d a stone, as
was his custom, but a basket, in which he used to beg alms in the city
for his hospital. The poor and sick stood weeping round him. The lady,
moved with compassion, dispatched secretly a message to the archbishop,
who sent immediately an order to St. John to obey her as he would do
himself, during his illness. By virtue of this authority she obliged him
to leave his hospital. He named Anthony Martin superior in his place,
and gave moving instructions to his brethren, recommending to them, in
particular, obedience and charity. In going out he visited the blessed
sacrament, and poured forth his heart before it with extraordinary
fervor; remaining there absorbed in his devotions so long, that the lady
Anne Ossorio caused him to be taken up and carried into her coach, in
which she conveyed him to her own house. She herself prepared with the
help of her maids, and gave him with her own hands, his broths and other
things, and often read to him the history of the passion of our
Redeemer. He complained that while our Saviour, in his agony, drank
gall, they gave him, a miserable sinner, broths. The whole city was in
tears; all the nobility visited him; the magistrates came to beg he
would give his benediction to their city. He answered, that his sins
rendered him the scandal and reproach of their country; but recommended
to them his brethren, the poor, and his religious that served them. At
last, by order of the archbishop, he gave the city his dying
benediction. His exhortations to all were most pathetic. His prayer
consisted of most humble sentiments of compunction and inflamed
aspirations of divine love. The archbishop said mass in his chamber,
heard his confession, gave him the viaticum and extreme unction, and
promised to pay all his debts, and to provide for all his poor. The
saint expired on his knees, before the altar, on the 8th of March, in
1550, being exactly fifty-five years old. He was buried by the
archbishop at the head of all the clergy, both secular and regular,
accompanied by all the court, noblesse, and city, with the utmost pomp.
He was honored by many miracles, beatified by Urban VIII. in 1630, and
canonized by Alexander VIII. in 1690. His relics were translated into
the church of his brethren in 1664. His order of charity to serve the
sick was approved of by pope Pius V. The Spaniards have their own
general: but the religious in France and Italy obey a general who
resides at Rome. They follow t