16. Of her spirit of prophecy, whereby she revealed to others many hidden things

And it is certain that this virgin also knew many secrets concerning both the living and the dead, of which some she made known for the profit and comfort of her friends, but many she humbly kept back in silence. For instance she is believed to have long before foreknown the fire of the city of Schiedam, because before it happened she had ordered a store of planks to be set against the wall of her house. To those who asked why she did this she said, because if the fire broke out then they could more easily, having removed the planks, carry her out and bear her across the moat.1 1 i.e. the little canal, or ditch that ran round the house. Another, and as it seems the true reason is given in Brugman's second Life for this storing of planks, viz. that a rough shelter might be made near her house for some of those who should be rendered homeless by the fire.

ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM It happened then in the year of the Lord 1428 that certain sailors of Schie dam, before setting out for the fishing, carefully made ready a great supper for their comrades and friends to bid them farewell on the feast of St. Arnulph, bishop and confessor, rejoicing indeed in present prosperity, fearing nothing of the evils to come. When therefore, having finished their supper, they had covered the fire under a vessel near a wall of reed, then lo ! about the eleventh hour of the night gradually a fire breaks out, which, raging for the rest of the night, made such way that nearly the whole city with the church and the house of the sisters near the church was burnt. When this had come to pass, very many men of that city held it for certain that this great fire had befallen because of the sins of certain individuals, who amongst other crimes had shown irreverence to the aforesaid image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Among whom was a woman worldly and unrestrained, following the broad paths of this world with the dissolute. After whose death a certain priest well known to this virgin asked her to pray for him, that he might have ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM some certain knowledge of the state of the dead woman. And when the virgin agreed and did accordingly, the same priest, in a vision of the night rapt to the infernal regions, saw that the aforesaid woman was held bound with iron chains in hell, which also he related to this virgin with wonder and grief.