Pilgrim Virgins

ON THE HOLY PILGRIM VIRGINS, CUNIGUNDE, MECHTUNDE, WIBRANDE, AND CHRISCHONA OR CHRISTIANA,

IN THE DIOCESE OF CONSTANCE IN GERMANY,

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

Concerning their pilgrimage, cult, elevation, and the Process made concerning the same.

Cunigunde, Pilgrim Virgin in Germany (S.) Mechtunde, Pilgrim Virgin in Germany (S.) Wibrande, Pilgrim Virgin in Germany (S.) Chrischona or Christiana, Pilgrim Virgin in Germany (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR D. P.

The journey of the Ursuline Virgins, ascending up the Rhine, and descending again, from Basel up to Cologne, however much implicated with circumstances plainly inconsistent and impossible, no more rightly numbered among the Ursulines, was yet undertaken with so ready a faith of the peoples throughout upper and lower Germany in the 12th century and thereafter; that if anywhere it happened that some pilgrim Virgin, venerated from time immemorial throughout the whole tract of the Rhine, was found; they at once supposed her to have been of that laurel-crowned host, either left on the way, or saved after the slaughter. About to note several examples in the course of the work, I treated on the 12th of this month of Saint Cunera, Patroness of the Rhenish town in the diocese of Utrecht; and I showed her, whom Saint Cunera Virgin Martyr of the 8th or 9th century; from her own ill-stitched Legend, not able to be advanced beyond the 8th century, in which the light of the Christian faith shone on those parts through Saint Willibrord: and yet no one there now doubts, that she was brought there by the Lord of the place, serving among the Huns, who hid her under his cloak, while the others were slaughtered. Now there present themselves another four, on the upper Rhine in Germany, and in the confines of the dioceses of Constance and Basel, who, returning from Rome, were there sickened and died and buried, and shine with miracles.

[2] Henricus Murerus, in his Helvetia sancta, page 169, describes their journey and end thus more or less. The noble Virgins Cunigunde, Mechtunde, and Christiana, with their handmaid Wibrande, having crossed the mountains of Helvetia, seeking Basel, at the ancient city of Augst (this is a town between Rheinfelden and Basel, died, returning from Rome, around Basel on the Rhine; more remote from the latter than from the former) began to fall ill: and the Rhine being crossed, when they had drawn near to the village of Rapperswil, Christiana died there, in a lodging found near the Rhine. The body to be handed over to burial remained immobile, until two untamed bullocks yoked to a cart drew it through brambles and rocks to the top of a mountain, in the lordship of Riehen opposite Istein placed, which town the river washes on the right, one league below Basel, situated on the left bank. The others moreover continued to be ill in the aforesaid lodging: and at last the bodies of the dead, as they had asked, similarly placed on a wagon, and carried by a miracle, to the places of burial, and committed to the bullocks yoked to it, by a similar miracle were drawn to a certain huge oak, which then gave the name to the place that it should be called Eichsel, and it is of the territory of Rheinfelden, and so to the Basel diocese these three belong, Christiana to the Constance and our Helvetia. So more or less Murerus, published in the year 1648.

[3] In the year 1504, Raymundus, Cardinal Priest of the title of Saint Pammachius, called of Gurk, and Bishop of Saintes, exercising an Apostolic Legation through Germany; they are elevated by the Apostolic Legate on 29 May and 16 June 1504 heard much of them at Basel, and instituted a Process upon the life, cult, and miracles of them: which being duly proved, he celebrated the Translation of the same; at Eichsel indeed on the 29th of May; on the mountain called Saint Christiana's, on the 16th of June. The Process written in Latin came forth from the Basel press the next year 1505: in which year also the aforepraised Cardinal, on the 5th day of September, died at Viterbo a septuagenarian, as if the holy Virgins were calling him, to receive the reward of his pious labor for them. The very printed Process, when afterward he had found it in the sacristy of Eichsel, Joannes Christophorus Haug, Doctor and Amtmann of the Dynasty of Rheinfelden, and having rendered it into German, had caused it to be printed by Episcopal types at Pruntrut, the residence of the Bishop of Basel, in the year 1673, under the auspices of his Most Reverend Prince and Lord, the Lord Franciscus Joannes, Bishop of Constance and Lord of Reichenau and Öhningen; because the parish of Eichsel with the lordship of Rheinfelden belonged to his diocese; there was a certain one studious of our work, who, not being able to find the original Latin context anywhere, after the Process made concerning the cult and miracles. made the German one again into Latin, and sent it to us. Worthy indeed by his good will, whose name might be set down here, to excite a laudable emulation of others less intent on such occasions. But he himself wished his name to be hidden from us, that he might receive a more copious reward of his labor from the Saints. He however was not necessary in the present case, because Hermannus Crombachius, in his Vindiciae Ursulanae, explicated in a huge volume in the year 1647, and so 26 years before that German translation was made, edited the same Process whole from the Basel original from page 935 to 966; such as we shall here give, the more willingly, because, compared with it, the German context seems to be a mere compendium such as in our work are less approved.

[4] There, from the Calendars, 2 May and 3 June are noted, There is alleged in that Process number 4 an ancient Missal, in whose Calendar is found written on 2 May, "Of Kunegundis the Virgin, who rests here." Likewise of the month of July on the 3rd day, "Of Wibrandis the Virgin who rests in this church. Of Munegundis the virgin who rests here." Several testimonies, designating the day of ancient cult, are not found there. Meanwhile Molanus, following some Martyrology of that region, which the letter q indicates, in his Additions to Usuard published, not only wrote, on 2 May, Molanus notes 16 June common to the three. At Eichsel of Saint Cunegundis the Virgin; and, on 3 July, of Saints Wibrandis and Mechtundis the Virgins (understanding the same who in the Calendar is named Monegundis), but also on the 16th of June: At Eichsel of the diocese of Constance the Elevation of the holy Virgins Cunegundis, Mechtundis, and Wibrandis: concerning whom a certain Clerk of Eichsel, and probably the Parish-priest, being asked to answer, replied to this last article, This is confirmed according to our register. Finally on the 17th of June in Molanus is similarly placed, and Christiana's day the 17th. In the diocese of Constance the Elevation of Christiana the Virgin; whereas however this Elevation is said expressly in the Process to have been made on the 16th of June: and that of the other three on the 29th of May preceding; and that not in the diocese of Constance but of Basel.

[5] Molanus, on this 16th in the Notes, adds to the three aforesaid Christiana; and says, that they were translated and elevated in the year 1504, having been canonized before; which last thing the Indulgences also seem to prove, granted in the year 1482, for the feast days of the same three; We here hold the day 16. and finally, that the Process of elevation is extant printed about the same year 1504. Yet Molanus does not seem to have seen the Process itself, otherwise he would not have erred about the day of the Translation. I would therefore believe that the same day 16 was indicated to him from the same source whence the prior things had been suggested to him, the Martyrology; but (which I gather from this) written after the year 1505; and so that this is the common festivity of the three; wherefore I refer all together on this day, even Christiana; who on this very day, not the following, is known to have been elevated. That Martyrology, moreover, whence I presume the day 16 was suggested to Molanus, as common to all. is proper to the Parish of Eichsel: for the Martyrology of Basel, restored to the new method of the Calendar and the truth of ecclesiastical history, and edited by the order of Bishop Jacob Christopher at Freiburg in Breisgau in the year 1584, has nothing of them on any of the aforenoted days. I presume also, that Molanus did not receive, but wrongly presumed the day of the Translation to be, because he saw other proper Birthdays assigned to them. Arnold Wion, otherwise closely following all the footsteps of Molanus, even where he errs; when he inscribed them in the Monastic Martyrology, could have followed nothing except a simple conjecture; about to give no place to this, No better ascribed to the Benedictines, if he had been conscious of the tradition, ascribing all to the Ursulines, concerning whom, because there is nothing here in the ancient Calendars, Molanus too touched nothing here. Wion was followed by Gabriel Bucelinus in the Benedictine Menology on the 16th of June, alleging Molanus, in whom there is no mention of Monkhood: but the example of Wion was enough for him, which elsewhere everywhere he follows without further examination.

[6] For the rest, the tradition once rejected, through which they are numbered among the Ursulines, than to the Ursulines, first probably born in the 12th or 13th century, when there were already everywhere spread throughout the German Provinces those things, which concerning their pilgrimage God was said to have revealed to Saint Elizabeth of Schönau, ill cohering among themselves; the tradition, I say, of a few centuries being rejected; nothing prevents those, of whom we treat, being deferred to the 9th or 10th century; when Germany was already full of monasteries; to which however we do not dare to ascribe them, because the Roman pilgrimage was more fitting for Virgins free from the cloistral law, than for those bound to it. The names too sufficiently persuade that all were of Teutonic origin, of whom one is called Chrischona, as if Christ-schona, that is fair of Christ, by her proper name; [they seem to have lived in the 9th or 10th century and to have been of Teutonic origin.] or even by the appellative title of "Fair" added to the name of Christina or Christiana. The hair-band (Crinale) of this one was still kept at her church in the year 1504, woven with silk, gold and gems, as the Cardinal Legate then saw it after the celebrated translation of the body, and as it is described in the Process number 84, with 12 Relics inserted, more precious than the material. But while among these are numbered the very 11 Thousand companions of Saint Ursula, Saint Hilary and Saint Brigid; it appears that she who is believed to have used the hair-band itself was much later than those Saints.

[7] The place, commonly called Eixel or Eyksel, has its name doubtless from an oak, in Teutonic Eyk: it does not please however that they wish it called Eyksel on account of the miracles, as if Oak of salvation: since similar places ending in "sel" there, such as Bischofzell, near Constance; Appenzell, near Saint Gall, The parish of Eichsel as if called the Cell at the oak, are understood to be the cell of a Bishop and of an Abbot: whence I suspect that there really was there some Benedictine Priory, founded on the occasion of frequent miracles under the Abbot of Saint Gall; since in the old Manuscript Missal there is found inscribed the donation of two jugera of land, in honor of Saint Gall and of the Holy Virgins, made to the place by Conrad of Adelhausen and his brothers, it seems to have at some time had Monks: Henricus Burkardus, and Rudolfus. How, however, the same place, which at the time of the Elevation itself was of the Diocese of Constance, widely extended along the right bank of the Rhine and embracing all of Breisgau, afterward came to the Basel diocese in this century (for I cannot suspect Murerus to err here) and again was restored to Constance, I conceive to have happened in no other way, which afterward was attached to the diocese of Basel than through various transactions between the Bishops of Constance and the heretic Magistracy of Basel; who willingly took to himself in pledge the Lordship of Rheinfelden, so near to his city, and extended across the Rhine in the sight of the city itself: from which bond it being more quickly loosed, and the wars ceasing, it returned to its first Lord.

[8] It was under the Bishop of Constance in the year 1663 These things being prefaced, before I pass to the Process promised from Crombach, it pleases me to exhibit the Latin letter, under which the German edition is found dedicated to the aforesaid Bishop of Constance. It runs thus. Under the diocese of your Princely Grace, in the parish of Eixel, situated in the Valley of the Rhine of the district of Rheinfelden, rest the holy Virgins, Kunegundis, Mechtundis, and Wibrandis, of the Ursuline society: whose sacred bones, after various miracles ascribed to them, were elevated in the year 1504; and before wars arose, they were frequented with great concourse of peoples, hoping for and obtaining aid at them in their various necessities. That therefore the glory of God may be further promoted (since also God is glorified in his saints) and the sick and mortals afflicted at the extreme may with greater confidence implore the aid of the same; I endeavored, from the most ancient Latin original found at the Parish of Eichsel, to translate it into the German language, and to offer and dedicate it to your Princely Grace, as the Ordinary of the place itself and my most clement Lord, when the German version was dedicated to him. commending myself most earnestly to your Grace, at Rheinfelden, 23 June 1663, who am the most obedient subject of your princely Clemency, Joannes Christophorus Haug, Amtmann of the Dynasty of Rheinfelden. Thus far he, whose words I have given entire, not dissembling the Ursuline society mentioned there; so much more did I abstain from changing the Latin context for that reason; but I leave the Reader free to determine, how much he wishes to believe of that Society.

[9] Together with the Process there is a Legend of 9 chapters, To the Process I shall subjoin the Legend, composed from it by the authority of the same Legate Raymundus; which, printed at Basel around the same time, probably with the Process itself, our Bollandus obtained, well gnawed and perforated by moths, and transmitted to his friend Crombachius at Cologne; who made it chapter XII of book IV of his Ursuline Vindiciae. It is distributed into IX Lessons, of very disparate size, so that the last three exceed the measure of the prior six. The first two contain a synopsis, of whatever kind, of the Ursuline pilgrimage, as if, in the time of the Emperor Marcian, under Attila King of the Huns, through Julius the Prince, in the confines of the city of Cologne Agrippina they had obtained Martyrdom, in the Year of the Lord 454, of whom seven are given … that is, after they had left the bounds of Britain, carried up the Rhine they had come to Basel, and by Pontulus the Bishop found there had been led to Rome and received by Cyriacus the Pope, and tarried there for some time; returning along the shores of the Rhine, near the city of Basel they remained lingering, and stayed fixed.

[10] Let the reader receive these things as he will; I, on the occasion of Cyriacus the Pope, the first 2 about Saint Ursula and her companions being omitted a fiction scarcely tolerable to the learned, intruded here, have tasted the whole matter, and sought by conjecture a more probable manner of the Ursuline pilgrimage and passion, in the Chronological-historical Attempt at the series of the Pontifical Catalogue part I of the May Propylaeum, after the Pontificate of Saint Pontianus; and again in the Paralipomena to the same; which let the reader consult. I have come closer, moreover, to the common opinion concerning the British origin of Saint Ursula among the Acts of the Saints throughout the whole year, briefly digested by me for the monthly drawing of a Patron, writing thus: The Ursuline Martyrdom, as it is certain to the pious faithful, on account of the revelations and miracles, as to the substance of the fact; so it is uncertain to the learned, on account of the circumstance of time. The more probable opinion seems to be that which ascribes it to the year 381; when by Valentinian the Younger, against Maximus the tyrant ruling beyond the Alps, the Huns, having ravaged all the Germany along the Rhine with Gaul Belgica up to Tongres, were leading away an innumerable multitude of captives in the manner of their nation into captivity. These were then besieging Cologne Agrippina, which had dared to resist them, when (by our conjecture) Ursula, perhaps daughter of some British Princeling, in the company of certain of her own girls, was returning from Rome. So namely, descending the Rhine a second time, she fell into the hands of the Huns: who, compelled by fear of Maximus pressing from behind to raise the siege, slaughtered her, concerning whom a more probable conjecture is offered. not only with her companions (whom the reason of the journey persuades to have been very few), but with the whole crowd of captives, whom either sex or weaker age made unfit for hastening flight; among whom, that up to eleven thousand Virgins are said to be numbered, he will not wonder, who remembers that in Numbers XXXI is read, that there were led away from the devastated Midianite land souls, who had not known a man, to thirty-two thousand. For what is Midian, a tiny little region, to that vast tract of Provinces which the ravaging Huns, in the manner now of the Tartars, had overrun? THE PROCESS, Held and made on the occasion of the translations and elevations of the Holy Virgins, Kunegundis, Mechtundis, and Wibrandis; in the Church of Eichsel, of the Diocese of Constance; as well as of Christiana, in the Church of the mountain of Saint Christiana, resting in the said Diocese. From the Cologne edition of Hermannus Crombachius of the Society of Jesus.

FROM CROMBACHIUS CHAPTER I.

Concerning the arguments of the old cult from time immemorial.

[1] To the Most Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Raymundus, by divine compassion of the most holy Roman Church, The Apostolic Commissaries of the title of Saint Mary the New Cardinal Priest of Gurk; to all Germany, Dacia, Sweden, Norway, Prussia, and all and singular their provinces, cities, lands, and places even subject to the holy Roman Empire in Germany itself, and adjacent to them, Legate "de latere" of the Apostolic See, our most gracious Lord, the devoted ones of your same Most Reverend Paternity, Bernardus Oegli, Doctor of Decrees, Canon of the Cathedral Church and Official of the Episcopal curia of Basel; Joannes Bergman de Olpe, Archdeacon of the Church of Brandivallum, of the Basel Diocese, Joannes Hammannus Professor of sacred Theology, of the Order of Preachers; and Wolffgangus Boegkli, Doctor of both Laws; and Franciscus Wiler, Preacher of the Order of Friars Minor, of the City of Basel, obedience, reverence, and honor, both due and worthy.

[2] Let your Most Reverend Paternity therefore know, designated by the Cardinal of Gurk, that we, as Commissaries, specially deputed by your same Most Reverend Paternity to perform the things subscribed, by virtue of the letters of your commission, sealed under the seal of your Most Reverend Paternity, and presented to us; whose tenor is inserted below, as sons of obedience, on the day of the date of the present, came to the village of Eichsel of the Diocese of Constance; and there saw the parochial church itself, and the burials there, according to the similar commission of your Paternity, sought out and found, of three certain blessed Virgins, namely Kunegundis, Mechtundis, and Wibrandis (whose bodies are said to be buried there); and moreover we saw the books of the same church, and extracted certain writings there by the undersigned Notary; we also examined certain witnesses called and received under oath for this, diligently in the presence of the same public Notary and Scribe undersigned, according to the mind and tenor of your Most Reverend Paternity's commission of letters given to us. they attest, how they found the burials of the Virgins, Which singular things seen, found, and extracted by us, and the sayings and depositions of the examined witnesses themselves, we caused and ordered to be faithfully reduced to writing, leading them to be exhibited and transmitted to your same Most Reverend Paternity, in the manner that follows.

[3] We notify therefore, and attest by these presents, that having seen with all diligence the said burials, and the bodies there buried and lying, we found one burial in the cemetery of the said church, contiguous also to the wall of the church itself, very long. And in the same burial, which is surrounded with stones, the bones of a human body still lying in their due order, just as the disposition of a man is, without alienation or removal of any member, even with the skull of the head; although, on account of the stone, with which they were covered from above, that skull is somewhat broken. We found, I say, in the church before the high altar, and in the choir of the same church, one burial discovered, or one sepulchre, broad, also surrounded with stones, in which sepulchre the bones of two human bodies lie at length in the dust or mud of the earth, contiguous together: by which clearly and manifestly it appears and is seen, that in one tomb or sepulchre, together and at once two human bodies were and are buried: the very bones of the same bodies however, on account of the digging there made, in the skulls of the heads and other parts are broken and dislocated, or removed from the true order of the members of a man.

[4] and that they examined the books of the church, After therefore, Most Reverend Father, we had thus with diligence seen and examined the premises; we turned thence to the inspection of the books of the church itself: which being diligently read and examined, we found in one Missal book, in a most ancient writing, contained written among other things as follows. In the Year of the Lord one thousand one hundred ninety, Conradus of Adelhusen, and his Brothers Albertus, Heinricus, Burchardus, Rudolffus, gave to this church two jugera, in honor of the most holy Gall and the holy Virgins, in remission of all their kinsmen. Likewise in the Calendar of the same book, under the letter C, on the second day and the sixth Nones of May we found written as follows: "Of Kunegundis the Virgin, where the days of cult are noted. who rests here." Likewise in the same Calendar on the third day of the month of July is contained written: "Of Wibrandis the Virgin, who rests in this church. Of Munegundis the Virgin, who rests here."

[5] Consequently, the Book-of-life (b) of the same aforesaid parochial church of Eichsel having been seen and read by us, we found among other writings, as follows: Furniture offered to them Under the Year of the Lord one thousand two hundred eighty-six, at the beginning of the month of May, the Rector of the church of Eichsel provided these Missal books (c), a Matins-book, a little Psalter, an Obsequiale (d), a Passionale (e), a Breviary (f), a Book-of-life, and four white Chasubles, four stones (g) of Baptism, an Image of the Blessed Virgin, the larger bell, a chalice, a banner; the trunk in which the treasure of the church is kept; three lamps, burning before the sepulchres of the Virgins; a casket with the sanctuary (h); the church to be enlarged by sixteen feet, and the choir by twenty-two feet; the lamps founded an altar at the windows and the other necessaries of the church, in honor of blessed Gall and the Blessed Virgins. All these things he procured to be made for this church. Likewise in the same leaf of the same book among other things is contained written as follows: The said Bertholdus ordained the revenues of two solidi, to buy oil, so that the lamps, which hang above the sepulchres of the Virgins, may be lit thereby on the highest festivities.

[6] Likewise in the same Book-of-life, in another leaf is contained written, as follows: Be it known to all my successors, that I Bertholdus of Heidelberg, and the lights, Rector of this church, ordained and constituted, with the will and consent of Heinricus the Dapifer (Steward) of Rheinfelden, Patron (i) of the aforesaid church, the ordination which proceeded by the consent and order of all then in Eichsel subject, that all the Tithe of the trees which bear nuts, and those nuts which grow in the cemetery, ought to belong to the light of the church; and whoever shall impede this ordination, let him be deleted from the book of the living. Subsequently in the same Book-of-life is contained, and we found written, as follows: In the year one thousand two hundred eighty-eight, on the Thursday next before Gall, this church was consecrated in honor of all the Saints subscribed. And these are the Indulgences, the Indulgences granted; which the faithful of Christ obtain there, given by the Bishop of Letania of the Order of Brothers (k) of the Teutonic Militia on the day of Martin, forty days of criminal and a year of venial on the day of Mauritius only (l), on the day of Magnus, on the day of Erasmus only, on the day of Ursus only, on the day of Arbogast only, on the feasts of the Virgins, whose bodies rest here, namely Wibrandis, Mechtundis, Kunegundis, forty days of criminal and a year of venial. Likewise in the Calendar of the aforesaid Book-of-life thus we found written, as follows under the letter C. 6 Nones of May, "Of Kunegundis the Virgin, who rests here." Likewise in the same (m) Calendar of the Book-of-life under the month of July is contained under the letter D. (therefore 5 July, not the third) "Dep. of Wibrandis, Munegundis the Virgins, who rest here."

[7] We found also three ancient seats, which were placed over the sepulchres of the said Virgins; they attest images sculpted and painted, and in each seat one image, in the likeness of a human Virgin; of which images two are cut and figured of wood, the third however of cement which is called gypsum. There appear also paintings all around made in the same seats of the signs, which anciently appeared miraculously in men, flocking to the Blessed Virgins in Eichsel. There are also images of this kind cut and figured in the manner of the holy Virgins, and there placed over the sepulchres, so that whoever flocks to the church itself might be able to recognize that the holy Virgins rest there, and in what place they were buried. The tenor moreover of the commission of the letters, of which above mention is made, follows and is such. according to the Letters of Commission, aforesaid

[8] Raymundus, by divine compassion of the most holy Roman Church of the title of Saint Mary the New Cardinal Priest of Gurk, to all Germany, Dacia, Sweden, Norway, Frisia, Prussia, and all other and singular their provinces, cities, lands, and places even subject to the holy Roman Empire in Germany itself, and adjacent to them, Legate "de latere" of the Apostolic See, to the beloved by us in Christ the Official of Basel, and the Archdeacon of the Church of Grandval of the same Diocese, and to Joannes Hammani, Professor of sacred Theology, Wolffgangus Bocklin, Doctor of both laws, and Preacher of the convent of the Order of Minors of Basel, salvation in the Lord, and to apply due diligence in the things committed. Then we believe we have rightly performed the office of our Legation, which though with unequal merits we exercise, when, among the rest, the bodies of Saints, who did not fear to undergo various kinds of torments for our faith, where the holy Virgins are said to be of the sodality of Saint Ursula especially of the female sex, we duly venerate, and laudably elevate them with greater veneration reverently, as we shall have seen more wholesomely in the Lord to be expedient. Since therefore, as the assertion of several worthy of faith holds, three venerable bodies of holy Virgins, Wibrandis, Kunegundis, and Mechtundis, of the society and number of the eleven thousand Virgins, in the Agrippinensian City suffering their martyrdom for the name of Christ, are said to rest in the Village of Eichsel of the Diocese of Constance; we, for the investigation of the truth, and the inquiry into the bodies of this kind, deputed certain our Commissaries. Who indeed, under the pretext of the commission thus made to them by us, diligently inquiring concerning the aforesaid bodies, found there three bodies (as they assert).

[9] But since we, to the glory of God, and the veneration of holy Virgins of this kind, for their (as it is incumbent on us from the office of our legation) elevation and honoring, and they are ordered to have witnesses heard about all things. with singular reverence of the Most Reverend Father the Bishop of Constance, the local Ordinary established, intend to proceed; it is expedient that the premises we investigate by due testimonies of truth. For this cause, since we cannot personally be present at the premises, we commit and command to your Discretion, that, personally going to the place itself, you fully inform yourselves concerning the premises by a due and diligent inquiry. The witnesses moreover, for the truth of greater knowledge, compel, even (if it shall be needful) under censures, to bear testimony to the truth; and their depositions, duly reduced to writing in the form of law, and other probable indications of the truth, bring back to us as quickly as possible; and do other and other things, which in the premises are necessary, in whatever way, and best. In faith of which we have ordered the present letters to be made, and to be strengthened by the appending of our seal. Given at Basel, in the Year of the Lord's Incarnation one thousand five hundred four, on the fifth Ides of May, in the first year of the Pontificate of the Most Holy Father in Christ, and our Lord, the Lord Julius, by divine providence Pope the Second.

ANNOTATIONS BY D. P.

CHAPTER II.

What the twelve first witnesses heard from the elders, concerning the arrival of the Saints, what they themselves experienced in themselves and theirs.

[10] Hermannus Weichser of Aldenhusen, of the parish of Eichsel, Witness I of the age of thirty-three years or thereabouts, sworn, received; and through the medium of his oath upon the things proposed to him, by reason of the blessed Virgins, and of their more notable miracles, and other things necessarily to be asked, diligently examined and interrogated, not from grace, hatred, love, prayer, price or favor; but with regard solely to justice and truth, and no proper advantage being looked to, deposes, as follows. For he says it is true, that he himself the witness, eighteen years next past, deposes the arrival of the Virgins, related to him by his parents, heard from his then legitimate and faith-worthy parents, who told him the witness, that the same his parents, even from the most ancient men, the elders themselves, always, both by common voice and fame, had heard and received, that very long ago, when Saint Ursula with her companions had sailed or come by ships up the Rhine as far as the house of Bucken or around the bank, there went out three Virgins, being with Saint Ursula, and were infirm; and came as far as a certain court called Roperschwyl, who, fallen ill at Ropersweil, died; which is in the parish of Eichsel; and when they had come there to the inhabitant of the same court, and had asked them to be lodged; the same inhabitant replied to them, that it seemed to him the host, those Virgins to be of such dignity or status, that he did not well know how to keep them, because his place was not for them: yet the Blessed Virgins themselves were well content with his lodging, and remained there on account of their infirmity, and endured there, from whom are called the Fountain and Way of the Virgins. until they rendered their spirit to God: and the Blessed Virgins themselves before their death had charged, that after it should happen them to migrate from this light, two oxen should be taken, and by their means their bodies be permitted to be drawn; and where the oxen with their bodies should remain, there they ought to be buried: which was so done. That the witness similarly heard from his then parents, that the same his parents always heard, that while they were on the way of crossing to the said court, a fountain had sprung up, which still is, and had the name "Fountain of the blessed Virgins"; the way too, which they went, is still called "Way of the Virgins." The witness says also, that the late Margareta, the mother of him the witness, had, while she lived, a very great incurable infirmity of body; which mother said to the witness, that by no medicine could she be cured: and the incurable disease, a vow being made, was healed. but as soon as she had made a vow of going to the Blessed Virgins in Eichsel, she was delivered from that infirmity, and restored to her pristine health. Nothing else is known to him.

[11] Leonardus Zimmerman of Nieder-Eichsel, of the age of fifty years and more, warned of the penalty of perjury, and through the medium of his oath thereupon given concerning telling the truth, interrogated and examined, Witness II, similarly, deposes about the arrival, not from grace, hatred, love, prayer, price, favor, anger, fear, or rancor; but with regard solely to justice and truth, deposes. Saying that from his elders always from his youth he heard, that at Eichsel rest three Blessed Virgins, who were and are of the Society of Saint Ursula; and while Saint Ursula herself had sailed up the Rhine to Cologne, and had come to the bank around the Village of Weil; three blessed Virgins, as infirm, went out of the ship, and went up the mountain Rierenberg, and came as far as the court called Roperschwyl, remaining there until their death; and he heard from his elders say, that the same his elder witnesses also always heard say by public voice and fame; that after the same Blessed Virgins suffered death, and the manner and place of burial being indicated from heaven, it was heard from a heavenly voice, that the bodies of the same blessed Virgins ought to be placed on a wagon, and two oxen yoked to the wagon; and where the oxen themselves should carry their bodies and permit them to stand, there they ought to be buried; and so they were led to the place at Eichsel and there buried. The witness says also, that always from his elders he heard, and the old cult: that three blessed Virgins of this kind at Eichsel were by faithful men sought out for their devotion, vows promised there, and they adored or implored as holy Virgins.

[12] And the witness heard, that on a certain occasion a certain Duke or Prince of Austria had charged, that the bodies of the blessed Virgins of this kind be sought, and taken from their burials; the elevation being prohibited, and when these who had been sent wished to open the sepulchres of the same, a voice came saying, that they ought to cover up the sepulchres of this kind, because it was not yet time for opening; commonly "Deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, it is still too early). Which being heard, the same diggers threw the earth back conversely into the sepulchres of the blessed Virgins, and ceased from that purpose. The witness also says he saw, and heard, that when at some time men stood on the sepulchres of the Virgins, and themselves threw spittle thereon, that thence they fell into infirmities, so that they could scarcely walk, on account of the irreverence done to the holy ones. the irreverence punished, Likewise he saw and heard, that those who in their infirmities or accidental adversities there made vows to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, were by the intercession of such holy Virgins delivered from such infirmities, and healed. And he heard by common voice and fame from his youth, the witness, from his older men and elders, that the same his elders always heard, By frequent Miracles, that three Virgins of this kind were of the society or sodality of the eleven thousand Virgins. And he saw from his youth and heard those three Virgins held, implored, had, and reputed for such, and today they are so held and reputed. Nothing else is known to him, except that he himself the witness also holds and has the same for such.

[13] Henricus Krebs of Nollingen, of forty years and more, III, concerning a fever cured for him by a vow. says that he dwelt for thirty years in the village of Nollingen, … and that the village of Nollingen is distant about half a mile from the village of Eichsel; and so it happened, that some weeks past a fever-infirmity touched him, namely a quotidian one; and made him so infirm and weak, that he had no more hope of his life; so that, as on the Monday next to come eight days would slip by, he himself the witness vowed, that he wished to go to the three blessed Virgins in Eichsel, and fulfilled that vow; and as soon as he had come there, the fever ceased in him, and afterward touched him no more, and today he is delivered from these fevers. And the witness says he had a father-in-law a most ancient man, who always said to him the witness, that at Eichsel rested buried three blessed Virgins, of the eleven thousand Virgins; and the witness firmly believes, that by the aid and at the imploring of the three blessed Virgins in Eichsel, he was delivered from these fevers, and healed or relieved. And commonly from others, having knowledge of this village of Eichsel, he heard, it to be held, said and had, that there at Eichsel three blessed Virgins rested, just as also three signs of the images of the holy Virgins were and are anciently placed over their sepulchres, so that they might be seen to be buried there. He knows nothing else.

[14] Joannes Stoeb of Schopfheim, of sixty-six years of his age or thereabouts, concerning the holy Virgins of this kind, IV, concerning the frequent pilgrimage to them, concerning those things which from his own knowledge or hearing were known to him diligently examined; … says and deposes, that for fifty years with his late parents, and after their death alone, he was and sought out the three blessed Virgins, resting in the church and cemetery of the same church at Eichsel. He says also that from his parents and elders he often heard, that the three blessed Virgins of this kind went to a certain place, where one goes to the court of Roperschwyl of the parish of Eichsel; and there was a ditch there, without a bridge; and when they had come there, at once they had a bridge prepared by the virtue of God, over which bridge they crossed; and the same place, and the way there still have a name, that it is called the Ditch of the blessed Virgins, and their way; and there is a certain fountain there, a bridge being divinely laid for them, which is called the Fountain of the blessed Virgins; and one of the holy Virgins of this kind is buried in the cemetery; and around the tomb of the same or over the same sepulchre there lay a certain trunk of an oak tree; which trunk, during the time it had been placed over the sepulchre of this kind, had a most noble savor, such as flowers of the violet have, and this he saw, and often tasted; a trunk over the burial of one being fragrant, and he saw, that when at some time men, and also the witness, cut pieces of the wood, with the intention of carrying them home, as soon as it was not over the sepulchre, that then the savor ceased; just as also the same trunk now wholly removed, has lost the savor. And the witness heard by a truthful relation said by his elders, that formerly some had pretended and begun to dig around the burials of the blessed Virgins, with the intention of digging up their bodies, and perhaps thence alienating and carrying them off, and so a certain voice was heard from them saying: "Deck zu, deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, cover up, it is still too early). He says also that the three blessed Virgins of this kind have been and are beyond the memory of men, and as always from his elders he heard, the names being assumed at baptism. implored as holy ones, and recourse had to them in infirmities, as today they are sought and implored; and the first-born boys, according to the proper names of the same holy Virgins, were named at baptism, namely Kunegundis, Wibrandis, and Mechtundis. And he himself the witness holds for it, that three holy Virgins rest there. For he saw the seats with the images of the holy Virgins, placed over the places where the holy Virgins themselves were believed to rest buried. He knows nothing else.

[15] Fridolinus Vogtlin, toll-keeper of the town upon the bridge in Rheinfelden, witness, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, … says it is true, V, concerning the annual procession to them that every year, from the town of Rheinfelden to the village of Eichsel, with Relics and procession, one passes to the three blessed Virgins; and the witness himself often went there too, and saw the three seats, where over each seat is placed an image of a holy Virgin cut of wood; and also over the cemetery of the same church there was a wood so savory, that every man wondered at it. Such wood the witness saw, and felt the savor and the smell. And from his elders always he heard, that the three Blessed Virgins were buried in the church of this kind or its cemetery, and rested there. And he saw by several faithful of Christ, the same holy Virgins sought, and recourse had to the place of this kind on their account; not however does he know of any signs or miracles; but as holy Virgins he heard them held, had, and reputed, and venerated; just as also he himself the witness so holds and has them, and believes it true, that they rest there.

[16] Verena Tentzel of the town of Rheinfelden, witness of the age of seventy years or thereabouts … deposes and says, VI, that they are truly believed buried there. that she knows nothing else, except that from her youth, from her elders, and from men of both sexes older than herself, she heard say, that at Eichsel were buried, and rested, three blessed Virgins, or their bodies; and so it was had, held, named, and reputed, and today it is so had and held. She knows nothing else.

[17] Theodoricus de Meytre dwelling in the village of Nollingen, of the age of thirty-five years or thereabouts … deposes and says, four years are now elapsed, that he himself often had a son then laboring with a very great infirmity, VII, concerning a son healed so that there was no hope of the life of the same boy; thus on a certain night it came to him the witness in sleep, that he ought to vow the boy of this kind to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel; which the witness also did, and went with one pound of wax to the holy ones of this kind; which boy indeed was delivered from the infirmity of this kind, and restored to health. Similarly the witness says, that he had one daughter infirm, and a daughter, whom also by the counsel of his wife he vowed to the three blessed Virgins with half a pound of wax; thus there went out of the boy of this kind two worms with hairs, and they were long, and besides about two hundred worms of the same kind went out, and so the daughter was made well, and still lives. Likewise the witness says, that the past year he was infected with the plague of the epidemic; and he himself made a vow of crossing to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel with two candles, and himself from the plague. as it came to him in sleep, that he ought so to do; he himself was at once restored to health, and he fulfilled the vow promised, and he firmly believes that by the aid and help of the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, himself the witness and his boys were and are healed by the grace of God. Nothing else is known to him.

[18] Ursula, wife of the same witness just deposing before, also a witness sworn and received, VIII, concerning the same says it was done precisely so with Theodoricus her husband and the sons of the same spouses, just as her husband deposed; whom she saw and heard depose, and was present at his deposition, adding to these things, and saying: that she some time ago had an infant, or a boy still sucking and nursing; which boy in eight days from a certain infirmity occurring could not suck milk from the breasts: which boy of the female sex she herself the deponent vowed to be carried to the three blessed Virgins in Eichsel, and carried the daughter herself there; and a daughter unable to suck. and after this at once the boy itself began to suck, and lives today. Nothing else is known to her.

[19] Hermannus Miller alias Stroëli, of the village of Tegerfeld, IX, concerning an eye enlightened for him, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts … deposes and says it is true, that he the witness being in the sixth year of his or thereabouts, it happened to him, that a certain spot or film grew in one of his eyes, so that at last in the same eye he could see nothing more, but was blind in it; thus his mother made a vow on his behalf of crossing to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, with a wax eye and a wax horse. And upon this she led him the witness to the same place, where the three blessed Virgins are said to rest, imploring the same three holy Virgins, that they would intercede with God for the witness, that his eye be restored to its pristine sight and health. When therefore he had come there, and made the vow, he himself the witness was restored, and could see in one eye, as in the other, and today sees well in both eyes; and he firmly believes, that by the aid, or help and intercession of the same blessed Virgins he himself the witness was restored to his pristine sight in the eye. and one of the seats divinely carried back to the cemetery. The witness also heard from his elders always, that in the said place rest three Virgins, or their bodies; and the witness heard say, that before [his] times there were three seats, on which lie three images of the holy Virgins, which were always placed in the church over the sepulchres of the same holy Virgins. And because one seat was wont to be placed outside the church over the cemetery; it happened, that because it was not known for certain, whether the Blessed Virgins of this kind were buried in the church or outside, one of the seats, standing outside the church in the cemetery, was carried also to the church. But the next morning after the night of the said day, the same seat was conversely outside the church by divine operation in the place, where one of the holy Virgins was buried.

[20] X, concerning a stone removed from his mother, Elizabetha Urbani, of the town of Rheinfelden, of the age of fifty years and more … says it is true, that her late mother had with a wondrous suffering and pain a stone (calculus), so that at some time she lay as if dead; and so she promised that she wished to visit the holy Virgins in Eichsel, to this end that the said Virgins might intercede for her with God, for grace to be obtained, that the mother of the witness be delivered from this infirmity; which promise made the late mother of the witness also fulfilled, and as soon as she came to Eichsel, the stones of the calculus of this kind went out in abundance, so that gathered they were as large as a hen's egg. And the witness says, that always from her youth from her elders she heard say, and concerning a more remiss cult at present. that the blessed Virgins or their bodies were placed in the church of Eichsel, and there was anciently a great concourse to the same place; although on account of the malice of men, for now and some years next past, the blessed Virgins were not much and so greatly venerated, as a hundred or eighty years ago. Nor does she know anything else.

[21] XI deposes things heard about the arrival, Heinricus Weichser of Wiechs, of his age forty-eight years or thereabouts … deposes, and says, that he himself from his youth always from his elders and older men heard say publicly, that formerly, years far exceeding the memory of men ago, three Virgins came to the court of Roperschwyl of the parish of Eichsel, and asked that they be received there as strangers; the man however then being there refused to lodge them, although at last overcome by their prayers he kept the same with him; and they themselves were infirm; and at length seeing themselves about to die, they said, that when the same sisters should depart from this light, the burial; their bodies upon a cart or wagon ought to be placed, and two oxen yoked to the wagon and led, until the oxen should stand of themselves: and wherever the oxen should lead them, and pass no further, that the bodies of the same three Virgins ought to be buried there. And so the bodies of the same holy Virgins were led as far as the place of the church in Eichsel, and there buried. and the things commonly known about the bridge, fountain, and way; He says also that he heard from his elders from his youth, that the same blessed Virgins crossed by a certain way over a certain ditch, where when they came to the ditch, they found no bridge; but on account of their sanctity, that they might proceed, by the divine will, they found a bridge, by which they crossed. And there is a fountain there nearby, which still has from of old the name "Fountain of the blessed Virgins." Similarly there is a way there, which today is called and always has been called "Way of the blessed Virgins." Further he says, likewise concerning one crushed by a tree and healed. that a certain villager, Olewinus Meyer of Oetlilrem, was wondrously badly hurt by a certain tree which fell, so that there was no more hope of his life; but the same implored the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, and vowed himself there with alms, and was restored to his pristine health, by the intercession of the blessed Virgins Kunegundis, Mechtundis, and Wibrandis.

[22] Agnes Gutymey, of the town of Rheinfelden, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, deposes and says that nothing else is known to her, XII, concerning the manner of burial, except that she heard, that three holy Virgins came to Roperschwyl; and when they were infirm, and death now approached them, they ordered, that when it should happen them to depart from this light, their bodies ought to be placed on a cart, and two oxen yoked to it permitted to lead them, and that wherever the oxen with their bodies should stand, passing no further, there their bodies ought to be handed over to ecclesiastical burial; and such things were done, and the bodies of the same blessed Virgins were handed over to burial in Eichsel, just as also from of old there stood over their burials three images made in memory of the same three holy Virgins; the images and the concourse. such things the witness heard from her late father, and from other elders, who told these things to the witness; and that there was a great concourse anciently to the said three Virgins. Of signs and miracles and other things nothing is known to her.

CHAPTER III.

The depositions of another twenty witnesses up to 12 May.

[23] Joannes Oertlii advocate in Tegerfeld, of the age of fifty years, … deposes, XIII, concerning fevers cured for him, and says that from the time of his discretion he always heard that three holy Virgins rest in Eichsel, who also have been had, held, and reputed for holy Virgins; and so it happened this present year, that for about sixteen weeks he the witness had fevers; and on account of this he implored the holy Virgins in Eichsel, and crossed there to them, and was delivered from the fevers of this kind. Nothing else is known to him.

[24] Ennelia Utzenfeldin, of the town of Schopfheim, XIV, concerning the procession wont to be conducted, was of sixty years, or thereabouts, … says, that from her youth always from her elders she heard say, that in Eichsel rested the bodies of three holy Virgins, of whom one had the name Kunegundis, another the name Wibrandis, and the third the name Mechtundis; and she saw and heard boys named at Baptism according to the names of the same holy Virgins, and their names imposed; and the mother of the witness herself, while she lived, often said to the witness, that little honor was now done to the holy Virgins of this kind, but anciently they were honorably named. For anciently by institution or custom it was, and today it is in use, that on the vigil of Corpus Christi each year one goes with a Procession and Relics to Eichsel from the town of Schopfheim; and the elevation attempted in vain. and the witness heard forty and fifty years ago, that formerly certain Nobles had pretended to dig up the holy Virgins, or their bodies, from their burials; to whom came a voice saying, "Deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, it is still too early). Thus they themselves ceased, and permitted the same bodies to lie there, nor is anything else known to her.

[25] Joannes Menley of the village of Lörrach, of fifty years; XV and XVI depose for their whole community. and Joannes Goldsperg of the same place, of fifty-six years, witnesses sent by the whole community of Lörrach, … depose and say, that they often heard from their elders, and also at some time saw by themselves, that three holy Virgins in Eichsel were implored by several established in infirmities, both of plague, and also of fever; and when they came to the place, namely the church of Eichsel, in which for more than a hundred years had been buried the bodies of the said three holy Virgins, that then they were delivered from such plague, and fevers. The witnesses also say, that from the village of Lörrach and various other villages, every year processions are made to the holy Virgins in Eichsel; and the witnesses firmly believe, that the bodies of the said three holy Virgins rest in the church or cemetery in Eichsel, and that whoever implores them in his necessities is relieved by them. And they say the same are named, namely one Kunegunda, another Wibranda, the third Mechtunda; nothing else is known to them, except that it was said, had, named, and reputed; and today it is had, named, and reputed, that three holy Virgins are and rest in the said place.

[26] Verena Folnini of Rheinfelden, of seventy years of her age, XVII, concerning a most ancient tradition and cult. … says, that nothing else is known to her, except that from her elders, even from the oldest and most ancient men of both sexes she heard, that in Eichsel was a gracious place; and that three holy Virgins rested there, and the bodies of the same were buried there; and that anciently there was a great concourse to the same holy Virgins, and whoever implored them in his infirmity was relieved; nor is anything else known to her.

[27] Joannes Burger, of Rheinfelden, of seventy years or thereabouts … deposes, that from his late mother, who was an aged woman, he heard, that the bodies of three holy Virgins lay buried in the cemetery or Parish church in Eichsel; XVIII, concerning a hindered exhumation, and that long ago certain ones proposed that they wished to dig up the bodies of the Virgins of this kind, suddenly however the same heard a certain voice saying, "Deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, it is still too early). He knows nothing else, except that there was sometime a great concourse to the place of Eichsel to the said Virgins, nor does he depose anything else.

[28] Kungili Renck, of the village of Eichsel, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, says it is true, XIX, concerning votive pilgrimages to Eichsel that she herself from her youth from her elders heard always, that in Eichsel were buried three holy Virgins; and she saw and heard from many various men, that they made vows of going to implore the blessed Virgins: whom she heard relieved, and delivered from their infirmities when they came there; and it is true, that there are three images of the holy Virgins; which anciently were placed over the sepulchres of the same blessed Virgins, so that the holy Virgins might be seen to rest there, and to be buried; she herself too the witness on a certain and an eye healed for her. occasion was infirm in one eye, and therefore implored the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, to help her, lest she become blind in the eye of this kind; and so she was by the help of the holy ones of this kind made well. She knows nothing else.

[29] Gredli Meyers of Tegerfeld, of sixty years of her age, sworn, XX, concerning a blinded exhumer of the holy ones, and examined … says, that from her elders she heard, that formerly certain ones attempted to dig up the bodies of the holy Virgins, which are said to be buried in the Church of Eichsel; then there came a certain voice saying: "Deck zu, deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, cover up, it is still too early). And the witness heard from her father said, that there was a certain Noble, who heeded not the voice of this kind, and absolutely wished to dig up the bodies of the holy ones of this kind; and therefore the same was made blind in his eyes. Likewise the witness says, that formerly she the witness had a great abscess on her shoulder, and vowed herself to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, and was healed. She also says The abscess healed and a feeble boy. that she the witness had a boy, who for three years on account of infirmities could not walk. And when she the witness made a vow to the blessed Virgins, that the boy be delivered from the infirmity of this kind, as soon as she made the vow of this kind, the same boy was made well. And she firmly believes, that by the relief of the holy Virgins of this kind, she herself and her son were healed, nor does she say anything else.

[30] One called Schreiberhans of Mulberg, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, XXI, concerning the fragrant and savory trunk, … says, that he himself formerly heard from the late Lord Fridolinus the Presbyter, that three Virgins were buried in Eichsel; namely two in the church, and one outside the church, who were Holy: and the witness was often in Eichsel, and saw that a certain trunk, or a certain wood of a tree, was placed over the sepulchre of one of the holy Virgins in Eichsel, which had so good a smell, as if it were the smell of violet flowers; this the witness saw, and smelled, or tasted; and he says that when anyone cut off some piece of the wood, that the piece of this kind cut off no longer tasted, or gave any more smell; and the trunk itself or wood, since it is now removed from the sepulchre of another of the holy Virgins, likewise no longer tastes or gives smell as before. And the witness heard from his youth, as long as it was removed from the sepulchre. that in Eichsel were two bodies of holy Virgins, and so it was had, held, named and reputed, and today it is so by the witness, and others had, held, and reputed. And from Schopfheim and other villages one passes to the blessed Virgins every year with relics: he says nothing else.

[31] Conradus Vogt of Nollingen, of the age of sixty years or thereabouts, XXII, confirms the aforesaid; … says that formerly there were among the living Cuninus Berg, Petrus Colinar, Heyninus Meyer, and Petrus Meyer; from whom and some others his elders and older men of both sexes he heard, that in Eichsel rested three bodies of holy Virgins, of the eleven thousand holy Virgins; and that great signs were often done in men flocking to the Church of Eichsel, and invoking the holy Virgins themselves, so, that men were delivered from the aforesaid infirmities of bodies and from those of this kind. And that on a certain occasion, long ago, they presumed to wish to dig up the bodies of the said Virgins; but a voice such as this was heard by the diggers: "Deck zu, es ist noch zu froh" (Cover up, it is still too early); and when the voice of this kind was heard, they ceased to dig. And the witness says, that in the Church of Eichsel three images, as a sign, and for the figuration of the three Holy ones of this kind, far beyond the memory of men, were placed over the sepulchres of the same holy Virgins, so that the Holy ones might be seen to be buried there; nothing else is known to him.

[32] Joannes Henfli, Advocate in Nollingen, of the age of fifty years, … says, that he knows nothing else, than that he always from ancient men heard say, as also XXIII, that the bodies of three holy Virgins lay buried in the Church of Eichsel, or in the cemetery there; and he knows that there was a great concourse twenty or thirty years ago of men of both sexes to the same Holy ones, on account of some infirmities; because he saw and heard men make vows so, and go there: nor is anything else known to him.

[33] Jacobus Vogelbach of Nollingen, of the age of forty, or thereabouts, … says he too knows nothing, except that from the time of his memory, and discretion, from his elders he always heard, that around the Church of Eichsel, or in the same were buried and rested three bodies of holy Virgins, of the eleven thousand Virgins; and XXIV. and he knows, and heard, that there was a concourse to seek out the same Virgins, although in twenty years a concourse of this kind was not great; yet men having infirmities of fever went there, and were delivered; and so it was believed, had, held, and reputed; nor is anything else known to him.

[34] Jacobus Beler of Tegerfeld, of the age of fifty years and more, … says, XXV and XXVI, concerning the procession that from his elders always he heard, that the bodies of three holy Virgins rested in and outside the Church in Eichsel, in the places where were placed the images figured in the manner of the holy Virgins; which images the witness saw; and that such Holy ones were of the number of eleven thousand holy Virgins, and the bodies of two lay in the church, and one outside the Church in the cemetery. He says also, that every year from the village of Tegerfeld one passes with Relics and procession to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel on the Monday of the Rogations, and that he saw and heard a great concourse of men frequent the same Holy ones, and by all it is held for true, that the Holy ones of this kind rest there, nor does he depose anything else.

[35] Leonardus Britzcker of Tegerfeld, of the age of fifty years and more, sworn, for the fruits of the earth; received, and in the presence of Jacobus just deposing above the co-witness, examined, as the same co-witness so similarly he himself deposes, that so he heard, and knows the procession to be made yearly from Tegerfeld, for the safekeeping of the fruits of the earth, to the three blessed Virgins; saying, that in the cemetery of the church there is an ark or seat, over which is placed, or lies an image, or figure of a holy Virgin, cut of wood, showing the holy Virgin; similarly in the Church two similar seats or arks, over which two images in the likeness of the holy Virgins lie, are placed over the burials of the Virgins themselves; and concerning the transposition of the seat. and he heard, that once a seat existing in the cemetery was carried, and placed in the church; but when they came in the morning, the seat of this kind was found conversely outside the church, in its prior place. He knows nothing else, except that he always heard, three holy Virgins to be buried in Eichsel.

[36] Conradus Gloter of Tegerfeld of the age of fifty years, or thereabouts, sworn, received and examined in the presence of both his co-witnesses just deposing above, says, XXVI, concerning the way of the Virgins so called. that from his late stepfather he heard, that three holy Virgins were buried in Eichsel; and while they were in life, they went by a certain way, which still has retained the name, and is called the Way of the holy Virgins. And he knows, and saw, and heard, that the three Blessed Virgins of this kind are venerated, and sought in Eichsel, and that there was at some time a great concourse to the place of this kind of men seeking the Virgins themselves, nor is anything else known to him.

[37] Antsch Wieschel of Roperschwyl, of the court of the parish of Eichsel, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, XXVIII, concerning the images over the sepulchres, … deposes, that he himself from his late parents and elders, of the Village of Eichsel and round about existing, very often heard, that in Eichsel were buried three holy Virgins, whose bodies rested there, namely of one in the cemetery, but of the other two in the church; as the images show, which are figured in the manner of the holy Virgins themselves, and are wont to be placed over the sepulchres, or places, where the Holy ones of this kind rest. And so the witness saw, that men had a flocking, and recourse to the same blessed Virgins, just as he himself the witness too had recourse to them, and in his necessities implored them, that by their sacred merits they would intercede for him with God to come to his aid: he knows nothing else.

[38] The Robust Man Rudolfus in Graben, Schultheiss in Rheinfelden, XXIX the Prefect of Rheinfelden, concerning his own deliverance as a boy. of his age thirty years or thereabouts, says that while he was still a boy, the same had a fantasy, that by night he went from his little bed, and walked in the chamber here and there in sleep; and then the mother of the witness had a maidservant, who always ruled, guarded, and governed the witness; and still, that the fantasy of this kind might be removed from the witness, the same maidservant vowed him the witness to the three blessed Virgins in Eichsel, and led him the witness there with her, and left there some gift or alms; and he himself the witness from the fantasy of this kind, of walking or crossing by night in sleep, was and is delivered, so that he himself meanwhile has not done it: and otherwise he heard that the holy Virgins of this kind rest in Eichsel.

[39] Joannes Wieschel, of Roperschwyl of the Parish of Eichsel, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, … says and deposes, that from his elders always he heard, XXX, concerning the place of disembarking, that when the eleven thousand Virgins came by ship sailing as far as Bucken, or to the same place, that there three Virgins went out, crossing as far as the court of Roperschwyl, and there remained as infirm, and there ended their life happily; who being dead, the inhabitants in the said court took counsel and found, that they should take two oxen, and permit them to draw the bodies of the Virgins themselves wherever they wished; a fountain elicited for the Virgins' thirst, and where they should stand, passing no further, that there their bodies ought to be buried. So the oxen of this kind drew the bodies of the Blessed Virgins as far as the place in Eichsel, and there they were buried; and he himself the witness heard say from his elders, that while the said Virgins were still in life, and had gone to the said court, one of them had thirst; and wishing to rest a little, one of them put forth her staff, which she held in her hand, into the ground; then there arose a fountain, which still is, and is called the Fountain of the blessed Virgins: and the way, which they themselves made, has retained still the name, "der heiligen Jungfrauen weg" (the way of the holy Virgins). And so they were always had, held, named, and reputed for blessed Virgins, and today they are so had, held, named, and the way. and reputed; and he himself the witness so holds. He knows nothing else.

[40] Rudinus Rinck of Eichsel, of the age of fifty years or thereabouts, sworn, received, and examined says, XXXI, concerning candles seen between the antlers of a stag; as his co-witness just deposed above, whom he saw and heard depose; and beyond this he says, that he heard, that once a stag was hunted, which ran as far as the village of Eichsel; and while the stag was there, it would not go further, and on its antlers on each point appeared candles, which were seen by men, he knows nothing else.

[41] Heinricus Pur of Nieder-Eichsel of the age of forty-six years and more … deposes, as Joannes Wieschel his co-witness, which XXXII confirms, just deposing above before Rudinus, whom he heard depose, and was present at his deposition; and he adds also, that he heard from his elders often said, that stags and other animals came to Eichsel, and on the antlers of the stags candles were seen. He says nothing else, nor is anything known to him, except that from all the neighbors in Eichsel he saw and heard, said, and reputed, and had for it, that the bodies of three holy Virgins were buried in Eichsel, and rested there, just as also for Holy ones recourse to them is had there. Given and done in the Village of Eichsel, in the year of the lord one thousand five hundred four, on the twelfth day of the month of May, in the first year of the Pontificate of the most holy Father in Christ and Lord Julius by divine providence Pope the Second, in the seventh indiction: there being present the noble and robust and honorable men, in the year 1504. the Lords Adelbertus Truchses, Rudolfus in Graben laymen, as well as the […] Doctor Canon of the Church in the town of Rheinfelden; and Ioannes Essenmacher Chaplain there, witnesses, called and asked to the premises. Gregorius Swegler Notary of the curia of Basel subscribed being asked.

CHAPTER IV.

The rest of the process up to the end of the month of May.

[42] On the Tuesday, next before the feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, namely the fourteenth of May, XXXIII a Carthusian, there was examined in the Carthusian monastery of Lesser Basel of the Diocese of Constance, the religious man the Lord Ludovicus Muser, Conventual of the house of the Carthusians of Basel of the Diocese of Constance, of sixty-two years or thereabouts, who upon the things which are known to him, on the part of the three Blessed Virgins, resting in the parochial church of Eichsel and its cemetery, diligently examined, deposes, and says it is true, that there are now forty years, since he had the greatest acquaintance with the noble and strenuous men the Lords Wernerus the Dapifer, Knight, and Hermannus Truchses, Knight; versed in the place and having diligently scrutinized all things, who also out of special favor, which they bore to him the witness deposing, conferred on him the lord one Chaplaincy in Eichsel, the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary; so that he the lord witness was wont to have great devotion to the same place, and proposed to wish there to build himself a house, and to perform there his continual habitation; and in the meantime he often went there, and from the elders there residing round about he inquired, how the holy Virgins of this kind had come there, or in what manner the matter stood. Which elders indeed all, interrogated by the witness, said to him the lord witness; that while Saint Ursula with her companions had come by ship, he asserts that they were always believed to be of the Ursulines, as far as the place Bucken or thereabouts; the three Virgins of this kind were infirm, and there went out of the ship, and came as far as a certain place which now is called Eichsel, and there they died. And the witness says, that always he heard during the said time, that the three Virgins of this kind were of the number of eleven thousand Virgins, and the Virgins themselves were had, held, and venerated for holy Virgins: and he firmly believes, that it is true, that they are of the number of the eleven thousand holy Virgins, and so holds.

[43] The witness also says, that there was an ossuary of the dead over the cemetery of the Church in Eichsel, and in the same ossuary, which was contiguous to the wall, there was a certain wood, which was very savory and had a savor as of violet flowers, and it was said that it lay over the sepulchre or tomb of one of the aforesaid holy Virgins. And he himself the witness once cut little particles or pieces of the wood of this kind, on account of its lovely savor, and saw likewise others cut pieces from it. And he the lord witness tasted, and therefore he the lord witness had great inclination to the same place; and he knows, that there was a great concourse to the same holy Virgins; whether however any miracles were or are done, is not known to him the lord witness. and that he himself experienced the savor of the wood lying over the sepulchre. But he heard this, that formerly it was attempted by some to dig up the bodies of the said Virgins; and when they had begun to dig there came a voice, which those presuming to dig had heard, saying: "Deck zu, es ist noch zu früh" (Cover up, it is still too early) (b). The witness also says, that the three Virgins of this kind, resting there in Eichsel, were by men knowing them to rest there, for Holy ones of this kind, existing of the consort of eleven thousand Virgins, had, held, named, and reputed, openly, publicly and notoriously, and so it was and is true; nor is anything else known to him.

[44] The Lord Rudolfus Ryat, Presbyter Chaplain of the church of Basel, XXXV, concerning the same Society, and Praesentiarius of the choir of the same church, witness examined says it is true, that he himself thirty years ago was in Rötteln and round about, and afterward obtained the parochial church in Hauingen of the Deanery of Wiesental, and at the time in which he was in these parts, he himself very often during the said years passed to the village of Eichsel, there at some time celebrating Masses, and because he saw there to be, and to be venerated three Virgins, and that they were held and reputed for Holy ones: and that he himself the witness from the elders there and round about residing villagers and inhabitants often heard, that formerly, when the eleven thousand Virgins sailed with Saint Ursula up the Rhine, and came to those parts around Bucken; then the said three Virgins, namely Cunegundis, Wibrandis, and Mechtundis, went out of the ship as infirm, and came as far as the place or court Roperschwyl, and there remained until the death of the same, and were buried in that place which now is called Eichsel. He says also, that he saw, from thirty years and since, a great concourse of men, daily there to those blessed Virgins crossing, and imploring them in their necessities; just as also he himself the witness had great devotion there, on account of the Virgins of this kind, whom he always held for holy Virgins, of the society and number of the eleven thousand holy Virgins, concerning the banners of the place having them painted as Patronesses, and saw to be held and venerated; and the Rector and subjects in Eichsel, with procession and Relics crossing to the Churches of other villages, always on their banners and those of the said church in Eichsel carried painted the holy three Virgins, with Saint Gall, as Patronesses of the same Church; so that the witness holds for it, if the three Virgins of this kind had not been Holy, that the Reverend Father the Lord Bishop of Constance the present, and his predecessors the Bishops, would not have tolerated for so long a time such things to be done; but because there was always public voice and fame, that they were holy Virgins, therefore it was so tolerated, and they were venerated for Holy ones.

[45] Of signs, however, and miracles if any were done, nothing is known to him, concerning the worms turned into stones at the fountain, except that similarly from the older ones he heard, that around the fountain, which now is called the fountain of the Virgins, formerly there were many great venomous worms, so that no one could dwell around the same fountain. And when these Holy Virgins came there to the fountain, by the virtue of God, on account of the holy Virgins of this kind, the said worms were turned into stones; just as also still there appear stones to be of various forms of worms, lying around the fountain itself. The witness also says, that he saw a wood lie outside the church of Eichsel in the ossuary contiguous to the church, then existing; which wondrously had a good smell, and concerning the fragrant wood. which the witness too tasted; and it was commonly said, that it lay over the sepulchre or tomb of the holy Virgins; and that the savor was as violet flowers savor; nor is anything else known to him.

[46] Lady Barbara zur Linden, wife of the prudent Fridericus zur Linden, XXXVI, the wife of a Councilor of Basel delivered from the plague. citizen and Councilor of the city of Basel, examined says, that two years or thereabouts are elapsed, since she herself was infected with the plague of the epidemic; and it was counseled to her, that she make a vow of going to the blessed Virgins in Eichsel, which she herself did, and was again healed; and she herself thereupon completed, or by fulfilling made the vow; and she holds for it, that the holy Virgins of this kind, and the blessed Virgin Mary, whom also she implored, interceded for her with God, that she escaped death; she knows nothing else.

[47] XXXVII, concerning a daughter and a soldier thus healed. Lady Ennebina Armbrosterin, an inhabitant tradeswoman of Basel, says that there are two years, since the pestilence reigned here at Basel, and in the neighboring houses it reigned greatly, so that many men died, and at last her daughter Margareta too was infected; who also had promised that she and the same her daughter would go and visit the Blessed Virgins in Eichsel; and as soon as she did this, the pain was milder, so that her daughter was restored to health, and lives today. And she firmly believes, that the holy Virgins by their intercessions with God obtained this grace, that God left her daughter alive. And she heard, that a certain Soldier vowed himself with his family to go there to the Blessed Virgins, and they were all defended, so that no infirmity of the epidemic or plague of this kind touched any of them. She does not however know how the Soldier is named. Nothing else is known to her, except that she also heard, that there is a certain fountain near Eichsel, where there were many worms, which on account of the blessed Virgins were turned into stones, although she did not see this, yet it was told her for true. She knows nothing else.

[48] In the Year of the Lord and Indiction, as above, XXXVIII and XXXIX, concerning their own and a daughter's cure from pustules; on the Monday of the feast of Pentecost; there being established in the city of Basel the discreet, Ioannes Ritterman and Margareta Runis, lawful spouses of Brombach of the Diocese of Constance, examined through their oaths say it is true, public, and notorious, that they both had pustules for nearly six years; and in this infirmity they begot together one boy (c) of the female sex, Ennelina, who also carried this infirmity of pustule with her into the world; so that the same child was infected with pustules in the womb of the mother, and had pustules of this kind for four years, which age she has, and no more; nor ever could she walk or go, on account of the same infirmity. And so when the day before, namely on the Sunday "Vocem (d) jucunditatis," the burials of the blessed Virgins, Cunegundis, Mechtundis and Wibrandis, were opened; certain men, from Brombach, and other neighbors round about, were there in Eichsel, and the four-year-old girl herself going to Eichsel, and saw the blessed Virgins themselves, and heard that signs were performed by the intercession of the Virgins of this kind, so that men were delivered from fevers and other infirmities. Some said, that they the witnesses ought to vow their aforesaid boy too with them to the same blessed Virgins; the aforesaid boy herself hearing such things, continually from a great fervor, which as is believed she had by the instinct of God, said: I too wish to go to the blessed Virgins; I too wish to go to the blessed Virgins, etc.; and with all the strength which the same boy then had, she raised herself in the bed, in which she lay. But when the woman named Elsa, stepmother of the same Joannes the aforesaid witness, saw the inclination of the boy; at once she herself vowed the boy to the aforesaid Blessed Virgins. Similarly Margareta the witness, the mother of the same boy, did; and as soon as they vowed the boy herself there, the boy herself said: I wish to go, etc. And the boy being lifted from the bed, and placed on the ground by the witnesses, at once the same boy, taking into her hands a small staff or wood, with the same staff began to go; and went alone without all help, who had never before walked. though before she never went, nor could go: so the spouses themselves completed the aforesaid vow with the boy, carrying the same there to the blessed Virgins with them: which boy, being with the Holy ones, by herself, by means however of the staff, crossed into the church to the holy Virgins; and meanwhile day by day the boy herself was able to walk more. These things not led by grace, hatred, love, or prayer, but from all truth they say, and assert the aforesaid premises to be public and true.

[49] The religious Lord Joannes Fabri, Conventual of the Monastery of the Order of Minors of the Observance of Basel, Presbyter, XL, in the same week cured of fevers. examined on the Friday after Pentecost, says, that there are now five days, since fevers invaded him, and he had them most acute; so that since he otherwise had inclination to Saint Christiana, and to the three aforesaid Virgins in Eichsel, he himself made a vow to both churches of this kind, and to the blessed Virgins resting there: and he completed that vow on the Saturday before "Exaudi," and in the meantime the fever never touched him, nor felt the same any more. And with firm faith he believes, that by the intercession of the holy Virgins, namely Saint Christiana, and Saints Cunegundis, Wibrandis, and Mechtundis, he was delivered from the fevers.

[50] On the Wednesday the twenty-ninth of the month of May, on 29 May again all things are recognized at Eichsel the aforesaid Reverend Fathers and Lords, Tilmannus Bishop of Tripoli, Vicar in Pontificals of the Reverend Father in Christ the Lord Christophorus Bishop of Basel; as well as Joannes Kreutzer, Provost of the Cathedral Church of Constance, sent to these things by the Reverend Father the Lord Hugo Bishop of Constance, by special commission of the aforesaid Most Reverend Lord Raymundus Legate "de latere," made to them by living voice; came to the church in Eichsel, to see the burials, and bodies, and other necessary things of the three Blessed Virgins; and beholding the things seen, they found each, as is written above, to be true, and beyond this letters containing the effect of Indulgences subscribed; namely that the Reverend Lord Angelus, by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See Bishop of Sursanum and of Cammin (e), Nuncio and Commissary to Germany and to all and singular the Provinces, as also a bull of Indulgences given by the Apostolic Nuncio in the year 1482. cities, lands, and places of Germany with full power of Legate "de latere" of the Apostolic See, in the year of the Lord one thousand four hundred eighty-two, on the fourth of the month of December, in the Pontificate of our Most Holy Lord, the Lord Sixtus Pope the fourth, gave Indulgences to the Church in Eichsel, by the authority of his Legation, to all truly penitent and confessed, who the same church on the festivities and dedications of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of Saint Gall the Confessor, and of the Holy Trinity, as well as of the Blessed Wibrandis, Cunegundis, and Mechtundis Martyrs, devoutly visited on the days of this kind, and stretched out helping hands, on each of the days of the festivities of this kind, one year of the penances enjoined to them he relaxed, etc., with perpetual validity of the letters under his seal appended: it is done at the instance of the strenuous man Hartmannus Truchses Knight.

[51] On the Friday, the last of the month of May, the aforesaid Reverend Father the Lord Tilmannus, Bishop of Tripoli, Vicar in Pontificals General of the Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, on 31 May the Commissaries come to the mountain and church of Saint Christiana, the Lord Christophorus by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See Bishop of Basel; and the Venerable Lords Ioannes Hammannus, Professor of Sacred Theology, of the Order of Preachers; Ioannes Berckman of Olpe, Archdeacon of the Collegiate Church in Munster of the Basel Diocese; by the commission made to them by the aforesaid Most Reverend Lord, the Lord Raymundus Cardinal Legate "de latere," by the oracle of living voice; and by the will too of the Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Hugo by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See Bishop of Constance, employed through the Reverend Father the Lord Ioannes Kreutzer, Provost of the Cathedral Church of Constance, sent by the same Lord Bishop; came to the church of Saint Christiana on the mountain of Saint Christiana of the Constance diocese; and there in the presence of me the public Notary, and the stone covering her sepulchre being removed, and of the witnesses undersigned; there being present too the noble and robust man, the Squire Rudolfus de Blumneg, Armiger, Advocate of the castle, and Bailiff of the lordship of Rötteln, of the Illustrious Prince, and Lord Christophorus Margrave of lower Baden, and of the same castle and lordship; the great and heavy stone over the sepulchre, in which Saint Christiana, who of the society of Saint Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins, publicly by all the faithful of Christ inhabitants and dwellers of that country, is asserted to be, and is held for such, and venerated, placed, they removed, and lifted.

[52] Which stone of this kind being removed and lifted, they found the sepulchre of this kind made with four walls, and deep up to the arms of a man. And in the same sepulchre placed in the middle one stone coffin (sarcha) (f), with irons well closed and fortified from both sides; which coffin they lifted from the sepulchre of this kind, the ark enclosed in these being also opened, they find an entire skeleton, and opening it from one part, the iron with which it was closed being removed, and lifting the stone covered above. Which lifted, they saw and found the entire body, or all the bones of the Relics of Saint Christina, enclosed in the same coffin. Which things being thus seen, and with all joy and reverence found, the aforesaid Reverend Lord Tilmannus, Bishop of Tripoli, the prayers and solemnities for these things required and due being premised and completed, took one shoulder-blade (spatula) of Saint Christiana the Virgin from the stone casket or coffin of this kind, and placed it upon a clean (g) arc of paper, showing it to all there present; and there was in the shoulder-blade of this kind, and still is, flesh of the said holy Virgin; although on account of its antiquity the flesh of this kind has become as it were cotton of a dusky color, so however that it can be held, and retained with the fingers. Which Relics being thus found entire, the same shoulder-blade was all replaced in the casket or coffin aforesaid, and the scapula is shown, to which flesh still adhered. and re-enclosed with all reverence and honor due, and the coffin itself, or stone casket, replaced in the aforesaid tomb or cavern, and the aforesaid stone replaced above. Before all the premises were performed, three Masses were held and celebrated, with all devotion; there being present there the honorable Lord Henricus Raf, Canon in Colmar; and the honest, Joannes Advocate in Lörrach, Joannes Wegner also formerly Advocate in Lörrach, Antonius Ziegler of Lörrach, Joannes Orth Advocate in Riehen, and Ludinus Dorwart of Riehen the host, and several other honest men of both sexes, as witnesses upon the premises asked and required.

ANNOTATIONS BY D. P.

CHAPTER V.

The Apostolic Legate appoints the feast of the Elevation at Eichsel and the Mount of Saint Christiana.

[53] In the Year of the Lord, one thousand five hundred four aforesaid, Raymundus the Apostolic Legate by letters given on 3 June, in the seventh Indiction, on the Monday, the third of the month of June, the Most Reverend Father in Christ and Lord, the Lord Raymundus, by divine compassion Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Legate "de latere" of the Apostolic See, decreed letters to be issued in the form subscribed, fortified under the appended seal of his Most Reverend paternity. Whose tenor follows, and is such. Raymundus, etc., as above number 8. Legate "de latere" of the Apostolic See, orders to be promulgated everywhere, to all and singular Abbots, Provosts, Priors, Deans, Rectors of parochial churches, and Plebans, and Vice-plebans; Chaplains, Curates, and Preachers of the divine word both secular and religious, and the rest of the Presbyters and Clerics throughout the cities and dioceses, both of Basel, Constance, and also of Lausanne, and elsewhere anywhere established, salvation in the Lord, with the publication of the present, and intimation, and faithful execution.

[54] Then we believe we have rightly performed the office of our legation, which though with unequal merits we exercise; when among the rest of its works we turn the part of our solicitude to the veneration especially of Saints of the female sex, who did not fear to undergo various kinds of torments for our faith; and others, which lack due veneration, as much as with God we can, we elevate, as by the Lord's authorship we have seen more wholesomely to be expedient. Since therefore, as it has come to our hearing by the relation of very many worthy of faith, in the parochial church of the village in Eichsel, of the said Diocese of Constance near Rheinfelden, and its cemetery, certain bodies under the names, Cunegundis, Wibrandis, and Mechtundis; as well as in the chapel situated upon the mountain of Saint Christiana, the body of the same Saint Christiana the Virgin, [which being asked, that informed concerning the cult and miracles of the holy Virgins,] who are all found to have been and to be of the number or society of Saint Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins, lie buried and stored, and the church and chapel themselves are found dedicated in honor of the same holy Virgins; who there shone with no slight miracles, and daily shine forth with more evident ones; and hear the voices of very many faithful of Christ, having recourse to and imploring them in their necessities, and fervently intercede with God; so that several, with firm hope and faith having recourse to them, and there discharging vows made, felt themselves redeemed and delivered from various languors.

[55] After therefore to us, by the Powers and temporal Lords of those places, the various signs and miracles, which they asserted to have happened there, being first set forth by them, he elevate their bodies; it was humbly supplicated; that, to the glory of God, and the greater veneration and praise of the holy Virgins themselves, concerning miracles of this kind by a due inquiry we would inform ourselves; and if true things shall have been found, the said blessed Virgins, and their bodies, resting there (as is aforesaid), with due solemnities employed, by the authority of our Legation we would deign to elevate and exalt. We therefore, attending, that the greater veneration of the same holy Virgins, and the devotion of very many faithful of Christ, and our universal faith would take from this no small increase; striving to be informed concerning the premises by a due inquiry, by his Commissaries he caused all things to be examined; since we could not personally be present, gave a commission to certain our Commissaries, to inform themselves fully concerning all the aforenarrated and the circumstances of truth, with the singular favor however and consent of the Reverend Father the Bishop of Constance, the local Ordinary. Which our Commissaries indeed, by the force of our commission made to them, all and singular the circumstances and qualities, in the business of this kind, through the visitation, inspection of the bodies themselves, and the seeing of the inscriptions (decalogi), and of other sculptures, and the faithful and diligent examination of the witnesses deposing from continued fame, found the premises supported by truth, and presented and exhibited to us the testimonies of all and the premises duly reduced to writing. And from a diligent inquiry of this kind, and examination they more fully informed us of the merits of the sacred business.

[56] and considering that several Ursulines have been elevated, And because we found, that several holy Virgins of that sacred Society were elevated, after long intervals of times from the first elevation; namely Saints Cordula (a) and Odilia; nay even at Cologne Agrippina, about the times of Nicholas the fifth pope of happy memory, there was found a certain repository full of bones of the Saints, (b) which also is elevated and placed near other Saints; and lest it can seem new to anyone, holy Mother Church venerates several Martyrs, who however, not by the sword but by the zeal of martyrdom led, closed their last day. We read also in a little tract of the most famous Professor of Sacred Theology Master Martin (c) of Paris, which upon the books of the Ethics issued, where he says: & let a ready will suffice for the title of Martyrdom, Although for martyrdom there is required an actual contempt of death, once commanded by reason; nevertheless for the essence of martyrdom there is not universally required an actual endurance of death—these Virgins, who followed the sacred company from the City, & were drawn by love of martyrdom, when they had understood that S. Ursula by divine revelation was about to undergo martyrdom, we do not doubt did so together with her company.

[57] It must moreover be noted that the said Blessed Ursula (as the sacred history relates) was followed by many Virgins, widows, & other persons of both sexes, whom the inspiration & revelation of the Holy Spirit drew on; among whom we read to have been S. Cyriacus d the Supreme Pontiff, two Cardinals, two Deacons, three Subdeacons, & the Archdeacon of the Roman Church, five Bishops from England, namely Saints William the cousin of Ursula, James Columbanus, Iwanus, Eleutherius, & Lotharius, & Caesarius Bishop of Meaux; Saints Mauritius & Clement, Pantulus & Marculus; Kings: Etherius the first, Oliverius the second, Crophorus the fourth, Lucius the fifth, Clodoveus the sixth, Canutus the seventh, Pipinus from the East the eighth, Adulfus the ninth, Avitus the tenth, likewise that many persons of both sexes accompanied Ursula, Seranus the eleventh, the renowned King of the Danes, Refridus, Bonifacius a pagan with his daughter, both warned by an Angel; King Laurentius a pagan with his subjects & the Queens of Constantinople, & others from Ireland, of the Normans, the Swabians, & others with many Duchesses, so much so that their number extends to forty thousand.

[58] Therefore, with the foregoing most true documents appearing to us, believing God through His Saints as our intercessors to be favorable to us, in this holy matter of elevation, with the singular favor & assistance of the aforesaid Bishop of Constance, in whose diocese these holy bodies repose, desiring to proceed to the Canonical elevation of those same bodies; with divine grace inspiring us, on the next Lord's Day, he appoints the day of elevation, after the Octave of the feast of Corpus Christi, in the morning about the fifth hour, after the sermon, there, for the praise of God & of the holy Virgins, we shall take care to proceed, as we shall perceive in the Lord more wholesomely to be expedient. Therefore, that this elevation & exaltation of the holy Relics may, to the glory of God, & to the veneration of the said Virgins, be done more devoutly & wholesomely, trusting in the mercy of Almighty God, & in the authority of His Blessed Apostles Peter & Paul, & in the special indult granted to us from above, to all & each of the faithful of Christ, who on that day at the divine Offices, which with the inspiring grace of the Holy Spirit we intend to celebrate in our own person, shall devoutly attend the elevation of the aforesaid bodies, with plenary indulgences, their exaltation, procession, or solemn benediction, thus to be done as is set forth above, & shall devoutly say their prayers to God, for the state of the universal Church, & for the peace of the whole Empire, the prosperity of the Supreme Pontiff and of ourselves, & for the salvation of souls, once the Lord's Prayer & the angelic salutation; or who, those whose means suffice, their pious alms & charitable subsidies—since an elevation & exaltation of this kind cannot at all be made & carried out without the gravest expenses—for the bearing of the costs, & of the cases in which these holy bodies are to be placed & preserved; with the more decent ornament & adornment, on those three days shall give & administer, & with their own hands shall place in the treasury to be ordained there—plenary absolution of sins, out of the fullness of our Legation & power, in the customary form of the Church, in the Lord we grant. But if the divine Offices happen to be celebrated & held by another, & the power of absolving from reserved cases, thrice the Lord's Prayer & as many times the angelic salutation, as is aforesaid to those praying, ten years & as many quarantines of the penances enjoined upon them we relax in the Lord by the authority of our Legation. And moreover, that the faithful of Christ themselves may become more ardent & apt to obtain such indulgences, we shall take care to ordain & depute certain of our Confessors, who shall have the power to absolve all the faithful of Christ, who shall have confessed their sins, in cases not specially reserved to the Apostolic See, & to enjoin upon them a salutary penance, as we shall perceive more wholesomely in the Lord to be expedient.

[59] All & each of which we announce, signify, And these things he orders to be published everywhere & notify to you, all & each of you, & we bring to your notice & that of any of you undoubtedly, by the tenor of these presents; & to you & to any of you, by the authority of our aforesaid legation, strictly enjoining we command, that this our mandate of elevation & exaltation, in your churches at the solemnities of Masses, while a greater multitude of people convenes there to hear the divine offices, you take care to publish, so that they may be able to merit so great remissions of sins. And that God may deign to give us His grace in the veneration of the holy women, you shall command these your subjects by our authority, that the vigil of the elevation to be done they fast; the day of the moon (Monday) indeed let them keep festal & celebrate, & that the feast be appointed with a fast. & sanctify with their devout prayers; that through these things Almighty God may deign to grant & bestow mercy & grace, toward those things which tend to the propagation of our faith. In witness whereof we have ordered & caused these our present letters to be made, & subscribed by a public Notary, & fortified by the impression of our seal. Given at Basel, in the year from the nativity of the Lord one thousand five hundred and four, in the seventh Indiction, on the day of the moon (Monday), the third of the month of June, in the Pontificate of the most Holy Father in Christ & our Lord, the Lord Julius by divine providence Pope the second, in the first year, there being present there the honorable men & Lords, Dionysius Jacoti Priest of Besançon, & William Bouse Clerk of the Diocese of Thérouanne, our Chamberlains, witnesses called & asked to the foregoing.

By the mandate of the said most Reverend Lord Cardinal & Legate, John Bernevelt, public Notary, subscribed.

[60] On the same day of the moon, the third of June, witness 1 narrates concerning S. Christiana the honest men John Hymelrich & Clewinus Erbesholter, both of the Village of Wylen of the Diocese of Constance, were examined, concerning those things which they themselves knew, or had heard from their elders about Saint Christiana. Who also, having taken their oaths thereupon, said & deposed, as follows. John Hymelrich, of the village of Wylen of the Diocese of Constance, of the age of eighty years or thereabouts, sworn, received, & examined under his oath, deposes & says it is true, that he, sixty & sixty & seventy years just past, from his late parents & other elders of the village of Wylen, had heard from the elders, & of other neighboring villages, had heard; that once S. Ursula with her Companions sailed up the Rhine, coming from the Roman court, & S. Christiana was with her; & while she was near the bank close to the Red House, or the monastery of the Order of B. Paul the first Hermit; that same Saint Christiana fell sick, & asked to be let out. And thus led as far as the field, near the villages of Krentzach & Wylen, that in the place called the Bed of S. Christiana she died: there she halted in a field square in dimension of eighty feet on each side, which place is a little raised & higher than the earth or fields adjacent to that place, which place has always had, & today has the name, & is called the Bed of Saint Christiana, for this reason, that in that same place she died, or closed the last day of her life.

[61] And he had always heard it said, that there had been a dispute on occasion of the bounds or limits of the parishes; concerning whose body a dispute arose, which was settled, so that the inhabitants of the village of Wylen claimed that the body of S. Christiana ought to be led to their own church; but the Parishioners of Krentzach claimed that it ought to be led to their church. And so, when a dispute of this kind had arisen, a certain old man so advised, that the body of S. Christiana ought to be placed upon a little cart, & two oxen ought to be set before it, & those oxen be allowed to carry over the body; & wherever they should lead, that there Saint Christiana should be buried; & so it was done, & those oxen took up their journey, ascending up the height of the mountain existing nearby there; & with the oxen coming to the mountain, that same mountain by divine power opened itself, so that the oxen had a way of ascending, the oxen carrying it up the mountain. & of leading the body of Saint Christiana; which indeed they led as far as upon the mountain, in which today she reposes; & so there in honor of S. Christiana a parish church was erected, which today exists as a parish church, having its own subjects & limits; & there was the greatest concourse from the time of the memory of this very witness to this same S. Christiana: & from his elders he had always heard there had been a concourse to her: & so the witness himself saw the concourse, & went thither for his devotion, imploring her in his necessities. This he deposes not out of favor, hatred, love, or for the sake of gain, nor out of entreaty, price, or favor; but with regard to justice.

[62] The same is confirmed by witness II Clewinus Erbesholter of Wylen, of the age of ninety years & beyond, witness sworn, received, & examined under his oath, says, & deposes likewise to be true, that eighty years ago, from his elders & parents, men & persons of both sexes worthy of faith, & beyond all exception; that once when S. Ursula from the Roman court came sailing up the Rhine with her Companions, among them was Saint Christiana; who was so sick, that she left the ship near the Red House, where is the Monastery of S. Paul the first Hermit; & came as far as a certain place of fields, between the villages of Wylen & Krentzach, & in that same place she remained in the field, & there closed the last day of her life; just as also the place itself in which she died, today is called the Bed of S. Christiana, because in that same place she died. She being thus dead, the witness says he heard by truthful relation, that the body of S. Christiana was placed upon a little cart, & with two oxen set before, was led, apart from the guidance of men, at the pleasure of such animals, or by divine grace mediating, as far as the mountain, in which S. Christiana still reposes.

[63] as well as the miracle of the split mountain, And the witness says that he heard from his parents & elders; that the mountain, through which the body was being led, opened itself, & a way was made for them by divine power; so that even today a valley exists, & that same valley has a name, which is called the way of S. Christiana, because through it her body was thus led by the oxen. But when the body of S. Christiana was thus led upon the peak of the mountain, the oxen themselves stood there, going no further: so she was buried there, just as she still reposes in that same mountain, & the persevering cult & a church was built in her honor & dedicated in her name & honor, & the church has the name of S. Christiana, & is a parish church, & from the time of her life there was a great concourse of men to this same holy Virgin Christiana, as to one of the number of the eleven thousand Virgins; for whom he always heard & saw her venerated & named; & the witness himself held, named & honored that same holy Virgin Christiana as a Saint. This he deposes not out of favor, hatred, love, entreaty, price, or favor.

[64] But on the day of the moon, the tenth of the month of June, before the most Reverend Lord, the Lord Raymund Cardinal & Legate, established in the city of Basel at Saint Leonard's, the honorable man Lord Jacob Merbolt, Clerk of the Diocese of Bamberg, One of the Legate's household servants testifies, of that same most Reverend Father in Christ & Lord, the Lord Raymund, Cardinal of the Holy Apostolic See, a household member of the Legate a latere, having been sent by that same most Reverend Lord Legate the day before to the village of Eichsel, where the Blessed Virgins (namely Cunegundis, Wibrandis, & Mechtundis) bodily repose, & there, persevering in expediting the business committed to him, & having returned to Basel, & concerning certain miracles done there at the time when he was there, speaking, examined under his oath thereupon, deposes & says it to be true; that on Wednesday, the vigil of Corpus Christi, just past, there came to the village of Eichsel a certain woman, who had been blind in one of her eyes for sixteen years; & after she vowed herself to the said Blessed Virgins, that at Eichsel he saw a blind woman given light, immediately she from the blindness of that same eye, by the intercession of the aforesaid Blessed Virgins with the help of God, was freed, & had & has sight, as if she had never lacked sight. This woman the witness himself saw, & from honest men heard, that she for the said years had been deprived of sight in her said eye in this manner, up to the said day of the vow made.

[65] Likewise he says it to be true, that on the Saturday just past, a paralyzed woman raised up, there came another woman, being forty years of her age, who had been paralyzed in her legs, so much so that for two years and a half she lay in bed, & could not go or walk; she made a vow of visiting the Blessed Virgins at Eichsel, & as soon as she made such a vow, she without the aid of any man, rose from her bed, & was able to cross & did cross from her house to the Blessed Virgins, & today can go & walk wherever she wishes. This woman the witness likewise saw, & from persons worthy of faith heard that she had been thus paralyzed, & for the said years had lain in bed, & could not walk.

[66] speech restored to a mute: Moreover the same witness said it to be true, that there came into the village of Eichsel a certain young man of sixteen or twenty years; who when he was a boy, on account of a lightning-flash or thunder or storms it befell him that he could no longer speak, & so he became mute, & remained so for fourteen years; & after he had heard of the said holy Virgins, that various miracles were done there; he too vowed himself to them; which vow having been made, & fulfilled on the Saturday next, he began to speak as before, & can speak; this man the witness saw & from persons worthy of faith heard that he for the said years had been mute, & could not speak: this he deposes not out of favor, hatred, love, entreaty, or price, or favor.

[67] But on the fourteenth day of the month of June aforesaid, the most Reverend Father in Christ & Lord, the Lord Raymund, by divine mercy Cardinal, wherefore the Elevation is announced anew. & Legate of the Apostolic See aforesaid, ordered another schedule of announcement to be issued, & decreed it of this tenor. Raymund etc. as above no. 8: to all & each of the faithful of Christ who shall inspect these our present letters, we make known, that on the Lord's Day next to come in the morning about the fifth hour, for the elevation of the three bodies of the holy Virgins Cunegundis, Mechtundis, Wibrandis, in the village of Eichsel near Rheinfelden; but on the day of the moon (Monday) thence next following, for the elevation of S. Christiana on the mountain of S. Christiana, with divine grace assisting us, in our own person we shall take care to proceed, according to the form & tenor contained in our prior letters issued & published thereupon. In testimony whereof these present letters, with our secret seal impressed below, we have thought fit to fortify. Given at Basel in the year of the Lord one thousand five hundred and four, on the fourteenth day of the month of June. John Bernvelt Notary subscribed.

ANNOTATIONS OF D. P.

CHAPTER VI.

The Depositions of the Canons & Councilors of Rheinfelden, the ensuing translation of the holy Bodies, & the deposition of certain miracles.

[68] But on the sixteenth day of the month of June, before the aforesaid most Reverend Lord Raymund Cardinal & Legate aforesaid, established in the town of Rheinfelden, The Canons & former Councilors summoned the honorable & also provident & honest men, Lord John Colmar, John Lederschneider, John Muller, Laurence Truchses, & Berchtold Rudi, Canons of the Collegiate Church in Rheinfelden; as well as John Gebhart, Jacob Abberg, Jacob Unmous citizens & of the Councilors of the town of Rheinfelden, & George Fabri Pronotary there; & by that same most Reverend Paternity of his diligently, on occasion of the holy three Virgins reposing in Eichsel, having taken their oaths thereupon, having been required & examined, deposed & said, & each of them said & deposed, as follows below.

[69] Lord John Colmar, Canon in Rheinfelden, they testify of the coming of the Virgins from hearsay, & the other Lord Canons aforesaid, at the mandate given to them under penalty of excommunication by the aforesaid Lord Raymund Cardinal & Legate a latere by living voice to tell the truth, & examined under their oaths taken to their Chapter, deposed & said, & each of them deposed & said it to be true, that they remember forty years (except Lord Laurence, who remembers thirty & beyond) & in those same times, & beyond, they were in the town of Rheinfelden, & visited the village & church in Eichsel, & always from the elders of that same village, & also in the town of Rheinfelden from the elders heard, that it was said, that these three holy Virgins were of the company of the eleven thousand Virgins; & when S. Ursula, from the Roman court with her Companions had come sailing up the Rhine to the lower parts of the Rhine, the said three Virgins, coming as far as the place which is called Roperschwyl, near the village of Eichsel, remained there, until their death, & were & are buried in the church of Eichsel.

[70] Likewise they always heard it said, & saw, that to them after their death, as to holy Virgins of the Company of S. Ursula, there was a great concourse of people, of the cult from sight & especially forty years ago, greater than it has been hitherto. And the witnesses themselves & each of them likewise sometimes passed thither out of devotion to them, imploring those holy Virgins, & the church itself was & is dedicated in honor of those same holy Virgins. But the witnesses themselves do not know of any miracles done there, because of these they did not take notice, nor inquire; yet they saw, & each of them saw so many & such great tokens, had & made from of old in the church of Eichsel, that they firmly believe these three holy Virgins, being of the said company of S. Ursula, repose there. This they depose not out of favor, hatred, love, entreaty, price or favor, but with regard to truth & justice.

[71] The provident & honest men John Gebhart, Jacob Abbergh, Jacob Unmuos, of the Councilors of the Town of Rheinfelden; & George Fabri, Protonotary there; likewise at the mandate of the aforesaid most Reverend Lord Legate, before his most Reverend Paternity established in the town of Rheinfelden, also under their oaths, taken by them & each of them of the Council, examined, deposed & said, & of the presence of the bodies in Eichsel, & each of them deposed & said; that it is true, that they & each of them of the Councilors, for forty years, & even fifty; but the Protonotary for thirty years elapsed; heard from their elders & predecessors, honest, & persons worthy of faith, beyond all exception & weighty, always said, that the bodies of the holy three Virgins, Cunegundis, Wibrandis, & Mechtundis reposed in the Church of the village of Eichsel; & these same three holy Virgins were of the number of the holy eleven thousand Virgins, & had come thither, when S. Ursula from the Roman court coming up the Rhine had sailed, & they themselves had left the ship as sick women, & had come to that place; & they saw & always heard them held, reputed & implored in the church of Eichsel as holy Virgins; & the witnesses themselves sought, had, & implored them as such; & they heard, that forty, & seventy years ago, there was a greater concourse to that same place, on account of those same holy Virgins, than there has been hitherto; nor did they ever hear the contrary, but they saw images cleft, & placed upon the graves of those same Virgins, after the manner of holy Virgin Queens, for a token, that there the holy Virgins reposed, & might the sooner be venerated.

[72] And the said Lord Protonotary adds, that beyond the foregoing, & an attempted but forbidden digging. thirty years ago he heard it said; that once a certain Lord of the land had attempted to dig there: & that the head of one of the holy Virgins had been broken: & that, that being done, the head of one image, set above the tomb of those same holy Virgins, likewise seemed for that cause broken, just as even still the head of one of the images appears to be broken; & the witnesses firmly believe it to be so, as they heard from their elders, & as they also saw & deposed: these things they depose not out of favor, hatred, love, entreaty, price, or favor.

[73] Each of these aforesaid witnesses singly having been heard one after another in succession, Hence the Legate proceeds to Eichsel, by the aforesaid most Reverend Lord Legate, thereupon the same most Reverend Lord Raymund Legate, with the mind & intention of transferring the bodies of the said holy Virgins, from the places of their burials in which hitherto they reposed & were buried, to another place, & of elevating those holy Virgins, approached the village in Eichsel aforesaid on horseback, together with the Reverend Father & Lord in Christ, Christopher by the grace of God & of the Apostolic See Bishop of Basel, as well as the Reverend Fathers Lords Tilmann Bishop of Tripoli, Vicar in Pontificals General of that same Lord Bishop of Basel; as well as the Lords N. Abbot in Saint Blasius, of the Black Forest of the Order of S. Benedict of the Diocese of Constance, & N. Abbot of the Monastery in Lützel of the Cistercian Order of the Diocese of Basel, with a most worthy retinue, & several other Canons of the Church of Basel, & beneficed clergy of other Churches: as well as many associated with him in a great multitude of both states, both spiritual & secular men, & faithful of both sexes, he drew near, & approached thither; & entered the church in Eichsel, with the said Lord Prelates, Bishops, Abbots, & the other Priests & Clerics specially called for this.

[74] And these being around the burial place of the said Virgins now opened, having sung beforehand the Litany, the bodies being elevated he carries them to the altar, under a canopy, Veni sancte Spiritus, & other Prayers & Collects, & ceremonies requisite for these, with all solemnity premised, the same most Reverend Lord Legate, placed & enclosed the bones of the Relics of the said holy Virgins from their burial places, in which they had been buried, & from the time of the death of those same holy Virgins had reposed, into cases or chests made anew for this, with the singing of the Canticle of Jubilation, Te Deum Laudamus, etc. So that thus, those holy Virgins, & their bodies being elevated, those same bodies or relics of those same holy Virgins in the said chests now placed & enclosed by his Paternity, or reposited & enclosed, with all reverence & honor, upon the altar, for the Mass to be celebrated by his Paternity, prepared outside the church on account of the multitude of people, he ordered & caused to be solemnly carried.

[75] And thereupon his most Reverend Paternity celebrated & sang a solemn Mass in his own person, where the Mass being sung, to the praise of God & the B. Virgin Mary, & of the aforesaid holy Virgins, & of all the other Saints. And this Mass having been sung & finished with all solemnity, & the benediction given, in the presence of these very many, perhaps five thousand, who for the honor of God & the B. Virgin Mary, & of the three holy Virgins aforesaid, had there been gathered. Then the Relics of the said holy Virgins back again to that same church were & are solemnly transported. This transportation having been done, the same most Reverend Lord Legate, concerning the fact that he did nothing else regarding this elevation of the holy Virgins, who otherwise generally, with the eleven thousand Virgins, existed canonized by the Apostolic See (as is set forth before), except to transfer their Relics from one place to another, the Relics are brought back to the church. & to elevate them, solemnly protested, & protested expressly, publicly requiring me the Notary undersigned thereupon, in the presence there of the Reverend Fathers in Christ & Lords, the Lords Bishops of Basel & of Tripoli, & the Abbots & Prelates, & several other persons in a copious multitude there (as is set forth before) existing, for testimony required & asked to these.

[76] But on the day of the moon (Monday), the seventeenth of the month of June, The same he does the next day for the body of S. Christiana, the aforesaid most Reverend Lord, the Lord Raymund, Cardinal & Legate aforesaid, wishing to proceed to the elevation of S. Christiana the Virgin aforesaid, approached the Church of S. Christiana, & entered it, together with the aforesaid Reverend Fathers in Christ & Lords, the Lords Christopher Bishop of Basel, Tilmann Bishop of Tripoli, N. of S. Blasius of the Black Forest, N. in Lützel b, Abbots of the monasteries, & the other several spiritual & secular Lords, noble & ignoble, Prelates, Priests, Canons, Clerics & faithful of both sexes, in a copious multitude there gathered. And these being thus in the church, & having had & premised the singing of the Litany, as well as the Hymn Veni creator Spiritus etc. & other Prayers & Collects & ceremonies & due & requisite solemnities, the same most Reverend Lord Legate transferred the bones of the Relics of S. Christiana the Virgin (who also is recognized to be one of the company of the eleven thousand Virgins, as canonized along with the Ursulans, & before, with the other eleven thousand holy Virgins, by the Apostolic See exists canonized in common) from the place of the sepulchre, in which these Relics before had been hidden in one stone coffin, to another place of the same church of S. Christiana, & outside this burial, & solemnly with the singing of the canticle of jubilation, Te Deum laudamus etc. elevated, & upon the altar prepared for the Mass to be celebrated by his most Reverend Paternity outside the Church itself, solemnly ordered & caused to be carried.

[77] Thereupon his most Reverend Paternity celebrated & caused to be sung a solemn Mass in his own person, to the praise of God, & of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, before nearly six thousand men & of S. Christiana the Virgin aforesaid, & of all the other Saints. This Mass having been thus, with all this due solemnity, sung & finished, & the benediction given, in the presence of very many men, at least five or six thousand, spiritual & secular, noble & ignoble, who for the honor of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, & of S. Christiana aforesaid had there been gathered; then the Relics of the said holy Virgin Christiana, back again to that same church of S. Christiana (in whose honor that same church is consecrated, & in which she hitherto reposed) were & are solemnly carried back. This very transportation having been done, & all things thus solemnly & devoutly performed, the aforesaid most Reverend Lord Legate, concerning the fact that whatever he did there, that he did this at the instance of the supplication of the man Rudolf de Blumneg, of the Illustrious Prince & Lord, the Lord Christopher Margrave of Baden c the lower, in the camps & dominion of Rötteln Bailiff, nor did his Paternity do anything else, protesting that this was a simple translation. except to transfer the relics of the holy Virgin Christiana, who otherwise (as is set forth before) generally with the eleven thousand holy Virgins of the company of S. Ursula existing, by the Apostolic See exists canonized, from one place to another, & to elevate her for the greater augmentation of the people's devotion, solemnly protested, & protested expressly, publicly requiring me the Notary undersigned thereupon, & commanding me that I should duly register & write down all the foregoing particulars, just as the matter was done: there being present there the Reverend Fathers Lords, Christopher Bishop of Basel, Tilmann Bishop of Tripoli, N. of Saint Blasius of the Black Forest, N. in Lützel, Abbots of the Monasteries aforesaid, & the said Noble man Squire Rudolf de Blumnegh Bailiff, & several other Priests & Laymen, for witnesses required to it & asked.

[78] But on Thursday the twenty-seventh of the month of June, A Friar Minor testifies aforesaid, the Religious man Lord John Fabri, Conventual Priest of the monastery of the Order of Friars Minor of the observance, of the city of Basel, concerning certain miracles having been done, of which it was said to be clear to him, having been examined, his oath thereupon having been specially given, deposed & said, that recently (namely on the fifth weekday before the feast of S. John the Baptist, namely the twentieth of the said month of June) there came to Brother John himself, a woman paralyzed for 5 years in the Village of Eichsel, a certain woman of the village of Mulben, of the Diocese of Constance in Breisgau d, who told him; that she had been for five years, & twelve weeks paralyzed, in her hands & feet, so that in those same years she could not go to any place or walk; & when it had come to her notice, that the most Reverend Lord Cardinal Raymund, Legate a latere of the Apostolic See, had wished to elevate S. Christiana, she made a vow to that same holy Virgin, & implored her, that with God she would intercede for her, that she might be restored to her former health; & immediately this vow being premised, at S. Christiana's was raised up, she by the grace of God, through the intercession of that same holy Virgin Christiana, was able to go, just as personally with two honest women she went to S. Christiana; & it is true, that those same two women (whose names she did not take note of) likewise affirmed, that the said woman for the said years, & weeks had been thus paralyzed, until she had made the aforesaid vow.

[79] likewise another for three years. Likewise the said Brother John says & deposes it to be true, that the day before there came to him on the mountain of S. Christiana a certain other woman, who also for three whole years had been paralyzed, of the village of Luterbach of the Diocese of Basel; & she vowed herself to S. Christiana; & as soon as she made such a vow, she with her husband, in one day was able to & did cross four miles, although before in three years she had not been able to cross to any place, just as it was & is known & manifest to all her neighbors. This very woman told the witness with her own mouth, & likewise her husband, although about their own names he did not inquire. He knows nothing else, & this he deposes not out of favor, hatred, love, entreaty, price, or favor, but with regard solely to justice & truth.

[80] In the year from the nativity of the Lord one thousand five hundred and four, Sent to Luterbach to investigate the miracle done there, on the aforesaid day of Thursday the fourth of the month of July, the honorable man Master Lord John Ochs, Rector of the Parish Church of the town of Sennheim of the Diocese of Basel, Commissary of the most Reverend Lord, the Lord Raymund Cardinal, Legate a latere of the Apostolic See aforesaid, specially deputed for the examination written below, to be done outside the city of Basel; before the Venerable Lords Bernard Egly, Doctor Canon, as well as John Berckman of Olpe, the aforesaid Commissaries, deputed in this business (as is set forth before), established, & by these same concerning those things, which in the examination on occasion of the miracle written below he found, having taken his oath specially thereupon, says & deposes, that he on the second day of the month of July aforesaid, in the village of Luterbach, of the said Diocese, by the commission made to him (as is set forth before) went to the honest man Henry Biechlin, residing there, & to the lawful wife of that Henry; & in the presence of that same Henry & certain other witnesses worthy of faith written below, diligently questioned the lawful wife of the said Henry Biecklin concerning the miracle, which God through the intercession of the holy women—Christiana on the mountain of S. Christiana, as well as Cunegundis, Mechtundis, & Wibrandis the Virgins, in the church of the village of Eichsel of the Diocese of Constance, he deposes that the woman examined there by him reposing & elevated, to whom she herself was said to have vowed, by His clemency & mercy had wrought, that he had examined & questioned her, who thus, having taken her oath solemnly thereupon to the Holy Gospels of God to tell the truth, said, & deposed, before the same Master John Ochs, Dean in Sennheim, & by imperial authority Notary, in the presence of the witnesses written below as follows.

[81] she said that in the year 1501 she was disabled in her left arm First namely she said & deposed it to be true, that in the year from the nativity of the Lord, one thousand five hundred and one just past, & on the fourth weekday after the Sunday e Invocavit, in the daytime she was sound in body & felt nothing; & about the middle of the night of that same day, this woman the wife of the said Henry wished to nurse one of her boys or infants; & while she was lifting that infant from the cradle, she felt in her left arm a great infirmity or great pain; & she said to that same husband of hers, that he ought to take the infant, until she should move herself a little; and that with the infirmity & pain of this kind daily increasing themselves, it came to this, that she, with the foregoing about the feast of Easter, then to come, of the said year of the Lord one thousand five hundred and one, & with pains increased throughout that whole side, that in her right shin & in that same side of her body she had so great & most acute sufferings, pains, & infirmities; that she could not rest day or night, or sleep; & such were the sufferings & pains in her, that day & night she cried out & ran hither & thither in the house, so that her neighbors heard, & had compassion with her, & could not sufficiently marvel at such pain, & this woman herself & her husband, & her neighbors had fear, that she would fall into madness: nor could she cut bread, nor do anything else with her arm.

[82] And when she had had this infirmity continuously, in the year 1504 she vowed to go to 4 holy women, from the aforesaid year up to the month of June, of the present year one thousand five hundred and four; it came to the woman in the night of the nineteenth day of the said month, in sleep, to her mind, that she ought to vow herself to four holy Virgins, namely Christiana, Cunegundis, Mechtundis, & Wibrandis; & so the next day in the morning she vowed herself to those same holy Virgins, & on the same day of this vow she proposed to cross to those same holy Virgins. But her husband took this ill, because it was a rainy day; & he feared, that she would not be able to walk; but the woman herself was unwilling to remain, but to fulfill the vow she had uttered in her own person, even if she should have had to go alone. So the husband, with this very sick woman his wife, on the Saturday before John the Baptist's day, left the said village; & both spouses went, in one day first to S. Christiana, & they saw the Relics of that same S. Christiana; & on the way she began to be healed; & then they went to the village of Eichsel, to the three holy Virgins, namely Cunegundis, Mechtundis, & Wibrandis, fulfilling the very vow she had uttered there. And she adds, that as soon as she made such a vow, & fulfilled it, she felt continuously herself better & better; her most severe infirmities, which she had, were lessened; & she walked joyfully on the way, & thus too she was freed from her infirmity.

[83] To these things the husband, by his oath given, gave faith concerning the truth, which the sworn witnesses also confirmed. & affirmed them to be true. To this aforesaid deposition of the woman, & of Henry her husband, there were present the honest men Hermann Schilling, Nicholas Menly Schultheiss in Luterbach, Henry Buretsch former Advocate there, Peter Wezsel, George Cerdonis, Elizabeth Fichserin, & Anna Bechlerin; which witnesses all by their oaths thereupon likewise given affirmed, that during the said times the said woman was thus lame & infirm as she deposed, & that she had & made the greatest cries & pains by days & nights, nor in three years had she walked, except sometimes to the Church, & with great pain & weeping & help of this kind. And the witnesses say, that the said Henry & his wife deposing above, are & were honest men, of good fame & of praised reputation, beyond all exception. Nor does he know anything else.

ANNOTATIONS OF D. P.

CHAPTER VII.

Certain miracles examined the following July. five hundred and four, The Legate going to the church of S. Christiana in the Indiction & Pontificate as above, on the Wednesday the third of the month of July, the most Reverend Father in Christ & Lord, Raymund Cardinal & Legate aforesaid, a certain Headdress or chaplet, which S. Christiana on her holy head, while she lived, is said to have borne & had; & which in the church of S. Christiana, hitherto from the time of her death had been kept & preserved, & to him the Lord most Reverend Legate to be looked upon was given & presented, & with which hitherto men, flocking to the church of S. Christiana, were touched, & it was given them to kiss, with diligence he saw, & inspected; & in certain of its parts, especially in the silken cloths wrapped around that Headdress, & laid over it, he opened; & it being opened, & the cloths laid over a little removed, his most Reverend Paternity found, & saw that this Headdress itself was truly woven of golden, silver, & silken threads, & with beautiful pearls & also precious & figured stones subtly adorned in the manner of the noble, was & is; & in the silken cloth, which was wrapped around above, he inspects the Headdress, believed to be hers, he found twelve knots; in which knots the respective Relics written below were enclosed; namely a little piece of the tunic of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, likewise, of the ten thousand Martyrs a of the company of S. Mauritius, of S. Bartholomew the Apostle, of the eleven thousand b Virgins, of the holy Cross of Christ, of S. Hilary, of S. Brigid, of S. Thomas the Apostle, of S. Nicholas, of S. Barbara, of S. Blasius. But from the inner part he found an iron ring of the width of the Headdress itself, yet between that same iron ring & the Headdress a little silken cloth, preventing that the Headdress should be corroded or consumed by the iron.

[85] These things being thus seen & found by his most Reverend Paternity, with admiration mixed with joy, his most Reverend Paternity himself this Headdress also to the Reverend Father Lord, & he commits it to the Poor Clares to be adorned: Lord Christopher, by the grace of God & of the Apostolic See Bishop of Basel, & to other spiritual & secular persons showed, & procured & ordered it to be shown, that they might be able to give testimony of these things. Thereupon also this same Headdress to the venerable & devout, the Abbess & Convent of the monastery in Gnadenthal c, of the Order of S. Francis, of the city of Basel of the Observance, existing for the Repair & re-enclosing of the Headdress, & the Relics in due order he transmitted. Which headdress being thus sent to that monastery, & held by the Lady Abbess & Convent with them, afterward there came to the ears of the said most Reverend Lord Cardinal & Legate by the truthful relation of persons worthy of faith, that among those same Sisters of the Convent of the said monastery there had been & was one, namely the religious Agnes Mederin, professed & conventual there, then learning that a nun disabled for 20 years, sprung from the city of Basel, who for almost twenty years had had & sustained in her knees & shins the greatest & gravest sufferings, contractions, & pains; & such, that she without a staff, & even with a staff held in her hands, without the help of any of the sisters, could not bend her knees, & enter & cross to the church or choir of the church, nor after she bent her knees could she rise, except with the help of the other women the Sisters of that monastery; & whenever she wished to lift herself from her bed, she could not do that without crying out & lamenting of pain. who had asked to see that Headdress & to have it moved to her knees,

[86] And that this Sister Agnes Mederin aforesaid always from her inmost heart had an inclination toward S. Christiana aforesaid, therefore after she had heard & perceived that the Headdress of Saint Christiana had been brought into their aforesaid monastery, she most fervently desired to see it, & asked that it be exhibited to her to look upon & kiss; just as the Lady Abbess herself of that same Monastery handed it to her to look upon & kiss. But while that Sister Agnes had kissed this Headdress, she from the inmost fervor of her heart asked of the Lady Abbess, that with that same Headdress & the Relics attached she would touch the knees of Sister Agnes herself; trusting in such hope, that after they were touched with them, by the intercession of Blessed Christiana, & with divine grace assisting & aiding, through such touch she would be healed: but the aforesaid Lady Abbess made herself reluctant in this, & delayed to show such irreverence to the holy Relics & Headdress. Nevertheless because that Sister Agnes so ardently & with such fervent prayers humbly insisted, for the doing of the foregoing that same Abbess, with the counsel of the other elder & more prudent Sisters, had thereupon, with that very Headdress of S. Christiana & the holy Relics attached, the knees of Sister Agnes herself, with such reverence & honor as they ought & could, they touched: she suddenly recovered; which being done, immediately that Agnes, Sister & conventual aforesaid, said to those same Ladies the Abbess & the other Sisters present there, that they ought to praise God, because she felt a lightening of her infirmity in her knees; & upon this immediately she lifted herself, & without the staff which she previously used, as far as the choir, & before the altar of that choir she crossed; prostrating herself there to the ground, & praising God for so great a grace done to her, that she had been thus healed in her knees & legs, so that without a staff & the help of women she could go & walk: it is also true, that she meanwhile from the said time was, & has remained, & today is sound, & no longer felt the aforesaid pains, which she previously had.

[87] he betakes himself to that monastery These foregoing things being perceived by the most Reverend Lord Legate, that same his most Reverend Paternity, desiring & wishing to hear the truth of the foregoing from the said Ladies the Abbess & Sisters, to the said monastery in his own person, on the Lord's Day, the seventh of the month of July, together with the Reverend Fathers Lords Christopher Bishop of Basel, Tilmann Bishop of Tripoli, Suffragan of that Lord Bishop of Basel, Lord Henry Sax Prior of the Monastery of Saint Leonard of the Order of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, & John Bergkman of Olpe Chaplain of the Church of Basel, & Dean of the Confraternity over the atrium, & me the Notary undersigned of this business, entered: & his Paternity being in that same Monastery & in the choir of it, all the Sisters being convoked & presented, that same his Paternity concerning the foregoing & the truth of them inquired, & examined the Abbess & Sisters, as well as the aforesaid Sister Agnes specially & diligently, commanding them & each of them under penalty of excommunication, that they should tell & depose the truth concerning them.

[88] In which manner Sister Agnes Mederin, who (as is set forth before) was infirm & recovered, being thus questioned, all & each of the foregoing things, which were in her body & person, & just as to the most Reverend Lord Cardinal & Legate aforesaid about her (as is set forth before) were & are said, by her faith in the name of an oath given thereupon affirmed, & he receives the depositions of each. & said them to be true; adding & saying, that whenever before the aforesaid Wednesday, throughout the said twenty years, she wished to go or to lift herself, she could not do that, by reason of the excessive pain & contraction of her legs & in her knees, except with the help of the other Sisters, who held her; & she firmly believes, that by the help of God, & through the intercession of B. Christiana; whom she intimately implored, & from the touch of the Headdress of that same S. Christiana & of the Relics attached, she was & is freed. The foregoing also, both the Lady Abbess & the other elder Sisters, by their faith assert to have been & to be true; adding, that this same Agnes, in the year & beyond just past, took no medicine or remedy against the infirmity & pain of this kind, by which she ought to be cured. To these singular things there were present the aforesaid Reverend Lords, Christopher Bishop of Basel, Tilmann Suffragan of Tripoli, Henry de Sax Prior, & Lord John Bergman of Olpe, for testimony to these things called & required.

[89] Finally a married couple is present But on Tuesday the tenth of the month of July aforesaid, there were examined honest men, Cretzinger citizen of Basel & Elizabeth his lawful wife; as well as Ennelina, relict of the late Henslin Winsticher, while he lived a citizen of Basel; & Elsa, relict of the late John Rusdorff stonecutter, while he lived of Basel; & Agnes wife of Ludwig Maler; concerning certain miracles (as is asserted) done, who also under their oaths said & deposed respectively, as follows. Jacob Cretzinger & Elsa his wife aforesaid say & depose, under their oaths thereupon given, having been examined diligently, that they have a daughter named Anclina, who, just as in the Lent just past one year has elapsed, began to complain of a certain infirmity, & he deposes that the daughter's leg was incurably injured, which she suffered, accidentally coming upon her in her left leg, behind in the upper part beyond the knees; & she had the greatest pains, & the greatest sufferings day & night in this leg, so that it often happened, that she could not go in the daytime, nor walk for two nights or three in succession. And they had the counsels of surgeons & empirics, & of others asserting themselves expert in these things, & they permitted this leg to be seen; yet none of them knew this infirmity, or knew to apply a medicine or ointment or other curative thing, by means of which the said daughter of the deponents might be cured. And it happened, that in the place of the pain the skin & flesh began to open in such a way, that water from the leg thence began to flow, & thus it lasted almost for three quarters of a year, with the greatest pains & sufferings day & night.

[90] But after S. Christiana, by the most Reverend Lord Raymund Cardinal Legate a latere aforesaid, after a vow made for her to S. Christiana, was elevated; & the witnesses perceived, that several men of both sexes had vowed themselves to that same S. Christiana, & in their infirmities had implored her, & from infirmities of this kind had been freed; the aforesaid spouses also vowed their daughter, & themselves with her, to S. Christiana. Which vow being uttered, & not yet however fulfilled; in the leg of the said daughter of the witnesses, in the place of the infirmity, three small bones through the skin & flesh showed themselves; which being seen the spouses themselves the deponents sent for a surgeon, & showed those three small bones to him. Which being seen by the surgeon, a sharp bone falling out of itself that same surgeon with a certain iron instrument, made after the manner of forceps, the said little bones attempted to extract from the leg of the said daughter; but he could not at all extract them, even pulling strongly, up to the effusion of blood of the girl herself. The parents of the girl herself the deponents seeing therefore that this could not help; & that before too they had vowed the girl to S. Anthony, to S. Quirinus, & other Saints, & she could not be freed from this infirmity; these same spouses, as is set forth before, fulfilled the vow uttered by them. Which vow being fulfilled & performed, in the night of the day of that same vow performed, a certain bone with three points, after the manner of an old tooth, which previously thus showed itself, had now come out, she was healed. & in the morning in the bed of the girl herself aforesaid had been found: & meanwhile the said suffering & infirmity in the girl herself ceased. And on account of this they carried this bone to S. Christiana, & there left it as a miracle; & that very daughter the girl now almost entirely is restored to her former health. And they firmly believe, & undoubtedly hold it for this, that the said daughter, by the intercession of the said S. Christiana the Virgin, out of the mercy of God was freed, nor do they say otherwise.

[91] Another deposes concerning her foster-child, Ennelina, relict of the late Henslin Winsticher, inhabitant of Basel, under her oath examined, deposes & says it to be true, that about the feast of all Saints, next to come, before three years would elapse, a certain stranger came to her, & contracted with her one male boy, perhaps of one year and a half with her to be raised: & at that time that same boy was very infirm, & did not know how to go. Which boy she had thus for the said time, & in it he could never stand, nor walk, or go. But after the holy Virgins, Cunegundis, Mechtundis, & Wibrandis, & S. Christiana most recently by the most Reverend Lord Raymund Legate aforesaid were elevated, she made a vow in the name of that same son, whose name is John. And as soon as she made & fulfilled such a vow, that same boy in the night of that same day of the fulfilled vow, began to go by himself, & was & is able to go: that she obtained for him the faculty of walking. & she firmly believes, that by the help of God, by the intercessions & prayers of B. Christiana, these things were done. After this the woman herself also made & fulfilled a vow, going in the name of the said boy to the three holy Virgins, & also crossed thither. Thus likewise she believes, that with God's aid, & with the said four holy Virgins interceding, that boy from day to day is more strengthened in his powers. The said two women therefore, namely Agnes Malerin, & Elsa Nusbemhin, by their oaths given thereupon affirm, that they saw the foregoing; & that it is true, as the said Ennelina deposed; & they firmly believe, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgins that same boy recovered.

[92] Therefore in faith & testimony of all & each of these foregoing things, I Gregory Brusweiler, an authentic copy of the whole Process is drawn up. otherwise Swegler, Clerk of Constance, public Notary by Apostolic & Imperial authorities & of the Venerable Episcopal Curia of Basel, & of the aforesaid most Reverend Lord Legate, my most gracious Lord, in this business specially taken on as Scribe; this present register, process, & all the foregoing containing within itself, by the mandate & order of the said Lord Legate, made, noted, & published; & by another faithfully procured to be written, with another's hand by my usual & accustomed sign & name signed & subscribed, in faith & testimony of all & each of the foregoing.

Gregory Swegler, Clerk of Constance, by public & Imperial authorities, & of the venerable Episcopal Curia of Basel collateral Notary & scribe aforesaid, here with my own hand subscribed.

ANNOTATIONS OF D. P.

LEGEND

Collected & printed from the foregoing Process. And reprinted by Hermann Crombach.

Cunegundis Pilgrim Virgin in Alemannia (S.)

Mechtundis Pilgrim Virgin in Alemannia (S.)

Wibrandis Pilgrim Virgin in Alemannia (S.)

Chrischona or Christiana Pilgrim Virgin in Alemannia (S.)

FROM CROMBACH

[1] Lesson III. There were, just as we have received by truthful relation from of old, Four Virgins among the most holy Virgins who accompanied S. Ursula, four of remarkable virtue & grace, & most perfect in the fear of God, endowed with all honesty of manners: of whom three were nobler by birth, one Cunegundis, the second Mechtundis, the third was called Christiana; the fourth, who seemed almost a handmaid of theirs, by name Wibrandis, most holy Virgins: who through a the Thurgau coming to the shores of the Rhine, burdened by a strong & deadly infirmity, not being able to complete their journey as far as Basel, fallen sick at the Rhine by the disposing of divine clemency, not far from a once noble city, but now either by earthquake, or by the injury of times & men, with scanty law (?), called Augusta Rauracorum, they halted. Which indeed is believed to have been done by divine providence, in order that both that land itself, then almost desolate & destitute of colonists, by their merits, might be filled with colonists, just as we now perceive done; & the borders of our country, through the patronage of such great matrons, might be illumined above by a divine prospect, & be illustrated by the splendors of the supernal lights.

[2] Lesson IV. Therefore fording across the channel of the Rhine, the Rhine being crossed they come to Roppersweiler, they walked through pathless places & the thickets of woods, approaching the ridges of the mountains & the precipices of the valleys, as women ignorant of the ways & unknown to men & language, to the highlands which by the inhabitants are called Spelte, they came; & a certain village, by name b Roppersweiler, striking upon, they sought, as infirm & weak women, a certain poor man's barn. Further, the inhabitants of the place, perceiving persons so venerable & honest, people of unknown language; they conjectured them, as they were, born of noble lineage; & received them in hospitality, just as they asked; & the services of humanity, although poor peasants, according to their power they exhibited. But before they had come to the aforesaid places, the holy Virgin of God Christiana, prevented by a grave faintness, halted a little from the bank of the Rhine in a certain place; & with the faintness growing worse, held her eyes with her hands raised to the heavens; Christiana left on the near side of the Rhine & there deceased. & pouring out a prayer to Christ the son of God the spouse of Virgins, blessing the holy Trinity, in confession of the true & everlasting Deity, with full faith rendered her spirit to the God of heaven. Whom the inhabitants of the neighboring places finding dead, strove to commend the little body of the holy Virgin to the clods of earth: but it could by no means by any means be moved from the place.

[3] Lesson V. Counsel at length being taken, taking a new wagon, joining to it two heifers, & carried to the mountain by the oxen permitted to her, not yet brought under the yoke, they permitted the body of the holy Virgin placed upon it to be carried, wherever the breath of the holy Spirit urged them. Which soon, having taken up their strength, opposite the precipitous & rocky mountain, going with even steps, halted. Wonderful to relate! For soon by divine power the rock dividing itself, a passable way afforded to the cattle by a stupendous miracle: which finally leading her even to the ridges of the mountain's brow, by their pausing showed the place of rest of the virginal little body: in which place, up to the present day she reposes buried in peace. The holy Virgin at length by supernal irradiation, God glorifying His holy one, illumined, began to shine with miracles; & so to manifest herself glorified by God in the heavens, where she shone with miracles in the church built for her. by divine benefits, that it became clear to all, that the holy Virgin of God was worthy of all veneration. Whence by the devotion of the neighboring faithful it came about, with her assisting suffrages, that a church in her honor was built, & consecrated in the aforesaid place, where she reposes.

[4] Lesson VI. But returning to the place from which we digressed, let us hear how glorious was the King of Israel, The other three at Roppersweiler uncovering himself before the handmaids of the servants of his servants; & openly demonstrating, how worthy of praise is the divine Majesty, magnifying His Saints. Let us recall to memory the remaining end of the life of the holy Virgins, Cunegundis, Mechtundis, & Wibrandis namely. And when the consecrated Virgins, with their health now growing worse, recognized themselves near to death; & with their body wearied out, did not doubt at all that they would depart; they sought that the ecclesiastical Sacraments be brought to them by the Ministry of a Priest, fortified by the last sacred things, asserting themselves truly to be Christian women; that they might receive him with firm faith & pure heart, whom while placed on earth they had loved with such devotion & ardor of faith, that they were prepared to undergo death for Him through the palm of Martyrdom, just as they had learned by revelation: & as far as in them lay, they would have undergone it, had not the divine goodness, for His glory, mercifully condescending to our advantages, decreed otherwise. Therefore receiving the divine Sacraments, disposing themselves for death, as was fitting, most patiently & most constantly, about to fight against the enemy of the human race & his wiles, they ask to be buried in the manner in which Christiana was. they commended themselves to the Lord & His grace. And when, with death now hastening & near, they were asked, in what place they would command a burial to be prepared for them; mindful of their companion Christiana, they answered, that they ought to be buried in that manner, in which they had committed her to the earth. These things being duly done, the consecrated brides of Christ, among the hands of the devout country folk, & themselves most devoutly, with hymns & divine praises, Wibrandis however in a meaner place than her mistresses. with which praising the holy Trinity the Father, & the Son & the Holy Spirit they invoked, giving thanks to God, their holy souls, loosed from the flesh, to be joined in nuptial union to the son of the eternal God, they rendered up, about to ascend to the heights of heaven. But S. Wibrandis dying foretold, that she, as less noble by birth & inferior in merits, ought not to be buried with the others; but to be laid apart in another little place: which also was done. The calves carry the bodies committed to them to Eichsel,

[5] Lesson VII. And when, to be given to burial, they were carried placed upon a wagon to which calves were joined; it happened that the animals made their way toward an oak of lofty height & wondrous magnitude; where neither to the right nor the left on account of the density of the brambles & thickets, could it be held; by divine power this great miracle we have heard was done from those, who confirmed by oath, that they had received this from antiquity by undoubted faith, that the oak itself, laid prostrate to the earth, as a bridge placed opposite, bent itself, & thus afforded a passage, so that for the cattle to cross through it was most safe; & by that event the place of their burial, & the little village afterward built there, was called Eichsel, as it were the Oak of salvation, which name up to the present day that little place obtains. And truly wonderful is God in His Saints, magnificent in Majesty, working wonders. By which it can be observed how great are they of merit with Him, who binding themselves to the divine commands & counsels, & exercising themselves in virtues on earth, take pains to lead a celibate life. Which indeed clearer than light is known to have been shown in these most holy Virgins, who in the school of virtue & the wrestling-ground of Christian warfare, where all three shone with miracles under the mastership of the most holy Ursula exercising themselves advanced, so that they may be found of great merit with Christ their spouse, & may afford to the whole world an example of virtue; & may powerfully relieve, with pious compassion, the necessities of all who with faith & sincere devotion invoke them, & may be perceived to shine with frequent miracles, God illuminating His Saints, of which some below are noted c…

[6] Lesson VIII. But that I may bring forward into the midst some of the many miracles, by which God glorified these holy Virgins, to the praise & glory of almighty God & the benefit of readers, that God may be glorified in His Saints, & the faith of the Catholic Church be exalted & strengthened; moved by whose fame in the year 1504 the Cardinal Legate, let all the faithful of Christ take note, that in the year from the Nativity of the Lord one thousand five hundred and four, in the time of our most holy Lord D. Julius Pope the second, when our most reverend Father in Christ & Lord D. Raymund, Presbyter Cardinal of the Church of S. Maria-nova of Gurk, & Legate a latere sent through Germany, had come to the city of Basel; & had heard, the fame of the miracles being spread abroad, done in former times, of the holy Virgins of God otherwise canonized, yet not translated from the earth; he ordered that the bodies of the Saints be sought out; decreeing, touched by his own devotion, that it was unworthy that so great a treasure should longer be hidden from the world, & the light be shut under a bushel, he ordered their bodies to be sought: but with the light exalted upon a candlestick, it might shine for all who are in the house of the Church, & thus be a refuge & asylum of all, a protection for those fleeing to the holy Virgins d.

[7] Lesson IX. Attention therefore being given, when the tombs of the Saints were laid open, so great an odor of sweetness, from which a heavenly fragrance soon emanated, by certain women near to childbirth (of whom one was called Barbara, wife of the Schultheiss of the village called Krentzach; & certain others, whose names do not now occur to me, who told me these things which I have written by truthful revelation) was reported to have emanated; so that they who otherwise, on account of the tumult & crowding, now almost seemed to have fainted, suddenly felt themselves recreated by this odor; in order that it might become known to all, that the bones even of the holy Virgins of God sprout forth from their place, & are filled with the breath of good odor. For immediately, with the face of the divine light shining over, signs were renewed & wonders changed, God glorifying His right hand. For there was in the place of burial of the holy Virgins a certain piece of wood, which always fragrantly smelled with a wondrous odor: & even though it was now dry & by age almost consumed, yet it always breathed a violet odor; as also from the wood placed over the sepulchre. so much so that not even if one had held the violets themselves in his hands, could he have perceived so great an odor of sweetness. And what is more to be marveled at, that same wood, when now on account of age, because it had remained under the open sky, from the mausoleum e upon which it lay it was removed, forthwith lost all its odor & breath of sweetness. Nor is it to be thought that this was done by any other than divine power, who for the glory of the Saints, how precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the holy Virgins, wished to demonstrate by this token.

[8] There is also another thing which by truthful relation, confirmed by the said oath, was perceived; that at that time, when not yet a church had been built in the place of burial; Once a stag had given occasion for a church to be built there a stag of remarkable stature, explored by hunters, when it was driven by dogs, always committed itself to this place as to a safe protection, nor could it by anything be torn away from the place or by the dogs, or be wounded by hunting-spear; on whose horns there always seemed to be affixed three lights: by which the hunters being terrified, at length leaving the place, & giving glory to God returned to their own homes. From which it is undoubtedly taken, that these three holy Virgins by their protections even to this dumb beast, fleeing to their protection, afforded a covering & a help of safety. And what wonder, if the suffrages & intercession of the holy Virgins which could be a help to those lacking reason, the stag accustomed to flee thither, bearing 3 candles on its horns. may be of so much greater help to men, by how much those using reason are themselves more excellent than those lacking it.

[9] Finally an honest man related, John Rittermann, that his wife Margarita Kungim, for several years was lame: who hearing of the glory of the holy Virgins in divine works, soon bound herself by a vow to visit their mausolea, if they should be a help to her, Afterward a lame woman raised up by vow, & so she was restored to full health, rising & leaping & praising God. Theodoric de Meyere, having a son, of whose life, with the disease growing worse, no further hope was had by the father: who a vow for his son's safety (yet first warned in dreams) having uttered, soon received him restored to full health & unharmed. a dying boy healed, The same Theodoric had a daughter, whom he embraced with the greatest love, who burdened with pain of the belly & navel, was from a long infirmity almost despaired of for life: who was warned by his wife, that by a vow & voice he should commit himself to the holy Virgins, & by the great mercy of God it came about, that immediately, a vow with two candles having been uttered for the visiting of them, two hundred worms & yet more came out of the girl; a girl full of worms among which two were of wondrous length; which because they were hairy, by their hairiness gave a great spectacle to the peoples, & all perceiving this, they roused themselves to glorify God in His Saints. Finally the same Theodoric related & confirmed by oath, that he had endured the symptoms of fevers for some time; & its father from a fever; who, held by a strong paroxysm, uttered a vow, that he would visit the place of virginal rest, with the offering of two candles; & quickly he felt himself restored to soundness entirely, by the intercession of the holy Virgins.

[10] Finally Hermann Muller related, that for several times, light restored to an extinguished eye, in one of his eyes, the light having been lost, he had been blind: who, the patronage of the Saints having been invoked, soon, his sight restored, asserted that he saw clearly. To this is added that a certain woman, for sixteen years deprived of light in one of her eyes, a vow to the holy Virgins having been uttered, obtained the full light of her eyes. There was another woman, who, a stone expelled bit by bit; on account of the most bitter burning of a stone, was held by a long faintness. And when daily by the harsh pains of distressing punishments she was shaken, a vow to these most holy Virgins having been uttered, immediately from the narrow passages of the bladder & kidneys, being freed by a multitude of wasting sand itching, giving thanks to her deliveresses, about to visit their Relics, she ascended the mountain of Spelte without any difficulty. There was besides & up to today a most limpid spring, in the confines of the little place where the holy Virgins repose; which before the coming of these holy Virgins, worms at their spring turned into stones: because it was a wilderness, abounded with so many venomous animals, that it was suited to no use of men; which after their dwelling there, so became usable for all, that, the worms being turned into stones f, it is drinkable for everyone thirsting.

[11] Finally there was a certain girl in the village of Brombach g of five years, who whether by horrid vexation of pustules, or by some other infirmity, for three years and a half had been lame, nor had she ever made a step; but lying in the little bed of calamity she spent her time bedridden. A girl lacking the faculty of walking, And when she had heard, now by the tumult of her parents, now by the exhortation of others mutually instigating one another, that they should set out to the feast of the Translation of the holy Virgins; that very little girl, lying lame, began to cry out, that she would go to the feasts of the Saints. And when her mother tried to quiet her with words, she again cried out that she would go. To whom her mother; What, she said, will you go; when through the days of your life you have never made a step with your feet? But she, with fervent mind & spirit, & wishing to go to the translation, is raised up who had never before sat upright, raising herself sat back up. And when her mother, together with other men being present, perceived her raising herself; astonished they stood still; & soon with unanimous voice, binding themselves by a vow to the holy Virgins, they raised the girl upon her feet: who immediately, every impediment removed, stood firm, walking, & leaping, & praising God. This girl the aforesaid most Reverend Lord, Cardinal & Legate, with his dignity & the mercy of humanity, the holy bones of the holy Virgins, descending to them into the pit & with his own hands raising them to the tomb, & she is healed: transferred; & all of us, as many as were present, saw her walking, & rejoicing in full soundness, to the praise & glory of our God & our Lord Jesus Christ, & the magnifying of the holy Virgins.

[12] Many other miracles, to the praise of God almighty, by the intercession of the holy Virgins were done, which would need too long a treatise; but these few sufficiently show, the Saints of God glorified in the heavens, the other miracles are here omitted. whose bones with such wondrous deeds sprout from their places on earth. To imitate these & worthily venerate them in the present may Jesus the Son of God grant, their Spouse; & in the future to see Him clearly, to love the sight, & to praise the beloved with all the saints. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS OF D. P.