A Golden Treatise of Mental Prayer. St. Peter de Alcántara
his feet, nor other garment, but his habit of coarse cloth, without any other thing next his skin, and this as straight as could be endured, and a short cloak of the same upon it. He told me that when it was very cold he did put it off, and opened the door and little window of his cell ; that afterwards, when he did put his cloak on again, and shut his door, he might give some contentment and recreate his body, which before was frozen with cold. He did very ordinarily eat but once in three days : and he asked me at what I marvelled, for it was very possible for one that accustomed himself to it. His poverty was extreme, and likewise his mortification in his youth. With all his sanctity, he was very affable, though he used not many words, if he were not spoken to, for then he was very pleasing, having a good understanding. And a little after, " His end was like his life, preaching and admonishing his friars. When he saw death draw nigh, he said the psalm: " Lætatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi," and kneeling down, departed. Since our Lord hath let me enjoy him more then in his life, giving me advice and counsel in many things, I have seen him many times in ex-
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ceeding great glory. The first time he appeared unto me, he said, " O happy penance which did merit such a reward !" and many other things. A year before he died, he appeared to me, being absent, and 1 knew that he should die, and I sent him word, being some leagues from hence. When he gave up the ghost, he appeared to me and said, that he went to rest, I believed it not, I told some of it, and eight days after the news came that he was dead, or rather began to live for ever. Behold here his austerity endeth with so great glory, he seemed to comfort me more than when he was in this world. Our Lord told me once, that nothing should be asked in his name which he would not hear. I have seen many things fulfilled, which I have desired him to ask of our Lord ; he be blessed for ever. Amen." And in the thirtieth chapter of her life, she sayeth as follows : " Our Lord vouchsafed to remedy a great part of my trouble, and for that time the whole, by bringing to this place the Blessed Father Peter of Alcantara, of whom I have already made mention, and spoken something of his penance ; for amongst other things, I was certified, that for twenty years he had worn a cilice of plate continually. He is the author of certain little books of prayer, which are now much used in the Spanish tongue, for as one that hath exercised it well, he wrote very profitably, giving most excellent rules to those who addicted
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themselves to prayer. He observed the first rule of St. Francis with all rigor, and other things which I have related before." Thus she, and so much shall suffice to speak of, but part of his rigorous penance, it was his fervent zeal, and love of God, not strength of body, which made this crabbed way of penance easy to his heroic spirit; whose example may (though not in so great a measure as he did,) justly move us to shake off that old and self-love excuse of ours, in saying, our bodies are weak, when alas ! our wills are frozen, and so nice, that we are afraid to expose our body but to a poor trial. The heathen Seneca will check our indevotion, who saith:* " Not because certain things are hard, therefore we dare not do them, but because we dare not do them, therefore they are hard.”
* Non quia difficilia quEedam sunt, ideo non aude- mus, sed quia non audemus, ideo difficilia.
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CHAPTER V.
OF HIS GREAT PURITY AND HUMILITY.
THE man of God increasing in his rigorous penance, did not only mortify in part, but wholly subdued his passions, and made his senses subordinate to the rule of reason ; he suffered nothing to enter into his soul which might separate, or in the least kind withdraw his affection from his beloved spouse, for (as much as was possible for pilgrim man,) he enjoyed the spirit of God; golden peace and divine consolation sat upon his wings of contemplation, and where others make their bodies masters, he made his a slave unto his spirit. Hence it came to pass, that many of both sex, drawn with the fragrant odour of his virtues, flocked to him, as to another Apostle, to whose counsels and admonitions they obeyed, as to a divine oracle.
Upon a time, the Count Orapsane, a devout nobleman, came to visit him, and falling into discourse, how much Almighty God was moved with the sins of the world, out of his zeal break- eth into these speeches, O Father! what do you think? what will become of this wicked world? do you think the divine justice can contain itself any longer from revenge? Be
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hold, how virtue is oppressed, and sin triumpheth ? how wilfully do we hoard up anger against the day of anger? to which the man of God modestly answered and said, noble Sir, do not afflict yourself, a remedy will easily be found to cure this disease ; the point of the difficulty consisteth only in you and me, for the general perdition of mankind floweth from this fountain, that all and every one dissembling or cloaking their own sins, accuse the whole, when the whole cannot be said to sin at all, but particular persons in the whole. Wherefore, men cry out against the wickedness of the world, that all are naught, and none that do good, when if they would but look into their own particular, they should find matter enough of sorrow, and to move themselves to do penance for their own faults; but now because they blame the whole, they neglect their own particulars, and justify themselves with a sottish presumption. Therefore, noble Sir, let your Lordship, and I, mend one a piece, and then a great part of the world will be amended; we shall appease the angry judge, and repair a great part of the ruin of mankind by our good example.
When Charles the Fifth recollected himself in a certain monastery of the Hieronymites, understanding of the sanctity and integrity of this holy Father, he sent for him, with an in- tent to make him his ghostly father. But he humbly refusing so great an honor, alleged
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some reasons, why he thought this employment not to be fitting for him. At which denial, the Emperor being a little moved with anger, said, we charge you, Father, that you would take care of our soul. He seeing this sudden alteration of Cæsar, fell down at the feet of his majesty, and earnestly desired him to defer the business to what day or hour he would please to appoint, that, in the mean time, he might commend it to Almighty God, which the Emperor granted ; then he took his leave of the Emperor, and said, this renowned Cæsar, shall be a sign unto you, that it is not according to the will of God, which you have desired, if I do not return at the appointed time. Then passing to his former solitude, as he went, he complained with many sighs and groans to Almighty God, fearing by the devices of Satan, to be drawn from the embracings of his blessed spouse, Jesus Christ. He sent up his fervent prayers to the Almighty's throne, and said these or like words : '' Lord, I have not, therefore, left the world, and betaken myself to this holy desart, that now at length my name should be renowned in a prince's court, and live in honor, that am a poor Franciscan friar. Why should my ears be troubled with flatterings of courtiers, who came to speak my fault in religion? I confess that this office may be exercised without sin ; but whether it be expedient for my soul, sweet Jesus, tell me ? And when he entered into his cell, Lord, I be-
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seech thee, pull me not from hence, whither thy omnipotent hand hath brought me. Here I am safe, here I am rich ; because I enjoy thee, who alone can satiate my soul. Alas ! without thee what is the whole empire? and with thee, this poor cell is a kingdom of content. Here let me live: Here let me die. Lord, let it please thee what I wish for, because all is thine whatsoever I desire. If thou grantest me thy petition, let this be a sign unto me, that Cæsar molesteth me no more." So rising, as being heard, did appear no more before him. Neither did the Emperor ever solicit him after.
The same request did the illustrious Princess Joanna, sister to Philip the Second, Catholic King of Spain, make unto this holy Father, whom he likewise denied after the same manner. Thus, whilst he fled honors, he was most honored of all, and reverenced of every one.
And what candid sincerity he used in con- temning proffered honors, men of no small qua- lity observed, that those who honored him, he would no more regard their speech than a simple idiot, and would labor to divert them from that to some other discourse. He had rather be called a sinner than a holy man, and he himself would (without scandal) lay open to the world his imperfections, under which, his virtues and graces were cloaked. But God, the searcher of secrets,