MIRACLES LATELY WROUGHT BY THE INTERCESSION OF THE GLORIOUS VIRgin Marie, at Montaigu, near unto Siche in Brabant.  
Gathered out of the public instruments, and informations taken thereof. By authority of the Lord Archbishop of Maclin.  
Translated out of the French copy into English by M. Robert Chambers Priest, and confessor of the English Religious Dames in the City of Bruxelles.  
PRINTED, At Antwerp, by Arnold Conings.  
1606.  
Cum Privilegio   

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, JAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRYTAIN●, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith.  
I DOUBT not (Dread So●ueraine) but that by some means the report of the strange, and wonderful things which lately have happened in these Netherlands are come to your grace, knowledge, where at all the world bear standeth so much amazed and astonished: but whether your Majesty hath been informed of at the particularities, I justly doubt, because I can not by any ways understand, that your Highness is any whit moved 
Meta●li. 1. tex. 1.  therewith. Aristotle saith. Omnes hommes naturaliter scire desiderant. All men have a natural desi●e to attain to the true, & perfect knowledge of things: but the wiser, and learneder sort are especially addicted thereunto, principally, when the object is admirable, of weight and importance: for then as it yieldeth unto their spirits extraordinat●e contentment and perfection, so to be ignorant thereof, putteth them in hazard of error, no●●ble damage, and confusion. Whence hath proceeded the exquisite diligence and curious inquisition, which we have seen used in this present matter, not only by our Prelates, Doctors, and Professors of learning, unto whom the direction of our souls in the way of God doth chief appartaine, but also by the temporal Princes, Novelize, and men of civil pol●●cie, whose wisdom and due regard of their own credits, disdained, to permit themselves to be led by the noses, to the future peril of their souls, together with the present disparagement of their honours, and seputations. The wh●ch manner of these men's proceeding in this affair, gave me occasion to suspect, that your Majesty was not sufficiently informed hereof: for other wise, it is not to be imagined (consideration being had of the common and general opinion which men here conceive of your Graces singular prudence, and lite●arure) that your Royal wisdom would pass over these things as though your grace had no apprehension or esteem thereof, which of very many are held as most pernicious, & abominable, in the sight both of God and m●n: and of innu merable others are reputed as most venerable, and glorious demonst●ations of our Lord his sweet love care & providence ●owardes his loving Spouse his Church▪ which he vouchsafeth to adorn in this honourable and admirable manner.  
Upon which conjecture my Gracious lord and soweraine I have adventured to sand unto your Princely view the authentical ●elat on of divers things, which in these last years have happened amongst us: a subject undoubtedly not unworthy your ma●●re consideration, and exquisite judgement. And I have laboured to translate it out of the Fiench copy, not that I think your Majesty ignorant of that language, but that by the way I might also satisfy the greedy desire of many your majesty's loving subjects, who have already hard the bruit but yet have not had the assured & certain knowledge of the matter. And I am the more bold to writ unto your Majesty of these things, considering what by others hath been done unto great Emperors, and kings in the like case. For I read that Pome●●s 
divers authors who have wr●tten to Princes of miracles  Pilate wrote unto Tiberius Caes●r touching the miracles of our Lord and Saviour. I note how the famous. Nicephorus dedicated his Ecclesiastical history to Andronicus Paleologus the Emperor, in which history, (amongst other things) sundry worthy miracles are comprised. I find that our renowned contrieman Venerable B●de directed unto King Coolulphe his miraculous histor●e of our English Saxo●s conversion to the saith of Christ. I have seen (to omit prolixity in this matter) the book which the Abbor & congregation of the monks of Mont Sorr●to offered unto the French king now living containing a narration of certain miracles wrought at the said mont Serr●to. Again I have been much heartened to present this relatiō●nto your Majesty, in regard of the great opinion & esteem the worthy, godly, and Prudent Princes of these countries have of this matter, which they have manifested by their often Pilgnmages to the place of Montaig●e, where also by their goodly, rich●, and stately ornaments and oblations they have given a●l the world to vn' erstand the high regard, and accounted they make hereof. But chief I have been animated here unto, for that it is not unknown, what extraordinary pleasere and contentment, your Majesty taketh to employ your Royal labours in those things, that appertain unto God.  
What things do more appertain unto God (Gracious Sovereign, than miracles▪ which is as much to say, as those works which can be wrought only by God, of which rank these (where of here relation is mad●) are believed to be, as being semblable unto those divine operations, where by the Saviour of the world did manifest h●s Godhead to the world. For here your Grace may behold, how the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the devils are ex pelled he leaporous are made clean, and many other painful, deformed and desperate maladies are cured.  
I know it would be a great miracle if these works would be admitted ●f all men for miracles. Wherhfore I am humbly to entreat your gracious patience, to peruse what here I have set down in an swear of those objections, whereby I found them ordinarily be oppugned I fear that I shall be deemed of many to be over prolix, but I beseech them to consider, that it is God's cause which I handle, and that I endeavour to inform my gracious Lord and Prince in such sort of the verity hereof, that with greater light and assurance he might pronounce his expected royal sentence, to the glor●e of God, his own honour, & inestimable commodity of many thousands. And although I have not here so convenient place to utter the hundre●h part of those things which otherwise I wou●d therefore I intent (by our Lords h●lp) here after more to enlarge myself herein as occasion shall b● offered▪  
Who is he (gracious Sovereign) that hath but half an eye and seethe not of what consequence it is for any Society of people to be assisted with the presence of miracles? For where miracles are seen to favour the persons, o● things that appertain to their Congregation, who can deny but that God is well plea●ed which them, and well a loweth of their ●ites, 
Psal. 71.  faith and profession? Miracles a●e works that surpass the power of an● creature Benedictus Dominus 
what authority miracles have to prove Religion.  Deus Israel, qui facit m●r ●bilia solus. Blessed be the lord God of Israel who only worketh maruclous things or miracles as the Prophet sayeth. When therefore he vou●hsafeth to work any miracle i● the defence or honour of any person o● any point belonging to any Religion, or belief, such a miracle is as it were his very word, and sovetaine divine sentence, given upon the same, which n●ne may deny, gainsay, or doubt of, without note of infidelity, & saculegious blasphemy. The ho●y Scriptures by the devil himself, and many Heretics both are, and have been foully and wickedly cited, and interpreted: the testimonies of the ancient holy Fathers are by divers sects dive sly abused: the old ●amou● Martyr's Confessors, and Virgins are challenged of many, and as it were violently hailed into their Congregations, as if they had been of their churches, and professious: forme● general Counsels, Canons of Popes, and decrees of synods are of sund●●e sactions alleged as favouring then sundry in●entions: in fine, the●e is no proof used by ●he Catholi●ks, which the impugners of the Catholic Church d●aw not into their books, sermons, and disputations, but at miracles all parties must m●k● a stand, and be silent; there, God himself alone must speak, and show himself, for such works are out of all the reach of a●y fi●●te and created power, none being able to rule the chariot of this Sun, but only such losuaes, as unto whom our Lord will vouchsafe to grant so great authority, and commaund●e. Which the wisdom of God our Saviour jesus Christ well understood, and therefore he used this medium, proof and argument for the authority, and veri●it of his doctrine and in 
●●. 15.  condemnation of the jews ineredu●itie saying: Si opera non fecissem in ijs qua nemo ●l●●s fecis, peccatum non haberent. If I had not done among them works that no other man hath done, they should not have sin. In like manner the same Lord being to sand his Apostles to instruct the world in a Religion 
1. Cor. 1.  which to the jews was ●eandalous, to the Gentiles mere foll●●. & to all men passing the compass of reason, he furnished them with the same means, whereby to make their hearers capable of their doctrine, and to induce them to subject their heads and hearts thereunto. And by what eloquence or forcible persuasion was this to be effectuated? Verily by no other means, then that God himself should affirm, and aver their preaching by his miraculous 
Mat 11. ma●e. 3. Lu●. 9  working, as it is said: Conuocatis duod●cim distipu●is suis, dedit ●●●● potestatem spirituum immundorum, ut ●●cerent ●os, & 〈◊〉 omnem languorem & omnem infirmitatem. Having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean sperus, that they should cast them out, and should ●●●● all diseases, and all infirmity. Which unspeakable goodness and providence of God, if we will duly consider, we m●y evidently see his incomprehensible wisdom, & love towards us his most unworthy Creatures, in providing for our instruction in his ways such affored means, whereby, to ieaine the truth, and to avoid all error: that if all the world would have laid their heads together to invent a way▪ they could not 
God can not work miracles for the proof of any falls religion.  have found a more perspicuous▪ more profitable, or more glorious than this, which he of his blessed mercy hath vouch safed unto us, for God being he truth itself, he can not by his omnipotency give his testimony to any error or falsehood: & being very goodness itself, it is impossible that he will permit us to be seduced by any his extraordinary supernatural operations, neither can he or will he yield a●y honour to that, which in itself is evil. For as truth is a thing perfectly good and the child of God, so falsehood is detestable and nought, and the wicked imp of the devil. Of which thing that renowned & famous champion of God's Church Saint Augustin 
Aug. q. 114 de quaestionibus no u● & ve●e●is testamenti.  had a true and perfect conceit, Who saved: Ow●nes Philosophi, & sectarum inventores, ●●●●●sis desputationibus mu●cem se confuderunt. Nullus 〈◊〉 alterum transie●s, quia unusquisque in quo imbutus fuer●t permanebat. All the Philosophers, and sectmaisters, confounded each other by sundry disputes. Never any one of them yielding to the other for every one held to that which once he had ●●a●ned. Behold the ordinary issue of a●●wranglings and contentions, even amongst the wittier and learneder sort. But he proceedeth: Hinc sactumest ut Dei prouidenti● (cu●us sensus investigari non potest) pr●dications suae virtutem adiungeret, ut veritas predicationis virtutis testimonio probaretur: ut qui verbis contradi●erent, virtutibus non auderent. Hence it came to pass that the providence of God, (whose sense no man can fyud out) ●o●●ed power to his preaching, that the truth of his preaching might be proved by the testimony of his power: that if any would gainsay his words, they should not date to contradict his powerable works. And that glorious doctor S. Gregory for his rare learning and wisdom surnamed the great, speaking of the miracles of God and 
Greg. hom. 1● in Es●ch  his Saints confirmeth the same saying. H● quam vera de Deo dixerint, testantur miracula, quia tal●a p●●●ll●m non facerent, nisi vera de illo n●●rarent. How truly these people have spoken of God, their miracles be●●● wattles for they could never work such things by him, if they had not spoken truly of him. Whereby we see of what force & authority miracles are to persuade men to accept of that doctrine, which otherwise by their reason they can not comprehend. And the said holy Doctor proceedeth, adding an other point worthy the noting. S●●gitur de side tentamur, quam ex illorum pr●dications concepimus, loqu●tium miracula conspicious. & in side qu●● ab ers accep●mus confirm●●ur: quid erg● illorum miracula, nisi ipsa sunt nostra prepugnacula● If therefore we be tempted about our faith, wicht by their preaching we have learned, we behold the miracles of our Preachers, and thereby ●●● confirmed in the faith, which from them we have recti●ed therefore what other things are their miracles but that they are our fortresses! Which conclusion seemeth to be so just, and sounded in reason, that I think there is none that dare so much as doubt of it, much less deny it.  
Yet I confess though the devil cannot make men to deny this evident principle, notwithstanding he endeavoureth to make void the force and authority thereof. For when he dare not cope with his armed adversary, if he can persuade him to cast away his weapons, he nothing doubteth but that than he shall 
Pra●e●lus de vi●is H●●e●. lib 14 n●. 13.  easily subdue him. So I read that he dealt with a certain kind of miscreants called waldenses or Poor men of Lions, who amongst divers other their ●●wd blasphemies and heresies, were persuaded to avoue he that God never wrought any miracles in his Church: whereby the subtle enemy iuducing them, ●nd others by them to despoil the Church of her miracles, it was ve●ie easy for him afterwards to make men despise, whatsoever upon the credit of miracles the said Church might argue against them. Unto which poor wittles people certain others do nearly approach, who although they will perhaps confess all such miracles as are contained in the books of holy Scripture: Yet because they think that not long after the time that those books were written, either ●el gates prevailed against the rock of the 
Cont●●●● to our saviours promise and warrant. Math 16 Math. 5.  Church, or that the City builded upon an hill, was over covered with some Egyptian dusky darkness, or else shut up in some unknown cave and valley: consequently they infer that there never appeared miracles since that change whereby they will have us believe that either they have quite perished, or else have been wrought in ●ugger mugger & in great secret. For as they know where smoke is there commonly is some fire, and where they see a shadow they must confess the presence of some body: so if they should grant the perpetual course of miracles, they must also grant the perpetuity of that Church for which and in which they have been wrought.  
In the discovery of which their absurdity I might 
Fo● in his Acts & monuments.  first allege them the testimony of their own Fox, who telleth us of divers miracles appertaining to his martyrs .. But they may answer me, that Fox is fabulous, I yield he is so, for that he is easily proved so to be, and I know it would be lost and lewd labour for any to endeuo●● to prove the contrary 
In his watcheword.  Yet would I learn what they repute those benedictions to be, which Sir Francis Hastings, and almost every preacher and gospeler affirm that God hath heaped upon our Realm, since the alteration of Religion was made therein If they be but the ordinary mercies of God, as he maketh his Sun 
Math. ●.  to rise upon the good and bad, and sendeth down his rain upon the just and unjust: then they make no more for their Gospel, than the like do for the Turks 〈◊〉: or else they can progue unto ●s that God hath supernaturally blessed them only in regard of their Religion, thereby manifesting unto them and others, that England professeth his true faith, and that his true worship only flo●sheth therein: which when I see them do, then both I and they must grant them as many miracles, as they can score up their supernatural blessings, and consequently we both must conclude that miracles are not yet decayed. But because I know the things whereof they make this brag ●●e of the wiser soi●e esteemed presumptions, fantasies, inventions, and meet sopperie therefore I leave it to each man's wisdom to infer hereof the continuance of miracles 〈◊〉 be pleaseth. And I wish them rather to peruse the writings and volumes of those that have set down the infinite miracles which by divers holy Persons & in divers holy places amongst Catholics have been wrought. To reci●e here the only bore names of those that have most laudably emploted their labours ●etem, would be an ●●dles travail: where then should I begin? how shall I proceed? and when shall I make an end, if I would undertake to rehearse the sundry particulatities touching this matter which in these Authors I find registered?  
But I know as they blesh not to deny so evident a truth as is the continuance of miracles so will they not be ashamed to contemn, disgrace, and scorn all such as have recorded them, nothing regarding the opinion o● esteem▪ that either the Christian world now hath, or ever had of their wisdom, sanct●●e, learning, sincerity, and discretion. Yet if they will not credit those writers who have penned the gests and miracles of particular persons, & places, at leastwise let them not disdain the public records, and Chronicles of whole Kingdoms and nations: especially in such things as by the people of the said kingdoms and nations are generally held and confessed to be true; yea, which often times the Chroniclers of other Realms and common wekhes do acknowledge & avouch with them, without any difference, doubt, or contradiction.  
In those public monuments they may read how the said dominions and countries received first their Christianity, & withal they shall find, that miracles were still a principal motive and instigation there ●●●o. It is not unknown how the faith of Christ was preached in jury, how it was aftervard spread through Grece, Italy, Spain and other countries, where the Apostles, a●d Disciples of Christ preached. I suppose few will deny but that they did work miracles in all places wheresoever they came to teach the Gospel for so it is written: Illi autem profecti pr●dicauerunt ubique: Domino cooperant●, & sermone confirmed to seq●ētib signis. But they going forth preached every where, our Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed. Let them only peruse the later ages, and let them pass through them successively, by every Nation as ●t was converted. And if it please them they may began with that people which now we call French, and they shall see, that the French men hold that they received their faith by 
Hi●c●●rus in eius vita. Heda 〈◊〉 Hist See ●o●: de signis Ecclesi●.  the preaching and miracles of S. Remigius, & others: likewise we ●●g●sh say that our conue●●ion was first wrought by the ●●●cuo●rs and miracles of. Sanct Augusti● the monk, & of his fellows. The Danes and Suct●●ns affirm that S. R●embertus by preaching, and working of miracles made them Christians. The People of Bahemia tell that they were converted by 
●. ●. cap. 1. & 2.  the miracles first of two Brethrens called Cirillus and Methodius, & then of the holy Duchess Ludmilla, and of their king Venc●sel●us. The slavonians have in their records that they were brought to the faith by the labours & miracles of S. Bonifacius The Polonians with their Prince Miesc● by means of a miracle were first baptised. The Hungarians by miracles, and the industry of Adalbertus bishop of prague and of their Prince G●isa became Christians. The Tarta●ās with their king Cassanus submitted themselves to the faith of Christ, being moved there unto by a notable miracle Almost in our age the west Indies began by the miracles of Martinus Valentinus and Al●●si●● Bertrandus to admit the Christian belief. And to conclude the East India by the miracles of Consaluus Sil●erius. of the blessed Francis Xa●erius, and of Gasper surnamed Belga all th●●● of the Society of the holy name of jesus began likewise to forsake their Paganism, and to embrace the doctrine of Christ jesus.  
What may any reasonably answer to this Historical demonstration and Chronical deduction of the perpetuity and continuance of miracles? Will this opposite people say for all this, that these heathens were never brought to make acceptance of Christ his Gospel by miracles, can they by any sufficient authors or convenient proofs show us the contrary? will they ●●●● us in the mouths that all these are fictions, and standing still upon their bore & incredulous denial, give thely to all the monuments, traditions and writers of all these kingdoms and Nations? Be it so if of force without any reason they will have it so, yet I will demonstrate unto them (if they will not ●eny their own w●●tes) that they must necessarily grant so many successive miracles as there have been cunitries and People who have embraced the faith without the motive of external miracles.  
For what can be more miraculous then to see so many great & barbarous nations with their Kings and Nobles, settled in a Religion by themselves and all their aunce●ers, ind●e● which great Honours, riches pomp and previleges, taught and magnified by their own Priests, whose credit and necessary maintenance de ended thereon: by which their pagan religion they were licem ed●o commit almost what s●euer their proud, vnbri●eled licentious sensual appetites could desire? What could be more miraculous I say, then to see these people at the bore preaching and ass●ueration of some Bishops or Priests, (yea imagine & say of some superintendents & ministers) who should teach them, that the God which they aught to believe & adore, i● three persons and yet but one God: that one of these persons is both man and God, two natures but one person: whose mother both before his birth, in his birth, and after his birth was always a pure virgin, and an immaculate maid: and that this God ●f●er he had for the space of some years endured many mise●es, indignities, sclaunde●s, and persecutions of certain men that maligned him, was afterwards betrayed to them and atached by them, and after sundry disgrac●s and afflictions most cruelly and shamefully ha●ged▪ & put to death. Yea suppose that these preachers should have ●ould then, that this God in his life time wrought many miracles▪ and that ●f●e● his death he did ●se again to life, and ascended up oh heaven: whether also these Pagans' & Silua●●oe● should come, if they would throw down their Gods, destroy their temples, foretake their Priests, abnor then sac● fices suffer their ●eades to be washed in the name of God, for the remission of their sinne●, and withal if they, would embrace chastity, meakenes, patience, penance, humility, and believe many things surpassing their understanding and submit themselves to diue●s other things contrary to their sense, yea together opposite to their pride, and 〈…〉 ertie which before they enjoyed. He that will say that such people as these were brought to this, without an exceeding great miracle, if not by many miracles, I will not say that he is a miracle, but surely I think your Royal wisdom will deem and judge him a wondrous monster.  
Furthermore I beseech your Majesty to consider if a reprobate jew were to demand of these negative people, whether they thought our Lord God did more honour, or gave more previleges to the new law, or to the old, that is, (as true Christians would say) to the work of Christ, or to that of Moses: to that which was in ●e●●e substanoe 
Always miracles in the time of the old l●we.  or to the figure thereof: to that which was the perfection, or to that which was to be perfected? What answer I pray your Grace will they shape him? A shame on them if they would give the synagogue the upper hand, and shoulder down the Gospel, for that were a very uncivil or rather ungodly t●ick of a gospeler. And yet the jew will demonstrate unto the, how out Lord adomed and assisted his people and ancestors with miracles, and powrable works above the force of Nature all the time of Moy●es, of their judges, of their kings, of their Prophets even in the time of their captivity, ●n the time of their Macchabees yea and of our Sau our Christ himself, as is manifest by the perpetual miracle of the Pr●●●●ic● Pis●ina Yea what if the said jew standing upon the proof and prerogative of miracles ●●ould therein prefer the state of those that lived only under the law of Nature before us that live in the law of grace: For he will tell them of the miraculous 
Miracles in the first state of nature.  sacrifice of Abel, of the translation of E●●ch of his perpetual miraculous conservation in Paradise ever since, of the coming of all kinds of living creatures to N●● his Arak of their more than admirable manner of nuriture, agreement, and abode in the same, of the waters of the universal deluge, of the confusion of tongues, of the destruction of Sodom and Go●norha, of the preservation of Lot with his daughters, of the metamorphosis of his wife into a pillar of ●ault, of the vocation of Abraham, of ●l ●is visions, of the often apparitions of Angels both to him and others, of the generation of Isaac, of his miraculous delivery, of so many miracles wrought in the behalf of jacob, joseph, Moses, and the people of Israel both in Egypt, & when they were departed thence, ●ntil the time that the law was delivered them. When the jew hath thus outbraved the Church of Christ with their miracles, will these people that can not digest the perpetual course thereof amongst Christians, brook that the Church which our lord & saviour chose as his most looing spouse, wherein he promised to abide to the end of the world, which he bought with his most precious blood, and adorned with so great and most worthy Sacraments, should be destitute of such a grace, should be bereaved of so necessary a strength, should be deprived of so convenient and needful a glory?  
If they will not be a shamed to play thus the base cranks, and so much to disgrace the honour of the Christian Religion, and the most honourable work of Christ jesus, than I challenge them to show us some ancient & authentical Writers. Chronicles, Records. Doctors, or learned writers that ever noted the time when God withdrew his powrable hand from these kind of supernatural wo●kes or that ever they should end so long as his Church should last. But they can never do it, as we on the other side are able to show them the perpetual course ●nd succession of miracles in the Catholic Church, e●en from the Apostles days to ours, as that learned and eloovent Father I ewis Richeo●● hath already done in 
Louis Richco me au discours des miracles chap 16. num. 2  his discourse of miracles, dedicated to the French king now living: and I hope ere long they shall further perceive by that huge and infinite mass of these matters, which th● Reverand▪ learned, and worthy Father Giles Scond●nck Rector of ●ur English Seminary in Saint Omers hath gathered together, and that only of such things, as in this kind have happened in these two latter ages: which●f the world sh●l once see him publish in that authentical manner as he intendeth, it w●l not be a little astonished to think that ever there should have 〈…〉 en amongst men men so bra●en faced, or blockishignorant, that either durst or could make so shameful a doubt, much less so desperate a denial ●f this ever flowing current of miracles.  
But it maybe these good so le●a●● thus scrupulous ●n acknowledging this culkerton regard of the word of God: f●● as t●e● take themselves to be the only champions and protectors of the word▪ so have they solemnly and s●r●ou●●ly told us, that they will neither teach or learn or b●●●●ue any thing, which is not expressly, or by n●●essa●e ●n●crp●●tation in the w●●●d. ●e it so, let us enter with them into the word. There we read that the power of working miracles was given to the first Pastors of the Church. I confess it. Now let them show me by the word, or any good gloss of the word, that this power was recalled, yea or that e●e it was to be 
Math 〈◊〉 Marc 6. 〈◊〉 ●uc. 9 10.  recalled. I find in the word and book of God, that when our saviour gave power of working miracles unt his Apostles, he gave ●t unto them together with their power of preaching, which power to preach he also gave in them unto all their successors, who never were to have an end until the world did end: Even so when our Saviour gave them authority to work miracles, under the like 
Ephes. 4.  form of words, it is not to be doubted but in them he endued their successors with the same miraculous power, according to the exigence of his Church, which power should never expire, or●l l●● them ●y the text show us the contiarie. Again I read tha●●●r 
Ma●h. 2●●vv● things promi●e● by Christ th●t should perpetually remain in his Church●  Lord said: Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus d●●bus usque ad consummationem sacul●▪ behold I am which you ●l da●es enen unto the consummation of ●he world Where our benign Lord promises that his Apostles and disciples should continued to the end o● the world & he with them, not with them in their ●wn persons for they are dead and departe● hence, ●herfore with them in their successors with whom a●●o his perpetual favourable assistance was to remain without any diminution or limitation, and that by them he would adorn and fortify his Church with the self same power of miracles, where with at the beginning in his Apostles he establishe● it. By which promise we may conceive inestimable comfort▪ in being still assured of his divine presence amongst us in all our losses and crosses, and therefore we can not imagine how it is likely that when the pa●an persecutors, and Heretics▪ should oppo●e, charity wa● cold, faith be scarce found in the world, that then our most loving lord would walk up & down 〈◊〉 ●lesly in heaven, and seem to have little regard how his honour should be abused, his Church afflicted, his loving fiends and children trodden under foot, and the devil with his followers to seduce the world at his pleasure.  
Yes forsooth say they: Antichrist when he shall come he shall do strange w●nders. And I tell them that the Egyptian magicians wrought strange 
Exod. 7. 8. Act ●  wonnders, and Simon Magus wrought strange wonnders, did therefore Moses and A●●on work no miracles? Did saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles and Disciples no miracles? shall En●ch and Elias hau● 
Apoc. 11  no hand in miracles? It is impious to say or think, that when Antichrist the man of sin, the chief of all Heretics and false prophets shall seek to outface the Church of Christ with his diabolical wonders, that then the true miracles of God shall no where appear to confront his ungodly malice. Our lord hath already revealed the contrary, to wit that even in the ruff and pride of Antichrist his reign, two 
Apoc. 11  witnesses shall be sent, who in miracles shall so put down Antichrist and all his, that in their life time they shall plague the world at th●ir pleasure, and after their death shall mount up to heaven as conquerors even in the eyes of their very enemies.  
Yet perhaps our contradictors will say, that miracles are not now needful. It is quickly said. I would to God the contrary could not be so easily & perspicuousely proved, yea demonstrated. Were miracles necessary to convert Infidels, & to induce them to enter into the Church, and are they not necessary to confounded Heretics, and to reduce them back again to the Church which they have forsaken? Is a king's pow●r and assistance only to be re●jo●●ed in conquering his foreign foes, and is it to be neglected in the repressing of the mutinous rebellion, & intestine sedition of his own subjects against him? See the opinion of the Apostle Saint Paul, who persuading the Corinthians to give credit unto him, & his doctrine, & to reject those whom he termeth 
Miracles are ●ul necessity for the Church. 2. Cor. 12.  false Apostles, crafty workers, transfigured into the Apostles of Christ; after he had recounted many th●ngs that touched himself, after he had declared unto them his high revelations, and visions, at last he saith. Signa Apos●olatus met facta sunt super vos in omni pa●●●ntia: in signis & prodigus & virtu●ibus. The signs of my Apostleship have bend●n upon you in all pa●●●nce, in sign●s and wounders and mighty deeds. By the memory of which miracles he endeavoured to grace his doctrine and to confirm the faithful therein, and perchance to recall those that might have been seduced Did not almighty God show strange miracles 
Num. 16  and dreadful powrable works against Core, Dathan, and Ab●ron, who preached no new doctrine but only endeavoured to raise a schism and faction against those heads and rulers of Ecclesiastical causes, whom God had appointed? And to the end the memory of tho●e miracles might not d●●, he cau●ed the incensors of the seditious Sch●s●●at●kes to be beaten into plates, and so to be fastened to the very altar of God, to forewarn thereby ●heir after comers, and to deterge them from committing the ●ke sin, lest God should work again either corporalie, or spiritually the like exterminat on and revendge. 
divers ●●n●●ies infecte● wi●h di verse false sects & heresies.  O Gracious Souuerai●e, who seethe not the Mahometaines in all the Turks Empire the jews in most Cities and C●ntr●es▪ the infected Grecians in the call Church? the Politic or Parlementarie Protestanes in our own Country? divers s●rtes of Lutherans in Denmarck, Sa●●nie, & other Previnces in Germ●●ie, the Puritans or rigid Caluinists in G●neua, Scotland and many parts of Fra●ce, the Zumgltans ●n Zuiszerland? the Anabaptists in Morau●a, Holland▪ and divers other Provinces of the low countries▪ the ●uenckfildia●s in Su●thland▪ the Stan●a●ians ●n th● lesse● Poland▪ the Osiandrins in Prussia and in both these and divers other countries innumerable o●her sects, not only banded against the Catholics, but also bitterly bickering amongst themselves? Who read●●h not their vehement i●uectiues and most ●eu reenacted laws? who is he that can dissemble so many bloody battles? such open Rebellions? su●h burying? s●ch quarterings? such massac●ings▪ such ●ff●sion of Christian blood? ●ea of most Christian Princes blood? as the doleful and tragical ends of divers your majesties nearest and dee●est in blood do witness & testify to all the world. Therefore can any justly say that this world had ever m●●e need that God should miraculousely show himself where he resideth, and in what Congregation o● Church his one●y true saving faith and worship is to be ●ound, seeing all these opp●sitions and horrible h●r●●b●ili●s still a●e, and eue●●●it were pretended to have been raised for him, and for his only cause?  
But will a●y know why the for will eat no grapes? surely because he can not get them; and will they understand w●y heretics th●●k miracles superfluous, & wh●●h●y do not care ●or them? verily because they see that never ●ny f●lc● sect or Heresy could ever have the honour or comfort to have any one miracle for them Whe●e as we Catholics by the goodner of God so abo●d with them, that except we will deny our very senses, we can n●t so mu●h as doubt of them, & therefore (as it becometh reasonable & modest men) we necessarily acknowledge their being and continuance, according to that Philosophical axiom: Ea sunt, que nega●●●●ne ●●ultitia & pertinacia non possunt. Th●se things are, which without foll●● & froward obstinacy can not be denied to be▪ For do not we see the devotion that Christian people generally have to Saint Sebast●m and Saint Roch to be preserved from the plague? the usual flocking ●f people to the body of Saint Hubert in the Country ●f ●iege & especially of th●se that are bitten with mad dogs? he 
Saints called vp●n for the curing of di●ers disease's.  perpetual concourse made to ●h● sh●●ne of S. Marcon in France by those ●hat are a ta●●●e● with th● king's evil, so commonly called for that the kings of England and France you● majesties most 〈◊〉 & d●uout progenitors have always miracul●usely 〈◊〉 that disease Do we not also behold how 〈…〉 oca●e Saint Blasius for the pain & sw●ll●ng of the throat? Saint Erasmus against the griefs o● the bowels, and installs? Saint Laurence against ●he dau●ge● of fie●? Saint Nicholas in the peril of shipwreck an● drowning? Saint Anthony against the disease calle● the wyl●fier? Saint Apollonia aga●●●t the 〈…〉 he? Saint Antho●●e of Milan for the recoveree of th●ngs lost? and finally deuers other particular Saint▪ for divers other particular helps and benefits, as ou● English in their battles ca●l upon Saint George, ●he Sco●ish nation and Burgund●ans upon S. Andrew, the French upon Saint Denis, the Spa●●a●ds upon Saint Iame● a●d I ●h●●k there i● not ● k●●gdome or Comm●n we●th but they hau● o●● saint or other for their Protector and defendor with al●ight●e God Now wh● so will say that th●se people Kingdoms and Nation● have done this without having had or received any benefit by these Saints, besides that most unmodestly they oppose them sel●es against the common voice & asseveration of all these people Kingdoms and Nations, so they most ignorantly go about to control their long ●sual and assured experience, not alleging any solid thing to the contrane, but either Atheistical scoffs, or bore doubts, or wilful denials, or at the most, frivolous and blind conjectures, which will never ●ooue, much less satisfy any that hath either wit, learning, or care of his soul. And to conclude, do not we behold the most frequented pilgrimages from all the coasts of the world for all kinds of helps, to our lady of L●●ette in 〈◊〉 to our lady of Mont●serrato, and to the body of S. Ia●●●s in Spain? to our lady ●f M●ndoui● in S●●●ie? to our lady of L●●ss● in Franc●? and to be brief (for it would be an endless matter to 
Our ladies working miracles in divets c●ntries.  recount all the●e fountains and heads of miracles) I only desire them to cast their eyes upon these Netherlands and amongst other places therein attentively and seriousely behold H●uer, H●ll●, & the place called Montague where they shall see how Almighty God at the intercession of his most worthy and glorious Mother doth as it were power down from heaven whole showers and streams of heavenly miracles, & so if they be not altogether stark stone blind they shall ●u●dently see that miracles are not yet ceased.  
Yet say what we will, or can say; I find by experience that there is nothing so cl●e●e and manifest, but if men list not to behold i● they will not only 
Great obstinacy.  still deny it, but will frame to themselves (a marvelous thing) a quite contrary conceit, and understand it in a quite opposite manner to the nature thereof like to th●se absurd people unto whom the Prophet speaketh in such bitterness saying: Va qus dicitis ma●●● bon●m, & bonum malum: ponen●●●●●nebr●s luce●, 
●sai. 5.  & luc●m tenebras: ponentes am●rum ●n dulce, & dulce in amarum. Va qui sapientes esiis in oculis vestres & coram v●●is●etipsis● prudentes. Woe be to you that say evil is good, and good is evil: setting darkness to be light, and light to be darkness: putting that thing which is bitter into that which is sweet, & the sweet into that which ●s bitter. Woe be to you that are wise in your own sight, a●d are prudent in your own conceits. For these conce●●ed wizards will have men persuaded that these works of God are the operations of the devil, that these miracles are tricks of sorcery, that these evident demonstrations of our lord his supernatural power are secret collusions of infernal feyndes, that the benefits which have descended down upon us from heaven, are certain pestilent pernicious contagions that are vamped out of the accursed dungeon and pit of hell; whereby they affirm good to be bad, light to be darkness, God to be the devil. And whence cometh all this mistaking but because they accounted themselves more learned and wise, than all those of the Church of God: because they prefer their own judgement before the knowledge of all their learned virtuous & grave ancestors; because they are of opinion that the wisdom of all ages, of all Pastors and Prelates, of all the universities of the Christian world, of all the Provincial National and general councils, must stoop & adore their blyndover weening cap●i●●hes.  
It is a plag●e that God sendeth unto the proud, 
A Punishment that God inflic●e●h ●po those th●t are to much concei●ed of th●ir o●● judgement.  to depri●e them of the little light he hath given them, thereby to punish their haughty authority, and to expose them to the scorn o● rather pity of all those that be hold them how they go peaking alone with a self imagination and admiration of their own subtelitie, or rather stupidity. For so it fared with ou● first Parents, who cast them se●ues and all their miserable posterity into incredible ignorance and darkness, onel● for presuming ●r endeavouring to attain to greater wit and knowledge, than God had bestowed upon them o● thought sit fo● them▪ in so much as the Prophet could ●ay of man Comparatus 
Psal. 48.  ●st lum●ntis insipientibus & si●●lis factus est illis: He became to be compaired to the foolish beasts and was made like unto them. It is an old proverb that Heresy and Fren●ie always go together. For every Heretic being naturally ●roud, will ●e●●eue none but himself, & therefore Antiquity, Consent and universality (things of high regard to the ancient learned holy Fathe●s) are by him contemned as straws, and esteemed as ridiculous trifles, wherein they contrary his fantasy, according to the saying of the wise man▪ Non r●cip●t ●iulius v●rba prudentia, n●si ea dix●ris, qua v●rsantur in cord eius. A fool rec●●ueth not the 
Pro●. 18. Math 9 Ma●●. 3. How divers miscreants attributed Gods mi●a●les to the devil. Linda●u● du bi● dialog. 2. 〈◊〉. 4. Aug de ●iui● l. 21. c. ● 4▪ Reg. 20. joshua 3.  words of wisdom except you tell him those things that are i● his own heart. Yea le● God speak unto him by miracles f●om heaven, a●●sha be esteemed witchcraft, and damnable devilish pract●●es. For ●o the jewish Scribes interpreted the works of our Saviour, so afterwards Porp●●irius, E●●omius, Eu●t●thius, Vigilam●●s and other old condemned Apostasies & Heretics ●epo●ted of the miracles of h●s Saints, and ma●●y●s. So seemed t●e heathen Poet Virgil (as sayeth Saint Augustin) to have interpreted the miracles that were wrought amongst the ancient Israelites, and in particular the staying o● th● fl●●od jorda while joshua whi●h his people passed d 〈…〉 t through the same, & the turning back of the 〈◊〉 in his ordinary, course at the prayer of Isa●● the prophet As though these two great Saints could not but by the help of sorcery. Si●●●r● aqu● fl●●●●s, & virtue syd●● a re●r●. To stay the r●nning streams of rivers and to turn backwards the very stars of heaven. And now there is no sect, ●ither by us, o● by any our adversaries esteemed as erro●●eous, false a●d deu●lish, but it holds and believeth that the miracles of the Catholic 
The miracles of the Catholic Church can not be of the devil.  Church are superstitious, the works of Satan, and consequently to be abhorred and detested of every one: Which is an evident proof of their purity and excellency. For most or all of these sects being of ●he devil as both they & we suppose, I cannot imagine how these people can reasonably think that th● d●uil will band ●o earnestly against himself, & that he ●●il either provoke or permit his vassals, by impugning our miracles to seek the overthrow of so principal a pi●le● and suppotte of his kingdom: supposing I say that our miracles are of him as these ma●rers of miracles together which other sects would have the world t● believe. And that this difficulty may be the be●t●● cleared, I bes●e●h them to peru●e the huge list of these said different and opposite sects, which they shall find in ●mdanus, Ho●iu●, Staphilus, and Prateolus: where they sha' find whi●h what ●warn●es of▪ he●e ●nf●deli●ties and Heresies the world is mightily pesti●d at this day The●e shall they behold the Mah●metanes▪ Iewes, lutherans Cal●in●sis, Zu●glians▪ Anabaptists, Tri●tarians, Stancanans, Maniw●uers, Hozzlers, He●m●i●ters, By●●●●pers, Signifiers, Figurers, Demon●acals, to say ●oth●●g of the s●nd●ie repugnant profess●ons of ●a●th ●a●e●y ●p●●●g up i● our Brytanie, besides innumerable others else where too too ●edious and loathsome he●e to be recited: all which undoubtedly proceed●ng from the devil, as from the fi●st pa●ent and author of all i●fidel●itie & dissension▪ it seemeth a thing most strange, yea altogether unintelligible, (if the en●●ie be able to perform such miracles which we affirm to be wrought in the Catholic Church) that either amongst all, or the most, o● at lest among some of 
note this well.  these, he will not show what he is able to do in this kind, for the establishing and gracing of their errors, or else by profaning the credit and honour of miracles, that he will not assist every sect with his secret admirable working, thereby to bring the world in doubt what faith to embrace, or else thereby to despair ever to come to the knowledge of the only saving truth and religion.  
Furthermore if the devil be able to work such miracles as these, it is strange that he would not there in have concurred with Nero, Simon Magus, Porph●rius, I●●lian the Apostata, and Mahomet his most potent instruments, who wanted neither power not malice to have e●ceedingly advanced his party. And surely by nothing more could they have so born down the Gospel of Christ, then if they had b●n able to have performed those miracles (as undoubtedly they greatly desired) which our Saviour, his Apostles, and Martyr's wrought in such abundance.  
But because these wretches saw how no power either of th●●t own or of their seyndish Gods could extend itself to such works, they were forced (thereby to shrowded their own nakedness and turpitude) ●o condemn all these admirable effects & operations, saying they proceeded from witchcraft, forcene, and the at●e Magic Wherhfore I would entreat the impug●ers of our Miracles to teach us, ●y what good reason we or they may defend the puttie of the ancient miracles of Christ, of his Apostles and martyrs against these their calumniators; amongst whom some were so fat persuaded that Christ himself was a Magician, that they blushed not to affirm, that ●e had compiled a book of that accursed at, and had 
Aug. de con●ensu evang. cap. 9 & 10.  dedicated the same to his two chief Apostles Peter and Paul. And this they did to disgrace and deface the miracles that were objected against them by the Christians, in defence of their faith.  
But it is much to be feared that we shall have little help of our adversaries in this matter, but that they will rather bear up those Pagans', jews, and mahome●anes by answering for them, and showing that the miracles alleged by our forefathers were tricks of magic, and sorcery, for whatsoever they can in●ent or imagine against these later miracles that are now wrought in the Catholic Church, ●ndoubtedly a Pagan Turk or jew will in like manner oppose against those former of the Primitive Church, so that the argument of the old Doctors, Martyr's, Apostles, and of Christ himself, drawn from the authority of miracles shall be quite overthrown, and shall serve for no proof of the verity of our Religion. It may be perhaps they will confounded the Turks, jews, and Gentiles with scriptures, and out of them they will convince that the miracles of the Primitive Church must be believed I know not what these worthy Scripturians may more than miraculousely work with these miscreants when they shall once come over them with their Scriptures, especially with the Pagans', who hitherto have made no more esteem of the Bible, then of A●sops fables, o● Ou●ds Metamorphosis. But this I da●e say, ●f the jews and perhaps the mahometans once chance to buckle with the in ●hose parts of the holy Scripture which they admit, these goodly Bible-cla●k●s shall find them to have as hard ●eades, to be as p●eu●st stiffnecked, and as w●l conceited of that own spirit in interpreting Gods ●ook as the proudest gospeler that date once to cope with them. And therefore the wisdom of God who knew what would best convince the pertinacity of the jews, although he had alleged sundry Scriptures for his mission, yet did herather condemn them as reprobate for not believing 
10. 15.  him in regard of his miracles, then in regard of the manifest places of scriptures so often b● h●m 
10. 5.  produced for himself, & against them. And although he willed them to search the Scriptures, and to examine them about his mission and authorit●●; that was because upon former miracles they were well persuaded of the verity of the scriptures; but when the Gentiles were to be converted, miracles were there Scriptures, and only in them did they read that the Christian doctrine came from God. So that miracles are more evident proofs of a true religion then are the Scriptures, especially considering how Scriptures are so subject to false misconstruing▪ s●de ●l●sh bad interpretation, as experience most manifestly demonstrateth. Whereby all the world may see and laugh at the absurdity of those that say▪ we know your miracles are not of God, and if we demand, why so? they will answer because your doctrine which they approo●e is not of God; and if we would know of them the reason of so resolute an assertion they w●l tell ●s because our Religion is not according to the word of God. A reason forsooth that the jews, and Mahom●tans (as I said, may in like manner frame against 〈◊〉 Christian faith, & all the Heretics that either ●re, or have been, or e●er hereafter shall be may with as good proof aleage against whatsoever they shall not please to admit, because it is not according to their gloss and interpretat on of holy Scripture.  
As the Catholic Church hath certain assured good means to attain to the true intelligence of holy Scripture thereby to au● in all danger of error and Heresy, so hath it most cu●dent notes whereby to discern false de●ling from true miracles, that thereby she may numbered cerued with witchcraft and sorcery, so that as upon those grounds she buil●●eth her assurance of her true ●nderstanding of the word of God, so by these ma●ckes she cometh to the assured knowledge of the powerable works of God For our 
How to know true miracles from the works of sorcery. Math 12  blessed Saviour himself hath delivered ●nto her, one most, clee●e si●ne hereof, when he was forced to defend his miracles from the jewisn calumniation, by which they were attributed to the devil For he said Omne regnum divisum ●otra se, desola●●tur. Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be de●●iate. As ●f he said the devil w●● not wo●k any thing against himself that thereby h●● kingdom may be destroyed But when we consider who they are, upon whom these miraculous benefits are bestowed, we find them to be th●se, that first prepare their way hereunto b● true and zeal us repentance of their sins, by labouring to ex el out of their souls whatsoever may be dupleasing to God or any way pleasing to the devil, who e● d●n●ur to raise in the● selves true love and ●ffect on towards their maker, & perfect resignation with ●l patience to his holy will, desiring nothing more ●●● that the will of God should be fulfilled in the ●●, to his greatest honour and glory. All which things (with many points 〈◊〉 sides that their faith and ●el g●●n●e ch●●h be●● being most acceptable unto Go● and highly m●king for his honour, & consequently mos● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●he devil, ●f he should second with his wo●kes, and ●emune at his en●mies with so si●gul●r favours as we see the e●de● o●t people daily blessed withal, what oth●● thing doth ●e, but thereby ruyn & subvert his infernal kingdoms Likewise the Church disc●rneth true miracles from witchcraft by an other sentence of our lord in the same place. For he saith: Qu● non est mecum▪ contra 〈◊〉 est: & qui non congregas mecum, spargit. He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, disperseth. As if he would have said: the devil who is mine enemy, and consequently is not with me doth nothing but that which he knoweth is most displeasing to me: and all his study being how he may disunite. whom I have gathered together in true concord and charity, the end of his work● is to sever souls from God by sin, and to break the mutual peace of my flock by sowing his seed of contention and discord amongst them. For 
The works of God and of the devil have contrary ●ades.  as the works of the devil are to disturb all concord in saith and teligion, and by leading men in-to sin to make them rebels & enemies to God his divine majesty, so the miracles of God are wrought for the producing and maintenance of unity in faith, & perfect union with almighty God in unfeigned charity, which we see performed by these miracles, which are only wrought in the Catholic Church, which Church in matter of belief is and always hath been perfectly united in itself, and whose doctrine alloweth of no vice, but rather teacheth all virtue, and hath the best yea the only means to advance men's souls to their spiritual and chiefest perfection. Again, the Church discovereth the collusion of the devil from the working of God, by noting the means that are used in the purchasing of these miracles, which are nothing else, but most serious prayer unto almighty God▪ ●oined with fasting al●nes deeds, honouring of God his mother, and his holy saints his decrest and most honourable friends: Which honour they do to them, for the more honour and reverence they bear to God himself: Which th●n●s in holy scripture are singuler●y commended whereas the contrary are the evident works of the devil, & whosoever is addicted to them▪ oh 〈…〉 y persevereth in them, (be he of what religion so●uet) can never be made partaker of God his sweetness in his necessities by these miracles. Moreover, the Catholic Church seethe that these miracles are substantial works, notably and perfectly profiting the bodies and souls of those unto whom they are imparted: Whereas the works of our hateful enemy are rather hurtful and domageable to the creatures of God, than any ways comfortable unto them in their miseres and afflictions. We likewise note that these miracles are in themselves perfect, and entire; where as the works of the de●●l are most commonly defective in many things. Also the works of the devil are done for vain or pernicious ends, as that the workers (who are always ●ad ungodly people) may be wound●red at, or that they may thereby obtain some gain or filthy pleasure, or wreak their hatred and revenge against their enemies: they are commonly wrought by certain secret, absurd, ridiculous, superstitious prayers, charms, signs, or circumstances: Which neue● do accompaine the Catholic miracles. And finally (for it is not necessary to recount all the differences) if ever God permit the devil to work any h●● deceitful wonders in the behalf of any sect or heresy, they are soon bewrayed, if they be duly examined, they vanish away at the presence either of faithful people, or of other true miracles, and they are fully descried in that they oppugn the Religion that hath been already established, and confirmed by infinite most evident and assured miracles, by the confession of all antiquine, by the consent of all nations, by the censure of all General Counsels by the assertions of all holy Fathers of all Histories of all Schools, of all universities, by the triumphant deaths of innumerable Martyr●, by the profession of infinite Confessors, Virgins, Lay & Religious people, of all estates, degrees, and ages.  
As the old saying is true, that cunning hath no 
Who they are that most condemn the Catholic saith. 2. pet. 2.  enemy but the ignorant so we daily evidently experience that the Catholic Church is by none more oppugned then by those that are most ignorant of her ways and doctrine. Which thing the Apostle S. Peter did soretel of the heretics which were to band against the Church, whom he termeth Irrationabel●a pecora, naturaliter in captionem & in per●ic●em, in his qua ignorans blasphemantes. Unreasonable beasts, naturally tending to the snare, and into destruction, blasphe●ung in those things which they know not. For we see none more forward to condemn the Catholic Religion than they, that only upon their own conceired surmises, or upon fraudulent false reports of their own doctors & teachers impugn it. Which their blind f●●e as they exercise against every point of our faith, so particularly in this, that they are not ashamed to assign our miracles to soap station and 
How hateful all sorcery and superstition is to catholics.  sorcery. Wherefore I pray them to tell me, who is he that hath but only read or hard the form to make his Sacramental Cofession (a thing daily yea almost hourly practised amongst Catholiks) but he hath also learned amongst other things, that witchcraft, sorcery, & all kinds of superstition are accounted for g●●●● us sins, as being directly against the commandment of almighty God? And those that have made more progress in learning, if they have been but slenderly acquainted with Catholic writers, can not be ignorant what volumes have been written and divulged in particular against these ●ice●, as also to discover then fraud malice and impiety. 
joannes ●●or instit. mor●l. lib 9 cap 26. q 2. & ●.  And as for the Canon, Imperial▪ & Civil laws, how severely they have been and are enacted against these enormities, and how rigourousely executed in every Catholic Country against the offenders, I am sure none but the deaf and blind can be unwitting thereof. Yea, what a particular and zealous hatred Catholiks bear against all superstition, is man ●est 
R gul● indicis librorum prohibit●rum council. Tried Reg ●. & 9  in that the children of the Catholic Church are by their Pastors and Prelates strictly forbidden, so much as to read, sell, or retain any books or treateses (though they do not believe them) of magic, sorcery, chiromancy, judiciary astrology, or of any art what soever which include●h any express or secret pact, covenant, intervention, o● familiar ●●e with the devil. Moreover, the books who●e arguments are otherwise good and lawful, yet if they 
Bulla ●●●●. ●b●●●.  contain any thing that tendeth to superstition and vain observation are in l●ke manner forbidden under pain of mortal sin, and the persons culpable are to be otherwise punished▪ as their Bishop's snal think 
The ●rud 〈◊〉 ●●scre●on o● Catholiks  expedient. Yet because there a●e m●ny stra●●●e and secret things that may be effectuated & wrought by natural power, without any co● course of the d●uil, which to the expert in Physic & natural philosophy are not unknown: many things also that are mere superstitious and diabolical, and many th●ngs again that are divine and supernatural fun●●e of our Catholic writers have worthily ●●●vai●ed to discover and clear each part, for he bet●er direction both of the spiritual and temporal magistrate herein● that these things might not lie so huddled up ●n confusion, that by their ignorance any inconueni●ce or indignity might happen: Where in amongst others the learned Martin D●lrius hath in three competent 
Disquisitions Magicorum. Tomi ●tes Mat tini Del●i.  tomes or volumes showed his erquisit diligence & skill. So that hereby all men may see how little danger there is to be fea●ed that Catholic miracles have any affinity with superstition and lorcerie, both through the vigilant diligence that Catholics have to sift every point and particular circumstance in them, as also in regard of the engrafted hat●ed and disdain that the Catholic Church bears against the devil, and all his ●recrable works, as being contrary to God, and all goodness.  
If these your pretended miracles (say our adversaries) 
● calunniation with the an swear.  be not works of sorcery, then are they coo●ening tricks of your priests & clerge men, who cunningly decerue the world, for their own l●cre and gain. But this calumniation is soon wiped away, if they would consider, that many of these misacles are wrought upon people that never were at the miraculous place: divers upon strangers who only vowed or intended to go thithes, many upon the poor who were not able to give contentment to such inordinate avarice: many were done in the view of hundrethes that were present: they have been all most diligently and curiously examined by the Prince's authority, and Civil Magistrates in many Cities, towns, and other places, who never hitherto could find the lest suspicion in these matters of any such abominable evil dealing. And the like may be answered to those, who so confidently cleange, that these things were performed by way of Physic, & in particular by the help of the Philosophers stone, 
Follie in increase dulitie.  (good lord what do not men invent when they would blind themselves that they might not see the truth) whereby they show their stony hearts and heads.  
Upon the●e men I fear that Apostolical sentence wil●e verified if they do not repent them, R●●elatio●●ra De● de caelo, super omnem imp●etatem & intustitiam hominum eorum qui veritatem De● in iniusticea detinent. The wrath of God from heaven is revealed upon all impeetie & injustice of those men that dete●ne the verity of God in injustice. For how unjustly they have sought to keep both from their own and other men's knowledge the truth of God, your Royal wisdom may sufficiently perceive, first in not crediting God his miracles, nor God, by his miracles, again, by wholly denying his miracles, afterward, judaically that is impiousely attributing them to the damned devils of hell, and finally uncharitably and iniu●●ousely condemning those whose innocency & sincerity neither the diligent and war●e Catholic, nor the curious prying malicious Herenke could ever yet justly touch. Therefore I say unto them with th● Prophet hody si vocem Domini aud●●ritis, noli●e obdurare corda vestra. If you will hear the voice of our Lord by miracles speaking & prea h●ng unto yo●▪ c●em in ou● days, & proclaiming where he doth reside, denouncing unto you where you shall find him beware that you harden not your ha●tes, as those old crasperating people did, unto whom ou● lord did swea●e being mo●ed with his just ang●t and disdain against their stubbornness and ●●●●●du t●e, that they should never enter into his rest, that they should never have part of his eternal felicity.  
Which heavy and dreadful ●oome they may auo●d if ●aying aside all animosity and p●●●a●e affection, they would meekly, that is, with Christian mode●tic, patience, and humility for Christ his sake and for their own soul's salvation take the pains to view either with their corporal e●es, or with the attentive eyes of their mind what is down in the mountain of Montaigue Where they may see a most famous and frequent Pilgrimage to a picture of the Mother of God, or to a place chosen out by ●e●, wherein she showeth her gracious favours to humble and distressed suppliants: where they shall behold troops of penitent sinners prostrate before the feet of their confessors, and declaring unto them their ●respasses: where they efrsoones devoutly adore and receive the body of God in the form of bread: where they are present at the continual celebration of Masses: where they hear perpetual and reverent invocation of our Lady, & of other Saints: where they attentively ha●ke● to innumerable sermons and exhortations, persuading those things which either the Catholic Church commandeth, or counseleth to be believed and embraced, or meiting them to avoid those things which the said Church either in faith or manners m●sl●keth or condemneth. And while 
The assu●ednes of the Catholic do ctrine.  these things and many other such like, are in doing, they shall often times espy the power and sweet goodness of God to descend upon the holy assembly, whereby some that are blind receive their sight, some that are deaf recover their hearing some that are leaperous are cleansed some that are possessed with unclean spirits are ●reed from their tyrance, others that are lame walk strong homeward, leaving their crutches and s●iltes at the place for a memory, and many other such supernatural miraculous operations to be their achieved: whereby they may with us justly and with very good consequence infer, that holy Pilgrimages, honouring of holy Images, confession of our sins to the priest, acknowledging of the real presence of Christ his body in the blessed Sacrament, celebration of Masses, praying to saints, yea (in brief) they may insert the whole ●oct in and practice of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church to be grateful and highly pleasing unto the Majesty of God: for otherwise if these things were so wicked, blasphemous ●●urious abominable, and execrable ●n●o him, (as our advertanes would persuade men) it is to be thought, that in his just and zealous indignation he would rather 'cause the earth to swallow down even into hell both the place and people, then to permit them to depart thence fraught with such unspeakable comforts and palaces both of their bodies and souls, as we daily perceive they do.  
So that hereby every one may see, in what price and esteem the Catholic Church is to our Lord, whose children he thus particularly & only blesseth, and as it were vphouldeth in their faith with the hand of his powrable celestial operations, which he vouchsafeth to impart unto them even by the means of ●o less than of his most loving and glorious Mother, and for her glory, a circumstance ●●●●●ding all cause of doubt that the devil should ha●e any claw in this matter. For our lord hath said: Inimi●itias ponam inter 
Gen. 3.  to & mulierem. I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman. Whereby we may understand that as the devil will never to his power permit her to be honoured, much less will he work wou●●ders to procute or inc●●a●● her honour. Neither will this blessed woman permit her enemy ever to abuse her due honour, or to circumvent those that desire for her s●nnes sake, and for her own sake, to serve & honour her; but let him use all the craft he can in●ent, and all the force he hath, yet shall our triumphant judith have the perfect victory oue● him. For, Ipsa cont●ret cap●● tuum She shall crush thy ●●ad wicked and fiends 〈◊〉 serpent, s●●th our God Great is the force undoubtedly of the mother of God; who not only was and is able to compate with the devil, but to crush him. & domineer over him, as o●er a poor worm whose hea● is bruised and squeezed to du●t. Therefore it is no marvel if miracles are achieved by her means, who was able to being under her f●●o● that f●●nd●sn Leu●athan, of whom our Lord saith▪ Non est super terr●m 
job 41.  potestas qu● comparetur 〈◊〉 qui factus est ut nullum ●im●re●: There is no power upon earth that may be compared to him▪ who is so made that he might fear none  
Come, come and see how this miraculous mother of 
The power of our bles●ed Lady with almighty God. Ge●. 1.  our God hath power to procure miracles to proceed from God at her word, as being the mother of the eternal word and the ●o●e was she only preu●●edg●d to use the most forceble word▪ that ever God used towards his creatures For o●r lord said Fiat: & this his mother repeated the said Fiat. Fiat lu●, said he, Fiat firmamentum▪ Fian● luminar●a, etc. let the light be made, let the firmament be made. l●t the stars of 
P●l. ●2.  heaven be made. Ipse dixit & facta sunt He said the word and they were made This holy virgin said to the Angel▪ Fia● inti● secundum verbum ●uum. Be it 
Luc. 1. 10. 1.  done to me according to thy word. Et ve●bum caro factum est. & habita●it in nob●s. And the word was made flesh, and dwells in us. The word Fiat proceeding out of the mouth of God. was the cause that the world was created: the word Fiat out of the mouth of this blessed virgin▪ was the cause that God himself was incarnate: By his Fiat, he made the world and man, by her F●at, God entered into the world, and became man. Which being so great a miracle, the flutes whereof the faithful still reap upon earth, & the continuance whereof the Angels & saints perpetual▪ en●oy in hea●en, no 〈◊〉 ●f these miracles (which in this book are related) be wrought in her favour, & at her word, ●eing that ●n dignity & perfection they are infinitely inferior to those, which by her and ●o● her, h●ue already b●ne performed. And verily i● we consider who this Virgin is, what is her degree and dignity, we can not much wonder at this her prerogative. For in one word she is the mother of God, who did bear in her sacred womb the second person in Trinity our lord and Saviour jesus Christ the So●u●raine King and judge of Men & Angels. With whom this blessed Virgin had not only domestical familiarity for many years, but had motherly authority over him, 
L●c. 2. The most m●r●cu●on. se privilege of our ●. Lady.  fo● he was obedient unto her, yea subject unto her, yea subject to Io●eph for headache, which truly was a power above all power, a miracle above all miracles, to have in pious and reverend subjection the high Majesty of h●a●●n, the author and ●●pre●e worker of a●l miracles Who had ●●ch admirable respect to this his most honourable moth●●, ●a● a● in his life time he always ye●de● unto her authority, ●o even at the instant of his death while he was performing that great and dreadful blood●e sacrifice on the altar of the Cross, even in the ve●y act of the reconciliation of mankind to his heavenly Father, he could not then neglect or be unmyndeful of his most worthy mother, but must needs of his sonly p●e●●e appoint his best beloved Apostle to be her careful son in his stead▪ wherefore now that this our Lord is settled ●n his throne of majesty▪ now that he reigneth in his kingdom of glory, where, (as he promised) he ministereth to his servants▪ wi●h what respect doth he behave himself to his glorious best beloved and best deserving mother? let us behold king Solomon in this point, who so honoured his mother Bersab●●, that he ado●ed her▪ that on his right hand he 
3. Reg. ●.  placed a throne for her & sp●ke these dutiful words unto her Pe●e ma●er ●●a: ne●ue enim fas est ut auert●m faci●m tuam. Mother sh●w your request: for it is not lawful that I should turn your face from me.  
That is: that I should suffer you to departed discontented from me. Which Salomo did & said undoubtedly in regard of the natural duty which he knew he did own to his mother. For he had before his e●es that 
Exod. ●0  commandment of God. Honora Patrem tuum▪ & matrem tuam. Honour thy Father, and thy mother. This precept our Saviour jesus doth incomparably more respect and observe, than Solomon either did or could: for that it was his own law, as also for that it is a law mee●ely natural, & consequently indispensible, the which God himself the Author of nature can no more violate, than he can de●●e or hate himself, or be sub●ect to the devil.  
Let therefore no man wonder (Gracious sovereign) that both your subjects at home, and all Catholic Princes, People, & common wealths abroad persuaded themselves, that the said Catholics in our country should cease to be ●osted with the furious waves of persecution, so soon as they saw your Majesty to be settled at our stern For this their persuasion grew not only of that they had seen your Grace's car●age alwa●es to have been free from al●rigor & severize; not for that your royal clemency always hated the odious & infamous name of a persecutor, not for that they knew you needed not to maintain your just and undoubted t●●le by those means, which to your Predecessor seemed necessary for hers, not for that they thought your Princely wisdom would not exasperated and dishonour other Christian Princes and People, by persecuting your subjects, for being of the same fa●th and religion with them: not for that divers your subjects had reported this your mild disposition and intention in every fo●re●ne Prince's Court and Country, and which very many of them affirmed to have had it from your Grace's self, not for that they held your Majesty for wise and learned, and that therefore the right of the Catholic cause should be seriously and maturely examined, before it should be condemned: not for that they did think, that your Royal wisdom would easily see that by persecution our faith hath been no whit diminished, but rather admirably increased: not for many other reasons which they deemed would withhold your Grace from so disgracious, dangerous, hateful, and ungodly a course: but they were especially moved unto this honourable and pious conceit of your Majesty, for that they thought it would never enter into your Princely breast, to arm your royal hand against the professors of that faith, which all your Majesties must honourable Progenitors in England, France, and Scotland ever most zealously and religiously embraced▪ since first those countries received their Christianity▪ but especially in regard of your Grace's most famous & ren●umed Mother, who (as all the world knoweth and to her honour protesteth) most zelousely protested the same in her life, and heroically sealed this her profession with the effusion of her royal blood at her sacred death. And their godly persuasion was founded upon this, that they hold this pious precept to be deeply graved in your royal heart: Honora 
Eccl. 7.  patre tuit▪ & gellius matris tu●ne obliu●s●aris Honour your Father and forget not the sobs of your Mother. They thought your Grace's dearest mothers manifold sobs tears, and direful groans in bringing you forth into this world in her restless cares, cogitations, and prayers to God for your preservation, in the sundry undutiful perilous insu●rections of her own subjects against her in her most coacted exile & expulsion out of her own kingdom, in her long restraint and vn●ust captivity, and finally on the tragical seaffo●d where the innocent Queen your grace's kyndest Parent was bloudely deprived of her life: they thought (I say) these forcible groans and showers of tears of so dear a Mother would not only have inclined her most beloved Child with all dutiful reverence, but would even naturally that is, most forcibly have compelled him to respect her, and her cause, that is, the Catholic cause, for which she sustained these calamities and indignities. And undoubtedly all the world could not but have ●ustly condemned that person as very injurious to your Majesty, who ever should have da●ed to have had as much as a thought that your Highness would eves (I do not say) command, but so much as permit that the Catholiks▪ your mother's chiefest if not her only friends should be any ways molested▪ and much less endamaged, impoverished, in prisoned, condemned and put to death for the profession of her faith. For the world hath not yet forgoven, neither can the memory thereof ever decay▪ how that Catholics have been hampered, fortured, spoiled of their goods, hanged, boweled and mangled, yea, foreign nations do still behold the ex●●e and poverty of divers, who at this present remain deprived of their lands and livelihoods, for having loved, honoured, p●●ied, or affectionated the afflicted innocent mother of King james our redoubted lord Whereby 
Plu●archu●.  the dutiful behaviour of that heathen Roman Cor●olan●s cometh into men's minds, who was so natural as for his mother's s●ke to depose the severe chastisement and revenge which he had prepared against those that were so unkind and ungrateful towards him: by which example they conclude, that your Majesty being a Christian and the son of a most glorious Christian martyr can not but grant unto your Catholic subjects, the most ●●lous & sincere friends of you both, their long desired comfort, and the just freedom from their unjust distresses and oppress●or●s But let others conceive what they ●●st of this old Pagan example: we rather think this Philosophical sentence shall have more 〈…〉 your grace's heart: Sequere Deum▪ Fellow your God said the w●se man. Which that your majesty may the better be animated unto▪ here in this ensuing relation is d●spla●d the admirable honour which our God himself doth to his Mother, & to mortal people for her sake. Unto whom he beareth so great reverence, that not only he heareth her for her friends, but of his ●●estimable piety is most gracious unto her for his own very enemies: as our famous learned and de●out Archbishop of Cantu●burie Saint Anselin hath noted 
Ansel in Med●t.  saying▪ O foelix Marie sicut omnis peccator ate aversus & ate despectus necesse est ut intereat, ita omnis peccator ad ●e conversus & a te respectus impossibile est ut per●●● O Happy Marie as every sinner auerte● from thee and despised by the must necessarily dy● so every sinner converted to the● and regarded by thee can not perish possibly. O the rare privilege wherewith by her Sun this Mother is th●s honoured, wherein▪ if Christian people abroad may once chance to see your Majesty to imitate the sovereign King of eternal glory to your Catholic subjects at home, who (as all the world knoweth) were never enemies but most affection and loyal unto your Royal Majesty, as this your Godly imitation w●l ●e great solace unto us, so will it yield an unspeakable contentment unto them, and withal be most honourable to your Highness, & unto God's divine Majesty exceedingly grateful. And to the end in honouring your natural Mother, 
Io. 15.  your Grace may not fear to dishonour and displease your eternal Father, behold his supernatural pow●able 
Io. 5.  wo●ke● in approbation of that faith in which she lived, and for which she died For not believing the like works our God held the jews inexcusable, so in crediting these your Majesty shall not need to fear to displease, but rather to please him highly. Who only for the temporal and everlasting benefit of his creatures, and for the amplification of his own Sovereign honour & glory vouchsafed them I know that they will be vehemently contradicted & impugned, before they shall obtain their d●e esteem & credit, and therefore I have endeavoured to clee●e the chiefest difficulties which I perceive to be oh divarilie objected against them. I grant my discourse hath been very prolix, your Majesty seethe the ma●te is important, & I was very desirous your Royal wisdom might be exactly informed hereof. God grant that what I have done may be iudg●d sufficient. If I shall hereafter understand that aught is wanting or omitted herein it shall by the help of God be added & supplied. Mean while committing the who●e to the sweet disposition of Almighty God I do withal commend your Majesty to his best guidance and protection.  
Your majesties most humble Beadsman Robert Chambers.   

THE TRANSLATOR TO THE CHRISTIAN Reader.  
THERE is a certain foul fault (gentle Reader) for which we Catholics are very ordinarily and odiously reproached, which is, that we are passing light and exceedingly prove to believe every fable: and upon this blind simplicity easily drawn into any superstition and error touching the worship of God. The reason whereof is held to be our ignorance in the word of God, and the little sight we have in the holy Bible: rather hearkening to the traditions of men (as is the phrase) and to the voice of the Church, then in marcking what the written word teacheth us. It is very certain that Catholics say with the Royal 
Ps l. 77. wh●●r● ditions are high 〈◊〉 regarded by Catholiks  Prophet: Q●anta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filijs s●●s? ut cognoscat generatio altera. Filij qui nasc●ntur & exurgent & narrabunt filijs suis. How great things did God command our Forefather's to m●●● them known to their children that an other generation may know them? The sons that were to be borne & to rise up after them they shall tell them again to their children. As our blessed Saviour did, when 
Mat. 16.  sending his Apostles to instruct the world, he bade them preach, that is, deliver by word of mouth, or tradition his word, but he commanded them not to writ his word. And so from them (upon the tradition of our Elders▪ we receive what the Apostles have said or written to be God's word, although we find no such declaration for neither their Epistles or Gospels, in the book of his word. Which thing we accomplish according to the commandment of Moses saying, Interroga Patrem tuum, & annunci●ti●: tibi: maiores tuos, & dicent 
D●●t. 32  tibi Ask thy sa●●er and he will declare unto thee: demand of thy●● ancestors and they will tell thee: which thing our Aduersairies themselves obseque, in admitting upon the credit of the Catholic church the books of holy Scripture: upon which ground followeth how we aught to submit our senses and judgements to whatsoever the said Catholic church shall teach us: else blot that article out of the creed: Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam I believe 
Math. 1●  the Catholic Church: else let those words of our blessed Saviour be scraped out of the Gospel, St Ecclesiam non aud●●rit ●is ●ibi sicut Ethnicus & Publicanus if he will not hear the Church. 
Aug con. 11. Epist. fundamenti.  let him be to thee as 〈◊〉 Heathen and Publican. and consequently let Saint Augustin be hissed out of his pulpit for saying: evangelio non trederem. 〈…〉 me Ecclesia commoveret auctoritas. I would not b 〈…〉 the Gospel, except the authority of the Church 〈…〉ed me thereunto. Yet for all this: I beseech our Adversaries, not to be so hasty in spending 
How diligently Catholics study the holy scriptures.  their sentences upon us, as if for these causes we read not, we study not, we search not the holy Scriptures. As if we have not millions of Sermons, treateses, and commentaries sounding the depth of holy Scriptures. As if we have not had hundrethes of Provincial, National, & General councils, wherein 
Cocilium Ro●a num ●. Tr●dentinum Nicen● 1. lardi●ēse  have been the learned Prelates of sundry nations, sometimes to the number of two hundredth seventiefive, sometimes o● two hundredth eighteen five, sometimes ●f three hundredth and eighteen sometimes of three hundredth seventy six, sometimes of six hundredth and thirty, and sometimes of a thousand 
Calcedon●●e.  who by fervent paryer, continual fasting, eager disputing and other learned conferences have searched out the true sense 
Late●anenl●. 2. id.  & meaning of holy Scripture, which if they would well mark, they should also well perceive, how without all judgement they judge 
Wv the Catholic doct●●●● seemeth strange to H●te ticket.  us, & without understanding our case they blindly condemn us, and so they would conclude: that if any point of the Catholic doctrine seem unto them difficil & strange: it is for that they estrange themselves from us, and are altogether unacquainted with our grounds and reasons, and not that we are so ungrounded and unreasonable, as they imagine. I could exemplify this in all the points of our faith, that are in controversy betwixt us and them, if this present treats and discourse would admit so large a discourse. But because I know that kind of proceeding will here be thought altogether superfluous: therefore in brief manner and for a taste I will explicate the state of the Catholic doctrine touching only such particulars as concern the matter & subject of this ensuing relation, which I will show how they stand with the verdict of God his holy word, & first I will begin with Pilgrimages.  
It is a sure and certain verity which the Catholic church always confesseth, that God is in every place: for so he himself hath 
Hierem. 23.  avouched, that he filleth both heaven and earth, and therefore there is no place where in he may not be honoured and called upon. Yet, as our lord hath sanctified some particular 
Exod. 20  days for his service, so hath he made choice of some particular places where in he would 
The use o● Pilgrimages ● oo ●ed by holy scripture.  be particularly honoured For he commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac upon one certain determinate hill. jacob had by vision that the mount Bethel was a place of extraordinary sanctity, and for that cause he said. Quam terribilis est locus iste? non est hic aliud nisi domus 
Gen. 12.  dei, & porta calls. How dread full is this place? this place is nothing else but the house of God, and the gate of heaven. Which asseveration of the Patriarch, our Lord did so much approve, that he took to himself the 
Gem 31  title of that place saying to the said, jacob Ego sum Deus Bethel▪ I am the God of Bethel. So Hore● was called the mountain of God, which our Lord esteemed so holy, that he caused Moses 
Exod. 3.  his especial servant to put of his shoes in 
Dent. 12.  honour and reverence thereof. Finally our Lord made choice of one particular place, in which only, he would have his people to offer 
3 Reg. 1  sacrifice unto him: where when Solomon had erected his Teple he beseeched God not only to bestow certain particular previleges and miraculous favours upon such as prayed there in, and upon such strangers as came from far countries in pilgrimage thither, but upon all such as should in their prayers turn their faces towards the holy place, when upon other just impediments they could not perform their devotions in the holy Temple itself. Which manner of worshipping God (by pilgrimages) ended not after wards, for that our Saviour foretold the Samaritane that: Ver●es hora quando neque in monte hoc, neque in Hieros●lymus a dorab●iss Patrem. The hour shall come when 
I●. 4.  neither in this hill, nor in jerusalem You shall adore the Father. Which was said because the Hebrues were to be expelled out of these places, where by their sacrifices (meant by the word adoration) should cease, and should not be tied any longer to one place as they were before, but that his sovereign worship and adoration should be more frequent, so that no place should be deprived of the same.  
True, Yea most true was that prediction, that the Father of heaven should neither be in the former sort adored either in Garizim or in Jerusalem, yet were it very fond to infer there 
M 4. 2●.  upon: that he should have no external worship, or churches, or places for the adminis●tratiō 
Luc. 24. Act. 21.  of his divine Sacraments in all the world besides: or that the ancient laudable use of Pilgrimages should be abrogated for the time to come. For we read the contrary: how our Lord would have his Apostles go from Jerusalem in Pilgrimage into Galilee, there to see him after his Resurrection. We read that 
Act. 20.  he led them out of Jerusalem into Bethania to the mount Olivet there to be present at his glorious Ascension. We read that he commanded them to Hierusal●, there to receive the holy ghost. Moreover we read that Saict Paul made ●long Pilgrimage unto Jerusalem to keep there is Pentecos● or whitsontyd. And I dare say that 〈◊〉 Scripturist can show me by any plain scripture either of Christ or of his Apostles, ●●at the use of devout Pilgrimages were or ●●er should be prohibited to Christians.  
Neither doth it any whit altar the case in ●●at these Pilgrimages or journeys & walks 〈◊〉 devotion are made to certain places, where the Saints of God are honoured. For as they are not Saints but principally by the mercy 
Saints are to be honoured.  and grace of God: so what honour is exibited unto them, is in regard that they are the honourable friends of God, and consequently it 
I●a. 4●.  hath his principal reference to God. Who although he say that he will not give his honour 
joh. 12.  to any other; yet hath he promised to honour his Saints & true servants. Therefore there is no reason that any man shounld be scrupulous 
Psal. 13●.  to say & avouch with the Prophet David, Mihi autem ni●●s honorati sunt a●●●ci tui Deus Thy friends oh God are exceedingly honoured of me. Neither 
Gen. 18.  need any fear to adore and worship them, as Abraham and divers other divine illuminated 
Io●ue 5. 4 Reg. 1. 4. Reg. 2.  Saints did his holy Angels and friends. For although Saint Peter would not permit Cornelius the Centution to adore him, and although the Angel refused the adoration of Saint john Yet may we not argue that therefore the foresaid Saints or Angels, or holy devout people 
judi. 13.  did ere, sin and offend, either in admitting, or yielding the foresaid honours and adorations: 
Act. 10. Apoc. 1● & 2●.  nor that they consequently (who shall follow their devotions to-wards God his Saints) are in any sort to be reprehended for the same.  
As for the refusal of S. Peter, it is evident, that he would not be adored as a God, and therefore he told his Caiechumenus, that he was a man. And as for Saint john I dare be so bold as to think, that he was not ●o gross, as to offer twice to commit Idolatry, or to offer that reverence which was unfitting for the Angel, or displeasing to Almighty God: for to impute so heinous an offence unto him, proceedeth of too too muddy a conceit, of so high, so wise, so illuminated a Prophet, Apostle, & the 
●e●●. Aug: ●. 6 in ●●. 5 Greg Lib ●7. Mo●●l. C ●. 11. & hom ● in E. ●s● Bed An el Ruper●. in 19 Apoc.  eagle of all the Evangelists. Understand therefore that in that contention in humility betwixt those two holy friends, is shrined up a further mystery: and by the double devotion of this beloved of our Lord, conclude that Angels and Saints (who as our Saviour sayeth shall be in heaven li●e to Angels) may be worthily honoured, worshipped, and adored. Honoured, worshipped and adored I s●y, not with that sovereign honour, worship, and adoration, which is only due to the supreme 
Math 22  Majesty of God: but in a far●e inferior manner, according to their excellency and dignity wherewith God hath endued them. For the gifts of God as being of God, are worthy to be honoured & regarded & the persons also unto whom he cōte●reth them.  
I know the modester sort of our contradictors (seeing that we are commanded to 
W●● honour is due to Saint. Exod. ● pron 2●. 1. Pet. 2. Levi. 32.  honour our Parents, our Princes, our Elders and betters) will easily grant that the Saints of God should have their place of honour, as being in greater height, glory, and dignity about the rest: but to pray unto them, that they think very unmeet and inconvenient. Which inconvenience I could never hitherto see, although I have read divers things objected 
whether we may pra●to saints  against such prayers. What? do they think that the Saint's being now joined with God, will not pray for us, who so charitably prayed for their friends, and enemies while they lived in this worldly banishment 
2. M●ch. 15. Apoc 5. & ●. 2. P, ●.  See the contrary practised by Onim & H●eremie after their deaths: consider▪ what the Seniors and the Angel did in the the apocalypse? and note how Saint Peter promised the same, after his departure out of this life. Is it that the prayers of Saints are of no value in heaven, which were of that miraculous efficacy while they lived here on earth? Is it for that God regardeth not his Saints when they are once dead? Who told Isa●c after his blessed 
Gen 26.  Father's decease that. Benedicentur in s●mine tuo omnes Gentes terra, eo quod obedierit Abraham voci ●●a, & custodier●● precepta & mandata mea, & ceremon●as leges● 〈◊〉 seruaverit. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in thy seed▪ for so much as Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my precepts and comaund●mente● & observed▪ my ceremonies and laws. Is it for that God can not, will not, or doth not let them understand our prayers and necessities? O than the ignorance of jacob, who blessing the sons of joseph prayed unto his good Angel, who heard 
Gen. 4●.  him not, saying, Angelus qui eruit me 〈◊〉 cuni●is m●lis b●nedicat pu●ris ist●s. The Angel that hath delivered me from all my dangers bless these boys. Ah what meant the Angel Rap●ael to tell old To●●e that 
Tob. 12.  though he stood before the throne of God, yet did he offer the holy man's prayers tears and good works to his divined ●ia●llie? Is it for that their prayers should derogate from Christ's mediation? And why should that happen unto them more now that they are with God, then when they lived here amongst mortal men? Yea, I say whosoever thinketh that the mediation of Christ and of his Saints for us are of one nature, and condition, is extremely ignorant of the Catholic doctrine, 
Howour saviour is our media ●●r and here ●is Saints.  & of the meaning of holy Scripture touching this point, and consequently very injurious to the honour and dignity of our blessed Redeemer: Who is not our mediator by praying for us, as his Saints do, but by his full satisfaction for our sin, to his father's justice, and by the means of his most sacred death & passion. Is it finally for that God loveth us more than his Saints▪ knoweth better than they our necessities? or for that he inviteth us to come unto him? and for that it is needles to take a longer way when the shorter is more speedy & profitable? why than should we pray for ourselves? or one for another, being so sinful wretches, & clogged with innumerable imperfections, & not rather use the assistance of God's blessed friends, who might offer up unto him the prayers of our unworthiness, & with their most honourable & pleasing intercession, grace and secure us before the fearful throne of his dread Majesty▪  
By this every one may see, how Catholiks in honouring Gods Saints, thereby more honour God himself: and in praying unto 
Ps. l. 101  them practise more their humility towards him: of whom the Psalmist singeth: Res●e●●● in oratio●em humilium. Our lord hath regarded the prayer of humble men. And in this fort, I beseech them to understand, 
Wv Catholics honon● the Images of God & his Saints.  (yt so they please) that we Catholics are very far from either iviurving or dishonouring God, or his Saints, in that we make & honour their pictures and images, thereby the more to express, and profess the honour▪ and reverence we bear unto our God, & to his happy heavenvly friends. We know that those that slander us for doing these things, can kneel before the Council table, & stand reverently uncovered before his majesties ●haire of estate, without any fear of treason, or loose Majesty. We blame them not, we think they have reason for this their doing, In the name of God, let them have also a charitable conceit of Catholics actions, and learn to understand the motives & grounds thereof. Than shall they see that we make no more of an image, then of an image: which is, a representation of the thing or person, whose image it is: & when we honour it, we honour either at the sight thereof the person of honour whom it representeth, or we honour it for that it is an honourable representation of such an honourable parsonage. And when we reveretly kneeling pray before it, we offer our prayers to that person in heaven, whose presence by the picture is the more settled & imprinted in our minds. There is scarce any man so barbarous ●o be found, but taketh pleasure to see the images of his Prince, Parents, and friends to be regarded & used honourably for their sakes: as on the contrary it much molesteth and griveth them, to see them disgraced, stabbed, or trodden under foot in demonstration 
Stow in his An ●●les. Anno 〈◊〉 Arg El●●a.  of the hatred that is borne to the persons whose images they are. Yea such actions seem to offend them as much, (if not more) as any injurious and contumelious words uttered against them. Our country afoordeth us herein a most memorable example, to wit in the arraignment of that fanatical wretch william Hacket who although he had most blasphemously termed himself jesus Christ: Yet (as john Stow writeth was he by two indi●emētes found guilty, & accordingly condemned and executed, for having spoken divers most false & traitorous words against her Majesty, (he sayeth nothing out of the said iditem●ts of his most detestable blasphemy & treason against God) & for having razed and defaced her majesties arms, as also a certain picture of the Queen's Majesty, and did malicio sly, and traiterousely thrust an iron instrument into that part of the said picture, that did represent the breast & heart of the Queen's Majesty. Which things seemed so heyvous, that the judges thought it more meet to condemn and execute him as a traitor to the Prince, then as an abominable accursed violatour of the most sovereign Majesty of the high king of heaven. And so he was. Whereby it appeareth how they thought her Majesty injuried and disgraced, by the injury & disgrace which the said caiti offered unto her arms and image Upon which consideration I would ask, what punishment they have merited, that have so dispitefuly & barbarously thrown down mangled and trodden under their accursed sinful feet the Pictures of God himself, and of his blessed Mother, & of his holy Saints? which outrage they committed, to show themselves 
Why Catholics let up the Images of God & his ●●●● ctes'.  contrary to the Catholics: Who, as for the love, honour, and devout memory of God and his holy ones they set up their Images in their Churches, Oratories, & other honourable places of their Cities and countries: so these people being desirous to manifest the opposition of their minds, to the intentions of the Catholics, & to show how they detested their meaning, they pulled them down, and by divers infamous base dishonourable ways consumed them, that thereby the world might see their hatred towards God, their contempt of his di●ine Majesty, and how they desired to raze out of the memories of men whatsoever by holy pictures w●re represented unto them: Neither can they excuse this their impiety, by their old spurgalled allegations of the twentieth of Exodus by the fifth of the first of S. john, and such like places, by themselves falsely and with most ungodly iniquity corrupted. Putting into the text Images for Idols, as though they nothing differed. Which interpretation if we should ad●it, then, who soever retaineth the kings picture or arms, or the cross of Christ in his coin, whosoever hath his parents or friends portraitures, whosoever hangeth up in his house tapistry wherein are figured men, beasts, fowls, fishes, trees or herbs, whosoever hath his arms of gentry, or beareth his masters 
See Fox his books of Acts.  cognisance, is made culpable of a most h●inous ●inne against God, and is made guilty of eternal damnation. Yet can their Fox set them out the pictures of his Martyrs, and his people may gaze upon them. The images of w●lef, Luther, Hus, Mela●●thon, Caluin, & of such Apostata condemned companions may be painted, sold, & hanged up in every ones how's to be tooted upon. Yea in dishonour of the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Monks, and Nuns many ridiculous shapes may be devised to recreate and make merry our gospelling brethren and sisters, without any peril of Idolatry, or breach of God's commandments, although their Minister cry to them from the communion table, that thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor any likeness of that which is in heaven above, nor in the earth beneath, nor in the waters under the earth. Yet one sort of images they can allow to be made to them▪ selves, which they will buy, set up in their rooms and decent places of their houses, & there gravely glote upon them, because they think the persons there pointed, to be ●ightes of the gospel, chosen trumpets of the truth great frende● of the lord, & what not? The other sort they can devise, which will also be sold, & bought, to iybe & scoff at, and that in contempt of the prelates, and principal members of the Catholic Church, whom they hate and despise with their hearts. In both these kinds of pictures they can fyn● a relation either in good or bad manner to the persons whom they represent, but the pictures of Christ and of his holy Saints, must needs be Idols: they can represent nothing that is good, or 
1. Cor 2.  worthy veneration. So it is that Any malis homo non percipit ea quae sunt spiritus Dei. The sensual man perce●ueth not those thing: that are of the Spirit of God. For if those people were in deed so spiritual, as they are often ver●e prec●●e forsooth 〈◊〉 their words, they would easily ●iscerue an Idol from an Image. For i● they will deign to view what is set before the first commandment, & what ensueth, they shall find that our Lord beginneth with: I am thy lord thy God &, Afterwards, 
Exo. 20.  Thou shalt have no strage God● before m●. And after that: Thou shalt not make to thyself ●●y car●ing & And then addeth: Thou shalt not adore them or worship them: I am the lord t●y strong God etc. Where they may see, that he forbiddeth to make unto themselves carved Gods, which are Idols. For he is the lord God. And that they should not yield divine adoration and worship unto them: which is Idolatry. 
Exod. 25  For he saith, I am the lord thy strong God. Else Moys●s, and Solomon and God himself should have violated this precept, in causing two Angels to be made over the ark, the brazen serpent in the wilderness, to foresignify as by a mystical 
Num. 2●●. ●eg. 6 2. Pa●. 3.  image, Christ upon the cross as our Saviour himself expounded it: the two great Cherubes of olive in the Holy of holies, with divers other Cherubene●. palm trees, & sundry other pictures. And it were right impious to say, that t●e holy Prophet Ezech●●l cómitted Idolaerie, 
●zec●. 1. 2.  for adoring God in the likeness and similitude of a man: or to blame God himself for that 
Gen. 9  he will have man to be respected because he is his image. And therefore he threateneth to punish those persons most severely▪ that shall unjustly shed the blood of Man, for that he is the image of God: as if thereby he would forbidden men to abuse, break, and consume his image: and here upon conclude, the image of God is good, therefore it may be had, therefore it may be honoured for his sake.  
The reason of which doctrine (if thou mark 
The ground and reason of all these points.  well courteous reader) consists in these points? First, to worship and honour God for himself, as being the Fountain of all goodness: then his saints, for that he hath imparted and derived unto them the abundance of his unspeakable graces and glory: & so the images of them both are to be worshipped as their representations, and for that they notably appertain unto them: and thus consequently Catholiks do very well if for the honour of God and of his Saints, they discreetly and orderly love, and reverence any thing that concerneth them. Which honour and reverence as they may profess with their mouths, or by their words, so may they manifest the same accordingly and in the same degree, by their outward gestures and actions. For which cause they are much to be blamed who blame the devotions of Catholics, for honouring the Relics of Saints, or such things as belong unto them, or to their very images. As we see the good devout Catholics here, for the honour they bear to God, to worship his worthy Mother and for her worship, they reverence her Image: & for the reverence of her Image, they bear also a reverent esteem of the very wood of the tree wherein the said Image was placed. according to that which is recorded in Exodus: where the 
exod. ●.  Angel that appeared for God to Moses in the fiery bush, was for that cause honoured with the title of God: and for the said Angel his more reverence, Moses was prohibited to approach near unto the bush wherein he appeared: & in regard of the bush, th● very mountain where it grew was accounted so holy, that Moses must put of his shoes, and walk upon it barefoot for the honour there of. And at other times, our lord would so honour the cloak of E●●as, the dead corpse of Elize●s, the 
4 Reg. ● 4 Reg 1● Act 5. Act. 1●.  shadow of the body of Saint Peter, the napkins of Saint Paul, and the like of other saints, that at their presence or bore touching he would work most admirable miracles, & bestow most gracious benefits upon his people, because the▪ said things did belong unto his honourable Saints,  
And this may suffice in brief to declare by holy Scripture, the reason of the Catholic Churches saith and practice, in these matters, wherein the ignorant of the Catholic doctrine, or such as by the ignorance or malice of others are ill persuaded there-of, may be offended, in rea●ing this ensuing treats. As for other things (which also unto them may seem strange) they shall (if they please to inquire) find them so plain and evident in the word of God, as none but they that are altogether ignorant of the word of God, or believe not the Scriptures can have any scruple therein. As, how grateful a thing it is to God discreetly & devoutly to ma●e vows unto him, and for his honour to offer unto him (for the beautifiing of such places where he will be honoured) part, of their worldly wealth, ●ew else or such things as by them are held in price.  
For the first, we have the counsel of the Royal Prophet saying: Ven●●●. & reddite Dommo 
To make holy and discrete vo●re●is is very acceptable to God. Psal. 7 ●.  Deo vestro: omnes qui in circu●●● e●us affertis munera. Make 〈◊〉 and fulfil them to your Lord God: all you that round about ●●● bring him your presents And upon the assuredness of this doctrine the same Prophet said. Vota ●●● roddam 〈◊〉 consp●ctu ●menti●●● cum: I v●il tender my v●wes in the sight of such as fear● our lord.  
And for the second: we read how Moses by the commandment of God persuaded his 
The offerings of the faithful are much pleasing to God. Exod. 35 36. Math. 26  Israelites, to show their liberality in adorning of the Tabernacle. Wherein they were so zealous and forward, that Moses was constrained to restrain them by express commandment and sound of trumpet. And although some with the son of Isc●r●●t cry out. Vt quid perditio haec? what a l●sse is this, for it v●ere better to give it to the poor. Yet the devout Christian shall have Christ to bear him out, for pouring with the devout Magdolen his precious oils upon his sacred head, and for making moderate and discreet largesse of his temporal goods according to his ability, in honourably setting forth the worship & places of worship of his God.  
I do not think (loving Reader) but many oppositions will be made both against these things which I have here said, as also against sundry other matters which are contained in the history following: for we have to deal with an incredulous, proud, contradicting generation. Thou mayst well judge that all can not here be said, that may be said. Wherhfore I assure thee, that if thou wilt but manifest thy difficulties to those that are learned and instructed in the grounds of the Catholyk Religion, thou shalt find full and perfect satisfaction, and thou shalt evidently see, that what soever is objected against these matters, are but either mere doubts, or strained: ●●●ations, or false and frivolous collections, or vacharitable railing or their own forged inventions, or lying headless reports, or uncivil and ungodly scoffing and jesting, or such like tru●●perie.  
Be thou therefore fully persuaded of this point: that as God is the truth itself, and as the devil is the father and author of lies, so God will not have his cause defended and maintained, but by the only truth, and he detesteth whatsoever is taken out of his enemies shop. As God and the devil can never 
The cause of God will no● be supported by lye●.  agreed, so truth and lies can never comfort together, and it is either great ignorance or impietic to think, that God's cause either is, or ever can be driven to so hard an exigent, that it must be supported and held up by such broken stuff. True it is, a lie may go masked under such a veil that it may be taken for truth, by such as are not curious to note & mark the car●age thereof: but the nature of man being always amorous of the truche, and jealous that falsehood should forced herself into the place of truth, the wiser fort are more dainty and nice to admit any thing, until upon serious examination they have looked more diligently into matters: Where upon it happeneth, that time and diligence trying truth, falsehood is ferrited out to her more detestation, her authors greater shame, and the future safeguard of those that were in peril to have been gulled by her. So that upon this consideration thou mayst confidently conclude, that if the Catholyk Religion were backed and bolstered up by such bad dealing, (as all heretics loudly but more lewdly avouch) it 
Note this evident expe●●●ce.  had been ruined long ere this. But we experience the contrary to our comfort & astonishment: that so many heretics having risen in all the quarters and countries of the world, who by open lying, cunning conveyance of tongue, & tyrannical force, omitting nothing, that might overthrow either all, or the greatest part of our holy belief: although they have wrested many notable parts of Europe out of the arms and bosom, of our dear Mother the catholic Church, yet hath she regained triple (at lest) her loss in the Indias: and the points also which they have so long battered at, have been the more learnedly, perspicuously & heroically defended, more fervently embraced, and more zealously practised, then perhaps they ever were in former ages. And so it cometh to pass, that we see now Sacramental Confession more used, the holy M●sse more frequented, the blessed Sacrament more honoured, Relics of Saints and their Images more reverenced, Pilgrimages more haunted, the Pope's pardons more desired, Religious Congregations in greater number and better order, the Church's precepts more obeyed, yea and the Pope (against whom all Heretics chiefly shoot) more respected & reverenced, and his dignity power and prerogatives more confessed by Kings, Princes, Praeiates, the learned and common sort of all kingdoms, and nations then ever before. While the heretics who at the beginning were but in few sects, are now almost in every kingdom and common wealth where they are permitted▪ rend & torn in to so many different synagogues, fa●thes, and professions, each one writing, wrangling, railing & raging against other, and according to their power, one faction corporally punishing and plaguing the other, that as we perceive their sects daily to increase, so w● see the professors of each sect to decrease, and either to return again to the Catholic Church, or to s●r abroache new doctrines of their own, or finally to care for no Faith, no Church, no Religion, and no God at all.  
And thus we see the old saying prove true that atheism is the natural imp of heresy. For men having entered thereby in●o a wrangling, contradictious, proud, selflyking, froward, & ●istrusting humour: they will yield to nothing if they can any way shifted it of: whereby not only faith in matters that are supernatural and surpassing our understanding, but even human or common credence, sense and judgement, is as it were wholly extinguished, and amongst men daily more and more decayeth. Who knoweth no● that as too has●ie credulity proceedeth o● simplicity and weakness of w●●●, so that it is a sign of a wicked vicious mind ●o be too difficile & res●ie in believing: for such persons being either suspicious of other men's honesty and fidelity, or knowing how prove they themselves are to deceive and cirumvent others to their power, they are very hardly induced to trust any. The mean therefore is to be chosen, which is there to submit ourselves where reason and sufficient authority may seem justly to exact it of us. A● (to exemplify in the present matter of these miracles here related) what greater reason should move a reasonable man then to see so many and such wonderful miracles daily to be wrought in things appertaining to matters of faith and religion? Whereby, not only the people of the country, but strangers of foreign nations, not only persons of the common sort but the most praecellent in dignity and nobility, not only those of the ordinary and common intendment, but the most learned and instructed in all kind of literature and knowledge, not only private howsholds and families, but the very Magistrates and Communities of Cities and Provinces are driven into unspeakable admiration and astonishment. Who after all the diligent search examination and inquisition which either by wit, industry, learning, authority, and conscience they were able to use, they could never hitherto find the lest suspicion of any fraud or iniquity: but rather they are forted to confess the miraculous finger of God in each thing, whereby it pleaseth him in such admirable sort to honour his mo●●e sacred Mother, to comfort his grieved & afflicted childré, to animate the more faithful, to confirm the feeble waverers, & to reduce those that are in error under the government and due obedience of the true pastors of their souls.  
When Iesu● in the field of jericho beheld the 
joshua 5.  Angel of God with his naked sword in his hand, who declared unto him that he was the Prince of the army of our Lord, undoubtedly he was exceedingly glad of that vision, to see that he, and his army had such a guided, and protector from heaven. As it is also reported of the people of God, that they were singularly comforted & encouraged to fight against their enemies, after they had hard their judas Ma●nab●us relate unto the his dream, wherein 
2 M●ch. 15.  he saw O●ias the high priest and Hieremie the Prophet earnestly praying for them, and that from Hieremie he had received a golden sword 
A consort for distressed Catholic.  with these words. Take the holy sword a gift sent thee from God▪ in which thou shalt abase and bring under the adversaries of my people of Israel. In like manner what Catholics are their, who amidst so many adversaries of their faith and religion, stand environed and are on every side battered with slanders and calumniations, both against their faith and persons, impover shed by the loss of their goods, disgraced by deprivation of their dignities, restrained by imprisonments, tossed by ielice, inquiries and searches, consumed with inward & outward torments & most barbarous cruel bloody deaths; what Catholics are there (I say) who seeing the hand of God stretched out by heavenvly signs to approve & honour the cause of these their sufferings, but must needs feel in themselves an unspeakable joy and jubilation, and to be thereby exceedingly inflamed to maintain & confess a cause, from heaven so mightily and powrably defended, not by the sword and presence only of an Angel, not only by the intercessions of an ●●●●t or of a Hieremie, but by the favourable a 〈…〉 e of the high Queen of Angels, prophets, and Saints the most blessed Mother of our God Christ jesus? where, we behold not by the relation of others, but immediately by ourselves, not in a dream or obscure vision, but with our corporal eyes, not only one gold sword, but so many works of heavenly p●wer, as so many swords to hew do un all such adversaries as band themselves against God and his holy Catholic Church. Which is a matter of that consequence, that i● our adversaries either by any of their ministery, or by any rite of their religion could have cured in this sort but one lame dog it should have rung far & near, and wounder●ul trophese should have been raised in memory thereof.  
Marck therefore (Catholic brother) and with due gratitude behold how liberal God hath been to thee in these things, thereby to solace thee in the throng of so many miseries and contrarieu●s. Whilst the ungodly ●ri●d upon the Princes & Parliaments against poor Catholics: Exina●ite Exin●●ite usque ad fundament●● 
Psal. 135  in ●a. Down with the Papists, let us root them out let us disgrace them, beggar them, take their guides and pastors from the face of the earth, that so no memory may remain of them. notwithstanding behold (O Catholic) 
Psal. 44.  Pro patribus t●is ●ati sunt ●ibi fil●. When thy old Pastors began to be worn out, and to be weeded away, a new of spring arose, with their learning to instruct thee, with their virtuous example to direct thee, with their daily prayers and sacrifices to assist thee, with their patience and endurance to confirm thee, with heir deaths & blood spilled to encourage thee, and to gain others. (even of thine adversaries) to confess and embrace the same faith with thee. Is this to see how natural effects follow their natural causes? how ●claúders defame, authority disgraceth, laws restrain, wealth worketh, force keepeth down, poverty deiect●th, torments terrific, & death consumeth? Not, but rather thou mayst see the old admirable signs renewed again amongst us. 
Dan. ●.   
The three children to walk singing at their ease in the fiery furnace, jesus to heal the 
joh. 9  blind by daubing dirt upon his eyes, contraries to work contraries, and that now again that may be said of thine afflicted which the holy Ghost once recorded of the blessed Apostles: Ib●●t ga●den●es a consp●ct● co●e●ly, quoni●●● digni habiti 
●●●. 5.  sunt pro nomine jesu contumeliam p●ti. They went rejoicing from the sight of the council, because they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of jesus. Verily, these 
Many mir●●les h●u been wrought ●m●ngst Catholics in Engl●nd in the time of their persecution as could be particularly let down if it might be with. o● the pe●● of those to whom th●y have happened. ●  are most admirable miracles: although there had been amongst you no sick cured, no devils expelled, no apparitions and strange visions seen, none of your inhuman and bloody Persecutors most dreadefully by the revenging hand of God deprived of their ungodly and accursed lives All which most admirable works of God because I know our adversaries will either contemn, or ascribe to other subtleties, or humane casuallities: therefore behold here before thine eyes, the miracles related in this book, and esteem of them (as they are) most admirable, most known, most approved.  
What can the derider contradictor or persecutor of our Catholic faith cau●l against these? what more clear evidence can he require from heaven then these? would he have the dread Majesty of God to descend and sit in the clouds, and thence to command him submission and reverence unto these things? Verily he shall see our lord descend according as the Prophet Zacharie hath foretold saying: Veniet 
Zach. 14  Dominus, Deus meus omnesque sancti cum eo. The lord my God shall come and all the Saints with him. There shall ●e see with our lord his ever blessed Mother, his Apostles and Disciples. Saint Clement, Saint Laurenc●, Saint Nicholas, Saint Martin▪ Sàinct Gregorio, surnamed Th●●ma●urgus, our S. Augustin, S. Benn●●, Saint B●sil, Saint Francis, Saint Bernard, S. Edward, Saint L●wis, Saint Catherm▪ Saint C●cil●●▪ Saint Cl●r●, Saint Br●g●●, with millions more all of one and our faith: against whose miracles let him then dispute, and to make his party good against that glorious fellowship, let him range himself with Wicl●f, Husse, laugher, Craven, Bez●. Knox, Fox, Scr●●k. Ro●man, Ho●per, C●●p●r, Knoblouch, Grumpeck, Klup, Wh●●le, boar▪ Io●●● Lash●ord, Alic● Driver, and such companions: & let his soul take her luck & lot with these mates. Who as they cast themselves out of the Communion of the former Saints, abandoned their faith, and banded against that Church in which they lived, and for which many of them spilled their blood, and wrought such innumerable miracles. Let him then rail against them for being Massing Popes, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, abbots, Mounkes, Nuns. Not, not, if he do not before that time altar his humour he shall undoubtedly lifting up his wret ched eyes towards the Saints of the catholic Church, intune with his mi●erable comfort that most heavy and doleful dump s●t down by the wiseman in these words. 〈◊〉 quo● habuimus aliquando in d●●●sum & in 〈◊〉 improperia. Nos ●nsens●●i vitam illorum ●stim●bamus 〈◊〉, & sin● mllorum sin● henor●: E●ce qu●m▪ do 
Sap. 5.  computati sunt inter filios De●, & inter sanctos sors illorum est, etc. These are they whom sometimes we had in derisi●●, & ●●ld like to infamy: We senseless people did 〈◊〉 their life ma●nes, and their ●nd without ho●●●●: Behold how they are reckoned amongst the sons of God, and their lot is amongst his holy ones: Therefore, we have erred f●om th● way of truth, and the light of ipswich hath not shined unto us▪ What hath our prid● profited us? or what hath the glory of our riches yielded us▪ All those things are vanished aw●y like a shadow. etc. These and the like complaints shall they yell out who for their sins and want of true faith are in the day of our Lord to be bamnished for ever from his face, to the mansion of all calamities. For, without faith it is impossible to please God. 
Heb. 11. Eph 4.  And there is but one true saving faith, as there i● but one God by w●ome we must be saved as the holy Apostle affirmeth. Therefore (loving reader) if thou thinkest in thy conscience, & as thou wilt answer it before the dreadful judgement seat of God, that thou hast found any where more solid and evident proofs for the true faith then are to be found in the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, (as it is impossible) there hazard thou thy soul. If not: then beware that our just Lord at the uncertain hour of thy most certain death revenge not himself on thy soul for thy contempt used towards him, in respecting or preferring any worldly, carnal, transitory babble of this life, before his sovereign Majesty. Thou seest what admirable motives he hath assoorded thee, whereby thou mayst also perceive how dearly he loveth thee & tendereth thy salvation, although he hath no need of thee. Show thyself therefore grateful for this his grace, that after this life he may make thee also partaker of his eternal glory: for which first he created thee, and afterwards most mercifully redeemed thee, and unto which now by these his divine works he most lovingly inviteth thee.   

THE PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR.  
We give thee here (loving Reader) a brief rebearsal of such things as concern the place of Montaigue near ●o the town of Sichen in the Duchy of Brabant: We have also set down the miracles which have happened there of late, by the merits and intercession of the glorious virgin Marie, Yet not all, but only those that are proved and verified by public writings and attestations of Magistrates, and other authentical declarations: aswell to prevent thereby the slanders of h●ret●kes, as also for the better information & satisfaction of good Catholics. As for the he eerkes, they have all ●ayes had an ancient custom with great vehemencien to calumniate and blame those things in the Catholic Roman Church, which they in their synagogues li●t not to believe. And before them the pharisees used the like, who ascribed the miracles of our Saviour and his disciples to the power of the Devil. This all sectaries that have been since the beginning in the Church have always imitated, and the beret●kes of our days do still very markablie practise, who began their heresies by uttering blasphemses against the Mother of God and his Satnctes. And pullskly not only in their talk, but also in their writings, bragging themselves to be Image-breakers.  
A certain pamphlet in flemish came of late to our hands printed and composed (as it seemeth) by seem pernicious Caluinist of Holland against the honour donne to the Mother of God at Mountaigue. In which pamphlet he writeth execrable blasphemies, he forgeth fables & lies against those of the Church, he basely scosseth at the pity of Princes & Lords of the Country, and at all such as love and serve the glorious virgin And sinallie he endeavoureth by lies to deface and obscure the honour donne to God and his blessed Mother. Howbeit this companion and all such like night-o●les will they will they, must needs endure the most clear light which e●r lord maketh daily to ●lase before our eyes, to his own and his mothers glory: and through the evidence of these miracles, they must lie trodden under the feet of this woman, together with the old serpent their head and captain.  
And in vain shall their labour be that endeavour to hinder the Sun to give his light unto the earth, the will of our Lord being such as the truth shall clearly be seen, and pterce through the most obscure and dusky clouds of heresies, far more profitable therefore and wholesome would it be for them to open the windows of their hearts and to let these divine beams enter in. And what beams can be more clear or of more force, than these so palpable arguments & evident demonstrations of the pure & sincere verity. Do not these (I beseech you) so apparent miracles cry out the very same that our Saviour speaketh in the gospel? If you believe not me, believe the works which I do. And that which the Parents of the blind man said. Inquire of him, he is of age, he will answer for himself, he is thirty years old.  
These corrupters of the truth think to abuse the simple people, telling them that Catholics worship Idols, and that they honour the virgin Marie as if she were a goddess, and adore Images: but this is an old song so often by them chanted, so often disputed, and in such sort refuted as there is no Catholic of so siender judgement who knoweth not the blessed virgin to be honoured as a Patroness and Advocate to her Son and not as a Goddess, and that the honour done to her Image hath relation to her person and not to her Image. And moreover that all manner of adoration whether it be Latria, Dulia, or Hyperdulia must not be taken or understood according to the outward work & appearance but according to the intention of the party from whom it proceedeth.  
After an other sort this may in like manner be profitable to Catholics. for somuch as there are some amongst them who seem to doubt of these miracles, for diversmen by a certain kind of incredulitte, and others upon a spirit of contradiction either deny that these are miracles, or they will not believe, that they have verily been wrought. Unto these we must say that which our Saviour said unto Saint Thomas. Come and feel etc. If they will not yield credit to that which we set down, let them go and see, and feel with their fingers, or else inquire the verity of those who have been cured, for I am assured they shall find good store of them. And if after this they will not yet believe, assure yourselves (as Aristotle said of those that denied the principles of sciences) that they do it for want of wit and judgement, or else it must be beaten into their brains with beetles or bastinadoes.  
There are also others who take occasion to doubt hereof, because many having been miraculously cured, did not for all that obtain their health at an instant, or at the very place, but by little and little with some alteration of their bodies: unto whom we may by good reason answer, that to prove a miracle it sufficeth that the operation and effect be above the course of nature, and not by any natural means or remedies: and such are all those miracles which here in this history we have set down.  
Moreover amongst these miracles some are more perfect and notable than some others are: amongst the more notable are esteemed those, when the diseases are cured at the very same instant, whereof we have very many, and yet the others are not without miracle, although they have happened in success of time, because they were wrought above the course of nature.  
For who is he that will or can deny that when our Lord cured the blind man it was a true and perfect miracle? who at the beginning saw men walk like trees, yet no man doubteth that he afterward received his perfect sight.  
Neither is it any ways repugnant to the nature of a miracle that at the time of their healing they feel a change or alteration either in their souls or in their bodies: for (not alleging the other reasons which we will set down in the ensuing history) who is he that knoweth of those whom our Lord & his saints miraculously cured did not feel the like also in themselves? No author nor writer denieth or affirmeth that they were restored to their health without such alterations. And for so much as those miracles were wrought principally for the confirmation of our faith, it suffi●ed only to set down the bore truth without further expressing the circumstances, or what other things else therein occurred. Our Lord recounted his miracles to the disciples of S. john Baptist (who doubted whether he were the true Messiah or no) without making any mention of the circumstance▪ or other qualities, saying: Go, tell unto john. The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the leprous are made clean, giving us thereby to understand that such cures (although he had said nothing) yielded certain & infallible proof that he was the true Messiah. And when we hear, see, and feel the like to be done by the merits & intercession of the glorious mother of God at the Mountain of Mountaigue, who is he that is so wilfully blind as will not acknowledge the holy Catholic Roman Church adorned and honoured with such signs & miracles, to be the only spouse of Christ, the dove and beloved of our Lord, the fortress and pillar of truth, in whoms only true and perfect miracles are to be found?  
Awake therefore (O you misled ●ith heresies) open the eyes of your understanding, and behold the light wherewith the God of mercies vou●●safeth to lighten the darkness of your iniquities and ignorances. If he had not publicly wrought these signs and miracles that none but he is able to work, perhaps this misguided people might in some sort be excused: but seeing they have had so great and manifest signs and testimonies, they shallbe inexcusable in that they do not work their own conversions.  
And you faithful Catholics who for the prosperity of our enemies, or evil success of the affairs of our religion, or for the abuses and imperfection in the life & manners of those of the Church or laity, are wont to stagger or be faint-hearted, confirm and settle yourselves hereby: you are in S. Peter ship, wherein (not withstanding all waves & tempests) it pleaseth our lord to work his miracles.  
And all you that by the miracles and intercession of the glorious virgin Marry most holy Mother of God, have received health or help, forbear not to manifest the same to your superiors and others (sith it is much honourable to reveal the works of God) whom we exhort in our Lord that they give advertisement thereof to the right Reverend the lord Archbishop of Maclin, Whereby the name of God may be sanctified amongst us, and that his mercy may be exalted and magnified in his Saints. For how many soever his miracles a●e, so many exhortations and sermons they be, and which more forcibly mo●e the hearts of men than the sermons of any ●e ●e never so excellent for his knowledge or elequence. And for our part let us endeavour to give everlasting praise to the mercy of God, who in this our miserable and afflicted state (as for the present is this of the low Countries) he vouchsafeth to sand us comfort by working so great and goodly works, yea such as we think in that country never happened the like.  
Lt us also praise the mother of God, and let us so beg her protection as she rising once like an amiable Aurora, will disperse the dark obscurity of our miseries, and as a most bright & fair Moon, will vouchsafe to yield light to those which lie in the dark night of errors and heresies, and as a clear shining Sun would pierce with the beams of grace and virtue the hearts of the faithful people, which have the fear of God: and finally like a well marshaled battle drive all the heresies out of the woorld: and by her holy protection defend these low Countries from all corporal and spiritual invasions: by the power of him who doth her such honour both in heaven and in earth▪  
Amen.   

THE HISTORY OF THE MIRACLES WROUGHT BY THE INTERCESSION OF OUR blessed Lady, at a place called Mountaigue, in the duchy of Brabant.  

THE holy scripture maketh mention of an Oak behind the town of S●chem in Palestine under the which jacob buried the Idols & the jewels that hanged at the ears of his people. And at the same Oak the Captain joshua renewed the covenant betwixt God and the people of Israel. Very fitly aught we to set forth the renowned fame of the Oak which standeth near to our Sicken in the Duchy of Brabant, at the which Oak in a place vulgarly called Scherpenhewel and in French Mountaigue before an Image of the Mother of God being very simple and of little show (as the place itself is) it pleaseth his divine majesty to work daily many miracles, by the glory whereof it seemeth that his desire and pleasure is that the heretics being kerbed, and the Catholics made more submissive the pride of heretics and the idols of other vices might here lie buried: and that in this place he will be appeased by the prayers of good and godly Christians: and that he will renew his friendship and alliance with the people of these low Countries, for we esteem the glory of miracles to be accounted one of the most assured notes & marks of the true Church, grounded upon the words of our Saviour in the gospel saying: Such signs shall follow 
Marc. 16 Heb●. 2.  those that believe in me. They shall lay their hands upon the diseased & they shall be healed, etc. And the holy Apostle saith that unto the preaching and teaching of the way of salvation, our Lord added a testimony of his own hand by signs, miracles, and other supernatural works of his power. For even as the miracles of our Lord served for proofs to make men believe that he was the true Saviour of the world according to that which he saith in the gospel, even so the true and undoubted miracles which cannot be wrought without the puissance of God, yield testimony to his body, which is his holy Church. For which cause that most learned 
De vtilit●te credendi cap. 17. eodem lib. cap. 1● & contra op. funda. cap. 4.  Doctor S. Austin saith, that the Catholic Church obtained sovereign authority, when heretics were judged and condemned by the majesty of miracles. And in an other place, that the authority of the Church began by miracles, and by the same she maintaineth her force. And again, the concord and union of all nations (saith he) together with the authority of miracles, holdeth me in the holy Church. And Richard de S. Victore durst confidently 
lib. 1. de T●init●te cap. 2.  say, Lord if this be erroneous which we believe, it is by thyself that we are deceived, for these things were established and confirmed amongst us with such signs and miracles as none but thou were able to work.  
Amongst these miracles they are not the least which his divine goodness vouchsafed to work even from the beginning of the Christian common wealth, in divers places at the Images and for the honour and worship of the Mother of God.  
It is an undoubted ancient tradition that S. Luke painted an Image of our Lady, ●●e which we have by the testimony of divers credible writers and authors, as of Theodorus, Nicephorus, Metaphr●sies, But 
lib. 14. in vita S. Luce.  whether he painted more than one we are not assured, yet this is certain, that many Images were drawn according to that which he had first painted, and were afterwards sent to divers places, neither aught it to be deemed impertinent that some have attributed them to S. Luke, for somuch as they were perfect draughts & resemblances of the original first painted by his own hand. Of which Images that was one, which S. Gregory the first carried 
A●●●▪ S●●●●: lib de 〈◊〉 ●●●● Eccle Baron in Annal.  in solemn procession in Rome, whereby the great infection of the plague ceased, where with the air was corrupted, in the year of our lord 509. And all the people of Rome are of opinion that it is the same Image which is now kept in the Church of S. Maria Maior. Such also was 
●aspar var●e●ius in cho●ogr● Hisp.  that, which (as they say) the said S. Gregory sent to S. Leander Bishop of S●●●l in Spain, the which the Spaniards honour and now call by the name of Nu●st●● Senora de Guadalupe.  
The Image that sometime was honoured in the City of Constantinople, (and in regard of the devotion used thereunto, the Mother of God now and then delivered her servants from the hands of the Saracens) is held by some to be that which the Empress ●●loxia sent to Pul●●er●● from Iherusalem to Constantinople, the which authors 
Sigo●ius in Hist. Ital.  of good credit writ, was afterwards translated to Ven●●e where at this present it remaineth. Alphonsus de Vilegas in his book entitled ●●los Sanitorum testifieth 
Antony Ben●●● in ●●●●ico 〈◊〉 Francis. A●●as lib de i●●●. virg cap 20.  by the authority of very many learned men, that at this present there is in the City of Saragosa in Spain a Chapel built and an Image of our lady there placed by the hands of S. james the Apostle, and honoured with many miracles, which the Spainardes' call Nuesira Senra del p●lar. Navarrus rehearseth by the testimony of Osortus that in the City of Calicut in the Indieses there is yet to be seen an Image of our Lady with her Child in her arms, the which they hold was there left by one of the three kings, or by some principal person of their train, who was at the adoring of our Lord in Bethleem.  
They who have left us written the history & particularities of that puissant kingdom of China lying in the uttermost 
joan Cō●●●●● de M●●●●●●.  bounds of the east, assure us that they found in the City of Ch●nce● a marvelous sumptuous temple, where the Inhabitants of the Country being Pagans', had placed in a Chapel a hundredth and eleven Idols, and besides them three very rich statues▪ whereof the one had one body and three faces, beholding each the other very attentively, the other was of a woman bearing a Child in her arms: the third of a man appareled in such sort as the Christians paint the holy Apostles, so that it seemeth the Image of the virgin Marie was there known and had in honour.  
The admirable and renowned history of our Lady of Laureto is famous 
●●o●●t. Tursel●●us hist. ●di● Lauret.  over all the world, wherein we may see how our Lord hath made choice of four divers places whereunto he caused that holy house wherein the divine incarnation was wrought, to be translated by the ministry of Angels, whereof the fourth place is that of Lauretto, where now it continueth in the Marca of Ancona▪ where it is very much frequented through the innumerable visitations of all sorts of Pilgrims, and for the multitude of miracles which are seen there to happen daily. In the Chappelle of that place is an Image of our Lady with her babe jesus, devoutly carved out of Cedar wood. Also the pilgrimage to the church 
F●●eol M●ri●n p▪ g. 106  at Mont-Serato in the kingdom of Cathalognia in Spain is very renowned, where the Image of the Mother of god is greatly honoured, which was there miraculously found within a cave, about the year of our Lord. 890. where by the intercession of our blessed Lady have been wrought many assured miracles amply set down, in a history compiled therofand 
Anno 1601.  translated into french, and not long sithence dedicated to the french king now reigning.   

THE SECOND CHAPTER.  
AND to the end we occupy not ourselves in foreign matters only. These low Countries have in semblable manner (& that in many places) the memories of the glorious Virgin Marie honoured with divers miracles: And to begin with Henault: Tongre, a village hard by the Town of Ath hath an Image of our Lady, the which in the year 1081. was three times placed there, and notwithstanding that it was divers times carried to other places, yet was it still miraculously brought thither back again.  
In the Abbay of Cambron (which is of the Cistertian order) is kept a certain Image of the Mother of God, painted upon a wall, the which in the year 1●32 being wounded with a boarspear by a jew, yielded great abundance of blood, the marks whereof are to be seen to this present day. We read the like to have happened even in our days in the year 1595 in the Duchy of Savoy near to a town called Mo●ntaruie, where there was an Image of our lady, which having received certain gashes with a sword of a Caluinist, yielded incontinently blood, wherewith many blind, deaf, lame, and other diseased were cured.  
In like manner our Lord hath wrought many marvelous things by the invocation of his holy Mother in a little town of Henault called Chieure, since the year of our lord 1326. the which also continueth even to our days.  
And in special sort in the same province the said blessed virgin is much honoured in the town of Hall where is an Image of her, placed by S. Elizabeth daughter to the king of Hungary, singular devotion being there used in regard of the miracles which are seen there to hap unto those who either go thither in pilgrimage or else vow to go. Whereof the great learned I Lipsius hath of late composed a book.  
In the Country of Art●o●s and in the City of Arras is a wax taper brought 
joan Molan. nat. S●. ●elg 6. hebr.  thither miraculously by the Mother of God in the year of our lord 1105 in the time of Lambert Bishop of Arras. And this was done to heal a disease called the fyri-burning. This Candle is kept with great care in the foresaid City and is used very soverainlie for the curing of many maladies: never consuming although 
joannes Mo● us in ptak: spirit.  it be often times lighted; and that they have made many little candles of the drops of the wax that have been powered from the same: not unlike unto that candle of john the Heremit dwelling in S●chus near to Jerusalem, the which he had in his cave burning before an image of our lady, and which he was wont to recomend to the Mother of God, to the end she would still keep it burning for her honour, so often as at any time he went to any place thence in pilgrimage. And although he was sometimes from home. for the space of two, three, yea of six months together, yet he always found it at his return whole and clearly burning as before he left it. Likewise many great works and liberal gifts of God are seen to proceed from him, in the duchy of Braba●t, by the intercession of the glorious virgin his mother.  
At Laken near to the city of Brussels a fair Church hath been built, to the honour of our Lady, wherein (as it is well known to the world) many have received help and remedy from the hand of God. So as the worthiness of this place confirmeth sufficiently the ancient tradition, that the first model or pattern of the said Church was set down by our Lady herself and honoured with her visible presence.  
In the City of Bruxell●s in a Chapel of our Lady called the Sablon an Image 
Antiqu. M●S ex b●b●●●●●●b●aeh v●lli●.  of her was there set in the year of our Lord 1348. by a very devout woman called Believe S●etkens, the which Image is thought to have been painted by miracle, and in this place many miracles were wrought until the year 1580.  
In certa●ne old written book●s in the Collegial Church of S. Peter's in Lovaeine are contained sundry miracles which have in times past happened before an Image of our Lady which is yet there, and these have continued since the year 1442. even unto out time.  
In Viluord, in a Cloister called of confoit where the Rel g●euse women of the Carmelitan order dwell, is an Image of our lady the which Dame Sophia wife to d●ke Henry the second of B●aba●t received from her mother S. Fliza et▪ Cou●tesse of He●sen, which she left there for the comfort of certain o●d Matrons that then ly●ed in a congregation in that place, whereupon it hath still retained that name.  
It is not needful to recount here the miracles which our Lord worketh day lie by the invocation of his blessed mother in the Church of our lady of Hanswick at Ma●klin, Alsembe●g and Sc●ute near Bruxelles, at lead by the town of Alost, at Hasselare by A●denard in Flaundres, at the Chapel of our lady in the market place of S. Omers in Arthois, at the Chapel of our lady of grace near to the City of Lile, And it is thought that there is no one province in these low Countries, which hath not, or had not, some place dedicated to the Mother of God, wherein his divine bounty hath not wrought or yet worketh not sometimes miracles, where of there are both particular and public testifications in great number.   

THE THIRD CHAPTER.  
BUT amongst all, that is very wonderful which we see and hear to happen daily at the place of Mountaigue near to the town of Sichen, in the Duchy of Brabant, being of such importance & admiration that through the fame thereof within the space of six or seven months many thousands of Pilgrims from all parts have resorted thither. And to the end that in a matter so lately known & in such abundance of miracles amongst the bruit of so-many incertainties, the truth may perfectly be seen, we have resolved to make here a particular and faithful rehearsal of such things as hitherto have come to our knowledge, aswell concerning the p●ace & the Image as of the miracles. Which have happened, according to the informations gathered by the authority of the right Reverend lord the Archbishop of Mecklin, howbeit through the diversities of times and distance of places wherein the persons dwell unto whom God hath imparted his favours, it hath been impossible to come to the perfect knowledge of each thing that hath befallen them, which notwithstanding we hope may be discovered in time, & come to light, whereof as yet we have no knowledge, partly through the negligence or simplicity of such as have experimented them in themselves, & partly for that many are (perhaps) ashamed to publish their secret accidents & maladies, although they have been miraculously cured thereof.   

THE FOURTH CHAPTER.  
BUT before we proceed any furthes it will not be impertinent (considering in this affair the great providence and goodness of God) to examine a little the particular circumstances of the place, of the Image, & of other things appertaning to this matter. It is a thing much to be noted, that seeing in many rich and mighty Cities & other places of strength in these low Countries, there are many stately Churches dedicated to the glorious Virgin Marie, and that she hath in so many places her Images in gold & silver, and painted or carved with great art and workmanship, yet notwithstanding our Lord God (who is the greatness of the humble) & our blessed Lady the mother o● humility, would make choice of this rude and desert hillock, in the territory of S●c●en, a very poor town, amongst a company of poor and ruyned people, at a small Image made of a silly piece of wood of the height of a foot and a half or little more, painted & set forth very fim ply, placed in an old Oak, & that upon the frontiers of those that are enemies & rebels to our Princes.  
The which things seem to me full of many masteries, And ●ist that what soever concerneth the place and Image, s very base and abject. What other thing doth it signify, then that which the Prophet David saith, That the ●●g● lord respecteth the things that are humble? And that which the Apostle saith, Our lord hath chosen the abject things of this world? And that our Lord jesus Christ did mean that this place which he had appointed for his own & his mother's honour should be like to the places of their habitation in this world, where he made choice of two very low places, to wit, the one, that of Nazareth for his incarnation and abode, and the other that of vellem with the poor crib, for his nativine. How poor and miserable that quarter of Sec●en hath been, with how many mishaps and calamities it was wholly ruined and brought to desolation, will not be impertinent to declare, for the comfort of those poor afflicted people the inhabitants thereof.  
The town of Sicken before these troubles had a fair parish Church dedicated to S. Eustace, well furnished with diverse altars, ornaments and goodly bells. Moreover it had a Cloister of religious women of the order of S. A●stin, with their Church and fa●re buildings accordingly. And now this town is so ruined, that at this present there is not so much as one bell, The Church & steeple are for the most part uncovered, There are few altars, and very small store of ornaments that have been saved out of the fire, The Cloister is all burnt down, saving one Chapel, & one little house which before was built for the sick. Moreover the said town had about twelve or thirteen hundredth burgesses, many of them were wealthy and all of competent means and ability, where at this present it is hard to find 300. souls therein, or in the places which are dependent of the same, and all those are so needy and low brought that there is not one of them of that ability as to entertain his friend with a decent lodging.  
This town heretofore had many fair houses built with brick and now they are all made with mud, & thatched with straw in form of a village, which is no wonder if you consider what the town hath sustained during these troubles and civil garboils.  
After the defait of Ge●blours which happened in the year 1578. and the 28. of February the Town and castle being well manned with a strong garrison was besieged by the soldiers of the Catholic king, and after battery being entered by force, the soldiers of the garrison, were either put to the sword, or drowned, or hanged, many of the burgesses slain, & the town given over to fire and pillage. Not many years after, it was taken again, sometimes by the rebels, sometimes by the kings people. It was six times spoiled, and once consumed even to ashes. Besides all this it was grievously afflicted with the plague & wholly devoured and eaten up with the great garrisons which lay therein continually. And not only the City, but the Country round about was brought to such desolation by the ranging up and down of soldiers thieves and murderers, that the Country, (for some miles) is so pestered with woods, hedges, and bushes, that it is not only not habitable, but also travailers can scarcely find any way or passage thereunto, in such sort as I am persuaded that there is no one place in all these low Count eye which hath endured so many miseries calamities and adversities as this place hath. And notwithstanding that the people are simple and still hold the fashion of the 〈◊〉 Brabanders, yet have they always continued in the observances of the Catholic faith, so as even during the sway of here●ik●, here was not so much as one found amongst them that changed his faith, whereby may be seen the great mercy and love of God towards these miserable & afflicted people, the which being brought under so many calamities he vouchsafeth to comfort now again by demonstration of his wonderful works amongst them.   

THE FIFT CHAPTER.  
WHat should be the cause why our Lord vouchsafeth to work miracles in such a part of the Country of Braban●, we may imagine (upon apparent reasons) that he doth it for two causes, upon apparent reasons I say we may imagine (for who is he that knoweth the mind of our Lord, or who is he that hath been his coun●●al●●?) first it hath b●ne the custom of his divine providence when he chastiseth any people for their correction and not for their destruction and utter ruin, to ●end them at times some comfort by miraculous works of his power and mercy. The people of Israel was afflicted by the servitude of Egypt, by the stinging of serpents, by the invasion of the Madianits, and by other like adversities, but to the end they might think that God had not altogether forsaken them, he comforted them by transporting them over the red sea, he cured them by the beholding of the brazen serpent, by staying of the Sun vn●er joshua, by covering the fleece with dew lying on a dry place in the time of Ge●eon, and by many other miracles. The Country of Italy was afflicted by a cruel war betwixt the Guelphs and the Gibbelines, but our Lord vouchsafing to show that he would sand them a speedy deliverance translated thither miraculously the house of our Lady of Lau●etto.  
Even so we verily hope that by these favours and miracles, the divine bounty of God hath given us to understand that he being moved with pity & compassion upon these poor low Countries, will take away very soon the scourge of his ire and indignation, to the end that we should not think ourselves wholly by him abandoned through the throng of so many oppressions and miseries, and therefore he sendeth us now these tokens and presages of some deliverance near at hand.  
The other reason may be that those holy Saints which have dwelled and been borne in this Country, and specially in Brabant have by their merits and prayers obtained this grace of God that this place which they whiles they lived had in their possession as their inheritance and patrimony wherein they were wont to serve his divine majesty, or unto which they used to resort, being delivered from the fury of heretics should be one day honoured with so great miracles.  
For this territory was once the patrimony of the first Saints of Brabant. It is 
Molan. Nat. SS. dilg.  well known that S. Bavo had in his possession the greatest part of the Hasbaine of Brabant. It is also certain that S. Pipin 
jan. 4. Feb. 21. Mar. 17. Iul▪ 10. & 16. Octo. 1. & 2●. Novemb. 23.  first duke of Bra●ant had his abode in the town of Landen whereupon it beareth the surname: in the same place and with him lived his wife Iduberga, from whence proceeded that holy offspring Gertrude and Begga, and of this Begga the great Charlemagne with his issue is descended. In this said quarter also dwelled being of the blood of the foresaid Pippin S. Amil●erga 
Decemb. ●7.  mother of the holy virgins Raynildis, Pharaild●s, and Gudula, and long before all these, S. Ermelinde a virgin right famous for her sanctity. Likewise S. ●rudo in his days possessed many places in the Has●aine and in the Campignie, where he had preached the holy gospel, His mother Ad●la renowned for miracles resteth in a place called zel●●m near to the town of Diest, which place heretofore appertained to her, and is but two miles distant 
Molan. lib de sac. milit Duc. Braban.  from Montaigue. Add hereunto that our Lord hath remembrance of the zeal & magnanimintie of the old dukes of Brabant, who a thousand years ago did so valiantly maintain and advance the Christian Catholic faith against the infidels Pagans', and heretics. And that it seemeth that the Country of B●abant shalere long be who●e restored and settled again in the Catholic faith, and in that glorious state wherein once it flourished.   

THE sixth CHAPTER.  
THat these things are done upon a Mountain is not without reaons, in regard that man being borne into this world to retire his mind from earth●●e to heavenly things, our Lord, both in the old and new testament was always wont to do his most special and principal works upon Mountains. Upon the Mount Moria Isaac was saved, and Abraham received the benediction. Upon the mount Sinai the law was delivered unto Moses. Upon the mount Horeb Helias saw God almighty somuch as a mortal man was ever able to see him, upon a Mountain our Lord was wont to preach, upon the Mount Thab●r he was trásfigured, upon the Mount Olives he prayed and upon the mount Calvars he was crucified, and accomplished our salvation. Moreover the most famous places of the world where the holy Mother of God is honoured, are wild Mountains and fu of wood, very much resembling this our Mountain. They which have written the hutorie of La●●e to, affirm that the little hows wherein the incarnation of our Lord was first wrought and which was had in honour in the town of Nazareth, until the year of our Lord 1291. (because Syria was conquered by the Sarracen●) was taken from that place and transported into Europe into the Country of Dalma●ia, and there set upon a little Mountain or hill near to the ●owne of T●rsactum. And forsomuch as ●n that place they did it not that honour which was convenient, it came so to pass that 4. years and 7. months after, the said little hows was by Angels transported into the marca of A●cona in Italy▪ and set upon a Mountain or hill in a wood hard by the City of Recana●o, and a li●le while after that, because the pilgrims were hindered to go freely thither (through the multitude of thieves and Robbers which made the passage dangerous) it was miraculously set upon an other hill belonging to two breetherns, who being fallen at variance for the offerings which were there made and our Lord being offended with their controversies and covetousness, made the said little house to be placed upon an other little Mountaigne not far from thence in the year of our Lord 1294. where our good God worketh (even to this present day) continually many miracles and graces, to the comfort & strengthening of all good Christians. What place is there in Spain more honourable and more renowned for miracles, than that Mountain in the kingdom of Cath●lonia not far from Barcelona called Mount-serrato? because it seemeth to have been cut with a saw, and fitted for the service of the blessed virgin Marie, The which Mountain (according to that which many credible persons have written) was in time passed in accessible through the wyndinge and troublesome passages which it hath had: and not habitable for the rocks & craggy stones which it contained, but at this present, it is seemly set forth with 13. hermitages & a goodly great Monastery of S. benedict's order, with many fair buildings, and a marvelous multitude of Pilgrims. In which place since the year 801. until the year. 1599 there hath been wrought 381. miracles, whereof a great part are approved and confirmed by public and authentical testifications.   

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER.  
NEither seemeth it to want reason that our Lord would have his Mother to be honoured by her Image placed in an Oak, for the holy scriptures inform us that our Lord God hath wrought many miracles under divers Okes. For under the Oak of Mambre according to the Hebrew text he concluded his league with Abraham, and there promised him a son by his wife Sara. In the same place the Angels appeared in form of men, divers times renewing in the name of God the foresaid promise, and foretelling the destruction of the inhabitants of Sodom. under an Oak near unto Sicken jacob buried the Idols. Under the same Oak Ios●e renewed the alliance between God & the people of Israel, as before we have declared. Under the Oak in Ephra the angel ap 
●ud 16.  peared to Ged●on whom he appointed Captain and leader of the people of Israel, promising to free them out of the servitude, of the Madianits. Yea our Lord jesus Christ wrought our salvation upon the wood, of the cross which (as Doctors affirm) was framed of Oak. The Pagans' were wont to call the Oak, great and holy, and dedicated it unto ●upiter their chief God, because in the beginning of the world men made their food of acotnes, which is the fruit thereof and the Romans' had a custom to give him a crown of Oaken leaves that in war had saved the life of a Citizen of R●me. Of Okes the Poet writeth, prophesying of the golden world out of the verses of the Si●illes saying.  
The t●●e will come of peace and plenty so,  
That from the Oak the honi● sweet shall flow.  
When therefore we consider the foresaid examples of the old testament why should we not hope that near unto this oak by Sicken through the prayers of holy and devowt people. God may be inclined to make a new alliance and reconciliation betwixt himself and these low countries, that he will sand the Angel of wisdom amongst us, bring the Idols of heresy and impiety to nothing, raise us up some valorous Gedeons', grant us victory over these Madianites, sand comfort to the loyal subjects, strengthen both our souls and bodies, & power down upon us the dew of his heavenly graces.   

THE EIGHT CHAPTER.  
THat our Lord hath choose this place so near unto our enemies which is scarce six or seven hundredth paces distant from the river of Demer, beyond which river all the Country is subject to the contributions robberies and exactions of the enemies, so as upon a clear day one may see six or seven miles into the country held by the heretics & rebels, we may thereby think that the wisdom of God hath ordained it, that not only the Catholics might have occasion to exercise their p●ety, and seek for mercy at the hands of God but also that he might bring back again those which are in error into the bosom of the Catholic Church, by the means of these miracles: for that so great miracles and such abundance should be wrought in a place so near the heretics noses, what other thing may we judge it, than a plain demonstration that the honour do●ne to images, invocation of Saints, and pilgrimages made to holy places, are things very pious and right acceptable to the majesty of God: notwithstanding whatsoever blasphemies and scoffings, of all the rabblement of heretics to the contrary.  
Blessed be therefore the father of mercy and God of comfort, which comforteth us after this manner in all our tribulations, who in the doleful estate of these Countries, by the wondered works of his mercy yieldeth joy and consolation to the godly, confirmeth those that either stagger or doubt in their faith, and confoundeth the malice of heretics (God grant it may be to their salvation) with a light of such unspeakable brightness. Blessed be also the Mother of mercy, which procureth such favours for us poor wretches. God grant that her goodness will so dispose of us, that as at the arrival of her house from Nazareth to Ital●▪ that Country (which wa● them oppressed with a long and cruel war) gained peace and concord by her prayers to our Lord, so likewise by this new devotion o● Catholiks at Montague, the blessed virgin and mother of God being moved to compassion, by the prayers tears and devout sighs of good people, may obtain at the hands of God, for these low Countries scourged with so long a civil war, and well-nigh brought to utter ruin, that the Idols of our sins may be buried under this Oak: that the heretyks may be reduced to the union of the holy catholic, Apostolic, & Roman Church, & our rebels to their due obedience of their natural princes, that we may all of us with one mouth, and in the same Catholic faith, under one Prince in earth praise and honour our God, three persons in Trinity and one in unity, & the blessed virgin Mary mother of our Lord jesus Christ.   

THE NINTH CHAPTER.  
B●t to come to our history. In Brabant there is a place full of hil●e● & woods and altogether unhabited called in the Duitch tongue Scherp●n-●e●●●l, in French Mountaigne. in English The sharp or rough hill, in regard of the roughness and barrenness of the place, situated by the town of S●chen, and little more than a quarter of a dutch mile distant from thence, and a good mile from Diest. Upon this place (being a hill somewhat higher than the rest of the ground lying near thereunto) grew an old Oak, which was somewhat great, whereunto a certain Image of our lady was fastened, and there is a certain report and old tradition amongst those people which live in that quarter, that a hundredth years and more since, there was a certain Shepherd who feeding his flock along that Mountaigne found the foresaid Image of our Lady lying on the ground, the which he determined to carry home with him, but the Image miraculously became so heavy that he was neither able to carry it, nor to lift it, yea himself became so immovable that he had no power to stir out of the place, in such sort as he could not drive his f●ok homeward. The farmer his Master much wounding at his Shepherds unaccustomed lingering, went himself to seek him, And having understood the cause of his stay, perceived forthwith that the Image which the Shepherd meant to have carried home, was the●ame Image which men used to honour at the Oak of Mountaigue. Wherhfore he took it and without any empeschment or resistance placed it again in the Oak. And the Shepherd as though he had been unloosed and vn●ettered went his way home with his she●p without any further difficulty. By the report of this miracle, the people that neighboured thereabout being excited to devotion, began to yield reverence to the place and Image, & repaired thither very often to crave help of the blessed virgin, especially against agues. The which things the most ancient inhabitants of the place have avouched under their solemn oaths, that they have hard their parents and ancestors report: to wit, Arnould of Ecind being fourscore years of age, john S●innen being of 70. john M●mbors of 60. and Allard of B●gard also of 60. years of age, all being inhabitants and Eschevins of Sichen. But forasmuch as we have this only by tradition of certain old people without any further authentical proof (although well deserving credit herein) we mean not so to affirm their reports as altogether assured thereof. But will proceed to such other things, whereof we can aleage so authentical and assured proofs, as none can justly doubt thereof.   

THE TENTH CHAPTER.  
IT is certain and well known that the foresaid Image remained in the Oak until the year 1580, but shortly after and till the year 1587. was no Image at all in that place, as we find by 
●osse v● Artric who yet liveth hath affirmed under his o●he that he was healed of a long quartain agu in the year ●583.  information of sundry persons who in that time (to be cured of their agues) although with evident danger visited that place, many being restored to health notwithstanding (as is aforesaid) not Image was then there, whereby it may appear that not only the Image, but also the very place is dedicated to the service of God, and to the honour of his blessed Mother. How this first Image was lost we yet know no certainty, but it is conjectured that it was destroyed by heretics who from the year 1578 until the year 1586. ranged daily in those parts pilling and spoiling the Country.  
Afterwards in the year 1587. a good old man being a Burgess & Escheum of S●chen (of humility not willing to be named) considering the great concourse and devotion which people had to this place, and knowing that the first Image was lost, went unto a devout and godly widow dwelling in Diest, called Agnes Fredericks having the custody of the Church of All●all wes in the suburbs of the said town of Diest who had in her house an Image of our lady made of wood, placed in a little frame or tabernacle, which upon earnest entreaty she giving unto him, he carried to Montague, and caused it to be set up in the foresaid Oak, in the place of the other which was lost; where it continued until lent in the year 1602. at which time Sir Godsrey of Thie●●r●ncle Pastor of the Church of S. Eustace in Su●em, took the said Image out of the Oak, and set it in a little Chapel made of wood of six foot long and five broad, hard by the sa●d Oak. And the same he did in regard of the great devotion which he saw the people had that came thither to be cured of a vehement headache then reigning in those parts whereof very many found amendment. In which little Chapel the said Image remained until such time as it was placed in the new Chapel which now is built of stone.   

THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER.  
LEt us now therefore speak of the miraculous and liberal cures which our lord hath vouchsafed to work upon those that have honoured his blessed mother in this place.  
From time out of mind the people & inhabitants of Sichen & places thereabout, were wont to find singular help by our Lady at Montague so often as they found themselves attainted of any agues.  
Of which thing Sir Godsrey of Thienwincle Curate of S. Eustace in Sichen, doth sufficiently testify: who remembreth that (fifty years passed) he being then about six years old, was carried by his parents to Montague, where he was cured of an ague which he had at that time,  
Also at such time as the Spanish soldiers were in mutiny in the town of Diest and that their Captains remained in the town of Sichen attending whiles the said soldiers were paid, there was a certain Spanish Captain lodged in a Burgeise house who was sick of an ague for the space of a whole year, and by reason of his sickness was so wayward & troublesome as none could content him. It came to pass that the good wife of the house told him that if he desired to be freed of his ague, it were good he should visit our lady at Montague, seeing so many were there cu●ed: whereupon moved partly by her and partly by persuasion of his own servants, he went thither, & accomplishing there his devotion, was there cured, and wholly delivered of his ague, behaving himself afterwards so modestly and peaceably as he seemed to have altered his nature.  
Moreover as the whole town of Sichen can testify, there is scarce therein one household whereof some one or other hath not received help at Montague. The Curate and eschevins of Sichen affirm assuredly that in the year 1598. at what time the Irish of the regiment of Sir Wiliam Stanley Colonel, were lodged there, many of them were wont to use no other physic or remedy for their diseases, but to make their prayers at the foresaid place of Montague, amongst whom very many were healed, in such fort that Father Walter Talbo● an Irish priest, one of the society of jesus (who at that time was their preachet and ghostly father) was wont oftentimes to say with great admiration that this place was in very singular manner chosen by God to advance there his Mother's honour, for which cause he was moved to go thither sometymesdenoutly in procession, accompanied with the said Irish and the townsmen of Sichen. Whereof he wrote to Father Thomas Salius, who was the Superior of the fathers of the society, which attended upon the Catholic king's army in the low Countries. Many also affirm that the like cures have happened to divers soldiers of other nations, which came thither in pilgrimage both of the garrison of Diest and Sichen. And some are of opinion, that the bruit and fame of Montague was principally divulged by the same soldiers, in other Cities and places unto which they repaired.   

THE TWELFTH CHAPTER.  
THe which bruit by God's disposition, in short time grew to be so great, that it moved an ●●●●●t number of people which have flocked thither upon devotion from all parts, whereof many have been helped and comforted, as may appear by so many crutches, staves, bands and other things (which the sick persons used in their maladies) left and hanged about the Chapel. For in the beginning of the month of October in the year 1603. there were reckoned up, to the number of 135. Crutches and legs of wood, of such as were lame, and they were brought thither within the space of 4. or 5. months, without numbering the bands and trusles of such as were broken, and the shoes which were underlaid belonging to such as limped, whereof the number would have been at this present double, if (through the negligence of those who served the place) they had not been carried away by other pilgrims & passengers. All which things were undoubtedly left there by them who received either cure or notable eas● of their maladies. And to the end we may speak a word touching the number of pilgrims, it is known by the relation of divers credible persons, how that upon the eight of September in the foresaid year 1603. being the feast of the Nat●●t●ie of our Lady, there were about twenty thousand pilgrims, and upon other days there have come thither many thousands, & daily yet cometh thither a great number from all Countries and quarters, & they not only of the common fort, but also divers Princes, Earls, Lords, Gentlemen and Ladies, the rehearsal of whose names would here be too tedious.   

THE XIII. CHAPTER.  
THe same is also confirmed by the offerings, in Silver, Coin, Candles, Images of silver, and of other matter representing the limbs and persons of those who there have either found cure or ease. The precious beads and other gifts in silver, and very rich vestures for the Image of our lady, whereof the number is very great. And it will not be from the purpose to specify and name some of them: First the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles (wherein at that time the plague was very hot) sent in the month of September 1603. to the honour of our lady of Montague a fair crown of silver guilt, with this inscription in latin: Reginae Calorum SS. Dei Matri B. Virgini Mariae, Bruxella morb● afflicta supplex ●btu●●t. Anno 1603. Which is as much to say. The City of Bruxelles being afflicted with the pestilent disease, in humble manner offereth this Crown to the Queen of heaven, to the most holy Mother of God, the blessed virgin Mariae: in the year 1603. And very many of good credit did note, that after that time the contagious disease that had reigned all that summer began to decrease & by little and little to be assuaged.  
The Magistrates and people of A●t●erp (who have of old been much obliged & affectioned to our lady their patroness) made a present unto her at Montague the eight of December 1603. being the feast of her conception, of two silver candlesticks very cunningly wrought with these verses and inscription.  Suscipe Sancta Parens ex v●t● Ant●erpi● manus: Quod dat, ne pe●tis crescat ac●rb●●ues. 
I must not forget the most honourable & devout Princess Dame D●r●the of L●raine, widow to the Duke of Brunswick, who upon the eight of October in the year aforesaid 1603. offered at the said place unto our Lady, a fair ornament to hung before the Altar, recommending unto our blessed Lady her ●ourney, which she took out of these low Countries into Lorraine.  
The noble lady Dame Elcon●r Henriq ez de G●zman, widow to the Earl of Vseda, Chief Chamberlain of the most gracious Infant of spain, the lady Isabel Duchess of Brabant, presented there a fair gilt cup.  
Omitting to make mention of a goodly foundation made to the Chapel of our Lady, by a principal person of the court, who desired his name should be concealed: and of many other gifts & offerings made there by divers others, whose reward is like to be great before God.   

THE FOURTENTH CHAPTER.  
Our most gracious and devout Princes Albertus and Isabel are not to be omitted: for first the Archduke Albertus returning from raising the siege of Botsleduke, which was beleaguered by the rebels of Holland, and going to Bruxelles came to Montague, on the tenth of November 1603, where he gave thanks to our lord for his victory, and there did honour to his holy Mother, and some few days after, he went thither another time from thesa●d City of Bruxelles, together with the Duchess his wife, and all his Court, & very many lords and gentlemen: where being arrived upon the twentieth of thesaid month of November, the said Archduke & Duchess, as right devout Princes, with all the lords and ladies of their train, made their prayers upon their knees for a long space, aswell for their own as for their countries welfare: and from thence they went to lodge in the town of Dust, which is distant a duitche mile & a half from that place. And after they had made their preparation by fasting and confession, to receive the sacred communion, returned the next day (which was the feast of the presentation of our Lady) to 
4 english mile & a half.  Montague on foot, and all their train, an● there devoutly hard three masses, at the first whereof the Princes only did communicate, at the second all the lady's 〈◊〉 estate & gentlewomen of honour to the 
An ex●ple of a deuo●t court.  Princess, and at the third all the rest of the Court. And to the end their prayers might be of more force the Princes added a good alms ther●●to. The most gracious Infanta Isabel three days immediately one after another, ateventyde offered a most precious robe, embroidered with gold and silver and most precious ●●ones, the which robes for the most part were wrought with her own hands▪ And besides this, the most gracious Archduk Albertus caused a notable alms to be given over and beside that which he had offered at his return from B●is●eduke. And upon the fourth day the said Princes returned to Bruxelles, where they surceased not to have care of the good ordering & adorning of the foresaid place of Mountag●●. And amongst other the Archduke of his own invention ordained a very fair form and manner to plant there certain orders of trees in proportion, amongst which there should be built fourteen ●●●le chapels or stations, to represent t●e joys and sorrows of the holy mother of God: and this to be contrived in s●ch order and fashion that all the hill should seem to appear in form of a ●●arre, which signifieth the name of the virgin Mary▪ And moreover it is to be provided of a hedge and ditch round about that it may be Hortus conclusus, a Garden round 〈◊〉: a name which the holy scripture affordeth to our Lady. And besides all this our said Princes have made there an oblation of a marvelous sumptuous ornament, together with a Chesuble and Copes for the Deacon & Subdeacon to celebrated divine service therein.   

THE XV. CHAPTER.  
But to come to the miracles: let us begin with the entrance of the year 1603. and some months before; after which time especially about Easter the principal of them happened. And we will set them down according to every month, so far forth as they came to our knowledge, adding unto them those which afterwards ensued, as also those whereof we have gotten information 〈◊〉 the first publishing of this history: p●●cing every one in their due order, according to the times in which they came to pass: to the end that our Lord (who vouchsafed to work these things by the intercession of his Mother) might receive the honour and glory which unto him is due, and that all Christians as well those which are misguided and in error, as others might consider and touch with their fingers, where the light of truth hath her abode, and where is the true sheep▪ fold, wherein they may expect and hope to obtain their everlasting salvation.  

Of a blind woman which was cured.  
PEtronel Rider's wife to Lambert Bauduin 
About the month of May or june 160●.  sometime soldier, and launcier under the Lord of Grobbendonck in the Country of Brabant, in the year 1602. being at Dust had a great defluction of humours, which fell upon her eyes, and a great and vehement grief ensued thereupon as if her eyes had been gnawn with some vermin: which increased so much that she utterly lost her sight: notwithstanding that many medicines were applied unto her both by the advise of surgeons, as others, of which she received no help at all: in such sort that she could not see or decern any thing in the world which continued more than eight or ten days. At which time a certain woman seeing her in this plight, advised her to go unto our Lady at Montaigu where many had been cured of their agues, hoping that there she should find some help for her disease. Moreover she counseled her to wash her eyes with the water which is behind the Chapel of the foresaid Montaigu. Whereupon the said Petronel resolved to go thither in pilgrimage, and having sought out a woman in Diest to lead her, she walked (stark blind) towards the said Montaigu about the month of May or, june, in the said year 1602: but assoon as she began to go up the hill towards the chapel, she felt the accustomed griefs of her eyes to be much assuaged, & with all herself to be much inwardly comforted. Which alteration after she had perceived, she would needs try whether she had recovered any thing of her sight or not, so that with her fingers lifting up her eyelids, she perceived that she began to see (as it were through an obscure mist) the grass and bushes of the Mountain, and a little afterwards setting somewhat forwards, she perfectly saw the little chapel of wood where the Image of our Lady was placed, and hereupon▪ she spoke to the woman which led her, and thancking her for her pains told her that she needed her help no longer, for that she had now recovered her sight: and so the said Petronel went alone without any other aid towards the foresaid water, where having washed her eyes, she fell to her devotions in the Chapel of our Lady, rendering thancks to God and her, for this work of mercy: and so returning whole and merry to her house at Diest hath ever since enjoyed perfectly her sight, and hath been free from all her former pains, and yet so remaineth to this present day, as it appeared upon the six and twentieth of june in the year 1604. when in the city of Bruxelles before the Magistrates there by solemn oath she affirmed all that hath been said, conformable to an act framed thereof subsigned P. Numan Secretaire, & sealed with the s●ale of the said City.   

How blood was found, upon the lips of the Image of our Lady.  
Upon the third of january in the year 1603. divers Magistrates and 
The third of january 1603.  other persons were met together at Sichen from the next villages about some affairs appertaining to that quarter. Amongst others Matthew O●de●●●gge Eschevin of Bekeu●rt, Walter V●kelen Eschevin of Wanr●de, Henry Reymakers Eschevin of Wersbeke, Bartholomew Schellens, & Laurens of Ca●ten were there preset. Who after they had ended all their business at Sichen, returning homeward, and passing by Montaigu, they did their devotions in the Chapel of our Lady; and whilst they were in prayer, the said Walter Vnkelen espied a drop of blood upon the lip of the image of our Lady, whereupon drawing near to the image, he wiped of the drop with his finger, & he found that it was perfect blood, and incontinently an other like drop returned, the which was wiped away by Matthew O●de●●ogge: and as an other the third time appeared, it was wiped of by Henry Reymakers: and the foresaid Walter Vnk●len seeing the fourth drop of blood to appear upon the lip, took a cloth or handkerchief, and dried it, and found a mark of very blood in the same, even such as might issue out of the body of a living man: whereupon they were marvelously astonished: and the next morning this Walter looking upon his handkerchief, found the said drop to have spread itself as large as an English groat, and some what bleaker of colour than it was the day before. These aforenamed persons while yet they were in the Chapel, looked diligently on every side, to see whether the Image might receive any moisture through the roof, but they found no sign at all of any such thing: for it was a very fair and clear Sunne-shyny day, and there was never any painting or colour laid on the picture so far as any man could remember. And all this which hath been said, was averred by the foresaid persons, under their solenn oaths before the Magistrates of the town of S●●hen, in the presence of many witnesses, as appeareth by a writing made hereof, and subsigned L. van Ogernen, and sealed with the seal of the said town: and it is very certain, that in the first three months of this accident, to wit, in the holy week before Easter, the said picture by reason of the oldness thereof, by the appointment of the Curate and Churchwardens was newly painted.   

How a lame maid was healed.  
Marry Lenkens daughter of Francis 
In April. ●. ●3.  Lenkens & Cat●arin Vermo●en being ten years of age, had an accident that happened her in her right leg, in the year 1599, in such sort that the said leg was shrunk up and became three fingers shorter than the other, and withal smaller and slenderer, in which sort she continued for three years space together, although with great anguish and pain, and the third year she was not able to go therewith in any sort, whereupon her mother resolved toe go with her in pilgrimage to our lady of Montaigu: the which she did upon the feast of the Annunciation of the virgin Marie, in the said year 1603, putting her daughter on horseback, and being come to the river of Demere, near to a place called Tystelt, where by horse they were notable to pass they sent the said horse back again, & they both walked together on foot towards Montaigu, the poor lame maiden halting downright, and often falling to the ground, before they could arrive at the Chapel of our Lady: Where being come exceedingly weary, they did their devotions: which being ended, the maid recovered so much strength, that she returned home with her mother on foot, without any molestation pain or weariness neither at that present time, or ever after: and since that time her leg by little & little grew of equal bigness & length with the other, in such sort that she now walketh without any difficulty, wheresoever she pleaseth, as well as any other. All which hath been affirmed by her mother under her solemn oath before the Magistrates of the town of Ar●t●●t: and Marie vander N●is widow of Christian vanden Vinne dwelling in Arschot, who accompanied them in their pilgrimage, together with Henry Godfrey Michtels, who was neighbour unto the said maid, did in lyk sort under their oaths avouch before the said Magistrates, that they had seen and known the foresaid maid lame and impotent, and afterwards to have been miraculously cured, as hath been said: all which appeareth by an act made thereof by the said Magistrates, bearing date the xxixth of March in the year 1604, subsigned P. Aelbrechts', and sealed with the seal of the town of Arschos.   

How a man sick of the palsy was healed.  
PEser of Honsberg Eschevin of Merhout 
In April, 1601.  in the Campignie, being of the age of one and fifty years, fell suddenly into a great disease, in the end of the Month of januarie 1606, the which continuing for ten or twelve days space, thereupon ensued so great a palsy, that he was deprived of the use of his arms and legs, & of all his other members, his head eyes and tongue only excepted, which he was able to move. And besides this, he had a grief that was so vehement & continual, that he could neither sleep or rest day or night: in such sort that from Palm-Sunday till eight days after Easter he was fame to have every night at lest two, sometimes three or four of his family to watch with him, and to administer unto him his necessities, sometimes to carry him to the fire, and presently back to his bed again. Who albeit he had used the counsel and receipts of some Physicians for his recure, yet felt he no ease at all, but rather increase of his grief which made him wholly to give them over. And whereas certain of the inhabitants of Merbou● had related unto him that by the invocation of God's Mother many miracles were wrought at Mōtaig●● near to Diest, he entering into a fervent & zealous resolution, to take her for his refuge, and to go in pilgrimage to that place: & withal to Boxtele in the Campigni●, where the miraculous blood of the holy Sacrament of the altar is reserved; in the mean while with many tears & groans calling upon the glorious virgin Mary, and with great desire expecting the feast of the Annunciation of our Lady, (which was very near, & was that year translated till after the octaves of Easter, for that it fell in the holy week;) & so much the more because he had understood that divers of his neighbours were resolved that day to go in pilgrimage to Montaig●, which day of the Annunciation when it came, he caused himself to be carried in a wagon to the foresaid mountain, continually afflicted with the palsy & impotency of all his limbs: save only that some two or three days before his departure, and whilst his servants made ready those things which were necessary for his voyage, he began a little to move his fingers. Being therefore the same day arrived at Montaigu, he found such a throng of people, that he could not in any wise come near unto the Chapel. For which cause, to satisfy his devotion, they brought him the image of our lady to the waggo where he lay, the which with much reverence he kissed: and after the press of the people was past, his wife withone of his servants and two others carried him three times about the said Chapel: and no sooner was he put again into the wagon, but he felt in himself a great change and ease: in such sort that he thought himself wholly cured: but trying to move himself, he found that he was as yet impotent & without the use of his limbs. Notwithstanding being returned home, he felt that his palsy by little & little from that day forward begun to decrease: & every day after he found himself better, in so much that in short time he recovered so great force & health, that he could permit himself to be led through his house: and a little while after he walked without any help of his crutches, which also with in few days he laid aside, walking only with a staff in his hand, & not long after without either staff or any other help at all: in such sort that this Ho●sberge being restored to perfect health and strength, & use of his limbs, failed not to tender thancks to God, & his holy Mother: and upon the eight of the month of September next following being the day of the Nativity of the glorious Virgin, he departed from his house on horseback, to offer unto our Lady one of his Crutches wherewith he was wont to support himself: and from the town of Sichen he went on foot to the Chapel of Mo●taig●, where he did his devotion, & gave God thancks for the mercy which he received as hath been said. And since that time he hath continued well disposed & healthy, as he is at this present And this that hath been here said, is set down in the Register of the said Chappel upon the eight day of Septembre 1603. And as by the said Honsberg it was again declared (being summoned thereunto) under his solemn oath before the court and Magistrates of Merbo●t, upon the seventh of March in the year 1604. Upon which day Willebrord Bosmans', Adrian Verhelle● & john S●i●nē Eschevines of the same place, declared and avouched, that they had divers times seen & visited this Honsberg while he was sick, and that they found him altogether taken with the palsy and impotent & deprived of the use of his limbs. All which is conformable to that which the magistrate hath set down, dated as before, and subsigned john Trudo●ius Secretary: & sealed with their seal.   

A cure of one that was blind and taken with the Apoplexy.  
Arm Vereyken the wife of Hubert Wellons dwelling in the village of 
In May 1603.  Testily, not far from the town of Sichen was in the month of February in the year 1603. taken with the Apoplexy, and there with also lost her sight in so much that her husband was forced to carry or lead her to every place, whether she would go. And although many medicines were applied to cure her disease, yet she found no help or cure at all: wherefore she took her refuge towards our Lady, & made a promise to go and visit her at Montaigu, the which when she had accomplished in the month of May next following, she recovered her sight and the entire health of all her body, and went up and down wheresoever it pleased her, & always afterward remained in good state as she is at this present. All this here related, was according to order of law declared both by herself and her husband before the Magistrates of Sichen, as well upon the eleventh of May in the foresaid year 1603, ●s also upon the one and twentieth of April 1604. According to a writing framed hereof & signed L●van Ogernen Secretary, & sealed with the town seal.   

The punishment of one that scoffed at the Pilgrimage of Mountaigu.  
A Certain townsman of Diest (whose name for certain causes we do not 
In May 1603.  set down) began to mock at such as went in Pilgrimage to Montaigu, and a little after was strike in his body, in such sort that he became lame, & altogether deprived of the use of his limbs, & sustained such vehement torments that he was constrained to keep his bed: & although he had procured certain medicines and remedies to be ministered unto him, yet could he not be holpen. Wherhfore at last resolving with himself to go and visit our Lady at Montaigu: & having obtained some strength after this his resolution, he walked thither by little & little on foot: and so soon as he had performed his pilgrimage, he recovered & was wholly cured, as it appeareth by the information hereof taken in the town of Diest, by certain commissioners that were sent thither by the Right Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Maclin.   

How a Child that was in a consumption and blind was healed.  
I Oane Ma●s the widow of Lewis Castel● 
In May 160●.  dwelling in the town of Diest, had a child of one year old or thereabouts: who was taken with a great malady, which kept him in his bed more than three whole months continually, whereby he was brought so low, that he had nothing left but skin and bones: he had moreover a swelling in his throat, which by divers surgeons was judged to be some vain that was broken, by others, that it was some evil matter or humour which was descended thither. And besides these he had an accident in his eye, the which being showed to the surgeons, they were of opinion that the eye was broken out, and that the piece of the sight was corrupted, as in very deed the child could see nothing therewith▪ and they were persuaded that he should never see with it so long as he lived: the which child was come to those terms, that his mother expected no other thing of him but that he should shortly die. notwithstanding putting her confidence in the mercy of God, and in the assistance of his most sacred Mother, she resolved to go with her Child, & to visit our Lady at Montaigu on three several fridays: and notwithstanding that the mother was also ●●●k, yet she accomplished her Pilgrimage in the beginning of the summer, in the year 1603. And the first day that she was at the Chapel, she laid her child upon the altar, so long as she made her prayer: which being ended, & returning homeward, the child fell sweetly a sleep in her arms, and so continued till she came to Diest: and in this so●te persisting in her devotions the two next fridays following, the child was made whole and sound, and by little and little recovered the perfect health both of his body and of his eye; with which he now ●●eth very clearly, and remaineth in very good plight. All this those of the Court of Diest have witnessed, after the hearing & examination of the a foresaid joane, conformable to a writing that was drawn thereof, bearing date the XXth of March 1604. subsigned 1 vanden Goedenhu●se, and sealed with the seal of the said town,   

One cured of the jaundices and Squinancy.  
THe Lady Francis de i●●ombeck, Abbess 
In May 1603.  of the Cloister of Hoght near to the city of Maestright in the Duchy of Brabant in the beginning of May, 1603, was attainted with the jaundices, whereof she became so sick, that having had the advise of a certain Physician which dwelled at Liege he was in despair of her life as he plain lie affirmed to Dame Catharin Cortilz, religious of the said Convent, yet he sent the said lady Abbess some herbs with a certain drink, but it profited her nothing and as her disease daily increased, so that she had little hope by any way of Physic, she committed herself unto God almighty, and to the help of the glorious Virgin Marie, promising by vow unto God and her, a pilgrimage & an alms unto the chapel of our Lady at Montaigu, and two or three days after she s●nt thither he● maid O●ae T 〈…〉 r mā●, the which was con upon the xxv●i▪ rof May in the foresaid year 1603. who having ended her devotion she brought her Lady a piece of the Oak wherein the blessed Virgin's Image was set: the which the said lady Abbess receiving with all reverence and devotion, caused it to be applied to every thing that either she did eat or drink: trusting in God, & hoping through the intercession of his holy mother that she should find remedy thereby, and from that day she began oamend and to recover perfectly her health, without any humane help: in somuch that a little while after she was made whole & sound. Afterwards the●e happened unto her a great soreness and pain in her throat, which Physicians call the Squinancy, whereby she was brought again into manifest peril of death, as the surgeon openly declared whom they had sent for to help her. Her tongue and throat were so inflamed, that they seemed altogether black: and although, they opened a vain in her tongue, three or four times together, yet it helped nothing, for not one drop of blood would come forth, which when thesayd Lady Abbess had perceived, & understanding the danger wherein she was, she vowed an other pilgrimage to our Lady of Montaigu, & sent thither again the foresaid Oda, and Windel Corenborst her servants, who having ended their devotions upon the xxuj. of june 1603. thesayd Lady Abbess recovered afterwards, and within few days returned to her perfect health. As it well appeareth by her attestation signed with her own hand, and sealed with her seal.   

Of a lame and impotent man healed.  
BE●●rād de Loyarbre locksmith dwelling at H●y in the country of Liege, was, (some three years passed) attached with a 
In May 2603.  vehement pain in his reins, and about his heart, in such sort that he could not follow his occupation except very seldom and that fair & softly: the which pain continued very long, and at one time for the space of six whole months: whereby he was brought so low, that he was constrained to keep his bed, from October 1602, until Easter eve 1603. and then (although he was very sick) he endeavoured to rise, but he found his left beg (by the long and continual pains thereof) to be much shrunk up, & by a good foot to have become shorter than the other, whereby he was forced to take two crutches, and with them he walked in great pain and feebleness. So it came to pass, that on the day of S. Peter and S. Paul, being the xxix. of ●●●e, in the foresaid year 1603. he hard some relate the miracles of our Lady of Montaigu: whereby he was so moved, that he purposed with a great and fervent desire to go thither on foot with his crutches, & alone with out the assistance of any other: which he did, walking on very slowly, although not without great grief and labour of his body: in such sort, that within four days and an half he came to the Chapel at Montaigu, which for all this was not passed ten miles distant from H●y: having his hands and fingers much swollen, and the skin worn of by the continual handling of his crutches, with had also much opened or strained his arm pits. And being now come before the Chapel, he made there devoutly his prayers unto God and his glorious Mother, which being ē●s●d, he raised up himself fair & softly without his crutches, and began to walk praying about the Chapel, although not without great pain: but at the second time he felt a certain sudden puff of wind, to come down as it were from heaven upon him, in somuch as he feared he should have been thrown down to the earth, by which wind he felt a kind of motion and sweet heat to enter in to his body, whereby he thought his interior parts were warmed & wholly altered: and so going the third time about, he found himself entirely cured; and that his left leg (which before was a foot shorter than the right) was now made longer and aequal with the other, and that he could well use it: yea, he found it stonger than his leg that before was whole: where with being much comforted, having rendered thanks to God, & his holy Mother, who had prayed for him, he left there his crutches, and walked homeward to Hue on foot without them. And in August next following, and an other time after that, he came on foot to Montaign, in memory & gratitude of the favour he had there received: & then he was much eased of the pain he felt about his heart, which he had very long endured. All this which here hath been set down, this Bertrand declared at Montaigu, before M. james de Castro, doctor of divinity & Dean of the christianity of Diest, Sir Godfrey Thien win●kle Curate of Sichen, Master joachim de Buschere Secretary of the Council of Brabant, Peter de Hempskirke Notary, & many others who were then present: & after this again it was all affirmed and verified under a solemn oath by the foresaid Bertrand (being summoned thereunto) before the sworn Bourgemaister▪ and Council of the said town of Hue, as it appeareth by their attestation made under their seal, and signed by the secretary of the same town, dated the xvij th'. of january 1604.   

Of one that had a withered hand, and how it was afterwards healed.  
Marry Isertant the daughter of Andrew Isertant, dwelling at Esselbeke near 
In I●ne 160●.  to ●ousso●, ha●d by the City of Aken, was in the year 1603. surprised with a great mailadie, whereof she feeling herself abettred, endeavoured to go into a cave of the house to fetch something thence, and being come to the last step, was suddenly taken with a certain kind of Apoplexy: which made her fall down to the ground, having much hurt herself on her left side, and especially her hand and foot on that side, in such sort that she could do no manner of work: and was forced to walk with a crutch, for other wise she was not able to go & in this manner she continued ten whole weeks.  
In the mean while, having hard report of the miracles which by the invocation of our Lady, were wrought at Montaigue she resolved likewise to go thither for the recovery of her health: and arrived at the place upon the xxth of june, in the same year 1603. and so soon as she drew near to the mountain, she began to feel a great, yea an intolerable gnawing, in her left hand, which was so lame, fast closed together, and dead, that she had no feeling thereof, not not when they pricked it with any sharp pointed thing. When with certain of her neighbours she was come up to the Chapel, they went about it some times on foot, some times on their knees, making their prayers very devoutly: and forth with her dry and dead hand opened of itself, to the great admiration & comfort both of herself, & of all those that assisted her. For more proof whereof, withdrawing herself into a cottage which was in that mountain, made herself ready & dressed her head, as well with the one hand as with the other, & this in the sight of very many: which for the space of the foresaid ten weeks she was never able to do: and thus returning whole to her home, she continued ever after very well, as she remaineth at this present xth of March in the year 1604. On which day she affirmed and avouched all that hath been said, in the foresaid city of Aken in the presence of Master Peter Hensenius Licentiate in divinity, Curate of S. Foillien, S●euen Radermaker de Kelmis maier of E●eburg near unto Esselbeke, Leonard Loop de Kelmis and Brice Isertant brother unto this Marie, all which last three did in like manner affirm, that they had seen the said Marie attainted with the Apoplexy & palsy, as hath been said, conformable to a writing framed here of bearing the date above specified.   

Of a lame young man cured.  
HEnry Capenbergh son of john Capenbergh 
In july 1603.  dwelling near unto Kerckraid, in the territory of Shertogen-rode in the Country beyond the Me●se, was lame of both his legs, & so had continued eight years continually, in such sort, that he could hardly go with crutches: and although his father had caused all man ● of remedies & medicines to be applied unto him, yet could he not procure him any help or ease at all. But after he had hard tell of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he took his way thitherward with his crutches, to perform there his devotion, hoping, that the glorious Mother of God would not fail to assist him, and to pray for him. At which place he arrived the second of julie 1603. being the feast of the Visitation of our Lady, and there offered up his prayers right devoutly before the Chapel: which being ended, he felt himself much eased & in better order than before: and as he returned homeward, passing by Aken & there praying to the Virgin Marie in her church which is in that city, he found himself so much bettered, that there he left and offered up one of his crutches. Nevertheless once again he returned with one crutch to Montaigu, in the end of the aforesaid month, where having renewed his prayers, he found himself perfectly whole & recovered, so that leaving his other crutch at our Lady's Chapel, home he returned safe and sound, with out the help of any to assist him, as he still continueth, & was so upon the xviiith. of February in the year 1604, on which day he declared & affirmed the foresaid particularities, before the Magistrates of Akë as is to be seen by a writing penned thereof, subsigned Nicolaus Munsterus Secretary, and sealed with the seal of thesayd City.   

Of a woman that was cured of many strange accidents.  
IOane Case, wife unto William de Bois 
In july 1603.  dwelling at jambez in the suburbs of the City of Namures▪ was broken on both ●●des, each rapture coming forth as bog as one's fist: the which she had endured for the space of eleven or twelve years. And in the year 1601. in the month of May throwing hay out of her fit, down she fell, & broke her right leg, to the cure whereof she employed many remedies and medicines, but she could not be so well helped but that she remained lame and impotent on that leg: in such sort that she was constained to walk with a crutch, and her leg remained very full of pain. Moreover in the year 1603, in the month of julie, her stomach swelled as great as a man's head, whether it was by any inward rapture of that part which Physicians call P●ritonaū, in which the bowels are contained, or by some other accident, so it was, that it bred in her such a disease and vexation, that she was brought to such extremity, that she was ready to give up the ghost, and this according to the judgement of her Curate, and of Master Hermes Petit Doctor of Physic in Namures. The patiented being in these terms, it happened that a certain woman of her acquaintance called Catharin Meurisse came to visit her, who seeing her in such anxiety and danger, counselled her, & said, she might do well to vow some Pilgrimage to our Lady at Montaigu near to Sichen, affirming that she herself by this means was cured of the gravel wherewith she had been long time afflicted. Which when the said patiented had hard, which great devotion she said, that she did promiss to go that Pilgrimage through the grace and assistance of almighty God. And on the same day about some three hours after she had thus promised, the aforesaid joane Case found herself entirely whole and cured, as well of her Rupt●●es, as of the swelling of her stomach: & so rising out of her bed, she begun to walk up & down her house, not only without her cruch wherewith she was wont to help herself before, but also without any stick or staff or any other thing else to support her. And from that day forward she could go with one shoe underlaid and made higher the breadth of ones hand, because her broken leg was become so much more short than the other. And in October following, she accomplished her pilgrimage to our Lady at Montaigu as before she had vowed; which when she had performed, she felt greater ease in her leg than before, in somuch that her shoe is now but of an inch high, which was of a handbredth high before. And all this that hath been here set down, the said joan Case declared and verified under her solemn o●he, in the hands of C. R●m●s Notary, in presence of the Reverend Sir Giles Bosman Cannon & Archpriest of the Bishopric of Namures, and Pierchon Pimperneau witnesses, conformable to a public writing framed hereof, and subsigned by the said Notary and dated the ix th'. of April 1604.   

How a wench was suddenly healed of many sores.  
WAlter Gilton glazier and Marie de 
In Aug. 1●03.  Rau●schot his wife, burge●●s and inhabitants of the City of Louvain had amongst other children a daughter of thirteen years of age, called Catharin, which child in the year 1600. fell into an infirmity and disease which is commonly called the king's evil, or the evil of S. Marcoul, 
Because that saint in France doth he●●e this disease in such as at his tomb commend themselves to his holy intercessi●  which broke out into more than an hundred holes, running with matter down all her body, hands, arms, neck, face, eyes, belly, legs & feet, before & behind & on every ●yd: and her mouth was swollen as big as three mouths, and in like manner was her nose and all her face, & her eyes were so swollen & full of pain, that she was scarce able to see: and she became so weak that she could not live, and yet she could not die: being sometimes in such pitiful sort afflicted, that for the space of three months she could not stir out of her bed, neither could she move either hand or foot: and further more when so ever she rose up out of her bed, she could not go one step without the help of a staff. To remedy which disease, her parents used the advise and Counsel of many Doctors of Physic, and Surgeons, who had prescribed her many drink and drugs, but ●ll was to no purpose or prosit at all. Afterwards an other very skilful & famous Surgeon dwelling in that City of L●●●i●● called M. Rombold welter's, being much commended unto them, they covenanted with him for a certain somme of money, that he would take in hand to cure their daughter, wherein he took great pains, visiting and employing his labour & skill about her, twice every day, for six months space, & yet for all this could he not obtain his desired purpose. These things having thus continued for the space of three years, and this poor▪ Catharin having hard report of the miracles of our Lady at Montaigu, and amongst others how a certain lame woman was there cured: she importuned her parents, that they would vouchsafe to go with her unto that place of pilgrimage: to which her request they yielded, and promised they would so do: and where as her father intended to carry her on his back the child would not permit that, but rather resolved to go thither herself on soot, saying that she would force herself thereunto: and she hoped that she should perform that voyage on foot, and so upon the second of August 1603. they made themselves ready for their journey, & they put on their daughter a clean smock, taking from her that which she had worn, the which (be it written with reverence to the reader) was stiff with the filth and matter▪ which did yslue out of the sores of her body: and putting a staff in her hand, after they had dined they deparfrom L●●ame, having in their company ●●●●● C●●ema●s & his wife, Martin L●●●●●● and others of their neighbours: and that night they went and lodged at a village called T●ielt, with is distant some three miles from the foresaid City, having much stayed by the way, by reason of the great difficulty the said wench had to go. The next day in the morning notwithstanding that it reigned (which was very troublesome to the patiented) they took their way forwards towards Montaigu, where they arrived before midday, and there did their devotion at the Chapel of our Lady, from the time of their arrival till after dinner, and there offered up a child made in wax: and having continued their prayers for one hours space, they retired themselves into a booth or cottage hard by, and there reposed themselves, expecting till the rain (which still continued) would cease: but when they saw it ceased not, they all set forwards on foot with the little maid, to return home again. In which their return the patiented (although she had already gone so much that day) walked with better courage, than she had done before, whereat all those of her company were much astonished, and the said patiented passed on her way singing sometimes certain sonnets which the children of her years are wont ordinarily to sing. And being now come within half a mile of L●uai●e the Father seeing his daughter to wax somewhat weary, he carried her on his back until he came to the city gates: & so soon as they were at home, the mother put the child into her bed as she was accustomed to do: & she passed that night very quietly, but the next morning the maid arose and put on her apparel without any help, and came down, and told her mother that she had no filth or matter on her smock, & that she felt no grief at all in her body, but that she found herself wholly cured. Whereupon her Father & Mother searched her with all diligence, & found her smock fair and clean, without any spots at all, and which was more, they found all her sores, which were very many to be wholly cured and shut up, and especially on her belly (where her grief was greatest before) and that all was strong & quite gone: yea leaving very few scares behind: in such sort that her mother finding her thus cured made no difficult to let her lie that very night following with the rest of her Children who were well in health: the which for three yeare● before she durst never have permitted. After this she remained whole & well, not troubled with any grief in the world and so she continueth even to this present day. And since her cure she hath been twice at Montaigue, once on foot, and another time by wagon, to tender thancks to God and his glorious Mother for so great and singular a benefit. All this that hath been said, was affirmed and averred by both the parents of the child, before the Magistrates of the said city of Lo●ain, upon the xxuj th'. of june in the year 1604, and upon the self same day the above named next neighbours of the foresaid walter Gilton, made their appearance before the said Magistrates, who did in semblable manner affirm and declare, that they had sundry times seen the foresaid wench, both before & after her Pilgrimage to Montaigu: and that before she was in the a foresaid evil case, and that afterwards she miraculously & perfectly was cured, as hath been said. As it appeareth by the attestation of the aforesaid Magistrates and dated as above, subsigned R. le Prince, and sealed with the seal of the same city.   

How a man whose legs were eaten with the canker was healed.  
HEnry Loye● alias de Visschere being of 
In Aug. 1603.  75 years of age, dwelling in the Village of Rerthem, near to the City of Lo●ain had about midsummer 1603. his legs and feet so grievously swollen, that he could put on no shoes, the pain was so excessive which he endured: and in the month of julte in the same year there burst out in each of his legs a hole near to the ankle and instep of the foot: the which holes within eight days grew so bad, and became so large and deep, that on the one side a man might put in his three fingers, and on the other side there was dead flesh of the length of ones finger: and the patiented affirmed that he felt such pain thereof, as if it had been gnawn by dogs. The which some judged to be the canker, for that the edges of the wounds were full of dead black flesh: and that from the bottom the blood always issued out with so terrible a stentche, that no creature was able to endure it: and as they perceived that the poor patient found no help by any thing that he applied, he was counselled by some person, to go and visit our Lady at Montaigu: which he promised and vowed to do, in hope there to receive some consolation, and he never left to proceed in his intent, until he was carried thither: but for so much a● he was so sick and weak, none durst take the matter upon them, except he were first put in the state of grace, for fear lest he should have died in the way as he went. The which thing after the patiented had understood, he caused himself to be carried to the Church of B●rthem, where he made his confession, and communicated, the blood running from him by the way as he went. And a few days after, to wit upon the fift of August in the aforesaid year 1603. he made himself to be carried in a wagon unto Montaigu, where at our Lady's Chapel he did his devotion: & a certain Priest that then was there, counselled him that he should make twice more that voyage, and that for this purpose he should make choice of the Friday, and that he should have a good confidence in the assistance of the Mother of God. The patiented being returned home he found his legs much lesser and unswolne, and the pain thereof much more tolerable than before. Whereupon following the Counsel that was given him, he returned again the second time by wagon to Montaigu, upon the feast of the Assumption of our Lady: and after he had ended his prayers, he found much more ease than before. And upon the next friday, being the xxij of the same month, he was brought thither the third time, and did his devotions as before, and having at every of these times been led thrice about the Chapel, not without effusion of his blood, which ran from his legs upon the earth, together with a very great stench as divers of Montaigu reported, who then were present. And from thence being come home, he fell into so great weakness & such a swooning that every one thought he should have forth with given up his ghost: the which being over passed he affirmed that he felt a great and notable amendment of his legs & after that day the two great wounds in his legs were by little and little cured and filled up of themselves, and all the dead and corrupt flesh became good. So as the same patiented remaineth cured even at this present, having nothing le●t him but the scars of the sores, which are each of them of a span in greatness. All which is well known by an authentical attestation made before the Curate, Maier & Eschevins, of the said village of Berchen, upon the xxij. of February 1604. and sealed with the ordinary seal of that village.   

The healing of a bunch.  
SIster B●trice Ieroo●s a lay sister professed 
In Aug. 1603.  in the Cloister of S. Ursula or of the eleven thousand Virgins, in a place called the Halfstreet in the City of Louain● 
In this monaste rye a for ●●ous & venerable cō●●●nie of English gentlewomen ●●e profested.  contracted upon the year● 160●. a certain accident, betwixt the right pap and her shoulder before, which was a kind of bunch that happened her (as she thought) by continual casting her arms, in throwing of water with a wooden dish upon l●nnen, which they are wont to bleache in that Cloister: which bunch was as great as ones fist, and it was not fleshy or soft, but rather stiff & hard as a bone, which grew (as it seemed unto her) even out of the shoulder bone, yet not having any different colour from the other parts of her body, neither was it any whit painful, but only when she pressed it, and then sometimes it happened that she cast blood out of her mouth The which she sustained (without applying any remedy thereunto) about one year and a half. But when she had heard of the miracles which were done at Moutaigu by the invocation of our lady, she began to have a desire to go thither in pilgrimage, and to pray that she might be cured, much confiding that the glorious Virgin would assist her herein. And hereupon having obtained licence of her Superior she took her voyage to the said Montaigu, in the beginning of August 1603. where she did her devotion in the Chapel of our Lady, from thence she went to lodge at Sichen, which is distant a little half duitche mile from that place, where she perceived that her accident began to wax better: and the next morning returning to Montaigu, whiles she was there at her prayers, she felt certain stretchings and strayning from her head to her right arm, and towards the place where her bunch did grow: but being that day returned to Louvain, the next morning as she arose she found ●●r accident wholly cured and the bunch to have become of thesame ●●e●nes with the other parts of her body, so that there was no difference thereby at all, and from that time she hath refrained without all pain or whatsoever accident, as the said Religious woman avouched in the presence of her Mother or superior & others of the said Convent, unto whom the evil which thesayd sister sustained, and from which she was now freed, was well known: and likewise in the presence of the Venerable Fathers in God sir james van Ghele Priest and Doctor of Divinity, and Sir james de Bee● d'Oesterwijck, also Bachelor in Divinity, and Religions in the Convent of the jacobins in Louvain and of M. Roland l● Prince: Secretary of the said City, upon the xxviij th'. of October 1603. and upon the uj th'. of januarie 1604, according to an act that by the said Secretary le Prince was framed hereof,   

How a man that was sick of the falling evil was cured.  
MAtia Pacgen son of Gaspar Pacgen 
●n Aug. 1603.  of Herbagh borne at S. Lauren●berg in Country of juliers, near unto, Ald●n-ho●●●, came unto Montaigu in the beginning of August 1603. to make there his petition to our Lady, that by her intercession he might be freed from the disease & infirmity of the falling sickness, wherewith for seven years passed he had been troubled, for that he had understood that our Lord did many miracles at the invocation of his holy Mother in that place. And so remaining some eight or ten days at the said Mountain, he made his prayers devoutly before the Chapel of our Lady: during which time he was assailed six or seven times every da● (as accustomarily he was wont to have been) with three sorts or kinds of the falling evil: with such a rage and vehemency, with such knocks hurling and cries, that every one thought he would have been burst, or that he should have died, which was a most pitiful sight unto all the Pilgrims that were there present: who also endeavoured by their prayers and alms to obtain of God his cure and amendment. And upon the eve of the Assumption of our Lady in the said month of August, this Mathias persevering in his prayers and devotions, found himself in perfect health and quite delivered from all these maladies: in such sort that the next day every one might manifestly see, that not only he was delivered from his falling sickness, but that there withal he had recovered a fair & lively colour in his face, which before was very dead and pale, and his bo●●e much swollen, as many who had seen him at Montaigu while he had his disease, and afterwards when he was healed, affirmed. Thus the said Mathi●s returned in good plight to his house by Alden●●uen. And in the beginning of February in th● year 1604. he repaired an other time to Montaigu, to tender thancks unto God and his glorious Mother for the benefit which he had there obtained, wherewith at yet he continueth most certain & assured. Afterwards (to wit, upon the xiv. of the said month) he returned thither once again, & brought with him the attestation concerning his maladies given him by the Cuirass of Alden●●uen, and also by the Magistrates of the Imperial City of ●ken, dated upon the xviij. of the aforesaid month of February, and subsigned Nicolaus Munsterus Secretary and sealed with the seal of the same City.   

Of a spice of Leprosy which was there cured.  
MAthew Croisier son to Reynold Croisier 
In Aug. 1603.  dwelling in the town of Hue in the Country of Liege, being about twelve years old, in the year 1603. became so full of scabs and botches running down along his body, that by the Curate and Curch-wardens of Saint Steuens Parish in the same town, he was presented before the Magistrates of Hue, for a leper, and hereupon they made him to be more diligently searched in the City of Li●ge, to the end that if he were found a leper indeed they might provide for him some necessary entertainment, and so to separate him from the company and conversation of other men.  
For which cause the Magistrates appointed that they should deliver him as from the town, a bushel of corn for his food, until such time as they were fully informed of his malady. In the mean while this youth was visited by M. Thomas d'O●●●i●, and master Ni●●l●● de 〈◊〉 Surgeons' of the said City, who found him full of botches, scabs, and deep sores, wherein he had no feeling at all: and yet could they not certainly judge what evil it was: as appeareth by the attestation of thesayd Magistrates given under their s●al● upon the xvij. of Ia●uarie 1604. But the father of this youth having been in Pilgrimage at Montaigu, and having seen and known the miracles which were there done by the invocation of the glorious Virgin Marie, he caused his son to be brought thither, in hope to find there some help for him, and this was about the midst of August in the year 1603. Now as the youth was carried round about the Chapel of our lady he began to cry out, that he was burned within his body, & after they had ended their devotions, they carried him in-to a booth or cottage hard by, where he rested very quietly that night, and in the morning they found some of his botches healed, and all his sores and holes shut up, and continuing there his denotions, within two or three days all his other soare● and botches of his body were ●●red of themselves, nothing remaining but certain red spots as large as half a philip daller, and those were to the number of forty or fifty. Moreover this youth was broken in such sort, that his secret parts were swollen as big as both one's fi●ts: of which rapture he was also cured at that time, without any humane help or assistance: and here of many persons of credit who were then at Montaigu do bear good testimony, and namely M. james de Castr● Doctor of di●initie, Archpriest or dean of the Christianity in Diest, Sir john Ha●egreaf Curate of Testel●, Master Io●chim B●scher Secretary of the Counsel of Brab●●●, Peter de Ham Notary, residing at Diest, and john Baptist Zangre sworn Printer in the City of Lou●in●, of which persons some visited the young mān●s naked body, and considered the perfection of his said cure, with the stairss that remained. And the same young man coming afterwards to Bruxelles, was visited by a skilful Surgeon, and found whole, and quite delivered of his rapture, and from all other diseases whatsoever.   

How a man bruised with a fall was cured.  
COr●eli●s Fox inhabitant of the town 
In Aug. 160●.  of Diest one day going about his affairs, and passing betwixt the villages of 〈◊〉 and M●●r●eke by Diest, happened to stumble and to fall upon a stump of wood lying in the way: so that he inwardly grievouselie hurt himself in his breast, & for the s●ace of ●ix whole weeks was grievously ●ick thereof, and after he had used the help of a Surgeon, who had applied divers remedies and ointments about him, yet found he no amendment at all: where upon ●e purposed to go and visit our Lady at Montaigu, where in August 1603. having done his devotion and washed his breast with a certain water which is in the said mountain, he was immediately delivered from all his p●i●●● and griefs, & never after felt any of them. And all this was solemnly sworn 〈◊〉 avouched by the foresaid Cornelius before the Magistrates of Diest. upon the XXth of March in the year 1604. and an Instrument was form & made thereof ●●● signed I. ●●●●●n G●●d●●-h●is● and sealed with the seal of the aforesaid town.   

The Palsy Cured.  
LEonard Tee●ers dwelling at Beri●gen in 
In Aug. 160●.  the Country of Li●ge was sick of the Palsy, and so taken in all his limbs, that he could move none of them, but only his head and tongue: the which having continued thus a year and a half, finding no help in any of the receipts or medicines which were employed for his ●ure, and being at the length advertised of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he resolved to 'cause himself to be carried thither, having great confidence to find some help by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Ma●ie. The which he performed, and was carried thither in a waggon wherein he was to be taken up and laid down even as a very infant: when he had finished his devotion at the chapel of our Lady, he caused himself to be carried home back again, in the same waggon, without perceiving as ●et any amendment, but some two or three days after, he begun to move his limbs and to creep upon his hands and feet about the how●. another time after that he had a great desire to go again to visit our Lady at Montaigu wherefore he caused a waggon to be prepared for him, and he had now recovered so much strength that he could go from his house to the place where the waggon was, and having the second time done his devotion unto our Lady, he obtained so much ease, that he left there one of his crutches, and with the other and the help of the waggon he returned home, in better disposition, and with more force than he had before. But fifteen days after he came thither again the third time, and walked thither on foot only with one crutch & seiour●ed at Montaigu for the space of fifteen days, doing there his daily devotions: & returned home again with his crutch, but with more strength & in better health and disposition of his body then the two times before: and sithence he hath every day found more ease & amendment. All this that hath here been said this Leonard Pee●ers declared and testyfied upon the xvth of August 1604. in the presence of Sir Godfrey of Thi●nwinkele Curate of Sichen, Sir john Rosa Prior of the jacobins in Loua●●e & Licentiate in Divinity, Brother William Sil●ius procurator of the same Convent, Master Anthony Bouckhout Maier of Sichen and john Baptist Zangre Printer: as also afterwards he avouched the same under his oath solemnly made before the Eschoutet, Maier and Eschevins of the aforesaid town of Beringen, as it may be seen by their attestation sealed with their seal, and subsigned Heuricus Cillemus secretary.   

The Healing of a certain disease called the Scurutes.  
Elizabeth Ʋander Hoeven wife unto 
In Aug. 100L.  Zacharias van A●roy, dwelling in the village of Grasen near to Bets in the territory of Diest, was in the lent 1603. taken with an accident and malady which bred great prickings in every part of her body, together with many black spots of the bigness of a philip daler whereby she became no● only so weak & impotent that she could do no manner of work but, more over she had such vehement pain that she could rest neither night nor day so that she did nothing but run out of her bed and presently run thither back again, as if she had been deprived of her wits: yet called she continually upon the name of the blessed Virgin Marie, to the end she would pray for her in this her affliction: which continued until August, in the said year of our Lord 1603. And then having hard some speak of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, by the intercession of the Mother of God, she devoutly resolved to make a pilgrimage to that place, the which she performed▪ and praying at the Chapel of our Lady, immediately as she had ended her prayers, she felt a great amendment, and that the foresaid prickings and stingings ceased: and from that time forwards she began to be better: whereupon she was moved to return again unto Montaigu to tender thancks to the Virgin Marie, for the help she received by her means, after which journey (being very soon after the other) the same Elizabe●● went home in perfect health and strength, and became so strong and able of body, in so much as she affirmed that she never felt herself better in all her life. According to her attestation of all the premises which iuridicallie passed before the Eschoutet and men of law of the foresaid Lordship of Grasen upon the thirteenth of March 1604.   

How a maid was healed of her legs that were swollen and full of pain.  
MArtha Ʋander Tay being of two and 
In Aug. 26 0●.  forty years of age, maid servant in the house of M. john Vanden Petre Clerk in the Counsel of Brabant in Bruxelles: had a disease and accident in her legs, which happened her in the year 1603, whereby they became very great and swollen, and so full of ache that she could do no kind of labour, yea she could not so much as go without extreme grief and shedding of tears, neither could she repose in the night through the vehemency of her pain which never stinted: but continued for the space of more than three months. Her Master being desirous to help her, used the counsel of a certain Physician dwelling in the said City, and afterward of certain other men and women practitioners in physic: and they appointed her a number of divers receiptor, as of baths, fomentations, ointments and other such like, but all in vain and without any help at all. Whereupon her said master (seeing her past hope to be cured, and that if she were cu●t she should remain a cripple, and miserable all the residue of her life, as not able any ways to gain her living) entered into a deliberation to place her and to provide for her in some Hospital, where she might be maintained. But when the fame of the miracles of our Lady at Montaigu began to be bruited abroad, he resolved at the last to sand her thither, hoping that there she might be helped. And so about mid August she was sent by wagon to a Cloister called Te●Ba●ck near to the City of Lo●●in, wherein a sister of the said Clark lived: & from thence also by wagon she was conveyed to Diest, that the next morning after she might go to Montaigu. In which voyage this Martha began already to find some ease in her legs. Having rested one night in Diest, she made herself ready in the morning to go on foot unto Montaigu, but it seemed unto her a thing unpossible, and so she stood in a doubt what she might do: which when the wife of the house where she lodged perceived, she bade her be of good courage, and exhorted her to go not only on foot, but barefoot also, for that there was but one good mile to the place, which seemed unto the said Martha a thing altogether out of her power: not withstanding being much animated by the woman exhortation, and with the hope which she gave her that the Mother of God would not permit her to return without comfort, on she se●● forward barefoot, and as she went, she beganto feel that her legs waxed better & better. And being arrived at our Lady's chapel whilst she was at her prayers, she felt all the swelling and pains of her legs and feet to cease and quite to be go●, even as if one should feel some thing to be untied & loosed which before was bound and made fast: and when her prayers were ended she returned again barefoot unto Diest, being whole and marvelously comforted: and from Diest by wagon she went back to Louvain, & so to Bruxelles finding herself very well in all her body, as she is now even at this present. And all this that here hath been set down, was verified and avouched by herself, under her oath solemnly made before those of the law in the said City of Bruxelles, upon the xxvith▪ of April 1604. as may be seen by their attestation given hereof, subsigned Numan, and scaled with the said Cities seal.   

A marvelous cure of an incurable wound.  
LEonard Stock●●an born at S. George's, in 
In Sept. 160●.  the territory of the town of H●y in the country of Liege, about some fourteen year ago as he travailed one day through the forest of Seigne near to a village called waterless not far from Bruxelles, was assailed by a thief and murderer: who handled him so cruelly, and gave him so many wounds, that he left him for dead in the place: and amongst others he gave him a gash on the left ham, in such sort that he cut in sunder his sinews, and it passed even to the bone. In this case was he brought to an Hospital in Bruxelles, that there he might be seen unto: & within a certain time all his wounds were healed save that of his ham, the which because the sinews were cut, every one esteemed as incurable, wherefore being dismissed out of the Hospital he was forced to go with two crutches: yet through the abundance of humours, which sometimes had thither their course there ensued many new sores and issues round about the principal wound: and although he used divers medicines of certain Physicians, yea and had performed divers pilgrimages, yet he found no help at all. At the last in the month of September 1603. he went to visit our ladies at Montaigu: where having continued nine days, and daily washing his sores with a certain water that is in that mountain not far from the chapel, he found that the lesser sores cured of themselves, and when the nine days were expired, he perceived that the cut & interessed sinews of his leg, were grown & made fast within to the bone of his said leg, and that they were round about covered with flesh, and ●●ew skin: yet the place of the great wound remained hollow, and with so great a hole, that one might easily put his fist therein. And thus this Loonard was perfectly cured, without any impediment or grief, walking, going and assisting himself, with the said leg even as he himself pleased, and as any other man that is whole and sound might do: having afterward made on foot the way betwixt Montaigu & Louvain, which is 
du●tche ●iles.  five good long miles, and this he did in the month of October next following. All which the said Stockneau declared and affirmed under a so emn oath which he made before the Curate Ma●er & Eschevins of Siclen the xxi th'. of April, 1604. according to an instrument ●ormed thereof, signed ●. ●an Ogernen Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the said town.   

How an old man was cured of the falling evil.  
G●les Libens being seventy years of age dwelling at Attenhoven by the 
In Sept. 160●.  town of Landen in Bra●ant, was ●exed with the falling ●uil above fifty years together, and he was tormented therewith especially upon Sundays and holidays, having but little ease of it upon other days. This aged man being moved by the miracles wrought at Montaigu, purposed with himself to go thither in Pilgrimage, & there to entreat the blessed Virgin to obtain for him that he might be healed: the which he performed upon the seventh of September in the foresaid year 1603. & having there finished his devotions, he returned whole & in good plight, without ever after feeling any molestation thereof: as he affirmed before the Maier & Eschevins of the said Lordship of Attehoven upon the xxij th'. of March, in the year 1604. & an instrument was drawn thereof, subsigned Nicolaus Nicola● Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the said Lordship.   

How a man was healed of a rapture  
IOhn Hagels Carpenter dwelling at Ade●oort 
In Sept. 1603.  by Heylihsem, near Tilem●nt, in Brabant, being threescore & four years old, in the year 1602, & in the month of August travailing in reaping of corn in the fields between the villages of w●nde & Rai●s●●uen, found that he was inwardly built by overmuch labour: whereupon ensued a very great and excessive pain; which continued a whole year, notwithstanding that he had applied many remedies in vain, at the last having hard of the miracles of our Lady at Montaigv, and how by her intercession divers had been healed of the like accident, he went thither with great devotion and confidence, upon the eight of September 1603, being the feast of the Na●iuit●e of our lady, and having made his prayers at the Chapel, he found much ease of his pain, for which cause within some weeks after he returned twice thither again, and at the third time he found himself perfectly cured of his Rupture: & leaving there his truss wherewith he was accustomed to tie himself, he never after felt a●● the lest pain or hindrance thereby. As under his solenn oath he avouched (being summoned thereunto before the Curate, Maier & Eschevins of the village of Neder heylighse●, upon the eleventh of February 1604. according to their attestation subsigned Seruatius Roses Curate, G●●●la●●●e van Meeusele Maier, and G. Persoons Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the said Village.   

The Curing of divers accidents.  
Master Francis Eland Curate of the 
In Sept. 160●.  Church called the Chappelle de nostre Dame in the City of Bruxelles, was much troubled with a flux of the Hemorhoides commonly called in French les brochet which he had long time endured. Besides this he was Astmaticque, that is to say much stratened in his breast, & short breathed, in somuch as every one thought he could never recover, notwithstanding that he ordinarily used the counsel of sundry physicians: who can well witness, how that within one we●k he lost above thirty ounces of blood. The which disease continuing thus for divers years, there followed upon it a great swelling in his feet and legs like unto a dropsy, and this continued for four years together, notwithstanding that many remedies were used about him, as baths, fomentations, ointments, and other such like, so that he fell into such an infirmity and weakness, (being now come to the threescore & three year of his age) that the Physicians despaired of his health and life: having so lost his speech and memory, that they thought he should never recover the due use of his speech so long as he lived: and this they held as assured, that at leastwise he would never be fit to execute his office of Pastorship again, Wherhfore at last he resolved to goc & entreat our Lady at Montaigu for his health and so he caused himself to be carried thither in September 1603. where having done his devotions, and returning back towards Bruxelles, he felt a certain kind of itching or biting, and alteration in his legs, and besides this, a new strength and ease in his sinews: and being come home, he found that all the former swelling in his feet and legs was gone, in such sort, that from that time he hath used no further remedies, ointments, or receipts, finding himself also free from all his other accidents as well of the Hemor●●ides, as of the debility and impotency into which he was fallen: yea he had gaigned so good a stomach, and is become so lively, in somuch as he avoucheth and affirmeth that ●ow being threescore and lower years old he feeleth himself more strong and able, than he was at the age of for●●e or ●●●tie, the which he also approveth by his outward carriage, performing again his office of pastorship more lively and dexterously then ever he did before. And all this (as he acknowledgeth and affirmeth) by the intercession and assistance of the glorious Virgin Marie. As of all the premises he hath given a sufficient attestation, written by his own hand in memory of the benefit which God bestowed upon him.   

How an old man was healed of a great rapture  
DAniel Smith Sextane of the parish church of the town of Viluord, near unto Bruxelles, being threescore & seven years old, was some twenty years before broken on the right side of his belly, as big as both one's fists, which happened as he thought by ringing the bells of that Church. For the remedying whereof, he did onlie●ty himself with a truss, made fit for the purpose: yet for all that he felt very often such vehement pain, that he thought he should have lost his senses, & in this manner he went up and down with great difficulty. But about the month of August 160●, he was seized upon with a long and grievous disease, where by he thought he should fall into a dropfie being very feeble, having no appetite to his meat, and unable to do any thing without great pain and travail, which continued a whole month space. In which time his wife having hard talk of the miracles which by the intercession of our Lady were wrought at Montaigu, she resolved to go thither, and to pray there for her husband's recovery, or at lest for the mitigation of his pains, and especially of his Rupture, where with he was so cruelly tormented: the which she performed not long after. Being then come to Montaigu, upon an evening at the time of Salve, this Daniel being in the Church at Viluord, told certain persons that were near unto him, that he felt himself at that very time much eased of his malady, which had continued now a whole month as hath been said: & that ●e felt in himself an appetit to his meat, the which he never had all the time before: And from that instant his disease left him, so as he was no more therewith troubled afterwards. But his wife beeig returned from Montaigu, he inquired of her at what time and hour she did her devotion at the Chapel of our Lady, and he uncerstood that it was in the evening about five of the clock, at the same time & instant that he found himself ●ased of his disease as we have said. And about the midst of September the said Daniel determined in like manner to go unto Montaigu, partly for devotion, and partly to give thancks unto God and his most holy Mother, for the favour he had already obtained: and after this his determination (although it was three days before he took his ●or●ey) he found himself so much eased and amended of his Rupture, that to him it seemed in a manner cured. Finally departing from Viluord, in the compagnie of others of these me town, who were also to go to Mountao●e, not wearing any truss as he was accustomed, and there having made his prayers to our Lady, in returning home on foot, found himself very lustre, not feeling any pain or impediment by his Rupture, either in going or coming, but rather ●ase & help: & being returned home, he found himself not only perfectly holpen, but in so good a plight and disposition of body, as if he were twenty years younger than he was, in such sort that ever since he hath remained free of all grief and pain, & although he used no truss, yet his Rupture never appeared. All these things the said Daniel & his wife have solemnly avouched under their oaths, before the Eschevins of Viluord, upon the xxijth of April 1604. as it appeareth by the informations taken thereof, and signed, ●. Gh●●ris secretary of the same town.   

An admirable cure of divers running sores  
Mistress Martha de Rosenberge, daughter 
In Sept. 160●.  unto the Lord Maximilian Baron of Rosenberge, in St●ria, widow unto M. Mathias Wo●tzelman, sometime Captain of a company of foot, in the service of his catholic majesty in the low countries, induced for two years space a great accident in her right leg, wherein there were three open sores, which occupied her whole thigh, from the very top thereof to her knee, half an el in length, and a quarter in breadth, as appeared by the plasters which she was wont to apply thereunto. Betwixt each of the sores there were twelve holes or issues, which proceeded of certain cold and sharp humours, that descended thither from her head: all which happened through the misery and poverty which she endured, while she laboured in the court of Brussels, for payment of such money as was due unto her husband for his service. For the curing of these soars she had taken the counsel of divers, together with divers remedies which sundry particular people had prescribed her, without making her case known to any Physician or Surgeon, & this upon too much shame and bashfulness that withheld her. But when she saw that all which she did profited her nothing, she was in fine constrained to put herself into the hands of some skilful Physician or Surgeon, for the recovery of her desired health, and thereupon she entreated M. Peter Paulson a german surgeon, and one of the guard to our most gracious Prince and Sovereign the Archduke Albertus, to help her: who took upon him to cure her, and for this purpose let her blood three or four times, and withal gave her a purgation, and took her into his house the better to administer unto her there the diet: applying to her sores all the remedies which according to the art of surgery he was able to invent: yet could he for all his labour effectuate nothing, but only that her pains were somewhat appeased, and sometimes her sores were shut up, but they continued so not past a day or two, for forth with they broke out again as before, and could never be consolidated or strengthened. But at last this gentlewoman having hard in Bruxelles, of the miracles which were daily wrought by the invocation of the Virgin Marie at Montaigu, she had a great desire to go thither upon devotion, with hope and trust, that our Lady would procure her her health: and the same night after that she had made this determination betwixt waking and sleeping, it seemed unto her that she saw the Image of our Lady of Montaigu, with the wood that grew thereabout, & she felt as it were an inward motion and encouragement to make the foresaid voyage. Whereupon the next morning following (which was the xxij th'. of September 1603.) she beseeched our Lady that she might find some that would accompany her to Montaigu. And afterwards going to the house of M. Anne de la Croix her gossip who somedayes before had talked with her about her going to our Ladies, she inquired of her when she purposed to departed: unto whom the other answered, tha● she intended to go even that very day: whereof this Gentlewoman Mistress Martha was very glad, and so went with the said Anne de la Croix to hear mass in the Church of S. Gudula in Bruxelles, and soon after they set on forewards in their way towards Louvain, and the day following towards Montaigu In the way the said Mistress Martha felt so great pain in her leg, and with all she became so weary, that she thought she should never come to the Chapel notwithstanding taking a good courage she went on so well, that she came to a certain pathway where (the direct way to Diest being left) people use to turn on the left hand towards Montaigu, into which way so soon as they were entered she perceived the pain (which she sustained from the top of her head all along her sore leg) to decrease, and by little and little to leave her, and that all her weariness surceased therewith: and so being arrived at the chapel of our lady, they made there their prayers: afterwards having rested and warmed themselves in a little house thereby, they settled themselves that night again to their prayers, at which time this M. Martha began to feel herself much better, and without pain: whereupon (having felt this alteration) she looked upon her leg, and she perceived that her sores began to wax whole, in such sort that taking away the clotheses & plasters which were applied thereunto, she put them into her maund: and the next day those that had seen her the day before affirmed, that they perceived her to be much altered & amended, both in her colour and countenance. And the same day (after she had given thancks to God and his holy mother) they returned to Bruxelles, she feeling in her way the increase of her force and health: and when she was come home she found no more but one ho●e or issue in her leg, the which some two days after was peffectly shut up of itself: in such sort, that since that time she hath not only enjoyed entire and perfect cure of her leg, but also she hath found a great force & strength in all the interior and exterior parts of her body: and the places of the sores where the flesh was eaten away & consumed, were restored and filled up again with new flesh. And all this which here hath been set down, the foresaid M. Martha declared, and under her o●he solemnly avouched, before the Magistrates of the said City of Bruxelles, upon the xvith day of October 1603. Before whom also M. Peter Paulsonne appeared, who being examined of the premises, he likewise affirmed under his o●he▪ that he had the said M stress Martha in hand seven or eight Months continually, to cure her of her disease before specified, and what industry he had used, as well by blood-letting purging, diet▪ as other ways▪ according to the art of surgery: & that he compassed no other thing thereby▪ but to assuage in some sort the grief of her great sore, and of the other issues that were about it, and that sometimes he had shut them up for a day or twain, & yet that they afterwards opened again, by reason of the continual defluxions that descended thither: which sores yielded so great & terrible a stench, that often times it forced his wife to swoon. And that after this M●●tresse Martha was returned from Montaigu, he having hard that she was perfectly cured, was much amazed thereat: & thereupon would needs see & visit hersayd sores, & the places that were annoyed, & found that verily all the holes, issues, and sores were perfectly healed up▪ & that those parts where the flesh was eaten away & consumed, were filled up again with flesh, and made equal, and that only certain spots and scars remained afterwards. The which the said M. Peter Paulsonne (considering the greatness of the sore, together with the multitude of the running issues & their sudden cure) thought could never naturally or by any humane means be brought to ●a●, but only by the almighty hand of God. All which may be seen by the attestation of thesayd Magistrates, sealed with the seal of the said City of Bruxelles, & and subsigned P. Numan Secretary.   

An Admirable cure of a person bewitched, 
In Sept. 160●.  and sore grieved with the bloody floxe,  
Magdalen Pre●dh●mme widow of Baudec●on Alart, being about the age of threescore years, dwelling in the City of Bruxelles, by trade a seller of old garments, went together with her daughter at the time of harvest in the year 1593. to a certain village near to Louvain called Be●them, to reap corn, for that she understood that some profit was there to be made: and hereupon she there fell to travail amongst divers others. At which time it happened that a certain husbandman dwelling in that village▪ desired her to have an eye that none took any of his corn, which he had lying upon a piece of land thereby. But she having perceived that a woman of that village was so hardy as to take some of his corn, this Magdalen advertised him thereof: who going to the woman's house took away his corn thence by force, and in spite of her brought it home to his own house, although she was marvelously angry there with. The next day they being met again in the field, this woman rebuked the said Magdalen for that she had accused her, saying that she would pay her home for it. At night she returned to the village, and lodged near to the house of the foresaid woman, who came and presented her with a trencher full of fried Roman beans, saying that she had bin● in a great collar with her, for that she had accused her, but it▪ was now past and gone, & that she made no account thereof: and although this Magdalen had no great appetit to her beans, yet she received them, and did eat some f●w of them, and that night she ●e● a certain grudge of an ag●●, but that withheld her not from going the next day to labour in the field, as she was wont to do before: where after she had been for some short time, she was taken with a very great ache in her head, and she began so to whirl about her body, as if she had been out of her wits: in such sort, that at night of force she must be conducted to the village, by the assistance of an other woe man, where she was suddenly taken with a vehement & well-nigh continual flux: which when the inhabitants of the village had understood, they rebuked this Magdalen for lodging so near the said woman, for so much as she was reported to be a witch: whereof this Magdalen was not a little aston shed, & seeing that she was not able to work any longer, by reason of the grievousenes of her disease, she returned the next day fair and softly towards Bruxelles, where she endured continually her said malady: notwithstanding having a good hope that ●t would not long continued, she placed herself in the house of one of her acquaintance called Simon, dwelling near to the place of the Sablon in Bruxelles, there to have care of his house. But when th●● flux would not cease, she was constrained to departed from thence: which also in like manner happened unto her in divers other houses where she hired her logings to dwell in, & much a do she had to find any harbour, because every one abhorred to admit so fl●hie a creature into their houses, for that her disease continued long time without any intermission, although she had used many remedies, both by the advise of a certain Doctor of Physic, as also of an other expert surgeon, who was also very well seen in Physic, besides the counsels of very many other particular persons, who had administered unto her divers medicines, but all was in vain and to no purpose. She having now sustained this for divers years, having every night and day ordinarily thirty or forty stools, she became exceedingly weak and feeble, not knowing what counsel to take whereby to help herself: well at last she remembering that the woman of Berthem which had given her the beans was held for a witch, she therefore purposed to go unto her, that she might take away from her the enchantment (a thing wherein many now a days very easily permit themselves to be abused) but it was told her by those of the village, that not long after the same woman went from thence▪ and that some had understood that she was afterward by order of justice executed for sorcery. Afterwards it was reported, unto this Magdalen that near unto the town of Hall in Henault there dwelled a certain man which took upon him to help those that were be witched: where upon she went thither sometimes on foot, sometimes being carried, but he having visited & examined her, told her that her grief was incurable, and that she should continued in this sort all the rest of her life: counseling her notwithstanding to make some offering to our Lady at Hall and to wash her legs for some nine days with Aqua vitae, the which she did, without any aid or help thereby, her said flux enduring still night & day as before: whereby she became oftentimes so sick, that she was forced to go with crutches, & sometimes in her house she crept upon all four, and for a years space she voided in her stools clear blood. At length she was advised to seek unto a certain woman dwelling in Bruxelles, near unto the Court, who was skilful in administering certain herbs against sorcery. Who going and declaring unto her her necessity, the said woman gave her to drink certain spoonfuls of wine, with certain stamped herbs, and with this she returning to her lodging, and coming here to the Cloister of the Capuchins, where she dwelled at that time, she felt herself very ill and (be it spoken with reverence) she cast forth by way of vomiting eight little beasts, like unto mice new littered, having tails & very little hair on their backs, & being alive. And a day or two after she took again of the former herbs, but then she voided nothing at all. Having at the third time received again the foresaid drink, she cast out two little beasts like unto fishes which live in the water and are called miller's thumbs & withal three or four things like other fishes, and finally a great worm like a little snake. After she was delivered of this filth, she found herself a little eased about her heart, but her flux never ceased either by night or by day so that (be it spoken with reverence) she voided her meat even in such sort as she did eat it, without any digestion thereof at all: and so soon as she had eaten or drunk any thing were it never so little▪ she was incontinently forced by siege to void it. In such wise, that she was constrained to swath herself as women are wont to do their little children, that she might gain her living by working in the houses of some of her acquaintance, because the former passion never ceased or stayed. And thus she continued with the said flux three or four years after she had cast out of her body those things before mentioned, without applying any other remedy, for well she found that she could not any ways be cured. At the last, in the year 1603. after this flux had continued well-nigh ten years, she was advised by some of her friends to make a pilgrimage to our Lady at Montaigu, in hope that there peradventure she might recover her health, seeing that many others were at the same place miraculously cured. The which she determined to do. But having understood that the wife of Gerard Monck trumpetour to the most gracious Archduke Albertus and the said Gerard's sister (who were of her acquaintance) intended to go thither, she resolved to stay till they were returned home again, that she might the better understand by them the manner of the way and divers other circumstances. They be●ing returned this Magdalen went forth with to see them, and whereas the trumpeters sister had brought home with her some of the wood of the oak, in the which in times past the Image of our Lady was placed, she gave her a little piece thereof; counseling her to put it in water, and to drink it in honour of our Lady, & there withal to put her confidence in God. But Magdalen taking the wood, went presently to the Church called the Chapel of our Lady, which was not far from thence, and these putting herself upon he knees before the altar of the Virgin Marie, she began to gnaw and eat the foresaid piece of wood, devoutly beseeching the Mother of God that she would obtain for her her health, and so soon as she had swallowed it, she found herself much eased, feeling in her body a certain heavy gross matter to descend from her stomach down to the left side of her belly. In that Church she continued in prayer till she had heard one mass, and a part of an other, at which time she perceived that her former passion ceased, being never after troubled with her accustomed flux, but only that she felt the thing that sunk down into her belly to be hard, and as great as the two fists of a man, whereby being very much comforted, she went too 〈…〉 h to advertis the trompeter wy●e he●●of, declaring unto her how she ●e ●●hers●●f abettered. And hereupon a day or ●●o after she made herself ready to g 〈…〉 Pilgrimage to Montaigue, together with Derick vander Sc●urē burges of thesare C●●e of Brussels, with his wife, & a young maid, and with Benedicta Henarick wy●e unto Hugh Noisei: and thus departing together from Bruxelles, upon the eve of S Mat●ew in Septembre, in the foresaid year ●●● 3. they went and lodged that night at ●●nain, the said Magdalen feeling nothing of her former passion: and the next day they went forwards all on foot to 〈…〉, and the more she went the better she ●●lt herself: but being now come n●●● t●e mountain, at a place where the g 〈…〉 á death, Magdalen began to feel such v●h●mēt gripings in her belly, as though she ●●d been in the travail of chyldbirth, in s●ch sort that she was constrained to stay behind▪ letting the others go on, and no body remaining with her but her own daughter, and the wife of the aforesaid Derick, and through the vehemency of the pain holding up herself with her hands against a tree, she was delivered as it were by way of chyldbirth of a skin or bladder as great as an ordinary pint pot, and it passed from her with a kind of noise or sound: the which bladder was full of filthy matter, mixed with yellow, green, blue, and black, as they beheld it, thrusting and breaking it with their feet and staves, where wi●h they travailed. After that she was delivered of this burden, she felt herself mcontinently much cased and comforted, inso much that she ran after the rest of her company, who were now gone a good way before. They being all now come to the chapel of our Lady, they prayed there a good while, and after they had ended their devotions, they returned themselves same day on foot, & came to a place which was but one half mile distant from Louvain: insomuch as the said Magdalen had gone some ten duitch miles that day, without any pain or hindrance at all by her former flux: and the next day returned to Bruxelles, where ever sithence she hath continued in as good health and disposit on of her body as ever she was in all he● life, and so she is even at this present. And all th●s she hath affirmed under her solemn oath (being diligently examined thereof) before the Magistrates of the aforesaid city of Bruxelles on the ●yght of April 1604. and upon the twelfth of the same month the aforesaid Derick vander Schuren and his wife made their appearance before thesayd magistrates, who in like manner under their oaths declared and testined, that some nine or ten years before they knew the said Magdalen, and that they always held and esteemed her, and have hard that others also have reputed her for an honest woman, and one worthy to be credited: and that in the time of her former malady she had often complained unto them that she was bewitched, and that she had cast up the mice and little fishes, and other such trash as before hath been declared. Moreover they said, that they knew how for some eight or ten years she was continually afflicted with the flux: during which time they had seen her often times very sick & weak, & that the colour of herface was very yellow & ugly to behold. And the wife of this Derick declared that this Magdalen had made the voyage to our Ladies at Montaigu in her company, in the company of her husband, & others before mentioned, and she well remembered, that at such time as they approached near the Mountain about the place where the gibbet stands, she complained of a pain which she felt in her belly, and that she voided in the same place a certain thing which she would have showed unto her gossip, but she regarded it nothing, saying that it was some ordure not worth the looking on, and so going towards the Mountain, she well perceived that after she had been discharged of the foresaid filth she walked on very merrily, and seemed more strong and in better disposition of her body, than before: returning on foot the same day that they departed from Louvain, to a place within half a mile of thesame City: & that ever since she hath remained in very good health. All which is to be seen by a public act made thereof under the seal of the said City, of Brussels, and subsigned P. Numan.   

Of a lame man that was cured.  
john Gyles dwelling at Myanoie, in the 
In Sept. ●●●●.  county of Namures, being about threescore years of age, wa● suddenly taken with a great malady in the month of May 1602. wherewith he became so impotent that he could move neither his arms nor legs, feet nor hands: and continued thus keeping his bed for the space of three mon●ths and an half: but afterwards being somewhat recovered, he went a whole year (though with great difficulty) upon crutches. In which time he hard talk of the miracles which were done at Montaigu: whereupon he was moved to make a vow to go thither, and there to visit our Lady, and to pray for his health: after which vow thus made, he began to feel more strength in 
The feast of this Saint is vp●● the fi●st d●y of October.  his legs & arms then before. And about the feast of. S. Remigius in the year 1603. he went to Montaigu, whether when he was come, having ha●d a mass in our Lady's Chapel, and finished his other devotions, he found his legs & arms perfectly cured, and all his body in so good disposition and order that there he left his cr●rches, and returned whole to his own house without any aid or help, never feeling after that time any grief: in so much as at this present he is able to go six or seven dui●che miles every day. All which the said john Gyles affirmed & avouched on the xuj th'. of june in the year 1604. in the presence of C. Re●y Notary resident at Namures, and Master Gyles B●s●●● canon and Archpriest of Namu●es, and M. john G●●soulle witnesses, according to an instrument compiled thereof, dated and signed as above.   

How a Religious woman that was two and forty years lame was cured.  
Mistress Catharin Tserraerts' daughter 
In Oct. 160●.  unto Sir Anthony Tserraerts, Lord of Hadoght, and of the Lady Anne de Ba●le●court his wife, now Professed amongst the Religious women in the monastery of the white Ladies in Louvain, was lame of her left leg even from her infancy: the which leg was five or six inches or an hand-bredth shorter than the other: her ●uklebone was not in the right place but rather towards her back, and made there such a buntch that one might well perceive it through her clotheses, the knee of that leg was crooked and pressed inwardly against her right thigh, in so much that she could not separate the one leg from the other: moreover in regard of the shortness of the said left leg she was constrained to wear a pantofle or shoe underlaid under the heel with corck some ●iue or six inches h●ghe, and for all this it came not to the ground, but she went still upon her toes, as one might easily perceive by the upper leather of her shoe that was full of wrinkles. And of this all her kinsfolks and friends can bear witness, who have seen her in this sort, as also james Ma●ck Sho●maker, who fitted her with shoes. Yea further more all the Religious of the foresaid convent of the white Ladies amongst whom she was professed full seventeen years, as she also was scholar amongst them, when she was but eight years old. To help this accident her parents laboured and spent much, while she was in her tender age, in so much as they made her we are ●o▪ a long time together upon her fl●●● a pe●ce of armour covered with clothe or canvas, that by this mean they might make her hanche return into the proper place which grew backwards as hath ●●●n said, and this they did while s●e dwelled in the house of M Maximili●● 〈◊〉 ●●quyre, and Burgomaster of the City o● B●●xell●s: unto which place her parents caused a certain famous surgeon to come from Hare●tales, who endeavoured to help her, and by stretching out her body with certain kind of instruments made for that purpose, thought to put her joints in their right places. But when they saw that this profited her nothing▪ they permitted her to go● for divers years without any shoe underlaid, or without any other help, h●●ing that in time by forcing herself to go, and by setting all her whole foot on the ground, her left leg would be stretched forth longer, and become equa●l to the other. But this did no more he●p her then the former remedies, for this ●a●●ari● remained lame, and in the same case as she was before▪ Having afterwards a desire to employ herself in the service of God in some order of Religion, and being for this end presented by her parents to certain Religious women of the whit ladies, in the town of H●y in the country of ●●ege, they refused to admit her, for that they saw her so lame, which also happened unto her at the Cloister of Cortenberge as the Lady Magdalen de Ni●elle Abbess of the same place confessed, when she afterwards hard talk of the said Mistress Catharin. Notwithstanding all this, some years afterwards she persevering in this her good purpose became religious in the foresaid convent of the white Ladies in L●●●in on the xv. of October in the year 1585., where she first lived whilst she was but a little one as before hath been said. Having now been in this Cloister for the space of xvij. years, and still so l●me that she could not go one foot, no● stad upright, no● yet so much as step out of her bed without her shoe that was underlaid, (which she was constrained to use again a good while before) and this her accident was very painful unto her, especially when she was to stand for any ●ong space in the quire, and she could never kneel but only on her right knee, as all the Religious there did avouch: & that ordinarily they were forced to put a step or p●ece of wood under her left knee to make it equal with the other. But having hard talk of the great miracles which our Lord wrought by the invocation of his holy Mother at Montaigu, unto which place all the world went in pilgrimage, and many received help and aid in their infirmities and necessities, she also began to have a desire to go thither, and to prove if peradventure it pleased God to heal and cure her: but she could not obtain leave of her superior, who thought it no way expedient for her. Notwithstanding she continued in her former devotion, hoping (that if she should not be cured of her halting) she should at leastwise obtain some spiritual profit for the salvation of her soul: and hereupon she ceased not now and then to renew her suit, and to request her leave that she might make the said voyage, & namely she entreated the Reverend Father in God M. james Iansoni●s Doctor of divinity and Superior or superintendant of that Cloister, who ●iking not the s●●d Re●ig●ous woman's request, ende●oured to persuade her to ho●d herself content, and to bear patiently for the love of God this her infirmity, and that this would be a cause of her greater humility & more merit. Upon which reason she remained quiet and contented. But whereas the Prince Marquis of Hauregh was come to Louvain upon the xxvij th'. of September in the year 1603. and intended to go to salute our Lady at Montaigu this maid Mistress Catharin ●ser●a●rtes laboured so much by the intercession of some of her friends that the said Lord Marques obtained her licence of the said jansonius, that she might go & perform her desired devotion in the aforesaid Mountain, and hereupon Mistress Anne de wamel procuratrix of the said Convent was appointed to accompany her, with whom and with some other Pilgrims she departed from Louvain by wagon towards our Ladies, and they arrived there upon the xxviij th'. of the said month of September, and upon the xxixth in the morning she did her devotions in the chapel, whether also the said Lord Marquis came from Diest, where he had lodged that night, and he entreated the said two Religious women to go unto Diest with him, which they did, and there were lodged in the Cloister called Mariendale and two days after (to wit upon the tuesday and weddensday) they returned again in company of the said Lord Marquis to do their devotions at Montaigu, the said Lord being in coach, by reason of his indisposition, and the Religious with him in regard also of her accident, but all the rest of his household and company went on foot, with their prayers and spiritual songs, and other such like devices inciting to devotion. Some of this company and amongst others the said Religious put themselves in the state of grace, & received the holy Communion in our Lady's chapel, and did other their particular devotions. Upon weddensday in the morning whilst the holy service of the mass was saying in Montaigu, the said Mistress Catharin began to feel a certain pain near unto her left ear, the which begun to pass through all her body even from her head down to her lame leg, but she knowing not what this should mean, nor yet much regarding it, she made her prayers to our Lord, more for the good of the Country, and the weal of her soul, then for the healing of her leg, except it pleased God to increase his glory thereby. And on the same weddensday (being the first of October in the foresaid year 1603) she returned to Louvain in the company o● thesayd Lord Marquis and being entered the Convent (for it was now late) having given the good-night to her superior she retired herself to her chamber there to repose her: but as she went up the stairs, she felt that her shoe which was underlaid did so hinder her that she could not well go therewith▪ in such sort that being in her chamber, she put it of her foot, and withal she perceived that without any help of her shoe she was able to stand vp●ight upon her legs, and to walk along her chamber, feeling a marckable stretching and plucking within her hip, and throughout all her left leg: whereat she being much amazed, and praising God for this his favour and the Glorious Virgin who had prayed for her health (as she now felt by her own experience) she settled herself to her prayers, intending to persever therein all that night: but being somewhat weary, both through her journey as also for that sleep came upon her, after she had said some devotions she betook herself to her rest. Upon the next morning rising out of her bed, she found herself so well, and in such sort altered, that she needed no longer her shoe that was underlaid, but walked upright in the Convent only with a pair of pantofles, finding no more difficulty in setting both her feet on the ground, the aforesaid stretching from her hip unto her leg still continuing notwithstanding that at that time the bunch of the said hip (which was behind her and out of the right place) was very much lower and lessened.  
The Lord Marquis being advertised of this miracle, sent some of his household and divers others who had gone with her on this voyage to visit her, who all found this admirable change in her person, seeing her now upon the second of Octo●er to walk with much ease, without any high shoe or other support. Whereupon the said Lor● Marquis (being marvelously glad of the gr●ce which our lord had wrought in this Religious) obtained leave to car●ie her with him to Bruxelles, there to show her to the most gracious Infante of Spai●ne D●ches of Bra●ant our Princess: which soon after he performed; having moreover caused 
This blessed ●●cr●ment is miraculous as well for the▪ ●an●er thereof, as for the miracles it works of schich miracle a Ch●n● of that Church▪ ha●h lately published ● book.  a solemn Mass to be sung before the holy Sacrament of miracle in the said City of Br●xeles, in way of thanksgiving for this so notable a benefit. At which time her leg much n●ēded, waxed greater, & increased in strength: insomuch as the bunch before mentioned became altogether even & equal, her leg turned right, & her heel stretched to the due proportion, in su●h sort that she could walk without any le●t, or stand upright, or separate her legs as she thought good, and set herself down equally upon both her knees, the which she was never able to do in two and forty years that is, in all her life before: as the said Religious woman (who was ever reported to have been a virtuous ma●d, and o●e that ●●a●ed God) declared all these particularities to divers persons, as well gentlewomen ●● others, which had been with her at this voyage, & there kept her company, who hard it from her own mouth. And whereas the Lord Mat●ias Hou●●s Archbishop of M●●●i● was at that time in Bruxelles, & had known the said religious from her youth, and had often seen her lame, h● caused her to come before him upon the fourth of October, that he might understand the manner of this alteration even from her own mouth: and then in his presence and upon her profession she declared in substance all that which we have already said: and at that very time that she was before the said Lord Archbishop, she felt her leg to stretch and pull with a forcible interior working: walking in a chamber in his presence with out any shoe that was underlaid, & setting both her heels equally upon the ground, as appeareth by her deposition, written by the hand of the said Lord Archbishop, & subscribed by herself. And for more assurance of all this, the aforesaid Doctor jansenius caused all the religious women of the Con●ent of the white Dames in Lo●●ine to be assembled together upon the ●V th' of October, in the foresaid year 1603 & examined punctually the said mistri● Cathar●● 〈…〉 'tis in their presence, touching the 〈…〉ing of her leg, unto whom she answered the very self same that we have here set down: all the said religious women avouching that they had seen her ●●me as we have said, all the time that ●he had dwelled in their Convent, & she now walked without any underlaid shoe, and that far better than ever she did, as she then showed very effectually, walking in their presence along th● chamber, upon shoes of equal height, & not underlaid, so that none can see that she any ways bendeth her body by halting ●owards the left leg (as before she was ●oun● to do) although as she herself declared, she feeleth sometimes the aforesaid operation and inward moving, & that very lively, as appeareth by the attestation of the said Ia●so●i●s, bearing date as above.   

How a maid was cured of an incurable accident.  
MAgdal●●●●● Horen a maid of one & fifty years old, dwelling at Br●xelles; in the year 1600. upon a certain day by stretching her body so over strained herself, that she was inwardly hurt very grievously, and there hanged out of her body a piece of flesh as big (so far as she could judge it) as ones fist, in such sort that she was constrained to we are a truss or band made purposely to ho●d i● in. Together with this she had a vehement continual pain, which sometimes so afflicted her, that she could scarce go, or so much as sit. Physicians call this kind of evil Prociden●ia vt●r● and they esteem it incurable, or at leastwyse yery hard to be cu●ed. Thy she endured about some three years, until the month of October in the year 1603. But as people spoke much of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marie, she was moved thereby to go thither, in hope and confidence that the blessed Mother of God would pray for her: & so she went by waggon to Montaigu in the foresaid month of October, in the company of Mistress Agatha Reygers with whom she sometimes dwelled with Mistress Margares de Morade Mistress joane jacops & some others▪ and being come to the said mountain not without great pain, that night they did in the same place their devotions, and having lodged afterwards in Sichen, the next morning they went on foot to the Chapel of out Lady, where again they prayed, hard mass, & comunicated, at which very time the said Magdalen received so great ease and amendment, that she found herself delivered of her old pains and griefs, & altogether altered, in somuch as being returned to Bruxelles she could go and walk whether soever she pleased without any impediment or grief, and without any band or truss, feeling the said piece of flesh to be wholly retired within her body. Upon the xviijth of November in the same year 1603 she went again unto Montaigu, with an other company, there to tender thancks to God and his holy mother, and offered up there one of her bands which she was accustomed to wear, and although in this last journey she had gone five duitche miles on foot, yet for all that she felt no pain or appearance of her former grief, being whole & sound as she is at this present. All the aforesaid things this Magdalen declared and avouched solemnly under her oath, before the Magistrates of Bruxelles upon the nine and twentieth of March in the year 1604. Upon which day the foresaid Mistress Agatha Reygers and Mistress Margarit de Merode making also their appearance before the said Magistrates, declared and affirmed that they knew very well that this Magdalen had endured this accident for three years space, or there about, & how that after she had made the first voyage to Montaigu she remained perfectly whole, & in good disposition of her body, which well they might perceive and know, forsomuch as the said Magdalen came often to their houses, because she had been servant unto Mistress Agatha, as hath been said. And upon the seventh of April following, Anne van Suick Beghine dwelling in Bruxelles, and there for xxv. years practising the art of surgery appeared before thesayd magistrates, who under the like oath, declared and assured that she had in cure this Magdalen, but she could not help her: showing moreover how at the same time (through the assistance of God) she had healed many wonderful diseases and accidents, but she held that (which this Magdalen had) hardly ever to be cured by any natural means or work of man. And all this that hath been said, is to be seen by an instrument and Act which passed before the Magistrates of Bruxelles as well upon the foresaid nine & twentieth of March, as upon the seventh of April 1604, subscribed P. Numan Secretary, and signed with the seal of the said City.   

How a certain man was cured of the falling evil.  
HEnry de Keersmakers a baker and citizen 
In the end of julie, ●t beginning of August 1603  of Louvain was attainted with the falling sickness, which he had endured about 4 years. It took him both in his house, as also in the Churches & streets to his great confusion and calamity. But understanding of the miracles which were done at Montaigu by the intercession of our Lady, he resolved about the feast of S. john in the year 1603. to go thither in Pilgrimage, with confidence that the Mother of God would assist him, & that she would obtain that his disease might be helped. About which time setting forwards barefoot on his way he did his devotions at the Chapel of our Lady, & the next day returning towards Louvain he felt himself somewhat eased, and to have recovered more strength than before, as he told them that were in his compagnie, with this amendment he continued for eight days without feeling his accustomed disease, but only some signs thereof, and a little stretching of his limbs. Eight days after he went thither again barefoot, and having made his prayers to our Lady as before, & being come home he found himself very free from his former passion. Whereupon eight days after he returned thither again the third time also barefoot, in company of some four or five others, amongst whom were two Religious men, Cordeliers of the said City of Louvain, but being come within two miles of thesayd Mon●a●g● he was taken again with a fit of his old disease, & that for the space of half an hour, but returning to himself, and being helped by the said Religious men, he was for some part of the way led to the Chapel of our Lady, where that evening he did his devotions, & remained for that night in the Mountain. The next day he returned again to his prayers in the Chapel, whether the foresaid Religious men (who had lodged in a Cloister of Cord●li●rs in▪ Diest) also came, and one of them said mass, beseeching our Lady for the health of this poor patient: and after the office was ended, he returned with some others towards Louvain very merry and pleasant, without any weariness in his travail, to the great wounderment of all those that were in his company. And after this third visitation which was now more than a year since, he was never taken or troubled with his malady, but he is become more healthy and in better disposition of his body, the never he was before, acknowledging that herein he hath received a singular benefit and favour of the Mother of God. And since his c●re he hath been four other times barefoot at M●●●aigu, there to tender thancks to our Lord and to the blessed Virgin.  
And ●l● this that hath here been said this Henry de Ke●r s●aker hath deposed and af●●med under his solemn oath, before the Magistrates of the City of Louvain upon the xxlijs th'. of October 1604. Upon which day appeared also M Laures Bo●s●m procurator, and Lewis vanden Vyvere grocer, both burgesses and inhabitants of the same City, who under the like oath affirmed and testified, that they had often frequented and kept company with theforesayd Henry, (and especially this Lewis who had dwelled some four or five years in a house just over against his) and thereby they knew very well that some years sithence this Henry was much troubled with the falling sickness, which took him sometimes sitting at table with them, sometimes in the Cloister of the jacobius, yea and sometimes in the very street as he went with them to gather alms for the said Religious jacobius, in somuch that to avoid peril & confusion, this office was taken from him. And how that after he had made the Pilgrimages to Mantaigu as hath been said, they neither saw or hard that for the space of a whole year he was ever taken with the said disease: whereat they themselves much marveled, seeing him so well and in so good health, as he was at that present. All which is manifest by the attestation of the said Magistrates, made thereof and dated as above, and sealed with the seal of Louvain signed R. le Prince Secretary.   

A miraculous cure of a certain grief and languishing disease.  
SIster Anne Laureys being threescore years old or there about, born in Bruxelles, and professed in the Convent of the Religious women called of the Annunciatae in Louvain. In the year 1584. why jest she sung in the quire with some other of her religious sisters who had very strong voices, and sung very high, forcing her voice to follow them in singing, felt that she had hurt and endamaged her head, having a pain therein so vehement and strong, that it seemed unto her as if her head had been cleft in twain: which pain daily increased: and beside she felt in her head a noise & continual sounding like a clock, which she endured for a long space, until the xxvjth of October in anno 1603. and so for the space of xviij. years: so that no day passed without great grief and pain, and for the most part she was constrained to absent herself from th● divine service and office with the other Religious, because she could not endure to hear them sing, not nor somuch as any words that might be spoken aloud, & when those of the Convent had their recreation, she was forced to get herself out of the company, because she might not be troubled with their voices, and ordinarily every night it was very long ere she could sett●● herself to sleep. To cure this grief the had used the counsels of many persons, and many remedies, without any profit at all. Finally having understood of the miracles that were wrought at Montaigu by inuocar●ng upon our Lady, she turned herself with all her heart unto her, hoping that by her intercession she might obtain help. And for so much as the Religious women of that Convent (according to their rule) never go out of their Monastery, they re-edified an old Chapel which was in their garden, and they placed therein an Image printed according to that of Montaigu, to the end in that place they might exercise their devotions, and do honour to the Mother of God because it was not lawful for them to go unto Montaigu. Unto this Chapel the said ●●ster Anne went upon three sundry days, instantly beseeching the Virgin Mart to procure her her health, with intention that she herself would have gone to the miraculous place, if it had been lawful. And upon the third day (being the xxvith of October 1603.) betwixt five and six of the clock at night, having ended her third Visitation, she felt herself much eased, and withal to be much in wardly comforted: and after compline having retired herself into her chamber, she rested that night very well, not hearing any noise or sounding in her head, and waking about eleven of the clock the same night, she found herself so well and healthy, and so free from her malady, that she went with the rest of the Religious to matines: and so continuing better and better, she never after felt any pain or trouble in her head, but enjoyed her perfect and entire health. All which here is said may be seen by the attestation of sister Clare Leyen her Superior, Sister Anne Splits the vicaresse of the said Convent, and by the oath of the said Sister Anne Laureys, made in the hands of the Reverend Father Anthony de Berga●g●● Confessor of the said Convent, upon the xx th'. of januarie 1604. and after that again upon the xvith of March in the same year, in the presence of the Magistrate's of the said city of Louvain, before whom also her Superior appeared, who in like manner declared and avouched that she knew right well how that the said Religious had the a foresaid passion and grief so long as hath been said, which partly she had seen & partly had hard of herself. And all this is conformable to the attestation of the said Magistrates, bearing date as above, and signed R. le Prince Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the same City.   

How a Religious woman of the order of S. Clare was suddenly healed of the palsy.  
SIster Anne de Br●y● daughter of john de Br●y●●●● Aelst, merchant & inhabitant 
In Oct. 1601.  of the city of Antwerp werp, in the street called Ki●●orp, was professed amongst religious ●omē in the Cloister of S. Clare in Antwerp commonly called of the poor Clarisses, in the year 1593. she being xxii. years of age, healthy and sound of all her limbs, going, serving, & labouring as the rest of the same Convent: but in the month of October in the year 1597. she was taken with a great disease, in such sort that twice they gave her the extreme unction and they did the recommendations of her soul in the quire, as is the custom to do unto Religious persons that are in dying. But having been somewhat recovered of this disease, she regained somuch strength that she could walk with the aid of a staff & by holding up herself against the wall, which continued for some six weeks or there about: but a little after this she was so taken with the palsy, and became so impotent, that she could neither go, kneel, or stand, and so remained for the space of six years, in the infirmary of the said Convent, having so lost the use of her limbs, that when any would remove her, they were constrained either to carry her, or to draw her, sometimes by one of the strongest of the Religious & sometimes by two of them, although she did also help herself with her staff. And it happened sometimes that her hands became so impotent, that they were constrained to feed her like a child and to put her meat into her mouth. In this six years space the poor patient used divers sorts of medicines, drink, chafings, baths, & other devices that were thought good against the palsy and impotency, and this, first by the assistance of M. William Peter's Doctor of Physic, etc. after his death, of M. God●rey V●●●●yk ● Physician of the City of A●●werp, as also of M. Cornelius van Velsen Sutgeon dwelling in the same place, yet never felt she any ●ase remedy or diminution of her evil. In somuch as the said Physician and surgeon judged her disease to be an overgrown & incurable impotency, so surceasing to apply any other thing unto her, as the said Doctor and Surgeon avouched solemnly under their oaths in the hande● of the Reverend the Vicar and Official of the diocese of Ant●erp, upon the fifth of Nouem●er in the year 1603. and under th● like o●he before the magistrates of the same City upon the fourth of December in the same year. This Religious woman therefore being destitute of all human aid and remedy, settled all her con●●dence in God: & having hard of the great miracles which our Lord daily wrought by the invocation of his holy Mother at Montaigu, she began to have a desire to sand some thither to visit our Lady for her, and to pray for her health if it were expedient for h●r soul.  
Whereupon she entreated her Superior Sister Co●nelia Gyll●s that she would ●end to Montaigu on● or two lay sisters to present her prayers & devotions to ou● Lady for her, the which thing was granted her, and so Sister Anne Groel●ns and Sister Elizabeth van I●me●zele were sent th●ther, and to them was delivered the staff wherewith the impotent pati●nt w●s wont ●o assist herself, & withal a piece of money to offer there in sign of h●r desure and intention to implore the aid of the Mother of God: and thus departing from Antwerp together with the Mother of Sister Anne Gro●●en●, vp●n a thursday being the 23th of October in the said year 1603. and passing by Bruxe●les and L●●●●n, they arrived at Montaigu upon Saturday, being the xxvth of the same ●●●●●●●: where they, performed their devotions and prayers for her health, as 〈◊〉 the said Sister An●e de Br●y● they wer● willed: which also they continued vpo● the Sunday and Moonday following. A● which time also the Religious of he● Convent at A●●werp say some prayers to that end. And upon the xxvii● th'. of the▪ same month (being SS. Simon and ●●●●● day) the said Sister A●ne awaking so●● after four of the clock in the morning and finding herself in her accustomed impotency much sorrowed thereat, notwithstanding she resigned herself to the mercy of God, neither was she yet out of hope of the recovery of her health. ●eeing in these conceits suddenly she had a desyte to rise out of her bed, and to go● to the quire to give thancks unto God; and although she felt no strength ●o her body yet notwithstanding she ●ook a staff which stood hard by her bed endeavouring therewith to raise herself, and being fair and softly come out of her bed, and standing on her feet, she began to feel some strength in her legs: whereupon leaving her staff, & signing herself with the sign of the cross, wi●● ● great confi●●●●● which ●he had in the corious Virgin Marie she began to walk alone, and being come into the midst o● her chamber wh●ch ●t that time was in the ●nf●●marie, she felt a certain ●●●ning ●n her head, in such sort that she thought she should ha●e fallen to the ground▪ but calling upon the name of God to grant her force & strength, she went forward till she came to an other chamber hard by, whe●e upon the great comfort & joy w●●ch then sh● conceived, s●e cast herself thrice upon her knees, to yield thancks unto God, and by little & little being come into the quire, she kneeled down before the Blessed Sacrament, where she prayed & said T● Deum. From thence she went into the dormitory, and awaking the Mother Abbess or Superior, she told her that she was cured, whereat the Superior much me●●ailing commanded her to go forthwith to the quire, whether afterwards she came with all her other Relig●ou● and there veelded thancks to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his holy Mother, beginning 〈◊〉 the a foresaid song Te Deum, at 〈◊〉 ●yme the said ●ister Anne de B●uy● 〈◊〉 & upright in her seat as well as the rest, having also been but a little before for a long time on her knees before the Blessed Sacrament, and the altar of our Lady: which she was never able to have done for six years before. After this the said sister Anne walked alone freely, without staff or other stay throughout all the Monastery. Upon the very self same day came to these Clarisses' Father john Pell●●s Cordelier, their Confessor, who found thi● sister Anne in good health, and walking without any thing to help or support her, where at he was much amazed, and thancked the Almighty for this his mercy: saying some prayers to the same purpose, and incontinently the same sister Anne came down without any help to the confession seat, to which place she could not go for seven years before: but either her confessor was forced to go unto the infirmary (where she remained continually) to hear her confessions, or otherwise they must carry or draw her to the grate or confession seat. After she had confessed, the said Father john Pelle●s after mass administered unto her the blessed Sacrament of the altar, in way of thanks giving: for the receiving whereof she put herself on her knees without any difficulty, arose, did reverence, and departed thence, without any to help her: and that so reddely as if she had never been sick. Upon the XXXth of the same month of October the two Religious that were sent to Montaigu returned again to Antwerp, where they found the said sister Anne whole and in good health, as she is even unto this day, to the great admiration of all those which before had seen her, & especially of the Citizens & inhabitants of Antwerp, who in great number came to the Monastery to see and understand the mercy which it pleased our Lord to show to this Religious woman, by the invocation of his holy Mother, thanking and praising him for the same. And all this which we have here set down was solemnly examined, avouched, and wittnessed under their oaths, first before M. john del Rio priest, Archdeacon and Cannon of the Collegial Church of our Lady in Antwerp, being the Vicar general and Official of the Diocese there, and afterward again before M. john vander E●●t Eschevin, and M. Dionis vander Neese● Secretary of the said City, appointed i● commission for this purpose by the Magistrates, according to a resolution and decree of the second of December in the said year 1603. subsigned 1 vanden Kieb●o●, where all was verified under the oaths of every one, so far as might touch them, and according to their knowledge: to wit, by the foresaid sister Cornil a Gy●● Mother Abbess of the Convent, Brother john Pelle●s the Confessor, Brother Anthony de Paut●ghen his assistant, sister Agnes Rey●s keeper of the infirmatie, who had the care of the said sick person for a long time: the said sister Anne de Bruyn, sister Anne Gro●l●●●, sister Elizabeth van Immerzele, who went in pilgrimage for her: and M. Godfrey Verreykr● physician of the same City, M. Cor●●l●●s van Velsen, and john Watri●x Surgeons, who had assisted this impotent Religion▪ woman during her malady, and for many years had laboured to help & cu●e her. In like manner john de Bruyn van Ael●●, Father of the said sister Anne, and Mistress Sa●a vander Wield her Mother in law, who had divers times visited and frequented the said Religious woman, in the time of her infirmity and palsy, who on the next day after the feast of SS. Sy●●●● & I●d, found her whole & cured, against all man's hope: as is manifest by their oaths as before hath been specified.   

How a Religious woman was cured of the canker.  
SIster Margarit vanden Perre born in Antwerp 
In Oct. 1601.  and there professed a lay sister in the Cloister of the third order of S. Francis, being thirty years old, had the canker in her breasts, for the space of four months, as divers Physicians and Surgeons judged, who had her in cure: to wit, two men, and two women, and yet she could not find any help for all their labour: yea on the contrary her evil waxed daily greater and worse: in such sort that all those that visited her said plainly that it was incurable, for that the patiented had her breasts as hard as a stone, reddish, bluish, and so ugly that it was a grievous thing to behold them. Her right pap was swollen even unto her armepit and from thence her grief passed unto her back, where it seemed that it would have burst out. Under the other pap was a great swelling, and out of her nipples issued sometimes a certain kind of matter, sometimes very blood, and so it did sometimes also out of her ears. Thus the poor Religious woman was so full of pain, and in so miserable an estate, that for a whole years space before her cure she was not able to do any manner of work, neither could she lie, but was constrained to sleep sitting, & that with very great pain: and sometimes one of her arms became so stiff that she could not lift it to her head. And to be healed of this accident she repaired to a skilful woman called Magdalen, dwelling in the Brestraet in the said City of Antwerp: who for the space of some six months took in hand to cure her, applying certain plasters of herbs unto her: but when in steed of helping her she became worse, she left that cunning woman, and used a certain plaster which a famous Surgeon dwelling the town of Harentals called M. Peter, had prescribed her, who also helping her nothing thereby, & perceiving herself to be past all hope to be cured, she left him also. Afterwards an old Portuguez Surgeon, called Vento Rodriguez counselled her to make an issue in her arm, to draw out thereby the humour of the canker: but all was in vain, and to no profit at all. After that again she applied divers remedies which some of her neighbours & friends taught her, but without any further success. After a certain time she permitted that her breasts might be visited by an elderlie maid, who exercised herself in surgery called Anne Cammarts, alias A●●c●●●x: who having visited her twice or thrice, and perceiving that her disease was incurable: she gave her no other coum sell, but that she should take a purgation twice or thrice every year: which she tried for once or twice, but durst not proceed therein, in regard of an other accident which she had, to wit, a rapture, which also she had sustained for the space of viii years. At the last she showed her impediment again to an other cunning woman called Gertrude Munters, who found that the canker was not only in both her breasts, but that it had passed even unto her back, where also she felt a great hardness: and this woman did nothing else to her but rub her back with a certain kind of ointment, which she could hardly endure, causing her to apply unto her breasts certain places of lead, and fair lin●en, counseling her furthermore to tamper with no more physic, but to commend all unto God, for so much as there was no other way to help her. And in this manner this Religious woman was abandoned and forsaken of all humane help, every one foretelling her that visited her that e●e long she should come to that misery that would be most lamentable for any to behold. In this time so vehement and excessive great were the pains which this Religious woman ●nd ●red, that often times she consumed whole nights in tears and lamenting.  
But some three months after having understood that Sister Ann●d B●urn, the Cla●●sse was miraculousely cured by the invocation of our Lady of Montaigu, she turned herself with all her ha●t towards our lady, beseeching the mother or superior of the Convent that she might make a voyage to Montaigu, to recommend there her health unto the Mother of God.  
Which was granted her, upon the fourth day of November in the year 1603: & from the very time that she had obtained her said leave, she began to feel some ease in herself. And upon the next day she departed from An●werp, together with Sister Marie Clements, guardian of the sick, who had assisted her during the time of her malady. They having passed by Bruxelles & arrived at Lo●ain the patiented being not able to endure the shoggig of the wagon, went from Louvain unto Montaigu on ●oot. Whether when they were come, they did their devotions that very day in the Chapel of our Lady. The next day (being the ninth of the aforesaid month) they hard three masse●, at the first mass the said patiented was very weak & sick, but having received the blessed Sacrament of the altar she began to feel in herself a notable ease, as well in regard of her disease of the canker as of her rapture, and at the third mass she found herself perfectly whole: for it seemed unto her that she felt a hand stroking over her & therewith to wipe away all her pain. And from that time feeling herself perfectly whole, she gave thancks to God, & to his most holy Mother, leaving in the Chapel the lead and clothes which she used before. And thus returned with her company to Antwerp whole and sound. And being come home, the said sister Marie 〈◊〉 visited her breasts, & fosid them perfectly cured and in good order: where as before they were so miserable and deformed, that none could behold them without horror: finding also that the end of her teat was closed up, & that there was no hardness in all her bosom but a very little in her left pap, which within three or four days after was gone and ceased.  
So that since, the time of this visitation she remained q●yre delivered and free of the cocker, as also of her rapture, which she had endured for eight years space, as hath been said: and so she settled herself to labour and travail again with the other Religious in the said Cloister, as before she was accustomed. Some days after her return she was visited again as well by the aforesaid An●e Cammarts, as also by Gertrude Man●ers, both expert in forgery as we have said, who to their great admiration found the said Religious intyrely and perfectly cured, as well in her breasts, as in her arme-pitts & back, without any appearance or sign of any hardness, or of any other disease, but that she was whole, and very well in all her body. All this here set down was affirmed and verified by their solemn oaths, made in the hands of the aforesaid Vicar of Antwerp, upon the xxj. of November 1603, and upon the iiij. of December in the same year. The like solemn attestation was made thereof before these commissaries: M. john vander Noot Eschevin, & M. Denis vander N●esen secretary of the said City, by these persons here named: to wit, by Sister joane de Herde Mother ●r Superior of thesaud Convent, by the forenamed Sister Marga●●t vander Perre, Sister Marie Clemens, mistress or guardian of the infirmary, Sister Hester de Mompere, & Sister Marie Perez, all Religious women of the same Convent: who at sundry times had assisted this Sister Marga●●t, and had seen her diseases, who also knew her repture, whereof together with her canker she was healed, as hath binsayd. Also the aforesaid An●e Camm●erts alias Abacucx & Ge●●●le Man●ers affirmed the same under their oaths: who in times past had care of the said Religious woman, and had visited her breasts, both before & after her said cure, as is manifest by an instrument framed thereof, and dated as above.   

The curing of a sore which was sisteen years old.  
IOane Rut● the widow of Io●n St●obant, 
in Nou. 1603.  of about fifty years of age, dwelling in the lordship of Campenhout in th● Maierdome of the City of B●●xell●s. In the year 1589. got an accident in her left leg, upon the ankle of her soot, whereupon grew a sore or issue as great in compass as ones h●nd, and a finger or more in length: wherein she felt such vehement & continual pain, that she could neither by night or day take any rest: and she was very often fully minded to have cut of that leg, b●●ing forced for the most part to keep her bed, or to sit in a chair, being not able to go in any manner, except it were sometimes with two crutches, or which a staff, or else creeping on all four upon the ground. And although she had applied divers remedies, yet could she receive no ease, and her cuil was accounted incurable. But in the year 1603. havig hard of the miracles which o●r Lord did work by the invocation of his ho●y Mother at Montaigu the said joane made a vow to go thither in pilgrimage: and whereas through her great pain, debility, & weakn● she was not able to go, it happened that a certain person moved with compassion of her estate, carried her in a wagon unto Montaigu, in the month of October in the aforesaid year 1603. Where being in the Chapel of our Lady she did there her devotions, with firm hope and confidence to be cured: and returuing hom● carried with her some of the water which is behind the chapel in the said Mountain, the which (that it might last the longer) thee mixed with r●uer water, and she daily washed and made clean her l●g there with, whereby incontinently she perceived a great alteration and e●se in her sore, and without applying any th●ng else thereunto it healed up of itself, and with●n few months was perfectly whole, in ●uch sort that at this present she goeth & walketh lustily whethersoever she pleaseth, not feeling any pain or grief▪ being now able to go three or four duitche miles at a time, whereas before (though she might thereby have gained all the world) she was not able to go one mile. And in thankfulness for this benefit, the said joane went an other time in Pilgrimage to Montaigu, within the Octaves of the Assumption of our Lady, in this year 1604. and this she performed on foot, and went thither on one day, and returned on the next, without any impediment by her former accident. As the said joane declared & avouched all these things under her oath, solemnly given before the chief Maier and Eschevines of the said Lordship of Campenh●ut, upon the nynteenth of October in the said year 1604, according to their attestation given thereof, & sealed with the seal of the said Lordship, and subsigned R. Hermans Secretary.   

How a Child being broken was cured.  
FRancis Addiers of four years and an 
It Nou. 1603.  half old, the son of Francis Addiers, & of Annevanden Winckele his wife dwelling in Bruxelles, was broken on the left side of his belly, & this happened him when he was but six weeks old, so that from that time they made him wear a truss, because the said rapture appeared of the bigness of a turkeys egg, & never kept in, but when they put on his truss: & often times it was seen in his secret parts, whereby he endured great pain, especially twice or thrice every month at the change of the moon. And although his mother had applied divers medicines both by the advise of some surgeons as of others, yet she nothing prevailed.  
But having heard the fame of Montaigu, & of the miracles that were there wrought by the invocation of our Lady, she resolved to carry thither her child, and there to pray unto our Lady for his health, which she performed about the midst of October, in the year 1603, & remained there for three days, praying daily in the said Chapel: & after the third day she perceived that her chylds' disease was much amended. Whereupon she left there his truss in memory thereof: and being come home she perceived that his rapture appeared again but after that time her child was perfectly cured, so that since the said pilgrimage he never needed either truss or any other remedy, being much altered in his body, so that he became fatter & stronger, going, running, & playing, as other children of his age are wont to do, not feeling any pain or impediment by the said drupture: which things his mother solemnly affirmed under her oath, in the presence of the Magistrates of Bruxelles, upon the eleventh of December, in the said year 1603. Upon which day also Arnold Addiers under burgemaister of the said city declared and affirmed under the like oath before the said Magistrates, that he had seen the said child thus broken, when he was but six weeks old, as hath been said: and that he had made inquiry after all sorts of remedies to cure him, if it had been possible, and yet nothing would help, so that the surgeons were of opinion that the child was to be cut, whereunto neither he nor any of his kinsfolks and friends would agreed, showing more over that he knew right well how that the said A●●● vanden Winkele his daughter in law went with the said child to visit our Lady a● Montaigu, and how that after her return the said child was found to be cured, as now he is. And all this is manifest by the attestation of the Magistrates, subsigned P. Numan, and sealed with the scale of the same City.   

A sudden cure of a laguishing disease:  
SIster Michielle Blyleven, daughter of M. 
In No●. 1603.  Thomas Blyleven Sergeant Ma●or of the City of Louvain, professed Religious of the Convent of the Annunciata in the said City, in the year 1603 fell into a great disease, which lasted for the space of six months, together which a perpetual pensiveness at her heart, and a shortness of breath; which was so great that she lost all her strength, being so feeble & faint, that six or seven times every day the swear issued violently out of every part of her body, & the tears out of her eyes; and for two whole months she was not able to go in any sort, but as she was led by some one of the Religious, at which time she so lost her appetite, that she would receive no meat, but upon force and her superiors commandment. In such sort, that she was forced to use the counsel first of Doctor Vilerius, and afterwards continually of Doctor Fienus both professors of Physic in the University of Louvain. But for all that they had prescribed her receipts at divers times, yet she found no profit or ease thereby. Whereupon having now for two months space left all use of Physic, she determined to go and pray three times at the Chapel which they had accommodated in their garden, in the honour of our lady, and in memory of the miracles which by her intercession were wrought at Montaigu: with a desire to have done the same in the place itself if it might have been permitted her. Going therefore to the said Chapel, with great pain & labour, upon a saturday being the xv th'. of November in the said year 1603: & having there done her devotion, she began to feel a great ease and alteration in her body, recovering a notable force & ableness in herself, in so much that on the same day she did read the matins of our Lady on her knees, which for five months before she was not able to do. On the night following she being in the quire with the rest of the religious, & reading her hours, at the very instant that matins was ended by the song of Salue Regina, the said Sister Michielle felt as it were a hand upon her shoulder which seemed to have pressed her down, & this was in so evident a manner that she felt & perfectly discerned the very fingers; whereby she started, & looked back to see the person that touched her. After Matins she went to repose her, and rising again in the morning she found herself marvelously amended, & so strong, that immediately after, she went to the Church to be present at divine service with the rest of the Religious, with whom she sung so loud & lively that they were greatly astonished thereat, not knowing what voice it was that sounded so shrill. And from that time afterwards she hath remained healthy, & in good plight, singing and assisting at the ordinary observances as the other Religious: who avouch and testify, that they never saw her so strong & in so good liking as she hath been since the time above mentioned. And the Superior and Vicaresse of the said Convent have given attestation & certified under their seals, that all this is true that hath been here related. Likewise the said religious hath also affirmed the same in the hands of the Reverend Father Antony de Bergaigne their ghostly father, upon the twentieth of januarte 1604, and after that again in the presence of the Magistrates of the said City of Louvain upon the xuj. of March in the said year 1604. Upon which day also the said Superior Sister Clare van Leyden appearing before the same Magistrates, declared that she knew very well that the said Religious was so long time sick, and in the aforesaid plight, as having seen it partly with her own eyes, and partly having understood somuch from the said Religious herself, as it is to be seen by the attestation subsigned R. the Prince Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the same City.   

The cure of a rapture.  
FRancis de Alarcon one of the house hold 
In Nou. 1603.  of the most gracious Archdukes Albert and Isabel Dukes of Brabant our Princes, happened to be inwardly broken in managing & conducting a froward and stubborn horse, & the rapture came forth as big as one's fist, who having endured this evil with much pain for three years and an half, & having used divers remedies, by bands, trusses, as other wise, yet without any profit: at last he went in pilgrimage to our Ladies at Montaigu, where having prayed a while in the Chapel, he found himself perfectly freed and healed of his Rupture: inso much as be left of his band or truss which he had worn before, as appeareth by his attestation given under his own seal.   

How a wench that had the palsy, and was deprived of her wits was healed.  
ANgela wouters daughter of Elizabeth 
In No●. 1603.  van Herp the wife of Mathias Le●teens cooper, dwelling in the old Corne-market in the City of Antwerp, about thirteen years old, was in the month of September 1603. attained with a certain kind of Apoplexy, especially in her arms, and in her right side and leg, with so great a stretching and trembling that she could not go, & at certain times she became dumb, in such sort that none could understand her when she indcuoured to speak. At last she wholly lost her speech besides this, she was deprived of her wits, & became so weak, that she could not apparel herself, not nor so much as put her meat into her mouth. Her parents caused Master Bennet Rutten sworn Doctor of physic for the City of Antwerp to be sent for, who visiting the maid, let her blood in the foot, and afterwards gave her a purge, for he was of opinion that her malady proceeded of some interior motion, which Physicians call Motus con●ulsi●●▪ which take their beginning of some venomous m●●ter gathered in the brain: but after he had visited her twice or thrice, he let her parents sufficiently to understand that he had little hope of her recovery, counseling them to ma 〈…〉 some pilgrimage 〈◊〉 to ●se some other kind of devotion wi●● their child, & to call upon the help o● God for her. Which when her parents had heard they resolved that one of them should go with her to Montaigu, there to salute the Virgin Marie and this was to be performed so soon as the winter was passed. But upon the xxj. of November (being the feast of the Presentation of our Lady) the said Mathias rising in the morning▪ advertised his wife of the feast, and counselled her to go with her daughter to our Lady's Church in the said City of Ant●erp, to hear mass, and to pray there for her health: which she did, and after she had heard mass she bought a wax taper, commanding her daughter to light it, & to set it on the candlestick which standeth before our Lady's altar, which she did with the hand that had the palsy, assisting and lifting it up with the other hand, her mother beseeching God to help her, and the blessed Virgin to pray for her health, exhorting her daughter to call upon the Mother o● God, that she would vouchsafe to pray for her: and immediately the said candle (although it was very well lighted) went out of itself. Being the second time lighted, out it went again, as it happened also 〈…〉 third time, yet she caused it still to b 〈…〉 〈…〉ed again, & that the maid by her 〈…〉 should put it on the foresaid candlestick, persuading herself that it would be a thing right pleasing to the Virgin Marie that the child herself should offer up the candle unto her. This done, home she returneth with her daughter, finding for all this no alteration that day in the maid: but the wench arising the next day (being the two and twentieth of the said month) early in the morning, down she cometh all appareled, whereat her Mother was much abashed, and inquired of her who had appareled her: & when she had heard her answer that she alone had done it, and on the other part seeing her daughter to go so perfectly well, she began to thank God and his holy Mother for it, being singularly glad to see in her this alteration. And from that day still afterwards the said wench remained whole and sound, going, speaking, and performing all her bodily functions as well as ever she had done before: Where as during her foresaid disease she was never able to put on her clotheses, to walk, to speak, or to do any kind of work, but she sat always trembling, and drawing in her limbs, and sometimes for the space of three days together a great quantity of frothy spittle ran continually out of her mouth. And the aforesaid M. Bennet Rutten coming some certain days after to visit the maid, found her sudda 〈…〉 healed as hath been said. And all that 〈…〉 been here related is to be seen by th●m formation taken hereof upon the fifteenth as also upon the last of December, in the said year 1603. by M. john vander Noot esquire and Eschevin, and Master Denis vander Neesen Secretary of the said city of Antwerp, appointed by Magistrates in commission for this matter. Who upon these things examined under their solemn oaths the said Mathias Lesteens her Father in law, and Elizabeth van Herp her Mother, the aforesaid Doctor Master Bennet Rutten, and with these Father Michael van Ophoven licentiate in Divinity, and Religious in the Cloister of the jacobins in the same place, who was kinsman to the child, and had also seen her first sick, and afterwards miraculously cured.   

The cure of a Rupture.  
Master Balthasar ●an Rossum esquire, 
●●●ou. 1603.  sometimes colonel of a 〈…〉ent of Allemen in the king or S 〈…〉 ● service, being of the age of eight ●●● fifty, in the year 1597. as he was in the City of Luxemburg he found himself burst on the left side, the which accident he caused to be visited by divers surgeons', both in the said City of Luxemburg, as also afterwards in the City of Do●ay, who judged it to be a very Hernia or Rupture: and after he had used divers helps and remedies, at last he was constrained to wear a truss fitted for the purpose, not knowing any other wa● whereby, to he●p himself. But in the year 1603. ha●ing heard of the miracles of our la●ie at Montaig● he made a secret promise to go thither in pilgrimage, and to pray for his health, with good hope to find there some help and favour. And he accomplished this his devout voyage thrice, about the month of September in the foresaid year, and after a while one day in Bruxell●s taking of his truss which he used to wear, he found himself perfectly healed, never having any feeling thereof afterwards, verily assuring himself that he had obtained the said cure, only by the favour of God which he had found in thesayd pilgrimage: for so he declared and avouched the ●ame under his so●●ne oath upon the xth of julie, in the hands of M. john Briex Notary in the City of Bruges, and in the presence of Andrew Vermeulen, and George the son of George Modan witnesses: as appeareth by a public instrument dispatched hereof, dated and signed as above, together with subscriptiō of the said van R●ssum, with his own hand.   

How a Religious woman was suddenly cured of a strange and incurable disease.  
SIster Barbara de Berges, the daughter of 
I● D●●● 1●03  M. Gerard de Berges in his lyfe-tyme Physician of Antwerp, being six and thirty years old, made her profession in Religion in the Cloister called of the sick levers in the said City, where she was taken with a grievous malady, which forced her to keep her bed continually for the space of six years and three months. Of this her disease no man could give any judgement what it should be, some saying as mamely D. Ema●●el G●mez Portuguese (after that he had applied unto her many remedies) that it was an inward canker. Others as M Bennet Rutten sworn Physician of the said City, that it was Melancholia hypochondriaca, proceeding from the spleen & left side, accompanied with divers other accidents and infirmities, as the beating of the heart, & a certain kind of anguish which took her so often as any person touched her body, though never so little: and this with such a fainting and feebleness, that it seemed that death itself would immediately have ensued thereof. In somuch that they could not passed twice or thrice in a year take her out of her bed: and yet every time she would fall into such qualms & fayntings that they thought she would have died, and at one time amongst others being taken out of her bed, and laid upon an other on the ground, until such time as her own was made ready, she became so feeble by this touching and removing her, that they were forced to let her so lie on the ground for fifteen days continually before she could return again to herself. Whereof many were witnesses, as hereafter shallbe set down: and amongst the rest the Reverend. M. Gosu●n Ba●son Cannon of our Ladies in An●werp, & other Religious women who had assisted in that time of her swooning. And although she became very cold lying in this manner on the ground, yet she could not endure that any should apply any hot napkins or clotheses to warm her body, for than would she fall again into her former swooning and faynting, that every one looked for nothing else but that she should die. Yea, which is more, if any did but only touch the bed wherein she did lie, or so much as the curtains, she took such an apprehension thereof, that she swooned incontinently, and for this cause, they removed her out of her bed but twice or thrice in a year, as we have declared.  
And the Religious women that attended her were constrained to put good store of thorns round about the pillars of her bed to the end that none might touch it whereby the patient might not fall into her strange swoon. And it is to be noted, that for the space of s●● month; before she was healed she had never been out of her bed and she could never sit upright therein, either to eat or drink, or to do any thing else: moreover the sinews of her left leg were so shrunk up that it was shorter by a foot then the other. Again for these six years this poor religious person had used the counsel and help of many Physicians, and had tried many medicines, receipts, and remedies, which rather made her worse then better: in so much as the Physicians plainly affirmed that they knew not how to help her. Some sour years before she was cured they made her an issue, and they thrust a great read hot pack needle through the skin of her left side, drawing through the same a cord made of silk, the which (for the space of three months) they drew daily up and down to make a way, through the which the bad humours might pass: and although hereby she suffered much pain, yet it profited her nothing at all: yea she rather felt herself woors then before. Now this Religious seeing there was no hope in man, she armed herself with patience the best she could, and she had for some years before upon devotion determined that when she had thus lain seven years, she would either visit or 'cause some to visit our Lady of Hanswyck in the city of Maclin, in hope by way of prayer to obtain her health. But in the mean while having heard of the great miracles w●●ch were wrought at Montaigu by the invocation of the glorious Virgin Marie, she had a great desire to visit that place, and she beseeched God to afford her so much strength that she might be carried thither. In the mean time sister A●●e va● Calst●r Superior of that Convent having compassion of the desolate poor creature promised her, that she herself would go and visit our Lady at Montaigu for her, and that there she would pray for he● health: the which thing she fulfilled: and being returned home, she went to see the said Religious whom she found in the self same state, who told her Superior that she thought it good to go thither thrice & that she had beseeched our Lord that she herself might be the third person that should there visit our Lady. It happened not long after that the above named Cannon Batson (who divers times upon charity visited & comforted the patiented in her afflictions) had said mass in the said Convent: at which time he recommended her to God, and at that very time determined to make a pilgrimage unto Montaigu in her name, & there to pray for her health. After the mass was said he went unto the sick person, and declared unto her his intention: the which when she had heard, she was inwardly altered, and seemed to be exceedingly glad thereof, as the said M. Batson well perceived: whereby he felt himself the more incited to accomplish thesayd promise. Upon this resolution he departed from Antwerp with Sir Vulmar● Schetz Pastor of the said Convent, passing by boat on the river of Scaldis unto Willebrook, from thence they went on foot unto Montaigu, & in like manner returned back again on foot afterwards. Being at Montaigu upon the third of December, in the said year 1603. which was the eve of S. Barbara, they both calebrated mass in the Chapel of our Lady, and prayed unto almighty God by the intercession of his holy Mother to vouchsafe to restore this poor and miserable Religious woman to her health. Upon the self same day that the holy sacrifice was there offered for her, the said Religious woman being in Antwerp in her bed felt herself to be much amended, and to have obtained a new strength, and immediately afterwards she felt so great pain in her body, that she fell into an ague. The next day (being the feast of S. Barbara) at eleven of the clock about noon she began again to feel her strength much to increase, and she spoke to the Sister that kept her that she would reach unto her her hand, which when she had taken, she raised up herself by herself, upon her feet upon her bed: whereat the sister being much astonished cried out for fear, and the said Religious fell down heavily again upon her bed, not sustaining for all this any alteration or faintness hereby, whereas before she was wont to fall into swooning and that almost to death, when any did so much as but touch her, yea although it were never so softly, as hath been said. And the said sister Barbara de Berges remained all that day in her bed, although she thought that after dinner she was strong enough to walk up and down her chamber. But upon the next day following which was friday & the fifth of the aforesaid month of December, she craved to have her apparel delivered unto her, which was given her, and she put it on alone by herself without any to help her, beginning first with her left arm, on which side all her disease had been, which arm none might touch before, no more than any other part of her body without the danger of falling into her accustomed faintenes: and so having appareled herself she came cheerfully out of her bed: and signing herself with the sign of the cross, down she cast herself upon her knees, & lifting up her eyes to heaven, she gave thancks to our Lord and said: Praise be to the O Mari●. Which when the other Religious women saw who were in the chamber with her, they powered out tears of joy: and Sister Michielle de Bergu●s the natural Sister of the said Barbara fell into a swoon, upon tender affection & astonishment which she had conceived. After this the said Sister sat her down in a chair by the fire for an hour or two, where as before she could not endure any fire, not not so much as that her clotheses should be warmed. Sitting thus before the fire she said that she fe●t such a force & strength in her bones and makow, from her head down to her feet, as if some had powered somewhat from above upon her, & she began to walk all alone about the chamber. Whereupon the religious women who were there present sang Te Deum in way of thancks giving, and after that the Hymn A●● Mar●s stella, the said patiented enjoying the health and good disposition of her body going & walking up and down whether so ever she pleased recovering also her appetite which so long time before she had lost, in so much that forthwith she dranck a good draft of wine, and some other sustenance she also received, and that with a very good stomach, whereas in times past she had no desire to her meat, and she could not so much as swallow down a little wine although it were drop after drop without great pain and difficulty. And upon the same friday at night came home from Montaigu the said master Batson, and the Pastor, and coming into the said religious woman's chamber, they found her sitting before the fire, who arose incontinently of herself and gave them the welcome home, showing unto them how that all her accidents and diseases were perfectly cured. And so became daily more strong, and in better plight: in such sort, that upon the next day she heard three masses, with the rest of the Convent, at the which she assisted for the most part upon her knees. Some two or three days after the feast of S. Barbara the a foresaid Doctor M. Benedict Rutten was sent for by the Convent, to visit the said religious woman, whom he found whole and strong, going up and down the monastery without any crutch, staff, or any humane help. And all this that hath been here said was verified & solemnly avouched before Master john vander N●●● Esquire and Eschevin, and master Denis vander N●●s●n Secretary of the said City of Antwerp appointed in commission by the Magistrates for this matter as hath been said, according to the information taken hereof, & put in writing: and this by divers persons of good: credit, who at divers times had visited and assisted the said patiented in her grievous malady, and afterwards found her thus suddenly cured: to wit, the said Sister Anne van Cal●●●re Superior, the said Master Gosuin Ba●son Cannon, & Master W●mare Schetz Pastor, the said Sister Barbara de Bergues the said Doctor Benedict Rutten, and Sister Michielle de Bergues upon the last of December, in the said year 1603. And this same religious was afterwards in very good and perfect health of body upon the last of May in the year 1604, being visited by him that hath written these things and in the month of julie she personally went in pilgrimage to our Ladies at Montaigu, as she herself had before prayed our Lord, and verily trusted that she should be the third that was to go thither in pilgrimage for herself: a thing to all the world very strange and wonderful.   

A long deafness cured.  
DAme Adrian de Goux de wedergraet 
In De●. 1603.  Prioress of the Cloister of Shert●gi●●en dale or valley of the Duchess at O●●●rgem near to the City of Bruxelles: some thirtie-eight years ago became deaf or both her ears, in such sort that she could not hear when the Riligious did sing, yea although they did all sing together in her presence, hearing nothing but a certain little sound as if it had been a far of, and the like was of the sound of the bells of the said Convent. Besides this▪ she had an exceeding continual pain in the top of her head, with a certain noise in her ears, as if it had been of a water-mill. And although she had applied divers remedies, as well by the advise of Physicians, as of others, yet she received no benefit by them: but that sometimes after she had used these medicines, and receipts, she felt herself a little amended, the which lasted for some one, two, or three months, but she fell again incontinently in to her accustomed deafness and thus passing many years therewith, she abandoned all physic, wholly resigning herself to the will of God. But at last understanding of the miracles of Montaigu she purposed to sand some thither to our Lady in pilgrimage: and about the feast of S. Remigius in the year 1603, she sent thither M. john wa●lart a religious man, and A●●onet Hazard her maid, with an alms, & she sent thither afterwards the said A●tonet alone. The which pilgrimages being ended, it happened upon the first Sunday of Advent that the said Dame Adrian having been that night at Matins with the other religious women: & returned thence to take her rest, she began to dream, and being betwixt sleeping and waking it seemed unto her that she saw before her an image of our Lady, the which opening her eyes she beheld: at which sight at the beginning she was affrayed, but taking courage she beseeched the glorious Virgin Marry that she would vouchsate to pray for the cure of her deafness: and forthwith the said Image stretched forth the hand, and touched her upon the temples and eyes, saying unto her certain words: whereof she hath as yet perfect memory. And so vanishing away, upon the next day, thesayd Prioress perceived that she begun to hear better than before, and afterwards by little and little within the space of seven or eight days s●e perfectly recovered her hearing: in so much as at this present she not only heareth the sound of the bells, or the song of the religious, but she can perfectly and distinctly hear what any speaketh, as well as any other, not having the former pains or noise in her head. As the said dame Prioress hath testified & avouched all this that here hath been said under her own seal, & the seal of her Convent, as also under their seals the like hath been done by Father john M●lemans Confessor, Sister Marie vander Linden Subprioresse, Sister Elizabeth Houture, Sister Marie Beck, Sister Elizabeth du Terne, and Sister Annevan Di●ue all religious women of this Convent: who have seen and noted the said dame Prioress, to have had the aforesaid deafness, and now to enjoy her perfect hearing, according to an instrument framed thereof, subsigned & sealed as above, upon the xxuj of May 1604.   

How a lamce wench was cured.  
IOhn Nyemegens apothecary dwelling in 
In D●●● 1603.  the Keestrate in the City of Ant●werp, had a daughter called Margarit about thirteme years of age, who from the time that she was six woneths old had a lame foot, in such sort that her right leg was shorter than the other by a good hand breadth; whereupon they were constrained to underlay her shoe, and make it higher, & for all this she went with great pain upon her toes, for that her heel could not rest upon her shoe, as appeared to the commissaries according to the information which they received thereof. This wench having heard what was reported of the miracles which by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Mother of God were wrought at Montaigu, she never ceased to entreat her Father to permit her to go thither upon devotion: but her Father telling her if she desired to be cured, that thereby she might be more pleasing & acceptable to the world, that then infallibly her prayers would never be granted. She answered him that she intended no such thing, but rather that her intention was good and holy: and thereupon he yielded unto her that she might go that voyage, sending with her an ancient maid servant, called Anne van Poyer: and they both departed together from Antony's 〈…〉 erp upon the xxv● th'. of November 1603. & arrived at Diest upon the xxviij th'. and then upon the next day being the xxix th'. they went to Montaigu, where they remained two days: to win the xxxth of the said month of November, and the first of December: lying one night at Montaigu and the other night at Sic●●●: daily performing their devotions at the Chapel of our Lady: & upon the third day at the end of the second mass which they hard, the said Margari● perceived that her foot was amended, telling the foresaid servant, that she thought she could go well enough without her high shoe, and thereupon she began to stand upon her feet, and to walk upright. And being returned from thence to Diest they bought her an other pair of shoes of equal height, which she put on, and she perceived that her legs were now become equal, and the one as long as the other. And thus upon the fifth of the said month of December they returned to Antwerp, the said Margarit being delivered from her accustomed halting, now, walking on both her feet with shoes of equal height, because her legs were be come of equal length. All which was verified & avouched under their solemn oaths, both by the aforesaid john Nyemegens, and by Marie Vermeulen his wife, as also by the said Anne van Poyer, philip's vanden Brook and john de Ram Almoner of the said City and neighbour unto thesayd john Nyemegens, before the aforesaid M. john vander Noo● Esquire and Eschevin, and Master Denis vander Neesen Secretary of the said City of Antwerp, put in commission about this affair: all which above named persons knew this wench to have been lame even from her infancy, and to have been miraculously cured as hath been said: as in like manner thesayd Margarit Nyemegens declared the same in the presence of the former persons, conformable to an information taken thereof upon the xii th'. of the said month of December 1603.   

The sore eyes of a Child suddenly cured.  
ELizabeth Verbiest daughter of Peter Vertuest Sopemaker dwelling in the City 
In Dec. 1603.  of Antwerp upon the Zant, and of Mari● Speeka●rs his wife, being seven years old, about Christmas in the year 1603. had an accident in her eyes for the space of five or six days, her eyes being very read and inflamed, in so much that she could not endure the daylight nor any other light, and through the pain thereof she could rest neither by day or by night, & one of her eyes was swollen as big as a great nut, and although her parents ceased not to apply divers remedies to them, yet no amendment ensued thereby. It happened that on a certain day the chyldes' mother met with one la●● Go●arts the wife of john Bertells a bleacher of linen cloth, dwelling in Antwerp, & talking with her of the said accident, thesayd la●e gave unto her a little piece of the Oak of our Lady of Montaigu to use it against the aforesaid disease.  
Which the said mother receiving, putting her hope in the help of the Virgin Marie she steeped the said wood in a little rose-water mixed with rain water, and a little holy water, and with this water she washed one morning her daughter's eyes, who the next night rested very well, not feeling any pain at all, and upon the day following in the morning, she awaked as perfectly whole and cured as ever she was before the foresaid disease had happened unto her: in so much that she went to the school the very self same day, feeling afterwards no manner of grief in her eyes. As her father and mother avouched the same under their oaths before the Magistrates of the City of Antwerp, upon the ninth of March in the year 1604▪ according to an act framed thereof, and subsigned Ʋander Neesen Secretary of the said City.   

The cure of a sore that was five and twenty years old.  
ANthonie vande● Velde keeper and officer 
In D●●. 1●03  of the forest of So●gne: dwelling in the village of Terhulp three duitch miles ●●om Bruxdles was attainted with a quartain ague in the year 1575. which continued about three or four years, whereby he became so weak and lean that he was but only skin and bones, Moreover his left leg became so great that he was not able to walk thereon: and this having continued long, and finding no help although he had applied many things thereunto by the adui●e and counsel of some apothecary's & others, upon a day as he went unto a certain surgeon in hope to be helped by him, who intending to give some ease to the patiented, with a corrisive medicine made a little hole in the said leg, whereby some water and moisture began to issue out of the same, but nothing else: and after a while sundry other issues began to grow in divers parts thereof, sometimes on the one side sometime on the other side of that which was made by the barber. In somuch that in short time all these issues gathering into one, they made a sore of the greatness & compass of an egg: and this upon the shin above the ankle, being very read, and burning ho●e, and so full of corruption that many thought the very bone had perished and decayed. And as the patiented endured intolerable pain, he caused divers other remedies to be applied thereunto, but all in vain and to no purpose. He also went in pilgrimage to divers devout places, and yet obtained he no ease at all thereby. At the last in the year 1603. in the month of December, in the beginning of Aduent having heard some talk of the miracles which by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marie were wrought at Montaigu, the said Anthony much desired to get some piece of the wood of the Oak wherein the miraculous picture had wont to have been set: and having by the means of a certain friend obtained a piece, & withal a silver medal of our Lady of the same place, he put them both into cold water, and there with he washed his sore for the space of nine days, adding some few prayers unto God, and to the glorious Virgin Marie. And from the very time that he began to wash his leg, he perceived that the sore (which he sustained for fyve-and-twentie years together, with much pain weakness and extenuation of his body) began to close up, and every day to become lesser and lesser, in such sort that when the nine days were expired, it was quite shut up and healed, and since that time, he hath remained in good plight, not feeling therein any swelling or pain, declaring that from that time he hath found his body in good disposition and health, that he seemeth to himself to have become younger than he was before. All which that here hath been said he avouched under his solemn oath before the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles, upon the xxj th'. of October 1604. And upon the same day appeared also before the said Magistrates Mistress Gertrude Ianotea● wife of Wrbert Valle, dwelling at the Inn called du Ken●ebutin in the same City, and with her Bertr and vanden Velde brother and Anthonette Baston wife of the said Anthony vanden Velde, who under the like oaths affirmed that they had often seen the said sore, the which was very foul and ugly to behold: to wit, the said Mistress Gertrude some eight years ago, and thesayd Anthonette ever since it first began. As also they had seen the same sore after he had washed it, and they had found it whole and cured as hath been said: as also at that very time the said Anthony showed it to the magistrates themselves, who found it to be entire and whole, according to their attestation made hereof, sealed with the seal of the said City, and signed P. Numan Secretary, and dated as above.   

The punishment of a soldier that determined to hinder the Pilgrimage of Montaigu.  
IT will not be from the purpose to declare 
●n Dec. 1603.  in this place, how that a certain soldier of the gheusoes and rebels of Holland had determined one day with twelve other companions to swim over the river of Demere, & so to come and kill such Pilgrims as went towards our Lady of Montaigu, and there withal to rob the jewels & donaries that were offered there. And for this purpose they had fitted themselves with certain suits of canvas, that they might be the sooner dry. But meaning first to undertake some other exploit with these his mates, he was wounded through both his legs by an harquebus, in such sort that his determination was dashed. As he himself (acknowledging his bad intention) declared the same to a certain person of good credit, whose name we here conceal for that he liveth amongst the enemies. And to say nothing whether this aught to be esteemed for a miracle or not, yet is it worthy the consideration, to see God his evident providence in this matter.   

How a lame woman was cured.  
CAtharin Mos●ier wife of john baily dwelling in the town of A●h in the 
In Dec. 1●0●  country of Henaul●, being in childbed, was taken with a certain disease which caused in her the palsy, & stretching of her sin●wes on her left side, whereby she became altogether lame, and when she walked it was with great pain.  
Whereupon her husband resolved to go in pilgrimage for her to our Lady at Monta●gu, to obtain there of our lady his wives health. The Same voyage being made and his devotion ended, the said woman was perfectly cured of her halting and lameness, as it appeareth by the attestation of the Magistrates of thesayd town of A●● dated upon the last of December 1603. signed 1 le Merchier, and sealed with the seal of the same town.   

How a possessed person was delu●●red by wood of the Oak of our Laedie.  
CAthari● de Bus daughter of the late 
In ●●●. 1604.  john de Bus dwelling in the City of Li●le in the County of Flatters, in the year 1602. being sixteme years of age or thereabout was found to have been possessed of the devil, who by divers sleights trumperies and promises had deceived & circumvented her: insomuch that she could be scarce a quarter of an hour in peace, without being seized upon vexed and troubled by the enemy: which made her speak (to the purpose) divers sorts of languages, as Hebrew, Greek and Latin: as master Michiel le Candle Pastor of the Parish of S. Saviour in the City of Lille, & Master Silvester Devis priest of the same Church solemnly avouched, as having heard and exorcized the said patient. Who besides the speaking of these strange languages, did in fury things above all natural and humane force: so that it was necessary to have five or six men to hold her: who notwithstanding were much troubled to keep and hold her down. For when they came near unto her with the Blessed Sacrament of the altar she wrythed & wrested herself strangely, both with her legs, arms, and back, as with her neck and head, with a terrible countenance, gnashing of her teeth, and grisly drawing of her mouth. The parents & friends of this wench laboured so much that she was divers times exorcized, sometimes by certain fathers of the order of the Capuchins, sometimes by other Priests, unto whom the wicked spirits answered in divers languages, confessing at that time that they were seven in number, they spoke divers injurious and scandalous things, & told the faults of divers that were present. So that one day while this Catharin was exorcized in a Chapel of our Lady built in the honour of the house of our Lady of Lor●tto (which wa● after the ●east of All Saints in the year 1603) there was a report in the City of Lille that the town of Ostend (which as then was kept by the rebels of Holland, and assieged by the army of our Princes) was surrendered: the enemy was so bold as to say by the mouth of the wench that it was not true, & that they should see so much ereit were long, and that those that had bruited it abroad were certain thieves that came from robbing the Cibo●re of the Blessed Sacrament in the town of Newport the which they had as yet in their bag, and that the great master 
A 〈◊〉 for church robbers.  compelled them to say so much to accuse their sin. Which was afterwards found true. For upon the self same day two soldiers Suissers were cast into prison in the said City of Lille, who had blazed abroad the report of the aforesaid rendering of Ostend and the said Cibo●r was found amongst them, the which they had stolen out of Newport, whether afterwards they were carried, & there put to death by order of justice The priests continuing the said exorcisines, after some four months the patiented was delivered of one of those wicked spirits, and after a while successively again of other three, giving four evident signs of their departure, by breaking or cracking divers pa●es of the glass window's as otherwise. Having first and before they departed thrown out at the mouth of the patiented sometimes brimstone, sometimes pings in great number, a bowed piece of silver of five sous, and a great nail of the length of ones hand. After that again thesayd exorcisines were continued by thesayd Sir Silvester Denis, both by the entreaty of the wenches parents, as also by the commandment of the Lord Bishop of Tournay, and in the space of two months by the ordinary exorcisms of the Catholic Church two other of the enemies were cast out: & a month or five weeks after, again on other▪ And although now seven wicked fiends (according to the number which they themselves had discovered) were departed, yet the said Sir Silvester perceived that the enemy had lied, and that the said wench was not yet cured. Wherhfore he ceased not to continued the exorcisms until the beginning of the year 1604, within the octaves of the Epiphan●● of our lord: when on a time the said Sir Silvester exorcizing the patiented in the presence of a great multitude of people: the devil began to cry out; and speak to one that was there present these words. Art thou there also? I know well enough from whence thou comest; and what thou hast brought with thee: thou art one of them that hath been visiting Ma●te of Montaigu. It was true that the parents and friends of the said wench had made a vow to go in Pilgrimage to our Lady at Montaigu to pray there for her cure. At these words the people began to look about them, who he should be of whom the enemy had spoken, & there was found a man that was come from Montaigu, and had brought with him a piece of the Oak of our Lady. Whereupon Sir Silvester took the said piece; and made the patiented to eat it, and immediately after she had swallowed it, the enemy (who called himself Ho●illi●, Ch●que●, and Clinq●art) showed himself in her throat, crying out that he scorched and burned, because of the wood which was eaten: & he added▪ that he was compelled to departed, and that there remained in her as yet three: & being demannded by the exorcist by whose merit and intercession he was to departed? The wicked fiend answered; of Mar●● of Montaigu. And afterwards being demanded what sign he would give of his departure? He said: he would burst a glass of the Church window. And immediately after, two of them departed with the said sign of bursting the glass, & the third saying that he was the last of ten, cried out (in going forth) with a loud voice. V●●e N. Dame de Montaigu, qui nous faict sortir. Honour be to our Lady of Montaigu, who maketh us to departed. He being compelled to speak these words (as with reason we may presume) by 
M●●. 1. M●●●. 3. Luc 4. 〈◊〉. ●●.  the majesty & sovereign power of God; even as we have in the Gospel, that the devils in their departing gave testimony that our Lord jesus Christ was the son of God. And in going he plucked out a great nail that was fastened deep in the wall, the which he threw against the window, but yet touched it not.  
And from that day afterwards the said Catharin remained whole and perfectly free from the possession and vexation of the enemy: enjoying all her limbs and senses as freely as ever she did before. And about the beginning of May the said Catharin accompanied with the said Sir Silvester Denis and Peter du ●rieu her uncle went towards Montaigu, where she remained for nine days, going to confession and communion and daily visiting the Chapel of our Lady, yielding thancks to God, and to his holy Mother for the mercy which she had received. And all this that hath here been said is manifest both by the deposition and attestation of the said Catharin, of the said Sir Silvester & Peter du Trieu made under their oaths before the Pastor of Sichen, Master Anthony de Bouckhout Maier, and Sir Bartholomew Thichon Chaplain of our Ladies: as also by an other attestation made and passed under the oaths of the said persons, and with them of Sir Michael le Candle, and Marie du Bus wife of the aforesaid Peter, before the Magistrates of the City of Lille, upon the first of june, in the said year 1604. according to a writing composed hereof, dated as above, sealed with the great seal of the said City and signed P. Mout●n.   

How a Child that was burst was afterwards cured.  
GErard van Omel wyk-maister of the 
In May 1604.  City of Antwerp, and Susan Wagemaker, hi● wife, had in the year 1903. a child called Lew●s, who from the time that he was sour months old was found to be burst, insomuch as his Parents were constrained to bind him with a truss fitted for this purpose: because the rapture came forth oftentimes as big as a great ball, which put the child to much pain, and his parents to great sorrow. At last about the end of April, or in the beginning of May, in the year 1604 the said Susan resolved to go in pilgrimage with he▪ child to our Lady of Montaigu, to pray there for his cure: which she performed at the same tyme. But being ●n the City of Louvain, and ready to departed thence to Montaigu, there came tiding▪ that the troops of the muteners were not far from Diest, and Tillemont, committing there many outrages and insolences. Whereupon some dissuaded her to go any further as she did not, but stayed at the said City of Louvain. And so perceiving that she could not accomplish her pious intention at Montaigu, went with her child to S Peter's Church in the said City, and there she caused a mass to be said at our Lady's altar in the honour of God, and this she did in am of her desired pilgrimage: which mass she did hear devoutly, praying for her chyldes' health. This done she departed thence, and returned home to Antwerp, where after a day or twain taking from the chylds' body his truss, she found him perfectly healed: insomuch that she never needed to bind him therewith afterwards, for so much (I say) as the child remained in perfect health, as being entirely cured. As this Gerard and his wife testified and declared under their solemn oaths, before the Magistrates of Antwerp on the thirteenth of October in the said year 1604. on which day like w●●e appeared M. Francis van Maldere ●urgeon, dwelling in the same city, who under the like oath affi●me● that he had seen the said child, and that he knew him to have been burst, and how that at this present he is perfectly healed, for the assurance whereof he had visited & searched him. Likewise Cathar●● briars widow of one Simon Maes appeared there, who avouched that she had often seen & visited the said child whilst he was burst, and made for him certain trusses, and how she findeth him now healed: as manifestly may be seen by the information that was iuridically taken hereof, & subsigned D vander Ne●sen secretary of the said City, and dated as above.   

How a blind man recovered his sight.  
ANthony de Gro●●e born at Eyckeren near to the city of Antwerp, being 
●n May. 1603.  nine and twenty years old, in the year 1597. in lent, had a great defluction of a catharre which fell down upon his right eve being then a soldier under Captain Bourer in the fort of Dam●rugge, nee●e to the said city. Whereupon he withdrew h●mself to an hospital in Antwerp to be there healed and assisted: in which place they applied unto him divers remedies, & amongst others, he had ●nyssue made him in the nape of the neck, the which he did bear for six week, but he profited nothing thereby: yea he lost quite the sight of that eye. About some two years after serving again as a soldier under captain Grysper●● in a fort near to calo by Antwerp, there happened him an other defluxion in his left eye, whereby he lost that eye within the space of eight days, in somuch as then he became sta●k blind, and thereby was forced to forsake his service, and to 'cause himself to be led to Antwerp, where having sold all that he had, he sustained his life very miserably, and at last he was brought to that extremity, that he had no other means whereby to live but by the charity and alms of good people: making himself to be led up & down the streets of the same City for many years. But having heard of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he resolved and made a vow to go thither, there to do honour to the glorious Virgin Marie, and to pray unto her that he might recover his sight, if it were for his soul's health. And thus afterwards upon the xxviijth of April in the year 1604. he departed in boat from Antwerp to the City of Macline, accompanied with a boy that did lead him, and with Vincent vanden Ho●t a lame man: and having continued at Macline until the first of May, they went together to Montaigu, and arrived there upon the next day after dinner, being Sunday the second of thesayd month. Upon that day they did their devotions at the Chapel of our Lady of Montaigu, and so upon the moonday, & tuesday following the said blind man still praying for his sight and washing twice every day his eyes with the water which is in the said mountain. Upon moonday he began to feel great pain, shootings, and prickings in his head, and especially about his eyes. Upon tuesday he went to confession to Sir Bartholomew Tichon chaplain of the said place, and received the blessed Sacrament of the altar: and after dinner upon the same day being the fourth of the said month of May, about the time of Salve while this Anthony was praying in the Chapel, and creeping upon all four about the altar, saying some prayers, he felt as if certain strings had been broken in his eyes, and therewithal he recovered his sight, being able a little after to mark and know every thing, and so became better and better: in so much that he could perfectly see and know all sorts of figures and colours, read, and discern pieces of money, and go whether soever he pleased, without any to lead him, even as he was wont before that he fell into the said blindness. The which the said Anthony declared and affirmed solemnly under his oath, before the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles (returning from Montaigu towards the City of Antwerp) upon the seventh of the same month of May, in this year 1604. Before whom also upon the same day appeared Vincent vanden Hout who under the like oath declared that for five years he had seen and known this blind man in the said City of Antwerp: and how with him he had made the voyage to Montaigu, where he had miraculously recovered his sight, as thesayd Vincent had seen, having been near to him in the said Chapel of our Lady. All conformable to an act of the said Magistrates composed thereof, and dates upon the seventh of May 1604 signed P. Numan, and sealed with the seal of thesayd City. And upon the xiijth of the said month this Anthony de Groo●e being called into the full assembly of the Magistrates of the city of Antwerp, and examined concerning his cure, declared under his solemn oath all that he had sworn before the magistrates of Bruxelles adding moreover, that at what time he began first to see in the Chapel of our Lady, every thing did seem unto him to be of a yellow colour, which notwithstanding passed quickly away, and immediately after he enjoyed his perfect sight. Upon the same day appeared before the Magistrates of Antwerp R●miold of Mansdale Lord of O●sterlans, who under the like oath declared that for many years ago he had known this Anthoni●, as having sometimes been his servant, and that he knew right well that for five years or thereabout he was stark blind, & being blind had been divers times at his house for alms: having seen him often led through the streets, & to have been with other beggars before the Church doors. Besides Clement jonkers Tisser and appeared before the said Magistrates, who declared and avouched that some five years a go this Anthony had complained unto him even with tears how that he had lost his sight, whereupon he gave him counsel to repair unto a certain surgeon that dwelled at the golden hand in S. Anthony's street of Antwerp, to crave his help, and yet for all that he remained still blind. Also the Almoners of the said City appeared before this assembly, who affirmed how they had seen for some years this Antony being then blind to have been led through the streets, & to beg for alms: and how that sometimes they had sent for him to their chamber of the poor, giving him some assistance for his entertainment. And how that being brought to the same chamber upon the xxuj th'. of April in thesayd year 1604 he gave them to understand that he was determined to go in pilgrimage to our Ladies of Montaigu, to beseech God that by her intercession he might recover his sight: whereupon they wishing him the help and assistance of God, caused the portion to be delivered unto him which he was wont to receive weekly: and how that since his return having been with them they saw and knew that he enjoyed his sight, for which they praised & thanked God, giving unto the said Anthony an extraordinary alms. Finally the said Bourguemaisters, Eschevins and counsellors of the community of the said City of Antwerp (being collegially assembled) avouched and certified upon the same day that for some years they had seen this Anthony, blind, and begging alms in divers places, both at the gate of our Lady's Church as else where. All this being manifest by the attestation of the said Magistrates dated upon the said xiii, of May 1604. subsigned D. vander Neesen, & sealed with the seal of the same City.   

How a man being eighteen years old was cured of a rapture.  
john Montady born in the Country of 
In May. 1604  Angoles●● in France, being eighteen years of age, dwelling in the City of Bruxelles, in the year 1602. served as a soldier in the company of Ca 〈…〉 Anse●●. in the Regiment of Count 〈…〉 Busq●or: being at the siege of Ostend in the County of Flanders, which town at that time was held by the rebels against our Princes, standing one night sentenel upon some part of the trenches, it happened that a canon ball being shot from the town carried away with it a great piece of wood that was not fart of from the place where this Montady stood, which came so near unto his body, that forthwith he felt himself to be inwardly burst by the wind and air of the said piece of wood: as a little afterwards the rapture showed itself upon his left side: and it so increased that within three days space it was as big as a man's head: in so much as he could not possibly go but with two crutches, the which he used for two years together. And the weight of the said rapture was so great, that the skin which was about it began to slit, and was as it were rend in twain. Upon a time before easter in the year 1604. he seiourning in the City of Lille, & hearing what was recounted of the miracles of our Lady of Montaign, he purposed and vowed to go thither to pray for his health. And he departed which his crutches from Lille at the end of the month of April: and passing by the City of Bruxelles, upon the viii. of May, he set forward on his way towards the said Montaign: and he hath affirmed that so soon as he was departed from Lille, he felt his strength to increase, and perceived that he went more strongly than he was accustomed. Being arrived at Montaign upon the tenth of the said month, he settled himself to his devotions for some days at our Lady's Chapel, until the twelfth day, upon which day praying upon his knees at the time of Sal●e, he felt his said rapture to mou● in his body as if a child should stir in his mother's womb, & once or twice making a noise, it caused in him so great pain that he was forced to cry out, at which cry came to him Sir Barthelmew T●chon Chaplain who raised him up, and standing upon his feet, he found himself whole & cured: insomuch as there he left his crutches, & offered them to our Lady, walking with out them and any other help whether soever he pleased, not feeling any further grief or pain: the rapture withdrawing itself wholly in-to his body, without leaving any mark or sign thereof. As the said john Montady avouched and testified solemnly under his oath, before the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles, upon the twentieth day of the said month of May. Upon which day also appeared before the Magistrates Anthony Capello citizen of the said City, who declared and affirmed under the like oath, that for the space of two years before he had been very well acquainted with the said john Montady, and had helped him with some alms: yea & that diuer● times he had seen his accident of the bigness of a man's head, as hath been said, at which time he went with two crutches, whereas at that present he saw him go without either crutch or staff: and having at the same instant visited the place of the said rapture, he found it altogether retired within his body, & whole. All which may appear by the attestation of thesayd Magistrates, signed P. Numan & sealdd with the seal of the said City.   

How a young wench was cured of the rapture.  
CHristina van Schobeke daughter of 
In May. 1604.  the late Christian Schobeke and of Ant●●●ta van Weghelen his wife, dwelling in the City of Antwerp, was found to have been brooken on both her sides, even from her cradle, and from the time that she was but three weeks old. Whereby she had infinite incommodities and pains, & principally in her infancy: in such sort that to yield her some help her parents made her wear a truss, such an one as is wont to be applied unto those that are broken, and she continued thus for eight years: to wit, unto the year 1604. At last her mother having hard great report of the miracles which were wrought by the invocation of our Lady of Montaigu she resolved to carry thither her daughter, & there to pray for her health: the which she did, and being arrived at the place, upon the nineteen. of june in the said year 1604. they did their devotions at our Lady's Chapel, and the mother offered that which by vow she she had promised: & after that she went to wash her daughter with the water that is in the said mountain. Upon the next day (which was Sunday) they continued their prayers & washing as they had donn the day before, and afterwards being come to an Inn to take their refection, the wench began to complain, that she could wear her truss no longer, and that she felt it much to wring her body: which when her mother heard, she carried her again to the Chapel, there to pray, for her: but so soon as they were entered in, the band or truss did break in twain of itself, & fell down to her feet: of the which her mother caused the Pastor to be advertised by Gertrude Woo'st wife unto john Egh●●s draper dwelling in Antwerp, who was at that present in the Chapel. And so perceiving that her daughter was healed, she returned with her towards the City of Antwerp, & the said Christina (being but eight years old (went six duitch miles on foot without feeling any pain or rapture whereas before her entrails were wont to come forth on both sides upon never so little labour or weariness, as hath been said.  
All this which hath been here related was avouched and affirmed under her solemn oath by the said Ant●ne● van Weghelen mother of that broken child, before the Magistrates of the said City upon the last of june in the said year 1604. Upon which day also appeared before the said Magistrates sister Cicilie Cappels dwelling in the Hospital, and Marie Ma●●hys widow to William vanden Bossche who under the like oath affirmed and declared that they knew very well that the said Christina some years ago was burst, being brought divers times by her mother to the said Hospital of Antwerp to be helped if it had been possible: where she was looked unto & fitted with her truss by the said Sister Cicilie: the said Marie Ma●thys affirming that this Christina swith her mother had dwelled in her house more than eight years space, in which time she had seen her continually with this rapture, until the time whereof we have spoken: & that she was miraculously cured. All this being manifest by the attestation of the said Magistrates of Antwerp, dated as above, sealed with the seal of the said City, & signed D. Ʋander Neesen.   

How a woman was cured of a Rupture.  
GVd●la Sc●inck widow to one Martin 
In ●●●●. 160●.  Alart, who in his life time was a Notary in the City of Bruxelles, being threescore and five years old so●ue two and thirty years before was broken on the right side, by overstrayning herself through lifting up from the ground a bucket of water, she being at that time great with child: and the rapture came forth of the bigness of a goose egg, insomuch that she was forced to wear ordinarily a band fit for such diseases. In which thirty two years space she endured continually grievous pain, and she applied thereunto divers remedies, but yet they little profited her to her cure. At last having heard of the miracles which were daily wrought at Montaigu by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Mart, she resolved to go thither in Pilgrimage, with very great hope to recover her health. And so at S. I●h●s tide in this year 1604. she caused herself to be carried thither by wagon, and having spent there some days in prayer, she found herself so well, that she left her truss behind her, and offered it to our Lady, & so returned in very good plight to Bruxelles. not feeling any pain or grief afterwards. Some four or five weeks after that, the said Gudula made an other voyage to Montaigu on foot, and returned homeward again on foot the rapture never app●●ring: and so she remaineth perfectly cured, feeling no manner of pain through her former disease: she having declared and avouched these things here set down, and that solemnly under her oath, before the magistrates of the City of Bruxelles, upon the twelfth of August in the said year 1604. Upon which day also appeared Misiris Aga●●a ●●●gers, & Margari●● do M●rod●, as also A●●e van Ni●●●z●l● their maid, who under the like oath affirmed and avouched that they knew very well how that the said G●d●l● had been burst as hath been said, because she was wont to come often times unto their house, as also for that they had often visited and assisted her in her malady, & when she was much tormented with the said disease. All which ● conformable to the attestation of the said Magistrates of the city of Bruxelles, dated as above, and subsigned P. Numan Secretary.   

A very hard disease Cured.  
MAster Adrian van Asbrook, sworn 
In Iu●e. 1604.  clarck of the Amman office, and of the Criminal court in the City of Bruxelles, and Mistress Catharin Verbeke his wife, had a child called Wiliam, who in the year 1602. being three months old became full of a certain kind of eating scabbedness, which the physicians ca●l Herpes exedent, or corrodens, or exulcerans: in French Feu volaige graz, in English, the wild fire, and his body was spotted therewith in divers parts and especially, most of all in his face, ears, the top of his head, and in his left arm: his forehead & all his face being so over spread with scabs sore weals & blisters, yielding forth a certain corrupt and filthy matter, that there was no place of him free but only his mouth, in so much as he seemed to have his faco all covered over with a hard and i● favoured bark, and therewith all it had a certain kind of inward gnawing, which was so intolerable, that the child still scratching his face made the blood together with the filthy matter to run out thereof: a thing so hiduous and horrible, that every one was much abashed to behold it: and thesayd child had such continual vehement prickings and pain, that he would not permit any of the house to rest, either day or night: & he continued in this sort more than two years together: at which time his parents caused infinite remedies to he applied unto him, both by the advise of Surgeons as of divers other persons: sometimes of such men or women as took upon them to cure and heal the like accidents: and sometimes of such as had tried their receipts either upon thēsel●esor upon their children: and those persons were not only of the City of Bruxelles, but also of other Cities near about, as of Antwerp, and M●clm: from whence divers sent unto them sundry receipts, whereby an hundredth and an hundredth persons had been helped: yea such as had endured the disease twenty years together. But they found no remedy or amendment at all, in all the care & diligence that ever was employed. And thi● accident became so great and incurable, that it did eat away not only the skin, but also the very flesh to the bone, which they beheld often quite bore, both in his arms, as about the temples of his head, insomuch that the parents were not without fear that the disease would turn into a leproesie. And they considering how that no help or invention of man could profit them, they took their recourse to the mercy of God, and to the assistance and gracious favour of the glorious Virgin Marie. And hereupon this Asbrook and his wife went with their child to Montaigu upon the five & twentieth of I●ne, in the year 1604. & having done their devotions for somedayes at the Chapel of our Lady, home they came again to Bruxelles, not perceiving that the malady was any whit amended. Notwithstanding still confiding in God, and in the assistance of the glorious Virgin Marry his blessed Mother, they applied unto him afterwards no other remedy or medicine nor any of the receipes which they were wont to use about him: leaving the child even as he was, yet after a while they began to see and perceive how that since the said visitation of our Lady the said child began daily to wax whole, and that all the scabs botches and blisters went away of themselves, without any exterior help, insomuch that at the end of fifteen or twenty days, the disease was quite gone, the holes and open sores were healed up, and the child was cured: and his skin and flesh throughout all his body both on his face neck ears as other parts became so fair and clean as of any child in the world, no sputtes or scars remaining afterwards, as was manifestly seen upon the day when this was dated. And all that here hath been said was avouched and verified under their solemn oaths in presence of the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles upon the twelfth of August in the said year 1604. by the said Master Adrian van Asbrook, his wife, Francis van Asbrook his daughter: Master john H●●●●l lieutenant to the Aman of the said City, and by Helena randen Eeckhout wife of john Mosselman? who all affirmed to have seen the said child in so miserable a plight as hath been said: yea that they had seen divers times how the flesh was eaten away even to the very bones: and the said Helena declared moreover that she had endeavoured for the space of six months or more to cure this child, and that with such remedies wherewith she had helped above an hundredth persons, & yet in this she could no whit amend him. There appeared allo upon the same day before the said Magistrates Arnold Add●ers under Bourgue master of the said City of Bruxelles, the Lady Marie de Caro●delet, widow of the late Lord de Chassegn●es the Lady Catharin de Carondelet, widow of the late Colonel Bostock, Mistress Marg-rit de Bock●out, wife of Colonel Balthasar van Rossum Mystris Agatha Reygers, Mistress Margarit de Merode. and Master Lewi● Winno●x. Surgeon, all dwelling in the same City: who avouched under the like oath that they had sundry times seen the said child in such miserable state as before hath been declared, they having administered unto him all the recepts and remedies that they could devise, and yet without any help or profit at all. And how that someweekes after the said pilgrimage of our Lady, they found him thoroughly whole, and so perfectly cured as if he never had been touched with any evil in the world. All which is manifestly to be seen by the attestation of the Magistrates of the said city, dated as above, and signed P. Nu●●● Secretary.   

A lame hand cured.  
IOhn Courto●s Commissary of their 
In ●●●●●. 1604.  Highnese, dwelling in the City of Antwerp some fifteen years ago being in the Lordship of Hoghstrate in the ●ēpinia was upon a day wounded in the right hand hard by the wrist, with a blow of a sword, by which blow which passed through half his arm his sinews were cut in twain: and about the same place he had received also a thrust. While these hurts were in curing it happened that the wild fire entered into the same arm, and it was inflamed therewith even to the arme-pitt, whereupon the Surgeons resolved that the arm should be cu●● of, or else the hurt man should loose his life: but he would never consent thereunto, rather choosing to die then to be brought unto that extremity, and thereupon calling▪ upon the aid and help of the Virgin Marie he vowed to make a pilgrimage to our Lady of Hall. After which vow within the space of four or five days he recovered in such sort his strength & health, that he arose out of his bed, got on horseback, and so came to Antwerp feeling daily his arm much amended: from Antwerp he went on foot to the said town of Hall and there accomplished his promise, & so recovered the entire cure of his said arm save only that it was lame on the three last fingers and on the thumb, his hand remaining crooked and his fingers stiff. And upon the fourteenth of july in the year 1604 he going to Montaigu there to offer his honour & prayers to our Lady he put himself in the state of grace, communicated, & after some Masses he was present at the processionin which the miraculous Image was carried round about the Chapel, & so beseeching our Lord most instantly and his glorious Mother that he might be cured of the said lameness of his hand, he gave his beads to the Priest to touch the Image therewith, which the Priest did, who restoring them again unto him he with great confidence received them with his said lame hand, the which even by the very touching of thesayd beads he perceived to be forthwith cured being able to move & shut it as he could have done before that he became lame: and from that time his said hand continued very well, & it serue●h him as fitly as doth the other. All this he himself declared and avouched under his solemn oath, before the Magistrates of the City of Antwerp, upon the fourth of August 1604. upon which day also appeared Master Paul van Assel●●rs, Eschoutet of the said City, and Mistress joane▪ Courto●s his wife, who under the like 〈…〉 e assured & witnessed that 〈◊〉 kne● 〈…〉 well that the said john 〈…〉 ●rother was some fifteen 〈…〉 es be 〈…〉 ame of his right hand, in 〈◊〉 manner as before we have declared, and how that after the said voyage to Montaigu he was cured, and now hath the use of his said right hand as well as of the left, the which was never hurt. All which is conformable to an attestation of thesayd Magistrates of Antwerp dated as above, subsigned D. vander Neesen, and sealed with the seal of the said City.   

The cure of a Rupture or Hernia.  
ELizabeth Wouters alias 〈…〉 ens Beguyne 
●n 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 ●.  in the Beguinage of the town of Diest, in the year 1601 drawing water out of a well she used such force that she burst herself on both sides, where the rapture first appeared of the bigness of a turkeys egg and afterward of a man's fist, in somuch that she was constrained to wear a truss enduring often times much pain, and sometimes she kept her bed for the space of one two or three months together▪ and although she had used many medicines & remedies, yet for all that, she felt no amendment. Finally considering that she sonnd no help by humane means, and fearing withal that this disease would hinder her from being admitted to her profession in the Beguinage, for so much as she was as yet in her year of probation, she took her refuge to the Mother of God: and in the year 1604. (having endured this accident for the space of almost four years) she purposed to go three times to visit our lady at Montaigu to the end she might obtain thereby her health. And so upon the e●e of S. Marie Magdalen, to wit, upon the one and twentieth of july in the said year, she made her first Pilgrimage, & she felt some amendment: upon the day next following the said feast she returned the second time, and having ended her devotion at the Chapel and going down the hill towards Diest where she dwelled, it happened that the point wherewith her truss was tied on the right side, broke of itself, notwithstanding that it was both strong and new, which when she had perceived she mended it & tied it again, and so went on somewhat forward in her way: but by and by again she being not yet at the bottom of the hill the other point on the left side did break, which likewise was new, & this did never so happen unto her before. Whereat being much amazed, & thinking with herself that our Lord had bestowed some grace and favour upon her she returned in haste toward our Lady's Chapel, & settled herself again to her prayers. In which place she felt herself so well that taking from her body her truss she left it there for a memory. And from that day she found herself perfectly whole and cured of her rapture, not feeling afterwards any grief or hindrance thereby. Whereupon she returned on the morrow following for the third time in way of thanksgiving, and caused a mass to be said, praised God and the glorious virgin Marry who had obtained for her this favour. All which was declared by the said Flizabeth upon the fourteenth of October in the said year 1604 in the presence of Master Haymo Timermans' Pastor of the said Beguinage Sir Michiel Wouters, and Lambert Bouwe●●, Chaplanes as witnese, and Mistress Catharin Maes Begu● of the said place in Diest, with whom the said Elizabeth Wouters doth dwell. And upon the twentieth of the said month of October the said Elizabeth appearing before the magistrates of the town of Diest did sweat upon her profession that all the premises were true. And under the like oath have witnessed the same, first Mistress Cat●●rin that she knew right well that this Elizabeth was burst, and had often kept her bed, having lived with her for the space of two whole years. And A●ne Sher●●gen a Beguine, likewise affirmed that the said Elizabieh had sworn the truth which she knew for that she had accompanied her in the foresaid Pilgrimage to Mo●taig●. All which is evident by the attestation of the Magistrates of Diest, dated as above, subsigned P. van Zille, and▪ sealed with the seal of the said town.   

How a young man that was borne lame, and of a monstrous shape was cured.  
IOhn Clement the son of james of 
In ●●●●●. ●●●●.  the City of Lucerna in Zuitzerland, being at this present three and twenty years of age or thereabout, came into this world with a very deformed and imperfect shape, having his legs wholly fastened against his body, and his knees thrust so fast against his breast, that non● could so much as put a ●i●ger betwixt ●●●●●, from the time of his birth unto the time of his cure. Moreover his thighs and the calves of his legs were tastned together and covered under one flesh & ●kinne, together, with his belly and breast: insomuch that he could not stretch out his legs in any sort. And as some Germans told him (who had heard it from his Father) that his Mother died in her travail of him, and she was cut up and opened to save the child, His father seeing this his defect and disproportion endeavoured by all means in his childhood to help and cure him: & for this effest caused him to be carried to divers baths both in high Germany as also in the kingdom of Hungary, and yet could he obtain no help. It happened in the year 1594 (at what time Er●estus Archduke of Austria was governor of the low countries) that a certain noble man of the kingdom of Pol●nia called ●ob●as Metzka having a desire to see the low countries and other provinces, admitted the father of the said john Clement into his service, to serve him as an interpreter, because he was skilful in sundry languages, for so much as he had followed the wars in divers countries: & so thesayd john Clement was carried by his father amongst this noble-mannes' baggage: & coming near to the City of B●isleduke, he fell sick in a village called Vlyemen: in so much as his Father being constrained to pass forward with his Lord was forced to leave him there, until such time as he recovered, delivering him some money for his entertainment. Having dwelled in this village for the space of fifteen months, and being at last restored to his health, he was sent for by his Father to come to Bruxelles, where the said Lord T●bias Metzka as the● remained.  
Whereupon he set himself on the way towards his Father: but understanding how that there were certain famous baths near to the City of Aken, he caused himself first to be carried thither, that he might have the use of them as he passed by, to try if he might find any help against his evil, and so he remained for three weeks at the baths of Boursset near to the said city: but for all this he received no ease at all thereby. And from thence continuing his journey forward towards ●r●●●lles he found that his father (being sent into France by the said Lord Metzka about some business) had fallen into the hands of certain thieves and robbers by whom he was murdered. Whereupon he remained in Bruxelles entertaining himself for the space of two or three months, partly with the mo●ey which his father had left him and partly by the alms which certain gentlemen and others had given him. After this by boat he went to An●werp, where likewise he lived by that which charitable people bestowed upon him, for so much as he was not able to gain his living by reason of his lameness, and the want of his limnes. While he lived after this mamnet in An●werp certain Holland mariners (who were at that time there) asked him if he would go with them, they would carry him to a place where he should be well entertained, & have good means to live, Who consenting thereunto was carried by them to the City of D●rt, where he lodged in a street called den Crommen Ellebege in the house of john de Spellemaker, and from thence he went to R●tterdam and so to many other Cities of Holland, as Delf, Leyden, Harlem, and the Hague, always going upon his hands with two little stiltes of a hand breadth or half a foot in height, touching only the earth with the top of his feet which did hung before his body, & they were very little; & his legs not three inches thick under his knees, and after this sort had he gone all the days of his life. While he was in the said town of Hague he dwelled for the space of a year in the house of a Scotish-man who was a labourer unto briclayers, dwelling in a place called opde● geest, & in this house he did lie in a cradle for so much as when he did lie in a bed (having no use either of his feet or legs and for that his body was round like a bowl) he did ordinarily tumble down to the beds feet. From hence he went by boat to many other towns of Holland, as also of Ze●ad; as Flushing, Camfere, Arm●, & Middelborow, where he lodged at a house of a widow called Marie d'Ostend, who dwelled behind the Prince's court. Also in the City of Breda, where he lodged in a widows house that sold small wares, called Catharin, dwelling at Mō●e-uelt neet to the prison: he was also in Berges upon Zone, and whereas betwixt this town & Terrible there was a fort upon the water wherein there served certain Almans in garrison, he found the means to enter into their acquaintance, because he spoke their language, in which place he lived on free cost for a time: which was in the year 1596. at which time the Archduke Albert (who at this present is our Prince) besieged the City of Hulst. Upon a day he being gone out of this fort, and going with his hand-stilts to a farm house in the country to beg his victuals, the Count Maurice de Nassow accompanied with the Count of Hollach and others, chanced to pass that way, with certain wagons, and the said Count Maurice seeing him so monstruous & miserable, demanded of him whence he was, and how he fell into that impotency, and having heard the particularities, he gave him some four or five pieces of gold in alms, and they were french crowns so far as he can well remember; in like manner the Count of Hollach gave him some pieces of silver, and the said Count Maurice commanded him to 'cause himself to be carried to the Hague, promising to provide him of some entertainment: & although he went thither afterwards yet he made no great ●ute for the said entertainment, but rather lived of that which those ●arles had given him and of that which daily he received of good people. And so going from one City to an other in Holland for the space of two years and a half or there about, at last he came to the City of V●●●g●t, where he lay at a place called Op● Sant in the house of one Elizabeth van Dor●: and as he there frequented certain Catholics, they couseled him not to stay in Holland where Heretics commanded, but rather eo return to B●uxelles from whence he came: & that there he might find how to live, and better means of entertainment, both for his corporal life, as for the exercise of his faith: and religion, by the good assistance of the gentility and other good persons in that City. Which admonition was of that force with him, that he following their counsel, resolved to return thither▪ and thereupon he caused himself to ●e carried to the Cities of Bourdful, He●sden, and the abovenamed village of ulyssean, and at length to the City of B●isse duke, where the Curate of S. ●●●●s upon charity entertained him for the space of a whole winter. And the winter being ended, he procured that he might be carried by wagon to the City of Gr●●●, and to Venlo, and from thence he came to Waghtendo●ck whereof the Lord of Gelain had the commaunderie, who nourished and entertained him for the space of six months Afterwards the said john Clement made himself to be carried to Aken, where again both in the same town as also in the aforesaid Boursset, he used the baths for nine or ten days together, but yet nothing advanced his cure thereby. From thence passing by Maestright. T●ngres, and other Cities, he came to Bruxelles: where he made his stay, entertaining himself upon alms, and by cutting little wooden crosses & tooth-pickers which he sold. His limbs still remaining in the same monstrousness and disproportion as they were even at the beginning, creeping upon his hands with his little stilts upon the ground as hath been said, sitting daily at the foot of the stairs which mount up to the Princes palais, where for many years together, thousands and thousands, of people have seen & known him in the a foresaid plight, and assisted him with their alm●s, as they passed by. At last in the year 1601, certain persons of the said City moved through charitic and compassion towards him, found means to have him learn the art of painting, that there with in time ●o come he might goine his living: & this was done by the assistance of the Almoners of the Church of S. james in C●●berghe and by other charitable people, procuring him moreover that she should have in certain houses every day a meals meat, Having been therefore about some two years & a half in the house of Usum vander ●●●●● painte●, to learn that art, and hearing often the miracles recounted which by the intercession of the glorious mother of God were wrought at Montaigu, he had a desire to go likewise thither in pilgrimage, and to offer his prayers to the V●gi● Marie that she would procure him the cure of his body, or at leastwise that he might go with two crutches, or rather that ●e might have some better use of his limbs, and that he might not be forced still to draw them a long the ground as to that time he had done▪ whereunto also divers of his friends exhorted him. And about some two months before he took upon him this journey lying at that time in the prince of Orange his stable, twice in one night, either in vision or in sleep, he thought that he had been at ●onta●g●, and that he could have stood upright upon his feet, which did breed in him a greater desire and devotion to go thither than before: & so he asked leave of his Master, who ●erie willingly yielded thereunto. But whilst he was in doubt by what way or means he might go thither, by reason of his unableness, soon after an occasion was offered: for that Michiel vander Hage● keeper of the wyne-seller in their Highnesses palais in the said City of Brux●lles had received some store of wines from Cullen: whereupon the said vander Hagen commended him to the carters, that when they returned they would take him up into one of their empty carts. and so carry him to the town of Diest: which they did, upon the third of july in the year 1604. and they lodged that night at the Emperor in the City of Lo●ain: and upon the next day following they took their way to D●●●●, together with the said lame youngman. And being come to a certain place called H●l●●●rb●s, where the way of Montaigu is divided from that of Diest, the carter that had brought him thither took him down, thinking that he would easily have found out the way, and so forwards towards Diest they went with their carts: but after they had gone awhile on their way one of the said carters called Laure●● D●●●er in wardly moved with compassion, and fearing that God would punish them for their little charity used towards this miserable creature who (being not able to go but only creeping with his little hand-stil●s) might fall in danger to be devoured by wolves, dogs, or other wild beasts, he felt so great a remorse of conscience, that he speedily returned with his cart, and having found him almost in the place where they left him, up he set him again, and carried him to Diest to the Inn of the Swan: as the same carters being afterwards returned with new loading to Bruxelles declared to divers persons of credit. Upon the day following which was moonday and the fift of july) in the morning the host of the swan ●●●●ured that he should be carried to the Chapel of our Lady at Montaigu, where being entered into a certain lodging or cottage, the master of the house as he beheld him in this monstruous and strange shape, being much amazed thereat, begun to say that he much wondered that such an one as he would come thither upon any hope to be cured: not for that he doubred of the power of God, but because it seemed unto him a thing very extraordinary to obtain the cure of so admirable an accident. For all this the said john Clement went incontinently to the Chapel, where he heard two or three masses, after he went to confession and communicated, and about an hour after he had communicated he began to feel a saddenes and feebleness at his heart, and withal certain grievous & excessive pain in all the parts of his body, in so much that the sweat issued out of him even from his head down to his feet: and thinking to go out of the Chapel to take the air he became much weaker: whereupon he returned and remained in prayer all that day. In the mean while his pains increased continually until the evening after the Sal●●, at what time being before the altar of our Lady in his devotions, he felt himself invisibly lift up from the ground, & his legs which before were fixed & fastened to his body and shrouded within his doublet as hath been said, fell down, and of themselves violently opened the said doublet, and so he found himself standing upright upon his feet, wherea● he was much astonished, and ceased not to praise God and his holy mother for the mercy that was showed to his unworthiness. And as he happened to be somewhat faint in this alteration, he fell with his hands against the altar, but was helped by those that were there present and placed in the confession seat, whilst they brought him some apparel, and especially breeches, because at what time his legs fell down & that his doublet was opened by force, in like fort that piece of cloth wherewith he was wont to cover his body below and whereupon he did vs● to sit, was torn in pieces also. Moreover at the same instant the said Ioh● Cl●●●●●● was healed of a wound in his head, which he had gotten some fifteen days before, and was not healed until that very time, having at his departure from Brux●●les brought with him six plasters to apply thereunto, the which at the very self same time was found so well & perfectly cured and healed, that there was no need that any should put their hand thereunto. And all this happened in the presence of many persons, who came from divers places, and can bear witness of this sudden and unexpected cure. A little while after, the said john Clement was was led (by two or three persons for so much as he was very weak) to the Inn of the Angel, going upright upon his legs and feet, which he was never able to do in all his life before: feeling a certain force and vigour to descend incontin●tly into his legs, yea and a certain augmentation thereof. And the host of the aforesaid Inn repenting himself of his forme● opinion, took forthwith the measure of the legs of the said lame youth, & some two hours after he measured them again & he found that betwixt the time of the first and second measuring, his legs were grown bigger and grosser by three inches: and after that time they began to ●spy his she●●es and vai●●e● to appear in his legs, which were never seen there before▪ And so leaving his said h●dstil●s in the Chapel for a memory, he resolved to stay there for the space of nine days, going daily to the said Chapel, and there hearing divine service: walking the first two days with a staff, but on the other days without either staff o● other help. A day or two after the said cure this john Clement having got a clean shirt, and looking upon the place● where his legs did hung from his body he found that the holes and pits within the which his knees did rest and hung against his breast, began to be filled up with flesh, & where his thighs were fastened there the colour was as read as blood▪ & it put him to pain at what time so ever he touched it▪ but after a little while all this pain passed away. And during the time that he remained at Montaigu he was visited by divers persons from Diest (who before had seen him so miserably lame ●nd deformed) and now saw him go upright: and amongst others he was twis● visited by Count Fr●derik vanden Berghe, to his great admiration at so notable a miracle. And upon the fifteenth▪ of Iuli● he returned by wagon to Bruxelles, at the entrance of which city he went some part of the way on foot until he came to the Church of the Co●berge, where 〈◊〉 De●● was sung and thancks given to God for this marvelous work, which it pleased him to work in this person by the interoession of his holy Mother. And upon the eighteenth of the said month, this john Clement was present with 〈◊〉 white wax taper in his hand at the procession of the Holy Sacrament of miracle, the which is yearly made upon that day: & he walked upright before the blessed Sacrament in the sight of many thousands of people who at that time were in the said Gitie of Bruxelles, yet he went but a part of the way because he was yet weak and with pain in his legs, wherein he felt a continual stretching, and an inward working in his snewes and veins, his legs and feet still growing, & hourly increasing both in flesh and strength. Upon the same day being sent for to appear before the right reverend Father in God, the Archbishop's grace of Maclin, who at that time was in the same City, all the contene● hereof were read vnnto him, the which under a solemn oath he affirmed to be true, in the presence of the said Lord Archbishop, of M. P●●●er Vi●cki●s D●●n● of the Christianity of Bruxeller, Master Theodore 〈◊〉 Dean of the Christianity of Al●s●, Master james de Sasseg●●, & Master Martin 〈◊〉 Chaplains to the said lords grace, also of Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drossard of Cocuord and Master Herman ●●● E●●●● his brother. And upon the nine and twentieth day of thesayd month of ●●●●● the same john Clement appeared before the whole court of the Magistrates of the City of Bruxelles, where in the presence of the Bourgema●●ers, Eschevins, Receivers & Counsel of the said City, Collegially assembled, h●●●ouched again under his solemn ●the all that we have here related: the same having been once more read unto him by the Secretary.  
And upon the same day appeared before this assembly Master William de C●ni●ck 〈◊〉 inhabitant of the City of Bruxelles, and practitioner of physic and surgery, who after they had showed unto him this john 〈◊〉, he affirmed and declared under the like oath that some three year●●●nd a half past 〈◊〉 there about going with his wife towards the Court or the Prince's Palace in the said City, he found him ●itting 〈◊〉 the foot of the stairs there, and considering how strangely he was lame and impotent, he had a desire to behold more particularly his accident, and thesayd john Clement unbuttening his doublet & showing unto him his body, the said master William found that his legs (which were very little and slender) did hung against his body and that his knees were thrust & made fast against his breast he saw moreover (for that he had curiously searched him with his hands) that his thighs and calves of his legs did grow all under one flesh and s●m together to his belly, and the forepart of his body against which part his said thighs were ●astned: and his feet did hung right down to the ground, the said john Clement, having standing hard by him two little stiltes where with he did help himself as he went upon his hands, ●nd so he giving unto him an alms and the best comfort he could, departed and went forward on his way▪ There appeared also on the same day and in the same place Master Anthony ●ander Mercu Painter, who under the like oath declared that for the space of some eight and twenty months the said john Clement had learned under him the art of painting in which time he had caused him twice or thrice to open his doublet, and to show him his body thereby to see his defect: and he had found that his thighs were fast in one flesh and skin with his body, & that he could not move his legs, but only that he could open and separate the one leg a little from the other, setting or laying them toward the one or other armepit, and that he never went but upon his hands with his two little stiltes of wood. Moreover there appeared at the same hour and place john de Grieck who learned to paint of this Master Anthony, and also under his oath affirmed, that during the time that the said john Clement was his fellow apprentice, they had been twice at two several times at the river called lafoy Senne to wash and bathe themselves (the lame youth always holding fast to the b●nck of the river,) and thereby he had seen his naked body, and perfectly beheld that his thighs and calves of his legs were fastened under the same flesh & skin against his belly and breast, so that he could not stretch out his legs. At the same time also appeared before the said assembly of those magistrates Michie● Hardy painter dwelling in the same city, who under a solemn oath declared that he had wrought for some time in the house of Master Anthony with the same john Clement, whom he knew to have been so lame and impotent that he could not go but only upon his hands with two little stiltes. And how that four or five times he had been with him at the river to wash themselves: upon which occasion he had seen his naked body, and well and perfectly marked and considered that his legs (especially about his thighs) were fast and fastened to his body before with the self same flesh and skin, his legs hanging down his body, even as a woman's paps hung from her breast, in such sort that he could never stretch them forth, the which he had marked divers times. There appeared also upon the same day & in presence of the aforesaid Magistrates Catharin de Tournay the wife of Andrew van Zeele dwelling in the said City, who likewise affirmed & declared under her oath that thesayd john Clement had lodged for some months in her house, during which time she had seen three or four times his legs, & she had found that they were fast, & hanged from his body: his thighs having but one flesh and skin with his belly and breast, insomuch that he could not stretch them forth: whereupon he was forced to walk and creep upon his hands, holding two little stilkes of wood, as very often she had seen him. Upon the same day also appeared before the said Magistrates Francis le Feb●re, wife of Francis van Schut●epit, painter, who under thelyke oath affirmed and testified that the said john Clement had lodged in her house for the space of four or five months: lying in a hutch or chest wherein they had made bread: in which time she had at two sundry times seen and perfectly beheld his legs which were very small and ●lender, and hanged hard to his body, & his thighs were fastened to his belly with the self same flesh & skin, so that he could not possibly stretch them forth at length. Declaring moreover that upon the fifth of 〈…〉 in this year 1604. she came from Bruxelles to Montaigu, and that after dinner upon the same day that this john Clement arrived there in the morning from Diest, and whereas he was miraculously healed that very evening, she with some others aided and assisted him in his necessities, affirming that immediately after his cure he withdrawing himself a side, showed unto her the pieces of skin which remained hanging from his body about the places where his thighs had been fastened, as hath been said, he enquiring of her whether he should cut them away or not: whereupon she answered him that he should let them remain there still, expecting what God would dispose thereof. And upon the second day of August in the same year 1604▪ there appeared before the Magistrates of the City of Louvain john de Socthem, the host of the Inn at the sign of the Emperor in the said City, who under his solenn oath declared and avouched how that upon the third of july in the same year through the commendations of Mychael vander Hagen, a certain young man that was monsterously deformed called (as he understood) john Clement came to lodge in his house whom when he saw to be so monstruous and deformed in his limbs that he went upon his hands with two little stil●es, he desired to see his accident, and having made him to open his dablet the said host found that the legs of the lame youth were not passed three inches thick, so far as he could remember (whose legs notwithstanding at this present are more than fourteen inches about) & that they were fast and hanged by his thighs against his breast and belly, and were so far thrust in & that with a certain kind of hollowness that none could put his hand, not not so much as his finger betwixt, and that his knees did lie against his breast & were covered with the skin of his b●est as he had seen and felt them with his hands. Affirming moreover that as this search was made in the presence of the carters who had brought him from Bruxelles, they made a mockery that thesayd lame fellow would go to Montaigu with any hope that our Lady would obtain any cure for him: telling and persuading him that it was a frivolous matter: yet for all this he continuing in his good purpose, procured himself on the next day following to be conveyed to Diest and from thence to Montaigu as hath been said. All these prem sses being manifest by the attestations & public writings both of the City of Bruxelles, subsigned P. Numan Secretary, as also of I●o●atn subsigned R. the Prince Secretary, dated respectively upon the xxix. of julie, and the second of August 1604. and sealed with the s●ales of the said Cities.  
Well here I must needs call upon you (Christian brethren) who under pretence of following a reformed Religion, have left the assured footsteps of your forefathers, and that royal way wherein so many Martyrs and Confessors, so many holy Bishops and Doctors, so many Priests, E●emites, Monk, and Religious people, and so many honourable souls have walked: whose most holy memories yet replenish the world. You (I say) that have forsaken the lively fountain & have digged to yourselves stinking pits and cisterns, who h●●e left the fat & fertile pastures of the ancient Church, and range up and down the barren de●ettes of your own novelties, and who in ste●d of eating the delicious fruit of the tree of lyre, gnaw on the dry bark of your subtle though vain inventions. Behold the glorious brightness of the Catholic Church: and withal behold the place of our own abode, and consider with your selue●, if you have not forsaken the house of God, & have not gone to adore in Bethel and Galgal●, there to serve the Idol● of ou● own obstinate opinions: whereby you persuade yourselves, that for the space of a thousand years & more, there hath been no faith or right belief or true church in the world, wherein the fathful might hope or procure their salvation: but that all was depraved corrupted and marred until some fifty or threescore years ago, when first forsooth was brought in the reformation & heavenly light, contrary to the word of our Lord who said when he first planted his Church, that the gates (to wit, all the power and policy) of hell, should never prevail against it. Faith well-beloved is not as a proclamation or as a text of the civil law, which every one may explicate and interpret at his pleasure, and which may be altered & realtered upon every occasion, & according to the diver sities of times. Faith is the mark wherewith every one must present himself before his eternal judge at the last dreadful day, if you be defective herein, there shallbe granted you no appeal, you shall never after be able to remedy or repair the fault, but all shall be quite lost for all eternity. O terrible eternity oh dreadful word, O incomprehensible eternity, O infinite depth and profundity either for weal or woe, either for glory or pain, and yet you make no more difficulty to change your faith and religion than one would make to change his shirt or co●t What assurance, what testimony, what proof, have you of your pretended reformation? In the Catholic Apostolic Romain Church we have the marks of the true & sincere doctrine, we have the assured seals of the truth: miracles (I say) the heavenely ●estifications and impressions of the soverame hand of Almighty, God. Whom aught one rather to believe, the chatting of a babbling tongue, fortified with nothing else but the credit and tradition of one c●ept out of the shell but yesterday, and the antiquity of half a hundred years, or rather those who teach a doctrine of sixteen hundrèd years old, and the words of those which we see daily to be confirmed by certain admirable supernatural works of almighty God, who doth vouchsafe us them. These are the true proofs unto which our lord referred the jews when they would not believe him. Unto these proofs, unto these works (Sirs) we remit you in like manner: consider here the hand of God, believe hereby that the true Church is not perished & decayed, as you dream, and withal understand, how you have embraced darkness in steed of the truth itself: I know that the hottest & flelshliest companions amongst you will say that all this is but cozenage, sorcery, and the work of the devil: but this was & is the old song of the jews heretics and page's, against the Christian & Catholic Church in every age, when you shall be able to do somuch be it by what force or virtue soever, we will also make esteem of your argument: in the mean while you shall content yourself with the answer which our Lord gave to the said jews when 
Mat 12. Ma● 1. Luc. ●●.  they in like sort reproached him: for thereby the everlasting wisdom of God thought that he had given a sufficient solution for such an objection. But I beseech you (brethren) lay aside for a while the fume of your passions which transport you. Enter into your own consciences, and ponder with yourselves if you have not occasion to think that we walk in the right way of the truth (seeing that God yieldeth such a●ple proofs and ●n̄firmations thereof amongst us) and that you are in danger to ●cu●●e the perdition of your own soul, and of your everlasting salvation. Can it be possible that all these admirable things can be the work of the devil? Can he restore the sight to the blind? the hearing to the deaf? is he able to cure the afflicted with the palsy? in a moment to make the cankers, botches, and other incurable diseases to vanish away? Hath he the power to create new limbs, flesh and blood in the bodies of creatures? as you may see in the cure of the lame youth of three and twenty years old, who had no legs to walk upon. Truly if his power could reach unto this, he had done it many ages ago, and so the true miracles of our Saviour and of his Apostles should have had no force to work the conversion of the Gentiles, but all would have been turned into vanity and ridiculous foolery, when the devil should have done as much for his own part, as Christ and his Apostles had done for their doctrine, that so the world should not have been converted, which he held under his tyrannical yoke. Not it is too gross an error to have such a cogitation, and it maketh that miserable damned creature equal to the sovereign God of heaven. And what commodity could this sworn enemy of mankind draw out of this his proceed: Is it likely that he will do any thing whereby the world should be incited the more to honour and serve God; bear reverence to the Virgin Maric: and addict itself to works of virtue and sanctity? Is there any man in his right wits that doth believe this? It is no other, it is no other (friends) but the work and▪ mercy of God, who in these latter days amongst so many shelves and rocks of errors setteth before us a Pharus or Beacon, a light from heaven, a Cynosura or celestial star, an infallible mark by the steadfast contemplation whereof we are to direct the course of our navigation in this life, if we will not utterly perish. It appertaineth unto us to yield him infinite thancks for the same, and in such sort to frame our lives that he will vouchsafe to continued & increase towards us this his mercy, It is your duty (brethren) to open your eyes and to behold the sun which riseth so brightly shining, for if (notwithstanding all this light) you will persever in the obscure night of your darkness, you shallbe judged inexcusable, and are like one day to feel the terrible and heavy hand of the Almighty upon you for the same.   

The Cure of a flux of long continuance. 
In Aug. 1604.   
SIster Marie Heyt●eyers a Conuers Religious woman of the Cloister of Herkenroy in the County of Loon, in the country of Liege, was taken with a flux which continued without cease for the space of more than a year & a half, in somnch that she kept her bed for a long tyme. For the remedy whereof she used first the counsel of the mistress of the infirmary, and of other relig●ous women of her Convent, and afterwards the advise & counsel of Master Henry van Roy Doctor of physic, dwelling at S. Throne. Afterwards of Doctor Herman Gr●ffenroy, who came from the city of Liege, of an other Doctor in the town of Hasselt called Some rius, a certain Surgeon called M. Nould ' Arthois of an other of Sittert, of a certain woman of the said city of S. Throne, by the advise of all these she took many drink, recepts, and medicines, but all in vain, & without any profit, the said flux still continuing without cease, being for the most part of blood; & she thought she should have voided all her bowels, having had and that very often times, above thirty stools within the space of a day and a night. Whereby perceiving herself past all hope of recovery by any humane means, she took her recours to almighty God, and to his holy Mother the Virgin Marie, and so in the year 1604 she promised to go in pilgrimage to Montaigu, to which place she transported herself within a little while after, and there having done her devotions, she returned homeward with some more ease the before, howbeit she was not perfectly cured. But being come home to her Convent, and continuing her devotions towards the Virgin Marie for some nine days space, settling her heart and intention towards the miraculous place of Montaigu, upon the ninth day (which was in the month of August) after dinner, she felt a marvelous and miraculous alteration in her body, in so much that she thought she had as it were a new body, & from that instant the said flux ceased, and thesayd religious woman remained perfectly whole and cured. After which cure she hath been twice ●t Montaigu to thank God for his favour, and his holy Mother for her assistance, the patiented daily recovering her strength. All which appears by the attestation of the Maier and sworn men of the place & Convent of Herkenroy, who had the examination of the said Sister Marie, and of other witnessen that could well testify the same's: dated upon the twelfth of October in the said year 1604 & sealed with the seals of the lady Abbess and of the ma●er & sworn people of the aforesaid connent.   

How upon the seventh of September the place of Montaigu was invaded by the Rebels of Holland.  
Our Lord therefore thus daily continuing his miracles and marvelous works, whose glorious beams did not only shine in Bravant, and in other near neighbouring countries, but did shoot out even unto Holland, and other places held by the heretics & rebels against our Princes, and the enemy of mankind perceiving that by this way his kingdom began to be troubled, and that by these so evident and infallible testimonies not only they who in some sort wavered, or doubted of their Catholic faith were confirmed, but that those also who were miss & erred in their Religion, would thereby come to the knowledge of the true faith, and so forsake those dark mists of error wherewith they were en●●ironed. This our ghostly enemy (I say) inflamed with anger & envy against the holy Mother of God, endeavoured somuch that he incited certain Captains and cheefs of the rebels that upon a sudden (and whilst our army and men of war were employed in the county of Flanders both about the taking in of Osted as also in resisting the rebels who were planted before the town of Scluse) they might go to surprise, burn, and destroy the Image and Chapel of our Lady of Montaigu. And so having assembled together some eight hundredth or a thousand horse from the Cities of Breda and Bergues upon Soam, they came upon the eve of the Nativity of our Lady, being the seven th'. of September, 1604. in the night to the banksyde of the river of Demere, through the which they having waded at a certain place not far from the town of S●chen, (the water being then very ●ow) they thought to have surprised the place and all that was therein a little after midnight, before that any should discover them: but whereas an hour or two before they passed over the river, those of Montaigu were advertised of their enterprise, they had opportunity to save the miraculous Image, and the best vestures and ornaments of the Chapel.  
When the Heretics were arrived at Montaigu they began to belch out infinite blasphemies, & horrible injurious words against the Mother of God; and casting themselves furiously into the Chapel, they broke the images, pictures & painted tables that remained: they burned the foormes, chests, seats of confession, and other things that were of wood, and yet the Chapel took no fire, although they laboured to burn it also. And taking no compassion at the tears and wailings of the poor inhabitants, consumed with fire all their, houses cottages and baraques in the mountain, they robbed certain women (that were come thither in pilgrimage, and had remained there all that night to the end that on the next day they might the better attend to their devotions) spoiling them of their rings, jewels, money, and such like stuff, and some men they took whom they carried away with them, but those were very few. And so making their retreat with the glory of so honourable an exploit they passed further within the country and so returned into the Campigne and from thence every one to his own quarter, with small gain and booty, but yet with the honourable title of howsburners, Image-breakers, and persecutors of the Mother of God, and of her who brought us forth our eternal salvation, & who with her own flesh and blood nourished the body and flesh of the Saviour of the world, by which he saved & redeemed us. A work which at that great day of judgement must expect of the sovereign judge (who is her son) such a guerdon and recompense as any man of judgement may well imagine: seeing amongst mortal men there is none so simple or base minded that can behold his own mother abused and unworthily injuried without some inward feeling thereof. Which thing all they who have any way consented or assisted unto aught seriously to consider. Also the report is (not that we affirm it for an assured truth) that m●ny of these gallants have already experienced ●he revenging hand of God upon them. And truly if this be not come upon them already, let them assure themselves, that by how much the later it is before they feel the hand of God, by so much the heavier will it fall upon them. But what hath the devil gained (think you) by this affront; but only that the affection & devotion of good Catholiks is grown much greater, and more fervent towards the glorious virgin Mother of God, and that the visitation of this holy place hath been sithence as much frequented and continued as ever it was before, and that in steed of a few poor little sheds and cottages now you may see divers good complete houses. And without all doubt Satan laboureth in vain to extirpate and root out that which hath been planted by the hand of the Almighty: let him spite at it, and let him gnash his teeth as much as he will against it, his malice shall be turned upon his own head, and this glorious woman this Lady whom enough we can not prize, whom we serve and honour, shall by the holy fruit of her womb crush the head both of him and of all his adherents and consorts.   

A Cure of the Dropsy and other diseases.  
Marry Gerbrants, the daughter of Gerbrant 
In Sep. 1604.  Hessels, dwelling in the City of Amsterdam in Holland, was for the space of more ethen three years afflicted with the dropsy, and for two whole years she was in that case that she could not walk in any manner, neither without crutches nor with them, having all her body full of water, her legs swollen and as stiff as stakes, and so gross that her heels could not be seen. Besides this, she had an accident in her right side above the hip, as if some of her sinews had been overstrained & overwrested, causing the place to swell as big as one's filled, which did much trouble her. And although she had used the advise of a certain Doctor of physic, and that for a whole year, yet he could do her no good, insomuch that he told the patiented plainly that he knew no means whereby to help her. Afterwards in the year 1604. about Easter having heard of the miracles which were donn at Montargu she was very desirous to go thither, & to pray there unto our Lady for her health, And at last she set herself on the way in the company of one Beguard Adrtans●n the ordinary messenger of Amsterdam, with whom she came to Antwerp upon the seventh Of September in the same year 1604. and lodged in the house of mistress Angel● d● Por●●s, at the white flower de luce in the K●●ser strate, and upon the same day▪ she taking boat departed towards the City of Maclin, together with two young maids whose names were Susan v●d●r Schueren, & Anne de Duyve. From Maclin by waggon they went towards Montaigu where they arrived upon the seventh of the said month, being the eve of the Nativity of our Lady. On the same evening the said Ma●t● Gerbrants, went to confession with intention to communicate upon the next day, and to perform her devotion, and for this purpose she remained that night in the mountain: but whereas on the same night the soldiers of the heretical rebels of Holl●●d ad ●ass●d over the ●●uer, and were come to de●●●oy and ruin the place, and that our people were advertised of their coming▪ 〈…〉 Mar●e (about two of the clock after midnight) with her company put themselves quickly into the waggon and with all speed possible fled to save themselves in the City of Louvain. And they being in the waggon the patiented perceived that the swelling and accident in her ●hi● was gone and cured, feeling verte little pain there of: & on they went the next day to 〈◊〉, where the said Mar●e continued until the fifteenth of the said month of September, & then again she took her way towards Montaigu, having in her company the said▪ 〈…〉, and joan F●erlinc●, and on the day following they arrived there, upon which day they confessed and communicated, praying ●e●●ou●ely in the Chapel of our Lady, & that evening they went to lodge in Dust, the said Marie at that time going with two crutches. Upon the day followig they returned to Montaigu, and again they did their devotions in the Chapel. And as the patiented prepared herself to go to the aitar to receive the blessed Sac, amē● she found herself so comforted & strengthened that she went thither without any help of her crutches. They having ended their devotions put themselves into their wagon, towards the which she also walked without her crutches, leaning only upon the said Anne de Du●ue. And on the next day (which was saturday) being in the city of Maclin, the said Mar●e was so strong as that she went without either crutch or any other help from her lodging to the Church of S. Rombold, where she was present at our Lady's mass. Upon the same day she arrived at Antwerp, and daily ever after she found herself better and better, & all the swelling of her legs and body ceased and went away, ●hee not having any kind of e●ection or voiding of the water that was therein, insomuch that the bodies of her coat which before her cure could not be drawn together, was found that by a quarter of an ell it was afterwards too great for her. Together with this grace which she received at Montaigu she also obtained an other, which was the curing of a certain disease called Schu● erburck (a malady well known in Holland) wherewith at the very self-same time she was grieved. In somuch as within seven or eight days she was perfectly cured of all her accidents, as she is even at this present. Wherhfore upon the last of the said month of September she returned the third time to our Ladies at Montaigu, in the company of the aforesaid Mistress Angela de Portis to tender thancks to our Lord, and his holy Mother for this his work of mercy, & for a memory, there she offered up her crutches. All which appeareth by the testimonies and oaths solemnly made before the Magistrates of the City of Antwerp, both by the said Mart Gerbran●s, and Anne de Duyve, as also by Mistress Susan vander Schueren, & Mistress Angela de Portis, according to an information taken hereof upon the seven and twentieth of September, & upon the fourth and xxj th'. of October in the said year 1604. Subsigned D. vander Neesen Secretary of the said City.   

A Rupture cured.  
GOdfrey Ruthinck of Borkelo, receiver for their highnesses in Geldres had a son called Lu●ert, of the age of twelve years, who in the year 1604. was so beaten and & trodden under foot by an other boy in Geldres, that he was burst on both sides: wherewith his parents much aggrieved caused M. Iose Kinck surgeon inhabitant of the said town to be sent for, that he might help and cure the child if it were possible, who having visited him, applied for the space of three weeks certain oils and plasters unto him, which are good against that disease. But his parents pe●c●auing that nothing profited him they took their refuge to almighty God, and to his holy Mother: promising to make a Pilgrimage to our Lady of Montaigu. And hereupon the wife of the said Godfrey went thither with her child, and arrived there upon the tenth of August in the same year 1604▪ and having for some time done there her devotions, as she returned home towards the said town of Geldres, she perceived in her way that her chyldes' disease was amended, and being come home she caused the foresaid surgeon M. Iose Kinck to be called for▪ to see the child. Who having seen and visited the place of the disease in the presence of divers persons, he found him perfectctly healed, as he is even at this present. The which both the said Godf●ey & his wife, & the said M. Iose Kinck Surgeon avouched and affirmed under their solemn oaths, before the Magistrates of the town of Geldres, as it appeareth by the attestation of the said Magistrates given hereof, and dated upon xxth. of October in the same year 1604. subsigned I Richard, and sealed with the seal of thesayd town.   

How a lame woman was cured.  
Marry Martin widow of john Thiry, 
In Aug. 1604.  dwelling in Ligny near to Fleru in the County of Namur, being fifty and four years old, some five years ago in a night became so lame that she could not move herself, and this happened her especially in her left leg, in such sort that she was forced to use two crutches, for without them she could not go. And to▪ the end she might be healed, she went in pilgrimage to divers places of devotion as well in the country of Herald, as of Liege, & else were, & yet could she obtain no ease. At last having heard of the miracles of our Lady at Montaigu, she went thither upon her crutches about the beginning of November in the year 1604, & being in our Lady's Chapel she said her prayers there upon her▪ knee: afterwards intending to go to the priest▪ to confession that she might also communicate, suddenly as she arose she felt in herself such an alteration, that she● went to her Confessor without any help of her crutches, and having ended her devotions she departed only with the help of a staff, and left her crutches in the Chapel for a perpetual memory of the benefit which she had there received, and so returned home, where she remaineth increasing daily in her strength and force, going at this present to the Church, & in her house without any support what soever: as appeareth by her deposition made under her oath before the Maier and Eschevins of the court of the Lordship of Ligny, upon the seventh of januarij 1605, subsigned I. D●c●s Secretary.   

A cure of a sore leg.  
NIcholas Crumm●●● a young man born● in Vaels' hard by the City of Aken, as some seven years since he served one Martin L●●a●s in a farm appertaining to the Canons of Aken where he was employed in tilling the ground and to look unto certain horses, he ●elt on a day about Whitsontyde a kind of grief and gnawing in his left leg, and afterwards an issue broke out of the same leg, the which increasing by little and little waxing as broad as the palm of ones hand, it began to yield out a kind of yellow water and moisture, and it much hindered him in his labour, and sometimes he was in that case that he could not go out of the house. Whereupon he transported himself to the said City of Aken there to take the counsel and advise of a certain surgeon called Henry Pavin, in whose house he remained about some three weeks for this purpose: but he profited him nothing for all that he could apply unto him: and in steed of one issue there ensued an other. Afterwards he was counselled by some to go to the hangman of the City, who had him in cure for the space of fifteen days, and yet 〈◊〉 was nothing helped by him. From th●●●●e caused himself to be carried to the 〈◊〉 of Maestright, where for the space of 〈◊〉 months he put himself into the hands of ●●e Barbers and Surgeons, and namely of M. john Cornill●, james H●●ain, and P●●●● Cr●mmens: who all by divers medicines & remedies endeavoured to cure him, but they achieved no more than the others before: his leg remaining with the former sores, and was very much swollen, so that the patiented was forced to go with two crutches. And in this plight he remained for a long time, being not able to go somuch as one or two steps without his crutches. Whereby being at last brought to that poverty that he was constrained to procure his living by the alms of good folk, he was counselled by some to go unto the great Hospital of Bruxelles there to be healed and assisted. Where being admitted, he continued for some four months and an half, and albeit that he was daily visited by M. john Bierens sworn Surgeon of the City, and by the Religious women of the said hospital, yet they could never cure him. Whereupon leaving Bruxelles, he went to Antwerp, where he was again in the Hospital for fourteen weeks, and he was assisted and dressed by two Surgeons, whereof the one was called M. Cornelius and the other M. john, & although both they and the Physicians which visited and frequented him, had used all their diligence to heal him, yet they profited nothing, so that all that they did was in vain. In somuch as being out of all hope to be cured, he departed out of the Hospital, and went up and down a beggig going always with his crutches. Afterwards coming to the City of Maclin he put himself into the Hospital to try if there he could be helped: where for the space of six weeks he was in the hands of the surgeon of that Hospital, dwelling near to our Lady's Church, who also spared no pains to cure him: but all was fruitless, and procured him no ease, the poor patiented continuing still in the said state, having his left leg drawn backward, and very crooked, and so stiff, that he thought none was able by any force to make it right again. And so seeing all the remedies that he applied there unto did no good, he remained still lame, not meddling any more with physic or surgery, save only that he took some plasters now from one, and then from an other to preserve his leg from rotting. It happened that in the beginning of the year 1603. he hard folk tell of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu through invocation of our Lady, whereupon he went with his crutches thither from the aforesaid village of Vaels', where he was at that present, and he continued for a certain time in the mountain, there daily praying, and yet at that time he felt no ease at all. But whereas afterwards he persevered in going often times in pilgrimage to the said Montaigu, and in visiting our Lady's Chapel: at the last betwixt Easter and Whit suntyde in the year 1604. seiourning for some time on the said mountain, and doing his accustomed devotions at the Chapel, he also took of the water that is in the said place, and daily washed his leg therewith: wherein he found incontinently amendment, and perceived that the two sores of his leg (which were now turned into one and w●● as large as both one's hands) began to heal, and by little and little to decrease. Upon which event being to departed from thence, he furnished himself with a good quantity of that water in a ●ot, wherewith he continued to wash his leg as before, and so by little and little the said sore was made perfectly whole, and the swelling of his leg went away. And in the beginning of December in thesayd year 1604. he came again to Montaigu with his crutches (although he had already felt so great ease that he used them not) and stayed there until the twentieth of the said month, daily washing his leg in the order as before we have said: & at that time it became very right, strong, and free from the former evil, insomuch that he left his crutches at our Lady's Chapel, going and walking as perfectly as any other: and from thence he went on foot without any pain or grief to the City of Bruxelles upon the xxijth of the same month: where before the magistrates of the said City he affirmed and under his oath solemnly avouched the things that here have been declared, as it appeareth by the attestation they dispatched hereof, dated the same day, and subsigned, P. Numan Secretary of the said City.  
Laus Deo beataeque Virgini Dei Genitrici Mariae.     

THE CONCLUSION OF THE TRANSLATOR.  
Here, and with these (Christian Reader) I thought good for this present to end, although Almighty God through his goodness of these miraculous works as yet maketh no end. The addition of those miracles which at our Montaigu this last year have been wrought, after due examination are now under the printers hands, whereof in time (by God's help) I will make thee partaker. Mean while with the devout evangelical woman make thy profit of these which here thou findest: and with her not only incline thy heart to believe, but also lift up thy voice to profess and confess the happiness of this sacred Mother, at whose intercession they are wrought, and withal the infallible assured authority of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church, in which only, and for whose only comfort, credit, and confirmation they are achieved. Remember who they were that would have killed Lazarus, and in deed killed our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ: whom therefore they should have believed and honoured, when they saw by his most doubtless signs the truth was so manifested and their impiety detected. Beware thou turn not with them to the reason of state, and earthly policy, saying: Neveniant Romani or such like, thereby diverting thyself from that which principally thou art bound to regard, lest through the just judgement of God, that which thou now most fearest apprehended thee, and that which should be thy sovereign object, hereafter fail thee. Dost thou not see how our Catholic doctrine by the same powerful hand at this present is upholden and fostered, by which at the beginning it was planted and took root? Read read, and see Yet for thine own good I am to increat thee, to avoid all curiosity in thy reading, as thou seest how I have avoided it in my translation: endeavouring rather truly then trimly to express my Author, as he hath laboured purely & punctually to deliver us the truth. Likewise be thou careful, not curious in learning the truth, and Christianly courageous in confessing the truth, that in the hour of thy chiefest peril the truth may deliver thee.   

Haec translatio mi 〈…〉 simae Virginis Miri 〈…〉 Gallico in Anglicu 〈…〉 rum ac bonorum 〈…〉 mihi ipsi fido) judicio 〈…〉 lica inventa est. Pot 〈…〉 ad multorum oppr 〈…〉 rum solatium▪ Dedu 〈…〉 1606.  
Egbertus Spi●●● 〈…〉 & P. 〈…〉 libro 〈…〉 Cum Gratia & 〈…〉 egi● ad Sexen●iu 〈…〉 Buscls 〈…〉   

Faults escaped in the printing.  

In the translators preface.  
For sf. read of.  
For paryer. prayer.  
For comfort, consort.   

In the preface of the author.  
For the piety of princes,  
Read, the piety of our princes.  
Pag. 22. for reaons read reasons.  
Pag. 26. for acotnes read acorns.  
Pag. 175. for depar read departed.  
Pag. 190. for calebrated read celebrated.  
Pag. 250. for Carls read Earls   
Consider (courteous Reader) our difficulties in using printers that are strangers, and at thy discretion vouchsafe to correct these and such like faults.