8. Of the severity of her fever and a fresh disease in her leg

This rose of Christ suffered long and divers fevers, often quartan, often tertian, and often daily. Amid which thorns of affliction she simply gave up her body to the will and chastisement of God to be crucified ; at Whose bidding all things were ordered unto the good of her soul, and much better than any man could foreknow or design. And in fact the tertian fevers she endured for seventeen years and more : which for the salvation and redemption of souls, she was will ingly ready to bear even to death. The attacks of these fevers was as follows. For first she felt an indescribable heat, which was followed by an indescribable cold. Then again the aforesaid heat and afterwards the intense cold returned : which vicissitudes lasted for nearly half the year. But afterwards she would have the same fever the other way ; for first she was in a great and indescrib able cold, and then in an immense heat, which lasted until the torture finally ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM ceased. But when the fever gave over she would be so insensible that, uncon scious of herself, she could neither hear nor speak. For when she felt the attack of the fever she applied herself to exer cise of the Lord's Passion, commending herself and her sufferings to the Passion of Him in Whom all bitter things are sweetened. Who often withdrew her by excess of mind from corporal things so that she noticed neither herself nor anything else whatsoever. And during this fever, she sent out a certain red water from her mouth; and when she was questioned whence such matter came, seeing that she took neither food nor drink, she answered by a question thus. "Tell me whence so much sap comes in the vine ; which during winter seems withered and almost dead?" But the virgin of Christ was comforted exceedingly in her so weak body by taking up a good meditation on God; and she was much more refreshed thereby than another would have been by most costly foods. And if the presence of men and her maladies had not hin dered her, she would not have wondered if on account of the abundance of divine grace each month, she had fattened the ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM flesh in her body beyond the measure of a Hamburg vat.

Once also before the beginning of the fast, while the people were amusing themselves in the square near her cell, she grieved much over these vanities, and prayed God that if it were pleasing to Him in her regard, or if He Himself wrought those things in her which she suffered, He would deign to show her this by the sign of a new illness. And the Lord, hearing her prayers, gave her in one of her legs a fresh troublesome disease. With which malady indeed she was so grievously afflicted until the next Easter, that conscious of her weakness she did not dare to beg for a further increase of her infirmities. But she was wont to say in her daily sicknesses to some who constantly assisted her, that she was quite willing to bear them for forty years ; yea even to the end of the world for the conversion of any sinner, or for the deliverance of any faithful soul from the pains of Purgatory. For although she was weighed down by such great maladies, she retained the full use of her senses, and a quick intelligence and memory, so that to many who came from distant parts to visit her asking ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM advice, she afforded comfort in spiritual things as well as healing in bodily needs. Many women also labouring in childbirth, she relieved by loving compassion and the assistance of her counsel. In the midst of these divine gifts she was not puffed up, nor did she presume loftily concerning her future glory, but bowing down her heart in humility, she most patiently bore all her burdens in charity, and feared as if she were to suffer Purgatory after this life. But she merited such grace with God that the holy angels numbered the steps of those who visited her for the sake of devotion. Wherefore she used to console her visitors, who sometimes complained of the weariness of their journey ; that they should not grieve for their fatigue, because God would render them a good reward for their toil.