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THE aduise of this great Doctour is, to deuide the Beads or Rosary, and say them at seueral tymes (euen those we are to say of obli∣gation)
now one or two decads, and as many another tyme, more or lesse as our commodity shal serue; so as there passe no houre of the day that may not haue part of our deuotions; and he instan∣ces in the Canonical Houres, al which although they integrat one Office, yet the Church deuides them into seueral houres, and as∣signes seueral parts of the day for the reciting them; so says he, al∣though the Rosary be but one prayer, as it were, yet may it be deuided into seueral parts to be sayd at seueral tymes.
And what on excellent com∣modity is this, for al sorts of per∣sons, euen in the midst of the presse of their affaires, to be able to comply with their deuotions, to her, who of al other creatures
can best proper them; the mar∣chant or citizen may say his beads, one part as he goes in the streets, the other at his rerurning home, the lawryer in going to the Hal, the Courtier to the Court, with∣out any danger of distraction, or interruption of their deuotions on the way; the Sodalists of our Lady whilst the Sodality is assem∣bling, the deuout persons whilst they await the beginning of a Masse, or returne homewards af∣ter it is done.
And by this deuotion of the Rosary, or any other particular prayer, the pious Catholike rea∣pes a world of good: For first he often entertaines discourse with Alm. God and his B. Mother, by their seueral prayers, and that in a manner most succinct & breife;
which is the best, if as the saying is; short prayers do soonest penetrat the heauens; For which reason S. Chrysostome in one of this Ho∣milies, counsels the people of Antioch, rather to the exercise of Iaculatory prayers, that is short and often repeated, then to sel∣dome and long prayers, for this (sayes he) soonest begets tedious∣nes; and he confirmes it from the doctrine of S. Paul, and of our B. Sauiour himselfe; and this (ac∣cording to Cassian) was much in vse with the ancient Fathers of the Desart. The secōd good which we reape from it is, that the more short and breefe it is, with the more feruour and attention it is said; for we see by daily experiēce that when we haue much to recite, we make more hast with it, then
when we haue but litle; which haste takes much away from our feruour and attention.
The third Good is, that it puts vs more often in memory of the B. Virgin, and consequently awa∣kes our loue of her, more often too.
And lastly, it actuats vs more frequently in these Adorations and Reuerences of our soueraine Queene & Empresse of Heauen.
Now if by busines any one be hindered from saying their whole Rosary in a day, they may do it in a weeke (in this manner) saying each day a seueral decad of it, &c. which is so facile and easy to persorme, as none in reason can excuse themselues from it.
THIS learned person also teaches vs, how in māner of Quire, we are likewisse to say our beads, one answering the other; which Res∣ponsory Custome was very fre∣quent in the Primitiue Church, and we read in the Ecclesiastical History of S. Ignatius the Martyr who liued in the Apostles time, that he rauish't one day in extasy, beheld two Quires before the Throne of God, one answering the other in this manner; and so
the ancient Hymne of Angels sayes: Alternantes concrepando, melos damus vocibus: which con∣firmes the receiued opinion to bee, that the Angels in that man∣ner sing in magnifying God and his B. Mother, whom men to their no smal ioy and comfort ought to imitat.
The manner then to say the Beads alternatly, or by turnes, is this; Two, or more, are with their beads in hand to say a Pater noster first vnto themselues, and then with an audible voyce recite the Aue Maria gratia plena, Domi∣nus tecum; the other answers; be∣nedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedi∣ctus fructus ventris tui I esus; when the first resumes agayne, or both may ioyne together and say: San∣cta Maria &c. and so forth vnto
the end. And this may be done eyther walking in the feilds, or visiting the stations in the streets, or the maisters or mistresses of families convocating them toge∣ther may distribut thē in Quires, & do it with much profit & deuo∣tion; which if it be done with due attention, it is impossible to imagine how grateful it wilbevn∣tothe Queen of heauen. To con∣clude this Chapter then, I wil on∣ly recount a certaine Miracle in confirmation thereof.
What tyme the B. Brother Ber∣nardin of Felthe preached at Pa∣uy, a certaine noble Matron had this deuotion to teach al her chil∣dren daily before they went to schoole, to say their beads before a certaine Image of the Queene of heauen which she had in her
Chamber; now it happened that one of the least of them, one day fel into the Riuer in passing ouer a bridge; of which accident the Mo∣ther being aduertised, she presen∣tly casting her self vpon her knees before the Image of our Lady in lifting vp her eyes to heauen, al bedeawed with teares; O mother of God, sayd she the, vsual hope of the afflicted, if it be your bles∣sed wil, saue my poore child, if not, your B. wil be done; and concluding with the Angelical salutation deuoutly sayd; she ran to the place where many people were assembled to saue the child, and was no sooner arriued at the bridge, but behold she saw her child floting vpon the water and calling her by her name; at which much reioicing she cried out, take
strong cheere my child, cal vpon the B. Virgin, and my life for yours; when presently the child was taken vp safe, and brought vnto its mother, when embra∣cing it; the child, said vnto her its is not to men I owe my deliurāce, but to our B. Lady, before whose Image you so often instructed me to pray; and therupon it recoun∣ted vnto her, how being falne in, she had receiued it in her armes, and bore it aboue the waters; At this, al the Assembly moued to deuotion towards the B. Virgin, did render praise and thankes to Alm. God, and his B. Mother, for being so fauourable and succou∣rable to those who deuoutly in∣uoke her in their necessities.