THE LIFE OF B. FATHER IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, Author, and Founder of the Society of JESUS.  
Translated out of Spanish into English, By W. M. of the same Society.  
Extendit palmites suos usque ad mare: & usque ad flumen propagines eius.  Psal. 79. 
Permissu Superiorum. M.DC.XVI.   

TO THE TRULY HONOURABLE AND VIRTUOUS GENTLEWOMAN Mistress Anne Vaux.  
RIGHT VIRTUOUS,  
HAVING translated, & being now to publish this brief History of the Blessed man F. Ignatius of Loyola; I could not doubt, but that it would be grateful to YOU, who have deserved so well of his Children living in our afflicted Country. And therefore my choice was soon made of yourself, before all others, to direct this my small labour unto: which indeed is so small, that unless the matter which it containeth were esteemed, it were not worth the offering to any. Wherefore you must not thank me, but your own virtuous Disposition, if you take any contentment therein.  
To which (if you will needs have some other to partake with you) that Worthy and Reverend Man Father Peter Ribadeneyra, who is the Author, deserveth best to be added, being in a manner from his Childhood brought up in the Religious School of the foresaid Blessed Father, & continued therein, with great edification, above 70. years: and among his many pious and profitable labours, was very eminent for his writings, especially in the Spanish Tongue, as is well known to all of that nation, by his many devout & learned Treatises which are extant. But above all other, by those which appertain to History among which our Nation was not forgotten; for he translated & augmented D. Saunders Books, Of our English Schism, beginning with King Henry the VIII. who upon the foul occasion, which the world knoweth, was the first cause thereof and prosecuting the same unto the later days of Queen Elizabeth.  
He also wrote with great commendations the Lives of all the Saints which are set down in the Roman Calendar, and of divers others. By occasion of which he published this brief Narration of Blessed Father Ignatius, which I have translated; wherein, as in an, Abridgement, he, in few words, comprehendeth that which he had set down more at large in a former Treatise, and withal inserted many not able miracles, which had been wrought by this Holy Man, for the most part, after the edition of his former book. And yet he relateth not all: for God hath since that time likewise continued to manifest the great sanctity of this Blessed Father by many more, in divers parts of the Christian world. I will only make mention of one, which hath been published in print, and happened in the Province of Perù, and in the City of Lima, of which I make choice, the rather, because the occasion thereof was taken by reading of those, which are recited in this Relation.  
In the Convent of S. Dominike in the foresaid City there was a Religious man of that Order, named Father Aluarus de Molina, a man of good account, and only hindered from great employments by long & continual sickness: for he had been molested with a dead palsy for the space of ten years; eight of which he had likewise so terrible a convulsion, as the Physicians call it, that he could not move his body, nor go one step, nor lift his hands to his head, nor almost speak any word that could be understood. The Physicians & Surgeons had given him over, accounting his disease incurable. Wherhfore the good Father conforming his will to that of God, spent most of his time in praying & reading spiritual books, for which he aceded some help, not being able to turn over the leaves himself.  
Having ended one of those devout books, he desired F. james de Ojeda, a Religious man of the same Order, to procure him another, which he willingly undertook, & made choice of this our History, giving great commendation thereof. The other accepted it very willingly, & having read the Miracles contained therein, he conceived so great devotion to B. F. Ignatius, & had such firm confidence in his intercession, that he made a vow to fast his Vigil, or Eve, so long as he lived, & to make a Commemoration of him twice every day, besides other devotions which he would always use towards him, together with a particular affection & good will to his Order, if it pleased God to restore his health & strength by the prayers of this holy man. This vow caused him extraordinary comfort, & so he renewed it daily, until it pleased God to renew & restore him his former health and strength, which he did within less than a fortnight, after the first making thereof, in manner following.  
Upon the 8. day of November, which is the Octave of All-Saints, in the year of our Lord 1607. between 4. & 5. of the clock in the afternoon, Father Aluarus sitting in his chair, as he was always wont when he was out of his bed, felt within himself an inward impulsion or motion, and as it were a voice, which encouraged him & said: Rise up, & walk; & this was with so great delight and satisfaction, that he stood up, and began to go: and finding himself strong & able, he went down a pair of stairs, where he met with many that came from an Act of Divinity, who did all wonderfully admire to see him go in that manner. To whom he related his vow, & how it had pleased God to cure him thus perfectly by the intercession of B. Father Ignatius.  
By which narration of his, they discovered yet more plainly the greatness of the Miracle: for whereas before scarce any word he said could be understood, so that it was necessary to make him repeat the same thing often, & to go very near unto him; now there was no such difficulty at all, for he spoke very clearly & distinctly. The Religious men of that house, seeing so evident a Miracle, went presently into the Church, and F. Aluarus with them, who having prostrated himself before the Blessed Sacrament, the rest sung Te Deum laudamus, with Music and Organs: which being done, they sent word of all to the College of the Society of jesus, divers Religious men of S. dominik's Order going thither to congratulate with them, affirming that this Miracle had as many witnesses, as there were Religious men in their house, & that it was so evident, that the Devil himself could not calumniate it: so that it alone were sufficient to move any Gentle to believe, that the Catholic Roman faith is the true Religion, and that B. Father Ignatius is a Saint.  
The Physicians also did affirm with one consent, that it was a manifest Miracle, and Father Aluarus his disease was so notorious, that a thousand witnesses might easily have been found to affirm the same. It was strange to see, what wonderful joy, Devotion, and Admiration this Miracle caused in all that City. God grant we may dispose ourselves to found the like effects, which we may the more easily obtain, if we help ourselves with the Holy intercession of Blessed Father Ignatius. From the reading of whose history, I will not detain you any longer, but earnestly entreat you to be mindful of me in your devout prayers, & particularly in those which you make to this Glorious Patriarch. Which request I likewise make to all others, who shall reap any benefit by this my small labour. And so I end, and rest, This feast of All-Saintes 1615.  
Yours ever assured, W. M.   

THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS.  

OF the Birth and Lineage of Ignatius: and of his Conversion from a secular life. Chap. I  
Of the fervour of his penance, and contempt of the world. Chap. II.  
How be is freed of Scrupulosity, and enjoyeth divine Revelations. And of the Monument erected in his honour at Manresa in Spain. Chap. III.  
How he went to Rome, and thence to Jerusalem. And what happened unto him in this his Pilgrimage. Cap. FOUR  
How he returned from Jerusalem into Spain: and of the many dangers that be escaped. Chap. V.  
He beginneth to study, to the end he might help his Neighbours. And how his life, manners, & learning are severely examined, and found sound, and holy. Chap. VI  
How he went to Paris to finish his studies. And what happened unto him there. Chap. VII.  
Of those that adjoined themselves to B. F. Ignatius, and of their virtuous employments. Chap. VIII.  
The Society of jesus is sounded, and confirmed by the Sea Apostolic: and Ignatius is ordained General. Cap. IX.  
How he behaved himself being made General; & of divers new Colleges founded by his means. Chap. X.  
Of the happy death of B. Ignatius: and what happened thereat. Chap. XI.  
Of the chiefest Virtues of B. Ignatius: and especially of his Humility, and contempt of himself. Chap. XII.  
Of his Mortifications: and Charity towards God. Chap. XIII.  
Of his Love, and Charity towards his Neighbour. Chap. XIV.  
Of the particular Devotion, & other virtues of B. F. Ignatius. Chap. XV.  
Of his divine Revelations, and Contemplations in God. Chap. XVI.  
Of certain beams of Glory seen about B. F. Ignatius Head; and how he was endued with the gift of Prophecy. Chap. XVII  
Of the Miracles of B. F. Ignatius. And first of his power over Divellt, as well in his life, as after his death. Chap. XVIII  
Of four Sisters of Modena dispossessed of Devils, by the Merits of B. Father Ignatius. Chap. XIX.  
Of the wonderful force, & efficacy of B. Father Ignatius. Chap. XX.  
Of the miraculous Cures of diseases, done by the intercession of B. Father Ignatius. Chap. XXI.  
Of divers Miracles wrought in Spain, by the intercession of B. Father Ignatius. Chap. XXII.  
Of divers other Miracles of B. F. Ignatius, done in other parts of the world. Chap. XXIII.  
Of the wonderful beginning, & progress of the Society of jesus throughout the world. Chap. XXIIII.  
Sundry Testimonies of Holy men, of Kings, Princes, and Prelates, concerning B. Father Ignatius. Chap. XXV.    
THE LIFE OF B. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, Founder of the Society of JESUS.  

Of the Birth and Lineage of Ignatius: and of his Conversion from a secular life.  
CHAP. I  
BLESSED Father Ignatius of Loyola Founder, and Father of the Society of JESUS, was borne in that part of Spain, which is called the Province of Guipuzcoa, the year of our Lord 1491. 
He is borne 31. of july. 1491.  Pope Innocentius 8. sitting in the chair of S. Peter, and Frederick the third being Emperor, and Don Ferdinandus with Donna Isabel of glorious memory governing the Catholic Kingdom of Spain. His Father was named Beltram jagnez, Lord of Ognez and Loyola, and head of that Honourable and Ancient family. His Mother was named Maria Sonez of Balda, daughter to the Lords of the House and Teritory of Balda, a Matron equal to her husband both in birth and nobility. These two houses of Loyola and Balda are of those which are called Great, and of the most principal in the Province of Guipuzcoa.  
2. Our Ignatius from his childhood discovered a quick, sharp, and great wit; and after some few years he was sent to the Catholic King's Court, that he might there be brought up among his Equals. His courage increasing with his age, he gave himself earnestly to all manner of warlike exercise, that he might obtain the reputation of being valiant, and of military honour and glory.  
3. It happened that in the year 1521. the Frenchmen besieging the Castle of Pampelona, Ignatius entered into it with the Captains and soldiers, that were appointed for the defence thereof. The siege being very strait, and they who were within having no hope of succour, began to treat of a composition, and had concluded it, if Ignatius had not opposed himself, encouraging them to resist the enemy until death. But the French men continuing their battery of the Castle, while Ignatius defended it, 
He is wounded in the defence of the castle of Pampelona.  he was wounded with a bullet in his right leg, so that the bones thereof were not only broken, but also shivered in pieces: and besides a stone being driven out of the wall with the force of the bullet, had also sorely hurt his left leg. Ignatius being thus overthrown, the rest were discomfited, & yiedled themselves to the French, who carrying Ignatius to their Tents, and understanding who he was, caused him to be very carefully looked unto, and after sent him home in a litter upon men's shoulders.  
4. His sickness increased in such sort, that there was little hope of his life: but our Lord relieved him in his greatest danger, sending unto him the most glorious Prince of the Apostles S. Peter, 
S. Peter appeareth un-him, and restoreth his health.  to whom he had ever been very devout, upon the Eve of his Feast: and he appeared unto him as one, who came to favour him, & restore his health. With this visitation of the holy Apostle our s●●ldier began to wax better, and to recover his health: but desiring to become a Gallant, and to follow the neatest and finest fashions, he caused a bone which remained sticking out deformedly under his knee to be cut of, that so he might (as I have heard him say) draw on a strait boot. Neither would he be bound while it was a doing esteeming it a thing unworthy of his noble mind. And though the pain were extreme, & very sharp (because they were to cut into the quick) yet he kept his countenance, and showed such courage, as caused admiration, never changing colour, nor once sighing or speaking any word, which might discover any weakness, as he had done before in all the rest of his cure.  
5. In the time of his recovery lying in his bed, and being accustomed to read profane books of Chivalry, he asked for some such vain Treatise, to pass the time withal, which seemed long, and tedious. They brought him two books, one of the Life of Christ, and the other of the lives of Saints, 
He is converted by reading the lives of Saints.  there being none of those others which he would have had in the house. Wherhfore he began to read in these at the beginning, that he might pass away the time, but afterward he took great delight and affection therein: and our Lord wrought so far in the heart of Ignatius with that reading, that he was changed, conceiving a desire to imitate that which he read. So, that though he found great repugnance, many contentions and grievous combats within himself, because his long and inveterate custom, and the subtleties & temptations of Satan were of great force to detain him in the world; yet notwithstanding Grace prevailed against corruption of nature, and the Comfort of heaven against the tyranny of his former evil life, and the favour of God who had chosen him for great matters, against all the crafts, and deceits of the enemy. Wherhfore one night rising out of his bed (as he was often wont) to pray, & kneeling down before a picture of our B. Lady, with humble and fervent confidence, he offered himself by the means of this glorious Mother, to her bountiful and merciful Son, for his faithful soldier and servant, promising him to follow his Ensign and to forsake the world.   

Of the fervour of his penance, and contempt of the world.  
CHAP. II.  
AT the very time, that he made this prayer, there was a very great noise heard in all the house, and the chamber where he was did shake, and a glass window in it was broken. In this his change of life he greatly feared the weakness of his flesh, but the most sacred Virgin, and most sovereign Queen of the Angels (to whom he most devoutly commended himself) appeared unto him one night while he was awake, 
Our B. Lady appeareth unto him with our Saviour in her arms, and giveth him the gift of chastity.  with her most precious Son in her arms, by means of which heavenly visitation our Lord gave him such great grace, and changed him in that manner, cleansing his soul from all filthy, and dishonest delight, that from that instant to the end of his life, he remained pure and chaste, without any spot, in great integrity, and freedom.  
2. He sought to embrace that state and manner of life, in which he might afflict his body with more rigour & penance, and found God more perfectly. To this end he determined to forsake his house, kindred, and acquaintance; which he did, his elder brother Martin Garcia of Loyola not being able to dissuade him to the contrary: and by occasion of visiting the Duke of Najara, he went to our B. Ladies of Montserat attended by two men, 
He goeth to Montserat, and disciplineth himself every night.  whom he sent back by the way, giving them part of that which he had.  
3. From the day that he departed from home, he used every night to make a sharp discipline, which he continued all his journey: and being inflamed in the love of God, and burning with zeal of his honour, he now referred all that he did, & purposed to do, TO GOD'S GREATER GLORY for this was always, as it were the Poesy of Ignatius, and the soul, and life of all his works. Likewise in this journey he made a vow of chastity, and offered to Christ our Lord the purity of his soul and body, 
He maketh a vow of chastity.  with singular devotion, and a fervent desire to obtain it, as he did, in that entire & complete manner, which we have already mentioned.  
4. In a Village not far from Montserat he bought him a garment, or habit, which he purposed to wear in the Pilgrimage which he intended to Jerusalem: and this was a coat of sackcloth, or course canvas, down to the foot, and a cord for his girdle, a payr of country buskyns, a little bottle, and a Pilgrim's staff.  
5. Coming to that Holy place of our B. Lady at Montserat, the first thing he did was to seek (as a sick man who desireth health) the best Physician, and Confessarius which he could found, to discover his wounds unto him. He found a Holy roligious man of the French nation called Fr. john Clanon, a great servant of God, 
He maketh a general confession.  known, & reverenced for such. With this good Father, Ignatius made a general Confession of all his life for the space of three days, with great diligence, remorse, and feeling of his sins: And this religious man was the first to whom he opened his purposes, and intents, as to his spiritual Father, and Master. He gave his horse to the Monastery, and caused his sword, and dagger with which he had served the world before to be hanged up at our B. Lady's Altar, seeking other new & more resplendent weapons to serve our Lord withal.  
6. To this end upon the Eve of that joyful, and most glorious day, the 25. of March, in which the eternal Word clad himself with our flesh in the womb of his most pure Mother the year 1522. very secretly in the night he went to a poor Pilgrim, altogether destitute of apparel, which was there, and putting of all his clothes (unto his shirt) he gave him them, & clothed himself with that his desired sackcloth which he had bought, and with much devotion placed himself before the Altar of the B. Virgin, where he remained all that night, partly standing, and partly kneeling, to watch like a new knight of Christ those his new and in appearance poor, 
He watcheth his weapons after the manner of new soldiers.  & weak weapons, but indeed very rich, and strong, commending himself earnestly to the protection of the most Sacred Virgin, bewailing his sins most bitterly, and purposing to amend them with her favour.  
7. In the morning before it was day, that he might not be known, he departed in great haste towards a town called Manresa, which standeth at the foot of the mountain three leagues from Montserat, and somewhat out of the high way to Barcelona. In this manner Ignatius went joyful being clad with that poor, and course sackcloth, girded with a cord, carrying his pilgrim's staff in his hand, without any hat, and wearing a  but upon one foot only, which seemed necessary, because that leg was yet weak, and not thoroughly recovered, in so much that it swollen a new every night. But this his joy was presently diminished by the coming of one to demand of him, whether it were true, that he had given his gich apparel to a poor man, whom the officers had apprehended▪ suspecting, lest he had stolen them. By this means he was enforced to tell the truth, to deliver him that was innocent, and he shed many tears, thinking himself to great a sinner, that he could not so much as help his neighbour without doing him harm, and putting him to shame. And though they asked him his Name, who he was, and also from whence he came, yet he answered them to none of these questions, thinking that there was no cause why he should, and desiring to be unknown, and despised in the eyes of the world.  
8. In Manresa he went directly to the hospital of S. Lucy, 
What penance he did at Manresa  that he might live on alms among the poor. He began to afflict, and waste his body with a very sharp, and rigorous life, & to mortify all the delights & vain cares which he had before. And because he had been curious in the world in trimming his hair, and adorning his person, now he went bareheaded night and day, never using comb, or any thing else thereto: and with the same contempt of himself he suffered his nails, & beard to grow out of order. He had no other bed but the ground, watching in a manner all the night, weeping bitterly for his sins. He used after this to make three austere disciplines every day, and prayed 7. hours upon his knees, and all this with as great devotion, & fervour as he could.  
9 He heard Mass, Evensong, and Complyn every day with great comfort, and contentment of his mind, which being tender in devotion had easily imprinted in it such divine things; and those voices, and praises of our Lord pierced to the inmost of his soul. He did use to eat but once a day a little bread, & therewith drank a little water, which was given unto him of alms, & he fasted all the week in this manner except the Sundays, upon which he went to confession, & received the most Holy sacrament of the Altar.  
10. He was so desirous to mortify his flesh and to bring it to the obedience, and subjection of the spirit, that he deprived himself of all things which could give any delight to bis body, by which means though he were a strong man, and of great forces, yet in few days, he came to be very weak, with the rigour of such austere penance.   

How he is freed of Scrupulosity & enjoyeth divine Revelations. And of the Monument erected in his honour at Manresa●.  
CHAP. III.  
NEITHER did this outward Penance, and affliction of his body weaken him so much, as the inward scruples, & anxieties which tormented his spirit. For though he had with all diligence, and care made a general Confession of his sins as we have said; yet our Lord who by this way would wash, and purge him from them, afflicted him in such sort with the remorse of conscience, and that gnawing worm which did eat, and rear his heart, that he found no rest in prayer, nor ease in fasting, and watching nor remedy in his disciplines and other penances; but dejected as it were with the force of sadness, and dismayed, and discouraged with the violence of that extreme grief, he prostrated himself on the ground, as one that were overwhelmed, & drowned with the waves and billows of the sea. This trouble went so far, that having almost lost himself, and being desolate of all comfort, he resolved neither to eat, nor drink until he found the desired peace of his soul, unless he should happen to be in danger of death.  
2. And with this purpose he remained seven whole days, without tasting any thing, not omitting for all this his seven hours of prayer upon his knees, and his three disciplins every day, together with the other exercises & devotions which he was wont to use, until giving account to his Confessarius what he had done, and how he purposed to go forward, was commanded by him in God's name to take some thing: to whom he obeyed, though he found himself to have his accustomed forces, and nothing weakened. By this obedience and for the entire affection, & a boundant tears with which he beseeched his divine Majesty, our Lord vouchsafed to comfort his servant, and to illustrate him with new light from Heaven, giving him a wonderful peace and serenity in his soul, 
God giveth him peace & discretion of spirits.  and such an admirable discretion of spirits, that there scarce ever repaired to him afterward any scrupulous person, tormented with this infirmity, who was not delivered by his chunsayle. Neither did he only enrich him with this so notable a favour, but likewise comforted his spirit with sovereign, and marvelous Visitations from Heaven, (as shallbe said hereafter) that according to the measure of the former sorrows which he had endured, the consolations of our Lord might (as the Prophet saith) refresh, 
Psal. 93.  and rejoice his soul.  
3. The light which our Lord gave to this his servant even in those beginnings, and the care which he took in the courses, by which God directed him, were so great, that being (as he was) a man until that time given to the noise and vanity of war, and so unlearned, that he could only writ and read: in this very time he wrote the book which we call the Spiritual Exercises, which is so replenished with documents, & excellent instructions in spiritual matters, that it clearly appeareth, how the unction of the holy Ghost taught him & supplied the want, which at that time he had of study & learning. For it cannot easily be thought, how much fruit these have taken by this book, 
He writeth the book of exercise.  who have exercised themselves in the meditations & rules, that are in it; and what profit hath ensued in the whole Catholic Church, aswell in religious, as secular people by the use of these Exercises. This book after much examination, Pope Paul the third of happy memory confirmed with his Apostolic authority, by his letters dated the year 1548. in which he exhorteth all the faithful to read them, and to exercise themselves in the meditations, and rules which they contain; as may be seen at large in his Breve, which goeth printed with the book itself of the said Exercises.  
4. But our Ignatius being so severe towards himself, and not remiting any thing of the rigour of his austerity & penance, broken with the excessive labours of body, & continual combats of mind, fell into a very grievous sickness: in which the Inhabitans of Manresa provided him of all necessaries with much charity, and many honest, and devout persons served, and attended him with the same; for they accounted, and esteemed him as a Saint. And the devotion which they of that place conceived towards him was so great, that it being now almost 80. years since this passed, there is at this day in Manresa a very fresh memory, and great signs of the life which he lead there: and those of that City do very piously frequent the places where he lived, and used to pray, craving our Lord's favour by his intercession. And for a perpetual remembrance thereof, Doctor. john Baptista Cardona, Bishop of Vich (in whose Diocese Manresa is situated) and Lord Elect of jortosa, caused a Piramesse of stone to be eerected in Manresa at the Church of S. Lucy, which was before an hospital of poor people, where Ignatius founder of the Society of JESUS began to do penance, with an Inscription: which because it is a particular thing, and declareth greatly the opinion, and estimation which they have in that Country of the holiness of our Father, I have thought it not amiss to translate it out of Latin, and recite it in this place. And this it is.  
5. To Ignatius of Loyola the son of Beltram of the Province of Guipuzcoa Founder of the Society of jesus, 
The pyramesse of Manresa.  who being of the age of 30. years, in the castle of Pampelona fought valiantly with the Frenchmen for the defence of his country: and having received some mortal wounds, and being recovered of them, by God's singular benefit, inflamed with a desire to visit the Holy Places of Jerusalem, he took his journey making a vow of chastity: and leaving the weapons, which (as a soldier) he was wont to wear, hanged up in the Church of our B. Lady of Montserat, clothed in sack, and hayrecloth, and all most naked, he began to bewail the sins of his former life in this place, and as a new soldier of Christ to take revenge of himself with fastings, tears, and prayers.  
For the memory of so worthy a thing, and the glory of God, and honour and renown of his Society, john Baptista Cardona borne in Valentia, Bishop of Vich, and Elected of jortosa, for the great devotion which he beareth to the sanctity of the said Father, and of his Order, caused this stone to be erected as to a most pious man, and to whom the whole Christian Common wealth is so much indebted: Sixtus Quintus being Pope, and the Catholic, and great Philip the second of that name King of Spain.   

How he went to Rome, & thence to Jerusalem: And what happened unto him in this his Pilgrimage.  
CHAP. FOUR  
BEING a little recovered, he presently returned to his accustomed penances, and so fell down again the second, and third time; for with an unwearied, and perseverant mind he took upon him a heavier burden than his forces could bear. But in the end overcome by his own experience, and with an extreme pain of his stomach, which tormented him, together with the asperity of winter, by the counsel of his devout friends, he took two short coats of course russet cloth to keep his body warm, and a little cap of the same cloth to wear upon his head.  
2. Our Ignatius stayed almost a year in Manresa, leading the life, which we have related: but our Lord who had ordained him for greater matters, took him out of that solitude, inspiring him to go, and visit the holy places of Jerusalem. To this intent he departed from Manresa, and went alone to Barcelona, 
He goeth to Jerusalem.  without taking any other company with him but that of God, with whom he desired to treat by himself, and to enjoy his inward communication, without noise, or hindrance of others, though many had offered themselves to accompany him in that journey. And likewise because he would wholly depend of the Fatherly providence of God, without relying, or putting his confidence in any creature. In Barcelona he went to the Church to hear a sermon, & sat down among the little children upon the steps of the Altar. There was present a Lady called Elizabeth rosel, who beholding our Pilgrim, seemed (as she told me herself afterward in Rome) to perceive a light, and splendour in his countenance, and that she heard in her heart, 
His countenance becometh resplendent.  as it were a voice, which said unto her, Call him, Call him. And so she did at the end of the Sermon, & invited him to dinner with her husband, who was blind, all in the house marveling much at his words, modesty, and the spirit with which he spoke of Divine things, & exhorted them to love the chiefest good with all diligence.  
3. This Lady hindered him from going in a little ship, with which he had already agreed, and it was after cast away in the sight of Barcelona, and she procured him passage in a great ship, which with strong, & boisterous winds went from Barcelona to Gajeta in five days; from whence he departed towards Rome with great labour, & difficulty. For this year (being that of 1523.) Italy was much infected with the plague, and for this cause he was not permitted to enter into the Towns: so that the hunger, & weakness which he suffered was so great, that not being able to go one step further, he was enforced to stay where the night over took him. But at last, as well as he could sontyms falling, & rising again he arrived at Rome upon Palm Sunday, and visited with great devotion the sacred Stations, & sanctuaries of that holy City, and likewise obtained the benediction of Pope Adrian the sixth, who at that time was the Chief Pastor of God's Church.  
4. He remained a fortnight in Rome, and though many endeavoured to altar his purpose of going to Jerusalem, by proposing unto him the great labours, dangers, and difficulties which were incident to that long Darney in a year of such de●●th, and sickness; yet they could make no impression in 〈◊〉. Only they persuaded him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 or 8 crowns, which they gave him at his departure to pay for his shipping, and passage: which afterward having remorse of conscience & thinking that it was not agreeable to the spirit of true poverty, which he desired to follow in all things, he distributed all the said money to the poor that he met upon the way. In which he endured incredible afflictions, being put back from the towns, lying in the fields; all those who met him flying from him, no less then from death itself: because they did see him so pale and wan, and forsaken by those who went along the same way.  
5. But our Lord (who said, I will not forsake, 
Io●ue 1.  not leave thee,) vouchsafed to visit him, as he went from Choca to Milan in a plain field, 
Being alone, & desolate JESUS Christ appeareth unto him.  comforting him with his sweet, and sovereign presence, and encouraging him to endure harder things for his sake, after which he found more easy entrance into Milan, and Venice, where he would not speak with the Ambassador, who for the Emperor Charles the King of Spain was Legier in that Common wealth. For he sought not any human, but the divine favour. In Venice he had new difficulties, and fears to dismay, and hinder him from this journey, because the Great Turk Soliman had taken the Isle of Rhodes the year before, and by reason of the sickness, and agues which he had in that place: but nothing was sufficient to debate our Pilgrim's courage, nor to diminish the secure, and firm confidence, with which he had settled in his heart, that if only one ship were to pass that year to Jerusalem, yet our Lord would procure him passage therein.  
6. Being in venice, he asked his meat of alms from door to door according to his custom, and in the night he lay in the public market place of S. Mark, which is the chiefest of that City. But one night a Senator, and one of the most principal of that City sleeping in his bed with much commodity, 
A Senator admonished by God, seeketh, & findeth him lying upon the ground.  and ease, heard a voice which awakened him, and said: How art thou so daintily, and richly clad, and livest with so many commodities in thy house, whilst my Servant remaineth naked in the streets? Thou sleepest in a rich, and soft bed, and he lieth abroad upon the hard ground. The Senator being astonished at this voice, riseth out of his bed, and in great haste goeth out of his house, up and down the streets, and coming to S. Marks, he findeth our Pilgrim lying upon the ground, and understanding him to be the man, whom our Lord commanded him to seek, he carrieth him that night to his house, & useth him with much courtesy. But he, being desirous to avoid such delicacies and honour, went to a Spaniards house, an old acquaintance of his, who by many entreaties had invited him thither. After this he spoke to Andrew Griti, who at that time was Duke of Venice, and desired him to command, 
He taketh ship for Jerusalem, and God comforteth him and delivereth him from a great danger.  that he might have shipping. The Duke granted, commanding that he should be carried of free cost to Cyprus in the Captains ship in which the new governor himself went.  
7. The 14. day of july of the same year 1523. he went aboard, and departed from Venice, having immediately before taken a Purgation by reason a of great ague, which at that very time had assailed him: and yet Physicians told him, that if he took ship that day he would put his life in manifest danger. But he being inwardly guided by an other superior Physician made no account of that which they said, and indeed his going to sea was the cause of his perfect recovery.  
8. In this ship wherein he went there were great sins & wickedness committed, which our Pilgrim inflamed with the zeal and love of God, reprehended with great liberty, so that the Mariners taking this in ill part, determined to leave him in a desolate, and unhabited Island. But at the very time that they came to it, a sudden & furious wind did drive their ship from that Isand, so that they could not perform their wicked intent. In this his navigation our Lord appeared unto him many times, comforting, & cherishing him with incredible consolations, and spiritual joys, and finally he brought him safely to the haven of joppa the last day of August, and upon the 4. of September before noon, to Jerusalem. 
He visiteth the Holy places with extraordinary devotion.   
9 It cannot be explicated in few words, what joy our Lord imparted to this our Pilgrim, with the only sight of that holy City, and what favours he did him all the time of his abode there, with a continual consolation, whilst he employed himself in visiting, and reverencing all those sacred places, which Christ our Lord had sanctified with his presence, and delighting exceedingly with the remembrance of so inestimable a benefit. Our Pilgrim had determined to remain in Jerusalem, and to employ the rest of his life in this holy exercise, as likewise in assisting, and serving his neighbours in all that his forces could asfoard; though he discovered not this last of helping others, to any, fearing popular applause, and the good reputation, in which some perhaps might have of him. But imparting the intention which he had to remain in Jerusalem, to the Father Provincial of S. Francis his order who lived there, and he finding many difficulties and inconveniences therein, following his counsel, and the will of God, who called him for greater matters, he resolved to return to Spain, & to take that estate, and manner of life, which our Lord should vouchsafe to show him.  
10. But before his departure from Jerusalem he had an inflamed desire to return, 
What happened unto him upon the Mount Olivet.  and visit Mount Olivet, where until this day are seen in a stone the steps which our Saviour left imprinted with his Divine feet, at the time of his ascending into Heaven: and with this desyrehe stole secretly from the other pilgrims, & alone without guide, or company, or any Turk to defend him (which is a very dangerous thing) he went in all haste up to Mount Olivet, & afterward returned to it again, full of incomparable joy, that he might more attentively consider, on what side the step of he right, and of the left foot were placed, which remained imprinted in the stone And because he had nothing else to give to the watch men, that they would let him pass, he gave them a little knife, and a payr of scissors which he had carried with him. And although the Fathers of S Francis order, fearing his danger, reprehended him for it, and one of the Christians, who had care of the pilgrims, and was sent for him did both chide, 
Christ our Lord appeareth unto him.  & threaten him, yet our Ignatius was not moved or troubled, for Christ our Saviour appeared unto him, and went before him, & bore him company until they came to the gates of the Covent: and with this celestial favour he endured this trouble with great comfort   

How he returned from Jerusalem into Spain: and of the many dangers that he escaped.  
CHAP. V.  
THE time in which our Pilgrim returned from Jerusalem into Italy was very troublesome with snow, and frost, being in the heart of winter. His garment was of course canvas, and his doublet which given him of alms, was all cut, and open in the back: his cloak was short, and third bore, and of bad cloth: he had no stockings at all, but only shoes upon his feet He found in Cyprus three ships ready to departed: 
He returneth into Italy and the little ship in which he sailing cometh home safe the other being lost.  one whereof belonged to the Turk, another which was very strong, and well appointed was of Venice: and the third was a little old bark, almost rotten and consumed. In this third, our Ignatius shipped himself, for the Captain of the Venetian ship understanding that he was poor, and had not where withal to pay him, would not admit him: saying, that if he were as Holy, as some gave out, he might walk upon the water, for he should not be drowned. All these three ships put themselves to sail the same day and hour with prosperous wind; but in the evening there came upon them a tempestuous storm, with which the Turkish ship was cast away with all her people: that of Venice ran herself upon ground near to the Isle of Cyprus, and was cast away, though the men in her were saved: and only the little bark, in which the servant of God went, being old, and wormeaten, arrived safe at Venice, in the midst of january the year 1524.  
2. In Venice he rested himself a few days, and afterwards took his journey for spain, having only 7. or 8. shillings, which were given him of alms, and a piece of cloth to cover, and keep warm his stomach, which he felt to be much weakened, and consumed, by the force of the cold and his nakedness. But going forward in his journey, 
He giveth all he hath to the poor, and asketh alms from door to door.  and being at Ferrara praying in a Church, there came certain poor people to ask of him alms, and he gave them all the money he had, and going out of the Church, went from door to door ask a piece of bread to eat according to his custom.  
3. From thence he took his way for Genua, and passed by the armies, and camps of the Spanish, and French soldiers who at that time were at cruel War in Lombardy: & he was taken for a spy & used by the Spanish soldiers with little courtesy and modesty: 
He is taken by the Spanish and French soldiers.  for they accounted him a fool, bearing him with their fists, and spurning him; all which caused extraordinary comfort in his soul. The French men used him more friendly. And finally our Lord guiding him he came to Genua, where he took ship, and with great danger of Pirates, and enemies arrived at Barcelona, ending his navigation in the same place, where he had begun it.   

He beginneth to study, to the end he might help his Neighbours: And how his life, manners, & learning is severely examined, and found sound & holy.  
CHAP VI.  
THE Blessed Father being returned to Spain, was very desirous to please God and serve him in whatsoever he would appoint, but always with intention to employ himself in helping of his neighbours. To this end after he had considered, and commended the matter much to God, he resolved to study, and to join with the unction of Spirit which our Lord imparted unto him, the study, 
He beginneth to study Grammar.  and exercise of learning: and so he did. And being now 33. years of age he began to learn the first principles of Grammar of a virtuous, and devout Master called Hierome Ardebalus, who taught School in Barcelona, the Lady Elizabeth rosel (of whom we spoke before) giving him all that was necessary for his sustenance; so great was the spirit & fervour with which he desired to overcome himself & please God. And though the Devil took upon him divers forms, and used new crasis & deceits to withdraw him from his study: yet the grace of our Lord, and the perseverance which he gave to this his Servant prevailed more to make him to go forward in his Holy Purpose, than all the devices of the Enemy to hinder him.  
2. He felt himself in Barcelona somewhat cased of the pain of his stomach, and he presently returned to the great rigour of his accustomed penances which by reason of his want of health, and the labour of so long a journey, he had somewhat remitted. Wherhfore he made certain holes in the soles of his shoes, and tore them by little and little, so that in the beginning of winter he went barefoot upon the ground, though his feet were covered with the upper leathers: & this to avoid ostentation, which he also did in his other penances.  
3. In Barcelona there befell him two notable things in which he showed his patience, and charity: 
He is misused for the defence of God's honour.  The one was, that having notice of certain light young men, who disquieted the Nunnery called Of the Angels, wherein there lived Religious women of S. Dominicks order, & was situated at that time without the walls of the city: he procured to persuade the Nuns to avoid those conversations & occasions, and to give themselves to all recollection, and denotion. By which exhortations those good fellows, not finding their former entertainment in that Monastery, were much troubled, and threatened the Blessed Father. And finally divers times they refrained not from blows, & once they misused him very much, so that he had necessity to be cured: but for all this he gave not over his enterprise, rejoicing greatly to suffer for the love of jesus Christ.  
4. The second thing was, that coming one day from the foresaid monastery Of the Angels, it happened that a man had hanged himself upon one of the beams in his chamber, 
Herestoreth life to one that had hanged himself that he might be sorry for his sins.  into which the good Father speedily entered, and cut down the rope; and though all held the man for dead, yet did he fall to his prayers, and cried unto him, so that the man recovered his senses, and gave signs of repentance, and sorrow for his sins, and a little after gave up the ghost. In which accident the circumstances that concurred were such, that it was miraculous in the whole City, through which it was soon divulged. He stayed in Barcelona two years studying Grammar, until that by the counsel of some learned men in the year 1526. he went to the University of Alcala, that he might pass to other higher sciences.  
5. In Alcala he lied in the Hospital of Lewis of Antezana, which was there founded: & he began to study Logic, and Philosophy: and withal heard the Master of Sentences, by the counsel of some, who with a desire to have him end quickly, knew not how to direct him. But he became now so inflamed with the love of God, & with an insatiable thirst to help, and remedy the souls, and bodies of his neighbours, that he contented not himself with the ordinary labour of his studies, and of ask alms from door to door, 
His behaviour in Alcala  to sustain himself, but that withal he taught children, and ignorant people the Catechism, or Christian Doctrine, and guided many in the way of virtue by prayer, and meditation, and gathered alms with which he provided victuals for such poor, as suffered most necessity.  
6. This caused great admiration in that University, and it was more increased by seeing our Blessed Father clad with one only coat of course cloth, going barefoot, and in his company other three in the same attire, who followed him, as moved by his example; and besides another young man of France adjoined himself unto them: So that they were called (as it were in mockery) those of the Blanket, or course cloth. This admiration (caused by the novelty) gave occasion, that he and those in his company were diversly spoken of in the town, every one interpreting that which he did see, or hear, according to his own affection. And although great diligence, and much inquiry was made, & divers and exquisite informations taken by the Licenciate john Figueroa (who afterward died Precedent of Castilia, & at that time was Vicar General of Alcala to the Archbishop of Toledo) of his life, and doctrine: yet there was never found in word or deed, any vice in his life, or error in his doctrine, as the same Vicar testified. Albeit for the greater trial of the Blessed Father, 
He is committed to prison without any fault.  and that the truth might be more known, they afterward apprehended him upon a false suspicion, and kept him in prison 42. days with great joy. of his spirit, to see himself suffer without fault for Christ, which was the thing that he desired much.  
7. Wherefore though some persons of great Authority who were much devoted to him, offered him their favour saying, that they would 'cause him to be set at liberty, if he would; yet he never gave his consent, nor would take any Proctor, or Advocate, nor any other to pled for his innocency, thinking defence not to be necessary, where there was no fault. And likewise if he had done amiss in any thing, he desired to be corrected by the Ecclesiastical Superiors, to whom all his life he showed himself a child of obedience. After 42 days the matter being tried, and the Process being concluded, they restored him, and his company to their former freedom, the Vicar aforesaid declaring by his sentence that they were found altogether innocent, and without fault in any thing which was objected against them.  
8. There happened one thing to the blessed Father here in Alcala which was accounted miraculous, 
A knight is consumed by fire who said, that Ignatius deserved a faggot.  and this it was: that the Vicar having commanded when he delivered him out of prison, that he should go apparelled like other scholars, he commended the matter to a Priest named john of Lucena, who employed himself in works of charity, desiring him to procure some alms, to buy him clothes. They two went one day ask this alms, & they came to a street where many of good sort stood looking on those who were playing at bal, nigh to the house of a principal Knight, whom I will not name for just respects. This Knight understanding that they asked alms for that effect, in a great rage, turning to the said john of Lucena, asked him, Why one of his quality would procure that alms? And he added, Let me be burnt, if this fellow deserve not to be burned. Which words were cause of great scandal to those, who after came to know it, and were acquainted with the Father's sanctity. But the same day, there came news, that King Philip the second was borne, in joy whereof there were great feasts, and triumphs made in Alcala, and throughout all Spain. Upon which occasion the foresaid Knight went up to a Turret in his house, where then was a great quantity of gunpowder placed, to make artificial fierce, and by chance a spark fell into the powder; which presently blew up the Tower, the Knight being therewith killed and burnt.  
9 When the blessed Father was told of this, shedding many tears of pity, and compassion, he said: He foretold it himself this morning, when I passed by his house, for I wished him no such harm. This accident was very public, and notorious in Alcala, and accounted rare, and miraculous, for the declaration of the Father's sanctity.  
10. From Alcala he went to speak with Don Alfonsus of Fonseca Archbishop of Toledo, who at that time was at Valliadolid, and he entertained him with great benignity, offering him his favour and protection, if he would use the help of him, or his in Salamanca, giving him money to carry him thither. When he came thither he began to implov himself (as he was wont) in stirring up the people's hearts to the holy love, and fear of our Lord: In so much, that within a few days, some Religious, and zealous persons, moved with the danger of the times, and the freedom wherewith he spoke, and the concourse of the people who heard him (fearing lest under the cloak of holiness, some evil might lie hidden which afterward could not be so easily remedied) gave advise to the Bishops Provisor, and procured that he, and one in his company should be apprehended and cast into prison, being locked together so straightly in a great and long chain, 
How & why he was apprehended in Salamanca.  that they could not go one from the other, upon any occasion whatsoever But in that very place the B Father, omitted not his accustomed exercises, nor to speak freely in the commendation of virtue and reprehension of vice, exciting men's hearts to despise the world.  
11. The concourse of people which went to hear him was great, as likewise the fruit which proceeded from his words; but the joy of his heart was far greater, to see himself in fetters, & chains for Christ. For all his desires, and wishes were to dye for our Lord, who died for him upon the Cross; and so he told to some, who went to comfort him, and showed much grief for his sufferings, reprehending this their false pity and compassion, because they knew not the treasures, which are contained in the Cross of Christ. They remained in prison 22. days, receiving many favours of our Lord in their souls, and were well provided of all that was necessary for their bodies, 
They set him at liberty, and declare the goodness of his life and doctrine.  by the charity of such devout persons, as had taken notice of them, and bore them affection. At the end of these 22. days, the foresaid Provisor with the advise, and consent of other learned men set them at liberty, declaring them to be men of pure and sincere life, & that he had not found any spot, or suspicion at all in them.   

How he went to Paris to finish his studies. And what happened unto him there.  
CHAP. VII.  
IT was God's will, that this Blessed man should be Father of many children, & therefore, though with contrary winds, and boisterous waves, he guided him to that haven where he might serve him according to that which he himself had decreed. To this end, he gave him a great, and inflamed desire, to draw others into his company, and to employ himself wholly with them in the spiritual help of his neighbours: and withal he moved him, to go to the University of Paris; which at that time was the Mother of all Universities, & the common School, and Theatre of the world.  
2. The motion, and inclination which he had to this journey, was with so great force & vehemency, that many spiritual men, and his best friends could not divert him from it, by proposing unto him the sharpness of the time and hard winter, & the open and bloody war which was betwixt Spain and France together with the many dangers by the way, 
He goeth to Paris in a cold season, & with danger.  alleging unto him many, and late examples of horrible cruelties, which the soldiers had practised against those, that travailed in those parts. But all these things were not sufficient to stay him, because he felt himself carried with the favourable wind of the Holy Ghost, finding peace in war in dangers security, and rest in labours. And so he took hiiourney through France on foot, and with the favour of God, who guided him, arrived safe at Paris, without passing any danger in the beginning of February 1528.  
3. At Paris before he went forward in other higher studies, he perfected himself in the Latin tongue, studying Humanity almost two years. After this he began his course of Philosophy, 
His studies, labours & persecutions at Paris.  and ended it with great commendation, taking the degree of Master of Arts, by his masters persuasion, and that by this degree he might (before men) have some testimony of his learning, the better to help others. Having ended his course of Philosophy, he studied Divinity, our Lord doing him great mercy, and favours: and besides the labour which he took in studying, he endured other great, & extraordinary incommodities For in the beginning he lived in the Hospital of S. james, ask from door to door that which he was every day to eat, and he was also enforced the 3. first years to go divers times to Flaunders, and once into England to gather some alms of the Spanish merchants who resided there) with which he might poorly sustain his life. He gave himself likewise to very austere penances, & to such a rigorous life, that it alone was sufficient to bereave him of his health, as in effect it did, in such sort, that he was constrained (not without evident peril of his life) to interrupt the course of his studies.  
4. Now what shall I say of his other employments in helping, inflaming, and directing his neighbours to all virtue? What of the most grievous persecutions which he endured for this cause, which were many, and very continual? For certain young scholars, being noble and of excellent wits, having forsaken all that they had, to follow the counsels of Christ our Lord, and moved with the words and example of this Blessed Father, made a great change in their life, and gave all their wealth to the poor, begging themselves from door to door, and living as poor people in the hospital. This caused a great stir in the University, and their kindred & friends (who were not pleased with such courses) conceived great hatred against him, whom they knew to be the author of that new life, which they accounted folly. And so they began to persecute, and calumniate him, raising many false testimonies against him, as the world is wont to do, against God's servants.  
5. Neither did the matter end in words alone: for in the College of S. Barbara▪ where at that time, he studied Philosophy, they would have corrected him publicly, with a severe, & public kind of punishment which used to be inflicted upon such as were unquiet, and of a turbulent behaviour: and this, because he exhorted his scholefellowes to the devout frequentation of the Holy Sacraments, and to give themselves upon festival days, more than at other times, to prayer; and because by this his counsel, a certain Spanish scholar, named Amadore, had left the College, & the world to follow Christ naked upon the Cross.  
6. And although the Father knew before, what was intended, and devised against him, and after that the College gates were shut, and the bell rung, 
His fortitude & alacrity in ignominies and injuries.  and the masters ready with their rods in their hands to correct him, and all the scholars gathered together to behold this spectacle, he remained so undaunted, that he was neither troubled, nor showed any weakness: yea, lest the glory of Christ should be diminished, & Virtue dishonoured, and accounted an ignomy amongst Christians, & those tender plants, which had begun to flourish should be blasted with that whirled wind, he spoke to the Rector of the College with such a majesty, and freedom (offering himself on the one side very prompt, and joyful to have that Sacrifice made of him; & on the other declaring the harm, which those who were as yet but beginners, & tender in virtue, would receive, if he should be punished, for having exhorted them thereunto) that the Rector there before all those who were gathered together asked pardon of him, as of a Saint, who made no account of his own ignominy, but only of the honour of God, and the good of his neighbours.  
7. Thus this chastisement was omitted, and Virtue remained with more reputation, and the Holy Father came to be more known & the Rector (who was named Doctor james Govea, of Portugal, a Jearned and pious man,) remained with such affection to the Father, 
What means God took to open the gate, for the children of Ignatius to go to the East Indies.  and for his sake to his children, that in progress of time, he was the principal Author who persuaded the King of Portugal, Don john the third, to sand the Fathers of the society of jesus to the East Indies, who since have done so much good in those remote, and large Provinces, converting innumerable souls of Infidels, to our Holy Religion: our Lord taking so small and ignominious an occasion, for so great a thing, & so much to his glory.  
8. Out of all that which men did against the Blessed Father, God drew profit for the Father himself who endured it, & for those who every day joined themselves unto him with desire to imitate the examples of his virtues; 
The Inquisitor of Paris approveth the proceed of Ignatius.  and they served also for a greater, and more clear testimony of the truth. As it happened here in Paris, where his Adversaries not contenting themselves with the calumniations, & false suspicions which they had raised against the Blessed Father, they denounced him also to the Inquisitor, who was a learned, and a grave Divine, called Master Matthew Ory, a Friar of S. Dominicks order. But the Inquisitor remained so well satisfied with the Father's life, & learning, that he demanded of him the book of Exercises, which he composed in Manresa (as we have said) and it pleased him so much, that with his leave he took a copy of it for himself: & gave a testimony by authentical Writing, of the innocency, and purity which he had found in his life & behaviour. And afterward in Rome, in a great storm, which was raised against him, and against those of his company, the same Inquisitor was one of the witnesses of the innocency of Blessed Father Ignatius, and an approver of his doctrine, as shall be declared hereafter.   

Of those that adjoined themselves to B. F. Ignatius, and of their virtuous employments.  
CHAP. VIII.  
AND because the Father had an eye, and desire to get, and procure Company which might help, and concur to the salvation of souls, our Lord having called him to this so great an enterprise; he was attentive to nothing more than to gain some young men of good ability, and laudable conversation, who might have the same intention: and so he gained Peter Faber of Savoy, Francis Xavier of Navarre james Laynes of Almacan, Alfonsus Salmeron of Toledo, Simon Rodericus of Portugal, and Nicolas Bobadilla, who was of a place night to Palentia. After these their came likewise to him other three, who were Claudius jaius of Savoy, joan Codury of the Delphinat, and Paschatius Broüet of the Province of Picardy; so that they were in all ten. And though, they were of so different Nations, as some of Spain, and others of France, at the time that those two Kingdoms were at such terrible wars, notwithstanding they were all of one and the same heart, and william.  
2. All these were Masters of Art, and studied Divinity, and the day of the Assumption of our Blessed Lady at a Church not far from Paris called Mons Martyrum, after they had confessed, and received the body of Christ our Lord, they made a vow to leave, upon a certain day appointed, all that they had, and to employ themselves in the spiritual profit of their neighbours, and to go in Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, if coming to Venice they might have commodity to do it within a year. And if they could not go within that year, or if in going they could not stay at Jerusalem, to offer themselves at the Pope's feet, the Vicegerent of Christ our Lord, that his Holiness might freely dispose of them, in the service of the Church, and the salvation of souls.  
3. This being agreed upon among themselves, Blessed Ignatius gave order to the rest to take their journey towards Venice, when their studies were ended, where he would expect them, after that he had been first in Spain, and dispatched there certain business for some of them, and other important affairs for the service of God, which caused him to go thither. With this resolution he departed from Paris, and came to his own Country, where though his Brother were Lord of the Place, yet he would by no means lodge in his house, nor take that, which he needed of him, 
What he did in his own Country  but lived in the hospital, ask his poor Victuals from door to door. There he taught the Catechism, of Christian Doctrine, and preached with such concourse of people which came from many villages, that he was enforced to preach in the fields, because the multitude could not be contained in the Churches, and many that they might hear, and see him the better, climbed up into trees: and though the Father was very weak, and sick of an ague, yet he preached thrice every week; and all the words which he spoke, were plainly heard more than a quarter of a mile, from the place wherein he stood, which seemed very strange, and miraculous.  
4. With these his Sermons he rooted out many vices, and established many things profitable for sustaining the poor, and the amendment of those who were in mortal sin, providing in all things for the good both of souls & bodies, and leaving all that Country in admiration, and replenished with a most sweet odour of his virtues, 
He cureth a man of the gout, & a woman in a consumption, and another possessed.  and the miracles which God wrought by him. For in that place he healed a man named Vastida, who had been many years much troubled with the gout; and a virtuous woman who had been in a consumption for some space; and delivered another, who had been tormented by the Devil four years. And our Lord wrought other things by his means, which were held for miraculous; by reason whereof, and for his holy life, all the people respected him so much, that they did strive to touch his garments, esteeming him as a Saint, and a great Servant of God.  
5. From hence alone, & without money, ask alms by the way, he went to Pampelona, and from thence to Almacan, Siguença, & Toledo, to dispatch the business which was commended unto him. Afterward he took ship, near to Valentia, for Italy, and with great labour, incommodities and dangers, he arrived with our Lord's favour at Venice, to expect his company there, as they had agreed in Paris. But the Devil esteeming him now his open enemy, and foreseeing the war which he was to make against him, did persecute him there also, 
He is accused at Venice and declared innocent.  and by certain of his ministers published, that he was a fugitive, and that his statue being burnt, was fled from Spain, and other things of like nature, but all false; and were declared to be such by Hierome Verall Archbishop of Rosa, who after was Cardinal of the Church of Rome, and at that time Apostolical Nuntius in Venice In the time that he stayed for his company he did much good, drawing many learned, & pious men to God's service, who united themselves with him, and directing some of those Senators to all virtue, and leaving a most sweet memory of himself, with all that knew, and conversed with him.  
6. His company came from Paris to Venice the 8. of january 1537. having endured much by the way, it being long, 
The rest of his company cometh to Venice, & there serve in the hospitals.  and the time sharp, and rigorous, and they coming also on foot with much discommodity: but they overcame all difficulties by the particular graces, which God gave them; and with an inflamed desire to suffer much for him. In Venice they found their Father, and Master Ignatius, with the other company which was come unto him, and they embraced on another with exceeding great contentment. They presently divided themselves into divers Hospitals, to serve and assist the poor. Afterward they went to Rome on foot, with extreme poverty, and need, ask alms, and fasting every day, because it was in Lent: where having received the benediction of Pope Paul the 3. to go to Jerusalem with the same poverty, they returned to Venice, where Father Ignatius remained.  
7. There those who were not priests took that order, the day of S. john Bapt. in the same year 1537. having before made the vows of Chastity, and Poverty, 
They are made Priests & divide themselves in the state of Venice.  in presence of the Apostolical Legate. And to expect their going to Jerusalem, they divided themselves in the Cities of the dominion of Venice: and Fa. Ignatius, with Father Faber, & Father Laynes remained 40. days without the City of Vincenza, in a little house, or Hermitage, which was left desolate & half fallen down, without doors, or windows, so that the wind, and water entered in on all sides. They slept on the ground upon a little straw, and had nothing to eat, but a few hard, and mouldy crusts of bread, which were given them of alms, not with out difficulty, seething them first in a little water, that they might be able to eat them.  
8. But afterward having wholly lost their hope of going to Jerusalem, they resolved to divide themselves in the chief Universities of Italy: & B. F. Ignatius with Father Faber and F. Laynes went to Rome, whither God called them, to begin the new Society, & Order, which through the whole world, was so much to increase his glory. It was a very markable thing that for many years before that of 1537. & after that until 1570. there never failed some ships for pilgrims to go to Jerusalem, but only that year. For our Lord directed the courses of this Blessed Father, and of these in his company for higher matters, than they understood, or thought of in the beginning.   

The Society of jesus is founded, and confirmed by the Sea Apostolic: and Ignatius is ordained General.  
CHAP. IX.  
THE Blessed Father, after he was made Priest, had taken a whole year to prepare himself for his first Mass. In this time, 
Ignatius his devotion to our B. Lady.  he employed himself with all the forces of his soul most humbly beseeching the glorious Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, that she would bring him unto her Son: & that since she is the Gate of Heaven, and a singular advocate betwixt God and Man, she would procure him entrance; that her most Blessed Son might take notice of him by her means, and he might come to know her Son, & reverence him with a most entire heart & devotion. He added moreover, that since the enterprise, which he had undertaken for his service, was so great and hard, that she would open the gate, and take away the difficulties which might hinder in so, important an affair.  
2. With these desires, & wishes the B. Father took his way towards Rome, on foot, with F. Faber, and F. Laynes in his company, ask alms, as they were wont: and he received the most Sacred Body of our Lord every day at their hands: and in all his journey, he was illustrated, and strengthened with heavenly inspirations, and spiritual comforts. But one day drawing nigh to the City of Rome, leaving the two Fathers in the field, he went into a desert, and solitary Church some mile from the City to pray. There amidst the greatest fervour of his prayers, he felt his heart changed, and God the Father appeared to him, together with his most Blessed Son, who carried the Cross upon his shoulders: and with the eyes of his soul, illustrated with that resplendent light, he saw that the Eternal Father, turning to his only begotten Son, commended Ignatius, and those in his company unto him, with exceeding great love, 
Christ with his Cross appeareth to him and promiseth him his favour.  putting them into his hands. And our most benign jesus having received the under his patronage, & protection, as he stood in that manner, with his Cross, turned to Ignatius, and with a loving, and mild countenance said unto him: Ego vobis Romae propitius cro: I will be favourable to you at Rome.  
3. With this divine revelation, our Father remained very much comforted, and strenghtned, and he related it afterwards to those in his company, to animate them the more, and to prepare them for the troubles which they were to endure. And with this vision, together with many other excellent illustrations which he had, the most Sacred name of JESUS, was so imprinted in his soul, with an earnest desire to take our Saviour for his Captain, carrying his Cross after him; that this was the cause, that at his, and the other first Father's humble su●e, and request, the Apostolic Sea, 
Why he called his order the Society of JESUS.  at the Confirmation of our Religion, called, & named it, THE SOCIETY OF JESUS; I which was first done by Pope Paul the third of that name, after a terrible tempest, which was raised against it in Rome, by occasion of a certain heretical Preacher, to whom our Fathers opposed themselves. Which storm soon ceased, by reason that our Lord brought in that occasion, and in that very time, not without a singular & particular providence, those who had been the Blessed Fathers judges in Spain, France, and Venice, that now they might be witnesses of his innocency, and virtue. By which means the truth being known, the Governor of Rome, pronounced sentence in favour of our Blessed Father, and of those in his company, by order of his Holiness.  
4. Who to proceed more maturely in the business of the Confirmation of this Religion, 
What 〈◊〉 there was in the confirmation or the Society.  committed it to three Cardinals, who in the beginning were very opposite & averted, especially Cardinal Bartholomaeus Guidichion, because he judged, that new Orders of Religion were not fit to be begun, but the ancient reformed, according to the Decree of Innocentius the third in the Lateran Council, & of Gregory the tenth in the Council of Lions. Which very difficulty, those two great, and glorious patriarchs S. Dominick and S. Francis had in the Confirmation of their Sacred Religions: for the works of God must pass through this examine, and furnace.  
5. But our Lord jesus having now taken Ignatius under his wings, and promised to favour him in Rome, changed the mind of Cardinal Guidichion in such sort, that he was heard to utter these words: I like not new Religions but yet I dare not omit to approve this: for I feel inwardly in my heart such extraordinary motions, that the divine Will carrieth me to that, which I am not inclined to by reason; and embrace that with my affection, which by the force of human reasons I utterly disliked. And thus this very Cardinal commended the Institute of the Society very earnestly to the Pope: & his Holiness read it, and with the spirit of the Chief Bishop said: Digitus Deiesthic: This is the finger of God; affirming, that from so small, and weak beginnings he hoped for, and expected no small fruit for the Church of God. And so he confirmed the Religion of the Society, in the year 1540 
Pope Paul the the third confirmeth the Society.  the 27. of September, which is the feast of the S. Cosmus & Darnianus: but yet he added a certain Limitation, which he took away three years after, confirming the Society a new. And the year 1550. Pope Inlius the third, who succeeded Pope Paul, approved it again: and the other Popes, who have followed since, have established, & enriched it with many Graces, & privileges, as may be seen in their Bulls, and in the Summary thereof.  
6. But returning to our blessed Father Ignatius, when the Society was thus confirmed, by the Vicegerent of Christ (as we have said) there met in Rome, the Lent following in the year 1541. the first Fathers who remained in Italy, for the election of a General, and the others sent their suffrages by writing. 
He is made General.  And by common consent of all, the B. Father was declared General. His humility was so great, that he could not possibly be persuaded to accept of it, but entreated the Father's most effectuously not to give him that charge, of which he was so unworthy, and which he could not exercise without the damage, and harm of the Society. So that finally they were enforced to comfort him, and to condescend to him so far, as to take other four days to commend that affair to our Lord anew, and to beseech him to discover unto them his holy william. But they continued in their former resolution the second time also, which notwithstanding was not sufficient to overcome the Father's humility, and the true contempt which he had of himself, until being retired for some days, and having made a general Confession in S. Peter de Monte aureo, to a Father of S. Francis Order, called Friar Theophilus, a holy man, and of great parts (with whom before the confirmation of the Society, he was wont to confess) he told him, that he resisted the holy Ghost, in resisting, his Election.  
7. To this voice our humble Father Ignatius yielded himself, bowing his neck to the yoke, which our Lord laid upon him: and the 22. day of April of the same year 1541. he went with the other Fathers, and three Brothers (of which myself was one) to visit the 7. Churches and Stations of Rome, and in the Church of S. Paul he said mass, and made his profession, giving the B. Sacrament to the other Fathers, who likewise made their profession in his hands, 
Ignatius and the other Fathers make their profession.  shedding many tears, for their spirituallioy, and fervent devotion: Yielding many thanks to our Lord, because he had vouchsafed to bring that to effect, and final perfection, which himself had begun. From that day forward the Society was acknowledged, for a Religion approved by the Sea Apostolic, having in it Religious men obliged with their solemn vows, and profession, and with a Superior and head, who was to govern it for Gods greater glory, and the good of his Church.   

How he behaved himself being made General; & of diverse new Colleges founded by his means.  
CHAP. X.  
PRESENTLY after he was made General, the first thing that he did, was to rise very early the next morning, and to awake all the house; judging it to be his office to watch prepetually over all, and to procure, that all his subjects should watch & every one attend carefully to their employment. And to humble, and debase himself so much the more, by how much the degree in which God had placed him was high and eminent, he went into the kitchen, and performed the office of Cook, and such other things of like quality for many days, with such diligence that he seemed a Novice, who did it only for his own greater profit, and mortification.  
2. This being ended he began to catechize, or teach the Christian Doctrine in our Church, which he continued for the space of six, and forty days, explicating daily the commandments, articles, & other things appertaining to the principles of our holy faith. All which he declared in Italian, with improper, and unpolished words, but uttered with such spirit, and force, that they moved the hearers to compunction; in such sort, that they were so pierced with sorrow, that presently upon hearing him they went to confession, and could scarce speak by reason of the abundance of tears and sighs, with which they bewailed their sins. Of which I myself am witness, being at that time but very young, and repeating every day that which the B. Father had taught.  
3. Besides all this, the holy Father attended to plant, propagate, and extend his new order of religion throughout the world. He sustained it with his prayers, ruled it with his wisdom, gave it life with his spirit, defended it with his valour, and edified, and inflamed it to all virtue with his example. And our Lord, who had chosen, and prevented him with the blessings of his sweetness, favoured him with so large a hand, 
The propagation of the Society within a year after the confirmation.  that whatsoever the B. Father undertook, seemed prosperous and sucure. In so much, that after the Society was confirmed by the Sea Apostolic, (they at that time being so few) our Lord spread them in such sort over the world, that within the space of one year, they were in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and the West Indies, not without much admiration.  
4. Our B. Father was General for the space of fifteen years, three months, 
The B. Father's employments being General.  and nine days, from the 22. of April, in the year of our Lord ●54●. until the last of july 1556. in which he departed this world. All this time he remained in Rome, without going thence, unless it were twice, once into the Kingdom of Naples, and another time to the City of Oruieto, where Pope Paul the third was at that season; both which journeys he undertook for affairs of great importance.  
5. In all these years his employments were to found, and govern by himself, the house of Rome (which is the mother, and Head of the rest) and to sand his children to preach in the world, giving them instructions, by observation whereof they might become worthy workmen of jesus Christ; who with the edification, which by God's favour they caused in all parts, drew the people's affection unto them, & increased their devotion in such sort, that many desired: Colleges of the Society, to the end they might receive the more profit by their doctrine, and holy institution. And 20 this the holy Father did carefully cooperate, sending those of the Society to the places, which seemed most necessary, and convenient for the foundation of such Colleges, and houses, as were required: and that this plant, which our Lord of his goodness would have to increase so much in his Church, might daily be more firmly rooted.  
6. And because the Devil bore great hatred, and envy to the B. Father, and his religion, and in all parts moved great contradictions, and persecutions against it; he as a valiant Captain encountered the common enemy, making as fierce resistance against him, and clearing the truth, not permitting that such lies, as the Devil by his ministers spread abroad should prevail against it. Notwithstanding the Father was not content with these so many, & so great employments, which had been able to weary a Giant: but with an inflamed desire, and charity to help his neighbours (as if he had nothing else to do) he laboured to profit them abroad, and procured to extirpate certain vices out of the City of Rome, & to institute therein many works much to God's glory, and the spiritual benefit of souls.  
7. As for example: that the Physicians should not cure the bodies of the sick, before their souls were cured with the holy sacrament of Confession, 
The pious works which he did in Rome.  according to the Decretal of Innocentius the third. That there should be a house erected in Rome for the Cathecumeni; in which the jews, and Infidels, who desired baptism, and are brought to the knowledge of the Truth, might be received and maintained. To him likewise is the work, commonly known by the appellation of Our Lady of Grace, to be attributed, which was begun in the monastery of S. Marcha, where there was a Confraternity, or brotherhood instituted to recollect, and retire all such married, or unmarried women, as remained in evil estate, until they were reconciled to their husbands, or had some other condition wherein they might live without our Lord's offence.  
8. And the charity of the Blessed Father was so great, that when these poor women forsook their evil life, he himself would accompany them through the City, notwithstanding his years, authority, or office of General. And whereas some told him, that he lost his time, because these women through their evil custom, did easily return to their former vices, the holy man answered with marvelous repose: I accounted not this labour lost, yea I assure you, that if with the labours & cares of my whole life, I could procure any one of these to pass only one night without sinning, I would esteem them well bestowed, that the infinite Majesty of my Creator, and Lord, might not be offended in that short space.  
9 He laboured no less to relieve the necessity, & solitude of Orphans. And so the two houses which are in Rome, for such children of both sexes were by his means erected. Likewise with no less, yea with more care, he procured the foundation of the Monastery of S. Catherine in Rome, called de Funarijs, in which Virgins, who either by the negligence or defect of virtue in their mothers, or by reason of their poverty are in danger, do retire themselves, as to a sanctuary. For his charity was so great, that he always treated of such things, as might profit his neighbours, and further their salvation. And that this charity of the Blessed Father, together with his fortitude, and constancy, in the works which he undertook for Gods greater service, might the better appear, our Lord permitted terrible persecutions, and tempests to be raised against him, for these his good, and profitable labours: which notwithstanding finally did break their furious waves upon the rock of truth, and the works remained more firm with these contradictions; and the Father's sanctity more approved, and known.  
10. It cannot easily be believed, how many things were borne up, and sustained with the shoulders of this divine Giant, and with what valour, and spirit he sustained them, especially having so weak, and sickly a body. For besides the affairs already mentioned which had been sufficient to weary many men, divers Princes, and persons of all qualities, did writ unto him, from almost all the parts, and Provinces of the world. Some for their devotion commended themselves to his prayers: others to benefit themselves by his prudence and wisdom, demanding his counsel: others to help themselves with his favour, and industry in dispatching business: others to give him thanks for the benefits, and good assistance received from his children: and others for other respects. And they were so many, that only this employment had been sufficient to tire any strong man, if he had not been upholden by the mighty hand of our Lord, who gave him forces for all. So that when he was most weary, sickly, and alone, and without the helps which were necessary for so great a charge, he seemed most strong; and in his weakness was discovered, and shined the virtue and force of God.   

Of the happy Death of B. Ignatius: and what happened thereat.  
CHAP. XI.  
THE blessed Father with the force of his soul supported ported the weakness of his body, enduring with great patience the troubles of this pilgrimage, and conforming himself in all things to the will of God: but he had such an inflamed desire to see, and enjoy him, that he could not suppress the gladness which he conceived in thinking upon his passage out of this world, without tears. Wherefore being now loaden with years, wearied with sickness, afflicted with the perturbation, & new calamities of the Church, and having an ardent desire to be with Christ, he began to beseech him with many tears, and sighs, that he would vouchsafe to take him out of this exile, and banishment and carry him to that place of rest, where he might praise him, and enjoy his blessed presence, with the freedom, which he desired.  
2. And our Lord heard his request, giving him certain signs, and pledges thereof. Whereupon, in a letter which he wrote to Donna Leonora Mascarenas, 
He foreknew his death & wrote of it to Donna Leonora Mascarenas.  who had been Nurse to Philip the second, the Catholic King of Spain, and his very devout daughter, he took his leave of her, telling her (as she herself afterward told me) that, thet should be the last letter, which he would writ unto her, & that he would earnestly commend her to God in heaven. Wherhfore understanding that this so happy, and joyful a day for him approached (though at that time he had not any great sickness, but only his ordinary weakness, and indisposition, which seemed not strange to them that lived with him) the Blessed Father went to Confession, and received the blessed Sacrament, as he was wont to do, when he could not say Mass: and upon the 30. day of july at three of the clock in the afternoon, he called for Father john Polancus Secretary of the Society: who little thinking what he would have with him, the B. Father told him with exceeding great repose, that the hour of his departure out of this world drew near, willing him presently to go kiss the Pope's Holiness feet in his name, and to crave his blessing for him, and a Plenary Indulgence of his sins, that so he might enter with more confidence and comfort into that his last journey: all which his Holiness granted very willingly, giving great signs of love, and grief.  
3. The Physicians being called, said, that the sickness was not dangerous, and the Father made no alteration in his proceeding (for being so humble, he would not make any ostentation of the gifts received from our Lord, nor of that which he knew, but let the Physicians do their office, and permitted, that their opinion, and counsel should be taken, and followed in all things:) and in this manner the next morning, which was Friday, one hour after sun rising, lifting up his hands, & fixing his eyes on Heaven, calling upon JESUS with his tongue and heart, with a serene and quiet countenance, he rendered his Blessed soul to him, who had created it for his so great Glory, 
His departure the last of july. 1556.  the last of july in the year 1556. A man truly humble which he showed even in that his last hour: since that knowing (as he did) the time of his death, he named no Vicar General (as he might have done) nor would call his children to exhort them, and to give them his Blessing, nor make any other demonstration of a Father, to signify that he had done nothing, and accounted himself as nothing in the foundation of the Society.  
4. He deceased at the age of threescore and five years, and in the 35. year after his Conversion: in which space he lived in extreme poverty, penances, peregrinations, labours in study persecutions, prisons, fetters, with other great troubles, and molestations, all which he endured with a cheerful, & admirable constancy, for the love of jesus Christ, who gave him victory over the Devils & all his other adversaries which procured to overthrow him. He lived 16. years after the Society was confirmed by the Sea Apostolic, 
What houses, and Provinces of the Society he left founded.  and in them he saw it multiplied, and extended almost throughout the whole world. He left established 12. Provinces, that of Portugal, of Castilia, of Aragonia, of Andaluzia, of Italy (which comprehendeth Lombary, and Toscan) of Naples, of Sicily, of Germany, of Flaunders, France, of Brasile, and of the East Indies: & in these Provinces there was at that time about one hundred Colleges, or Houses of the Society.  
5. The death of so Holy, and excellent a man caused great feeling, and sorrow in Rome, especially amongst his children, who remained there, & afterward in the rest of the Society, in which presently after his decease, the favour which proceeded from their dead, or rather truly living Father was perceived. For throughout the whole Society there ensued a most tender feeling of his most fragrant memory, joined with tears of comfort, and a desire replenished with holy hope, together with a certain vigour, and fortitude of spirit: so that they all seemed to burn with new desires of labouring, and suffering for Christ.  
6. His body was placed in a low, and humble tomb, the first day of August at the right hand of the high Altar, in our little Church of the B. Virgin Mary in Rome. Afterward upon the same day of his death in the year 1569. it was translated to another place in the same Church, because the high Altar was changed: and finally in the year 1587. upon the 19 day of November which is dedicated to S. Pontianus Pope, and Martyr, it was translated again, with great solemnity to the new, and sumptuous Church of the Professed House, which Cardinal Alexander Farnesius had erected.  
7. It was placed in a chest of lead, under a vault, at the right hand of the high Altar, with a plain stone, which covereth the grave, and in the will a black shining marble, in which these words are engraven.  D. O. M. IGNATIO SOCIETATIS JESV FVNDATORI. OBDORMIVIT IN DOMINO AETATIS SVAE ANNO LXV. CONFIRMATI A SEED APOSTOLICA ORDINIS XVI. SALUTIS HUMANAE MD.LVI. PRID. KAL. AUG. EIUS IN CHRISTO FILIJ PARENTI OPTIMO POSS. 
That is,  
To Ignatius Founder of the Society of jesus, as to their most loving Father his children in Christ erected this memory. He rested in our Lord in the 65. year of his age, and in the 16. after the Confirmation of his Religion by the Sea Apostolic, and in the year of our redemption 1556. the day before the Calendss of August.  
8. In this place remaineth the body of this Blessed Patriarch at this day, reverenced not only by all his children, but also by the people, and Court of Rome, & those who repair thither for their devotion; by reason of the great opinion, which they have of his admirable life, and excellent sanctity: as also for the Miracles, which our Lord worketh every day by his intercession, to exalt him, and make him glorious in the world: and by reason of the fruit, which they see brought forth by the labours, industry, and travail of his children: judging that the root, which hath produced such a plant, could not choose but be exceeding perfect, nor the fountain but very plentiful, and acceptable to our Lord, from which hath flowed so abundant, and wholesome waters of virtue, and learning, to water the world, which was before so dry & barren, and replenished with briars and thorns.  
9 His stature was with the lest: his countenance very grave: his forehead broad, and plain: his eyes were somewhat hollow; the lids whereof were a little wrinkled, & gathered together by reason of many tears which he continually shed: his ears of a middle size: his nose somewhat high, & lifted up in the midst: his colour though sallow, yet lively, and his head venerably bald. The manner of his gesture was cheerfully grave, and gravely cheerful: so that with his serenity he rejoiced those who beheld him, and with his gravity composed them. He halted a little of one league, which was somewhat shorter than the other (by reason of the wound, which he received, & the bones, that were taken out of it) but without deformity; and with the moderation, which he observed in his gate, it could hardly be perceived.   

Of the chiefest Virtues of B. Ignatius: & especially of his Humility, & contempt of himself.  
CHAP. XII.  
BUT who can worthily relate in this place, that harmony, and comfort of admirable virtues which were to be seen in the Blessed Father? 
The virtues of the Holy Father.  Who can discover the treasures, and heavenly gifts, with which God enriched, & adorned him? Who is able to explicate the asperity of his penance? the perfection of his contempt of the world? his profound humility invincible patience? amiable meekness? his so rare spiritual prudence? so sweet, and effectual government of his subjects? his fortitude, and constancy in adversities, and contradictions? his confidence, and courage in undertaking hard, and difficult attempts for our Lords love? his vigilancy, and solicitude in seeing them performed? his burning, and inflamed love of God, and of his neighbours? his continual prayer with which his soul enjoyed the visitations of her sweetest spouse? and finally his miracles, and the wonderful works which our Lord hath done, and daily doth by his means?  
2. For to omit the rigour of his penances, his nakedness, hunger, and cold, his disciplines, and hayrclothes, and all other kind of penalties, with which he afflicted his body, from the time that he began to serve our Lord, 
His humility.  he most affectuously embraced the virtue of Humility, as the foundation of all other virtues: going torn, and half naked, and living in the Hospitals as a poor man, among other of that quality, despised, and contemned and desirous not to be known, or esteemed of any, and very joyful when he was neglected, and persecuted for the love of jesus Christ our Redeemer; by which he taught us, that he who pretendeth to ascend on high, must begin very low, and that according to the height of the building, the foundation must be laid low; and that for the conversion of souls this affect of true humility helpeth more, then to show authority, which hath some taste, or savour of the world.  
3. I heard him say, that all those of the house gave him example of virtue, and matter of confusion, and that he was not scandalised at any of them, but only at himself. And in a letter, which I have seen, he wrote, that he had never treated with any of spiritual affairs, how great a sinner soever he was, that he seemed not to have gained much by that communication. Doubtless because he esteemed himself a greater sinner. And to this purpose he was wont to say, that he did not think, there was any in the world, who on the one side received so great, and so continual favours at God's hands: and on the other, was so defective, and careless in his service. One day, as we were together alone, he told me, that he was to beseech our Lord, that his body after his death might be cast upon a dunghill, that it might be eaten by fowls, and dogs. For I being (saith he) as I am, an abominable dunghill, yea very dung itself, what other thing should I desire, for the punishment of my sins?  
4. He desired, that all should jest, and mock at him, and said, that if he would suffer himself to be carried away by his fervour, and desire, he should go up, and down the streets naked, and all bemyred, that he might be accounted a fool. But he repressed this so great an affect of Humility with his charity, and desire to help his neighbours. Very seldom (and then not without great cause) did he speak of any thing belonging to himself, and when others d●● speak of them in his presence, or of any thing else, which might redound to his praise, he presently recollected himself, not without fears, and blushing.  
5. The Blessed Father had at one time for his Confessarius an ancient Father of the Society, of the Kingdom of Navarre, who was called Don Diego Eguia, so perfect, and holy a man, that our Father himself said unto me: when we shallbe in Heaven Don Diego willbe so far elevated above us, that we shall scarce be able to see him. This Father spoke most earnestly of the virtue, and sanctity of our B. Father, as one who knew his conscience, and the purity, and the ornament of his soul. The B. Father took this very ill, and commanded him in virtue of holy obedience, that he should not speak any word thereof so long as he lived, and not being able to repress him, he left of confessing with him. And the holy old man was wont to say, that he desired to live some days after the death of our Father, that he might declare, what he knew; but our Lord so ordained, that he died three days before, and as it was thought, at the request of our Blessed Father.  
6. He arrived by God's grace to so great, and perfect a knowledge of himself, that for many years before his death, he had not any temptation of vain glory. For his soul was so illustrated with light from heaven, that he was wont to say, that he feared no vice less than vain glory, which is a worm, wont to eat, and consume the Cedars of Libanus, and is bred by the blind love, and estimation of ourselves. All that belonged unto him savoured of Humility: his apparel was poor though cleanly, his bed poor, his food & sustenance poor, and so sober and temperate, that it was a perpetual abstinence, being also course, and homely. He employed himself willingly in the most humble offices of the house, and in making of the beds, and dressing up the chambers of the sick: and he suffered himself to be so easily ruled by the judgement of others, that though he were Superior, yet he equalled himself in all things to his inferiors; yea he did not only equal, but also submit, and subject himself unto them, with admirable meekness, & humility.  
7. In the time that he taught the Catechism, or Christian Doctrine, a boy, which was in the house told him with great plainness and simplicity, that he spoke bad Italian, and that he should do well to labour to speak better. To whom the Father answered. Thou hast good reason, Boy, I pray thee note my faults, and tell me of them. One of the causes why he desired to have his religion called the SOCIETY OF JESUS, was, not to be named, and mentioned himself, and that it might be thought, that he had no part in it: and when he spoke of it, he always said this lest Society: for as he was the lest in his own eyes, so he would have his children to esteem themselves such. Now what shall I say of that Humility, with which so earnestly, and so often he refused to be General, and would never accept that Office, until his Confessarius charged his conscience and obliged him thereunto?  
8. Neither was he content with this, but afterward also in the year 1550. he caused the gravest Fathers of the Society to meet in Rome, that he might resign his Charge, protesting before our Lord, and affirming in a letter, which he wrote unto them, that he had many, and divers times seriously judged, that he wanted in a manner infinito degrees of those parts, and talents which were required in him, who should have that Charge, and Office. For these were his very words: Whereas all we who were acquainted with him, knew, that he had so great, and notable a gift in governing, that all the excellent Superiors of Religions might take him for a pattern, and example. And though he could not obtain his desire at this time, yet he omitted not to treat of the same renunciation again, that he might retire himself, aswell to give himself with more freedom to contemplation, and enjoy by solitariness his sovereign Good, as also because (as he told me) it seemed to him, that he was good for nothing, and that he hindered some other from governing the Society, who might profit it more. But he went not forward with his intention at this time: for he was told, that the Society would in no sort yield unto it, nor consent to have any other Superior, so long as it pleased God to prolong his life.  
9 From this so excellent humility proceeded the contempt of himself, 
His contempt of the world & fortitude in tribulations.  and of the world, and all worldly things which this Blessed Father had. For he who is truly humble, desireth to be humbled, and taketh humiliation, as S. Bernard saith, for a means to obtain humility. From the same humility likewise came his fortitude in troubles, and his patience in adversities, and tribulations. For he, who is truly humble, dwelling within himself, accounteth himself so great a sinner, and so unworthy of comfort, that he thinketh all to be to much for him, and that no evil happeneth unto him, which seemeth not little in comparison of that which he deserveth, and rejoiceth to see all creatures take revenge of him, as instruments of the divine justice.   

Of his Mortifications, and Charity towards God.  
CHAP. XIII.  
NOw what shall I say of the mortification of his passions, and of all inordinate affections, by which he had obtained an admirable peace in his soul, and so great quietness, and tranquillity, that nothing seemed able to disturb him? 
The mortification of his passions.  His complexion was very choleric, but notwithstanding both in his words, and works he was so mild, and sweet, that he seemed rather phlegmatic, and of a cold complexion. So that having wholly overcome the vicious excess of his choler, he retained the efficacy, and force which it is wont to give, and is necessary for the execution of such business, as we deal in. He always kept one, and the same tenor, and equality in all things: and although that of his body varied, yet his mind, and inward disposition was always one: neither was he altered or changed with any diversity of things, or difference of times. Yea this equality of mind, and perpetual constancy redounded in some sort to his body, which was ready to receive that outward demonstration which reason prescribed.  
2. Being once sick, the Physician advised him, that he should not give place to such thoughts, as might afflict him. And with this occasion he began to examine, what thing in this world could 'cause him affliction; and after the consideration of many things he found this only one: If by some casuality our Society should be dissolved; and withal it seemed to him that if this fell out without his fault, after a little recollection in prayer for the space of one quarter of an hour, he should return to his accustomed peace, and alacrity. Yea he added further, that he should have his peace and quietness in his soul, although the Society were dissolved, as salt in the water. How wholly then had he forsaken himself, and rooted himself in God, who in so great a matter, and so proper, and peculiar to himself was so subject, and resigned to the will of our Lord? Which is an evident sign, that his passions were perfectly mortified.  
3. By this mortification, 
His charity toward God.  and by that perfect knowledge, and contempt which he had of himself, this Blessed man, attained to a most high, and excellent degree of charity, which is the sum of all virtues, and the compliment of all perfection. This his burning, and inflamed love towards God, appeared in nothing better, then in that, which he did, and suffered for him. For true love is never idle, and is not content with only doing much for his beloved, but in suffering much also, and giving his life for him. How much then did this Blessed Father, and what great things did he suffer for our Lord's honour, and to amplify his glory in the world? Part of it may be conjectured by that, which hitherto hath been said.  
4. But the Father himself avouched, that all the things of the world put together in one balance, were to him of no esteem, if in the other were placed the fanours which he had received of our Lord, in the persecutions, prisons, and fetters which he had endured for his love. And that there is no created thing, which can 'cause so great a joy in a soul, as that is, which she receiveth in having suffered for Christ. To which purpose being demanded by a Father, which was the shortest, and most certain, and secure way to attain perfection: he answered, that to endure many, and very great adversities for the love of Christ. Ask (said he) this grace of our Lord, for to whom he doth it, he doth many more together, which are contained in it. Thus the Blessed Father both did himself, and taught others, by which we may gather his great charity towards God.  
5. But we have other more clear arguments of this his love to God, and to his neighbours for the love of God. The scope to which all his actions, cares, and intentions were directed, was Gods greater glory. For he contented not himself, that God were not offended in that he did, but procured that he might be glorified. And when two things of God's service offered themselves unto him, he did always choose that, out of which he thought Gods greater glory would ensue. And this was, as we have said, always his Poesy: and to this scope he always aimed. Many times speaking with God from the inmost of his heart, he said unto him: O Lord, what do I desire, or can I desire besides thee? And his desire to see him, and to be dissolved from the prison of his body, was so great and ardent, that when he thought on his death he could not refrain from tears, which distilled from his eyes for pure joy. And this not only to obtain that sovereign good for himself, but much more to behold the glory of that most sacred humanity of the same Lord, whom he loved so greatly; as a friend is wont to rejoice to see the honour, and glory of him, whom he heartily loveth.  
6. In the year 1541. in the month of july (I being present) he said, that if our Lord God would give him his choice, either presently to departed out of this life, and to enjoy eternal happiness, or to remain in the world, without having security to persevere in virtue; he would choose this second, if he might understand, that by remaining for some space in this life, he could do some great, and notable service for his Majesty, casting his eyes upon God, and not upon himself, nor respecting his own danger, or security. And he added the cause: for what King (said he) or Prince is there in the world, who if offering some great reward to one of his servants, he should refuse to enjoy it presently, that he might do some notable service for his Prince, would not think himself obliged to conserve, yea increase the reward of that servant, since he deprived himself of it for his love, and that he might be able to do him more service? And if men proceed in this manner, what are we to hope for of our Lord? or how can we fear, that he will forsake us, or permit us to fall, for having prolonged our happiness, & differred to enjoy him for his sake? Let others think so if they please (said he) for I will not conceive so hardly of so good a God, and so gracious, and sovereign a King.  
7. There came one time to his mind a thought, what he should think, if God should put him in hell: and he explicated his conceit in a paper written with his own hand in this manner: There were two things represented unto me: the one, what pains I should suffer there: the other, how his Name was blaspemed. In the first I could not feel, nor found any affliction: and so me thought, and it was represented unto me, that my greatest mole station should be to hear his holy Name blasphemed. These are his very words. Now what an inflamed love did he bear to our Lord, who found this effect, and disposition in himself towards him? What flames of heavenly fire burned in that breast, since that those of the fire of hell could not quench them, nor make him feel affliction in his own pains, but only in the injury, and offence of his beloved?   

Of his Love, and Charity towards his Neighbour.  
CHAP. XIV.  
FROM this ardent, and fervent love towards God proceeded as from a fountain, 
His charity toward his neighbours.  the inflamed love which he bore to his neighbours. For he beheld them in God, and God in them: and so he said that if it were profitable for the salvation of souls to go through the streets barefooted, and loaden with infamous; & ignominious things, he would make no doubt to do it. And that there was no habit in the world so base and vile, which he would not willingly wear to gain a soul.  
2. In Paris he desired to deliver a wicked man, who kept a Concubine, from that evil estate; and divers remedies which he had put in practice, taking no effect, he went one day into a Lake of exceeding cold water, by which the other was to pass, and from thence he spoke aloud unto him in these words: Go wretched creature to enjoy thy filthy delights: seest thou not the stroke of God's wrath which cometh upon thee? Go, for I will remain here tormenting myself, and doing penance for thee, until God release his just punishment: which is already prepared against thee. The man was amazed with so wonderful an example of charity, he stayed, and being touched with God's hand, returned back, forsaking that dishonest company, to which he had been captive so long.  

His charity towards those who did injury or persecute him.  3. He observed always with exceeding great care not to tender any man evil, but strived to do good to his persecutors, procuring that his benefits towards them should be greater, than the evils, & injuries which he received from them. One of his fellow scholars who remained in the same house with him in Paris, ran away with certain money, which was sent in alms to the B. Father, and was committed to his custody. Afterward this man being in Rouen, fell dangerously sick, and knowing the Father's charity, wrote unto him, in what affliction he was, requesting him to take some order for his relief. The Father having made much and earnest prayer for him, went presently to Rouen (which is 28. leagues from Paris) to found him our, & help him in what he could, and with great alacrity of spirit, and force of mind, he went in three days those 28. leagues barefoot, without eating one bit of bread, or drinking one drop of water, offering this labour and penance to our Lord, for the health and life of him, who had deceived him in that manner.  
4. Another likewise, who in Paris had received much charity at the holy Father's hands, assaulted by Satan, & becoming as it were furious, resolved to kill him, and being gone up the stairs for that purpose heard a dreadful voice, which said unto him: Thou wretch what wilt thou do? who terrified with this voice, cast himself at the Father's feet weeping, and related unto him, what his purpose was. The Father cherished, and comforted him; but his charity, and meekness was not sufficient to withhold this very man from blowing the coals of divers calummations & lies afterward in that storm, which (as we have said) was raised in Rome, before the Confirmation of the Sooiety: whore the judges having punished him for that cause, and the tempest being passed (to requited good for evil) the Father received him into the Society at the request of those, who had raised that persecution: but he persevered not in his vocation. If the B. Father dealt thus with strangers, and with those that pretended to do him injury, what marvel is there, that he used the same charity with his subjects, and children?  
5. One of the nine Fathers which came unto him in Paris, being much afflicted & disquieted with a troublesome, and dangerous temptation, so that he was in a manner lost; the B. Father delivered him from that danger, by weeping bitterly, & praying to God continually for him, without eating, or drinking in three whole days, beseeching our Lord to comfort, and strengthen him and so he did. Another time another Father was much out of order, exceeding the bounds of reason, by which means the holy Father was much grieved, and afflicted for the harm, which the other received. The revenge which he procured, was to put himself in prayer, and to shed many tears for him, and saying Mass, from the bottom of his heart, he cried, and sighed unto our Lord, saying: Pardon him, O Lord, Pardon him, my Creator, for he knoweth not what he doth.  
6. Another time a Brother of the Society, being grievously tempted in his vocation, and resolved to forsake God, who is the fountain of living waters, and return to drink of the broken cisterns of the world, which contain no water of grace, nor of true repose; the Father understanding that the cause of that perturbation was the shame, that the brother had to confess a sin which he had committed, he went unto him, and declared his former life, and how blind he had been in following the vanity of his senses and how much addicted to the false love of creatures, that by this means the Brother might be less ashamed, and learn to have a true conceit of the goodness, and mercy of our Lord.  
7. Now what shall I say of the meekness, 
His meekness, & benignity towards those who were under his charge.  and benignity, which he used towards all men, & especially to those, that were under his charge? Of the care he had, lest they should be overlaid? Of the sweetness wherewith he condescended to the weak: raised those that were fallen: comforted the afflicted: encouraged the faint-hearted: and took compassion of the diseased, and sickly? For certainly it was a thing which caused admiration, to see the care that he used, for the cure, and comfort of the sick. And he told me sometimes, that our Lord had with particular providence provided that he should have so little and unperfect health, that by his own sickness & infirmities, he might learn to esteem those of others, and take compassion of the weak.  
8. Being in Vincenza sick of an ague, he understood, that Father Simon Roderiquez, one of the Fathers, was in Bassana (about a days journey from Vincenza) very sick, and in danger of death: and presently the B. Father took his journey towards Bassana, in the company of Father Faber, to visit, and comfort Father Simon, and he went with such courage, and force of spirit, that Father Faber could not follow him. Another time, being on the way, Father Laynes, who was with him fell suddenly into a very great pain, for remedy whereof, the Father presently sought him, an horse, giving six pence for him, which was all the money they had gotten of alms, and wrapping him in his poor threadbare cloak he set him up, and ran before him with such alacrity, & lightness, that Father Laynes told me, he could scarce keep him company being on horseback.  
9 But he discovered this his Fatherly love towards his children in nothing more than in providing for their good name, and spiritual profit, and in burying in perpetual oblivion such faults as they committed, either by human frailty, or negligence, when they themselves did acknowledge them with sorrow, and desire of amendment With this, and other loving, and Fatherly proceed he did win the hearts of all his children, and might do with them what he would, they were so subject, tractable, and obedient to his will; and he provoked them to his imitation in all perfection, and in that pure, sincere, and divine love of our Lord in which it consisteth.  
10. Notwithstanding this love towards his children was not feeble and remiss, but sweet and strong, 
The Father's love was sweet & strong.  mild and severe. For as he was sweet, and gentle with the humble and obedient: so he was terrible to the rebellious, and stiffnecked, having great care to further his subjects in virtue, and encourage them to perfection, using every one mildly, or severely according to their capacity, but yet showing love to all. And he was so dextrous in joining sweetness with severity, that thought he desired much to have all his children indifferent in matters of obedience, without inclination to any one thing more than to another, notwithstanding he examined the natural disposition of every one with great diligence, and applied himself unto them in all things, wherein he saw them to be well given. For he understood, how troublesome that is, which is done with natural repugnance, and that no violent thing is durable: showing his religious severity in requiring indifferency, and his Fatherly mildness, and benignity in condescending to their inclinations.   

Of the particular Devotion, and other virtues of B. F. Ignatius.  
CHAP. XV.  
WE should never make an end, 
His other virtues.  if we would particularly treat of the admirable charity of this glorious Father, and of all his other virtues, which were without number. Of his prudence rather divine then human, which our Lord imparted unto him, to the end he might draw the whole frame of the Society. Of his so excellent fortitude and magnanimity to undertake great things, and resist contradictions, and difficulties. Of his mildness, and meekness with which he did join the hearts of those that treated with him, changing, and bending the wills, and affections of his very adversaries. What shall I say of his Vigilancy, and admirable solicitude in bringing to an end the works, which he did undertake? For he did not only seek out with prudence what means might help him to the compassing of them, but having found them he used them with great efficacy, never giving over that which he had once begun, until he had brought 〈◊〉 to perfection.  
2. What should I say of the wonderful confidence, which he had always in God? In his imprisonments that he would protect him: in his labours that he would help him: in his difficult enterprises, that he would perfect them with his powerful hand? And in his poverty, that he would relieve him, and sustain his children, as he did many times miraculously, showing that the hope of this holy Father had not been in vain? What shall I say of the modesty, and efficacy of his words? What of his avoiding to judge, or condemn other men's lives? What of his circumspection in speaking or hearing others speak of their neighbour's faults, thought they were public, and talked of in the very streets? What of his wariness and wisdom, with which he interrupted all speeches, that might be occasion, though never so light or small, of any murmuration? What of the other virtues which he had, and all so perfect, as if he had only one, and with such eminency, that no man knoweth in which of them he excelled most? But let us omit them all, to speak of that virtue which is the guide, and mistress of the rest, & the passage, or conduct, by which our Lord imparteth his gifts to our souls, that is Prayer, & Devotion, and the familiar conversation with his Divine Majesty.  
3. The Father himself confessed, that our Lord had largely imparted unto him the grace of devotion, which he for his humility attributed to his own weakness; & misery; 
His devotion, & prayer.  because being now old, sickly, & wearied, he was good for nothing, but to give himself wholly to God. Presently after he was made Priest; when he said the Divine Office, the aboundannce of God's comfort was so great, and the tears, which he shed so many, that he was enforced to stay almost in every word, and to interrupt the hours, or part of the office, which he said: And this went so far, that he had almost lost his sight with weeping▪ In matters of importance, he was never wont to take any resolution, though he had never so many probable reasons, before he had commended them to our Lord in Prayer. There was no hour in the day, in which he did not inwardly recollect himself, and setting aside all other businesses, examined his conscience: and if peradventure some great, or urgent business permitted him not to fulfil his devotion in one hour, he did presently recompense it so soon as he might: albeit he never gave himself so much to outward affairs, that he lost the inward devotion of his spirit.  
4. He had God always present before his eyes in all things, and they all served him for a book to read his divine perfections in, and to elevate his heart to him, drawing spiritual documents, and profitable advises out of every thing that he did see; teaching that this manner of prayer is very profitable for all, principally for those who are employed in exterior things belonging to God's service. Before his prayer he prepared his soul, and entered into the Oratory of his heart, and there he inflamed himself in such sort, that it appeared in his countenance, and he seemed to be all set on fire, as we noted, & discovered many times. He used such attention in every thing, though never so little, belonging to his conversation with God, and he was so recollected, and present in himself when he did it, that he seemed to behold the Majesty of God present, as when he said grace before or after meat and in other like occasions.  
5. He had a very excellent gift of tears, which he shed in great abundance in his prayers, with great joy of his spirit, and no less harm to his body; of which he made no account, that he might not lose the spiritual fruit of his soul. But finally overcome with reason, and because the Physicians showed him, how much that continual effusion of tears did hurt his health, he beseeched our Lord to give him the mastery, and command over them. And he obtained it so entirely, that he seemed to have them in his hand to shed, or repress them when, and how it pleased him. And this with to great favour of the divine Mercy, that though his eyes were dry, yet his spirit remained always moist, and his heavenly illustrations were not diminished, how much soever his tears were moderated by reason but their fruit remained in all force and vigour. No noise, how great soever it were, did trouble, or hinder him in his prayer if he had given no occasion thereof. But any obstacle whatsoever was an impediment unto him, if it were in his power to avoid it, so that, it was not the noise, but the negligence, which he seemed to have committed, in not taking away, that which disquieted him at his prayer. The B. Father himself being once demanded by Father Laynes of the manner of his prayer, gave him this answer: that in matters concerning our Lord, he found himself rather Passively then Actively, (for these are the words which the contemplative, and those who treat of this matter do use:) accounting this the highest degree of contemplation; in the same sort, that S. Dionysius Areopagita, speaking of his master Hierotheus, saith of him: Erat patiens Divina.  
6. 
His devotion to our B. Lady.  He was exceedingly devout to the most Sacred Virgin Marry our B. Lady, whom from the time that he opened his eyes to behold the light of heaven, he always took for his especial Patroness & Advocate; having recourse to her in all his necessities, difficulties, and labours; and receiving great graces, and favours from her mighty, and bountiful hand; as may be gathered by that, which we have said hitherto, and shall appear by that which we will say hereafter.   

Of his divine Revelations, and Contemplations in God.  
CHAP. XVI.  
BUT what marvel was it, 
What revelations he had.  that he should give himself so much to prayer, who was so greatly favoured by God in his prayers, and that he should be absorbed in contemplation, who was illustrated with so many divine visitations, and revelations? For from the time of his first sickness, and before he was converted from the vanity of the world to our Lord, his divine Majesty began to favour him, and sent him (as we have said) his Apostle S. Peter, in his greatest danger, to restore him his health. And after that he had put himself under the banner of our Lord jesus Christ, fearing the weakness of his flesh, the most Excellent, and Sovereign Queen of Angels, having ●er most precious Son in her ●●mes appeared unto him, as he was awake, and with the splendour of her glory enlightened him, with the sweetness of her presence recreated and strengthened him, blotting out of his soul (as it were with her hand) all unclean cogitations, and dishonest representations.  
2. In the time, that he remained at Manresa, afflicting himself with▪ such austere penances (as hath been related) after he had passed those torments, temptations, and scruples, which brought him so low, and to such extremity; our Lord comforted and cherished him, with his sovereign, and heavenly visitations. For sitting one day upon the steps of S. Dominicks Church, saying the Office of our B. Lady with much devotion, our Lord illustrated his understanding, and represented unto him, 
His revelation concerning the most B. Trinity  as it were a figure of the most holy Trinity, which exteriorly signified unto him, that, which interiorly he perceived: & this with such abundance of comfort, that he could not repress his sobs, and tears, nor think or speak of any thing, but of the mystery of the most Holy Trinity, with so many similitudes, and examples, that all who heard him, remained much admired, and astonished. And from that time forward, this inefable mystery was so imprinted in his soul, that even then he began to writ a book of this profound matter, which contained 80. leaves, knowing at that time no more then only to writ, and read. And after likewise the intelligence which he had of the most B. Trinity, the Divine Essence, the distinction and propriety of the three Persons was so continual, excellent, and abstract, that the B. Father himself in a Notebook of his own hand (which was found after his death) saith, that he could not have known so much with many years study. And in another place he saith, that it seemed to him, that there was no more to be known in this life of those matters of the most Holy Trinity, than our Lord had imparted unto him in a certain vision.  
3. But returning to Manresa another time with great joy of his spirit, he had represented unto him the manner which God observed in creating the world. Another time hearing Mass in the Monastery of S. Dominicke, 
He seethe Christ in the B. Sacrament, & in his Humanity, with our B. Lady.  at the time of elevation, he did clearly see with the eyes of his soul, that under that veil, and form of bread, our Lord. jesus Christ true God and Man was truly covered, and contained. Many times being in prayer, and for a good space, with the same inward eyes of his soul, he did behold the sacred Humanity of our Saviour jesus Christ. And some times likewise the most glorious Virgin Marry his mother: and this not only in Manresa, but also after he was departed from thence near to Milan, and at Jerusalem, and in many other places.  
4. He went once out of Manresa to pray in a certain Church, distant from that town a little mile, 
He is illustrated and taught by God.  and in the way being transported, and elevated in contemplation of our Lord, he sat him down upon the bank of the river, not far from the way, and casting the eyes of his body upon the water, those of his soul were opened, and illuminated with a new, and unwonted light, not so, that he did see any sensible shape or figure, but after another more high, and intelligible manner. With this light, he understood very perfectly many things, aswell of those which appertained to the mysteries of our faith, as of other, which belong to the knowledge of sciences: in so much, that the same things, that he had seen before seemed afterward not to be the same. And this Divine rapt, and suspension endured for a good space.  
5. 
His extasis of eight days.  But that other accident which happened unto him while he was yet in Manresa is more to be admired. For upon a Saturday, at the time of compline, he remained so alienated, and bereaved of his senses, that he was held for dead: and they had buried him, if they had not discerned that his heart did still beat though very weakly. He continued in this rapt or Ecstasy until Saturday of the week following, at the same time of Compline, when many being present who observed him, he opened his eyes, as if he had awaked out of a sweet, and pleasant sleep, and with a still, and loving voice, said. O JESV. And this is testified by those who were witnesses of it, or at lest heard it related by them who were present.  
6. That revelation which he had at his coming to Rome (as we said before) was very notable, 
How Christ appeared unto him.  when being at his prayers in a Church, the Eternal Father appeared unto him, and his Blessed Son with his Cross upon his shoulders, who spoke unto him these most comfortable words, Ego vobis Romae propitius ero. Likewise being at Monte▪ Cassino (where S. Benedict did see the soul of S. German Bishop of Capua▪ carried by Angels in a globe of fire to Heaven, as S. Gregory writeth) the B. Father beheld the soul of Bachelor Hozius, who came unto him at Venice, go up to heaven, and he knew that it was the soul of Hozius one of his Society, who being in the City of Milan with Father john Codury passed to a better life. And when the same Father john Codury died in Rome, upon the day of the Decollation of S. john Baptist, in the year of our Lord 1541. the B. Father going that morning before he died, to say Mass for him at the Monastery of S. Peter de Monte aureo, which is on the other side of the river of Tybur, while he was passing the bridge called of Sixtus, he saw the soul of Father john Codury, which went to heaven with great glory: and turning himself to Father john Baptista Viola, who accompanied him, and told me of it, he said: Father john Codury is now departed  
7. Father Leonard Kessel borne in Flaunders, was one of the ancient Fathers of that Province, and a very great servant of God, 
He appeareth in Cullen to F. Leonard Kessell.  and so accounted in the Society. I knew him in Cullen, where he laid the first foundations of the College which we have there, & did govern it many years with great fame, and opinion of sanctity. This Father Leonard desired much to see, and converse with his B. Father, & Master, Jgnatius. He wrote unto him, ask leave to go on foot from Cullen to Rome, which is above 300. leagues, only to see him, and enjoy his holy communication. The Father answered him; that his presence was necessary in Cullen for God's service, & therefore willed him not to remove from thence; for our Lord could so ordain, that he might see him without undertaking so long, and difficult a journey. After which Father Leonard being in Cullen, the Holy Father Ignatius appeared unto him on a time being awake while he was yet alive, & stayed for some space there present with him: and when he departed, he left Father Leonard very much comforted for having obtained his desire in so strange, and marvelous a manner.  
8. To john Paschall son of Agnes Paschall (who was wont every morning to go to the first Mass, which is said in the Chapel of S. Eulalia, in the Cathedral Church of Barcelona, under the high Altar) he appeared one morning before the same high Altar, some years after his death; and john Paschall knew him, and said unto him, O my Father, going towards him; but the B. Father made him a sign with his hand, that he should come no nearer, and so departed. He had other visitations, and favours of our Lord like unto these, and wrought other marvels, which we omit to avoid prolixity. But that, which caused us, who knew and conversed with this Holy Father, most admiration, is: that these favours of our Lord being so ordinary, and daily (as may be seen in the papers, which he wrote with his own hand, when he made the Constitutions, and were found after his death) we scarce ever heard him speak, or make any mention of any revelation, vision, rapt, ecstasy, or other thing of this kind: but only of humility, charity, patience, contempt of himself, zeal of God's glory, labouring for the good of souls, prayer, mortification, & other such virtues of which he made great account. For these be such as make men, Saints, and friends of God: and those other things, though they shine more in the eyes of men, are but signs, and not always certain, of sanctity & grace.   

Of certain beams of Glory seen about B. F. Ignatius Head; & how he was endued with the gift of Prophecy.  
CHAP. XVII.  
NOT only the soul of this Servant of our Lord was illustrated with the visitations, and favours which we have mentioned: but part of that fullness, 
The Father's head, & countenance become respledent.  which the soul received, redounded likewise to his body. Whereupon many times, divers looking upon him, did see his countenance resplendent, and casting forth bright beams; as it happened in Barcelona to Elizabeth rosel, when the B. Father sat among the children on the steps of the Altar, as we have said: and to john Paschall, the son of Agnes Paschall, who kept him in his house a long time, in the same City of Barcelona: and in Loyola, when he went from Paris, and lived in the Hospital, others did see the same. And at Rome the B. Father Philip Nereus, a man of known sanctity, & the founder of the Oratory of those venerable Priests of our Blessed Lady De Navicula, which hath done so much good in that City (with whom I was very well acquainted) was a most devout child of our B. Father Ignatius, and came to him for counsel in all his doubts, and perplexities: and when he was sad, did feel his heart lightened, and rejoiced with only seeing him, & was wont to recount that he had many times seen him with a light about his head, which did cast bright beams from it. This B. Father deceased the 26. day of May in the year 1595 and upon his day and memory, his Children make a great feast.  
2. But that is more notable, which happened to Alexander Petronius, a famous & much esteemed Physician of Rome, and a great friend of our B. Father, who being once grievously sick, Father Ignatius went to visit him, and entered into the sick man's chamber, which was very dark, all the windows being shut; and at his entrance it was replenished with a new light, which Alexander did see, and demanded of his wife, what light that was; and presently he felt himself well, attributing this benefit to the Blessed Father's presence. And though he dissembled the matter at that time, passing it over in silence; yet after the B. Father's departure to a better life, he did publish, and manifest it with great admiration, and esteem of his Holiness. In other places likewise he was seen with this supernatural light and splendour, and in Barcelona john Paschall often beheld him in prayer elevated in the air, a foot & more above the ground, speaking with God, and saying: O my God, O my Lord, O that men knew thee.  
3. Our Lord likewise imparted unto him the gift of Prophecy, 
He had the gift of Prophecy.  so that being illustrated with a Divine light, he foretold many things long before they fell out. At the time that he departed from Manresa towards jerusalem, john Paschall aforesaid who then was but a youth about eighteen Years old, would have accompanied him; but the Father willed him to return, & assist his Mother; further telling him, that he should marry, & have children, together with many troubles, and molestations counseling him to bear them with patience and the like: all which came to pass, as the Father had foretold.  
4. Being in Flanders, whither he went sometimes from Paris to ask alms for his sustenance (as hath been said before) dining one day at Antwerp with certain merchants who had invited him, he cast his eyes upon one of them, who was somewhat far off, a young man, called Peter Quadratus, borne in Medina del Campo. And beholding him attentively, he bade him come nearer, for being to be so great a benefactor of the Religion of the Society of jesus, it was fitting, that they should presently come acquainted, and take notice one of another: adding that he had great reason to thank God, because he would vouchsafe to use him, making him the founder of a College of the Society (this being so long before the Society itself, began) all which was verified. For many years after Peter Quadratus, and Donna Francisca Manjona his wife founded the College, which the Society hath at this present in Medina del Campo.  
5. When the Father went from Vincenza to Bassana, to visit Father Simon, who was very sick, and in danger, having in his company Father Faber, leaving him upon the way, he went a little aside to pray for Father Simon, and in his prayer was certified, that he should not die of that sickness, as he told Father Faber at his return. And coming to the place, where the sick man was, he embraced him saying: Fear not, Brother Simon, you shall not dye at this time; & with these words he presently recovered, as the same F. Simon often testified, and Father Faber related it to Father Laynes, who remained sick at Vincenza, of whom I knew it.  
6. Likewise in Bassana one of the Fathers began to doubt of his vocation, and whether it were not better to remain in the company of an Hermit, who lived a very Holy life, giving himself to contemplation, then to follow the B. Father, and employ himself in helping the souls of his neighbours. And going one day to consult this doubt with the Hermit himself, he had great visions, and was much terrified in the way: and coming in that fear, and out of breath, into the lodging, where Father Ignatius was, he with the light of Heaven knowing what he had in his breast, said unto him; Modicae sidei quare dubitasti? Man of of little faith why didst thou doubt? And he was confirmed with these words, & persevered until death in his vocation.  
7. In the year 1541. Stephen Baroelus an Italian, entered into the Society at Rome, and not long after fell dangerously sick, whereupon the Physicians having in a manner given him over, our Blessed Father went to S. Peter de Monte aureo to say Mass for him. I did accompany him that day (as I used to do many other times) and I served him at Mass: which being ended, and after he had given thanks, he said to me: Stephen shall not dye at this tyme. And he presently recovered, and went afterward to Portugal, and returned back again to Italy and lived many years, and finally made an holy end in the Society.  
8. Doctor Arrovira a very Honourable Citizen of Barcelona, who a few years since came to Madrid for Ambassador of that City, to King Philip the second, who is now in glory, told me that being in Rome, he had much acquaintance, and familiarity with the Blessed Father, and that one day coming from Ara Caeli, he met him in the street with a letter in his hand, which was given him from Don Francisco de Borgia, Duke of Gandia, who at that time was married, and Viceroy of Cataluna, and that speaking of that letter, which he had received, he said: Little would you think, that this Noble man, who hath written this letter, shall come to Rome, to be the head of our Religion. Which was fulfilled afterward, when the Duchess his wife being dead, the Duke entered into the Society, and having been many years Commissary General in Spain, in the year 15●5. upon the day of the Visitation of our Blessed Lady, the second of july, he was chosen to be the third General.  
9 And th● same Doctor Michael Arrovira affirmed, that he being then a young man, and in doubt what state of life to choose, afterward he determined to marry: and before he told the Father his resolution (for he kept it secret) the Father himself said unto him. I know well enough, that you are resolved to marry; O how you will bewail it, and in what troubles will you see yourself! All which fell out in that manner and this which he reported to me, he also affirmed upon his oath, as a witness before the Bishop of Barcelona. When Agnes Paschal died, they sent him word of her death to Rome, that he might commend her to God: and he answered, that before the receipt of the letter, he knew, that she was departed, and in heaven.  
10 Father Laynes being in Venice, procuring that that Common Wealth would put us in possession of the Priory of S. Mary Magdalen in the City of Milan (which Pope Pavi the third had united to the College of the Society there) found very great difficulties, and potent adversaries: in so much, that he in a manner despaired of that business: whereupon he wrote to the Blessed Father, requesting him to say a Mass, that God would give him good success, which he expected not by human means. The Father said the Mass upon the Nativity of our Lady, and wrote to Father Laynes in these words: I have done that which you desired: be of good courage, and take no care for this business; for you may well accounted it ended according to your desire. As the Father wrote, so it came to pass; for upon the octave of the same Nativity of our B. Lady, the Counsel met which in Venice is called Pregai, and in a manner all the Senators with one accord agreed that we should have the possession given us, to the great admiration of those, who had experience in the government of that Common Wealth. He likewise told the same Father Laynes, that he should succeed him in the office of General, and so he did.  
11. In the year 1555. sending the Father's Hierome of Nadall, and Lewis Gonsalez de Camera to Spain, he willed them to ship themself presently at Genua, for with out doubt, they should have a prosperous navigation; and so they had, though it were in winter. The Germane College being in extreme necessity, and without hope of remedy, in so much that the Cardinals who had care of it, were so dismayed, that they counseled the blessed Father not to weary himself in so disperat a matter: he answered, that he would not give it over, and that the time would come, in which that College should be sufficiently provided, and stored of all necessaries. And so it was. For the Holiness of Pope Gregory the XIII. endowed, & founded it liberally, so that now it hath completly all things needful.  
12. The like succeeded in the provision of the Roman College of the Society, which being in great want, and not knowing by any human means, from whence or how to be provided, the Father betook himself to prayer, and after told certain Fathers, that there was no care to be taken for that business: and that within a few months, our Lord would provide for it, as he did, & sometimes as it were miraculously, until the same Pope Gregory the XIII. of holy memory, founded it. He foretold other things like to these, before they happened: all which were fulfilled, as he said, and I omit them for brevity   

Of the Miracles of B. F. Ignatius: And first of his power over Devils, as well in his life, as after his death.  
CHAP. XVIII.  
BESIDES the gift of Prophecy, which our Lord imparted to this holy Father, he also gave him the grace to do many, and great Miracles, both whilst he lived, and after his descease. Some of those I mean to touch briefly in this place, but not all (for that would be too long) which our Lord hath wrought by this his servant. For though when I first set forth his life in La●yn, which was in the year 1572. I had notice of some other miracles of the holy Father, than those that I there set down: yet I knew them not so certainly, that I thought it fit to publish them: but since, with the authentical informations which have been taken for his Canonization, they have been proved by sufficient witnesses: and our Lord, who will exalt and make him glorious upon earth doth every day so many miracles by his means, that I am obliged to declare some part of them here, taking them out of the Authentical and juridical Informations which many Prelates have made, and are at this time in my hands; and out of the depositions, which the parties themselves, on whom these miracles have been wrought, have made under their corporal oaths, & by the testimony of others, who deserve credit.  
2. First then, he had great dominion, and command over the Devils, and they abhorred, and persecuted him, as their cruel enemy; fearing him in that respect and declaring him to be so. For in the time that he remained in Manresa, 
What hatred the Devils bore him, & what dominion our Lord gave him over them.  the Devil appeared unto him many times in a shining, and beautiful figure till at length illustrated with divine light, he knew, that it was the Devil, who would deceive him. And not only in Manresa, but also in his journeys, and at Paris, & Rome, he appeared many times unto him, but so contemptible, and deformed, that not making any account of him, he did easily drive him away with the staff which he had in his hand (as if he had been a cat, or a little dog:) This malignant spirit procured to terrify him whilst he remained in the hospital of Lewis de Antecana in Alcala, but he could not prevail. He would also have choked him another time at Rome in his sleep, & he throttled him in such sort, that he was enforced to invocate, and call upon the sweet name of jesus, with so great a force, that he remained hoarse many days after.  
3. Another time being in his bed, the Devils did strike and beaten him, and a brother called john Paul of Cataluna who was his companion (and told me of it) heard him, and rose twice to help, and assist him; but they could do him no harm, because our Lord permitted them not. They accounted him their mortal enemy, who made cruel war upon them, & took the souls out of their claws; and they published many times, that he was the greatest enemy, which they had upon earth.  
4. In the year 1541. I myself heard a Devil, which tormented a poor young man in Rome called Matthew, say, that he desired us not to speak of Ignatius, because he was the greatest enemy he had. Another soldier possessed in the City of Milan; and a woman in the City of Trapana in Sicily said as much. By reason of this hatred, and enmity of the Devils towards him, they persecuted him so much, and raised so many, and so furious blasts, and tempests against him, which argued their great anger, and malice; but by the grace of our Lord, he overcame them all, & subdued them with so great dominion, as may be gathered by that which we shall here declare.  
5. At the time that he remained in the hospital of Azperitia (as hath been said before) by reason of the fame of his sanctity, 
He casteth out a Devil at Azperitia and also one at Rome  they brought a woman unto him, who had been possessed four years, that he would exorcize her, and pray unto God for her. He answered with much humility, that he was no Priest, nor deserved so much at our Lords hands; but that he would pray to his divine Majesty for her, which he did, and the woman was presently delivered. At Rome, he cured that foresaid young man, called Matthew, who was grievously tormented by the Devil, by only speaking unto him, and shutting himself with him alone in a chamber. 
And another at Rome.  I knew him both before, and after, and he became religious in the wilderness of Camaldula, and was called Friar Basill.  
6. In the year 1554. the College of the Society which we have at our B. Ladies of Loreto was begun, and the first Rector thereof was Father Oliverius Manaraeus, who liveth at this day in Flanders, a man of great religion, 
He freeth the College of Loreto from the molestation of the Devils.  & very well known in that respect in the Society: who testifieth, that the Devils began presently to make war upon our Fathers which dwelled in that College, & to disquiet them day, and night; sometime making a great stir, and noise, others times appearing in divers shapes, and forms, as of a black Mare, or of a dog, or cat, or other beast, not permitting them to repose, and sleep in the night; and that having used all possible means of Masses, prayers, holy-water, exorcisms, relics, and other like, without profit, to deliver: themselves from that trouble, and importunity of the Devils; he wrote what had passed to Blessed Father Ignatius, craving the help and favour of his prayers: who answered, that they should trust in the goodness of our Lord, that he would deliver them, and he in their behalf would entreat the same very instantly.  
7. When Father Oliverius had received this letter, he presently called together all the Fathers, and brethren of the College, and read unto them, what the Father had written, and from that hour (a marvelous thing) all those troubles, and fearful representations of the Devils ceased, in such sort that there was no more sign of them, then if there had never been any such thing. This happened while our Blessed Father was alive. But presently after his death, there was a woman in the City of Trapana in Sicily exorcized, being tormented by the Devil, and the Viceroy john de Vega (who had news of the Father's descease, 
The Devil confesseth that the Father is his enemy.  though it were not yet published) caused them to demand, where B. Father Ignatius the founder of the Society of jesus was? And the Devil answered: that his enemy Ignatius was now dead and in heaven with the other Founders of Religions S. Dominicke, and S. Francis.  
8. In the year 1561. I knew, in the City of Sienna in Italy, a very virtuous, and simple maid called jacoba de Prado, servant to a Lady, who was Aunt to the Archbishop of the same City. 
The Father's picture delivereth a maid from the devils cruelty.  This maid was very much tormented, and persecuted by the Devils, who appeared unto her in divers shapes, misusing, striking, and beating her in very strange, and cruel manner. The poor maid endured this torment for the space of twelve years, until she began to carry with her a picture of our Blessed Father Ignatius: and presently the Devils, though they visibly appeared unto her, and cried out, saying: that he was their enemy▪ willing her to cast away that picture; yet they durst not come night her, nor touch her; yea showing them the picture, they cast down their eyes, saving: that they could not behold so bad a thing: and though she provoked them to strike her, if they could, yet they never durst do it, so long as she kept the picture.  
9 At one time desirous for curiosity to be certified, whether that fear of the Devils proceeded from the picture of the Blessed Father, or from some other cause, she laid it aside, and presently they came upon her, beating her so terribly, that they left her dead. And this happened unto her another time long after, she thinking, that she had been wholly free. And with this experience she resolved not to bereave herself of that strong breastplate, and buckler of the Blessed Father's picture, which terrified the Devils in that manner, who not being able to strike her, gave great blows upon the chamber walls, and upon certain coffers, & chests which were in it, without ever touching any one wherein there was a picture of the Blessed Father.  
10 The same in a manner happened in the City of Ancona in the year 1599 to a Schoolmaster called Leopar●ius. For he perceiving certain spirits to frequent his house, who in the beginning, while he was absent, swept his chamber, made his bed, brought light, and afterward disordered, and fouled it again; placed a picture of the Blessed Father in his chamber, and afterward found no molestation in it. But without the doors they made a great noise, opening & shutting them, & the windows, and striking as upon drums; but by placing the picture of the Blessed Father in those rooms also, all that stir ceased, & he was not troubled any more.  

He casteth out another Devil in Rome.  11. In Rome the year 1597. the eight day of july there being an exorcism in a Church, Father john Baptist a Perus●o of the Society of jesus came in to say his prayers having a Reliquary, in which among many other relics, there was one of the Blessed Father. He was no sooner come in, but the devil began to cry out, and say, that the Father did burn him with that which he brought about him: and finally being enforced with the exorcisms, he confessed, that the relics which that Priest had at this breast, were of Blessed Father Ignatius, a great Servant of God, and founder of the religion of the Society of jesus: & that he was a Saint in heaven, though not yet known, but ere long he should be canonised on earth: and the said Father Perus●o taking the Reliquary from about his neck, & laying it upon the possessed woman, the Devil gave great shouts, sayings that the Relic of that Father burned him, and so he left the woman free; it being our Lord's pleasure that she should receive that notable favour by the intercession of the Blessed Father.  

Another Devil cast out in Majorca.  12. In the City of Majorca a woman called Catharin Roca, was for the space of eleven years, almost every, day griveously tormented by the Devil. He made her beaten her hands, and head against the wall; he lifted her up in the air, he made her body so heavy, that divers strong men could not lift her from the ground. Sometimes she howled like a dog, and other times grunted like a swine: and likewise she was sometimes without judgement or sense, foaming at her mouth. It was a pitiful thing to see her without remedy, having applied many, until the year 1598. the last of August, a Priest called john Peé, took a subscription of Blessed Father Ignatius, and laid it upon the possessed woman, who at that time was deprived of her senses; & she used great extremities, making many motions and visages, and the Devil presently departed, and left her, she remaining free, and returning ●o her former, and natural health, retiring herself to give our Lord thanks for the favour received at his Blessed hands by the means of his servant Ignatius.  
13. In Monti-caelo which is a town in the territory of Sienna, there was a maid called Vlna, 
Also another dispossessed in the country of Sienna.  and her father's name was Gra●an Gala: who in the month of july the year ●●99. was much afflicted by ●he Devils, who appeared vn●o her in corporal shapes, spea●ing unto her, and soliciting ●er to filthy, and dishonest ●●ings, to which when she would not consent, they did beaten her cruelly, leaving the signs and scars of their blows upon her bruised body: but our Lord delivered her by means of the picture of Blessed Father Ignatius.   

Of four Sisters of Modena dispossessed of Devils by the Merits of B. F. Ignatius.  
CHAP. XIX.  
BUT that is more notable, & declareth more the Dominion which our Lord hath given to this his Servant, over the Devils, which happened in the year 1600 in Modena, a City of Lombary, which I will relate here in the same manner, that it hath been written from thence, though briefly, and in lesser words, 
Four sisters & a niece terribly tormented by the Devils, are cured in Modena by his intercession.  yet with more than I am wont, because it is so notable a thing There were in that City of Modena four sisters, noble, and honest women, one whereof was married, & the other three maids: all which, together with a niece of theirs (likewise a maid) were for many years tormented with a great multitude of malignant spirits: & this with such rigour, that it was a very pitiful thing to see the manifold, & divers vexations which they continually suffered of the Devils. They were ordinarily very sickly, the Physicians not knowing how to cure them being ignorant of their sickness; sometimes the Devils carried them to high places, to cast them down headlong; and other times to the most remote places of the house, when shutting the Doors they rend their garments, pulled of the hair from their heads, beating them, and casting them to the ground, with danger of their lives; neither did they leave misusing them in this manner until those of the house, hearing the noise, came to help them.  
2. All of them being virtuous women, brought up in the fear of God, and very modest in their words, they were many times enforced by those infernal beasts, to utter unseemly speeches, and horrible blasphemies against God, with such terrible shouts▪ as amazed all that heard them. They could not without great violence apply themselves to prayer, nor say, nor hear any word in the praise of God. It was an intolerable thing for them to be at Mass, and there the Devils made them sound, and fall to the ground, making outryes, & shouting with such violence, that they could scarcely contain themselves. When they went to confession, they hindered them from telling their sins, & bereaved them of their forces, making them to faint, and causing them to put out their tongues after a foul manner, in mockery of the Holy Sacrament of Confession, and of their Confessors. But that which tormented them most, were the motions, and temptations of the flesh, which continually afflicted them. For they were very honest women, and some of them had dedicated their virginity to God by vow. And the Devils themselves, compelled by the exorcisms of the Church, confessed, that their intent was to deprive them of their chastity, and to put them in danger of losing both their spiritual, and corporal health: but that they had laboured in vain by reason of the use of the Sacraments, with which these good women defended themselves, when they were most of all afflicted.  
3. Furthermore, these infernal spirits not being content to afflict them so many ways, enraged with exceeding great fury, to see that weak women made them so great resistance, they killed the only son of the married sister, who was but 14. months old & before they murdered him they threatened her, that they would kill him upon such a certain day, and so the child died at the time appointed, to the great grief of his Mother, and of all the family. (How secret, and profound are the judgements of our Lord!) These devout, & afflicted women had taken all the spiritual remedies which they could imagine, to deliver themselves from this tyranny of the enemies of mankind. They had used Prayers, Masses, Exorcisms, Holy water, Relics of Saints, and other means which the holy Church useth. They had been a long time at the directions of Priests & religions men of excellent virtue and prudence, that they as good Physicians might help, and cure them. They had visited often the Holy house of Loreto, and other Sanctuaries of great devotion, and especially some in which our Lord is wont more particularly to show his power against the Devils, but nothing availed, because our Lord reserved this occasion to glorify his servant Ignatius withal: by whose merits, and intercession they all four, and the niece also were delivered from the torments which they suffered: and had as good health, and forces, with their disposition both inwardly and outwardly to their great contentment, as ever before. They found themselves free from the temptations of sensuality, and from the difficulty in vocal, & mental prayer. They heard Mass with great devotion, & comfort. They lived with great modesty, decency, and composition, and conversed with those of the house with great affability, & sweetness, as they were wont, before they were tormented by the Devils; which hath been a matter of great admiration to ●ll that were acquainted with them: and much more by reason of the manner with which our Lord cured them, by the intercession of his Servant Ignatius, which was in this wife.  
4. Father Rector of the College of the Society of jesus, which is in the City of Modena, having understood the pitiful case of those poor women, after he had thoroughly considered, and commended it to our Lord, by his instinct (as the effect declared) went one day to the house, carrying with him a picture of the B Father, which he kept for his devotion. He entered into the room where the women were, at the very time, that a Priest was exorcizing the Devils; & without saying any thing, or telling any what he brought, he put up that picture of the Father upon the wall, and betook himself to prayer. Whereupon presently those hellish spirits began to give horrible shouts, and to say, that it was the picture of Ignatius Founder of the Society, with which they were grievously tormented. And withal they begun to revile at him egregiously, calling him, bald, lame, & blind: & being pressed by the Priest who exorcised them, to tell the reason why they called him so: they answered that they called him bald, because he had not much hair on his head nor beard; and lame, because his legs were not of the same length, one of them having been broken; and blind, by reason of his abundance of tears, whereby he had been in great danger to lose his sight: & they complained, that he came so far, as Spain, to persecute them both in his life, and after his death. And at the same time many principal Devils departed with horrible roar from one of the sisters, leaving her almost dead, and confessing the virtue of Ignatius.  
5. By this means the foresaid sisters, their mother, and all the house conceived great devotion towards the Blessed Father, with hope by his intercession to obtain the health which they desired; and they made a vow to observe holy all the days of their life, the day of his death, and to fast the Eue. This devotion increased with another new accident, for a Father of the Society called Augustine Vivaldi, being come at that time from Rome to preach in Modena, brought with him a reliquary, in which among other, he had a relic of the B. Father, which being placed secretly, and without saying any thing to any body, in the room where the sisters were, the Devils cried out, saying: that it was the Relic of Ignati', telling from whence it came, and who had brought it: confessing the intolerable torment which they suffered, and that by his intercession they should all be cast forth of those bodies: For God had determined to glorify him in the world.  
6. Another day a great Devil having mocked and blasphemed at Ignatius before his going out, being enforced by God at the time of his departure, confessed to his great confusion, that he was burnt with that little piece of bonnet and he called him three times a Saint, saying: S Ignatius, S. Ignatius, S. Ignatius casteth me forth by his humility and patience, and by the devotion, which he had to the most Holy Virgin. Other times, the devils desuring to conceal that they were cast out by the prayers of B. Ignatius, attributing that effect to the virtue of other Saints, to whom the said sisters had particular devotion, at the time of their going out, were enforced to confess the lie which they had told, and to give the glory to Ignatius, saying: that God would serve himself of him alone, in that occasion.  
7. Other times with great fury, at their departure, they cried out, saying: where is thy might O Lucifer, since that a piece of paper, with the picture of this Priest casteth us forth, thou not being able to make resistance? And many times having been exorcized the whole day without profit, they said, that they should never departed, unless Ignatius were invocated, and called upon, because God would have it so. And when the Priest said, Impero vobis per merita B. Ignatij etc. I command you by the merits of B. Ignatius etc. they presently went away with great rage, and fury. Other times they said: O God how dost thou deprive us of glory, to give it to this lame, & wrinkled Priest.  
8. The same effects which the Picture and Relic of the Blessed Father had wrought, were likewise caused by the book written of his life: for it being carried to the women's house, for them to read upon, and laid upon their head, or breast, or some Chapter of his life being read, the Devils were in forced to departed, and to yield themselves to the will of God, who is marvelous in his Saints, and giveth them strength and virtue to tread upon Lions, and to triumph over all the powers of hell. This battle and contention, lasted for two months, at which time the perfect victory was obtained. For as S. Bernard saith, speaking of a Devil, which S. Malachy cast out of two women; this delay was not for want of power in the Saint, but by divine dispensation, that the presence of the enemy, and the victory of the Saint, who cast them forth, might be the better understood.   

Of the wonderful force, and eficacy of the words, & sayings of B. Ignatius, in moving men's hearts.  
CHAP. XX.  

What force he had to move men's hearts.  HE had not only this dominion over the Devils, but also over the hearts of men, with whom he dealt. For certainly the force which our Lord gave unto his words, were wonderful and seemed more than human, moving men's hearts, not with the sweetness or elegancy of his speech, but with the weight of his spirit, and of the things which he spoke. He mollified hard, and obstinate men like wax, and altered them in such sort, that they marveled at themselves, and at the change, which they had made. With two or three words he often quieted, and cured the infirm, and afflicted consciences and souls of men, strengthing the weak, and giving them peace, and security.  
2. There was in our house at Rome a jew, called Isaac, to be catechised, or instructed, because he would become a Christian. He fell one day into a great temptation, and as one that were furious, and besides himself, began to say, that he would begun, & would not be a Christian. The holy Father commanded him to be brought before him, and said unto him only these words: Stay with us Isaac: presently he was quieted, and of a furious Lion became a gentle Lamb, and remained in the house, and was baptised.  
3. A brother called john Paul, who accompanied our Blessed Father, was for a time so assaulted, and afflicted with the Devil, by an occasion of a certain vain, and frivolous scruple, that he could not breath, nor found any peace in his soul, either by prayer, or penances, or the use of the holy Sacraments, or in any other thing which he used for his remedy: so that he was so sad, and melancholy, that he seemed a living statue of death. He imparted this his trouble to our Blessed Father, who with only two words, in answer, took away, as with his hand, all that perplexity, and agony, and pulled up the roots of it so perfectly, as if he had never endured any such matter.  
4. I knew another also (whom I will not name because he is yet alive) who being but a child, by reason of a certain fright fell in to so great a fear, that he trembled at his own shadow, and acquainting our B. Father with that passion, and vain fear, he with two words, that he spoke unto him, restored him to his former peace, and security. There happened two other things to the same man, which do very well declare the efficacy, which God gave to the words of this his Servant, and what force he had to move their hearts, who treated with him. The one is, that being once very rebellious, and obstinate, in not following the wholesome counsels which the Father gave him, with one only word, that he said unto him, he was in such sort changed, that he began to cry out a loud, I will do it Father, I will do it. And so he did, it seeming to him, that he had not power to do otherwise, by reason of the great motion, and impulsion, which he felt in his soul  
5. The other was that the same brother being tempted, and in a manner resolved not to persevere in the Society, and making his general Confession with the Blessed Father, with only these words, that he said unto him, I desire you, not to be ungrateful to one who hath done you so many favours, as our Lord hath done, he healed, quieted, and pacified him in such sort, that in that instant he determined to persevere in his vocation: and hath devoutly persevered ever since, without having any the lest trouble in this kind. And we might relate very many other things of this quality, by reason of which Father Francis Borgia, a man of such sanctity, and prudence as is known, was wont to say, that B. Father Ignatius did speak, tamquam potestatem habens, as a man that had power, to imprint in men's hearts what he would, and to move them to what he would.  
6. S. Bernard saith, that the holy Bishop S. Malachy tamed an unruly, and very choleric woman: & that in his opinion, this was a greater miracle, then if he had raised one from death, because in the one miracle, he had raised the outward man and in the other the inward. This saith S. Bernard. But let us follow the course of our narration, and declare some of the other miracles, which after the death of the Blessed Father, our Lord hath wrought by his intercession, and especially these latter years, in which his Canonization hath been treated of. For those which God hath done in divers Provinces, have been many, divers, and great, to stir up the devotion of the faithful towards him, and to make him glorious upon earth as he hath done in heaven.   

Of the miraculous Cures of diseases, done by the intercession of B. F. Ignatius.  
CHAP. XXI.  

At the instant in which he departed at Rome, he appeared to a Lady at Bononia.  IN the very instant, that the Blessed Father gave up his Ghost, he appeared shining, and glorious, to a noble and most devout Matron in Bononia, who was a widow, called Margaret Dellio, and greatly affected to the Society: and he said unto her; Margaret I departed now, and I commend the Society unto you. Having said these words, he ceased to appear. And the pious woman related presently, what she had seen to Father Francis Palmius her Confessarius, and the Rector of that College, telling him, that without doubt Father Ignatius was deceased, and that she had seen him, describing him as lively as if she had known him before, whereas in truth she had never seen him. And though this were not held for certain when she related it, notwithstanding afterward, when the news, of the Father's death came, and of the day, and hour in which he went to a better life, the thing was manifest.  
2. The first day of August in the year 1556. in which the Father was buried, great multitudes of people concured in Rome to his funeral, 
He cureth a maid of the King's Evil.  to see and reverence him. Among others which came, there was a very devout woman who bore affection to the Society, called Bernardina, and she had a daughter about the age of 14. years, who was molested with a dangerous, and troublesome infirmity of the Lamperons, or Kings Evil. And though she had spent a good part of her wealth in curing her daughter, yet she could not get her health, but, rather was every day worse and worse. Her mother carried her that day to the Church of the Society, with desire, that she might touch the holy Father's body, and commend herself unto him, and by his intercession obtain of our Lord her health, which the Physicians could not procure. But the throng was so great, that how much soever the mother, and daughter endeavoured, they could not by any means come where the F. body lay. Seeing their desire thus frustrate, they requested to have something that had touched the B. Father's body, and the mother with great devotion and faith, applied it to her daughter's neck, touching with it the Lamperons, and sores, which were in a manner festered: and by the mercy of our Lord, and the merits of his servant Ignatius, the maid was perfectly cured, to the admiration of all those that heard of it, and acknowledgement of the Father's sanctity, who after his death gave health to those, which heartily commended themselves unto him.  
3. In the years 1569. upon the 31. 
Music hard in his tomb.  of july (which was the day of his decease) the body of the Blessed Father was translated the first time, and there was heard by a certain devout servant of God for the space of two days, most sweet music and harmony, as it were of voices, in his Sepulchre.  
4. In Rome a Lady called Drusilla Tursellina being very much vexed with a vehement fever, 
He cureth a burning fever.  and with the headache, having used many remedies, & been let blood in her arms, nostrils, and head, without profit, her sickness rather increasing every day; was presently, healed by a relic of one of the Blessed Fathers bones, laid upon her forehead.  
5. Another woman named Olimpia Norina had such a vehement pain in her eyes, that she came to lose her sight, and for the space of three months had such a continual ague, 
He giveth sight to a blind woman  and pain in her head, that she could not rest. They brought her a subscription of the Blessed Father's hand, at the time that her pain was at the greatest, laying it upon her forehead, and eyes, and she began to see, and was rid of her ague and pain.  
6. In the same City in the year 1597. a noble man's child of seven years old, called Hierome Gabriel, being sick of a pestilent fever (called a Taverdillo) and of a pleurisy; 
He restoreth health to a child in a mā●●● past 〈…〉  having also the worms, so that there was little hope of his life, was healed with the same subscription of the Blessed Father.  
7. In the year 1599 Lady joane Vrsina, being but a child, 
He delivereth another child from a dangerous cough & shortness of breath.  daughter to Cornelia Vrsina Duchess of Cesi, had so great a cough, that she could scarcely breathe, or suck. The Duchess her mother commended her very earnestly and devoutly to Blessed Father Ignatius, and beseeched him to obtain the health of her daughter: whereupon the child having been a night and a half without rest, presently fell a sleep, and her cough ceased, and she began to suck her Nurse's breast. For which cause the Duchess commanded a Tablet to be set on the Father's grave in remembrance of the favour, which she had received.  
8. In the same year 1599 Angela Ruggiera was troubled with an extraordinary noise in her head for almost a year, 
He restoreth hearing to a deaf woman.  and lost the hearing of her right ear; whereto applying a relic of the Blessed Father, and making a vow to fast with bread and water the day of his departure, and to communicate the day following, recovered perfect health, and remained free from that infirmity.  
9 In the same year 1599 upon a monday, being the 19 of july Father Michael Vazques a professed Father of the Society of jesus, 
He freeth one from a vehement fit of the stone.  and Perfect of the studies in the Roman College, had such a terrible fit of the colic, & stone, that being in a cold sweat, and as it were in an agony, and without feeling, seemed ready to give up the ghost. They applied many remedies to ease his pain, but all without profit: yea it seemed that his pain increased by the multiplying of remedies. He desired them to bring him a Relic of B. Father Ignatius, which they did, and he took it with great devotion, and commending himself very devoutly to his Holy Father, he put it to the part where his pain was most sharp and vehement: and presently the pain ceased in that part, but remained in others, which likewise afflicted him much. But laying the sacred Relic upon those also, the pain seemed to fly from before it, so that at length he remained altogether whole & free.  
10. And four or five hours after he began to cast forth without any pain many pieces of the stone, imbrued with blood, and as it were enwrapped in little pieces of flesh; the Physicians judging, that the stone was dissolved by the virtue of that Relic, and be-because it was sharp, had torn the passages. Forthwith the sick Father rose out of his bed, against the opinion of many, because he judged that health not to be human, but from Heaven, and obtained by the merits of the B. Father, & consequently that it would be perfect, and that he had no cause to fear. The said Father Michael Vazques had at that time the care to deal with the Cardinals of the Congregation of holy Rites, or Ceremonies, concerning the Canonization of the B. Father, and it seemed, that our Lord sent him that so sudden, and sharp a sickness, that having had experience of the Blessed Father's favour in his own person, he might be the more earnest in procuring his Canonization.  
11. The same year 1599 a godly Matron of Rome, 
He cureth a canker.  having a canker in one of her breasts, and by the judgement of Physicians being so far gone, that it seemed she would shortly dye; making her prayers, at the B. Father's tomb, she began presently to feel the benefit of his intercession, and without any other corporal medicine, she became well within few days: for which cause her husband caused an Hearse of cloth of silver to be laid upon his tomb, and the woman herself sent the portraiture of a breast made of silver and gilt, in remembrance of the benefit received.  
12. Another called Orinthia Casali, being with child, and without hope of life, because the said child was dead in her body, 
He delivereth a woman of a dead child.  applying a subscription of the Blessed Father thereto, was delivered of the dead child, the mother herself remaining in good health.  
13. Let us omit the other miracles which God hath wrought in Rome (being many) and let us come to other Provinces of Italy. In the Marca of Ancona is situated the Sacred House of our Lady of Loreto, in which the most Holy Virgin was borne, and the Eternal Word clothed himself with our flesh. In this place a child of six years old, 
A child past cure recovered.  fell into so grievous a sickness, that the Physicians gave him over. They laid a little piece of B. Father Ignatius his garment upon him, commending him to his prayers, and presently he began to be better, and was perfectly cured.  
14. In the City of Recanati, 
He healteth divers diseases.  which is about 3. miles from Loreto, the year 1599 a woman much troubled with an ague, and pain in her stomach, commending herself to the Blessed Father, was freed from both. And a youth being in danger of his life, by bleeding at his nose so abundantly that it could not be staunched, having a Relic of the Blessed Father applied, left bleeding. And another woman, which had a great pain in her breasts, there being an impostume bred in them, the impostume did break by virtue of the same Relic.  
15. In the same City a Gentleman named Horatius Leopardus, being in the month of October of the same year 1599 in danger of his life by a fit of the stone, & retention of urine, not finding any remedy, he commended himself very affectuously to our B. Lady, beseeching her by the merits of B. Father Ignatius to heal him, and desiring the Father himself to be his good advocate. At that very instant his pain was eased, and he began to make water; and afterward, he cast forth much gravel, and stones, broken in little pieces, and so remained altogether free.  
16. Hear also the same year & month, a Lady called Lucandia, wife to Pompeius Georgij, 
He cureth pains of the heart.  having been very sick for the space of five months, and endured great pains, and palpitations of her heart, applying unto it a little piece of the Father's garment, presently found herself well. And the same woman having gone with child nine months, and cast out of her body twenty pounds of blood, being therewith much weakened and in a manner without sense, 
He delivereth a woman twice from danger of death.  she earnestly commended herself to the B. Father, & that bloody flux ceased, and she came to herself: and afterward being much oppressed with the pains of childbearing, not being able to be delivered, she was brought to bed of a dead son without pain, she herself remaining in life, and health, commending herself to the B. Father.  
17. In the City of Macerata, rata, which is about three leagues from Loreto, 
He appeareth to a sick woman, restoring her health.  Blessed Father Ignatius appeared to a woman called Elizabeth Morena, Niece to the Lord Bishop of the same City, she being like to dye, and without hope of life, in the month of November of the year 1599 & taking her by the hand, he told her, that she should ere long be restored to perfect health, willing her to rise, and give thanks to god for the mercy which he used towards her.  
18. In the City of Naples, in the month of june of the year 1599 Donna joana of Arragon, Princess of Beltran, and Duchess of Terra-noua, had a great pain, & swelling in her right breast: 
He delivereth a Lady from a pain & swelling in her breast.  & finding no remedy, amongst many which were applied in the space of four months, omitting them all, as unprofitable, and laying upon her breast, with much devotion, the picture of the B. Father, she became well the same day: and coming to Rome this last Holy year of 1600. commanded a Tablet of silver, with four great wax Tapers to be set upon the B. Father's tomb, on Easter day, in thanks giving.  
19 In the City of Nola, the year 1599 in the month of November, 
A Knight cured of a pestilent fever.  a knight named Francis Blasius, being much vexed with a pestilent ague, & with a grievous pain in his head and stomach, so that in the judgement of the Physicians, he was in danger of his life. His mother Zenobia Tolphia exhorted him to lay a Relic of the bone of B. Father Ignatius to his head, & commend himself unto him, desiring his favour. He did so, and remained free from all his pains, and his whole sickness.  
20. In the City of Lecha (which is in the Province of Apulia, in the Kingdom of Naples) the year 1594. a woman called Patientia, 
A woman cured from a pain in her side.  servant to a Lady named Antonina Cubella, had such a terrible pain in her side, that it was accounted incurable, in so much, that they prepared her grave. They brought her a Relic of the Blessed Father Ignatius, and presently she fell a sleep (which she could not do before) and in her sleep, the Father appeared unto her, in priestly attire, & said unto her: Daughter, commend thyself to God, and he will heal thee: upon hearing of which words, she found herself free from her pain.  
21. In the same City of Lecha a child of three years old, 
A child healed of a wound in his knee.  son to the Baron of Begli-boni, fell from his Nurse's arms upon the ground, & did notably hurt his right knee, which grew every day worse, because the Nurse for fear concealed the fall. And it went so far that it was necessary to open the child's knee oftener than once, and yet this helped not: wherefore coming to cut it the third time, the Father fearing his sons death, (whom he did see consumed with the wound, and with the ague which followed thereupon) went to the College of the Society, & there they gave him a Relic of the B. Father's bone; which he laid upon the child, before they opened his knee the third time, and when the Surgeons came to do it, they found him much better, and within a few days altogether well.  
22. A Father of the Society, 
A Father delivered from a tempest, and captivity.  called Natalis Masuca, sailing to Sicily, was taken by the Turks, and afterward a great storm arose, in which he expected to be drowned. He commended himself to B. Father Ignatius, and heard presently a voice, which said unto him. Doubt not, for thou shalt not be drowned in this tempest, nor be carried into Turkey. The storm ceased, and the Turks ship was taken by the Christians, near to the I'll Lampadosa, & so he was delivered both from the sea, and the Pirates.  
23. In the City of Palermo, a child of three years old called Cosmus Ferier, son to a famous Physician, 
A child cured of an ague, & looseness.  had such a terrible ague, & looseness of his body, that his Father himself having given him over, prepared all things necessary for his burial; but having laid upon him a piece of a vestiment, in which Blessed Father Ignatius had said Mass, he forthwith began to be much better, and the same day recovered his health to the great admiration, and joy of his Father, and those of the house. Now let us come to Spain.   

Of divers Miracles wrought in Spain, by the intercession of B. F. Ignatius.  
CHAP. XXII.  
IN the year 1570. or 1571. in the City of Toledo, one day in winter, 
He delivereth a woman from a pain in her side.  a little before night, an ancient woman, called Vega, servant to Alonso of Villa-Real Duron▪ and of Mary de Torres his wife, fell into an exceeding pain of her side, which was so vehement, that the Physicians willed her to confess, & receive the most B. Sacrament, & make her last will & testament the same night, fearing that she would not live till morning: a devout & virtuous, man called john of Mesa, friend to the said Alonso of Villa-Real, understanding this, having first betaken himself to prayer, laid upon that side of the sick women where the pain was, a little piece of a linen cap, and another of a leather stomacher, which B. Father Ignatius was wont to use, and the said john of Mesa carried about him for his devotion & at the very instant, that he did this, the sick woman became whole, and well, saying: O Master john of Mesa, what have you done to me, that you have taken away my pain, and sickness?  
2. In the City of Burgos, Dona Francisca of Beruy, 
He cureth the colic stone, & bleeding.  a professed Nun in the monastery of S. Dorothy, of great recollection, and virtue, being very much tormented with the colic, and stone, having recourse to the intercession of the said Blessed Father, in the space of one year little more or less, came to cast forth, more than an hundredth stones, little, and great, in a manner without any pain at all. And in the year 1593. having broken a vain in her breast, not being able to staunch the blood, which she cast out of her mouth, laying upon her breast a little piece of the first sackcloth, which the Blessed Father clad himself withal in Montserat, when he gave his apparel to the poor man, the blood presently ceased, and stayed.  
3. There was in the Convent of the Nuns, commonly called Huelgas, one named Donna joanna of Gongora, very sickly, in so much, that she had procured a Breve of his Holiness, 
He cureth other infirmities.  that she might go out of her Monastery to take Physic: but commending herself to the Holy Father, and keeping his picture in her Cell, she remained so free, and sound, that she stood no more in need of leave to go abroad for her health.  
4. Another devout woman of the order of S. Francis, named Mary of Auala, who was much afflicted in spirit, had counsel to commend herself to Blessed Father Ignatins, 
He helpeth the trouble of the mind.  that by his means, she might obtain ease, & remedy of her trouble: and she betaking herself to prayer, forgot the name of Ignatius, and said: O Saint Athanasius, help me in the sight of our Lord, that he will be pleased to deliver me from this great temptation, and affliction which I endure. When she said these words, she heard a voice, that answered: He is not called Athanasius, but Ignatius: & doubt not, but that by his intercession, thou shalt obtain that, which thou desirest of our Lord: as indeed she did.  
5. Another man named Lancelot Ruffian of Flanders being sick of a pestilent ague, and given over by the Physicians, 
He cureth a dangerous fever.  by the means of a subscription of the B. Father, recovered perfect health, and rose up sound, and well, to the admiration of the Physicians, & of all those that knew his danger.  
6. The same happened to to Don Lopez of Castro, nephew to Donna Eleanora Gallo, who at that time was Abbess of the Monastery of S. Dorothy, who being given over by all the Physicians which had him in hand, aswell by those who lived in Burgos, as by others whom he had sent for from Valliadolid, commending himself to Father Ignatius, & promising to give a certain alms in his name, was presently healed, & delivered of his infirmity.  
7. A religious, and grave Father of the order of Saint Augustine, belonging to the Convent of the City of Burgos, 
A maid infected with the plague is healed with the Father's picture  being in Quintanilla of Somunon a Town within the Archbishopric of Burgos, whither he went, moved by charity, to administer the Sacraments to those who were sick of the plague: upon the eleventh of November in the year 1599 heard the confession of a young woman about 22. years old, called Mary, daughter to john Gomez husbandman, who was sick of a strong ague, & infected with the plague, he gave her counsel to commend herself very earnestly to Blessed Father Ignatius, 
Many that had the plague recover by drinking of the water in which one of the Father's bones had been dipped.  and he gave her a picture of the same Father, to put in her bosom; & with this only remedy, within an hour after he found her without either soar, or ague.  
8. Many that were infected with the plague, in the City of Burgos, drinking of the water, in which a bone of Blessed Father Ignatius had been dipped, and commending themselves to him, recovered perfect health. And Francis Ortiz Curate, & Pastor of S. Peter and S. Felix avoucheth, that many were so healed, and that he gave them the water For when human remedies failed, he betook himself to divine, and that this was public in the City.  
9 The same is testified by Bachelor Sanchius of Cantabrana, Curate, and Pastor of the Church of S. Stephen, to have happened to himself, being infected with the plague, and having a great and vehement tertian fever, & that taking of the foresaid water, and commending himself to Father Ignatius, he was healed. And Abel de-la-Torre, Curate, and Pastor of S. Martyns, in the same City of Burgos, being infected with the plague, drinking of the said water, which his mother brought him, at the same instant that he took it, felt himself well, and was freed from his ague.  
10. Francis Ortez aforesaid, Curate, and Pastor of the Church of S Peter and S. Felix in the same City of Burgos, 
He helpeth one from a lamnesse in his knees.  having endured by the space of five years a great infirmity of certain humours in his knees, and ankles, with much pain and trouble, by commending himself to the B. Father, was healed, never feeling that infirmity afterward.  
11. In the City of Madrid Father Michael Garses, 
He suddenly taketh away a vehement pain of the eyes with his subscription.  a professed Father of the Society of jesus, had a rheum that fell into his right eye, and did put him to such excessive pain, that he could find no ease, either in letting blood, or in any remedy which was used: but rather the pain seemed to increase by the multiplying of remedies, so that he could not take any rest day or night. Finally the ninth of September in the year 1596. having endured a most vehement pain in his said eye, until seven of the clock at night, Father Bartholomew Perez, who is at this day Assistant of the Society at Rome, taking compassion of him, gave him a subscription of B. Father Ignatius his hand, and willed him to commend himself unto him, and to lay it unto his eye: for he hoped that he would deliver him from that pain, as he had done othres who had commended themselves unto him. Father Garses kneeled down, betaking himself to prayer, and laid the subscription unto his eye, when his pain was at the greatest; which presently was taken away, and a little after he went to bed, and slept all that night with good repose, and the next morning heard confessions in the Church: and we of the house did see his eye well, which we had seen the day before very bloody, and full of water.  
12. In Gandia a maid of 13. years old, called Francis Vinoles, had been ill at ease for the space almost of a year, 
He healeth a lame woman.  of a great pain in one of her legs, which made her halt, & did put her to much pain, especially when the weather was cold, which was very contrary to her disease. This maid the day of the Circumcision of our Lord, in the year 1600. went to Mass (not without great difficulty) because it was so great a day, and returned home much afflicted, by reason of the pain which greatly tormented her. Her mother willed her to commend herself earnestly to blessed Father Ignatius, and laid one of his subscriptions upon her: and in that very instant the sick maid felt herself perfectly well, and free from that pain: and began to go, as if she never had any. Her Father (who was a Physician) and all the house accounted it a miracle: and in sign of thankfulness, presently the day following, the maid, and her mother came to the Church of the Society of jesus, to tender thanks to our Lord, and to his great Servant Ignatius, presenting him with a picture of wax.  
13. Like to this miracle is another, which happened in the month of October in the year 1600. in the same City of Gandia, to josepha Borgia wife to Gaspar Harrera. For the said josepha, 
He cureth a pain in the knee.  not being able for the space of more than a month, scarce to move herself by reason of an exceeding great pain in her knee, and finding no remedy by any medicine, she began to commend herself to the Blessed Father, with great devotion, and to say five times the Pater noster, and ave Maria. And having done this for three days, being one night in her bed, and commending herself unto him with many tears (because she felt herself much tormented with that pain) she presently reposed, & slept, and in her sleep the Blessed Father appeared unto her, and with a serene, and cheerful countenance told her, that he came to cure her, & touching her knee with his blessed hand, he freed her from all that pain, and she awaking found herself perfectly well, and presently the next morning came to the Church of the Society, and brought a picture of wax in testimony, and remembrance of the favour received at our Lords hands.  
14. But yet more notable is that which happened in the same City, in the month of November following, to a recollected Virgin of the age of 40. years, called josepha Castilia, who was sick of the gout, 
He cureth the Gout.  which was wont to take her with such great force, and violence, that it deprived her of her judgement, and many people could scarce hold her from hurting, and beating herself: and when she was out of this fit, she remained with such a terrible pain of her heart, and so great affliction of mind, her body also being so wearied, and broken, that for all that day, and the day following, she could not move herself, nor do any thing. But having understood of the favours, which our Lord did in this time in divers places by the intercession of the Blessed Father; one night when her disease had assailed her more fiercely and violently, then at other times, coming a little to herself, she commended herself, as earnestly as she could, to the Blessed Father with great confidence, saying five times the Pater noster, and the ave Maria, and presently in the same instant, she found herself altogether well, and as sound, and free from that sadness, and pain of her heart, and from the other accidents with which she had remained all that time, as she was wont at other times before. She slept, and reposed that night very well (which she could not do at other times, when she had those fits) and presently so soon as it was day, she rose out of her bed, whereat her sister, and brother-in-law marveled to see her go up and down the house. She bade them not wonder, but give thanks to our Lord, who by means of B. Father Ignatius had given her most perfect health, so that she had not so much as any sign of her sickness. After eight, or ten days, the same maid fell into such an extreme fit of the Colic, 
Also the cholike.  that she expected death: and with the devotion, which she had conceived towards the Blessed Father, she commended herself to him, and presently remained altogether free from that pain also. And in token of acknowledgement, she came to the Church of the Society, and brought two pictures of wa●, all that were present concurring with her in praising our Lord.  
15. We may add to these miracles another, which God hath wrought in the same City of late, upon the 12. of December of this last year 1600. A Girl of 7. years old was so sick of an ague, and a swelling in her face, that for two days, and two nights she could take no rest, nor drink so much as one drop of water, so that her parents thought rather of burying her, then of curing her. One of the child's Aunts saw by chance a picture of Blessed Father Ignatius, 
A child healed of an Ague and sweelling in the face.  which had been brought to her Father, that he might set it in a frame (for he was a joiner) she took it, and laid it upon the sick child's head, with great confidence, bidding her commend herself to that Saint, and to make a vow, that she would perform some devotion towards him for nine days together, if she recovered. Within a quarter of an hour, the child called her mother, and told her, that she was sound and well, and that the holy Father Ignatius had healed her, desiring her to give her some thing to eat. She did eat, drink, and sleep that night, as one that was perfectly well; and forthwith the day following, she and her Aunt went to the College of the Society, to give our Lord thanks, and began to perform the devotion promised, and presented a picture of wax.   

Of divers other Miracles of B. F. Ignatius, done in other parts of the world.  
CHAP. XXIII.  
NOw let us pass to the Island, and City of Majorca, in which our Lord hath wrought great wonders these years past, by the intercession of Blessed Father Ignatius. joane Claray: Noguera, a virtuous, and exemplar widow being very ill of her eyes, and having lost the sight first of her right eye, 
A widow restored to her sight.  and afterward of her left, applying a subscription of Blessed Father Ignatius his hand unto them, was so perfectly healed, that presently the day following she could work with her needle, and fix her eyes as stead fastly upon her work, as before she was blind.  
2. Another Lady called N. Sureda, wife to George Sureda who being in exceeding great pain of childbearing, and could not be delivered in many days; with the subscription of the Blessed Father brought forth a son safe and sound, 
He helpeth many women in their labour of childbearing.  the mother also having her health, and receiving great contentment, and joy, as all the rest of that family likewise did.  
3. This also happened more notably to another woman, wife to Saluador Mereader, who having wholly lost her forces, so that she could not be delivered: and fearing lest her child were dead, by the same subscription recovered her courage, and strength, and brought forth a son, to whom at his baptism they gave the name of Ignatius, because he was borne by his intercession.  
4. Magdalen Suau wife to Peter Suau, endured for three days most terrible pains of childbearing, and upon S. Laurence his day, in the year 1598. the subscription which we have mentioned of the Blessed Father, being brought unto her, whilst she was in that distress in her bed, she rose out of it, and after a new manner, all that were present calling upon the name of Blessed Ignatius, she was delivered of a child, having his head growing betwixt his legs. And yet our Lord vouchsafed to preserve the mother, who was very faint and weak, without any hurt or harm; the child also being fair, and in good health, which caused all the standers by to praise our Lord, for the ways which he taketh to honour his Saints. With these, and other like accidents the fame of the favour which God our Lord doth to women in childbirth, by the merits of Father Ignatius was so spread abroad, that both poor, and rich, when they found themselves in that danger, did take him for their advocate, and use his subscription, by which means they found remedy, and relief in their necessities.  
5. Another woman, called jeronyma Rebaça, was many days in danger of her life, by reason of the great, and terrible pains, which she suffered in childbearing, being also exceeding weak and faint, and having used many remedies without profit, thinking that the child was dead (because it moved not) they would have given her a certain strong medicine, to make her void it forth, though not without much danger of her own life. But she instead of that dangerous potion, betook herself to the remedies from heaven, and desired to have the subscription of Blessed Father Ignatius brought unto her, by which God did work so many, and so great wonders in Majorca. They brought it to her upon the 20. of October of the same year 1598. and within half a quarter of an hour she was delivered of a son, being alive, and in good health. And that which caused most admiration was, that the child had his mouth full of the potions, which the mother had taken three days before. The midwife took them out of his mouth, and the child presently cried, which made all the rest to laugh for joy.  
6. One of the women, which was present at this miracle, was jeronyma Pỳ, wife to Raphaell Pỳ, 
He healeth a woman of a pain, with which she had been troubled 16. years.  who for sixteen years had endured most vehement, & continual pain in her jaws, not having found any remedy which could mitigate the same, and together with this, she was troubled with a lose tooth, which caused her much pain when she did eat. This woman having seen what God had wrought in that delivery of jeronyma Rebaça, moved with devotion; desired to have the said subscription of the Blessed Father, which she kissed, and reverenced; and presently in that instant, she was delivered from her pains, and the lose tooth also, became as fast as any of the rest.  
7. This good woman, & her husband were so thankful, and devout to Blessed Father Ignatius, that they deserved to receive, another greater benefit at our Lord's hand, 
One cured being in danger of death  by his intercession. For the day following, being the 21. of October, a son of theirs called john Pỳ, fell sick of so terrible, and dangerous a double tertian ague, that having confessed, and received, he lost his judgement the fourth day, his tongue was thick, his eyes hollow and cloudy, together with the other accidents and signs of death. Upon the 19 of October, they laid the subscription of the Blessed Father upon him, beseeching our Lord with much devotion, & tears to grant the sick man his health. And at that very instant the ague was quite taken away, & he recovered his judgement and speech, and his eyes became clear. And this being at eight of the clock at night, forthwith the day following in the morning he rose out of his bed found and well, and the Physician coming at that hour to visit him (thinking that he would be either dead, or in his last agony) he found him walking, without any sign of his ague, or former sickness.  
8. By chance a horse ran over a Surgeon called Bartholomew Constantius, and bruised him so sorely, that his head seemed to be frozen, 
He recoreth a bruised, & blind man.  and he had so great a pain in his eyes that he could not take any rest either day, or night. He lost the sight of one of his eyes, & the other remained so weak and tender, that he could not endure any glimpse of light. The Physicians had given him over for incurable, and upon Holy Wednesday in the morning, the year 1599 he desired with singular devotion to have the subscription of the Blessed Father. At the time that they brought it, and it came into the chamber where he was, before they gave it him, that great cold in his head, and the vehement pain in his eyes ceased, & he found both in body, and spirit an extraordinary comfort. Having seen the marvelous effects of that subscription, he presently took from his head the kerchers, and caps, which he had to defend it from the cold that he endured, and he cried out, saying: I am now well, and sound, and without pain either of eyes, or head. Whereupon he commanded the doors, and windows of his chamber to be opened, (which before he had kept shut to keep out the light) and the day following being sound and cheerful, he went to the College of the Society, to praise our Lord, for having delivered him by the intercession of the B. Father, and to relate what had happened unto him  
9 A woman called Colonia Vich, 
A woman recovereth her sight.  wife to Lewes Vich, having endured a most vehement headache three months, and finally lost the sight of one of her eyes, the lid thereof falling down and covering it, so that the Surgeons could by no means lift it up again, and thereupon gave her over as incurable. They brought her the subscription upon the fift of May, and in the very instant, that they laid it upon her sore eye, calling upon the name of the Blessed Father, the lid was presently lifted up of itself, and she recovered her sight, and went to the College of the Society, to give praise to our Lord.  
10. Let us not forget Germany, where in a Town called Ebesperge, 
He delivereth a woman from danger of death in childbearing.  not far from the City of Monachium (in which the Dukes of Bavaria reside) a woman being in terrible pains of childbearing, and having continued two days, and two nights in labour, with great affliction and anxiety, not being able to be delivered, the third day she found herself so faint, & without strength, that she seemed more likely to dye, than otherwise. Her Husband being very much afflicted, went to a Father of the Society, who was there, craving his advise and help in that tribulation. The Father remembering the Miracles, which our Lo●d wrought in many places, by the intercession of B. Father Ignatius, especially with women who were in Danger by childbearing, kneeling down, beseeched the Blessed Father with great devotion to favour that poor woman in such extreme necessity. And because he had no other Relic of the Father to sand her, he took the rules which the same B. Father had written for the Society, with much devotion, and many tears, and infoulding, and binding them up in a paper, he gave them to the woman's husband, that he might lay them upon her, as a sacred thing, willing him not to doubt, but that God would favour her. He did so, and the woman presently recovered strength, & within five hours was delivered of a son, 
He procureth another happy delivery.  strangely wrapped up in a thin skin, to the great admiration of the Midwife and other women of experience, and both the son, and the mother lived.  
11. In Hungary in the Town called Turroz, the year 1594. a woman having been 3. days, in very terrible pains of childbirth, and in fear both of her own, and her child's death, with a Relic of the B. Father, was forthwith delivered of a son; she remaining in perfect health, and yielding thanks unto our Lord.  
12. Let us not pass in silence, what our Lord hath wrought in the Indieses (though they be far from us.) In the year 1598. in the month of September, a little ship, called Sancta Maria de Regla, departed out of the haven of the Blessed Trinity (which is in the Island of Cuba) towards the City of Carthagena: in which with don Bartholomeo Lobo-Guerrero, Archbishop of the new Kingdom of Granada, there went at his request and in his company, the Father Alphonsus Medranus, & Francis Figueroa of the Society of jesus, with other Priests, and lay-men. Sailing thus, and coming within sight of jamaijca, upon the 23. of September, they were assailed with such a terrible, and fearful storm, that they all accounted themselves lost men. For both the great and fore masts of the ship were broken, & their sails torn in pieces, and the wind so furious, that they could not set up any other, and the waves of the sea entered into the ship, with such violence, that it rather seemed to sail under, then above the water. The Pilot, called Domingo Rodriguez did let it run at all adventures thinking that it was passed all human remedy, if God did not sand them some from Heaven. The tempest having endured thus one whole day, & waxing every hour greater, the passengers made their recourse to our Lord imploring his Divine help. The Fathers of the Society calling to mind the miracles, which our Lord did at that time by the invocation of their Blessed Father Ignatius, commended themselves unto him, with great affect, and devotion, and with a loud voice advised the Archbishop, and the other passengers to do the same, with hope to obtain by this means that, which they could not procure by other. They did so all with one voice, crying out with much feeling, and many tears, Holy Father Ignatius relieve us in this our necessity. Presently in that instant they sensibly perceived the efficacy of the Blessed Father's intercession. For the wind being at the highest, became presently quiet, and calm, to the great admiration and joy of all those who were in the ship, and did now see themselves alive, where as before they esteemed themselves but dead men. The Archbishop promised, to celebrated yearly the feast of the Blessed Father Ignatius, saying his Mass in Pontificalibus, so soon as the Apostolic Sea should canonize him: and the other passengers promised other things, every one according to his devotion, as appeareth by the informations made in the City of Santa— fè of that new Kingdom, before the same Archbishop Don Bartholomeo, and also in Carthagena by the authority of Don ivan de Ladrada, of Saint Dominicks order, Bishop of that City.  
13. The Fathers Alphonsus Medranus, 
Another miracle upon the sea.  and Francis Figueroa, with the others that went in their company, were not delivered only by this miracle, and at this time, from the evident dangers of the Sea by the intercession of Blessed Father Ignatius. For returning in the year 1600. from the foresaid new Kingdom of Granada, towards Spain, in the Gallion, named Our Lady of Arançaçu, passing out of the straitss of Bahama, they endured many, and very terrible storms. For the tide with them was very strong & vehement, against which encountered a contrary wind, & of both sides they were inviroted with sands, and shallows, and in very great danger. Father Francis Figueroa cast a Relic of the Blessed Father into the sea, beseeching him devoutly to help them; which he did in such manner, that the sea was presently calm.  
14. But this favour from Heaven, and the force of the Blessed Father's intercession appeared much more in another greater danger wherein they were, near unto the islands, called Terceras. For one morning at the dawning of the day, suddenly the wind arose so furiously, that it overturned the Galleon and the mariners and passengers seeing imminent danger of death, kneeling down, confessed their sins publicly with a loud voice, beseeching our Lord's mercy. The wind broke down the greatest sail, and those of the Galleon remembering the benefit which they bade received before in the channel of Bahama, by means of the invocation, and Relic of Blessed Father Ignatius, cried out with great instance to Father Francis Figueroa, desiring him to cast again the same Relic into the sea, that God might be pleased to deliver them the second time also from so evident danger by his intercession. The Father did so, and presently (o goodness of God, who honoureth his servants in this manner!) the air became calm, the sea quiet, the sun shining, which was before covered, & all in the ship were comforted, and moved to thanksgiving, seeing themselves free from that fear, danger, and terror wherein they were before, as the same Fathers, and others who came in the Galleon, did testify.  
15. There was a woman in India so much inflamed with filthy, & dishonest love, that nothing seemed able to quench it. 
He delivereth an Indian woman from temptations against chastity.  She had a Relic of B. Father Ignatius given her, & by the means thereof, that Devilish inflammation ceased, which had almost consumed, and put her out of her wits. And in the same manner there have been many others in divers Provinces, & places, who commending themselves earnestly to our Lord, & craving his favour by the merits of his servant Ignatius, have obtained victory of their temptations, peace, and serenity in their souls, health for their bodies, case in their troubles, security in their dangers, and remedy in their adversities.   

Of the wonderful beginning, & Progress of the Society of JESUS.  
CHAP. XXIIII.  
BUT though the miracles, which are here related, & many other, which I omit for brevity, be so great, & so certain; notwithstanding the greatest of all (in my opinion) is, that God hath chosen this Blessed Father to institute, govern, and extend an Order of Religion, which amongst Catholics, Heretics, and Infidels, hath in so short a space done so much good in the world. And this Miracle is so great, and so notorious, that although there were no other, this alone aught to be sufficient, to know and esteem the sanctity which our Lord hath given to this venerable Father. Since it is certain, that when our Lord chooseth one for any great matter, he giveth him such grace and talents, as are necessary for the convenient execution, & accomplishment thereof.  
2. And I think that any wise, and unpassionate man will judge the same, if he consider the alteration, which God made, changing Ignatius from a worldly, and vain soldier, & making him Captain of this Sacred warfare, and Father of so many, and such eminent Children. He that shall think upon the hard ways, by which he guided him, and the perseverance, & victory, that he gave him: what company he joined to him in Paris, some being Spaniards, and others Frenchmen, at the very time that Spain and France were at cruel wars: and how he united, and bound them together with the band of perfect charity. The persecutions, & storms, which this Vessel hath endured, from the time that our Lord launched it into the sea, and that it hath always arrived at a secure haven, what wind soever it had, when weak men, and such as were worldly wise, made account that it would have perished.  
3. He that shall ponder with attention the frame, and form of the Institute of this Religion, which God inspired to this B. Father, so like in the essential points to other orders, and so unlike in some, which are proper to itself. The progress and propagation which the hand of Almighty God hath given unto it, since that in sixty years which are passed (from the year 1540 in which the Pope confirmed it, until the year 1600. in which I writ this history) our Lord hath multiplied, & enlarged it throughout all the Kingdoms of Christendom, and in so many, & so remote countries of the Indians, and barbarous people, where the light of the Gospel had not before appeared. So that in Angola, Monacongum, Monomotapa, Brasil, Ethiopia, Ormuz, Goa, Malaca, Malucas, China, and japonia, and in the kingdoms of Mogor, and Pegù, with others, our Fathers are resident (to omit, as more known, the firm land Perù, new Spain, the islands of Manilla, or the Philippines:) and the Society hath more than three hundred, and fifty Colleges, and Houses, distributed into three and twenty Provinces, and two vice-provinces.  
4. He will also judge the same, who shall cast his eyes upon that which more importeth, to wit, the fruit which our Lord hath drawn out of the labours of this B. Father, and of his children among Catholics, Infidels, and Heretics. There is no cause to relate in this place, that which belongeth to Catholiks, but only to consider, & ponder it, since that we have it before our eyes, and we see, & touch with our hands the care, and solicitude, with which our Fathers employ themselves in teaching children the Christian doctrine and the youth good learning, and manners: in visiting and comforting those, who are detained in prisons, & the sick in the hospitals, and in relieving the poor, and needy, & helping men to dye well.  
5. And it cannot be denied, that though the Common wealth hath fallen, and been impaired much in other things: yet there hath been great reformation in many servants of God, concerning preaching more profitably, and more oftener, touching prayer, and meditation of the divine mysteries: the use, and frequentation of the Holy Sacraments of Confession, and Communion; and in mortification, & penance: though all that is done be little, if we consider, what we aught to do. Likewise the other orders of Religion have been replenished with many scholars of the Society, who persevere, and flourish in them with great praise, and commendation. And these Religions themselves, encouraged with the help and succour, which our Fathers have afforded them, have more discovered their holy zeal, and extended greater beams of their sanctity, and learning, sustaining the Common wealth upon their shoulders, & moving us with their example, to labour more, and to attend with greater vigilancy, and carefulness, to our ministries & functions.  
6. That which concerneth the Infidels, is so much, that it cannot be explicated in few words, neither is it convenient, that we should spend many, in declaring, what innumerable souls among the Gentills, the children of this Blessed Father have illuminated with light from heaven, and brought to the knowledge of jesus Christ, and to the sweet yoke of his holy law: And what labours they have endured, and do endure to bring this to pass; & how many, and what great miracles God hath wrought by them, by reason that they were necessary for the planting of the faith in those places. Neither can any, who enjoy the peace and quietness, that those who were borne in these Kingdoms do enjoy (Blessed be our Lord, who giveth us this peace, & thanked be our Pious Princes who conserve it,) easily believe, unless they see it, what profit our Lord hath done, & continually doth in the Kingdoms, and Provinces infected with heresies; and what battles, and combats our Fathers have with Heretics without intermission.  
7. But that, which they who have experience of those countries, say, and which we who have seen it, know, is that with the exemplar life of our Fathers, with the Catholic & sound doctrine taught in Schools, preached in Pulpits, published in printed books, examined and tried in disputations with Heretics themselves, and the institution of the youth (which in these provinces only was in former years to the number of above thirty thousand scholars, and now is far greater) the holy Catholic faith which seemed to be decayed and fallen in the Northern Provinces, is revived, & hath taken head, & recovered strength, to resist, convince, conquer, & triumph over lies, and falsehood. And an innumerable number of those which wavered, have been confirmed in the obedience of the Roman Church: and many Heretics, who had forsaken it, have returned to it again; and those who continued obstinate, and blind for their interest, and ambition, have notwithstanding lost their former fury; and fear those of the Society (whom they call jesuits) and confess plainly, that they are their utter enemies, and as such, they abhor; calumniate, and persecute them.  
8. There have been many Colleges, & seminaries erected for the education of poor scholars, especially of those, who are banished, and suffer persecution for their faith: and there live in them many Priests, and Religious men of all orders, under the discipline, and government of the Society, who having ended their studies, return to their Churches, and monasteries, and are profitable for their reformation, and to provoke others by their examples. And by this means, and by reason, that many from the Schools of the Society have entered into Religion, the Clergy, and the Orders of Religious themselves (which in those parts were much decayed) have been reform, and have recovered their ancient beauty, and splendour.  
9 In like manner, whole Villages, Towns, Cities, and Provinces have been conserved in the Catholic faith: & with Congregations, Houses of Conuictors, Sermons, use and frequentation of the holy Sacraments, fasting, penances, and works of mercy, they have revived their faith, and showed by their actions, that they are children of the Catholic Church. And that this fruit may be more durable and lasting, and more acceptable and pleasing to our Lord: the sons of Ignatius water these plants with their blood, dying for the Catholic faith, and testifying by their death, that it is the truth; since that they give their life in defence thereof For beside above 25. of the Society, which in both the Indieses have sealed the preaching of the Gospel with their blood: more than 60. others have died by the hands of Heretics.  
10. For because the Heretics abhor so much those of this religion, and think that by bereaving them of their lives, they shall found less hindrance in their mischief; it is a very ordinary thing, to persecute, apprehended, torment, and use them like Traitors, as may be seen daily, and experience itself hath made it manifest. The which also is a great argument, that it is the work of God, and that he who founded it, was chosen by him, especially with his own and his children's labours, to amplify and enlarge the glory of the same Lord who did choose him, and to illustrate his holy Catholic Church.  
11. And this is (as I have said) the greatest, of all the miracles of this Blessed Father, and the Miracle of Miracles, in which are contained so many, and so notable Miracles, as the wonderful things are, which our Lord hath wrought by him, and his children. Be he therefore Blessed, and glorified, as the Author, and worker of all that is good: since that (as the Apostle saith) Neither he who planteth, is anything, nor he who watereth: but God who maketh that to increase and fructify, which is planted and watered: and to whom, as to the root thereof, all the beauty and fruit of the tree is due.   

Sundry Testimonies, of Holy men, of Kings, Princes, and Prelates, concerning B. Father Ignatius.  
CHAP. XXV.  
WE have enlarged ourselves much, in this life of our Blessed Father Ignatius; but for that we having known, and conversed so much with him, it hath given us leave to exceed our ordinary course, & indeed we know certainly that all which hath been said to be too little in respect of that which might be said. And because as yet he is not a Canonised Saint, nor proposed to the whole Church by the holy Apostolic Sea to be invocated, and reverenced, as the others are, whose lives we have written: it hath been necessary to relate some more particular ●●●ngs, & miracles, which in the lives of other Saints might be for brevity well omitted. Though it be certain, that we pretermit many other, esteeming these sufficient for that which we pretend in writing this life: that is, to glorify our Lord, who hath made him a Saint, to discover his virtues, for our example: and that they who are ignorant of them, may come to know them, and conceive devotion towards this holy Father.  
2. And for this cause before I make an end, I will add, that as this Blessed Father was a Saint in his life, so he was known, esteemed, and reverenced for a Saint by all those, who treated with him, and much more by them, who were more familiarly acquainted with him, because they did see more nearly his admirable virtues, and touched, as it were, with their hand, the great gifts, and graces which God had endued him withal.  
3. Father Francis Xavier an Apostolical man, and of such rare sanctity, by whom God wrought so many, and great miracles, who illustrated innumerable Gentiles, bore so great devotion, and reverence to Father Ignatius, that he did carry a subscription of his in his bosom, as a firm buckler against all dangers. And from the remote Countries of India, he wrote letters unto him, upon his knees.  
4. Father Peter Faber, who was the first that joined with him, in the erection of the Society, an admirable man, and of marvelous divine illustrations; took Father Ignatius for his pattern, and example of Holiness, and of all virtue.  
5. Father james Laynes, the second General of the Society, and a man so much esteemed in the world, for his great learning and religion, told me, that because God was so much pleased, with the soul of his Servant Ignatius, he did so much good to the Society, and so greatly favoured the children thereof.  
6. Father Francis Borgia, the third General of the Society, a man so well known to the world, by reason of his Nobility, and much more of his Sanctity, went to Rome the year 1550. principally to see, know, and converse with Blessed Father Ignatius And when he said his first Mass, (which was in the house of Loyola) he kissed the floor of the Chamber where the Father was borne, by reason of the great devotion, which he bore unto him, as unto so holy a man. And this was the opinion of all others who treated familiarly with him. But not only those who lived with him, had this estimation of his sanctity, but likewise those abroad had the same conceit and respect of him in like manner.  
7. Pope Paul the third, of blessed Memory, who was the first that confirmed the Society, did very many important things by the counsel of this Blessed Father; and among others, one was to institute in Rome the supreme Counsel of the Inquisition, and to appoint four most grave Cardinals to have care of matters belonging to the Catholic faith, in that holy Tribunal.  
8. Pope julius the third would not make Father Peter Canisius Bishop of Vienna, as the King of the Romans Don Ferdinand requested very earnestly, because B. Father Ignatius would not give his consent thereto: so great was the respect, which the Pope bore unto him.  
9 Pope Marcellus the second, who succeeded to julius the third, said: That in matters of the Society, the authority of Father Ignatius alone was of more weight with him, than all the reasons, which could be alleged to the contrary.  
10. Pope Paul the fourth, (in the time of whose Popedom the Blessed Father departed,) honoured him so much, that when he spoke with him, he bade him rise up, and cover his head.  
11. Pope Gregory the 13. in the Bulls which be granted the year of our Lord 1582. and 1583. in confirmation and defence, of the Institute of the Society, expressly saith, That the holy Ghost inspired Ignatius to institute the Society, and to prescribe the form, which the justitute thereof containeth. He saith more, That all the Christian Common wealth is eased, and refreshed by the children of the Society.  
12. And he, and his Predecessors Pius 1111. and Pius v. do so exceedingly, and with such exaggeration, praise and extol the ministries, and functions of the Society, and the fruit which God hath drawn, and daily draweth out of them, that for modesty I will not relate them in this place: but all this fruit proceeded (as from the root thereof,) from Ignatius, by the assistance of our Lord's grace.  
13. The King of the Romans (whom we named before) Don Ferdinando, besides the Colleges of the Society which he founded, and his great favour towards us in respect of B. Father Ignatius, being much inclined to make Father Claudius jayus (one of the first Fathers) Bishop of Trieste, he did it not, understanding that Father Ignatius was of a contrary opinion, and did not like it.  
14. Don john the third, King of Portugal, by reason of the great devotion which he bore to this Blessed Father, commanded Father Lewis Gonzales de Camera, when he went from Portugal to Rome, in the year 1553. to be attentive, and consider all the actions of Father Ignatius, and writ them in particular to him. Which the Father did, and wrote to the King, that concerning the matter, which he had commended unto him, he was not so much inflamed in the love of God, by any spiritual reading, or prayer, as by the attention, which he used in beholding Father Ignatius.  
15. The Cardinal Don Gaspar de Quiroga, Archbishop of Toledo, and General Inquisitor in the Kingdoms of Spain, who in Rome had been the said Fathers great friend, testifieth of him, that he was a most perfect man, truly humble, meek, patiented a despiser of the world, and inflamed with the zeal of God's glory, and the good of souls: and that he was never troubled, nor changed countenance, for any variety of prosperity, or adversity.  
16. Cardinal Gabriel Paleotto, Bishop of Bononia, calleth him, The light of the Church: and saith, That God moved him to institute the Society, for the greater strengthening, and fortifying, of Ecclesiastical discipilne.  
17. The Duke of Bavaria, Albertus, was very much addicted to Blessed Father Ignatius, and wrote unto him many times, and reverenced him as a Saint, and for his respect embraced, and favoured his children, as his Successors have done ever since; who have inherited no less the Piety of their Ancestors, than the Greatness of their House.  
18. The Precedent of Castilia, john Vega, being Ambassador for the Emperor Charles the fifth, in Rome; held very great friendship with the Father; and in a letter which he wrote to the Society, at the time of his disease, he called him Blessed, and Holy Captain, and worthy to have his banner placed in Heaven, with those of S. Dominick, and S. Francis.  
19 Master john of Auila, an Apostolical Preacher, (whose life was written by Father Lewis of Granada, deserving so excellent a Recorder) said of his humility, That Blessed Father Ignatius was a Giant, and he in his comparison but a dwarf.  
20. The same Father Lewis of Granada, speaking of the Blessed Father, saith: That he marveled at the life, heroical, and most admirable virtues of that new Mirror of Virtue, & Prudence, which God had sent unto the world in our times, for the salvation of infinite souls. So are his words.  
21. And in this manner do many other very wise, and grave men think, and speak. And many authors of divers nations, who have written since the Society began, do speak of him as of an Holy man: 
Surius in comment. return in orbegest. an. 1540 Molanus in additad Vsuard. die 31. july. Genebrard in chro. an. 1521. S●●●der. in hist. Schis. Aug lic. an: 1540 Bozius de signis Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 3. sig. 11. & ●ib. 7. c. 1. sig. 25. & l. 9 c. 12. sig. 37. Morig. in hist. de Origine relig. c. 77. Angelus in tract. de praepos. ad commun. p. 121. Mambri. in hist. l. 3. Ygles. c. 2. part. hist. Pon. tific. lib. 6. in vita Pauli 3. Villeg. tom. 1. in vita Ign. Garibay hist. Hispan. l. 30. cap. 5. Paiva l. 1. orthod. instit.  As Laurence Surius a German by Nation, who briefly writeth his life. And john Molanus of Flaunders, who calleth him, Most Blessed. And Genebrard a Frenchman, who saith, That God sent him against Luther. And Doctor Nicolas Saunders, an Englishman, who calleth him, A man of God, and moved by our Lord to do the work, which he performed. Thomas Bozius nameth him, A most famous man for the sanctity of his life. Paulus Morigia, of the Order of the jesuati, and Angelus del Paz, of S. Francis Order, and Mambrinus Rosa, all four Italian Authors, writ, and commend the life of the Blessed Father. And Gonzales de Yglesças, and Master Alphonsus of Villegas, and Stephen of Garibay, Spanish Historiographers of our time, writ the same of him, and call him, Blessed, Happy, and Saint. And Doctor james of Paiva, a Portugese (who as a Doctor of Divinity for his King, was present in the Council of Trent) nameth him an Illustrious example of Sanctity, An admirable man, and given to the world for a particular benefit from heaven.  
22. And if we turn our eyes to the Kings, and Princes, who accounting him a Saint, have beseeched our most holy Father Pope Clement the eight, that this day sitteth into the chair of S. Peter, to declare him to be so, and to put him into the Catalogue of Saints; we shall found, that the greatest, and most mighty Princes of Christendom, have desired, and beseeched it with great instance. For the Emperor Rodulphus the second of his name, and the Empress Dona Maria of Austria his mother, and the Catholic King Philip the second of glorious memory, and King Philip the 3. his Son, who reigneth at this day, together with Queen Margaret, and Duke William of Bavaria, the Archdutchesse Dona Maria his sister, and others, have written letters to his Holiness, in which they call him Blessed, and Holy Father, and from whose most Holy, and Religious life, as from their fountain, the current of many gifts, and graces hath rejoiced the City of God.  
23. And not only these, and other great Princes have showed their piety and devotion, which they bear to the Father, making intercession for his Canonization; but also whole Kingdoms have done the same: as that of Castilia in their Parliament; that of Arragon, that of Valentia, and the Princedom of Cataluna, with their Viceroys, and Governors; the holy Churches of Toledo, Civil, Granada, and Corduba; the Cities of Saragoza, Valencia, and Barcelona, and the Province of Guipuzcoa (where the Father was borne) and many other Bishops, Dukes, and Lords.  
24. And this is the common consent, and opinion of Christian, wise, and unpassionate men of all Nations: only the Heretics think, and speak evil of this Blessed Father, and writ books against his life, and against his Religion; as a great Caluinist heretic hath done, named Simon Lithus Missenus, who wrote five books against the other five of his life, which are in print; which is no less testimony of his Sanctity, than the praise, which so many, and so grave men, that have been here recited, do give him. For as it is a great praise, to be praised by the good: so it is no less, to be dispraised by the bad, as S. Hierome saith, writing to S. Augustine in these words. The Catholics reverence, and admire you, as the repairer, and restorer of the ancient faith, and that which is a sign of greater glory, all Heretics hate, and revile you: and they persecute, me with the same malice, killing in desire those, whom they cannot bereave of their life with the sword.  
FINIS.