they still remayned in â—he darcknes of sinne Sometymes she would say Thou â—â—est O Lord the need which there is of these â—oules for if they who are the light of the â—orld remaine in darknes how much more â—â—all other creatures remaine there And if â—hey who are the salt of the earth be vnsauouâ—y and insipide how shall they be able to seaâ—on others O my Iesus and how shall they be â—ble to lead others on in the way to thee if â—hemselues go on in that way which is conâ—rary to thee She offered her selfe afterwards to our Lord to indure all the peâ—altyes which these soules deserued so â—hat he would deliuer them from comâ—itting of sinne And she would say with â—dmirable zeale Infuse O my Iesus infuse â—â—y bloud into them and for my part if I â—ight indure all the paynes of Purgatory so as â—ithall they might be saued I should be conâ—ent Lay punishment I beseech thee vpon me â—nd giue me payne interiour and exteriour as 〈◊〉 all best please thee For I cannot endure â—hat there should be so great ignorance where there is so great aboundance O miserable and wretched creature that I am why am not I able to take vpon me and to beare all payne Punish thou vpon me O Word their so great ingratitude so great blindnes and ignorance At last finding that she had obteined the conuersion of those sinners she sayd with excesse of ioy Then let them returne vnto thee like so many wandring sheep for all the happy soules of heauen are expecting their approach with ioy With these feruours of Charity she endlesly prayed the diuine Maiesty for the saluation of others reaped the desired fruit of her labours for she often saw how these soules being illuminated by God with his diuine grace did returne to him with repentant harts by the meanes of her prayers Of the Charity which she vsed towardes her Neighbours CHAP. 52. AS her zeale was such towardes the saluation of others soules so her Charity was no lesse which she imployed towards them in all their other necessityes whether they were spiritual or corporall She euer aspired earnestly to be labouring about them and then did she giue particuler demonstration thereof when any one was sicke in the Monastery So as she would be often saying to the Infirmarian That she had nothing to do Note that she had no disposition to pray nor could keep her mind retyred inwardly vpon God and she would secretly inferre by these words that they might giue her much contentment if they would serue themselues of her in the gouernement of such as were sicke Whensoeuer she was satisfyed in this holy desire of hers she would vse supreme diligence about them and when at any tyme the sicknes grew great the good Mother would sometims by holding them vp in her armes and sometimes feeding them performe all the good offices which are imaginable Among many others this one deserues to be remembred There was a lay Sister who had long been sicke and hauing a veyne broken in her breast was afflicted with much infirmity and griefe Suor Maria Maddalena hauing obserued this tooke her into her care and continuing so about a yeare the sayd Sister dyed In that last passage it caÌ„not be exprest what paines she tooke for she watched with her ten nights without taking in effect any rest at all It happened not long after that another lay Sister fell sicke of an incurable soare and it was offensiue in sauour beyond measure Suor Maria Maddalena desired to haue the charge of attending her and when she had obteyned it she would needs with her own hands dresse the soare and when there grew any vermine as sometymes there did she vsed al diligence in remouing it and sometimes would apply her mouth vnto it as if she were tasting of some curious and delicious liquor She fayled not also with deer wordes to exhort the sicke person to endure all with patience assuring her that in heauen she should find a most liberall remuneration When these two were passed in their seuerall tymes to a better life she performed to their bodyes all the accustomed dutyes before they were buryed and to that she added continuall prayers for their soules and by night without taking in a manner any rest she exhibited her feruent desires to God that they might hasten to the fruition of eternall glory And she procured with great diligence that all the Religious would multiply their prayers she offered her selfe willingly to receaue the punishment of their faults and she prayed to God earnestly that she might doe so who graunting her request made her very often feele grieuous paines for many dayes togeather by meanes whereof they being endured by her with singular patience he shewed her those soules when they went towards the enioying of eternall happynes She seeth the soules of two sinners condemned to Hell at their death CHAP. 53. ON the 22. of December in the yeare 1594. being in excesse of mind she saw the soule of a sinner who at that instant departed out of this life and was condemned to those euerlasting paynes She vnderstood afterwardes how that wretched man besides that he had lead a most wicked life was particulerly sentenced to those endled flames for not hauing in account the spirituall treasures of the Church but despising both Indulgences and all other graces which she tenderly powreth vpon her faythfull children About the same tyme she saw in like manner another soule shut vp on all sides into vnquenchable fire and coÌ„demned by the Iustice of God to the torments of Hell Whereupon she grew to be of an afflicted countenance pale beyond all imagination and with tears and sighes turning her selfe to the soule she sayd Thou art now become a firebrand of hell and soone are thy pleasures and pastimes conuerted into bitter and eternall paynes and then looking vp to heauen she sayd O eternall God the men of this world do not consider and penetrate these thinges But vpon this occasion so great was the griefe affliction of her hart that she wanted little of sowning by it And these visions as she related afterwards by her vsuall Obedience were shewed her by God to the end that both her selfe and the other Religious of that Monastery should inflame themselues more vehemently towards the zeale of the saluation of soules offering vp for them both prayers and pennances to the diuine Iustice She was chosen Mistresse of the yong Religious whome she did admirably help forward in the way of spirit CHAP. 54. IN the yeare 1595. she was by common consent of all the Religious elected Mistresse of the yong Religious It would be heard to deliuer fully with how much zeale she addressed them towards Religious perfection and by the vertue which shined in her they went forwards with great facility towards the procuring of euangelicall perfection In this gouernement of hers she euer prescribed seasonable remedyes and gaue wise
taken in writing by the other Religiousâ— as she was vttering them Now these grew to multiply both in so great number and measure as that the foresayd second part did afterwards endure a diuision into fiue so as in all they are six parts and they make a large volume full of admirable Conceptions and Expressions Which yet because they are so high and full of Mysteryes I haue contented my â—elfe with translating only the first that being all the historicall part of her life wherein also are diuers sufficient touches of those other togeather with many most approued miracles whereby it pleased God to declare the sanctity â—f this his Seruant The Author whome I named is also a Florentine a Gentleman of a good house and of a good estate but which he is dayly giuing away for Gods sake and a man of great reputation both for his iudgment his piety and the good example of his life Which yet with â—ne is much the more considerable because I haue vnderstood by some who know him best that himselfe for as much as concernes conscience is also gouerned by others of great sanctity and experience in the way of spirit and it is well that he is so For though many do excellently gouerne others no creature is able to do it sufficiently for himselfe But as for his own vertue valew it is not a thing â—nly knowne to men of his owne Citty and Countrey but to many Gentlemen and some Noblemen of England and they not only Catholikes but Protestants This vertuous Priest was the Ghostly Father of that holy Woman and he gouerned her soule togeather with the whole Monastery where she liued for the space of some immediate years before she dyed And for the greater credit of that which is heere deliuered and to the end that not only no pious Catholike may doubt thereof but that euen no prudent Protestant may haue colour to quarrell or so much as question the truth of that which shall be in this booke declared I will deliueâ— some circumstances which I assure my selfe iâ— the iudgment of indifferent and morall men will serue the turne In the Monastery of Florence called Santa Maria de gli Angioli there be three score Religious women who are though worthy as worthy as flesh and bloud may be to receaue euery day the Body of our Blesseâ— Sauiour in the B. Sacrament though indeed this cannot be worthily done by any and iâ— must suffice that it be not done vnworthily To the so often feeding vpon this bread oâ— Angells they are admitted not by any importunity or fancy or particuler iudgment oâ— their owne but by the hand of this Priest whome I haue already described In whose gouernement of them if there be aâ—y imperfection it is in that he may be thought a little scrupulous through the great light he hath of the purity Maiesty of almighty God on the one side and the great indecency or rather deformity which he discouereth in the least sinne on the other Now the passages of this Saints life after she entred into the Monastery were verifyed and that vpon Oath by these other Religious women that liued with her in presence of their spirituall Magistrats who had authority to take full information thereof Let me further present to your consideration discreet Reader that at the tyme of taking those Oaths the Religious were particulerly put in mind though they were far from being ignorant therof before of the nature of an oath and with how much truth reuerence they were bound to sweare that they must not for the conuerting or sauing of the whole world tell the least officious lye especially in matters of this nature wherin as it was to be an act of Iustice and Religion to expresse a truth when they were lawfully called thereunto so to publish and authorize an vntruth truth was to commit a grieuous sinne And indeed the Catholique Apostolique Roman Church doth so much abhorre all collusion fraud in this high kind as that it denounceth a solemne sentence of most rigorous Excommunication ipso facto to be incurred by any that shall publish or any way cooperate willingly towards a false Miracle Now therfore that such a company of holy women as I haue heere described who do otherwise lead a life of so great perfection and pennance as is notorious to the world in those parts being directed in their coÌ„science by such a Ghostly Father being put in mind of their duty towards God and the world in so expresse manner by their other spirituall Gouernours should in despite of all Religion and reason combine and band themselues to deceaue the world and damne their owne soules by auowing solemne vntruths and to do all this betweene foure walls and in the middest of perpetuall fastings praying haire cloath disciplines and the like is not only improbable but impossible And I shall wonder with what sense by the Ciuill or Municipall Law of any Countrey the oaths of any two honest men or women may be admitted to rule the case of mens lands and liues and that the oaths of so many persons and such persons should be reiected in verifying of that which passed vpon their knowledge and vnder their eyes So that when this truth is tould you that the seuerall Chapters of this following history were ratifyed by the subscription and oaths of these Religious I assure my selfe that all danger of doubt will be remoued and to the end that there be no question made but that they did so subscribe sweare I will heer set down that part of the Authors Preface to the Reader which concerneth the act in law wherby it is expresly declared To the end that the truth of what is deliuered in this history might appear more clearely the most Reuerend Monsigr. Pietro Nicolini Vicar-Generall of Florence at the instance of the Gouernour of the Monastery came in person to the same place togeather with the Chancellour of the Archbishoprike vpon the 14. day of April in the yeare of our Lord 1609. where calling all the Religious of that House into their presence who had seen with their owne eyes the actions of their Mother Suor Maria Maddalena which are set down in this preseÌ„t work he examined them most particulerly concerning the truth therof Which Religious women amounting to the number of threescore who are accustomed euery morning to receaue the Body of our Lord did affirme vnder their oaths that those thinges which are recounted in this life of this seruant of God are meere and reall Truth and many of them did moreouer say by word of mouth that they had seene many more particulers then are written there Now therefore at the end of euery Chapter of this booke those Religious women who were present and saw the wonderfull things which therein are seuerally related did subscribe the same with their owne hand writing and so by the subscription of all these Chapters there is a
great booke filled and in the presence of Monsigr. the Vicar Generall and of the Gouernour of the Monastery and of foure witnesses there was an authentical Instrument or Writing made by Sigr. Frosino a Milanese Chancellour of the Archbishoprike which publique Instrument or writing togeather with the aforesayd booke full of subscriptions is kept for eternall memory in the Monastery and a coppy of them both being authenticated by the sayd Chancellour was entred is conserued in the Roles of the Archbishopricke of Florence And all this diligence was vsed to take from any man that shall read the great and wonderfull thinges that God did worke by this Mother Suor Maria Maddalena his beloued Spouse the least suspition or doubt of the truth therof This is contayned in the Authours Preface to the Reader touching those thinges that passed from the tyme of her entring into the Monastery which was in the seauententh yeare of her age vntill the tyme of her death which happened in the one and fortith yeare and for those other that are recounted from her first vse of reason till she entred into Religion her Mother and Seruants next kindred and Ghostly Fathers did certainly ionytly and seuerally auow that which is heer related besides that her selfe did confesse them to be true So that for as much as concernes the matter in fact the credit of the history being now settled as I conceaue it is I will only in a few words giue an aduice or two concerning the reading of this life whether it falâ— into the hands of Catholikes or Protestants And first let it be layd for a ground that mirabilis est Deus in Sanctis suis Almighty God is wonderfull in his Saints God iâ— wonderfull in all his workes and wayes buâ— he is sayd to be wonderfull per excellentiaÌ„ in his Saints as if in comparison of that wonderfullnes the rest of his works were not wonderfull Heerupon I would have it follow that in the reading of Saints Liues men ought tâ— carry themselues with great sobriety Catholikes must be sober and not venture to freely vpon the imitation of euery thing wherof they find an example in the life of Saints but content themselues with the knowledg of how litlâ— themselues are worth and with admiration oâ— that which is aboue their calling or the proportion of Gods grace giuen to them And for as much as concerneth practise they must imploy themselues in the purchase of those seueâ—ll solid vertues which shine so brightly in â—hose Liues according to the circumstances of â—me and place and in such cases as are queâ—ionable it is not safe to do any thing of moâ—ent without the aduice of their spirituall â—uides and Ghostly Fathers And aboue all we â—ust be sure not to despise or censure rashly â—hat which is represented by great authority â—nd with great Charity but praysing Almighâ—y God according to the aduise of Sales the â—ood Bishop of Geneua in that excellent book â—f his which is intituled An Introduction â—o a deuout life for the superabundance of â—is graces powred vpon others we must stay â—ur selues humbly in the ordinary for vs â—ore assured way lesse excellent in it selfe â—ut more sutable to our infirmity and pouerty wherin yet if we conuerse with humility and â—delity God will afterward raise vs vp to â—reatnes which is truly great And as for Proâ—estants if any such may read this booke I will only desire them to be that which they â—ould fayne be thought to be that is discreet â—nd not to oppose vpon this only reason beâ—ause we affirme nor to scorne thinges as vanityes and inuentions only because themseluâ— vnderstand them or see them not and finally not to be so discourteous euen to the Omnipocency of Almighty God as not to let him dispose of his creatures as is most pleasing tâ— himselfe We see that he gouerneth his seruants oâ— ordinary condition with great variety according to the seuerall temper of their mindes some are drawn by health plenty estimation and all kind of prosperity which without sinne may be enioyed some others againe would be as it were putrifyed by such warmth as that and are best kept in temper by the contraryes So also are his Saints in whom nature is not destroyed but perfected conducted by the hand of his admirable prouidence in seueral wayes some by Comforts and Rapts Extasies of loue and they also are in themselues of very seuerall kinds for some of them bind all the senses at once and some leaue them free to some particuler purposes euen as we see that naturally it happeneth sometyms in dreames And in like manner we also find by experience that some men are mad outright and others againe are so in some one particuler occasion and some againe are mad in all vnles it be only in some one wherein â—hey are of as sound discourse as any other man But it pleaseth God to lead on other Saints by great aridityes and desolations of spirit and so he maketh them appeare in the eyes of men to be no more then ordinary persons others againe he placeth as Lanternes and Beakons for all the world to behould and take example by through the supernaturall concourse which it pleaseth his diuine Maiesty to yield of working many and most vndoubted miracles in confirmation of their sanctity or otherwise for the manifestation of his owne greater glory as it hath been abundantly seene in the case of Suor Maria Maddalena The euidence of whose holynes and the testimony which it both pleased God to giue vnto it hath so appeared in the eyes of the world as that order is come from Rome to the Religious where she liued that they may publiquely expose her Picture in their Church with the Voto's round about it which are testimonyes of the graces that God hath granted by means of her intercession Now these things are yielded to so very rarely and neuer but after a most rigorous examination of particulers which is taken by a Congregation of Cardinalls and other learned and prudent pious men deputed euer for these purposes as that euen this circumstance alone doth much aduance our certainty of her sanctity and this so much the more because it hath beene done within a dozen yeares after her death A rare example for the Church walkes on with a foot of lead in such occasions as these and maks not such hast but vpon extraordinary inducements And whensoeuer any particuler is recompted if a man shall deride it because only it is strang or superiour to the course of nature or because it is ridiculous in his opinion and contrary to those foolish and false grounds which maÌ„s discourse being naturally both lame and blind hath framed for it selfe to walke vpon he may also scoffe at those particulers which are related in the holy Scripture it selfe That God condemned all mankind for one only mans and womans eating of an apple That he brought armyes of frogs into
themselues what fasting anâ— prayer and ground lodging they haue vsed in a word what painefull things they haue voluntarily vndertaken what contentments euen not vnlawfull in themselues haue been generously by them despised if you aske them I say any such question you must be also content to make your selfe the answere for they will hardly confesse the truth of hauing no such thing as this among them and they cannot proue so great an vntruth as that they haue any such Yet blessed be the glorious name of God not only our Ecclesiasticall historyes but euen our present eyes and hands are plenae gregibus bonorum exemplorum full of admirable and sublime examples of most heroicall holy men and women And in this respect we are well content to be more subiect to their profane false Criticismes then they can well be to our true ones since they haue no Text for vs to comment vpon whereas among vs there is no want in this kind But the Poets request was bâ—t reasonable when he desired the Reader either not to carp at his writings or els to vtter some of his owne which might be considered of Carpere vel noli nostra vel ede tua For our parts we find no one thing to be of more assistance and vse in the way of spirit then the reading of Saints Liues which giue the briâ—… to viâ—e and the spur to vertue opening to vs a large and cleere prospect vpon the mercyes of God and the miseryes of our selues the best of whome being compared with them are but as dwarfes in respect of Gâ—…ts And who can behould in this holy Woman the heroicall exercise of all vertue but he will admire God and be ashamed of himselfe In her he shall find a most prompt Obedience a most voluntary and exact Pouerty a most entire Chastity a most ardent Charity a most profound humility with a perfect contempt and mortification of her selfe and inflexible rectitude of intention and adoring resignation to the will of God and which shineth in her both amonge and aboue the rest an insatiable thirst of suffering for the meere loue of his diuine Maiesty and such a suffering as might be pure and without the society of so much as any spirituall comfort Wherein Almighty God did sometymes heare her prayer and she stood vnder all burthens with an inuincible and euen incredible constancy and strength of mind And who is there now I say that will not tremble to compare himselfe to such a patterne of perfection as this is At least who will not admire her and more admire God in her especially if he consider her life from the 52. Chapter to the end of the booke where as there is lesse mention of her Rapts and Miracles so is there much more particuler relation of her vertuous and heroicall operations wherof I had an inclination to set down some particulers respectiuely to all thâ—se vertues which I heere haue named but I feared to become tedious and I hope they will be drawn vp and drunke downe more profitably because more naturally at the very springes themselues where they grâ—w and where I desire they may be sought Vpon the true tast digestion whereof this conclusion I hope will â—esult that whatsoeuer so excellent and heroâ—call actions are performed it cannot be but â—hiefly by the insâ—irations and pious affections â—mparted by Almighty God that his diuin Maiesty who is supreme wisdome and goodâ—es and who exerciseth both an vniuersall â—et most particuler prouidence ouer all his â—reatures much more ouer his holy Church 〈◊〉 generall cannot in iustice concurre towards the producing of such acts in a false Religion whereby the iudgment of men may be intangled and abused But that wheresoeuer he doth so concurre it may serue for a great argument to proue the truth of that Religion which by the performers thereof is professed and the want thereof in any other congregation of pretended Christians may not lesse assure vs that it is possessed by a spirit of errour O wretched and thrice miserable creature that Suor Maria Maddalena was if the way of pennance mortification and most voluntary suffering both exteriour and interiour be not the true and only way to heauen How many painefull disciplines rude haire-cloaths hungry meales sad nights bitter sighs and salt teares did she with a noble faythfull hart endure send forth and shed And all in vaine if it should be true which Protestants affirme that fayth only iustifyeth that Christ hath so suffered for vs all as that we are not bound in our bodyes to suffer with him that these voluntary afflictions are no better then superstitions and that any satisfaction which we pretend to make to God though we protest we can make none but by vertue of his grace in Christ are no lesse then so many derogations to the infinite valew of his sacred Passion But on the other side O happy and a thousand tymes happy is that excellent soule of hers if it be both true and euident that the way to heauen is narrow and few there are that find it and if that of liberty be a wide and open way by which men runne with ease vpon perdition if heauen be such a thing as will not be gotten by one that seekes it tamquam aliud agens and much lesse in contrarium tendens but he must be carefull and studious laborious and earnest and ardent and euen violent in the attayning thereof Et violenti rapiunt illud This was euer true since the fall of Adam and hath much more byn euident since the Redemption of Mankind was wrought by Christ our Sauiour through the mystery of the Crosse yea and through all the actions and passions of his most sacred life For though he abrogated the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall law of Moyses which being but images and shaddowes must needs yield to the Truth Life which came into the world with him or rather which was he himselfe yet not only was the Morall law not abrogated or abridged Non veâ—i soluere legem sed implere but it was expresly ratifyed and may rather be sayd in some sense to haue beene enlarged by those Counsails of perfection of continuing in perpetuall chastity Qui potest capere capiat of giuing all to the poore following Christ louing our enemyes which like codicills after a sort were annexed to his last will and Testament by himselfe Besides that by the blessed example of his own admirable life those temporall benefits which vnder the old law were wont to hould so high a place as Riches Plenty Posterity and the like were then degraded in a manner and their contraryes as Paine Pouerty Persecution Chastity and Humility assumed into their place when they were sanctified in the person and by the practise of our B. Sauiour And euer since out of the abundance of his grace Et de plenitudine eius accepimus omnes the same hath beene done by the
I am one day to iudg thee with power and Maiesty 14. Thou shalt esteeme thy Rule and Constitutions thereof togeather with the vowes as I will haue thee esteeme my selfe procuring to ingraue in the harts of all the Religious the zeale of that state to which I haue called them and of thy Religion 15. Thou shalt haue great desire to be made subiect vnto all and thou shalt haue it in horrour to be preferred before the meanest and least of the company 16. Thou shalt not conceaue that thy comfort repose and solace consisteth in any other thing then in contempt and in humility 17. Thou shalt forbeare to let the creatures know what thy desires are and what my will is excepting those whom I haue giuen to liue with thee and my Christ 18. Thou shalt be in continuall oblation of all thy desires and actions togeather with all my members vnto me 19. From that houre wherein I left my pure mother that is from within two howres before Sun set thou shalt be in continuall oblation of my Passion of thy selfe and of my creatures to the Eternall Father and this shall be thy preparation for receauing of me sacramentally and betweene the day and the night thou shalt visit my body and bloud 33. times 20. The last thing shall be that in all the operations which I shall suffer thee to performe as well internall as externall thou art to be transformed into me After this she remayned for some tyme without speach and she proceeded in the person of the Word saying This is the Rule which the beloued of thy soule in act of loue hath giuen to thee Therefore thou shalt receaue it and such thinges as are conteyned therein thou shalt keep at thy hart and put them in execution excepting only when Charity and Obedience do hinder thee from visiting my body and bloud After these wordes she returned from the rapt And how exactly these Rules were obserued by her the progresse of her life will shew The great excesses of loue which she had in the contemplation of Christ Iesus CHAP. 11. YET was not the vapour of this burning fornace so very hot but sometymes the flame increased which made the most ardent fire of diuine loue euen breake from her breast out of her mouth In so much as in her Rapts fixing her most pure vnderstanding vpon the contemplation of infinite loue which moâ—ed Almighty God to do so much for the most vile creatur Man Note the great excesse of her loue to God expressed in this and the next chapter she could not conteine her selfe from exclayming thus with a loud voyce O loue O loue O God how thou louest thy creatures with pure loue O God of loue O God of loue O my Lord no more loue no more loue it is too much O my Iesus the loue that thou bearest to thy creatures Yet not too much for thy greatnes but too much for a creature which is so vile and base Wherfore dost thou O my God giue me so much loue who am so vnworthy and so vile Being once againe in Rapt taking a Crucifixe into her hand she went running about the Couent and easing her hart towards the diuine Word with inamoured discourses and inflamed desires she cryed out O loue O loue O loue This did she with so gracefull smiles with a countenance of top full of ioy that the very sight of her gaue occasion to take vnspeakable comfort Sometimes she would be fixing her eyes on heauen sometimes vpon the Crucifixe sometimes she would imbrace and presse it vpon her hart kisse it with excessiue feruour and the while she would not cease to cry and cry againe O loue O loue I will neuer cease O my God to call thee loue the very ioy and triumph of my hart the hope and comfort of my soule Then turning about to the Sisters which followed her she would thus say on Know you not O deere Sisters that my Iesus is nothing els but loue yea that he is euen as it were fond with loue Fond with loue I say thou art O my Iesus and I will euer say so Thou art all amiable and ioyfull thou art recreatiue and confortatiue thou art nutritiue and vnitiue thou art pennance solace labour and repose life and death both at once Finally what is that which is not in thee thou art wise and cheerefull high and immense admirable and vnspeakable in excogitable and incomprehensible Then she kept her eyes still fixed vpon the wounded side of the Crucifixe wherein she seemed to discouer strang thinges and spake at large of the suprem loue which God beareth to mankind and of the highest Misteryes which the Incarnaâ—e Word wrought on earth for our redemption And againe she exclaymed O loue O loue then casting her eye vp to heaueÌ„ she sayd Giue me so strong a voyce O my Lord that whilest I call thee Louâ— I may be heared from the East to the West throughout all the parts of the world euen to Hell it selfe that thou mayâ— be known reuerenced as the true loue O loue O loue which only dost penetrate and transcend which breakest and bindest which rulest and gouernest all thinges Thou art heauen and earth fire and aire bloud water thou art God and Man And who shall euer be able either to expresse or thinke of thy greatnes since thou art infinite and eternall In these so liuely excesses of Loue she did often spend the whole dayes so as it seemed that she drew on apace towards an Angelicall life and that she was fed with banquetting dishes from the table of heauen In these acts her speach was so deuout so inflamed and so compassionate towards her Iesus hanging on the Crosse that not only in name but in deed she resembled that Maddalena who was so much wounded with griefe vpon mount Caluary when the VVord Incarnate gaue vp his Spirit to his eternall Father Sometymes being vrged by the heat of celestiall fire she would runne with speed into the Quire and getting vp to the Rood lost where there was a Crucifixe she would vnnayle it from the Crosse with incredible agility Then sitting downe she would keep it in her bosome and taking of her veyles from her head she would dry with them the sweat and bloud which she seemed to see runne trickling downe from the face of her beloued Spouse And this would she do with so great feruour of spirit that the Religious who were present would feare that her hart was not able to indure such an ardent fire of loue It is an admirable thing to tell how when the Sisters had taken those veiles linnen-clothes wherewith she had performed those offices of deuotion to the Crucifix they found them so full of sweat and so very wet that it seemed as if she had held in her armes the dead Iesus in such sort as he was when in the middest of those cruell torments of the Crosse he
Ghost in seuerall formes CHAP. 14. ABOVE all the Extasies of this beloued Spouse of Iesus that one was admirable which she had vpon the Vigil of the holy Ghost in the yeare 1585. wherin she remayned eight continuall dayes from the sayd Vigil vntill the feast of the Blessed Trinity returning only to her senses for the space of two houres euery day wherin she recyted her office and prouided for the necessity of her life by feeding only vpon a little bread and water and taking very little rest In this tyme she did euery morning receaue at the houre of Tertia the Holy Ghost in diuers forms of Fire of a Riuer of a Doue of a Pillar of a Clowd of a Wind and of Flaming tongues And at the same tyme she became so ioyfull and bright and did speake so sublimely of the most hidden Mysteries that it was a thing miraculous And yet further whilest she was speaking in the person of the Eternall Father or of Christ or of her selfe her voyce would be changed in such sort that euen without vnderstanding the wordes one might haue knowne that they were diuers persons which discoursed by her tongue So many were the spirituall intelligences which our Lord communicated vnto her in this Rapt as that being set downe by the Religious as she produced them they make a iust volume whereof is compiled an addition to the third part of her life But to giue some patterne of the aforesayd Extasis I say that on the Vigil of the holy Ghost which came that yeare vpon the eight of Iune she was called by the Eternall Father in these words Come my spouse the rest yet the impulse of my spirit Wherupon she remayned suddainly abstracted from her senses sayd Ecce venio venio citò citò venio And hauing beene a while in contemplation she began thus to speake in the person of the Incarnate Word Before thou enter into the admirable knowledge of my holy Ghost I will make knowne to thee what I meane to do with thee therfore be attentiue Heere she stayed a while and then resumed the discourse still in the person of the Eternall Word Know that vntill the day where you there below do celebrate that feast whereon thou didst so intrinsecally knit thy selfe to me and I in so great aboundance gaue my selfe to thee which was meant of the Profession which the yeare before she had made vpon the day of the most holy Trinity thou shalt be vnited to me in such sort that thou shalt be made partaker of diuin treasures Yet further know that for the space of fiue yeares as heertofore I told thee I will depriue thee of the feeling of my grace but not of my grace it selfe for that shall euer be in thee That priuation shall be made for the glory of my Father for the ioy of the Angells and of all the blessed spirits which stand assisting at the Throne of the most holy Trinity for the example of mortall creatures for the greater torment of damned soules for the confusion of Diuells for the ease of the soules in Purgatory and for the comfort of thy self I will also proceed with thee like to a valerous Captaine who before he exalt his souldier to high honour doth put him to many proofs and so I before I will exalt thee in the sight of my Father will proue thee first Thou shalt therfore indeauour to haue in thee the knowledge of thy being nothing and to be euer seconding and executing the internall inspirations which I will giue thee as hitherto thou hast done But although thou hast heeretofore done it with much indeauour yet heereafter thou must do it with much more Thou shalt procure to obserue nay I command thee that thou do obserue interiourly withall sincerity all the directions which I haue giuen thee Thou shalt reproue the defects of others speaking euer all truth I tell thee yet further that in all the Feria's Sexta's if thou wilt be attentiue at the houre when I dyed vpon the Crosse thou shalt receaue the spirit which I rendred to my eternall Father and although thou feele it not yet shall it euer descend on thee And as the creature cannot liue without a hart so I cannot be without thee whensoeuer thou shalt haue the knowledge of thy being nothing which as long as it remaynes in thee thou mayst well be confident that thou shalt euer be vnited to me And my peace shall be with thee although it may seeme to thee that thou art in continuall warre because in this probation which I will make of thee many infernall Lyons will come forth against thee beating thee and giuing thee torments Nor shall they only striue to beate thee exteriourly but also interiourly with greater fury yet they shall not be permitted by me to haue power to conquer thee but thou shalt euer be stored with this same grace of myne which now thou hast Nay how much more they come towards thee with violence so much more shall my fauourable assistance towards thee superabound although it is to be without any feeling comfort of thyne To this she answered cheerfully sufficit mihi gratia tua And after hauing beene a while in silence the discourse of the Incarnate Word followed on with great earnestnes and aboundance of speach to this effect There will not be wanting such as I haue appointed to fauour thee this was sayd by her Patron-Saints in bringing to thee spirituall food and thou shalt speedily flye vnder the shaddow of my purity not making any motion or operation without that although yet euen this shall be without the feeling of my grace Against the fiue grieuous temptations by which thou shalt be most assaulted thou shalt arme thy selfe with the gifts which already I haue communicated to thee Thou shalt take in the first assault my purity In the second my hart and thyne In the third my woundes which thou hast of me In the fourth the crowne of thorns which I wore In the fifth the great desire which thou hast of the saluation of my creatures And if all the Diuells in hell come with great fury to fright thee thou shalt not yet be afrayd for as their Enuy hath no end so I will neuer be wanting to continue my grace in thee And faile not thou to relate that which thou shalt participate therein This was meant by the high Intelligences which he would be pleased to graunt her as afterwards appeared After these words she hauing heard those heauenly directions replyed in her owne person O thou only begotten O Incarnate and humane Word who can execute thy great workes In respect of thee they are little but for me they are great Vpon this thought she remayned a while in silence finding her selfe still to be filled more and more with the Spirit of God she followed thus Who shall euer be able to resist so great assaults but such a one as is transformed into thee O my God
Host so did she râ—ise by little little with admirable reuerence that sacred Image towards the Eternal Father saying in the first of these places Offero tibi sancte Pater Fiâ—ium tuum quem ab aeterno genuisti mihi in terram misisti Holy Father I offer thy Sonne to thee whome thou hast begotten before all eternity and whome thou hast sent into this world Going towardes the second place she added this in the way Viuo â—go iam non ego viuit verò in me Christus Dilectus meus candidus rubicundus I liue yet not I but Christ in me My beloued is white and red And being now where she desired to be she performed the same action as before she had done in the first place saying Offero tibi aeterne Pater Filium tuum quem ab aeterno in sinu tenuisti in sapientia tua generasti propter miseriam meam misericordiam tuam in terram misisti O Eternall Father I offer thy Sonne to thee whome from all eternity thou didst keep in thy bosome whom in thy wisedome thou didst beget and whome in thy mercy thou didst send into the world for the relief of our misery Afterwards in the third place vsing the selfe same ceremony she also sayd Offero tibi Filium tuum aeterne Pater quem post resurrectionem eius ad te attraxisti ad dexteram tuam collocasti O Eternall Father to thee I offer thy Sonne whome after his resurrection thou didst draw vp to thee and didst place him at thy right hand When she had finished these Oblations she returned into the Quire and ascending vp to the Altar of the B. Virgin she gaue the little child Iesus to be kissed by all the Religious who were come in to that deuout spectacle reaching towards one the head of that sacred Image â—o another the breast to some the hands and to others the feet according as the spirit of God did guide her With these pious feruours she did so kindle the minds of her Sisters both towardes deuotion and wonder that there was not any one to be found who accompanyed not her actions with teares At last she returned from her Rapt wherein she had continued for three houres She vnderstood from God how his pleasure was that she should go barefoot and basely clad she performeth it all and in the bosome of an image of the B. Virgin she promiseth to obserue it she is proued by her Superiours CHAP. 21. ON the 5. day of Iuly in the yeare 1587. after she had serued the Religious at the table as she went towards the dormitory of the Nouices vnto the gouernement of whose Mistres she was at that tyme subiect she was rapt in spirit And hauing deliuered a few words suddainly she raised her selfe on foot with such grauity and cleernes of countenance that she seemed to be some Angelicall spirit And hauing taken of her hose and shooes and going into her cell she remoued euery thing without exception from of the little Altar of her Oratory sauing only a Crucifixe nor did she leaue any thing vpon her bed but the mattresse the sackes of straw and a board at the head insteed of a bolster Afterwardes being come to the Presse where the Sisters cloaths are kept and taking thence the poorest most patcht coate that she could find she retyred into a priuate roome and apparelled her selfe therewith And when she saw her selfe so vilely clad she fell suddainly prostrate vpon the ground and yet fixing her eyes vpon heauen with incredible deuotion she recyted Te Deum c. Besides making vp her former cloathes into a bundle being still in Rapt she carryed them to the Prioresse and then passing into the Quire went vp to the Altar of the B. Virgin and there in the bosome of her image with the pen incke and paper that she had brought thither for that purpose she wrote these wordes I Suor Maria Maddalena make profession and do promise to God and to his most pure Mother the Virgin Mary to S. Catharine of Siena and to the Seraphicall Francis togeather with all the celestiall Court Obedience Chastity and Pouerty in such sort as God at this instant doth make me vnderstand and know it with firme purpose that I will neuer leaue it vnles I shall haue true light that his pleasure is otherwise as now I vnderstand that it is truely he who is pleased that I shall obserue this kind of Pouerty And therefore confiding in his help and mercy I make this Profession in manu Puritatis Mariae in the hand of the Purity of Mary And in making of this profession she euer held her left hand in the handes of the Image of the B. Virgin She further spake with so much spirit of holy Pouerty that she kindled an ardent desire thereof in the hart of whosoeuer heard her and turning then againe towardes the B. Virgin with words of incredible tendernes she prayed her to keep her in continual protection and that she would help her to execute whatsoeuer our Lord had required of her This being sayd she departed and returning thither where she was taken into this Rapt she spake these wordes Agimus tibi Deo gratias c. We thank thee O God c. Then going to Mother Prioresse she begged of her with great feruour of spirit after she had prostrated her selfe at her feet that she would not hinder her from that kind of life which by God had beene prescribed to her The Superiour answered discreetly that the Confessarius was first to be acquainted with it and that she should gouerne her selfe according to his aduice Now as soon as he had notice of it he called the Spouse of Christ to him and to trye her commanded her by Obediâ—nce that instantly she should apparell her selfe as formerly she had beene vsed to doe Vpon the hearing of these wordes she readily and without delay obeyed and though she brake forth into bitter tears fearing least formerly she had been deluded as not finding the Will of her Ghostly Father to be agreable to that which she thought to be the wil of God yet neuertheles she quieted her selfe Note and being retyred into a priuate roome she performed that which was imposed by Obedience But on the morning next following our Lord did comforte her aboundantly in the holy Communion letting her know that her Ghostly Father did it to trye her spirit he sayd that her so ready Obedience was gratefull to him Whereupon she being vrged by a new feruour of spirit returned to the old cloathes and taking the worst of them she was putting them on and looking vp towardes heauen remayning all this while in Rapt she sayd VVell yet O my Iesus now that I am with thee I will obey thee when I shall be there below I will obey them She was seene by Mother Prioresse to take the sayd old cloaths and she had hardly pronounced these very wordes Suor Maria
perswade her Note that she should not adore the B. Sacrament that God was not there Nay many tyms she found extreme difficulty to receaue it for drawing neere to the little window to communicate she remayned as it were depriued of all sense and to her seeming the Diuell would stand there being resolued to kill her Besides he cast it into her thought as if there were no other life but this and therefore there was no cause why she should labour and indure so much Sometyms she came to so great aridity of spirit that she was scarce able to looke vpon the sacred Images and pictures Oftentimes the Diuel tempted her to blaspheme God and the Saints and chiefly when with the rest of her Sisters she was singing the diuine Office in the Quire at that time she heard such blasphemyes pronounced in her eares and such horrible outcryes of Diuells that seeming to her by great odds to exceed the voyces of her Sisters she had much difficulty to comply with her obligations Whereupon weeping often for grief in great aboundance she turned to her Sisters saying Pray to Iesus for me that in steed of praying him I blaspheme him not and the Religious were moued to much compassion by seeing this blessed soule so afflicted in the spirit of deuotion For this reason the Ghostly Father was often forced to communicate her alone that more easily she might ouercome those tentations But hardly was she fortifyed sufficiently euen by that heauenly food for the tentations would occure againe with greater fury the Diuell indeauouring to perswade her that she had lost the diuine grace and therefore that the custome of communicating did her no good but rather that the Iustice of God was prouoked so much the more to her punishment And thus she became byond all conceit full of dolour only thought how she might carry her selfe in those fierce assaults In the midst of these cogitations it came once into her mind to vse a remedy which against tentations she had learned of the B. Virgin And it was that going to Mother Prioresse she prayed her with great instance to command her by holy Obedience that she should not forbeare the holy Communion and the exercises of the Monastery and that she should punctually obserue that manner of life which had beene prescribed to her by God Now Mother Prioresse to content her commanded her to do all by holy Obedience And it cannot be exprest with how great deuotion and humility she answered to euery particle of that which was imposed in these words Benedictus Deus adding further I will indeauour with the help of Iesus to do all that you haue imposed This solemne sacrifice of her will was so gratefull to God that afterwards he raysed her to many Rapts and her hart became in the midst of so many temptations to be full of tranquility ioy The Diuell afflâ—ctâ—th her with impure temptations The remedyes which she vsed against them The B. Virgin couereth her with a white veile so as she was no more troubled The Diuell procureth to delude her in the forme of a Religious woman CHAP. 26. ON the eight of September in the same yeare 1587. she was assaulted by a continuall sight of Diuells and by entising tentations of sense her Chastity was fiercely set vpon but she remembring that which S. Bennet had done vpon a like occasion going into a roome where the wood was kept and there hauing first bolted the doore she gathered togeather rugged sticks and thornes she tumbled therein so long stark naked Note that the paine serued to quench that diuellish fire Sometimes she would afflict her with disciplines of iron and girde her selfe about with a most terrible girdle which in coursest canuas she had imbrodered with piercing nayls in such sort that in truth the only sight thereof maketh them shrinke and euen tremble who looke vpon it But this being found by the Mistres she was commanded not to vse either that or any other so rigorous mortifications without expresse licence which she punctually obserued from that tyme forward In exchange thereof she had recourse by ardent prayers to the most diuine assistance parâ—iculerly confiding in the intercession of the B. Virgiâ— to whom praying one day with abundant tears that she would inable her to ouercome all impure tentations without any spot to her virginity the Queene of Heauen appeared to her al enuironed about with eternall glory told her that in those so sharp battailes she had neuer offended his diuine Maiesty nay that with hauing fought so valiantly she had euer obteyned glorious victory And then she couered her all ouer with a most pure white veyle wherewith she found her selfe interiourly to be as it were restrayned bound in token that from theÌ„ceforth she should neuer more be assaulted with tentations of Sense as in deed it happened for in all the course of her life she was neuer troubled more in that kind nor euer felt in her mind so much as any one impure imagination On the same day she was surprised by a burning feuer with payne in her head and backe which afflicted her for twenty dayes Notwithstanding this she neuer forbare the exercise of the Monastery but was much more kindled towards the vse of holy prayer to which now she gaue her selfe in extraordinary manner Whereupon being rapt in excesse of mind she vnderstood from her Iesus that her sicknes proceeded not from naturall causes but was otherwise permitted by the will of God for her greater glory and probation The Diuell in the meane tyme enuying her so great good and being enraged that he could not ouercome her made her fall sometims down the stairs sometimes in the Quire and sometimes in other places but the seruant of God supporting all for the loue of Iesus was not at all hurt by it but taking courage to her selfe she rose vp fitter for new battailes Besides this in the midst of those feruent prayers which oftentimes he sent vp to heauen she found her selfe to be much bitten as by venemous serpents it seemed vnto her that the parts of her body were cut off by inches and being forced by these accidents she fell downe to the ground where it was necessary for her to stay a good while with much payne not being able to moue any way and partly by her continuall feuer and partly because she susteyned her self with only bread water she was weakned in such sort that it seemed she must â—nstantly faint and sowne For this cause by Obedience which was imposed vpon her by her Superiours she was coÌ„manded for three weeks togeather to take towards the recouery of her strength all kind of nutriment excepting flesh Which being done and she hauing recouered a little force she instantly returned to her former life But the Diuells forgot not to afflict her with new tentations that so they might discourage her from austerity by putting thus great doubtes into her
her selfe with another which was to be giuen her for Gods sake if the rest of the Mothers and Sisters should be so contented Heereupon they consenting not without abundance of teares seeing there before them an example of so great vertue the Prioresse made her put off her coate and to put on the coate of another Sister affirming that she gaue it her for Iesus sake bidding her keep it till it were required againe By this action all diabolicall tentation which vexed her in the point of Pouerty was much weakned and she found withall so great contentment of soule that being rapt in Extasis she seemed to feele part of the ioy of those blessed spirits which are apparelled in heauen with immortall glory And moreo she had a liuely feeling of how much the vertues of Humility and Pouerty ought to be esteemed and loued which make the soules in heauen happy and amiable euen heer on earth God sheweth her the glory of S. Augustine and he helpeth her to say her Office CHAP. 29. ON the Vigil of S. Augustine in the same yeare of 1587. she being imployed about some busines of the Monastery after she had sayd with the other Religious as many Psalmes in honour of that Saint as the name of Augustine conteyned letters she was rapt in Extasis instantly began with great feruour to beg of God that he would shew her the glory of that Saint and that through his merits he would impart some grace to the Religious of that Monastery Her prayers were not made in vaine for instantly she saw as might be vnderstood by her manner of speach that our Lord God for the merits of that Saint imparted to them many spirituall gifts The euening after she being in the Quire at Complyn whilest the Salue Regina was sung she saw S. Augustine inuironed with eternall glory then fastning her eyes on heauen being filled with diuine splendour she began to discourse with that Saint with such admirable feruour of spirit and with so great vehemency of speach that it was impossible for the Religious to note her wordes But the night following saying her Mattins with the rest when she was come to the middest thereof retyring her selfe a little aside she was againe alienated from her senses and S. Augustine did in like manner appeare to her who made an end of saying the Office with heâ— as might easily be knowne by her recyting of one verse and not the other she hearing that the Saint did vtter it At the same tyme she also heard the Angelicalâ— melodyes whereupon she sayd Yea this is other manner of musicke then that which is made below on earth Hauing ended the Office she began to beg of Iesus with most deuout words That he would vouchsafe to come and vnite himselfe to her in the B. Sacrament and remayning yet still in Rapt she went to the vsuall place of the Communion being vpon her knees she remayned there till the Ghostly Father came to communicate the Religious she was also commumnicated without euer going out of the Rapt whereby she was so much kindled with the loue of God that she seemed euen with excesse of tendernes to faint and she vttered words so feruent affectuous as would haue mollifyed any peruerse and stony hart and thus passed she that night in these deuout contemplations She is tempted that for the benefit of soules she would leaue that Religious state And afterwards she was tempted with Pride proper Estimation and of the remedyes which she vsed that she might not be ouercome CHAP. 30. HOVVSOEVER the enemy of mankind saw that he laboured in vaine in striuing to remoue this Spouse of Christ from her holy life yet he ceased not with new assaults to afflict tempt her For vnder the shaddow of good he was desirous to perswade her Note that more quietly she might serue God if putting of the habit of Religion for the benefit of Soules she would returne into the world But finding her still more and more stable in her holy purpose he began againe to appeare to her in fearefull shapes threatning that he would destroy her if she consented not to his wicked suggestion But she contemning his threats and rages being inflamed with desire to serue God to free her selfe from the tentation of leauing the Religious habit she tooke one day the keyes of the Monastery and placed them in the hands of the Crucifixe to shew that she should yeild Obedience only to him in the obseruation of her inclosure The night after being of S. Andrew the Apostle saying Mattins with the rest of her Sisters she was troubled with a most grieuous tentation to make her selfe away She went from thence to the Refectory where she tooke vp a knife and returning into the Quire yet still in Rapt she ascended vp to the Altar of the B. Virgin and put it into her handes so to obteyne the grace of being able to conquer the temptation After this she troad it vnder her feet therby to put the greater scorne vpon the Tempter Another tyme she procured Mother Prioresse to tye her first in her cell for the same purpose and in reward of so great humility God called her to the knowledge of high Mysteryes and â—rengthned her much against new comâ—ts But the threats and temptations of â—he Diuell sometymes of Pride someâ—imes of forsaking her Religious habit â—ot ceasing she ran hastily to the Prioâ—esse and in the presence of all the Religious with a Rope about her necke her hands bound togeather she demanâ—ed the Religious habit for Gods sake and with these actes of mortification humility she obteyned the conquest Yet hardly ouercame she any temptatioÌ„ but that others would grow the more terrible to her thereby Being tempted that she should not obey the Superiours Mother Prioresse made her promise to God in the presence of many Religious perpetuall Obedience Hearing Masse somtymes she was cruelly tormented by Diuells and with much fury sometymes throwne this way and sometymes that way which the Religious so visibly seeing were brought to great compassion towards her To profit yet more in vertue she would put her selfe to the performing of the most vile and ignoble exercises of the Kitchen not only did she make her selfe obedient and subiect to the Mothers but euen to the lay Sisters also And for their help she carryed wood and coles and drew water without fauouring her selfe at all as if she had beene the most abiect person in the Monastery Besids that she did these things whilest she went bare-foot and vilely clad as our Lord had commanded her so that it cannot be exprest how much she mortifyed her self by these exercises Hauing once serued the Religious at the Table and kissed all their feet she was alienated from her senses in reward of that act she was kissed by Iesus and she obteyned to see S. Iohn the Euangelist and S. Catharine of Siena who bound the
Diuells with strait chaines Thus continued she by the space of three years continually fighting and by Humility obteyning victory ouer Pride For hauing ouercome the tentations of leauing her Religious habit she was by Iesus apparelled interiourly with the same habit and by him she was communicated CHAP. 31. HAVING by heauenly help ouercome the tentations of leauing her Religious habit she was much inflamed with a desire to be interiourly apparelled therewith And heereupon powring forth earnest prayers to our Lord vpon the fifth of August and reading the life of S. Diego to whome she was deuoted she grew to be alienated from her senses and by her wordes it was knowne that the Saint aforesayd did shew her a white and faire habit which came forth of the side of the Sonne of God So as now she doubled her prayers to her heauenly Spouse that he would be pleased to grant it to her She also inuocated all her Patron Saints beseeching our Lord againe that vpon that day which was the Feast of S. An Aduocate of interssiō not of Redemption Albertus her Aduocate he would cloath her all interiourly to the end that she might imitate the same Saint with greater feruour of spirit Her desirs were graunted for turning her eyes towards Christ Iesus crucifyed she saw issuing out of his side a most precious Coate out of his right hand a Scapulary out of his left hand a Girdle from his thorny head a White veile and from the wound of his necke which was made when he bare the Crosse a Mantle bright and shining beyond all possibility of imagination Then moued by diuine spirit she ascended vp to the little Altar where the Crucifixe was and whilest she fastned her eyes vpon it the Religious found plainly by her postures and motions that interiourly she was apparelled with the holy Coate Afterwards with great feruour of loue she kist the wound of his side from whence the Vest issued afterwardes receaued from euery other wound of the Crucifixe all those seueral things aforesayd The Garland the Light and the Crucifixe which is giuen by the Priest to such as are vested with a Religious habit she receaued from the Queen of heauen Whereof by the words which then she vttered cleare proof was giuen as also by her kissing an Image of the B. Virgin in the same manner as she had done that of the Crucifixe And it was very remarkable that she omitted not euen the least ceremony which is vsed when the habit of Religion is taken only she vttered not the verses which then are vsually sung but for as much as was to be conceaued they were sung in her hearing by the Angells of heauen for she sayd O yea you sing well indeed these are other manner of musickes then are made heere below on earth After this she was communicated by her Iesus not being able that morning to receaue him with the Religious by reason of her continuall Rapts She sayd the Confiteor and Domine non sum dignus c and the Religious that were present saw that she opened her mouth and made all those other demonstrations which are vsuall with such as receaue the Sacrament Then being richly full of ioy she sayd with incredible spirit of deuotion these wordes Dilectus meus candidus rubicundus Speciosus forma prae filijs hominum Diffusa est gratia in labijs tuis Collocauit se in anima mea Dilata cor meum vt inducat omnem creaturam ad communicationem corporis sanguinis tui Quà m bonus Israël Deus And taking the Crucifixe she gaue it to be kissed by all the Religious there present and hauing afterward recommended to our Lord the saluation of his creatures and withall giuing him thankes for so many graces she returned out of the Rapt wherein for the space of three houres she had remayned She bringeth backe a But of wine which was vtterly spoyled to the perfection which before it had by making a signe of the Crosse vpon it and one of the Religious who was then sicke by drinking thereof was cured CHAP. 32. IN the same yeare and about the end of the sayd Month a But of wine being vtterly spoyled in the Monastery the Religious being poore and ill prouided of money it fell out to be very incommodious to them But Suor Maria Maddalena being called was commanded in vertue of Obedience by Mother Prioresse being Suor Vangelista del Giocondo to pray that the wine might returne to his goodnes and so the Monastery be freed from want The Seruant of God did instantly put her selfe into prayer and being rapt in spirit out of her senses she went speedily where the But of wine was and as soone as euer she made the signe of the Crosse vpon it the wine returned to the former state and so the Monastery was serued At that very tyme one of the Religious called Suor Maria Angela Santucci was sicke so afflicted with a grieuous fluxe that the Phisitians doubted greatly of her recouery But hearing speach of the sayd miracle she demanded a little of that wine which as soone as euer she had drunke with great Fayth she sensibly felt her disease to lessen and soone after she grew intierly well to the great wonder of all the Religious And she her selfe who yet liueth giueth testimony to this miracle She seeth the soule of one of the Religious of that Monastery depart out of Purgatory into Heauen CHAP. 33. ON the third of February in the same yeare 1588. she being rapt in spirit it was graunted her by God to see the soule of one of the Religious of that Monastery which after it had remayned 16. dayes in Purgatory all enuironed with eternall glory went vp to heauen And she vnderstood that vpon three particuler occasions she had remayned during that tyme in Purgatory First because vpon holy dayes hauing an extraordinary curious hand with the needle she had wrought some thinges without necessity Secondly because being an ancient Mother in that Religion she had failed sometymes for certaine humane respects to aduertise the Superiours of the inspirations which God had giuen her for the good state of that Monastery And thirdly because she was too great a louer of her kinred Three vertues also were discouered to her for which the others paine had beene abbreuiated The first was the studious care which she euer had to conserue the purity simplicity of her Order The second the great Charity which she had shewed towards al the Religious The third because she still endeauoured to interprete all thinges to a good end She saw then that this blessed soule went rich in merit to enioy that incomprehensible felicity in the midst of her good Angell and S. Miniatus the Martyr to whome in that yeare she had beene particulerly deuoted And now by the sight of so noble an obiect as this was she did euen triumph with ioy and seemed vnable to conteyne her selfe from aspyring to
that rapt that they could not heare her without wonder Another tyme retyring into the Quire she tooke a great Rope with which she caused her handes to be bound behind her and she made her selfe to he hood-winked and so to be tyed to the grate of the Altar to the end that the Religious who were to passe that way might be moued therby to vilify laugh at her But it proued otherwise for they seeing so piteous a spectacle there was not one of them who did not find her selfe kindled towardes deuotion and she being asked by the Prioresse vpon what reason she had done that act she answered that she had done it to become thereby more humble and more prone to holy Obedience She prayed her also with feruent tears that she would be pleased to bid the Religious that as she should be going to that Altar for a certaine deuotion oâ— hers they should say such wordes to heâ— as these whereby to vilify her so much the more Suor Maria Maddalena this iâ— come vpon you for your dâ—fects and because you will be doing of thinges too much after your owne fashion The Mother Prioresse satisfyed her desire heerin and therupon Suor Maria Maddalena demanded pardon of them all with so great humility that there was none of them who found not her selfe tenderly affected with it and hauing continued for the space of an houre in this Mortification she was loosed at last by Mother Prioresse not without extraordinary edification In this meane tyme fastning her eyes vpon an Image of the B. Virgin she was estranged from her senses and she vnderstood from her Lord how that act of humility had beene gratefull to him And by this meanes a great multitude of Diuells being confounded they came about her with so horrible outcryes as gaue her no small vexation She resisteth other tentations of the Diuells and sends them often away CHAP. 37. FOR the adding of one affliction to another there passed not much tyme before the Diuell appeared to her againe with hideous aspect whilest she was making Prayer so that euen ouerwhelmed instantly with great terrour she became deadly pale And calling first vpon S. Michael the Archangell in her ayde and turning her face vp to heauen she sayd O Word O Word In te Domine sperâ—ui non confundar in aeternum After which words she vttered a profound sigh and turning towards the Diuell sayd What dost thou demand of me O thou horrible beast O bone Iesu by the sight of my offences which I see and by that other sight of myne enemyes me thinkes that I am euen in possession of hell But if you O Diuells had euen swallowed me vp you should yet be forced to deliuer me backe againe Whilest thus she was tormented with this fearefull spectacle her face became al wanne and through the excesse of that agony her sweat distilled in great aboundance She was then cast downe to the ground with great fury beaten with incredible rage For sometimes the Diuell strocke her ouer the head sometymes he cast her downe precipitously so that her face was swelled in such sort that for the space of many dayes it was necessary for her to be vnder cure But she conforming her selfe to the will of God sayd thus In fine O thou hideous beast when thou shalt haue tormented me according to thyne owne desire what wilt thou haue obteyned therby Benedicaâ— Dominum in omni tempore semper laus eius in ore meo Then rysing vp on her feet and leaning against an Altar she was againe impetuously cast downe to the ground But she hauing recourse to the ayde of heauen sayd Exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici eius And then turning towards the Diuells she added Yet can you do no more then is permitted to you by my Spouse I deny not but that thou art strong O horrible beast that I of my selfe am weake Note but my Lord standeth neere me who is infinitely more strong and more couragious then thou Do you not obserue O you ignorant fooles that I am with my Iesus and that you can do me no harme Do you not yet further obserue that by these so many your battailes you make me become a more glorious Conqueresse Soone after she droue those maligne spirits away with a discipline For seeing her selfe enuironed by them she cast her selfe vpon the ground still striking now on the right hand and then on the left with strange agility Afterwardes walking through the Oratory where she was with great speed she did strike vpon the benches and vpon the walls in such sort as that she resembled the Sonne of God when he droue the sellers out of the Temple She saw afterwards that many of those maligne spirits retyred themselues into all the parts of the Monastery to assault the other Religious with other tentations but they could not enter into the Chapter house for the humble and reuerent acts which are exercised there Some of them she saw where the Religious vse to communicate where they heare the word of God who earnestly laboured to disquiet their harts with earthly thoughts to the end that they might not come to know the great vnion which is made with Almighty God by receauing that food of life Some of them she saw in the worke house who tempted the Religious to worke negligently and to haue no zeale to relieue the pouerty of their Order Others againe she saw in the Refectory who incited the Religious to be at the Table without deuotion and attention to the sacred lesson Seeing also at another time whilest she was in Rapt and the Religious were singing the diuine Laudes in the Quire that a great multitude of Diuells was at the doore ready to enter in and that one was already entred and stood tempting the Spouses of Christ the good Mother being enflamed with feruour of Spirit went as it were flying towards the Quire and snatching vp a Crosse she droue away therewith those infernall spirits But as she often saw the Diuells throughout the Couent who indeuoured extremely to distract the Relious from the strait way to heauen so were there also shewed vnto her by our Lord a greater number of holy Angells which gaue strength and courage to their soules whereby they might resist temptations She freeth one of the Religious from a contagious disease and cureth a lay Sister of whome the one halfe was senseles from the head to the feet CHAP. 38. SVOR Barbara Bassi a professed Religious had beene subiect for many yeares to a contagious disease almost throughout her whole body wherby she was much payned and especially when she tooke her food And the remedyes she vsed did but tend to the increase of her torment so as the Phisitians allowed her but a short tyme of life the rather because the sayd sicknes was such as that by little and little it did eate away all her flesh Many tymes she had recommended her selfe to the
wont to say with humiâ—â—ty If God should withdraw his hand from â—e there were not a sinne so odious and so eâ—ormous which I should not commit When she heard of the grieuous sins â—f men she would examine her owne deâ—â—cts though they were neuer so small â—â—d then make a comparison betweene â—â—e two esteeming hers to be much greater through the continuall grace which she receaued from God Therfore would she retyre into the most hidden places of the Monastery there with bitter tearâ— and seuere disciplines afflict herselfe Being asked vpon a tyme in discreeâ— manner by one of the Religious if so many graces as she had receaued from God had neuer giuen her occasion of taking pleasure in her selfe Do you not know sayâ— she that none are to take the glory of thaâ— which is none of their owne how then can 〈◊〉 take pleasure in my selfe for the fauours granted me by God they being all of God And with these holy cogitations she greâ— greatly in humility How in a Rapt she wrought with the needle and made pictures and other things without the help of any light CHAP. 57. SO great was the vnion which this deuout Mother had with Iesus that whâ— she was doing the ordinary exercises oâ— the Monastery it happened very often â—hat she was abstracted from her senses â—nd fastning her eyes vpon heauen her â—ace would remaine extaticall so as wheÌ„â—he fowed or was cutting of gould or â—aking in paper any Images of deuotioÌ„ 〈◊〉 by hauing her mind so accustomed to â—hose diuine contemplations she would â—emaine in Rapt euen when she was perâ—orming the thinges aforesayd and yet withall she would proceed in sowing â—utting and painting so would conâ—inue very many houres togeather Wherâ—pon the Religious seeing these strang â—uents made often triall whether she â—erued her selfe of her owne sight or no â—nd sometymes they shut the windowes â—nd at other tymes they bound her eyes â—bout with a cloath But she being transâ—ormed in God These rochets and pictures many of our Nation haue seene proceeded to sow and to â—ake most rare workes and almost all â—hey which she wrought were made in â—apt And they were 3. Rochets which â—e so curious as whosoeuer sees them â—ay wonder at them In like manner â—â—d she make many deuout Images and cut gold without imploying any sight aâ— all thereunto And it happened once whilest she exercised her selfe in the coÌ„mon labourâ— of the Monastery that she was making the bread of the community and when her hands were all full of past she heard the signe giuen of going to receaue the holy Communion Heereby she waâ— raysed into Extasis and being inflameâ— with a desire to vnite her selfe to God iâ— the B. Sacrament instantly as she waâ— with her sleeues thrust vp towardes thâ— elbow and with her hands full of past she presents her selfe at the place to receaue that diuine food with the rest oâ— the Religious without euer obseruing that her handes had beene imployed iâ— that busines In like manner it happened to heâ— although she was then in the Refectorâ— with the other Religious to take heâ— food that she hearing the signe giuen oâ— going to the Confessarius being alienateâ— from her senses ran euen with the forkâ— in her hand the meate vpon it whicâ— she was to take without euer reflecting thereupon and yet dispatched with the Confessarius that which she desired All the Religious were filled thereby with amazement and all they who were then present and do yet liue affirme all these thinges vpon their oath Of the great purity of her Intention and Mind CHAP. 58. HOvv great the purity of her mind was most euident signs were giuen throughout the whole course of her life for she neuer desired any thing more then to make her selfe gratefull to God by this vertue And when any occasion was offered she inflamed the Religious by liuely speach to the purchase of this heauenly Iewell and she sayd That they were to respect it in all occasions for it had power to make our very defects become vertues acceptable in the eyes of God and she would thus expresse her selfe Note O Purity how great wonders wilt thou discouer to vs in the other life which are wholy vnknowne to creatures but yet not to such as seeke thee For then will there be found persons who were much esteemed of to haue beene yet so much inferiour in this world to many others as to haue compared them togeather would haue giuen occasion for men to laugh at them but because they were rich with this precious treasure and those others poore our Lord will exalt these and abase those Often she vsed to say with aboundance of sighes and teares According to the weight of our Purity our Lord will reward vs in the next life And for the great estimation wherein she had this vertue O admirable spirit she affirmed many tymes If I thought that with the saying of one word for any other end then for the loue of God although it were without offence of him I might becom an ardent Seraphim I would neuer say it If it happened at any tyme that she had begun any action for humane respects she would instanly giue it ouer vnperfect nor would she euer haue accomplisht it till first she had reduced it to a pure and perfect end And sometymes she wondred that there could be a gesture a motion a stirring of an eye of such soules as are consecrated to God which is not ordeyned to that high diuine Purity Againe being with her sisters she would say We fayle of working with Purity because we want the loue of God And once being demanded by one of her Sisters how she might do to get that vertue If in all things answered she you will endeauour not to execute your owne will Note but rather choose the way of suffering then enioying you will find in the end that you haue wrought purely because indeed therein we haue no interest of our owne therfore the way of suffering is a safe way and very deere to his diuine Maiesty Many other noble aduices did she giue vnto her sisters concerning this vertue whereby much more she manifested her owne mind to be most pure She was euer desirous to accomplish the will of God and whilest she heard speach therof was often abstracted from her senses CHAP. 59. SHE had euer a meruailous desire to performe the will of God And the first grace which she demanded of our Lord most instantly was as her selfe coÌ„fessed To haue punctually fullfilled the diuin will wheÌ„ she should be come to the last point of her life And casting her eyes often vp to heauen she sayd these wordes O my Lord thou well knowest that euen from my infancy I haue desired to please thee and if now I thought thy will were that I should suffer eternally in hell I would of my selfe precipitate my selfe into those flames to accomplish
of Obedience was imposed by her Superiours Note She neuer considered that person which commanded her but acknowledged therin Christ our Lord nor as she often sayd was the Obedience performed by her from tyme to tyme for any reason but only because she esteemed her selfe commanded therein by diuine authority Euen her eating or resting and all the other actions of her life though neuer so necessary she would not accoÌ„plish at any tyme but as it were by actuall Obedience so very much resigned was she to the will of her Superiours that she would not haue begunne any little vnasuall action vnles by them she were moued to it She held that day to be as it were lost wherin she had not submitted her wil to some one of her sisters and not to omit such occasions she made her selfe ready with extraordinary humility to obey euen her inferiours And once she sayd conferring thereabouts with one of her Sisters If at once you desire secretly to enrich your selfe in short tyme with much vertue giue not ouer this good and profitable exercise for towardes the giuing of death to the outward man and life to the inward man I hold it to be fall of efficacy With how great diligence she obserued the holy vow of Pouerty CHAP. 62. OF holy Pouerty she was extraordinary zealous and euen before she was Religious she would often say I hold all earthly things to be dust and durt so that I may gaine Christ Iesus Being afterwardes conducted to a Religious state where this vertue flourisheth it cannot be exprest with wordes how she adorned her selfe therewith She condoled with her selfe very oftrn that euen in her necessityes she was prouided for by the Monastery nay she would weep bitterly saying I shall euen dye without hauing obserued holy Pouerty according to my desire Therefore also it was that she euer thought her selfe to possesse more then the other Religious and her Superiours seeing this inflamed desire of hers they reteyned themselues often from doing her certain â—ittle curtesies not to giue her giefe therby she reioyced very much when she wanted any thing Once it happened whilest she was at table by the forgetfulnes of her that serued there was no bread â—â—t before her this was so grateful to her â—hat full of contentment she rose afterwardes without demanding it And beâ—ng nioyned by the Prioresse for Obedience â—o declare the cause of her mirth she answered with profound humility that she had neuer receaued a greater contentment then in the want of that bread On the other side it afflicted her extremely when she saw any of the Religious keep any thing by her which was superfluous and she would say that the vow of Pouerty would in no sort agree with a particuler superfluity Often would she go into her cell and with supreme diligence consider if any thing were there more then needed It happened once that her Superiour hauing giuen her a little peece of Say wherwith to mend her Habit and seeing afterwards that she needed it not she had scruple of this act as of a sinne carrying speedily the Say back to the Prioresse she accused her selfe therof with teares giuing thankes vnto our Lord that he had preserued her so long in life as that she might do pennance for it Sometymes being more kindled with the desire of this vertue she would say looking vp to heauen O my God why dost thou moue me in my desire to be so poore for thee and yet thou seest that I am not suffered to go begging my bread from doore to doore wherein I should take so much pleasure â—ay among all contentmens that I could haue in this life this were the greatest that thou wouldst O my Iesus affoard me this grace that I might dy naked vpon a Crosse as for me thou didst And to her Sisters Note she would say sometymes Tell me I pray you what would you giue that our Lord would grant vs this most singuler benefit that when we were desirous to eate nothing might be giuen vs when we were desirous to rest we might haue no bed when we should haue need of cloaths they might be wanting to vs I for my part sayd she assure you that whosoeuer would do me such a fauour I would hold my selfe bound to present him with my very bloud O then for Gods sake let vs procure well to penetrate this noble vertue For whosoeuer possesseth it hath God in recompence Another tyme she retyred into the poorest parts or the Monastery with a Crucifixe in her hand and being on her knees vpon the naked ground with her eyes turned vp to our Lord with teares and sighes she cast out these words O me happy creature if all that which this body had need of were wanting to it nay insteed of being relieued if it suffered insolency misery for loue of thee O my Iesus then indeed I might is some part hold my selfe poore for loue of thee By this zeale towards holy Pouerty she did euidently increase in the celestiall fire of loue towards Christ Iesus crucifyed How she admirably kept the vow of Chastity CHAP. 63. SO great was the candour of her Chastity that in this point she was noâ— as one apparelled with flesh and bloud but rather like an Angelicall spirit For this she had many gifts from God amongst which that one was singuler which in the tyme of her Probation aâ— hath already beene exprest the Queene of heauen bestowed vpon her when appearing to her she couered her all with a most pure veile and told her that in thâ— rest of her whole life she neuer more should feele any motion of sense Heereof euident signes were seene when being arryued to the last dayes of her life with serene countenance she sayd How she thanked God that she had neuer known what belonged to any thing against Chastity and how she did not remember that euer she had taken delight but in Almighty God and that she felt nothing at that time which brought to her greater quietnes Sometyms she would also say in the very midst of her grieuous pains Thou knowest well O my Lord that my soule hath neuer desired any thing but thee She esteemed it for a notable defect to be talking of kinred or worldly matters it seeming as she sayd that it was in no sort fit for a Religious woman consecrated to God by a solemne vow of Chastity to admit into her hart any little little thought or to speake words which in any sort might be disagreeable to their state Therefore would she interrupt the discourses of earthly things and draw them to matter of spirit but yet this she did in so excellent manner that she neuer either interrupted others or shewed to be troubled in her selfe She was seene sometymes to kisse the walls of the Monastery with extrem affection and being demanded why she did it Do you thinke perhaps sayd she that I haue not reason O my Sisters
in all simplicity for so you shall arriue to great perfection In summe she did so instruct her Subiects in holy exercises of a true Religious life as they who are yet liuing do coâ—fesse that then it was that they layed the true foundation of the spirit Her only countenance caused griefe for sinne in the minds of others CHAP. 67. IT was a strang and curious accident that chanced in the yeare 1599. when Suor Maria Maddalena was Mistres of the Nouices It happened that one of her Nouices was called to the grate to speak with a brother of hers who led not any of the best liues And so hauing giuen her leaue to speake with him she also as Superiour went in her company according to the custome of the Monastery Being both come to the grate the yong gentlemen had scarce saluted his Sister when instantly he went away in a fury without vsing any further speach or so much as taking his leaue The Nouice wondered and grieued to see the so hasty vnciuil departure of her brother but her owne Mother shortly after comming to visite her she asked her sayd Mother whether he had yet acquainted her therewith to which she answered that his departure grew from his not being able to remain in the presence of the Religious woman who was in her company Note and that she hauing cast an eye vpon him he found himselfe instantly and interiourly to be filled with so great confusion shame as that being surprized with an extraordinary inquietude he was not able to remaine in her presence but was forced to take himselfe out of sight From that time forwards he changed his course of life and hath ever since giuen good example to others And surely this Suor Maria Maddalena had that vertue in her most pure aspect imparted by Almighty God for in particuler those Religious do testify who are now liuing formerly were vnder her charge that they should easily passe ouer any affliction be wholy appeased in their mind by seeing in her eyes somwhat as if it had been diuine and on the other side being admonished or reproued by her they would from her very countenance take reason euen of trembling and vnspeakable sorrow for their faults And because with her only countenance she penetrated the mindes of others so far to the quike and cleerely saw the state wherein they were when she was called to the Grate she found that she spake to some with great repugnaÌ„ce and to others with great consolation so that only by her aspect indeed Angelical one might come to the knowledg of her angelicall life She sheweth in many thinges her Propheticall spirit CHAP. 68. IN the yeare 1600. being one day according to her custome in Extasis she saw the Reuerend Father Rectour of the College of the Society of Iesus who at that tyme was Virgilio Cepari as he was speaking to some of the Fathers of his College about an houre and halfe after Sunset But that which was strang is that as she told instantly after by Obedience she distinctly heard all the speach that past betweene them This was verifyed to the full the next day following when the sayd Father Rectour went to confesse those Religious as sometymes vpon extraordinary occasions he did For the good Mother doubting least perhaps she might haue beene deceaued by the Diuell related to him the whole processe and found it to be punctually true And this is cleerly testifyed by the sayd Father who yet liueth She foresaw at diuers tymes many virgins who were to be Religious in that Monastery besides that she saw the deuotions which they should performe coÌ„ferring with the Religious she would say That God prouided trees for that garden which should fructify Once particulerly about that tyme she was asked by them if a certaine Virgin who was then in the Monastery would become in the end Religious She answered that she knew for certaine that she would and that God had reuealed it to her She had indeed many difficulties afterwardes but yet in fine ouercame them al and tooke the habit of Religion in that Monastery She foretold very often the death of many but in particuler of a Religious woman of her Monastery who was sick at the same tyme. Speaking one day with Mother Prioresse about her she sayd these words Note You shall vnderstand Mother that this Sister will dye shortly The Prioresse was amazed at these wordes that Religious being then in good health but eight dayes were not passed before she grew very sicke and seauen dayes after that she dyed She also fortold her owne death in one of her grieuous sicknesses vnderstanding that her recouery was despaired of by the Phisitians she sayd often to Mother Prioresse Assure your selfe Mother that I shal not dye yet Moreouer a year before her death when the Phisitians couÌ„sailled her to take the Extreme vnction without delay she resolutly sayd though with profound humility That the tyme was not yet come and a few dayes before she dyed indeed she foretould that one of the Religious would shortly follow her And being desired by the Religious to pray for the recouery of her who was already sicke she answered how the will of God was that she should dye and so the sixt day after the death of Suor Maria Maddalena that other Religious also passed on to a better life Many other things also did she forsee concerning the good estate of that Monastery but they are passed ouer to auoyd tediousnes She seeth in Rapt B. Luigi Gonzaga of the Society of Iesus amongst the Saints of Heauen CHAP. 69. ON the fourth of Aprill in the same yeare being rapt in spirit as she was often it was graunted to her that she might see in heauen the glory of B. Luigi Gonzaga of the Society of Iesus and being surprised by the sight of so glorious an obiect she began to speake thus with great pawses interposing a space between one and another as the lines doe afterward declare O what glory hath Luigi the sonne of Ignatius I should neuer haue beleeued it to haue beene so much if my Iesus hid not shewed it me Me thinkes there should hardly be so much glory in all heauen as I see that Luigi doth enioy I say that Luigi is a great Saint We haue Saints in the Church who I doe not thinke haue so much glory She speaketh heere of the Reliques Bones of Saints which were kept in the Reliquaries of that Church Faine would I go throughout the whole world and say that Luigi the sonne of Ignatius is a great Saint and I wish I could shew to euery one his glory to the end that God might be glorifyed He hath so great glory because he operated interiourly Who can euer expresse the valew and vertue of internall workes there is no comparison between the internall and the externall Luigi whilest he was on earth held his mouth open towards the countenance of the Word
CHAP. 71. SCARSELY had she ended her Office of the Mistres of the Nouices and being confirmed therein for three other years when in the yeare 1602. she was ouertaken with a continuall Catarre which wrought vpon her in such sort as wholy to depriue her of her strength in a very short tyme. Yet she making small account thereof would neuer excuse her selfe from the rigour of the life she led nay she increased it by more sharp pennances being in doubt that it might arriue by the art of her enemy to alienate her therby from austerity For this cause she would say O how watchfull ought we to be ouer ourselues so dull and cowardly is this sense of ours which will esteeme that to be weaknes iâ—firmâ—ty Note whiâ—h indeed is noth ng but dâ—owsinâ—s for the getting oâ—ly of some repose And to herselfe looking on her selfe she would say I know thee well inough and I will neuer do after thy fancy but gladly imploy my selfe in accomplishment of the will of God In the meane tyme her sickenes increast and in the month of Apâ—ill 160â— a veine brake in her breast so as she cast vp great quantity of bloud which weakned her much But for all this nothing daunted she would neuer thinke of restoring her selfe esteeming that by the fauour of God she might ouercome the inconuenience Yet sometymes she her selfe would say I am many tymes considering whether I be she that I was or no because heeretofore I conceaued that with a strong resolution I could ouercome any difficulty and now the more I force my selfe so much the more feeble and faint I am Neither woâ—ld her Superiours presume hauing seene in her so great wonders to commaÌ„d her by holy Obedience that she should go into the bed and forbeare the austerityes of her life though they fayled not earnestly to desire it of her but contrary wise she made earnest prayers mingled with salt teares to God that he would not permit that she should seeme sicke Finally she was reduced to such termes that she could not take any food nor make two paces without much afflictioÌ„ and her Superiours commanded her to go to bed Imediatly she did as they enioyned such account did she make of holy Obedience Note but because as hath beene sayd she feared much that this might happen by the stratagems of the Diuell whilest she tooke conuenient remedyes for her body she was much troubled in her mind She continued so till the second of August with singuler patience when being first surprised with an extraordinary accident of her cough there followed a very great aboundance of bloud which she could not forbeare to cast vp The Phisitians were in some doubt least perhaps she might be suffocated with that bloud and so continued she till the day of S. Laurence there being found no remedy by which her bleeding might be stayed At that tyme all the Religious stood round about her bed euen ouerwhelmed with affliction but to all of them she gaue courage and assured them confidently that she was not then to dye but that she must make an end of her office of Mistress of the Nouices as indeed it happened for shortly after being in great part deliuered of her infirmity vpon the feast of all the Saints she resumed her Charge to the ioy of the whole Monastery Our Lord telleth her in a Rapt that she was to suffer much till her death She is elected Subprioresse by the Religious and soone after she is assaulted by her last sicknes CHAP. 72. VPON the day of S. Iohn Baptist in the yeare 1604. she was rapt in Extasis this being the last Rapt which was manifested to the Religious and she vnderstood by God that from thenceforth euen to her death she was to be afflicted with continuall sicknes She with a cheerfull countenance made answere O my Iesus wilt thou haue me become as a little Infant nay wilt thou that I be borne againe And being all in admiration she added O how little shall I become againe by reason of wh ch littlenes these soules of myne will know me no longer She would by this inferre as afterwards by Obedience she related that by occasion of her sicknes she was now to lead a life so different from the former that it would seeme to them a being borne againe because she was to beare the naked crosse This succeeded punctually for from that tyme forward she found so great pouerty of spirit as it might seeme after a sort that she was abandoneâ— by God Yet she neuertheles was still more earnest in the execution of the diuine Will and shewed her selfe ready to suffer any afflictioÌ„ whatsoeuer theÌ„ shortly after returned out of Rapt In the meane tyme she ended her Office of Mistresse of the Nouices and because new Officers were to be chosen she fearing very much that some other charge might be giuen her did humbly propose her case and much desired to repose a little in her so great weaknes and withall in respect of her sicknes which so continually called vpon her This she sayd not for the ease of her body but to auoyd all kind of superiority The Religious being assembled among themselues considering the great goodnes of this holy Soule they chose her by common consent to be Subprioresse of the Monastery in the moneth of October of the same yeare She accepted the Office but with much griefe of mind esteeming her self vnable to satisfy so great an obligation yet being resigned to the Will of God she instantly quieted her selfe and began her charge with singuler example But as it pleased Almighty God eight daâ—es were not past when she being assayled by a vehement feuer and intense paines of â—he head she was forced to retyre to bed although she vsed all endeauour to rise euery morning with the other Religious to heare Masse and to receaue the food of the Angells Returning afterwards into her cell so weake would she be growne with it and so afflicted that euen for pure weaknes she was like to swoune Yet being vrged by the great deuotion she carryed towardes that heauenly food she imbraced euery morning the same trouble so that she was often assaulted by an extraordinary accesse of a feuer euen at that tyme. Nay euen for this very cause she suffered euery morning most bitter paynes vntill her death because her body not being able to mainteine it selfe through the great weaknes wherein it was vnles from three to three houres it were successiuely fed she indured patiently all that misery that she might communicate Sometymes being exhorted by the Religious that for this reason she would not frequent the B. Sacrament euery morning but by forbearing it the better attend to the recouering of her health the good Mother made answere If it seeme fit to you that I forbeare for my vnworthines willingly I will be depriued ut if you be moued by other respects I would neuer yeâ—ld to it though
it should cost me my life vnles the ghostly Father should impose it vpon mâ—ly Obedience For me thinkes that I am â—urâ— that if I had not the dayly help of this most holy Communion I could not support the continuall paynes of my infirmity togeather with the great desolation of my spirit but after I haue receaued this food of life I feele much vigour towardes the enduring of my afflictions Among the rest one of the things that much payned her was the being coÌ„tinually in her bed for in that she was of an actiue nature she felt extreme mortification thereby And she was wont to say That our Lord could not send her a paine to which naturally she might haue more repugnance then to this But yet because she knew for certaine that such was the will of God it cannot be exprest how much contentmeÌ„t she found euen in her greatest dolours Eight dayes before she fell sicke hearing the life of a Saint read in the Refectory who had suffered much for God she did yet still kindle her selfe so much towards suffering that she earnestly againe desired occasioÌ„ of our Lord to suffer agreably to his will hauing entirely forgotten all the afflictions that she had endured before To this purpose one of her Sisters once saying to her Mother doth not that seeme to you a great affliction which you suffered in those fiue yeares of your Probation But the Mother quickly answered That she would neuer account that to haue beene a tyme of pure suffering because therein she had tasted of certaine celestiall delights which were able to sweeten any bitternes of payne whatsoeuer but that sayth she which I desire now of God is this that he wâ—ll graunt me a pure suffering Admitable strength of mind and that it may be tempred with no dâ—light and through the confidence which I haue in the diuine goodnes I hope that before I dye I shall obteyne this grace for I know that these delicate meates which are so gratefull to our tast caÌ„not be fed vpon at that beauenly table She is violently handled by her sicknes and she supporteth all with singular patience CHAP. 73. THIS her so earnest desire of suffering was not made in vaine for to such termes the holy Mother was reduced that in this crosse of infirmity she resembled after a sort her Iesus when by the most intense paines of the Crosse he was tormented And although in her necessity the Religious were euer present and there was no want of any thing yet in all this she tooke no comfort at all she would say sometymes That she had a hart vncapable of any thing but anguish and those thinges which were wont to bring her comfort were now changed into paine and griefe Her torments togeather with the danger of her life grew to be euery day more more but that bred no decrease in her of the ardent desire to grow in suffering and in the midst of much anguish by moments casting vp her eyes to heauen she thanked God for hauing preserued her life vntill that houre wherin she tryed and tasted of pure sufferance for loue of him euen as her selfe could haue wished Sometyms considering the parts oâ— her body made subiect to so continual pâ—â—nes she sayd I know wâ—ll that my sinnâ—s are such aâ—so many that I dâ—serue another manner oâ— châ—istâ—emâ—nt then this Moreouer the paine of her teeth did solicite her for the space of two year Note night and day wâ—th such fury that she was sometymes vrged to breake into lamentable woâ—ds when she found no remedy that could ease her This paine was in such degree that she could not touch one row of her teeth with the other so as when she was to take her food the tears were forced from her eyes And yet further this paine did so consume and eare into the very rootes of her teeth that all of them by little and little fell out of her mouth through the excesse of anguish If she chanced to haue an appetite to one thing more then another she esteemed it for a notable defect to giue any signe thereof and much more to make it expresly knowne And because a Lady who was deuoted to her and most affectionate to the Monastery being induced by Charity did often send thither some meats well made whereby the afflicted mother might in some sort restore her selfe she vnderstanding it made a scruple and would not eate thereof But because there was theÌ„ nothing els which might giue her nutrimeÌ„t she was exhorted by the ghostly Father to tast of it assuring her that she might depose all scruple By this meanes she quieted her selfe yet feeling euer great auersion in taking such meats as those and she would often say That euen in sicknes they should not looke to any other thing Note but that holy Pouerty might shine at all tymes And so by how much more delicate and curiously drest the meats were which she was to take so much more difficulty payne she found in taking them keeping euer her mind stifly bent vpon the life of Christ Iesus who for the reason of our saluation reiected all contentment whatsoeuer The pa nes of her head did dayly more and more torment her and especially vpon the Fridayes for then she alwayes suffered extraordinary affliction after that by Iesus he crowne of thorns was put vpon her head as may be seene in the seauenth Chapter of the second part Bâ—sideâ— she found oftentymes that her body was as if it had beene pierced through by certaine cruell shoots which tormented her like so many darts and lastly an istue which the Phisitians had made for the lessening of her infirmity put her to much trouble in that weake state and insteed of easing did afflicâ— her Vpon the feeling of all these payneâ— turning her eyes towarâ—es a Cruâ—ifixe shâ— would say O my Lord if thou dost noâ— graunt me help and hart this body of mynâ— cannot indure all these passions She was also much troubled with a feare which she haâ— of offending God by the wordes oâ— lamentation which sometymes she vttered and therefore she would intreate the Religious that they would pray God tâ— lend her force whereby she might stand vnder the burthen of so great anguish without the least offence to his diuine Maiesty And so much was her thought heereupon that often she would say with profound humility to the Gouernour of that Monastery Father do you thinke that I shall be saued This holy woman was no Protestant he answering like a man amazed why do you aske me such a question the good Mother would reply Let me tell you Father it is a great matter for a creature who neuer did good in her life to appeare before that high Purity of God and yet againe she would be asking Father do you thinke that I shall be saued In which speach did shine her great humility since she could be doubtfull of her saluation
for some of the Religious to be euer present with linnen cloaths wherewith to dry her But she all this while attentiue to the saluation of soules thought still vpon new wayes how to please the diuine Maiesty Note and causing the Mother Prioresse to be called to her she discoursed with her at large of Euangelicall Perfection and of that which concerned the good of her religion promising her that she would giue it more assistance from heauen then she had giuen heere on earth Then to all the Mothers and Sisters she againe gaue profitable remembrances amongst which she willed them in particuler Note That they should loue nothing but Christ Iesus that in him they should place all their hope and that they should euer be desirous to suffer for the loue of God After which wordes she tooke leaue of them Being then neere vnto her last passage the Confessarius demanding of her whether yet she was much afflicted and tormented with paine she answered You shall vnderstand O Father that there is no part of my body which is not ful of paine yet indeed I find a great peace in my hart But that which giueth cleere testimony of her sanctity and of all that which in her life is written is that a little after turning towards the sayd Father she coÌ„sulted him about some things to which he hauing giuen satisfaction You shall know sayth she that I haue euer suffered my selfe to be guided simply by Obedience to my Superiours Note and in all my actions haue had no other thing in my mind but the presence of God In the meane tyme vpon the 24. of May 1607. on the day of the most holy Ascension she had the Recommendation of the soule and hauing almost lost her speach yet in the midst of the sighes teares of her Sisters which made a garland of grief about the poore bed whereon she lay turning her head towards the Confessarius she asked him when he could giue her the Viaticum and it being told her that after midnight her desire should be satisfyed she began in that dolorous but yet glorious state to discourse with so much feruour of spirit of the thinges of heauen Note that it was as if she would haue melted and distilled away in the excesse and quintessence of loue At midnight the Father returned to her with the Viaticum and which till then had neuer happened he communicated her in the presence of all the Religious This being done she was obserued to reioyce exceedingly and through the great spirituall contentment of her soule to receaue strength euen in her body but by this tyme the houre of her parting out of this transitory life drew neere vpon her and of her aspiring to that Crowne which once being gotten is neuer lost Therefore the Fathers was called to her at * That is about 8. or 9. by our accouÌ„t twelue of the clocke in the morning that he might be present at her death as was much desired by her In the same manner did they remayâ—e til 14. recyting Psalmes and Hymnes for theÌ„ she had wholy lost the vse of speach But the Ghostly Father being yet to say Masse to communicate the Religious he departed thence and whilest he prepared himselfe he was aduertised how that holy Soule was euen then going to God so that he was much perplexed with the doubt of what he were best to do because if he went to the dying Mother he should not be able it being then too late either to say masse or communicate the Religious But by the prouidence of God it came into his mind to send her word that in vertue of holy Obedience she shold respite her dying so long as that he might haue ended Masse and ministred the most holy Sacrament to the Religious It is an admirable thing how when she receaued that message she seemed to be all reuiued strengthned yea and not hauing spoken at all for many hours she then sayd instantly with a cleare and cheerefull voyce Note being accompanyed with a gracious smile Benedictus Deus And hauing demanded somwhat which might giue her strength she turned to her Sisters who there were present saying I giue thankes vnto our Lord that euen to the very last he hath left me so desolate Vnspeakable spirit and without comfort I do well content my selfe with any thing that pleaseth him And yet againe I offer vnto him any spirituall comfort that I might haue so that only I my be saued Whilest she interteyned her selfe with these so great actions of spirit the Father withall the Religious returned to her and kneeling about her bed all afflicted and full of teares they recyted Psalmes and Hymnes to the end that her holy soule might in the midst of those diuine Laudes which by her were so entierly loued be receaued into that celestiall Countrey At 18. houres of the clocke vpon Friday expresly at that houre wherein Christ Iesus our Lord was tormented vpon the Crosse with the greatest pains she also vpon the Crosse of her bitter afflictions although with extreme sweetnes almost no motion at all finished happily her life on 25. of May in the yeare 1607. that being the feast day of S. Zanobius Bishop of Florence Her countenance remayned so faire and white that insteed of giuing offence it did of all sides breath forth deuotion the odour of sanctity And that holy soule like vnto purest done being euery way enuironed with glorious light and accompanyed by squadrons of Angels did flye as becommeth vs to beleeue into the bosome of God to liue happily there for all eternity The Mother Suor Maria Maddalena dyed in the yeare of her age 41. and 2. monthes and 24. dayes and of her being Religious in the yeare 24. and 25. dayes O blessed soule now that thou liuest triumphant in that happy countrey of Charity in that kingdome of loue imploy I beseech thee thy feruent prayers to the great God for the children of thy Monastery Thou didst vndergo many labours for them thou didst beare painefull burthens that thou mightst with excelleÌ„t vertue discouer to them the way of true happines And if thy zeale were so great in this miserable and fading life now that thou art ascended vp to heauen and art inflamed with more ardent charity how much greater must thy heat be in that most glorious kingdome which was heere so great in the company of terrene and humane passions No other thing is aspired by them but to feele by experience the force of thy deere and blessed help by giuing help with thy prayers towardes those vertues which conduct the possessours of them to that crowne of which there is difficulty in getting but no danger in loosing Permit not that any tyme the horrible infernall Serpent with the poyson of discord may disturbe their holy purposes nor diminish their ObedieÌ„ce which is both the Mother and the Nurse of peace Procure that these thy