saue their soules sith God had sent him hither for their saluation And the Religious aduised them to make a generall confession of all their sinâ—es Which being with notable deuotion and contrition performed he sayd It is now necessary that for penance for your sinnes which are enormous and in nomber infinite you goe in pilgrimage to visiâ— the holy places and that you mortifie your flesh by fastes watchings and prayers giuing many almoses and performing other worckes of piety But you must begin with satissaction restoring what you iniâ—stly deâ—aine Wherto he answeared Father I am content to satisfie whatsoeuer I am bouÌ„d vnto But because I was neuer out of this contâ—y nor can write not read no not the Pater noster nor can fast I beseech you for the loue of God to giue me some other penance that I may be able to performe The Religious replyed I will for the loue of God doe penance and pray vnto IESVS CHRIST for you that your soule be not lost I will not for the present giue you other penance then for mortification your selfe to bring vs hither a litle straw wheron to repose our selues The tyrant becomming a lambe presently brought straw for the Religious to rest on and prepared their place himselfe Then considering with himselfe the discourse that the Religious had made him and how speedily he had conuerted him to penitence he reputed him a sainct and resolued to watch him all that night to see what he would doe Now the Religious att his houre layd himselfe to repose and when he thought they all slept he arose went out of the house to doe penance for the penitent as he had promised him Lifting then his handes to heauen he with many teares demaÌ„ded pardon of almighty God for the sinner praying with exceeding feruour his body was eleuated froÌ„ the earth the hight of a tour in that manner bitterly bewayled the soule of that noble man begging pardon of IESVS CHRIST for his offences in such sort and with a charity so passionate that he merited to be heard as appeareth by what ensueth for the penitent hauing seene and heard all this not without exceeding terrour contrition and abundance of teares accompanyed with consolation perceauing with what feruour the seruant of God offered his prayers to the diuine Maiesty for the saluation of his soule very early in the morning he sell att the feet of the Religious praying him with great compunction to setle him in the direct way
that they first yeld and say We are vnprofitable seruantes answearing alwayes with humility and being very carefull of growing into passion For men that maintaine their choller against their neighbour are obliged to render account therof att the iudgement of God and he that shall vpbraid his neighbour with contemptible wordes shal be condemned to the fire of hell Lett them therfore loue one an other as our lord teacheth vs when he saith My children this is the precept I giue you that you loue one an other as I haue loued you Now the truest manner of mutuall loue according to the Apostle is knowne by wordes by worckes and in verity Lett them not curse any personne lett them not murmure nor lett them not speake ill of any for it is written The murmurers and detracters are abhorred of God Lett them be modest shewing themselues gentle and tractable to all not iudging nor condemning any man and as our lord saith consider not the litle sinnes of others but rather with a bitternes and contrition of your soule obserue your owne and endeauour to enter by the streight gate because our lord saith the way is streight as also is the gate that giueth entry to eternall life and there are few that finde it and enter theratt That the Brethren ought to be wary not to behould nor conuerse with women THE XII CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren in whatsoeuer place they reside very respectiuely forbeare wanton lasciuious aspectes and lewd and dangerous conuersations with women When it shal be necessary lett none presume to speake alone with a woman excepting the Preistes who may speake modestly vnto them when they giue them any penance or any spirituall counsaile and lett no woman in what soeuer manner be receiued to obedience by any Brother what soeuer to whome it shal be yet permitted to counsaile her spiritually to doe penance where she will And lett vs all carefully preserue ourselues with exceeding warines and dilligence for God hath said that what man soeuer shall behold a woman to couett her he hath already sinned withher in his hart because it is not lawfull for vs to behold that which is not lawfull for vs to desire Of the punishment of the Brethren that shall fall into the sinne of the flesh THE XIII CHAPTER IF any Brother by instigation of the deuill committ the sinne of the flesh lett him vtterly loose and be depriued of the habit which by his offence and lewdnes he shall haue defiled and wher of by his finne he shall haue depriued himselfe lett him be vtterly expelled the Religion and let him goe to doe penance for his sinne Of the manner the brethren ought to obserue trauailling thorough the world THE XIIII CHAPTER VVHen the Brethren thall trauaile through the world they must not nor may not carry any kind of prouision nor wallet purse mony nor staffe and into what soeuer houses they shall enter they shall say The peace of our lord be in this house and being entertained in any place they may there repose and eat and drincke of what shal be presented vnto them And if they shall be abused in wordes or effectes by any one lett them not be moued therwith yea if one should giue them a buffet on the one cheek lett them tourne the other if any one would disapparell them lett thē not hinder it yea if one should violētly robbe them of their coat lett them not aske it againe but lett them beleeue that all this arriueth vnto them by the prouidence of God That the Religious may not haue any horses THE XV. CHAPTER I Command all my Brethren aswell Preistes as lay that when they shall trauaile thorough the world or shall reside in any place they haue no kind of beast to ride on neither for them selues nor for others nor that it be euer lawfull for them to ride on horse-backe but in case of sicknes or of manifest necessity Of them that shall goe to the Mores and Infidels THE XVI CHAPTER OVr lord saith Behold I send you as sheep in the middes of wolues Be ye therfore wise as serpentes and simple as doues And if any Brother moued with a diuine inspiration would goe among the infidell Mores he may not goe without licēce of his Minister Prouinciall who knowing that Religious sufficient and of such a spiritt that therof one may hope some fruit to redounde to others not only saluation to himselfe let him not be denyed all vnderstood with the assistāce of God For the said Minister Prouinciall shal be obliged to be accountable vnto God if graunting or refusing permissiō to the faid Brother his resolutiō shal be pious or indiscreet And the Brethren that shall goe among the infidels may in two manners conuerse with them First they may not contentiously impugne them but lett them be subiect not only to the said infidels but to euery creature for the loue of God yet confessing themselues alwayes to be Christians Secondly that when they perceiue it to be the will of God they preach his word to the end they beleeue in him one soueraigne power the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost on God in Trinity and in the humanity of the Redeemer and Sauiour of the world exhorting them to be baptised and to liue thence-foward in Christianity because he that shall not be borne againe by Baptisme and the holy Ghost cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen They shall preach to the Infidell people these thinges and many others which God shall inspire them For our lord said in the gospell I will confesse before my Father which is in heauen all those that shall confesse me before men but the day when I shall come on the earth in the Maiesty of my Father I will deny them that shal be ashamed to confesse me to be the Sonne of man Lett all the Brethren in what soeuer place they are remember that they haue already offered their soules and bodies to the soueraigne God and that they ought to expose and employe them for the loue of him in all occurrances and to present the same to the ennemies visible and inuisible because our lord hath said he that in this world shall loose his life for my sake shall finde it safe in eternall life and blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Lett them also call to minde that which our lord saith If you be persecuted of the impious and wicked they haue first persecuted me and if you be persecuted in one citty fly into an other When men shall hate you and persecute your name and you renowme and shall speake all euill of you for my sake and for my loue reioyce yee boldely for your recompēce therof is great in heauen And thus much I speake to you my Brethren to thēd you should not feare those that haue power to kill the body and with your patience you shall possesse you
soules and he that shall perseuer to the end shal be saued Of the Preachers THE XVII CHAPTER THe preaching of the gospell being the food and nourishment of the soule lett no Brother or Minister authorise himselfe and enterprise to preach without licence of his Superiours and lett such as â—â—albe authorised be very respectiue not to preach against the forme and constitutions of our holy mother the Church Lett the Minister Prouincials be aduertised not to admitt to any chardge especially in matter of importance all personnes indifferently but lett them formerly consider well therof Lett the Brethren that shal be admitted to preach or to exercise any other obedience take heed not to attribute to themselues or to their merittes the office which they shall haue and particulerly that of preaching they ought rather to practise by worckes then by faire elected wordes and therfore att all times and whensoeuer they shal be aduertised to desist from preaching lett them without any contradiction entierly forbeare to preach Therfore by charity which is God himselfe I pray all my Brethren Preachers Oratours and other Officers and Ministers as well Preistes as lay that they endeauour continually to debase and humble themselues and that they neither glory nor take complacence in any good that God doeth or speaketh by them because such worck is not theirs but Goddes and that they remember that which our lord IESVS CHRIST saith Esteeme not the more of your selues for that you see the deuils subiect vnto you and lett each on rest assured that we haue nothing of our owne but vices and sinnes and when we finde our selues tempted and oppressed with diseases and afflictions as well in soule as in body we should reioyce in hope of eternall life Lett vs beware of pride and vaine glory of the wisdome of the world and the prudence of the flesh which endeauoureth to speake well but litle to doe well For it seeketh not a religion and sanctity of spiritt but a religion and sanctity exteriour and apparant vnto men for these are they of whome our lord speaketh when he saith I tell you in verity you haue already your reward The spiritt which is of God desireth the flesh should be mortified misprised and esteemed vile and that it endeauour to be humble patient pure duly subiected to the spiritt and especially rooted in the feare and loue of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost referring all good thinges to the most high lett vs acknoledge our selues to be his and lett vs continually yeld him thankes as one from whome dependeth and proceedeth all our good Therfore are all honours and all benedictions due to him alone by reason also that he is the true and soueraigne good And therfore when we shall see any thing il done or ill spoaken against his holy name lett vs on the contrary endeauour to prayse exalt and thanck him as blessed for euer world without end Amen Now and when the Ministers ought to assemble THE XVIII CHAPTER THe Minister Prouinciall ought with all his Brethren to assemble together euery yeare att the feast of S. Michael in some coÌ„modious place to treat and determine of matters behoufull for the seruice of God and ReligioÌ„ And all the Minister Prouincials that are beyond the sea and in places on the other side the Mountaines shall asseÌ„ble once euery three yeares the other Minister Prouincials shall come euery yeare to the Chapiter in the Church of S. Mary of Angels if the Minister generall dispose not otherwise to whose ordonnance all ought to obey That all Brethren ought to liue Catholiquely THE XIX CHAPTER LEtt all the Brethren be Catholiques and as such liue Catholiquely and if any one should erre in faith or in the instution and constitutions of holy Churche either by worckes or wordes if he doe not forthe with rectifie himselfe lett him be vtterly expelled out of our ReligioÌ„ We ought to acknoledge for our Superiours all Prelates and Religious in that which concerneth the good estate of our soule prouided that they proceed not against our Order and our Rule Of the confesion and communion of the Brethren THE XX. CHAPTER LEtt all my Brethren as well Preistes as the laity the blessed of God coÌ„fesse to the Preistes of our Order and if in case they caÌ„not they may confesse to an other Preist that is prudent and Catholique and lett them firmely beleeue that by the pennance and absolution giuen them they shal be absolued of all their sinnes and therfore lett them endeauour with the greatest faith and humility that they can to accomplish the penance that shal be enioyned them And if they should be in a place where they could not haue commodity of a Preist lett them in such case confesse with their Brethren as the Apostle saith Confesse your sinnes one to an other But let them not yet omitt when they shall haue meanes to repaire to Preistes because they alone haue the authority and power of God to bind and loose Being so contrite and coÌ„fested lett them with exceeding humility and reuerence receiue the most sacred sacrament calling to minde that which God saith he that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud hath life euerlasting And in an other place Doe this for a commemoration of me Of praysing God and exhorting Christians to pennance THE XXI CHAPTER VVHen my Brethren shall know and esteeme it expedient to preach to the people hauig imparted the benediction of God they may vse these wordes Feare loue honour praise continually and say yee Be thou blessed almighty God Trinity and vnitie Father Sonne and holy Ghost Creatour of all thinges I beseech thee to permitt me to performe fruites worthy of penance and to know this truth that we shall shortly die and that att that instant the knotte of this soule and body shall end to be either eternally happy or eternally miserable They must exhort such as haue bin offended to pardon as God doth pardon vs and to this effect lett them vnderstand that if they doe not pardon they shall not be pardonned and that they shal be blessed that shall die contrite because their place shal be in heauen and miserable shall they be that shall die impenitent because they shal be children of the deuill whose worckes they haue wrought and therfore shall they discend into eternall sier Be carefull my beloued Brethren to shunne all vices and perseuer in god euen to the end that God may blesse you An Exhortation he made to all the Brethren THE XXII CHAPTER LEtt vs be mindefull of that which our lord sayth loue your enemies and doe good to them that hate you Because besides what he hath taugbt vs by worde he hath in like sort taught vs by effect whose steppes we ought to imitate As then he called Iudas his freind though he knew he would betray him and voluntarily presented himselfe to them that were to crucifie him so likewise lett vs repute them our freindes that