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 other miracles of sainct Antony

THE XXXVI. CHAPTER.

A Poore man being seduced by an Inchaunter, that promised to procure him an instinct to know what soeuer he desired, entred with him into a circle where in an instāt he saw appeare a great number of deuils, who perceauing him to be vtterly amazed and terri∣fied, did rent out his eyes and tongue, and then vanished. This misera∣ble fellow hastened directly to the Church of S. Antony, where repen∣ting* 1.1 to haue consented to the Magician, he inuocated with his hart, not hauing the vse of his voice, his assistance. And vpon these his humble prayers, in the time of high masse, as the Preist sung. Gloria in excelsis, Benedictus qui venit in n••••une Domini, his two eyes were miraculously re∣stored him, which being knowne, all the Citty of Padua was full of the bruit, each one desiring to see him. Many of the more ancient and noble of the citty held it conuenient, that all the people there present should ioyne themselues in prayer that it might please God to accompa∣ny this first miracle with a second, in restoring his speech: To this effect

they all fell on their knees & offered their prayers, the Masse alwayes cō∣tinuying: when the Agnus Dei was sung, his tongue was also restored, wherby he began with a loud voice to prayse God and his S.

* 1.2 A Religious woman of the Order of sainct Clare, hauing heard prea∣ched the rigour of the paines of Purgatory, conceaued such a terrour of goeing thither, that she prayed almighty God to graunt her to suf∣fer her Pugatory in this world, and so long continued in prayer that att length God heard her. But being vnable any long time to support, so rigorous and insupportable tormentes, she discouered the cause of her afflictions to the other Religious, whome she prayed to make supplication to God by the merittes of sainct Antony, that he would please to moderate those so bitter tormentes which she endured: and so all the Religious with such deuotion and humility applyed themsel∣ues to prayer, that by the merittes of S. Antony she was eased therof, & thenceforward she was no more so rash as to tempt God; but entierly re∣signed herselfe to the will of his diuine maiesty, casting herselfe absolu∣tely into his disposition.

The Religious Br. Bernardine of Parma, by a violent catarre in his throat became dumme, for cure wherof were applyed all about his neck burning cauters, all which nothing auayled: so that he became so feeble that putting to him a litle waxe candle lighted, he could not with his breath blow it out: wherfore his death and stifling being feared, he was carryed to Padua, where the feast of S. Antony was celebrated, to visitt his sepulcher. There was then a great concourse of people, where in publike presence he offered his prayer, shedding abondance of teares: then he began to spett and to auoyd such a quantity of filthy and loath∣some matter, that the beholders could no longer endure it, their hartes so arrising att the sight of such insupportable stuffe: and withall he was cured▪ of the catarre and recouered his speech, for which he hartely pray∣sed God and his sainct.

* 1.3 The sonne of a poore woman about twēty monthes old called Tho∣masin, dwelling neere the said Church, fell one day vnaduisedly into a pond full of water with his head downeward, and was carryed home dead. His mother full of desolation, hastened with great faith to the sepulcher of the sainct, before which she fell on her knees, beseeching him with all her soule to restore her child to life: and promising e∣uery yeare, though she were needy, to giue an almose to the poore in his honour, of the quantity of her sonnes weight in wheat: who was speedily restored to life to the exceeding amazement of all that were present, who together with the mother gaue thanckes to God for the same.

These miracles of S. Antony are approued to be very authenticall,

together with three or fower which he wrought with S. Francis, in whose life we haue inserted them, where by the vse of the table they may be easily found, for which miracles & many other, generally know∣ne, may truely be said: Mirab••lis est Deus in sanctis suis: Amen.

The end of the Fift booke of the second part of the first volume, of the Chro∣cles of the Frere Minors.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A blind man had his sight and spech restored by the meritts of the S.
• * 1.2

  A Reli∣gious vn∣able to support the paines of purga∣torie which she had desired obtayned by the S. to be freed of them.
• * 1.3

  And a child was raised frō death.