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 other miracles of great piety.

THE XIX. CHAPTER.

IN the bishopricke of Sabee, there was a woman about 80. yeares of age, whose daughter dying, left behind her a sucking child: this old woman not knowing how to bring vp the child, not yet being of ability to procure it a nurce, she was exceedinglie grieued to see to this litle one that did not thriue, for she gaue it nothing but baked aples to sucke; liuing in this affliction void of all humane hel∣p••, and one night bitterlie lamenting, she had recourse to the compas∣sionate Father saying. Gracious Father S. Francis assist me if thou please in this extreme necessity. The true louer of innocencie, incontinently appeared to this good old woman, and said: Woman that with so many teares hast called on me, put the mouth of the child against thy breast: for God will giue thee milke abondantlie to nurse it. This old woman be∣leeuing layd the litle child to her brests, and found them to be full of milke, which continued as long as was needfull to giue the child to suck▪ which is a thing well knowne to be against the course of nature, but worthy of such an Interc••ssour. This admirable fact was diuulged ouer all the contrie, whence the people from all partes flocked to see this old woman and her sonne, as a matter worthy of deepe ad∣miration: for which they praysed God, and his faithfull feruant sain•••• Francis.

In the citty of Spoletum, a man and his wife had but one only child, for whose deformity they continually lamented: for he had his armes fa∣stened to his neck, his knees to his breast, and his feet to his hippes, and breifly▪ so deformed that he seemed not the child of a man: in which res∣pect his Father and Mother beholding him, they seemed to see their reproach and disgrace, and particulerlie the mother in beholding such an horrible creature to be borne of her bodie: wherfore she often with sighes and lamentations recommended herselfe vnto God, inuoca∣ting S. Francis to be her intercessor, beseeching him to comfort and re∣lie••e a woman so much afflicted. As she one night lamented vpon this subiect, Sainct Francis caused her to sleep, then in her dreame appea∣red vnto her, and with very compassionate wordes comforted her, and a••tlength wished her to carry her child to a church verie neere thervnto, and dedicated to his name, promising her that after she had washed him with the water of the Couent-well, in the name of God he should rec••a••e his perfect shape and health. But the woman 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this to be an ordinarie dreame, affected not the wordes of the

S. who an other time appeared vnto her redoubling the same admo∣nishment, which she no more beleeued then the former: The glorious sainct retourned the third time, and himselfe conducted her fast a sleep together with her sonne to the dore of the Couent, where he left her & disappeared. Certaine great Ladies of deuotion comming thither in the meane time, awakened this woman who much amazed to finde her sel∣fe there, related vnto them the vision and so in company they presented the child vnto the Religious, who incontinentlie drew water out of the well, and the most honourable and worthyest lady with her owne han∣des washed the child, which being washed; his lymmes miraculouslie became duely placed, to the wonderfull astonishment of those present, perceauing what the mercy of God was in our behalfe, by the great me∣rittes of his seruant.

Notes

• An old woman had milk to nurc•• a child by the merits of S. Franc.
• And a monaster was cu∣red.