commenced by the Authority of the Ordinaries first and afterwards by that of the See Apostolick more than 200 Miracles are related wrought by the Merits and Intercession of St. Ignatius after his decease besides which there are divers others as authentical not yet published because those former for his Canonization were more than sufficient confirmed nevertheless by the grave Testimonies of Men beyond exception and Printed at Rome and other Parts of Italy in Spain and in Germany and other Places by the approbation of them whom it concerneth to approve them Here only I will relate some few because my brevity promised will not permit many When the Body of St. Ignatius lay exposed upon the Bier for the performance of his Funeral Rites one Bernadina a Roman had a vehement desire to bring a Daughter of hers who had been long troubled with the Hemorrhoids so grievously that no art of Physick could cure her to kiss the Hands of his dead Body assuring her self the recovery of her Daughter by that touch but the Daughter transported oftentimes by the press of People not being able for the throng to approach near the Body her Mother laid hold of a piece of his Garment and had no sooner applied it to her Daughters Body but she was quit of her Disease Father Nicholas Bobadilla having been long sick of an Ague was recovered by lying in the Bed of St. Ignatius At Manresa a certain Lady of Quality feeling no living motion of her Child in her Womb for the space of three hours before she was brought to Bed at last was delivered of a dead Child the unfortunate success of which being much lamented by the standers by the rather because the Child had not been Christened the Midwife about half an hour after the delivery of the Woman implored with confidence the help of St. Ignatius and had scarce begun her Prayers but the Child before pale and black returned now to Life St. Ignatius being besought for the Life of a little dead Infant of an Indian Woman restored the Child to Life He restored many blind Men their Sight deaf Men their Hearing lame Men their Limbs cured Men stricken with the Palsie others given over by the Physicians and lying at death's door he restored perfectly to their Health He appeared to many after his decease either delivering them from grievous tentations or freeing them from their Diseases or other dangers or giving them good Counsel or foretelling things to come or comforting such as served him with divine Consolations and in his Journey to Heaven at the very instant of his decease at Rome as afterwards appeared by computation of Hours he appeared in Glory to that Noble and Religious Lady Margareta de Lilus commending the Society to her as a principal Benefactress of the College of Bolonia Many Devils have been cast out of possessed Persons and out of Houses which they haunted by the Relicts of the Holy Father or by hanging up his Picture The Oil of the Lamp which burns before his Body hath wrought many strange Cures He hath eased many Women who have called upon him in the extremity of their Child-bearing Labours and bestowed Children upon barren Women At Carpentras a certain Woman being delivered of a Child without motion and of the Complexion of a Blackmoor so that it was doubtfull what course was to be taken in this prodigious accident whether the Child ought to be Christened or no or whether it were to be deferred till some motion were discovered in it at last by the persuasion of a certain Canon they implored the aid of St. Ignatius by which the Child was suddenly not recovered only but so recovered that his Countenance became chearfull and fair He cured divers of the Pleurisie He protected many Men from the fury of their Enemies others being fallen head-long from some dangerous precipice were defended from all hurt by invoking his Name At Cesenza one Angelo Lopez upon the Eve of St. Ignatius in expression of his affection had filled his Windows with many Paper-Lanthorns adding to each Lanthorn the Picture of the Saint and with infinite demonstrations of gratulation repeated often these words Io Loyola B. Pater io but in the midst of this triumph by chance it came to pass that by the greatness of the Wind the Fire had taken hold of his Lanthorns which when it was observed by some Rascality of the Vulgar they began to scoff at his devotion upbraiding the man for his superstition and with a bitter allusion to his Motto of Triumph invert the words of it thus At at Beatus uritur At Loyola crematur At which the man growing infinitely out of patience out of his sense of this irreligion used to St. Ignatius And I for my part quoth he have so high an esteem of the Sanctity of the B. Father that I believe him to be able to protect his singed Picture from the Fire Neither was he deceived in his belief for the flame having consumed the Paper round about it forbore to touch the Picture either in demonstration of the Sanctity of the B. Father or in observancy of the zeal of him who desired it At Braga a certain Woman having been lately brought to bed was so much weakened for many days after with a continual Flux of Bloud that life could hardly be kept in her from following the course of the Flux who drinking of the water into which her Child had been dipped having been wrapped immediately before in the Garments of Saint Ignatius her Flux suddenly stopped and she recovered her accustomed strength In the Town of Gumarent a certain Woman having lost the use of her Sight and Hearing and received the Holy Oil and other Rites of the Church lay utterly out of her senses and whilst some about her out of Devotion were endeavouring to put her in mind of her last words a certain Woman who in courtesie came to visit her called to remembrance that a little piece of the Girdle St. Ignatius used in his life time having lately been sent to her by a Son of hers of the Society which she with great Confidence and Reverence towards God presently applied to the sick Woman which done she began to recover her senses by degrees to breath to stretch out her Hands and make signs for Meat to the Admiration of the Physicians for the suddenness of the Cure. All which things were afterwards confirmed by the Attestation of sworn Witnesses At Caglari a certain elder Brother snatching up a Knife at dinner time hurt his younger Brother in the Eye and at the same time the Daughter of a certain Gentlewoman carving at the Table was sorely hurt in like manner in one of her Eyes both which calling upon the Aid of Saint Ignatius were delivered from danger beyond expectation Another Woman had been so weakned for the space of four Months with continual Pains that she was utterly deprived of the use of her Feet but the Feast of St.
intent held down her Head and blushed extremely At first she seemed as if she were much troubled that he should find her unadorned and she told him Sir you being a Prince there is no doubt but you are able to heap upon me all worldly happiness in abundance if I were your Wife however he pleased to expect here a while till my Father's return in the mean time I have some business in my Chamber and I will return presently This she said to gain a little time for she saw the young man burning with Lust with much adoe he permitted her to go to her Chamber having hopes she would return as soon as she was dressed she therefore entred hastily her Chamber and as hastily went out at the other door and ran towards the Church As soon as the young man perceived this he drew his Sword ran after her and soon overtaking her with a stern countenance struck off her Head and immediately in the place where it fell to the Earth a most pure and plentifull Spring gushed forth which flows to this day and by the holy Virgin 's merits gives Health to a World of diseased persons It being in the steep descent of a Hill when the Virgin 's Head was cut off it lightly running down to the bottom slid into 〈◊〉 Church whereas the Body remained in the place where it first fell The Congregation were wonderfully astonished to see the Head tumbling among their Feet they all went out and found the Murtherer near the lifeless body wiping his Sword on the grass St. Bueno therefore seeing his pride and having in his hand the Virgin 's Head looked on him and said Impious Villain hast thou no shame of the stain wherewith thou hast defiled thy high Birth and shewest thou no repentance of this horrible crime thou hast disturbed the peace thou hast polluted the Church thou hast provoked God since therefore it is so I beseech him without delay to inflict on thee a just punishment for this thy detestable crime As soon as he had ended these words the young man fell to the ground gave up the Ghost and which was more wonderfull his Body presently disappeared and many say it was swallowed up by the Earth and with the wicked Soul sunk into Hell But Bueno kissing the Head which he had in his hand joyned it to the body covering it with his Mantle celebrated Mass at the Altar preached and prayed that the Virgin 's Soul might return to her Body this Prayer being ended the Virgin rose up as from sleep and cleansing her Face from the dust and sweat filled the Congregation with wonder and joy Now in the place where the Head was rejoyned to the Body there appeared a white circle compassing the Neck small as a white Thread which continued all her life and from that white circle she had the name of Winefrid and after her death when she appeared to any that white mark was always visible The place where her bloud was shed is at this day called St. Winefrid's Well The stones likewise both where the Spring gusheth forth and beneath in the Current having been sprinkled with her bloud retain the redness to these times which colour neither the length of many Ages nor the continual sliding of the water over them has been able to wash away And moreover a certain Moss which sticks to the said stones renders a fragrant odour like Incense Cr. p. 389. St. Clare an Hermit when come to years of maturity was by his Parents affianced to a beautifull Virgin but when the time wherein the Marriage was to be solemnized approached the young Man withdrew himself from his Parents House and out of Britanny passed over into France but there a Noble Woman dwelling near him enflamed with lust impudently attempted his Chastity but Saint Clare resolutely resisted the shameless Lady notwithstanding which resistence when her sollicitations still more and more encreased he was forced to forsake his Monastery the lascivious Lady desperately enraged with his departure sent two Murtherers in search of him who at last found him in a poor Cottage where they set upon him with opprobrious speeches and at last drawing out their Swords they cut off his Head St. Clare presently after arose and with his Hands taking up his Head by the assistence of Angels carried it to a Fountain not far distant into which he cast it and then carried the same back to the Oratory of his Cell and going on a little farther towards a Village near the River Epta he there consummated his Course Cr. p. 411. Two Kentish Princes Ethelred and Ethelbert being murthered and buried under the Seat where the King was wont to sit the Murther was most miraculously discovoured wherefore taking up the Bodies and honourably putting them into Coffins the Arch-bishop Theodorus commanded to carry them to Christ-Church in Canterbury but in vain they attempted this for with all the force they could use they could not remove them out of the place whereupon changing his purpose he advised to transport them to the Church of St. Augustin but with as little success as before at last it was agreed they should be carried to the Monastery of Wering of great renown in those days which being resolved upon the Bodies were as easily removed as if they had no weight at all being arrived at that place the Bodies were buried near the great Altar where many wonderfull Miracles are daily wrought Cr. p. 412. St. Wilfrid entring into a Village called Tiddafrey there met him a great multitude of Women offering their Children to be confirmed by him Amongst them one Woman mingled her self craftily carrying in her Armes her dead Child pretending that he should be catechised but inwardly persuaded that by the Bishop's sanctity he should be restored to Life the Bishop therefore uncovering the Child's face to the end he might perform the due Rites found that he was dead then the Woman perceiving that her fraud did not succeed betook her self to prayers earnestly beseeching him for God and his holy Mothers sake if he had any Faith or Pity to restore Life to her Child saying this she cast her self at his Feet and would not be removed thus offering an importunate violence toward him All this while the Bishop continued doubtfull whether he should seem rash in attempting the Miracle or reject the Tears and Prayers of the disconsolate Woman but a charitable Pity at last got the victory therefore after he had with a low voice repeated certain devout passages out of the Psalms he laid his right hand upon the dead Body whereupon immediately the Soul was restored for by gasping moving his Eye-lids and stirring his whole Body he gave proof that he was alive The Child was called Ethelwald who was afterward a Monk at Rippon Another Miracle wrought by St. Wilfrid on a Monk who falling from the top of the Church whilst it was a building at the cost of King Egbert broke all his
Ignatius drawing near she desirous to partake of the common Jollity that day expressed in our Church was not frustrated of her desire for her Pain ceasing and her Feet being restored to their wonted Strength she came thither with Joy to have a share in the Devotion In the same place upon the Eve of St. Ignatius the Artillery playing round a little Infant who could not speak and who had never heard the Name of St. Ignatius cryed out to the Admiration of all standers by To morrow is the day of B. Ignatius But they who were present hearing a thing so full of Wonder for Experiment sake demanded again of the Child what was to be done to morrow who answered as before At Majorca dwelt a certain Woman who through the Contraction of her Sinews was become so Lame that she could not go without Crutches the whole Town therefore being filled with the noises of Trumpets Voices and other Musical Instruments Almighty God inspired her with a desire of Visiting our Church who put her self in readiness to go notwithstanding the dissuasions of her Sister who feared she might miscarry by the press of People she nevertheless gave no Ear to her Dissuasions but put her self upon the way and was suddenly Cured and recovered strength in her Feet and throwing away her Crutches without any help betook her self to the Church where in Thanks-giving she caused a Mass of the B. Sacrament to be said Another Woman who some years past had received her Sight by the means of this B. Father lying now again desperately sick and being given over by four Physicians not forgetfull by whom she had received Light before now again reposed all her Hopes and Confidence in the same Physician One Night therefore she called out upon one of the Women who were accustomed to Watch with her Make haste quoth she come hither with speed and behold this Glorious Splendor O if thou hadst come sooner thou shouldst have beheld my St. Ignatius visiting me for I am now Recovered and perfectly well And the Event confirmed it to be true for the Physicians themselves could not deny but that she was Cured by some Secret Power At Monte in Gallicia a great Fire raging for many days together and consuming a certain Wood gathered still new forces dispersing and spreading it self far and near there being no humane means to stop or restrain it to which the Wind rising upon a sudden drove the Flames towards the Barns and bordering Town so that the Fire was now advanced within three or four Paces of the Corn and Houses a certain person therefore taking the Picture of St. Ignatius which he had about him and falling to his Prayers threw it into the midst of the Flames there where the Fire raged most and threatned greatest Ruine and immediately the fury and rage of it ceased the Flames which flew highest descended and vanished and the whole Fire returned upon a sudden from whence it began And which is worth Admiration a certain Woman who had observed the throwing in of the Picture leaping into the midst of the smoaking Brands raked away the Ashes with her Fingers and being unhurt brought away the Picture from the midst of the burning Coals At Friburg a little Child of three years of age by chance had broken his Arme the Mother of whom fearing the displeasure of her Husband being then absent invoketh the help of St. Ignatius but she had scarce ended her Prayers when to her infinite contentment she found her Child before her Eyes whole and without hurt St. Ignatius being invoked wrought a present Cure upon divers who had been sorely wounded whose Cure would otherwise have exacted a long time Many Men by the presence of St. Ignatius his Picture or by the presence or by the application or touch of his Relicks have cured the Plague when it raged most sorely and consumed Multitudes A certain Nobleman at Placa perceiving the Sky to be overcast with thick Clouds and fearing a great spoil of his Corn lying yet open in the Field made a Vow to St. Ignatius for the preventing of the Tempest so that when all the adjoyning Territories swell'd with flouds of Rain not a drop had touched or fallen upon his Fields At Naples one Vincentio Pagano having prepared certain artificial Fires for the Celebration of the Feast of St. Ignatius had dangerously through his own folly scorched his Hand upon which accident certain Women of his acquaintance began to flock about him applying to his burnt Hand a Note or Superscription of St. Ignatins his Hand-writing the touch of which presently eased his pain and the raging of the burnt part which usually ceaseth not till a certain day was out of hand appeased At Catanzaro a certain pious Woman having a Son by one Gasper Mariscano her Husband out of her Devotion to St. Ignatius had a desire to have him Christened by the name of Ignatius howbeit her Husband in regard the Relicks of Irenaeus were preserved in that City had rather the Child should have been called Irenaeus but in Conclusion after much debate about the business they concluded the Child should be named Ignatius Irenaeus but this contention occasioned many differences betwixt the Man and Wife for the Wife ever after called her Child Ignatius and gave a strict command to them of her Houshold to do the like and Gasper on the other side commanded them to call him Irenaeus The difference had continued thus betwixt them almost three months when arguing the business one morning they both grew somewhat hot till the Father at last in jest Well quoth he let the strife be put to the arbitrement of the Child it self to which the Mother was contented to agree whereupon the Father in merriment demanded of his Child at that time but three months old by what name he would have himself called when behold the Child miraculously received the use of his Tongue distinctly pronouncing the name of Ignatius which Voice so took his Father with admiration of the Miracle that from thence forward he gave order his Child should be called Ignatius dedicating him to the Service of St. Ignatius In the Territory of Peru in the West-Indies one Christopher Martinez de Peredes for the space of four years together was forced through the lameness of his Feet to make use of one Crutch in the beginning and afterwards of two who hearing upon the Feast of St. Ignatius the Triumph of the People And shall I quoth he upon this day when all Men are in jollity remain as it were an unbidden Guest shall I alone remain destitute which words he had scarce uttered when his Feet recovered forces and he found himself so strong that early the next morning without any other help he betook himself to the College One Benedicto Lopez Prefect of the silver Mines pursuing a certain Ethiopian Fugitive was set upon by five others at unawares who stabbing and butchering him in sundry places dragged him from
Foot St. Anthony being advertised thereof caused him to be brought unto him and restored him his Foot again with the sign of the Cross All these Stories that follow are taken out of Cressy's Church-History ST Winwaloc and his Disciples being not content with their Habitation prayed to God that he would direct them to a more convenient one he shewed them a place remote in the Sea but wanting a Ship he renewed his Prayers and having done this he said to his Brethren Be courageous and firm in a strong faith and as you see me lead this Brother by the hand so do every one of you 〈◊〉 his next fellow's hand and follow one another Then invoking the Name of our Lord with his Pastoral Staff he struck the Sea upon which it opened a passage for them so that taking one another by the hand and himself marching in the Front they walked securely over the dry Sands the Waters on both sides standing like Walls Cres. pag. 183. St. Benignus discovered to St. Patrick the Motives of his Journey to a solitary place who exhorted him to pursue his purpose saying Go Brother take only your Staff with you and when you shall be arrived at the place for your repose wheresoever having fixed your Staff in the ground you shall see it flourish and grow green there know you must make your abode St. Benignus being accompanied only with a Youth named Pincius began his Journey through woody and marish places but as soon as he was arrived in an Island where he saw a solitary place he presently fixt his Staff in the ground which without delay wonderfully grew green and brought forth fresh Leaves and to this day the same Tree remains flourishing with green Boughs Yet one incommodity it had that there was no Water near whereupon St. Benignus gave his Staff to young Pincius commanding him to go to a certain place full of Reeds and there striking the ground with his Staff he should without doubt find Water so earnestly desired by them the Child obeyed went to the place and struck the ground three times making three holes in it with the end of his Staff which he had no sooner done but immediately a Fountain gusht forth from whence to this day a Brook is supplied which is good for Fishing and healthfull for many Infirmities Cr. p. 194. St. Piran fed ten Irish Kings and their Armies with three Cows rais'd to life dead Pigs and dead Men. Cr. p. 195. At the Church of St. Almedha one especial thing usually happening on the Solemnity of this Virgin seems to me very remarkable for you may oftentimes see there young Men and Maids sometimes in the Church sometimes in the Church-yard and sometimes whilst they are dancing in an even ground encompassing it to fall down on a sudden to the ground at first they lie quiet as if they were rapt in an Ecstasie but presently after they will leap up as if possessed with a Frenzy and both with their hands and feet before the People they will represent whatsoever servile Works they unlawfully performed upon Feast-days of the Church one will walk as if he were holding the Plough another as if he were driving the Oxen with a Goad and both of them at the time time singing some rude Tune as if to ease their toil one will act the Trade of a Shoe-maker another of a Tanner a third of one that were Spinning Here you may see a Maid busily weaving and expressing all the postures usually in that work After all which being brought with Offerings unto the Altar you would be astonished to see how they would return to their Senses again Cr. p. 217. The manner of St. Kentigern's Birth A certain King of Britarmy who was a Pagan begot of his Wife a very beautifull Daughter she having been a frequent hearer of Sermons became a Christian and though she had not been baptized yet she was addicted to the duties of Ecclesiastical Discipline as much as the fear of incensing her Father would permit she bore so great Devotion to the fruitfull Virginity of the blessed Virgin that mov'd with Womanish presumption she begg'd that she might imitate her in her Conception and Birth At length as she thought she obtained her desire for she found her self with Child Now it is not to be conceived that this happened without the embraces of a man notwithstanding who that man was or in what manner or when this was done she oft protested and with Oaths confirmed it that she was utterly ignorant Her Father perceiving this and not being able by fair speeches or threatnings to wrest from her who was the Father of the Child for she seriously protested that she had never suffered the unlawfull embraces of any man hereupon in a rage he determined to execute upon her the Law established by his Ancestors by which it was enacted That whatsoever young Maid should be with Child by Fornication in her Father's house should be thrown down headlong from the top of an high Mountain and the person corrupting her should lose his head In conformity therefore to this Law the young Woman was placed on the highest point of a Mountain in that Countrey called Dunpelder from thence to be thrown down and torn in pieces She therefore with deep sighs looking up to Heaven implored Mercy After this she was cast down but by the Fall was neither bruised nor received the least harm but sliding down easily and slowly came safe to the bottom The Pagans ascribed this to the Magical Enchantments of Christians therefore they carried her several Miles into the Sea and there left her destitute of all humane help in a small Boat made of Leather without Oars but the Boat was carried to a far distant Haven with great swiftness being arrived there the young Lady went out of the Boat and presently after was brought to Bed of a Son without the assistence of a Midwife The next morning St. Servanus came to the place and seeing the Mother with her Infant he took them into his care and baptized them and called the Mother Thanen and the Child Kentigern Cr. p. 231. St. Iustinian having reproved his Servants for idleness and mispending their time they were enflam'd with fury against him insomuch as rushing upon him they threw him to the ground and most cruelly cut off his Head But in the place where his sacred Head fell to the ground a Fountain of pure water presently flowed by drinking of which in following times many were miraculously restored to Health But Miracles greater than these immediately succeeded his Death for the Body of the Martyr presently rose and taking the Head between the two Armes went down to the Sea shoar and walking thence on the Sea past over to the Port called by his Name and being arrived to the place where a Church is now built to his memory it fell down and was there buried by St. David Cr. p. 234. St. David being enjoined to preach he
saw likewise many Devils flying through the Fire and kindling war against the Just These malign Spirits pursued him likewise with Accusations but the good Angels defended him And after this he saw great numbers of blessed Spirits among which some were of his own Nation Priests who had well discharged their Office as he had heard by report by these he was informed of many things very profitable both to himself and all who are willing to attend them When they had finished their speeches and were returned to Heaven with the rest of the Angels there remained onely with St. Fursey the three Angels mentioned before who were to restore him to his body And when he came close to the foresaid great Fire one of the Angels divided it as before but when the Man of God was come to a door which stood open among the Flames the unclean Spirits snatching up one of those whom they were tormenting in the Flames and casting him against him touched him and burnt his Shoulder and one of his Cheeks He knew the Man and remembred when he was ready to die he had received from him a Garment But the Angel laying hold of him cast him back into the Fire but the Devil answered Do not cast him back since you have once received him for as you have taken the goods belonging to a Sinner so you must be partakers of his Punishment but the Angel replied He took not that out of Covetousness but for saving the Man's Soul. After this the burning ceased and the Angel turning himself to St. Fursey said The Fire that thou hast kindled has now burnt thee for if thou hadst not received Money from this Man who is dead in his sins thou hadst not tasted of his torments St. Fursey being afterwards restored to his body carried visibly in his shoulder and cheek all his life time the marks of the burning which he had suffered in his soul. Cr. p. 354. St. Eanswitha's Monastery being seated on the top of high Rocks they found this incommodity in their retirement which was a penury of sweet water the holy Virgin was sensible of this inconvenience and after she had by Prayer sollicited our Lord she went to the Fountain more than a mile remote from the Monastery and striking the water with a Staff commanded it to follow her the deaf Element heard and obey'd the sacred Virgin 's voice and against the inclination of Nature followed her steps till overcoming all the difficulties of the passage it mounted up to the Monastery where it abundantly served all their uses One particular more increased the admiration of the event for this Rivulet in the way being to pass through a Pool flowed notwithstanding pure and free from all mixture Cr. p. 357. St. Cuthbert when a Child saw St. Aidan's Soul carried into Heaven And likewise on a certain day as he was journeying alone about the third hour he turned aside into the House of a certain Matron being desirous to repose there a while and to get food not for himself but his Horse The Woman received him kindly and earnestly desired that she might make something ready for his refection but he refused telling her that he could not eat because it was a day of Fast for it was indeed Friday she notwithstanding persisted in her desire and told him that all the rest of his Journey he would find no Habitation therefore I desire you would eat lest you should faint if you fast all day notwithstanding out of love to fasting he would not be overcome by the Woman's importunity but fasting as he was he continued his Journey till evening when St. Cuthbert saw he could not finish his Journey that day neither was there any Lodging near as he was riding he saw certain Cottages which in the Summer time the Herdsmen had built for their present use but then the Winter approaching they were left empty thither he went with an intention to stay all night and tying his Horse to the Wall he gathered up a bundle of Hay which the wind had blown from the House-covering and gave it him to eat and himself passed his time in Prayer But on a sudden he saw the Horse lift up his head and with his teeth biting somewhat that was on the House-roof and presently after he drew down a linen Cloth wrapped up being desirous therefore to know what that was he took up the linen and found wrapped up in it half a Loaf of Bread warm from the Oven and so much Flesh as would suffice himself for one refection he blessed God who vouchsafed to provide a Supper for him and his companion half of the bread therefore he gave to his Horse and the other half he eat himself Cr. p. 366. A Secular Priest foolishly adventured to make a tryall whether St. Ethelreda's Body yet remained uncorrupted fastening therefore a Candle to the end of a Rod he passed it through a hole which the Danes had made in the Sepulchre and looking in as curiously as he could searched round about the Tomb. And not content with this with the end of a forked stick he endeavoured to draw to him the Cloths in which her Body was enwrapped and some part of the Body he discovered when the H. Virgin having indignation that a vile person should presume to look upon her naked Body with great violence drew back the Cloths insomuch as he striving against her fell backwards and was forcibly dashed against the Pavement by which fall he became lame all his life and afterwards was struck with Madness Cr. p. 383. A doubt entring into the minds of some touching the Incorruption of St. Withburga sister to St. Ethelreda 55 years after her death when the bodies of these two Virgins were translated that doubt was put to the tryall As touching Saint Ethelreda considering the ancient proofs of her incorruption none durst presume to touch her body but they discovered the body of St. Withburga as far as her Breasts and she was seen perfectly entire more like to one asleep than dead with a silk Cushion under her Head her Veil and Vestments shining as if they had been new her countenance chearfull with a Rosie blush her Teeth white her Lips a little opened and her Breasts exceeding small One of the Monks adventuring to touch her body a lively blush coloured her Cheeks as if she still had breath in her Cr. p. 385. It happened on a certain Sunday when St. Winefrid's Parents were gone to Church some necessary occasions detained her at home at which time a certain young man named Caradoc the Son of Alan Prince of the Countrey entred the House where he found the Virgin alone sitting by the fire she knowing the Prince hastily rose up and desired to know his pleasure His answer was You are not ignorant who I am and how I abound in riches and honour all these riches and honours you shall partake if you will yield to my will. The Virgin perceiving his