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Of the most feruent loue of Iesus Christ which inflamed the hard of Saint Clare: and how the Diuell tormented her: of an ex∣tasy wherin she continued a night and two dayes togeather.
VVHEN S. Clare heard any speake of the passion of our Redeemer Iesus
Christ, she oftentimes was accu∣stomed to weepe in compassion, in such sort, that out of the sacred wounds she would somtimes draw dolorous feelings and affections, and at other times vnspeakable ioyes & consolations of admirable sweetnes; and the crosse of Iesus Christ, which with her dearest spouse she carryed in her soule, the weight thereof gaue her so much more tast of contentment as she felt more griefe. The great aboundance of teares, which she powred out for the most bitter passion of Iesus Christ, kept her somtimes out of herselfe; and the internall loue, which she had im∣printed in her hart, in manner con∣tinually represented vnto her Iesus Christ crucified.
She ordinarily gaue example by workes, of what she taught her Re∣ligious by wordes: for admoni∣shing them often, and instructing them likewise secretly touching some exercise, before she had en∣ded her discourse, she was seene to power out of her eyes aboundance of teares. Among the houres of the diuine office that are sung in the Church, she was present with grea∣test deuotion at the sixt and ninth, by reason that at such houres she vvas crucifyed with her Redee∣mer Iesus Christ.
The holy virgin retyring one tyme to her priuate deuotion after the ninth houre, the diuell came to her, & did beate her outragiously, hurting her withall so much in the face, that her eye was all bloud∣shoot,
the signe remayning vpon her cheeke: but S. Clare omitted not for that to perseuer in her pray∣er. And to the end she might with the more deuotion apply herselfe to the sweet contentments which she conceiued in the often medita∣ting of Iesus Christ crucifyed, she ordinarily contemplated the sa∣cred mystery of the fiue woundes: and therfore she learned by hart the office of the holy Crosse, as the true louer of the holy Crosse of Saint Francis had taught her. She accustomed to vveare next her naked flesh a girdle of thir∣teene knottes, vvhereunto also were little stones fastned in forme of knottes: vvhich she did in memory of the sacred vvoundes and dolours of our Redeemer Ie∣sus Christ.
One Lent vpon Maunday Thurs∣day, wherupon our Lord Iesus Christ shewed a particuler loue to his disciples, at the houre of the a∣gony, that our Redeemer did sweet bloud and water in the gar∣den, this holy Virgin retyred into her Oratory full of deep sorrow, ioyning herselfe with Almighty God in prayer, as if she had seene him praying, and as if by contem∣plation of the soule of Iesus Christ sorrowfull euen to death, she her∣selfe had felt and suffered his pri∣son, his derisions, his iniuries, re∣proaches, affrontes, beatings, sen∣tence, Crosse, and most ignomini∣ous death, carrying in her memory a like sorrow: wherfore as wholly transported she sate vpon a straw bedd, and all that night, and the
day following, she was so absorpt and rapt out of herselfe, that her eyes being open and without mo∣tion, she seemed to hold them fi∣xed in one place, and remayned so insensible, being conioyntly cru∣cifyed with Iesus Christ, that a Re∣ligious, familiar vnto her, coming often to see if the wanted any thing, she found her alwayes in one manner.
But vpon the night of holy Sa∣turday, this deuout Religious came to her deare mother with a candle, partly by signes, and part∣ly by wordes, making her the best she could to vnderstand the com∣maundment that the holy Father S. Francis gaue her, that she should not let passe one day without ta∣king & eating somthing, so that in
the presence of this Religious, Saint Clare, as if she came out of another place sayd vnto her, what need haue you to light this candle, is it not day? wherto the Religious ans∣wered: Mother the night of holy Thursday is past, as also good Fri∣day, and we are now in the night of Easter eue; the Saint replyed, my daughter blessed be this sleep, which Almighty God at length af∣ter my long desire hath graunted me, but I admonish and commaūd you, not to speake hereof to any creature liuing, whiles I shall liue in this world.