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 blessed death of S. Elizabeth, and of the great miracles she wrought, and how Pope Gregory the 9. canonized her.

THE XVII. CHAPTER.

THe time of peregrinatiō of this holy widow being expired, our lord appeared vnto her in vision, and very familierly sayd: Mine elect, come, possesse the celestial habitation. In the morning she related this newes to her companions: then by order she receaued with an examplar deuotion all the sacraments of the Church: after that, she prepared what was necessary for her obsequies, and the night following tourning towardes a corner of the bed, they that were neere her heard a

cleare voice most sweetly singing: wherupon one of her familier com∣panions asked her who it was that did sing there, and she mildely ans∣weared that there was a litle bird, which by the pleasing melody of his tune had induced her to sing: then she began to cry, auoyd, auoyd, auoyd wicked spiritt. So that the deuill being come to see if he could find any thing for him in this sainct, vanished att that voice. And she hauing her countenance very ioyfull and her spiritt by prayer eleuated vnto God, de∣maunded if it were not yet midnight, att which houre our Sauiour vout∣safed to be borne in the world, and layd in the cribbe: then saying that the houre was come when God would inuite her soule to the celestiall mariadge, she sodenly mounted vnto heauen. Her body hauing remay∣ned foure dayes vnburyed, continued so beautifull and yelded so sweet a sauour, that it represented rather a glorious then mortall body. There appeared at that instant on the roofe of the church a great nōber of bir∣des of strange kind, which did so sweetly sing, that they filled those that saw and heard them with extreme admiratiō: this was to make knowne the feast which was celebrated in heauen att the entertaynment of this blessed soule: her funerals were filled with great clamours; complaintes and lamentations particulerly of the poore, for the death and absence of her that loued, attended, and dressed them as amiably as if she had bin the carnal mother to them all. There repayred thither a great confluence of people that with much deuotion we••e present att her obsequies each one entitling her a sainct and blessed. He that could gett so nere her body as to haue one of her haires or part of her habitt, esteemed it as a notable treasure. Then would our Lord make knowne the glory of this his faith∣full seruant, by many miracles which by her merittes he wrought, resto∣ring sight to the blind, curing the lame, cleansing the leprous, disposses∣sing the possessed, giuing also sight to one borne blind and her selfe being layd in her graue, deliuered many by her intercession from death. Wherof Pope Gregory the ninth being ad••ertised, & authentically assured of the miracles Wrought att the sepulchre of this holy womā to whome liuing he carryed a perticuler deuotion, after due and ordinarie information in such case procured, and the examen of her life and miracles effected, with the consent of al the Cardinals and Prelates of the Church that could be assembled, the sayd Pope enroled her in the Catalogue of SS. ordayning her feast to be solemnized ouer al the Catholike Church. This blessed S. departed this life the yeare of grace 1231. the 19. day of Nouēber. Certaine yeares after, her reliques being trāslated her body was found in the cosin of lead where it was first layd in sepulture, her flesh being melted into oyle and most precious liquor, that yelded a most delicious and pleasing ••auour: this oyle restored health to infinite sick people, and a very long time distilled from her sacred bones.