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 certeine miracles which he wrought vpon some that were deuout vnto him.

THE XXII. CHAPTER.

SAinct Antony incessantlie labouring to gaine soules vnto God in the cities of Italy, by his preaching, retourning one day from that exercise, and retiring into his Couent, he tooke a secrett and vnknowne way, to auoyd the honours ordinarilie giuen vnto him, where he mett a poore woman carrying her sonne▪ that was vtterly crypled and voyd of the vse of his limmes, who hauing a far∣re off perceaued him, came and fell at his feet, humbly praying him to haue compassion of her, and to voutsafe to make only the signe of the crosse vpon her sonne, wherby she had great confidence in God, that he would recouer the vse of his limmes: and the more the Sainct ex∣cused himselfe, the more she redoubled her petitions and cryes, say∣ing as the Chanan••an did to IESVS CHRIST: haue mercy* 1.1 on me: whervpon, together with the request of his Companion (who was a very deuout Religious) he made the signe of the crosse vpon the child; and foorthwith he was cured, retourning on foot to his pittifull mothers house, whence she had brought him to the S. who prayed her to conceale this miracle att least during his life: affirming that it was her faith, and not his merittes, that had obtained this grace and fa∣uour.

* 1.2 A girle of Padua was in such sort cripled, that she could not goe but on her handes, and besides, was often tormented with the fal∣ling sicknes, which caused her to foame and vse strange gestures through

the extremity of her cruell affliction; her father hauing presented her to the S. and requested him, as the aforesaid mother had done, he cured her by the signe of the crosse also; wherin is to be obserued, that in such occurences the faith of those that present and request, ioyned with the merittes of the Sainctes auayleth much, to obtaine grace and fauour of God.

The holy Father goeing one holy day to preach in a spacious pla∣ce, there being no Church great enough to containe the people that* 1.3 sought to heare him, a woman that followed the presse of the peo∣ple, was att lenght so thrust, that she could not auoyd to be ouer∣throwne into a ditch full of filth, wherwith the woman being much greiued, not so much for the apprehension of the hurt she might re∣ceaue in her body, as for feare to foule her rich apparell wherof that was the first time of wearing, and that her husband who was peruerse vn∣to her would be offended with her, had recourse vnto God by the me∣rittes of the S. that she went to heare, whome she deuoutly inuocated, and herewith she was seene to arise out of the dirt wherin she had bin plunged, without any appearance of ordure on her apparell, to the ex∣ceeding amazement of all the beholders.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Anto∣ny cured a criple, only with the signe of the crosse.
• * 1.2

  And an other.
• * 1.3

  A womā fell into a filthy ditch without fouling hir appa∣rell, by the me∣ritts of the S.