OF BLESSED BARTHOLOMEA OR ELIZABETH VIRGIN OF THE THIRD ORDER OF THE SERVANTS OF BLESSED MARY AT SIENA IN ETRURIA. A HISTORICAL COLLECTION.
Her cult, elogium, relics.
A.D. 1348.
CommentaryBartholomea or Elizabeth Virgin, of the Third Order of the servants of Blessed Mary, at Siena in Etruria (B.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
[1] Archangel Gianius of Florence, in the Annals of the Order of the Servants of Blessed Mary, about the year 1618 published, book 2 of the Century 2 begins from the year 1248, Her memory as Blessed in the Annals of the Order and the Fasti of Siena. in which a plague immense, from the Sicilian shores suddenly arisen, an entire nearly triennium held, with the greatest of men and beasts slaughter through the world whole; to the very Order also mournful, on account of the death inflicted on its ninth General Matthew. This death, in the month of November undergone, a whole half-year had preceded the happy death of the Blessed (as he calls her) Elizabeth of Siena, who also Bartholomea, before the sacred of the Blessed Virgin habit she had received, was called. For on which day, he says, of S. Pudentiana Virgin the memory is venerated, on the XIV Kalends of June, from the prison of the flesh to heaven she was translated. He makes mention of the same on this day in his Fasti of Siena our P. Sebastian Conti of Pistoia, the elogium's argument from Gianius borrowing, under the sole name of B. Bartholomea. We from the fountains, when we can, more gladly drawing, the of more elegant style curious reader to those Fasti we refer, and of Bartholomea or Elizabeth herself the deeds, as in the Chronicle of the Order they are narrated, from Gianius we receive.
[2] The most prudent Virgin Bartholomea, who also Elizabeth de Vajariis, By the institution of B. Francis of Siena a life she leads, of Siena, a Sister of the third Order of the Servants, and of Blessed Francis the most beloved disciple, of so great a master the footsteps having followed, to the same beatitude merited to come: of whom indeed the same is the labor glorious, the same surely ought to be the reward and wages copious. Which indeed wages how she has obtained that woman sacred, it is fair to assert. For (as relate the Annals of the monastery of Siena) taught by Blessed Francis, a vow of chastity she vowed and inviolably observed; the counsels, as precepts, she fulfilled; fasts and macerations of the flesh were to her the most sumptuous banquets, prayer likewise and sacred confession, chaste eloquences, which always she had before her mouth: for fifty times in the day and fifty times in the night Christ and the Virgin Mother of God she saluted, that the remission of sins and of mind jubilation she might obtain. Sins daily to expiate she strove, nay at the feet of Priests fallen, certain things with tears herself accusing she confessed, in which scarcely anything of defilement appeared, those namely which in childhood idly she had said.
[3] Relate some, that, when her body she refreshed with bread, by a demon she was assailed with these words, and variously is tempted. O glutton! what do you merit by eating? She indeed the enemy's frauds knowing, so much the more to eat she strove, by how much the serpent cunning by envy was tortured. Many other things of this Virgin's temptations and abstinence are said by the Fathers, which all are omitted. Only this to all be known, that her ashes at Siena remain in the edifice of the Servants of Blessed Mary the Virgin, which still with miracles shine: the head of the dead one shines with miracles. her indeed venerable Head, upon the heads of the infirm placed, them from languors cures, and at the same time the possessed by a demon frees. That also seems of it by no means in silence to be passed over, that the same Head, long after death cast into fire (whether that by chance happened, or that some of it proof be made) unburnt and unhurt as before, all marveling and venerating, remained. Her image, anciently painted, appears in the Sisters of our Order manner clothed, with a figure of the most holy Crucified in the right hand, a book in the left, and a crown at the girdle. But if anyone her food at the table blessing with a demon standing by should paint, the matter perhaps more nearly, according to her narrated history, would attain; and her type from other of this kind of Blessed images more elegant without doubt would represent.
[4] Thus far Gianius, of the Annals more ancient to the words some things (as appears) adding of his own, nor incongruously. unhurt by fire about the year 1570. P. Sebastian affirms, the miracle of the unhurt by fire Skull a hundred years about from the time of his writing, that is about the year 1570 to have happened; and it in the of Siena of the Servants temple, in a precious enclosed shrine, to be kept. Of the temptations indeed of the Blessed herself he adds, that the enemy, though daily routed, dared upon the dying Bartholomea with stronger snares to rise. Opportunely however, he says, was present conspicuous from heaven the most beneficent of the serving her Virgins Patroness; and the tartarean dark-dweller eliminated, up to her last breath, no less than a blessed to her eyes serenity, a serene to the lying one's breast tranquillity she kept. in some elevation of bones separated from them. Now said moreover the veneration of the Head, for so many years of which the beginning to be assigned cannot be continued, the Ordinaries knowing and not contradicting, an argument is, her without doubt with the Siena-folk to have been held always for Blessed; and makes also verisimilar, some of the body elevation and translation, either under some altar, or to a more honorable in the church monument, already formerly to have been made; in which the Head from the rest of the body, for the greater of the faithful convenience, separated was; although of this kind of elevation or translation neither the author, nor the time, nor circumstances other now are commemorated, nor of the burial even first or second the place is shown any more.
[5] Of the afore-mentioned Blessed Francis we treated on the XVI of May, and saw in n. 4, an excessive of women familiarity to him by the envious objected to have been; and him, that the occasion of calumny he might cut off, humbly having besought to have obtained deafness, through which from all of men colloquy he might be excused. her with Blessed Francis familiarity. Among those Bartholomea to have been and with him to have borne a part of the injurious sharp-tongue, for of her virtue a trial, scarcely I would doubt. Not so much of foundation appears to confirm the conjecture, by which one would lay, her of those two Virgins one to have been, who him preaching a globe fiery to have seen affirmed above his very head. Less even foundedly might say now first someone, that the same was that noble and holy of Siena Matron, who, in the same as the Blessed expired hour, beheld him brighter than the sun before the sight of the most holy Trinity to be led, and on his head a most precious crown by the Mother of God to be imposed. Neither however either is repugnant to the reason of the times, since Francis for whole twenty-three years before Bartholomea died; or is foreign to her sanctity exceeding, which the aforesaid sufficiently and superabundantly confirm.