Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 4.5-9

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 4. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD towards certain Emperors and Empresses 

Leo

 5   The Virgin does not only give hope of prosperity to the Courts of Empires but she does this in a way favourable to those who serve her. To demonstrate this, let us take the example of the Emperor Leo who succeeded Marcian. It was his happy lot to be guided by the loving Providence of the MOTHER OF GOD and his story deserves to be told .  

The historian Nicephorus relates an incident that took place some time before the death of Marcian while Leo was still a simple soldier and was making his way towards Constantinople. He came across a poor blind man who had lost his way and, having a decent and kind-hearted nature, he took him by the hand and guided him, carefully removing from his path anything that could make him stumble. The heat was sweltering, so much so that as they were approaching a forest (where later was to be built a fine Temple we shall be discussing later), the poor blind man was tormented by thirst and weariness. Being unable to continue, he collapsed to the ground and begged his guide to bring him quickly a little mouthful of water because he was on the point of death. Hearing this, Leo increased his pace but whilst he was searching through the forest he heard a sweet and gentle voice which said to him: 

“Leo, why art thou going to all this trouble when what thou seekest is right in front of thee?”

These words took him by surprise and frightened him – but in a mysterious manner for he seemed to lose his presence of mind and the more he sought the less he found. Heaven was ordaining it thus so that the Virgin might speak to him again but more clearly, which is what she did : 

“Leo, thou who art soon to become Emperor, do thou heed my words : within the forest and hidden by the undergrowth, thou wilt find a spring of muddy water in the middle of a marsh ; do thou collect some of this water to give to the blind man ; take some mud too and smear it on his eyes, so that in this way he may recover his sight. Do thou learn beside that I am she who presideth over this place, being pleased to do this from afar, and thou wilt soon come to learn who I am. I ask thee to remember one thing alone when what I have predicted shall come to pass : that thou art to build here a Church for me, for I desire to be served and receive thanks therein for the miracles that I shall perform.”

When she had finished speaking, Leo returned in haste to the blind man, carrying the remedies for his thirst and his blindness – although he seemed no longer to be so troubled as he was very close to death. This notwithstanding, filled with courage and confidence, Leo gave him to drink of the water he had collected and rubbed his eyes with the mud he had brought in his hand. Suddenly, the poor man recovered his health, his sight and then he was filled most of all with joy to see his Benefactress ; for at that moment, the Virgin appeared next to them and, after filling their hearts with sweet feelings of consolation, she withdrew into the forest. Not long after this, Leo was made Emperor, just as the Virgin had predicted. 

He reigned over the Empire for some sixteen years and left such beautiful signs of his piety and courage that he deserves to be included in the ranks of the best Emperors. What most fired his heart, however, was a desire to carry out as swiftly as possible what the Virgin had asked him to do. At the place she had shown him, he erected a magnificent building which was called the Church of the Life-giving Spring. For a long time afterwards, all sorts of miracles were reported here, especially relating to the power the Virgin had given to the water of the spring, as I shall be mentioning later when we discuss the Emperor Andronicus the Elder.  In Chapters 25 and 26 of Volume 15 of his History, Nicephorus refers to a whole book he has written about this. Leo built another Church on the coast in the form of a rotunda, For his plan was that the MOTHER OF GOD should serve as a bulwark and bastion for the Imperial City, for as long as she was venerated there with her Son.

Zeno

 6   Leo was succeeded as Emperor by Zeno, and I have already written[1] about how he dedicated the Temple at Cyzicus (in the Hellespont) to the Queen of Heaven. This had been originally built following an order issuing from the Oracle, being dedicated to the wicked and profane cult of the Mother of the gods. Zeno showed great kindness towards the poor and this was a grace the Virgin had given him by way of help in the midst of certain disorders which troubled his life. The dedication of the Church to his heavenly Mother and his acts of kindness were the cause of all his joy.     

One day[2] a good woman was praying to the Virgin and earnestly entreated her to avenge a wrong she had suffered at the hands of the Emperor. The Mother of goodness replied to her: 

“Willingly would I help thee, but I am prevented from doing so by the work of his hands.”

There is reason to believe that the tribulations and suffering he endured whilst dying served to help him make reparation for the excesses he had committed in various ways during the course of his reign.

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12.

[2] Prati spiritualis, c. 175.

Justinian

 7   It cannot be denied that the Emperor Justinian was one of the most devoted servants of the MOTHER OF GOD there ever was. He had chosen her for his sovereign Lady, entrusting all his affairs to her guidance, and he could scarcely express his wonderment at the successes she brought him.

The venerable Sabas, a ninety year old Abbot, had predicted that Justinian would retake the city of Carthage and would lead it back to a knowledge of the truth, along with everything that his predecessors had allowed to be lost through their fault. To help bring this to fulfilment , his heavenly guide had sent him two generals who were redoubtable warriors, spreading fear whenever they took the field : namely, the great Belisarius and the valiant Narses, of whom we have spoken earlier[1]. The Emperor, moreover, was moved by all the graces and favours he received, and it seemed he could not build enough churches for his holy Mother. He built one in Samaria[2] on the advice of St Sabas, and others in Constantinople[3], Jericho[4], Mount Sinai[5], Antioch[6], Carthage[7], near the Caucasian mountains[8] and in several other places. In these undertakings he was even blessed in the way Heaven showed him where he could mine for marble and find timber to supply the materials he needed. This happened when he built the magnificent Church in Jerusalem known to the inhabitants as the New Church of St Mary the Theotokos. He consecrated his Empire to the Blessed Virgin as well as the worthy plans he had to reform it, whilst she for her part blessed all the undertakings of her devoted servant. If only he had always adhered to her guidance and had not interfered inappropriately in the government of the Church, he would be up there in the ranks of the foremost Princes of the world.

 

Footnotes

[1] § superiori. 

[2] Ferreolus Locrius Mariæ Augustæ, lib. IV, c. 6.

[3] Procopios, lib. V de Justiniani edificiis.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Lib. II.

[6] Lib. VI.

[7] Niceph., lib. XVII, c. 13, et eodem Procopio.

[8] Cod., lib. I, tit. XXX.

Justin II

 8   Justin II, seeing the pitiful state of the Empire when he became Emperor, immediately had recourse to the MOTHER OF GOD[1]. He dedicated to her the Jewish synagogue in Constantinople, with the aim of being in her good graces. The Virgin knew well enough how to repay him for this: 

After making a good start, Justin had fallen away and he also lost his mind towards the end of his life. She came to his rescue, however and, having returned to him the use of reason, inspired him to name for his successor the pious and virtuous Tiberius. She also gave him several pieces of advice concerning his salvation – especially his need to do penance for the sins he had committed. 

Footnotes

[1] Theophanes, in Miscella.

Maurice

 9   The life of the Emperor Maurice resembles a tapestry woven of various historical encounters and events, some good and some bad. He had great virtues but he also suffered from certain vices. At the very least, it cannot be denied that he is to be commended for his devotion towards the Queen of Angels. 

He left proof of this, according to Theophylact (in his History of the reign of Maurice[1]) in the war that he waged against the Persians. He undertook this war only under the auspices of Mary, whose name served as a password for the soldiers. For her part, she did not fail to show her appreciation for this trust on the field of battle by granting him a glorious and famous victory.  

I have no personal doubt that it was the MOTHER OF GOD who at the end fortified his heart, enabling to accept with humble resignation firstly the tragic death of his children and then his own. His words on learning of the planned execution were: Thou art just, O Lord: and thy judgment is right[2].

Footnotes

[1] Lib. V.

[2] Ps. CXVIII 137.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 4.1-4

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 4. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD towards certain Emperors and Empresses 

 1   There can be no doubt that whenever something is done for the honour of the Queen of Heaven, howsoever small or insignificant it might seem, she always acknowledges it with some sign of her favour; but just as the actions of the great and powerful are more visible on the world stage than those of ordinary people, so too their success or failure and the rewards or punishments which accompany them are more noticeable. This is why, reflecting upon the way the MOTHER OF GOD shows her gratitude, I have deliberately set to one side examples involving great Princes and Princesses. This does not mean that she pays more attention to those who wield a sceptre or who wear a crown than to those simple folk who have a good heart, but rather that the recognition she shows towards their offerings is more noticeable, being in proportion to the rank and position they hold in the world. It is also frequently the case that these persons occupying a position of rank or power have more noble souls and more generous thoughts than others, and that they eschew mediocrity – whether for good or for ill.    

Constantine

 2    It is usual for God to grant certain blessings to first-born sons and this was indeed the case with Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor. Among several fine qualities he possessed, this Prince was wondrously devoted to the MOTHER OF GOD and this was due in large part to what he learned from his exceedingly wise and devout mother called Helen, whom we shall be discussing later. Apart from the noble city of Constantinople which he dedicated solemnly to the Holy Mother, he also built for her the magnificent Church which we discussed earlier[1], showing himself everywhere and in all things a most zealous defender of her honour. In fact, he made it widely known that it was to her – after God himself – that he owed all the success he enjoyed in so many encounters, and the victories that he had won. St Augustine says great things about him in a few words : 

He had the honour of giving his name to a city modelled closely upon Metropolitan Rome but which surpassed her in never having any temples for the worship of idols; he enjoyed a long and happy reign; his was the empire of the known world over which he alone presided; his victories were equal in number to his wars and battles; he saw all his enemies at his feet, his descendants on his throne and the whole world subject to their laws; he died a natural death in ripe old age, honoured for his victories and his merits.  

What more can be added to these fine words other than that he enjoyed the greatest happiness imaginable, namely he was a Saint and the Church honours him as such? 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12.

Theodosius the Younger

 3   Theodosius the Younger, a Prince born to extirpate heresy and to remove the vestiges of paganism, had a tender devotion to the MOTHER OF GOD. He was attracted to her through his own kind nature and also as a result of the wise advice of the virtuous Pulcheria, his dear sister, whom we shall discuss later. He performed wonders for the Council of Ephesus (see below); this had such a happy outcome that the honour of the MOTHER OF GOD was successfully maintained and even extolled in the highest degree. The Holy Virgin was so grateful that she played a big part in making his reign the happiest of anyone who had won the crown. Theodosius had the modesty of a virgin, the austerity of a monk, the chastity of an angel and the devotion of a seraph; he was well versed in letters, both divine and human; so wise and considerate that his words and deeds were always characterised by fairness; so kind-hearted that his wish was always not only to save the living but also to bring the dead back to life; so compassionate that the poor brought their needs to him as though to the father of the universe; so just, that his reign became known as a golden age; so well placed in God’s estimation that Heaven helped him in his struggles and played a visible part in vanquishing his foes. In short, with the exception of one unfortunate event which was for him an apple of discord, so to speak, you could say that his reign of forty-three years was that of a Saint. 

Marcian

 4   Marcian, successor to Theodosius and the husband of his sister Pulcheria, is one of those men in the list of Emperors who lived an irreproachable life. This wise Princess could not have found anyone better in the world when it came to leading the life of an angel on earth. He was naturally inclined to piety and to justice, showing compassion towards the needs of human beings, as well as having outstanding courage. He had spent most of his life with soldiers and, when he was Emperor, no barbarian dared so much as to challenge him – so highly was his valour esteemed. He was not to survive long after the death of his dear spouse who had gone before him on her path to heaven. Together, they had been responsible for building for the MOTHER OF GOD the Church of Blachernae of such great renown (as I shall explain when discussing Pulcheria). The loving and pleasing service they both rendered unto their Holy Mother caused her to grant them a flourishing reign along with great happiness.

 

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 3.10-15

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 3. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD to cities especially dedicated to her 

Poitiers

 10   After Chartres, the ancient city of Poitiers is famous for being one of the French cities most devoted to the MOTHER OF GOD. The following account written by an historian of Poitiers demonstrates clearly enough the special care and protection she has shown towards this city.  

In the year 1202 it came to pass that the mayor of the city had business to attend to in Périgueux so he dispatched one of his servants, a clear-headed individual but one whose probity turned out to be suspect. The city of Périgueux was in the Périgord, a region which was held by the English. They found out about the man's arrival and discovered that he was a native of Périgord who had an uncle there who was well known to them and had been working with them. They set to work on the servant and offered him a thousand pounds if he promised to deliver the city of Poitiers to them. It was the season of Lent and he suggested that Easter Sunday would be a good day to implement their plan as the citizens of Poitiers would be busy with their devotions. The English trusted him and carried out their secret plan so well that, without being seen by anyone, they arrived at the gates of the city around midnight on Holy Saturday.

 

The mayor was in bed asleep and the traitorous servant went into his bedchamber, looking for the keys to the city gate which his master normally placed under the bed head. He was, however, unable to find them and so he went up on to the city wall and, signalling to the enemy, he threw a note down to them assuring them that all would be well at 4:00 o'clock in the morning. When the hour arrived, he immediately went into his master’s bed chamber once more and told him that the porters needed the keys to the city gate because a certain gentleman needed to set off post-haste in order to go and see the king. The mayor believed the traitor's words and set to looking for the keys but, being unable to find them, he started to suspect treachery. He immediately arose and gave orders for a group of well armed citizens to go straight to the gates of the city near the moat, this being one of the points most vulnerable to attack. The mayor himself, accompanied by some of the city councillors, went into the Church of Notre-Dame-La-Grande in order to entrust the city to God and to His glorious Mother. Whilst he was praying in front of the altar, he saw that the keys of the city were in the arms of the statue of the Holy Virgin. Having immediately made an act of thanksgiving to God and to her who had delivered the city, he went straight to the main city gate by the moat.

 

In the meantime, panic, or rather a dreadful terror sent from heaven, struck fear into the English camp with the result that they started to fight and kill one another. The news of this spread quickly throughout the city, the alarm was sounded and people came running to the city gate. Some climbed up onto the ramparts and from there they could see some fifteen hundred English soldiers lying dead on the ground. Terrible cries could be heard from men desperate to take part in the massacre. The men from Poitiers sallied forth and fell upon the English, dispatching large numbers of them and taking others prisoner. The latter were taken into the city where they confessed that at 4:00 o’clock in the morning they had seen on the city walls a Queen in awesome majesty, accompanied by a Bishop and a nun (said to be St Hilary and St Radegund, whose relics are preserved in the city of Poitiers). The prisoners went on to say that these were commanding a powerful army which fell upon the English and slew a great number, causing such a sense of terror in the others that they started to attack and kill one another. After witnessing these wonders, the people of Poitiers went about their Easter devotions with hearts greatly moved, offering extraordinary acts of thanksgiving. From that time onwards, in recognition of the special protection Heaven had granted to their city, they have always held a solemn procession around the walls of the city the day after Easter. 

Rennes

 11    There is similar ancient tradition concerning a remarkable event in the noble City of Rennes: 

The English had secretly dug a mine[1] under the city to cause its collapse and when they were almost ready to put their plan into action at around midnight, all the bells in the Church of Saint-Sauveur suddenly sounded of their own accord three times. The sacristan went to investigate what was happening but found that all the doors were closed and there was no one about. When the bells rang for the third time, however, he came back and saw candles had been lit on the altar of the Holy Virgin and he noticed that the statue had changed. Previously the Holy Mother had her arms around her Son whom she was carrying, but now one arm was raised and was pointing to the middle of the Church, as if to show something. This made him go straight away to warn the Governor of the city about what had been happening. The latter came in haste with a number of citizens and ordered bowls of water to be placed around that spot in the Church to detect the vibrations from any excavations the enemy might have been making. It did not take long to confirm what the English had been up to and then to thwart the plans of the enemies of France. 

There you have the traditional account. The President of Argentré, however, a man whose devotion was equal to his learning, wrote a history of Bretagne and he did not make any mention of the miraculous rescue I have just described even though he refers to the mine and the discovery by the governor, said to have been made using bowls of water set down at various places in the city. Accordingly, the only assurance regarding this account that I can give to readers is the common tradition handed down from father to son in the city of Rennes. The Statue of Our Lady can still be seen to this day on an altar in the Church of Saint-Sauveur, with one arm stretching out towards the middle of the Church. It has not been possible to establish with certainty whether the statue was made after the incident by way of commemoration or whether there was a miracle, as described in the traditional account 

Footnotes

[1] Formerly: a subterranean passage dug under an enemy position, esp. the wall of a besieged fortress, in order to gain entrance or to bring about its collapse. In later use: such a passage in which an explosive is placed.

Soissons

 12   There can be no person unaware of the devotion shown since ancient times towards the most glorious Virgin by the city of Soissons in Picardy. Hugues Farsy, a Canon from Laon, wrote a book around 1113 describing the countless miracles worked by the Virgin for her children in Soissons. He makes particular reference to how she brought an end to a common illness called Holy Fire which made people feel as though they were being burned alive and actually brought death to many. The same author wrote of a great number of other cures and favours that the city of Laon received for its long-standing devotion and the honour which throughout history they showed to the shrine of the Holy Virgin.

Tournai

 13   Tournai was numbered amongst the cities of Flanders most devoted to serving the Holy Virgin, 

but in the year 1340, it had been besieged by the English for forty days and reduced to such an extremity that they had only four days’ worth of provisions left. In the midst of their afflictions, they held a procession which took them to the Church of Notre-Dame (which is also the Cathedral). There they handed over the keys of the city to the Holy Virgin, imploring her to take them under her special protection and to rescue them in their hour of need. This public show of devotion was not without effect, for before the four days had gone by the enemy lifted the siege and the city received fresh supplies of food. 

Malte

 14   Readers may wish to look again at what was said concerning Malta in Part I and what the learned Lipsius[1] said about Ville Haute and how the Holy Virgin, who is its Protectress, miraculously saved it from invasion by enemies, thwarting their wicked plans. 

 15   In short, whoever would undertake – I do not say to compile everything that could be written on this subject – but to present a good selection, would need to run through all the cities in Christendom, and especially those who are most particularly dedicated to the service of the glorious Virgin. I do not believe it would be possible to find a single one whose services to the Queen of goodness did not elicit recognition and extraordinary favours from her. The small selection that I have provided above will have to suffice for our purposes.

Footnotes

[1] Virg. Hall., c. 6 et 7.

 

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 3.7-9

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 3. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD to cities especially dedicated to her 

Chartres

 7   The noble city of Chartres is situated in Beauce and vies with all the cities in Christendom for the title of being the first to receive the protection of the MOTHER OF GOD. This city has indeed shown great devotion to her holy Protectress, whilst in exchange receiving such wondrous favours that it would be impossible to describe them in the time and space we have available. One of the most outstanding is what the Virgin did for them in the year 908 (or 911, according to some), whilst Charles the Simple[1] was on the throne in France and Gancelinus (or Gancelmus) was the forty-seventh Bishop of Chartres. 

At that time, a certain Rollo (or Raoul) from a distinguished Bavarian family had become a fierce and proud man. Expelled from his own land, he made his way to France along with a band of thieves and ruffians who joined him at various stages on his journey. He told them that with him they could hope to become great and powerful, promising them everything they could find to loot in Notre-Dame de Chartres, a city they were going to besiege. This happened at a most inopportune moment for the poor residents of Chartres who, in human terms, had no means of defending themselves. In their hour of need, they had recourse to the beloved MOTHER OF GOD, whose Sancta Camisia[2] they treasured as dearly as the ancients did the Palladium[3] and the Ancile[4]. They took the Camisia out of the Treasury and paraded with it along the ramparts of the city. As soon as Rollo’s men saw this being held aloft like a banner, they burst out in laughter and let loose volleys of arrows. Their actions would in truth cost them dearly for they were suddenly struck by a mysterious blindness and found they were unable to attack or to retreat. This made it possible for those who had been besieged in the city to sally forth and fall upon the ranks of their foes. They proceeded to cut them to pieces until they were sated with the sight of blood and carnage. The place where this massacre took place is still known to this day as the Meadow of the Vanquished.

Rollo their captain was able to escape which was fortunate for him because his soul was later touched by God and he became a Christian. He was baptised as Robert, taking the name of Robert the Count of Paris who was his godfather[5]. He married Gisela, sister of King Charles, and was the great-grandfather of Robert who conquered Sicily and Apulia, and who also overcame the Venetians and Alexios, Emperor of Constantinople.

 

Footnotes

[1] Charles le Simple : simple here derives from the Latin simplex and refers to a straightforward, open and candid man of virtue, without the connotation of “simpleton” later associated with the word

[2] Sancta Camisia : Variously referred to as Mary’s mantle, veil, shawl, robe or tunic. 

[3] Palladium: An image of the goddess Pallas (Athene) in the citadel of Troy, whose presence was believed to guarantee the safety of the city. The image was later reputed to have been taken from Troy to Rome.

[4] Ancile: A sacred object in the form of a small figure-of-eight shield, believed to guarantee the safety of the city of Rome.

[5] S. Antoninus, II p. Hist., tit. XVI, c. 19, et c. 2, § 8.

 8    Readers can discover for themselves in the history written of Notre-Dame de Chartres how in the year 1129[1] the Virgin made known a remedy for St Anthony’s fire, also known as Holy Fire, which was ravaging the whole of the Beauce region. They can read too about the special favours she granted to Château-Landon, Bonneval and Saint-Malo following their willingness to help with the restoration of her church in Chartres which had been damaged by fire. 

We must not forget to mention what happened in the same city in the year 1020 when for the third time the noble Church of Notre-Dame was damaged by fire. The citizens of Chartres realised during this terrible conflagration that it was humanly speaking impossible for them to ensure the safety of the Sancta Camisia. Nevertheless, some of the bolder in their number risked their own lives by passing through the flames in order to save the precious relic.They located where the chest was kept and, placing it on their shoulders, they made their way to a vaulted chamber beneath the floor of the Church. Then a miracle occurred, for they had no sooner reached this chamber safely than the bell towers collapsed, the bells and the roof of the church (which were made of lead) melted, the pillars supporting the vaulted ceilings collapsed and everything crashed to the ground with a terrible noise. The fire burned on for several days and nobody could do anything about it. Everyone feared that the people in the underground chamber would have been crushed or burnt to a cinder, or perhaps would be dead through hunger or terror, and that the Sancta Camisia would have been destroyed by the fire. When it finally became possible to clear a path to see what had happened to them, they were all found safe and sound with no injuries. The chest containing the precious relic was also quite undamaged and it seemed that Heaven had taken a most particular care in preserving this precious token which is the great blessing of the city of Chartres. When it comes to describing the public rejoicing and the acts of thanksgiving offered to God and to His holy Mother, I can only say that words fail me.

Footnotes

[1] Lib. IX, miraculo 31.

 9   I cannot pass over in silence what has been noted by several conscientious historians, namely that in the year at 1568, with the favourable help of their Protectress, the valiant people of Chartres repelled the Huguenots who had laid siege to the city. In commemoration of this blessed deliverance, a eulogy was penned in Latin and it was translated into our tongue by Sebastian Rouillard, an historian of Notre-Dame de Chartres:   

Deceptive novelties do everywhere abound

Which faithful Frenchmen’s hearts with error do confound;

Now here, now there we see the poison overflows

Beneath the trait’rous flags of marching Huguenots. 

The city they besiege, its walls they do assail,

But tow’rs and ramparts new make all their efforts fail,

The Virgin Queen hath come to show her love and pity,

To save the faithful souls of her beloved city;

Their loyal Captain bold was Lord de Lignières,

Whose trusty men-at-arms displayed a courage rare.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 3.4-6

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 3. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD to cities especially dedicated to her 

Loreto

 4   Those who have even a minimal knowledge concerning Our Lady of Loreto (and is there anyone who has not heard of this place?) will not find it surprising that the Holy Virgin should have taken particular care of it.

  

She showed this in a special way when Pope Leo X was at the helm of the Church. Selim[1], Emperor of the Turks and son of Mahomet, had come to believe nothing was beyond his powers and in his pride threatened to seize the treasures of this holy Chapel which had never previously been violated. He dispatched to Italy a large fleet of pirates who, having rampaged through Esclavonia and Apulia, landed at Porto Recanati where they put everything to the fire and  sword. Whilst they were making their way unhindered towards Loreto, they came to realise very soon that although this place had little defence humanly speaking, it was nevertheless protected by Heaven. The mere sight of the Church in Loreto struck such fear into their hearts that they were unable to proceed any further and were forced to retrace their steps and take to their ships. Selim himself, the author of this sacrilegious undertaking, was soon called upon to pay for it since he died shortly afterwards of a cancer which represented for him the beginning in this life of torments which will never leave him.

 

Footnotes

[1] Turselinus, Lib. II Hist. Lauret., c. 19..

Paris

 5    Paris, the jewel in the French crown, the home of our Kings and beloved of the Virgin (as I have shown elsewhere[1]), 

was given clear proof in the year 887 that the devotion shown by the city to the Queen of Heaven was most pleasing to her[2]. The Holy Mother delivered the city in a miraculous manner through the intercession of St Germain and St Genevieve, the two great Protectors and Patrons of this noble city. 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12, § 5.

[2] Baron., an. 887.

Le Puy

 6   The glorious Virgin has been served devoutly by the city of Le Puy-en-Velay for almost fourteen hundred years. It seems in fact that little can be added to what Pope Leo IX said in a Brief addressed to Stephen de Mercœur, Bishop of Puy, on whom he was conferring the archiepiscopal pallium. The Bull (written on tree bark) has been preserved and is still venerated in the city's Church of Notre-Dame. It says that out of all the Churches dedicated to the Holy Virgin, the one in Puy is the most frequented, the most honoured and most beloved of the French faithful. If we put to one side the favours this Church has received from Heaven in gratitude for people’s devotion, we shall see quite clearly that the Virgin, her Patron and Protectress, has been keeping a watchful eye on the city day and night. Where indeed shall we find another city attacked so many times and yet always protected as this one was? Where is there any other that boasts a record over such a long time of not having experienced either the vicious assaults of heretics or the violent attacks by Barbarian which troubled so much of France? 

I accept that when the Saracens poured into France – flooding Languedoc, Provence, Aquitaine and many other regions of France – they entered Le Puy, since many cities and towns had been left defenceless (humanly speaking). It should, however, be pointed out that they showed such respect for the Church of the Holy Virgin that there is no evidence that they treated it in an offensive or insulting manner – which could scarcely be said of any other Church. Indeed, we discover that the western Saracens, once they learned of the wonders that were performed in this Church for those who invoked the Virgin, came in large numbers to ask for help against the tempests and hailstorms with which they were greatly troubled. Finding that their petitions had been answered, they sent many beautiful gifts in gratitude to this Church, a custom which continued for several years. 

There is a prophecy which can be read in this city’s truly ancient Church which we hope may continue to come true until the end of the world. It may be summed up in the following lines:  

This City thou dost see surrounds a site most holy,

The Queen of Angels doth protect and guard it wholly;

This means they laugh to scorn all efforts of their foes 

By reason of the help the Queen doth here dispose. 

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor

Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 3.1-3

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 3. The gratitude of the MOTHER OF GOD to cities especially dedicated to her 

Rome

 1   The city of Rome has rendered and continues to render great services to the glorious Virgin (as I have shown elsewhere[1]), receiving in return inestimable favours.

Amongst these, Rome will have reason to preserve until the end of the world the memory of a favour received in the year 590[2] in the time of Pope St Gregory the Great. The plague had been ravaging the city and causing the deaths of a great many Roman citizens. The scourge showed no mercy to anyone, from the highest to the least, not sparing even the sacred person of Pelagius II, St Gregory's predecessor in the Holy See. The effect was as though slings and arrows of fire were raining down from heaven and there was no one so blind as not to be able to see these as signs of God’s dreadful anger. St Gregory began to preach penitence and  ordered seven processions to take place, which were called Litanies. The first was comprised of Ecclesiastics, the second of Laity, the third of Monks, the fourth of Nuns, the fifth of Married couples, the sixth of Widows and the seventh of little Children. They all made their way to Santa Maria Maggiore where people multiplied their prayers with much weeping during the space of an hour, and where even the hardest hearts melted and were moved to cry out for mercy. The situation had indeed become quite dreadful and men were dropping like flies. This is reflected in what was written by several historians who said that during the short time this public devotion lasted, some eighty people fell down dead. At the end of the prayers, the Kyrie Eleison was chanted in honour of the nine Choirs of Angels, a prayer which is indeed short but most suited to beg for God’s mercy. It was later inserted into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the order of Pope St Gregory[3].        

Despite these efforts, things went from bad to worse and many people were seen to give up the ghost whilst sneezing or yawning – whence arose the custom of blessing those who sneeze or making the sign of the Cross when yawning. Everyone started to think that the capital of Christendom was going to be changed into a desert. The last recourse and Sacred anchor of salvation, so to speak, was the image of the glorious Virgin painted by St Luke the Evangelist. St Gregory ordered this icon to be carried in procession and he himself took part in person, as he had in all the other pious exercises. As the procession was making its way, heavenly music could suddenly be heard and Angels singing the Pascal Hymn : Regina cœli lætare, alleluia, quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia. Pope St Gregory spontaneously added the final words, which the Church has retained ever since: Ora pro nobis Deum, alléluia[4]. At the same time, many people saw an Angel on top of the Tower of Hadrian which for this reason has been called ever since the Castel Sant’Angelo. The Angel could be seen sheathing his sword as a sign that the plague would soon end, as indeed proved to be the case. 

In the year 847, which was the first in the pontificate of Leo IV, this same city was delivered from a dreadful basilisk[5] whose poisonous breath had already killed a great number of people.  The Basilisk was dispatched by the Holy Virgin whose image had been carried in procession through the streets on the feast of her assumption. Any readers wishing to find out more should read the Annals of Cardinal Baronius for that year.

 

Footnotes

[1] Part I, ch. 12, § 5.

[2] Baronius eo anno, post S. Greg., pluribus locis ; Greg. Turon., lib. X Hist. Franc., c. 10 ; S. An-tonin., IV p., tit. XV, c. 24, § 2 ; Sigonius, lib. I de Regno Italiæ, an. 590 et 591, etc.

[3] Lib. VII, ep. 64.

[4] O QUEEN of heaven rejoice! Alleluia: / For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia, / Hath arisen as he said, alleluia. / Pray for us to God, alleluia.

[5] See Pliny the Elder, The Natural History : Chap. 33 The Serpents called Basilisks.

Constantinople

 2   The city of Constantinople was once called the second Rome and it would be difficult to judge between them when it comes to devotion towards the MOTHER OF GOD, particularly if it had been able to persevere in the way that Rome did. For as long as Constantinople retained the true Religion, it was regarded as the apple of the world's eye and the wonder of all cities. It was called par excellence the City of the Blessed Virgin, who for her part worked wonders to protect it, especially in preserving it several times when attacked by enemies.     

 

Here is one example which took place in the year 625[1] when Heraclius was busy in a war against Persia. Chosroes, King of Persia, called upon the western Huns to attack the Royal City during the Emperor’s absence hoping to cause a distraction for the Christian army with which he was then engaged. The Huns duly arrived before the city and fought furiously for the space of ten days; but just when pride in their success reached its high point and whilst the poor people in the city seemed on the point of defeat, the Queen of Heaven came to their help in the following way which has been described by the historian Cedrenus.  

Early one morning, the Holy Mother left her dear Church in Blachernae near the city and passed through the enemy camp accompanied only by two eunuchs. The Huns concluded this must be the Empress seeking out their Prince to discuss terms with him in the absence of her husband. Accordingly, they allowed her free passage but kept an eye on the troops they had seen coming out of the city a little earlier. They noted that she passed through their lines without saying a single word and they made haste to follow her without realising this was actually diversion on Heaven’s part designed to blind them all. When they had caught up with her, she disappeared from view together with her companions and this struck such fear into their hearts and confusion into their minds that they began fighting with one another. In fact, if nightfall had not brought an end to this, not one would have escaped alive. The following morning, the general staff visited the camp, saw the strange damage and accordingly they quickly lifted the siege. The MOTHER OF GOD, however, pressed them no less on board their ships than when they were on land and most of them perished at sea.

In the Greek Ritual, there is a reference to the city being besieged by two armies, one of which was commanded by Shahrbaraz, second in command to Chosroes; the other was commanded by Chaganus, General of the Scythians and Mysians. These armies were so powerful that there were scarcely one Greek for every ten of the barbarians. The Ritual goes on to say that whilst these infidels were hurling blasphemies against Heaven, the Patriarch Sergius made every effort to encourage his people to have recourse to the MOTHER OF GOD, whose image he had taken out of the Church of Our Lady of Guidance. He bore this along the walls of the city, along with the sacred Shroud and other relics of the Holy Virgin that were housed in the same Church. In the end, the Barbarians determined to take flight but were thwarted in front of the Church of the Virgin in Blachernae. There they seemed to be transfixed and the men of Constantinople, along with their women and children, threw themselves upon their foes, wreaking terrible death and destruction.

Fifty-three years later, Constantinople came under attack by a powerful Saracen army from April until the following September. The Holy Virgin[2] fought once more against the enemies of Constantinople, placing so many obstacles and difficulties in their way that they were forced to withdraw. Of those who remained, many perished when exposed to the storms and the fury of powerful winds. 

Footnotes

[1] Theophanes, in Annalibus Græcor. ; Cedrenus, in Compendio hist.

[2] Theophanes, in Annalibus Græcor.

 3   In the year 717, before the Emperor Leo III (the Isaurian) fell into the iconoclastic heresy, the same Saracens resumed their attack and maintained an army camped before the city for the space of three whole years.

  

Once again, the same image of the MOTHER OF GOD was carried solemnly around the city walls as people implored for help for her dear city. She did this forthwith by providing a well-crafted plan to the Emperor: this was to send two fireships into the heart of the Saracen fleet which was composed of some 8,000 ships. The Greek fire on these two vessels succeeded so effectively that it made the Saracen fleet come to resemble a massive forest fire. At this point it was a case of every man for himself but even this did not guarantee survival because some were cast into the swirling waters whilst others who reached the Ægean Sea were greeted with a hail of fire which made the sea boil, causing the ships’ pitch to melt so the ships sank quickly without more than ten persons being saved – whom God kept alive to tell everyone about the disaster they had suffered and about the glory of the most sacred Virgin.     

Several most learned authors[1] attested to this victory, as did Pope Gregory II who made an special reference to it in a letter that he addressed to Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, and which was read publicly at the Second Council of Nicea. The people of Constantinople, in order to show their gratitude for all the favours they had received from the MOTHER OF GOD, offered thanksgiving throughout the nights before and after these three victories. A new feast was also introduced called Our Lady of the Upright or Our Lady of the Unsleeping, since for the duration of the nights we have mentioned the people in Constantinople did not did not go to bed and stayed awake, praying unceasingly and insistently before the image of the Holy Virgin. For the same reason, the hymn that was sung also had the name of the Feast and was called the Hymn of the Unsleeping. This feast was observed on Saturday in the fifth week of Lent, as is recorded in the Greek Ritual. 

Footnotes

[1] Theophanes, in Annalibus Græcor.

[2] Theophanes, in Annalibus Græcor. ; Vincent. Bellovac., lib. XXIII Speculi hist., c. 27 ; Sigeber-tus, in Chronico ; Baron., an. 717 et 718.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor