same Territory of Treuers who being blind a whole yeare and praying to Saint Elizabeth and led to her Tomb receiued there the sight of one of her eyes but the other was not restored her vntil shee returned home where the blessed Sainct Elizabeth appeared to her in the night and wished her to goe to the Aultar and desire one to moue the ayre towards her with the silk veyle where the Body of Christ was wont to be placed which being done she receiued the benefit of both her eyes Finally to conclude this relation of the admirable Miracles of this great S. Elizabeth I wil finish the same with one of an other Theoderick in the Diocesse of the said Mentz and because I wil not trouble the Reader with the recital of any more I wil expresse the same more at large as I find it This Theodorick then being lame of both his leggs made a vow to visit S. Elizabeth and ariuing thither partly by creeping and partly through the help of other men not hauing remedy thereof in a whole moneths space returned homewards againe as leysurely as he went thither and being yet in his way and sleeping by the sides of an other as infirme and diseased as himself thought verily in the night some water had bin powred vpon him and waking thereupon complayned of his fellow as one who had cast some water vpon him in his sleepe But he discreetely coniecturing the thing as in truth it happened denyed the same perswading him there was something els in the matter more then he perhapps would imagin and therefore aduised him to arise and try whether happily he could walke or noe When behold a maruellous thing hee who wēt so lame to bed arose very sound whole so as laying aside his crutches whereas before he was wont to beare susteyn himself with them he could now carry them lustily as he did to the Tomb of the Saint which done he returned home to his freinds very ioyful of the benefit receiued nor euer ceased to magnify God in this Great Saint A TABLE COLLECTED of the eminent vertues and perfections of S. Elizabeth concluding with a prayer to the Saint CHAP. X. SVch as could not prayse and magnify the Emperous of Rome enough when they entred in triumph into that stately Citty the Paradice of the delights of the world after they had atcheiued some notable enterprize in conquests of the Enemyes of their Countrey Would strew on their heads whole handfulls of Roses and Lillyes and a deluge of flowers for an amorous testimony of the ioy and good wil they bare them and an iudicatiue argument of the great applauses for their heroicall victoryes obteyned Now after this great Princesse Elizabeth a Saint among the greatest Saints and stil a Princesse amongst Saints hath made her enterance no lesse in triumph into the heauenly and celestial Hierusalem after the taming of those hellish monsters the world the flesh and the Diuell the professed enemyes of that heauenly Countrey I now not better able to expresse my zeale come throwing after her those litle handfulls of the roses of her vertues and Lillyes of perfection which I could picke vp here and there of her own scattering in the world which shee so prodigally hath left behynd her In testimony of the ioy likewise of my hart for the glittering rayes sheenow is darting forth among those starrs of the Emperyal heauens Psaphon hauing got together many litle birds taught them only these few words Psaphon is a God after which affording them the ayre and liberty these litle spirits of birds flying through the Vniuerse repeating the lesson they had learned spread and dilated euery where the glory of their Maister causing the world to hold him as a God All these litle Essayes of prayses which I haue here amassed together with my hand haue learned all the name of S. Elizabeth and can say Elizabeth is a great Saint which being once diuulged spread abroad shall inuite all the braue spirits of the world to acknowledge her as such and to admire and implore her intercession Rash as I am alas what do I attempt I must confesse I am too rash herein to goe about thus to engage my self within this laborinth whence there is no meanes to get forth againe For what apparance is there I should euer once make good what I haue promised here and taken on mee I wil yet venture since I am got in God and his Saint I trust wil assist mee in it and if all faile I shal suffer wrackin a goodly Sea where ship-wrack were no losse but rather to bee wished for while it were no better then to loose ones self in her prayses to shew how boundles immense the Ocean of her vertues and perfections were the thing I principally affect Hitherto I haue gone like a faithful Truchman or Interpretour I may say likwise and say not amisse like an Embassadour who can say no more then what he finds in his Commission wherein he must looke to bee punctual while he puts on the person of such an one after which discharged he is not debarred to speake more freely of his owne Hee may if hee wil fal into his Maisters prayses and speake what of him he ingenuously thinks without impeachment to his charge or office So hitherto haue I been a faithfull Historian of the Life of this Saint wherein I would not exceede the bounds of a modest Relator of the truth what I find precisely deliuered by other Historians and recommended to posterity each one in their wayes But now that I haue discharged it and al this while taken that person on mee not exceeding my Commission in the substance of the matter in ought I know I see not why I may not now take the liberty to speake of my self what I thinke of my Lady and Mistresse in her prayses But where shal I beginne or how proceed but without beginning or any method at al for in this office I hold my self not obliged to any These are but scatterings as I promised you which I find heere and there neglected in the trace of her life which yet require regard and some reflection In the History her Infancy is noted to be a faire Aurora promising a beautyful and goodly day and not without good reason hauing now already seene the happy progresse of her Day which had as faire a Sunne-set as the Morne was promising and the day performed glorious in refulgent rayes of vertuous and religious works til night when euery plow ends his furrow and euery constant labourer goes to rest The Aurora and beginning of which day was wholy spent in the Virginal the Noone and midle season in th◅ Coniugal and the rest til the vtmost period in the Vidual state O happy Day the while that knew no night of mortal sinne no heats of concupiscences or clouds of melancholy H◅r flowers in this first season were Lillyes al and Roses in the bud enclosed
agreed with her From myne infancy pitty and compassion hath been bred in mee and from the womb of my Mother it grew vp with mee And to the end this vertue of Compassion might not be fruitles and barren in her a singular Liberality was annexed to it to which the Princes free disposition concurring made her works to the Neighbour vrey admirable as shal appeare in the ensuing narration throughout Of which kind for the present wee wil intimate two only examples of especial regard It chanced then that this pittiful and merciful Woman came to the knowledge of a poore and miserable wretch exceedingly affected with a certaine loathsome disease of lice in his head which is called Phthiriasis in such aboundance indeed togeather with the head-ach as it was no smal torment and confusion to him and with al the meanes he made he could neuer be rid of them when lo the blessed Elizabeth desirous to dresse him her self to cure the same though shee might haue commended the matter to some other yet by no meanes would shee giue consent to haue any Riuall or companion with her in that act being so faire an occasion offered as shee thought to ouercome her self for the loue of IESVS And therefore for the more priuacy thereof and not to be depriued of so great a merit vnknowne to any so much as to her most intimate seruant Isentrude shee found the way to cōueigh the Wretch aside in al secrecy into her priuate Orchard wherein many high trees were growing for within doores it was not possible to be done without some notice taken at least that shee might not be hindered in her pious endeauour Where notwithstanding the auersion and loathing shee might easely haue had thereat shee kembed his head and cut his hayre al clotted with filth and till then vnkembed for many dayes and killed the lice and willed him confidently to lay it in her lap which he did for a pretty space til shee had wel scoured and washed the same When her mayds coming in by chance and fynding their lady employed in so abiect a worke and so vnseemely for her admiring it as not beleiuing at first it should be shee roundly rebuked her for it that shee being a lady of such degree and royal descent would defile her fingars with so loathsome a disease in pouling and washing the head of so miserable a creature exaggerating withal the arguments that might bee how il it became her to do it which they for their parts would not do for any thing in the world Inferring besides that doubtles her Lord the Lantgraue would be much offended if he chanced to come to the knowledge thereof When behold the good Lady somwhat blanck thereat to be taken so suddenly in the manner beyond expectation not so much for the shame shee had of the seruile work as for that thé secrecy thereof was broken which shee intended and offered to the sight of God and not to the eyes of Mortalls or human censures but smiling shee handsomely seemed to put off the discourse to some other matter vpon a good occasion offered as not willing to iustify the same too much for feare of vaine glory or to heare them inveigh so bitterly against a thing which shee held as pious at least not worthy of so bitter reprehensions though otherwise glad and wel satisfied to haue done that and a great deale more for whose sake shee did it making accompt that what shee did was meerely done for the loue of God and not for human respects and therefore shee ought not to regard it And that to Loue God it was necessary further to put away al respects of any creature soeuer and to purge it from all terrene and carnal ends and to loue and regard none but God who is highly indeede and aboue al to be regarded and if shee chanced to loue or esteeme ought els it should bee for God in somuch indeede as shee loued not God for her self nor her self for her self nor her neighbour for himself but rather God for God and her self for God and her Neighbours for the same God since the loue of God can not brooke the company of any other loue or respect then of God This surely was a worthy example of perfect Charity to her Neighbour being so meerely done for the diuine Loue. For shee wel considered with her self what shee was of her self in her first beginning As for the Body shee considered the same to be a vile and base thing like other creatures a little blood and a piece of flesh skynned ouer with a parchment as it were somewhat finer then ordinary yea lesse then it euen earth and clay And for the Soule how it was meerely as nothing since God created it in her Mothers womb of nothing For the present shee likewise considered how miserable shee was in the same body how ful of defects of miseryes and infirmityes euery way for the Soule how poore shee was of vnderstanding and iudgment how little shee knew or could reach into how ful of ignorance and errours But that which touched her most was a true and liuely consideration of what shee was like to come vnto in respect of the Body How shee was to be afflicted with some greeuous malady or other that should vsher her to death and death deliuer her ouer to the tomb where shee should make a feast or banquet for the wormes and lasty be reduced into a litle earth and brought into perpetual obliuion And therefore why should shee euer be proud a whit or regard what her mayds sayd to her in that kind For thou earth ashes would shee say vnto her self what shouls'd thou bee proud of To day a woman tomorrow perhaps a lump of earth And if I should value my self as they say for my gentry linage and nobility whence I descend from royal and honorable Parents Alas how poore a thing it is while truly it affords mee nothing nor putts any thing into mee being only a meere estimation of men and nothing in substance Since there is no difference a whit that I can find among vs al eyther in the entry into the world or the going forth be wee rich or poore noble or ignoble This iudgment now and esteeme which shee framed of her self concerning her owne nature and person being more her owne and intrinsecal to her then the goods of fortune which but only accompanied her without and attend more extrinsecally on her it cannot be imagined how great was the contempt shee had in her hart against al these temporal riches which the world prize's and valu'es so much From vhence proceeded the second example I promised aboue which was this On a certaine Festiual day the yong Prince was disposed to inuite the Peeres and Nobles of his land to a solemne dinner which being now in order and the Guesse come and nothing wanting that could be desired in so honorable an assembly but the presence of the
or kinds of things euery one hath some manner of excellence aboue the rest as in flowers the Rose the Lyon among the foure footed beasts the Delphin with the fishes in stones the Diamant the Fire aboue the rest of the Elements So Mercy among the rest of moral vertues seemes to carry away the palme But if wee speake of the mercy of God of al the diuine attributes that are there is none more aduantageous to man nor any found more glorious to himself in this vertue God hath lodged perfection which the Sages haue constituted in a heape of al vertues so as the merciful by meanes of this may be saied to possesse al vertues Secondly oâ—… Lord hath placed felicity therein and made a Beatitude thereof And lastly in mercy God hath delineated a perfect draught as it were according to the image and ressemblance of himself where he sayes Bee you merciful aâ—… your heauenly Fathers is A holy vertue no doubt which so dignifyes men that it makes them not onely as Angels but euen like God himself When Elizabeth therefore had recouered from the Prince the portion due vnto her in consideration of her dowry she was to receiue of him by a certaine accord made betweene them Shee desired to haue it reduced into a grosse summe that she might according to the Ghospel sel what shee had to haue meanes to shew this mercy wee speake of to the poore Which shee did remembring the examples of the old and new Testament That whereas Adam being naked after his sinne God though much offended with him insteed of punishing him presently tooke care to cloth him and therefore shee would cloth the naked The Iubily which was ordayned in the old law in fauour of debtours that in that holy yeare they should be freed of all their debts taught her to releiue the needy and miserable in their necessityes The ordinance of God to leaue the shatered eares of corne to the gleaners in the feild during the haruest was a lesson to her to disperse what she had among the poore In the new Testament she had aâ—… assurance giuen her of a liberal rewarâ—… at the hands of God for a dish of water giuen to the poore in his name The Parables inuiting the poore to the banquets of the rich housholders were as so many instructions to her to shew mercy to them The remembrance of that sad catastrophe of the rich Glutton for his want of compassion to Lazarus and his vnmerciful dealing with him was a caution and terrour to her And she weighed withal how the dreadful sentence of that terrible Iudge at the latter day vpbrayded not the coÌ„mitting of sinnes so much as the omitting of the works of mercy Considering therefore how in the harmony of mans body one member succours an other without any manner of discourse aâ—… al by the only impulse and inclination they haue of correspondences one with an other shee held it vnreasonable and against nature not to succour the needy members of the mystical body of the Church with whom she was one among the rest And beholding how beasts of the same kind do flock together to defend each other â—…n al occasions she held it a shame her reason should be put to confusion by their want of reason or to be found more brutish then beasts themselues not to help succour and releiue her Neighbour of the self same species with her But that which seemed to â—…ouch her most was that saying of Sainct Iohn Hee that beholds his brother â—…n necessity and shuts vp the bowels of â—…is mercy against him how is it that Charity should rest in him For this she considered who hath not Charity hath not grace and by consequence not life but euen remaynes in death and lastly that he is not â—…ike to find any mercy at the hand of God who shewes it not vnto an other Wherefore I say Elizabeth hauing gotten these treasures into her hands she hid them not in the earth as onâ—… that were feareful of wants her self nor lockt them vp in Coffers aâ—… one that were couetous but relying rather on the prouidence of God and hauing an eye on the immense profiâ—… and returne shee was to make therof in the next life shee intended to put them forth to vse into the hands of Christ by dealing them to the poore in hope I say of an excesse vsury of 〈◊〉 hundred for one Shee sent them into euery Coast of the countryes round about to assemble the poore togeather at a certaine day designed by her appointing likewise a certaine place least through ignorance perhapps any might erre and misse the Deale When lo at the place and tyme appointed an incredible multitude of the poore of al sorts came flocking thither so as the like number of them had neuer beene seene in Thuringia or Hassia either it was a world to see how great a multitude there was some lame some blind some deaf some Orphans some Widowes and some aged persons and some with their whole familyes at once as hauing noe resting or abiding place There might you see a mother carying one child on her back and an other hang clinging to her breast A child leading his blind father and the father carying his lame child The lame who had his eyes but wanted limmes was caryed and susteyned by him who had his limmes but not his eyes being guided by him that sate aboue If there were any with stump armes who had no hands but his tongue very voluble and free he would ioyne with him that was dumb and begge the one with his tongue the other with his hand stretched forth Elizabeth her self would stand the while extteamely edifyed with the mutual charity which appeared amongst them They shewed being altogether like a huge army scattered after a discomforture giuen discouering their wounds and maymes receiued in seruice repayring to their Captayne for pay stretching forth the hand to receiue the same Elizabeth therefore appointed some both men and women to keepe good order in the distribution of the almes she intended to giue and to cause the multitude to sit downe in certaine files and rancks and to quiet them if they chaunced to tumultuat among themselues as vsually such people do complayning of each other for the lightest cause and many times without any cause at al she prescribed a penalty of a publique confusion to the faulty and delinquents by cutting off the hayre of any whosoeuer should once presume to goe forth of their place while the dole was made or were noted to molest their fellowes any wayes or to offer to take a double almes to the preiudice of the rest who might happily want by such an abuse Besides these poore were present likewise an innumerous multitude of other people to behold the sight whom the rarenes thereof had moued to come and view the same When this religious Comforter of the poore would walke among the midst of the rancks
a perfect state of health togeather with her husband with one consent ran quite away from her leauing their litle daughter behind them to the mercy of the charitable Matron taking some part of the furniture with them that was but lent them for the tyme only Whereof when the Seruant of God had notice giuen her by her Mayd whom shee had sent vnto her with a good dish of meate shee presently commaunded the child to be brought to her and put it forth to be nursed by a souldiours wife a neighbour by When sending immediatly to the Gouernour of the Citty hee caused a diligent search and pursuit to bee made for those wretched vagabonds But when they could not be found the holy woman betooke her self to her prayers and so caused them shortly to returne against their wills and to begge pardon very humbly on their knees for their great ingratitude and prodigious impiety affirming they had been very miserably punished already in that through the iust iudgment of God they were not able to passe any further but were constreyned in spite of their harts to returne againe The fault was soone pardoned by the blessed woman with condition to take their child againe and so they were both restored to her fauour But yet in some manner of penance for their heynous delict shee tooke away from her a cloake which shee had giuen her before saying that an iniury was so to be pardoned as the same might not come to bee offered any more Which cloake shee presently bestowed on a poore Mayd at hand who through the merits of the Saint was so i'lumined thereby with the grace of God as shee vowed immediatly thereupon perpetual Virginity and obserued the same to her dying day leading a most vertuous life THE CHARITY OF Elizabeth to the Neighbour in spiritual mercyes and particularly of her singular gift of Prayer CHAP. V. IT is not enough to haue these temporal mercyes in behoofe of the poore if wee haue not the spiritual works of mercy withal There are some very apt to put their hands very readily in their purse to releiue the necessityes of the poore Many who can prodigally enough lay out very largely vpon building of pious howses And many likewise wil spare for no cost to endow them with Rents very amply so they may haue but the name of Founders only and haue theyr armes aduanced in the Frontispices thereof But to put the hand to the hart to raze out rancour by the rootes to pardon an iniury receiued to loue ones enemy to do good for il to direct the ignorant and tepid in the way of saluation being sinners to reconcile them to God and remayning in grace to harten them on to perseuerance and to help them to the vse of the Sacraments and a thousand more of the like kind and al this for the true Loue and Charity of God How few there are God wot Alas kow few in regard of those who do wholely neglect such things But Elizabeth as shee was pittyful in all external things belonging to the body so must you imagin her zeale to bee much more in the spiritual necessityes of the soule Hence it was tâ—…at shee would earnestly exhort aâ—… Mothers after their children were borne not to differre baptisme For the sick now lying in extreames at the mercy of God shee would carefully perswade and procure them to cleanse their consciences by confession and to receiue their Viatique with the rest of the rights of the Church And once her zeale carryed her so farre as shee that otherwise was so meeke as to submit her self to any correction for the least transgression in the world did beate a woman somewhat handsomely with a wand in her hand for differring her Confession too long whereby with stripes shee expelled the spirit of slouthfulnes and tepidity from her And for her piety and deuotion to holy things though shee honoured the Reliques of Saints with tapers incense according to the custome of good Christians piously offering besides the money shee had earned her self with her handy works most reuerently on the Aultar Yet shee seemed to mislike those sumptuous Images And therefore entering once into a Church of Fryars professing Pouerty shee rebuked them for their excesse therein beholding such curious and exquisit peeces of workmanship there saying These had been better bestowed vpon the mayntenance of the poore the lyuing images of their Creatour and that the memory of the Saints were rather and better to be honoured with a religions mynd then with all such externall ornaments to insist so much vpon them and neglect the other And to the end â—…t may appeare with what spirit shee spake it that which shee sayd vpon some other occasion is worth the noting which was this To one who had exceedingly commended an Image there present both for the excellency of the workemanship and the rarenes and preciousnes of the stuffe it was made of Shee answeared how all that which he praysed soe much in the image shee possessed in her hart and had it there more liuely imprinted and charactered Thus this great Seruant of God being endowed with soe rare and excellent vertues faithfully executed the office of Martha Yet soe you may imagin as shee omitted not the while the Contemplatiue and quiet life of Mary For when shee was not busyed about the externall workes of Charity and the care of her house she ordinarily repayred to a certaine solitary place where falling with her knees on the ground and lifting vp her eyes hands and hart to heauen shee would pray prolixly for diuers howers togeather with extraordinary deuotion and feeling and not without great plenty of teares wherein shee had a 〈◊〉 singular gift from God For as shee wept shee disfigured not her face a whitt as others are wont through excesse of dolour but with a chearefull and pleasant countenance testifyed and expressed comforts and great consolations the while And the teares shee let fal in her latter tymes were accompanyed rather with smiles then sighes or groanes soe as shee seemed to weepe rather then to greiue and lament And no marueile for her countenance vpon no occasion of mis-fortune would euer change or alter a whitt but alwayes keepe the same tenour of chearefullnes and serenity with it Nor may wee imagin shee arriued to this soe high perfection of Prayer at once but ascended thereto by certaine degrees For first shee only began to haue a liuely desire of perfection and Loue of God Secondly shee stirred vp and excited her self to attaine this perfection with acts of desire and Loue and from sighs euen fetcht from the inward of the hart still crauing of our Lord this perfection and loue Thirdly shee had a continuall watch vpon all her thoughts words and works not to offend and displease God in whatsoeuer being still present to her self in all affayres not suffering her hart to bee carryed and distracted with them Fourthly shee would deale very