CHAP. VII.
Of divers Saints and holy persons, which were exceeding Bawdy, and Lecherous, and by certain miraculous means became chast.
CAssianus writeth, That S. Syren being of body very Lecherous,* 1.1 and of mind wonderful religious, fasted and prayed, to the end in holy might be reduced miraculously to chastity.* 1.2 At length came an Angel unto him by night, and cut out of his flesh certain kernels, which were the sparks of concupiscence; so as afterwards he never had any more motions of the flesh. It is also reported, that the Abbot Equiciu, being naturally as unchast as the other, fell to his beads so devoutly, for recovery of honesty, that there came an Angel unto him in an Apparation that seemed to geld him; and after that (for∣sooth) he was as chast as though he had never a stone in his breech; and before that time being a Ruler over Monks, he became afterwards a Governour over Nuns.* 1.3 Even as it is said Helias the holy Monk gathered thirty Virgins into a Monastery, over whom he ruled and reigned by the space of two years, and grew so proud and hot in the cod-piece, that he was fain to forsake his holy house, and flie to a desert, where he fasted and prayed two dayes, saying, Lord quench my hot Lecherous humors, or kill me: Whereupon in the night following, there came unto him three Angels, and demanded of him why he forsook his charge: but the holy man was ashamed to tell them. Howbeit, they asked him further, saying, Wilt thou return to these damsels, if we free thee from all concupi∣scence? Yea (quoth he) with all my heart. And when they had sworn him solemnly so to do, they took him up, and gelded him; and one of them holding his hands, and another his feet, the third cut out his stones: But the story saith, it was not so ended, but in a Vision; Which I believe, because with∣in five dayes he returned to his Minions, who pitteously mourned for him all this while, and joyfully embraced his sweet company at his return. The like story doth Nider write of Thomas,* 1.4 whom two angels cured of that lecherous dis∣ease; by putting about him a girdle, which they brought down with them from heaven.