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.

How he was twice in spirit at Lysbone in Portugall, to assist his father.

THE XXIV. CHAPTER.

THe Father of the Sainct was a gentleman of Portugall residing att Lisbone, who hauing managed a good part of the reuenue of the king his soueraine, had also giuen a iust account therof vnto his officers, and withall deliuered them in, the mony without de∣maunding acquittance or any dischardge, relying on them as his frein∣des, attleast supposing them to be such: but certaine monthes after, the∣se gentle companions, as worldly people, demanded againe the mony they had receaued of him, and summoned him to yeld a new account vn∣to them of the administration of the mony he had in his chardge. This good gentleman was exceedinglie amazed, not knowing what to doe, considering he had no specialty to help himselfe against them in that which they required; wherfore knowing the danger of his owne case, he went to them, to endeauour to put them in minde of the finishing and deliuery of his accountes, thincking therby to bring them in the end to acknowledge and confesse the truth. And being before them that sate and held the place of iustice, they most audaciously and impudently de∣nyed that he had so much as presented his accountes, much lesse had he* 1.1 finished them and deliuered them any mony. But att the instant S. An∣tony appeared, and was present there, who grauely sayd vnto them: Gi∣ue an quittance to this good man, of the mony he deliuered you procee∣ding of his chardge, and of the receipt of the kinges mony, on such a day, in such a place, att such an houre, in such and such sortes of coyne: which if you refuse to doe, God will punish you for it. Which they hauing heard, exceedingly terrified, they gaue a sufficient dischardge to the Fa∣ther of the S. who very ioyfully retourned home, giuing thanckes to God for that he had bestowed on him such a sonne, who vanished as soone as he had vttered those wordes.

Some time after, there was a yong man slaine before the house of the Sainctes Father, for whome his ennemies had laid waite in the night as he was to retourne from the great church, which is neere to the said house, into the garden wherof the dead body was cast o∣uer the walles, where the next morning he was found of the officers, by the trace of bloud freshly appearing in the street: whervpon the Fa∣ther of sainct Antony, with all his family were imprisonned, and foorth with condemned to death: and as he was conducted to execu∣tion,

* 1.2 the S. being preachinge att Padua it was reuealed vnto him, who then resting on the pulpitt wherin he preached, he went to relieue his Father, and att the very instant of his comming to Lisbone, he raysed the murdered party, and made him publiquely to confesse that his Father had not slaine him; yet not discouering the murderers. The party ray∣sed then tourning to the sainct demaunded absolution of him, of an ex∣communication which he had incurred, and besought him to pray to God for his soule: which the sainct hauing graunted him, he fell dead into the graue. And by this meane in one instant he deliuered his father from corporall death, and the murdered person from eternall; then retourned to his sermon, and being inspired of God, he reuealed vnto the people where he had bin. Many of Padua wrote to Lisbone of curiosity to be enformed hereof, and were ascertained of the verity; by which meane those of Portugall were more perfectly resolued of the matter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Anto∣ny caused an ac∣quittance to be gi∣uen to his father which was de∣liuered him and forwhich he was much trobled.
• * 1.2

  He raysed one mur∣dered to make him testi∣fie that his Fa∣ther had not slain him, and to absol∣ue him of an excō∣munica∣tiō, who after∣wardes fel dead againe as before.