Of a blynd wooman which was cured.

PEtronel Riders wyfe to Lambert Baud­uin About the month of May or Iune 160 [...]. sometyme soldier, and launcier vnder the Lord of Grobbendonck in the Country of Brabant, in the yeare 1602. being at Dust had a great defluction of humors, which fel vpon her eyes, and a great and vehement grief insued there­upō as if her eyes had ben gnawne with some vermin: which increaced so much that she vtterly lost her sight: notwith­standing [Page 45] that many medicines were ap­plyed vnto her both by the aduise of sur­geons, as others, of which she receiued no help at all: in such sorte that she could not see or decerne any thing in the world which continued more then eight or ten dayes. At which tyme a certaine womā seeing her in this plight, aduised her to goe vnto our Ladie at Montaigu where many had ben cured of their agues, ho­ping that there she should fynd some help for her disease. Moreouer she coun­selled her to wash her eyes with the water which is behynd the Chappel of the foresayd Montaigu. Whereupon the sayd Petronel resolued to goe thither in pilgrimage, and hauing sought out a wo­man in Diest to leade her, shee walked (starck blynd) towards the said Montaigu about the Moneth of May or, Iune, in the sayd yeare 1602: but assoone as shee began to goe vp the hil towards the chappel, she felt the accustomed griefs of her eyes to be much asswaged, & with all her self to be much inwardly comfor­ted. Which alteration after shee had perceiued, shee would needes trye whe­ther shee had recouered any thing of [Page 46] her sight or no, so that with her fingers lifting vp her eyelids, shee perceiued that shee began to see (as it were through an obscure mist) the grasse and bushes of the Mountayne, and a little afterwards set­ting somewhat forwards, shee perfectly sawe the little chappel of wood where the Image of our Ladie was placed, and hereupon▪ shee spake to the woman which led her, and thancking her for her paynes told her that shee needed her help no longer, for that shee had nowe recouered her sight: and so the sayd Petronel went alone without any other ayd towards the foresayd water, where hauing washt her eyes, shee fel to her deuotions in the Chappel of our Ladye, rendring thancks to God and her, for this worck of mercie: and so returning whole and merrie to her hows at Diest hath euer since inioyed perfectly her sight, and hath been free from al her for­mer paynes, and yet so remayneth to this present day, as it appeared vpon the six and twentith of Iune in the yeare 1604. when in the citye of Bruxelles before the Magistrates there by solemn othe shee affirmed all that hath been sayd, confor­mable [Page 47] to an act framed thereof subsi­gned P. Numan Secretaire, & sealed with the s [...]ale of the sayd Citie.

How blood was found, vpon the lips of the Image of our Ladie.

VPon the third of Ianuary in the yeare 1603. diuers Magistrates and The third of Ianuary 1603. other persons were met together at Si­chen from the next villages about some affaires appertayning to that quarter. Amongst others Mathew O [...]de [...]gge Es­cheuin of Bekeu [...]rt, VValter V [...]kelen Es­cheuin of VVanr [...]de, Henry Reymakers Es­cheuin of VVersbeke, Bartholmew Schellens, & Laurens of Ca [...]ten were there preset. Who after they had ended all their busines at Sichen, returning homeward, and passing by Montaigu, they did their deuotions in the Chappel of our Ladie; and whilst they were in prayer, the sayd VValter Vn­kelen espyed a drop of blood vpon the lip of the image of our Ladie, whereupon drawing neere to the image, he wyped of the drop with his finger, & he found that it was perfect blood, and inconti­nently an other like drop returned, the [Page 48] which was wyped away by Mathew O [...] ­de [...]ogge: and as an other the third tyme appeared, it was wyped of by Henry Rey­makers: and the foresayd VValter Vnk [...]len seeing the fourth drop of blood to ap­peare vpō the lip, tooke a cloth or hand­kerchief, and dryed it, and found a marck of very blood in the same, euen such as might issue out of the body of a liuing man: whereupon they were meruelous­ly astonished: and the next morning this VValter looking vpon his hand-ker­chief, found the sayd drop to haue spred itself as large as an English groate, and some what bleaker of colour then it was the day before. These aforenamed per­sons whyle yet they were in the Chap­pell, looked diligently on euery syde, to see whether the Image might re­ceiue any moisture through the roofe, but they found no signe at all of any such thing: for it was a very faire and cleere Sunne-shyny day, and there was neuer any paynting or colour layd on the pi­cture so farr as any mā could remember. And all this which hath ben sayd, was auerred by the foresayd persons, vnder their solēn othes before the Magistrates [Page 49] of the town of S [...]hen, in the presence of many witnesses, as appeareth by a wry­ting made hereof, and subsigned L. van Ogernen, and sealed with the seale of the sayd town: and it is very certaine, that in the first three monethes of this acci­dent, to witt, in the holy weeke before Easter, the sayd picture by reason of the oldnes thereof, by the appointmēt of the Curate and Church-wardēs was newly painted.

How a lame mayde was healed.

MArie Lenkens daughter of Francis In April. [...]. [...]3. Lenkens & Cat [...]arin Vermo [...]en beeing ten yeares of age, had an accident that hapned her in her right leg, in the yeare 1599, in such sorte that the sayd leg was shrunck vp and became three fingers shorter then the other, and withal smal­ler and slenderer, in which sorte shee cō ­tinued for three yeares space together, al­though with great anguish and payne, and the third yeare she was not able to goe therewith in any sorte, whereupon her mother resolued toe go with her in [Page 50] pilgrimage to our ladie of Montaigu: the which she did vpon the feast of the An­nunciation of the virgin Marie, in the sayd yeare 1603, putting her daughter on horsback, and being come to the riuer of Demere, neere to a place called Tystelt, where by hors they were notable to pas­se they sent the sayd hors back again, & they both walked together on foot to­wards Montaigu, the poore lame mayden halting downright, and often falling to the ground, before they could arriue at the Chappel of our Ladie: Where being come exceedingly weerie, they did their deuotions: which being ended, the mayd recouered so much strength, that she re­turned home with her mother on foote, without any molestation payne or wea­rines neither at that present tyme, or euer after: and since that tyme her leg by little & little grew of aequall bignes & length with the other, in such sorte that she now walketh without any diffi­cultie, wheresoeuer she pleaseth, as wel as any other. Al which hath ben affirmed by her mother vnder her solemn othe before the Magistrates of the town of Ar [...]t [...]t: and Marie vander N [...]is widowe of [Page 51] Christian vanden Vinne dwelling in Arschot, who accompanied them in their pilgri­mage, together with Henry Godfrey Michtels, who was neighbour vnto the sayd mayd, did in lyk sorte vnder their othes auouch before the sayd Magistrates, that they had seen and known the foresayd mayde lame and impotent, and afterwards to haue ben miraculously cured, as hath ben sayd: all which appeareth by an act made thereof by the sayd Magistrates, bearing date the xxix ^th of March in the yeare 1604, subsigned P. Aelbrechts, and sealed with the seale of the town of Arschos.

How a man sick of the palsey was healed.

PEser of Honsberg Escheuin of Merhout In April, 1601. in the Campignie, being of the age of one and fiftie yeares, fel suddainely into a great disease, in the end of the Month of Ianuarie 1606, the which continuing for ten or twelue dayes space, thereupon ensued so great a palsey, that he was de­priued of the vse of his armes and legs, & of all his other mēbers, his head eyes and tongue onely excepted, which he [Page 52] was able to moue. And besydes this, he had a grief that was so vehement & con­tinual, that he could neither sleepe or rest day or night: in such sorte that from Palmesunday till eight dayes after Easter he was fame to haue euery night at least two, sometymes three or fower of his familie to watch with him, and to admi­nister vnto him his necessities, somety­mes to carie him to the fier, and presently back to his bed again. Who albeit he had vsed the counsel and receiptes of some Physitions for his recure, yet felt he no ease at all, but rather increase of his grief which made him wholy to giue them ouer. And whereas certain of the inhabi­tants of Merbou [...] had related vnto him that by the inuocation of Gods Mother many miracles were wrought at Mōtaig [...] neer to Diest, he entring into a feruent & zelous resolution, to take her for his re­fuge, and to goe in pilgrimage to that place: & withall to Boxtele in the Campig­ni [...], where the miraculous blood of the holy Sacrament of the altar is reserued; in the mean whyle with many teares & grones calling vpon the glorious virgin Mary, and with great desire expecting [Page 53] the feast of the Annunciation of our La­die, (which was very neere, & was that yeere translated til after the octaues of Easter, for that it fell in the holy week;) & so much the more because he had vn­derstood that diuers of his neighbours were resolued that day to go in pilgri­mage to Montaig [...], which day of the An­nunciatiō when it came, he caused him­self to be caryed in a waggon to the fore­said mountaine, cōtinually afflicted with the palsey & impotēcie of all his limmes: saue onely that some two or three dayes before his departure, and whylst his seruants made readie those things which were necessarie for his voyage, he began a little to moue his fingers. Beeing there­fore the same day arriued at Montaigu, he found such a throng of people, that he could not in any wyse come neere vnto the Chappel. For which cause, to satisfie his deuotiō, they brought him the image of our ladie to the waggo where he lay, the which with much reuerence he kis­sed: and after the presse of the people was past, his wyfe withone of his ser­uants and two others caried him three tymes about the sayd Chappel: and no [Page 54] sooner was he put again into the wag­gon, but he felt in himself a great change and ease: in such sorte that he thought himself wholy cured: but trying to moue himself, he found that he was as yet im­potent & without the vse of his limmes. Notwithstāding beeing returned home, he felt that his palsey by little & little from that day forward begā to decreace: & euery day after he foūd himself better, in so much that in short tyme he recoue­red so great force & health, that he could permit himself to be led through his hows: and a little whyle after he walked without any help of his crutches, which also with in few daies he layd asyde, wal­king onely with a staf in his hand, & not long after without either staf or any other help at all: in such sorte that this Ho [...]sberge being restored to perfect health and strength, & vse of his limmes, fayled not to render thancks to God, & his holy Mother: and vpon the eigth of the mo­neth of Septēber next following beeing the day of the Natiuitie of the glorious Virgin, he departed from his hows on horseback, to offer vnto our Lady one of his Crutches wherewith he was wont [Page 55] to support himself: and from the town of Sichen he went on foot to the Chappel of Mo [...]taig [...], where he did his deuotion, & gaue God thancks for the mercie which he receiued as hath been sayd. And since that tyme he hath continued wel disposed & healthie, as he is at this pre­sent And this that hath ben here sayd, is set down in the Register of the sayd Chap pel vpon the eigth day of Septembre 1603. And as by the sayd Honsberg it was againe declared (being sūmoned thereunto) vn­der his solemn othe before the court and Magistrates of Merbo [...]t, vpon the seuenth of March in the yeare 1604. Vpon which day VVillebrord Bosmans, Adrian Verhelle [...] & Iohn S [...]i [...]nē Escheuines of the same place, declared and auouched, that they had diuers tymes seē & visited this Honsberg whyle he was sick, and that they found him altogether taken with the palsey and impotent & depriued of the vse of his limmes. Al which is conformable to that which the magistrate hath set down, dated as before, and subsigned Iohn Trudo­ [...]ius Secretarie: & sealed with their seale.

A cure of one that was blynd and taken with the Apoplexie.

ANne Vereyken the wyfe of Hubert VVell [...]s dwelling in the village of In May 1603. Test [...]l [...], not farr from the town of Sichen was in the moneth of Februarie in the yeare 1603. taken with the Apoplexie, and there with also lost her sight in so much that her husband was forced to carry or lead her to euerie place, whether she would goe. And although many medi­cines were applied to cure her disease, yet she foūde no help or cure at all: wher­fore shee took her refuge towards our Ladie, & made a promis to goe and visit her at Montaigu, the which when she had accōplished in the moneth of May next following, she recouered her sight and the intier health of al her bodie, and went vp and down wheresoeuer it plea­sed her, & alwayes afterward remained in good state as she is at this present. All this here related, was according to order of law declared both by her self and her husband before the Magistrates of Sichē, [Page 57] as wel vpon the eleuenth of May in the foresaid yeare 1603, [...]s also vpon the one and twentith of April 1604. According to a wryting framed hereof & signed L [...]van Ogernen Secretarie, & sealed with the town seale.

The punishement of one that scoffed at the Pil­grimage of Mountaigu.

A Certain townesman of Diest (whose name for certaine causes we do not In May 1603. set downe) began to mock at such as went in Pilgrimage to Montaigu, and a little after was strickē in his body, in such sorte that he became lame, & altogether depriued of the vse of his limmes, & sustai ned such vehemēt tormētes that he was constrained to keep his bed: & although he had procured certaine medicines and remedies to be ministred vnto him, yet could he not be holpē. Wherefore at last resoluing with himself to goe and visit our Lady at Montaigu: & hauing obtained some strength after this his resolutiō, he walked thither by little & little on foot: and so soone as he had perfourmed his [Page 58] pilgrimage, he recouered & was wholy cured, as it appeareth by the information hereof taken in the town of Diest, by cer­taine commissioners that were sent thi­ther by the Right Reuerend the Lord Archbishop of Maclin.

How a Chyld that was in a consumption and blynd was healed.

I Oane Ma [...]s the widdow of Lewis Castel [...] In May 160 [...]. dwelling in the town of Diest, had a chyld of one year old or thereabout: who was taken with a great maladie, which kept him in his bed more thē three whole moneths continually, wherby he was brought so low, that he had nothing left but skin and bones: he had moreouer a swelling in his throte, which by diuers surgeons was iudged to be some vaine that was broken, by others, that it was some euill matter or humour which was descended thither. And besydes these he had an accident in his eye, the which being shewed to the surgeons, they were of opinion that the eye was broken out, and that the peece of the sight was cor­rupted, [Page 59] as in very deed the chyld could see nothing therewith▪ and they were persuaded that he should neuer see with it so long as he liued: the which chyld was come to those termes, that his mo­ther expected no other thing of him but that he should shortly dy. Nowithstan­ding putting her cōfidence in the mercie of God, and in the assistance of his most sacred Mother, she resolued to go with her Chyld, & to visit our Lady at Mōtaigu on three seueral Frydayes: and notwith­standing that the mother was also [...]k, yet she accomplished her Pilgrimage in the beginning of the sōmer, in the yeare 1603. And the first day that she was at the Chappel, she layd her chyld vpō the altar, so long as she made her prayer: which being ended, & returning home­ward, the chyld fel sweetly a sleep in her armes, and so continued til she came to Diest: and in this so [...]te persisting in her deuotions the two next frydayes following, the chyld was made whole and sound, and by little and little reco­uered the perfect health both of his bo­die and of his eie; with which he now [...]eth very cleerely, and remaineth in [Page 60] very good plight. All this those of the Court of Diest haue witnessed, after the hearing & examination of the a foresayd Ioane, conformable to a writing that was drawn thereof, bearing date the XX ^th of March 1604. subsigned I. vanden Goeden­hu [...]se, and sealed with the seale of the sayd town,

One cured of the Iaunders and Squinancie.

THe Ladie Francis de i [...]ombeck, Abbesse In May 1603. of the Cloister of Hoght neere to the citie of Maestright in the Dutchie of Brabāt in the beginning of May, 1603, was attain ted with the Iaunders, whereof she be­came so sick, that hauing had the aduise of a certain Phisitiō which dwelled at Lie ge he was in dispaire of her lyfe as he plain ly affirmed to Dame Catharin Cortilz, Religiouse of the sayd Conuent, yet he sent the sayd ladie Abbesse some herbes with a certain drink, but it profited her nothing and as her disease daylie increa­sed, so that she had little hope by any way of Physick, she committed her self vnto God almightie, and to the help of [Page 61] the glorious Virgin Marie, promising by vow vnto God and her, a pi [...]grim [...]g [...] & an almesse vnto the chappel of our Ladie at Montaigu, and two or three dayes after she s [...]nt thither he [...] mayd O [...]ae T [...]r mā [...], the which was con vpon the xxv [...]i▪ r­of May in the foresayd yeare 1603. who hauing ended her deuotion she brought her Ladie a piece of the Oke wherein the blessed Virgins Image was set: the which the sayd ladie Abbesse receiuing with all reuerence and deuotion, caused it to be applyed to euery thing that either she did eat or drinck: trusting in God, & hoping through the intercession of his holy mo­ther that she should fynd remedie ther­by, and from that day she began oamēd and to recouer perfectly her health, with­out any humaine help: in somuch that a little whyle after she was made whole & sound. Afterwards the [...]e hapned vnto her a great sorenes and paine in her throate, which Physitiōs call the Squinancie, wher­by she was brought again into manifest peril of death, as the surgeon openly de­clared whome they had sent for to help her. Her tongue and throte were so in­flamed, that they seemed altogether [Page 62] black: and although, they opened a vaine in her tongue, three or fowr tymes toge­ther, yet it helped nothing, for not one drop of blood would come foorth, which when the-sayd Ladie Abbesse had per­ceiued, & vnderstanding the danger wherein she was, she vowed an other pilgrimage to our Ladie of Montaigu, & sent thither again the foresayd Oda, and VVindel Corenborst her seruāts, who hauing ended their deuotions vpon the xxvj. of Iune 1603. the-sayd Ladie Abbesse re­couered afterwards, and within fewe dayes returned to her perfect health. As it wel appeareth by her attestatiō signed with her own hand, and sealed with her seale.

Of a lame and impotent man healed.

BE [...]rād de Loyarbre locksmith dwelling at H [...]y in the cuntrie of Liege, was, (some three yeares past) attached with a In May 2603. vehement paine in his reynes, and about his hart, in such sorte that he could not follow his occupatiō except very seldom and that fayre & softly: the which paine [Page 63] continued very long, and at one tyme for the space of six whole monethes: wher­by he was brought so low, that he was cōstrained to keep his bed, from October 1602, vntil Easter eue 1603. and then (although he was very sick) he endeuou­red to ryse, but he found his left beg (by the long and continual paines thereof) to be much shrunck vp, & by a good foot to haue become shorter then the other, whereby he was forced to take two crut­ches, and with them he walked in great paine and feeblenes. So it came to passe, that on the day of S. Peter and S. Paul, beeing the xxix. of [...]e, in the foresaid yeare 1603. he hard some relate the mi­racles of our Ladie of Montaigu: wherby he was so moued, that he purposed with a great and feruent desyre to go thether on foot with his crutches, & alone with out the assistance of any other: which he did, walking on verie slowly, although not without great grief and labour of his body: in such sorte, that within fowr dayes and an half he came to the Chapel at Mōtaigu, which for all this was not past ten myles distant from H [...]y: hauing his hands and fingers much swolne, and the [Page 64] skinne worne of by the continual hand­ling of his crutches, vvith had also much opened or strained his arme pittes. And beeing novv come before the Chappel, he made there deuoutly his prayers vnto God and his glorious Mother, which beeing ē [...]s [...]d, he raysed vp himself faire & softly without his crutches, and began to vvalk praying about the Chappel, al­though not vvithout great paine: but at the secōd tyme he felt a certain soudaine puffe of vvynd, to come down as it vvere from heauen vpon him, in somuch as he feared he should haue been throvvn dovvne to the earthe, by vvhich vvynd he felt a kynd of motion and svveet heat to enter in to his bodie, vvhereby he thought his interiour partes vvere vvar­med & vvholy altered: and so going the third tyme about, he foūd himself intier­ly cured; and that his left leg (vvhich be­fore vvas a foot shorter then the right) vvas novv made longer and aeq̄ual vvith the other, and that he could vvel vse it: yea, he found it stonger then his leg that before vvas vvhole: vvhere vvith beeing much cōforted, hauing rēdred thāckes to God, & his holy Mother, who had prayed [Page 65] for him, he left there his crutches, and walked homeward to Huy on foot with­out them. And in August next following, and an other tyme after that, he came on foot to Montaign, in memorie & gratitude of the fauour he had there receiued: & thē he was much eased of the paine he felt about his hart, which he had very long indured. All this which here hath beē set down, this Bertrād declared at Mōtaigu, be­fore M. Iames de Castro, doctor of diuinitie & Deane of the Christiantie of Diest, Sir God­frey Thiē win [...]kle Curate of Sichen, Maister Ioachim de Buschere Secretarie of the Coūcil of Brabant, Peter de Hem Notarie, & many others who were then present: & after this againe it was all affirmed and veri­fied vnder a solemne oth by the foresayd Bertrand (beeing summoned thereunto) before the sworne Bourgemaister▪ and Council of the said town of Huy, as it ap­peareth by their attestation made vnder their seale, and signed by the secretarie of the same town, dated the xvij ^th. of Ianuary 1604.

Of one that had a withred hand, and how it was afterwards healed.

MArie Isertant the daughter of Andrew Isertant, dwelling at Esselbeke neer In I [...]ne 160 [...]. to [...]ousso [...], ha [...]d by the Citie of Aken, was in the yeare 1603. surprised with a great mailadie, whereof she feeling her self abettred, endeuoured to go into a caue of the hows to fetche somthing thence, and beeing come to the last step, was suddainely taken with a certain kynd of Appoplexie: which made her fall down to the grownd, hauing much hurt her self on her left syde, and especially her hand and foot on that syde, in such sorte that she could do no manner of woork: and was forced to walk with a crutch, for other wyse she was not able to goe & in this manner she continued ten whole weekes.

In the meane whyle, hauing hard re­porte of the miracles which by the inuo­cation of our Ladie, were wrought at Mōtaigue she resolued lykewyse to go thi­ther for the recouery of her health: and [Page 67] arriued at the place vpō the xx ^th of Iune, in the same yeare 1603. and so soon as she drew neer to the mountayne, she began to feel a great, yea an intollerable gnawing, in her left hand, which was so lame, fast closed together, and dead, that she had no feeling thereof, no not when they pricked it with any sharp pointed thing. When with certaine of her neigh­bours she was come vp to the Chappel, they went about it some tymes on foot, some tymes on their knees, making their prayers very deuoutly: and foorth with her dry and dead hand opened of it self, to the great admiration & comfort both of her self, & of all those that assisted her. For more proof whereof, withdrawing her self into a cottage which was in that mountaine, made her self redy & dressed her head, as wel with the one hand as with the other, & this in the sight of very many: which for the space of the fore­sayd tē weeks she was neuer able to do: and thus returning whole to her home, she continued euer after very wel, as she remaineth at this presēt x ^th of March in the yeare 1604. On which day she af­firmed and auouched all that hath byn [Page 68] sayd, in the foresaid citie of Aken in the presence of Maister Peeter Hensenius Licē ­tiate in diuinitie, Curate of S. Foilliē, S [...]euē Radermaker de Kelmis maier of E [...]eburg neer vnto Esselbeke, Leonard Loop de Kelmis and Brice Isertant brother vnto this Marie, all which last three did in like māner affirm, that they had seē the sayd Marie attainted with the Apoplexie & palsie, as hath been sayd, conformable to a wryting framed heer of bearing the date aboue specified.

Of a lame young man cured.

HEnry Capenbergh sonne of Iohn Ca­penbergh In Iuly 1603. dwelling neere vnto Kerck­raid, in the territorie of Shertogen-rode in the Cuntrie beyond the Me [...]se, was lame of both his legges, & so had continued eight yeeres continualy, in such sorte, that he could hardly go with crutches: and although his father had caused all mān [...] of remedies & medecines to be applied vnto him, yet could he not procure him any help or ease at all. But after he had hard tel of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he took his way thitherward with his crutches, to per­forme [Page 69] there his deuotion, hoping, that the glorious Mother of God would not faile to assist him, and to pray for him. At which place he arriued the secōd of Iulie 1603. beeing the feast of the Visitatiō of our Ladie, and there offered vp his prayers right deuoutly before the Chap­pel: which beeing ended, he felt himself much eased & in better order thē before: and as he returned homeward, passing by Akē & there praying to the Virgin Marie in her church which is in that citie, he foūd himself so much bettered, that there he left and offered vp one of his crutches. Neuer-the-lesse once again he returned with one crutche to Montaigu, in the end of the aforesayd moneth, where hauing renued his prayers, he found himself per­fectly whole & recouered, so that leauing his other crutch at our Ladies Chappel, home he returned safe and sound, with out the help of any to assist him, as he stil continueth, & was so vpon the xviij ^th. of Februarie in the yeare 1604, on which day he declared & affirmed the foresayd par­ticularities, before the Magistrates of Akë as is to be seen by a wryting penned thereof, subsigned Nicolaus Munsterus Se­cretarie, [Page 70] and sealed with the seale of the­sayd Citie.

Of a woman that was cured of many straunge accidents.

IOane Cas, wyfe vnto VVilliam de Bois In Iuly 1603. dwelling at Iābez in the suburbs of the Citie of Namures▪ was broken on both [...] ­des, each rupture coming foorth as bigg as ones fist: the which she had endured for the space of eleuē or twelue yeares. And in the yeare 1601. in the moneth of May throwing hay out of her loft, down she fell, & broke her right legge, to the cure whereof she ēploied many remedies and medcines, but she could not be so wel holpen but that she remained lame and impotent on that leg: in such sorte that she was constained to walk with a crutch, and her legge remayned very ful of paine. Moreouer in the yeare 1603, in the moneth of Iulie, her stomack swel­led as great as a mannes head, whether it was by any inward rupture of that part which Physitions call P [...]ritonaū, in which the bowels are contained, or by some [Page 71] other accident, so it was, that it bred in her such a disease and vexation, that she was brought to such extremitie, that she was reddy to giue vp the ghoste, and this according to the iudgement of her Cu­rate, and of Maister Hermes Petit Doctor of Physick in Namures. The patiēt beeing in these termes, it happened that a cer­taine woman of her acquaintance called Catharin Meurisse came to visit her, who seeing her in such anxietie and danger, counseled her, & sayd, she might do wel to vow some Pilgrimage to our Ladie at Montaigu neere to Sichen, affirming that she her self by this meanes was cured of the grauel wherewith she had been long tyme afflicted. Which when the sayd patient had hard, whith great deuotion she sayd, that she did promisse to go that Pilgrimage through the grace and assistance of almightie God. And on the same day about some three howers after she had thus promised, the afore­sayd Ioane Cas foūd her self intierly whol and cured, as wel of her Rupt [...]es, as of the swelling of her stomack: & so rysing out of her bed, she begā to walk vp & down her hows, not onely without her cruch [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] wherewith she was wount to help her­self before, but also without any stick or staffe or any other thing els to support her. And frō that day forward she could go with one shooe vnderlayd and made higher the bredth of ones hand, because her broken legge was become so much more shorte thē the other. And in October following, she accomplished her pilgri­mage to our Ladie at Montaigu as before she had vowed; which when she had performed, she felt greater ease in her leg thē before, in somuch that her shooe is now but of an inch highe, which was of a handbredth high before. And all this that hath been here set down, the sayd Ioan Cas declared and verified vnder her solemn o [...]he, in the hands of C. R [...]m [...]s No­tarie, in presence of the Reuerēd Sir Giles Bosman Chanon & Archpriest of the Bisho­prick of Namures, and Pierchon Pimperneau witnesses, cōformable to a publick wry­ting framed hereof, and subsigned by the sayd Notarie and dated the ix ^th. of April 1604.

How a wenche was suddainely healed of many soares.

WAlter Gilton glasier and Marie de In Aug. 1 [...]03. Rau [...]schot his wyfe, burge [...]s and inhabitants of the Citie of Louaine had amongst other children a daughter of thirteen yeares of age, called Catharin, which chyld in the year 1600. fel into an infirmitie and disease which is cōmonly called the kings euil, or the euil of S. Marcoul, Because that sainct in France doth he [...]e this dis­ease in such as at his tombe commēd them selues to his holy in­tercessi [...] which broke out into more then an hun­dred holes, rūning with matter down all her bodie, hands, armes, neck, face, eies, belly, legges & feet, before & behynd & on euery [...]yd: and her mouth was swolne as bigge as three mouthes, and in lyke manner was her nose and all her face, & her eyes were so swolne & ful of paine, that she was scarce able to see: and shee became so weak that she could not liue, and yet she could not dy: beeing some­tymes in such pitiful sorte afflicted, that for the space of three moneths she could not stirr out of her bed, neither could she moue either hand or foot: and further [Page 74] more when so euer she rose vp out of her bed, she could not go one step with­out the help of a staffe. To remedie which disease, her parents vsed the ad­uise and Counsel of many Doctors of Physick, and Surgeons, who had prescri­bed her many drincks and drugges, but [...]ll was to no purpose or prosit at all. Af­terwards an other very skilful & famous Surgeon dwelling in that Citie of L [...]i [...] called M. Rombold walters, beeing much commended vnto thē, they couenaunted with him for a certaine sōme of mony, that he would take in hād to cure theyr daughter, wherein he took great paines, visiting and imploying his labor & skill about her, twyse euery day, for six mo­neths space, & yet for al this could he not obtaine his desyred purpos. These things hauing thus continued for the space of three yeeres, and this poor▪ Catharin ha­uing hard reporte of the miracles of our Ladie at Montaigu, and amongst others how a certaine lame woman was there cured: she importuned her parents, that they would vouchesafe to go with her vnto that place of pilgrimage: to which her request they yeelded, and promised [Page 75] they would so do: and where as her fa­ther intended to carie her on his back the chyld would not permit that, but rather resolued to goe thither her self on soot, saying that she would force her self there­unto: and she hoped that she should per­fourme that voyage on foot, and so vpon the second of August 1603. they made thē selues reddie for their iournie, & they put on their daughter a cleane smock, taking from her that which she had worne, the which (be it written with reuerence to the reader) was stif with the filth and matter▪ which did yslue out of the soares of her bodie: and putting a staffe in her hand, after they had dyned they depar­from L [...]ame, hauing in theyr companie [...] C [...]ema [...]s & his wyfe, Martin L [...] ­ [...] and others of their neighbours: and that night they went and lodged at a vil­lage called T [...]ielt, with is distant some three myles from the foresayd Citie, ha­ving much stayed by the way, by reason of the great difficultie the sayd wench had to go. The next day in the morning notwithstanding that it rained (which was verie troublesome to the patient) they took their way forwards towards [Page 76] Montaigu, where they arriued before mid­day, and there did their deuotion at the Chappel of our Ladie, from the tyme of their arriual til after dinner, and there of­fered vp a chyld made in wax: and ha­uing continued their prayers for one howers space, they retyred themselues into a booth or cottage hard by, and there reposed themselues, expecting til the raine (which stil continued) would cease: but when they saw it ceased not, they all set forwardes on foot with the little mayd, to returne home againe. In which their returne the patiēt (although she had alredie gon so much that day) walked with better courage, then she had donne before, wherat all those of her companie were much astonished, and the sayd patient passed on her way singing sometymes certaine sonnets which the children of her yeares are wount ordi­narily to sing. And being now come within half a mile of L [...]uai [...]e the Father seeing his daughter to wax somwhat we­rie, he carried her on his back vntil he came to the citie gates: & so soon as they were at home, the mother put the chyld into her bed as she was accustomed to [Page 77] doe: & she passed that night very quiet­ly, but the next morning the mayd arose and put on her apparel without any help, and came down, and tould her mother that she had no filth or matter on her smock, & that she felt no grief at all in her bodie, but that she found her self wholy cured. Whereupon her Father & Mother searched her with all diligence, & found her smock faire and cleane, without any spotts at all, and which was more, they foūd al her sores, which were very many to be wholy cured and shut vp, and espe­cially on her belly (where her grief was greatest before) and that all was strong & quite gon: yea leauing very few scares behynd: in such sorte that her mother finding her thus cured made no difficulte to let her ly that very nyght following with the rest of her Children who were wel in health: the which for three yeare [...] before she durst neuer haue permitted. After this shee remained whole & wel, not troubled with any grief in the world and so she continueth euen to this pre­sent day. And since her cure she hath been twise at Montaigue, once on foot, and another tyme by waggon, to render [Page 78] thancks to God and his glorious Mother for so great and singuler a benefit. All this that hath been sayd, was affirmed and auerred by both the parents of the chyld, before the Magistrates of the sayd citie of Lo [...]ain, vpon the xxvj ^th. of Iune in the yeare 1604, and vpō the self same day the aboue named next neighbours of the foresayd walter Gilton, made their ap­parēce before the sayd Magistrates, who did in semblable manner affirm and de­clare, that they had sundrie tymes seen the foresayd wench, both before & after her Pilgrimage to Montaigu: and that be­fore she was in the a foresayd euil case, and that afterwards she miraculously & perfectly was cured, as hath been sayd. As it appeareth by the attestation of the a­foresayd Magistrates and dated as aboue, subsigned R. le Prince, and sealed with the seale of the same citie.

How a man whose legges were eaten with the canker was healed.

HEnry Loye [...] alias de Visschere beeing of In Aug. 1603. 75 yeares of age, dwelling in the [Page 79] Village of Rerthem, neere to the Citie of Lo [...]ain had about midsomer 1603. his legs and feet so grieuously swolne, that he could put on no shoes, the paine was so excessiue which he endured: and in the moneth of Iulte in the same yeare there burst out in each of his legges a hole neere to the ancle and instep of the foot: the which holes within eight dayes grew so bad, and became so large and deep, that on the one syde a man myght put in his three fingers, and on the other syde there was dead fleshe of the length of ones finger: and the patient affirmed that he felt such paine thereof, as yf it had bin g [...]awn by dogges. The which some iudged to be the cāker, for that the edges of the wounds were ful of dead black flesh: and that frō the bottom the blood alwayes issued out with so terrible a stentche, that no creature was able to indure it: and as they perceiued that the poor patient found no help by any thing that he applyed, he was counseled by some person, to go and visit our Ladie at Montaigu: which he promised and vowed to do, in hope there to receiue some con­solation, and he neuer left to proceed in [Page 80] his intent, vntil he was caried thither: but for so much a [...] he was so sick and weak, none durst take the matter vpon them, except he were first put in the state of grace, for feare least he should haue dyed in the way as he went. The which thing after the patient had vnderstood, he caused himself to be caried to the Church of B [...]rthem, where he made his confession, and cōmunicated, the blood running from him by the way as he wēt. And a few dayes after, to witt vpon the fift of August in the aforesaid yeare 1603. he made himself to be caried in a wag­gon vnto Montaigu, where at our Ladies Chappel he did his deuotiō: & a certaine Priest that then was there, coūseled him that he should make twise more that voyage, and that for this purpose he should make choice of the Fryday, and that he should haue a good confidence in the assistance of the Mother of God. The patiēt being returned home he foūd his legges much lesser and vnswolne, and the paine thereof much more tollerable then before. Whereupon following the Counsel that was giuen him, he returned again the secōd tyme by waggō to Mont­aigu, [Page 81] vpon the feast of the Assumption of our Ladie: and after he had ended his prayers, he found much more ease then before. And vpon the next friday, beeing the xxij of the same moneth, he was brought thither the third tyme, and did his deuotions as before, and hauing at euery of these tymes been led thrise about the Chappel, not without effusion of his blood, which ranne from his legges vpon the earth, together with a very great stenche as diuers of Montaigu reported, who then were present. And from thēce beeing come home, he fel into so great weaknes & such a swouning that euerie one thought he should haue foorth with giuen vp his ghost: the which beeing ouer passed he affirmed that he felt a great and notable amendment of his leg­ges & after that day the two great woūds in his legges were by litle and litle cured and filled vp of themselues, and all the dead and corrupte flesh became good. So as the same patient remaineth cured euen at this present, hauing nothing le [...]t him but the scarres of the soares, which are eache of thē of a span in greatnes. All which is wel known by an authentical [Page 82] attestatiō made before the Curate, Maier & Escheuins, of the said village of Berchē, vpon the xxij. of Februarie 1604. and sealed with the ordinarie seale of that village.

The healing of a bunche.

SIster B [...]trice Ieroo [...]s a lay sister profes­sed In Aug. 1603. in the Cloister of S. Vrsula or of the eleuen thousand Virgins, in a place called the Halfstreet in the Citie of Louain [...] In this monaste rie a ver [...]ous & venera­ble cō ­ [...]nie of En­glish gen [...]e­vvomen [...]e pro­fested. contracted vpon the year [...] 160 [...]. a cer­taine accident, betwixt the right pap and her shoulder before, which was a kynd of bunch that happened her (as she thought) by continual casting her armes, in throwing of water with a wooden dish vpon l [...]nnen, which they are woūt to bleache in that Cloister: which bunch was as great as ones fist, and it was not fleshy or soft, but rather stiffe & hard as a bone, which grew (as it seemed vnto her) euen out of the shoulder bone, yet not hauing any different colour from the other partes of her bodie, neither was it any whit paineful, but onely when she [Page 83] pressed it, and then somtymes it happe­ned that she cast blood out of her mouth The which she sustained (without applying any remedie thereunto) about one yeare and a half. But when she had heard of the miracles which were donne at Moutaigu by the inuocation of our ladie, she began to haue a desire to goe thether in pilgrimage, and to pray that she might be cured, much confiding that the glorious Virgin would assist her herein. And hereupō hauing obtained licēce of her Superiour she took her voyage to the sayd Mōtaigu, in the begining of August 1603. where she did her deuotion in the Chappel of our Ladie, from thence she went to lodge at Sichen, which is dis­tant a little half duitche myle from that place, where she perceiued that her acci­dent began to wax better: and the next morning returning to Montaigu, whyles she was there at her prayers, she felt cer­taine stretchings and straynings from her head to her right arme, and towards the place where her bunch did grow: but beeing that day returned to Louaine, the next morning as she arose she found [...]r accidēt wholie cured and the bunch [Page 84] to haue become of the-same [...]e [...]nes with the other partes of her bodie, so that there was no difference thereby at al, and from that tyme she hath re [...]ained without all pain or whatsoeuer accidēt, as the sayd Religious woman auouched in the presence of her Mother or superi­our & others of the sayd Conuent, vnto whome the euil which the-sayd sister sustained, and from which she was now freed, was wel known: and lykewyse in the presence of the Venerable Fathers in God sir Iames van Ghele Priest and Doctor of Diuinitie, and Sir Iames de Bee [...] d'Oester­wijck, also Bacheler in Diuinitie, and Re­ligions in the Conuent of the Iacobins in Louain and of M. Roland l [...] Prince: Secre­tarie of the sayd Citie, vpon the xxviij ^th. of October 1603. and vpon the vj ^th. of Ia­nuarie 1604, according to an act that by the sayd Secretarie le Prince was framed hereof,

How a man that was sick of the falling euil was cured.

MAtia Pacgen sonne of Gaspar Pac­gen [...]n Aug. 1603. of Herbagh borne at S. Lauren [...] ­berg [Page 85] in Cuntrie of Iuliers, neere vnto, Al­d [...]n-ho [...], came vnto Montaigu in the be­ginning of August 1603. to make there his petition to our Ladie, that by her inter­cession he might be freed frō the disease & infirmitie of the falling sicknes, where­with for seuen yeares past he had been troubled, for that he had vnderstood that our Lord did many miracles at the inuo­cation of his holie Mother in that place. And so remaining some eight or tē dayes at the sayd Moūtaine, he made his prayers deuoutely before the Chappel of our La­die: during which tyme he was assailed six or seuen tymes euery da [...] (as accusto­marily he was wount to haue been) with three sortes or kyndes of the falling euil: with such a rage and vehemencie, with such knocks hurling and cryes, that euery one thought he would haue been burst, or that he should haue dyed, which was a most pitiful sight vnto all the Pilgrimes that were there present: who also ende­voured by their prayers and almes to ob­taine of God his cure and amendment. And vpon the eue of the Assumption of our Ladie in the sayd moneth of August, this Mathias perseuering in his prayers and de­uotions, [Page 86] found himself in perfect health and quyte deliuered from all these mala­dies: in such sorte that the next day euery one might manifestly see, that not onely he was deliuered frō his falling sicknes, but that there withall he had recouered a faire & liuely colour in his face, which before was very dead and pale, and his bo [...]e much swolne, as many who had seen him at Montaigu whyle he had his disease, and afterwards when he was healed, affirmed. Thus the sayd Mathi [...]s returned in good plight to his hows by Alden [...]uen. And in the beginning of Fe­bruarie in th [...] yeare 1604. he repaired an other tyme to Montaigu, to render thācks vnto God and his glorious Mother for the benefit which he had there obtained, wherewith at yet he continueth most certaine & assured. Afterwards (to witt, vpon the xiiij. of the sayd moneth) he returned thither once againe, & brought with him the attestation concerning his maladies geuen him by the Curace of Al­den [...] [...]uen, and also by the Magistrates of the Imperial Citie of [...]ken, dated vpō the xviij. of the aforesayd moneth of Februa­rie, and subsigned Nicolaus Munsterus Se­cretary [Page 87] and sealed with the seale of the same Citie.

Of a spice of Leprosie which was there cured.

MAthew Croisier sonne to Reynold Croi­sier In Aug. 1603. dwelling in the town of Huy in the Cuntrie of Liege, beeing about twelue yeares old, in the yeare 1603. be­came so ful of scabbes and botches run­ning down along his bodie, that by the Curate and Curch-wardens of Sainct Steuens Parish in the same town, he was presented before the Magistrates of Huy, for a leper, and hereupon they made him to be more diligently serched in the Citie of Li [...]ge, to the end that yf he were found a leper indeed they myght prouide for him some necessarie entertainement, and so to seperate him from the companie and conuersation of other men.

For which cause the Magistrates ap­pointed that they should deliuer him as from the town, a bushel of corn for his food, vntil such tyme as they were fully informed of his maladie. In the meane whyle this youth was visited by M. Tho­mas [Page 88] d'O [...]i [...], and maister Ni [...]l [...] de [...] Surgeo [...]s of the sayd Citie, who found him full of botches, scabbes, and deep sores, wherein he had no feeling at all: and yet could they not certainely iudge what euil it was: as appeareth by the at­testation of the-sayd Magistrates giuen vnder their s [...]al [...] vpon the xvij. of Ia [...]uarie 1604. But the father of this youth hauing been in Pilgrimage at Montaigu, and ha­uing seen and known the miracles which were there donne by the inuocation of the glorious Virgin Marie, he caused his sonne to be brought thither, in hope to fynd there some help for him, and this was about the middest of August in the yeare 1603. Now as the youth was car­ried round about the Chappel of our lady he began to cry out, that he was burned within his bodie, & after they had ended their deuotions, they caried him in-to a booth or cottage hard by, where he re­sted very quietly that night, and in the morning they found some of his botches healed, and all his soares and holes shut vp, and continuing there his denotions, within two or three dayes all his other soare [...] and botches of his bodie were [Page 89] [...]red of them-selues, nothing remayning but certaine red spottes as large as half a philip daller, and those were to the num­ber of fortie or fiftie. Moreouer this youth was broken in such sorte, that his secret partes were swolne as big as bothe ones fi [...]ts: of which rupture he was also cured at that tyme, without any humaine help or assistance: and here of many persons of credit who were then at Montaigu do beare good testimonie, and namely M. Iames de Castr [...] Doctor of di [...]initie, Arch­priest or dean of the Christianitie in Diest, Sir Iohn Ha [...]egreaf Curate of Testel [...], Mai­ster Io [...]chim B [...]scher Secretarie of the Coū ­sell of Brab [...], Peter de Ham Notarie, resi­ding at Diest, and Iohn Baptist Zangre sworn Printer in the Citie of Lou [...]in [...], of which persons some visited the yong mān [...]s na­ked bodie, and considered the perfectiō of his sayd cure, with the s [...]a [...]res that re­mained. And the same yong man coming afterwards to Bruxelles, was visited by a skilful Surgeon, and found whole, and quyte deliuered of his rupture, and from all other diseases whatsoeuer.

How a man bruised with a fall was cured.

COr [...]eli [...]s Fex inhabitant of the town In Aug. 160 [...]. of Diest one day going about his af­faires, and passing betwixt the villages of [...] and M [...]r [...]eke by Diest, happe­ned to stumble and to fall vpon a stump of wood lying in the way: so that he in­ [...]ardly grieuouselie hurt himself in his b [...]east, & for the s [...]ace of [...]ix whole weeks was grieuously [...]ick thereof, and after he had vsed the help of a Surgean, who had applyed diuers remedies and oynt­ments about him, yet found he no amēd­ment at all: where vpon [...]e purposed to go and vi [...]it our Ladie at Montaigu, where in August 1603. hauing dōne his deuotion and washt his brest with a certain water which is in the sayd mountaine, he was immediately deliuered from all his p [...]i [...] and griefes, & neuer after felt any of thē. And all this was solemnly sworne [...] a [...]ouched by the foresayd Cornelius be­fore the Magistrates of Diest. vpon the XX ^th▪ of March in the yeare 1604. and an I [...]str [...]ment was formed & made thereof [Page 91] [...] signed I. [...] [...]n G [...]d [...]-h [...]is [...] and sea­led with the seale of the aforesaid town.

The Palsey Cured.

LEonard Tee [...]ers dwelling at Beri [...]gen in In Aug. 160 [...]. the Cuntry of Li [...]ge was sick of the Palsey, and so taken in all his limmes, that he could moue none of them, but onely his head and tongue: the which hauing continued thus a yeare and a half, fyn­ding no help in any of the receiptes or medicines which were imployed for his [...]ure, and being at the length aduertised of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he resolued to cause himself to be caried thither, hauing great confidēce to fynd some help by the [...]ntercession of the glorious Virgin Ma [...]ie. The which he performed, and was caried thither in a wagon wherein he was to be taken vp and layd down euen as a verie infant: when he had finished his deuotion at the chappel of our Ladie, he caused himself to be caried home back againe, in the same wagon, without perceiuing as [...]et any amendment, but some two or three [Page 92] dayes after, he begā to moue his limmes and to creep vpon his hands and feet a­bout the how [...]. An other tyme after that he had a great desire to goe againe to visit our Ladie at Mōtaigu wherfore he caused a wagō to be prepared for him, and he had now recouered so much strēgth that he could goe from his hows to the place where the wagon was, and hauing the second tyme dōne his deuotion vnto our Ladie, he obtained so much ease, that he left there one of his crutches, and with the other and the help of the wagon he returned home, in better disposition, and with more force then he had before. But fifteen dayes after he came thither againe the third tyme, and walked thither on foot only with one crutch & seiour [...]ed at Montaigu for the space of fifteen dayes, dooing there his daylie deuotions: & re­turned home againe with his crutch, but with more strength & in better health and disposition of his bodie then the two tymes before: and sithens he hath euery day found more ease & amendment. Al this that hath here been sayd this Leonard Pee [...]ers declared and testyfied vpon the xv ^th of August 1604. in the presence of Sir [Page 93] Godfrey of Thi [...]nwinkele Curate of Sichen, Sir Iohn Rosa Prior of the Iacobins in Loua [...]e & Licentiate in Diuinitie, Brother William Sil [...]ius procurator of the same Conuent, Maister Anthonie Bouckhout Maier of Sichen and Iohn Baptist Zangre Printer: as also af­terwards he auouched the same vnder his othe solemly made before the Eschoutet, Maier and Escheuins of the aforesayd town of Beringen, as it may be seen by their attestation sealed with their seale, and subsigned Heuricus Cillemus secretarie.

The Healing of a certaine disease called the Scurutes.

Elizabeth Vander Hoeuen wyfe vnto In Aug. 1 [...]0 [...]. Zacharias van A [...]roy, dwelling in the village of Grasen neer to Bets in the ter­ritorie of Diest, was in the lent 1603. taken with an accidēt and maladie which bred great prickīgs in euery parte of her body, together with many black spottes of the bignes of a phillip daler whereby she became no [...] onely so weake & impotent that she could do no manner of work but, more ouer she had such vehement paine [Page 94] that she could rest neither night nor daye so that she did nothing but runne out of her bed and presently runne thither back againe, as yf she had been depriued of her wittes: yet called she continually vpō the name of the blessed Virgin Marie, to the end she would pray for her in this her affliction: which continued vntil Au­gust, in the sayd yeare of our Lord 1603. And then hauing hard some speak of the miracles which were wrought at Mont­aigu, by the intercession of the Mother of God, shee deuoutly resolued to make a pilgrimage to that place, the which she performed▪ and praying at the Chappel of our Ladie, immediately as she had en­ded her prayers, she felt a great amend­ment, and that the foresayd prickings and stingings ceased: and from that tyme for­wards she began to be better: whereupō she was moued to return again vnto Montaigu to render thancks to the Virgin Marie, for the help she receiued by her meanes, after which iourney (being very soone after the other) the same Elizabe [...] went home in perfect health and strēgth, and became so strong and able of bodie, in so much as she affirmed that she neuer [Page 95] felt her self better in all her lyf. According to her attestation of all the premises which iuridicallie passed before the Es­choutet and men of law of the foresayd Lordship of Grasen vpon the thirteenth of March 1604.

How a mayd was healed of her legges that were swolne and ful of paine.

MArtha Vander Tay being of two and In Aug. 26 0 [...]. fortie yeares of age, mayd seruant in the hows of M. Iohn Vāden Petre Clarck in the Counsel of Brabant in Bruxelles: had a disease and accidēt in her legges, which hapened her in the yeare 1603, whereby they became very great and swolne, and so ful of ache that she could doe no kynd of labor, yea she could not so much as goe without extreme grief and shedding of teares, neither could she repose in the night through the vehemēcie of her paine which neuer stinted: but continued for the space of more then three monethes. Her Maister beeing desirous to help her, [...]sed the counsel of a certaine Phisition dwelling in the sayd Citie, and after­ward [Page 96] of certain other men and women practitioners in phisick: and they appoin­ted her a number of diuers receip [...]o [...], as of bathes, fomentations, ointments and other such lyke, but all in vaine and wi­thout any help at all. Whereupon her sayd maister (seeing her past hope to be cured, and that yf she were cu [...]t she should remaine a cripple, and miserable all the residue of her lyfe, as not able any wayes to gaine her liuing) entred into a deliberation to place her and to prouide for her in some Hospitall, where she might be maintained. But whē the fame of the miracles of our Ladie at Montaigu began to be bruited abroad, he resolued at the last to send her thither, hoping that there she might be holpen. And so about mid August she was sent by waggon to a Cloister called Te [...]Ba [...]ck neer to the Citie of Lo [...]in, wherein a sister of the sayd Clark liued: & from thence also by wag­gon she was conueyed to Diest, that the next morning after she might goe to Montaigu. In which voyage this Martha began alredy to fynd some ease in her legges. Hauing rested one night in Diest, she made her self readie in the morning [Page 97] to goe on foot vnto Montaigu, but it see­med vnto her a thing vnpossible, and so she stood in a doubt what she might doe: which whē the wyfe of the hows where she lodged perceiued, she bad her be of good courage, and exhorted her to goe not onely on foot, but barefoot also, for that there was but one good myle to the place, which seemed vnto the sayd Martha a thing altogether out of her power: not withstanding beeing much animated by the woman exhortation, and with the hope which she gaue her that the Mo­ther of God would not permit her to re­turn without comfort, on she se [...] for­ward barefoot, and as she went, she be­gāto feel that her legges waxed better & better. And beeing arriued at our Ladies chappel whylst she was at her prayers, she felt all the swelling and paines of her legges and feet to cease and quite to be go [...], euen as yf one should feel some thīg to be vntied & loosed which before was bound and made fast: and when her prayers were ended she returned again barefoot vnto Diest, beeing whole and maruelously comforted: and from Diest [Page 98] by waggon she went back to Louain, & so to Bruxelles fynding herself very wel in all her bodie, as she is now euen at this present. And all this that heer hath ben set down, was verified and auou­ched by herself, vnder her othe solemnly made before those of the law in the sayd Citie of Bruxelles, vpon the xxvi ^th▪ of April 1604. as may be seen by their attestation giuen hereof, subsigned Numan, and scaled with the sayd Cities seale.

A meruelous cure of an incurable wound.

LEonard Stock [...]an born at S. Georges, in In Sept. 160 [...]. the territory of the town of H [...]y in the countrie of Liege, about some fourteen year ago as he trauayled one day through the forest of Seign [...] neer to a village called [...]aterl [...]s not farr from Bruxelles, was as­sailed by a theef and murderer: who handled him so cruelly, and gaue him so manie woundes, that he left him for dead in the place: and amongst others he gaue him a gash on the left hamme, in such sorte that he cut in sunder his sinewes, and it passed euen to the bone. In this case [Page 99] was he brought to an Hospital in Brux­elles, that there he might be seen vnto: & within a certaine tyme al his wounds were healed saue that of his hamme, the which because the sinewes were cutt, euery one estemed as incurable, wherfore beeing dismissed out of the Hospital he was forced to goe with two crutches: yet through the abundance of humours, which somtymes had thither thir cours there ensued many new sores and is­sues round about the principal wound: and although he vsed diuers medicines of certain Phisitions, yea and had perfour­med diuers pilgrimages, yet he found no help at all. At the last in the moneth of September 1603. he went to visit our ladies at Montaigu: where hauing cōtinued nyne dayes, and daylie washing his sores with a certaine water that is in that moūtaine not far from the chappel, he found that the lesser sores cured of themselues, and when the nyne dayes were expired, he perceiued that the cut & interessed sine­wes of his leg, were grown & made fast within to the bone of his sayd leg, and that they were roūd about couered with flesh, and [...]ew skinne: yet the place of [Page 100] the great wound remained hollow, and with so great a hole, that one might easi­lie put his fist therein. And thus this Loo­nard was perfectly cured, without any impediment or grief, walking, going and assisting himself, with the sayd leg euen as he himself pleased, and as any other man that is whole and soūd might doe: hauing afterward made on foot the way betwixt Montaigu & Louain, which is du [...]tche [...]iles. fiue good lōg miles, and this he did in the moneth of October next following. All which the sayd Stockneau declared and af­firmed vnder a so emn othe which he made before the Curate Ma [...]er & Esche­uins of Siclen the xxi ^th. of April, 1604. ac­cording to an instrument [...]ormed the­reof, signed [...]. [...]an Ogernen Secretarie, and sealed withe the seale of the sayd town.

How an old man was cured of the falling euil.

G [...]les Libens beeing seuentie yeares of age dwelling at Attenhouen by the In Sept. 160 [...]. town of Landen in Bra [...]ant, was [...]exed with the falling [...]uil aboue fiftie yeares together, and he was torm [...]ted there­with [Page 101] especially vpon Sundayes and Hol­lydayes, hauing but little ease of it vpon other dayes. This aged man beeing moo­ued by the miracles wrought at Mōtaigu, purposed with himself to go thither in Pilgrimage, & there to intreate the bles­sed Virgin to obtaine for him that he might be healed: the which he performed vpon the seuenth of September in the fore­sayd yeare 1603. & hauing there finished his deuotions, he returned whole & in good plight, without euer after feeling any molestation thereof: as he affirmed before the Maier & Escheuins of the sayd Lordship of Attehouen vpon the xxij ^th. of March, in the yeare 1604. & an instrument was drawn therof, subsigned Nicolaus Ni­cola [...] Secretarie, and sealed with the seale of the sayd Lordship.

How a man was healed of a rupture

IOhn Hagels Carpēter dwelling at Ade­ [...]oort In Sept. 1603. by Heylihsem, neer Tilem [...]nt, in Brabant, being threescore & fower yeares old, in the yeare 1602, & in the moneth of August trauailing in reaping of corne [Page 102] in the fields between the villages of w [...]nde & Rai [...]s [...]uen, foūd that he was in­wardly built by ouermuch labor: wher­upon ensued a very great and excessiue paine; which continued a whole yeare, notwithstāding that he had aplied many remedies in vaine, at the last hauing hard of the miracles of our Ladie at Montaigv, and how by her intercession diuers had ben healed of the lyke accident, he went thither with great deuotion and confi­dence, vpon the eight of September 1603, being the feast of the Na [...]iuit [...]e of our lady, and hauing made his prayers at the Chappel, he foūd much ease of his paine, for which cause within some weekes af­ter he returned twise thither againe, and at the third tyme he found himself per­fectly cured of his Rupture: & leauing there his trusse wherewith he was accu­stomed to ty hiself, he neuer after felt a [...] the least paine or hinderance thereby. As vnder his solēn othe he auouched (beeing summoned thereunto before the Curate, Maier & Escheuins of the Vilage of Neder heylighse [...], vpon the eleuenth of Februarie 1604. according to their attestation subsigned Seruatius Rosi [...]s Curate, G [...] ­la [...]e [Page 103] van Meeusele Maier, and G. Persoōs Secretarie, and sealed with the seale of the sayd Village.

The Curing of diuers accidents.

MAister Francis Eland Curate of the In Sept. 160 [...]. Church called the Chappelle de nostre Dame in the Citie of Bruxelles, was much troubled with a flux of the Hemorhoides commonly called in French les brochet which he had long tyme indured. Besydes this he was Astmaticque, that is to say much stratened in his breast, & short breathed, in somuch as euery one thought he could neuer recouer, notwithstanding that he ordinarily vsed the coūsel of sundry phy­sitions: who can wel witnes, how that within one we [...]k he lost aboue thirtie ounces of blood. The which disease con­tinuing thus for diuers yeares, there fol­lowed vpon it a great swelling in his feet and legges like vnto a dropsie, and this cōtinued for fower yeares together, notwithstanding that many remedies were vsed about him, as bathes, fomen­tations, ointments, and other such like, [Page 104] so that he fel into such an infirmitie and weakenes, (beeing now come to the threescore & three yeare of his age) that the Phisitions despaired of his health and lyfe: hauing so lost his speach and memo­rie, that they thought he should neuer re­couer the due vse of his speache so long as he liued: and this they held as assured, that at leastwise he would neuer be fitt to execute his office of Pastorship again, Wherefore at last he resolved to goc & intreat our Ladie at Mōtaigu for his health and so he caused him self to be carried thither in September 1603. where hauing donne his deuotions, and returning back towards Bruxelles, he felt a certain kynd of itching or byting, and alteration in his legges, and besydes this, a new strength and ease in his sinewes: and beeing come home, he found that all the for­mer swelling in his feet and legges was gone, in such sorte, that from that tyme he hath vsed no further remedies, ointments, or receiptes, fynding him­self also free from all his other accidents as wel of the Hemor [...]ides, as of the debili­tie and impotencie into which he was fallne: yea he had gaigned so good a sto­mak, [Page 105] and is become so liuely, in somuch as he auoucheth and affirmeth that [...]ow beeing threescore and lower yeares old he feeleth himself more strong and ab [...]e, thē he was at the age of for [...]e or [...]tie, the which he also approoueth by his out­ward carriage, perfourming againe his office of pastorship more liuely and dex­terously then euer he did before. And all this (as he acknowledgeth and affirmeth) by the intercession and assistance of the glorious Virgin Marie. As of all the pre­mises he hath giuen a sufficient attesta­tion, written by his own hand in me­morie of the benefit which God besto­wed vpon him.

How an old man was healed of a great rupture

DAniel Smith Sextane of the parish church of the town of Viluord, neer vnto Bruxelles, beeing threescore & seuē yeares old, was some twenty yeares be­fore brokē on the right syde of his belly, as big as both ones fistes, which happened as he thought by rīging the belles of that Church. For the remedying whereof, he did onlie [...]ty himself with a trusse, made [Page 106] fitt for the purpose: yet for all that he felt very often such vehement paine, that he thought he should haue lost his sences, & in this manner he went vp and down with great difficultie. But about the mo­neth of August 160 [...], he was seased vpon with a long and grieuous disease, where by he thought he should fall into a drop­fie beeing very feeble, hauing no appe­tite to his meat, and vnable to do any thing without great paine and trauaile, which continued a whole moneth space. In which tyme his wyfe hauing hard talk of the miracles which by the inter­cession of our Ladie were wrought at Montaigu, she resolued to goe thither, and to pray there for her husbāds recouerie, or at least for the mittigatiō of his paines, and especially of his Rupture, where with he was so cruelly tormented: the which she performed not long after. Beeing thē come to Montaigu, vpon an euening at the tyme of Salue, this Daniel beeing in the Church at Viluord, told certain persons that were neere vnto him, that he felt himself at that very tyme much eased of his malladie, which had continued now a whole moneth as hath been sayd: & that [Page 107] [...]e felt in himself an appetit to his meat, the which he neuer had all the tyme be­fore: And from that instant his disease left him, so as he was no more therewith troubled afterwards. But his wyfe beeig returned from Montaigu, he enquired of her at what tyme and hower she did her deuotiō at the Chappel of our Ladie, and he vncerstood that it was in the eue­ning about fiue of the clock, at the same tyme & instant that he found himself [...]ased of his disease as we haue sayd. And about the middest of September the sayd Daniel determined in like manner to go vnto Montaigu, partly for deuotion, and partly to giue thancks vnto God and his most holy Mother, for the fauour he had alredy obtained: and after this his deter­mination (although it was three dayes be­fore hee took his [...]or [...]ey) he found him­self so much eased and amended of his Rupture, that to him it seemed in a māner cured. Finally departing from Viluord, in the cōpagnie of others of thes [...] me town, who were also to go to Mountao [...]e, not wearing any trusse as hee was accusto­med, and there hauing made his prayers to our Ladie, in returning home on foot, [Page 108] foūd himself very lust [...]e, not feeling any paine or impediment by his Rupture, either in going or coming, but rather [...]ase & help: & beeing returned home, he found himself not onely perfectly holpē, but in so good a plight and disposition of bodie, as yf he were twentie yeares yon­ger then he was, in such sorte that euer since he hath remayned free of all grief and paine, & although he vsed no trusse, yet his Rupture neuer appeared. All these thinges the sayd Daniel & his wyfe haue solēnly auouched vnder their othes, be­fore the Escheuins of Viluord, vpon the xxij ^th of April 1604. as it appeareth by the informations taken thereof, and signed, [...]. Gh [...]ris secretarie of the same town.

An admirable cure of diuers running sores

MIstris Martha de Rosenberge, daughter In Sept. 160 [...]. vnto the Lord Maximilian Baron of Rosenberge, in St [...]ria, widdow vnto M. Mathias Wo [...]tzelman, sometyme Captaine of a companie of foot, in the seruice of his catholike maiestie in the low cūtries, in­duced for two yeares space a great acci­dēt [Page 109] in her right leg, wherein there were three open soares, which occupied her whole thigh, from the very top thereof to her knee, half an el in length, and a quarter in breadth, as appeared by the plaisters which she was wount to apply thereūto. Betwixt each of the sores there were twelue holes or issues, which pro­ceeded of certaine cold and sharp hu­mors, that discended thither frō her head: all which happened through the miserie and pouertie which she endured, while shee laboured in the court of Bruxels, for payment of such monny as was due vnto her husband for his seruice. For the cu­ring of these soares she had taken the counsel of diuers, together with diuers remedies which sundrie particuler per­sones had prescribed her, without makīg her case known to any Phisition or Sur­geon, & this vpon too much shame and bashfulnes that withheld her. But when she saw that all which she did profited her nothing, she was in fine constrained to put her self into the hands of some skilful Phisition or Surgeon, for the re­couery of her desyred health, and there­vpon she intreated M. Peter Paulson a ger­mane [Page 110] surgeon, and one of the guard to our most gracious Prince and Soueraine the Archduke Albertus, to help her: who took vpon him to cure her, and for this purpose let her blood three or fower ty­mes, and withall gaue her a purgation, and took her into his hows the better to administer vnto her there the diet: ap­plyīg to her soares all the remedies which according to the arte of surgerie he was able to inuent: yet could he for all his la­bour effectuate nothing, but onely that her paines were somwhat appeased, and sometymes her soares were shut vp, but they continued so not past a day or two, for foorth with they broke out againe as before, and could neuer be consolidated or strengthned. But at last this gentlewo­man hauing hard in Bruxelles, of the mira­cles which were daylie wrought by the inuocation of the Virgin Marie at Mont­aigu, she had a great desyre to goe thither vpon deuotion, with hope and trust, that our Ladie would procure her her health: and the same night after that she had made this determinatiō betwixt waking and sleeping, it seemed vnto her that she saw the Image of our Ladie of Montaigu, [Page 111] with the wood that grew thereabout, & she felt as it were an inward motion and incouragemēt to make the foresayd voy­age. Wherevpon the next morning follo­wing (which was the xxij ^th. of September 1603.) she beseeched our Ladie that she might fynd some that would accompany her to Montaigu. And afterwards going to the hows of M. Anne de la Croix her gos­sip who somedayes before had talked with her about her going to our Ladies, she inquired of her when she purposed to depart: vnto whome the other answe­red, tha [...] she intended to goe euen that very day: whereof this Gentlewoman Mistris Martha was very glad, and so went with the sayd Anne de la Croix to heare masse in the Church of S. Gudula in Bruxelles, and soon after they set on forewards in their way towards Louain, and the day following towards Montaigu In the way the sayd Mistris Martha felt so great paine in her leg, and with all she became so wearie, that she thought she should neuer come to the Chappel not­withstāding taking a good courage she went on so wel, that she came to a cer­taine pathway where (the direct way to [Page 112] Diest beeing left) people vse to turn on the left hand towards Montaigu, into which way so soon as they were entred she perceiued the paine (which she su­stained from the top of her head all alōg her sore leg) to decrease, and by little and little to leaue her, and that all her wearines surceased therewith: and so beeing arriued at the chappel of our lady, they made there their prayers: afterwards hauing rested and warmed them selues in a litle hows thereby, they settled them selues that night again to their prayers, at which tyme this M. Martha began to feel herself much better, and without paine: whereupon (hauing felt this alte­ration) she looked vpon her leg, and she perceiued that her soares began to wax whole, in such sorte that taking away the clothes & plaisters which were applyed thereunto, she put them into her maūd: and the next day those that had seen her the day before affirmed, that they percei­ued her to be much altered & amended, both in her cullour and coūtenance. And the same day (after she had giuen thācks to God and his holy mother) they retur­ned to Bruxelles, shee feeling in her way [Page 113] the increase of her force and health: and when she was come home she found no more but one ho [...]e or issue in her leg, the which some two dayes after was pef­fectly shut vp of it self: in such sorte, that since that tyme she hath not onely inioyed intiere and perfect cure of her leg, but also she hath foūd a great force & strēgth in all the interiour and exteriour partes of her bodie: and the places of the soares where the flesh was eaten away & con­sumed, were restored and filled vp again with new flesh. And all this which here hath bin set down, the foresayd M. Mar­tha declared, and vnder her o [...]he solemnly auouched, before the Magistrates of the sayd Citie of Bruxelles, vpon the xvi ^th day of October 1603. Before whome also M. Peter Paulsonne appeared, who being exa­mined of the premisses, he likewise affir­med vnder his o [...]he▪ that he had the sayd M stresse Martha in hand seuen or eight Moneths continually, to cure her of her disease before specified, and what indu­strie he had vsed, as wel by blood-letting purging, diet▪ as other waies▪ according to the arte of surgerie: & that he compassed no other thing thereby▪ but to assuage in [Page 114] some sorte the grief of her great sore, and of the other yssues that were about it, and that somtymes he had shut them vp for a day or twaine, & yet that they afterwards opened again, by reason of the continuall defluxions that descēded thether: which sores yeelded so great & terrible a stench, that often tymes it forced his wyfe to swoune. And that after this M [...]tresse Martha was returned from Montaigu, he hauing hard that she was perfectly cured, was much amazed thereat: & thereupon would needes see & visit hersayd sores, & the places that were annoyed, & foūd that verily all the holes, yssues, and sores were perfectly healed vp▪ & that those parts where the flesh was eaten away & consumed, were filled vp againe with flesh, and made aequal, and that onely cer­taine spottes and scarres remained after­wards. The which the sayd M. Peter Paul­sonne (cōsidering the greatnes of the sore, together with the multitude of the run­ning issues & their sudaine cure) thought could neuer naturaly or by any humaine meanes be brought to [...]a [...], but onely by the allmighty hand of God. All which may be seen by the attestation of the­sayd [Page 115] Magistrats, sealed with the seale of the sayd Citie of Bruxelles, & and subsig­ned P. Numan Secretarie.

An Admirable cure of a person betwitched, In Sept. 160 [...]. and sore grieued with the bloodie fl [...]xe,

MAgdalē Pre [...]dh [...]mme widow of Baude­c [...]on Alart, beeing about the age of threescore yeares, dwelling in the Citie of Bruxelles, by trade a seller of old gar­ments, went together with her daughter at the tyme of haruest in the yeare 1593. to a certaine village neer to Louaine called Be [...]them, to reap corn, for that she vnder­stood that some profit was there to be made: and hereupon she there fel to tra­uaile amongst diuers others. At which tyme it happened that a certain husbād­man dwelling in that village▪ desired her to haue an eye that none took any of his corn, which he had lying vpon a peece of land thereby. But she hauing perceiued that a womā of that village was so hardy as to take some of his corne, this Magdalen aduertised him thereof: who going to the womans hows took away his corn [Page 116] thence by force, and in spyte of her brought it home to his own hows, al­though she was meruelousely āgry there with. The next day they beeing met againe in the field, this woman rebuked the sayd Magdalen for that she had accus [...]d her, saying that she would pay her home for it. At night she returned to the Vil­age, and lodged neer to the hows of the foresayd woman, who came and presen­ted her with a trencher ful of fryed Ro­maine beanes, saying that she had bin [...] in a great coller with her, for that she had accused her, but it▪ was now past and gone, & that she made no account there­of: and although this Magdalen had no great appetit to her beanes, yet she re­ceaued them, and did eate some f [...]w of them, and that night she [...]e [...] a certain grudge of an ag [...], but that withheld her not from going the next day to l [...]bour in the field, as she was wount to do before: where after she had been for some short tyme, she was taken with a very great ache in her head, and she began so to whirle about her bodie, as yf she had bin out of her wittes: in such sorte, that at night of force she must be conducted to [Page 117] the vilage, by the assistāce of an other wo man, where she was suddainly takē with a vehement & welnigh continual flux: which when the inhabitants of the vil­age had vnderstood, they rebuked this Magdalen for lodging so neere the sayd woman, for so much as she was repor­ted to be a witch: wherof this Magdalen was not a little aston shed, & seeing that she was not able to woork any longer, by reason of the grieuousenes of her dis­ease, she returned the next day faire and softly towards Bruxelles, where she indu­red continually her sayd maladie: not­withstanding hauing a good hope that [...]t would not long continue, she placed her self in the hows of one of her acquain­tance called Simon, dwelling neere to the place of the Sablon in Bruxelles, there to haue care of his hows. But when th [...] flux would not cease, she was cōstrained to depart from thence: which also in like māner happened vnto her in diuers other howses where she hyred her logings to dwel in, & much a doe she had to fynd any harbour, because euery one abhorred to admitt so fl [...]hie a creature into their howses, for that her disease continued [Page 118] long tyme without any intermission, although she had vsed many remedies, both by the aduise of a certaine Doctor of Phisick, as also of an other expert sur­geon, who was also very wel seen in Physick, besides the counsells of very many other particuler persons, who had administred vnto her diuers medicines, but all was in vaine and to no purpose. She hauing now sustained this for di­uers yeares, hauing euery night and day ordinarily thirtie or fortie stooles, she became exceedingly weake and feeble, not knowing what coūsel to take wherby to help her self: wel at last she remem­bring that the woman of Berthem which had giuen her the beanes was held for a witch, she therfore purposed to goe vnto her, that she might take away from her the inchauntment (a thing wherein ma­ny now a dayes very easily permitt them selues to be abused) but it was told her by those of the village, that not long af­ter the same woman went from thence▪ and that some had vnderstood that she was afterward by order of iustice execu­ted for sorcerie. Afterwards it was repor ted, vnto this Magdalen that neere vnto [Page 119] the town of Hall in Henault there dwel­led a certain man which took vpon him to help those that were be witched: wher vpon she went thither somtymes on foot, somtymes being caried, but he hauing vi­sited & examined her, told her that her grief was incurable, and that she should continue in this sorte all the rest of her lyfe: counseling her notwithstanding to make some offering to our Ladie at Hall and to wash her legges for some nyne dayes with Aqua vitae, the which she did, without any ayd or help thereby, her sayd flux induring stil night & day as before: whereby she became oftentymes so sick, that she was forced to go with crutches, & sometymes in her hows she crept vpō all fower, and for a yeares space she voyded in her stooles cleer blood. At length she was aduised to seek vnto a cer tain woman dwelling in Bruxelles, neer vnto the Court, who was skilful in ad­ministering certaine herbes against sor­cerie. Who going and declaring vnto her her necessitie, the sayd womā gaue her to drink certain spoonfulles of wyne, with certaine stamped herbes, and with this she returning to her lodging, and coming [Page 110] heer to the Cloister of the Capuchines, where she dwelt at that tyme, she felt her self very ill and (be it spoken with reuerence) she cast forth by way of vo­miting eight little beastes, like vnto myce new littered, hauing tailes & very litle hair on their backs, & beeing alyue. And a day or two after she took againe of the former herbes, but then she voy­ded nothing at all. Hauing at the third tyme receiued again the foresaid drinck, she cast out two little beastes like vnto fishes which liue in the water and are called millers thūbes & withall three or fower thinges lyke other fishes, and fi­nally a great worme lyke a litle snake. After she was deliuered of this filth, she found her self a little eased about her hart, but her flux neuer ceased either by night or by day so that (be it spoken with reuerence) she voided her meat euen in such sort as she did eat it, without any disgestion thereof at all: and so soon as she had eaten or drunk any thing were it neuer so little▪ she was incontinently forced by siege to voyd it. In such wise, that she was constrained to swathe her self as women are wount to do their [Page 111] little children, that she might gayn her liuing by working in the houses of some of her acquaintance, because the former passion neuer ceased or stayed. And thus she cōtinued with the sayd flux three or fower yeares after she had cast out of her bodie those things before mentioned, without applying any other remedie, for wel she found that she could not any wayes be cured. At the last, in the yeare 1603. after this flux had continued wel­nigh ten yeares, she was aduised by some of her frendes to make a pilgrimage to our Ladie at Montaigu, in hope that there peraduenture she might recouer her health, seeing that many others were at the same place miraculously cured. The which she determined to do. But hauing vnderstood that the wyfe of Ge­rard Monck trumpetour to the most gra­cious Arc [...]duke Albertus and the sayd Gerards sister (who were of her acquaintance) intended to go thither, she resolued to stay til they were returned home againe, that she might the better vnderstand by them the manner of the way and diuers other circūstances. They be [...]ing retur­ned this Magdalen wēt foorth with to see [Page] them, and whereas the trumpeters si­ster had brought home with her some of the wood of the oake, in the which in tymes past the Image of our Ladie was placed, she gaue her a little piece thereof; counseling her to put it in water, and to drinck it in honor of our Ladie, & there withall to put her confidence in God. But Magdalen taking the wood, went pre sently to the Church called the Chappel of our Ladie, which was not far from thence, and these putting her self vpon he knees before the altar of the Virgin Marie, she began to gnaw and eat the foresayd piece of wood, deuoutely besee­ching the Mother of God that she would obtaine for her her health, and so soon as she had swallowed it, she found her self much eased, feeling in her bodie a certaine heauie grosse matter to descend from her stomack down to the left syde of her belly. In that Church she conti­nued in prayer till she had heard one masse, and a part of an other, at which tyme she perceiued that her former pas­sion ceased, beeing neuer after troubled with her accustomed flux, but onely that she felt the thing that sunck down into [Page] her belly to be hard, and as great as the two fistes of a mā, whereby beeing very much comforted, she went too [...]h to aduertis the trompeter wy [...]e he [...]of, declaring vnto her how she [...]e [...]hers [...]f abettered. And herevpon a day or [...]o after she made her self redie to g [...] Pilgrimage to Montaigue, together with Derick vander Sc [...]urē burges of thesare C [...]e of Bruxels, with his wyfe, & a yong mayd, and with Benedicta Henarick wy [...]e vnto Hughe Noisei: and thus departing together from Bruxelles, vpon the eue of S Mat [...]ew in Septembre, in the foresayd yeare [...] 3. they went and lodged that night at [...] ­nain, the sayd Magdalen feeling nothing of her former passion: and the next day they wēt forwards all on foot to [...], and the more she went the better she [...]lt her self: but beeing now come n [...] t [...]e moūtayne, at a place where the g [...] á death, Magdalen began to feel such v [...]h [...]mēt grypings in her belly, as though she [...]d byn in the trauaile of chyldbirth, in s [...]ch sorte that she was constrained to stay behynd▪ letting the others goe on, and no bodie remayning with her but her own daughter, and the wyfe of the afores [...]d [Page 114] Derick, and through the vehemencie of the paine holding vp her self with her hands against a tree, she was deliuered as it were by way of chyldbirth of a skinne or bladder as great as an ordi­narie pynt pott, and it passed from her with a kynd of noyse or soūd: the which bladder was full of filthy matter, mixt with yelow, green, blew, and black, as they beheld it, thrusting and breaking it with their feet and staues, where wi [...]h they trauailed. After that she was deli­uered of this burthen, she felt her self m­continently much cased and comforted, inso much that she ran after the rest of her companie, who were now gone a good way before. They beeing all now come to the chappel of our Ladie, they prayed there a good whyle, and after they had ended their deuotions, they re­turned theself same day on foot, & came to a place which was but one half myle distant from Louain: insomuch as the sayd Magdalen had gon some tenne duitch myles that day, without any paine or hindrance at all by her former flux: and the next day returned to Bruxelles, where euer sithens she hath continued in as [Page 115] good health and disposit on of her bodie as euer she was in all he [...] lyfe, and so she is euen at this present. And all th [...]s she hath affirmed vnder her solemne othe (beeing diligently examined thereof) be­fore the Magistrates of the aforesayd citie of Bruxelles on the [...]yght of April 1604. and vpō the twelfth of the same moneth the aforesayd Derick vander Schuren and his wyfe made their appearance before the­sayd magistrates, who in like manner vnder their oathes declared and testined, that some nyne or ten yeares before they knew the sayd Magdalen, and that they al­wayes held and esteemed her, and haue hard that others also haue reputed her for an honest woman, and one worthie to be credited: and that in the tyme of her former maladie she had often com­playned vnto them that she was bewit­ched, and that she had cast vp the myce and little fishes, and other such trash as before hath been declared. Moreouer they sayd, that they knew how for some eight or ten yeares she was continually aflicted with the flux: during which tyme they had seen her often tymes very sick & weak, & that the cullour of her­face [Page] was verie yellow & vgly to behold. And the wyf of this Derick declared that this Magdalen had made the voyage to our Ladies at Montaigu in her companie, in the cōpanie of her husband, & others before mentioned, and she wel remem­bred, that at such tyme as they aproched neere the Mountaine about the place where the gibet st [...]ndeth, she complai­ned of a paine which she felt in her belly, and that she voyded in the same place a certaine thing which she would haue shewed vnto her gossip, but she regar­ded it nothing, saying that it was some ordure not worth the looking on, and so going towards the Mountaine, she wel perceiued that after she had been dischar­ged of the foresayd filth she walked on very merrilie, and seemed more strong and in better disposition of her bodie, then before: returning on foot the same day that they departed from Louaine, to a place with-in half a myle of the-same Citie: & that euer since she hath remained in very good health. All which is to be seen by a publick act made thereof vnder the seale of the sayd Citie, of Bruxels, and subsigned P. Numan.

Of a lame man that was cured.

Iohn Gyles dwelling at Myanoie, in the In Sept. [...]. countie of Namures, beeing about threscore yeares of age, wa [...] suddenly taken with a great maladie in the moneth of May 1602. wherewith he became so impotent that he could moue neither his armes nor legges, feet nor handes: and continued thus keeping his bed for the space of three mon [...]ths and an half: but afterwards beeing somwhat recouered, he went a whole yeare (though with great difficultie) vpon crutches. In which tyme he hard talke of the miracles which were donne at Montaigu: whereupon he was mooued to make a vow to goe thi­ther, and there to visit our Ladie, and to pray for his health: after which vow thus made, he began to feel more strength in The feast of this Sainct is vp [...] the fi [...]st d [...]y of Octo­ber. his legs & armes then before. And about the feast of. S. Remigius in the yeare 1603. he went to Montaigu, whether when he was come, hauing ha [...]d a masse in our Ladies Chappel, and finished his other deuotions, he found his legges & armes [Page 128] perfectly cured, and all his bodie in so good disposition and order that there he left his cr [...]rches, and returned whole to his own hows without any ayd or help, neuer feeling after that tyme any grief: in so much as at this present he is able to goe six or seuen dui [...]che myles euerie day. All which the sayd Iohn Gyles affirmed & auouched on the xvj ^th. of Iune in the yeare 1604. in the presence of C. Re [...]y Notarie resident at Namures, and Maister Gyles B [...]s [...] chanon and Archpriest of Namu [...]es, and M. Iohn G [...]soulle witnesses, according to an instrument compiled thereof, dated and signed as aboue.

How a Religious woman that was two and fortie yeares lame was cured.

MAistris Catharin Tserraerts daughter In Oct. 160 [...]. vnto Sir Anthony Tserraerts, Lord of Hadoght, and of the Ladie Anne de Ba [...]le [...] ­court his wyfe, now Professed amongst the Religious women in the monasterie of the white Ladies in Louain, was lame of her left leg euen from her infancie: the which leg was fiue or six inches or an [Page 129] hand-bredth shorter then the other: her [...]uklebone was not in the right place but rather towardes her back, and made there such a buntch that one might wel perceiue it through her clothes, the knee of that leg was crooked and pr [...]ssed in­wardly against her right th [...]ghe, in so much that she could not separate the one leg from the other: moreouer in regard of the shortnes of the sayd left leg she was constrained to weare a panto [...]e or shooe vnderlayd vnder the heele with corck some [...]iue or six inches h [...]ghe, and for all this it came not to the ground, but she went still vpon her toes, as one might easilie perceiue by the vpper lether of her shooe that was ful of wrinckles. And of this all her kinsfolkes and frendes can beare witnesse, who haue seen her in this sorte, as also Iames Ma [...]ck Sho [...]maker, who fitted her with shooes. Yea fur [...]her more all the Religious of the foresayd conuent of the white Ladies amongst whome shee was professed ful seuenteen yeares, as she also was scholler amongst them, when shee was but eight yeares old. To help this accident her paren [...]es laboured and spent much, whyle she was in her [Page 130] tender age, in so much as they made her we are [...]o▪ a long tyme together vpon her fl [...] a pe [...]ce of armour couered with c [...]oth or [...]ā [...]asse, that by this meane they migh [...] make her hanche returne into the proper place which grew backwards as hath [...]n sayd, and this they did while s [...]e dwelled in the hows of M Maximili [...] [...] [...]quyre, and Burgomaister of the Citie o [...] B [...]xell [...]s: vnto which place her parents caused a certaine famous sur­geon to come from Hare [...]tales, who indeuo [...]red to help her, and by stret­ [...]hing out her bodie with certaine kynd of instruments made for that purpose, thought to put her ioynts in their right places. But when they saw that this pro­fited her nothing▪ they permitted her to go [...] for diuers yeares without any shooe vnder-layd, or without any other help, h [...]ing that in tyme by forceing her­self to goe, and by setting all her whole foot on the ground, her left leg would be str [...]tched foo [...]h longer, and become equa [...]l to the other. But this did no more he [...]p her then the former remedies, for this [...]a [...]ari [...] remained lame, and in the­same case as she was before▪ Hauing af­terwards [Page 131] a desire to imploy her self in the seruice of God in some order of Re­ligion, and beeing for this end presented by her parents to certaine Religious womē of the whyt ladies, in the town of H [...]y in the cuntrie of [...]ege, they refused to admit her, for that they saw her so lame, which also happened vnto her at the Cloister of Cortenberge as the Ladie Mag­dalen de Ni [...]elle Abbesse of the same place cōfessed, when she afterwards hard talke of the sayd Mistris Catharin. Notwith­standing all this, some yeares afterwards she perseuering in this her good purpose became religious in the foresayd con­uent of the white Ladies in L [...]in on the xv. of October in the yeare 1585, where she first liued whilest she was but a little one as before hath been sayd. Hauing now been in this Cloister for the space of xvij. yeares, and stil so l [...]me that she could not goe one foot, no [...] stad vpright, no [...] yet so much as step out of her bed without her shooe that was vnderlayd, (which she was cōstrayned to vse againe a good whyle before) and this her acci­dent was very paineful vnto her, espe­cially when she was to stand for any [...]ōg [Page] space in the quier, and she could neuer kneel but onely on her right knee, as all the Religious there did auouche: & that ordinarilie they were forced to put a step or p [...]ece of wood vnder her left knee to make it aequal with the other. But hauing hard talk of the great mira­cles which our Lord wrought by the in­uocation of his holy Mother at Montaigu, vnto which place all the world went in pilgrimage, and many receiued help and ayd in their infirmities and necessities, she also began to haue a desyre to go thi­ther, and to proue yf peraduenture it pleased God to heale and cure her: but she could not obtaine leaue of her supe­riour, who thought it no way exped ent for her. Notwithstanding she continued in her former deuotion, hoping (that if she should not be cured of her halting) she should at leastwyse obtaine some spiri­tual profit for the saluation of her soule: and hereupon she ceased not now and then to renew her sute, and to request her leaue that she might make the sayd voy­age, & namely she intreated the Reuerēd Father in God M. Iames Iansoni [...]s Doctor of diuinitie and Superior or Superinten­dent [Page] of that Cloister, who [...]iking not the s [...]d Re [...]ig [...]ous womans request, ende­ [...]oured to persuade her to ho [...]d her self content, and to beare patiently for the loue of God this her infirmitie, and that this would be a cause of her greater hu­militie & more merit. Vpon which rea­son she remayned quiet and contented. But whereas the Prince Marquis of Ha­uregh was come to Louain vpō the xxvij ^th. of September in the yeare 1603. and inten­ded to goe to salute our Ladie at Mōtaigu this mayd Mistris Catharin [...]ser [...]a [...]rtes la­boured so much by the intercession of some of her frendes that the sayd Lord Marques obtained her licence of the sayd Iansonius, that she might goe & performe her desired deuotion in the aforesayd Mountaine, and hereupon Mistris Anne de wamel procuratrix of the sayd Conuent was appointed to accompanie her, with whome and with some other Pilgrimes she departed from Louain by waggon to­wardes our Ladies, and they arryued there vpon the xxviij ^th. of the sayd mo­neth of September, and vpon the xxix ^th in the morning she did her deuotions in the chappel, whether also the sayd Lord Mar­quis [Page] came from Diest, where he had lod­ged that night, and he intreated the sayd two Religious women to goe vnto Diest with him, which they did, and there were lodged in the Cloister called Marien­dale and two dayes after (to witt vpon the tuisday and weddensday) they re­turned againe in companie of the sayd Lord Marquis to do their deuotions at Montaigu, the sayd Lord beeing in coache, by reason of his indisposition, and the Religious with him in regard also of her ac­cident, but all the rest of his houshold and companie went on foot, with their prayers and spiritual songs, and other such lyke deuises inciting to deuotion. Some of this companie and amongst others the sayd Religious put themselues in the state of grace, & receiued the holy Communion in our Ladies chappel, and did other their particuler deuotions. Vpō weddensday in the morning whylst the holy seruice of the masse was saying in Montaigu, the sayd Mistris Catharin began to feel a certaine paine neer vnto her left eare, the which begā to passe through all her bodie euen from her head down to her lame leg, but shee knowing not [Page] what this should meane, nor yet much re­garding it, she made her prayers to our Lord, more for the good of the Cuntrie, and the weale of her soule, then for the healing of her leg, except it pleased God to increase his glorie thereby. And on the same weddensday (beeing the first of Oc­tober in the foresayd yeare 1603) she re­turned to Louain in the companie o [...] the­sayd Lord M [...]rquis and beeing entred the Conuent (for it was now late) hauing giuen the good-night to her su­periour she retyred herself to her cham­ber there to repose her: but as she went vp the stayres, she felt that her shooe which was vnderlayd did so hinder her that she could not wel go therewith▪ in such sorte that beeing in her chamber, shee put it of her foot, and withall she perceiued that without any help of her shooe she was able to stād vp [...]ight vpō her legs, and to walk along her chamber, feeling a marckable stretching and pluc­king within her hip, and throughout all her left leg: whereat she beeing much amazed, and praysing God for this his fa­uor and the Glorious Virgin who had prayed for her health (as she now felt [Page 136] by her own experience) she settled her self to her prayers, intending to perseuer therein all that night: but beeing som­what weary, both through her iorney as also for that sleep came vpon her, after she had sayd some deuotions she betook her self to her rest. Vpon the next mor­ning rysing out of her bed, she found her self so wel, and in such sorte altered, that she needed no longer her shooe that was vnderlayd, but walked vp-right in the Conuent onely with a paire of pantofles, fynding no more difficultie in setting both her feet on the groūd, the aforesayd stretching from her hip vnto her leg stil continuing not-withstanding that at that tyme the bunche of the sayd hip (which was behynd her and out of the right place) was very much lower and lessened.

The Lord Marquis beeing aduertised of this miracle, sent some of his hows­hold and diuers others who had gone with her on this voyage to visit her, who al found this admirable change in her person, seeing her now vpon the second of Octo [...]er to walk with much ease, with­out any high shooe or other supporte. [Page 137] Whereupō the sayd Lor [...] Marquis (being meruelousely glad of the gr [...]ce which our lord had wrought in this Religious) obtained leaue to car [...]ie her with him to Bruxelles, there to shew her to the most gracious Infante of Spai [...]ne D [...]ches of Bra [...]ant our Princesse: which soon after he perfourmed; hauing moreouer caused This blessed [...]cr [...] ­ment is myracu­lous as vvel for the▪ [...]an [...]er thereof, as for the mi­r [...]cles it vvo [...] ­k [...]h of [...]hich miracle a Ch [...]n [...] of that Church▪ ha [...]h la­tel [...] pu­bli [...]hed [...] book. a solemn Masse to be sung before the holy Sacrament of miracle in the sayd Citie of Br [...]xeles, in way of thanks-giuing for this so notable a benefit. At which tyme her leg much n [...]ēded, waxed grea­ter, & increaced in strength: insomuch as the bunch before mētio [...]ed became a [...]to­gether euē & equal, her leg turned right, & her heel stretched to the due propor­tion, in su [...]h sorte that she could walk without any le [...]t, or stand vpr [...]ght, or se­perate her legs as she thought good, and set her self down equally vpon both her knees, the which she was neuer able to do in two and forty yeares that is, in all her lyfe before: as the sayd Religious wo­mā (who was euer reported to haue beē a v [...]rtuous ma [...]d, and o [...]e that [...]a [...]ed God) declared all these particularities to diuers persons, as well gentlew [...]omen [Page] [...] others, which had beē with her at this voyage, & there kept her companie, who hard it frō her own mouth. And where­as the Lord Mat [...]ias Hou [...]s Archbishop of M [...]i [...] was at that tyme in Bruxelles, & had known the sayd religious from her youth, and had often seen her lame, h [...] caused her to come before him vpon the fourth of October, that he might vnderstād the manner of this alteration euen from her own mouth: and then in his presence and vpon her profession she declared in substance all that which we haue alredy sayd: and at that very tyme that she was before the sayd Lord Archbishop, she felt her leg to stretch and pull with a forcible interiour working: walking in a chāber in his presence with out any shooe that was vnderlayd, & setting both her heeles equally vpon the ground, as appeareth by her deposition, written by the hand of the sayd Lord Archbishop, & subscri­bed by her self. And for more assurance of all this, the aforesayd Doctor Ia [...]s [...]us caused all the religious women of the Con [...]ent of the whyte Dames in Lo [...]ine to be assēbled together vpon the [...]V ^th of October, in the foresayd yeare 1603 & exa­mined [Page 139] pūctually the sayd mistri [...] Cathar [...] [...]ts in their presence, touching the [...]ing of her leg, vnto whome she an­swered the very self same that we haue here set down: all the sayd religious wo­men a [...]ouching that they had seen her [...]me as we haue sayd, all the tyme that [...]he had dwelled in their Conuent, & she now walked without any vnderlayd shooe, and that far better then euer she did, as she thē shewed very effectually, walking in their presence along th [...] chā ­ber, vpon shooes of aequal height, & not [...]nderlayd, so that none can see that she any wayes bendeth her bodie by halting [...]owards the left leg (as before she was [...]oun [...] to doe) although as she her self declared, she feeleth so [...]tymes the afore­sayd operation and inward moouing, & that very liuely, as appeareth by the at­testation of the sayd Ia [...]so [...]i [...]s, bearing date as aboue.

How a mayd was cured of an incurable accident.

MAgdal [...] [...] Horen a mayd of one & fiftie yeares old, dwelling at Br [...]x­elles; [Page 140] in the yeare 1600. vpon a certaine day by stretching her bodie so ouer strai­ned her self, that she was inwardly hurt very grieuously, and there hanged out of her bodie a peece of flesh as big (so farr as she could iudge it) as ones fist, in such sorte that she was constrained to we are a trusse or band made purposely to ho [...]d i [...] in. Together with this she had a vehemēt continuall paine, which sometymes so af­flicted her, that she could scarce goe, or so much as sit. Physitions call this kynd of euil Prociden [...]ia vt [...]r [...] and they esteeme it incu [...]able, or at least-wyse yery hard to be cu [...]ed. Thi she endured about some three yeares, vntil the moneth of October in the yeare 1603. But as people spake much of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marie, she was mo­ued thereby to goe thither, in hope and confidence that the blessed Mother of God would pray for her: & so she went by wagon to Montaigu in the forsayd mo­neth of October, in the cōpanie of Mistris Agatha Reygers with whome she some­tymes dwelled with Mistris Margares de Morade Mistris Ioane Iacops & some others▪ [Page 141] and beeing come to the sayd mountaine not without great paine, that night they did in the same place their deuotions, and hauing lodged afterwards in Sichen, the next morning they went on foot to the Chappel of out Ladie, where again they prayed, hard masse, & comunicated, at which very tyme the sayd Magdalen recea­ued so great ease and amendment, that she found her self deliuered of her old paines and griefes, & altogether altered, in somuch as beeing returned to Bruxelles she could goe and walk whether soeuer she pleased without any impediment or grief, and without any band or trusse, feeling the sayd peece of flesh to be who­ly retired within her bodie. Vpon the xviij ^th^ of Nouēber in the same yeare 1603 she went again vnto Montaigu, with an other companie, there to render thancks to God and his holy mother, and offered vp there one of her bands which she was accustomed to weare, and although in this last iorney shee had gon fiue duitche myles on foot, yet for all that she felt no paine or appearance of her former grief, beeing whole & sound as shee is at this present. All the aforesayd things this [Page 142] Magdalen declared and auouched solēnly vnder her othe, before the Magistrates of Bruxelles vpon the nyne and twentith of March in the yeare 1604. Vpon which day the foresayd Mistris Agatha Reygers and Mistris Margarit de Merode making also their appearance before the sayd Magi­strates, declared and affirmed that they knew very wel that this Magdalen had in­dured this accidēt for three yeares space, or there about, & how that after she had made the first voyage to Montaigu she re­mained perfectly whole, & in good dis­position of her bodie, which wel they might perceiue and know, forsomuch as the sayd Magdalen came often to their howses, because she had been seruant vnto Mistris Agatha, as hath been sayd. And vpō the seuenth of April following, Anne vā Suick Beghine dwelling in Brux­elles, and there for xxv. yeares practising the arte of surgerie appeared before the­sayd magistrates, who vnder the like othe, declared and assured that she had in cure this Magdalen, but she could not help her: shewing moreouer how at the same tyme (through the assistance of God) she had healed many wounderful diseases [Page 143] and accidents, but she held that (which this Magdalen had) hardly euer to be cured by any naturall meanes or work of man. And al this that hath been sayd, is to be seen by an instrument and Act which passed before the Magistrates of Bruxelles as wel vpon the foresayd nyne & twētith of March, as vpon the seuenth of April 1604, subscribed P. Numan Secretarie, and signed with the seale of the sayd Citie.

How a certaine man was cured of the falling euill.

HEnry de Keersmakers a baker and citi­zen In the end of Iulie, [...]t begin ning of August 1603 of Louain was attainted with the falling sicknes, which he had indured about 4 yeares. It took him both in his hows, as also in the Churches & streets to his great confusion and callamitie. But vnderstanding of the miracles which were donne at Mōtaigu by the intercessiō of our Ladie, he resolued about the feast of S. Iohn in the yeare 1603. to go thither in Pilgrimage, with confidence that the Mother of God would assist him, & that she would obtaine that his disease might [Page 144] be holpen. About which tyme setting forwards barefoot on his way he did his deuotions at the Chappel of our Ladie, & the next day returning towards Louain he feit himself somwhat eased, and to haue reco [...]ered more strength then be­fore, as he told them that were in his cō ­pagnie, with this amendment he conti­nued for eight dayes without feeling his accustomed disease, but onely some signes thereof, and a litle stretching of his limmes. Eight dayes after he went thi­ther again barefoot, and hauing made his prayers to our Ladie as before, & beeing come home he foūd himself very free frō his former passion. Whereupon eight dayes after he returned thither again the third tyme also barefoot, in company of some fower or fyue others, amongst whome were two Religious men, Cor­deliers of the sayd Citie of Louain, but beeing come within two myles of the­sayd Mon [...]a [...]g [...] he was taken again with a fit of his old disease, & that for the space of half an hower, but returning to him self, and beeing holpen by the sayd Reli­gious men, he was for some parte of the way led to the Chappel of our Ladie, [Page 145] where that euening he did his deuotions, & remained for that night in the Moun­tayn. The next day he returned again to his prayers in the Chappel, whether the foresayd Religious men (who had lod­ged in a Cloister of Cord [...]li [...]rs in▪ Diest) also came, and one of them sayd masse, besee­ching our Ladie for the health of this poor patient: and after the office was en­ded, he returned with some others to­wards Louain very merry and pleasant, without any wearines in his trauaile, to the great wounderment of all those that were in his cōpanie. And after this third visitation which was now more then a yeare since, he was neuer taken or trou­bled with his maladie, but he is become more healthy and in better disposition of his bodie, the neuer he was before, ac­knowledging that herein he hath re­ceiued a singuler benefit and fauour of the Mother of God. And since his c [...]re he hath been fower other tymes barefoot at M [...]aigu, there to render thancks to our Lord and to the blessed Virgin.

And [...]l [...] this that hath here been sayd this Henry de Ke [...]r s [...]aker hath deposed and af­ [...]med vnder his solemn othe, before the [Page 146] Magistrates of the Citie of Louain vpon the xxlij ^th. of October 1604. Vpon which day appeared also M Laures Bo [...]s [...]m procu­rator, and Lewis vanden Vyuere grocer, both Burgeses and inhabitants of the same Citie, who vnder the like othe af­firmed and testified, that they had often frequented and kept companie with the­foresayd Henry, (and especially this Lewis who had dwelled some fower or fiue yeares in a hows iust ouer against his) and thereby they knew very wel that some yeares sithens this Henry was much trou­bled with the falling sicknes, which took him sometymes sitting at table with thē, sometymes in the Cloister of the Iacobius, yea and sometymes in the very street as he went with them to gather almes for the sayd Religious Iacobius, in somuch that to auoyd peril & confusion, this office was taken from him. And how that after he had made the Pilgrimages to Mantaigu as hath been sayd, they nei­ther saw or hard that for the space of a whole yeare he was euer taken with the sayd disease: wherat they thēselues much merueiled, seeing him so wel and in so good health, as he was at that present. All [Page 147] which is manifest by the attestation of the sayd Magistrates, made thereof and dated as aboue, and sealed with the seale of Louain signed R. le Prince Secretarie.

A miraculous cure of a certayn grief and languishing disease.

SIster Anne Laureys beeing threescore yeares old or there about, born in Bruxelles, and professed in the Conuent of the Religious women called of the An­nunciatae in Louain. In the yeare 1584. why lest she sung in the quier with some other of her religious sisters who had very strong voices, and sung very high, forcing her voice to follow them in singing, felt that she had hurt and inda­maged her head, hauing a paine therein so vehement and strong, that it seemed vnto her as yf her head had been cleft in twayn: which paine dayly increaced: and besides she felt in her head a noyse & continuall sounding like a clock, which she indured for a long space, vntil the xxvj ^th of October in anno 1603. and so for the space of xviij. yeares: so that no day [Page 148] passed without great grief and paine, and for the most parte she was constr [...]n [...]d to absent her self from th [...] diuine seruice and office with the other Religious, be­cause she could not indure to heare them sing, no nor somuch as any words that might be spoken alowd, & when those of the Conuent had their recreation, she was forced to get her self out of the com­panie, because she might not be troubled with their voices, and ordinarily euery night it was very long ere she could set­t [...] her self to sleep. To cure this grief the had vsed the counsells of many persons, and many remedies, without any profit at all. Finally hauing vnderstood of the miracles that were wrought at Montaigu by inuocar [...]ng vpon our Ladie, she tur­ned her self with all her hart vnto her, hoping that by her intercessiō she might obtain help. And for so much as the Re­ligious women of that Conuent (acor­ding to their rule) neuer go out of their Monasterie, they reedified an old Chap­pel which was in their garden, and they placed therein an Image printed acor­ding to that of Montaigu, to the end in that place they might exercise their de­uotions, [Page 149] and doe honor to the Mother of God because it was not lawful for them to goe vnto Montaigu. Vnto this Chappel the sayd [...]ster Anne went vpon three sundry dayes, instantly beseeching the Virgin Marte to procure her her health, with intention that she her self would haue gon to the miraculous place, yf it had been lawful. And vpon the third day (beeing the xxvi ^th of October 1603.) be­twixt fiue and six of the clock at night, hauing ended her third Visitation, she felt her self much eased, and withall to be much in wardly cōforted: and after com­pline hauing retired herself into her chā ­ber, she rested that night very wel, not hearing any noyse or sounding in her head, and waking about eleuen of the clock the same night, she found herself so wel and healthie, and so free from her maladie, that she went with the rest of the Religious to matines: and so conti­nuing better and better, she neuer after felt any paine or trouble in her head, but inioyed her perfet and intier health. All which here is sayd may be seen by the at­testation of sister Clare Leyen her Supe­riour, Sister Anne S [...]its the vicaresse of the [Page 150] sayd Conuent, and by the othe of the sayd Sister Anne Laureys, made in the hands of the Reuerend Father Anthonie de Berga [...]g [...] Confessor of the sayd Conuent, vpon the xx ^th. of Ianuarie 1604. and after that again vpon the xvi ^th of March in the same yeare, in the presence of the Magistrate [...] of the sayd citie of Louaine, before whome also her Superiour appeared, who in like manner declared and auouched that she knew right wel how that the sayd Religious had the a foresayd passion and grief so long as hath been sayd, which partlie she had seen & partlie had hard of her self. And all this is conformable to the attestation of the sayd Magistrates, bearing date as aboue, and signed R. le Prince Secretarie, and sealed with the seale of the same Citie.

How a Religious woman of the order of S. Clare was suddenly healed of the palsey.

SIster Anne de Br [...]y [...] daughter of Iohn de Br [...]y [...] [...] Aelst, marchant & inhabitāt In Oct. 1601. of the citie of Antwerp werp, in the street called Ki [...]orp, was professed amongst religious [Page 151] [...]omē in the Cloister of S. Clare in Antwerp commōly called of the poor Clarisses, in the yeare 1593. she beeing xxii. yeares of age, healthie and sound of al her limmes, going, seruing, & labouring as the rest of the same Conuent: but in the moneth of October in the yeare 1597. she was taken with a great disease, in such sorte that twyce they gaue her the extreme vnctiō and they did the recommēdations of her soule in the quier, as is the custome to doe vnto Religious persons that are in dying. But hauing been somwhat recouered of this disease, she regained somuch strength that she could walk with the ayd of a staf & by holding vp her self against the wall, which continued for some six weekes or there about: but a little after this she was so taken with the palsey, and became so impotent, that she could nei­ther goe, kneel, or stand, and so remay­ned for the space of six yeares, in the infir­marie of the sayd Conuent, hauing so lost the vse of her limmes, that when any would remoue her, they were constrai­ned either to carry her, or to draw her, sometymes by one of the strongest of the Religious & sometymes by two of thē, [Page 152] although she did also help her self with her staff. And it hapened sometymes that her hands became so impotent, that they were cōstrained to feed her lyke a chyld and to put her meat into her mouth. In this six yeares space the poor patient vsed diuers sortes of medicines, drincks, cha­fings, bathes, & other deuises that were thought good against the palsey and im­potencie, and this, first by the assistance of M. VVilliam Peters Doctor of Phisick, &c after his death, of M. God [...]rey V [...]yk [...] Phisition of the Citie of A [...]werp, as also of M. Cornelius van Velsen Sutgeon dwel­ling in the same place, yet neuer felt she any [...]ase remedie or diminution of her euil. In somuch as the sayd Phisition and surgeon iudged her disease to be an ouer­growen & incurable impotencie, so sur­ceasing to apply any other thīg vnto her, as the sayd Doctor and Surgeon a [...]o [...]ched solemnly vnder their othes in the hande [...] of the Reuerend the Vicar and Official of the dioces of Ant [...]erp, vpon the fifth of Nouem [...]er in the year 1603. and vnder th [...] lyke o [...]he before the magistrates of the­same Citie vpon the fourth of December in the same yeare. This Religious woman [Page] therfore beeing destitute of all humain ayd and remedie, setled all her con [...] ­dence in God: & hauing hard of the great miracles which our Lord dayly wrought by the inuocation of his holy Mother at Montaigu, she began to haue a desire to send some thither to visit our Ladie for her, and to pray for her heal [...]h yf it were expedient for h [...]r soule.

Whereupō she intreated her Superiour Sister Co [...]nelia Gyll [...]s that she would [...]end to Montaigu on [...] or two lay sisters to pre­sent her prayers & deuotions to ou [...] La­die for her, the which thing was graun­ted her, and so Sister Anne Groel [...]ns and Si­ster Elizabeth van I [...]me [...]zele were sent th [...] ­ther, and to them was deliuered the staff wherewith the impotent pati [...]nt w [...]s wount [...]o assist her self, & withal a peece of money to offer there in signe of h [...]r desvre and intention to implore the ayd of the Mother of God: and thus depar­ting from Antwerp together with the Mother of Sister Anne Gro [...]en [...], vp [...]n a thursday beeing the 23 ^th of October in the sayd yeare 1603. and passing by Bruxe [...]les and L [...]n, they arryued at Montaigu vpon Saterday, beeyng the xxv ^th of the same [Page] [...] [...]: where they, perform [...]d their [...] ­uotions and prayers for her health, as [...] the sayd Sister An [...]e de Br [...]y [...] they wer [...] willed: which also they continued vpo [...] the Sunday and Moonday following. A [...] which tyme also the Religious of he [...] Conuent at A [...]werp saye some prayers to that end. And vpon the xxvii [...] ^th. of the▪ same moneth (beeing SS. Symon and [...] day) the sayd Sister A [...]ne awaking so [...] after fower of the clock in the morning and fynding her self in her accustomed impotencie much sorrowed thereat, not­withstanding she resigned herself to the mercie of God, neither was she yet out of hope of the recouery of her health. [...]eeing in these conceites suddenly she had a desy [...]e to ryse out of her bed, and to go [...] to the quier to giue thancks vnto God; and although she felt no strength [...]o her bodie yet notwithstanding she [...]ook a staff which stood hard by her bed indeuou [...]ing therewith to rayse her self, and beeing faire and softly come out of her bed, and standing on her feet, she began to feel some strength in her legs: whereupon leauing her staff, & signing [...]erself with the signe of the crosse, wi [...] [Page] [...] great confi [...] which [...]he had in the [...]orious Virgin Marie she began to walk alone, and beeing come into the midde [...] o [...] her chāber wh [...]ch [...]t that tyme was in the [...]nf [...]marie, she felt a certain [...]ning [...]n her head, in such sorte that she thought she should ha [...]e fallen to the ground▪ but calling vpon the name of God to graūt her fo [...]ce & strength, shee went forward til she came to an other chamber hard by, whe [...]e vpon the great cōfort & ioy w [...]ch then sh [...] conceaued, s [...]e cast her self thryce vpon her knees, to yeeld thancks vnto God, and by little & little beeing come into the quier, she kneeled down before the Blessed Sacram [...]nt, where she prayed & sayd T [...] Deum. From thence she went into the dormitorie, and awaking the Mother Abbesse or Su­periour, she told her that she was cu­red, whereat the Superiour much me [...] ­ [...]ailing commaunded her to goe forth­with to the quier, whether af [...]erwards she came with all her other Relig [...]ou [...] and there veelded thancks to [...] [...] and his holy Mother, beginning [...] the a foresayd song Te Deum, at [...] [...]yme the sayd [...]ister Anne de B [...]uy [...] [...] [Page 160] & vpryght in her seat as wel as the rest, hauīg also bin but a little before for a lōg tyme on her knees before the Blessed Sa­crament, and the altar of our Ladie: which she was neuer able to haue donne for six yeares before. After this the sayd sister Anne walked alone freely, without staffe or other stay throughout all the Mona­sterie. Vpon the very self same day came to these Clarisses Father Iohn Pell [...]s Cor­delier, their Confessor, who found thi [...] sister Anne in good health, and walking without any thing to help or support her, where at he was much amazed, and thāc­ked the Almighty for this his mercie: saying some prayers to the same purpose, and incontinently the same sister Anne came down without any help to the confession seat, to which place she could not goe for seuē yeares before: but either her confessor was forced to goe vnto the infirmarie (where she remained conti­nually) to heare her confessions, or otherwyse they must carrie or draw her to the grate or confession seat. After she had confessed, the sayd Father Iohn Pelle [...]s after masse administred vnto her the bles­sed Sacramēt of the altar, in way of thanks [Page 161] giuing: for the receiuing whereof she put her self on her knees without any dif­ficultie, arose, did reuerence, and depar­ted thence, without any to help her: and that so reddely as yf she had neuer been sick. Vpon the XXX ^th of the same moneth of October the two Religious that were sent to Montaigu returned again to Ant­werp, where they found the sayd sister Anne whole and in good health, as she is euen vnto this day, to the great admira­tion of all those which before had seen her, & especially of the Citizens & inha­bitants of Antwerp, who in great number came to the Monasterie to see and vnder­stand the mercie which it pleased our Lord to shew to this Religious woman, by the inuocatiō of his holy Mother, thā ­king and praysing him for the same. And all this which we haue here set down was solemnly examined, auouched, and wittnessed vnder their othes, first before M. Iohn del Rio priest, Archdeacon and Chanon of the Collegial Church of our Ladie in Antwerp, beeing the Vicar ge­neral and Official of the Dioces there, and afterward again befor M. Iohn vander E [...]t Escheuin, and M. Dionis vander Neese [...] [Page 162] Secretarie of the sayd Citie, apointed i [...] commission for this purpose by the Magi­strates, according to a resolution and de­cree of the second of December in the sayd yeare 1603. subsigned I. vanden Kieb [...]o [...], where all was verified vnder the othes of euery one, so farr as might touch them, and according to their knowledge: to witt, by the foresayd sister Cornil a Gy [...] Mother Abbesse of the Cōuent, Brother Iohn Pelle [...]s the Confessor, Brother Anthony de Paut [...]ghen his assistent, sister Agnes Rey [...]s keeper of the infirmatie, who had the care of the sayd sick person for a long tyme: the sayd sister Anne de Bruyn, sister Anne Gro [...]l [...], sister Elizabeth van Immerzele, who went in pilgrimage for her: and M. Godfrey Ver­reykr [...] physition of the same Citie, M. Cor­ [...]l [...]s van Velsen, and Iohn Watri [...]x Surge­ons, who had assisted this impotent Reli­gion▪ woman during her maladie, and for many yeares had laboured to help & cu [...]e her. In like manner Iohn de Bruyn van Ael [...], Father of the sayd sister Anne, and Mistris Sa [...]a vander Weelde her Mother in law, who had diuers tymes visited and fre­quented the sayd Religious woman, in the tyme of her infirmitie and palsey, who on [Page 163] the next day after the feast of SS. Sy [...] & I [...]d, foūd her whole & cured, against all mannes hope: as is manifest by their othes as before hath been specified.

How a Religious woman was cured of the Cancker.

SIster Margarit vāden Perre born in Ant­werp In Oct. 1601. and there professed a lay sister in the Cloister of the third order of S. Francis, beeing thirtie yeares old, had the cancker in her brestes, for the space of fo­wer moneths, as diuers Phisitions and Surgeons iudged, who had her in cure: to witt, two men, and two women, and yet she could not fynd any help for all their labor: yea on the cōtrarie her euil waxed dayly greater and wors: in such sorte that all those that visited her sayd plainely that it was incurable, for that the patient had her brestes as hard as a stone, reddish, ble­wish, and so vgly that it was a grieuous thing to behold them. Her right pap was swoln euen vnto her arme-pit and from thence her grief passed vnto her back, where it seemed that it would haue burst out. Vnder the other pap was a great swel ling, [Page 164] and out of her nip [...]es issued som­tymes a certaine kynd of matter, som­tymes verie blood, and so it did som­tymes also out of her eares. Thus the poor Religious woman was so full of paine, and in so miserable an estate, that for a whole yeares space before her cure she was not able to doe any manner of woork, neither could shee ly, but was cō ­strained to sleep sitting, & that with very great paine: and sometymes one of her armes became so stiff that she could not lift it to her head. And to be healed of this accidēt shee repaired to a skilful wo­man called Magdalen, dwelling in the Brestraet in the sayd Citie of Antwerp: who for the space of some six moneths took in hand to cure her, applying certaine plai­sters of herbes vnto her: but whē in steed of helping her she became wors, she left that cunning woman, and vsed a certain plaister which a famous Surgeon dwel­ling the town of Harentals called M. Peter, had prescribed her, who also helping her nothing thereby, & perceiuing her self to be past all hope to be cured, shee left him also. Afterwards an old Portuguez Sur­geō, called Vento Rodriguez counseled her [Page 165] to make an issue in her arme, to draw out thereby the humor of the canker: but all was in vaine, and to no profit at all. After that again she applyed diuers remedies which some of her neighbours & freinds taught her, but without any further suc­cesse. After a certain tyme she permitted that her brestes might be visited by an el­derlie mayd, who exercised her self in surgerie called Anne Cammarts, alias A [...]c [...]x: who hauing visited her twice or thryce, and perceiuing that her disease was incurable: she gaue her no other coū sel, but that she should take a purga­tion twice or thryce euerie yeare: which she tryed for once or twice, but durst not proceed therein, in regard of an other ac­cident which she had, to witt, a rupture, which also she had sustained for the space of viij yeares. At the last she shewed her impediment again to an other cunning woman called Gertrude Munters, who foūd that the canker was not onely in both her breastes, but that it had passed euen vnto her back, where also shee felt a great hardnes: and this woman did nothing els to her but rub her back with a certain kind of ointmēt, which shee could hardly [Page 166] indure, causing her to apply vnto her breastes certain places of lead, and faire lin [...]en, counseling her furthermore to tamper with no more physick, but to commend all vnto God, for so much as there was no other way to help her. And in this manner this Religious woman was abandoned and forsaken of all hu­maine help, euerie one foretelling her that visited her that e [...]e long she should come to that miserie that would be most lamentable for any to b [...]hold. In this tyme so vehement and excessiue great were the paines which this Religious woman [...]nd [...]red, that often tymes she consumed whole nightes in teares and lamenting.

But some three moneths after hauing vn­derstood that Sister Ann [...]d B [...]urn, the Cla­ [...]sse was miraculousely cured by the in­uocation of our Lady of Montaigu, she turned her self with all her ha [...]t towards our ladie, beseeching the mother or supe­rior of the Conuēt that she might make a voyage to Montaigu, to recommend there her health vnto the Mother of God.

Which was graunted her, vpō the fourth day of Nouember in the yeare 1603: & from [Page 167] the very tyme that she had obtained her sayd leaue, she began to feel some ease in her self. And vpon the next day she de­parted frō An [...]werp, together with Sister Marie Clements, gardian of the sick, who had assisted her during the tyme of her maladie. They hauing past by Bruxelles & arriued at Lo [...]ain the patient beeing not able to indure the shoggig of the waggō, went from Louain vnto Montaigu on [...]oot. Whether when they were come, they did their deuotions that very day in the Chappel of our Ladie. The next day (beeing the nynth of the aforesayd mo­neth) they hard three masse [...], at the first masse the sayd patient was very weake & sick, but hauing receiued the blessed Sa­crament of the altar she began to feel in herself a notable ease, as wel in regard of her disease of the cancker as of her rup­ture, and at the third masse she found her­self perfectly whole: for it s [...]emed vnto her that she felt a hād strokīg ouer her & therewith to wype away all her paine. And from that tyme feeling herself per­fectly whole, she gaue thancks to God, & to his most holy Mother, leauing in the Chappel the lead and cloathes which she [Page 168] vsed before. And thus returned with her companie to Antwerp whole and sound. And beeing come home, the sayd sister Marie [...] visited her breasts, & fosid them perfectly cured and in good order: where as before they were so miserable and deformed, that none could behold them without horrour: fynding also that the end of her teat was closed vp, & that there was no hardnes in all her bosome but a very little in her left pap, which within three or fower dayes after was gone and ceased.

So that since, the tyme of this visitation she remained q [...]yre deliuered and free of the c [...]cker, as also of her rupture, which she had indured for eight yeares space, as hath been sayd: and so she settled herself to labour and trauaile [...]gaine with the other Religious in the sayd Cloister, as be­fore she was accustomed. Some dayes after her return she was visited again as wel by the aforesayd An [...]e Cammarts, as also by Gertrude Man [...]ers, both expert in forgerie as we haue sayd, who to their great admiration foūd the sayd Religious intyrely and perfectly cured, as wel in her breasts, as in her arme-pitts & back, [Page 169] without any apparence or signe of any hardnes, or of any other disease, but that she was whole, and very wel in all her bodie. All this here set down was affir­med and verified by their solemn othes, made in the hands of the aforesayd Vi­care of Antwerp, vpon the xxj. of Nouember 1603, and vpon the iiij. of December in the same yeare. The like solemn attestation was made thereof before these commis­saries: M. Iohn vander Noot Escheuin, & M. Denis vāder N [...]esen secretarie of the sayd Ci­tie, by these persons here named: to witt, by Sister Ioane de Herde Mother [...]r Supe­riour of thesavd Conuent, by the fore▪ named Sister Marga [...]t vander Perre, Sister Marie Clemens, mistris or gardian of the infirmarie, Sister Hester de Mompere, & Sister Marie Perez, all Religious women of the­same Conuent: who at sundrie tymes had assisted this Sister Marga [...]t, and had seen her diseases, who also knew her repture, whereof together with her cancker she was healed, as hath binsayd. Also the a­foresayd An [...]e Camm [...]erts alias Abacucx & Ge [...]le Man [...]ers affirmed the same vnder their othes: who in tymes past had care of the sayd Religious woman, and had vi­sited [Page 170] her breasts, both before & after her sayd cure, as is manifest by an instrument framed thereof, and dated as aboue.

The curing of a sore which was sisteen yeares old.

IOane Rut [...] the widow of Io [...]n St [...]obant, in Nou. 1603. of about fiftie yeares of age, dwelli [...]g in the lordship of Campenhout in th [...] Ma­ierdome of the Citie of B [...]xell [...]s. In the year 1589. got an accident in her left leg, vpō the ankle of her soot, whereupon grew a sore or issue as great in compas as ones h [...]nd, and a finger or more in length: wherein she felt such vehemen [...] & con­tinual payne, that she could neither by night or day take any rest: and she was very often fully mynded to haue cutt of that leg, b [...]ing forced for the most part to keep her bed, or to sit in a chair, beeing not able to go in any manner, except it were sometymes with two crutches, or whith a staff, or els creeping on all fower vpon the ground. And although she had applyed diuers remedies, yet could she receine no ease, and her cuil was acoun­ted [Page 171] incurable. But in the yeare 1603. ha­uig hard of the miracles which o [...]r Lord did woork by the inuocation of his ho [...]y Mother at Montaigu the sayd Ioane made a vow to go thither in pilgrimage: and whereas through her great paine, de­bilitie, & weakn [...] she was not able to go, it happened that a certain person mooued with compassion of her estate, carried her in a waggon vnto Montaigu, in the moneth of October in the aforesayd yeare 1603. Where beeing in the Chappel of our Ladie she did there her deuotions, with firme hope and confidence to be cu­red: and returuing hom [...] caried with her some of the water which is behynd the chappel in the sayd Moūtayne, the which (that it might last the longer) thee mixed with r [...]uer water, and she daylie washed and made cleane her l [...]g there with, whe­reby incontinently she perceiued a great alte [...]ation and e [...]se in her sore, and with­out applying any th [...]ng els thereunto it healed vp of it self, and with [...]n few mo­neths was perfectly whole, in [...]uch sorte that at this present she goeth & walketh lustely whethersoeuer she pleaseth, not feeling any paine or grief▪ beeing now [Page 172] able to go three or fower duitche myles at a tyme, whereas before (though she might thereby haue gayned all the world) she was not able to go one myle. And in thankfulnes for this benefit, the sayd Ioane went an other tyme in Pilgrimage to Montaigu, within the Octaues of the As­su [...]p [...]ion of our Ladie, in this yeare 1604. and this she performed on foot, and went thither on one daye, and retur­ned on the next, without any impedimēt by her former accident. As the sayd Ioane declared & auouched all these thīgs vnder her othe, solemnly giuen before the chief Maier and Escheuines of the sayd Lord­ship of Campenh [...]ut, vpon the nynteenth of October in the sayd yeare 1604, accor­ding to their attestation giuen thereof, & sealed with the seale of the sayd Lord­ship, and subsigned R. Hermans Secretarie.

How a Chyld beeing broken was cured.

FRancis Addiers of fower yeares and an Ir Nou. 1603. half old, the sonne of Francis Addiers, & of Annevandē VVinckele his wyfe dwelling in Bruxelles, was broken on the left syde of [Page 173] his bellie, & this hapned him when he was but six weekes old, so that from that tyme they made him weare a trusse, be­cause the sayd rupture appeared of the bignes of a turkeys egge, & neuer kept in, but whē they put on his trusse: & oftē tymes it was seen in his secret partes, whereby he indured great pain, espe­cially twise or thrise euery moneth at the change of the moone. And although his mother had applied diuers medicines both by the aduise of some surgeons as of others, yet she nothing preuailed.

But hauing heard the fame of Mont­aigu, & of the miracles that were there wrought by the in [...]ocation of our La­die, she resolued to carrie thither her chyld, and there to pray vnto our La­die for his health, which she performed about the middest of October, in the yeare 1603, & remained there for three dayes, praying daylie in the sayd Chap­pel: & after the third day she perceiued that her chylds disease was much amen­ded. Whereupon shee left there his trusse in memorie thereof: and beeing come home shee perceiued that his rupture appeared again but after that tyme her [Page 174] chyld was perfectly cured, so that since the sayd pilgrimage he neuer needed either tr [...]sse or any other remedy, bee­ing much altered in his bodie, so that he became fatter & stronger, going, run­ning, & playing, as other children of his age are woūt to do, not feeling any paine or impedimēt by the sayd drupture: which things his mother solēnly affirmed vnder her othe, in the presence of the Magistra­tes of Bruxelles, vpon the eleuenth of De­cember, in the sayd yeare 1603. Vpon which day also Arnold Addiers vnder burge­maister of the sayd citie declared and af­firmed vnder the like othe before the said M [...]gistrates, that he had seen the sayd chyld thus broken, when he was but six weeks old, as hath been sayd: and that he had made inquirie after all sortes of re­medies to cure him, yf it had been pos­sible, and yet nothing would help, so that the surgeons were of opinion that the chyld was to be cutt, whereunto neither he nor any of his kins [...]olks and frendes would agree, shewing more ouer that he knew right wel how that the sayd A [...] vanden Winkele his daughter in law went with the sayd chyld to visit our Ladie a [...] [Page 175] Montaigu, and how that after her return the sayd chyld was found to be cured, as now he is. And all this is manifest by the attestation of the Magistrates, subsig­ned P. Numan, and sealed with the scale of the same Citie.

A suddain cure of a laguishing disease:

SIster Michielle Blyleuen, daughter of M. In No [...]. 1603. Thomas Blyleuen Sergeant Ma [...]or of the Citie of Louain, professed Religious of the Conuent of the Annunciata in the sayd Citie, in the yeare 1603 fel into a great disease, which lasted for the space of six moneths, together which a perpetual pensiuenes at her hart, and a shortnes of breath; which was so great that she lost all her strength, beeing so feeble & faint, that six or seuen tymes euery day the swear issued violently out of euery parte of her bodie, & the teares out of her eies; and for two whole moneths she was not able to go in any sorte, but as she was led by some one of the Religious, at which tyme she so lost her appetite, that she would receiue no meate, but vpon force [Page 176] and her superiours commaundment. In such sorte, that she was forced to vse the counsel first of Doctor Vilerius, and after­wards continually of Doctor Fienus both professors of Physick in the Vniuersitie of Louain. But for all that they had prescri­bed her receiptes at diuers tymes, yet she found no profit or ease thereby. Whereu­pon hauing now for two moneths space left all vse of Physick, she determined to go and pray three tymes at the Chappel which they had accomodated in their garden, in the honour of our ladie, and in memorie of the miracles which by her intercession were wrought at Montaigu: with a desyre to haue done the same in the place it self yf it might haue been per­mitted her. Going therefore to the sayd Chappel, with great paine & labor, vpon a saterday beeing the xv ^th. of Nouember in the sayd yeare 1603: & hauing there dō ­ne her deuotiō, she began to feel a great ease and alteration in her bodie, recoue­ring a notable force & ablenes in her self, in so much that on the same day she did read the mattines of our Ladie on her knees, which for fiue moneths before she was not able to do. On the night follo­wing [Page 177] she beeing in the quier with the rest of the religious, & reading her how­ers, at the very instant that mattines was ended by the song of Salue Regina, the sayd Sister Michielle felt as it were a hād vpon her shoulder which seemed to haue pressed her down, & this was in so eui­dent a manner that she felt & perfectly discerned the very fingers; whereby she started, & looked back to see the person that touched her. After Mattines she went to repose her, and rysing again in the morning she found herself merue­lously amended, & so strong, that imme­diately after, she went to the Churche to be present at diuine seruice with the rest of the Religious, with whome she sung so lowd & liuely that they were greatly astonished thereat, not knowing what voice it was that sounded so shrill. And from that tyme afterwards she hath re­mained healthie, & in good plight, sing­ing and assisting at the ordinarie ob­seruances as the other Religious: who a [...]ouch and testifie, that they neuer saw her so strong & in so good lyking as she hath been since the tyme aboue mentio­ned. And the Superiour and Vicaresse of [Page 178] the sayd Conuent haue giuen attestation & certified vnder their seales, that all this is true that hath been here related. Like­wise the sayd religious hath also affirmed the same in the hands of the Reuerend Fa­ther Antonie de Bergaigne their ghostly fa­ther, vpon the twentith of Ianuarte 1604, and after that again in the presence of the Magistrates of the sayd Citie of Louain vpon the xvj. of March in the sayd yeare 1604. Vpon which day also the sayd Su­periour Sister Clare van Leyden appearing before the same Magistrates, declared that she knew very wel that the sayd Reli­gious was so long tyme sick, and in the aforesayd plight, as hauing seen it partly with her own eyes, and partly hauing vnderstood somuch from the sayd Reli­gious herself, as it is to be seen by the at­testation subsigned R. de Prince Secretarie, and sealed with the seale of the same Citie.

The cure of a rupture.

FRancis de Alarcon one of the hous hold In Nou. 1603. of the most gracious Archdukes Albert [Page 179] and Isabel Dukes of Brabant our Princes, happened to be inwardly broken in ma­naging & conducting a froward and stubborn hors, & the rupture came foorth as big as ones fist, who hauing indured this euil with much paine for three yeares and an half, & hauing vsed diuers remedies, by bāds, trusses, as other wise, yet without any proffit: at last he went in pilgrimage to our Ladies at Montaigu, where hauing prayed a whyle in the Chappel, he foūd himself perfectly freed and healed of his Rupture: inso much as be left of his band or trusse which he had worne before, as appeareth by his attestation giuen vnder his own seale.

How a wench that had the palsey, and was de­priued of her wittes was healed.

ANgela wouters daughter of Elizabeth In No [...]. 1603. van Herp the wyfe of Mathias Le [...]teens cooper, dwelling in the old Corne-market in the Citie of Antwerp, about thirteen yeares old, was in the moneth of Septēber 1603. attained with a certain kynd of Apoplexie, especialy in her armes, and in [Page 180] her right syde and leg, with so great a stretching and tremblyng that she could not go, & at certaine tymes she became dumme, in such sorte that none could vnderstand her when she indcuoured to speake. At last she wholy lost her speache besydes this, she was depriued of her wittes, & became so weak, that she could not apparel herself, no nor so much as put her meat into her mouth. Her parēts caused Maister Bennet Rutten sworn Do­ctor of [...]hysick for the Citie of Antwerp to be sent for, who visiting the mayd, let her blood in the foot, and afterwards gaue her a purge, for he was of opinion that her malladie proceeded of some in­teriour motion, which Phisitions call Motus con [...]ulsi [...] ▪ which take their begin­ning of some venemous m [...]ter gathered in the braine: but after he had visited her twise or thrise, he let her parents suffi­ciently to vnderstand that he had little hope of her recouerie, counseling them to ma [...] some pilgrimage [...] to [...]se some other kynd of deuotion wi [...] their child, & to call vpon the help o [...] God for her. Which when her parents had heard they resolued that one of them should go with [Page 181] her to Montaigu, there to salute the Vi [...]gin Marie and this was to be performed so soone as the winter was past. But vpon the xxj. of Nouember (beeing the feast of the Presentation of our Ladie) the sayd Mathias rysing in the morning▪ aduertised his wyfe of the feast, and counseled her to go with her daughter to our La­dies Church in the sayd Citie of Ant [...]erp, to heare masse, and to pray there for her health: which shee did, and after she had heard masse she bought a wax taper, commaunding her daughter to light it, & to set it on the candlestick which stādeth before our Ladies altar, which she did with the hand that had the palsey, assi­sting and lifting it vp with the other hād, her mother beseeching God to help her, and the blessed Virgin to pray for her health, exhorting her daughter to call vpō the Mother o [...] God, that she would vouchsafe to pray for her: and imme­diately the sayd candle (although it was very wel lighted) wēt out of it self. Beeīg the secōd tyme lighted, out it wēt again, as it happened also [...] third tyme, vet she caused it stil to b [...] [...]ed again, & that the mayd by her [...] should put it on [Page 182] the forsayd candlestick, persuading her­self that it would be a thing right pleasing to the Virgin Marie that the chyld herself should offer vp the candle vnto her. This donne, home shee returneth with her daughter, fynding for all this no altera­tion that day in the mayd: but the wench arising the next day (beeing the two and twētith of the sayd moneth) early in the morning, down she cometh all apparai­led, whereat her Mother was much abashed, and enquired of her who had apparailed her: & when shee had heard her answer that shee alone had dōne it, and on the other part seeing her daughter to goe so perfectly wel, she began to thanck God and his holy Mother for it, beeing singulerly glad to see in her this alteration. And from that day stil after­wards the sayd wench remained whole and sound, going, speaking, and perfor­ming all her bodily functions as wel as euer she had dōne before: Where as du­ring her foresayd disease she was neuer able to put on her clothes, to walk, to speak, or to do any kynd of work, but she sat alwayes trembling, and drawing in her limmes, and sometymes for the space [Page 183] of three dayes together a great quantitie of froathie spettle ranne cōtinually out of her mouth. And the aforesayd M. Bennet Rutten coming some certaine dayes after to visit the mayd, found her sud­da [...] healed as hath been sayd. And all that [...] beē here related is to be seen by th [...]m formation takē hereof vpon the fifteenth as also vpō the last of December, in the sayd year 1603. by M. Iohn vander Noot esquire and Escheuin, and Maister Denis vander Neesen Secretarie of the sayd citie of Antwerp, appointed by Magistrates in commission for this matter. Who vpon these things examined vnder their solemn othes the sayd Mathias Lesteens her Father in law, and Elizabeth van Herp her Mother, the aforesayd Doctor Maister Bennet Rutten, and with these Father Michel van Ophouen licentiate in Diuinitie, and Religious in the Cloister of the Iacobins in the same place, who was kinsman to the chyld, and had also seen her first sick, and afterwards miraculously cured.

The cure of a Rupture.

MAister Balthazar [...]an Rossum esquire, [...] [...]ou. 1603. sometymes coronel of a [...]ent of Allemans in the king or S [...] [...] ser­uice, beeing of the age of eight [...] fiftie, in the yeare 1597. as he was in the Citie of Luxemburg he found himself burst on the left syde, the which accident he cau­sed to be visited by diuers surg [...]ons, both in the sayd Citie of Luxemburg, as also af­terwards in the Citie of Do [...]ay, who iud­ged it to be a very Hernia or Rupture: and after he had vsed diuers helps and reme­dies, at last he was constrained to weare a trusse fitted for the purpose, not know­ing any other wa [...] whereby, to he [...]p himself. But in the yeare 1603. ha [...]ing heard of the miracles of our la [...]ie at Mōt­aig [...] he made a secret promis to goe thi­ther in pilgrimage, and to pray for his health, with good hope to fynd there some help and fauor. And he accompli­shed this his deuout voyage thryse, about the moneth of September in the foresayd yeare, and after a whyle one day in Brux­ell [...]s [Page 185] taking of his trusse which he vsed to weare, he found himself perfectly hea­led, neuer hauing any feeling thereof af­terwards, verily assuring himself that he had obtained the sayd cure, onely by the fauor of God which he had found in the­sayd pilgrimage: for so he declared and auouched the [...]ame vnder his so [...]ne othe vpon the x ^th of Iulie, in the hands of M. Iohn Briex Notarie in the Citie of Bruges, and in the presence of Andrew Vermeulen, and George the sonne of George Modan witt­nesses: as appeareth by a publick instru­ment dispatched hereof, dated and signed as aboue, together with the subscript ō of the sayd van R [...]ssum, with his own hand.

How a Religious woman was suddainely cured of a strange and incurable disease.

SIster Barbara de Berges, the daughter of I [...] D [...] 1 [...]03 M. Gerard de Berges in his lyfe-tyme Phisition of Antwerp, beeing six and thirty yeares old, made her profession in Reli­gion in the Cloister called of the sick lea­ [...]ers in the sayd Citie, where shee was taken with a grieuous malladie, which forced her to keep her bed continually [Page 186] for the space of six yeares and three mo­neths. Of this her disease no man could giue any iudgemēt what it should be, some saying as mamely D. Ema [...]el G [...]mez Por­tugues (after that he had applyed vnto her many remedies) that it was an inward cancker. Others as M Bennet Rutten sworn Phisition of the sayd Citie, that it was Melancholia hypochondriaca, proceeding from the splene & left syde, accompained with diuers other accidents and infirmities, as the beating of the hart, & a certain kynd of anguish which took her so often as any person touched her bodie, though neuer so litle: and this with such a faynting and feeblenes, that it seemed that death it self would immediately haue ensued thereof. In so-much that they could not past twyse or thryse in a yeare take her out of her bed: and yet euery tyme she would fall into such qualmes & fayntings that they thought she would haue dyed, and at one tyme amongst others beeing taken out of her bed, and layd vpon an other on the ground, vntil such tyme as her owne was made redie, shee became so feeble by this touching and remouing her, that they were forced to let her so ly [Page 187] on the ground for fifteen dayes continu­ally before she could return again to her self. Whereof many were wittnesses, as hereafter shallbe set down: and amongst the rest the Reuerend. M. Gosu [...]n Ba [...]son Chanon of our Ladies in An [...]werp, & other Religious womē who had assisted in that tyme of her sowning. And although she became very cold lying in this manner on the ground, yet she could not indure that any should apply any hote napkins or clothes to warme her bodie, for then would she fall agaī into her former sow­ning and fayntings, that euery one looked for nothing els but that she should dy. Yea, which is more, yf any did but onely touch the bed wherein she did ly, or so much as the curtaines, she took such an apprehension thereof, that she sowned incontinently, and for this cause, they re­mooued her out of her bed but twise or thryse in a yeare, as we haue declared.

And the Religious women that atten­ded her were constrained to put good store of thornes round about the pillers of her bed to the end that none might touche it whereby the patient might not fall into her strange swownings. And it is [Page 188] to be noted, that for the space of s [...] moneth; before she was healed she had neuer been out of her bed and she could neuer sit vpright therein, either to eat or drinck, or to do any thing els: moreouer the sinewes of her left leg were so shrūck vp that it was shorter by a foot then the other. Again for these six yeares this poor religious person had vsed the counsel and help of many Physitions, and had tryed many medicines, receiptes, and reme­dies, which rather made her wors then better: in so much as the Phisitions plainely affirmed that they knew not how to help her. Some sower yeares before she was cured they made her an yssue, and they thrust a great red whote pack needle through the skin of her left side, drawing through the same a corde made of silk, the which (for the space of three moneths) they drew dayly vp and down to make a way, through the which the bad hu­mors might passe: and although hereby she suffered much paine, yet it profited her nothing at all: yea she rather felt her self woors then before. Now this Reli­gious seeing there was no hope in man, she armed her self with patience the best [Page 189] she could, and she had for some yeares before vpon deuotion determined that when she had thus lyen seuen yeares, she would either visit or cause some to visit our Ladie of Hanswyck in the citie of Maclin, in hope by way of prayer to obtaine her health. But in the meane while hauing heard of the great miracles w [...]ch were wrought at Montaigu by the inuocation of the glorious Virgin Marie, she had a great desire to visit that place, and she b [...]eched God to affoord her so much strength that she might be caried thither. In the meane tyme sister A [...]e va [...] Calst [...]r Superiour of that Conuent hauing compassion of the desolate poor creature promised her, that she her self would go and visit our Ladie at Montaigu for her, and that there she would pray for he [...] health: the which thing she fulfilled: and beeing returned home, she went to see the sayd Religious whome she found in the self same state, who told her Supe­rior that she thought it good to go thither thryce & that she had beseeched our Lord that shee her self might be the third person that should there visit our Ladie. It happened not lōg after that the [Page 190] aboue named Chanon Batson (who di­uers tymes vpon charitie visited & com­forted the patient in her afflictions) had sayd masse in the sayd Conuent: at which tyme he recommended her to God, and at that very tyme determined to make a pilgrimage vnto Montaigu in her name, & there to pray for her health. After the masse was sayd he went vnto the sick person, and declared vnto her his inten­tion: the which when she had heard, she was inwardly altered, and seemed to be exceedingly glad thereof, as the sayd M. Batson wel perceiued: whereby he felt him self the more incited to accomplish the­sayd promesse. Vpon this resolution he departed from Antwerp with Sir Vulmar [...] Schetz Pastor of the sayd Conuent, passing by bote on the riuer of Scaldis vnto Wil­lebrook, from thence they went on foot vnto Montaigu, & in lyke manner returned back again on foot afterwards. Beeing at Montaigu vpon the third of December, in the sayd yeare 1603. which was the eue of S. Barbara, they both calebrated masse in the Chappel of our Ladie, and prayed vnto allmightie God by the interces­sion of his holy Mother to vouchsafe to [Page 191] restore this poor and miserable Religi­ous woman to her health. Vpon the self same day that the holy sacrifice was there offered for her, the sayd Religious womā beeing in Antwerp in her bed felt her self to be much amended, and to haue obtai­ned a new strength, and immediately af­terwards she felt so great payne in her bodie, that she fell into an ague. The next day (beeing the feast of S. Barbara) at eleuen of the clock about noon she began again to feel her strength much to in­crease, and she spake to the Sister that kept her that she would reache vnto her her hād, which when she had taken, she raysed vp her self by her self, vpon her feet vpon her bed: whereat the sister bee­ing much astonished cryed out for feare, and the sayd Religious fel down heauily again vpon her bed, not sustaining for all this any alteration or faintnes hereby, whereas before she was woūt to fal into sowning and that almost to death, when any did so much as but touch her, yea al­though it were neuer so softly, as hath been sayd. And the sayd sister Barbara de Berges remayned all that day in her bed, although she thought that after dinner [Page 192] she was strong enough to walk vp and down her chamber. But vpon the next day following which was fryday & the fifth of the aforesayd moneth of December, she craued to haue her apparell deliuered vnto her, which was giuen her, and she put it on alone by her self without any to help her, beginning first with her left arme, on which syde all her disease had been, which arme none might touch be­fore, no more then any other part of her bodie without the daunger of falling into her accustomed faintenes: and so hauing apparailed herself shee came cheerefully out of her bed: and signing her self with the signe of the crosse, down she cast herself vpon her knees, & lifting vp her eyes to heauen, she gaue thancks to our Lord and sayd: Praise be to the O Mari [...]. Which when the other Religious womē saw who were in the chamber with her, they powred out teares of ioy: and Sister Michielle de Bergu [...]s the natural Sister of the sayd Barbara fel into a swoune, vpon tender affection & astonishement which she had conceiued. After this the sayd Sister sat her down in a chaire by the fyer for an hower or two, where as be­fore [Page 193] she could not indure any fyer, no not so much as that her clothes should be warmed. Sitting thus before the fy [...]r she sayd that she fe [...]t such a force & strength in her bones and ma [...]ow, from her head down to her feet, as yf some had powred somwhat from aboue vpon her, & she began to walk all alone about the cham­ber. Whereupon the religious women who were there present sang Te Deum in way of thancks giuing, and after that the Hymne A [...] Mar [...]s stella, the sayd patient inioying the health and good disposition of her bodie going & walking vp and down whether so euer she pleased reco­uering also her appetite which so long tyme before shee had lost, in so much that [...]oorthwith shee dranck a good draught of wyne, and some other sustenāce shee also receiued, and that with a very good stomack, whereas in times past she had no desyre to her meate, and she could not so much as swallow down a little wyne although it were drop after drop without great paine and difficultie. And vpon the same fryday at night came home from Mōtaigu the sayd maister Batsō, and the Pastor, and coming into the sayd [Page 194] religious womans chamber, they found her sitting before the fyer, who arose in­continently of her self and gaue them the welcome home, shewing vnto thē how that all her accidents and diseases were perfectly cured. And so became dayly more strong, and in better plight: in such sorte, that vpon the next day she heard three masses, with the rest of the Conuēt, at the which she assisted for the most part vpon her knees. Some two or three dayes after the feast of S. Barbara the a foresayd Doctor M. Benedict Rutten was sent for by the Conuent, to visit the sayd religious womā, whome he foūd whole and strong, going vp and down the mo­nasterie without any crutch, staffe, or any humaine help. And all this that hath been here sayd was verified & solemnly auouched before Maister Iohn vander N [...] Esquire and Escheuin, and maister Denis vander N [...]s [...]n Secretarie of the sayd Citie of Antwerp appointed in commission by the Magistrates for this matter as hath been sayd, acording to the information taken hereof, & put in wryting: and this by diuers persons of good: credit, who at diuers tymes had visited and assisted [Page 195] the sayd patient in her grieuous malladie, and afterwards found her thus suddenly cured: to witt, the sayd Sister Anne van Cal­ [...]re Superiour, the sayd Maister Gosuin Ba [...]son Chanon, & Maister VV [...]mare Schetz Pastor, the sayd Sister Barbara de Bergues the sayd Doctor Benedict Rutten, and Sister Mi­chielle de Bergues vpon the last of December, in the sayd yeare 1603. And this same re­ligious was afterwards in very good and perfect health of bodie vpon the last of May in the yeare 1604, beeing visited by him that hath written these things and in the moneth of Iulie she personally went in pilgrimage to our Ladies at Mōt­aigu, as she herself had before prayed our Lord, and verily trusted that she should be the third that was to go thither in pilgrimage for herself: a thing to all the world very strange and wounderfull.

A long deafnes cured.

DAme Adrian de Goux de wedergraet In De [...]. 1603. Prioresse of the Cloister of Shert [...] ­gi [...]en dale or valley of the Dutchesse at O [...]rgem neere to the Citie of Bruxelles: [Page 196] some thirtie-eight yeares agoe became deafe or both her eares, in such sorte that she could not heare when the Riligious did sing, yea although they did all sing to­gether in her presence, hearing nothing but a certain little sound as yf it had been a farr of, and the lyke was of the sound of the belles of the sayd Conuent. Besydes this▪ she had an exceeding cōtinuall payn in the top of her head, with a certain noyse in her eares, as yf it had been of a water-mill. And although she had ap­plied diuers remedies, as wel by the ad­uise of Physitions, as of others, yet she re­ceiued no benefit by them: but that some­tymes after she had vsed these medicines, and receiptes, she felt her self a little amē ­ded, the which lasted for some one, two, or three moneths, but she fell again in­continently in to her accustomed deafnes [...] and thus passing many yeares therewith, she abandoned all physick, wholy resig­ning herself to the wil of God. But at last vnderstanding of the miracles of Mōtaigu she purposed to send some thither to our Ladie in pilgrimage: and about the feast of S. Remigius in the yeare 1603, she sent thither M. Iohn wa [...]lart a religiou [...] [Page 197] man, and A [...]onet Hazard her mayd, with an almes, & she sent thither afterwards the sayd A [...]tonet alone. The which pilgri­mages beeing ended, it happened vpō the first Sunday of Aduēt that the sayd Dame Adrian hauing been that night at Mat­tines with the other religious womē: & returned thence to take her rest, she be­gan to dreame, and beeing betwixt slee­ping and waking it seemed vnto her that she saw before her an image of our La­die, the which opening her eyes she be­held: at which sight at the beginning she was affraied, but taking courage she be­seeched the glorious Virgin Marie that she would vouchsate to pray for the cure of her deafnes: and foorthwith the sayd Image stretched foorth the hand, and touched her vpon the temples and eies, saying vnto her certain words: whereof she hath as yet perfect memorie. And so vanishing away, vpon the next day, the­sayd Prioresse perceiued that she begā to heare better then before, and afterwards by litle and litle within the space of seuē or eight dayes s [...]e perfectly recouered her hearing: in so much as at this present she not onely heareth the soūd of the belles, [Page 198] or the song of the religious, but she can perfectly and distinctly heare what any speaketh, as wel as any other, not hauing the former paines or noyse in her head. As the sayd dame Prioresse hath testified & auouched all this that here hath been sayd vnder her own seale, & the seale of her Cōuēt, as also vnder their seales the like hath been donn by Father Iohn M [...] ­lemans Confessor, Sister Marie vander Lindē Subprioresse, Sister Elizabeth Houture, Sister Marie Beck, Sister Elizabeth du Terne, and Sister Annevā Di [...]ue all religious wo­men of this Conuent: who haue seen and noted the sayd dame Prioresse, to haue had the aforesaid deafenes, and now to inioy her perfect hearing, according to an instrument framed thereof, subsigned & sealed as aboue, vpon the xxvj of May 1604.

How a lamce wench was cured.

IOhn Nyemegens Apoticarie dwelling in In D [...] 1603. the Keestrate in the Citie of Ant [...]werp, had a daughter called Margarit about thirteē yeares of age, who from the tyme that she was six woneths old had a lame foot, in such sorte that her right leg was shor­ter then the other by a good hand bredth; wherevpon they were constrained to vnderlay her shooe, and make it higher, & for all this she went with great paine vpon her toes, for that her heele could not rest vpon her shooe, as appeared to the commissaries according to the infor­mation which they receiued thereof. This wench hauing heard what was re­ported of the miracles which by the in­tercession of the glorious Virgin Mo­ther of God were wrought at Montaigu, she neuer ceased to intreat her Father to permitt her to goe thither vpō deuotion: but her Father telling her yf she desyred to be cured, that thereby she might be more pleasing & acceptable to the world, that then infallibly her prayers would [Page 200] neuer be graunted. She answered him that she intended no such thing, but ra­ther that her intention was good and holy: and thereupon he yeelded vnto her that she might go that voyage, sending with her an auncient mayd seruant, cal­led Anne van Poyer: and they both departed together from Ant [...]erp vpon the xxv [...] ^th. of Nouember 1603. & arriued at Diest vpon the xxviij ^th. and then vpon the next day beeing the xxix ^th. they went to Montaigu, where they remained two dayes: to win the xxx ^th of the sayd moneth of Nouember, and the first of December: lying one night at Montaigu and the other night at Sic [...]: dayly performing their deuotions at the Chappel of our Ladie: & vpon the third day at the end of the second masse which they hard, the sayd Margari [...] perceiued that her foot was amended, telling the foresayd seruant, that she thought she could go wel enough without her high shooe, and thereupon she began to stand vpon her feet, and to walk vpright. And beeing returned from thēce to Diest they bought her an other paire of shooes of aequal higth, which she put on, and she perceiued that her legges were now be­come [Page 201] aequal, and the one as long as the other. And thus vpon the fifth of the sayd moneth of December they returned to Ant­werp, the sayd Margarit beeing deliuered from her accustomed halting, now, wal­king on both her feet with shooes of equall higth, because her legges were be come of aequall length. All which was verified & auouched vnder their solemne o [...]hes, both by the aforesayd Iohn Nyeme­gens, and by Marie Vermeulen his wyfe, as also by the sayd Anne van Poyer, Philippes vanden Brook and Iohn de Ram Almoner of the sayd Citie and neighbour vnto the­sayd Iohn Nyemegens, before the aforesayd M. Iohn vander Noo [...] Esquire and Escheuin, and Maister Denis vander Neesen Secreta­rie of the sayd Citie of Antwerp, put in commission about this affaire: all which aboue named persons knew this wench to haue been lame euen from her infan­cie, and to haue been miraculously cured as hath been sayd: as in lyke manner the­sayd Margarit Nyemegēs declared the same in the presence of the former persons, comformable to an information taken thereof vpō the xij ^th. of the sayd moneth of December 1603.

The sore eyes of a Chyld suddainely cured.

ELizabeth Verbiest daughter of Peter Ver­ [...]est Sopemaker dwelling in the Ci­tie In Dec. 1603. of Antwerp vpon the Zant, and of Mari [...] Speeka [...]rs his wyfe, beeing seuē yeares old, about Christmasse in the yeare 1603. had an accident in her eyes for the space of fiue or six dayes, her eyes beeing verie read and inflamed, in so much that she could not indure the day-light nor any other light, and through the paine there­of she could rest neither by day or by night, & one of her eyes was swolne as big as a great nut, and although her pa­rents ceased not to apply diuers remedies to them, yet no amendment insued the­reby. It happened that on a certain day the chyldes mother met with one la [...] Go [...]arts the wyfe of Iohn Bertells a bleacher of linnē cloth, dwelling in Antwerp, & tal­king with her of the sayd accident, the­sayd la [...]e gaue vnto her a little peece of the Oke of our Ladie of Montaigu to vse it against the aforesayd disease.

Which the sayd mother receiuing, put­ting [Page 203] her hope in the help of the Virgin Marie shee steeped the sayd wood in a lit­tle rose-water mixed with raine water, and a little holy water, and with this water she washed one morning her daughters eyes, who the next night re­sted very wel, not feeling any paine at all, and vpon the day following in the mor­ning, she awaked as perfectly whole and cured as euer she was before the foresayd disease had happened vnto her: in so much that she went to the schoole the very self same day, feeling afterwards no manner of grief in her eyes. As her fa­ther and mother auouched the same vn­der their othes before the Magistrates of the Citie of Antwerp, vpon the nynth of March in the yeare 1604▪ according to an act framed thereof, and subsigned Vander Neesen Secretarie of the sayd Citie.

The cure of a sore that was fiue and twentie yeares old.

ANthonie vande [...] Velde keeper and of­ficer In D [...]. 1 [...]03 of the forest of So [...]gne: dwel­ling in the village of Terhulp three duitch [Page 204] myles [...]ō Bruxdles was attainted with a quartain ague in the yeare 1575. which continued about three or fower yeares, whereby he became so weak and leane that he was but onely skinne and bones, Moreouer his left leg became so great that he was not able to walk thereon: and this hauing continued long, and fynding no help although he had applied many things thereunto by the adui [...]e and coun­sel of some apothecaries & others, vpon a day as he went vnto a certaine surgeon in hope to be holpen by him, who inten­ding to giue some ease to the patiēt, with a corrisiue medicin made a little hole in the sayd leg, whereby some water and moisture began to yssue out of the same, but nothing els: and after a whyle sun­drie other yssues began to grow in diuers partes thereof, somtymes on the one syde somtyme on the other syde of that which was made by the barber. In somuch that in short tyme al these yssues gatherīg into one, they made a sore of the greatnes & compas of an egge: and this vpon the shinne aboue the ankle, beeing very red, and burning ho [...]e, and so ful of corrup­tion that many thought the very bone [Page 205] had perished and decayed. And as the patient indured intollerable payne, he caused diuers other remedies to be ap­plied thereunto, but all in vaine and to no purpose. He also went in pilgrimage to diuers deuout places, and yet obtai­ned he no ease at all thereby. At the last in the yeare 1603. in the moneth of De­cember, in the beginning of Aduent hauing heard some talk of the miracles which by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marie were wrought at Montaigu, the sayd Anthonie much desyred to get some peece of the wood of the Oake wherein the miraculous picture had wount to haue been set: and hauing by the meanes of a certain frend obtained a peece, & withall a siluer medall of our Ladie of the same place, he put them both into cold water, and there with he washed his sore for the space of nyne dayes, adding some few prayers vnto God, and to the glo­rious Virgin Marie. And from the very tyme that he began to washe his leg, he perceiued that the sore (which he sustai­ned for fyue-and-twentie yeares toge­ther, with much paine weakenes and extenuation of his bodie) began to close [Page 206] vp, and euery day to become lesser and lesser, in such sorte that when the nyne dayes were expired, it was quyte shut vp and healed, and since that tyme, he hath remayned in good plight, not feeling therein any swelling or payne, declaring that from that tyme he hath found his bodie in good disposition and health, that he seemeth to himself to haue become yonger then he was before. All which that here hath been sayd he auouched vn­der his solemne othe before the Magi­strates of the Citie of Bruxelles, vpon the xxj ^th. of October 1604. And vpon the same day appeared also before the sayd Magi­strates Mistris Gertrude Ianotea [...] wyfe of VVrbert Valle, dwelling at the Inne cal­led du Ken [...]ebutin in the same Citie, and with her Bertr and vanden Velde brother and Anthonette Baston wyfe of the sayd Anthonie vanden Velde, who vnder the lyke othes affirmed that they had often seen the sayd sore, the which was very foule and vg­ly to behold: to witt, the sayd Mistris Gertrude some eight yeares ago, and the­sayd Anthonette euer since it first began. As also they had seen the same sore after he had washed it, and they had found it [Page 207] whole and cured as hath been sayd: as also at that very tyme the sayd Anthonie shewed it to the magistrates them selues, who found it to be intiere and whole, according to their attestation made he­reof, sealed with the seale of the sayd Ci­tie, and signed P. Numan Secretarie, and dated as aboue.

The punishement of a soldier that determined to hinder the Pilgrimage of Montaigu.

IT wil not be from the purpose to de­clare [...]n Dec. 1603. in this place, how that a certain soldier of the gheusos and rebelles of Holland had determined one day with twelue other companions to swim ouer the riuer of Demere, & so to come and kil such Pilgrims as went towards our Ladie of Montaigu, and there withall to rob the iewels & donaries that were offered there. And for this purpos they had fitted themselues with certaine sutes of canuas, that they might be the sooner dry. But meaning first to vndertake some other exploit with these his mates, he was [Page 208] wounded through both his legges by an harquebuse, in such sorte that his deter­mination was dashed. As he himself (acknowledging his bad intention) de­clared the same to a certain persō of good credit, whose name we here conceale for that he liueth amongst the enimies. And to say nothing whether this ought to be esteemed for a miracle or no, yet is it worthy the consideration, to see God his euident prouidence in this matter.

How a lame woman was cured.

CAtharin Mos [...]ier wyfe of Iohn Bailly dwelling in the town of A [...]h in the In Dec. 1 [...]0 [...] countrie of Henaul [...], beeing in chyldbed, was taken with a certain disease which caused in her the palsey, & stretching of her sin [...]wes on her left syde, whereby shee became altogether lame, and when she walked it was with great paine.

Whereupon her husband resolued to go in pilgrimage for her to our Ladie at Mōta [...]gu, to obtaine there of our ladie his wyues health. The Same voyage beeing made and his deuotion ended, the sayd [Page 209] woman was perfectly cured of her halting and lamenes, as it appeareth by the attestation of the Magistrates of the­sayd town of A [...] dated vpon the last of December 1603. signed I. le Merchier, and sealed with the seale of the same town.

How a possessed person was delu [...]red by wood of the Oke of our Laedie.

CAthari [...] de Bus daughter of the late In [...]. 1604. Iohn de Bus dwelling in the Citie of Li [...]le in the Coūtie of Fla [...]ters, in the yeare 1602. beeing sixteē yeares of age or ther­about was found to haue been possessed of the deuil, who by diuers sleightes trū ­peries and promises had deceiued & cir­ [...]umuēted her: insomuch that she could be scarse a quarter of an hower in peace, without beeing seased vpon vexed and troubled by the enimy: which made her speak (to the purpos) diuers sortes of lan­guages, as Hebrew, Greek and Latin: as maister Michiel le Cādel Pastor of the Parish of S. Sauiour in the Citie of Lille, & Maister Siluester Deuis priest of the same Church solemnly auouched, as hauing heard and [Page 206] [...] [Page 207] [...] [Page 208] [...] [Page 209] [...] [Page 210] exorcized the sayd patient. Who besydes the speaking of these strange languages, did in furie things aboue all naturall and humaine force: so that it was neces­sarie to haue fiue or six men to hold her: who notwithstanding were much trou­bled to keep and hold her down. For when they came neere vnto her with the Blessed Sacrament of the altar she wrythed & wrested herself strangely, both with her legges, armes, and back, as with her neck and head, with a terrible counte­nance, gnashing of her teeth, and grisely drawing of her mouth. The parents & frends of this wench labored so much that she was diuers tymes exorcized, sometymes by certain fathers of the order of the Capuchins, sometymes by other Priestes, vnto whome the wicked spirits answered in diuers languages, confessing at that tyme that they were seuen in number, they spake diuers iniu­rious and scandalous things, & told the faultes of diuers that were present. So that one day whyle this Catharin was exorcized in a Chappel of our Ladie built in the honour of the hows of our Ladie of Lor [...]tto (which wa [...] after the [Page 211] [...]east of All Sainctes in the yeare 1603) there was a reporte in the Citie of Lille that the town of Ostend (which as then was kept by the rebelles of Holland, and assieged by the armie of our Princes) was surrendered: the enemie was so bold as to say by the mouth of the wench that it was not trew, & that they should see so much ereit were long, and that those that had bruted it abroad were certaine theeues that came from robbing the Ci­bo [...]re of the Blessed Sacrament in the town of Newport the which they had as yet in their bagge, and that the great maister A [...] for churche robbers. compelled them to say so much to accuse their sinne. Which was afterwards found true. For vpon the self same day two soldiers Suissers were cast into pryson in the sayd Citie of Lille, who had blazed a­broad the report of the aforesayd ren­dring of Ostend and the sayd Cibo [...]r was found amongst them, the which they had stolen out of Newport, whether af­terwards they were carried, & there put to death by order of Iustice The priests cōtinuing the sayd exorcisines, after some fower moneths the patient was deli­uered of one of those wicked spirits, and [Page 212] after a whyle successiuely again of other three, giuing fower euidēt signes of their departure, by breaking or cracking diuers pa [...]es of the glasse windo [...]s as otherwise. Hauing first and before they departed throwne out at the mouth of the patient sometymes brimstone, sometymes pin­nes in great number, a bowed peece of siluer of fiue sous, and a great naile of the length of ones hād. After that againe the­sayd exorcisines were continued by the­sayd Sir Siluester Denis, both by the intrea­tie of the wenches parents, as also by the commaundement of the Lord Bishop of Tournay, and in the space of two moneths by the ordinarie exorcismes of the Ca­tholik Church two other of the enimies were cast out: & a moneth or fiue weeks after, again on other▪ And although now seuen wicked feendes (according to the number which they themselues had dis­couered) were departed, yet the sayd Sir Siluester perceiued that the enemy had lyed, and that the sayd wench was not yet cured. Wherefore he ceased not to con­tinue the exorcismes vntil the beginning of the yeare 1604, within the octaues of the Epiphan [...] of our lord: when on a tyme the sayd [Page 213] Sir Siluester exorcising the patient in the presence of a great multitude of people: the deuil began to cry out; and speak to one that was there present these words. Arte thow there also? I know wel enough from whence thou comest; and what thou hast brought with thee: thow arte one of them that hath been visiting Ma [...]te of Montaigu. It was true that the parents and frends of the sayd wench had made a vow to goe in Pilgrimage to our Ladie at Montaigu to pray there for her cure. At these words the people began to look about them, who he should be of whome the enimie had spoken, & there was found a man that was come from Montaigu, and had brought with him a peece of the Oke of our Ladie. Where­upon Sir Siluester took the sayd peece; and made the patient to eat it, and immedia­tely after she had swallowed it, the eni­mie (who called himself Ho [...]illi [...], Ch [...]que [...], and Clinq [...]art) shewed himself in her throat, crying out that he scorched and burned, because of the wood which was eaten: & he added▪ that he was cōpel­led to depart, and that there remained in her as yet three: & beeing deman̄ded by the [Page 214] exorcist by whose merit and intercession he was to depart? The wicked feēd ans­wered; of Mar [...] of Montaigu. And after­wards beeing demaunded what signe he would giue of his departure? He sayd: he would burst a glasse of the Church win­dow. And immediately after, two of thē departed with the sayd signe of bursting the glasse, & the third saying that he was the last of tenne, cryed out (in going foorth) with a lowd voice. V [...]e N. Dame de Montaigu, qui nous faict sortir. Honour be to our Ladie of Montaigu, who maketh vs to depart. He beeing compelled to speake these words (as w ^th reasō we may presume) by M [...]. 1. M [...]. 3. Luc 4. [...]. [...]. the maiestie & soueraine power of God; euen as we haue in the Gospel, that the deuils in their departing gaue testimonie that our Lord Iesus Christ was the sonne of God. And in going he plucked out a great naile that was fastned deep in the wall, the which he threw against the window, but yet touched it not.

And from that day afterwards the sayd Catharin remayned whole and perfectly free from the possession and vexation of the enimie: inioying all her limmes and sences as freely as euer she did before. [Page 215] And about the beginning of May the sayd Catharin accompained with the sayd Sir Siluester Denis and Peter du [...]rieu her vncle went towards Montaigu, where she re­mained for nyne dayes, going to confes­sion and communion and dayly visiting the Chappel of our Ladie, yeelding thācks to God, and to his holy Mother for the mercie which she had receiued. And all this that hath here been sayd is manifest both by the deposition and attestation of the sayd Catharin, of the sayd Sir Siluester & Peter du Trieu made vnder their othes be­fore the Pastor of Sichen, Maister Anthonie de Bouckhout Maier, and Sir Bartholmew Thichon Chaplain of our Ladies: as also by an other attestation made and passed vnder the othes of the sayd persons, and with them of Sir Michel le Candel, and Marie du Bus wyfe of the aforesayd Peter, before the Magistrates of the Citie of Lille, vpon the first of Iune, in the sayd yeare 1604. according to a wryting composed hereof, dated as aboue, sealed with the greate seale of the sayd Citie and signed P. Mout [...]n.

How a Chyld that was burst was after­wards cured.

GErard van Omel wyk-maister of the In May 1604. Citie of Antwerp, and Susan VVage­maker, hi [...] wyfe, had in the yeare 1903. a chyld called Lew [...]s, who from the tyme that he was sower moneths old was foūd to be burst, in-so-much as his Parents were constrained to bynd him with a trusse fitted for this purpose: because the rupture came foorth oftentymes as big as a great ball, which put the chyld to much paine, and his parents to great sorrow. At last about the end of April, or in the beginning of May, in the yeare 1604 the said Susan resolued to go in pilgrimage with he▪ chyld to our Ladie of Montaigu, to pray there for his cure: which shee performed at the same tyme. But beeing [...]n the Citie of Louain, and reddie to de­part thence to Montaigu, there came ty­ding▪ that the troupes of the muteners were not farr from Diest, and Tillemont, committing there many outrages and in­solencies. Whereupon some dissuaded [Page 207] her to go any further as she did not, but stayed at the sayd Citie of Louain. And so perceiuing that shee could not accom­plish her p [...]ous intention at Montaigu, went with her chyld to S Peters Church in the sayd Citie, and there shee caused a masse to be sayd at our Ladies altar in the honour of God, and this shee did in lieu of her desyred pilgrimage: which masse shee did heare deuoutely, praying for her chyldes health. This donne she de­parted thence, and returned home to Antwerp, where after a day or twain ta­king from the chylds bodie his trusse, shee found him perfectly healed: inso­much that shee neuer needed to bynd him therewith afterwards, for so much (I say) as the chyld remayned in perfect health, as beeing intierly cured. As this Gerard and his wyfe testified and declared vnder their solemn othes, before the Ma­gistrates of Antwerp on the thirteenth of October in the sayd yeare 1604. on which day lyke w [...]e appeared M. Francis van Mal­dere [...]urgeō, dweling in the same citie, who vnder the lyke othe affi [...]me [...] that he had seen the sayd chyld, and that he knew him to haue been burst, and how that at this [Page] present he is perfectly healed, for the as­surāce whereof he had visited & serched him. Lykewise Cathar [...] Briers widow of one Simon Maes appeared there, who auouched that shee had often seen & vi­sited the said chyld whylest he was burst, and made for him certain trusses, and how she fyndeth him now healed: as manifestly may be seen by the informa­tion that was iuridically taken hereof, & subsigned D vander Ne [...]sen secretarie of the sayd Citie, and dated as aboue.

How a blynd man recouered his sight.

ANthony de Gro [...]e born at Eyckeren neere to the citie of Antwerp, beeing [...]n May. 1603. nyne and twētie yeares old, in the yeare 1597. in lent, had a great defluction of a catharre which fell down vpon his right eve beeing then a soldier vnder Captain Bourer in the forte of Dam [...]rugge, nee [...]e to the sayd citie. Whereupon he withdrew h [...]mself to an hospital in Antwerp to be there healed and assisted: in which place they applyed vnto him diuers remed [...]es, & amongst others, he had [...]nyssue made [Page] him in the nape of the neck, the which he did beare for six weeke, but he profited nothing thereby: yea he lost quyte the sight of that eye. About some two yeares after seruing again as a soldier vnder cap­tain Grysper [...] in a forte neere to Callo by Antwerp, there happened him an other defluxion in his left eye, whereby he lost that eye within the space of eight dayes, in somuch as thē he became sta [...]k blynd, and thereby was forced to forsake his ser­uice, and to cause himself to be led to Antwerp, where hauing sold all that he had, he sustained his lyfe very miserably, and at last he was brought to that extre­mitie, that he had no other meanes wherby to lyue but by the charitie and almes of good people: making himself to be led vp & down the streetes of the same Citie for many yeares. But hauing heard of the miracles which were wrought at Montaigu, he resolued and made a vow to go thither, there to do honour to the glorious Virgin Marie, and to pray vnto her that he might recouer his sight, yf it were for his soules health. And thus af­terwards vpon the xxviij ^th of April in the yeare 1604. he departed in boate from [Page 210] Antwerp to the Citie of Macline, accom­pained with a boy that did lead him, and with Vincent vanden Ho [...]t a lame man: and hauing continued at Macline vntil the first of May, they went together to Montaigu, and arriued there vpon the next day after dinner, beeing Sunday the secōd of the­sayd moneth. Vpō that day they did their deuotions at the Chappel of our Ladie of Montaigu, and so vpon the moonday, & tuisday following the sayd blynd man still praying for his sight and washing twise euery day his eyes with the water which is in the sayd mountayne. Vpon moonday he began to feel great paine, shootings, and prickings in his head, and especially about his eyes. Vpon tuisday he went to confession to Sir Bartholmew Tichon Chaplein of the sayd place, and re­ceiued the blessed Sacrament of the altar: and after dinner vpon the same day bee­ing the fourth of the sayd moneth of May, about the tyme of Salue whyle this Anthony was praying in the Chappel, and cree­ping vpon all fower about the altar, say­ing some prayers, he felt as if certain strings had been broken in his eyes, and therewithal he recouered his sight, being able [Page 211] a little after to marck and know euery thing, and so became better and better: in so much that he could perfect­ly see and know all sortes of figures and cullours, read, and discerne peeces of money, and go whether soeuer he plea­sed, without any to lead him, euen as he was wount before that he fel into the­said blyndnes. The which the sayd Anthony declared and affirmed solemnly vnder his othe, before the Magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles (returning from Mont­aigu towards the Citie of Antwerp) vpon the seuenth of the same moneth of May, in this yeare 1604. Before whome also vpō the same day appeared Vincent vanden Hout who vnder the lyke othe declared that for fiue yeares he had seen and known this blynd man in the sayd Citie of Ant­werp: and how with him he had made the voyage to Montaigu, where he had miraculously recouerd his sight, as the­sayd Vincent had seen, hauing been neere to him in the sayd Chappel of our Ladie. All conformable to an act of the sayd Ma­gistrates composed thereof, and dates vpon the seuenth of May 1604 signed P. Numan, and sealed with the seale of the­sayd [Page 222] Citie. And vpon the xiij ^th of the said moneth this Anthony de Groo [...]e beeing cal­led into the full assembly of the Magi­strates of the citie of Antwerp, and exa­mined concerning his cure, declared vnder his solemn othe all that he had sworne before the magistrates of Bruxelles adding moreouer, that at what tyme he began first to see in the Chappel of our Ladie, euery thing did seeme vnto him to be of a yellow cullour, which not­withstanding passed quickly away, and immediately after he enioyed his perfect sight. Vpon the same day appeared before the Magistrates of Antwerp R [...]miold of Mansdale Lord of O [...]sterlans, who vnder the lyke othe declared that for many yeares agoe he had known this Anthoni [...], as hauing somtimes been his seruant, and that he knew right wel that for fiue yea­res or thereabout he was stark blynd, & beeing blynd had been diuers tymes at his hows for almesse: hauing seen him often led through the streetes, & to haue been with other beggers before the Church doores. Besides Clement Ionkers Tisser and appeared before the sayd Magi­strates, who declared and auo [...]ched that [Page 223] some fiue yeares a goe this Anthonie had complayned vnto him euen with teares how that he had lost his sight, whereupō he gaue him counsel to repaire vnto a certain surgeon that dwelt at the golden hand in S. Anthonies street of Antwerp, to craue his help, and yet for all that he re­mained stil blynd. Also the Almoners of the sayd Citie appeared before this assem­bly, who affirmed how they had seē for some yeares this Antonie beeing thē blynd to haue been led through the streetes, & to beg for almesse: and how that som­tymes they had sent for him to their chamber of the poor, giuing him some assistance for his entertainement. And how that beeing brought to the same chamber ypon the xxvj ^th. of April in the­sayd yeare 1604 he gaue them to vnder­stand that he was determined to goe in pilgrimage to our Ladies of Montaigu, to beseech God that by her intercession he might recouer his sight: whereupon they wishing him the help and assistence of God, caused the portion to be deliuered vnto him which he was woūt to receiue weekely: and how that since his return hauing been with them they saw and [Page 224] knew that he enioyed his sight, for which they praysed & thancked God, giuing vnto the sayd Anthonie an extraordinarie almesse. Finally the sayd Bourguemai­sters, Escheuins and counsellers of the communitie of the sayd Citie of Antwerp (beeing collegially assembled) auouched and certified vpon the same day that for some yeares they had seen this Anthonie, blynd, and begging almesse in diuers pla­ces, both at the gate of our Ladies Church as els where. All this beeing manifest by the attestation of the sayd Magistrates dated vpon the sayd xiij, of May 1604. subsigned D. vander Neesen, & sealed with the seale of the same Citie.

How a man being nyntie yeares old was cured of a rupture.

Iohn Montady born in the Cuntrie of In May. 1604 Angoles [...] in France, beeing nyntie yeares of age, dwelling in the Citie of Bruxelles, in the yeare 1602. serued as a soldier in the cōpanie of Ca [...] Anse [...]. in the Regiment of Count [...] Busq [...]or: beeing at the siege of Ostend in the Coūtie [Page 225] of Flanders, which town at that tyme was held by the rebelles against our Prin­ces, standing one night sentenel vpon some part of the trenches, it happened that a canon ball beeing shott from the town caried away with it a great peece of wood that was not fart of from the place where this Mōtady stood, which came so neer vnto his bodie, that foorth­with he felt himself to be inwardly burst by the wynd and ayre of the sayd peece of wood: as a little afterwards the rup­ture shewed it self vpon his left syde: and it so increaced that within three dayes space it was as big as a mannes head: in so much as he could not possibly go but with two crutches, the which he vsed for two yeares together. And the weight of the sayd rupture was so great, that the skin which was about it began to slit, and was as it were rent in twain. Vpon a tyme before easter in the yeare 1604. he seiourning in the Citie of Lille, & hearing what was recounted of the miracles of our Ladie of Montaign, he purposed and vowed to go thether to pray for his health. And he departed which his crut­ches from Lille at the end of the moneth [Page] of April: and passing by the Citie of Brux­elles, vpon the viij. of May, he set forward on his way towardes the sayd Montaign: and he hath affirmed that so soone as he was departed from Lille, he felt his strength to increace, and perceiued that he went more strongly then he was ac­customed. Beeing arriued at Montaign vpon the tenth of the sayd moneth, he settled himself to his deuotions for some dayes at our Ladies Chappel, vntil the twelfth day, vpon which day praying vpon his knees at the tyme of Sal [...]e, he felt his said rupture to mou [...] in his bodie as if a chyld should stirr in his mothers wōb, & once or twise making a noise, it caused in him so great paine that he was forced to cry out, at which cry came to him Sir Barthelmew T [...]chon Chaplain who raised him vp, and standing vpon his feet, he foūd himself whole & cured: insomuch as there he left his crutches, & offered them to our Ladie, walking with out them and any other help whether soeuer he pleased, not feeling any further grief or paine: the rupture withdrawing it self wholy in-to his bodie, without leauing any marck or signe thereof. As [Page 227] the sayd Iohn Montady avouched and testi­fied solemnly vnder his othe, before the Magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles, vpō the twentith day of the sayd moneth of May. Vpō which day also appeared before the Magistrates Anthonie Capello citizen of the sayd Citie, who declared and affir­med vnder the like othe, that for the space of two yeares before he had been very wel aquainted with the sayd Iohn Montady, and had holpen him with some almesse: yea & that diuer [...] tymes he had seen his accident of the bi [...]nes of a man­nes head, as hath been sayd, at which tyme he went with two crutches, whereas at that present he saw him go without either crutch or staff: and hauing at the­same instant visited the place of the sayd rupture, he found it altogether retyred with-in his bodie, & whole. All which may appeare by the attestation of the­sayd Magistrates, signed P. Numan & sea­ldd with the seale of the sayd Citie.

How a yong wench was cured of the rupture.

CHristina van Schobeke daughter of In May. 1604. the late Christian Schobeke and of Ant [...]ta van VVeghelen his wyfe, dwelling in the Citie of Antwerp, was foūd to haue been brooken on both her sydes, euen from her cradel, and from the tyme that she was but three weekes old. Whereby she had infinit incommodites and paines, & principally in her infācie: in such sorte that to yeeld her some help her parents made her weare a trusse, such an one as is wount to be applyed vnto those that are broken, and she continued thus for eight yeares: to witt, vnto the yeare 1604. At last her mother hauing hard great re­porte of the miracles which were wrought by the inuocation of our Ladie of Montaigu she resolued to carrie thither her daughter, & there to pray for her health: the which she did, and beeing ar­riued at the place, vpon the xix. of Iune in the sayd yeare 1604. they did their deuo­tions at our Ladies Chappel, and the [Page 229] mother offered that which by vow she she had promised: & after that she went to wash her daughter with the water that is in the sayd mountain. Vpon the next day (which was Sunday) they continued their prayers & washing as they had dōn the day before, and afterwards beeing come to an Inne to take their refection, the wench began to complain, that she could weare her trusse no longer, and that she felt it much to wring her bodie: which whē her mother heard, she carried her again to the Chappel, there to pray, for her: but so soon as they were entred in, the band or trusse did break in twaine of it self, & fel down to her feet: of the which her mother caused the Pastor to be aduertised by Gertrude VVoest wyfe vnto Iohn Egh [...]s draper dwelling in Antwerp, who was at that present in the Chappel. And so perceiuing that her daughter was healed, she returned with her towards the Citie of Antwerp, & the sayd Christina (beeing but eight yeares old (went six duitch miles on foot without feeling any pain or rupture whereas before her en­trailes were wount to come foorth on both sydes vpon neuer so little labor or [Page 230] wearines, as hath been sayd.

All this which hath been here related was auouched and affirmed vnder her solemn othe by the sayd Ant [...]ne [...] van VVe­ghelen mother of that broken chyld, be­fore the Magistrates of the sayd Citie vpon the last of Iune in the sayd yeare 1604. Vpon which day also appeared before the sayd Magistrates sister Cicilie Cappels dwelling in the Hospital, and Marie Ma [...] ­ [...]hys widow to VVilliam vanden Bossche who vnder the like othe affirmed and decla­red that they knew very wel that the said Christina some yeares ago was burst, bee­ing brought diuers tymes by her mother to the sayd Hospitall of Antwerp to be hol­pen yf it had beē possible: where she was looked vnto & fitted with her trusse by the sayd Sister Cicilie: the sayd Marie Ma [...] ­thys affirming that this Christina swith her mother had dwelled in her hows more then eight yeares space, in which tyme she had seen her continually with this rupture, vntil the tyme wherof we haue spokē: & that she was miraculously cured. All this beeing manifest by the at­testatiō of the sayd Magistrats of Antwerp, dated as aboue, sealed with the seale of [Page 231] the sayd Citie, & signed D. Vander Neesen.

How a woman was cured of a Rupture.

GVd [...]la Sc [...]inck widow to one Martin In [...]. 160 [...]. Alart, who in his lyfe tyme was a Notarie in the Citie of Bruxelles, beeing threescore and fiue yeares old so [...]ue two and thirtie yeares before was broken on the right syde, by ouerstrayning her self through lifting vp from the ground a bucket of water, she beeing at that tyme great with chyld: and the rupture came foorth of the bignes of a goose egge, in­somuch that she was forced to weare or­dinarily a band fitte for such diseases. In which thirtie two yeares space she en­dured continually grieuous payn, and she applyed thereunto diuers remedies, but yet they little profited her to her cure. At last hauing heard of the miracles which were dayly wrought at Montaigu by the intercession of the glorious Virgin Marte, she resolued to go thether in Pilgri­mage, with very great hope to recouer her health. And so at S. I [...]h [...]s tyde in this yeare 1604. she caused herself to be car­ried thether by waggon, and hauing [Page] spent there some dayes in prayer, she found her self so wel, that she left her trusse behynd her, and offered it to our Ladie, & so returned in very good plight to Bruxelles. not feeling any paine or grief afterwardes. Some fower or fiue weekes after that, the sayd Gudula made an other voyage to Montaigu on foot, and returned homeward again on foot the rupture neuer app [...]ring: and so she remaineth perfectly cured, feeling no manner of paine through her former disease: she ha­uing declared and auouched these things here set down, and that solemnly vnder her othe, before the magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles, vpon the twelfth of August in the sayd yeare 1604. Vpō which day also appeared Misiris Aga [...]a [...]gers, & Margari [...] do M [...]rod [...], as also A [...]e van Ni­ [...]z [...]l [...] their mayd, who vnder the lyke othe affirmed and auouched that they knew very wel how that the sayd G [...]d [...]l [...] had been burst as hath been sayd, because she was wount to come often tymes vnto their hows, as also for that they had often visited and assisted her in her mal­ladie, & when she was much tormented with the sayd disease. All which [...] con­formable [Page] to the attestation of the sayd Magistrates of the citie of Bruxelles, dated as aboue, and subsigned P. Numan Se­cretarie.

A very hard disease Cured.

MAster Adrian van Asbrook, sworn In Iu [...]e. 1604. clarck of the Amman office, and of the Criminal court in the Citie of Bruxelles, and Mistris Catharin Verbeke his wyfe, had a chyld called VViliam, who in the yeare 1602. beeing three moneths old became ful of a certain kynd of eating scabbednes, which the phisitions ca [...]l Herpes exeden [...], or corrodens, or exulcerans: in French Feu volaige graz, in English, the wyld fier, and his bodie was spotted therewith in diuers parts and especially, most of all in his face, eares, the top of his head, and in his left arme: his forhead & all his face beeing so ouer spred with scabbes sore wheales & blisters, yeelding foorth a certain corrupt and filthie mat­ter, that there was no place of him free but onely his mouthe, in so much as he seemed to haue his faco al couered ouer [Page] with a hard and i [...] fauourd bark, and therewith al it had a certain kynd of in­ward gnawing, which was so intol [...]era­ble, that the chyld stil scratching his face made the blood together with the filthie matter to run out thereof: a thing so hiduous and horrible, that euery one was much abashed to behold it: and the­sayd chyld had such continual vehement prickings and pain, that he would not permit any of the hows to rest, either day or night: & he continued in this sorte more then two yeares together: at which tyme his parents caused in [...]init remedies to he applyed vnto him, both by the ad­uise of Surgeons as of diuers other per­sons: somtymes of such men or women as took vpon them to cure and heale the lyke accidents: and somtymes of such as had tryed their receiptes either vpon thē ­sel [...]esor vpon their children: and those persons were not onely of the Citie of Bruxelles, but also of other Cities neer about, as of Antwerp, and M [...]clm: from whence diuers sent vnto them sundrie receiptes, wherby an hundreth and an hundreth persons had been holpen: yea such as had indured the disease twentie [Page] yeares together. But they found no re­medie or amendment at all, in all the care & diligēce that euer was employed. And thi [...] accident became so great and in­curable, that it did eat away not only the skinne, but also the very flesh to the bone, which they beheld often quyte bare, both in his armes, as about the temples of his head, insomuch that the parents were not without feare that the disease would turn into a leproesie. And they conside­ring how that no help or inuention of man could profit them, they took their recourse to the mercie of God, and to the assistance and gracious fauour of the glorious Virgin Marie. And hereupon this Asbrook and his wyfe went with their chyld to Montaigu vpon the fyue & twen­teth of I [...]ne, in the yeare 1604. & hauing donne their deuotions for somedayes at the Chappel of our Ladie, home they came again to Bruxelles, not perceiuing that the malladie was any whit amen­ded. Notwithstanding stil confiding in God, and in the assistence of the glorious Virgin Marie his blessed Mother, they ap­plyed vnto him afterwardes no other re­medie or medicin nor any of the receipes [Page 236] which they were wount to vse about him: leauing the chyld euen as he was, yet after a whyle they began to see and perceiue how that since the sayd visitation of our Ladie the sayd chyld began daylie to wax whole, and that all the scabbes botches and blisters went away of them­selues, without any exterior help, inso­much that at the end of fifteen or twen­tie dayes, the disease was quyte gone, the holes and open sores were healed vp, and the chyld was cured: and his skin and flesh throughout all his bodie both on his face neck eares as other parts became so faire and clean as of any chyld in the world, no sputtes or scarres remaining afterwards, as was manifestly seen vpon the day when this was dated. And all that here hath been sayd was auouched and verified vnder their solemn othes in pre­sence of the Magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles vpō the twelfth of August in the sayd yeare 1604. by the sayd Maister Adrian van Asbrook, his wyfe, Francis van Asbrook his daughter: Maister Iohn H [...]l lieftenant to the Aman of the sayd Citie, and by Helena randen Eeckhout wyfe of Iohn Mosselman? who all affirmed to haue seen [Page 237] the sayd chyld in so miserable a plight as hath been sayd: yea that they had seen diuers tymes how the flesh was eaten a­way euen to the very bones: and the sayd Helēa declared moreouer that she had en­deuoured for the space of six moneths or more to cure this chyld, and that with such remedies wherewith she had hol­pen aboue an hundreth persons, & yet in this she could no whit amēd him. There appeered allo vpon the same day before the sayd Magistrates Arnold Add [...]ers vnder Bourgue master of the sayd Citie of Brux­elles, the Ladie Marie de Caro [...]delet, widow of the late Lord de Chassegn [...]es the Ladie Catharin de Carondelet, widow of the late Coronel Bostock, Mistris Marg-rit de Bock­ [...]out, wyfe of Coronel Balthazar van Rossum Mystris Agatha Reygers, Mistris Margarit de Merode. and Maister Lewi [...] VVinno [...]x. Sur­geon, all dwelling in the same Citie: who auouched vnder the lyke othe that they had sundry tymes seen the sayd chyld in such miserable state as before hath been declared, they hauing administred vnto him all the receptes and remedies that they could deuise, and yet without any help or profit at all. And how that some­weekes [Page] after the sayd pilgrimage of our Ladie, they found him throughly whole, and so perfectly cured as yf he neuer had been touched with any euil in the world. All which is manifestly to be seen by the attestation of the Magistrates of the sayd citie, dated as aboue, and signed P. Nu [...] Secretarie.

A lame hand cured.

IOhn Courto [...]s Commissarie of their In [...]. 1604. Highneses, dwelling in the Citie of Antwerp some fifteen yeares ago beeing in the Lordship of Hoghstrate in the [...]ē ­pinia was vpon a day wounded in the right hand hard by the wrist, with a blow of a sword, by which blow which passed through half his arme his sinewes were cut in twain: and about the same place he had receiued also a thrust. Whyle these hurtes were in curing it happe­ned that the wyld fyer entred into the­same arme, and it was inflamed there­with euen to the arme-pitt, where­vpon the Surgeons resolued that the arme should be cu [...] of, or els the hurt [Page 239] man should lose his life: but he would neuer consent thereunto, rather chusing to dy then to be brought vnto that extre­mitie, and thereupon calling▪ vpō the ayd and help of the Virgin Marie he vowed to make a pilgrimage to our Ladie of Hall. After which vow within the space of fower or fyue dayes he recouered in such sorte his strength & health, that he arose out of his bed, got on horseback, and so came to Antwerp feeling daily his arme much amended: from Antwerp he went on foot to the sayd town of Hall and there accomplished his promis, & so recouered the intiere cure of his sayd arme saue onely that it was lame on the three last fingers and on the thumb, his hād remay­ning crooked and his fingers stiffe. And vpon the fourteenth of Iuly in the yeare 1604 he going to Montaigu there to offer his honour & prayers to our Ladie he put himself in the state of grace, cōmuni­cated, & after some Masses he was presēt at the processiōin which the mirac [...]lous Image was carryed round about the Chappel, & so beseeching our Lord moste instan [...]ly and his glorious Mother that he might be cured of the sayd lamenes of [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 236] [...] [Page 237] [...] [Page 238] [...] [Page 239] [...] [Page 240] his hand, he gaue his beades to the Priest to touch the Image therewith, which the Priest did, who restoring them again vnto him he with great confidence re­ceiued them with his sayd lame hand, the which euen by the very touching of the­sayd beades he perceiued to bee forth­with cured beeing able to moue & shutt it as he could haue donne before that he became lame: and from that tyme his sayd hand continued very wel, & it ser­ue [...]h him as fittly as dothe the other. All this he himself declared and auou­ched vnder his solemn othe, before the Magistrates of the Citie of Antwerp, vpon the fourth of August 1604. vpon which day also apeared Master Paul van Assel [...]rs, Eschoutet of the sayd Citie, and Mistris Ioane▪ Courto [...]s his wyfe, who vnder the lyke [...]e assured & witnessed that [...] kne [...] [...] wel that the sayd Iohn [...] [...]rother was some fifteen [...]es be [...]ame of his right hand, in [...] manner as before we haue declared, and how that after the sayd voyage to Montaigu he was cured, and now hath the vse of his sayd right hand as wel as of the left, the which was neuer hurt. All which [Page 241] is conformable to an attestation of the­sayd Magistrates of Antwerp dated as aboue, subsigned D. vander Neesen, and sealed with the seale of the sayd Citie.

The cure of a Rupture or Hernia.

ELizabeth VVouters alias [...]ens Be­guyne [...]n [...]e [...] [...]. in the Beguinage of the town of Diest, in the yeare 1601 drawing water out of a wel she vsed such force that she burst herself on both sydes, where the rupture first apeared of the bignes of a turkies egge and afterward of a mannes fist, in somuch that she was constrained to weare a trusse induring often tymes much paine, and sometymes she kept her bed for the space of one two or three moneths together▪ and although she had vsed many medicines & remedies, yet for all that, she felt no amēdmēt. Finally cō ­sidering that she [...]on̄d no help by humaine meanes, and fearing withal that this di­sease would hinder her from beeing ad­mitted to her professiō in the Beguinage, for so much as she was as yet in her yeare of probation, she took her refuge to the [Page 242] Mother of God: and in the yeare 1604. (hauing endured this accident for the space of almoste fower yeares) she pur­posed to go three tymes to visit our ladie at Montaigu to the end she might obtaine thereby her health. And so vpon the e [...]e of S. Marie Magdalen, to witt, vpō the one and twentith of Iuly in the sayd yeare, she made her first Pilgrimage, & she felt some amendment: vpon the day next following the sayd feast she returned the second tyme, and hauing ended her deuotiō at the Chappel and going down the hil towards Diest where she dwelt, it happened that the point wherewith her [...]russe was tyed on the right syde, broke of it self, notwithstanding that it was both strong and new, which when she had perceiued she mended it & tyed it againe, and so went on somwhat for­ward in her way: but by and by againe she beeing not yet at the bottom of the hill the other point on the left syde did break, which likewise was new, & this did neuer so happen vnto her before. Whereat beeing much amazed, & thin­king with herself that our Lord had be­stowed some grace and fauour vpon her [Page 243] she returned in haste toward our Ladies Chappel, & settled herself again to her prayers. In which place she felt herself so wel that taking from her bodie her trusse she left it there for a memorie. And from that day she found herself perfectly whole and cured of her rupture, not fee­ling afterwards any grief or hindrance thereby. Whereupon she returned on the morrow following for the third time in way of thanks-giuing, and caused a masse to be sayd, praised God and the glorious virgin Marie who had obtained for her this fauour. All which was de­clared by the sayd Flizabeth vpon the four­teenth of October in the sayd yeare 1604 in the presence of Master Haymo Timermans Pastor of the sayd Beguinage Sir Michiel VVouters, and Lambert Bouwe [...], Chaplanes as witneses, and Mistris Catharin Maes Begu [...] of the sayd place in Diest, with whome the sayd Elizabeth VVouters doth dwel. And vpon the twentith of the sayd moneth of October the sayd Elizabeth ap­pearing before the magistrates of the town of Diest did sweate vpon her pro­fession that all the premisses were true. And vnder the like othe haue witnessed [Page 244] the same, first Mistris Cat [...]rin that she knew right wel that this Elizabeth was burst, and had often kept her bed, hauing liued with her for the space of two whole yeares. And A [...]ne Sher [...]gen a Beguine, lykewise affirmed that the sayd Elizabieh had sworn the truthe which shee knew for that she had accompanied her in the foresayd Pilgrimage to Mo [...]taig [...]. All which is euident by the attestation of the Magistrates of Diest, dated as aboue, sub­signed P. van Zille, and▪ sealed with the seale of the sayd town.

How a yong man that was borne lame, and of a monstrous shape was cured.

IOhn Clement the sonne of Iames of In [...]. [...]. the Citie of Lucerna in Zuitzerland, beeing at this present three and twēty yeares of age or thereabout, came into this world with a verie deformed and imperfect shape, hauīg his legges wholy fastned against his bodie, and his knees thrust so fast against his breast, that non [...] could so much as put a [...]i [...]ger betwixt [...], from the tyme of his birth vnto [Page 245] the tyme of his cure. Moreouer his thi­ghes and the calfes of his legges were tastned together and couered vnder one flesh & [...]kinne, together, with his belly and breast: insomuch that he could not stretch out his legges in any sorte. And as some Germaines told him (who had heard it from his Father) that his Mother dyed in her trauaile of him, and she was cutt vp and opened to saue the chyld, His father feeing this his defect and dis­proportion indeuo [...]red by al meanes in his chyldhood to help and cure him: & for this effest caused him to be caried to diuers bathes both in highe Germanie as also in the kingdome of Hungarie, and yet could he obtaine no help. It happened in the yeare 1594 (at what tyme Er [...]estus Archduke of Austria was gouernour of the low Cuntries) that a certain noble mā of the kingdome of Pol [...]nia called [...]ob [...]as Metzka hauing a desyre to see the low Cun­tries and other prouinces, admitted the father of the sayd Iohn Clement into his seruice, to serue him as an interpreter, because he was skilful in sundrie lan­guages, for so much as he had followed the warres in diuers Cuntries: & so the­sayd [Page 246] Iohn Clement was carried by his father amongst this noble-mannes baggage: & coming neere to the Citie of B [...]isleduke, he fel sick in a village called Vlyemen: in so much as his Father beeing constrained to passe forward with his Lord was forced to leaue him there, vntil such tyme as he recouered, deliuering him some money for his entertainement. Hauing dwelt in this village for the space of fifteen mo­neths, and beeing at last restored to his health, he was sent for by his Father to come to Bruxelles, where the sayd Lord T [...]bias Metzka as the [...] remained.

Whereupō he set himself on the way to­wardes his Father: but vnderstanding how that there were certain famous ba­thes neere to the Citie of Aken, he caused himself first to be carryed thether, that he might haue the vse of them as he pas­sed by, to trie yf he might fynd any help against his euill, and so he remained for three weekes at the bathes of Boursset neere to the sayd citie: but for all this he receaued no ease at all thereby. And from thence continuing his iourney forward towards [...]r [...]lles he found that his father (beeing sent into France by the sayd Lord [Page 247] Metzka about some busines) had fallen into the hands of certain theeues and robbers by whome he was murdred. Whereupon he remained in Bruxelles en­tertaining himself for the space of two or three moneths, partly with the mo [...]ey which his father had left him and partly by the almesse which certaine gentlemē and others had giuen him. After this by boat he went to An [...]werp, where lyke­wyse he liued by that which charitable people bestowed vpon him, for so much as he was not able to gaine his liuing by reason of his lamenes, and the want of his limnes. Whyle he liued after this mā ­net in An [...]werp certain Holland mariners (who were at that tyme there) asked him yf he would go with them, they would carrie him to a place where he should be wel entertained, & haue good meanes to lyue, Who consenting there­unto was carried by them to the Citie of D [...]rt, where he lodged in a stret called den Crommē Ellebege in the hows of Iohn de Spel­lemaker, and from thence he went to R [...]t­terdam and so to many other Cities of Hol­land, as Delf, Leyden, Harlem, and the Haghe, alwayes going vpon his hands with two [Page 248] litle stiltes of a hand bredth or half a foot in heigth, touching onely the earth with the toppe of his feet which did hang be­fore his bodie, & they were verie little; & his legges not three inches thick vn­der his knees, and after this sorte had he gon all the dayes of his lyfe. Whyle he was in the sayd town of Haghe he dwelt for the space of a yeare in the hows of a Scotish-man who was a labourer vnto briclayers, dwelling in a place called opde [...] geest, & in this hows he did ly in a cradle for so much as when he did ly in a bed (hauing no vse either of his feet or legges and for that his bodie was round lyke a bowle) he did ordinarily tumble down to the beddes feet. From hence he went by boat to many other townes of Holland, as also of Ze [...]ad; as Flushing, Camfere, Arm [...], & Middelborow, where he lodged at a hows of a widow called Marie d'Ostend, who dwelled behynd the Princes court. Also in the Citie of Breda, where he lodged in a widows hows that sold small wares, called Catharin, dwelling at Mō [...]e-uelt neet to the prison: he was also in Berges vpon Zoa [...], and whereas betwixt this town & Ter [...]le there was a forte vpon the water [Page 249] wherein there serued certain Almans in garrison, he found the meanes to enter into their acquaintāce, because he spake their language, in which place he liued on free cost for a tyme: which was in the yeare 1596. at which tyme the Arch­duke Albert (who at this present is our Prince) besieged the Citie of Hulst. Vpon a day he beeing gon out of this forte, and going with his hand-stilts to a farme hows in the cuntrie to beg his victualles, the Coūt Maurice de Nassow accompanied with the Count of Hollach and others, chanced to passe that way, with certain waggons, and the sayd Count Maurice seeing him so monsterous & miserable, demaunded of him whence he was, and how he fell into that impotencie, and ha­uing heard the particularities, he gaue him some fower or fiue peeces of gold in almes, and they were french crownes so farre as he can wel remember; in lyke manner the Count of Hollach gaue him some peeces of siluer, and the sayd Count Maurice commaunded him to cause him­self to be carried to the Haghe, promising to prouide him of some entertainement: & although he went thether afterwards [Page 250] yet he made no great [...]ute for the sayd en­tertainement, but rather liued of that which those [...]arles had giuen him and of that which daylie he receaued of good people. And so going from one Citie to an other in Holland for the space of two yeares and a half or there about, at last he came to the Citie of V [...]g [...]t, where he lay at a place called Op [...] Sant in the hows of one Elizabeth van Dor [...]: and as he there frequented certain Catholiks, they couseled him not to stay in Holland where Heretickes commaunded, but rather eo return to B [...]uxelles from whence he came: & that there he might fynd how to liue, and better meanes of entertainement, both for his corporal lyfe, as for the ex­ercise of his faith: and religion, by the good assistance of the gentilitie and other good persons in that Citie. Which admo­nition was of that force with him, that he following their counsel, resolued to return thithe [...] ▪ and thereupon he caused himself to [...]e carryed to the Cities of Bour [...]l, He [...]sden, and the aboue-named village of vli [...]n, and at length to the Citie of B [...]isse duke, where the Curate of S. [...]s vpon charitie entertained him for [Page 251] the space of a whole winter. And the winter beeing ended, he procured that he might be carried by waggon to the Citie of Gr [...], and to Venlo, and from thence he came to VVaghtendo [...]ck where­of the Lord of Gelain had the commaun­derie, who nourished and entertained him for the space of six moneths After­wards the sayd Iohn Clement made him­self to be carryed to Aken, where again both in the same town as also in the a­forsayd Boursset, he vsed the baths for nyne or ten dayes together, but yet nothing ad­uanced his cure thereby. From thēce pas­sing by Maestright. T [...]ngres, and other Cities, he came to Bruxelles: where he made his stay, entertaining himself vpon almes, and by cutting little wooden crosses & tooth-pickers which he sold. His limmes stil remaining in the same monstrousnes and disproportion as they were euen at the beginning, creeping vpon his hands with his little stilts vpon the ground as hath been sayd, sittyng daylie at the foot of the staires which moūt vp to the Princes pallais, where for many yeares together, thowsands and thowsands, of people haue seē & known [Page 252] him in the a foresayd plight, and assisted him with their alm [...]s, as they passed by. At last in the yeare 1601, certain per­sons of the sayd Citie moued through cha­ritic and compas [...]on towards him, found meanes to haue him learn the art of pain­ting, that there with in tyme [...]o come he might goine his liuing: & this was donne by the assistance of the Almoners of the Church of S. Iames in C [...]berghe and by other charitable people, procuring him moreouer that she should haue in cer­tain howses euerie day a meales meate, Hauing been therefore about some two yeares & a half in the hows of Anthony vā ­der [...] painte [...], to learne that art, and hearīg oftē the miracles recoūted which by the intercessiō of the glorious mother of God were wrought at Montaigu, he had a desyre to go lykewise thether in pilgri­mage, and to offer his prayers to the V [...] ­gi [...] Marie that she would procure him the cure of his bodie, or at leastwyse that he might go with two crutches, or ra­ther that [...]e might haue some better vse of his limmes, and that he might not be forced stil to draw them a long the g [...]oūd as to that tyme he had donne▪ whereunto [Page 253] also diuers of his frends exhorted him. And about some two moneths before he took vpon him this iourney lying at that tyme in the prince of Orange his stable, twyse in one night, either in vision or in sleep, he thought that he had been at [...]onta [...]g [...], and that he could haue stood vpright vpon his feet, which did breed in him a greater desyre and deuotion to go thither thē before: & so he asked leaue of his Maister, who [...]erie willingly yeel­ded thereunto. But whylest he was in doubt by what way or meanes he might go thether, by reason of his vnablenes, soone after an occasion was offered: for that Michiel vander Hage [...] keeper of the wyne-seller in their Highnesses pallais in the sayd Citie of Brux [...]lles had receiued some store of wynes from Cullen: where­upon the sayd vander Hagen commended him to the carters, that when they retur­ned they would take him vp into one of their emptie cartes. and so carrie him to the town of Diest: which they did, vpon the third of Iuly in the yeare 1604. and they lodged that night at the Emperour in the Citie of Lo [...]ain: and vpon the next day following they took their way to [Page 254] D [...], together with the sayd lame yong­man. And beeing come to a certain place called H [...]l [...]rb [...]s, where the way of Mont­aigu is deuided from that of Diest, the car­ter that had brought him thether took him down, thinking that he would easely haue foūd out the way, and so forwards towards Diest they wēt with their cartes: but after they had gon awhyle on their way one of the sayd carters called Laure [...] D [...]er in wardly moued with cōpassion, and fearing that God would punish them for their little charitie vsed towards this miserable creature who (beeing not able to go but onely creeping with his little hand-stil [...]s) might fall in daunger to be deuoured by wolues, dogs, or other wyld beastes, he felt so great a remorse of cōs­cience, that he speedily returned with his cart, and hauing found him almost in the place where they left him, vp he set him again, and carried him to Diest to the Inne of the Swan: as the same carters beeing afterwards returned with new loding to Bruxelles declared to diuers per­sons of credit. Vpon the day follo­wing which was moonday and the fift of Iuly) in the morning the host of the [Page 255] swan [...]ured that he should be carried to the Chappel of our Ladie at Montaigu, where beeing entred into a certain lod­ging or cottage, the master of the hows as he beheld him in this monsterous and strange shape, beeing much amazed thereat, begā to say that he much woun­dred that such an one as he would come thether vpon any hope to be cured: not for that he doubred of the power of God, but because it seemed vnto him a thing verie extraordinarie to obtain the cure of so admirable an accident. For all this the sayd Iohn Clement went incontinently to the Chappel, where he heard two or three masses, after he went to confession and communicated, and about an hower after he had communicated he began to feel a saddenes and feeblenes at his hart, and withal certain grieuous & excessiue paine in all the partes of his bodie, in so much that the sweat issued out of him euen from his head down to his feet: and thincking to go out of the Chappel to take the ayre he became much weaker: whereupon he returned and remained in prayer all that day. In the mean whyle his paines increased continually vntil [Page 256] the euening after the Sal [...], at what tyme beeing before the altar of our Ladie in his deuotions, he felt himself inuisibly lift vp from the ground, & his legges which before were fixed & fastned to his bodie and shrouded within his dublet as hath been sayd, fel down, and of themselues violently opened the sayd dublet, and so he found himself standing vpright vpon his feet, wherea [...] he was much astoni­shed, and ceased not to prayse God and his holy mother for the mercie that was shewed to his vnwoorthinesse. And as he happened to be somwhat faint in this alteration, he fel with his handes against the altar, but was holpen by those that were there present and placed in the confession seat, whylest they brought him some apparel, and especialy bree­ches, because at what tyme his legges fell down & that his dublet was opened by force, in lyke forte that peece of cloth wherewith he was wont to couer his bodie below and whereupon he did vs [...] to sitt, was torne in peeces also. More­ouer at the same instant the sayd Ioh [...] Cl [...] ­ [...] was healed of a wound in his head, which he had gotten some fifteen dayes [Page 257] before, and was not healed vntil that very tyme, hauing at his departure from Brux [...]les brought with him six plaisters to applie thereunto, the which at the very self same tyme was found so wel & perfectly cured and healed, that there was no need that any should put their hand thereunto. And all this happened in the presence of many persons, who came frō diuers places, and can beare wittnesse of this suddaine and vnexpected cure. A litle whyle after, the sayd Iohn Clement was was led (by two or three persons for so much as he was very weak) to the Inne of the Angel, going vpright vpon his legges and feet, which he was neuer able to do in al his lyfe before: feeling a certain force and vigor to discend incontin [...]tly into his legges, yea and a certain augmen­tation thereof. And the host of the afore­sayd Inne repenting himself of his forme [...] opinion, took foorthwith the mesure of the legges of the sayd lame youth, & some two howers after he measured them a­gain & he foūd that betwixt the tyme of the first and second measuring, his legges were grown bigger and grosser by three inches: and after that tyme they began to [Page] [...]spy his she [...]es and vai [...]e [...] to appeare in his legges, which were neuer seen there before▪ And so leauing his sayd h [...]dstil [...]s in the Chappel for a memorie, he resol­ued to stay there for the space of nyne dayes, going dayly to the sayd Chappel, and there hearing diuine seruice: wal­king the first two dayes with a staffe, but on the other dayes without either staff o [...] other help. A day or two after the sayd cure this Iohn Clement hauing got a clean shert, and looking vpon the place [...] where his legges did hang from his bodie he found that the holes and pittes within the which his knees did rest and hang against his breast, began to be filled vp with flesh, & where his thighes were fastned there the cullour was as red as blood▪ & it put him to paine at what tyme so euer he touched it▪ but after a little whyle all this payn passed away. And during the tyme that he remained at Montaigu he was visited by diuers persons from Diest (who before had seen him so miserably lame [...]nd deformed) and now saw him go vpright: and amongst others he was twis [...] visited by Count Fr [...]derik vanden Berghe, to his great admiration at so notable a mi­racle. [Page] And vpon the fifteenth▪ of Iuli [...] he returned by waggon to Bruxelles, at the entrance of which citie he went some part of the way on foot vntil he came to the Church of the Co [...]berge, where [...] De [...] was sung and thancks geuen to God for this maruelous woork, which it pleased him to woork in this perso by the interoession of his holy Mother. And vpon the eighteenth of the sayd moneth, this Iohn Clement was present with [...] whyte wax taper in his hand at the pro­cession of the Holy Sacrament of miracle, the which is yearely made vpon that day: & he walked vpright before the blessed Sa­crament in the sight of many thowsāds of people who at that tyme were in the sayd Gi [...]ie of Bruxelles, yet he went but a part of the way because he was yet weak and with payn in his legges, wherein he felt a continuall stretching, and an inward working in his snewes and vaines, his legges and feet still growing, & howerly increasing both in flesh and strength. Vpon the same day beeing sent for to ap­peare before the right reuerend Father in God, the Archbishops grace of Maclin, who at that tyme was in the same Citie, all [Page] the contene [...] hereof were read v̄nto him, the which vnder a solemn othe he affir­med to be true, in the presence of the sayd Lord Archbishop, of M. P [...]er Vi [...]cki [...]s D [...]n [...] of the Christianitie of Bruxeller, Master Theodore [...] Dean of the Christianitie of Al [...]s [...], Master Iames de Sas­seg [...], & Master Martin [...] Chaplaine [...] to the sayd lords grace, also of Master [...] drossard of Cocuord and Master Herman [...] E [...] his brother. And vpon the nyne and twentith day of the­sayd moneth of [...] the same Iohn Clement appeared before the whole court of the Magistrates of the Citie of Bruxelles, where in the presence of the Bourgema­ [...]ers, Escheuins, Receauers & Counsel of the sayd Citie, Collegially assembled, h [...] [...]ouched again vnder his solemn [...]the all that we haue here related: the­same hauing been once more read vnto him by the Secretarie.

And vpon the same day appeared before this assembly Master VVilliam de C [...]ni [...]ck [...] inhabitant of the Citie of Bruxelles, and practitioner of phisick and surgerie, who after they had shewed vnto him this Iohn [...], he affirmed and declared vnder [Page] the lyke othe that some three year [...] [...]nd a half past [...] there about going with his wyf towards the Court or the Princes Pallace in the sayd Citie, he found him [...]itting [...] the foot of the staires there, and considering how strangely he was lame and impotent, he had a desire to behold more particulerly his accident, and the­sayd Iohn Clement vnbuttening his dublet & shewing vnto him his bodie, the sayd master VVilliam found that his legges (which were very little and slender) did hang against his bodie and that his knees were thrust & made fast against his breast he saw moreouer (for that he had curiou­sely searched him with his hands) that his thighes and calfes of his legges did grow all vnder one flesh and s [...]m together to his bellie, and the forepar [...]e of his bodie against which parte his sayd thighes were [...]astned: and his feet did hang right down to the ground, the sayd Iohn Clement, hauing standing hard by him two litle stiltes where with he did help himself as he went vpon his hands, [...]nd so he giuing vnto him an almesse and the best comfort he could, departed and went forward on his way▪ There appeared also on the same [Page 262] day and in the same place Master Anthony [...]ander Mercu Painter, who vnder the lyke othe declared that for the space of some eight and twenty moneths the sayd Iohn Clement had learned vnder him the arte of paintīg in which tyme he had caused him twyce or thryse to open his dublet, and to shew him his bodie thereby to see his defect: and he had found that his thighes were fast in one flesh and skinne with his bodie, & that he could not moue his legges, but onely that he could open and seperate the one leg a litle frō the other, setting or laying them toward the one or other arme-pit, and that he neuer went but vpon his hands with his two little stiltes of wood. Moreouer there appeared at the same hower and place Iohn de Grieck who learned to paint of this Master An­thony, and also vnder his othe affirmed, that during the tyme that the sayd Iohn Clement was his fellow prentice, they had been twyse at two seueral tymes at the riuer called la Senne to wash and bathe themselues (the lame youth alwayes holding fast to the b [...]nck of the riuer,) and thereby he had seen his naked bodie, and perfectly beheld that his thighes and [Page 263] calfes of his legges were fastened vnder the same flesh & skinne against his bellie and breast, so that he could not stretch out his legges. At the same tyme also ap­peared before the sayd assembly of those magistrates Michie [...] Hardy painter dwelling in the same citie, who vnder a solemn othe declared that he had wrought for some tyme in the hows of Master Anthony with the same Iohn Clement, whome he knew to haue been so lame and impotent that he could not go but onely vpon his hāds with two litle stiltes. And how that fo­wer or fyue tymes he had been with him at the riuer to wash themselues: vpon which occasion he had seen his naked bodie, and wel and perfectly marked and considered that his legges (especially about his thighes) were fast and fastened to his bodie before with the self same flesh and skinne, his leggs hanging down his bodie, euen as a womans pappes hang from her breast, in such sort that he could neuer stretch them foorth, the which he had marked diuers tymes. There appea­red also vpon the same day & in presence of the aforesayd Magistrates Catharin de Tournay the wyfe of Andrew van Zeele dwel ling [Page 264] in the sayd Citie, who lykewise affir­med & declared vnder her othe that the­sayd Iohn Clemēt had lodged for some mo­nethes in her hows, during which tyme she had seen three or fower tymes his leg­ges, & she had foūd that they were fast, & hanged from his bodie: his thighes hauing but one flesh and skinne with his bellie and brest, insomuch that he could not stretch them forth: whereupon he was forced to walk and creep vpon his hands, holding two little stilkes of wood, as verie often she had seen him. Vpon the­same day also appeared before the sayd Magistrates Francis le Feb [...]re, wyfe of Frācis van Schut [...]epit, painter, who vnder thelyke othe affirmed and testified that the sayd Iohn Clemēt had lodged in her hows for the space of fower or fiue moneths: lying in a hutch or chest wherein they had made bread: in which tyme she had at two sundrie tymes seen and perfectly beheld his legges which were verie smalle and [...]lender, and hanged hard to his bodie, & his thighes were fastened to his bellie with the self same flesh & skinne, so that he could not possibly stretch them foorth at length. Declaring moreouer that vpon [Page 265] the fifth of [...] in this yeare 1604. shee came from Bruxelles to Montaigu, and that after dinner vpon the same day that this Iohn Clement arriued there in the morning from Diest, and whereas he was miracu­lously healed that verie euening, she with some others ayded and assisted him in his necessities, affirming that immediately after his cure he withdrawing himself a syde, shewed vnto her the peeces of skin which remained hanging from his bodie about the places where his thighes had been fastned, as hath been sayd, he inqui­ring of her whether he should cut them away or not: whereupon she answered him that he should let them remaine there still, expecting what God would dispose thereof. And vpon the second day of August in the same yeare 1604▪ there appeared before the Magistrates of the Citie of Louain Iohn de Socthem, the host of the Inne at the signe of the Emperour in the sayd Citie, who vnder his solēn othe declared and auouched how that vpon the third of Iuly in the same yeare through the commendations of Mychael vander Hagen, a certain young man that was mō ­sterously deformed called (as he vnder­stood) [Page 266] Iohn Clement came to lodge in his hows whome when he saw to be so monsterous and deformed in his limmes that he went vpon his hands with two little stil [...]es, he desired to see his accident, and hauing made him to open his d [...]blet the sayd host found that the legges of the lame youth were not past three inches thick, so far as he could remēber (whose legges not-with-stāding at this present are more then fourteen inches about) & that they were fast and hanged by his thighes against his brest and bellie, and were so farre thrust in & that with a cer­tain kynd of hollownes that none could put his hand, no not so much as his finger betwixt, and that his knees did ly against his brest & were couered with the skin of his b [...]est as he had seen and felt them with his hands. Affirming moreouer that as this serche was made in the presence of the carters who had brought him from Bruxelles, they made a mockery that the­sayd lame fellow would goe to Montaigu with any hope that our Ladie would ob­taine any cure for him: telling and per­suading him that it was a friuolous mat­ter: yet for all this he continuing in his [Page 267] good purpose, procured himself on the next day following to be conuayed to Diest and from thence to Montaigu as hath been sayd. All these prem sses beeing ma­nifest by the attestations & publik wry­tings both of the Citie of Bruxelles, subsi­gned P. Numan Secretarie, as also of I [...]o­ [...]atn subsigned R. de Prince Secretarie, dated respectiuely vpon the xxix. of Iulie, and the second of August 1604. and sealed with the s [...]ales of the sayd Cities.

Wel here I must needes call vpon you (Christian brethren) who vnder pretēce of following a reformed Religion, haue left the assured foot-steppes of your fore­fathers, and that royal way wherein so many Martyrs and Confessors, so many holy Bishops and Doctors, so many Prie­stes, E [...]emites, Monke, and Religious people, and so many honorable soules haue walked: whose moste holy memo­ries yet replenish the world. You (I say) that haue forsaken the liuely fountaine & haue digged to your selues stincking pit­tes and cesternes, who h [...]e left the fat & fertil pastures of the auncient Churche, and raunge vp and down the barren de­ [...]ettes of your own nouelties, and who in [Page 268] ste [...]d of eatyng the delicious frute of the tree of lyre, gnaw on the dry bark of your subtil though vain inuentions. Be­hold the glorious brightnes of the Catho­lik Churche: and withal behold the place of our own abode, and consider with your selue [...], yf you haue not forsaken the hows of God, & haue not gone to adore in Bethel and Galgal [...], there to serue the Idol [...] of ou [...] own obstinate opinion [...]: wherby you persuade your selues, that for the space of a thowsand yeares & more, there hath been no faith or right beleef or true churche in the world, wherein the fathful might hope or procure their saluation: but that all was depraued cor­rupted and marred vntil some fiftie or threescore yeares ago, whē first forsooth was brought in the reformation & hea­uenly light, contrary to the woord of our Lord who sayd when he first planted his Church, that the gates (to witt, all the power and pollicie) of hel, should neuer preuaile against it. Faith welbeloued is not as a proclamation or as a text of the ciuil law, which euery one may expli­cate and interpret at his pleasure, and which may bee altered & realtered vpon [Page 269] euery occasion, & according to the diuer sities of tymes. Faith is the marck where­with euery one must present himself before his eternal Iudge at the last dread­ful day, yf you be defectiue herein, there shalbe graunted you no appeal, you shal neuer after be able to remedie or repaire the fault, but all shal be quyte lost for all eternitie. O terrible eternitie o dreadful word, O incomprehensible eternitie, O infinit depth and profunditie either for weal or wo, either for glorie or paine, and yet you make no more difficultie to change your faith and religion then one would make to change his shert or co [...]t What assurance, what testimonie, what proof, haue you of your pretended refor­mation? In the Catholik Apostolik Ro­main Churche we haue the markes of the true & sincere doctrine, we haue the assu­red seales of the truthe: miracles (I say) the heauenely [...]estifications and impres­sions of the souerame hand of Almighty, God. Whome ought one rather to be­leeue, the chatting of a babling tongue, fortified with nothing els but the credit and tradition of one c [...]ept out of the shel but yesterday, and the antiquitie of half a [Page 270] hūdred yeares, or rather those who teache a doctrin of sixteen hundrèd yeares old, and the woords of those which wee see daylie to be confirmed by certain admi­rable supernatural woorkes of almighty God, who doth vouchsafe vs thē. These are the true proofs vnto which our lord referred the Iews when they would not beleeue him. Vnto these proofs, vnto these woorks (Sirs) we remitt you in lyke manner: consider here the hand of God, beleeue heerby that the true Church is not perished & decayed, as you dreame, and withal vnderstand, how you haue embraced darknes in steed of the truthe it self: I know that the hoatest & flelshliest companions amongst you wil say that all this is but coosenage, forcerie, and the woork of the deuil: but this was & is the old song of the Iewes heretikes and pag [...]s, against the Christian & Catholik Church in euery age, when you shal be able to do somuch be it by what force or vertue soeuer, we wil also make esteeme of your argument: in the meane whyle you shal contēt your self with the answere which our Lord gaue to the sayd Iewes when Mat 12. Ma [...] 1. Luc. [...]. they in lyke sorte reproched him: for [Page 271] thereby the euer-lasting wisdome of God thought that he had giuen a suffi­cient solution for such an ob [...]ection. But I beseech you (bretheren) lay asyde for a whyle the fume of your passions which transporte you. Enter into your own consciences, and ponder with your selues yf you haue not occasion to thinck that we walk in the right way of the truthe (seeing that God yeeldeth such a [...]ple proofs and [...]n̄firmations thereof amōgst vs) and that you are in danger to [...]cu [...]e the perdition of your own soule, and of your euerlasting saluation. Can it be pos­sible that all these admirable things can be the woork of the deuil? Cā he restore the sight to the blynde? the hearing to the deaf? is he able to cure the afflicted with the palsey? in a momēt to make the canc­kers, botches, and other incurable diseases to vanish away? Hath he the power to creat new limmes, flesh and blood in the bodies of creatures? as you may see in the cure of the lame youth of three and twenty yeares old, who had no legges to walk vpon. Truly yf his power could reach vnto this, he had dōne it many ages ago, and so the true miracles of our Sa­uiour [Page 272] and of his Apostles should haue had no force to woork the conuersion of the Gentils, but all would haue been tur­ned into vanitie and ridiculous foolerie, when the deuil should haue donne as much for his own parte, as Christ and his Apostles had donne for their do­ctrine, that so the world should not haue been conuerted, which he held vnder his tyrannicall yoke. No it is too grosse an error to haue such a cogitation, and it maketh that miserable damned creature equal to the souerain God of heauen. And what commoditie could this sworn enimie of mankynd draw out of this his proceedings: Is it lykely that he wil do any thing whereby the world should be incited the more to honour and serue God; beare reuerence to the Virgin Maric: and adict it self to works of ver­tue and sanctitie? Is there any man in his right wittes that doth beleeue this? It is no other, it is no other (frendes) but the woork and▪ mercie of God, who in these latter dayes amongst so many shel­ues and rockes of errors setteth before vs a Pharus or Beacon, a light from heauen, a Cynosura or celestial star, an infallible [Page 273] mark by the stedfast contemplation whereof we are to direct the course of our nauigation in this lyfe, yf we wil not vtterly perish. It appertaineth vnto vs to yeeld him infinit thancks for the same, and in such sorte to frame our liues that he wil vouchsafe to continue & increase towards vs this his mercie, It is your duty (brethren) to open your eyes and to be­hold the sunne which ryseth so brightly shyning, for yf (notwithstanding all this light) you wil perseuer in the obscure night of your darcknes, you shalbe iud­ged inexcusable, and are lyke one day to feel the terrible and heauy hand of the Almighty vpon you for the same.

The Cure of a flux of long continuance.

SIster Marie Heyt [...]eyers a Conuers Reli­gious woman of the Cloister of Her­kenroy in the Coūtie of Loon, in the cuntrie of Liege, was taken with a flux which continued without cease for the space of more then a yeare & a half, in somnch that shee kept her bed for a long tyme. For the remedie whereof shee vsed first [Page 274] the counsel of the mistris of the infirma­rie, and of other relig [...]ous women of her Conuent, and afterwards the aduise & coūsel of Master Henry van Roy Doctor of physick, dweling at S. Trone. After­wards of Doctor Herman Gr [...]ffenroy, who came from the citie of Liege, of an other Doctor in the town of Hasselt called Some rius, a certain Surgeō called M. No [...]ld' Ar­thois of an other of Sittert, of a certain woman of the sayd citie of S. Trone, by the aduise of all these she took many drincks, receptes, and medicines, but all in vaine, & without any profit, the sayd flux stil continuing without cease, beeing for the most parte of blood; & she thought she should haue voyded all her bowells, hauing had and that very often tymes, aboue thirtie stooles within the space of a day and a night. Whereby perceiuing herself past all hope of recouerie by any humaine meanes, she took her recours to almightie God, and to his holy Mother the Virgin Marie, and so in the yeare 1604 she promised to go in pilgrimage to Mont­aigu, to which place she transported her­self within a little whyle after, and there hauing donne her deuotions, she retur­ned [Page 275] homeward with some more ease the before, howbeit shee was not perfectly cured. But beeing come home to her Conuent, and continuing her deuotions towards the Virgin Marie for some nyne dayes space, settling her hart and intentiō towards the miraculous place of Mōtaigu, vpon the nynthe day (which was in the moneth of August) after dinner, she felt a maruelous and miraculous alteration in her bodie, in so much that she thought shee had as it were a new bodie, & from that instant the sayd flux ceased, and the­sayd religious woman remained per­fectly whole and cured. After which cure she hath been twyce [...]t Montaigu to thank God for his fauour, and his holy Mother for her assistance, the patient daylie re­couering her streng [...]h. All which [...]ppea­reth by the attestation of the Maier and sworne men of the place & Conuent of Herkenroy, who had the examination of the sayd Sister Marie, and of other wit­nessē that could wel testifie the sames: da­ted vpon the twelfth of October in the sayd yeare 1604 & sealed with the seales of the ladie Abbesse and of the ma [...]er & sworne persōs of the aforesayd cōnēt.

How vpon the seuenth of September the place of Montaigu was inuaded by the Rebells of Holland.

OVr Lord therefore thus daylie con­tinuing his miracles and maruelous woorks, whose glorious beames did not only shine in Bravant, and in other neer neighbouring contries, but did shoot out euen vnto Holland, and other places held by the heretikes & rebells against our Princes, and the enimie of mankynd perceiuing that by this way his kingdom began to be troobled, and that by these so euident and infallible testimonies not only they who in some sorte wauered, or doubted of their Catholik fayth were confirmed, but that those also who were missed & erred in their Religion, would thereby come to the knowledge of the true faith, and so forsake those darck mistes of error wherewith they were en­ [...]ironed. This our ghostly enimie (I say) inflamed with anger & enuie against the holy Mother of God, indeuoured so­much that he incited certain Captaines [Page 277] and cheefs of the rebells that vpon a suddaine (and whylst our armie and men of warre were employed in the countie of Flāders both about the taking in of Osted as also in resisting the rebelles who were planted before the town of Scluse) they might go to surpryse, burn, and destroy the Image and Chappel of our Ladie of Montaigu. And so hauing assembled toge­ther some eight hundreth or a thowsand hors from the Cities of Breda and Bergues vpon Soam, they came vpō the eue of the Natiuitie of our Ladie, beeing the vij ^th. of September, 1604. in the night to the bank­syde of the riuer of Demere, through the which they hauing waded at a certain place not far from the town of S [...]chen, (the water beeing then verie [...]ow) they thought to haue surprysed the place and al that was therein a little after midnight, before that any should discouer them: but whereas an hower or two before they passed ouer the riuer, those of Mont­aigu were aduertised of their enterprise, they had opportunitie to saue the mira­culous Image, and the best vestures and ornaments of the Chappel.

[Page 278]When the Heretikes were arriued at Montaigu they began to belch out infinit blasphemies, & horrible iniurious words against the Mother of God; and casting themselues furiously into the Chappel, they broke the images, pictures & pain­ted tables that remained: they burnt the foormes, chestes, seates of confession, and other thinges that were of wood, and yet the Chappel took no fyer, allthough they laboured to burn it also. And taking no compassion at the teares and waylings of the poor inhabitants, cōsumed with fyer all their, howses cottages and baraques in the moūtayne, they robd certain women (that were come thether in pilgrimage, and had remained there all that night to the end that on the next day they might the better at [...]ēd to their deuotions) spoy­ling them of their rings, iewels, money, and such lyke stuff, and some men they took whome they carried away with them, but those were very few. And so making their retreat with the glory of so honorable an exployt they passed fur­ther within the countrie and so returned into the Campigne and from thence euery one to his own quarter, with smal gayn [Page 279] and bootie, but yet with the honorable tytle of howsburners, Image-breakers, and persecutors of the Mother of God, and of her who brought vs foorth our aeternal saluation, & who with her own flesh and blood nourished the bodie and flesh of the Sauiour of the world, by which he saued & redeemed vs. A woork which at that great day of iudgement must expect of the soueraine Iudge (who is her sonne) such a guerdon and recom­pence as any man of iudgment may wel imagin: seeing amōgst mortal men there is none so simple or base mynded that can behold his own mother abused and vn­worthelie iniuried without some inward feeling thereof. Which thing all they who haue any way consented or assisted vnto ought seriously to consider. Also the reporte is (not that we affirm it for an assured truthe) that m [...]ny of these gallants haue alredy experienced [...]he re­uenging hand of God vpon them. And truely yf this be not come vpon them al­redie, let them assure themselues, that by how much the later it is before they feel the hand of God, by so much the heauier wil it fall vpon them. But what hath the [Page 280] deuil gayned (thinck you) by this affront; but onely that the affectiō & deuotion of good Catholiks is grown much greater, and more feruent towards the glorious virgin Mother of God, and that the visi­tation of this holy place hath been sithēs as much frequented and continued as euer it was before, and that in steed of a few poor little sheddes and cottages now you may see diuers good complete howses. And without all doubt Satan laboureth in vaine to extirpate and root out that which hath been planted by the hand of the Almightie: let him spyte at it, and let him gnash his teeth as much as he wil against it, his mallice shal be turned vpō his own head, and this glorious woman this Ladie whome enough we can not pryze, whome we serue and honour, shal by the holy frute of her womb crush the head both of him and of all his adherents and consortes.

A Cure of the Dropsy and other diseases.

MArie Gerbrants, the daughter of Ger­brant In Sep. 1604. Hessels, dwelling in the Citie [Page 281] of Amsterdam in Holland, was for the space of mo ethen three yeares afflicted with the dropsie, and for two whole yeares she was in that case that she could not walk in any manner, neither without crutches nor with them, hauing all her bodie ful of water, her legges swoln and as stiffe as stakes, and so grosse that her heeles could not be seen. Besydes this, shee had an accident in her right syde aboue the hip, as yf some of her sinewes had been ouerstrained & ouerwrested, causing the place to swel as big as ones filt, which did much trooble her. And although she had vsed the aduise of a certain Doctor of phisick, and that for a whole yeare, yet he could do her no good, insomuch that he told the patient plainly that he knew no meanes wherby to help her. Afterwards in the yeare 1604. about Easter hauing heard of the miracles which were dōn at Montargu she was very desirous to go thi­ther, & to pray there vnto our Ladie for her health, And at last she set her self on the way in the companie of one Be [...]uard Adrtans [...]n the ordinarie messager of Am­sterdam, with whome she came to Antwerp vpon the seuenth Of September in the same [Page 282] yeare 1604. and lodged in the hows of mistris Angel [...] d [...] Por [...]s, at the whyte flowr de luce in the K [...]ser st [...]ate, and vpon the­same day▪ she taking boat departed to­wards the Citie of Maclin, together with two yong maydes whose names were Susan v [...]d [...]r Schueren, & Anne de Duyue. From Maclin by wagon they went towards Mōt­aigu where they arriued vpō the seuenth of the sayd moneth, beeing the eue of the Natiuitie of our Ladie. On the same eue­ning the sayd Ma [...]t [...] Gerbrants, wēt to con­fession with intention to communicate vpon the next day, and to performe her deuotion, and for this purpos she remai­ned that night in the mountayne: but whereas on the same night the soldiers of the heret [...]c [...]l rebells of Holl [...]d ad [...]ass [...]d ouer the [...]uer, and were come to de [...]oy and ruine the place, and that our people were aduertised of their com [...]g▪ [...] Mar [...]e (about two of the clock after midnight) with her companie put them­selues quickly into the wagon and with all speed possible fled to saue themsel [...]es in the Citie of Louaine. And they beeing in the wagon the patient perceiued that the swelling and accident in her [...]hi [...] [Page 283] was gone and cured, feeling verte little paine ther of: & on they went the next day to [...], where the sayd Mar [...]e con­tinued vntil the fifteenth of the sayd mo­neth of September, & then again shee took her way towards Montaigu, hauing in her companie the sayd▪ [...], and Ioan F [...]erlinc [...], and on the day following they arriued there, vpō which day they con­fessed and communicated, praying [...]e­ [...]ou [...]ely in the Chappel of our Ladie, & that euening they wēt to lodge in Dust, the sayd Marie at that tyme going with two crutches. Vpō the day followig they returned to Montaigu, and againe they did their deuotions in the Chappel. And as the patient prepared her self to go to the aitar to receiue the blessed Sac, amē [...] she foūd herself so confort [...]d & strēgth­ned that she went thether without any help of her crutches. They hauing ended their deuotions put themselues into their waggon, towards the which she also walked without her crutches, leaning onely vpon the sayd Anne de Du [...]ue. And on the next day (which was saterday) beeing in the citie of Maclin, the sayd Mar [...]e was so strong as that shee went without [Page 284] either crutche or any other help from her lodging to the Church of S. Rombold, where shee was present at our Ladies masse. Vpon the same day shee arriued at Antwerp, and daylie euer after she found her self better and better, & all the swel­ling of her legges and bodie ceased and went away, [...]hee not hauing any kynd of e [...]ection or voyding of the water that was therein, insomuch that the bodies of her coate which before her cure could not be drawn together, was found that by a quarter of an ell it was afterwards too great for her. Together with this grace which shee receiued at Montaigu shee also obtained an other, which was the curing of a certain disease called Schu [...] erburck (a malladie wel known in Holland) wherewith at the very selfsame tyme she was grieued. In somuch as within seuen or eight dayes she was perfectly cured of all her accidēts, as she is euen at this pre­sent. Wherefore vpon the last of the sayd moneth of September shee returned the third tyme to our Ladies at Montaigu, in the companie of the aforesayd Mistris Angela de Portis to render thancks to our Lord, and his holy Mother for this his [Page 285] work of mercie, & for a memorie, there she offered vp her crutches. All which appeareth by the testimonies and othes solemnly made before the Magistrates of the Citie of Antwerp, both by the sayd Marte Gerbran [...]s, and Anne de Duyue, as also by Mistris Susan vander Schueren, & Mistris Angela de Portis, according to an informa­tion taken hereof vpon the seuen and twentith of September, & vpon the fourth and xxj ^th. of October in the sayd yeare 1604. Subsigned D. vander Neesen Secre­tarie of the sayd Citie.

A Rupture cured.

GOdfrey Ruthinck of Borkelo, recea­uer for their highnesses in Geldres had a sonne called Lu [...]ert, of the age of twelue yeares, who in the yeare 1604. was so beaten and & trodden vnder foot by an other boy in Geldres, that he was burst on both sydes: wherewith his pa­rents much agrieued caused M. Iose Kinck surgeon inhabitant of the sayd town to bee sent for, that hee might help and cure the chyld yf it were possible, who hauing [Page 286] visited him, applyed for the space of three weeks certain oyles and plaisters vnto him, which are good against that disease. But his parents pe [...]c [...]auing that nothing profited him they took their refuge to al­mightie God, and to his holy Mother: promising to make a Pilgrimage to our Ladie of Montaigu. And hereupon the wyfe of the sayd Godfrey went thether with her chyld, and arriued there vpon the tēth of August in the same yeare 1604▪ and hauing for some tyme donne there her deuotions, as shee returned home to­wards the sayd town of Geldres, she per­ceiued in her way that her chyldes dis­ease was amended, and beeing come home shee caused the foresayd surgeon M. Iose Kinck to be called for▪ to see the chyld. Who hauing seen and visited the place of the disease in the presence of diuers persons, he found him perfect­ctly healed, as he is euen at this pre­sent. The which both the sayd Godf [...]ey & his wyfe, & the sayd M. Iose Kinck Sur­geon avouched and affirmed vnder their solemn othes, before the Magistrates of the town of Geldres, as it appeareth by the attestation of the sayd Magistrates giuen [Page 287] hereof, and dated vpon xx ^th. of October in the same yeare 1604. subsigned I. Ri­chard, and sealed with the seale of the­sayd town.

How a lame woman was cured.

MArie Martin widow of Iohn Thiry, In Aug. 1604. dwelling in Ligny neer to Fleru in the County of Namur, beeing fiftie and fower yeares old, some fiue yeares ago in a night became so lame that shee could not moue her self, and this happened her especially in her left leg, in such sorte that shee was forced to vse two crutches, for without them shee could not go. And to▪ the end shee might be healed, shee went in pilgrimage to diuers places of deuotiō as wel in the cuntrie of He [...]alt, as of Liege, & els were, & yet could shee obtain no ease. At last hauing heard of the miracles of our Ladie at Montaigu, shee went the­ther vpon her crutches about the begin­ning of Nouember in the yeare 1604, & beeing in our Ladies Chappel she sayd her prayers there vpon her▪ knees: af­terwards intending to go to the priest▪ [Page 288] to confession that she might also com­municate, suddainly as shee arose shee felt in herself such an alteration, that she [...] went to her Confessor without any help of her crutches, and hauing ended her deuotions shee departed onely with the help of a staffe, and left her crutches in the Chappel for a perpetuall memorie of the benefit which shee had there re­ceiued, and so returned home, where she remaineth increasing daylie in her strength and force, going at this present to the Church, & in her hows without any support what soeuer: as appeareth by her deposition made vnder her othe be­fore the Maier and Escheuins of the court of the Lordship of Ligny, vpō the seuenth of Ianuarij 1605, subsigned I. D [...]c [...]s Se­cretarie.

A cure of a sore leg.

NIcholas Crumm [...] a yong man born [...] in Vaels hard by the Citie of Aken, as some seauen yeares since hee serued one Martin L [...]a [...]s in a farme appertayning to the Chanon [...] of Aken where hee was [Page 289] imployed in tilling the ground and to look vnto certain horses, hee [...]elt on a day about Whitsontyde a kynde of grief and gnawing in his left leg, and after­wards an issue broke out of the same leg, the which increasing by litle and litle waxing as broad as the palme of ones hand, it began to yeeld out a kynd of yel­low water and moisture, and it much hindred him in his labor, and somtymes he was in that case that he could not go out of the hows. Whereupon he trans­ported himself to the sayd Citie of Aken there to take the counsel and aduise of a certain surgeon called Henry Pau [...]n, in whose hows he remained about some three weekes for this purpose: but he profited him nothing for al that he could apply vnto him: and in steed of one issue there ensued an other. Afterwardes he was coūseled by some to go to the hāg­man of the Citie, who had him in cure for the space of fifteen dayes, and yet [...] was nothing holpen by him. From th [...] [...]e caused himself to be carried to the [...] of Maestright, where for the space of [...] moneths he put himself into the hāds of [...]e Barbers and Surgeons, and nam [...]ly [Page 290] of M. Iohn Cornill [...], Iames H [...]ain, and P [...] Cr [...]mmens: who all by diuers medicines & remedies endeuoured to cure him, but they atchieued no more then the others before: his leg remaning with the former soares, and was very much swoln, so that the patient was forced to go with two crutches. And in this plight he remained for a long tyme, beeing not able to go somuch as one or two steps without his crutches. Whereby being at last brought to that pouertie that he was cō ­strained to procure his liuing by the al­messe of good folk, he was counseled by some to goe vnto the great Hospital of Bruxelles there to be healed and assisted. Where beeing admitted, he continued for some fower moneths and an half, and albeit that he was daylie visited by M. Iohn Bierens sworn Surgeon of the Citie, and by the Religious women of the sayd hospital, yet they could neuer cure him. Whereupon leauing Bruxelles, he went to Antwerp, where he was again in the Hospital for fourteen weekes, and he was assisted and dressed by two Sur­geons, whereof the one was called M. Cornelius and the other M. Iohn, & although [Page 291] both they and the Physitions which vi­sited and frequented him, had vsed all their diligence to heale him, yet they profited nothing, so that all that they did was in vaine. In somuch as beeing out of all hope to be cured, he departed out of the Hospital, and went vp and down a beggig going alwayes with his crutches. Afterwards coming to the Citie of Maclin he put himself into the Hospital to try yf there he could be holpen: where for the space of six weekes he was in the hands of the surgeon of that Hospital, dwelling neere to our Ladies Church, who also spared no paynes to cure him: but all was frutelesse, and procured him no ease, the poor patient continuing stil in the sayd state, hauing his left leg drawn backward, and very crooked, and so stiff, that he thought none was able by any force to make it right again. And so seeing all the remedies that he applyed there vnto did no good, he remained stil lame, not medling any more with phisick or surgerie, saue onely that he took some plaisters now from one, and then from an other to preserue his leg from rotting. It happened that in the beginning of the [Page 292] yeare 1603. he hard folk tel of the mira­cles which were wrought at Montaigu through inuocation of our Ladie, whe­reupon he wēt with his crutches thether from the aforesayd village of Vaels, where he was at that present, and he continued for a certain tyme in the moūtayne, there daylie praying, and yet at that tyme he felt no ease at all. But wheras afterwards he perseuered in going often tymes in pilgrimage to the sayd Montaigu, and in visiting our Ladies Chappel: at the last betwixt Easter and Whit suntyde in the yeare 1604. seiourning for some tyme on the sayd mountayn, and dooing his accu­stomed deuotions at the Chappel, he also took of the water that is in the sayd place, and daylie washed his leg therewith: wherein he found incontinently amend­ment, and perceiued that the two soares of his leg (which were now turned into one and w [...] as large as both ones hands) began to heale, and by litle and little to decrease. Vpon which euēt beeing to de­part from thence, he furnished himself with a good quantitie of that water in a [...]ot, where-with he continued to wash his leg as before, and so by litle and litle [Page 293] the sayd sore was made perfectly whole, and the swelling of his leg went away. And in the beginning of December in the­sayd yeare 1604. he came again to Mont­aigu with his crutches (although he had alredy felt so great ease that he vsed them not) and stayed there vntil the twentith of the sayd moneth, daylie washing his leg in the order as before we haue sayd: & at that tyme it became very right, strōg, and free from the former euil, insomuch that he left his crutches at our Ladies Chappel, going and walking as perfe­ctly as any other: and from thence he went on foot without any paine or grief to the Citie of Bruxelles vpon the xxij ^th of the same moneth: where before the ma­gistrates of the sayd Citie he affirmed and vnder his othe solemnly auouched the thinges that here haue been declared, as it apeareth by the attestatiō they dispatched heerof, dated the same day, and subsigned, P. Numan Secretarie of the sayd Citie.

Laus Deo beataeque Virgini Dei Geni­trici Mariae.