men of the Towne where they built the goodliest houses in all the Citie because forsooth they would be neare these holy Fathers to haue their spirituall comfort and consolation in time of need The Iesuits being thus seated and setled like Princes the first thing was that they did to requite the Citizens great loue and extraordinary charges They procured vnto themselues from the King of Spaine the Archduke the Archduchesse Letters Patents that they should haue for euery barrell of beere that is drawn within that Town two shillings nine pence farthing which is for euery quart pot two Liards or halfe a Stiuer which is about an halfe-peny halfe farthing English and doth amount to a great summe of mony yearly considering the greatnesse of the Towne and the multitude of the people that are the Inhabitants thereof Albeit the Assise which they were constrained to pay before that time for their beere was as much in equall portion to the King and the Archduke as they did pay to the Brewer from which the poore begger was not free but if he did drinke he paid so much vnto the King as he did to the Victualer And yet these vnconscionable and couetous Iesuites did for their benefit and better maintenance procure this other imposition to be laid vpon the Inhabitants notwithstanding the former extraordinary loue and kindnesse which they receiued from them Both which assise of the beere the poore inhabitants haue beene constrained to pay euer since as well to the King as to the Iesuites by means whereof and other their politike cheating and cosenage they are become not only exceeding rich but also odious to all the Townes and Countrey there adioyning And besides whereas the inhabitants of this Towne had been for many hundred yeares free and exempt from all forfeiture or confiscation of their lands and goods to the King if any of them had committed any felony murder treason or the like their bodies being only liable to the Law and not their lands or goods Now these Iesuites perceiuing that the State-house the Towne Charter and all the ancient Records of the Towne had beene some certaine yeares before burnt by occasion of fire procured vnder-hand a Patent to be granted to their College of all forfeitures and confiscations whatsoeuer that should happen to fall due to the King within that Towne and the liberties thereof and hauing so done they began to seize vpon the land and goods of all such as were conuicted for any of these or the like crimes or offences The Magistrates of the Towne and all the rest of the inhabitants with one consent did oppose the Iesuites as intruders vsurpers and common perturbers of their Priuileges and Liberties whereupon the Iesuites commenced their sute against the Magistrates and all the inhabitants of the Towne in the higher Courts wherein the Iesuites would haue surely preuailed if that a certaine Religious man as I thinke a Canon Regular of the Order of S. Augustine that liued in an Abbey about six miles from the Towne and yet in the territories of the same had not found out in the Library there an old booke of Histories or Antiquities in Manuscript written many hundred yeares since wherein was contained among other things a Copie of the Charter of this Towne of Lysle which being shewed vnto the Councell of State the Iesuits with much shame disgrace had a definitiue sentence giuen against them neuer afterwards to intermedle with the Priuileges and Statutes of the Towne and to pay cost and charges besides Oh the honestie of these holy men of the society of Iesus Iohn Chastell was taught and perswaded by the Iesuites to murder Henry the fourth of France and yet some Papists would deny it if they could because they are loth to make the Iesuites odious and yet others did helpe to erect a pillar of stone neare to the Kings Palace in Paris whereby so much was signified But the Iesuits when they were recalled againe into France from their banishment got leaue of the King vpon the Queenes request to deface it some few yeares before the King was murdered by Rauillacke In the yeare 1607. The Iesuites procured the Emperour Rodulphus to prescribe that ancient Imperiall City Donawert in high Germany and to giue it in prey vnto the Duke of Bauaria who came priuately with foure or fiue thousand men and tooke it and ransacked it and afterwards put a strong garrison therein altering their Lawes and Customes and debarring them of all their former Priuileges whatsoeuer in so much that the chiefest men in the Citie were constrained to abandon both house and home and to seeke after another place to inhabite I came thorow this Citie within three moneths after that the Duke of Bauaria had taken it and it grieued my heart to see into what miserable bondage the poore Citizens were brought and all through the deuillish practise of these irreligious Machiauills who then did tyrannize ouer them like so many Turks or Infidels for they managed the whole affaires of the Citie the Gouernour which the Duke had placed there ouer the souldiers stood but for a cipher for he durst doe nothing without the consent of the Iesuits The Magistrates were all put out of their charge offices other base poore mechanicall fellowes appointed in their places farre vnworthy the high dignitie of Consuls or Burghemasters in such an ancient free and noble City as that is The souldiers were billeted in all the Protestants houses and not in any Papists house where they dominierd like so many deuills making hauock of all that they could come by and yet the Protestants were constrained to pay them their wages besides What shall I say The Iesuites in effect did command and controll the whole Citie as they pleased They banished their Ministers and compelled the inhabitants either to goe to heare Masse contrary to their consciences or else forsake the Citie and liue in exile And yet this is nothing in comparison to that the Protestants of Aquisgranum haue endured and yet doe suffer The Emperour Charles surnamed the Great hunting vpon a time in the Forest of Arden found out certaine Bathes or hot waters in which place he built a very faire Citie and called it Aquisgranum and gaue it many priuileges and great freedome among other things he ordained that all other Emperours his Successours should be crowned there and that the Imperiall Diadem which is now kept at Franckfurt vpon Main should be kept in this Citie Here likewise hee built among other Churches a very faire Collegiat Church endowing it with great reuenues within a Chappell of this Church the craftie Clergie men obseruing the ignorance of the people in those daies set vp an Image of the blessed Virgin Mary which they affirmed to worke great miracles by meanes whereof and of the hot Bathes this Citie came to be very famous and haunted by many people for many that were visited with sicknesse and diseases came from farre
and his Mate departed Frier Gyles according to his directions laid the shoulder of that Veale to the fire to roast reseruing the breast for their Supper And so Saint Dominick and his Frier repaired to the Church to preach where hee made a long Sermon of purpose that his fellow Frier Diego should haue time enough to gather the beneuolence of the people for Saint Dominick as the custome is in most Catholique Countries to collect for the Preacher if he be a stranger In the meane time Saint Francis and Frier Gyles being very hungry beganne to feed vpon the meat as it was vpon the spit so that bit after bit they eat it all vp to the very bare bones Within a while after Dominick and his brother Diego came home hauing their stomacks in folio and seeing the meat all eaten Saint Dominick being ouercome with anger snatch't the broach and in a sustian fume ran at Saint Francis But the good man hauing nothing to defend himselfe was thrust with the spit into the side and thorow both the hands and in the end closing with Dominick was likewise thrust downeward thorow both his feet and then the holy man fell downe The other two Friers were not idle all this while for they cuâ—…t each other as if they had beene a couple of Car-men but Frier Gyles like a tall Souldier bang'd poore hunger-staru'd Diego as if he had beene a stock-fish till he was almost blind In the end Dominick being better pacified his choller being ouerpast and fearing that if this combat should be discouered that it would tend to their disgrace and a great scandall to their profession intreated Saint Francis to forgiue him and to be friends with him promising very faithfully that he would in recompence thereof the next Sunday and euer afterwards preach and auouch in his Sermons That our Sauiour Iesus Christ had appeared vnto Saint Francis and had in token of his extraordinary loue to him imprinted in his body the markes or fiue wounds that the Nailes and the Speare had made in his body vpon the Crosse Whereupon Saint Francis was contented and Dominick and himselfe together with Frier Gyles and Diego were reconciled friends and Dominick powred Balsam into the wounds and the good Saint went neuer abroad vntill they were all healed Frier Giles with all speed made readie the brest of veale for Saint Dominick and Frier Diego who the next Sunday and euer afterwards preached of the marks that our Sauiour had giuen vnto Saint Francis But afterwards the Dominican Friers perceiuing that all men did beleeue all this to be true that Dominick had preached of Saint Francis and that the Franciscan Friers did fare the better by reason of those supposed marks which their Seraphicall Patron Saint Francis was thought to haue receiued from Christ and were more honoured of the common people and reputed to be holier men than they enuying and repining at their prosperity they reuealed the whole knauerie though too late And this is the reason that the Franciscan and Dominican Friers doe hate one another Hitherunto are the words of the Augustine Friers But since that time I haue read this selfe-same History in a little French Pamphlet Now concerning S. Francis himselfe and his miracles if you will beleeue his Friers Christ and his Apostles neuer wrought halfe so many nor such strange miracles as he did They write of him such abominable lyes horrible impious blasphemies yea such ridiculous and absurd ribaldries that I am ashamed to rehearse them left I should offend your chaste Eares and therefore I will produce you but one or two and so passe ouer the rest with silence There was say they a woman that did long to eat of her owne childes flesh and being not able to forbeare any longer and hauing fit opportunitie her husband being from home shee killed her owne naturall childe being a boy of two yeares old and did roast a quarter of him and afterwards eat it Within a while her husband came home and perceiuing what had happened drew forth his sword and would haue killed her Whereupon the woman being well deuoted to Saint Francis called vnto him for helpe who presently came and stood betweene her and her husband and tooke the other three quarters of the childe that were not eaten and restored him againe aliue all safe sound and compleat as he was before into his fathers hands which childe became afterwards a Frier of good Saint Francis Order Yea the miracles of Saint Francis are farre beyond those of Christ or his Apostles for Francis tamed wilde beasts he preached vnto a Wolfe and conuerted him from his crueltie calling him by the name of his brother Wolfe and made the towne of Engubia and him friends who of long time before had beene at contention Vide lib. Conformit S. Francisci and for the assuring of the peace he made his brother Wolfe to giue him his faith in the market-place before the Magistrates and afterwards the Wolfe went vp and downe the Citie and tooke his meat from doore to doore I wonder S. Francis did not make his brother Wolfe a Gray Frier But I suppose the English Catholikes will not beleeue this to be true that the Franciscan Friers would euer write such lyes of their holy Patron And yet I would intreat them to looke into the holy booke of the Conformities of S. Francis and there they shall finde all this and much more as how the birds of the aire would come flying and the beasts flocking about him to heare him preach and how the Nightingales and other birds would come and helpe him to say Masse and sing his Office and would answer him verse for verse All this is not inuented by mee but written in that booke and defended by them to this day And therefore I would wish those that vnderstand not the Latine tongue to buy a little booke intituled The Alcaron of the bare-foot Friers which containes a heape of blasphemies and lyes taken out of the booke of the Conformities of Saint Francis which Pamphlet was printed at London by William White 1603. They are not ashamed to report that S. Francis was transformed in such manner into Christ that the one could not be knowne from the other but by their different habite as Frier Horacio Turcelin affirmes in these ensuing verses Exue Franciscum tunica laceroque cucullo Qui Franciscus erat iam tibi Christus erit Francisci exuvijs si qua licet indue Christum Iam Franciscus erit qui modò Christus erat Which verses are thus Englished by that worthy and Reuerend Diuine Mr. Iohn White in his Way to the true Church in the Epistle to the Reader Strip Francis from his coat and cowle all nak'd and you shall see He that euen now Saint Francis was to Christ will turned be Again put Francis coat cowle on Christ now mark the lyer He that euen now was Iesus Christ will Francis be the Frier Moreouer
it which was within the Cathedrall Church of Milan before the high Altar more than two bushels of gold and siluer in a great heape inclosed with in a great high iron grate where no body could come at it which was the offering of simple ignorant people all which and much more was for his Holinesse To be briefe this was the first as I thinke of all the Capuchins that haue beene as yet sanctified But Pope Paul perceiuing the profit to be so great did afterwards canonize halfe a squadron more whereof limping Ignatius the Author or Instituter of the Sect of the Iesuites was one Is it not an absurd and a base thing for Dukes Princes Noble men Gentlemen and other wealthy men without any want or compulsion to become begging Friers Would you not thinke such men mad and those that giue them almes no better than fools I know there are some that will not beleeue this to be true and yet it is most certaine for I will name you two or three that I knew The first is Duke Ioyeux a French man a great enemy to the Professors of the Gospell and one that for many yeeres had borne armes against King Henry the fourth of France our gracious Queenes Father in the ciuill warres of France who when the warres was ended became a Capuchin Frier being then aboue fifty yeeres old leauing all his estate to his only daughter and heire I haue seene him in his Habit with a Wallet ouer his shoulder in company of another Capuchin begge from doore to doore in his owne Country in that Prouince wherein he was borne But what is it that Monks and Friers cannot bewitch men to doe They made him change his Christen name and call himselfe Frier Angell afterwards he was made a Masse-Priest In the end this Father Angell and one Father Arch-Angell otherwise Father William Barlow an English Capuchin Frier who is now liuing in Paris went to Rome to the Chapter Generall of the Capuchins about some nineteene yeeres agoe and in their returne home this Duke-like Capuchin fell sicke of a burning Feuer and died about Sauoy Alas good Frier he was not vsed to goe such a voiage on foot as Roan in Normandy is from Rome being aboue a thousand English miles The other is the Duke of Ascots brother a very proper young noble man who together with another noble mans sonne of Spaine whose name I forget by the perswasions of the Capuchin Friers priuately departed from the Arch-Dukes Court at Bruxels and without the consent or priuity of their friends became Capuchins I could relate here many such examples if it were not for breuity sake There are many English men of this Order both in France and Netherland and most of them Gentlemens sonnes of good reckoning and some of them now lurking about the Court and City not in their foolish Capuchin Habit but like Gallants endeuouring to seduce his Maiesties subiects from their duty to God and their allegeance to their Soueraigne And one aboue all the rest is too much frequent in the Court but I would wish him to walke more narrowly or else depart quickly There is almost neuer a Towne or City in those popish Countries but the Obseruants Recollects and Capuchin Friers haue Couents and in some great Cities the Capuchins haue two or three as in Rome Milan Paris and other Cities And yet they haue neither Lands or Reuenues but what they get by begging Neuerthelesse they fare more like Princes than such men as they professe themselues to be for albeit they touch no money yet haue they their Collectors Receiuers and Dispencers to receiue and dispurse money for them and to buy any thing that they want For if any man or woman will bestow any money vpon them they will send for their Receiuer to take it and to write downe in a Booke how much it is for he must make them an account once euery yeere of all that he hath receiued and dispursed And as for Bread Wine Wood and other things that they stand in need of for the prouision of their Couents they haue more bestowed vpon them than they can well spend Besides this they haue in euery Towne or City where they dwell particular benefactors who giue them a monthly stipend and doe still procure them more for they are of their Fraternity and partakers forsooth of their super-abundant merits These men haue a stocke in money which they doe priuately and vnder hand employ and put out to vse for the good of these holy Friers Withall they begge twice or thrice a weeke in some Cities daily with Wallers and Bottles ouer their shoulders all that is giuen them whether it be Fish Flesh Bread Fruits Herbs Roots Spice sweet Oile or any thing else they bring home either on their shoulders or else vpon an Asse Where you must note that these and all other begging Friers receiue no scraps but whole Loaues of the purest Bread and of the best Wine and the best prouision in the house Neither doe they begge in any humble manner as other poore people but in an imperiall arrogant sort and without any reuerence they rather command than craue and vnlesse it be good almes and giuen them with cap and knee they care not for it for all these Monks Iesuits and Friers rich or poore are as proud as Lucifer though not in their Habit yet in their gesture and behauiour and if any man passe by them or speake vnto them without his hat in his hand and with a low reuerence yea in Spaine and Italy vnlesse they honour them and kisse the sleeues of their Habits they hold them little better than Lutherans and Heretikes Except they be some great Personages who indeed are more ceremonious and obsequious and doe flatter them more than the common people And also that their Copes Vestments Chalices and other their Church Vtensels are farre from temperature yea exceeding in sumptuousnesse let all those that haue seene them beare me record if this be not true Moreouer all Mendicant Friers at their first comming to inhabite in any Towne or Citie will in outward shew seeme to be Saints humble meeke and good to the poore the which doth purchase them such reputation among the common people that they will contribute very liberally towards the building of their Couents and all other things that they need In the meane time these vnsanctified Fathers like so many Emmets while the season serues them will bestir themselues as being not ignorant of that saying of the Poet Dum aestas annique finunt componite nidos They will be sure to cramme their coffers with gold and siluer and to prouide against a rainy day as the old prouerb is while the good market lasteth and while their counterfeit sanctitie is blasted vp with the vaine breath of the doting vulgar who are bewitched with their hypocrisie and pretended holinesse for if you will beleeue these hypocriticall Friers and all other Friers of what
truth and fidelity they may assuredly rely and depend for the Porter must be a smooth tongu'd fellow and as true as steele or else he is not for their turne neither will they put him into that office before such time as they haue had a long triall and experience of his wit and fidelity for he knowes more of their knauery than all the rest of the society except it be the Rector and two or three more besides what gift or message soeuer is sent vnto any of the College it must come first to his hands for the College gate is alwaies locked fast and he hath the key tied to his girdle Euery Iesuite in their Colleges hath some imployment or office as for example some are imployed in writing books of controuersies or otherwise whose workes neuer come to the Presse till the father Prouinciall and the best Diuines and the best learned men of their society of that Prouince yea of the next Prouince and most commonly their Generall who liues alwaies at Rome doe peruse correct and amend the same so that they neuer print any booke in any of their names without the mature counsell and aduice of their superiours Which in my opinion would not doe amisse if the Diuines of the reformed Church would doe the like among themselues Some of them that haue the gift of preaching doe study their Sermons the Fathers and Schoole Diuinity and attend to heare Confessions and say Masses albeit all those that are Priests are Masse-mongers others doe trot here and there abroad about the College affaires and others who are Lay-brethren haue imploiments enough either at home or abroad for some of them are Tailors and are euer making of new Habits or else mending of old for the other Fathers and Lay-brethren They haue Physicians Apothecaries Chirurgians Barbers Printers Tailors Shoomakers Cookes Washers Bakers and Brewers if they liue in a beere Country of their owne order and society And so haue all or the most part of the other Orders of Monks and Friers in all popish Countries especially in Spaine and Italy and therefore poore Trades-men get little or nothing by the Iesuites or any other Monks Friers or Nuns whatsoeuer The younger sort of them doe teach children the Latine and the Greeke tongues except it be in Spaine where neuer or seldome the Greek is taught in the Iesuits Schools or elsewhere except it be in some Vniuersities And they diuide their Shools into fiue Classes that is to say in the first the Accidence or Introduction to the eight parts of speech and the declination of Nounes and Verbes which they call Figures the second the Grammar the third the Syntax the fourth Poetry the fifth Rhetoricke But if it be in an Vniuersity then they haue other Classes and Lectorers for Logick Philosophy Diuinity and all the other Arts. Now in euery Classe there is a Iesuite that teacheth The Schollers doe remoue or proceed once euery yeere which is after their vacation about Michaelmas from one Classe to another for they are ordinarily no longer than one yeere in one Classe And euery Schoole-master is appointed by the Prefect of the Schooles how much he must reade and expound vnto his Schollers euery day for he must giue them no more nor no lesse than the ordinary Lesson And withall hee teacheth Greeke Grammar and other Greeke Authors together with the Latine The Iesuites doe euery other yeere extract out of such Authors as they like best as well Latine as Greeke such selected places as is most commodious and fitting to reade to young youths and doe print the same in their owne Colleges and sell them at a very deare rate to their Schollers appointing to euery Classe such other bookes besides the Grammar as is fit for their tender capacity Their Grammar and all the rest of their schoole bookes are of the Iesuites owne collections They teach still the selfe same Grammar in all their Schooles in what Country soeuer they be but in the other bookes whether they be in prose or verse they differ and euery second yeere they alter all their schoole bookes except the Figures Grammar and Syntax of meere policy to vtter the more bookes and consequently to gaine the more money for they haue very many Schollers because they doe not permit any Latine Schoole besides their owne in any towne or City where they reside In the three lower Classes they appoint two seuerall Emperours the one they call the Emperour of the East the other of the West as it was heretofore in the time of Charles the Great and others when the Empire of Rome was diuided into two parts betweene two Emperours whereof the one was called the Emperour of the East kept his Court at Constantinople and the other the Emperour of the West who commonly now adaies resides at Prague in Bohemia Now the Iesuites that are the Schoole-masters doe diuide their Schollers in euery Classe equally betweene these two Emperours appointing vnto euery one his owne subiects who are likewise diuided into seuerall offices or callings as Consuls Senators Patricians Knights Plebeyans and the like These Emperours who most commonly are some great mens sonnes doe sit Maiestically in very faire Chaires or Stats hauing their Scutchions Banners and Mottos drawne out very curiously at the end of a lance fastened to the wall ouer their heads And the Consuls Senators and the rest of the chiefest men doe sit according to their dignities places and offices euery one hauing his Scutchion ouer the place where he sits In euery Classe the Schoole-master doth appoint eight or ten and sometimes more or lesse according to the number of the Students Schollers whom they thinke fit for extraordinary pregnancie of wit and learning to be Prefects ouer the other Schollers who beare no dignity or office in that Classe and to heare them recite their Lessons and to giue vp the names of such as are not perfect therin to the master who inioynes them to some publike or priuate penance as to sweepe the Schoole to stand vpon his feet for a certaine time in the Schoole to say so many Paster Noster or Aue Maria vpon their knees in the open street before their Church doore to copie out of some booke so many lines or pages and the like penance for they whip them neuer publikely in the Schoole but send them to the Father Prefect who giues them correction priuately in a little roome which is by the Schoole for that purpose for the boies had rather vndergoe priuate correction than a publike penance because those that passe by will laugh and hush at them neither will they either correct them or impose any publike penance vpon any vnlesse he be a meere block-head that will not learne or one that hath committed some extrordinary offence or crime Moreouer the Porter at the time appointed that they should come to the Schooles rings a bell and at the very last toll all the Schoole-masters come out together and goe
or originall c. neuerthelesse say they if they be hainous and notorious mortall sinnes the Confessor if he absolues the partie must by his owne superabundant merits that is to say his good workes which he hath in store ouer and aboue that which is sufficient and necessary to saue his owne soule satisfie Gods diuine Iustice and take vpon him to discharge his Penitents sinnes and to free and acquite him of all sins and the penalty and guilt for the same Oh horrible blasphemie Doe not these Impostors as much as in them is annihilate the Passion and Merits of Christ Doe they not animate and encourage men to perpetrate any villany or wickednesse whatsoeuer For if one bring them money all shall be forgiuen all the score shall be wiped cleane out of Gods bookes of accounts by these Ball-pates But let them trust to the Popes and his Shauelings pardons and absolutions that will I for my part will make my confession to God and desire his Diuine Maiestie for Christs sake to pardon and forgiue me all my sinnes and iniquities for I am assured hauing obtained this absolution I need not feare and as for the Pope and his Clergy mens pardon I doubt that it will not passe currant at that day when all men yea the Popes worship himselfe and all his Clergy must reddere rationem although Pardons are sold in Rome for Sodomy Incest Treasons Sacrilege Murders and all other abominable sinnes as ordinary as Hogs at Rumford yea oftner for at Rumford there is but one market day in the weeke and in Rome euery day in the yeere is a free Mart for these Pardons Absolutions and Indulgences Bishoppricks and Benefices nay Heauen and God himselfe are there to be bought and sold for money for the Popes Treasury or Shop like hell gate is alwaies open and the price of Pardons some to be granted to priuate persons others for whole Families Kingdomes and Nations are there registred and set downe by his sweet Holinesse in capitall Letters as by the bookes of Taxes printed many yeeres agoe by the Popes owne commandement and approbation may appeare O is not this a goodly Mart where all manner of spirituall wares are vendible as Baptista Mantuanus a Carmelite Frier long agoe witnesseth in this Distick Eglog 5. Templa Sacerdotes Altaria Sacra Coronae Ignis thus preces Coelum est venale Deusque Temples Priest-hood and Altars so holy Frankincense prayers heauen and its glory Yea holy Fryers nay God himselfe is sold By the Pope of Rome for siluer and gold Moreouer if any be sicke especially of the richer sort for the poore are none of their Clients these shauelings will speedily repaire thither to administer vnto them some spirituall but to say truth spightfull food for it is their ordinary custome to bring the sicke parties almost to desperation because they would gull them of their mony the only comfort or consolation that they will bestow is to tell them that there is no other way for them to expect but damnation vnlesse they will deale liberally and giue good store of money to good vses to whom I pray you in good sooth to them to pray for their soules when they be broyling in Purgatory and to sing Masses Ad requiem de profundis and such like popish prayers to free them from thence For this hot scalding furnace or Purgatory is the best possession that the Pope and his Monks Friers and other his Clergy men haue for it yeeldeth them more profit gaine rent and reuenues than all the other benefices whatsoeuer Neither is there any Realme Lordship Land or Heritage that yeeldeth more profit vnto their Lords and owners than Purgatory â—oth vnto them And therefore it is no maruell if they feare so much to lose it for if that should be taken away from them they were quite vndone and ouerthrowne horse and foot O all their care and chiefest study is to describe this famous Country vnto the common people Verily I thinke there is neuer a Geographer be he neuer so learned that can so well paint and describe the earth with all the parts thereof as these Mountebanks I meane Monks and Friers and popish Clergy men doe draw out these infernall Regions and those Low Countries but I wonder whether they speake by heare say or that they haue beene there in proper person for they can tell of euery little creeke or corner Howbeit we see that the best Cosmographers doe faile oft times in the descriptions of the earth and of many Countries and Regions which are most familiar and best knowne vnto vs. As for example there is not almost a Country better knowne than France and England neuerthelesse we often times see great errors in those Cards in which they are described And therefore we may coniecture that it may so chance in other Tables Maps or Cards containing the description of the Heauen Earth and many other Countries vnknowne But Monks and Friers haue the spirit to compose and make a Table or Map of these low infernall Regions yea better than the Painters haue painted them out in their Churches or the Printers in the Shepherds Callender And therefore I would aduise all that intend to trauell into the Kingdome of Purgatory to take a Monk a Frier or a popish Priest for their guide as Circes guided Vlysses to bring him to speake with Elpemenor and as Sybilla brought Aeneas to the speech of his father Anchises Homer Odyss 1. 11. Virgil. Aeneid lib. 6. Ouid. Met. l. 14. But would you know who was the first that found out this hot Region or Kingdome of Purgatory haue but patience and I will tell you Mine Author is Peter of Amiens who wrote in a booke of this discouery in the time of Pope Iohn the eight 1000. yeeres after the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that one Odillus Abbot of the Monks of Cluny being in Sicilia and hearing oftentimes the noise cries and bewailings which were made continually about the hill Aetna which now is called in the Italian tongue Gibello monte did imagine that it came from the Deuils lamenting that the soules of the faithfull deceased were deliuered from torments through the Masses Vigiles Prayers Sacrifices and Offerings of the liuing Christians he presently declared the same to his Monks and they all decreed together that after they had offered their Offerings the first day of Nouember and celebrated the Feasts of All Saints in their honour they would in like manner the next day make prayers and supplications for the soules of all the faithfull deceased And afterwards in succession of time others receiued and allowed that manner of doing as good and holy The reason was as I thinke because the Poets and the foolish common people imagined that there was a place there to descend into hell and the place in which the soules of the wicked were tormented for their sinnes because that in the same Mountaine there is a perpetuall fire