DE S. WENEFREDA.

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places in Hereford and Monmoutshire, shewing it to severall persons of worth, whomarveiled greately thereat; and some did prick and stratch it with pinnes, to see if they could perceave any admentitious worke or fiction therein: which they did not finde, the miraculous expression being in the very substance of the
stone.

When he was come home, he presented his wife therewith, as with a most wonderfull token from S. Wenefride. She (though as yet a protestant) being strucken with admiration, kissed it: and thence forth began to feel in her self strong motives of embradng the catholique religion; which dayly so increased that before the yeare came about, she earnestly desired it, and was to her greate comfort reconciled to the catholic faith. In the meane time having againe concea* ved, she expected the time of her deliverie about the beginning of June 1619 ;but when she was once passed her account,ber husband would often say thathe hoped she would not be delivered untill S. Wenefrides day, that it might be apparent to herthat that childe was an especiall gift of 6od,by tbe former ffavour of the mira culous stone foreshewen. Which hope of his was really fullfilled, for she was not brought to bed untill the 2fth of June, when precisely at the very selfe same time of the day (as much as morally could be collected) as he prayed in S. Wenefrides holy Fountaine the yeare before, viz. about noone, she was happily delivered of a woman-childe, who was borne with a perfect circle about her neck, which conti* nued distinctly to be seene for some space of time after, This childe in holy baptizme was called (not without just reason) Wenefride, who in a great measure resembled in her life the sanctity of her glorious patronesse; for being not wholy a yeare and a half old, she would be manraylously well pleased to have in her hand the sayd miraculous stone, and therefore would willingly part with any other thing, though never soe gay and spedous. Both then and afterward, when she grew bigger, it was observed that she was more
found of her ffather then of her mother, which in time occasioned some little

pique of jelousie in her mother; who therefore in absence of the ffather often sought some opportunity to revenge herdiscontent: and though she was very watchfull to observe alloccasions, yet such was the virtue of this holy childe that she could never meet with any colourable pretence of any faulte, the * deserved the least correction. When she was of age sufficient to learne, she would be busie alwayes eyther with her booke, her needle or her viole; she loved and frequented most the companie of them that were most anntient and grave. In fine she was so angelica 11 and holy in all respects, that it is no wonder that the Rev4 Gentlemen Mr John E. who had the spirituali conducte of her soule, doth assure us that he is most confident that die never lost the grace which shee receaved in holy bap tizme. On her d6ath bed sbe gave such wise and pious counsell to her mother (who seemed most disconsolate) that all might easily perceave that of the divine Wisdome truly verifyed in her: Being consummated in a short space, he fuUfiUed much time: for his soule pleased God: for this came, he hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquityes. God then tooke her out of this life being about 13 yeare
TOM. YLSI

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