An admirable method to loue, serue and honour the B. Virgin Mary. With diuers practicable exercises thereof. Al inriched with choice examples. Written in Italian by the R. F. Alexis de Salo, Capuchin. And Englished by R.F.

The Conditions requisit in a seruant of the B Virgin, and first of Humility.

AS those who are en∣tettain'd in seruice of any earthly Prince to obtaine their fa∣uours, endeauour to appeare endowed with al those vertuous: parts and qualityes by which they are taken most: so those who would be fauoured by the Queene of Heauen, must whilst they serue her, endeauour to be qualified with those vertues she is cheifly delighted in; which

are principally those she exer∣cis'd her self in, whilst she was conuersant in this mortal life, as namely Humility, Corporal chasti∣ty, and purity of hart, to which we may add our diligent frequen∣ting and receauing the Sacra∣ments, the only meanes to con∣serue vs in internal purity and to begin with humility, which is the foundation of al other ver∣tues.

It is certaine, no other vertue was more perspicuous in her then that of humility, though she had al the rest in their highest exal∣tation; and this appeares by the account which she made of it, testifyed by these words of hers: Because he hath regarded the humi∣lity of his handmayed: therefore al generations shal call me blessed: as

much as to say; that God only in regard of the lowlines of her hu∣mility, had elected her to that high dignity, of being his Mo∣ther. And if to be humble of hart (according to S. Dorotheus) is to account abiectly of ones selfe and preferr al before them, of what excellency was this vertue in the B. Virgin, who from those words of her, Because he hath be∣held the humility of his handmaide; we may suppose (as F. Arias wel obserues) she had so humble an opinion of her selfe, as she re∣puted her selfe of al other creatu∣res the most contemptible.

This vertue then shining so resplendantly in her, we may sup∣pose to haue been that, most took the eyes of her B. Sonne, & made him soonest chose her for Mother,

as a sonne in this world if it lay in his choice would soonest make electiō of her for mother, whom he sawe endued with those gra∣ces and qualities which were most in account with vs; and this see∣mes to be inferred by these words of the text: For he hath beheld the humility of his handmayd; and as if she would say; the sonne of his heauenly Father hath cast a fauourable eye on me his hum∣ble seruante, and thought me worthy of his loue; not because I am nobly borne, wise, prudent, conuersant in the scriptures, and the like; not for any beauty or corporal perfection, but only be∣cause of my humility. For so al∣though al her other vertues were most exceeding grateful to Alm. God, yet that of her humility was

most of al, it being as it were the foundation of al the rest. In so much as according to Lyr'as in∣terpretatiō, it was in her the prin∣cipal disposition to the concei∣uing of the sonn of God; & so says S. Hierom. God was rather moued to be incarnat in her womb by her humility then another vertue else. In this vertue it was (as S. Mechtild vnderstood by reuela∣tion) she so exercised her self and laboured so carefully, as she attei∣ned the height & perfection of it; by this she came to so absolute a knowledge of her self; by this she would lessen her own proportion cōpared either vnto God or man. And disclaiming wholy from her owne deserts; by this she came to attribute al the fauours she recei∣ued to the sole benignity of Alm.

God, and rendred him thanks for them accordingly; by this in fine she came neuer to vtter word in her owne prayse, or to giue willing eare to others praises, neuer to take vain-glory in any thing, but to attribut al the glory to Alm: God, incessantly magni∣fiyng and praising him, with ren∣dring him infinity of thanks for his great fauours towards her; and so she begins her Canticle; My soule doth magnifie our Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Sauiour. And to the model of this excellent vertue of hers, are al her deuout seruants to conforme their actiōs, and expresse the portraiture of it in their soules; when how grate∣ful wil thy appeare in the eyes of this glorious Queene, when they present themselues before her in

this riche equipage. Certainly there is none hath any vnderstan∣ding or discourse in him, that wil not humble himselfe vnto the ground and thinke him the most abiect of al other things, who shal but consider how profoundly humble the B. Virgin was euen in that exalted state of hers of being Mother of God, more holy then the Angels, and more pure then the very sun-beames them∣selues. And who considering his owne vilenes and extraction only from a litle earth, his being sub∣iect to such a world of faults and imperfections, his becoming through sinne enimie to God, and companion of the diuel, wil not in imitation of the B. Virgin cast themselues into the bottome of humility, from the topp of pride

and presumption, whereon they stand

A great and neere Imitator of this humility of hers, was her great seruant S. Francis, who was ambitious of nothīg so much on earth, as to be accounted the most abiect of al his brethren and for his owne part he esteemed himselfe no better then a colla∣tion of al the abhominable vices in the world, and one of the most greeuous sinners as euer was; which in one so great a Saint and in whom so many vertues were assembled, was the more rare, and worthy the greater wonder and imitation.

And although this in general might suffice to affect vs to this excellent vertue, yet I wil sett you downe in particular a Me∣thod

for the attayning it, giuen by B. Tecelam a Religious of the third Order, to a certaine freind of his: who demanding of him by what meanes the vertue of Humility was to be acquired, he answered; Contemne thy selfe, and al thou hast in the world; esteeme euery one more perfect then thy selfe; and haue a slight opinion of none; make great esteeme of thy faults, and litle of thy vertues & perfections: count litle al the good thou dost to others, and the harme thou dost for great; and thou shalt be in a faire way to Humility. To this we may add S. Bonauentures ad∣vice for the attayning this holy vertue; Abase thy selfe as lowly as thou canst (sayes he): Ima∣gine al men thy betters, and thy

selfe hardly worthy to be their? slaue, and so thou shalt arriue to a tranquillity of mind, and neuer be molested with offence or mo∣ved to impatience. By which ex∣cellent documents we may learn to find out true humility and the wayes that lead vnto, a Iour∣ney so profitable for our soules which our B. Sauionr perswads vs to vndertake saying: Learne of me to be meeke and humble of hart. And those seruants of the B. Virgin: who are so indeed, es∣pecially women-kind are to shew it in their exterior comportments as they goe abrode in publique, shewing neither pride nor vanity in their lookes nor apparel, and compasing both according to the exact rules of vertue and decency For what an vnworthy thing

were it in them, to appeare in the B. Virgins sight lesse ver∣tuously adorn'd or decently be∣haued, things which she in her selfe so much abhorr'd as S. Epi∣phanius testifies of her together with diuers others, that her owne habit was euer plaine and simple without al affectation of riches or novelty, and (which is an euident signe of her owne purity (neuer subiect to any spott or stayne, but stil the more whit (as it wer) for her wearing it, This humility in their habits then let women learne of her, euen for the loue of our B. Saiuiour Christ who died naked on the ignomi∣nious Crosse for vs, and let not such vanity vnworthy of a Chri∣stian appeare in their habits and exterior garbe.

Surius in the life of S. Eliza∣beth daughter of Andreas King of Hungary and wife of the Lant∣graue of Turing, recounts a sto∣rie that comes wel to purpose here. She (says he) one day at∣tired in her Maiestick robes in al her pompe and brauery entred the Church, where beholding iust at the entrance a Crucifix, she so∣dainly made a stand, and in great bitternes and compunction of hart, began in this manner to en∣ter into comparison of her self with it; Shal, my Lord and Sa∣uiour, remaine al naked nayled to this hard Crosse, & shal I mi∣serable sinner as I am, go at plea∣sure vested in these costly robes, curiously embrodered with gold and precious stone? Shal my sweet Redeemer haue these di∣uine

hands of his fastned to the Crosse with cruel nayles, & shal I weare on mine, al the delica∣cies that can be gott? O my Iesus, shal I see thee, the only Spouse of my hart, haue thy head trans∣pearc't with those sharp thornes; & shal I with such magnificence weare a crowne on mine? Alas, and can I behold him abandoned by al his freinds, and inhumane∣ly left for a prey, to the outra∣gious vsage of his enemies, and sett vp as a marke for them to shoote their horrible blasphe∣mies at; whilst I my self go with so great a trayne, wayted vpon and honoured at euery turne? O miserable, most miserable as I am, is this the loue I beare to my Sauiour Christ, are these my ac∣knowledgment and gratitud for

al his benefits? And in saying this a sodaine palenes, ouercast her face, and a greeuous fainting cast her in a trance: when returning out of it, she firmely purposed neuer to admit of superfluity a∣gaine in any thing she wore, & de facto euer after she went so mortified in her apparrel, as most commonly she had vnder it a rug∣ged hayre cloth, and as often as the Dukes occasions absented him from her, she would be so coursly attired, as no poore wo∣man but went better clad.

And certainly it is a deplorable thing euer with teares of bloud, to see what excesse of apparel & voluptuousnes raignes amongst women now a dayes, so as they seeme to place al their their feli∣city (as it were) in a newfangled

fashion or attire. I would they knew or considered how displea∣sing it is to Alm: God, or how many soules their vaine curiosi∣ties and foolish pride haue pre∣cipitated and cast downe to Hel, and what lamētable harmes haue had their origin from thence; for they are not only the cause of their owne sinnes, but also of others participation with them, whilst in regarding them the bayte hath been but layd by the Enemy to draw thousands vnto hel. Which perhapps we should hardly Credit, did not the holy Ghost it selfe affirme it: Turne away thy face (sayes he) from a woman Curiosity adorned, for many haue been taken by the beauty of women, and become reprobate; a horrible thing to

imagination. And how many Religious men haue we seene drawne by the attraction of beau∣ty, first to insinuat themselues into their familiarityes vnder the pretence of sanctity and spiritual conuerse, and after by degrees so deeply engaged in their societies, as without hazard of their salua∣tions they haue neuer been able to get out. The whilst with a deafe eare they haue neglected al the inspirations of heauen, flatte∣ring themselues with certaine pernicious. Maximes grounded vpon I know not what imagina∣rie shew of good manners and curtesy; For what (will they say) should we turne our backes to them? and what were that but to giue them cause to thinke vs Clownes, and iustly to accuse vs

of discurtesy and inciuility. But happy is the soule the whilst that reiects these vaine feares, in a matter in which their saluation is so much concern'd, and preferr their soules immortal good be∣fore al other humane respects. Let women therfore take war∣ning and leaue off in time, al af∣fectation and superfluity in their behauiour & attire least they in∣curr as great or greater punish∣ment then she did, whose story I wil here relate, out of the second part of the Chronicles of the Frier-Minors.

A Religious man of the Pro∣uince of Sicily, praying one day in the Church of his Conuent, had the apparition of a woman al naked presented before his eyes, whom he coniuring in the name

of God, to declare vnto him what she was, she answered with great shame and confusion; I was (said she a woman of fashion and qua∣lity in my dayes, and of plen∣tious fortune, al which I abused so, to his offence who gaue it me, as in al my life I had no other thought, than how to adorne me in most curious manner, and fol∣low still the fashions of the time, till coming to die it, was God Al∣mightyes mercy to me, I should repent me of my sinns, and with true Contrition make an entire Confession of them, by which meanes I had them al forgiuen me on this cōdition that I should for penance of my former vanity, off attire, wander in this manner naked vp and downe the world; and hauing sayd this, she dis-ap∣peared.

Where is to be noted, that although the poore soule for its greater Confusion imagined she was a spectacle to al, yet none saw her but those whom God Al∣mightie pleas'd to reueale this his secret iudgement vnto, in whom it excited rather a holy feare of the seuere punishments of Alm. God, then any vnlawful imagi∣nation or desire.

Let those then who desire to render themselues acceptable in the eyes of the B. Virgin endea∣uour with al their might to be∣come humble both in the exte∣riour & exteriour humility being the only vertue on which God bestowes his most aboundant fa∣uours. God resists the proud (says the holy Scripture) and giues his grace to the humble. And the

most sure and infallible way to heauen is true Humility. Humi∣lity (says S. Augustin) is the Queene of vertues, the destruc∣tion of vice, the mirrour of Vir∣gins, and the throne of the holy Trinity.

In fine, humility is that, which best teaches vs both to Know the deceipts of the diuel, & to auoyd them, being knowne; as was re∣ueal'd to S. Anthony, when be∣holding one day in vision al the world sett with snares about, he cried out; O Lord, how is it pos∣sible for one to escape al these? and he was answered by a voice from heauen; by being humble, Anthony; for onely Humility stoopes so low, 'tis neuer entan∣gled by them. And so we reade, how the diuel once appear'd to

S. Macarius with a mightie scithe in his hand, threatening him as if he would haue mowed him off, & crying out against him; O Ma∣carius, what a cruel strife is there betwixt vs two, and yet how im∣possible it is for me to ouercome thee: I do al that thou doest and more, for thou watchest someti∣mes and I neuer sleepe; somety∣mes thou fastest but I neuer eate; I thinke as obiectly, and sett as light as by the worlds vanityes as thou; only one thing there is in which thou surmountest me, which is that profound humility of thine. We see then, what ad∣mirable force this Christian Hu∣mility hath, to ouerthrow pride, and triumphe ouer the stratagems and forces of the Enemy; a force so great, as the very mention of

it is enough to put al the armies of Hel to flight; which I wil con∣firme by an example taken out of the Frier Minors Chronicle, and it is this.

In the Conuent of Perusia the Prouince, where S. Francis was borne, there was a Guardian of an austere life, endowed with al the vertues of a good Religious man; now it happened that a noble man of the Countrey on Christ∣mas-Eue sent an expresse messin∣ger to desire him to send one of his Religious the next day to say Masse for him, and it hapned iust at the instant that two of his Re∣ligious returning from a long iourney, weary with trauayling and almost dead with cold and hunger, he presently commaun∣ded them to satisfie the desire of

the Noble-man; which they as presently vndertake without once murmuring and repyning at his cōmaund or alleadging for their excuses their great necessities; Going then with great humility and obedience, behold they were scarce halfe way on their iourney, but they were ouertaken by night and involued in so thicke a darck∣nes that they could not see their way; which incommodity ioyned to that of their hunger and cold, made their case the more commi∣serable; when seeing themselues so destitut of al humane helpe, they had their ordinary recourse to the diuine helpe beseeching Almighty God, to succour them in their so great necessitie, and in the meane time going on, though whether right or no they

could not tel; at last they hard the ringing of a Bell, and their eares directing their steps, at last they arriued at a Monastery (as it seem'd;) where hauing knockt, the gate was presently opened, and al the Religious in flock came to salute them; from thence they convey'd them to their chamber, where they had al things prepar'd for their rest & refreshment with great diligence; At last the Reli∣gious departing from them exac∣ted of them a promise to make them some short exhortation be∣fore the next dayes Matins. Wel, the morning being come, and it ringing to Matins, the Religious were al assembled, and one of these good Fathers an excellent Preacher began to make them an

exhortation taking for his text these words of the Prophet E∣saias: A child is borne vnto vs, and a sonn is giuen vs; on which he discoursed most diuinely of our Sauiours humility in descen∣ding so low to take vpon him our humane nature, and whilst he was in the heat of his exhorta∣tion he might perceiue al the Re∣ligious one after another slinking away till at last there was only left the Abbot in the Quire. Whē al amazed demanding of him the reason why his Monkes had left him so? your self are the cause, sayd he, how is that possible an∣swered the good man againe? Why (sayd the Abbot) you haue discours't in such manner of I know not what humility of the

sonne of God, as they neither would nor could endure to heare it prays'd and extolled so much: for to discouer the truth vnto you, we are not (as we seeme) Reli∣gious men but diuels, who in re∣ward of your prompt obedience to your Superiour haue been, cō∣strayn'd to giue you that assistance you haue receiued of vs to night, and hauing, sayd this, both he & the Monastery and al dis-appea∣red, leauing the good Religious men mightily astonish't at so∣wondrous an accident and in the same place where they first hard the Bell, from whence they tooke their iourney towards the Noble∣man, al the way thanking and glo∣rifying God for his great fauours & benefits bestowed vpon them.

Many other examples of this

great vertue I could recount, and especially that of the B. Virgin, who when the Highest had chosen her for his mother profest her selfe the lowlyest of his seruants, & in her greatest honors went in visitation of S. Elizabeth, and ser∣ued her for three space moneths; then with what greater humi∣lity can be imagined? besides how lowly did she matche her self, onely to a poore Artificer, to whom she continued dutiful and obedient euen to death, comfor∣ting her selfe alwayes with those who were most poore and hum∣ble; as we may gather by the ma∣riage she was present at of that poore couple at Cana in Galilee, neither refusing her company to the most greeuous sinners such as was S. Mary Magdalen and the

like; and al this humility in one, who was exalted to so high a dignity, as to be mother of God, and Queene of heauen & earth, was so much the more admirable and rare, that she should neuer boast her of any honour she had, nor be the more exalted in her mind for being so high exalted in dignity; but neither on this nor any other example for the pre∣sent wil I further enlarge my selfe, not to exceed the limits of that breuity I haue proposed to my self.