The life of St. Catharine of Sienna

INSTITUTE OF MEDIAEVAL STUDIES

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Sciences and Humanitie
esearch Council of C

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THE LIFE

OF

ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

BY HER CONFESSOR

THE BLESSED RAYMOND OF CAPUA.

3&lt|j Htt
CONTAINING TESTIMONIES OF HER DISCIPLES, ETC.

ftranslateb from t^e <Jf«iu^,
BY A MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE SACRED HEART.

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JAMES DUFFY AND CO., LIMITED,
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CONTENTS,

POEyACH TO THB AMERICAN EDITION,
THB FRENCH EDITION,

FIRST PART.

CHAPTERI.— Of Catharine's parents and their worldly condition, 1

CHAPTER 2 —Birth of Catharine - Her Infancy— Wonderful cir-
cumstances that takes place, .... 3

CHAPTER 3. — Of Catharine's Vow of Virginity, and a circum-
stance of her early years, .... 9

CHAPTER 4.— Of a relaxation of fervour, which God permitted
in order to augment her grace, and of the great
patience of Catharine hi supporting persecutions
for the love of Jesus Christ, • • li

CHAPTER 5. — Her austere penance? and the persecutions of her

Mother, 23

CHAPTER 6. —Of her self-conquest at the Baths, and her clothing

with the Holy Habit of St. Dominick, - - 29

CHAPTER 7. — Of the origin and establishment of the " Sisters of
Penance" of St. Dominick, and of their mode o£
life, 34

CKAPTKU 8.— Of Catharine's admirable progress in the ways of

God, and of some particular graces she received, ;-7

OHAPTIIR 9.— Of the admirable doctrines taught her by our

Lord, and which she adopted as her rulo of life, 4.4

OHAPTEE 10.— Of the Admirable victories which shegainf-d over
temptations, and her extraordinary inti&i»cy with
our Lord, ........43

CEAWiit 11. — Of the marriage with our Lord, and of the mira-
culous rinjf that^she received, • • - 67

SECOND PART.

Page

CHAPTER l.-Our Lord commands Catharine to employ herself

for the good of her neighbour, - • -60

CHAPTER 2. — Of some wonderful things that occurred at the com-
mencement of Catharine's relations with the
world, and of her exertions in supplying the ne-
cessities of the poor, 05

CHAPTER 3.— Of the wonderful things Catharine performed

when serving the sick, ..... 76

CHAPTER 4.— Of her manner of living and of the reproaches
which were made her concerning her complete
abstinence, 05

CHAPTER 5. —Of Catharine's wonderful ecstasies and of the greajt

revelations which she received from God, - 109

CHAPTER 6.— Of miracles wrought by Catharine's intercession

for promoting the salvation of souls, - - 145

CHAPTBB 7.— Of some miracles obtained by Catharine for the

life or health of the neighbour, - - - 107

CHAPTER 8. — Of miracles performed by Catharine for deliver-
ing such as are possessed by the Devil, - - 187

CHAPTER 9.— Of Catharine's gift of Prophecy, and in what man-
ner she delivered several persons from danger
which threatened their souls and bodies, - - 195

CHAPTER 10.'- Of the miracles our Lord produced by means of

Catharine, on things inanimate, - - - 210

CHAPTER 11. — Of Catharine's frequent communions, and of
the miracles produced by Almighty God, for her,
relative to the Holj Eucharist and the relics of
the Saints, -221

THIRD PART.

CHAPTiru 1. -Concerning the witnesses present at Catharine's
death, and who related the attendant circum-
stances to the author, ----- 238

CHAPTER 2.— Of circumstances which happened a year and a
half before the death of the blessed Catharine,
and of the martyrdom that Satan caused her to
undergo 24«

PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

THE providence of God in the government of the world,
but especially the divine economy with regard to the chil.
dren of his Church, is best learned from the study of the
lives of His faithful servants. The world, with its own
views, and means, and end, being always antagonistic to
the Spirit of God, must not be taken as a standard or as
a testimony of God's providence towards his people. The
Apostle St. Paul warns us " not to be conformed to the
world," and St. James urges the motive " that the world
is the enemy of God." Profane history even is often
elucidated by this principle, whilst its light is almost always
necessary to follow correctly the path which sacred 07
ecclesiastical history points out.

The life of St. Catharine of Sienna by the Blessed Eay-
mond of Capua, is now, for -the first time, presented to the
American reader in the English language. Its perusal will,
at times, be sustained with interest by remembering the
time, and circumstances in which that wonderful woman
lived and acted. And it is not unlikely that the reader,
may perchance, become startled at some of the facts nar«
rated by her biographer. A closer acquaintance, however,
with the history of the times in which she lived, and the
circumstances in which she acted, and by which, we may
say, her conduct and history became a portion of the his-
tory of the Church, will, in a great degree, verify her actions,
by revealing the providence of God, in tae government of

Vl PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.

The commencement of the fourteenth century saw the
Church surrounded by difficulties, at oace the consequence
and source of many evils. The wild ambition of princes
and the lawlessness arising from habitual warfare, which
then disturbed the heart of Christendom, exercised an un-
happy influence on the interest and possessions of the Church.
Men of worldly views, either themselves desired, or by the
interests of their families were urged to seek preferment in
the Church ; and the records of that period but too fre-
quently exhibit the sad and fatal consequences. The spirit
of the world had, in many instances, stained the holiness
of the sanctuary: and the virtues of ecclesiastics were
diminished or destroyed by the dangerous contact with
worldly interests. Amidst the conflict of such opposing
elements it is not to be wondered that a wily and ambitious
prince, conceived the idea, and was enabled to carry it into
execution, of transferring the venerable See of Peter from
Rome to Avignon.

It was during this melancholy and eventful period of the
Church, whilst the seventy years' captivity of the Roman
Pontiffs was being endured, that a simple daughter of a
wool dyer, was practising in the retirement of her father's
house, virtues of self-denial and penance, that were, one
day, to manifest the sublime power of prayer and enlighten
3ven the councils of the Princes of the Church. That St.
Catharine was raised up a simple and uneducated female,
to confound the wisdom and direct the actions of those
to whom God confided higher destiny need not now be
doubted. Nor does the divine economy require that the
guidance of the bark of Peter should not be directed by
the holy and required warnings of a saintly woman. Her
prudence and persevering energy in reconciling the Floren-
tines with the Sovereign Pontiff, induced the devoted
Urban VI., to seek, and in essential political arrangement*!

PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. Til

to adopt the salutary counsel of St. Catharine ; and the
restoration to the holy city of the residence of the Papacy
in his person, and by the continuation of his successors,
may in no small degree justify the assertion, that to the
inspired wisdom of the wool dyer's daughter, Rome was
indebted for the return andfperpetuity of the successors of
St. Peter.

A word may here be said regarding her biographer, the
blessed Raymond of Capua. Ample opportunity was af-
forded him, for years, as her Confessor, to become ac-
quainted not only with her actions and mode of thinking,
but also of most perfectly understanding her motives, and
the sincerity of her conduct. He was himself, moreover, a
man of sober thought, of respectable theological knowledge,
and of no rash and precipitate judgment. His frequent
reference to the testimony of living witnesses and his own
not unfrequent difficulty of belief, sufficiently testify his
appreciation of the responsibility he was assuming in nar-
rating facts open to the doubts, and startling to the faith
of many. It was beside mainly from the facts mentioned
by him, and by reference to the testimony which he so often
and so urgently quoted, that the act of her canonization
was produced. That he states many things of a most
wonderful character upon the sole testimony or conviction
of St. Catharine is true, but matters though bearing strong
interior evidence of their truth, by no means constitute
subjects of divine faith, and may be taken or set aside, as
their evidence will appear sustainable or otherwise to the
judgment of the reader. And yet, perhaps, ii would
savour of rashness, if not of deep presumption to reject
asunfounded, facts thathave been thought worthy of credit
by many wise and prudent men, possessing means of form-
ing judgment which are not now &t our ocronand.

Viii PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITIOH.

The pious reader will find in her life much to console
and strengthen his conviction, that the providence of God
deals wonderfully in his Church, with the actions and in-
tegrity of her children, whilst the less credulous may dis-
cover some difficulty in rejecting consequences which cor-
rectly flow from facts sustained by respectable testimony.
No one, however, is required to give to purely historical
facts a credence beyond that demanded by merely human
testimony, and even the more timid will be shielded by the
remark of the learned and critical De Feller, in his " His-
torical Dictionary," speaking of St. Catharine, that " The
canonization of the Saints does not ratify either their opi-
nions or their revelations," and he quotes the remark of
Gregory the Great, " That Saints the most favoured by
God frequently deceived themselves, by mistaking for a
divine light, that which was merely the effect of the acti-
vity of the human soul." St. Jerome well remarks upon
this point, " That they are nevertheless the effect of a piety
to be always much respected, both in its principle and in
its object."

The confidence extended, both in Italy and France, to
this life of St. Catharine, should recommend it to the Eng-
lish reader ; and the fact that the venerable author has
already received from the Church the title of blessed tes-
tifies that the pages of the volume are free from serious or

obnoxious doctrines.

J. P. D.

PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION.

ONE of our most dearly cherished hopes, is that of
beholding Science consecrated to the glory of HIM
who is its life and light — an historical edifice of which
Divine Providence has disposed the elements from the
beginning, God himself having traced its plan, and im-
mortal Truth fashioned its immoveable foundations.
Every age, and every people will be represented; each
exterior or interior stone will be a name or an event
placed with order and with j ustice. Those deeply ob -
scure beginnings, those different tongues and defined
nationalities, those rapid revolutions, those elevations
and those falls, so unforeseen, will appear in magnifi-
cent unity, and the Church taking possession of that
temple which Science will have prepared for her, will
give within it a last and most solemn lesson to man.

The materials of that majestic edifice are already
preparing throughout the world. God, like Solomon ,
employs on it foreign hands ; the workmen of Tyre and
Sidon, though far distant, carve the stones and cut the
cedars. The Protestant and the unbeliever draw forth
from the heart of ages past, the most precious metals,
and daily present to knowledge the admirable fruits of
their criticism and their studious labours. Historical
studies have never been so active or so complete. Every

X PREFACE TO TEE FRENCH EDITION.

ruin is explored, all monuments are studied, traditions
are interrogated, inscriptions are deciphered ; Asia con-
ceals not her doctrines, Egypt explains her mysteries,
and Nineveh opens to our inspection the annals and
gigantic remains of her civilization.

Man, in presence of these wrecks of ages and of em-
pires, inquires what power produced those revolutions,
and vivified that dust; he perceives that doctrines ani-
mated those people and fashioned those monuments,
and he discovers in their relation with truth, the causes
of their grandeur and decay. Then, beyond time, ap-
pears to him Eternity, in which God reigns and go-
verns all things. Life, light, and power emanate from
his throne, and the Church distributes them to intelli-
gent creatures. All those laws written and effaced,
those forms of government that are modified, those dy-
nasties which pass, are exterior phenomena which have
profound causes. The inner life of humanity is in Re-
ligion, and her saints are the true princes of the world.
Providence gives them to mankind according to its ne-
cessities, and charges them with the execution of its
will. Hence they occupy an important place in the
field of history, and whosoever wishes to explain events,
without considering their agency, will necessarily fall
into grave errors.

St. Catharine of Sienna was to the fourteenth cen-
tury, what St. Bernard was to the twelfth ; that is, the
light and support of the Church. At the moment in
which the bark of St. Peter is most strongly agitated
by the tempest, God gives it for pilot a poor young girl
who conceals herself in the poor shop of a Dyer. Ca-
tharine Bflte foot in the territory of France, to lead the

PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION. xi

Sovereign Pontiff Gregory XI. from the delights of
his native land ; she brings the Popes from Avignon to
the tomb of the Apostles, the real centre of Christi-
anity. Her zeal is inflamed at the view of the disor-
ders which are preparing the great schism of the West,
and she displays an extraordinary activity in order to
avert it. She addresses herself to cardinals, princes, and
kings; she negociates peace between the nations and
the Holy See, brings back to God a multitude of souls,
and communicates by her teaching and examples a new
vigour to those great Religious Orders which are the
living, vibrating pulse of the Church. Urban VI.
claims her counsels; she hastens to Rome, sustains by
her word the Sacred College, alarmed by the threaten-
ing storm ; and in presence of the evils which over-
turn the heritage of Christ, she offers herself to God
as a victim, and terminates her sacrifice, at thirty-
three years of age, by a painful martyrdom.

To write the life of St. Catharine was a task beyond
our strength; but God who watches over his own glory,
has preserved all the documents that justify that great
historical miracle, and we have only filled the part of
translator. Instead of judging of facts through the
prejudices of our time, and thus tinging them perhaps
with a false and fading hue, we have been so happy as
to meet with a contemporary author who describes
them with incontestable fidelity. The life of St. Ca-
tharine by the Blessed Raymond of Capua, her Con-
fessor, is a work that may be compared to those cjmrchea
of the middle ages, which charm us as much by their
general harmony, as by the richness of their details.
The soul reposes within, far from the contests of the

Xii PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION.

world ; she is sensible too of the presence of God which
invites her to prayer, and excites her to become better.
We had besides another motive for selecting this book,
which we are happy to make known. The Sovereign
Pontiff, Pius IX., condescended himself to name it
for our "Dominican Library," and. we were delighted
to follow an indication so paternal and so august.

The Blessed Raymond of Capua presents the most
precious qualities that could be united in a historian.
He is not a simple and credulous man whose imagina-
tion can be easily seduced, but a Religious of profound
knowledge and renowned sanctity, who relates to tho
Church what he saw and heard ; and he does it with all
the conditions which oblige his testimony to be accepted.
A descendant of the celebrated Pierre des Vignes,
Chancellor of Frederick II., he employed eminently
better than his ancestor, the activity of his mind and
the splendour of his talents. Entering betimes into tho
Order of St. Dominick, he exercised its most important
offices. After directing during four years, the Monas-
tery of Montepulciano, he became Professor of Theo-
logy at Sienna, and was the confessor of St. Catharine,
whom he accompanied in her journeys to France and
Italy. Urban VI. confided to him the most delicate
and the most difficult affairs. In 1380, he was named
General Master of his order, which he governed during
nineteen years. Schism and plague had enfeebled the
children of St. Dominick ; the Blessed Raymond re-
stored its ancient vigour, and it was under his agency
that was developed in the order of Friar Preachers,
that epoch so fruitful in virtues and talent. The Blessed
Jean de Dominici, Antoine Nearrot, Constantde Fab-

PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION. xiii

riano, Pierre Capucci, Saint Antonino, Fra Angelico,
Fra Benedetto, are sons of that reform which he estab-
lished in the convent.s of Lombardy, Tuscany, Sicily,
Hungary, Germany, Spain, and France. He died in
the midst of his work, in 1399, at Nurembnrg, and hia
body was transported to Naples — where it now reposes
amid the splendours of the church of St. Dominick.
The fatigues of his apostolate did not prevent him
from leaving precious writings behind him. Besides
the life of St. Agnes of Montepulciano and that of St.
Catharine, he translated into Latin, the spiritual trea-
tises of her of whom he was at once the Confessor and
Disciple. He composed an admirable commentary on
the Magnificat, the Office of the Festival of the Visita-
tion, a treatise on reform, and a great number of very
remarkable letters.* All his contemporaries laud hia
science and his virtues; the Sovereign Pontiffs wished
to raise him to the highest dignities of the Church, but
his humility opposed it. Urban VI., in the briefs which
he addresses to him, styles him his head, eyes, and
mouth, his feet and his hands ; he claims for him the
veneration of the Emperor, of kings, cardinals, and
people.

This is the eminent man whom God promises for Con-
fessor to Catharine, as a special favour; he becomes the
witness of her life, and the depository of all the secrets
of her soul ; he writes what he saw and what he heard;
he addresses himself to those who could be capable of
contradicting him and carefully discusses the facts
which he relates ; he confesses his constant hesitations
and all the means that he adopts in order not to b?
* Echard. Scriplores ord. prced. 1. v., p»

Xiv PEEFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION.

deceived. He requests, through the intercession of
her whom he fears to be in illusion, an extraordinary
contrition for his sins; and when he has obtained that
abundance of tears which the spirit of darkness can
never bestow, he still doubts ; then he meets on the
countenance of Catharine, the threatening looks of
our Lord himself. The manner in which he exposes
the miraculous abstinence of Catharine, her spirit of
prophecy, and her frequent communions, shows that
he brings to the examination of the facts all the lights
of theology, and all the guarantees of prudence. Infine,
there isin the recital such a simplicity of language, such
an evidence of sincerity, that it seems impossible not
to believe in his testimony ; God will never allow
falsehood thus to assume the garb of truth.

The life of St. Catharine, written by the Blessed
Raymond, has been confirmed by all the depositions
of his contemporaries ; it has served as the basis of the
process of canonization, and the bull of Pius II. recalls
its most extraordinary facts. We will not, therefore,
discuss the doubts that might be conceived by a timid
faith. The miracles are proved by testimony, and as
soon as the Church admits them, we believe them as
easily as the most simple phenomena of nature ; they
emanate from the same Infinite Power.

It may perhaps be found that the Blessed Raymond
does not sufficiently bring forward the social action of
St. Catharine. It is true that he scarcely speaks of it ;
he shows it rather in its principle than in its effects.
Saints are not statesmen who draw their plans in form
and combine their mean s. They act under the imme-
diate direction of God, and have no other policy than

PREFACE TO THE FRENCH EDITION. XT

his Providence. Prayer, word, and example, render
them powerful in heaven and on earth. They triumph
over justice itself, and change ita most vigorous de-
crees into treasures of mercy. It was thus that St.
Catharine influenced the events of her time.

After having made known Saint Catharine in the
verity of her life, we hope to cause her to be admired
in the beauty of her doctrine, and in the greatness of
her action. If God permit we shall give to the public
her spiritual dialogues, which contain the sublimity
of her teaching ; and her letters, which will lead to
the comprehension of her extended power.

Our translation has been taken from the text of the
Bollandists. We have striven to preserve the simple
and poetic form of the recital ; at the risk of being pro-
lix, we would not retrench any fact, or any pious re-
flection. We have given but one of the author's pro-
logues, the other appeared useless to us, and indeed
not in harmony with the work. We have preferred
adding to the narrative of the Blessed Raymond, the
testimonies of other disciples of St. Catharine, who
weresummoned to depose before the Bishopof Venice.*

The Dominicans were accused of celebrating the
feast of St. Catharine before the decision of the Holy
See. They explained triumphantly the honours rJiat
they rendered to her memory, and the documents of
the processes, that God permitted, for the glory of
his spouse, to be used in her canonization.

* We havo translated by " Eveque de Venise," the
title of Episeopiis Castellensis. " Caatello is one of the
quarters of Venice, of wnich the bishop of the city took
the title, tintil the extinction of the Patriarchs of Grade,
their metropolitans."

XVI PREFACE TO TttE FRENCH EDITION.

In fine, desiring to render our work more com-
plete, we resolved, before terminating the impression
of this volume, to see Italy again, and the localities
consecrated by the presence of our beloved saint.
We have followed her footsteps to Rome, to Sienna,
to Florence, and to Pisa; we there venerated her
relics and her memory ; we sought in tho ancient
monuments of Christian art, the tradition of her por-
trait, and we offer to those who desire to know them,
the result of our studies and of our pilgrimage.

We dedicate this volume to our Brethren and Sis-
ters of the Third Order of St. Dommick, who have,
in France, chosen St. Catharine for their patronness.
May the examples and teachings of that great saint,
develope in our hearts the love of the Church which
inflamed her burning heart 1 May France by her de-
votedness to the Holy See, ever merit to be blessed
among the nations!

Sienna, April 29*A, 1853.

LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

PROLO GUE.

DAVID, the Prophet of Christ, son of Isai, the sweet
singer of Israel, said, when speaking of the coming of
the Messiah , ' ' Let these things be written unto another
generation : and the people that shall be created shall
praise the Lord." The holy man Job, desirous to an-
nounce the Resurrection, exclaimed, "Who will grant
that my words may be written ? Who will grant me
that they may be marked down in a book? with an
iron pen and in a plate of lead, or else be graven with
an instrument in flint-stone." These passages of Holy
Writ prove to us that whatever can glorify God and
edify men, ought not to be related in one age and in
one locality, but should be written down and taught to
those who live, o who will live hereafter. Solomon
said, Generatio prseterit et generatio advenit, (Eccl. i.
4.) " One generation goeth, and another cometh." It
is not just that one generation should alone possess
what may be useful to all, and that the works of
divine wisdom, which are worthy of never-ending
praise, should obtain a transient eulogiuin. Moses also
wrote of the beginning of creation and the history of
the human race, until his own epoch; Samuel, Esdras,
and the other prophets, continued hia sacred recitals,
and twi religiously preserve their s&cred words. The

LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

Evangelists are, by their dignity, entitled to the first
rank among historians ; not only did they announce
the Word of God, but they preserved and fixed it by
committing it to -writing : and a great voice said to one
of them, Quod rides, scribe in Hbro. " What thou seest
write in a book." (Apoc.l 11.)

I, therefore, brother Raymond of Capua, called in
the world Delia Vigne, humble master and servant of
the order of Friar Preachers, in the justifiable astonish-
ment, excited by the wonders I have seen and heard,
am resolved to write (after having proposed them with
the living voice to the admiration of the faithful,) the
deeds of a holy virgin, named Catharine, to whom
Sienna, a city of Tuscany, gave birth. The present
age as well as future ages, on becoming acquainted
with the prodigies that Almighty God produced
through this womun, must praise him in his Saints,
and bless him according to the multitude of his great
works, and excite themselves to loving him with all
their strength and above all things, as well as to serve
him interiorly and exteriorly without ceasing.

I assure all the readers of this book, in presence of
the God of truth, that there is in my narrative neither
fiction nor falsehood, and that the facts are as faith-
fully reported as my weakness would allow. In order
to satisfy even the least credulous, I will cite, in the
different Chapters, the witnesses of what I relate; and
it will be clearly seen from what source 1 have drawn
what I offer to refresh the soul. And as I purpose
doing ALL in the name of the adorable Trinity, I have
divided the book into three parts. Thefast will con-
tain the birth, infancy, and youth of Catharine, until

LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA. XIX

the mystic nuptials with our Blessed Lord. The se-
cond, her relations with the world from that period
until her happy death : the third, the latter days of
her life and the miracles which accompanied and suc-
ceeded her death. I do not pretend to tell all : it
would not only make too voluminous a work, but my
lifetime would not suffice for its accomplishment.
May God allow me the privilege of accomplishing this
task, and others that I purpose concerning her doc-
trine and devotions to the glory of the ever Blessed
Trinity, to whom be all the glory now and for ever-
more. Amen.

PROTESTATION.

In obedience to the decrees of Urban VIII. I protest
that of the miraculous deeds and gifts ascribed in this
work to certain servants of God, and not already ap-
proved by the Holy See, I claim no other belief than
that which is ordinarily given to history resting on
mere human authority, and that in giving the apella-
tion of Saint or Blessed to any person not canonized
or beatified by the Church, I only intend to do it ac-
cording to the usage and opinion of men.

FIRST P AKT.

CH AFTER 1

Of Catharine's Parents and their worldly condition.

THERE lived in the city of Sienna, in Tuscany, a
man named Jacomo, who was descended from the fa-
mily of the Benencasa, a man simple, loyal, fearing
God, and separated from every vice. After losing
his parents he married a countrywoman called Lapa.
This woman had none of the defects so common at the
present day ; she was industrious, prudent, well-versed
in domestic affairs, and as she still lives, those who are
acquainted with her may still render her this precious
testimony. The good couple dwelt peaceably together,
and although of the humbler class, they possessed a
certain position among their fellow- citizens, and be-
sides enjoyed a considerable fortune for their rank.
God blessed them with a numerous offspring, which
they reared in the ways of eminent virtue.

As Jacomo has, as we have every reason to believe,
gone to the abodes of the blest, I can with propriety
make his eulogium here. Lapa has assured me that he
was so mild and moderate in his words that he never
gave way to anger, notwithstanding the numerous oc-
casions which might have led him to do so ; and when
ever he saw any member of his household becoming
vexed and speaking with violence, he would try to

2 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIEtiSA*

calm the person, saying cheerfully, " Now, now, do
not say anything wrong, so that God may grant you
his blessing." On one occasion a fellow-citizen had
injured him very considerably, by claiming a sum of
money from him unjustly, and employing the influ-
ence of his friends, and falsehood also to bring about
the ruin of poor Jacomo. Still he would not hear his
enemy spoken of in any way that could detract from
him, and as Lapa thought it no fault he gently re-
proved her, saying: "Let him alone, dear, let him
alone, and God will bless you ; he will show him his
error, and will become our defence." This soon took
place ; the truth was discovered almost miraculously ;
the guilty man was condemned, and acknowledged the
injustice of his persecutions.

The testimony of Lapa is above suspicion ; all who
are acquainted with her will easily credit her : she is
an octogenarian, and is so simple that even would she,
she could not invent anything false. The friends of
Jacomo can also testify to his simplicity, uprightness,
and virtue ; he was so reserved in his speech that his
family, especially the female portion of it, could not
support the least irregularity in conversation. One of
his daughters, named Bonaventura, had married a
young man of Sienna, named Nicholas. This young
man received at his house friends of his own age, and
their conversation sometimes savoured of levity. Bo-
naventura became so depressed in spirits on this ac-
count, that she fell into a languishing state of health,
and sensibly wasted away. Her husband inquired the

CATHARINE'S PARENTS, 3

cause of her illness ; she replied," I have never been
accustomed to hearing in the house of my father, lan-
guage such as I hear in yours ; my education has been
widely different, and I assure you that if these unbe-
coming discourses continue, my life must soon ter-
minate."

This reply inspired the husband with a great respect
for her and her family. He forbade his guests to pro-
nounce in the presence of Bonaventura any words that
could possibly displease her ; they obeyed, and thut}
the correct government in the household of Jacomo,
corrected the licence of the house of Nicholas, his
son-in-law.

Jacomo's occupation was the preparation of colours
employed in dying wool ; hence his surname of the
dyer. The daughter of this virtuous artisan was des-
tined to become the spouse of the King of Heaven.

The above account I have obtained either from Ca-
tharine herself, from her mother, or ftom some reli-
gious and seculars who were neighbours, friends, or
relatives of Jacomo.

CHAPTER II.

Birth of Catharino— her infancy— wonderful circumstances thati
take place.

LAPA became the mother of two delicate daughters
at a birth (1347) ; but the weakness of their bodies wo
not destined to impair the energy of their so^ls. Tlxa
mother not being able to nouriak both, £vuw\ heasjjf.

4 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA*

obliged to confide one of them to the care of a strau^i;
God willed that the infant she herself retained, should
be her whom he had chosen for his spouse ; and when
the infants received baptism, the mother's choice was
called Catharine, and the other Jane. Jane soon bore
to heaven the name and grace that she received in
baptism ; she lived but a few days, and Catharine re-
mained alone to save, in after years, a multitude of
souls. Lapa consoled herself on the death of her
daughter, by tending more carefully the one that was
left, and she frequently acknowledged that she loved
her more tenderly than all the others, probablybecause
she had been able to nurse her herself, for it was the
only one out of the twenty-five children, with which
God had blessed her, to whom she had been able to
give this maternal attention.

Catharine was educated as a child that belonged to
God. As soon as she began to walk alone, she was
loved by all who saw her, and her conversation was
so discreet, that it was with difficulty her mother could
keep her at home ; her neighbours and relatives would
bring her to their houses in order to listen to her child-
like reasonings, and enjoy her infantine sweetness.
They found so much consolation in her company, that
they did not call her Catharine, but Euphrosyne, which
signifies joy, satisfaction. Perhaps they were igno-
rant of tliis meaning, and did not know what I learned
later, that Catharine had resolved to imitate St. Eu-
phrosyne ; and it may be, also, that in her childish
phrases she uttered some words resembling Euphrosyne >

TSZ FIRST VISION* 5

and those who repeated her words gave her this name.
Her youth realized the promises of her early infancy :
her words possessed a mysterious power which inclined
the soul to God. As soon as one conversed with her,
sadness was dispelled from the heart, vexations and
troubles were forgotten, and a ravishing peace took
possession of the soul, so extraordinary indeed that one
could only imagine it to resemble that enjoyed by the
Apostles onMountThabor, when one exclaimed — "It
is good for us to be here !" Bonum est nos hie esse.
She was scarcely five years old when she would recite
an Ave Maria, on each step of the stairs on going up
and coming down, acompanying it with a genuflexion,
and she has since assured me that she thus strove to
raise her mind from things visible to things invisible.
The mercy of God deigned to recompense this pious
being, and encouraged her by a wonderful vision, thus
lavishing the dews of his heavenly grace on this tender
plant which was destined to become a towering and
magnificent cedar.

Catharine was six years of age when her mother
sent her with her little brother Stephen, to the house
of their sister Bonaventura, either to carry something, .
or obtain some information : their commission being
executed, the children were returning by the valley
known as the Valley Piatta, when Catharine, raising
her eyes to heaven, saw, opposite to her, on the gable-
end of the Church of the Friar Preachers, a splendid
throne occupied by our Lord Jesus Christ clothed in
pontifical ornaments and his sacred brow adorned

6 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

with a tiara. At his side were St. Peter, St. Paul,
and St. John the Evangelist. Catharine stood still
ravished with admiration and contemplation with love
to Him who thus manifested Himself to her in order
to captivate more fully her devoted heart: the Saviour
gave her a look of serene majesty, smiled upon her
with benign tenderness, and then extending his hand
gave her his blessing in the form of a cross, as is cus-
tomary with Bishops. But whilst she was looking at
our Lord, her little brother Stephen, continued de-
scending, fancying that she followed him, while on the
contrary he had left her far behind. Turning around ,
he perceived his sister looking up to heaven ; he called
her with his utmost voice, but she made no reply ;
until at length he went to her, and taking her by the
hand, said, " Come on, why do you -stay there ?"
Catharine appeared to awake from a profound sleep,
looked at him an instant, and then said : " O ! did you
but see what 1 see, you would never have disturbed me
in such a sweet vision," and her eyes again turned
towards heaven, but all had vanished, to the great
grief of Catharine, who wept and reproached herself
for having lowered her eyes. From this moment Ca-
tharine seemed to be no longer a child ; her virtues her
manners, and her thoughts were superior to her age,
and would have done honour to men of mature years.
The fire of divine love inflamed her heart and enlight-
ened her understanding; her will srengthened, her
memory developed, and her every action became con-
formed to the rules of the Gospel. She disclosed to

SHE SEEKS THE DESERT. 7

me since, that the Holy Spirit then taught her, -with-
out any human teaching, and without any reading,
the life pursued by the Fathers of the desert, and pro-
posed to her the imitation of some saints, particularly
of St. Dominick. She experienced such an ardent de-
sire to follow their example, that she could not dwell
upon any other thought ; and to the astonishment of
all, she sought retired spots in order to scourge her
feeble body with a little discipline. Her meditation
and prayersbecame continual, and to accomplish them
she forsook all the ordinary amusements of her age ;
she became daily more silent, and diminished her food,
contrary to the habit of growing children. Catharine's
example attracted other little girls who wished to hear
her pious discourses, and imitate, as far as possible,
her devout practices. They assembled in an apart-
ment remote from the house, practised corporal austerL.
ties with Catharine, and said as many times the Pater
Noster, and Ave Maria, as she prescribed to their.
This was only a prelude of the future.

Our Lord deigned to encourage these acts of virtue
by sensible graces. Her mother informed me, and
Catharine was obliged to acknowledge it to me, that
when purposing to mount the staircase she was borne
up to the top without touching the steps with her f eets
and such was the rapidity of her ascentthat the mother
trembled least she should fall. This favour happened
to her when she shunned little assemblies, above all
when persons of the other sex v;ere present.

The knowledge of the life of the Fathers of the De*

8 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OP

eert, wMch Catharine had received from heaven, also
determined her to withdraw into solitude ; but she was
ignorant how to accomplish her project; and God, who
destined her to another mode of life, did not furnish
her the means, and left her to the dreams of her imagi-
nation. One morning, she set forth in search of the
desert ; after having prudently provided herself with
a loaf of bread, she directed her course towards the
residence of her married sister, who lived near one of
the gates of Sienna. She left the city for the first time
in her life, and as soon as she perceived the valley, and
the habitations a little more distant from one another
she thought she was certainly approaching " the de-
sert." Having found a Tdnd of grotto underneath a
shelving rock, she joyfully enteredit, convinced that she
was now in her much desired solitude. She knelt, and
adored Him who had condescended to appear to her
and bless her, and God who accepted the pious desires
of his spouse, but who had other designs over her,
would testify to her how agreeable her favour was to
him. She had scarcely begun her meditation, than
she was elevated little by little to the very vault of the
grotto, and remained thus to the hour ef None. Ca-
tharine, presuming that this was a snare of Satan to
distract her, and turn her from her holy purpose, in-
creased the ardour of her prayers.

At length, about the hour in which the Saviour com-
pleted his sufferings on the cross, she descended to the
earth, and God revealed to her that the moment of
sacrifice had not yet come, and that she was not to

HER VOW OP VlRGlNITr,, 9

quit the house of her father. On leaving the grotto
she became anxious on finding herself so far from the
town, and dreaded the trouble that would arise in the
hearts of her family who would imagine her to be lost ;
she recommended herself to God, and suddenly the
holy child was transported, in the twinkling of an eye,
to the gates of Sienna, whence she speedily returned
home, and never disclosed this circumstance to any but
her confessors, of whom I am the last and the most
unworthy.*

CHAPTER III

Of Catharine's row of virginity, and a circumstance of her early
years.

THE apparation of our Lord exerted such a powerful
influence over the heart of this devout child, that the
germs of self-love were destroyed, and it became in-
flamed with the sole love of Jesus Christ and of the
glorious Virgin Mary. All besides appeared to her only
misery and corruption, and her supreme desire was to
be united to the Saviour. The Holy Spirit gave her
grace to understand that purity of soul and body is
necessary for pleasing the Creator, and she sighed

• The Blessed Author has faithfully fulfilled his pro
raise given in the prologue, of scrupulously naming his
informants and authority, but we think it irrelevant to
put them in this translation, on account of the reverence
due to him, and the faith of the Catholic reader ; besides
it would increase the volume beyond the intention of the
zealous publisher. — TEANSLATOB.

10 LIFE OF ST. CATHAniNE OF SIENNA*

after the treasure of perpetual virginity. She implored
the Queen of Angels, and of virgins, to be so kind as
to obtain from God, the lights which were necessary
for accomplishing what would prove most acceptable
to his divine majesty and the most conducive to her
soul's salvation, expressing to her merely the extreme
desire she felt of embracing on earth an angelic mode
of life. At length heavenly prudence bade her no
longer stifle the holy emotions produced in her soul
by the Spirit of God, and being one day retired quite
solitary in prayer, she knelt down and invoked the
Blessed Virgin, concluding her prayer thus — "I pro-
mise thy Son and I promise thee, never to accept any
other spouse, and to preserve myself to Jbhe best of my
ability pure and unspotted "

Catharine did indeed obtain her divine Spouse, and
was strictly united to him by her vow of virginity : the
blessed Mother of Jesus performed the nuptial cere-
mony which was miraculously celebrated, as we shall
see in the course of our narrative.

After lids perpetual vow, Catharine advanced ra-
pidly in sanctity; in imitation of Jesus Christ, she
crucified her innocent body, and she resolved to deny
herself as far as possible, all nutritious aliments. When
meat was served to her, she secretly gave it to her bro-
ther Stephen, or put it secretly away ; she continued
and augmented her disciplines, either alone or in con-
cert with her youthful friends. She felt a burning zeal
for the salvation of souls, and entertained a special de-
yotion towards such sainte «« had laboured most dili

HER vow OF vmGnm-r, 11

gently in promoting it ; she chiefly loved St. Dominick,
whose apostolical charity God had made known to her.
The child advanced in age, but faith, hope, and cha-
rity were developed far before her tender years, and
her daily conduct commanded the respect of her seni-
ors. The following instance Lapa often related.
Catharine had scarcely attained the age of ten, when
Lapa, desirous of having a mass said in honour of St.
Anthony, sent her to the curate of the parish to ac-
quiesce in her wishes, and to offer a certain number
of candles on the altar, and present a sum of money
mentioned. The pious child joyfully fulfilled her
mother's commission, but would profit by adding her
own prayers to what she felt was promoting God's
glory. She therefore remained in the Church until
the end of Mass, and did not return home until the
Office had terminated. Her mother, — persuaded
that she should have come home after having spoken
with the priest, found her absence too much prolonged,
and reproached her in away common among "thepeo
pie'1 for her slowness. " Cursed" said she, "be the
tongues that pretend that thou shouldst not have re-
turned !" The child listened to these words without
making any reply, but a few moments after, she invited
Lapa aside, and said to her with as much gravity as
humility, " D ear mother, whenever I commit any fault,
or execute your orders badly, punish me, beat me even,
if you will, to force me to do my duty better ; but, I
entreat you, never to curse any one on my account,
for it is unbecoming your years, and gives me great

12 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

pain." The mother was greatly surprised at this les-
son from her child, and more edified than surprised
when she discovered that she had remained to offer the
Holy Sacrifice, instead of loitering by the way as she
had hastily judged.

CHAPTER IV.

Of a Relaxation of Fervour, which God permitted in order to aug-
ment her grace, and of the great patience of Catharine in sup-
porting persecutions for the love of Jesus Christ.

THE increated Wisdom, which governs all things,
sometimes permits the fall of his Saints, so that they
may afterwards arise and serve him with much greater
ardour, and tend with greater prudence towards per-
fection, and gain more splendid victories over the ene-
mies of their salvation.

When Catharine, whohad consecratedher virginity
to God, had attained the age of twelve years, she never
left thepaternal roof alone, according to the usage esta-
blished for all unmarried females. Her father, mother,
and brothers, who were ignorant of her solemn promise,
thought of finding her a suitable partner. Her mother
who desired f or her'a husband worthy of her merit, and
who knewnotthatshehadalreadyselected a spouse far
above all human alliances, took great pains in adorn-
ing her interesting daughter ; she caused her to have
her hair dressed, and her head covered with ornaments,
while her neck, face, and arms were attempted to be
displayed in a manner calculated to please such as
irjglifc oak her hand in marriage, Catharine enter-

HEU DOMESTIC TRIALS. 13

tamed other thoughts, but she concealed them from
her parents, fearing to afflict them ; she submitted un-
willingly to the wishes of her mother, seeking to please
God rather than men. Lapa was pained at the oppo-
sition she could not help observing ; she summoned to
her aid her married daughter Bonaventura, and
charged her to persuade her sister to assume the orna-
ments suited to young persons of her age. She was
well aware of Catharine's tenderness towards her sis-
ter, whose influence was able to produce the success
of her projects. She was not deceived, God suffered
the victory of Bonaventura's little manoeuvres ; she
influenced Catharine by her conversations and exam-
ples to devote herself to the occupations of her toilette,
without, however, prevailing upon her to renouncehef
vow. She accused herself of this fault with so many tean
and sobs, that one would have supposed she had com-
mitted some great crime. And now that this lovely
flower is transferred to the parterre of heaven, I may
disclose the secrets that will redound to God's glory,
and expose what passed between us on this subject.
There was a question of it in all her general confessions,
and it was always with signs of the liveliest contrition.
I knew well that holy souls frequently fancy they
discover faults where there is none in reality, and ex-
aggerate much the imperfections they commit. But a?
Catharine appeared to believe she deserved eternal
misery, I thought it my duty to inquire if she had
thought of renouncing her vow of virginity, when act-
ing thus. She answered me no, and that such an idea

14 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

never even approached her heart. I then enquired
whether, without wishing to infringe her vow of vir-
ginity, she had sought to please men in general, or any
one man in particular ; her reply was that nothing
was more painful to her than to see men or to find herself
with them. When her father's apprentices, who lived
in the house, came where she was, she fled as though
she had met with serpents, to the astonishment of all.
Neither would she ever take her place at a door or in
a window, in order to look at those who passed by.
But then, said I to her, how can you believe that the
care you took in your toilette can cause you to merit
hell; above all if there was nothing excessive in your
attire ? She said that she had loved her sister too well,
by preferring her pleasure to God's will, and then re-
commenced her tears. On my deciding that there
might be imperfection, but that there was no violation
of a formal precept, she exclaimed, "O, dear Lord,
see ! my spiritual father excuses my sins. Can a crea-
ture so vile and contemptible, who has received so
many graces from her Creator, without having ever
merited them, have thus passed her precious time in-
nocently in adorning her miserable body, and that to
please a mere creature ?"

This conversation proves how that beautiful soul was
ever preserved from mortal sin, that she guarded her
riginity spiritually and corporally, and never tar-
nished her purity either by word or action. In all her
general confessions, and in all her particular ones, I
havo found no other faults than those which I have

HEB DOMESTIC TRIALS, 15

Just related. Her whole time was consecrated to
prayer, meditation, and the edification of her neigh-
bour. She granted herself but a quarter of an hour of
Bleep daily. During her repast, (if the litttle food she
took could be called by that name,) she prayed and
meditated on what our Lord had taught her. I know,
and can attest before the Church, that during the
period of my acquaintance with her, it was more pain-
ful for her to take food, than it is painful for one who
is fainting with hunger to be deprived of it, and that
she suffered more when she took any, than others en-
dure in a violent fever — hence eating became to her a
cruel penance. It would be difficult to imagine what
fault a soul could commit which was so continually
occupied with God, and yet she accused herself with
so much sorrow, and succeeded in finding so many im-
perfections, that a Confessor who did not know her
mode of life, might be deceived and fancy there was
evil where none in reality existed. I have dwelt at
length upon this fault of Catharine in order to shew to
what a high degree of perfection grace had raised her.
Bonaventura who had succeeded in occupying her
with her toilette, had not inspired her with a wish to
please the world, yet her fervour in prayer and medi-
tation had abated. Our Lord would no longer permit
that his chosen spouse should thus be separated from
his heart, and he destroyed the obstacle that prevented
this holy union. Bonaventura, who had led Catharine
in the path of vanity, died in childbed, and in the
flower of her age— and her death caused Catli/jxiue to

1C LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

comprehend more deeply the vanity of earth, and she
devoted herself with new ardour to the service of her
divine spouse. At this epoch she dates her devotion to
St. Magdalen, of whom she asked a contrition similar
to hers; this devotion always increasing, our Lord and
the Blessed Virgin gave her Mary Magdalen for mis-
tress and Mother, as we shall hereafter see.

The enemy of salvation, perceiving that his snares were
overthrown, and that she whom he was desirous of des-
troying, had sought refuge with more love than ever
in the bosom of her spouse, determined to excite ob-
stacles in her house, and bind her to the world by the vio-
lence of his persecutions. He inspired her relatives with
the determination of obliging her to marry so as to fill
the void created in the family by the death of Bona-
ventura. Catharine, enlightened from above, only in-
creased her vocal prayers — her meditations and aus-
terities— avoiding the society of men, and proving in
every way the inflexibility of her resolution never to
give to a simple mortal the heart that had been ac-
cepted by the King of kings.

Her parents left no means untried of overcoming
her resistance, and addressed themselves to a Friar
Preacher, whom they besought as a friend of the
family to do all that he could to procure the consent
of Catharine. He promised to second their views, but
when he conversed with her, and found her will so firm,
his conscience obliged him to sustain her, and instead
of contending with her, he said to her: " Since you
have decidei to consecrate yourself to God, and those

HER DOMESTIC TRIALS. 17

who surround you oppose it, prove to them that your
resolution is not to be shaken. Cut off your hair, en-
tirely ; perhaps they will then let you enjoy tranquil-
lity." Catharine received this advice as coming from
heaven ; she took her scissors and joyfully cut off her
beautiful tresses, now become hateful to her, because
she supposed them to have been the cause of her com-
mitting a fault. She then covered her head, contrary
to the custom of youthful maidens, whom however the
Apostle recommends never to go forth without a veil.
When Lapa saw this veil, she asked her the reason of
wearing it ; Catharine neither dared to tell a falsehood
nor avow the truth, and spoke in as low a tone as pos-
sible. Her mother then seized the veil, and in re-
moving it discovered her head shorn of its beautiful
locks. " Ah ! daughter, what have you done ?" cried
she, but Catharine quietly resumed her veil and with-
drew. At the mother's shriek the whole family met,
and when they learned what had been done, all in
unison gave way to violent anger.

This was the occasion of a new persecution for Ca-
tharine, and more terrible than the former ; she tri-
umphed over it by the aid of heaven, and the means
they adopted for separating her from our Lord, served,
on the contrary, to unite her more closely to him
They loaded her with injurious words and harsh treat-
ment, telling her that her hair should be allowed to
grow notwithstanding the revolts of her heart, and that
she should enjoy no peace until she consented to ba
Tarried in obedience to their determinations. It ww

Q

18 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

also decided, that she should perform all the menial
work of the house, and that no leisure should be left
her for conversing with God. So as to humble her to
the utmost, they even dismissed the kitchen -maid, and
forced Catharine to fulfil her functions. Every day
they loaded her with affronts such as are most sensible
to a woman's heart — and at the same time proposed to
her a highly honourable connexion, and took every
possible means to induce or constrain her to accept it.
But the devil was again vanquished; Catharine, instead
of yielding, became stronger with the help of grace,
and gave way to no trouble in this storm : the Holy
Spirit had taught her to erect a little cell in the in-
terior of her soul, whence she resolved never to come
forth, notwithstanding her pressing exterior occupa-
tions. When she was privileged with a room, she was
often obliged to leave it, but, nothing could oblige her
to leave this interior retreat— eternal truth has de-
clared that tlie kingdom of God is within us — Regnum
Dei intra nos est, (Luke xvii. 21.,) and the prophet pro-
claims that "all the glory of the King's daughter is
within." Omnis gloria filix greisab intus. (Ps. xliv. 14.)
The Holy Ghost also inspired Catharine with a
means of supporting affronts and of maintaining in
every crisis the joy and peace of her soul. She ima-
gined that her father represented our dear Saviour, and
that her mother took the place of the Blessed Virgin.
Her brothers and other relations were the Apostles and
disciples of our Lord to her ; hence she served them
\j5Ui a delight and ardour that astonished every one;

HER DOMESTIC fi^HtS. 19

thismeans assistedher to enjoy her divine spouse whom
she believed she was serving ; the kitchen became a
sanctuary to her, and when she seated herself at table,
she nourished her soul with the presence of the Sa-
viour. O richness of Eternal Wisdom, how numerous
and admirable are the ways thou hast for delivering
those who hope in thee ! Thou canst draw them out of
every danger, and conduct them to the port through
the most difficult and dangerous channels.

Catharine considered that recompense which the
eternal Spirit promised her, and suffered all these trials
with joy rather than patience, and her soul was inun-
dated with the sweetest consolations, while fulfilling
her duties. As she was not allowed an apartment to
herself, but was ordered to share one with another, she
chose that of her youthful brother Stephen, who was
unmarried : because she could profit by his absence
during the day, and his profound sleep at night, to
devote herself to her practice of prayer; thus she con-
tinually sought the presence of her spouse, and was
never weary of knocking at the door of his sacred
tabernacle. She implored God to deign to protect her
virginity, repeating with St. Cecilia this verse of the
Psalmist. — Fiat Domine cor meum et corpus meum im-
maculatum. (Ps. cxviii. 80.) Her spirit of recollec-
tion and her hopes gave her such strength and energy
that with her trials her spiritual joy increased ; and
her brothers who witnessed her constancy, said to one
another, "We are vanquished 1" Her father, who
was better than the others, examined her conduct fa

20 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

silence, and comprehended daily more and more that
she was doing the will of God, and not following the
fancies of a capricious maiden.

One day, while the servant of Jesus Christ was
praying fervently in her brother's room, the door being
open, because her parents had forbidden her to shut
it, her father entered to take something that he needed
in the absence of his son. While looking about, he
saw his daughter who was kneeling in one corner of
the chamber, and having a snow-white dove reposing
on her head ; at his approach it fled, and seemed to
disappear through the window. He enquired of his
daughter what dove that was that just flew away ; she
replied that she had not seen a dove or any other bird
in her room. This occurrence filled him with astonish-
ment, and awakened serious reflections in his mind.

Catharine felt an increasing desire to accomplish a
project which she had entertained indeed from her in-
fancy ; namely, to be clothed with the habit of the
order founded by the illustrious St. Dominick, hoping
she could thus more easily accomplish her holy vow.
Sheprayed continually to God, through the intercession
of that saint, who had displayed such an impassioned
zeal for the salvation of souls. Our Lord, seeing this
young and generous athlete combating in the arena,
encouraged her by the following vision. During her
deep, she seemed to behold all the Founders of the
various orders, and among them St. Dominick, whom
she recognized by a lily of dazzling brightness which
he bore in his hand, and which was burning without

HER DOMESTIC TRIALS. 21

being consumed. They each and all engaged her to
select an order, so as to serve God in higher perfection ;
she turned towards St. Dominick, whom she saw ad-
vancing towards her and presenting her with a habit
of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick, who are
very numerous in Sienna, He addressed her in the
following consoling words — "Daughter, be of good
heart, fear no obstacle, excite your courage, for the
happy day will come when you shall be clothed in the
pious habit you desire." This promise filled her heart
with joy, she thanked the great St. Dominick with an
effusion of tears, which awakened her, and restored
her to her senses.

This vision so comforted and strengthened her, that
on that very day she assembled her father and mother
with her brothers, and with great assurance declared
to them ; "During a long time you have resolved that
I should marry, and have endeavoured to force me to
do so ; you are aware that I hold this project in horror ;
my conduct must have convinced you of this. I have
not, however, explained myself, on account of the re-
spect due to my parents, but duty obliges me to be
silent no longer. I must speak candidly with you, and
declare to you an engagement I have assumed, which
is not novel, since I contracted it in my infancy. Know
therefore, that I have taken a vow of virginity, not
through levity, but deliberately and with full know-
ledge of what I was doing ; now that I have a maturer
age and a more perfect acquaintance with the nature
cf my actions, I persist, with the grace of God, in my

22 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

resolution, and it will be easier to dissolve a rock
than to induce me to change my will; renounce there-
fore these projects for an earthly union; it is quite im-
possible for me to satisfy you on this point, because it
is better to obey God than man. If you desire to re-
tain me as a domestic in the house, I will render you
cheerfully all the services in my power, but if you de-
sire to oblige me to leave it, know that I shall remain
immoveable in my resolution ; my spouse has all the
riches of heaven and earth, his power can protect me
and provide abundantly for my every necessity."

At these words all present melted into tears ; the
sobs broke forth in such vehemence that no one could
respond to her words; there were no longer any means
of opposing the accomplishment of her vow. The hi-
therto timorous and silent maiden had declared calmly
and firmly her resolution ; she was ready to qu'.t the
home of her infancy and all the delights of social inter-
course rather than be wanting to it. When the emo-
tion of the listeners had subsided a little, the father,
who loved his daughter devotedly, and who feared God
more, recalling to mind the mysterious dove and other
remarkable circumstances, gave her this reply — ' * God
preserve us, dearest child, from longer opposing the re-
solution with which he inspires you ; experience proves
It and we clearly perceive that you have not been ac-
tuated by levity, but by a movement of divine grace.
Accomplish freely therefore the vow you have taken,
do all that the Holy Spirit commands you; henceforth
V70 will no longer oppose your pious exercises ; only

HER AUSTERE PENANCES. 23

pray for us that we may become worthy of the pro-
mises of that Spouse who chose you at so tender an
age." Then turning to his wife and children he
added, "Let no one presume to contradict my dear
child or seek to turn her from her saintly resolution ;
let her serve her Saviour as she will, and render him
propitious to us. We can never find a more beauti-
ful and honourable alliance ; for it is not a mortal
man whom we receive into our family, but a man-
God that never dies," After that, some still wept,
especially the mother who loved her daughter too
sensibly. Catharine on the contrary rejoiced in tho
Lord, and thanked him for rendering her thus vic-
torious ; she humbly thanked her parents also, and
disposed herself to profit in the best possible manner
by the liberty that had been granted to her.

CHAPTER V.

Her austere penances, and the persecutions of her Mother:

As soon as Catharine had the liberty of serving GcxJ
conformably to her desires, she set to work in an ad-
mirable manner ; she procured a small apartment se-
parate from the others, in which she could erect a soli-
tude, and torment her body at will. It is impossible to
describe the austerities that she practised and the ar*
dour with which she sought the presence of her Spouse.

From her infancy, Catharine seldom touched meat ;
she interdicted herself so completely at that time, and

24 LIFE OF IS1/. tAfHAKINE OF SIENNA.

BO habituated herself to this privation, that in the end,
she could not smell the odour of it without her sto-
mach being offended. One day as I found her in a
state of extreme weakness, because she had taken
nothing to sustain her strength, I caused a bit of sugar
to be put into the water that she was drinking ; when
she perceived it, she said to me: " I see that you are
anxious to extinguish the remnant of life that I yet
have." As I asked her why, she replied that she had
become so accustomed to taking unsavoury dishes, that
whatever was sweetened sickened her ; it was the
same thing in reference to animal food : as to wine she
mingled it so, that at the time in which she dwelt in
her cell, it had neither taste or odour, and hardly pre-
served the rich colour of the wine of that region. At
the age of fifteen she renounced it entirely, and drank
only pure water, and by daily retrenching some new
article of diet, she terminated by taking only a little
bread, and some uncooked vegetables.

Her body was weighed down with infirmities, and
subject to insupportable indispositions ; her stomach
was incapable of performing its functions, and yet the
want of nourishment did not diminish her physical
strength. Her existence was a miracle, for medical
men assured me that it was quite inexplicable to
them. During the whole time that I had the privi-
lege of being witness of her life, she took no food,
and no drink that was capable of sustaining her, and
this she supported, however, joyously, even when
undergoing sufferings and extraordinary fatigue.

HER AUSTERE PENANCES. 25

We must beware of supposing that tkls was the
natural consequence of a certain diet and graduated
abstinence ; it is quite evident that her strength was
maintained by the ardour of her soul, for when the
spirit superabounds in the body and is satiated with
heavenly food, the body easily endures the torment
of hunger.

Her bed was composed of a few planks without any
covering : she sat on them when meditating and knelt
on them when praying, and then extended herself on
them for sleeping, without laying aside any portion of
herclothing, which was wholly composed of wool. She
wore a hair-cloth, but as she cherished exterior neat-
ness as a figure of interior purity, she exchanged this
hair- cloth for a chain of iron, which she drew around
her person with such force that it entered her flesh :
this I learned from her companions, who were obliged
to change it on account of the profuse perspirations,
which caused her fainting fits. When her weakness
increased towards the close of her life, I obliged her,
in virtue of holy obedience, to quit this chain, which
occasioned her great pain. At first she prolonged her
vigils until the hour of Matins ; afterwards she over-
came sleep so entirely, that she gave a short half hour
to sleep every other day, and she did not allow herself
that repose, but when the feebleness of her body
forced her to do it. She acknowledged to me that no
victory had cost her so dearly, and that she had under-
gone great combats in this triumphing over sleep.

Had she found persons capable of understanding

26 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

her, she would willingly have passed the days and
nights in talking of God, and her discourses, instead
of weakening her, on the contrary rendered her more
joyous and appeared to fortify her, for while she spoke
of holy things, she seemed to be redolent with the
vigour of youth, and when she ceased, she became
languid and without energy. Sometimes she spoke
to me of the profound mysteries of God, and as she
never wearied, and I did not possess her sublime ele-
vation of soul, I would fall asleep. But she, absorbed
in God, would not perceive it, and continue talking,
and when she discovered me asleep, she would arouse
me with a louder tone of voice, and recall to my mmd
that I was losing precious truths and considerations
in thus allowing her to converse with the walls.

Peruse the lives of the fathers of the desert ; run
over the pages of the Sacred writings, and in vain will
you seek any similar instance. You will see that Paul
the Hermit lived a long time in the wilderness, but a
raven daily brought him half of a loaf. The celebrated
St. Anthony practised astonishing austerities, but he
had gathered, like odorous flowers, the example of
the other anchorites whom he visited ; for St. Jerome
relates that St. Hilarion, during his youth, had gone
to find St. Anthony, and had taught him the secrets
of solitude, and the means of acquiring victory. The
two Saints Macarius, Arsenius, and numerous others,
had masters who led them in the paths of the Lord ;
all these lived amid the peace of solitude and in the
protecting shade of some monastery ; whilst this wor-

HER AUSTERE PENANCES. 27

thy daughter of Abraham was neither in a convent
nor in the wild, but in the bosom of her family, with-
out the help of spiritual direction, and surrounded by
obstacles of every sort ; and yet she attained a degree
of abstinence that no Saint besides had ever attained.
True, Moses fasted twice during a period of forty
days ; Elias did it once, and the Gospel teaches us that
the Saviour deigned to give us the same example, bub
these are not fasts during consecutive years. When
John the Baptist was conducted by the Spirit of God
into the wilderness, it is written, th&t hig f cxxi was the
locust and wild honey ; but this was not an absolute
fast; there is none but St. Magdalene of whom his-
tory, and not the Gospel, writes that she fasted during
thirty-three years on a rock which is still pointed
out, and therefore we may conclude, that the holy
examples I have cited give us to understand with
what magnificence and inexhaustible bounty God en-
riches his saints and bestows on themneu? perfections.
They should also prove the admirable virtue of Ca-
tharine, and that the Church may say of her, without
injury to her other saints : " We find none like her P
Non est inventus similis illi. The infinite power of Him
who sanctifies souls, can give them, when it seems
to him good, a particular glory.

One more faet will recapitulate all I have said of
Catharine, and will give you to comprehend to what
point she had weakened her body and subjected her
mind. Her mother informed me that her daughter,
before her penances, possessed such physical strength,

28 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that she could easily take on her shoulders a weight
sufficient for a horse, and carry it with speed up two
flights of stairs, that is to the attic on top of the house.
Her body was twice as strong and twice heavier than
at her twenty-eighth year of age, and she became so
weak that a miracle was necessary to sustain her.
When I was acquainted with her, the spirit had so ex-
hausted her physical energies, that we always believed
her end was approaching, and yet she was filled with
an admirable ardour, especially when there was ques-
tion of the salvation of souls ; then she forgot all her
infirmities, and, after the example of her holy patro-
ness St. Magdalen, she suffered in herbodyand prayed
by her soul, which communicated to her exhausted
membeis, the superabundance of its strength.

The old serpent whom she had vanquished, did not,
however, renounce his efforts to torment her ; he ad-
dressed himself to Lapa, whom ne knew to be a true
daughter of Eve, and succeeded, by means of the love
which led her to consider Catharine's body more than
her soul, in inspiring her with the thought of hinder-
ing her penance. When she found Catharine lying on
simple planks, she conducted her forcibly into her
room, and obliged her to share her own bed. Then
Catharine, docile to the lessons of wisdom, would fall
on her knees before her mother, soften her by words
full of humility and sweetness, entreating her to calm
herself, and promising to repose by her side in accord-
ance with her wishes. She would then lie down on the
extreme edge of the bed, and there meditate with fer-

HEK SELF-CONQUEST AT THE BATHS. 29

your ; and when she found her mother was asleep, she
would softly arise and return to her devout exercises.
It would not be long ; for Satan, provoked by her con-
stancy, would awaken Lapa. Then Catharine sought
a means of satisfying her love of austerities, and of
leaving her mother in tranquillity ; she managed to slide
one or two planks under the sheets in the place she was
to occupy, but after some days her mother perceiving
it said : " I see that all my endeavours prove futile ;
at least do not try to conceal it from me, and sleep now
as you wish." She yielded to such perseverance, and
permitted her to follow the divine inspiration.

CHAPTER VI.

Of her self-conquest at the Baths, and her clothing with the holy
habit of St. Dominick.

CATHARINE resumed her pious exercises, and was
continually speaking to her parents of her desire to
give herself more fully to her divine Spouse. She also
solicited the " Sisters of Penance, of St. Dominick,"
who are denominated Mantelees, to condescend to re-
ceive her among them, and allow her to wear their cos-
tume. Her mother, afflicted at these requests, dared
not, however, refuse her, and so as to try to distract
herfromher austerities she, withoutprecisely knowing
it, became the accomplice of Satan, by proposing to go
to the Baths and to take Catharine with her. The
spouse of our Lord, combated with invincible anna,
and all the attacks of the devil turned to her adyan-

30 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

tage. She found a method of torturing her body ; for,
under pretext of bathing herself better, she approached
the canals by which the sulphurous waters enter the
Baths, and she endured the burning heat, on her un-
covered and delicate flesh, to such a degree, that she
suffered more than when scourging herself with iron
chains. "When her mother told me this fact, Catharine
told me that ahe had asked to bathe after the depar-
ture of the others, because she was well assured that
she would not be suffered to do this ; and when I in-
quired how she could support such extreme torture
without dying, she answered me with dovelike simpli-
city— " When there, I thought much on the pains of
Hell, and of Purgatory : I besought my Creator, whom
I had so often offended, to deign to accept for the tor-
ments I had merited, those that I then voluntarily
underwent and the thought that his mercy consented
to it, filled my soul with such heavenly consolation
that I was happy in the midst of my pain."

On their return Lapa tried in vain to obtain from
Catharine a relaxation in her austere practices ; her
daughter turned a deaf ear, arid only implored her, day
by day, to go and press the " Sisters of Penance," to
no longer refuse her the holy habit for which she lan-
guished. Lapa, overcome by her importunities con-
sented to it. The sisters replied that it was not their
custom to give their habits to young maidens, but to
widows of mature age, who had consecrated themselves
' to God ; that they kept no enclosure (or cloister J but
that each Bister must be capable of governing herseK

THE HOLY HABIT OF ST. DOMINICE. 81

at home. Lapa returned with this answer, which was,
we may presume, less painful to her, than to her pious
daughter.

The spouse of Jesus Christ was not however
troubled ; she trusted in the promise she had received
from heaven, and solicited anew its accomplishment.
She told her mother that she was not discouraged,
and that she must insist with the sisters, and Lapa
yielded at length to her earnestness, but returned
home without any better success.

In the meantime Catharine was seized with a malady
common to young persons in her country. Providence
had his designs. Lapa loved all her children with
tenderness, but this one in particular. The poor mother
sat by her bed-side, giving her every imaginable re-
medy and seeking to console her ; but Catharine,
amidst her sufferings, only pursued with new ardour
the object of her desires, and strove to profit by a mo-
ment in which her anxious and lovin g mother was ready
to accord to her any thing she requested. She said to her
sweetly — " Dearest mother, if you wish me to recover
my health and strength, try to obtain for me the habit
of the * Sisters of Penance.' I am convinced that God
and St. Dominick, who call me, will take me from you,
If I wear any other religious dress."

Lapa gave way to sadness on hearing these words,
but as she feared losing her daughter, she once more
addressed herself to the Sisters, and was so importu-
nately persuasive that they were shaken in their reso-
lutions. They answered—" If she be not handsomej

32 tIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

nor of a beauty too remarkable, we will receive her, on
her account and yours, but if she be too pretty, we are
bound to avoid the inconvenieaoes that might spring
from the malice of men of the present period." Lapa
invited them to come and judge for themselves. Then
three or four of the sisters, selected among the most
enlightened and prudent, accompanied her to see Ca-
tharine and examine her vocation. They could not
judge of her personal appearance, for her whole body
was covered with a kind of eruption consequent on her
malady, which quite disfigured her, besides her beauty
was not excessive : but they heard her express herself
with so much fervour, and remarked in her such a
profound wisdom that they were quite enchanted ;
they comprehend that the maturity of her mind re-
deemed the fewness of her years, and that there were
not very many aged persons who were as rich in vir-
tues before God.

They retired filled with pious joy and edification,
and rendered an account of their visit to their asso-
ciates. These after having taken the opinion of the
monksof the Order, assembled and received Catharine
unanimously. They announced to her mother that,
as soon as she would be recovered from her illness, she
might repair to the church of the Friar Preachers, to
take the habit of St. Dominick, in presence of the
Brethren and Sisters, with the customary ceremonies.
At this happy news, Catharine shed tears of joy, and
gave thanks to her heavenly Spouse and to St. Dorni-
alclc, Ti'bo cce.lizod nt last his promise. She implored

THE HOLT HABIT OF ST. DOMINICK. 83

her restoration to health, not in order to be released
from sufferings, but so as to accomplish more promptly
the first and strongest wish of her heart. She was
heard, and became quite well in a few days, for how
could our Lord refuse her when she asked him to re-
move an obstacle in the way of his greater glory, and
the service of one who loved him so devotedly,

The mother now sought to retard the happy day of
her reception, but in vain ; she was obliged to yield to
the pressing solicitations of Catharine and repair to
the Church, where in the presence of many Sisters of
the Order who rejoiced at it, and the Friar Preachers
who directed them, Catharine was clothed with their
habit which, by its black and white draperies, repre-
sented humility and innocence. It seems to me that
the habit of no other Order would have been so suit-
able for her ; had it been wholly white or wholly black,
the signification would have been incomplete : gray,
which results from their mixture could indeed have
represented her mortification, but not her triumph over
poisonous natural pride, nor the bright purity of her
virginal innocence. Catharine was the first virgin
that was ever received, in Sienna, among the Sisters
of Penance, but many followed her, and the words of
David may appropriately be applied to her — Adducen-
tur regi, viryines post earn, (Ps. liv. 15.) In her train
virgins were presented to the Lord. Had the Sisters
reflected more seriously I presume they would not have
refused her request, for she was more worthy than they
to wear a habit given to the Church to svmbolize inno-

34 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

cence, and the innocence of virginity is assuredly
superior to the chastity of womanhood.

CHAPTER VII.

Of the origin and establishment of the "Sisters of Penance," of
St. Dominick, and their mode of life.

THE following particulars I have drawn from manu-
scripts which I' consulted in Italy, from informations
taken from the seniors of the Order, and the members
of it most worthy of trust, and the history of our
blessed Founder St. Dominick. That gloriousdef ender
of the Catholic Faith, that valiant soldier of Jesus Christ
combated so victoriously the heresies that arose in Tou-
ouse and in Italy, that by himself and his disciples,
it was proved at his canonization that his doctrine and
his miracles had converted, in Lombardy alone, more
than a hundred thousand heretics.

However the poison of error had corrupted minds
to such a degree, that all the benefices of the Church
were usurped by laymen, who transmitted them in
regular inheritance. The Bishops, obliged to beg for
their own , subsistence, had no means of reforming
these abuses, and could not, in accordance with their
charge, provide for the wants of regulars nor of the
poor. St. Dominick who had chosen poverty for his
own portion, did not wish however to see it in such a
degree in the Church and he resolved to strive to re-
store to her her wealth. He collected some laymen,

THE SISTERS OF PENANCE. 35

whom he knew to be filled with the fear of God, and
organized from amongst them a pious soldiery, for re-
covering the riches of the Church, defending them,
and resisting the injustice of the heretics — this plan
succeeded. Those who enrolled themselves, swore to
do all in their power for the attainment of their ends
proposed, and to sacrifice, if necessary, their fortunes
and their persons ; but as their wives might sometimes
offer obstacles, St. Dominick induced them to promise
never to hinder their husbands, but, on the contrary,
to assist them as far as possible. These associates took
the title of Brethren of the Militia of Jesus Christ. The
holy founder desired to distinguish them among other
laymen by an exterior badge and assign them some par-
ticular obligations. He prescribed to them the colour
of the habit of his order ; the garments of the men and
women, whatever might be their shape, were to be
black and white, as emblematic of innocence and hu-
mility. He imposed on them the recitation of a pre-
scribed number of Pater and Ave, which were to sup-.
ply the canonical hours, when they could not assist at
the divine office.

Later, when our Blessed Father St. Dominick had
quitted the earth and soared away to heaven, and his
numerous miracles had decided the Church to inscribe
his name in the catalogue of her Saints, the Brothers
and Sisters of the Militia of Jesus Christ wished to ho-
nour their glorious founder by taking the title of Bro-
thers of Penance of St. Dominick; besides, the merits
of St. Dominick and the apostolical laboiurs of his Ordsr

36 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

had almost banished heresy : exterior combats were no
longer necessary, but it remained yet to overcome by
penance the interior enemy of the soul, and hence the
new appellation was more becoming than the old one.
When the number of the Friar Preachers had aug-
mented, and Peter, (virgin and martyr,) had shone
among them as a radiant star, in triumphing over his
enemies, still more by his death than by his life, the
troop of foxes that wished to ravage the vineyard of
the Lord, was completely destroyed, and God restored
peace to his Church. The reasons which zed to the in-
stitution of the Militia of Jesus Christ no longer ex-
isted, the association therefore lost its military charac-
teristic. When the men who were members of it died,
their widows, accustomed to the religious life which
they had observed, renounced marriage, and perseve-
red in their holy practices until death. Other widows
who had not contracted the same engagements, but
who would not marry again imitated the Sisters of
Penance and adopted their rule in order to purify
themselves from past faults. By degrees their number
increased in the different cities of Italy, and the Friar
Preachers directed them according to the spirit of St.
Dominick. But as there was nothing settled in this
direction a Spanish Friar, called Brother Munie, a
Religious of saintly memory, who had governed the
whole Order, committed the rule to writing, and it
still exists. This rule is not absolutely a religious rule,
because it does not require the three vows, which are
the foundation of every religious order.

HER PROGRESS IN THE WATS OP GOD. 8i?

The Sisters of Penance continually increasing in
numbers and sanctity, the sovereign Pontiff Honoriua
IV., in consideration of their merit, granted them by a
bull, the permission to hear the offices in the churches
of the Friar Preachers, even during the period of the
interdict ; John XXII., after having promulgated the
bull Clementina against the Beguines and the Begards,
declared formally that his prohibitions did not extend
to "St. Dominick's Sisters of Penance" which existed
in Italy and in whose rule there was nothing that
needed change.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Catharine's admirable progress in the ways of God, and of some
particular graces she received.

CATHARINE did not pronounce the three Vows of
Religion on taking the habit of St. Dominick, but she
took the resolution of obsej ving them perfectly — there
could be no deliberation concerning that of chastity,
because she had already taken the Vow of Virginity.
She promised to obey all that the father Master of tho
Sisters of Penance prescribed her, and also the orders
of their Prioress. During her whole life she was BO
faithful to this engagement, that she was able to de-
clare to her Confessor on her death-bed : that she could
not remember having failed even once in obedience.

Catharine also observed the Vow of Poverty per-
fectly. When she lived in her father's house end plenty

38 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OF SIENtfA,

reigned in it, she took nothing for herself ; only she
bestowed alms on the poor, for her father had given
her full latitude on this point. She loved poverty so
much, that she acknowledged that nothing could con-
sole her for not finding it in her family. She asked
God ardently to deign to render her parents poor :
" Lord," said she, " is it not better that I ask for my
parents and brothers, the goods of eternity ; I know
that those of earth are accompanied with ills and
dangers, and I wish that they may not be exposed to
them." God heard her prayer ; extraordinary circum-
stances reduced her parents to extreme poverty, with-
out any fault on their part, as can be easily proved by
those who know them. After laying such foundations,
Catharine began to raise the edifice of her perfection :
like an industrious bee she profited by every occasion
of advancing, and took every means possible of living
a more retired life and one more closely united to her
divine Spouse. She proposed, in order to preserve
herself unsullied by the world, to observe the most
rigorous silence, and never to speak except when she
went to confess her gins. Her Confessor who preceded
me, declared and wrote that she observed this resolu-
tion during three years. She remained in her cell
continually except when she went to church ; not even
leaving it to take her food, which was, as we have
already said the veriest trifle ; again, she bedewed her
repasts with her tears, and never commenced one with-
out offering to God the tribute of her grief. Who can
recount her vigils, her prayers, her meditations, and

HER PROGRESS IN THE WATS OF GOD. 83

her sighs, in the solitude which she had found in her
own house and amid the noise of the city ? She had
arranged her time so as to watch while the Domini-
cans, whom she called her brothers, were sleeping, and
when she heard the second toll for Matins, she said to
her divine Spouse — "Lord, my brethren who serve
you, have slept until now, and I have watched for them
in thy presence, praying thee to preserve them from
evils and the wiles of the enemy. Now that they are
rising to offer thee their praises, protect them and
suffer me to take a short repose" — and then shewoul<k
lie down on her planks, using a piece of wood for he*
pillow.

He whom she loved, smiled upon her ardour and en-
couraged it by new graces; he was unwilling that so
faithful a lamb should be destitute of a pastor, and a
pupil so desirous of impro vementwithout a g ood master;
.but he gave her neither an angel nor a man, but ap-
peared to her himself in her little cell and taught her
whatever might prove useful to her soul. "Be sure,
father," said she to me, " that naught that I know
concerning the ways of salvation was taught by mere
man ; it was my Lord and Master, the cherished spouse
of my soul, our Lord Jesus Christ, who revealed it to
me by his inspirations and by his apparitions. He
spoke to me, as I now speak to you." She owned to
me that, in the beginning of her visions, when she per-
ceived them by her exterior senses, she dreaded being
deceived by Satan ; our Lord, far from being offended,
extolled her prudence. The traveller, said he to her.

40 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

should be ever on his guard, for it is written—" Blessed
is the man that liveth in fear." (Prov. xxviii. 14.)
" If thou wilt I will teach thee, how thou canst discern
my visions, from the visions of the enemy." And as
Catharine begged him earnestly, our Lord continued,
" It would be easy to enlighten thy soul directly and
«how thee how to distinguish at once the origin of thy
visions ; but for thy utility and the benefit of others,
I will tell thee what the doctors teach, to whom I
have made known my truth ; my visions commence by
terror and continue in peace ; their arrival or presen-
tation is attended with a certain bitterness which little
by little changes into sweetness. Thecontrary happens
in the visions of the bad spirit ; — they begin with a
certain joy, but always terminate by plunging the soul
into trouble ; and this is just, for our ways are widely
different. The way of penance and my command-
ments at first appears rude and painful ; but as the
soul advances, it becomes easy and delightful; in the
way of evil, on the contrary, the first moments are
agreeable ; but trouble and danger soon show them-
selves. I will give thee one more, and an infallible
sign. My visions render the soul humble, by giving
it the grace of comprehending the truth of its unwor-
thiness. But as the demon is the father of falsehood
and the prince of pride, he can only give of what he
possesses ; his visions always engender in the soul a
certain self-esteem which excites it to vanity. Exa-
mine thyself, therefore, with care, and see whether thy

HER PROGRESS IN THE WAYS OF GOD. 41

visions proceed from the truth, or the opposite; truth
excites humility, falsehood creates pride."

From this moment, her heavenly visions and com-
munications multiplied to such a degree, that the most
active conversation between two friends, wouldnot suf-
fice to illustrate the exchange of thoughts between Ca-
tharine and her divine Spouse. . Her prayers, medita-
tion, and spiritual reading, her vigils and her short re-
pose, all were blessed with the same divine presence.
These supernatural relations are the origin and cause
of her abstinence, her admirable doctrine, and her mira-
cles, of which God rendered us witnesses duringher life.

In the beginning of my acquaintance with her, I had
heard so many marvellous things concerning her, that
I hesitated in believing them ; God permitted it for
greater good. I sought in all possible ways to discover
some means of assuring myself, whether these pheno-
mena came from God or from some other source —
whether they were true or false. I have found many
deluded souls, especially among females, whose heads
are easily turned, and who are more exposed to the se-
ductions of Satan. Certain remarks troubled me, and
I desired to be satisfied by him, who can neither de-
ceive nor be deceived, when suddenly the thought
came to my mind, that if I were to obtain from God,
by Catharine's prayers, a contrition for my sins supe-
rior to that which I felt habitually, it would be an evi-
dent sign that all that occurred came from the Holy
Spirit, for no one can have a true contrition except by
the Holy Spirit, and although we are igncrcat whether

42 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

we are worthy of love or of hatred, contrition of heart
is a proof that we are ID the grace of God. I did not
say a word of these thoughts which occupied me ; but
went to Catharine, and earnestly asked of her to
please to obtain from God the remission of my sins.
She answered me with a joy replete with charity, that
she would most willingly comply, and I then added,
that to satisfy my desire I must have a satisfactory
evidence, namely, an extraordinary contrition for my
sins. She assured me that she would obtain it, and on
the morrow she was conversing with me, when her dis-
course insensibly turned on God and on the ingrati-
tude with which we offend his goodness. Whilst she
spoke, I had a sudden vision of my sins, of surprising
accuracy and distinctness : I saw myself divested of
all things, in the presence of my Judge, and I felt that
I merited death, as do malefactors when stricken by
the justice of men ; I saw also the bounty of my Judge,
who by his grace took me into his service and replaced
death by life, fear by hope, sorrow by joy, and shame
by glory. These mental visions so triumphed over my
hardness and obduracy of heart, that I began to shed
torrents of tears over my sins ; and my griefs became
BO profound that I thought I should die of it.

Catharine, whose end was accomplished, keptsilence,
and left me to my tears and sobs. Some moments after
in the midst of my surprise at these interior disposi-
tions, I remembered my request and the promise she
had made me on the eve ; I turned towards her, and
said, " Is not this the gift I asked for yesterday?"

HER PROGRESS IN THE WATS OP GOD. 48

" The same," answered she, and added, " Remember
the graces of God." My companion and myself were
filled with gladness and edification — and I exclaimed
with the incredulous Thomas — "My Lord and my
God" — Dominus meus et Deusmeus. (St. John xx. 28.)
I received another proof of Catharine's sanctity
which I relate to her honour and my own confusion.
She was detained by sufferings in her bed and she sent
me notice that she desired to speak with me concern-
ing some revelations. I went and approached her couch;
she began then, notwithstandingthe fever whichburned
in her veins, to discourse to me of God, and to explain
to me all that had been revealed to her during the day :
the things were so extraordinary, that I forgot what
had just happened to me, and I asked myself, " must
I believe what she says ?" Whilst I hesitated and
looked at her, her countenance suddenly changed into
that of a stern man who was regarding me fixedly, and
who filled me with terror ; her oval face indicated the
plenitude of life ; her scanty beard was the colour of
wheat, and her whole countenance bore the impress of
that majesty which revealed the holy presence of God.
It was impossible for me to perceive any other counte-
nance than hers. I was thoroughly terrified, and ex-
claimed, with lifted hands — "Oh! who looks at me
thus?" Catharine answered, " He that is!" The vision
disappeared, and I again saw the face of Catharine,
which I could not distinguish before. My understand-
ing was enlightened with such an abundant light,
chiefly upon the subject of our discourse, that 1 then

44 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA

comprehended that word of our Lord, when promising
the coming of the Holy Ghost — "Et quse ventura sunt
annuntidbit vobis" (St. John xvi. 13.)

CHAPTER IX.

Of the admirable doctrine taught her by our Lord, and which
she adopted as her rule of life.

LET us now examine the spiritual edifice of Catha-
rine's perfection, with the grace of Him who is its cor-
ner-stone and foundation ; and as faithful souls find
their life and their strength in the word of God, let
us first dwell upon the lessons that she received directly
from the beloved Master. In the beginning of her
visions, Catharine related to her Confessors, that our
Lord appeared to her, whilst she meditating, and said
to her: "Know, my daughter, what thou art and what
I am ; if thou learnest these two things, thou shalt be
truly blest ; thou art what is not, and I am the great I
AM ; if thy soul is deeply penetrated with this truth,
the enemy cannot deceive thee, and thou wilt avoid all
his snares ; thou wilt never consent to do any thing
Against my commandments, and thou wilt acquire
without difficulty, grace, truth, and peace." In this
short and simple doctrine, do we not find the "length,
breadth, and height" of which St. Paul speaks to the
Christians of Ephesus? Our Lord also said to her in
another apparition : l * D aughter, think of me and I will
think continually on th ee " Ca tharin ^ comprehended

HER PROGRESS IN THE WAYS OF GOD. 45

this saying to mean, that God commanded her by this,
to banish all her own thoughts from her heart, and
keep no thoughts but his, without being anxious about
herself and her salvation, so that no distraction could
enter into it — for God knows all, and can do all, and
he will watch and provide for the necessities of such
as meditate on him and find ir; it supreme happiness.
Hence when we entertained any fear concerning our-
selves or our Brethren, she would often say — u What
do you wish to do with yourselves ; let Providence
act : amid your greatest dangers the divine eye watches
over you ; and it will ever protect you." This virtue
of hope her divine Spouse had infused into her soul,
when he said to her I will think on thee.

I remember that, being on board of a ship with her
and many other persons, the wind lowered into a dead
calm to wards midnight, and the pilot became extremely
anxious. We were in a dangerous channel ; if the wind
had taken us sideways, we might have been thrown
on some neighbouring island or floated into the open
sea. I gave notice to Catharine of our danger. She
answered in her ordinary tone : " Why do you annoy
yourself with that, or suffer yourself to be distracted?''
I remained silent and became re-assured ; but soon the
wind veered in the direction dreaded by the pilot ; I
mentioned it to Catharine ; "Let him change the
helm, in the name of God," said she, " and let him sail
in the direction of the wind that heaven willsendhim."
The pilot obeyed and we returned backward, but sJie
prayed with her head bent forward, and we had not

46 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIEIsTTA.

advancedfarther than a bow shot, when the favourable
wind that had forsaken us blew freshly, and we arrived,
at the hour of Matins, at the desired port, while sing-
ing the Te Deum. This narrative should not be placed
here, in the order of time, but I relate it because it
serves and explains my subject. Yes, whoever re-
flects, must see that the second verity follows as a con-
sequence from the first ; if a soul recognises that she
is nothing in herself, and that she exists solely by God,
she will not confide in herself in any action, but in the
agency of God alone. She will put all her trust in the
Lord, and "place all her thoughts in him," according
to the words of the Psalmist. This does not hinder
her from doing all that is possible to her, because this
holy confidence proceeds from love — love produces
in the soul a desire of the object beloved ; that de-
sire provokes to the performance of all acts that are
capable of satisfying it. Activity is in relation with
love, but that does not hinderher giving her confidence
to God and rejecting all self-reliance, as she is taught
by the knowledge that she has acquired of her own
nothingness and of the perfection of her Creator.

She frequently spoke to me of the state ot a soul
which loves her Creator, and she told me that " that
stful finished by no longer perceiving herself, and for-
getting herself together with all creatures." As I re-
quested an explanation, she told me : " The soul that
comprehends its nothingness, and is convinced that all
its good comes from the Creator, resigns itself so per-
fectly, and plunges itself so totally in God, that all its

HER PROGRESS IN THE WAYS OF GOD. 47

activity is directed towards him, and exercised in him.
She is unwilling to come forth from the centre in which
she has found the perfection of happiness ; and
that union of love which daily augments in her, trans-
forms her, so to speak, into God, so that she is incapa-
ble of entertaining other thoughts,\or other desires, or
other love than love of him, indeed the remembrance
of all things else forsakes her. This is the lawful love
of ourselves and of creatures, a love that cannot err,
because the soul of necessity follows the divine will,
and does nothing, and desires nothing out of God."

In this union of the soul with God, Catharine found
another verity, which she taught continually to those
whom she directed : " The soul united to God," said
she, u loves him as much as she detests the sensual
part of her being. The love of God naturally en-
genders a hatred of sin, and when the soul discovers
that the germ of sin is in her senses, and that in
them it takes its root, she cannot avoid hating her
senses, and endeavouring, not indeed to destroy them,
but to annihilate the vice that is in them, and she
cannot attain to this but by great and continued ef-
forts ; the root of faults will indeed always exist ;
for, according to St. John, " if we say that we have
no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us." (St. John, 1 Ep., i. 8.)

*' O, eternal bounty of God," exclaimed Catharine.
" what hast thou done ? From faults spring virtue,
from offence pardon, and in contempt love puts forth
its blossoms. O then, my children, endeavour to pos-

48 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

sess that holy hatred of self ; it renders you humble, it
will give you patience in tribulations, moderation in
prosperity, restrain in your deportment, and you will
become agreeable to God and man." And she added,
*' Woe, woe to the soul which has not this holy hatred
for where it does not exist, self-love must reign, and
self-love is the cause of all sin, and the root of all vices."
The same doctrine is found in the words that the
Apostle heard in Heaven, when he prayed for deliver-
ance from temptation. — "Strength is perfected in
weakness ;" and he added, " I glory in my weak-
nesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in
me." We may, therefore, conclude that the doctrine
of Catharine had for its foundation the firm rock of
virtue which is Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER X.

Of the admirable victories which she gained over temptations,
and her extraordinary intimacy with our Lord.

THE pacific king had erected the fortress of Liba-
nus, for protecting Jerusalem against Damascus. The
haughty prince of Babylon, the enemy of peace, was
enraged; he collected his armies against it, and wished
to overthrow it. But he who gives and preserves peace
surrounded his fortress by magnificent and impregna-
ble ramparts. Not only the darts of the enemy were
powerless, but they returned against those who
launched them, and gave them death. So, when the
old serpent eaw Catharine, BO young, mounting to

HER ADMIRABLE DOCTRINE. 49

such a high degree of perfection, he feared lest, with
her salvation, that of many others would be secured ;
and that she might assist the Church by her virtues
and her teaching. He therefore sought in his infernal
malice, every means of seducing her ; but the God of
mercy, who permitted these attacks, in order to aug-
ment the glory of his spouse, gave her such excellent
weapons wherewith to combat, that the war proved
more profitable to her than peace. He first inspired
her with the thought of asking God for the gift of for-
titude ; she did so continually during several days ;
and God to recompense her prayer, gave her the fol-
low ing instructions :

" Daughter,if thou wilt acquire fortitude, thou must
imitate me. I could have, by my divine power, arrested
the efforts of Satan, and have taken other means of
overcoming them, but I was desirous of instructing
thee by my examples, and teaching thee to overcome
by means of the cross. If thou wishest to become
powerful against thy enemies, take the Cross for thy
safeguard. Hath not my Apostle told thee that I rar
with joy to the cruel and ignominious death of Mt
Calvary, (Heb. xii. 2.) Choose, therefore, to have
trials and afflictions; endure them not only with pati-
ence, but embrace them with delight ; they are lasting
treasures, for the more thou wilt suffer for me, the more
thou wilt be like me, and according to the doctrine of
the Apostle, the more thou wilt resemble me in suffer-
ings, the more, also, thou shalt be like unto me in grace
and glory. Regard, therefore, my beloved child, on,

B

50 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

my account, sweet things as bitter, and bitter things
as sweet, and be certain them shalt always be strong."
Catharine profited so well by this lesson, and after it
received trials with so much joy that she acknowledged
to me that nothing exterior consoled her so much as
pains and afflictions ; she suffered when she was de-
prived of them, because she felt that they were the
gems which would enrich her heavenly crown.

When the King of heaven and earth had thus armed
her who was destined to defend his cause, he permitted
the enemy to advance and assail her. The devils at-
tacked her on every side, and made unheard of efforts
to overthrow her ; they commenced by the most humi-
liating temptations, and presented them to her imagi-
nation, not only during sleep, but in exciting phantoms
which might have defiled her eyes and ears, and they
tormented her in a thousand ways. These combats are
horrible to relate, but the victory which followed them
ought to be a source of joy to pure souls. Catharine
combated courageously against herself, by mortifying
Lxer flesh with a chain of iron and shedding an abun-
dance of blood. She augmented her vigils so far as to
deprive herself of all sleep.

Her enemies refused to retire — they assumed the ap-
pearance of persons who came to pity and advise her ;
" Why, poor little one, will you thus torture yourself
and so uselessly ? Why use all these mortifications —
do you suppose you can be able to continue them — will
you not thug destroy your body and become guilty of
It is better to renounce these follies ero vou

HER VICTORIES OVER TEMPTATIONS. 51

become their victim, you can yet enjoy the world, you
are young, and your body would speedily recover its
strength. You desire to please God, but there are
many among the saints who were married, as Sarah,
Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel, why be so imprudent as
to select a mode of life in which you cannot perse-
vere ?" To all these discourses Catharine only op-
posed prayer, and as to perseverance she simply re-
plied, " I trust in the arm of the Lord, not in mine."
The devils could never obtain more. She gave as a
general rule against such temptations, never to dispute
with the enemy, for he relies very much on van«
quishing us by the subtilty of his reasons.

Then Satan laid aside his reasonings and adopted a
new method of attack ; the devils pursuing her with
screams and inviting her to partake of their abomina-
tions. In vain did she close her eyes and ears, she could
not banish these horrible spectres, and, to crown her
affliction, her divine Spouse, who had usually come to
visit and comfort her, seemed to abandon her without
any relief visible or invisible; hence her soul was plunged
into a profoundmelancholy, without, however, obtain-
ing from her the cessation of her austerities, or her men-
tal prayer, and she gave this following maxim to soula
which she conducted, " When the Christian soul per-
ceives her fervour diminishing on account of some fault
or some temptation permitted by Providence, «he
ought to continue her spiritual exercises and even mul-
tiply them, instead of forsaking or lessening them."

Catharine, faivhf'il to tae inspirations of God, ex"

52 LIFE OF ST. CATIIAKINE OF SIENNA.

cited a holy hatred against herself — " Oh, thou vilest
of creatures," said she to herself, " art thou worthy of
receiving any consolations ? recall to mind thy sins, it
will be a great favour if thou dost avoid eternal wrath
by supporting during a lifetime those pains and this
obscurity. Why then be afflicted ; shouldest thou
escape hell, Jesus Christ can console thee during all
eternity ; it was not for present enjoyment thou didst
resolve to serve him, but in order to possess him in
heaven : arise then, abandon none of thy pious prac-
tices, and celebrate in a more animated strain the
praises of thy Creator." Thus by her humility she
confounded the prince of darkness, and drew strength
from the precepts of Wisdom. Her apartment seemed
to be infested with those impure spirits — she therefore
left it, and stayed as long as possible in the church, be-
cause these infernal obsessions tormented her less
when there.

This trial continued during several days, when on re-
turning from the church, being engaged in prayer, a
ray of the holy spirit beamed upon her soul and recalled
to her memory that she had requested, a short time
previous, the gift of fortitude, and that God had indi-
cated to her the means for obtaining it. She instantly
comprehended the c^use of this dreadful temptation
and resolved to bear it with holy courage, as long as
it pleased her divine Spouse. Then one evil spirit,
jnore malicious than the others, said to her, "Poor
miserable soul, what art thou about to undertake —
canst thou pass thy whole life in this state — wewiU

HER PROGRESS IN SANCTITY. 53

torment thee to death, unless thou dost obey us." Ca-
tharine, remembering the advice she had received, an-
swered, " I have chosen sufferings for my consolation ;
not only will it not be difficult for me, but even de-
lightful to undergo similar afflictions and even greater
ones, for the love of my Jesus, and as long as his ma-
jesty wills."

Instantaneously the demons fled in overwhelming
shame, and a great light from above descended into her
room filling it with heavenly brightness ; in the midst
of its brilliancy appeared our Lord Jesus Christ, such
as he was on the Cross, when he opened heaven with
his sacred Blood. " Catharine, my daughter," said
he, " consider how I have suffered for thee, and it will
never be painful for thee to suffer for me." Then he
assumed a less dolorous" form in order to comfort Ca-
tharine, and he spoke to her of the victory that she had
just gained ; but she, like St. Anthony, said to him —
" Lord, where wast thou, when my heart was so tor-
mented ?" "I was in the midst of thy heart." " Ah !
Lord, thou art the everlasting truth, and I humbly
bow before thy majesty ; but how can I believe that
thou wert in my heart, when it was filled with such
detestable thoughts?" "Didthese thoughts and tempt-
ations give thee pleasure or pain ? " An excessive
pain and sadness." " Thou wert sad and in suffering
because I was hidden in the midst of thy heart. Had
I been absent, these thoughts would have penetrated
thy heart and would have filled thee with joy ; but my
presence rendered them insupportable to thee : tho:>

54 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

didst wish to repel them because thou didst hold them
in horror, and it was because thou didst not succeed
that thou wert borne down with sadness. 1 acted in
thy soul, I defended thee against thy enemy ; I was in
the interior and I only permitted these attacks from
without, inasmuch as they could prove useful to thy
salvation ; when the period which I had determined
for the combat had elapsed, I sent my beams of light
and the shades of hell were dissipated, because they
could notresist the light. Is itnotl, infine, who giveth
thee to comprehend that these trials were serviceable
to thee for the acquisition of strength, and that it was
thy duty to support them cordially, according to my
good pleasure ? Because thou hast accepted them with
thy whole heart, thou art delivered from them by my
presence ; what pleases me is not trouble, but the will
that supports it courageously. I created thee in my
own image and likeness, and I have assimilated myself
to thee, in taking thy nature. I never cease render-
ing thee like to me, so long as thou dost offer no ob-
stacle, and what I did during my mortal lif e, I strive
to renew in your soul as long as your pilgrimage en-
dures. Therefore, beloved daughter, it is not by thy
virtue, but mine, that thou hast so generously com-
bated, and merited such an abundant grace ; now I
will visit thee oftener and more familiarly than ever."
The vision disappeared and Catharine remained ab-
Borbed with a joy and sweetness that words cannot ex-
press ; her heart was especially inebriated with the way
in which our Lord addressed her — " Catharine, my

HER PROGRESS IN SANCTITY, 55

daughter 1 When relating to her Confessor what she
tLen experienced, she besought him to employ the
same expressions, in order to renew in her soul their
ineffable sweetness.

From that moment the heavenly Spouse visited her
with a familiarity which would appear incredible, were
we ignorant of what has preceded. But the soal that
knows by experience thatthe goodness of God is above
all that we can imagine, will see in the following only
things very possible and very probable. The Lord ap-
peared to her frequently and remained a long time with
her ; sometimes bringing with him his holy Mother,
sometimes St. Dominick, and occasionally both to-
gether ; then St. Mary Magdalen, St. John the Evan-
gelist, St. Paul, and other saints, separately or in com-
pany, according to his good pleasure. But he cams
alone most commonly, and conversed with her as ona
friend with another, when on the most intimate terms.
She blushingly avowed to me that our Lord recited
Psalms with her, while walking in her room, just aa
two Religious when reciting their Office. The infinite
benevolence of God varies his gifts in each of his saints,
so that his magnificence may be made manifest in de-
tails as in combination.

Since I have mentioned the recitation of the Psalms,
I must inform my readers that Catharine knew how
to read without having learned from any one. She
narrated to me herself, that having resolved to learn
to read so as to recite the Hours and follow the Offices,
she had studied the alphabet with one of her com-

56 LIFi, OF ST. CATiiAftL!(jJ, OP Sl2NNA

panions. But after having uselessly consumed several
weeks in this labour, the thought came to her to ob-
tain from heaven the grace to lose no more time. One
morning while engaged in prayer, she said to Almighty
God — " Lord, if it be agreeable to thee that I know
how to read, in order to be able to recite the Office
and sing thy praises, have the goodness to teach me
what I cannot learn alone. If not, thy will be done ;
I will remain without regret in my ignorance, and I
will employ with joy, in meditation, the time that thou
wilt leave me." Before the end of her prayer, our
Lord taught her so well, that when rising from her
knees she knew how to read every kind of manuscript,
as rapidly and as perfectly as the most highly educated
persons. What astonished me the most was, that she
read easily, but without being able to spell her words,
when she was asked to do so ; she scarcely .knew her
letters ! Catharine at once procured the " Office
books," and read all the Psalms and whatever enters
into the composition of the canonical hours. She was
particularly fond of the Verse and its response. Deus
in adjutorium meum intende, etc. She translated it and
continually repeated it. She soon made such progress
in contemplation, that she gradually omitted her vocal
prayers, and her ecstasies became so frequent, that she
could scarcely recite the Lord's Prayer without being
ravished out of her exterior senses, by a heavenly
favour which we will relate hereafter.

MIRACULOUS MAEEIACT^ 57

CHATTER XL

Of her marriage with our Lord, and of the Miraculour. rlnp that
she received.

THE soul of Catharine became daily more enriched
with the grace of the Saviour. She flew rather than
walked in the paths of virtue, and she conceived the
holy desire of arriving at so perfect a degree of faith,
that nothing would henceforth be capable of separating
her from her divine spouse, whom her heart aspired
alone to please. She therefore besought God to aug-
ment her faith, and render it sufficiently strong to re-
sist any and every enemy. Our Blessed Lord an-
swered her, u I will espouse thee in faith." And each
time Catharine renewed her prayer, Jesus Christ re-
peated the same answer. One day, at the approach
of the holy season of Lent, when Christians celebrate
the Carnival, or a foolish adieu to the viandt which
the Church is on the eve of prohibiting. Catharine
withdrew into her cell there to enjoy her Spouse more
intimately by fasting and prayer ; she reiterated her
petition with more fervour than ever, and our Lord
answered her — "Because thou hast shunned the
vanities of the world and forbidden pleasure, and hast
fixed on me alone all the desires of thy heart, I intend,
whilst thy family are rejoicing in profane feasts and
festivals, to celebrate the wedding which is to unite
me to thy soul. I am going, according to my promise,
to espouse thee in faith." Jesus Christ thei? spoke
stvce more, when the Blessed Virgin appeared ; and

58 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

with his glorious Mother, St. John the Evangelist, the
apostle St. Paul, St. Dominick, founder of her Order,
and with them the prophet David who drew from his
harp tones of heavenly sweetness. The Mother of God
took in her holy hand the right hand of Catharine, in
order to present it to her Son, asking Him to deign to
espouse her in Faith. The Saviour consented to it
with love, and offered her a golden ring, set with four
precious stones, in the centre of which blazed a magni-
ficent diamond. He placed it himself on Catharine's
finger, saying to her — " I, thy Creator and Redeemer,
espouse thee in Faith, and thou shalt preserve it pure,
until we celebrate together in Heaven the eternal
nuptials of the Lamb. Daughter, now act courage-
ously; accomplish without fear the works that my
Providence will confide to thee ; thou art armed with
Faith, thou shalt triumph over all thy enemies." The
vision disappeared, and the ring remained on the fin-
ger of Catharine. She saw it, but it was invisible to
others! She acknowledged to me, while blushes
mantled her cheek, that it never left her, and that she
was never weary with admiring it. There was already
one Catharine, queen and martyr, who, after baptism,
espoused our Lord. We have here a second, who,
after many victories won of the flesh and the devil,
celebrated also her regal espousals with Jesus Christ.
Let us admire the beauties of her ring, and observe
its mysterious meaning. What is there stronger than
diamond ? it resists everything by its hardness and
penetrates the most solid bodies ; nothing but lamb's

HER MIRACULOUS MARRIAGE. 59

blood can cause it to sparkle. In like manner, the
faithful heart triumphs over all difficulties by fortitude,
and only yields to the Blood of Jesus Christ. The four
precious stones indicate four kinds of purity practised
by Catharine, purity of intention, purity of thought,
of word, and of action. This marriage seems to me to
be a confirmation of divine grace ; the ring was a visi-
ble pledge of it for her, but not for others. Amid the
waves of the sea of life, she was destined to save a great
number of souls, by confiding them to the succour of
heaven and without dreading for herself either ship-
wreck or tempest. The holy Doctors explain why God
often, by a special favour, reveals to his predestinate
that they will persevere in his love and in his grace.
It is because he wishes to send them into the midst of
a corrupt world, for the glory of his name, and for the
salvation of souls. On the day of Pentecost, the
Apostles received a striking evidence of their mission ;
it was also said to St. Paul, "my grace is sufficient for
thee." Sufficit tibi gratia mea. (2 Cor. xii. 9.) Ca-
tharine although a woman, was to be an apostle in the
world and convert many souls ; she received a sensible
sign of grace in order to accomplish with more courage
the divine work that was entrusted to her. What was
most surprising in Catharine, is that the token of
grace, transient for others, was permanent and ever
visible to her ; I think that God bestowed it on her be-
cause of the weakness of her sex ; the novelty of her
mission, and the perversity of our time were to present
dificulties greater than any other ; and it was necessary

60 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that she should be continually sustained in her holy
undertaking.

With this first part of her history terminates her
silent and retired life. We shall see in the second
what she did among men for the glory of God and for
the salvation of souk. Her guide was always our Lord
Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and
Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

SECOND PART.

CHAPTER I.

Our Lord commands Catharine to employ herself for the good of
her neighbour.

OUR blessed Lord had lavished on his favourite
Spouse the sweetness of his grace. He had exercised
her soul in combat and in victory ; he had bestowed on
her admirable instructions and enriched her with
superior virtues. So shining a light was not destined
to remain hidden, but to display its rays abroad. The
spouse was about to return with interest the talents
that the Lord had entrusted to her: "open to me,"
was said to her, open to me, by thy zeal, the door of
souls, so that I may enter ; open the way by which my
sheep will go to seek pasture. Open to me, for my
honour, the celestial treasure or* truth and of grace, so
astoslied it upon the faithful. "Open to me, my

CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR. 61

sister, ' ' by conformity of nature ; my friend , by interior
charity; my dove, by simplicity of spirit; my imma-
culate one, by purity of soul and body. And Catharine
responded to this call, yet, she often acknowledged to
me that every tiine that our Lord ordered her to quit
her cell and converse with men, she experienced so
lively a sorrow, that it seemed to her, her heart must
break.

After the n^stic alliance that our Lord deigned to
contract with Catharine, he gradually introduced her
to the "active life." He did not, however, deprive her
of his heavenly communications, but, on the contrary
augmented them, so as to lead her to a higher degree
of perfection. Frequently in his apparations, after
speaking to her of his Kingdom, and revealing to her
some of its secrets, after having read or recited Psalms
with her, he added: "Go quickly, this is the hour ot
repast, thy parents are going to take their places at tha
table, thou wilt stay there with them; and then thou
wilt return to me." At these words, Catharine would
break forth into sobs — tklf I have off ended thy Ma-
jesty, behold my wretched body, punish it immediately.
I cheerfully except everything; but spare me the grief
of being separated from thee, even for one instant, O
my beloved! What will I do at taUef thou knowest
full well that I partake of a food that those whom thou
commandest me to seek, know not. Is it in bread onlj
that man finds strength? do not the words that issue
from thy mouth better impart vigour and energy to the
soul of the pilgrim? Thou knowest far better than I

62 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that I fled the society of creatures to find thee, my Lord
and my God. And now that I have obtained thy grace,
notwithstanding my un worthiness, must I resign this
inestimable treasure, to mingle anew in worldly affairs
to fall again into my former ignorance, and perchance
become odious to thee? Ah no, no, thy infinite good-
ness will never command any thing which can separate
the soul from thee." Sobs would interrupt her, and
she would cast herself at our Lord's feet, in hopes of
winning his consent to remain. Then our Lord would
speak, I do not say in these very words, but in this mea-
ning: "Calm thyself, beloved daughter, thou must ac-
complish all justice, and cause my grace to fructify in
thee and in others ; far from being desirous of separating
from thee, I desire to become more closely united to thee
by charity towards thy neighbour. Thou knowest that
my love has two commandments ; to love me, and to love
thy neighbour; now I wish thee to observe these two
commandments. Forget not that in thy youth, zeal for
souls, which I had placed and developed in thy heart,
went so far as to give to thee the idea of disgusing thy-
self so as to become a Friar Preacher, and labour for
the conversion of souls. Why, therefore, wonder and
complain that I conduct thee where thou desirest to go
and for which thou didst assume the habit of St. Do-
minick, that zealous founder of an order for promoting
the salvation of souls." Then Catharine said, " Lord,
not my will but thine be done ; I am only darkness, and
thou art all light; I am nothingness, and thou art; I
am ignorance and thou art the wisdom of the Father;

CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOUR. 63

but, Lord, suffer me to inquire how I sliall execute thy
commands — iny sex presents an obstacle, for women
have no authority over men, and propriety interdicts
frequent relations with them." Our Lord answered,
like the Archangel Gabriel, that all things are possible
with God! "Am I not he who formed both man and
woman? my spirit breathes where it will; to me there
is no difference of sex or condition, it is as easy for mo
to create an Angel as the lowest insect, and a worm of
the earth as a new firmament ; it is written of me, that
I do what I will, (Ps. cxiii. 3.) and nought that the mind
can conceive is impossible to me. I know it is humi-
lity and not a disobedient spirit that prompts thee to
speak thus, and now 1 wish thee to know that in this
age, the pride of men has become so great, especially
among such as believe themselves to be learned and dis-
creet, that my justice can no longer endure them, and
is about to confound them by a just judgment ; but be-
cause mercy is the gentle attendant of all my works, I
design at first to give them a salutary confusion, in
order that they may acknowledge and humble themselves
like the Jews and Gentiles, when I sent them stupid
persons whom I filled with my divine wisdom. Yes, 1
will give them women, ignorant and weak by their na-
ture, but prudent and powerful through my grace, to
confound their arrogance. If theyrecognise their folly,
if they humble themselves, if they profit by the instruc-
tions which I will offer them in these frail but conse-
crated vases, I will be full of mercy towards them ; but
should they contemn this salutary disgrace, I will send

64 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

them so many humiliations, that they will become the
scoff of every one. This is the just chastisement which
I administer to pride the more the proud aim at ex-
altation the lower will I abase them, even beneath them-
selves. For thee, delay not to obey me, for I wish
thee to appear publicly ; I will accompany thee on all
occasions, I will continue to visit thee, and will direct
thee in all that thou must do."

After these words Catharine prostrated herself with
filial obedience at the feet of our divine Redeemer ; she
immediately went forth from her cell, joining her
family at table as God commanded her.

Catharine was corporally with creatures, but spiri-
tually she never quitted her divine Spouse. All that
she sawand heard was burden some to her; thestrength
and ardour of her love rendered like long years, the
hours that she passed with men, and she returned into
her cell as quickly as she could, in order to meet there
Him whom her soul cherished — then she would honour
him, and adore him with renewed fervour. Catharine,
who was favoured with an ever-increising desire of
being united to the object of her love, took the resolu-
tion of receiving him in holy communion as frequently
as she could — and God prepared her daily for the rela-
tions she was destined to hold with men for the salva-
tion of souls. When she drew near to her family again,
she determined not to remain unemployed, and began
to devote herself to the duties of the household.

HER SELF-SACRIFICING CHARITY. 65

CHAPTER II.

Of some wonderful things that occurred at the commencement of
Catharine's relations with the world, and her exertions in sup-
plying the necessities of the poor.

CATHARINE resolved, in conformity with the will of
her divine spouse, to live in a manner that would ren-
der her useful to her neighbour, and capable of inclin
ing him to virtue. She therefore devoted herself to
practices of humility, and by degrees consecrated her-
self to works of charity, without, however, permitting
these to interfere with her fervent prayers and extra-
ordinary penances. She performed the most menial
services of the house, as sweeping, washing the dishes,
and even the work that strictly appertains to the
kitchen department. When the servant was sick, she
entirely supplied her place, and also found means to
attend to her wants during her sickness ; yet these so
multiplied occupations did not make Catharine neglect
her heavenly Spouse. She was so intimately united to
him, that no exterior act nor corporal fatigue was capa-
ble of disturbing their delicious interior conversations
Her ecstasies became even more frequent. As soon
as the thought of Jesus penetrated her mind, the soul
appeared to retire from the sensual part, and the ex-
tremities became cold, contracted, and insensible.
During her ecstasies, she was often lifted above the
earth, her body pursuing her soul, in order to shew
the power of the spirit that attracted her.

Knowing that the surest means of pleasing the di-

v

66 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

vine Spouse was to be charitable towards her neigh-
bour, her heart burned with the desire of relieving him
in all his wants. But having promised to observe the
three Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, she
would no longer dispose of what belonged to others
without their consent. She therefore sought her father,
and asked him if she might deduct, according to her
conscience, the share of the POOR from the riches that
God had deigned to accord her family. The father
Dheerfully consented, because he saw clearly that his
daughter was walking in the way of perfection, and
he was even so considerate as to announce to every
one in the house, the permission he had accorded.
" Let no one," said he, " prevent my beloved child
from bestowing alms. I grant her full liberty: indeed
she may, if she will, dispense all that is in the house."
Catharine used almost literally the permission she had
received ; however, she had the gift of discernment,
and gave only to those whom she knew had a real need,
and then she did not wait for such individuals to ask.
She was acquainted with some poor families, in her
neighbourhood, who were in great distress, but who
were ashamed to solicit alms. She therefore imitated
Saint Nicholas, rising early in the morning, so as to
carry corn, wine, and oil, with whatever else was ne-
cessary for them. She went unattended to the houses
of the unfortunate persons. God would open the door
for her in a miraculous manner, while she would shut
ifc quickly, and glide stealthily away, having deposited
heir provisions is the house.

HER' SELF-SACRIFICING CHARITY. 67

One day as she was sick and suffering from head to
foot, and felt that it was impossible for her to rise
from her bed, she learned that a poor widow in the
neighbourhood was in absolute destitution, having not
evenaloaf of breadforherlittle children. Her heart bled,
and during the whole night she was begging her divine
Spouse to render her sufficient corporal strength to go
to the relief of this unhappy woman. She arose before
day -light, ran over the house, filled a little sack with
meal, took a large bottle of wine, a jug of oil, all the
aliments that she could find prepared. She succeeded
in gathering these articles together into her cell; but
it appeared impossible for her to carry them, all at
once, to the widow's house. She succeeded, however,
in her pious undertaking assisted by a supernatural
strength.

Her maladies followed not the order of nature ; God
governed them according to his will, as we shall see in
the sequel. Catharine imitated several times, notwith-
standing her infirmities, the matinal charity of St.
Nicholas. In the following incidents we shall see how
she renewed the beautiful alms of St. Martin.

One day while she was in the Church of the Friar
Preachers of Sienna, a poor man came to beg an alms
" for the love of God." She had not at that moment
any thing to give him, as she carried neither gold nor
silver. She besought the poor person to accompany
her as far as the house, promising to assist him as much
as she could. But he, who was undoubtedly poor in
*ppeirance, answered her — "If you have any thing to

68 LIFE OF ST. CATHABINE OF SIENNA.

give me, give it directly, I entreat you, for it is im-
possible for me to wait," Catharine would not afflict
him more, and sought some means of relieving him.
Her eyes fell upon a little silver Cross which was at-
tached to one of those little cords trimmed with knots,
on which the Lord's Prayer is recited, and called on
that account a " Pater Noster." Catharine instantly
broke the cord and offered the little silver Cross to the
poor person, who joyfully accepted it, and withdrew
at once as though he had not come to ask any thing
else. The night following, whilst Catharine was pray-
ing according to her custom, the Saviour of the world
appeared to her, holding in his hand the little silver
Cross all enriched with precious jewels, and he said to
her — "Daughter, dost thou recognise this Cross?"
" Perfectly well," replied Catharine, ** but it was not
«o handsome when it belonged to me." *' Yesterday,"
said our Lord, ".thy heart gave it to me, an offering
of love, and these precious stones represent that love.
And I now promise thee, that on the day of judgment,
in presence of the angels and of men, I will return it
to thee such as it now is, so that it may become thy
glory ; and at that solemn moment in which I will
manifest the justice and the mercy of my Father, I will
not conceal it, and will never permit that what thou
hast done for me shall be forgotten." He disappeared
after these words, and left Catharine wholly absorbed
with gratitude, and ready to continue similar alms, as
ve shall soon see.

Our Lord, ravished wjth the charity of his faithful

HER SELF-SACRmCHJIG CHABITT. 69

Spouse, tempted her for our example, and urged her on
to great things. One day Tierce having being recited,
every body left the Church; Catharine alone remained
with one of her companions to pray longer, and when
she descended from the chapel of the Sisters, intending
to return home, our Lord appeared to her under the
form of a young man only half clad — he appeared to be
a stranger, and aged about thirty-two or thirty-three
He implored her, in the name of God, to condescend
to give him some clothing. Catharine, more and more
ardent in alms-giving, said to him — " Wait here a
moment, my friend, until I return from the chapel,
and I will give you what you ask." And going back
into the chapel, she took off, without uncovering her-
self, aided by her companion, a garment without
sleeves, which she wore under her dress to protect he?
from the cold, and went joyfully to offer it to the poor
person. The latter was not satisfied and said to her —
u Madam, you have given me a woollen garment, but
can you not also give me something of linen to cover
me?" "Follow me," answered Catharine immediately,
"and you shall be content." Our Lord followed his
Spouse, without any mutual recognition ; when they
arrived at the house, Catharine ran to the place in
which her father and mother put their linen, took two
under garments and carried them quickly to the poor
mendicant, who appeared still dissatisfied. "But,
Madam," said he, " what shall I do with this garment
that has no covering for the arms? give me some sleeves
and you will have furnished me with a complete suit.'*

70 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

This demand, far from importuning Catharine, aug-
mented her zeal. She ran over the whole house in
search of sleeves; she found at length hanging on the
wall, a new dress belonging to the domestic ; she took
it down, and hurriedly removed the sleeves and carried
them to the man.

But he who tried Abraham still insisted, and said
to her, " Now, Madam, you have dressed me, and I
thank you, in the Name of him for whom you did it ;
but I have at the hospital one of my companions who
is in need of clothing : could you not give him some
article that I might take to him on your part ?"

The multiplied demands had not yet chilled the cha-
rity of Catharine, and she sought the means of cloth-
ing also the other necessitous person who was at the
hospital. But she remembered that all the inmates of
the house, her father excepted, complained of her do-
nations, and put what they had under lock and key,
so that she might not distribute them unto the poor.
She had already given the sleeves that belonged to the
domestic who was far from being in good circum-
stances ; she durst not take the whole gown ; t/hen she
began to examine seriously, whether she ought not to
give the sole dress that she had reserved ; charity whis-
pered yes, modesty said no. Charity triumphed over
itself — love for souls was victorious over love for the
body. She thought that, if she went out not having
on any dress, those who might see her would be scan-
dalized, which must be especially avoided. She there-
fore answered the poor man thus—" See now, good

HER SELr-SACKlFlCING CHATmT. 71

friend, were it possible for me to remain without this
dress, I would most cheerfully give it to you ; but as I
cannot and I do not find any other just now, I pray you
not to wish it of me. If I could, I should be delighted
to give you all that you request," The poor man smiled,
and said to her — " Yes, I see that you give me most
cordially whatever you possibly can ; farewell." As he
was leaving, Catharine fancied that she recognised by
certain signs that it was the heavenly Guest who so fre-
quently appeared to her, and who deigned to converse
familiarly with her. Her heart was at once troubled
and inflamed, but humility persuaded her that she was
unworthy ot such a favour, and then she continued her
usual daily exercises.

The night following, whilst Catharine was praying,
the Saviour of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, ap-
peared to her, under the figure of the destitute man,
holding in his hand the garment that she had given
him, richly embroidered with pearls and glittering witn
precious stones. " Beloved daughter," said €he Lord
to her, ' ' dost thou recognise this garment ?" And when
she replied affirmatively, but that she had not given it sc
richly adorned, our Saviour added, ** Yesterday, thou
gavest me this article with great love; thy charity
clothed me, and preserved me from ignominy. Now,
I will bestow on thee, from my own body, a garment
that shall be invisible to men, but perceptible to thee,
because it will preserve from cold both thy soul and thy
body, until the day in which I will clothe thee with h o
nour and glory before the saints a^d aagels," Aud iin-

72 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

mediately he drew from the wound of his adorable
Heart a vestment tinged with the purple hue of his
precious blood and beaming with light. He put it on
her with his own sacred hands, saying to her — "I give
thee on earth this vestment with its exclusive right, as
a symbol and pledge of the hope of glory that shall be
thine in heaven 1" The vision disappeared. The effi-
cacy of this divine garment was such, not only for her
soul, but also in reference to her body, that, from that
moment, Catharine wore neither in summer nor in win-
ter, more than one robe, and never added to it even in
the most severe cold. She has even acknowledged to
me, that she did not feel cold — her miraculous garment
preserved her, so that she did not think it possible for
her to require more.

Let us remark the merit of that faithful servant of
God. She follows in her secret alms-deed, the foot-
steps of St. Nicholas, and imitates in giving her very
personal clothing, the glorious St. Martin. Not only
did our Lord appear to her and return her thanks, but
the infallible Truth also gave her a formal promise of
an eternal recompense, and bestowed on her a sensible
And perpetual sign of the joy her alms had caueod
Him, who is of all alms-givers the best. He also as-
mres her of final perseverance, and distinctly makes
known to her the secret of her predestination and the
splendour of her reward. He did not accord similar
revelations to the Saints that we have mentioned above,
and who had done many, very many charitable deeds-
such favours are not to be lightly esteemed; they givo

HER SELF-SACRIFICING CHAPITY. 78

the soul a certainty of salvation, and an inexpressible
joy and comfort. The surety of possessing heaven ei-
cites her to the practice of every virtue ; it augments
patience, fortitude, temperance, zeal for pious works,
with the theological virtues Faith, Hope, and Charity
What appeared difficult becomes easy, the soul " can
do all things" for the love of Him who discloses to her
a predestination to glory and fortifies her continually.
We have already had striking proofs in the relations
just given ; the proofs are about to become more nu-
merous and more striking.

At another time, Catharine, always inflamed with
the fire of compassion, learned that a poor person, who
had voluntarily divested himself of his wealth, for the
love of God, was on the point of dying with hunger ;
she desired again " to feed" Jesus Christ in his poor,
and filled with eggs a linen sack which she had sewed
under her dress. When approaching the residence of
the poor person, she paid a visit to a church ; as soon
as her soul found itself in the house of prayer it rose
towards Him, to whom it was continually united ; she
fell into an ecstasy, losing the use of her senses ; her
body sunk down precisely on the side which bore the
sack filled with eggs, and weighed on it so heavily, as
to crush a large thimble of metal that was in the same
pocket, into three pieces, whilst the eggs, which charity
had deposited therein, suffered no injury ; they bore
the weight of Catharine during several hours, without
their shells being in the least impaired.

O&tharine's charity afeo glorified God by miracles.

74 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

The following wonderful fact, which was witnessed by
about twenty persons, I heard from her mother, Lapa,
from Lysa, her sister-in-law, and from Friar Thomas,
her first confessor. At the period in which she used
largely her permission to give to the poor whatever she
wished, &• happened that the wine of a hogshead which
the family i>vas using at table was found to be spoiled.
Catharine, who in respect to wine, bread, and all kinds
of food, desired to give to the poor, in honour of God,
what was the best in its kind, drew some good wine
from another hogshead, that no one had yet touched,
and distributed it daily. This cask, according to its
dimensions, could suffice for the family for fifteen or
twenty days, by closely economising. Before the family
had touched it, Catharine had distributed it plentifully
during a long time — no one in the house had leave to
prevent her. The one charged with the wine-cellar
began also to draw from the cask for the common use,
and Catharine was not at all remiss on her side ; she
even aiigmented her donations of it, presuming there
would be less complaint when every one partook of it.
Not only fifteen days, but twenty and even a month
elapsed, without the hogshead suffering any apparent
diminution in its contents. Catharine's brothers and
the domestics told this to her father, and all were de-
lighted to see the same wine answering so long the
daily wants of the family. Not only it lasted well, but
none of them ever remembered to have tasted any so
good or BO pleasant. The quantity and the quality
were equally amazing. Each and *11 profited by it,

HER SELF-SACRjnCING CHAETTY. 75

without being capable of explaining the phenomenon ;
Gatharine who was alone in the secret of the Benefactor,
drew continually and gave to all the poor that she
could find; yet the wine continued to flow, and its
flavour was unchanged. A second month passed, and
a third, and yet there was no difference. At length
the vintage-time arrived, and casks were to be prepared
for the reception of new wine. The persons in charge
were anxious to empty the inexhaustible hogshead in
order to fill it with the wine that already flowed from
the press; but the divine munificence was not wearied,
other vessels were prepared and filled, but all were in-
sufficient ; then, a young man who was conducting the
vintage gave orders to empty that hogshead, and bring
it to the wine press ; they answered him that on the
previous evening, a large vessel full had been drawn^
and that the wine was very strong and very clear, and
that consequently there must yet remain a considerable
quantity. Annoyed at their perseverance, he replied,
" Draw out whatever wine may be in it, open the cask,
and prepare it for the reception of the new wine, be-
cause we cannot wait any longer." They, therefore,
opened the cask, whence on the eve, wine beautifully
clear had flowed ; but it was so dry, that it seemed an
impossibility that any liquid could have been drawn
from it for a length of time. Astonishment seized them
all ; for they remembered the abundance and the qua-
lity of the wine which it had afforded, and they veri-
fied the extreme dryness of the hogshead from which
it had been drawn. Thi5 miracle was known to all the

70 LIFZ OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

city of Sienna ; it is attested by the persons then resi-
dent in the house of Catharine, and I have mentioned
above the individuals who related it to me.

CHAPTER IIL

Of the wonderful things Catharine performed when serving
the sick.

CATHARINE was wonderfully compassionate to the
wants of the poor, but her heart was even more sensi-
tive to the sufferings of the sick. To relieve them, she
accomplished things apparently incredible, but this is
no reason for suppressing them, and I shall therefore
relate them to the glory of Almighty God. I have, for
proof, the written and verbal testimony of Friar Tho-
mas, .whom I have already named, of St. Dominick of
Sienna, doctor of divinity, and prior provincial of the
Roman Province. I could also cite Lapa and Lysa
with several respectable ladies who have affirmed the
same things to me.

There was at Sienna a poor sick woman named Tecca ;
her indigence was so extreme, that she was forced to
seek in an hospital the remedies she needed, and which
she was unable to procure. The hospital in which she
entered was barely able to furnish what was strictly
necessary. Her disease grew worse and worse, so that
the leprosy covered her whole body ; the smell arising
from her disease repelled every one, so that no person
had courage to take care of her, and preparations were

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 77

made to remove her outside of the city, as is custom-
ary in such maladies. When Catharine heard this, her
charitable heart was touched; she hastened to the hos-
pital, visited the leper, kissed her, and offered not only
to supply all her necessities, but also to become her ser-
vant during the remainder of her life. Catharine lite-
rally fulfilled her promise ; every morning and every
evening, she visited the patient in person and gave her
whatever was necessary ; she contemplated in this poor
leper the spouse of her soul, and assisted her in every
possible way and with an indescribable respect and love.
The exalted virtue of Catharine, however, only in-
spired the leprous woman with pride and ingratitude;
this is quite usual with minds destitute of humility ;
they exalt themselves when they ought to humble them -
selves, and offer insults in return for benefits that de-
serve thanks. Catharine's charity and humility ren-
dered Tecca arrogant and irritable. When she saw
Catharine so solicitous in serving her, she considered
the charitable attentions due to her, and scolded her
benefactress with injurious words, when every thing
did not conform to her wishes. Often the servant of
our Lord prolonged her morning devotions in the
church, and hence came later than usual to the hospi-
tal. On such occasions Tecca would display her ill-
temper, in phrases like this: *' Good morning, my Lady,
Queen of Fonte-Branda (this was the name of the sec-
tion of the city in which Catharine resided ;) your Ma-
jesty takes pleasure in staying the livelong day in the
Church of the Friars ; it ip there you have wasted all

78 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

this forenoon I am sure, my fine lady ; you are never
weary of the dear Friars !" She strove to irritate her
by such words ; but Catharine, always calm, appeased
her in the best way she could, and answered with as
much meekness and humility as if she had been her
own mother — begging her to be quiet for the love of
our blessed Lord — * ' I have been a little late it is
true, but soon all your little wants shall be attended
to ;" and quickly lighting the fire and putting on wa-
ter, she would prepare her food, and arrange every
thing with such promptitude that the ill- tempered sick
woman herself would be in surprise. This continued
a considerable time, her patience and zeal never dimin-
ishing. Every body was in admiration except Lapa, who
complained — " Certainly, my daughter, you will take
the leprosy ; I desire that you will not serve that sick
person." But she, who placed all her confidence in
God, appeased her mother by assuring her that she
had nothing to fear, because Providence had confided
this work to her, and would never forsake her. Thus,
her charity triumphed over all obstacles, and pursued
what it had commenced. Satan then had recourse to
other means. Our Lord permitted her hands to be-
come covered with leprosy, in order to render the tri-
umph of his faithful spouse the more striking ; her fin-
gers which had touched the body of Tecca contracted
the infirmity, and it became evident that Catharine had
t&ken her contagious malady. This misfortune did not
arrest her, she preferred being covered with leprosy to
renouncing Ler charitable functions; her body she

HEtf SERVICE TO THE SICK. 79

looked upon as dust ; she was not anxious concerning
what might happen to it, if what she did were agree-
able to our Lord. The leprosy lingered a long time,
but divine love hindered her from perceiving it. At
last He who heals when striking, who exalts in abas-
ing, and who renders all profitable to those who love
him, after rejoicing in the courage of his handmaid,
would try her no longer. Tecca died, and Catharine
happily assisted her in her last agony. Her body was
frightful to behold. Catharine carefully washed it,
clothed it, exposed it, and buried it herself. When
this last act of charity was terminated, the disease dis-
appeared from Catharine's body suddenly ; her hands
seemed to be whiter than the rest of her person, as
though the leprosy had imparted additional delicacy
to them. Let us pause and admire the assemblage of
virtues which adorned Catharine in this deed. Charity,
their Queen, prompted it ; humility accompanied it,
rendering her the servant of this unfortunate woman ;
patience led to her support with joy the violence of the
leper's temper as well as the disgusts inseparable from
that loathsome malady ; the strength of her faith shows
to her in this diseased subject, the beloved Spouse whom
she desired to please, and hope never abandoned her,
as is shown by her perseverance to the end. A mira-
cle crowns all these virtues, for our Lord healed in-
stantly those hands that had been attacked with leprosy,
in serving Tecca during life and after death.

There was also in Sienna, at the time in which Ca-
thariiie devoted herself to the service of the sick and

SO LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

indigent, a Sister of Penance of St. Dominick, named
Palmerina, and who had publicly consecrated herself
with all her wealth to works of mercy. Notwithstand-
ing these two reasons for belonging entirely to God,
the devil made her his captive. A secret envy and a
remnant of pride had inspired her with a profound
hatred towards Catharine : not only did she find it dis-
agreeable to see her, but she could not even hear Ca-
tharine's name pronounced without being thrown into
a paroxysm of vexation ; she even denounced her in
public, and was so blinded by passion, that she went
so far as to calumniate and execrate the devoted ser-
vant of God.

Catharine employed all the resources of meekness
and humility in endeavouring to calm her, butall these
advances were despised. Catherine therefore addressed
herself to her divine Spouse as usual; by fervent
prayers she " heaped coals of fire on her head," (Rom.
xii. 20,) for these prayers soaring like flames towards
God, implored at once his justice and his mercy. Ca-
tharine only asked mercy, but God, who cannot sepa-
rate these two attributes, first manifested justice, and
then accorded to the prayers of his faithful spouse a
more striking proof of mercy. He afflicted Palmerina's
body, so as to heal her soul, and combated her rude
obstinacy by the sweet charity with which she had en-
riched his spouse. He also augmented Catharine's
zeal for the salvation of others, by revealing to her the
ineffable beauty of that soul which was condemned by
her own fault, but which she had miraculously saved

flER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 81

Dy ner merits and her prayers. Palmerina's illness did
not cure this disposition ; on the contrary, her hatred
only increased. Catharine tried every means of soften-
ing it ; she frequently proffered her assistance ; sought
to console her by testimonies of affection, and rendered
her all the services she could imagine ; but Palmerina
obdurately remained insensible to words and deeds
prompted by such tender charity ; Catharine's eager-
ness to serve her even seemed to render her odious, and
violent hatred at last provoked her to chase Catharine
from the house. Then the supreme Judge laid his hand
of justice on that enemy of charity ! strength suddenly
forsook her, and without being able to receive the last
Sacraments, Palmerina found herself in presence of
death, and of eternal condemnation !

As soon as Catharine learned this, she shut herself in
her own apartment and fervently conjured her Spouse
not to allow a soul to perish on her account — "Lord,"
said she, " shall I, a wretched creature prove the occa«
sion of loss to a soul created in thy image ? is that the
good thou wilt use me to effect ? no doubt my sins have
caused the whole, and yet I will continue to claim thy
mercy until my sister see her error, and thou eavest the
soul of that beloved one from death."

Whilst Catharine thus prayed, more with the heart
than with the lips, God, so as to excite a still more in-
flamed desire for succouring that perishing soul, made
known to her Palmerina's faults and the danger thai
menaced her : and when our Redeemer declared that ha
could not endure that a hatred so unjust and so impla-

82 LIFE OF ST. CATHARISTE OF SIENNA.

cable should remain without chastisement, Catharine
buried herself anew in profound supplication, and im-
plored our divine and mercciful Saviour not to suffer
the soul of Falmerina to depart until she had been re-
conciled with God and her neighbour.

Her prayer was so effectual that the patient could
not die; her agony endured three days and three
nights : all were astonished and suffered on seeing this
last combat so prolonged. Catharine was, however,
continually interceding, and the humility of her tears
triumphed over the Omnipotent. A ray of light from
heaven mercifully penetrated that soul in the midst of
her agony, discovered to it this fault, and gave it all the
graces necessary for salvation. Catharine knew it by
revelation, and hastened to the house. As soon as
Palmerina saw her, she bestowed on her every mark
of joy and respect ; she accused herself of her fault
aloud, and died shortly after, having received the
Sacrament, with signs of the deepest contrition. Our
Lord showed this soul as saved, to his spouse. Our
Lord then suggested to his beloved spouse that if He,
the source of all beauty, was so captivated with the
loveliness of souls, as to descend to earth, and shed for
them His precious Blood, how much more should we
diligently labour for each other, so that a creature so
Bxlmirable perish not. " If I have exhibited this soul
tothee," said our Divine Saviour, " it is to awaken in
thee a more inflamed desire of promoting the salvation
of souls, in proportion to the grace that I have given

tkflO."

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 83

Catharine thanked our Lord with effusion of heart,
and humbly entreated him to deign in future to show
her the beauty of the souls who might have relations
with her, so that she could become more devoted to
their salvation. God granted this favour, saying —
" Because thou hast despised the world, to attach thy-
self wholly to me, who am the perfect Spirit ; because
thou hast prayed with faith and perseverance for the
salvation of that soul ; behold I endow thee with su-
pernatural light, which will show thee either tho
beauty or the deformity of all the souls that thou wilt
meet. Thy interior sense will perceive the condition
of minds, as thy exterior senses perceive the state of
the body. And that will take place not only in respect
to persons present, but for all those whose salvation
may form the object of thy solicitude and thy prayers,
even though they be absent, and thou hast never as yet
Been them." The efficacy of that grace which God
granted her was such, that from that moment she actu-
ally saw more distinctly the souls than the bodies of
persons who approached her.

One day I rebuked her in private for not preventing
those who approached her from bending the knee be-
fore her, she thus answered me, " God is my witness
that I frequently do not perceive the actions of those
who surround me ; I merely occupy myself with their
souls, without paying any attention to their bodies.'*
Then I said to her — *• Do you perceive their souls ?"
" Father," answered she, " I acknowlege that my Sa-
viour deigned to accord me that grace, when he hear4

84 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

my prayers, on withholding from eternal flames a soul
that was precipitating herself into them by her own
fault. He then clearly showed me the ravishing
beauty of that soul, and since that time, it is rare for
me to see any one, without directly becoming acquain-
ted with their interior state." And she added — " O
Father, could you bisfc see the beauty of a rational soul,
• you would sacrifice your life a hundred times, were it
necessary, for its salvation. Uo, nought in this mate-
rial world is comparable to its beauty.' ' I then reques-
ted her to give me a full account of that transaction,
and in consequence she gave me the above narrative ;
only, that she softened as far as possible, the injuries
which the Sister had offered to her. Others of the
Sisters worthy of confidence, who were witnesses of it,
acquainted me with its grievousness.

I will add one fact, which will complete these re-
marks. I frequently served as interpreter between
Gregory XI. and Catharine ; she did not understand
Latin, and the Sovereign Pontiff did not speak Italian.
In one of these interviews Catharine asked why she
found in the court of Rome, in which all the virtues
ought to bloom, nothing but the contagion of disgrace-
ful vices. The Sovereign Pontiff asked her if it were
long since she arrived at the Court, and on being in-
formed that it was merely a few days since, he said to
her — ' ' How have you so soon learned what occurs here ? ' '
Then Catharine, quitting her humble posture in order
to assume an air of authority, which astonished me,
pronounced the following words — " I must decUre to

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 85

the glory of Almighty God, that I have perceived more
distinctly the infections of the sins that are committed
in the Court of Koine, while yet in my native city,
than those even who committed them, and are still
daily committing them." The Pope remained silent
I could not overcome my surprise, and shall never
forget the tone of authority with which Catharine
spoke to that great Pontiff.

It often happened to me and to those who accom-
panied her in journeys, to be found in her company in
places that we have never seen, and also to see for the
first time, persons of honourable and respectable ap-
pearance, but who were in reality addicted to vice.
Catharine knew their interior directly, and refused to
look at them or give any answer when they addressed
us; and if they would insist, she would say, " First,
let us purify ourselves from our faults and become
delivered from the bondage of Satan, then we will
converse about God." She would by this means soon
disencumber us of their presence, and we would very
soon discover that these persons were plunged in incor-
rigible profligacy.

The enemy of mankind, beholding the great merit
that Catharine was acquiring, and the good she effected
in souls by taking care of the sick, sought new means
of turning her from it ; but his malice was again de-
feated. He desired to render sterile that tree planted
by the running waters ; yet never, on the contrary, did
its branches bear more fruit. There was at that time a
Sinter of Penance of St Dorninick, called Andrea, who

86 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

was extremely ill with a cancer in the breast which con-
sumed and gnawed away gradually her whole chest ;
the odour from this wound was so disgusting that it was
impossible to approach her without closing firmly the
nostrils, and there was scarcely any one to be found
that was willing to pay the unfortunate Sister a friendly
visit. Directly Catharine knew this, she comprehended
that God reserved to her this poor forsaken one ; she
hastened to comfort her with a cheerful countenance,
and offered to assist her so long as that dreadful illness
might last. The sister accepted her offer the more
easily as she found herself neglected by all others.

Behold, therefore, the Virgin serving the widow,
youth succouring old age, and her who languished with
the love of God, devoted to one who languished with the
sorrows of earth. Cath arine omits no attention , although
the stench becomes more and more insupportable ; she
remains by the bedside continually using no precaution,
uncovers the wound, cleanses it and changes the linens,
and never exhibits the slightest repugnance, whatever
be the length of time required or the difficulty in the
dressing. The patient admires that constancy and
f ullness of charity in one so youthful. The enemy of
all good, irritated at such exalted virtue, has recourse
to artifice, worthy of himself. One day as the saint
uncovered the wound, a suffocating odour issued
f remit; her will, reposing on that of Jesus Christ,
is not moved ; but her stomach turns and endangers
vomiting. As soon as she perceives it, she becomes
angry with herself, reproaching herself with tills

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 87

weakness. " What," said she, " thou art disgusted at
thy Sister who is redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ I
Mayest not thou also fall sick, and become in even a
worse condition — thou shalt not remain unpunished.'
And immediately, stooping down over the breast of the
cancerous woman, she applied her mouth to the ulcer,
until she was sensible of having overcome her disgust,
and triumphed over that natural revolt. The sick
woman cried out, " Cease, daughter, dearest child, I
cannot endure that you should thus poison yourself with
that horrible corruption." Bub Catharine would not
rise until she had vanquished the enemy, who then left
her in tranquillity for a little while. Perceiving that
he could effect nothing with Catharine, he charged hii
batteries against the unhappy patient, who was not oil
her guard. This sower of tares commenced with in
spiring a certain wearisomeness of Catharine's services,
and ended at length by changing it into an inveterate
hatred. As no one except Catharine was capable of
continuing these cares, she attributed her perseverance
to a species of pride, in desiring to do more than
others ; and as hatred easily believes evil of those that
it pursues, this wretched woman, more diseased in mind
than body, listened to the devil to such a degree, as at
last to suspect Catharine's purity, and to believe that
she was committing some great sin when she was ab-
sent. Catharine remained firm as a column ; she only
saw her Spouse and continued with joy, before his eyes,
the work of zeal that she had commenced strong in pati-
ence : she laughed at the enemy whose snares she recog-

88 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

nised, and she took delight in provoking his anger oy
practising charity which is insupportable to him. Then
the devil blinded more and more the mind of the old
woman, and succeeded in irritating her so far, that she
publicly calumniated Catharine in the most shameful
manner.

These accusations spread abroad among the Sisters,
and some of the more advanced who directed the others,
came to visit the sick woman, and examine whether
these reports had any foundation. Andrea replied
whatever the devil suggested to her ; the Sisters being
extremely provoked, called Catharine, and, after hav-
ing addressed to her cruel and cutting reproofs, at last
asked her how it was possible that she had suffered
herself to be seduced and so lose her virginity. Ca-
tharine, always humble and patient, contented herself
with answering — " I assure you, Ladies and dear Sis-
ters, that by the grace of Jesus Christ, I am still a vir-
gin." And when they renewed this absurd falsehood,
her whole defence consisted in repeating — " Indeed I
am & virgin — indeed I am a virgin !"

This circumstance did not change her conduct at all.
However her heart grieved at this frightful calumny,
she continued to serve with the same love the author
of it ; but in the secret of her chamber, she took refuge
in prayer — "My omnipotent Saviour, my beloved
Spouse, thou knowest the delicacy of a female's repu-
tation, and how carefully thy spouses should preserve
their honour from the slightest reproach. For this
cause thou didst confide thy glorious Mother to St.

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 89

Joseph. Thou art acquainted with the efforts of the
* father of lies,' to deter me from what thy love has
urged me to undertake ; help me then, my Lord and
my God, for thou knowest that I am innocent, and
suffer not the old serpent to prevail against me." While
she thus poured out before God her tears and prayers,
the Saviour of the world appeared to her — he held in
his right hand a crown of gold enriched with precious
jewels, and in his left a crown of woven thorns — u Be-
loved daughter," said he to her, 4' know that thou must
bear successively, these very different crowns ; choose
the one that thou dost now prefer. If thou takest the
crown of thorns for this life, I will reserve the other
for thee after thy death ; but if now thou takest tho
precious one^ hereafter thou shalt wear the thorns.'1
" Lord," replied Catharine, " I have long since re-
nounced my own will, and have promised to follow
thine in all things : hence I have no choice to make •
but if thou wilt have me to answer, during this life, I
desire to be conformed to thy blessed Passion, and find
my chief delight in suffering with thee." Saying this
she took the crown of thorns with both hands, as the
Saviour presented it to her, and pressed it on her head
with so much violence that the thorns entered on all
sides. She felt the wounds sensibly after the vision, as
she herself informed me. Then the Lord said, " I am
all-powerful, and if I have allowed this scandal to oc-
cur, I can cause it to cease instantly. Complete tho
work that thou hast commenced, yield not to Satan
who would prevent thoe ; I will give thee a manifest

90 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

victory over him ; all that he has prepared against tliee
shall turn to his shame and thy glory." The servant of
God remained filled with consolation and with courage.
However, Lapa, her mother, became acquainted with
the reports that the sick woman had spread among the
Sisters ; and being quite certain of the innocence of her
daughter, she, indignant at the attempts of Andrea,
and in great anger said to Catharine, " How often have
I begged thee to leave that wicked woman ! this is the
recompense that she bestows on thee, dishonour before
all the Sisterhood ; if thou servest her again, if thou
dost even approach her, I will no longer call thee my
child." This was a new snare of the demon for arrest-
ing Catharine ; but she, on hearing her mother, kept
silent a moment ; and then approaching and kneel-
ing before her, she humbly said to her, "My be-
loved .mother, does the ingratitude of men prevent
God from daily exercising his mercy towards sinners ?
])id not our Saviour accomplish the salvation of the
world on the Cross, without heeding the insults offered
him ? You are so kind, dear mother, and you know
very well that were I to abandon that sick person, no
one would take care of her, and. she would die for want
of assistance ; would we not indeed become the cause
of her death ? She is deceived by Satan, but God may
enlighten her and lead her to acknowledge her error."
She thus appeased her mother, who blessed her, and she
returned to the diseased woman, and served as cheer-
ful v as though she had said nothing against her. An -
drea was surprised at seeing no appearance of trouble ;

HEK SERVICE TO THE SICK... 91

she could not deny that she was overcome, and she be-
gan to repent interiorly, and much more as she per-
ceived the zeal of her benefactress augumenting daily.
God at length took compassion on that misserable
woman and sent her, so as to glorify his spouse, the fol-
lowing vision. One day as Andrea was in bed, it seemed
to her that the moment in which the servant of Jesus
Christ entered the room and approached the bed (on
which the sick woman was laid,) a great light came
down from heaven, surrounded her and filled her with
such sweetness and joy, that she, so to speak, forgot
her sufferings; she did not comprehend this new state,
and looked about on all sides, when she saw the coun-
tenance of Catharine so changed and transfigured, that
she no longer beheld the daughter of Lapa, but the ma-
jestic figure of an angel, and the brilliancy that sur-
rounded her, enveloped her as a garment. At this spec -
tacle, regret for her fault, increased in her heart, with
bitter self-reproach for having so basely caluminated so
holy a person. This vision which she contemplated with
her corporal eyes, lasted a long time, and when it disap-
peared, it left the sick woman at once sad and consoled.
Her sadness was that which, according to the Apostle,
accomplishes justice. 2 Cor. vii. 10. She instantly asked
pardon of Catharine, amid tears and sobs, accusing her-
self of having sinned against her, and calumniated her.
The exterior light which she had seen, illuminated her
soul, and caused her to recognise the imposture of the
demon. Catharine embraced the poor penitent, and
consoled her the best she could, assuring her that she had

92 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

not for a moment even thought of abandoning her, cr
retained the slightest ill -feeling towards her : ' ' Beloved
mother," said she to her, " I knew perfectly well that
the enemy of our salvation was the originator of those
scandals, and that he had deceived you by his grievous
malice. I do not accuse you but him. I thank you, on
the contrary, for the kind affections which induced you
to be so anxious concerning my virtue." After thus
comforting her, she administered to her the usual atten-
tions, and quickly returned home so as not to lose time.
But Andrea, wholly penetrated with the conscious-
ness of her fault, caused those persons before whom she
had calumniated Catharine to be called ; she confessed
with moans her deep guilt, and how fearfully the devil
had deceived her ; she proclaimed aloud that she of
whom she had uttered so much evil, was not only inno-
cent, but that she was a saint filled with the Spirit of
God, and that she has now a proof of it. And as they
demanded an explanation, she responded that she had
never felt nor comprehended what were spiritual sweet-
ness and consolation before having seen Catharine trans-
figured before her and environed with light. This testi -
mony increased Catharine's reputation with the public,
and the devil who had endeavoured to tarnish it, served
on the contrary, through the intervention of the Holy
Spirit, to glorify it. But our Saint remained as calm in
triumph as in trial ; she pursued her charitable work,
applying at the same time to the study of her own no-
thingness. He who alone exists by his own power
charged himself with honouring her ; but the implaca-

HER SERVICE TO THE SICK. 93

blo enemy who may be indeed vanquished, but never
destroyed, returned to the charge, and determined
again to conquer, by the revolt of nature.

One day as the servant of God uncovered the horrible
ulcer to wash it, the infected odour which arose from it
inspired a violent disgust which the devil strove to in-
crease. Her stomach bounded with nausea. This re-
pulse was so much the more painful to her, as, just then,
the new victories which she had gained by the grace of
the Holy Spirit, had helped her to acquire new virtues.
Filled with a holy anger against herself, she said, " thou
shalt wallow what inspires thee with such horror : and
immediately, collecting in a saucer the water in which
she had washed what flowed from the wound, she went
aside and drank the whole. I recollect that one day,
when others related this circumstance in her presence,
she said to me in an undertone, " Father, I assure
you, that in my whole life, I never tasted any thing
so sweet and so agreeable."

I found in the writings of Friar Thomas, her first
confessor, that the same thing happened to her — when
her mouth was applied to the ulcer, she acknowledged
to him that she then perceived a delicious odour. In
the night that followed this last victory, the Saviour of
men appeared to Catharine while she was praying ; he
showed her the five sacred wounds that he received for
our salvation on the Cross. " Beloved," said he to her,
" thou hast sustained for me great combats, and, with
my assistance, thou hast remained victorious. Never
hast thou been dearer or more pleasing to me — yester-

9 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

day in particular thou didst ravish my heart. Not only
didst thou despise sensual pleasures, disdain the opi-
nions of men, and surmount the temptations of Satan,
but thou didst overcome nature, by joyfully drinking
for my sake a loathsome, horrible beverage. Wall, since
thou hast accomplished an action so superior to nature,
I will bestow on thee a liquor above nature." And plac-
ing the right hand on Catharine's neck, he drew her to
the wound of his sacred side, saying to her, " Drink,
daughter that luscious beverage which flows from my
side, it will inebriate thy soul with sweetness and will
also plunge in a sea of delight thy body, which thou
didst despise for love of me." Catharine, thus placed
at the very fountain of life, applied her mouth to the
sacred wound of the Saviour ; her soul drew thence an
ineffable and divine liquor ; she drank long and with
us much avidity as abundance ; in fine, when our bles-
sed Lord gave her notice, she detached herself from
the sacred source, satiated, but still eager, because she
experienced no repletion at being satiated, nor pain at
still desiring. O ineffable mercy of the Lord, how de-
lightful thou art to those who love thee ! how delici-
ous to such as taste thee ! Alas, Lord, I, and those who
have not experienced it, cannot comprehend it ; the
blind cannot judge of the beauty of colours, nor the
deaf the charms of harmony. So as not to be ungrate-
ful, we contemplate and admire, as far as we are able,
the great favours thou dost accord to thy saints, and
although they far surpass us, we thank thy divine
Majesty for them in proportion to our strength.

HER MIRACULOUS MANNER OF LIVING. 95

Dear reader, observe the wonderful virtue of Catha-
rine. Admire that inspiration of charity which inclines
her to perform an act so repugnant to nature : consider
the zeal which influences her, notwithstanding the re-
volt of her senses ; remark that amazing courage that
cannot be intimidated by the shocking calumny and
odious ingratitude of the sick woman; contemplate, in
fine, that soul which derives its strength from God,
which praise cannot render haughty, and which gains
over the flesh a last triumph, by drinking what it shud-
dered with horror merely to see. All this is noble, and
there are very few, especially in our day, who would
perform similar deeds. But consider also the reconv
pense. After Catharine had subdued her thirst at the
side of our blessed Redeemer, grace so superabounded
in her soul that her body experienced its effects ; it
became impossible for her to take even the insignificant
amount of nourishment which she took before. I will
give a full account of it ere long, but it is time to ter-
minate this important chapter, which I could not well
diminish in length.

CHAPTER IV.

Of her manner of living and of the roprosiehes which were made
her conceiniing her complete abstinence.

THE incomparable Spouse of souls had tried his be-
loved daughter in the furnace of great tribulations; he
taught her to overcome the enemy of souls in every va-

96 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

riety of combat : it only remained for him to crown her
in a manner worthy of his own divine munificence ; but
the souls she was destined to succour in their pilgrim-
age had not yet profited by her virtues as much as the
Saviour desired and had promised, and it was requisite
that Catharine should remain in the world, receiving
in it the pledges of her eternal reward. Our Lord made
known by revelation, to his faithful servant the celes-
tial life that she was to lead in this valley of tears.

One day while she was praying in her little chamber
he appeared to her, and announced to her the kind of
new miracle that he was going to operate in her —
" Learn my sweetest daughter, that henceforth thy life
will be filled with prodigies so amazing that ignorant
and sensual men will refuse to believe them. Many
even of those persons who are attached to thee, will
doubt them and fear an illusion caused by excess of love
to me. I will diffuse in thy soul such an abundance of
grace, that thy body itself will experience its effects and
will live no longer except in an extraordinary manner
thy heart shall become so ardent for the salvation of
thy neighbour, that thou shalt forget thy sex and its
reserve ; thou shalt no more avoid as formerly the con-
versation of men, but thou shalt expose thyself to every
species of fatigue in order to save their souls; thy con-
duct will scandalize many, who will contradict thee and
accuse thee publicly. Be not alarmed, and be not anxi-
ous; I will be ever with thee, and I will deliver thy soul
from the deceitful tongue and from the lips that speak
falsely. Follow therefore courageously the inspiration

HER MIRACULOUS MANNER OF LIVING. 97

which will enlighten thee ; for I shall draw, by thy aid,
numerous souls from the gulf of hell, and I will con-
duct them, with the help of my grace, to the kingdom
of heaven." Catharine heard these words several
times, and when our Lord repeated to her, " fear
nothing, be not troubled;" she answered, " Thou art
my God, and I am but thy little handmaid ; may thy
will ever be accomplished, but remember me and in-
cline unto my aid, according to the greatness of thy
mercy." The vision disappeared, and Catharine re-
flected interiorly what that change could be that was
announced to her.

From day to day however, the grace of God increased
in her soul, and the spirit of God so abounded within
her, that she sung with the Prophet, " For thee my
flesh and my heart hath fainted, O God of my heart,
and my eternal inheritance." Ps. Ixxii. 26 ; and again/
'* I remember God, and was delighted, and being ex-
ercised my spirit swooned away." Ps. Ixxvi. 4. God
therefore inspired her with the thought of receiving
her divine Spouse as often as possible in the holy Eu-
charist, since she could not enjoy him yet in heaven —
hence she adopted the habit of daily communion, ex-
cept when hindered by her own indisposition and by the
cares whichshe bestowed on others.

Her desire for frequent communion was so vehe-
ment, than when it was not satisfied she suffered so
violently as to become in danger of death. Her body
which participated in the joys of her spirit, necessarily
shared in the pain attendant on its privations. We

98 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

shall hereafter dilate on this subject ; at present we in-
tend explaining her miraculous way of living, accord-
ing to her confessions to me, and the writings of her
first confessor.

Heavenly favours and comforts so overwhelmed the
soul of Catharine after that last vision, that they inun-
dated, so to speak, her body. Its vital functions be-
came so modified, that food was no longer necessary to
her, and aliments caused her serious suffering. When
she was obliged to take food, she was so incommoded
that it would not remain in the stomach — and it would
be quite impossible to describe her grievous pains on
such occasions. In the beginning, this state appeared
incredible to all, even to her relatives and those who
were truly attached to her ; they call this extraordi-
nary favour from God, a temptation or a snare of
Satan. Even her Confessor commanded her to take
food daily and not to give heed to any visions that
would give her contrary advice.

In vain Catharine assured him that she was well and
strong, so long as she received no nourishment, and
became sick and weak as soon as she used it — he con-
tinually prescribed to her to eat ; she obeyed through
Virtue, as far as she was able, but these endeavours re-
duced her to such a state that fears were entertained
for her life. She therefore caused her confessor to be
called and said to him — " Father, if through excessive
fasting, I was in danger of death, would you not pro-
hibit me from fasting, so as to prevent me from com-
mitting suicide?" u Without doubt," answered the

HER MIRACULOUS MANNER OP LIVING. 99

Confessor. "But, resumed she, " is it not as bad to
expose one's self to sin by eating as by fasting ? If,
therefore, you see, by the numerous experiments of
which you have been witness, that I am killing myself
by taking nourishment, why do you not forbid me,
as you would forbid me to fast, if the fast produced a
similar result ?" There could nothing be said in reply
to this reasoning, and her Confessor, who saw the
danger to which he was exposing her, said to her —
" Henceforth act according to the inspirations of the
Holy Ghost, for I perceive that God is acomplishing
marvellous things in you.

Catharine suffered excessively from her parents and
friends. Those who surrounded her measured her
words and deeds, not by God's rule, but by the common
one, and their own ; they were in the valley and wished
to judge concerning what was on the summit of the
mountain : they ignored principles, yet would discourse
prudently concerning consequences ; the brightness of
the light blinded them and prevented them from ap-
preciating colours ; they disturbed themselves unrea-
sonably and blamed the rays of that radiant star ; they
wished to direct her whose lessons they could not even
understand ; night was reproaching day for its splen-
dour ! They secretly accused her, calumniated her
under an appearance of zeal, and forced, as it were,
her Confessor to deviate from her way. It would be
too lengthy to describe the interior trials and anguish
of Catharine. Devoted to obedience and self -con -
teaipt, she knew not ho\v to excuse herself and duntf,

100 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

not resist the orders of her Confessor, and yet she was
convinced that the will of God was opposed to that of
men ; but in the fear of displeasing him, she could not
decide to disobey and thus scandalize her neighbour.
Prayer was her refuge, and she poured out at the
Saviour's blessed feet tears of melancholy hope, humbly
supplicating him to deign to make his will known to
those who opposed her, above all to her Confessor,
whom she dreaded to offend.

She could not say to him, as did the Apostles to the
chief priests—" It is better to obey God than men." —
(Acts v. 29.) She would have been answered that the
demon conforms himself into an angel of light : that
we should not rely on our own prudence, but follow
the counsels given . The Lord heard Catharine on this
occasion as on others ; he enlightened her Confessor,
and changed his opinion ; but that did not hinder others
thinking ill of her, and failing in discernment. Had
they examined attentively how God had unveiled to her
the artifices of Satan ; how he had taught her to com-
bat and obtain glorious victories; had they remarked
to what a high degree she was endowed with the gift
of understanding, and what reason she-had to say with
me Apostle — " we are not ignorant of its wickedness."
— JS/on enim ignoramus astucias ejus (2 Cor. 11), they
would have observed silence, and not dared, in the im-
perfection of their knowledge,to exalt themselves above
so perfect a master. Little rivulets ought not to change
the course of majestic rivers ; I have often said this
formerly to those who censured Catharine, and I re-

HER MIRACULOUS MANNER OF LIVING. 101

peat it here, so that certain individuals may profit
by it.

But let us return to our subject. The first time that
these extraordinary facts occurred we were at the be-
ginning of Lent, and Catharine, supported by the
grace of God, remained till the feast of the Ascension,
without taking any corporal nourishment, and with-
out any diminution of strength or gaiety. Are not the
fruits of the Holy Ghost, charity, joy, and peace ?
(Gal v. 22.) Did not the eternal Truth say, that " man
liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that
coineth from the mouth of God," (St. Matt. iv. 4) and
" the just liveth by faith." (Rom. i. 17.) On the day
of the Ascension she was able to eat, as our Lord had
told her, and as she had announced to her Confessor.
She ate, in fact, bread and vegetables ; she then re-
commenced her fast, and ended by observing it almost
continually, interrupting it sometimes only, and at
long intervals. Whilst her body fasted, her soul took
a more and more abundant nourishment. She ap-
proached, as frequently as she could, the holy Table,
and there derived every time, with ardour, a new sup-
ply of graces. Her organs had suspended their func-
tions ; but the Holy Spirit, which was acting in her,
vivified at once her soul and body, and he that believes
in divine things can affirm that her whole existence was
supernatural and miraculous.

Often have I seen that feeble body reduced to the
last extreme of weakness ; but if in the moment that
we expected to see her expire, an occasion presented

102 LIFE OP St, CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

of rendering any honour to God or aiding a soul, not
only life returned to her, but with it such wonderful
energy, that she walked, acted, and performed more
than those who were in good health, and without
appearing to suffer the slightest fatigue. How ex-
plain this fact otherwise than by the action of the
Holy Spirit, which sustained simultaneously the soul
and body? When she began to live without taking
nourishment, her Confessor asked her if she did not
sometimes experience an appetite? "God satisfies
me so," she answered, " in the holy Eucharist, that it is
impossible for me to desire any species of corporal
nourishment." And as her Confessor inquired whether
she did not at least experience hunger on the days in
which she did not communicate, " His sole presence
satiates me," said she, " and I acknowledge even that
it suffices for me to see a priest that has just said Mass,
to be happy."

Catharine was, therefore, at once satisfied and fast-
ing ; deprived of all exteriorily, but abundantly nour-
ished in the interior ; thirsty in her body, but inundated
in her soul by torrents of living waters, and always
when necessary strong and joyous. But the old and
tortuous serpent could not endure such a great favour
from Heaven, without seeking to empoison it with the
venom of envy. He excited against the servant of
God, on the occasion of her extraordinary fast, all those
who knew her, whether laymen or Religious. We
must not be astonished to find that even religious per-
sons were opposed to her. When the self -love of such

HER MIRACULOUS MANNER OP LIVING. 103

is not entirely dead, it sometimes arouses a more dan-
gerous jealousy in them than in others, especially
when they behold things which are impossible for them
to attain. Let us recall the story of the Fathers of the
celebrated Thebaide ; one of the disciples of St. Maca-
rius, having taken secular clothes, went out and pre-
sented himself at a considerable monastery, which was
under the direction of St. Pacomius. At the earnest
request of the Superior he entered the community :
but the austerity of his life, and his extraordinary pen-
ances so frightened the other monks that they almost
revolted against Pacomius, and came one day to tell
him: "that unless he immediately dismissed this monk
they would one and all quit his monastery on that very
day." If men who appeared to be almost perfect spoke
in this manner, what might we not expect from those
of our own.

Every one murmured against Catharine's fast. Some
said : No one is greater than our blessed Lord, who
ate and drank. His glorious mother did the same, as
well as the Apostles, for their divine Master recom-
mended them to eat and drink what they could find.
Edentes et liberties, qux apud illos sunt. (St. Luke x.
7.) Who can surpass, or even equal them ? Others
said that all the Saints had taught by their words and
their examples, that we should never be singular in
our way of living. Others pretended that all excess
is vicious, and that such as fear God ought to avoid it.
Others respected her intentions and only said that she
was the victim of an illusion. Others again, more

104 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

coarse and vulgar, calumniated her publicly, and re-
peated continually that it was a kind of vanity that
prompted her to wish to be noticed ; that she did not
fast really, but fed herself well in secret.

If I did not refute all these rash and absurd judg-
ments, I should think that I was offending God. I
pray, therefore, that it be remarked, that if the objec-
tion that is drawn from our Lord, the Blessed Virgin,
and the Apostles be just, it would follow that St. John
the Baptist was greater than our Lord himself: for it
is said of him in the Gospel that John neither eat nor
drank, whilst the Son of Mary, on the contrary, ate and
drank. (Mat. xi. 18.) It would also follow that An-
thony, the Macariuses, the Hilariens, the Serapions,
and many other hermits, who fasted more than the
Apostles, consequently surpassed them. If it be ob-
jected that John in the wilderness, and the monks in
Egypt did not entirely fast, but took from time to
time some food, what shall be said of St. Mary Mag-
dalen, who remained thirty-three years in a grotto,
without touching any aliment, as is related in history,
and the place in which she dwelt also proves, which
was, at that time, inaccessible. What shall be said
of the saints who aho passed considerable time without
eating, and who contented themselves for the most
part of the time with receiving holy Communion on
Sunday. No, let those who are unaware, be informed
that sancity is not measured by fasting, but by holy
charity; let them know that we should not decide upon
things with which we ire not acquainted, and also hear

HEP. MIRACULOUS MANXES OF LIVTNa. 105

the words of incarnate wisdom on tins subject. (Luke
viL 32.) " Whereunto then shall I liken the men of
this generation ? and to what are they like ? They
are like children sitting in the market-place, and
speaking one to another, and saying : We have piped
to you. and you have not danced j we have mourned,
and you have not wept?" And our Lord adds, " John
the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking
wine ; and you say, he hath a devil. The Son of Man
is come eating and drinking ; and you say that he is
a glutton and a drinker of wine." These words of the
Saviour refute those who offered the first named objec-
tion to Catharine.

As to the second, those who avoid all extraordinary
ways, we may easily reply, that if a soul ought not to
adopt these ways through an impulse of self-will, she
ought to follow them with gratitude, when God deigns
to indicate them ; she would otherwise despise hia
grace, and when the Scripture says that the just man
ought not to seek what is above him, he adds directly,
" For many things are shown to thee above the under-
standing of men." (Eccl. iii. 25. ) That is, thou must
not be inquisitive concerning things above thee ; but
if God reveals it to thee be thankful. This happened
in the case of which we are now speaking ; the agency
of God was manifest, and no one had a right to
apply the common rule. The servant of God con-
cealed this under the veil of sincere humility, when
she answered those who asked her why she took no
nourishment — " God," said she, " on account of

106 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

my sins, has stricken me with this infirmity which
prevents me from taking food ; I desire to eat, but it
is impossible. Ask God, I entreat you, to pardon the
sins for which I am suffering.' As if she had said,
God is the author of this and not myself. So as to
destroy even the appearance of vanity, she attributed
the whole to her sins, and in so doing she did not speak
in contradiction with what she thought, because she
was persuaded that God permitted the false judgments
of men, for the punishment of her faults; she imputed
to herself all the ill that happened, and to God alone
all the good. This was her rule in every circumstance,
what we have just advanced should also serve as a re-
ply to those who recommend the avoiding of extremes.
An extreme is never culpable when God indicates it,
and in such a case, man ought not to shun it.

As to such as pretend that she was in illusion, I beg
them to be so kind as to answer me — if hitherto Ca-
tharine had perfectly triumphed over the snares and
temptations of the demon, is it probable that she would
have yielded in this circumstance ? But admit this,
who could preserve the strength of her body ; if we
say that the devil could do it, who could have main-
tained her mind in joy and peace, when it was de-
prived of all interior comfort? These are fruits of
the Holy Spirit which the demon never could produce ;
it is written that "the fruits of the Holy Ghost are
charity, joy, and peace." (Ep. Gal. v. 22.) And it is
impossible to attribute them to the enemy of salvation.
May we not, on the contrary, suspect him who would

HER MIRACULOUS MANtfEB OF LIVING. 107

say the opposite, of being the sport of the evil spirit ?
If the devil were capable of seducing her who had so
frequently defeated his wiles in her own soul and in
the souls of others, her whose body lived and was sus-
tained in a supernatural manner, her whose soul en-
joyed continued peace and spiritual joy, how much
more rational is it to presume that he is deceived to
whom none of these circumstances have occurred. It
is highly probable that if any one be deceived, it is not
she who had been preserved previously. In fine, it is
better to answer nothing to skilful calumniators ; they
merit only the contempt of upright persons. What
degree of virtue would they not attack ; those who re-
semble them, called our blessed Saviour a demon —
why should they not defame his faithful servant.

Catharine, full of the spirit of prudence and desirous
of imitating her divine Master, remembered that when
St. Peter asked him for the two didrachinas that he
was obliged to pay for the tax, he proved to him that
he was exempt ; but that he added — " But that we
may not scandalize them, go to the sea, and cast in a
hook ; and that fish which shall first come up take ;
and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shalt find a
stater ; take that, and give it to them for thee and
me." (Matt. xvii. 26.) Catharine was willing to ap-
pease their murmurs, and determined tliat every day,
she would go once and take a seat at th« common
table, and endeavour to eat. Although she used
neither meat, nor wine, nor drink, nor eggs, and did
not even touch bread, what she took, or rather wliat

108 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

she tried to take, caused her such sufferings that those
that saw her, however hard-hearted they were, were
moved to compassion ; her stomach could digest no-
thing, and rejected whatever was taken into it ; she
afterwards suffered the most terrible pains, and her
whole body appeared to be swollen she did not swal-
low the herbs which she masticated, she only drew
from them their juice and rejected their substance.
She then took pure water to cool her mouth ; but
every day, she was forced to throw up what she had
taken, and that with so much difficulty, that it was
necessary to assist her by every possible means.

As I was frequently witness of this suffering, I felt
an extreme compassion for her, and I counselled her
to let men talk, and spare herself such torture ; she
answered me with a smile — " Is it not better to ex-
piate my sins at present, and not be punished during
all eternity ? The judgments of men are very profit-
able to me, since they cause me to avoid infinite pains
by enduring these transient onesj no, I certainly
ought not to shun God's justice, and the great grace
he accords me of allowing me to make satisfaction in
;his world." She was so convinced that she was thus
paying a debt of justice to God, that she said to her
companions — " Come, let us do fit justice to this mis-
erable sinner." In this way all the persecutions of
men and all the attacks of Satan contributed to her
perfection.

One day as we were conversiog together of God's
graces, she said to me — " Did we but know how to

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 109

use the graces that God bestows on us, we would
profit by all that happens to us. In favourable events
or in contradictions, say always — * I must reap some-
thing from this ;' were you to act thus, you would
very soon be rich." Alas ! how much I might have
profited by this lesson and numerous others. But you,
my reader, do not imitate me, but meditate on her in-
struction and follow her example. I intreat the Author
of all good to enlighten you, and grant me also light
to imitate this holy soul with courage and persever-
ance. With this I terminate this chapter, in which I
have just told what I learned from Catharine herself
or the Confessor that preceded me.

CHAPTER V.

Of Catharine's wonderful ecstasies and of the great revelations
which she received from God.

OUR Lord, who had bestowed on his spouse a corpo-
ral lif e so extraordinary, also treated her soul in a mar-
vellous manner, and favoured it with ineffable conso-
lations ; her physical strength was supernatural and had
its source in the abundance of grace that she received ;
hence having spoken of the prodigy of her material
existence, it is suitable also to speak of the miracles by
which her soul was enriched. From the moment in
which this holy virgin allayed her thirst at the wounded
side of our Lord, grace was so abundant and supreme
in her soul, that she Tras, we may say. in a continual

110 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

ecstasy. Her mind was so constantly and intimately
united to her Creator, that the inferior part of her
being ordinarily ceased its functions. Athousand times
we have been witnesses of it ; we saw and touched her
arms and hands, so strongly contracted that they could
have been more easily broken than their position
changed. Her eyes were entirely closed, her ears heard
no noise, however great it might be, and all her cor-
poral senses became powerless. And all this will not
surprise, if attention be given to what follows. God
began from that time to manifest himself to his spouse,
not only when she was alone, as formerly, but in pub-
lic, when she walked, or when she was remaining tran-
quil ; and the fire of love that inflamed her heart was
BO great that she told her Confessor that it was impos-
sible to find expressions to depict what she experienced.
One day in the fervourof her prayer, she said with the
prophet, " Create within me, O God, a new heart/
&c., and supplicated our Lord to condescend to take
away her own heart and her own will. It seemed to
her that her Spouse presented himself to her, opened
her left side, took out her heart and carried it with
him, so that in reality she no longer perceived it in her
breast. This vision was striking, and her attendant
symptoms agreed with it so well, that when she spoke
of it to her Confessor, she assured him that she Lad
really no heart. Her Confessor began to laugh, and
rebuked her for saying anything of the kind, but she
only renewed her assurance. " Really, Father,' 'said
sbfi to Mm, "as far as I can judge of what I expert.-

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. Ill

eiice in my person, it seems to me that I have no heart.
The Lord appeared to me, opened my left side, drew
out my heart, and went away." And, as her Confes-
sor declared to her that it would be impossible to live
without any heart, she answered that nothing was im-
possible with God, and that she had a heart no longer.
Some days later, she was in the Chapel of the Church
of the Friar Preachers, in which the Sisters of Pen-
ance of St. Dominick assemble ; she remained there
alone so as to continue her prayer, and was disposing
herself to return home, when on a sudden she saw her-
self environed with a light from heaven, and amid this
light, the Saviour appeared to her, bearing in his sacred
hands a heart of vermillion hue and radiating fire.
Deeply affected with this presence and this splendour,
she prostrated herself on the ground. Our Lord ap-
proached, opened anew her leftside, and placed in it the
heart which he bore, and said to her, " Daughter, the
other day I took thy heart ; to-day I give thee mine,
and this will henceforward serve thee." After these
words he closed her breast ; but, as a token of the mi-
racle, he left there a cicatrice that her companions have
frequently assured me they had seen, and when I ques-
tioned her pointedly on this subject, she avowed to me
that the incident was really true, and that from that
period she had adopted the custom of saying, " My
God, I recommend to thee my heart."

When Catharine had obtained that heart in so sweet
and wonderful a manner, the abundance of grace which
her soul possessed, rendered her exterior actions more

xl2 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINB OP SIENNA,

and more perfect and multiplied the divine revelations
in the interior. She never approached the altar, with-
out seeing gome beautiful vision superior to the senses,
above all when she received holy Communion. She of ten
perceived in the priest's hands a new-born infant, or a
lovely youth : sometimes a furnace of fire, into which
the priest seemed to enter at the moment in which he
consumed the adorable Eucharist. Commonly she per-
ceived so delicious and penetrating an odour, when she
received the sacred Host, that she was on the point of
swooning away. As soon as she approached the Holy
Sacrament of the Altar, an ineffable joy was awakened
in her soul, and caused her heart to beat so violently,
that persons who surrounded her could distinctly hear
it. Friar Thomas was advertised of this, and being
her Confessor, he verified this circumstance with great
care and affirmed it in his writings. This noise, occa-
sioned by the beating of the heart, did not at all re-
semble anything that could have been produced by
the organs ; it was something singular and supernatural
effected solely by the power of the Creator. Did not
the Prophet say — "My heart and my flesh shall exult
in the Lord." Cor meum et caro mea exultaverunt in
Deum vivum, (Ps. Ixxiii. 3.) The Prophet styles
God the living God, because that agitation, that trem-
bling which comes from him, purifies man, instead of
putting him to death.

After that wonderful exchange of hearts, Catharine
appeared to herself to have undergone ail amazing
change ; " Father," said she to her Confessor, " do you

EXTRAORDINAEY REVELATIONS. 113

not perceive that I am no longer the same? I &oi com-
pletely changed; oh! did you but know what I expe-
rience 1 No— certainly, if it were comprehended what
passes within my soul, there would be no harshness
nor pride that could resist it. All that I can say falls
short of reality." She sought, however, to give an idea.
"My soul," said she, "is so inebriated with joy and
delight, that I am astonished that it remains in my
body. Its ardour is so great, that external fire is as
nought in comparison with it; it seems to me that I
should find refreshment in that. And this ardour
operates in me such a renovation of purity and humi-
lity, that I feel as though I had returned to my fourth
year of age. The love of my neighbour also augments
in me to such a degree, that it would be my greatest
pleasure to die for any one." All this she told her
Confessor in secret, and concealed it as far as possible
from others. These confidential interviews display
the abundance of grace that the Lord poured into the
soul of his servant. If I were to extend the subject, I
should fill volumes ; but I limit myself to citing somo
facts which prove more evidently the sanctity of Ca-
tharine. Among these facts, I cannot pass in silence
the admirable visions which she received from Heaven.
One day the King of kings and the Queen his mother,
appeared to her with St. Mary Magdalen, to console
and fortify her. Our Lord said to her : " What wilt
thou — which wilt thou choose, thine or mine?'1 Catha-
rine wept and humbly replied, like St. Peter, " Lord.

thou knowest what 1 will, thou knowest that I have

I

114 LIFE OF SI OAnCARINE OF SffiNNA-

uo other will than thine, and that thy Heart is iny
heart." Then the thought was suggested to her that
Mary Magddlen gave herself totally to our Lord, when
she bathed his sacred feet with her tears , and as she
felt the sweetness and the love which that saint then
experienced, her eyes remained fixed upon her. Our
Lord, to correspond to her desires, said to her, "My
beloved daughter, in order to sustain thee, I give thee
Mary Magdalen for mother thou canst address thy-
self to her in all assurance, I charge her with you in a
special manner.' Catharine was profoundly moved
to thanksgiving and recommended herself with fervour
to Mary Magdalen ^ she humbly implored her to watch
over her salvation, since the Son of God had entrusted
her to her care From that moment she enjoyed a
tender devotion towards that saint, and always called
her mother There is. it appears to me, a significa-
tion in these relations with Mary Magdalen that wo
ought to observe. That saint passed thirty-three
years on a rock, without taldng any nourishment, and
in continual contemplation , those years represent the
life oi our Lord upon earth ; Catharine, from that ap-
parition, until her thirty-third vear, (in which she
died,) was BO absorbed in divine contemplation, that
she had no need of any aliment, and lived by tho
graces that superabound in her soul. Mary Magdalen
seven times a day was borne towards heaven by Angels,
and beheld the secrets of God Catharine was con-
tinually ravished in celestial contemplation, in order to
praise God and tho Angels, and her body was often

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 115

raised above the earth, in presence of a multitude of
witnesses. Hence she saw, as I will relate, admirable
things while in those ecstasies, and she sometimes ex-
pressed during them most sublime truths.

I saw her one day ravished out ot her senses, and I
heard her speaking in an under-tone ; I approached
her and heard her perfectly say in Latin, " Vidi arcana
Dei" " I saw the secrets of God.v She added nothing
to this phrase, but continually repeated, "I saw the
secrets of God." Long after, when she was restored
to herself she still repeated the same words ; I wished
to know why : "Mother," said I to her, " why, pray,
do you constantly repeat the same words, and not ex-
plain them to us by speaking to us as usual?" "It is
impossible for me," said she, "to say anything else, oi
to say it otherwise." *'• But why? you are accustomed
to tell us what God has revealed to you, when we 6,0
not interrogate you, why do you decline answering
when we inquire of you?" "I should reproach myself,"
said she to me. "in undertaking to express to you
what I saw, as guilty of vain words — it seems to mt
that I should blaspheme God and dishonour him by
my language. The distance is so broad between what
my spirit contemplated, when ravished in God, and
whatever I could describe to you, that I should think
that I was falsifying, in speaking to you of them. I
must therefore not attempt their description; all that;
I can say is, that I saw ineffable things!"

It was quite natural that Pro.vidence should unito
Catharine and Mary MagdaJoa by tho ties of mother

116 LIFE OF ST. CATBARItifc OP

and daughter, because they so resembled each other in
their/asfc, their love , and in their contemplations. W hen
Catharine spoke of this favour, she merely said, that a
sinner had been given for daughter to a saint that had
formerly sinned, so that the mother, by remembering
the frailty of nature, and God's plentiful niercy,
might compassionate her daughter's weakness and ob-
tain her pardon.

Brother Thomas, b^r first Confessor, in the notes that
he left concerning this vision, relates that it seemed to
her that her heart entered into our Lord's side, to be
united and blended with his heart. She felt her soul
dissolved, as it were, in the flames of his love, and cried
out within herself, " My God, thou hast wounded my
heart! My God, thou hast wounded my heart 1" Friar
Thomas says that this apparition tookjplace in 1370,
on the feast of St. Margaret — virgin and martyr. The
same year, on the day following, St. Laurence, her Con-
fessor, dreading that the priests who were celebrating
Mass might be disturbed by her sighs and her sobs, re-
commended her to subdue and conceal them as much
as possible, when she would be near the altar. The
obedient Catharine remained apart and besought God
to make known to her Confessor, the difficulty of retain-
ing these exterior marks of the love of God ; her Con-
fessor declared that she was so perfectly heard, that he
declined ever making her any similar recommendation
again. I presume that it was through humility that he
would not say any more, and that he learned by a happy
experience, how impossible it is to suppress within one's

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 117

self such transports. Catharine, thus remote from the
altar, experienced a burning desire for receiving the
holy Communion ; her heart cried loudly and her lips
softly, " Ah, would that I could receive the body of our
Lord Jesus Christ." The Saviour to satisfy her desire
appeared to her, and approaching, suffered her to ap-
ply her mouth to the wound of his sacred side, permit-
ting her to content her desire for his sacred body and
blood. Catharine eagerly sought the blessed source and
drew long-drawn draughts. The sweets which then
filled her soul were so excessive, that she believed she
would really suffer death from their exquisiteness, and
her Confessor asking her to describe what she ex-
perienced, she replied to him that ifc would be impos-
sible for her to give him to understand it.

There also happened to her a circumstance quite won-
derful, in the same year, on the feast of Saint Alexis.
Whilst she was in prayer the night preceding the festi-
val, and sighed interiorly to receive holy Communion,
it was revealed to her that she should receive on the
morrow. She was often deprived of this favour,
through the neglect or fault of the Brethren or Sisters
who at that time directed the Congregation. As soon
as she had received this promise, she supplicated oui
Lord to condescend to purify her soul, so as to render
it more worthy of so great a Sacrament.

Immediately she felt descending on her soul, as it
were, a rain of blood mingled with fire, and this rain
washed her soul so completely that it penetrated to her
very body, and banished not only the stains but even the

118 tI*E OP J>T. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

first principle of evil When daylight dawned, the
sickness which she was enduring at that moment was so
aggravated, that it appeared unreasonable to think of
taking a single step. But Catharine, aware of what had
been promised her, put her trust in God, arose and di-
rected her steps towards the church, to the great aston-
ishment of every one.

When she arrived there and had taken a place in a
chapel beside the altar, she remembered that her Supe-
riors had not allowed her to receive the Communion in-
discriminately, from the hands of all those who might
celebrate Mass ; she therefore desired that her Confessor
might come to say his Mass at the altar where she was
praying. God showed her how much he took pleasure
in satisfying her desires. Her Confessor, in his notes
which he left, says, that he did not intend celebrating
Mass on that day, and that he was quite ignorant of her
arrival ; but grace suddenly touched his heart and gave
him such an attraction for the holy Mysteries, that he
yielded without delay, and went precisely to the altar
it which Catharine awaited him, although it was not
the one that he habitually used, There he found his
spiritual daughter, who asked him for the holy Com-
munion, and he comprehended that he was the instru-
ment of Providence ; he therefore celebrated the Mass
and gave Catharine the holy Communion. When she
advanced towards the altar, her face was red, sinning,
and bathed in tears and perspiration ; she received the
noly Communion with a devotion that deeply moved
ber Confessor, and filled him with admiration. Then

EXTilkORDLNARY REVELATIOKS, 119

she remained totally absorbed in God, lost in tho inebri-
ation of his heavenly communications, and during that
day, even after having recovered the use of her senses,
she remained incapable of utterance

On the morrow her Confessor asked ner \yhat hud
happened to her at the moment of receiving holy Com-
munion, when her countenance was so red, " father,"
said she to him, *' I know not of what colour i -was,
but I assure you that at the instant in which i partook
of the holy Eucharist, my senses discerned nothing COL*-
poral or coloured ; but my soul contemplated a beauty,
relished a sweetness that no expression can render.
What I beheld so attracted me, that things of earth
seemed to me but emptiness and dust , and this, not
only of wealth and sensual pleasures, but also of the
enjoyments of the mind and heart L implored God to
deprive me of them completely, so that I might only
please him and possess him. I entreated him to tato
away my will and give me His, and he in mercy heard
my prayers ; for thus he answered me, ' Dearest daugh-
ter, I give thee my will, and thia shall be the proof of
it, that no exterior event can trouble thee or changs
thee.' This promise God fulfi'led . all who were ac-
quainted with her can testify to it, from that moment'
Catharine was satisfied in every circumstances and oc-
currence, and no event however contradictory ever dis-
turbed her.

Catharine said to her Confessor on this occasion,
u Father, do you know what our Lord did to-day in my
soul ? He acted as a tender mother towards her much.

120 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

loved babe ; she extends her arms from a little distance
so as to excite a desire, and when her son has wept a
*ear instants, she smiles, seizes him, clasps him closely
to her heart, and then satisfies his craving thirst. Our
blessed Lord did the same with me ; he showed me in
the distance the wound of his side ; the desire that I felt
to cement my lips to it excited me to burning tears ; he
laughed during some moments of my grief ; then he
hastened to me, and took my soul in his arms, and
placed my mouth upon his sacred wound, and then my
soul was able to satisfy its desires, to hide itself in his
sacred breast, and there find heavenly consolations.
Oh, did you but know, you would be amazed that my
heart is not consumed with love, and that I yet live
utter experiencing those holy ardours."

In the same year, on the eighteenth of the month of
August, God manifested his power again in Catharine.
She communicated in the morning, and, at the mo-
ment in which the Priest, holding the sacred Host, in-
vited her to say, " Lord, 1 am not worthy thou shouldst
enter into my heart," &c., she heard a voice answer-
ing, " And I, I am worthy of entering into thee.* '
When she received the Communion, it seemed to her,
that, as the fish which is in the water is penetrated by
the water, her soul was in God, and God in her soul.
She was so absorbed in her Creator, that she could
scarcely return to her cell j she laid down on the planks
that served as her bed, and remained there a long time
motionless ; then her body was raised in the air, and re-
mained there without any sort of support. Three per-

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. J.21

sons, whose names I will give, were witnesses of that
prodigy and have affirmed it. At length her body low-
ered to the bed, and she began to say in a low voice such
sweet and admirable things, that her companions, on
hearing them, could not restrain their tears. She after-
wards prayed for several persons ; she named some of
them, her Confessor among others, who was then in the
Church of the Friar Preachers, and who was not think-
ing of anything capable of exciting him to a particular
fervour. He wrote, himself, that he was at the moment
in nowise disposed to experience sensible devotion. But
suddenly while she was praying (it being unknown to
him,) a wonderful change was effected in his soul ; he
became wrapped in an extraordinary fervour such as he
had never experienced, and he examined his own dispo-
sitions to learn whence came tb >s grace Amid these re-
flections, one of Catharines companions came, by
chance, to speak to him, and si e said to him, " Father,
at such an hour Catharine prayed most fervently for
you."" Then the Confessor understood why, at that very
hour, he had experienced such a special devotion. He
then questioned the person more particularly, and was
informed by her, that, in the prayer for him and others,
Catharine had asked of God the promise of their eter-
nal salvation. She had stretched forth her handssayiug,
" Promise me that you will grant it. " And whilst her
hand was extended, she appeared to feel a sharp pain
which obliged her to exclaim with a sigh, " Praise be to
our Lord Jesus Christ,'' She was accustomed to this
?»gpiration in her most poignant sufferings. Then her

122 LIFE OP ST CATHARINE OP SIENNA,

Confessor went to see her, and required her to narrate
the whole vision She was obliged to obey, and after
telling what we have related above, she added, " When
I implored your eternal salvation with earnestness, God
promised it to me, but 1 desired to retain a testimony of
it, and I said to him. Lord, grant me a token of what
thou wilt do, ' and he replied, ' Keach hither thy hand.
1 extended my hand ; he took a nail, and putting the
point in the middle of my hand, he pressed on it with
such power, that it seemed to me that my hand was
transpierced , I felt just such a pain, as it seems to me,
would be felt, if a nail had been driven with a hammer.
Hence, thank God, I now have his holy stigma in my
right hand ; no one sees it, but I feel it very sensibly
and suffer from it continually.'

In continuation of the same subject, I will here relate
what occurred a long time after, at Pisa, and in my pre-
sence. When she came to this place 1, with certain
other persons, accompanied her She receivedhospital-
ity at the house of an inhabitant, near the little Church
of St. Christina. On Sunday I celebrated Mass there,
and gaveher theholy Communion. Sheremained after-
wards a long time in ecstasy, according to her custom ;
her soul which sighed after her Creator, separated itself
as much as it could from the body We waited until
she had resumed her senses, in order to receive some
spiritual consolations, when on a sudden we saw her
body that was prostrate on the ground, rise a little,
kneel, and extend its hands and arms. Her counten-
ance was mflaiaed; she remained a lon^ time motionless

I2XTKA.ORDINARY REVELATIONS 123

and with her eyes closed. Then, as though she had re-
ceived a deadly wound, we saw hear suddenly fall, and
resume a few moments after the use of her senses. She
sent for me and said to me in a low tone, " Father, I
announce to you that, by the mercy of OUT Lord Jesus
Christ, I bear his sacred stigmata in my body." I an-
swered her, that I suspected after what passed in her
ecstasy, and I asked what our Lord did to her. " I saw,
said she, "my crucified Saviour, who descended upon
me with a great light ; the effort of my soul to go forth
to meet its Creator, forced my body to arise."

" Then from the five openings of the sacred wounds
of our Lord, I saw directed upon me bloody rays which
&*?£ "k my hands, my feet and my heart. I understood
tils uiystery, and cried out — Ah ! Lord my God, I en-
treat thee thafe these cicatrixes may not appear exteri-
orly on my body. Whilst I was speaking the bleeding
beams became brilliant, and reached in the form of
light, these five places on my person, my hands, my
feet and my heart." Then I said to her, " Did no
beam of light reach your right side?" She replied to
me — "No, on the left side and directly above the
heart. The luminous line that emanated from the
right side, did not strike me obliquely but directly/
44 Do you feel," said I, "a sharp pain in each of those
places?" She then answered me, heaving a deep sigh,
14 I feel at these five places, and especially in my heart,
a pain so violent, that without a new miracle, it ap-
pears to me impossible to live in this state."

These words filled me with grief, airl I examined

124 LIFE OF ST. CATHATtfttF; OF

whether I could observe any signs of her grievotts suf-
ferings. When she had finished what she had confided
to me, we went out of the chapel, in order to repair to
the house where she resided. Scarcely had we arrived
than she retired into her apartment, and fell uncon-
scious. We collected around her, and seeing her in
this state we all wept, and feared losing her, whom we
loved in the Lord. We had frequently witnessed her
in ecstasies which deprived her of the use of the senses,
and which weighed down her body, under thanks-
giving, but we had never seen her in such a profound
suspension of the vital powers. A little after, she
came to herself and repeated to me that she was certain,
that if God did not come to her aid, she would soon
die, I immediately assembled her spiritual children
and I conjured them with tears, to ask with united
prayers that God would spare us yet a while our be-
loved Mother and mistress, and not leave us orphans
amid the tempests of the world, before we were
strengthened in virtue. All promised with generous
hearts, and went to her dissolved it tears, and said —
'* Oh, Mother, we know that you languish for the pre-
sence of your Spouse; but your recompense is secured.
Rather take compassion oh us ; we are yet too weak
to be abandoned to the fury of waves. We know that
your beloved Spouse refuses nothing to the ardour of
your prayers, and we entreat you to ask him not to
deprive us of your presence yet, because we may be
lost if you cease to conduct us. We ask it ourselves
with all our strength; but alas! -we feel that we

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 125

are unworthy to be heard ; you so ardently desire our
salvation, obtain for us what we cannot obtain." She
replied to our tears and lamentations — " It is long
since I have renounced my own will, and I have no
wish for myself nor for others except what God wills.
I desire your salvation with my whole soul, but I know
that lie who is the salvation of all, can secure it better
than any creature whatsoever ; therefore let his will be
accomplished in all things. However, I will cheerfully
ask that he will do what is for the best." On hearing
these words we remained in the deepest affliction — but
Almighty God despised not our tears. On the follow-
ing Saturday Catharine sent for me, and said, " It
appears to me that the Lord is disposed to grant your
petition, and I trust that you will soon be satisfied."
All happened as she had said. On the following day,
Sunday, after having received holy Communion sha
fell into an ecsta-y, as on the preceding Sunday ; but
her body, instead of appearing reduced under the di-
vine action, seemed, on the contrary, to resume ite
vigour. Her companions were astonished at not seeing
her suffer as much as in her other ecstasies ; she ap-
peared rather to revive and renovate her strength by
a natural slumber. I told them that I hoped, according
to the promises she had made to me yesterday, our
tears which had implored God for her recovery, had
gone up favourably before God. She was hastening
to join her Spouse, but it was necessary to retrace her
steps, in order to assist us in our misery. In effect,
when she resumed her consciousness, she appeared so

126 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

strong that no one doubted that she had been heard.
O Father of mercies, what wilt thou not do for thy
faithful servant and thy beloved children, if thou
dost compassionate with so much bounty those who
have offended thee ! So as to be more certain of what
had transpired, I said to her — " Mother, do you con-
tinue to suffer the same anguish in the wound that
you received? She answered — * The Lord has
granted your prayers, to the great regret of my soul.
Not only my wounds do not cause my body to suffer,
they sustain and fortify it , I feel that what formerly
weakened me, now relieves me " I have recounted
these details to collect them with other celestial
favours received by this holy soul, and I add that it
must be remarked that sinners who pray for their
salvation, are heard by Him who wills in his love, the
salvation of the whole world.

Were I to recount all Catharine's ecstasies, time
rather **ian materials would fail me. I therefore hasten
to arrive at a circumstance which surpasses all the
others, and which will terminate this chapter. I
found four written books of Friar Thomas, her Con~
fessor, entirely filled with her admirable visions and
revelations the most sublime. Sometimes our Lord in-
troduced her soul into the wound of his side, and initi-
ated her into the mysteries of the adorable Trinity r
sometimes his glorious Mother imparted refreshing
beverage to her from her virginal breast, and filled her
with unspeakable delight ; and again Mary Magdalen
came to converse familiarly with, her, and related to

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATION 127

her tlio divine communications which she received seven
times a day in the desert. Sometimes the three came
together to pay her a friendly visit and infused into
her soul ineffable consolations. Other saints did not
neglect her, particularly Saint Paul, whose name she
never heard pronounced without evidencing a visible
delight. St John the Evangelist, sometimes St.
Dorninick, frequently St Thomas Aquinas, and still
of toner the blessed Agnes of Monte Pulciano, whose life
I wrote twenty-five years ago It had been revealed
to her that she would oe her companion in Paradise,
as we shall see in the sequel But before giving my
promised narration, I ought not, for the utility of my
readers, pass in silence, a circumstance relative to St.
Paul. Catharine had an ecstasy on the day of that
Saint's conversion, and her spirit was so absorbed in
the contemplation of heavenly things, that during
three days and three nights iier body remained insen-
sible ; several persons present thought that she was
dead, or at the point of death. Others better informed,
believed that she was ravished with the Apostle to the
third heaven. When the ecstasy had terminated, her
mind remained so filled with the remembrance of what
she had seen that she returned with difficulty to things
of earth, and remained in a kind of slumber or ebriety
from which she could not be aroused In the mean
while, Friar Thomas, her Confessor, and Friar Donato,
of Florence} determined to pay a visit to a venerable
monk of the order of Hermits, who resided in the
country. They first came to see Catharine,

128 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

they found in her holy somnolence and all inebriated
with the Spirit of God. To try to awaken her, they
said — " We are going to visit the Hermit, who lives
out in the country — will you come with us?" Catha-
rine, who liked such pilgrimages, answered yes, in the
midst of her drowsiness. But scarcely had she uttered
this word, then she began to repent of it, as of a false-
hood. The grief that she suffered restored her com-
pletely to her senses, and she mourned this fault as
many days and nights as she had been in ecstasy.
" O, the most wicked and guilty of women," said she
to herself, " is it thus thou dost recognise the graces
that God's infinite bounty has just granted thee; is it
thus thou dost profit by the verities that thou hast
learned from heaven. Have the sublime instructions
of the Holy Ghost only taught thee to lie, when re-
turning to earth. Thou knowest full well that thou
hadsfc no intention of accompanying those Religious,
and thou didst answer them, iyes.^ Thou hast told a
falsehood to thy Confessor and to fathers of thy soul ;
what a grievous and aggravated fault." She re-
mained without drinking or eating as long as her
ecstasy had endured.

Let the reader here remark how " admirable are the
ways of God, and how worthy to be praised." That
the sublimity of her revelations might not swell her
with pride, God permitted Catharine to fall into this
deceit, if we may call falsehood, a word without inten-
tion of deceiving and without attachm g any importance
to it ; this humiliation served to induce her to be more

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 129

vigilant over the treasure entrusted to her, and her
body which had been, so to speak, oppressed by the
elevation of the mind, was restored in a manner by its
abasement. Although the joy of the soul is sensible to
the body, on account, of their intimate union, still the
ravishment to the third heaven, that is to say, to the in-
tellectual vision, so deprives the body of its particular
life, that a new miracle is necessary to preserve it from
death. It is certain that the act of the understanding
does not require the meditation of the body, except to
represent to itself the immaterial object ; but if this ob-
ject presents itself supernaturally to the mind by the
omnipotent effect of grace, the understanding finds the
plenitude of its perfection in Christ and endeavours to
unite itself to him, by abandoning the body. Sometimes
the Dispenser of all good elevates the intelligence that
he created, by showing to it its light ; sometimes he
humbles it by permitting some fall, in order to exhibit
to it at once the divine perfection and its own weak-
ness. He thus sustains it in a happy mean , which saves
it and conducts it through the storms of this world to
the port of a blessed eternity, " for virtue is perfected
in weakness," (1 Cor. xv. 9 ;) and also, Ne magnitudo
revelationum extollat me datus est mihi stimulus carni-
mece. (1 Cor. xvi. 7.) To return to our subject, Ca-
tharine did notdisclose to any one, noteven to her Con-
fessor, as was usual with her, what she beheld in thia
ecstasy, because as she afterwards told me, she could
find no expression for rendering things, which accord-
ing to St. Paul, it is not permitted to man to recount;

130 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

but the ardour of her heart, the continuity of her prayer,
the efficacy of her teaching, proved sufficiently that
she had seen heavenly secrets which none could un-
derstand without witnessing them.

At the same time, she told her Confessor, who trans-
ferred her relation to writing, that St. Paul, the Apos-
tle, had appeared to her and warned her to apply con-
tinually to meditation. She obeyed with earnestness.
On the vigil of the feast of St. Dominick, while she
was praying in the church she received great revela-
tions concerning St. Dominick, and several saints of his
Order. These revelation s or visions were so vivid that-
she often thought that she still saw them when she was
describing them to her Confessor ; this was a proof that
God wished her to make them known for the benefit of
the faithful. On that day, therefore, a little before Ves-
pers, whilst she was receiving these revelations, Friar
Bartholomew of St. Dominick, of Sienna, happened to
enter the church. He is now a Doctor in theology ; ho
was then the friend of Catharine's Confessor, who
placed great confidence in him also, and took Mm for
her Confessor when her own was absent. She was
aware of his arrival more by an effect of her mind than
of her exterior senses; she arose directly, and went and
informed him that she had something to communicate
to him. When they had gone aside in the church, she
related what God had shown her concerning St. Domi-
nick. " At this moment," said she to him, " I see St.
Dominick more distinctly and perfectly than I see you.
He is more intimately present to me." But as she was

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 181

conversing on the subject, her brother, -whose name
also was Bartholomew, passed by ; his shadow or the
noise he made in passing by, attracted during an in-
stant Catharine's attention, who scarcely turned her
eyes, but yet sufficiently to recognise him ; she after-
wards resumed her position, but suddenly her moans
and tears prevented her from speaking.

The Religious waited some time before engaging her
to continue what she had commenced; but her sobs ren-
dered it impossible for her to continue. At length, after
a tedious interval, she began to utter these interrupted
phrases : " Alas, wretch that I am, who will take ven-
geance on on me for my iniquities ? who will punish me
for such an enormous fault?" And as the Religious
inquired what sin she had committed : " Did you not
see," said she, ' ' tint at the very moment in which God
was showing me his wonders, I turned my head and
eyes, to look at a person passing by ?" u But," said th.3
Religious, " you looked so short a time that I did not
even perceive it." " If you knew," replied she, "the
reproaches that the Blessed Virgin made to me, you
would assist me to weep for my fault." She immedi-
ately ceased speaking of her vision, wept until she had
confessed, and then retired to her cell, still weeping.

St. Paul appeared to her according to what she told
her Confessor, and rebuked her severely for the time
she had lost in turning her head. She afterwards de-
clared that she preferred confusion before the whole,
world, rather than experiencing the shame excited by
the reproach of the blessed Apostle. She said to he

182 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Confessor : " Imagine what it will be to bear the re-
proaches of Jesus Christ at the last judgment, of the
reproach of his Apostle occasioned me so much shame."
She added that she would have died of shame, if, dur-
ing the time that the Apostle was reproving her, she
had not continually seen a lamb, all radiant with a
sweet mild light. This imperfection which God per-
mitted, was also a means of rendering her more hum-
ble and more prudent in preserving the graces that she
had received. I have cited these two facts before con-
cluding tliis chapter, because I think they are very
capable of teaching humility, both to the perfect and
to the imperfect.

St. Dominick called me to enter his Order in a mi-
raculous manner. I acknowledge that I was not worthy
of it ; but I should be an ungrateful son, did I pass
in silence the glory of my blessed Father, and hence I
intend relating the rev elation that Catharine had con-
cerning him. Friar Bartholomew, of whom I have
just spoken, and who is at present with me, related it to
me exactly as she had related it to me on that very day.

Catharine asserted that she saw the eternal Father
producing from his mouth, his co-eternal SON, such as
he was, when he clothed himself with human nature ;
and whilst she was contemplating him, she saw the
blessed patriarch St. Dominick come forth from the
breast of the Father all glittering with brightness, and
she heard a voice which said ; " Beloved daughter, I
have begotten these two Sons : one by nature, the
other by a sweet and tender adoption." As Catharine

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 133

was amazed at a comparison so elevated, which rendered
equal, so to speak, a saint with Jesus Christ — he who
uttered these surprising words, explained them himself :
" My SON, engendered by nature from all eternity,
when he assumed human nature, obeyed me in all
things perfectly, until his death. Dominick, my son
by adoption, from his Mrth until the last moment of
his life, folio wed "my will in all things. He never
transgressed one of my commandments, never violated
the virginity of either soul or body, and always pre-
served the grace of Baptism which regenerated him.
My SON by nature, who is the eternal WORD from my
mouth, preached publicly to the world whatever I
charged him to say, and he rendered testimony to the
Truth as he himself declared to Pilate. My adopted
Son Dominick also preached to the world the verity of
my words ; he spoke to heretics and to Catholics, not
only personally but by others. His preaching con-
tinued in his successors, he still preaches and will always
preach. My SON by nature sent his disciples, my son
by adoption sent his religious ; my SON by nature is
my Word, my son by adoption is the herald, the min-
ister of my Word. Therefore I have given a quite
particular intelligence of my words to him and to his
religious with fidelity to follow them. My SON by
nature did all things in order to promote by his teach-
ing and his example the salvation of souls. Dominick,
my son by adoption, used all his endeavours to draw
souls from vice and error. Tke salvation of his neigh-
hour was his principal thought in the establishment

134 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

and development of his Order. Hence I have com-
pared him to my Son by nature, whose life he imitated,
and thou seest that even his body resembles the sacred
BODY of my divine Sox." It was while Catharine
related this vision to Friar Bartholomew that the cir-
cumstance above related transpired. Let us now pass
to the vision which must terminate this chapter.

Abundance of graces and revelations so filled the soul
of Catharine, at this epoch, that the excess of her love
threw her into a state of real languor. This languor
augmented so that she could not rise from her bed ; and
her illness was ardour for her holy Spouse, whom she
continually called, as if beside herself ; Sweetest, most
amiable youth, SON OF GOD, and she sometimes added,
and of the blessed Virgin Mary. These words were
the flowery couch of her love, and on it she reposed
without sleep and without food. But the Spouse who
had excited in her soul this enthusiasm, so as to influ-
ence her more and more, visited her incessantly. Ca-
tharine, all vehement with sacred desires said to him,
"Oh! why, my beloved Master, does this miserable
body deprive me of thy heavenly embrace? Alas ! in
this melancholy life nought can afford me pleasure. I
seek but thee ; for if I indeed love anything, it is sim-
ply on thy account. I implore thee, let this miserable
body no longer prove an obstacle to my happiness.
Oh ! the best of Masters, draw my soul from this prison
and deliver me from this body of death." The Lord
thus answered these words that were interrupted with
eobs — "Beloved daughter, when 1 dwelt among men,

REVELATIONS. 135

I accomplished not my will but my Father's ; my dis-
ciples have rendered testimony of this; I desired
greatly to eat with them the last Supper, and yet I
waited with patience the moment fixed by my Father.
Therefore notwithstanding the ardent desire that you
have to be entirely united to me, you must wait my
hourwith resignation." And Catharine replied, " since
thou wilt not consent, thy holy will be done. But
yet deign, I conjure thee, to hear a simple prayer ;
whatever be the duration thou shalt fix to my exist-
ence, grant me to participate in all the sufferings that
thcu hast endured until death. If I cannot be with
thee now in Heaven, let me be united to thee at least
in thy Passion on earth."

God accepted her prayer, and what she had asked was
liberally granted to her ; for she began, as she acknow-
ledged tc me, to suffer more and more in her soul and
in her body, all the dolours that our Lord had ex-
perienced during his life ; and, that it may be better
understood, I will relate what she told us on the sub-
ject. She frequently conversed with me on the suf-
ferings of our Lord, and assured me that from the
moment of his conception, he had always borne the
Cross in his soul, on account of the desire that he felt
for the salvation of souls. He must have suffered
cruelly until he had established, by his Passion, the
honour of God and the happiness of our neighbour—
and this torment of desire is very great — those who
have experienced it, know that it is the heaviest of
crosses

186 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

She also gave on the words of our Lord in the gar-
den of Olives, an explanation that I do not remember
to have read in any author. She said that by the
words — "Father, let this chalice pass from me," (Matt,
xxyi. 39,) persons enlightened and fortified by grace
ought not to believe, like feeble souls who fear death,
that the Saviour implored to be spared his Passion ; he
had drunk from his birth, and according as the hour
approached he drank more deeply that chalice of desire
which animated him for the salvation of men. He
rather in plored the accomplishment of what he so ar-
dently wished, the filling up of that cup whose bitter-
ness he had so long tasted. He was far from dreading
his Passion and death, he on the contrary wished to ad-
vance the moment; he expressed this clearly when he
said to Judas, Quad facts, fac citius, " what thou doest,
do quickly.'' (St. John xiii. 27.) But although that
chalice of desire was the most painful to drink, he
added in his filial obedience, " Nevertheless, not my
will but thine be done." Nerumtamen non mea voluntas,
sed tua fiat. He thus offered to suffer all the delays
that it would please God to require in his Passion.

I observed to her that ordinarily the doctors ex-
plained this passage otherwise, and that according to
ihem, the Saviour pronounced these words as man, be-
cause he feared death- naturally ; and as chief of the
elect, of those who are feeble as well as those who are
strong ; so as not to discourage the weak who dread
death and present to all a salutary example. Catha-
rine responded : " The actions of the Redeemer are so

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS, 187

fruitful in instruction that by carefully meditating on
them, each one finds the nourishment best suited to his
soul's salvation. The weak can find consolation in our
Saviour's prayer; but the strong and more nearly per-
fect soul should derive encouragement from it, and
this would be impossible without the explanation that
I have given you. It is more profitable to present
several meanings, so that each individual may adopt
the one most appropriate to the soul's necessities." I
kept silent and simply admired the grace and wisdom
she had received from God.

I found also another explanation of these words in
the manuscripts that Brother Thomas, Catharine's first
Confessor, left concerning her. She said during one
of her ecstasies, that the cause of our Saviour's sadness
and bloody sweat in the garden of Olives, was the
foresight of so many souls failing of participation in
the fruits of his Passion. But as he loved justice, he
added—" Not my will but thine.'1 Without that, said
she, all men would have been saved, for it is impossible
that the will of the SON of GOD should remain ineffec-
tual. Which agrees perfectly with what the Apostle
said to the Hebrews — Exaitditus est pro yua reverential
(Heb. v. 7.) The doctors commonly apply this pas-
sage to the prayer in the Garden of Olives.

She also told me on this subject that the dolours
suffered by the Son of God, in his body, were so great,
that they were sufficient to produce death a thousand
times in any one who would have endured them. The
Saviour's love being infinite, the dolours Uis.fc his love

138 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

induced him to bear were also infinite and greatly su^
passed all those that man's nature and malice could
have caused him. The thonis of the mock crown
pierced his head to the very brain ; all his members
were disjointed. (Ps. xxi. 18.) And still so great
was his love, that he not only supported these dolours,
but he procured himself still more terrible ones, in
order to manifest himself to us more perfectly. Yes,
this was one of the principal motives of his Passion ;
he desired to exhibit to us the immensity of his love,
and he could not prove it more effectually. Love and
not nails fastened him to the Cross ; love and not men
triumphed. How could they have been masters, since
with one single word, he could have thrown them to
the earth.

Catharine gave admirable explanations concerning
the Passion of the Redeemer ; she said that she had
undergone in her body a portion of his suiferings, but
it would be impossible to endure them completely.
The greatest torment that Jesus Christ suffered on the
Cross, was, she thought, the dislocation of the bones of
the breast. She believed this, because the other tor-
tures which she suffered in imitation of the Saviour,
were transient, that alone was permanent ; the pains
in the side, and head which she daily suffered were con-
siderable, but those in the breast far surpassed them ;
and I easily believe it, both in reference to her and to
our Lord, on account of the vicinity of the heart. The
bones which are disposed in that portion of the human
frame, for protecting tho heart and lungs, casuot be

EXTRAORDINARY REVBLATlOlTS. 189

displaced without gravely wounding the precious organs
that they contain, and without a miracle this displac-
ing must necessarily produce death. Catharine en-
dured this torture during several days ; her corporeal
energies became enfeebled, but the ardour of her love
only increased. She experienced, in a sensible man-
ner, how deeply the Saviour had loved Aer, and had
loved all mankind, by undergoing such a dolorous
Passion, and this produced such a vehement love, that
the heart of Catharine was separated or literally broken
and the links that bound it to life were supernaturally
destroyed.

The reader of these pages may perhaps doubt that
such a death really took place, but let him know that it
occurred in presence of several witnesses who have af-
firmed it. I also doubted ; I went to Catharine in order
to examine what she had experienced, and I requested
her to manifest the whole truth. She then broke forth
into sobs and moans, and after having obliged me to
wait for her arswer a considerable time, she at last said,
" Father, would you not pity a soul that had been de-
livered from an obscure prison, and then plunged anew
into darkness, after having enjoyed an extraordinary
light ? This misfortune happened to me ; divine Pro-
vidence willed it on account of my faults."

These circumstances increased my desire of learning
these details from her, and I added, "Mother, then your
*oul has been really separated from your body? " Yes,"
«aid she to me, " the ardour of divine love was so vehe-
ment, the desire that I felt of being united to my BE-

140 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

LOVED was so forcible, that no heart, had it been com-
posed of stone or iron, could possibly have resisted,
nothing created is sufficiently powerful to counteract
such a force. Yes, be sure of it, the heart that beats in
this poor frame was sundered by charity. I feel the place
where it is divided. In consequence, my soul actually
quitted my body, and I saw secrets of God, that I am
incapable of telling on earth, because memory is too
feeble, and language too poor for adequately rendering
such noble themes. It would be presenting clay for
gold. Only when I hear this state spoken of, I in-
stantly feel a profound sorrow, on seeing, that I could
descend from those heights to relapse again into the
miseries of the world, and I have only tears and soba
to express the keenness of my anguish.

Desiring to have a more complete knowledge of all
that transpired, I said, " Mother, since you cheerfully
confide to me your other secrets, I entreat you not to
hide this, and to give me a full description of this won-
derful event." " I have been favoured," said she, " with
many spiritual and corporeal visions ; I had received
ineffable consolations from our Lord, and the violence
of pure love had so weakened me physically, that I was
obliged to keep my bed. There I prayed incessantly,
find supplicated God to deliver me from this body of
death, in order to unite me more intimately to him, I
did not obtain this grace, but it was granted me to be
united, as far as I could be, to the dolours of his Pas-
eion." And she told me what 1 have given above con-
cerning our Lord's sufferings ; then she added, " This

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 141

share of pain that he condescended to impart to me^
made known more distinctly and perfectly to me my
Creator's love ; and mine augmented so that I fell into
a state of langour, and my soul knew no other desire but
that of quitting the body. How shall I describe it to
you ? My Saviour daily animated more and more the
fire which he had enkindled ; my heart of flesh yielded,
and love became strong as death. Yes, my heart broke,
my captive soul was freed from its bonds ; but, ah me !
for only too short a space of time."

"Mother," I rejoined, u how long did your soul re-
main separated from your body ?" She answered inet
" Persons who witnessed my death, say that I remained
four hours without returning to life. A great many
persons came to offer consolations to my mother and fa-
mily, but my soul had entered into eternity and in-
dulged no thoughts of t'me."

I said, u What did you see, mother, during that time,
and why did your soul return into the body ? I beseech
you do not conceal aught of this from me." She an-
swered, u Know, father, that my soul entered into an
unknown world, and beheld the glory of the just and
the chastisement of sinners. But here also memory fails,
and the poverty of language prohibits a full description
of these things. I tell you, however, what I can ; be as-
sured, therefore, that I saw the divine ESSENCE, and
for this I suffer so much in remaining enchained in this
body. Were I not retained for the love of God and love
of my neighbour, I should die of grief. My great conso-
lation is to suffer, because I am aware that by suffering

142 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENHA..

I shall obtain a more perfect view of God. Hence tri-
bulations, far from being painful to my soul, are, on
the contrary, its delight. I saw the torments of hell and
those of purgatory ; no words can describe them. Had
poor mortals the faintest idea of them, they would suf-
fer a thousand deaths rather than undergo the least of
their torments during a single day. I saw in particular
those punished who sin in the married state, by not ob-
serving the laws it imposes, and seeking in it nought
but sensual pleasures." And as I inquired why this sin,
which was not worse than others, still received so rude
a chastisement, she told me, " Because little attention
is given to it, and consequently less contrition is ex-
cited for it, and it is more easily committed." And then
she added, " Nothing is more dangerous than a fault,
however small it may be, when he who commits it does
not. carefully purify his soul by penance."

Catharine afterwards continued what she had com-
menced— " Whilst my soul contemplated these things,
Hs celestial Spouse, whom it believed it possessed for
ever, said, " Thou seest what glory they lose and tor-
ments they suffer who offend me. Return therefore to
life and show them how they have strayed and what ap-
palling danger menaces them.' And as my soul was hor-
rified at the idea of returning to life, the Lord added,
* The salvation of many souls demands it ^ thou shalt no
longer live as thou hast done, henceforth thou must re-
nounce thy cell and continually pass through the city,
In order to save souls. I will always attend thee, I will
conduct and re-conduct thee, I will confide to thee the

EXTRAORDINARY REVELATIONS. 148

honour of my HOLY NAME, and thou shalt teach my
doctrine to the lowly and the great, to laymen, priests,
and monks, I will impart to thee speech and wisdom
which none can resist I will place thee in the pre-
sence of Pontiffs, and the rulers both of the Church
and of the people, so as to confound, in my way and
by this means, the arrogance of the mighty. Whilst
God thus addressed my soul, I suddenly found my-
self, without the capacity of explaining how, re-united
to my body, Then I was overcome with keen sorrow,
that I shed copious and burning tears during three
days and three nights ; and when my mind dwells
upon it, I cannot refrain from weeping, and father, it
is not astonishing ; what is much more so is that my
heart is not crushed anew on recalling that glory which
I then possessed, and of which I am now deprived,
the salvation of my neighbour is the cause of it ; if I
love so ardently the souls whose conversion God has
confided to me, it is because they have cost me dear ;
they have separated me from my God, and have de-
prived me of the enjoyment of his glory during a
period to me unknown. But they will prove * my
glory and my crown and my immortal joy.' (Phil,
iv. 1.) 1 tell you these things, father, so as to console
you for the anxiety caused you by those who murmur
at the confidence I repose in you."

After God had bestowed on me the favour of hearing
these things, I asked myself whether it was my duty to
publish them at a time in which self -love renders men
*o blind and so incredulous. My Brethren and Sisters

144 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF

did not approve of my disclosing them during Catha-
rine's life-time, and I remarked that several of those
who at firstfollowedher, when this circumstance, which
they could not comprehend, was related to them went
away. But now that she has gone to the home of the
blessed, I thought myself obliged to speak ; and I have
revealed the whole, so that so great a miracle be not
concealed through my fault. The following particu-
lars give all possible authenticity to this event : at the
approach of Catharine's death, the women who were
with her, and who were her daughters in the Lord,
sent for Friar Thomas, her Confessor, to assist her in
her agony : he hastened there without a moment's de-
lay, with another Religious Friar Thomas Antonio,
and began with tears to recite the customary prayers ;
the news spreading, another Religious, called Friar
Antonio Bartholomew of Montucio, came speedily
with John, a lay-brother of Sienna, now residing at
Rome. These four Religious, all of whom still live,
wept and prayed around the expiring Catharine.

At the moment in which Catharine was breathing
her last sigh, Brother John felt such an intense grief
that the force of his sobs and cries ruptured a vein in
his breast. He was immediately attacked with a violent
cough and such a large hemorrhage that his state ap-
peared desperate. This spectacle augmented the sor-
row of the assistants ; those who were grieving for Ca-
tharine's death, were soon also to be called to mourn
that of the poor lay-brother. Then Friar Thomas,
Catharine's Confessor, said, with strong faith, to Bro-

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 145

ther John, " I know the influence of that holy woman
with God, you need only apply her hand to the place
in which you suffer such violent pain, and you will
certainly be cured." The Brother did it before the eyes
of all present, and at the same moment he was as per-
fectly cured as if he had experienced no accident. Bro-
ther John related this incident to all who wished to hear
it, and affirmed it by an oath. Besides the Brothers
whom I have just named, there were for witnesses her
companion and her spiritual daughter Alessia, who now
dwells with her in heaven, whither she followed her
shortly after her death. Nearly all the neighbours also
saw Catharine dead, as well as the numbers of men and
women who commonly present themselves in such cir-
cumstance's, and no one had a dottbt*but that she had
truly exhaled her last breath. As to the fact of the
elevation of her body, which we described at the be-
ginning of this chapter, it had for witnesses several
Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick, among others, Ca-
tharine, daughter of Ghetto of Sienna, who was dur-
ing a long time her inseparable companion.

CHAPTER VI.

Of miracles wrought by Catharine's intercession for promoting
the Salvation oi Souls.

WERE I obliged to recount all the miracles that God
performed through the intercession of Catharine, for
the salvation of souls, a chapter would not suffice, but
several volumes would be necessary. In order not to be

fc

146 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

too lengthy, I have abridgedas much, as possible — what
Irelate will enable what I suppress to be comprehended;
spirit is superior to matter and miracles accomplished
for the salvation of souls, surpass those performed for
the health of the body. Twill commence with the more
noble, following generally the order of time in my re-
cital, but I shall be occasionally forced to depart from
the division I have attempted. These miracles, parti-
cularly those which refer to souls, have been ignored by
men; they have sometimes no other proof than the con-
fidence that she gave to me and to a few others ; but this
will not prevent pious persons from crediting them.

Catharine's father, Jacomo (James), had recognized
the holiness of his daughter, and entertained a respect-
ful tenderness for her; he recommended all the members
of his household not to contradict her in anything and
to allow her to act according to her own views. Hence
their affection daily grew stronger; Catharine prayed
incessantly for the salvation of her father, while Jacomo
delighted in the sanctity of his child, by whose merits
he hoped to obtain grace before our Lord. At length
Jacomo's term of life was drawing to a close, and he
took to his bedbeingveryseriouslyill. Catharine began
to intercede with her divine Spouse to obtain the resto-
ration of one so tenderly loved, but He answered her
that Jacomo was very near death,and that it would not
be useful to him to live longer. Catharine therefore re-
paired to the bedside of her cherished parent, and found
him wholly disposed do quit the world without regret,
&ud she thanked God with all the fervour of her soul.

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 147

But her filial affection was not yet satisfied; she en-
deavoured to obtain from the Source of all grace not
only that her father's faults might be pardoned, but also
that at the hour of death his soul might be borne to hea-
ven without passing through the flames of purgatory.
It was answered her that justice could not lose its rights
and that the soul must be perfectly pure to enjoy the
splendours of glory. " Thy father has lived well in the
conjugal state, has done many things acceptable to me,
and I am in particular pleased with his conduct towards
thee ; but justice demands that his soul pass by the fire
to purify it from the stains that it has contracted in the
world." " O most amiable Saviour," responded Catha-
rine, "how can I endure the thought of seeing him
whom thou gavest me for father, who nourished me
and brought me up with care, and who has been so kind
to me, burning in such cruel flames! I entreat thy di-
vine bounty not to permit his soul to leave his body, be-
fore, by some means or other, it is perfectly purified anvl
has no need of the fire of purgatory." God in his amaz-
ing mercy yielded to this prayer, and to the desire of his
creature. Jacomo's strength was extinct, but his soul
could not depart so long as the conflict lasted between
Catharine and our Lord, the Redeemer alleging his plea
of justice and Catharine invoking mercy. At last Ca-
tharine said, " If I cannot obtain this grace without
satisfying thy justice, let this justice be exercised to-
wards me ; 1 am ready to undergo for my father what-
ever thy goodness will deign to send me. Our Lord
consented to this, "I cheerfully accept thy proposition^

148 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

on account of thy love for me, and I exempt the soul of
thy father from all expiatory pains, but during thy
whole life thou shalt be the victim of a pain which
I send thee." Catharine joyfully gave thanks to God,
and asked that his divine will might be accomplished.
Catharine hastened to the couch of her dying father,
who was just sinking into agony: she filled his heart
with joy and strength, by giving him the assurance of
his eternal salvation from the mouth of God himself,
and never left him until he expired. At the instant his
spirit quitted his body, Catharine was attacked with an
acute pain in her side which she endured without re-
laxation until the day of her d eath. I had the declara-
tion of it from herself, and all those who had relations
with her saw many evident proofs of it — but her pati-
ence was greaterthan her pain. All that I have related
here I learned from Catharine, when compassionating
her sufferings I inquired their cause. I should add that
at the moment her father breathed his last,she exclaimed
with a gladsome countenance and a serene smile on her
lips, u Bless God, father ; how happy were I now like
thee I" Whilst they celebrated the funeral ceremonies
and all around wept, Catharine appeared gay and
cheerful. She consoled her mother and everyone else,
and acted as calmly as if the deceased had been a
stranger to her. It was because she had seen that
dearly-beloved soul joyfully escape the prison of the
body, and soar unfettered to eternal light; and this sight
had inundated her soul with comfort, because a few days
previous she had tasted the bliss of celestial glory.

&XZEAOiZDI3>ABT MIRACLES. 149

Here let us admire the wisdom of divine provi-
dence ; the soul of Jacomo could certainly have been
purified in another way, and have been immediately
admitted to gbry, like the soul of the good thief on
Calvary, who confessed our Lord on the Cross ; but
God willed that Catharine should request it, not to
try her, but to augment her merits and her crown.
Hence Catharine always spoke of her sweet, dear suf-
ferings ; and she was correct, because sufferings aug-
ment the consolations of grace in this life and the de-
lights of the glory to come.

Having admired what Catharine did for the soul of
a just man, let us see what happened in the soul of a
shiner. In 1370, there was at Sienna a citizen named
Andrea of Naddino ; a man rich in worldly and per-
ishable goods, but poor in interior and eternal wealth.
Without either the love or the fear of God, he sub-
jected himself to the slavery of every vice. Gaming
was his predominant passion, and he had a habit of
blaspheming horribly. In the month of December of
that same year, the fortieth of his age, he was attacked
with a serious malady; the. physicians entertained no
hope of his cure, and death threatened both the soul
and body of this wretched impenitent. The curate of
the parish came to visit him, hoping to prepare him
for his last great change, but the sick man, who had
never frequented the Church, nor respected its priests,
despised his charitable warnings and repulsed him who
gave them. Then his wife and children, who ardently
desired his salvation, invited several pious persons to

150 LIFE OF ST. CATOARINE OF SIENNA.

come, who all endeavoured to overcome his hardness
of heart ; but neither the threats of eternal flames,
nor the hopes of divine mercy could b'end this unfor-
tunate man, who was plunging into hell with all hi&
crimes. The curate who saw death approaching, was
absorbed in grief ; he returned with the morning dawn,
and renewed his pressing efforts ; but all proved use-
less. The unhappy man repulsed his discourse and
refused him presence. He sunk deeper and deeper
into final impenitence, and committed that sin against
the Holy Ghost, by which the mercy of God is turned
aside — nought awaited him but the chastisements of
an irrevocable justice.

Friar Thomas the Confessor of Catharine, was ac-
quainted with what was passing. Grieved at the loss
of this soul, he hastened to his penitent, and asked her,
in the name of obedience and charity, to interest her-
self in this miserable man, and cry to God until she
would procure his pardon. When he arrived Catha-
rine was in ecstasy, and it was impossible to draw her
from her heavenly contemplations. As he could nei-
ther speak to her nor wait for her, on account of the
approaching night, he recommended one of her com-
panions, named Catharine, and who is still living, to
explain to the servant of God, as soon as she came to
herself, the object of his visit. Catharine did not re-
cover from her ecstasy until near five o'clock in the
morning ; her companion immediately gave the Con-
fessor's commission and enjoined her, in virtue of holy
obedience, to ask for the conversion^ the hard-hearted

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES 151

sinner. At this news Catharine, all inflamed with
charity and compassion, began to pray to God with
her whole strength, protesting that she could not al-
low her equal, her countryman, and her brother, be-
cause redeemed by the same Saviour, to perish in
eternal flames.

The Lord answered : "This man's iniquities have
mounted to heaven ; not only has he poured forth in-
juries against me and my saints, but he threw into the
fire a picture representing me and my blessed Mother.
Do not intercede for him ; it is just that he burn in
eternal flames; he merits death a thousand times."

Catharine prostrated herself at the feet of her di-
vine Spouse, and bathed them with her tears, and
prayed in aspirations like these — " Didst thou not, O
loving Jesus ! bear this man's sins with ours on thy
venerable shoulders ? Am I here to dispute thy jus-
tice, or to invoke thy mercy ? Remember, Lord, thou
didst promise to aid me in saving souls ; I have no
other consolation but that of seeing them return to
thee ; it is the only circumstance that renders me ca-
pable of enduring thy absence. Repel me not, O
most clement Jesus ! restore to me my brother ; draw
him from his hardened state." Catharine continued,
during several hours, her vigil and her tears to obtain
the salvation of that sou1.

God opposed the number and enormity of his crimes
which demanded vengeance, and Catharine invoked
the mercy that led him to come dovrn to earth and die
for sinners. At last mercy triumphed over justice,

152 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OP SIENtfA.

and our blessed Saviour said to Catharine — " My be-
loved daughter, I suffer myself to be softened by thy
tears ; 1 am going to convert him for whom thou
prayest with such fervour."

At that same instant our Lord appeared to Andrea
(Andrew) who was in extremities. " Friend," said
he to him, "why will you not confess the sins that
thou hast committed against me ? Confess them, and
I am ready to pardon all thy faults."

These words suddenly softened that obstinate heart,
and he cried out to those that served him, "Send
quickly for a priest, because I wish to confess. I see
my Lord and Saviour who is inviting me to do so."
The assistants filled with joy hastened to obey. The
priest came ; he performed all his last duties calmly,
confessed perfectly, and died in wonderful sentiments
of contrition and repentance.

Those, Lord, are the works that display thee in
thy saints. To show the favour Catharine had before
thee, tbou didst make known to her the danger of a
man with whom she was not acquainted, but who had
received from thee the same country and the same
baptism. Thou didst grant nought to the prayers of
the others, because thou wouldst grant all to those
of thy beloved spouse. Oh ! who would not love thee ?

There were at Sienna, two notorious brigands that
justice had decreed to arrest, and they were con-
demned to expiate their crime in the most fearful tor-
ments. They were going to death attached to a stake,
on a cart, and the executioners, armed with red

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 153

hot pincers tore their flesh in every part of their bodies
Neither in prison, nor at the approach of death, could
they be induced to repent, nor persuaded to listen tc
a clergyman ; and at the very moment in which they
were led through the town in order to inspire a whole-
some dread of the laws, instead of recommending them-
selves to the prayers of the faithful, they blasphemed
against God and his saints. The fiery tortures which
these wretched men endured were but a prelude to
the torments that awaited them in hell ! but that
Infinite Goodness who wills the death of none, and
who does not twice punish the same faults, delivered
these poor souls, by means of his faithful handmaid.
Providence permitted that on that very day, Catha-
rine should be at the house of Alessia, her companion
and her spiritual daughter. Alessia, hearing in the
morning the noise of the crowd, approached the win-
dow, and saw at some distance, the unhappy criminals
who were conducted and tormented by the executioners
She ran to Catharine, " O Mother !" said she, "what
a frightful spectacle directly before the house , here
are two men who are condemned to be torn with heated
pincers passing by." Catharine, moved not by curi-
osity but by pity, advanced to the window, perceived
the unhappy men, and retired at once to prayer. She
informed me that she saw around them a troop of de-
mons which were tormenting their souls still more than
the executioners tortured their bodies. Kence she had
recourse to fervent prayer, and conjured her Divinfl
Spouse to save those souls who were on the eve of

154 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

perishing. "Ah! Lord," said she, "who art so cle-
ment, wilt thou so far abandon creatures formed to
thy image, and redeemed by thy precious blood. The
thief who was crucified at thy side really merited his
punishment ; but thy grace visited him because at the
moment in which thy apostles doubted, he confessed
thee publicly, amid the ignominies of thy Passion, and
he merited the hearing of thy promise " To-day thou
shalt be with me in Paradise." In that word, thou
didst give hope of pardon to those who might resem-
ble him. Thou didst not abandon Peter who denied
thee, but gavest him a look of compassion ; thou didst
not contemn Mary the sinner, but attracted her to
thee ; and Matthew the publican, the Canaanean, and
Zaccheus, the rich, thou didst not refuse to receive,
but didst invite them to return. I entreat thee by all
thy mercies, hasten to relieve these souls."

At length she persuaded Him who desires to be in-
clined mercifully, and streams of pardoning grace
flowed in a wonderful manner over the souls of these
two miserable men. Catharine obtained the grace of
assisting them in spirit, and of accompanying them
as far as the city gates. She prayed and wept con-
tinually for their change of heart ; the demons who
saw her, said to her in a fury — "If thou dost not
cease, we and these two reprobates will torment thee
to such a degree, that thou shalt become possessed/
Catharine .answered — " Whatever God wills, I will,
I shall not discontinue what I have commenced."

When the two criminals halted at the pate of tho

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 155

city, our merciful Redeemer appeared to them covered
with wounds and bathed in blood. He exhorted them
to conversion and promised them pardon. A ray of
divine light immediately penetrated their hearts — they
earnestly implored the assistance of a priest and con-
fessed their sins with heartfelt sorrow. Their blasphe-
mies were changed into pious aspirations ; they accused
themselves, acknowledged that they merited even more
terrible torments, and marched on ward to death as joy-
ously as if they were going to a festival ; instead of
loading their executioners with insults, they thanked
the Saviour, who in mercy permitted them to acquire
by these transient sorrows, a never-ending glory. All
the assistants were in admiration at such a change; the
torturers themselves were deeply affected, and dared
no longer increase their cruelties, on seeing them in
such sentiments, but no one knew whence came this
miracle of grace. The good and zealous clergyman
who accompanied these hardened sinners endeavouring
to convert them, gave these details to Friar Thomas,
Catharine's Confessor. The latter, having questioned
Alessia, was able to certify that at the very moment
in which Catharine concluded her prayer and cams
forth from her ecstasy, the two condemned gave up
their last sighs. I also received Catharine's entire con-
fidence concerning all the particulars, and I found
them in every circumstance conformed to what Friar
Thomas had written. He only adds that a few days
after the death of the two con verted brigands, the com-
panions of Catharine heard her say, whilst she was

156 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA*

praying, "Lord I tlianlc theefor having delivered them
from a second prison." Brother Thomas asked her
what these words signified ; she answered that the two
malefactors enjoyed the glory of heaven ; that they en-
tered Purgatory, but she had obtained their deliver-
ance.

These circumstances can scarcely fail of surprising
those who read them, because they do not fall under
the corporeal senses; but if we consult St. Augustine
and St. Gregory, it will be seen that this miracle is
greater than if those unfortunate men had been resus-
citated after death ; for, according to the expression of
St. Gregory, a body raised to life must die again, but in
this case the soul is revivified for all eternity; in the re-
surrection of the body, the divine power meets no ob-
stacle ; but in that of souls, the free-will of man can re-
sist and repel the action of grace; hence the conversion
of a sinner displays the divine power more gloriously
than the creation of the entire world. It is related of
St. Martin, that by the virtue of the Holy Trinity he had
the glory of raising three individuals from death to life,
and St. Nicholas is also admired for having saved three
innocents condemned to the worst torments. What then
shall be said of Catharine who, by the power of her pray-
ers, suddenly saved two guilty souls from everlasting
death, and who drew from purgatorial fires, their souls
•which were plunged into them. Is not this greater and
more amazing? Believe me, reader, I saw many prodi-
gies effected by this holy woman ; but I find none com-
parable to this which I have just narrated ; no, never

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 157

in any case was the power of the Most High so largely
manifested, never did the unction of grace flow so
abundantly.

Catharine obtained another extraordinary grace of
conversion, which I must not bury in silence. There
was in Sienna, a man named Francis Tholomei, and
who still lives ; his wife is named Kabes ; they had
several sons and daughters. The eldest, Jacques, led
a criminal life ; he was excessively proud, and such was
his ferocity, that although young, his hand had twice
been imbrued in the blood of his neighbour; his horri-
ble deeds made him the terror of all who knew him;
no idea, no fear of God withheld him, and he added
crime to crime. He had a sister named Ghinoccia,
who was passionately fond of the world, in the worst
sense of that expression ; she was continually occupied
in vainly adorning her person, and if she were not
wholly lost, it was because she merely dreaded human
opinion. Their pious mother Habes feared for the sal-
vation of her children ; she went to Catharine and im-
plored her to be so charitable as to speak on religion
to her two daughters, especially to Ghinoccia. Ca-
tharine, who so ardently loved souls, consented, and
succeeded so well with Ghinoccia, that JESUS trium-
phed in her affections, and she renounced all the sense-
less joys of the world — she cut off her long and glossy
hair, that had proved a source of vanity to her, took
the habit of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick,
and persevered, as I can affirm, in the most admirable
practices of devotion. I was frequently obliged to

158 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENSA.

moderate the rigour of her austerities. Her sister
Francoise, (Frances) followed her example closely ; she
also assumed the holy livery of penance, and it was
an affecting sight to behold those two sisters, so lately
captivated with vanity, contesting suddenly its every
form in their own persons, and that with courage and
perseverance.

At the moment of their conversion, Jacques Tholo-
mei was absent; as soon as he learned this, he returned
to the city in a paroxysm of rage against his youthful
brothers; in his arrogance he uttered the most terrible
threats and menaces, tearing off his sister's holy habit,
and conducting her back with him, to withdraw her
from the influence of those who had converted her.
But his little brother said, in an inspired tone —
" Jacques, I assure thee, that wert thou to go to Sienna,
v)hou wouldst be converted and wouldst confess thy sins."
But he ill-treated the child, and replied that he would
sooner kill all the priests and the religious. The child
reiterated his prophecy, and Jacques his threats and
maledictions. They at last arrived at the city and
Jacques entered his home in a perfect fury, declaring
that he would commit the worst violence, did not hia
Bister renour.ce her habit and follow him without delay.

Rabes succeeded in appeasing and calming his pas-
sion until the morrow. In the morning she sent word
to Friar Thomas, the Confessor of Catharine, who pro-
videntially took as companion Friar Bartholomew, of
St. Dominick. Ha sought Jacques, conversed with
him, yet appareutly obtained nothing favourable—but

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 159

Catharine, by a supernatural light, knew all that was
passing, and supplicated God for the wicked youth's
conversion. The Lord heard her prayer, and touched
that obdurate heart. He yielded to the exhortations
of Brother Bartholomew, after having obstinately re-
pelled those of Brother Thomas; and not only did he
permit his sister to serve God as she wished, but hum-
bled himself and confessed his faults with lively sorrow;
to use Catharine's expression, he ejected all the poison
that defiled his soul, and accused himself of sins that
he would never before acknowledge. The wolf was
changed into a lamb, the fierce lion had become docile
as a child, and all the witnesses were filled with admi-
ration. His mother could find no explanation for thia
astonishing change ; his sisters congratulated him, and
the whole household returned thanks to God. The
two religious, full of joy, hastened to bear the joyous
news to Catharine.

The saint, who had seen all in spirit, and who had
obtained that grace from the Lord, had not yet come
cut of ecstasy, but continued to enjoy the caresses of her
divine Spouse. Before the religious brethren entered
her room, however, she said : " We must render thanks
to God, because Jacques Tholomei, who was a slave to
Satan, was delivered this morning ; he has confessed to
Friar Bartholomew." When the religious described
their joy, Catharine's companion replied: "She was
just relating it to me as you entered." Ca tharine then
eaid to them with her usual edifying manner, Fathers,
we must pive thanks to God who never disregards the

.160 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

prayers of his servants, and the good desires which his
Dwn divine Spirit inspires. The enemy of salvation,
had resolved to rob us of that dear sheep, bat the
Father of mercies defended his own ; he imagined that
he had also gained Ghinoccia from our Lord ; and he
has lost Jacques of whom he had become master. In-
deed, our divine Shepherd assures ua in the Gospel :
" That no one can take from him his own." (St. John
v. 28.) Ghinoccia was indeed a constant example of
piety and mortification; she persevered until death in
the service of God and slept joyfully in the Lord, after
having supported with the most admirable patience, a
long and painful illness.

Her sister Frances who imitated her, survived her
l)ut a short interval. Always satisfied, even amid the
most excruciating pains, she expired with a smile on her
lips. Matthew, the brother next in age to Jacques, re-
nounced the world, and entered the order of St. Domi-
nick, which he still edifies by his virtuss. As to Jacques,
he married, but he never relapsed into his attacks of pas-
sion, being always peaceful and meek. All this good
Was accomplished by means of Catharine, who obtained
from her Spouse the graces appropriate to each indi-
vidual.

The narrative which I now present was not less won-
derful : I was alone witness of the attendant circum-
stances, but God knows my veracity, and besides, its re-
sults were made public. There dwelt in Sienna, a man
perfectly well known among persons of the world, and
siiinfoing genius, which was not regulated

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 161

by the law of God. His name was Nanni or Vanni.
As is frequent among his countrymen, he indulged pri-
vate hatred, and he knew how to satisfy vengeance by
striking in the dark. Several murders had been com-
mitted, but they who were their authors dreaded Nanni
more than others, because they were acquainted with
his deadly malice. They had often employed media-
tors to induce him to be reconciled, but he always an-
swered with hypocrisy, that he was a complete stranger
in those affairs, and that it did not depend on Mm to
make peace. He alone, however, offered an obstacle,
so as to be able to satiate his vengeance when he could
find an opportunity.

Catharine was aware of this disorder and was de-
sirous of arresting its progress, by conversing with
Nanni ; but the latter carefully avoided her. In fine,
a holy man, Brother William of England, of the Order
of Hermits of St. Augustine, pressed him so much,
that he consented to see and hear Catharine ; but at
the same time refusing to pledge himself to do what
she might desire : he came in effect, to the house at a
moment in which I was myself awaiting the arrival of
the servant of God, who was occupied somewhere in
the salvation of souls. They informed me that Nanni
was waiting to converse with Catharine. I went down
with a glad heart, because 1 knew how much Catha-
rine desired this interview ; I announced her absence,
but pressed him to wait a little, and to beguile the time.
I introduced him into the little cell, sanctified by the
spouse of JESUS CHRIST. After a few moments Nanni
became weary, and said — "I promised Friar William
to come here and listen to this lady ; she is absent, auck

162 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

my occupations prevented me from remaining longer ;
will you be BO kind as to excuse me, — but really I have
too much to do to admit my tarrying longer."

I was quite distressed by Catharine's absence, but
so as to restrain all sign of impatience, I began to speak
of reconciliation, but he said to me : a See, now, you
are a priest and a religious, and this good lady enjoys
a great reputation for sanctity; I must not deceive
you. I therefore tell you frankly, and declare to you
that I will do nothing of what you request from me ;
it is true that I prevent peace, but I wish that it be
kept secret. Did I but give my consent, all would be
arranged — I refuse, and it is useless to preach to me on
that subject for you will obtain nothing ; it is already
considerable to have told you with so much freedom
what I have concealed from others. Do not torment
me further on the subject." I would insist, and he
refused to hear me, when God permitted that Catha-
rine should become the instrument of reconciliation.
Her arrival was as disagreeable to Nanni, as agreeable
to me. As soon as she perceived us, she saluted this
man of the world with angelic charity ; she seated her-
self and then inquired the motive of his visit. Nanni
repeated to her what he had just told me and declared
also that he would make no concession. Catharine re-
presented to him, with as much force as sweetness, the
danger to which he exposed his soul ; but the unhappy
man would hear nothing and closed his heart to her
moving solicitations. Then, the holy woman went
alone to pray and implore God's assistance — I hoped
that she would be heard, and began to discuss with
Nanni eo as to gain time. Only a few momenta had

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 163

expired ere the obstinate man said to us — " Through
politeness I will not refuse you totally, / have foui
enmities; I consent to sacrifice the one which will
afford you the greatest pleasure." And he arose to
withdraw, when on a sudden he exclaimed, " O my
God, what consolation my heart feels for this sole word
of peace that I have pronounced," then added, " 0
ny Lord and my God, what power retains and tri-
umphs over me ; I cannot go away and I have not the
force to refuse. What can it be that exerts such an in-
fluence over me ? Yes, I confess that I am vanquished,
i cannot draw my breath" — then falling on his knees,
lie said, sobbing, " Holy Virgin, behold me ready to
do whatever you command relative to peace, and all
else. I see now that Satan held me in chains ; hence-
forth I resign myself to thy counsels ; in pity direct
my soul and draw it from the snares of the enemy."

At this moment Catharine who had entered into ec-
stasy, as was usual, returned to herself and gave thanks
to God. "Dear brother," said she, "the mercy of
God has at length manifested to you your danger, I
spoke to you and you refused to listen , then I turned
to God who has not despised my petition." Nanni
confessed to me without delay and with humble con-
trition ; Catharine reconciled him with all his enemies,
while I restored him to peace with God whom he had
so long offended.

A few days after his conversion, Nanni was arrested
by the governor of the city and thrown into a c'ose
prison ; a report was current that he was to suffer de-
capitation ; this news afflicted me, and I went to find
CKtharine. " Nothing unfortunate," said I, "occurred

164 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

to Nanni when he obeyed Satan, and now that he has
given himself to God, heaven and earth appear to de-
clare against him. I fear, mother, that this plant is
yet too young for supporting such a storm ; the poor
man may fall into despair, I entreat you, pray for him ;
you have delivered him from sin, now you must sus-
tain him in his misfortunes." Catharine answered me,
"Why are you alarmed on his account? you should
rather rejoice. Do you not see the evidence that God
has pardoned him the debt of eternal punishment, be-
cause he sends him temporal troubles. Our Lord's
word is accomplished, the world loves what belongs to
it ; but now that he has quitted the world, the world
detests him. God was preparing endless chastisement
for him, but his mercy is satisfied with punishing him
in this world. Fear not that he will fall into despair.
He who saved him from hell, will also draw him from
this danger."

It happened as she announced. A short time after,
Nanni came out of prison, but he was obliged to pay
very heavy sums, and Catharine rejoiced, saying —
"That God was taking away the venom that impoi-
soned him." Tribulation only augmented his fervour ;
he desired to give Catharine, by an authentic act, a
beautiful residence which he possessed, about two miles
from the city, so that she might establish a monastery
of females. Catharine did this with the special autho-
rization of Gregory XI. of happy memory, and be-
Btowed on it the name of " Holy Mary of the Angels"
I assisted at the consecration with all her spiritual
family; the commissary designated by the Sovereign
Pontiff was Friar John abbot of the convent of St,

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 165

Anthime. This conversion, operated by the omnipo-
tent hand of God is due to Catharine's prayers. I
can myself render testimony of it. I was during seve-
ral years Nanni's Confessor, and I know that he made
great progress in good, during the time that I knew
him.

Volumes would not suffice for relating all that our
Lord accomplished by his faithful spouse, for the con-
version of sinners, the spiritual advancement of the
good, the encouragement of the weak, the consolation
of the afflicted, the warning of souls in danger, etc
Who could compute the miserable whom she saved from
hell, the hardened hearts that she has touched, the
worldlings detached from vanity, persons tempted that
she assisted by her prayers and freed from the demon
by her counsels, the elect whom she directed in the
path of virtue, those whose good desires she aided in
progress towards perfection, those whom she saved
from the abyss of vice, and conducted to heaven, by
bearing them, so to speak, in her arms, suffering and
praying for their salvation ? Yes, I may say, as St
Jerome said to St. Paul, " Were I gifted with a thou-
sand tongues, it would be impossible for me to enume-
rate the fruits of salvation borne by this virginal plant
and cultivated by the Father in Heaven." I have
often seen thousands of men and women hastening to
her from the summits of the mountains and from the
surrounding country, as though a mysterious trumpet
invited them ; they came to see and hear ; her words
were even sometimes useless, while her presence suf-
ficed to convert them and inspire them with a lively
contrition', all renounced their sins, and sought th 9

166 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA,

tribunal of penance ; then I was witness of the since-
rity of their repentance, and it was evident to me that
a superabundant grace acted in their hearts ; and this
happened not once, nor twice, but very often.

The Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XI., consoled and
delighted with the good effected in souls, granted to
me and two companions, the powers reserved to bishops
for absolving all those who went to Catharine and con-
fessed. We, therefore, heard men and women of
heinous guilt, soiled with every variety of crime, who
had either never confessed, or who had not done it in
suitable dispositions. We sometimes remained fasting
until the evening, and yet we could not suffice to all
who presented themselves. I acknowledged to my
shame and Catharine's honour, that the multitude was
frequently so considerable, that I was fatigued and
discouraged. As to Catharine, she did not interrupt
her prayer, and rejoiced in conquering souls for our
blessed Master : she simply recommended to those who
accompanied her to take care of us, who held the nets
which she knew so well how to fill. It would be im-
possible to describe her joy ; what we saw exteriorly,
consoled us greatly and induced us to forget our
fatigues. I will not enlarge further on the miracles
that God wrought through Catharine ; perchance the
reader may have found this chapter lengthy, yet it is
ahort in comparison with what we had to say.

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 167

CHAPTER VIL

Of some Miracles obtained by Catharine, for the life or health ol
her Neighbour.

I INTEND now to relate a circumstance amazing in-
deed, in our time, and yet very easy to HIM with whom
all all things are possible. Lapa, Catharine's mother, was
very simple and very kind, but not very desirous of in-
visible goods ; she always had a great terror of quitting
this life. After the death of her husband she also fell ill,
and soon excited serious anxiety. Catharine had re-
course, as usual, to prayer, and entreated the Lord to
deign to relieve her mother. It was answered her that
Lapa would be saved if she died then, and that, thus,
should avoid many heavy trials whichmenaced her. Ca-
tharine went to her mother and made the sweetest ex-
hortations in order to prepare her, if God were to call,
by engaging her to a complete submission to his holy
will ; but Lapa, too deeply attached to earthly things,
was horrified at the thought of leaving them ; she con-
jured her daughter to plead with our Lord for her cure,
and not to mention death. The spouse of our Lord saw
with pain these dispositions, and prayed in anguish that
aur Lord would not permit her to die, before she was
perfectly submissive to his will. God complied with
Catharine's prayer ; the malady of Lapa became more
alarming, but death was still averted. Catharine inter-
vened between God and her mother, by her prayers and
exhortations ; she entreated God not to take her kind
mother from the world, without her own consent ; she
exhorted her mother to submit to the good pleasure of
God ; but her prayers were more prevalent with our

168 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Lord, than with the mind of the patient. Hence our
Redeemer said to his spouse, ** Announce to thy mo-
ther, who is unwilling to die at present, that a day will
arrive in which she will ardently sigh for death, without
obtaining it." I can testify, with many others, the ful-
filment of this prophecy. Lapa attained an extreme old
age, and had so much to endure in persons and things
that she loved, that she was continually saying, " God
has riveted my soul to my body, so that it cannot be se-
parated from it ; how many children and grandchildren
have I already lost? It is only I that cannot die, I am
left to feel the sufferings and death of all the others."
Lapa's heart was so obstinate, that she did not tliink
of her soul's salvatton. God then appeared to refuse
his spouse what he granted her at first. After having
deferred, in accordance with her petition, the death of
her mother, he permitted, in order to display her merits
that Lapa should die without having confessed. Her
daughter, at the view of this misfortune cried to heaven
dissolved in tears, " Ah, Lord, my God, are these the
promises thou gavest me that none of mine should pe-
rish ? Was not Ihy mercy pledged not to withdraw my
mother from the world but when she would consent to
it ? and behold she is dead without receiving the sacra-
ments of the Church — in the name of thy infinite Doun-
ty , suffer not my hopes to be thus deceived. I will not
leave thy presence until thou dost restore to me my
mother." Three ladies of Sienna, whose names we will
give, were then present and heard these words. They
saw Lapa breathe her last, and touched her body which
gave no signs of life ; they would have made every pre-
paration for her interment, had they not waited for

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES, 169

Catharine to complete her prayer. The Most High be-
held the anguish of Catharine's heart and her humble
and fervent supplications penetrated to the mercy seat.
The God of mercy and of consolation heard her, for
the body of Lapa suddenly recovered motion ; life re-
turned completely and she soon resumed her ordinary
occupation. She lived until the age of eighty-nine years
in the midst of affliction, privations, and trials, just as
her daughter had announced to her on the part of God.

The witnesses of this miracle were, Catharine Getti,
Angela Vannini, (actually a Sister of Penance of St.
DominickJ) and Lysa, Catharine's sister-in-law, and
Lapa's daughter-in-law ; they still live and are all in
Sienna ; they heard Catharine when she said beside
her dear mother, " Lord, are these thy promises ?"
Thousands of persons knew Lapa after that period.
All this shows Catharine's merit before God, for she
preserved her father's soul from purgatory and recalled
to life the inanimate body of her mother. This mi-
racle took place in the month of October, 1370.

The following fact I can particularly attest. Seven-
teen years ago, that is 1373 or 1374, religious obedi-
ence summoned me to Sienna, where I exercised in
the Convent of my Order, the functions of Lector. I
was serving God in a lukewarm manner, when the
plague declared itself, and raged as it had done in
many places during our time, but never so fearfully as
in Sienna. The contagion attacked men and persons
of all ages ; one day, two, or even three days at most,
sufficed to make one the victim of its impoisoned
breath. In consequence terror reigned everywhere ;
zeal for souls, which is the spirit of the Order of St.

170 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Dominick, obliged me to devote myself to the salvation
of my neighbour. I therefore visited the sick, and I
went very often to " Saint Marie de la Miserecorde."
The director of that house was at that time Father
Matthew who still lives.- This man, of holy life and
reputation, was extremely attached to Catharine, and
the virtue which heaven had accorded to him had in-
spired me with a warm affection for him. I was in
the habit of seeing him once every day. One morning
after the Conventual Mass I went out to visit my sick,
and as I passed the House of Mercy, I inquired
whether any one in the establishment had been at-
tacked with plague. On entering, I found Father
Matthew whom the brothers were carry ing like a corpse
from the church to his room ; his countenance was pale,
his strength had forsaken him to such a degree, that he
was incapable of speaking : when I inquired what he
suffered he could not answer me, I therefore addressed
myself to those who were accompanying him, and
questioned them concerning what had happened to my
friend: "Last night, "said they tome, "about eleven
o'clock, whilst he was watching near a sick person, he
perceived himself stricken with the epidemic ; and in
a few moments, he fell into extreme weakness." I fol-
lowed them to the sick man's bed, I bent over him, and
when he had reposed a short time, he called for me
and confessed as he was accustomed to do. After giv-
ing him absolution, I asked him what he suffered. He
explained to me in what region he felt the pain ; add-
Tng that it " seemed to him that one of his legs was
breaking and his head was separating into four parts."
1 then felt his pulse, and saw in effect that he was euf -

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 171

fering a violent fever. I recommended those who were
taking care of him to explain certain things to Doctor
Senso, his physician, who is still living and was deeply
attached to him. I returned to visit him a short time
after. Doctor Senso declared to me that my friend had
the plague, and that every symptom announced the ap-
proach of death. " It is evident that the blood is in-
flamed in the liver ; it is the reigning malady, and I
greatly fear that the House of Mercy is soon to be de-
prived of its good director." I asked him if the medi-
cal art could not furnish some remedy ? ' ' We shall see
to-night," answered he, "whether with the 'quintes-
sence of cassia,' we can succeed in purifying the blood;
but I have only a faint hope in this remedy, as the dis-
ease is too far advanced." After this response of the
medical adviser, I withdrew, being very sad, and di-
rected my steps towards the residence of the patient?
praying God, mercifully to retain in the world a man
of so useful an example.

However, Catharine had learned the illness of Father
Matthew whom she loved sincerely, on account of his
many virtues ; her heart was touched, and she speedily
repaired to him whom she was unwilling to lose.
Hardly had she entered the apartment, than she cried,
41 Get up Father Matthew, arise, this is not the moment
to repose indolently in your bed ." At the very instant
in which she uttered these words, the fever and the
marks* of the pestilence disappeared ; Father Matthew
found himself as free from pain as though he had not
been sick. Nature had obeyed her Master, who com-
manded by Catharine's mouth ; and his word had re-
* The plague spots.

172 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

stored the sufferer to perfect health. Father Matthew
arose joyfully, and blessed the Lord for the power he
had bestowed on his handmaid. Catharine modestly
retired, to avoid the admiration of men ; but at the
moment in which she withdrew from the house I en-
tered it ignorant of what had passed, and believing my
friend to be still very sick. As soon as 1 saw her, my
grief urged me to say, with deep anxiety, " Mother,
will you allow a person so dear and so useful to die?"
She, wishing to conceal what she had done beneath the
veil of humility, appeared to be annoyed at my words.
" In what terms do you address me," said she, " am I
like God, to deliver a man from death ?" But I, beside
myself with sorrow, continued, " Say that to others if
vou will ; as to me who am well acquainted with your
secrets, I know that you obtain from God whatever
you ask with fervour. Then she bowed her head and
smiled a little ; after which she looked at me with a
joyous countenance, saying, " Well, let us take courage
he shall not die this time."

At these words I banished all fear ; I understood
that she had obtained some grace from heaven. I left
her, and went very contentedly to my sick friend whom
I found seated at his bedside and recounting to every-
body the miracle that Catharine had just effected. I
informed him that she had that moment assured me
that she should not die of this malady. " Are you ig-
norant, "replied he, "of what shehas just done for me?"
When I told him that I was not aware of anything,
and that all she said to me was contained in that pleasing
assurance, he stood up, much surprised, and joyfully
narrated what I have here written. To attest the mi-

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 173

racle more solidly the table was laid, and Father Mat-
thew seated himself at it with us : they served him
with food scarcely suitable for a sick man — vegetables
and some raw onions — he, who an instant previously
could not take anything, shared them us ; he chatted
and laughed gaily ; whilst that very morning he could
scarcely pronounce one audible word. Admiration
and joy were general ; all praised God who had be-
stowed so great a favour, and conversed approvingly
and with holy envy of the merits of the saint who had
obtained them. This miracle had also for witness,
Brother Nicholas d' Andrea of Sienna, of the Order
of the Friar Preachers ; he yet lives, and accompanied
me on that day. Those who were resident in the
house, pupils, priests, and more than twenty persons
besides, saw what I have related.

Such as have not had their hearts touched may per-
chance say, what is there astonishing in the cure of a
malady, even though it be serious ? does not that hap-
pen naturally every day? I will respond to them by
asking them, Why the Gospel recounts that our Lord
healed Simon's mother-in-law, who was ill with a fe-
ver ? Do we not continually see men relieved of vio-
lent fevers ? Why then does;the Evangelist cite this
fact as a miracle ? Let him who sees nothing beyond
the letter, give attention to what the sacred writer
has deigned to observe — " He approached her," saya
he, " he commanded the fever, the fever immediately
left her, rising instantly she served them." (St. Luke,
iv. 39) The proof of the miracle lies in the sudden dis-
appearance of the fever, at the sole command of the
Saviour, and without any natural remedy ; she vrho

174 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

had been so long sick and bed-ridden, arose without
any exterior help ; therefore, in what I have said, the
eyes must be closed voluntary, if the truth is not per-
ceived. That God who had healed the mother-in-law
of Simon, dwelt in Catharine : she did not approach,
but afar, she commanded fever and pestilence, and
without remedy and without delay, Father Matthew
was delivered. Open, therefore, the eyes of the
mind ; be not incredulous but believing.

There was, near the House of Mercy, a very pious
woman, who wore, if I remember rightly, the habit of
the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick. In her admi-
ration of Catharine's virtues, she desired to consecrate
herself to her service ; she followed her counsels with
docility, was edified by her examples, and entertained
towards her sentiments of profound veneration. It
happened one day that this woman being at home, the
floor gave way beneath her, and dragged her down-
ward in its descent ; she was covered with contusions 5
her whole body was one general wound. The neigh-
bours assembled in all haste, to draw her from amidst
the fallen stones and timbers ; they thought her killed.
However, thanks be to God, they were able to remove
her to her bed, where by degrees her consciousness
returned ; but it was to suffer horribly. The pain
drew from her both tears and shrieks, and she detailed
what she was enduring to those who surrounded her.
Medical aid was obtained, and all was done for her
that was possible ; yet the poor woman could not
move, and suffered a martyrdom in every limb.

As soon as Catharine heard it, she was filled with
compassion for one who was her sister, and who had

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 175

made herself her servant. She went immediately to
visit her, and exhorted her to patience by devout in-
struction. When she saw her suffering so excessively,
she began to touch (as though she would administer
relief,) the places of which she complained ; the pa-
tient willingly consented because she knew that those
blessed hands could not fail of doing her good. As soon
as Catharine touched any place, its pain vanished ;
hence the sick woman showed her the other parts
that were tormented so that she might apply the same
remedy, and Catharine lent herself to this charity
with so much care, that she finished by completely
healing her, In proportion as her virginal hand
glided over her bruised body, the pain disappeared,
and the sick woman who could not move a single
member recovered little by little her liberty of mo-
tion ; she kept silence whilst Catharine was present
lest she might alarm her humility, but afterwards she
said to the physicians and neighbours that were sur-
roundingher — "Catharine,Lapa'sdaughter,hascured
me by touching me." All were in admiration and gave
glory to God ; for it was impossible not to admit that
this restoration proceeded from a divine virtue. I have
related this miracle on the testimony of others, because
when it was wrought I was not yet acquainted with
Catharine and did not even reside in Sienna.

During the same pestilence, a hermit called " The
Saint," and who was so indeed, was attacked by the
contagion. As soon as Catharine heard it, she caused
him to be carried from the cell in which he lived out-
side of Sienna, to the House of Mercy ; She visited him
with her companions, and was attentive to see that he

176 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

bad all necessary care. She approached him and said
in a low tone — " Do not fear, however ill you may be-
come you will not die this time." But she told us no-
thing similar, when we requested her to pray for his
cure. She, on the contrary, appeared like ourselves, to
fear his death; and we were much grieved being sin-
cerely attached to this pious man. The illness grew
hourly worse, and we were beginning to despair of the
safety of the body, and think only of the salvation of
the soul. All physical energy appeared extinct, and
we awaited his expiring sigh. Catharine said again in
the patient's ear, ' * Fear not, you will not die." He
who appeared to be unconscious, understood her per-
fectly, and believed more strongly in her word than
in death whose presence he felt. And in effect, Ca-
tharine's word triumphed over the laws of nature ;
and divine virtue, more powerful than all human re-
medies, saved the dying man against all hope.

We were already preparing for his interment, and
several days elapsed without amelioration. Catha-
rine arrived and said in the ear of the sick man, l4 1
command you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
not to die." Life and strength immediately re-
turned. The saintly man rose from his bed and asked
for something to eat. A few moments sufficed for a
complete cure ; he related to us what Catharine had
said to him, and that he had felt a divine energy re-
taining his soul which endeavoured to escape. He
affirmed that he was not cured by any natural cause,
and believed this miracle to be as great as though he
bad risen from the dead,

Having spoken of others, I must not pass in siloaca

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 177

what Catharine did for me. When the plague was rag-
ing in Sienna, I resolved to sacrifice my life for the sal-
vation of souls and not to avoid any pestiferous patient
whatever; it is certain that the malady is contagious :
but I also knew that our Lord Jesus Christ is more po-
tent than Galen, and that grace is superior to nature.
I also saw that many had taken flight, and that the dy-
ing remained without assistance ; and as the blessed
Catharine had taught me that charity obliges us to love
the soul of the neighbour more than our own body, I
was desirous of assisting as many sick as I could, and I
did so by God's grace. I was almost alone in that vast
city, and had scarcely time to take a little food and
sleep. One night as I reposed, and the time approached
to rise and recite my office, I felt a violent pain in the
region of the body first attacked by the reigning epi-
demic; my hand discovered to me the fatal swelling ;
frightened at this discovery I dared not rise and began
to think seriously of death. I longed for the day, so that
I could find Catharine before the disease made pro-
gress ; the fever and pains in the head soon seized me ; my
fears augmented ; I had however sufficient strength to
recitemyprayers. When morning came I dragged my-
self with my companion, to Catharine's residence, but
she was absent, having already been visiting a sick per-
son. I decided to wait, and as I could no longer sup-
port myself, I was obliged to lie down on a bed which
was there ; I besought the person of .the house not to
delay sending for her. When she came, and saw my
excessive suffering, she knelt down by my bed, placad
her hand on my forehead, and began to, pray interiorly
as usual ; I saw her enter into an ecstasy and I thought

178 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that there would soon result some good both for my
soul and body. She remained thus, during nearly an
hour and a half, when I felt a universal movement in
my every limb ; I was persuaded it was a prelude to
vomitings, such as those I had witnessed in several per-
sons that I saw die ; but I was in error ; it seemed as
if something escaped from all the extremities of my
body with a violent impulse; I began to feel an ame-
lioration which augmented every moment ; before Ca-
tharine had recovered the use of her senses, I was com-
pletely cured, there only remained to me a certain
weakness, a proof of my illness, or an effect of my want
of faith. Catharine, aware of the grace that she had ob -
tained from her Spouse, came to herself and caused
them to prepare for me the ordinary nourishment com-
mon to the sick. When I had taken it from her vir-
ginal hands, she ordered me to sleep a little ; I obeyed,
and on awakening If ound myself as active as if nothing
had happened to me. Then she said to me, "Now go
and labour for the salvation of souls, and render
thanks to the Omnipotent who hath delivered you
from this danger." I returned to my habitual fa-
tigues, glorifying the Lord who had bestowed such
power on his faithful spouse.

At the same epoch, Catharine worked a miracle on
Friar Bartholomew of St D ominick of Sienna, my friend,
he who at present governs the Roman province, and this
miracle was more remarkable, because that religious
had been long and grievously sick with the plague.

When the contagion had passed to Sienna, many per-
sons, but aboveall the sisters of a convent of Pisa, hav-
ing heard the praises of Catharine celebrated, evinced

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES, 179

a lively desire of seeing her, and profiting by her in-
structions. They therefore entreated her to repair
to Pisa, promising, in order to attract her, that her
presence would be profitable to many souls. Catha-
rine did not like journeys, but she had recourse to her
divine Spouse, and humbly referred the case to his
decision : she had consulted the opinion of those wh(
surrounded her, and their sentiments were divided ;
Borne days after our Lord appeared to her, and com
manded her to yield to the requests of his servants^
who were expecting her in the city of Pisa. " My
Name," said he, " will be greatly glorified by this
journey, and souls will derive much benefit, according
to the promise that I made thee, when thy soul sepa-
rated from thy body, and was united to it anew."

Catharine obediently made known to me the di-
vine will, and repaired directly to Pisa. I accompanied
her, with several Fathers of my order, so as to hear
confessions. Many of those who visited her had their
hearts moved by her fervent words, and Catharine,
in order that the devil might not resume his conquests,
ordered them to seek a Confessor, and ask directly
the sacrament of penance.

On our arrival at Pisa, Catharine was received hoa«
pitably at the house of an inhabitant named Girard
Buonconti. Her host one day brought a young man of
twenty years, and presented him to her, requesting her
to be so kind as to pray for the recovery of his health,
informing her that during eighteen months fevers had
never left him, and although he had none at that mo-
ment, they had been so violent, that his health was
completely ruined notwithstanding all the efforts of

180 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

medical skill and science. And indeed his pale attenu-
ated countenance was suffcient proof.

Catharine, moved with pity, inquired of the youth
how long a time had elapsed since he had been to con-
fession. On his replying that several years had found
him remiss in his duty, " God," said she to him, * 'sends
you this affliction, because you have remained so long,
without purifying your soul in the sacrament of pen-
ance: go, therefore, my dear son, and confess, cleanse
your soul from the corruption of suTwhich has impoi-
soned your body." Then she sent for Friar Thomas,
her first Confessor, and confided the sick youth to his
care that he might hear his confession and givehim ab-
solution. When this was terminated, the youth returned
to Catharine who said to him, while putting her hand
on his shoulder, "Go, my son, with the peace of our
Lord Jesus Christ ; it is my will that you should have
this fever no more." And it happened as she willed.

From that moment the young man had no more at-
tacks of fever. In Catharine resided the power of Him
of whom it is written ; He spoke and it was done,
commanded and creation sprung from chaos. Somo
days after the youth came and thanked her who had
healed him, and he assured us that he had not been
troubled with the slightest indisposition since that hour.

I was witness to this and can say like St. John,
" He who hath seen beareth testimony." There were
also with me, Catharine's host, and Lapa, and also the
inmates of the house, also Friar Thomas, Confessor of
Catharine and of thepatient, Friar Bartholomew of St.
Dominick and all the devout women of Sienna who had
accompanied Catharine. The youth who had been re-

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 181

stored to health, published the miracle throughout
the city, and when I was passing through Pisa seve-
ral years, after, he visited me and it was with diffi-
culty I recognised him, so robust and manly was he ia
health and bearing; he recounted in presence of those
who accompanied me, what had occurred and attribu-
ted the glory of it to God's faithful servant Catharine.

A miracle similar to this had taken place at Sienna ;
only the illness was more dangerous. A Sister oj
Penance of St. Dominick named Gemmina, was much
attached to Catharine; she had a quinsy, in conse-
quence of a cold in the head which she had neglected,
and her sickness made such rapid progress that the
remedies employed proved inefficacious; the throat
was so much inflamed that there was danger of suf-
focation. In this position, she made an extraordinary
effort and went to Catharine, saying, as well as she
could, as soon as she beheld her, "Mother, I shall die,
unless you help me." Catharine had pity on the poor
sister who could scarcely breathe ; in holy confidence,
she applied her hand to the throat, made over it the
sign of the Cross, and the pain disappeared immediately ;
she who had come in much pain and suffering, returned,
in perfect health, and with joy and gratitude, ran to
Friar Thomas and related to him what had occurred-
the latter took note of it, and from his manuscripts I
extracted what I have just narrated.

When the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XT., quitted
his abode in Avignon to return to Rome, Catharine
arrived at Genes, before him, and remained there to
meet him. Two young persons from Sienna accom-
panied us ; they were very pious, and are still living,

182 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

The first was called Neri de Landoccio of Pagliaresi —
he despised the world and its vanities and sanctified
himself in solitude; the other was Etienne Corrade
of Maconi. Catharine, when leaving this exile to soar
to heaven, ordered him to enter the order of the Car-
thusians, and the grace of God so truly accompanied
him, that he now directs a great portion of his order
by his visits, teaching, and example. He was succes-
sively placed at the head of several monasteries, and
is now Prior of the Chartreuse of Milan. They were
witnesses, as myself, of the greater number of mira-
cles related in this second pan ; but in the city of
Genes the divine power was manifested in regard to
themselves, by means of the blessed Catharine.

Whilst we were there, Neri was taken with an acute
pain, which caused him much suffering, and inconve-
nienced us greatly : he could neither walk nor yet be
in bed ; he crawled about on his hands and knees in
the apartment, where other persons slept, and this
irritated his pains, instead of soothing them, and an
inflammation ensued.

Catharine having heard it, appeared to be moved
to pity, and desired me to have physicians called and
proper remedies given him ; I obeyed promptly, in-
viting two medical advisers whose orders were faith-
fully accomplished ; but the patient instead of obtain-
ing relief, suffered more. I presume God permitted
this, because he desired to display in an admirable
manner, the power of his spouse. The physicians per-
ceiving their prescriptions useless, told me that they
had no hope of saving him.

"When I gave this news to the religious and the com-

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLBS. 188

panions who were at table with me, Etienne Maconi
left his repast, with a melancholy heart, and hastened
to Catharine's room. He threw himself at her feet,
melting into tears, conjuring her not to suffer his
companion and brother, during a journey undertaken
for God and her, to die far from home and be buried
in a strange land. Catharine deeply affected, said to
him with maternal tenderness, " Why my son, do you
suffer yourself to be troubled ? If God wishes to re-
compense your brother Neri's labours, you ought not
to be afflicted, but on the contrary, rejoice." But
Etienne insisted, " O dearest, kindest mother, I con-
jure you, hear my petition, help him ; I am perfectly
convinced that you can, if you will." And Catharine,
incapable of concealing her tenderness, replied, " I
only exhorted you to conform to God's will; but since
I see you so sad, when I receive holy communion
at to-morrow morning's Mass, remind me of your re»
quest and I promise to pray God for your inten-
tion— you must yourself pray that he may hear me."
Etienne, quite joyous at having obtained this pro-
mise, failed not to present himself to Catharine just as
she was going to Mass ; he'knelt humbly, and said to
her, "Mother, I entreat you not to deceive my expec-
tation." Catharine communicated at the Mass and as
usual remained a long time in ecstasy. When she had
resumed the use of her senses, she smiled on Etienne,
who was waiting by her side, and said to him, "You
have obtained the grace that you asked." "Etienne
said, "Mother, will Neri be cured?" " Assuredly he
will be saved," answered she, " for God desires to re-
store him to us." Etienne hastened to impart his joy-

184 LIFE u* ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

ful hopes to the sick person. The physicians after-
wards arrived, and having recommenced their obser-
vations, began to say that, although they had given
him up, his symptoms demonstrated that he might yet
recover. In effect, according to Catharine's promise,
convalescence commenced, and the recovery was soon
complete.

But Etienne Maconi, overcome by the fatigue and
sorrow occasioned by Neri's illness, was attacked by a
violent fever, attended with vomiting and violent
pains in the bead. He kept his bed, and as he was gene-
rally beloved, we assisted him, and sought to console
him. When the blessed Catharine heard of his state
she was much afflicted ; she visited him, and interro-
gated him concerning his malady, and perceiving that
he was suffering from a fever, she said in a tone of au-
thority, " I command you in virtue of holy obedience
to have this fever no longer." Wonderful to relate,
nature obeyed this order as if the Creator of all things
had pronounced it from high heaven ; without en>
ploying any remedy, and before Catharine left his bed-
side, Etienne was completely delivered from his fever.
We were all delighted to have our friend restored to
us, and gave thanks to God for having so promptly
manifested bis power.

To these two miracles I will add a third, of which
I was not witness, being absent ; but she in whose
i&Your it was performed, is yet living, and can testify
to it. Jeanne de Capo, was a Sister of Penance of St,
Dominick, and belonged to Sienna, but did not reside
there. When the Sovereign Pontiff Gregory XI.,
bad returned to Rome, he sent Catharine to Florence

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 185

in order to establish peace and reconcile the common
father of the faithful with his revolted children. Ca-
tharine succeeded as I will narrate in a special chapter ;
but the infernal serpent who creates and entertains
discord, because he is the enemy of unity, excited a
sedition in the city against the speuse of Christ, who
was endeavouring to make peace. Her friends and
those who accompanied her, advised her to withdraw
for a time, and allow this tempest to pass. She al-
ways humble and prudent, submitted to their views,
but said that God had forbidden her to quit the neigh-
bourhood of the city, so long as peace and concord
were not concluded between the Sovereign Pontiff and
the people of Florence.

Catharine was therefore making preparations to re-
tire from the city: but it was discovered that Jane was
indisposed ; one of her feet was very much swollen, and
the pain in it created a high fever, which prevented
her from setting out. Catharine would not leave her
alone, exposed to the ill-treatment of the impious, and
she had recourse to prayer. She implored our Lord to
condescend to lend an ear to her necessities, and while
she was praying a gentle slumber took possession of
the sick woman, and when, she awoke, she was per-
fectly cured, without feeling any effects of her illness
She arose, and when daylight dawned, she set out with
the others; her companions who had seen her suffering
were in amazement, and blessed God for his mercies
towards Catharine.

To this miracle, I will add another which occurred
at Toulon, in Provence. We stopped at an Inn of
that city, at the f i^io of th/> return of Gregory XI. to

186 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Rome ; Catharine withdrew as usual to her apartment;
we had not spoken of her, but the very stones appeared
to announce her arrival. First women, and then men,
came to our residence and asked where was the saint
who returned from the Pontifical Court. The hostler
having told them, it became impossible to hinder the
crowd, and we were obliged to admit the women. One
of them brought an infant whose body was so swollen
that it excited pity in the beholders, and some person
present asked Catharine to be so obliging as to hold
the infant a moment in her arms. Catharine refused
because she desired to shun the admiration of men ;
but in fine, overcome by compassion, she consented to
what was demanded with such lively faith. Hardly
was the babe placed in her virginal hands, than the
swelling disappeared, and the little invalid was com-
pletely restored. I was not present when this miracle
was performed; but it was so evident and so well cer-
tified, that the Bishop of the city sent for me, and
when relating it, informed me that the child was the
nephew of his vicar ; he requested me to obtain for him
an interview with Catharine.

Our Lord Jesus Christ produced many other mira-
culous cures, by the intervention of the blessed Catha-
rine; it would be impossible for me to recount them
all in one book, but I have recounted some, which will
suffice to prove how Jesus, the son of God and of Mary,
acted in her. The deliverance of those that were tor-
mented with devils naturally refers to the healings of
the body; but as this chapter is sufficiently lengthy,
and as Catharine enjoyed a special grace for those un-
fortunate souls, I will treat this subject separately.

EXTRAORDINARY MIRACLES. 187

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Miracles performed by Catharine for delivering such aa were
possessed by the Deril.

OUR divine Lord continually exhibited exteriorly the
graces with which he interiorly adorned his spouse.
Fire cannot remain concealed, and a tree planted by
the water courses always bears its fruit in due season
The virtue of Jesus Christ, or rather Jesus Christ him-
self, dwelt in Catharine's heart, and displayed its pre-
gence there more and more each successive day, not only
by obtaining for sinners the conversion of their souls,
and for the sick health and corporal restoration, but in
commanding evil spirits, and chasing them from those
whom they possessed ; and thus for the Name of our
Lord residing in her, everything in heaven, on earth,
and in hell bent the knee before her.

There was in Sienna a man named Ser. Michel de
Monaldo, a very skilful notary, whom I have seen a
hundred times, and from whom I received the follow-
ing facts. Being advanced in years, he took the reso-
lution, with his wife's consent, to consecrate himself
wholly to the service of God and to offer to Him the vir-
ginity of his two daughters. He made application to a
monastery established in the city, under the invocation
of St. John the Baptist ; he confined his daughters to
the religious Sisters who resided there, gave them his
fortune, and lodged with his wife outside of the enclo-
sure, and there directed the temporal affairs of the con-
vent. This arrangement lasted a considerable time,
when by a just, but incomprehensible judgmentof God,
one of the daughters of Ser. Michel, called Laurencia,

188 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

aged about eight years, became possessed by the devil;
the foe of salvation tormented her cruelly and troubled
the peace of the entire monastery. The Nuns being un-
able to retain the child longer, obliged Ser. Michel to re-
sume his charge. When she had retired from the con-
vent the devil ceased not to manifest his presence in an
extraordinary manner. He spoke Latin by her mouth,
although she had no idea of that tongue ; he answered the
most difficult questions, and manifested the sins and the
secrets of a great number of persons ; in fine, it was evi-
dent to every one that God permitted the devil, for a
motive concealed from man, to torment this poor little
innocent.

Her parents were in the deepest distress and sought
every method of relieving her; they brought her to
visit the relics of saints whose merits could put the
devil to flight. They had above all confidence in the
intercession of the blessed Ambrose of the Order of
Preaching Friars, whom God has glorified during more
than a century by a great number of miracles, and who
is endued with a special power for chasing out malig-
nant spirits; his cope or his scapular, which are still
preserved, have often sufficed for delivering the pos-
sessed when clothed in them ; I have myself witnessed
this effect on several occasions. The parents of little
Laurencia led her to the church of the Preaching
Friars, placed her on the tomb of blessed Ambrose,
covered her with his habit or sacerdotal ornaments,
and fervently implored God for her deliverance, but
they were not heard ; this possession was undoubtedly
not to punish the child who had not sinned, nor her
parents who had always led an exemplary life; but

CASTING OUT EVIL SPIRITS. 189

God I presume suffered it, in order to increase the
honour of his faithful servant. The blessed Ambrose
who already enjoyed beatitude, desired to leave the
credit of the miracle to Catharine who was continuing
her earthly pilgrimage, and thus make known her
virtues to the faithful, even before her death. Several
of Catharine's acquaintances advised the parents of
Laurencia to present their child to her; but when
they attempted it, Catharine answered — "Alas! I am
myself daily tormented by the demons ; how do you
imagine that I can deliver others?" And as she could
not escape by the door, without meeting those who
came, she hid herself so completely in the attic, that
they could not find her. The parents retired, without
having obtained anything; but this proof of humility
and this flight from human esteem, inspired them with
greater confidence in her sanctity, and induced them
to demand her assistance with greater ardour.

As they could not procure access to her, because she
forbade all her companions to speak to her of this affair,
they had recourse to Friar Thomas, as her Confessor,
to whom they knew Catharine was very submissive.
They exposed their misfortune to him, and entreated
him to oblige Catharine in the name of holy obedience
to help them in their affliction. Friar Thomas felt an
extreme compassion for their trouble, but he knew that
his authority did not extend so far as to oblige Catha-
rine to the performance of miracles, and as he feared
to wound her humility, he made use of the following
expedient. One evening while Catharine was absent,
he conducted the little possessed into her oratory, and
said to one of her companions ^wbo ramainod in the

190 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

house, "Tell Catharine, when she will return, that I
command her in virtue of holy obedience, to allow that
child to remain here during the night, and to keep her
until morning near herself." Catharine returned a
short time after, and found little Laurencia in her
room; she recognized that she was possessed by the
demon, and suspected that it was the child that she had
refused to see. Having questioned her companion and
learned the order of her Confessor, she perceived that
there was no means of escape ; she therefore had re-
course to prayer, and forced the child to kneel and
pray with her. The whole night was consumed in
this combating the enemy by a holy vigil ; before day-
break, the demon was, notwithstanding his resistance,
overcome by the divine virtue, and the delivered child
felt no ill. Tn the morning, as soon as Alessia, Catha-
rine's companion, was informed of it, she told her Con-
fessor that Laurencia was no longer possessed. Friar
Thomas, with the parents, repaired directly to Catha-
rine's house; they found Laurencia completely cured,
and with tears of joy thanked God, and her whom he
had deigned to use as his merciful instrument. They
intended taking their daughter with them, but Ca-
tharine knew by a divine light what was to happen,
and bade them, "Leave the child there a few days, it
being necessary to her salvation." They accepted this
proposition with eagerness and joyfully withdrew.
Catharine profited by this time to give holy counsels
to Laurencia ; she taught her by word and example to
pray frequently and fervently, and prohibited her leav-
ing the house, under any pretext, until her parents
came for her. The child, was docile, and showed her-

CASTING OUT EVIL SPIRITS. 191

self day by day better disposed ; the house in which
she was staying was not Catharine's, but that of her
companion Alessia, and it was not very remote. It
happened that Catharine remained a whole day at home
with Alessia, having left Laurencia in charge with the
domestic. After nightfall, Catharine suddenly called
Alessia, and told her to put on her cloak and go with
her at once to the child that had been entrusted to
them ; the latter observed that it was unbecoming for
females to go out at that hour ; but Catharine an-
swered. u Hasten, for the infernal wolf has caught the
lamb that we have saved." She and Alessia set out
without delay — and when they reached the house they
found Laurencia furious, her countenance totally dis-
torted and inflamed. ** Ah ! serpent," exclaimed Ca-
tharine, ' ' th ou hast dared to enter anew into that in-
nocent child ; but I have faith in Jesus my Saviour
and Spouse ; thou shalt make thy exit, no more to re-
turn." Pronouncing these words, she led the child
into the place where the prayers had been offered,
and after somo instants she brought her back perfectly
delivered, and recommended her to take some repose.
When morning arrived, she sent for the parents, and
said, ** Now, you may take your child in all security,
she will not be tormented in future." The prophecy
has so far been accomplished. Laurencia returned to
her monastery and has served God in it, in peace, for
more than sixteen years.

Being desirous of knowing more fully what had
passed, I interrogated Catharine herself, and I asked
her how the demon had been so audacious as to resist
the power of relios and even exorcism. She answered

192 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that the obstinacy of the evil spirit was so great that
she had been forced to dispute with him until four
o'clock in the morning : she ordered him to come out
in the Name of the Redeemer, and he obstinately re-
fused ; but after a long contest, the demon perceiving
himself on the point of being driven out, said, " If I
leave her, I will enter thy soul." Catharine said —
" If God will allow it ; for I know that thou canst do
nought without his permission, and I refrain from
opposing his holy will in the least."

Then the spirit of pride, overcome by this trait of
sincere humility, lost his power over that child ; how-
ever he held hep by the throat and provoked a swell-
ing in it ; Catharine raising her hand to the neck,
made over it the blessed sign of redemption; the
devil then lost his grasp entirely.

The following miracle will exhibit more clearly to
what a degree the blessed Catharine had received from
God the power of driving out Satan ; I was not present,
for she had sent me to Uie Vicar of Jesus Christ, Pope
Gregory XL, on affairs relative to the Church; but
brother " Saint," the hermit whose cure I related above,
Alessia and other accompanying friends are witnesses.

Catharine had gone with the noble and venerable
lady Bian china, widow of John Agnolino Salimbeni, to
la Roche Castle, where I had passed several weeks with
her. A woman near this castle was seized with the de-
mon, who tormented her shockingly. When lady Bi-
anchina knew this, she, through compassion, wished
that Catharine would succour the unhappy victim :
but she knew her humility and her annoyance, when
they spoke to her of such subjects. Having taken coun-

CASTING OUT EVIL SPIRITS. 198

sel from her companions, she had the possessed person
brought into Catharine's presence, in order that the
sight of her might inspire Charity and excite her to
deliver her. When they conducted her there, our bles-
sed Catharine was labouring to reconcile two enemies
who were at war, and she was disposing herself to go
into the neighbourhood to terminate the quarrel. As
soon as she beheld the possessed woman, she compre-
hended that escape was inevitable, and expressed her
sorrow to Lady Bianchina," May God forgive you, lady,
for what you have done. Do you not know that I am
often tormented by the devils; how can you oblige
me to expose myself to them, by leading before me a
possessed individual?'' Then she turned towards the
demoniac, saying, ' ' You cursed spirit, who are resolved
to prevent this reconciliation, place your head here,
and wait in that position until my return !"

At that order, the possessed woman with great do-
cility placed her head as Catharine had commanded,
and the blessed Catharine went to terminate the work
her charity had began. Satan cried out, by the mouth
of the possessed, u Why do you retain me here, let me
go, I am too cruelly tormented." The person present
R?,id, " Why do you not leave the room, the door is
open?" And the evil spirit said, UI cannot; that wo-
man has enchained me." When he wasasked whom he
meant, he either would not or could not name her ; he
only said : " my enemy." Brother Saint, who supported
the head of the possessed woman, asked him, " Js thy
enemy very powerful?" He answered, " 1 have none
greater in the whole world." When those present do •
sired to prevent his screams, they tried to silence him

194 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

by saying, " Be quiet, Catharine is coming." The first
time he rejoined, she is not coming yet, she is in such
a place, and indicated the exact place where she ac-
tually was. On being asked what she was doing, he
said, «* Something that displeases me sovereignly, and
which she often does" — and with that saying, he
shrieked still louder, " Why keep me here." Still he
never moved the head of the demoniac from the posi-
tion in which Catharine had commanded it to be
placed. After a few moments he said, «• The one 1
hate is returning here." They asked where she was ;
he answered, " She is no longer in that place; she is
in such a place," then added, "now she is there "and
indicated all the different localities through which
Catharine passed ; atT length he said, " now she is on
the threshold of the house ;" and it was correct.
When Catharine[entered the room, he cried still more
icudly, "Why do you keep me here?" "Get up,
wretch," said Catharine to him, ** go forth quickly,
and leave in peace this creature of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and never presume to torment her anew."

At these words the evil spirit forsook every portion
of her body, except the throat, which he caused to
swell in a fearful manner. Catharine applied her
virginal hand, and making the sign of the cross over
it, chased the demon away completely. The woman
was relieved in presence of all the spectators, and
being weak and overcome by excess of suffering, Ca-
tharine sustained her some time by allowing her to
recline upon her breast and in her arms ; after order-
ing her some refreshing diet, they led her to her own
house. When the poor invalid, who was delivered^

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY. 195

had opened her eyes after sleeping, she was astonished
to perceive herself surrounded by so many persons,
and in the house of her mistress ; and she inquired of
her relatives, 4i who carried her there and when ?"
When they informed her that she had been tormented
by the demon, she said that she had no remembrance
of it, only she felt as though she had been beaten vio-
lently in every limb, and that her body felt univer-
sally bruised. She rendered humble thanks to
her liberator, and went on foot to the house whence
they had been forced to carry her on a litter.

Our Lord Jesus Christ delivered several other pos-
sessed, in a miraculous manner, by Catharine's in-
tercession. I did not recount these cures in this chap-
ter, but those that 1 have cited suffice to give a clear
view of the grace the blessed Catharine had received
for casting out demons ; she obtained it by triumph-
ing in herself over these malicious spirits, with God's
help, in many a striking circumstance.

CHAPTER IX.

Of Catharine's Gift of Prophecy, and in what manner she delivered
several persons from the danger which threatened their souls and
bodies.

WHAT I am about to offer may appear incredible ;
but the infalible truth is my witness, that such has
been my experience, and there is nothing, of all that
has ever occurred to me, of which I am so certain.
Catharine possessed a prophetical spirit so perfect and
so constant, that nothing could escape her ; she knew
whatever referred to herself of to those who ap-

196 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

preached her, or who sought her counsels for the bene-
fit of their souls : it was impossible for us to do any-
thing good or ill in her absence, without her having
at the very instant a knowledge of it : we experi-
enced it, so to speak, at each moment ; and what
is more admirable, she often told us our inmost
thoughts, as if they had been h'ers. I know that for
myself, and I confess it before the whole Church mi-
litant, she rebuked me for certain thoughts which
were troubling me in the very moment, and that I
was obstinately concealing from her. 1 am not
ashamed to declare it for her glory. " Why hide from
me," said she to me, " what I see more clearly than
you think ?" And she directly gave me wholesome ad-
rice on that subject. This happened to me very often,
ile who knoweth all things is my witness. But let
us enter into some details ; and for the sake of order,
let us commence with things spiritual.

There was in Sienna a knight,who to nobility of birth
added glorious exploits, and who had acquired in the
neighbourhood the title of "My Lord Nicolas des Sar-
rasius. ' After passing a great portion of his life in bat-
tles, he had returned to his domestic fireside, intending;
to administer his estate and enjoy a fortune; he made
merry vith his friends, and promised himself a long ca/-
reer. Eternal Goodness, who wills the death of none,
inspired the knight's lady and some pious relatives wi^h.
a. design of engaging him to go to confession and do pe-
nance for the sins committed in the lengthy wars, which
had occupied the former portion of his lif e ; but he, all
devoted to visible things, derided these prudent coun-
sels, £sd cared little for his eternaJ salvation.

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY. 197

At this period the blessed Catharine enlightened the
city of Sienna by her virtues, and was particularly re-
markable by the conversion of sinners the most hard-
ened, who were either completely converted, or at least
renounced a portion of their evil customs. The indivi-
duals who were interesting themselves in the salvation
of the knight, perceiving the futility of their efforts,
requested him to hold a conversation with Catharine.
" What have I to do with that good woman ? Pray,
what service could she render me ? His wife who was
strongly attached to Catharine went to her and in-
formed her how hardened her husband was, and en-
treated her to pray to God for his conversion. It hap-
pened one night that the blessed Catharine appeared in
a dream to our chevalier, and warned him to listen to the
good advice of his wife, if he would avoid eternal damna-
tion. On awaking, he said to his lady, " Last night, I
saw in my dreams that Catharine of whom you so often
speak with me; I should like to have an interview with
her, and see if she really looks as she appeared to me."
His wife, overjoyed at this news, hastened to Catharine,
thanked her, and agreed upon the time in which her
husband might converse with her. In fine, the knight
conversed with Catharine, was perfectly converted, and
promised to go as soon as possible to confess his sins to
Friar Thomas - he was faithful to grace and fulfilled
W* promise.

One morning after hehad concluded, thisman, whom
J knew already, met me when I was returning from
the city to my convent, and inquired of me where he
would probablv find Catharine at that time. I said,
1 1 1 presume in oar ehurah. " I pray you," added he,

198 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

" be so kind as to conduct me there, because it is ne
cessary for me to speak with her." I cheerfully con-
sented ; and entering the church with him, I called one
of Catharine's companions and charged her with the
commission of the chevalier. Catharine arose from the
place in which she was praying, and advancing to meet
Mm, graciously and respectfully saluted him. The
aged knight said to her with a profound inclination —
44 Madame, I have done what you prescribed to me ; 1
confessed all my sins to Friar Thomas, who assigned
me a penance, and I am resolved to accomplish it,
such as it is imposed on me. Catharine responded,
" You have acted wisely for the salvation of your soul ;
now avoid all your former practices, and combat as
valiantly for Jesus Christ as you have done for the
world." She added — " My Lord, have you confessed
all that you did ?" And as he assured her that he was
certain of having told all that came to his memory,
the repeated to him — " Examine well, whether you
have omitted nothing ?w

He affirmed anew that he had confessed all that he
recollected. Catharine took leave of him, and allowed
him to remain alone a few moments, and then called
him by means of one of her companions, and said —
" Examine your conscience, I entreat you, and see
whether you did not forget some sin." And as he
again affirmed that he had confessed all, she drew him
aside, and recalled to his memory a grievous sin that
he had secretly committed when in la Puglia. The
soldier, much astonished, acknowledged that he had
indeed committed that sin ; he went in search of his
Confessor and completed his confession. Afterwards

HEK GIFT OF PROPHECY. 199

he could not keep silence in regard to this miracle, and
narrated its particulars to all those who wished to hear
him, as though he would say, like the Samaritan woman,
of old, " Come and see this virgin who revealed to me
my most secret offences; is she not a saint and &
prophetess ? How do otherwise than recognise it, fou
the fault which she recalled to me, could be known to
uo one but myself." From that hour, the brave knight
obeyed Catharine, as a pupil obeys his master, and
death soon manifested the necessity of this happy change.
Ere that year had winged its flight, a painful illness
concluded his days, and he rendered his soul to God in
the best dispositions.

There are several points worthy of remark in this
event ; first, the apparition during sleep, the super-
natural revelation of a sin, and then the salvation of a
man, long habituated to offending. Let us, while
blessing God for the use he made of Catharine's inter-
cession, turn our attention to another species of reve-
lation and a miraculous help obtained from heaven by
her means.

Before enjoying the privilege of a particular ac-
quaintance with the blessed Catharine, I dwelt a long
time in a fortified place, called Montepulciano, and I
directed there during four years, a monastery of STuns
of my order. During my sojourn in this place, where
there was no convent of Preaching Friars, I had with
me but one companion, and I found great pleasure in
receiving the religious men who came from the houses
in the vicinity, especially those for whom I felt a.
stronger spiritual friendship. Friar Thomas, (Catha-
rine's Confessor,) and Fri&r George JSaddo, now pro-

200 LIFE OP ST. CATHAEINE OF SIENNA.

fessor of Theology, proposed coming to see me in the
convent of Sienna, in order to exchange spiritual con-
solations. So as to return more promptly to Catha-
rine, (who always required Friar Thomas,) the two
Religious took horses that were lent them by persons
of their acquaintance. Arrived at about six miles from
the place where they intended going, they had the im-
prudence to halt and rest themselves ; the people of the
place were not thieves by profession, but when they saw
travellers alone and without defence, they allured them
apart, robbed them, and sometimes killed them, so
that justice might not discover their crimes.

Having observed these two Religious, unaccom-
panied and taking rest in an inn, they went before, to
the number of ten or twelve, and awaited in the wind-
ing paths of a solitary place. When the Religious
passed by, they attacked them roughly with swords
and lances, dragged them from their horses, robbed
them completely, and conducted them with abusive
treatment into the depth of the forest : there they held
council, and the two Religious comprehended perfectly
well that there was question of killing them, and con-
cealing their corpses in order to destroy all trace of
their criminal conduct.

In the midst of such a pressing danger, Friar
Thomas spared not entreaties and promises of " saying
nothing ;n but when he saw that all was useless, and
that they were conducting them farther and farther
into the deep and entangled forest, he comprehended
that God alone could succour them and began to pray-
Knowing how agreeable his spiritual daughter was to
God, he said interiorly • " O Catharine, meel^and do-

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY. 201

voted servant of God, help us in this peril." Scarcely
had he uttered these words in heart, than the robber
nearest him, and the one too who appeared to be
charged to kill him, said, " Why should we kill these
poor friars who never did us any injury ? it would be
indeed an enormous crime ! let us suffer them to go,
they are good-hearted men, who will never betray us."
All accepted this opinion, so suddenly advanced, with
such unanimity, that not only they allowed the Reli-
gious their lives, but even restored to them their gar-
ments, horses, and all that they had stolen, except a
little money, and suffered them to go at liberty : they
arrived at my house on the same day and related these
preceding circumstances. When Friar Thomas re-
turned to Sienna he certified, as he wrote, and as he re-
counted to me, that at the same moment in which he
had invoked her assistance, Catharine said to one of her
nearest companions : " My father Confessor is calling
me, and 1 am aware that he is in great danger," and
rising immediately she went to pray in her oratory. It
cannot be doubted, that it was at that moment, by the
efficacy of her prayers, that a change so wonderful was
produced in the dispositions of the robbers ; and she
did not, we may believe, desist from praying until they
had restored to those Religious then* liberty and their
goods. It is evident that Catharine possessed the
spirit of prophecy, for she knew at a distance of twenty-
four miles, a mental prayer addressed to her, and was
capable of granting so promptly and perfectly the help
implored.

How advantageous is it to be in the friendship of
person? who see like the angelic spirits, and who being

202 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

clothed with power divine may aid us in every danger ;
and if Catharine's prayers were so powerful while she
was yet in this terrestrial vale, what must be her influ-
ence now in heaven.

I here present another circnmstance to which I was
witness with Friar Pierre de Velletri of my order, ac-
tual Penitentiary at St. John Lateran . it was a re-
newed proof of Catharine's gift of prophecy. At the
moment in which the greater portion of the cities and
of the lands which belonged to the See of Rome, had
revolted against the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XI.
(viz. in 1375), Catharine was at Pisa, whither I had
accompanied her. When the news of the defection of
Perouse reached us, I was distressed at beholding in
Christians, neither the fear of God, nor love for his holy
Church, since they despised the sentences of excommu-
nication pronounced against them, and had the audacity
to usurp the rights of the Spouse of Jesus Christ. I
went therefore to Catharine, with Friar Pierre de Vel-
letri, my heart drenched in grief, and with tearful eyes
announced to her this melancholy event. At first she
mingled her sorrow with ours and deplored the loss of
souls and the great scandals which afflicted the Church ,
but after a little, perceiving that we were too much
dejected, she said in order to calm us, "Be not in haste
to shed tears ; you will have worse things to excite
your lamentations ; what you now mourn is mere milk
and honey to what will follow." These words instead
of administering comfort awakened a deeper grief, and
1 said to her, ' « Mother, can we possibly witness greater
misfortunes, than beholding Christians lose all love and
respect for the Church of God, and fearless of her

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY. 203

censures, separating from her union openly? the next
step will be to deny our Lord himself !" Then she said
to me, "Now laymen behave thus; but ere long you
will find that the clergy will also render themselves
culpable." And as, in great astonishment, I exclaimed,
" how dreadful! — will the clergy also rebel against the
Sovereign Pontiff?" she continued, "When the Holy
Father will attempt to reform their morals, the eccle-
siastics will offer the spectacle of a grievous scandal to
the whole Church ; they will ravage and divide it as
though they were heretics." These words overwhelmed
me with emotion, and I asked, " Mother, will a new
heresy arise?" She answered, " It will not be an ac-
tual heresy, but it will divide the Church with all
Christendom ; hence arm yourself with patience, for
you will be obliged to witness the misfortunes."

I was silent and waited, becausel fanciedthatshe was
disposed to disclose many other things to me : but not
to increase my trouble slie declined further predictions.
I confess that I did not comprehend these correctly, at
the moment, on account of the obscurity of my under-
standing : for I thought that all this would happen
during the pontificate of the reigning Pope Gregory XI.
At his death I had nearly forgotten that prophecy, but
when Urban VI. succeeded, and the Church was rent
with schism, I beheld the verification of what she pre
dieted to me. Reproaching myself for the obtusenesa
of my intellect, I endeavoured to hold another conver-
sation with her on this subject, and God allowed me
this privilege, when in obedience to the order of the
Supreme Pontiff, Catharine repaired to Rome, in the
counuencement of the schism. I then reminded her oi

204 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

what she had said to me, several years previous : she
had not forgotten it, and added: "I then told you
that was what transpiring would prove but milk and
honey : I now declare to you that the present transac-
tions are children's sport in comparison with what will
take place in the neighbouring territories." Shethusde-
sigaated Sicily, the Roman province, and the surround-
ing country: heaven and earth can testify the accom-
plishment of that event. Queen Jeanne then reigned;
but after who can describe the misfortunes which low-
ered on her and her kingdom, on her successor and on
foreigners who entered her states. The ravages which
desolated that unhappy country are universally known.
It is evident to any one in possession of reasoning facul-
ties, that the blessed Catharine was endued with the
gift of prophecy in so high a degree that she read in the
future whatever of importance was destined to occur.
But that it may not be said, as Achab formerly said
of Micheas, (4 Kings zil. 8,) •* His prophecies always
announce evil and not good," I will present your sweets
after the bitter, drawing for you from the pure trea-
sures of things past and future belonging to the blessed
Catharine. At Rome I requested her to inform me
what would happen in the Church after all those mi-
series. She replied, "After these tribulations and
trials will have passed, God will purify the hoty Church
by means unknown to men ; he will arouse the souls
of the elect from lukewarmness and the reform of holy
Church will be so beautiful, the renovation of her mi-
nisters so perfect, that the future prospect of all this
rejoices my soul in God. 1 have often spoken to you
of the wounds, and of the nudity ot: the Spouse of

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY 205

Christ , but then she will be radiant with beauty,
sparkling with jewels, and crowned with a diadem of
virtues ; the faithful will rejoice in the holiness of their
pastors , and>nbelievers, attracted by the good odour
of Jesus Christ, will return to the sheepfold, and will
surrender themselves to the Chief and Bishop of their
souls. Give thanks to God for the great calm that he
will give to the Church after that tempest." She said
no more ; and I who know that the Almighty is more
prodigal of his kindness than of his rigours, I have a
firm hope that after the ills which are happening, the
blessings foretold by the blessed Catharine will arrive ;
and t!iat all the tribes of Israel shall know that she is
truly u prophetess from God.

As there is here questions of Catharine's prophecies,
1 think it the best place to confound the ignorance of
those who presume to contest her sincerity, and spread
shameful calumnies against her sanctity. To give a
precious colouring to their falsehoods, they say that
she predicted a general Crusade of Christiana whicl
she and her disciples were to follow into the Holy
Land. She being dead many a year, as well as those
who followed her, it is impossible that this pilgrimage
should be accomplished, and they concluded thence
that all her sayings were no prophecies, but dis-
courses unworthy of attention.

I acknowledge, first, that it is very true that Catha-
rine always desired a Crusade, and that she acted with
diligence in the hope of realizing this desire, it was, it
may be said, the ruling motive of her joorney to Avig-
uon ; she intended engaging Pope Gregory to organise
a holy war ; and I am witness that she did so ; because

206 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

when she conversed with the Sovereign Pontiff on that
subject, I acted as interpreter ; Gregory XI. ex-
pressed himself in Latin, and Catharine in the dialect
of Tuscany. The Sovereign Pontiff said to her:
" First of all, peace must be established among Chris-
tians, and then we might organize a Crusade." Ca-
tharine replied to him : "Holy Father, there is no
better means for re-establishing peace among Chris-
tians, than the undertaking of a Crusade. All the
turbulent soldiers who now entertain division among
the faithful, will go cheerfully and combat in the holy
cause; very few will refuse to serve God in the pro-
fession which pleases them, and it will be a means for
expiating their offences, the fire will be thus extin-
guished for want of fuel. You will thereby, Holy
Father, accomplish several excellent things at once ;
you will bestow peace on such of the Christians as re-
quire it, and you will save great culprits by removing
them. Should they gain important victories, you could
ict, in consequence, with Christian princes ; if they
yield, you will have procured salvation to their per-
ishing souls : and besides, many Saracens might be
oonverted." These words show with what zeal the
blessed Catharine laboured to organize this crusade.

Now, I declare to these calumniators that I never
heard Catharine indicate in any manner whatsoever
that a crusade would certainly take place ; I always
found her on the contrary very reserved concerning it,
never determining an epoch, but resigning the whole to
divine providence. She expressed a hope that God would
cast a look of mercy on his people and thus save many
believers and unbelievers but noue c&a truthful ly

HER GIFT OF PROPHECY. 207

advance the she ever fixed the period of that crusade,
and declared that she would follow it with her disci-
ples : should any one appear to have thus understood
her, they have conceived an incorrect interpretation
of her words.

The person who was the subject of the following pro-
phecy, relates it daily to any one desirous of hearing
it. There lived in Sienna, at the period of my ac-
quaintance with Catharine, a youth of noble birth,
but at that time of vile and contemptible manners ;
he was called then as now, Francois Malevolti. He
iost his parents at an early age, and the too great
liberty he possessed led him into the most vicious prac-
tices, lie espoused a youthful wife and this union
ought to have incited him to a reformation of life, but
he could not resolve to break off his wretched customs.
One of his companions who was a disciple of Catha-
rine, took compassion on his soul, and invited him to
go and hear the holy counsels of the *l Blessed," and
succeeded in leading him there occasionally ; after
which Francois would repent and moderate his disor-
ders for a time, but without being able to forsake
them totally. 1 have often seen him with us ; he re-
lished Catharine's salutary lessons and admirable ex-
amples, and took pleasure in adopting them ; but ho
would return to his former habits, especially to gam-
ing, of which he was passionately fond.

Catharine, who often prayed for his salvation, said
to him one day in the ardour of her zeal, u You fre-
quently come to visit me, and then like an untamed
bird you return to your vices ; but fly away as much
as you please, the moment- will come when God will

208 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

allow me to throw a noose around your neck, which
will prohibit your future flight!" Frangois and ail pre-
sent observed these words. Catharine died without see-
ing their accomplishments : poor Fran cjois relapsed into
his former faults, but his faithful friend did more for
him in heaven then her counsels could effect for him on
earth. Frangois first lost his wife by an early death,
then his mother-in-law, and other individuals who pre-
sented obstacles to his salvation. He was thus led to
consider his ways, and renounced the world to enter
into the Order of the Olivetains. He persevered therein
by God's grace and Catharine's merits; he always attri-
butes his conversion to her who had predicted it, and
continually tells the tale to every willing listener.

To make a recapitulation here of all that has refe-
rence to souls, I am about to relate a fact of which GOG
rendered me the witness, but which is better appreci-
ated by Dom. Bartholomew de Ravenne who was then,
and is still, Prior of the Carthusians, in Gorgone Island,
thirty miles from the port of Livourno. This Religious,
who possessed fervent piety joined to consummate*
prudence, was greatly attached to Catherine, and ex-
tremely edified by her admirable instructions ; he of te^a
pressed her to come und pass a day in his island, that he
might conduct his Brethren to her and let them profit
by God's holy word, and he entreated me to support his
petition. Catharine consented to it : we made the voy-
age to the number of about twenty persons The night
of our arrival, the Prior lodged the " Blessed" and her
companions about a mile from the monastery, and the
following morning ho conducted all of his monks to
Catharine and reg?Jfcai-*<I Jher to favour them \vith sonvi

HER GIFT OF PEOPHECY 209

words of edification. Catharine refused at first, excus-
ing herself on the grounds of her incapacity, her igno-
rance, and her sex, saying that it was meet that she
should listen to God's servants, rather than speak in
their presence. Overcome at last by the earnest prayers
of the father and his spiritual sons, she began to speak,
and said'what the Holy Ghost inspired her in reference
to the numerous temptations and illusions which Satan
presents to solitaries, and concerning the means of
avoiding his wilesand of gaming a complete victory, and
all this she did with so much method and distinctness,
that I was filled with amazement, as indeed were all her
audience. When she had terminated, the Prior turned
towards me and said with admiration, "Dear Brother
Raymond, I confess these religious, and consequently
know the defects of each. I assure you, that if this
saintly female had heard, as myself, their confessions,
she could not have spoken in a more just and profitable
manner : she neglected none of their wants, and did not
utter a useless word. It is evident that she possesses the
gift of prophecy and that she speaks by theHoly Ghost."
In fine, I will add that I am positively certain in re-
ference to my own case she predicted many things that
I did not suspect, and of which I now see the full ac-
complishment, but I decline entering into further de- ,
tails. I will restrict myself to what happened tooOuers :
she had announced the terrible chastisements that would
befall some persecutors of the Catholic Church: I say
nought concerning them because of the wickedness of
the people of our time, and to avoid exciting against
her glorious name the venoin of detractors.

210 LIFE OF ST. CATK4.KEXE OF SIENKA.

CHAPTER X.

Of the Miracles that our Lord produced by means of Catharine
co things inanimate.

SUPREME JUSTICE wills that all things obey those
who are perfectly obedient to God. Catharine obeyed
ner Creator faithfully, and all creatures in return ful-
filled her commands. At the period in which our saint
lived in Sienna, and previous to my acquaintance with
her, there was a young widow, Alessia by name, who
indulged such an ejection to Catharine that life was
unpleasant when deprived of her society. She was anxi-
ous to be clothed with the holy livery which Catharine
wore, and deserted her own house, to occupy one near
Catharine's and thus be able to commune with her
more frequently ; hence our Blessed Catharine ne-
glected somewhat the paternal roof, often tarrying with
Messia several days, and sometimes weeks and entire
months. One year grain was scarce : many inhabitants
had purchased wheat that was spoiled by humidity, and
it being impossible to find any other for any price, Ales-
sia was forced to do the same. At the approach of har-
vest, before their provision of flour was exhausted, new
and excellent grain was brought to the market : and
hence Alessia intended throwing away the remains of
the bad flour, and make bread of the new wheat just
purchased, and mentioned her intention to Catharine.
The latter said, "Why throw away what God has given
for man's sustenance ? If you do not like to eat of that
bread distribute it to the poor who have none." Alessia
said that she scrupled giving them bread that was of
such bad quality, and preferred giving them plentifully

MIRACLES ON THINGS INANIMATE. 211

of that formed out of good flour, to which Catharine re-
plied, "Prepare the water, and bring hither the flour
that you intended throwing away, I will myself make
some loaves of it, to distribute to the poor of Jesus
Christ."

Catharine first kneaded the paste, and then formed
from a small quantity of the bad flour, such a number
of loaves, and with such promptitude, that Alessia and
her domestic who were looking on, could not recover
from their astonishment; four or five times the amount
of flour would have been requisite for making all the
loaves which the blessed Catharine presented to Ales-
sia, that the latter might arrange them on the boards,
andtheseloavesofbreadhadnotthedisagreeableodour
of those that had been hitherto made from this flour.
When the whole was used, Catharine sent the bread to
the oven and caused it to be served at table. All who
partook of it not only found it free from bitterness or
any unusual odour, but, on the contrary, declared they
* ' had never eaten any so pleasant." The affair was re-
ported to Friar Thomas, Catharine's Confessor, who
came with other learned Religious to examine these
particulars: those pious men were in admiration at the
view of the multiplied quantity of the loaves and their
quality so marvellously corrected. A third prodigy suc-
ceeded these two. Catharine caused the loaves to be
distributed, they were given copiously to the poor and
to the Religious, no other bread was consumed in the
house, and yet a great quantity was ever in the pantry.
Thus the Lord, by the intervention of his handmaid,
signalized his powerin three ways, on the occasion of
her loaves: first, he corrected the corruption and bad

212 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

odour of the flour: then he increased the paste from
which it was formed ; and in fine, he so multiplied the
bread that it served for distribution during several
weeks. Manypious persons kept portions of thisjbread
through devotion, there are some still provided withit,
although twenty years have elapsed since the occur-
rence of this miracle.

Catharine was yet,living, when Ibecameacquainted
with the above prodigy, and as I felt anxious to know
more perfectly what passed I interrogated her in pri-
vate, concerning the details of this event, and she gave
me the following answer : " I experienced an ardent
wish to avoid throwing away what God has designed
to bestow on us, together with an extreme!compassion
for the poor ; I went, therefore, with fervour to the
chest (or bin) containing the flour. My gentle Queen
the Blessed Virgin, appeared to me, accompanied by
saints and angels, she ordered me to do what I pro-
j ected, and deignedinher affectionate kindness to work
with her royal hands in the kneading of the paste, and
it was the virtue emanating from her sacred hands
which so multiplied the loaves ; she presented them to
ine as she finished each one, and I handed them to
Alessia and her maid-servant." I said, therefore,
u Mother, I am no longer astonished that this bread
tasted so delicious, being composed and moulded by
the glorious hands of that great Queen in whose vir-
ginal womb the august Trinity condescended to make
the 'bread that came down from heaven,' and which
* gives life1 to the believer." By thus assisting Catha-
rine, the Mot&er of the Word designed to show us that
She gave us, by her intercession, the spiritual bread of

MIRACLES ON THINGS INANIMATE, 213

salvation, just asshe gave us amaterialandmiracukms
bread. It was God who had inspired us to call her
Mother, and truly she gave us birth amid sighings and
sorrow, until she had formed Christ within us, and
daily distributed to us the wholesome bread of her ex-
cellent instructions.

Having spoken of this multiplication of bread, we
will continue the same subject, recalling what hap-
pened in the latter period of her life. My witnesses
are, two Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick, who are
still living, and at present in Rome. The first is Lysa,
whose name is familiar to the reader, the second is
Jeanne de Capo, who was also at Sienna. They ac-
companied Catharine, when Urban VL, of happy me-
mory, bade her come to the Eternal City. She lodged
in the section of the column or Antonius, with a great
number of her spiritual children. Her disciples had
followed her, as it were, without her permission; some
to visit the holy places, others to ask some favour from
the Sovereign Pontiff; but all more particularly to en-
joy the attractions of her conversations, which were so
profitable to souls ; and it must also be said that the
Sovereign Pontiff caused several servants of God to go
to Rome, in consequence of a request from Catharine,
and she took pleasure in showing them hospitality,
She possessed nought in the wide world, having "nei-
ther money nor purse," but begged for a support with
her companions ; yet she would have received a hun-
dred persons as easily as one alone, so confiding was
her heart in God; she knew that God's treasures were
inexhaustible : hence, at that epoch she had at least
twenty-four persons with her, and the number was &6

214 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

intervalsconsiderably increased. Catharine established
an admirable system in the house; one of her associ-
ates was designated each week to provide for and sur-
vey the domestic arrangements, so that the others
might be occupied with God and accomplish the pious
works and holy visits which had induced them to come
to Rome.

Jeanne de Capo had her turn in fulfilling the func-
tions of housekeeper. He bread consumed in the house
was procured from the daily alms ; and Catharine had
recommended to the person in charge, that each week
she should give notice, one day in advance, when the
bread wouldprobably fail, in order that she might send
other mendicant Religious, orgo in quest of it herself.
God permitted Jeanne to forget this recommendation
on one occasion — in the evening the bread was nearly
all consumed; she had not forewarned Catharine and
had no means of procuring any. There was scarcely
enough of bread for the repast of four persons. Jeanne
acknowledged her negligence, and went pensive and
mortified to confess her fault and her embarrassment
to Catharine. The latter said to her, " Sister, our
Lord forgive you, for having reduced us to this posi-
tion,notwithstanding the order I gave you. Now, the
whole community are hungry for it is already quite
late, and where can bread be procured for so many at so
short a notice." Jeanne lamented, confessing her fault,
and saying that she had sinned through negligence and
merited a penance. " Warn the servants of God to
take their place* at the table," said Catharine. And
when Jeanne observed that there was so little bread
that, by di\idingit, no one would have sufficient, Cft-

MIRACLES ON THINGS INANIMATE. 215

tharine answered, " Tell the^i to commence with tho
little that is served, and wait until God provides for
their necessities :" — and then she went to prayer.

Jeanne accomplished her orders, and apportioned
among them all the scanty supply of bread. The
guests, weakened and famished by the continual fasts
which they observed (for the greater part), found their
sharesveryinsignificantandthoughttheymustquickly
disappear ; but in vain they ate, they never saw thj
last piece, for some bread continually remained on the
table, and in thisthu?e was nothing to excite surprise,
since it was tho will of HIM who, with five loaves,
satisfied five thousand men in the wilderness.

Each one was astonished at herself and her neigh-
bours, and all inquired in what manner Catharine was
occupied ; it was answered in fervent prayer. The six-
teen persons who were then present agreed in saying,
u Her prayer has called down bread from heaven ; wa
are all satisfied ; the little that was served us, far from
being diminished is increased instead." After the re-
past, such a quantity of bread remained on the table,
that it sufficed to the Sisters in the house and others
who afterwards partook of it plentifully ; and they
were also]able to give an abundant alms to the poor.
Lysa and Jeanne, eye-witnesses of this marvel, re-
counted tomeonesimilar|to it, which God accomplished
by means of Catharine, in the same house and in tho
same year, during the Lenten season, and in a week
that Franchise (a Sister Penitent of St. Dominick,
and spiritual companion of Catharine on earth, and
I trust now in the better land,) was housekeeper.

I am UD willing also to pass in silence what hap*

216 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

pened to myself when Catharine had gone to the home
of the blessed ; my witnesses are, all of the friars who
were at that moment in the convent of Sienna. It is
nearly five years age ; I was in that city and at the ear-
nest petition of Catharine's spiritual children, I had
commenced writing her life. It occurred to me that
the head of the saint which had been brought from
Home to Sienna, and which I had ornamented to the
best of my ability, had not yet been publicly exposed
and honoured. I thought that a day might be selected
for a solemn reception of this precious relic in the con-
vent, as though it had just arrived, and that the Reli-
gious might chant the Office of the day, as a particular
one could not be allowed as long as the Sovereign Pon-
tiff had not yet inscribed her in the catalogue of the
saints. The festival took place to the great satisfaction
of the Religious and the citizens, but especially of those
persons of whom she had been the spiritual directress.
I invited her most faithful disciples to dine in the refec-
tory, and recommended the lay brother to give an
extra attention to the serving of the repast.

When the Office was concluded and the moment for
breakfast arrived, the Brother in charge of the pantry
came to the Prior and told him, with a melancholy air,
that there was not sufficient bread for the Brethren at
the first table, and none at all for the twenty invited
guests. On this information, the Prior determined to
ascertain the real situation of affairs, and having veri-
fied it, he immediately sent the friar steward with Friar
Thomas (Catharine's first Confessor) to several friends
of the order to bring the bread required; but they de-
layed coming BO long, that the Prior ordered the bread

MIRACLES 01T THINGS INANIMATE. 217

that was in the house to be taken to the strangers who
were with me, and consequently very little bread re-
mained in the pantry ; and as the mendicants did not
appear, he bade the Religious seat themselves at the
table, and in the meantime begin their meal. Then,
either in the pantry or at table, or elsewhere, the
bread was so multiplied by Catharine's intercession,
that the whole Convent was abundantly supplied both
at the first and at the second tables, and they gathered
up many remains : fifty Religious were nourished with
what could scarcely have sufficed for five among them.
When the mendicant friars returned, it was an-
nounced that their collection would serve another
time, because God had perfectly provided for the ne-
cessities of his servants. After the repast, I conver«
sed with our invited friends ; I was talking at lengtli
of the virtues of Saint Catharine, when the Prior with
some other religious arrived, and recounted to us the
miracle that had just taken place. I consequently
observed to my hearers : " Our blessed mother would
not deprive us on her feast of a prodigy which she
often effected during her sojourn on earth ; and this
is a new proof that she accepts our homage and is
continually with us ; hence let us return thanks to
God, and to Tier for her maternal kindness."

Besides the above wonders, God worked many mi-
racles by his Spouse — on flowers for example (for tfee
saint was very fond of this poetry of nature ;) on bro-
ken, or injured articles, and indeed on every grade of
inanimate objects ; but I observe silence concerning
them in order to avoid prolixity. I nrast however in-
dulge myself in narrating a circumstance, testified bj

218 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

twenty persons, aa well as myself, and well-known to
the citizens of Pisa in general. In 1375, Catharine
and her suite lodged at the house of Gherard Buon-
conti, and during her sojourn there her continual ec-
stasies so enfeebled her body that we thought her at the
point of death. I dreaded losing her, and reflected upon
what means I could adopt for reviving her ; she held
meat, eggs, and wine in abhorrence, and for a stronger
reason she would certainly decli ne any kind of cordials
I asked her to suffer them to put a little sugar in the
cold water that she was taking ; she directly answered,
" Would you extinguish my feeble remains of vigour
and life? whatever is sweet is poison to me."

Gherard andmyselfsoughtwith anxiety someremedy
against her swoons : I remembered having seen in simi-
lar cases the temples and wrists of the invalid bathed
in the wine of Vernacei^ and a sensible relief thus af-
forded. I proposed to Gherard the administering the
exterior remedy, as we could do nothing for the inte-
rior. He informed me that he had a neighbour who was
supplied with a cask of this kind of wine, and that ho
could easily send and procure some of it. The indivi-
dual sent on this commission, described the fainting fits
of Catharine, and asked in Gherard's name a bottle of
the desired wine. The neighbour, whose name I for-
get, answered, " Friend, I would willingly give Gher-
ard the whole cask ; but it has been completely empty
during the last three months; I ain sorry for it. but to
be very sure, come with me and as j." He then con-
ducted him to the wine-cellar — the messenger saw only
exteriorly that the hogshead was empty, yet the pro-
prietor, to £170 a greater certitude, drew thfl woodar

MIRACLES ON THINGS INANIMATE, 219

peg which served for drawing off the wine ; when im-
mediately an excellent wine of Vernaceia came forth in
abundance and moistened the surrounding earth. The
astonishment of the owner was at its height, he closed
the opening, called all the inmates of his house, and
asked whether any one had put new wine into the
cask. All declared that there had been no wine in it
during the last three months, and it was impossible for
any one to have poured any into it. The news was
spread in the environs and everybody saw the miracle.
The messenger overjoyed and filled with wonder,
brought back a bottle of the marvellous wine, and re-
counted to us what had transpired. Catharine's nu-
merous spiritual children rejoiced in the Lord, and
gave thanks to the Spouse of virgins for this miracle.
Catharine's health being now re-established, she
went to visit the Apostolical Nuncio just arrived at
Pisa. The whole city was in commotion ; all the me-
chanics left their workshops to go out and meet her.
Behold ! said they, one who does not drink wine, and
who has yet filled an empty cask with miraculous wine.
As soon as Catharine became aware of this general
movement, she poured out her tears and prayers before
God. She thus complained to him interiorly : ** Lord,
why wilt thou afflict the heart of thy lowly servant,
and render her the sport of everybody ? All of thy
servants can live in peace among men, except me !
Who did^solicit this wine from thy bounty ? For many
long years, by an effect of thy inspiration, I deprived
myself of wine, and now behold wine covers me with
ridicule. In the name of all thy mercies, I conjure
tliee to dry up, as quickly as possible, this wine, and

220 LIFE OF ST. CATHAftlNE OF SIENNA.

in such a manner as to destroy this report and unbe-
coming excitement." God seemed incapable of sup-
porting her trouble longer, and produced a second
miracle, greater in my opinion than the first. The
hogshead was filled with superior wine, and many
of the inhabitants procured quantities from it through
devotion, and yet its contents had not diminished ; but
on a sudden the wine changed into a thick sediment,
and what had been lately so delightful and exhilarat-
ing became disgusting dregt similar to mud, and ut-
terly unfit for drinking. In consequence, the master
of the cellar and those who went to obtain wine, were
forced to be silent, being ashamed to relate any more
the circumstance that had excited their boasting.
Catharine's disciples were also contradicted by this
change, but she appeared quite gay and happy at the
event, and thanked her divine Spouse who had de-
livered her from the attentions of men.

In the former miracle our Lord showed how very
agreeable Catharine was in his sight, and in the
latter, how profoundly submissive she was towards
him: in the former appeared the grace which adorns
her: in the latter her wisdom, for where humility
dwells there is also wisdom found : for this reason,
St. Gregory, in his first book of dialogues, esteems
wisdom above prodigies and miracles. It is clear that
the virtue of humility, without which there Is no pru-
dence, was the cause of the second miracle, and ren-
dered it more admirable than the first ; but the carnal
heart cannot comprehend these things, and it is not
astonishing, because the prudence of the flesh is not
and can never b« submissive to God. (Rota. viii. 7.)

EER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 221

CHAPTER XI.

Of Catharine's frequent Communions, and of the Miracles pro-
duced by Almighty God for her, relative to the Holy Eucharist
and the Relics of the Saints;

DEAR READER, God knows I would willingly con-
clude this biography, particularly on account of the nu-
merous occupations which press me on every side ; but
when I meditate on Catharine's life, so many wonderful
circumstances present themselves to my mind, that I am
conscientiously obliged to add daily new facts, and ex-
tend this volume beyond the limits that I primarily pre-
scribed to it. It is well known to all who were ac-
quainted with Catharine what profound respect and de-
votion she entertained for the Body of our Lord in the
Blessed Eucharist. It was publicly rumoured that Ca-
tharine communicated every day, and that she could
live without taking any nourishment. That was not
perfectly exact; but those who said so piously believed
it. and glorified God who is always wonderful in his
saints. Catharine did not receive Holy Communion
daily, but very often; and some haughty persons, more
heathenish than Christian, murmured at these frequent
communions. In consequence I defended the " Blessed,"
and they found nought to reply to the arguments that I
offered, because they were all drawn from the lives and
writings of the saints, and from the tenets of the Church .

It was proved in the work of St. Denis on the Eccle-
siastical Heirarchy, that in the primitive cbnrch, when
the fervour of the Holy Ghost abounded, the faithful of
both sexes approached daily to the Holy Sacrament of
the Altar : this appears to be the meaning of St. Luke,
when in tire Acts of the Apostles he speaks of the brail?-

222 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

ing bread; and once he adds, "cum exuliatione" with
gladness (Acts ii. 46,) which can only be applied to the
Eucharistic food. In the fourth petition of the Lord's
Prayer •, in which we solicit our daily bread, this is ex-
plained of the Holy Communion, and such interpreta-
tion, far from being rejected, ought to be accepted with
Love, as a token of the daily communion of the faith-
ful. Our Holy Mother, the Church, has in the Canon
of the Mass, a prayer for those who communicate with
the priest, and it is not without reason that she says,
Supplices te rogamus, omnipotens Deusjube hxcperferri
per manus sancti angeli. " And we humbly implore
thee, Almighty God, grant that this Host be borne by
the hands of the holy angels." And she adds, Ut quot
quot ex hac altaris participalione sacra sanctum Filii
tui corpus et sanguinem sumpserimus, &c. '* So that,
by this participation in the altar, we may receive the
body and blood of thy divine Son." Hence all the holy
fathers teach that the faithful who have not the consci-
ence denied with mortal sin, and who feel a devotion,
not only can, but also do right to approach this sacra-
ment, which is so profitable to their salvation. Who
therefore, would presume to interdict a person of holy
and irreproachable life, the means of making rapid pro-
gress in perfection? I have no hesitation in saying
that a refusal to a person who humbly asks the sacra-
ment commemorative of the Passion of our Lord, would
be doing her a considerable injury, for this is to the
privileged the viaticum of her pilgrimage. After all
that I have here advanced, there still exist persons who
will insist that it is not permitted to any among the
faithful, whatever be their degree of tendency to per-

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 228

faction, to receive the Holy Eucharist so frequently ;
some even, (not understanding wellj will say that it
must be received but once in the year; but I rely more
on the testimony of the sacred writings than on all
their reasonings.

As a support to their ridiculous opinions, some of
those haughty spirits, who are destitute of devotion
and of intelligence of the Holy Scriptures, cite a pas-
saga from St. Augustine, wherein he says, that he nei-
ther blames nor praises those who communicate daily.
That great doctor intended saying that daily commu-
nion is good; but, that it may sometimes be danger-
ous ; he leaves its appreciation to the judgment of the
Omniscient God, and refrains from giving any decision
on this point. If that splendid genius, that prince
among doctors, is so reserved, I am at a loss to com-
prehend how those who quote him can resolve the ques-
tion with so much assurance. I remember Catharine's
response to a Bishop who alleged the authority of St^
Augustine, against frequent communion. "If," said
she, "St. Augustine does not censure it, why, my lord<
will you censure it? By th-.s quoting him, your lord«
ship places yourself in opposition with him."

The great doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, examines the
utility of the faithful communicating frequently and
daily, and thus replies : frequent communion increases
the devotion of him who receives it, but it sometimes
lessens respect. Hence every Christian should culti-
vate and possess the devotion and respect due to this
greatest of the Sacraments ; and when he perceives
that frequent communion diminishes that respect, he
should, in order to renew and incree.se it, abstain some-

224 LIFE OF SI', CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

times; but if he perceives that his respect, far from
diminishing, increases, he should receive the Eucharist
often,becauseasoulwelldisposednecessarilyacquires
great graces by the reception of that admirable and
efficacious Sacrament. This is the opinion of the an-
gelical doctor, whose doctrine Catharine followed in
every respect. She communicated often, and some-
times denied herself the consolation, although she al-
ways desired to be united to her divine Spouse in the
adorable Eucharist. Her burning charity unceasingly
inclined her towards Him whom she had seen really,
and whom she loved with all her heart and will.

Such was the vivacity of her desires, that on the
days in whichshe was deprived of Holy Communion,her
body suffered in the same manner as one that had long
undergone a violent malady : she frequently endured
interior troubles which re-acted exteriorly ; and she
owed this to some unenlighted Religious who directed
her, as to the Superior of the Sisters of Penance, and
sometimes to persons for whom she entertained the
warmest attachment. This was one of her reasons for
finding greater consolation in my ministry than in that
of my predecessors. I used every possible effort to ob -
tain the consolation she so much desired; she was con-
scious of -this, and when she sighed for the bread of
angels, she used to say to me, "Father, I am hungry;
for the love of God, feed my soul." Therefore the
Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XI., by a special Bull,
gave her a permission to have a priest and a portable
altar, so that she could everywhere and always, with-
out any perniisdon, besr Mtss and receive Holy Com-
munion.

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 225

After these explanations, I purpose narrating a
miracle of which I was sole witness. When in my mi-
nistry at the altar, (unworthy though I was of that
dignity ;) I presume that Almighty God intended glo-
rifying his Name in my presence, and gave me to un-
derstand how agreeable the fidelity of his handmaid
was in his sight. I confess that I prefer not relating
the fact, but in conscience I cannot remain silent, be-
cause there is question of God's honour, and that of
blessed Catharine.

After our return from Avignon to Sienna, we visited,
in the environs of the city, some servants of God, ID
order to console ourselves together in the Lord. We
came back on the festival of St. John the Evangelist,
and when we arrived at Catharine's, the hour of Tierce
had already passed. She turned towards me and said :
"O father, did you but know how hungry my poor
soul is." I understood her meaning, and rejoined :
the hour of saying Mass is nearly elapsed, and I am so
fatigued that it is very difficult for me to prepare my-
self for it. She remained silent a moment, but soon,
unable to restrain the expression of her desire she said
to me again: "I am famished." I then consented to
yield to her request, and repaired to the chapel in her
house, which had been permitted her by the Holy
Father. I confessed her; I clothed myself in my sa-
cerdotal vestments, and celebrated the Mass of the day.
I consecrated one small Host for her, and when I had
communicated, I turned to give her the ordinary ab-
solution. Her countenance was angelic and beaming
with light; so charged was she, that I hesitated in
recognising her, ?vnd I said interiorly: "Is the Lord

Q

226 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

truly thy faithful and beloved Spouse?" and 011 turn-
ing again to the altar, I added mentally: "come,
Lord, to thy Spouse." At the same instant the sacred
Host, before I touched it, moved ', and came at more
than three fingers' distance to the paten, which I was
holding in my hand. I was so much occupied with the
light that I had seen beaming from Catharine's coun-
tenance, and of the motion of the consecrated Host,
which I distinctly saw, that I do not perfectly remem-
ber whether it placed itself alone on the paten, or
whether I laid it there ; I dare not affirm it, but I
think it deposited itself thereon.

God is my witness that I tell the truth — but should
any one be unwilling to credit my assertion, because
of my defects, and the imperfect life he observes in me,
let him remember that the bounty of the Saviour as-
sists men, and even animals destitute of reason ; (Ps.
xxxv. 7.) and that God's secrets are revealed not alone
to the great, but to the insignificant ; let them also re-
call the portion of inspired Truth, Non cnim vent vocare
wstos, sed peccatorcs. (Matt. ix. 13.) "1 came not to
call the just, but sinners to repentance." As to suoh as
despise sinners, inspiration again says : Euntes autcm
discite quid est: misericordiam volo et non sacrificium.
' ' Learn that I desire mercy and not sacrifice. " I lira it
myself to the defence that belongs to sinners ; let the
just and God's servants pardon me, as I am sure they
will, for the servante of God are full of mercy. If
others judge me, their judgment is nought ; if I am
firm, or if I fall, God alone is my judge : he sees when
I pause, and when I go forward ; he is my Master and
he knows that I declare the truth. I cannot suppose

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 227

that I was deluded by Satan, in the midst of so august a
sacrifice ; I am positive that I beheld the sacred Host,
without the least exterior agency, move and advance to-
wards me, at the moment in which I was saying inte-
riorly, " Come, Lord, tothyspouse." Letthose who be-
lieve, praise the Lord ; as to others, I am sure that the
day will come in which they will discern their error.

I began by describing what occurred to myself alone.
I will now relate a prodigy, which I think not less wor-
thy of attention : those who confide in my words, will
discover how agreeable it was to the Saviour to find
our " Blessed" so ardently desiring to receive hi™ in
the divine Eucharist. If my memory does not deceive,
this circumstance is antecedent to the one that I have
just recounted; but the date is not so essential as a
truthful relation of it.

By order of my Superiors, I was in Sienna, and ful-
filled the charge of Lector, when I was acquainted
with St. Catharine, and I exerted my best efforts to
procure her the privilege of receiving the Holy Com -
munion : consequently when she desired to approach
the Holy Table, she addressed herself more confidently
to me than to other Religious belonging to the Monas-
tery. One morning she experienced an ardent desire
of Holy Communion, although her pain in the side and
other sufferings were more than usually oppressive ;
but this obstacle only stimulated her desire ; and as
she hoped that her pains would subside a little, she
sent one of her companions to me as 1 entered the
church to say Mass, requesting me to defer the Holy
Sacrifice a short time, as she experienced au invincible
Desire of receiving Holy Communion. I cheerfully

228 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

consented, went to the choir, and after reciting my
Office continued to wait. Catharine had entered the
church without my knowledge, at the hour of Tierce,
hoping to satisfy her pious desire : but her associates
seeing the lateness of the hour, and knowing that after
communion she would remain several hours in ecstasy,
and cause murmurs at leaving the church open, en-
gaged her to deprive herself of communion for that
day. She, ever humble and discreet, did not presume
to contradict them, but took refuge in prayer : she
knelt beside a bench placed at the very extremity of
the church, and entreated her divine Spouse, since
men could not accomplish it, to deign himself to satisfy
the holy desires that he had condescended to excite in
her heart. Almighty God who never despises the de-
sires of his servants, heard the prayer of his spouse in
a wonderful manner. I was ignorant of these occur-
rences, and believed that Catharine was at home, —
when it had been decided that she should not com-
municate one of her sisters came to the place where I
was still waiting, and told me that Catharine begged
me to say Mass whenever it was convenient to me, be-
cause she could not receive on that day.

I went without delay to vest in the sacristy, and of-
fered Mass at an altar in the upper end of the church,
nnd which Is dedicated to Saint Paul. Catharine was
therefore remote from me the whole length of the edi-
fice, and I was completely ignorant of her presence.
After the consecration and the Pater Nosier, I intended,
in accordance with the sacred rites, to divide the Host.
At the first fraction the Host, instead of separating in
two divided into three }>ortions, tw-j larger and one

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 229

email, which it seemed to me was as long as a common
bean, but not so wide. This particle, whilst I was
attentively looking at it, appeared to me to fall on the
corporal, by the side of the chalice above which I made
the fraction ; I saw it clearly descended towards the
altar , but I could not distinguish it on the corporal.

Presuming that the whiteness of the corporal hin-
dered me from discerning this particle, I broke another,
and after saying Agnus Dei, I consumed the sacred
Host. As soon as my right hand was at liberty, I used
it to seek on the corporal, beside the chalice at the side
on which it seemed to me the particle fell : but I found
nothing. Extremely troubled at the circumstance, I
continued the ceremonies of the Mass, and after having
finished the communion, I renewed my search by ex-
amining the corporal in every way: but neither sight
nor touch could discover anything. I was so much
afflicted that I wept : I determined to conclude the
Mass on account of the persons present an 1 afterwards
carefully visit the altar. In effect when all had with-
drawn, I examined minutely not alone the corporal,
but every portion of the altar — I could discover no-
thing. As I stood before a large picture, I could not
believe that the particle had fallen behind the altar,
although I perceived in taking that direction when it
escaped from my hands. For greater certainty, I
searched on the two sides and even looked on the floor ;
but always with the same result. Then I thought of
going to take counsel from the Convent Prior, I care-
fully covered the altar, and recommended the sacristan
not to allow any one to approach until my return

I retired to the sacristy ; but scarcely had I laid aside

230 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

my vestments, than Father Christopher, Prior of the
Carthusians, arrived. I knew him well, and felt a
deep affection for him : his object in visiting me was
to obtain, through my influence, an interview with
Catharine. I asked him to please to wait a short tune,
because I was obliged to go and speak with the Prior ;
but he replied, " This is a day of solemn fasting, and
I must absolutely return immediately to the Monastery :
you know that it is very remote from the city — in the
name of God, do not keep me waiting, for in con-
science I am obliged to speak with Catharine." I bade
the sacristan remain and guard the altar until my
return, and I went with the Religious as far as Catha-
rine's residence, where they told me she was at the
Friars' Church. I was greatly astonished — I turned
back with my companions, and in effect, found Catha-
rine, with her associates, in the lower part of the church.
I inquired of them where she was : they answered that
she was kneeling on one of the benches in an ecstasy :
&nd as I was still annoyed at the accident that had oc-
curedto me, I besought them to use every means of mak-
ing her return to herself, because we were in great haste.
They obeyed, and when we were seated with the
Prior, I told him in a low voice and in a few •« ords,
my anxiety; she smiled gently and said to me, just as
though she knew all the particulars, "Did you not
search diligently?" On my answering, "?/es:" she
added, " why, then, should you be troubled so much ?**
and again she could not avoid smiling. I observed it,
and kept silence, during her conversation with the
Prior, who went away as soon as he had obtained the
desired response. I was already more tranquillized.

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 231

and said, u Mother, I really believe that yon took the
particle of my consecrated Host." She meekly an-
swered, " Do not accuse me of that, Father, it was not
I, but another ; I can merely inform you that you will
not find that particle again." Then I obliged her to
explain. " Father," said she, " be no wise troubled iu
reference to that particle ; I will tell you the truth as
to my Confessor and my spiritual father ; that particle
was brought me, and presented for my reception by
our Lord Jesus Christ himself. My companions en-
gaged me not to communicate this morning, in order
to avoid certain murmurs. I was unwilling to be trou-
blesome to them, but I had recourse to my divine
Spouse : he condescendingly appeared to me and gave
me, with his sacred hands, that particle which you had
consecrated — I received it from his own sacred hands.
Rejoice, therefore, in him ; because I have this day
from him a grace for which I can never sufficiently
thank my Saviour 1" This explanation changed my
sadness into joy ; and I was so encouraged by these
worda, that I no longer experienced the slightest
anxiety.

I relate these miracles in order that God and man
may not charge me with ingratitude and negligence.
We will now pass to other wonders which have been
narrated tome by other witnesses.

Several individuals, worthy of credit, assured me
that when they assisted at the Mass at which Catharine
received Holy Communion, they saw distinctly the sa-
cred Host escaping from the hands of the priest and
flying to her mouth ; they told me that this prodigy
happened even when I gave her the sacred Host; I owa

232 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

that I never remarked it very clearly, only I always
perceived a certain trembling in the consecrated Host,
when I presented it to her lips : it entered her mouth
like a little stone thrown from a distance with force.
Friar Bartholomew of St. Dominick, professor of Sa.
cred Scripture (Ecriture Sainte) and now Friar Pro-
vincial of my Order for the Roman province, told me
also, that when he gave Catharine the Holy Com-
munion he felt the sacred Host escaping notwith-
standing his efforts to hold it. I dare neither affirm
nor deny it, and I leave it to the reader's piety to
decide what he should believe.

I conclude this recital of miracles which refer to the
Holy Eucharist, to say a word of those which refer to
the relics of the saints.

It was revealed to Catharine, that in the kingdom
of heaven, she would enjoy the same rank as the blessed
Sister Agnes of Montepulciano, and that she would
enjoy with her celestial bliss : hence she ardently de-
sired to visit her relics, in order to enjoy even in this
life, a foretaste of the happiness of being her compa-
nion in eternity. But that the reader may know who
Sister Agnes of Montepulciano was, and that he may
comprehend the prodigies I purpose relating, I must
inform him that by order of my Superiors, I was during
more than three years, director of the monastery in
which reposes the body of that holy virgin. From the
manuscripts that I have found there, and the relation
of four sisters who had been under her direction, and
who are still living, I found materials for writing her
history, and 1 intend recapitulating in a few words
that work of roy early youth, to give an idea of the

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 233

virtues and the sanctity of the blessed Agnes, who has
not yet been inscribed in the catalogue of the saints.
Divine Goodness had so anticipated her with benedic-
tions that at the moment of her entrance into the world
a great supernatural light filled her mother's house, and
did not cease until after her birth, to notify with how
many merits God had adorned, the little girl that had j ust
entered life. Indeed each successive year of her exist-
ence .adorned her with virtues always greater and
more beautiful ; she founded two convents of nuns,
and in the second where she reposes, she performed
during her her life-time, numerous and brilliant mira-
cles which she multiplied and surpassed after her death.
Among these prodigies, there is one ever subsisting :
her virginal body has never been interred, and is mi-
raculously and entirely preserved. It was intended to
embalm her body on account of the admirable deeds
she had accomplished during her life, but from the ex-
tremities of her feet and hands, a precious liquor issued
drop by drop, and the convent sisterhood collected it
in a vase of crystal and still preserve it — this liquor is
similar to balm in colour, but it is, without doubt, more
precious. God designed thereby to show that her pure
flesh, that distilled the balm of grace had no need of
earthly embalmment. At the moment of her decease,
which took place during the night, little infants, repos-
ing in their cradles, cried out to their parents, " Sister
Agnes is leaving her body, and becoming a saint in
heaven." In the morning a great number of young
girls assembled under an inspiration from God, unwil-
ling to admit any married woman among them ; they
went processional ly, and bearing lighted tapers, to the

23i LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

monastery, to offer that pure soul a homage worthy
of her merits. God manifested the sanctity of his ser-
vant by a multitude of other prodigies ; hence all the
inhabitants of the country honoured her memory
every successive year, and offer her, through devo-
tion, a considerable quantity of wax candles.

Catharine, to whom I had narrated these circum-
stances, had the greatest desire to behold and venerate
the body of blessed Agnes ; but always obedient, she
asked permission of me and of her other Confessor—-
we granted it, and intended following her, to see whe-
ther God would not perform some miracle at the ap-
proximation of his two chosen spouses. We arrived
after Catharine; she had entered the cloister, and ap-
proached tho body of St. Agnes, with almost all the
nuns of the convent, and the Sisters of Penance of St.
Dominick who had accompanied her. She knelt at her
feet and prostrated to embrace them piously ; but the
holy body that she intended honouring, unwilling that
she should stoop to kiss it, raised its foot, in presence
of the whole assembly. At this sight Catharine, much
troubled, prostrated profoundly and gradually restored
the foot of Agnes to its usual position, i call atten-
tion here to the following remark : it was not without
motive that the blessed Agnes raised only one foot —
she did this on account at the incredulous — had she
raised both feet, it might have been believed that her
body was capable, by a motion communicated to the
superior part of raising tl>e legs without the help of
the marvellous ; but as only one foot raised, it is evi-
dent that divine power acted without regard to natural
Uws, and that there could not bo any illusion.

HER FREQUENT COMMUNIONS. 235

I have a motive in presenting this remark ; for, on
the morrow, when we arrived in turn at our own mo-
nastery, there was much conversation in reference to
the miracle that the Spouse of virgins had performed
in favour of those holy souls : some nuns who had been
witnesses of it, calumniated the work of God, like the
Pharisees of old, who said, " It is by Beelzebub, the
prince of the devils, that he casteth out demons," (St.
Luke xi. 15.) In consequence, as I had received from
the Prior Provincial authority over that monastery,
I assembled all the sisters in conference according to
the rule of the order, and made a minute examination
of this miracle under a precept of holy obedience, All
present declared positively that they had seen it per-
fectly. I therefore called before me one of those who
had offered the most opposition, and asked her whether
the affair had passed as we said ; she acknowledged it
in the presence of all, but she desired to explain that
the intention of blessed Agnes was not such as we be-
believedit. I replied : " My very dear sister, we do not
interrogate you concerning the intention of blessed
Agnes ; we are well aware that you are neither her
secretary, nor her confidant ; we merely ask, you v/he-
theryou saw the foot rise all alone V" She said, " Yes."
I imposed a penance on her for the discourses in which
she indulged ; and this I did for God's glory, and the
example of others ; and I report it here, in order to
give a greater proof of the truth.

Some time after Catharine returned to the convent
of the blessed Agnes, to consecrate two of her nieces
to the service of the altar. As soon as she arrived,
sho repaired, as at the first time, to the body of the

236 LIFE OP OT. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

eaintly foundress with her companions and some nuns
from the convent ; but she did not place herself at the
feet but joyfully approached the head. She designed,
by humility, we presume, to avoid what had happened
when she attempted to kiss the feet ; or, perhaps, she
remembered that Mary Magdalen at first poured her
perfumes over the Saviour's feet and afterwards shed
them over his head* She placed her face on the orna-
ments of gold and silk which cover the countenance of
Agnes, and Cnere remained a long time ; then she
turned sweetly to Lysa, the mother of her two nieces,
and inquired, smiling : " What, do you not observe
the present that heaven sends us ? do not be ungrate-
ful 1" At these words, Lysa and the others lifted their
eyes and saw a very fine and a very white manna falling
like heavenly dews, and covering not only Agnes and
Catharine, but also all the persons present, and with
such abundance that Lysa filled her hand with it. To
comprehend this miracle, it is necessary to know that
it was often repeated during the lifetime of Agnes,
especially when she was in prayer ; so that virgins
whom she directed, not suspecting a prodigy, and see-
ing her mantle always white, wished to shake it off ;
but she prevented them in order to conceal the
heavenly favour.

Blessed Agnes know that blessed Catharine would
be one day her companion in heaven ; she therefore
amiably desired to share on earth her graces and her
favours. The manna in its snowy whiteness and the
fineness of its grain, signified purity and humility;
and these two virtues shine in a very particular man-
ner in those two virgins, as may be seen in their me-

HER FE1QUENT COMMUNION. 237

moirs which God, in his mercy, has permitted me to
write. This miracle had for witnesses Catharine's
companions, Lysa, among others, who is still living ;
several nnns belonging to the convent have equally
affirmed before me and before the friars who were
with me, that thus the occurrences took place. Many
are now dead ; but myself and my brethren recall
perfectly their depositions ; further, Lysa collected
the manna which fell, showed it frequently, and gave
it to several persons.

God accomplished also for his faithful spouse dur-
ing her life, many admirable things which are not
written in this book : what I have related above, I
have said for the honour and glory of God's holy
Name, for the salvation of souls, and to acquit my
conscience : I was unwilling to despiss the grace
from above, and fold up the talent entrusted to me :
I have placed it according to the best of my ability,
so that it might be referred to its divine Master.

I here terminate the second part of this biography ;
the third will contain Catharine's death with the
miracles that preceded it and followed it. May these
three books render immortal praise, honour, and glory
to the ever blessed Trinity. Amen.

END OF SECOND PART?

THIRD PART.

CHAPTER I.

Concerning the witnesses present at Catharine's Death, and who
related the attendant circumstances to the Author.

THE ancient synagouge, when contemplating the
elevation of the holy Church, and the flight of the soul
that God has selected for spouse, exclaims in admira-
tion— QUCB est ista qua ascendit de deserto, de deliciis
affluens, innixa super dileclum mum f (Cant. viii. 5.)
This passage may be aptly applied to the conclusion
of this Memoir. The Lappy death and the last ac-
tions of Catharine, worthily crown all that preceded.
The perfection of her virtues leads us to say, with
astonishment — Who is this? that abounding in good
works mounts to heaven with accelerated flight? who
is this, coming up from the desert leaning on u her be-
loved, united to God by love, for all eternity."

As she approached the term of her mortal career, she
made increased efforts to merit the crown she solicited.
Her soul, as it were, naturally ravished in ecstasy
rushed onward to heaven. This impetus arose from
the fire which acted and continually mounted upward.
I mean that fire which the Saviour of the world came
to bring on earth, and which he desired to see en-
kindled. She will be Been in the last days of her life,
becoming likened to her Spouse by suffering, uniting
her soul to his, and reclining on him as a support for
quitting the earth victoriously and soaring to heaven
joyously and triumphantly. She appeared to die, bo-
cause the gross sense of mankind did zxafc descry her

WITNESSES AT HER DEATH. 239

glory, but she rests peacefully with the cherished
Spouse of her soul, and brilliant prodigies have mani-
fested the honours bestowed on her in heaven.

When the blessed Catharine, in accordance with the
command of the Supreme Pontiff, Gregory XI., re-
paired to Florence [1373] her mission was to establish
peace between the shepherd and his flock — she was
subjected there to several unjust persecutions. A
satellite of the demon precipitated himself upon her,
sword in hand, intending to kill her, and God alone
prevented him from it. Notwithstanding all kinds of
menaces and dangers, she did not retire until the suc-
cessor of Gregory XI., Urban VI., had concluded
peace with the Florentines ; as soon as it was signed,
she returned to her home and occupied herself actively
with the composition of a book which she dictated
under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. She had
recommended her secretaries to be present during her
ecstasies, and carefully commit to writing whatever
she might then dictate — they did this with fidelity,
and collected a whole volume of great and useful
truths. She dictated this work whilst her soul was
detached from her senses, and her body in complete
insensibility. God designed to prove to us that this
work does not resemble that of men, but emanated
from the Holy Ghost himself.

The Sovereign Pontiff, Urban VI. [1378], who had
Been Catharine at Avignon, when he was Archbishop
of Acerenza, and who entertained a high esteem for
her lights and virtues, commanded me to write to her
to repair to Rome. I obeyed, but she with her usual
prudence, answered me thus — * 4 Father, several peraocs

240 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIEN3A,

of Sienna, and some of the sisters of my order find
that I journey too frequently ; hence they are greatly
scandalized, and say that a Religious ought not to be
thus ever on the wing. I do not think that these re-
proaches should give me any trouble, for I have never
journeyed in any direction, except by order of God and
of his Vicar, and to promote the salvation of souls ;
but to avoid as far as I can an occasion of scandal to
my neighbour, I do not think of removing hence ;
nevertheless, if the Vicar of Christ wills me to go,
his intentions must be accomplished not mine. 'In
that case, be so obliging as to make known his order
to that effect by a written document, so that those
who are scandalized may know that I do not under-
take the journey from my own impulse."

Having received this reply, I went to the Sovereign
Pontiff, and humbly communicated it to him. He
charged me to bid Catharine come in the name of
holy obedience; and Catharine, like a submissive
daughter, speedily arrived at Rome with a numerous
suite — she would have had many more followers had
she not opposed it. Those who accompanied her as-
sumed the livery of poverty, by voluntarily relying on
divine Providence, preferring a mendicant life with
the saint, than abundance in their own houses and the
deprivation of her pious and captivating conversations.

The Sovereign Pontiff was most happy to see her,
and requested that, in presence of the Cardinals, she
would give them an instruction, and that she should
especially speak concerning the incipient schism. She
did so, learnedly and at some length, exhorting svery
one to fortitude and constancy. She showed that di-

WITNESSES AT HER DEATH. 241

vine Providence watches over all, but in a particular
manner over those who suffer with the Church, and

concluded thereforn that the threatened schism ought
not to frighten any one, but that they should do God's
work and dread nothing. When she had finished, the
Sovereign Pontiff, quite encouraged, resumed her dis-
course, and said to the Cardinals — "Behold Bre-
thren, when we yield to timidity how we become guilty
before God.This humble woman confounds us ; I call
her humble, not in contempt, but* on account of the
weakness of her sex : she should naturally fear, even
though we were of good heart; and yet where we are
fearful, she is tranquil, and inspires us with courage.
Is not this a motive for confusion to us all V" And
he continued — "What should the Vicar of Jesus
Christ dread, though the whole world were to oppose
him; is not Christ, the all powerful, stronger than
the world? He can never forsake the Church." The
Sovereign Pontiff, encouraged himself and his bre-
thren : he praised the saint in God, and accorded her
many spiritual favours for herself and her companions.
Jeanne, Queen of Sicily, at the instigation of tho
devil, declared herself openly against the Church, and
favoured the schism to the ex tent of her power. Urban
VI. thought of sending to her Catharine and another
Virgin called Catharine, daughter of St. Bridget of
Sweden, who was recently inscribed in the catalogue
of saints, by Popo Boniface IX. He hoped that these
two persons with whom the Queen was acquainted
might induce her to forsake her evil ways. When our
blessed Catharine knew it, she did net shrink from the
charge it wae intended to impose on her, and she even

242 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF STENNA.

offered to go directly. But Catharine of Sweden
did not like to undertake the voyage, and refused in
my very presence, the mission that was proposed to
her. I acknowledge that through imperfection and
want of faith, 1 also did not approve the project of
the Sovereign Pontiff. I thought that the reptutation
of persons consecrated to God is so precious, that we
must beware of tarnishing it by the appearance of evil
or by the least breath of suspicion. She to whom
the Virgins were to be sent, might follow the coun-
i/els of Satan's agents by whom she was surrounded,
and cause these two devout women to be insulted on
their route and prevent them from arriving. I pre-
sented these observations to the Sovereign Pontiff who
reflected sometime and concluded by saying, " Your
views are correct, it is more prudent for them not to
go." I communicated this conversation to Catharine
who was at the time quite ill She turned to me and
said, "Had Agnes, Margaret, and a multitude of
other virgins indulged all these reflections, they would
never have obtained the crown of martyrdom ! Have
we not a Spouse who can deliver us from the hands
of the impious and preserve our honour amidst a
throng of debauchees ? All these reasonings are vain ;
they spring from a want of faith rather than from ge-
nuine prudence;" I then blushed interiorly at being
BO remote from her lofty perfection, and in my heart
I admired her constancy and her faith. But, as tho
Sovereign Pontiff had decided that she would not go,
I did not dare to converse longer on the subject.

In the mean time, it appeared advantageous to tho
Bov&rdgn Pontiff ta send me into France, because he

WITNESSES AT EKB DEATH. 248

had been informed that it would be impossible to detach
the King of France, Charles V., from the schism ex-
cited by himself. The instant that I became acquainted
with this project, I went to take counsel from Catha-
rine:— notwithstanding the affliction that my absence
would occasion her, she advised me to obey the orders
of the Sovereign Pontiff without delay. She said to
me, " Hold it as certain, father, that he is truly the
Vicar of Jesus Christ; I desire that you would expose
yourself to sustain him as you ought for the Catholh
Faith itself." I entertained no doubt on this subject;
but that saying from Catharine encouraged me so to
combat the schism, that I consecrated myself from that
moment, to the defence of the rights of the Sovereign
Pontiff: and I continually recalled it to mind in order
to fortify myself amid my difficulties and trials. I
acted therefore in accordance with her counsels, and
bowed my head beneath the yoke of obedience.
Some days previous tqrny departure, beingacquainted
with what would happen, she wished to converse with
me concerning the revelations and consolations that she
had received from God, and she did not allow the per-
sons present to join in the conversation. After hav-
ing spoken to me during several hours: she said to me,
" Now go, whither God calls you. I think that in this
life we shall never again discourse together as we have
just now done." Her prediction was accomplished. 1
departed and she remained. Before my return she went
to her heavenly home, and I had no more the privi-
lege of relishing and profiting by her salutary instruc-
tions. It was for this reason, no doubt, that desiring
to bid me a last farewell, she went to the place where

244 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

I was to embark, and when we were setting out, she
knelt, and after praying, made over us with tearful
eyes, the sacred sign of the Cross, as if she would say,
"Go, my son, in safety, shielded by the protection of
this blessed sign, but in this life thou shalt ne'er again
behold thy Mother." Although the sea was infested
by pirates, we arrived happily at Pisa, and then had
an equally prosperous voyage to Genes, notwithstand-
ing the numerous galleys of schismatics pursuing their
route to Avignon. We afterwards continued our jour-
ney by land as far as a town called Ventimiglia. Had
we gone farther we should have inevitably fallen into
the ambuscades of those especially who had designs on
my life ; but by the permission of God, we stopped
there a day ; and a Eeligious of my Order, who was a
native of that place, forwarded me a letter in which he
said, " Be ware of passing Ventimiglia, for ambushes
are prepared for you, and were you to fall into any
one of them, no human aid could save you from death."
On this advice, after having taken counsel of the com-
panion whom the Sovereign Pontiff had given me, I
returned to Genes ; I sent word to the Holy Father of
what hal happened, and asked what step I should
take. He commanded me to remain at this place and
preach a crusade against the schismatics. This mission
delayed my return, and it was at that moment the
blessed Catharine concluded her pilgrimage and
crowned it by an admirable martyrdom. Therefore,
from this date, I can no longer describe events as hav-
ing seen them personally; but all that I shall commit
to writing, I kuow by the letters which she then ad-
dressed me and very frequently too ; and from persona

WITNESSES AT HER DEATH. 245

who assisted her in her last moments, and who wit-
nessed the prodigies which the Almighty effected by
the intercession of his servant. Bnt lest in indicat-
ing these witnesses in general, 1 may appear to suppose
them, I intend naming them in order, that others may
credit them more thoroughly than they do myself; they
are assuredly more worthy, for they imitated better
than I, the examples offered by Catharine; they con-
sequently comprehended them more clearly.

I will begin by the females who were her faithful
companions. Alessia of Sienna, Sister of Penance of St.
Dominick, appears to me to be entitled to the highest
rank among the disciples of Catharine, not by her seni-
ority, but by the perfection of her virtues. After los-
ing in her youth, a husband equally noted for his no-
bility and learning, she despised all worldly pleasures
and became so wedded to our saint, that in the end
she had not courage to leave her : she renounced her
wealth and according to our Redeemer's counsel dis-
tributed it to the poor. In the full imitation of her
whom she had chosen for mistress, she afflicted her
body by fasts, vigils, and every variety of mortifica-
tion: prayer and contemplation occupied her continu-
ally; she persevered with so much constancy and per-
fection that Catharine, in the latter portion of her life,
made her, I think, depository of all her secrets, and
wished, that after her own death Alessia should become
the superior and model of her companions. I found
her also at Rome, when I returned there, and she gave
me many pieces of information ; but a short time after
she went to rejoin in heaven her whom sae had 80 ten-
derly cherished in our Lord. She is my rirsfc wif oees
of what happened during my absence.

846 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

My second witness is Franchise of Sienna. Her soul
was always tenderly united to God, and to the blessed
Catharine. As soon as she became a widow, she clothed
herself with the holy habit of the Sisters of Penance:
she consecrated her three remaining sons to God in
the order of Preaching Friars; and before dying, she
had the consolation of seeing them depart for the
home of the just — for they piously terminated their
career at the period of the plague, and God assisted
them in a special manner, by the intercessory pray-
ars of Catharine. Frangoise survived Alessia a short
time; but she also recounted to me a number of cir-
cumstances. The third companion of Catharine that I
shall cite, is Lysa who still lives ; she is well known in
Home, especially by the citizens who reside in the dis-
trict in which she dwells. I abstain from giving her
eulogium because she is yet alive : her relations of sis-
fcer-in-law to Catharine might render her testimony
suspected ; but I know that she always spoke the truth.

After the demise of Catharine, I found several holy
men who had been witnesses of her last moments ; I
will only name four among them, all commendable by
their merits and their virtues. Two have already fol-
lowed Catharine to heaven; two yet live, and these I
have selected for the conviction of the incredulous.

The first of the four is he, whom we styled Brother
Saint, both on account of his name and his lif e ; he was
from Tdramo ; he forsook his parents and his country
and fixed his residence at Sienna, where he led during
more than thirty years, a very solitary life, never in-
citing others to speak of him, and obeying the direc-
tion of some devout and learned Religious. He found

WITNESSES AT HER DEATH. 247

in his old age the precious pearl of the gospel, in
blessed Catharine. For her, he quitted his peaceful
cell and his style of living, in order to labour not solely
for himself but for the good of oilier s ; he affirmed that
he found greater tranquillity, aud more profit to his
soul in following Catharine and listening to her, than
he ever enjoyed in his solitude ; above all ho made
great progress in patience. Ho suffered much from a
disease of the heart, and our saint taught him to sup-
port his continual anguish, not only with resignation,
but with joy ; he related to me several circumstances
which transpired during my absence; but a short
time after having quitted her he went again to j'oiu.
in celestial mansions her whose disciple he became.

The second witness is a Florentine who had enriched
his early years by the wisdom of old age, and had
adorned them with all the virtues ; this was Barduccio.
He left parents, brothers, and country, to follow Ca-
tharine to Rome, and he remained there until his death.
I have since learned that our sai nt particularly esteemed
him, and, I suppose it was on account oi Us angelical
purity. What is there to excite surprise in one virgin
cherishing another! In her last moments, Catharine
enjoined him to attach himself to me and place himself
under my direction; she did it without doubt becaise
she was aware that he would -not live lotg , in ei?ect,
a short time after, he was attacked vrith a phthi&ic,
and although he appeared at firat to be convalescent,
it soon became evident that he was beyond hope.
Fearing that tho air of Rome >vaa turtful to him, I
sent him to Sienna where he slept peacefully in tha
Lord. Those who witnessed hw death, declared that

248 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SDEESA,

at his last moments, he looked up to heaven smiling,
and rendered up his soul with such lively tokens of
joy, that death itself could not obliterate their im-
pression from his countenance; he probably saw her
whom he had loved during life, with the greatest pu-
rity of heart, come forth to meet him in the glory of
triumph. Barduccio told me many thing which hap-
pened during my absence, and I credit his informations
because I knew the solid virtues that adorned his soul.
My third witness is a young man of Sienna, Etienne
Maconi, of whom I have already written. I will not
dilate in words of praise concerning him, because he
is yet on the road in which praise is perilous ; I will
simply say. that he was one of the secretaries of Catha-
rine, and that he wrote the greater portion of her let-
ters and the book that she composed ; he was so at-
tached to our saint, that in order to follow her every-
where, he quitted his family and his native land. At
the moment of dying, Catharine called him, and said
to him — "My son, the will of God is that you re-
nounce the world and become a Carthusian." The son
pursued religiously the order of the mother, andevery-
thingh proved that the command came from God him-
self, for I do not remember having seen any one ad-
vance so rapidly In the religious life. Scarcely did he
make his prof ession when he was named Prior, and he
acquitted himself so perfectly of that charge, that he
has ever since preserved it. He is now Prior of Milan,
and visitor of a great number of convents of his order.
He committed to writing what happened at Catharine's
death, and related to me all the particulars with which
he waa acquainted. He perused, also, nearly all that

CIRCUMSTANCES PRIOR TO HER DEATH. 249

I have -written in this history, and I can say with the
Evangelist, St. John, llle $eit qnia vera dicit. (St.
John xix. 35.)

The last witness that I name, among those who have
given me hints, documents, or other means of informa-
tion, is Neri, or Ranieri, sou of Landoccio of Sienna.
After Catharine's death he embraced the solitary life
which he is still leading. He wrote (with Etienne
Maconi and Barduccio,) tbelettere and the book of the
saint; but be was the first that followed the spouse of
Christ— quitting his father, who still lived, and all
that he possessed of earthly inches — as he was longer
than any other a witness of the admirable actions of
Catharine, I invoke his testimony relative to this bio-
graphy, with that of Etienne the Carthusian.

The several Religious and Sisters whom Ihave named
above, have acquaintedme, either in manuscript, or by
the living voice, with all that occurred during my ab-
sence, before and after the death of Catharine.
Hence, dear reader you arc in possession of rny reasons
for believing them confidently.

CHAPTER II.

Of circumstances \vhich happened a year and a half before the
death r>f the Blessed Catharine, and of the martyrdom that Satan
caused her to mxJergo.

As I have said above, after that, (in accordance with
the order of the Sovereign Pontiff,) I had quitted the
spouse of Christ, who remained at Rome, several cir-
cumstance* occurred which merit n.irration. I have
only cited some of them ; but novr* with the grace otf

250 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

God, I will declare facts which display the splendid
sanctity of her happy death, and which were so many
preludes to her entrance into eternal bliss. The blessed
Catharine saw the Church of God, that she so ardently
loved, rent by the miseries of schism, and the Vicar of
Jesus Christ surrounded by difficulties and persecu-
tions: tears had become her bread by night and by day,
and she never ceased crying to God, supplicating him
to restore peace to the Church. God gav e her some con-
solations : thus, a year previous to her death, the very
day on which she was to quit the earth, he granted a
doublevictory to the Church and to the Sovereign Pon-
tiff. The Schismatics, hitherto masters of the Castle of
St. Angelo, disturbed the peace of the city, and ravaged
the entire country ; they were completely vanquished,
the chiefs were taken, and many perished. The Pope
could not reside near the church of the Holy Apostles,
on account of the vicinity of the Castle of St. Angelo.
Catharine advised him to go, barefooted, to the august
Basilica. All the people followed him in great devo-
tion, and rendered to Almighty God solemn thanks-
giving for all his benefits. The holy Church and her
Pontiff began to breathe a little, and our saint
enjoyed, at last, some consolation in their relief.

But her anguish was soon renewed. The old serpent,
who could not succeed by this method, attacked her by
others more dangerous and more rude. What he could
not effect by foreigners and schismatics he attempted
by means of those who had remained faithful to the
Holy See ; he created a division between the people of
Rocieand the Sovereign Pontiff, and things attained
Such a point, that the populace openly threatened the

CIRCUMSTANCES PRIOR TO HER DEATH. 251

life of the Supreme Pontiff. When Catharine was in-
formed of it she was deeply affected ; she had recourse
as usual to prayer, and ardently implored her divine
Spouse never to permit such a crime. At that time
Catharine wrote me a letter, in which she told me that
she had seen, in spirit, the city of Rome filled with de-
mons, who excited the people to PAERICIDE ; they ut-
tered horrible cries against the saint, and said to her,
" Cursed be thou that wouldst arrest us, but we will
put thee to death in a frightful manner. " She answered
nought, but she continually prayed with fervour, and
implored God, that for the honour of his Name and the
salvation of the Church, then rocked by rude storms,
that he would deign to subvert the schemes of hell, in
ordertosave theSovereign Pontiff, andnotto dllowthe
people to commit such an abominable offence. The
Lord once answered her, " Suffer that nation which
daily blasphemes my name ; to fall into that crime, and
when it will be committed, I will execute vengeance
and destroy it, because my justice demands that I no
longer support its i niqui ties. " But she prayed with still
increased fervour," " O most clement God, thou know-
est how deeply the spouse that thou hast redeemed by
thy precious blood, is outraged throughout the broad
universe; thou kno west how few defenders she has, and
thou canst not be ignorant how ardently its enemies de-
sire the humiliation an death of the Vicar. If that mis-
fortune happened, not only the people of Rome, but also
all Christians and the holy Church will suffer deeply
from it. Therefore let tliine anger be appeased, and
despise not thy people for whom thx>u hast paid so
heavy a ransom."

252 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

This contest with God continued several days and
nights, and her feeble body had much to endure. God
opposed his justice to her prayers, and the demons con-
tinued their vociferations againsther. Her fervour was
then so great that if God, to use an expression familiar
•with her, had not encircled her members, she must
have sunk back, weighed down upon herself. But at
length, in this obstinate combat in which her body was
perishingthrough protracted sufferings, Catharinetri-
umphed and obtained her petition. When God alleged
his justice, she replied, ' ' Lord, because thy justice must
be satisfied, despise not, I entreat thee, the prayers of
thy servant; inflict the chastisement that this people
merit on my body : yes, for thehonourof thy Name and
that of thy holy Church, I will cheerfully drain that
chalice of suffering and death ; thy Truth knows that 1
have ever ardently desi; ed it, and that thy grace has
continually inflamed my soul with that desire." At
these words, which she pronounced in the intensity of
her heart, the interior voice of God was no longer heard,
and she understood by this divine silence thatherprayer
had prevailed. In effect, from that moment, the popu-
lar sedition gradually calmed andatlast was completely
appeased; butthe blessed, likea pure victim, supported
its expiation. The powers of hell had permission to tor-
ment her virginal body, and exert their rage on it with
such cruelty, that those who witnessed it declared to me
that it would be impossible to conceive an idea of it
without having seen its evidences.

Those cruel Bufferings increased daily; her skin ad-
hered to her bones and her body appeared like one issu-
ing from the tomb: she walked, prayed, and worked

CIRCUMSTANCES PRIOR TO HER DEATH. 253

•without intermission, but those who saw her would
have believed her to be a phantom rather than a living
soul : her tortures multiplied and visibly consumed her
body. Far from interrupting her prayers, Catharine
increased their length and their fervour: her spiritual
family who were surrounding her at that time, saw very
distinctly the exterior signs of th e tortures heaped upon
her by hell, but no one could apply a remedy. The will
of God opposed it, and besides, notwithstanding the
wasting of her corporeal frame, her soul rose joyfully
and courageously above trouble : the more she prayed,
the more she suffered. I was informed by the spectators,
and indeed she wrote to me herself, that in the midst
of her martyrdom she heard the devils shriek, * ' Cursed,
thou hast always pursued us, and thou continuest thy
pursuit: now we intend satiating our vengeance: thou
designest to force us to go hence, but we will take thy
life," and whilst say ing that they redoubled their blows.
Catherine suffered thus, from Sunday of Sexagesima
until the last day of April, on which she died, and her
sufferings continually increased until her spirit winged
its heavenward flight. She wrote a very remarkable
circumstance which took place about that time. Hi-
therto, on account of the pain in her side and other in-
firmities which never forsook her, she deferred hearing
Mass until the hour of Tierce ; thus she continued the
entire season of Lent, and went every morning to the
church of St. Feter's. She heard Mass, prayed longer
than formerly, and returned home at the hour of Ves-
pers-, those who then saw her extended on her bed could
not have believed her capable of rising ; on the morrow

254 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

however, at the dawn of the day, she rose, set out from
her house, Via del Papa, entered the Minerva and the
Campo di Fiore, and went with a hasty step to St. Pe-
ter's ; this course was capable of fatiguing any one in
goodhealth. Somedaysbef oreshe was called to heaven,
she found herself unable to rise ; finally, on Sunday,
April 29, 1380, on the festival of St. Peter, martyr,
of the Order of Preaching Friars, about the hour of
Tierce, she yielded her beautiful soul to its loving
Spouse and Redeemer.

Many remarkable events transpired then, which I
will narrate in the following chapters.

CHAPTER III.

How ardently Blessed Catharine sighed to be delivered from the
body and united to Christ.

CATHARINE'S mortal life approached its term, and
the Lord manifested by various prodigies how propor-
tionate the glory with which he would recompense his
spouse in heaven, was to the treasures with which his
grace had favoured her on earth. She invoked the
blessed moment which was to unite her to Jesus Christ,
when she would contemplate face to face in the land of
unending felicity, the Truth which she had seen gently
reflected during her terrestrial pilgrimage ; that desire
swelled in her heart in proportion as supernatural light
beamed more clearly upon her understanding. Two
years antecedent to her death, Truth overspread her
soul with such lights, that she was obliged to allow them
to radiate exteriorly, and therefore she requested her
secretaries to hear and commit to writing what she
would say during her ecstasies ; thus in a short space

HER SIGHS FOR DEATH. 256

of time a book was composed containing a Dialog ue be-
tween asouland God. At the end of that volume, there
were two things that I deem very useful to place here,
for the reader's edification : these two things form an
epitome of all that is said in detail in the work, and a
prayer is annexed, by which the blessed Catharine ter-
minates, and shows how fervently she desires to be deli-
vered from her body, in order to be united to Jesus
Christ.

Catharine therein relates that God the Father said
to the soul, after having discoursed at length concern-
ing the obedience of the perfect : " Now, dear and well-
beloved daughter, I have satisfied thy desire from the
beginning to the end, on the subject of obedience ; thou
hast requested of me four things : the first for thyself,
I granted it to thee, by enlightening thee with my
Truth, proving to thee how, by the light of faith, by
knowing me and knowing thyself, thou wilt attain to
an acquaintance with truth. Thy second petition im-
plored mercy for the world : the third was in favour of
the mystical body of the Church, supplicating me to
deliveritfrom obscurity andpersecutions, and desiring
that I should punish the iniquities of others on thyself.
I then explained to thee that no trouble enduredin time
could in itself alone satisfy, for an offence committed
against Me, the eternal Good; such pain can alone
satisfy, if it be united to desire of soul and contrition
of heart : I explained to thee how. I also replied to
thee, that it was my intention to grant mercy to the
world, by showing to thee that mercy is my darling at-
tribute, and to that end, and for the incomprehensible
love 1 felt towards man, I sent the Word, my only Son ;

256 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

and I illustrated his meditation to thee by the represen-
tation of a bridge reaching from heaven to earth ; that
is, uniting thehuman and divine natures, lalsoshowed
thee, that this bridge is mounted by three degrees, viz :
the three powers of the soul. After offering thee the
Word, under the form of a bridge, I presented thee an-
other figureand showed thee three degreesonhisbody;
the first at his feet, the second at the wound of the
side, the third at his mouth. These degrees indicate
three states or conditions of the soul: the imperfect,
the perfect, and the superior state, or that in which the
soul attains to the excellence of unitive love. I have
pointed out to thee what destroys imperfection, and
what conducts to perfection ; the way that must be fol-
lowed, the secret snares of Satan, and the illusions of
self-love. I have made known to thee the three me-
thods of p unishment employed by my clemency in these
states. The first are the pains and trials that I inflict
on man during this life. The second is the chastise-
ment that falls at the hour of death upon those who die
without hope, being in mortal sin; they pass beneath
the bridge and enter the road to hell, and I have exhi-
bited to thee their future torments. The third means
is the general judgment, and I have shown thee some-
what of the pain of the condemned, and the glory of
the blessed, when each soul will be endued with pro-
perties of its body. 1 have already promised thee, and
I do promise thee to reform the Church my Spouse, by
the sufferings of my servants, whom I invite to expiate
in union with thee, by sorrows and weeping, the ini-
quity of her ministers. I have clearly shown thee the
dignity to which L have exalted them, and the respecfc

HER SIGHS FOR DEATH. 257

vrhich they owe to seculars, andhaving revealed to thee
their defects, I have also declared to thee that these
should in no wise diminish respect for their sublime au-
thority, and how hateful to me is any contrary way of
acting. I spoke to thee of the virtue of such as live
like the Angels, and discoursed with thee concerning
the excellence of the sacrament of the altar. When
conversing with thee on the three states of the soul, I
designed showing thee the various kinds of tears. I
told thee whence they came, and what reference they
have to the various conditions of the ^oul — that all
tears emanate from the heart. I explained succes-
sively four kinds of tears, and have manifested to thee
a fifth whose consequence is death.

"In answer to thy fourth petition, I have given thee
explanations concerning my general and particular
Providence : all has been and will be accomplished by
my supreme and divine Providence, originating and
permitting whatever occurs to you, tribulations or con-
solations spiritual ortemporal, the whole for your wel-
fare, that you may be sanctified in me, and my truth
may be accomplished in you : for the blood of the eter-
nal Son revealed to thee that thou wast created for
eternal life. I have shown thee the perfection of obe-
dience and the imperfection of disobedience, and the
Boureesof each; Ihavespokeii particularly of theimper-
f ect and perfect Religious ; obedience produces peace,
disobedience strife ; he who obeys not deceives himself
and by Adam's disobedience death entered the world."

"Now I, God the Father, supreme and eternal
iruth, I declare to thee that it is only by obedience u
my only Son thai tho^i canst have life; I have crcz.tucl

s

258 LIFfi OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENK,l,

a bridge for thee, after the road to heaven was broken,
in order that thou mightest pass by that inviting and
correct way — which is Truth, one and distinct, — by
means of obedience. Now, I invite all my faithful
jervants to mourn by tears, and humble, constant
prayer, I may grant mercy to the world. Run in the
path of Truth, by dying to thyself and above all never
relent, because I shall require of thee more than I did
formerly, having manifested myself to thee in my
truth. Beware of forsaking the knowledge of thyself,
but augment and preserve the treasure of it that I gave
thee. That treasure is a doctrine of truth, founded on
the immoveable living corner-stone, which is Christ,
the meek and lowly Jesus. This doctrine is cl%d in
light by which it may be distinguished from darkness —
beloved daughter, clothe thyself with it in truth."

After that soul had seen with the eye of the under-
standing and known by the light of faith, the perfec-
tion of obedience ; after hearing with her reason, and
relishing by the ardent desire of her heart, she contem-
plated herself in the divine Majesty, and gave him
thanks, saying: " O Father! I thank thee that thou
didst not despise the work of thy hands ; tliou hast
not turned aside thy countenance nor repulsed my de-
sires; thou, Light eternal, had not spurned my dark-
ness; fchou, Life, hast not abandoned me to death; su-
prerae.Pfyftcz'an, thou hast had mercy on my infirmity ;
eternal Purity, thou hast not neglected my iniquities,
staius, and miseries; thou unspeakable Wisdom, I
folly • thoa infinite, while I am insignificant. Yea, in
thy light I liAve found light: in thy prudence, truth ;
in thy clemeii ej , charity akd fraternal love, Wlienca

HER SIGHS FOR DEATH. 259

arose thy mercies? Not from any virtue dwelling in
me, but from thy charity alone. Grant, Lord, that my
memory may retain thy benefits ; that my will may
burn with the fire of thy charity, and that with the
key of obedience I may open heaven. I implore this
grace for every rational creature, individually and col-
lectively, aud for the mystical body of the Church; I
confess and deny not that thou didst love me before I
was ; and that thou dost love thy creature with an ex-
cessive love.

14 O eternal Trinity ! O Deity ! that by union with
the divine nature, hast given such value to the blood
of thy Son; O eternal Trinity! deep sea in which the
more T search, the more I find ; and the more I find
the more I search — in satisfying the soul thou art
never satiated ; it is always eager, always famished
for thee. eternal Trinity, because it desires to see thy
light, in thy light; as the thirsty hind pants for the
fountains of living waters, so my soul desires to escape
from its obscure prison, to contemplate thee as thou
art in the reality of thy existence. How long will thou
conceal thy countenance from me, O eternal Trinity!
fire and abyss of charity, dissipate the mist of my ma-
terial nature ; for the Juiowledge thou hast given me
of thyself, (ills me with thy truth, and forces me to
wish deliverance from my terrestrial bonds; I tliirst
to give this life for the honour and glory of thy Name,
having tasted and witnessed with the eyes of my un-
derstanding the depths of thy greatnens and the beauty
of! th/ creature. When beholding myself in thee, I
sair that I had been created to thy image, because
t allow me to participate in thy power. O

260 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

eternal Father ! thou hast communicated to my un-
derstanding the wisdom that appertains to thy only
Son ; and the Holy Ghost which proceeds from thee
and from thy only Son, bestowed on me the will that
renders me capable of loving thee ; for thou, O eternal
Trinity! thou art my Creator and I am thy creature ;
and thou hast revealed to me, by the new creation
given to me by the blood of thy only Son, how impas-
sioned thou art for the beauty of the creature.

"O abyss! O eternal Deity ! O unfathomable sea !
couldst thou give me more than thyself ? Thou art
an ever burning fire, consuming yet never consumed ;
dissipating by thy ardours all the love the soul bears
to itself : thou art a fire that annihilates all colds ; a
light that illumines souls, and by that light thou hast
manif ested to me thy truth. By the light of faith I
acquire wisdom, fortitude, courage, and perseverance ;
by the light of faith I also learn hope, and the path of
rectitude, and without it I should grope in thick dark-
ness. Hence I implore thee, O eternal Father, to en-
lighten my soul with the torch of faith. That light is
an ocean, nourishing the soul that dwells in thee. O
adorable Trinity ! pacific sea, whose waters never agi-
tated and far from awakening dread, give the correct
knowledge of truth ; that water in its transparency
manifests hidden things. "When the soul abounds with
the light of faith, it is resplendent, so to speak, with
what it believes. That s^a is like a mirror held by the
hand of thy love before the eyes of my soui ; and in ?t
I perceive that thou art the supreme and infinite Good,
incomprehensible and inestimable. Beauty above all
beauty, wisdom superior to all wisdom, for thou art

HER SIGHS FOR DEATH. 261

Wisdom herself. Thou, the food of angelic choirs,
by the fire of thy charity, hast given thyself to man
Thou art a garment that covers all nudity; thy
sweetness is devoid of bitterness, and appeases the
longing soul.

O I ever-li ving Trinity ! I know thee by the light
of faith ; and thou hast taught me by numerous and
admirable lessons, the way of exalted perfection.
Therefore, in that light and not in darkness will I
serve thee I let me become a mirror of a good and
perfect life, coming forth from my hitherto miserable
way of li ving wherein I served thee in obscurity : for
I knew not thy truth and therefore could not love it ?
But why did I not know thee ? — because the mists of
self-love darkened my understanding. Who can
mount to thee, and thank thee worthily for the in-
effable treasure and superabundant favours thou hast
granted me, and the doctrine of truth that thou hast
revealed to me. This doctrine is a very particular
favour, above the general grace accorded to mankind.
Thou hast deigned to condescend to my necessities
and to those of other beings, that they may hence-
forth contemplate themselves therein as in a mirror.
Lord, answer for thyself. Thou hast given to me
largely and thou canst recognize thy benefits and re-
turn thanks to thyself for them, by spreading abroad
in my soul the light of thy grace, so that with that
light I may testify to thee my gratitude. Clothe me,
clothe me with thyself, O eternal Truth, that I may
run through this mortal career in the verity of obe-
dience, and in the light of holy faith, with which
thou hast inebriated my soul."

262 LIFE 0? ST. CATTTARTNE 0? STENN'A.

May these words induce you, reader, to admire this
holy woman, not only in the sanctity of her life, but
also in the sublimity of her doctrine. By collecting
on the preceding, you will discover that she desired
to die and be united to Jesns Christ, because she
knew and understood, above all at that period, that
it was "far better to he with Christ" the end and the
perfection of all good. She at last obtained the ob-
ject of her ever increasing desire ; the promises made
to her by our Redeemer during her youth when
choosing her for his spouse were accomplished, and
her soul quitted its mortal tenement to celebrate with
him an eternal marriage.

CHAPTER IV.

Of the death of St. Catharine, and of the recommendations pro-
posed to her spiritual sons and daughters in her dying moments.

THE blessed Catharine, perceiving her last hour ap-
proach, summoned around her her followers and such
as the Lord had made members of her household ;
she addressed to them first a general discourse, ex-
horting all to advance in the path of virtue ; she de-
veloped therein several important points, which I
foundin the manuscripts of the witnesses above named.

The first and fundamental obligation that she laid
down was this — He who gives himself to God, if he
desires to possess Him in return must divest his heart
from all sensible love, not only towards persons, but
creatures, in order. to tend to God, his Creator, in
entire simplicity and sincerity of soul ; for, said she,
!he heart cannot give itself unreservedly to God if it

HER DEATH. 263

be not liberated, disentangled, and disfranchised from
every bond. A soul cannot give its heart to God
without prayer, founded on humility, which acknow-
ledges itself nothing, and devoid of all personal confi-
dence. A generous application to mental prayeris also
requisite, because itin creases and fortifies virtues which
without that aliment would become weak and then
vanish. She taught all her followers to devote stated
hours to vocal prayer, and to give themselves con-
tinuallyto mental prayer either by actsor with theheart.
She said, besides, that by the aid of a strong faith,
she saw and perfectly understood in her mind, that
whatever happened to herself or others, came from
God, and proceeded from his immense love to his crea-
tures ; which excited and developed in her a love for,
and a promptitude in obeying the orders of God and of
her superiors, believing always that their orders came
from God himself , either for the necessities of salvation,
or for the increasing of virtues in her soul. She de-
clared that in order to acquire purity of mind, it was
necessary for man to beware of judging unfavourably
of his neighbour, and to abstain from all idle words
concerning his conduct; for in all creatures we must
behold the will of God. She particularly recommended
never to despise or condemn any one under form of
judgment, even though we should see them commit a
fault ; if sometimes the evil is evident, we should take
compassion on him who committed it, and pray for him
without despising or condemning him. She ever en-
tertained a strong confidence in divine Providence,
because she knew by experience how graciously his
bounty extends over all. Catharine and her followers

264 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

had always experienced that God provided for all
their necessities. She added, that those who trusted
in divine Providence, shall not only never be aban-
doned, but shall experience a special help.

The blessed Catharine also gave her followers other
counsels : then she terminated by the last recommen-
dation of the Saviour to his disciples, conjuring them
humbly and earnestly to love one another. By their
mutual affection, they would prove themselves her
spiritual children, and she would believe herself their
mother — by BO doing they would prove her glory and
her crown ; and she would intercede with the divine
Goodness in their behalf that he would bless them as
copiously as he had blessed herself. She commanded
them, in the name of charity, to address continual and
fervent prayers for the reformation and prosperity of
the holy Church, and of the Vicar of Jesus Christ.
These had been her ever-present thoughts during seven
/ears; and to obtain an answer to her prayers she had
constantly endured in her body very great pains and
infirmities in the latter years. She added that, as Satan
had obtained from God permission to overwhelm Job
with every variety of ill, it seemed to her that hell had
also obtained permission to afflict and harass her body
by every species of torments, so that from her head to
her feet it appeared " that there was no health in her."
She then said in conclusion : " My dear friends, it ap-
pears evident to me that my beloved Spouse has dis-
posed and designed all, so that, according to my heart's
earnest desire, after the trials that his goodness has
deigned to accord me, my soul shall be liberated from
its obscure prison, and return to its true source."

HER DEATH, 265

The witnesses whom I have cited have written that
the anguish and deep distress of Catharine appeared so
terrible, that no one could have supported them
without the grace of God: she endured them calmly
without demonstrating any sign of sadness. As they
were in amazement and wept at beholding her in that
condition she thus addressed them — " Beloved sons,
you ought not to be afflicted at my death ; you should
rather rejoice with me and congratulate me, because I
am about to quit this land of exile, and repose in the
unending peace of God. I give you the positive assu-
rance that I shall be more useful to you after my de-
cease, than I would, or could have been by remaining
with you in this lif e so obscured by grief and so filled
with miseries. Nevertheless I commend my existence,
its termination, and my whole being into the hands of
my ever-blessed Spouse; and if he perceives that I can
be useful to any living creature, if he will that I yet
remain amid anguish and torture, I am ready for the
honour of his Name and the salvation of my neighbour,
to suffer a hundred times a day, were it possible, death
and all other imaginable torments. But if it be agree-
able to him that 1 depart, be certain, dear children,
that / have given my life for the Church : I have a cer-
tain knowledge that God has permitted it by a peculiar
grace" After that, she called her disciples, one after
another, and prescribed to each one the kind of life
that he ought to embrace after her death : she desired
that all should submit to my direction, as the one who
held her place, indicating to some the religious, and to
others a solitary life. For the women, and particularly
the Sisters of Penance, «he designated Ateesis, as au-

26C LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

perior. She regulated all, according to the inspira-
tion of the Holy Ghost — the event proved it thus, for
her directions proved beneficial to every one.

After that she asked pardon of all. " My beloved,"
said she, " I have hungered and thirsted for your
salvation, I dare not say the reverse ; nevertheless I
may have been wanting to you in many things ; not
only I have not given you an example of good works
and of virtue as I should and might have done, had I
been a true spouse of our Lord and a perfect Reli-
gious, but also in your temporal wants I have not
been zealous and attentive as I should have been. I
therefore implore of all, in general and in particular,
pardon and indulgence ; I entreat you, and I con-
jure you humbly and earnestly, to pursue to the end
the path of virtue, that you may be, as I have fore-
told you, my joy and my crown." After these words
she kept silent ; she then made, as she did daily her
general confession, and humbly asked for the Holy
Eucharist and the last sacraments. Her requests
were granted ; she also implored the plenary indul-
gence which had been granted to her by the Sove-
reign Pontiffs Gregory XI. and Urban VI., who had
already giverj it to her. She then began to enter upon
her agony and contended against Satan ; the assistants
perceived it by herwords and gestures. Sometimes she
maintained silence, sometimes she replied, sometimes
she smiled, occasionally she appeared to despise what
she heard, and again to feel indignant.

Those who related to me the events that then trans-
pired, remarked one peculiar circumstance, and I
believe it happened for the greater glory of Gal

HER DEATH. 267

After observing silence, as though she were listening
to an accusation, she replied with a joyful counte-
nance; "No, never vain-glory, but the real honour
and glory of God.1' There was a motive for divine
Providence permitting these words to be heard ; for
several persons, on account of the meekness of her
charity and the abundant graces that were granted
to her, believed that she courted praise, or at least
enjoyed it, and that on this account she took delight
in appearing before the public. Some said, when
speaking of her : " Why run from all sides to her ;
it is only a woman ; she ought to remain in her cell,
if she desires to serve God." The response to these
reproaches was complete: u No, never vain-glory,"
said she, u but the true glory of God and his honour ;"
that is — no, it was not vain -glory that induced me to
go on all sides and perform good works, but I acted
continually for the glory of the Saviour and the
honour of his Name. I likewise can give testimony
with certitude, having so often heard her general
confessions and her particular ones, and who have
carefully examined all her acts ; she always obeyed
the direct order of God and his inspirations : not only
she sought not praise, but she did not even think of
men, except when she was praying for their salvation
and labouring to promote it. One who had not been
witness of her life, could never know to what a degree
she was a stranger to those human passions which
are even usual in persons consecrated to religion.
The words of the Apostle may most suitably be applied
fx> her : Nostra aufem conversatio in calis est. (Phil.
Hi. 20.) "Our conversation is iu heavea." Nothing

268 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

could for one moment distract her desires, and weaken
the ardour of her charity.

After this prolonged contest and her victory, Ca-
tharine came to herself, renewed the public confession
she was accustomed to make, and for greater security
asked to receive again the absolution and indulgence
that had already been given. She followed in that
the doctrine and the example of Saint Martin, Saint
Jerome, and Saint Augustine, who wish that no
.Christian, whatever be his state of perfection, leave
this world, without accusing himself of his defects,
and exciting in his heart regret for having committed
them. St. Augustine, in his last malady, caused the
seven Penitential Psalms to be inscribed on the wall,
near to his bed ; he read them constantly and with an
abundance of tears. St. Jerome, when dying, con-
fessed his sins and defects publicly. St. Martin, in
his last moments, taught his disciples, by word and
example, that a Christian ought to die on sackcloth
and ashes, to testify his humility and heartfelt repent-
ance. In imitation of those great saints, Catharine
showed her contrition, by all possible means ; and twice
humbly petitioned absolution for her sins, and satis-
faction of pains which are attached to the indul-
gence.

When all was terminated, the attendants observed
that her physical strength diminished rapidly. She
never desisted, however, from giving pious recommen-
dations to her spiritual sons and daughters, to those
present and to those who were absent ; for, in her last
agony, she said to the individuals who were present,
14 Apply to Filar Raymond in all your doubts and

HER DEATH. 269

difficulties, and tell him never to become remiss, and
to fear not in whatever may befall him. I will be
with him continually, and will protect him in all his
dangers ; when he does wrong I will warn him, so that
he may correct himself." I was assured that she re-
peated these words often, and pronounced them as long
as she had strength to do it. Seeing that the moment
of her exile had arrived, she said, " Lord, into thy
hands I commend my spirit ;" Domine, in manus tuas
commendo spiritum meum. And as she had so long de-
sired, that devout soul was freed from its captivity and
united in an indissoluble, eternal union, to the Spouse
whom she had so ardently loved, in the year of our
Lord, 1380, on Sunday, the 29th of April, at the hour
of Tierce. I was at that instant in Genes, and he*
soul communicated to mine, in some way, what I have
recounted above, and which she enjoined me to repeat.
I call to witness him who can neither deceive nor be
deceived ; but then my darkened understanding did
not comprehend whence came the words, the sense of
which I so completely seized. I was at the time ful-
filling at Gene? my functions of Provincial — it was
the moment of the Chapter which was to be held at
Bologna, for the election of a General, and I was
making arrangements to set out with some Religious.
TV's were to go by sea as far as Pisa, and thence repair
to Bologna, as wo did in effect. Wo had hired a
vessel and were awaiting a favourable wind.

The same morning in which the blessed Catharine
expired, I had gone to the church to celebrate thefes-
tiv,?l of St. Peter, the martyr. After scying Mass. I
went again up to the dormitory to prepare my little

270 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

bundle for my prospective journey ; when passing
before an linage of the Blessed Virgin, I said, in an un-
dertone, according to the custom of the Religious, the
Ave Maria, and I remained there kneeling for a few
moments. I then heard a voice which was not in the
air, and which pronounced words which seized me
mentally but not orally ; and nevertheless I perceived
them more distinctly within me than if they had come
to me exteriorly. I know not by what other title to
designate this method of communication, if we may
call voice that which is destitute of sound. This
voice uttered these words or presented them to my
mind, " Fear not, I am here for your sake; I am in
heaven for you ; I will protect and defend you ; be
tranquil, and fear naught, I am here for you." These
interior words threw me into great trouble, and I en-
deavoured to ascertain what this promised assistance
could mean. I could not, at that moment, attribute
them to any other than the Blessed Virgin whom I was
saluting ; but I dared not think so, because of my tin-
worthiness. I imagined that some terrible calamity
was about to befall me, and that as I was imploring
the Mother of mercy, the constant comforter of the
afflicted, she designed by this consoling promise to
warn and prepare me to support courageously the com-
ing event. I suspected that as I had preached at
Genes a crusade against the schismatics, there might
be some among them awaiting an opportunity to injure
me an d mine. I endeavoured thus to comprehend that
prodigy which. God mercifully granted me by the soul
of his spouse to support zay weaknesa ; and in relating
these circumstances, I discover more reason for expe-
riencing a sentiment of shame iban of Yanity.

HER DEATH. 271

The folio wing vision was presented to a Roman lady,
at the instant in which Catharine expired. She re-
lated it to me herself, and I do not lightly give credit
to her recital, having been acquainted with her con-
science and her life, during more tban twenty years.

There dwelt in Rome a lady, the mother of two
sons, and whose name was Sernia. Previous to hei
husband's death, and still more perfectly after it, she
consecrated herself to the service of God, and devoted
herself wholly to prayer and the visiting of churches.
She had a habit of rising during the night for matins,
but yielded to a sort of half sleep after, so as to be
more capable of accomplishing the pious pilgrimages
of the day. When Catharine arrived at Rome, the
lady was informed of her virtues by myself and others ;
she visited her and became so captivated with the
charms of her society, that she determined to enjoy
them continually, but on account of her exercises of
piety, and her sons, who were entitled to her care,
several days sometimes intervened between heroppor-
tunities of seeing Catharine; and, besides, she was
not aware of her being seriously ill at that time.

In the night preceding the morning of our saint's
death, Semia arose, to pray as usual ; and when her
prayer was concluded, she reflected that as it w*s Sun-
day she ought to rise earlier than ordinary, so cw to
attend the solemn high Mass, and see to the prepara-
tion of the morning repast of her children. Sho there-
fore, lay down, intending to catch a few moments ot
repose and then get up, and in consequence of thus
changing her mind, even while dozing she was think-
ing of rfsinf;. Whilst !a hei parli&l sleep, as she was

272 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

saying to herself, ' ' I must leave my bed in order to be
in time for the service in the church," sho saw a very
beautiful child, apparently eight or ten years of age.
This child said to her, ' * I do not wish you to rise un-
til you have seen what I intend showing you." Ra-
vished with the charms of the child, but yet intent upon
hearing Mass, Semia answered, " Suffer me, dear one,
to get up, because to-day we must not neglect high
Mass." The child said, " I cannot possibly suffer you
to arise before you see the wonders that I have to ex-
hibit to you, being commissioned by Almighty God."
And it seemed to her that the child drew her from the
bed and conducted her into a spacious place which was
shaped like a church ; at one extremity of it there was
a tabernacle of exquisitely burnished silver ; but it was
closed. " Wait a little," said the infant, " and you,
shall behold what is within the tabernacle;" and di-
rectly another little child, similar to the first, brought
a ladder to the silver tabernacle which occupied a lofty
elevation, and opened the door of it with a golden key.
As soon as it was unclosed, Seraia, who was looking,
perceived a young girl very magnificently and richly
adorned; her robe was of dazzling whiteness and plen-
tifully ornamented with precious stones. She wore
three superb crowns onher head, so well arranged that
the three could each, be clearly discerned. The infe-
rior crown was of silver, white as driven snow ; the
second waa of silver mingled with gold, and shone like
red materials woven with golden threads : the third
was of purest, finest gold, bestrewn with pearls and
precious stones. At this spectacle, Semia wondered
who this richly dressed child could be , and on consi-

HER DEATH. 273

dering her very attentively, she recognised distinctly
Catharine of Sienna ; but knowing bei to be much
older than the figure represented in this vision, she
suspected it might mean some other. The child that
first appeared to her inquired whether she recognised
her that she saw. '• It is, indeed," said Scmia, " the
countenance of Catharine of Sienna, but it is not her
age." As she continued earnestly gazing on her, the
person in the tabernacle smiled and said to the two
children, " You see that she does not recognise me."
Then advanced four more children similar to the two
first: they "bore a species of bier formed like a bed, and
draperied around with rich purple precious cloths, and
when they had deposited it near the tabernacle, they
mounted with speed and took in their arms the little
crowned maiden, and laid her on the bed that they
had brought. Then the youthful maiden said. " Allow
me to go to that lady who is looking at me and does
not recognise with certainty who I am." And di-
rectly she appeared to approach her as if by fly ing, and
said, I am Catharine of Sienna. Semia." She rejoinecf,
'• What, aro you mother Catharine?" u Yes," au-
swered she ; " bat consider well what you now see
and are about to see."

At these words, she was conducted by the six chil-
dren to the bed, and was raised on it towards heaven.
Whilst Semia saw her thus gradually mounting, she
suddenly beheld a throne in heaven ; and on that
throne a King crownea ana covered with jewels,
holding in his right liana an opened boot. The
children who bore the lovely virgin elevated her to
the very steps of the tnrone and to the feet of th?

T

274 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

King ; and instantaneously the virgin cast herself at
the feet of the King and adored him. Then the
King said, " Welcome, dear spouse and cherished
daughter, Catharine." At the order of the King, she
raised her head and read in the open book, during
sufficient time to say devoutly the '* Lord's Prayer ;"
then, on a new signal from the King, she arose and
took a position near to the throne, awaiting the queen
who was advancing at the head of a numerous group
of virgins. At her approach, our saint hastened to
descend the steps and prostrate before her: after
which the Queen of Heaven taking her by the hand
said, " Welcome, Catharine, my daughter ;" and rais-
ing her up gave her the kiss of peace. She offered a
second act of homage to the Queen by his command,
and then she moved towards the other virgins, and all
joyfully received her, giving her the ** kiss of peace."
Whilst all this was transacting, Semia cried out,
" O my Sovereign Lady, Mother of our Lord Jesus
Christ, intercede for mei St. Mary Magdalen, St.
Catharine, St. Agnes, St. Margaret, pray for us!"
She informed me that, although this vision seemed to
be in heaven, she distinguished all the actors perfectly,
and recognised not only the Blessed Mother of God,
but also the other virgins, each in her turn. She
called each one by her name, for they severally bore
the tokens of their martyrdom : St. Catharine, her
wheel ; St. Margaret, a dragon beneath her feet ; and
St. Agath*, her soarred bosom ; and in like manner
the others. In fine, amid the felicitations of all those
virgins, the youthful Catharine was placed, and
crowned mth glory.

ffER DEATH. 275

When Semia awoke and opened her eyes, she saw-
that the sun already indicated on the horizon the hour
of Tierce. She was grieved on account of the Mass
she desired to hear, and the repast which was to
be prepared for her children ; but yet she could not
refrain from mentally inquiring what this vision could
signify? She did not know, and could not persuade
herself to believe that Catharine was deceased, al-
though she knew her to be feeble. Her occupations
had prevented her from seeing her during several
days, and she had often known her to recover from
even alarming sufferings; she concluded therefore that
Catharine might have been favoured with some ex-
traordinary ecstasy. She also feared on account of
the lateness of the hour, she had lost the opportunity
of hearing Mass that day, and suspected Satan of in-
tending to cause her to violate the precept of the
Church in reference to the sanctification of the
sabbath. She hurriedly placed her repast on the fire
and hastened to the parish church, saying within her-
self, " If I lose Mass, it will be a proof this vision
comes from Satan ; but if I can obtain the hearing of
Mass, I shall believe that I owe it to the pious Mother
Catharine." On arriving at the church they were
singing the Offertory; she became sad, and said,
**Ah! unhappy me, the demon has deceived me."
She returned home instantly, attended quickly to her
domestic affairs and prepared to go to another church,
so as to be present at the entire Mass.

Whilst thus occupied at home, she heard a bell that
announced Mass in a neighbouring monastery of nuns;
she joyfully hastened there, leaving tfo vegetables a?

276 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

she had prepared them, and without putting them
into the soup. She locked the door, leaving no one in
the house, found the Mass which was just commen-
cing, and joyfully said to herself ; Satan did not de-
ceive me as I fancied. Only she regretted the vex-
ation of her sons, who attained a certain age knowing,
certainly that their dinner would not be ready and that
there would be no more time for her to prepare it. She
heard the whole high Mass. When it was ended, she
returned home and met her son who said, " Mother,
it is very late, please arrange it, so that we can
have our dinner." She replied, " Dear children, wait
a short time, and all will be ready." She ran home,
found the door shut, as she left it, and opened it so as
to finish very quickly what remained to done : the
meat and vegetables were all prepared and served,
and nought remained but for them to take their seats
at the table. Semia was filled with amazement, and de-
termined to go directly after dinner and see Catharine
whom she believed yet living, in order to give her a
full account. She called her two sons who were near,
and whilst they were dining, she was absorbed with the
idea of her vision. The youths who were not aware of
what had happened found their repast better than com-
mon ; but she could only say interiorly, " O beloved
Mother; you came, even though the doors were closed,
to dress and prepare my dinner. I see that you are
holy, and an acceptable servant before God."

On this very account, she had not the slightest sus-
picion of Catharine's death, and as soon as her sons
had withdrawn, she ran to the house of our saint and
knocked at the door as usual ; but no one answered.

HER DEATH. 277

The neighbours informed her that Catharine had been
visiting the churches and that there was no one there;
she believed it, and went away. The truth was, that
all those who were within mourned their mother and
concealed her death, because they desired to avoid the
rumour getting abroad as they would be distracted in
their sorrow, and might not tranquilly discuss what
ought to be done. In fine, it was decided that on the
morrowthe body of Catharine should be transferred to
the church of the preaching Friars, called Ste. Mane
de-la-Minerve, and that there her funeral should be
celebrated.

As soon as the corpse of Catharine was borne to the
church the whole city of Rome became aware of it,
and amultitude collected from every side. They moved
forward like turbulent waves to touch her garments
and her feet. Her spiritual sons and daughters feared
that they would divide her body on the spot, and they
consequently placed it behind the grate of the chapel
of St. Dominick. Semia, by accident went also to the
church, and beholding such an agitation, asked its
cause. Directly she heard that Catharine was dead,
and that it was she that attracted the crowd, she ad-
vanced sobbing to the place where the body of Catha-
rine was exposed, and said to Catharine's spiritual
daughters, "How cruelto have concealed from me the
decease of my beloved mother ! Why did you not sum -
mon me to assist at her last moments?" And as they
were offering their excuses she inquired at what timo
she expired. They replied yesterday about the hour
of Tierce she gave up her scul to lior Creator. Semia
hsmedktety criod, " I corar hoi1 ; I sa,w my beloved

278 LIES OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA*

mother quitting her body : the angels bore her to Hea-
ven in my presence, she had three precious crowns, and
her raiment was resplendently white. I know now that
God sent me an angel and showed me the death of mo-
ther Catharine. O mother 1 mother! how is it that I
did not comprehend, during that vision, that you were
quitting the earth." And Semia then gave a full de-
scription of her vision to the discples of Catharine who
were shielding her corpse by their presence.

CHAPTER V.

Some Prodigies and Miracles which the Lord accomplished after
Catharine's death, by her intercession.

CATHARINE'S mortal pilgrimage was terminated:
butthe divine energy that had accompanied her during
life, manifested the greatest of her merits, after her de-
cease. Almost all the people of Home collected spon -
taneously at the church in which her corpse was ex-
posed, desirous of veneratingher remains and of recom-
mending themselves to her prayers. Many persons
brought their sick who requested to be cured by the
intercession of Catharine ; and God did not deceive
their expectations. I intend relating what I know on
this subject from the information of others and by my
own observations.

A Sister of the Third Order of St. Francis, called
Dominica, was so infirm ii one arm l&at during six
months previous to Catharine's demise she could not
use it ; she came to the church, and being unable to ap-
^roach he? body on account of the crowd, ahe untied

MIRACLES AFTER HER DEATH. 279

her veil, and requested that it might touch the saint's
remains ; when they returned it to her, she put the
veil under her arm, and it was promptly cured. Sho
instantly exclaimed, ** See ! by the merits of the saint
I am freed from a malady pronounced incurable, and
which was destroying my arm.'* In consaquence the
eagerness of the multitude increased, they brought hep
the sick from all quarters in hopes thatthey might suc-
ceed in touching the " Tiem of her garments."

Among others they brought a little child of four
years of age, the nerves of whose neck were so drawn
that his head rested on his shoulder, without his being
able to raise it, they carried him near the body, and as
soon as Catharine's virginal hand was applied to the
diseased portion, and they had put around his ucck a
veil which she had worn, favourable symptoms com-
menced, and very soon his head was straightened and
the restoration perfect. D uring three days it was found
impossible to conclude the interment on account of the
miracles which were performed, and during those threo
days, there was such an affluence of people that a doctor
in theology who had ascended the pulpit, intending to
preach her funeral discourse, could never obtain suffi-
cient calm to allow bin) to proceed — he said merely
to those who were listening to him, "this privileged
virgin has no need of our preaching and eulogy \ sho
speaks, and declares it convincingly herself." And ho
came down, without having even begun his sermon.

A Koman named Lucius of Connarola, had an infir-
mity where medicine was powerless to effect a euro.
His thigh and his leg were in such a condition, that
even with th? aid of a crutch he could not succeed ia

280 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

walking more than a few steps. Having heard of all
the miracles that God performed through Catharine's
intercession, he dragged himself with much difficulty
as far as the church, and caused himself to be conducted
near the holy body : he with deep devotion placed Ca-
tharine's hand on the leg hitherto so weak and feeble,
and instantly he felt his strength and energy revive ;
before retiring he was perfectly cured.

A young girl named Ratozzola had her face so at-
wicked by a horrible leprosy that her nose and upper
lip offered one shocking wound — she also was attracted
to the church by the reports. As she endeavoured to
approach the body she was repulsed several times ; at
length, by repeated instances, she succeeded in enter-
ing, and in her ardent desire to be relieved, she not
only applied her diseased face to Catharine's hands and
feet, but also to her face; she instantly perceived her
leprosy diminish, and she was soon so perfectly restored
that her countenance did not even retain one scar.

A Roman named Cyprius and his wife Lelia had a
daughter who from infancy had suffered with asthma,
and the physicians had pronounced her case incurable.
The parents having learned the miracles which were
performed applied with fervour to Catharine, and put
a veil and a Pater Noster that had touched her body
on their child; wonderful to relate, scarcely had she,
that was despaired of, touched these objects, than she
was restored to her primitive health.

An inhabitant of Rome, named Antoine Sello, who
was attached to the church of the Prince of the Apostles,
heard the prodigies worked by Catharine much talked
about: he was sick from excess of labour, and walked

MIRACLES AFTER HER DEATH. 281

with great difficulty, the remedies of phy sicianshad this
proved inadequate, but he had procured himself a little
relief. Inspired by all that he heard, he devoutly re-
commended himself to the saint and promised to ac-
complish a vow, if he were cured through her merits.
Scarcely had he drawn up the formula of the vow than
he was completely delivered from his sufferings ; he
was no longer conscious of them, walked with ease
and went to visit the remains of his benefactress; he
accomplished the promise or vow which he had taken,
and gives an account to all that are curious to hear the
particulars of the grace which he obtained.

There was a pious lady, Paulabyname, whohadbeen
very intimate with Catharine ; she was not only her
friend, but had offered her hospitality together with her
followers. At the momentof Catharine's death she was
cruelly tormented by the gout and also with an acute
pain in the side. As these two maladies demanded dif-
ferent kinds of treatment, the unfortunate patient suf-
fered greatly and was in danger of death. After the
death of Catharine she earnestly implored the favour of
having something that had touched her body ; it was
given to her in the evening, and on the following morn-
ing she was able to rise from the bed on which she had
been extended during four months ; she walked with
as much facility as before the commencement of her ill-
ness. I received this account from herself at Eome.

When Catharine's body was interred, the divine
power it possessed of curing diseases was in no wise
weakened ; it rather augmented. A Roman named
Veri or Neri, had a little child who could not stand
erect upon his legs ; he conducted Men to Catharine's

282 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

tomb, and hardly had he placed him on it than his feet
and legs grew strong, and the little fellow walked as
though he had always enjoyed good health.

Jean deTozo, had a disgusting and horrible disease
in the eyes : worms crawled out of one of them ; he took
avow to the virgin of Siennaand was instantly relieved.
He went to her tomb, narrated a description of a cure
he had obtained, and deposited an exvoto in wax as is
customary. A German lady who came on a pilgrimage
and whose name they neglected retaining, suffered so
much and so long with her eyes, that she had almost
lost her sight and entertained no hope of cure. She
recommended herself piously to Catharine, and gradu-
ally recoveredher sight without the help of any remedy.

A lady of Kome named Maria, endured such excru-
ciating pains in the head that she lost an eye notwith-
standing all the effortsof her attendant physicians: she
became so sad on this account and felt such shame that
she remained at home and declined seeing any one.
Having been informed of Catharine's miracles, she de-
voutly recommended herself to her intercession. The
succeeding night the saint appeared to the domestic of
that lady saying, " Let your mistress Maria adopt no
more remedies, but go every morning and hear the Di-
vine Office and she will be healed." The servant gave
her commission, and her mistress obeyed Catharine's
Injunction, the^pain ceased directly, she began to use
the eye that had lost its sight, and persevering in the
pious exercise that had been indicated, she was restored
to sight and general corporal health. The reader
should here remark what the blessed Catharine did ;
Bhemighthavecuredherwhoinvokedheloimmediately.

MIRACLES AFTER HER DEATH. 288

but she was desirous of granting more than was askeu ,
in imitation of our Saviour, who never healed the body
without curing the soul. To him who came to implore
health, he first remitted his sins, by saying, Confide,
fill: remittuntur tibipeccata tua. (Matt. ix. 2.).

A youth called Jacques, son of the Roman citizen
Pierre de Niccolo, was grievously ill : all remedies had
failed, and the physicians thinking that, according to
the laws of nature, his end was near, he recommended
himself devoutly to the blessed Catharine ; he became
better at the very moment, and a few days after was
in perfect health.

The noble and pious Lady Jeanne Ilperni was
particularly acquainted with Catharine during her
life-time ; the miracles she saw inspired her with an
exalted idea of her sanctity, and she counselled all the
sick to have recourse to her intercession. One day
this lady's son was running imprudently on the ter-
race (or flat-roof) of the house and fell without any
one being able to offer him any assistance ; his mothei
seeing him fall cried with all her strength, ** Si. Ca-
tharine^ protect my son /" The child, who was exposed
either to be killed, or have his limbs broken, had not
the slightest bruise, or wound. The mother descended
to him promptly, thanked God and Catharine also,
whose holy influence she proclaimed to every one.

There was another female who gained a livelihood
by serving others ; her name was Buona Giovanni.
One time> ao she was washing a counterpane on the
shore of the Tiber, it escaped from her hands and was
v!rawn off rapidly by the current of water. As Buoua
was poor, <ind unable to reimburse its value, she at-

284 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

tempted to get it back, and reaching too far in an
effort to catch it, she was herself drawn into the
river ; there was no one near to assist her ; but she
recollected the miracles daily accomplished in the
city by Catharine's intercession, She invoked Ca-
tharine at once, and her prayer was heard, for she
felt herself elevated above the water, and as though
waves had ceased flowing, she quitted the stream with
the coverlid, and attained the shore without difficulty.

Almighty God glorified by these miracles and by
others his favoured spouse, previous to my return to
Rome ; later, I was recalled there, when I received
the (for me, too heavy) charge of General Master of
the Order of Preaching Friars. Then my brethren
and sisters who had been Catharine's spiritual children
related to me all that I have written. There was,
however, one miracle which took place after my arri-
val ; I was a partial witness of it, and I do not like
to pass it in silence.

I was at Rome, and had the sacred remains of Ca-
tharine transferred on the very day on which she had
foretold it, several years beforehand. One of my
friends, a physician, styled M. Jacques de Sainte-
Marie-de-la-Rotunde, informed me that a young man
of the city, named Nicholas, a son-in-law of Cintio
Yancancini, was so alarmingly ill of the quinsy, that
he saw no remedy ; other persons told me that the
youth was at the point of death ; but Aiessia, Ca-
tharine's associate, having heard it, and bsing aware
that Cintio, and all her household, had bsen very de-
voted to, and much cherished by Catharine, repaired
without delay to the young man, carrying with, has

MIRACLES AFTER HER DEATH. 285

one of the teeth of Catharine, which she regarded as
a precious relic. She found the patient in extremities ;
the inflammation impeded respiration. She applied
the tooth to the throat, and instantly there was heard
a noise similar to the detaching of a stone ; the abscess
opened, the invalid raised his head and ejected from
his mouth a great quantity of corrupted matter ; in a
short time he was perfectly restored, returning thanks
to God and to the saint, whose tooth had delivered
him from the teeth of the grim messenger Death.
This prodigy surprised people in general and above
all the physicians who understood more clearly than
the others, the imminent danger in which he was
placed. The young Nicholas relates publicly what
happened to him, so much so, that once while preach-
ing and telling some miracles performed by the saint,
and among others this one, he arose in the midst of
the assembly and said, " Father, what you advance
is correct ; I am the subject of that miracle."

To the above wonders, I could add many others of
which no note has been taken ; the proof is in the num-
bers of waxen ex-voto offered at her tomb. But these
offerings of homage, or of pious gratitude, have been
gradually removed, I know not whether to accuse the
inhabitants of Rome, or foreigners, of which the city is
continually full, but the purloiners are either already
punished or will soon be. For myself, I confess in the
presence of God, of Angels, and of all thefaithful, that
many persons have sought me, in order to unfold tr»
me the wonderful favours that they have received
through blessed Catharine's intercession, and it is my
fault if these circumstances have remained buried in

'286 Lira OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

iorgetfulness if I neglected to write them. I had de-
signated a notary to do it, but he did not fulfil iny in-
tentions ; but I remember one event that I cannot
well conceal. At the time in which Queen Jeanne
(Joan) sent against Rome Kinaldo des Ursins, at the
head of armed men, to arrest the Sovereign Pontiff,
Urban VI., several inhabitants were taken by the ene-
my. Some were fastened to trees, and thus abandoned
to a cruel death ; others were led to the camp loaded
with irons, hoping to procure a ransom. I have learned
from those who were delivered, that as soon as theyin-
voked Catharine, they felt their chains drop, without
human help. One among others informed me that
after praying he found himself disencumbered from
the bonds by which the enemy had attached him to a
tree, and that he had returned to Rome, supplicating
Catharine, without meeting any one to arrest him.

I remember to have heard many miracles of this
idnd related ; but my memory fadeswith years, and the
peculiar details escape me. I beseech the reader to
collect, notwithstanding the lengthened and imperfect
details of this work, both flowers and fruit from this
holy life, and to Bhun as they would a pestilence, the
indifference of the lukewarm, and the malice of ca-
lumniators. -. desire before concluding, to speak of Ca-
tharine's patience. The Church militant admires this
virtue in her saints more than she does miracles ; I
therefore consecrate a chapter to this subject. Catha-
rine will obtain for uie in return a grace from her hea-
venly Spouse, who lives and reigns with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 287

Of the great patience that Catharine manifested in all her actions,
from her infancy until her death. This chapter will

CHAPTER VI.

inalll

be a sort of
condensed statement of her Whole Life.

THE eternal Truth, incarnate for our salvation says,
Qui in corde bono et optima audientes verbum "etinent^
etfructum afferunt in patientia. (St. Luke viii. 15.)
" Who in a good and very good heart, hearing the word
with patience, keep it, and bring forth fruit in pa-
tience." In his book of Dialogues, St. Gregory said,
" I think that the virtue of patience, is aboveprodigies
and miracles :" Ego virtutem patientias signis et mir-
aculis puto majorem. The Apostle St. James says in
his canonical Epistle (St. Jas. i. 4,) Patientia opus per-
fectum. Patience hath a perfect work. She is not
the chief and the queen of virtues ; but according to
the testimony of the Apostle, she is the inseparable com-
panion of that virtue which is the greatest, and shall
never fail. When speaking of charity, St. Paul said,
•' Charity is patient, is kind; charity envieth not,
deal eth not perversely; is not puffed up." (1 Cor.
xiii. 4.) Hence, when the Church examines the lives
of her Saints, she does not apply her principal atten-
tion to the prodigies they have performed, for two rea-
sons: 1. The wicked have accomplished and still effect
prodigies which resemble miracles, which are not such,
as those of the magicians of Pharaoh ; Antichrist and
his followers will do the same in their time. 2. Some
have actually performed miracles by the help of divine
power, but haveaf terwards beenreprobatelike Judas;
and to those who, according to the Gospel, shall at tho
tost judgment s&y ; "Lord, have we not performed mir a-

288 LIFE OF 3T. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

cles in thy Name?" it will be answered " Withdraw from
me, ye workers of iniquity. Consequently, in accord-
ance with the doctrine of divines, prodigies and mira-
cles cannot of themselves assure to the Church militant
the eternal glory of those who perform them, though
they are nevertheless a strong indication of their sanc-
tity, especially when they happen after their decease ;
but even those do not give a definite certitude, because
God in his compassion, may recompense the faith of
those who pray, without intending to manifest the
glory of those whom they supplicate.

When the Church wishes to ascertain the merits of
the saints, she informs herself of their lives and ac-
tions on earth. Her divine Spouse taught her this,
when he said, By their fruits you will know them, for
a bad tree cannot produce goodjruit, nor a good tree
ev& fruit." (St. Matt. vii. 18.) Good fruits are the
works of charity towards God and towards the neigh-
bour. Those works are agreeable to God, and conse-
quently insupportable to Satan, who makes untiring
efforts to hinder them, either in himself, or by men
who belong to him in the world. The saints who are
faithful and who persevere, have necessarily practised
patience which preserved them in the love of God and
of the neighbour, notwithstanding all imaginable per-
secutions. Our Lord said to his disciples ; in patientia
vestra possidebitia animas vestras, " in your patience
you shall preserve your souls." (St. Luke xxi. 19.)
And that is, according to the Apostle, the first condi-
tion of charity. Charity is patient ; charitas patiem
est. (1 Cor. adii. 4.) Therefore this point is greatly
insisted upon »i the canonisation of the saints : ihsir

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 289

deeds are more exactly scrutinized than their miracles;
and among their actions, their fruits of patience are
particularly sought, because they prove charity and
sanctity more than all others.

My intention in writing this volume, being to
make known Catharine's sanctity to the Catholic
Church and those who govern it, I thought that I
would complete my work by adding a chapter on the
patience of Catharine, it having been the glory of her
life. I will recapitulate her entire annals, and 1 shall
thus prove useful to a class of readers who find an
hour longer than a day, when pious subjects are in
question, while a day seems to them to fly more ra-
pidly than an hour when they are occupied in perusing
fables.

Patience is exercised in enduring things opposite ;
its very name indicates it, since it is derived from paiir,
to suffer. The things contrary to man may b e divided
into two classes, according to their double nature ;
those which affect the mind, and those which riffecfc the
body.

The good possessed by man is separated by philoso-
phers into three classes : the agreeable, useful, and
honowabk, and it is by the continued privation of
these blessings that patience is exercised. The agree-
able comprehends health, the pleasures of the table, of
the toilette, with whatever flatters nature, and in par-
ticular sensuality. The useful comprehends riches,
houses, lands, money, animals, luxury, parentage and
kindred, with domestics and whatever serves to the
material existence. The honourable embraces what-
ever gives man consideration aaieng his equala : as a

290 .L1FB OF ST. CATHABntB OF SIENNA.

good, or a renowned name, a great reputation, distin-
guished fricuda, recognised abilities, and the means of
doing good.

Among the things that I have enumerated, some are
culpable and must be renounced ; some are hindrances
to perfection, and must be avoided and despised; others
are allowed and are even necessary sometimes, and
their privation must be supported patiently. We shall
consider Catharine's conduct in all these, pursuing the
order that we have selected. The saint understood
that patience is not serviceable when we do not first
shun what is forbidden, as all sensual pleasures ; hence
at a tender age, she avoided them with fortitude and
prudence. Jt was in consequence of a remarkable
vision with which she was favoured at six years of age,
when the Lord appeared to her with his chief Apostles,
and blessed her with his kingly hand, and gave her a
look of tender affection. Her soul was then filled
with such perfect love, that she abandoned the habits
of infancy, and consecrated herself, notwithstanding
the weakness of her years, to penance and to medita-
tion. So rapid was her progress, that the following
year, namely, her seventh, she made a vow of per-
petual chastity, in presence of the Blessed Virgin,
after having maturely reflected and prayed much.

As the pious child had understood that there was
nothing more necessary for preserving her virginity
than sobriety and mortification in her diet, she applied
to that at a tender age, and finished by practising it
with a marvellous perfection. She began by depriving
herself o* meat and then renounced it wholly ; the
•wine whiih she drank was mingled with so much water

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 291

that it lost its taste : at fifteen she abstained from it
completely, and refused all food except bread an
vegetables; in fine, at the age of twenty, she re-
trenched bread, and supported her body with uncooked
herbs; she did so, until God granted her the favour of
living Avithout taking any food; and this took place,
if I am. not deceived, at the age of twenty-five or
twenty- six. I have declared the murmurs that were
excited against this extraordinary state, which she
then endured with such admirable patience.

Having thus retrenched, by abstinence and purity,
against the pleasures of sense, Catharine was deprived
by others of many things permitted and even desirable.
Some trials gave her a veritable joy ; but there were
others that afflicted her profoundly. Among her rela-
tives and friends, many were an occasion of pain from
her infancy until her death. Her mother and brothers,
in order to force her to marry, took away her room,
and obliged her to perform the vilest employments of
the kitchen, so as to prevent her from praying and me-
ditating. She remained fixed and immoveable in her
resolutions ; not only the privation of her cell, and the
services of the house did not induce her to neglect or-
dinary prayers, but she daily increased them, until she
triumphed. The demon was intent upon hindering her
austerities, the length of her vigils, and the hardness of
her bed : ho excited her mother Lapa against her, we
may say, even to rage ; but she, armed with invincible
patience, and wonderful discretion, softened her mo-
ther's anger, while continuing her vigorous penances.

The enemy of salvation sought by all possible means
todoprhrethatholysoulof the consolations and favours

292 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

of her divine Spouse, or at least to distract her from
them for a time; but she triumphed over his attacks
by fervour ; she disconcerted his snares and projects by
her wisdom, and confounded him by her perseverance.
The evil spirit endeavoured to induce her to forget her
vow, by means of her sister-in-law, who succeeded in
inspiring her with akind of particularity in the arrange -
rnent of her hair and in her toilette. God permitted
this for her good, as I have shown in the fourth chap-
ter of the First Part. He afterwards tormented her
by temptations and even by false visions.

One day when sbs was praying before a Crucifix the
demon presented himself holding a robe of rich silk
with which he desired to clothe her. She repulsed it
with contempt, and armed herself with the sign of the
cross ; the devil disappeared, but left in her mind a
temptation to vanity, in adorning her person, and she
was extremely troubled by it ; but she remembered the
vow of virginity that she had contracted, and said to
our Saviour, "Beloved Spouse, thou knowcst that I
never desired any other spouse than thee; assist me to
triumph over these temptations ; I do not ask thee to
remove them, but only deign in thy mercy never to
permit me to yield." She had scarcely terminated
this prayer, than the Mother of God, the Queen of
Heaven, appeared to her, and it seemed to her that she
drew from the side of her crucified Son a magnificent,
robe, which she embroidered with her own hand, set-
ting it with dazzling and priceless gems — slie clothed
her with this robe, saying, "Know, my daughter, that
tire garments which come from the side of my Son sur-
p&sa all other garments in biigLtne&s and beauty." TLa

HER GREAT PATIENCE 293

temptation vanished immediately, and the saint was
filled with heavenly consolation.

The devil seeing that he could not lead her to be less
fervent in keeping her resolutions, strove to render
them useless during a period of time, and aided him-
self by several individuals. He employed her mother,
who conducted her to the Baths, so as to oblige her to
suspend her austerities ; but Catharine contrived to find
ruder mortifications than she practised in her cell, by
exposing her body to boiling water. . . . ,. . De-
ficiency of light in her directors, and in the Prioresses
of the "Third Order," also caused her much suffering.
They hindered her from confessing as much as she de-
sired to do, and constrained her in the exercises of
piety which she loved the most. Their understanding-
was incapable of comprehending them ; they con-
demned light because they were in darkness, and they
wished to take measure of the mountain peaks, without
leaving the shades of their humble valleys.

The following fact will show the extent of her pati«
ence. It will redound to the shame of a few Religious,
but it is better to publish it than to be silent concern-
ing the gifts that the Holy Ghost lavished on that faith-
ful soul.

Catharine could scarcely perform any public exercise
of piety withoiit exciting a calumny and drawing
upon herself the persecutions of those same individuals
who ought to have defended and encouraged her; and
let us not be astonished, for Religious who have not per-
fectly overcome their self love, allow their jealousy to
carry them farther than persons in tha world. As the
Sisters of Penance saw Catharine, yet so young, sur-

294 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

passing all the others by the austerity of her life, the
severity of morals, and the fervour of her prayer, and
a sublime contemplation, some among them were se-
duced by Satan, and began through envy to censure
her conduct, and denounce hereto some Religious of
the Order. If some extolled her virtue, and proved
it by things evident to all, others maintained that she
•was instigated by an evil spirit. Those females, genu-
ine descendants of Eve, acted so adroitly that they se-
duced Adam himself, that is to say, the Superiors of
the Convent of St. Dominick, who would not receive
her, refused her holy Communion, and even went so
far as to deprive her of her Confessor. She supported
the whole with patience and without murmuring, as
though she were not the injured one, and no one ever
heard her utter the smallest complaint.

If they allowed her to approach Communion, they
exacted that she should terminate her prayers directly
and quit the church, which was wholly impossible 5
for, she received Holy Communion with so much fer-
vour, that she lost the use of her senses ; her body be-
came completely insensible, and she remained in that
state for several hours. Those whom the sisters had
misled, became furious at this ; they would take her
during her ecstasies, carry her away in a rough, even
brutal manner, and throw her down at the church door
as though she were the most contemptible of human
beings. Her companions, bathed in tears, remained
around her to protect her, exposed to the burning rays
of the noonday sun, and awaiting the moment in which
she would return to herself. Some individuals gave
her furious blows with the foot, whilst she was in ec-

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 295

stasy, and nevertheless -she never uttered a word of re-
proach : she never even mentioned that ill -treatment
except to excuse those who made her suffer J But the
more she remained patient amid these injuries, tho
more her divine Spouse, who is justice itself, was pro-
voked against her persecutors and punished them with
severity. I know this by the Confessor who proceeded
me and from several persons worthy of confidence.

A woman who gave her a blow with the foot, dur-
ingan ecstasy, was taken, just as she entered her house,
with agonizing pains, and expired directly, without be-
ing able to receive the last Sacraments Another
wretch also struck her with the foot, and carried her
to the door of the church, offering her the grossest in-
juries ; his punishment was awful ; that man (whom 1
knew perfectly well) not only behaved odiously towards
Catharine, but he even designed to kill her. A few
days after the unhappy individual, without any ap-
parent cause, became enraged as though lie was pos-
sessed by the devil ; he shrieked continually, ' ' In mercj
help me ! see, here comes the executioner to cut off my
head 1" The occupants of the house were anxious to
encourage and comfort him, but they soon perceived
by his words and gestures that he had entirely lost his
reason ; they therefore watched him closely, because
they discovered that he was tempted to commit suicide.
Some time after, as he appeared more calm, their care
diminished ; he found means of escape, and went liko
Judas to hang himself ! I have this fact from the very
person that foundhis corpse — he was notburiedin con-
secrated ground, but in a ditch, as lie well merited.

Catharine had much to sufferin her reputation, and

296 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

in this especially appeared her admirable patience.
What more precious than the reputation of o. maiden,
and what more delicate than the honour of a conse-
crated Virgin ! It was in consideration of this that
God would have his Mother, the Queen of Virgins,
protected by a husband in the eyes of the world ; and
on the Cross, he confided the virginity of his Mother
to the virginity of St. John. Three facts which I
havenarrated, show Catharine's patience and her con-
tinual progress in virtue. The first was the story of
Tecca, the leper whom Catharine nursed when she
was slighted by everybody. I also mentioned Pal-
merina, who wore the same religious habit as Catha*
rine, and who indulged an unjust and implacable
hatred against her. Perfect charity triumphed in this
case ; persevering prayer destroyed all the evil that the
devil had created in that poor soul ; and grace, diffused
in the heart and on the lips of Catharine was so po-
tent, as to save Palmerina from the flames of per-
dition. Although in those two circumstances, and
particularly in the second, Catharine's patience is
displayed in an admirable manner, it shone even more
brightly in the case of Andrea, the cancerous woman.
After having recalled the prodiges of patience of
the blessed Catharine, it appears to me beneficial to
give some details of which I have not yet spoken.
Almost all the persons who approached her to follow
her counsels and her examples, afflicted her in some
way ; the demon thus endeavoured to torment her by
means of those who were dearest to her. Catharine
Buffered more vexations from those whom she directed
than from strangers: shehowevertriumphedoverthem

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 297

by patience. Like an iinmoveable column which the
power of the Holy Spirit had fixed in charity, the
most violent persecutions could not weaken her sta-
bility ; the words of the wise man might be aptly ap-
plied to her, " She has her everlasting foundations on
the solid rock, and God's commandments are in the
heart of the devout woman :" Fundamenta aeterna
*uper jjetram solidam et mandata Dei in corde mulieris
sanctsa (Eccl. xxvi. 24) ; yes, the soul of Catharine
was so established by indissoluble bonds with the
foundation stone Jesus Christ, that she preserved
piously within her heart the precepts of God.

A Religious (man) had been so misled by the devil,
that he insulted Catharine in the coarest manner in
the very presence of her companions. She was so
patient that she would not allow any exterior sign of
trouble to appear ; she uttered not a word, and ex-
pressly recommended not to offer the slightest reproach
to the culpable individual, and not to give him any
pain. He therefore, emboldened by Catharine's meek-
ness, went so far as to take the money that had been
remitted to her for giving alms. The saint did not
swerve from her charity ; she would not allow any one
of those who were aware of the theft to say or do any
thing ; but she remained steadfast in silence and hope.
She finished by vanquishing, and thus teaches us, by
her words and her example, to overcome ourselves.

It is quite impossible to describe the patience that
Catharine exhibited in corporeal infirmities ; she suf -
fered a continual and very violent pain in the side,
and it was this that delivered her father's soul from
the anguish of purgatorial flames. She had likewise

298 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

an unintermitting pain in the head, and an acute pain
in the breast : this last named torture commenced on
the day that our Lord permitted her to take the suf-
ferings of his sacred Passion ; it remained with her
ever after, and she affirmed that it surpassed all the
others. To these dolours were frequently added vio-
lent fevers, and yet she never breathed a plaint or
showed that she was ill. Her countenance bore no im-
press of sadness, and with a gentle and engaging smile,
she received and consoled those who approached her
for consultation or conversation. When words would
not suffice, and fatigue and labour were requisite to
promote the salvation of souls — all her infirmities
seemed to vanish ; she arose and walked a though
she were not subject to any infirmity.

What persecutions did not that holy soul endure
from Satan ! I recount an incident that I witnessed.
We were returning to Sienna, one day, when she was
suddenly precipitated from the ass on which she was
riding into a deep ravine. I ran, invoking the Blessed
Virgin, and found her on the ground laughing and
saying, " That it was a blow from the evil beast" —
meaning Satan. She seated herself anew ; but scarcely
bad she advanced a few steps than the malign spirit
Again threw her into the dust, and in such a manner
that she found herself directly underneath the animal.
She said to us laughingly, " This good mule warms
the side in which I suffer pain." She thus mocked
Satan who could not succeed in doing her any injury.
We drew her from the ground, but we were unwilling
to allow her to mount the animal anew, and as we
weie near the city, we wished her to walk in the midst

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 299

of us. Her enemy was not yet deterred, he dragged
her every way, and if we had not sustained her, she
would certainly have been overthrown ; but she con-
tinued to rally the evil spirit on his impotence. It
was at this time that Catharine effected so mucli good
in souls, and the devil showed by his persecutions
the rage which embittered him.

The incredible sufferings that charity led Catharine
to undergo, a short time before her death, entitle her
(it appears to me) to the dignity of martyr. The
Blessed Anthony thirsted for martyrdom and peti-
tioned it from our Lord, who heard him by allowing
the demons to beat him cruelly, without however
taking away his life. Catharine was frequently beaten,
anl even found death in the last torments which hell
obliged her to suffer. It alone would be a sufficient
proof of her holiness, and for the conviction of those
who may doubt it, I will cite a fact which will show
how similar Catharine was to her Spouse, at least as to
the cause of her sufferings. I will thus terminate this
chapter to the glory of the Incarnate Truth, to the ho-
nour of the virgin Catharine, his spouse, and in oppo-
sition to what may be said by the devotees of falsehood

Towards the year 1875, either by the malice of tho
great sower of tares, or through defect of those in charge
of the Holy See, or by the pecuniary aid of certain Flo-
rentines, or by reciprocal arts, the city of Florence,
v.'hich hitherto had ranked among the most devoted
daughters of the Catholic Church, assembled the ene-
mies of the Church and used great efforts to destroy in
union with them its temporal power. The Sovereign
Pontiff of Koine, who commanded in Italy sixty epis-

800 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

copal cities and a thousand fortified places, was reduced
to a few meagre paltry strips of land. Gregory XI. ful-
minated against the Florentines terrible decrees which
caused all their goods to be seized by the proprietors of
the countries with which they carried on commerce ;
the consequences accruin g from thischastisement forced
them to sue forpeace to the Supreme Pontiff, by the in-
termediation of persons whom they knew to be agreea-
ble to him. It was made known to them, that the bles-
sed Catharine, onaccountof her reputation of sanctity,
would be perfectly well received by his Holiness; they
therefore decided that I should be commissioned by
Catharine to go to the Holy Father : then they caused
her to be conducted to Florence. The chief citizens
went forth to meet her, and supplicated her to go in
person to Avignon, and treat with the Holy See. Ca-
tharine, abounding with love for God and her neigh-
bour, and very desirous of promoting the welfare of the
Church, undertook this journey and came to Avignon,
where I was at the moment. I acted as interpreter
between her and the Pope,because the Sovereign Pon-
tiff spoke Latin, and she employed the dialect of Tus-
cany. I can affirm before God and before man, that
the Holy Father, in my presence and by my mouth
committed the treaty of peace to the decision of Ca-
tharine, saying to her, "7n order to prove to you that I
desire peace, I commit Hie entire negotiation into your
hands: only be careful of the honour of the Church."

But some among the individuals who then governed
Florence, at the same time that they publicly asked for
peace secretly plotted against her, and endeavoured to
destroy the temporal power of the Church, and place it

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 301

i 11 an impossibility of obtaining the smallest satisfaction.
They owned it to me themselves, when they could
fearlessly say aloud what they then carefullyiconcealed.
They acted as genuine hypocrites, and exhibited
these dispositions by their conduct towards Catharine.

When that saint undertook the long and painful
journey, they promised to send after her deputies
who would have orders not to attempt or do anything
absolutely without her counsel. As they delayed long-
in sending those whom they had announced, the
Sovereign Pontiff was surprised, and said to Catha-
rine; u Believe me, they have deceived, and will de-
ceive you : those ambassadors will never come, or if
they do come, their mandate will be useless." In effect
when the ambassadors arrived at Avignon, Catharine
caused them to come, and told them in my presence,
the powers that the magistrates of Florence had be-
stowed on her : she announced to them that the Sove-
reign Pontiff entrusted the peace into her hands, and
that thus thsy could if they would, obtain favourable
conditions. But they, far from responding to these ad -
ranees, pretended that they had no orders to treat
with her. Catharine then discovered their dishonesty
and perceived that the Holy Father had predicted cor-
rectly : shedid not however discontinue her solicitations
to Gregory XT. to ask him for them the clemency of
a father, rather than the severity of a Judge.

When the Vicar of Jesus Christ, in conformity with
Catharine's advice, returned to establish himself at
Rome, we went back to Italy. Catharine sent me to
him with several projects, which would have proved
very useful to the ohiu-ch, hz£ they be&a carded out.

802 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

During my sojourn there, I was compelled by my
Order, to accept the charge of Prior of a Roman con-
vent, which I had formerly governed under the pon-
tificate of Urban Y., and it became impossible for me
to go back to Catharine. Before quitting Tuscany
I held an interview with Nicholas Soderini, a citizen
of Florence, a man most faithful to God and tho
Church, and strongly attached to Catharine. We
had spoken of the affairs of the Republic and in par-
ticular of the ill-will of those who pretended to de-
sire reconciliation with the Church, and who did all they
could to prevent peace. As I complained of this course
of conduct, tl;at excellent man answered me thus, *'Bc
convinced that the people of Florence and every Lo-
nest man in the town desire peace : but some obsti-
nate hearts that govern us, offer an obstacle." I said,
"Could there be no remedy applied to this evil?"
He rejoined, " Yes, if some respectable citizens took
to heart the cause of God, and had an understanding
with the Guelphs, in order to deprive those intermed-
dlers of their power, for they are enemies of the public
good, it would be sufficient to remove four or five of
them." When I went to fulfil my commission to the
Sovereign Pontiff, I related to him the conversation
which I had held with Nicholas Soderini.

I had been occupied several months in fulfilling my
charge of Prior, and announcing the word of God,
when one Sunday morning an envoy of the Pope came
to inform me that his Holiness awaited my presence at
dinner time. I obeyed this command, and after the
repast the Holy Father sent for me, and said, '* I am
told that if Catharine of Sienna repairs to Florence,

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 803

peace will be concluded/' Ircplied, " Not only Catha-
rine, but we all are ready to obey your Holiness and to
suffer, if necessary, martyrdom." The Holy Father said
to me, " I do not desire you should go to Florence,
because they would maltreat you, but for her, she is a
woman and they venerate her : I do not think she will
incur any danger. Consider what powers it would be
suitable to grant her ; present them to-morrow morn-
ing for my signature, so that this business may be
promptly concluded." I obeyed, and forwarded the
letters to the saint, who submitted and set out directly-
Arrived at Florence, she was received with much ho-
nour by those who had remained faithful to God and
the Church, and with the aid of Nicholas Soderini, she
held conferences with the well-disposed citizens, whom
she persuaded not to offer longer opposition to the
Shepherd of their souls, and to be reconciled directly
with the Vicar of Christ. She was also able to confer
with the Guelphs, and lead them to understand that
those who entertained division between the father and
the children, ought to be deprived of their functions
that they were rather the destroyers than the gover-
nors of the public weal ; that not only peace was ne-
cessary to the preservation of their goods and of their
lives, but that it was indispensable to their souls' sal-
vation. They had actively contributed to stripping the
Roman Church of her incontestible rights ; and even
though there were merely questions of private interests,
they ought before God, and for conscience' sake, to
make restitution of what they had taken, or caused to
be taken by others. The chief of the party and a great
number of good citizens surrendered to these conadera-

304 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

lions, and asked the governors of the city to labour for
peace not merely in word, but by prompt and energetic
action.

The opposition was violent, especially among those
who had been chosen to war against the Church — they
were eight in number — the chiefs of the Guelphs de-
prived one of them of his charge, and succeeded in
discarding from affairs a few other citizens. But soon
serious troubles declared themselves : they had exiled
those who were opposed to the peace, many others were
so, but only to satisfy their private revenge. The
number of the banished became so considerable that
the whole city murmured : minds were irritated
against Catharine, who was however a stranger to
what was passing ; she even complained of these pro-
ceedings bitterly, saying and causing to be said every-
where, that it was very ill to strike so many citizens,
and that they ought not, under pretext of procuring
peace, satisfy their personal and individual hatred.

These excesses increased continually, and disorder
soon reached its height ; those who had been formerly
named for commanding the soldiery, collected troops
and excited the lower classes of the population against
the authors of all these banishments, and set the
whole city in revolution ; they succeeded in chasing
out those who had banished others, they confiscated
their goods, burned their houses, and even massacred,
as I was informed, a very great number.

Many innocent persons suffered, and almost all
those who desired peace were obligated to become
voluntary exiles. Catharine who came to labour to
axcaugo a peace, and who had given from the cutsafc

HER GREAT PATIENCE. W

merely an advice to deprive some few persons who
offered an obstacle, was consequently seriously com*
promised ; the leaders designated her to the peopK
and the cry was everywhere heard : " Take tli&t
wicked woman and burn her alive ; let us cut her in
pieces." Those who had received her in their houses
were frightened, and sent her away with all those who
had accompanied her. Catharine, quite sure of her
innocence, suffered the whole joyfully for the sake
of the holy Catholic Church, and lost nothing of her
ordinary tranquillity ; she continued cheerful and
encouraged her companions. After giving them an
exhortation, she withdrew, in imitation of her Spouse,
into a place where there was a garden, and gave
herself to prayer.

While she was praying in that garden with our Lord,
the satellites of Satan came also in tumult, armed with
swords and clubs. They cried out : " Where is that
cursed woman —where is she .*" Catharine heard them
and prepared herself for martyrdom, as for a delicious
banquet. She went out before one of those furies who
was armed with a sword, and who shrieked louder than
the others: "Where is Catharine?" She knelt joy-
ously and said to him : " I am Catharine, do whatever
God suffers you to do to me ; but in the n&iuo of the
Almighty, I command you not to touch any cf kiiiiie."
At these words the man who threatened her so lost his
strength, that it was impossible for him to endure her
presence. He ordered her to go away ; but she, in
her ardour for martyrdom, answered • "I am weU
here ; where would you have me go ? L KEI ready to
suffer for God and bis Church ; thte is the object

306 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

of all my wishes. Why flee since I have found the
object of my search ? I offer myself a living holo-
caust to my divine Spouse ; if you are charged to kill
me, act fearlessly; I will make no effort to escape; but
do not harm those who are with me.1' God visibly
protected his servant, and the man who had menaced
her departed, quite confused, with his iniquitous asso-
ciates. Then Catharine's spiritual children surrounded
her and congratulated her on her fortunate escape ;
but she, on the contrary, was quite sad and said weep-
ing: " Ah ! how unhappy I am ! I thought this clay
the Almighty was about to crown my desire ; he has
deigned to bestow on me the white Rose of Virginity,
and I hoped that he would join it to the crimson Rose
of Martyrdom, But alas ! I am deceived in my ex-
pectations ; my innumerable sins have deprived me
of that great blessing. Oh ! how happy for my soul
had I poured out my blood for the love of HIM who
redeemed me at the price of his own."

Although this tumult was appeased, the saint and
those who accompanied her, risked many dangers. So
great was the terror, that no one was willing to receive
her into her house. Her friends advised her to return
to Sienna, but she answered that she could not quit
the territory of Florence before peace had been re-
stored between the father and the children, because
she had received an order from God. Those who sur-
rounded her dared not contradict her, and at last found
a good man fearing God, who concealed her in his house.

Some days after the popular effervescence was calmed ,
Catharine was conducted outside of the city, but not
out of the territory » and that holy Virgin departed

HER GREAT PATIENCE. 307

with those whom she had cherished as her cnildren in
the Lord, into a solitary place inhabited by hermits.

Divine Providence put an end to this tempest ; those
who excited it were punished by justice and obliged
to flee on all sides. Catharine then came back to Flo-
rence ; she remained there in secret at first, on account
of the hatred existing towards her : but she remained
there afterwards publicly until the death of Gre-
gory XI., and the election of Urban VI. Peace was
then concluded between the Holy See and the Floren-
tines, and Blessed Catharine said to her spiritual chil-
dren, "We can now quit the city of Florence, because,
with the grace of God, I have followed his command-
ments and those of his Vicar ; those whom I found in
revolt against the Holy Church, I have left subject to
chat kind and tender. Mother. Return therefore to
Sienna."

Catharine thus escaped the hands of the wicked :
she obtained the peace that she desired, and that, by
the power of the Saviour Jesus, whose Angels accom-
plished what the malice of men obedient to Satan,
intended to prevent. How can we fail to admire
Catharine in the perfection of her patience, the up-
rightness of her prudence, and that settled confidence
which led her to knock at the door of the pacific King,
until she obtained for the Church and for Florence,
that peace which she so earnestly desired !

Let us now speak of that supreme patience of Catha-
rine, displayed in the long and cruel death that she suf-
fered for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his
holy church. Not only she equalled the merits of the
samta, but it also appears to me that she surpassed se-

808 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

veral among them. The martyrs were tortured by men
who sometimes ameliorated their sufferings, or yielded
at least to their own weariness, but Catharine was tor-
mented by devils, whose cruelty was insatiable, and who
never reposed. Some martyrs fought a short time and
died in excessive sufferings ; Catharine suffered thirteen
weeks, from Sexagesima till the last day of April ; her
torments were incredible, and her anguish increased
daily ; she supported all these with patience and with
holy joy ; she thanked God for them, and offered her
life to appease his anger, and preserve his Church from
scandal. Hence, neither cause, nor suffering was want-
ing to the perfection of her martyrdom, and in the ca-
nonization the process might have been as short and as
certain as in the procedures that the Church employs
in the canonization of Confessors of the Faith. The
witnesses of whom I have spoken in the first chapter
of the Third Part, may also be invoked for the second
and the following chapters.

All that I have written proves that Catharine, Vir-
gin and Martyr, is worthy of being inscribed by the

Church militant in the catalogue of the saints

May the happiness of eternal life be granted to me and
her other spiritual children, by the Eternal Bounty,
who lives and reigns in his Unity and Trinity, world
without end.

APPENDIX TO THE

LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, for the glory of his faith-
ful spouse Catharine, design-ed that her memory should
remain intact and incorruptible in the Church, like
those sacred bodies which, venerated by the people, and
respected by successive ages, a\vait in their integrity,
beneath the shade of her altars, the day of final resur-
rection. Not only did Friar Raymond of Capua write
the life of our saint, but her other disciples were provi-
dentially called upon to render testimony to hervirtues,
and with their depositions we will conclude this volume.

The miracles performed by Catharine during her
lifetime, and after her decease, had given such proofs
of her sanctity, that the devotion of the faithful was
manifested by public honours. The Preaching Friars of
Venice and other Italian cities celebrated the anniver-
sary of her death, on the Sunday following the feast of
St. Peter, martyr. The preacher of the day pronounced
her eulogium, and exhorted his auditors to imitate her
virtues ; this usage was followed in 14.11, in the Con-
vents of St. John and St. Paul, at Venice. Public opi-
nion was displeased ; the Religious were accused of ren-
dering public homage to a person whom the Church
had not yet canonized. The affair was deferred to
Frangois Bembo, Bishop of Venice, and legate of the
Holy See, who assigned the 26th of May following to
the originators of the feast. Father Bartholomew da
Ferarre, Inquisitor, and Father Thomas ol Sienna,

810 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Prior of the Convent, that they might explain them-
selves concerning this accusation. They appeared be-
fore him and declared that they had not paid devotion
to Catharine ; that they had celebrated the Office of the
Day, and had simply proposed to the imitation of the
faithful, the virtues with which Heaven had enriched
that holy soul, that these virtues were well known,
and the general belief was that Catharine deserved to
be inscribed in the number of the saints: that they were
ready to give testimony of the truth, but they preferred
doing it by writing rather than viva voce. The Bishop's
Vicar consented to this ; the two Religious wrote their
testimony concerning the sanctity and the doctrine of
Catharine. They also invoked the testimony of other
persons of distinguished merit, such as Don Etienne
Maconi, General of the Carthusians, Dom Bartholo-
mew de Ravenne, Prior of Gorgon Isle, and Friar
Angelo of Sienna, of the Order of Friar Minors.

The Collection of those important documents, use-
lessly sought for by the continuators of Bollandus, has
since been published by Dom Martene, from a manu-
script of the Grande Chartreuse, copied from a manu-
script of the Dominicans of Sienna, by Dom Piere Ma-
sotti, Prior of the Chartreuse of Pontigniane.*

The acts of the Process were committed to writing
by the Notary Francois de Viviano, and all the pro-

* Procnsaus contestationtim super sarctitate et doctrma
Beatce Catharinae de Senis, de mandate Keverendi in
Christo Patris ac D. D. Francisci Bembo, Dei gratia Epis-
copi Castellani, per Francisctim de Viviano, Notarium
dictae Curias positns. . . . Dom Martine. Veretum Soripto-
*-uw et Momwn^ntorunt amipli&ima Colltctto. Torn. 6, TV
1238.

TESTIMONY- OF HER DISCIPLES. 311

ceedings may be examined. The Preaching Friars
having been accused of celebrating Catharine's feast,
Friar Bartholomew of Fcrrara was cited on the 24th
of May, 14-11, before Francois Bembo, Bishop of Ve-
nice. Tho plaintiffs whoso names and addresses aro
given, expose their plaint, and require that in future
such an abuse may be prohibited.

On May 26th, Friar Bartholomew of Ferrara, and
Friar Thomas, of Sienna, made their appearance before
the Bishop assisted by his Vicar, Dominique de Esculo,
in the Episcopal Chapel of the Palace. The affair was
discussed, and the Bishop decided that it should be ex-
posed in written memorials. Friar Bartholomew being
obliged to set out that same evening, the Vicar-Gene-
ral wrote on the following day to the Bishop of Fer-
rara, praying him to hear Friar Bartholomew, and send
him his deposition, invested with his episcopal seal.

Friar Bartholomew having had information of this
letter, wrote to Friar Thomas of Sienna, that it was not
suitable on account of his title of Inquisitor of Fer-
rara, that he should be examined on this affair by the
Bishop of that city ; that it was better for the Vicar of
the Bishop of Venice to write to him directly, and that
then he could publicly satisfy his demands. Father Tho-
mas of Sienna went to the Bishop of Venice and hijj
Vicar, who added, to the proposition which was made to
them, and the day preceding the last day of June, the
Vicar addressed to Father Bartholomew a letter, in
which he requested him to expose to him what he really
said in the discourse delivered at the Convent of St.
John and St. Paul. As soon as Father Bartholomew
had recehed this letter from Ferrara, ho occupied Mm-

812 LIFE OF bT. CATEAR1TO! OF SIENNA.

self with its response : but serious obstacles hindered
Mm from terminating it immediately : it was not ready
until the 27th April, 1412, and it was remitted with
the other depositions before the episcopal audience, in
presence of three Religious, and the undersigned no-
tary. The Vicar-General adjourned to the 15th, the
decision of this affair, in order to give the manuscripts
a full examination.

A decision was rendered to the glory of the blessed
Catharine. It was declared that the Preaching Friars
had done nothing reprehensible in honouring her me-
mory. The plaintiffs withdrew their expostulations,
and Notary Frangois de Viviano drew up a digest of
the verbal process and of all that had passed. The in-
strument was signed by him and the witnesses, on Ja-
nuary 5th, 1413.

We intend analysing carefully these depositions of
St. Catharine's contemporaries, and we will quote all
the passages which may complete the biography written
by Blessed Raymond of Capua. We shall terminate
by giving the Bull of canonization — the summary and
conclusion of these testimonies.

FRIAR BARTHOLOMEW OF FERRARA.

The deposition of Friar Bartholomew of Ferrara, is dated the last
day of September, 1411. It was put into authentic form by tho
Notary of the Inquisition, Urbainof Russetis, the twenty-seventh
of April, 1112, folded and sealed the seventh of May following,
and presented the sixteenth of the same month, in public andi-
once, before the vicar-general of the Bishop of Venice,

FRIAR BARTHOLOMEW was not personally acquainted
with St. Catharine, He applies particularly to the

FRIAR BARTHOLOMEW'S DEPOSITION. 5V53

justifying of the festivals celebrated in her honour, and
explains the causes that retarded her canonization.
He admits that during several years they had cele-
brated a feast on the Sunday following St. Peter,
martyr, in honour of her who was generally styled
Blessed Catharine of Sienna, qua comminiter appellatue
beata Catharina de Senis : for more than ten years he
had seen this anniversary celebrated with much edifi-
cation, and nothing had transpired that was not con-
formable to the doctrine of the Church, since no hon-
ours were paid to Catharine which are reserved to
canonized saints. On the 3rd of May, 1411, the feast
of the Finding of the Holy Cross, they honoured the
memory of the blessed, and he himself preached. To
avoid any possible error, he had declared to his auditory
that the " Order of St. Dominick, so zealous for the
laws of the Church, did not pretend to celebrate tho
festival of Catharine, as though she was canonized.
The title of * saint' could not be given to her, but that
her life might well entitle her to the style of blessed."
Our Lord had called Peter Blessed, because he con-
fessed his Divinity, those who hear the Word of God
are denominated blessed, and in the Sermon on the
Mount it is declared, * Blessed are the poor in spirit.'
If this title be given to those who have not yet con-
cluded their mortal pilgrimage, can it be justly refused
to those who have led a perfect life, and died with all
the tokens of the most exalted piety ? Yes, Catharine
may be called blessed, and it is allowable to celebrate
her holy life, since in sermons, we mention, in order
to excite the devotion of the faithful, the virtues of
pagans and of heathen philosophers. We may, in

314: LIFE OP ST. CATHAKINE Off 8IENKA.

presence of the holy altars, speak of either a secular
or a religions, who was a sinner during life, and who
gave at death signs of repentance ; much more then
may we speak of a person who exhibited such admi-
rable virtues."

Friar Bartholomew afterwards exposes the power of
the cross over souls, and makes the application of it
to the blessed Catharine. His text is, Ergo evacua-
tum est scandalum crucis (Gal. chap, v.) ; and after
establishing the division of his discourse, and reciting
the Ave Maria according to custom, juxta morem,
he enters into his subject. Dom Martene does not
give Friar Bartholomew's sermon, he only quotes from
it what refers to St. Catharine. (Page 1247.)

Saint Catharine loved the cross so tenderly, that
she obtained the grace of participating in the torments
which our Lord endured thereon for us, and she suf-
fered BO largely that her heart broke, literally, and her
soul separated from her body during several hours.
Our Lord imprinted on her the sacred stigmata, but in
an invisible manner, and he frequently appeared to
her crucified, for thus she loved him most. Catharine
was passionately devoted to the Holy Eucharist, be-
cause it represents the sacrifice of Calvary ; to recall
it, thirty times the august sign is made during Mass.

Catharine was morally crucified by the four cardinal
virtues. 1. By temperance. At six years of age she
practises abstinence, and urges it to incredible limits
during her life ; she contents herself with one dress,
refuses the simplest style of bed, deprives herself of
food ; a little iuiusion 01 herbs and water suffices for
hoc. At seven 5 oai & of 9 ge sue takes the vow. ot luv

JBIAB BARTHOLOMEW'S DEPOSITION. 815

ginity and keeps it with perfection until death. 2. By
prudence. Her proceedings are all marked with hea-
venly prudence,she clothesherself enthusiastically with
the religious habit ; she lives in retirement, practises
frightful austerities, and appears in public only on re-
ceiving a formal order from Almighty God. She never
uttered a frivolous or useless word. 3. By justice.
She renders to every one his due, to God, herself, and
her neighbour; she was compassionate towards all, and
no necessity escaped her charity. 4. By fortitude. She
was equally patient, courageous and constant in suffer-
ings, persecutions and injuries, and notwithstanding
all the obstacles that she encountered she persevered
in her holy enterprises, at the peril even of her life.

After recalling some traits of heroic virtue in the life
of Catharine, Friar Bartholomew terminates his dis-
course by saying that the blessed arrived at perfection,
by loving the cross of the Saviour, and we must walk"
in her footsteps on earth, if we would share her glory
in heaven. He then exhorts-persons who are desirous
of knowing more of Catharine's history, to go and hear
Father Thomas of Sienna, who would preach on that
very day, in the Church of St. Mark, not alone on the
subject of the Redeemer's cross, but concerning the
virtues of his devoted handmaid.

Friar Bartholomew knew Catharine by the reputa-
tion of sanctity that she enjoyed throughout all Italy,
and by her memoirs composed by Father Raymond of
.Capua, her last Confessor. He had «Jso became ao-
quainted with the contents of a collection of her letters,
written to Sovereign Pontiffs, Cardinals, Kings and
persons of every condition. He bad seen those letters

816 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA

in that same year, in the apartment of the General
Master of the Order of Preaching Friars, who during
an attack of illness, caused them to be read to him for
his consolation. He also knew her by the admirable
book which she composed during her ecstasies, in the
last two years of her life. This book has been translated
into Latin by a man of merit, who entertained a great
esteem for Catharine!*

He likewise knew her from informations received
from a respectable man named Dino, from Lucca, who
was at his side in the refectory as they were one day
celebrating the feast of the blessed Catharine.

He also had received testimonies from another inha-
bitant of Lucca, called Leopardo, and from the noble-
man, Jacques des Guerriero de Montepuiciano, who
composed a little work in her honour. But his most el a~
borate informations were obtained from Friar Thomas
of Sienna, who held relations with her during a long
course of years. More than fifteen years he had spent
at the convent of SS. John and Paul, he had been
labouring indefatigably in honour of the blessed : if
she is not yet enrolled among canonized saints, it must
be attributed solely to the troubles that have agitated
the Church. Petitions for her canonization were ad-
dressed to Boniface IX., and to Gregory XII., when
he was at Sienna. The life and doctrine of Catharine
'rave been examined, and ail in it have been found ca-
pable of edifying the faithful, and strengthening their

*Qxu libei postca latinizatus ost per quendc,m valen-
tem vrum, virginis devotuua, et time est in. uno volu-
mine "m libraria Conventus SS. Joannis et Pauli: Ord.
Praed.—i'tige

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 317

faith. Although her veneration is not yet approved,
it is already permitted to honour her memory, and per-
sons who are frightened at the feast we celebrate, will
be reassured by those explanations. In reference to
whatever he has said or written, Friar Bartholomew
submits entirely to the decision of the holy Catholic
Church.

After that declaration, and previous to the examina-
tion of the affair, the day for the feast of blessed Ca-
tharine arrived. Friar Bartholomew, then Prior to the
Convent of St. John and St. Paul, collected the fathers
and brethren who composed the council, and it was una-
nimously decided that that year (1412,) and the suc-
ceeding years, the memory of blessed Catharine should
be celebrated, because in the observance of that feast,
nothing could occasion complaints, but that on the con-
trary, every thing in it was calculated to excite the de-
votion of the faithful. Therefore the feast took place,
as usual, in the convent of SS. John and Paul, and in
the other churches of the Preaching Friars and no
more reclamations were made on the subject.

FRIAR THOMAS OF SIENNA.

Friar Thomas of Sienna had beun summoned with Friar Bartholo-
mew of Ferrara, before the Bishop «f Venice. His deposition is
divided into twenty articles. His testimony is extremely inter-
esting, because ho was particularly acquainted with Saint Catha-
rine and very intimate with her family. Ht, was sixty-two years
old at the period of the ecclesiastical suit.

1. IT is long since the festival of blessed Catharine
Las been celebrated throu ghout all I tal j, The day se-.
Looted is the Sunday af ter tho feast of St, Peter, martyr.

818 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

No particular Office was instituted for her; in the ser-
mon nttf doctrine, her virtues and her miracles were al-
luded to. Her portrait with its history are represented
in a great number of churches, and Friar Thomas had
it painted, but always with the head encircled with lu-
minous rays, like personages who have not yet been
canonized. On the 3rd of May, 1411, the day of the
"Finding of the Holy Cross" Friar Bartholomew of
Ferrara spoko of the blessed Catharine on the occasion
of the festival, and her Confession. Friar Thomas did
the same in the Church of St. Mark, in the presence of
the Inquisitor. He had been a long time Prior of the
Convent of Preaching Friars, and had always seen Ca-
tharine's memory celebrated in the same manner. Sh
is also feasted in the convents of Rome, at Ste. Mary-
sur-Minerva" where her virginal body reposes ; at the
Convent of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick of
Rome, where resides her sister-in-law Lysa. The same
happens at Lucca at the Roman Convent; at Pisa in
the Convent of St. Catharine: in Germany at the Con-
vent of Nuremberg; her history and her writings are
generally known and are retained in the library of the
convent, or in the church. Friar Thomas sent faith-
ful copies of them.

Friar Thomas declares that at Genes, at Venice, Pisa,
Sienna, and Civita Vecchia, and in several other cities
of Italy, he had seen and heard the memory of per-
sons not yet canonized celebrated in this manner. He
had sometimes preached concerning their virtues, and
the people always derived particular benefit. He had
himself preached several times at Venice, in the Church
of St. Jonn Chrysostom, on the life of the bleseed Zithe

THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 319

of Lucca. He had done the same for the blessed Ca-
tharine in 1369 : during the Lent, he explained the
Gospel every day, and illustrated it by examples drawn
from her history. For sixteen consecutive years he
had preached on her festival, which fell sometimes on
the day of "St. Philip and St. James," sometimes on
the day of the Holy *' Crown oj Thorns," and often
on the day of the " Finding of tlie Cross" or of St.
John at the Latin gate* He had even preached in two
churches, and always before an auditory \rhich listened
to him with avidity.

2. Friar Thomas declares that he knew particularly
all the Confessors of the saint who are mentioned in
her life. Friar Bartholomew de Fonte, dead many
years ago. 2. The Father Bartholomew de Dominici
of Sienna, Professor of Theology, who is yet alive. 3.
The Father Raymond of Capua, who shortly after the
death of Catharine, in the Chapter held in Bologna in
1380, was named General Master of the Order of
Preaching Friars. It is he who wrote the memoir of
the saint. Those Religious were her ordinary Con-
fessors: in their absence, she addressed herself to Fa-
ther John, Doctor in Theology, of the Order of Her-
mits of St. Augustine, or to an Abbe de Saint Authime,
both of exemplary life and high reputation. The origi-
nal manuscript of the annals of the blessed Catharine
composed by Friar Raymond, were written for the
greater part with his own hand — the remainder under
his dictation by Friar Thomas himself. This copy is
in possession of Father Nicholas, Professor of Theology,
who assisted the General Master in his kst moments at
Wimberg, in the month of October, 1399. It vre/i

320 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

from Friar Thomas's copy that all the others were
made.

3. Friar Thomas was very young when he became
particularly acquainted with the saint, and her father,
mother and whole family. She had already taken the
habit of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick, when
he himself entered the Order of Preaching Friars, and
he had the means of admiring her holiness and her
great austerities. Her first Confessor showed him a dis-
cipline used by Catharine — it was composed of several
cords at the extremity of which were iron points which
were intended to rend her body. That discipline
seemed to have been steeped a long time in a vase full
of blood and then dried . He had also seen an iron circle
that she wore during a whole year, and at Venice, an
iron chain garnished with crosses which served her as
<i belt. After her death, that precious relic was given
to the chaplain of the monastery of St. Andre who
left it as a legacy to the Prior de la Miserecorde of
Venice. Friar Thomas afterwards renders testimony
to the other austerities of Catharine, of the planks that
served for her bed, of her miraculous fasts, and of the
sufferings caused by even the small portion of food she
attempted to take.

•1. Her ecstasies and her conversations with our Lord
were continual. Once Friar Thomas was witness of
her holy intimacy. He heard the burning words of
her soul, and felt escaping from her an ineffable per-
fume, the impression of which threw him, during seve-
ral days into a delicious intoxication . Catharine dwelt
near the Church of Preaching Friars and passed a great
p&rt of the night in prayer. When she heard the bell

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 821

that announced matins, she allowed herself a short
repose. Ah ! how zealously did she excite the Religi-
ous to imitate our Lord, and "to take with him, on the
table of the cross the nourishment of salvation, to en-
close themselves in the "cell of their sowfe," that is to
say, in the knowledge of themselves, to pray therein
efficaciously for such as have lost the life of grace ! She
said continually ; "Ah! let us stay in our cell and
mourn, yes, let us mourn over those dead." It is im-
possible to tell the good that her exhortations and her
examples produced among the Religious of the Order
of Preaching Friars.

5. Catharine of Sienna was devotedly fond of flowers.
Often before her appearance in public, divine love
would throw her into a holy languor, and she found
delight in singing hymns amid the flowers of earth,
which represented to her the flowers of her celestial
Spouse. She formed of them bouquets with admirable
skill arranging them into crosses which she afterwards
distributed, in order to excite in the souls of others the
love of our divine Lord. Friar Thomas often partook
of her bounty ; these flowers typified the life of St.
Catharine and her charity towards God and her neigh-
bour. The cross of Jesus Christ was to her the flowery
couch of her love ; she was destined to collect like a
nosegay of odorous flowers, a multitude of souls to offer
them to God ; her words and works were so many bou-
quets which embalmed the earth. She bloomed for
heaven in the season of flowers (April), and ever since
her memory has been particularly honoured by flowers.
Annually, in the Church of St. John and of St. Paul,
at the chapel of St. John the Baptist, where there is a

V

822 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

portrait of Catharine, a great number of persons in-
spired by her divine Spouse, coine and offer flowers in
profusion. They arrange them into crosses, bouquets,
crowns, wreaths, and garlands, and during the whole
year these testimonials of homage embellish and per-
fume the altar. This custom is equally prevalent in
the other churches of Venice, fheij also feast Catharine
of Sienna with nature's fairest buds and herbs of deli-
cate fragrance.

6. The union of Catharine's heart with God was
uninterrupted, even by the painful functions which her
parents imposed on her. At the head of her bed was
written this verse of the Psalms of David, " Lord, en-
lighten my eyes that I may never sleep in death."
Illumina, Doming oculos meos, ne unquam obdormiam
in morte. She feared nothing so much as to offend her
Creator, and she expiated the least faults that she
thought she had committed, by torrents of tears, and
by frightful austerities. All who knew her, especially
her Confessors, are convinced that she not only pre-
served her virginal purity, but also her baptismal in-
nocence.

7. Catharine effected such an amount of good in souls
that even during her lifetime she was generally known
by the title of " saint." Her activity was prodigious.
When she was not in prayer or in ecstasy, she in-
structed her neighbours or dictated letters to her secre-
taries; she was never idle. She attracted to the path
of perfection a great number of Religious, Preaching
Friars, Friars Minor, Hermits of St. Augustine, young
and old, ignorant and learned, meu and women, uoblo
and ignoble.

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 323

She influenced a great number of persons to enter
the Third Order of St. Dominick. Friar Thomas knew
among others two sisters of the name of Tholomei.
They had been extremely occupied with their personal
adornment and were strongly attached to the world.
They employed a quantity of essence and perfumes
when making their toilette, and when the saint had
made them acquainted with the Spouse of Virgins,
they broke all their vials and threw them away in con-
tempt. They afterwards led an angelic life in the
bosom of their family.

Among those who were indebted to Catharine as
the instrument of their conversion, we may cite Gabriul
Piccolomini of Sienna. Neri of Landoccio who became
one of her secretaries. Christopher Ghanni who trans-
lated into Latin the Book she composed, collected a por-
tion of her letters and wrote a poem in her honour ; Eti-
enne Maconi; Nanni, who gave her a chateau for the
establishment of a monastery ; Frangois Malevolti ; etc.

8. Her charity towards the sick was admirable ; it
shone especially during the plague which ravaged
Sienna in 1372 and 1373. She was constantly near
those who were attacked by the epidemic ; she pre-
pared them for death and buried them with her own
hands. She also visited prisoners, and succeeded in
bringing back to better sentiments, condemned crimi-
nals that the most skilful could not convert. Friar
Thomas was witness of a miraculous change which she
effected in the soul of a young man who was detained
in the prison of that city: it is the same circumstance
that the saint describes in one of her letters in a style
3? grotto and so gublime.

324 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

That young man belonged to one of the first families
of Perugia, and was called Nicholas Toldo. In an af-
fair with which he was charged he spoke ill of the
Senator of Sienna who had him condemned to death.
This cruel sentence threw him into despair. Catharine
heard of it, and in her love for the salvation of souls
she went to visit him, and succeeded so well by con-
versing with him, that he who hitherto paced to and
fro in his prison like an enraged lion, became as &
meek lamb, ready to be offered on the altar of immola-
tion. He went with holy joy and a devout spirit to
the place of expiation, and presented without one re-
gret, his youth and his life to the axe of the execu-
tioner. Catharine was present and received his head
in her hands ; his eyes were fixed on heaven with a gaze
so deliberate and firm that his eyelids were motionless.
The spectators wept and fancied they saw a martyr
lather than a guilty man under capital punishment,
and his obsequies presented the aspect of a solemn
religious festival.

9. One of Catharine's great thoughts was the orga-
nization of a crusade; she spared nothing to promote
it, letters, prayers, nor discourse. She solicited in par-
ticular Gregory XI. to this expedition, and a great
number of individuals pledged themselves to take an
active part in it. She hoped thereby to possess the
means of visiting our Saviour's tomb. Nothing was
comparable to her zeal for the souls whom God had
especially entrusted to her. She exhorted them vocally
or by letters to tend to perfection ; and when she was
near the Sovereign Pontiff, she obtained for them con-
tinually* particular favours and indulgences. She ss-

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 325

sumed the expiation of the sins of those whom the justice
of God affrighted. She said to such, in order to inspire
them with confidence, " Do not think about your trans-
gressions, I will take them on myself, I will answer for
them before God ; I will cancel your debts towards him."
10. Friar Thomas never heard Catharine utter a
frivolous, useless, or reprehensible word ; all her conver-
sations exhaled sanctity. One sole thing could trouble
her, that was to see God offended. She was ever af-
fable, benevolent and gladsome ; above all amid suffer-
ings and in the persecutions which her parents caused
her to undergo ; trials appeared to render her happy,
and when fresh sorrows came she gaily called them her
roses and flowers. One day when suffering a great
deal she said: "Did we but know how sweet are the
pains that are suffered for the love of God, they would
be accepted with more joy and gratitude than all his
other benefits." Once a servant of God came from Flo-
rence to examine personally what had been made known
to him concerning our saint. He was accompanied by
two Religious, and after some gracious words from Oii_
tharine he commenced giving her the most humiliating
and harsh reproofs. Catharine was extended, (on ac-
count of illness,) on the planks that served as her bed ;
she bowed her head, crossed her arms on her breast and
listened submissively to the whole, without any change
of countenance. She avowed to her Confessor who in-
terrogated her on this subject, that she was very privi-
leged and felt very grateful on hearing the verities that
her divine Spouse had caused to be said to her for the
interest of souls. Theservantof God, who had thus tried
her, was greatly edified and proclaimed openly that Ca-
tharine was u fine gold without alloy."

326 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA,

11. It is impossible to describe the sentiments that
inspired Catharine when she was receiving the Holy
Eucharist. Her radiant countenance was bathed in
tears, and quite covered with pearl-like drops of per-
spiration. At her return to Avignon, when she received
the Holy Communion in the chapel that the Sovereign
Pontiff had permitted her to have in her house, she was
BO inebriated with the blood of our Lord, that she could
not detach her lips from the rim of the chalice, in which
was offered (in accordance with the usage of the Church
at that time) the wine of ablution. Her teeth left their
impress on the border of the two chalices which were
employed in her chapel.

In reference to Catharine's communions the Bolland-
ists give the following details, extracted from the manu-
script of Friar Thomas, her first Confessor. The saint
received the Holy Eucharist from our blessed Lord him-
self , not merely once, but several times, and in various
ivays ; often, instead of sacramental communion, he
applied Catharine's lips to the wound of his sacred side.
Sometimes when she communicated, she saw angels
holding a golden veil and burning torches in their
hands around the altar. The Sacred Host would be
transformed into an infant of ravishing beauty ; some-
times three figures appeared there, and then blended
into one. Sometimes the priest, our Lord and herself
appeared to be inflamed, and a bright light issued from
the altar and illuminated the whole Church. Often,
when the priest divided the consecrated Host, it was
shown to her how our divine Lord is found in each par-
ticle; occasionally the Holy Trinity manifested himself
under different forma. She also distinguished perfectly-
a consecrated Host from a Host that is not consecrated

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 827

She dictated her letters and her book during her
ecstasies. She would then walk in her room, with her
arms crossed on her breast ; sometimes she knelt or
took some other devout posture but always turned
her face to heaven. What was most marvellous was
that when obliged during several days to interrupt
her dictation, she unhesitatingly resumed it at the
place in which she left off, without a re-perusal.

12. The Supreme Pontiff Gregory XI. and Urban
VI. granted to St. Catharine a great number of par-
ticular favours. Friar Thomas has seen the authentic
Bulls of them, and exhibited them publicly in the
Convent of St. John and St. Paul. One of those
Bulls permitted Catharine, to have (always) a porta-
ble altar, to be able to hear Mass whenever she de-
sired it. Another granted to three Confessors who
accompanied her, powers for absolving all sins, except
such as are reserved to the Holy See. Another, au-
thorizes Catharine to establish a Convent of Nuns,
in a chateau, given to her by a converted citizen of
Sienna, and to receive for that foundation the sum of
2000 florins. Other Bulls mention special indul-
gences and graces, obtained by Catharine for her
disciples, and for other individuals, particularly for
the Sisters of the " Third Order," whose number she
had greatly increased. There were more than a
hundred in Sienna during her lifetime.

13. Friar Thomas had seen a great number of letters
addressed by the blessed to persons of every condition.
He had a collection of them in his own hands in 1898,
that he brought himself to the Sisters of Penance of
St. Donrinick at Venice. He has seen at the hooaeof

328 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Nicholas de Guaderoni of Lucca (actually in Venice),
eeveral volumes enclosed in a coffer : 1. one volume,
containing the book composed in the vulgar tongue
by the blessed. 2. The Latin translation of that book.
8. A collection of 155 letters addressed to the Su-
preme Pontiffs, to Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops,
Laymen, to Religious of all Orders, to the Members
of the Third Order of St. Dominick and St. Francis.
4. Another collection of 139 letters addressed to
seculars. 5. The memoir of F. Raymond of Capua.
6. The same memoir translated into Italian. Nicholas
de Guaderoni offered to give these volumes to the
Court of Rome, or to deposit them in the library
of the Preaching Friars of Sienna, so that they may
serve in the process of her canonization.

14. The relics of the blessed Catharine are vene-
rated throughout all Italy. Her head being brought
from Rome, was solemnly received at Sienna, and de-
posited in the Convent of Preaching Friars : it is in
the sacristy, in a beautiful gilded reliquary, with the
relics of other saints. At Venice, there are relics of
the arm and of the hand of the blessed ; in compliance
with an order from the General, Friar Thomas pre-
sented them to the veneration of the faithful in 1396.
They have since been carried back to Rome, and are
venerated in the Convent of la Minerva. They were
purloined from the sacristy or from the altar ; but it
is said that they have been restored. A Sister of the
Third Order, coming from Rome, and going to the
tomb of St. Dominick, gave Brother Thomas a frag-
ment of a bone of the blessed ; a piece of it was placed
In a silver reliojiary which contains some relics of fit.

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 329

Chistopher, and ig found at Venice, at the house of
the Sisters of the Third Order Those same sisters
have in a silver reliquary, a finger of the blessed sent
by Lysa, her kinswoman. Friar Thomas saw another
finger of Catharine in the possession of Etienne Ma-
coni. This finger was perfectly straight, and accord-
ing to the testimony of Etienne Maconi it was so, pre-
vious to its separation from the others. When that
disciple of Catharine carried her body, and exposed it
in the Church of the Minerva, her arms were crossed
on her breast, and all her fingers were bent, except
that one which remained erect, until the moment that
Catharine's kinswoman detached it from her hand.
This was intended to indicate the finger that received
the nuptial ring of the Spouse.

A tooth belonging to Catharine, taken by Etienn--»
Maconi, was given by him to Angelo Corario of Venice,
Patriarch of Constantinople, become Pope under the
title of Gregory XII. When the Sovereign Pontiff set
out for Rome, he gave that precious relic to a vener-
able father, Antoine David of Venice, who had been
his Professor. It passed then into the hands of Friar
Thomas who had it set in a reliquary, and was given
at last to Duke Albert of Austria, who had a great
devotion to the blessed Catharine. Some Religious
Olivetains are said to have in the sacristy of their
convent another tooth which was given to them by
Neri Landoccio, of Sienna, one of the secretaries of
the blessed. Friar Thomas has seen and had i» his
possession several days a chain of iron trimmed with
crosses, which Catharine of Sienna wore a long tune.
It belongs to the Father Prior of the Church De la

830 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Miserecordia at Venice, where it is preciously pre-
served, and who says that after his death, it most pass
to the monastery of St. Andre at Venice.

The blessed Catharine learned to write miraculously.
One day on coming from mental prayer, she wrote to
Etienne Maconi a letter which concluded thus, u you
must know, my beloved son, that this is the first letter
I ever wrote myself." Etienne Maconi certifies that she
wrote many after, and that several pages of the book
that she composed, are written with her own hand. At
the Chartreuse de Pontigniano near Sienna, there are
preserved many autographs of Catharine. Friar Thomas
had solicited some of them from Etienne Maconi, who
had not yet sent them. Father Raymond also received
two letters written by the blessed ; one among them
concludes thus, " I wrote this letter myself and the
one that I already sent you. For God gave me
i'acilty to write, so that when coming forth from ec-
stasy, I might discharge my heart , and as the master
who instructed the pupil shows him the model which
he must copy, so he placed before my mental vision,
the things that I should write to you.'! At Venice as
preserved a sheet of of paper on which is written by her
with cinnabar, this prayer in Italian. " Come, Holy
Spirit into my heart ; let thy power draw it to God ;
grant me charity and holy fear. O Christ, preserve me
from every guilty thought, warm me, inflame me with
thy sweetest love, and every pain will become easy to
me. O holy Father, O sweet and gentle Master, aid
me in every necessity, O loving Christ, O loving Re-
deemer." This piece of writing was given to Father
Jerome of Sienna, of the Order of Hermits of St. Au-

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 831

gustinei it then passed to the celebrated preacher,
Leonard de Pise, who made a present of it to Friar
Thomas, and it is now with the other relics of the
Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick of Venice.

In 1398, Friar Thomas brought from Sienna to
Venice the mantle with which the Blessed was clothed
on the day in which she was received into the Order
of the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominick. Her dis-
ciple Neri Landoccio said that she valued this man tie
very highly, undoubtedly because in it she was so-
lemnly consecrated to her Spouse. She said, " I will
never part with this mantle, and I wish that it may
last longer than my life." Therefore as soon as the
precious cloak became worn or had a rent in it, she
mended it with great care. The numerous pieces in
it were inserted by her. Many persons through devo-
tion desired to be received in the Third Order with
that cloak, which has therefore received several bless-
ings. The blessed left it to her first Confessor, Friar
Thomas de Fonte, who when dying gave it as a legacy
to his niece Catharine Cothi, Sister of the Third Order;
she gave it to Friar Thomas. It is now in a case of
gilded wood, among the Sisters of the Third Order,
and it has performed, by the merits of the saint many
spiritual and corporeal cures.

15. Catharine's canonization has been petitioned for
frequently. Albert, Duke of Austria, sent two Car-
thusians to Master Thomas de Firino, General of the
Preaching Friars, to have Boniface IX. solicited on
the subject. Some letters were also addressed to the
Sovereign Pontiff, by the Bishop of Poitiers, by the
King of Hungary, and by the Duke of Austria. The

882 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

same instances were renewed with Innocent VII. and
Gregory XIL Gregory XII. commenced the process
and heard a great many witnesses. He desired to see
what the blessed had written concerning events which
were to happen in the Church ; and the Archbishop of
Ragusa, who loved Catharine as a mother, and who
was disposed to do all in his power for her canonization,
presented the letters that she had addressed to Urban
VI. at the commencement of the schism, and trans-
lated them into Latin, that the Sovereign Pontiff might
read them with greater facility. Gregory XII. was at
that time occupied with restoring peace to the Church,
and the moment was not favourable for terminating
the informations ; they were necessarily suspended.

16. This commencement of procedure caused many
letters to be written, and collected a vast number of
documents concerning bless ed Catharine. Her reputa -
tion spread throughout Europe. Etienne Maconi sent
her memoirs to the King of England, who had asked
for them. He sent the same to the King of Hungary
with the book composed by her. Other copies were ad-
dressed to the King of Naples, of Prague in Bohemia,
at Treves in Germany, in Prussia on the confines of
Poland, and at the Chartreuse in Rome. In all the do-
cuments relating to the saint, they give her titles
which prove how worthy they deem her of canoniza-
tion. They call her " Mother of a multitude of souls,"
" most meek and and gentle mother," "blessed Catharine,"
"privileged Virgin" "servant of God," " most faithful
spouse of Christ," "admirable in her holiness," Sac., &c.

17, Father Thomas names persons still living, and
who are able to render testimony in favour of Catha-

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 833

line's sanctity — Friar Mathieu of Venice, Religious
Camaldule, Nicholas of Prato, Father Securian of Sa-
vona, Etienne Maconi, Chartreux, Bartholomew of
Ravenna, more than sixty years of age, Frangois Bar-
tholomew Montucci, who sometimes confessed the
blessed, the venerable Thomas, Prothonotary of several
Sovereign Pontiffs, Jacques of Montepulciano, who
knew Catharine and composed a poem in her honour ;
the noble Lady Lancina of the house of the Lords of
Foligno.

18. Other witnesses are dead, but their testimony
remains, and the reputation they have left gives them
singular weight. Among others may be cited the Arch-
bishop of Ragusa, Father Raymond of Capua, Father
Thomas Fonte, Father John of the convent of Vallom-
brosa and Barduccio of Florence, who was particularly
dear to the blessed. He was her secretary, accom-
panied her to Rome and assisted her in her dying
moments. He after wards returned to Sienna, sick, and
having languished there a short time, slept peacefully
in the Lord, with a smile on his countenance after
death, caused it was generally believed by the presence
of that favoured virgin, Catharine, who came to console
him in his last moments.

19. Friar Thomas gives the name and address of the
writers who have contributed the most to propagate
the h'fe and portraits of the blessed. A considerable
number of copies of her life and works were sent into
the surrounding countries, except in Spain, in Cata-
lonia and in France, which were all deeolated by the
schism. Catharine was however well known in France
on account of her voyage to Avignon.

334 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Her picture is greatly mutiplied. Catharine is re-
presented like those holy souls whom the Church has
*' beatified" but not canonized. These likenesses are
found in Poland, Hungary, Dalmatia, Tuscany, Lom-
bardy, above all in Venice, at Rome and in the kingdom of
Naples. She is painted on wood, on plaster, cloth, andin
books, among Christians and among infidels ; for some
of her pictures have been sent from Venice to Alexan-
Jria. A person who entertains a great devotion to her,
has caused her likeness to be painted on cards, so that
on the day of her feast, all who take part can procure
a picture of her. It is then placed in the churches,
amid branches and bouquets offered in her honour, and
each one can adorn his own residence with it. Thou-
sands of them are daily made, not alone for the city of
Venice, but for other countries whither great quantities
are forwarded. It was these pictures of Catharine
which suggested the idea of multiplying in the same
manner the pictures of the canonized saints. The
faithful procure them on the days of their festivals, and
find in them a means of augmenting their devotion.

During 16 years, the feast of blessed Catharine has
been celebrated in the Convent of SS. John and Paul.
On that day, from the early morning, there is fine
music, the altar is adorned with its richest ornament^
and the whole church is decorated with garlands and
bouquets of flowers. The school of Mercy comes, and
sings a solemn High Mass. In the evening, there are
vespers, sermon, and a grand public repast, at which the
sweetest joy presides ; persons of every age and of all
conditions come and mingle with the friars of the con-
vent; here are seculars, pupils, religious, poor prelates,

FRIAR THOMAS'S DEPOSITION. 835

nobles, doctors in medicine, merchants, artists, youth
and infants. The members of the Third Order of St.
Doininick serve the table with their Prior Antoine Su-
perantio of Venice. The history of Catharine is read ,
her praises are sung, and conversations are held con-
cerning her virtues and her miracles.

A young married person conceived such a devotion
to Catharine that she renounced the world, assumed
the religious habit, and passed her remaining days in
the exercise of exalted piety. When dying she left by
will a certain sum of money to the Convent of SS. John
and Paul, for providing the repast that is given on Ca-
tharine's festival. Her name was Sister Maria Nicoleii,
hermother who \vas executrix, of her testament not only
faithfully paid the legacy, but also secured to perpe-
tuity other sums to the same intention, to the monas-
tery of Corpus Domini and to other convents of the
Order of St. Domiuick. The custom was likewise in-
troduced of offering presents to the church on Catha-
rine's feast ; every one brings according to his means
and his inspiration, flowers, crowns, garlands, portraits
of Catharine, silver and brazen medals, bread, wine,
fruits, (dry and fresh,) vegetables, and money ; others
offer their services to adorn the church or serve at the
repast. Among all most worthy of remark were An-
toine Superantio and his wife Sister Marina de Con-
tarinis of the Third Order of Penitents of St.'Dominick,
and several members of the same fraternity.

Friar Thomas infers that no woman, if weexcept St.
Bridget, can bo compared in these latter times with
the blessed Catharine. She is worthy without doubt
of being inscribed in the catalogue of the saints, and

J36 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

would be so already had not the great schism afflicted
and agitated Christendom. Her life was admirable,
and her death may be considered as a voluntary mar-
tyrdom endured for the Church and the Papacy. The
venerable Friar Guillaume de silvalacus, was right in
saying in a sermon which he preached in honour of
Catharine's virtues, " It is with pious hymns and not
with tears we should celebrate the death of Catharine
of Sienna. Remember that she died for the Church
and is crowned in heaven." God showed her to a de-
vout person in a vision, carrying on her shoulders the
vessel of the Church and sinking beneath its weight.

Her death or rather her birth to eternal joys is
another shade of resemblance she has with the Saviour.
Our Lord Jesus Christ announced his death and gave
to his disciples whom he was about to leave, a dis-
course abounding with admirable instructions : Catha-
rine did the same.

Our Lord was tormented in his passion by the de-
mons who caused him to be crucified by men ; Catha-
rine was tormented by the demons who put her to death
for the Church. Our Lord was assisted in his last
moments by his mother and a few disciples ; the others
were absent : the same happened to Catharine. As
our Lord, Catharine died far from her native city and
had a stranger's sepulchre ; her body remained incor-
ruptible during three days, and her tomb became
glorious; people hastened to it from all parts oi;
Europe, and great miracles were performed there.
Finally, like our Blessed Lord, Catharine has disciples
who are faithful to her memory and spread abroad her
name and her instructions.

DEROSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 937

20. Friar Etienne finished his deposition by giving
the sermon which he pronounced on the 3rd of May,
1411, and which was one of the causes of the Process.
His text was these words of the Apostle, " Mihidbsit
gloriari nisi in cruce" Dom Martina does not give
this discourse which is very long and gives no new in-
formation. Friar Thomas calls God to witness that
he speaks the truth.

FRIAR BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA.

The deposition of Friar Bartholomew de Dominici of Sienna was
delayed ; it is dated the twenty-ninth of October, 1412. It was
received and written byM. Adam (Notary) clothed with all re-
quisite formalities, and sent in the course of November to Friar
Thomas, who* forwarded it to the vicar-genei-al of the Bishop of
Venice. As it did not appear sufficiently complete and conform-
able to the memoir of Blessed Raymond, Friar Bartholomew made
a few additions during the month of December ; he was then
nearly 63 years of age.

FRIAR BARTHOLOMEW was yet in early youth when
he became acquainted with blessed Catharine ; she had
already worn the habit of the Sisters of Penance many
years, and her Confessor at that time was Friar Thomas
de Fonte, of Sienna. Friar Bartholomew had made
his noviciate with him ; he often accompanied Iiiui when
he went to visit Catharine, who lived in a room, tlie
door and window of which were continually dosed. A
lamp burned there day and night, before the portrait
of our Blessed Redeemer, and the likenesses of the
Blessed Virgin and other saints, which were there re-
presented. From that period Friar Bartholomew has
always bad relations with the blessed at Sienna, at Pisa,
Lucca, Avignon, Genese, Florence. • and Rome, lie

388 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

testifies to the austerity of her life, mortifications and
abstinence, aiid to her humility and the painful func-
tions that she selected. As soon as she had any leisure,
she washed all the soiled linen that she could find in the
house. She was extremely fond of lilies, roses, violets,
and all flowers, and composed them into crosses, and su-
perb bouquets, when she had terminated her penances.
Her companions were young maidens who wore the
same religious garb, and entertained the same heavenly
desires, and they sung together devout hymns.

"W hen I commenced visiting her in her cell , says Friar
Bartholomew, she was young, and always wore a cheer-
ful countenance. I was also young, yet not only did I
not experience any trouble in her presence, but the
longer I conversed with her, the stronger became my
love for the religious virtues. I saw in succeeding
times many laymen and monks who visited her and
who all experienced impressions similar to mine. The
sight of her, and all her conversation breathed and
communicated angelical purity.

Friar Bartholomew cites her charity towards the in-
dividuals who persecuted her. When Andrea accused
her to the Prioress of the fraternity, she who had so
long consecrated the virginity of her body and of her
aoul to God, to Holy Mary, and St. Dominick, knelt
down and replied with virginal bashfulness and dove-
like simplicity, ' ' O mother, forgive me, but I do not
know how 1 could commit the faults of which you speak
to me, for by God's grace, I had rather die than offend
God, above all in the way you say." The Prioress see-
ing her humility and simplicity sent her away in peace.

In respect to the alms which she distributed in secret

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 339

Friar Bartholomew thus narrates the story of the cask
which yielded good wine so long. It was observed that
the cask was empty, thence arose a great tumult in the
house. Catharine saw that her father was troubled,
and she sympathized in his annoyance, but put her
trust in God. She succeeded in appeasing the disturb-
ance, " Father," said she, " what is it that troubles
you?" and when Jacomo had explained, she added,
" Be calm, father, I will go and draw wine for you."
She went to the cask, knelt, and said to God with fer-
vour, " Lord, thou knowest that that wine was distri-
buted to the poor for love of thee ; suffer not that for
this I become an occasion of scandal to my brethren.""
She then made the sign of the cross over the cask, and
wine flowed from it in abundance. She thanked Al-
mighty God and did not speak of the miracle toany one.
On coming out of ecstasy, which sometimes lasted
more than two hours, she reproved her companions for
their idleness, and when they attempted to excuse them-
selves, presuming that she was ignorant of what had
transpired, she rebuked them more severely, saying,
"Were you not in such a place, and did you not say
such a thing." Friar Barthlomew could not believe in
that prophetical spirit. Going once to visit her with
her Confessor, he asked her, (to give her a trial,) what
they were doing at two or three o'clock in the morn-
ing. She answered, " Who knows better than yourself.'
Her Confessor said, " I command you to tell, if you
know, what we were doing at that time." She was
obliged to obey, and humbly bowing her head she re-
plied, " You were four in the cell of the Sab-Prior,
and there yon conversed together a long time." Sho

340 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

named all who were present, and the subject on which
they had spoken. Friar Bartholomew was amazed, but
he thought she might know from some of the persons
present, so he determined to try her again. Onthemor-
row he went toher and said, " Then youknow, mother,
what we do?" She answered, " My son, know that my
divine and sweet Saviour having given me a spiritual
family, leaves me in ignorance of nothing that concerns
them." u Youknow, then, what I was doing yesterday
evening at such an hour ?" She answered, ii Certainly,
you were writing on a certain subject. My son, I watch
and pray for you continually, until the matin bell of
your convent. I see all that you do, and if you had
good eyes, you would behold me as I do you. Often
our sweet Saviour deigns to come and walk, repeating
psalms with me in my cell ; he converses with me on a
variety of things, and when he discovers that I am fa-
tigued, he sits down at this place, and bids me sit at his
feet, and we hold conference until matins. Then he
gives me permission to sleep, saying, " Go, my daugh-
ter, and take some repose, thy children are rising for
matins, they will praise me in thy place." I then sleep
a few moments.

Friar Bartholomew describes a spiritual aid that he
received from Catharine. His superiors had sent him to
Florence, and the blessed remained at Sienna. In a
conversation between himself and a Religious of the
convent, he conceived doubts concerning the validity
of his ordination, because he had received the priest-
hood before the age of twenty -five — he thought at once
that it would be a great sin for him to continue cele-
brating Mass, anil discaalittuod offering it, The Price

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OP SIENNA. 341

who asked the reason, could never induce him to sur-
mount his scruples. One day as he was weeping bit-
terly, he regretted not being at Sienna, thinking that
Catharine would be capable of giving him great conso-
lation in this circumstance . He invoked her in the midst
of his grief, when Father Raymond, who compassion-
ated his state, called him and conducted him to the Bi-
shop of whom he was the Confessor. When he had mani-
fested to him what tormented him, the Bishop who was
very learned, said, "My son, it is a fault to act against
the canons; but in this circumstance, I am able to grant
you the necessary dispensations, because you acted ig-
norantly, and not in contempt of the decisions of the
Church. Therefore entertain no further anxiety." Friar
Bartholomew took courage and returned to his con-
vent, with his conscience in perfect peace. The very
morning in which he invoked Catharine, she was in
the church of the Preaching Friars at Sienna, before
the altar of the blessed Peter, martyr ; she was aware
of Friar Bartholomew's trouble, and compassionated
him with her whole heart. In the midst of her ecstasy,
she besought God to deliver him, and in her enthusi-
astic devotion to God her body was elevated above
the ground. When she had returned to herself, her
companions asked her what was passing at that
moment ; she answered, " My son Bartholomew was
cruelly tormented in Florence by the demon."

When Pope Gregory XI. inquired of her her opinion
concerning his return to Rome, she humbly excused
herself, saying that it did not become a poor, loxvly
woman like her, to give advice to the Sovereign Pon-
tiff. The Holy Father rejoined, " I do not request rou

342 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

to give me advice but to declare to me the mil of God"
And as she constantly excused herself, he commanded
her in holy obedience, to tell him whether she was
really aware of God's will on the subject. She bowed
her head, and said, " Who knows more perfectly the will
of God than your Holiness, who has pledged himself by
a Vow ?" At these words the Holy Father was seized
with astonishment ; for no one knew that he had taken
a Vow to return to Rome, and it was at that very
moment that he took the resolution to quit Avignon.
A short time after, when the blessed was returning
into Italy, she found herself, on the vigil of St. Francis,
at Varragio, neaT the city of Genes. She called Father
Raymond, her Confessor, and told him that God had
just revealed to her that on such a day as that, in a
few years, he, (Father Raymond,) would transport her
body from one tomb to another. The prophecy was
accomplished. Catharine's eloquence was remarkable ;
the ignorant and the learned said, *« Whence comes so
much knowledge, since she never studied? Some
thought that the Preaching Friars had taught her, but
it was she on the contrary, that instructed them I What-
ever she knew came to her directly from God, as may
be seen in letters, and in the book that she composed
during her ecstasies. Frequently she dictated to two
or three secretaries at the same time, on different sub-
jects, and that without the least hesitation. Her dis-
course charmed every one, and her detractors after
having listened to her, celebrated her praises every-
where. So great was the unction which animated
her, that a great multitude of men and of women
flocked around her to enjoy her teaching.

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 343

When speaking of her delicacy of conscience, Friar
Bartholomew recalls the fault that she mourned during
three days. She had said that she would willingly go
visit a hermit in the environs of Sienna, although she
did not mean to do so. Our Lord said to her, "Daugh-
ter, do not weep longer for thy fault ; I allowed thee
to fall into that sin, that remorse of conscience might
recall thee to thy senses, which thou art rejoiced to
have quitted. It is a means of self-knowledge, and of
shunning pride, when my liberality grants thee spiri-
tual consolations, in order to fortify and encourage thy

Friar Bartholomew thus relates the distraction that
she had on the eve of St. Dominick. The first toll of
vespers having sounded, she hastened to the church.
I called her, and seated myself to converse with her •
she knelt down near me, and as her countenance was
lighted up with joy, I said to her, " We have good
news to-day, I perceive you are quite joyous." Then
she related to me admirable things concerning St.
Dominick. u Do you see him," said she to me, " our
blessed St. Dominick ? how much he resembles our Sa-
viour ! He has an oval face, a grave and mild physiog-
nomy, brown hair and a beard of the same hue."

I questioned Catharine concerning the reality of her
death ; I asked her if her soul were truly separated
from her body, she answered that she believed so : and
as I asked her how she could be sure of it, when the
Apostle Paul was not able to say whether he had seen
God, "in or out of the lody" she said that she believed
it, because her heart was broken by the violence of her
desires, And as I repeated that she could not know

344 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

what the great Apostle was ignorant of, she surrendered
to this argument. Her Confessor commanded her to
ask God what had happened to her. She obeyed, and
our Lord answered that her soul had been actually
separated from her body, and added, u Learn, beloved
daughter, that I raised thee to a new life ; thou shalt
travel, thou shalt go from city to city, as I will indi-
uate to thee, thou shalt live with the multitude and
speak in public ; I will send some to thee, and I will
wn.d thee to others, according to my good pleasure : be
3ver ready to do my will."

Catharine suffered with wonderful patience, and she
was fastened to the cross by three kinds of dolours ;
in the head, breast, and side. Never did these acute
pains excite the east shad* of melancholy in her coun-
tenance, which was ever cheerful and even gay. When
the pain in her side tortured her cruelly and hindered
her from rising, her disciples pitied her, and said :
" Mother, what are you suffering ?" She would an-
swer smiling, " I feel a gentle beating in my side."
Her sufferings were to her valuable presents from her
Spouse ; they even seemed to her to possess an extreme
sweetness, and when they increased she found them
sweeter still.

One day Friar Bartholomew asked her what she
suffered in her breast ; she replied, that she was endur-
ing what our Lord underwent on the cross, when one
of his hands being already nailed, they drew the other
with such violence that all his ribs were disjointed ;
that was her greatest corporeal suffering. Catharine
longed for martyrdom, and when she spoke of it, her
visage appeared all inflamed. She showed her white

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 346

robe, saying, " Oh ! how lovely it would be, were it
stained with blood, for love of Jesus P

There reigned such authority in her discourse, and
so much grace on her lips, that she attracted the great-
est personages to God. This was particularly observed
at the court of Gregory XT. Those who had been
most opposed to her quickly yielded to her benign in-
fluence, and became her friends and benefactors. Uhe
Duke d'Anjou, uncle of the King of France, was,
among others, so changed in respect to her, that he
wished to conduct her to Avignon, to one of his cha-
teaux, that the Duchess, his lady, might enjoy her pre-
sence. Three days after, he offered to present her to
the Bang of France ; but Catharine humbly declined.
He then gave her a hundred francs in gold to defray
her returning home into Italy. At her persuasion, he
promised the Sovereign Pontiff, Gregory XI., to go to
Palestine, when he would tell him to do so, with an
army equipped at his own expense. The Holy Father
would not allow her to quit Avignon before him, and
he provided, until her departure, for her personal ex-
penses, and that of those who accompanied her, who
numbered twenty-two. He sent her 100 florins to de-
fray the expenses of her journey.

There was in Sienna a nobleman named Frangois,
whose years numbered more than eighty. He had
never been to Communion, and had never confessed
but once, and then in his youth, during a serious ill-
ness. Alessia, Catharine's beloved companion, was his
daughter-in-law, and that devout woman frequently
exhorted her father-in-law to obey the precepts of God
ind of his Church. But as she gained nothing, she be-

346 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

sought Catharine to come and reside with her, so that
during the long evenings of winter she would have an
opportunity of conversing with the old gentleman.
Catharine consented to it, and undertook this difficult
conversion. She combatted a long time against the
poor obstinate, who mocked her pious exhortations ;
but finally he could resist no longer ; his heart became
^oftened before the fire of her discourse, and he said,
" I am determined to confess I but first of all, I must
tell you, that I entertain such a hatred against the
prior of a certain church that I daily seek means of
killing him." The blessed Catharine said such affect-
ing things to him on this subject that he finished by
exclaiming, " I am ready to do whatever you order
me ; you need only speak." Catharine said to him,
" I wish that for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and that he may pardon you, that you should forgive
the prior, and be reconciled with him. He promised
it, and although the wrongs did not proceed from him
on the morrow at dawn of day, he took a falcon whicl:
he was very fond of, and went alone to the church at
which the prior remained. The latter immediately
fled ; but the old man charged a canon to go and tell
hi™ that he did not come to injure him, butjOn the
contrary, to bring him good news. The prior onlearn-
ing that he was alone and unarmed, caused several
persons to come into his apartment and permitted his
visitor to be introduced — who bowed to him and said,
* The grace of God has touched my heart and I am
come to offer to be reconciled with you, and to prove
that this step on my part is sincere, I entreat you to
accept this falcon, of which I am extremely fond.'*

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 847

Peace was concluded, and the aged nobleman returned
to Catharine. " I have obeyed your orders," said he,
" and will obey you again." The blessed told him to
go and confess to Friar Bartholomew. His general
confession occupied three days, and when he had re-
ceived absolution, his Confessor was at a loss what
penance to assign him, because he was very aged, and
was in indigence although he was noble.

He gave him a trifling penance, and bade him —
" Return to her who sent you, and the penance that
she gives you, I give also." Catharine told him to
rise during a certain period, every morning at dawn
of day, and go in silence to the cathedral, reciting
each time a hundred Pater and a hundred Ave; and
she gave him a cord on which a hundred knots were
to serve him to reckon them. The good old man ac-
complished the whole with fidelity ; and he who for-
merly seldom entered a church, and never observed a
fast, undertook, notwithstanding his burden of eighty
years, to pass daily prolonged hours at the foot of the
altar. He observed Lent scrupulously, and zealously
attended all the sermons, and after persevering a year
in these pious exercises, he slumbered calmly in God.

Catharine had relations with Friar Bartholomew
during several preceding years when she began to con-
fess to him, and receive the holy Eucharist from his
hands. The witness on this subject, certifies, " The
ardour of her desire and of her love was so great, that,
at the moment of giving her Holy Communion, I felt
the consecrated Host which I held in my hand move
and escape violently. At first I was much troubled,
and sometimes feared lest the sacred Host should fall

348 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

to the ground; but it appeared to fly towards her
mouth. Many individuals told me that the same
thing had happened to them. When, after Commu-
nion, we presented her the wine in the chalice, she
imprinted her teeth so forcibly on the margin that
we could not withdraw it without great difficulty ;
two silver chalices that had been given to her for the
use of her chapel bear the marks of her teeth."

Catharine had no sins to tell in her confessions ; she
accused herself only of failing in virtue, and of not
being sufficiently grateful for the benefits bestowed on
her by Almighty God. She treated herself as unwor-
thy and most miserable, and as one whose guilty con-
duct was the cause of the ill that happened in the
world. These words, so holy and so profound, scandal-
ized instead of edifying me; I was incapable of un-
derstanding them, and in my gross ignorance of things
spiritual, I went so far as to suspect her of not believ-
ing herself to be such as she said. One day as she
was thus humbling herself before me, I interrogated
her in order to have an occasion of reproving her.
" How," said I, " can you thus speak, when it is evi-
dent you liave a great horror of sin, which so many
others love to commit every day ?" She answered me
weeping, " O father, I see truly that you do not know
my misery. Alas ! I have received from my Creator
graces so great and so numerous, that in my place, the
most contemptible being on earth would be inflamed
with the love of God." Her examples and her words
would have spread everywhere enthusiasm for the hea-
venly country, and contempt of the present life ; meu
wouldsinno morel But I who have received so much,

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 849

I can truly say that I am the most ungrateful of crea-
tures, and that I am a cause of ruiii to the world be-
cause I ought to save so many, preaching both by
word and example. I have, therefore, failed in my
duty, and I am very guilty before God !"

Among those who blamed the extraordinary life of
Catharine, the most remarkable was Father Lazarini,
of the Order of Friar Minors, who was then professing
philosophy with eclat, in his convent of Sienna. Not
content with openly attacking the reputation of the
blessed, he resolved to come and see her, so as to find
in her words and actions materials for condemning her
further. On the eve of " St. Catharine, Virgin and
Martyr," he repaired to her house at the hour of ves-
pers. He had requested me to accompany him and I
had consented to it, because I believed that he would
repent of his conduct towards her. We entered her
pious cell; Lazarini seated himself on a chest, and Ca-
tharine on the floor at his feet; I remained standing.
After a few moments of silence, Friar Lazarini began
to speak. "I have heard," said he, "many speaking of
your sanctity, and of the understanding God has given
you of the Holy Scriptures, and I have been eager to
visit you, hoping to hear something edifying and con-
soling to my soul." Catharine replied, " And I re-
joice at your arrival, because I think that the Lord
sent you to allow me^an opportunity of profiting by
that learning, with which you daily instruct your nu •
rnerous disciples. I hoped that charity would induce
you to comfort my poor soul, and I intreat you to do
90 through love of our Lord." The conversation con-
tinued 8oma tiiae in tfaii tone, and as the night was

850 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

approaching, Friar Lazarini finished by saying, " I see
that it is late, and that I must retire, but I -will return
at a more suitable hour." He arose to depart ; Ca-
tharine knelt, crossed her arms, and asked his blessing.
When she had received it, she commended herself to
his prayers, and Friar Lazarini, more through politeness
than from devotion, asked her also to pray for him
which she cheerfully promised to do. He went away,
thinking that Catharine might be a good person, but
that she was far from meriting her great reputation.

The night following, on rising to study the lesson
that he was to explain to his pupils the next day,
Friar Lazarini began to shed tears involuntary. The
more he wiped them, the more copiously they flowed,
and he could not discover the cause ! In the morning
they came to call him at the hour of Class ; but it was
impossible for him to speak to his pupils ; he wept
without intermission. Returning to his cell he con-
tinued weeping, and was indignant towards himself.
** What ails me," said he ; " what do I want ; is my
mother dead suddenly, or has my brother fallen on the
battle-field — what can this mean ? The entire day
passed in this state, and when evening came on, he
slept a few moments, being overcome with fatigue and
wearisorneness ; but he soon awoke, and his tears began
to flow afresh, without Ms being able to restrain them-
He therefore reflected whether he might not have com-
mitted some grave fau It, and invoked the divine mercy
to recall it to him : whilst he was examining his con-
science, he heard an in terior voice that exclaimed tohim,
" Do you forget so quickly that yesterday, you judged
my faithful servant Catharine in a spirit of pride, and
requested her to pray for you through politeness.1'

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 851

As soon as Friar Lazarini had received this adver-
tisement and discerned his fault, his tears subsided
and his heart became inflamed with a desire of again
conversing with Catharine. At the first glimmering
of the day, he hastened to knock at the door of her
cell. The blessed, who was aware of what her Spouse
had done, opened the door to Friar Lazarini, who pros*
trated himself at her feet. Catharine also prostrated,
and implored him to rise, after which they had a
lengthy interview, and the Eeligious conjured her to
condescend to direct him in the way of salvation. Ca-
tharine, overcome by his instances answeredhim, "The
way of salvation for you is, to despise the vanities of
the world and its smiles, to become humble, poor, and
destitute in imitation of Jesus Christ and your holy
Father, Saint Francis." At these words the Religious
saw that Catharine read his soul ; he shed tears pro-
fusely and promised to do whatever she might com-
mand him. He accomplished his promise, distributed
his money and useless furniture, and even his books. Tie
merely reserved a few notes, which were necessary
aids to him when preaching, and became truly poor,
and a veritable follower of our Blessed Redeemer.

During Catharine's sojourn at Pisa, a great number
of persons visited her, and many knelt down before
her, and kissed her hand. Some persons were scandal-
ized at this, and were desirous of putting an end to
this devotion. A celebrated physician among others,
Jean Gutalebracia, who could not persuade any one
against her, resolved to confound Catharine by pro-
posing to her difficulties in the sacred writings. Hfc
invited Pierre* Albui, a counsellor at law of mature ago

352 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

and consummate prudence, to accompany him, and
went to pay a visit to her. The doctor opened the con-
versation in the following manner: "We have heard
your virtues praised, and your intelligence in the Holy
Scriptures, and we are come in the hope of receiving
from your mouth some spiritual consolation. I am anxi-
ous to know how you understand that passage, in
which it is said, God spoke in order to create the world,
"has God a mouth and a tongue?" He addressed
her several other similar questions, and awaited her
reply. Catharine then rejoined, "I am astonished
that you who teach others (as you inform me), should
present yourself before a poor woman whose ignorance
it would be more suitable to you to enlighten. But as
you wish me to reply, I will do so in accordance with
what God will inspire me. What benefit will it prove
to me to know how God, who is a pure spirit, spoke in
Order to create the universe ? What is necessary for
both you and me to know is, that our Lord Jesus
Christ, the only son of God, has assumed our nature
to save us, and that he suffered and died for our re-
demption. Yes, the essential for me is, to believe this
and to meditate on it, so that my heart may be in-
flamed with love towards him who so loved me."

Catharine continued speaking some time with such
unction and fervour, that Dr. Pierre Albizi, could not
refrain from shedding tears, and fell on his knees to
obtain her forgiveness for having come to tempt her.
Catharine prostrated herself also, conjuring him to
arise, and when she had succeeded they held a long and
pleasant discourse on spiritual subjects. When depart-
ing, Pierre Albizi implored Catharine to be so conde-

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 353

scending as to present his new-born infant at the bap-
tismal font — she cheerfully consented, and he who
was hitherto bitterly prejudiced against her, became
one of her warmest defenders.

In reference to these honours that were paid to Catha-
rine, another person, enjoying a greater reputation for
piety, wrote her a letter, from excellent motives, and
with excellent arguments, reproving her for suffering
such attentions. He recalled to her the example of the
Saviour and of the saints, exhorted her to live in retire-
ment, and told her that the real servants of God loved
solitude above all things, and that hypocrites only
sought renown. This letter was forwarded to Father
Raymond who communicated its contents to me. We
were indignant and intended, without even showing it
to Catharine to respond to the writer, and reproach
him with his temerity and his ignorance of the spiri-
tual life. Whilst we were conferring together on that
subject, the blessed perceived our trouble and inquired
of us the cause ^ as soon as she had learned it, she
claimed the letter, and as we hesitated to give it to
her, she said, " If you refuse it to me, I must at least
hear what concerns me in it." Father Raymond then
read her the letter ; she gently rebuked us for indulg-
ing indignation. " You ought to thank with me the
author of that letter ; do you not perceive that he gives
me valuable advice for my salvation ? he fears that I
may wander in the paths of God, and he is anxious to
shield me from the snares of the enemy. Let us be
filled with gratitude for his charity. I must have that
letter and return thanks to the author of it." She did
so in effect, in an admirable manner, and as Father

2 A

354 UFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Raymond did not submit to her reasons, and continued
to wish to reply to it she gave him a severe look, and
reproached us wil.h discovering evil where there was
but good. (Dam. Marleue, p. 1355.)

Father "Bartholomew then explains the apparent
differences between his depositions and the writings
of Friar Raymond. These differences are not contra-
dictory ; they prove like those that are found in the
Gospel, the independence and sincerity of the wit-
nesses. He afterwards proceeds so describe his last
interview with Catharine.

WheD she became sick, I was Prior of the Convent
of Sienna, and the Provincial of the Order sent me on
ooine business to Rome. I arrived there on holy Satur-
day; 1 hastened to the residence of Catharine, of
whose state I was utterly ignorant. I found her ex-
tended on planks, surrounded on every side by other
pianks, so that; she seemed to be in a coffin. I ap-
proached her, in the hope of being able to converse
with her as usual. Her body was so emaciated, that
Jicr bones could be easily counted ; it appeared to have
been sun -dried, and no longer presented the same
beauty. This sight broke my heart, and I said to her
amid my tears, %l Mother, how do you find yourself ?"
When see descried uie she was anxious to testify her
joy, but she could not speak, and I was obliged to place
my ear close to her mouth, to be able to undertsand
her reply, that- " ai! was going on well, thanks to our
beloved Saviour !" T then disclosed to her the motives
of my journey, and added, " Mother, to-morrow will
be the Passover of our Lord, and I should like to
celebrate it here, so its to give the Holy Eucharist to

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 355

yourself and your spiritual children." She answered,
"Oh! would that our sweet Saviour would permit me
to communicate!"

I left her, and on the following day, I returned to
fulfil my promise ; I approached her so as to hear her
confession and give her absolution ; no one hoped to
see her go to holy Communion ; for during several
days she had been incapable of making any movement.
However I gave her for penance, to ask of God, for
her consolation and ours, the grace of receiving Com-
munion on so great a Festival ; and I then went to
the altar which was quite close to her bed. I prepared
the hosts and then commenced Mass. Catharine re-
mained motionless until the holy Communion ; as soon
as I had terminated and had taken the ablutions, she
got up suddenly, to the great astonishment of all pre-
sent, who shed tears of joy; she advanced unassisted
as far as the altar, knelt down with her eyes closed,
her hands clasped, and remained there until she had
received the consecrated Host, and the wine it was
customary to present for washing the mouth. She
afterwards fell into an ordinary ecstasy, and when she
came forth from it, it was impossible for her to return
to her bed; her companions carried her there, and she
remained on it in a state of perfect immobility as be-
fore. God permitted her however to converse with
me, during the few days that I still remained in Rome,
and it was then that she explained to me the incredible
pains and sufferings that the demons forced her to
undergo. She prayed with unabated ardour for the
peace of the Church ; she desired and sjsked of God to
expiate in her person, fine sins of those who separated

356 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

the faithful from the real Sovereign Pontiff, Urban VI.
"Be assured" said she, "that if I die, the sole cause
of my death is the zeal which burns and consumes me
for the holy Church. I suffer gladly for her deliverance,
and am ready to die for her, if if be necessary."

The affairs that led me to Rome were terminated
when my companion pressed me to return. I con-
stantly resisted, and I told this to Catharine. She
said that I must go back to him that sent us. "Mo-
ther," said I, "how can we go and leave you in such
extremity ? Were I absent and were informed of your
condition, I would quit all and hasten to your side.
No, I cannot resolve to depart without seeing you con-
valescent, or without at least having reasons for hope
in your recovery." Catharine said, "My son, you
well know how great consolation I experience in be-
holding those whom God has given me, and whom I
love in the truth. It would give me the greatest plea-
sure, would our Lord accord me the presence of Fa-
ther Raymond as well as yours; but it is his intention
that I should be deprived of them, and as I desire not
my will but his, you must depart. You know that at
Cologne a Chapter of your Order will soon be cele-
brated for the election of a General Master. Friar
Raymond will be nominated ; I wish you to be there
with him, and always be obedient to him. I com-
mand you this as far as I have power."

I then told her that I would do whatever she com-
manded me, as soon as I saw her better in health, and
I added, "If it is God's will that I go, ask him to give
you health before my departure.1' She promised me to
do so, and when I returned there on the following day.

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 35Y

I found her so calm and contented, that I approached
her full of hope. But she, who had hitherto remained
iramoveable, extended her arms towards me and em-
braced me so affectionately that I could not refrain
from shedding tears of joy ; it was to make known to
ine God's will, and exhort me to depart. " The Lord
had deceived me, " to speak like the Prophet — Sedux-
isti me, Domine, et seductus: foriior me fuisti et inval-
uisti. (Jer. xx. 7.) I left Rome. A short time after
I had returned to Sienna, a letter informed me that
the saintly Catharine had quitted this life to be united
to the Spouse she so much desired.

Friar Bartholomew, at the conclusion of his second
deposition, gives a letter to M. Thomas Petra, notary
of the Sovereign Pontiff, in which he thus describes a
vision that he had after Catharine's death — "In the
latter period of Catharine's life, our Lord granted me
the grace of being united to her by the bonds of a pure
and holy affection. She styled me her Father, and I
often saw her. One day, I found her in the garden of
a lady in Rome ; she was very much enfeebled, and I
said to her: "Mother, it appears to me that Christ^
your Spouse, wishes to withdraw you from this life in
order to unite you to himself. Have you made all your
dispositions in consequence?" " What disposition can
a poor woman make who owns nothing?" "You
would make a fine testament if you were to indicate to
each of your disciples what he ought to do after your
deatk I request it of you, for the love of God, and 1
aia convinced that all will obey you as myself." She
answered: "I am very willing, and I will do BO with
God's grace." She did so in effect, a little while after,

358 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

and all her recommendations were followed. I added,
"Mother, I have another favour to ask of you, and I
beseech you to grant it to me for the love of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Obtain from this moment from your di-
vine Spouse the favour of shewing me the state of your
soul after your death." * * That," said she to me, * ' does
not appear possible ; for, either the soul in the other
life is saved, and then the perfect happiness which it en-
joys, leads it to forget the miseries of this world ; or it
is lost, and then the infinite torments that it endures
prevent it from obtaining that favour. If it be in
purgatory it must participate in the two states, and the
difficulty remains the same." I said, "I am unwilling
to dispute with the Holy Ghost, and I do not believe
that you would, in such a case, limit his power. I
trust in God, and do not refuse me my request." She
promised me to grant it, if our Lord would permit.
She died a short time after.

Eight days had elapsed since her death, when very
early one morning, a man of exalted piety, named
Jean de Pise, came and knocked at my door. I
opened it directly. "Catharine of Sienna is coming,"
said he to me. I answered him, " How can she coine,
for she has been dead some time." He said, " Be sure
that you will see her." Then he went away and I
could not call him back. The morrow, the day after
It, and during nearly thirty days, I received a similar
visit from men estimable for their virtues and their
saintly lives. I presume they were angels from God,
who took their forms to announce to me what was to
take place. At last, one Sunday, after having recited
my midnight Office, I disposed myself to take a littlo

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF SIENNA. 359

repose, when, towards daybreak, I saw in a cloudless
sky, a multitude of Blessed Spirits who advanced in
regulur procession ; they were clothed in white and
marched three by three, bearing ornaments, relics,
crosses, silver chandeliers, lighted tapers, and musical
instruments, and they sung in several choirs, sacred
hymns, the Kyrie Eleison, the Gloria in Excehis, the
Sanctus, the Benedictm, and the le Deum,

The magnificence of this spectacle ravished me com-
pletely ; nevertheless I remembered the promise that
had been given me, I took courage and said to one of
the Angels, " What are you doing?" He answered me,
"We are conducting the soul or Catharine of Sienna,
in presence of the divine Majesty." When he had
passed on, with those who accompanied him, I ad-
dressed another; I said, " Where is she?" Directly
he heard nie, the whole procession formed an extended
circle in the centre of which was Catharine : she waa
clad like the Angels, and resembled the Saviour (as
he is painted in the tribune of Churches.) Her hands
were filled with palm-branches — her head was inclined,
and her eyes modestly cast down. I recognised her
perfectly well by her exterior. I then asked Almighty
God to complete the vision, and to comfort my soul
by allowing me to behold Catharine's countenance. I
was heard, she raised her head and looked at me with
th&t gracious smile, which always expressed the joy of
her soul. The procession then resumed its onward
march, continuing the heavenly chants.

360 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

BARDUCCIO.

A letter of Barduccio was written long before the process at Ve-
nice. It is to be regretted that that holy young man was unable
to join his deposition to those of the other disciples of Saint Ca-
tharine. Our Saint esteemed him particularly, and he survived
her but a short time.

To liis Sister Maria Petriloni, at the Convent of St..
Pierre de Monticeli, near Florence.

IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHMST,

My very dear Mother in our Lord, and Sister in holy
affection to the saintly Catharine, I, Barduccio, un-
worthy and miserable sinner, commend myself to your
prayers, as a feeble child, left an orphan by the death
of our glorious mother.

I received your letter and read its contents with the
greatest pleasure, communicating them to my afflicted
Religious ; they thank you from the depth of their
hearts, for your charity, and the tenderness you con-
descend to bear them. They commend themselves to
your prayers and likewise solicit those of the Prioress
and the other sisters, that they may accomplish with
zeal the good pleasure of God towards themselves, and
in your behalf. Tender and faithful daughter, you de-
sire to become acquainted with the details of the last
moments of our common Mother, and I must satisfy
your desire — I feel myself quite incapable of such a re-
cital; however, I will write to you what my eyes wit-
nessed and what my poor soul was able to comprehend.

That favoured virgin, that mother so useful to the
Church, experienced about the feast of the Circumci-
sion, so great disorder in her whole system, soul aud

LETTER OF BARDUCCIO. 361

body, that she was obliged to change completely her
manner of living. The food necessary for her corporeal
sustenance excited such horror, that she was obliged to
do violence to herself even to touch it, and when she
partook of any, it was impossible' for her to swallow it.
She could not even drink a single drop of water for her
refreshment, though she was consumed with a burning
thirst, and her throat was so inflamed that she seemed
to breathe fire. She however continued to appear active
and gay as usual, and thus attained to Sexagesima. On
that day, whilst she was praying at vespers, there oc-
curred an accident so grave that from that moment
she was never able to recover her wonted health. On
the night of the following Monday, after dictating a
letter to me, she had so violent a crisis that we
mourned her as dead. She remained a long time
without giving the smallest sign of life, then she sud-
denly arose and appeared as though she had under-
gone no change whatever.

From that moment commenced for her new and ex-
traordinary corporeal sufferings. When Lent began,
she applied, notwithstanding her infirmities, with so
much devotion to meditation, that she astonished us by
the abundance of her humble sighs and by the greatness
of her meanings. You are aware that her prayer was
so fervent that one hour of mental prayer weakened her
delicate frame more than two days of uninterrupted
spiritual exercises would fatigue any other person.
Every morning after Comimmion they were obliged to
raise her from the floor and carry her to bed as though
she were dead. Au hour or two sfler, she would arise,
and we v/ould go to St. Peter's, a mile distant, there

862 LIFE OF ST, CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

she would stay until the vespers, and then return in an
almost lifeless condition.

Such were her exercises until the third Sunday of
Lent ; she then bowed beneath the weight of suffer-
ings which overwhelmed her exhausted body, and the
anguish that rent her soul in view of the sins that
were committing against God, and the dangers which
more and more sensibly threatened the holy Church.
She was one mass of interior and exterior suffering,
and thus she continued during eight entire weeks,
being unable even to raise her head. In the midst of
that martyrdom, she frequently said, " These dolours
are physical, but they are not natural, God allows the
demons to torment me thus." It was evident that
what she advanced was correct, and that those suffer-
ings were unheard of. It is impossible to give an idea
of the patience she displayed ; I will merely say that at
each new torture, she joyously elevated her heart and
her eyes to God, saying, " Thanks be to thee, O my
ever-living Spouse, who dost continually crown thy
handmaid, so poor and wretched, with new proofs of
thy favour."

Her body was thus consumed until the Sunday pre-
ceding the Ascension ; it was then reduced to that
state in which painters represent death. Her counte-
nance however was beaming with angelic devotion,
whilst her limbs seemed to be a mere skeleton covered
with a transparent skin. Her strength was so anni-
hilated that it was quite impossible for her to turn her-
self from one side to the other. The night that pre-
ceded Sunday, two hours before morning's dawn, she
had a strong crisis, and we believed that she was on

LETTER OF BARDUCCIO. 363

the verge of her last moments. She then called all her
family around her, and gave those who were neareat
her to understand by signs that she was desirous of re-
ceiving absolution for her faults. Her wish was gra-
tified. She gradually fell into a state in which there
was no perceptible sign of life but a gentle sighing. It
was therefore deemed exped;ent to give her Extreme
Unction, and the Abbe De-Saint- Anthime hastened
to administer it to her, because she appeared to be al-
ready destitute of consciousness. This Sacrament ac-
complished a certain change in her : it seemed by the
motion of her countenance and of her arms that she
was sustai ning assaults from Satan. The combat lasted
an hour and a half. After keeping silence some time,
she commenced saying, u I have sinned, O Lord, have
mercy on me — peccavi, Domine, miserere mei" I think
she repeated these words more than sixty times, and
every time she raised her right hand and then let it
fall, striking the bed. Then she also said frequently,
but without moving the arm, " Saints of God, have
pity on me — Sanctus Dei, miserere mei" She added
other words expressive of her humility and her devo-
tion, and made acts of the different virtues. After
which her countenance suddenly changed, and became
radiant like that of a seraph. Her eyes obscured by
tears, became lighted with joy, she seemed to come
forth from a profound abyss, and that sight softened
the heavy burden of grief that weighed upon us.

Catharine was at that time reclining on the shoulder
of Sister Alessia ; she tried to rise, and with a little
help remained in a sitting posture, though still sup-
ported by Alessia. We had placed before her view %

364 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

little table on which were some relics and pictures of
saints; but she fastened her gaze upon the cross which
was in the centre, expressing sublime thoughts concern-
ing the goodness of God, Then she accused herself
before Him of all her sins. "Yes, it is my fault,"
^aid she, " O Eternal Trinity ! if I have so miserably
offended Thee by my negligence, my ignorance, my
ingratitude and my disobedience. Alas 1 wretched me,
I have not observed the general and particular com-
mandments that thy bounty has given to me. Thou
didst tell me to seek Thee in all things and to labour
continually for thy honour and my neighbour's good,
and I have avoided fatigue even though it were ne-
cessary. Didst thou not command me, O my God !
not to value myself, to think only of the glory of thy
Name, by saving souls, and finding my delight in the
nourishment which flows from thy sacred cross ; and I
have sought my own consolation ! Thou didst con-
tinually invite me to unite myself to Thee by the ar-
iour of desires, the humility of tears, and perseverance
in prayer for the salvation of the world and the reform
of the Church ; thou didst promise me to accord thy
mercies to men, and new treasures to thy spouse ; and
unhappy me, I did not obey thy wishes, I slept in my
jjegligence. Alas ! thou didst confide souls to me, thou
didst give me children that I was bound to love in a
special manner and conduct towards Thee, in the way
of life. I have been distinguished for my weakness
towards them, I have failed in solicitude for their in-
terests, I have not succoured them by addressing Thee
an humble and continual prayer, I have neglected giv-
log them good examples and useful advice. Wretched

LETTER OF BAEDUCCIO. 365

me ! with how little respect I have received the innu-
merable graces and treasures of pain and suffering,
that it has pleased Thee to grant me. I did not gather
them with that insatiable desire and that burning love
which thou didst experience when sending them to me,
Alas ! my love, thy infinite goodness chose me for thy
spouse, in my tender infancy ; but I have not been
faithful enough to thee, for my memory has not always
remained full of thee and of thy immense benefits ; for
my understanding has not been solely attached to their
comprehension, and my will has not been devoted to
loving thee with all my soul and all my strength."

In this manner that pure dove accused herself of her
faults; then turning towards the Priest, she said to him,
" For the love of Jesus Christ crucified, remit me the
sins of which I have accused my self, of well as all those
which I cannot recall." She then asked for the pie-
nary Indulgence which had been granted to her by
Gregory XII., and Urban VI., and in requesting it,
she appeared famished for the Blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Her petitions were granted. She began her
adorations anew, and with such fervour and in uttering
such sublime things as my sinfulness rendered me
wholly unfit to comprehend. The grief which inun-
dated my soul also hindered me from hearing her, for
her voice was BO feeble, and her sufferings so keen that-
she pronounced her words with great difficulty. She
afterwards addressed some of lier spiritual children who
were not present at the admirable discourse which she
gave several days previous to her assembled family,
pointing out the way of perfection and indicating to
each one what ho shoTilc! do after her death. WUou

366 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

she had finished, she asked pardon of us all for the
little care she had taken of our salvation, and also ad-
dressed a few words to Lucio, to another, and to my-
self, miserable man, after which she resumed her prayer.

Oh ! had you but seen with what humility and with
what respect she asked repeatedly the benediction of
her aged mother, who was plunged into the deepest
affliction. How could one restrain her tears when be-
holding that tender mother who recommended herself
to the highly privileged, nay, blessed daughter I and
implored her to obtain grace for her not to offend God
in her grief I But nothing could distract that holy soul
from her deeply fervent prayer, and the nearer she ap-
proached dead i, the more she offered in sacrifice her
life. She also prayed for Pope Urban VI. whom she
declared to be the real Sovereign Pontiff, and she ex-
horted all her children to die, were it necessary, in
order to acknowledge him. She also offered prayer
for all those* whom tiio Lord had given her to love in
l special manner, and she borrowed from our Lord the
words she adopted — when he commended his disciples
to his Father. She expressed herself with such devout
tenderness that we thought our hearts would cleave
asunder.

Finally, sho made the sign of the cross, blessed us
aJl. and bailed that supreme moment of life that she so
much desired, pronouncing these words — " Yes, Lord,
thou callest me and I go to thee ; I go, not on account
of my merits, but merely on account of thy mercies,
and that mercy 1 implore in the name of thy precious
Blood." She cried out several times : " Oh 1 Blood.
Oh ! precious Blood " And then, in imitation of the

ETIENNE MACONl'S DEPOSITION. 867

Saviour she said, " Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. And with a countenance radiant as an
Angel's she meekly bowed her head and expired.

Her death occurred at Sext. We kept her body
until Complin on Tuesday, without the least sign of
corruption ; it was on the contrary cool, and exhaled
a pleasant odour. Her arms, neck, and legs were flexi-
ble during those three days as though she had been
alive. An immense crowd visited her precious re-
mains, and those who could succeed in touching them
considered themselves highly favoured.

God accomplished many miracles at that time, which
I pass over in silence. Her tomb is honoured with
devotion as are the tombs of other saints in Rome,
and numberless graces have been obtained through the
name of that faithful spouse of the Saviour. I doubt
not you have already heard what they were, hence I
will not inform you more at length. I commend my-
self to the Prioress and to all the sisters, for truly, I
never so much needed prayers. May God preserve
you and give you an increase of his heavenly grace !

ETIENNE MACONI.

Etienne Maconi was one of the most cherished disciples of Catha-
rine and of the most jealous for her glory. When dying the Saint
commanded him to enter the order of the Carthusians, which he
adorned with his lights, and his virtues. (Third Part, first chap-
ter, p. 248.) lie died in 1424, and was interred at the Chartreuse
in Pavia. His life was written by a Carthusian, Dom Bartholo-
mew of Sienna ; it was published in 1626. The title of " Blessed'
is generally given to Etienne Maooni, but his festival is not cel-
brated. The Bollandists have extracted some facts from his life
relative to the history of St. Catharine, we shall recaptulato thenj
briefly.

Tns occasion of the conversion of Etienno Maconi

368 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

was his reonciliation with the enemies of his family, as
he himself relates in his deposition ; but through deli-
cacy no doubt, he does not give the following details.

The enemies of the Maconi were the Tholomei and
the Rinaldini. The saint had fixed a day in which
they were to be reconciled in the church of St. Chris-
topher; but the pride of their nobility and their power
unsettled their minds anew. They were unfaithful to
their appointment, and avoided meeting Catharine,
or any of the Maconi family. Catharine was infoimed
of it. " They will not listen to me," said she, " but
willing, or unwilling, they shall be obliged to listen to
Almighty God." She went immediately to the church
whither she had convoked Etienue Maconi with his
father Conrad and his other relatives. She placed
herself before the principal altar, and offered fre-
quent prayers to heaven. Whilst she was praying,
ravished in ecstasy, those who refused to be reconci-
led came to the church, unknown to one and other.
God brought them there I As soon as they saw the bles-
sed in prayer and perceived, as they afterwards ad-
mittted, the rays of divine light that darted from her
countenance, they felt themselves vanquished and ready
to renounce their anger ; they addressed themselves
to Catharine who returned to her ordinary state ; they
charged her to regulate the conditions, and all soon
embraced each other and mutually asked pardon.

Etienne Maconi formed part of the Confraternity of
the Blessed Virgin, which assembled in the basement
of the hospital of Sienna, for various exercises of piety.
He allowed himself on one occasion to be drawn into
a conspiracy which was plotting against the goveni-

ETIENNE MACONI'S DEPOSITION. 369

ment in that place consecrated to prayer. Catharine
discovered it supernaturally and said, " O my son Eti-
enne, what evil do you contrive in your heart ? What
are you doing ? Is it thus that you change the house
of God into a workshop for treason !" Her companions
were astonished at hearing these words, and suspected
there was a question of some great secret. A few days
after, Etienne came to visit Catharine as usual ; but be-
fore he had time to speak to her, Catharine cried out
to him, " Is it thus, Etienne, that you risk the loss of
both your soul and body ? What a stupid project •
Keturn, I entreat you, return to yourself, and reject;
from your heart, the venom of conspiracy. You deceive
yourself if you imagine that we can with impunity
turn the house of God into a den of conspirators. To
wash away the fault you have committed, go, and in ,
that spot witness to it, shed by scourging yourself, as
many drops of blood as you uttered guilty words;'
Etienne perceiving himself discovered, withdrew and
submissively performed what she had commanded him.
Etienne became one of Catharine's secretaries, ac-
companied her in her journey to Avignon, was present
during her agony, and paid the last duties to hor re-
mains. He carried her corpse on his shoulders to the
church of the Minerva, guarded it piously, so long as it
was exposed, and buried it covering it with kisses and
tears. He was afterwards faithful to the worship of his
saintly mother, and zealously collected her relics and
whatever could preserve her memory. He assisted
Friar Raymond a great deal in the writing of her life.
At the period of the translation of the head of St. Ca-
tharine to Siennft, he was miraculQusly warned of the

2 a

370 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

feast that would take place on that occasion, and he
went out to meet those who caine to invite him.

The ceremony took place in 1385, amid a concourse
of people and clergy, who carried lighted torches
and made the air resound with pious canticles. The
kindred and the disciples of Catharine surrounded the
precious relic ; but every eye was intent upon the
aged Lapa, who had seen more than 80 revolving suns,
and who walked in procession beside the head of her
daughter. " Oh ! but thou art happy," said they to
her," to witness the triumph of thy daughter ! Catha*
rine is in heaven and thou art sure of receiving there
the recompense of all thy sufferings. How could it
be otherwise, than that she who has promoted the salva-
tion of so many souls will procure thy eternal happi-
ness ?" In effect the good Lapa died at the age of 89,
with such sentiments of piety, that it is evident she
went to enjoy in heaven the affectionate embrace of
ner holy daughter.

Etienne Maconi was miraculously healed of a disease
in the eyes by a relic of St. Catharine. He had ob-
tained the ring finger of the blessed and placed it in a
beautiful reliquary. When he lost his sight, to such a
degree as not to be able to write or to fulfil the duties
of his office, he took the precious relic in his hands, and
kneeling down, he thus invoked his protectress in hea-
ven : " O Mother ! who didst bring ine forth to the life
of grace; behold me almost deprived of sight, and un-
able to accomplish any longer what I desire to do for
the glory of thy heavenly Spouse, i do not refuse to
become blind and I will cheerfully accept all the crosses
that God may deign to send me ; but prove to me that

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MACONL 371

my attachment is agreeable to thee. I implore with
confidence an assistance that thou hast so frequently
granted to me, and with this motive I touch, notwith-
standing my unworthiness, thy holy relics." So say-
ing, he applied the finger of the beatified Catharine to
his diseased eyes. His hope was not deceived; the pain
instantly disappeared, and he recovered his sight per-
fectly. To crown his joy, he heard a voice that told
him not to fear anything, because she who formerly pro-
tected him on earth, would still protect him in heaven.
Etienne Maconi used strenuous efforts to hasten Ca-
tharine's canonization. Gregory XII. sent for him to Si-
enna to labour for it there, but the troubles of the Church
suspended the informations. Etienne was one of the
most active in organizing the anniversary feasts of the
Blessed at Sienna, at Venice, and in other cities ; he
composed, in order to spread a knowledge of her life
and miracles, some dramas that were played on that
day in great magnificence. Years only increased his
zeal and his affection to Catharine, and he toiled until
his last moment to propagate her honour and devotion.

LETTER OF THE BLESSED ETIENNE
MACONI,

Concerning the deeds and virtues of Saint Catharine of Sienna,

To the pious and good Brother d' Antonio, of tta
Order of Preaching Friars, residing at the Convent of
SS. John and Paul in Venice, Friar Etienne of Sienna,
notwithstanding his unworthiness, Prior of the Char-
treuse de-Sainte-Maria des Graces, n^ar Pavia, health
In Him who is the salvation of all.

872 LIFE OF ST. CAIHAKUSIC OK SIENNA.

I received joyfully and read attentively the letters
in which you ask of me a faithful deposition, in authen-
tic form, concerning the life, virtues and doctrine of
the virgin, Catharine of Sienna ; you remind me of
my numerous relations with her during her lifetime,
and claim my testimony on the occasion of certain
complaints which have been made to the Bishop of
Venice, in reference to the feast commemorative of
that holy woman, many being unwilling to believe in
the virtues that are attributed to her.

1 must acknowledge that, although a citizen of
Sienna, neither I nor mine had any acquaintance
with Catharine and her relatives previous to the year
1376. At the time I was drawn away by the vortex
of the care of the present life, and had no sort of idea
of forming her acquaintance; but the eternal
Bounty, who wills the death of none, saved my soul
from the abyss of perdition by means of that saintly
virgin, we were then in open contest (without fault
on our part), with a family more powerful than ours,
and notwithstanding the negociations and efforts of
Honourable citizens, it was impossible to obtain from
our enemies any hope of adjustment.

Catharine then enjoyed a great reputation in Tus-
cany, and everybody was celebrating her virtues and
relating wonderful things concerning her. I was told
that if I asked her to intercede in this affair she would
certainly obtain peace as she had already done so many
times. I took council of a gentleman who having been
thus reconciled had become Catharine's friend. As soon
as he heard me, he answered me directly : — " Be sure
that you will find no one in the city more capable of

LETTER OF JiLESSED ETTENNE MACON1. 378

effecting peace; do not defer, and I will accompany
you." We paid her a visit and she received me, not
with the bashful timidity of a young maiden as I had
fancied, but with the tenderness of a sister who saw
once again a brother who had been absent on a long
journey. I was perfectly astonished and I gathered
eagerly the pious discourse which she held, engaging
me to confess and live like a good Christian. I said
the finger of God is there. Digitus Dei est hie. When
I explained to her the object of my visit, she answered
me unhesitatingly: "Go, my son, trust in the Lord;
I will do all in my power to procure a satisfactory re-
conciliation ; allow me to take charge of this affair."
Thanks to her intercession, we obtained the peace in 3
miraculous manner, notwithstanding my adversaries,
great influence.

On account of this reconciliation I visited her often,
and every day, by the efficacy of her words and thg
perfection of her examples, I felt within me a blessed
change. At that period she asked me to write some
letters under her dictation; I accepted with joy, and
soon I felt my heart inflamed with a new ardour for
heavenly things. I despised the world and all that be-
longed to it, and conceived so much shame for my past
life that I could not even think upon it. This change
appeared exteriorly, and nearly all the city was in as-
tonishment. The more I examined the life, the exam-
ples, the manners, and the conversation of the privi-
leged virgin, and the more I felt growing within ine
the love of God and a contempt for the world.

A little while after, Catharine said to me in secret,
"You will see, my dear son, that ero long your high-

874 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

est wish shall be accomplished." That saying amazed
me much; I did not know what I could desire in the
world, I was thinking rather of quitting it entirely.
I said to her, "My very dear mother, what is that
greatest desire?" She replied, " Look into your heart. "
I said, " Beloved mother, I do not find any greater de-
sire than that of remaining near you." She answered
instantly, " It shall be satisfied." For myself, I could'
not understand how that could be done without viola-
ting the rules of propriety; but He to whom nothing
is impossible, by a marvellous act of his will, arranged
that she should be sent to Avignon, to Gregory Xl.t
and then, notwithstanding my unworthiness, I was
chosen to travel in her holy company. I quitted with
joy my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters,
and all my kindred ; so glad was I to enjoy the inti-
macy of Catharine and her virginal presence!

In consequence of this voyage, the Sovereign Pon-
tiff returned to Rome, encouraged and fortified by
Catharine who had received that special mission. The
Holy Father sent her to Florence, on affairs of the
Church. That city had revolted against his power,
and God performed many extraordinary things there
by means of his servant, as may be seen in her me-
moirs. I had the happiness of accompanying her. In
fine, I went with her to Rome, where after having ex-
perienced with joy, unheard of sufferings for the glory
of God, she happily attained the term of her terres-
trial pilgrimage. I carried her body with my own
hands to the church of the Minerva, where it is depo-
sited in a coffin or chest of cypress- wood, and enclosed
in a handsome monument

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MAOONL 375

In her last moments she told each one of us what
we ought to do after her decease; thei* ahe turned to-
wards me and pointing me out with her linger said,
"As to you, I command you on the part ol Almighty
God, and in the name of holy Obedience, to enter the
Order of the Carthusians, because God wills it, and
calls you to it." And as she beheld us in tears on all
sides, "My beloved children," said she, "you should
not be distressed, but rejoice in the Lord, and regard
this as a festival day ; for I am about to leave my
prison, to be united to the Spouse of my soul, and I
promise you to be more useful to you after my death,
than I could possibly have been during my life." That
promise she kept, and never ceases to observe it
daily.

As a proof I will declare, to my shame, a circum-
stance for the honour of God and praise of Catharine.
When she commanded me to enter the Order of the
Chartreux, I had never thought of that nor of any
other Order, but as soon as she ascended to heaven, I
felt in my heart so strong a desire of obeying her, that
had the whole world opposed it, I should have paid
no kind of attention to it, and indeed I have proved it.
This is not the tune nor place to relate all that Catha-
rine did and still does for her unworthy son. I merely
declare, that after God and his holy Mother, I consider
myself more indebted to her than to all other beings.

It will be seen that, during several years, I had very
i itimate relations with Catharine, because I wrote her
letters — she also informed me concerning her most se-
cret transactions and dictated to me a portion of her
book. She loved me with the tenderness of a mother;

876 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

much more indeed than I deserved; consequently se-
veral of her children conceived a strong sentiment of
envy. I studied with the greatest attention, her words,
her conduct, and all her actions, and I say, in my soul
and on my conscience, before God and the Church mi-
litant, sinner as I am, that I have frequented more
than sixty years the company of several great servants
of God, but never have I seen, never have I heard any
one who had attained so high a degree of perfection or
a virtue so exalted. Every one recognised in her the
image of all the virtues, and the pure mirror of all true
Christians. / do not remember ever to have heard an
idle word from her virginal mouth ! She instantly
turned our most frivolous conversations to our spiri-
tual good. Her heart could never be satisfied with
speaking of God and sacred things, and I think she
would never have slept or ate, had she had some one to
listen to her. When persons spoke in her presence of
affairs of the world, or on the subjects having no re-
ference to the salvation of souls, she took refuge in con-
templation, and her body became insensible as when
she was in prayer. Her ecstasies were continual, and
we have witnessed them a thousand times. Her mem-
bers then became motionless and stiff — and it would
have been easier to have broken them, than to have
changed their position. To prove that this state was
not feigned, I will relate a fact of which I was a per-
sonal witness.

When we were at Avignon, the Pope, Gregory XI.,
caused us to have handsome lodgings with a chapel
richly adorned. The sister of the Pope, who was a
pious woman, after holding conversations with Catha-

LETTER OP BLESSED ETIENNE MACONI. 377

rine, conceived a great affection and deep veneration
for her. She told Father Raymond, her Confessor, that
she had a grea\, desire to be present when that devout
person wouldhave thehappinessof receiving Holy Com-
munion. Father Raymond promised to notify her-
The Sunday following, Catharine entered the chapel,
having only sandals on her feet. She wished to re-
ceive Communion, and during her preparation, she
was, as usual, ravished in ecstasy. Father Raymond
called me and told me to go to the palace and tell the
Pope's sister that Catharine intended receiving Holy
Communion this morning. That lady was then hear-
ing Mass ; when I entered, she perceived me, and as
she recognised me as belonging to Catharine's suite,
she came to me and said, " My son, what do you wish?"
I communicated my message. She quickly repaired
with a great many individuals of high rank to our re-
sidence. Among others she brought with her the wife
of the Pope's nephew, Raymond de Turenne; a young
person full of vanity and an entire stranger to divine
things. Whilst the Pope's sister was praying in a
very recollected manner, this person imagined, I pre-
sume, that Catharine feigned an ecstasy, and after the
Mass, she pretended to stoop down, from devotion, to
the feet of the saint, and pierced them several times
with a great pin. Catharine remained motionless and
would not have stirred even had they cut off her feet.
When all the people had withdrawn, Catharine re-
sumed the use of her senses and then experienced such
acute pain in her feet that she could hardly walk. Her
companions on discovering where and how she suffered
raitarked the dried blood which oozei fiwm her wounds

37S LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

and thereby understood the malice of her who suspected
her!#

In reference to Catharine's ecstasies, there is one
thing which must not be passed over in silence. In
the midst of difficulties, her soul applied with greater
ardour to mental prayer, and made such reiterated
efforts to raise itself towards heaven, that her body
quitted the earth without regard to the laws of gravity.
Many persons have seen her suspended in air, and I
have personally witnessed that fact, which filled me
with the most profound amazement. The explanation
of that phenomenon is to be found in the book which
Catharine composed, and which I partially wrote un-
der her dictation. God had granted his faithful spouse
so great power and such intimacy, that during her
prayers, she would say, "I will itl" and when she
thus spoke she was instantly obeyed. We could give
many proofs of this. The following happened to my-
self on my return to Avignon. We remained at
Genes more than a month, at the house of a respect-
able lady named Orietta Scotta ; we were nearly all
sick. Our hostess took great care of us, and employed
two skilful physicians to come to see us every day. I
fatigued myself with them, because I was anxious to
nnrse the sick. They warned me that I would become
ill myself, and indeed, in two or three days, I took to
my bed with a violent fever accompanied with a strong
headache and very painful vomiting. Catharine having
been informed of it, came to pay me a visit with her
Confessors and companions, and inquired of me what I
was suffering. I, quite delighted at her sweet presence,
* Dom. J/ontene, p. 1327.

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MACONI. 379

answered cheerfully : " They say that I suffer ; I know
not what." Then with maternal tenderness she placed
her virginal hand on my forehead and said, shaking
her head a little ; " Do you hear that child answering
me? *They tell me that I suffer, and I know not
what ?' And he has a violent fever ;" and she added ;
" I do not allow you to follow the example of the other
patients ; I command you, in virtue of holy obedience,
no longer to suffer this malady. I will that you be
completely restored and serve the others as usual." She
then began talking of God as was her custom, and while
she conversed I was healed. I interrupted her to de-
clare it to all the spectators who were in admiration, and
I have since enjoyed long years of perfect health. Ca-
tharine spoke in the same tone of authority, when she
cured the venerable Giovanni, a monk who dwelt in
the solitude of Vallombrosa, as he affirmed to me when
he was in his last agony, at the Abbey of Passignano,
near Sienna. I heard from the very lips of Catharine
a similar order given in the absence of the same monk,
to two of his disciples whom he had sent to her. She
commanded him by their intermediation to be sick no
Ipnger, and to come to her without delay, which he
did immediately. The holy Religious wrote an ad-
mirable letter on this occasion, which I carefully pre-
serve in our convent.

Although the whole interior and exterior life of Ca-
tharine was, so to speak, miraculous, yet, several ser-
vants of God, of high integrity, have admired in it one
circumstance, very extraordinary in «ie pilgrimage of
man on earth. Whatever she did, said, or heard, never
hindered her holy soul from being intimately united

380 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

to God and plunged, as it were in the Divinity. As
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,
she never conversed except on God and what referred
to Him. She sought him, found him, possessed him
in all things by an actual and sensible love. I recol-
lect that when she saw flowers in a meadow, she said
to us, " Do you not perceive how everything honours
God and proclaims his 7»*aise to us ? Do not those
crimson flowers repreself; k> us the bleeding wounds of
Jesus?" On descrying an ant-hill, she said, " Those
little creatures emanate from the sacred thought of
God, and he used as much care in creating the insects
and the flowers as in forming the holy angels." We
were so much consoled by her presence on every occa-
sion, and in all things, that, in order to listen to her,
we forgot to take our repasts ; we thought no more of
our pains and trials. Those who were condemned to
death called for her ; she visited them often, and they
seemed no longer to reflect on the destiny that awaited
them. In her presence, the temptation of Satan van-
ished ; the sun in its highest splendour cannot more
triumphantly dissipate darkness. I remember often
going to her with my interior trouble, and afterwards
acknowledging that I had forgotten it. I would in-
quire of her what it was, and she would explain it to
me better than I could have exposed it myself.

There is in this no reason for astonishment, for it is ge-
nerally known that that holy virgin saw souls as we saw
faces ; we could hide nothing from her. And one day I
said to her, " Indeed mother, it is very dangerous to be
near you, for you discover all our secrets." " Know,
my dear son," answered she, *' that in souls especially

LETTER OF BLESSED ET1ENNE MACONI, 381

in those confided to me, there does not appear a spot
or even a shadow of a defect that I do not instantly
perceive by the intermediation of our Divine Saviour."

Her holy exhortations brought back to the path of
rectitude a multitude of persons whom she led to the
determination of confessing their sins ; — it was impos-
sible to resist her. On account of the admirable re-
sults which she accomplished in souls, Pope Gregory
XI. allowed her always to have three Confessors with
very extended faculties. Sometimes sinners presented
themselves who were so in bonds of sin that they would
say to her, "Madame, were you to ask us to go to
Rome or to St. James, we would do it directly ; but
to go to confession — do not mention, it is impossible.'1
When she had exhausted every other method, she
would say to them, " If I tell you why you refuse to
go to confession, would you then go ?" The aston-
ished sinners would accept this condition, and she
would say to them, " My dear brother, we may some-
times escape the eyes of men, but never those of God.
You committed such a sin, in such a place, and at such
a time, and that is the reason that Satan troubles your
soul and hinders you from confessing." The sinner
finding himself discovered would prostrate himself at
her feet, and avow his fault, and with a profusion of
tears confess without delay. This I can certify occur-
red to many. One among others who held a high
position and enjoyed a great reputation throughout all
Italy, told me, "God and myself alone know what
that saint revealed to me, I therefore cannot doubt
that she is much greater before God than we think."

Catharine's exterior life also was miraculous. Hcc

882 UFE OP ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

virginal body sustained itself a long time without
taking any material nourishment — the Holy Eucharist
sufficed for it. I had it in my power to observe her
during several years, and the following was her mode
of life. She held meat, wine, confectionary, and eggs
in abhorrence ; her companions prepared her a little
salad, when they had it, and sometimes vegetables
dressed hi oil. She would only take the head and tail
of an eel : she never took cheese except it was spoiled ;
it was the same way with grapes fresh or dry ; she
.lid not eat these articles, she merely masticated them
with or without bread, and rejected them as soon as
she had extracted a portion of their juice. She often
drank pure water but by little mouthf uls. She waited to
take this little nourishment until her companions had
quitted the table, then she would rise, saying, "Let
us go and do justice to this miserable sinner." She
was obliged to aid herself in rejecting whatever she
had taken, and sometimes she had so much difficulty
that she vomited blood abundantly.

This circumstance is calculated to confound the in-
credulous, who calumniated her by saying, she does
not eat in public, but she deprives herself of nothing
in secret. As soon as she had any substance in her
stomach as large as a hazel nut, her whole system was
in a state of suffering, and if the visit of any person
prevented her from relieving herself, she would faint
away, and remain as though dead until she had vo-
mited. We have been witness of this a thousand tunes.

I said to her one day in private : " My very dear
mother, the food that you take is BO very little, &uc!
you retain such &n insignificant portion even of that

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MACONI. 383

that it is quite useless to you ; and you reject it with
such extreme difficulty that it appears to mo preferable
to deprive yourself wholly." She answered me with
her wonted prudence, "My beloved Son, I have seve-
ral reasons for taking this food. First, I have asked
of God that he would punish me in this life, for the
sin of gluttony, and I therefore gladly accept this pain
which he sends me. Next, I endeavour to content
some persons, who appear to be scandalized when I do
not eat ; they say that the devil deceives me ; then I
exert myself to eat. There is also one more reason —
by these sufferings, I am brought back to my natural
faculties ; without that, my body would bo too much
absorbed, and my mind would perhaps sink." After
such explanations, I had no reply.

The blessed Catharine had received the gift of wis-
dom in so high a degree, that all who heard her were
filled with admiration . She explained the sacred Scrip-
tures with such astonishing clearness, that her inter-
pretations surprised the most able Doctors. Human
science vanished before her, as snow dissolves before
the mid-day sun: she delivered several most eloquent
discourses as well as highly practical ones in presence
of Gregory XI. and some cardinals, and all declared,
"Never man spoke like this, it is not this woman that
speaks — but the Holy Spirit himself." Pope Gregory
XI. often gavu audience to Catharine, aud testified a
great respect for her. Three Prelates of very high
rank, came to see him on the subject : Most Holy
Father," said they to him, "is this Catharine of Si-
enna as saintly as is pretended V" The Pope replied
*' I am persuaded that she is a saitit" "We will pay

884 LIFE OP ST. CA.THAKINE OF SIENNA.

her a visit with permission from your Holiness." " 1
think that you will be extremely edified." In effect
they came to our residence, at the hour of None ; it
was in summer; they knocked, and I opened the door
for them. "Give Catharine notice," said they to
cne, " that we would like to speak with her." Im-
mediately the blessed went down with her Confessor,
ind a few other monks. The prelates bade her to be
seated ; then they commenced speaking to her in a
haughty tone, endeavouring to irritate her by words
calculated to wound. Among other things they said
" We come from the Sovereign Pontiff, and we wish
to know whether the Florentines did actually send you
to him, as is pretended. If they sent you, it must be
that they have no man capable of transacting such
important business ; but if they did not send you, we
are greatly surprised that a little insignificant woman
Like you, should presume to converse with the Holy
Father on subjects so difficult." Catharine, always
calm, answered them humbly, but clearly in a manner
that excited their surprise. When she had satisfied
them on this subject, they proposed to hersome very dif-
ficult questions, concerning her ecstasies, her extraor-
dinary life, on the passages in which the Apostle says
that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light,
and on the means which she adopted for avoiding the
deceits of Satan. The conference lasted until night,
and I was witness to it. Occasionally, Father Jean,
her Confessor, attempted to reply for Catharine, and
although he was Professor of Theology, the prelates
were so skilful they confounded him in a few words ;
they said to him, "You should blush to advance vich

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MACONI, 385

things in our presence: let her reply, she satisfies us
far better than you can." There was among thoso
prelates an Archbishop from the Friars Minor who di<f
not appear to accept, sometimes, at least, what Catha'
rine said; then the other two opposed him, saying,
u Why interrogate her any further, it is evident that
she has explained these subjects to us with more clear-
ness and precision than any doctor could have done."
At length they withdrew edified and comforted, and
told the Pope that they had never met a soul so hum-
ble and so enlightened.

When the Pope was informed what had transpired,
he was extremely pained, and offered excuses to Catha-
rine, assuring her that it was against his will that the
prelates had thus acted and recommending her not to
receive them, if they presented themselves again. « On
the following day, M. Francois of Sienna, who was
then physician to his Holiness, said to me, " Are you
acquainted with the prelates who went to see you?" I
answered, "No!" "Well," said he, "know that were
the knowledge and learning of these three men on one
scale of a balance, and that of the whole Roman Court
on the other, the acquirements of these three would
overbalance, and I can tell you that if they had not
found Catharine so solid, she would have passed a se-
vere trial."

Finally, who can worthily recount the interior vir-
tues of the blessed, and the works which she caused to
be effected by her profound humility and her unalter-
able resignation? Never did a shadow of trouble over-
cast Jb^r face ; never did she utter a single word which
inig&j indicate anger or impatience, and this last is a

386 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

mark of high perfection. "Who shall describe the ar-
dent charity which inspired her to give not merely her
temporal goods, when she was in the house of her fa-
ther, but which induced her to sacrifice herself unre-
lentingly for the honour of God and the relief of her
neighbour. One day as she was setting out with her
Confessors and her companions, she met a poor person
who begged an alms with a certain degree of importun-
ity. She said to him: " I assure you, my dear brother,
that 1 have no money." "But," said he, " you could
give me that mantle :" "That is true," said Catharine,
giving it to him. Those who accompanied her, had
much difficulty in redeeming the mantle, because the
poor man made her pay very dear for it, and when they
asked her how she could resolve to walk out without
the cloak of her order, she replied, "7 prefer being des-
titute of clothing to being destitute of charity"

My health and pressing occupations oblige me to ter-
minate these recitals without order. I might have writ-
ten many books on this rich subject, but those persons
who desire to become better acquainted with the admi-
rable virtuesof that blessed woman, her visions and her
aitimacy with our Lord, may peruse her history writ-
ten by tiie Most Rev. Father Raymond of Capua, who
was her Confessor for a long time, and after her death
became General of the Order of Preaching Friars, in
which he did very remarkable things. Some difficult
readers, who easily become weary of pious subjects, pre-
tend that his book is too long. It should rather be said
that her life is too much abridged ; but whatever he wrote
was dictated by the Holy Ghost himself. I was well
acquainted, with him, and am capable of appreciating

LETTER OF BLESSED ETIENNE MACONI. 387

the holiness of his life, the charm attendant on his vir-
tues, the purity and nobility of his soul, the depth of
his learning, and other merits with which God had en-
riched him. His devotion to the Blessed Virgin was
/ery great, as maybe proved by reading his admirable
treatise on the Magnificat. He is now, without doubt,
in heaven, and I am at liberty to disclose a circum-
stance hitherto secret. Several years previous to hold-
ing any relation with her whose life he wrote, the
Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to our saint, and pro-
mised to give her a confessor who would afford her more
consolation than the others whom she had formerly
consulted : which took place.

Here then is my testimony to the life of St. Catharine
of Sienna — you have earnestly requested it, and I have
written it withoutreseai ch, and in the simplicity of my
heart, though oppressed with sufferings and numerous
occupations. You asked me to be truthful in all that
I wouldadvance, and I affirm, in the sincerity and peace
of my conscience, that I have added nothing to th.9
truth. I know that a lying tongue slays the soul, and
that God has no need of our falsehoods, and also that
it is not allowable to do evil that good may come. Be
persuaded therefore that I have told the truth ; I am
ready to affirm it by oath, and in the form that you
wish, for the honour of God, and for the edification and
consolation of my neighbour. If it be necessary I will
put my hand into fire ; I attest it in presence of the
Omniscient; Him to whom be all praise:and glory for
ever and ever.

Two Notaries wrote this declaratian on the 26th of
October, 1477, in the presence of numerous witnesses.

388 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

We have appended to it the great seal of our convent,
in order to satisfy your request.

DOM BARTHOLOMEW OF RAVENNA.

Dom Bartholomew of Ravenna sent his deposition on the twenty-
seventh of October, 1411 ; it was presented with the others to the
Vicar General of the Bishop. Dom Bartholomew was the Prior of
the Chartreuse that Catharine went to visit in Gorgon Isle, thirty
miles from the port of Livourne (Part II. , chap. ix. , p. 215. ) His
testimony has particular reference to that visit.

AFTER having told the good that the discourse of
Catharine produced in the souls of his Monks, Dom
Bartholomew adds : At the moment of leaving, " the
blessed'1 said to me in private, "Father Prior, watch
over your flock, for I announce to you, that the enemy
is seeking to produce scandal in the monastery. " And
to calm the trouble that these words excited, she added :
4 ' But do not fear, the enemy cannot prevail. :' In effect
a few days after, the master of a boat from Pisa, which
brought wood to our island, gave a young monk bad
news from his mother. The Religious asked permis-
sion to return to Pisa with the sloop, and as this per-
mission was refused him, he became sad and the devil
tempted him violently. One day as I was in the
cloister with the Religious, he came to me with a coun-
tenance indicating great interior disorder, and impe-
riously demanded permission to go to Pisa. I was
unwilling to yield to a command so unsuitable and sent
him away, recommending one of the senior Religious
to follow him. He ran to his cell, took a sword and
attempted to kill himself: his companion had merely
thneto arrest his hand and call for assistance. I arrived

DEPOSITION OF BARTHOLOMEW OF RAVENNA. 389

with all speed and endeavoured to calm the poor insen-
sate, by promising him to grant what he had request-
ed. But he began at once to cry out, " No, I do not
wish to go : the devil tempts me, and he also wished
to induce me to throw myself from the top of the con-
vent." And as all the Religious were agitated and
terrified, I ordered the cloak that the saint had given
me as a remembrance on quitting the isle to be brought
and I placed it in the arms of the Religious who reco
vered his peace directly. I said, " my son, recommend
yourself to St. Catharine." He answered, "She is
truly praying -for me ; I had been lost if she had not
prayed."

Being at Pisa after Catharine's departure, Dom Bar-
tholomew interrogated a person obsessed, " Is that
saint in Sienna as holy as persons think?" " More
holy," answered the obsessed. Another Religious asked
him whether Catharine could deliver him, " She could
do wkat you could not do because although you are a
good religious you have not arrived at the same degree
of perfection.

When the saint quitted Gorgon Isle, the monks
accompanied her to Pisa and craved her benediction
before withdrawing. She said to them, ' ' Should any
accident occur to you on the route fear not, the Lord
will be with you." When approaching the island a
tempest arose, the helm was broken, and the barque
dragged towards a dangerous spot, touched the ground
on her side and filled with water. A Religious, who
was desirous of bringing help, was drawn away by the
force of the waves, but he was saved as well as the
others, and the barque was not damaged In tire least.

890 LIFE OP ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

When the process was terminated, they also received
the deposition of Brother Angelo Salvatti of Sienna,
of the Order of Friars Minor, Professor of Sacred
<Scripture. This deposition, dated the 10th of March,
1413, confirms the preceding depositions without giv-
ing any new details. Friar Ange speaks at length of
the conversion of Friar Lazarini and of the exalted
sanctity to which he attained under Catharine's direc-
tion. He describes a visit which he paid Etienne
Maconi ; and when he was telling him that a Monk
had seen Catharine elevated from the ground in ec-
stasy, Etienne smiled, saying that he had seen her not
only once but many and many a time.

BULL OF PIUS IL

For the Canonization of Saint Catharine of Sienna;

Pius, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to all
the faithful of Christ, Health and Apostolical Bene-
diction.

The mercies ef the Lord, which we have so abun-
dantly experienced in our days, cannot be described
by mortal lips ; the blessing? of God surpass human
language, and though man were capable of expressing
himself by all his members, never could he worthily
celebrate his great Creator. "We were formed from
nothing ; we sprung from nothingness into existence;
not only have we being as the stones, plants, and ani-
mals, but we have been endowed with reason, and
have become capable of divine tMngs : we have been
created not merely similar to the Angels, but also in

BULL OP PIUS IL 891

the image of the omnipotent and invisible God ; we
have been crowned with glory and honour, and have
received power over all his works. And yet, if we set
aside the pride of Lucifer and his followers, man alone,
among all creatures, has proved ungrateful and re-
bellious towards God. All inanimate creation cele-
brates the divine goodness in its being, and never
transgresses his commandments ; every thingirrational
obeys the laws of nature and fulfils tlie end for which
it was created. The earth opens to the plough, and
receives the seed which it returns with usury ; faithful
to the orders of man, either civilized or savage, it al-
ways renders service to him, the stone that is staken
from it for building, yields without resistance to the
iron or the fire that works it ; the trees that protect
the field with their shady foliage bear fruit, and when
withered , they afford fuel, or support houses and their
roofy coverings. How useful are the plants by their
leaves, roots, flowers, seed, or the juice that is extracted
from them. How serviceable the rivers, lakes, and seas,
which are furrowed by the track of myriads of vessels
uniting by commercial intercourse the very " ends of
the earth." God is praised by the inhabitants of the
land, the water, the air, each order glorifying him by
submissively obeying the instincts of its respective na-
ture. The elements, the stars and the plants obey hia
high command ! Mark how the sun performs his an-
nual circuit without exceeding the boundaries of tho
zodiac ; the gentle moon, shining with mild reflected
light, never fails to perform her destined functions ;
while the orbs that revolve throughout the universal sky
never wander, but videv&tiugly pursue their estab -

892 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

lished course. All things material in heaven and on
earth bless the Lord, and praise him by steadily ful-
filling the end of their creation. All follow their
general laws and remain within their prescribed limits
obedient to the Deity, their great First Cause.

Man alone, ungrateful, disobedient and rebellious
man, has imitated the sin of the fallen angel. Lucifer,
who, proud in the very height of heaven, aimed at
becoming like his Creator, and was precipitated into the
infernal abyss, for indulging his guilty thought : man,
formed from the dust of the earth, on whose surface
he was placed as lord, forgot his weakness and lowly
origin, and also aimed at exaltation, by " eating the
forbidden fruit ;" he determined to become, by know-
ing good and evil, equal to God, and in consequence
was driven away from the terrestrial Paradise and
condemned to countless afflictions. Heaven's gate was
closed against him ; a subject of the tyrant death, the
vengeance that ensued proved how deeply he had of-
fended God, and how remote during the ages previous
to the deluge, were his sons from the fulfilment of God's
holy will. All flesh was destroyed by the waters from
heaven, except the virtuous Noe, and those who like
him entered the ark. Even children were not exempt
from malice ; they also became wicked, and fell into
manifold crimes. The tower of Babel was an impious
enterprise against the God of punishment, but the divi-
sion of tongues arrested it, and from that moment
arose wars, rapine, disorder, confusion, conflagration,
carnage, adultery, incest, per jury, the worship of idols,
and all the ills that pride and luxury produce. Until
the time wf Abraham, the faithful observers of the

BULL OF PIUS n. 393

divine law were very rare: but the holy patriarch
gave singular example of the sincerity of his faith, in
obeying God, even so far as unhesitatingly to immolate
his own dear son. All the nations of the earth were
blessed in his race. Not only were the prophets of the
divine law to descend from him, but Christ the Saviour
deigned to be born from him according to the flesh,
when to redeem mankind, he, the equal of his Father,
by his divine nature, determined to "annihilate him-
self," to be clothed with our infirmities, to endure the
most cruel torments, and accept on the cross a death,
not ordinary, but violent, ignominious, horrible, and
above the endurance of mere human strength. By
dying he destroyed our death and restored us to life;
he conquered hell ; delivered the just; and, victorious
over death and the demon, opened triumphantly the
long closed portals of heaven. When ascending to
his Father, He showed us the way we are to follow, and
left us in his Gospel, in Baptism, and the other Sacra-
ments, the means of rising from our falls, and obtain-
ing salvation.

And yet, tso many benefits have not captivated our
hearts ! Our malice and our evil inclinations have not
been destroyed; the heart of man, while destitute of
gratitude has not yet deserted vice. The more we have
been favoured with graces, the more we have shown
ourselves ungrateful and inclined to evil. For how do
we love and honour the great God? How observe MS
laws? Who obeys the Gospel? Where is there any
dread of the decisions of the Church, submission to-
wards superiors, charity in regard to inferiors? Where
is equity, where are piety, justice, reverence, and mo-

394 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

rality among men? How many say in their hearts,
there is no God? Some draw up formulas of impious
dogmas, and forge blasphemies; others, slaves of volup-
tuousness, think merely on the means of gratifying
their passions ; others ambition the riches which they
do not possess ; others again thirst for the blood of
their fellows. Innocence is rare and almost always in
danger. What avail the bonds of family, what laws
human, or divine ? force and fraud govern on all oc-
casions, and it is with good reason that the devil is
called the prince of the world, for he actually governs
the greater portion of the earth. Does not the false
religion of Mahomet govern the East, with the great
states of Africa? His followers blaspheme Christ in
the kingdom of Granada, in Spain, and in many of
the provinces of Greece. The Jewish nation scattered
throughout the wide world, is the enemy of the Gospei
and of the laws of Christianity. Idolaters abound in
the East as in the North ; Christendom is reduced to
a corner of Europe ; for although we are assured that
there are many Christians spread throughout Asia and
Lybia, yet their faith is not sincere ; they live remote
from the Holy See and in the midst of infidels and he-
retics ; they commit evil deeds, and are infected with
errors. And are not European Christians merely nomi-
nal? The religion of a vast number is uncertain and
false ; their conduct is the proof. How many of them
perform works worthy of the Christian? "By their
fruits ye shall know them" said the Saviour. (St. Matt,
vii. 16.) If we live as Christ ordains, we are genuine
Christians. (St. John iii. 10.) The Apostle Saint
John says, '•''Men are the children of him whose works

BULL OF PIUS n. 395

they perform.11 (St. John viiL 44.) If we keep the
commandments of God, we are the sons of God; if we
perform the works of the devil, we belong to him, for
the Lord has said of such, " You have the devil for your
father" — terrible, but just saying. Every one is the
son and subject of him whose commandments he keeps.
How many are there among Christians that do not
swerve, from the divine law, and how numerous arc.
they who follow the suggestions of Satan? Let each
one interrogate his conscience and repass his life in spirit,
and he will discern how remote he is from accomplish-
ing the obligations of a real Christian. Ah ! how great
and incomparable are the bounty and mercy of God
which bears with us, and does not cut us off from life,
because he expects our conversion and return to him,
that he may pardon our heavy guilt.

But in every age, there have been men agreeable to
God by their sanctity. Though clothed with our com-
mon mortality, they have overcome the flesh and have
led a heavenly life on earth. By their merits and in-
tercession the world is preserved, the destroying fire
which menaces it is arrested, God's anger and ven-
geance kindled against it are suspended. We doubt
not that at this very hour, there are some souls who
appease God, and render the King of heaven propi-
tious and favourable. Among those who have calmed
Almighty God and merited his clemency, the city of
Sienna, one of the glories of Tuscp-ny, reckoned Ber-
nardin. D escended from a noble family, he reno unced
the world in his youth and entered the Order of St.
Francis. He found there Religious ^ho lived veiy far
from h* rule and the examples of thoir holy Father,

896 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

he rebuked them with energy, and as he was unable to
bring them all back into the right path, he separated
those who desired to practise the rule in its primitive
fervour, and with them, he visited the existing monas-
teries, constructed new ones and introduced into them
the most sage reformation. He ran over Italy, de-
stroying vice and inciting to virtue. He was admired
for his abstinence, his angelical purity, his winning gra-
vity, the charms of his discourse, and the depth of his
teachings ; and being a sincere lover of poverty, and
an enemy of riches and pleasures, the liveliest joy ever
shone on his countenance, and the most profound peace
reigned within his soul. Innocence rendered him
happy, and no stain sullied or troubled his conscience.
He abolished a great many scandals in Italy, and per-
formed many miracles, so that during his lifetime he
was regarded as a saint, was venerated everywhere
and the people collected in crowds to pay him honour.
He terminated his career at Aquilea, and in the very
year of the jubilee in which the whole Christian world
visits Rome to be purified from defects, Nicholas V. our
predecessor, placed him in the number of the Holy Con-
fessors of Christ.

Before Bernardin, our fathers had seen in the same
city of Sienna, the virgin Catharine, not less exalted
in merit and not less agreeable to God. Her prayers
offered to the divine Majesty have been, are still, and
always will be useful to mankind ; for if the crimes of
the wicked and their blasphemies draw down upon us
the -wrath of God, the works and supplications of the
saints preserve us from them. Catharine led an ange-
Ho life on earth ; she has been in heaven twenty-four

BULL OP PIUS n. 397

years; unnumbered miracles have manifested her glory
and nevertheless the Church militant has not yet in-
scribed her among the faithful Virgins of Christ. The
Roman Pontiffs, our predecessors, have not decreed it.
Urban VI., and after him Innocent VII. and Gregory
XII., who had a particular knowledge of her deserts*
designed rendering her this honour, but they were
prevented by schism, troubles, and the wars which
agitated their pontificates. God without doubt per-
mitted it, because in the midst of those tempests, what
was proclaimed in one obedience would have been de-
spised in the other. This affair was consequently de-
ferred until our time, and the canonization of that
virgin, our countrywoman, has been reserved to us.
The sanctity of the virgin of Sienna shall be pro-
claimed by a native of Sienna, occupying the throne
of Peter ; and we admit that in this we experience a
sensible consolation. Who does not like, when he may
do so with justice, to celebrate his own country, his
own city, or his own family ? We take pleasure in
lauding the illustrious of all nations, but with how
much greater eagerness do we sound the trumpet of
fame when there is a question of our fellow -citizens!
We should have contemplated with joy the sublime
virtues, the genius, the greatness of soul, the all-power-
ful strength and fortitude of the blessed Catharine :
but we admire them more because she, like ourselves,
first saw the light in the city of Sienna. We antici-
pate more favours through her intercession and in her
merits than if ehe had been born in Africa, or in the
Indies. Why should not the bonds that link us to
the sainte procure us some advantage ?

S98 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

However, this consideration shall never prompt us
to deviate from truth. The love of family or of country
does not dispense with the proofs, informations, and
formalities customary on such occasions, and notwith-
standing our pleasure at the circumstance that Catha-
rine is a native of Sienna, we have neglected nothing.
Petitions have been addressed to us not only from Si-
enna, but from many other lands. Our dear Son in
the Lord, Frederick, Emperor of the Romans, and our
own beloved Son, Paschal, Doge of Venice, have en-
treated us to permit the homage of this Virgin in their
respective states, because the people entertain a great
devotion to her, a ad relate numerous wonders con-
cerning her. When we ourselves were repairing to
Mantua, we sojourned a long time at Sienna, and therfc
in public consistory her virtues and her miracles were
laid before us, and we were supplicated to decree to
her the honours of the Saints of Jesus Christ. We did
not grant it immediately, but in conformity with
ancient usage, we designated three of our brethren,
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, a Bishop, a
Priest, and a Deacon, to examine regularly the life, and
actions of Catharine, with the miracles that she per-
formed during her life and after her death, and to
pursue the whole process necessary to her canonization,
and then lay before us a faithful narration in secret
consistory. More than a year after, when we came
back from Mantua to Rome, the commissaries whom
we had designated after having discussed the business,
studied the ancient proceedures made at Venice and
elsewhere, examined the witnesses anew, and noting
every particular with great care, presented an authen-

BULL OF PIUS II. 899

tic relation of them to the Cardinals and to us alone.
They were afterwards repeated by an advocate in
public consistory. Finally, in the presence of all the
Bishops whom we had convoked at the Court of Rome,
and the Cardinals who assist us, the appointed com-
missaries, by the organ of our venerable Brother, Wil-
liam, Bishop of Porto, (a Frenchman by birth), who
presided over them, exposed anew all that they had
learned and all that appeared to them to be authen-
tic. We have summed up, from their very extensive
and well-made depositions the following facts, all per-
fectly valid, clearly proved and certified.

Catharine was born in Sienna of persons in a mid-
dling condition. She consecrated herself to God at an
age when she could scarcely have had any knowledge
of him. At six years of age, so as to serve him better,
she sought solitude, and went with the intention of
concealing herself in a wild cavern, but she did not
remain there, for the Holy Spirit brought her home
to her parents. At seven years of age she consecrated
her Virginity to our Lord who appeared to her on his
throne of Majesty, and she saw the secrets of the
heavenly court, which human tongue ean never utter.
She renounced from that moment all worldly pleasures,
gave herself entirely to meditation, and afflicted her
delicate frame with vigils, fasts, and disciplines. Her
companions, attracted by her discourse and example,
imitated her conduct. When she was of suitable age
to select a state of life, she refused to marry, though
urged by her parents, but cut off her hair, and de-
spised the consequent in juries and persecutions. Many
petitkasaad endeavours were requisite before she could

400 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE 01«'

obtain the habit of St Dominick worn by the Sisters
of Penance. She fulfilled the office of servant in the
house of her parents, and desired nothing so much as
to appear little and contemptible in the eyes of alll
With her father's permission she gave abundant alms:
she carefully nursed the sick, and surmounted the
temptations of Satan and the continual combats of
hell with the buckler of patience and the arms of faith ,
?>!ie comforted, by all possible methods, prisoners and
me oppressed. She was never heard to utter a word
that was not pious and holy , all her conversations had
for their objects morality, religion, piety, contempt of
the world, love of God and of her neighbour, with the
desire of the better country. No one approached her,
without leaving her with their minds and hearts more
informed and better. Her knowledge came down to
her from heaven ; hence she could teach without
having had masters. When Professors of the Sacred
Writings, and illustrious Bishops, proposed to her the
most difficult questions in Theology, she answered
them with so much wisdom, and satisfied them so fully
that they became gentle as lambs, after having shown
themselves to her at first as menacing wolves and lions.
Some of them, captivated by the all divine wisdom of
that youthful maiden, distributed their possessions to
the poor of Jesus Christ, and embraced the Cross by
leading a perfect life.

Catharine's abstinence was surprising, and her aus-
terity prodigious. She rejected the use of wine, of meat,
and every kind of seasoning. She finished by depriv-
ing herself of vegetables, and took no other bread than
that heavenly Bread with which the true Christian is

BULL OF PIUS IL 401

nourished at the Sacrament of the Altar. It some-
times happened that she fasted from Ash- Wednesday
till the Ascension, having taken no other food than the
Blessed Eucharist. During eight years, she sustained
life with a little juice of herbs which she could not
even retain on her stomach ; she went to her repasts as
to a punishment, but she flew on the wings of love to
the Holy Communion, receiving it almost daily, as a
celestial banquet.

She wore a hair-cloth under her garments, and used
neither mattrass nor pillow. Her bed was composed
of boards, and on them she took but a few momenta
of repose. She rarely slept more than two hours dur-
ing the day or night ; the remainder of the time was
consecrated to pious vigils, prayer, and to works of
mercy She tore her body with rude disciplines ; she
suffered a violent and constant head-ache, and was
tried by fever and by various other maladies. She
was often obliged to contend against the demons, who
persecuted her in every way ; she said with the Apos-
tle : cum infirmor, tune potens sum. (2 Cor. xii. 10.)
In all her trials she never became dejected and never
neglected her ordinary works of charity. She assisted
the unfortunate and oppressed, converted sinners, and
attracted them to penance by the mildness of her
discourse : she gave counsel with joy, and indicated
to each one what he should do and what he should
avoid ; she calmed disputants, appeased a great num-
ber of violent hatreds, and terminated many bloody
enmities. To reconcile the Florentines and the Church,
she did not hesitate to pass the Appenines and the Alps,
to be near to Gregory XI., our predecessor, at Avig-

402 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

non, and she told him of the vow that he had taken of
returning to Rome — that vow having been taken se-
cretly, God alone could have made her acquainted
with it.

She was also endowed with the spirit of prophecy,
announcing future events, and revealing the most hid-
den things : she was ravished in ecstasy, and remained
suspended in air. When she enjoyed these heavenly
contemplations, she became so absorbed that she was
insensible to blows and wounds ; and she fell into this
state almost always after receiving holy Communion.

Catharine's name was held in great veneration
among the people ; from every side they bronght the
sick and those possessed by the devil, and many were
healed. She commanded sickness and fever in the name
of Jesus Christ, and drove Satan from the obsessed.
Inconsequence, two Roman Pontiffs, Gregory XI. and
Urban VI., esteemed her so highly that they charged
her with several negociations, and granted her a great
number of spiritual favours. She terminated her
career at the age of thirty-three, and slept at Rome,
in the peace of God. Her happiness and her triumph
in Heaven were revealed by marvellous visions to per-
sons who had been particularly attached to her, espe-
cially her Confessor, Raymond of Capua, Doctor in
Theology, and General of the Order of Preaching
Friars. He was at Genes, the night in which Catha-
line died, and whilst at the Matin hour, he was pray-
ing before an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she
appeared to him all resplendent with light, and ad-
dressed him with consoling words. Her body, exposed
a ceitain time, was buried at Rome, iu ike Church of

BULL OF PIUS H. 408

the Minerve, ainid the testimonies of respect and de-
votion of an enthusiastic multitude. Many sick persons,
by touching her, obtain ed their cure from God ; others
recovered their health by means of the objects which
had been in contact with her precious remains. When
Catharine had ascended to heaven, she listened graci-
ously to the prayers that were addressed to her, and
she caused them to be heard by her Spouse and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Many, on hearing of her powerful influ-
ence in heaven, had recourse to her intercession, and
experienced its salutary effects. Therefore at Venice
where St. Catharine had never been, and in other
places, great honours were tendered to her,

When our venerable brother, the Bishop of Porto,
had exposed those things and many others, in the as-
sembly of Cardinals and Prelates, and we had affirmed
that they were certain and evident, the Cardinals and
Prelates present were invited to give their decision . All
unanimously declared the holy virgin worthy of heaven,
and of the honours of earth, and there was not a person
present who did not give his opinion that the canoni-
zation should be proceeded with directly.

Having attentively listened to all these things, we com-
manded that in the Basilica of the Prince of the Apos-
tles, a lofty and decorated tribune should be erected,
from which, to-day, in presence of the people and the
clergy, after having pronounced a discourse on the life
and miraclesof Catharine, after having celebrated Masa
and fulfilled all the accustomed ceremonies, we would
proceed in these terms to the canonization of the "bles-
sed" Catharine : " To the honour of the Omnipotent and
Eternal God, Father, Sou and Holy Ghost, for ike ex-

404 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OP SIENNA.

altation of the Catholic Faith, and the extension of the
Christian religion, and in virtue of the authority of
Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles St. Peter and St.
Paul, and of that which has been conferred on us, we
declare, on the opinion of our Brethren, that Catha-
rine of Sienna, virgin of illustrious and ineffaceable
memory, whose body reposes at Rome in the Church of
the Preaching Friars, called la Minerve, has been
already received and crowned with glory in the hea-
venly Jerusalem, amid the choirs of Virgins, in the rank
which her virtue merited, aided by divine grace. We
determine and decree that she be honoured as a saint,
in public and private, and we ordain that her name be
inscribed in the catalogue of the virgins who are vene-
rated by the Roman Church ; we wish that her festi-
val be celebrated annually by the whole Church on the
first Sunday of May, and that the honours be paid to
Her which it is customary to render to other virgins.
To all such as may visit her tomb, on the day of her
feast, we grant in perpetuity, an Indulgence of seven
years and seven times forty days, on conforming to the
obligations and usages of the Church.

" Let no one allow himself to change anything in
this declaration, nor in whatever it contains, relates,
ordains, and settles; let no one attack it with temerity,
should any one thus render himself .guilty, let him know
that he exposes himself to the indignation of Almighty
God, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

" Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of the
Incarnation, 1641. the 19th of June, and the third year
of our Pontificate."

A Brief of Urban VIII., dated the 16th of February

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 405

1630, changed the day of St. Catharine's reast , it is
now fixed on the 30th April ; it was not put on the
29th, which is the anniversary of her death because the
Ceurch celebrates the Feast of St. Peter, Martyr, on
that day.

RECOLLECTIONS OF
ST. CATHARINE IN ITALY

IN one of the most painful moments of my life, I
implored the intercession of St. Catharine, and pro-
mised to endeavour to spread her fame in France, if
God would deliver me from the malady which affected
me mentally ani corporeally. I was heard immediately
and this book is the ex-voto of my gratitude. Before
giving it to the public, I desired to present it person-
ally at the tomb of our dear saint ; the reader will
kindly accompany me in this pious pilgrimage, and visit
with me the localities consecrated by her memory.

In was in Rome that St. Catharine terminated hel
life, offering herself a victim for the Church. When the
Sovereign Pontiff, Urban VI., implored her counsels
amid the tempest of the rising Schism, she resided (as it
is said in this Biography Part III. chap. 2.) between
the Minerva and the Campo di Fiore. The house which
she occupied with her disciples is now found Via Santa
Chsra No. 14 opposite the little church which has given
a name to the street. Her companions continued living
there after her death, under the direction of Alessia,
whom she had given them for their Superior, and that
little community was long perpetuated. The blessei

406 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Lucia de Narni, sojourned in that convent, when she
was summoned to Rome, in 1502, under Alexander VI.
to certify to the reality of her stigmata. The room in
which St. Catharine died is on the ground floor ; it has
been converted into a chapel, but the ceiling alone is of
her time: the walls have been transported to the Mi-
nerva and constructed behind the altar of the sacristy.
Such changes are to be regretted as it is especially to
form that recollections are attached.

The obsequies of St. Catharine were celebrated in
the church of the Minerve, in St. Dominick's chapel
and her monument is at the right of the grand altar, in
;he chapel of the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin deigned
to shelter her beneath the shadow of her sanctuary, that
her relics might be gladdened by that angelical saluta-
tion she so loved to repeat.

Etienne Maconi, at the moment of quitting Rome,
to go and assume the habit of the Carthusians, in obe-
dience to her command, desired to possess a relic of his
venerated Mother; he obtained from the other disciples
of St. Catharine leave to open her coffin, and he took
one of her teeth, which he carried away with him as a
precious treasure. The pious mutilation of her body
took place at the time of its translation by blessed Ray-
mond of Capua. The head was borne to Sienna, and
considerable portions of her members went to enrich
the convents and churches in which her memory is
honoured, as we perceive in the process of Venice. In
1486, St. Antonius made a new opening in the tomb
and it is from this period without doubt that dates the
monument which we discover beneath the altar of the
chapel of the Rosary. St. Catharine is there repre-

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 407

sented with her religious drapery, reposing in the sweet
slumber which precedes the glorious resurrection.

In Rome two Convents of Dominican Nuns honour
the memory of St. Catharine. The Religious that St.
Dominick established at St. Sixtus, were forced, on ac-
count of the fever which ravaged that portion of the
city, to abandon the place consecrated by such impor-
tant recollections, they therefore settled on the Quirinal
The handsome Convent of St. Dominick and of St.
Sixtus, is in possession of St. Catharine's left hand,
and that precious relic is extremely well preserved.
The dried up flesh is of a brown hue, its fingers very
small and slightly bent. In its centre the cicatrice of
the stigmata with which our Lord honoured his Spouse,
are distinctly perceptable. The right hand is divided ;
the Chartreuse of Pontiniano, near Florence, have the
finger which received the ring denoting her heavenly
espousals, and that also restored sight to blessed Etienne
Maconi miraculously. The left foot is at Venice, the
traces of the stigmata are visible in it ; Gregory Lom-
bardelli affirms that it was authentically recognised in
1597.

Beside the Convent of St. Dominick rises that of St.
Catharine, with its devotional church and old tower of
the middle ages. They who dwell in it claim for ances-
tors the companions that our Saint brought from Si-
enna to Eome, and who continued living in community
until her death. Hence they have a tender and invin-
cible confidence in their patroness. During the ter-
rors of the siege of Rome, they secured themselves
against danger by additional ornaments placed on her
altar, and decorating her statue. A quite particTzks

408 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

circumstance obtained for me leave of entrance into
this "enclosed garden" of the Church, where so many
virtues bloom for heaven. Iknelt in an interior chapel,
where the nuns showed me a crucifix said to have be-
longed to St. Catharine, and yet having traces of her
devout embraces. The convent possesses an entire
shoulder-blade of the saint, one of her sandals, and a
few bricks of the apartment in which she departed this
life.

During my sojourn in Rome, the thought of Catha-
rine incessantly accompanied me, and when visiting
those sanctuaries in which ages have accumulated so
many mementos, I implored her to warm my heart
with a spark of that fire which consumed hers, when
she made those pious pilgrimages with her disciples.
I delighted in tracing out the paths she took, and fol-
lowing above all the way which leads from her humble
abode, to the tomb of the Apostles ; it was through
those streets which in Kome never change, that she
went to pray for the Church and consolidate on the im-
moveable Eock, the Sovereign Pontiff, Urban VI. In
the last days of her martyrdom, she daily traversed this
way, as did our Lord the road to Calvary ; but the hour
of sacrifice eluded her desires, and it was necessary to
carry her back to her house in a dying condition.

How many times did she climb the silent declivity
of the Aventine, and kneel in the Basilica of St. Sa-
binus, so dear to the Order of Preaching Friare. Her
virginal lips have pressed that stone on which Saint
Dominick extended himself during the solitude of
night, to pour forth in God's presence his tears and
supplications. She saluted with pious affection, thosa

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 409

recollected halls in which the holy founder assembled
his pacific conquests : she contemplated in the vigour
of its prime, the blessed tree that his hands planted,
and her prophetic eye undoubtedly perceived in the
future, the new generations which were to renovate
his work, like vigorous shoots emerging from an aged
trunk, with the very year that was to witness the re-
establishment of the Dominicans in France. May Hea-
ven continue to multiply its branches and its fruit!

St. Catharine also visited frequently the Convent
of St. Sixtus on the Appian Way. It was there that
St. Dominick established his Order in Rome ; there
he assembled his nuns whom he refreshed with his dis-
course and with a miraculous wine; there too was di-
vine power manifested in him, and vanquished death
thrice restored to him its victims. At the period in
which Catharine lived, the family of St. Sixtus was
nourishing, and a proof that our saint had gladdened
it with her presence and illuminated it by her virtues,
is that, a short time after her death, and considerably
before her canonization, the Nuns caused her portrait
to be painted in the choir of their church, and it may
yet be seen behind more recent constructions. The
Convent of St. Sixtus has long been a solitude, seldom
visited by the piety of the faithful ; let us hope that
this sanctuary so rich in mementos, will share in the
blessings which God pours with new effusion on the
Order of St. Dominick, and that the religious life may
ere long flourish ic its now deserted cloisters.

When going from Rome to Sienna, as one descends
the rough upturned declivities of the Radicofani, the
lines gradually soften on the horizon ; plantations of

410 LSFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

Olive-trees in graceful rows adorn the hill-sides, the
valleys present a high state of cultivation, and broad
streamlets murmur beneath delicious shadowy foliage.
Chateaux of the middle ages, with farm houses of ele-
gant architecture animate the landscape, and as one
advances on this road festooned by its luxuriant vines,
nature appears milder and more gay : one would fancy
he heard the distant hum of a concert, whose dulcet
accords approached near and more near.

Sienna is a poetic city in which everything harmon-
izes with the remembrance of St. Catharine ; its ram-
parts and its monuments are contemporaries which
speak of her, and the imagination easily retraces in
them all the scenes of her blessed life. Its enclosure,
devastated by the Pest, of which she was the consol-
ing angel, presents not the agitation of our modern
cities. Instead of that febrile movement of luxury
and of commerce, we meet therein a living reigning
peace, that one would never, never quit. The Italian
language is more melodious there than elsewhere, and
the population, quite distinct from that of Genes and
of Florence, offers types of virginal beauty. One
easily comprehends that here human genius must ex-
pand its blossoms beneath a beautiful and cheerful
«ky, and that human art must produce its almost
breathing wonders. But I hastily traversed its undu-
iating streets, its public squares, its churches, and its
palaces of rich and chivalrous architecture ; my heart
craved other delights ; could the magnificent features
of a city arrest the attention of a son, who seeks the
house of his Mother?

On descending from the cathedral, at the turn of a

HECOLLEOTIONS OF HALT. 411

little street, I suddenly found myself in presence of
the localities consecrated by the life of St. Catharine.
An inscription and a painting nearly effaced informed
me that I was on the very spot in which she beheld her
first vision. Opposite to me on the other side of the
valley, where Jacomo's workmen washed their various
coloured wool, was delineated that beautiful church of
St. Dominick which served as a pedestal to the throne
of our Lord, when he appeared to her assisted by SS.
Peter and Paul and St. John the Evangelist. I pur-
sued the same road that Catharine and her little bro-
ther Etienne (Stephen) followed on that day, and ar-
rived at length at the much desired residence.

The abode of the blessed Catharine is situated at the
entrance of the valley, on the left hand, ascending
1' Oca street. The piety of her fellow-citizens has filled
it with chapels. On the ground floor, was the work-
shop of Jacomo, the shop and the back shop in which
is found the cellar wh ere God rendered to her family a
hundred fold of good wine that she distributed to the
poor. By the stair way which the holy child mounted,
reciting the angelical salutation at every step, we ar-
rive at an apartment, where, during her lifetime
Mass was celebrated; this was a privilege that she had
obtained from the Sovereign Pontiff,' at the period of
her journey to Avignon. The back of the altar is
against the wall towards the street ; fkere^ are to be
seen, enclosed in reliquaries, the extremity of the cane
that supported her, when notwithstanding her suffer-
ings, sne went whither the love of God and of her
neighbour called her; the little lantern which enlight-
ened her in her charitable vigils ; a small flagon of

412 LIFE OF srr. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

scent that friendship perchance would fain oblige her
to wear during the plague, but of which, withoutdoubt^
she used very little, she who had so courageously over-
come nature in the service of the sick. Among the
garments that had belonged to her, we remarked a rich
silk stuff which served a long time to envelope her head,
brought from Rome to Sienna by the blessed Raymond.

Opposite the altar, at the right hand of the entrance,
is found the spot richest in her memory ; it is in that
little cell that God was pleased to adorn Catharine with
so many virtues ; those walls have witnessed her prayers,
her penances, and her ecstasies ; there our Lord, the
Blessed Virgin, and the Saints, came and conversed
with her; in that place were celebrated her glorious
nuptials, and she enjoyed the familiar embraces of
her Spouse; there her heartbroken with love, and her
soul inebriated with celestial delights, was again united
to her body in order to commence the great miracle of
her public life. O ! sanctuary, in which the presence
of Catharine is sensible, how shall I describe thy mys-
terious peace and thy delicious inspiration?

The cell of Catharine, which is only five metres long
by three in width, was enlightened by a little window,
at the bottom of which there still exists some remnant
of mason work.* There, it is said, her head rested dur-
ing sleep ; but her bed which was of planks, must have
been placed in the bottom against the wall, and the

* Morantem in quadam cellula parva, infra domum pa-
ternam, engus ostium et fernestra semper clausa erant,
sed coram imagines Christi, beatse Marise et aliorum
Sanctorum qure ibi depict® erant, in cessanter, die noc.
tuque lampas ardebat. (Dom Martene, p. 1312.)

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. -i!3

blessed Raymond says positively, that she had a piece
of wood for a pillow. (1 p. chap. 9.) Those bricks are
without doubt, the ruins of the steps which served her
to go up to the window. In the corner is the door of
a small closet which opened into her room. Happily
marble has not covered anew the walls of this sanctu-
ary ; the same soil is there which was pressed by her feet,
and the lips of the pilgrim may venerate its dust.

In the upper part of the house were the rooms occu-
pied by her family, among others that of her brother
Etienne, in which her father saw a white dove reposing
on her head. Behind the altar of a chapel is shown the
chimney in which the blessed prepared the repasts of
her parents, at the time she suffered their persecutions.
Opposite the house, on the other side of the narrow
street on which St. Catharine's window opened, was a
garden where a church is built, which serves for the
meetings of the confraternity of Fontebrands. Above
the altar, the crucifix is preserved before which St. Ca-
tharine received the stigmata, in the church of St.
Christina at Pisa. On the walla of these sanctuaries
are painted and sculptured different circumstances of
the life of St. Catharine, but the eye hardly rests upon
them — the heart has apparitions which are more real

Catharine could descry, from the top of her father's
house, the Palace of her Spouse, the church of St. J)o-
minick, and tradition asserts that she passed hours
there in holy contemplation. That monument which
bespeaks majestic simplicity, stands near the fortified
enclosure on one of the most elevated points of the vil-
lage. At the entrance of its vast en closure is the chapel

414 UFB OP ST. CATHARINS OP SIENNA.

where the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominick
assembled. The pavement is ornamented with inscrip-
tions commemorative of the miraculous facts which
transpired in that sanctuary. Here, Christ changed
the heart of Catharine — there, he recited the Psalms
with her — in that spot Catharine gave her silver cross
to the Saviour — farther on, she disrobed herself to be-
stow on him a garment.* On the Altar is placed the
portrait of the blessed, drawn during her lifetime by
Iier disciple, Andrew Vanni. Catharine is represented
standing, holding a lily in her left hand, and touching
a young maiden who is kneeling before her with her
right.

In the Church on the right side, is the Chapel of
St. Catharine ; it is adorned with pictures, represent-
ing some circumstances in her life: there are also the
portraits of Father Thomas De Ponte, and of Blessed
Raymond of Capua, who were her Confessors and bio-
graphers. On the altar, in the wall that divides the
church from the sacristy, is placed the relic that Si-
enna rightly considers her most precious treasure ; the
head of St. Catharine is enclosed in a reliquary, the
keys of which are in the hands of the Gonfalonier of
the city, and of the Prior of the Convent. It is ex-
posed only twice annually, on St. Catharine's festival,
and on the Wednesday of Septuagesima, in remem-
brance of her mystical marriage with our Lord.

The religious costume with which the bust of the
Saint is clothed, merely permits a view of her coun-

* CAT. tfOR MUTAT XPVS— OATA. CRVOKM KROGAT XPO— OATA. VE8TB
INDVIT XPVB — EX LATK1UBV8 QVO HIC PATENTI CV11 CHfilSTO. DlVLNA AL
•CK&NATU1 PBBSOLVEHDO VMA OEEBKIU1IMF 8PATIABANTTE.

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 415

tenance, which beams with a mysterious majesty. It
is impossible to depict the emotions one experiences in
presence of that august relic; the obscurities of death
vanish, and the heart contemplates with love, that
brow ever ealin and joyous ; those eyes that ecstasy
enlightened ; those features that charity animated ;
those lips whence escaped, as from an inexhaustible
fountain, words endued with power for converting
souls. O sacred remains which Earth preserves for
Eternity; consecrated head, which the Divinity deigned
to use as a sanctuary ; brow, that heavenly glory shall
wreathe on the day of the Resurrection; lovely, benig-
nant countenance, which shall gladden the heavenly
Jerusalem ; O Catharine, the Saviour shall take com-
placency in his spouse, and will crown you with that
precious diadem he promised, when you chose his crown
of thorns on Earth. Now you conceal from us your
splendour, you only exhibit yourself to our view, in
the infirmity of our nature, so that the traces of your
sufferings and your death may teach us the true path
tx> happiness and glory.

The Church of St. Dominick is in possession of ano-
ther relic of St. Catharine: at the base of the silver
bust that is borne through the city OP lier festival, is,
I believe, the thumb of the right hand. Another reli-
quary contains two disciplines which belonged to her
one of iron, the other of cords. The Dominican Con-
vent, San Spirito, has a considerable portion of a hair-
Jbirt that was worn by Catharine.

One of the finest establishments of Sienna, the hos-
pital of til a Scala, also preserves the recollection of St.
Catharine ; it vas there she exo^used eiuiriiy towards

416 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

the sick ; there she combated against nature, by em-
bracinginfected wounds and drinking the water which
had been employed in washing an ulcer ; there she sup-
ported the calumnies of Andrea, and also appeared to
that patient enveloped in resplendent light. In the
interior part of the hospital is shown an obscure shed,
whither she retired to take a few brief moments of re-
pose. Above the stone on which she extended herself,
may be read the following inscription : Here reposed
the spouse of Jesus Christ, tJie seraphic mother, St.
Catharine of Sienna. Praise be to God* This place
is entrusted to the guard of the Confraternity Bro-
thers for the night, who assemble in pious vigils at the
season of her festival.

Pisa had not forgotten the sojourn of Catharine. On
the right shore of the Arno, is the little Church of
St. Catharine, in which she received the stigmata.
Near a side altar a little column indicates the place
where she sunk down insensible under the divine im-
pression ; on it is seen this inscription : The Lord here
marked His servant Catharine, with the signs of our
Redemption.^

On the two side altars, these two inscriptions are
found.

Catharine, who pierced your hands, who marked
your feet, with the bloody impress of the cross ?

Christ, my beloved, shared with me his honours, and
deigned to adorn me with his wounds.

* Ovi Giaceva la Sposa di Giesu-Christo, la Serafica
^jiadre Santa Caterina da Siena. — LAVS DEO.

f Signavit Dominns servain suam Catuarinam hie rig-
aifl redeuiptioiiis nostrae.

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 417

The wounds of Christ are bloody; why, Catharine,
are yours radiant?

The wounds of Christ are red, they were made by
the enemy in expiation of our faults ; mine are shining,
because they were the gift of love.*

On the altar is the copy of the crucifix before which
St. Catharine received the stigmata ; the original was
a pledge of peace between the Republics of Pisa and
Sienna. Near St. Christina, at No. 8 of the street
that passes near the church is found the house of
Buonconti in which St. Catharine received hospitality,
Therejte also shown the room that she occupied and
the Madonna before which it is said that she prayed
but the basso relievo is less ancient.

Hearts have preserved as faithfully as monuments,
the souvenir of St. Catharine. Her devotion is widely
spread throughout Italy. A great number of convents
and churches are erected under her invocation, and the
festivals that are mentioned in the Process of Venice
are perpetuated to our own day ; the people always
have for her prayers, canticles and choicest flowers.

At Sienna hers is a national festival ; it is celebrated
on the 29th of April, but the public ceremony does not
take place uatil the following Sunday. Then the
house on Oca street is adorned with all its riches, the

* Hsec Catharina tuis manibus quis Stigmata fisit?

Quis pedibus durae signa cruenta Crusis ?
Me meus hie Christus proprio signavit honors

Ornavitque suis quarn bene vulneribus.
Vulnera cum rubcant Christ! foedata cruoi e.

Vulnera sic rutilant qui, Catharina tua ?
Ilia rubeut merito cedens inflixerat hostis

Istaque pellucent, aurea pinxit amor.

Sacra accepit Stigmata hoc in sacello A.D. 1375, iTor-
tern obitt A.D. 1375.

418 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

altars are decorated with their gayest ornaments ; Ca-
tharine's little cell is glittering with garlands and lights;
emblems and verses that recall her life, speak from the
walls, as, " Because she preferred the crown of thorns
to those of kings, had she merited a heavenly diadem."
" God filled with precious jewels the garment which sh c
gave to the poor ." " Her thoughts were pure as lilies. ' '
*' Eternal Wiydom was her book." — "She attained
peace by suffering." " On the cross she found the ob-
ject of her desires, and her heart was transformed into
God's."

The Confraternity of Fonte- Branda do the honours
of the devout sanctuary ; it offers to the poor and to
the rich, little loaves of blessed bread in remembrance
of those that Catharine formerly multiplied and dis-
tributed. The neighbouring streets are strewn with
foliage, and dressed with flags and pendants ; all the
windows are adorned with rich suits of hangings. At
nine o'clock, the procession mores from the Church of
St. Dominick. The clergy and the two Confraternities
of Fonte-Branda, and the Friars of the Night, accom-
pany the silver statue of St. Catharine, — it passes in
triumph through the city, and the bells of every parish
hail its passage. On the public square, the authorities,
the Gonfalonier and the magistracy, come forth from
the palace and join the cortege. They visit the house
of the blessed ; then ascend to the church of St. Do-
mi nick, where a young nobleman of the college of Tho-
lomei pronounces the eulogium of the illustrious coun~
trywoman. That discourse is sometimes the debut of
great talent ; it is always a useful and beautiful reniem-
brence for the remainder of life.

RECOLLECTIONS OF ITALY. 419

The head of St. Catharine is exposed from morning
until evening, and the multitude never discontinue
pouring out before her, tender and fervent prayers.
When night comes on, the entire hill of Fonte-Branda
is illuminated, the Rosary is recited at the feet of the
Madonna, and hymns are sung in honour of the saint ;
the crowd walk amid a blaze of light, and in fine, taste
all the happiness of the Christian festivals, which alone
have evenings without weariness, and morrows with-
out sadness.

This feast will be one of my most delicious recollec-
tions. Sienna received me as one of her own children ;
the Religious of St. Pominick offered me the hospitaliy
of other days, and all welcomed me like a brother come
from a distant land. I had the place of choice in the
house of St. Catharine, and in the ranks of those who
accompanied her image ; I received the hallow edbread
of her charity, and could contemplate her holy relics
and even approach them with my lips. O Catharine,
the prayer I then made you, I repeat anew, be my
mother and my patroness ! watch over all that my heart
loves. Protect France, tried by so many misfortunes,
and let her henceforth consecrate to the cause of truth
all the energy and activity of her devotedness. Defend
Italy from the dangers that menace her faith ; bless the
city of Sienna the sweet land of thy nativity ; butabovr
all pray for the Church by which all nations we to be
saved. When still on earth, you predicted tiiat after
many calamities she would enjoy sunny days of pros-
perity. Since you were in heaven, has the Church ex-
perienced one day without trials and tempests? Schism
has rent it, scandals have outraged it, heresy has ra-

420 UFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF

vishedher children ; theblood of martyrshas inundated
Europe ; the policy of Princes has given her chains,
knowledge, and denial; genius has insulted her, the
French Revolution levelled her crosses, destroyed her
altars, and th& Papacy has been captive and exiled:
the Church would have perished but for the eternal
promise of her invisible head. But after the miracles
of her combats, shall be seen the spectacle of her tri-
umphs and of her glory !

O Catharine ! thy soul bounded with a holy joy, when
perceiving in the future, prodigies of divine mercy and
the renovation of the Church by novel means. Thou
didst lovingly salute those times in which the Church
of Jesus Christ will appear in the world, in all the bril-
liancy of its virtues and its beauty. The nations shall
rejoice at the sanctity of their pastors, and strayed
sheep return in crowds to the sheep-fold. O Catha-
rine 1 hasten by your prayers those better days and
render us worthy by our faith, in the trials which
we have yet to suffer.

ICONOGRAPHY OF ST. CATHARINE.

ON reading the lives of the Saints, the heart demands
their portraits, and the most beautiful mission of Art is
to satisfy this desire. The picture of a saint is the repre-
sentation of his soul : the artist should therefore seek
his inspirations in the meditation of their virtues, but
he should also consult tradition, to discover, whether
time has not respected the features which he intends
fco render, and whether there does not already exist
some typo consecrated by the piety of the faithful.

OF ST. CATHARINE. 42]

Truth can never be opposed to beauty; sanctity trans-
figures the body, and the triumph of Christian art is to
do what God himself will do on the day of the Resur-
rection : the bodies of the just shall be glorified, defor-
mities will disappear without annihilatingresemblance,
even faults will be resplendent with the tears of repent-
ance, and with the tender mercies of the Saviour.

It is generally believed that the beauty of St. Catha-
rine was wholly interior, and this opinion is based upon
the account given of her admission into the Third
Order of St. Dominick. The Sisters of Penance only
received aged persons, and they said they would by a
sort of dispensation admit Catharine if she were not
too beautiful. But the blessed Raymond also observes
that they could not form a correct judgment concern-
ing her, because sickness had rendered her not easily
recognised ; he says also that her beauty had nought
that was excessive. All her other disciples mention
the radiance of her soul beaming on her countenance,
the most cruel sufferings could never disturb its joy and
serenity. Every one was captivated with the winning
sweetness of her smile. Friar Bartholomew in his de-
position, observes that the graces of her youth gave
no trouble to her visitors, because they perceived in
her the purity of the Angels. When describing her
last illness, the same witness says, that Catharine's
body seemed to have been sun-dried, whilst it had
always hitherto been really handsome. Cum consue-
visset esse competenter formosum.

The head of St. Catharine preserved at Sienna, fur-
nishes but little indication ; it is of middling size, and
of an oval form ; the eyes are closed, the mouth par-

422 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

tially open; the shrinking of the lips, discover teeth of
pearly whiteness; the general expression is full of calm
and resigned majesty, and on it may be read the marks
of the cruel sufferings which terminated her life. The
almost natural colour of her countenance accorded ill
with the testimony of the Dominicans who wrote to the
Bollandists, in 1673, that the head of St. Catharine was
withered and dried, and of a colour obscure and almost
black. I had it in my power to examine this very pre-
cious relic, and I remarked that the whole face was
plastered over with a sort of pale rose colour. This
observation was confirmed by the testimony of the
Chevalier Grotanelli, a distinguished physician of Si-
enna. He was one of a scientific committee appointed
a few years ago, to certify to the state of the relic, and
he thinks that this species of paste was put on to repair
the damages caused by the conflagration that ravaged
the Church of St. Dominick, in 1531, and reduced to
ashes the body of the blessed Ambrose Sansedoni, pro-
tector of the city.

The most valuable monument of the inconography of
St. Catharine, is the portrait said to have been drawn
during her lifetime by Andrew Vanni, her disciple.
It is placed over the Chapel of the Third Order, in the
Church of St. Dominick. The saint in that picture ia
represented standing, holding a lily in her left hand,
and touching with her right hand the lips of a young
person kneelirg before her. The face is tnm and long
its expression sweet and virginal. I am not informed
of the proofs of the authenticity of this portrait ; the
bunch of lilies that is seen in it, would seem to indi-
cate a work accomplished after her death, it is evident

ICONOGRAPHY OF ST. CATHARINE. 123

at least, that this picture has been denaturalized by
successive restorations, some of which are very modern.
The tradition of St. Catharine's, features ought to
have been easily preserved in Italy, on account of the
public reverence of which she was the subject imme-
diately after her death ; they painted her picture and
her history in a great number of churches, under the
eyes of her relatives and of her own mother; they
could not, by departing from the resemblance contra-
dict those numerous and faithful recollections. Friar
Thomas, who had known Catharine from her infancy,
had her frequently painted with such luminous rays as
usually surround the heads of the beatified but not
canonized, although he had seen several represented
with the aureola of the saints. Friar Thomas says that
her image was spread throughout the whole Christian
world, that it was painted in every variety of style, in
Poland, Hungary, Dalmatia, in Tuscany, Lombardy,
Venice, and especially at Rome; whilst he was writing
his deposition, they were forwarding pictures of the
venerable Catharine even to Alexandria. * * When they
commenced," says he, "to honour Catharine's memory
in Venice, a person who entertained a particular devo-
tion towards her, had her likeness represented on cards,
so as to spread it abroad with greater facility on the day
of lier feast. Many of the pictures were placed in
churches and surrounded with flowers. Thus all could
enjoy and pay homage to the saint, not only in public,
but in their own houses. I am certain that since these
portraits of the Blessed have been drawn, thousands
have been made and are daily making; there are vast
numbers of them at Venice, and in every portion of the

424 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

(known) world. These pictures of Catharine suggested
the idea of making on similar cards, images of other
saints for the churches of Venice, the faithful could
thereby procure them on their festivals and augment
their piety by honouring them . " * This text is a preci-
ous historical document ; it connects we may say, with
the worship of Catharine, the origin of engraving on
wood, and consequently that of printing. This method
of multiplying the images or pictures spoken of by the
witness, is evidently a novel invention; there is not
question of painting them by hand on the paper, but
of reproducing them ad infinitum. Playing cards pre-
ceded engraving on wood ; Venice fabricated many of
them and carried on a considerable trade in them.
The process that was employed for making those cards
served to stamp the pictures of St. Catharine. The
most ancient wool engraving, bearing a certain date,
is the St. Christopher of the Library of Prints of Paris,
it is dated 1423. f The deposition of Friar Thomas 13
of 1411, and in it is said that the pictures of Catha-
rine were made at Venice, directly they began to cele-
brate her feast, that is to say in 1394 or 1395, since
we read a few lines below, that it had been made
during sixteen years in the Convent of St. John and
St. Paul. These pictures would therefore be the first
engravings on wood. Perchance, some of them have
been spared by time, and are preserved in some collec-

* Notabile circa raateriam istam, etc. [Bom Martene,
Proc. V. p. 1292.]

f Leber: Essai sur les cartes a jouer. — Emeric David:
Histoire de la gravure. — Heinecken: Indee generalo
d'une oollectione d'estarapes. — Duchftsue aine. Notice
sur les setswapes de la Bibliothoque.

OF ST. CATHARINE. 425

tions of engravings or in some ancient manuscripts of
the life or of the deeds of St. Catharine.

A contemporaneous painting of these prints exists at
Rome. In the month of July, 1 852, the Rev. P. Assaut,
Prior of the Convent of the Dominicans at Paris, when
visiting the ruins of the Church of St. Sixtus, discov-
ered, behind the walls of the actual choir, the rem-
nants of the Pictures which decorated the ancient vault.
These paintings, unhappily injured by the scaffolding
of more recent constructions, certainly belonged to the
14th century. Different scenes from the^Gospel and
from the lives of the saints are there represented. On
the right are extremely well preserved pictures of St.
Paul, St. John the Baptist, of St. Dominick, and of St,
Peter, martyr. On the left, is seen our Blessed Lord,
drawing from the wound in his side, a garment which
he presents to St. Catharine who is in adoration before
him. At her feet is painted, in smaller proportions,
according to the custom of that date, the nun who
caused the picture to be executed, without doubt the
Prioress ef St. Sixtus. The head of the Saviour is very
fine, that of St. Catharine breathes ecstatic sweetness,
its features are delicate, the eyes small, the nose slender,
and the mouth exquisitely traced. Her veil is white,
and her mantle black. She has not the aureola of the
saints, but simply the rays of the beatified, as remark
the witnesses of the Process at Venice. This painting
was evidently taken a short time after her death : there
must be pictures of Catharine similar to it in Rome.
The blessed Etienne Maconi informs us that the same
vision was represented near her tomb.
The artist most worthy and most capable of painting

2o

426 LIFE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

St. Catharine of Sienna, was assuredly Fra Angelico de
Fiesole. Born seven years after her death, he found her
memory living in Tuscany. The blessed John de Dom -
inici, his Prior, and the blessed Lorenzo de Ripa Fratta,
his master of Novices, were cotemporariesof Catharine,
and must have seen her at Pisa and at Florence. Fra
Angelico lived with many Religious who had been her
disciples, and he assisted at the annual festival in her
honour.

In the coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the
only painting of Fra Angelico, possessed by the museum
of the Louvre, I had remarked amid the group of saints,
at the base of the throne, a countenance indicative of
charming beauty; it is in profile, the hands spread in
the attitude of ecstasy, I could not refrain from attach-
ing to it the name of St. Catharine.

In the public gallery of the Offices of Florence (Tus-
can School, Hall No. 1), there is another master-piece
of Fra Angelico. The composition has considerable
reference to the one in the Louvre, only the scene
breathes more of heaven ; all the personages are placed
in clouds and amid waves of light. Our Lord, instead
of crowning his Mother, simply adds a magnificent dia-
mond to her radiant diadem. These two pictures must
have been made at the same time, for the same saints
are found in them, with the same types and attributes.
The face which appeared to me to denote St. Catha-
rine ia found exactly re-produced in the picture at
Florence.

The figure most in relation with those paintings, ia
the statue of St. Catharine, which was found before
the revolution, in the Dominican Convent of Poissy,

ICONOGRAPHY OF ST. CATHARINE. 427

and which is now in the Church of the Dominicans of
Chalais. This statue is very ancient, and if it were
not made before the canonization of the saint, it must
have directly succeeded it; for it is anterior to the de-
fence made by Sixtus IV., for representing St. Catha-
rine, with the stigmata ; the stigmata are marked on
her feet and on her hands : her head is crowned with
thorns, and her arms opened like those of the orantes in
the catacombs. The head is very handsome, and re-
sembles those of Era Angelico and that of St. Sixtus.

The attributes or characteristic signs of St. Catha-
rine are the stigmata, the crown of thorns, the heart,
a book, and a branch of lilies.

The crown of thorns that is placed on the head of the
beatified Catharine recalb the vision, in which our Lord
offers her two crowns, one of gold, enriched with preci-
ous gems, the other of woven thorns. St. Catharine
chose the one that would render her most like to our
Saviour on earth. In the celebrated picture of Sasso-
ferado which decorated the Chapel of the Rosary at St.
Sabines, the infant Jesus is placing the crown of thorns
on the head of St. Catharine.

The heart which St. Catharine holds, not only recalls
her burning charity, but also the vision in which oui
Lord granted her prayer, by renewing her heart. The
lily is her sceptre of virginity. As to the book, it may
signify, as in the case of other saints, her fidelity in ac-
complishing, and her zeal in teaching the divine law
It also reminds us of the miraculous manner in which
St. Catharine learned to read.

I might terminate these inconographical researches,
Sy indicating the paintings and sculptures of St. Catha-

•

428 LITE OF ST. CATHARINE OF SIENNA.

line, which I have remarked in the churches, and in
the museums of France and of Italy, but this nomencla-
ture would be of no utility. From the sixteenth cen-
tury, tradition is interrupted, and the artist is but an
individual destitute of high pursuits in religious art,
and seeking without the bounds of pious inspiration
the mere glorification of his talent.

Facility in the use of the pencil, breadth of model
and richness of colouring can never suffice to express
purity of soul, and the ardours, of heavenly ecstasy ;
when an artist desires to depict the beauty of the sainto
he must first of all have recourse to meditation and
devout prayer.

ZEE END.

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Spiritual Treasury (The), or Instructions on Indulgenced
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At 3d.

A Kempis Imitation of Christ. 48mo, sewed.

„ On the Passion. ,,

,, Valley of Lilies. ,,

„ Golden Book of the Three Tabernacles. ,,
,, Meditations on the Incarnation, etc. ,,

James Duffy & Co., Ltd., Dublin. 5

At 3d. Each — continued.

Angelical Virtue ; a Treatise on Holy Purity. 32mo, cl.

Bona Mors ; or, the Art of Dying Well. 32mo, cloth.

Catholic School Hymn Book, Tonic Sol-Fa. By Prof.
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Child Jesus (The). By Mgr. de Segur. 32mo, cloth.

Christian Politeness. By Ven. de La Salle. 32mo, cloth.

Fifteen Tuesdays in Honour of St. Dominick. 18mo, wpr.

Fifteen Saturdays (The Devotions of the). Sewed.

Four Maxims of Christian Philosophy. 32mo, cloth.

Grounds of the Catholic Doctrine. 32mo, cloth.

Method of saying the Rosary. By Pope Pius V. New ed.

Peace of the Soul. By a Redemptorist Father. 32mo, cl.

Pinamonti's Cross in its True Light. ,,

,, Meditations on the Four Last Things. „
,, One Thing Necessary. ,,

„ True Wisdom. „

St. Liguori on the Commandments. 48mo, sewed.

Treatise on Prayer. ,,

The Spiritual Combat. ,,

Twenty-one Days' Residence in a Gentleman's Family.
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Novena in Honour of St. Patrick. By Rev. J. Kirby, D.D.

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6 Selection from the Catalogue of

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A Kempis on the Passion. 48mo, el.
,, Valley of Lilies. ,,

„ Golden Book of Three Tabernacles.
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,, Imitation of Christ. ,,

,, Meditations on the Incarnation, etc. „

Children of Mary (Our Blessed Redeemer Speaking to

the). 32mo, sewed.
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Challoner's Think Well On 't. ISnao, cloth limp.
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on Prayer. „

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,, Fourteen Stations of the Cross. ,,

„ Novena to St. Teresa. „

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„ On the Passion. ,,

,, Valley of Lilies. ,,

,, Golden Book of Three Tabernacles. ,,
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8 Selection from the Catalogue of

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At Is.

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„ Golden Book of Three Tabernacles. „
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,, Little Garden of Roses. ,,

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10 Selection from the Catalogue of

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Way of Salvation. ,,

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Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 18mo, fancy cloth.
„ St. Catherine of Sienna. ,,

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Manual of the Children of Mary. A New Edition. Edited
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Life of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation.

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12 Selection from the Catalogue of

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Life and Death of the Most Rev. Dr. Kirwan, Bishop of
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Life of the Most Rev. Dr. Plunkett. By Cardinal Moran.
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End of Religious Controversy. By Right Rev. Dr. Milner.
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Hay's (Right Rev. Dr.) Devout Christian. Cr. 8vo, cloth.
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Life of Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Sacred
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Manual of B. Sacrament. Rev. Fr. Sebastian. 18mo, cl.
,, a Happy Eternity (St. Joseph's). ,,

„ the Seven Dolours, B.V.M. „

,, the Infant Jesus. ,,

,, the Confraternity of Cross and Passion. ,,
,, St. Michael the Archangel. ,,

Mission, Novena, and Retreat Companion. By Rev.
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Reeve's History of the Bible. 12mo, 230 engravings, cl.

Sufferings of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By
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De Sales (St. Francis) Treatise on the Love of God. New-
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Journal (A) of Meditations for Every Day in the Year.
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Lessons from the Passion. By the Rev. B. Feeney. Cr.
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Pictorial History of the Bible. By Abbe" Royamont.
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History of the Holy Bible. By Abb6 Royamont. Square
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Path of Perfection in Religious Life. By M. L'Abbe
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Roman Ritual. Compiled by Rev. Henry M'Neece, C.C.,
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14 Selection from the Catalogue of
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Douay Bible. Crown 8vo, embossed, gilt edges.

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Life of St. Teresa. Edited by Cardinal Manning. 2nd
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