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
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
excused The parentes whose hartes were verie heauie and careful for the innocent child would not take that excuse but tooke their daughter and went to her to her lodging And came to the house so sodainly that she could not possibly escape by the dore but that they must needes haue a sight of her The which whē she sawe she fownd the meanes to conueie her selfe out by a windowe and so hid her selfe for that tyme in such sort that they could not find her At the last when they had tried all waies sawe that they could by no meanes come to her speech for she had geuen charge to as manie as were about her that none should moue her in that matter they resolued to goe to doct Thomas her ghostlie father to entreat him that seeing the case was so lamētable she so vnwilling to deale in it he would cōmaund her in the vertue of her obedience to keepe the child with her for a tyme. Doctour Thomas was much moued with their pitiful sute and therfore put them in comfort that he would doe for his part what was possible to be done But bicause he knewe well that if he spake to her him selfe she would of humilitie make one excuse or other in such sort that he should not be able to moue her anie further he deuised this wyle He awaited a tyme late in the euenyng when he knewe that the holie maid was abrode then tooke the child that was possessed and put her into a chamber whether he knewe she would come that night leauing word with the rest of the sisters that they should tell her when she came home that he commaunded her in the vertue of her obedience to suffer that child to remaine there with her all that night vntill the next morrowe And so he went his waie and lefte the child with them Anon after when she came home and espied the child in her chamber she asked the sisters who had brought that child thither They made her answere and said that doctour Thomas her confessour had lefte the child there And they declared furthermore that he had willed her in the vertue of her obedience to take the charge of the child till the next daie When she heard that she made no more a doe but set her selfe foorthwith to praier and caused the child to kneele downe and praie with her And so they continued together all that night encountering and fighting against the wicked sprite vntill at the length a litle before daie he was constreined by the force of her faithful praier to depart and to leaue the innocent child without doing anie harme to her bodie The which thing when one of the sisters caled Alexia perceiued she ranne to doctour Thomas and told him that the child was deliuered Doct Thomas likewise being very glad of that ioiful newes wēt to the father mother and brought them with him to the holie maides chamber Where when they sawe the child deliuered in deed they wept for ioye and glorified almightie God that had geuen such power to his humble spowse But the holie maid knewe that the wicked sprite had not quite forsaken the child and therefore intreated the father and mother that she might remaine there with her a litle tyme which they graunted with a good will Then she began to instructe the child exhorted her to geue her self to continual prayer And withal she gaue her a great charge that she should in no wise depart out of the house vntill her father and mother came thether againe to fetch her home Which pointes the child obserued verie well Now it chaunced in this meane tyme that the holie maid had occasion to goe home to her owne house about some necessarie busines for all this was done not in her owne house but in the house of one of the sisters called Alexia of whome mention is made before and there to continue all that daie for the which tyme she lefte the child with a seruant gaue her a great charge withall When she had passed ouer the whole daie in her owne house about such necessarie businesses as she had there to doe and night was come she willed Alexia to giue her her mātel for she would returne with her to her house To that Alexia made answere and said that it was verie late and that it would be euel thought of if women esp religious persones should be seene abrode at that tyme of the night O Alexia said she we must needes goe for that hellish wolfe is about to take my litle lambe awaie from me againe And with that they went both together and found the child in deed verie strangely altered her face all red and her wittes vtterly distracted When the holy maid sawe that she brak out with great indignation into these wordes Ah thou foule feend of hell how durst thou thus to enter againe vpon this poore innocent I trust in the great goodnes of my deere Lord and Sauiour that thou shalt now be cast out in such sort that thou shalt neuer dare to enter againe And with that she tooke the child with her into her chamber where she continued for a certaine tyme in praier Which done she brought out the child againe fully deliuered of that wicked sprite and willed that other sister that was there with her to take the child and laie her downe vpon the bed that she might rest a while And the next morrowe she sent for the father and mother to whome she spake after this maner Take your child home with you on Gods name for from this daie foreward she shall neuer be troubled more with that wicked sprite They tooke their child with glad hartes and lead her to the monasterie from whence she came where she liued a verie blessed life vnder that holie rule and discipline and was neuer molested more to her dying daie Which thing was so ioyous to maister Michael her father that he could neuer tell it afterwardes but that he wept for ioye And he honoured the holie maid in his hart as if she had ben an Angel of God Doctour Raimundus being certified of this great miracle by the faithful report of doctour Thomas Alexia and of the father and mother of the child went him selfe to the holie maid and desired her that she would enforme him particularly of the matter But specially he was desirous to knowe the cause whie the thing was not wrought by the vertue of some holie reliques which the father and mother sought so diligentlie vnto or els exorcismes as it is wont to be Wherunto she made answere that it was a verie rough and stubborne sprite so obstinatly bent that at the first tyme she was faine to continue in battaile against him from the euenyng til the fourth houer of the night before she could expell him And at the length when he sawe that he must needes depart being indeed therunto constreined by the force of her feruent praier
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
God Whose prouident goodnes disposeth all thinges for his chosen seruantes so sweetly that he turneth euen their synful deffectes to their further good benefite And therfore he would not suffer his deere spouse to cōtinue long in that state but that there might be nothing to hinder her feruour and deuotion he laid his hand soone after vpon Bonauentura her sister by whose meanes she was induced to that inconuenience and tooke her out of this life with great anguish and trauaile in child-bearing not withstanding that she was otherwise a lustie yong woman and like to beare manie children This Bonauentura was euer of good life and conuersation and yet bicause she had attempted to drawe her sister from the seruice of God to whom only she had wholly deuoted her selfe and to allure her to the vanities of the worlde it pleased God to shewe this dreadful example vpon her for the terrour of all such as should at anie tyme afterwardes be meanes to hinder holie vowes and purposes And yet would he not haue her to be vtterly lost but as it was reuealed afterwardes to this holie virgin and she declared the same secretly to her ghostlie Father she was in Purgatorie and there abode manie grieuous paines and tormentes for a long season and longer should haue done if this blessed virgin had not hopen her with her deuout praiers Now when her sister Bonauentura was thus passed out of the wordle this deuout maid being by her departure deliuered from that importunate clamour which was before verie troublesome vnto her began to see more cleerly both the deformitie of her synne and the vanitie of the wordle Wherupon with an humble knowledge of her selfe and sure affiance in the mercie of God she cast her selfe downe at the feet of our Lord with Marie Magdalen and there lying prostrate with much lamentation and teares besought him of pardon for her offence and would neuer geue ouer her weeping and wailing but continued stil her most humble sute that she also might at the lenght heare those comfortable wordes spoken by our Lord to her hart Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee And from that daie foreward she began to beare a special loue and deuotion to the said Marie Magdalen and to conforme her selfe to her in the workes of penance It can not be expressed with wordes what inward griefe of mynd shee tooke so often as that offence came to her mynd She sighed and sobbed she wept and wrang her handes she tooke no comfort in anie thing but only in the endles mercie of God of the which she made her selfe well assewred that it did infinitely passe all the sinnes that anie man doth or can commit and that it was alwaies freely offred to as manie as would require it with a contrite and humble hart wherupon she sequestred her selfe from all creatures which she sawe were void of cōfort and turned her selfe to God in whom only she fownd her selfe to receiue perfecte and sownd comfort With him she sought by all meanes to make her peace and attonement so that made to set her whole loue and felicitie in him But the ghostlie enemie of mankind enuying the blisful state of this goodlie peace did his endeuour to disturbe the same by putting into the myndes of her parentes and kinsfolke how expedient it was to bestowe her honestly in mariage especially now considering that her other sister was departed this life And so by these and other the like suggestions the craftie serpent perswaded them to be earnest and diligent both in solliciting her to embrace that state of life and in prouiding her of a conuenient husband But when the wise virgin sawe by the light of Gods holie spirite that all that was but the sutteltie of the deuel meanyng therby to withdrawe her from her holie purpose she contrarie wise set her selfe more earnestly then she was wont to continual praiers heauenlie meditations and other workes of austeritie and penance She eschewed the sight and conuersation of men and gaue all her frindes to vnderstand plainely that she would haue no earthlie creature for her husband but only the euerlasting Sonne of God vpon whom she had fixed her loue The which resolution when her father and mother vnderstood they thought good to take an other waie which was to send for one of the Dominican Friars whose authoritie they thought she would reuerence and to intreat him to talke with her and to see if he could by anie meanes alter her mynd The Friar came and promised to doe what in him laie and so did in deed He set out vnto her in manie wordes what austeritie of life belonged to that profession that she mynded to enter into what a hard matter it was to hold out in the same what snares the deuel would laie to entrappe her how the wordle would vse manie meanes to circumuent flatter her how fraile and weak the flesh was what a great danger and shame it would be if when she had once put her hand to the plough she should looke backe againe Vnto the which pointes the faithful spowse of Christ answered with such wisedome and constancie that the religious man which came to turne her was turned him selfe and so being sorie that he had waded so farre with her in that course changed his stile and said these wordes Daughter seeing it is so that yee are fully resolued to serue God in the holie state of virginitie and that yee are therunto called as I am thoroughly perswaded by your wordes euen by God him selfe I haue no more to saie in the matter it is the best part that yee haue chosen our Lord geue you grace to folowe it And now if yee thinke good furthermore to folowe my counsel I would aduise you to cut off your haire For in so doing it is like yee shall both cut of all hope of mariage in your parentes and withal redeme a great deale of tyme and labour which otherwise must needes be spent about the trymmyng of the same When the holie virgin heard those wordes she tooke them as spoken by God him selfe and foorthwith she ranne and tooke a payre of sheares and cut of her haire hard by the skynne For she had before conceiued a certaine displeasure against her haire bicause she perswaded her selfe that by the trymmyng of the same she had committed a grieuous offence against God And when she had so done she couered her head with a coyfe and so went about her busines contrarie to the maner of all other maidēs The which when her mother espied she asked her what that coife meant Wherunto she made no direct answeere bicause she was afraid to tell the truth and to make a lie she had a great conscience Whereupon her mother stept hastely vnto her and taking of the kerchefe from her head sawe that her faire haire was cut of hard by the head The which sight and losse so pinched her by the hart that for verie inward griefe she
feare of interruption when he was laid to sleepe So that night and daie she sought none other thing but how she might occupie her selfe in such vertuous exercises as were most liking to her heauenlie spowse vnto whom she commended her selfe and praied without ceasing that it would please him to be the keeper of her virginitie saying euermore with the glorious virgin and martyr Cecilia O Lord let my hart and bodie be kept vndefiled And our Lord who neuer faileth to succour his faithful seruantes in their distresse heard the crie his vniustly afflicted spowse and gaue her such strenght and comfort from aboue that she bare ouercame with great facilitie all that heauie burthen of vexations and troubles that her parents and kinsfolkes had laid vpon her And the greater enforcement they vsed to remoue her from her holie purpose the more firme and vnmoueable she shewed her selfe to be in continuyng the same In so much that at the lenght when her parentes sawe her firmenes and constancie they confessed and said in plaine wordes She hath ouercome vs. And her father who was more innocent then the rest considering secretly with him selfe of the doinges of his daughter perceiued euerie daie more more that she folowed in the whole state of her life not anie lightnes of youth or stubbernes of hart towardes her parents but only the motion and guidance of Gods holie spirite For the better confirmation wherof it pleased God so to dispose that on a daie when she was in her brothers chamber at praier leauing the doore open for her father mother had geuen her charge that she should be no where with the doore shut vpon her her father in the meane tyme entring into the chamber by chaunce seekyng some thing there of his sonnes that he had need to occupie at that tyme fownd her in a corner kneeling deuoutly vpon her knees and casting vp his eyes sawe a litle white doue sitting ouer her head which doue so soone as he was entred to his seemyng flewe out at the chamber windowe wherat being somewhat amazed he asked her what doue that was Sir said she I neuer sawe doue nor other byrd in the chamber that I wote of The which when he heard he was verie much astonied but kept the matter secretly to him selfe About this tyme the desire which this holie virgin had had of long tyme to put on the habit of S. Dominicke began to increase in her hart daily more more for the accomplishment wherof she ceased not by daie by night to offer vp her humble praiers and supplications to almightie God Who liked well of her request graunted the same therfore for her better assurance confort sent her this strange and euident vision Being on a tyme a sleepe it seemed that she sawe diuerse and sundrie of the Fathers and fownders of the rules of religion and emong them she sawe S. Dominicke whom she knewe well ynough by a white lilie that he held in his hand which lilie seemed to her to be all in a bright fyer as the bush was that Moyses sawe which burned and cōsumed not Those Fathers willed her to choose some one of their rules in the which she might lead her life and serue God with the greater merite She cast her eyes vpon S. Dominicke and turned her selfe whole to him who likewise came towardes her bringing in his hand the habite of the sisters commonly called the sisters Penitentes of S. Dominicke and said thus vnto her Daughter said he be of good comfort and dread no peril for it is certaine that thou shalt receiue this apparel and weare it The which wordes were so comfortable vnto her that she wept for ioye and gaue most humble thankes to almightie God and to the worthie patriarcke S. Dominicke And so with the force of teares gushing out of her eyes she awaked and came to her selfe againe By this vision she receiued such comfort and strength both in bodie and sowle and withal such a trust and affiance in God that the selfe same daie she called her father and mother brethren together and spake vnto them with a great grace and comelie boldnes after this maner It is now a long tyme sence yee first began to treat with me that I should marrie with some mortal man The which talke how much I euer abhored I neuer declared plainely but concealed it in part for reuerence that I bare vnto you But now I may no longer hold my peace and therfore I mynd to open my hart and purpose vnto you in plaine wordes It is so that I haue made a full resolution and promise to my Lord and Sauiour and to his most glorious Mother the blessed virgin Marie that I will serue them all the daies of my life in the cleane and holie state of virginitie And I geue you to vnderstand that this is no newe thing or lately come vpon me but a thing that I did long since euen in myne infancie being not with standing therunto moued not by anie childish lightnes but by long and sad aduisement and that not without verie euident tokens and most assured reuelations from almightie God And I haue vowed withal that I will neuer incline myne hart to accept anie other husband but only him And therfore now being come by his gratious goodnes to the yeares of discretion and more perfite knowledge I thought it my bownden duetie to aduertise you in expresse termes that thus much I haue by the will of God faithfully promised and thus much I will by the grace of God truly obserue This determinate purpose is so deepely imprinted in my sowle that it shal be more easie to make a hard flint softe then to take this godlie resolution out of myne hart Wherfore I most humbly beseech you that yee wil leese no more tyme in treating with me about mariage For in this matter I maie in no wise condescend to your request bicause I haue plight my faith and truth to Iesus Christ alone whose loue I doe and must preferre before all earthlie creatures Now if it shall please you to keepe me in your house with this condicion as your common seruant I will serue you willingly and obediently to the vttermost of my power If yee thinke by putting me out of your howse to enforce me to yeald vnto your demaūd for lacke of necessarie prouision assure your selues no feare of lacke can alter my mynd in this case For I haue chosen him for my husband that geueth foode to al liuing creatures who will not suffer them to be destitute of thinges necessarie that repose thēselues with a sure affiance in his prouident goodnes With these wordes pronounced with such a comelie grace modestie they were all so astoined withal so ouercome with tendernes of hart and weeping that for a good space they were not able to geue her one word for answere At the lenght her father who was a man that
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
dishonestie vnto whom she maketh none answere whatsoeuer he saie neither will she so much as looke in his face but foorthwith turneth awaie from him and so keepeth her selfe faithfull and true to her husband And so did this chast virgin to her spowse Christ and by this meane she gate a great victorie ouer her enemie boring his eares with the naile of a strong and faithful praier Howbeit though he sawe his first assault thus easily frustrate and put by yet did he not cease but moued an other battaile against her which was much more fierce and cruel then the foremer How the enemie accompained with a great multitude of vncleane spirites renewed his battarie against this strong Fortresse and vsed greater enforcement then before Chap. 21. WHen the vncleane spirites sawe that this attempt tooke no place but was by the grace of God easily ouercome they tooke diuerse and sundrie shapes of men and women and setting them selues in such fourmes before the eyes of the chast virgin they exercised most filthie actes of the flesh and spake verie fowle wordes and vsed all possible meanes to sterre vp her mynd and bodie to vncleannes The which what a great griefe it caused to her vnspotted and maidenlie hart those only are able to consider that knowe what a goodlie treasure a pure and chast conuersation is in the sight of God and so consequently what a great losse it is to be in danger to be spoiled of the same It was also a great torment and increase of heauines to her mynd to consider that her deere spowse and Lord who was wont afore to visite and comfort her oftentymes seemed now as though he had vtterly forsaken her and would no more relieue and succour her in her distresse although for her part she did what in her laie knocking at the gate of his mercie with continual praier teares and hard discipline vpon her bodie And when she sawe that he made no answere she began to deuise a certaine newe maner of sleight to encounter with the enemie how be it not without the secret instincte of God which was this She conceiued a meruelous great misliking of her selfe and against her owne synnes and so turnyng her indignation as it were against her selfe she vttered such wordes Ah most vile wretch lookest thou to receiue cōfort Thinkest thou that thy synnes haue deserued it at Gods hand O most vnkind caitife is it not ynough for thee that thou art pardoned of the paines of hell O vnthankeful creature dost not thou take it to be gaine ynough that the endles mercie of God that changed those euerlasting tormentes into these temporal afflictions Were it not a verie gaineful exchange for thee though they should endure all the tyme of thy life Wilt thou then be dismaied and relent thy wonted mortification and discipline knowing that by theses meanes thou shalt escape endles paines and within a short tyme receiue endles ioye and comfort at the hand of thy deere spowse Iesus Christ By this maiest thou trie whether thou haue chosen to serue God for these temporal visitations and comfortes or else in hope of that euerlasting blesse and ioyful fruition of him selfe in the life to come A wake therefore take a good hart fight manfully and expecte with patience the good will and pleasure of God Now is the tyme for thee to increase to thy selfe labour and paine and to his holie name honour and glorie It can not be expressed in wordes how much she was strengthened in sowle by this meane and contrariwise how much the prowd enemie was by the same confownded and weakened She confessed afterwardes to her ghostlie Father that there was such a rabble of those fowle feendes at that tyme in her chamber mouing her diuerse and sundrie waies to vncleannes that she was enforced for a tyme to flee from her chamber to the Church and there to keepe more then she was wont to doe How be it euen in the Church also she was molested thought not so much as before in her chamber Whether when she returned afterwardes she was againe so beset with such a compaine of vncleane spirites representing there before her so manie actes of filthines and that with so great importunitie and strange maners that it was a verie miracle how she was able to susteine the same But she forth with falling downe to the earth there lying groueling on her face in praier besought God of his mercie with such mightie sighes and groanes that in contemplatiō of her pitiful crie he somewhat asswaged the furie of those fowle feendes And so continuyng in such afflictions and troubles a great number of daies at the lenght when at a tyme comyng from the Church and lying after such a maner in her chamber she made her earnest praier vnto God crauing his mercifull aide and assistance there appeered a certaine comfortable beame of the holie Ghost which brought vnto her remembrance the goodlie lesson that our Lord had thaught her before when she praied vnto him for the gyfte of Fortitude And so vnderstanding that all that was there done was only the tentation of the enemie she receiued great ioye in her hart and determined from that daie foreward to suffer meekely gladly all maner of tentations and afflictions for the loue of her spowse Iesus Christ Then one of those wicked sprites who was peraduenture of greater boldnes and malice then the rest spake vnto her after this maner Wretched woman what meanest thou Thinkest thou euermore to lead such a state of life as this is Make thy selfe well assured of this We shall neuer geue thee one hower of respite but shall paine and vexe thee continually vntill thou yeald and consent vnto our will Vnto whom she made answere out of hand with a great courage and affiance in God and said I haue chosen paine for my refreshing and therefore it shall not be yrckesome to me but rather pleasant and delitefull to suffer these and all other afflictions for the loue of my Lord and Sauiour so long and so much as shall please his diuine maiestie With that woord all that detestable companie of vncleane sprites vanished quite awaie with a verie dreadfull horrible noyse And behold foorth with there appeered a meruelous goodlie light from heauen which shone all ouer her chamber and in that light our Sauiour Christ in such fourme and maner as he was when he hong vpon the Crosse and there shed his most precious blood for the redemptiō of the worlde Who called her vnto him and and said these wordes Myne owne daughter Catherine seest thou not what I haue suffred for thy sake Thinke it not much therefore to suffer for me After that he approched neerer vnto her in an other fourme to comfort her and spake vnto her manie sweet and louing wordes and she likewise to him O Lord said she vsing the wordes of S. Antonie where wert thou when my hart was so vexed with sowle and
but that she was foorthwith able to read as readily as one that had ben trained long tyme in the studie of learnyng Whereat her ghostlie Father was meruelously astoined forsomuch as it was well knowen to all that conuersed with her that before that tyme she could not only not read or spell but also verie hardly knowe one letter from an other After this tyme she gate her bookes of Church seruice and began to saie her Mattins and other Canonical howers in the which she noted disigently the verses of the psalmes but especially that verse that is vsed commonly in the begynning of euerie hower to wite Deus in adiutorium meum intende Domine ad adiuuandum me festina and kept the same in her mynd with a special regard to her liues end How she increased so much in heauenlie contemplations that she was often tymes rauished in the same and how she was espowsed to our Sauiour Christ with a Ring Chap. 23. AFter this tyme increasing daily in heauenlie contemplations she was at the lenght enforced almost to geue ouer all vocal praier bicause she was no soener set to praie but that foorthwith she was so much eleuated in the height of her spirite and so rauished from her bodilie senses that she might scantly endure to end one Pater noster Whereupon hauing an earnest desire in her hart to haue yet a further increase of perfection in spiritual life and to clymme vp to the highest point of charity she made her petition vnto almightie God in most humble maner that it would please him to geue her such a light of faith that being guided by the same she might from that tyme foreward walke surely and without alteration in the pathes of his holie commaundementes and make resistance against all the attemptes of of the enemie The which request our Lord tooke in good part and answered verie comfortably and sweetly saying these wordes I will make thee my spowse in faith And euermore as she increased in desire and multiplied her praier so heard she the same sentence repeated and confirmed by our Lord saying vnto her I will make thee my spowse in faith At the last it happened a litle before the begynning of lent in the shrouing daies at what tyme men are wont of a corrupt custome to gather together after a synful maner and to geue them selues ouermuch to bellie cheere that this wise virgin sequestred her selfe from all companie and closing her selfe vp all alone in her cell she besought our Lord with great austeritie of life with long fasting continual watching and feruent praier that he would vowchsafe to perfourme his promise in geuing her that perfection of faith that she so much desired While she was thus praying with great feruour of mynd and instance behold our Lord appeered vnto her after a verie comfortable maner and said these wordes Bicause thou hast forsaken all the vanities of the worlde and set thy loue vpon me and because thou hast for my sake rather chosen to afflicte thy bodie with fasting then to eate flesh with others especially at this tyme when all other that dwell rownd about thee yea and those also that dwell in the same howse with thee do bancket make great feastes therefore I am determined this daie to keepe a solemne feast with thee and with great ioye and pompe to espowse thy sowle to me in faith As our Lord was speaking these wordes there appeered in the same place the most glorious virgin Marie mother of God the beloued disciple S. Iohn the Euangeliste the great trompet of the holie Ghost S. Paul the Apostle and the most worthie patriarke fownder of her order S. Dominicke and after these came the kinglie prophet and poete Dauid with a musical psalter in his hand on the which he plaied a heauenlie song of inestimable sweetnes in the eares of the newe spowse Then our blessed Ladie came to her and tooke her by the hand and withal stretched out her fingers towardes her Sonne with a verie comelie grace and besought him that he would vowchsafe to espowse her to him selfe in faith Whereunto he assented foorthwith with a verie sweete and louelie countenance and taking out a ring that was set about with fower precious pearles and had in the other part a meruelous ritch diamant put the same on the finger of her right hand saying thus Behold I here espowse thee to me thy Maker and Sauiour in faith Which shall continue in thee from this tyme forward euermore without anie change or alteration vntill the tyme come that thou shalt consummate the same with me in a most perfecte and blesful coniunction in the ioyes of heauen Wherefore from hence foorth beare thy selfe stowtly and be not dismaied for thou art now armed with the armour of faith by the vertue whereof thou shalt withstand and ouercome all the assaultes of the enemie And with that this vision vanished awaie and left her replenished with such ioye and sweetnes that no tongue is able to expresse it Certaine proofes of the holines of this blessed virgin declaring the afore-mentioned streight frindship and familiaritie betweene our Lord and her to be a thing vndoubted Chap. 24. IT may be that manie of the thinges mentioned before in this booke maie seeme to to some men verie strange and almost incredible And no merueile for whie so they seemed euen at that tyme to manie men not only of such as had litle acqueintance with her but of those also that liued familiarly with her who as they were much induced to thinke reuerently of her by seeing her vertuous and holie conuersation so contrariwise they were put in great doubt and perplexitie by reason of the thinges that she did Emong others that cast such doubtes was doctour Raimundus her ghostlie Father a great learned and wise man who at the begynnyng of his familiaritie with her could not resolue whether those wonderful thinges that he heard and sawe in her were true or counterfeicte and whether they proceeded of God or of the deuel While he stood thus in doubt and had a great desire to be resolued in the matter bicause it stood him vpon being her ghostlie Father neither to deceiue nor to be deceiued but to iudge aright of spirites it came to his mynd that if he could by her meanes and intercession obteine for him selfe a true Contrition of all his synnes such as he neuer had before together with a perfecte sorowe for the same and earnest desire to make a full Satisfaction in the sight of God and that he might perceiue sensibly that all that came to him by her meanes he would take that for a most certaine and infallible token that whatsoeuer she had done was the worke of God and not of Satan transfiguring him selfe into an Angel of light And this trial liked him verie well bicause being learned in the studie of diuinitie he knewe that the deuel could not possibly be the authour of true Contrition
But she affirmed constantly that so it was and for confirmation of the same declared how our Sauiour had taken it out with his owne hand All the which talke perswaded him nothing at all How is it possible said he that anie man should liue without a hart yee saie truly Father said she vnto man it is in deed impossible but vnto God there is nothing impossible Within a fewe daies after this it chaunced her to goe to a certaine Chapple of the Friars preachers where the sisters of penance were wont to kneele And when they were all gone home she continued there in praier wherin lifting vp her hart to God with great feruour and deuotion she was rauished in spirite as her common maner was That done she set her selfe in the waie to goe homeward And as she went behold a goodlie light from heauen enuironed her round about and in that light appeered our Sauiour Christ holding in his handes a redde shinyng hart At the sodaine sight wherof she was so afraid that she fell downe to the ground all quaking and trembling Then came our Lord vnto her and openyng her side put the hart that he held in his hand into her bodie and said these wordes Loe deere daughter as I did this other daie take awaie thy hart so do I now in steed of that geue thee my hart with the which thou shalt liue euerlastingly When he had so done he closed vp the wound againe that was made in her bodie and went his waie Howbeit he did it in such sort that there remained euer afterwardes a certaine marke or scarre as it were of a wound healed as she declared oftentymes to her ghostly Father and manie of her sisters sawe it with their eyes From that tyme foreward she altered the maner of her praier and said not as she was wont to doe before Lord I beseech thee keepe my hart but Lord I beseech thee keepe thy hart Of diuerse and sundrie visions which she had at the sight and receiuing of the blessed Sacrament and how she felt her selfe wonderfully altered after the receite of that newe hart Chap. 17. AFter that she had receiued this newe hart she increased meruelously in high and heauenlie contemplations especially when she was occupied in praier about the Aulter from whence she neuer parted without some verie strange visions and illuminations namely when she receiued the blessed Sacrament Manie tymes she sawe our Sauiour Christ betweene the priestes handes in the forme of a litle sucking babe sometymes she sawe him like a pretie stripling and sometymes also like a hote burnyng fornace into the which it seemed to her that the priest did enter when he did communicate Many tymes when she receiued B. Sacramēt she felt such passing sweet sauours that her bodie was almost ouercome with the sweetnes of the same And generally whensoeuer she did either see or receiue the holie Sacrament she receiued withal such aboundance of newe ioyes and vnspeakeable comfortes that manie tymes her hart daunced in her bodie and made such a sensible noyse that it might well be heard of them that stood by And it was well perceiued that the noyse was not natural such as other mens bodies are wont to make but it was altogether strange and aboue the common course of nature In this inward and spiritual Iubile that she felt in her selfe she would breake out sometymes speake to her ghostlie Father after this maner O Father see you not that I am not now the same woman that I was before O that you could feele that I do now feele in my hart Surely surely Father there is no man in this worlde so proud or so hard harted that would not relent and become humble if he felt what I feele And yet is that that I tell you nothing in comparison of that that I feele inwardly There is such a great fyer of Gods loue enkendled in my hart that this external and material fyer being compared with that seemeth rather cold then hote I am so replenished with inward ioye and gladnes that I can but meruaile how my soule maie abide in this wretched bodie This hote burnyng fyer doth so purifie renewe my soule in innocencie and cleannes that me thinketh I am come againe to the age of fiue yeares This diuine fyer doth so inflame me with the loue of my neighbour that it were the greatest ioye in the wordle to me to die for anie man that liueth in the wordle These thinges did she declare to her ghostlie Father to the glorie of God and to the behoofe of the worlde that we might vnderstand and see the vnspeakeable loue of almightie God towardes man and what wonderful effectes the holie Ghost bringeth foorth in flexible and ployant hartes to moue vs that be dull of spirite to the keeping of his holie commaundementes in hope of the comfortable rewardes that we are to receiue at Gods hand not only in the life to come but also in this present life How our Lord reueled manie high misteries to the holie maid and how Marie Magdalen was assigned to her to be her mother Chap. 18. AFter that this holie maid was thus replenished with such great abondance of verie singular graces and gyftes it pleased almightie God to reuele vnto her diuerse and sundrie high mysteries of the which this was one On a tyme our Lord appeered to her to comfort her in her holie purpose accompanied with our blessed Ladie and S. Marie Magdalen and asked her this question Daughter said he what thing desirest thou Wherunto she made answere and said Lord thou knowest better then I what thing is most behoueful for me And of my selfe thou knowest I haue no will nor hart but only thy will and thy hart As she was speaking those wordes it came to her mynd how Marie Magdalen committed her selfe wholly to our Lord when she sate and wept at his feete With that she felt the like swetnes in her hart as Marie Magdalen felt at what tyme she wept at our Lordes feete whereupon she fixed her eyes vpon her Our Lord seeing that and withal looking to the inward bent of her mynd to satisfie her godlie desire said these wordes vnto her Behold deere daughter from this time foreward I geue thee Marie Magdalen to be thy mother to whom as to a louing mother thou maiest at al times flee for special cōfort for vnto her specially haue I committed the gouernemēt of thee When she heard that she gaue our Lord most humble thankes turnyng her selfe to Marie Magdalen with great humilitie and reuerence she besought her that she would vowchsafe so to take her vnder her motherlie protection And from that tyme foreward Marie Magdalen acknowledged the holie maid for her daughter and she tooke her euermore for her mother which thing maie seeme to be done not without great mysterie if we consider what liknes there was betweene the mother and daughter in the whole state of their life
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
restitution both of the one and the other to wite both of the honour of God and also of the saluation of man was appointed by God to be wrought by the meane of his Crosse therfore he had euermore a meruelous great desir to come vnto it which desire was vndoubtely a verie cordial and continual Crosse vnto him and neuer ended vntill the tyme came that his bodie was in deed stretched out and nailed vpon the tree of the Crosse She reasoned yet further concerning that Crosse of desire and said thus No man liuing is able to make a iust estimate of the paines and tormentes that our Sauiour suffred in his hart by reason of the desire that he had to paie the debt of mankind to deliuer them from the sentence of death and to bring them againe into the fauour of God They only that loue God with all their hart with all their sowle with all their strength and their neighbour as them selues maie ghesse in some degree what his paine was Such good men maie iudge in part by the loue that they haue thē selues to the honour of God and saluation of man and by the griefe that they feele in them selues when the thing that they loue is either taken awaie or long delaied what his griefe was They maie iudge I saie in part not perfectly forsomuch as the loue that man hath or can haue to the honour of God and saluation of man be it neuer so great is nothging in comparison of that passing great loue that was in the hart of our Sauiour Christ And therfore the desire that he had to recouer both the one and the other must needes cawse in him a greater sorrowe without all comparison then euer was or could be in man vntill he sawe an effectual and perfecte restitution made to God of his honour and reuerence to man of his former state of grace in this presente life and of glorie in the life to come And thus much he signified to his disciples when he said those wordes I haue had an earnest desire to eate this passeouer with you and afterwardes likewise when in his praier to God the father he said Father take awaie this cup from me Which is as if he had said in plaine wordes Father I see here prepared for me a verie bitter cup of most sharpe tormentes and death which I haue droncke continually in desire euen from the hower of my conception but now do begynne to drincke the same in deed and so to make an end of drincking this paineful potion of the Crosse which I desire thee to hasten and bring to an end For that being once passed and gone I shall reape the frute of my long and earnest desire to witte I shall haue fulfilled myne obedience in all pointes to thee restitution shal be made perfectly to God of his due honour to man of his foremer state And I desire not to haue this cup of my passion taken awaie which thou hast here made readie for me which I take at thy fatherly hand like an obedient sonne and drincke it willingly but I desire to haue that cup taken awaie from me and ended which I haue droncke with such an earnest and greedie desire so manie yeares for the loue that I beare to thyne honour and to the saluation of mankind This was the exposition that she made vpon this place of the gospel against the which bicause it seemed straung and singular her ghostlie Father doctour Raimundus reasoned after this maner Mother said he you knowe that the holie Fathers do commonly geue an other interpretation to this place almost contrarie to this that you haue said They saie that our Lord desired in deed rather not to drincke that cup then to drinke it meanyng therby to declare to vs that he was true man and that as true man his flesh did naturally abhorre death as the flesh of euerie man doth And by this he would geue a doctrine and withall an example in him selfe to all weake and fraile men that they should not be dismaied though they felt in them selues that they did feare death Forsomuch as the like feare frailtie was seene in our head also who tooke vpon him all our infirmities onlie synne excepted To this the holie maid made answere thus Father said she I knowe right well that the holie doctours do expound this place as you haue said and I find no fault with their exposition And though this interpretation that our Lord hath taught me seeme diuerse or almost contrarie as you thinke to that yet is it verie true and maie well stand with the common exposition of the holie Fathers Father it is certaine that our Sauiour Christ was head not only of the weake and fraile that feare and flee death but also of the strong and mightie that beare it manfully and yeald not to the feare and shrynking of the flesh And therfore he would in this acte and wordes geue a doctrine and example to them both He would tremble and feare and desire that the bitter cup of his passiō might passe awaie to geue an example to the weake that they might likewise feare and flee death without anie offence if they had no commaundement from God to the cōtrarie He would also ouercome that feare and quaking of the flesh by the force of reason and zeale of Gods honour and desire his Father to hasten that cup of his passion and death to geue an example to the strong that they should not yeald to the frailtie of the flesh and shrincke at the terrour of death but folowe the direction of the spirite and offer them selues valiantly to tormentes and to death it selfe when by so doing they might either honour God or edifie their neighbour And I see no cause whie one place of the scripture should not haue manie interpretations forsomuch as the holie scripture as you knowe hath manie senses and meanynges Which the holie Ghost hath so ordained that the holie scripture might serue diuerse and sundrie persones to diuerse and sundrie effectes As we see this present text being diuersely expounded serueth men of diuerse qualitie to verie good purpose The weake for a refuge if they retire and saue them selues the strong for a warrant if they steppe forewardes and offer them selues to euident danger for Gods sake Then if you aske me how these two interpretations maie stand together the one being contrarie to the other for by the one our Sauiour required that the cup of his passion might be hastened by the other that it might passe awaie I answere that I take it for none inconuenience that in that agonie he should haue those two contrarie effectes in him selfe the one according to the flesh whose propertie it is naturally to repine at anie thing that maie hurt the other according to the spirite which looking to the honour of God and saluation of mankind desired earnestly the bitter cup of his death by the drinking wherof he knewe
be receiued vnworthely If S. Augustine had knowen that it had ben euel to receiue daily he would not haue said that he did neither like nor dislike of it but would haue said in plaine termes that he did vterly mislike it How much better were it for such rash iudgers of other mens consciences to harken to S. Ambrose who inuiteth thē to receiue daily with these wordes Take this bread saieth he euerie daie bicause you baue neede euerie daie to be purged restored comforted And the angelique doctour S. Thomas after a lōg discourse had about this matter cōcludeth in the end that such persones as find them selues to haue a greater deuotion and reuerence to the blessed Sacrament by their often receiuing maie safely receiue it often tymes And surely this increase of deuotion reuerence was euidently seene in the holie maid in whome it was noted by diuerse and sundrie persones that conuersed with her but especially by her ghostlie Father who sate at the sterne of her conscience that the oftener she comunicated the more she increased in humilitie in holie feare in feruour of deuotion in charitie in patience in all other vertues And when she might not cōmunicate as it happened sometimes by reason of certaine vrgent necessarie lettes she had a certaine fainting languishing paine not only in her soule but also miraculously in her bodie which was more grieuous to her then if she had ben sick of a burning ague or anie other bodily infirmitie Which point could neuer be perswaded to diuerse of the religious persones that liued in house with her who did what in them laie to hinder her from so often receiuing wherby they put her to meruelous intolerable paines But her ghostlie father who knewe in deed the state of her soule condescended easily to her earnest and holie demaund and was euermore verie readie to minister the blessed Sacrament vnto her bicause being a wise learned mā he vnderstood that her desire and longyng was of God To whome when she came to require the blessed Sacrament she was wont to speake verie sweetly after this maner Father I am hungrie I praie you for gods loue geue me the bread of life In respecte of the which good mynd and deuotion towardes the blessed Sacramēt Pope Gregorie the nynth made her a graunt that she might choose for her ghostlie father what priest she would and that she might carrie with her a portable aulter whether soeuer she went to the end that she might confesse and receiue wher and whē she would How our Sauiour Christ ministred the blessed Sacramēt vnto her with his owne holy hand Chap. 31. ON a tyme doctour Raimundus making his abode in Siena for certaine busines that he had there to doe came one mornyng to visite the holie maid and fownd her verie sore pained with diuerse and sundrie diseases but specially with a great griping in the flanke commonly called Iliaca passio All the which paine notwithstanding after certaine conference had betweene them concernyng the worthines and excellencie of the blessed Sacrament she besought him that she might receiue that mornyng Whervnto he assented with a good will and so went to the Church to prepare him selfe to say masse But her paines increased so vehemently vpon her that she sent one of her sisters after him to entreate him to tarrie a litle while hoping after a tyme to haue some such release of her paines that she might be able to come to the Church Where withal he was well contented and abode her leisure till it was about noone At what tyme she fownd some ease and came in deed to the Church to communicate But before she had signified so much to the father certaine of the sisters which sawe that the tyme was farre spent and knewe also that her maner was after she had receiued to be rauished in spirite and so to continue for the space of three fower or fiue houers came to her and perswaded with her that she should absteine from receiuing that daie in consideration that the tyme was past and that it would be a great trouble to the brethren who must attend so long to shut the Church doores when all was done Which counsel she yealded vnto with great meekenes But yet she had such an impatient desire to receiue that she turned her selfe to our Lord after a ruthful maner and said O my deere Lord and sweete comfort of all afflicted hartes seeing it hath pleased thee so graciously to put this desire into my hart I most humbly beseech thee that it maie also please thee to perfourme the same by thy selfe which can not be perfourmed by men without their great trouble and disquiet Our Lord who neuer despiseth the desire of a good hart heard the inward gronyng of his hand maid and gaue her comfort that he would accomplish her godlie request not only mercifully but also meruelously Wherupon she sent one of her sisters to doctour Raimundus to praie him to begynne masse at his pleasure for she might not receiue at his hand that daie With that he went to masse supposing that she had not ben in the Church but at home in her chamber And after sacring when the tyme was to breake the holie Host he thought to breake it according to the maner and ordinance of holie Chuch into three partes But behold contrarie to his meanyng and expectation he sawe fower partes Of the which one part skipped from aboue the chalice where he held it in his hand and laid it selfe downe vpon the corporal to his seeming Where he beheld it aduisedly and afterwardes when he receiued sought for it diligently and so did he likewise when Masse was done both on the corporal and on the aulter and al about beside the aulter and vpon the ground but could neuer find it Which put him in a great maze and perplexitie of conscience Wherupon he thought good to take the aduise of his priour who was accounted a verie discrete and godlie man and so in the meane tyme couered the aulter and gaue a great charge to the Sacristane to see that none should come neere the aulter til he came againe Now as he was going in the way he met with the priour of the Carthusians his verie frinde and familiar who came to conferre with the holie maid of certaine matters and therfore praied him that he would bring him to her speech I beseech you said doctour Raimundus haue a litle patience while I goe and speake two wordes with our Father priour and I will returne with all possible speed and bring you to her cell Sir said he I maie not tarrie for this is as you knowe a solemne fasting daie with vs and I must needes eate this daie with my brethren in the refectorie The tyme is farre spent as you see and I haue well nigh three miles home Wherefore I must desire you for Gods loue to dispatch me as soone as you can For I am moued
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
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
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
frindlie and comfortable looke though he like an vnkind man had thrice refused and denied thee Thou drewest Marie Magdalen to thee with the lines of loue when she had estranged her selfe from thee by her manifold synnes Thou tookest Mathewe the Publicane from a synful trade of life in the wordle to be an Apostle and Euangelist Thou diddest not repell the woman of Cananee nor Zacheus the Prince of Publicans but didest most sweetly accept the one and inuite the other Wherefore I most humbly beseech thee for all thy mercies hitherto shewed vnto man and for all those also that thyne infinite goodnes hath determined to shewe hereafter that thou wilt voutchsafe to looke downe vpon these wretched creatures mollifie their hartes with the fyer of thy holie spirite that they maie be deliuered from the second death Our Lord heard the praier of his Spowse and graunted her such a grace that she went in spirite with those two theeues towardes the place of execution weeping and lamenting for their synnes and mouing them to repentance for the same Which thing the wicked sprites perceiued well inough and therefore they cried out vpon her and said Catherine leaue to trouble vs. If thou wilt not we will surely enter into thee and vexe thee To whom the holie maid made this answere As God will so will I. And therefore I will not cease to doe what lieth in me for the reliefe of these poore wretches because I know it is the will of God that I should so doe And so continuing in praier she procured them a verie singular fauour and grace as the effecte declared For when these theeues were come to the gate of the citie our Sauiour Christ appeered to them shewing to them his precious woundes all streamīg downe with blood inuiting them to become repētant for their former life Which if they did he put them in a sure cōfort that all was quite forgeuen At this strāge sight their hartes were sodainly so altered to the great wōder of as manie as were there presēt that they changed their stile and turned their blasphemie into thākesgeuing praysing God for his great mercies And shewing thēselues to be hartely sorie contrite for their synnes desired earnestly that they might haue a Priest to heare their Cōfessiōs That done they went forward cheerfully towardes the place of executiō where they shewed likewise great tokens of ioy cōfort for that they had to passe by a reproachful death to a glorious life All the people sawe this strange alteratiō were much astonied at it because as thē they vnderstood not the cause thereof which afterwards came to light by this meane The Priest that heard these fellōs Cōfessiōs wēt soone after to visit Doct. Rai the holie maides Cōfessour in talke declared vnto him how wonderfully God had wrought with thē Doct. Rai foorthwith begā to suspect as it was indeed therfore asked Alexia what the holie maid was doīg at that tyme whē the theeues were lead thorough their street towardes the place of executiō She made him answer declared the whole processe of the matter so much as she had seene heard in her owne house Whereby Doctour Raimundus sawe a verie great likelihood that the thing had ben wrought as he deemed before by the praier and intercession of the holie maid Howbeit for the more assurance he tooke an occasion afterwardes to aske the holie maid her selfe And she to the honour of God and for the satisfaction of her ghostlie father declared vnto him particularly how euerie thing had passed Within a fewe daies after this was done certaine of the sisters that chaunced to be present while the holie maid was praying heard her saie these wordes in her praier with a full voice O Lord Iesu I most hartely thanke thee that thou hast deliuered them out of the second prison Of the which wordes being demaunded afterwardes what she meant by them she made answere that the soules of those theeues were as then deliuered out of Purgatorie and restored to Paradyse Such was her charitie towardes them that as she had by praier deliuered them from the euerlasting tormentes of hell so she neuer ceased to praie for them vntill she sawe that they were also passed the temporal paines of Purgatorie and receiued into euerlasting blisse How by the praier of the holie maid an obstinate synner was turned to God Chap. 11. THere was a man dwelling in the citie of Siena called Andrewe Mardine well endued with wordlie substance but bare of heauenlie ritches void of the loue and feare of God a baretter blasphemer and wicked liuer This man about the fortieth yeare of his age was sodainly taken with a verie grieuous sickenes which held him so vehemently that he was faine to keepe his bed where he laie waxed euerie daie weaker weaker vntill at the length he was geuen ouer by the Phisicions and despaired of all men His curate hearing that came to visite him and as his Pastoral charge required exhorted him with manie wordes that he should now in the end of his life dispose him selfe to Confession and penance for his soules health But he was so obstinately bent that he litle esteemed the Priest and lesse his counsel Which thing his wife perceiuing which was a good woman and had a great desire to sawe her husbandes soule ranne to diuerse and sundrie religious persones both men and women besought them that they would come and doe their diligence to turne his hart They came at her instance and vsed manie perswasible meanes to bring him to a better mynd setting before his eyes now the horrible threates of hell fyer and now the sweete peomises of the ioyes of heauen but all in vaine After them came the curate againe with great heauines and care to doe what in him laie towardes the recouerie of this sowle that was thus in danger to perish He exhorted him as he had done before and thereunto added manie goodlie perswasions to induce him to be repentant for his foremer life and to call to God for mercie But the wretched mans hart was so hardened that he might not endure to heare him speake but scorned both him and his holesome exhortations In so much that at the lenght he fell into plaine desperation and synne against the holie Ghost and in that damnable state drewe on a pace towardes his end This matter chanced to come to the knowledge of doctour Thomas who hauing great compassion of the wretched mans case went foorthwith towardes the holie Maides lodging hoping by her mediation to find some grace in the sight of God But when he came thither he found the holie maid rauished from her bodilie senses And so long as she was so he durst not doe anie thing to her bodie wherby to bring her againe and tarrie there anie longer he might not bicause it wae verie late in the euenyng Wherefore he gaue a verie streight charge to one of
especially Ginoccia which of the two liued in greater austeritie and penance When their brother Iames who was at that tyme abroade heard tell of this strange alteration of his two sisters he raged like a mad man and cursed all them that had moued his sisters to take that habite And he threatned verie boldly that he would teare those garmentes from their backes and bring them home againe And no man durst aduenture to staie him in that rage but only a yong brother of his that was in companie with him at that tyme who spake to him after this maner Brother Iames said he you are not acqueinted with this sister Catherine But if you goe to Siena you shall see she shall turne you also and make you to goe Confession To Confetsion said he I defie thee and them all Assure thy selfe I will cut the throtes of all those Priestes and friars before they shall bring me to confession Well brother said the child and he repeated his wordes oftentymes speaking with great affiance as though he had foreseene the euent of this matter in the spirite of prophecie you shall find my wordes true and shall see that the holie maid shall bring you to grace Those wordes set him in such a furie that he cursed and banned and fared like a man distracted And in this furie he entred into the citie and went foorth with to his fathers house where he tooke on like a madd man threatnyng and swearing that he would doe manie horrible mischiefes vnlesse they brought to passe that his sisters and specially Ginoccia might put off that habite and come home againe But his mother Rabes who was well acqueinted with his furious nature therefore feared lest he would of a sodaine do some mischieuous acte as his maner was came to him and with faire wordes staied his rage that he did no harme that night And the next morning she sent for Doctour Thomas beseeching him for Gods sake that he would take the paines to come and geue her sonne Iames some godlie exhortation Doctour Thomas came with him frier Bartilmewe And they spake manie good wordes to the impatient yong man but for ought that they could perceiue all in vaine All this tyme was the holie maid in praier and laboured earnestly to wynne that yong mans soule to God for she vnderstood not by the relation of anie man but only by reuelation from God in what a damnable state he stood and she sawe in spirite what paines those good men tooke to recouer him And it was euidently seene afterwardes by the proofe that our Lord blessed and furthered their charitable trauaile in that behalfe for the holie maides sake and in contemplation of her deuout praiers For when these men had spent a good tyme about him and sawe that they could doe him no good at the length while Doctour Bartilmewe was speaking to him behold of a sodaine and contrarie to all expectation the yong man being vndoubtedly touched by the finger of God resented and said of him selfe that he was verie well content and glad that his sisters should serue God in that holie rule and discipline And he required furthermore with great humilitie that he might be Confessed and absolued of his owne synnes that he might serue God with them also The which he did in deed verie perfectly to the great wonder and comfort of as manie as were there present which a litle before had seene him as fiercc as a lion and now as myld as a lambe His mother Rabes was a ioyful woman to see this strāge and blessed alteration in her sonne and so were all the rest of her familie with her Now when Doctour Thomas and Doctour Bartilmewe his companion had rendred thankes to almightie God for this great mercie shewed vpon that yong man they went out of hand with ioyful hartes towardes the holie maides lodging and thought the tyme long vntill they might impart these glad tidinges of his conuersion to her But when they came thither they vnderstood that the holie maid was aboue in an vpper chamber in praier and rauished as her maner was in spirite and one other of the sisters with her By reason wherof they were constreined to tarrie a while At the length when the holie maid was come to her selfe againe that other sister came downe to enterteine Doctour Thomas her Confessour who saluted her with a cheereful countenance and began foorthwith to declare the cause of his coming to her Sister said he we are come to bring you verie good newes Maister Iames Tolmes is by the grace of God become a newe man and this mornyng hath made a general Cōfession of all his synnes to Doctour Bartilmewe Father said that sister we haue great cause both to reioyse and also to thanke our Lord for these ioyful tydinges Howbeit they are no newes to vs for sister Catherine before I came downe to you told me so much as you tell me now And with that they went vp into the vpper chamber to the holie maid who immediatly vpon their entrie spake to them after this maner Fathers said she we are much bound to thanke our Lord and Sauiour that neuer dispiseth the humble praier of his seruantes And as he putteth holie desires into their hartes so doth he also accomplish the same to their benefite and comfort The wicked feend had thought to haue gotten a litle lambe of the which he had conceiued some hope But he hath through the vnspeakeable goodnes of God lost a great preie of the which he had full posession He laid for Ginoccia but he hath lost Iames. And so it falleth out oftentymes with this rauenous and insatiable wolfe that while he openeth his iawes wider to geat more he both letteth fall some better morsel that he had in his mouth before and yet misseth of that other thing that he so griedily snatcheth after Our Lord be blessed and thanked for euer more whose prouident wisedome disposeth all thinges sweetely and turneth the wilye malice of this suttle serpent to the benefit and comfort of his chosen seruantes After this Ginoccia continued without anie molestation in that holie state of life that she had vowed wherein when she had suffered manie sickenesses with a verie patient and cheereful mynd she passed out of this wordle to God with a meruelous inward sweetnes and comfort as it was euidently seene by the maner of her departure Soone after her sister Francis likewise tooke the habite and rule of the sisters of penance and therein continued with great commendation and opinion of holines so long as she liued which was in deed no long tyme. And it was noted of her also at the tyme of her passing out of this life that she smyled sweetely and shewed great tokens of spiritual ioye euen when she was at the verie point of death And this Iames their brother after that he was thus reclaimed by the deuout praier of the holie maid and diligence of
to cast awaie and I will make bread of it for the poore Alexia did as she was willed Then the holie maid tooke it of her and made past of it and of the past made such a deale of bred and that also so quickely that Alexia her seruant that beheld her al the time were astoined to see it for they thought verily that there could not haue ben made so manie loaues of fower or fiue tymes so much meale as the holie maid deliuered out of her handes to Alexia to laie vpon bordes and carrie to the ouen And which was most meruelous there was no euel sauour in those loaues as there was in all other made of the same corne But when they were baked and set on the table to eate they that eate of them could find no maner of bitternes or euel tast in them but rather said that they had not in their life tyme eaten better and more sauorie bread This miracle being spread in the citie doctour Thomas her confessour came with certaine other learned men of his brethren to examine the matter and found in verie deed that there were two great miracles wrought one in augmēting the quantitie of the past and an other in amending the euel qualitie and stench of the corne And the third miracle was added soone after which was that wheras the same bread was verie liberally dealt out to the poore and none other eaten in the house but that yet there remained euermore great store of it in the hutch And so it continued manie daies and weekes Which moued certaine deuout persones that vnderstood the truth of the matter to take some of the said bread and to laie it vp reuerently where it might be kept for a relique and perpetual remembrance of the great worke that almightie God had wrought by his deere spowse After wardes Doctour Raimundus being desirous to be more particularly infourmed of the matter by the holie maid praied her one a tyme in secret talke that she would declare vnto him for his satisfaction how and in what order the thing had passed And she made him answere simply after this maner Father said she I had a great zeale that the thing that God had sent vs for the reliefe of man should not be lost And I had withal a great compassion on the poore Wherupon I went to the hutch of meale with a great feruour of spirite So soone as I was there behold our blessed Ladie was there likewise with me accompanied with a nomber of Sainctes and Angels and bad me to goe foreward with my worke as I had determined And she was so benigne and charitable that she vouchsafed to labour with me and to worke the past with her owne handes and so by the vertue of her holie handes were those loaues multiplied in such sort as yee haue heard for she made the loaues and gaue them to me and I deliuered them from me to Alexia and her seruant Truly mother said doctour Raimundus I maruaile not now if that bread seemed to me and others that tasted of it passing sweet considering that it was made with the handes of that most heauenlie glorious Queene in whose sacred bodie was wrought and made by the holie Trinitie that liue bread that came downe from heauen to geue life to all true beleeuers How the holie maid multiplied bread an other tyme in Rome for the prouision of her familie Chap. 6. AT what tyme the holie maid came to Rome by commaundement of Pope Vrbanus the sixt she had in her companie to the nomber of fower and twentie persones to wite sixtene men and eight women Which folowed her almost against her will some to visite the holie places in Rome and some to get certaine spiritual graces of the Popes holines but all as her ghostlie children to be trained by her in the rules of spiritual life Besides these there came to the citie at that tyme a nomber of good and godlie men which bicause they were sent for by the Pope at the holie maides motion instance resorted vnto her and lodged in her house And though she neither had nor would haue anie thing for the reliefe of her selfe and al her familie but only what she receiued of pure almes yet was she so liberal and free of hart had such a loue to hospitalitie that she made no difference betweene receiuing one man and one hundred for she doubted not but had a full trust and affiance in God that he would prouide for them all For the better perfourmance wherof she tooke this order emong her women that they should be stewardes in the house by course one after an other euerie weeke so that one of them was euermore occupied about the prouision of meate drincke other thinges that the rest might the more freely intend their pilgrimages other holie exercises for the which they were come to the citie And bicause the bread that they eate was all of almes she gaue them charge that whosoeuer was steward for the weeke should alwaies signifie to her a daie before the bread was all spent that she might send some other of the sisters or goe her selfe to begge more One tyme it chaunced that one of the sisters called Ione being steward in her course lacked bread and yet forgat to signifie so much to the holie maid vntill the verie hower of dyner was come Then remembring her selfe and being ashamed of her negligence she went to the holie maid with a heauie cheere confessed her fault Ah sister said she God forgeue you Wherefore haue you brought vs to this distresse contrarie to the order that I gaue you Behould our familie is now verie hungrie they haue fasted long And where shall we find so much bread of a sodaine as may suffice thē al To that sister Ione could saie nothing els but only acknowleged her forgetfulnes and cried her mercie VVell said the holie maid cause them to sit downe at the table Alas said she there is not bread inough for fower persones whatsoeuer there is said the holie maid will them to goe to dyner and to begynne with that litle that is vntill God send more And with that she went her selfe to praier Then sister Ione according as she was commaunded caused them to sit downe and set that smal prouision that was of bread and other thinges before them They fell to their meate gridily for they vsed to fast verie much that daie they had taried for their dyner longer then they were wont to doe and thought in deed that they should soone dispatch that short pitance But our Lord at the instance of the holie maid so wrought in that bread that they cut soppes into their potage and eate euerie man so much as sufficed and yet was the bread nothing diminished but rather increased Wherat when they were all astoined they asked what the holie maid was in doing And vnderstanding that she was earnestly occupied in praier they