33. The narration of three miracles

But now to prove this virgin's holiness it seems altogether befitting at the end of the book to adjoin, to the honour of ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM God and the praise of this holy virgin, of many signs three most notable miracles recently wrought by the co operation of God, which are proved on the faith of worthy men testifying to her sanctity, and are reported by the lips of many.

There was in the city of Delft a certain maiden who, continually keeping her bed for eight years, was grievously sick. This maiden four masters skilled in medicine and famous of repute visited, and moved by human pity, but urged more by the love of God, then strove to aid her. But the illness of this virgin was altogether unknown to these now mentioned masters, nor could any one of them give a remedy which might profit the sick girl. Among whom one of the masters, Master William Sonderdank, an approved doctor, wondering much, said to the above named maiden : " Thou hast not yet suffered so long a time such great pains as that blessed virgin Lydwine, because of whose merits the Lord now works many miracles in our parts." The sick virgin then hearing this, of her own devotion, or rather urged ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM by divine inspiration, recited as many times the Lord's Prayer, commonly called the Our Father, as there are members in the human body, to the honour of God and this holy virgin Lydwine. It befell therefore after this that the happy virgin Lydwine visibly visited the sick maiden, giving her a remedy of medical art, and truly healed, she arose sound, walking, eating, and doing the works of maids in health. Whereat the aforesaid master, very much astounded, testifies that this is most true.

The second miracle happened at Gouda, a most noted city of Holland. There was there in a cloister of virgins a certain nun who had a contraction of the nerves in one leg ; which leg was so bent and shrunken that she could not walk, nor stretch it in any way to the length of the other by a space of two palms. She would willingly have visited this doctor Master William Sonderdank abovenamed, who before had cured one of the same house, sent to him in Delft, with the remedies of his art and the help of the grace of God in the space of ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM eight weeks, but she could not obtain permission from her superiors. Sad dened therefore, she wept bitterly several days, because she would remain lame all the days of her life, as she thought, ill content to be thus. At length came that blessed virgin Lydwine of a night speaking with her, and saying that she should ask of the sisters that every nun of that house should recite five Our Fathers and Hail Marys to the honour of God and the virgin Lydwine herself; and on the Sunday should have herself carried to her own church, and thus she should recover the health of the lame leg. Which was done without delay. For, having obtained leave of her con fessor, she was carried to the church as Lydwine had said to her by vision, and during Mass she suddenly obtained the perfect cure of her leg ; going out most joyously by herself, and rendering the greatest thanks to God, Who had worked that miracle by the merits of the most happy virgin Lydwine.

But the third miracle happened at Leyden, a well-known town of the country ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM of Holland. In this populous city there was a certain religious virgin who had in the neck a hard cancer about the size of a large apple, so that she could neither drink nor eat nor bend herself, if she did not wish to be choked by the exceeding difficulty of breathing. She came without shoes and without linen1 to the grave of the aforesaid holy virgin to implore the succour of health, and not having gained it she returned with great sadness, not knowing what good things were to come to her. The night following after her return from the tomb, and awakened from her sleep, she was entirely cured of that cancerous growth which she had suffered for nearly eight years, as was known to many. This virgin miraculously cured the above mentioned Master William Sonderdank, doctor in medicine, saw with his own eyes and touched her neck with his hands ; who also gives most trustworthy witness in his writing of all the foregoing, saying: "I witness to God that these three have been wrought within a short time ; yea and many others which I have seen with my own eyes it would be too i i.e. with only the rough outer garment against the skin by way of penance.

ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM long to narrate." 1 These above written miracles have come to pass by God re newing wonders in our days, in the year of the Lord one thousand four hundred forty-eight, the most holy Pope Nicholas the Fifth sitting in the apostolic See, in the second year of his reign.

1 This William Sonderdank was the son of the Godfrey of Hague, the Doctor who was the first to recognise the supernatural nature of Lydwine's ailments. This good Godfrey was accustomed to heal the poor gratis, and in response to their earnest Grootendank, Great thanks, he invariably answered Sonderdank, No thanks. Hence he was commonly known as Sonderdank, a title which his son was proud to take as a surname. This son, William, is also said to have built a hospital on the site of St. Lydwine's house, in accordance with the wish which she had once expressed when refusing the offer of a better house for herself : she had said that she would be well content if after her death her house should be fitted up as an asylum for the sick.

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