The chronicle and institution of the Order of the seraphicall father S. Francis conteyning his life, his death, and his miracles, and of all his holie disciples and companions / set foorth first in the Portugall, next in the Spanish, then in the Italian, lastlie in the French, and now in the English tongue.

Of certaine miracles wrought by Godin confirmatiō of the said indulgence.

THE IV. CHAPTER.

IT pleased God besides the fore mentioned, to cause this so great indulgence to be beleeued and reuerenced in due mannner, for the publike good, by such miracles and reuelations as we shall now relate. The yeare following a great number of people being

come to gaine the said indulgence whiles they watched by night in pray∣er vnto God in the said church, there arose in a moment such a rumour among the people there assembled, that the Religious who were att rest, were awakened therwith. Comming therfore into the church they saw a Doue whiter then snow, that flew fiue times about the Church. One of them stepping forward the better to see, came neere the high altare, where he found Brother Corrado of Offeida a right holy Religi∣ous, of an exceeding exemplare life and famous for miracles, whome he prayed to lett him better vnderstand the occasion of the great mur∣mure that was among the people who verie pitifull cryed out. This ve∣nerable Father answeared that he was content to tell him: conditionally that he would promise not to reueale it to any person during his life. Which being condicioned, he said: I saw the Queene of heauen to dis∣cend, cloathed with an ineffable splendour as holding her Sonne in her armes, and to giue her holy benediction vnto all present: then this Doue which was with her on the altare began to fly, to signifie the visitation of God, it hath here flowne round about the church. Which the peo∣ple seeing, though they knew not all, began thus to crye out towardes heauen. The same day the mother of our lord was seene to enter into the Church with the Religious, and to accompanie the ordinarie pro∣cession, with a great troupe of Angels that sung prayses vnto God. This was seene by Religious of pious life, and also by certaine pilgri∣mes.

As (in the Marquisat of Ancona) one coniured the deuill, that ve∣hementlie afflicted a poore possessed woman, to enforce him to tell what course was to be vsed to expell him: he answeared att lenght, that he tormented not the woman for any sinne of hers, but onlie to the end God might be praysed by her, and that therefore there was no other remedie to deliuer her, but to procure her to gaine the indulgen∣ce of our ladie of Angels; and that he spake thus much as forciblie cō∣strayned to speake against him selfe: as he likewise confessed that by the same indulgence he lost a great multitud of soules which he already held as his owne, by reason of the enormous sinnes they had committed. The woman was therfore with great affliction and greife brought to our ladie of Angels the verie day of the indulgence: and as soone as she was entred the effect succeeded, for the deuill lifting her into the aire departed, and the poore woman fell as dead to the ground: But by the merittes of the glorious Virgin, she incontinentlie arose verie sound of bodie and soule, hauing bin confessed to gaine the indul∣gence.

There are besides, manie true testimonyes to whome haue appeared the spirittes of diuers deceassed, reuealing vnto them, that hauing cer∣taine

dayes before their death, gayned the said indulgence, they were sodenlie by the glorious Virgin Mother conducted into Paradice with∣out feeling any paine of purgatorie: others also gayning this indulgen∣ce that was applyed vnto them by forme of suffrage after their death, by meane of some liuing freindes, were deliuered of the paines of Purga∣torie, as by this ensuying discourse shall appeare.

A Venetian Gentleman that was a verie spirituall Preist, desiring to gaine this indulgence, as he prepared himselfe to goe thither he fell sic∣ke and of the same sicknes dyed: but before his death, he said to a very freind of his: My good freinde, I desire you to beleeue, that there is no man in the world of my kinred or whosoeuer other, in whome I ha∣ue more confidence then in your selfe, nor of whome I hope to obtai∣ne what I desire for the saluation of my soule: I therfore pray you, that if it please God to call me vnto him, you will vndertake so much la∣bour as to goe to our ladie of Angels, to gaine the plenaire indulgence for the benefitt of my soule: and to defray your chardges in the ior∣ney, demaund what you will and I will giue it you, that the indulgen∣ce being mine, you receaue no detriment therby. This freind took what was requisit for his expences and promised to goe. Now this Preist being dead, and the time of Pilgrimage being come, his deere freind, though he saw manie that prepared them selues to the iorney, he, as if he had made no promise, deferred his iorney, purposing with himselfe to goe the yeare following, which is a thing but too ordina∣rie to ingratefull persons, kinred and freindes neglecting and forget∣ting the poore decassed; the Preist appeared to this vnworthy freind in his sleep the same night that he had made the foresaid purpose, and with an angry countenance reprehending him, he said: Goe on thy ior∣ney now with such as prepare themselues therto. He awaking determi∣ned to doe that for feare, which he had neglected to doe for respect of a∣mitye. Hauing effected the promise, the same day that he entred into the church and gayned the indulgence for the deceased, the Preist in the night ensuying appeared vnto him, not as before in choller, but bright and resplendent as the sunnet and thancked him and reuealed vnto him that then when he entred into the church, he entred into Paradice.

Notes

• A doue was seen to fly in the afo∣resaid Church the day of the said in∣dulgence.
• The Vir∣gin Ma∣ry was likewise seene there.
• The deuil cōfesseth the ver∣tue of this in∣dulgēce.