24       HOW she succoured the plague-stricken.
 

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commending the success of this difficult enterprise to the
assistance of St. Francis Xavier, and St. Catharine of
Sienna, by whose example shee was moved to under-

e it.

The far-seeing providence of God intending yet to cast
this pliable piece of clay (for that's the alpha and omega
of all flesh), and mold it into a more sumptuous vessell of
honour and sanctity, visited her with a far harder tryal
than hitherto, and permitted the plague to fall into the fa¬
mily ; att first notice whereof, the words of holy Job oc¬
curring to her memory, which used to be actuated with
such comfortable thoughts, shee reply'd without hesitation,
" As it has pleased our Lord, so it happen'd ; his holy
name be bless'd. Then her first thoughts were to have
the infected persons well accomodated, which shee did not
entrust only to the diligence of others, but saw done her¬
self and afterwards removed her goods and family to Us¬
worth, four miles distant from Heton.

During this sad time of sickness, shee was noted to be
more chearfull than formerly, sending a servant from
Usworth every day to visite them, but every hour her
ferverous prayers to God for their recovery. Her de¬
votions were so graciously accepted, by the recommenda¬
tion, as we may imagine, of his glorious Mother and St.
Koch, whome shee elected patrons in this affair, that none
diedj This was her pious custome in all buisines ot con-
seq^uce, out of diffidence in her own meritts, and con¬
fidence in the blessed spiritts, to implore their mediation
in offering her humble petitions, whensoever shee desired
to obtain good and avert evill from herself or others. And
truly her prayers in this or other cases were so effectual!,
as no doubt but wee may apply to their prevalency the
two golden sentences of the master and his schollar, St.
Augustine and St. Prosper, ^^ Fideliter snpplicans Deo pro
necessitatibus hujus rite misericorditer auditurJ'—" Who¬
ever supplicates God for the necessity's of this life faith¬
fully, is hear'd mercifully." St. Augustin—" Oratio pura
Ccelos penetrans vacua non redibit."    A prayer, simple and