23. Of the fever of the child bald- wine, and of master John her confessor

Now the desolate virgin had with her for some comfort in the latter days of her illness the son of her brother, by name Baldwine, a child of twelve years, almost continually waiting upon her. And that he might remember more surely the wondrous things that were wrought in her, and which he beheld by frequent experience, she obtained for him from the Lord the malady of a fever by a wholesome affliction and a certain loving miracle as a reminder of His wonders. For the same young lad used a certain cup from which she was wont to drink. And so about the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary,1 in that year before the day of her death, the virgin when it was now evening bade the same child to place his cup filled with a light liqnor near her bed. When morning came, calling the child, she bade him take the cup and drink. When therefore he had taken the cup ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM he found it by the gift of God filled with a certain strange liquor, as if there were in it a concoction made of a mixture of cinnamon and other simples sweet smell ing and delicious to the taste. But as this virgin, according to the multitude of afflictions wherewith she was daily scourged, was also refreshed with divine consolations, so on the other hand the aforesaid child, having received and drank as much as he would of the afore said cup, on the same day began to languish and to be troubled succes sively with divers fevers until about the feast of St. Martin, bishop, in the winter time of the same year.1 But from the same miraculous cup divers men also drank, but they did not however con tract any maladies as the aforesaid child. Likewise also different liquors poured into the same cup for a whole week gave to those who drank the savour of a most sweet potation, without the afflic tion of any disease. This cup then, which to the child was a sign of scourg ing, to others who tasted was the solace of a fresh miracle. But when the child was cured of his fevers, the hand of the Lord was again stretched out to the ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM priest of this virgin. For Master John her confessor fell into quartan fever, and on the same day on which the virgin was usually attacked, he also being struck suffered a severe fever. Seeing this, Master John's sister asked the virgin how long the fever of her brother was to last. Who answered that he would be freed about the first Sunday of the following Lent, which also so came to pass as she foretold. And when the same Master John was sick with a serious illness unto death, the virgin, compassionating him, by the great urgency of her prayers mercifully ob tained for him from the Lord delay of death and lengthening of life.