The lyf of saint Katherin of Senis.

Nach dem Drucke W. Caxtons (c. 1493) mitgeteilt

von

C. Horstmann.
(Schlufs.)

Of the ofte receyuyng of the holy sacrament of the aulter, and of the meruaylles whiche our lord dyd to hyr touchyng the holy sacrament and other relyques of sayntes. Cap. xij.

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IT was knowen to all that knew this holy mayde whyle she lyued in erthe, what excellent loue she hadde in reuerence and deuocyon aboute the worshypfull sacrament of the aultre, oure lorde hys fleflhe and hys blood, so that for the often receyuyng therof hit was a comyn seyeng among the people that Katheryne the holy mayde was houselyd euery day and lyued therby allone, wythout ony bodely mete. And all-be-it that they sayd not alwaye trouthe, yet I suppose they tolde it mekely, 10 gyuynge honour to god, that euer apperyth meruaylous to(1) hys chosen. Neuertheles, be-cause she receyued it so ofte, all-be-it that it were not euery daye, yet ther were somme that grutched wyth-all. Ageynst whome may be brought wytnes ynough of holy faders, that they dyd the same. But fyrst I shall tell you what the vse was of holy chyrche in olde 15 tyme. Saynt Denys seyth in a book that he made de ecclesiastica Ierarchia, that in the begynnyng of holy chyrche the feruoure of the holy ghoost was so haboundaunt in the hertes of feythfull creatures, bothe men and wommen, that they receyued the sacramente of the aulter euery daye... Furthermore the doctryne of holy chyrche techeth this: 20 that euery feythfull man (þat) is bounde in no dedely synne, yf he haue actuell deuocyon, it is not only lefull for hym but also merytorye, for to receyue that excellent worshypfull sacramente: Whoo thenne durst forbede suche a feythfull persone and suche an holy lyuer in ony-maner wise for to wynne so ofte grete mede in receyuyng of that worshypfull 25 sacramente? Trewely, I doubte not therof but that suche a creature had grete wrong yf it be denyed, whan it is mekely axed (2); but yf they wolde say () vtterly that it is not lefull to no creature, be he neuer so feythfull ne neuer soo perfyte ne deuote, for to receyue that blyssed sacramente ofte. To this I shall tell you what answere this holy mayde 30 gaue to a byshop in presence of mayster Reymond, that sayd these

(1) l. in. (2) C. vxed. (3) nisi forte assereret quispiam. Archiv f. n. Sprachen. LXXVI.

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wordes aforsayd to hyr, alledgyng for hym the wordes of Saynt Austyn where he seyth thus: Euery day for to receyue the sacrament of the aulter, nother I prayse ne blame it; to this obyeccyon answerde this holy mayde in this wyse to the bylhoppe: Fader, yf Saynt Austyn 5 blame it not, ye alledge that holy doctour ageynst youre-selfe." Ouermore now shall I tell you what Saynt Thomas Aquyne seyth of thys doubte whether it be spedefull to a crysten man ofte-tymes or euery day for to receyue the sacrament of the aulter; he answereth thus therto, that ofte receyuyng of that blyssed sacrament encrecyth the deuocyon of 10 hym that receyueth it, but it lessyth other-whyles hys reuerence that he sholde haue to that blyssyd sacramente. Therfore (1) euery feythfull Crysten man sholde haue bothe reuerence and deuocyon to that blyssed sacramente: and whan (2) he feleth (3) that hys reuerence is lessened by ofte receyuyng of that blyssed sacramente, he sholde absteyne a whyle, that 15 he myght go therto afterward wyth more reuerence; and yf he fele hys reuerence euer hole and neuer lessened but rather encrecyd wyth deuocyon as ofte as euer he receyueth it, thenne he may sekerly receyue it: ffor truely wythout ony doubte suche a sowle well dysposed wynneth moche mede in the receyuyng of that blyssed sacramente. Thys holsom doctryne 20 of this deuoute and holy doctoure Saynt Thomas kepte this holy mayde Katheryne: ffor ofte-tyme she receyued that blyssed sacramente, and somme-tyme she absteyned hyr ther-fro, all-be-it that she hadde euer desyre to be knytte to hyr spouse by medyacyon (4) of the blyssed sacrament, for the brennyng charyte where-by she was drawe to hym. In so 25 moche other-whyle she desyred to be houseled, that, but she hadde receyued that day whan she desyred that blyssed sacrament, she shold haue a passion of syknes in hir body, as though she hadde be vexyd long tyme afore wyth a contynuell sekenes of feuer: and all that sykenes of the body came fro the passyon of the soule. Many tymes she was thus 30 vexed whanne she was letted from houselyng other-whyle by the Pryoure of the freres and other-whyle by the Pryoresse of theyr ordre of hir susters. Neuertheles, by-cause she sholde not be lette, our holy fader the pope Gregorye the xj for hyr more comforte graunted hyr by bull that what preest herde hyr confessyon, myght housell hir in what place that he 35 wolde say masse, wythoute ony leue of ony souereyne. Of one meruayllous thyng now shall I tell you þat befyll to mayster Reymond, this holy maydes confessour. In a tyme whan mayster Reymond came (5) from Auyon to the Cyte of Sene and thoughte to loke how this holy mayde ferde (6), he entred in to hyr hous aboute none-dayes and founde hyr in 40 hir oratorye and this was on Saynt Markys day the Euangelyst. As soone as she sawe hym, she rose ageynst hym and sayd to hym these wordes: O wolde god, fadre, ye wyst how hongry my soule is! Thenne mayster Reymond answerd hyr, for he wyst well ynough what she mente, and sayde: „moder, it is now all-most paste tyme of syngyng, and I am 45 soo wery that vnnethe I may dyspose me to syng." Wyth that she helde hyr pees a lytell whyle: and soone after she brack out ageyne the same wordes and sayd: she was sore an-hongred. Thenne mayster Reymond wente to masse in hyr owne chapell that she hadde by lycence of the pope, and sayd masse of Saynt Marke. And whan he hadde vsed (7), he 50 torned for to gyue this mayde generall absolucyon, as the maner of holy chirche axeth: he sawe hyr face lyke the face of an angell, sendyng out bemys of bryghtnesse, in soo moche that he meruaylled and sayd in hymself to oure lord thus: Thys is not Katheryns face, but certeyne, lorde,

(1) 1. Thenne, for. (2) tilge and oder whan. (3) C. feyleth. (4) meditacyn. (5) erg. with hir. (6) anders lat.: sie kehren zusammen von einem Besuche zurück. (7) 1. hoseled; lat. postquam sumpserat sacramentum.

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this is thy dere spouse." Wyth that he torned hym to the aulter and sayde thys wordes to oure lorde in hys soule: Come, lorde, to thy spouse! Anone as he had sayd that in hys thought, sodeynly wyth the same thought the oste rose vp hym-self and came to hys hondes... Another meruayllous thynge of this blyssed sacramente I shall tell you, that befyll to the same mayster Reymond. He was in a tyme in the Cyte of Sene for certeyne thynges that he hadde to done; and as soone as he hadde done, he wente for to speke wyth this holy mayde (1) and founde hyr syke of a sykenes in hyr syde, the whiche was callyd Ilica passio, and of other grete infyrmytees of hyr body; desyryng 10 that same day to be houseled, yf hyr sykenes hadde be cessyd. And aftertyme mayster Reymond hadde commyned wyth hyr of the grete excellence of the blyssed sacramente of the aulter, he went home to hys Couent for to say masse (1). And as he made hym redy to masse-ward, this holy mayde sente to hym by a felawe of heres and prayed him to abyde a 15 whyle, for she wolde be houseled that day whan hyr sykenesse were passyd awaye from hyr. He dyd so and abode hyr leysyr. Aboute (2) none-tyme this holy mayde was esyd and came to chirche for to be houselyd. But hyr felawes consydered that the tyme was late for to be houseled thenne, by-cause she hadde it in custome for to abyde 20 afterward thre houres or foure to-gyders in rauyfl'hynge or more, so that the chirche-dores most all that tyme stonden (3) open, of the whiche custome many of the freres grutcheden; therfore they counseylled hyr not for to be houseled, for grutchyng of somme of the freres. To the whiche counseyll this holy mayde mekely and obedyently concentyd. But for hyr 25 grete desyre that she had to that blyssed sacramente, and myghte not receyue it, she prayed oure lorde deuoutely in the ferrest place of the chirche, vnknowyng to mayster Reymond that she was come, and there she prayed in this wyse: Lorde Ihesu endeles mercy, as thou hast gyue me gracyously this desyre, soo I beseche the perfourme it by thy-self, 30 syth I may not perfourme my desyre by noo preest." Thenne almyghty god, that neuer despyseth the desyre of his seruauntes, herde hys spouse Katheryne, not onely mercyably, but also meruayllously, as I shall tell you. Whan she hadde comforte of oure lorde (4), she sente to mayster Reymond by one of hyr susters and prayed hym to goo to masse whan it 35 lyked hym, for she myght nott be houselyd that day. Thenne he wente to masse, supposyng that she hadde be at home at hyr hows and not in the chyrche. And whan he hadde sacred and wolde make the fraccyon afore Agnus dei in thre (5) partys as holy chyrche hath ordeyned, meruayllously, as he wende to haue made iij partycles, he founde foure (6) 40 partycles, and that fourthe partycle skypped aboue the Chaleys and come doune be it-self and layde it-self vpon the corporas, as it semed to mayster Reymond. But he coude neuer fynde it afterward: ffor many tymes he sought ther-after, bothe that same tyme and also whanne masse was doune; wherfore he made grete sorowe in hys herte. Whanne he hadde ¡ 45 soo dylygentely sought it ouer-alle aboute the aulter, besyde the aulter and vpon the grounde, at the last he bethought hym to aske counseyll of the pryour of pat place herof, the whiche pryour loued and dred our lorde god right moche; couering in the mene tyme the aulter, that none body shold come there, vnto the tyme he sholde come agayn. But 50

(1) Anders lat. (2) C. tyll it was aboute. (3) C. stooden. (4) 1. consentyd not to be houseled. (5) 1. two, (6) 1. thre. Vgl. lat.: Cum autem post consecrationem ac post orationem dominicam vellet sacram hostiam, ut ritus habet Ecclesiæ, primo in duas partes, deinde alteram in duas partes alias frangendo dividere, in prima fractura non duæ tantum partes, sed tres factæ sunt: duæ maguæ et una parva, longitudinis unius communis fabæ, sed non tantæ latitudinis,

sodenly as he was goyng to the pryour, come to hym a speciall frende of his, a pryour of the cha(r)terhous (1), preyng hym he myght speke wyth this holy mayde Katheryne for certayne maters. Thenne Mayster Reymound prayed hym for to abyde a lityll tyme tyll he hadde spoke wyth 5 the pryour of his couent and he wolde come anone agayn. He sayde, he myght not tary by-cause it was a solempne daye amonges theym and nedes he must be at home at the mete, and therto he hadde a myle (!) home, wherfore he prayed hym for goddes loue to tary hym not, for his conscience constreyned hym to speke wyth this hooly mayde Katheryne. 10 Thenne of charyte he lefte his owne nede and went wyth his speciall frende to thys holy mayde Katheryns hous, wenyng þat he sholde haue founde her there. But her felawes answerd hym that longe ago she went to chirche and come not home yet. Whan mayster Reymond herde thys, he was admerueylyd, and came agayn to chyrche wyth his frende: and 15 founde her there in a corner of the chirche, knelyng and rauylhed as she was wount to be, and somme of her felawes wyth her. Öff whom he asked how longe that holi mayde Katheryne hadde be there. They saide, alle this masse-tyme and more. Than he prayed theym for to excite her assone as they myght, for hys frende (2) is come for to speke 20 wyth her and he myght not tarye. Whan she was cesyd of her rauyllhyng, mayster Reymound toke her asyde and tolde her of his dysese, vnder fewe wordes, by-cause the other man, his frende, sholde not be lette. Anone she smylyd vppon mayster Reymound and askyd (3) hym thus gladly: „Fader, sought ye not all-aboute?" He sayde, yes. Thenne she sayde: 25 why haue ye soo grete sorowe therfore?" And wyth þat she smiled eftsonis, and went soo forth for to speke wyth the pryour off the charterhous. In the mene-tyme mayster Reymound abode, somwhat I-comforted, but not fully, vnto be tyme he wyst how it myght be soo awaye. Whan she hadde full doo wyth the Pryour of the Charterhous and delyuerd him 30 of an answer that he came for, she tourned her to mayster Reymounde agayne. Thenne Mayster Reymound sayd to her thus: „Moder, I trowe it be ye that hath (take) awaye that partycule of the holy hoste." She wyth smyling saide: „nay, but it was another that toke it awaye from you; and therfore be ye nomore sory therfore, ne for it ne seke no35 more (4), for I telle you ye shall neuer fynde it." Thenne Mayfter Reymond prayed her that she wolde tell hym al-hole how it myght be. To whom she sayde thus: Fader, take nomore sorowe for that partycle: for, yf I shall and sholde (!) saye the soth to you as to myn confessour and myn ghostely fader, that partycule was brought to me and I receyued 40 it by pe reuerend hondes of our reuerend lord almyhty god, swete gloryous Ihesu cryst. And I shal tell you the cause why: This daye I was in purpos wyth a grete desyre for to be houseled, but myn felawes gaue me counseyll for to cefe (5), that I shold not be hoseled, in as moche as somme grutched wyth-all. After whos counseyll I wrought and was (in) purpos 45 for to cese; but myn desyre was so grete therto, pat I prayed our lord almighty god of helpe: and he in his own reuerend persone aperit to me and gaue me that partycle wyth his owne reuerend hondes. And therfore, fader, bee not sory: there is none necligence in you as for that pertycule." After this reuelacion Mayster Reymound was right ioyefull, 50 by-cause (t)he th(o)ughte of his concience was put awaye from hym. Suche myracle our reuerend lord almyghty god shewed in the reuerend holy sacrament of be aulter by the merytes of his honde-mayde, holy Katheryne of Sene. Also there were many other (6) feythfull folke and

(1) lat. prior B. Rignardi .. Dominus Christophorus, post Prior Carthusiæ. (2) C. frendes. (3) and askyng. (4) nomore for it. (5) tilge for to cese. (6) tilge other.

trewe that sayde thei sawe ofte-tymes, whan Mayster Reymonde houselyd this hooly mayde Katheryne of Sene, the swete holi hooste (1) flee (2) out of his hondes in to her mouth. The whiche Mayster Reymound perceyued neuer, saue this he perceyued that the swete reuerende hoste made a noyse in her mouth whan she receyued it as though a stone hadde bee caste in her mouth from a ferre contree (3). Now thus shall I make an ende off the grete merueylousnes (4) of that reuerende swete holy sacramente of the aulter, and telle you of dyuerse myracles that befylle to this holy mayde saynt Katheryne of Sene aboute certayn relykes of

sayntes.

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This holy mayde Katheryne of Sene hadde onys a reuelacion, as she tolde pryuely to Mayster Reymound, her confessour, that she sholde be sette in the same degre of ioye in the blysse of heuen and be felawe wyth saint Agnes the whiche was a suster of the mount of Pollycita (5). Wherfore this holy mayde Katheryn of Sene desyred ofte-tymes wyth alle her 15 herte for to vysyte the relykes of saint Agnes. But now, ye maydens, by-cause ye shall knowe how vertuous a lyuer that saint Agnes was whan she was here in erthe, I shall tell you shortely vnder fewe wordes: (6) This holy mayde Saynt Agnes, suster of the mount of pollycyta, the same tyme that she sholde be borne off her moder, there was in the chambre 20 there her moder chylded a greate merueylous lyght, that all tho the whiche were in the same chambre myght clerly see it; and whan fhe was born, it cesyd. By this ye may knowe of what merite she shold be in the syght of our reuerende lord almighty god afterward, that soo soone in the begynnyng receyued the merueylous light of our reuerend lord 25 almyghty god. After-tyme she was born, she encresyd vertuously more and more in al tyme of the yeres, and at the laste she made two monasteryes of maydens, and lyeth beryeth (7) in the ton (8), in the whiche is shewed by our reuerend lorde almyghty god in her continuelly many wounderful miracles. And amonge all other myracles whan she was 30 passid out of this worlde, her body was not buryed, but lefte vpon erthe all hool wythout ony corrupcion. Wherfore other deuout folke that knewe her by her lyffe, consyderyng how many merueylous thynges oure reuerend lorde almyghty god shewed in her, wold haue bawmed her swete body, that it myght so be kepte vpon the erthe wyth miracles (!): and 35 whan thei cam to bawme it, they sawe how there came out of the toes of the feet and of the fyngers of the hondes droppes of bawme the whiche bawme is kepte yet in to this daye for a relyke amonges the susters of the same place. This myracle was shewed for this cause that alle folke sholde knowe that she hadde none nede for to be bawmed out- 40 ward, whan oure reuerend lorde almyghty god hadde bawmed her withinforth. Ferthermore the same hour pat she passed out of this worlde, in the tyme of the nyghte, infantes, both mayde-chyldren and other(9), as they laye in her moders beddes, cryeden and sayeden that now suster agnes is passeth out of this world and is a saint in heuen. On the 45 morowe thyse infantes drewe theym togyder in a companye, and wolde suffer none corrupte child come amonges theym, and wente eche of theym as in processyon wyth candeles in her handes to this monastery wher suster Agnes passed out of this world, offeryng (10) to that mayde maydenes oblacion. Many moo myracles our reuerend lord almyghty god shewed 50

(1) C. ghooste. (2) flede. (3) 1. from ferre, lat. a longe. (4) 1. merueyles. (5) lat. cum b. Sorore Agnete de Monte-Politiano. (6) Die Legende dieser Agnes ist ebenfalls von Raymund von Capua geschrieben, wie derselbe hier angiebt (im lat. Text). (7) 1. beryed. (8) C. toun st. ton (sc. monastery). (9) lat. vtriusque sexus infantes. (10) C. of offeryng.