Miracles lately vvrought by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marie, at Mont-aigu, nere vnto Siché in Brabant Gathered out of the publik instruments, and informations taken thereof. By authoritie of the Lord Archbishop of Maclin. Translated out of the French copie into English by M. Robert Chambers priest, and confessor of the English religious dames in the citie of Bruxelles.

How a blynd man recouered his sight.

ANthony de Gro••••e born at Eyckeren neere to the citie of Antwerp, beeing nyne and twētie yeares old, in the yeare 1597. in lent, had a great defluction of a catharre which fell down vpon his right eve beeing then a soldier vnder Captain Bourer in the forte of Dam••rugge, nee••e to the sayd citie. Whereupon he withdrew h••mself to an hospital in Antwerp to be there healed and assisted: in which place they applyed vnto him diuers remed••es, & amongst others, he had ••nyssue made

him in the nape of the neck, the which he did beare for six weeke, but he profited nothing thereby: yea he lost quyte the sight of that eye. About some two yeares after seruing again as a soldier vnder cap∣tain Grysper•••• in a forte neere to Callo by Antwerp, there happened him an other defluxion in his left eye, whereby he lost that eye within the space of eight dayes, in somuch as thē he became sta••k blynd, and thereby was forced to forsake his ser∣uice, and to cause himself to be led to Antwerp, where hauing sold all that he had, he sustained his lyfe very miserably, and at last he was brought to that extre∣mitie, that he had no other meanes wherby to lyue but by the charitie and almes of good people: making himself to be led vp & down the streetes of the same Citie for many yeares. But hauing heard of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he resolued and made a vow to go thither, there to do honour to the glorious Virgin Marie, and to pray vnto her that he might recouer his sight, yf it were for his soules health. And thus af∣terwards vpon the xxviij^th of April in the yeare 1604. he departed in boate from

Antwerp to the Citie of Macline, accom∣pained with a boy that did lead him, and with Vincent vanden Ho••t a lame man: and hauing continued at Macline vntil the first of May, they went together to Montaigu, and arriued there vpon the next day after dinner, beeing Sunday the secōd of the∣sayd moneth. Vpō that day they did their deuotions at the Chappel of our Ladie of Montaigu, and so vpon the moonday, & tuisday following the sayd blynd man still praying for his sight and washing twise euery day his eyes with the water which is in the sayd mountayne. Vpon moonday he began to feel great paine, shootings, and prickings in his head, and especially about his eyes. Vpon tuisday he went to confession to Sir Bartholmew Tichon Chaplein of the sayd place, and re∣ceiued the blessed Sacrament of the altar: and after dinner vpon the same day bee∣ing the fourth of the sayd moneth of May, about the tyme of Salue whyle this Anthony was praying in the Chappel, and cree∣ping vpon all fower about the altar, say∣ing some prayers, he felt as if certain strings had been broken in his eyes, and therewithal he recouered his sight, being able

a little after to marck and know euery thing, and so became better and better: in so much that he could perfect∣ly see and know all sortes of figures and cullours, read, and discerne peeces of money, and go whether soeuer he plea∣sed, without any to lead him, euen as he was wount before that he fel into the∣said blyndnes. The which the sayd Anthony declared and affirmed solemnly vnder his othe, before the Magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles (returning from Mont∣aigu towards the Citie of Antwerp) vpon the seuenth of the same moneth of May, in this yeare 1604. Before whome also vpō the same day appeared Vincent vanden Hout who vnder the lyke othe declared that for fiue yeares he had seen and known this blynd man in the sayd Citie of Ant∣werp: and how with him he had made the voyage to Montaigu, where he had miraculously recouerd his sight, as the∣sayd Vincent had seen, hauing been neere to him in the sayd Chappel of our Ladie. All conformable to an act of the sayd Ma∣gistrates composed thereof, and dates vpon the seuenth of May 1604 signed P. Numan, and sealed with the seale of the∣sayd

Citie. And vpon the xiij^th of the said moneth this Anthony de Groo••e beeing cal∣led into the full assembly of the Magi∣strates of the citie of Antwerp, and exa∣mined concerning his cure, declared vnder his solemn othe all that he had sworne before the magistrates of Bruxelles adding moreouer, that at what tyme he began first to see in the Chappel of our Ladie, euery thing did seeme vnto him to be of a yellow cullour, which not∣withstanding passed quickly away, and immediately after he enioyed his perfect sight. Vpon the same day appeared before the Magistrates of Antwerp R••miold of Mansdale Lord of O••sterlans, who vnder the lyke othe declared that for many yeares agoe he had known this Anthoni••, as hauing somtimes been his seruant, and that he knew right wel that for fiue yea∣res or thereabout he was stark blynd, & beeing blynd had been diuers tymes at his hows for almesse: hauing seen him often led through the streetes, & to haue been with other beggers before the Church doores. Besides Clement Ionkers Tisser and appeared before the sayd Magi∣strates, who declared and auo••ched that

some fiue yeares a goe this Anthonie had complayned vnto him euen with teares how that he had lost his sight, whereupō he gaue him counsel to repaire vnto a certain surgeon that dwelt at the golden hand in S. Anthonies street of Antwerp, to craue his help, and yet for all that he re∣mained stil blynd. Also the Almoners of the sayd Citie appeared before this assem∣bly, who affirmed how they had seē for some yeares this Antonie beeing thē blynd to haue been led through the streetes, & to beg for almesse: and how that som∣tymes they had sent for him to their chamber of the poor, giuing him some assistance for his entertainement. And how that beeing brought to the same chamber ypon the xxvj^th. of April in the∣sayd yeare 1604 he gaue them to vnder∣stand that he was determined to goe in pilgrimage to our Ladies of Montaigu, to beseech God that by her intercession he might recouer his sight: whereupon they wishing him the help and assistence of God, caused the portion to be deliuered vnto him which he was woūt to receiue weekely: and how that since his return hauing been with them they saw and

knew that he enioyed his sight, for which they praysed & thancked God, giuing vnto the sayd Anthonie an extraordinarie almesse. Finally the sayd Bourguemai∣sters, Escheuins and counsellers of the communitie of the sayd Citie of Antwerp (beeing collegially assembled) auouched and certified vpon the same day that for some yeares they had seen this Anthonie, blynd, and begging almesse in diuers pla∣ces, both at the gate of our Ladies Church as els where. All this beeing manifest by the attestation of the sayd Magistrates dated vpon the sayd xiij, of May 1604. subsigned D. vander Neesen, & sealed with the seale of the same Citie.

Notes

• ••n May. 1603.