Vincent Ferrer of the Order of Preachers

ON ST. VINCENT FERRER OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS, AT VANNES IN BRITTANY,

IN THE YEAR 1419

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, at Vannes in Brittany (S.)

BHL Number: 8662

BY G. H.

§ I. Various writers of his Life. His Cultus.

In Armorican Britain, a region of the Gauls on the Ocean, is an episcopal city called Vannes or Venetiae, in which Saint Vincent Ferrer, a truly apostolic man, attained his last day on earth and his first in the heavenly homeland. He was by nation a Spaniard, honorably born in the city of Valencia, liberally educated, and enrolled in the Order of Preachers: who had as the theater of his teaching and of the divine word which he announced, as well as of the miracles he wrought, almost the whole of the Spains and the Gauls, He wrote the Life of Saint Vincent, as well as a great part of the Italian dominions and the British islands. These outstanding labors of his, and the glorious triumphs arising from them, were described in four books by Peter Ranzano, a Sicilian of Palermo, Peter Ranzano of the Order of Preachers, most excellent in poetry, the art of oratory, the skill of history, and in theological doctrine: whom Master Martial Auribelli, General of the Order, as he himself writes in the Prologue, used very familiarly at the time when he was laboring with the Supreme Pontiffs that Vincent might be numbered among the rest of the Saints: in the year 1455, at whose command also he composed this Life, and inscribed it to him in the year 1455, in which Vincent had been enrolled among the Saints. using 4 Processes, Among other monuments, he used four Processes which had been drawn up concerning the life and miracles at Avignon, Vannes, Toulouse, and Naples, as he himself states in the preface to the third book. Afterward, on account of the celebrated fame of his virtue, Sixtus IV the Pontiff appointed him in the year 1478 Bishop of Lucera, then Bishop of Lucera: in Apulia Daunia; and Ferdinand, King of both Sicilies, summoning him to Naples, ordered him to be tutor to his son, and sent him as Legate to Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary: in which office, which he held for three years, he elaborated a book about the affairs of Hungary,

published by John Sambucus: from which on January 28 we published the Life of Blessed Margaret, born of the Kings of Hungary, and a Virgin illustrious in holiness from the Order of Preachers.

[2] Ranzano also wrote of the antiquity of the city of Palermo, of the praises of the city of Lucera, and other memorials, which are referred to by Leander Alberti, Thomas Fazello, and Ferdinand Ughelli: who asserts that he died in the year 1492: so that he seems to have written these books concerning the Life of Saint Vincent in his first and most vigorous, but fairly mature, age, using a style, as he states in his preface, which Surius published mutilated and with the style changed, very plain, which Lawrence Surius, as he notes before the third book, made somewhat more Latin, and also omitted various, chiefly, miracles, for the sake of brevity: but toward the end he indicates that some things were lacking in the manuscript exemplar, which he confesses was the only one he had. Antony of Siena among the Lives of the Holy Fathers of the Order of Preachers, and Abraham Bzovius in the Annals under the year 1418, published this same Life from Surius, neglecting further inquiry; and very many abridged it and inserted it in their Legendaries, even translated into whatever vulgar languages. We give this Life of Saint Vincent, written by Peter Ranzano, we give it more complete from a MS. preserving the original style, which we have from a Utrecht parchment codex, written long ago: in which besides are the Lives of Saint Dominic by Theodoric of Appoldia, and of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and the book which is entitled "Lives of the Brothers Preachers," and finally the Life of Saint Catherine of Siena. But neither do we think we have here a fully complete work: for the fourth book, which ought to be very long on account of the multitude of miracles performed after his death, is very short, and much smaller than the preceding ones. Of the fifth book also we found only the beginning. Remembering therefore that we had once at the illustrious monastery of Ebrach between Würzburg and Bamberg surveyed a very well-ordered Library; and in Centuria 2, no. 100, that we had seen the aforementioned Life of Saint Vincent, after twelve years we directed a letter thither; to see if perhaps the things lacking here might be there: but in spite of all the effort employed, the designated Codex could no longer be found: wherefore this will serve only to have admonished, so that if the same or another similar one is found elsewhere, someone may wish to collate it with the things here to be published, and to describe to us what more he finds, to be produced in the supplement of the whole work.

The same Ranzano composed a heroic poem of one hundred twenty-three verses in praise of Saint Vincent, The same Ranzano wrote a poem about Saint Vincent: which we found written by hand at Florence in the Convent of Saint Mark of the same Order of Preachers: from which we insert these few verses:

"Kindly Vincent, as suppliants we beseech your divinity, Whom by merit excellent virtue has carried to the skies. Do not despise our groans, do not despise the vows of the praying: But hear, O kind one, and easily look upon our affairs."

[3] Afterward Castiglione wrote a Life in the year 1470 We found besides in the same codex of the Convent of Saint Mark a Life of Saint Vincent, published in the year 1470 by Dom Francis Castiglione, Priest, Doctor of Sacred Theology and most learned of his time in Greek and Latin letters, Canon of Saint Lawrence of Florence, and Parish Priest of Saint Appian, who in the year 1471 wrote the Life of Saint Peter Martyr, and in the next year the Life of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The author inscribed the Life of Saint Vincent to James, Cardinal of Pavia with the title of Saint Chrysogonus, him who, being endowed by Pius II with the family of Piccolomini and its arms, and created Cardinal in the year 1461, lived until September 29 of the year 1479, and left behind a work of epistles written by himself, and seven books of Commentaries, in which he embraced the deeds of his time. In the Prologue to this Cardinal, Castiglione asserts that he found the outstanding deeds of Saint Vincent in the Processes of the court, with no order digested, as various witnesses called from Spain had indicated, and that he had touched on them in the briefest narrative. Since the things not noticed by Ranzano are few, lest the bulk grow too great, we either insert them in the Notes, from which some things are given, or append separately some miracles wrought at the tomb of the Saint: the rest of the Life, described by us at Florence, and now illustrated with its breviaries in the margin, we omit: in its place we give at the end the Order of Canonization, with the Order of Canonization published by Ranzano, written by the aforesaid Ranzano, but which we regret is mutilated in the MS. codex, and we supply this loss from the Bull of Canonization published by Pope Pius II, transcribing the latter part of it: and supplied from the Bull of Canonization. and we join to it a brief narrative of the Translation of the body, which we obtained at Milan in the library of the convent of Saint Mary of Grace, in MS. codices collected by Ambrose Taegius; and the account of a recent discovery, recently submitted to us from Vannes.

[4] At the same time with Ranzano and Castiglione flourished Saint Antoninus, In the same fifteenth century wrote: Saint Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence from the same Order of Saint Dominic, who died in the year 1459, that is, less than four full years after the canonization of Saint Vincent; of whose virtues and miracles he composed an illustrious tract; published in part 3 of the Histories, title 23, chapter 8, from which we observe some things in our Annotations. In the ninth year after the canonization of Saint Vincent, the year of Christ 1464, under the name of that Saint himself a convent of Preachers was founded at Plasencia in Spain, by Alvaro de Zuñiga and Leonora Pimentel, first Counts, afterward Dukes of Plasencia: whose singular devotion toward the holy man seemed to be honored by a signal miracle, An anonymous Spaniard in the Convent of Plasencia, and others when they were accustomed, before the coming of the Brothers, to have the feast of Saint Vincent celebrated most solemnly, and on one occasion, not having a preacher, an unknown Brother unexpectedly presented himself, wearing the habit of a Dominican, who being brought to the Duchess, when at length he consented to preach a sermon to the people about the Saint, not only with a certain heavenly eloquence carried all his hearers into admiration; but never afterward being seen and vainly sought for, he was believed to have been Saint Vincent himself. This is told, from the local tradition and, as he says, from weighty authors, by Brother Alphonso Fernandez, a Dominican, in the Annals of Plasencia; he adds that the Duchess, to feed her affection more sweetly, required from her Confessor that he should write the Life, virtues, and miracles of Saint Vincent, and that he did this at length and copiously, I believe from the already published writings of Ranzano, and in the Spanish language: yet so far I have not learned of anyone who would say he had seen such a work. Many compendia of the Life of Saint Vincent have been published afterward, one of which is found in the ancient Legendary, printed at Cologne and Louvain in the third and fifth year after 1480: and another briefer one by Antonio Verlo of Vicenza was appended to the Catalog of Saints written by Peter de Natalibus, and first printed in the year 1493, at which time Robert of Lecce was also still alive, who in a canzone published by himself extols his virtues. Somewhat younger than these, John Anthony Flaminius, born at Forum Cornelii, In the sixteenth century: Flaminius, which we now call Imola, dedicated in the year 1516 the Life of Saint Vincent written by himself to Francis Bentivoglio, Canon of Bologna, which in the following year Leander Alberti published in the fifth book "On Illustrious Men of the Order of Preachers," and he himself published it with other Lives of Saints of the Order of Preachers composed by him in the year 1529. Before these should be placed the Lessons the authors of the Lessons in the Breviaries, which have been printed in ancient Breviaries about the Life of Saint Vincent, if it had been possible to see them all. We have those which were printed in the year 1555 in the Breviary of the Order of Preachers, and those which used to be recited in the church of Saint-Malo before that time, and those which at the present time are recited in the whole diocese of Vannes. In Spain, in the same sixteenth century, illustrious writers of the Order of Preachers flourished: John Marieta, Vincent Justinian Antist, Francis Diago, Thomas Trujillo, and Ildephonsus Giron. and others, Of these the first in a whole book 11, in 41 chapters, set forth the life. Antist is praised by Baronius in the Notes to April 5: he used various manuscript treatises preserved in the kingdom of Valencia: him Trujillo cites in book 2 of the Treasury of Sermons, where he excellently sets forth the history of the life of Saint Vincent, and Diago book 2 of the History, which he published concerning the Province of Aragon of the Order of Preachers in the year 1609, in which in twenty-two chapters he narrates the deeds of Saint Vincent: In the present century many which also the earlier cited Giron sets forth with illustrious speech in the first volume of Sermons, published at Salamanca in the year 1602. Likewise John Lopez in part 3 of the History of the Order, book 2, chapter 14 and the nine following, and Alphonso Castillo in the Sacrarium Valentinum from folio 9 to 29. More than all these, we would wish to obtain the very things which those authors used, the MS. treatises and processes: we would willingly give them in the supplement of the work. Among the Italians, Michael Pius in the first and second part of "On Illustrious Men of the Order of Preachers" celebrates Saint Vincent; and Stephen Razzi, "On the Lives of Saints, Blessed, and Illustrious Men and Nuns of the same Order": this one with John Marieta often cites the "Formicarium" of John Nider; who, a Swabian by nation, flourished in his writings before the canonization of that Saint. most recently Guyard and Rechac. To these are to be joined three writers of the same Order, who flourished in our time in the Gauls, Albert the Great "On the Saints of Armorican Britain," then Bernard Guyard and John of Rechac. Of these, Bernard published his history in the year 1634, Rechac in the year 1647 in the second volume of the Lives of the Saints of the Order of Preachers: and from thence we give in Latin (for both wrote in French) various miracles from which miracles are published, which happened in Armorican Britain and other neighboring regions: until someone shall supply us with the original Process of Vannes, which for obtaining this and other similar ones we have labored not a little, but in vain.

[5] Sacred cultus is prescribed by Pope Pius II in the Bull of Canonization, but I know not by what chance, not to say error, it is indicated that the feast is to be celebrated on the 8th day before the Ides of April, whereas on the preceding day, on the Nones of April itself, the Saint departed from this life, and the feast has hitherto been celebrated on that day. Thus in the Missal of the Order of Preachers, which we have printed at Venice in the time of Vincent of Castel-Nuovo, General, in the year 1504, it is prescribed on the Nones of April itself an Office wholly Double: and long before to that day was assigned the name in the MS. Martyrology of Brussels, Sacred cultus on April 5, and in the MS. Florarium Sanctorum, likewise in the Martyrology printed at Cologne and Lübeck in the year 1490. Following them everywhere: Greven and Molanus in the additions to Usuard, Bellinus in the enlarged edition printed at Paris, Maurolycus, Felici, Galesini, Canisius, and with them the Roman Martyrology: in which is read, "At Vannes in Lesser Britain, Saint Vincent the Confessor, surnamed Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, who powerful in work and word converted many thousands of infidels to Christ. Greater

eulogies may be read in the Gallican Martyrology of Saussay and the Spanish Martyrology of Tamayo Salazar of the Order of Preachers, who gives his Acts from a very ancient Legendary written two hundred years ago, divided into nine Lessons, and to these he subjoins three hymns, which are also contained in the above-cited Breviary of the Order of Preachers, which Albert the Great says were written by Martial Auribelli. with an octave in the Order of Preachers On April 12 in the Martyrology of the Order of Preachers the Octave of Saint Vincent is commemorated. That the elevation of his body took place in the year 1456 on April 5 is indicated below in the History of the elevation: which meanwhile by the Marian Calendar of Balinghem is referred to June 13, and in the Martyrology of Canisius to October 29. The solemnity of the canonization is assigned by Marieta in the Calendar placed before his work to the Kalends of October, which day Balinghem also noted: but on that day the Bull of Canonization was issued by Pope Pius II, the canonization having been performed by his predecessor Calixtus III, on June 29, on the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

§ II. Chronology of the years in which Saint Vincent lived, from his birth to the sixty-second year of his age.

[6] We now approach the task of setting forth the concurrence or harmony of the times in which Saint Vincent lived, so that clearer light may shine on his deeds. He is said to have been born on January 23, The day of his birth is assigned by Francis Diago and John Rechac to January 23, on which the birthday of Saint Emerentiana, Virgin and Martyr, is celebrated. In the silence of the ancients we have no further means of proving or disproving this. The same authors indicate the year 1350; in the year 1357; but we think seven ought to be added, as will be clear from what follows. Peter Ranzano describes the time at which he entered the Order of Preachers with these circumstances: "The Prior and the other Brothers gave him the habit on the Lord's day, on the Nones of February, he receives the habit of the Order of Preachers on the Lord's day, he then being in his eighteenth year." So the very ancient MS. codex, with which the edition of Surius agrees, and it is also found in the illustrious Spanish Legendaries of John Marieta and John Basil Sanctorius. Diago, Rechac, February 5, Marieta, and generally others explain the Nones of February, while they add that this happened on the feast of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr. The same assert that he had completed his seventeenth year, in the 18th year of his age, and begun his eighteenth, namely by only fourteen days. These things therefore being established, we must inquire in which years the Nones of February fell on a Sunday, Christ's year 1374, when it was designated by the letter A. This happened in the year of Christ 1374, in the solar cycle 12; and seventeen years had elapsed from the indicated 1357, in which we hence prove that he was born, and below we establish this by other arguments. Diago, Rechac, and others assign the year 1358, a leap year, when with solar cycle 5 and Dominical letters B A, the Nones of February fell on Monday, not Sunday, which Ranzano expressly indicates. Marieta, to keep everything, indicates the year 1357, as if he had been born before the year 1340, which in no way is consistent.

[7] aged 24 years, publishes Dialectic in the year of Christ 1380, Having made the solemn profession of his religion in the next year, he spent the six following years in studies, partly as a disciple, partly as a Professor, lecturing on Philosophy; amid which studies, when he was twenty-four years old, he published his outstanding work on Dialectic Suppositions. The year was then, by our computation, 1380; when two years before Urban VI had been elected Roman Pontiff on April 8: from whom a secession was made by many Cardinals, and against him on September 21 was elected Robert of the Counts of Geneva, and was called Clement VII: who soon, as Ciaconius relates, created four Legates—the Limousin to the King of the Franks, Agrifolium to the King of Bohemia, designated Emperor, the Poitevin to the King of England, and Peter de Luna to the Kings of Spain, to inform them of his election. Then Saint Vincent came to the notice of the said Peter de Luna, and is said in number 11 at Lérida to have been enrolled in the college of Theologians by Peter de Luna, at age 28, in the year of Christ 1384 he is made Master of Theology: or, as it is said there by a certain anticipation, by Benedict the Supreme Pontiff. Vincent then was in his twenty-eighth year, therefore in our view the year of Christ was 1384 or the next following. At the same time the Bishop of Valencia was James, related to him by blood, created around the year 1370. Therefore at his and the Chapter's and Magistrate's request he teaches at Valencia for 6 years, Vincent was sent back to Valencia, where he lectured on Theology and preached for six continuous years: but during these times Peter de Luna, when he was sent as Legate from Spain to Charles King of the Franks, took Vincent with him and he attends Peter de Luna as Legate, and kept him so long until, the time of the legation being over, he returned to the Pontiff himself at Avignon. The time of this legation, together with the six years during which he stayed at Valencia, we reckon from the year 1385 to the year 1394. The things hitherto related are contained in Ranzano, in the first book of his Life, until the year 1394, and are said in the Prologue of the second book to be the deeds of Saint Vincent from his boyhood to his youthful age. Then the author passes to the things which he did in his mature age: aged 37. which we begin from the thirty-seventh year of his age, so that it is surprising that more years are required by others, especially since they are forced to receive them as empty of all action.

[8] Clement VII having died at Avignon on September 6 in the year 1394, Peter de Luna was substituted on September 28 of the same: [he was Confessor and Master of the Sacred Palace in the year 1395 and the following.] by whom Saint Vincent was summoned to Avignon, chosen as Confessor, and appointed Master of the Apostolic Palace. That he spent two years in the palace have the ancient Acts in the Legendary of Louvain and Cologne, which we assign to the ninety-fifth and sixth after the year 1300. Rechac admits the same, who adds that afterward, being affected with weariness of the Schism, he had stayed six months in the Avignon Convent of the Preaching Fathers, by Christ he is appointed Herald of the Gospel, and was seized with a great force of fevers; when he was appointed herald of the Gospel by Christ, appearing among Angels and Saints Dominic and Francis: which Rechac adds happened on October 3, the vigil of the feast of Saint Francis. Ranzano in number 8 of the said book 2 says: while he was in his fortieth year, began the time of his peregrination, in the 40th year of his age, of Christ 1396 or 1397. and that continual and wonderful exercise of doctrine: which year we think, from the aforesaid, to be rightly set as the year 1396, or the following, in which he completed the fortieth year of his age. Benedict the Antipope had offered Saint Vincent a Bishopric, the Bishoprics of Valencia, Lérida, and other Churches being vacant. That James of Aragon, Bishop of Valencia, died on May 30, in the mentioned year 1396, Jerome Zurita relates in book 10 of the Annals of Aragon, chapter 61, so that the times here indicated are plainly established.

[9] Being then confirmed as Apostolic preacher by Benedict XIII, he began his preaching, and, according to Rechac chapter 6, continued from the year of Christ 1398 to the end of his life, that is the year 1419, when for the last two years he had lived in Armorican Britain, to which he came in the first spring of the year 1417. The man of God at that time was in the sixtieth year of his age, he comes into Britain in the year 1417, at age 60 not 70. for so we think it must be read in Ranzano book 4, number 1, though by the fault of copyists it is read as the seventieth year: which could have happened by the changing of a few letters: so in the Prologue the author says he distinguishes the work into four books, and confirms it in the Prologue of book four, although in Surius and in the MS. codex the work is read as divided into five books. And book 3, number 6, Saint Bernardinus is said to have been enrolled in the Catalogue of Saints six years before Saint Vincent, when it was only five years and 36 days. died on April 5 Finally in book 4, number 9, Saint Vincent is said to have died on Friday, the Nones of April, in the year 1418, where the year is taken in the manner of the Bretons and French, at that time ending at Easter, in the year 1419, which to us is the next year 1419. But the fact that he is said to have died on Friday—or as Surius has, on the sixth day of the week—is a manifest error, on the fourth day before Palm Sunday. corrected in Castiglione, who assigns the fourth day before Palm Sunday: which day Vincent Justinian Antist, Francis Diago, and generally others also write. And rightly, because in the said year 1419, with lunar cycle 14, solar 28, Dominical letter A, Easter was celebrated on April 16, and the Nones of the same month fell on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday, when he was now in the sixty-second year of his age, as we have shown from the series of his life, at age 62, chiefly drawn from Ranzano. If some think otherwise and wish him to have lived to the seventieth year of his age, or even the seventy-eighth year (as is read in the Breviary of the Order of Preachers above cited, and in Marieta and others), we permit it, provided they can establish the series of his life. Rechac would object to us the notarial act preserved in the Valencia Convent, in which all the professed religious of the said Convent are referred to the year 1368, and the last of them is reckoned Vincent Ferrer: but because by long experience we have learned that diplomas and other similar instruments are often transcribed by later men with great change of years, we cannot at once trust similar writings, especially when more certain arguments prove the contrary. Of these I offer one. Since Saint Vincent was made Master of Theology in the twenty-eighth year of his age, and according to them in the year of Christ 1377; this could not have happened through Peter de Luna, who in the preceding year, as is clear from Ciaconius and others, set out for Rome with Pope Gregory XI, remained there, and built his own house at his own expense: and was present in the year 1378 at the election of Urban VI, and then at Fondi at the election of Clement VII the Antipope, from whom, being sent as Legate into Spain, he first received notice of Saint Vincent. In the compendium of the Life published before his sermons, he is said to have died in the year 1433, but such errors do not deserve to be noted.

§ III. What places and at what time were illustrated by the Gospel preaching of Saint Vincent.

[10] These things being set, we return to the years of his Apostolic preaching, chiefly drawn from Diago and Rechac, which Ranzano begins thus in book 2 chapter 6: "After these things," He preaches in the years 1398 and 1399, in Catalonia: that is, after the authority to preach was confirmed, proceeding first from Avignon, then gradually, preaching the Gospel through cities and villages, he returned to Catalonia: where, mighty in work and speech, he continued to teach for two continuous years. Diago and Rechac, following Antist, whose writings we have not had, assign the year 1398

and the following, and the calculation set by us rightly agrees. At that time is said to have been healed the little boy John Solerius, whom he then foretold would be an outstanding Theologian, as is found in book 3, no. 16. After having perhaps visited various domains of Aragon and Valencia, he departed from Barcelona in the year 1400, and sailed to Provence, a French domain toward the Alps: and he was at Aix-en-Provence from October 27 until the Kalends of December; in the year 1400 in Provence: and again from the fifth to the tenth of January in the year 1401: in the year 1401 in Piedmont and Lombardy: as Honoré Bouche relates from the monuments of the Aix convent, book 9 of the History of Provence, section 4, chapter 2, §2. Thence, having crossed the Alps, he was in the Piedmontese and Lombard domain: and among other miracles performed, he foretold at Alessandria the holy life of Blessed Bernardino of the Order of Friars Minor, as is contained in book 3, no. 6.

[11] In the second year of the said century, he descended again across the Alps into Dauphiné, and wrote in March from the town of Romans to John de Puy, Master General of the Order, and rendered an accurate account of his mission and preaching. in the year 1402 in Dauphiné: Of these letters, which seem to have perished, he makes mention in others written the following year. In these, as found in Bouche and Rechac, he has these words: "After I left the town of Romans, for three continuous months I was in Dauphiné, preaching the word of God round about through cities, castles, and villages, in which I had not yet been: especially however I visited those three most famous valleys of heretics in the diocese of Embrun, of which one is called Luzerna, the second Argenteya, and the third Vallis-Pura, or rather formerly Vallis-Puta, and is now called Vallis Ludovisia," concerning which is dealt with at length below in book 2, no. 22. "Which being done," he says, in the years 1402 and 1403 in Lombardy "at the requests and entreaties of many I crossed into Lombardy: where I continually preached for a year and a month, in all the cities, villages, and castles: and I found very many valleys of heretics, both Waldensians and perverse Gazari, which I traversed in the diocese of Turin, and visited each one in order, preaching in each of them the faith and doctrine of Catholic truth, with reproof of their errors. And all by God's mercy most ardently and with great affection and reverence of devotion received the truth of the faith, the Lord indeed cooperating and confirming the word. Having completed thirteen continuous months in Lombardy, I entered Savoy: and now five months have elapsed since I was asked, indeed by the Prelates and Lords of the country, to visit it several times and with great affection: and Savoy I traversed four dioceses, namely Sion, Tarentaise, Maurienne, and Grenoble, which has much in Savoy, preaching round about through the cities and villages and their castles. And I am now in the diocese of Geneva. Among other enormities I found in those parts one error too widespread, of solemnly celebrating a feast on the day after Corpus Christi, and holding brotherhoods under the name of Saint Orient. Against this error I now principally insist, preaching daily, the Lord cooperating and confirming the word, and it has been effectually extirpated; and those people now coming grieve, hearing that they were so greatly erring in the faith. When, by God's grace, this error has been most fully extirpated, I am to enter the diocese of Lausanne, and straightway to root out that custom of the pagans, which they have, where commonly and manifestly they worship the sun as God, especially the country people, offering him their prayers in the morning and reverently doing so. For the Bishop of Lausanne himself came to me a good two or three days' journey, humbly entreating from his heart that I would visit his diocese, in the year 1404 at Lausanne, where there are many villages of heretics on the borders of Germany and Savoy, which I also promised. I intend to be there about the time of the approaching Lent. Given in the city of Geneva in the year 1403, on December 17." From this letter we have what he did up to about Easter of the fourth year of this century, and in Lotharingia, when from the province of Lausanne he seems to have gone as far as Lotharingia, where out of reverence for so great a man there used to be preserved in the city of Toul a chair from which he had delivered his sermons there. What besides he did in that year and the following winter is unknown.

[12] in the year 1405 at Genoa, In the fifth year of the said century, being summoned by Benedict XIII, and having set out for Genoa, he attended him in May, and there (which is narrated in book 2, no. 14) using his mother tongue in a sermon, he was understood by Greeks, Teutons, Sardinians, Hungarians, and other nations: neither would he add his prayers that life might be granted to a criminal of Valencia, as is reported in the said book 2, no. 11. Having stayed at Genoa for almost a month, as is read in the same book 2, no. 8, he traversed all that maritime region, which is commonly called the Riviera of Genoa. Then returning to the Gauls and traveling through them preaching the Gospel, in Gaul and Belgium, he came to Flanders or Belgium, and imbued various of its cities with salutary admonitions: then Saint-Omer was presented with his own robe, which is said to be still preserved in the house of the Preaching Fathers, as Hyacinth Choquet attests in the book "On the Belgian Saints of the Order of Preachers," chapter 5. Henry King of England, moved by the fame of his wonderful works, asked that he come to him. He sailed therefore to England, thence to Scotland and Ireland, [1406 and 1407, in England, Scotland, Ireland, Gascony, Auvergne, in the year 1408 at Lyons, in Provence] and afterward returning to the Gauls, he remained for some time in Gascony and the district of Poitiers. These things were chiefly done in the sixth and seventh year of the said century: the last of which he finished in Auvergne, preaching through Advent at Clermont: where his chair is preserved but cut into two parts, of which one part is seen in the Cathedral church, and the other in the convent of his own Order. In the eighth year of the said century they say he lived for some time at Lyons, and at Avignon with Benedict XIII; then that he was present at Aix-en-Provence toward the end of October.

§ IV. The last decade of Saint Vincent's life in this world, chronologically explained.

[13] and in the kingdom of Granada, The year of Christ 1408 was drawing to a close when Saint Vincent, heading back to the Spains, sailed from the port of Marseilles to the kingdom of Granada, incited by the Mohammedan King, as is indicated more at length in book 2, no. 17. Thence compelled to depart, he cultivated the field of Valencia and Catalonia, in the year 1409, in the domain of Valencia and Catalonia. and this in the ninth year of the said century: and he labored much in the cities and dioceses of Girona and Vic: and that he preached in this city on May 31, Friday, and on the two following days, is clear from public Acts drawn up on account of the mortal hatreds being turned into the greatest concord and charity. Concerning the two thousand men nourished with fifteen loaves in a nearby village it is dealt with in book 3, no. 23. After these things, being about to address Martin King of Aragon, invited by his letters, he came to Barcelona on June 14, and remained partly in the city and partly in the subject villages until the end of September. Meanwhile, being asked by others, he indicated to the said King Martin the death of his son Martin, King of Sicily, who died on July 15, and at the second marriage of the same King he celebrated Mass in the presence of Benedict XIII on September 16. In the same city he learned of the death of the Abbot of Montserrat, suddenly extinct in his cell, as is read in book 3, no. 17. Thence setting out for Tortosa, in the year 1410 at Valencia, at the collapse of the bridge he preserved a great multitude from the danger of drowning, and in a sermon exposed some sinning far from there, which are related in book 3, no. 35, also no. 13. Leaving Tortosa for the kingdom of Valencia, in the village of St. Matthew he exposed the frauds of a demon deceiving under the habit of a hermit: and at Morella, not far from Valencia, he foretold the death of King Martin, which happened after eight days on May 10 in the year 1410. Now on June 24 in the city of Valencia he gave the use of the tongue to a mute woman to utter a few words: and in the same place he detected the fraud of another holding back from him two hundred gold coins, and expelled demons: which are read in the said book 3, nos. 12, 18, 22, 24, 25, and 27. But, because King Martin being dead, as is found in no. 19, and in Italy, there followed great dispute among many most illustrious families as to whom the scepter of the kingdom was owed; Saint Vincent, being invited by the Florentines and other neighboring peoples, sailed into Italy; and having preached at Pisa, Siena, Florence, Lucca, and in the subject villages, he came to Portovenere, situated on the Riviera of Genoa not far from Sarzana; where he received letters from John King of Spain, by which he was recalled to the Spains.

[14] in the year 1411, The greatest part of what he did in the year 1411, we have from Saint Vincent's own testimony, written in the book of his sermons, which at the beginning of this century was preserved in the possession of John Ribera, Archbishop of Valencia. at Murcia, Moreover he was at Murcia from Sexagesima Sunday until the third day of Easter, when there on Palm Sunday three demons, under the terrible form of horses, trying to disturb his sermon, were compelled in the name of Jesus to depart from the city, which is explained more fully in book 3, no. 26. Leaving Murcia on the Wednesday after the Paschal feast, he preached on Thursday at Molina, and on the following day at Cicia: and on Saturday, Sunday in Albis, and Monday at Jumilla; then on the next three, on the last of which was the feast of Saint George, in New Castile, in the town of Elche, and on Friday at Tobarra, and on Saturday he came to Chinchilla, where he preached for seventeen days. Setting out thence on May 12, he preached on the 16th and the two following days at Albacete, Villaverde, and Alcaraz, where he stayed four days: and then, hindered by illness, he interrupted his sermons until the feast of Pentecost, on which day and the following he preached at Moraleja. Leaving Moraleja for Villarrubia, he there continued his functions from the feast of the Holy Trinity until the feast of Saint John the Baptist. Leaving thence for Malagón, Jevenes, and Orgaz, where he adorned the feast of Saints Peter and Paul with his sermons: then at Nambroca he spent the whole month of July in his sacred functions: as the beginning of August at Benquerencia, Yepes, and Ocaña, where he celebrated the feast of Saint Dominic and then of Saint Lawrence, in which city his outer garment is preserved among the relics. From Ocaña he proceeded through Borox and Illescas to Toledo, at Toledo, where he converted several thousand Jews to Christianity, and from their synagogue he made a church sacred to the Virgin Mother of God, and there (which is indicated in book 3, no. 8) at the time of the sacrifice of the Mass he learned of the death of his sister, and soon revealed it to the people in a sermon. at Ayllón, Sick at Toledo

for six whole weeks he rested from other exercises, until the first Sunday of Advent, when he went to Ayllón to the King, and obtained edicts against Jews and Moors, that separated from Christians they should live, and be distinguished by some external sign. Thus far from the itinerary written by Saint Vincent himself: then, because in book 2, chapter 8 of the Life he is said to have gone round the cities, towns, and villages of farther Spain, with the exception of Galicia and Portugal, and at Valladolid: rightly toward the end of the said year 1411 he is said to have been still at Valladolid in a certain letter preserved in the Convent of Saint Paul: and what wonders he wrought there are attested by paintings.

[15] At the beginning of the year 1412 Diago and Rechac assert that he was at Salamanca: in the year 1417 at Salamanca, in which city Ildephonsus Giron, Presented One and General Preacher of the Order of Preachers of the Convent of Saint Stephen of Salamanca, in the first volume of Sermons for feasts printed at Salamanca in 1602, narrates that a dead man was raised by him: where in a single sermon on Saint Vincent, the theme is taken from chapter 14 of the Apocalypse in these words: "I saw another Angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the eternal gospel, to preach unto them that sit upon the earth, and over every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people: saying with a loud voice: Fear the Lord, and give him honour, where he raises a dead woman, because the hour of his judgment is come, and adore ye him, that made heaven and earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters." Then in the same sermon these things are handed down about Saint Vincent: "Truly he was the Angel foreseen by John, as he himself in a public sermon at Salamanca testified: and when he saw some scandal arising from this matter, he immediately confirmed it by a miracle. For from the pulpit he ordered the corpse of a slain man to be brought, who was then being carried to the tomb, and before all he raised him: for he commanded him in the name of Christ to rise from the bier, and he immediately rose. In testimony of which thing a wooden Cross was fixed there, which I for many years have often seen: at Zamora, in whose place a stone Cross on Monte-Oliveti now remains substituted." Leaving Salamanca, he is said to have gone to Zamora, where two criminals brought to his sermon, then to be burned for enormous sins, at Guadalajara, at the end of the sermon appeared consumed and burned by divine fire. From Zamora he is brought by the said authors to Plasencia, where after the son of the Duke was raised up, a convent was built for the Order. At Guadalajara also there is preserved a Chair from which he delivered his sermons to the people. in Aragon at Caspe, Meanwhile on March 14 he was enrolled among the nine Judges, that with them he might pronounce sentence concerning the right of succession in the kingdom of Aragon. They were gathered in the city of Caspe from March 24 until June 24, at Alcañiz when on the feast of Saint John the Baptist they pronounced sentence: by which the succession was adjudged to Ferdinand, Infante of Castile. Leaving Caspe for Alcañiz, he caused a booklet which he had written on the Last Judgment to be sent to Benedict XIII: at Zaragoza, mention is made of this in book 2, no. 6, which Marieta reports entire in chapter 25, and Antony of Siena asserts that it was printed in quarto, at Lérida, and seen by him at Naples. King Ferdinand had come to Zaragoza on September 3, at Valaguera, to whom in that place and at Lérida Saint Vincent was present, for some time his Confessor and preacher.

[16] In the year 1413, at Valencia, Thence being dismissed, after having for some time had sermons at Valaguera, he departed to Valencia, and there all this year through Advent, and in the following 1413 through Lent, continued his sermons: where he did away with the inveterate hatreds between the Soleros or Solenos and the Centellas, which are indicated in book 2, no. 13. He was afterward ordered by royal letters signed on April 12, at Traiguera, until otherwise indicated, to remain at Valencia; which he did, but by other letters of June 29, permission being given, he departed from Valencia to Traiguera, where he gave the power of speech to a mute woman injured unto death, that she might confess her sins to a priest, at Barcelona, which story is described at length in book 3, no. 21, on the island of Majorca, and which is found in no. 37, he removed the fevers of Priest Lawrence Peregrinus. Then, after holding sermons in various places, he came to Barcelona on August 25, and because the King with his army had gone against the Count of Urgel, he sailed to the island of Majorca: in the year 1414, at Tortosa, on which he was from the Kalends of September until February 23 of the following year, preaching in the city and villages, and brought several thousand Moors to the faith of Christ. Returning to Catalonia in the year 1414, at Tortosa he dealt with Benedict XIII, at Zaragoza, and in a sermon foretold that the Jews would soon come, from whom he converted many, as is indicated in book 3, no. 14. at Daroca, Thence being asked by several letters of the King, he came to Zaragoza, and afterward on the feast of the venerable Sacrament, in a single sermon held at Daroca he brought one hundred and ten Jews to the Christian religion. at Maella, Toward the end of July, having set out for Maella, he instituted a long discussion with Benedict XIII and King Ferdinand concerning the best method of peace and unity of the Churches; 1415, thence returning to Zaragoza at the beginning of November, he gained many Jews for Christ. at Villalonga, In the year 1415 he traveled preaching through various parts of Aragon and Catalonia, at Montalbán, so that he might come to Perpignan: and he is then believed to have refreshed six thousand men at Villalonga with undiminished wine, at Barbastro, and at Montalbán to have healed a deaf and furious man, likewise a crippled man, and a third crushed by a fall, at Cervera, and at Barbastro on the feast of the Apostles to have driven away a storm: all which are referred to in book 3, nos. 23, 28, 32 and following, at Perpignan, at which place on the journey he is also said to have been refreshed by Saint Dominic at Cervera with that visitation, which is described at length in book 2, no. 23. Meanwhile Benedict XIII, the Emperor Sigismund, and King Ferdinand of Aragon were about to come to a common colloquy at Perpignan: to which city Saint Vincent came on the last day of August: who then with many arguments tried to persuade Benedict XIII to submit himself to the Council of Constance, and if necessary to yield the supreme Pontificate for the peace of the Church, which are read in book 2, no. 3. There then, in the presence of the Emperor, King, and Pontiff, he wiped away in a sermon that calumny of the Jews barking at him, which is described in book 3, no. 41; in which city also being seized with most grievous fevers, In the year 1416, he foretold to the doctors that after four days he would be freed from all disease, which is indicated there in book 3, no. 3. at Toulouse,

[17] In the year 1416, at the request of King Ferdinand and his son Alphonsus, who succeeded him when he died on April 16, being about to go to Constance, he went to the Gauls, and entered Toulouse on the Friday before Palm Sunday; at Carcassonne, where, which is indicated in book 2, no. 15, business and public lectures ceased while he was holding his sermons before the people: at Castres, there in a neighboring place he healed an epileptic, and near Carcassonne, to which he had been called, he procured rain, and gave sight to a blind man. He was in the city of Castres on the eve of the Ascension of the Lord, when he drove away a storm, and the next day on the feast itself and on May 26 he healed a paralytic. All which are read in book 3, nos. 30 and 31. The tragic story of a son killed by his own mother and cut up and cooked as food, and raised up by Saint Vincent in that same Occitania, at Béziers, is narrated in the same book 3, chapter 19. at Clairvaux, at Dijon, But how welcome he was at Béziers is indicated in book 2, no. 11. After various labors endured in that province, he traversed Burgundy, and freed various monks at Clairvaux afflicted with the plague: and stopping at Dijon, he received around September 15 letters from King Alphonsus, written on the last day of August: by which he was urged by the King to hasten to Constance: at Bourges, at Tours, at Nantes, in the year 1417 at Vannes. and at the same time Peter, Cardinal of Saint Angelo, was present, having been sent from Constance to him with others, as is signified in book 2, no. 8. Thence he withdrew to Bourges, then to Tours and Nantes, and being often asked by John, Duke of Armorican Britain, came to the city of Vannes: and there from the fourth Sunday of Lent until the third day of Easter he preached in the year 1417. In this same city two years later he holily closed his last day, having before cultivated with his sacred functions nearly all of Britain together with a great part of Normandy: into which he had been called by Henry V, King of England, who was then dwelling at Caen.

LIFE

By Peter Ranzano of the Order of Preachers, afterward Bishop of Lucera.

From a MS. codex of Utrecht.

Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, at Vannes in Brittany (S.)

BHL Number: 8658

BY RANZANO FROM THE MS.

PROLOGUE.

If we should be willing to recall diligently the deeds, sayings, acts, and institutions of our elders, who after our illustrious Captain Dominic had the governance of the Order of Preachers, and to compare with them the things that have been done by you from the time when by God's providence you were created Supreme Master of the same Order, Most Reverend Father; surely we shall have it ascertained enough, that you are held inferior to none of them, equal to many, and to most truly superior. For if those are wont to be praised, who founded the Order of Preachers; you also are to be praised, inasmuch as those things which they founded, and which you found collapsed with age and almost perishing, you have diligently raised up, prudently increased, most wisely preserved. He judges the Master of the Order worthy of praise Those men are wont to be praised, because they loved those studious of good arts: but no less are you worthy to be praised, who have, by the singular virtue of your mind, restored to more splendid cultivation all the places of Italy and many outside Italy, in which formerly the public schools of letters of our Brothers used to be (which you found ruined by the losses which our Order had suffered for many years before). because of his singular virtues, I omit those virtues with which those who govern others ought to be endowed, especially justice, clemency, mildness, and liberality: in which certainly you are judged by the opinion of all prudent men inferior to none. To all these and your other virtues, which I here pass over, is added this one thing, which is of all most outstanding: for since from one hundred and thirty years ago, before which flourished that singular light of the Christian Church, ^b Thomas Aquinas, up to this age we have had almost innumerable men of both sexes in diverse parts of the world, who shone both in the abundance of many teachings, and in holiness of life, and in the frequent flashing of miracles; yet so great has been the negligence or pusillanimity of our Fathers, that their wonderful life is known to few, and is almost in obscurity; though nevertheless some of them would have most worthily deserved to be inscribed and placed in the catalog of holy Martyrs, many in that of Confessors, and others in that of Virgins. Among whom that outstanding man, an Apostolic man I say, Blessed Vincent of Valencia,

who as the sun surpasses the other stars in brightness, so he himself surpassed all others in the holiness of life, the heralding of the divine word, and the flashing of various miracles. And yet though thirty-five ^c years have flowed until the present year since he departed from our light, and the promoted canonization of Saint Vincent, we have had none of ours whose diligence was so great, or whose spirit was so great, as to request from the Supreme Pontiffs that he be inscribed in the catalog of Saints. Which thing could easily have been done, since the holiness of the man was almost most known to all the world, and the fame of his name most celebrated. There were yet alive those Roman ^d Pontiffs, to whom his wonderful works were known, and the very great utility which the Christian commonwealth has obtained from the fruit of his teaching (which he spread far and wide). But you, most wise Father, as you strive to surpass many of those who preceded you in the greatest Mastership of our Order, by your teaching, so also in greatness of mind. For, not letting go the helm of your rule, you chose to give effort to that pious and holy business, which was neglected by others: so that, namely, by your industry, vigilance, prudence, it might be suggested to ^e Nicholas the Supreme Pontiff, who had never seen Vincent himself, to Nicholas V, but had only heard a few things about his works; that after investigating the wonderful life of so great a man, he might number him with the other Saints, according to the custom of the Roman Church. In which thing I know, and others also with whom you, from your humanity, were then on very familiar terms, what and how many and what sort of labors you undertook: but I pass them over, since neither is this the proper place to enumerate them, nor could they be briefly touched upon. and Calixtus III, And because to that business, which you have magnanimously willed to undertake, though not by Pope Nicholas but by ^f Calixtus III, who succeeded him in the supreme Pontificate, an end was put; and because you wished to commit the deeds of our Vincent to the memory of posterity, At his command he writes the Life of Saint Vincent, you commanded me to write those things which, from his wonderful deeds, have been confirmed with clear and truthful testimonies before the Supreme Pontiff and the whole Roman Church. Which thing, although I clearly perceive to be arduous and beyond the strength of my wit, and a work almost infinite; nevertheless, because it is not right to shirk your commands, I have lately undertaken to do what you ordered. It was indeed most pleasing to me, both for the merit of obedience, whose reward I hope to have in heaven; and because I know that Vincent himself will continually pray Jesus Christ for me, that it may be given me to pass through this our mortal and fragile life without error. And I hope no less that the works of this divine man are worthy of so great admiration, that whoever shall read what I am about to write, may easily be moved to spurn, by his example, the present life with all its pleasures. Therefore, before I make the beginning of my narrative, I invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit, by whose guidance the abundance of matter, style, and order of speaking may be supplied to me, and may the beginning of my work be fortunate, and its end most happy: so that neither age nor any oblivion may be able to destroy it. Now I shall distinguish the work into ^g five books, and the individual books into their ^h chapters: by which the subject of the narration will be more clearly displayed. I shall use a very plain style, so that, as this work is to be published among diverse peoples, so the things that shall be told may be easily understood by diverse men, learned and unlearned. Farewell. ⁱ From Palermo. In the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1455.

ANNOTATIONS.

BOOK 1

The deeds of Saint Vincent from the beginning of his life until his mature age.

CHAPTER I.

The name Vincent. Presages made before his birth. His pious childhood and youth.

[1] Vincent because of his victory over the world: Vincent, by a certain divine presage, received his name from conquering: for he conquered those three things, of which Augustine thus speaks in the book "On the Christian Battle": "That when this world is conquered with all its errors, loves, and terrors, the blessed death of the Saints the Martyrs taught." Now Blessed Vincent, although he was not slain for confession of Christ, so as to have been called a Martyr; yet while he lived he fought magnanimously with most importunate enemies; and conquered them by a certain inseparable virtue of his spirit. For he conquered the errors of the world, with wonderful wisdom; their loves, with unbroken chastity of mind and body; their terrors, with incredible fortitude and patience of spirit. But how he conquered them will be shown by what will be told below of his most pure life and of his works most worthy of all admiration. But not inaptly may that be understood of him, he is compared to the Apocalyptic horse, which is described in the Apocalypse of the Evangelist John: "I saw: and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and there was a crown given him, and he went forth conquering that he might conquer." Apoc. 6:2 For the opening of that first seal, which is here described by John, though in the literal sense signifies the first state of the Church of Christ, as is concordantly expounded by all illustrious writers; and they say that by the white horse is to be understood the first state of the Apostles, in whose time, on account of the newness of holy baptism, the Church herself was called shining and white; yet it will not be amiss if we understand this saying of this our illustrious Confessor Vincent. A horse he can be called, both on account of the greatness of spirit which he had in fighting with the enemies whom we named a little before, and on account of the ministry of preaching, which he exercised, while he traversed all the western regions, spreading far and wide the Gospel of Christ. and a white one, Yet he is not only called a horse; but it was fitting to add, a white one; namely on account of the brightness of purity with which he shone; on account of the splendor of erudition by which he was illustrious; and finally on account of the flashing of the doctrine which he spread with wondrous works and the varied flashing of miracles. Upon this white horse Christ sat. having a bow from Holy Scripture, For according to Augustine's testimony, Christ's grace is in the soul of a holy man as a rider on a horse. Christ also sitting on this horse, had a bow, which is the Scripture of the Old and New Testament, by which the Christian religion is defended, the enemy is wounded and pressed down, the perfidy of the Jews and the perversity of heretics are cast down and confounded. And to this same white horse was given a triple crown: and a triple crown, one of stars, and this on account of the multitude of wonderful virtues, concerning which crown John says in the Apocalypse: "And on his head a crown of twelve stars"; another of gold, on account of erudition and great clarity of doctrine, of which it is said in Ecclesiasticus: "A crown of gold upon his head"; the third of precious stone, of which it is said in the Psalm: "Thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stone." Apoc. 12:1 Ecclus. 45:14 This horse, distinguished with so glorious a crown, went forth conquering the pleasures of the flesh, the delights of the world, and the wiles of the devil. Ps. 20:4 He went forth, I say, into the field of worldly tribulations, that he might conquer the flesh by chastity, the world by poverty, the devil by humility, the vices by perfect charity. That he did all these things will be clearly shown from his most illustrious deeds. But to him, fighting so strenuously and so gloriously triumphing over the cast-down enemies, a manifold and most precious reward was promised by him for whose love the fight is waged, saying in the Apocalypse: "To him that overcometh, I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God." Apoc. 2 And a little after: "To him that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna," etc. What those so magnificent rewards are, which are figuratively promised by Jesus Christ to him that overcometh, we pass over for the present: for too long a discourse would be taken up, if we wished to expound each of these words, whose sense is most profound.

[2] Blessed Vincent took the origin of his birth from Valencia, a most illustrious city of Spain, Born at Valencia in Spain, and from the ancient and honorable family of the Ferrers. His parents, after having spent their youth in many bodily delights, passed their maturer age with such elegance of manners, and so honorably and so religiously, of honorable parents devoted to almsgiving, that they deservedly merited to have so distinguished a son. Among the other things by which their life was made praiseworthy, they studied especially to observe this: that every year, a careful calculation being made of those things which were necessary for them and their household, whatever at length was superfluous they bestowed upon the poor. Thus both living piously, they begot this son, who not only gained them, but also his whole country, perpetual glory. of two brothers he had one a Carthusian, They had still two other sons, of whom one was Peter, the other Boniface

was named. This Boniface was a man learned in both Laws, the most erudite of all of his time: who, his wife being dead, at the exhortation of Blessed Vincent, chose the Carthusian Order, and received its habit in a certain monastery outside the city of Valencia, which is called by the inhabitants there Porta-Coeli: among the Brothers of that Order he so religiously conducted himself that after four years they elected him their General Rector. Enough of this: let us return to the parents of Blessed Vincent.

[3] ^b But how great or of what sort the Vincent who was to be born would be, was shown to his father by one sign, and to his mother by two signs, before he was born from the womb. For to the father sleeping one night it seemed that, as he was in the church of the Preaching Friars, he was hearing a certain man, exceedingly venerable in the habit of those Friars, preaching: and when he drank in with great eagerness the things that were said by that man, and tried to commit them to memory, these words seemed to be spoken to him by that man: "I congratulate you, [not yet born, shown to his father in a vision, of what sort and how great he would be:] O dearest son: for in a few days your wife will bear you a son, whose integrity of life will be so great, whose usefulness of doctrine so great, whose fame and brightness of wonderful works so great, that all the peoples of the Gauls and Spains will venerate him as one of the ancient Apostles: and he will be a Brother of the Order of Preachers, as you see me." After these words, the multitude that seemed to be there present was rendering thanks to God in loud voices. And so when he also tried to conform himself to the multitude in that act of thanksgiving, he was immediately loosed from sleep, and by his effort of voice roused his sleeping wife. She, being awakened, began to question her husband curiously, what he meant that sleeping he had uttered so great a voice. Nor did the man delay much, but to the asking wife he most joyfully indicated the dream which he had seen. Therefore upon this matter they conversed much together: but because they had often learned from many theologians that little faith ought to be given to such dreams, they did not rejoice much at such a vision: yet hope was not entirely taken from them, that they might believe in some part that which was promised to them through the dream would be: whence they committed the matter itself to Divine providence. Yet to the woman herself by two signs it was sufficiently persuaded that her husband's dream was not to be thought altogether vain. then also by two signs to the mother. One was that, whereas before she had carried in her womb with the greatest difficulty each of the sons whom she had borne, yet as long as she was pregnant with Vincent she felt no discomfort: nay more, there was such agility in her, and such bodily strength, that she seemed to be carrying almost nothing in her womb. The other was that, being pregnant with the same son, she often in a wonderful manner heard from her womb as it were voices of a barking dog emitting sounds. And when, being greatly amazed at this same thing, she asked of some who were said to be singular servants of God, especially of the most illustrious man James, ^c Cardinal of the Roman Church and Bishop of the city of Valencia, who was related to her by blood, what these barkings meant, she was answered that it would be nothing else than that she would bring forth an infant who was to be the most fervent and most erudite and most holy preacher of the Gospel of Christ: for those who in the Christian Church exercise the office of preaching have been, not absurdly, compared to dogs. When the time of bringing forth came, because many had spread abroad such portents, a great multitude of the people, men and women, gathered at their house, not only to congratulate them, but also that each might see the infant born, about whom such great promises of God were said to have been made.

[4] Relatives disputing at the baptism Then after some days, the day of baptism being appointed, friends and kinsmen came together at the church. When therefore they had come to those things which are wont to be done in the baptism of children, among those who were present there was a long dispute about the imposition of the name: for each of them, who had been called to the baptism, wished to impose his own name on the infant. Then the Priest, The Priest imposes on him the name of Vincent: seeing that there was such disagreement among them, grew weary, and at length said: "Since I have long awaited you, and do not see you can agree, I wish to give this infant a name: let his name therefore be Vincent." When they heard this, they fell silent, and praised the prudent counsel, and together said: "Let him be called Vincent." Yet afterward there was great admiration to all, and they thought that this had happened only by God's providence: for among the kindred, nor among all who stood by, was there anyone called Vincent. And many of those who were present committed to memory the things done in the giving of that name: so that they might see whether the future works of Vincent would correspond to that name. At length, when Vincent grew up, they manifestly saw that his works were so wondrous, that no discrepancy between the matter and the name appeared at all.

[5] Moreover many causes were given to the mother rearing the infant Vincent amiable in infancy to love him most tenderly, beyond what could be believed. For just as he had given her little trouble in the time when she was pregnant with him, so also while she nursed him as a little one, crying was rare in him; and wherever he was placed by his mother, he rested quiet. If at any time placed in the cradle he was awake, keeping his eyes open, he seemed wholly joyful within himself. He was of comely aspect, so that he was rendered amiable not only to his mother, but also to each who looked at him. Now when he reached his sixth year, his parents entrusted him to be taught his first letters. And so the boy, spending his first years in such exercises, the boy applies himself to studies: it is incredible to say how much he profited in how short a time: for he had not yet reached his tenth year, and he had already far surpassed not only the boys of his own age, but also many others older than him, who were progressing under the same master. He very rarely played with boys: and if sometimes it happened that he was with boys, after a short and honorable game he would make them be silent and sit down, and mounting some elevated place, would thus speak: "Listen, boys, to what I say, and judge, whether I am going to be a fit or unfit preacher." And so when they sat silent, he would first sign himself with the Cross, and preaches to the boys: and beginning, would say certain things which he had learned from those who preached at Valencia. He had seen no learned theologian preaching whom in certain gestures, words, and sentences he could not imitate. All these things his parents and the others who saw them not only considered, but also wondered at, and kept them in silent heart.

[6] Now being not slightly instructed in Grammar, when he was in his twelfth year, as a youth he hears philosophy: he transferred his study to dialectic: in which faculty also in the space of two years he so progressed, that among the young men who with him were applying themselves to that faculty, he was held the highest of all. His life, as in boyhood so also in youthful age, he studied to lead with all innocence. He did this not only through the grace, which God preceding him had infused into his mind from his tender years; but also through a certain most fortunate nature of his spirit, by which he was rendered most greatly prone and inclined to virtues. It also helped that his parents' diligence, modest in manners, who, noting the innocence of the boy and his spirit prone to virtues, often incited and exhorted him with many blandishments, that he should persevere in the virtue begun, and daily strive to become better. And so, as he had learned from his most excellent parents, frequent in church. so at the due time he frequented churches, was present at the solemnities of Masses, eagerly and most devoutly drank in the teachings of preachers, religiously fasted, piously gave himself to the praises of God. Each week twice, that is, he fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they taught him to fast: whose teaching was so tenaciously impressed on the mind of the youth, and he received it with such alacrity, that until the happy end of his life he frequently observed such fasting.

[7] He also desired with a certain pious curiosity to hear whatever preachers, who preached the word of God at Valencia, whether learned or unlearned: now when the preachers said anything in praise of the most blessed Virgin Mary, the most glorious Mother of God, he was made wholly joyful, and from the joy of his mind could not restrain his tears. And he always wept abundantly, devoted to the cult of the Virgin Mother of God and the Passion of Christ, when he either read about the mystery of the Passion of Christ, or heard it read or spoken of by others: and there was in him such sweetness in weeping, that to desist from tears was troublesome to him, but to persevere in them most pleasant. For the singular devotion also which he had to the Cross of Jesus Christ and to the blessed Virgin Mary, the Office, which Clerics are wont to say in praise of both, he daily said at each appointed hour. Toward the poor, especially the Religious, he always showed himself most liberal: kind to the poor; for having them brought into his parents' house, he had them refreshed with the things he could with a most joyful countenance. And although he was so assiduous in such offices of piety, yet his parents congratulated him, nor ever with a contracted face forbade the things which the holy youth bestowed in alms: nay rather they granted him the third part of the substance which fell to him: which he in four days would distribute wholly to the poor.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER II.

Saint Vincent's entrance into the Order of Preachers. Theological studies. Sermons.

[8] To these so many and so great outstanding virtues of the youth was added this, that, though it can rarely be found in a young man, and is also wont to be most worthy of admiration: namely that before he reached his ^a twenty-second year, he devoted himself to letters with such persistent study, that among those who professed philosophy and theology at Valencia, he was held the highest of all. There was in him a great and acute wit, a tenacious and indelible memory,

and continual perseverance in studies. He is held highest as both philosopher and theologian He was indeed of such modesty that he was never seen to contend with anyone, either in speaking or even in disputation. He studied so much to obey his parents and to honor them that he could never be noted by anyone to have given them the slightest offense. These so wonderful virtues made him be very vehemently loved by all the citizens of Valencia.

[9] The father, mindful of those things which had been shown to him divinely concerning his son about to be born, and considering on the other hand so great a knowledge of things and so great an elegance of character in his grown son, one day calling him to himself, addressed him with these words: "There are three things, my excellent son, which greatly agitate me, and keep my mind in suspense: and if a choice were given to me, I could clearly understand of myself which of them rather should be chosen: yet I wished to hear your opinion, and I promise that I will wholly pursue that which you shall propose to do. It is in my memory, [among three things proposed by his father concerning the state of life to be chosen,] as I have often told you, what God revealed to me about you in sleep, before you were born from your mother's womb: and the various virtues which I have seen in you from your earliest years seem to promise me that it must be fulfilled that you are to take the habit of the religion of the Preachers, and that in that habit you must be an outstanding preacher of the Christian faith. Then the riches in which, by the supreme liberality of God, we abound, and also your flourishing youth and excellence of form, induce me to seek some wife for you, who may agree with all these things. Lastly, because I consider that there is in you a skill in many things, which is indeed so great that all think you are to be one of the most learned men that the world holds; therefore I have most strongly persuaded myself that I should send you either to Rome or to Paris, where your virtue and erudition may become known to those who are most erudite, and at length you may be justly advanced to some dignity, whereby perpetual glory may be gained for our family. These are, dearest son, the things with which my mind is daily tossed: but I never exhort you to do any of these, except that which may rather seem good to you. Yet reveal to me the counsel of your mind, that, while there is a favorable time for us, we may provide for you, before I die, concerning that to which you may wish to incline." To this Vincent thus answered in few words: "I had determined, excellent father, long ago to speak with you about those things which I had proposed to do concerning myself: but since by God's will it has happened that you have anticipated me, for all those things which you have said, I will answer most briefly, and will manifest to you all that is in my mind. From riches, bodily pleasures, he chooses the religious life in the Order of Saint Dominic: and the honors of this world know me to be wholly estranged. All my love, care, purpose, and all my counsel I have without any hesitation fixed on Jesus Christ: and for this reason I have determined to take the habit of Blessed Dominic, and in his religion to dedicate myself to God's service. I suppliantly beseech you therefore, my most sweet father, that, if you love me, you will make me worthy of your blessing: and this same thing I will humbly ask of my mother, that namely with the peace of both of you I may be able to set out to the service of God." These words of Vincent so moved his father's mind that he could not restrain his tears. Then embracing and kissing his son, he blessed him with many tears. The son too, hanging on his father's neck, and much moved by the paternal tears, himself began to weep copiously. Therefore weeping together in spiritual joy and mutual piety, with his parents approving, they gave thanks to God: and soon the father led his son to the mother, and indicated to her his holy purpose. The mother being greatly rejoiced at this thing, and seeing her son prostrate before her that he might receive her maternal blessing, no less she herself began to weep with them. At length: "Dearest son," she said, "this is what I have always desired, and what I have most frequently asked to be granted to me by the Lord. I congratulate you and us: you indeed, because you will escape the miseries of this fleeting life; us because we have deserved to be granted by Jesus Christ to see ourselves partakers of our vow. Therefore may the Lord keep your going in and your going out. May God give you the heavenly blessing: and mine, as long as I shall live, you will always have."

[10] In these and other such discourses they spent the greatest part of that day: and the next day father with son went to the convent of the Preaching Brothers, and explained to the Prior and other Brothers the cause for which they had come. With what joy therefore the Brothers were affected, he is admitted and clothed with the sacred habit. could certainly not be briefly explained by words: for they considered that a young man who in his first age was most excellent in both knowledge and manners, rightly in mature age would be the greatest: and therefore they judged that he was going to obtain much splendor and glory for the Order of Preachers. For which reasons they received him most joyfully and most humanely: and after three days on Sunday, ^b which was the Nones of February, he being in his eighteenth year, they gave him the habit. After receiving the habit, the ingenious boy began among other things to read those things which are written about the life of the divine Father Dominic. he reads the Life of Saint Dominic: Wonderful indeed is the wisdom of the youth: for he judged it worthy that those things should be understood first, in which he ought to imitate his illustrious leader Dominic. And so, besides very many virtues with which he read that Blessed Dominic had been endowed, and in which he strove to be his emulator, he gave himself wholly to sacred theology and the reading of the holy Scriptures, after the example of Blessed Dominic himself: so that, namely, being armed with such divine arms, he applies himself to theological studies and sacred Scripture: he might be able at an opportune time to spread far and wide the doctrine of the Gospel. He was never seen to stand or speak idly: but occupied all his time either in prayers, or in scholastic exercises, or in offices committed to him. There was in him, in all that he did and said, great and admirable humility: and in conversation, more than can be said, he showed himself human to all. Then, because, as we have written above, he was held excellent not only in elegance of manners, but also in clarity of doctrine; by him who presided over the convent of the Brothers, it was enjoined upon him that, for the progress of the young Brothers, he should read something on dialectic and philosophy: He lectures on dialectic and philosophy which thing he humbly and joyfully offered to do. Such was the eloquence and erudition in him when he lectured, that from among secular young men also, to hear him and to profit under his discipline, more than seventy gathered. In which exercise he spent three continuous years.

[11] he is sent to Barcelona and Lérida: Then the Prior and other Brothers, considering his great wit, and judging it unworthy that so great a youth should be kept at Valencia, decreed with one mind to send him to Barcelona, one of the famous and celebrated cities which the world has: in which were some theologians of the Order of Preachers, who in that age were held to be the most learned of all: then to Lérida, an ancient and celebrated city of Catalonia, in which at that time flourished the public schools of the liberal disciplines. Setting out humbly therefore to where he had been sent by the Brothers, he began to apply himself so persistently to the theological faculty, that for his singular erudition, being in his twenty-eighth year, he was enrolled in the college of theologians ^c by Benedict the Supreme Pontiff, of whom we shall make mention a little later. he publishes a book on Dialectical Suppositions. In the times of his studies, when he was twenty-four years old, he published that notable work on Dialectical Suppositions: in which anyone can manifestly see how great was the skill of the author, if it be considered that in that little work there are many most outstanding things, chosen not only from the midst of philosophy, but also from the deepest theology. Afterward, when he had been presented with that illustrious crown with which those are wont to be presented who are numbered among theologians, he was recalled by the Brothers and his friends to Valencia. And because, as is mentioned above, he was of most celebrated name for his doctrine and virtues, at the hour in which he entered Valencia he was received with great honor by many noble and illustrious men, who went out of the city to meet him. Now a few days later the Bishop and Chapter of the Valencian Church, and those who held magistracy in the city, entreated him that he would publicly lecture something on the sacred Scriptures and on the theological faculty: which thing he said he would do with a willing mind. he lectures on theology and preaches: Having therefore obtained the faculty from him who governed the province of Aragon, in the city and church of Valencia itself for six continuous years, with incredible attention of all, he not only lectured to those who in the schools gave themselves to the study of liberal arts, but also publicly preached to men of the people, by whom he was heard with wonderful avidity: and he was of such veneration among them that in the city itself he was held to be the only learned man, the only religious, and the only holy man, and the only servant of Christ. So far and wide was his name of erudition and holiness spread, that from nearby and neighboring cities also many would come together, that they might both hear him preaching, and profit under so notable a teacher of letters and manners.

[12] During these times there came to Valencia a man most celebrated in that age, Peter de Luna, one of the Cardinals of the Roman Church, sent as Legate to Charles, ^d King of the Franks by Pope Clement, he is present at the Pontifical Legate to Charles King of the Franks. whom in the city of Fondi that part of the Cardinals had chosen as supreme Bishop, ^e who had departed from Pope Urban the Sixth as from a Pontiff not rightly created. He therefore, having heard the things that were reported concerning Vincent's doctrine and his wonderful virtues, took him with him, and held him so long until, the time of the legation being over, he returned to the Pontiff himself. Now so pleasing to the Cardinal was the conversation of Vincent, that only by many entreaties could he obtain that he should not follow his court. At length, having obtained what he wished, returning to Valencia, he returned to his customary exercises of lecturing and preaching.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER III.

The assaults of demons, and the temptations brought by impudent women are overcome with a brave spirit. His reputation torn by a detractor is restored.

[13] In the city of Valencia, although he made much fruit of souls, yet as long as he dwelt there he endured the various snares of demons and men. But to omit the invisible snares with which the faithful are wont to be tempted by demons, let us here briefly set down a few about the visible. On a certain night, when, having finished the morning Office before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he was praying, [he puts to flight with the sign of the Cross a demon appearing like an Egyptian hermit, and calling him away from penance,] and among other things was asking the Lord Jesus Christ to grant him the virtue of perseverance, the devil appeared to stand before his eyes, in the form of a very venerable old man, whose beard was very long and black, reaching to his knees, who said to him: "I am one of those ancient Fathers, who for many years, with great bodily continence and incredible sparingness of food and drink, dwelt in the solitude of Egypt: and when I was young, I wished to experience every pleasure of the body: but after I had consumed the times of my youth in various delights, I came back to myself, and did penance: and so the most merciful God gave me pardon of my sins. Now therefore, if you must believe me, an old man who has the experience of many things, I persuade you to have compassion on your flourishing age, and to omit this bodily mortification now, and reserve it until old age. Nor doubt: for God is always ready to receive the penance of sinners." But Saint Vincent, when first he saw such a thing, was moved with great fear: but after he considered that the words of the speaker were poisonous, he suspected it was the devil: whence, commending himself to God and the Blessed Virgin, he answered nothing to the devil's words, but fortifying himself with the sign of the Cross, said: "Away, pestiferous serpent: for from your deceitful words and sayings, you are convicted to be not one of the Fathers of Egypt, but one of the demons of hell. You thought a new soldier of Christ could be overcome by your snares: but though I am new in this warfare, yet the grace of Christ, for whose love I have exposed myself to labors and temptations, will render me so armed on every side that I shall not fear to fight against you." The demon, seeing himself recognized, uttering a great howl and leaving a most foul stench behind, immediately vanished. The man of God revealed this vision to some Brothers, entreating them and strictly commanding them that they should reveal what had happened to no one. But they, judging it unworthy that so memorable a deed should be pressed with silence, spread the matter as it had happened through the whole city.

[14] again in the form of an Ethiopian casting despair of perseverance: On another night, as he was praying before a certain altar in which was depicted an image of Jesus Christ crucified, the devil appeared in the form of a huge Ethiopian, uttering such words: "I will lie in wait for your prayers and other works, by which you believe you can obtain heaven, until I make you succumb shamefully defeated." To whom the holy soldier of Christ answered thus: "As long as God's grace shall accompany me, I shall fear no snares of yours whatsoever." And the devil: "There is nothing," he said, "more difficult than that you should be able to persevere unto the end in the grace of which you speak." Vincent answered: "He who gave me to begin, will also give me to persevere." And so then he armed his forehead with the sign of the Cross, and immediately the demon disappeared from him, as a shadow is put to flight by the sun.

[15] Against Helvidius, At another time, while about the fourth hour of the night he was reading in his cell that book which Saint Jerome published on the perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary, and amid the sweetness of the reading was beseeching the Blessed Virgin herself to keep his virginity, a voice came to him of this kind: terrified by a diabolical voice against virginity, "We cannot all be virgins: for though hitherto you have been able to call yourself a Virgin, yet I shall not suffer any longer that you rejoice in so honored a name." The man of God, attending very much to these words, turned over within himself silently and carefully what the discourse which he had heard meant. he is comforted by the Blessed Mary appearing: For he could not be induced to believe that those words had come from the mouth of the Blessed Virgin Mary: since she, being a Virgin herself, has always loved, comforted, helped, and magnified those whom she has found guardians of virginity. Bending his knees therefore, he asked of the Virgin herself that she would deign to show what those terrifying words meant. Nor long after, the blessed Virgin visibly appeared to him with a great light; and after she had comforted him by her vision and made him joyful, she spoke thus: "Those words, which were made to you a little while ago, were the devil's: who sets before you the difficulty of good works, that you, frightened, may desist from the virtue begun. Only be cautious, and persevere with constant mind. And although he will often prepare snares for you, and will frequently try that your virginity may be in danger, and that the other virtues which are in you may fall; yet do not distrust: always hope in the Lord, for he will be your shield, with which not only will you be able easily to despise the arms of the devil, but you will also magnanimously overcome him himself and all his arts and wiles." When these things were said by the glorious Virgin, thanks are rendered to her by Vincent, and she soon disappeared. From that time forth so much fervor increased in the soldier of Christ, that he seemed to be not an earthly man but a heavenly Angel. Now also some examples are to be added, by which it will be clear with what cunning the ancient enemy tried to break his spirit and incline him to lust.

[16] Blessed Vincent was endowed not only with virtues, but was also beautiful in body and comely in aspect: whereby it came about that his virtues were more pleasing, and made him be vehemently loved by all. There was therefore at Valencia a certain woman, as illustrious by nobility of race as outstanding in bodily form: who, the devil suggesting it, was taken with a carnal love for Vincent himself so ardently, that she could have no rest of mind or body: but each day she frequented the places where she might either see or speak to him. Vincent, for a Valencian woman boiling with lustful love, though he saw her often coming to him, yet suspected nothing evil or sinister; but judged that she was moved by some devotion, as is customary with devout women; who by a certain natural piety, more affectionately than men do, venerate the servants of God with pious offices. But she was day by day agitated with the most vehement fervor of love, and at length, not knowing what to do, resolved to feign a grave bodily illness, so that thus she might have an opportunity of speaking to him and of making known to him the flames of burning love with which she was inwardly burning. And so she lay down in bed after the manner of the sick, and began with much cries to show great pains, and finally in the bed itself she often turned this way and that so miserably, that she moved all those who stood by in a wonderful way to pity for her. Physicians are called, who, recognizing no sign of sickness in her, pronounced various judgments: and being called to her feigning illness, yet if there was any sickness in her, they judged it to be internal. At length, seeing that she was tortured with excessive pain, they advise that a Priest be summoned, to whom she might confess: lest namely she should depart amid the vehemence of such great pain without sacred confession. And so the man of God Vincent is chosen by her: who coming quickly, and entering the chamber in which she was lying, and all who were present being excluded according to custom, began to exhort the girl to penance, and to true contrition for her sins. The woman in the beginning does not dare to reveal the vehemence of the love by which she was occupied, but she did those things which, according to the custom of the Christian religion, pertain to the rite of confession. Yet meanwhile she often purposed to express in words the love with which she burned: but when she began to speak, shame held back the words sticking to her lips: and so she prolonged her words further, and answered to those things about which the holy confessor was asking her. And after many words passed back and forth, at length the woman could not hide the hidden fire, but putting aside all fear and shame: "Know," she said, "O Brother Vincent, that I am held sick not indeed in body but in mind: and unless you, by your mercy, come to my aid, know that I shall immediately die. For now it is a year that I have been so ardently taken with love for you, that I not only feel my heart as it were burning with flames of burning fire, but also I have come to such an agitation of fervor that I most frequently had determined to kill myself with my own hands. I have often wished to reveal to you the fervor of my heart: but partly feminine shame held me, partly the name of your holiness and innocence, which made me fear to open to you such an execrable crime: and so at length despairing, I wished to reveal my fire to no one, but kept it silent until this time. Now to me thinking again and again upon this matter, it seemed better and provoked to lust, that I should feign this bodily illness, that I might have a suitable place and time, by which I could extinguish the flames of this fire, and obtain my desired will. Wherefore my body, which you see to be most beautiful, I expose to your power. he departs with execration: Take therefore now pleasure from me, and let us make a beginning, that henceforth we may both be joined by an indissoluble and perpetual love." Saying these things, she removed the linen with which she was covered, and exhibited herself wholly naked. The holy Confessor, marveling at the impudent woman's audacity, and execrating the abominable crime, first began to admonish her to cover her naked body; then with much severity tried to withdraw her from so wicked a deed: finally he told her that he had dedicated his body and soul to Jesus Christ from his tender years, and that he had promised to keep perpetual chastity, and for that reason had renounced all earthly love, and execrated all lust. Having said these things, he immediately departed from her. She, indignant at such an answer, soon thought to bring infamy against the innocent man, and as another Potiphar's wife wished to cry out and speak against the holy one of God, that he had wished to oppress her violently: obsessed by the devil, but the supreme providence of God in no way suffered that the infamy of so execrable a crime should be opposed to an innocent man. For behold, as soon as the impudent woman wished to utter her voice, that same devil who had brought the abominable love into her, began most grievously to vex her body. All therefore who were waiting outside the chamber ran up, and diligently inquired the cause of such cries.

At length, having seen many signs, they concluded that the woman was being vexed by a demon. Therefore many are summoned, who knew how to adjure the demon: moreover the remedies which were wont to be employed in such cases were applied: which profited nothing to expel the devil: whence the devil himself answered those who were adjuring him in this way: "You will never be able to expel me from this body, unless that man shall come here, who being placed in the midst of fire, could not be burned by the fire." All therefore ask what these words, which the devil was uttering, meant. After a long questioning of this man, some of those who were present, rising in the midst, said: "Let Brother Vincent be summoned: for he heard the confession of this woman. He is also a man distinguished in both knowledge and holiness, on account of which it ought to be certain to us that there is no one who can more truly reveal to you the meaning of these voices than he." All assented, and soon betook themselves to Blessed Vincent, and again opened what had happened: and they beseech that he deign to visit the woman, who, while she was well, had shown herself to have great benevolence toward him. He, although he showed himself very reluctant, yet, lest he should seem to do an unaccustomed thing, since before he had always been wont to visit the sick, did what they wished. by his presence he frees her: Nevertheless considering many things with himself, he commended himself to Jesus Christ, and prayed him to deign of his immense clemency to have mercy on the woman, who was vexed by the demon not only in body but also in soul. When therefore they had come into the place where the woman was being tormented, the demon, emitting a most foul and horrible howl, said: "Lo, here is the man who being placed in the midst of fire was not burned by the fire: now therefore I must depart hence"; and saying these things, he at once went away, and left the body of this woman half-dead. Those therefore who were present, seeing so great a miracle, were astonished, and held his holiness in greater veneration.

[17] The devil also contrived another way by which to break his brave and chaste mind, and incline him to lust. For he suggested to some (whether they were religious or secular men, is uncertain to us) that for trying the mind of the holy man they should at night introduce into his cell a certain most beautiful harlot, hired for a price. Therefore having taken a convenient time, namely when Vincent himself was engaged in prayer in the church according to custom, the said woman was introduced into his cell. Vincent therefore, returning from prayer, the door being closed, and coming to the place where he was wont to sleep, sees there that woman sitting, and at first sight was greatly amazed, and before he addressed her, he considered many things: but at length he judged that she was not a woman as she appeared, but rather the devil, who in the form of a woman had wished to deceive him, whence he spoke thus: "What reason was there for you to come here in such form, accursed devil, who always lie in wait with new tricks for the servants of God?" The harlot, however, as she had been instructed by those who had brought her in, answered thus: "Do not, O Brother Vincent, call me devil: for I am a woman, and not a devil. But I beseech you to hear me patiently, and I will explain to you the cause that has moved me to this, and the way in which I entered here. It is nearly four months that I have been taken with love for you, and I have often tried whether by day or night I could come to you secretly; but never did the opportunity present itself to wretched me. Now, seen by no man, I have entered here, and it is necessary that in this bed we should both sleep together this night: and from this time forward I now promise you, that as often as you shall wish to take pleasure from my body, for this I will come in the same manner in which I have now done. he rejects her inviting to crime: Nor fear, for no one shall know what we shall do together. I know indeed that the fame of your honesty is most unblemished, and although you have the name of holiness, yet because I know you to be a frail man, I have dared to come to you confidently, certain that you also may without doubt confide in me." Saying these things, she wished to rush into impure kisses and obscene embraces: but Vincent forbade her, and in no way moved or taken by the beauty of the woman, or by the adornment of precious garments, or by composed and elegant words, said: "Away, pestiferous beast, and return immediately whence you came: but if you shall do otherwise, beware lest you die a sudden death: for you have tried to defile my soul and body, who from my earliest years have bound myself to the service of Christ." But she was immediately so pricked with remorse at the words of the soldier of Christ, he leads her to a better life: that she disclosed the cause and manner of her coming, and besides named those who had hired her for this, and who had incited her to break the spirit of the Holy One of God by that method. These things known, Vincent with much gentleness admonished that harlot, and rebuked her on many counts, especially on her most foul state, saying that she was a snare of the devil, by which the souls of men are taken unto death. He also said many other things to her, which all to narrate would be too long: but to embrace many things in few words, after many salutary words of correction, the heart of the harlot was so changed and so bent that, prostrate on the ground with most copious tears, she asked pardon from the man of God, and promised him she wished to leave her harlotry; and at length, pardon being obtained, with great contrition for her sins, she departed. Yet Blessed Vincent besought her that she should reveal what had happened to no one, except to those who had introduced her; lest namely those who had perpetrated such great wickedness should be held infamous: but she did not cease to reveal the thing in order to many. Within a few days, as she had promised, leaving the brothel, she took a husband, and thereafter spent the remaining time of her life in true continence of body and mind.

[18] Now one thing must be added, by which it will be clearly manifest how meekly he bore the snares and insults of wicked men, who greatly envied him. There was a certain Brother at Valencia of the Order of Preachers, who had shamefully led all his age even to old age in lewdness, and for this reason held Blessed Vincent in hatred, because namely he often rebuked him, he endures a detractor. and tried to draw him away from an evil life and to induce him to live well. Therefore not bearing with an even mind the rebukes and salutary admonitions of the man of God, he much detracted from him, and objected many crimes against him, and thus sowed many things by which his celebrated fame might be obscured and sullied. Therefore exercising the accustomed and obscene lust of his body, on a certain night he brought in with him to sleep a harlot who in those days had come to Valencia. In the morning, having paid the harlot her price, not however so much as she had hoped to have, he sent her out as secretly as he could. But the harlot gazed diligently at the Brother's face, so that namely she might be able to recognize him through his likeness: and before she left the cell, she said she would never depart unless she first knew by what name the Brother himself was called. He soon answering said: "I am called Brother Vincent Ferrer: and beware, I beseech you, lest you tell anyone what we have done." When these things had been said by him, He is most basely defamed. the harlot went away, and told the brothel-keeper with whom she was staying, and many others, that in the convent of the Preaching Brothers she had slept for the space of a whole night with Brother Vincent: and that the same Brother Vincent, having taken much pleasure from her, had not however paid her a worthy reward for her labor. And to these she added many other shameful things, which for honest reasons we pass over. Now the brothel-keeper and many other wicked men, who held Blessed Vincent in the highest hatred, because as a severe reprover of vices, he was laying bare and terribly chiding their detestable crimes; immediately spread the thing abroad through the whole city. At the same time Boniface was at Valencia, the very brother of Blessed Vincent, of whom we have made mention above; who at that time was in the city one of the Sworn Fathers, which is a certain kind of magistracy, which not only the city of Valencia but also almost all the cities of Catalonia were wont to use. To him many of the Valencian citizens related in order the whole matter which was being spread concerning his brother Vincent: who could not believe such great wickedness, since he was conscious of the virtues with which his brother was endowed: wherefore he judged, as the case actually was, that by envious men such an infamy had been cast upon the innocent man. And so by his counsel, those who together with him held the said magistracy and worthily governed the republic, the infamy being turned back upon the detractor, determined that there should be held through the city of Valencia a general procession, in which all the Clerics of every Order of the city should be present. On the appointed day Boniface himself and his colleagues and the rest of the Valencian nobility stood in the place where they were wont to station themselves at the time of such solemnities, where also they wished that harlot, who had boasted that she had slept with Master Vincent, to stand: and they ordered her carefully to look at each of the Brothers of the Order of Preachers as they walked by, and faithfully to point out to them the one with whom she had slept. Therefore as each of the Brothers proceeded, when Master Vincent passed by, the Sworn Men showing him to the harlot asked whether that was the one they wished to know. She answering said: "This is not he whom you seek: for I know this man to be that servant of God, to hear whose doctrine all run together: whom I also, since I came to Valencia, have seen preaching four times. But the Brother he is restored to integrity. whom you ask to know is an old man." Then when Vincent himself and after him three other Brothers had passed by in order, soon that Brother came up who had committed the crime, and the harlot, recognizing him without any pointer and pointing him out with her finger, said: "Behold, this is he whom you seek." Then the procession being over, Boniface and the other nobles who presided over the city ordered the slandering Brother to be summoned to them, and threatened him with much punishment and even death, if need be, unless before them he should confess his wicked deed, and do away with the infamy which he had opposed against the man of God Vincent. He, terrified, at once did what they wished: for he related the matter as it had been done to them; then ashamed he departed from them, and going to Christ's servant Vincent, who was ignorant of all these things, weeping much asked pardon from him, and most easily obtained it.

BOOK II.

Things excellently done in mature age.

PROLOGUE.

[1] After those things have been told of the life of Saint Vincent which [from his boyhood to his youthful age

was] done by him seemed proper to be described, most excellent Father, in the narration of which things the first book of this work was to be completed: it remains for us to pass to his other deeds and wonderful works, which God worked through him in mature age, up to that happy day on which he departed from this light. A concern for brevity is devoted to the great abundance of things. And although such deeds and works are so many and so great, that for their clearer narration the very longest volumes would not unjustly be required, yet I shall try to compress them as much as I can with brevity, and so to temper my style, that neither the length of the work may weary those who read, nor those things that are worthy of memory may be passed over. Nor do I doubt certainly that to me, about to write such illustrious deeds, the same is most fitting which is fitting to the most eloquent and most blessed Father Jerome, who about to write the deeds of Blessed Hilarion says: "Moreover, I must speak of so great and such a man's conversation and life, that Homer also, if he were present, would either envy the matter or succumb to it." For which reason I must fear lest, since our wit and eloquence are unequal to the virtues of so wonderful a man, my boldness be censured by all wise men. But because it would be unworthy to cast off the burden of obedience imposed on me by you, therefore I invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit: who, as he bestowed heavenly virtues upon him, so may bestow upon me, if not speech equal to his deeds, at least not unequal to my wit, by which I may be able faithfully to narrate them. But because to wish to embrace all his individual deeds in one book would be too long, therefore for their narration I shall divide them into two books.

CHAPTER I.

His labors in the schism of the Church. Apparition of Christ. Authority to preach the Gospel.

[2] Therefore, that the narration of what we are going to write next may be continuous with what we have told above, by Benedict XIII constituted Pope at Avignon in the schism, some things for the knowledge of matters must be fetched from further back. During that time at Avignon, a most noble city of Gaul, dwelt Benedict the Thirteenth, Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Church, whom in the previous book we said to have been sent Legate to Charles, King of the Gauls, by Pope Clement, whom in the same book we said to have been created Supreme Pontiff at Fondi, by that part of the Cardinals which had departed from Pope Urban the Sixth. For when ^a Clement died at Avignon, by one consent of all the Cardinals who were in that city, Benedict himself was created Pontiff, although the two other parts of the Cardinals ^b had elected two other Pontiffs. Whereby it happened that a schism followed among the Christian peoples: since three supreme Pontiffs at one and the same time presided over the Roman Church, each of whom, however, judged himself to have been legitimately created. Now in what way this came about is not to be told by us in this place: for it belongs to those to say these things who have written the catalog of the supreme Pontiffs. But this must not be omitted, that nearly all the Princes and cities of the Gauls and Spains obeyed Benedict himself. Therefore Benedict, he is chosen as Confessor and Master of the Sacred Palace. as soon as he was elected to the supreme Priesthood, sent messengers and letters, and ordered the man of God Vincent to be summoned to him: because the erudition and holiness of the man were most known to him, and therefore he wished to have him with him, and chose him as his Confessor, and appointed him Master of the Apostolic palace. And so Vincent, lest he seem not to obey the orders of the Pontiff, although it was troublesome to him to follow the court of an earthly Prince, yet diligently executed each of the things imposed on him. But dwelling in the city of Avignon, he was never idle, but gave all his ^c time either to the reading of sacred Scriptures, or to the doctrine of the word of God, or to the edification of neighbors, or to vigils and frequent fastings, hymns, and prayers. For which things not only by the Supreme Pontiff himself and all the Prelates, who were dwelling in that city, but also by all the citizens of Avignon, he was loved, observed, venerated, and extolled with eminent praises, as a singular and faithful servant of God, and an eminent Doctor of Christian truth. There were very many at that time who, being bent by his salutary persuasions and examples, changed their corrupt manners and the wicked life they had led before into a holy conversion.

[3] And because, as we have mentioned a little before, three supreme Pontiffs presided over the Christian Church, [the business of taking away the schism being committed to him, he strenuously manages it:] and each of them asserted that he had been duly created, on account of which there was the greatest schism among the Christian peoples; therefore at that time there were many who proposed in mind to deal with bringing the Church back to unity. But because they did not approach the matter as was fitting, they were unable to accomplish what they wished. Wherefore by many, both Prelates of Churches and Princes of lands, the whole matter was committed to the faith of Blessed Vincent, as to a man who was and was held to be truthful and prudent, and who did not seek the glory of earthly dignity: on account of which every one judged that among mortals no one could be found who would accomplish so great a business either more diligently, or more prudently, or better. And so in the first place the man of God went to Pope Benedict, and persuaded him that he should order all the Prelates and with them all the theologians and men learned in both Laws, of whom at Avignon was a great multitude, to be summoned to him, and to put into consultation what he should do in so great a tossing of the Church. Moreover he advised that he should rather live his way in the greatest poverty, than that on account of his earthly dignity discord should be fostered among the Christian peoples. On account of these and many other things, which we pass over, he persuaded Benedict the Pontiff, if need be, to yield the supreme Pontificate for the peace of the Church. But the Pontiff, not tarrying much, indeed was not willing to yield, but having convened each of the Prelates and the other learned men who followed his court, caused the matter to be put in consultation, as Blessed Vincent had before persuaded him. But because the matter on which the consultation was held seemed both arduous and greatly dangerous, he goes to the Emperor, Kings, and Benedict, therefore in its agitation the Prelates themselves insisted for very many months. But Vincent meanwhile omitted nothing whereby the union of the Church might be accomplished by his work: for he traveled through many cities of Gaul and Spain, going now to the Emperor Sigismund, who ^d at that time had come into Catalonia; now to Charles King of the Franks, sometimes to Martin King of Aragon, often to the same Benedict himself, that some happy end might at last be put to so dangerous a business. Therefore by these whom we have just named, and by other Christian Princes, and by very many Prelates of the Churches, with one voice and one counsel it was at last determined that at Constance, ^e a famous city of Germany, a general Council should be held, by which the so great tossings of the little ship of Christ might be better provided for.

[4] When these things were being done at Avignon ^f and Constance, and on a certain day Blessed Vincent was greatly agitated in mind, and asking himself what he ought to do in such straits of things, [At Avignon, sick, he is visited by Christ among Angels and Saints Dominic and Francis:] suddenly he felt himself seized by a great force of fevers. After twelve days, in which he lay so gravely that many had believed him about to die, Jesus Christ appeared to him, shining with wonderful brightness: whom among a multitude of Angels the blessed Fathers Dominic and Francis accompanied, who both comforted him and made him most joyful by his vision; at length after many things spoke to him in these words: "Be constant, my servant Vincent, and cast off all anguish of mind wholly. For as I have made you strong in many temptations, and have rescued you from various snares of men and demons; so also hereafter I shall do, and until the end my grace shall accompany you, and now I shall free you from this bodily sickness and straits of mind: for quickly shall peace be restored to the Church. But as soon as you recover, depart from the court of Benedict: he is constituted herald of the Gospel: for I have chosen you as a singular herald of my Gospel, and I will that you, preaching the Gospel, traverse the whole regions of the Gauls and Spains with humility and poverty; and at length, after the most abundant fruit of your words and works, you shall happily die in the ends of the earth. Among the other things which you shall preach, I will that you denounce to the peoples that the last day of judgment shall quickly come, rebuking the crimes of the peoples without fear. And although you shall suffer many calumnies of wicked men, do not fear, he is ordered to inculcate the last judgment. since I shall always be with you; and with me leading you shall escape all dangers, and easily despise the snares of your adversaries. Go, I shall yet await you, before the end of the world comes." Saying these things, he gently touched the cheeks of Blessed Vincent, as if to show him a sign of singular familiarity: and soon, having added many things which were necessary for the edification and instruction of his soldier, Christ himself disappeared. But Vincent, his strength immediately regained, rises from the bed on which he was lying; and wishing to execute what Christ had commanded, first determined to go to the Supreme Pontiff, to whom he would open his holy purpose, and by whose permission the matter done might seem to have greater authority.

[5] Therefore while he wished to betake himself to the Supreme Pontiff, behold the Pontiff himself, healthy, he indicates his purpose to the Pope: accompanied by a great multitude of Prelates, entered the convent of the Preaching Brothers, who was coming to visit the servant of Christ Vincent. And so when he saw the man of God meeting him, whom he had heard was occupied with a most grave sickness and of whose life not much was hoped, he was greatly both amazed and rejoiced. Now after many discourses held between them, Vincent manifested his mind to Pope Benedict. He, bearing this ill, found many ways by which Vincent might be kept with him. Finally seeing that he could not be moved from his purpose, he devised another singular way, by which either he might make him desist from his purpose, or break his spirit more easily. For ^g the bishoprics of Valencia and of some other Churches being then vacant, he refuses a Bishopric and Cardinalate: he determined to create him a Bishop. And when Vincent himself was not bent even by dignities of this kind offered to him, on a certain day having convened the Cardinals who were dwelling at Avignon, and the cap being prepared according to custom, he wished, having had him summoned, to enroll him in their college with the one voice of all. Vincent did not indeed despise even this dignity, but certainly, for just causes, was unwilling to accept it: first, because he judged himself unworthy of so excellent a dignity: then, because he was thinking of things far more useful and fruitful in mind: finally (and this chiefly moved him) because if he had been constituted in such a degree of dignity, he could not have departed from the court of the Pontiff himself, on account of which neither could he have executed the mission of Christ. But lest he should be ungrateful to the Supreme Pontiff himself and

to the Cardinals, he receives authority to preach the Gospel, he rendered them the greatest thanks, and, his purpose being made manifest, asked from them permission and authority to preach the Gospel. The Supreme Priest and Cardinals, hearing the reasons which the man of God set forth, judged it unworthy that his holy purpose should in any way be hindered: for which reasons they permitted him to go wherever he wished. Moreover, that he might more effectually and salutarily preach God's Gospel to the peoples, traversing the world, the same Pontiff of his own accord conferred on him a great power of binding and absolving, sending him as a special Legate of the Apostolic See, who should draw sinners from vices and call them back to penance.

[6] After this, from Avignon first, then by degrees advancing, he inculcates the approaching last judgment: preaching the Gospel through cities and villages, he returned to Catalonia: where, powerful in deed and speech, he continued to teach for two continuous years. The peoples followed him as one of the ancient Apostles of Christ, and listened to him with a certain incredible attention, and venerated him with many services. And because, among other things which he taught, he affirmed with many reasons that the general judgment would come quickly, therefore there were many who told the said Pontiff that Master Vincent was sowing many novelties among the peoples: among which one especially was that he asserted that the day of the last judgment was near in our days: from which they said it was expedient that he himself, who was the greatest Pastor of the Church, should diligently inquire what such things meant. And so letters were given to Vincent from the Apostolic See, by which he was ordered to inform the supreme Pontiff what those things were that he was said to assert about the time of that judgment. He therefore, when he had received and read the letters, at once obeyed the Apostolic commands: he offers the Pope a booklet written on this: for he composed a certain exceedingly fine booklet, in which he embraced in very few words the individual reasons by which he was wont to be moved to show probably that the judgment itself was near in our times. This booklet he sent to the Supreme Pontiff, to examine, correct, approve, or even disapprove; if in any way the things which he had written in it seemed worthy of disapproval. But neither the Pope, who wished such a booklet to be composed, nor those who criticized the doctrine of the man of God, found anything in it which was judged worthy of even the slightest reprehension.

[7] Now after a few months, the Fathers who had gathered at the Council of Constance for the sake of uniting the Church, after much and long discussion of very many matters, adjudged that none of those three, who thought themselves to be supreme Pontiffs, had been duly created: on account of which they judged that no obedience should be given to any of them by the Christian peoples as to a Supreme Priest. [He strives that by the decree of the Council Benedict should yield the Pontificate.] Their names are not to be passed over in silence: not indeed because it is necessary for those who will read the life of our Vincent to know them, but lest they seem to have slipped from our memory. One of them was Benedict, of whom mention has often been made by us above: another, Gregory the Twelfth: the third, John the Twenty-third. And so each of these being deprived of the supreme Pontificate, in the same Council, by the one voice of all the Fathers, Martin ^h was created. Whereby it came about that of those three whom we have just named, John and Gregory, though not willingly, yet compelled by necessity, renounced the Priesthood, and yielded to Martin himself. But Benedict, since the election by which he had been created seemed not to be able to be censured in any respect, could never be induced to renounce. These things, as soon as they came to the ears of Vincent, he not only exhorted him by frequent letters to such a renunciation, but also went to him himself, and by many and various reasons persuaded him that he should wholly obey the decrees and deliberations of the Council of Constance. At length seeing that he could not be bent by his words, he departed from him, and returned to his accustomed exercises.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER II.

The sermons of Saint Vincent delivered in various kingdoms: his method of living, leading about his companions, and converting others.

[8] Although in the time of his youth he had preached the word of God in many places, He traverses the Spains, the Gauls, part of Italy, preaching, yet when he was in his fortieth year, began the time of his peregrination, and that continual and wonderful exercise of doctrine, which until the end of his life he continued without interruption. The regions which he traversed teaching were these: Catalonia, the kingdom of Valencia, Aragon and Navarre, which are in hither Spain. From farther Spain, with the exception of Galicia and Portugal, he went round almost every other region, city, town, and village. From Gaul, especially that region which in our time is called Languedoc, Dauphiné, Provence, Savoy, France, Burgundy, Normandy, Berry, Auvergne, Flanders, ^b Albi, Poitou, Picardy, Gascony, Brittany, where we say below that he died. He also descended into Italy, and surveying all the regions and cities of Piedmont, and traversing many lands and cities of Lombardy, at length he came to Genoa, where he stayed almost a month. Moreover he traversed all that maritime region which we commonly call the ^c Riviera of Genoa, and determined by so advancing and teaching little by little to come into Tuscany, and into each of the regions of Italy. But by divine counsel it happened that while he was at Portovenere, a messenger sent by ^d John, King of Spain, was present, who delivered to him letters, by which with many prayers and great urgency the same King called him back to the Spains. And so he returned to the Spains, again the Spains, the Balearic Islands, and after the most abundant fruit of souls was gathered there, he set out for the Gauls, and thus could proceed no further into Italy. Moreover, he in no way feared the dangers of the sea: for he sailed to the Balearic islands, which in our time we call Majorca and Minorca. But while he was traversing the Gauls preaching, ^e Henry, King of England, moved by the fame of his wonderful works, having prepared a certain ship, and having sent messengers and letters in it, besought him to come to him, and to sail to that island. And so, having done what the religious King had asked, and having revealed to him many future things pertaining to his kingdom, which in succeeding times fully came to pass, and having sown the word of God in the island, and having gathered the greatest fruit from his doctrine, he departed from there, and sailed to Scotland, which is nearest to England. He also went into Ireland, and the British, which is another island of the Ocean sea, and not staying long there, at length returned to the Gauls.

[9] Now in his peregrination or journey such was the order of his life. after Mass sung he preaches: At night he gave only five hours to rest, and spent the rest of the night's parts either in prayers or readings of sacred Scriptures: in the morning he would betake himself to the place where the peoples were expecting him to preach. First he himself celebrated Mass with chant according to custom, then pronounced words of salvation, as the Holy Spirit infused into his mind; afterward the sermon being finished, wishing to satisfy the devotion of the peoples flocking to him, he gave his hands to be kissed, and signed with the Cross the sick offered to him. And so very many, whose number is uncertain to us, with the sign of the Cross he heals innumerable: and so very many, whose number is uncertain to us and known to God alone, laboring with various kinds of infirmities, after the sign of the salutary Cross was made on them by the man of God, obtained the benefit of perfect health. For the narration of which things we have thought of another place: yet the words which he used in such healings of the sick we shall here subjoin. "The signs," he said, "that shall follow them that believe, these: They shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover." This he first said, then immediately added: "Jesus, Son of Mary, salvation and Lord of the world, who has drawn you to the Catholic faith, keep you in it and make you blessed, and deign to free you from this infirmity. Amen." Then with rather scanty food he refreshed his body for the necessity of nature. sparing in food, His food was frequently of fish: which yet he did not wish to be cooked and prepared with much care, but as seemed fitting to the state of a religious man. From the year in which he professed the religion of the Preachers until the day on which he departed from life, he abstained from the eating of flesh, unless some evident necessity compelled him to do otherwise. He never wished and drink: to use more than one course: he always took wine diluted with much water, and was never seen to drink it more than once, or twice, or rarely three times, but never beyond the third time. And to embrace many things in the fewest words, the constitutions of the Preaching Brothers, as to each ceremony and the rule itself, wherever he happened to be, he observed no less than if he had been staying in the cloister of those Brothers. For forty years, he greatly fasts: except on the Lord's days, he fasted for the most part: nor ever did he omit such fasts for any reason, unless he were compelled to omit them through bodily sickness. His journey or traveling he performed not by riding, but on his own feet, he goes on foot or riding on an ass; content with a single staff, on which he very frequently leaned, and he did this continuously for fifteen years. But afterward, from a certain sickness,

which came upon him in his shin, he became more sluggish and slower, and compelled by necessity, he had a certain ass, upon which he rode whenever he traveled from city to city. This also he frequently did, especially in places where he had the opportunity to dispose at his will of the things necessary for his use, that he would sleep on heaps of twigs or straw or such things, or on a poor sack filled with a little wool. No one ever saw his naked flesh, not even those Brothers whom he used more familiarly. he beats his body with scourges: Moreover for subduing the flesh and in memory of the Passion of Christ, he observed from his first youth this, that every night with certain scourges made of cords he beat his body with many tears. And if by chance any sickness prevented him from doing this, he wished it to be done by his faithful companions; adjuring them by Jesus Christ to have no hesitation, but to beat him with strong blows.

[10] he has five companions from the Order of Preachers: Now he chose as companions certain Brothers from the Order of Preachers, of whom there were five: Peter ^f Rayna, John de Pulchro-Prato, whom, while studying at Toulouse, he had drawn to the Order of Preachers, Raphael Cardona, ^g Joffrey Blañes, and Peter Cerdani: and although all these were men whose life was illustrious and fame celebrated, yet those two whom we named last were of such perfection and such erudition, that their teaching profited many peoples; and they were illustrious for many miracles both in life and after death. And because a great multitude of peoples followed him going from place to place, of whom a part performed public penance for their crimes, another part was moved by devotion alone, that namely from the man of God they might hear words of spiritual edification, and might receive an example of living well; he brings various Priests as companions, for this reason a certain order of things was devised by him, by which the devotion of the followers might be increased more, and the fruit of his life and teaching might be more copious. For he brought with him many priests, whom he had chosen from diverse Religions: whose office was either to hear the confessions of penitents, or to chant the Epistles, Gospels, and sacred hymns according to custom, when and as often as the solemnities of Masses were performed. some Notaries: He also had organs carried, so that namely by the sweetness of song the affection of the peoples might be inflamed more vehemently, and they might give themselves more diligently to the praise of God. Moreover he chose certain Notaries, who, whenever any matter of peace between those at discord was dealt with by the man of God, would be at hand, and would commit to writing the reconciliations made between them, lest perchance those involved, as often happens, should afterward repent of the deed. Moreover those who followed him for the sake of performing penance, he has flagellation performed in procession: each day after sunset, through cities and whatever other places to which they turned, he wished to make certain processions, and composed for them certain hymns, which they were to sing proceeding in that manner; and he ordered that each of them, with bared shoulders, should scourge himself with whips, and say in a loud voice: "Let this be in memory of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and for the remission of my sins." Amid these scourgings such devotion of hearts, such mourning of all, such contrition, such religion was there, that the inhabitants themselves of the places where these things were done, not only dissolved in tears, but many of them also, moved by such examples, followed the man of God and his holy company religiously through many tracts of lands; from which it happened that sometimes that religious company exceeded the number of ten thousand men. Indeed such a multitude flowed together, with ten or eighty thousand gathering, as much to see such a spectacle as to hear the teaching of so wondrous a preacher, that not only in the most populous cities, but also in open places, up to eighty thousand men would frequently gather. And although such bodily flagellation was often made in the time of cold, winds, and rains, yet none of them ever incurred even the slightest sickness: which thing many judged worthy of a miracle. But lest there should be any confusion, he arranges stations for bodily refreshment: because of the crowd gathering, he chose certain men, whose fame and conduct could not be held or be suspect; to whom he gave the care of preparing what was necessary for sustenance, of distributing the stations and lodgings to each (so that men might be separated from women, clerics from seculars), and finally of arranging all other things, as the opportunity of the time, place, and things should require.

Whatever alms were given to him, he had distributed to his companions as each had need: and if anything was superfluous, he will not accept money: he was wont to distribute it to the poor. When money was offered, he forbade his companions to accept it, and ordered that they should receive nothing except what was necessary for daily use. When one day the Consuls of a certain town of Gaul called ^h Béziers had offered him thirty gold pieces in alms, and the man of God by no means wished to accept them, and they had adjured him in the name of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary to accept them entirely, he (lest he should seem to despise such venerable names) indeed at once accepted the gold pieces, but soon gave them to one of his companions, and ordered him not to leave the town until he had distributed them to the poor, orphans, and widows. Of all men, not only of the common people but also of Princes and Prelates of Churches, he sharply castigates the vices of all with words: he rebuked the vices: for he did not respect the persons of men: whence he spared no one, and what seemed to him worthy of reprehension he most ardently rebuked. Yet with Clerics he bore himself more prudently: for whenever some great and wicked crime of the Clerics came to his ears, he gathered them in some secret place, and admonished them as to how, how much, or concerning what things was needed. Nor did he do this only with men, but also with women who were enclosed in monasteries. Now how severe he was against wicked men, one example will suffice to show. At the time when he was at Genoa, a most noble city of Italy, a certain man of Valencian origin had been condemned to the last punishment for certain crimes committed. And when many had besought the man of God to go to the Duke of the Genoese, and to ask him to grant impunity to his fellow countryman or compatriot, he answered: "God forbid that by my work a place of justice should be hindered, and impunity granted to wicked men: but this I will do with a willing mind, that the manner of death may be changed." And so he went to the Duke, and whatever he asked, he easily obtained. Now whenever he celebrated Mass, before the reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord, so many tears flowed from his eyes, He weeps at Mass. that of those who beheld this, very few were those who did not weep with him: from which it frequently happened that such mourning of all was heard, as would be if at anyone's death the relatives were lamenting. And lest to anyone any vain superstition of these things might seem to have been, we must now see how great utility followed from his wonderful works. Which will be more conspicuous, if we first narrate the efficacy of his sermon.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER III.

The efficacy of his sermons. Conversion of Jews, Saracens, and others. The gift of tongues, the meetings with Princes and others.

[11] The efficacy of his sermon is shown both by the penance of Christian men of both sexes and of diverse states, Above 100,000 perishing men he leads to penance, and especially by the conversion of many thousands of Jews and Saracens. For of Christian men who were held by all lost and obstinate in manifest crimes, above a hundred thousand he brought back to salutary penance. For he was terrible in the reproof of vices, so that it very frequently happened that many wicked men were so pricked with remorse by his words, that prostrate on the ground, in the presence of the whole multitude, all shame being set aside, they confessed great and enormous sins, and tearfully asked pardon. And although to these sinners he was so terrible, he moves tears, yet he tempered his reproofs with such moderation, that whoever once heard him preaching, was wonderfully attracted to go to hear him again. It was altogether rare that when he was preaching, the hearers were not moved to tears: but when he spoke of the future judgment, or of the Passion of Christ, or of the pains of hell, both he himself and the peoples standing by always broke forth into such weeping, that it was necessary that for a long space of time he should be silent, until the tears ceased. In the explanation of the sacred Scriptures he was as clear as he was copious. Whatever he taught or urged or said for the correction of crimes, he always confirmed with the testimonies of Scriptures or of holy men, and impressed upon the minds of his hearers in a certain wonderful way. Such was the abundance of sentences and examples in him when he preached, that he seemed as it were to have in his memory each of the books of the sacred Scriptures, and whatever holy men have written in their exposition. And lest those things which flowed from the mouth of so great a man should perish, God moved the spirits of some of his hearers to write down, as best they could, what he preached: and so they composed from these several volumes, some of which are spread in many places, from which preachers of our time obtain much utility. Yet there are many who both heard him preaching and now read the sermons which he preached in his time, reduced to writing, and assert that they scarcely catch the shadow of those things which he resounded with his own mouth.

[12] How sharp, keen, and copious a disputant he was against the perfidy of the Jews, and how clearly he was wont to open to them the riddles of the Scriptures, he converts above 25,000 Jews: this especially shows, that in various cities of both Spains, above ^a twenty-five thousand of them he brought to accept the Christian religion, and he had their temples dedicated as churches of Christ. Not fewer Saracens, of whom there is a great supply in Spain, Saracens about 8,000: incited by his fiery eloquence, detesting the sacrilegious sect of Mohammed, received sacred baptism, whose number was eight thousand. Many monasteries also,

many hospitals, he has sacred places built: many sacred buildings, many bridges for the crossing of rivers, were built in many places by his persuasion. How effective his speech was for the remission of injuries and hatreds, witness all the cities, all the peoples, among whom he sowed the word of God. He composes inveterate hatreds, There was no city in which he found the citizens at discord with manifold hatreds, from which he departed before he left it in great part peaceful and concordant. There were almost innumerable men between whom for many years mortal hatreds had blazed, because of the slaying of either friends or kinsmen or blood relations; who, stirred by his sermons, were so pricked in heart that they did not fear in the sight of the greatest multitude of men, weeping together, to rise and cry out that they wished to pardon the murderers. Among which this was memorable, that he settled that great discord which existed between the two most noble families of the Valencians, namely the Solenos and the Centellas: whose spirits were so at odds and inflamed with hostile hatred, that for many years various slaughters had followed on both sides. he converts public sinners to about 4,000. Harlots, panders, murderers, pirates, usurers, blasphemers of God and the Saints, and men of this sort, lost in crimes, nearly ^b forty thousand he brought back to the knowledge of their own crimes, and to the performance of public penance, in the order which we have expressed above. Nor is it any wonder that he incited men so vehemently to live well: in preaching he seemed an Angel, and to be surrounded by Angels, for with holiness of life there was in him the highest eloquence, which was adorned by incredible gravity of sentences, and the splendor and brilliance of speech: all which rendered his words fiery, so that everything he spoke seemed to flow not from the mouth of an earthly man, but rather of a heavenly Angel. There were many to whom it was divinely granted, that while he preached, they saw Angels of God, who often descended upon him in humble human form. To all these was added that his voice was by nature so disposed, that he easily emitted it at the will of his pleasure as he wished: for according to the necessity of the matter, he produced a sharp, deep, slender, and sonorous voice.

[14] he is understood by those far distant, Moreover many were wont to admire as a miracle this about him, that when the number of those who heard him preaching was very frequently so great that many were forced to stand at a very long distance from him, yet no less was his sermon distinctly heard by those who were very far distant, than by those who were nearest. But the most excellent thing of all in him was that he confirmed what he taught with many signs and very clear miracles, of which we shall narrate below. and speaking the Valencian language, by whatever peoples, Worthy also of great wonder is this, that the gift of tongues, as to the ancient Apostles, was granted to him. For when through those several regions, which we have mentioned above, he spread his preachings, and was always speaking in his Valencian and native tongue, yet each one, both boys and those of advanced age of both sexes, perceived his sermon word by word, just as if he had been born in each one's native land, and had spoken in each one's idiom. Many also ^c Greeks, Teutons, Sardinians, Hungarians, and others born in other places, who did not know how to speak except in their native tongue, and understood no other, coming to the places where Vincent was preaching, ran with others to hear him, and at length when his words were finished, confessed that they had perceived each word of the man of God, no less than if they had heard him speaking in their own language. In that region of Gaul which in our time is called Brittany, there are certain peoples whom the French call Britones Britonizantes, whose language is known to themselves alone, and although very many of them know how to speak the language of the Gauls, yet many speak only their own language, and understand no other: who yet distinctly understood the man of God speaking in their own mother tongue, so that each of the boys and women also received the greatest fruit from his salutary doctrine.

[15] he is led into cities with celebrated greetings, Next it must be told how great his authority was, not only among the common people, but also among the most illustrious Princes and the Prelates of the Churches and the Supreme Pontiffs themselves. And first let us say this, that the common custom of all was that, from each of the cities to which he was going, the whole multitude of the people, and all the nobility, and all the order of Clerics, and also the Bishops and Prelates of the Churches themselves, going out, presented themselves to meet him, chanting hymns, and received him into the cities themselves as one of the Apostles of Christ. Often he forbade this to be done for him: but when he noticed that from this thing the spirits of the peoples were inflamed with devotion to God, nor could it be prevented that such reverence should be shown him, he permitted what they did, but for this reason his spirit by no means was lifted up into pride: for he did all things for God, and referred them to his praise and honor. And when many of those who came out to meet him rode on decked horses, he himself, riding on a base ass, went most humbly in their midst, either keeping his eyes raised to heaven, or fixed on the ground. At the hours in which he was preaching, craftsmen wrought nothing at all. The Doctors themselves, business and public lectures ceasing, who were lecturing in places where the public schools of the liberal arts flourished, left off their lectures until the end of his preaching. For so great was the desire of all to hear his teaching, that scarcely could the sick be kept at home, from themselves also running to hear him.

[16] In those places where he preached, as long as he was present, and also for a long time afterward, men ceased from perjuries, from blasphemies of God and the Saints, from games of dice, and from many other crimes: such was the contrition of all, such the religion, such the honesty of dress and the sparingness in food, that to all who saw and carefully considered such things, the times of the ancient Apostles seemed to have returned. There were at that time very many men, certainly not unlearned nor imprudent, who, considering each of the virtues of mind and body of Vincent himself, and the greatest fruit which by his illustrious teaching, examples, and works he had made among the peoples; noting besides how praiseworthy was the order of his life, and how great was the concourse of peoples to him, and how great their devotion, and finally how various and great were the miracles with which his life shone; dared to say that after the ancient Apostles there was no one who not only surpassed him, but not even equaled him. with the greatest fruit and concourse he preaches, Evangelical poverty he so effectively both commended and preserved, that several noble men and men most rich in goods, moved by his persuasions, distributed their whole substance to the poor, and followed poor Vincent of Christ in poverty. Not fewer Clerics were moved, so that leaving their most wealthy benefices, they either chose a stricter religion, or followed him wherever he determined to go. Moreover women of the most illustrious families, admonished by his holy words, thrust themselves into strict monasteries to keep perpetual chastity. So venerable was he rendered to all, that whoever could either touch or address him judged himself blessed. So great also was the multitude of those who eagerly wished to kiss his sacred hands, that in populous cities it was very frequently necessary that certain wooden lattices be made, within which he and his companions might stand, by which the importunate access of those running to him might be prevented. ^d

[17] Pope Martin and Ferdinand, ^e King of Aragon, and John, King of Spain, were wont to go out to meet him, whenever Blessed Vincent entered their cities, where they were present. The same thing all the Princes of the Gauls and Spains did, when he went into cities subject to their rule. ^f Mahoma also, King of Granada, although he was an infidel, The Saracen King summons him to him. yet having heard the fame of the wonderful works which were told about Blessed Vincent, especially that he had converted many thousands of Saracens and Jews to the Christian religion, by sending letters and legates besought him to come to his kingdom, namely that he might see him and hear him preach: promising him with public faith that in his kingdom he could freely preach the Christian law; that nothing stood in the way, because by the law of the Moors or Mohammed the same was forbidden. And Vincent, having obtained from the Supreme Pontiff the faculty of going to that King, betook himself there joyfully, and before him preached three times, with incredible attention both of the King and of the other Saracens. And when his teaching was heard with such pleasure, that now a great multitude of the people, despising the sacrilegious sect of Mohammed, was about to receive holy baptism; some of their Satraps, bearing this ill, threatened the King that the loss of his kingdom would follow, unless the Christian preacher were expelled from the kingdom. By this thing Vincent was compelled to return to teach the Christian peoples.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER IV.

Counsel on matters of faith and politics asked of Saint Vincent. The sublime grace of prayer. The exhortation of Saint Dominic appearing.

[18] He is consulted, When frequently some doubts also arose concerning the most arduous affairs of the Catholic faith and the Roman Church, the Supreme Pontiffs and the Senate of Cardinals wished not only to hear his opinion, as of a man most learned and most holy, but also held it as most firm and most safe. And although this was done several times, yet lest we should describe too long a history, we shall here mention only one. When in the Council of Constance, even by the Fathers of the Council of Constance: among all those most learned Fathers who had gathered in it, for a long time a certain great question was being agitated, nor could the truth of so great a matter ever be found, at length they determined that it should be sent to Blessed Vincent, who would inform them about the matter. And so with the one voice of all was sent to him ^a John, then Cardinal of Saint Angelo, whose companions were four, of whom two were Theologians, and two Doctors of both Laws, the most learned of all of that age. Therefore to the Cardinal coming to him, and setting forth to him the cause of his coming, Vincent weeping answered: "Whence to me, that such and so great a man to me

comes: short letters would have easily made me come to Constance, even if I had been in the most distant parts of the world. But this I greatly wonder at, that so great a multitude of most learned men, such as we know to have gathered at the Council of Constance, could not uncover the truth of a matter which I think to be so easy and so manifest. But I think this ignorance has happened for no other reason than the pride of some of those who are in the Council, who do all things not for God's sake, but to obtain human glory." After these things were said by him, he immediately explained to the Cardinal and to those who accompanied him what they wished.

[19] Not only spiritual, but also secular matters and certain of the greatest negotiations were entrusted to his faith. For when Martin ^b, King of Aragon, died, since no legitimate sons were left to him to succeed to the kingdom, the greatest dispute followed among many most illustrious families as to whom the scepter of the kingdom was rightfully owed. And when for a long time the matter was in dispute, he defines the right of succession to the kingdom of Aragon, and no end was being given which would bring peace to those disputing, at length it was the common opinion of all that some men should be chosen, whose erudition was so great, authority so great, faith so great, and religion so great, that in such a business they might be not undeservedly fair and approved judges. And so ^c nine were chosen from among all who could be found in the Gauls and Spains: of whom two were Vincent himself and Boniface his brother, of whom mention has been made above. These, having discussed each thing which seemed to need to be discussed for the deliberation of the matter, put an end to the matter itself, such as law and reason demanded. Moreover, the Council of ^d Constance being ended, Martin, who in that Council had been created Supreme Pontiff, by Pope Martin V he is confirmed as Apostolic preacher. at once sent to him Anthony Montanus, who at that time was held as the highest theologian of all. Who also brought letters to him, by which the Pontiff confirmed to him all that power of absolving, binding, and teaching which Benedict had previously conferred on him, sending him as an Apostle of Christ, who in the name of Jesus Christ would preach the Gospel teaching to the peoples.

[20] Violante, moreover, ^e Queen of Aragon, wife of King John, moved by a certain feminine curiosity, was eager to enter the little cell of the man of God, so that namely she might be able to see what the place was in which he prayed, what the little bed where he rested. And when she could not obtain this from the blessed man (for it seemed to him unlawful that women should enter the cells of God's servants), she, indignant, ordered the door of the little cell to be opened violently; by the Queen of Aragon, who entered his cell by force, he remains unseen and soon entering, she indeed saw the places she had wished to see; but the man of God, who was within, neither she nor those who accompanied her could see. She therefore asks the Brothers whom she found in the cell where Brother Vincent was. They answer that she had him there present before her eyes; and say that they greatly wondered that she did not see him, since he was in an open place, where he could be seen by all. After they had said this to the Queen, turning to the man of God Vincent, they said: "What is the reason, excellent Father, that you do not rise to the Queen coming to you, nor address her?" But he said: "Do you not know, my sons, that it has never been permitted to us that women be brought into our cells? And although this is the Queen, yet I have not permitted her to enter, lest I become a respecter of persons. And because she has done this violence, daring to enter against my will, therefore as long as she shall dwell in this place, it shall happen by a divine miracle that her eyes shall be held, so that though she has me before her, yet she can never see me." Hearing this, the Queen immediately goes out: and Vincent followed her. When she saw him, in a wonderful way she was humbled before him, and asked pardon for what she had committed. To whom Blessed Vincent said: "Unless you had sinned through womanly ignorance, certainly you would not have done me such violence with impunity: for God is the avenger of injuries which are inflicted on his servants. Henceforth therefore beware lest you do anything similar against the servants of God." After many discourses held between them, the Queen departed.

[21] On another occasion the same Queen, wishing to explore whether the life of Vincent himself was such in secret as it appeared before men, on a certain night, a great company of noble men and women accompanying her, being led into the convent of the Brothers at Barcelona, at length came to a place from which through certain crevices she could see him. And so looking in, she saw the man of God praying on bended knees, at other times he is seen in prayer illuminated with bright rays, and around him a certain very great brightness, from which a great multitude of rays flowing forth was diffused round about. She looks more diligently, looking around whether in the little cell there were any lighted torches from which so great brightness might emanate: and at length perceiving that it was made not by human work but by a heavenly miracle, turning to those accompanying her, said: "Let us go, I beseech you: for no further test should be made of this divine man: far more and more illustrious are his deeds than what appears externally or is reported by rumor." She therefore showed them what she herself had seen, and from thence they immediately departed. For which reason the Queen afterward prosecuted him with such great veneration that whenever she saw him, she as it were bent in adoration, no less than if she had seen some heavenly Angel walking on the earth. A certain man too, named Leonard Gayan, who for a long time with others had followed him, was wont to narrate and raised from the ground. that on a certain night some looking through certain crevices of the door of the little cell where he was resting, saw the cell itself shining with wonderful brightness, and in the middle the man of God wholly raised from the earth, holding his eyes to heaven and his hands joined, and praying with the most vehement devotion.

[22] the barbarous inhabitants of Vallis-puta, In that region of Gaul which in our day the common people call Dauphiné, there is between two mountains a certain valley, which at the time when Blessed Vincent flourished was inhabited by a certain almost barbarous people, who were so infected with the stain of so many evils, that whoever among them had not given himself to lewdness, or had not lived by rapine, or had not been delighted with the shedding of human blood, or had not been infected with the delusions of magical arts, could by no means dwell with them. For these and many other obscene crimes of that people, in the language of the Gauls that place was called Vallis-puta, which in Latin speech would be called "valley unclean." There were many supreme Pontiffs who frequently sent preachers and Inquisitors of heretical pravity to them, that either by salutary teachings or by the dread of punishments they might be recalled from their obscenities: but these things profited nothing. For that most ferocious people, rushing with iron upon those who were sent, either cast them out or slaughtered them: from which all preachers feared to go to them. The brave soldier of Christ hearing this, armed not with earthly but with heavenly arms, set out into the valley itself. He took with him that religious band which followed him performing penance, in the manner which we have said above: so that namely by their example that people might be more easily moved to contrition. And so when the inhabitants of the valley saw that such a great man, whose most celebrated fame they had often heard, had come to them, they ran eagerly to hear his teaching. Now after a few days, every ferocity being put aside, that people was recalled from every error, he brings them back to a good life, and so brought back to the worship of the true religion, that they not only desisted from crimes, but also, as long as Blessed Vincent was among them and for a long time afterward, showed signs of true conversion by manifold tokens. Wherefore it was constituted by the man of God that it should no longer be called Vallis-puta, but with its name changed, Vallis-pura: which name appellation continues even to our times.

[23] In the last place of this book one thing must be said, which is both a wonderful and a manifest testimony of his virginity as well as of many other virtues, that he was venerated not only by men of this world, but also by heavenly citizens. For on one occasion, as Blessed Vincent was sleeping, in the middle of the night Blessed Dominic was present to him, from whose body so great a light was emitted that the whole place shone with wonderful brightness. Roused from this, Blessed Vincent, and seeing a man in the habit of the Preaching Brothers, said: "Who are you, who have come here at this hour?" He answered: "I am Dominic, He is visited by Saint Dominic appearing, your Father, sent to you from Christ Jesus, that you may be taught by me many things, which you must altogether know, that you may more fervently execute the mission of God, to which you have been chosen. Give me therefore place, and let us rest together in this little bed." And soon Vincent said to him: "And whence, most holy Father, does so great an honor come to me, that so great a man, a heavenly citizen, should come to me, and wish to rest with me, who am mortal, in my most vile little bed? I shall never allow what you ask: but prostrate on the ground I shall adore the footprints of your feet." When Vincent wished to do this, Dominic forbade, and said: "Come, Vincent, walk with constant mind through the begun path of virtues: for know that your merits are great before God. And that you may be able to live more joyfully, I want you to know that there are many things and as being like him in many things, which make you like me, on account of which you are not undeservedly worthy to rest with me in one place. First, you are bound with the bond of the same Religion, to which I too was bound, when I was mortal and enjoyed your life. Then you are a preacher and doctor of the Gospel teaching, sent by Christ as also I was sent to preach the Gospel. Moreover you are distinguished with the virtue of virginity, in which I too shone most excellently. Lastly, there are in you many other and great virtues, in which you, the best of sons, happily imitate me, your father: yet in that I must be preferred to you, that I was the leader of the Order of Preachers. You therefore, strive to pursue diligently what you have begun, that at length, the course of mortal life being completed, you may be placed with me in the order of the heavenly citizens." After these things were said, Blessed Vincent gave him thanks, and besought him to pray the Lord for him continually, that he might grant him perseverance in living well: and so conversing, they passed a great part of the night. His companions, who were sleeping in a place contiguous to the one where these things were being done, were aroused from sleep by the sound of such words: and hearing such exchanges of conversations, through certain crevices of the planks,

which separated the cells themselves, looking in, saw Blessed Vincent and with him a certain other Brother, who seemed very venerable, speaking many things with him, from whose face flowed that light by which the place was greatly filled. They were silent indeed, but considering the thing done, treasured it in mind: and as soon as day dawned, they went to Vincent, and by Jesus Christ and all his Saints adjured him to make known to them each of those things, part of which they had seen and heard the previous night. He, though at first he resisted greatly, yet after he saw himself so strictly adjured, immediately revealed the whole matter to them in order, praying them to reveal it to no one.

ANNOTATIONS.

BOOK III.

The gift of prophecy. Miracles performed in life.

PROLOGUE.

From the things which have been narrated in the second book, most religious Father, it will be clearly seen how wonderful was the order of life of our Vincent, how great the efficacy of his fiery utterances, how great the severity in castigating his own body, how great the sparingness of food and drink, and at length with what great veneration not only men of our century but also heavenly citizens prosecuted him. From 860 Miracles proved in 4 Processes, the chief are selected. And lest the conversation of so great and such a man should seem to have shone less by miracles, I have determined in this third volume of my work to write those most outstanding miracles which shone in his life, and which before the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Church, who enrolled him among the other Saints, were approved by the clearest testimonies. But since their number was ^a above eight hundred and sixty, taken from only those four Processes ^b which were drawn up at Avignon, Vannes, Toulouse, and Naples, lest the length of so great a work be a weariness to those who read, I shall review very few out of many, namely those which shall bring the greatest admiration to posterity. Yet I cannot but greatly grieve, when I consider with myself that although he spent nearly the whole course of his life in the Spains, yet the wonderful works which he did there have been omitted, nor were they investigated or committed to writing, as ought rightly to have been done. From which it has happened that many things could not be written by me, by which his life would indeed be held worthy of far greater admiration. But whatever is omitted, I should certainly not say that this has happened through your negligence or fault: for you have most diligently provided each thing that pertained to the matter. Whom therefore shall I accuse? As far as I know, no one: yet this is most known to me, that so great was your diligence, and so clear and wonderful were those things which in those four processes were found about the conversation and life of Blessed Vincent, that in Calixtus the Supreme Pontiff there was no delay, and after two months of being elevated to the supreme Priesthood, he enrolled him in the Catalog of Saints. But if those processes which, by the deliberation of Nicholas V, who before Calixtus presided over the Christian Church, and of all the Cardinals, were drawn up at Barcelona, Valencia, and in very many other places of both Spains, of the Gauls and of Italy, had been brought in opportune time to the Roman curia, I judge that so great would have been the multitude of his works and miracles, that scarcely thirty days would have been enough for narrating them, and the labor of an almost infinite work would not undeservedly have been required for their description. Therefore, to make the beginning of my narration, I have determined first to say those things which will demonstrate that he shone wonderfully with the gift of prophecy.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER I.

Various things predicted by a prophetic spirit: which afterward happened.

[1] At Valencia in Spain, while one day after the end of a sermon, among the very many who were running to Blessed Vincent to receive a blessing, a certain man was also present who was called Alphonsus, He predicts for Alphonso Borgia who besides many virtues was also a most learned Doctor of both Laws; the man of God, beholding him, said: "I congratulate you, excellent son: know there will be a time in which you shall gain the greatest glory for your family and country: for you will be constituted above all men in the pinnacle of the highest dignity; [the supreme Pontificate and that he himself will be enrolled among the Saints by him,] and after I have migrated from mortal life, you in the Church of God will honor me with the highest honor, and will prosecute me with the greatest veneration. But be mindful to persevere in the begun virtues." He committed these words to memory, and seemed to have progressed from virtue to virtue: whereby it happened that after some years he was created Bishop of Valencia, then enrolled in the college of Cardinals, and at length in extreme old age, beyond all human opinion, deserved to be raised to the supreme Pontificate of the Roman See. At which time, mindful himself of those things which Blessed Vincent had announced to him fifty years before, which was performed after 50 years: after two months of his Pontificate, on a feast day and in the sacred church of Saint Peter the Apostle, he enrolled him in the catalog of Saints of the Roman Church. Of this thing the whole world is witness: for the Pontiff himself, before he was raised to such dignity, was wont to narrate to those who were joined to him by familiarity what so long before Vincent had prophesied. But when he was now constituted in the very supreme Priesthood, and there was discourse between him and the Senate of Cardinals and of very many Bishops concerning the merits and the holiness of miracles of Vincent himself, he often made mention of that same prophecy, that namely by his most effective testimony the holiness of Vincent might be more irrefragably proven before the whole Church.

[2] Vincent was a very young man, and on account of his erudition, by the deliberation of the Fathers who according to custom had gathered at the Provincial Chapter, it was decreed that he should be sent to Barcelona as Master of Philosophy: which is a certain dignity that is wont to be conferred on young men in the Order of Preachers. And he, who, as is narrated above, from his first youth was held most apt for a preacher, for that reason, staying at Barcelona, not only lectured on Philosophy in the school, but also preached the word of life to the common people. During that time in the same region there was so great a scarcity of grain, two ships laden with wheat about to arrive, that for many days bread failed: on account of which in the city itself by those who held the magistracies, a public supplication of all was proclaimed, that God might provide, lest the people perish from hunger. And so processions were arranged, in which not only Clerics but also all men of both sexes should take part. When therefore on a certain Sunday, at the time of such processions, Vincent himself was preaching in a certain place, where there was a multitude of above thirty thousand men; divinely inspired, he said: "I wish, O citizens of Barcelona, that you rejoice exceedingly in the benefit bestowed on you by God, and in common render thanks to God: for evening will not come before two great ships laden with wheat, with the winds and the sea calm, will reach the port of your city." Although many of the common people were both rejoiced and amazed at these words, which happened beyond all hope: yet more serious men did not give them much credit, for the holiness of the man was not known to them, nor was his fame for virtue yet celebrated. Moreover the merchants and those who had the care of preparing grain-supply were expecting grain ships to arrive not on that day but much later, according to the provision they had made. There was also another thing which drew them not to believe such words: for on that and many other days before, there was great commotion of sea and winds. For which reasons the words of Saint Vincent brought scandal rather than joy. And so the Prior and other Brothers greatly rebuked him, saying that he had spoken rashly. But he most meekly answered those rebuking him, always asserting that whatever he had predicted would come to pass. And that the narration of this miracle be not drawn out further, before sunset each thing was completed, as Saint Vincent had foretold.

[3] When at Perpignan, which is a certain town where Gaul is separated from Catalonia, Vincent was held seized with the most grave fevers, so that many believed he would die, that after 4 days he would be freed from fever. and physicians had been brought to him by the Brothers, who would bring some remedy for his sickness, he said: "I have no need of your medicines: for I am not going to die at this time, nor in this place, nor from this sickness: for a longer course yet remains for me to complete: four more days I shall suffer these fevers, after which you will see me completely recovered." The physicians therefore departed; and the four days being passed, they saw that what Vincent had predicted would happen had been done.

[4] to a detractor asking pardon, A certain Brother of the Order of the Hermits of Blessed Augustine, Prior of the Convent of the town of Oreola, which is in Catalonia, had cast many impious things together with some envious and railing men against Blessed Vincent and his holy doctrine:

but after some months, considering the gentleness of the man of God and his great constancy in bearing the injuries inflicted on him, and the holiness of his life, and noting that he had lied against him, on a certain day, having taken a convenient time, he went to him and humbly asked pardon, saying: "Spare, servant of God, spare him who has committed many impious things against you: I am one of those wicked men, who at Valencia conspired against you and your holy and heavenly doctrine; and now as a suppliant I flee to you, certain that you, by your humanity and gentleness, will not deny me pardon: I confess that I have certainly spoken many lies against you." To this Vincent said: "I have already long ago pardoned you and your accomplices, he urges confession, and predicts a sudden death, but much more has God spared you, who put it into your mind to come to me this day. Do not therefore be slow to look to the salvation of your soul: go at once to a Priest, to confess each sin which you can remember: for know that you are about to die soon." But he, struck with fear and great terror, immediately did what the man of God had advised him to do. At length, having received his blessing and the kiss of peace, he departed from him, and so he took up his journey, and having gone a distance of nearly six miles, before he came to the place to which he had determined to go, falling to the ground, he was immediately extinguished, not without the greatest terror and amazement of those who were accompanying him. which he indicated to his own: But Saint Vincent at the same moment, turning to the multitude which was following him, said: "Let us all pray for the soul of that Brother, whom a little while ago I had exhorted to confession: for now he is dead." He ordered therefore that in that same place the funeral rites be prepared and celebrated: which had not yet been finished, when there came a messenger who affirmed that he had been extinguished by a sudden death.

[5] likewise for another of his companions: A certain Monk, Gilbert by name, who presided over the monastery of Saint Mary of the Puy near Valencia, having left the care of the Brothers and of his monastery, determined to follow Blessed Vincent with the rest of the multitude: noting his devotion, Vincent himself admitted him into his society joyfully and willingly. Now after a few days, having summoned him, he said: "My son, I admonish you that you piously confess at once, and then return to your monastery; for there the place of rest is assigned to you. And on the very journey do not cease from the praises of God, and if ever you had contrition of heart, strive to arouse it now: for you are now going to be awaited before the gates of your monastery, with the greatest desire of all your monks. Go now: it is time, in which an end must be put to their desire." He, understanding the words of the divine seer all too well, most joyfully did each thing to which he had been exhorted. Having therefore made confession and received the blessing of the man of God, he immediately departed, and hastened to the monastery: the monks, seeing him, went out to meet him. And without delay, when he had proceeded or come to the door of the monastery itself, there dead he fell to the ground. Blessed Vincent at that same moment had the funeral rites celebrated, as we have narrated was done a little before for the other Brother.

[6] As Blessed Vincent was preaching at Alessandria, which is a city of Lombardy, there was present at his sermon that man who is now most celebrated in the whole world, Brother Bernardino of the Order of Minors, who at that time was young and adorned with many virtues, but his name was not yet celebrated in Italy. He addresses young Saint Bernardino familiarly: Being attracted by the fame of Vincent, which was now spread far and wide throughout the whole world, he proceeded to the said city, so that namely he might hear that great herald of the Gospel preaching, of whom many wonderful things were being narrated everywhere. Therefore when Bernardino heard Vincent preaching, he was amazed and stupefied by his teaching, eloquence, and fervor: and so at the end of the sermon he went to him, desiring to address him familiarly, and to be admitted to his friendship, that at length he might be able to receive some benefit from the teaching and examples of so great a man. But Vincent, noting the pleasing disposition of the young man, showed him many services of humanity, and wished that he should be refreshed with him: and after many discourses in which both conversed, Bernardino, having received the blessing of Vincent, gave him thanks and thence departed. But on the morning of the following day, while Vincent was preaching, and while Bernardino too was present together with others who were at the sermon; he predicts he will be a famous preacher, he addressed the people and those who were present with these words: "Know, my sons, that there is standing among you a certain religious man of the Order of the Minor Brothers, who within a few days will be a singular man in all Italy: and to be enrolled among the Saints before himself. from whose teaching and examples great fruit shall be made among the Christian people. And although he is young and I am worn out with age, yet the time will come when in the Roman Church he will be preferred to me in honor. I exhort you therefore to give thanks to God, and let us beseech him, for the utility of the Christian people, to fulfill what he has revealed to me. And because this is to be, I shall return to preach in the Gauls and in the Spains, and I shall leave the rest of the peoples of Italy, to whom I have not yet gone to teach, to be instructed by him." Having said these things, he returned to what he had left off. The truth of this prophecy was fulfilled in each detail: for after ten years Bernardino was held celebrated throughout all Italy, and Vincent returned to the Gauls and Spains. Although Vincent also had happily died thirty years before Bernardino, ^a yet six years after him he was added to the catalog of Saints: the causes of which tardiness we shall explain in that book which, with Jesus Christ as our guide, we have determined to compose after this work, on the canonization of Vincent himself.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER II.

Absent and hidden things revealed to Saint Vincent.

[7] Not only of future but also of past hidden things there was often made a wonderful revelation to him; yet although this very thing could be manifested by many examples, we shall here mention these few. When at Zaragoza, a noble city of Aragon, In absence he tells the sermon that his mother had died at that hour, he was preaching in a certain field of that city, he interrupted the matter of which he was speaking, and began to weep copiously: then wiping his weeping eyes, he raised them to heaven, and thus gazing he was silent for a short space of time. At length turning to the peoples, who were wondering at this very thing, with a joyful face he said: "Do not wonder, my sons, at what you have seen done by me: and is enjoying blessed glory. for God has revealed to me that at this hour my mother departed at Valencia, and for this very reason I wept: but now I congratulate her, because it has also been revealed to me that she died a pious and religious death, and is now in heaven placed among the holy Angels." Almost all who were present noted these words, so that they might know whether what Vincent had affirmed had been revealed to him was true: and after a few days there came to him messengers with letters, by which the happy death of his mother was announced to him; and it was found that she had died on no other day or hour than those which he had before announced.

[8] In the same way also at Toledo, which is a city in farther Spain, the death of ^a his sister was revealed to him, who had never taken a husband, but had always remained in virginity: likewise his sister, of whom this memorable thing is reported: that when she was near death, she asked that there be placed upon her a certain woolen tunic which had before belonged to her brother Saint Vincent, and which, out of singular devotion for so great a man, she had for many years preserved with great care: when this had been done, she, who said she was led by him to the tribunal of Christ. among other things which she said in praise of God, often repeated these words: "O my brother, Saint Vincent, pray God for me." At length after two hours she spoke thus, and these were her last words: "Behold, my brother Brother Vincent is leading me before the tribunal of Jesus Christ," and saying these things she immediately gave up the spirit: all these things were revealed to Blessed Vincent while he was celebrating Mass and was holding the sacrament of the Eucharist in his hand according to custom: and as soon as the solemnities of Mass were finished, he ascended to the place where he was going to preach, and manifested the revealed matter to the people. After many days there came a messenger, who both brought letters about the death of his sister, and narrated each thing that had been done before she died. Those who noted the messenger's words found that his sister had died on no other day or hour than that in which Vincent had said she had been extinguished.

[9] In the time of that two-year period, in which we shall show in the following book that he stayed in Brittany, To one companion he predicts the day and hour of death, one of his companions, being seized with fevers, asked from him to be blessed and signed with the Cross, so that namely, as for others, so for him, by the imposition of hands he might obtain the benefit of health. Vincent laid his hand upon him, to satisfy his devotion: but a little later, looking at him, he said: "Know, my son, that at this time you will not be able to obtain the health you would wish: look to the salvation of your soul, for after eight days, at the first hour of the Lord's day, you will die. and he knew that he was detained three days in purgatory: He immediately does what the divine seer advised him: on the day therefore and hour which the holy man had predicted, he was extinguished: but Blessed Vincent, having convened many Priests who had come together for the funeral, said: "I beseech you all, my Brothers, that each of you celebrate three Masses, that the soul of my deceased companion may be freed from the pains of purgatory: for it has been revealed to me, that he must be tormented there for three days." The Priests soon do what the man of God had imposed on them to do: and the three days being passed, he gave them thanks, and said that the soul of the deceased had been freed from the pains of purgatory by the suffrages of Masses and other prayers, and had flown to heaven.

[10] When at Toulouse, a most celebrated city of the Gauls, on a certain day so great a multitude of men gathered at his sermon, that places were lacking to many, and for this reason they were compelled to climb upon the walls which were around the place where he was preaching; he knows in spirit the danger of a sleeping young man, a certain young man

standing on the wall itself, was pressed by sleep, and so was hanging half off the wall, so that, if God had not brought help, not long after he would have died from falling: the place where he was sleeping was behind the back of Blessed Vincent, between whom and him was a certain structure of planks, which completely hindered him who was sleeping from being seen by him. But he, inspired by the Holy Spirit, interrupted the matter of which he was speaking and said: "Behind my back there is a certain young man sleeping on the wall, who, if he is not awakened, will fall, and from that fall will die with the perpetual damnation of his soul: therefore go to him and help, and free him from such danger"; and immediately it was done.

[11] At Lérida a certain Priest, named Lawrence Peregrinus, moved by a certain youthful lasciviousness, was wont to use under his outer garments the adornment of other things and clothes, which lascivious and secular men were wont to use: which yet he showed to no one, but alone in himself took delight in the cultivation of such things. When therefore Vincent preaching in the city itself was reproving the vices of many, the hidden vanity of another, and among other things was detesting the lasciviousness of those who spent superfluous care in the adornment of the body, he described the whole life and conversation of that Lawrence and all the zeal which he spent in the cultivation of his body, and the shapes and colors of each of the garments which he wore under his outer clothes, no less than if he had known him from his youth. When he heard this, he was wonderfully astonished, and thinking within himself that the man of God could know such secret things he wore not by human but by divine revelation, being pricked with much contrition, and all lasciviousness of life and garments being put aside, he adhered to him, and for twenty-two months through many places of the Spains joyfully and religiously followed him.

[12] While many from Valencia, as we have narrated above, were following Vincent, having cast off and left all temporal things; a certain man, who was called Gaia, having sold all his goods and received for them four hundred gold pieces, came to him and opened to him all his deliberation, saying that he had determined to follow him; and that of the four hundred gold pieces which he had, he would do nothing except what he himself should persuade him. Blessed Vincent praised his holy purpose, and soon persuaded him to distribute all that money to the poor of Christ. he discerns the fraud of one keeping back 200 gold pieces, He therefore departed, and having bestowed two hundred gold pieces, he kept the rest for himself, wishing to preserve them for future necessities: at length returning to the man of Christ, he said: "I have done, Father, what you urged." But Vincent, taught by the Holy Spirit, perceived that he had lied, and looking at his face, said: "You are not worthy to be held in the fellowship of those who follow me: for you speak lies: for you did not distribute all in the poor, as I had urged: for this is a manifest sign that you have not placed all your hope in the Lord. And so unless you shall give to the poor the two hundred gold pieces, which you have kept back for yourself for future necessities, you cannot follow me with a free mind: for I wish to have with me men who abound in faith and virtues, not those who abound in gold and earthly riches." Hearing this, humbly prostrate and grieving for what he had committed, he confessed his sin before all the multitude, and with many tears asked pardon from him, and immediately obtained it: afterward he made the distribution of those gold pieces, as holily pleased the man of God.

[13] Beside the river which flows near Tortosa, a city of Catalonia, there are certain huts surrounded by many trees, which were wont to preserve straw and other such things. On a certain day, therefore, when Blessed Vincent was preaching in a certain field outside the city itself, interrupting the matter about which he was preaching, he said: "I know a great fire is kindled in one of the huts which are beside the river: fornicators sinning far off, and so it is good that some of you run thither and bring help, lest perhaps a greater and more lasting fire follow." Therefore many rising from there went to the place of the huts: and when they had approached and no trace of fire was seen externally, they were astonished and thought among themselves, what fire the man of God had wished to signify. As they entered the huts and looked around, inquiring whether they could see fire anywhere, at length they found a certain young man having intercourse with a certain harlot woman. When this was found, they immediately understood what kind of fire the holy man had said was kindled. And all who were present not undeservedly attributed this matter to a miracle: for it was utterly impossible that those places of huts could be seen by Vincent.

[14] On another day also, the multitude of the same city being gathered for the sake of hearing his sermon, Vincent, after he had ascended the place in which he was going to preach, did not immediately make a beginning of speaking as he had been accustomed before: wherefore the people waited and greatly wondered, thinking what that delay meant, which he was making thus beyond custom. He, perceiving this, said: "Let there be no wonder to you; the cause of my silence is this: Jews about to come to the sermon: I am awaiting God's grace, which shall soon be sent down to us from heaven: for you shall see running to this sermon men whose coming will be most welcome to us all. But you, use such humanity with them, that when they come, they may find places prepared for them." Scarcely had he finished the words, when behold all the Synagogue of the Jews came, saying that that day they wished to hear what Vincent was preaching. They were therefore most joyfully received by all, and in the great multitude had a suitable place. But the man of God, before he made the beginning of preaching, asked those Jews before all the multitude who it was that had persuaded them to go to hear his sermon that day. They answered that they had been persuaded by no one, but that of their own accord, as though inspired by God, they had all determined to come there. And so the holy herald of God made the beginning of speaking, and soon so much grace was spread over his lips, from whom he converted many: that a great part of those Jews was recalled from Jewish perfidy and converted to the Catholic faith.

[15] When one day he was preaching in a certain town of farther Spain, called Prolesques, a certain Jew, who was held the most skilled of all in his law, attracted by the most celebrated fame of Blessed Vincent, likewise the secret approach of another Jew, determined to hear him preaching, that he might see whether he was such as fame reported him to be. And so he betook himself to a certain friend of his, a Christian man, to whom he immediately opened the counsel of his mind. He received him into his own house, that from there he could secretly hear the sermon of Blessed Vincent. Now the house of this man was so situated that it was left entirely behind the back of the preacher. During the sermon the Jew began to doze for a little while: these things therefore were divinely revealed to Blessed Vincent, who, alleging a certain sentence of Scripture which seemed most of all against the Jews, raised his voice a little higher, and thus addressed the Jew, who, as we were just saying, was hearing the sermon from a hidden place: "O Jew, who are sleeping behind my back, and who have come secretly to the place where you now are to hear my doctrine, wake up and consider these words of Scripture, how they accuse the perfidy of the Jews, who denied Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ." The Jew therefore being awakened and amazed, both because Vincent had revealed a thing known to no one, and because he was so sharply and truthfully and copiously unfolding the words and sense of the Scriptures, was wholly changed, and converted to the faith of Christ: who immediately wished to be baptized, and by his example very many others were converted.

[16] At Barcelona a certain woman had an infant son, who by excessive crying had been broken in his genital members; he heals a little boy and predicts he will be an outstanding theologian: and so coming to Blessed Vincent she asked him to sign the little infant with the Cross according to custom, and to place his hand on the place of the sickness. He, inwardly inspired by the Holy Spirit, turned to the woman, and said to her: "Rejoice, daughter, and hope in the Lord: for this infant of yours shall soon be freed from this sickness; and when he is of greater age, he will be a Cleric, and at length in mature age he will become a most learned theologian." After saying this, he laid his hand on the little infant as was his custom: and this being done, he was immediately restored to health. In the succession of times each thing was fulfilled, as the man of God had prophesied so long before. That man too still lives, whom for his singular erudition ^b Alphonsus, King of the Aragonese, prosecutes with great honor and benevolence, whose name is ^c John Solerius.

[17] In the same city, as Blessed Vincent was going up to the royal palace, the devil appeared to him in human form: whom the man of God, recognizing by divine revelation, asked, saying: "Whither are you going, accursed one?" He answers: "To Montserrat." And when Vincent further asked him why he was going there, he answered: "It is not necessary that it be manifested to you now, but tomorrow you shall be made more certain about all." Saying these things, the devil immediately disappeared. Blessed Vincent, finally going out, prayed the Lord absent he knows of the death of the Abbot of Montserrat: that he would deign to reveal to him what it was that the demon had asserted he was going to do at Montserrat, and had denied manifesting it to him. And so when he had finished his prayer, summoning his companion to him, he said: "One thing the Lord has revealed to me, which I tell you with grief. Know that as soon as tomorrow shall dawn, we shall hear of the death of the Abbot of that place." On the next day it was announced that the Abbot of the said monastery had been found dead in his cell.

[18] At Morella, which is a village not much distant from the city of Valencia, interrupting his sermon, he said: "I wish to make all of you who are standing here more cautious, that not the eighth day will pass before there will be a great thunder, which will be heard through all the parts of the kingdom; and after its fall a great shedding of human blood will follow. he predicts the death of Martin King of Aragon, After two days, because from the words of the man of God great terror had invaded them, and each one was trying to find out what that thunder would be, therefore explaining the meaning of his words, he said that that thunder would be nothing else than that after a few days messengers were to come who would announce that King Martin was now dead. These words made all minds suspended, since no such thing did any of those who were in the kingdom suspect or think: yet after a very few days each thing came about, as Vincent had predicted.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER III.

Life given to the dead, and speech to the mute. Bread and wine not diminished.

[19] While Vincent was sowing the word of edification through that part of the Gauls which they call ^a Lingua-Anserina, he came to a certain village which is called ^b… For in this village there was a certain man noble both by race and by virtues, who had a wife young and beautiful and most adorned with many virtues, but yet she suffered from a certain sickness, so that at certain intervals of time she was made insane, not without great danger to herself and her own: yet at the time when she returned to herself, she seemed so prudent and gentle in all her words and deeds, that in that village there was no woman held to be her equal. When therefore Blessed Vincent arrived, he was asked by her husband to choose no other house but his for lodging, which he also obtained. And so the man of God entering his house, at the very first entrance blessed the woman who was offered to him, and placed his hand on her head, as she had asked: from which it came about that as long as Vincent dwelt in her house, An infant killed by his own mother, divided into pieces, and cooked she had no interval of insanity, so that she was wholly thought by her husband and all the others to be healed. Now on the next day, as her husband and the other familiars were going to Vincent's sermon, the wife, and with her a certain other woman familiar to her, was left, so that namely they might prepare the things necessary for refreshment. But it turned out far otherwise than her husband had thought: for when that other woman, whom he had left with his wife, was intent on other necessary things, the wife, as she was wont, agitated by the furies, taking iron, slaughtered her own son, who was an infant, and divided the slain body into pieces, and set one part to be cooked by fire for dinner, and kept the other part for supper. Now when the sermon was finished, that man returned home joyful, and immediately asked his wife meeting him whether dinner was now ready, so that when the holy preacher came he might at once be refreshed. The woman answered that all necessary things were ready, and nothing remained except that the man of God coming could lie down at once without delay. When the man asked again whether she had prepared the fish well, she answered that with the fish she had prepared very excellent meats, and that she had other meats which she had reserved for supper. Hearing this, the man rebuked her, since he had not left her meats to be prepared, on which also Blessed Vincent by no means fed. Wishing therefore to investigate the matter more diligently, the man perceived that she had been agitated by her usual insanity, and that those meats which his wife affirmed she had prepared were the meats of his little infant. All then cry out and mourn, and the father grieving before all said: "Alas, wretched me, upon whom has fortune wished to rage with so many and so great adversities. Are these the things that are repaid to me for the works of piety, which I have been wont to bestow upon Christ's poor? From the hospitality which I have shown to this servant of God, I hoped that my wife would be healed by God: and yet to all my afflictions now this one has been added, which exceeds all others. Thus, thus, O Brother Vincent, do you repay me the reward of my devotion to you?" As he was thus weeping and complaining these and many other such things, with the sign of the Cross and prayer he raises him up, many running told Blessed Vincent what had happened: who, not at all distrustful, hastened at once to the house. When entering it, he found in it a great confusion of crying, mourning, and sorrow, commanding silence with voice and hand, he said: "Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ: who as he created this infant from nothing, so also will restore him to his former life, if you have true faith." Having said these things, he ordered the pieces, into which the little body had been divided by the mother, to be brought to him; then he bent his knees and made a brief prayer, and afterward over those pieces made the sign of the Cross, saying these words: "Jesus, Son of Mary, the salvation and Lord of the world, who made the soul of this infant from nothing, may restore it to this body, to the praise and glory of his ineffable majesty." After which, with all present looking on, at once the members were joined, and the infant soon was restored to his former life. Wherefore how great was the wonder of all and how great the joy, and how much the veneration of all for the man of God was increased, let those consider who shall with pious mind consider how great was such and so great a miracle.

[20] At ^c … city a certain woman, having poured out a great flood of tears, having fallen at the feet of Blessed Vincent, offered him a certain dead infant, he restores another infant to life: whom she said had lain lifeless for twelve hours. He, considering the great faith of that woman, soon raised his eyes to heaven, and having made a very brief supplication, immediately laying his hand on the dead body, said to the woman: "Go home, and continue constantly in the praise of God: for this infant is now sleeping, and shall be awakened from sleep after you enter the house." She therefore believed, and immediately, as Saint Vincent had ordered, returned home: and as soon as she came to the threshold of the house, the infant began to move, and to utter crying, and to seek his mother's breasts to suckle. And so in the presence of many who were running to so great a spectacle, he nursed at the breasts, and then lived many years to mature age.

[21] As Blessed Vincent was preaching in a certain village near Tortosa, which in the language of the Catalans is called Trayguera, it happened that that deed was narrated by him, by which Saint Margaret is said to have thrown down the devil appearing to her in human form, and held him defeated under her feet. Now among those who followed the man of God was a certain young Lombard, whose simplicity was so great that he desired no utility of earthly things, but only the salvation of his soul. He, hearing how great was the triumph of Margaret against the wiles of the devil, began to think many things within himself, and among others he was saying thus: "Oh, if God would one day permit the devil to wish to fight with me in visible form, to a mute woman injured unto death, I would overthrow him in a similar manner; and I would fight so strenuously with him until I had carried off the victory over him." Therefore about the twenty-first hour, having left the village, and having taken for himself a suitable place where he might pray more secretly, he bent his knees, and began among other things to beseech the Lord to permit the devil to appear to him visibly in some form, so that namely by the example of the blessed Virgin Margaret he might be able to overcome him in fighting. While he was thus praying, there came into the place a certain woman, who held a sickle in her hand, sent to cut the herbs with which that place abounded. This woman was mute from birth: who when she had come into the place, and had seen that young man bending his knees among the herbs, was greatly terrified, and retreating began to emit voice without distinct speech, and by certain signs of hands and head seemed to threaten the young man. The young man, seeing the most deformed woman (as she was of decrepit age, with a long and lean body and face, of squalid color, clothed in torn garments, who also emitted the highest voices without the expression of words, and seemed to threaten him with the sickle which she held in her hand), he judged that she was not a woman, but the devil appearing to him in female form, and believed that his prayers had been heard by God: for which reasons he rushed upon her, and immediately threw her to the ground, saying: "Accursed devil, have you come? Certainly you shall not overcome me in visible combat, you who have most often overcome me in invisible temptation." Saying these things, he seized her by the hair, and dragging her here and there, now with his hands, now with his heels, now with the sickle which he had carried, struck her so long, and afflicted her with so many wounds, until he left her half-dead. At this a great multitude of both sexes came running, and seeing what had been done, they arrested the young man and shut him in a harsh prison. These things were at once reported to Blessed Vincent: who caused the body, which seemed lifeless, to be brought to him at once, and soon praying over it in his usual manner, he laid his hand upon it; this being done, the woman at once breathed again. He, having summoned one of the Priests who were accompanying him, he gives her speech so that she can confess: ordered him to hear her confession. But those who were present, hearing this, told the man of God that this was being done in vain, because she was mute from birth, and therefore could neither hear nor understand the Priest, nor could she with her own words indicate and confess her sins. These objections notwithstanding, Blessed Vincent again orders the Priest to hear her confession, affirming that she would speak everything most distinctly. And so whatever the man of God had commanded, the Priest confidently performs. What need of words? As soon as he approached the woman for hearing her confession and drew near her; she, whom all the Catalans knew to have been mute from birth, spoke, and began most diligently and distinctly to confess; and so most perfectly pronounced each word, as if she had never been mute before. After having made confession, she asked that the Eucharist and extreme unction be administered to her: at last she commended herself to the Lord, and in the hearing and presence of very many who had gathered to see so great a miracle, never ceased to speak until she breathed out her spirit. The young man, however, who had killed her, through the prayers of Blessed Vincent himself was freed from hanging, and returned to Italy.

[22] The solemnity of Blessed John the Baptist was at hand, and as Blessed Vincent was preaching in the city of Valencia, through the midst of the multitude was led to him a certain woman, to another mute who had been mute from birth, as those who led her asserted. He, perceiving that their faith was great, he grants speech for a few words: raised his eyes to heaven for a little while; and soon turning to the woman, addressing her before all the multitude, thus questioned her: "What do you wish, daughter?" She answered: "I wish bread and the office of the tongue." And Vincent to her: "Bread, indeed, daily, as long as you shall live, you shall have: but the office of the tongue you cannot obtain: for God has wished you to be deprived of such office for your future utility. For if you had the use of speaking, so great would have been the biting of your tongue, that you would have lost the life of your body and of your soul. Therefore cease not to magnify God in mind, and beware lest you further ask of him, what not undeservedly

he will deny you." The woman therefore answered: "Holy Father, I will do what you urge"; and she immediately became silent, and the men, by whom she had been led, amazed at the wonder of such a thing, led her back whence she had come. ^d She thus lived seven more years, and at last religiously migrated from this light.

[23] When Blessed Vincent left Vic, a city of Catalonia (whose citizens, at first holding mortal hatreds among themselves, he had left in the greatest concord and charity), and was proceeding toward Barcelona, he turned aside to a certain inn, whose place in their language is called Lacona: when he had first arrived there, those who had the care of arranging the preparation of refreshment asked the host whether he had anything which could be set before the man of God Vincent and the others who were accompanying and following him to eat and drink. The host answered that he had nothing except a little flour and a little wine in a cask: which too had long ago lost the flavor of wine, and seemed almost to have become vinegar. They said to him: "Hurry, and from the flour which you have, make as many loaves as can be made. For if we cannot all be refreshed, at least let us have so much bread that with the servant of God and a few nobles who have accompanied him from Vic to here, it may suffice: but the rest of the multitude will patiently bear it, until we come to Granollers." They also ordered the wine drawn from the cask to be put in a certain wooden vessel, two thousand men he refreshes with fifteen loaves which by the inhabitants of that region is called a portatoria: this they had done because it was their custom that as often as they were refreshed in such open places, wine should be placed in the portatoria itself; so that namely anyone might take of it according to his need. And so the host at once performs what they wished: but they opened the whole matter to Blessed Vincent, and added that there was so much provision that it would suffice for him and those few nobles who were accompanying him, but the rest of the multitude would patiently wait fasting, until he came to Granollers. When the man of God heard this, he judged it unworthy that so great a multitude, which was above ^e two thousand men, should suffer such a long fast: wherefore trusting in the liberality of God, he ordered them not to say this to anyone, but to distribute the few loaves which they had, with a little wine before sour, as best they could, to the multitude: and to allow the wine placed in the portatoria to be taken by all, as they had been accustomed. Then, having given the blessing, he began to recline with the whole multitude: soon, as the loaves, which were fifteen in number, were being distributed and the wine taken, not only was the multitude satisfied from their multiplication, but also the wine itself, which was almost vinegar, was changed into the most excellent and sweetest to taste. Seeing this, the host at once, prostrate on the ground, and emitting great shouts, reveals the matter to the whole multitude: and although he was restrained by Blessed Vincent, he however shouting much more invited all who were present to give thanks. When the refreshment was finished, and the man of God ordered the price of the bread and wine to be paid to the host according to what was due, he refused, and asked nothing else of him except that he should pray that heavenly blessing should come to his house and all who were living in it: which also he obtained. This prayer was not in vain, since in that house another no less great miracle followed as a result: and fills the chest with flour and the cask with wine: for the following day the host and his wife, rising at first light, and preparing to set out for the city for wine and flour, found the chest full of flour and the cask full of the sweetest wine, even to overflowing. Now such multiplication of things, at the prayer of Blessed Vincent himself, was done very frequently: but how or in what places it was done, we omit to say, lest if we wished to mention each one, we should make our narration too long. He often did similar things: Yet one miracle of this kind we do not wish to omit, since it has seemed to us outstanding and worthy of great admiration: then we shall pass to the narration of others. There is in Catalonia a certain place which is called by the inhabitants Villa-longa, he refreshes six thousand men to which when Blessed Vincent had come, together with that religious multitude, which was then nearly six thousand men in number; the lord of that place, who was called Justus, at once prepared for them refreshment, with wine not diminished: which he could prepare according to the suitability of the place and time: and among other things he had the wine placed in a portatoria, keeping namely the custom which we have shown a little before was observed at the time of such refreshments by Blessed Vincent's companions. And so after all had been refreshed and had gone thence, the portatoria was found full of wine, as if no one from so great a number of men had not only drunk anything of it, but had not even tasted it. He, being greatly amazed at the wonder of such a thing, determined to go at once to the man of God, and to disclose to him so great and unusual a miracle: when he had done this, Blessed Vincent said: "Go, and give thanks to God. Those who exercise themselves in works of piety deserve to see such miracles: but do not forget the benefit of so great a God, and I exhort you to keep the wine which you say was left over and multiplied, and to strive to distribute it liberally to all who shall ask of you to be given some of it." And so he did whatever Blessed Vincent had ordered: for for ten years he kept the wine itself, and it could never be consumed, even after ten years remaining whole and healing to the sick: although so great had been the distribution made of it, that in the judgment of all who knew the matter, in the space of one year it ought to have been wholly consumed. And also worthy of great admiration is this, that whoever drank of it were cured from the infirmities which they were suffering.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER IV.

Demons expelled and restrained. Storms, rain, and excessive drought removed.

[24] There was a certain man at Valencia who, having a daughter whom a demon had possessed for many years, He compels a demon to stand motionless in the possessed body, bound with ropes, and scarcely led by eight men, presented her to Blessed Vincent to be healed. She, as soon as she was brought into the sight of the man of God, began to emit such cries and to do such violence to those by whom she was being led; that all who were present were terrified. But besides cries, foam was being emitted from her mouth and nostrils: she was also changing into various colors: and made a manifold motion of body, head, and the other members, so that all beholding these things thought they saw the devil himself, not the effigy of a man. Blessed Vincent first addresses the demon with these words: "On behalf of Jesus Christ I command you to desist from so violent an attempt, and no longer be moved." After these words the demon immediately fell silent, and the body of the girl remained motionless, and turning her face toward the man of God, she was looking at him with slanted eyes. Vincent then bound the demon with the same precept to make clear to him how, why, and for how long he had begun to possess the girl. To each of these the demon answered thus: "It is seven years since I, together with some of my companions, entering the house of the parents of this girl in the middle of the night, tried to suggest to the man that he should slaughter his sleeping wife. But it turned out far otherwise than we hoped, and therefore we could not accomplish what we were hoping: for the wife, on account of the great noise which we made, being awakened from sleep, fortified herself with the sign of the Cross, and named the name of Christ and of the Virgin Mary, which, as you know, and to confess how he had entered there, we greatly fear. And so we, seeing her fortified with such strong arms and being indignant, shook the whole house with great and terrible motions: but this girl, who was then ten years old, fearing that the house itself would collapse, fled under the bed, thinking she would be safer there. But I did not wish to depart from there, unless I first had perpetrated some evil: and seeing that I could harm no one (since all had fortified themselves with the sign of the Cross), I immediately entered the body of this girl, who had done no such thing, and I have possessed and vexed it until this present time; sometimes more gently, sometimes more sharply, as it has seemed more pleasing to me." Then Blessed Vincent ordered him to depart from the body itself without any harm to the girl. and at last to depart. He answered that he would depart, but that the place through which he must go out be appointed for him. To whom the man of God said: "I wish that you depart from that place which you shall judge the filthiest in this body." Then the demon added these words: "Before you there have been very many who have adjured me, compelling me to cease possessing this body: but they could never expel me. But you are named Vincent the victorious: for you have conquered me, and I cannot resist you. Behold, I am ready to do what you command." Having said these things, uttering a most foul howl, he departed from the oppressed body, and with horrible stench left the girl herself, prostrate on the ground, as if dead. Vincent ordered her to be carried home and refreshed, and admonished her father that after the refreshment he should try to have some Priest, to whom she might confess: which was at once done. She afterward so profited in virtue that not long afterward she was judged by the voice of all among the Valencian women to be the most honorable and most prudent of all.

[25] While he was preaching in the same city on another day, a demon invaded a certain man hearing his sermon, and began to vex him troublesomely, so that he not only struck great terror in all present, likewise a demon during the sermon entering the body of a pander, but also wonderfully moved them to pity for him. For first he emitted a great cry, then began to leap and sing, afterward alternately laughed and wept, sometimes also howled like wolves, sometimes was thrown to the ground as if dying, and soon rising he emitted horrible foams from his mouth and nostrils, and at length made many other horrible gestures. But Vincent

seeing these things, with voice and hand compelled the terrified multitude to be silent, and immediately turning to him who was being vexed, said: "Accursed one, be silent, and move no more, until I shall have put an end to the sermon." After these words he stood erect, and desisted from shouting and from those movements and gestures, so that he remained almost motionless: and as long as the man of God continued preaching, so long he gazed at him with fixed eyes, and drank in with erected ears what came forth from his mouth. When the sermon was finished, he returned to the shouts, and motions and gestures which he had made before: but Saint Vincent coming to him signed his forehead with the Cross, and adjured the devil in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to manifest at once the cause for which he had thus invaded that body, he casts out one wishing to slander him, and to depart at once from that body. The demon answered thus: "This man whom I possess kept a certain harlot in his brothel; and because, on account of your salutary exhortations, she has returned to penance and has deserted this pander, therefore this wicked man hates you and those who follow and hear you, and casts many infamies against you, and has done you many insults: today too he came to hear your doctrine, not certainly that he might receive any fruits of soul, but that he might find something to accuse you of. And so do not drive me hence, and allow me to keep him thus vexed and possessed, until I may avenge upon him the insults done to you." Saint Vincent answered: "I am a servant of Jesus Christ, who prayed for those who crucified him: and so on his behalf I command you to cease possessing the body of this sinner." The demon then emitting a terrible voice went out, and left behind him a horrible stench of sulphur: but the body that had been oppressed he left so mortified, that for the space of an hour, lying on the ground, it was thought by all to be utterly lifeless. But the man of God affirmed that it was not: nay rather he wished one of the Priests who were with him to wait there until the body should breathe again, so that when he had come back to himself he might at once confess. Now of such expulsion of demons and the possessed many things could be mentioned, which we have omitted to say, lest we afflict those who shall read with weariness from its length. Therefore we make our work more praiseworthy, and he frees 70 other demoniacs. if we shall recount various kinds of miracles, so that namely by the diversity of matters our narration may seem far more pleasing. Yet let those who shall wish to know the works of our Vincent know, that above ^a seventy men, in various places and at various times, he freed from such possession of demons.

[26] When on Palm Sunday Blessed Vincent was preaching at the city of Murcia in farther Spain, 3 demons in terrible form of horses and among many other things was speaking against the perfidy of the Jews and the sect of the Saracens, behold three horses appeared coming against the multitude, one of which was black and the other pale, the third seemed red: trying to disturb the sermon who with raised head and unbridled neck and with a most foul smoke emitted from their nostrils, and with much dust stirred up by their feet, and with a terrible neighing given from their mouth, rushed upon the multitude hearing the sermon with bites and kicks; making so great an onslaught, that the whole multitude which was present, crushed and confused, was compelled to take flight. Vincent, God revealing it, immediately knew those horses to be devils; therefore silencing the people with voice and hand, he said: "If you are men who trust in Jesus Christ, do not fear these demons; but all of you arm yourselves with the sign of the Cross, and you will most easily make them depart from you." Which when it had been done by the men, he thus adjured the demons: "On behalf of Jesus Christ I command you to depart from this city, and not to harm anyone." After these words they immediately turned their backs, and running through almost the whole city, they went out through the gate which looks toward the south, and did not appear any more. Afterward Blessed Vincent admonished the people with these words: in the name of Jesus he drives them out: "Be, my sons, of constant mind, and do not allow yourselves to be seduced by the demons. These demons, whom you have seen appear just now in the horrible form of horses, have possessed this city for a long time; but now bearing it ill that I have rooted out many vices from you, and have sown much fruit in you, they tried whether they might harm someone of you: but give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought it about that none of you has fallen into their snares. Yet I wish to make you more certain, that not without a perpetrated evil have they departed running through this city: for there is among you a certain woman, who had left her virgin daughter alone at home, whom she feared to bring here to the sermon; and if now she returns home, she will find the daughter herself and her seducer in the same place." And by their inspiration the fornication elsewhere taking place he reveals: Having said these things, he returned to the matter from which he had begun to speak at the beginning. Meanwhile a certain woman, hearing what was being said by Blessed Vincent, quickly going home, found her daughter in bed having intercourse with a certain young man: who, amazed at the sight of so wicked a deed, ran to the man of God, and before all the multitude confessed that she had found the truth of the matter, as had been reported by him.

[27] In the village of Saint Matthew, not far distant from the city of Valencia, in which Blessed Vincent had remained for some days, a certain man was seen, of very venerable appearance, and wearing the habit of a hermit; who when he had offered himself unsolicited to follow Blessed Vincent together with the others, a hermit who tried to resist his teaching and the Catholic faith was most humanely received by that whole religious band: but in a few days after, in which he was in their company, he used much craftiness. After he had won the spirits of all into love of himself, he began to sow certain poisonous words, by which he seemed to contradict the teaching of Blessed Vincent and the Catholic faith. These things came to the ears of those who in the village presided over others: and so having arrested the man himself and bound him in chains, they thrust him into a horrid prison, he asserts to be a demon: wishing to afflict him with due punishments as a heretic, unless he should retract what he had said. On the next day, wishing to know from him whether he was persevering in his former opinion, having sent ministers to the prison to bring him out, they found no one except only the chains and iron fetters, in no way different somehow than they had left them before. Going therefore to Saint Vincent, they related the whole matter to him as it had been: he, smiling, said: "Let there be no concern for you about this matter: for it was not a man, as you thought, but the devil whom you cast into prison: who, as he has been wont to do from the beginning of the world, tried to hinder the fruit which many of you had received from my teaching."

[28] There is a certain village in Catalonia which is called Borbaster, He drives away a storm with holy water and the sign of the Cross: where when Blessed Vincent wished to preach, on the day of the solemnity of Peter and Paul, before he had laid aside the sacred vestments with which he had celebrated Mass according to custom, suddenly a multitude of clouds was moved in the air, such a crashing of terrible thunders, such continuous and horrible appearance of lightning appeared, that the heavens themselves seemed to threaten ruin. For which reasons all who were present thought that they were about to perish utterly. But Vincent, although he perceived so great a storm had been stirred, yet not at all distrustful, finished the solemnities of the Mass: and soon turning to the multitude, he exhorted them not to doubt, but to place all their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so against the storm he sprinkled holy water, then made the sign of the Cross: and without delay, the storm immediately ceased, and straightway there was wonderful serenity of air. Then mounting the place where he was going to preach to the people, who were marveling at so great a miracle, he addressed them with these words: "My sons, the prayers of the Apostles, whose feast we solemnize this day, have greatly profited us: who if they had not been prostrate before the majesty of Christ for our salvation, he predicts another is to come; truly there would have been in this region such a storm, that neither on the trees would there have remained leaves nor anything green in the fields: for not only water, snow, and hail, but also fiery stones would have fallen from heaven. Yet I make you more certain that the year will not turn around, and you shall see a similar storm in this region: but offer frequent prayers to God, that by his immense clemency he may spare you and your things, lest you have much damage." Having said these things, he completed his sermon in the praises of the Apostles, and after a few days departed from there: and eleven months having passed, that storm followed which Saint Vincent had predicted would follow.

[29] In a similar way also, not once but most frequently, while he was preaching in various places, he stops rain with the sign of the Cross: he drove away a storm through the sign of the Cross: but because we cannot conclude all things in few words, we shall narrate this about one which was done at Toulouse. Therefore as he was preaching on the day of the solemnity of Saint Martin, in a certain field of the city itself, many clouds appeared, making a certain terrible darkness: and a little later such a rain began to be poured out, that all who were hearing his sermon, rising, wished to take flight. But the holy herald of Christ held them back from going, saying: "Let none of you move from the place where he remains: for these drops of water are neither stones nor arrows, by which you may be much harmed." Saying these things, he bent his knees, and raised his eyes to heaven, and made a very brief prayer. Then rising, against the clouds and rains he made the sign of the holy Cross, and so immediately the rain was stilled, the clouds were driven off, and the greatest clarity of heaven followed.

[30] Not only the storm of thunders and waters was mitigated by his prayers, but on the contrary, in a time of drought the greatest abundance of showers was poured from heaven: and since we have found this to have been done often by him, the same in extreme drought our determination was to commit to the memory of posterity only that which was done at Carcassonne, a city of Gaul: since it seemed to us especially worthy of admiration beyond the rest. In that city, therefore, and in the other neighboring regions, from the month of June until January, there was such a drought of the earth that from it no fruit that year could be hoped to be gathered. The citizens, compelled by such great necessity, went to Blessed Vincent, who at that time was staying at Toulouse: to whom first they manifested their need, then besought him that, as to those peoples, so to them he would come for the sake of preaching. The man of God agreed, and four days after he had entered the city, after the sermon was finished, by prayer and the sign of the Cross he obtains. in the same

place where he had also preached, he ordered that all the people should bend their knees, and that all should beseech the Lord, that of his infinite clemency he might pour out waters from heaven, by which their earth might be abundantly watered: he himself also bending his knees prayed. When this had been done, he raised himself, and immediately signed a Cross in the air, and then ordered that each one give thanks to God, and that each one return home, because their prayers had been heard; and that they should not enter the house before a great abundance of waters was poured forth from heaven. Scarcely had he finished the words, when so suddenly was the air gathered into clouds, and a little after so great an abundance of waters was sent out from heaven, as the men of that region remembered they had ever seen before. But this pouring out of waters did not cease until Vincent himself had obtained this by his prayers.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER V.

Diseases cured. Calumnies repelled.

[31] In the city of Castres, which is in the same region of the Gauls, A paralytic is healed, on the day of the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, a man was offered to him who had suffered paralysis for seven years, and by the imposition of his hand he restored him to health. In which city also he drove away, by the sign of the Cross, a great storm of thunders and waters which had been stirred up while he was preaching, and brought back the clarity of the air. At a place which they call Mont-Serquin, not much distant from Toulouse, a certain man, Gerard by name, suffering from epilepsy, which is commonly called the falling sickness, after receiving Blessed Vincent's blessing, was immediately restored to perfect health. At a place which they call Montolieu, an epileptic, near Carcassonne, a certain merchant, named William, deprived of sight for five years, after the blessing was made, was immediately restored to the office of his eyes. a blind man, At Valencia a man was brought to him who had been mute for forty years, because of a certain sickness which he had suffered in his youth, a mute, he placed his hand on his mouth, and immediately he recovered the office of his tongue. In the same city, after some days, a man who from sickness had been made deaf, a deaf man, and for eight years had remained in deafness, he signed with the Cross in his ears; and he immediately obtained the benefit of healing.

[32] A certain Matthew, originating from Montalbán, which is a village of Catalonia, from a certain sickness was made deaf, and came into a certain kind of insanity, and at certain intervals of time was agitated with such furies, likewise a deaf and furious man, that he rushed upon men: and unless he had been known to many, on account of which they were made more cautious, he would not have failed to kill many; wherefore with the one voice and one counsel of all he was driven out of the village. He for many years wandered through mountains and desert places, so that being wholly wild, he seemed more a beast than a man. While thus wandering, on a certain night as he was sleeping it seemed to him that at Montalbán there was a certain man wearing the habit of the Preaching Brothers, who was touching his ears, and thus restoring health to him. And so when day dawned he went at once to Montalbán, where in those days Blessed Vincent was staying for the sake of preaching. When he had come to the place where he used to preach, and had seen that a multitude of the sick was approaching him from all places, that he might lay his hands on them; he also mingled himself with the others, and weeping most abundantly presented himself to the man of God, narrating to him how he had incurred deafness, and the whole order of his life; and revealed the dream which he had seen the previous night; and added that he had such faith in him, that if the man of God laid his hand on his ears, he would immediately obtain the benefit of hearing. Vincent, moved by his prayers and tears, did what he asked: after he had touched his ears with the finger which they call the "ear-finger," and made the sign of the Cross on them, saying those words which above, when laying hands on the sick, he was wont to say; immediately he recovered health from both sicknesses: and soon, by Blessed Vincent's command, he confessed, and followed him for eight months, together with others performing public penance.

[33] In the same village a certain young man named Bartholomew, (whose feet, from a sickness he had suffered in tender age, a cripple, were so contracted that for fifteen continuous years he had not been able to walk alone) was presented by his parents to Blessed Vincent, and being signed with the Cross by him and blessed, was immediately cured; and walking through the midst of the multitude without anyone's help, gave all the cause of such wonder and such joy, that they cried out together, praising God, and giving him thanks for so great a benefit.

[34] In the same place a certain young man named Anthony, surnamed Pingdum, in the major church, as he was intent on the works of the building, together with his father who was an architect, fell from a certain elevated place; and was so loosened in all the members of his body that those who had seen him, especially the physicians, judged that he would soon die. And so seeing himself, that the care of the physicians could not help him, first he received according to custom the ecclesiastical Sacraments, and then turning to heavenly medicines, bruised by a fall: asked the help of Blessed Vincent, who in those days had come to Montalbán. Therefore when the man of God came to him, he addressed him with many tears with these words: "Servant of Jesus Christ, are you he by whose merits and prayers an almost infinite multitude of the sick has obtained the benefit of health from God? Shall I alone be one who cannot obtain health by your prayers, seeing you have deigned, beyond my merits, to wish to come even to my feet? I beseech you therefore, that as for others, so for me you would beseech God." Blessed Vincent, bent by the prayers and tears of the one asking, with all those who were staying in that house excluded, made a very brief prayer. Afterward approaching the sick man, he made the sign of the Cross on his forehead, saying: "Do not fear, dearest son: for from this fall you shall in no wise die, and tomorrow you will return healthy to complete the work which you were doing together with your father. Yet beware lest you take any payment for that work: but you shall complete it to the glory of the Blessed Virgin Mary: because by her merit know that you have obtained the health you ask for." Saying these things, Vincent departed; and the following day, as he had said to the sick man, was wholly fulfilled.

[35] Over the river which flows beside Tortosa, of which we have made mention above; although it is of great width and great depth, They are preserved from drowning at the collapse of the bridge. yet there is no stone bridge constructed for passage, but on certain boats, bound with ropes on either side, beams are placed, over which there was wont to be passage for those going. While therefore Blessed Vincent, having sown the word of life, on the day of Parasceve (Good Friday) was departing from that city, and it was necessary that he pass over the said bridge; because of the multitude following, so great a weight was added to the bridge, that those boats were filled with water utterly, and the structure of the beams, dissolved in many places, was breaking: wherefore many, thinking they would drown, raised their voices with tears, and asked for the help of the man of God. He, therefore, seeing such great danger impending, raising his mind to the Lord, besought him to deign to furnish help to the perishing people: and immediately first with voice and hand he restrained the multitude from fear, then made the sign of the Cross on the waters and the wood, and finally ordered that all cross over without fear. After which in a wonderful manner the little boats, emptied of water, floated on the surface; and the bridge which a little before seemed to be coming apart and breaking, was so restored to its former state, that the multitude of the people passed over without danger; and on the wood itself no trace of breakage appeared afterward.

[36] At ^b Murcia, a city of hither Spain, at a certain time there was so great a multitude of locusts and grasshoppers, that in the space of four days they had almost devastated whatever was green in the fields and vineyards: locusts and grasshoppers are driven away, but the citizens grieving at this went to Blessed Vincent, who in those days had come there, imploring his prayer and help. He ordered holy water to be brought, and at once blessed it: then together with the Clerics who were accustomed to accompany him, chanting hymns, he went to the individual parts and gates of the city, and standing in the midst of them against the regions in which that kind of animal was said to be, he sprinkled holy water. The following day all those animals were found dead, and after a few days the vineyards and fields were restored to their former verdancy, so that in that year no scarcity of grain followed.

[37] A certain Priest, whose name was Lawrence Peregrinus, of whom mention has been made above, fevers are put to flight, while one day, being seized with the most grave fevers, he could not give his work so that for the refreshment of the multitude which was following the man of God; and the other things might be arranged, which Blessed Vincent had committed to his care; having received the blessing from Blessed Vincent, immediately the fevers were put to flight from him, and he executed diligently and quickly the office enjoined upon him. Book 3, no. 11.

[38] A certain man named Lodovicus Cataldus, originating from Barcelona, for two continuous years suffering a most vehement and long-lasting headache, which they call hemicrania, when Blessed Vincent placed his hand upon his head, hemicrania, was immediately so cured that for forty years he never suffered any pain. At Valencia two women in similar manner came to the man of God to have his blessing, a defect of the eye of whom one for many years was unable to see anything at all with her right eye, the other for four continuous years had suffered a flow of blood; and although they had sought many remedies of physicians, yet they never found a medicine which had profited them even a little. a flow of blood, And so destitute of human helps, they committed themselves to the prayers of Blessed Vincent; and as soon as they received the blessing, they immediately obtained the health they had desired. A certain woman named Magdalen, suffering in the throat a most troublesome and inveterate sickness, while Blessed Vincent was staying in the city of Majorca, a disease of the throat, having received his blessing and his hand placed upon her in the place where she was suffering the sickness, was immediately cured.

[39] In the same city there was a certain woman named Catherine, who, having conceived several sons, had brought none to birth at the due time, but always delivered them before time as abortive: therefore hearing the fame that Blessed Vincent, by the laying on of his sacred hands, was conferring the benefit of health upon many, she went to him, and

exposed her affliction to him, and moreover implored the help of his prayer. The man of God, perceiving the woman's faith, said: "Go, daughter, and do not distrust the liberality of God; and know that within a very few days you will conceive, and will bear the conceived son at the due time, and henceforth you will suffer no sadness on account of miscarriages. the danger of miscarriage. She therefore departed rejoicing; and afterward it turned out not otherwise than Vincent had said to her, indeed she was so fruitful and in a few years bore so many sons that she was compelled to give them to other women to be reared. ^c

[40] As Blessed Vincent was departing from a certain monastery, not much distant from the city of Valencia, where the previous night he had been received with great humility by the monks and had rested, and had taught the word of edification; one of the monks greatly entreated his Abbot to allow him to go after the man of God, so that at least he might hear the following day's sermon alone, which he was going to deliver to the people. When he could not obtain this from the Abbot, as soon as the next day dawned, he ascended a certain elevated place which was in the monastery itself: and while he looked toward the region to which Blessed Vincent had said he would proceed, stood with his ears erected, having faith in the merits of Vincent himself, that the voice of his sermon might be able to reach his ears. Then the monk, as he was gazing thus intently, the voice of the man of God came to his ears, who was preaching in a certain village which is called Tolleta, which is said to be distant from the monastery about forty thousand paces. And so he, perceiving that his desire had been satisfied, His sermon is heard from a distance of 40 Roman miles. immediately committed to writing everything that came to his ears. While these things were being done by the monk, Blessed Vincent, interrupting his sermon, said: "Attend, my sons, who have gathered here for the sake of hearing my sermon, do not permit the words which I speak to fall from your memory. There are many who would gladly desire to hear what you are hearing; and yet there is a certain religious man, remaining in his monastery many miles distant from us, to whose ears each of the words which you have heard pronounced by me today have come distinctly and clearly." Having said these things, he returned to the point from which he had before departed: The monk, however, hearing this, said to his Abbot: "God has granted me what you were unwilling to grant: for I have been in a place from which I have heard and committed to writing whatever Brother Vincent preached today at Tolleta." The Abbot, wondering and reading what the monk had written, having sent a messenger, inquired whether what the monk was asserting was also true. And so at length it was found that what he had committed to writing and what Vincent had preached the same day were wholly the same things. It was also made known to the Abbot himself, that the man of God Vincent, while he was preaching, at the same hour had made mention of this matter before the standing multitude.

[41] Of his teaching and life so great was the authority, that in the age in which he flourished, in the whole world he alone was thought to teach the truth and to do well and to live well: Calumny is wiped away, yet there were many who tried to criticize his teaching, or to wound his life. Nor is it a wonder: for we know that from the beginning of the world no good things have ever lacked envy. Nevertheless those envious ones, the Jews barking in the sermon, who tried to wound him and criticize his teaching, could never prevail against him: this however we shall prove only by two examples, which we shall now narrate. At Perpignan it had been suggested by some Christians, and indeed the most wicked and impious, to many Jews that on a certain day, when a great multitude of the people would be present, and Vincent would say something against the Jews, they should interrupt his words and cry out together and say that he was interpreting the words of the Scriptures with perverse sense, so that namely he might seem confounded and his fame be obscured. Therefore when by command of King Ferdinand it had been decreed that each Jew who was dwelling at Perpignan should on a certain Sunday be present at the sermon of Vincent; at which spectacle the whole people and the King himself and the Emperor Sigismund and Benedict the Supreme Pontiff, of whom we have made mention in the second book (who all had come to Perpignan in those days, for the sake of treating of the union of the Church), together with many other secular Princes and Prelates of the Churches were present, the Jews rising into the midst did as the others had suggested to them beforehand. But Vincent, not at all perturbed, said: "Be silent, it is not the custom of Christians for there to be an interruption of the word of God, while it is being preached to the people: but I appoint you an hour, and at the hour of Vespers you shall come to me, and then I shall show you, whether the passages of the Scriptures, as you assert, I have perversely interpreted." At the appointed hour, therefore, he opened to the Jews so clear a truth about each thing he had preached, that all confessed themselves to be utterly conquered: and this very thing the next day, before the said supreme Pontiff, the Emperor Sigismund, King Ferdinand, and the other Princes and the whole multitude, they confessed; and they said that they had lied against the man of God. Those, however, at whose suggestion the Jews made such an insult, after a few days perished in an unhappy death.

[42] A certain man also of the Order of Friars Minor staying at Toulouse, wishing to refute, and indeed by public preaching, what in those nearest days Saint Vincent had preached; scarcely had he finished the words of wicked detraction, and of another who is suddenly thrown to the ground. when suddenly falling to the ground he could never speak, until he asked pardon from God in mind, promising that he would ask pardon from Blessed Vincent, and would retract whatever against his teaching he had rashly spoken. Therefore after the emission of the vow, his health and speech were restored to him: and soon going to Blessed Vincent, for what he had committed, he immediately asked pardon, and most easily obtained it. ^d

ANNOTATIONS.

BOOK IV.

Acts of the last two years of his life. Death, Burial, miracles.

PROLOGUE.

[1] Since, with Jesus Christ as my guide, not without great labor I have traversed so wide a field, that I have written the deeds of our Vincent, not indeed all, but many out of all, most humane Father; now nothing remains except that I also describe the happy exit of his life immediately. I have also distinguished this fourth book, not without reasonable counsel, with the narration of the many miracles with which he shone both in life and after death in Brittany: for I should have afflicted with the greatest weariness those who shall read, if in the previous book I had wished to embrace both what has been narrated and what shall be narrated next. And there shall be in this book the end of the work I have begun, so that namely there may be one and the same end of my narration and of his life, in which he migrated from our light to heaven, crowned by Jesus Christ with eternal glory and honor.

CHAPTER I.

Saint Vincent's coming into Armorican Britain, his stay, illness, death.

[2] Therefore after the said various regions which we have expressed in the previous book were illustrated, at length he entered that part of Gaul which in our time is called Brittany, and in it for two continuous years spread the doctrine of salvation far and wide. In what time how much fruit of souls he made, certainly could not be told in brief words; In the last 2 years as an old man in Armorican Britain he preaches yet it will be easily perceived by this argument. If in almost infinite places, in which he was preaching, staying in them a few days, he was making as it were temples of religion, namely by rooting out of them all kinds of crimes and bringing them back to works of virtues; how much more must it be said that his teaching bore fruit among the Britons, whom for so long a time without interruption he thoroughly taught? At that time the man of God was in the ^a sixtieth year of his age, and his body, both on account of old age, and on account of labors and sparingness of food and drink and austerity of life, was so emaciated, that without the support of something or the help of a man he could scarcely walk. Yet for that reason the venerable old man of Christ did not at all desist from laboring magnanimously for the salvation of the souls of the faithful: for the accustomed exercises, which we have mentioned above, he never omitted. One thing in him seemed singular, which was held by many as some great miracle. For when, before he ascended the place where he was preaching, he was so weak that he scarcely seemed to be able to move or speak; yet after he began the matter of speaking, he preached the Gospel no less ardently, learnedly, distinctly, and clearly than he had been wont to do in the time of his flourishing age. To no status of men, to no age, to no sex finally was the fruit of his teaching and holiness lacking: for he not only instructed those of advanced age and those who were capable of great matters and disciplines; but also he informed the boys themselves, called to him at certain appointed hours, and he catechizes: teaching them how to sign themselves with the Cross, and how to say the Lord's Prayer, the Angelic Salutation, and the Symbol of the articles of faith, and with how great veneration they should love God, and with what services they should honor their parents and any neighbor. In giving counsels he did not prefer the rich to the poor, or the noble to the ignoble. Dear to all, useful to all, pious and kind, he was rendered lovable and venerable to all. toward all beneficent: He was in all a defender, counselor, director of orphans, wards, and widows: and, to embrace many things in few words, he was the teacher and father of all; and not only did he instruct their souls with the word of spiritual edification, but also by his holy prayers he bestowed on them bodily health. And since innumerable are those who by the imposition of his holy hands have gained the benefit of perfect health, yet lest our narration be drawn out further, it will be enough if we here review a few.

[3] ^b The wife of John, Duke of Brittany, and daughter of Charles, King of the Franks, with the sign of the Cross he makes women fertile: for many years was not only without offspring, but also could never

conceive from her husband. But after she received the blessing from Blessed Vincent ^c and her womb was signed with his holy hand and the Cross, she immediately conceived and bore many sons; one of whom was Peter, a man outstanding in the glory of many virtues, who now survives, most illustrious ^d Duke of the Britons; and for the utmost veneration and devotion which he had for Saint Vincent's holiness, he gave much effort and spent many thousands of gold pieces that he might be inscribed in the catalog of Saints. And not only she, but many other women also obtained through such laying on of hands the benefit of conceiving. In the city of Vannes, to a man coming to him He heals a paralytic: who had been paralytic for eighteen years, that with all the others running to him he might receive a blessing, he said: "Silver and gold I have not, but I pray the Lord Jesus Christ, that by his immense kindness he may bestow on you the health which you ask." And saying these things, he signed him on many members of the body with the Cross, and he immediately felt himself well; and rising, magnified God, and giving him thanks departed, and never for the rest of his whole life suffered such sickness, and after this led his life in his most perfect health: and therefore he always lived devoted to Blessed Vincent for all the time of his life.

[4] After two years, in which he preached the word of life through Brittany with the signs following, staying in the city of Vannes, he was urged by the Brothers who followed him to return to the Spains; so that namely, since he was old, he might die rather in his own country than in a foreign one. But he, mindful of those words which Christ Jesus had addressed to him at the time when, sick at Avignon, he commanded him to go through the western regions preaching, as we have said above in the second book; said that by no means would he acquiesce to their persuasions. Book 2, no. 4. For since Britain is situated in the extreme ends of the West, he judged that it was the same region in which Christ had foretold he would die. Being about to return to Spain At length, constrained by the importunate prayers of his companions, he decided to depart from the city of Vannes and return to Spain: which region, since it also is at the ends of the earth, could be understood to be that in which Christ had foretold him to die. And so, having admonished the citizens of Vannes, first in common, to be mindful of his holy teaching, and having left them affected with the greatest sadness because of his departure, in the middle of the night, riding on an ass as he was accustomed, he took up the journey: In a wondrous manner he is hindered and returns to the city of Vannes, and proceeding with his companions, when they thought they were many miles distant from the city, as day dawned they found themselves before the gates of the city itself. From this he turning to his companions said: "Let us return, Brothers, to the city: for this means nothing else than that the will of God is that in this country I should render my spirit to him." Therefore he enters the city, and as soon as it was discovered by the citizens that he was returning, they immediately ran to meet him with great honor and joy. Women also and boys eagerly ran to kiss his hands, saying, "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord." Moreover, in the city itself there was such a sound of bells, as was wont to be when the singular solemnity of some festive day is celebrated.

[5] He predicts his death, After he had come to the place where he was lodged, to the citizens and those who had accompanied him, he spoke thus: "My sons, it pleased God that I should return to you; not indeed for the sake of preaching, but that with you I might close the last day of my life. Go therefore each one to your own, and may God render you worthy rewards for the honor with which you have affected me so much today." and his day These and many other things he said, by which he moved all the bystanders to great weeping. On the following day he is seized with the gravest fevers, and in each of the members of the body is shaken with great pain, so that he seemed almost wholly to have failed. Yet these things did not hinder him from doing everything that was expedient for the man of God. For he first called his Brothers, and announced to them the day on which he was going to die; and soon having summoned the Priest, to whom he was accustomed to confess, he confessed, and asked absolution of all his sins, as the Supreme Pontiff Martin had previously granted him. Then he received each of the salutary Sacraments of the Church with such religion and devotion, He receives the last Sacraments. that on this occasion also, at his holy words, his frequent tears, and hymns and prayers, there was no one who did not break forth into most abundant tears. He spent three days admonishing each of those who came to visit him, that they should not forget the discipline they had received from him. But since during those days in which he was sick he said many things which were worthy both of admiration and of note, it has not been our decision to recount each: but from all we have collected these very few.

[6] On the day on which it was spread abroad through the city that the man of God, lying in bed, had received the Sacraments, which Christian men are wont to receive at the end of life, ^e the Bishop and Magistracy and all the nobility of the city of Vannes set out together to visit him. He exhorts the Vannetois to perseverance: After many discourses had back and forth, he spoke thus to them after these words: "Men of Brittany, if you shall be willing to remember those things which for a continuous two years I have preached to you, surely you will find them to be such that they do not depart from the truth, but are to be profitable to you for the true salvation of your souls. For you know to what and how many vices you perceived your country given; and there was nothing in me by which I could provide for your salvation, which I have not most joyfully done. Give therefore thanks with me to God, who has bestowed on me the grace of speech, but has made your hearts apt that by my teaching they might be bent to live well. It remains for you to persevere in the begun virtues; and not to forget what you have learned from me. I, however, since it has pleased God that in this city should be the end and rest of my life, before his tribunal will be your patron, and shall continually pray for you, and this I promise to you I will do, if you shall not depart from my discipline. Farewell therefore, all of you, for after ten days I shall migrate to the Lord."

[7] After this he forbade the frequent visits of those coming to him, so that there might be greater rest for him, that he might have leisure for the contemplation of divine things. And although he had patiently borne all the sicknesses with which he was previously most frequently vexed; most patient in all things: yet in this, which was most troublesome, he showed such patience, that many prudent men, and also the physicians themselves, considering the kind of sickness and the patience, frequently said, that it was impossible for them, that a living man could have greater patience. When anything was being done by the physicians, which could have inflicted injury or pain on his body, no cry was emitted from his mouth, and no voice, except what sounded the name of Jesus Christ, or of the Virgin Mary, or of any of the Saints of God. Except at the time when he was eating or sleeping, or spoke something out of arising necessity, he always offered to God the sacrifice of praise. The men who presided over the city of Vannes, considering that in the city itself there was no house of Preaching Brothers, wished to take away the dispute about the burial of his sacred body, which they thought would arise. And so going to him they asked what place for burying his body he wished to choose. He answered: "I am a religious man, He disposes about burial poor and a servant of Christ: therefore I am concerned about the salvation of my soul, not about the burying of the body. Nevertheless, as in life, so after death, have peace from me: I beseech you to permit the Prior of the convent, which among the other convents of my Order is nearer to your city, to dispose about the burial of my body."

[8] When therefore nine days had passed, he asked that the Passion of Christ be read, Among prayers he dies. according to the narration of each of the Evangelists: afterward he had read those seven Psalms, which we call Penitential: and these same Psalms and the whole Psalter he said so many times, until his bodily strength and the office of his tongue failed. Lastly the Litany was read: after whose ending he was immediately made wholly joyful and cheerful, and with hands joined and raised, and eyes lifted to heaven, he migrated to heaven. With butterflies flying around. At which time from the window was seen to enter the place where he was lying, a great multitude of certain animals of wonderful whiteness, which are commonly called butterflies: which flew round about so long, until the soul departed from the body; but when the body was extinguished they immediately withdrew, nor were they ever seen again. These animals, what shall we judge them to have been other than Angels, who appeared under such a form, and placed that happy soul in that heavenly city, among those most glorious citizens? At the same hour also, a wonderful and most sweet ^f fragrance of odor overflowed from his body.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER II.

Funeral: Miracles after death.

[9] The water in which the body was washed, In those days there was at Vannes that religious [

wife of the Duke of Brittany, of whom mention was made above; who, for the singular devotion which she had for Saint Vincent while he was still alive, wished with her own hands to wash the deceased body, as is the custom of many peoples, who are wont to wash the bodies of the dead: diseases are driven away: and for a long time she carefully preserved the water itself. Which could never be corrupted, nor were worms, nor anything foul produced from it: nay rather it so long fragranced with the most pleasing odor, until in the vessel in which it had been placed, it was wholly consumed: moreover many who drank of it were cured from various sicknesses. The Duke of Brittany ordered funeral rites to be prepared for him such as he judged to befit both his own dignity and the virtues of Vincent: to which funeral rites almost all Brittany gathered, partly called by the Duke, partly to see the body, and partly to receive the health of bodies. But so great was the multitude that was eagerly trying either to see or touch that venerable body, that it was necessary that it should be held unburied and guarded by many armed soldiers for three days. Yet there was no smallest stench exhaled from it, solemn funeral rites are performed: nor any change in the face, or in the other members, or in the flesh; but always the same color and the same face was on the body, from that hour at which he was extinguished, until the time when it was placed in the tomb. He died on ^a Friday, on the Nones of April, and was buried in the major church of Vannes, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1418. ^b And as in his life he shone by many miracles, so after his death innumerable men, either by the touch of his sacred relics, or of the garments he wore while alive, or of his tomb, from the hour of his departure until today, have obtained the benefit of perfect health. Lest however such miracles be passed over, we shall write some of them in summary.

[10] At Zaragoza a certain man, by name John Zanitus, was mortally struck by the plague, The plague is cured, in such a way that he was thought by all, especially by the physicians, to be able in no way to be cured. Having been urged by the illustrious Brother John de Grassia, who is now Bishop of Majorca and Confessor of Alphonsus King of Aragon, to Blessed Vincent by a vow emitted with many tears, he at once obtained perfect health. wounds, In the same city a certain woman, wounded by a jealous husband with three mortal ^c strokes, in various places of her body, the help of Blessed Vincent being invoked, was cured after very few days, although she had been judged by the surgeons as one about to die.

[11] By the touch of garments or other things which had touched the sacred body, fevers or other diseases, 400, many obtained complete health from the sicknesses which they were suffering, and from many we have collected these few. There is held at Vannes a certain mattress made of wool, which is commonly called a "matrasse," upon which Blessed Vincent is said to have been lying when he died; and it has been found that more than four hundred men, out of devotion, lay upon it for a certain space of time, and were immediately cured of the most violent fevers and other kinds of infirmities. At Majorca a pallium or cape is said to be kept, with which Blessed Vincent was clothed at the time when he sailed to the island itself; by the touch of which, from the time when he departed from the island until today, not only those suffering fevers, but also those obsessed by demons, and women in danger in childbirth have been cured, and freed from the dangers of manifest death.

[12] A certain Brother of the Order of Preachers, named William Pottas, while Blessed Vincent was staying in the aforementioned city of Majorca, obtained some hairs when Vincent's beard was being shaved, which he preserved for a long time out of devotion. When on a certain day it was announced to him that in the city itself there was a certain rustic woman possessed by a demon, who, answering many Jews, revealed many secrets; taking the aforementioned hairs he went to the place where she was being held vexed, they free and wrapped them in a certain cloth and tied them to her neck: but the devil who was possessing the woman, feeling the virtue of the hairs, a demoniac, began to torment her body greatly. And so being asked what was the cause that he was thus vexing the woman more vehemently than usual, he answered that he was doing this because of the hairs of Brother Vincent Ferrer; whose great virtue, and indeed contrary to him, he felt. At length after many things which the woman knew how to say and reveal, which of herself she would never have known how to say or reveal, the devil went out of the body, leaving it almost dead.

[13] At Valencia a certain man, named William Stadey, a Doctor of both Laws, struck by the disease which they call the plague, one suffering plague, in both groins, so that by the judgment of certain most skilled physicians he was judged dead; being clothed by his mother with a certain linen tunic, which her husband had had from Blessed Vincent, and which out of reverence for so great a man she had for a long time diligently and honorably preserved, immediately began to breathe again: and the signs of that disease, which were spread through his whole body, disappeared, and after very few days he completely recovered from so dangerous an infirmity. In a certain place near the city of Tortosa, 2 demoniacs, which they call de Bonifellet, a certain man having a scapular which he had had from Blessed Vincent, and had held kept with great reverence for a long time, placed it upon a certain one at Tortosa who was possessed, and could be cured by no exorcisms; and immediately the devil went out of him. A certain demoniac in the monastery of de Prato, which is in Aragon, being clothed with stockings which had been Blessed Vincent's, cried out: "O little Vincent, little Vincent, why do you burn me so?" At length repeating these words often, emitting a horrible howl, the demon departed from the body, and left the woman herself half-dead and prostrate on the ground.

[14] One dangerously sick, A certain one of the familiars of the Count de Dardana, who for many years had religiously and devoutly preserved a part of the tunic of Blessed Vincent, suffering a certain grave sickness from which he was wholly believed to be going to die, had the aforementioned part of the tunic placed upon him, and on the following day he completely recovered. Which many other familiars of the Count seeing, wished the same tunic to be placed upon them, whenever they were sick, and also they were perfectly cured from their infirmities. one suffering from headache. At Toulouse a certain woman, who for many years had suffered a most troublesome pain in her head, as soon as there was placed upon her head the biretta of Blessed Vincent, which in the city itself is kept by the Preaching Brothers, was immediately cured, so that she never felt such pain further. ^d

ANNOTATIONS.

OTHER MIRACLES

performed at the tomb of Saint Vincent,

By Francis of Castiglione from MSS.

Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, at Vannes in Brittany (S.)

BHL Number: 8664

FROM THE MS.

[1] He shines with miracles Now there were soon wrought through Blessed Vincent, by divine power working, signs and miracles, nearly infinite in number, which it would be tedious to recount: in testimony of which manifold waxen images without number were hung upon the tomb of the blessed man. At the same time there was a certain citizen of the same city of Vannes ^a, who was agitated with great madness and huge fury, at his tomb are healed: a frenzied man, so that he could scarcely be held by chains and iron manacles. Being led by his relatives and friends and placed upon the tomb of the blessed man, when he had slept a little, covered with the pallium of Blessed Vincent himself, he saw in dreams, as he afterward attested, Blessed Vincent saying to him: "Trust, son, for you shall soon be in good state," and so when he awoke he found himself entirely sound. and a sick woman from a swallowed buckle, A certain girl had swallowed the buckle of a belt, and was vexed with such torment, that she was now looking for nothing but imminent death. She, a vow being made, was freed at the tomb of the blessed man.

[2] A certain Abbot ^b venerable for piety had a young nephew in the same city of Vannes, whom he had sent to gather nuts. They come back to life: a boy dead from a fall, When he had climbed a tree, he fell to the ground, and was dead: for whom the Abbot made a vow, and at the same time went to the tomb of the blessed man with great faith: and when he had prayed for a long time, returning from there, he met on the way one of his household, who with great joy announced to him, that his nephew had come out and was alive. Men came from Normandy, who brought a dead boy to the tomb of Blessed Vincent: who placed upon his tomb, immediately rose again. another boy, ^c

[3] There was a man in the town of Josselin ^d, John by name, who, when he had come to a river, where not a few young men were swimming, wished to teach his nephew, whom he had brought with him, fifteen years old, to swim: and so he with his nephew went down into the water. Now when imprudently they had adhered to a mill ^e which was nearby, both, seized by the force of the water and whirlpools, were carried into the depths. And when one of them, the elder, knowing how to swim, had easily escaped; the young man remained. Who when in the sight of the men and women who were then present there, nearly forty in number, he had appeared on the surface of the water once and again, all began to cry out: "Blessed Father Vincent, help him": and a little later to the bank of the river, by the force of the water or rather by divine will, he was brought, now wholly dead, his head and all his members loosened. This body the men who were present brought to the tomb of Blessed Vincent, with the parents, relatives, a great people and Clergy running to it; and a supplicating prayer and vow being made, he was raised up, and immediately restored to soundness.

[4] John Guerre was archer of the Duke ^f of Brittany: he, wounded by his fellow archers with the most grievous wounds, was lying, so that after the eighth day, the disease growing worse, he became near to death. Which when those who were present had noticed, they ordered a Priest to be summoned, who would hear his confession, and would confer the remaining Sacraments: who coming late made only a commendation of his soul, and omitted the rest of the Sacraments. and the Duke's archer, Soon however, before the Priest had gone away from there, he gave up the ghost. And when of his burial outside the sacred place, because he had died without confession,

it was being discussed; certain pious women with one voice cried out, suppliantly praying Blessed Vincent that he would bring back his soul, and give him so much space of life, that he might receive Penance and the Sacraments of the Church: and a vow being made, he who had been dead rose up, asserting that he had seen Blessed Vincent among many whitened ones, by whom he asserted he was protected from the demons who were ready to devour him. He afterward survived not a few years. A certain woman, a leprous woman is cleansed. Louisa by name ^g, of the diocese of Nocivieto, having become utterly leprous, had for a whole year burned with the vehement heat inflicted by the leprosy. She went to the tomb of Blessed Vincent, and after making confession and emitting a vow, was entirely healed.

[5] There was a woman in the province of Brittany, who did not always enjoy a sound mind: who when she was pregnant, was held by a great desire of eating meats, which her husband had forbidden her: for perhaps she did not rightly desire this. She, in great madness, seized a son whom she had under two years of age, An infant cut into pieces and thrown into a pot is raised up divided him in two, and cast a part of her son into a pot to be cooked. Soon the husband came in, who when he had learned the matter, being made frenzied from excessive grief, did not know what he should especially do. And when it had come into his mind how great was the power of Blessed Vincent to work such signs; with great faith he seized the parts of his torn son, hastened to the tomb of the blessed man, and poured forth prayers with tears. What more? By the merits of Blessed Vincent the parts of the boy are glued together, the spirit is brought back into him, he who had been divided into pieces comes back to life. The fame of so great a miracle is spread, all Brittany is moved to so wondrous a spectacle, and to the marveling peoples a sign of the thing done and a testimony of the truth is presented. For in the resuscitated infant himself a sign of the division was seen, like a fleshly thread, drawn out through the places of the incision itself. ^h A thing unheard of not only in our times, but also in earlier centuries. and another boy dead.

[6] A certain woman, named Wilelma, pregnant with twins, when she had come to childbirth, first brought forth a dead infant; whom the midwives, solicitous for the safety of the second fetus, had hidden, until it could be committed to the earth; lest the husband coming in ⁱ should be more affected with grief for the dead fetus, than he would rejoice with gladness for the other living one; "Why is a vow not made," said certain women who were there present, "to Blessed Vincent for the dead fetus?" And so soon all the women who were present, inspired with a heavenly spirit, suppliantly asked Blessed Vincent, that at least the fetus might receive life so long until it was baptized, and immediately the prayer being made the boy came to life, and was baptized, and moreover lived several months as a survivor. ^k

[7] likewise one dead from a fall, A certain sailor had fallen from a height, a space of forty feet, and was dead: his friends and sons, solicitous about his burial, decided to reserve the body until the following day, on which they might be made more certain about his death: on the day after that, however, because he had perished without confession, they made a vow to Blessed Vincent, and bore his body to the tomb of the blessed man, and soon he came back to life.

[8] In the city of Vannes there was a man named Oliver: he had a daughter six years of age, one struck by the plague is healed who, struck by the plague and near to death, was brought to the tomb of the blessed man: and when she had been placed upon the monument of Blessed Vincent, at length by long prayers and tears she was healed, and the monument itself was shaken twice by itself, and raised four fingers from its own place, with all looking on.

[9] one drowned in a vessel, A certain girl, seven years old, was suffocated in a certain vessel full of water: whom when after three days the parents found dead, as suppliants with tears they brought to the tomb of the blessed man, and in a frequent gathering of the people she was raised up. It could scarcely be narrated by human eloquence how varied are the sicknesses cured by his merits; how many paralytics, how many lepers, deaf, blind, and how many vexed by the demon have been restored to soundness. Many struck by the plague and near to death, at the invocation of the blessed man have been cured, and very many dead from various accidents have been raised up: many houses also set on fire, other innumerable miracles. at the invocation of Blessed Vincent, the fire being extinguished in a wondrous manner, have remained unharmed.

[10] An eye-witness to things done by him in his life, I omit many things, I also voluntarily pass over many, lest I be too long in writing: these things only I wished to have briefly collected, which may be able to make me the memory of that man, and a monument of such great virtue and grace: which I shall sometimes, to arouse a spirit of piety, in a brief space of time, and, as they say, in one breath run through. One only shall I add, which I myself received from a certain long-lived Priest, named Bartholomew, originating from this our Italian Alessandria; who in his youth had followed the Blessed Vincent himself, while he was preaching and going about various provinces, and had adhered to him with great familiarity, and had received from him the habit of the Third Order of Blessed Dominic. He attested that all these things which have been told above of him, of his life and manners, of his preaching and wisdom, of the signs also, were true: he also added many things which Blessed Vincent had foretold him concerning future things; whose order since I have not clearly grasped, lest I also seem to become an author of new things, at this time I have decided to omit them. One thing alone is there, on account of which I have made mention of this man, which for the greatness of the matter I scarcely dare to utter: which unless I had a solid witness, he narrates to the author this Presbyter of whom I speak, an upright and most weighty man, I should certainly not dare to utter this; so great is the novelty of that wonder and the excellence of the miracle. But what is impossible to men, is possible with God: nor certainly is the word of the Lord false, which he said of those who believe in him: "The things which I do, they also shall do, and greater than these shall they do." John 14:12 Which was proved to be true also in Blessed Peter, for whereas our Saviour is read to have raised only three dead, and one of those four days dead; his Apostle Peter called back from the dead twelve or more, and one who had been buried about twelve years before.

[11] While then once Blessed Vincent was preaching, said that long-lived man, as was his custom, that while Vincent was preaching two criminals it happened that not far from the place where the holy man and a very great people were present, two wicked persons, a man and a woman, caught in the most wicked crime, were being dragged to punishment, by which they might pay the penalty for so great a sin by being burned with fire. Which when the man of God, having asked the nearest person what it was, had understood; he ordered the public officers and lictors together with the criminals themselves to be summoned to him. Who when by the frequent people, eager for new things, had been led to him without delay (for so great was the authority of the man, that it was not permitted to go against what he had ordered), "Wait for us," he said, "until I finish the begun office of preaching: but bring the criminals themselves here, and meanwhile let them remain alone enclosed under the very pulpit and under my feet" (for the lower part of the pulpit was wont to be closed on all sides with boards). Which, the people urging or compelling, immediately was done. placed under his chair Now the man of God, taking a very lofty beginning, began a sermon on the pains which in purgatory are inflicted diverse on diverse crimes: in which he attested that to each crimes each punishments and proper penalties for each fault were assigned, and not light ones indeed, although at some time they shall have an end, but great and near to the infernal ones, and far removed from ours, and many times greater in manifold proportion; and that no crime so grave could be perpetrated here by any mortal, but that there it could be purged and wiped away by lustral fires, provided contrition of heart preceded here. Moreover he said that that fire acts, though it is corporeal, by a certain divine and hidden judgment on souls separated from the body. Then at last to the crime perpetrated by the criminals themselves, and the merited punishment for them, he came by a long discourse: and so concerning such malice, for about three hours (as that long-lived man said) he drew out the sermon. When this was done, he permitted the captives, the sermon being finished, are found who had been enclosed under the pulpit, to be led out. O wondrous power of speech! how effectual is the word of truth! If he had placed fire with his hand, he could not have done more with torches set to them than he did by his word. For the guilt of conscience and compunction for the crime committed so gnawed at them, that when the men who were to lead them out to punishment had approached, nothing was found except the bare bones themselves, the flesh and skin consumed. It is not my opinion that there should be any doubt, consumed even to the bones. that the man of God could so much by spirit and prayer, that they, not only from the impending punishment and public shame, but also from all pain, which in the future life they were to suffer, being freed by the sole compunction of the heart and a brief burning of conscience, migrated to the eternal rest and happy homeland. Something similar is read to have been done by Saint Elizabeth, ^m Queen in Hungary: for she could do so much by prayer alone, that a certain young man, whom she had likewise ordered to pray, seemed to be burned by spiritual torches. Who therefore is wise and shall understand these things?

[12] Blessed Vincent however does not cease, ⁿ being invoked, even in our times also, by the operation of divine power, to work signs and miracles: at Bologna for lately from the city of Bologna it has been reported by a most grave testimony that a drowned boy, who had been under the waters for the space of nearly half an hour, was restored to life and safety at the invocation of Blessed Vincent. For when that boy, who was about four years old, a drowned boy is raised. was brought to his mother already dead; she, who had received him by vow, and had called him Vincent from the name of the holy man; remembering how at the invocation of Blessed Vincent, when she was before sterile, she had deserved to receive him, not distrusting his power, began with tears and great wailing, moved with great faith, to cry out, saying: "This boy I received through you, Blessed Vincent: through you he must be restored to me. You once gave him to us, now you ought to give him back. Out of a formerly sterile woman you made me a fruitful mother; now you must help me who am bereaved and most unhappy of all women. For what did it profit me to have received him, whom so soon without any fruit I was going to lose? It would have been better not to have been given him, who was so prematurely, with so great calamity of the mother, to be taken away. For what have I hitherto, from the very beginning of his conception, received from him except labors and troubles? This is not to give a son, but to take him away: this is not to bring joy and gladness to a mother, but to inflict misfortune and perpetual calamity. Why was it necessary that a ray should rise, so soon to fail? Why did this morning-star appear, so suddenly to set? You could long ago, having overcome the laws of nature and sterility,

give him to us: you can also, Father, by your prayers call him back from the dead: and what you have given to many others at their request, do not delay to bestow upon a wretched mother suppliantly praying. Through you the boy lived, through you let him come back to life." Amid these words and tears the boy began little by little to take breath again, and so not long after the son was revived and restored to his mother unharmed. The hand of the Lord is therefore not in this way shortened: and the Lord Jesus is with us in his Saints until the consummation of the age: before whom may Blessed Vincent, a most holy man, perpetually celibate, teacher and preacher of truth, be for us an assiduous intercessor. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.

OTHER MIRACLES

done in Armorican Britany, and from the Process of Vannes gathered in French by Bernard Guyard of Jesus Mary of the Order of Preachers.

Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, at Vannes in Brittany (S.)

FROM THE FRENCH OF GUIARD

CHAPTER I.

Miracles at Vannes, especially for the citizens, done at the invocation of Saint Vincent.

[1] John Mayda, an elephantiac, commended by his father to the Saint, There are cured: the falling sickness and and led to the tomb in very bad condition, was brought back from there well, on account of the vow by which the father had bound himself to offer a wax image of the same weight as his son, with an annual pension of twenty sous, so long as he should live. A certain Spaniard, a religious of our Order, weakness of the eyes: brought back the full faculty of sight from the tomb of his fellow countryman the Saint piously visited, the sacrifice of Mass and the reading of the Office having been performed there without impediment; who had come nearly wholly blind; and with candles held near or the rays of the sun could scarcely distinguish light from darkness. John Rolandi, the Saint appears to his devotee; Lord of Haerdelan, who performed the office of Counsellor and Auditor of accounts before the Duke, most tenderly loved Saint Vincent while he lived, and thereby deserved to see him after death, in such habit as he was wont to preach in. Several sailors of Vannes, brought into manifest danger of death by a storm, made a vow to Saint Vincent: a blasphemer is punished, and when one of them mocked at this, he was at once punished with a paralysis of one side, but the rest were brought safely to port.

[2] Joanna, widow of John Damon, rolled from the top of the stairs of a house from step to step, A pregnant woman safe after a fall. not without great shaking of the fetus in her womb, was thinking that miscarriage would immediately follow: but having invoked the Saint, that at least the grace of baptism might come to her fetus, are cured: fever, she felt herself freed from all pain, and brought forth the fetus only at the due time, and it living. Alan de Cresoles, for three whole years afflicted with a vehement fever, was freed from it, after he had brought to the Saint's tomb the candle promised by vow. Likewise a paralytic woman of Vannes led there, returned home on her own, paralysis, all her members strengthened: the witnesses did not express her name. William Roberti, grieving for his shin affected for five years with an incurable wound, obtained, by making a vow to the Saint, what he could not from doctors and surgeons. a wound in the shin, The same, tormented for two months by a speck fallen into his eye, so that he could neither see comfortably nor sleep, vowed to offer a wax eye, an injured eye, and soon felt his own to be sound. an unknown disease with danger of death: John Boudiden, staying at Vannes, had a daughter named Oliva, whom a disease unknown to the doctors occupied her face and throat and one of her breasts, and took away both sight and speech, and the very hope of longer life. But the girl's brother made a vow of twelve denarii, to be offered annually at the tomb: and within a quarter of an hour the sick girl recovered sight and speech, and it did not take a full eight days for her to completely recover.

[3] a dead boy is raised: To Oliver Rouxel, a citizen of Vannes, his son Oliver had died: the wife, not quite believing him dead whom she excessively loved, applied a candle to his mouth and nostrils, and warm tiles for warming his feet: by which although nothing was being accomplished, yet she did not wish to permit the little body to be given to the earth: but keeping it with her, on the next day she asked her husband whether he had not gone to the tomb of the Saint to pray for his son. He denied that he had gone: but yielding to the insistence of his wife that he should go, he lit a candle at the tomb, and brought another to his wife, which she too could have lit there. She could not tear herself from the dear body for long: therefore entering the church of the Franciscans, she hastily there commended her son to God, the blessed Virgin, and Saint Vincent, and leaving there a stipend for a Mass to be said, she ran back home to take care of the funeral. Now on her return, while she was still on the way, together with the desire also with the hope of seeing her son revived, she vowed to pay two denarii annually for him. Soon the maidservant met her coming, and said that, as before, the little one remained stiff and cold. She, however, did not so despair: therefore entering the bedchamber, where she had left him lying, she saw him turned toward her asking for an apple, which was before her eyes, because he said he was hungry. Then indeed, scarcely master of herself for joy, leaving the apple, she runs to her husband, announces to him that her son is raised. He came and found him smiling, and the mother extended the apple to him: and soon they both lead him to the tomb, and give thanks: but the boy, four years old, spent what was left of the day playing happily with the boys.

[4] Petrina, wife of John of Vannes, had entrusted her eleven-month-old son to a nurse, living in the suburb of Saint Salomon: another boy dying from the plague. when the plague had infected her house, it was announced to the mother that the little one had also been touched by the contagion. Therefore she ran, forgetful of danger, and finding him already breathing his last, took him in her arms, and carried him to her own house. There when she had made a vow to the Saint, the boy soon began to laugh, and to suckle at the breasts of another nurse, without any harm afterward either to the boy or the second nurse or any of all the household. lost things recovered. Oliva, wife of Oliver Lacqueron, had lost two bronze basins, at that time valued at two gold escudos. If she should recover them, she vowed she would offer as many in wax at the tomb of the Saint. Returning from there on the next day after it had been visited, she found an unknown man at the doors of her house, who gave back to her one of the lost, asserting that he had received it from the hands of a certain thief; but on the next day he also brought back the second. Similarly John le Clerc, bearing very ill that two silver cups had been stolen, three persons are healed from the plague, recovered them by making a vow: and his daughter too, despaired of by the doctors because of the plague taken in, and all his household he kept unharmed.

[5] Joanna, wife of Yvo le Clerc, touched by the plague; when she was already breathing her last, and others were dealing with hastening the funeral; at her last breath she remembered to make a vow to the Saint; and soon recovered her lost speech, and within a few days complete health. From the same contagion, to commend her dying daughter to the Saint, another Joanna, wife of William le Maunic, went to the tomb: and after half an hour spent there in prayer, she found the sick girl better, and within a few days well. Damsel Margaret, wife of John de Cresoles, another from paralysis, having been made paralytic and contracted in her hands, lost all faculty of moving or speaking for herself: for whom her mother making a vow, of a wax candle to be formed to the length of her body, and ten denarii to be offered annually so long as her daughter should live, she soon felt herself bound by the vow. Of the same Margaret there was a three-year-old daughter, called Isabella de Cresoles: she, a fallen girl with a bruised head, on the days before Ash Wednesday playing in the house of Henrietta le Sceaux, fell from the stairs, and, blood flowing from her mouth and head and arms and other parts of the bruised body, was held as dead, without any sense or motion. On hearing of the fall, the stricken mother made a vow to the Saint three times, for she did not know that she was dead. But she at that moment spoke: and although the surgeons had not ventured to apply any cure to a head so bruised, and for two whole days she had taken nothing of food or drink, soon however, as the mother made a new vow, she rose, ate, drank, recovered. The same afterward from another disease brought to the last point of life, after an eight-day fast, by a similar vow received health.

[6] two dying: Matthew Larans, with deathly cold and other signs bearing all the signs of true death, his grandmother was judging should be buried, unless his mother had made a vow with tears for her son: who soon opening his eyes, was at length also healed. Mary, daughter of William Rolandi, desperately ill for the fifteenth day, and lying for the eighth without speech, when she was believed to be on the point of expiring, rose up healthy, a vow for her having been made to Saint Vincent. Roland Brondic, difficult asthma, deprived of the faculty of breathing freely and walking, found the remedy which he had sought in vain with doctors, at the tomb of the Saint, to the astonishment of the whole city of Vannes. Oliver Herbelet, a twisted mouth: a barber from Nausay in the diocese of Nantes

in origin, an inhabitant of Vannes, suddenly feeling his mouth twisted to the right side and the use of his tongue hindered, bound himself with a vow made to the Saint, and his mouth returned to its place, his tongue to its use, to publish the great deeds of his patron. As John de Nova Villa with several others was sailing from Bordeaux toward Brittany, so dense a mist enveloped all, a ship saved from shipwreck, that it took away every sight of sky and land. Therefore the ship is dashed upon three enormous rocks so violently, that at the first impact all thought it was over with their lives. He commends himself, the ship, and his goods to the Saint, vowing a wax candle the height of his body; and within a quarter of an hour there came such serenity as was sufficient for them to reach the place called Pornic in Brittany; and that it might be clear that it was granted by miracle, at the very moment the ship put in, the darkness returned redoubled, and lasted until late evening.

[7] and another endangered among rocks. The Lord of la Barre, with several inhabitants of Vannes returning from Spain, when the ship already held near that port of Brittany whose name is Penmarch, was seized by a horrible downpour and a dark tempest, and had death alone before his eyes. And now powerless of counsel and help, the care of sailing being dismissed, they confessed their sins to one another, and bound themselves two by two with ropes; because they saw themselves being tossed between two huge rocks rising from the middle of the sea, from the first hour to the hour of Vespers. At length it occurred to them to take refuge in imploring the patronage of Saint Vincent, and bending their knees with bared heads, and raising their hands to heaven, they vowed unanimously, that if they were rescued from such present danger, from that place from which they should first see the towers of the church in which he rests, they would proceed on foot and covered only with a linen garment, and from the gate to the tomb they would crawl on their knees. Scarcely had they uttered the words of their vow, when in the air itself a man appeared clothed in white, who seizing the sail of the ship, turned it to the side from which a favorable wind was blowing; and, having rescued them from the midst of the fatal rocks, gave them the faculty of escaping to the port of Penmarch.

[8] a demon from a demoniac, A demoniac woman of Vannes, brought by force to the tomb of the Saint, and held there from midday to the hour of Vespers, was freed from her malicious guest. A certain one, Brabantus by name, a Picard by nation, blurting out shamelessly I know not what about the Saint while he was still alive, so offended Petrina the wife of John Boric a citizen of Vannes, that she imprecated on him a case in which he would one day need the help of the Saint himself. Two years later therefore, that blasphemer fell into paralysis, which foully twisted his impure mouth: a stone ejected from the bladder. recognizing from the punishment his own crime, he went venerably to the tomb of him whom he had offended, and from him appeased received health. Peter le Boce, completely prevented by a stone as large as a nut from passing urine, was tortured with the most severe pains; and crying out horribly, was thought to be about to die in the very torment. The father vows for his son, if he recovers, a wax image to be offered, and the boy, so long as he lives, to go each week to the tomb with a lit candle: who soon, the stone being ejected, was also freed from all pain.

[9] Oliva, mother of Lawrence the Spaniard, touched by the plague, and placed beyond hope, a woman dying from the plague, by a vow made frustrated the expectation of those who did not doubt of her death. John Guillot, finding his six-year-old daughter, named Mary, a dead woman from a fall are helped. having fallen from a height and dead, roused his neighbors with his cries. They persuade him to devote her herself to the tomb of the Saint: where as soon as he offered five denarii, he rejoiced that his daughter was redeemed from death. They cure: a long-lasting disease, Alan l'Abbe from a stubborn disease of a year and a half bought health, vowing two sous and six denarii to be offered annually, which he could obtain from doctors by no expenses. John Quere, Priest and sacristan of Saint Peter of Vannes, testified that he had seen a leprous Priest of Lyons, leprosy, whose disease when the doctors were ordering to be held as desperate, the leper bound himself with a vow to come to Vannes to the tomb of the man of God, whom he had heard led his life in an angelic rather than a human manner; and immediately as he set out on the way, he began to eject blood from his mouth; and the more of the way he completed, the more he progressed toward health. But when he came to the tomb, wholly well, there were noted still on his face traces of the past disease not yet altogether dried up. He said moreover, that he would willingly have undergone the labor of a journey twice as long, for obtaining such a benefit.

[10] John Gibon had a daughter suffering from elephantiasis: for whom he obtained health by making a vow of a wax candle to be procured to the tomb, elephantiasis, which would equal the daughter's body in height and thickness. By the vow of a similar candle and a Mass moreover to be procured, the plague. Alana, wife of John Joyaux, escaped death imminent from the plague. The same had complained that two silver cups of two marks and as many ounces had been stolen by theft, lost things are recovered. and by making a vow, confirming her hope of recovering them, she was heard; for from the city of Nantes, whither the wretch had brought her stolen goods, she received them broken into pieces, from a certain goldsmith. a dying woman rises. Mary, daughter of William Rolandi, lay in certain death, given up, for one whole night and day. The parents remember a little tablet hung at the tomb, on which is displayed life restored to an infant whom his mother had cut into parts; and they too make a vow for their daughter. But she soon began to cry: which the father seeing ran to the tomb of the Saint to give thanks, and returning thence found his daughter eating, laughing, playing, in a word wholly well, to the astonishment of the whole family.

[11] She is crushed beneath a beam and is raised up. When the daughter of John Michard was playfully balancing herself upon a certain huge beam, she fell headfirst under it, and her head, crushed by it, seemed like a rotten apple (the words of the deposition are). Oliver Cadoret, who had seen her falling, ran up; and with great effort trying to raise the beam, and failing in the attempt, struck the unhappy girl again: who having been taken out from under the oppressing weight with the help of many, and placed on the bed, lay dead for one whole hour. After this, all those who with the most grieving father were surrounding the bed, genuflecting and invoking Saint Vincent, she opened her eyes, gave a sigh, and within two days recovered to the astonishment of the surgeons. The aforesaid Oliver too, a flux of blood is stopped. flowing with copious blood through the mouth and through the privy parts for a third month, was finally given up for dead by the doctors, who found no more help in their art; but he himself and his wife warded off the same by vowing a wax candle, weighing as many pounds as the dying man, and promising to go to the tomb in linen garments and barefoot.

CHAPTER II.

Miracles performed for the benefit of those who dwelt in the diocese of Vannes.

[12] A boy dying of the plague is healed, The miracles which follow happened in various parishes of the diocese of Vannes: we begin from that which is a suburb of the city, Saint Paterne. Here the raging pestilence had taken away all the children of John Tegat except one, who himself was already breathing his last: wherefore when the father was going out to dig a grave for the other deceased, his wife said to him: "Make a grave for this one too, now about to expire." Then, impatient with grief, he said: "Oh the misery! Does God thus take away all offspring at once?" At length with better counsel, for the one somehow surviving, he made a vow to Saint Vincent, with many tears promising two denarii; and for the same end the husband's brother went from a neighboring house, to have the sacrifice of Mass celebrated at the Saint's altar. Scarcely had he completed half the way, when the little boy asking for food ate an egg, and soon appeared wholly well. Joanna, wife of John Aufray, originating from Ployengrisset, a woman with falling sickness and blind twice over, but then dwelling at Vannes, was suffering the falling sickness and had lost sight: therefore she made a vow, and was freed from both evils. But being negligent out of shame to publish the miracle at the tomb, which she had visited from the vow; on the eighth day again, she grieved the loss of both benefits, and sought a remedy from human art. At length being asked by her neighbors whether she had not emitted any vow for recovering health even this time, she denied that she had made one, but said she was now making one; and going forth to the church of Saint Peter, while, having made confession of her sins, she was fulfilling the penance enjoined upon her before the Crucifix, there she fell for the last time, and then recovering her sight through the merits of the Saint, also remained free from the falling sickness thenceforth.

[13] A dead fetus comes back to life, To Alietta, wife of John Jeudy, when her fetus was extinguished in the very childbirth, the afflicted parents were imputing the blame to the midwife: she, stung by the reproach and grief, threw herself on her knees, vowed the infant to Saint Vincent, recited the Lord's Prayer: which being finished, he who had lain dead more than half an hour, gave manifest signs of life, until he had received baptism. Damsel Joanna Traineaux, wife of John de Coetlagat, her six children having died before her from the plague, was herself also lying about to die, deprived of the use of all her faculties. a woman dying from the plague recovers, She had made a vow to Saint Vincent, as soon as she felt herself stricken: but when now she was breathing her last, her husband doubled the vow; and at the same instant, being made mistress of her mind and speech, she also asked for and took food, and not long after had full health. a storm is stilled, Three fishermen, John Gnezon, John Rochelard, and Peter Carancoux, intent on their work near the island which, eight leagues distant from Vannes, is called Malver, when a sudden storm arose, had cast away hope of life, unless what was left of it was made by the known power of Saint Vincent: to implore this therefore they make vows, and at once the storm calmed, and the very nets which had been utterly broken, were drawn whole from the waters.

[14] Matthew, son of Lawrence Monterray, had fallen from a high stairway; a dead boy is raised, and being held for dead by all, had lain cold for half an hour. The desperate mother invokes Saint Vincent, and sees one eye of her son open: she redoubles her prayers; and the Saint hastening to complete the favor begun, restored full health to the laid-out one. a blasphemer is punished, A Spanish ship equipped for war, near Belle-Isle, had seized a boat in which John Bars and other sailors were being carried. These, lest they be captured by the enemies, implore Saint Vincent, except James Parin, who feared nothing to ask his companions in mockery how they hoped for help from him who could not help himself against death. As he was saying this his mouth twisted, his speech was taken away, and his vital spirit almost extinguished; so suddenly he fell in the sight of all. Moved by so present an example of divine vengeance, his companions too began to commend him to the Saint; and as they were praying, sense and voice indeed returned to the blasphemer, but his mouth remained distorted for ever; to whose fault also those poor wretches could ascribe the fact that they were not then rescued from the enemies; just as to the intercession of the Saint they attributed that a little later they were restored to liberty.

[15] Some saved from pirates and shipwreck. Rivallum Madec, sailing rather securely with his companions,

certain Scottish pirates had captured, and on the same day the ship being broken on a rock, all had perished in the small boat which they had boarded for safety. Rivallus with his own seizes the top of the mast extending out of the water, and did not long wait for the help of the Saint invoked: for scarcely half an hour had flowed, when a war-ship, keeping the same course, took them all on board. Ludovica, a dying man saved, wife of John Cadoret, was lighting again and again a blessed candle, that she might gather the last breath of her little son born nine months ago and for the third day now abstaining from his mother's milk and every other nourishment: meanwhile remembering Saint Vincent, she vows her son to him, and soon the little one getting better sucked the breasts, and within a few days recovered. weak eyes are healed. Thomasia, wife of Fevrier, seeing her daughter Joanna, married to Ybert Niou, so afflicted by a certain malignant rheum through the head, that the sight of the left eye being extinguished, there remained only a very small use of the right eye; led her, commended to Saint Vincent, to the tomb; she the next day had the faculty of seeing, and not long after had full health.

[16] A fire seizing the house of Peter Hernou, had already extinguished his mother: a fire is repressed, he arriving, and dismayed at the evil for which he saw no remedy, asked the protection of Saint Vincent: and soon the flames subsiding left all the other things unconsumed. Oliver Bocher had fallen from sound mind: his father vows that he will crawl in linen and on bended knees from his house to the tomb of the Saint: insanity removed, who soon restored sound mind to the son. By the same help, at the mother's vow, Stephanetta Bellavenne was restored to life; and the mother acknowledged herself bound to carry to the tomb a wax candle which would equal the daughter's height, and a cross fashioned for this, so that it might be of use for the funeral office. Of Joanna, a dead woman raised, paralysis healed, wife of Oliver Quersacq, paralysis had loosened her hands and feet: but a vow pronounced to the Saint restored her to health. Alieta was urging Oliver Colet, her husband, to prepare a coffin for their daughter touched by the plague air: but he preferred to go to the tomb of the Saint, several about to die from the plague saved. and returning thence found his daughter speaking, who for two days had been destitute of all speech, and within a short time saw her wholly well. A similar plague had afflicted a certain Ines Bandic and his wife and twin children: who all, when from human remedies they could hope for no longer life, obtained the same by making a vow from Vincent being propitious to them. A similar vow also freed Guillelma Travers from a similar disease and certain death. John le Gnenegou obtained the same favor for his dying wife and son; but for his son vowing a wax image, and moreover promising, that his wife, if she recovered, would visit the Saint's tomb in linen garments and with bare feet. Margaret, wife of John le Seigneur, also escaped the plague and imminent death from it by a vow. The same came in her shirt to the tomb of the Saint, to fulfill the vow which she had not made in vain for her dying nephew. They are cured: a fever patient,

[17] A burning fever was hastening the wife of Oliver Baliquet to death: unless she had redeemed herself from it with five denarii offered at the tomb. Also Joanna, a dropsical woman, wife of Maturinus Gauter, had been prevented by dropsy from walking for three years now: but being placed in her shirt upon the tomb by others' hands, she returned home from there on her own feet freed. a dying woman. Nevertheless Joanna, daughter of William Riou, received sudden health, who was dying having lost the use of speaking, as soon as she was commended to the Saint. pirates are repelled, John Bocher had gone out to fish with other Vannetois to Belle-Isle, when a pirate ship of the English appeared: against which when the Vannetois implored the aid of Saint Vincent, the English disappeared from their eyes. The same John testifies, two dying are helped, that his life was miraculously preserved on that evening on which he did not hope to see the morrow, unless a vow duly conceived had driven away the pestilential poison. On the feast of Saint Michael, one dead Peter Mauret commended to the Saint his daughter Petrina, dead for half an hour in the judgment of all, promising by vow a wax candle as long as her stature; and she, to the astonishment of all, rose alive. Gamettus Metrea was all but dead, and for him a coffin was already prepared for burying; when the father made a vow for his son, and received him sound. and a blind woman. The same Gametus's wife Yvona, by similar intercession, recovered her lost sight. a storm is stilled Peter le Moël was sailing from Vannes to La Rochelle with several others: who, a most violent storm arising such as they had never felt, when they despaired of port, each vowed a candle to the Saint; and the sea soon being tranquil, they completed their planned journey happily. Finally John Alhelec, seeking his lost horse everywhere, a lost horse is found. when, having made a vow, he was passing through a certain village, heard the neighing of his horse from a nearby stable; and when it was opened, he found what he was seeking.

[18] Plague victims are healed, In the parish of the Divine Virgin of Mene, the plague being kindled, had so inflated the throat of Radulphus Ruallain, that it seemed comparable to an ox's dewlap, and he had his spirit on his last lips; but without delay it became uninflated, when his wife had made a vow for him, and the next day he himself was completely well. In the same place two pestilent carbuncles had infected a certain Guidona Guillou, who for the third day was lying without voice and mind; for whom the remedy was the vow made by her father for her, of going to the Saint's tomb with bare feet and in her shirt.

[19] In the parish of Saint Salomon, Yvo le Houssec, of the three years for which he had been sick, had lain two whole years unable to move his body, others dying, at length also for four whole days deprived of speech and sense. Scarcely however had his wife Oliva vowed him to the Saint, when he felt relief, and within a week was well, bound annually to pay five denarii to his healer. John Terrier, creeping on his knees from his house to the same tomb for his dying son, found him wholly well on his return. Within eight days also a boy was healed, son of John le Bouteiller, who had fallen from a high bedroom below, and was deprived of speech and sense: because his father and mother had run to the tomb of the holy man. Two daughters of John Mace were dying from the plague: vowing for the first ten, for the second five denarii to Saint Vincent, he kept them both alive. John Scaby too thought he was about to die, so struck by the kick of a horse, that for the space of three weeks he could neither move, nor sleep, nor eat: but at the same time, at which his wife had Mass said at the Saint's altar, vowing ten denarii for the rest of his life, and one struck by a horse. he felt himself relieved, and not long after was wholly well.

[20] In the town of Hennebont dwelt John Timoy, a native of Saint-Brieuc, afflicted for sixteen months with cruel gout, binding not only the foot but the very leg: likewise a gout sufferer, he, approaching the tomb of Saint Vincent with another's help, and being relieved there, returned home on his own feet, needing no support. In the same place the mother of Theobald Laeset, by vowing that she would visit the said tomb, a blind woman, recovered her lost faculty of seeing. The Lord of Capite-nemoris, a noble inhabitant of the parish of Bubri, was so affected by hearing Saint Vincent's sermons, that for that reason alone he followed him through all Brittany, until he returned to Vannes: which service the dead Saint repaid with a memorable benefit. For when his son, most tenderly loved by him, named John (of whom in his looser youth he had been made, not by law but by nature, father) coming from Normandy, having drunk water which was flowing through a silver mine, had so swelled up, miserably swollen that his belly hung down to his knees distended, his navel protruding equalled an arm in thickness and length, and his inflated throat did not allow his eyes to look freely down at the ground; his father brought him to the Duke's physicians; but these finding no suitable remedy, he led him back home, a victim of death soon to follow: which was also believed to be nearer, after for three weeks, being without voice and food and drink, he swallowed only a very few drops of wine, placed in his mouth through the teeth, forcibly unlocked by a knife inserted. Now the funeral linens were being prepared, and now about to die, when the young man's grandfather, who loved this his grandson as if legitimate, with great confidence directed prayers to Saint Vincent for him. And without delay, the sick man opens his eyes, begins to speak, and with great violence ejects from the abscess of his bursting navel stones to the number of sixty, and the swelling subsiding, in almost a moment of time he recovered, to the great astonishment of those present; and then, on a journey of ten leagues, with bare feet and covered only with a shirt, he went as a suppliant to the tomb of the Saint. Vowing that he would go to the same place, Peter le Navesic shook off the plague, from which he feared death.

[21] In the parish of Elven a certain noble man, called William, had labored with great weakness of all limbs and long-lasting pain of head: There are driven away: the plague, who coming to the tomb, when he had placed himself between the two tombs, rose from there well as if ever. In the same place John Bolorec drove out a fever, torturing him for nine months; nor afterward did he feel it return. langour, Damsel Joanna le Moigne, wife of John de Noyal, had offered a draught of wine to a man not well known, then by the laws of courtesy forced to drink from the same glass, she did not indeed drink (for she had shuddered, when she had seen that her guest's mouth and lips bore manifest signs of a foul and contagious disease), yet she touched it with her lips: a fever, and so felt the present evil, that she fell to the ground, and seized with deadly cold for two hours, could neither speak anything nor feel. lethal syncope, Her husband being dismayed with those who were present, when he did not know from where he could hope for a remedy, had recourse to Saint Vincent, and vowed five sous: and she soon spoke and recovered. Henrietta le Noblan, twenty-five years old, mentis vocisque expers lay from the plague, madness contracted from the plague cured, and a coffin was being prepared for her about to expire: yet she received health, after the father and mother of the girl vowed a wax coffin to the Saint, mindful of his many miracles. John Corre in the same place, by imploring the same Saint's help, recovered sight almost extinguished for a whole three years.

[22] In the parish of Mussuillac, the pestilence had brought madness to Mary, daughter of William Terrovin and wife of John le Duc, and had reduced the wretch so that for nine days she neither ate nor spoke: hence the afflicted father turned to the church of Saint Peter at Vannes, and devoted his daughter to Saint Vincent: soon she speaks, and quickly recovers. From the same place Oliver d'Anonal had come for the sake of Indulgences, and having seen the miracles that were done at Vannes, he made a report of them to his wife. Both therefore vowed to the Saint, a sick boy, that they would present to him their son, so sick that for a whole year he could not form his voice: as soon as they did this, he spoke, and before three days recovered fully. Struck by a twin pestilential carbuncle John Guezel was proceeding to death, together with his son bearing a similar carbuncle: and with him he was saved alive through his wife,

who promised seven denarii to be offered at the tomb. In the same number of places Petrina, the daughter of Yvo le Dagant, had received the plague, and after she had lain for five days without voice, sight, food, or sustenance, the coffin for burial was prepared: dying plague victims. but the dying woman's father preferred to vow this with ten denarii to the Saint, and that same night she began to complain, to speak the next day, and then quickly to recover fully.

[23] From the parish of Ploevignier came William le Mareschal, to be healed from a troublesome fever of thirteen months: and he obtained his vow, sleeping one night upon the Saint's tomb. In the same parish, six children being lost to the pestilence, seeing also the last one, Catherine, near death, and a coffin being prepared for her, the father, John Micolahic, with prayers ran to Vincent, and was refreshed amid so many funerals by his daughter's prompt recovery. Of three brothers in the same place stricken with the same plague, only John Richard survived, because he commended himself to the Saint. John le Gloavec, grieving that his third son, after the death of two, was being extinguished by a similar plague, vowed with his wife a candle and a wax image, to be offered annually at the tomb: and at that very hour the healed boy began to speak. Having promised ten sous at the same tomb, Peter Yvelin cast out copious blood through his nostrils; and recovered from the plague, from which he was thought certainly to be about to die. The sight of the left eye, which the fallen husk of a chestnut had taken away, Saint Vincent being invoked had restored; with the parents neglecting to fulfill the vow, again Mary, daughter of Oliver Avanture, lost the same: ungrateful for their health they lose it, they therefore recognized their fault and repaired it, and came to Vannes; where when they were as far from the church of Saint Peter, paying the vow they recover, as a stone could be measured by a double throw, the girl again recovered her sight. Yvo Cudel grieved that he was similarly punished for a similar negligence to fulfill a vow, made for his dying son, and with bare feet and in linen coming to the tomb, again drove death from the boy. Oliver too Meithezour, for sight received, which he had grieved as almost extinguished for two months, being bound to carry two wax eyes to the tomb, a dying man is healed, when he had forgotten the vow, lay sick for seven weeks; and confessing his fault he received health, when he promised that he would publicize the miracle. Finally John Sancti, in the aforesaid parish fixed in bed for a whole month, and thinking himself to be dying, because not only could he not walk, but also could no longer eat or drink; vowed an annual pension of five denarii with a wax image to the Saint, and soon hears a voice saying to him: various from the plague "Rise, you are healed." He himself proved the truth of the fact, presenting himself the next day at the tomb.

[24] In the parish of the Martyrs, the plague had blown upon the twin offspring of Yvo Stephanus: whom when the parents had vowed with as many candles to be led to the tomb of the Saint, and health having followed, they paid the vow. Joanna also, widow of Yvo Brechgnan, was awaiting imminent death from the same disease, for eight days destitute of the faculties of seeing, speaking, eating, drinking: but as soon as her mother vowed twenty denarii, to be offered to the Saint so long as she lived, she began to speak and shortly recovered. For as many days alienated from his mind because of the pestilence, Guillotus du Chesne recognized no one: and by other diseases the vow being made they are delivered. nevertheless he preserved his life, a vow being made by his kinsfolk to have a Mass procured at the tomb of Saint Vincent. Also by the vow of ten denarii William de Launay bought for his son, mute from birth, the faculty of speaking: and Gilles Thomason vowing himself to the same Saint, was freed from the falling sickness.

[25] The parish called Limerzel was most infected with the plague, but those who still survived untouched with their Rector instituted a procession to the tomb of the Saint, six leagues distant; and obtaining a prompt cessation of the evil, by their example they stirred up many villages to hope for and obtain a similar benefit. In the same place there was a certain Peter Cantor, a turned-round face is restored. whose face, from a grave disease, had remained turned backward for seven years: he, vowing to come to the same place every year with certain alms, came as he had vowed, and being healed for several years kept his vow: which when he neglected, his face was again turned toward his back; and he, being healed again, lest he might more often suffer this, carefully paid his vow each year.

CHAPTER III.

Other miracles granted to the Diocesans of Vannes.

[26] At the invocation of Saint Vincent, various are healed from the plague In the parish of Sulniac, William le Marchadour, infected with the plague, with great amazement lay for two months, without voice, sight, drink, and food: at length the parent vowed his son to the Saint, and he, suddenly seeing himself healed, added a vow of five denarii, for each year he should live thereafter. Peter Bobes preserved alive his daughter gravely affected with the same disease in two parts, and destitute of speech, invoking the same patronage. John and Henry le Boneil, brothers, also drove the plague from themselves, when they had vowed that they would come to the tomb in linen garments, and would bring a wax image. For nearly four months John Madec had neither taken sleep nor passed urine, wherefore among all his life was despaired of: yet he preserved it, being healed within five days, others from difficulty of passing urine, after a vow made of five sous and a candle at the tomb. From severe pain of the back and kidneys William Rolandy was so weak, that he could hardly move himself: to whom when someone had said he would never rise from the disease, he vowed to go to the tomb of Saint Vincent, and there to offer two denarii: and at the same moment recovered health.

[27] Coming from Menguyo into the parish of Grand-Champ, Nognoalus of Capite-nemoris, saw the house of John Herue burning so that there was no room for human help: at this sight that noble man, touched with the deepest affection of compassion, commended the poor man's house to the Saint, whom he had followed through all Brittany while he lived. and nephritis: The Saint heard the prayers of the one invoking him, and that house, although roofed with straw, appeared very little damaged; indeed the infant who had been left within it in his cradle, felt no damage. a fire is extinguished Of the same noble the wife had so swelled in the belly, for the space of eleven months, not without great pains, that she was thought to be pregnant with twins, until the Duke's doctors consulted judged the disease unknown and incurable. Seeing her therefore failing, the husband exhorted her to have trust in Saint Vincent: a swelling of the belly is healed, who making a vow with him, on the following night by violent vomiting and passage so unburdened herself, that within three days wholly well, with bare feet from her house at Menguyo she came to the tomb of Saint Vincent. With bare feet also and in linen garments eleven came from the aforementioned parish of Grand-Champ, and the plague in many, to whom making a vow to the Saint had been salutary against the plague. A vow made by another for her also profited Joanna Pinchon, and that at the very point at which a coffin was being prepared.

[28] In the parish of Questelbertz, the other children having been taken by the plague, only one, and that now dying, remained to William Zufi: who happily warded off death from his son, likewise quartan fever. a vow being made to Saint Vincent. From there coming Martin Guenregou, Licentiate of Law, that he might be freed from a quartan fever, reclined upon the Saint's tomb, a dying woman is saved, and there felt the last onset of the fever. That he would bring a wax image to the same tomb for his dying daughter the father vowed, an inhabitant of the said parish; and she soon began to speak, and after taking food was healed. A certain Peter de Riparia was driving a horse, one dead with a broken skull is raised. about to take grain to a mill: who striking him with his heel on the temple, struck it with so grave a blow, that the rupture of the skull was followed by much blood and sudden death. The mother ran up, the whole neighborhood ran up at her cries, and consoled the bereft in the way they could. She nevertheless ordered the corpse to be carried to her bed, and there prostrate on her knees, she began to invoke Saint Vincent for her son's restored life: she added also a vow, which having been made, the son turning asks his mother who had laid him there. She explains what happened: she calls her neighbors rejoicing: they marvel to see alive him whom they had believed dead; no less when within a few days they saw him well with the wound closed, the healing of which, had he not been dead, would have required a very long time.

[29] In the parish of Ambon the daughter of John Quelas was breathing her last, whom his absent wife summoned, to provide for the burial of the deceased. Another dying is saved. He ran quickly, and on the way invokes Saint Vincent, and coming home found his daughter wholly healed, at the very moment, so far as one could know from the distance of the place, at which the father had made the vow. a patron is found in a judgment, To the same after the death of the Duke in his council a grave lawsuit was being waged against John of Vannes: who since he was feared by all, in seeking a patron for the fair cause no one was found who would wish to take on that suit. various are freed from the plague, Therefore going to the tomb he asked the Saint to inspire some one's mind for this, and an undaunted spirit for the equity of the matter: and going out of the church he met Henry Combalam, a pleader and procurator of Nantes, offering of his own accord what he desired. In the aforementioned parish the plague was raging and taking away very many of the inhabitants: therefore fearing for his children, of whom he had seven, John Simon indeed commended all to the Saint, but for two, whom he loved more tenderly, made a vow of three sous and four denarii, if at least these should be preserved alive. That it was heard for them the event showed: for when the evil had blown upon all, with long-lasting pain, it did not take away these two alone. Oliver Colenou too, when his spirit was on his last lips, his mother retained, vowing to go to the tomb of the Saint with bare feet and body in linen, the falling sickness, and there to have Mass said.

[30] In the parish of Sene, Yvo Davo, a Priest, recovered from the pain, which for a year and a half had made walking very difficult for him, pestilence, pouring out prayers to the Saint: and in a similar way John le Franc freed his wife Catherine from the falling sickness. In the parish of Sentene Louisa was lying just about to expire from the plague, stupor of the arm, daughter of the noble man Yvo de Loquemeren: whom a vow being made since the mother deserved to receive her well, she went to Vannes to give thanks, and wished to creep on her knees from the gate of the church to the tomb of the Saint. In the same place Petronilla, widow of John Ahayo, rabies, believed her arm was going to be lost to her from disease, unless the Saint being invoked should furnish protection. The daughter also of Alan Alanon, named Joanna, blindness. insane and furious, on the same day sound in mind and body bore a wax image to the tomb, for which her mother had made a vow for her. In the parish of Marzen the sight of two blind was repaired by the Saint, who on that account came to give thanks: namely John Damon, and Petrina, wife of William Cazre. William however by the same intercession his life

preserved for two sons, whom the plague had touched in two parts, when he had vowed twenty denarii to be brought to the tomb.

[31] In the parish of Ploeneres lived the noble Lady Oliva de Coetsal, a dead boy is raised, widow formerly of Sylvester de Lorneloux; whose son after a disease of seven days died. She therefore, since she had known Saint Vincent alive, and was held by great affection toward the deceased; commanded one of her servants to take the corpse of the little one wrapped in linen on a horse, and carry it to Vannes to her house of Querlonevan, to be placed upon the tomb of the Saint. She also joined herself as a companion on the going; and as the maternal affection was impatient of desire, placed on the tomb: she kept bidding the servant to look whether her son had yet come back to life; but always in vain. Therefore they arrived at the tomb, and the little body taken out of the funeral linen is placed upon it: but the mother gives herself on her knees, and asks God, that if, as she believed, Master Vincent was a Saint, life be restored to her son: and at that very moment the dead one coming back to life began to smile, and with boyish avidity to eat the cherries which the servant had brought with him. And this was the second miracle which was made public in the church of Saint Peter, as the matron testified, and that she had gone every year since, and would go to the tomb with the offering of twelve denarii: likewise another whose head was cleft. and she also asserted that at the very time when her son was being raised up, there came those who were bringing another boy, and asserted that by the help of Saint Vincent he had been recalled to life, after his pregnant mother, stirred by the appetite for human flesh, had cleft his head in two; of which thing the testimony was given by a line, visible by miracle uniting the parts.

[32] In the parish of Theix, John the son of Aufred Pezron was dying from the double plague: whom retaining alive, his father acknowledged himself bound by the vow, by which he had promised with his son to go on bare feet and in a shirt to the tomb of the Saint. In Plaudren those suffering from the plague or otherwise are healed, In Plaudren a certain one called William Langorez rose well from the bed, to which he had been fixed for two years, when he had bound himself to the Saint by a vow. In Lavara a certain John Guinqueron could neither move his arms nor legs for a whole month, indeed could neither sleep nor eat anything; until he vowed an annual pension of ten denarii to the Saint. In Guegon John de Quelem had buried his wife and two maidservants, taken away by the plague; he himself, however, brought it about that he deserved to be preserved, by vowing that with bare feet and in linen covering he would carry a burning candle to the tomb. In the parish called Moustouer Gueheno, a lost horse is found, a noble man, Bonabus de Colledon, had searched three days in vain for a lost horse: he found it, however, on the same day one dead woman is raised, on which he vowed that he would carry two sous to the Saint. In the town of Rochefort Frances had died, daughter of Nicholas le Comte, who was Counsellor and Auditor of the Chamber of accounts for the Duke of Brittany: but before she was prepared for burial, both parents vowed a vow, of a silver chalice of two marks to be offered; and that if the daughter should be raised, the mother would go with bare feet and in linen to his tomb: who being bound by the vow immediately fulfilled it, although the winter weather and the great distance of six leagues could have persuaded delay.

[33] In the place called "of the Monks," touched by the plague Henry de Remungol was breathing his last without voice: another yet he recovered as soon as his friends vowed a gold escudo for his safety. The same benefit in a similar extremity befell Yvo Marec in the parish of Ploegmelen. But in the parish of Saint Maiolus the wife of John de Coveto had already expired: yet the husband, sad at the loss, ascended a hill, an arthritic is healed, from which the church of Saint Peter of Vannes could be seen, and prays Saint Vincent for the raising of his wife. Not in vain: returning home he found her alive and eating; and she, barefoot and in linen, fulfilling the vow made for her by her husband, those infected with the plague, narrating the miracle performed on her, was a cause of wonder to all. In the parish of Guergh, an inveterate arthritis of three years had so impeded the shoulders and arms of John Sigillifer, that he could not use them more than a one-eyed man, if he had had none: who after he had devoted himself to several Saints, learned by experience that the praise for restoring his health was reserved for Saint Vincent. By the same help William the Englishman, in the parish of Languidic, was freed from the plague, from which he did not believe he could recover. In the same fear in the same place was John Guidomary, seeing that he had drawn the evil in two parts: yet he lived, because he vowed that he would go barefoot and in linen to the tomb of the Saint. In the parish of Badeu, a deaf man, Peter Prederet had lost the sight of the right eye, and having made a vow recovered it. Thomas Boursec received his hearing, because he had promised wax ears to be hung on the tomb. In Noyal Pontivi, a dying man Stephen le Mayer was drawing his last breath: yet the next day he stood at Vannes at the tomb of the Saint, to the astonishment of all preserved alive, by the vow which his father had pronounced to the Saint.

[34] In Ploemur a certain mad woman was restored to herself, a vow having been made for her by her friends. Peter Cardier; an insane woman. an inhabitant of the parish of the Holy Cross, with his ship broken at Meandum was drowning in the sea, ignorant of swimming: and so he commended himself to the Virgin Mother of God and Saint Vincent, and at the same moment rising upward, they are helped: one near drowning, he felt himself sustained by a certain invisible hand, and then placed upon a plank (he himself did not know how) came to shore, those with headaches, from which he was more than four leagues distant, having floated ten whole hours upon the waves. The daughters of Yvo du Beisit, Lord of the parish called Peaule, were cured from great pain of head by the laying on of the hands of Saint Vincent, in ^b the Abbey called "of the Prayers of Blessed Mary"; which she who testified, Petronella de Barzualen, an inhabitant of the said parish, added that she also had obtained many favors by the intervention of the same Saint: a dying man, to whom also a vow having been made by the father, in the same place the son of John Davion received health, who had lain eight days without sight, voice, and food. a weak woman, The wife of Simon Tutgual, in the parish of Quileron, having been destitute of the faculty of walking for a year, received health through her husband's vow. In the parish of Saint Eva, by a vow made a boy came back to life, who in the morning had been found dead in his cradle, and a son of one surnamed de Kermrib was restored to sight at the same time, when his father was praying at the Saint's monument.

[35] Oliver de Quinsec, Seneschal of Hennebont and Counsellor of the Duke, another dying, when in the parish of Sarzau he had turned aside to John Surzur, saw his host's son breathing his last, and for him invoked Saint Vincent: the sick one soon began to speak, and on the next day appeared wholly well. In the parish of Plumergat the plague occupied the throat of John Cadoudal, one touched by the plague, that he might not be extinguished by it he made a vow to Saint Vincent, and on the next day acknowledged himself bound: just as also for his daughter restored to sound mind, from which she had entirely departed. insane In the parish of Questembert, John Plonger had lain sick for two years, so that he could scarcely eat or sleep: his wife urges him to vow five sous to Saint Vincent: gravely infirm, he answered, he did not know whether he was a Saint, because he had already vowed five denarii, and yet had felt no comfort. Again, said the wife, commend yourself to him, and vow the five sous I speak of. He did so, and at that very instant recovered. In the parish of Gueheno, Louisa, daughter of William le Guilchet, a one-eyed woman, had recovered the use of her right eye after her parent's vow, and had lost it again when the vow was delayed; when the same was fulfilled she received it again. John Quere, in the parish of Quistinic, for seven years was tormented with huge pain of the belly, which finally opened in the groin a wound so enormous, that through it the intestines would fall out, wounded in the groin unless they were held in by an applied woolen cloth. His friends were urging him to try the help of Saint Vincent, but he placed greater trust in doctors. At length, however, seeing them profit nothing, he devoted himself to the Saint, and within ten days the otherwise incurable wound was healed.

[36] In the parish of Guorn, for five weeks the wife of Peter Guilelm lay fixed in bed, without food and sleep, and so, having received the Sacraments of the Church, was preparing for death. a dying woman. But her husband brought it about that she did not die, vowing five denarii annually as long as he lived, if his wife should recover, an arthritic, as was soon done. John le Soellour, an inhabitant of the parish of Guern, bore arthritis in the shoulders and arms for the third year: from which by a vow made he was healed. In the parish of Treffleau Peter Loard making a vow, three afflicted by the plague, of five sous for aiding the canonization, and as many denarii annually to be offered, if he should escape the danger in which he saw himself, his wife, sister and five children having been extinguished by the plague; indeed contracted the disease himself, but soon recovered. Vowing the same entirely for his son Peter Legat, retained in the body his spirit going out: he was however an inhabitant of the parish of Ploescob, to which also belonged that noble Sylvester Lorneloux, whose son above we said was raised up. In the town ^c of Malestricto (whose Lady together with the Duchess had always been present with Saint Vincent gravely sick for the last time) after the Saint's death the daughter of Bertelot Percherel was breathing her last, dying: a girl and a boy previously deaf: for whose life when the parents had vowed, that they would all together visit the tomb of the Saint barefoot, she regained her hearing, and within a few days received health. In the parish of Missiriac William Guichoux came back from death, raised up by his parents' vow. A vow for his daughter, one suffering from the falling sickness, freed from the falling sickness, Alan le Clenicho neglecting to pay, saw her relapse: he hastened therefore to pay it, and she never relapsed thereafter; he was an inhabitant of the parish of Saint Congar. But in the parish of Saint Croverius a certain lame John Avise, wishing to experience the faith of those who were promising him from Saint Vincent a straight walk, and a lame man: found it not vain at all.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER IV.

Certain miracles done for the diocesans of other British Bishoprics.

[37] In the other Bishoprics of Brittany also several miracles were done, of which I shall here mention a few. In the diocese of Rennes is the town of Redon, At Redon there are healed: a dying boy commonly Redon: here Dionysius Brehant, seeing his son in extremities, having mounted his horse quickly, hastened to Vannes, to implore the help of Saint Vincent, and had a Mass said there. He had not yet gone out of the church, when a certain man came up,

and announced to him that he had seen his son miraculously healed. In the same place is the Abbey ^a of St. Saviour, in which the venerable Abbot Yvo lying sick, was despaired of by the physicians: therefore he, who in health had been an admirer of the then living Vincent, dying invokes him dead; and an Abbot. and he vows that he would procure an image, which would be exposed in the church for public honor, if he were canonized: meanwhile he orders a Mass to be sung, in which his commemoration was to be made. Now falling asleep, he seemed to see the Saint, saying these words to Saint Benedict: "Let us cure this sick man." At which being awakened, he began to laugh, and to narrate what he had heard and seen to the Religious. Nor that it was not a dream the outcome showed: for on the next day he rose well. In the same diocese a certain blind woman, whose name the witnesses kept silent, having heard of the miracles of Saint Vincent, in the diocese of Rennes a blind woman, promised that she would visit his tomb, and soon receiving sight fulfilled the vow. Finally in the Church of Saint Albinus, called "du Cormier," since Rolinus le Mee of Dinan was for seven years suffering the falling sickness, and one with falling sickness. his relatives commended him to Saint Vincent, and he never afterward relapsed.

[38] In the Bishopric of Nantes, the Rector of the parish of Ploemel testifies that he saw a citizen of Nantes, in Nantes a dangerous catarrh, whose name had slipped from his memory, who had been hindered for fourteen years by a certain catarrh so that he could not walk: indeed he feared death from it, unless he had obtained health at the tomb of the Saint. and a leprous woman are healed. From the parish of Blain, fulfilling her vow of going to the tomb, Joanna, widow of John Durand, deserved to be cured from the disease of leprosy. In Guérande in the parish of Saint Guingualoë dwelt certain ones, of whom the chief were Maurice Gilles, Yvo Calven, John Jacquin, Nicholas Nihau, and Nicholas Curtnay: who being caught among English pirates, those in danger from pirates are helped. when they believed they were to be spoiled of life and goods, all threw themselves on their knees, imploring the mercy of Saint Vincent, and promising that they would go from Guérande to Vannes barefoot and in linen. Soon however a more impetuous wind removed the pirates half a league: who when they leaned on the oars again and again, thinking themselves near their prey, they repeating the same vow, were driven back again and again; until the ship was drawn into port: nor did they delay to fulfill the vow, and each one offered something according to his ability. Likewise John Iolan, a noble of Guérande, a dying woman, commending his dying niece Catherine de Karccabut to the Saint, saw her suddenly well to the astonishment of all. Joanna, wife of William Bourdon, was infected by poison, infected with poison, a native indeed of Rennes, but in Bourgneuf-en-Retz running an inn: she, after visiting the tomb, was miraculously freed. To the same tomb came from the parish of Rosarium John l'Andel, sad because his wife never bore children except dead: thereafter however she bore living ones. In the parish of Fregeac a certain noble, accustomed to miscarry; Alan Querlein, carried away by anger, stabbed another with three wounds, John Joelin by name. Fleeing however and regretting the deed, he threw himself on his knees, and besought the Saint to restore life to him from whom he himself had taken it: the killed is raised. and it was done no less than he asked, and Joelinus was raised and rose before all.

[39] From the town of Dinan in the diocese of Saint-Malo, John Jovanneau coming to the tomb of Saint Vincent, as he had vowed, In the diocese of Saint-Malo, a blind man, the closer he drew to the city of Vannes, the more clearly he began to see, who before had been entirely blind. Petrina Morin, seeking a remedy for a certain burning fear of the face, which she could no longer tolerate, a swollen face, found none, except in a vow of going on three consecutive Mondays to the place at Dinan where the Saint had preached. In the same place, for a certain Petronilla dying, her brother and husband Peter Piron made a vow, and a dying woman are healed. that they would bring her healed to the tomb of the Saint: but while they delayed to fulfill the vow, a fever invaded her, only to leave as soon as they set out on the way. Since however mention has been made of the town of Dinan, it should not be altogether passed over, what happened there at the death of the holy man as a miracle. The magistrate of this place had given the care of managing affairs, Candles kept in his honor as long as the Saint preached there, to John de Luquelic: he, on account of religion, carried home two candles which he had used while sacrificing in Grand-Champ, and his wife, when they were entrusted to her, enclosed them in a cupboard near the bed to be kept. The feast of the Purification came in the meantime, when the woman wishing to bring out her candles from the cupboard, at the hour of his death are lit from heaven. found it indeed firmly closed, yet she sought in vain the candles which she was sure she had neither given to another nor moved from their place at all. The woman was astonished at the unexpected loss, and grieved: but this grief was not long-lasting. For the Saint dies in the following April, and at the very moment of death John, suddenly awakened, sees the candles previously desired burning on top of the cupboard itself, and wakes his wife to communicate to her the sight of this novelty. What was signified by it they did not know before, until they understood by others reporting the time and hour at which the Saint had gone to eternal light.

[40] In the same place infected with the plague are healed. In several others in the same diocese of Saint-Malo Saint Vincent shone with miracles. In the parish of Ploumangat the Lady of the place, Helena de Plorech, wife of William de Ploumangat, stricken with the plague was beyond hope of life, her face enormously swelling and her pains increasing: which subsided, as soon as her husband and the father of the sick woman pronounced a vow for her, one wounded in battle and about to drown, and then she was restored to health. An inhabitant of the parish of Cannes, a noble, Radulphus de Bostrioannis, gravely wounded in battle by the English, and thrown into a deep and foul lake, when he had lain there half an hour, commending himself to the divine Virgin of Dinan called "of the virtues" and Saint Vincent making a vow, saw on the bank of the lake a horse, well equipped and waiting until he should emerge; a blind woman, mounting which, he flew on a swift course to Vannes, to give thanks to his liberator. Alietta, wife of Oliver Colet, in the parish of Guillac, recovered her lost sight, her mother praying to Saint Vincent. John le Roux dwelling in the town of Ploenmel, stomach pain, which after great expenses the physicians had judged incurable, and which a vow made to the Saint had cured, felt it breaking out again more and more seriously until, visiting the tomb, he fulfilled the vow. one with stomach pain, He obtained health for his daughter, so sick that she had lain for a month without voice, commending the sick girl to Saint Vincent. In the town of Josselin, the son of Godefrid l'Amoureux recovered his lost speech faculty, a mute, when the father invoked the Saint. A priest of the same town, William le Bot, testified he had seen a paralytic woman cured at the tomb of Saint Vincent. To the same place carried on horseback John Bertier of Josselin, a paralytic, who in the morning had been found as if dead, and had remained in that state for a whole day, miraculously healed, rose. In the river at Josselin at the mill, a syncope sufferer, where it is at least two lances deep, John Gueho, fifteen years old and untrained in swimming, seemed to be drowning: and he had already sought the bottom three times, a drowned boy is raised up, with several watching and unable to help; when a certain damsel of the castle, Margaret Bourdat, very pious, vowed the boy to Saint Vincent: who the fourth time coming up from the water, was led out from there, but dead; and soon he was raised up through the intercession of the Saint himself, to whose tomb on that day his parents had gone for the purpose of gaining Indulgences.

[41] John of Vannes, captain of the archers of the Duke, and a soldier of Tréguier dead from a wound. had so gravely wounded John Guerre, a soldier of Tréguier, importunately demanding his wages, that death followed. His hostess Catherine, wife of John Guernezne, imputing to her own negligence that he had died without confession, did not cease to implore Saint Vincent, that he might restore life to the dead man for so long, until he had confessed his sins. She soon saw herself heard, with him who had been dead attesting that he had been recalled to life by a certain man clothed in white. He lived moreover a long time afterward; a weak man is healed. but who had been accustomed before to horrible blasphemies, from that time appeared clearly another man to his friends. A noble of Querlisquin, called William Kmirhinc, could not walk without a crutch: but coming to the tomb of the Saint and being healed, he left the crutch itself there, as a monument of the miracle. In the Bishopric of Cornouaille and in the parish of Corley, John Pauli was raised from death to life, A Cornouaille man, after a vow made by his wife. From the diocese of Léon a certain sailor had come to Vannes, and was lodging with Giles Guiasson, where he fell from a window forty feet high and expired. another Léon man raised from death, The dismayed hostess ran up, and if by chance he was still alive, applied the stiff man to the hearth: but in vain. Therefore falling on her knees she turns to prayers, and invokes Saint Vincent: who at the same hour restored voice and life to the dead man, so that on the next day, thanks having been rendered to the Saint, sound and unharmed he departed to his own.

[42] You have a good part of the miracles from the Vannes process contracted into a shorter form as briefly as I could, lest the length should produce weariness to the reader, though not without the risk of omitting some very notable circumstances: the reader will excuse thus far from the process of Vannes. the same phrase often recurring in explaining vows and miracles, nor was it possible in a similar matter so often to change it, as it pleased God to repeat it: who, besides, glorified this his Saint with many other miracles. We must omit all these: as also those which were done at the feather bed of the noble Plessis family of ^b Rosmadec, the Saint's bed salutary to many. in which for one night Saint Vincent lying sick made the same salutary for many, for those devoutly lying upon it: until a certain calamity of war took it from the midst, yet so that the memory of so great a good once possessed there was always preserved, together with a signal affection toward the Saint and his Brethren. Whose heir of the same name and ancestral blood, in his own house received the Brethren, in these last years laboring to establish the Vannes convent, and repeatedly for this cause going and returning through the cold winters, to his uncle the Bishop of Vannes, put the final touch to so many of his services by the munificent foundation of the Vannes convent, dedicated to Saint Vincent himself.

[43] But what shall I say of that formula of prayer which Saint Vincent used very often in curing the sick, and of which specimens printed several times are distributed in great number by the Brothers of the Convent at Rennes, having the appellation of Saint Mary of the Good Message? and of the formula of prayer used in life. I myself saw with my own eyes very many persons, both religious and secular, over whom when the same was recited it broke fevers in the very violence of the paroxysm. The prayer is this: "Upon the sick they shall lay hands and they shall be well. Jesus, Son of Mary, the salvation and Lord of the world,

who draws you to the Catholic faith, preserves you and makes you blessed, and deigns to free you from this infirmity. Amen." This prayer was the mediator of an infinite number of cures for him, of whose almost immense number eight hundred seventy-three were proved by legitimate testimonies, to urge on his Canonization, about which we shall now begin to speak. Thus far Bernard Guyard in his French treatise on the Life and miracles of Saint Vincent, published at Paris in the year 1634. What he then subjoins, we prefer to produce from the sources themselves; we add moreover what he himself could not add, having been done three years later, the authentic history of the body recognized and most honorifically translated; so that nothing to the present day be wanting, which may contribute to the knowledge of this Saint: we would give more if we could have obtained the Processes themselves and especially the Spanish ones, untouched by Ranzano: which we still ask to be sent, as well as Ranzano's treatise on the Canonization of Saint Vincent, of which we have and give only the beginning.

ANNOTATIONS.

POSTHUMOUS GLORY OF SAINT VINCENT

Collected from various monuments.

Vincent Ferrer, of the Order of Preachers, at Vannes in Brittany (S.)

BHL Number: 8659, 8669

BY D. P.

CHAPTER I.

Acts for the Canonization from Ranzano to the Master General of the Order of Preachers.

[1] There is no one who doubts, Most Reverend Father, that it was in large part through your efforts that the most illustrious deeds of our Vincent, which have been written by me in the four preceding books, have been made manifest to the Christian peoples throughout the whole world. For whereas before they were almost obscure, as being known to few and only in certain corners of the world, For the example and incitement of posterity these things are written, you nevertheless caused them to be given to the light, and before the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Church and the senate of Cardinals the holiness of his life was examined and proved, and finally that so great a man, with the unanimous consent of all, was enrolled in the catalog of the Saints. Wherefore it has seemed worthy to me, and consonant with reason, that by me also it be written how, in what order, at what time, and under what Pontiff, and with whose help, such enrollment, or as they commonly say, canonization, was made: so that namely the matter itself may become known to posterity, and it may be clear how great was your diligence, and what and how great labors you undertook, that an end might be put to so great a matter. For it will be an example to all who shall be after you about to have the governance of our Order; and they shall consider for themselves how great was the multitude of your spirit, who did not fear to undertake a matter than which no greater is done by the Supreme Pontiffs, and in the end brought it to its due end. And so if there shall be in them any prudence, if any magnanimity, they shall try to imitate you in a similar or in a greater matter great and arduous: from which certainly the greatest glory shall be gained for our Order of Preachers, and the greatest honor shall accrue; since we have seen this deed in our time, which for one hundred thirty years our elders either feared or neglected to do. Yours therefore is this praise, yours the supreme glory; your name for this cause deserves to be perpetual by right: to you our age, to you our Order shall always acknowledge itself indebted, who have so greatly gladdened us, have brought us so great honor, and gained for us so great glory. First, however, there are certain things to be recalled for the knowledge of our matter, without which those things which I am about to write below cannot be sufficiently clear.

[2] Blessed Vincent died, as we have written elsewhere, Princes plead for the canonization, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 1418, at which time Martin presided over the Roman Church. There were at the same time very many Princes of the Gauls and Spains and many most flourishing cities and universities, many also and especially John Duke of Brittany Prelates of the Churches, who, incited by the works, miracles, and most celebrated fame of Blessed Vincent, partly wrote letters, partly sent legates to the said Pontiff, asking that such a distinguished man, according to the custom of the Roman Church, be enrolled in the Catalog of Saints. Of these the chief was John the most illustrious Duke of the Britons, who in large part had seen Saint Vincent's works before and after death, and in whose presence he had migrated from our light. Pope Martin, to whom the conversation of the holy man was most known, judged it worthy that what they asked should be done: and so he determined many things by which the thing itself might be accomplished. But while those things were being arranged which were necessary for so great a business, there came upon the Roman Church from the left hand certain things, which so terrified the Supreme Pontiff and the Cardinals that they could give leisure to no other businesses, except to thinking about the safety and defending the liberty of the Roman Church. before Pope Martin To this was added that the Brothers of the Order of Preachers, especially those whose interest it was to pursue this business, seeing that for some years in the Roman Curia nothing had been transacted about the matter, being affected with great sluggishness, neglected everything: from which it happened that the Princes whom we said a little before to have written to the Pontiff themselves also desisted. But after fourteen years, during which Martin presided over the Church, Eugene the fourth ^b succeeded him: who moved both by the fame of the wonderful deeds of Saint Vincent and Eugene, and by the letters and legates of John Duke of Brittany (who, seeing peace now restored to the Church, again pressed the Pontiff himself for the execution of that matter), no less he himself conceived in mind to accomplish that matter, which Martin had before conceived to accomplish. But while Eugene decreed to commit the examination of the life and conversation of Vincent according to the custom of the Roman Church, ^c a schism arose in the Church, and John himself ^d was extinguished: for which reasons that also happened, that the matter was wholly passed over. During the sixteen years in which Eugene possessed the supreme Priesthood, until the seventh year of Nicholas V, who sat after Eugene, nothing was transacted in the Roman Curia, which pertains to such a business: but in the ^e seventh year of the Pontificate of Nicholas, there were many Bishops of various Churches and secular Princes, and others before Nicholas to whom the teaching of Vincent and the integrity of life and the flashing of miracles had been known, of whom the chief were John of Spain and Alphonsus of Aragon, kings, and Peter Duke of Brittany; who accused the Brothers of the Preachers either of sloth or of negligence, and incited their spirits, that they should keep in memory the matter of Blessed Vincent, namely that they should give their effort so that his canonization, which had been omitted for so many years, might be asked from the Supreme Pontiff Nicholas: and they promise that they will give their effort in each of the things, [indeed also the Generals of the Order Guido Flamothet in the Roman General Chapter] which seemed to be necessary for the use of such a business.

[3] By these reproaches and promises the Brothers were incited and by common deliberation of the Fathers of the whole Order a general Chapter ^f was celebrated at Rome: where a man of celebrated name, Brother Guido ^g Flamothetus, was designated Supreme Master of the Order. With whom the whole senate of Fathers, who had according to custom come together for the Chapter, went to the Supreme Pontiff, and asked from him that the man of heavenly life Vincent, according to the custom of the Christian and Catholic Church, be enrolled in the catalog of Saints. To whom the Supreme Pontiff Nicholas answered, that he would willingly give effort to so great a matter: but since the matter itself among the others, which the Supreme Pontiffs are wont to do, is the greatest, therefore about it he had to think longer. By these words of the Pontiff Guido himself made greatly joyful, began together with the other Fathers to agitate about each of the things that ought to be done for the execution of the matter. And so after a long discussion of the matter, it was decreed that the future general Chapter should be celebrated at Nantes, which is a city of Brittany: so that namely in that city they might be able more easily to meet the illustrious man Peter, who had from his youth vehemently desired such a thing: with whom about each of the things that were necessary for that business, they might dispose. But after eight months Guido himself was extinguished at Naples, nor for that reason was it laid aside that the general Chapter should be celebrated at Nantes. A ^h synod of the Brothers being gathered in that city, by divine providence it came about that with the one voice of all the Fathers, with one counsel, with one consent also, the illustrious man Brother Martial Auribelli of Avignon, not only the most learned Theologian of all his time, but also of such keen wit, such greatness of mind with the highest prudence, was created Supreme Master of the Order of Preachers. He therefore, as he was prudent and magnanimous, as soon as he saw himself raised to that dignity, among other things which are wont to be treated in such General Chapters, the first thing which he wished to be treated was, that it be investigated, what had been done by others for the aforementioned canonization, and what remained to be done further. And so he learned from Brother Conrad of Asti, a most learned Theologian (who at that time was Procurator of the Order of Preachers in the Roman Curia) what were those things which had been treated before, and Martial Auribelli in the Chapter of Nantes, which however were not going to be much profitable for such a business, unless they were brought to execution. He however, distrusting nothing in so arduous a matter, met with the said Duke, to whom and to the whole nobility of the Britons he delivered an eloquent speech: whose brightness of eloquence was so great, and so great the gravity of sentences, and so great the vehemence, that all were most easily bent, so that the Duke and the rest cried out that, all other private and public businesses being omitted, nothing else should be thought of except the canonization of Blessed Vincent. ⁱ

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER II.

The order of canonization from the Bull issued by Pope Pius II.

[4] Nicholas our predecessor, being fully informed of the fame of the faith and the excellence of the life and of the miracles of him, by Nicholas V. wishing to proceed further according to the custom of the Holy Roman Church, committed to our Venerable Brothers, then his, George Bishop of Ostia, three Cardinals and Calixtus our predecessor then constituted in minor orders, and John Cardinal Deacon of Saint Angelo, that they diligently inform about the truth of the faith, and excellence of life, and the grace of miracles, Commissioners appointed through themselves or one of them in the Curia, but outside through Judges to be appointed by them. Who obeying the commands of the aforementioned Nicholas predecessor, and examining some witnesses in the Curia, he caused processes to be done at Naples, but outside the Roman Curia according to the power given them, in the city of Naples they subdelegated our venerable Brothers, the Patriarch of Alexandria Archbishop of Naples, and the Bishop of Majorca dwelling there; at Avignon, in the parts of Dauphiné, the Bishops of Vaison and Utrecht, and our beloved sons the Official of Avignon and the Dean of the Church of Saint Peter of Avignon; in the kingdom of France, the Archbishop of Toulouse, the Bishop of Mirepoix, at Toulouse, and their Officials; in Brittany, however, the Bishops of Dol and Saint-Malo, and Vannes: as well as the Abbots of Saint Jacut and of Buzay of the dioceses of Dol and Nantes, and the Officials of Nantes and Vannes: who, according to the tenor of the power delivered to them by the Commissioners, examined witnesses, and their sayings having been reduced to writing, closed with the subscription of Notaries and their seals sent them to the Curia, and at length by the same Cardinal Commissioners the processes being inspected, recognized, and diligently sent, it was found that in the city of Naples, twenty-eight; in the Avignon and surrounding parts, eighteen; in the kingdom of France, namely Toulouse, forty-eight; in Brittany, however, three hundred and ten witnesses were examined: among whom there were some Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, among whom 400 witnesses were heard. many Bishops and Prelates of Churches, the aforesaid King of Aragon, and very many other noble men from the secular state, and more others of the laws, arts, and of sacred Theology, Bachelors, Licentiates, Doctors, and Masters.

[5] But after the said Nicholas predecessor had been removed from human affairs, Pope Calixtus III. of pious memory Pope Calixtus III our predecessor, long before constituted in minor orders, and one of the aforementioned Commissioners, being raised to the summit of the supreme Apostolate, deputed our beloved son ^a Alan, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church with the title of Saint Praxedes, in his place to be delegated in this business; for the legitimately proved testimonies. and a faithful report being made to the same Calixtus predecessor by the aforesaid Commissioners, in two secret consistories, about the sayings of the examined witnesses; he found all that had been said about the faith, about the excellence of life, about the labors, chaste morals, about the strenuous acts, about the humility and simplicity, and about the miracles of Vincent himself, to be legitimately proved: and therefore by the counsel of our Venerable Brothers, with the Cardinals he decrees to proceed to the canonization: then Cardinals of the same Holy Roman Church, he decreed that further in the canonization of the same Vincent should be proceeded: and then according to custom he had the sayings of the witnesses themselves publicly recited in two general Consistories, and afterward the same Cardinals and Prelates who were present in the Curia having been called, all without any disagreement judged, that the canonization of the said Vincent should rightly be proceeded with. The same Calixtus predecessor also on the said day, namely June 3, in the first year of his Pontificate, in the presence of those Cardinals and Prelates, by the unanimous consent of all of them, pronounced and decreed that the aforesaid Vincent was to be canonized: which publicly and solemnly to be done on the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul next following, namely the third day before the Kalends of July, in the aforesaid year of his Pontificate, he determined and also ordained.

[6] Afterward the said Calixtus predecessor, on the day of the solemnity of the Apostles, and on June 29 enrolled him among the Saints: as is said, having arrived, both from the excellence of life and from the flashing of miracles, and also the true knowledge, which he had had of Vincent himself when living, found that man had obtained the grace which almighty God granted to his saints and chosen ones; and that similar signs had followed from him, which the Truth in the Gospel itself for the instruction of his Church lest it err, demonstrated for the knowing of the faithful and the ministers of God, saying thus: "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16 For that reason he canonized him by apostolic authority, and by the tenor of his letters, if they had been drawn up concerning this, decreed that he should be inscribed in the catalog of Saints: he admonished all and each of the Patriarchs, Archbishops, and other Prelates of the Churches, and attentively exhorted them, enjoining nevertheless on them, that ^b on the eighth day before the Ides of April they should celebrate the feast of the same Saint Vincent, he orders the feast to be celebrated: as of one Confessor not a Pontiff, devoutly and solemnly each year, and should cause it to be celebrated and also venerated by their subjects with suitable devotion: that by his pious intercession they may be protected from harmful things, and may be able to obtain eternal joys. But the miracles, which God had worked through the said Saint, on account of their multitude, lest they should exceed the measure of letters, if, as is said, they had been drawn up, he thought should be passed over in silence: and the processes to be preserved. ordering all the processes held about them to be guarded in the church of the house of Saint Mary above Minerva in the City of the said Order for perpetual memory of the matter, ^c and a copy of them to be shown to those wishing, and also in the Office of the holy man himself, as far as possible, to be more fully declared. Moreover the aforesaid Calixtus predecessor, that to the tomb of so great a Confessor and to the churches he grants indulgences: in which a feast of him is celebrated, the multitude of the faithful might flow together more devoutly and abundantly, to all truly penitent and confessed, who reverently and devoutly should come to the aforesaid tomb and churches on that feast annually, to seek his suffrages, trusting in the mercy of almighty God and by the authority of his Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, mercifully relaxed seven years and as many quarantines of the penance enjoined on them.

[7] But lest, because the letters of the same predecessor about the canonization and other premises, on his supervening death, were not at all drawn up, there be able in the future about such canonization and other premises in any way to be hesitation; Pius II publishes the Bull of canonization. although it was published in the basilica of the Prince of the Apostles in the City, with Cardinals, Prelates, and a multitude of the people standing about; we will and by Apostolic authority we decree, that the canonization and other aforesaid on the said day, namely the third day before the Kalends of July, obtain full effect, as if under the date of the same day the letters of the same predecessor had been drawn up, as is narrated above: and that the present letters may everywhere suffice to fully prove the Canonization itself and all other things aforesaid, nor for this should any other aid of proof be required. Let it be lawful therefore to no one of men to infringe this page of our decree and will, etc. Given at Rome at Saint Peter's in the year of the Lord's Incarnation 1458, on the Kalends of October, in the first year of our Pontificate.

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER III.

Elevation, Relics, hiding of the body of Saint Vincent.

[8] In the year 1456, on the fifth day of the month of April, the most sacred body of Saint Confessor Vincent, which in the city of Vannes in Brittany in the cathedral church was lying on the humble ground, The body is elevated in the year 1456, in the presence of Lord Alan the Protector, the Lord Duke of Brittany with his consort the Duchess, the Lord Bishop of Vannes, the Master of the Order and several Canons of the said Church and many Brothers of the Order, with many miracles accompanying, was exhumed, and placed in another honorable place, with three locks and as many keys: of which the aforesaid Lord Legate kept one for himself, gave another to the aforesaid Lord Duke to be guarded, and a third to the aforesaid Lord Bishop. A most solemn procession was also celebrated in honor of the aforesaid Saint, at which there was present an almost innumerable multitude of people, as was estimated, up to the number of one hundred and fifty thousand foreign persons, and up to a hundred of the Brothers of the Order. Now while this translation of the aforesaid body was being done, the Master of the Order, before witnesses and a Notary, with solemn protestation, most insistently asked from the aforesaid Lord Bishop and the Canons of the said Church that the said body be given to himself and his Order, since by right it pertained to the Order: which indeed he could not obtain: yet he intended before the Supreme Pontiff in the Roman Curia to take pains for the recovery of the precious treasure, as he was unanimously and insistently required by the Provincials and Definers in the aforesaid general Chapter.

[9] Thus far the MS. Codex of Ambrose Taegius in the Convent of St Mary of Grace of Milan. with several Bishops present, But the writers of Brittany relate that very many Bishops were present. Albert the Great in the Life of Saint Vincent, citing the MS. codex, asserts that only the Archbishop of Rouen was present, with nine Bishops of Brittany and six others from neighboring dioceses, whose names he gives, and adds that the Archbishop of Tours, being prevented by illness, was not present. The Bishop of Vannes was Yvo de Pontsal, taken from the Order of Preachers and the Convent of Quimper, and the General Master of the Order, the often-mentioned Martial Auribelli, to whose petition for obtaining the sacred body, while Ranzano favored it, because concerning the last will of the Saint in book 4 number 7, so he opposed it, in such a way as Bernard Guyard part 2 chapter 8 says, drawn from the process of Vannes, he answered to those asking where he wished to be buried: "There where it shall seem good to the Duke and Bishop": which however does not prevent, that after this resignation of his will, which Ranzano passes over in a dissimulating way, the Saint indicated that he wished burial in the nearest convent of the Order. Moreover that the hitherto humble tomb of Saint Vincent was elevated to the more august structure, such as is now seen, on the same occasion; and within was placed the said chest with three keys, though no one says so, a tomb is erected is credible. But whether that chest remained there until the disturbances of civil war, around the end of the 16th century, we deservedly doubt. That it remained is suggested by the fact that less than fifty years having elapsed after those disturbances, there was no one, who either knew of the chest, or in another place, for example above some altar, the holy body

remembered it to have been honored. On the contrary, that the same chest was then more honorably translated, with one or another of the vertebrae left inside the tomb, in which some vertebrae were left. placed in a peculiar shrine (which was there afterward alone found), that division of the sacred members makes probable, which is scarcely credible to have been made before the aforesaid disturbances, but only at the very time when the chest was hidden: for how could it have been a secret, which was done with the knowledge of all those in whose possession were (if indeed they had not yet perished) those three keys necessary for unlocking the chest? That division therefore was made not many years after the first Elevation, when from the same chest was taken the mandible, to be enclosed in a silver herm of old work, which is still extant, for processional uses: and therefore it was made, so that with vertebrae left in the tomb, the religion of those who would still reverently approach it might not be vain: but the principal chest, placed elsewhere and more visible, might more effectually kindle piety. But this piety, already accustomed to the venerable tomb, may have clung there more persistently, and so it may have happened that in the course of time the chest came almost into oblivion, and so it could more easily be taken from the church, as will soon be said.

[10] After Martial Auribelli, five other Generals of the Order came as pilgrims to the city of Vannes to the sacred tomb of Saint Vincent, namely Salvus Cassetta the Sicilian, Joachim Turrianus the Venetian, Generals of the Order visited him: John Clareo the Norman, Francis Silvester of Ferrara, and Nicholas Rodulphius of Florence. This one procured that some Convent of the Order should be established at Vannes, The Vannes convent is constructed: which in the suburb of Saint Paterne began to be built in the year 1633, in honor of Saint Vincent, to whom previously the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites had been dedicated in the same place: among whom some small particles of the sacred bones are preserved, as also among the Carmelites of Morlaix and in the churches of Nantes of the Virgin Mother of God and of Saint Peter: some relics elsewhere, the Carthusians there too have a rib, and the Preaching Fathers at Guengamp a finger joint. Pyrrhus Rocchus in the Notitia of the churches of Sicily names several convents of the Order in which there is some of his Relics: in place of which there are also letters; and so there is preserved one of Vincent's at Catania, with another letter of Saint Catherine of Siena and a third of Saint Francis of Paola, as is found in volume 2 page 85. But on page 560 it is said that at Marsala in the house of the Holy Spirit, which is of the Preaching Brothers, the staff of the same Saint is honored, given by Blessed Vincent to Pistoya of the same Order then at Marsala, which is of use in many infirmities, especially to women in childbirth. Sebastian Rosmadec, Bishop, introduced the Discalced Carmelites at Vannes in the year 1628: at which time when the body of Saint Vincent, for many years seen by no one, lay hidden; from those which had been reserved in the Translation when afterward it was found, and it was most severely provided that nothing be taken away; and what was provided was most religiously observed (otherwise how would it happen that the new Convent of Preachers at Vannes obtained no particle of such a great treasure?) — these things I say being so, it seems consequent that the said Carmelites received from those to whom before the hiding of the body the particles had come by episcopal gift: how the rib came to the Carthusians, the finger-joint to the Preachers of Guengamp, we scarcely doubt.

[11] Moreover the other bones, as we have already insinuated, seem therefore to have been kept in a special chest outside the tomb, so that a proper altar or chapel might be erected for them: which although, with the fervor of devotion cooling, was not done, yet seems to have been divinely provided, lest such a great treasure should be taken from the city, at its time at some day to be exalted. It was indeed a singular happiness of the Duchy of Brittany, that into it did not penetrate the rage of the Calvinists, Lest the chest be carried off by the Spanish it is hidden around the year 1590 in the year 1562 rampaging through almost all Gaul, to the destruction and plundering of sacred things and places: yet it did not have nothing to fear from the same, when Henry IV of Navarre, heresy not yet abjured, to obtain the kingdom owed by right of succession, greatly used the Huguenots armed for his cause, and, if he obtained his wish, was feared to be ruinous to the Catholic cause. And so the Catholic princes confederated against him called the Spanish to their aid: some of whom, originating from the kingdom of Valencia, the homeland of Saint Vincent, when they had been given to the city of Vannes as garrison, thought they had found an occasion for carrying off the sacred body. Which plan pleased Philip II so much, that for obtaining it he wrote letters to the Canons of Vannes. But when the Spanish saw that nothing was being accomplished by these, they entered upon another plan by which they could obtain the desired good. Namely they set up a noteworthy comedy, which while by its novelty it kept the people occupied, they had determined to seize the sacred pledge from the church. There happened then to live at Valencia a certain citizen of Vannes, named Bourgerol, very wealthy especially, and being taught by no vain indication what the Spanish were plotting, he admonished the Vannetois to beware: from whose pious zeal he believed he had afterward received no small fruit, when at sixty-eight years of age he led a most celebrated processional pomp, in which the venerable deposit was translated, as will be said below.

[12] From his mouth we have learned, It came into total oblivion, that not only did the citizens of Vannes, warned of the danger, take care to provide, that the Spanish could not obtain their designs: but also the Canons judged that they would act prudently, if they should withdraw from the eyes of those, who might add violence to prayers, the chest guardian of the sacred body; and that as secretly as possible, lest any indication leak out. Therefore power is given to the senior of the Canons of receiving it to himself, and of preserving it where he should judge it safe: who afterward being near death, ordered the same chest to be brought back to the Sacristy: where it remained without any honor, useful only to the choir ministers for placing upon it the vestments, which, their office having been performed, they took off and carelessly cast aside; since none of the younger cared to ask what was contained in it; and none of the elders, perhaps having some knowledge of the matter, had given any orders about the same before death for the instruction of posterity. Thus far nearly R. P. Bartholomew Vimont, nor before the year 1637 was it recognized. twice Rector of the College which the Society of Jesus has at Vannes, and before Superior of the Canadian Mission, who an eyewitness to the finding and translation of which we now begin to tell, narrated these very things, carefully inquired, to Father Francis de Kernatous; and he transcribed them to us in the year 1666, together with the pastoral letter of the Bishop of Vannes, containing the whole series of the finding, which we here translate from French into Latin; so that to heretics, accustomed to slander the uncertainty of the holy Relics, it may plainly appear, with what circumspection in such a business the Catholic Bishops are wont to proceed.

CHAPTER IV.

Finding, recognition, and translation in the year 1637.

Sebastian de Rosmadec, by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See Bishop of Vannes, to all the faithful of our diocese.

[13] If to our former Predecessor, Lord Amalric de la Motte, it was a cause of great joy, in his time to see Saint Vincent Ferrer announcing the word of God to this diocese, and leaving to him the relics of his own body to be placed in whatever place he himself wished, in the year 1418: if to Lord Yvo de Pontsal, also our predecessor, the canonization of the same Saint by Calixtus III in the year 1455, * and following this in the next year, the elevation of his sacred body from the tomb in our cathedral church, performed by the Most Illustrious Alan de Coutigny, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church with the title of Saint Praxedes, and Apostolic Legate, brought a similar occasion of exulting: it is fitting that our joy be no less, in whose days God caused the holy relics of the same body to be found, formerly hidden by our predecessors: which however would not be whole for us, unless we also made you participants of it, by a true and accurate narration of the whole matter.

[14] The veneration of Saint Vincent was restored, Be it known to you therefore, that although the preservation of this city of Vannes from plague and wars, by the common opinion of the faithful, was imputed to the prayers of Saint Vincent, our special patron; and the adornment and increase of our cathedral church ought to be acknowledged to the piety of the princes and peoples, religiously affected toward the same Saint; yet the fervor of this devotion cooled not a little during those years in which his holy body lay hidden, partly to be withdrawn from the fury of the heretics threatening this city, partly from the cupidity of the Spanish protecting it. by the miracles woven into the tapestries, But God, wishing to be glorified in his Saint, did not permit any longer the veneration of him to lie outdated: but he began to arouse it, in the time of Lord James de Martin, our immediate predecessor; who had a part of the miracles performed by the Saint while living interwoven into the most beautiful tapestries, to be made for the adornment of our cathedral church: the annual supplication being resumed, but the supplication which was wont to be performed each year on the night preceding the fifth of April had been instituted after he died, and was also resumed with greater apparatus than ever before, from the foundation of one of the chief royal ministers in this city around the year 1600. Princes also and great men began to run to venerate the tomb of the Saint, among whom the chief were Lord Prince Condé, Lord de Guise and the Lord Dukes de Brissac father and son; as well as the Master General of the Order of Preachers Father Ralph, who coming here in the year 1631, obtained from us and from the citizens of this city the consent for the erection of a Convent of his Order here, with Lord de Plessis Rosmadec as founder.

[15] The same affection of devotion toward the Saint induced the venerable Canons of our church to place the making of a silver shrine for receiving his Relics. a silver shrine The Lord Duke of Brissac also, he who now lives, and the Lord de Galessoniere, Counsellor of State, offered silver lamps at the aforesaid tomb by vow; and this one indeed came to Paris on this one cause, testifying that he was doing so, because, placed in the last agony of death, by a vow made to the Saint, he had suddenly recovered health. With equal zeal the chapter of the aforesaid canons began to build in honor of the Most Holy Virgin and of Saint Vincent a chapel behind the choir of our church, and a chapel being made: which being finished and a place prepared there, within which the silver chest, which we have mentioned, was to be placed; nothing else remained except that the Relics should be sought, to be placed within it. after these things a translation was decreed It happened that the Capuchin Fathers had announced that the Provincial Chapter would be celebrated in this city at the same time, when the plans were being discussed about making the translation of the holy body; which having been understood, they urged us and our Canons with humble prayers, to choose for that action a day in which they could likewise propose to the people the Indulgences granted by Pontifical liberality to those who during the Chapter should attend the forty hours prayer: which they obtained not with difficulty, and at the same time the sixth day of September was chosen for the solemnity.

[16] but only the mandible was found in the reliquary, These things having been thus arranged, we ordered all the Relics of the Saint which were in our church to be collected. But when at the request of Lord Brissac, through Lord Henry Basseline, Theological Canon of our church, on May 24, we had ordered the tomb of Saint Vincent to be opened, and he had found in it very few Relics, but in his silver herm only the mandible without the cranium; we began to be greatly anxious in what place the cranium itself and the other bones of the body could be found. We therefore admonished the Lords Canons to search every corner of the church, wherever they might suspect the Relics to lie hidden: who, gathered in chapter, committed the care of making the inquiry to Lords Guimarrho and Basseline, Canons. They, in the sacristy within a cupboard, elsewhere a chest was found, serving for keeping choral copes and staffs, found a chest closed with three seals: which being broken, the cranium appeared without the mandible, which therefore together with the other bones they hesitatingly believed to be of Saint Vincent: and so they reported to us, and confirmed their assertion by exhibiting two coins, likewise found in the same chest; one of which was of Duke John, under whom the Saint migrated from this life; the other of Francis Duke of Brittany, who as well as the previous one had labored much for obtaining the canonization of the Saint, although it was at last performed under Peter the second of his name.

[17] to the recognition of which a physician and surgeon were summoned This indication having been received, and the College of Canons having been called into Chapter over it, we decreed that an inspection of the said chest should be duly made: and since it was certainly clear, that the mandible which was kept in the silver herm was an undoubted Relic of Saint Vincent; it was agreed that experienced men should be called, who would judge whether it fit the cranium found within the chest, so that it ought to be believed to be parts of the same body. Therefore on the seventh day of the current month of August chosen for this, about the third hour after midday, there were with us Lord John Petit, lord of la Bergerie, Doctor of medicine, and Claude Gossement, Master surgeon of this city: who being sworn to the truth, as far as it could be known from the rules of their art, to be declared before us and our Brothers, the Lords Canons there present, each of the things found within the chest were signed by the hand of a public Notary; [they judged the bones in the chest, whose was the mandible, to be of the same body:] then the aforesaid two, the Physician and Surgeon, applying the mandible to the upper jaw, found and judged that they so aptly fit each other, both as to the junctures and as to the order of the upper and lower teeth (which on both sides being equal in number were so arranged, that the higher ones answered to the lower ones) that there could be no doubt but that the mandible had been a proper part of one and the same head, of which was the cranium. The same was confirmed by the similar color and odor of both bones, from the application of a certain aromatic powder, with which powder the other bones in the same chest had similarly been covered: which they themselves, because of the right congruity with the head, judged also to be of the same body.

[18] From these beginnings proceeding to further inquiry, who also in the convened assembly of Theologians proclaimed for this we commanded the Venerable Archdeacon and Penitentiary of our church, to visit the Relics enclosed within the silver chest, called "Bodies of the Saints": to see if perchance in it was found anything of the Relics of Saint Vincent. When they had done this on August 16, and had legitimately signified and proved to us, that none of Saint Vincent's, but several of other Saints' Relics were found there; we decreed, according to the decrees of the Council of Trent, in the recognition of newly found Relics to be observed, that theological and pious men in a good number should be called, whose counsel we might use: and so were cited on the day August 23 the reverend Fathers Rector of the Jesuits, Vicar of Nazareth, Prior of the Carmelites of Bondon and Prior of the Discalced Carmelites, Guardian of the convent of Saint Francis, Provincial and Guardian of the Capuchins, Prior of the Preachers, Venerable and discreet Lords Natalis le Cerf, William le Gallois, Official and Grand Vicar of Vannes, and James Bullion Promoter, all theologians, for their suffrage; but for the presence and testimony to be offered for things to be done, Lords Lieutenant and Royal Procurator of this city: and several noblemen and citizens, who would all likewise hear the judgment of the physicians and surgeons, to be formed on the said Relics according to the prescript of their art.

[19] they swore the same: On the said day they all appeared, except one Prior of the Discalced Carmelites, about the second hour after midday, within the chapel behind the cathedral choir, built to the Blessed Virgin and Saint Vincent: and by our command there likewise were present with them, both the Venerable Canons Capitular of our church, and Lords John Petit and N. du Buisson, Doctors of Medicine, dwelling in this city of Vannes and the neighboring Auray, as well as Claude Gossement and Nicholas Thomazzo, Master surgeons of this city. Before all of whom the said iron-bound box was brought, in which were the Relics, to be compared with the undoubted mandible of Saint Vincent: which all after the chanting of the Hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus" were placed upon a table, and were carefully considered by the said doctors and surgeons. The aforesaid Petit and Gossement, persisting in their former opinion, [when others objected the difficult movement of the mandible when joined to the cranium,] pronounced that the cranium and the other bones were of the same body, of which was the mandible: but the other two, du Buisson and Thomazzo, admiring the agreement and proportion of the teeth of both jaws, alleged however that the movement of the lower mandible within the junctures of the cranium seemed less free, and therefore it was not sufficiently clear whether the mandible and cranium were bones of the same body.

[20] To this the said Petit and Gossement answered, that the mandible committed with the cranium opened sufficiently: the cause of this difficulty being sought; and that there was a great difference between a living body, and that which had been dead for about two hundred years; whose parts had been always disjoined, kept in various places, and to some extent carious: especially in the cavities which are about the temples, where the lower mandible is committed to the upper, and in the living there is a most easy movement, on account of the cartilaginous ligament, very light and mobile, by which the apophyses condyloid of the lower mandible are enveloped: which cartilage since it flows away in the dead, they denied any reason was to be made of a more difficult movement, when the apophyses or tubercles of the bones so aptly insert themselves into their cavities. Then having heard the opinions of the Religious Theologians, Officials, and Canons of our church, we judged, for a fuller knowledge of the examination of the Relics, to appoint a new meeting for August 21; to which other surgeons besides being called should weigh the difficulty proposed by the said du Buisson and Thomazzo, after in their own convents and churches they should have taken care to commend the matter of so great moment with ardent prayers to God by themselves and their own.

[21] They came together therefore at the hour and day previously signified, both the same as above, and the Reverend Fathers Guardian of the Capuchins of Rennes and Prior of the Discalced Carmelites, but in place of Master Thomazzo from the town of Auray came the surgeon Michael Danielet. [and it was judged not to be a hindrance to the certainty of the Relics of the chest,] Before whom and our Venerable Chapter, after the repeated chanting of the Hymn "Veni Creator," with candles and lamps burning over the table, the sacred bones were again exposed, drawn out from the box. Which being again inspected, the said du Buisson said, that he had diligently weighed, from what cause proceeded that difficult movement of the lower mandible applied to the upper; and that no other more probable occurred to him, because in the bones of the dead that movement is naturally more impeded. than that the parts had been separated from each other for a long time, and had at some time been placed in a damp place; from which it had come about, that the somewhat contracted mandible too narrowly constrained the cranium, and so was more difficultly moved. Wherefore no doubt remained to him, but that the previously noted agreement of the said parts with each other was a sufficient argument, for judging that both were of the same body. Yet for the sake of confirming the truth it seemed expedient, that the vertebra which from the verbal process of May 24 made he had understood to have been found in the tomb of Saint Vincent, be brought out: which if it also should seem to agree with the other vertebrae found in the chest, would evidently demonstrate the truth of all the Relics likewise placed in the chest, and manifestly forming the framework of the same body. Lord Petit and the two surgeons being asked their opinion, agreed that the mandible and the cranium had been plainly bones of the same body, but that all ambiguity which perhaps could be among some was to be taken away, with the vertebrae on either side being compared with each other.

[22] Then having heard the opinions of the aforesaid Religious, Theologians, and Canons, and especially because the vertebrae found in the tomb we decreed that the very vertebra from the tomb of the Saint should also be required, which on the following day being inspected before the same who were to meet, the final touch might be applied to this work. Therefore about seven in the evening we went there, with some part of the Canons and the Reverend Fathers Provincial and Guardians of Rennes and Vannes of the Capuchins; and the tomb being unlocked by Master Charles l'Honneur, locksmith of this city, we found a little wooden box, having in length four feet, one and a half in width: from which, after prayers devoutly poured forth, we extracted a vertebra, and certain smaller bones, wrapped in a red silken cloth; which with all reverence we ordered to be placed with the mandible in the silver herm, until the following day August 29: on which being led after midday for two hours, there came again all the same as before, and several others by our consent, as well as Master Nicholas Thomazzo, surgeon: and before them, after the customary hymn was chanted, we first exposed the mandible and the Relics found in the tomb, then we ordered the greater chest to be opened by the said locksmith, and from the doctors and surgeons we exacted a new oath of telling the truth.

[23] They, considering that this vertebra bore the same color and appearance of aromatic application, fit most perfectly with those found in the chest. as the other bones which the chest contained, and seeking among them the vertebra which ought to be immediately joined to this one found within the tomb: with unanimous consent pronounced that the vertebra found in the tomb was altogether of that body, whose other bones which were contained in the chest, as well as the mandible above said: and since both the vertebra and the mandible were held beyond doubt as true Relics of Saint Vincent, those found in the chest should also be held as such. This judgment being confirmed by those who had been asked to bring their vote, the wishes of all agreed in this, that we should declare these to be true Relics of Saint Vincent, and that they should be exposed as such for the veneration of the faithful people. Having therefore taken the Pontifical ornament and the grace of the Holy Spirit being invoked, we pronounced sentence in these words. and so it was defined that these were true Relics of Saint Vincent, "By the authority of almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and that which we hold in this diocese, we declare, that the present bones, each and all, are true Relics of the Body of Saint Vincent Ferrer, canonized by the Holy Lord Calixtus

Pope III on the 13th day of July of the year 1455, and we decree and command that from now on they be held as such; strictly forbidding that anyone dare to expose for veneration any different from these or from others legitimately accepted from the framework of these, and recognized according to the form prescribed by the Church. We forbid also under pain of excommunication anyone to take away from here, even the smallest particle, without our consent, in the name of the Father ✠ and the Son ✠ and the Holy Spirit ✠." And these things having been said, submitting ourselves upon our knees, we ourselves with humble kiss adored the holy Relics, and exhibited them to be adored to all present: and then, all the same being in attendance, accompanying us, we proceeded to the middle nave of the church, and gave solemn thanks to God, chanting the Ambrosian hymn "Te Deum," for the reception of so great a treasure.

[24] These, Dearest ones, are the things whose joyful tidings we have thought to be communicated with you through our whole diocese, exhorting in the Lord, that according to those words from which the glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer made the beginning of the sermons to be held before our forefathers in this city, to whose veneration the people of Vannes are invited saying: "Gather up the fragments that remain, that they be not lost," you also should preserve the precious fragments of his bones with the honor of due religion, that God and our Lord may bless the arms of our best King Louis XIII, and protect his person, and may preserve you living under the obedience of his commandments in peace. to which about 40 thousand flocked. But to invite you to venerate the same Relics even more, we placed them in the presence of the Lord Bishop of Tréguier, and our whole Chapter, in the silver chest, fabricated for this as said above, on the 5th day of the present month, and on the following day we carried the same in procession around to the convents of the Capuchins, Preachers, and of Nazareth: and finally, the 40 hours prayers in our Cathedral being finished, in which with the greatest joy of our soul up to one hundred fifty thousand of the faithful took part, we had it transferred to the altar of the chapel, fabricated in honor of the Divine Virgin and Saint Vincent, behind the choir of our said Cathedral: and we have ordered a public instrument to be made of all these things through Master Maturinus Nicolazzo, our Secretary, on this fifth day of the week, the 10th day of September, after midday, in the year of the Lord 1637.

* namely before Easter in the year 1419

CHAPTER V.

The feast of the aforesaid Translation, September 6.

It was pleasing thereafter that the memory of such singular joy should be renewed annually: and so first Lessons were composed and published, to be recited on September 6 by all the clergy of Vannes under a solemn office at the second Nocturn at Matins: then the order of the processional Pomp was constituted which is preserved until now and was transmitted to us by the aforesaid Father Francis de Kernatous. But this, because it contains nothing different from what is customary on a similar occasion, we omit: the Lessons we give here.

Lesson IV. When wars raged in minor Britain, a great part of the body of Saint Vincent Ferrer, which had been laid up in the church of Vannes, long lay hidden. During that time his cult was cooling: but by God's gift first under Bishop James, then under Sebastian, it began to grow and increase. For the Queen of the French demanded with the greatest prayers a certain particle of the relics of this Saint: Dukes, Magnates, and several others frequented his tomb with vows and gifts: miracles were added. Nicholas Rodulphus, Minister General of the Dominicans in the year of the Lord 1626, also came here, who obtained from Bishop Sebastian and the Citizens of Vannes the consent for constructing in this city a monastery of his Order. But the Chapter of Vannes took care that the Chapel, which is behind the Major Altar, whose foundations extended from the ground, to be completed with elegant and notable structure as soon as possible in honor of the Virgin Mother of God and of Saint Vincent: and a silver chest to be carefully made, in which the sacred pledge might be placed.

Lesson V. But because it was not known of the place, in which it had been placed: two Canons by the order of the Bishop and the Chapter, carefully and with fitting devotion searched all the chests of the church's little places, and indeed every hidden place. At length in a certain cupboard of the Sacristy they found a chest, with a vaulted cover, smoothed with iron plates, surrounded with polished works, and fortified with a triple lock. Which being unlocked, they find within the cranium without the lower jaw, and nearly the rest of the bones of which the body is composed, wrapped in a double covering, on the outside with silken cloth, inside with an altar cloth, marked with crosses. Several Physicians and Surgeons are called, by whose work that cranium might be compared and joined with the lower jaw: which had always been exposed to the veneration of all as a certain and undoubted Relic of Saint Vincent. When these things had been done for several days, with fasts, prayers, and invocation of the Holy Spirit, and all religious zeal having been applied, in a frequent meeting of pious and experienced secular and regular men, with the chief men of the city standing by and all seeing, the lower jaw is joined to the sacred head, and the upper parts are joined with the lower with such proportion, so that teeth rest upon teeth, that it was clearer than midday sun, that all these bones compared with each other once constituted one and the same body.

Lesson VI. The Most Illustrious Bishop therefore, having asked the opinions of the Canons, then of certain other Theologians, Fathers of the Society of Jesus, Capuchins, who at that time had their Chapter at Vannes, and of the Regulars dwelling in this city, whom he had brought in for counsel; by common opinion, brought forth a decree with Pontifical and solemn rite before a frequent People, that all these bones, placed before and in his presence, and carefully recognized, were true Relics of Saint Vincent Ferrer the Confessor, reckoned in the number of the Saints by Calixtus III the Supreme Pontiff. And at once with pious worship he venerated on bended knees, which all likewise did. Soon the sacred body was placed in the silver chest, on the 5th day of September in the year of the Lord 1637. On the following day, with a solemn supplication, with preparation of the public roads, and every signification of spiritual joy, and zeal of pious veneration, it is carried around the walls of the city: likewise the jaw with its precious reliquary, with an incredible throng of people gathering from everywhere. After this the chest is enclosed in a marble place, which in the middle of the Altar projects from a higher place, with a little window or door opening in two, covered in front with iron and gilded gratings, and fortified with a double lock: a lamp shines assiduously at the expense and magnificence of the city of Vannes. And so that there might be some perpetual monument of this benefit, to cultivate its memory, the feast day of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Vincent is instituted on the sixth of September, on which the annual supplication is celebrated, and the sacred body is carried around the walls of the City each year, with the same religion as before, Sebastian the Bishop being the Founder.