198 Kfit autle jFloir.ers oi 



bore in their hands three boxes of Ele6luary 

 of matchlefs odor and fweetnefs. Then the 

 glorious Virgin took and opened one of 

 thofe boxes, and all the houfe was filled 

 full of the fmell ; and taking a fmall por- 

 tion of that Ele6luary in a fpoon, She gave 

 it to the fick man : who, fo foon as he had 

 received it, felt fuch great comfort and eafe 

 that it feemed as his foul could no longer 

 abide within his body; whence he began 

 to fay : " No more, O moft holy and bleffed 

 Virgin Mother ! O bleffed Healer and Sav- 

 iour of mankind, no more ! for I am unable 

 to endure fuch fweetness." But the pious 

 and benign Mother ftill offering that Ele6t- 

 uary to the fick man and conftraining him 

 to take it, emptied all that box. Then the 

 firft box being emptied, the beatific Virgin 

 took the fecond and laid the fpoon therein 

 to give to him ; whereat he did lament, 

 faying : " O moft bleffed Mother of God ! 

 my foul is almoft melted away by the 

 ftrength and fweetnefs of the firft Eleftu- 

 ary, and how may I endure the fecond ? 

 I pray you, bleffed above all Saints and all 

 Angels, that you will be pleafed to give me 

 no more." The glorious Virgin Mary an- 

 fwered : " Tafte, my fon, but a little of this 



fecond 



