THE church of Loreto vvas a chamber of the house of the B. Virgin nigh Hierusalē in the citty of Nazareth, in vvhich she vvs borne and bred, and saluted by the Angel, and therin conceaued and brought vp her sonne IESVS to the age of xij yeares. This chamber, after the Ascension of our B. Sauiour, vvas by the Apostles consecrated into a church in honour of our B. Lady; and S. Luke made a picture to her likenes, extant therin to be seen at this very day. It vvas frequented vvith great deuotion by the people of the country vvher it stood, vvhilst they vvere Catholicks; but vvhen, leauing the faith of Christ, they follovved the sect of Mathomet, the Angels tooke it, and carrying it into Sclauonia; placed it by a tovvne called Flumen; vvhere not being had in due reuerence, they againe transported it ouer sea to a vvood in the territory of Recanati, belonging to a noble vvoman: called Loreta, from vvhom it first tooke the name of our B. Lady of Loreto; and thence againe they carried it, by reason of the many robberies committed, to a mountain of tvvo brothers in the said territory; and from thence finally, in respect of their disagreement about the guifts and offerings, to the common high-vvay not far distant, vvhere it novv remaines, vvithout foundation, famous for manie signes, graces, and miracles; vvherat the inhabitants of Recanati, vvho often came to see it, much wondring, enuironed it vvith a strong and thick vvall; yet could no mantel, vvhence it came originally, til in the yeare M.CC.XC.VI. the B. Virgin appeared in sleep to a holie deuout man, to vvhom she reuealed it, and he diuulged it to others of authority in this Prouince, vvho deter­mining forthvvith to try the truth of the vision, resolued to choose XVI. men of credit, vvho to that effect should go all togeather to the citty of Nazareth, as they did, carrying vvith them the measure of this church; and comparing it there vvith the foun­dation yet remnant, they found them vvholy agreable, and in a vvall thereby ingrauen, that it had stood there, and had left the place; vvhich donne, they presently returning back, published the premisses to be true; and from that time forvvards, it hath byn certainly Knovvne, that this church vvas the chamber of the B. V. to vvhich Christians begun then, and haue euer since had great deuotion, for that in it daily she hath donne and doth many and many miracles. One Friar Paul de Silua, an Ermit of great sanctity vvho liued in a cottage nigh vnto this church, vvhither daily he vvent to Matins, said, that for ten yeares space, on the VIII. of September; tvvo hovvers before day, he savv a light descend from heauen vpon it, vvhich he sayd vvas the B. Virgin, vvho there shevved herself on the feast of her Natiuity. In confirmation of all vvhich, tvvo vertuous men of the said citty of Recanati diuers times declared vnto me Prefect of Terreman and Gouernour of the foresaid church, as follovveth: The one called Paul Renalduci, auouched, that his grandfathers grandfather, savv vvhen the Angels brought it ouer sea, and placed it in the forementioned vvood, and had often visited it there; The other, called Francis Prior, in like sort affirmed, that his grandfather being C.XX. yeares old, had also much frequented it in the same place; And for a further proof that it had byn there, he reported, that his [...]randfathers grandfather had house nigh vnto it, vvherin he dvvelt, and that in his time it vvas carried by the Angels from thence to the mountain of the tvvo brothers, vvhere they placed it as abouesayd.

To the honour of the euer-glorious Virgin.