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. Anselme being at Capua, miraculously causes water to spring vp in asto∣ny soyle. And goeth with the Pope vnto the Councell of Bari, and thence to another. Chap. 16.

IN the meane tyme, by reason it was then Summer, it seemed good to the Pope, that S. Anselme, being a person of so tender cō∣plexion as he was, should retire himselfe from that ayre, into a vil∣lage of the Benedictin Monks, called Schiana, not far from C•…•…pua. This village, was seated on the top of a high and pleasant hill, but de∣fectiue of water: in somuch, as they could get none at all, but at one Well only, which was there by, on the ridge of that hill, & this also but at certaine houres of the day, it remaining afterwards dry, in so much as the Guardian of the place with the inhabitants thereabout did suffer very much. Now the said Guardian cōceiued a great hope

that though the sanctity of S. Anselme some remedy would be easily obtained from Heauē for so great a difficulty. And therupon he de∣termined to dig a well in his owne house, howbeit the place being craggy and stony of its own nature, was very vnapt for the purpose: but yet before he would put hand to the worke, he prayed the Man of God to affoard his benediction to the enterprize, & to be the first to open the Earth with his holy hands. Whose request S. Anselme did not resuse, but for his Hosts consolation went in person to the pla∣ce designed, & making his prayer for a happy successe, with a pick∣axe strooke the earth three tymes, and then gaue place to others, to finish the worke. When it was not long, ere there sprung vp a most limpid and excellent water from the stony soyle, which being en∣closed within a pit of a small depth, there followed after a perpe∣tuall aboūdance from thence, inough to supply, not onely the ne∣cessityes of all those parts thereabout; but euen likewise to cure the diseases and infirmities of many, who had faithfully recourse to that succour: which thing, being once diuulged, gaue no small credit of more then human power to the B. Anselme, and from that tyme for∣wards it was worthily called, The Bishop of Canterburies Well.

Heere now remayned the Seruant of God, a pretty while, re∣collecting himselfe, and greatly attentiue to diuine contemplation and serious studies, to his most extraordinary delight; as seeming to him in a certayne manner, he was now returned to his won∣ted monasticall life againe: where (among other things) he finished a Booke intituled: Cur Deus homo, which heertofore he had begun in England. In those dayes was Capua besieged by Roger Duke of Pu∣glia; who moued with the fame and neighbour-hood of S. Anselme, sent to inuite & pray him to vouchsafe to come vnto him. The ho∣ly Man went presently, and with his presence, humility, and cha∣rity, so edifyed the Duke, and gayned so the minds of the whole ar∣my vnto him, that whersoeuer he shewed himself, he was blessed & glorifyed of euery one: in so much as many Saracens, being moued with his good example, & the good entertainement he gaue them, were euen ready to be conuerted to the holy Fayth: and had beene so indeed, if through diabolicall suggestion, they had not been hin∣dred, by a Count of Sicily, who at the instance of Duke Roger, had trained, and conducted them to that Seruice.

After this, came likewise Pope Vrban himselfe vnto the campe, and the siege being ended, S. Anselme very earnestly besought him,

he would please to discharge him of the dignity, & Pontificall cu•…•…e, and to affoard him the fauour to let him retire againe to his ancient quiet and religious liberty: but all was in vayne, while the Pope esteemed him more worthy of a higher degree. And a litle after con∣ducted him with him to the Councell of Bari, where S. Anselme by word of mouth, conformable to the doctrine he had written alrea∣dy, left the Greekish pride, and perfidiousnes much abased, & con∣founded, not without the vniuersall approbation of the Fathers, & most cleere confirmation of the Catholique Fayth. From thence, he returned to Rome with the Pope, who calling another Councell, in that Citty vpon the ensuing Feasts of Easter, S. Anselme was there also, & illustrated not a litle, the sayd assembly with his presence and authority, where with the consent of all the Prelates, and par∣ticular consolation of S. Anselme, was thundred forth the sentence of Excommunication, as well agaynst the Laity, that presumed to giue the Inuestitures of Bishoprikes, as agaynst the Ecclesiasti∣ques themselues, and others, who receiued them at their hands, or durst consecrate any persons by such wayes, intruded into those dignities. The Councell being ended, S. Anselme hauing obtayned good leaue, departed for Lyons, with resolution to remaine there with the Archbishop Hugo, his most intimate friend, hauing now quite lost all hope of euer returning into England agayne, whiles K. William liued.