An abridgement of the life of S. Francis Xaverius of the Society of Iesus, new apostle of India and Japony together with some few of the innumerable authentical miracles wrought by him of late years / by W.B.

The Relation of a Miracle, wrought through the intercession of the glorious Apostle of the Indies, S. Francis Xauerius, at Palermo in Sicily, the second of September 1662. appro∣ued by the most Illustrious Arch∣bishop of the same place.

MAdam Mary Castelli had for her father Don Lancelot Castelli Marquess of Ca∣pizzi, Prince of Castle Ferrato, at present one of the three masters of the cham∣ber of Counts who carry the sword, & Presi∣dent with a like number of the Robe at the administration of the Royal patrimony; and for her mother she had the Lady Hippolyta Lareara of the house of the Counts of S. Char∣les. This honorable Gentlewoman, after she had attained to sufficient age to delibera••e of a state of life, contemning all worldly hopes, well founded as well vpon the promising qua∣lifications of her own person, as vpon her fa∣mily, it being one of the most flourishing & richest in all Palermo, consecrated herself to God by a perfect Holocaust, by taking the name of Hippolyta Lancelotta, and the habit of S. Basil in an ancient Monastery, called Del Saluatore: where she had a litle before, amongst those exemplar Religious, spent the first years of her tender age, in an education as well no∣ble, as holy.

The king of Virgins did not delay, to tes∣tify, with what particular satisfaction he ac∣cepted the generous oblation of this his new

Spouse; and he did it by bestowing vpon her one of those fauors, with which he is wont ordinarily to grace those whom he loues most tenderly; that is by a very strange, and very troublesom infirmity. Which began vpon the first of Iune, in the year one thousand six hundred sixty one, with a litle Catarr accom∣panied with a cough: which as then was not very troublesom vnto her, and also no great matter was made of it, but afterwards it did so extremely encrease, that hauing surmoun∣ted the force of all human remedies, it redu∣ced the patient to such a condition, as she had no hopes to recouer, whilst that, before she was brought if not to dy••, at least to desire death, she felt in her self the effects of death, according to the proportion of the frequency of the symptoms of death which did assault her, and according to the measure of the ex∣periments, which the Physitians made of theyr art vpon her person, endeauoring to cure her. Vpon the sixth of August in the same year, this malignant humor discouered it self to be of another nature, then before it was appre∣hended to be: for it tormented sister Hippo∣lyta for some hours together without one mo∣ments respit, with a most violent cough. From henceforward, as in case of open and proclai∣med war, she was forced euery day to suffer the same assault of the said cough, which did cruelly shake her and ceased not to torment her for six hours together in the afternoon. Her pains were encreased by new accidents in the month of Ianuary. Her cough, after a short

truce of a few daies, hauing recouered its for∣ces, returned again with more violence; and sometimes the shaking was so violent, the impetuosity so great, & the straining to cough so frequent, that euery body wondered, how so delicate and feeble a yong maid was able to endure it, and not to dy of it. But that which gaue greatest cause of fear, was the fal∣ling of some drops of this pestilential catarr into her throat, where stopping the passage, it brought her to the very point of expiring. Wherefore fearing least some time or other she should be stifled herewith, and so dy suddenly, without further delay they gaue her the most sacred Ʋiaticum or last Communion, & com∣mended her soul to God. This slimy and bi∣ting distillation at length came out; and just as a torrent, makes the most hideous noyse when it breaks its bounds, so the Violence, which was necessary to cast out of the throat, this dangerous dam or stopping, was accom∣panied with so vehement a cough, as it resem∣bled the bellowing of an ox, and all the mo∣nastery rung of it. Nor must any one wonder at this, or hold it for less credible, for it is not yet six years, since that at Macerata, the noyse, with which the air round about rung, by a cough of a yong Father of the Society of IESƲS, was so strong and lowd, as that it was heard half a mile off. The horrible noyse of this cough and painful shaking of her whole body, was followed with most sharp head-achs with a great defection of her strength & forces, with languishings, faintings and sownings. She

remained without strength, without speech, without motion, and was for a good space of time, somtimes for a quarter of an hour, with her mouth gastly open, without being able to speak one syllable, or euen to moue her lips. Nor did the strange effects of this obstinat rheum stay here, but brought the patient, after an extreme weaknes, to an extreme contortiō or gathering vp of her body; so as she was not able to ly along in her bed, but was for∣ced to sit vp in it. Then just as Watermen managing theyr oar, at euery stroke, moue all their limbs back wards and forward, so she seized vpon by a cruel conuulsion, throwing herself with her arms and breast, now to the feet, and then again to the head of the bed, she tossed her self vp and down with great pain and torment. Four of the strongest of the Re∣ligious, to the end that they might somwhat asswage her dolors, endeauored to hold her as still as they could, but at length being not able any longer to endure the toyl, nor all four of them able to master the force of only one, & she sick too, they set besides her certain litle chairs, to the end that she laying hold of those, & throwing thē about, might finde wherein to weary herself, and by that means abate the force of her strange frensy, which remaining in its vigor more grieuously tormented her. Palpi∣tations and oppressions of heart, frequent ne∣cessity of breathing now on this side, then on that, an extreme difficulty of drawing her bre∣ath, conuulsions, sownings, were the symptoms which followed one in the neck of the other,

with so violent an agitation of the sick party, that many of the Religious, who were more tenderly affected towards her, forbore to visit her, to the end they might not see her in this pitiful conditiō. In the fifteen months, in which the malady continued in this violence, many consults of Doctors were made with great ex∣pences. Besides abundance of Medecins of Iu∣lips & Quintessences, they applied the burning heat of red hot irons twice, and cupping-glasses eight times or more, but all without doing her any good. Moreouer, if we will belieue Galen, there is no remedy on earth for this malady, which for its contumacious and insuperable fiercenes is called Distillatio Ferina. But while sister Hippolyta, her strength & forces exhausted, giuen ouer by the Doctors, who despaired of sauing her life, hauing lost her speech, at the end of a three dayes violent agony, wholly resigned to the Diuine will, was expecting the last mercy of God, the recompence of her pa∣tience with the end of all her dolors; behold, beyond all human hopes, she is rewarded with the gift of her lost health, to the end that she might multiply the crowns of her vertues by her faithful seruices of her bountiful spouse. She remembred herself, how that Father Tho∣mas Buscemy of the Society of JESƲS, hauing entred into the Monastery some few daies be∣fore to hear her Confession, had recounted vnto her a miracle, wrought in the City of Macerata vpon a Father of the same Society who being aflicted with the same malady, with very sem∣blable symptoms of oppression of the heart, a

violent cough, & those other rude paroxisms, which I haue aboue related, by taking for his Aduocate the Holy Apostle of the East, was by the Saint immediately and perfectly cured: she remembred also that the said Father, bringing to her a Relick, had exhorted her to make vse of a like recours to the Saint, for the recouery of her health: moreouer that the Father being returned to the College, had receiued a letter, by which sister Hippolyta demanded of him permission to pray to God & S. Francis Xauerius, not to prolong her life, but to hasten at least her death; but he persisting in his first Counsel, had answered her, that she should for the pre∣sent quit that her desire of happines, and with a due indifferency pray to God to restore her health, if it were to his greater glory, to the end that she might employ it to the seruice of his Diuine Majesty, and of her Religion, and that she should repeat this praier three times. She then being now gasping for life, remem∣bred that she had not been so punctually obe∣dient to her spiritual Father, for which she was a litle troubled, and had some scruple of it, & so whether in recompence of her obedience, or as a disposition to the merit of that grace which was prepared for her, she felt her heart encouraged & strengthned by a great faith, such as she had not experimented ether in her first, or second praier: by means wherof, without delay, she repeats her praier in thought [being not able to do it by words] & beseeches God the third time in the form prescribed by her Confessarius, that through the intercession of

his faithful seruant, and Apostle of the East S. Francis Xauerius, he would deliuer her from this mortal infirmity. No sooner had she don this, but the torment of her agony being chan∣ged into a sweet repose, she fell into a quiet sleep: In her sleep she seemed to herself to hear an interior voice, which said vnto her, that she was now perfectly cured: and for that surpri∣zed, between astonishment and joy, she did not yet belieue it, and demanded how this was don so suddenly, & why she should receiue so great a reward for so small an act of obe∣dience? Not so, replied to her clearly the same voice, but S. Francis Xauerius, whom you haue taken for your aduocate, has interposed his praiers for you to God; wherefore take his Relick, and lay it vpon your heart, for it is this Saint who has obtaind you this gra∣ce. And she had no need of any thing els quite to free her of her malady, but immediatly sei∣zed on by a sublime rauishment of spirit, what return, said she, shall I be able to make to my deliuerer, that I may acquit my self worthily of so considerable a fauor? Nothing els [re∣plied again the diuine inspiration, whick spoke to her in her heart without the noyse of words] but that first you communicate euery Friday in honor of S. Francis, offering to the soue∣raigne Lord the most adorable Eucharist, the abridgment of all graces. Secondly that you banish from you that day all other thoughts, & spend it in a Deuout recollection, keeping silence exactly. Thirdly that by particular acts you employ your self in the exercise of some

vertue and aduance your self in the acquiring of it. At this very moment she raises her self vp, and hauing with a great Deuotion applied to her breast the Holy Relick, the true remedy of her incurable distillation and all other in∣firmity, she cryed out with a lowd and clear voice: I am well, S. Francis Xauerius has cured me, giue me my Habit, for I will go imme∣diately to the Quire, to giue thanks to God and the Saint for my recouery. The mothers, who in a great number kept her company in this extremity, looked vpon these words, as the rauings of one that was out of herself; but presently after acknowledging them to be what they were indeed, an vndoubted testi∣mony of the very truth, they were greatly astonished at them, which amazemēt soon chan∣ged it self into a hearty joy, and praises of the Diuine bounty and the Holy Apostle: & with∣out exspecting any further, they went all in a modest & Deuout Order to the Quire with the sick person, who was then perfectly recouered: and sung the Te Deum laudamus in a sweet and harmonious consort with the applause & vns∣peakable joy of the whole Monastery. Af∣ter which, they immediately gaue notice of all that had passed to my Lord the Archbishop: by whose ordination, necessary informations hauing been taken, and a process juridically formed, this present relation in an authentical form was drawn out of it. From the day on which the sick person was miraculously cured, vnto this present that we write this narration, are passed ten months: during which time she

has constantly enjoyed the grace of as per∣fect health as at the first moment in which she receiued it, except that when through forget∣fulnes, or some vnexspected accident, she has sometimes failed exactly to fulfill the dutyes ordained her by the Saint: for then she found her self to be seized on by certain symptoms of the same euil, but which were sent her only as an aduertisment, in such sort, that acknow∣ledging her defect, and not deferring to cor∣rect it, the grudgings of her distemper strait vanished, and she was as free from them as be∣fore. Amongst others, for that hauing vpon one day of the Octaue of the Holy Apostle, lighted certain candels to honor his memory, she resolued afterwards, out of I know not what human respects, to put them out again, she was immediately assailed with those furi∣ous conuulsions, which we haue aboue recoun∣ted, together with loss of her speech, and was nether able to recouer the vse of her tongue, nor to free herself from those contorsions, vntil she had again lighted the candels. In like manner another time, her voice failing her in the Quire, in such sort that she could not sing one syllable of the diuine office; & all remedies which were vsed to make her voice return, ser∣uing to no purpose, she remembred that she had not payed to her liberal benefactor, the small tribute of a lamp, which was to burn before his picture. Wherefore she ran to it immediately: and at that very instant, she was freed from the stopping of a watry humor, which was falne down into her throat. I could

here recount a multitude of such like amiable passages betwixt the Saint & his dear Deuote, but content your selues with these, which were alledged and authentically proued in the aboue-mentioned process.

There is only one thing, which although it discouer it self, notwithstanding, methinks I may not omit particularly to aduertise those of it, who shall read or hear this Relation: and 'tis for the spiritual comfort of the De∣uotes of the Holy Apostle, who by the obli∣gation he imposed in recognizance of a fauor don by him, does vndoubtedly assure vs all, how greatly he is delighted in the exercises of that christian Piety, which the Deuotion of the faithful has begun, to honor Friday in a special manner, the day on which this Saint, departing out of this life in the Isle of Sanciano neer China, in an vnspeakable destitution of all human comfort, and consequently very like to that of our Lord, receiued from his Diuine Majesty an abundant recompense of his infinite and Apostolical labors, which he had vndergon for ten years in the East, to the great aduantage of souls, and glory of the faith.

Let vs pray vnto him then, that from aboue he would please to kindle in vs also a desire of meriting by good works, the effect of his protection and patronage in this happy spouse of IESVS CHRIST.