17. Of a certain departed sacristan and many other dead

There was a certain sacristan Baldwine by name, in the town formerly called Oudershie, who falling sick died on the night of the Conversion of St. Paul,1 and whose name this virgin did not know before. But the same night the virgin, absorbed in prayer, rapt as usual from her senses, came to a certain mountain, at the foot of which she saw a man then unknown to her wishing to climb the mount, but for weakness not able. And when according to his request placing him on her shoulders she had carried him up, wondering at his weight she ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM asked by what name he was called. Who answering said, " Baldwine de Velde." The next morning- Master John the virgin's confessor, entering her cell, found her breathing heavily as from weariness of a great labour and from fatigue scarcely able to draw her breath. The priest therefore asked the cause of this distress and weariness. And she explained in order the thing shown in the vision, and told the name of the man before unknown that he was called Baldwine. Whereat won dering, that priest recalled to mind the sacristan at Oudershie, who was called Baldwine, but his surname he did not know. After two days the same priest came to that town to celebrate, asking a certain woman about the condition and surname of the same sacristan, who gave his surname as it was revealed to the virgin, declaring like wise that he died on the same night on which the virgin had carried him from the foot of the mountain to the top.

Another time also, rapt as usual, she came by a certain mountain and she saw divers persons wandering in different ways, some at the foot of the ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM mount, others struggling- higher up, and some standing on a more lofty part of the mount, wishing indeed to climb the mountain itself but unable and not having either any assistance to aid them. The virgin therefore understood what these things signified, that they were souls of the departed who needed prayers.

And when some of the solemn festivals were at hand, for some days before those feasts she would be rapt to the regions of Purgatory, to see the miseries of the afflicted who needed help and were unable to assist them selves, that she might faithfully pray the Lord for them, who, tormented with most grievous pains, were forced to cry out with Blessed Job, "Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, for the hand of the Lord hath touched me" (Job. xix 21). Returning to herself, therefore, when she had willingly borne her daily fevers for their deliverance and most bitterly wept imploring urgently the divine mercy, again in rapture on the feasts themselves she exulted with such great gladness over their redemption, which she learnt, that she could ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM scarcely hold herself in for joy. And although on other days she often liberated great numbers, still on the chief festivals by the favour of God she delivered many more and in greater abundance. But she so bitterly grieved over their sufferings and frequently wept that, natural tears failing in her, tears of blood succeeded, which, con gealed in course of time upon her cheeks, her confessor scraped off, softening them with the natural tears that flowed, and placing them in a bag he kept them by him in a casket, and after her death, as she wished, placed in the tomb under her head.