THE FIRST CHAPTER.
Of the foundation of the Monasterie of saint Marie of the Crosse, and of nine times which our B. Ladie appeared to a little keeper of swine, natiue of Cubas.

FIue leagues from Madrid (the fa­mous court of the Catholicke Kings of Spaine) standeth the towne of Cubas; although lit­tle and poore, yet most happi [...] and fortunate, for that neere vnto it, the virgin our B. Ladie, had chosen her habitation & dwel­ling place, and so neer, vnto it, that only fiftie [Page 4] paces from it, shee would haue her howse, as Ladie and neighbour of the people, in whose iu­risdiction and bounds, the soueraigne virgin ap­peared nine times, on the first nine dayes of March, in the yeare one th [...]wsand fouer hundred forty and nine, to a little gy [...]le which kept swine, of thirteen yeares, called Agnes, keeping a little­heard of h [...]gges: so de [...]ote to our B. Ladie, that euery day shee reci [...]ed her Rosarie, fasted her fea­stes, and the hal [...]e of the lent, from seauen yeare [...] of her age: and when shee came to more yeares, shee comm [...]n ca [...]ed oft, and frequented much the Church. And although vpon the informa­tions which were taken vpon this occasion, we haue no assurance but only of fiue or six appari­tions of the B. virgin, yet it is certaine that they were nine in number, as God reuealed to the blessed saint Ioanne, by her good Angell, and is holden for a common tradition in that countrie, and in the conuent, where are celebrated euerie yeare since that time, the feast of those nine appa­ritions, with great solemnitie and concourse of people.

2. The truth of this historie of the apparitions of the B. virgin, hath been gathered from an infor­mation made by the commandment of the most excellent Lord Alfonsus Carillo Archbishopp of Toledo, committed to Iohn Nunes archpriest of [Page 5] the towne of Madrid, and to Iohn Gonzales Morejon, archpriest of the towne of Illesias, by particular order of the said Archbishopp, dated in the towne of Benauente, the seauenth of Aprill in the yeare 1449. signed by Gomez of Cordoua his secretarie, and authorized by Ruy Dias of Ma­drid, scriuener of the chamber of ou [...] Lo [...]d the King, and publicke no [...]a [...]ie in his court, and in all his kingdome. And to write so graue a h [...]sto­rie as this of the apparitions of our Ladie, I doe not finde any wordes more to the purpose, not more graue, or true, then the selfe same words wher with the said Agnes recounted them, being examined vpō this article; which because they are hers, & for the plainenesse, & the antiquitie of the lāguage, will the ra [...]her giue cōtentemēt to who­soeuer shall read thē: which are these following.

3. Agnes affi [...]me [...]h, that this munday now past, which was the th [...]d day of the moneth of March she being a broad, keeping hogges, in the field which is called Fount Cecilie, at the houre of midd day, little more, or lesse, there came to her a woman, verie faire, vested in cloth of gold, and sayde to her: What dost thow heer little Chi [...]k? and that shee answeared her: I keep these hoggs: Then the Ladie said vnto her: Why dost thow fast the dayes of saint Marie on fridayes? who answered: that her parents commanded so [Page 6] so to doe. And by and by the Ladie saide: that [...]hee did well, and that fewe fridayes remayned her to fast this yeare: but that from thence for­ward, she shold fast the feastes of the Ladie saint Marie, on the same dayes which they should fall: for why, those that fasted so, did gaine eighti [...] thowsand yeares of pardon. And that also shee commanded her to will all the people, that they should confesse themselues, and put their soules in good estate, for that there wold fall vpon them a great pestilence, and paine of the side, and manie red stones embrued in bloud, of the which ma­nie people should die: which hauing said, forth with shee disappeared. And the said Agnes saide, that these things shee durst not spe [...]ke of to her Father, nor to her mother, nor to anie person. And that by and by the Tuesday following, going with the said hoggs by the side of the riuer Tor­rejon, about the houre of midday, the forsaid La­die appeared to her as before saying.

4. Daughter tell me wherfore diddest thou not relate that which I cōmāded thee yesterday? And that shee answered: that she durst not tell it, it seeming to her that she should not be belee­ued: and that then the Ladie saide to her: Take heed that what I command thee thow tell it, and if they shal not beleeue thee, I will giue thee a signe wherby they shall beleeue thee. And then [Page 7] the said Agnes asked her who she was, and she answered her: that shee wold not tell her nowe, and with this disappeared. Vpon the friday, the seauenth day of the same month, the said Agnes saide, that going to keep the hoggs in the newe pasture neer the said towne of Cubas, the said Ladie came to her the third time, at the foresaid houre, clothed as shee had alreadie related, and spake to her: asking if she had tould that which shee had commanded her: and she answered: that shee had told it to her Father, and to her mother, and to other persons of the towne. And then the Ladie said: that shee should publish it, and should tell it to the priest, and to the people without any feare or trembling.

5. And after this the said Agnes said, that the sunday now passed, which was the ninth day of the said month, keeping the said hoggs in the pasture which they call of the Ciro­lera, kneeling vppon her knees and kissing the earth, offering vp her prayers, and crauing that the saide Ladie might appeare vnto her, that shee came vnto her in the forme that other times shee had appeared, and said to her: Rise vp daughter. And that then she was afraide, and raised her self vp. And that the said Ladie said to her: Be not afraid: And asking her who shee was, shee answered: I am the virgin saint [Page 8] Marie, and shee came to the said Agnes, & tooke her by the right hand, and griped it with her thumb, and left her the fingers of it ioyned and sticking toge her, and made in manner of a crosse according as shee shewed it, and wee all saw [...] it who stood there present: And that when shee ioyned her aforsaid fingers, the said Agnes com­plained, and the said Ladie said to her: w [...]h this signe which I giue thee they shall beleeue thee, and this thow shalt suffer for their sakes▪ goe thy way to the Church, and thow sh [...]l [...] come when they goe out from masse, and shewe it to all the people, that they may belieue that which th [...]w shalt say. And so shee went by and by to the Church, and came at the time which the [...]aide Ladie had told, and entring into the Church, she bowed her knees before the altar of the B. virgin Marie, and told publickly to the priest, and to all the people, all what hath bene aboue said. And by and by the Priest, the Church wardens, the cunstables, and all the chiefest men of the towne, bearing much deuotion to our B. blessed Ladie the virgin saint Marie, who had shewed such a miracle on the saide Agnes, began with great de­uotion, with Crosses, candles, and torches lighted in their hands, and all barefooted, to goe in pro­cession with all the children which they could finde in the said place, and (with the said Agnes) [Page 9] carryed a Crosse of wood, for to place it where our B. Ladie had taken her by the hand, and made vpon her the said signe.

6. Going beyond the place where they dresse their corne, thinking to enter into the vineyards, the said Agnes who went before the children, turned her head, and said to Lopes of Lorbes, and Andrew Ferrandes the cunstable, who went or­dering the procession of the saide children, that they shold stand still, that shee had heard a voi­ce, that the said Ladie saint Marie the virgin, cal­led her, that shee had twice said: Come hither, and that therfore shee wold goe to see that which the said Ladie commanded her. And that by and by the said Andrew Ferrandes, who carried the Crosse of wood, gaue it to the said Agnes: who went with the Crosse and saide: that assoone as shee seuered herself from the procession, the vir­gin our B. Ladie came, and they went together, at the right side of the said Agnes, and that she neuer spake a word vnto her, vntill they came to the place where shee had giuen her the said signe, and that then the virgin S. Marie tooke the Crosse in her hands, and bowing her Bodie, pitched it fast in the ground, and commanded her to kneele on her knees, with her face towards the proces­sion, and that shee shold wishe the people, there to errect a Church vnto her, which they should [Page 10] call S. Maries: and commanded her that shee should returne with the processiō to the Church of the towne, and that she should stand in the same before the altar of S. Marie with some pure and innocent people, all that day, and that night vntill the next day: that they shold say two mas­ses of S. Marie on her altar, and that at the end of eache masse, they should say the gospell vpon the head of the said Agnes, and they shold carrie her to saint Maries of Guadalupe, where shee shold bee two dayes, and that they should carrie with her foure poundes of wax, and by and by shee should be sound, & her hand should be dis­solued, and the marck be taken from her. This is that which Agnes affirmed vnder oath.

7. And the people seeing these maruaills, ado­red the place, where the virgin set her most bles­sed feet, and with the graines of the sand, in which remained the signes of her plantes, they healed manie sick. They adored also the holie Crosse, and setting men to keept it, the procession returned to Cubas with the child: and all being done with her which the B. virgin commanded, her parents brought her to Guadalupe: in the way shee did some miracles in the cure of the sick, and at her returne shee healed of the paine of the side, one of the men which came with her: shee was in Guadalupe three dayes, and the secōd [Page 11] day her hand was vnloosed, and she remained perfectly whole: the miracle being publicke and euident, being seene by the Prior and Monckes of that howse, with manie other people, who tooke it for a testimonie of the truth of the fact. When Agnes returned from Guadalupe, before shee went home, shee went to the place, where our B. Ladie had placed the Crosse, and as she stood adoring it, the most holie virgin appeared vnto her the second time, and spake vnto her, and from thence she returned with her parents home. Those of Cubas found themselues so fauoured, for that the mother of God had visited them nine times, that within one yeare they builded her a Church, bearing the title of S. Maries of the Cros­se, wherin the most holie virgin wrought aboue the nūber of three score & six miracles, all which by scriueners & publicke nota [...]ies haue bene foūd forth & approued. Amōgst others twelue criples were healed, eight freed from manifest perill of death, and eleuen dead raised to life. At the fame of these meruaills and apparitions of our B. Ladie, some deuote women (which dwelt in the neigh­bouring places of Cubas) came vnto them, and of their pouertie, builded a howse ioyned to the Church, the which after was giuen them, with the Crosse which our B. Ladie had taken in her hands, who yelded their obedience to the order [Page 12] of our holie Father S. Francis, and taking his ha­bitt, professed the third rule: the little hogardesse Agnes also, tooke the same habit, and after some yeares, the other religious chose her for their head and superior for the holinesse and virtues which shined in her. But as the Diuell where he findeth most perfection, procureth the greatest fall, so he sollicited the perfection of these poore women, giuing them occasions of treatie and frendshipp with seculars, wh [...]ch in short time forsooke that good odor of sanctitie and virtue, in which they had been brought vpp, in so much that some of them went out of the monasterie. And the so­rowfull Agnes, which in foremer time was the first in virtue, ouercome by the diuell, went apo­stata out of the conuent. But fauoured by the Queene of Angells, did penance for her sinne, and lead so good a life, as it is holden by tradition, that at the houre of her death, the belles rang mi­raculously.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.
How to restore the monasterie, God sent vnto the world, the glorious sister Ioane of the Crosse, at the intercession of his most holie Mother.

1 THe soueraigne Queene of heauen, seeing the fall of her howse, where, with so many [Page 13] miracles she had appeared, besought her most blessed sonne, that he wold send such a person as was meet to restore such a breach; & our Sauiour granted her petition, promising hee wold send a person of singular perfection; For accomplishmēt wherof, in the yeare 1481. was borne this ser­uant of our Lord, on the day of the holie Crosse in Maye, in the holie ground of Toledo, in Ha­zanna, a towne of the same archbishopricke, and of the holie Church of Toledo, called S. Maries: because shee that was to liue and dy in the howse of the most holie virgin, should be borne in a towne of her iurisdiction and lordshipp, and that the same shold be called Hazanna, being God was to worck in her, by the intercession of his most holie mother, so admirable a fact, and so worthie an exploit in matter of sanctitie and vir­tue. Her parents, being of the same nation, were called Iohn Vasquez, and Catharine Gutierzes, both of them Catholiques, and very virtuous, and honorablie endued with the goodes of for­tune, God gaue them this daughter, and in bap­tisme they called her Ioane: shee was scarcely borne (as they say) when the greatnesse of the merueils of God, beganne to be declared in her, which in her so tender age he begāne to manifest by her with notable admiration of the people: for being but newly borne, she fasted the fri­dayes, [Page 14] sucking only once in the day, for so soone would our Lord manifest in his seruant, the great abstinences, and fastes, in which for the time to come he was to make her so notable and famouse. And although of S. Nicolas and other saints, the like maruaills bee read, it doth not therfore followe, that they had vse of reason, but that God wrought them in signe of other greater which by them he wold worke when they shold attaine to the vse of reason, and in signe of their future holinesse and excellencie.

2. The holines of this happie child was such, as from so tender age, not only shee fasted the fridayes (as hath beene saide) but also one time shee was 3. dayes without sucking, or returning to herself: wherfore, the afflicted mother belee­uing that her daughter was dead, besought our Lord he would raise her to life, promising to car­rie her with her weight of wax, to the conuent of S. Marie of the Crosse, and to watch with her there, a whole night. The child returned to her senses, wherwith her mother was much confor­ted, confesing she had recouered the health and life which shee desired. These and many other tokens shee gaue in her childhood, and encreased euerie day in spirituall graces and gifts of God, although at that time they were not knowen of her parents. The child being two yeares old, [Page 15] grewe so pale and sick, that shee could not make her take the breaste, nor swallow downe any other thing; for the which they carried her to a very de­note pilgrimage of S. Bartholomew, in the town [...] of Annouer: and being in the Church, looking vpon the image of the glorious Apostle, which stood on the altar, the child laughed, and by and by demanded to eate. From that instant she was well, & related afterward, when she could speak, that shee had seene the Apostle S. Bartholomew, who touching her with his hand, healed her and tooke away the ill colour of her face, which be­fore she had. They neuer sawe her play with children of her age, for although shee was a child, yet shee did not seeme so, but only in yeares.

3. When shee was four yeares old, it happe­ned, that her mother sending her to the yard where the corne was dressed, to play, because it was summer time, as she passed by a street, shee remembred, howe a little before they had carried that way the most holie Sacrament to a sick per­son, and in such manner was she rapt with this consideration, that she fell from the asse on which she sate. The Curate of the towne sawe her, and taking her vp from the ground, found her with­out any kind of sense, and carried her in his armes to her fathers howse, where she was a great while without comming to her self; and as shee [Page 16] recounted, when after shee came to her senses, shee was carried in spirite to a most faire place, where shee sawe many Ladies maruailously com­posed, & among them one, who to her seeming, was the Queene of them all, according to her beautie and splendor: shee sawe also many chil­dren of great beauty, which said to her: what dost thow heer? come with vs and adore that Ladie, which is the mother of almightie God: the blessed child answered, I do not know what I must doe, but I will say the Aue Maria, and kneeling on her knees, she presently rehearced it. Hauing saluted the Queene of heauen with that Angelicall Sa­lutation, she sawe at her side, her good angell which taught her many things, and at the end of a large conference which shee had with him, she prayed him that he wold carrie her to her fathers howse; and when she returned from that rapt, she recounted in order all the things which she had seene, vntill her Father bad her hold her peace, and so shee did.

4. This same yeare the blessed child standing at the doore of her fathers howse, the most holie Sacrament passing that way, which was carried to a sick body, she adored it, and sawe ouer the chalice, our Sauiour Iesus Christ in forme of a child, very faire and bright. Another time vpō the day of the purification of our B. Ladie, hearing [Page 17] masse, at the time that the priest made an end of consecrating the hoste, she sawe it most cleer and bright, and within it our Lord Iesus Christ, and round aboue him many Angells: of the which the innocent creature made no great account at that time, thincking that all had seene those so­ueraigne meruails, and that they were common to all as wel as to her: for being her self so hum­ble, so innocent, and sincere, she neuer thought, that such things were wrought in fauour of her, vntill our Lord declared it to her in manner following.

THE III. CHAPTER.
Of the penances which the seruant of God did being a child, and of the feruent desires thee had to bee religious.

1 AT this time, the blessed child being but seauen yeares ould, it fell out that her mo­ther died, who seing the end of her dayes to ap­proch, and not hauing accomplished the promise she had made, to bring her daughter with her waight in wax to the conuent of S. Maries of the Crosse, besought her husband that he wold ac­complish it for her, and bidding her daughter far­well, giuing her her benediction, she yelded vp [Page 18] her soule to her Creator, in the yeare of ou [...] Lord 1488. But the blessed childe considering these things, said with in herself: It shal be bet­ter that I go my self (to fulfill the promise of my mother) to the house of our B. Ladie S. Marie of the Crosse, and that I remaine religious there. She communicated her desires with an aunt she had, which at the same time tooke the habit of S. Dominicke in the cōuent of Toledo, and wold haue beene a nunne with her, and asked it of her Father, and kinsfolke, who hindred her, putting her in mind of her tender yeares & the austeritie of religion. Her aunt was profest, and encreased so much in sanctitie and virtue, that she had many reuelations from almightie God.

2. Being one time in prayer, it was reuealed vnto her, that her neece was to be a great saint, & that shee was endued with great graces of God. For the which her aunt desiring to haue her a nunne in that howse, treated therof with the prioresse, and the nunnes of the cōuent, who de­sired it so earnestly, that they offered to receiue her without dowrie: but the Father and kinred of the childe, yealded not then vnto it, because they loued her very much. And being this took no effect, nor other diligences, which on the behalf of the conuent were made, the aunt took [...] order with her owne mother (which was the [Page 19] grandmother of the child) in whose house shee was brought vp, to steale her away, and to bring her to that monasterie. But God hauing designed her for that of S. Marie of the Crosse, altered all those purposes in his seruant, which shee had before to be religious with her aunt. It seeming to her that to be with her, were a point of little perfection, and carried with it somthing of flesh and bloud, purposed firmly not to take the ha­bitt in that monasterie, but in an other, without respect of parents, kinred, or any other thing of the world: so much enamored was her soule of God, and so desirous to serue him and to please him.

3. In the same towne of Hazanna, the bles­sed child had some principall vncles, and very rich, who desired to haue her in their howse, it seeming to them that she would be better kept and more secure then in the howse of her grand­mother: with much entreatie, they obteined it of her Father, & most contented with the iewell, they carried her to their howse, and committed to her the gouernment of all the familie, for al­though she were yong, yet was she most prudent, and obedient to all. Heer beganne our Lord to bring to light her virtues, and wonderfull pe­nances, to be admired in men of great strength, how much more in so dedicate a child as shee [Page 20] was. All the dayes of obligation, she fasted in bread and water, and sometimes shee was two or three dayes without eating, and like another Cecilie, shee ware a haire cloth next vnto her flesh: she whipped herself with chaines of iron, vntill she drew bloud, and there was neuer heard from her a vaine or idle word. When she went about the howse or did any labour, shee pinched her armes: and if shee were at the ouen, or in o­ther place where shee was not seene, shee vn­stripped them, and vndressed her head, to scorche herself with the flames of the ouen, and to suffer paine for the loue of God, and with this shee was so hūble, that shee held her self for vnwor­thie of the bread that shee eat, and of the earth she troad vpon.

4. Besides the hairie and pricking shirt that wounded her body in a thowsand places, shee ware chaynes next vnto her flesh, and although it were in winter time when the nights are cold and long, yet after the seruants were gone to bed, shee rose vp, and all naked, she remained only with the at shirt of haire vpon her, and in this manner passed all the night in prayer, vntill a­bout the break of day, when with much silence and quiete shee returned to her bed, without any one perceiuing of it. But one time, the seruants seeing that shee was missing out of her bed, and that shee returned late vnto it, they told it to her [Page 21] aunt: who being vexed about it, commanded a seruant that shee shold follow her in secret, and espie whether shee went at such houres. And so the night following▪ the maide seeing that shee was not in her bed, waited for her at the cham­ber doore, thinking that shee was gone out: but within a little while shee heard her weep before a certain image: and coming to her, she perceiued her to be couered as she thought, with haire or hard mattes, and vpon her knees; for being by night, she could not see her perfectlie. The mayde dissembled the matter for that time, and the next morning she told her mistresse of the sanctitie of her neece, and of the steps of virtu wherin shee walked: for which the seruant of God was full of great grief; and began with newe care, to seeke another place where with more quiete and peace (without being seene or perceiued of the people) shee might alone enioy God.

5. The virgin being newe come to this howse of her vncles, entring into a chamber, shee sawe by an image of our B. Ladie, a most faire fountai­ne, and two Seraphines with diuers pots in their hands, which did nothing else but take water out of the fountaine, and often to fill and ouerturne the pots, who as often as shee entred into that chamber (the which she did oftentimes) looked vpon her, laughed and made very merrie with [Page 22] her: and shee said shee receiued so much comfort alwayes when shee sawe them, that shee would not willingly goe out of that chāber: & although the cōfort which the peaceable sight of the Sera­phines caused her were great, the admiration was no lesse which shee had, in not knowing what was done with so much water as was drawē out of that fountaine, for shee neuer sawe where they put it, nor did shee know, vntill some yeares af­terward her good Angell told her, that, that foun­taine was miraculous, and the water which the Seraphines powred out, to represent the grace of the holy Ghost, which copiously and aboundantly they powred forth into her soule.

6. On good friday in the morning, hauing spent a good part therof and of the night, like another Magdalen, in teares and tender feelings, cast at the feet of Christ contemplanting that which his ma­iestie had suffered that day, he appeared vnto her crucified, with all the ensignes of his holy Passiō, & the three Maries much grieued and sadd: The holy Damsell was so sadd with the feeling and griefe which this souereigne visiō caused her (the which shee enioyed not being rapt, but in her proper senses) that of the great feeling shee had, and the much that shee wept, she left the place where shee was all watered, & her face remained so pale and disfigured, that when her vncles came [Page 23] from Church, amazed at the soddaine change which they sawe in their neece, they procured that shee should eate something. But the disease of the blessed Damsell not being that which her vncles thought, she herself comforted them, wil­ling them not to take care, nor to oblige her to breake the fast of good friday, for shee shold bee very soone well.

7. Another night, there arriuing certaine gentlemen at her vncles house, after shee had gi­uen them their supper and conuersed with them, and with all those of the howse, shee went out into the court alone, seeking some soli­tude for her exercices. Then set on her knees, and being in very profound prayer, she sawe heauen open it self, and from thence descen­ded the Queene of Angells, with her most sa­cred Sonne in her armes, who comming neere vnto her, looked vpon her with eyes very a­morous and milde: and considering how neere her shee had God, and his most holy Mother, with most deuote words she besought her, that she wold fauour her, and helpe her with her most Noble Sonne, in that which shee so much desired, which was, to be religious: and this she vttered with such feruor of spi­rite, that at the cries shee gaue, they went out into the court to see what it was, and they [Page 24] found her sett with her hands & knees, vpon the ground, speaking to our B. Ladie. And after being well certified thereof, and the vision ended, they came all vnto her and spake to her dissemblingly, of which the virgin receiued great trouble, fea­ring least hence that shold be discouered, which shee so much sought to couer.

8. Being thus busied in the exercises aforsaid, & daylie encreasing in virtue, as well as in yeares, shee came to be 14. yeares old, at which time her father & kinsfolks begāne to treat of her remedie (for that name the world giueth to the mariages of women, as if there were no other remedie left by God for them.) And at the fame of her great retirednesse, honestie and beautie (which in that age so greatly pleaseth) shee was sought of many in marriage: among which he that was most of note, was a noble yong man, borne in Illescas; but wheras the intents of the blessed Damsell were to haue for espouse Iesus Christ our Lord, & to cōsecrate to him her virginitie perpetually, of this only shee treated, and with such teares demanded it, as shee deserued to be heard of God, and her petition also dispatched, as we shall see in the ensuing chapter.

THE IV. CHAPTER.
How the seruant of God went out of her hows [...] in mans apparell, to be religious; and of the great fauours which our Ladie did her in the way.

1 WHeras the solicitous virgin sought alwayes to please and truly to serue that Lord, who from her mothers wombe chose her for himself, and separated her from the number of the childrē of perdition, she ceased not euen from her tender yeares, to beseech him that he wold grant her to bee religious, to the end shee might yet more tru­ly serue him: and being that at home they wat­ched her, and went euer espying after her, that it might not be discouered what she desired to keep so close, shee retired her selfe into an ould & for-lorne Pigeon house, which stood a good way of from the noize of the house (although within the enclosure therof) & making of it her oratorie, she there spēt lōg time with God in prayer. And one day of the holy weeke, after shee had whip­ped her self with chaines of iron, as her custome was, lying prostrate on the earth before a picture of S. Veronica, shee sayde: O my sweet Iesus Christ, I beseeche thee Lord, for the merites of thy sacred [Page 26] passion, that I may deserue to bee thy espouse, and to enter into religion, that freed from the affaires of the world, I may the better resigne my selfe vp to thee, the sweet rede [...]mer of my soule. And saying this, the picture was changed, and transformed, into the most faire countenance of our Lord Iesus Christ, so liuely, as it [...]eemed to her, as if he had bee in very mortall and passible flesh, and then spake she those wordes vnto him; Seeing now her Lord and her redeemer in this sort, such were her teares, such her vexation and grief sprin­ging from so great loue, that our Lord himself comforted her, promising to receiue her for his espouse, and to bring her to religion, if with all she wold help her selfe in what she could, and would doe what lay in her.

2. These wordes said, the holy picture tur­ned to the former likenesse, and the blessed maide remained with this fauour so comforted and cheered, that from that instant she beganne to inuent meanes, how to goe to the monasterie of S. Marie of the Crosse, where to she had most great deuotion, and many inspirations from heauen, to take in it the habite of the third order of our holy Father S. Francis. She further consi­dered, that if in these occasions a firme and reso­lute determination do not strongly posesse a per­son with courage and valour, cold and weak [...] [Page 27] purposes doe little profite. But being these of this solicitous virgin were no such, but strong & feruorous, shee resolued that as soone as easter should be passed, to goe to the happie monaste­rie, two leagues from her towne (and as she imagined it, so she did it, not as a weake woman, but as a strong and forcible man, putting herself into the garments of one of her cozins, and ma­king a pack of her owne) in the habit of a man; & so with a sword vnder her arme, alone, and on foote shee tooke her way one morning before the rising of the sunne, with contradiction enough of the diuell, who desiring to hinder her, repre­sented vnto her many feares & astonishmēts, to­gether with the displeasure of her Father & kin­red, who wold conceiue amisse of her going in that habit, so vndecent for her person & age. This made such an impression in the holy Damsell, that beginning the way, she beganne to tremble, vntill combated by weakenesse and feare, all her body trēbling, she fell on the ground much dismayed, where she heard thrice a voice, which said vnto her: Take courage, be not dismayd, make an end of the good worck begunne, for God will fauour thee. Shee did not then see who spake to her, vntill going on, shee knew that it was her Angell Gardian.

3. With this fauour, the holy virgin was [Page 28] much cheered, and prosecuted her way: & hauing gone a good part of it, she perceiued that there came after her (although a far off) a person on horsback: who coming more neere, shee knew it was the gentleman that pretended to haue her for his wife. She was much troubled when she sawe him, considering herself to be alone, and in that place, but our Lord who wold keep her, per­mitted him not to know her, and she seing her self free frō that perill, kneeling vpō the ground, gaue many thancks to God, and to his most holy mother, who appeared to her, and sayde: My daughter take courage, for I pray for thee, and I haue asked thee of my deare Sonne, to the end thou restore my howse of the Crosse. With these and other words of much loue, which our B. Ladie spake vnto her, she rested much conforted, and prosecuting her way, she came to the holy monasterie, where hauing made her prayer in the habit of a man, as shee went and adored the ho­ly image of the mother of God, shee turned aside to a corner of the church, and putting off that ap­parell, put on the womans apparell which she brought with her, and lifting vp her eyes to an image of our B. Ladie of much deuotion, which stood ouer the regular dore of the cōuent (which as is said was the same which is there now) and kneeling befor it, gaue thankes to her anew for [Page 29] hauing deliuered her from so many dangers, and brought her to her holy howse. The image spake vnto her, and saide: my daughter in good time bee thow come to my howse, enter merrily, for well thow maiest, when for the same God created thee, and I againe giue thee the superio­ritie and care ouer it, with authoritie that thou edifie and plant virtues, and root out and destroy vices and sinnes. To this the innocent Damsell replyed saying: Ah Ladie, being I come alone & in this sort, I feare they will not receiue me your seruant. Feare nothing, said the holy image, for my deare Sonne who hath brought thee hither, will cause that they receiue thee.

3. With this the virgin comforted in our Lord, spake vnto the Abbesse, and giuing her ac­coumpt who she was, and what shee would, demanded that they wold receiue her into their cōpanie, which for to enioy, she had left her Fa­ther and kinred, and to take that holy habitt, had come in the habitt of a mā, so not to be knowen. The Abbesse reprehēded her for hauing put her­self in so manifest perill, although interiorly she gaue many thancks to God, who had infused such spirit and fortitude in to so tender a Damsell: & she was so affected to her, seeing her so faire, of so comely a grace, so well spoken, and so composed, that shee called other religious, [Page 30] and giuing them notice of the successe, sayd that the mayden was an Angell in face, in her discre­tion, and spirite, and that without doubt God had brought her to the howse, for some great good, & for the reparation of the conuent. The nunnes asked her a thousand things, & with bashfulnesse enough vnto herself, shee must againe and againe relate all her former histories.

4. As shee was recounting these things, her Father arriued with her kinsfolks, who came to seeke her? What hast thou done daughter? said hee? what madnesse is this? what despa­rate partes are these of thyne? such like words he spake vnto her, so grieuous and so foule, as they could not be worse, had he found her in some fault of a loose woman. To all which she made herself deafe, to iniuries dumbe, and to the fiercenesse of her Father, a sheep. But when shee heard that he wold force her to returne vnto his howse, with much humilitie (her eyes becoming fontaines of teares) and setting vpon her knees before his feet, shee besought him, and her vncles, that they wold molest her no more, nor wearie themselues in perswading her any other thing: for more easie it shold bee, to moue the mountaines, and soften the rockes, then to goe against the firmnesse of her purpose, for that now shee was vnder the ayde and prote­ction [Page 31] of our B. Ladie, with great confidence not to goe out of her howse in all her life: and therfore she besought them they wold not assay to drawe her from thence, because our Lord him­self, for whom she had come, would defend her.

5. By this time also was the yong man come who had mett her in the way, and pretēded mar­riage with her: he was driuen to great extremi­ties, when hee knew of her absence, seeking her in many places, and with licence of her Fa­ther and kinsfolke, he offered to carrie her to Illescas, and keepe her with his mother daintilie and well attended on, vntill such time as all things shold be well composed. The seruant of our Lord with great humilitie and integritie, sa­tisfied these speaches, & obteined of her kinsfolk, that they shold leaue her in that monasterie of our B. Ladie, whither interiorly the holy spi­rite had called her. The religious seeing these thinges, and the great deuotion and perseue­rance of the most humble and deuout Damsell, had compassion of her in such sorte, as al­thoug they were very poore, they said they wold haue no more riches, then to haue such a pledge from heauen in their house, and that they wold receiue her ether with little, or without any dow­rie at all, as her Father was best able: who some­thing appeased, and touched with the powerfull [Page 32] hand of God said: God forbid my daughter, that we shold goe against the will of him, from whom I knowe very well thy determinations doe pro­ceed, as the great perseuerance and patience which thou hast had well declareth, and this newe deed doth now confirme, I giue thee my benediction, giue many thancks to God, and he guide thee, for I am resolued to conforme my self to his holy will.

THE V. CHAPTER.
How the seruant of God receiued the h [...]bitt; And of some things which hapned to her, being a nouice.

1 IN the estate which we haue spoken, stood the affaires of the blessed Damsell, shee with the nunnes, and with her Father, treating of her reception, at the same time the prouinciall came to the monasterie: which doutles was the pro­uidence of God, for but eight dayes before he de­parted thence, with intent not to returne for ma­ny moneths, and without his licence they could not receiue her. The Abbesse asked his licence, recounting to him what had passed, & gaue many thancks to God for hauing brought to her con­ [...]ent a person of such spirite. The prouincial sawe [Page 33] her, and satisfied with her deuotion, and the teares where with shee demanded the habit, comanded it shold be giuen her, and went his way. And so shee was admitted into the con­uent and receiued the habit on the third of May, the day of the inuention of the holy Crosse, when she had accomplished 15. yeares, the yeare of our Lord 1496. her Father and kinsfolk being present.

2. As soone as the holy virgin sawe herself religious, considering the obligation of the newe estate she had chosen, she beganne from that time presently to shine amongst all the other re­ligious, as the sunne among the starres. The mi­stresse of the nouices commanded her by and by, that in all the yeare of her nouitiate she should not speake, but with her, or the Abbesse, or Vicaresse, or with her Confessor: of which the nouice was very glad, for naturally shee was inclined to speake little: and so she kept it so punctually all the yeare of her nouice ship, and all the things which shee was taught, with such exactnes, that she wold sooner yeld to be killed, then to breake only one, howe little soeuer the same were. And so much she desired to please God, that not only shee obserued all things which they taught her, but whatsoeuer virtue shee heard, of an other body, she procured to imitat [...] [Page 34] it. Concerning which there hapned to her some cases of great edification, supposing her sinceritie, which are not related, because they are not so imitable.

3. The first time that the blessed nouice com­municated with the other nunnes, a thing happe­ned to her of great noueltie, and discomfort: for our Lord so permitting it, shee did not then see in the consecrated hoste, that which alwayes shee was wont to see which was, Christ our Sa­uiour, as hath beene sayde. Wherat she remained so afflicted and disconforted, that her eyes casting forth fountaines of teares, she went to giue ac­count to the confessor, of her new discōfort; & so extreme, as it draue her into great straites, and no little care of seeking reasons therof to comfort herselfe with all. What Father (quoth she) Doth not this deserue hell? Is it not enough (said this innocent soule) to condemne me? this of­fence of God must needs be great: why, it is de­nied me for my sinnes, what is graunted to all Christians? The prudent cōfessor comforted her, saying, that although shee had not seene Christ our Lord in the consecrated hoste, she shold not thinck that she had cōmunicated in mortall sinne, nor that the fauours which God had done her at other times, were cōmunicated to all: for although the change of the bread into the flesh of Christ, is [Page 35] reall and true, yet it is not alwayes seene with corporall eyes, but with those of the soule: wherby the faith is very meritorious of those who come to this most holy Sacramēt, beleeuing truly that Christ our redeemer, whom they see not, is vnder those accidents. With these and other reasons which he spake vnto her, the sin­cere nouice remained much comforted, and gaue great thancks to God for so singular fauours, as he had done her vntil then, with the presence of her most sweet redeemer, whom so often she had seene in the Sacrament of the Altar, and for that which then he did vnto her, in exercizing of her faith.

4. The blessed Nouice, accomplished the yeare of her probation, and with the voices of all the conuent, she was admitted to be professed, which she made with much seruour and teares, on the day of the holy Crosse, the third of May: for the which, and for hauing taken the habitt on the same day, shee tooke her surname of the Crosse: so truly to follow Christ crucified, as her life from that time forward was a Crosse, so ter­rible to the diuell, that not being able to endure it, he who with hellishe furie, threwe downe the first man from the height in which God had crea­ted him, that a woman yong & weak, should now ouercome him & escape free out of his hāds (God [Page 36] permitting it, to exercise his seruant, as another Iob or S. Antonie, in patience) he persecuted her visiblie and inuisible, and the diuell tempted her in a thousand manners, many times whip­ping her so rigorously and so cruelly, that the stripes and markes of the strokes and blowes which he gaue her, dured on her for many dayes, and newe woundes added, before the old were wholly healed.

5. One time it chanced to her, that asking humbly of God for a soule, the diuells whip­ped her so cruelly, and shed so much bloud forth of her body, that they left her for dead. At that time came her Angell keeper, and cheering herselfe with his presence, shee saide vnto him with great loue: O blessed An­gell what haue you done? how haue you left me in so great necessitie and wearinesse, looke how the ministers of the diuine iustice haue handled me. To which the Angell answeared very ioy­full: nether haue I left thee, nor doth my Lord Iesus Christ leaue thee: but I tell thee in his be­half, that with this euill entreatie, these blowes, and stripes which they haue giuen thee, thou hast gained a crowne very gratefull to the diuine ma­iestie: and I come in virtue of his name to cure thee of these woundes. And making vpon her the signe of the Crosse, he healed her, and our [Page 37] Lord granted her that which she asked, for that soule for which she was praying. Who is able to recount all the euill intreatings, that the infernall ministers inflicted vpō her? whom it seemed they were so resolued and set to persecute, as if they had neglected all the world besides her. Who can explicate the mortification and pennance of this virgin, and the depth, and height of her hu­militie, wher with she thought so highlie of God, and so lowly of herself? maruelling alwayes with her selfe, that God shold inclose so great treasures in a vessell so fraile and miserable as she was, who thought not herself worthie of the earth which she troad vpon.

THE VI. CHAPTER.
Of the pennances of the seruant of God, and of the frequencie of her raptes.

1 THe newe Professed, found herself so o­bliged to God, for hauing brought her to holy religion, and so desirous to doe him great seruice, that from the day shee was professed, she determined to suffer for his loue whatsoeuer kind of torment was compatible with her condition, desiring to giue her life for that Lord, who with [Page 38] so much loue gaue his life for her. And many times thinking on this loue of her God, with de­sire to be a martyr, shee sayd with great grief: O that God would doe me this fauour, that I might dy for him, for I desier no other blessednes on the earth, then to see my selfe beheaded, for his loue, burned, beaten to poulder, or scalded to death. Thincking on this, and on her most sweet espouse crucified for her, burning in his loue, shee sayde: Lord giue me paines, torments, labours, and griefs: command the Angells of heauen, the di­uells of hell, and all the creatures of the earth, to execute vpon me all their power, for be it as great as it can be, it shall be all limited and lit­tle, in comparison of the much which for thy di­uine maiestie I desire to suffer, my only loue, and my good, through thy diuine grace.

2. Accompanying with worckes these so feruorous desires, shee beganne to lead a newe life, and to doe very sharp penances, adding to the old ones some newe, and to her great rigours, others very terrible. And her fastes were such, as she brake them not in three dayes toge­ther, and often times she passed eight whole dayes without eating one bitt. Her watching was very long, and her sleep so little, that shee slept not vntill the day break, & then only that which serued to comfort the head. Her clothing was [Page 39] alwayes more humble, poore, and patched, then of any other of the nunnes, but without any ex­tremitie of singularitie, although inwardly shee vsed shirts of haire and chaynes next vnto her skinne. And for the greater pen [...]nce and the more to mortifie her tast & mouth, many times she car­ried in it bitter wor [...]wood, in memorie of the gall and vinegre which our Sauiour ta [...]ted vpon the Crosse. In prayer shee spent the most of the night, and she would say, that when it was, not very feruorous, and accompanied with many teares, it seemed to her vnworthie that God shold receiue it. Her times of leis [...]re in the day, shee spent in humble offices, and in the seruice of the conuent. Wh [...]n she washed the po [...]tes and plat­ters of the kitchin, and other like vessells, she con­sidered that they were for the seruants of God to eat in. And so in these humble and base offices she receiued many fauours & particular comforts of God, and of his most holy and blessed Mother.

3. And wheras she knewe, how much humi­litie pleaseth God, shee procured [...]lwayes to oc­cupie herself in humble offices, and with notable charitie to serue the sicke religious, wholly car­ring for their seruice and comforte: in which there happened to her things of great mortifica­tion, much like to those which haue happened to diuers other saints, who licked the wounds of the [Page 40] sick, and exercised themselues in offices which of their oune nature were very loathsome, but to God very pleasing, as with his diuine fauour shee his douote seruant did many times, who being Cooke, and drawing water out of the well, brake a great panne of clay which shee carried in her hands, for the which shee was much con­founded: and attributing it to her slouth and carelesnesse, she threw herselfe downe vpon the earth, and making prayer to our Lord, the pieces were ioyned together, and the panne remaining whole, serued afterward two or three yeares in the kitchin. One religious who was present at all this, and sawe with her eyes the mira­cle, sayde: what is this sister? was not this panne all to peeces? how is it now whole? to this the blessed cooke answered with much hu­militie: yes sister, but our Lord hath remedied by his goodnesse, that which I haue abused by my sinnes.

4. In such exercises as this, and the like, the seruant of God spent her time, and the first yeares of her religion, which being so admi­rable, and the great talent and valour of the newe professed, and her prudence, and sanctitie being knowen (although her yeares were but fewe) obedience employed her in the office of sacristian, after hauing been well prooued in [Page 41] that of the kitchen; of the which she gaue so good account, that without taking her from it, they gaue her also care of the Torner, and shee proued so well in these offices, that in short time they made her Portresse. All which in that shee did them with so much humilitie and pa­tience (as most zealous of the seruice of God, of sanctitie, and of the seruice of the conuent) she did vndergoe great labours: for because shee was yong, all opposed themselues against her, and the most mild lambe humbled herself to whom soeuer, and to those that chi [...]d her, confest her fault, praying our Lord for those that persecuted her. And shee was so well con­tented in seruing of the other religious, in of­fices of humilitie and obedience, as if therin had been her glory, her blisse, and her heauen. And intruth so it was, for in these offices shee found God, who is the blisse and true hea­uen of the iust, as this virgin found him in the porterie, and in the torner: for doing these offices shee went so enamored of her most sweet Iesus, that alwayes shee had him present, in so much that if shee turned the torner to giue or receiue any thing, thorough the same, she con­templated the cradell in which she rocked the sweet child Iesus. And once indeed it hap­pened [Page 42] her so to turne it w [...]h this thought, as shee found God a child therin, who wi [...]h a coun­tenance very peaceable & smiling, spake vnto her, making merry with her.

5. Another time being Portresse, the most holy child Iesus appeared to her, and as soone as she sawe him, she stretched out her armes for to embrace him: but at the same instant appeared his most holy mother, & taking him in her armes, lifted her self vpon highe with him, accompanied with infinite Angells, who with most sweet har­monie made him musick. But as soone as blessed Ioane sawe that the mother & the Sonne depar­ted, and left her so alone, iudgeing her selfe vn­worthie of so soueraigne companie, she remai­ned very sadd, and without comfort: but she that is mother of comfort, comforting her, sayde: Do not afflict thy selfe daughter, but come toward the figtrees in the garden, for there thou shalt find vs.

6. Most contented with this fauour, accom­plishing her office of obedience, shee went to the garden looking on euery side, to see that which her soule desired: and approaching to the bake­howse neer vnto the figtrees, she sawe our Lord Iesus Christ, and his blessed mother, and many Angells which awayted her. And falling prostrate vpon the earth, shee adored God, and the B. vir­gin, [Page 43] and stood long time enioying of that soue­raigne vision, so absorpt, as although they called her with a bell, she heard not, vntill the mother of God said to her: Goe daughter, performe thy obedience, for they haue called thee three seuerall times, and thou hast neuer heard them. Then lea­uing God, and his mother, for obedience sake, shee went to see who it was that sought her: and hauing done the businesse, she returned by & by to the bake-howse aforesaid, where she had left her hart and her rest. But some of the nonnes mee­ting her, noted much the speed and hast with which she went, & that her face was very bright, and that a sweet sauour proceeded from it: for the which some of them followed her, desirous to know, what the matter was, suspecting some great thing. And seeing her enter into the bake howse, they heard her say: O soueraigne mother of God, great is thy mercy towards me vnwor­thie sinner, that I hauing gone, and left thee and my most sweet espouse in this humble and poore place, I find that you ar stil here attending for me. The nonnes also heard the B. virgin answeare, saying. My daughter, thou hast therfore found me, because for obedience sake thou hast left me, which much pleaseth my Sonne and me.

7. The blessed Ioane was so fauoured of our B. Ladie the virgin, as the fauours and comforts [Page 44] which she receiued from her powerfull hand, cannot as they worthilie deserue, be esteemed. For not only being a child, but when she was of greater age, and in all times, she had great re­uelations and visites of our Lord, and of his most holy mother, both in r [...]ptes and out of them, which dured her more or lesse time, as pleased God. At the beginning, three, or foure howres: after they were greater, for they came to four­teen, and to twenty, and forty houres euery one, & sometimes she was eleuated, three dayes with­out returning to herself; Once it happened her to returne from a very great rapt, and scarcely to haue come to her selfe, when only hearing named the most sweete name of Iesus, or of seing some image of his most sacred passion, shee was againe eleuated as before, without any manner of sense or feeling. She was most beautifull and shining in these rapts, and when she returned from them, the nonnes besought, her, that shee would tell where shee was, and what shee had seen in those rapt [...]s and reuela­tions, which although she refused to doe (ex­cusing her selfe for humilitie sake) yet when it was the will of God that shee shold manifest it, shee sayde, that her good Angell carried her in spirite, and set her in a throne very bright and glorious, where she [...]awe our Lord, and his [Page 45] most holy mother, and the Angells, the Apostles, and Euangelistes, the Patriarches, and Prophets, our holy Father saint Francis, and infinite other saints, men, and women of the newe and old te­stament, giuing such euident signes of them, as if she had beene borne and brought vp with them. She said that they went adorned with their par­ticular insignes. The saints of the old testament with the figures therof which they represented, conforme to their prophecies, Abraham with the sacrifice of the lamb, Moyses with his ser­pent, and the bush: Aaron with his rodd: others with the Arck of the testament. And that the saints of the newe testament, carried also their ensignes. The Apostles and Martyrs those of their martyrdome, our holy Father, S. Francis, the fiue wounds more bright then starres: others carried the chalice with the most holy Sacrament, o­thers the font of baptisme, and others the keyes of the Church: Euery one of them more faire and bright, and more shining then the sunne: in so much that it is a meruellous thinge and very pleasing, to see and contemplate these things, full of so much beautie and comlinesse, as no tongue is able to explicate the same, answe­rable to that which our Lord of his mercy doth shew them vnto me (said the Saint) and will that I see them from that holy place, where as [Page 46] it seemeth to me, I stand tyed with a certaine beame of that place, which denoteth, that my soule is not yet wholly vntied and free, from the prison of this body.

8. The blessed Ioane was foure and twentie yeares ould, at which age, the nōnes saw her fall into a rapt, such, as neither before, nor after, she neuer was seene to haue the like: For other times when shee was rapt, she remained with much beautie and lustre of her face: but this time it was not so, for all that, wanted in her, and she remained as one dead, her eyes broken & sunck, her lippes blue, her teeth gnashing, her nose drawen vp, and all the members of her body dis­ioynted and stiffe, and her face so pale and wanne, as if she were altogether dead. The nonnes ad­mired at the noueltie of the chance, and desi­ring to know the cause therof, prayed the holy virgin, that shee wold reueale the same vnto them. But shee as one prudent and silent, wold neuer tell it, vntill some dayes being passed, her good Angell commanded her to tell it, and then shee sayde: the cause (mothers) that you sawe in me such noueltie in that rapt, was, for that being in it, I sawe my good Angell with sad countenance. And I asking him the cause, he sayde, that our Lord had shewed him the great persecutious, wearinesses and infirmities, which [Page 47] were to come vpon me: and that he hauing prayed for me,The Angells to shew sad countenance and to weep, is a speach which the ho­ly scripture vseth, as in the 33. chapter of Isaias more by similitude, then by propriet [...]e: for an An­gell, although he appeare in corporall forme and vi­sible to men, doth neither weep, nor eat, nor speake, nor exercise any vitall o­peration, according to S. Thom. 1. p. q. 51. a. 3. for to Worck properly these things, which are vitall actions, he should be the soule of the same body in which he appeareth, and as the forme therof, ani­mate it. the di­uine maiestie answea­red him, that it was cō ­uenient to leade me by that way, and to see what courage I had in me. Then he againe be­seeched him, that for his clemencie he wold doe me that grace to relieue me, and that I might not endure that paine which then I had: and the most powerfull Lord did grant it him. And so from that day all her rapts were very sweet, being so great & so long, that the most of the day and of the night, shee was so ele­uated, that she could not now doe any office, nor follow the burden of the communitie as shee was wont: wherfore they gaue her a cell aparte, and one of the Religious that shold take care of her, whereof she was very glad, hauing better commoditie for the secret penances which she [...] [Page 46] [...] [Page 47] [...] [Page 46] [...] [Page 47] [Page 48] performed, of the which some were knowen.

9. Oftentimes it happened vnto her, that de­siring to please her beloued espouse, and remem­bring with how great crueltie he was whippt at a pillar, desiring to imitate him in that point, asking first leaue for it of his diuine maiestie, she shut her selfe vp in a chamber, very close and se­cret, where shee was wont to do her mortifica­tions and penances, and naked, she tyed her selfe to a pillar, which she had there for these mortifi­cations: then fastning herself with cordes, first her feet, and after her body, leauing her armes free, shee whipped her selfe all ouer with a chayne of iron; and that the chayne might the better dis­charge its office, she hūg at the end of it a ball of iron round and massiue, and taking it in her hand, she strook her selfe with the ends of the chayne ouer all the body, vntill she shed bloud. Being in this holy exercise, contemplating the stripes of our Sauiour, and brusing her flesh with those she gaue her selfe, her good Angell appeared to her, and commanded her to cease, saying: enough, for hitherto extendeth the will of my Lord Iesus Christ; and the same Angell, vntied her some­times from the pillar at which shee stood.

10. Other times with the desire she had to please God, kneeling on her knees in that little chamber, she tooke a flint, which weighed seauē [Page 49] pounds, and with so great feruour shee strooke her selfe vpon the breast there with, that at the very first blowe, the bloud sprang out so far, that it spotted the walles. Shee cōtinued in this holy exercise as long, as she was wont to bee in going on her knees fifteen times about the chamber, in memorie of the fifteen principall woundes of our Lord Iesus Christ.

11. One night the saint finding her selfe much afflicted, and euilly treated of the diuells, which with filthie and vnseemly figures, pretended to induce her to sensuall desires, shee went out into the garden, and gathering together ma­ny bushes, in imitation of our holy Father saint Francis, stripping herselfe naked, she layd herself downe vpon that thornie bed, and lea­uing it all bespotted with her bloud, she en­tred into a lake, saying; That thou mayest knowe that thou art clay, in this mudd thou shalt wash thy selfe, and yet thou doest not deserue this. There shee stood a great while, and before shee put on her cloathes againe, shee whipped herselfe with a chayne, which she had made to this effect: after which time she remained so fauored of almightie God, that neuer after did the enemie set vpon her with such like temptations.

12. With the great spirite and deuotion [Page 50] which this blessed one had, she made a thou­sand inuentions for mortification and penance, sometimes she girded her armes, and her body with ropes of brissels and of hard rushes, in me­morie of the ropes wher with our Sauiour was fastned to the pillar. Other times she girded her­selfe with the chaynes, with which before she had whipped herself. And for the most parte she went alwayes vested with iron, as the hard shirtes, do well proue, which shee vsed during her whole life, as of brissels, of cardes, of iron, & one of maile with half sleeues, made in manner of a iacket, so long that it reached to her knees: another of plates of iron in forme of a hart, which girded her body on euery side, and for her more deuotion shee carried it set with crosses, & the instruments of the passion, made of very sharp nayles: although she vsed this shirt very seldom, because without great difficultie shee could not stoope: and so it happened vnto her on a time, that bowing herself with it, the pointes of the nailes entred into her body, she offering all to our Sauiour in memorie of his sacred passion. And for her greater mortification, she was wont to drawe herself along vpon the ground, holding by a rope which she put about her neck, and whip­ping herself with a chayne shee said: who so doeth, so let him pay: wherof doest thou complayne noughtie [Page 51] miserable body, when thou hast so much offended thy God?

13. Othertimes, set in forme of a Crosse, shee walked with her bare knees vpon the earth, vntill the bloud burst forth of them. Other times for more grief, shee tyed vpon her knees little stones, or tile shardes, which did greatly wound her. Other times shee set herself crosse­wise against a wall, where she had driuen some nayles, and thrust her handes so fast vpon them, as shee hung there in Crosse wise an houre toge­ther, without her feet touching the ground.

14. On a certaine occasion, making an end of taking a great discipline, vpon [...]he woundes which shee had made with the chaynes, shee put on that shirt of maile, which was the more or­dinarie, and scarcely had shee put on her habitt, when shee remayned eleuated for six houres, vntill the nonnes coming vnto her, found her in that māner, to whom shee recounted meruailous things, concerning the manner which they were to take to serue and please our Lord, who ther­vpon became so full of deuotion, as they en­kindled and enflamed, all that euer heard them in the loue of God.

THE VII. CHAPTER.
How the child Iesus espoused himself with the bles­sed Ioane of the Crosse, and of the deuotion she had to the most holy Sacrament.

1 THis chapter requireth singular attention, and therfore I doe humblie aske of God, his grace, to asist me to write for his honor and glory, two most singular fauoures and very royall benefits, which with great shewe of loue, he granted to this most tender virgin. For when our Lord wold giue more rich pledges of his loue towards her, his diuine maiestie determi­ned to visite her, not by the ministerie of Angells (as at other times) but in his owne person, and to wedd himselfe vnto her; his most holy mo­ther assisting at this spirituall wedding, with many Angells, and virgins, which came accom­panying their King and Lord: on whom the blessed Ioane set her eyes, and calling to minde the promise which he had giuen her to espouse him selfe vnto her, with much humilitie and loue, she demanded of the Queene of heauen, shee wold obtaine of her Sonne, that he wold fulfill what he had promised, and with much [Page 53] faith and humilitie, she ceased not from her holy prayer, vntill our most clement Lord, mo­ued by the petitions of his most holy mother, and of the Angells, and virgins which on their knees in his diuine presence did aske it of him, his maiestie cast on the blessed Ioane, the eyes of his diuine mercy, and looking vpon her with a countenance very pleasant and amorouse, sayde; It pleaseth me daughter, to espous [...] my selfe vnto thee, and then extending his power­full hand, he gaue it vnto her, in signe of espou­sall, with many shewes of loue.

2. The deuotion she had to the most holy Sacrament, surpasseth all that can be sayde: Be­fore communion, she set all thinges in order to dispose her selfe for communion: after commu­nion, all which followed, she wholy spent in giuing of thancks; And such gust and comfort she receiued in this celestiall meate, that the more she tasted of it, the more encreased her hunger of it: and so she procured to come to this diuine Sacrament as oft as she could: which when it was not granted her, she communicated spiritually, & that so frequently & without intermission, as her life was a continuall spirituall communion. In so much that being one time rauished, in those mar­uailous raptes which heerafter wee shall declare, our Lord said, that those spirituall communions [Page 54] did please him much, wherwith the seruant of God was much com­forted. And acknow­ledging this so soue­raigne benefitt,Spirituall communion is, when as one cannot re­ceiue the body of Christ our Lord sacramentally, he receiueth it interiorly & spirituallie in his soule, with faith and charitie, as the Counsell of Trent defineth in the 13. session, and 8. ca. S. Thomas in the 3. p. q. 80 a. 1. and 2. and 4. booke d. 9. a. 2. Suarez tom. 3. p. 3. d. 62 sect. 1. and to those that so commu­nicate spiritually, is giuen the effect and virtue of the sacrament, according to their deuotiō: and after this manner a soule may communicate spiritually many times in the day. she was wōt to say many times: O my Lord, how ex­cellent is this māner of communicating? with­out being seen or per­ceiued, & without any other troubling the ghostly Father, or gi­uing account thereof to any creature, but only to thee my Creator and my Lord, who heapest on me such delights, and susteynest with the sweet & sauorie bittes of thy most holy pre­sence me poore sinner, vnworthie of this most high gift, the most vile and out-cast of the world, and doest me such singular fauour, that euery houre and moment, my soule may receiue such gust, sweetnesse and delight, and that alwayes I may bee sweetened of thee my sweet Iesus, my espouse and Lord, [Page 55] if I by the bitternesse of my sinnes, do not make my self vnworthie of thy diuine sweetnesse. O meruailous meat! O bread of Angells! what ban­quet is this? what pietie is this, my sweet Iesus? and what mercy, and liberalitie is that which thy diuine maiestie bestoweth vpon an vnwor­thie & miserable slaue? This said the holy Ioane, giuing thancks to God for communicating so often spirituallie: and touching Sacramentall Communion, such meruailous things happened vnto her, as these following do declare.

3. This most deuote virgin on a time confes­sing her selfe while the conuentuall masse was sayde, the confessor bidd her goe and adore the most holy Sacrament, and comming to a portall hard by the Church, hearing it ring to the ele­uation, she kneeled on her knees to adore from thence with the eyes of her soule, him whom she could not see with the eyes of her body. Being so on her knees, the wall of the portall which diuided the conuent from the Church, was opened a wide, and shee sawe the most holy Sacrament on the altar, as also the priest who said masse, and all the Church, & persons which were therein. And hauing adored the sacred Ho­ste and Chalice, the wall ioyned it selfe againe together, she remayning on her knees in the same place: but when the priest eleuated the Hoste [Page 56] the latter time, the wall opened againe. And for a perpetuall memorie of this miracle, our Lord God would, that the last stone in which the ioynt of the wall shut it selfe, shold remayne more white then the others, and clouen in three partes in manner of a Crosse, as is to be seene to this very day, and from that time hath beene held in great veneratiō. And when that wall was taken downe, for to make the Church in the forme that now it is, the most part of this stone, (as a pretious relique) was put in the high cloy­ster as now it standeth, couered with a grate of iron guilded, whither the nonnes repaire to pray and to touch their beades.

4. The like to this happened to the humble seruant of God, as she went about the worke of the kitchen, for hearing it ring to the eleua­tion, amongst the firebrands and the pots where as she was, she kneeled vpon her knees, and there adored: and it seemed to her that she sawe the most holy Sacrament, although there were foure or fiue seuerall walles, and as many chambers between it & her. And one time Christ our Lord spake to her in the consecrated hoste, promising her the saluation of a nonne of her cōuent, which was in the very agonie of death, for whom shee prayed. Being one Easter eue in her cell, she heard it ring to the Gloria, and being not able to goe to masse, because she was sick, kneeling [Page 57] on her knees in the bed to giue thancks to God, she sawe from thence, and heard all that which the priest sayd at the Altar, and that which the nonnes did say in the quire; And which is more, shee sawe Christ risen, bright, and glorious as he came out of the sepulchre, with many Angells which made him musick and song many hymnes. Other times it happened to this virgin (so tende­red of God) that being farr frō the quire, she heard the diuine office which the nonnes said, & by the signes which she gaue so punctually of all things done, the miracle was apparēt, & the truth therof.

5. One of the Religious seeking another thing in the cell of this holy virgin, sawe within a little coffer, a consecrated hoste, our Lord permitting it, who by this meanes would publish so soue­raigne a miracle. At the same instant the seruant of God returned from a rapt in which she was, and with great anxietie went streight to the little coffer wherin the religious went to looke, to whom she sayde: sister do not touch this holy re­lique, for it is the most holy Sacrament, which the Angells haue brought hither. The religious astonished to heare her say so, prayed her she wold tel thē how it came thither; to whom she saide: A certaine man (who for his sinnes went to hell) dyed with the most holy Sacrament in his mouth, frō whēce the Angells tooke it with great reuerence, and brought it hither, commanding [Page 58] me that being I had seene it, I shold communi­cate that holy Hoaste, and receiue it for one of the soules in purgatorie: and being in prayer they said vnto me, that a certain person came to the coffer where the holy Hoste was, and so I will forth with performe my obedience, and that which the Angells command me, and receiue my Lord: and so kneeling on her knees, with many teares and much deuotion, she receiued the most holy Sacrament, her Angell admini­string it vnto her.

THE VIII. CHAPTER.
Of the familiaritie wherwith the B. Ioane treated with the Angells, especially with her Angell keeper, and of the deuotion shee [...]ad to the glorious S. Antonie of Padua.

1 WHo shall heare tell in the holy scripture, that the Angell Raphaell serued the yong Tobias in a long iorney, and that another carried the Prophet Habacuc, by the haire from Iudea to Babylon, to giue D [...]niell to eat who was shut vp in the lake of lyons, and will not admire when he shall heare that which passed betwixt blessed Ioane with the Angells? and in especiall with her good Angell, with whom shee treated so [Page 59] familiarly and frendly, as one frend doth with a­nother, wherwith she gott that Angelicall con­dition which shee had: whence she communica­ted such a sauour to the things which shee tou­ched, and to the habitt and cloathes she ware, as no odor vpon the earth could bee compared to it, for it was a heauenly smell (from whence in­truth shee was herself more then from earth) and so it was no maruell, that shee shold smell all of heauen, and haue the sauours therof, shee who so much communicated with the Angells; not only with her Angell keeper, but also with ma­ny others, especially with those which kept par­ticular prouinces and kingdomes, who often times visited her, & prayed her she wold obtaine of our Lord that he would moderate such or such a tempest of thunder, hayle, or lightening, which he was to send vpon the earth. They told her their names and offices, and sometimes the things which fell out in the kingdomes or pro­uinces which they kept, as well thinges present, as that were to come.

2. Being one time with the other nonnes ready to communicate, the Angells snatched her away from before their eyes, and they [...]awe her no more, vntill after they had communicated, she appeared in the middest of them with no small admiration to them all, who as much admiring [Page 60] the fact, as desirous to knowe it, prayed her to recount it to them, and shee for their edification sayde vnto them. Because you busied your selues in thinking on me, when you shold haue treated only with God, his diuine maiestie wold that his Angells shold carry me on highe, from whence they and I adored the most holy Sacrament, and I sawe you all communicate, & how much your Angells keepers reioysed themselues with those who communicated holily and purely: and how they turned their faces and departed a little way from those, who did not communicate with en­tire deuotion. Wherfore shee perswaded the nonnes they shold be very deuote to their good Angells, because they not only keepe vs alwayes, and acompanie vs, but also when we fall, they take vs vp: and if we be cold in deuotion, they inflame vs. They are those that teach vs in our doutes, defend vs in our dangers, & sustaine vs in our labours, and at the houre of our death with particular vigilancie, doe assist, & acompanie our soules, and present them to God, they visit them and comfort them in purgatorie. Finally in our laboures and perills, they ayde, and defend vs. And that you may know how certaine this is (said the holy Ioane to her nonnes) this other day I sawe the mother vicaresse ringing the bell of the communitie that the religious might come toge­ther, [Page 61] being they did not all forthwith repaire thither, the Angell keepers of those which were wanting, came to do the obedience for them.

3. Another time this holy virgin being Ab­besse, reprehending two yong religious in pre­sence of the others, she sayd vnto them. A little while since, I being in prayer, our Lord shewed me your disobedience, and that you would not sweepe that which the mother vicaresse, had commanded you: for the which you lost two crownes which your good Angells brought for you, and God commāding them, they gaue them to the good Angells of two other sisters, that they might put them on them, because they had obeyed for you. This God shewed to me, chil­dren, and I speak it for your confusion and amen­dement, and to teach you that the bell, & what­soeuer signe of obedience, is the voice of God, to whom we must obey if wee will please and serue him.

4. With these examples and others which shee recounted to her nonnes, shee made them very deuote to their Angell keepers: Of her owne shee told many great things, that his beautie and comelinesse exceeded all that men can imagine, that he was more bright then the sunne, and his garments more white then the snowe: that he had winges of excellent fairenesse, and on his [Page 62] sacred head a crowne & most pretious diademe sett with rich stones, and on his fore-head the signe of the Crosse, with this motto: Let all An­gells confesse, that Christ is the King of Angells. And on his breast this. The grace of the holy Ghost lighten our senses and our hartes. And on the sleeue of his right arme (of pretious stones) [...]he signe of the holy Crosse, with this saying. Behold the Crosse of our Lord, flye you aduerse parties. And on the left arme the same deuise of the Crosse, with the nailes and other ensignes of the sacred pas­sion, and this saying. Sweet wood, sweet nayles. And on his feet (of pretious stones) this motto: How beautifull are thy paces. And on his knees a­nother, which sayde: In the name of Iesu, let euery knee bow. And a little aboue these words. Of ce­lestialls of terrestrialls, and of infernalls. And in his h [...]nd he is wont to beare a faire banner with all the ensignes of the passion.

5. After this man­ner she recounted of her Angell so many and so great things,The Angells are painted with wings, as S. Dennis, sayth in his booke of the celestiall hierarchie and the 15. chap. for their swiftnesse & speed with which they repaire to the succoure of men. And for this, and that which the B. Ioane saith of the beau­tie and habit of the An­gells, we must not thinck that they are corporall, for they are not so, nor haue they any body bu [...] they take it, that they may bee seene of men, as the Counsells do say, and the saintes. Concil. La­teran. 2. cap. 1. 5 Dionis de coelest. Hierarch. cap. 1. 2. 7. and S. Augustin. lib. de spiritu & anima, cap 13. & 15. Thomas 1. p q 50. a. 1. & 2 sent. D. 8. 5. Bonauenture lib. 2. sent. D 8. and Scotus in the same place. as she stirred vp in the nōnes such deuotion and de­sire to know his name, that thy might com­mend themselues vnto [Page 63] him, and they besought her that she wold aske his name of himself; And vnderstāding that he was called saint Laruel Aureo, she told it to the religious, who not only frō that time forward tooke him for their patron and aduo­cate, but leauing the names of their Image and kinred, tooke for surname the name of the Angell Laruel: and this deuotion to this day, stil endureth in the conuent. Shee said mo­reouer that this blessed Angell was of the most priuate with God, and that he had in his charge the soules of the most speciall saints, and that he comforteth and visi­teth the soules of Purgatorie, and that the diuells do so much feare him, that sometime with only lifting vp his right arme, wheron he beareth the signe of the Crosse, with the motto that sayeth. Ecce crucem Domini, fugite partes aduersae, behould the Crosse of our Lord, fly yee aduerse parties, [Page 64] the cursed spirits do fly, and like enraged doggs, biting one another, runne a way with terrible howling. He succoureth also those that are in danger of death, and much fauoreth my frends, and all those that wish me well.

6. She demanded on a time of her holy Angel, why it was that the Angells were so faire, and so blessed, and the diuells, so deformed, and so obstinate in their sinne. Thou hast demanded many things, said her good Angell: to all which I will make thee answeare, because God will haue it so. Then he declared to the Saint, such highe and profound misteries, and the resolution of almost all questions & subtilities which scho­lasticall diuines do moue in the matter of An­gells, so copiously and so distinctly, as with only this reuelation, might be knowen much of that which is written of them, aswell of the manner of theire creation, confirmation in grace, and the disposition they had to merite the same, and in what time they obtained their beatitude: as of the fall of the diuells, their sinne and obstinacie, and after what manner they were cast from heauen: with other difficulties of the like nature, which are more to exercise wittes in the schooles, then to inflame the willes of those who shall read them (the principall thing that this historie pretendeth) and is the cause I do not dilate my [Page 65] self in recounting of them. He further added, that the diuells fell more thick then flakes of snowe, or the droppes of water when it raineth fastest. Also he expounded vnto her those wordes of the Gospell of saint Iohn: In principio erat verbum: & and those of Genesis: In principio creauit Deus cae­lum & terram, because this seruant of God had prayed him to do it, whom he then commanded to write these things, and many other which our Lord did reueale vnto her, as wee read them in the bookes of her speaches, which are full of maruailous things. The B. Ioane besought her Angell, to tell her the iust number of times our Lady had appeared in that place. Who told her, that nine times arewe the virgin our B. Lady had appeared in that holy house, on the first nine dayes of the month of March, and that at the last of these apparitions, our Lady set the Crosse, signing therwith the place where shee wold haue them build the Church, which is in the middest of the chancell, in the same place where nowe standeth a Crosse, in memorie of that which the soueraigne Queene of heauen sett there with her owne handes.

7. The B. S. Ioane had such terrible perse­cutions & infirmities, as heerafter we shal shew, and so little humane comfort in them, that she knewe not to whom she might turne her selfe, [Page 66] but to her good Angell, to whom with much fa­miliaritie & plaines, she recounted her trauailes, and layd open the scruples of her conscience. One day when the furie of her persecutions and affrontes were at the height, shee told him it wold be a great comfort to her, if he wold heare her confession. I haue not so much authoritie, said the Angell, nor is it my office, but the of­fice of the priest, to whom only as to his proper minister, God hath granted this great power on the earth, that he can absolue and pardon sinnes. I haue nowe confessed my sinnes with the vi­car of the conuent,No one which is not priest although he be an Angell or a Scraphin, cā absolue or administer the sacra­ment of penāce, the Coū ­cell of Trent. sess. 14. cap. 6. & can. 9. & 10. wher­fore this confession was not sacramentall, but as when one frend vnder cō ­fession cōforting himself with another, or deman­manding councell, disco­uereth to him the secret of his soule. And so al­though the confession she made to her Angell, was not sacramentall, it wold be meritorious for that which Scotus saith in the 4. booke of sentences D. 17. q 1. ad 2. & 3 because there may cases be giuen when mentoriously one may confesse his sinnes to a lay mā as these Doctors of the Church do clearly teach, S. Augustine de ve­ra & falsa poenitentiae, cap. 10. S. Thomas lib. 4. sententia, D 17. q. 3. & in adoitionibus, 1. 8. a 2. ad 1. S. Bonauenture 4. sent. D. 17. q. 2. & super literam magistri, and Ga­briell, Maior Marsil. And the maister in the same distinc. in litera ad finem: but this must not be done without great warienesse and not with the ceremo­nies of sacramentall con­fession, so to auoid all manner of scandall said the afflicted virgin: and so with your holy li­cence I wold accuse me of the selfe same things vnto you. And begin­ning her cōfession, she­ding many teares, she sayde: what shall I doe a sinner, and miserable woman, who haue cō ­mitted against my God & Lord most grieuous sinnes, and of no one of them can I remember [Page 67] my self, do you put me in mind of them bles­sed Angell. Thou doest well sayde hee in wee­ping so bitterly for thy sinnes, and to bring thē to thy memorie, for it is more meritorious, then if I shold bring them to thy mind: to this the virgin replyed.

8. Sir one scruple of conscience doth af­flict me much, and to get out of it, I wold knowe if tentations be sinnes? yea said the An­gell when they be cō ­sented vnto, but those which are not consen­ted vnto, and are resi­sted, are rather merito­rious. To this shee re­plyed: sir, among those tentations which most do afflict me, I hold it for a great tentation, that it seemeth to me I doe feele to much the [Page 68] false testimonies that are raised against me, & it giueth me great trouble, because I knowe not if there be in it any vaine glory or pride. There is none in this, said the Angell, but rather it is iust that thou feele the losse of thy fame, & of thy ho­nour at least for that of God, whom they offend who do infame thee. Ah sir, said shee, I thinck now this is extreme which I haue in feeling my affronts, & dishonours, for why? seeing how they haue hādled me reprehēded & chastized me, I am so as although I do not speake it but only to your comlynesse (for so she stiled her Angell for the sin­gular beautie which he had) I cānot put away the griefe it causeth me, & to think if therfore I shall be abhorred of the venerable prelates of the or­der of our Father S. Francis, & if this shal be cause that I may lose the masses and suffrages which after my death I did hope for of them. And whē I thinck vpon my sinnes, chiefly after they haue iudged me to be euill, I do so beyond reason af­flict my selfe, as I knowe not how to expresse it. And saying this, she shed many teares, for the which her Angell desiring to cōfort her, said.

9. Be quiet blessed soule, let not the me­morie of thy sinnes so much torment thee, nor let thy tribulations wearie thee, when for them thou shalt bee blessed, and they purifie thee as the fornace doth the gold. Neither do thou thinck, [Page 69] that because thou art reprehēded by thy prelates, that they do abhorre thee, but that by this way thy crowne shall be made, and thy soule shall be purified: for as the holy scripture saith, thou hast it alwayes in the palme of thy hands. I wold not sir that my soule should be in such wicked hands as mine are (replyed shee) but only in the handes of God, for so I shold haue it most secure, for I being so euill, & a sinner, do feare much to lose it: & sir it seemeth to me, that according to the great mercies which God vseth towards such a sinner, our Lord would be pleased with me, if I did not so much feele how greatly they doe afflict & per­secute me, and wher I should perswade my selfe, that with great reason they doe it, yet I cannot at all times, for the little virtue which I haue: & I wold rather not to haue bene borne, thē to haue offended my God so many times. Ah holy Angell, how great are my sinnes? What shall be come of me, if God according to his mercy do not deale with me like himself? demand it thou of him (my holy keeper) let not this soule bee lost which is cōmitted to thy charge, giue good accoumpt of this thy little sheepe, suffer not the wolfe, holy S. Laruell, to cary her away. Blessed comforter of soules, comfort mine, for I am altogether without comfort and persecuted: although the greatest of my persecutions is, to thincke that [Page 70] God permitteth them because I am so great a sinner, and for this cause it is that the diuell, doth so much torment me.

10. Be not vngratefull to our Lord (saide the Angell) for the persecutiōs which ar inflicted on thee, are so many fauours which God doth giue thee: and thou knowest well, that it is long time since I told thee, that satan had asked licence to persecute thee, and to tempt thee as hee did holy Iob. But trust in Iesus Christ our redeemer, and in the virtue of his Crosse, for although the body suffer, yet the soule shall be saued. Cast therfore away this feare and vexation, and consider that if thy persecutions be great, so also are the helpes and succours which our Lord sendeth thee to support them, as are the many visitations which his diuine maiestie, and his holy mother do so often afforde thee: the spirituall goods which thou doest enioy in this life, when being on earth thou participatest so oftentimes of the de­lightes of that celestiall Hierusalem: the great familiaritie wherwith thou conuersest with me, and the particular care wherwith I defend and keep thee. I giue infinite thancks to my God, sayde shee, and to thee my good Angell, who so hast comforted me with thy holy discourses, yet I desire that thou tell me, how I being so great a sinner,We read of some saintes, who had much familia­ritie with their Angell keeper of S. Lyd win a vir­gin. Surias tom. 7. April. 14. of S. Francisca Ro­mana. Iulius Vrsinus in her life lib. 1. cap. 1 [...]. and saint Elizabeth sister of King Eckerbert, Abbasse of the monasterie of Esco­naagia, Marcus Marulus lib. 2. cap. 4. thou art seene [Page 71] of me so oftentimes & I enioy so oft the most sweet presence of my redeemer Iesus Christ, and of his most holy mother? It is his grace (answered the Angell) and hee cōmunicateth it to whom hee will, whereof thou art to render him a strict ac­coūpt. His diuine ma­iestie knoweth well (answered she) that I neuer demanded of him, neither visions, not appari­tions: for being so miserable and a sinner, I do not deserue it: and so I knowe, that only be­cause he is who he is, hee doth me these fauours. Giue him many thancks for them (said the An­gell) and confesse that other persons, without en­ioying of these fauours, ar better then thou; And this hold alwayes in thy memorie, that for thy greater good, and to keepe thee from vaine glory, God hath permitted thee to be persecuted and troaden vnder foot of euery one, and by the tongues of many, to be detracted and torne in peeces.

11. At the fame of these things, and many others which befell her with her Angell, there [Page 72] repaired vnto her so many people that stood in neede of cōsolation, that many times there were seene all at once at the doore of the conuent, a hundred persons, al which she receiued, heard, & spake vnto most curreously, without being euer tired or distastfull to any of them. Wherin she had in truth the condition of her good Angell; to whom after their departures shee represēted the necessities of them all, requesting him to comfort them: and so well she retained the answear of her Angell as, although they were of things very dif­ferēt, yet she forgot none. To a certain spirituall person who prayed her to know of her Angell, what he shold do to please our Lord, she answe­red: Peace, prayer, and silence are three things which much please God. And to another who de­sired to knowe the same, she saide. Weepe with those that weep, reioyce with those that reioyce, and hold thy peace with those that speake. Ano­ther person in necessitie of health and comfort, knowing that eache one found it by her meanes, sent to pray her that she wold obtaine of her An­gell some holesom councell, to beare with pa­tience the dolours of her infirmitie, which were great. And the holy Virgin hauing cōsulted with him about it, the Angell gaue her this answear. Tell this afflicted persō that she put for the tester of her bed, Christ crucified; & for corteines, the ensigne of his passion, & so offer to God all his dolours. [Page 73] Many were the answeres which the Angell gaue to the seruant of God in diuers busines, which euery moment she consulted with him; all full of misteries, & like celestiall oracles, most impor­tant for the health of the soule: of which I leaue some, not to make this volume to large, and be­cause they are like to these allready related.

12. This seruant of our Lord, did not only treat with her good Angell, and with other Angells, with the familiaritie which we haue seene, but shee had the same in very great degree with many saintes, in especiall with the most glorious S. An­nie of Padua, of whom from her infancie she was so tendered and fauoured in all her laboures, that in each occasion he was her singular patrone, and aduocate. Being one time in prayer, asking of our Lord mercy for her owne, and for other soules, the glorious Saint appeared to her, and saide: Daughter, who pleaseth her sweetest espouse so much as thou dost please him, may demand much of him. And the saint contemplating the beauty of that most sweet childe which S. An­tonie brought in his hand, beganne to speake to him such louing speaches, and so sweet, that she stood so a great while, vntill the same saint sayed to her: Turne away, my daughter, thy face, and be sorrowefull for thy sisters, and for their necessities. And turning her face a little a­side, she sawe two soules in great necessitie: and [Page 74] with the great loue she bore to the child Iesus, shee begged for them, saying with great humi­litie, and confidence: Lord I will not arise from these thy most holy feet, vntill I obtaine this fa­uour. The which our most pious Lord, moued by her clamoures and begging, did forthwith bestowe vpon her; And giuing thancks to his diuine maiestie for the pardon which he had gi­uen to those soules, saint Antonie stretching out ouer her his hande, and giuing her his benedi­ction, sayde: Here resteth in his espouse, diuine Iesus, the true espouse of soules. This rapt en­dured long time, and the saint returned out of it, with so great mirth and splendor in her face, that shee caused great admiration to all the reli­gious which sawe the same.

13. Another time the B. virgin making an end of doing a certaine worck of charitie, to the benefit of one of the religious of the house, she remayned with some discomfort seeing her wāt of other necessities for her soule: and this griefe encreasing in her, because the spirituall necessitie of her sister encreased, fetching a great sigh, shee called vpon S. Antonie, saying: ô my Father S. Antonie, help me nowe, and be my intercessor to the diuine maiestie, that he will deliuer this my sister. This she saide with so much charitie and loue of God, that at the same instant, the [Page 75] saint appeared, and said to her: beloued espouse of my Lord Iesus Christ, what doost thou aske me? what is that thou woldest haue? for thou shalt obtaine it of his diuine maiestie. To the which with most profound humilitie the bles­sed woman answered: my Father S. Antonie, I find my selfe so vnworthie, that I dare not ap­peare before my most sweet Iesus, but only by thy intercession. Then the glorious Father strer­ching out his blessed hand, gaue her his benedi­ction, and the child Iesus which he held in the other hand, sayde to her with many shewes of loue: I will help thee in thy necessities; and that which now thou demandest for thy sister, is al­readie granted thee: who within one moneth, shall passe out of this temporall life to the eter­nall, pardoning her many yeares of Purgatorie by thy intercession, and prayers. And giuing ma­ny thancks to God for this mercy, with great a­lacritie of spirite, she went to the religious, and bad her prepare her selfe, for in very short time God wold receiue her to his rest. The sister asked her how soone her departure shold be; and shee was answered, that within one moneth. And it pleased our Lord, to giue her at that instant, great contrition, and sorrowe for her sinnes, and within the moneth, tooke her from hence to himself.

THE IX. CHAPTER.
How the seruant of God was chosen Abbesse, and of one dead which she raised to life, and of other miracles which she did.

1 ALthough the B. Ioane was very yong to vndertake the office of a Prelate, the Nō ­nes not relying so much on her little age, as on her great virtue, demanded her sometimes for Abbesse of their conuent. But the superiors consi­dering that she was not but fiue or six & twentie yeares of age, the first time that they would haue made her Abbesse hindered it: And when in ano­ther occasion the office was voide, they besought the diuine maiestie, that he would be pleased to put his seruant into the same, who now was full 27. or 28. yeares of age. Our Lord heard them, and the prouinciall comming to the conuent to make the election, beganne to cōceiue some scruple for hauing contradicted it before, when the religious would haue chosen her. Although yet it seemed doutfull to him, to place one for Abbesse, who for the most part of the time was rapt in prayer, he thinking it a great aduenture so to do: for of­fices, and busines, be they neuer so holy, are wont [Page 77] oftentimes to distract the persons. The prouin­ciall being doubtfull, and combated with diuers thoughts, and with the instances the religious made vnto him, the hand of our Lord came vpon his seruant, and she beganne to speake, eleuated as she was wont to be: & addressing her speeche to the prouinciall (who was a Biscaner) she spake to him in the Biscay tōgue, cōmanding him that he should make her Abbesse, for he might secu­rely. All the Nonnes gaue their voices, wi [...]hout wanting one, and the Prouinciall confirming her, said: Sisters, I giue you not this Abbesse but the holy Ghost who commandeth it: and re­counted that which hath beene saide.

2. The Nonnes could not containe the ioy they conceiued, to see themselues subiects to so blessed a Superiour: who for the space of seauenteene yeares that she was so, perfor­med things of very great importance in the ser­uice of God, and augmentation of the mona­sterie; which was so poore and needie when she beganne to gouerne, that it had only a fewe little landes wheron they sowed a little miserable quantitie of wheat, and nine reales of rent euery yeare. But God wold forthwith by the merits of the holy Abbesse, that the conuent should encrease and be augmen­ted, not only in great perfection of sanctitie, [Page 78] and virtue, but also in the edifices and other things necessarie for humane life. For Lordes and Grandes of the kingdome, gaue vnto it certaine great almes. The Lord Cardinall freer Francis Simenes much deuoted to h [...]r, was very notable herein, & the great capitaine Gonsalo Fernandes of Corduba, ga [...]e vnto it fiue hundred thousand Marauadis at one time (a great almes for that time) with which the seruant of Go [...] built one quarter, and the best dormi [...]orie that the con­uent hath. And for the diuine seruice, she made many ornamentes, vessells of gold and siluer, and she encreased the house in rents, fiftie bushell [...] of wheat, and fiftie thousand marauadis euery yeare, aboue all being markable in sanctitie, and in good gouernment of the house.

3. She ordained that the Nonnes shold be encloased, for vntill then (because they were very poore) they did neither keep it, nor yet pro­mise it, but went abroad like to the freers, to de­mand almes of the neighbour places. Shee was so much beloued of them, that they held them­selues for blessed, in taking her benediction, kis­sing her hand, or touching her habit. Besides this, the tender loue the nonnes carried her, and the feare and reuerence they bare vnto her, was so much, that oftentimes it happened, that sending to call a religious to her, she would come trem­bling, [Page 79] in such sort as it was necessarie the blessed superior should take from her that feare, to the end shee might be able to make her answear. Be­fore all her chapters, went raptes, and very great eleuations, in which she knewe all the neces­sities of the conuent and of the nonnes, as well publique as secret, spirituall as temporall, all which she remedied, and prouided for: her An­gell keeper, often telling her, what she was to doe, and to ordaine. Finallie she exhorted them all, to what was good, and reprehended that which was not so, chastizing with much chari­tie and prudence, without dissembling any fault, were it neuer so little. And for to animate the nonnes in the seruice of God, and better obser­uing of their profession and rule, she related in the Chapter, many things of those which our Lord of his mercy shewed vnto her.

4. One of the Religious being very [...]icke, in the article of death, full of great anxietie and vexation, which the memorie of the paines of Purgatorie caused in her, and of the paines of hell, she gaue most terrible groanes, and was in no [...]able extremitie. The blessed Abbesse seeing her feare, full of charitie and confidence, said: Daughter doe not feare, trust in our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath created thee & redemed thee, for thou shalt not goe to hell, nor yet to Purga­torie [Page 80] caused in her, and of the paines of hell, she gaue most terrible groanes, and was in notable extremitie. The blessed Abbesse seeing her feare, full of charitie and confidence, said: Daughter do not fear, trust in our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath created thee and rede ned thee, for thou shalt not goe to hell, nor yet to Purgatorie: and I, although miserable, beseech his diuine maiestie, to bestowe it, and grant it thee, with plenarie remission of all thy sinnes. This saide, the blessed Abbesse went to communicate, and being rapte, the sick partie died, and shee sawe that they caried her soule to iudgment, taking of her a most strict ac­count of all her wordes, worckes, and thoughts; The holy virgin seeing this, cried out to the An­gells, which were present at that iudgment, and saide: Sirres, carrie not that soule to Purgatorie, I pray you, for I trust in the mercie of God he will grant me this fauour, which I his vnworthy ser­uant haue demanded of him. And so our Lord granted it to her, and the libertie of that soule. Whence is seene, how much the prayers of the iust can doe with God.

5. So much virtue this holy woman had, & so much loue of God, and ze [...]le of his honour, as our Lord was pleased to authorize the same with miracles, which is wont to be the sealeof [...]uch like fauours. And as those of this seruant of [Page 81] God recounted from the beginning, were so mi­raculous and diuine, it was necessarie that the testimonies to belieue them, should also bee su­pernaturall and diuine. Amōg the which the rai­sing of a childe deserueth the first place, who died when her parents had carried her in pilgrimage to the conuent of the Crosse the seruant of God being Abbesse at the same time, of whose sancti­tie the world, had such opinion and credit, that the parents of the dead child, perswading them­selues that if she shold giue her benediction, she shold giue her also life, entreated the same of her. But the hūble Abbesse refu [...]ed it, excusing her­self with words of humilitie: yet in the end being ouercome by naturall pittie, & by the teares, & great instance wherwith the afflicted parents entreated her, she commanded to bring the dead child, & taking it into her armes, she said on it a crucifix which she had about her, and making vpon her the signe of the Crosse, raised her to life, and returned her to her parents whole and sound, in the presence of more then eightie per­sons, all witnesses of this miracle.

6. There was in Madrid a great Lady, cal­led the Lady Anne Manrique, afflicted with the paine of her side, & in great dout of the dan­ger of her life. The B. Ioane appeared vnto her, as was knowne by that the sicke Lady related afterwards, and by a letter of hers, [Page 82] with a clause which ru [...]eth in this manner. I am much better, as you mother doe knowe, since you haue beene with me. I well sawe you, when you visited me on the seauenth day of my infirmitie. I being despiced of all, and full of paine and great g [...]e, lawe you come vpon my bedd, and touching my shoulders, and that side where the grief held me it was by & by taken from me: and with the great pleasure that I had (for your sigh [...] [...]ue me great alacritie) I did speake to you. Do not deny me, mother, this truth, for your selfe knoweth that it is so. The nonnes vnderstanding this, went to know the truth of the humble Abbesse; and she desiring to hide the ca [...]e, rather then to manifest it, sayde: Do you not belieue all that is said, sisters? But they seeing that it was publique in the courte, and that the sick woman did [...]iuulge it, besought her that she would not conceale it, but that for the honour and glory of God, she wold recount howe it was. Then shee saide: Do not thin [...]k, sisters, that this charitie of hauing gone and vi­sited our sister, came [...] me, but frō my holy An­gell; for I requesting him that he wold demand of God to giue her health, he said vnto me: It shall bee better that we goe and visite her, she being thy frend; for frendes are knowen in ne­cessities: and entring into her chamber, he com­manded [Page 83] me to touch her on the sholders, and to make vpon her the signe of the Crosse, and the Angell gaue her also his benediction: and if shee be healed, it was because he blessed her. Nether doe I maruaile much, that God should permitt her to see me, and not the Angell.

7 Another case very like to this, happened with ano [...]her religious of her owne conuent: for hauing carried her many league [...] from thence to found a newe conuent, after some yeares, our Lord sent her an infirmitie, of which she died. And being at the poin [...] of death, and with great desire to see this seruant of God, shee sayde wi [...]h much anxietie: O that I might see my mother Ioane of the Crosse? and drawing nerer to her end, she sayde with much alacritie: Do you not see her? it is my mother Ioane of the Crosse. And the other nonnes saying that she was deceiued; she answered, no surely for I knowe her well, it is shee indeed, as may be well perceiued, by the much that shee hath comforted me. And after­ward this apparition was knowen to haue bene certaine.

8. Two sick Religious, of which the one had two cankers, and the other one vpon her brest as bigg as ones fist, were healed by commending them­selues to their holy Abbesse. And one Religious very sick of an ague, asked for a little of the [Page 84] bread which the mother Abbesse had left, vneaten, and as soone as she had put it into her mouth, the ague left her, and shee remayned whole and sound. Another Religious had one arme very dangerous soare with a great wound, and asking of her good Angell that he would obtaine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ true health for that her sicke sister, he answeared her: This nonne hath a greater euill then you thinck, for it is Saint Martiales fire, and such as will not heale vnlesse it be by miracle. The fire beganne to manifest it self in her arme, and shee in such earnest prosecuted her prayer, that shee obtained of God health for the sicke. To a little child sick of the euill of the hart, she gaue health, making vpon it the signe of the Crosse. And to the con­fessor of the conuent, being sick of a phrenesie, she gaue health by blessing his meat. And like vnto these shee did other miracles in the cure of the sicke, and in bringing to light many things lost, which were commended vnto her prayers.

THE X. CHAPTER.
Of the beades which our Lord blessed at the instance of the B. Ioane of the Crosse.

1 BEfore I treate of the graces and virtues grāted to the beades so celebrated through the world, by the name of the beades of S. Ioane, it hath seemed to me conuenient to aduertise first, that being this miracle is so singular, and which hath so much excited the deuotion of the faithfull, not only in Spaine, but also in other partes very remote, the diuell hath procured by meanes of his ministers, to mingle with the truth of the miracles (which could not be de­nied, because they were so apparāt) many super­stitiōs, of which some little summaries were full which went in print into the handes of the igno­rant people, which it was necessarie to pro­hibit, as a thing many wayes pernicious.

2. The second, that there is great difference betweene the virtues which wee experience in things blessed, or thinges of deuotion, as are Agnus Deies, Reliques, Images, &c. and those which we call indulgences; for this second presupposeth iurisdiction in him that granteth [Page 86] them, and for to publish them, certitude in the concession. In consequence wherof, although it be holden for a tradition very ancient, that some Popes, and in especiall Gregorie the 13. of happy memorie, granted many indulgences to these beades, and this might be without bulle, by only oracle of liuely voice, at the iustance of the generalls, and of others deuoted to Religion, as hath beene done in many other cases of which the compendiums of the indulgences granted to the religious at full; yet because this was not knowen with that claritie which was conue­nient, I did not treat of these indulgences in par­ticular in the first impression of this booke; nor yet did I hold it for incōuenient to vse the name of indulgences; considering, that some of the said summaries which went abroade, were falle and without ground: And yet because that sufficed not, I haue determined in this impression not to vse the name of indulgences, or any other which may presuppose iurisdiction, vntill it be made apparent by the Apostolicall grant: And so I vse only the name of virtues and graces, which our Lord granted to these beades, as hath beene ma­nifested by many miracles, without denying or affirming that the diuine maiestie, or any of the Popes, haue granted many indulgences to the said beades. For in matter of indulgences, that [Page 87] cannot be published which is not proued by the indulte, neither dare I deny that which tradition (so commonly receiued) [...]oldeth, and whi [...]h we read in the originalls of the life of this seruant of God.

3. The third, that th [...]se graces and virtues may not be contemned, for that they are not al­wayes exp [...]ienced; because they are fauours of God, which he granteth to the faithfull accor­ding to the good [...]aith and deuotion of euery one, or according to the necessitie of the occasiō, or according as his maiestie of his clemencie, is pleased to impart: yea i [...] is cleer, that it should be a great impietie to [...]ffirme, that the Agnus Deies and other things whi [...]h are blest, haue not the virtues which are granted them in the benedi­ctions of the Church, because they are not al­wayes experienced.

4. This being supposed, the historie ensueth of the saide beads, approued, not only by tradi­tion so ancient, but by many informations iuri­dically made, some by the cōmission of the most graue prelates, others in their owne persons, and others by testimonie of persons very worthy of credit, of all which mention is made in relating the said miracles. And being the fauours, which our Lord did to his blessed seruant sister Ioane, were so manifest, the Religious of the said con­uent, [Page 88] desiring to help themselues by the interces­sion of their B. Mother, prayed her that she wold obtaine of our Lord, by meanes of her good An­gell, that he wold blesse their Rosaries, & grant them some graces for them, and for the soules of Purgatorie, because in those times there were ve­ry fewe hallowed beades. The seruant of God out of her charitie (who neuer knewe how to deny any thing they asked her for Gods sak [...]) did promise to treat therof with her Angell keeper: and hauing communicated it with him, and ob­tained of God what shee desired, she willed the nonnes, that against a certain day, they shold get together all the Rosaries & bea [...]es they had, for our Lord of his goodnes would blesse them, and had cōmāded that the Angell shold bring thē vp to heauen, from whence he shold bring thē back againe blessed. She spake not this to dea [...] people, for the nonnes hearing her, sought in the house and in all places of the coūtrie about, all the Ro­saries, decades, and beades they could: all which they brought her against, the day appointed: and being they were so many and so different, hence it commeth that there is so much difference, of them: some of amber, and iett, others of wood, others of corall, and of glasse &c. the B. sister Ioane, when she sawe amas [...]ed together so many beades, she wild them to be put in a little chest, [Page 89] (which I haue seene sometimes & is kept in the conuent wi [...]h great veneration, euen from that time vnto this day) and one of the nonnes to locke it, and to keepe the key to herself.

5. This done she [...]e [...]her selfe to prayer, & the religious seing her rapt, held for certaine that that was the happie houre and instant when the holy Angell shold carrie the Rosaries vp to heauen, there to blesse them. And so carried away with a kinde of curiositie, they came to the religious that kept the key of the coffer, and opening it, they sawe that it was emptie, and that there were no beades at all therin; whence they held for certaine, that which they had imagined; and so locking it againe as it was before, they retyred from thence, that she returning from her rapt, might not see them, awaiting with great cōfort, the graces from heauen, which the Angell was to bring them, when the seruant of God shold returne from that rapte. From which when she returned, there was felte ouer all the conuent, so great fragrancie and sweetnes of sauour, that drawen therby, they came to aske the seruant of God the cause of such noueltie. Presently, said shee, sisters you shall knowe it, and the fauour which God hath done vs. Come to me, all of you, and especiallie shee that hath the key of the little coffre.

[Page 90] 6. It was a maruailous thing to see, it being but a little while since they had opened it, and seene it emptie, opening it now againe, they found it with the same Rosaries, and Beades, which they had put into it, without wanting any one, because the Angell which had carried them to heauen, had now brought them back againe blessed, and put them in the same chest: and when the nonne opened it who had the key, the smell which issued thēce encreased so much, as the nonnes admired. But the B. Ioane told them, that that sweetnes and good sauour, came from their Rosaries, the which had cleaued to them, as hauing beene in the most sacred hands of our Lord Iesus Christ, who not only had giuē them his benediction, but granted them many graces and virtues: which she related to them, & with all giuing to euery religio [...]s her beades, & of these, some the called Agnus Deies, because our Lord had granted them the graces which the Popes do grant to the Agnus Deies. Others against deuilles, for the virtue which they had to cast them out of the bodies of the possessed. Others against temptations and infirmities: and others against other perills, according to the vir­tues which God had giuen them. And this great maruaill happened in the yeare of our Lord, one thousand fiue hundred twentie three.

[Page 91] 7. With [...]his treasure of heauen, which our Lord Iesus Christ granted to his seruant, the re­ligious remained m [...]ch comforted▪ and much o­bliged to their blessed mother, for the mercy which by her intercess [...]ō they had receiued. And with much deuotion they beganne to en [...]oye the graces of those holy beades and Rosaries: yet e­uery one desiring to enioye more copiously of that good, and to participate of the virtues which the others had by theire beades, they besought the blessed Abbesse, she would obtaine of our Lord, that the graces and virtues which his di­uine maiestie had diuided amōg all [...]he Rosaries, he would generally grant them all to euery one of their beades, that they might better partici­pate of his mercies: The seruant of our Lord did ask it of him, and his diuine maiestie accorded it, with cōdition that for the graces of those beads, they should not despise those which the Popes should grant vpon the earth.

8. This is the historie of these misteriou [...] beades, of which the like so rarely hath beene seene. And it is much to be noted, that our Lord did this most notable fauour to his Church, in a time when it was very necessarie: for it was at the same time when Luther impudently and sa­crilegiously, opened his excommunicated mouth against the indulgences and Reades of pardon, [Page 92] which the Popes did grant, and against Agnus Deies, and all kind of holy thinges. The virtues of these beades are many, and by experience it is knowne, that they haue virtue against the diuels, for they driue them out of humane bodies, con­fessing that they goe out of them, through the virtue of these beades, and fly from those that carrie them about them. They haue virtue also against fire, against thunder, lightening, tem­pestes, and troubles of the raging seaes, and a­gainst many infirmities, both of body and soule. They heale agues, the pestilence, and other infirmities. They are also of force against scru­ples, temptations, and frightes of the diuells. These and other virtues, our Sauiour granted them, as is gathered by the miracles which are approued; for of those which are not ap­proued which are many, I do not speake, because all that I shall speake in this historie, I pretend (to the honour and glory of God) that it be so authenticke and certaine, as with reason, none may doubt therof.

9. That which hath beene hitherto saide, hath beene gathered from the informations afore­mentioned, and especiallie of that which vnder oath certaine of the ancient religious did affirme, who knewe and treated with the companions of the same seruant of God, and being deposed do [Page 93] sweare, that they haue heard it told many t [...]mes, and it is a publicke tradition frō those times, vnto these, that these beades were in heauen, and our Lord Iesus Christ blessed them, granting them many virtues and graces, without any person of accoumpt hauing spoken against them; but ra­ther many Lordes of this kingdome, and great prelates therof, haue procured of them, & much esteemed them. King Philip the second of glo­rious memorie had one of thē, & our Catholick King Philipp the third, and Margarite, haue two of them, which they hould in very great estima­tiō: And Pope Clement the eight of glorious me­morie, who before he was Pope came to Spaine, with a brother of his, Auditor of the Rota, about the businesses of the earldome of Punnonrostro, went from Torreion of Velasco to the cōuent of the Crosse where the body of B. Ioane is, in com­panie of Don Iohn Arrias Portocarrero, and the Lady Ioane of Castro, his wife: and being infor­med of the life & miracles of this virgin, & of the truth of these beades, after he had saide masse in the Chappell where her body lieth, demanded of sister Ioane Euangelist then Abbesse, some of the beades, and with much deuotion, carried with him that which they gaue him. And the blessed freers, freer Francis of Torres, and freer Iulian of Saint Augustine, men of singular virtue, [Page 94] and sanctitie, by whom in their life, & after their death God did many miracles, do affirme, that these beades had bene carried vp to heauen, and that Christ our redeemer had blessed them, and granted them many virtues and pardons.

10. And to the end that the faithfull might enioye them, they perswaded the people, that they▪ shold touch their Rosaries and Beades, at those which they brought with them. And if there were no other testimonie of the truth of these beades, but only the sanctitie of this ser­uant of God, and that only she had affirmed it, it were most sufficient to perswade vs, that shee would not deceiue the Church, publishing false virtues and graces. And lesse can it be thought, that she was deluded by the diuell, who was so much enlightened of God, and of her Angell keeper. But that which fully proueth and con­firmeth the virtu & truth of these beades, are the many miracles which God hath wrought of his goodnes, and in confirmation of them, and of those that haue touched them, which haue the same virtue, as shall be seene in the ensuing chap­ters.

THE XI. CHAPTER.
Of the many miracles where with our Lord hath confirmed the virtue of the Beades aforsaid, and of those also that haue touched them.

1 THe soueraigne and diuine maruaills which our Lord hath wrought by the interces­sion of this B. virgin, are so excellent and so sel­dome times seene in the world, as they seeme to the people incredible, if the testimonies from whence they are drawen, were not so free from all suspect, as in her historie is already saide. And because there is nothinge of more force to con­firme the truth of an extraordinarie thinge, & sur­passing the cōmon course of nature, thē the truth of miracles, I will here recite to the honor & glory of God, some of the many miracles, wherwith the diuine maiestie hath confirmed them, because they a [...] the touchstone wherwith the supernatu­rall things & truthes of God are knowen & ap­prooued: For God neuer doth miracles in con­firmation of false things: and those which he doth in confirmation of whatsoeuer truth, they make it euidently credible, as is manifest in those wrought for the confirmation of the faith, and [Page 96] the many which the diuine maiestie worketh, euery day, approuing the sanctitie of some saints. The same is to bee iudged of the miracles which God hath wrought in confirmation of these beades, which make the truth of them so eui­dently credible, as there is no place left for hu­mane malice to discredit them. And because the miracles done in our dayes, do moue vs more then the ancient miracles, all those which I will here speake of shall be so newe, as I will speake of none, of which the witnesses, iudges, and scriueners (before whom the informations out of which they are drawen passed) are not at this present aliue; and the informations themselues, their originalls, or their authenticall transla­tions, in the archiue of the conuent of the Crosse.

2. Dame Marie Perez, a neighbour of Ma­drid, lent a bead which shee had, to Emanuell Vasquez a priest of the same place, that the [...]with he might dispossesse a certaine person: and as soone as they had put it vpon the partie, the di­uell saide, that Ioanes bea [...] should not cast him out of that body: but the priest hearing it saide: by the virtue which God hath put in this bead of the B. Ioane, I command thee, diuell, that thou by and by depart out of this woman: and at that instant he went out of her, and she re­mained [Page 97] wholy melted in giuing thancks to our Lord, and the asistants with newe deuotion, re­doubling their feruor towards the beades.

3. Dame Agnes of Luxan, religious of the conuent of saint Marie of the Crosse, doth de­clare vpon her oath, that bringing to the saide conuent a woman possessed, shee gaue her a bead that shee had, and putting it about her necke, the diuell went out of her that was possessed.

4. Father freer Francis Castannosa, of the order of our holy Father S. Francis, diffinitor of the holy prouince of Castile, declared also vnder oath, that hauing some of the said beades, and hearing say in P [...]nto where he was gardian, that a priest was dispossessing a woman, went to the Church where he was: and as soone as shee espied him, shee gaue a leape of more then thirtie foote, flying from him: which seing, he asked the possessed, wherfore shee started? who answered, because thou bringest with thee cer­taine beades; and the saide gardian, willing to dissemble it, shewed his emptie handes & saied: doest thou not see that I bring nothing? but the diuell crying out saied: thou bringest beades, thou bringest beades of that same Ioane of the Crosse. What virtue haue they that thou flyest from them, saide the gardian? And the diuell answered: I will not tell thee. And in such extre­mities [Page 98] was the possessed woman, as she would neuer consent that they should put vpon her those beades. Whereby was experienced, how much the diuells do feare them.

5. Isabell of Cerro, neighbour of the towne of Torreion de Velasco, had three of these Beades, and going out to heare the Masse of the children of the doctrine in Madrid, she met with a possessed woman, who had her face all scrat­ched and full of markes: and putting vpon her the said Beades, shee beganne forthwith to sweate, crying out and bleating like a goate, whervpon the diuell went out of her: but as soone as they were taken from her, shee was possessed againe. Another time, putting vpon her another Bead of one of the religious of our holy Father S. Francis, the diuell went out of her againe: & that he might no more returne to torment her, the Religious bestowed that Bede vpon her.

6. The said Isabell of Cerro, being in Tor­reion, she heard tell, that a certaine yong man which came to her house was possessed, whom they carried to exorcise, to S. Toribio of Lie­uana; She moued with cōpassion, put her Beades vpon him, and the diuell making a greeuos sturre saide: if thou knewest the torment thou puttest me to, thou woldest let me alone. O what doe [Page 99] I see! O what doe I see! and saying this & crying out, he p [...]ssed through the presse of people, and with such admirable swiftne fled aw [...]y, that they could not catch him, although many peo­ple ran after him.

7. Another possessed woman, came to the house of the sai [...] I [...]be [...] of Cerro, so cruelly tor­mented by those [...]ell [...]she furies, as it was pi [...]ie to see her. But touching her on the mouth with the Beades, shee fell downe as one dead, and re­mained blue, and all couered with a great sweat: but a little after she arose, greatly comforted to see herselfe deliuered, thorough Gods asistance, from that cruell tyrant.

8. Father freer Peeter of Salazar, consultor of the supreme councell of the holy inquisition, who had bene Prouinciall in the prouince of Castile, declared vpon his oath being examined theron, that he knewe that the Beades of B. Ioane, haue not only virtue against the diuells, but also against fire, tempestes, lightenings, thun­derboltes, and all torments of the se [...], and that this is a thing well knowen in these kingdomes, & cōfirmed by much experiēce & by many mira­cles; Especially hee declared that the yeare past, which was a thousand six hundred and nine, the twentith day of May, there was a great tempest of thunder and lightening, from which to be [Page 100] defended, a woman of little Torreioncillo, called Marie Buena, blest her selfe with a Bead of the B. Ioane, and the tempest encreasing, a thunderbolt fell, which killed a little dogge she had on her lappe, & she remained without hurt: afterward, this very miracle was approoued, & the said wo­man sware that it was true, as hath bene tolde. So many extraordinarie things haue happened in matter of thūderbolts, as this might chāce with­out miracle; but for such it was iudged, & lastly the thinge is recounted as it happened.

9. Moreouer, the aforsaid Father affirmed, that going to Rome to the Generall chapter, which was celebrated in the time of Sixtus Quintus, being at sea about the Port of Niza, there arose so great a tempest, that all of them were at the point to perish: and being much troubled and calling for helpe from heauen, hee remembred himself, that he carried with him a bead of B. Ioane, and casting it into the sea, fastned to a long corde, that he might get it a­gaine, in that instant the heauen cleered, and the tempest ceassed, and the sea was asswaged in such sort, that they gained the hauen, and all of them gaue many thanckes to God, for hauing deliuered them from so manifest perill, by the virtue of that bead, to the which all of them at­tributed it, because the faire wether came so in­stantly, [Page 101] and so vnhoped for by the mariners.

10. Christofer of Cerro neighbour of Tor­reion, affirmed, that a great tempest of thunder, hayle, and lightening fallinge, he remem­bred himself of one of these beades which he had with him, and desiring that all that stood there, shold knowe the virtue of these beades, he threw that which he had toward that quar­ter whence the tempest came, and at the same instant it ceased, and th [...] skie waxed cleere, to the great admiration of them all.

11. Luissa Roman, neighbour of Torreion, fell into a great infirmitie, for which she was wholly despaired of by the phisitions: and being almost dead, they put about her neck the beades of the B. Ioane, and she sawe in a dreame, that a nonne of her habit put on her the said beades, and bad her take courage, for with those she should bee healed; And when shee awaked, shee was found couered with a great sweat, and wholie healed, not without great admiration of all those who had seene her in so great perill, and all praysed our Lord for so great a meruaill.

12. Anne of Lero, widowe, neighbour of Torreion, was much oppressed with a palsey, in such sort that she could not stir her arme, nor her left legg; and commending herself to the B. Ioane of the Crosse, she promised, that if it plea­sed [Page 102] her to heale her, she would visit her holy bo­dy for nine dayes together. And putting vpon her one of those beades, she found herself so­dainly whole. The same woman also in the time of [...]he plague, had vpon her, two deadly impo­stumes; was quitte despaired of the phisitians, and forsaken of the peo [...]le of her owne house, who to fly from the plague, vtterly left her. But remembring her of a bead, she hoped that by the merits of the Saint, our Lord would restore her to her health. She was not frustrated of her ho [...]e, for the diuine maiestie caused, that the selfe [...]ame houre in which the phisitian affirmed shee would dye, shee was all couered with a sweat, which being past, she was well, & called the people of her house vnto her, asking them to giue her to eat: the Phisitian demanding on the morrowe, it she were dead, they told him that she was amended, and entring to see her, hee found her without any manner of sicknesse, and when she was well recouered, she came to watch at the body of B. Ioane, as she had pro­mised.

13. Dame Isabell of Valleio, was in Alcada of Henares much oppressed with the euill of the hart, and with other infirmities, so perilous, as that she was despayred of; But laying one of these Beades vpon her hart, it stuck so fast vnto [Page 103] her flesh, as if they had nayled it, and she be­ganne presently to be better, and in short time obtained entire health of all her infir­mities, by the virtue which God had put into that beade.

14. Hieronyma Euangelist, a Religious of the conuent of the Crosse, declared, that as she eate a little fishe, a sharp bone went crosse her throate; and fearing to choake herself, she commended it to the glorious S. Blase: but seeing her self still oppressed of her griefe, and calling to mind the beades of B. Ioane, inuoked her help, and putting to her throat one of the beades, at that very instant, the thorne came out all bloudie at that end which had stucke fast in her throat, and shee remayned whole and well.

15. A Lady of Madrid (whom for iust respectes I do not name) being much per­plexed with scruples, and doutes of faith, wherwith the diuell did disquiet her, procu­red a beade of the B. Ioane, and only with carying it about her, she remained free from the temptations of the diuell. And the same bead put vpon a grandchild of the iustice Villaroell in Madrid, who then was sicke of a strong ague, she remayned forthwith well: discouering herein the virtue which our Lord [Page 104] put in these beades, against the perills both of soule and body.

16. Marie Nunnes, a neighbour of Tor­reion, on a time saide to Isabell of Cerro, her neighbour, that there was no saluation for her, for she was condemned, and that her Angell keeper had now forsaken her. The said Isabell of Cerro hearing this, put in her hād the beades of B. Ioane, with which she slept for the space of an houre, and awaking she saide: Ah neighbour what is this you haue put betwixt my handes, for by it I haue foūd both health, and remedie: and presently re­mained free from that desperation and mad­nesse, in to which shee formerly was fallen.

17. Anne Lopez, a neighbour of the fo­resaid place; prayed the said Isabell of Cerro, to giue her one of those beades, for to put it vpon a sonne of hers, which sawe many euill visions, and after she had put it on him, he neuer sawe them more, but remained very quiet and well at ease. A little while after, Isa­bell prayed her to restore her the bead back againe, being her sonne was now well: but she couetous therof, would not rendre it, wherupon the said Isabell of Cerro, said: I pray God thou maiest neuer enioy it: and so it happened, for Anne, saying her prayers [Page 105] vpon it, it vanished from out of her fingers, lea­uing her full of confusion, and feare, and neuer after could she see it.

18. Agnes Baptist a religious in the mona­sterie of Saint Marie of the Crosse, gaue one of these beades to Francis of Royas her cozin ger­mane, and he losing it vpon the waye, missed it, and returning back some leagues so seeke it, praying the glorious Ioane of the Crosse that he might find it, because he esteemed it very much, he found it in a cobwebb, in the ayre, ele­uated a yard from aboue the ground; and with much reuerence hee tooke it, and caused it to be set in gold, and full of teares and deuotion, he recounted this historie to his afore named cozin, which shee relateth vpon her oath.

19. It is also manifest by information, and by the testimonie of Isidore Garcia, publicke scri [...]ener of the towne of Cubas, that in the yeare 1607. the 11. day of Iuly, Anne de Montoya a neighbour of Valdemoro, being in the Church of the monasterie of the Crosse, fulfilling a no­uen, or nine dayes prayer, which shee had pro­mised to the blessed Ioane of the Crosse (for ha­uing deliuered her husband from a very peri­lous infirmitie) and desiring much to haue some of her beades, prayed that she might find one, and being in this prayer, one came in the ayer, [Page 106] which fell from on highe, and strooke her on the fore head, in the sight of Angela of Auila, wife to Iohn Giron, and Catharine of Tolosa, wife to Iohn Martinez, neighbours of Cien­posuelos, who were present, and declared it be­fore the said scriuener. And considering the place where the woman [...]ate when the bead fell, it was a miraculous chance, for it could not be by hu­mane industrie, because there was not neer about it any doore, window, hole, not chin [...]k, wherby they might cast it, which therfore is holden for a miracle of the blessed Ioane of the Crosse.

THE XII. CHAPTER.
Of other miracles, which our Lord hath wrought with the Beades, touched at the originall Beades.

1 NOt only the beades which the Angell car­ried vp to heauen, and there were bles­sed by our Lord, haue the virtues which wee haue seene. But also those haue the same which are touched at them, as the B. Ioane had said to her religious. And the virtue of these beades, doe much more prooue the miracles done at those that haue bene touched of them, which haue beene done by meanes of those which our [Page 107] Lord blessed in hea [...]en. For if only for hauing to [...]ched these beades▪ they haue such propertie and virtue as to cast out [...]iuells, and doe other miracles, it is cleere that the beades which gaue them this virtue, do not want it themselues; when in good Philosophie they must haue it e­minently. And because miracles are so good a proofe and so sufficient, for supernaturall things (for no proofe is equall vnto it, because a miracle being doone in confirmation of the doctrine which is preached, God is found to be the wit­nesse therof) I willl heer recount some, gathered of the aboue named informations, and of another made by authoritie of his excellencie of Toledo, for the auouching of certaine miracles of the blessed freer Iulian of S. Augustin, by whom our Lord hath wrought so m [...]ny, that those which are iuridically proued in nintie & two authenti­call informatiōs, a [...]erred by a thousand and foure hundred witnesse, taken first by authoritie of the ordinarie, and after by especiall commission of his holinesse passe the nūber of six hūdred. This seruāt of God, had one of the originall Beades, & so much deuotiō bare he to it, as he exhorted the people, to touch their Rosaries at the same, and in this wor [...]k of charitie there fell out strange cases wi [...]h the diuells, who procured to de­priue him of it, as these miracles which fol­lowe [Page 108] do approue.

2. The blessed Father being in the yarde where they of the towne of Villanueua dresse their corne, there came to him Marie Sanz, wife to Bartholomew de Onchell the elder, and re­questing him that she might touch her Rosarie, at the beade that he had hanging at this Rosarie, hee saide: lift vp first this stone which is hard by vs: the woman tried twise and could not, for it burnt like fire, and shee burnt herself: B. freer Iulian seeing this, saide: Do not labour about it daughter, for this is no stone, although it see­meth so to bee, but it is a diuell, which preten­det to hinder, that thy beades bee not touched at the bead of B. Ioane, that thou maiest not enioy of the virtues which God hath put therin; like cases to these happened him many times in the saide towne of Villanueua, and in Camarma, as appeareth by the saide information, and that the stones disappeared, when the saint discoue­red what they were.

3. In the towne of Meiorada, the seruant of God being a touching other Rosaries, at the bead which he had, there came to him Iulian Dias, daughter of Albertus de Cobeia, that he might touch her ten beades, and the saint saide: They haue beene touched at an other time, and they haue the virtue of the beades of the B. [Page 109] Ioane: which was approued to be so, and that it was more then two yeares, since Francis Mo­reno a neighbour of Zelafe, had touched them in Madrid at another beade.

4. Magdalen Es [...]riuano, a neighbour of Tor­reion of Velasco, was much tempted by the di­uell, who appeared to her oftentimes, and offe­ring her a rope, willed her, to hang herself; But our Lord was pleased, that he laying vpon her a touched bead, the diuell neuer more appeared vnto her, and she remained free from him, and from the feares, and amazements which he sug­gested vnto her.

5. A certaine Doctor was much troubled with scruples and doutes, in matters of faith, wherwith the diuell vexed him: and hauing heard speake of the virtue of the beades of the blessed Ioane, he procured one of thē that were touched, and with only carrying it about him, he remained free, and with the same bead, cast the diuell out of a man.

6. Carrillo, priest and singing man of the holy Church of Toledo, had one of the touched beades: and thinking that it was of the originalls (because for such it was giuen him) comming where there was a possessed person, the diuell wild him that he shold get him from him, be­cause he brought with him a bead of S. Ioane, [Page 110] which although it were of those that were tou­ched, had the same virtue that the others had, & that he much tormented him with it: and with this the priest was freed of his errour, & knewe that the bead was no originall, but of the tou­ched; yet that it had the selfe same virtue, which those had which Christ himselfe blessed. And al­though the diuell be the Father of lyes, yet in such like cases, God is not wont to let him lye, nor yet permit him to deceiue vs.

7. M [...]rie Magdalen a Religious of the con­uent of the Crosse, declared on her word, that a woman of Mad [...]id, came to watch at the said conuent, and said that shee seeing a poss [...]ssed per­son carried to be exorcised, and remembring herself of the beades of B. Ioane, saide: oh that we had one! another woman that went with her heard it, and answered: I haue one of those that are touched, but I will not part with it, least it bee lost: and the foresaid woman said: why then let me touch another with that, for although those that that are touched, are not of the originall Beades, yet faith will suffice. And touching a bea [...] at that which had beene tou­ched, went with it to the Church where they exo [...]cised the possessed person: and as soone as she entred at the doore, the diuell beganne to cry out, saying, that they shold put out that [Page 111] woman from thence, for with a bead that shee brought, shee tormented him more then all hell together.

8. Dame Katharine of Salazar declared, that a woman slaue of her mothers, had one of the touched beades, and that going one day to the market, shee sawe many people about a posses­sed person, and coming also to looke on, the possessed beganne to cry out, saying: Take away from thēce that slaue, for she tormēteth me with a be [...]d which shee bringeth of that same Iugg. Which the people hearing, gaue place that the slaue might come neer, and put the bead vpon the possessed person, and at that instant the diuell went out of him, leauing him free: all that were present, admiring the virtue which God had put in the saide beades.

9. Iohn of Arriaga, a neighbour of Cubas, had a broken bead of those that were touched, and going to the towne of Pinto, he found that they were exorcising in the Church, a woman possessed by the diuell: who so soone as he sawe him, beganne to cry out, that they shold put from thence that man, for he bringes a bead of Iugg of the Crosse, which tormented him more then hell it selfe: and the said Arriaga, gaue it to the priest which exorcised, and putting it vpon the possessed, the diuell went forthwith [Page 112] out of her, and left her free.

10. Catharine of S. Anne, an old religious of the conuent of the Crosse, gaue to a cer­taine man, one of these beades, and he thin­king that it was of the originalls, expected the houre to make experience of it, and of the virtue it had against the diuells: and meeting with one possessed, and putting it vpon him, the diuell fell into great extremi­ties, saying most furiously: it is not a beade of S. Ioane that casteth me out, but a bead of S. Anne; for so was the religious called that gaue it him, because it was not an ori­ginall, but of those that were touched therat.

11. Many other miracles I leaue to sett downe; for it seemeth to me that these do sufficiently proue the virtue of these beades, and that which they haue that are touched at them, and such are the most of those that are extant: for of those originall Beades which our Lord blessed in heauen, there are verie fewe, being that with the time they haue beene lost and consumed. In the conuēt of the Crosse there are two, since the time of the glorious Ioane: and among the nonnes therof some are found, and other particular persons also haue of them. In the towne of Cubas, so nere to the conuent of the Crosse, [Page 113] are found some of them, so much esteemed of those who haue them, that they are here­ditarie from one to another, and they leaue them by will of testament when they dye, for the great deuotion they haue to the saide beades, and great experience of the virtues which God hath put in them.

THE XIII. CHAPTER.
Of many other miracles, which our Lord hath done by meanes of the said Beades.

1 OVr most clement Lord who hath done so many fauours to his seruant, sister Ioane of the Crosse, at the same time when the contempt was made of the Beades which his diuine maiestie had blessed at her instāce, was pleased to worck many others in defence of the truth, and in publicke places, where the ecclesiasticall and secular iudges, could make iuridicall processes. Of the which I will heer recite some, to the greater glorie of al­mightie God.

2. Francis Rodrigues, the Sonne of An­tonie Rodriguez, and of Helena Rodriguez neighbours of Monforte de Lemos, and resi­dent [Page 114] in the cittie of Valladolid, of 24. yeares of age, being on thursdays at night well and sound of his eyes, was found so blind on the morrowe, that although he opened them, yet he could not see the light of the day, nor the shininge of the sunne, no [...] any other thing: and so he went blind, leaning vpon a staffe, & asking almes almost three moneths, vntill comming to aske at the monasterie of S. Francis of Valladolid, after the porter had giuen him his alme [...], hauing great pittie of him, he put vpon his eyes an o [...]ginall bead of the B. Ioane of the Crosse, which is in the same conuent, and touched therwith his Ro­sarie which he carried, bidding him to haue much deuotion & faith toward the glorious saint: and that when he went to bed, he shold put that Rosarie many times vpon his eyes, and so he did with the greatest deuotion that he could all that night, calling many times vpon the Saint, vntill he fell a sleepe: and waking in the morning being Palme sonday, in the year 1611. he found his eyes very cleer and well, and with the selfe same sight as be­fore: for the which not containing himself for ioy, he arose from his bed crying out, and without remembring his staffe on which hee leaned (for now he had no need of it) he went [Page 115] straite to giue thancks to the saint, to the fo­resaid conuent of S. Francis where her image is painted, as also that both the freers & the porter, might see the fauour God had done him. Wherupon Doctor Don Fernande de Valdes, Prouisor generall of the Bishopricke of Valladolid, examined him iuridically: and the information being made, with many other sworne witnesses, and with the interuē ­tion of the fiscall of the episcopall audience, this aboue said was found to be true, by the same originall information which is in th [...] office of Iohn de Vaga in the cittie of Valla­dolid, Notarie, and the authenticall coppie therof in the conuent of the Crosse. Also Do­ctor Ortega de Salazar teniente of the corri­gidor of Valladolid, gaue another informa­tion vpon this case, before Peter of Auila, a publique scriuener of his maiestie, and of the number of that cittie, approued by Antonie Vasquez of Barreda, and Iohn de Gamarra, the Kings publicke scriueners of Valladolid. It is also manifest by a testimonie, sealed and signed by seauen scriueners of the King, and of the number of the forenamed cittie: the which is originally kept in the conuent of the Crosse.

3. The same yeare it happened in Valla­dolid, [Page 116] that a child of thirteene moneths, the sonne of one Iohn of Velasco, a Gold smith, being sick of the squincie, and of the euill of the throate, together with an aposteme in the throat, and besides all these infirmities it did not suck, and had n [...]we the brest swollen, which caused the phisi [...]iās [...]o despayre of it who had it in cure: The parents seeing that their childe would dye, and that there was, no remedie for it on the earth, commended it to the B. Ioane of the Crosse, and put vpon the throate of it, th [...]ee of her touched beades, wherwith the aposteme brake, and the child cast out at the nose and mouth, great quantitie of matter and bloud, and witho [...]t any other benefit by and by tooke the brest, and remained sound, all holding it for a miracle of the [...]aint▪ according as vnder oa [...]h Do­ctor Hernan Sanches, Professor of Phisick in the Vniuersitie of Valladolid declared, who was the phisitian that had it in cure, being iuridicallie examined by Doctor Fernando de Valdes, Pro­uost generall of the Diocese of Valladolid, who gaue the information of this miracle: which declaration is in the office of I [...]hn Vega, Notarie of Valladolid, and the authenticall copie of it, in the conuent of the Crosse.

4. It fell out also the same yeare, that Ma­nuela de Toro, daughter of Antonie de Toro, [Page 117] and of Anne de la Fuente, neighbours of the forenamed citty of Valladolid, hauing a great running in her eyes, and two clodds or skinnes that couered them, although they applyed many remedies, none pro [...]ited vntill they put vpon her eyes, an originall bead of the B. Ioane, which is in the conuent of S. Francis o [...] V [...]lladoli [...], wher­with she remained sound of her sight.

5. Marie of Tordesillas, daughter to Ga­briell of Tordesillas, a Broker in Valladolid, being a child of only [...]wo moneths ould, fell into certaine quartanes and very strong ag [...]es, which dured her for foure [...]eares, and it pleased God, that touching her with the beade of B. Ioane which is in the conuent of saint Francis, and put­ting about her neck another of the touched at it, she remained forthwith, found and perfectly whole.

6. Marie Mexia, wife to Iohn of Mexia scri­uener in Valladolid, became blind of both her eyes by certaine wennes, and putting vpon them the Rosarie of her husband, which had beene touched at a beade of the Saint, and cōmending herself to her, recouered sight at the second time that they applyed the said Rosarie to her eyes.

7. Ga [...]par de Arriaga, who resideth in the courte, and Anne Perez his Lady declared, how the said Ga [...]par de Arriaga, being sicke with a [Page 118] paine of the side and of very great agues, forsake of the Physitians, his wife commending him to the B. Ioane of the Crosse, and making on that side where the paine was, many Crosses with one of the touched beades, it pleased God, that at that instant he was ridd of the paine and of the ague, and was presently well: and so they pro­mised to goe and visite her bodie: and in accom­plishing the aforsaid promisse, they sware that this aboue said was truth, wherof information was made, and is originally kept in the conuent of the Crosse, and in the same is related another case much like vnto this.

8. In Villaseca of Sagra was a woman much persecuted of the diuell, which many times ap­peared to her in diuers formes, giuing her many blowes and punches; but it pleased our Lord, that putting vpō her one of the touched beades, the diuell tormēted her no more, nor came vnto her from that time forward, although once he appeared to her, and told her, that if she would not take away that beade, which was not of the true originalls of Ioane of the Crosse, he would choake her. And the woman noted, that this time the diuell did not come nere her as he was wont, not yet within fiue paces of her: wherof Iohn Fernandez de Plaza scriuener of his maie­stie, and notarie of the holy office in the towne [Page 119] of Cubas, th [...] yea [...] 1611. gaue his testimonie.

9. Dame Luissa de P [...]rres Montaluo, neighbour of Valladolid, being deafe of both her eares, and no remedie profitting her, of many which were sough [...]e, was healed by touching a beade of the B. Ioane of the Crosse, and putting vpon her eares others o [...] those [...] had beene touched at it, remained [...]er [...]ectly whole: wherof the ori­ginall information, is in the con [...]ent of the Crosse.

10. In the cittie of Palencia, was a man possess [...] [...] [...]he diuell, who seing a surgeane of the same citt [...], [...]ed and bad him get him from him for he came to kill him; and the surgeane bidding him [...]ooke for he had no weapons wher­withall [...]o offend hi [...]: hee answered, that it was with the beades he brought with him, of Ioane of the Crosse. This possessed person being to be exorcised, infinite people came together, and the foresaid surgeane; whom as sone as he sawe, he saide, calling him by his name: what w [...]t thou with me Peter Doblanza, that thou so dost persecute and burne me? the surgen replied, with what do I thee so much harme, when I haue no weapons to offend thee? then the possessed person lifting vp his voice, saide: With those which thou sleepest with a nights, which are three beades touched at that of Ioane of the [Page 120] Crosse, the which thou wearest on thy wristes and throate: Wherin was manifest, that it was the diuell who spake in that man, because this was so secret, that none at all knewe thereof. And it was more knowen, because at the first exorcismes, the curate commanded him to tell who he was, and he said satan. Then the curate demanding some bead of B. Ioane, they gaue him a Rosarie which he put about his neck, al­though the possessed refused it much, and be­ganne to make manie faces and gestures, making shewe of many most grieuous pinchinges, and griefes: wherupō the curate asking of him, what he felt? he answered, that he felt greater paines and torment with that Rosarie, then if for three thousand yeares he had beene in hell, suffering all the paines and torments, which there are suffered: and this he saide with a voice so terrible and so sorrowfull, as hee feared all that heard it. Being asked by the curate whose those beades were which so much did tormēt him? he answe­red, that they were Ioanes of the Crosse: and a­gaine asking him if they were of the originalls: he answered no, but of those that were touched, at them; addinge that he would goe out of that body, if they would take them away, for they much burned him. The curate tooke them away, and in the sight of all, the diuell went [Page 121] out of the body, and neuer returned againe, but rather from that time forward they haue seene him do many things of deuotion, & aske beades of the Saint, which he carrieth about him. The originall information of this case as it hath beene recounted, is in the conuent of the Crosse.

11. In the towne of Madrid it happened in the yeare 1611. that Marie of Aluarado being ve­ry sick of a strong euill of the hart, that tooke her very oft, during when it was least, an houre and a halfe, hauing actually this sicknesse vpon her, they put vpon the pulse of her hande, a bead of the B. Ioane: and at the same instant she returned to her selfe, and was well, with great admira­tion to all those that sawe her, who remained praysing our Lord in his seruant: wherat were found present many witnesses, and seauen pu­blicke scriueners of his maiestie, residing in the court and prouince, and one Apostolicall No­tarie, who gaue his testimonie and signed it with their seales, and confirmed it with their names, as appeareth by the originall testimonie, which is yet in the conuent of the Crosse.

12. All the miracles which hitherto haue beene related in this chapter, are of the yeare 1611. and those that our Lord doth euery day, by meanes of the beades of this his seruant are so many, as if all of them were to be written, [Page 122] they whold containe a great volume. Wherfore leauing many, I will recount one publicke, and notorius meruaill, seene and examined by many people, which at this day, and euery day God worketh in the towne of Grinnon, six leagues from the courte of our Lord the King, vpon a woman taken with so greate soundinges, as comming vpon her very often, they are wont to dure her two dayes and nights together: pro­ceeding of a strong euill of a rūning goute, which because she hath had it many yeares, and is an aged person, it is incurable in her, as the phisi­tians affirme which haue had her in cure. Being as it were dead with this euill, and with these so great soundinges, depriued of all kind of sense, if they put on her a bead of the B. Ioane, she cō ­meth to her selfe, saying Iesus: and if they take it of, presently she falleth into her sound a­gaine, the same effect being knowen to be as oft as they take it of and put it on; in such sort as the sound taking her, her remedie consisteth in that they put on her the bead. And this is a thing so knowen there about, that whosoeuer hath any of these beades, to be out of doubt, & to know if they be true, they goe and make ex­perience vpon this sick woman: as is manifest by diuers testimonies, which concerning this point, diuers scriueners haue giuen that haue seene it, [Page 123] and by a declaration of Doctor, Roias, phisitian, made before Francis Ortiz de Herrera, publicke scriuener of our Lord the King, from whom is also taken this testimonie following.

13. I Francis Ortiz of Herrera, publicke scri­uener of his maiestie, neighbour and natiue of this towne of Grizonno, do testifie and faith­fully declare, that Marie de la Vieia, daughter of Bartholomew de la Vieia, neighbour of the same towne, hath beene sicke these three yeares last past, and is so now at this present, of an euill which the phisitians call a running goute, which is wont to take her so furio [...]sly, as she giueth herself great strokes on her body, enduring on her, two dayes & two nightes: for about fiue or six monethes, the said Marie de la Vieia hath had this euill, who when she is depriued of her senses, putting vpon her a bead of the B. Ioane of the Crosse, e [...]her to her neck, or throate, or what part soeuer of her body, in such sorte that it touch her flesh, she ret [...]rneth forthwith in that instant out of her sounding, saying many times Iesus: & in taking it from her, in the same instant she is bereued of all her senses, and the said euill returneth to her; but putting the said bead to her, she returneth to herself vntill she be altogether well. And this miracle being seene so patent, & the sounding taking her so ordinarily, [Page 124] many persons which haue the saide beades and reliques, put them vpon the forenamed Marie de la Vieia; when she is in her sounding and without sense, and by and by she returneth to herselfe: which hath bene done in my presence infinite times, especially one night when Father Did [...]cus Ordonnes, Commissarie generall of the order of our Seraphicall Father S. Francis, being come to the monasterie of this towne of Grin­non, the Lord Don Pedro de Mendoza, sonne and heyre of the Lord Don Ynigo Lopes of Mē ­doza, Lord of this towne, and also of Cubas, cal­led in my presence his reuerend Paternitie, that he might see the miracles which our Lord wrought by meane of the beades of the B. Ioane: who went to see it, and sawe how the said Lord Don Pedro, touched the said Marie de la Vieia with a beade, and making with the same the signe of the Crosse, saying in the name of the most holy Trinitie, and of the B. Ioane, although she were were in a sound, yet by and by she came to herself & sayed, Iesus: and if they tooke, from her the saide bead, the former euill tooke her againe, and as before, she remained depriued of her senses.

14. His reuerend Paternitie seeing so great a miracle, and so patent, drew out two beades which he had with him of the B. Ioane, and [Page 125] made the same proofe, and she came to herself with whichsoeuer of them: and taking them from her, she fell into the same. And this passed in presence of me the said scri [...]ener, and the saide Father commissarie generall, and his secretarie, and of the Gardian of Pinto, and of many others who all admired it, and gaue many thancks to God that they had seene with their eyes so great a miracle done by meane of the beades of the B. Ioane of the Crosse. And the same I testifie, suc­cedeth euery time that the euill taketh her put­ting vpon her whichsoeuer of the saide beades. Which that it might be manifest, I haue giuen this testimonie, and haue signed and sealed it: and the saide Lord Don Pedro de Mendoza, confirmed it also, in Madrid the eight day of Aprill in the yeare 1611. Don Pedro Gonzales de Mendoza, and Bo [...]mediano in testimonie of the truth.

THE XIV. CHAPTER.
Of certaine reuelations and things very profitable, which our Lord communicated to his seruant, and how deuoute shee was to the virgin our B. Lady.

1 SO much shineth the sweetnes & greatnes of the spirit of our Lord in all the reuelatiōs which he communicated to this virgin, as al­though her life be so full of them as it might be called a continual reuelation, yet would I write this chapter of reuelations, in regard that God communicating them, did it for the profit of many, as the Angell tould, commanding her to write them. And this was the end that the exta­ticall virgin had in manifesting them: and the end which now we haue in bringing them to light, that the sinner reading them, may be cō ­forted, considering the mercies of God, which do so much shine in them; as shall be seene in one which shee related to her religious in these wordes following.

2. My holy Angell carrying me on Saint Marie Magdalens day, to visite the Church wher her holy body is, for to gaine the pardōs which there are granted, and passing by a certain citty [Page 134] of Castile, I sawe in a field many people round about a bonfire: from the which, betweene the flames, and the smoake, went out a soule more bright then the sunne, with two Angells which carried it in the middest of them, and another which went before with a Crosse in his hand, all going a great pace towardes heauen, and my holy Angell saide to me; That thou maiest see what the mercy of God can doe, and how great the force is of true cō ­trition.This example is more for to trust in the mercy of God▪ then for to imitate, by reason of the danger which penance differred to the hower of death bringeth with it. De hoc videatur D. August. lib. de vera & fals [...] poenitentia S. Greg. cap. 27. in Iob S. Ambros. lib. de poenitentia S. Hierom. tom. 4. in epist. Eusebij ad Damasum E­piscopum. That soule which thou hast seene goe from the flames vp to heauen accompa­nied with the Angells, is of an old man, a most grieuous sinner, who dwelt in mortall sinne all his life, and that so abominable, and so fil­thie, as not only he merited the flames of that temporall fire, but to be burned in hell. The iustice apprehended him, and he confessed plainely his sinne, deman­ding of God mercye for it, protesting that he willingly desired to suffer for his fault in this life, the most cruell death that could be deuised: [Page 135] and although he might haue saued his life, if he would, yet he chose to dye, and to suffer that paine in satisfactiō of his fault: and so after they had strangled him, they burned him in that fire, out of which and o [...] the body, in this instāt the soule departeth & goe [...]h streight to heauen, accompanied with th [...]se Angells as thou seest. Which I am glad that thou h [...]st seene, that thou maiest know, that whilest the soule is in the body, place is to be found for the mercy of God, euen betwene the rope and the neck.

3. Being one day in prayer, our Lord shewed her how to an Eremite of holy life, who did pe­nāce liuing solitarie in the desert, the diuell ap­peared in figure of Christ crucified, & saide vnto him; Adore me, for I am thy God, who for thy sake suffered my selfe to be nailed on this Crosse, and am here come to assure thee, that thy prayer and penance much pleaseth me. The Heremite did so, and being in adoration on his knees at the foot of that false crucifix, many other di­uells came, saying: Prince of darcknesse, returne to thyne infernall kingdome, for the Angells destroy vs, the Angells of him that was cruci­fied: what will this profit vs, sith thou knowest that their God doth hould him selfe well ap­payed with the good will, and that he accepteth that of this Hermite as if he trulie adored the [Page 136] God of heauen; leaue therfore these vaine ado­rations which so little profit thee, and returne by and by to thy miserable kingdome, which much more importeth thee. Our Lord would haue the Eremite to heare these things,In such cases God accep­teth the will for the worcke S. T. 1. p. q. 64. a. 2. ad 3. and 1. 2. q. 20. a. 4. and 5. and 3 p. q. 68. a. 2. ad 3. S. Bonau. de prefect. religiosor. lib. 2. cap. 23. to enlighten him in this this way (saide the ser­uant of God) and that I should tell them to you, that you may knowe the craftes of the enemie, and may keep your selues from his deceptes, which are grea­ter then men thincke of.

4. Another time it hapned, that this ser­uant of God, vpon the day of S. Lucie, being e­leuated in prayer, and her spirit in that celestiall place where God was wont to put it, shee sawe, (as another Prophet Esaias) the Lord of Hoste seated in a throne, of most great maiestie and glory, compassed with infinite Angells, and Saints, who gaue rewards, and commanded that that Feast should be made to the glorious Saint Lucie, for hauing suffered on that day, and shed her bloud for the honour of his name. She con­fidering these things, and how well God re­warded the laboures suffered for his loue, our Lord himselfe seemed to say to her with so [Page 137] shrill and strong a voice, as it were the noyse of a great water. Wilt thou not my daughter haue as much as I nowe giue to this my seruant? The humble and deuote virgin with great confidence and loue, after she had adored him said: I rendre immense thācks to thy maiestie for so soueraigne a fauour, and I hope to receiue no lesse of thy most powerfull and liberall hād; for these giftes Lord, do not fill me, nor do these Iewells, and feastes satisfie me, because the hunger of my soule can not be satisfied with lesse, thē drinking of this fountaine of life: and vntill I get and ob­taine it, I will not ceasse to make supplication to thy diuine maiestie for it.

5. Another time being in a most profound rapte, there came to visite her the glorious Saint Barbara, to whom she was particularly deuoted: and reasoning with her, saide: You well knowe, Lady, how much this your vnworthie seruant desireth to serue you. Yea I know, it well sister (answered S. Barbara) and I would also that you should knowe I loue you in our Lord, and hold you for my singular, and deuoted frend. With this the B. virgines ended their talke, which scarcely was ended, when the soule of a childe which had newely expired, did appeare vnto her, praying her to speake to her mother to chastise her children, for she should giue a [Page 138] strict account to God our Lord for their euill breeding: and I giue his maiestie many thancks, for hauing brought me to his holy kingdom in so tender age, for if I had come to be great, I had beene damned by the ill education of my mother. Bid her looke to my brothers, and cha­stize them before they be greater, and come to be lost. My mother is called such an one, and li­ueth in such a place, and is the wife of such an one. With this the seruant of God sent to call her, and recounted all that had passed, with such assured signes, as she could not doubt there of: and she from that time forward was so much af­fected to the seruant of God, that she visited her very oft, making profit of the holy counsells which she gaue her.

6. Euerie yeare vpon the fundation of the conuent of the Crosse, is celebrated therin the apparition of the Queene of Angells, the first nine dayes of March; on the which the B. virgin appeared (as hath beene saide) and euery yeare on these 9. dayes at the houre of matines, the seruant of God sawe a most solemne procession, in which the mother of God came with many Angells and Saints, and the soules of many reli­gious of that howse, and of other persons de­parted which were in blisse, and had beene de­uoute to that holy apparition: and also those [Page 139] which were in Purgatorie, for the virgin tooke them out on this holy Feast. And before they entred into the conuent, they went in proces­sion round about it, giuing her blessing to the fieldes [...]lying round about the monasterie, in the which she entred by and by, and went streight to the dormitorie of the religious where they were retired, some at prayers, and others slee­ping. To all of them she gaue her blessing with words of most great charitie, and loue, & spake with their Angells keepers: who presented to her the prayers, and good desires, wherwith they had prepared themselues to celebrate the feast of her holy apparition. And our B. Lady said; Be constant in your laboures, for so are the crownes of heauen gained.

7. Other times she commanded their An­gells kepers, they should put them Garlandes of Roses on their heades, although they did not see them, nor knowe of them. And sometimes she reprehended them with most sweet wordes. From hence she went to the quire with all that celestiall companie, and assisted at the martines, the blessed Ioane in spirite being present at all, went with the procession. On the morrowe at highe Masse, comming to her selfe, she went to the quire, wher she heard the diuine office & sermon, and sawe the procession. And at that in­stant [Page 140] she was wont to be eleuated, and when she came to her selfe, the religious entreated her, to tell what she had seene: and she with much humilitie, recounting that which hath beene said, could them, that she had seene the Queene of heauen in that procession, and that she blessed those which had come to celebrate the feast of her holy apparition: that they should be very deuote to the same, and to the most holy virgin, for at her instance God bestowed on this Church many graces and fauoures.

8. There was in this monasterie an image of miracles very ancient, to which the nonnes had much deuotion, and carried it in procession the day of the apparition: but because it was nowe very old and without lustre, they made the head and face anewe: and that the seruant of God might see it (who lay sicke, in bed) they carried it to her cell, where for her comfort they left it her vpon an altar: and that same night the Saint being at prayer, saw in an imaginarie vision, the Queene of Angells, who stood by the image: whom the seruant of God prayed to grant some fauour to her image: and the night following at the houre of matines, she sawe how Christ our Lord appeared vnto her, and blessed the image, which from that time is much reuerenced for the tradition of this miracle. And of these is God [Page 141] wont to do many according to the necessitie of the times: But at this time the heretiques doing so many iniuries to holy images, they will cen­sure amisse of this maruaill; which our Lord did for their confusion, and for the confirmation of the ancient custome of the Church.

9. In this seruant of our Lord, that was ex­perienced, which the Saints say, that it is a sin­gular meanes, for to attaine to the toppe of Christian perfection, to haue deuotion to our B. Lady the virgin, to whom this her humble ser­uant was so deuote, that from a very child she vsed to recite her Rosarie, and not hauing one of beades, she made one of a cord, with knottes in place of the Pater nosters, and Aue marias. And being waxen bigger, as she encreased in age, so she encreased in this holy deuotion; in such sort, as when the feastes of our B. Lady came, to her great penances, fastes and ordinarie exercises, she added others extraordinarie, with which she disposed herselfe to celebrate them worthilie. For which the fauours were very great which God did her on these dayes, and greater & more frequent were her raptes, in the which our Lord tooke her tongue, for instrument to publish the prayses of his most holy mother: And so this seruant of our Lord being in prayer, and abstract from her senses in the great eleuations & raptes [Page 142] which we shall sue in the ensuing chapter, one day of the Annuntiation of our B. Lady, in the yeare 1508. contemplating that so maruellous worcke of the Incarnation of the word, which that day the Church representeth, and the pro­found humilitie wherwith the most sacred vir­gin gaue her consent to be mother of God, she said. That when the diuine word tooke flesh in her virginall wombe, she sawe in that instant the diuine essence, and many other misteries, which were reuealed to her (as graue authores haue affirmed) and that she did merit more in that houre, obeying to the will of God, and giuing credit to the wordes of the Angell, then all the Angells had merited when they yelded their obedience to God, more then all the mar­tyres in their martyrdomes, more then all the confessoures in as many penances as they did, and more then all the virgines in the virginitie, and puritie which they kept. (Our B. Lady sawe the diuine essence in the incarnation of the word S. Antonin. 4. parte titulo. 15. c. 17. §. 1.)

10. So also vpon a certaine day of the Pre­sentation of our B. Lady, in the yeare 1509. this B. Saint being in a rapte, which endured her for many houres, she saide, that from that instant in which the most excellent Queene of Angells was conceiued in the wombe of her mother S. [Page 143] Anne, she had the vse of reason, as if she had beene of perfect age, together with great loue and knowledge of almightie God, wherin she alwayes encreased, and in all other virtues vntill shee came to be (among the pure creatures) the most perfect and holy of as many as haue beene, or euer shall be in heauen or in earth. (Our B. Lady had vse of reason in the wombe of her mother from the first instant of her conception, S. Bernardi­nus de Sena, serm. 51. de B. virg. cap. 2. Caiet. 3. p. q 27.)

11. Another time, on the day of the Resur­rection of our Lord, in the yeare 1508. being ele­uated, she saide, that when our Lord Iesus Christ went out of the sepulchre glorious, and risen againe, he appeared first (before to any o­ther person) to his most sacred mother, for that she had most of all others felt his death, and sa­cred passion, and in whom was most liuely the hope of the holy Resurrection. (S. Bonauent. in medit. vitae Christi cap. 87. S. Ambros. lib. 3. de vir. c. 6. S. Anion. de Padua serm. in die sancto Paschatis, and S. Brigit lib. 6. of her reuelations.) These fa­uoures, and many others did God to his seruant on the feastes of his most sacred mother, but es­pecially on that of the most pure conception, be­cause to this feast she was most deuote: which she celebrated with particular ioy and deuotion: [Page 144] and that her religious also might haue the same, she made them on these dayes most deuout speaches.

12. One day of the most pure Conception in the yeare 1509. being in prayer, she was eleua­ted in a most profound rapte, which endured her for some houres: and so remayning for an houre together, she neuer left speaking, recoun­ting worthie things and prayses of our B. Lady: as, calling her, the most pure, the rose among thornes, she which only among the children of Adam, was conceiued without originall sinne. And explicated the Ghospell. Beatus venter qui te portauit, which is that, that on that day the Church doth recite in the proper office: and ma­ny other authorities of the sacred scripture and the Psalmes, all vttered in prayse of the Queene of Angells. These and many other things of much edification the blessed Abbesse vttered to her religious in the spirituall speaches she made them, beside the sermons which being eleuated she preached vnto them, which caused so great admiration in those that heard them, wherof mention is made in the chapter following.

13. There was brought to the seruant of God, a sucking child very sicke, that she mighe giue it her benediction, and as soone as she sawe it, our Lord reuealing to her that it was posses­sessed, [Page 145] she saide to the religious with great affli­ction of her spirite. Great is the height of the secretes of God, when his diuine maiestie per­mitteth, that the diuell hath power to torment this innocent childe, which is but seauen mo­neths old: I pray you sisters, let vs commend it to God. And making vpon it the signe of the Crosse, it remained free from that euill spirite, which did before so much torment it. We may say of this childe, that which Christ saide of the blind man, that he was not blind for his owne sinnes, nor for the sinnes of his Fathers, but for the glory of God, which in the healing of it, was to be manifested. It happened many times to this seruant of our Lord, that being in prayer in her cell, praying to God for such persons as were commended to her prayers, she sawe them all, and their necessities and trauaills, and that so clearly, and so distinctly, as if she had had thē there present: which recounting once to her An­gell keeper, he answered: that God had shewed them vnto her, to the end she should the more charitablie, and the more feruently, be mindfull of them in her prayer.

14. The Angells visiting the B. Ioane vpon a certaine day, they said vnto her, that with so great affect of loue one might feele and deplore the passion of Christ Iesus our Lord, that it [Page 146] might be so acceptable a sacrifice to his diuine maiestie, as if he should haue shed his bloud, & should haue suffered great trauaills for his sake, so much doth the memorie of his sacred passion please him. These things & many others (quoth shee to her religious) doth my holy Angell shewe vnto me, by the will of God; and both for myne profit, and for yours, I relate them to you, and assure you that our Lord hath done me so much fauour, and that he hath giuen me so much light and charitie in them, that most cer­tainly I knowe them to be his, and for so true and certaine I hold them, as I would sweare they are his, if I were put vnto to it vpon my oath, although because my soule had not so much charitie at the beginning, I did not receiue so much comfort in the reuelations which our Lord did shewe me, as now I doe. For the which I miserable sinner, giue infinite thancks to his diuine maiestie.

THE XV. CHAPTER.
How thorough diuine virtue, the seruant of God spake for the space of thirteene yeares maruelous things (being eleuated) and of the gift of tongues which our Lord granted her.

1 ONe of the greatest laboures which the B. Ioane had in this life, was, that many persons desiring to know the fauoures which God had done her, and the secrets which in those extasies and raptes he reuealed to her, beg­ged it of her many times. And wheras the B. virgin was so humble, she tooke this in such manner, as she affirmed, that she had much rather relate her faultes, then the mercies and fauoures which God had done her. And if she told of some of those which are written in this histo­rie, it was for that God had so commanded her, some times by himselfe, other times by the Angell of her garde. And wheras by this occa­sion she was much discomforted, our Lord wil­ling to deliuer her frō the tediousnesse (and also to cōfort his seruāts, who desired to know these things, for whose good his maiestie had wrought many of them) he vsed this meanes, as to strike [Page 148] her dumbe, and to make him selfe speake by the mouth of his espouse: and so our Lord appea­ring to her and comforting her, she remained speechles for some moneths: and after againe appearing to her in another rapte, touching her with his diuine hand, she remained sound; but in the time of her dumbenesse, and for some yeares after, the seruant of God being eleuated, did preach, vttering by the diuine virtue mar­uelous sentences, explicating propheties and difficult places of sacred scripture, to the great admiration of all those that heard her, seing so manifestly the virtue of our Lord in his seruant. This most singular grace lasted her thirteene yeares, speaking some times euery eight dayes, or fifteene dayes, other times euery foure dayes, other times euery third day, other times one day after another, and some dayes twice, more or lesse, as it pleased our Lord.

2. This great maruaill being diuulged through the kingdome, much people came to see her, although not all with equall intention; for some had a very euill opinion of her: but for greater confusion of these, and of others incre­dulous, being rapte she spake vnto them, shew­ing that God reuealed her what they had in their hartes, and reprehending them, she saide: who art thou who wilt limite the power of [Page 149] God? hath not the now the same he had alwayes? can he not infuse his grace into whō he please? can he not make a vessell which may containe it? To this purpose it fell out, that a certaine in­quisitor, very zealous about things of faith, not being able to suffer, that it should bee saide, that the holy Ghost did speake by the mouth of this B. woman, came to heare her, with intent to examine her wordes; but those she spake that very day were such, as in the middest of the ser­mon, the inquisitor fell vppon his knees, and satte so shedding teares, vntill the seruant of God had ended her preaching: and comming to her senses, he prayed her to let him see her at the grate: and giuing himselfe great strokes vpon the brest, he saide: I came to examin the wordes of God, but now I know, that they are his, whatsoeuer I haue heard from this holy woman. And after hauing spoken with her a­lone, commending himselfe to her prayers, [...]he returned, no little edified at the humilitie which he acknowledged in her, remayning much affe­cted to her doctrine.

3. For greater testimonie that this businesse was from heauen, often times they heard her speake in diuers languagues, of which she ne­uer had any former knowledge, especially in Latin, Arabick, and others. The Lord Bishopp [Page 150] of Auila, freer Francis Ruiz, was most deuote to this holy virgin, and out of his charitie, gaue to the conuent two slaues, Mores which he had brought from the conquest of Oran, where he had beene to accompany the Lord Cardinall, freer Francis Ximenes. These two Mores, were so obstinate in the lawe of Mahomet, that in only proposing them the lawe of Christ, and asking them if they would be Christians, they would weepe bitterly, and teare their faces euen till the bloud came out of them. They carried thē on a time to B. Ioane, because she preached in the former manner: and turning her speach to the Mores, she spake vnto them in Algaua­ria, and they also answered in the same lāguage: and such things she recounted to them, as she conuerted them to the faith, and they were bap­tized. And after being rapte, she spake to them other times in Arabicke, and many times in Latin, as also with some learned men which came to heare her, putting them in mind of particular cases, and of defects of theirs.

4. Notwithstānding all these experiences and many others which were seene, because it was so vnaccustomed and maruellous a thing, the Prelates of the order, to stop the censures of some euill tongues, commanded the Abbesse that when she spake in that manner, they should [Page 151] shut her vp into her cell, that none should heare her, although they were of the religious them­selues. But on a time our Lord permitting it, being left alone, and shut vp, she stayed so long before she returned from her rapte, that the Ab­besse carefull of the successe, sent a nonne to knowe what was done; and cōming to the cell where the virgin was, she sawe many birdes of diuers coloures, stretching out their neckes, as if they did harken what she saide (whom God had sent to hearkē to her) which she recounting to the Abbesse, she went with some religious to her celle, and they found all true which the nonne had tole; Wherin it was knowen to be the will of our Lord that they should heare his seruant, and what he spake by her mouth. So longe as there were some doubtes hereof, and of the truth of these thinges, it was good to hide them from the world, so to temper the varietie of iudgments ther vpon. But when the things themselues giue a certaintie, that God is their author, which the miracle of the birdes made most manifest, it should haue bene iniust in men to haue supprest it. And so the Prouinciall being informed of this maruell, granted, that speaking in those raptes, some principall persons might heare her, and whom he gaue licence to (for the cōuent at that time was nor enclosed) [Page 152] With this newe licence, drawen by the fame of these great maruells, there came infinite people ecclesiastical, and secular, Preachers, Lawiers, re­ligious of all orders, Canons, Inquisitors, Bis­hopps, the great Captain Consalo Fernandes de Cordoua, the Cardinall of Toledo, freer Francis Ximenes, many Earles, Dukes, Marquesses, Lordes and Ladies of all estates, witnesses of this misterie, who haue seene it oftentimes for the space of 13. yeares. And among them one that would see this maruell with his owne eyes was our Lord the Emperor Charles the V. who remayned much affectioned to the seruant of God.

5. Our Lord gaue this grace to this seruant at foure and twentie yeares of age, which she neuer enioyed but being in rapte: & many times it appered, they heard her speake with the An­gells, with the Apostles, and Saints, as who had our Lord present, before whom she made her petitions, praying for all the persons of the world in generall, for some in particular, and for the soules in Purgatorie. This done she ioyned her handes (all seing her) and making many very profound, & humble inclinations with her head she prayed so in secret, as no word was heard, but only sawe her moue her lippes as a person that prayed, or spake. And after with her hands [Page 153] ioyned, she remained in most great silence. Thē came the religious, and lifting her from the ground, shee not feeling it, they carryed her to her cell, and layde her on her bedd, and forth­with with loude voice and ordered, in very pea­cible and sweet tone (that all that stood there vnderstood it) she spake maruaillous thinges. Finally the said sermons, and spirituall speaches, were of much edification and profit, declaring the sacred scripture and Gospells of the yeare, conforme to the feastes therof, euery sermon, during, the space of foure, fiue, six, and seauen houres, without resting, nor mouing more then the tongue, for in the rest she was as one dead; in so much that a certain Lady, on a time hea­ring the sermon & being very neere her, stucke a pinne into her head, in such manner as she drewe bloud: and although at that time she felt it not, yet being returned from her rapt, she com­plained much therof.

6. Another time as she was preaching, there came to her an ecclesiasticall person and very no­ble, and taking her by the arme, which she held fast to her brest, threwe it frō him very strōgly, to see if she made any motion, or complained of the grief: but shee insensible to all this, went forward with that she was saying, and the arme remayned so fallen, vntill a religious came, and [Page 154] put it vpon her brest as before she held it. She spake with such grace, mildnes, and sweetnesse as the sermons being so long as they were, yet none was euer weary of them. When the holy virgin had ended and was returned to herself, she rentained most beautifull, her face, her vesture, and person all shining, and all things which be­longed to her, sauoring of a celestiall smell. And out of the great vehemencie wherwith she had spoken, she remained with such abundance of sweat, as ordinarily they changed her habit, and dressings: and when she returned to her senses, they caused her to eate, because she was very fainte & feeble: & it was an admirable thing that she felte nothing of what foeuer passed about her exteriorly, if afterward it were not told her. And because the times which are to come, might haue knowledge of so great maruailles, our Lord gaue wisdome and grace to a religious which could not read nor write, called Sister Marie Euangelist, to write a great booke, inti­tuled, of the Mariners carde, which conteineth the sermons the glorious Ioane preached in one yeare: two other religious helping her, called si­ster Catharine of S. Francis, and sister Catharine of the martyres: wherof there is tradition, pu­blique voice and fame in the monasterie of the Crosse, and some ancient religious, which liue [Page 155] at this day, knewe the said sister Marie Euange­list, and sweare that they know her hand, and heard her speake it many times.

7. This booke of the Carde, conteineth sea­uentie and two sermons, diuided into as many chapters, written in seuenhundred & thre leaues in folio; and is kept in the conuent as a relique of great esteeme, and with great reason, all what soeuer is in it, being miraculous: as is also it, that a woman should haue written it, without knowing how to read, or write: & should beare in memorie all whatsoeuer the blessed prea­cher had saide; in such sort that making an end to heare the sermon, she wrote the same, some of them contayning twelue, and some twentie sheetes of paper, full of Theologie, and authori­ties of sacred scripture. And only in one yeare, taking part of that of 1508. and part of 1509. this blessed woman wrote, three hundred sixtie and fiue sheetes, the nomber that this booke contei­neth, of a very legible and plaine letter, although nowe the time, and the wormes haue much en­damaged it. The sermons which this seruant of God preached in this yeare, as they are found o­riginally in the booke of the Carde, are these that followe.

8. Of the Incarnation, of the Natiuitie, of the Circumcision, of the Epiphanie, of the flight [Page 156] into Egypt. Excellencies of the holy Baptisme. Reprehensions, and counsells, of the Purification of our B. Lady, of the creation of Adam, of Septuagesima, of holy and true doctrines. Of the Chaire of Saint Peter, of the parable of the Gospell, of the sower, of our Redeemer lost in Hierusalem, of his fast, and tentation in the de­sert. How sinners aske of God fauoures, of Palme sonday, of tenebre Wednesday, of Mandy thursday, of Good friday, of the misteries of the most holy Resurrection, of the good Pastor, of the Crosse, of the Gospell which is song on the sonday before the Ascension, of the holy Ascen­sion of our Lord, of the comming of the holy Ghost, of the most holy Trinitie, of Corpus Christi, of the holy Catholicke faith, of the ex­cellencie of the friday, of the dayes of the weeke, of the Visitation of our B. Lady, of saint Iohn Baptist, of saint Laurence, of saint Peter, and S. Paule, of S. Marie Magdalen, of the holy Crosse, of S. Anne, of the euill steward, of the Transfi­guration, of saint Laurence martyr, of our Sauiours weeping ouer Hierusalem, of S. Clare, of the Assumption of our B. Lady, of S. Bartho­lomew, of the Decollation of S. Iohn Baptist, of the Feastes which Nathaniel made to our Lord, of the Natiuitie of our B. Lady, of the Exalta­tion of the Crosse. How our Redemer raised [Page 157] the sonne of the widdowe, of the Conuersion of S. Matthew, of celestiall figures, & doctrines, of reprehensions for our sinnes, of S. Michaell, and of all the Angells, of our glorious Father S. Francis, of the Feastes which they make to our redemer on the fridayes, of celestiall Feastes. A declaration of the Gospell of the virgins, of saint Luke, of S. Simon and Iude, of all Saints, of the paines of hell, of the comming of Antichrist, of the Dedication of the Church, of the Presenta­tion of our B. Lady, of the most pure Conceptiō of our B. Lady, of Reprehensions, and of Ad­uent: all with great misteries. And the booke of these sermons is not of little authoritie, for the continuall tradition with which it hath beene conserued, since the life time of the seruant of our Lord, with admiration, and approbation of so many learned Prelates, Generalls and Prouin­cialls, who haue visited that holy conuent, for the space of eightie yeares and aboue. And when the tradition of any thing goeth cōtinued, from the day in which it happened, by a whole com­munitie, it hath, and is of much authoritie.

THE XVI. CHAPTER.
How our Lord gaue to the Blessed Ioane the feeling of his sacred woundes, and how the blessed Apostle S. Peter, healed her of her deafenes.

1 IN thirteene yeares which our Lord so much fauoured his holy espouse, he wrought in her, things very misterious and diuine. And be­cause some times God is iealous of the soules which he m [...]ch loueth, and will haue them all for himselfe; he made his louing espouse deafe, for that she much diuerted herselfe in the consi­deration of creatures, and receiued some conso­lation, and delight in hearing the little birdes to sing and chirp. Wherefore not willing she should employ her loue on any other thing, but on himselfe, and in token of the loue his maiestie bore her, he wrought in her a soueraigne mar­uaill, seene and experiented of very many, and especially of all the religious of the conuent, which freer Alonso de Mena, her confessor, freer Alonso de Tarracena his companion, and other religious & graue Fathers of the order, all sawe it, and made experience of it: the case was this. Our Lord willing to enrich & honour [Page 159] his beloued espouse, gaue her for pretious Iewells, the paines and signes of his most sa­cred woundes, the historie and miraculous successe wherof, passed in this manner.

2. In the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred twentie and foure, the virgin being fourtie and three yeares of age, one yeare after the concession of the beades, it happened, that on Good friday in the mor­ning, being in prayer, set in Crosse wise, she was rapte, her armes so stretched out and stiffe, as also all the members of her body, as if it had beene a Crucifix of stone, in such sort that no humane force could stir her frō that holy composture▪ although it was some­times attēpted. The nōnes seing her rapte, & in so differēt a posture to that which at other times shee was wont to be, and that the rapte continued longe, they carried her vnto her cell, and went all to the quire, because it was time to beginne the diuine office. Being in the office, while the passion was read, the virgin entred into the quire, shedding many teares. The nonnes seeing her come and lea­ning to the walles▪ who for that she could not goe nor keepe herselfe vpon her feete, she went barefooted (as shee was accustomed:) and because she could not set them to the [Page 160] ground, she went only vpon her heeles and toes, with so much difficultie as if she had set her eyes where she set her feet. The non­nes seing this, asked her the reason of it by signes they made her (for being deafe, she vnderstood not otherwise) how she came in that māner? who made thē answere, that she could not goe, because her feet grieued her so much. Let vs see them (saide the nonne that wrote this historie) and then they sawe that she had in her feet & handes, the signes of our B. Sauiour crucified, being rounde, of the bignesse of a sixpence, of the colour of roses very flesh, and redd, and of which fi­gure and colour they were equallie, both on the toppes and soles of her feet, and on her handes aboue and belowe: and out of them iussed such fragrancie of sauour, as nothing created could be comparable vnto it: she complaining of the great paine and griefe that these signes did cause her.

3. The religious seeing her in this plight, wept for deuotiō and gaue thancks to God, for what they had seene with their eyes and felt with their owne hands. And taking her in their armes (for she could not goe nor su­steine herselfe vpon her feet) they carried her into her cell: and making her a thousand [Page 161] chrerishings, with tendernesse and deuotiō, they asked her by signes: (because it was in the time that she was deafe) what markes those were? who had giuen her them? or howe they had beene there made? To the which she answered, that being in that most pre­tious place, where by commandmēt of God the Angell of her garde had carried her, she sawe our Lord Iesus Christ crucified, who touching her with his most sacred woundes, left her with most grieuous doloures in her handes and feet. And this soueraigne vision ended, she found herselfe in her cell, and in her senses, with those markes, which endu­red her from this good Friday, vntill the day of the Ascension, although she had thē not euery day, but only fridaies and saturdaies: Vpon the sonday, at the houre that our Lord arose, both the paines and the markes quite departed, without any more apparence re­maining of them, then if she neuer had thē. And being so humble as she was, with much humilitie, and teares of deuotion, she praied her most holy espouse, he would not permit that so pretious and rich Iewells, should be emploied vpon a creature so vile as shee; be­seeching his diuine maiestie, he would take them away, for it seemed to her a thing of [Page 162] little securitie, to expose to the sight of o­thers eyes, those singular fauoures which God had done her. This she demanded with such teares, with such gronings & anxietie, as she obtained what she desired, in such mā ­ner, that the very day of the Ascension of our Lord to heauen, our Lord tooke from her these sacred signes; hauing first said to her: Thou importunest me that I take away that pretious gift which I gaue vnto thee, & I will do it: but being thou wilt not suffer my roses, I will giue thee my thornes, and a thing that shall grieue thee more. And our Lord fulfilling his worde, tooke from her these signes, and gaue her to feele the do­loures of his passion in all the partes of her body, much more painfull then before; For although from the seauen, or eight yeares of her age, our Lord had giuen her to feele them, yet they had not beene so painfull to her as they were from this day forward, as the reuelations following do declare.

4. Being eleuated in spirite by her good Angell, in that place where he was wont to place her, on friday the twentie two of Iune before the day breake, our Lord represented vnto her all the misteries of his sacred pas­sion, so liuely, to her seeming, as if she had [Page 631] seene them on the mount of Caluarie at the foote of the Crosse, when Christ did suffer them. His maiestie also shewed her in a great field, the martyrdome of Saint Acatius, and his ten thousand companions, how they were crucified, and how our Lord from his owne Crosse did animate thē, saying: Couragious my frendes, behold me crucified, and dead for you. She seing all this, asked of her An­gell keeper, what it ment that Christ stood crucified, and so many other crucified with him; After that God made himselfe man (answered the Angell) he hath many compa­nions, and thou also must be one, and parta­ker of the doloures of his passion, and of his Crosse, for so his maiestie will haue it. And that thou mightest see his sacred passion, & the passions of so many of his seruants cru­cified with him, I brought thee to this place. And our Lord looking vpon her, saide: wilt thou daughter tast of this fruit? Lord (an­sweared she) I will whatsoeuer thy maiestie will; and his maiestie embracing her, left her the doloures of his sacred passion, and so li­uely a feeling of them all, as the virgin saide, that it seemed to her that they had driuen burning nailes, through all the partes of her body, and that she heard a great noyse, as if [Page 164] with yron hammers they did driue and enforce them into her flesh.

5. Another time being very sicke a bed, there appeared to her our holy Father S. Francis (vpon his owne feast) glorious and bright, accompa­nied with many Saintes, whō she both sawe, & spake vnto. The Seraphicall Father gaue her his benediction, and the blessed virgin with much humilitie and loue (hauing receiued it) asked it for all the freers and nonnes of his order, and in especiall for those of that holy conuent, besee­ching he would giue them all his blessing: The holy Father did so, and taking his leaue of her, because she was prostrate at his sacred feet, she kissed them, and he againe kist her head, saying [...] my daughter I will kisse the doloures of my Lord Iesus Christ, which by his mercy the di­uine maiestie hath placed in thee.

6. At the beginning of her great infirmities, her doloures being most grieuous, it happened her with the force of them to bee two or three daies without rapte (a thing which was very newe vnto her) and attributing it to her sinnes, she thought that God for them handled her as his enemie. Thinking vpon this, her good An­gell appeared to her, and sayde: harken and heare for our Lord will speake to thee, and remember what he shall say vnto thee. Forthwith our [Page 165] Lord Iesus Christ, appeared in a throne of Ma­iestie, accompanied with many Angells, and speaking to her with most sweet and amorous wordes, he said: what doest thou, daughter, on this bedd? shee answered (delighting her selfe with him hauing first adored him) ô my Lord, how do I suffer so many doloures, and yet thy maiestie doth not helpe me, neither doth my soule enioy thy soueraigne cherishings, as it was wont? our pious Lord answered; It is not much that thou suffer doloures and infirmities seeing thou art my espouse, and hast also chosen me for thine, for I, in the time of my passion, was a man of doloures. It is but iust, that who lo­ueth truly, do partake of the doloures of the be­loued. A great fauour and grace is this for me, replied the virgin: but how ô Lord do I find my selfe so luke-warme as I am in thy loue, & why commandest thou not my Angell keeper, to comfort me so oft as hee was wont? sweet hart, said our Lord, where I am, there is comfort and beatitude, and so, although thou be in this bedd, this is thy heauen, for I am with thee here. This saide, our Lord disappeared, leauing her much comforted, although something con­founded, not knowing whether shee had seene this vision with the eies of her soule, or of her body: but alwaies shee knew most certainly, [Page 166] that it was her redeemer who had appeared, and spoken to her, and to take from her this doubt he appeared to her the second time, as shee her­selfe told it. Then she remained not only satis­fied, but much strengthened, and with newe courage to suffer the trauailes and paines of all the world for his loue.

7. Although our Lord so much cherished his espouse, and had adorned her with the signes of his sacred passion, yet he still kept her deafe, which was in part the cause that she liued in so great sinceritie as she had bene a childe of a yeare old, the which was a great discommodi­tie, not only for the religious of the howse, but also for other persons abroad, which came to communicate with her, and to confort them selues, who hartely prayed our Lord he would restore her her hearing, for the want they had thereof. The diuine maiestie heard their praiers, appearing to his espouse on the day of S. Clare (it being six moneths that he had kept her deaf) wherupon she made a maruellous sermō in pre­sence of many people, and declaring most great misteries, she saide, that he had made her deafe for that she should haue her senses and thoughts more recollected vpon the diuine maiestie, and on no other thing of the earth, and that now it had pleased him to heale her. And ending the [Page 167] sermon before she came vnto her senses, the glo­rious S. Peter appeared to her, and putting his fingers into her eares, and making vpon her the signe of the Crosse, he restored her her hearing, and shee remained sound, the religious giuing much thancks to God for so remarkable a far­uour.

THE XVII. CHAPTER.
Of the great deuotion, and compassion, which the blessed Ioane had of the soules in purga­torie, and of the efficacie of her prayers to our Lord for to de­liuer them from the paines which they suffer­red.

1 THis holy virgin being Abbesse, with the desire she had to exercise her religious in the feare of God, she told them many things of those which his maiestie reuealed to her, con­cerning his rigorous iudgement, the paines of Purgatorie, and of hell. But it hath seemed con­uenient to leaue to relate many of them, for al­though they be very conforme to the doctrine of the Saints, and to a great multitude of exam­ples which are found in their bookes, yet are [Page 168] they not written in the vulgar tongue, nor may goe in all mens hands without speciall declara­tion. That which in rigour is deliuered in such like cases, is better explicated in tearmes pro­per to the schooles, then to be vsed in such a booke as this, which is written that it may goe in the hands of all, of which many will find a rocke of scandall, in that which well and piously vnderstood, is of much edification; as the glorious Saint Gregorie, and other holy do­ctors rightly iudged, who of these matters and apparitions of the soules, and speciall places where they purged their faultes, and of that which had passed with them in diuine iudgmēt, set downe so many reuelations, made, not only to them, but to persons so vnequall in sanctitie and credit to the blessed Ioane, that they were holden for grieuous sinners, and God our Lord did them this great fauour to reueale them these like things; that taking heed by others mens harmes, they might feare the rigour of his iu­stice, and haue confidence in his diuine mer­cy.

2. With the same desire this blessed Ab­besse in the chapters and speaches which she made to her religious, did exhort them, recoun­ting them many reuelations which she had had of God, and with notable spirite, saide as fol­loweth [Page 169] when she related them: Thincke not si­sters, that the paines of hell, and Purgatorie are but little, for by only thinking on that which our Lord doth shew me sometimes my flesh trē ­bleth, and I am driuen euen to the very straites of death. She further recounted what passed with a soule, when it was taken out of the bo­dy, aswell with the supreame iudge as with, the Angell keeper of the same: and in especiall when it heard the terrible sentence of euerlasting glory or paine. And although of these things the bookes of the Saints be full, and of these appari­tions of Christ our Lord in the particular iudge­ment of euery one (which are to be vnderstood, not according to his reall presence, but accor­ding to his efficacie and virtue) they are not written here, not to giue occasion of erring. For the greater declaration therfore of some things heere related, of many which are found in the booke of the life of this seruant of God, it see­med conuenient to note some of them, not be­cause that which I shall note, is not most eui­dently knowen to the learned, and to many of those which haue not studied, for as much as they are found in euery manuall, but because none may haue occasion of errour.

3. I say then first, that in the houre of death, euery one heareth his sentence of condemnation [Page 170] or libertie, according as is gathered out of many places of the sacred scripture, and out of the holy Fathers, as appeareth in Ecclesiasticus, in S. Mathew, and in S. Luce: S. Augustine also af­firmeth as much, together with Saint Hierom, and Saint Bonauenture: although concerning the manner, and how it ought to be vnder­stood, there be diuers opinions; whereupon Pope Innocent the third wrote at large in his second booke: and Landulphus the Carthusian in the fourty six chapter of the third tome. Who all relate some cases very like to those which befell to the B. Ioane. But where it is said, that euery one heareth this sentence of Christ our Lord, it ought to bee vnderstood as is alreadie saide, not according to his reall presence, but ac­cording to his efficacie. (Eccl. 11. Matth. 10. & 22. Luc. 16. D. Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 20. cap. 1. & de anima & eius origine lib. 2. cap. 4. S. Hierom. in Ioel. cap. 2. S. Bonauent. lib. 4. sent. dist. 20. 1. p. q. 5.)

4. The second, that as little improprietie it hath to say with the same declaration, that the glorious Archangell S. Michaell doth iudge in particular the soules after they are gone out of the bodies, as the Church singeth, when in his office she saith to God, that he constituteth him prince ouer all soules: and the same she reprea­teth in the prose of the Masse of the dead. (Con­stitui [Page 171] te principem super omnes animas suscipiendas. Signifer sanctus Michael, representes eas in Lucem Sanctam.)

5. The third and most principall which we haue in this matter, is, that the Saints speake therin after two manners: the one according to the Common Lawe, which is that ordinarilie is executed: and the other according to particu­lar cases which God reuealeth to them. In con­sequence whereof, it is so, that there is a com­mon place which is called Purgatorie, where re­gularly the soules are purged with paine corres­pondent to the faultes which they committed, and satisfied not in their life time: and there are also particular places, where God ordeyneth that they satisfie, as teacheth S. Thomas with all the Doctors, in especiall S. Gregorie. (S. Tho. in 4. D. 21. q. 1. a. 1. ad 3. S. Bonau. in 4. D. 20. 1. p. q. 6. S. Antonin 3. p. hist. tit. 33. §. 3. S. Greg. lib. 4. Dialog. cap. 40. and 55.)

6. Likewise the common opinion is, that in Purgatorie neither the Angells, nor the diuels doe torment the soules, but only the diuine iu­stice by meanes of the fire of Purgatorie, as teach S. Thomas, and Scotus, with all schoole diui­nes. Yet for all this it is no lesse manifest & cer­taine, that sometimes the diuells do torment the soules in Purgatorie, as appeareth by a reu [...] ­lation [Page 172] made to saint Bernard, and is related in the 23. chapter of the first booke of his life: and of other reuelations venerable Bead, and Dio­nysius Carthufianus, and the maister of sentēces with many others doe make mention. (S. Thom. lib. 2. sent. D. 6. a. 6. ad. 3. and lib. 4. D. 20. a. 5. Scotus 4. sent. D. 44. q. 3. Beda lib. 3. hist. Angliae cap. 19.)

7. The fourth thing, that concerneth the terriblenesse and duration, of the paines of Pur­gatorie, and the great valour of the suffrages of the Church, and intercession of the iust, we find in many of the Saints bookes some things very great and of greater note, then that which hath beene reuealed to this B. virgin. Saint Thomas pondereth the greatnesse of the paines, and saint Vincent Ferer affirmeth, that a soule was suffe­ring these most grieuous paines a yeare for one veniall sinne: and to the same it was reuealed, that his Sister Francis Ferrer, was in Purgatorie condemned to the paines therof vntill the end of the world; from which within fewe dayes she was free, by the prayers and masses of her holy Brother. (Dionysius Carthus. de iudicio par­ticulari. Magist. senten. lib. 4. D. 44. S. Thom. 3. p. q. 46. a. 6, & 3. sent. D. 15 q. 2. a. 3. S. Vincent. serm. de aqua benedicta & in vita eius).

8. Cesarius in his Dialogues recounteth of an other soule which was condemned to pur­gatorie [Page 173] for two thousād yeares, Iohn Heralt in his fortie first sermon of the deceased soules, doth say, that some soules haue beene condemned for one thousand yeares. And in his examples he recounteth of a religious, which was condemned to the paines of Pur­gatorie, vntill the day of iudgement, be­cause he accomplished his penances coldly and slackly. And Saint Bede, Richard de S. Victore, and Belarmine affirme the same of others. (Beda hist. Angliae lib. 5. cap. 3. Belarm. tom. 1. de Purgatorio libro 2.) And although other authors do limit this very much, iudging that at most a soule may be in Purgatorie for the space of ten yeares, yet they deserue not so rigorous cēsure as those who impugne it, affirming it contrarie to the doctrine of the Saints, for the one part speaketh, accor­ding to the iust condemnation, in respect of the faultes, and the other of that which see­meth to them, in respect of the many suffra­ges of the Church, which continually are made for the soules in Purgatorie.

9. This supposed, the holy Abbesse per­swaded her nonnes much to feare the paines of Purgatorie, and to be very deuote to the Archangell Saint Michaell, whom in spirite she had seene i [...]dge the soules: and that whē [Page 174] he condēned any soule to hell,We paint the Archangell Saint Michaell with a waieght and a sword in his hand, declaring by this painting the power wherwith he iudgeth pō ­dereth and measureth the merites and demerites of the soules. Iohannes Mo­lanus in historia sanctar, imaginum lib. 2. cap. 28. Viegas in Apocalypsim cap. 12. tom. 1. sect. 17. num. 5. & sect. 18. num. 7. Iohan. Eckius homil. 8. de sancto Michaele. other Angells did singe. O Lord of maiestie, how full of mercy is thy iustice, we blesse and adore thee for it: and that they cursed the soules con­demned to hell, & that others were the exe­cutors of the diuine iu­stice vpon those which went to Purgatorie, as S. Hierom, and S. Au­gustine doe affirme (S. Hier. in Dani. cap. 7. S. Aug. de ciuit. Dei lib. 9. cap. 5.) She saide also that the Angells keepers carry the soules to Purga­torie, and comfort them, as the Saints do say, to many of whom our Lord hath permitted, that soules which were in paine should appeare, (S. Bonauen. lib. 4. sent. dist. 2. in 1. p. q. 5.) that in their praiers they might be commended, and that others in spirite might see Purgatorie, and the rigorous paines which in so many manners the soules did there suffer; (S. Thom. ibi. dist. 21. q. 1. a. 1. that they might recount them to the li­uing: and taking pitty vpon them, they might [Page 175] beware by others harmes. The same happened to the B. Ioane many times: and among others being sacristian, and ringing one night to mar­tines, she heard very sorrowfull grones as of some person that bewailed: and asking of her Angell keeper, what voices those were, he saide; They are of a soule, in great necessitie, which by the licence of God, commeth to commend it selfe by thy prayers. This was the soule of a great Lady of Castile (who died a little before) which said to B. Ioane, that in as much as her paines were most grieuous, she entreated her she would cōmend her to God, and also to pray her mother, to helpe her with certaine almes & masses: of these cases many happened to her, and she said, that she sawe in purgatorie certaine places darke, most fearfull and filthie, and the diuells which very cruellie tormented some soules, to the which for euery fault they gaue different paines, and that the soules gaue many grones, saying: woe to vs, which had time to serue God, and did not do it; now we are tor­mented, and contrition auaileth vs not, nor re­pentance.

10. I sawe by the will of God (said she on a time to her religious) the soule of a certaine Prelate in purgatorie, which suffered much paine: and I demanding the cause therof of my [Page 176] holy Angell, he saide to me, that that soule was of a prelate, which for hauing beene carelesse of the soules of his subiects, suffered great paines for the faultes he did in the seruice of God, and for those which his subiects did by his occasion and euill example.

11. This blessed woman knewe that a cer­taine Ecclesiasticall person (of whom herselfe had receiued particular aggrieuances) of much authoritie, was dead. And as she was a friend of doing good for euill, she did not cease to pray to God to haue mercie of his soule: making ther­fore her prayer for him, he appeared to her one night in a figure very fearfull & filthie. He bare in his mouth a gagge, & his cloathing was very miserable and poore: he went vpon his hand [...] and feet like a beast, & being he could not make his complaint, he roared like a Bull, and he car­ried about him all the sinnes which he had com­mitted against God, and some soules which by his euill example, had beene condemned, were put to paines vpon his backe: he carried also vpō him, a great troupe of diuells on horsbacke, which cast in his teeth his sinnes, and gaue him many blowes and buffets: and taking the gagge out of his mouth, they put in it a hallow trūck, by the which issued a voice so terrible, that at the only hearing of it, the B. Ioane was excee­ding [Page 177] sorowfull, although much more for that she knewe not if his paines were of Purgatorie or of hell: which desirous to knowe, she asked it of her Angell keeper: who answeared her; God in time will reueale it to thee. And so per­seuering in her prayer, she praied our Lord he would take pitty, of the paines of that soule, and remember some good worckes which it had done in this life; But not knowing any other which in particular she might alleadge in his fa­uour, she saide: Lord I knowe that this man was so deuout to a Saint, that being in this life he caused his image to bee painted, and had much deuotion to it, for the which I beseech thy maiestie, that taking pitty vpon his soule, thou wilt deliuer it from the paines which it suffereth.

12. So long she perseuered in praier to God for this soule, that some daies being passed ouer, she sawe enter in at the doore of her cell, a most fierce bull which bare betweene his hornes the image of the Saint, which that man had cau­sed to be painted, and he came along by it, as it were helping him selfe by the image: & looking toward the seruant of our Lord, said: I am such an one, for whom thou so much hast praied, & for thy merites, God hath done me great mercy and gaue me this image for my comforte and [Page 178] defense, which is the same that I caused to be painted of the Saint to which I was deuout, the which doth much help me in this labour: our Lord lighten thy paines, christian soule, said the seruant of God, for thou hast cōforted me suffi­ciently, by reason I desired so much to know, if thou wert in the way of saluation, for the other time when I sawe thee, thou camest in such tor­me [...]s as I could not discerne it. Be not amazed (answeared the soule) for my paines haue beene very great: and if I had none other but those of this oxe on which I goe, they were most grie­uous, for on him I haue the paine of thirst, hun­ger, fire, and cold. And this saide he asked her pardon of many aggreuances which in this life he had done her, and saide: that the deuotion which some time he had had to her, holpe him much: and with this he vanished. Whom she neuer left to pray to God for, visiting him, and comforting him in purgatorie, vntill our Lord by her prayers tooke him from those paines.

13.The paines of purgatorie are such, as they surpasse & exceed all the tormēts which can be suffered in this life S. Tho. 3. p. q. 46. a. 6. & lib. 3. sent. d. 15. q. 1. a. 3. & our Lord reuea­leth it to his seruants, that they may know th [...] great rigour of his iu­stice, when one idle word, and whatsoeuer negli­gence in his seruice, how little soeuer, he chastiseth so rigorously. And that people may learne to walke with a thousand eyes in the seruice of God, not so much to fly these paines, as to see how much his maiestie is offended with the faultes which so rigorously he chastiseth. For according to S. Vin­cent Ferrer, a soule was a whole yeare in purga­torie, suffering these most rigorous paines, for one only veniall sinne. In ser­mone de aqua benedicta littera. G. and certainly this example alone might suffice with people, that euerie one procure to con­forme his life as he may liue with the faith which he professeth. The B. Ioane returned one time frō a rapte very sadd, and shedding so many tea­res, that the nonnes ta­king compassiō of her, praied her she would [Page 179] tell them the cause of her sadnesse. The holy virgin, to the end they might commend to God that soule (giuing a pitifull scrich) saide: Alas if people knewe what the soules suffer in the other life, they would not offēd God, nor would they com­mit so many sinnes as they doe: for those paines are fare greater, then all that in this world can be suffered, and then she recounted what she had seene, & neuer forsooke that soule, nor ceassed to pray to God for it, vn­till he tooke it out of the paines of Purgato­rie.

14. One day in Lent, this seruant of our Lord feeling great griefes and infirmities, [Page 180] other of the sicke reli­gious women went to comfort themselues with her, such I meane as were a recouering, and speaking with them, she was rapte, and returned from this rapte so merry that the nonnes which sawe her, asked her the cause of her extraordinarie mirth, and she to pleasure the sicke saide: I sawe the Queene of heauen, who with much glorie and maiestie ac­companied with many Angells, and with the glorious Saint Iohn Euangelist, and Lazarus, & his holy Sisters Martha and Marie came downe to Purgatorie: and passing by the place where I stood, the most Clement Lady looking vpon me, saide: sweet hart come thou with vs, and it pleased our Lord, through his great mercie, that at the same time our blessed Lady tooke a great number of soules out of Purgatorie, with the which she returned to heauen, and I remained so comforted heerwith, that all my doloures are turned into particular ioy and rest, when I see any soule goe out of Purgatorie: and for this my ioy is so great, as neither doe I know howe to speake it, nor is it in my power to dissemble it.

THE XVIII. CHAPTER.
Of the laboures and infirmities with which God proued his seruant with all, and of her great patience.

1 BY a reuelation made to this seruāt of our Lord, it was knowen, that God had cho­sen her to make her very like to his only begot­ten Sonne in laboures, persecutions, and dis­graces. And she desiring to haue in her soule all such Iewells which so much please God, asked of his maiestie in all her praiers, with much hu­militie & teares, that he would giue her paines, laboures, wearinesse and doloures to suffer for his loue. Our Lorde heard her praier, and gaue her them in so great plentie as she could desire, which manifested well the powerfull hand of him who gaue them, by the multitude which came vpon her, being tormented with very ex­cessiue doloures, which she had in her head, so great as there was no physitiā found, that could vnderstand what they were: and those daies that she had them, it was with such rigor, that she could nether eate, nor sleepe, nor get downe a draft of water, nor yet open her mouth to cō ­plaine. They endured her foureteene yeares, [Page 182] not continually, but at certaine times, sometimes euery fourteen [...] dayes; other times euery twenty daies, more or lesie, as our Lord was pleased: which euill vsed to take her sodainely, and so­dainely to leaue her againe.

2. To these so great doloures, were added also others of her stomache and liuer, with most grieuous vexations, and with so great sweate [...], that they changed her habit, her tunicke, & the cloathes of her bed, fiue or six times a day. These sweates were as cold as yee, and endured her twentie, and thirtie daies, without ceasing, and with so many doloures and euills, our Lord sent her others very great and more continuall; for her armes and handes, knees, legges, and feet were drawen together in such sort, as she could neuer more open them nor stretch them out, & with the great force of the paines, all her mem­bers were out of iointe: so that many of them remained, not only cripled, and lame, but also wrested, turned aside, and thrust out of their places: and in this sort and manner her bodie, is at this day, according as heereafter we shall de­clare.

3. The blessed Abbesse, finding herselfe one day much tired with the troope of laboures which attended her, and with much weakenesse of her infirmities, her corporall forces now fai­ling, [Page 183] and her griefes aboūding, lifted vp her eies to an image of the praier of our Lord in the gar­den, which she had by her at her beddes head: & sheding some teares, shee prayed our Lord to help her in the vexations, & laboures which she awayted. And being in this praier, she heard a voice which saide to her: our Lord is with thee, and will that thou suffer great doloures and an­guishes, & that the mēbers of thy body bee cri­pled, & broken as the corne is threshed & brokē on the floore, whē they thresh it out of the eare. And so was this seruant of our Lord made a see of griefe, and an abysse of reuelations.

4. The diuine maiestie willing, to manifest to the world the patience and sanctitie of his ser­uant, permitted to come vpon her a persecution which the diuell plotted, taking for instrument some of her owne religious: in the which the seruant of God shewed howe exercised shee was in patiēce, for one had no [...] need of no small portion to suffer such like tribulations, which although light and not of so great substance in themselues, yet are much felt, because of the offense of God in those that procure them: and in this was also ioyned very great ingratitude for so many benefits as the cōuēt had alwaies recei­ued of so inculpable a Prelate. The occasiō was, that the Lord Cardinall freer Francis Simenes [Page 184] hauing done a grace to the conuent, of be­stowing on it the benefice of Cubas, a certaine person which pretended therto, procured to ob­taine the same from Rome, at the death of him that had it in possession, and they counselled the seruant of God she should procure of his holi­nesse a perpetuall confirmation of that which the Cardinall had granted temporally. This was done by meanes of one deuout to the saide mo­nasterie, and the Bull was obtained, in virtue wherof at this day the nonnes possesse the afor­said benefice: in getting of which Bull, was spent some quantitie of money. The fact was this, and the circumstances which therin might be considered of so little cōsideration, as would hardly be thought, for they would haue done it without consulting with the Prelate, and to spend that money without her licence, or any religious contradicting it. And howsoeuer it bee, I found not in the bookes of the life of this seruant of God, more then this spoken of.

5. And yet on the other side, the successe was terrible. For first of all the Superior suspen­ded her, and after corrected her and depriued her of her office, and placed in it the vicaresse which had accused her: and being the seruant of God had such credit before, hereby occasion was giuen, that many spake diuersly of her, cal­ling [Page 185] in doubt the great maruailes which before were related of her, holding it morally impos­sible, that the religious which had great expe­rience of her, could doubt of her sancti [...]ie, and not doubting of her, could inuent such like per­secution against her: And aboue all, it made the case hard, that the superiour should take such a resolution against a person of such credite, for it was as much as to set a seale to a blancke, to the end that each one might put therin what pleased him. That which I belieue of the case is, that the superiour did it in policie, for to proue this seruant of God in all manners For wheras the thinges published of her, were so strange and admirable, and the diuell so subtill, it was not contrarie to prudence to refine her in all manners. But howsoeuer it was, God [...]rewe out of it much profit in fauour and praise of his seruant. For first of all was seene not only her patiēce, but the great quietude of her consciēce, in the equalitie and alacritie wherwith she bare this trauaile, iudging her selfe not only worthie of this, but also of many others greater. She shewed also her feruent charitie, in praying to God for her that persecuted her: for whom she obtained pardon of her faulte by the earnest praier she made: for our Lord chastising her with temporall paine, she died in the same office [Page 186] within short time of a great paine of the side. And acknowledging her faulte, she demanded publickely pardon of the seruant of God with great teares, and hauing receiued the Sacramēts, with great shewes of contrition, she gaue vp the Ghost, of which the nonnes admiring, were confirmed a new in the great good opinion which they had of their blessed Abbesse.

6. A little before this succeeded, on friday before the day breake, this seruant of our Lord sawe, (his maiestie shewing it her) hell open, & out of it ranne to her conuent infinite diuells in figures of diuerse sauage beastes. Wherupō with many teares she demāded aide of our Lord, that he would cast out of her monasterie that infer­nall rable. And the diuine maiestie hearing her, sent his Angells to expell the diuells, of which the seruant of God remaining much comforted on the one side, and timorous on the other, cal­led the nunnes together to chapter, and with many teares said vnto thē: O Sisters: how much change do I see this pallace of our B. Lady the virgin, for I was wont to see it full of Angells and nowe I see it full of diuells: my sinnes must needes be the cause of it, and not yours; let vs amend our liues and procure to exercise vs in true virtues, and in especiall in charitie, and hu­militie, which are those which the diuells do [Page 687] most of all feare.

7. At this same time, the seru [...]nt of God (compassed about with infirmities and tra­uailes) set her selfe in praier before an image of our Lords prayer in the garden, besee­ching our Lord to helpe, her seeing her weaknesse & the tumult of laboures which threatned her on euery side. Our Lord heard her praier, and for the greater comfort of his seruant, spake to her in the same image, with sadd and dolorous voice, saying: My celestiall Father, who would not reuoke the sentence of my death, although I praied, & wept, wil not that it be reuoked which hath beene giuen against thee, but that it be ri­gorously executed, that wearied euery way, thou maiest enioy the fruit of patience. And the seruant of God confident that our Lord who with one hand giueth laboures, with the other cōmunicateth aide for to drawe fruit out of them, as often as shee felte speciall fauoures of the holy spirite, praied to haue paines and trauaills to be mixed with them, as who so well vnderstood this to be the most secure way.

THE XIX. CHAPTER.
How the Angell keeper of the seruant of God, com­manded her to write the things which our Lord did reueale vnto her, and of her glorious death.

1 SO great is the charitie of God, and such his mercy, that seeldom times ho doth so speciall fauoures (as those which haue beene seene in this historie) to any one for himselfe alone, but by meanes therof to profit many others. And hence it is, that her Angell keeper so oftentimes commāded the seruant of God B. Ioane, to write the mer­cies and fauoures which God did to her. For she with womanly modestie, and through her great humilitie, was ashamed for to write them. Which not to do, nor prosecute, what was begunne, she proposed a thousand infirmities euery day, alleaging those of her little health, and her being so stiffe in the handes, as she could hardly write her name, as appeareth by some papers and writings found which she wrote while she was Abbes­se. Wherupon the Angell commanded her she should write no more with her owne [Page 189] hand, but that she should cause them to be written by the hand of another of the reli­gious, which was to her another labour, grea­ter then the former was; and therfore refu­sing it as much as she could, shee saide: Sir the fauoures which God hath done me (and the things which your beautie hath told me) haue beene all in secret, and writing them by another hand, they cannot choose but be published. And fearing it, and the iudge­ments of men, being so persecuted as she was, and as other religious of the conuent were also for her sake, she saide to the Angell: sir if hereupō there should befall some great euill to my sisters and to me, what should we doe? God hath care of them and of thee (saide the An [...]ell) feare not, but do that which I command thee, for our Lord who worketh these ma [...]uailes in thee, doth them for the good of many others, and will that they be written, and that there be made a memorie of them: and if not, the fauoures which hee doth thee shall cease, and thy doloures and persecutions shall be augmented more then thou artable to thincke.

2. She hearing this with humilitie and feare obeying the Angell, beganne to write by the hand of another religious, called si­ster [Page 190] Marie Euangelist, who according to the tradition of the conuent, and as is manifest by an information made with sworne witnes­ses, which knewe her and many times heard her say it: neither knewe how to reade, nor write, vntill our Lord miraculously granted her this grace to write the booke of the Carde (as aforsaide) and so she wrote with much certaintie, the life and miracles of this B. virgin. Those two bookes haue beene holden and are holden in the conuent as reliques of much esteeme, giuing help against tempe­stes, and thunders, and many infirmities. They are both very olde, and at this day liue three religious, which knewe her that wrote them, and heard her tell it many times, and they affirme that she was a nunne of good life very penitent and of much praier, & con­templation, and that after her death she ap­peared to another religious, in the Church, with much splendor, and with a booke of Gold in her hands open which was that shee wrote of the things of the glorious Ioane. The seruant of our Lord grieued much to see that the writing was neuer made an end of, and howe faire and softly the nunne pro­ceeded in her writing: wherfore a little be­fore the last infirmitie tooke her, of which [Page 191] she died, she praied her Angell keeper, he would be content with that was written, and not oblige her to more, he granted it her with good will, and saide: bid thy sister that her pen cease, and she write no more. With this licence of the Angell, the seruant of God hauing what she desired, was bold to say: sir if it should please the sisters, it would be to me much comfort, that what is writtē should be torne. God forgiue thy presump­tion (answered the Angell) and do by and by penance therof, for thou hast offended him with this euill thought: With this she tooke her leaue of her Angell, and bid the sister she should leaue wrighting.

3. To the many infirmities which she had, our Lord sent her the last, which was a sttōg euill of her vrine, whereby she was driuen to great straites, with most grieuous paines, and was fifteene daies together without paying to nature her accustomed tribute. And although in all her infirmities she had marueilous patience, in this which was the last, she had a thousand times more and ex­ceeded euen her selfe: she had in the same exceeding raptes, and most familiar collo­quies with her Angell keeper. And as the Swanne towards her death, singeth most [Page 192] sweetly and melodiously: so this soueraigne Swanne by how much more her desired and happy end approached, with so much more sweetnesse, she song, discouering with accēts frō aboue, the fire of the diuine loue, which did burne within her breast. And although in her infirmities she neuer consented that the ph [...]si [...]ians should cure her, in this last she did admit them, at the instance and de­uotion of some Ladies which entreated her she would be cured, and sent to her their owne physitians: who seing that the infirmi­tie so much encreased, and her weakenesse with all, despaired of her at the first time of their visite. But she as a most prudent vir­gin, and well experimented in the things of her soule, before she came to this point, re­ceiued her viaticum and extreame vnction.

4. Three daies before her death, being in a ra [...]te▪ which dured her two howers, she [...]we the Apostles S. Philipp and Iacob, and her Angell keeper, who bid her conforme herselfe to the will of God, and pray him to confirme his sentence, for that he had giuen it three times & as many times had reuoked it at the instance of other persons which had prayed for her.There is no change in God, for as the first being infinite, and most simple, that which once he wil­leth, and can neuer leaue to will it. S. Th. 1. p. q. 9. a. 1. and so all that God willeth efficaciously is done, but not that which he willeth with the will which diuines do call, in signe, which is not ab­solute, but condition ally: and this is that which is not alwaies fulfilled. S. Tho. 1. p. q. 19. a. 11. and 12. and q. 23. a. 5. and lib. 4. D. 45. a. 4. and D. 47. a. 2. and, de veritate q. 6. and q. 23, Then the blessed mayde [Page 193] praied the holy Apo­stles (whom she had present) with much instance, that they would aske of our Lord, not to reuoke his sentēce: and they promised her so to do. And the next day when the physitian came to visite her, she entreated him to take no more paines about her, for the will of our Lord was, that she should die of that infirmitie. This was by and by knowen in Madrid, and Toledo: and some Ladies, with licence which they had for to enter in to the conuent, desirous to be at the death of the seruant of our Lord, came frō diuers partes & in especiall the Lady Isabell de Mendoza, wife to Don Gonzalo Chacon, Lord of the towne of Casarrubios: who was one of the first, and deserued to be present at the mar­uailles which our Lord wrought at the passa­ge of his blessed espouse, so full of fauoures, [Page 194] and cherinshings from heauen, as it seemeth the diuine maiestie would seale vp in her death, the great fauoures which he had done in the course of her life.

5. First of all, on friday the first of May, the day of the Apostles Saint Philipp, and Ia­cob, the seruāt of God being in her senses, sawe with her bodilie eies certaine visions, of the which she would tell none, although the reli­gious did entreat it of her. The night of the same day, she gaue a great cry, saying. Wo is me! how carelesse haue I beene! And that night she was many times rapte, and entring into the a­gonie of death she entred into the last battaile with the enemie of mankind, as another S. Hi­larion (according as they sawe and vnderstood who were present, and as was manifest by those things which she saide) for sometimes she held her peace, other times she answeared; and as if she had spoken with another person, she saide: O what a cruell sword! hold him, hold him, let him not kill me with it. And a little while after, she saide: Call her to me, call her to me, she goeth away. And asking her whom she would they shold call. She answeared, the blessed Saint Magdalen. Then she rested a little, & after with much affectiō saide. Let vs goe mother of God, mother of God let vs goe, for it is late. After all [Page 195] this she saide with notable hart and courage, cast him hence, cast him hence.

6. It hapned that in this battell and con­flict, the Saints left her (our Lord permitting it) that alone she might ouercome in death, him whom so often she had ouercome in life. All the time that this cōbate dured (which was a great while) she lamented much, saying: Oh in what an ill time hast thou left me! and after she saide? Lord hast thou left me alone? goe to, cast hence this diuell, for he hath no part in me, euill goe with him. And turning to the religious, she sai­de: Sisters l [...]fte me from hence, I will giue my soule to my Creator: and a little after as speaking with other persons she beganne to say: seeke me him out, seeke me my Lord Iesus Christ. Let him find me and I will finde him. Wherfore haue you carried him from me? let me alone, I will goe to see him, although I am all disioynted. The religious asked her whom she would they should seeke? and shee saide▪ my Lord; Why where shall we find him, mother? In the garden answered the blessed maide, and as it were com­plaining for griefe, with a great sighe she saide: Ah mother of God? Iesus, what crueltie, what crueltie my Lord, let thy mercy exceed thy iu­stice. Iesus, what anguish, and turning her face to the religious, much afflicted she saide: help [Page 196] me to pray. And stopped with the word in her mouth, the nonnes much afflicted saide: what will you mother that wee help you to pray for? she answeared: that mercy may exceed iustice. After this very merrie, she beganne to say: let vs goe: O at what a point! O at what a point! and this she repeated many times.

7. The physitian who assisted at her beddes head, seing these thinges, saide: happie mona­sterie, which sendest such a soule to heauen, where she will do thee more fauours, thē hauing her vpon the earth. And the Saint answeared; it may bee, and with all this she had beene foure howers without pulse, and three daies without eating. Then lifting vp her voice, againe she saide: my frendes carrie me away, carrie me by and by. They asked her with whom she spake, and she answered: with the Saints and virgins. They saide to her▪ why with whom will you go mother? wi [...] Iesus Christ my true spouse (answered she) wherfore do you hide (said she) my Lord from me, and my Lady? the reli­gious hearing this, shewed her an image of our B. Lady, and adoring it she saide: it is not this, bring me againe, bring me againe my Queene and Lady. And asking her if the mother of God were there, she saide: yea and my Angells, and my Saints; and she saide: let vs goe my Lady, [Page 197] let vs goe. And by and by she saide againe with most great alacritie: make him place here at my side iust by me. And a little after she saide with great reuerence: O my Father! And the religious thought she spake to her Father Saint Francis. And although they had beene wearied with the sick partie all the saturday night, yet it seemed not a moment to them: and the holy morning of the sunday comming, she saide: why then sweet Iesus, let vs goe hence my Lord, let vs goe quickly, let vs goe my redemer. Then the religious seeing their comfort was going away, and their sunne setting, made processions praiers, and disciplines, praying God he would not de­priue them of so great a good, but giue health to their B. Mother. All of them kissed her hand, and she blessed the present and absent, and all that were deuoted to her. And againe she saide: let vs goe Lord, my Redemer, let vs goe from hence: they asked her if our Lord were there, she saide, yea, and also his most holy mother.

8. On the saturday morning came the phy­sitian, and saide to the sicke partie: it seemeth to me mother, that you are going from vs to heauen; tell vs who accompanieth you in the way. My Lady the virgin Marie, and my An­gell keeper, and my Angells and my Saints, an­swered shee: and her face by and by became so [Page 198] faire and so resplendent, as when she was wont to be in raptes, and hauing had till that time a very vnsauorie breath, caused by her infirmitie, from that time so much sweetnesse and fragran­cie came out of her mouth, as it seemed some heauenlie thing. And a little while after, with newe feruour and spirit, as if she spake with o­ther persons she saide; happy tydings, salute me with happy tydings. And this she saide with such alacritie, that those which stood there, iud­ged that her celestiall spouse adorned now that holy soule, with the Iewells of her espousall. The blessed maide remained full of that sweet smell, and her face most resplendent, and her lippes, carnatiō redd as corall, with such quiet, and alacritie as was admirable. And so she re­mained not speaking a word from saturday vn­till sunday after euensong, the day of the Inuen­tion of the Crosse, on which she was borne, tooke the habit, & was professed. On this happy day at six of clocke in the euening, reading the passion, with extraordinarie ioye, she gaue vp her soule to her celestiall spouse, in the yeare of our Lord one thousād fiue hūdred thirtie foure, at fiftie and three yeares of her age, & at fourtie of her conuersion to the order.

9. Those that stood about her remained with much maruaile at the peace, quietude and ala­critie [Page 199] with which she rendred vp her soule to her Creator; the rather for hauing vnderstood by her wordes, the great force of her doloures, which at that time her many infirmities caused her, and the strong conflict which she had with the diuell (a thing which our Lord permitted to happen, to other Saints, as to Saint Martin, Saint Hilarion, &c.) that they should see so great noueltie for many houres before her blessed pas­sage; when she that before so much complained, stood so quiet, and the afflicted so merry, and ioyfull: and that which more is, the euill smell of her breath changed into most sweet sauour. And although they attribute this to the diuine reuelations & the presence of the Saints, which she saide came to help her, neuerthelesse after­ward, another cause of these maruailes was knowen, by testimonie of another gr [...]t seruant of God, called Marie of Saint Iohn, who at the same time was religious in the conuent of the Conception in the Citty of Almeria, very like in virtue and sanctitie to our glorious Ioane, and both of them so great frendes, that being so farre a sunder they communed together many times in spirite. And the proofe which for some of these cases was had, doth add more credit to that which this seruant of God testified of the glory, of the blessed Ioane, the which was this; [Page 200] Foure daies after her death, she appeared to her, compassed about with certaine Saints, and An­gells: and all admiring, she asked of her Angell keeper, how it came that the mother Sister Ioane of the Crosse, appeared to her so much al­tered, and in so different figure to that which at other times she hath done, & placed in so highe degrees of glory? The Angell answeared her, that nowe the was losed from the bondes of the flesh: and the blessed soule bowing downe, they embraced one another, and this seruant of God saide to her: how now sister, thus without me? yea sister answered shee, for the will of the po­werfull God was accomplished, and it is now foure daies since I departed this mortall life, where I had my Purgatorie, and two daies be­fore I expired, my soule beganne to feele the ioye of the eternall blisse; although to the eies of the people, it seemed that I was touched with the paines of the passage of death. When notice was had of this reuelation, the cause was better vnderstood of the saide change in the seruant of God, so many houres before her passage.

THE XX. CHAPTER.
Of some miracles which our Lord wrought by the merits of the glorious Ioane by and by after her departure: and of the incor­ruptibilitie and translation of her body.

1 SO soone as the B. Ioane was departed out of this life, they treated of giuing sepulture to her B. body, yet because the concourse and deuotion of the people was so great, and the in­stance so much which they made to see her, the religious of the order, who assisted at her bu­riall ordained, to giue satisfaction to all, that her body should be brought in procession out of the monasterie. A cripple comming to touch the holy body, kissing the habit remained sound, & left two crouches with which he wēt. Likewise a sicke religious which had a very great swel­ling, and many paines, touching the dead body, was healed. The same succeeded to another man, who had a great paine in his teeth. The procession in which they carried the holy body to the sepulture, returning to the conuent, they found messingers with letters from great per­sons, who demanded to haue the buriall differ­red [Page 202] vntill they should come, for they were nowe in the way. And so they detained her fiue daies vnburied; that most sweet odor of which we haue spoken, alwaies proceeding from the dead body.

2. The people that came from Madrid, from Toledo, as also from diuers other places were so many, that they couered the fieldes, for which cause, and for to auoide the disturbance, which was great, they determined to commit that pre­tious treasure to the earth, burying her without coffin, or any thing else of defence that might conserue her entire: but rather after they had couered her with earth, they cast a great quanti­tie of water vpon the sepulture, as ordinarily the custome is. And although it seemeth to haue beene want of consideration, and a kinde of ru­denesse, hauing experienced so great maruaills, it was surely a particular instinct of God, that so much the better his power might be manifested, in that which afterward was seene when the ho­ly body was translated; which hauing beene vnder ground seauen yeares, at the end wherof, very graue Ladies which had beene deuoted to the seruant of God, making great instance, and inespeciall the Lady Dōna Isabell de Mendoça, the wife of Don Gonzalo Chacon, Lord of the towne of Casarrubios of the hill, consultation [Page 203] was held of placing the bones of the glorious Ioane in a more decent place, (whose sancti­tie and miracles were so notorious) wherupō there was made an arche at the right side of the high altar, in the wall which diuideth the chancell from the cloister of the mona­sterie, where a hollowe hole was left, of two yardes in a highe place and eminent, wherin might be contained a gilden chest, which the saide Lady Isabell had commanded to be made, with two strong grates, one of the side of the chapell, and another of the side of the cloister, that without perill, as well the religious, as the seculars, might enioy of the reliques of the seruant of God.

3. This done, the sepulture was opened, making accoumpt that the body was now resolued into ashes: which yet was found so entire, so fresh, & with so sweete a sauour, as when it was first buried. All being amased at the sight, their deuotion encreased, and the habit wherwith she had beene enterred, was deuided into reliques, and they vested her with another of sad colored damask. And laying her in the saide chest, with great veneration, it was put in the place aboue mentioned, with the grates of yron very strong and guilded, and a lampe of siluer [Page 204] which burneth before the holy body: where it is much worshipped, not only of the peo­ple of the countrey, but of many others also who come to visite it, from very remote and farre places performing there their nouenas. On the day that this blessed woman dyed, the towne of Cubas celebrateth her feast, with great deuotion, and goeth in processiō to the monasterie, with other of the adioy­ning townes, and highe masse is sunge be­fore the body, on a portatible altar, which to this effect is set vp. The excellencies of the seruant of God are preached, and the towne giueth bread, and wine, and cheese, to innumerable people which repaire thither against that day. And the deuotion encrea­sing in the people, through particular bene­fits which they haue receiued of the seruant of God, they haue offered to her nine lam­pes of siluer, which burne day and night be­fore her body, wherwith she is had in great veneration.

4. Since the saide translation, it is not knowen that the chest hath beene opened, vntill the yeare one thousand fiue hundred fiftie two. Which appeareth by a testimonie sealed and signed of Iohn de Villores, pu­blique scriuener of his maiestie, testifieng, [Page 205] how on the 14. day of the moneth of Sep­tember in the saide yeare, on the day of the Exaltation of the holy Crosse, a deuout pro­cession hauing bene made by the nonnes of the monasterie, there being present for wit­nesses the Lordes, Don Bernardino de Men­doza, and Toledo, and the Lady Marie de Pisa, his wife, Lordes of the towne of Cu­bas, and [...]rinnon; And Don Alonso de Mendoza his Sonne, and the Lord Don Iohn Pachieco, brother of the Lord Don A­lonso Thellez, Lord of the towne of the Puebla de Montaluan, and the Lady Don­na Leonor Chacon, wife to the Lord Don Iohn Pacheco, which had beene Lord of the said Puebla de Montaluan, and the Lady Donna Isabell de Mendoza, wife of Don Consalo Chacon, Lord of the towne of Ca­sarrubios, with infinite other people. Be­fore whom was discouered the body of the blessed Sister Ioane of the Crosse; and the saide scriuener affirmeth, that it was enti­re, retayning still a most sweet odor, and such disposition through all, as caused in the beholders notable admiration.

5. And although the saide testimonies be of sufficient authoritie, to prooue our in­tent, albeit the holy body had beene af­terward [Page 206] dissolued, as it hath succeeded in the bodies of other Saintes, which for some time our Lord conserued without corruption mira­culously, and afterward were dissolued, yet to proue the incorruptibilitie of the body of this seruant of God, there is little necessitie of an­cient testimonies, for all ceasseth with the eui­dence which at this day we haue before our eies. When being eightie yeares since she died it lieth with the same integritie freshnesse and fairenesse, with which they found it when it was translated after it had lyen in the bare earth seauen yeares together. The first time that in these daies it was discouered, certaine things succeeded worthie of memorie, which I will relate, because they are very graue persons and all aliue, which were then present.

6. In the beginning of the yeare 1601. came to Madrid the most reuerend Father freer Francis de Sosa, the first time after he had beene chosen minister generall of our sacred Religion, hauing beene there some daies, he departed to­ward Toledo, with determination to dine at Grinnon, and to take his rest in the conuent of Oliua, and the next day to come to Toledo. Departing out of Grinnon, immediatly after dinner, because it was cloudie, hauing gone a little more then a quarter of a league, the clou­des [Page 207] were dispersed, and the sunne scorched, and therfore their iourney being short, he would returne to Grinnon. And the Father freer Peter Gonzales de Mendoza, who this day is the most worthie Archbishopp of Grannada, and then was Prouinciall & went in companie of the saide Father Generall, tould him, that it would be better to goe to the conuent of the Crosse, which was a­bout the same distance, and he should see that monasterie, before the setting of the Sunne. They did so, and after that Father generall had beene receiued with the accu­stomed ceremonie of bringing him to the quire in procession, and the religious had taken his benediction, and he hauing made them a spirituall exhortation, as the custo­me is, he went to the infirmarie, where the­re was a very ancient religious woman, who had beene at the last translation of the body of the blessed sister Ioane of the Crosse; The Father talked with her a good while, of thinges concerning the blessed, Saint, and where her body was, vntill it was time to de­parte.

7. Passing along the cloister, where the window was which goeth to the saide sepul­ture, by chance Father Generall saide, that [Page 208] hee could be glad it were not so late, that he might call wo [...]ckmen to open the grate, and take downe the chest, to see that which the ancient nonne had related to him. And such was the instance, which aswell the religious which accompanied Father Generall, as the nonnes of the conuent made (that although it seemed to little purpose, it being nowe late, and no worckmen at hand, nor instru­ments such as were necessarie) the saide Fa­ther Generall suffered himselfe to be ouer­come. And seeking ladders, and hammers, he himselfe being the first at worcke, with much a doe they tooke away the grate, for it was great, and heauie, and garnished with very great cost. Afterward they tooke downe the arcke wherin the blessed body was; but vnder it they did not find the keyes, which were not there, where the nūne affirmed they had beene put. And because they would not breake the lockes, they vnnailed three bar­ [...]es of iron, and carried the chest in proces­sion to the quier of the nonnes, where they opened it, and with great admiration of all, they found the holy Body entire, and fresh. The seruant of God was vested with a ha­bit of sad coloured Damask, with two very white attires vpon her head, (for when shee [Page 209] dyed the nonnes had not the blacke veile) she had a Crosse in her hande, and a little string of beades of orange about her necke. And all with great consolation and many teares worshipped the holy Body, and they brought it to the grate, that the people which were there might see it. It was a marueillous thing to see, that the con­uent standing in a desert, and the resolution of opening the arck hauing beene sodenly taken in hand, yet the Church was as full of people, as if it had beene published in all the prouince for many daies before. Father Generall tooke away the kercher from the head of the seruant of God, and the orange beades which she had about her necke, and diuided them among the freers and nonnes. And taking from one of those that stood by her veile, and another string of beades, put them vpon the blessed Ioane.

8. Shutting vp the arcke, and calling worck­men to put it in the place againe, he tooke his way toward the conuent of Oliua; where tal­king with the Religious, of that which had pas­sed, they noted one thing, which before they had not considered, and this it was. The seruant of God desired much in her life time, that her nonnes shold vowe encloasure, & take the veile: and not hauing obtained the second in her life, she obtained it of our Lord after her death, in [Page 210] such sort, as now all the religious hauing the blacke veile, she alone had it white in her sepul­ture. And because to veile the nonnes, is to be the act of a Prelate and Superior by Apostolicall priuiledge, God brought the most reuerēd Ge­nerall of all the order to the saide monasterie, so vnthought of and by chance: who without mor [...] a doe, put the blacke veile vpon the bl [...]ssed de­ceassed, it being the first time that he had come to the saide prouince, after his election, and be­fore he had exercised the principall actes of his iurisdiction therein. For then he went to cele­brate the Prouinciall chapter, God hauing deli­uered him in Madrid from a perilous infirmitie. And more, the same day also succeeded a mar­ueilous thing, that Father Generall taking from the saide body the little toe of one foote, it was apparent afterward, that bloud had issued out of it, as was seene by the cloathes which she had on: although at that time it was not marked, for that the saide Father Generall tooke the toe in secret, pulling it off with his hand. Since that time the chest hath beene opened diuers times, the testimonies being cōtinued of the incorrup­tibilitie of the saide body, which are kept in the saide monasterie, and the last is of the tenor fol­lowing.

9. In the monasterie of our Blessed Lady S. [Page 211] Marie of the Crosse, being of professed nonnes of the regular obseruance, and third order of the Seraphicall Father S. Frācis, neere to the towne of Cubas, and within the bounds and iurisdi­ction therof, on the fourth day of the moneth of Februarie, in the yeare of our Lord one thou­sand six hundred and nine, there being in the said conuent the most reuerend Fathers, Brother Archangell of Missina, Generall minister of all the said order, and brother Peter Gonzales de Mendoza, Commissarie generall of the same in the Cismontane familie, hauing had notice, that in the said conuent was the body of the blessed Ioane of the Crosse, which had bene sometime nunne and Abbesse of the saide monasterie, it being more then seauentie yeares since she died, her body being kept in a chapell which is in the hollowe place of the wall of the chancell of the Church of the saide monasterie, on the Ghospell side, where alwaies it hath beene worshipped, and esteemed as a holy Body, and the saide most reuerend Father Generall, hauing had no­tice that her life was miraculous, and she alwaies holden, and commonly reputed for a Saint, and for such was alwaies reuerenced, as well of the nonnes of the saide conuent, as also of all per­sons that knowe her, a great number of people comming together, as well of the saide towne [Page 212] of Cubas, as from other places, asking and praying with great instāce, that the arcke might be opened wherin the body of the saide Saint Ioane of the Crosse was: and the most reuerend Father Generall hauing seene the instance, and supplication of the saide concourse of people which came thither, & of the rest of the Fathers which were in the saide conuent, the Abbesse and nonnes therof, for the honour and glorie of our Lord, commanded to open the saide cha­pell & arck, wherein the saide body was: which being done, the yron grate was taken away, which was set in the saide chappell on the side of the conuent, and the saide arcke taken out, and carryed to the lowe quire of the said con­uent, where the most reuerend Fathers being present, and much people (so many that it cau­sed a great press [...]) in my presence, Iohn Fernan­dez de Plaza, scriuener of his Royall maiestie, and Notarie of the holy office, neighbour of the saide towne of Cubas, the barres of yron of the saide arcke were vnnayled, and the couer of it being taken away, the saide body was found en­tire, and with very good sauour: And to the end that those which were present, might see the same, the saide most reuerend Fathers, caused it sometimes to be lifted it vp on highe, whence there was very great content receiued, as well [Page 213] of the saide Fathers, as of the Nunnes of the saide conuent, giuing thancks to our Lord God, and presenting their Rosaries to be touched at the saide holy Body, by reason of the great de­uotion and estimation all there about who re­uerenced it had therof. And the saide most re­uerend Father Generall called me, that I might see it, and he lifted it vp and raised it from the saide chest and arcke wherein it was. Moreouer, he moued the armes and handes of it, that I might giue testimonie therof: and I sawe all the aboue saide. At all which were present: fr. Paule de Cheuarri, secretarie of the said Father Gene­rall, and freer Didacus Barassa, secretarie of the saide Father Generall, freer Antonie Xaca, fr. Peter de Castro, his companions, fr. Francis de Mora Guardian of Pinto, fr. Luis de Miesses, Guardian of Escalona, fr. Didacus de Herrera Vicar of the saide conuent, fr. Ba tholomew Lopez, his companion, fr. Peter de Chosas, cō ­missarie of Hierusalem, fr. Peter de Royas, fr. Iohn of Ricaro of the Prouince of Saint Ioseph, fr. Francis Pascuall of the saide Prouince, and the Licentiate Peter Gonzales [...] de Sepulueda Priest, Cōmis [...]arie of the holy office, neighbour of the saide towne of Cubas, Blase Martinez, Priest of the saide towne, and fr. Blase Delgado, of the order of Saint Dominicke, fr. Marck Lo­sano, [Page 214] of the order of Carmelites, Peter Tartallo, and Iohn Martin Crespo, orcinarie Alcaldes in the saide towne of Cubas, Didacus Nauarre, Francis Hernandes Regidores of the same, Isi­dore Garcia scriuener of the saide towne, and many other people. And some of the saide per­sons subscribed it with their names; all whom I knowe. The Abbesse also and discreetes of the saide conuent subscribed therto, fr. Didacus de Herrera, fr. Bartholomew Lopez, Anne of the Conception Abbesse, Agnes of the Mother of God, Anne of Saint Raphaell Vicarisse, Marie of the Purification, Agnes of Iesus, the Licen­tiate Peter Gonzales of Sepulueda, Blase Marti­nez, Peter Tartalo, Iohn Martinez Crespo, Isi­dore Garcia scriuener, before me Iohn Fernan­dez de Plaza▪ And I the saide, Iohn Fernandez de Plaza, scriuener of his Royall Maiestie, and Notarie, of the holy office, neighbour of the towne of Cubas was present at the aboue saide, and put to my signe, in testimonie of the truth, Iohn Fernandez de Plaza.

10. After the aboue saide, on the first day of Iulie of this present yeare 1610. the most re­uerend Father, fr. Iohn de Guzman Prouinciall minister of the holy prouince of Castile, at my instance, that with more certaintie, and truth. I might write this historie, made the body of this [Page 215] blessed one be shewed me, his paternitie being present with other religious. And I sawe it and touched it many times. And that those that were in the Church might see it, Father Pro [...]inciall lifting it vp in his armes, and I with him wee shewed it to all two or three seuerall times, ve­sted and dressed as she was, so that she seemed a liue religious. And one thing I noted worthie of much consideration: that the blessed virgin being so stiffe and cripled when she dyed (for with the force of her doloures all her members were wrested and gathered together) euen so yet now her holy body remaineth wrested & drawē together retaining that most sweet sauour which it had when she died; being a celestiall sauour that comforteth; entire, without any thing wan­ting to it, sauing the little toe of one foote, which as hath beene saide, the most reuerend Father Generall tooke away for his owne deuo­tion. As also for our sakes who were there, Fa­ther Prouinciall tooke away the veile from her head, which was diuided amongest all▪ and with the part that fell to his owne lot (and was put vpon his head) was taken from him a very strong ache which he had. And a Lady of Toledo was healed of a great pai [...]e of her head, with the same peece of veile, although taking it from her, the paine returned: But yet our Lord would, to [Page 216] haue the miracle more manifest, that putting it on her againe, the paine should be wholly taken away by the intercession and merits of the bles­sed Ioane, whose historie so miraculous, and diuine, written with great desire that God may be glorified, endeth heere, leauing many other things, which in the aboue mentioned origi­nalls, and other manuscriptes I haue found, as not finding them very authenticke, and to auoi­de prolixitie, it seeming to me that these spoken do suffice, to the end that those who hitherto haue not had so much notice of this seruant of our Lord, may know some of her sanctitie, and of the many marueiles which dayly God wor­keth by her intercession and merits. And those who nowe haue it, may be confirmed in their de [...]otion. All to the greater glorie, and honour of our Lord Iesus Christ, who liueth and raig­neth world without end.