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 the death of the Duke her husband, and of many afflictions which she endured in her widowhood.

THE XIII. CHAPTER.

OVr Lord had by his grace and by the prayers and petitions of the Duchesse, cōuerted the Lātgraue, so that albeit he were by the af∣faires of his estate and his possessions exceedingly hindered frō the seruice of God, yet did he not omitt to haue good desires and with his vtmost put in practise good worckes. But because he could not persist in spirituall exercises, he permitted his wife to employ her sel∣fe therin for the honour of God and the benefitt of both their sou∣les. And this vertuous woman desiring her husband should employ his forces, in defence of the Catholike faith, she induced him to visit the holy land, and to assist the Christians in recouery ther∣of. He then to this effect hauing with his troupes for so laudable an enterprise aduanced his iorney so far as Italy, rested att Brindes to at∣tend

conuenient time and weather to take shipping: But it pleased God that he ther fell sick of a mortall infirmity, so that he shortly after with an exemplar contrition, yelded his spiritt vnto God. S. Elizabeth being aduertised of his death, receaued her widowhood with almost the like wil as she had don her mariadge, resoluing to apply her selfe entierly to the seruice of her celestiall Spouse. And so almighty God began to visitt her with greater afflictions, as hauing a soule more free, and was a litle more sublime then euer. For as soone as the death of the Lant∣graue was diuulged, she was by his kinred and vassalles expulsed her palace, as if she had bin a prodigall waster of the reuenue of her estate: and was so abandoned, that the night following (as a reiected crea∣ture) not knowing where to repose, she retyred in to a cottage em∣ployed for the shelter of beastes. There she ioyfully gaue thanckes to God for her misfortune, which she reputed as a great fauour and most singuler grace. The next morning, she repayred vnto the monastery of the Frere Minors, and prayed the Religious to sing Te Deum laudamus in thanckes-giuing to God, for that according to her desire he had affor∣ded her the estate of pouerty. After that she ordered her children to be disposed into diuer▪s places, to be instructed and educated according to their quality and degree, hauing no meane to retaine them any lon∣ger with her, many iniuryes and affrontes being imposed on her by the kinred of her deceased husband in his vassals, which she ioyfully & with inuincible patience supported as a fauour sent her by almighty God. An archibishop that was her vnckle caused her no small affliction, in that seeing her yong and reduced to such pouerty, he resolued to bestow her honorably in mariage. But the espouse of IESVS CHRIST, ha∣uing layd a firme resolution rather to dye then to mary againe, obtay∣ned of God by meane of prayer, the victory in so strong a conflict. Whiles she honorably remayned in a castle of her vnckles, the body of her husband was brought from Brindes, which was receaued by the sayd Archibishop with a very solemne troup and procession of the Clergie, and accompayned by the sayd Princesse with many teares, she thus speaking vnto almighty God: I giue thee infinite thanckes, O soueraine Bounty that it hath pleased thee to comfort me with the receipt of the bones of my deceased husband thy seruant. Thou alone knowest my God, how much I loued him, because he loued and feared thee. And neuertheles thou knowest also what consola∣tion I haue receaued of his death, being depriued of his presence, euen for thy loue, in that he went to serue thee for the reco∣uery of the holy land: and albeit I receaued an exceeding con∣tentment to liue with him, yet was it with condicion that we both together might trauell as poore beggers ouer the world:

But sith that may not be, thou knowest my God, that if it were in my power to restore him to life, I would not doe it, nor were it requisi•• for me to employ therin one haire of my head, if I thought it not thy holy will. But I recommend his soule and mine to thy diuine clemen∣cie. The king of Hongary hauing vnderstood the death of the Lant∣graue his sonne in law, and the miserable estate of his daughter, and with what impiety she was persecuted by the subiectes of her husband, he sent one of the principall Earles of his kingdome, to bring her vnto him: who hauing sought her, found her spinning of wooll among very poore women, wheratt he so admired and was so g••ieued, that he be∣gan to breake out into exclamations, regrets and complaintes: and att lenght deliuered his cha dge, aduertising her of the will of her Father. But in vaine did he striue to perswade her to retourne to her contry: for* 1.1 she as a generous Princesse, choie with the Prophett Dauid, rather to liue abiected with the poore in the house and seruice of God, then honoured in royall delightes, and in the palace of terresi••••all Princes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 83.