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
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
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
thou saue thy selfe harmeles from this viper No man euer had his liberty so much captiuated as thyne If thou open thyne eyes thou art ensnared with her beauty if close them thy eares lye open to as much poyson as shee can instil into them Thy hands with storkes thy feete with spurnes can not defend thy chastity Alas thy innocency seemeth lost thy modesty vaÌ„quished with so many subtile engines More credible it seemes the Romane Patricide sowed in a sack with a dog a serpent a cock and an Ape might be preserued from al wounds then thou o distressed yong man to be freed froÌ„ the plague of lust Which way soeuer thou turnest thou art entangled their appeareth no hope of euasion Lasciuious Cupid houering ouer thy head seekes to speed thee with his poysnous dart But in vaine doth Venus triumph before the victory The Christian Champion in this deadly combate found out away whereby his victorious chastity might triumph ouer her enemy Oppressed on al sides seeing himself in so great danger and why quoth he o my wronged chastity dost thou not defend thy self at least with such weapons as thou hast My tongue only is at liberty my tongue then shal serue for a weapoÌ„ I had rather be dumb then not chast This sayd with a generous resolution wounding and biting asunder his tongue he spit it al bloudy in the forehead of the shameles harlot O Nicetas o thrice-happy and couragious yong man goe forward on Gods name thou that breakest through so many hellish fetters and redeemest thy liberty with thy virgin-modesty brauely vsing thy iawes for a quiuer and thy tougue for an arrow §. I. EDES O heauens o earth and seas was euer the like found in any history prophane or sacred old or new Romane or Greeke Very worthily may we extol this young man for this great this admirable this transcendent and astonishing fact That was nothing in respect of this which the Laconian yong man did who being taken in warre oft repeated these wordes I wil not And as soone as he was commanded to execute any base or seruile office he dasht out his owne braines against a wal What was the burning of Mâ—tius right hand in respect of this I admire not the dagger of Lucretia embrued with her owne bloud She was desirous to be chast when she had lost her Chastity PARTHENIVS Verily the ancient times had great examples of Chastity I commend Xenocrates I applaud Scipio I honour in this respect the Macedonian Alexander I admire Spurina and Democles only at Nicetas I stand astonished Xenocrates was said to be of such modesty that if he had but in beastes seene accidentally any wantonnes he would presently with his eyes turn'd away condemne it Scipio deliuered a Virgin vntouched to her spouse as he had receaued her and so became a conquerour both of himself and his lust Alexander would not so much as with his eyes glance vpon the wife and daughters of Darius because they were women of admirable beauty Spurina wounded her beautiful face least it might set others on fire Democles to auoid fornicatioÌ„ leapt into a boyling chauldroÌ„ both defenders of their chastity but neither of them to be compared to our Nicetas And seeing we haue entred into the listes if you please let vs aduance our feete and pace out this as a wel as we can EDESIMVS Wee are both at good leasure neither is there any reason why I should refuse especially if you lead the way PARTHENIVS But if I erre you shal pardon mee I chanced of late vpon verses but few in number and if you regard their wordes neither polished nor smooth but rich in sense and I make a question whether you haue euer read any thing more pithy or profitable They haue a triple inscription and are but sixe in al. I wil recite them Incontinentiae Libidinis Inuitamenta Otia Mensa libri vaga lumina verba Sodales Haec tolle hanc minne hos muta haec claude haec fuge vita hos The inuitements of incontinency and lust Slouth store of meate books wandring eyes wordes mates Fly lessen change close shun and shut the gates Incontinentiae Libidinis effectus Corpus opes animam ingenium famam virtutes Debilitat perdit necat impedit inficit aufere The effects of incontinency and Lust Fame vertue soule and body wit and wealth They blast taint kil waste dul and take by stealth Incontinentiae Libidinis Antidota Lectio flagra preces confessio lympha labores Portarum excubiae Christs praesentia paenae The Antidotes against incontinency and Lust Books prayers stripes confession labours fasting Strict watch Christs presence torments euerlasting EDESIMVS These were made to help our memory and they please me wel but for so much as you are this day my guide begin my PARTHENIVS and read the riddles of those your verses lest you may seeme vnto some to haue spokeÌ„ Arabicke PARTHENIVS Accept for the present these few verses I wil heereafter adde others of my Nicetas who had he not vnderstood that the mischief of Luxury was very great would not so much haue detested it choosing rather with great paine to become dumbe then vnchast by the fruition of that vnlawful pleasure IDLENES THE FIRST Allurement to Incontinency CHAP. III. NOthing more then an idle life inclines and makes a man yeald to vice and abandon vertue In the schoole of vice Idlenesse is the chief Master and principal teacher And that you may not wonder at this it was enacted by the law of Draco that they who were accused of Idlenesse should be condemned and put to death Those things that most draw vs vnto Lust are slouth store of meate bookes wandring eyes wordes and mates Behold Idlenesse here the ringleader of al the rest Without question it is the vsual boulster of al vices and why not of Luxury Most truly Diogenes in times past publickely affirmed Libido est otiosorum negotium Lust is the businesse of those that are idle Assuredly it is a rare thing to see a man idle and chast And as these vices are nere of kin one to the other mentâ—ri furari to lye and steale for I wil presently shew you a theefe if you shew me a lyer so these two are very nere allyed nihil agere malè agere to doe nothing and to doe euil to loose a mans time and not preserue his chastity otiari luxuriari to be idle and play the wanton You know wel the old saying of Ouid Quaeritur Aegisthus quare sit factus adulter In prmptu causa est desidiosus erat How was Aegistus with adulterous staine Soil'd at the first By slouth the cause is plaine From slouth for the most part issue the sparkes of lust Idlenesse is the fuel of concupiscence And I wish al parents and Maisters would in this respect be vigilant to driue away slouth from those that are vnder their charge That father in the Satyrist may be
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
til noone and then hauing taken our fil of wordes let vs goe to dinner The first wordes of the verses are these Corpus debilitat This poison of concupiscence doth not only affaile the mind but also weakneth and corrupteth the body it self depriuing it both of strength health Heere I must moderate my discourse for that this belongeth to the art of Phisitians and therefore ought to be confirmed by their testimonyes I wil only produce one witnesse which may speake for a thousaÌ„d and shew how great an enemy the vse of venery is to mans health Hyppolitus Guariâ—oâ—…us a man euen for his writings very famous amongst Phisitians in the yeare of Christ 1610. published a booke wherein be deploreth the manifold destruction of mankind partly in their liues partly in their manners This authour in his fifth booke before the sixt chapter prefixeth this title A natural demonstration and confirmation that nothing 〈◊〉 more pestilent then Venery for the corruption of mans strength deflowring his youth and shortning his life Before the 62. chapter of the same booke he hath this inscription The famous and illustrious testimonies of the principal Naturalists and Phisitians that there is not a greater mischiefe in the world then Venery to cause an vnseasonable suddaine death Of the 63. Chapter in the same fifth booke this is the title That continency and chastity is not only the best and most excellent remedy to preserue long health and life but also nobler more agreable and worthyer of humane reason then either the vnlawful vse of Venery or lawful marriage Dost thou heare my EDESIMVS what testimony this remakeable and prime Phisitian hath in times past giuen in the behalfe of a single life against venereous dishonesty euen in the titles only of the Chapters before rehearsed The waight of his reasons and arguments I omit §. I. Vnto this man I adioyne S. Chrysostome as a witnesse these are his wordes Tom. 5. Hom. Quod â—eâ—o laeditur c. They that lead their lines in pleasures luxury carry about with them infirme wasted bodyes replenished with infinite infirmityes they lead their liues euermore amongst phisitians and medicines and their very seâ—…es are dul heauy stupid and as it were already buryed aliue A pregnant witnesse for the matter we treat of at this present And contrariwise out of this most cleare fountaine of Chastity proceed not only the inablements of the mind but also a life more healthful an old age not hastned a flourishing comely vigorous body So that worthily may continency glory in this manner Eccl. 24.23 25. My flowers are fruit of honour and honesty in me is al grace of life I aske of thee my EDESIMVS what thou thinkest of so many Anchoretes who diuers yeares prolonged their liues with such spare diet did they not chiefly attaine to this length of life by chastity Siâ—eon Stilites that miracle of the world who stood vpon his feete both day and night through continual fastings arriued to the hundreth ninth yeare of his age but know this he neuer had a wife That great Anthony to whem the world seru'd as a booke liued an hundred and fiue yeares but neuer knew what belonged to a wife S. Paul the fiâ—st Eremite liu'd an hundred thirteene yeares but alwayes remained a virgin S. Hillarion a poore Monke one who neuer vsed to take any repast but after sun-set of the age of 84. neuer had any wife Panuplnus who for many yeares togeather liued only vpon bread arriued to the age of foure score c ten yeares neuer acquainted with wedlocke Macarius exceeded the ninetieth yeare of his age continuing in perpetual fasts neuer knew what marriage was Arsenius the master of Arcadius Honorius liued to be sixe score yeares of age and none euer sung his Epithalamium Romuald by nation an Italian arriued to this age a man very austere both in his food and clothing alwayes honoured virginity preferred the candour of his mind farre before the inticements of mariage Franciscus de Paula refreshed himself once a day with bread water but not before sun-set notwithstaÌ„ding he exceeded the ninetieth yeare of his age with entire chastity flourished Hieronymus Stridonensis drew forth his laborious old age exhausted with hunger euen til the eightieth yeare of his age was no lesse entire in keeping theÌ„ copious in praising of chastity Beda liued a virgin in religion from the seauenth yeare of his age til he was foure score and twelue altogeather ignorant of mariage Remigius continued Bishop of Rhemes seauenty and foure yeares a very rare thing I cannot tel whether the like euer hapned to any other whereupon he was called Iubilaeus as being of the age of minety six compleate when he died and neuer touched marriage bed al the dayes of his life Martinus Tuâ—…ensis liued foure-score and sixe yeares Vdâ—…ricus Bishop of Padua an hundred and fiue Epiphanius an hundred and fifteene These most holy men vsed often fasts and obserued perpetual virginity It were too long to name innumerable others whom chastity temperance and moderation of those things which vse to stirre vp mens appetites haue preserued and brought to a long and flourishing old age You shal find euen at this day very many who with good reason ascribe their venerable old age partly to abstinence and partly to chastity Enter into Monasteryes and religious houses you shal find very many who haue endured sixty seauenty eighty yea euen ninety winters hauing their liues so much the more lengthened as they were eminent in chastity Not many yeares since I went to see a certaine Aunt of mine a religious woman in a poore monastery and falling into talke with her I asked how many yeares she had now serued God in that place She answered fourty I was astonished there at and after when I had seriously beheld her I could not by sight haue taken her to haue been more then a virgin of twenty yeares of age Therefore said I be mindful to render humble thankes to God for out of Religion you would neither haue been so vigorous nor wel coloured but would either haue been dead ere this or at the next doore to it This is likewise the reward of continency that it maketh those long liu'd who preserue integrity of body And tel me my EDESIMVS what man is there though of iron or brasse who shackled in the fetters of wedlock 〈◊〉 liue so sound and healthy amongst the daily discoÌ„forts of so many cares griefes vexations and misfortunes as he thâ—… takes no further care but only to serue and please Almighty God Those that are married must cloaâ—h so many bodies food so many bellies cure so many diseases deplore so many calamities bewaile so many funerals dye as it were so many deaths as they lose either children or grand-children But let vs omit this losse of life and health in wedlocke how many both yong and middle-ag'd men goe to
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
blushing at this so seuere a decree and penalty straight-way withdrew himself and departed from his mothers house And that he might to the greater disgrace of his whole family haue some companions in his shame with that infamous woman he tooke vp his lodging in the common stewes Where hauing worne out his rich apparel long dissembled his extream hunger spent al his money sicke in mind and pining away with griefe destitute of confort and in a manner of al hope of any meanes to liue on partly by reason of a burning â—eauer and partly through despaire of al succour his malady daily increasing finding no cure or remedy wearyed out with griefe he desperately determined to shorten his life by a violent death And lest any one should hinder the Epilogue of this dismal tragedy faining some busines he sent that leud woman out of the way whom til then he had dishonestly loued She being now gone he left alone in the house tooke a knife out of the kitchin went into the garden the place where Incontinency had prepared to triumph where casting his rowling eyes on euery side seeing himself sequestred from the sight of al tearing open his buttons he exposed his bare breasts thin and withered with sicknes and setting the haft of the knife against a pale so forcibly thrust his body against the point thereof that piercing the bulke of his breast it passed through the very chine of his backe Hauing sped himself with this wound he fel to the ground and seeing his bloud gush forth was surprised with madder furies for that he was not yet depriued of his loathed life which he with such cruelty sought to abandon Alas behold a direful spectacle Oh with what fury did this self-murtherer wrest and turne the knife round on euery side sticking in his breast Oh how he cut and mangled his owne entrailes as it appeared afterward in his dead body whereby he rather sought to â—ast headlong then breath out his most impious soule In the meane while that vnfortunate woman returned and finding her Paramouâ— in the garden wallowing in his owne bloud with horrour amazement waxing pale and faiâ—ting she fel to the ground At last recouering her senses â—he raised al the neighbours with a lâ—mâ—ntable out-cry to whoÌ„ as they rushed into the garden she al dâ—owned with teares declared in what manner she had found his dead body Sâ—râ—ight â—ame flying through the whole city came to his mothers â—are who at this newcâ— roâ—…ing out like a lyonesse robbâ—d of her whelpeâ— pale and waâ— and like another dead body forthwith seemed rather to fly then goe to this garden where amongst heaâ—bâ— and floweâ—… she found her sonne horâ—ibly slaughtered And presently at the first aspect falling into a swoâ—ne sunke to the earth as if she would there haue dyed with him The spectatours themselues by this time were moued to weep bâ—holding this double yea almost triple funeral The mother recouering by little little out of this fainting fit drenched in a flâ—…d of â—eares turning her weeping eyes towards her sonnes harlot said O woman what hast thou done thou hast seduced and taken from me mine owne flesh and bloud it is thou vnfortunate woman that art the cause of al these disastres The next morning his kinsfolkes with a great peece of money hardly obtained to bury his miserable corps in the earth for according to the lawes it was adiudg'd to be burned So this yong man that so cruelly butchered himself was according to his deserts buried in a prophane place The night after he was buried the earth of his graue settled became so hollow that some imagined wicked spirits which before had taken his soule had likewise carried his body away I my self saith the Authour saw the turfes heaped vpoÌ„ him whereby an extraordinary high graâ—e was raised yet the next day the earth was so sunck downe that one would hardly belieue any corps to haue been buried there This was the desperate and disastrouâ—end which hapned to this yong man through lust incontinency A feareful example to al succeeding Ages that men may with terrour see into what a gulfe of euils those are precipitated who giue the bridle and ful liberty to their lusts This was the prodigious trophy of Incontinency that triumphed in a garden and ouer which our Nicetas hauing likewise ouercome in a garden gloriously triumplied Let yong and old men take example yea let the whole world learne heerby to be wise by another man's ruine mortify their lasciuious appetites and fly from the company of them that are slaues to concupiscence But vnto thee o Christian Sampson doe I returne and with thee most chast Nicetas I make an end who in a garden didst raise that most noble trophey by triumphing ouer Incontinency O Nicetas liue againe in vs o most Illustrious CoÌ„querour fight triumph in vs. Let thy example let thy battel victory animate set vs on fire and inflame vs to coÌ„bate Let vs take courage with Nicetas let vs fight ouercome with him That maÌ„ certainly goeth away with victory who ceaseth not to fight couragiously we must fight there is no victory in this warfare without combate there is no reward heer but only for them that fight lawfully Chastity is a treasure of inestimable value to which is due an eternal reward neither can any man purchase chastity for nothing This if thou dost highly prize thou must vnderualue al other things which in respect of it are nothing worth Omnis ponderatio non est digna continentis animae Al waight is not worthy a continent soule Eccl. 26.20 LAVS DEO Qui dedit velle perficere INDEX THE FIRST BOOKE THe entrance into the discourse Chap. 1. pag. 1. The most illustrioâ—s act of Nicetâ—… related somewhat at large Chap. 2. pag. 5. Idlenes the first allurement to incontinency Ch. 3. p. 13. The second allurement to incontinency Daiâ—ty faire surfeting and Gluttony Chap. 4. pag. 20. The third allurement to incontinency Impure and obscene books Chap. 5. pag. 26. The Fourth allurement to incontinency Dishonest pictures Chap. 6. paâ— 3â— The fift allurement to incontinency Waâ—dring curious and gazing eyes Chap. 7. pag. 47. The Sixt allurement to incontinency Lasâ—…ioâ—s and dishonest Words Chap. 8. pag. 69. The Seauenth allurement to incontinency End Companions Chap. 9. pag. 70. The first effects of incontinency It conâ—…meth the body and wasteth riches Chap. 10. pag. 100. The other effects of incontinency 〈◊〉 the soule and impayreth the iudgement Chap. 11. pag. 112. The third effect of incontinency It taâ—…teth the same and extirpateth al vertues Chap. 12. pag. 117. THE SECOND BOOKE S. Benedict may be called the brother of Nicetas in respect of a certaine illustrious act of his Chap. 1. pag. 129. The battel of Nicetas and his victory descriâ—ed in â—eroical verse Chap. 2. pag. 169. The first antidâ—te against incontinency Reading of pious books Chap. 3. pag. 181. The second antidote against incontinency Chastizâ—ment of the body Chap. 4. pag. 198. The third antidote against incontinency Prayers or the study of Dâ—…tion Chap. 5. pag. 222. The fourth antidote against incontinency Oâ—ten Coâ—fession of a 〈…〉 Chap. 6. pag. 245. The fift antidote â—gaiâ—st incontinency Fasting and the exercise of Abstiâ—…nce Chap. 7. pag. 282. The sixt antidote against incontinency Labours and the loue of exercise Chap. 8. pag. 302. The Seauenth antidote against incontinency Careful keeping of 〈◊〉 exteriour senses Chap. 9. pag. 31â— The eight antidote against incontinency Contâ—…ual memory of the presence of God in al places Ch. 10. p. â—17 The ninth antidote against incontinency The nine punishments of Eternity Chap. 11. pag. 381. The Epilogue of those things which are said concerning the triumph ouer incontinency Chap. 12. pag. 425.