Fuga sæculi. Or The holy hatred of the world Conteyning the liues of 17. holy confessours of Christ, selected out of sundry authors. Written in Italian by the R. Fa. Iohn-Peter Maffæus of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by H.H.

S. Edward sends to Pope Nicolas to confirme the Grants of his Predessour, which was accorded. He cures a Cripple, and the Kings euill, with diuers other Cures besides.

SAint Edward hauing had certayne notice, of such a tradition by diuers wayes, without more ado, was enflamed to the restaura∣tion, and reedification of the ancient Thorney: and for the obteining to that end, the confirmation of the priuiledges and spirituall graces already affoarded by the Sea Apostolique, he sent againe certaine men of purpose to Rome, with an Epistle, to the new Pope, in this tenour.

To Nicolas, chiefe Father of the vniuersall Church. I Edward throgh the grace of God, King of the English, do present all due subiection, and obedience: Let vs glorify God, who hath care of his elect, and who in place of a good Predecessour, hath substituted in his place, a very excellēt Successor. Wherupon we do thinke it meete, to come to your Holynes, as to a solid rocke, to refine and examine ech action of ours, how good soeuer it may otherwise seeme to be, that be∣tweene vs, in our Lord, may still be receyued a due acknowledge∣ment and sweet accord togeather; by meanes whereof, it may not be grieuous vnto you, to renew and amplify, at our instance, the graunts and fauours, which your sayd Predeceslour heertofore hath affoarded vnto vs; especially in dispensing with the vow, by me formerly made, of my comming to Rome, being changed not with∣out

the full remission of my sinnes, into the building of a Mo∣nastery of Religious, vnto the honour of God, and the blessed Peter his Apostle: as I also, for my part, will notfayle to confirme, & aug∣ment, the good customes of annuall contributions, which are made to the sayd S. Peter, in these my Prouinces: of which Collections, with other appendices, I do send your Holines a present, to vouch∣safe to pray for me, and for the peace and tranquillity of my King∣dome, and to ordayne that continuall and solemne memory be had of all this Nation, before the Aultar, where the sacred Bodyes of the two most glorious Princes of the Earth be kept.

The Pope, very easily assented to his suites, so iust; he confir∣med the dispensation, ratifyed the priuiledges, exempted those Monks from the iurisdiction of the Ordinary, and recommended to the King, not only the protection of the said place, but euen likewise the defence, and good direction of the Churches of the Iland. So that all things were done in name of the Roman Bishop, & with the assēbly and counsayle of the Abbots, & Bishops. In this manner, an end was put to the busynes of the Pilgrimage: & the most deuout King, went so perseuering in holy workes, as it pleased the diuine Goodnes, to make him continually more great, and more illustrious then euer, not onely with fame, and worldly honours, but euen also, with the gift of Curing, and Prophecy, and of other not ordinary miracles.

He being once at his pallace, hard by the Church of S. Peter, there came thither a certaine Irish man, of a miserable forme, or figure; for that besides he was full of vlcers, and that the nerues and sinewes of his knees, were so shrunck vp, and so attracted together, as they had euen retorted his legs to his very backe, his shancks and shins stuck close to his reynes; whence he was forced, with certaine Pat∣tins, in his hands, to go creeping on all foure, with trayling his lyms after him. This man hauing thus a good while been a burden to himselfe, to his owne exceeding payne, and trouble, and not finding any human remedy, recurred deuoutly to the diuine: and after he had recommended himselfe, many tymes, with great fer∣uour, to the Prince of the Apostles; going lastly forth of the Church, & approaching neere to Hugoline, whome we mentioned aboue, be∣ing the Kings seruant and fauourit, he spake vnto him thus.

And will you not once looke vpon me? and haue you no com∣passion on me? and do not any so great miseryes moue you a whit? What wouldst thou haue me do to thee (said the other;) when the

Irish man replyed: It is now six times, that I haue gone, in this man∣ner, as you see me heere, to visit the Aultar of the Apostles, in the Citty of Rome, to obteyne health, which yet at last S. Peter hath not de∣nyed, but only seemed to differ a while, and put me off, as willing to haue for company in the worke, his client K. Edward, for so hath he commaunded me to seeke him out, and to pray him to beare me on his sacred shoulders, into this Church at hand, with promise that if the King may once be brought thereunto, I shal recouer perfectly my lymmes.

Hugoline stood a while in doubt, as at a thing that seemed so absurd at first: yet notwithstanding did the message to his Lord, who im∣mediately gaue thankes to God for the same, and without delay, causing the Cripple to come before him, tooke him cheerfully on his back, and began to carry him to the place designed. Thus hung so poore & noysome a Wretch on the shoulders of so great a Monarke, who with botchy hands, and loathsome armes, clung fast to that royall breast, and neck. At this sight, some Courtiers fell a laughing; others with a scornefull and disdaynesull eye, lookt on the Irish mā, as a Dissembler and Hypocrite; others finally, who would seeme wise, began to tax the simplicity, and folly of the Princes but he vn∣der this straung burden, had not gone many steps, when sudenly the nerues of the Cripple, began to stretch forth themselues, the bones to be setled agayne in their places, the dead flesh to wax warme, and the legs and feete, now vnloosed from the loynes, to returne a∣gayne to their naturall place. Whereby a great quantity of corrupt humours, gushing out from diuers parts, did very fowly defile the embrodered Robes, wherwith the King was cloathed. Then could not the multitude cōteyne themselues from crying out alowd, Hold, hold, for that the Irishman is made sound, the King need not to proceed any further so to weary himselfe, and to moyle and soyle his robes, in that manner: While he on the contrary keeping the heauenly precept still fixed in his mind, shutting his eares to the Sirens songs, passed yet further▪ and entring into the Temple, reposed that sacrifice before the Aultar; and the Wretch moreouer hauing a good summe of mony for his Vi∣atique, returned full of ioy, and iubiley to Rome, to giue due thanks to God, and his Saints.

A certaine woman, had kernells growing vnder her throat, or as we call it, the malady of the Kings Euill, which continually swel∣ling with putrifyed bloud, besides the possessing of the whole,

with a deformed aspect, gaue also forth an intolerable •…•…ench a•…•…ane off; this miserable wretch, after she had tryed many wayes, to be rid of this euill, was finally aduertized in sleepe, that her Health re∣mained in the Kings hands, who if he would but once vouchsa•…•…e to •…•…ouch, and wash the affected place, she should be cured without any more ado. The sick party, being encouraged with such an Oracle comes to the Pallace, decla•…•…es the dreame, implores cōpassion▪ And the King, without any l•…•…hing of the fowle corruption, beginnes with his owne fingars, to stroake the tumours; then hauing washed them with water, he made the signe of the Crosse vpon them; Whē behold in a moment, the skynne being broken, came forth togea∣ther with goare bloud, a great mul•…•…ude of wormes, the ke•…•…els were asswaged, and the ang•…•…ish went quite away. This is certayne likewise of some blind people, who hauing their Eyes spurted with the water, wherein the King had washed his hands, they recoue∣red their sight in the presence of many. But leauing the meruayles of this fort; let vs come to some of the extraordinary reuelations which he had, as follow.