AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE LIFE OF S. FRANCIS XAVERIUS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS NEW APOSTLE OF INDIA AND JAPONY.  
Together with some few of the innumerable Authentical Miracles wrought by him of late years. By W. B.  Rabbi, we know that you are a master come from God, for no body can do these signs which you do, unless God be with him. John. 3. v. 2. 
✚  
PRINTED At S. OMERS, by THOMAS GEUBELS, 1667.  
With Licence.   

S. FRANCIS XAVERIUS his manner of exercising acts of the love of God.  
Translated out of his own hand-writing.  
O God I love thee.  
Nor do I love thee, to the end that thou shouldst save me:  
Or, because thou dost punish with eternal fire  
Those who do not love thee.  
Thou, Thou, my JESUS; didst embrace  
All me upon the Cross.  
Thou suffered'st nails, a spear,  
And many an ignominy,  
Innumerable Dolours,  
Sweats, and anguishs,  
And Death. And this for me:  
Yea for me a sinner!  
Why then should I not jove thee  
O most loving JESUS?  
Not to the end that thou shouldst save me in heaven:  
Or, lest thou shouldst eternaly damn me:  
Nor out of hope of any reward.  
But, as Thou hast loved me,  
So I love, and will love thee.  
Only, because thou art my King:  
And only, because thou art God. Amen.   

S. FRANCIS XAVERIUS of the Society of JESUS Apostle of the Indies and japony. A PRAYER IN HIS HONOUR.  
O God, who 〈◊〉 pleased to gather to thy church the nations of the Indies by the preaching and miracles of S. FRANCIS: Vouchsafe mercifully to grant, that we who reverence his glorious merits, may alsoe imitate the examples of his Virtues, through our Lord jesus Christ. etc.  
This picture hath touched his holy Relics, and by such like pictures many have received divers favours. 1666.   

AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE life of S. Francis Xaverius.  
S. FRANCIS XAVERIUS by God's grace new Apostle of the Indies and japony, had for the place of his Nativity the Castle of Xavier in the Kingdom of Na●ar; for his extraction, he was descended from noble Ancestors; for his education, his Parents no less Pious than Honourable, taught him from his childhood to fear God, and keep himself pure from sin; when he was mature for studies, they sent him to the Famous University of Paris where he was first à scholar, and afterwards à Master of Philosophy, but leaving those profaner sciences, he betook himself to the sacred and more certain studies of Divinity in the same Academy. Here he happily fell in to the Company and acquaintance of S, Ignatius, who by his holy prayer and other Pious endeavours drew him to a more strict and perfect Kind of life, and made him one of his first Companions in Founding the Society of jesus Being now entered into the straight way which leads unto life, he most severely mortified his body according to the example of the ancient holy Fathers For by à severe Interdict he denied himself the use not only of flesh and wine, but also of wheaten bread, contenting himself with course and l●ss savoury meats, and these also in a very sparing quantity Morover oftentimes he wholly abstained from all Kind of food, sometimes for two, otherwhiles for three days together: this for his diet: his sleep also was very sparing and shorr, and this other upon the ground or a poor bed which was little better. Not wanted he other inventions to afflict his poor body, oftentimes making it all on a go●t blood with cruel iron whips. To omit the holy revenge he took upon himself for the levity of his youth, girding about his thighs so straight, with certain little cords as the flesh yielding to them and growing over them, they could not be loosed but by an evident miracle, Thus he treated his own body; but he was not more severe to himself than he was good and charitable to others. The common hospital was his ordinary lodging wheresoever he came; in which he assisted both the so●● and bodies of those infirm people with such cheerfulness an● alacrity, as those humble charitable services were commonly called his delights, with such mortification and triumph ou● nature, as he oftentimes drunk up that filthy water, with which he had washed horrid and incurable ulcers: nay his story testifies how, that he might overcome that horror which nature hath of poor Lazars, laying his mouth to ● fetid ulcer, he greedily sucked out the purulent matter. This glorious victory over himself, God Almighty rewarded with a strange delight, which he ever after took in those humble offices of charity. Morover, he performed these offices of corporal and spiritual charity with such diligence and constancy, as no weakness or sickness of his own body could make him interrupt them. Hence, at Bolonia, when he was become a very picture of death, by the hardship he endured, continual labours, and a quartan ague, he would not for all this give over his public preaching, catechizing of children, visiting of prisons and Hospirals,; nay when he was tied to his bed in the Hospital at Mozambico, by a malignant dangerous fever, he made shift to scramble out of it, to assist à poor frantic mariner who lay raving upon the ground, first carrying him to his own bed, and then restoring him to his ●enses, and afterwards to the grace of God by administering him the holy Sacraments. Nor was his piety to God himself less admirable and notorious, then was his charity to the poor of God for God's sake. Such was his union with almighty God, and such the seruor of his spirit in holy prayer, as he spent whole nights in it; nor, when he was upon the sea, were eminent dangers of death and most terrible tempests able to make him break it off, or in the least to disturb the quiet of his holy soul: and sometimes he was seized upon by such a sacred ecstasy, as with his eyes fixed upon heaven he was lifted up by divine force from the earth, with his face so inflamed, as he lively represented the burning charity of the Angels; nor being able to bear the hea● of divine love, oftentimes he exclaimed, satis est Domine, satis est, It is enough Blessed Lord, it is enough. Nor had the holy Saint God Almighty in his heart and mouth, only wh●● ●● was awake, but also while he slept he was often heard ●●th ravishing sweetness to cry out: O my good jesus! ● whom my soul love's! O my Creator! my Lord! But perhaps honours and dignities would make him chan●e these his pious, and humbly charitable manners; no such matter. For john the third King of Portugal of worthy memory, demanding some of S. Ignatius his companions, for the propagating of the Gospel in the vast regions of the East Indies, Francis Xaverius by the advice of S. Ignatius, was pitched upon by his Holiness Paul the third, who endowed him with most ample power, and dignity of Apostolical legate which not withstanding, he would not accept either of a servant to assist him, or money, or any thing else but a poor coat, and a few books which he thought, he should not find in the Indies; Professing, that he had made a vow of poverty, and he was resolved to keep it, hoping that our Lord would provide him what was necessary for his service, and that he had no need of a servant so long as our Lord preserved his hands and feet, as for going to the Kitchen and accommodating his Chamber he did not think it would diminish his Religious Authority, so long as he did not hereby offend God. The governor of India with whom he embarked, could not persuade him to sit at his table, the allowance of other passengers he accepted of, but without eating any thing of it, he distributed it amongst the necessitous; as for himself, he lived upon what he begged in the ship, with an unwearied charity serving the sick night and day in the most abject offices: his bed, as atland it was ordinarily the ground, so at sea it was the cable of the ship. Being arrived in India he immediately betook himself with a fervour of spirit truly Apostolical to preach the Gospel, and with such fruit, God Almighty cooperating by his holy grace and evident miracles, as that he not only reform the depraved manners of the Christians he found there, but also regenerated to God many hundred thousands of the Infidels by the sacred waters of Baptism. For not only amongst the Indians, brahmin's, and Malavarians, Apostolical preaching, which lorg ago had flourished there, but by the fraud of the enemy of mankind was now quite abolished, by Xaverius was revived, but also he first preached the Gospel of Christ to the Paravians, Malaians', jaians', ●●nians, Malacensians and japonians and brought many King and great Princes of those nations to submit their ●e●● to the sweet yoke of Christ. In order to these great conversions, he was miraculously endowed with the perfect knowledge of different languages: sometimes when he spoke only in one language, divers people of different languages understood him at the same time what he suffered for the name o● Christ in his Apostolical labours is incredible. For in thos● vast Regious, he went through divers Kingdoms, always asoot, and very often barefoot, and also through score hi● Sands, he was oftentimes persecuted with contumelies, reproaches and scoffs, nay with blows and stones, he ofte● suffered shipwreck, he endured watching, cold and nakedness, hunger and thirst, contracting by his continual and unsupportable labours, most grievous sicknesses: but with the great Apostle he contemned his life, that he might consummate his course and ministry of the Gospel, which he had received. And which is not a little admirable, amidst these and his other singular virtues, and great things which he did and suffered for God, he was so humble, that he always wrote unto his Superior S, Ignatius upon his knees: and as if he had been the unworthiest of all, he would be exercising himself in the most abject offices of the house: he wore such poor and patched , as the boys in the street, laughed at him. But he did not more contemn himself then God Almighty honoured him both alive and dead; mercifully renewing by his servant Xaverius, the miracles and prodigies he heretofore wrought to confirm the Doctrine of his first Apostles. Besides his miraculous speaking of divers languages, the Acts of his Canonization (to omit many other evident miracles there recorded) make mention of five and twenty raised by him from death to life. One of which was resuscitated in the manner folloving, At the promontory of Comorino, as this servant of God was upon a time preaching in a certain Church to the Infidels, and by reason of the hardness of their hearts, without effect: having first prayed to Almighty God, he commanded a grave to be opened, in which was buried one that died the day before, signifying 〈…〉 ●●uld again come to life, to confirm the truth of the Chri●●●n Faith, the dead corpse then being taken up, and the sheet ●●●ned in which it was wrapped, having again made his p●●ier to God, he commanded the dead man to live, who presently to the amazement of all, tose up alive. By which ●● notorious a miracle not only those who were present, ●●t also many others were moue● to believe in God. If this ●●●rue, as is most certain, than no man, can upon good grounds believe the Christian F●ith, but he must also believe the Roman-Catholik Christian Faith for the Roman-Catholik Christian Faith, was the Faith which S. Francis Xaverius preached to those Infidels, and which God Almighty by this and many other evident miracles confirmed. Nor did Christ our Lord endow this his new Apostle, only with the grace of working miracles but also with the gift of Prophecy. Frequent eue●●s which he foretold proved him a Prophet. At length, after he had vndergon innumerable and extraordinary labours, after he had to● firmed the Roman-Catholick Faith by miracles of all Kind, wrought by him, and after he had left the world many rare examples of Apostolical virtues, he went from Sanciano an Island of China to heaven, upon the second of December, on a Friday, in the year, 1552. His Feast not withstanding is Kept upon the third of December He lived fif●y five years, twelve of them as a Religious of the Society of jesus, ten and seven months of those twelve as Apostle of the Indies His body after his death was twice o● many months buried in quick lime, yet notwithstanding remains in corrupt to this very year 1666: and is Kept ●ith great veneration at Goa the Metropolis of the East In●ies, ●t being brought to Malaca did immediately free that 〈◊〉 from a most terrible plague. God Almighty through 〈◊〉 intercession of this his servant has wrought divers mirales of late years, which have been approved by Seue● Prelate's in their particular Dioceses. The Bishop of ●alaca r●●k●neth eight hundred wrought in his Diocese ●●e. Pot●mo a town of Calabria recounts two hun●●ed forty two wrought in one year, towit in the year ●6●2, And yet nearer us, Flanders rings of the late miraculous favours obtained by the 〈…〉 our days. He has cured madness, witch craft, blindness, d●●es, fore eyes, necks, arms, breasts, legs, and other parts man's body; women in childbearing, and such as were danger at sea have found him propitious; other, he ●● freed from ruptures, palsy, and gout, he has driven away ● kinds of fevers and deadly disease's, as the sole refuge ● the sick and afflicted. God grant that our poor Country ● England also, may glory in his protection, and supernatur● graces: and no doubt but she will, if she be not wanting i● making her addresses to him, Amen,  
To the greater glory of God and S. Francis Xaverius.  
Ex Bul. Canon. & vit.   

Imprimatur  
I. C. de Longueval.   

A MIRACLE Wrought at Naples, upon R. F. Marcellus Mastrilli of the Society of JESUS.  
ABOUT the end of the year 1633. my Lord the Count of Mount Royal, 
An. Dom. 1634  than viceroy of Naples, having designed to celebrate, in his own Palace, a magnificent Solemnity, in honour of our Blessed Lady, upon the Sunday within the Octave of her Immaculate Conception; he ordained amongst other preparations, that four Altars should be erected, at the four corners of the Court of his Palace; & to the end that nothing should be wanting at them, he assigned the care of adorning of them, to four of the chief Nobility of the City. One of which having the relation, both of a Kinsman, and also of a familiar friend, to R. Father Marcellus Mastrilli, he entreated the said Father to assist him, in the erection of the Altar committed to his charge; who most willingly yielded to his request; such was his desire to concur, in any manner, to the advancement of the honour, of the ever Blessed Virgin; and all things succeeded very happily. Only at night, the solemnity being now over, as they were taking down the ornaments of the Altar, Father Marcellus from below, giving directions, to one that was loosening the hang above, by I know not what chance, he above let fall a hammer, of about two pound weight, from a loft thirty palms high, upon the head of the Father, which so wounded him in the right temple, that he fell down half dead upon the ground. Being perceived to be dangerously wounded he was immediately carried home, and the wound instantly searched, but more exactly the day following, by the surgeons, who judged him to be in evident danger of his life. For besides the grievousness of the wound, upon the fourth day, he was seized upon by a violent fever, accompanied with a defluxion upon his right eye, & certain other distempers, for the most part, mortal. In such sort, that after divers consults, and applications of most sovereign remidies, but all in vain, upon the one and twentith day of his distemper, which was looked upon as a critical day, both the Physicians and surgeons, gave him over for a dead man. For that all upon the sudden, upon the beginning of this day, which was the first day of the New year, he began to faint, and to feel certain grievous pains in his stomach, and was not able to eat any thing, no nor even to open his mouth, but a very little, to receive any nouriture, for that the nerves of his jaws and muscles, were become unserviceable. Other signs of present death did also discover themselves. Wherefore many Physicians of chief account, professed openly, again and again, which afterwards also they attested upon oath, that Marcellus was not curable by any human power. So that his friends desired of them, that if they could not save his life, that at least they would prolong it for some hours, by thrusting some little bits of meat in to his mouth by force. But his mouth was shut so close, as that the surgeon upon the second of january, very hardly, by little and little, opened it with two Spoons; and yet notwithstanding, nether art nor force, nor counsel or command of superiors, was able to make the despaired patiented, to swallow down, even some few drops of liquid sustenance, much less to eat any thing, which was solid. Besides what has been said, such a vehement cold and chillness seized upon his whole body, as they were not able to expel or mitigate it, by any somentations, nor even by the application of fire itself. Wherefore Marcellus, given over by the Doctors, and despaired of by all human art, exspects death every hour.  
In the time of this his sickness, he was often visited by one, who appeared unto him in a white soldiers-coat, with a cross upon his breast; who often asked him, whether he had rather die, or live? whether there were any thing, he desired he should ask for him of heaven? whether he desired a wax-taper, or a Pilgrim's staff, both which he brought in his hand? Marcellus always answered, he was indifferent to any thing, might he but more sincerely serve the Divine Majesty. Upon another day, F. Marcellus took the freedom, to ask the warrior, whether death, or a journey, [for those were the things, which were signified by the Taper & Pilgrim's staff] were decreed for him in heaven? The warrior answered him, he would consult the Divine Majesty, and in due time, and that very shortly, let him know; but at present, he said it was not lawful for him, to reveal those secrets.  
Marcellus being now, as was said, despaired of, the same warrior appeared to him again, but attended by a troop of very many others: concerning whom, the Sick person ask, who they were, and particularly, whether they were not japonian Martyrs, nothing more was at present answered him, but that they were his friends, and those who would earnestly commend him to almighty God. The same together with the same attendants, appeared to him immediately before the three days, in which he was prodigiously cured; and Marcellus demanding, whether perhaps they were not souls, that were in Purgatory? the warrior answered him again, that they were his dear friends, and those which were very solicitous for all his affairs; but with all told him, that the souls in Purgatory were not a little sorry for his sickness, by reason whereof, they wanted his help and suffrages. Wherefore, replied the Father, methinks it were fitting, I should procure some Masses and Prayers, to be said for their relief by others. By all means, subjoined the warrior, it were very good to do so, nor will they be wanting to return your Charity, and so disappeared. And F. Marcellus procured, many holy sacrifices and prayers, of his friends, for the faithful departed. Who this was, which appeared in a soldiers habit, is not known, but out of a letter of F. Marcellus, to his friend M. Antony Tellez, in which, he wishes that his beloved Father, S. Francis Xaverius, would vouchsafe, also to visit him, in a white garment, with a Cross upon his breast, with a taper and pilgrim's staff in his hands, attended by his Royal Train, according to his wont manner. And indeed S. Xaverius at this time, often and familarly appeared unto him, sometimes by night, otherwhiles by day, now as he was a praying, and then as he was conversing with others, sometimes sitting by his bedside comforting of him, bidding him be of good courage, and in fine filling his soul with a heavenly sweetness.  
But now when there was no expectation of any thing but death, S. Francis Xaverius signified to a noble matron, that Marcellus would not die of that sickness, but was destined to do great things and charged her, immediately to acquaint her Confessarius hereof, that he might afterwards be a witness of the prediction.  
F. Marcellus prepares himself for death, & rather to satisfy his devotion, then that he had any hopes or desire of life, with leave of superiors, makes a vow of going into the Indies for the help of souls, in case he should recover; for now he desired nothing of almighty God, but either Death, or the Indies. After this, towards night, was administered him the Sacrament of Extreme Unction: the divine Viaticum of the Holy Eucharist, he was not able to receive, by reason of the hard and close compression of his jaws. Wherefore he desired, a picture of his patron S. Francis Xaue●ius, should be brought into his chamber, and immediately one was brought out of the next room, which represented the Saint in the habit of a pilgrim. The sick person earnestly besought him, ever and anon applying his holy Relics to his throat, that he would not permit him to departed out of this life, without receiving the Divine Sacrament In the morning, assured that his prayers were heard, he called for the holy Eucharist, which he swallowed down without any difficulty. This day, which was the third of the New year, he spent betwixt life and death. Notwithstanding, that very night, he told two Fathers, he must say Mass the next day, and they ask him where, whether perhaps in heaven, for they imagined him to be out of himself, he answered, where he knew not, but that he should celebrate the next day, he affirmed again, & with such confidence, as if it had been revealed to him from heaven. Nay, that very night, be treated with F. Vincent Carrafa, than Rector of the College, and afterwards General of the whole Society, concerning his going into the Indies, as if he had been certain of it.  
And now it was about eight a clock at night, when Marcellus himself thought that he had not a quarter of an hour to live, and all things were ready for his funerals. Many of his brethren of the Society were about him, part of them praying, others by pious speeches comforting of him, as the time required. Amongst others, there sat by his bed side, on his right hand, F. julius Cesar Recupitus, to whom with a small and weak voice, he spoke in this manner. I seem to myself to be in a certain valley, and to see a little ray of light a great way off. And a while after he spoke again, and said that he saw as it were a globe or ball descending from heaven, and in it S. Francis Xaverius in a most resplendent glory, and with so pleasant and amiable an aspect, as that in a moment he had driven away all grief from his heart, and infused into his soul, such, and so lasting a sweetness, as he could not though he never so much desired it, as he afterwards testified, excite in himself, any sense of grief and sorrow; which he most earnestly endeavoured to do, when all alone he was carried in the same coach with the corpse of his dead mother, of which we shall speak afterwards, insomuch, that the memory of S. Xaverius his gracious and sweet countenance recurring, in stead of grief & tears, he was compelled against his will to laugh. F. Recupitus interpreting those his words, as if he had received some spiritual consolation in his soul, endeavoured to excite him to a firm hope of eternal happiness. Then F. Marcellus said some body called him by his name, but with a low voice: Marcellus, Marcellus; & admiring at it, exclaimed; Alas! I do not hear well, and stretching out his hand, gave a sign to those which were present to be silent. Then shutting his eyes, he remained quiet as it were musing or harkening for a little space, until being called again, he cried out; Hinc, Hinc vocor, I am called hence, I am called hence. And instantly he that but even now was not able to stir himself, turned his body and face to that side of the bed whence the voice came. Those which were about him, astonished hereat, fix their eyes more steadfastly upon him, and they hear him speak with a low voice, and give answers as if he were discoursing with some body, but can hear no body speak to him. They interrupt him calling upon him, but he takes no notice of what they say; insomuch, that of those which were present, some thought he was visited by some body from heaven, others that out of himself he talked idly. F. Marius Fontanorosa perfect of the Infirmary, that he might better hear and see, what Marcellus said and did, put himself betwixt his bed and the wall. The brother who had care of the sick following him, hindered by an invisible power, was not permitted to go on by S. Xaverius who stood in his way. Father Marius understood all that F. Marcellus said, clearly and distinctly. F. Marcellus having turned himself towards the picture, of S Francis Xaverius in the habit of a Pilgrim, seeming to himself to be wholly abstracted out of the sight of the chamber where he was and all things else, he saw S. Xaverius standing betwixt himself and the picture, in his full proportion, and in habit very like the manner of his representation in the said picture, his countenance gloriously resplendent, and far surpassing all human features in grace and amiableness. To him, S. Xaverius with a pleasant countenance, Thus. Marcellus, what do we do? Had you rather die or go into the Indies? Marcellus made answer, That liked him best, which was most pleasing to Almighty God. The Saint goes on. Do you remember, that yesterday in the presence of your Provincial you made a vow to go into the Indies, in case you recovered? I do temember it, answered Marcellus. Go to then, said S. Xaverius; say after me: and immediately the Saint recited the Formula of the Vows made by all of the Society of JESUS in the end of their Noviship, interposing certain clauses, which are noted in a different character: all which words as they were repeated by Marcellus, were heard by F. Marius; nay, F. Marcellus not hearing perfectly some of the words recited by S. Xaverius, the Saint smiling repeated them again. The words by which S. Xaverius, incited F. Marcellus to devote himself to Almighty God, were these following.  
Almighty and everlasting God, I Marcellus Mastrilli, though every way most unworthy of thy divine sight, yet confiding in thy goodness and infinite mercy, and moved with a desire to serve thee, do vow before the most sacred Virgin Mary, and thee Holy Father Francis Xaverius, & the whole court of heaven, to thy Divine Majesty, Poverty, Chastity, & Perpetual obedience in the Society of JESUS; and especially the Apostolical mission of the Indies, which I also vowed yersterday before my Father Provincial: & I promise to enter into the same Society, with intention to spend my whole life in it, understanding all according to the constitutions of the same Society, and the Decrees made by Holy Father Francis Xaverius concerning the Indian expedition. Wherefore I humbly beseech thee of thy immense bounty & clemency, by the blood of JESUS CHRIST, & merits of holy Father Francis Xaverius, that thou wouldst be pleased to admit as an odor of sweetness this holocaust, and vow made by me though most unworthy; & as thou hast given me to desire, offer, and ●ow this, so thou wouldst also give me abundant grace to fulfil it, and to ●hed my blood for thy love.  
This being done, the Holy Father told him he was cured; & commanded him in thanks giving for the favour received, to kiss the wounds of Christ crucified, whom he held in his hands. Which he having devoutly, and affectuously done; the Saint asked him if he had any of his Relics. Have you my Relics? Marcellus answering that he had, and taking them from under his pillow where they lay, S. Xaverius subjoined; Let them be dear to you. Have you not also Relics of the Holy Cross? Marcellus answering that he had. Go to then, said the Saint, apply them to the part affected. Marcellus instantly applied them to his temple which was wounded. But S. Xaverius making a sign with his head, that that was not the place, changing his staff out of his right hand into his left, ●ad laying his hand upon the hinder part of ●is head, he signified that there lay the force of his distemper, and to that the Reliquary was to be applied, which the sick man having done, the Saint forthwith, bade him repeat after him, what he should say. Which was as follows. All hail wood of the cross; All hail most pre●ious cross; I dedicate myself wholly to thee for ever: And I humbly beseech thee, that thou wouldst wouchsafe to grant me, though most unworthy, the grace and favour to shed my blood for thee, which the Apostle of the Indies did not deserve to obtain after all his labours. And a little after.  
I renounce my parents, family, friends, Italy, and whatsoever may retard my mission into the Indies: and wholly consecrate myself to the saving of souls in India, in the presence of Holy Father Francis Xaverius, my, my Father, Which two last words, Marcellus added of himself; and the Saint smiling approved of them, and pleasantly subjoynd: Be of good courage, and be merry for the future; and repeat these acts every day: and so vanished, Marcellus his sickness vanishing with him. For their discourse being ended Marcellus was sound and whole, and absolutely restored to perfect health, without fever, without palsy, without defluxions, without wound, without faintness, weakness, paleness, meagernes, yea sound, whole, strong lusty. Then with a cheerful countenance to the perfect of the Infirmary, thus: Dear Father I am hungry, give me some thing to eat. Whilst meat was provided, he desired those which were present, to recite aloud the solemn prayer of S. Francis Xaverius, and would hau● this versiele, Ora pro nobis Sancte Francisce Xaveri, S. Francis Xaverius pray for us, repeate● thrice, and he answered,  dignus efficiar pr●missionibus tuis, That I may be made worthy of th● promises. This being done and meat brought those about him, were in the beginning at ● stand, what they should best do: and wen● about to cut his meat into little bits, tha● he might more easily get it down. But he wit● a cheerful countenance smiled at their vai● fear, and sitting upright in his bed, wit● out any thing at his back, fell upon some o● the more solid meat: finally he professed tha● by the help of S. Francis Xaverius he was perfectly well, and so strong that he was able to to rise out of bed, and that the next day he would celebrate Holy Mass as soon as the morning would permit, wherefore those which were present, assured of his recovery, began to cry out, a miracle, a miracle, a prodigious miracle. The noise of it was soon spread all over the College, and the whole community instantly was gathered together, to congratulate Marcellus his happy recovery: & upon their knee● before the picture of S. Francis Xaverius, his restorer to sound and perfect health, they recited the Te Deum laudamus, together with Marcellus, who by this time was risen out of bed, and had put on his clothes, after he had repaired his decayed forces by eating and drinking with a very good stomach, it being now four days since he had taken any thing. After ●●is he took off the clothes and plasters from about his wound, which was so perfectly cured, that there remained no scar, or mark of it nay the very hairs, which had been shaved off for the commodious applying of salves, were grown again. The next day, which was the fourth of january, he said Mass in the Church, at the Altar of S. Francis Xaverius. And, which is not a little to be admired, instead of being enfeebled by his past pains & distempers, he had sufficient force, that very night, to set down in writing this prodigious miracle, with all the particulars of it, and to recount it, all the next day, in a manner without any intermission, to divers persons; and above all was able to assist five whole hours at a juridical enquiry, which was made in the evening, by the Auditor of his Eminency the Cardinal Archbishop of Naples. Moreover, from this day forward, strong and lusty, he exercised the functions of the Society. And a little after for eight days together, night and day, without ever putting off his clothes, he attended his dying mother, until he had happily closed her eyes: then more free & expedite for his Apostolical travels into the Indies.  
Now if any one desire to know what became of this happy Father, raised in a manner from death to life by S. Francis Xaverius; Going into the Indies, according to his holy vow, there to propagate the Gospel of Christ, he first gave signal testimonies of his Heroical virtues at Goa; and finally in japony, in the year 1637. according to the presignification of S. Xaverius unto him, he died for Christ at Nanga●ach● having his head cut off with a scimitar upon th● 17 of October, after he had with an incredibl● constancy endured the cruel torments of water, and the pit, which those Barbarians are won● to exercise upon Christians. Ex R. P. Philip. Alegam. Mort. Illust.  
I add▪ out of the R. Fathers of the Society of JESUS at Mechlin in their collection of certain miraculous favours obtained by the Invocation of S. Francis Xaverius at his Relick● there, for the direction of the clients of thi● Great Saint in their Devotions to him; that the Saint himself in an apparition, testified to R. F. Marcellus Mastrilly; that nothing wa● more grateful to him, nothing more powerful to obtain his assistance, than the Devotion of a Novena or nine days before his Canonization, that is, from the fourth of March to the twelfth, which was the day upon which he was canonised for a Saint by his Holiness Gregory the XIII. This Devotion, at F. Mastril●is persuasion, was much in vogue in Italy, & many have found great comfort by it, particularly in the year 1658. Alexander Philipuccius of the Society of JESUS, who suddenly recovered of a dangerous sickness upon the last day of a like Novena. So They. And no wonder, that Christ our Lord should at that time give special power to his Saints, to bestow singular favours upon their Clients, when by his Vicar upon earth, he proposes them as special Patrons, to the Public veneration of his Church.   

Two Miraculous cures approved for such by the most Illustrious Archbishop of Mechlin.  

The I. Cure of madness.  
IOhn Gommarts, son of john Gommarts 
An. Dom. 1659. Decem. 30.  Butcher and of Sara Disson, being eighteen years old, was afflicted with ● strange and Frenetick malady in the week of All Saints, which lasted till Christmas, except that for the space of eight days he was a little better, but yet so as he did not return to himself, and recover the use of his senses. After these eight days, the young man was transported with such a furious madness, that two or three strong and lusty men were not able to hold him, so that his mother was constrained to tie him to his bed hands and feet, with cords and chains of iron. As he was thus straight tied, he oftentimes cried out so hideously, and suffered such strange convulsions, that all were moved to pity and compassion, who saw him in this sad condition without being able to afford him any kind of succour. His mother deeply afflicted hereat, used the utmost of her endeavours, and sought all means imaginable to assuage, or in some manner to lenify the cruel malady of her son, but all remedies were to no purpose. In these sad circumstances the Physician seeing himself not able to help the poor miserable creature, counselled his mother to implore the aid of heaven, which she did divers times, but without any appearance of amendment, as also by the counsel o● another person, she caused, but without success the sick party to be exorcised by Mr. Andrew Berckmans', and Mr. Ambrose Lache both of them Priests, the later whereof counselled her to invoke the assistance of S. Xaverius, and with confidence to address herself to his Relics, which are kept in the Church of the Fathers of the Society of JESUS, whereupon she made a vow to communicate, for her life, upon the Saint's-day, and promised to procure a mass to be said the next day, and to burn a candle in his honour. In pursuit then of her promise she came to the Church of the Fathers of the Society, & entering into the chapel of our Lady, she instantly cast her eyes upon a picture, which hangs near the place where the Relics of S. Xaverius are kept, and lifting up her heart to this great Saint, and fixing her thoughts upon him, she conceived at the same time a confident hope, that he who had wrought so many miracles represented in the Table before her, would also have pity upon her, and her son. A little after this she procured a Mass to be said by a Secular Priest in honour of the Saint, hoping to obtain of him by this means some signal favour, and some comfort for her sick son. In time of the Holy sacrifice, she felt interiorly an extraordinary tranquillity and an unwonted joy, and said within her heart, O Blessed Lord, will my son be cured then, seeing that I find myself at such ease and quiet? And her hope, which deserved not to be frustrated, ●●d immediately its effect; for after Mass returning home, she was no sooner entered into ●r house, but she found there her son, but ●●en now despaired of, in perfect health, and wholly cured of his madness, who said unto ●●er as she came in, Dear mother, I pray give me ●●me thing to eat for I am almost pined, whereupon wholly transported with joy she gave him some ●roth together with a wing of the hen with ●hich it was made, which he are with a good ●ppetit, whereat she was much astonished, for ●hat during his infirmity he had eaten as good ●s nothing, and in very deed for five or six ●aies he had not so much as tasted any kind ●f food. Moreover after he had well eaten, he besought his mother that she would be plea●ed to lose him, for that, as he said, he was ●ot able to endure that torment, and that he ●hould die if they did not untie his hands and ●eet, which was instantly done, and half an hour after he clothed himself without any one to help him, and sat him down by the fireside, where he are again, and discoursed with his mother without any sign or token of frenzy, and afterwards at night he went to bed and slept quietly without ever waking, from seven and a half at night, until six and a half next morning.  
Behold how john Gommarts in the time of a Mass recovered his health and the use of reason, to the astonishment of all his neighbours, and particularly of the Physician, who left him in the morning in a sad condition, and found him after dinner perfectly cured, in such sort, that the second day after his cure, perfectly restored to his senses, he went to Church to give thanks to God for the great benefit and signal favours, which he had received from his merciful goodness through the intercession of Saint Xaverius.   

The second cure of blindness.  
ANNE van Bell, native of Anwerp, 
An. Dom. 1660. March. 11.  being seventeen year● old; she had been afflicted for the space of ten years, with a defluxion which fell upon her left eye, the evil whereof growing every day worse and worse, after three year● she wholly lost the use of her eye. This first accident was accompanied with another yet more dangerous, for so much as that her right eye was covered with two whites, in such sort, that having lost the sight of her left eye, and not being able with her right to endure the light, she became hereby wholly blind. Her aunt Mary Bernaerts moved with compassion towards her, used the utmost of her power to find out some means to remedy and cure her niece, but finding none in the art of Physicians, she put all her confidence in the profuse bounty of S. Xaverius: for when she had understood at Anwerp of her Aunt Elizabeth Bernaerts, that he was greatly honoured in the Church of the Society of JESUS at Mechlin, & that through his assistance many were freed from long and troublesome diseases, ●he persuaded her Niece to go thither. So that ●t her persuasion she forthwith went thither, ●nd lodged at her aunt Elizabeth's house, that ●he might more commodiously honour & visit ●he Relics of the Saint: and to the end that ●he might obtain her sight by his merits, she promised after her cure to get a solemn Mass to be sung, and to burn three wax-candels, moreover she made a purpose to hear Mass nine days together in his honour, beginning from the fourth of March and continuing to the twelfth. Upon the fourth day of her Devotion she actually experienced, that her confidence in the merits of the glorious Xaverius was not in vain, for as much as that then she began with her left eye to see the beams of the sun, and in the nine days, the two whites which obscured her right eye, so loosed themselves that she was able to see all kinds of objects. According to the measure of her recovery she redoubled her confidence, and the fervour of her Devotions, in effect, she added to her first Novena a second, during which her sight was so perfectly restored, that she was able to make bonelace, and to read any print though never so small.   

The Approbation of my Lord the most Illustrious Archbishop.  
ANDREW by the grace of God and of the Sea Apostolic Archbishop of Mechlin etc. To all those who shall read these presents health in our Lord. For as much as we have approved a while ago the Relics of th● right arm of S. Francis Xaverius, and have judged it expedient that they should be publicly exposed, to the end that they might be honoured by all the world, and the service of Go● might be increased by the glory of his Saints & seeing that after this legal & solemn exposition had been made in the Church of the Reverend fathers of the Society of JESUS of the College and Nouitiate at Mechlin these Relics have been so very much honoured, as well by the Burghers of this City, as by the inhabitants round about, that the divine goodness which has manifested the glory of his servant in divers parts of the world by an infinity of miracles, has made appear, by divers sudden cures and recoveries, that this devotion of the faithful was very pleasing to him, we seeking nothing more earnestly than the honour of God in his Saints, his true models, we designed of our Canonical Chapter our Reverend brethren Dismas Corten & Francis Vanden Driessche Archpriest, Licentiates in the law, and Canons, to inform themselves exactly, according to custom and the ordinations of the Holy Council of Trent, of all that had been reported concerning certain miraculous cures, which having been well examined, and tried by Physicians and lawful witnesses, observing the form of proceeding in like occasions and Approbation of miracles: It is assuredly true that john Gommarts of eighteen years of age, was sundenly and perfectly cured of a dangerous and cruel Frenzy, whilst that his mother Sara Disson made her supplication and prayers for the health of her son before the Relics of S. Fr●ncis Xaverius.  
Also that Anne van Bell of seventeen years of age, whilst she performed her Devotions before the same Relics, was so absolutely cured of a certain malady in her eyes, that she has perfectly recovered the use of them, whereas for three years before she had been blind of her left eye, and her right was dimmed by two white spots: we, with the Counsel and Approbation of certain honourable persons, have declared in the name of God, that these two cures, of john Gommarts, and of Anne van Bell, as appeared by the precedent informations, were supernatural and miraculous, & that they may be attributed to the intercession of S. Francis Xaverius, & we have also declared at this very instant, that we ourselves have had three stones happily cut from us, the success whereof we had recommended with great confidence to this glorious Saint, and we approve the same by these presents, exhorting all the faithful to reverence these Relics, to the end that by the mediation of S. Francis Xaverius they may be worthy to be cured of all sorts of infirmities both of body and mind.  
Given at Bruxelles in our Archiepiscopal Palace, under our sign and seal, the tenth of May, 1660. Was subscribed ANDREW Archbishop of Mechlin. And sealed with his own Great seal with red wax, as appears by the Original.    

The approbation or confirmation of a miraculous favour obtained by innocating S. Francis Xaverius before his Holy Relics in the Church of the Society of JESUS at Bruges, by the most Illustrious Robertus de Haynin Bishop of Bruges.  
RObertus De Haynin by the grace of God, and of the Sea Apostolic 
An. Dom. 1660.  Bishop of Bruges and hereditary Chancellor of Flanders; To all those who shall see, read, or hear read this present Approbation, Greeting in our Lord.  
The great God, who is worthy of all praise in his Saints, is most of all to be honoured in those, by whom upon earth he works wonderful miracles, clear demonstrations of their sanctity, and an attestation of their supereminent prerogatives in heaven. One of which is the most Holy Apostle of India and japony, Priest of the Society of JESUS, and unwearied promulger of that holy Name, S. Franci● Xaverius, a most true, yea a continual Thaumaturg of this our age. Whom, besides the remotest Indies, Italy highly commends, spain honours, Germany praises, Bohemia prays to, and serves, France extols, the whole Netherlands experiment as such; and of late Flanders one of the prime Provinces of the Netherlands, and Bruges one of her fairest towns, and in the same town Mary Pulynck daughter to Henry Pulyuck and Mary Brouckmans' his wife, very honourable Burghers of Bruges, & wife to Leo●ard Narissien, has actually experienced the same: who, by a particular, and truly wonderful favour, as she was calling upon this Saint, was by God almighty miraculously and suddenly cured of a grievous infirmity, so that she seems to have been born to increase the glory of S. Xaverius. As she was 21. years old [she is now eight and thirty] and in the wintertime was going along the streets, an untoward boy hit her with a hard-frozen snowball upon her right breast, a very tender part in women, so that through the greatness of the pain she was forced to go to bed, and began to be very ill upon it. But the Doctors and surgeons being straight called to her, the pain was a little and for a short time diminished, but the evil was not expelled. For the blow of the snowball entering further than they imagined, breeding corruption, and taking deeper and deeper rooting; many years in the wintertime, especially when the air was inclined to snow, she suffered a new intolerable pain, mixed with pricking and cold, in such sort that the miserable woman sometimes got one infirmity, other whiles another, and passed over day and night without sleeping or resting. Yea the sore breast swelling sometimes as big as two, became unfit to be sucked by the two children, which she bore during this evil, seeing that the same breast gave sometimes abundance of filthy matter instead of milk. Nay at last, as the end will show, it came to a true & putrifying cancer, an evil most an end incurable. For the expelling whereof divers Doctors of Physic wer● called together to a consult. Nor content her● with, they sought the advice of divers Doctors more remote, and called them on purpose to her; by whose counsel having used diuer● plasters, especially to lenify & soften it, th● pain and also the above mentioned swelling as to any thing that was to be seen without, wholly vanished. The evil notwithstanding in very deed spreading itself within, & tormenting the infirm person with sharp prickings & and shootings, there broke forth after some months another swelling, accompanied with many and grievous pains, that for the space of six weeks it wholly took away her sleep, & consequently almost her reason, and in like manner all hope from Doctros of being able to cure her: seeing that, as they said, the cancer was now fast to the ribs, for which reason this great evil was not curable even by the cutting off of the breast, a wont but notwithstanding a dangerous remedy even as to the life of the patiented. Whereupon they judged that nothing more was to be done to her, only some comfortable remedies were to be applied, to prolong her life for a time.  
Afterwards in the same breast there bread a little ulcerous sore, which being opened was the forerunner of two and twenty more. Out of which there coming nothing but a purulent moisture, upon new advice they applied to it leeches, which sucked out of the same breast well nigh forty ounces of blood. When then all these things had been made proof of to no purpose and without effect by the Doctors & skilfullest surgeons, they unanimously ●udged, that the wit of man had no more to do here, but that the matter must wholly be committed to God; and admonished the sick party to receive the most Holy Sacraments of the Holy Church, which are necessary for those who are in danger of death, quietly and contentedly to enter in to the way which leads to eternity, and for good and all to set her house in order. But when the good woman saw that her health was despaired of, and that no human help could succour her, she resolved with herself to make her address to Almighty God; and with a lively confidence, and strong faith looking upon a Picture hard by her of S. Francis Xaverius, she said within herself: This Saint, who is the friend of Almighty God, and my protector in all my indigencyes; and who has made himself great by the wonders which he daily works: and who by his merits, and prompt charity is wont to aid, and help the miserable, will pray for me and my health to the supreme God: and by his intercession, will obtain for me of the Author of nature, that which surpasses all human power. But in the mean time her sickness daily increasing and growing worse, and together a true love to S. Xaverius also increasing in her, at last she resolved, provided her strength would permit, together with her husband upon the twentith of May 1660. to visit the famous Church of the Fathers of the Society of JESUS, dedicated to S. Xaverius, in the town of Bruges, and there to cleanse her soul by the Holy Sacrament of Confession, and to add new strength to the same by the most wholesome food of the Divine bread: and thus by the hands of the Saint, to offer up to the good & great God both the Sacraments, besides the prayers of others who had taken upon them to do the same at another Altar renowned for the invocation of S. Xaverius, and hereby to expect a most certain remedy of her evil.  
So then the day appointed being now come, all her pains and aching, which were much increased, seemed as if they would oppose her good resolutions: but she notwithstanding not much heeding them, goes very early in the morning to the Church, desirous to accomplish the promise of her good will: she goes to confession, and afterwards to Holy Communion. Then being risen up from the Communion bank; commending all her affairs from the bottom of her heart to God, and S. Xaverius, & begging of him her health with fervent prayers, she fell into a sound before his picture at the first pillar of the body of the Church, against which she leaned as she sat upon her knees. But being now after a little time come again to herself, and perceiving also in herself a sudden change: to wit that the swelling of her breast was fall'n, and that she was freed from all pains and aching, with which notwithstanding heretofore, yea upon that very day, she had been sorely tormented; she rises up amazed, and leaps for joy, and with an extraordinary gladness of heart she greatly blesses the good God, the author of all good things; and his great friend S. Xaverius, her protector and trusty helper in the her miseries, & praises them with a thousand thanks.  
All these things being done, she returned towards home very jocund and overjoyed, recounting the wonders of God wrought in her by S. Francis Xaverius, to her husband not a little astonished at this so sudden a change; assuring him that there was nothing of the pain, nothing of the smart remaining, which but a few hours agone was so great & grievous; shown him also her breast so fall'n of its swelling, that her clothes which before were too straight, were now much too wide, in fine that she felt herself perfectly cured.  
Being come home, her breast was searched in the presence of her husband: instantly the surgeons were sent for, her friends called in: who all unanimously Confessed, that this so inveterate an evil, now was wholly vanished: that the breast was now cured, and the cancer gone, but Divinely, miraculously, & above all human power: attributing the cure to the Divine mercy alone, moved hereunto by the merits, and invocation of S. Francis Xaverius. The sores which remained were within a few days dried up, and hardened, no matter more coming out of them, all the swelling that remained vanished, & the before sick, but now well party's appetite returned to her again: the meat, which before was prohibited her, and in such like sicknesses is deadly, she now eats freely and without any prejudice to her health: so that of so great an evil she retains nothing but the bare memory, and to refresh the memory of it, to the end she may continually thank God for so great a benefit, a scar or hardness, but very little, proceeding from the drying up of the veins of the breast, without the remaining within of any root, or seed of the foregoing infirmity, yea or any danger of falling into it again.  
After all these things with the declaration of many honourable Persons, as also with the informations or examen, & instructions hereabout, legally and duly taken before our coming to the Episcopal Seat of Bruges, according to the wont order and rules of the law, had been represented unto us; and after we had understood & attentively observed all; having moreover in our Person heard the most experienced Doctors of Physic, & the surgeons, who with their own eyes had seen the same, confirming with oath that the above-related cure must needs be miraculous, and above the power of nature; and now at last having also asked the Counsel of many, who were versed in the studies of Divinity, and in the Laws, and of spiritual persons in Ecclesiastical dignities; and now having maturely considered all things hereabout; having also invocated the name of God, we have judged & declared, as by these presents we judge and declare, to the greater glory of God & S. Francis Xaverius, that the cure of the right breast of the before named Mary Pulynck, which for so long a time as has been said, was grieved with a true and putrifying cancer, & suddenly and instantly became whole, is miraculous and above the power of nature. Exhorting all Christian believers, which shall come to know and understand this matter, eternally to praise and magnify the most High & most merciful God, & to bless him before all the living, for that he has showed mercy to his handmaid; and moreover we acknowledge that we in these afflicted times of the Christian commonwealth [in which we most of all need the intercessions of the Saints] not without God's particular providence do enjoy S. Francis Xaverius for so great a helper of the faithful, who may truly be called a Helper in miseries, and necessities, and is to be worshipped with all fervour, & to be invocated with most profound devotion, and to be exalted with all praise and honour.  
We also, who in this place, in which God has placed us, though unworthy, as Pastor, have a particular care of our flock of Bruges; do praise and thank his mercy to us, that he has kept the fulfilling of such a work for our first coming to this Bishopric; and we humbly beseech him by the merits of S Francis Xaverius, that he would be pleased to defend with his Divine protection, and filled with heavenly benedictions to keep sound & in perfect health, us & the sheep committed to our charge, who have such a Devotion to so great a Patron.  
Given at Bruges in our Episcopal Palace upon the seventeenth of October 1662. was subscribed ROB. DE HAYNIN Bishop of Bruges. Under, hung the Episcopal Seal in red wax.   

The cure of a Pestilent Fever, and the miraculous restoring of natural strength and forces, obtained by honouring a little picture, which had touched the Relics of S. Francis Xaverius at Mechlin, approved for a miracle by the most Reverend the Vicar General of the vacant Bishopric of Bolduke.  
I Vdocus Houbraken Canon of the Cathedral 
An Dom 1662.  Church of Anwerp, and Vicar General of the vacant Diocese of Bolduke, To all that shall see these, Health in our Lord.  
Amongst the undoubted signs of the true Church are miracles, which are sometimes wont to be wrought, as well for the conversion of Infidels to the faith, as also for the confirmation of the faithful in the same faith: for these miracles was singularly famous, both in his life, and after his death, S. Francis Xaverius of the Society of JESUS, the glorious Apostle of India and japony, who, as we have understood, has extended to our subjects his miraculous and benefical arm, [a little piece whereof is exposed to public veneration at Mechlin in the Church of the Society of JESUS.] Which that it may more manifestly appear, by these our present letters we testify, that we have particularly examined, and caused to be examined the cure of a malignant fever, and the sudden restoring of strength and forces, which by his means a certain young woman in our Diocese of Bolduke obtained in the manner following.  
When in the year 1662. the plague was at Breda, N. N. a farmer's wife of the territory of Bolduke assisted her brother who was there sick of it: she being returned home fell sick of a contagious fever, and infected her husband, two sons, and her daughter Catharin being two and twenty years old. First of all the mother, and afterwards the father being taken away by this pestilential malady, and the two brothers also infested with the same, Catharin, from the six and twentith of july to the three and twentith of August, was so exhausted with the continual burn of the same pest, as that she lost at length not only her natural forces, but also her understanding, in such sort as there being no remedy for her in human art, a skilful surgeon avouched that there was no hopes of her life, who amongst divers others, both with his hand and oath confirmed this our narration. Their friends & neighbours undoubtedly persuaded themselves that this house was infected with the plague; whereupon there was none who would afford comfort & necessary assistance to the sick parties. Notwithstanding their good Pastor, confiding through the merits and intercession of S. Francis Xaverius both to be preserved himself from infection, and also to free the sick from their infirmity, did not desert those who were deserted by all their friends. Having therefore late in the evening administered to Catharin the Holy Sacrament of Extreme Unction, returning again the same evening, he brought with him a picture of S. Francis Xaverius, which had touched his Holy Relics famous for miracles at Mechlin, and presenting it to Catharin, who was in a manner just a dying, by the hands of her brother, he incited them all to put their confidence in the intercession of that Blessed Saint to God for them. Catharin had now laid four or five days, without being able to move herself: the picture being offered her, she took it and kissed it with a great confidence, the Pastor having exhorted her to contive that her Devotion all night, he returned home. The next day early in the morning, without any bodies help or knowledge, Catharin risen out of her bed, and put on her clothes herself, and walked about the house: nay even that very day, she would have gone out into the field to get forage for the , had not her brothers hindered her. The day after she indeed went abroad, when in the mean time, the Pastor being come to visit her, expecting to find her in her bed, either dead or dying, he sees her come in at the door loaded with a great basket of forage, which she had gathered in the field. The good man was wholly astonished at this unexpected miraculous change, but withal reprehended her imprudence, for so rashly exposing herself to the open air, and danger of a relapse, being but immediately recovered of so dangerous a malady. The maid having heard him with respect due to his person, confidently replied, Sir, be not solicitous for me, I am out of danger, the Saint has perfectly cured me, and restored me my strength ever since yesterday morning.  
All these things having been declared to us by a legal Instrument, to which, the Reverend Pastor, Catharin herself, and the surgeon, her two brothers, and others of her kindred and neighbours had subscribed with oath, we first approved a Commissary in those parts, an honest and understanding man, who after he had examined all things in our name, and had again, interposing the fidelity of an oath, received knowledge of the same things from Catharin, confirmed all with his own seal. Afterwards we ourselves, here at Anwerp, examined the foresaid Catharin, in the presence of her Pastor conscious of all that had passed, and we found under the same Religion of an oath, that all had so happened. Which things being manifest, moreover, there having been sent unto us in writing, the judgements of most skilful Physicians, who had been consulted about this matter, to wit of Tungers, and Brussels, & especially of two famous Professors and Doctors of Physic, & also of two others of the famous university of Louvain, who unanimously agreed, that this restauration of forces and strength in so short a space of time could not be obtained by any power of nature; to the end that we might do nothing but legally, and according to the Decrees of the Council of Trent, we have consulted learned men and skilful Divines, and have again in presence and with them heard the foresaid Catharin, and finally all things having been maturely, and as in the presence of God considered, after a long and often repeated examination, we thought it was fitting that we should decree, and by these presents we have decreed, that the cure of the said Catharin may be esteemed and published as miraculous, and wrought by God, and obtained through the merits of S. Francis Xaverius, and we do publish it, and testify, that we esteem it as such: beseeching God the Author of all things, that as he has been pleased to gather to his Church the nations of the Indies, by the preaching and miracles of S. Francis Xaverius while he lived, so he would now vouchsafe in these parts, by the miracles and intercession of the same Saint, to conserve & confirm his faithful people in the same Church, & graciously to gather those unto her, who are by any error whatsoever separated from her. In confirmation of all these things, I have subscribed these presents with my own hand, & ordered them to be signed with the seal of our vicarship, upon the 19 of the Month of March, in the year of our Lord 1664.  
JUDOCUS HOUBRAKEN. ✚ The place of the Seal.   

The Relation of a Miracle, wrought through the intercession of the glorious Apostle of the Indies, S. Francis Xaverius, at Palermo in Sicily, the second of September 1662. approved by the most Illustrious Archbishop of the same place.  
MAdam Mary Castelli had for her father Don Lancelot Castelli Marquis of Capizzi, Prince of Castle Ferrato, at present one of the three masters of the chamber of Counts who carry the sword, & Precedent with a like number of the Robe at the administration of the Royal patrimony; and for her mother she had the Lady Hippolyta Lareara of the house of the Counts of S. Charles. This honourable Gentlewoman, after she had attained to sufficient age to deliberate of a state of life, contemning all worldly hopes, well founded as well upon the promising qualifications of her own person, as upon her family, it being one of the most flourishing & richest in all Palermo, consecrated herself to God by a perfect Holocaust, by taking the name of Hippolyta Lancelotta, and the habit of S. Basil in an ancient Monastery, called Del Saluatore: where she had a little before, amongst those exemplar Religious, spent the first years of her tender age, in an education as well noble, as holy.  
The king of Virgins did not delay, to testify, with what particular satisfaction he accepted the generous oblation of this his new Spouse; and he did it by bestowing upon her one of those favours, with which he is wont ordinarily to grace those whom he love's most tenderly; that is by a very strange, and very troublesome infirmity. Which began upon the first of june, in the year one thousand six hundred sixty one, with a little Catarr accompanied with a cough: which as then was not very troublesome unto her, and also no great matter was made of it, but afterwards it did so extremely increase, that having surmounted the force of all human remedies, it reduced the patiented to such a condition, as she had no hopes to recover, whilst that, before she was brought if not to dy●, at least to desire death, she felt in herself the effects of death, according to the proportion of the frequency of the symptoms of death which did assault her, and according to the measure of the experiments, which the Physicians made of their art upon her person, endeavouring to cure her. Upon the sixth of August in the same year, this malignant humour discovered itself to be of another nature, then before it was apprehended to be: for it tormented sister Hippolyta for some hours together without one moment's respite, with a most violent cough. From henceforward, as in case of open and proclaimed war, she was forced every day to suffer the same assault of the said cough, which did cruelly shake her and ceased not to torment her for six hours together in the afternoon. Her pains were increased by new accidents in the month of january. Her cough, after a short truce of a few days, having recovered its forces, returned again with more violence; and sometimes the shaking was so violent, the impetuosity so great, & the straining to cough so frequent, that every body wondered, how so delicate and feeble a young maid was able to endure it, and not to die of it. But that which gave greatest cause of fear, was the falling of some drops of this pestilential catarr into her throat, where stopping the passage, it brought her to the very point of expiring. Wherefore fearing lest some time or other she should be stifled herewith, and so die suddenly, without further delay they gave her the most sacred Viaticum or last Communion, & commended her soul to God. This slimy and biting distillation at length came out; and just as a torrent, makes the most hideous noise when it breaks its bounds, so the Violence, which was necessary to cast out of the throat, this dangerous dam or stopping, was accompanied with so vehement a cough, as it resembled the bellowing of an ox, and all the monastery rung of it. Nor must any one wonder at this, or hold it for less credible, for it is not yet six years, since that at Macerata, the noise, with which the air round about rung, by a cough of a young Father of the Society of JESUS, was so strong and loud, as that it was heard half a mile off. The horrible noise of this cough and painful shaking of her whole body, was followed with most sharp head-aches with a great defection of her strength & forces, with languish, faintings and sownings. She remained without strength, without speech, without motion, and was for a good space of time, sometimes for a quarter of an hour, with her mouth ghastly open, without being able to speak one syllable, or even to move her lips. Nor did the strange effects of this obstinate rheum stay here, but brought the patiented, after an extreme weakness, to an extreme contortion or gathering up of her body; so as she was not able to lie along in her bed, but was forced to sit up in it. Then just as Watermen managing their oar, at every stroke, move all their limbs back wards and forward, so she seized upon by a cruel convulsion, throwing herself with her arms and breast, now to the feet, and then again to the head of the bed, she tossed herself up and down with great pain and torment. Four of the strongest of the Religious, to the end that they might somewhat assuage her dolours, endeavoured to hold her as still as they could, but at length being not able any longer to endure the toil, nor all four of them able to master the force of only one, & she sick too, they set besides her certain little chairs, to the end that she laying hold of those, & throwing them about, might find wherein to weary herself, and by that means abate the force of her strange frenzy, which remaining in its vigour more grievously tormented her. Palpitations and oppressions of heart, frequent necessity of breathing now on this side, then on that, an extreme difficulty of drawing her breath, convulsions, sownings, were the symptoms which followed one in the neck of the other, with so violent an agitation of the sick party, that many of the Religious, who were more tenderly affected towards her, forbore to visit her, to the end they might not see her in this pitiful condition. In the fifteen months, in which the malady continued in this violence, many consults of Doctors were made with great expenses. Besides abundance of Medecins of Iulips & Quintessences, they applied the burning heat of red hot irons twice, and cupping-glasses eight times or more, but all without doing her any good. Moreover, if we will believe Galen, there is no remedy on earth for this malady, which for its contumacious and insuperable fierceness is called Distillatio Ferina. But while sister Hippolyta, her strength & forces exhausted, given over by the Doctors, who despaired of saving her life, having lost her speech, at the end of a three days violent agony, wholly resigned to the Divine will, was expecting the last mercy of God, the recompense of her patience with the end of all her dolours; behold, beyond all human hopes, she is rewarded with the gift of her lost health, to the end that she might multiply the crowns of her virtues by her faithful services of her bountiful spouse. She remembered herself, how that Father Thomas Buscemy of the Society of JESUS, having entered into the Monastery some few days before to hear her Confession, had recounted unto her a miracle, wrought in the City of Macerata upon a Father of the same Society who being afflicted with the same malady, with very semblable symptoms of oppression of the heart, a violent cough, & those other rude paroxisms, which I have above related, by taking for his Advocate the Holy Apostle of the East, was by the Saint immediately and perfectly cured: she remembered also that the said Father, bringing to her a Relic, had exhorted her to make use of a like recours to the Saint, for the recovery of her health: moreover that the Father being returned to the College, had received a letter, by which sister Hippolyta demanded of him permission to pray to God & S. Francis Xaverius, not to prolong her life, but to hasten at least her death; but he persisting in his first Counsel, had answered her, that she should for the present quit that her desire of happiness, and with a due indifferency pray to God to restore her health, if it were to his greater glory, to the end that she might employ it to the service of his Divine Majesty, and of her Religion, and that she should repeat this prayer three times. She then being now gasping for life, remembered that she had not been so punctually obedient to her spiritual Father, for which she was a little troubled, and had some scruple of it, & so whether in recompense of her obedience, or as a disposition to the merit of that grace which was prepared for her, she felt her heart encouraged & strengthened by a great faith, such as she had not experimented either in her first, or second prayer: by means whereof, without delay, she repeats her prayer in thought [being not able to do it by words] & beseeches God the third time in the form prescribed by her Confessarius, that through the intercession of his faithful servant, and Apostle of the East S. Francis Xaverius, he would deliver her from this mortal infirmity. No sooner had she done this, but the torment of her agony being changed into a sweet repose, she fell into a quiet sleep: In her sleep she seemed to herself to hear an interior voice, which said unto her, that she was now perfectly cured: and for that surprised, between astonishment and joy, she did not yet believe it, and demanded how this was done so suddenly, & why she should receive so great a reward for so small an act of obedience? Not so, replied to her clearly the same voice, but S. Francis Xaverius, whom you have taken for your advocate, has interposed his prayers for you to God; wherefore take his Relic, and lay it upon your heart, for it is this Saint who has obtained you this grace. And she had no need of any thing else quite to free her of her malady, but immediately seized on by a sublime ravishment of spirit, what return, said she, shall I be able to make to my deliverer, that I may acquit myself worthily of so considerable a favour? Nothing else [replied again the divine inspiration, whick spoke to her in her heart without the noise of words] but that first you communicate every Friday in honour of S. Francis, offering to the sovereign Lord the most adorable Eucharist, the abridgement of all graces. Secondly that you banish from you that day all other thoughts, & spend it in a Devout recollection, keeping silence exactly. Thirdly that by particular acts you employ yourself in the exercise of some virtue and advance yourself in the acquiring of it. At this very moment she raises herself up, and having with a great Devotion applied to her breast the Holy Relic, the true remedy of her incurable distillation and all other infirmity, she cried out with a loud and clear voice: I am well, S. Francis Xaverius has cured me, give me my Habit, for I will go immediately to the Choir, to give thanks to God and the Saint for my recovery. The mothers, who in a great number kept her company in this extremity, looked upon these words, as the rave of one that was out of herself; but presently after acknowledging them to be what they were indeed, an undoubted testimony of the very truth, they were greatly astonished at them, which amazement soon changed itself into a hearty joy, and praises of the Divine bounty and the Holy Apostle: & without expecting any further, they went all in a modest & Devout Order to the Choir with the sick person, who was then perfectly recovered: and sung the Te Deum laudamus in a sweet and harmonious consort with the applause & unspeakable joy of the whole Monastery. After which, they immediately gave notice of all that had passed to my Lord the Archbishop: by whose ordination, necessary informations having been taken, and a process juridically form, this present relation in an authentical form was drawn out of it. From the day on which the sick person was miraculously cured, unto this present that we writ this narration, are passed ten months: during which time she has constantly enjoyed the grace of as perfect health as at the first moment in which she received it, except that when through forgetfulness, or some unexpected accident, she has sometimes failed exactly to fulfil the duties ordained her by the Saint: for than she found herself to be seized on by certain symptoms of the same evil, but which were sent her only as an advertisement, in such sort, that acknowledging her defect, and not deferring to correct it, the grudge of her distemper straight vanished, and she was as free from them as before. Amongst others, for that having upon one day of the Octave of the Holy Apostle, lighted certain candles to honour his memory, she resolved afterwards, out of I know not what human respects, to put them out again, she was immediately assailed with those furious convulsions, which we have above recounted, together with loss of her speech, and was nether able to recover the use of her tongue, nor to free herself from those contortions, until she had again lighted the candles. In like manner another time, her voice failing her in the Choir, in such sort that she could not sing one syllable of the divine office; & all remedies which were used to make her voice return, serving to no purpose, she remembered that she had not paid to her liberal benefactor, the small tribute of a lamp, which was to burn before his picture. Wherefore she ran to it immediately: and at that very instant, she was freed from the stopping of a watery humour, which was fall'n down into her throat. I could here recount a multitude of such like amiable passages betwixt the Saint & his dear Devote, but content yourselves with these, which were alleged and authentically proved in the abovementioned process.  
There is only one thing, which although it discover itself, notwithstanding, methinks I may not omit particularly to advertise those of it, who shall read or hear this Relation: and 'tis for the spiritual comfort of the Devotees of the Holy Apostle, who by the obligation he imposed in recognizance of a favour done by him, does undoubtedly assure us all, how greatly he is delighted in the exercises of that christian Piety, which the Devotion of the faithful has begun, to honour Friday in a special manner, the day on which this Saint, departing out of this life in the Isle of Sanciano near China, in an unspeakable destitution of all human comfort, and consequently very like to that of our Lord, received from his Divine Majesty an abundant recompense of his infinite and Apostolical labours, which he had vndergon for ten years in the East, to the great advantage of souls, and glory of the faith.  
Let us pray unto him then, that from above he would please to kindle in us also a desire of meriting by good works, the effect of his protection and patronage in this happy spouse of JESUS CHRIST.   

A sudden cure of a Rupture of nine years, wrought upon an old man of threescore and fifteen years of age, upon a vow made by another person to S. Francis Xaverius: approved for a Miracle by my Lord the most Illustrious and most Reverend Archbishop of Mechlin.  
ANDREW by the grace of God and 
An. Dom. 1662.  of the Sea Apostolic Archbishop of Mechlin, to all those who shall see these presents, health in our Lord.  
As amongst divers places which give singular marks of their zeal towards the miraculous Relics of S. Francis Xaverius, the City of Mechlin Metropolis of our Diocese in the low-countries', does signally continue her Devotion with an extraordinary fervour, where that sacred Depositum was first of all exposed with our approbation to the veneration of the people in the Church of the Society of JESUS, so also the Divine hand there opens itself largely, daily to distribute more considerable favours by the miraculous and benefical arm of his faithful servant. For besides the favours and miracles which we have leasurly examined and duly approved hitherto, as also other Prelates of the Church have done, we understand that this great Apostle of the Indies, has lately made again appear the indeed prodigious power of his arm. To confirm this verity, we do declare by these presents, that we have commanded with all possible exactness to search out the truth of a sudden cure of a rapture of nine years, which a certain inhabitant of Mechlin has obtained by the intercession of this glorious Saint, and which to this day he still perfectly enjoys, as will appear by this authentical narration, which was sent to us.  
William Plougart being threescore and fifteen years old, was grievously tormented with the extreme pains of a Rupture, the swelling whereof fell down sometimes in such sort, as it was as big as the head of a child. Margaret de Hoogh his wife was eye-witness of it, and also Lewis van Dael felt it with his hand a few days before he was cured, when he found him lying upon the rampairs without force and strength, not being able to move himself for the vehemency of his pains, which he has often confirmed by oath, and avouched that divers times, for these five last years that he wrought with him, he observed he was so weak and feeble, that he was forced to leave off his daily labour. The violence of this infirmity had from the beginning so oppressed the poor old man, that his sufferings growing every day to be more violent than other, they made him wholly unfit for labour. The falling of his malady did so torment him in the nighttime upon the eleventh of December 1662. that he verily persuaded himself he should die of it, protesting amidst the violence of his pains, that he should esteem himself extremely happy, might he but die, and that by a death never so violent. Amongst others of his neighbours who were awaked by the doleful noise of his sad groans, a certain young woman moved with compassion towards him, at one a clock in the night, made a vow in his behalf to S. Francis Xaverius, and promised to perform it at his miraculous Relics at Mechlin: no sooner had she made her vow, but the complaints and sighs of the infirm person ceased. Early in the morning she went to see him, and demanding how he did, his daughter Magdalen made her answer, that he had slept queitly ever since one a clock in the night. Vertly, than replied the good maid, I made a vow at the same time to the great Apostle of the Indies, S. Francis Xaverius, for the case of your father, and I will forthwith accomplish it, with as much fidelity as speed. Upon the making & performance of this promise, the said William was perfectly Cured, and has not suffered any inconvenience from his infirmity, for the space of two years now past. He has walked up and down, traveled, and done his ordinary labour, with as great case and alacrity, as if he had never known what meant the torments of a troublesome rapture; and which is more to be wondered at in an old man of his age, six months after his cure, upon the first day of May, he went from Mechlin to Anwerp, 
a Twelue miles.  and returned again the same day on foot, & this loaded with a heavy pack. A while after in the most vehement heats of the summer, he went from Mechlin to Brussels, 
b Twelue miles.  & came back again the same day strong and lusty. Moreover he protests that since his recovery of his health, for these two years, he has performed without any pain his accustomed functions, although hard & laborious, [for that he is a gardener by occupation] that he has digged, sowed, and oftentimes in the cold and most dangerous moist seasons, bowed ●o the ground, plucked up herbs by the roots in his garden; and in fine, that he has done other labours, which experience testifies to be wholly contrary & pernicious to ruptures; that he has planted and transplanted trees; and that in the summer last passed, being upon a tree of a moderate height he fell down off it to the ground, without any hurt, or resentment of his malady, although that heretofore, during the nine years he was tormented with it, it fretted and swelled with cutting pains, according as the air grew cold or moist, or if that in labouring he used any violence.  
The News of this cure having been brought us by many persons of credit, The Reverend john Baptista Bernaerts' curate and canon of our Metropolitan Church, and Antony Vermeulen Licentiat in Divinity, authorized to this purpose, took by our command the informations with their usual forms, which the said William, his wife, his daughter, and Lewis van Dael subscribed with oath, as also the worshipful commissaries, who sent them us signed with their own seal. In confirmation whereof, many other testimonies were added of the most famous Physicians of Mechlin. Anwerp, and Brussels, and of the two prime professors and Doctors of Physic in the famous university of Louvain, who unanimously assure us, that so sudden and perfect a cure of a rapture of nine years, wrought upon a man of threescore and fifteen years old, was above the power of nature, which we having vnderst●●d, and considered in the presence of God, as also having required the judgements herein of divers Divines, and other personages of great ability and Integrity, according to the Decree made by the Council of Trent concerning the approbation of New miracles, conforming ourselves to the faithful report of the Reverend Commissaries, who have most diligently and maturely examined, and considered the matter, we judged it fitting, as we do also by these presents judge it fitting, that this cure of William Plougart, both may and aught to be held and published for supernatural and miraculous, wrought and obtained of the Divine goodness, by the intercession of S. Francis Xaverius, and for such we publish and decree it. In credit whereof we have commanded our Secretary to dispatch these presents, signed with our hand and sealed with our seal, humbly beseeching the good God, who glorifies those which glorify him, and is honoured in the honours of his Saints [as we acknowledge, from our own experience and with all kind of submission the glorious merits and signal favours of the blessed S. Francis Xaverius] that we may hereafter more frequently experiment the effects of his favourable protection.  
Given at Brussels the 28. of November 1664. It was signed ANDREW Archbishop of Mechlin. And a little lower By order of my Lord the most Illustrious and most Reverend Archbishop. F. Despaute Secretary. The place of the Seal ✚   

A Miraculous cure of Lament obtained upon the Seventh of April 1662. through the intercession of S. Francis Xaverius; approved by the most Illustrious Ambrose Capello Bishop of Anwerp, the 23. of November 1663.  
FR: Ambrose Capello by the Grace of God, and of the Holy Apostolic seat of Rome, Bishop of Anwerp, to all the faithful Christians of this Bishopric, Health in our Lord.  
The constant Devotion of the people of Anwerp to S. Francis Xaverius, in his Holy Relics, kept in the Church of the Professed House there of the Society of JESUS, excites the merciful God, who is always wonderful in his Saints, now and then, by certain supernatural favours to signify, how pleasing unto him the honour is, which we, here upon earth, show to his friends in heaven; letting as it were descend certain rays of that glory, which they there eternally possess, to the increasing of that honour and temporal glory, which he does also even here upon earth to those his same friends: and so it has appeared to us now the third time, in the Person of Margarit Crick a devout woman, of about eight and thirty years of age, born at Aelost of Peter Crick a merchant there in his life time, and Susan Ʋander Straten. This woman in the year of our Lord 1656. having fall'n into a grievous sickness, and palsy in the right side of her body, although she in some measure recovered of it, yet notwithstanding she retained, in all her right side, such a weakness, that she was ever after miserable, and wholly unfit for any work which required any force and strength, and she got moreover such a sudden contraction of the nerves or sinews, that her right leg became remarkably shorter than her left: in such sort that she was forced, to make one of her shoes, at least about half a thumb higher than the other, and besides, was necessitated, by reason of her great weakness, to make use of a Crutch to go with all.  
This lament in the manner related, together with a general weakness of the right side of her body, stuck by her the space of six years. During the first two years, to wit from the year 1656. to the year 1658. she applied divers ointments to her lame leg, but finding not the least benefit or betternes by them, for the future she laid ●hem all aside, and past over the four next-following years' [the three last whereof she lived at Anwerp] without using any human remedies, medecins, or oyntings; bearing with patience this little cross, which God had sent her. Until at last upon the thirtieth day of March 1662. she made her address to S. Francis Xaverius, with a strong confidence of obtaining of God, through his merits & intercession, her perfect health, and strength. To which end she resolved with herself, the nine days following, to go to visit his Relics, in the Church of the Professed House of the Society of JESUS, there to do her Devotions, & earnestly to beseech the same Saint, if it were the will of God, and would tend to her souls health, that he would vouchsafe to be her Advocate, and obtain for her, perfect health of the Divine mercy. And it seems the Saint stood ready to answer her request, for immediately from the very beginning, & daily forwards, during her nine-days Devotion she felt herself remarkably better as to her infirmity, together with a like increase of her confidence in the merits of the Saint; so that upon the seventh day of April, being Good-Friday for the year last past 1662. & the last day of the Novena, having ended her Devotions before the Altar and Relics of the foresaid Saint▪ finding herself comforted with an interior, sensible sweetness, and strongly confiding that she was cured through the intercession of S. Xaverius, and should hereafter be able to go without a crutch, she offered up her crutch, and there left it: then rising up from her praying place, she went straight out of the Church without any difficulty: being come in to the street, finding herself stronger and stronger, she went to the Church of S. james, and thence to the Church of S. George, and so to her own dwelling, which was there abouts; with an unspeakable joy, and a heart full of thanksgiving to her curer and restorer S. Francis Xaverius, and was beheld with like admiration, first by her own household and neighbours, who saw her come home, and afterwards by innumerable multitudes of people, who had before seen & known the said Margarit Crick, lame and miserable, going with a crutch, and high shoes, and all notwithstanding yet falling on oneside in her gate, whom they now saw without crutch or prop, to go nimbly, and right upon her limbs, without being able to perceive any defect in her gate. And this strength and soundness of her body, did so increase, that shortly after [to wit in the summer of the same year 1662. and again in the summer of the present year 1663.] she went on foot from Baestroo to Aelost, of about nine mile's distance, without any help of stick, or crutch, or any thing else: yea without even feeling any greater weariness in one leg, then in the other, to the great admiration of her friends and kinsfolks, and others of the town of Aelost, who had before known, or seen her lame, and miserable. In this perfect health & strength of limbs, does she continue to this very day, for the space of seventeen Months, always going upright, without the least limping on one side or the other, without feeling any pain or contraction of Nerves, or any other incommodity.  
All which being so represented unto us, as it has been related, we have thought good to examine the same more narrowly, according to the duty of our Episcopal function, & the zeal we have to promote the honour of God, and of his Saints.  
First then, having gotten full information, of the sickness and condition, in the which Margaret Crick was, before she came to Anwerp; [the same information being taken at Aelost, upon the Tenth of October 1663. by Right Reverend Mr. john Fernand. Garrido Dean of the Collegial Church there, and the Reverend Mr. Marius' Canon of the same Church, thereunto especially commissioned in the name of the most illustrious the Archbishop of Mechlin.] we have also in like manner to the more strict examen of the sickness, and what has happened to the foresaid Margaret Crick for the time she has lived here at Anwerp, and also to whatsoever might be required in this matter & its circumstances, commissioned the very Reverend Mr Henricus van Halmale Licentiate in both Laws, & Dean of our Cathedral Church of our Blessed Lady; and besides him, the Reverend Canons Mr. Antonius van Berchem Licentiate in both Laws, Protonotary Apostolic, and Archpreist; and Mr. Aubertus van den Eede, Licentiate in both Laws, Protonotary Apostolic and Canon Graduate of the same our Cathedral Church, who under solemn oath made in their hands, heard the relation as well from the foresaid Margaret Crick, as also from divers other persons, who knew the foresaid Margaret, from those with whom she had dwelled & from some who saw her come home upon the day of her cure: afterwards, they asked the judgement of three famous Doctors of Physic of this City, who having well and maturely considered all the foresaid points and informations, in like manner under solemn oath they unanimously judged, and attested, that the above mentioned sudden cure of the foresaid Margaret, was above all natural power and means: and must necessarily be attributed to God alone, and to S. Francis Xaverius, whom God would hereby honour.  
Wherefore report having been made to us, of all that has been said, by the above mentioned Commissioners, and we having been perfectly informed of all the particulars, and having also heard the opinion of our Doctors in Divinity, do declare the above related sudden cure of the foresaid Margaret Crick, to be miraculous, and supernatural, and that it ought to be held by every one for a true miracle: exciting all unanimously to praise and thank God, who has given us within the town of Anwerp, as well for our corporal, as for our spiritual necessities, so powerful an Advocate, and who is pleased amongst us, by remarkable signs to exalt his great instrument and Apostle S. Francis Xaverius, who carried and propagated Gods true faith, honour, and glory to the utmost bounds of India and japony.  
In testimony of the truth whereof we have signed these presents, and confirmed them with our own Seal, at Anwerp in our Episcopal palace the 23. of Novemb. in the year 1663.  
Was subscribed F. AMBROS. CAPELLO Bishop of Anwerp. At the side was put the Episcopal Seal. Underneath was written. By order of the most Illustrious beforenamed. And yet lower. D. vanden Br●l Secretarius.   

A woman in Travel happily delivered, and freed from witchcraft by the Intercession of S. Francis Xaverius, in the year of our Lord 1662. in the month of April.  
CAtharin van Hoef wife to Peter vander Elst Burger of Lyre, was no sooner delivered of five of her children, but she saw them born, and dead at the same moment, and they unhappy infants found their cradles in their graves, before they had been washed from original sin by the sacred waters of Baptism. This sad accident afflicted their sorrowful mother the more greivously, for that she perceived by divers signs and tokens, that they were stifled by magical charms and enchantments.  
Witches and enchanters, in their diabolical arts, by the permission of Almighty God, make use of the fruits of the earth, and of the dung of rats, & other filthy creatures, to work malign effects upon the bodies of men. with such kind of sorceries as these, this poor woman was outrageously afflicted, finding her bed oftentimes full of them, although she had caused it to be cleansed before. Wherefore finding herself thus grievously assailed by wicked spirits and their adherents, she caused herself to be exorcized for four whole years, when excited by the noise of the miracles whrought through the intercession of S Xaverius at Mechlin, she went thither. And entering into the chapel where the Relics of the Saint are kept, immediately the Saint filled her soul with such a sweetness and comfort in her aflictions, as cheered her at the very heart, and she was not a little strengthened by it. The poor woman being again with child, the four last months of her time she was afflicted with such a troublesome flux of Blood, accompanied with such a dereliction of forces, with such languish and faintings, and so many evils at once, that fearing least oppressed by them she should by suddenly, they gave her the most Holy Viaticum or last Sacrament of our Lord's Body.  
These sad effects made the midwife and her kindred judge that there was no hopes of her life: notwithstanding the sick party, although her strength and forces were exhausted, and she given over by all, yet did she not cease to expect from the abundant charity of S. Xaverius, together with the end of her dolours, the recompense of her faith, which wonderfully increased when they brought her a Relic and picture of the Saint; to whom she offered a heart of silver, and promised to procure a solemn Mass to be sung, and in case she were delivered of a son, she would give him the name of Francis Xaverius.  
As she rolled this sweet thought in her mind she swooned away, & remained so a long time without motion, so that every one thought she was dead. Coming to herself again, she comforted those which were about her, with words which abundantly testified the confidence of her heart, saying unto them with a languishing voice, Assuredly S. Xaverius will help me, he will cure me of my Pain●, and in fine he will save my life, and the life of my child.  
The Physician being conscious of these strange kinds of evils and miseries of the good woman, fearing lest the bowels of the mother might come to be the grave of her unborn child, caused a Surgeon to be called, to be ready to open the womb of the sick party, in case she should come to die, that so the infant might be baptised if it were yet alive. A little after, sownings, and the ordinary symptoms followed one another with such violence, that the sick party had the Holy candle in her hand a long time without any sign of life. Having continued in this manner insensible for a time, by little and little she opened her eyes, and besought her friends to say one Pater and Aue in honour of the great Saint, from whose bounty she hoped to obtain her cure.  
A Father her Confessarius, who was in a chamber near her, set himself to say the Lytanies of all the Saints, and when he had pronounced three times the name of S. Xaverius, behold without feeling the cruel approaches, and sharp pangs of child birth, she was delivered of a son, whose happy birth sweetened the grief, which the sad loss of her other children had caused in her. Since this her safe and favourable delivery, she, together with her little Infant, has enjoyed perfect health, without being troubled from that time with those charms and witchcrafts, which oppugned her childbearing with so many anguishs & grievances.  
The Approbation of this last Favor by the most Reverend Bishop of Anwerp, F. Ambrose Capello, for brevity sake I have omitted. In which approbation, after due examen by commissaries by him to that purpose appointed, he declares that this Favour, [for so he styles it only, and not an absolute Mrracle] may piously and prudently be believed to have been received by the singular assistance of S. Francis Xaverius. The omnipotent and most merciful JESUS, through the intercession of the same his great Instrument in the conversion of souls, work many like favours for his humble Catholic Clients in England, and compel by his Holy grace all misbelievers to say to this Great Apostle and Doctor of the Roman-Catholick Church, what Ni●●demus said of old to Christ our Lord, in like circumstances, Rabbi scimus etc. Sir, we know that you are a master come from God, for no man could work those signs which thou dost unless God were with him. But may they never deserve to hear that of our Blessed Saviour concerning the obstinate jews Io. 15. Si opera non fec●ssem in eyes quae nemo alius fecit, peccatum non hab●rent etc. If I had not done works amongst them which no other has done they would not have sinned. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they would not have sinned, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Amen.  
Ad majorem Dei & Sancti XAVERII gloriam.  
FINIS.   

THE RAPTURE Of an Affectionate SOUL before A CRUCIFIX. Composed in Latin By the HOLY FATHER, S. FRANCIS XAVERIUS.  
O GOD, I love Thee, not to get  
Thy Favour to be Saved; nor yet  
To shun that sad Eternal Lot,  
Designed for those that love Thee not.  
Thou, Thou, my JESUS, to thy Loss,  
Wouldst needs Embrace me on the Cross:  
Thou wouldst endure both Nails and Lance,  
Disgrace and Dolours; with a Trance  
Of bloody Sweat, and boundless Seas  
Of Anguishes and Bitterness;  
Nay, even Death's last Agony:  
And this for me, a Foe to Thee.  
Most Loving JESUS, shall this move  
No like Return of Love for Love?  
Above all things I love Thee best;  
Yet not for Hope of Interest;  
Nor for to gain Heaven's Promised Land;  
Nor for to stop thy threatening Hand:  
But as Thou lovedst me, so do I  
Love Three, and ever shall, merely  
Because Thou art my King, my GOD,  
Of Love the Source, and Period. AMEN.   

AN OBLATION, By which S. IGNATIUS of LOYOLA frequently every Day Offered himself too GOD.  
REceive, O LORD, all my Liberty, my Memory, my Understanding, and my whole Will. You have given me All that I Have, All that I Possess; and I give back, and surrender All to Your Divine Will, that You may absolutely dispose of All. Give me only Your Love, and Your Grace, and I am Rich enough. I have nothing more to Ask.  
FINIS.