at al. Doest thou heare that pestilent Poet himself cryes out touch me not get thee gone depart he foretelleth the danger he denounceth and proclaimeth the mischief before hand fly stand aloofe lest thou be infected Yet thou intrudest thy self and breakest in vpon them and giuest no eare neither to thy friends that recal thee nor thine enimyes that repel thee thou touchest readest them ouer and ouer againe more carefully then holy scripture Therefore iustly is that voice thundred out against thee from Heauen Eccl. c. 12. vers 1â— who wil take compassion of the Inchanter stung by the serpent or of any that come nere to beasts Therefore touch not these whosoeuer you are that wil not be infected and perish for these most pernicious bookes are likened by Origen to Egyptian frogges by S. Hierome to acornes and huskes by S. Augustine to Auernuâ— the riuer of hel into which the greatest part of mankind doth miserably ingulfe themselues and sinke into eternal perdition §. I. But perhaps thou maist say From hence I select phrases by these I polish my style learne eloquence and attaine to the knowledge of ancient customes The truth is thou wouldest learne to speake wel and liue il or rather to speake il and liue worse for cut of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh Matth. cap. 12. vers 34. What need hast thou to seeke for gold in these puddles Shalt thou benefit thy self my youth gather so much from this dunghil as though the Muses had only liu'd and died with these venereous companions Admit it were so that learning might not be gotteÌ„ without these were it not better to be without it then voyd of modesty and rather to be lesse learned then lesse chast This is but a cloake and a vaine pretext that no science no style no eloquence can subsist without these obscene writers If I EDESIMVS drinking to thee in miskadine powred into a cup of gold or precious stone should first bruise a foule spider into it wouldst thou pledge me wouldest thou esteeme so much of that delicious wine or rare art workmaÌ„ship of the bowle that whil'st thine eyes denounce certaine danger of death thou wouldst not credit them but giue way to thy alluring appetite I assure my self thou art not so stupid a soâ—te The like for al the world is to be found in these bookes The phrase stile and elocution like the Goblet flatter the eyes the couer of the booke shining with gold purple their pictures cut in brasse their faire and flourishing wordes their fables and pleasant historyes their customes of ancient times like delicious wyne an hundred yeares old inuite vs to drinke and read them greedily But thinke what a rank spider floateth therein There lasciuiousnesse concupiscence and luxury are lurking death hath belched into these cuppes A man should rather be thirsty then drinke his owne bâ—ne Verily dishonest bookes are more pestilent and pernicious then any serpents poison For an obscene Writer is a perpetual Pander there is no time wherein he inuiteth not a man to impure thoughts stirreth vp sensual motious and finally infecteth with a deadly plague those that are seruilely led thereby and curious in searching after their owne destruction Hence it cometh to passe that infinit is the mischeef of these wanton bookes and pictures for as the one ingenuously inuoluing ribauldry allureth a man to incontinency so the other laying lime-twigges vpon his eyes deceaues and entangles his chastity In a word what doe those authours no lesse then if they should infect fountaines and common wells with poison and become thereby guilty of al their deaths that drinke thereof §. II. 〈◊〉 a certaine Captaine of the Parthians hauing slaine Erassus with many of his souldiers children found amoÌ„gst the spoile the Milefian fables of Aristides and for that respect most seuerely treated and insulted ouer the Romanes What wil the wicked Spirit doe at the houre of their deaths who with so great industry read lasciuious bookes when he shal present to their dying eyes their Oâ—ids Amadises and such like for which perhaps they easily foolishly omitted the seruice of God Thou knowest my EDESIMVS how in times past the Iewes cryed out before the Romane tribunal â— Non hunc sed Barâ—bbam not this man but Barabbas In like manner doe the readers of lasciuious bookes with as loud a voice by their particular daily practise cry Not this not the booke of the imitation of Christ nor that of the motiues of vertues nor Claudius Vuxmontius of pennance nor Dominick Candâ—lâ— of virginity not Francis Bruno of Christ or Christ his mother not Lewis Granada who wrote many bookes of piety not FraÌ„cis Arias who discourseth of the imitatioÌ„ of the Blessed Virgin nor Lewis Richeom of the Pilgrim of Lâ—ureto not these no away with them We wil not haue Dâ—dacus de stella of the contempt of the world nor Gabriel Inchinus of the last things nor Martin Delrius his worke of the Blessed Virgin Mary nor those holy mediatious of Lewis de Ponte none of these but Barabbas but the french Amadis that copious and illustrious Authour who wrote aboue foure and twenty bookes giue vs the Heliodori the Arbitri the Madaurenses the Fausti we would haue commerce with these not with those other peeuish writers Can you so easily renounce Christ and Christian bookes admit Barabbas seeke and cherish these murdering bookes that infect and destroy your soule I sayd before these bookes were like the frogges of Aegypt which hideously croaked in euery house defiled their very tables disturbed their rest and fowled their chambers So saith the holy scripture Exod. c. 8. vers 3. They shal enter into they house and thy very bed-chamber and vpon thy bed c. They may wel be said to enter into our beds For both when wee are about to sleep and when we are asleep such like obscene frogges present themselues vnto vs. Hence it proceedes EDESIMVS that oftentimes euen sleeping we are not without sinne and our sleep itselfe proueth offensiue to God and to vs because whilst we were awake we were not without offence And tel me I beseech you how great is this madnesse of ours Our next neighbours house is al ready on fire and our chimney begins to cast forth flames and yet we make hast to cast in rosin and oyle What need haue we to enkindle lust with these bookes it â—ageth already too much in mens bodyes by that deadly bit their forefather tasted Verily it were better euen to be without eyes their make so il vse of them §. III. Iosephus recounteth Lib. 12. Antiq. In laic cap. 1. that Theopompus for hauing sifted too curiously into the law of God was for the space of thirty dayes distracted in mind and that Theodecles the Poet attempting to insert somewhat out of holy scripture into a certaine tragedy of his had his eyes ouer shadowed with a kind of dimnesse Ah EDESIMVS
if this holy curiosity as I may cal it be not pardonable what wil become of that which is impious and abhominable Virginity and curiosity doe not consort nor make their aboâ—de in one mansion especially that which consisteth in lasciuious bookes Nonnus the Poet tooke a good course when he tore in pieces a booke of his intituled the Dionysiaca and addressed his stile to piety Eneas Siluius who was afterwards Pope Pius the secoÌ„d published certaine things somewhat wantonly written in the heate of his youth which himself being of riper yeares censured and very much laboured to suppresse whatsoeuer of that kind al the dayes of his life after Heerupon these were his wordes earnest request Giue more credit to an old man then a yong respect more a Bishop then a priuate person reiect Eneas accept Pius Ieannes Picus Mirandula burned certaine amorours books of his owne composing I knew a man who approching nere to the end of his life by this verse following coÌ„demned al such like verses tending to leuity Iternali versus antinam qui perditis itâ— Hence wicked soule destroying verses hence In our Age Laurence Gambara Peter Bembus Francis Petrark Tâ—rquatus Tassus Peter Ronsard and many other bitterly bewaile whatsoeuer they had before lasciuiously written So that you can neuer put these bookes into a safer place then the fire But I aske of thee whosoeuer thou art that readest such like bookes wouldest thou admit into thy house a baude or any other old croane that exerciseth that trade I thinke thou wouldest answere me let al such guests be expelled out of euery honest house But my youth obscene bookes and pictures are worse then any baude for they allure vs at al howers An il man is sometimes the authour of good counsel but out of an il and lasciuious booke you shal neuer learne any honesty This is of the nature of a venemous beast you may destroy it but you can not change it alwaies it is the same and like itself a pestilent corrupter of minds an ouerthrower of their candour modesty sanctity and al their vertue a teacher of lewdnesse immodesty lasciuiousnesse and al other vices Dishonest bookes are more virulent and infinitly more hurtful indeed then any Circes Sâ—…ens Hidâ—aes or harpyes are fained to be Wherefore with very good cause the Lateran and Tridentine Councels by a seuere law forbid them either to be read or touched by Christians For if that most holy man S. Hierome affirmeth he was scourged before the tribunal of Christ because he was a Ciceronian what doe you thinke wil become of your Catullians Propertians Amadisians EOESIMVS I am persuaded by you PARTMENIVS and without delay either this day or to morrow I wil suruey my little library and if I find any bookes of this kind I wil casheere them But what is your opinion of those pictures which together with their garments haue stripped themselues of al honesty THE FOVRTH ALLVREMENT to incontinency Dishonest Pictures CHAP. VI. PARTMENIVS Whatsoeuer I said of obscent bookes the same of such like pictures I constantly affirme They transferre through the eyes plague and venom to the hart when temptation is wanting a picture supplies it's place In times past many idole were exposed to be adored which honest eyes would euen haue disdained to looke on The diuine wisedome cryeth out Sap. 14.12 The beginning of fornication is the seeking out of idols and the finding of them to the corruption of life Those mad mâ—n imagined that dishonesty which their painted Gods and Godesses represented vnto them was modesty and what was lawful to their Gods was not forbidden to them FroÌ„ these fountaines spring such streames We easily descend from dishonest pictures to dishonest actes EDESIMVS But yet you wil not condemne al such pictures to be straight throwne into the fire We must sometimes shew ourselues fauourable to science and art Painters grauers oftentimes represent a naked man that the shape of his body a sabrike much to be admired may the more liuely appeare PARTMENIVS What doe you patronise these as if art must needes perish if honesty doe not They were reputed the most famous painters who haue been most chast Such were Tutian Tintoret venerians Christopher schawrz of Munchen most skilful artizans euen to this day admire their workes they neuer painted any wanton picture That worke of Tintoret in the Court of Venice where Christ is crucified by the Roman souldiers to this very day doth silently preach But Christopher Schwarz as he himself confesseth did so imploy al whatsoeuer art sense spirit affection or comelinesse he could deuise vpon one only picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary sitting and cherishing her little Sonne vpon her knees that at last he gaue himselfful satisfaction Which at this day is to be seene at Munchen in the Schollers hal of the Society of IESVS And which is most to be admired there hath been none euer able to imitate his art Many excellent painters haue attempted to draw the like but with vnlike successe This peece doubtlesse proued farre more singular for that the workman imployed al his wit and art not to paint the Goddesse of loue but the Mother of God Those shamelesse painters are but the diuels huntsmen they insnare mens eyes vnawares with such like pictures as with nets It is an incredible thing how much mischiefe is done by these lasciuious shapes Notwithstanding euery where shal you find this kind of eye-sore in chambers parlers dyning roomes gardens fountaines porches lobbeyes bed-chambers publike passages yea also in cups and goblets they infect learned bookes euen those of armes and pedegrees are not free or exempted And how many eyes and harts thinke you haue miserably suffered shipwrack against these rockes §. I. Caligula at Rome in a publike banqueâ— caused a seruant for taking from a bed a little siluer plate to be straight deliuered ouer to the hangman his hands to be cut off and hung about his neck before his breast with a certaine scrole of paper carryed defore him which declared the cause of his punishment and thus to passe through the company of them that were at the banquet Sulpitius Galba cut of the hand of a certaine banker Sueton. in Calig c. 32. lib. 7. in Galba detected to haue plaid false in the deliuery and exchange of moneys and fastned it to the table of the general receipt Painters deserue like punishment who are so shamelesse that they make other mens eyes as vtterly void of shame as their owne There are many who read not wanton bookes because they haue them not but very many behold lasciuious pictures though not of their owne and as silly birdes caught with lime-twigges the more they flutter their wings amongst them the faster they stick vnto them So mens eyes the more they are taken with this diuelish bird-lime the more daily they behold them Euen the idolaters themselues if there were any wise or honest among them did not
supping place of the Messias one thing his discourse with the Apostles another his communication with murderers Amongst them Christ was acknowledged denyed amongst these Of so great moment is the society with good or bad man that the mistresse of vertue this of wickednesse and vice Euen at this day that saying is most true with the elect we are the elect and with the peruerse we are peruerted Let vs fly and carefully auoyd men that are of these naughty conditions And namely let vs fly from those who fly from sermons in Churches from exercise of learning in schooles who neglect the reading of pious bookes and frequenting of Sacraments who haunt tauernes stewes feastes and drinking matches courting of women dancing and reuelling not without assured losse both of their studies and health And that I may admonish thee in a word fly most of al from him that is a louer of idlenes An idle person hath no regard either to reading bookes of piety holy sermons or frequenting of Churches Insteed of his bookes he plies the cardes insteed of sermons wine-tauernes insteed of Churches dancing schooles and that he may the sweetlier beguile his time one while by sleepe he shutteth forth sunne-shine and snorts at noone dayes another while friskes vp and downe fetching short caprichious walkes sometimes he chats and prattles with yong wenches and in a word doth al things that he may doe nothing Hic niger est hunc tu Romane caueto O Roman of this hel-black child beware There is no man idle who is not also vicious Let vs quitte ourselues and auoid the company of such a person no otherwise then we would fly from a neighbouring plague §. III. And if we respect both our good name and reputation let vs conceaue a great auersion froÌ„ these infamous campanions vnlesse we are contented to be reckoned more vile contemptible then they It is now a general receaued opinion that we take a resemblance of life from them with whom we haue a desire to conuerse Nor are men deceaued in this opinion they haue the testimony of Salomon Pro. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shal be wise a freind of fooles shal be made like them And as wine mingled with water changeth its colour although it loseth not al the vertue of wine so whosoeuer admitteth coÌ„panions of such an ouerwatred honesty loseth the colour of his reputation and honour S. Hierome saith Ad Nepoâ—ian consort thy self with companions by whose fameliarity thou mayest not be defamed Let theÌ„ be adorned with garmeÌ„ts as with maÌ„ners their haire not crisped with curling-irons but promising modesty in their out ward habit Euery one shal be reputed such as the party with whom he conuerseth You know birds of a feather fly stil together Would you haue a scaÌ„tling of a man doe but obserue with whom he is most intimate Freindship either findeth or maketh men like Therefore let him that is vertuous and honest loue seeke the freindship of theÌ„ that are sutable in piety He that hath no regard to his fame becometh without differeÌ„ce a freind to al shal shortly haue many but none of the most commendable titles S. Augustine growing and old man complaineth of his youth I went headlong said he S. Aug. lib. 2. Confess c. 3. 9. 10. with so great blindnesse that amongst those of mine owne age in regard I heard them boasting of their villanyes and glorying so much the more as they were more dissolute I was ashamed to be reputed too honest We tooke a pleasure in doing euil for praise itself and not only for loue of the fact What is worthy of dispraise if vice be not I to the intent I might not be dispraised became more vitious I fained to haue done that which I neuer did lest I might seeme too abiect by being too innocent and lest I should be accounted so much the baser as I seemed chaster Behold with what companions I traced through the streats of Babilon and wallowed in mudde as if it had been cinnamon and pretious ointments O most vnfreindly freindship EDESIMVS They are not so much to be feared for if I be not deceaued there are but sew of so professed impiety that at the first sight wil sâ—eme to be branded with licentious â—normity PARTHENIVS Howsoeuer it he there are not few of them who couer a wolfe with a sheep-skin the more smoothly they insinuate themselues into the familiarity of some men at the first the more perniciously afterward they incite them to the worst kind of liberty To these doth aptly agree this saying One man is a wolfe to another Let vs fly EDESIMVS let vs fly from these flattering wolues disgraceful and for the most part too late is that song Il company hath vndone me But say you we shal be laughed at as vnciuil and clownish Let them deride vs so they hurt vs not Let our chastity and integrity be more deare then their taunts displeasing vnto vs choosing rather to be the obiect of their laughter then the subiect of their teares He that would auoid mealing himself and whiting his black garments doth he not forbeare going into a mil He that is afraid of griming his face doth he not auoid furnaces and smithes forges The same must we likewise obserue and the rather for that viâ—… by infection sooner creepeth from one to another Appolloâ—…ius Thyaneis is said wisely to haue petitioned the Gods that he might know the good and shun the euil Alex. ab Alex. l. 4. c. 7. An excellent prayer Let vs pray for the same but to the true God to know and imitate the good and to hate and eschew the euil THE FIRST EFFECTS OF incontinency It weakneth the body emptieth the purse CHAP. X. I haue finished my EDESIMVS those two first verses which containe the allurements to incontinency Otia mensa libri vaga lumina verba sodales Haec tolle hanc minne hos muta haec claude haec fuge vita hos Meats wandring eyes wordes mates bookes slouth and ease Abate close silence shun change fly from these Thus I haue according to your request explicated the Aenigmaes or riddles of these verses And if I must become your Aenigmatist I wil also explane the other verses Corpus opes animam ingenium famam virtutes Debilitat perdit necat impedit inficit aufert To wit incontinency which Doth kil consume dul wast taint and defame Soule body wit and wealth vertue good name Doe you command me to goe forward EDESIMVS I pray thee my PARTHENIVS omit al ceremonies And if thou please to giue me leaue I command if that be disliked I intreat and beseech thee And this be assured thou art neither irksome nor tedious vnto me I hang wholy on the discourse of thy mouth and leâ— it be no trouble that thou hast but one auditour we are a theater ample enough for one another PARTHENIVS Let vs then coÌ„tinue our speech
act his misery For youthful vigour which is some misled Assaulted in this odoriferous bed Began to mutiny against his soule And brutish flesh the spirit did controule Al senseles things ' gainst him incens'd conspire With senseles acts to blow his sensual fire The whistling winds the streames from steepy rocks Make hast to reach poore Nicet murdring knocks Inuiron'd round with squadrons of thy foes Thou canst not fly what armes has't to oppose Legions of Cupid's fiery darts let fly Against thy hart the fort of Chastity Al against one how canst thou al withstand Or free thy selfe from their vsurping hand Alas what power hast thou to vanquish them To breake these giues what wile what stratagem Ah hadst thou Sampsons vigour in thine armes As thou hast courage no alluring charmes Should filthine eares nor cordes thy hands should bind But natures forces malice hath confin'd Thou pinion'd ly'st in most distressed state Seruile to power and made a slaue to hate A shameles woman with the rest combin'd A horrid monster fixing in the mind As many darts as words with murdring eyes Of Basilisks which one beholding dyes Hydra of hel a viper poison darts A wanton Syren by lasciuious arts Chanes in his eares and with soules persuing breath The plague itself kils by a suddaine death Al this and more with Cupid hel contriues And Nicet's liberty 's enthral'd in gaues No place for vertue to resist appeares Renowned Poets you that fil mens eares With empty tales of Syrens turne your pen 'T is he can raise you in the mouthes of men 'T is Nicet's that mâ—…ces your choisest quil To blaze his fame which farre exceeds my skil Should he but open once his chastest eyes He lets in death that o're him houering flyes To shut them shuts not forth his restles feares For death may enter at his open eares Poorer thâ—… poore Vlisses his strict bands Deny his eares the couers of his hands Whilst silken cords his hands like setters close No hand to strike no foot to spurne his foes The Romane hemicide in darksome night Within a sacke inclos'd where to affright A dog a serpent ape and cock were thrust Eudur'd not halfe thy paines though paines most More enemyes thy wronged vertue beares iust More disaduantages lesse hopes more feares What ere thou do'st their malice frustrate makes And ore thy head th' Ionian Archer shakes His dreadful bow his poisned arrow dantes Thy virgin breast But Venus vainly vauntes Of victory before the conquest wun And weaues vp triumphes ere the threed be spun To make her flagges she vainly chants out songs Of wanton loue augmenting Nicet's wrongs Whom thus halfe vanquish'd in these doubtful lists Propitious power froÌ„ heauen so wel assists And quickly doth a dexterous meanes impart To conquer her and rescue his chast hart Painting with scarlet blush his angels face He sigh'd and said O neuer doe disgrace Faire vertues colours with so foule a fact Let shame and modesty from thee exact Fit weapons to resist this cursed wrong Though I am bound yet so is not my tongue Sorrow hath armes in store my tongue 's a sword This is the weapon chast desires afford With this I 'le strike but not with words or checks Which often tend vnto the speakens wrecks Thus hauing said the quarrel he decides For with his teeth he manfully diuides And in her face spits forth his bloudy tongue Lesse sensible of paine then of the wrong IO Nicet thou as with victorious hands Hast burst in pieces al those Stigian bands As one best knowing how thou might'st apply Thy spotles bloud to guard thy chastity Thy mouth the quiuer lips which purple dyes The bow froÌ„ whence thy toÌ„gue as th' arrow flyes Which endes the Paphian warre beginnes thy praise And shal to thee eternal trophyes raise EDESIMVS O Nicetas O most glorious conquerour in former times most admired in future Ages most worthy to be honoured reuerenced and by vniforme coÌ„sent of al highly extolled But are these say you a schollers verses I thinke not good PARTHENIVS to commend thee to thy face lest I be thought to flatter but thou hast happily dreamed vpon the two-topt Parnassus PARTHENIVS Let vs omit al dreames and returne to the matter There must none of vs euer looke to act Nicetas part by only knowing how others haue fought and gotten the victory in these lists vnlesse we also learne and endeauour to gaine the palme by fighting couragiously We haue hitherto discoursed of the Allurements and Effects of Incontinency the Antidotes remaine Doe you remember those neat and smooth verses but such as Naso or Maro neuer made They are these Lectio flagra preces confessio lympha labores Portarum excubiae Christi praesentia paenae Bookes prayer stripes confession labour fasting Strict watch Christs presence torments euerlasting Now that we may not seeme as you said before to speake Arabicke let vs expresse each particular word There is no remedy against incontinency which is not contained heerin as He â—is Iliads were in the compasse of a nut Let vs begin THE FIRST REMEDY against Incontinency Reading of pious bookes CHAP III. IT wil but little auaile vs my EDESIMVS to lay aside impure bookes except we make choice of better It is no vertue to forbeare reading pernicious pamphlets if we contemne or neglect pious and profitable Authours the reading whereof is as commodious as necessary When we pray we speake to Almighty God but when we read God speaketh to vs. Aug. in Ps 65. A pious booke is an apothecaryes shop from whence we may fetch a peculiar medicine for euery particular vice Sermons only at set times and vpon festiual dayes instruct vs by bookes as by silent preachers we daily may and should be aduised He shal haue but a slender haruest who euery weeke bringes but one or two eares of corne to his barne The piety of a man cannot be extraordinary which he learnes out of bookes if he aske counsel of them no more then once or twice in a moneth If we read but little at once it ought to be the more frequeÌ„t We are in this respect not vnlike sicke persons who lest they should drinke too much at one draught are aduised to drinke the oftner so let not that which we take be too much at a time but moderate and frequent EDESIMVS I doe not sufficiently vnderstand this PARTHENIVS I wil presently explicate it more at large I meane frequent yea a daily reading of holy bookes is most profitable Blessed S. Bernard a Prelate of a singular wit and admirable learning wrote many excellent and some in a manner diuine things and it is said of him he was neuer taught by any maister but by the only practise of prayer reading he ascended to this height of knowledge His desire of vnderstanding inuited him to read his prayer obtained vnderstanding but the meanes whereby he obtained it was sanctity of life Thus let a man desire thus
children of men Pro. 15.11 If thou deny thy sinne before men saith S. Ambrose thou shalt confesse it before God and though thou would'st deny it thine owne conscience thoughts wil conuince thee Lactantius very wel admonishing vs heereof saith Lib. 6. de vero cult c. 24. What doest thou what goest thou about to what and doest thou conceale any thing He that obserues al followes thee Doest thou thinke mad man thoâ— shalt be able to escape the eyes of al men What doth it auaile thee to haue no man priuy to it if thou thy self hast a conscience Paternus Deo vndique we lye open vnto God on euery side Therefore Quocunque perrexeris memento te deprehensum Deus videt omnia Whithersoeuer thou goest remember thou art taken God seeth al things §. IX EDESIMVS May I aske you a question PARTHENIVS I would haue commanded you if you had not done it of your self In the interim I 'le take the opportunity and breath awhile EDESIMVS From whence I pray you proceed daily so many foule and hainous offences amongst Christians Doe they not beleeue al those things whereof you haue discoursed concerning God's Vbiquitary presence PARTHENIVS 'T is true they beleeue but with so slender faith as if they beleeued not at al. I knew a certaine Postilion a bold and desperate fellow who being accustomed to ride post and make his iourneyes as wel by night as day would sometimes force his horse through stony rough wayes and precipices and being admonished of the danger that he might at least haue a care of his life if not of his horse he laughing at them said I shut mine eyes wheresoeuer I trauaile al waies are plaine and euen to me They are like this man who beleeue that God is present in euery place but doe nothing at al worthy of this presence They shut their eyes and rush into euery way that cometh next them Such wretches were those sensual old men that lay in wait for another man's wife solliciting the chastity of Susanna They were inflamed with the concupiscence of her and subuerted their sense and diclmed their eyes that they might not see heauen nor remember iust indgements Dan. 13.9 Dauid commending this very grauely to Salomon his sonne said 1. Par. â— And thou Salomon my sonne know the God of thy father serue him with a perfect hart and a voluntary mind for our Lord searcheth al harts and vnderstandeth al cogitations of minds If thou seeke him thou shalt find but if thou reiect him he wil forsake thâ—… for euer An admonitioÌ„ very worthy of the eares of Kings But Salomon becoming vnmindful of his fathers discipline losting after women that were strangers fel so farre into dotage and impiety that he forgot the God of his father and so loued the fraile beauty of another that he grew out of loue with his owne soule And from whence proceedeth this corruption of life but by perswading our selues foolishly and wickedly that God beholdes not our sinnes or if he doth wil easily pardon them O darknes of man's soule This eye which seeth al things is seen of no body wil in time bring to light whatsoeuer lies secret and hidden This eye wil discouer how many dead bodies Toby buried by night this eye wil manifest how many throats priuately how many publikely were cut by cruel Herod this eye wil declare to the world what that Bishop Nicolas was who by night with a bagge of money charitably rescued a poore maides chastity from imminent danger this eye wil make knowne to al it was Ioseph that solicited his Mistresse to wickednes but that she importuned him this eye wil declare how Elizabeth daughter of the King of Hungary in a priuate corner of her garden washed the scall'd head of a poore begger this eye in time wil bring to light al the most secret actions of mankind Things passe oftentimes in this world with extreme partialitie somtimes very wickedly Some deuoure the figges and accuse others the guilty are pardoned and the innocent condemned The crowes offend without punishment and the poore pigeons pay for it These things wil not be concealed There is nothing so secret which shal not be manifested nor so hidden which shal not be knowne and come to light Luc. 8.17 Therfore Christ saith Matth. 6.18 And thy Father who seeth in secret shal restore vnto thee Therefore Quocunque perrexeris memento te deprehensum Deus videt omnia Whithersoeuer thou shalt goe remember thou art surpriz'd God seeth al things There is no thought that ouerslippeth him no word that soundes not in his eares Eccl. 42.20 But to the intent we may neuer be forgetful heerof we ought for helping of our memory to set before our eyes some obiectes which may daily admonish is a picture in our chamber some notable sentence written in our study or some part of our garment for that purpose exposed to our sight a ring vpon our finger or that daily saying of the Priest in the holy Masse Dominus vobâ—seuâ—… Our Lord is with you Whatsoeuer it be we are daily to be admonished thereby that God present in euery place beholdeth al things Adde the closing sentence of that learned man and holy Martyr Seuerinus Boethius who with these words sealed vp that his golden little booke of Philosophical Consolation Lib. 5. consol Philos fine libri There is a great necessity impased vpon you of honesty and vertue if you wil not dissemble for so much as you liue before the eyes of a ludge who seeth al things Either we are stones or we shal be moued with these wordes Deus videt omnia God seeth al things THE NINTH ANTIDOTE against Incontinency with the nine punishments of eternity CHAP. XI HEer I had rather weep then speake since whatsoeuer we say wil be too little We shal neuer expresse with words nor fully conceaue in thought that vnspeakeable Eternity of the damned I know many haue discoursed at large concerning the torments of the damned but in vaine is writing in vaine is al speach while the mind is not attentiue by a serious and profound consideration We read and heare of those torments we set them painted before our eyes and belleeue they shal come to passe but al quickly vanished away vnles we often ponder them in our imagination and fix them seriously in our mind Out alas my EDESIMVS many are those vnspeakeable paines which I shal heer both for thine and mine owne meditation compendiously respresent vnto thee THE FIRT punishment of hel to be feared to wit vnspakeable Darkenes This is the chiefe the greatest and most vnspeakeable torment of al others But vnderstand what darknes I meane which depriues thee of a glorious vision O how great and true delight wil it â—e to behold Almighty God for al eternity We take some pleasure in seeing a proper and comely man but admit Almighty God should create a man infinitly
the rest so the vices being remoued we must learne by what meanes to auoid thē in time to come And for that it is very difficult to purge purifie mens soules tainted with an inueterate disease it is a point of great prouidence in him who hath once receaued a Medicine to be no lesse careful in recouering health then preseruing To this end doth this booke so readily addresse it selfe to you to preuent for I presume there is no need to take away the disease of Incontinency Now why present I not a booke of greater bulke a guift more graceful and seemely then this is I grant But beare I beseech you with the slender abilitie of the giuer and likewise with the vices of our Age which if you seriously take a view of you wil not deny there are manie impurities great corruptiōs of manners now in euerie place you wil freely acknowledged the world growne sicke and chiefly of incontinencie We must not set before a sicke man great morsels or grosse meat in large platters but rather nurse him vp with little pittances of lightest meates and smal messes of potage The Same must we doe in this case And if we consider the Genius of this Age the world can hardly now be otherwise cured Volumes prolixe bookes this fastidious Age hardly wil digest wherefore wee must now in a manner cursorily intimate those things which are wholesome Compendious bookes briefe discourses although not so polite may with lesse difficultie correct those that are forgetful of honestie But whatsoeuer others haue said or written this vice of incontinencie ought to be pursued without meane or measure for it is excessiue without bound or limit And because incontinencie a pleasing but pestilent venom infecteth the most part of the world I could wish that manie might partake of this medicinal booke which of right ought to be short lest the malady it should cure by lingring be rather more and more encreased Besides if I respect the Sodalitie of the most Blessed Virgin for whose honour and good this little booke is written I ought not to make tedious exhortations There is a certaine kind of men so docible that they learne those things that are taught them without any long instruction and apprehend good things so soone as they heare them These so capable of vertue wel desposed of their owne accord are ordinarie in the familie of the Most Blessed Virgin Wherefore I beseech you my most intirely beloued Associates vouchsafe this little booke of myne the entertainment of a new guest it requires not any exquisite entreatie but such as you are wont not to deny bookes of pietie And for that I make no question but you are feruently in loue with chastity and continencie I am confident you wil with fauourable eyes and eares accept this president of Nicetas triumphing ouer incontinencie So I most humbly recommend my selfe to al your chast prayers From Monachium the day of the purification of the most Blessed Virgin the yeare of Christ 1624. The Seruant of you al in Christ Hieremie Drexelius of the Societie of IESVS TO THE WELWISHING READER I present vnto thee gentle Reader an heroical act admirable to precedent succeeding Ages I present Nicetas an Aegyptian a yong man a singular and admirable subduer of himselfe his owne lust who by a stupendious stratagem obtayned the victory I am of opinion that in al Christendom there is not the like found Verily we may with much more truth affirme of this yong man what was said of Vlisses He sayled past Scilla and was nor deuoured touched at Caribdis was not swallowed tasted of Circes cup and was not transformed set foot amongst the Lothophagi but staied not heard the Sirens but approached not a Madarren◠de Deo Socr. fine I wil adde more he was bound tied bereft of al weapons yet could not be ouercome yea he heard and came nere or at least was compelled to come nere the most deceitful Siren yet was he not drowned His tongue fought his tongue ouercame whereby we are al in a manner vanquished Yet this did he not by volubilitie of speech but by a painful mayming of his tongue Wouldest thou know Reader the vncomparable proiect of this most generous Nicetas read this little booke but let me request thee to read it with repose recollection of mind willing to reape benefit thereby Our endeauour here is to compose manners not words to profit mens soules not to please their eares The scope of my writing is that which I desire should be likewise thyne in reading to destroy the extreamest of al euils the most capital of al plagues the deepest sourse of al vices Incontinency the pregnant mother of al sinnes diffusing herselfe into al shapes He that is an enemie to chastitie is in a manner a friend to al vices Neuer was there anie man denounced warre against chastitie who had not first entred a league with more then one enormitie Whosoeuer is minded compendiously to attaine to the knowledge of vices let him but make himselfe a scholler to Lasciuiousnes and he shal shortly wonder to see himselfe of a scoller become a maister No man can liue vertuously if he liue not chastly And good Reader deceaue not thy selfe it is not for yong men only these things are written not for Virgins nor those only of the Sodalitie who are batchlours This belōgeth to euery state Sex age and degree for of necessitie must the widow the wife the husband and wife keepe Chastity each in their kindes Hardly shal he keepe the lawes of wedlocke who knowes not how to preserue those of chastity Yea I dare boldly avouch that man must haue an exact knowledge of the lawes of chastity who wil obserue those of wedlocke It is not lawful for any order of men of what age soeuer to goe beyond the bounds of chastitie How can a man agree wel with vertue who is at variance with modestie the onlie feat of vertue So that these things which are said of auoyding incōtinencie are necessarie for euerie one to know I adde more that manie things are taught in this booke auailable for maintaying al manner of vertue And to the intent thou maist know my Reader that I here purpose a Summary of holie instruction whatsoeuer I discoursed of in the yeare 1621. in presence of the most excellent Electour Maximilian and his most gratious wife the Ladie Elizabeth cōcerning the presence of god in al places during the time of the sacred Aduent of our Lord I haue here briefly collected and as it were drawne forth the quintessence thereof which I haue set downe for thy vse in the tenth chapter of the second booke And what I spake out of Pulpit in the yeare 1633. before the most excellent Duke and Duchesse of Bauaria their Courtlike Attendance cōcerning the nynefold torment of infernal Eternitie I giue thee here compendiously touched in the selfe same latter treatise the
eleauenth chapter And albeit this booke is but little it was none of those written in post-hast or vpon the suddaine It is the aduice of Horrace what thou wouldest expose to light and publike view ought to be nyne yeares laboured a De arte poeticaâ—… propius finem I haue obserued it and that with aduantage The argument and order of my booke is as before I haue declared Foure and twentie chapters in al are assigned to both bookes The first sheweth in twelue what the allurements and effects of incontinency are The secoÌ„d in as many chapters yealdeth Antidotes for the same vice The original cause as likewise the tenour and scope of my writing is Nicetas that Miracle of continencie and Spectacle worthie of Heauen My desire was gentle Reader these things might be known to thee and that thou make the best benifit of them THE FIRST BOOKE THE ENTRANCE Into the discourse CHAP. I. PARTHENIVS and EDESIMVS speake PARTHENIVS I had in my hands the other day S. Hierom that great Linguist of al ancient Writers the most learned the very Oracle of the world of whom not without cause it was said Neminem scisse quod Hieronimus ignorares No man knew what Hierom was ignorant of EDES You both briefly and copiously coÌ„mend that Doctour a man most worthy of al praise whose only Epistles if you doe but pervse you shal find them a great treasure of learning PARTHEN Those very Epistles I read amongst which in the third booke he inserteth the acts of Paul the first Eremite and maketh mention of an Egyptian yong man whose heroical vertue I thinke no Ages can euer paralel or sufficiently admire EDESIMVS This not long since I perused and was astonished What are we Parthenius to those heroical Spirits PARTHENIVS Verily much inferiour But I beseech you if you please produce more of this matter take that stoole let vs make an end of the discourse we haue begun for I know you are not of the Sect of the Peripateticks and it was the ancient opinion of Dion that as a bowe harpe so men are streÌ„gthned quickned with rest It is the saying of Aristotle a Aristot l. 7. Phys by sitting stil resting the mind becometh more iudicious EDES But being to discource of Chastity is rest so much to be commended You know wel what 's said of Egisthus the adulterer desidiosus erat he was slouthful PARTHENIVS I perswaded repose my EDESIMVS not idlenes nor slouth But to come to the matter let vs a little neerer looke into the conflict of our Nicetas EDES Vpon this condition that you become my Theseus through the whole Labyrinth of this exposition I wil take S. Hierom read him verbatim expecting the interpretation from you §. I. Another flourishing in the youthful vigour of his age was commanded to be brought into a Garden there to be throwne vpon a delicate downe-bed amongst fresh lillies sweet roses and lest he should depart thence to bee left bound with silken cords a streame of water passing by with a geÌ„tle murmuring the wind breathing with a soft whispering noise through the leaues of the trees To which place after al were departed came a beautiful harlot and tooke him about the neck with lasciuious embraceings that by prouokeing his body to lust she might obtaine a shamelesse triumph ouer his soule What should this Souldier of Christ doe How should he behaue himselfe Was it probable that pleasures should ouercome him whom torments could not At last by inspiration from Heauen byting of his tongue he spit it in her face that kissed him So the greatnes of the paine that ensued ouercame al sense of coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce a Hier. in the life of S. Paul the first Er. c. 30. Bar. An 253 Decij Imp. 10. PARTHENIVS O fact vnheard of in al former Ages of al succeeding to be admired this is manfully to fight indeed this to ouercome this to triuÌ„ph The selfe-same history I haue lately takeÌ„ out of Nicephorus b Lib. 7. cap. 30. in a different langage to exercise my stile doe you please to heare it EDES With al my hart though you relate it to me a thousand times ouer you shal neuer satiate these eares of myne PARTHENIVS You wil me therfore to recite it EDES I both wil command you PARTHENIVS Apply then both your mind and eares THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS act of Nicetas related somewhat at large CHAP. II. THe ancient Age bosteth the liberty of Anaxarchus who being bound and tortured sheering asunder his tongue with his teeth spit it in the Tyrants face Be not proud Anaxarchus shal I compare men with thee Or with thee Mufius Aquilius or Regulus Our children and women are oftentimes not only your equals but by farre euen in the straightest guiues surpasse you Witnes Nicetas that Aegyptian yong man whose more then heroical liberty and fortitude non can sufficiently I wil not say commend but admire The Macedonian King said of Achilles O happy thou who hast gotten Homer for the Proclaimer of thy vertue The same may I more rightly pronounce of this yong man O thrice happy thou Nicetas who hast S. Hierom for the Panegyrist of thy vertue See I beseech you amongst how many deceitful snares this our most chast Achilles professed his liberty he acted now vpon a farre more perilous stage then that Champion did His bed was softer and more delicate then that of Sardanapalus or the boulster of Heliogabalus stuffed with downe of swannes vpon this couch the yong man being cast was bound not with iron but with silken cordes Thou wouldest now haue said there had beene no hope to preserue his chastity amongst so many ambuscadoes Round about did pleasure cast her alurements by reason whereof it was almost impossible for a modest mind not to loose it's intended chastity The trees flourished with their greene leaues and besides their cheerful smels and pleasant shades with soft motion of their armes made a kind of whispering and delightful melody A purling streame more cleare then cristal plaid with it's wandring streames and with a murmuring noyce glided amongst the little pible stones that you would haue thought it a kind of musical harmony Vpon both sides were flowers Round about blew the mild westerne windes Here froÌ„ the verdant medowes smilled the siluer-shining lillies there the purple roses here the sanguine and golden Hyacinth there snowy and iuory-burnish'd Narcissus and from euery side breathed a most soft and pleasant gale of wynd Alas poore Christian Souldier what wilt thou doe on euery side thou art inuited to pleasures euen by the sweet odours and fragrant flowers thou art allured How canst thou resist these voluptuous charmes how canst thou dissolue so many fetters Behold there stealeth vpon thee a woman with a wanton countenance who wil cast vpon thee as many snares as words and like a Basiliske kil thee with her only aspect Alas poore young man how wilt
an example At nunc Post finem autunmi mediâ de nocte supinum Clamosus iuuenem pater excitat accipe ceras Scribe puer vigila causas age perlege rubras Maiorum leges c. Iuuenal Sat. 14. vers 190. The clamorous father doth in winter raise His Sonne at midnight take thy booke he sayes Write boy and watch read ancient rubrick lawes Or get a Captaines place or plead some cause Great Captaines when they see their souldiers disobedient keepe them vnder with labour or entertaine them with some kind of trauaile They that are engaged in businesses are neuer at leasure to play the wantons In very truth Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus Contemptaeque iacent sine luce faces Ouid. ep â—6 Both Cupids bow and shafts contemned lye His fire 's put out if Idlenesse you fly For as the same Master instructeth vs QuaÌ„ platanus riuis gaudet quaÌ„ populus vndae Et quà m limosa canna palustris humo Tam Venus otia amat As planes loue riuers reedes the moorish soile As poplars lakes so Venus slouth no toyle Hee that is idle as most truely said the Roman wiseman liues not to himself but wich is most abhominable to his belly sleep and lust § I. I wil produce grauer witnesses That mellifluous Doctour S. Bernard sayth that a Serm. de Sact. Andrea as through some smal chinke in the pumpe of a ship the water vnawares to the mariners entreth and encreaseth til the vessel by negligence is wholy sunke so by slouth and sluggishnes wicked cogitations concupiscences are multiplied til the ship of our hart giuing way vnto them runneth into manifest danger of sinne Know you that S. Bernard was a capital enemy of idlenes The sinke saith he of al tentations euil cogitations is slouth the greatest mischiefe of the mind the foule channel of al euils death of the soule a Ep. ad frat de Monte Dei. And that it might be knowne how much the louer of chastity should beware of idlenesse he further saith Luxury quickly deceaueth them who are giuen to slouth and burneth most outragiously those it findeth idle to industry labour it giues place b Ser. 51. de modo bene viuendi Laurentius Instinianus a man as holy as learned saith that as water which wanteth motion and lyeth in pits is soone putrifyed so doth a mans body that is corrupted with the rottennesse of slouth bring forth concupiscence and nourish the brutishnesse of carnal pleasures c Lib. de perfection is grad cap. 9. lib. de ligno vita cap. 5. Which he coÌ„firmeth in another place Euenas saith he by teÌ„per are labour the hot motions of the flesh are supprest so by Idlenesse they are nourished and increased The lasines of Kookes in great mens Kitchins hath found out a compendious way when their fire groweth slacke to prouoke it to flame by powring butter into it the same doth the subtilty of the diuel in vs when he perceaueth the fire of lust somewhat allayed he enkindleth it with oyle pitch butter Too much abundance of meate drinke is oyle abscene bookes pitch foule Idlenesse is soft butter by the nourishment of these the flame doth easily breake forth He that is out of loue with his chastity let him fal in loue with idlenesse §. II. Idlenesse hath been the destruction both of Kings and fortunate citties a Catul. ad Lesb. Sluggish and languishing slouth only delighteth in ease and rest then which nothing is more lothsome nothing that more resembleth our graue Idlenesse without study or labour is the death and burial of a liuing man b Seâ—… ep 82. Verily otium vitium idlenesse and vice are nere allied to one another Multam enim malitiam docuit otiositas Idlenesse hath been the mistresse of much mischiefe c Eccl. cap 23. vers 29. So that she may rightly be called the mother of vanity and the step-mother of al vertue There neuer redoundeth any profit from idlenesse but alwayes great detriment Idlenesse is the 〈◊〉 enemy to al discipline Idlenesse is so farre from getting new vertues that she wasteth those that are gotten and you shal scarcely find any thing that doth open so easy and plaine a way to the iawes of hel as idlenesse which euen sweetly thrusteth forward those into diuers vices who are the most indowed with fortitude Multam malitiam docuit otiositas It was excellently wel written by Portius Cato It is a thing of necessity that euery one set downe vnto himselfe a certaine course of life which no man can doe vnles he be industrious and a louer of labour And certainely it is requisite for the course of a holy life that a man goe forward and increase for by trifling he waxeth dul and fainteth He that wil passe his life dishonourably let him follow idlenesse and he shal not misse of his purpose Idlenesse is a downright and ready way to al villany Wil you haue the true description of this monster Idlenesse is the most succiuct abridgment and Epitome of al Vices The mind that is idle runnes into a thousand mad enormities Multam malitiam docuit otiositas EDES For the most part we are al very eloquent in dispraise of idlenesse and often tragically inueigh against it But in the meane while we ourselues are very wel contented to take our ease and can sooner reprehend then auoid it We see and approue the better and follow the worse PARTHENIVS We are so much the more debawsh'd as we growe more and more in loue with this euil the worst of al others And therefore Multan malitiam docuit otiofitas This may hitherto suffice concerning idlenesse THE SECOND ALLVREMENT to Incontinency Dainty fare surfeiting and gluttony CHAP. IV. IT is a thing apparant and long since confirmed Sine Cerere Libero frigere Venerem that without meate and wine Venus soone becomes cold For whil'st the whole habitatioÌ„ of the interiour man inuironed with meate and drowned with wine laboureth in the decoction of excrements to what is it more subiect then to lasciuious thoughts Then the lasciuious man doth not so much as seeke the least veile to couer his wickednesse He that is shamelesse publisheth his disease he that is wanton hath no temper at al in his hand and although euery vice lay itself open in a drunken man yet Concupiscence most of al. For when the body is stuffed and the belly throughly pampered Lust before al other vices startes vp yea oftentimes that which for the space of many yeares remained mortified or at least qualified and kept vnder taketh new strength specially when they tipple wine in pots ingrauen with adulteryes as though drunkennesse of itself were not sufficieÌ„tly able to instruct them in Lust when they desire to be lasciuious vnlesse they carrouse out of libidinous cups Nor doth the old saying faile heerein Post epulas choreae after feasting followes dancing According to which
the holy Scripture saith Sedit populus manducare surrexerunt ludere a Exo. cap. 32. vers 18. The people sate downe to eate and rose vp againe to play no good play but wicked Therefore carefully doth S. Paul admonish vs Ephes cap. 5. vers 18. Be not made drunke with wyne in which is Luxury And thou knowest wel my EDESIMVS we learne by an old and true saying Hunger neuer begat adulteryes Which the diuine Ezechiel most clearely pronounceth Ezech. cap. 16. ver 40. This saith he was the iniquity of Sodem Pride fulnesse of bread and aboundance and the slouth of her and of her daughters §. I. So for the most part after a plentiful table after roial suppers and sumptuous feasts we somewhat digresse from a man and sometimes degenerate and become beasts My beloued was fatned and kicked against me Deut. cap. 32. vers 15. being pampered fatted and ful-fed he forsooke God his maker and departed from God his saluation So certaine is the law of vices that vnder gormandizing lurketh lasciuiousnes it is no maruel to find them incontinent with whom you find a ful table I pray you doe but aske your owne reason whether hunger or ful feeding is a greater friend to virginity I am of opinion that chastity with more safety inhabiteth in the cottages of poore folkes then the Courtes and pallaces of Kings You know the pipes make the greatest noise when they are most replenished with wind euen so is it with a mans body then chiefly is it set on fire by lascuious wantonnesse when it is most heated with wine and feasting Very wel saith S. Gregory In librâ—… Reg. lib. 5. c. 1. by that one vice only of gluttony innumerable troupes of sinnes are begotten to infest the soule Certes the vice of gluttony is but one but innumerable are the stings of lust which follow and attend it as their king and suggest those pleasures which bring vs to weeping and eternal lamentations This in expresse wordes doth S. Gregory vtter and albeit he had been silent experience itself would haue told vs no lesse Too many haue lost their chastity because they would not eschew gluttony Whereupon was the speech of that chast Hillarion I wil feed thee with chaffe my asse not with barley Chastity is so great an enemy to ful tables that her greatest hope of victory is at such time as she denyeth al delights to her body as to a brute beast But the Age we now liue in is too much estranged from this law Often doe I reuolue in my mind whether those ancient Ages wil returne not the golden but the leaden or iron Age of which S. Luke speaketh Luke cap. 17. ver 27 In the dayes saith he of Noe they did eate and drinke they married wiues were giuen ouer vnto mariages til that very day when Noe entred into the Arke and the deluge came and destroyed al. Consider this Age of ours and thou wilt confesse that it is very like that of Noe. We eate and drinke euery where plentifully and magnificently Neither is this sufficient sauing your regard my EDESIMVS they sport and drinke til they vomit out their soules as Vdo did that most vnfortunate Bishop of Magdeburge Frequent nuptials vaine bales and dancings are now in euery place doe but enter into citties and you wil be of my mind euery place resounds with brideales wakes bridesongs These courses I beleeue wil continue in the world not til Noe but til Christ cometh to pronounce from the Rainebowe his tribunal seate a iuridical sentence vpon al mankind §. II. Therefore if you wil diminish this Venereous flame take away the superfluity of your diet become moderate and sparing in meate drinke Oftentimes we seeme to fly Luxury whil'st indeed we cherish it Wouldest thou driue a troublesome dogge from thee and yet giuest him bread Wouldest thou ouercome lust and yet stuffest thy belly this is but losse of labour To what end doest thou looke for chastity amongst intemperate feasts and delicacyes whith S. Hierome scarcely found amongst long fastings stripes austerities Therefore as much as thou canst restraine thy body and enlarge thy mind We ought so to behaue ourselues that as farre as we are able we auoid al prouocations to sinne We must establish our mind withdraw it farre from voluptuous blandishments Isaeus an Assyrian as witnesseth Philostratus being asked whether he found any sweetenesse in banquetts answered I haue giuen them ouer long since God grant my EDESIMVS we may doe the like and neglect the immoderate cares of the body it would goe the better with our soule This must command and gouerne that as a seruant should be kept in subiection of which be no more confident then you would be of an enemy S. Hierom that bright sunne of the wildernesse by weekely fasts kept vnder this malignant flame showers of teares streamed from his eyes eleuated and fixed on Heauen ready as it were to start out of their hollow caues Behold how with water and spare diet he fought against this fire But let vs goe forward with the verse we haue begun Otta Mensa Libri Slouth Meate Bookes EDESIMVS You haue your Auditour attentiue goe on a Gods-name THE THIRD ALLVREMENT to Incontinency Impure and obscene Bookes CHAP. V. BOokes of this kind are a very plague an assured poyson to the reader And which is much worse you shal meete with it in euery place and find it lauishly scattered here and there for such impurityes not only in one but in al languages haue crept into bookes they inuade vs in the German Italian French Spanish Belgick Greeke Latine and English tongue in prose and verse and for this shamelesse kind of writing many both ancient and moderne are branded with infamy Some haue coÌ„posed historyes others written Satyrs some haue sung poems inuented fables others haue entred into another list of writing in which as wel with true as feyned narrations historyes and fables they ayme at nothing else but to poyson the minds of the readers with that plague of Venery at least to allure them to impure cogitatious if not to lasciuious discourses and the very acts themselues Against these kind of bookes Tully iustly incensed said Lib 2. Tusc â— They make our minds effeminate they breake asunder al the sinewes of vertue In the number of these are for the most part al the ancient poets fabulists and Satyrilles whom I wil not nominate least I bring men acquainted with their writings which if they be not corrected purged from their obscene dregges are direct poison to the reader Let no man touch these that loues and tenders his chastity Ouid himself for this respect sent by Augustus into banishment and not recalled by Tyberius seriously admonisheth vs Eloquar inuitus teneros ne tange Poëtas Submoueo dotes impius ipse meas Perforce I 'le speake and mine owne guifts recal Lasciuious Poets doe not tonch
pray thus liue who desireth to profit in this manner We are altogeather or for the most part beholding to pious reading for those two Illustrious Patriarchs S. Dominick and S. Ignatius of which the former may rightly ascribe the prime cause and motiue of his sanctity to the collations of the Fathers the later to the liues and examples of Saints Both of them were not only changed but euen made other men by reading of pious bookes That Great Anthony hauing heard these wordes read out of the Ghospel Matth. 19.21 Goe sel al thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen and come follow me tooke them as spoken to himselfe by the celestial Oracle and therupon instantly leauing al transitory things he abaÌ„doned the world and al the vanityes therof Augustine that miracle of wit had neuer doubtles been S. Augustine had he not by meanes of reading begun his holy course of life which he thus testifyeth of himselfe I thought saith he Lib. 8. Conf. c. 12. I was held by them meaning the delights and sinnes of his former life and I vttered lamentable wordes How long how long to morrow to morrow why not now why should I not at this very houre giue ouer dishonesty of life These things I said and wept with most bitter contrition of hart And behold I heard from the next house a voice as it were of some boy or girle I know not whether which singing said and often repeated Take vp and read Take vp and read Wherupon without further delay I tooke vp the new Testament and read this which did first occurre Not in Chamber-workes and impudicities not in contention and emulation But put on our Lord IESVS CHRIST and make not prouision for the flesh in concupiscences Rom. c. 13. â—eas 13. Heereupon an admirable light was infused into the Readers breast and the former Augustine became a new and quite altered man O how often must we inculcate this Take vp and read Take vp and read to these idle pratlers Sleepy loyterer take vp some pious booke looke vpon it read somewhat shew that thou hast not as yet wholy lost thine eyes why doest thou consume whole dayes in vaine discourses §. I. The holy Scripture commendeth the Treasurer of Candacâ— Queene of Ethtopia for his industry in reading the Scriptures And he returned sitting vpon his chariâ—t and reading the prophet Isaias Act. 8.28 Saint Chrysostome S. Hierom admire his so pious and diligent endeauour therin Behold say they Chris Hom. de Lazaro Hieron ep 103. ad Paulin a Barbarous man a man fraught with cares enuironed with negotiations ouerwhelmed with innumerable businesses notwithstanding he read although he did not vnderstand what he read neuertheles he read that on the way in his chariâ—t If he were so diligent in his iourney what may we thinke he did when he was quiet at home Nor haue there wanted Princes Kings and Emperours who heertofore with their illustrious examples haue traced this way Famous is that most watchful lamp of the Emperour Theodosius the yonger Niceph l. 14. c. 1. so artificially composed that moued and poysed by little waights it supplyed itselfe with oyle without mans helpe and serued it's vigilant Master with perpetual light for his reading And so industrious was he in perusing pious bookes that though he were vnwilling to breake the sleep of any of his seruants yet oftentimes for a great part of the night he depriued himself thereof Alphonsus King of Arragon no lesse delighting in pious bookes read ouer both the Testaments forty times Anton. Panor in vita lib. 1. yea I may say forty times to that not slightly or in hast but seriously and with Comments What doe we EDESIMVS what doe we that can compare with this We see pious bookes in Kings and Emperours hands yet we negligent fellowes as we are spend our time that is so pretious most idlye which might most profitably be bestowed in reading The actes of Great Anthony were written by Athanasius who for the faith of Christ became a wandring banished man throughout the whole world This booke S. Augustine read and with a high spirit said as followeth Lib 8 confess c. 8. What is this what hast thou heard There rise vp vnlearned men and snatch heauen from vs. And we hartles men with al our learning behold how we wallow stil in flesh and bloud What are we ashamed to follow because they lead vs the way The same life of that B. Anthony perswaded two of the court of Theodosius the Emperour to a more holy course of life with a change as speedy as admirable They were determined to spend some howers of the afternoone in walking And as they wandred in the open fields to auoid the heate retired themselues into a little monastery and at leasure viewed the poore furniture of the house Heer by chance one of them tooke into his hand that life of B. Anthony written at large Curiosity perswaded him at first to open and looke vpon it and deuotion afterward for the better spending of his time to read it First of al he is strucken with admiration sometimes he makes a pause and meditates a little then beginnes to be delighted by degrees he is drawne and by little little inflamed To conclude this Courtier was so enkindled by reading that casting his eyes vpon his fellow he said I pray thee what is the vtmost ambition of al our labours Al our hope aymes no higher then at the Emperours fauour and how long wil that continue Through how many daÌ„gers doe we trauel to a greater danger We are the world's bondslaues and oftentimes become the diuels Martyrs and after we haue spent the flower of our youth our health and life vpon this vaine trifling what gaine we thereby I wil become the freind of God now whilst I am able Thus he spake and began againe to read seriously pondering in his mind with a hard conflict At last cryed out I haue broken through I haue now determined I wil begin this very houre and in this place serue my God Then turning to his fellow he said May it please you Sir to ioyne with me and follow my example At least oppose not for you shal find me no changeling Vnto whom the other replied I wil be your inseparable companion I wil stil follow you They begun wel they perseuered piously and ended happily Both of them had their spouses who seing this admirable change were themselues likewise altered and vowing to God their virginity were espoused to the Celestial bride-groome These things are the more credible in that they are confirmed by the vndoubted testimony of S. Augustine Lib. 8. Conf. c. 6. §. II. Behold my EDESIMVS how powerfully pious reading preuailes It is a most true saying of S. Augustine When we read God talketh with vs. He that profiteth nothing by reading let him not say that God speakes
not to him but that he attends not to God According to the things a man reades is the profit he reapes those things we read should not be so prolixe as profitable I doe not say that Maro or Cicero should absolutly be abandoned but that Thomas a Kempis other pious Writers should be likewise perused lest with S. Hierom we be accused before the tribunal of Christ to haue been rather Ciceronians then Christians S. Augustine long sought for the truth amongst Logicians and Sophiâ—…ers which he was so farre from finding amongst them that he fel into the Manichaeâ—… dotage Nor could he be reclaimed til he nead the epistles of Paulus Tarsensis EDESIMVS What books therefore doe you thinke are chiefly to be read For it often happeneth that many both yong and old are much deceaued in their choice In my opinion books and meats are not to be chosen alike as if those which are most sauory should nourish most PARTHENIVS I allow of your iudgement we should not read to please our tast but to reape fruit nor to become learned but vertuous therby Infinit is the number of pious books in this our Age and yet they daily increase But behold I giue you a very briefe Catalogue of those I thinke more profitable then a thousand others both for youth riper age and for men in yeares 1. The motiues of vertues 2. The considerations of Eternity 3. The imitation of the most B. Virgin Mary The last of these was written by Francis Arias al whose workes to you I likewise commend But let that booke be first which I named in the first place to wit Stimuli virtutâ—m The motiues of vertues of which this is my opinion that I know not any booke in most libraryes of the world more profitable for yong men From this proceed to the second and vpon the foundation therof let Eternity be placed But whilst I perswade the reading of these few I deny not but others are very profitable namely Lewis Granatensis intituled The guide of sinners and other bookes of his which are indeed very learned and pious That of Thomas a Kempis of the following of Christ The liues of Saints written by Zacherias Lippelous The Christian Zodiacke of twelue signes of Predestination The Horology of the Angel guardian Cardinal Bellarmines booke intituled The Ascension of the mind to God The same authour of the Eternal felicity of the Saints likewise his Degemitu columbae and the Art of dying wel written by the same man Albertus Magnus or Iames Aluarez of vertues The first and second part of Spiritual workes written by Luca Pinellus The Manual of the Sodality set forth by Francis Veron The foure parts of Francis Bruno of the most Blessed Virgin of the life and death of Christ The six parts of Meditations of Lewis de Ponte Behold a great many and yet I haue named but a few in respect of those that are extant make your choice Most of them you may buy for a smal charge and read with facility Doe so my EDESIMVS you wil neuer repent you of my counsel EDESIMVS I wil obey you but I likewise expect some documents for reading PARTHENIVS I wil giue iust as many as the bookes I assigned Three things seeme to me chiefly to be auoided in reading pious bookes 1. Celerity 2. Variety 3. Vanity And lest my wordes may seeme riddles I explane them §. III. The pious Reader must before al things principally beware of Celerity I haue spoken of his already Let not him that desires to profit himselfe read much but a little with much attention I approue not of those readers who fly through bookes as a cock would through hot coales They speedily slubber ouer many things stay vpon nothing read nothing aduisedly Let pious reading be scrious deliberate and often interrupted that what is read may be pondered by meditation and by inuoluing better vnderstood There are some that doe not eate but deuoure and Plantus speaketh properly of them Tuburâ—iâ—antur doe â—ourmandize they hastily take in great morsels and without chewing straight swallow and deuoure them To these meat is not so much a nourishment as detrimet So he that swalloweth much by reading but disgesteth nothing by pondering reades without discretion or profit There are showers soft but soaking which falling mildly and by little drops sâ—…ke into and make fruitful the earth But a stormy and sodaine shower doth seldome fertilize the soile So hasty reading without some mixture of meditation like a sodaine deluge ouerwhelmes but doth not penetrate water the parched earth If you read any thing that may tend to the better ordering of your liâ—e suffer it I beseech you to penetrate thinke whether you haue been or in â—ithe to come shal be such an one You read in vaine if you read not with deliberation Moreouer Variety for the most part in al reading is vtterly to be coÌ„demned The multitude of dishes impaires the health of many who otherwise would perfectly enioy it Multiplicity of medicines shortneth the life of many sicke men So in like sort variety and excesse in reading hindreth the proficient in solid vertue The reading of al manner of bookes causeth a certaine confusion and instability of mind That man who is euery where is no where nor is it wholesome to take diuers sorts of different medicines It is the property of a queasy stomacke to be stil tasting seueral meats which being of so distinct and diuers quality corrupt rather then nourish Many dishes beget many diseases so in like manner it is a fault in a reader to seeke in bookes rather his pleasure then his profit Polibius compareth these men to licorish fellowes and glurtonous Epicures who tasting heer and there a bit of al sorts of meats set before them haue little or no pleasure for the present nor future nourishment or profit Let vs so read my EDESIMVS that we not only delight our palate with those things that are sauory but likewise with those that are for instruction and profit with that rather which is commodious then delightful Vanity likewise in reading is not to be tolerated I cal that vanity which a man reades not to practise but only to know to please the vnderstanding rather then to incite the wil. Ah my EDESIMVS not our science but our practise shal be approued of in heauen To what end doe I read much if I neuer purpose to put any thing in practise What doth it auaile vs to read sacred and practise prophane things Why are pious bookes daily in our hands if we haue not so much as the very shadow of piety in our liues Why doe I entertaine my mind with the precepts of chastity if I refuse to put them in practise When we begin to read we ought to haue an ingenuous and firme determination to execute in each respect whatsoeuer a pious booke by diuine inspiration shal dictate either to be followed or eschewed An Angel did not only
lay open a booke before Ezechiel and S. Iohn Ezech. 3.1 Apoc. 10.9 but also commanded them to deuoure and enclose it in their bowles Vaine is that reading which is not sealed and rutifyed by workes After reading let vs begin to be such men as the bookes instructed vs to be Otherwise though we sow store of seed no haruest ensues And woe be to him who only knoweth and doeth not those things which he ought Christ exhorting vs saith Luc. 12.47 That seruant that knew the wil of his Lord and prepared not himselfe nor did according to his wil shal be beaten with many stripes The B. Virgin Mother of our Lord whose most holy life no man is able sufficiently to commend read the holy scriptures from three in the afternoone til night and thereby this one Virgin profited more for the accomplishment of her beatitude then the wisest men could with al the vast libraryes of that world Siâ—…ia Ruffâ—…a the Gouernours daughter of Alexandria obtained such perfection by daily reading in the Theban solitude that she not only seemed not to be alone when she was most solitary but endeauoured to imitate their liues she read and to exemplify their vertue in her life They recount how Alcibiades when he was a yong man entring into a schoole earnestly requested of the Maister Homers Iliads The Maister answered he had no such booke To whom this audacious yong man replied not but with a box on the eare and so departed only muttering to himselfe he said May he be reputed a Schoole-Maister that wants Homer Perhaps my EDESIMVS thou mayest find some of the Sodalitie of the most Blessed Virgin whom if thou aske whether they read that little booke of the Imitation of Christ wil deny they haue any such Mayest thou not vpbraid them with like wordes and aske how can they be of the Sodality and not haue this sacred Writer There can be nothing more vitious then to be an enemy to the best things Alfonsus that most excellent King in times past being asked who were the best Counsellours answeared They that are dead meaning bookes which without flattery or concealing any thing sincerely expresse and instruct men in documents of truth Hardly can he be healthful who hauing an auersion from wholesome meates delightes his appetite only with cherryes and al manner of fruit so shal he neuer be a holy man who contemning pious bookes feedeth himselfe with hearing or reading fables We are to read both profitable and pious things which vnles we often peruse we shal neither reap profit nor piety by them This I had to say of Reading being the first word of the verse The other to wit Stripes followeth EDESIMVS Now my shoulders shrinke at this but goe forward my PARTHENIVS I haue not yet giuen ouer to be attentiue THE SECOND ANTIDOTE against Incontinency Chastizement of the body CHAP. IV. PARTHENIVS Resistire diabolo fugiet a vobis Iac. 4.7 Resist the diuel and he wil fly from you Without warre my EDESIMVS there is no chastity Wilt thou not fight thou louest not thy chastity Wel knowne is that saying of Chrysostome A virgin neuer ceaseth to wage warre Her enemy is as flattering and deceitful as neer vnto her A man is not only the nearest but also the worst enemy to himself In vaine the diuel and world fight against vs if our owne traytorous flesh fauour not their faction Nor is the wicked spirit ignorant that al his victoryes in a manner are to be attributed to the flesh With facility he conuinceth the Lady Reason who but once subdues her hand-maid the flesh She deceaued with self-loue to purchase a few hony drops selles her patrimony in heauen she cares not to perish eternally so she may for a moment liue pleasantly Ecclesiasticus extreamly condemning this madnesse saith Eccles 17.30 What is more wicked then that which flesh and bloud hath inuented Heer take into thy consideration Iahel that Cinaean woman who was as strong as subtile Iudi. 4. There came vnto her Tent a warlike captaine called Sâ—fara weakned with battel and wearyed by flight Iahel with sweet allurements and flattering pretences of freindship went forth to meet him Come in my good Lord said she come in there is no cause why you should feare He euen as an oxe goes to the slaughter-house entring in requested a cup of cold water She as one more liberal to her guest then he required gaue him milke and couering him with skins of beasts left him to take his rest But setting vpon him in the depth of his sleep she struck a great naile through his temples So poore man that sleep which then began is not yet finished Like Iahel yea worse the Flesh handles vs wanton petulant ful of deceits and furnished with a thousand subtiltyes to betray vs it giues our thirsty soule a delicious potion to drinke plies vs with sundry carnal contentments and pleasures And although this draught be mingled with deadly poyson it is neuertheles grateful to a dry soule which it also couers with skinnes inuiting it to sleep securely in sinne This is the property of the Flesh stil to auoid whatsoeuer is sharp and laborious and to offer soft and delicate entertainement With these blandishments that great Commander the Soule is laid asleep and so whiles she attends not her affaires is with that great naile of Luxury fastned and transfixed to the earth O Sisara O most miserable soule do'st thus begin thy sleep which is accompanied with euerlasting death O my EDESIMVS why doe we not heer take vp whips and scourge this wicked impostor as she deserueth Fodder the whippe and burden for an Asse bread discipline and labour for a seruant vnloose his hands and he seekes after liberty Eccl. 33. vers 25. §. I. Plutarch recounteth that Agason ready to be strucken by one that was incensed against him cryed out Plut. 〈◊〉 Irae I am an Athenian I am an Athenian He craftily diuerting the blow towardes an asse that stood by said but thou art no Athenian and forthwith struck the silly beast with a great cudgel Our Soule had her beginning from heauen this is her countrey heer she is a cittizen the flesh but the daughter of the earth sprung from most sordid parentage Why then are we so partial towards her She is no Athenian she hath no ofspring from heauen this honour is due to the soule Why therefore are we so facil and benigne towards this beast This is a vitious and foolish kind of pitty But so the flesh may fare wel and want no cherishing and pampering so the flesh may escape whipping let the soule be corrupted let it perish what matter is it In this we imitate Agrippina Neroes mother She asking counsel of the Augures concerning her sonne Nero they answered it would come to passe that he should gouerne and put his mother to death To which she impiously answered Occidat dum imperet let
his hunger In the holy weeke he fed vpon nothing els but lupines a bitter kind of pease Out alas shal so great a Prince impose vpon himself such rigid lawes of fasting and yet we who in comparison of him haue strong and able bodies our bloud boiling and prone to lust so much abhorre abstinence that if our belly be not alwaies wel stuffed we straight dreame of death or sicknesse whereas hunger is the best remedy against al diseases §. V. In Italy the chiefest medicine for euery disease amongst the skilfullest phisitians is hunger and fasting These things stand with very good reason For the principal cause of al diseases is gormaÌ„dizing and excesse which is only best cured by abstinence Therefore as hunger cureth diseases of the body so it doth of the soule being a soueraigne Antidote against al the vices thereof Doe you not see how hunger breaâ—es the neck of a proud man The couetous is perswaded by hunger to draw forth is rusty treasure The angry pinched with want becomes gentle and tractable An idle man by hunger is pricked forward to worke He that auoides the mill auoides likewise the mealing of his clothes And whereas hunger is not so loathsome as superfluity that causeth surfets it drawes a glutton from his dainty viandes to frugality a luxurious man from obscene lust to be sober and continent Hunger maketh resistance against al vices but chiefly against luxury There haue been armyes saith Seneca Epist 17. that haue suffered extreame want of al things they haue liued on roots and herbs and by hunger haue endured that which is euen most loathsome to be spoken Al these things haue they suffered which you may maruel at onlie to subdue anothers kingdome and shal any one for deliuering his owne soule from the thraldome of carnal concupiscence think much to endure hunger Rusâ—us Aquileiensis relateth a thing worthy of memory Lib. 3. apud Râ—svâ—eid â— 62. There came a certaine person to visit a religious old man and said vnto him Father what shal I doe I am not able longer to endure so many obscene cogitations wherwith I am troubled they so fil my mind with abhominable impurityes To whom the old man answered I remember not that euer I haue been subiect to such vncleane thoughts The other tooke his answer in il part and iudged it almost impossible How said he can that be that you should neuer be infested with these troublesome cogitations The old man answered that from the time he had put on the habit of a Monke he had neuer eaten his fil of bread neuer drunke his fil of water neuer taken his fil of sleep By which meanes hauing neuer been satiated I rather desire sleep or meat and so am neuer tempted by carnal suggestions This yong man gaue eare and profited very much by this modest commendation of abstinence I inculcate my former saying and so make en end Hunger is a friend to virginity THE SEAVENTH ANTIDOTE against Incontinency Labours and the loue of exercise CHAP. VIII EDESIMVS You haue said enough of fasting PARTHENIVS More ought to haue been said but I imagine you conceaue how neere abstinence is allied to chastity But doe you remember our verses Lectio flagra preces confessio lympha labores Bookes prayers stripes confession labours fasting I haue expounded what the meaning of Lympha and fasting is Doubtles abstinence to lust is the same which water is to fire But let vs goe forward I wil demonstrate in few wordes that labour is as great a freind as idlenesse an enemy to chastity You may find some perhaps that wil not endure to be termed idle persons notwithstanding they labour in such sort that it may be doubted whether it be better to be idle then so employed They prattle and talke of nothing but vaine matters and this they cal discourse and serious conference they sport themselues walk vp and downe drinke read ouer no good bookes but only looke vpon them for curiosity they ouercome tediousnesse with idlenesse spend the day with a thowsand fopperyes and in doing al things doe nothing at al. And to vse Seneca's words Epist 15. they are men occupied between oyle and wine who spend the day according to their desire and thinke they haue laboured when they haue sweat soundly powr'd in as much drinke as they haue sweat forth humours O how much of our life slippeth away whil'st we are idle how much while we are ilimployed But I wil furnish you with other labours whereby you may defend your chastity You know Diana was fained to be a virgin because she hated idlenesse and exercised her selfe daily with her Nymphes in hunting Amongst this company of virgins the Nymph Salmacis was taxed for that whil'st the rest perpetually spent their time in labour she only very idly imployd either comb'd her haire burnish'd her face painted her cheekes prancked herself in her glasse laid in order the pleites of her garments or gathered flowers Not withstanding perswaded herself she did more then al the rest and that 〈◊〉 were more holy then she Ouid speakâ—… very elegantly of this Nymph Li 4. de Metam Sape suas illi faâ—… est dixisse sorores Salmaci vel iaculum vel pictas sâ—me pharetras Et tâ—a cum duris venatibus otia miscâ— Nec iaculum sumit nec pictas illa pharetras Nec sua cum duris venatibus otia misceâ— As fame reportes her sisters often said Salmace thy dart or painted quiuer take Mixe hunting-sports with rest thou slouthful maid But she nor dart nor painted quiuer tooke Nor for their hunting toile her â—ase forsooke These speeches must often be repeated to a yong man il imployed Why loyterest thou sluggard doe doe something vnfold thy paper take thy pen note exercise thy stile compose epistles make orations sing poemes Hast thou written another while take thy booke â—eâ—d commit it to memory Hast thou read pray sometimes treat with God meditate oâ— pious and sacred things Hast thou prayed recal thy self againe to reading or writing Nature hath bestowed nothing vpon mortal men without great labour By daily labour and long exercise al thinges are acquired Yet I wish you not alwaies to hang ouer your booke or writing There must be some intercourse for recreation of your mind but so that it may not too much dissolue but rather breath and recreâ—te a man Hast thou breathed returne to thy labours take againe thy pen paper and bookes and goe forward in thy businesse Heer we must obserue a circle in our course of life either â—o labour or else take some little breathing by desisting from labour yeâ— in tâ—king breath we must not be altogether idle but in idlenesse itself 〈◊〉 hâ—…d of idlenesse §. I. Vpon a time S. Anthony grew weary of the wildernes and as they write with great anguish of mind cryed out I desire to be saued but mine owne cogitations are against me Whil'st he was thus