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BLessed S. Rose from her in∣fancie began to feare God giuing her selfe to feruent prayer, mortification, austeritie, and pen∣nance; and would often substract from her selfe to giue to the poore, which God blessed so much, that she wrought mira∣cles. Whilst she was but a child, by the admonishment of our
Blessed lady, she tooke vpon her the habit of this third order, whereby she suffered great per∣secution both from her father, friends, and cocitizens, for she was therefore exiled the cittie, though after ward by reason of her famous miracles and spirit of prophecie, she was brought backe againe with great honour. Where after many reuelations she died in the yeare 1251. namely at Viterbia, where she is famous to this day with innumerable miracles. Many Popes haue in∣tended her canonization, and the citizens of Viterbia doe keepe her feast with great solemnitie on the 4. day of September. And that which most encreases the deuotion of the people, is, that her body whole and entire is at this day to be seene with haire
and nailes which doe continual∣ly grow, which the religious woemen of the monasterie where her body lies doe cut of, turning her body vp and downe without any derriment; and which is more miraculous in the yeare 1357. her tombe and all things that were in the chappell where the tombe was, yea the habit vpon her backe were consumed with fire, which was so vehement that it melted the rings from her finger without doing the least hurt to the holy body.
Blessed S. Margaret of Cortona was very beautifull & had beene giuen to wantonnesse, but con∣uerted to God, and lamenting her former life she began to despise all vanities, and carnall plea∣sures, and with effusion of teares did implore the mercy of God,
applying her selfe to good wor∣kes, especially of cōpassionating the poore, and out of her great desire to lead a penitentiall life, she humbly begged the habit of the third order, which was denyed her for three yeares space, aswell in consideration of her former life, as yongnesse of yeares, but perseuering in her firme purpose she obtained it at length in the yeare 1277. at Cortona, and began a new life, which was to be ad∣mired; for choosing a solitarie place she addicted her selfe wholly to abstinencies, fastings, disciplines, watchings, and con∣tinuall prayer, lyeing on the ground, hauing a stone for her pillow. She went in a poore and humble habit, being full of cha∣ritie and pittie to the poore, of∣tentimes substracting from her
selfe to giue to them. And by the continuall meditation of the pas∣sion of our Sauiour she obtained the gift of compunction, weeping very frequently aswell for her owne sinnes, as also for the sinnes of others. She was oftentimes troubled by the Diuell appearing to her in diuers formes, but was as often cōforted by our Sauiour, by our Blessed lady, and by the holy angels, and strengthened by their celestiall visitations; which made her as much to shine in most profound humilitie, and high pouertie, as in the loue of Christ: whereby she was often rapt in extasies, and had many reuelations, whilst she applyed her minde to the contemplation of diuine things. By the spirit of prophecy she did foretell things to come, and reueale the secrets
of many hearts and consciences, being very famous both in life and after her death for many mi∣racles, euen to this our time, which made Pope vrbane the 8. that now is, in the yeare 1623. to put her in the number of the Beatified, and to giue licence that the diuine office might be made of her through the whole order of S. Francis.
Of this order also was that great contemplatiue blessed S. Angela who in this penitentiall habit did vndertake a wonderfull strict way of pennance, wherein she was consolated by celestiall vi∣sions. Being much giuen to con∣templation, for twelue yeares space she tooke no other food than the Blessed sacrament. Her body remaines at Fulginea whole and entire. She hath left behinde
her many excellent things, ex∣ceeding the ordinary capacitie of men which are extant in lattin, Italian, spanish, and French, and are to be desired in our vulgar lāguage, if I doe it not (as I much desire to doe) I pray God to raise some one that will performe it, as a worke very necessary for all religious persons, those principal∣ly who seeke the way of contem∣plation as this saint did.
I omit to speake of many o∣ther beatified saincts, as of S. Conradus, whose office is serued in the whole order, and of S. Roch who is held as a canonized saint through the whole Church, with many others. I will now set downe briefly a catalogue of the principall religious woemen, who haue beene famous for sanctitie and miracles in this order accor∣ding
to their yeares, which I haue collected out of the Mar∣tirologe of the Friar Minors. If any list to know more of thē they may, read the said martirologe and they shall find what Authors haue written of them.