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HItherto we haue spoken of the actions of the Saint, which are imitable of ech religious person. It remaynes now to touch some thing of the more admirable. And to begin with prophecy,
whereof two no lesse certaine then famous predictions, sufficienly declare, how much this so precious a gemme shined in the blessed S. Antony. There being a woman at Assisium now ready to be brought to bed, she deuoutly recommended her selfe to his intercession, who for charityes sake had been to visit her. To which request, through the hidden instinct of God, he manifestly answered forthwith, she should be of good cheere, that she should haue a happy labour, and haue a sonne, and that which more imported, he was desti∣ne by diuine prouidence, first, to be a glasse of vertue in the Reli∣gion of S. Francis, and then also with effusion of his bloud, and greattorments, for Christ should purchase a palme of a glorious mar∣tyrdome. There was nothing of all this that infallibly fell not out. The happy Babe was borne without hurt of it selfe or mother, and in the sacred Baptisme, tooke the name of Philip. And passing his first yeares in Angelical purity, of his owne election became a Fryar Minour. Hence fortifying himselfe in the loue and feare of the eter∣nall God, through a heauenly inspiration, was moued to the pil∣grimage of the holy Land, and arriued at Azotus, euen iust at the tyme, when that Citty, was by treason taken by the Saracens, and the Christians that were there, to the number of two thousand, were all publiquely condemned to death.
Through which so cruell a sentence, Philip fearing least some being affrighted might come to abandon the holy fayth, requested as a fauour at the ministers hands of the Souldan there (and obtayned it without difficulty) to be the last executed of all. Whence the Mahumetans being brought into some hope, that he would renoūce in the meane tyme; found themselues at last to be far deceaued of their expectation. Because the cruell spectacle being now begun, Philip endeauoured with all feruour & fortitude of mind to comfort all the Christians, to suffer freely, speaking aloud, he had a reue∣lation of our Lord, that he was to enter that day into the kingdome of Heauen, with more then a thousand Martyrs; through which so high a promise these faythfull people being exceedingly comfor∣ted, did voluntarily, yea euen cheerfully present their bare necks, to the sword of the bloudy Executioner.
Which thing the Souldan noting (who beyond measure abhor∣red the name of Christ) entered into such a fury, as he suddenly commaunded, that with all the sortes of most exquisite tormentes that might be, should his temerity and boldnes be punished, that
durst so disswade from the worship of the Great Mahomet. Whereu∣pon a troupe of hangmen, assailing Philip without more ado, and in the sight of the whole company of Christians, went first to cut of his fingars ioynt by ioynt, in which so sharp and prolix a torment, he neuer ceasing to exhort and enflame the Christians, in such wise as neyther being enforced with menaces, nor won with flatteryes, they all cryed out, with one accord, they would follow by all meanes the stepes, and counsails of the couragious Philip. The Soul∣dan continually more enraged, caused him to be fleaed aliue to the nauell, and afterwards that blessed tongue to be cut out, whereof being depriued & torne in all parts, he ceased not for all that with signes and gestures, and much more with example to enflame those sacred victimes, vntill such tyme as he was beheaded with them, and that alltogether ascended to the eternall Country, leauing euen to their enemyes behind, an euident signe of their felicity, since the bodyes being kept a good while, in the same place vnburied & vncouered did not only not giue forth the least ill sauour, but ra∣ther yeilded a most sweet odour. And in this sort came that to effect which had now for so many yeares before, without all doubt, or ambiguity at all, already beene prophesyed by S. Antony.