ike that of a St. Ambrose, of a St. John Chrysostom, and of
other like holy prelates. The holy archbishop was gentle as a lamb;
and all those who knew him affirm that he was merciful and affable;
but in matters touching the honor of God and the immunities and rights
of His Church he was transformed into a spirited lion, nor did he
ever swerve from his course or accept any [personal] advantage. And
it seems that God approved his apostolic zeal and the justness of his
cause, by coming to its defense with the exemplary punishments which
He inflicted on the enemies of the holy archbishop; so that, before
the final settlement of these disputes arrived from Roma and Madrid,
He made evident to the world his innocence, and the injustice of those
who persecuted him--taking just vengeance upon them by their miserable
and violent deaths, and other like calamities. These are not repeated
here, since they are already related at length in the eighteenth [158]
chapter of the preceding book; and God, almost by a miracle, preserved
the life of the holy archbishop so that he might before his death see
his cause concluded in his favor. Thus, if before all the world--or, to
speak more correctly, all hell--had conspired against him, at the last
he was able to see in his own day the union, in his favor and defense,
of the apostolic see on one hand, and the king our sovereign with his
royal Council on the other; and, besides, the Supreme Judge of mortal
men taking just vengeance on his enemies, by which the ministers of
the secular government were warned not to insult again the dignity of
the holy archbishop. And, although various collisions were not lacking,
they did not reach violence and hostilities; for every one feared him,
and regarded him as a holy man whom God assisted and favored.

No other judgment is merited by the exemplary virtues of his
illustrious Lordship; for even those most blind and obstinate in their
prejudices were obliged to confess that the archbishop was a saintly
man--as was said by the auditor who went to arrest him, as has been
previously stated. The holy archbishop was much given to prayer and
meditation, and inclined to silence; he was modest and sedate in
his actions; and he was very watchful in whatever he did that all
should be ordered by the divine law--continually keeping in mind the
account that he must render to God of his ministry, a consideration
which frequently shines out through his letters and other do