had seene that from this tyme forward her whole care and studie was how to recouer the same againe Now whē our Lord had after this maner watered the roote of his litle plāt with the dewe of his sweet blessing she began foorthwith to yeald not only buddes blossomes of great matters in expectation but also ripe frutes of diuerse and sundrie excellent and perfecte vertues in so much that in all her behauiour she shewed her selfe to all those that God vowchsafed to conuerse with her not like an infant as her yeares required nor yet like a young woman which not withstanding in that age had ben a verie strange matter but like a graue and sad matrone This heauenlie fyer of Gods holie loue had wrought such an alteration in her hart such a light in her vnderstanding such a feruour in her will such a plyantnes in all her powers both of bodie and sowle to folowe the instincte of his holie Spirite that to them that sawe her behauiour and tooke good heed to her wordes and deedes it seemed that she was wholly transformed into IESVS-CHRIST her sweet spowse and Sauiour In so much that on a daie going to confession as her maner was she declared of her selfe to her gostlie father that she had learned the liues and austeritie of diuerse auncient fathers in Egipt other Sainctes and specially of the holy patriarke S. Dominicke not by the teaching of men nor by reading in bookes but by reuelation from God and that she had such a desire to frame her life after the examples and rules of those holy men that she could think vpon none other thing but only how to bring the same to passe Whervpon she entred into a newe course of life which was so strange vnwonted especially in that tender age that all men had great wonder of it First of all she gaue ouer all maner of plaie and sport wherein yong children are wont to take delite Then she withdrewe her selfe from all companie that she might haue the freer and more familiar accesse to God in holie meditations and praiers She bound her selfe to a wonderfull kinde of silence she punished her bodie with much abstinence and other hard discipline The which that she might doe with the more commoditie secrecy she sought out a priuie place in the howse where she might scourge her selfe with a cord which she had prouided for that purpose And as she was a towardlie scholer in the schoole of Christ yealding her selfe verie ployantly to be lead from vertue to vertue whether soeuer it pleased the spirite of God to lead her so was she also a diligent and discrete schole-mistres and vsed meanes to allure and trayne other litle children also of her age in the same patthes of vertue and austere life In so much that when the neighbours children resorted vnto her as they did oftentymes being sterred to grace by the sweet wordes and holie example of this gratious infant they would gather them selues together in a certaine secret place of the howse which she had chosen out for the nonce and there would they scourge them selues as they sawe her to doe saying in the meane tyme ech of them a certaine nomber of Pater nosters and Aue Maries according as she prescribed them to saie By these other the like exercises of piety and deuotion she fownd such fauour in the sight of her heauenlie spowse that verie manie tyme when she set hir self to goe vp and downe those staiers in her fathers howse saying her Aue Maries after such sort as we declared before it was seene by diuerse and sundrie persones that she was caried sensibly in the ayer by the almightie power of God and ministerie of Angels without towching anie steppe of the same with her feete And this happened vnto her namely at those tymes when she retired her selfe from all companie and specially of men And there is no doubt but that it happened in that place to geue her and others to vnderstand how acceptable that deuotion towardes the most glorious mother of God which she exercised in that place was to almightie God Of a bold entreprise which this blessed infant made to liue a solitarie life after the maner of auneiēt Fathers in Egipt And how she vnderstood that it was not the wil of God that she should enter into that state of life as yet Chap. 3. THis yong virgin had learned by reuelation that the trade of life which the auncient Heremites liued in Egipt was verie acceptable vnto God and therfore she had a passing great desire to seeke out some solitaire place in the wildernes where she might likewise liue after their rules and examples But she could not deuise how to bring her desired purpose to passe And bicause it was not the will of God that she should take that trade of life in such maner as she desired he left her in this point to her owne natural wit and would geue her none other direction but only what her owne childish wit could deuise Wherupon to accomplish the great desire that she had to serue God in the wildernes on a daie tymely in the mornyng she made her prouision like a child of one loafe of bread and with the same tooke her waie towardes her sisters howse which was maried dwelt neere vnto the gate of S. Ansanus Howbeit she entred not into the howse as she was wont to doe but passed by and went out at the gate and so did she neuer before that tyme. And so passing foorth vntill she came at the lenght where she sawe the howses standing one here and an other there and not together as she was wont to see them in the citie she begā to be glad hoped wel that she was neere to the wildernes Yet she held on her waie a litle further and came at the last to a place where she fownd a litle caue vnder a bancke which pleased her very well And foorth with she entred into the same with passing great ioye gladnes for she persuaded her selfe verily that she had now fownd out that wildernes that she so much desired And when she was entred she stood not long to consider of the opportunitie of the place or how she might accōmodate her selfe in that newe oratorie but by and by without anie further aduisement or consideration she fell downe on her knees and set her selfe to praier with great humilitie and feruour of spirite The which lowly and deuout mynd was so acceptable in the sight of our Lord that although it was not his holie will and pleasure that she should followe that order of life yet to geue her to vnderstand that no holie desire or purpose shal euer passe vnrewarded he gaue her this tokē As she was praying with a verie vehement bent of mynd she was taken vp by litle and litle from the earth where she kneeled and her bodie was lifted vp as high as the height of
vse at tymes by reason of great infirmities and diseases vnto the which her bodie was verie much subiecte The which thing her ghostlie Father vnderstanding at the lenght by them not long before her death being moued with pittie commanded her by vertue of obedience that she should leaue it off Which though she was verie loth to doe bicause she perswaded her self that the roughnes therof had a great comformitie with the life of Christ yet bicause she knewe on the other side that obedience was more acceptable in the sight of God then anie austeritie of life she did humbly as she was commaunded Of her wonderful watching and of the griefe that her mother tooke for the same Chap. 11. HEr watching was verie strange wonderful for at the length she had by a litle and litle so ouercome sleepe that in two daies two nightes she would allowe no more but one halfe hower to sleepe the which halfe hower also she would neuer take but when very feeblenes of bodie constreined her Her bed as it is said before was bare bordes her bolster or pillowe a hard peece of wood The which thing her mother perceiuing being moued with motherlie affection and pitie towardes her owne flesh entreated her earnestly that she would geue ouer her owne hard bed for a tyme and be contented to lie with her vpon her bed and there to take her sleepe if she could if she could not at the least to rest her selfe a litle She shewed her selfe in all pointes obedient to her mother and went with her into her chamber and when her mother was laid in one side of the bed she went laid her selfe downe in the other side Where she continued watching in praier and meditation vntill at the lenght perceiuing her mother to be fast a sleepe she rose vp softely without making anie noyse gott her selfe to her wonted exercises But the suspicious mother whose hart was euermore waking espied forthwith the wilines of her daughter and tooke it verie grieuously VVherupon the good daughter who had alwaies a great care to doe nothing that might grieue her mother deuised a newe sleight by the which she thought she might both satisfie her mothers mynd and exercise in some degree her accustomed discipline She tooke two peeces of tymber and put them priuily into the bed vnder the sheet on that side where she should lie and laid her selfe downe vpon the same But it was not so secretly done but that the mother who had a great iealousie of all her doinges within a short tyme fownd it out The which when she espied and sawe withal that how diligent and carefull soeuer she was to qualifie the rigour of her daughters life she would on the other side be as politike and inuentiue to find meanes to continue the same as one ouercome she gaue ouer and said vnto her after this maner Daughter I see well it booteth not to striue with you anie longer I doe but leese my labour Wherfore a Gods name goe your waie take your rest in your owne chāber at what tyme and after what maner yee shall thinke best And so after this tyme she entermedled no more in her doings but suffred her freely to folowe the instincte guidāce of the holie Ghost in all thinges When the blessed virgin had thus by her godlie wilines ouercome this battaille that was raised against her by the malice of the ghostlie enemie to hinder her heauenlie designemētes she returned to her former spiritual exercises againe with a passing great increase of feruour and deuotion She tooke such a delite in meditating reasonyng vpon thinges apperteinyng to godlines that doctour Raimundus her ghostlie Father who was a verie graue wise and learned man affirmed this to be a thing which he tooke to be most certainly true that if she might haue come into the companie of men of vnderstanding that would haue reasoned with her of God a hundred nightes she would haue continued with them in such communication without eating drinking or sleeping Yea he affirmed furthermore that whē she had anie such occasion to speake or heare others speake of God she was sensibly nourished recreated and conforted withal as contrary wise when she might not be so occupied it was euidently seene that she drooped and became leane drie and feeble He confessed also to the honour of God of his holie spowse though withal to his owne shame confusion when that blessed virgin would at tymes speake of the goodnes of God and of his mercies towardes her he by reason of the lenght of tyme which she spent euermore willingly about that matter and also bicause he was farre from that feruour of loue that was in her being ouercome with the heauines of his bodie fell into a slomber she in the meane tyme being mightiely caried vp into God by the vehemence of her spirite continued her discourse still taking no heed to him vntill at the lenght after a long tyme casting her eye aside and seeing that he was a sleepe she would crie to him alowd and saie Alas Father why leese you the profite of your sowle for a litle sleepe Doe I speake to a wall or to you How she beate her selfe for a long tyme thrise in the daie with a chaine of yron Chap. 12. THis holie virgin hauing a great desire to folowe the steppes of S. Dominicke vsed for a long space to beate her selfe three tymes euery daie with a chaine of yron The first tyme for her selfe the second for the liuing the third for the dead The which discipline she was enforced at the lenght to geue-ouer by reason of the weakenes of her bodie Being demaunded on a tyme of her ghostlie Father how and after what maner she did that penance she answered with great bashfulnes that for euerie tyme she tooke an hower and a halfe and beat her selfe so that the blood tricled downe from her shoulders to her feet And while she was in this exercise laid on so sore vpō her bodie that her mother being one tyme neere vnto the chamber hearing the noise of the strokes was in wardly moued with motherlie pitie and so entred in sodainly vpon her But when she sawe the maner of it when she beheld presently with her eyes the roughe yrō chaine wher with she beate her selfe the bodie of daughter miserably rent and torne the bloodie streames that ranne downe to the grownd on all sides being ouercome with natural compassion she cried out like a woman besides her selfe and said Alas Daughter what doest thou what meanest thou Wilt thou kill thy selfe Who hath counselled my daughter to exercise such crueltie vpon her tender bodie with that she scright out as lowd as euer she could and tare her haire and clothes and sared like a madd woman In so much that the neighbours rownd about hearing the lamentable criyng of the old woman and dowbting of some strange and heauie mischance came runnyng into
aboue the course of nature I will doe now as I did when I was conuersant in the worlde at what tyme I sent simple men idiots and fisshers but replenished with heauenlie knowledge and strength of my spirite to controll the wisedome of the worlde so will I send thee at this tyme and other ignorant persones both men and women to confownd the pride of those that are wise in their owne eyes The which confusion if they receiue and humble them selues before me confessing that all wisedome power is myne if they will reuerently embrace my doctrine spread throughout the worlde by such weake fraile vessels I will haue mercie vpon them and geue them a further increase of grace and their confusion shal be to them a medicine vnto euerlasting saluation But if they refuse to receiue this medicine and will needes folowe on in their old course despising my holie word persecuting my belowed seruantes and frindes I shall bring them to such confusion that the whole worlde shall despise them and set them al at naught And if after such temporal confusion in this worlde they shewe them selues stiffe necked and vnrecouerable I will adiuge them moreouer to euerlasting confusion in the world to come Where with great bitternes of hart and penance without frute they shall see them selues so much depressed and holden downe vnderneth them selues as they had a desire in this life to be magnified and exalted aboue them selues Wherefore daughter set thy selfe in a readines to be sent out into the worlde for I wil be with thee at all tymes and in all places I will visite thee and directe thee in all thinges that I shall send thee to doe When she heard that she bowed downe her head with great reuerence and went downe as our Lord had willed her to eate with the rest of the howsehold with whom she continued for that tyme bodily but her hart was fixed in God And whatsoeuer she sawe or heard of wordlie affaires was tedious and yrckesome vnto her and therefore so soone as she might conueniently she withdrewe her selfe out of all companie and returned againe to her Cell that she might there with the greater quetnes enioye the desired presence of him in whom she had reposed her whole loue and felicitie From that tyme foreward there grewe in her a passing great desire of receiuing the blessed Sacrament of the bodie and blood of Christ whereby she beleeued faithfully that she should receiue a further increase of grace and be vnited to God not only with the vnion of spirite but also after a sort with a blessed coniunction of bodies while she receiued his most blessed bodie into her bodie Of her vertuous and lowclie conuersation emong men and how she would debase her selfe to doe the vilest seruices in the howse Of manie strange visitations excesses and trawnses which she had in the presence of manie Chap. 2. BEing thus appointed by the expresse commaundement of God to spend some part of her life in the compaine of men that her conuersation might be the more fruteful to them in all her doinges she shewed a meruelous profownd and syncere humilitie withal a verie earnest hartie zeale to the honour of God to the edifying of al such as happened to cōuerse with her For shewe of a great humilitie she set her selfe with a verie willing and cheereful mynd to doe all the vilest fowlest seruices in the howse as to swepe the howse to scowre vessels to wassh disshes and to doe other more base and lothsome seruices then these such as doe properly apperteine to abiecte seruantes and drudges And it pleased God also that the seruant of the howse should be often sicke by reason whereof her charge trauaile was doubled For it laie vpon her both to serue the whole howsehold withal to haue a verie special and diligent regard to the seruant that was sicke All the which notwithstanding she would find a tyme to geue her selfe to her wonted exercises of praier and penance and to continue as it were with certaine enterteinementes her loue and familiaritie with her spowse who to answere her loue visited her also by euident miracle diuerse and sundrie tymes in the presence of all that liued in howse with her While she was occupied about the seruices of the howse it happened verie often that she was in a trawnce at what tyme her bodie was lifted vp into the ayer and hong there without anie thing to staie it vp euē as a peece of yron is wōt to hang at the adamant stone And as we see that fyer doth naturally tend vpward euen so was it made in a sort almost natural to her by reason of the heauenlie fyer with the which her hart was wholly inflamed to be caried vp towardes Christ her spowse in whom only her spirite fownd rest In the tyme while she was in such trawnces which happened verie often vnto her it was euidently seene by as manie as chaunced then to be present that her sowle did withdrawe it selfe from the bodilie senses and that it did so forsake the bodie that her handes feete were drawen together in so much that if they happened to latch at anie thing they held it so fast that yee might sooner breake them thē sunder them from the thing of the which they tooke hold Her eyes were closed vp her necke was stiffe like an horne and it was no small daunger once to towche her in that tyme though it were done neuer so gently Her mother on a tyme standing by assaied to set her necke straight for it seemed to her that it stood a litle awrie But as God would haue it one of the sisters that was then present vnderstood the danger of the same cried out vnto her and bad her in anie case that she should not doe it And anon after when she came to her selfe againe she felt her necke so sore as if it had ben beaten with a staffe And she said furthermore to doctour Raimundus her ghostlie Father that if her mother had put a litle more strength vnto it she had without all doubte broken her necke How being in a trawnse she fell into the fyer and continued there a good while without anie harme Chap. 3. IT happened on a daie that this holie maid was turnyng the spit at a hoat fyer of coales to rost a peece of meate for the howsehold At what tyme being her selfe rosted within with a farre hoater fyer of the spirite of God then was that fyer that rosted the meate on the spit she was rauished in sowle and taken awaie from her bodilie senses by reason wherof the spit stood still The which thing her brothers wife called Lysa perceiuing and knowing right well the condicions of the holie maid tooke the spit out of her hand let her alone When the meat was readie the howsehold set them selues at the table and taking a conuenient tyme for their repast sawe
she was come the sicke woman which was now verie weake in bodie but well strengthened in spirite made signes of great reuerence and ioye and partly with woordes as well as she could partly with tokens and gestures of bodie and countenance she lamented her vncharitable demeanour towardes her and besought her of mercy and pardon That done she made her cōfession with great humilitie and contrition so receiuing the Sacramentes rightes of holie Church she yealded vp her soule to God At what tyme it pleased almightie God to shewe to the holie virgin what a blesful beautiful state that saued sowle was in which as she declared afterwardes to her ghostlie father was so great that no tongue of man is able to expresse it And yet was not this that beawtie that she should receiue afterwardes in the blesse of heauen but only that godlie state that the sowle had in her first creation and receiued againe at the tyme of her Baptisme Thē said our Lord to the holie maid How saiest thou my deere daughter is not this a faire and goodlie sowle which through thy paines and diligēce is now recouered out of the hādes of the enemie What man or woman would refuse to take paines for the wynning of such a beawtiful creature If I which am the most high and soueraigne beawtie and of whom proceedeth all maner of beawtie was notwithstāding so ouercome with the loue and beawtie of mans sowle that I refused not to come downe from heauen to clad my selfe with the simple weede of mans bodie in the same to susteine labours and reproches for the space of manie daies and yeares and in the end to shed myne owne blood for his redemption yet had I no need of mans sowle but was most sufficiently and most perfectly blessed in my selfe how much more ought you to labour one for an other and doe what in you lieth for the recouerie of such a noble and excellent creature For this cause haue I shewed thee the beawtie of this sowle that hereafter thou mightest both thy selfe be the more earnest about the wynnyng of sowles and also procure others to doe the like With that she thanked our Lord in most humble maner and besought him furthermore that he would vowchsafe to geue her a newe grace which was that she might from that tyme foreward be able to see the state and condicions of all such sowles as should by occasions haue anie conuersation or dealing about spiritual matters with her that by the sight of the same she might be the more prouoked to procure their saluation Vnto the which demaund our Lord made answere after this maner Daughter bicause thou hast forsaken all carnal conuersation for my sake and hast by all meanes laboured to vnite thy selfe to me in spirite which am the most excellent and soueraigne spirite therefore I here make thee a full graunt that from this verie instant thy soule shal be endewed with such a gracious light that thou shalt see and behold both the beawtie and also the deformitie of euerie sowle that is presented before thee And as hitherto thou hast seene the proportion and qualitie of bodies with thy bodilies eyes euen so from this tyme foreward thou shalt see the condicions of sowles with the spiritual eye of thy sowle not only of such as shal be present before thee but also of all other for whose sowles health thou shalt make intercession to me though thou neuer see them with thy bodilie eyes How she serued an old widdowe that had a festered sore runnyng vpon her by whom she was also infamed And of diuerse strange accidentes that ensued vpon the same Chap. 11. THere was emong the sisters of penance one sister called Andrea who had vpon her brest a verie lothsome sore commonly called a Canker This sore had fretted and eaten so much flesh rownd about and the corruption of the same yealded such an horrible sauour that none might come neere for stench By reason whereof there was none fownd that would attend vpon her in her sickenes The which thing when the holie maid vnderstood she went out of hand to visite her and seeing her vtterly forsaken and destitute of all succour and comfort she made her selfe well assured that the prouidence of God had reserued that sister for her keeping And so accepting the charge of her as at Gods hand she began to speake comfortable wordes vnto her and to make her a free offer of her owne person to attend and serue her to the vttermost of her power which made the widowe a glad woman The holie maid therefore set her selfe to the seruice of that poore woman she tooke care for her that she might haue whatsoeuer was necessarie or requisite for a woman in that case when tyme was she opened her sore clensed it of all the fowle matter she was shed it and wypt it and couered it againe with plaisters and cleane clothes and in all this she neuer shewed so much as one litle token of lothsomenes but did euerie thing with such diligence and cheerefulnes that the sicke sister was astoined to see so great loue and charitie in a maid of those yeares But the malicious feend who hath great enuie at all workes of charitie bent him selfe to doe all that in him laie to disannull if it were possible if not at the least to hinder this godlie and merciful enterprise so much as might be And first of all vpon a daie as the holie maid was about to open the sore to dresse it there came out such an horribile stench that she could hardly beare it but that she must needes vomite The which thing when she perceiued she entred into a passing great choler and displeasure against her owne skeymish bodie ane stomake and said to her selfe Ah vile and wretched flesh dost thou loath thy sister whom our Lord hath bought so deerely euen with the price of his owne most precious blood The daie maie come when thou also maiest fall into the like sickenes or peraduenture worse As I am a Christian woman thou shalt abide for it And with that she bowed downe and held her mowth and nose ouer the sore so long vntill at the length it seemed that she had comforted her stomake quite ouercome the skeymishnes that she felt before All the which tyme he sicke sister cried out vnto her and said Good daughter stand vp good daughter geue ouer cast not thy selfe awaie endanger not thy bodie with this infectuous sauour But she would neuer geue ouer vntill she had ouercome both the tew lines of her owne stomake and also the tentation of the ghostlie enemie When the suttle serpent sawe that this his assault was thus repelled being vtterly in despaire of anie better successe against that holie virgin which stood euermore like a strong fortresse well furnished defenced he deuised to laie his batterie to the weake woman whom he knewe to be of lesse experience and
maid How almightie God permitted the deuel to haue power ouer her bodie and how she ouercame all with great patience Chap. 33. THe malice that the damned sprites bare to this holie virgin was verie great and the battailes that they made continually against her to remoue her from her constancie and vowe of virginitie were surely verie fierce and cruel All the which she ouercame by the grace of God and triumphed ouer all their malice and wilines as we haue in part touched before but as our Lord would not suffer them to haue anie power ouer her soule which could not be without synne so did he permit them to vexe her bodie and put it to great paine for her further increase of merite and higher crowne In so much that some tymes they threwe her into the fyer sometymes they cast her downe headlong from her horse and one tyme when doctour Raimundus her Confessour with diuerse other was present they hurled her downe in such sort that both she and her horse were ouer the head and eares in the myer Wherat she smyled pleasantly and said to her companie Be not afraid for this is the worke of Malatasca And this happened most commonly vnto her when she had done some special worke that tended to the edifying of soules As she declareth verie well her selfe in her hundreth and sixt epistle where after that she had declared what intolerable paines she suffred which were in deed so vehement that for verie paine she raught at her garmentes and looke how much she latched with her hand so much she rent awaie and how the next daie being to write letters to the Popes holines and to three Cardinals when she had ended her letler to the Pope she was able to write no more by reason of the violent paines that came vpon her she writeth these wordes And so standing stil a litle while there began a terrour of deuels which was done in such sort that they set me quite besides my selfe raging like mad dogges against me as though I seelie worme had ben the occasion of taking out of their handes that which they had holden longe tyme in the holie Church And this terrour together with the paine of my bodie was so great that I had thought to haue gone from my studie and to get me to the chappell as though my studie had ben the occasion of my paines but sodainly I was throwen downe And being throwen downe it seemed to me that my soule was departed from my body howbeit not so as when it was departed in deed for then my soule did tast the felicitie of the immortal spirites and did receiue that most soueraigne blessednes with them But now it seemed as a thing reserued though it seemed not to be in my bodie but I sawe my bodie as though it had ben an other These be the verie wordes that she writeth in that epistle in the which she describeth certaine newe battailes made against her by those damned sprites farre greater and more terrible then euer she susteined at anie other tyme. And in the next epistle she declareth how she was verie sore beaten and tormented by them bicause she praied with a great zeale for the Catholike Church where she saieth moreouer that the more she suffred in her bodie the greater was her loue towardes the Church and the more she desired to see the same refourmed How she deliuered a certaine yong maid that was possessed of a wicked sprite Chap. 34. AS it was well knowen to diuerse and sundrie persones that this holie maid was meruelously vexed and put to intolerable paines by the malice of wicked sprites so it pleased God to shewe likewise to the wordle that he had graunted her as it were by special priuilege authority iurisdiction ouer the said sprites to commaund bynd and cast them out at her pleasure to the great comfort of the true and humble seruantes of God and withal to the vtter confusion of those proude sprites that set them selues vp against God and his seruantes as maie appeere euidently by these examples here ensewing There was in the citie of Siena a certaine notarie called maister Michael who when he was well striken in yeares determined with the consent of his wife to forsake the wordle and to geue him selfe to a more streigth order of life He determined also to dedicate two of his daughters to the seruice of God in a monasterie founded in the name honour of S. Iohn Baptist in the same citie Where when they had continued a certaine tyme one of the daughters whose name was Laurentia a child of eight yeares old was by the secret iudgement of God posessed with a wicked sprit by reason wherof the whole monasterie was much disquieted Wherupon by common consent they sent for her father and gaue him his daughter againe After that this child was thus taken out of the monasterie the wicked sprite vttered many wonderful thinges by her mouth and answered to manie darcke and hard questions And which was most strange he spake commonly in the latine tongue He disclosed also manie secret vices of diuerse and sundrie persones to their great reproach and slaunder Which thing turned the father and mother and others also of their kinred and acquentance to great heauines who left no meane vnsought wherby they thought they might ease the child Emong other thinges wherin those deuout folkes hoped in tyme to find helpe comfort one special meane was the reliques of Sainctes kept in manie places in the citie vnto the which places they resorted daily with all diligence namely to S. Ambrose tombe who had ben in his life tyme a Fryer preacher to whome almightie God had graunted a singular grace in casting out deuels frō such as were possessed in so much that his cope or scapular which were there kept being laied vpon them that were vexed with vncleane sprites did verie commonly chase them awaie Wherfore they brought the child thither and laied her downe vpon the tombe cast the said clothes ouer her And the father and mother in the meane tyme set them selues earnestly to praier beseeching our Lord with great instance that it would please him at the contemplation of that holie Saincte to take mercie on their child But their praier was not heard as then Which thing happened vnto them not for anie synne that they committed but bicause it was otherwise disposed by the prouident wisdome of God who vndoubtely put it in the heartes of certaine of their frindes to geue them counsel that they should repraire to the holie maid for the reliefe of their child Which counsel they folowed in deed and first sent vnto her praying her in most earnest maner that she would vouchsafe to doe her best to helpe their daughter wherunto she made answere that she had inough to doe with the wicked sprites that did from tyme to tyme molest and trouble her selfe and therfore praied them that they would hold her
wrought to declare how acceptable her workes of charitie were to him Chap. 8. Of a passing great charitie and diligence which she vsed in attending vpon a sicke woman and of her inuincible patience in bearing the waywardnes of the same woman Chap. 9. An other verie strange example of her charitie and patience towardes a sicke woman of her owne order and how she rendred great good for great euel Chap. 10. How she serued an old widowe that had a festered sore runnyng vpon her by whom she was also infamed And of diuerse strange accidentes that ensued vpon the same Chap. 11. How she was endued with manie goodlie priuileges How she had a passing desire to receiue the blessed Sacrament How being fortified with the spirite of God she endured much labour and trauaile without anie bodelie sustenance Chap. 12. How she was molested by diuerse and sundrie persones disswading her from her streight abstinence and how she ouercame her gostlie father by reason Chap. 13. How her strange maner of life was gainesaid and slaundered and how such gainesayinges and slaunders maie easily be answered Chap. 14. How she shewed her selfe meruelous seuere and rigorous towardes her selfe and contrariwise wonderfull gentle and meeke towardes them that slaundered her which she did to wynne them to God Chap. 15. How our Sauiour tooke her hart out of her bodie and after a certaine of daies gaue her a newe for it Chap. 16. Of diuerse and sundrie visions which she had at the siight and receiuing of the blessed Sacrament and how she felt herselfe wonderfully altered after the receite of that newe hart Chap. 17. How our Lord reueled manie high mysteries to the holie maid and how Marie Magdalen was assigned to her to be her mother Chap 18. How hangyngh in the aier she sawe certaine secrets and high mysteries of God which it is not lawful to disclose to anie man Chap 19. How she put her mouth to the side of our Sauiour and drancke and of manie other wonderful thinges that happend about the blessed Sacrament Chap 20. Of certaine other reuelations shewed vnto her vpon the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament And how she obteined graces for diuerse and sundrie persones Chap 21. How she receiued the blessed marckes of our Sauiour Christ in the citie of Pisa Chap. 22. How she was rauished in spirite for the space of three daies and how afterwardes she did penance as long for a woord that escaped her vnwares Chap. 23. Of certaine other reuelations and againe of the tendernes of her conscience Chap. 24. How it pleased God to reueale to her the worthines and excellencie of the blessed patriarke S. Dominicke and of his true children Chap. 25. How the holie virgin being wholly inflamed with the Loue of God desired instantly to be loosed from this life and to be with Christ and how by that meane she obteined to beare in her bodie euerie particular paine that our Sauiour Christ suffred for vs. Chap. 26. How bearing the Crosse of Christ continually in her bodie she tooke great delite to reason of the same and how she reuealed manie strange mysteries vpon the holie scriptures concerning the Crosse Chap. 27. An other exposition vpon the same place of the gospel with certaine other mystical sayinges And how she passed in deed out of this life in the panies of the Crosse Chap. 28 How she passed in deed out of this life and had the fruition of heauenlie ioyes and how afterwardes her soule came againe to the bodie Chap 29. How she had a meruelous deuotion and longyng after the blessed Sacrament and how she bare manie reproaches and slaunders for the same Chap. 30. How our Sauiour Christ ministred the blessed Sacrament vnto her with his owne holie hand Chap. 31. How her face did shyne like an Angel while she was receiuing the blessed Sacrament and of certaine other strange signes Chap. 32. How almightie God permitted the deuel to haue power our her bodie and how she ouercame all with great patience Chap. 33. How she deliuered a certanie yong maid that was possessed of a wicked spirite Chap. 34. How she deliuered a woman that was possessed of a wicked spirite Chap. 35. A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTEINED IN THE THIRD PART OF THIS BOOKE HOw the holie maid was endued with the spirite of prophecie and foretold what calamities should happen to the Church and likewise how it should be restored againe Chap. 1. How the holie maid sawe the secret thoughtes of mens hartes and how she vsed that gyfte to the benefite of diuerse and sundrie persones Chap. 2. How the holie maid deliuered Doctour Thomas her confessour and an other Frier that iournied with him from being murthered in the waie Chap. 3. How she prophecied long tyme before of the conuersion of a gentleman called Francis of Malauolt Chap. 4. How the holie maid made an exhortation to the Carthusian monckes in the which by the spirite of prophecie she touched the most secret defectes of diuerse and sundrie of them verie particularly Chap. 5. VVhat a singular grace the holie maid had not only in seeing the state of their soules that were present with her but also in discernyng the qualities and condicions of them that were farre from her and in strange countries with certaine other pointes of like sort worthie to be noted Chap. 6. How the holie maid praied continually for the state of the Church and how by prayer she obteined of God the ceasing of two rebellions Chap. 7. How the holie maid obteined by prayer that she might satisfie the iustice of God for the paines due to her father in Purgatorie Chap. 8. How the holie maid by praier brought her mother to life againe and so deliuered her from the paines of hell Chap. 9. How the holie maid obteined of God by prayer the conuersion of two theeues that were lead to execution Chap. 10. How by the praier of the holie maid an obstinate synner was turned to God Chap 11. How the holie maid by praier procured the conuersion of a fierce yong gentleman in Siena called Iames Tolomes Chap. 12. How the holie maid by praier obteined the conuersion of a gentleman called Mannes Chap. 13. VVhat a wonderful grace the holie maid had in making exhortations and conuerting soules vnto God Chap. 14. How the holie maid mede manie goodlie Sermons or collations in the presence of Pope Gregorie and afterwardes likewise in the presence of Pope Vrbanus and his Cardinals Chap. 15. How the holie maid was sent to Pope Gregorie from the Florentines about a treatie of peace and how she was sent backe againe with the conditions of peace freely put in her owne hand Chap. 16. How the holie maid was sent backe from Pope Gregorie to the Florentines with the conditions of peace freely put in her owne hand Chap 17. How the holie maid shewed her selfe to be excellently well learned both by her writinges and workes set out to the whole wordle and also by her conferences and disputatiōs had with certaine great learned men Chap. 18 A briefe repitition or somme of manie pointes of heauenlie doctrine reuealed vnto the holie maid immediatly from God Chap. 19. A praier or answere made by a faithful and deuout soule to the wordes of almightie God here before recited Chap. 20. VVhat a sure affiance the holie maid had in the truth of Christ and how she longed after martyrdome Chap. 21. How the holie maid made a final exhortation to her spiritual children and so passed out of this life Chap. 22. A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTEINED IN THE FOVRTH PART OF THIS BOOKE HOw it pleased our Lord to make the holines of his spowse knowen to the wordle by diuerse and sundrie euident tokens from heauen And first how she spake certaine comfortable wordes to doctour Raimundus after her departure out of this wordle Chap. 1. How it pleased God to geue a testimonie of her holines in her life tyme by an euident miracle wrought at the tombe of S. Agnes Chap. 2. How the holie maid in her life tyme healed manie that were sicke of the plague Chap. 3. How the holie maid healed a great nomber that were sicke of other diseases after the liker maner Chap. 4. How the holie maid made good bread of fustie and stincking corne and how she multiplied the same Chap. 5. How the holie maid multiplied bread an other tyme in Rome for the prouisiom of her familie Chap. 6. How the holie maid wrought the like miracle in the couent of the fryers preachers in Siena after her departure out of this wordle Chap. 7. How almightie God caused wine to be founde in an emptie vessel to the vse of the holie maid and how he caused the same to cease againe at her instance Chap. 8. Of a goodlie vision that was shewed to a certaine deuout matrone in Rome at the departure of the holie maid out of this life Chap. 9 How the holie maides bodie laie three daies and three nightes aboue the ground vnburied and of a nomber of miracles which it pleased our Lord to worke in that meane tyme. Chap. 10. VVhat miracles almightie God wrought to honour the holie maid after her burial Chap. 11. The end of the Table
the caue would suffer her to rise And so she continued from mornyng till noone But whē she perceiued that she was thus lifted vp from the earth she began to feare and to suspecte that it might be some deceite of the ghostlie enemie whose drifte might be by this meane to put her in feare and so to hinder her designement of going into the wildernes And therfore she set her selfe to praie more feruently and to abase her self more and more before God Wherevpon about that verie hower that our Sauiour after his passion was taken downe from the Crosse it pleased his diuine maiesty that she likewise should descend by litle and litle in like maner as she had ascended And he made her to vnderstand by his secret inspiration that the tyme was not yet come in the which she should forsake her fathers howse and put her bodie to such penance and affliction Wherfore she was in mynd to returne home againe But when she came foorth and sawe her selfe all alone and beheld the gate of the citie which seemed to be so farre off that she douted her weake and feeble bodie would neuer be able to endure so long a iourney fearing also lest her father and mother should thinke that she had ben lost she set her selfe againe to praier and cōmitted the matter wholly to God who failed not to supplie the weakenes of his litle hand maid and sent a litle clowd which tooke her vp from the grownd and carying her in the ayer set her in a verie short tyme in the gate of the citie from whence she went with all speed home to her Father and mother who suspected nothing at all of anie such matter but thought she had ben with her sister Bonauentura How shee vowed her virginitie vnto almightie God Chap. 4. SVch was the vertue and operation of this afore mentioned reuelation that it drewe al wordlie loue and affection out of the hart of this yong maid and wrought in the same a certaine holie loue to the Sonne of God only and to his most glorious mother the virgin Marie And this loue was so great that she accounted all the delites and pleasures of this wordle as verie durt and dong in comparison of her sweet spowse Iesus Christ Moreouer being now seuen yeares old she had learned only by the inward instructiō of the holie Ghost in her hart that is was a goodly state of life withal verie acceptable vnto God to liue in all puritie cleannes both of bodie and sowle She had learned also that our blessed Ladie the most pure vnspotted mother of God was the first that dedicated her selfe by vowe to serue God in that most cleane and perfecte state of virginitie And therfore she thought it most expedient for the obteinyng of that grace to make her humble suite to her who had before al others obteined the same at Gods hand for her selfe and vndoubtedly for all those that should afterwardes require it at her hand with the like humilitie and earnest desire Being therfore of the age of seuen yeares she set her selfe verie grauely sadly to take aduisement what order of life was best for her to take and for the better resolution in that point she praied to our blessed Ladie queene of Angels and virgins that it would please her to make intercession to her deere Sonne that he would vowchsafe to teach her by the instincte of his spirite what waie she might best take that were most to his glorie and to her sowles health Our blessed Ladie mother of pitie and comfort by whose gracious mocion this holie desire was first planted in her hart heard the discrete demaund of this wise yong virgin and answered her iust request First with a dailie increase of greater desire longing after the thing requested which was to knowe how she might order her life to be most acceptable vnto God then also with a resolution from God certifying her by secret inspiration in her hart that his will and pleasure was that she should serue him with all purity both of bodie and sowle in the state of virginitie The which when she vnderstood she suffred not that heauenlie fyer enkendled in her hart to be quenched nor to slake but being wholly inflamed with the loue of that most excellent and goodlie maner of life she chose out a secret place in the howse farre from the conuersation of all persones where she might with the more freedome of spirite offer vp her praiers and vowes to almightie God and there composing her selfe both in bodie and mynd with all humilitie she made her praier after this maner O most blessed Ladie O most glorious and sacred virgin mother of God which before all other women diddest by vowe consecrate thy virginitie vnto God becamest therby so gratious in his sight that he would haue his only Sonne to be borne of thee I most humbly beseech thee trusting not in anie merites of myne owne but only in thyne vnspeakable pitie that thou wilt vowchsafe to obteine me such grace and fauour with thy only begotē Sōne that frō this day foreward I may take him for the lawful deerly belowed spowse of my sowle And I here geue my faith and promise both to him and to thee that I shall neuer take other spowse but shall by the assistance of his holie grace doe what in me lieth to keepe my selfe a true and vndefiled virgin to him alone Thus praied this yong handmaid of Christ with great lowlines and feruencie of of spirite And her praier was heard her vowe accepted and she receiued to be the vndefiled spowse of the vnspotted lambe of God Iesus Christ The which thing when she vnderstood as she did by and by by the inward inspiration of the holie Ghost being replenished with a certaine holie feare she emploied her whole care and studie how she might best keepe her selfe chast true to her deere spowse And though as yet she felt no motion to vncleannes in her flesh yet to prouide like a wise womā for the tyme to come she began euen in those tender yeares to tame her bodie with fasting watching abstinence from all deliteful thinges and namely from eating of flesh In so much that when anie flesh was laid vnto her at the table either she gaue it to her brother Steuen that sate by her or els she conueied it priuily awaie that no man might see it She praied verie often and much subdued her bodie with much hard and sharpe discipline sometymes by her selfe alone sometymes with other yong children which resorted vnto her at tymes and were as it were trayned vnder her in spiritual exercises And so with these and other the like workes she preserued increased the graces of God that were plāted in her by her deere spowse Iesus Christ Of a woderfull zeale that was in her to wynne sowles to God and how for that cause she cast a great loue to
feared God and had a more Christian consideration of thinges then the rest had calling to mynd the Doue which he had seene not lōg before ouer her head with diuerse sundrie other the like verie euident tokens of some strange grace and fauour of God towardes her after a good season when he had wonne so much of him selfe that he was able to speake made her this answere Deere Daughter said he God forbid that we should will or desire anie thinge contrarie to the will of God from whom we doubt not this holie determination of yours proceedeth Your long patience and constancie declare vnto vs verie euidently that this your designement cometh not of anie childish lightnes but of a feruent loue towardes God Doe therfore a Gods name freely what you haue vowed folowe the waie that the holie Ghost sheweth vnto you From this daie foreward we shall no more hinder you but shall confourme our willes to the will of God Only this praie hartely for vs to your spowse whom yee haue chosen in your tender age that we may after his life be fownd worthie of the blisse that he hath promised vs. Then turnyng to his wife and other children he said likewise to them From this daie foreward see that none of you be so hardie as to molest or hinder my Daughters deuotion Let her serue her spowse with all diligence and freedome for in truth this alliance that she hath made is both more honorable and also more for the aduancement of our familie then that was that we sought to make We haue no cause to complaine of her doinges The exchange that she hath made is this She hath refused to match with a mortal man and hath chosen to be maried to the immortal God and man Iesus Christ the redeemer of the wordle When the father had spoken these wordes not without manie teares both in him selfe and in others that were there present and namely in the mother who bare a verie tender and natural loue to this daughter the ioyous virgin whose hart was as it were rauished with vnspeakeable gladnes yealded most humble thankes First to almightie God by whose gracious assistance she had ouercome this battaile then to her father and mother for their most comfortable graunt made vnto her from that hower foreward she had none other care in her hart but how she might best directe her life wholye to the honour of her deere spowse Of her great Abstinence Chap. 9. AFter that her parentes had made her this graunt of freedome to serue God without anie hinderance or molestation she began foorthwith to dispose her life after a meruelous goodlie order And first of all she besought them that she might haue some litle chamber to her selfe which was graunted without anie difficultie in the which what rigorous discipline and austerite she exercised vpon her bodie with what diligence and carefulnes she sought to haue the deliteful presence of her spowse no tongue is able to expresse There began she to renewe the exercises of the auncient Fathers in Egipt which wer the more meruelous in her bicause they were done without anie example or instruction of man by a fraile woman in her tender age not in a wood caue or solitarie place but in a citie not in a couent of Nonnes but in her fathers howse At the verie entrie therfore into this streight maner of life first and foremost she resolued vtterly to absteine from all flesh the which kind of abstinence she continued so precisely that at the length by long vse and custome all flesh became lothsome vnto her in so much that it was euidently seene that the only smell of it was noysome to her bodie Wherby she became verie leane thynne and feeble Which thing her ghostlie Father perceiuing on a tyme and knowing that the cause therof was that she receiued no meate or drincke that was of good substance and nourishment gaue her counsel that she should put in her water which she dranke a litle suger to comfort and quicken the spirites Wherat she was somewhat moued and turnyng sodainly to him said these wordes That litle life that is lefte in me me thinketh yee goe about to quench it vtterly With that he began to examine her concernyng the order of her diet and fownd by examination that the wordes which she spake were verie true for in deed she had so accustomed her selfe to bitter meates and vnsauorie drinkes that all sweet thinges were become hurtful to her bodie forsomuch as her natural disposition was altered by custome Her ordinarie drinke from the begynning was a litle portion of wyne as the maner of that countrey is myngled with so much water that it lost both tast and sauour and a great part of the coulour also But when she was fiften yeares old she gaue ouer all wyne and drancke water alone She weaned her selfe likewise by litle and litle from all maner of sodden meates and susteined her bodie with bread only and a fewe rawe herbes After this when she was of the age of twentie yeares or there about she gaue ouer the eating of bread also and held her selfe to rawe herbes only Last of all she came to such a high state of life not by anie force of nature but by the supernaturall power of God that for a long tyme together she susteined her life without eating and drinking at all and yet endured withal willingly and cheerfully both verie paineful sickenesses and also verie hard labours of the bodie Moreouer and all this it was certainly knowen that her stomake had quite lost the office and power of digestion and yet neither was that moisture which the phisitians call Radical consummed nor the strenght of her fraile bodie anie iote decaied Which thing can not be ascribed to anie exercise or custome of abstinence but only to that fulnes of spirite which abounded so much in the sowle that it redownded into the bodie also Of the great austeritie which she vsed about her bed and apparel Of the shirt of haire and chaine of yron which she ware about her middle Chap. 10. SHe made her selfe a bed of boordes only without anie other thing betweene them her body vpon the which sometimes she sate or stood vpright in meditation and sometymes she kneeled or laie downe prostrate in praier And when she would lie downe to sleepe she neuer put of her clothes The clothes that she ware both next her bodie and without were all wollen Sometyme she would weare a rough shirt of haire vpon her skynne But bicause she was much geuen to cleanlines she tooke it that the haire was an occasion of some vncleannes she laid it aside tooke for it a chaine of yrō which she gyrded so hard to her sides that it made a deepe dent into the flesh as though it had ben burnt with a hoate yron as some of her spiritual companions and daughters reported afterwardes whose helpe she was ēforced to
sicke woman In this meane tyme the slaunderous rumour was bruted and came to her mothers eares Who for her selfe made no doubt at all of her daughters innocēcie for she knewe manie thinges that the worlde knewe not and yet she could not but take it verie heauelie when she heard tell that such a slawnder was raised vpon her The griefe wherof so ouercame her mynd that she flang to her daughter with great heat and vehemencie of spirite and began with her after this maner How often tymes haue I told thee that thou shouldest no more serue yonder stinging old croyne See now what reward she geueth thee for all thy good seruice she hath brought vp a foule slaunder vpon thee emong all thy sisters which God knoweth whether thou shalt euer be able to rid thy selfe of so lōg as thou liuest If euer thou serue her againe after this daie or if euer thou come where she is neuer take me for thy mother For I tell thee plaine I will neuer knowe thee for my daughter These and other the like wordes did the mother vtter in great heate choler whereat the daughter at the first was somewhat astoined But after a litle tyme when she had gathered her selfe together she went to her mother and kneeling downe before her with great reuerence she spake these wordes Sweete mother thinke you that our Lord would be pleased with vs if wee should leaue the workes of mercie vndone bicause our neigbour sheweth him selfe vnthankeful towardes vs When our Sauiour Christ hong on the Crosse and heard there the reprochful talke of that vngrateful people rownd about did he in regard of their cruel wordes geueouer the charitable worke of their redemption Good mother you knowe verie well that if I should leaue this old sicke woman she were foorthwith in great danger to perish for lacke of keeping bicause she should not find anie that would come neere her do such seruice as is requisite to be done about a woman in this case And so should I be the occasion of her death She is now a litle deceiued by the ghostlie enemie but she maie hereafter by the grace of God come to acknowledge her fault and be sorie for the same With such wordes she qualified her mothers mynd gate her blessing and so returned againe to the seruice of the sicke woman About whom she did all thinges with great diligence loue neuer shewing neither in wordes nor in countināce so much as anie token of discontētantiō or displeasure In so much that the sicke sister seeing her demeanour was verie much astoined withal ashamed of that she had done and so began to haue great sorrowe at hart and repentance for the slaunder that she had raised vpon her Then also it pleased our Lord to shewe his mercie towardes his faithful spowse to restore her againe to her good fame estimatimatiō after this maner On a daie the holie maide went to the sicke sisters chamber to serue her as she was wont to doe At what tyme as she was comyng towardes her bed where she laie to doe some thing that was to be done about her behold the sicke woman sawe a meruelous goodlie light commyng downe from heauen which filled all her chamber and was so beautifull and comfortable that it made her vtterly to forget all the paines of her disease What that sight might meane she could not conceiue But looking about her here and there she beheld the maidens face gloriously transformed the maiestie wherof was so strang that she seemed to her rather an Angel of heauen then anie earthlie creature And this beautiful light enuironed the holie virgins bodie rownd about The which brightnes the more the old woman beheld the more did she condemne the malice of her owne hart and tongue in that she had conceiued and vttered so fowle matter as she had done against such an excellent and pure creature as the holie maid then shewed to be This vision continued a good tyme and at the length when it ceased left the sicke woman both in sorrowe and also in comfort In sorrowe bicause on the one side she sawe what a heynous synne she had committed in dissamyng that innocent virgin In comfort bicause on the other side she sawe the mercie of God freely and franckely offred vnto her The which thing so mollified her hart that with much sobbing weeping she confessed her fault to the holie maid and besought her of pardon When the good virgin sawe the hūble maner of her repentance and submission she likewise verie amiably tooke the old woman in her armes kissed her and spake very sweet and comfortable wordes vnto her saying Good mother I haue no displeasure in the worlde against you but only against our enemie the Deuel by whose malice suttiltie I knowe all this is wrought but rather I haue to thanke you with all my hart for you haue put me in mynd to haue a more careful and vigilant regard to my selfe and so doing you haue turned the malicious drifte of the feend to my further good and commoditie With such sweet speeches she comforted the sicke sister and then she set her selfe to doe all such seruices as were wont to be done about her And when she had done all she tooke her leaue verie gently as her maner was and so retired her selfe to her chamber to geue God thankes so the prosperous successe that she had had in this matter and to enter into her accustomed exercise of praier meditation In this meane tyme the old woman who had a great care to restore the innocent virgin to her good name againe when anie of those came to her before whom she had made that slaunderous report tooke occasion to vnburthen her conscience and confessed openly with great lamentation and teares that whatsoeuer dishonestie she had anie tyme reported by that holie maid she had ben induced to report it by the crafte of the deuel not by anie thing that euer she sawe or knewe in her And therfore she cried them all mercie and besought them for charitie to forgeue her She affirmed furthermore that she was able to make good proofe that the holie maid was not only free from all suspicion of anie vncleannes of bodie but also endued with manie high singular graces of God and that she was in deed a verie pure virgin and a Saincte Thus much said she I speake not vpon heresaie or opinion but vpon verie certaine knoweledge Then certaine of the elder and sadder women talked with her secretly and required to vnderstand what certaine tokens and knowledge of holines she had in the maid Whereupon she declared vnto them so much as hath ben here receited before And said furthermore verie constantly and with great feruour of spirite that in all her life tyme she neuer knewe what true sweetnes of sowle and spiritual comfort meant vntill that tyme when she sawe the holie maid so transfourmed
of life to deliuer sowles from the snares of the deuel which are errour and synne And that was his principal intent when he first founded his order to witt to wynne sowles out of the bondage of errour and synne and to bring them to the knowledge of truth and withal to the exrcise of a godlie and Christian life And for these cawses doe I liken him to my natural Sonne This was the reuelation which she had at that tyme while she was conferring with Friar Barthelmewe in the Church at what tyme she chaunced to cast her eye aside as it is declared before How the holie virgin being wholly enflamed with the loue of God desired instantly to be loosed from this life and to be with Christ and how by that meane she obteined to beare in her bodie euerie particular paine that our Sauiour Christ suffred for vs. Chap. 26. THis holie virgin was now replenished with such aboundance of grace that she bestowed in a maner the whole tyme of her life in heauenlie contemplations by reason wherof being often tymes rauished in spirite and abstracted from her bodilie senses she became so feeble and fainte that she was constrained to keepe her bed Where she laie as it were in a continual longyng languishing after her spowse with the diuine loue of whome she was so much inflamed that she might not well reason or thinke of anie other thing but only of him And manie tymes by reason of the vehemencie of that holie fyer burnyng in her hart she brake out into these wordes and repeated the same againe and againe O my most sweet and louelie Lord Sonne of God O my most deere amiable spowse Sonne of the B. virgin Marie With such wordes did she expresse the inward gronyng and melting of her hart This was her mornyng and euenyng song this her repast when she was hungrie this her rest after labour In this tyme our Lord appeered vnto her oftentymes which also increased the fyer in her hart in so much that on a tyme being ouercome with the heate of the same she began like one that were impatiently set to haue a thing as it were to quarel and expostulate with him saying O my most sweet and louely Lord O deere spowse of my soule wherfore dost thou suffer me to be holden here prisoner in the dongeon of this wicked worlde Wherfore dost thou not loose my bandes and call me awaie to thy blesful tabernacles Dost thou not see ô Lord that there is nothing vnder the sunne wherin I can take delite Dost thou not knowe that I do loue no creature in this worlde but only in thee or for thee Dost thou not see ô eye of heauen which seest all thinges that all thinges are to me vnsightly and yrckesome the beawtie of thy diuine maiestie only excepted wheron my hart is fixed wherfore then dost thou suffer this my wretched bodie to be so long a let and staie that I can not come and haue the ioyful fruition of that most excellent beawtie that I so much desire O my most gracious and amiable Lord O most sweet loue of my hart suffer me no longer to dwell in this earthie and foule prison but take me out and call me to dwell with thee in thyne euerlasting tabernacles To these wordes proceeding from such a louing and languishing spirite our Lord answered sweetly after this maner Deere daughter when I liued in earth I laboured to fulfill not myne owne will but the will of my Father And though I had an earnest desire to eate that last passeouer with my disciples as they heard me saie often tymes and so to be with my Father yet did I patiently abide the tyme that my Father had ordeined Thus much I tell thee to instructe thee by myne owne example that though thou haue a feruent desire to be perfectly vnited to me in blesse yet must thou tarry the tyme that I haue appointed Vnto the which wordes she made answere readily and said O Lord seeing it is thy pleasure that I shall not yet passe out of this life thy blessed will be done in all thinges both in heauen and in earth But yet one thing I most humbly beseech thee seeing it is so that I maie not be vnited to thee in blesse during the tyme of myne abode here in this life graunt me thus much that I maie be vnited to thee at the least in thy passion and that I maie haue a feeling of euerie particular paine and torment thou diddest suffer for me on the Crosse euen to the yealding vp of thy most holie spirite Thus she praied with great vehemencie of spirite and our Lord gaue fauourable eare to her petition for as she declared afterwardes secretly to her Confessour our Sauiour Christ neuer suffred anie kind of paine in his bodie which she did not likewise suffer in some degree And therfore she tooke a passing great delite to reason of the Crosse and passion of our Sauiour Christ and she reuealed diuerse and sundrie strange mysteries and made manie goodlie expositions vpon certaine places of the gospel such as were neuer by anie of the holie doctours before How bearing the Crosse of Christ continually in her bodie she tooke greate delite to reason of the same and how she reuealed manie strange mysteries vpon the holie scriptures concernyng the Crosse Chap. 27. REasonyng at diuerse and sundrie tymes of the Crosse of Christ she would take occasion to vtter manie goodlie doctrines and sentences which were of great force and efficacie to stirre vp the myndes of the hearers to the loue of Christ crucified Emong other thinges she affirmed constantly that our Sauiour Christ did from the verie hower of his conception to the end of his life beare a continual Crosse in his hart And of this doctrine she gaue a verie good reason after this maner Is it not most certaine said she that our Sauiour Christ the mediatour betweene God and man true God and true man was at the verie point of his conception replenished in the highest and most perfecte degree with all fulnes of grace knowledge wisedome and charitie In so much that it was not necessarie for him to learne ought of anie creature in heauen or in earth Then being so replenished with charitie it folweth necessarily that he had in him selfe the loue both of God and also of his neighbour in the highest perfection And being replenished with knowledge it foloweth likewise that he sawe most cleerely two pointes the one that almightie God was depriued of his honor feare and reuerence that man owed vnto him the other that man was depriued of euerlasting blesse which was dewe to him for the said honour feare and reuerence And of this loue and knowledge it must needes be that he bare a meruelous heauie and continual Crosse in his sowle which had euermore such a great and vehement thirst to the honour of God and to the saluation of man And bicause he knewe that the
Of this euident miracle were witnesses the ladie Bianchina that holie Anchorite in whose lappe it was done other moe to the number of thirtie persones Manie other miracles she wrought of like sort in casting out of deuels in the presence of diuerse and sundrie credible persones the which honour triumph ouer the enemie it pleased out Lord to geue her in the sight of the wordle bicause she had at all tymes so valiantly resisted and ouerthrowen him in her owne persone when soeuer he moued her by anie meanes either to pride of mynd or vncleannes of bodie THE THIRD PART How the holie maid was endued with the spirite of prophecie and foretold what calamities should happen to the Church and likewise how it should be restored againe Chap. 1. EMONG manie goodlie gyftes and graces with the which this holie Virgin was endued one was the spirite of prophecie which was in her so strange and singular that she not only foresawe the thinges that were to come so perfectely as if they had ben present but also persed into the verie secrets of mens hartes told them what they thought Which thing caused the wordle to haue her in such admiration that when she spake to them of matters concerning their soules health they heard her wordes with greater attention and reuerence About the yeare of our Lord. 1375. at what tyme Gregorie the eleuenth was Pope manie cities and territories in Italie rebelled against the Sea Apostolike withdrawing them selues and their yearelie reuenwes from the Church of Rome Which reuolt all good men tooke verie heauily and namely Doctoure Raimundus whose griefe was so great that he went of purpose to Pisa where the holie maid chaunced to be at that tyme to powre out his hart before her As he was declaring to her the lamentable state of thinges abrode with sorowful wordes and manie teares she shewed likewise in countenance that she had great compassion of a nomber of soules that were like to perish through that synful rebellion But when he had said she made him answere after this maner Father said she begynne not to weepe so soone for all this is but honye mylke in comparison of that that shall come hereafter What said he Thinke you that I shall euer haue greater cause to sorrowe then I haue at this present seeing as I now see the people so wickedly bent that they are not afraid to set them selues against our holie mother the Church and to make light of her curse excommunication What remaineth now but only that they do vtterly denie the faith of Christ To that the holie maid made answere and said Father all that ye see hitherto is done by the common laie people but you shall see hereafter an other maner of rebellion then this is contriued and practised by the clergie When Doctour Raimundus heard that he was meruelously astonied for a tyme. At the length he asked her whether she thought it a thing possible that the clergie should rebell against the Church Yea said she it is possible and you shall see it For when our holie Father the Pope shall goe about to reforme their maners then shall they set them selues vp against him and make a schisme in the Church Wherof shall arise great slaunder and offence to all good men And therefore I geue you warning before that you arme your selfe with patience for you shall see all this Doctour Raimundus at that tyme mistooke the holie maides wordes supposing that she had meant that all these thinges should haue come to passe then presently in Pope Gregories daies And therefore when he sawe that Pope Gregorie was dead he thought no more of her wordes because he imagined that the terme of her prophecie had ben expired But afterwardes in the tyme of Pope Vrbanus the sixte when he sawe and felt also that wicked rebellion that was raised against him by the proude prelates of the Church he called to mynd what the holie maid had said vnto him before and thought euerie hower a daie vntill he might haue some oportunitie to conferre with her concerning the state of those present troubles Which by the disposition of almightie God came to passe euen as he desired for in that furie of rebellion and schisme the holie maid was sent for to Rome by commaundement of the Popes holines where Doctour Raimundus repaired vnto her and put her in mynd of such communication as had passed betweene them long tyme before in Pisa I remember well said she that such wordes I spake to you at that tyme which now you see verified And now I will geue you to vnderstand thus much more Like as I said to you then that the rebellion of that tyme was but mylke and honey in comparison of this that you see now euen so I tell you now that these present troubles are but a childes game in comparison of those horrible calamities that are to come And with that she began to recite diuerse and sundrie plagues which she foresawe should fall vpon manie partes of the wordle and namely vpon the Kingdome of Sicilia and countreis there about The which prophecie was in deed fulfilled soone after in the tyme of Queene Ione and of her successour with such vnwonted scourges calamities and almost vtter subuersion not only of the Kingdome of Sicilia but also of all other Kingdomes Territories and Cities lying neere vnto it that Doctour Raimundus and as manie as liued and sawe afterwardes the horrible state of that bloodie tyme confessed that the like had not ben often seene in those partes of the wordle before When Doctour Raimundus had heard thus much concerning the scourges and afflictions that were towardes the Church of the which some he sawe then presently verified and therefore doubted nothing of the rest he asked the holie maid whether after all these stormes there were not like to come a calme emong the people of God Wherunto she made answere after this maner Father said she almightie God hath determined thus to purge his Church by calamities and tribulations The which when he hath once done he will raise vp a newe spirite in his chosen seruantes and send such godlye Pastors and Curates ouer his flocke that my hart reioyseth within my bodie to thinke vpon that goodlye reformation that shall insue in all states of men And as the Church of Christ seemeth now poore deformed and naked so shall it then be seene in a verie glorious and beautifull state clad with the seemelie ornamentes of vertue godlines The good shall ioye to see the Church of God in such a flourishing peace and the euel shal be allured by the sweet sauour of their vertuous conuersation to folowe them in the patthes of Gods holie commandementes Therefore father thanke our Lord who of his gracious goodnes voutchsafeth after raine and tēpestes to send faire wether Thus much spake the holie maid touching the state of the Church to Doctour Raimundus whom she lefte in a
Raimundus to goe with him certaine other religious persones to the place When she was come the Priour ordeined for her and for her sisters that came with her a conuenient lodging without the monasterie the men he tooke into his cloister with him selfe The next morning he came with his whole couent to the holie maides lodging and besought her verie earnestly that she would voutchsafe to saie some thing wherby both he and his brethren might be edified She of humilitie refused a great while and said that it was more meete for her being a woman to be instructed by them then to take vpon her to instructe them But at the length being ouercome with their importunitie she spake as it pleased God to put in her hart And specially she tooke occasion to touch a nomber of sleites and illusions which the ghostlie enemie is wont to vse to deceiue and entrappe those spiritual persones that geue them selues to solitarie life And when she had briefely and plainely declared the tentations she did with the life briefnes and plainenes teach them against euery particular tētation a particular remedie And these thinges she vttered so orderly and with such apte termes that they were all astonied to heare her When she had made an end the Priour turned him selfe to Doctour Raimundus said these wordes Thus manie yeares haue I heard the confessions of these my brethren as the maner of our religion requireth whereby you maie presume that I do knowe the state of euerie man And I saie to you that if this holie maid had heard their confessions as I haue done she could not haue spoken more to the purpose and more to the profit and edifying of euerie one of them then she hath done Whereby we maie cleerely see that she is vndoubtedly a great prophetesse and that the holie spirite of God speaketh in her VVhat a singular grace the holie maid had not only in seeing the state of their soules that were present with her but also in discerning the qualities and condicions of them that were farre from her and in strange countreis with certaine other pointes of like sort worthie to be noted Chap. 6. MAnie deuout persones resorting vnto the holie maid at tymes for spiritual comfort did vse to kneele downe before her and to doe greater reuerence to her then was vsually done to other religious persones The which thing because she did not refuse some that were present tooke offence and murmured ymagining with them selues that she had ben vaine-glorious and that she had taken pleasure in such curtesies Doctour Raimundus to take awaie this occasion of offence went to the holie maid and told her what was conceiued of her To whom she made answere in this sort Father said she our Lord knoweth that I am so thoroughly occupied in vewing the secret qualities of the soules of them that resort to me that I take litle heed to the outward gestures of their bodies And as she sawe the secret disposition of soules so did she likewise take either passing great delite in them if they were vertuously disposed or verie great griefe and bothsomenes towardes them if she sawe them geuen to vice and vncleannes On a tyme while the holie maid was talking with Pope Gregorie concerning the state of the Church where Doctour Raimundus was vsed for an interpretour betweene them because the Pope vnderstood not the Italian tongue and she spake no latine emong other thinges she lamēted her verie much of the court of Rome and said that where of reason there ought to be a most pleasant paradyse of vertue and holines there she found a most lothsome syncke of all stincking vice and vncleannes The Pope being somewhat moued with those wordes asked of Doctour Raimundus how long it was sence she was first acqueinted with the court of Rome And vnderstanding that it was but a fewe daies he asked her how she came to haue such knowledge of the maners of the court in so fewe daies With that she raised her selfe vp with a certaine comelie boldnes whereas before she held downe her head and said these wordes to the Pope To the honour of almightie God I dare well saie thus much that I had a more perfecte sent of the horrible stench of the synnes that are cōmitted in the court of Rome when I liued at home in myne owne countrey where I was borne then they haue them selues that doe commit such synnes euerie daie When the Pope heard these wordes he held his peace and wondred much at the strangenes of her answere But Doctour Raimundus aboue all other was meruelously astonied seeing her to speake in the presence of so great a Prelate as that Pope was with such an vnwonted boldnes and authoritie It happened often tymes as Doctour Raimundus and diuerse other credible persones reported that when she came with them into places where neither she nor they had euer ben before there resorted vnto her manie men and women that seemed by their apparel wordes and outward behauiour verie honest and godlie folkes but were in deed geuen to some vncleane vice Which thing she perceiued by and by and therefore would in no wise be brought to speake with them of heauenlie matters as they required nor so much as to turne her face towardes them And if she sawe that they taried ouer long she would breake out into wordes also and saie to them that if they mynded to talke of God or of godlie matters they should first ridde them selues out of the deuels snares and amend their liues And with that she would find some occasion to withdrawe her selfe from their companie Now her Confessour and other that were about her at such tymes enquiring further of the behauiour and conuersation of such persones as she refused thus to speake withal found in deed that they were noted of some grieuous crime and that they continued in the same without repentance An other tyme there came a woman to speake with the holie maid whose behauiour was so woman lie and talke so honest that so manie as were there present tooke her to be a verie vertuous woman The which notwithstanding the holie maid turned her face awaie from her as it seemed of purpose because she would neither see the woman nor be seene of her Whereof Doctour Raimundus had great wonder and therefore tooke occasion afterwardes to aske her secretly what the cause was whie she had so done To whom she made answere after this maner O Father said she if you had felt such a stench of synne as I felt while that woman spake to me I am well assured you would haue cast vp all that had ben in your stomake Vpon this Doctour Raimundus vsed meanes to come to the knowledge of that womans conuersation and vnderstood that she was a priestes concubine How the holie maid praied continually for the state of the Church and how by praier she obteyned of God the ceasing of two rebellions in Rome Chap. 7.
sawe that being moued with pitie she turned her selfe to God after her accustomed maner in praier and besought him with great instance that he would voutchsafe to prolong her mothers life Our Lord made answere that if she could be brought to dispose her selfe to die at that tyme it would be best for her forsomuch as if she liued longer there were such stormes of troubles and aduersitie towardes her as she should not be able to beare The holie maid hearing that went to her mother and comforted her and vsed manie sweet perswasions with her to induce her to be content seeing it was the will of God to passe out of this wretched state to a more happie and blessed life But the mother geuing but a deaffe eare to this kind of talke charged her daughter earnestly that she should rather praie to God for the continuance of her life for as yet she could in no wise be brought to depart out of the wordle Then the holie maid in great anguish and perplexitie of mynd became a mediatrix betweene almightie God and her mother humbly beseeching him on the one side that he would not suffer her mother to depart vntill she were resolued to die willingly for his loue and earnestly exhorting her on the other side that she should yeald her hart fully and wholly to the will of God But she was so fixed on the wordle that she might not abide to heare of death Whereupon our Lord speake to the holie maid after this sort Daughter said he tell thy mother that if she will not consent to die now a tyme shall come when she shal be so afflicted that she shall desire to die and shall not be heard Which saying of our Lord tooke effecte within a litle tyme after and she was in deed so miserably tormented in mynd with the losse of her temporal goods vnto the which she bare a meruelous inordinate loue that she brake out impatiently into certaine wordes as it were of desperation and despite against God saying Is it possible that God hath so inclosed my soule in this crooked bodie that it can find no waie out Haue I sent so manie of my sonnes and daughters kinsfolkes and frindes housband and all out of the wordle before me with great griefe and now am constreined to remaine here alone after them all to see my selfe ouerwhelmed with heauines and miserie And so with this bitternes of hart and murmuring against God she passed out of this life without anie further contrition or repentance for her synnes Her daughter tooke this maner of her departure meruelous heauily and could receiue no coÌ„fort but setting her selfe to praier which she had euermore tried to be a present remedie against all euels she sighed sobbed and wept verie lamentably and powred out the griefe of her hart before God with these wordes O my deere Lord and God are these the promises that thou hast made me that there should no one of my house and familie perish in the handes of the enemie Behold ô Lord my mother is now passed out of this life without repentance for her synnes without confession without the rightes of holie Church O sweet Lord O Father of all comfort I most humbly beseech thee in the bowels of thy tender mercie that thou wilt not reiecte the petition of thy lowlie handmaid at this tyme. See ô Lord I lie here prostrate before thy diuine Maiestie and will not rise out of this place vntill my mother be restored to life againe and I ascertained of her saluation that thy promises maie be verified and my soule comforted While the holie maid was thus praying there were a nomber of women in the chamber some of the houshold and some of the neighbours that came thither at that tyme as the maner is to mourne and to doe such thinges as were to be done about the dead corps Emong these women some there were also that gaue diligent eare to the holie maid heard distinctly what wordes she spake in her praier But they all sawe this and were witnesses of the same that soone after the holie maid had ended her praier the sowle returned to the bodie againe and the woman liued afterwardes a conuenient tyme to repent her of her former offences and so died in the state of grace This storie did the holie maid her selfe declare afterwardes to Doctour Raimundus her ghostlie father How the holie maid obteined of God by praier the conuersion of two theeues that were lead to execution Chap. 10. ON a daie while the holie maid was in the house of one of her sisters called Alexia it chaÌ„ced that two famoê° theeues condemned to death were caried in a cart thorough the streete towardes the place of execution Their sentence was that by the waie as they were caried they should be pinched now in one part of their bodie and now in an other with hote yrons or pincers and so in the end put to death Which paine was so intolerable that they which were before in a desperate state and might by no perswasions be brought to repent them of their manifold and heinous offences committed against God and the wordle blasphemed God all his Sainctes In so much that it seemed that the temporal tormentes that they were now in were but a begynning and waie to these euerlasting tormentes and fyer that they went vnto But our merciful Lord whose prouident goodnes disposeth all thinges sweetly had otherwise determined of them When they were come neere to this house Alexia hearing a great concourse and noyse of people in the streete went to the windowe to see what it might be And seeing the horrible maner of the execution she ranne in againe and said to the holie maid O mother if euer you will see a pitiful sight come now With that the holie maid went to the windowe and looked out and so soone as she had seene the maner of the execution she returned foorthwith to her praiers againe For as she declared afterwardes secretly to Doctour Raimundus she sawe a great multitude of wicked spirites about those fellons which did burne their soules more cruelly within then the tormentours did their bodies without Which lamentable sight moued her to double compassion She had great pitie to see their bodies but much more to seâ— their soules wherefore turning her selfe to our Lord with great feruour of spirite she made her praier to him after this maner Ah deere Lord wherefore dost thou suffer these thy creatures made to thyne owne image and likenes and redeemed with the price of thy most precious blood to be thus lead awaie in triumph by the cruel enemie I know ô Lord confesse that these men are iustly punished according to the measure of their offences So was the theefe also that hong by thee on the Crosse whom notwithstanding thou tookest to mercie saying that he should be with thee that verie daie in Paradyse Thou diddest not refuse Peeter but gauest him a
the sisters that was there with her at that tyme that when the holie maid came to her selfe againe she should desire her in his name and also charge her in the vertue of her obedience that she should extend her charitie towardes that miserable man that laie on passing and praie to God hartely for his recouerie When the holie maid vnderstood the lamentable state of the sicke man and withall the charge that was geauen her from her ghostlie father she taried not but foorthwith set her selfe to praier and besought our Lord with great instance and feruour of spirite that he would not suffer that soule to perish whome he had redeemed with the price of his most precious blood To that our Lord made answere and said that the iniquitie of that wicked man was so heinous in his sight that the crie thereof perced the heauens and called for iustice for he had not only in wordes most horribly blasphemed the holie name of God and of his Sainctes but also with great despite and malice throwen a table into the fyer in the which was painted the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ together with the images of our blessed Ladie and other Sainctes By the which facte he had deserued euerlasting damnation When the holie maid heard that she fell downe prostrate before our Lord and said O Lord if thou wilt looke narrowly to our iniquities who shal be able to stand Wherefore camest thou downe from heauen into the wordle Wherefore tookest thou flesh of the most pure and vnspotted virgin Marie Wherefore diddest thou suffer a most bitter and reprochfull death Hast thou done all these thinges ô Lord to this end that thou mightest call men to a streight and rigorous account for their synnes and not rather that thou mightest vtterly cancel their debtes and take them to mercie Why dost thou ô merciful Lord tell me of the synnes of one lost man seeing thou hast borne vpon thyne owne shoulders the synnes of the whole wordle that none should be lost Doe I lie here prostrate at thy feete to demaund iustice and not rather to craue mercie Doe I present my selfe here before thy diuine Maiestie to pleade the innocencie of this wretched creature and not rather to confesse that he is gyltie of euerlasting death and damnation and that the onlie refuge is to appeale to thyne endles mercie Remember ô deere Lord what thou saidest to me when thou diddest first will me to goe abrode and to procure the saluation of manie soules Thou knowest right well that I haue none other ioye or comfort in this life but only to see the conuersion of synners vnto thee And for this cause only I am content to lacke the ioyful fruition of thy blessed presence Wherefore if thou take this ioye from me what other thing shall I find in this vale of miserie wherein to take pleasure or comfort O most merciful Father God of all comfort reiecte not the hūble petition of thyne handmaid put me not awaie from thee at this tyme but graciously graunt me that this my brothers hard hart maie be mollified and made to yeald to the working of thy holie spirite Thus did the holie maid continue in praier and disputation with our Lord from the begynning of the night till the nexte morning All the which tyme she neither slept nor tooke anie maner of rest but wept and wailed continually for great compassion that she had to see that soule perish our Lord euermore alleaging his iustice and she crauing his mercie At the length our Lord being as it were ouercome with her importunitie and crying gaue her this comfortable answere Deere daughter I will stand no longer with thee in this matter Thy teares and lamentable crying haue preuailed and wrested the sword of my iustice out of myne hand This synful man shall for thy sake find such fauour and grace as thou requirest for him And with that our Lord withdrewe him selfe from the holie maid and appeered the same hower to the sicke man and spake to him after this maner Deere child why wilt thou not be repentant for the synnes that thou hast committed against me In anie case be sorie for thyne offences and confesse the same and I am readie to pardon thee That word so persed the hart of that obstinate man that he relented foorth with and cried with a lowd voice to them that were there present besought them for Gods loue that they would helpe him to a ghostlie father with all possible speed For said he my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath shewed him selfe mercifully to me and willed me to be confessed of all my synnes When they heard that they were verie much astoined but withall meruelously comforted to see that soddaine and blessed alteration in him And they made great hast to bring him a ghostlie father to whome he made a perfecte Confession of all his synnes with great contrition and so passed out of this wordle in the state of grace How the holie maid by praier procured the conuersion of a fierce yong gentleman in Siena called Iames Tolomes Cap. 12. THere was in the citie of Siena a gentleman of a worshipfull parentage called Francis Tolomes who tooke to wife on Rabes a gentlewoman likewise of a good howse and by her had manie sonnes and daughters His eldest sonne was called Iames a prowd and hawtie yong man and of nature verie fierce and cruel in so much that being yet but a child of age he killed two men with his owne handes which cawsed all men both to dread him and to shunne his companie And as he grewe in yeares so did he also increase in malice and wickednes and ranne without raine or bridle euen as his outragious mynd caried him into all kindes of mischiefe He had two sisters the one called Francis the other Ginoccia which were also dissolute and light of behauiour and specially Ginoccia which was wholly geuen to vaintie and superfluous decking of her selfe And yet had she euermore a care to keepe the virginitie of her bodie which she did rather for feare of shame in the wordle then for anie feare or loue of God Which thing was no small griefe to their mother Rabes who being a woman that feared God and tendred much the soules health of her daughters went on a daie to the holie maid and declaring the state of her daughters besought her for Gods loue that she would bee so good as to come with her and geue them some godlie exhortation The holie maid which had euermore a passing great desire to wynne soules to God went with the gentlewoman with a verie good will and did as she was required And her wordes so wrought in the hartes of those two yong maidens that they gaue ouer all the vanities of the wordle and tooke the habite of S. Dominicke Ginoccia foorth with and Francis soone after In the which rule and discipline they liued a verie streight and rigorous life
out a wildernes in the middle of the citie and to make her selfe a solitarie place were there was great resort and concourse of people She continued in praier meditation in the night season vntill the Friars Preachers rang the second peale to Matins And then she went to take a litle rest saying these wordes to our Lord. Lord hitherto haue thy seruantes my brethren taken their rest and I haue kept the watch for them before thee our gardian protectour beseeching thee to keepe them from the assaultes of the enemie and all euel Now are they risen to praise thee wherfor I humbly praie thee to keepe them and to geue me leaue to rest a while And so she laid her selfe downe vpon the bare boordes and put vnder her head a hard blocke in steed of a bolster or pillowe Of diuerse and sundrie visions and reuelations shewed vnto her With a doctrine how to discerne betweene true and false visions Chap. 16. THis holie virgin declared in secret confession to her ghostlie Father that at what tyme she began to retire her selfe from all conuersation and to liue alone in her cell it pleased her spowse Iesus Christ to visite her in visible maner and to geue her instructions in matters concernyng her saluation Father said she take this for a most certaine truth that I was neuer taught the rule of spiritual life by anie man or woman but only by Iesus Christ the spowse of my sowle who hath informed me alwaies either by secret inspiration or els appeering openly vnto me and speaking to me as I now speake to you She declared moreouer to her ghostlie Father that at the begyning her visiōs were for the most part only wrought in her imagination but afterwardes they were sensible in so much that she sawe with her bodilie eyes and heard with her bodilie eares the sownd of the voice that spake vnto her She reported furthermore that at the begynning she began to doubt and feare lest it might be some deceite or illusion of the ghostlie enemie who transfigureth him selfe into an Angel of light Which feare our Lord misliked not but rather commended it highlie vnto her and said that so long as a man or woman liueth in this life he should alwaies stand in feare according as it written Blessed is the man that is euer fearfull And he asked her whether she were willing to learne of him certaine notes and tokens by the which she might be able to discerne betweene the true visions of God and the false illusions of the enemie Wherunto she made answere with great submission and lowlines of spirite and besought him humbly that he would vowchasafe to teach her Then he said these wordes Daughter It were an easie matter for me to informe thy sowle inwardly with the secret instincte of my spirit in such sort that thou shouldest at all tymes discerne perfectly and without errour betweene true visions and counterfeicte illusions But bicause my will is that it should profit others as well as thee therfore I will teach thee a general rule and lesson which is this My vision beginneth euermore with feare and dread but in processe of tyme it setteth a sowle in great ioye quietnes and securitie It begynneth with some kind of bitternes but in continuance it waxeth more deliteful sweet The visions of the enemie are contrarie For in the begynning they shewe a kind of securitie and gladnes but in processe they turne to feare and bitternes which increase afterwardes and waxe greater and greater And it standeth with good reason for so much as my waies and the waies of the enemie haue this special difference My waies are the keeping of the commaundementes in perfection of a vertuous and godlie life which leadeth vnto me These seeme at the begynnyng to be full of difficultie and vnpleasant but in tyme they become easie ynough pleasant But the waies of the enemie are the transgressing of my commaundementes in the libertie of the flesh and licentiousnes of life which shewe at the begynnyng to be deliteful and pleasant but in continuance of tyme they proue in verie deed dangerous painful and vnpleasant Take this also for a most certaine and infallible rule to discerne betweene true and false visions Bicause I am truth it can not otherwise be but that euermore by my visions the sowle of man must needes receiue a greater knowledge of truth by the which knowledge he cometh to vnderstand both his owne basenes the worthines of God and so consequently to doe due honour and reuerence to God and to make litle account of him selfe which is the proper condicion of humilitie The contrarie happeneth in the visions of the enemie For he being the father of lying and king ouer al the children of pride can geue none other thing but only what he hath and therfore in his visions there must needes ensue in a sowle ignorance and errour by reason wherof it conceiueth a false reputation of it selfe which is the proper condicion of pride By this maiest thou knowe whether thy visions be of me or of the enemie of truth or of falshood If they come of truth they will make thy sowle humble if they come of falshood they will make thy sowle prowd Thus was she instructed of the teacher of all truth Iesus Christ and she kept his doctrine and instructions verie faithfully in mynd and vttered them afterwardes to her ghostlie Father and others for their instruction as it shal be declared hereafter And after this time it pleased God to send her so manie visions and reuelations that who so would consider of them aduisedly he should see that it were hard to find anie two men in the wordle more familiary acquenited then our Lord and she were In so much that whether she praied or read or meditated or walked or waked or slept she was at all tymes and in all places visited and comforted of our Lord. And which is more while her tongue was outwardly speaking vnto men her hart was inwardly bent vpon God and spake spiritually with him Howbeit that could not endure anie long tyme forsomuch as her sowle was within a litle space so drawen vp and vnited to God that it could not choose but forsake vtterly the senses and powers of the bodie Of a verie goodlie and profitable doctrine of our Sauiour worthie to be planted in the hartes of as manie as are desirous to come to spiritual perfection Chap. 17. EMongest a nomber of goodlie and high lessons that she learned of our Sauiour this was one On a tyme while she was praying our Sauiour appeered to her and said Daughter knowest thou what thou art and what I am If thou haue a perfecte knowledge of these two pointes thou art blessed For by the meane therof thou shalt easily escape all the snares of the enemie and shalt not at anie tyme geue consent to anie synne that is against my commaundementes but contariwise thou shalt be
all that while that she continued still in her trawnce After supper Lisa determined with her selfe that she would tarrie by her to see the end At the length when bed tyme was come she went speedily and brought her husband and children to bed and comyng againe to see what would become of her espied before she came at her that she was fallen into the fyer of hote burnyng coales Which sodaine sight made her so afraid that she scright out as lowd as she could and said Alas Alas Catherine is all burnt And with that she ran to her caught her out of the fyer Which done behold vewing her diligently on all sides to quench the fyer if anie had ben she sawe that the fyer had done her no harme neither to her bodie nor to her clothes in so much that there was not so much as anie sauour of burnyng as there is wont to be when cloth is burnt not yet which is most of all anie ashes remayning vpon anie part of her garmentes And yet was it a great fyer and she a long tyme in it But the fyer of Gods holie loue that burned inwardly in her hart was of such force and vertue that it would not suffer that outward fyer to preuaile ouer her Of diuerse and sundrie miracles like vnto this afore writen And how it pleased our Sauiour Christ to geue the enimie power ouer her bodie Chap. 4. WHile she was praying on a daie at Siena in S. Dominickes Church her spirite being rauished as it happened often tymes in her contemplation she leaned her head to a piller vpon the which piller there was a waxe candle set vp in the honour of some Saincte that was there While she was thus in a trawnce it chaunced that candle to fall downe vpon her head where it continued burnyng vntill such tyme as it was all wasted and did her no maner of harme or displeasure neither to her head neither to the veiles or wimples that she ware on her head The like happened vnto her in manie other places where she chaunced to be to the great horrour and trouble of diuerse and sundrie deuout persones that happened to be present And namely when she went about some charitable worke of edifying and bringing sowles to God then was the malice of the ghostlie enemie most busie to hinder her good purposes As it was seene one tyme when she was so occupied that the malicious feend tooke her by the permission of God and cast her violently into the middle of a fyer The which thing certaine good folkes that were then about her seeing and hauing great pitie and feare of her case cried out and made towardes her as fast as they could to take her out of the fyer But she before they came rose vp of her selfe without anie hurt or blemish in the worlde and looking vp vpon them with a smyling countenance said vnto them Be not afraid for it is the worke of Malatasca By the which word she meant the deuel for so she vsed to call him On an other tyme while she was lying vpon her cowch the feend tooke her and cast her headlong into an erthen panne of coales that stood thereby in such sort that the first thing that light on the panne was her head And he did it with such furie and rage that the panne was broken in peeces but she not the worse of one heare of her head And so she set her selfe vp againe and smyling to an honest woman that was then present called Gabriel she said vnto her merily Loe will yee see what worke Malatasca maketh here These and other the like thinges that happened to this holie maid in verie manie places maie seeme peraduenture strang and almost incredible to some man that looketh only to the thinges here presently declared he maie thinke it vnreasonable that almightie God should suffer the bodie of one that he loueth so tenderly to be yealded vp for a tyme into the rough violēt handes of the feend But if he will call to mynd what hath happened in fore tymes to manie holie men and women and specially to our Sauiour Christ him selfe who suffered his owne bodie to be caried by the deuel into an high mountaine and to a pinacle of the temple he shall not meruaile to see the malicious enemie to haue now the like power ouer the Disciples as he had then ouer the maister What a charitable affection and great care she had of the poore And of a pleasant matter that fell out about the same Chap. 5. THis holie maid finding by experience that the more bowntiful and charitable she shewed her selfe towardes her euen Christians the more gracious and acceptable she was in the sight of Christ hirspowse conceiued a meruelous great and earnest desire in her hart of succouring the poore and needie And that she did verie liberally euen with temporal thinges But hauing no meane to doe it bicause she was religious had vowed voluntaire pouertie she besought her father with great humilitie instance that he would geue her leaue to giue some part of the goods that God had bestowed vpon him in almes to the poore according to her consciēce The which demaund he graunted verie willingly bicause he was verie well assured that her meanyng in that and all other thinges was verie perfecte and sincere Whereupon he gaue streight cōmaundement also to as manie as were in his howse that none should be so hardie as to controll her but to let her to geue out freely though she gaue all that was in his howse As soone as she had obteined this graunt she began to deale out her fathers goods to the poore largely not to euerie one that would aske without discretiō but only to such as she knewe were in great need and distresse though they asked not Among other she vnderstood of two families that stood in great need and yet were ashamed to begge of whom she tooke great pitie and therefore rising one daie verie tymely in the mornyng she loded her selfe with corne wine oyle and other thinges necessarie and caried the same towardes the howses of those poore folkes Whether when she came as God would haue it she fownd the doores open so set downe her prouision within the doores and pulling to the doore after her slancke awaie priuily gate her home againe as fast as she could At an other tyme this holie maid was swollen in all partes of her bodie frō the top of her head to the sole of her foote in such sort that she could neither sit nor stand nor yet lie in her bed without great paine At what tyme hearing of a poore widowe that liued in great distresse and lacke of necessarie sustinance for her selfe for her childrē being moued with inward compassion of their wretched state she made her hūble petitiō to our Lord the next night that he would vowchsafe to lend her so much strength of bodie for a litle
and enuironed round about with that heauenly and vnspeakeable light the beawtie and brightnes wherof was so great that no tongue was able to expresse it This testimonie of the sicke woman was spread allouer the citie by reason wherof the fame of the blessed virgin and the opinion of her rare vertue and holines was so much increased as the malice of the deuel had thought to haue obscured the same by this false treacherie But in all this as she was nothing deiected by the raising of that slanderous reporte so was she nothing puffed vp with pride for all the honour that the wordle gaue her but acknowledging humblie all vertues and holines to be the gyftes of God she continued still in her foremer state at the seruice of that sicke woman But the ghostlie enemie whose malice ceaseth not though he sawe that he had had verie euel lucke in all that he had euer attempted against her before yet like an earnest gamester he thought he would aduenture one cast more as it were vpon desperation On a tyme as the holie maid was dressing the old womans sore by the malicious working of the feend there issued out of it such a loathsome and horrible stench that she was vpon the point to haue cast vp all that was in her bodie The which when she sawe perceuing that it was the practise of that venemous serpent she entred into an earnest displeasure against her owne flesh and spake to her selfe with great vehemencie of spirite saying Ah wretched and caraine flesh dost thou loath thyne euen Christian I shall make thee not only to endure the sauour of it but also to reciue it within thee With that she tooke all the wasshing of the sore together with the corrupt matter and filth and going aside put it all into cup and drancke it vp lustely And in so doing she ouercame at one tyme both the skeymishnes of her owne stomake and malice of the Deuel This was told afterwardes to her ghostlie Father in her presence and she confessed that it was all true and said furthermore that she could not remember that she had euer eaten or droncken such a pleasant and delicate meate or drincke as that seemed to be in all her life The next night folowing after this glorious victorie our Sauiour Christ appeered vnto her and showed her his handes feete and side in them imprinted the fiue woundes of his most bitter passion said vnto her Deere daughter manie are the battailes that thou hast susteined for my loue and great are the victories that thou hast atchieued through my grace and assistance For the which I beare thee great good will and fauour But especially that drincke that thou tookest yester daie for my sake liked me passingly well in the which bicause thou hast not only despised the delite of the flesh cast behind thy backe the opinion of the wordle and vtterly subdued thyne owne nature I will geue thee a drincke that shall passe in sweetnes and pleasure all the licours that the wordle is wont or able to geue With that he reached out his arme and tooke her about the necke and brought her mouth softely to the sacred wound of his side and said vnto her Drincke daughter drincke thy fill at the verie founteine of life This drincke shall replenish thy soule with vnspekeable sweetnes in such sort that it shall abound and ouerslowe into thy bodie also which thou hast so vtterly despised for my loue Then the holie maid set her mouth to with great greedines and drewe out of that founteine of euerlasting saluation the licour of life And so she continued sucking a good while not only with the mouth of her bodie but also and that much more with the mouth of her soule vntill at the length when his holie will and pleasure was she gaue ouer feeling her selfe in a meruelous blesful state For she had droncke her fill and yet was nothing glutted but rather thirstie and desirous to drincke still Which thirst and desire was no paine at all to her but rather a passing great delite pleasure After this tyme the holie maid was so replenished with heauenlie grace that she neither did nor might eate her bodilie meate in such sort as she was wont to doe before How she was endewed with manie goodlie priuileges How she had a passing desire to receiue the blessed Sacrament How being fortified by the spirite of God she endured much labour and trauaile without bodilie sustinance Chap. 12. AFter that the faithful disciple of Christ had thus by the grace of God ouercome diuerse and sundrie tentations being now thoroughly tried like fine gold in the fornace of tribulation there remained nothing els but only to receiue the crowne of iustice in life euerlasting But bicause the diuine prouidence of God had so disposed of her that she should yet remaine in this life a litle while for the benefite of others in the which tyme she was not able to receiue the fruition of that endles blesse that is prepared for the tyme to come and yet our Lord of his goodnes would not suffer her to continue anie longer in this present life without some degree or state of blessednes he gaue her a certaine tast or pledge of that blesful state that she was to receiue in the other life euen in this vale of miserie And he did it after this maner On a tyme while she was praying in her chamber our Lord appeered vnto her and spake after this maner My deere daughter Catherine I geue thee now to vnderstand that the rest of thyne abode in this wordle shal be full of such strang and vnwonted gyftes of my grace that it shall cause diuerse and sundrie effectes in the hartes of men Simple and ignorant persones shal be greatly astoined to see the thinges that shal be wrought by thee Carnal men and such as haue litle experience in spiritual matters shal be in danger to fall quite from their faith Yea and manie of those also that are good and vertuous seeing certaine tokens of my passing great loue towardes thee such as haue not lightly ben heard of and withal the wonderful strangenes of the thinges that thou shalt worke shall suppose that all is but deceite and illusion For I will endue thy soule with such abundance of grace that it shall redound into thy bodie also by reason wherof thou shalt lead such a meruelous kind of life as the wordle hath not oftentymes seene or heard tell of Againe I will enkendle in thine hart such a fyerie zeale both of myne honour and of the saluation of soules that thou shalt in a maner forget thyne owne kind and alter the wonted order of thy whole conuersation For thou shalt not from hence foorth shonne the compaine of men and women as thou hast hitherto but rather to wynne them to God thou shalt presse in emong them and labour to the vttermost of thy power Of this maner of
life manie a one shall take occasion of slaunder and offence and thou shalt be gainesaid of manie that the thoughtes of manie hartes maie be opened But in anie case see that thou be nothing afraid or troubled with anie of these thinges For I will be with thee alwaies and will deliuer thee from lying lippes and slaunderous tongues Folowe therfore freely the guydance of my holie spirite and labour diligently in this charitable woorke wherin I haue apointed thee For by thee I haue determined to deliuer manie soules out of the dragons mouth and to bring them to my euerlasting rest in heauen These and other the like wordes spake our Lord to her and repeted the same againe and againe and specially that word where he bad her that she should not be afraid or dismaid Wherunto the holie maid made answere with great humilitie and perfecte obedience saying Thou art my Lord and my God and I thy creature and vnworthy hand maid thy will be done in all thinges Only this O Lord I beseech thee remember me according to the multitude of thy mercies and helpe me And with that the vision ceased and the blessed virgin conferred those comfortable wordes of our Sauiout in her hart easting earnestly with her selfe what that gracious alteration might meane From that tyme foreward the grace of God increased daily in her hart so much the gyftes of the holie Ghost replenished her soule in such aboundant maner that she was her selfe astoined at it and by reason of that passing great increase of spiritual ioye and comfort that she felt in her soule her bodie being not able to beare it waxed feeble faint Her hart was wholly caried vp into God and that with such a vehemēcie and feruour of loue that she could not endure anie tyme without thinking and meditating vpon his most noble workes and endles mercies towardes her selfe and all mankind The force of the which loue so ouercame the natural powers of her bodie that she languished and decaied in strength and could find none other remedie for that sickenes but only to runne vnto God with an amorous affection and to powre out her hart befor him with great aboundance of teares and so to renewe her selfe as it were in the forge and fyer of loue At the length it pleased our Lord to geue her to vnderstand by the secret instincte of his holie spirite that the most soueraigne medicine for that disease was often tymes to receiue the blessed Sacrament of the aulter Where she should haue the ioyful fruition of her loue not in such sort as she should haue it afterwardes in the blesse of heauen but yet so as that she should find her selfe satisfied in some dergree for the tyme Now after that she had vsed for a certaine tyme to comunicate euerie daie as she did vnlesse she were letted by sickenes or by some other necessarie occasion she had at the length such a passing great longing and as it were an impatient desire to receiue the blessed Sacrament that if she were enforced by anie such vrgēt necessitie to abstaine but only one daie it seemed that her body fainted sēsibly failed forsomuch as being now fully accorded with the soule it had abādoned the natural powers senses and so receiued nourishment and sustentation not of the meates that the bodie is wont to be fed withal which did her more harme then good but of the foode of the soule which is the grace of God which grace was so abōdant in her soule that it redounded into her bodie and by miracle tempered that wasting heat that is wont to consume the radical moisture Her ghostlie Father examinyng her vpon this point asked whether she had euer anie appetite to eate or no. Wherunto she made answere that she was fully satisfied with the holy Sacrament and had none other appetite Then he asked her yet further in case by occasion she absteined from receiuing the blessed Sacrament whether she were then hungrie or no. To that likewise she answered and said that the only presence of the Sacrament did satisfie her and not only the Sacrament but the priest also that had touched the Sacrament did satifie and comfort her in such sort that she could not so much as thinke of anie other meate And in deed it was well knowen to as manie as liued with her from the begynnyng of Lent vntill the Ascension daie she continued in verie good liking without receiuing anie maner of bodily food or sustenance in the worlde And vpon that daie by commaundement of God she tooke only a litle bread and a fewe herbes for her stomake might not brooke anie deintie or fine meates After that she obserued a simple maner of fasting for a tyme vntill at the length by litle and litle she came againe to her old maner of abstinence which was to eate nothing at all And so she passed ouer her life in a continual and euident miracle verifying that saying of the holie Scripture that man liueth not only by bread but by euerie word that cometh out of our Lordes mowth Her ghostlie Father testified that he sawe her him selfe and that not once or twise but often tymes when continuyng after this sort without anie maner of sustenance vnlesse it were a litle water she became so weake that as manie as were about her looked euerie hower when she would geue vp the ghost At what tyme if occasion were ministred to wynne a sowle to God or to doe anie other charitable worke to the honour of God they all sawe to their great astonishment that she was sodainly altered in the state of her bodie in such sort that she was able to rise and goe without anie token of weakenes or weerines and also to endure great labour in doing that good worke that she tooke in hand for Gods sake And those that went with her hauing their perfecte health and strength could hardly folowe her here there but that they must needes be more weerie then she shewed to be Which made them all to confesse that it was the almightie power of God that susteined her and not anie naturall force How she was molested by diuerse and sundrie persones disswading her from her streight Abstinence and how she ouercame her ghostlie Father by reason Chap. 13. THis streight and vnwonted maner of Abstinence was to the holie maid an occasion of great vnquietnes and trouble both by them that liued with her in howse and also by others who seeing the order of her conuersation to be so farre aboue the common course of mans life perswaded them selues and trauailed much to perswade her also that it was not the gracious gyfte of God but only a suttle deceite tentation of the Deuel With this errour were a great nōber caried awaie emong others her owne ghostly Father who imagining all this to be nothing els but only a craftie illusiō of Satan transforming him selfe into an Angel of light commaunded her
and conuersation How hangyng in the ayer she sawe certaine secrets and high mysteries of God which it is not lawful to disclose to anie man Chap. 19. THIS holie maid from the tyme that she was thus endued with newe graces vntill the xxxiij yeare of her age at what tyme she departed out of this life was so wholly occupied in diuine comtemplations that in all that tyme she neuer needed anie bodilie sustenance And in those contemplations her soule was so mightely drawen vp to heauenlie thinges that her bodie also was by the vehemencie of the spirite taken vp often tymes withal and suspended in the ayer At which tymes she sawe manie wonderful thinges and spake manie high wordes of heauenlie matters which were heard of diuerse and sundrie persones On a tyme her ghostlie Father seeing her so rauished from her bodilie senses and hearing her speake certaine wordes softely to her selfe came neere to hearken what she said And standing by her he heard her speake these wordes distinctly in latine Vidi arcana Dei that is I haue seene the secrets of God And she repeted the same wordes often tymes Vidi arcana Dei Her ghostlie Father afterwardes being verie desirous to knowe what she meant by those wordes and whie she repeted them so often asked her after this maner Good mother said he I praie you tell me whie you repeated those wordes so often What is the cause whie you will not declare your secrets to me now as you were wont to doe To that she answered and said that she might not speake otherwise whie so said he whie maie you not declare the thinges that our Lord reuealeth vnto you as well now as you were wont to doe Good Father said she I should haue as great a conscience if I should declare the high misteries that almightie God hath now reueled vnto me with my defectuous and imperfecte tongue as I should haue if I had blasphemed or dishonoured our Lord in wordes For there is so great difference betweene heauenly thinges apprehended in an vnderstanding that is illuminated by God and the same thinges vttered by the speach or tongue of man that me thinketh they are almost contrarie the one to the other And therefore for this tyme I praie you hold me excused For the thinges that I haue seene are vnspeakeable After this great reuelation that our Lord made to her of vnspeakeable thinges it seemed to her that her hart did leap out of her bodie and that it did enter into the side of our Sauiour Christ and there was made one hart with his hart And at that instant she felt her soule all molton and resolued with the force of his diuine loue in such sort that she cried out with a loude voice often tymes Domine vulnerasti cor meum Domine vulnerasti cor meum Lord thou hast wounded my hart Lord thou hast wounded my hart This thing was done vpon S. Margarets Daie in the yeare of our Lord. 1370. How she put her mouth to the side of our Sauiour and drancke and of manie other wonderful thinges that happened about the blessed Sacrament Chap. 20. IT chaunced also the same yeare on S. Laurence daie that this holie maid comyng to the Church to heare Masse set her selfe downe neere to the Aulter as her maner was that she might the better see the holie Sacrament And kneeling there deuoutly in her praiers she brake out into weeping and sobbing so much that her ghostlie Father came to her warned her that she should refraine so much as was possible for not molesting the priest at Masse Wherupon like a meeke and obedient daughter she remoued her selfe farther from the Aulter and made her humble praier to our Lord that he would vouchsafe to illuminate her Confessours hart that he might see and vnderstand that such violent motions of the spirite might not be witholden and kept in by the strength of man and her priaer was not vaine For it pleased God to make her ghostlie Father to vnderstand perfectly by experience that such feruour of spirite could not be so kept in but that the force of diuine loue would needes breake out The which when he vnderstood he neuer rebuked her afterwardes for anie such matter Now kneeling after this maner farre of from the Aulter she groned in her hart and manie tymes also brake out into wordes and said after a languishing and ruthful maner I would faine receiue the bodie of my Lord and Redeemer I would faine receiue the bodie of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ One tyme as she was so so crying behold our Lord appeered vnto her with the wound of his side all open and bringing her mowth to the same said Receiue of my flesh and drincke of my blood so much as thou wilt With that she sucked greedily and tooke so much that it seemed to her that for verie pure loue she was at the point of death by reason of the passing great sweetnes that she felt in her hart The selfe same yeare vpon S. Alexius daie this holie maid made her praier to God that he would vowchsafe to graunt her a feruent and burnyng desire to receiue his most holie bodie and blood At what tyme she vnderstood by reuelation that on the morowe she should receiue without all doubt For she had ben forbiden for certaine respectes that she should not receiue so often When she had that comfortable reuelation she praied againe to our Lord that he would vowchsafe to clense her hart against the tyme of receiuing that she might receiue the more worthily to her greater profite Behold while she was so praying she felt a certaine raigne comyng downe into her soule in maner of a great abondant flood not of water or of anie other such licour but of blood myngled with fyer which as it seemed to her clensed her soule so mightely that the strength and operation of the same redounded into the bodie and clensed it also After this on the morowe she was so extremely sicke that to her seemyng she was not able to moue one foote though the worlde had lyen on it All the which not withstanding she doubted nothing of the promise made vnto her by our Lord but with a ful affiance in him set her selfe in the waie towardes the Church Whither when she was come she kneeled downe in a chappell besides an Aulter and besought almightie God with great instance that her ghostlie Father might come and saie Masse there For she had a special inhibition not to receiue at anie other priestes hand And she vnderstood by reuelation that almightie God had graunted her that petition also Now while she was thus attending there for the performance of all these comfortable promises her ghostlie Father who before found small disposition in him selfe to saie Masse that daie knewe not of her being there was sodainly touched at the hart with a verie strange feruour and deuotiō Wherupon he prepared him selfe to Masse and went
would declare all her vision to him She like an obedient daughter declared vnto him the whole vision in such sort as it is described here before And when she came to that point where she praied for certaine special persones she said to him Father when I praied for you and for other that our Lord would vouchsafe to graunt you euerlasting life it pleased his goodnes to geue me an assured comfort in my hart that in deed so it should be With that I besought him that he would graunt me some token of the certaintie therof not that I doubted anie thing of his promise but bicause I was desirous to haue some notable memorial of the same Then he bad me that I should stretch out my hand And I did so And he put into my hand a naile and closed the same so fast within my hand that I felt a great paine in my hand as if there had ben a naile striken into my hand in deed with an hammer And so our Lord be blessed for it I haue in my right hand one of the markes of my sweet spowse and Sauiour to my selfe sensible though to others inuisible How she receiued the blessed markes of our Sauiour Christ in the citie of Pisa Chap. 22. ON a tyme this holie maid went to the citie of Pisa accompanied with diuerse and sundrie persones emong other doctour Raimundus her ghostlie Father was one When she came thither she was enterteined by a certaine worshipful man whose house stood beside S. Christians chappell where her Confessour said masse at her request and ministred the holie Sacrament vnto her after her accustomed maner When she had receiued she was foorthwith rauished from her bodilie senses for a good space All the which tyme her Confessour with diuerse others a waited there to see what would become of her and to heare some spiritual and comfortable wordes of her as they were wont to doe commonly when she came to her selfe againe Sodainly as they beheld her the bodie that laie prostrate vpon the ground was raised vp and she kneeled vpon her knees strethching vp her armes and handes shewing in her face a meruelous goodlie and cleere brightnes When she had kneeled after this maner a good while at the length she fell downe sodainly like one that had receiued a deadlie wound and soone after that she was restored againe to her bodilie senses Then she caled for her ghostly Father and said secretly vnto him these wordes Father I geue you to vnderstand for certaine that I beare now in my bodie by the grace and mercie of God the blessed markes of my Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Her Confessour hearing that asked her how that might be and how it had ben with her in all that tyme of her traunse Wherunto she made answere and said Father I sawe our Lord fastened vpon the Crosse comyng downe towardes me and enuironyng me rownd about with a meruelous beawtiful light With the which gracious sight my sowle was so rauished and had such a passing desire to goe and meete with our Lord that my bodie was constreined by the verie force of the spirite to set it selfe vp as you might see Then there came downe from the holes of his blessed woundes fiue bloodie beames which were directed towardes the same partes of my bodie to witte to my handes feete and hart With that I cried out to our Lord and said O Lord I beseech thee let no singes of these holie markes appeere outwardly to the sight of men Sodainly while I was speaking these wordes before those beames were fully come downe to my bodie they chaunged their coulour out of a sanguine red into a meruelous brightnes and so in the fourme of a goodlie pure light they lighted and rested vpon the said partes of my bodie When she had thus declared her whole vision her ghostlie Father asked her whether anie of thoses beames came downe to her right side or no. She answered no but only to her lefte side vpon the hart He asked her furthermore whether she felt anie sensible paine in those partes or no. With that she fetched a great sigh and said Father I suffer such a great and sensible paine in all those fiue partes of my bodie and specially at my hart that vnlesse almightie God shewe a newe miracle I can not long endure in this life That word did her ghostlie Father take verie good head vnto and he looked diligently whether he might espie anie tokens of sensible paine in those partes of her bodie When she had said so much as she would saie at that tyme they went out of that chappell together towardes their lodging and the holie maid betooke her selfe to her chamber and laie downe and shewed such euident tokens of extreme sickenes that as manie as were about her thought certainely that she would haue dyed out of hand Whereupon her Confessour with certaine other that kept him companie were called to see that strange case When they came and sawe her in such extremitie they were all ouercome with sorrowe and heauines for though they had seene her oftentymes before in verie weake case yet had they neuer seene her so feeble to their seemyng so neere to death Neuertheles within a while after she came to her selfe againe and recouered so much strength that receiuing a litle meate she was able to speak and said to hir ghostlie Father as she had said before that vnlesse almightie God would by some newe miracle continue her life she had but a litle tyme to endure in this wordle When her Confessour heard that he called all her spirituall children together both men and women and besought them with manie teares that they would all with one voice offer vp their humble praier to God beseeching him that he would vouchsafe to lend them their mother that laie at the point of death for a tyme to directe and traine them yet further in the pathes of spiritual life They assented all to his request with a verie good will and went with him to the chamber where the holie maid laie in a traunse And doctour Raimundus in the behalfe of them all spake vnto her after this maner Good mother we knowe well that your desire is to be with your deere spowse and Lord our Sauiour Christ But our desire and earnest sute is that you would take pitie on vs your poore children and not leaue vs thus comfortles and without direction Your reward is safely laied vp for you in heauen and abideth your comyng But we are in danger of perishing a thousand waies in this tempestuous sea of the wordle We knowe also good mother that your deere spowse loueth you so tenderly that he will denie you nothing that you aske him Wherfore we beseech you all with one voice to make your humble praier to him that he will vouchsafe to lend you yet a litle tyme of life emong vs for our further instruction in this holie order of life
AT what tyme Pope Vrbanus the sixt was enforced to flee out of Rome by reason of a rebellion that was raised against him in the citie by the french faction the holie maid which as then was left behind in Rome and sawe the miserable state of the Church wept daie and night and with continual sighes and sobbes made her praier to our Lord beseeching him most instantly that he would voutchsafe to cease the furie of those wicked rebels and geue peace to his afflicted Church And it was well seene that her praier was heard For soone after it pleased God so to dispose that in one daie both those factious schismatikes that had taken armes against the Sea Apostolike were vanquished and taken and the castle of S. Angelo which had holden out long tyme before rendred it selfe into the Popes handes When our holie father the Pope vnderstood of this great victorie he returned to the citie againe where he asked the holie maid her aduise what she thought best to be done in that case And her aduise was that he should goe bare footed to S. Peeters Church and all the people with him to thanke God with all submission and sowlines of hart for that ioyous calme after so lōg stormes And thus the Church of Christ began as it were to reuiue againe and the holie maid tooke passing great comfort to see it But that ioye endured not long For within a litle tyme after these troubles were pacified the deuel whose malice is euermore vigilant against the Church of God raised vp a newe tempest And what he could not bring to passe by the furie of strangers that did he attempt againe by sowing discord betweene the citizens of Rome and the Popes holines When the holie maid perceiued that and sawe the imminent peril that was like thereby to ensue to the Church of God she turned her selfe to our Lord in praier and besought him that he would hold his holie hand ouer the people and not suffer them to commit such a wicked and heinous synne And as she was thus praying she sawe the citie full of damned sprites stirring and exciting the people to kill the Pope And those sprites cried horribly to her and said Thou cursed wretch thou art euermore busie to let our designementes But be thou well assured we shall put thee to a foule death She gaue them no word to answere but continued her praier with greater feruour and deuotion beseeching our Lord with all instancie that he would voutchsafe to keepe her from all mischiefe and also that it would please him to preserue the Pope his lieuetenant and vicar general in earth from all the violent attemptes of those wicked conspiratours for the honour of his owne holie name and for the redresse of his deere Spouse the Church which as then was in verie lamentable state She praied likewise for those impious rebels and besought our Lord most earnestly that he would voutchsafe of his infinite mercie to mollifie their hartes not suffer them to commit such a horrible sinne as to murder their owne Father and Pastour When she had praied often after this maner it pleased God one tyme to geue her this answere Daughter said he suffer the people to accōplish their malice in committing this damnable synne that they are about that I maie exercise my iustice and punish them according to their desertes For their wickednes is so odious and horrible in my sight that it maie no longer be endured When the holie maid heard those dreadful wordes she set her selfe to praier againe with farre greater deuotion and vehemencie of spirite then before and said O most merciful Lord thou seest how thy deere of Spouse the Church whom thou hast redeemed with the price of thy most precious blood is this daie miserably vexed and afflicted almost through out the wordle Thou knowest on the one side how fewe there are that shewe them selues readie to assist and comfort her and thou art not ignorant on the other side how manie there are and how cruelly bent that seeke by all possible meanes to annoye and discomfort her And in this behalfe it can not be hidden from thyne eyes which see all thinges how manie treacheries and treasons there are now in contriuing to make our holie father thy vicar out of the waie The which most detestable conspiracie if it take place must needes turne not only this citie of Rome but also the whole bodie of Christendome to great discomfort and slaunder Therefore ô blessed Lord I most humbly beseech thee that thou wilt for this tyme temper the rigour of thy iustice and spare thy people whom thou hast bought so deere After this maner did the holie maid continue manie daies and manie nightes together in feruent praier in the which tyme our Lord did euer more alleadge iustice and she craued mercie And all the tyme that she was thus occupied in praier the wicked sprites did so vexe and torment her with their horrible scriching and crying that her bodie waxed meruelous feeble In so much that if our Lord had not by his almightie power susteined her it had not ben possible for her to haue endured but her hart must needes haue burst in sunder In the end she concluded her praier with these wordes O Lord said she seeing it is so that thy mercie maie not be granted without thy Iustice I beseech thee despise not my praiers but whatsoeuer paine is to be laied vpon this people laie it vpon my bodie and I will beare it with all my hart for the loue that I beare to the honour of thy holie name and to the saluation of their soules After the tyme that she had spoken these wordes our Lord made no more mention of his iustice but held his peace and gaue her the victorie as the effecte declared euidently For from that verie hower foreward it was seene that the people did by litle and litle cease off their conspiracies and practises against the Popes holines and in the end submitted them selues wholly to his authoritie But as their malice relented by litle and litle and in tyme ceased so did her paine and smart likewise increase answerably by the permission of God by whose suffrance the wicked sprites vexed and tormented her bodie so cruelly that it seemed incredible but only to such as were present with her and sawe how it was in part rent and torne as it had ben with yron hookes in part swollen and full of blacke and blewe wailes as though it had ben beaten with clubbes and all ouer so pitifully araied that it seemed rather a thing to wonder at then a natural bodie All the which notwithstanding she gaue not ouer her accustomed maner of praier but continued in the same both longer tyme together then she was wont to doe before and also with greater feruour of spirite and deuotion then she was wont to haue at other tymes And euermore as she increased in praier charitable
Holie father how thinke you This Caterine of Siena is she of such great holines as she is reported to be The Pope made answere and said Truly we beleeue she is a holie virgin If it please your holines said they we will goe to see her And we beleeue said he you shal be well edified And so they came to our house foorthwith after nyne of the clocke in sommer When they knocked I went to open the doore vnto them And one of them said to me tell Caterine that we would speake with her When she vnderstood of their being there she came downe with doctour Iohn her confessour and certaine other religious persones in to one of the lower roomes where in a conuenient place they caused her to sit downe in the middle And so they entred talke with her after a verie insolent manner prouoking her to choler with their biting wordes And emong other thinges they said We come from the Popes holines and are desirous to vnderstand of you whether you be sent from the Florentines or no as the common brute is Haue not they one sufficient man to send about a matter of so great importance vnto so great a prince And if you be not sent by them we meruaile much how you being a seelie woman dare presume to treate of so weightie a matter as this is with our holie father the Pope c. But the holie maid stood fast like an vnmoueable piller and gaue them verie humble and pitthie answeres in so much that they merueiled much at it And when she had satisfied them at the full concernyng this matter they put out vnto her verie manie and withall verie great questions especially touching her abstraction and singular manner of life And bicause the Apostle saieth that the angell of Satan transfourmeth him selfe into an angell of light they asked her how she knewe whether she were deceiued or no. And so they spake manie wordes and proposed manie questions and in effecte protracted the tyme vntill it was night Sometymes Doctour Iohn would answere for her And though he were a Doctour of diuinitie yet were they such great learned men that in fewe wordes they shut him vp and said vnto him You maie be ashamed to speake after this manner in our presence Let her answere for her selfe for she satisfieth vs much better then you doe Now emong these three one was an Archbishop sometymes a frier of S. Francis order which bare him selfe like a proud Pharisee in countenance as it appeered and made sometymes as though he would not take the answeres of the holie maid But the other two at the length set themselues against him and said What would you haue more of this maid Without doubt she hath declared these matters more plainly and more copiously then euer we found them declared by anie of the doctours And she shewed manie moe verie certaine and true tokens vnto them and so there arose a great iarre emong them selues But in the end they departed all alike satisfied and comforted and made this report of her to our holie father the Pope that they neuer found a soule neither so humble nor so illuminated Howbeit when the Pope vnderstood how they had ruffled with her to moue her to choler he was verie angrie with them made his excuse to her verie effectually declaring that it was done without his will or consent And he said furthermore that if those prelates came anie more to speake with her they should shut the doores against them The next daie doctour Francis the Popes phisicion said these wordes vnto me Knowe you those prelates that came yester daie to our house I made him answere that I knewe them not Then said he to me I assure you that if the knowledge of those three were put in one balance and the knowledge of all the rest that are in the court of Come were put in the other the knowledge of these three would weigh much more then all theirs And therefore I will tell you that if they had not found this maid Caterine to haue a verie good ground she had made as ill a voiage at this tyme as euer she made in her life And then he commended her with verie great and effectuall wordes which I omit in this place for breuities sake These are the verie wordes of that blessed and holie man father Steuen who was as it is said long tyme conuersant with her as her spirituall sonne and scholer and afterwardes became a monke and so consequently for his vertue and holines a Priour ouer a couent of Carthusians neere vnto Pauia Where being earnestly required he wrote a short abbridgment of the holie maides life In the which is conteined brefely and in effecte the whole substance of this booke For corroboration wherof he caused the said abbridgement to be firmed with the great seale of his couent and to be subsigned with the handes of two publike notaries in the presence of a great nomber of witnesses And made this solemne protestation withall in as earnest and vehement termes as he could deuise that for confirmation of the truth of that whole storie and euerie point conteined in the same to the honour of God and edifying of soules he would be found readie at all tymes to take a corporall oathe in whatsoeuer fourme it could be most exactely deuised and to put his hand not only to that present writing but also into the fyer if it were required And of this he called almightie God to witnes who kewe the secretes of his hart Abriefe repetition or somme of manie pointes of heauenlie doctrine reuealed vnto the holie maid immediately from God Chap. 19. THe holie maid was as we haue declared heretofore oftentymes rauished in spirite and vtterly abstracted from her bodilie senses At which tymes it pleased almightie God to vtter by secret inspiration vnto the soule of his deere spouse diuerse sundrie pointes of mysticall doctrine Which she being so rauished and abstracted vttered in the presence of manie godlie and great learned men which wrote as she spake and compiled a booke conteinyng sixe treatises The conclusion wherof I thought good to laie downe in this place word for word as it is written bicause it compriseth in fewe wordes an abbridgement or briefe somme of all such matters as are set out at large in the whole booke before The wordes of almightie God to his spouse are these Now most deere and welbeloued daughter I haue satisfied thy desire from the begynnyng of my talke vnto the last that I had concernyng obedience for if thou be well remembred thou requiredst of me with a carefull desire as thou knowest I caused thee to desire that I should make the fyer of charitie to increase in thee Thou requiredst I saie fouer petitions of the which one was for thy selfe The which I satisfied by illuminating thee with the light of my truth shewing thee that through the light of faith with the knowledge of thee
great hedach which tormented him verie sore and were as he knewe vndoubted signes of the common infection that raigned ouer the citie at that tyme. The which notwithstanding he did what he could to make an end of his diuine seruice In the mornyng calling a felowe to him he went with great paine towardes the holy maides house whether when he came he found her not at home For she was gone out to visite an other that was sicke Then being no longer able to hold vp his head he laied him selfe downe vpon a couch that was there in her house praied the sisters that they wold send for her with al speed When the holie maid came home and found him there and vnderstood in what case he was she kneeled downe by the bed and laying her hand vpon his forehead she began after her maner to lifte vp her hart to God in praier And foorthwith he sawe that she was quite abstracted from her bodilie senses rauished in sprite Which was no vnwonted sight to him nor yet vncomfortable at that tyme. For he hoped well that she should obteine some great benefite for him both of bodie and soule at Gods hand When she had continued after that maner about the space of halfe an hower he felt in him selfe a mightie alteration and stirring in euerie part of his bodie and withal a vehement prouocation towardes a vomite which he had seene to hapen before to many that had died of that disease How beit it fell not so out with him but rather contrariwise For it seemed to him that he felt sensibly how those corrupt humours that caused his paine were violently drawen from within to the vttermost partes of the bodie And certaine he was that he found present ease of his paines And before the holie maid came to her selfe againe he was fully and perfectly restored to his health sauing only that there remained a litle feeblenes in him which he thought our Lord suffred to remaine in him as a token either of the disease that was cured or els of the weakenes of his faith So soone as the holie maid had obteined this grace at Gods hand for her ghostlie father she was foorthwith restored to her bodilie senses And finding him as yet in some weakenes she willed her sisters to prouide some meate for him such as is wont to be geuen to sicke folkes The which when he had receiued at her holie hand she willed him to lie downe and rest a while and so he did And when he had rested a litle tyme he rose vp and felt him selfe as strong and in as good liking as if he had neuer ben sicke Then said the holie maid to him Father goe your waie and labour about the edifying of soules and be thankeful to almightie God that hath deliuered you out of this present danger The like miracle did the holie maid worke about the same tyme vpon father Bartilmewe of whome mention hath ben made diuerse and sundrie tymes before The miracle was much alike but the cure seemed somewhat greater biause he was both longer and also more grieuously sicke How the holie maid healed a great nomber that were sicke of other diseases after the like maner Chap. 4. AFter the tyme that this pestilence was ceased in Siena it chaunced that manie deuout and well disposed persones as well religious as others but specially certaine Nunnes of Pisa hearing the fame of the holie maid had a great desire to see her and to heare her doctrine which was reported to be and was in deed verie wonderful And because it was not lawful for many of them that had this godly inclination to come to her to Siena they sent letters and messengets to her very often beseeching her that she would take the paines to come ouer to them to Pisa And to allure her the more to take that iourney vpon her they declared vnto her what frute and gaine of soules was like to ensue by her comyng thither The holie maid though she had no desire to be from home yet being ouercome with their long importunate sute especially considering that there was great hope of winning soules to God first she asked the aduise of them that liued in house with her of the which compaine some were with her going to Pisa and some against it Then when she sawe that she could not be resolued by men she fled vnto almightie God as her maner was and besought him humbly that he would vouchsafe to make her to vnderstand what his will and pleasure was that she should doe in that case And it came to passe after certaine daies that our Lord appeered to her and willed her that she should accomplish the godlie request of those his seruantes hand maides in Pisa without delaie Wherupon she went to her ghostelie father and declaring thus much to him besought him like an obedient daughter that he would geue her licence to doe as she was willed by God He assented willingly to her demaund and went him selfe with her and with him two other of his brethren to heare the confessions of such as should resort vnto her according to a graunt made to her by Pope Gregorie the eleuenth When she came to Pisa she lodged in the house of an honest citizen called maister Gerardus where on a daie there was presented vnto her a certaine younge man of the age of twentie yeares or there about which had ben sore vexed with a quotidian ague for the space of a yeare and halfe and neuer missed one daie And though there were no fit of an ague vpon him at that tyme yet might she see that he had ben long sicke For whereas he was by constitution of bodie a verie strong and lustie yong man he was now brought so lowe that he had neither flesh strength nor colour And no medicine could be found that would doe him good Wherfore they entreated the holie maid that she would commend his lamentable state to God in her praier The holie maid pitied his case verie much and asked him how long it was sence he was last confessed To that he answered and said that it was a good manie yeares Yea said she and that is the cause whie our Lord hath laied this discipline vpon you bicause yee would not clense your soule in all this tyme by confession Wherfore deere sonne see that yee goe out of hand to confession and rid your selfe of these sinnes that haue infected you both bodie and soule With that she caused Doctour Thomas her owne confessour to be called and deliuered the yong man to him willing him to heare his confession That done the yong man returned to her againe and she laied her hand vpon his shoulder and said these wordes Sonne goe your waie with the peace of our Lord Iesus Christ For I will not that these agues trouble you anie more She said and it was done for the almightie power of him spake in her who said and it
to leese no more tyme about her she turned her selfe to God who only is the phisitiō in such desperate cases besought him most instantly that he would take mercie on her sister molifie her hart This praier was made with such feruour vehemēcie of spirite that it perced the heauens and sownded into the eares of almighty God who to cure that froward womā finally of her synful disease of mynd smote her mercifully with a certaine grieuous infirmity of bodie Whē the holy maid heard tell that Palmerina was so dāgerously sicke she was a heauie womā for her For she sawe that if she should depart the worlde in that state her soule was lost euerlastingly Which consideratiō wrought so in her that she determined to leaue nothing vndone that might possibly be done for the recouerie of that sowle And so she went to her and with verie sweet and louelie wordes offred both her selfe all that she had to be at her deuotion and seruice But the churlish woman was so maliciously bent against her that she not only refused al this courtesie but also reuiled her vsing most vnseemelie and reprochful lāguage against her and in the end bad her goe out of her chāber with great threates thundering wordes All which vilanie the holy maid bare with great meekenes patiēce and continuyng her wonted charitie and cōpassion towardes that furious womā turned her selfe to God againe in praier In this meane tyme that wretched womans sickenes by the diuine prouidence and disposition of God increased so vehemently vpon her that without making anie reconciliation with God or the wordle she drewe on verie fast to death both of bodie soule The which thing when the holie maid vnderstood her hart being thoroughly perced with the dartes of compassion she shut her selfe vp in her Cell and there casting her selfe downe prostrate vpon the grownd with much sobbing weeping and lamentation she made her praier vnto God after this maner O Lord my God Maker maie it be that I wretched creature shold be borne into the worlde to this end that sowles which thou hast created to thine owne ymage likenes should by anie occasion of me be condemned to euerlasting paines Canst thou my good Lord and deere spowse suffer that I which ought to be to my sister an instrument of euerlasting saluation should now become an occasion of her euerlasting woe and calamitie Turne awaie that dreadful iudgement O Lord I beseech thee for thy mercies sake It had ben better for me that I had neuer ben borne then that the sowles which thou hast redeemed with the price of thy most precious blood should through me be brought againe into that miserable captiuitie of our auncient enemie the Deuel O Lord are these the promises which thou madest vnto me when thou diddest saie that I should be an instrument and meane to wynne manie sowles to thee Are these the fruites of life which I thyne vnworthie hand-maid should bring foorth to the behoofe of others There is no doubt O Lord but that my synne is the cawse of all this out of the which I can not looke to receiue anie better fruite then this is But yet O Lord I am right well assured that the botomles sea of thy mercies can not be drayned or in anie part diminished and therefore I set my selfe here before thee with a great affiance and humbly beseech thee that thou wilt vowchsafe to cast downe the eyes of thy clemencie vpon this wretched creature thy seruant my sister This I most instantly craue of thee o most sweet comforter of all afflicted hartes not trusting in anie worke or merite of myne owne but only in thy wonted mercie and goodnes These and other the like wordes did the holie virgin vse in her praier as she declared afterwardes to her ghostly Father which she powred out before God rather with feruour of desire and inward affection then with outward noyse and sownd of voice And our Lord to moue her to further compassion and to make her yet more earnest in praier gaue her to vnderstand and see the euident and imminent peril that her wretched sister was in and she heard it pronownced in plaine termes that the iustice of God could not beare but that such an obstinate malice and hardnes of hart must needes be punished The which horible sentence geuen vpon her sister Palmerina whose sowles health she tendred exceedingly strooke her to the verie hart so mightily that she fell downe to the grownd againe and there lying prostrate groned vnto almightie God after a most lamentable sort saying O Lord God almightie Father of mercies and onlie helper in all extremities I am right well contented yea I most humbly craue it at thy hand that thou wilt vowchsafe to laie all the paine dwe to this wretched womans synnes vpon my backe punish me for them for I am the cause of them and not she Wherefore I most instantly beseeche thee beate me but spare her And with that she raised vp her hart to God with a greater affiance and said furthermore O merciful Lord I will neuer rise out of this place vntill thou shewe mercie to my sister Wherefore I here groane and crie vnto thee O lord euen from the verie botome of myne hart beseeching thee by thyne vnspeakable goodnes by thine infinite mercie and by the price of thy most precious blood shed for the redēption of mankind that thou wilt not suffer my sisters soule to depart out of her bodie vntill the tyme that thou haue graunted her the grace of due penance and contrition for all her synnes Thus did the holie maid make intercession to almighty God for the recouery of her sisters soule her praier was as the euent shewed of meruelous great force vertu For the sicke womā laie in extremes three daies and three nightes drawing on continually in such sort that as manie as were presēt looked euerie hower whē she should passe out of this wordle for they all saw that she was staied in that paineful state of life not by any strength of nature but by some secret extraordinarie power All the which tyme the deuout virgin cōtinued in most earnest feruēt praiers for her and neuer gaue ouer vntil she had with her teares and humilitie as it were wrested the sword of Gods iustice out of his almightie hand and obteined for that wretched woman so much mercie grace that she might first see the deformitie of her synnes then vnderstand the dreadful decree of Gods iustice against her for the same last of all be hartily sorie repentant for her life past with a sure hope of forgiuenes by the mercy of God through the merites of the most precious blood death of our Sauiour Christ This blessed alteratiō was reuealed by God to the holie maid also who vpon the vnderstanding of the same went foorthwith to her sicke sisters chamber to comfort her Whether when
in conscience to talke with her of certaine matters when doctour Raimundus heard that for verie charitie he lefte his owne busines vndone and went with him towardes the holie maides chamber supposing to haue fownd her there But when he came thither and asked for her the sisters answered that she was gone to Church To Church said he when went she to Church for sooth said they before Masse and there she hath continued euer sence With that he was much astoined and turned backe againe to the Church with the priour of the Carthusians where he fownd her in deed in a corner kneeling vpon her knees rauished in spirite as her maner was to be some other of the sisters with her To whome he spake and praied them that they would vse such meanes as they might conueniently to bring her to her selfe againe so soone as were possible For there was there with him a frind of his that had a great desire to speake with her and yet might not tarrie long Now when she was come to her selfe againe doctour Raimundus tooke her aside and in fewe wordes opened his owne case to her that he might geue place to his frind whose vrgent busines required a more speedie dispatch When she hade saide she smyled on him after a comfortable maner and asked him whether he had vsed such diligence as was requisite in seeking that peece Wherunto he answered that he had sought it with as great diligence as was possible If you haue done so said she whie are you so careful VVith that she smyled againe and went towardes the priour of the Charterhowse to speake with him In the meane tyme doctour Raimundus remained somewhat comforted but not fully satisfied vntill he might knowe in deed what was become of it So soone as she had done with the priour and satisfied him in all such demaundes as he made vnto her she returned againe to doctour Raimundus who being verie desiours to vnderstand the truth of the matter began with her after this sort Mother said he it is you I trowe that hath taken awaie this peece of the holie Host No for sooth father said she it was not I but an other that tooke it awaie from you and therfore take no more care for it for I assure you you shall neuer find it Then doctour Raimundus praied her that she would declare to him the whole processe of the matter which she did with a good will to the honour of God and to satisfie his careful mynd Father said she be you no more careful for that peece of the blessed Host For I tell it to you as to my ghostlie father that it was brought to me and I receiued it at the reuerend handes of our most blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ And that you maie vnderstand the cause also I thinke it good to make yet a further declaration of the matter vnto you Father it is so that I was this mornyng in purpose and had withal a verie earnest desire to receiue But my sisters gaue me counsel to the contrarie bicawse my receiuing was like to be troublesome to some of the brethren who as they said grutched somewhat at it wherupon I thought with my selfe to folowe not myne owne will but their aduise But my desire was so great that when I sawe that I could not receiue at the hands of men without their great trouble and disquet I turned my selfe to God and besought him in most humble wise that he would vouchsafe to helpe his poore handmaid Our gracious Lord heard my petition and so foorthwith appeered vnto me and ministred that fourth part that you speake of to me with his owne handes wherfore good Father be you of good comfort for you haue lost nothing and I haue fownd that wherby I remaine meruelously well refresshed and satisfied When doctour Raimundus heard that he was likewise fully satisfied and so departed towardes his couent praising and magnifying the infinite goodnes of almightie God who filleth the hungrie with good thinges and geueth the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding to them that serue him in holines and righteousnes and keepe them selues with a warie and fearefull regard from all such thinges as they thinke maie in anie degree offend his diuine maiestie How her face did shine like an angel while she was receiuing the blessed Sacrament and of certaine other strange signes Chap. 32. ON a tyme doctour Raimundus returnyng from Auinion to Siena went to visite the holie maid and entering into her lodging about noone tyde fownd her praying in her oratorie This thing happened vpon S. Marckes daie the Euangelist When she sawe him she rose vp after a ciuil maner as it were to welcome him and said these wordes O father if you knewe how hungrie my soule is Doctour Raimundus vnderstood wel what she meant and therfore made her answere that the tyme was farre spent and that he was him selfe so weerie of his iourney that he could hardly dispose him selfe to saie Masse that daie With that she held her peace a litle while and soone after brake out againe said Father I am verie hungrie Then doctour Raimundus to satisfie her impatient desire which he knewe was of God prepared him selfe to Masse in her owne chapple not farre from her lodging which she had peculiar to her selfe by special licence from the popes holines when he had receiued the blessed Sacrament him selfe he made readie an Host that he had there consecrated to minister to her also And turnyng him selfe to her to geue her the general absolution as the maner of holie Church is behold he sawe her face transfigured like the face of an Angel all cleere lightsome and casting out beames of a meruelous brightnes With the which strange sight he was so astoined that he said in him selfe to almightie God Surely Lord this is not Caterines face this is vndoubtedly the face of thy deerely beloued spowse With that he turned him selfe againe to the aulter and looking vpon the consecrated Host said these wordes in his hart Come O Lord to thy spowse And he had no sooner spoken those wordes in his mynd but that the holie Host came of it selfe into his handes and did as it were offer it selfe to be caried to the mouth of his deer spowse Thus much did doctour Raimundus testifie him selfe who was a verie graue wise and learned man There were also diuerse other credible persones that affirmed constantly that when this holie maid did at diuerse and sundrie tymes receiue the blessed Sacrament they might heare sensibly how the holy Host made a noyse in her mouth as though it had ben a stone cast with great strength and violence For confirmatiō wherof brother Barthelmewe who was likewise a doctour of diuinity verie godlie man testified that manie tymes when he ministred the blessed Sacrament vnto her the holie Host departed from his fingers after a violent maner and so entred into the mouth of the holie