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.

How stoutly S. Hugh carryed himselfe to all sortes, to the greater honour of God. Chap. 7.

IT chaunced to S. Hugh more then once, in sundry places, to be barehead, among speares and naked swordes, reprehending the armed themselues, like a Lyon, of their impious and wicked in∣deauours, they remayning amazed and astonished the while at so great a freedome. Vpon a tyme he met on the way with a company of Sergeants & catchpoles leading a malefactour to death: & being moued with the prayers of the vnhappy wretch, who in that ne∣cessity most earnestly recommended himselfe vnto him, he gaue order presently to the Ministers to vnloose him, alleadging that where the Bishop was present with the faythfull people, there was the Church, & that the liuing stones deserued no lesse priuiledge and exemption then the dead. The enterprise was not in vaine, though otherwise perhaps more worthy of applause, then imita∣tion and practise. The officers being moued at the maiesty of the Prelate, making some protestations only for feare of the King, left the guilty wholy free, and infinitly obliged to him, who beyond all hope had giuen him his life.

Of this so great a hart, and couragious constancy of S. Hugh, if one seeke into the causes, besides the vnction of the holy Ghost, there may many be brought. And among these the naturall gene∣rosity of the man, inflamed also from tyme to tyme with the insti∣gations of his old Father by vs named aboue, and the two naturall brothers of his, braue Souldiours, and valiant Champions of the Catholike Church. These men would come sometymes to visit him at Lincolne, and by letters as occasion serued, would exhort him allwayes to stand firme in his purpose, and not to yield awhit, eyther to the headlong multitude, or furious Tyrants. And gaue him moreouer to vnderstand, they had rather see him dead, then for any terrour to commit any thing vnworthy the Episcopall degree, and honour of his family. Besides which, S. Hugh helped him∣selfe much, with his frequent reading the liues of the glorious Martyrs, and Confessours of Christ, especially of such as for defence of the diuine worship, & of the sacred Constitutions, haue promptly

exposed themselues to all punishments. And then from his dayly sacrifices the while what comfort he felt, is a thing not easily to told: in which mistery he was so diligent, as he preferred it before all other thinges whatsoeuer; and was so grounded in that verity, as it seemed in some manner he had some cleare euidence therof, as appeared in a case which followes, in a village of those parts.

Where a certaine Preist, of very dissolute manners, hauing no feare at all to celebrate that diuine Sacrament, and to handle with his impure handes the dreadfull King of Maiesty, as he came to the breaking of the consecrated Hoast, saw manifestly the most holy bloud to proceed, and fall from thence: at which sight being af∣frighted & contrite, he tooke dexterously the precious liquour in the Chalice, and changing his manners, gaue himselfe to sharp pen∣ance in so much as euery one was astonished. By this occasion the miracle came to be diuulged, & the Preist himselfe to giue God the glory, gaue publique account thereof, in shewing also the bloud it selfe to euery one that was desirous to be better satisfyed in the mat∣ter. It happened, that the Bishop of Lincolne, for certaine affaires of his, was to passe that way, and with that occasion it pleased him to vnderstand and confer some spirituall thinges with the Priest, the fame of whose strange mutation and singular austerity of life, ran euery where: falling then into diuers discourses with him, a∣mong the rest the good man gaue account and information to the Bishop of the beginning of his conuersion, intreating him withall he would be pleased to contemplate with his eyes that venerable relique it selfe; which S. Hugh not only refused to do, alleadging the certainty therof had need of no such probation, but euen repre∣hended such of his family, accepting the inuitation, of little fayth, & too much curiosity. And it is a thing well knowne, that in recom∣pence as it were of so great a stedfastnes, the Sauiour himselfe, in the sight of some Religious men appeared many tymes in the Hoast informe of a most beautifull child vnto S. Hugh himselfe, while he celebrated the Masse.

Besides this, the Blessed Man tooke great spirituall forces, from the liuely and more then human conceits of the holy Psalter: wherein what gust he receaued, and how obseruant he was of the tymes and determinate houres of the diuine Office, may in part be gathered at least, by that which we shall speake in the next Chap∣ter.