WHAT struck the world with astonishment was the austerity and penance which the Saint practised in the midst of ail the anxieties and business of his diocese. He had reached such a degree of perfection in the latter part of his life that he fasted almost daily on bread and water except on feast days when he made some addition but took neither meat eggs fish nor wine. During Lent he gave up the use of bread and lived upon dried figs and boiled beans and during holy week on lupines alone and had only one meal a day the year round"
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Besides the little sleep he took in general, at the times when he had any unusual amount of business, as in his Provincial and Diocesan Councils, and his translations of the relics of the saints, he either slept very little, or merely took a little rest in a chair; which he liked doing, as he used to say there were generals who were so vigilant in time of war that they never lay down in bed, but only slept in a chair, and quoted his uncle, John Joseph de Medici, as an instance. "Hence," said he, "a Bishop who has the direction of souls, and lights against the legions of hell, ought not to be less watchful than a general in worldly warfare." To maintain this watchfulness gave him perhaps more trouble than anything else in this life, for he was naturally much inclined to sleep, and his body, wearied by his continual labours, needed more rest than he allowed it; and having to use violence in this way, there arose in him a continual struggle between body and spirit. Although he had the inferior part in subjection, yet he was never able entirely to overcome his strong propensity for sleep, notwithstanding his struggles against it. "As to his great austerities during the whole course of his life,"
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This struggle against sleepfulness was manifest to all, as an enemy that was perpetually troubling him; but at the same time it was noticed that he never suffered himself to be overcome by it. When he was so far overcome by nature that he seemed as if he were asleep, still he was so far on the alert that he heard everything, and could give, for instance, an account of what the preachers said in sermons, and noticed if they made any mistakes, just as if he were the most wakeful of all. The last time he was in Rome, he used to go sometimes to hear Father Francesco Toledo, afterwards Cardinal, and on one occasion he appeared to be fast asleep all the time, when a prelate said to Francesco Bernardino Nava, then present : "If I were Cardinal Borromco's confessor, I should bid him sleep at night for his penance, that he might keep awake in the daytime, especially at sermons." It chanced that the Saint had a Cardinal and others to dine with him that day, and in conversation began to speak of the sermon, and gave a minute account of it, at which his brother Cardinal and those who had seen him asleep were much surprised. Some who saw him righting such a hard battle pitied him, and recommended him to take a little more sleep; one person gave him the opinion of a spiritual Father of great authority, who said that he ought to have at least seven hours' rest in order to keep in health and to bear fatigues; to which he replied, that the Father did not understand it was a Bishop he was speaking of. I remember that in a conversation with me on this subject he said that he certainly felt it a hard struggle with nature to avoid sleep, but when he considered his duty to God and the Church, he was able to overcome every difficulty. It gave him much trouble to see that his austere mode of life was not approved of, as ninny advised him to abstain from so much penance, lest he should shorten his life; and others wrote to him begging him to mitigate his austerities, among whom was the Archbishop of Valencia, in Spain, Father Luis of Granada. One of his intimate friends wrote also to Pope Gregory XIII., complaining that if his Holiness did not prevent it, the Cardinal would soon put an end to his days, as he could not survive under the weight of so many toils. A letter from his Holiness forbidding his austerities reached him in the beginning of holy week, 1584. During that Lent he had eaten dried figs, but had begun to take only lupines, but that diet he gave up immediately out of obedience to his Holiness. To others, as to the Archbishop of Valencia, before mentioned, he quoted the example of many saints who had used similar austerities, as follows : "It is unnecessary to remind you of holy men like St. Nicholas, St. Chrysostom, St. Spiridion, and St. Basil, who, although Bishops of large dioceses, persevered in continual prayer and fasting, and yet reached a good old age."
By these examples he wished to show that he could conscientiously, without risk of shortening life, continue his usual penances, and that even if it should please God to call him away soon, he should consider it a great favour, from the desire he had to offer up his life for the love of God in the service of His Church. He said the same in another passage of his letter to the Archbishop, as follows: "We ought to esteem it our greatest gain to spend our strength and our lives, which we must sooner or later lay down, in the service of the Church for which Christ died. No one, much less a Bishop, ought to be hindered by anxiety about health, or by fear of death, from the discharge of his duty, which is more important than any other consideration."
Although this austere life of the Saint was not approved of by all, as beyond human power to endure, yet it seems to have been pleasing to God, that in a time of great sensuality he should set an example in order to recall the pastors of souls in particular from the pursuit of pleasure and gain to the true discipline of the spiritual life. Our Lord therefore manifested by many signs and miracles that his servant's mode of life was most pleasing and acceptable to Himself, although not understood or approved of by all men.
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