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THe tongue alwayes spea∣keth out of the aboun∣dāce of the heart: & whose Soule the loue of our Bles. Lady doth once possesse, his tongue doth challenge it, as its owne. For your speaches, most B. Virgin, are sweet in the mouth of them that loue you, there∣fore they often vse them, & with great contentement heare thē vttered by others and vtter them vnto such
as will heare them. S. Ber∣nardine being yet a child was carried with such fer∣uour to talke of Christ, & his B. Mother, that his cō∣panions durst not bring in any other discourse in his presence. [In eius vita.]
This also was obserued in B. Stanislaus Kostka a∣foresaid, that although he spake frequently of the B. Virgin, yet he alwaies inuē∣ted new, & those most mag∣nificent Names wherewith be did entitle her, and euer sought the highest degrees to place her in; yea it see∣med oftentymes grieuous to him, that he could not
parallell the excellency of his Iudgement with words, and that he could not in∣uent some higher places to allot her.
Neyther would I haue you imagine in this place, that our affection to the B. Virgin must be only decla∣red in priuate meetings; but also in publike Sermons, by setting forth her pray∣ses in great Assemblies, by refuting Heretical blasphe∣myes, and lastly by exor∣ting Catholikes to a more feruent reuerence of her.
This deuotion was very profitable vnto a certayne Religious man, a pious and
Godly Preacher, who for the singular affection he bore vnto the Bles. Virgin, was wont to end all his Ser∣mons with the rehearsall of some miracle of hers. This man being at the point of death, was much strengthe∣ned by the assistance and visible presence of our B. Lady, and ouerwelmed with incredible ioy, & iu∣bily of hart, singing the Virgins prayses, the diuels storming in vaine he depar∣ted out of this life into hea∣uen. [Spec. Exempl. d. 7. Ex∣emp. 56.]
Nor can I omit the de∣uotion of S. Francis Xauier
to our Bles. Lady, which he shewed in teaching the Christian doctrine in the Indies; for in explicating the Articles of the Creed, and the Ten commaunde∣mets, he vsed this method, that in the end of Euery Precept, he woulde first craue, by reciting the Pater Noster our Sauiours help; but afterwards he caused al the assembly to sing with a loud voyce these words: Holy Mary Mother of God, obtaine for vs grace of thy B. Sonne IESVS Christ, all∣wayes to obserue this pre∣cept. And not being contēt with this admirabe deuo∣tion,
he allwayes did end his Catechisme with a Sal∣ue Regina, whereby the whole company craued the assistance of the B. Virgin. [lib. 1. epist. Xauer. ep. 5.]
Out of the same foun∣taine of loue towards our Bles. Lady springeth their piety, who sing forth her prayses and celebrate them aswell by songs and dytties as by other their labours. And truly all posterity may take for a parterne in this kinde S. Casimirus, Sonne to the King of Polonia. This man being very much addicted vnto the B. Vir∣gin, daily on his knees salu∣ted
her with most Excellet and learned verses, made by himselfe, wherin were con∣tayned all the mysteryes of Christ incarnate. [Bellar. de offic. c. 3. in eius. vita.]